UNFORGIVEN: New Release & Contest Announcement

News and shameless bribery from Sarah Ballance

Welcome, friends and literate people! I've got some awesome giveaway information to dish (naturally, at the END of this post) but first I want to share an exclusive excerpt from my new romantic suspense, UNFORGIVEN, which kicks off a brand new series for me here at Noble Romance. It also happens to be Noble's #3 bestseller at press time, so while I'm doing my happy dance, you can all look at this:

UNFORGIVEN | Packing Heat #1

Riley Beckett's past just came back to haunt her . . . and this time, he's got a gun.

When Gage Lawton finds his brother shot dead on his back porch, every shred of evidence points to one person: Gage's former lover, Riley. He and she didn't part ways on good terms, and he's not planning to rekindle anything now--not when he's got a revolver pointed at her head and a finger on the trigger.

A year after Riley swore she and Gage were over, he returns in a hail of gunfire. One look into those achingly familiar blue eyes and she knows how wrong she was to let him go, but now far more than their heated past stands in the way. A twist of fate puts them in the crosshairs of a killer, leaving Riley with two slim options: trust her greatest betrayer or face a murderer on her own.

EXCLUSIVE EXCERPT:

"Get on the floor, and keep your head down. Once I start this truck there's no turning back, and we're in for a rough ride."

Was there any turning back now? She almost laughed, but his serious expression wiped the thought away. Without a word, she slid to the floor and tucked her knees to her chest, hugging them close. The large opening of the shed faced the side yard, and from their position near the rear of the property they weren't far from the crest of the next hill.

If her daddy's gun was in the hands of a killer, they just might need that hill. The rifle was accurate at a distance far past the cover of the far slope.

"I hope I can still feel my way down your back path," Gage said, peering into the night. "Because I'm not going to hold this maniac's hand by using the headlights." He looked down at her and grinned. "Fortunately, I had a refresher trip this afternoon."

"Lovely. Thanks for the reminder."

He shrugged and turned the key. "How could you forget? Now, hang on."

She didn't have a chance. The instant the engine caught, the truck tore out of the shed. They took a hard right, away from the house, the suspension absorbing several rough bumps as they slid sideways over the thick, unkempt grass near the rear of the yard. From her vantage point Riley could see only the black sky outside the truck, but it wasn't hard to figure out where they were by the feel of the terrain under the tires. Old ruts on the path caused several unforgiving jolts, each one slamming her against the door and glove box with increasing intensity.

Gage didn't let up. He kept a white-knuckled grip on the wheel, and—judging from the scream of the engine—the pedal to the floor. The ride was relentless, but the angle of their ascent told her they had to be near the top of the hill. Any second now they would crest it and be out of the sights of the killer behind them—

With a horrific blast, the back window imploded. All sound seemed to fall away with the raining glass, and for a split, surreal second the world was mute. It wasn't until the truck slowed and took a sudden, thoughtless turn to the left that Riley tore her eyes from the gaping hole. The steering wheel jerked erratically, fighting the lay of the land.

Only one thing hampered the wild rotation.

With horror, she realized it was the cumbersome weight of Gage's body.

Click here to read more. (No, I insist.)

FREAKING AWESOME CONTEST ANNOUNCEMENT

Now that you've read my excerpt (or skipped ahead to the contest part - seriously, you think I didn't see that? Uh huh...) I've got a killer giveaway to tell you about. Every Friday I'm giving away a gift certificate--winner's choice of $5 for Amazon or (wait for it...) $10 to Noble Romance. Want to know how to enter? All you've got to do is (1) wait out your 18th birthday, then (2) subscribe to my blog by email. I do love my Wordpress and Networked Blog followers, but I need your email address for this one. To kick things off, I gave out $20 this week, and there's another BIG prize coming.

BIG PRIZE COMING

First of all, those of you who skipped ahead to right here need to back up a paragraph. We'll wait while you read. ... ... ... Okay, all together now? Here's the deal. On Friday October 7 someone is going to win a big ol' e-gift certificate (winner to be contacted Oct 7 with the announcement to be made Oct 10). Guess how you enter? Yep, that's right. (Are my readers clever or what?) You must subscribe to my blog by email in order to win. Subscribing is easy. Just head to my blog and take a gander at the top of the sidebar on the left. Fill in that little box, and don't forget to confirm your subscription.

Well, you know. Unless you don't want a chance at some e-cash.

I'm still doing that happy dance no one in their right mind wants to see (not sober, anyway) so I'll thank you once again for putting UNFORGIVEN near the top, and I'll spare you the rest.

Want even more UNFORGIVEN? Check out the Six Sentence Sunday featured spots on my blog!