About The Books:
The Wishes Chronicles, Book 1
Title: 
Careful What You Wish For…
Careful What You Wish For…
Author: Paula Millhouse
Genre: Romantic Suspense
Cover Artist: Paula Millhouse
Author Evie Longfellow wants to stay alive long enough to write her fourth New York Times Best Seller. She accepts a blind date that changes everything sane in her life. Drugged, kidnapped, and horrified Evie escapes and runs for her life with evidence the FBI needs to nail one of their most wanted.
TV Psychologist Dr. Nick Franklin wants to help Evie with her goals. He hides her from a sadistic mafia kingpin, and even though he doesn’t trust his judgment when it comes to the diagnosis of love, he senses Evie may just be the story of his life.
Hit man Tony Aiello plans to do whatever it takes to protect Miss Aida Marino and her Fortune 500 company. He chases Evie and Nick from New York City to the wilds of rural Vermont to recover the stolen evidence threatening to take Miss Aida down, and faces off with evil in a showdown that brings hometown justice to life.
Excerpt:
This scene is a deep-cut from the novel where Evie and Nick confront their flaring passion.
His hand was a beacon of strength. Evie held tight, wrapping her arm around his as they ascended the cabin stairs. He opened the door, his slender fingers at the curve of her back, guiding her inside. When he released her to shut the door, she paused, hating the separation.
He turned to meet her. She crowded him against the door. She caught a flare of concern light his eyes. They darted, looking for escape. She had two choices - let him run for it, or press the issue. She pinned arms on either side of him. “Just what the hell is going on here, Nick?”
He pivoted, thrust his arms under hers, and spun her around. Now her body was pinned, one massive hand cradling her head. “Careful…”
Evie heard the warning. No match for his strength, trembling hands reached for his hips, pulling him closer. She was done with careful. She wanted him. Now.
Masculine lips crushed down on her. He ground his hips into her soft belly, and she pressed back, shuddering from the intimate contact. Liquid warmth flooded her center. Don’t get your motor purring – he’s just gonna pull away again. She pushed, whirled out of his arms, and stalked off into the house.
Heavy male footsteps pursued. Evie’s eyes flared, and she spun to meet his hungry advance. She held out a hand. He pulled up short, an expression of lust and confusion whipping across his face. “See what if feels like, you pulling away from me.” She’d reached her limit – if she was going to die tomorrow, either by giving her freedom to the Feds, or worse, facing those men who came after Jennifer, then by God, she would have him tonight.
He reached for her. She flushed back. He advanced, but she whipped around the couch. Hard-to-get’s teasing the animal inside him. Yell at him or something. “I’m nothing but a story to you.” She had to make him react.
His head threw her a firm no.
Evie thrust a hand in the air. “This will never work! How many women do you have waiting on you?” Evie assumed that’s why he refused to follow through.
Anger blazed in his eyes. First a scowl, then his expression went livid. “Hundreds.”
Evie’s eyes narrowed. “Then why the hell are you fucking with my head?”
He squared his shoulders, pulled up to full height. Erotic images flickered through Evie’s head at the sight of his body, the perfect blending of male DNA. She wanted to exploit that. Had to break his resistance. Warm red heat flushed up her neck, colored her face. She planted her hands on hips, jutted her chin. “Go back and hide in your own world and stay the hell out of mine.”
One long leg moved. Nick stormed the couch in two steps, up and over the back, violating the barrier separating them. She tried for a shriek, but he was on her so fast the sound barely made a gasp. He latched one arm around her waist, scooped knees up with the other, and stalked off with his prize to the bedroom.
The Wishes Chronicles, Book 2
Title: All Your Wishes…
Author: Paula Millhouse
Genre: Romantic Suspense
Cover Artist: Paula Millhouse
Dr. Nick Franklin finds himself falling hard for the love of his life, Evie Longfellow. Hunted by a mafia princess, Evie’s terrified something’s wrong, and revenge won’t let her rest.
Tia Marino figures the person who killed her father is his last victim - Evie Longfellow - the only one that ever got away from Paulie Marino. Tia plans to kill Evie in front of her grandmother just before she takes Miss Aida’s place as the new queen of Marino Industries. Hostile-takeovers have never seen the likes of Tia.
Nick’s not gonna have it.
He’ll do anything to protect Evie, even if it means aligning himself with Miss Aida’s hit-man, Tony Aiello.
Follow Nick and Evie from their simple home in the winter wonderland of Vermont down to New York City in their race to stay alive, and out of the hands of a new generation of criminals intent on tearing them apart.
Christmas has never been so hot.
Excerpt:
Excerpt:
They sat bleary eyed at their father’s memorial service in a freezing cold wintry-grey cemetery in October in New York City.
Twins, a brother and a sister.
Tia Marino sat beside her twenty-five year old twin brother Jimmy, and shivered, but the cold wasn’t the culprit. Rows of guests stood around for the ceremony. The family sat under the funeral home’s tent in folding chairs, a closed coffin their centerpiece. Tia ground her teeth, and rage chewed at her insides while the robed priest said his words, the final liturgy for their father, Paulie Marino.
“Poppie…” Jimmy sobbed, shaking his head, wiping at crocodile tears. Tia looked over at him, dark olive complexion, darker black-brown hair, a photographer’s study project on the description of the word handsome. She tolerated his outburst, because in his own way, he loved their father. She craned her neck, slow and easy, long strands of stick-straight ebony brown hair spilling out in front of her. She narrowed her gaze at her grandmother who sat across from her, on the other side of the coffin.
All right, Old Woman, what’s holding you back?
Miss Aida had refused to sit with her grandchildren. Instead she took a chair next to the priest, a grim expression on her face, fingering her precious pearls. Tia’s upper lip flinched. Not one single tear for my father? Typical. Dysfunctional didn’t come close to describing Marino Family dynamics.
Tia stared daggars at Miss Aida across the coffin. Sure, she’d paid for the event, dressed in traditional black with her pearls around her neck. She showed no emotion, and spoke to no one, save the priest. I’d like to choke her with those goddamned pearls.
Jimmy sobbed like a bad actor on reality TV. Tia cursed under her breath. This is what you leave me with Poppie? A reject for a brother, a leader with no real power…
A numbing madness stung Tia worse than the wintry wind whipping up the cemetery hills. What was she going to do now?
When Miss Aida phoned and told her their father died as a result of a fatal gunshot wound to the head, Tia’s perception of reality stalked off. All my dreams revoked with the Old Woman’s words. Her pet name for Miss Aida cycled through her mind. Old Woman. Old Woman. Old Woman.
Tia wiped down tears from the endless fountain springing inside. Her covert plans to coronate Paulie head of Marino Industries in Miss Aida’s stead would never be realized. The Old Woman refused to name a successor.
Her grief tore past mourning. A foundering rage displaced it. Defined it. Built a skyscraper of hatred in memorial to him, to Paulie, her hero.
Why won’t you cry for him? Miss Aida’s tear-free face infuriated her. She glared at her grandmother. “She’s weak. She’s got to be dealt with.”
Her brother shook his head, pleaded a whisper her way. “Tia, stop. We’ll discuss that later.”
Tia’s throat seized up, and strangled her words. “Fuck off, Jimmy.”
Miss Aida’s beautiful head snapped up. The priest stumbled over his words. Great. Tia’s lips curled away from her teeth. Her head tilted. She anticipated words from the Old Woman, wanted her speak, couldn’t wait to tangle with her grandmother. Miss Aida held silent.
The priest commended Paulie’s soul to heaven, and the graveyard workers slowly lowered his elaborate coffin into the freshly dug hole. The grating sound caught the air.
The finality of the act tore new avenues of hatred and disease through the fertile plain of Tia’s mind.
About the Author:
Paula Millhouse grew up in Savannah, Georgia where Spanish moss whispers tales in breezes from the Atlantic Ocean, and the Intracoastal Waterway. As a child Paula soaked in the sunshine and heritage of cobblestones, pirate lore, and stories steeped in savory mysteries of the south.
She’s a member of Romance Writers of America, the Fantasy, Futuristic, & Paranormal Writers specialty chapter, and the KOD Mystery and Suspense Writer’s specialty chapter. She achieved the opportunity to become a member of the distinguished RWA designation of PRO after submitting her first full-length romance novel for publication in 2013.
In the southern tradition of storytellers, she loves sharing the lives of her characters with readers, and following her muse on the quest for happily-ever-afters. She writes fantasy romance and romantic suspense.
She lives with her hero, her husband of twenty-five years at the base of the Blue Ridge Mountains with their pack and pride of furry babies.
Lisa,
ReplyDeleteThanks for hosting this awesome spotlight of The Wishes Chronicles on My Favorite Things.
Hope your readers enjoy the excerpts and enter the contest to win those custom bookmarks.
You've got a great website here!
Happy New Year, Everyone!
Hi Paula, It was a pleasure being a part of this tour.
DeleteHappy New Year!