Bookocraze: Book Tour {Excerpt, Teasers & Giveaway} -- Lies We Live (The Truth Series #1) by Brenda St. John Brown

Lies We Live Synopsis:

Ella Ingraham is a best-selling novelist. She's also a murderer. At least that's what most of the world thinks after her ex brought a tabloid frenzy and a civil suit down on her for "negligence" following the stillbirth of their unplanned child at eight months. Her cross-country drive is meant to be an escape, and Horatio, AR is just another random exit off the highway. Until she meets Josh Devereaux.

Josh Devereaux – seductive, charming and hot, hot, hot – is a part-time farmer, full-time tech genius holed up in his hometown after a few years in New York turned him into someone else. Someone worse. His closetful of skeletons has been locked up tight since he returned to Arkansas, right along with his heart. He knows Ella could unlock both – and what a bad idea that would be.

Ella has no intention of getting involved with Josh, but as one date turns into more, feelings surface Ella hasn't felt in years -- like hope. As their relationship grows, Josh knows he should tell Ella the truth about his past. If only the lie wasn't so much easier to believe.

Excerpt:

I take Josh’s outstretched hand and fling my leg over the seat. It’s wider than I thought but I manage to plop down without losing my balance or hiking my skirt up to my waist. Josh slides onto the seat in front of me and turns slightly. “Hold onto me. And don’t forget to keep your feet up. If your calves get the exhaust pipes you’ll burn yourself.”

He turns the key and the engine roars to life before I can respond. Anything else I might have to say is moot now. Which is probably the point. Hold on tight. Feet up. Nothing much else to remember.

I try to keep my mind blank as my arms circle Josh’s waist. He’s solid underneath that fancy shirt, no doubt about it. Too easily, I imagine my fingers undoing the buttons on his shirt. My hand creeps towards them and Josh’s hand covers mine, his fingers circling my wrist before returning to the handlebar. I can’t decide if his gesture is meant to stop or encourage me, but as we ease out of the parking spot and cruise down Main Street, I swear his hips shift, pushing my thighs further apart. I squirm in response and he gently tugs on my forearm to pull me closer. My chest presses against his back and there’s not even half an inch between us. Anywhere.

It’s way too close for a first date.

Which pushes it firmly into one-night stand territory. It tipped that way when Josh, Michael, and Eric morphed together in my head, but straddling this motorcycle with Josh’s ass pressed against me chases away any thought of calling this a date. The hell with clever banter and flirting. I’m in town for less than twenty-four hours, I haven’t had sex in ages, and I could do a lot worse than Josh Devereaux.

Truth We Tell Synopsis:

Ella Ingraham makes up stories for a living, and even she has a hard time believing the turn her love life has taken.

Hot guy? Cue Josh Devereaux.

Even hotter night together? Hello kitchen counter.

Morning-after phone call to Josh from her ex? Um, what?

The truth about who Josh is and what he’s done are on the other end of that phone. He knows he lied. He also knows that isn’t the worst of it. It isn’t even that Ella’s ex thinks Josh is the right man to help destroy her. Again. The worst part is the way Ella looks at him now. Or doesn’t.

Ella isn’t sure what the worst part is – Josh lying to her about his past, or the fact she can’t stop thinking about him anyway. Not that he’s making it easy for her, with his idea to stop her ex’s slander campaigns against her before her next big book release. Even Ella has to admit it’s a better plan than she – or her lawyer – have come up with. But for the plan to work, Ella has to not only rely on Josh, but trust him. Implicitly.

Ella knows she’d be a fool to trust him a second time. So why does her heart keep trying to convince her otherwise?

Brenda St. John Brown Bio:

Brenda is a displaced New Yorker living in the English countryside. She writes novels about teens and twenty-somethings kissing. Her characters do other things, too, but there's always kissing.

When she's not writing, Brenda enjoys hiking, running and reading. In theory, she also enjoys cooking, but it's more that she enjoys eating and, try as she might, she can't live on Doritos alone.