A Damned Dirty Thing

The Jake Bishop
Files Book 1

The explosion should have killed him . . .

Jake Bishop is back on the streets of Solomon City, ten
months after a mob bombing destroyed his office and murdered his partner and
secretary. But Bishop isn’t just any private detective—he’s a “ditch wizard”
able to step through shadow and bend reality to his will.

When the beautiful and mysterious Portia Vance answers his
ad for a new secretary, Bishop thinks his luck might finally be changing.
Together, they begin hunting Vito Morelli, the mob boss who ordered the hit
that nearly ended Bishop’s life.

Their investigation leads them through the city’s darkest
corners—from strip clubs to shadow banking operations, from corrupt cops to
magical wards. But in a world where bullets and spells are equally deadly, and
where everyone has secrets worth killing for, Bishop discovers that the line
between hunter and hunted is thinner than he thought.

Some cases require a gun. Others need magic. This one
demands both.

In the shadows of Solomon City, justice comes with a
price—and revenge wears a beautiful face.

A gritty noir fantasy that proves sometimes the most
dangerous magic is the human heart.

 

 Amazon * Edgeweaver Books* Bookbub * Goodreads

Christopher “Doc” Blalock is a US Navy veteran Corpsman and retired
counselor. He is a prolific fine artist, illustrator, musician, sculptor and
writer, cursed with the itch to create. He draws inspiration from sources
ranging from JRR Tolkien to Tom Clancy. He additionally draws from his love of
classic black-and-white noir films, infusing their moody aesthetic and
storytelling into his writing. A helpless coffee addict, he lives in the
Atlanta suburbs with his childhood sweetheart and a dog of dubious moral
character.

 

Website * Facebook * Facebook * X * X * Instagram * Amazon

Follow
the tour HERE for special content and a giveaway!

Enter the Justice, Or Something Like It Giveaway

“Hey, did
you have a good run?” Lizzy asks, looking me up and down like I’m a dessert she
can’t wait to eat. I love that she can’t hide how much she still wants me. 

Maybe this
will be easier than I thought. “It was… therapeutic.” She nods, knowing running
is how I clear my head. “I’m going to shower.” Smooth, dumbass. You have
better game than this. 

But Lizzy
has always made me into a babbling idiot stumbling over my words. My therapist
told me it’s because I actually give a shit about Lizzy and care what she
thinks. Halfway down the hallway, I stop, remembering I decided to change
things with Lizzy, beginning with a date. “Do you have plans tonight?”

She glares
at me and snarks, “What, do you have a hot date and want the apartment to
yourself?”

I shouldn’t
mess with her like this, but she’s asking for it by thinking I would look at,
let alone be with, anyone but her. “Weeellll, I’m not sure yet. It depends on
her.”

“Such a
fucking gentleman. I can stay with Dee. Actually, I probably should’ve moved
out by now. I’ll do that while you’re on your hot date.” Anger oozes from her
even though she’s trying to hide it, but I know her too well. After slapping
her laptop closed, she heads to the guestroom, but I stop her when she’s within
arm’s reach. 

Fuck. I’m
messing this up already. 

“I didn’t
ask if you had plans, so you’d leave. The last thing I want is for you to leave
tonight… or any night. I was hoping you would be my hot date.” I brush
my palm against her cheek and see her take a deep breath. I haven’t lost her
yet. I whisper, “I’m going to shower and get ready for this smokin’ hot blonde
who makes my heart race.”

“Makes your
heart race? Too bad it’s not enough for you to make a long-term commitment to
her.”

Wrapping my
arms around her, I breathe in her light scent and say in a gravelly voice, “If
I did, she’s the only one I would ever think about making any type of
commitment to.”

“If. I can’t
live in a world of ifs. I need—” 

I interrupt
her with my lips. At first, her lips are stiff, but in mere seconds, she melts
into me. Thank God. 

My body
relaxes into the kiss. Her lips soften and mold to mine, followed by her arms
gripping the bottom of my shirt, showing me she’s trying not to get lost in
this kiss—lost in us. She changes the kiss from soft and languid to desperate
and demanding as she slips her hand under my shirt, skimming her fingertips
along my abs. 

I break the
kiss only so I can feast on her beautiful neck. I need to taste her—remind
myself of everything about her. Those subtle sighs. Quiet moans. How she melts
in my arms. 

I should
stop us. Change our old patterns of falling into sex. But damn, I can’t think
straight when she touches me. I always cave to her.

After Lizzy
pushes my shirt up, I whip it off and she immediately runs her hands up my
chest, causing my dick to become a steel rod. My lips continue to attack her
neck and suck on that little spot right below her earlobe. Working my way down
to her cleavage, pulling her tank top down, she gives me access to her
beautiful tits that I need to cherish and ravish. I wrap my mouth around her
nipple to suck, kiss, and flick her desire from her. 

“I hate
you,” she moans, directing my head back to her mouth.

“I can tell
you hate me so damn much.”

“I hate how
sexy you look after a five-mile run.”

“Try
thirteen miles today since I couldn’t get this gorgeous woman off my mind.” I
groan and swirl my tongue around her nipple, causing her to give me a long
moan. 

Her fingers
dig into my hair, further turning me on. I love it when she marks me with her
nails, even when I used to get counseled and lectured for allowing my girl to
damage government property. Instead of telling her to stop or at least mark me
where my uniform covers, I rewarded her with more orgasms. I pray she does the
same tonight. 

Switching to
the other side with the same fervor, I wrap her legs around my waist and grind
myself to her warmth. I can feel how turned on she is through her tiny athletic
shorts. 

“I hate how
sweet you are to Cristian.”

“Let’s not
talk about our godson right now.” That kid has a knack for killing a boner.
He’s been a cockblock a few times when we were babysitting him. My dick is
trained for Cristian being a no-fly zone until he goes to sleep. 

“We
shouldn’t—” 

I interrupt
her with my lips, knowing she’s trying to talk herself out of being with me in
any capacity. If we stop, she won’t go to dinner with me either. She’ll shut me
out. I can’t do that again. I need this woman with every fiber of my being. 

As I’m about
to roll my hip into hers, she pushes my shorts down, releasing my hard cock.
Her lust-filled eyes tell me what she wants from me, and no way am I going to
deny her anything. I have her shorts off in a matter of seconds. I almost shoot
my load when she wraps her hands around my dick, strokes me a few times, and
rubs me along her wetness. Fucking teasing me. I smirk, pulling her right
nipple into my mouth and doing a combination of flicking and sucking, which I
know drives her wild. 

“I hate that
you know me so well.”

I thicken my
accent, knowing how much it turns her on. “Back at ya, darlin’.” 

She
continues rubbing my dick up and down her slit, but when she moves me down, I
slip into her completely, causing her nails to dig into my shoulders and down
my arms. I didn’t realize her hands moved until I felt them. Yeah, that’s
going to leave a mark. 

“I
hate—right there, sexy… God, yes—how you fuck me.”

“Obviously,”
I say, kissing her neck. I can feel her tightening around me, and I pray I can
hold out until she finishes. Jesus, she’s fucking heaven. 

“I hate—”

“I hate how
much you’re talking.”

“Then shut
me up.” She flashes me a challenging look. 

Don’t miss the
other Boys of Bragg!

Find them on Amazon

Randa Knight was born and raised in a small town on the
Ohio/Indiana border. Her love of reading began when her grandmother curled up
together with a new book every weekend. She studied Literature with a Creative
Writing minor at Indiana University (Go Hoosiers!) where she fell in love with
writing. The idea for the Boys of Bragg series began during a creative writing
course and has evolved over the years.

 

Website * Facebook * X * Instagram * TikTok * Bookbub * Amazon
* Goodreads

 

Follow the blitz HERE for special content and a giveaway!

Enter The Healing Heart Giveaway Here

Website * Facebook * Instagram * Bookbub * Amazon
* Goodreads

Follow
the tour HERE for special content and a giveaway!

Enter the How Do You Live Without Love? Giveaway Here

Nate had never known true agony. He was lucky. She wanted
to hold it against him, his “everything will turn out all right” point of view,
but she needed a bit of that. She looked up from her hands in her lap and met
his gaze. Yes, a bit of fantasy in her life would do her good.

Smiling, she quipped, “You promised food.”

“Did I? Well, I think Stacy should be out in a minute
with dinner. I usually get a pot pie. Chicken is one of her specialties.”

Marly nodded. Her stomach growled as she adjusted her
bottom in the seat. “I could eat anything at this point.”

“You were rude, Mr. Wayne,” a woman’s voice interrupted
from behind her. “And I just wanted you to know that it reflects badly on you
to be sleeping with a woman like her.”

Marly turned to stare up at the tall blond who had
accosted them in the front hall earlier. It took Marly a minute to absorb what
she’d heard, then her face heated.

She didn’t think. She just stood, fury boiling to the
surface. She took one step in the woman’s direction and would have let out a
nasty response if Nate’s hand on her shoulder hadn’t restrained her. Staring at
him, she opened her mouth to speak, but he wasn’t looking at her. He angled in
front of her and squeezed her arm reassuringly in one controlled movement, then
advanced on the blond with angry intent.

Nate’s voice rang out powerfully in the dining room’s
sudden silence. “You better get smart. A mouth like that will get you
permanently barred from a career in Hollywood. You’ll certainly never work on a
film with me. And just so you know, I wouldn’t sleep with you to save the great
race. Let’s go, Marly.”

He curved around the woman, making sure no part of him
touched her, and headed out of the dining room with Marly right behind him. At
the double-door hall entrance, a stalwart Stacy sent Nate a questioning look.
He stopped, his nostrils flaring, and bit out his words.

“I believe that woman is having difficulty finding her
way out.”

Stacy nodded. “I’ll make sure she gets there.” She handed
him a key. “I’ll have your dinner brought up.”

Nodding a quick thanks, his expression impenetrable, Nate
turned and pulled Marly up dark-carpeted stairs. They made their way silently
down a wide hall, the maroon-colored wallpaper casting a forbidding slant to
their mutual silence. She couldn’t figure out what was going on. He seemed
angry with her, yet he’d defended her. Maybe he regretted his outburst, but she
didn’t. Now she understood why every sane person wanted to be with or be Nathaniel
Wayne.

They stopped at a door and Nate slipped the key into the
lock, turned it with a click, and pushed, then retreated to let Marly enter
first. She marched into the room, and after he’d followed and turned to address
her, she slammed the door shut and grabbed his sweat coat, her mouth crashing
against his as she pulled him down desperately.

He held back a second before grabbing her ass. Yes. Perfect
hands.

Then his chest, arms, and nether regions pressed against
her, his hard body inching her backward until she was against the wall and he
adjusted his grasp on her buttocks. He held her against his erection.

His tongue caressed the inside of her mouth. She tasted
mint on his breath. Tilting his head, he raised one hand to frame her face, the
callouses on his fingers brushing sensuously on her cheeks. He pulled in her
breath, lapping at her tongue, then slanted away to suckle her lips as his blue
irises bored into her eyes. A question twinkled there and Marly nodded. This
time, yes.

She couldn’t think as she watched him. Her eyes closed in
shuddering bliss as his lips touched her neck and he ran his hands down her
body again to pull her against him. Want was all she could think. She ached
with want.

Then he was pulling away and the contrasting cool to his
warmth returned thoughts to her head. Should they be doing this? She stared at
him as he stepped back, breathing hard.

His hands, shaking, reached out to straighten her rumpled
shirt, then held her face a moment. “I’ve been in enough movies to know that
making love to you right now would ruin any chance I have at persuading you
into a relationship with me.” He took another deep breath as if to steady
himself. “May I draw you a bath?” His question was so innocent, so concerned.
Marly’s heart thumped.

He didn’t wait for her to answer. Taking her hand, he
walked her to the bathroom and flicked on the light switch. Lavender. Marly’s
eyes lit in the violet-and–tiled room as the scent of lavender floated
into her nostrils. Bath and hand towels in a matching -and-violet scheme
lay folded on the marble countertop. A ceramic clawfoot bathtub
dominated the room; its classic silver knobs caught Marly’s glance. A pair of
complementing knobs shone from the sink. Stacy must have paid for the best
interior decorator money could buy.

Nate left her to bend by the tub and turn on the water.
After a minute of fiddling, he seemed to have the temperature where he wanted
it. Marly was drawn to the water’s relaxing tinkle. Fatigue pushed forth again,
as her tense muscles unwound from her earlier confrontation with Nate’s
less-than-adoring public and, well, her life. She had to fight to keep her
eyelids open as the steam from the tub wrapped itself around her.

Nate appeared before her and lowered her slicker off her
shoulders. Then he pulled her shirt gently up and off her body and reached
around to unhook her bra. No flicker of desire lit his gaze. Only concern. Her
shirt and coat flung across the crook of his elbow, he smiled and rubbed her
arms then bent to help her pull off her jeans.

Marly blinked to combat her fatigue. With her clothes in
hand, he walked to the door and looked back. She could barely discern his
words.

“I’ll be right outside, okay?”

Nodding, she let her gaze slide to the hot bath before
her. The door clicked shut. Pulling off her bra and underwear, Marly climbed
into the warm water and sank until she was covered up to her neck. The lapping
of the water at her chin drew her lids lower until she couldn’t resist sleep
anymore. Nathaniel Wayne, desire and concern in his eyes, was the last image in
her head. Her last thought: she was falling in love with him.

Venus Campbell is the Principal of
the Book of Venus publishing and the Winner of the Kroger Award for Excellence
in Creative Writing.  She has finaled in
various writing contests such as the Central Ohio Ignite the Flame and the New
England Chapter- RWA First Kiss. 
Campbell is a member of the Romance Writers of America (RWA) and the
Authors Guild.  Campbell has written
professionally since 2006 and has completed five single title manuscripts.  To Desire the Stars is her second
publication. Campbell focuses on interweaving paranormal elements into romance
stories, creating unique worlds which challenge people’s perceptions of self
and preconceived notions of human love and relationships. 

 

Website * Facebook * Instagram * Bluesky * Bookbub * Goodreads

Follow
the tour HERE for special content and a giveaway!

Enter the Requite of the Fates Giveaway Here

S. J. Barratt is a self-published, professionally edited
children’s author whose eco-themed stories celebrate the connection between
people and the natural world. Rooted in an English countryside upbringing and
shaped by a career in agriculture, she blends a gardener’s curiosity with a
storyteller’s warmth to her writing. Now based in Lyon, France, Suzanne creates
tales that inspire middle-grade readers to swap screen time for green time—and
rediscover the wonders waiting just outside their door.

Website * Facebook *Instagram * TikTok * Bookbub * Goodreads

A former BBC broadcaster and journalist, Gill Mills brings
over 20 years of experience in entertainment to her narration. Known for her
warm, resonant voice, she began her voice career while DJing on BBC Radio 1 and
has since voiced numerous TV and audio productions. She now runs a content
company specialising in podcast and film production from her studio in East
London.

 

LinkedIn* Instagram

Follow
the tour HERE for special content and a giveaway!

Enter the Living the the Edge of the World – Summer Giveaway Here