Showing posts with label Kata Cuic. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Kata Cuic. Show all posts

Wednesday, February 24, 2021

Moving the Chains Series by Kata Cuic



Series: Moving the Chains
Author: Kata Ĉuić
Genre: Sports Romance



FIRST AND GOAL

Eva Papageorgiou has one goal—to make it through her senior year of high school unseen and unscathed. When her strategy to stay out of the limelight is derailed by rampant rumors, she’s forced to change tactics. Her new game plan is to keep everyone at arm’s length. Especially boys. So when she’s partnered up in class with the hot as hell varsity quarterback, she pushes and pushes.

Until he pushes back.

Rob Falls just wants to fit in. With his teammates, with his friends, with everyone. His image as the quintessential jock makes him feel like a fraud. Especially since it’s the only reason all the girls at school want him, except the one girl he dreams about. She wants nothing to do with him. When he’s forced to tutor the class pariah, he realizes it’s time to get in the game instead of standing on the sidelines.

She’s going to help him get exactly what he wants, whether she knows it or not.




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AMAZON US / UK / CA / AU



SECOND DOWN

She doesn’t remember the best and worst day of her life.

Eva Papageorgiou has no memory of the brutal attack she suffered at the hands of her would-be rapist—the last few days of her life wiped away completely. But the scars she bears hint at the trauma she endured.
She feels powerless and alone, no longer able to trust her own mind. The only certainty in her life is that everything is different. Until a friend reveals a secret, filling the holes in her memory.

Now Eva is determined to reclaim her life and her control over it.

The day he dreamed of was the one that cost him everything.

Rob Falls is stuck in a perpetual nightmare, unable to move past the horrific event that changed his and Eva’s lives forever. While friends and family urge him to overcome the tragedy, he withdraws, consumed with guilt and regret no one else—not even Eva—understands.
He may never earn the redemption he longs for, but he vows to help her feel safe once again.

Now Rob will do whatever he can to protect the girl he loves from anyone who might hurt her—even himself.

Eva longs to remember.
Rob wishes he could forget.
Even after everything that has come between them, they’re still drawn together.
Can two damaged souls build a future even as the secrets of the past carve new scars?




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AMAZON US / UK / CA / AU



THIRD AND LONG

Eva Papageorgiou has it all: the popularity that always felt so elusive in high school, looks that men can’t ignore, and a boyfriend that other women covet. She’s gorgeous, powerful; she has the world at her fingertips.
And it’s all a lie.
The problem with living a lie is how easy it is to forget who you’re lying to. Eva’s time to withdraw into the shadows has expired, courtesy of Rob’s rising fame. Her only option is to hide in plain sight.
Amid all the chaos, Rob is her safe escape from it all. They continue to be stronger together than they could ever be on their own.

Until being together is what tears them apart.

Rob Falls has everything he’s ever wanted: his dream girl, a winning team, respect from everyone. He’s at the top of his game, with a Heisman on the horizon, and the potential to be a first-round draft pick.
And it’s all crumbling before his eyes.
The mounting pressure of being an athlete at the next level while doing all he can to protect Eva takes its toll. He doesn’t sleep enough, he worries constantly, and he’s torn wanting to be in two places at once.
Rob never imagined the day he’d have to choose between fame and love.
Sometimes life makes choices for us.

With the game and their hearts on the line, will Rob and Eva keep their secrets hidden? Or will they reveal everything to each other, to themselves, to the world…only to lose it all?




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AMAZON US / UK / CA / AU



FOURTH AND INCHES

Rob Falls’s life is spiraling out of control. All his carefully made plans have been laid to waste. His friends aren’t speaking to him; he’s estranged from his family. Drafted to the worst team in the NFL, everything he’s worked so hard for seems to be slipping away.

The only thing he’s still sure of is that he needs Evie.

Eva Papageorgiou is lost. Once a driven, ambitious young woman, she’s paying penance for all the wrong choices she’s made. Stuck in a downward spiral, she craves a spark of hope to ignite the change she so desperately needs.

The only thing that hasn’t faltered is her devotion to Rob.

Realizing they need to make changes to go the distance, they challenge each other to do and be better.
Rob knows that to fight for the woman of his dreams, he’ll have to let go of his endless guilt and find a way to be the man she fell for years ago.
Eva understands that to reach their happily ever after, she needs to feel worthy of herself before she can fully accept Rob’s love.

They make a pact to hold each other accountable.
The time frame? One year.
The deal? Get it together or walk away for good.
On the line? Everything.




PURCHASE LINKS

AMAZON US / UK / CA / AU






COMING SOON


Releasing March 8

Every rule has an exception.

Tori Russo’s job is very simple—be a pretty distraction for a professional football player with a bad attitude. Her only problem? She’d rather gain some actual marketing experience during her internship than be someone’s arm candy for photo ops. Growing up with a Navy captain father and five older, overprotective brothers, she’s never been allowed to stand on her own two feet. She’s going to prove to them she has what it takes to be an independent adult. Even if it means giving in and faking a relationship with one of the NFL’s most eligible bachelors. Tori doesn’t want to sleep her way to the top, but her client is impossible to resist. If she can keep her heart out of the game, she can walk away with her head held high.

Mike Mitchell’s life shouldn’t be this complicated. All he wants is to play football and earn a good living for his family, but his life off the field is riddled with chaos. After a long-standing feud with an old friend-turned-rival is caught on camera, he’s assigned a PR rep by his team. His options are limited—play nice with the sweet as peaches redhead or be benched. With his paycheck and his ability to provide for his mom and sisters on the line, he’s convinced he can juggle one more ball. His only problem? He’s becoming way too attached to this gorgeous distraction. The friend zone is collapsing day by day. If he can’t avoid her temptation, then he’s going to have to find a different way to play by the rules.







AUTHOR BIO


Kata Čuić lives in Pittsburgh, PA with her husband and three teens. No one told her life was gonna be this way. She holds a degree in Linguistics with a minor in Religious Studies from the University of Pittsburgh. Her plans of becoming a pediatric neurosurgeon were foiled by OChem 1. Fortunately, she’d been making up stories in her head since the days of her imaginary friend, Choosy. Putting pen to paper, er…fingers to the keyboard…came surprisingly naturally after her aforementioned teens decided it was time for them to cut their respective cords.

Kata writes everything from angst-filled YA series to standalone rom-coms and has been known to dabble in a bit of paranormal on the free stories section of her website. She believes nice guys shouldn’t have to finish last (except in the bedroom where she prefers an alpha between the sheets but a gentleman in the streets), and that the surest way to a woman’s heart is through laughter and food.


AUTHOR LINKS



Wednesday, September 2, 2020

Homebound by Kata Cuic




Title: Homebound
Author: Kata Ĉuić
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Release Date: September 9, 2020



Blurb

A second-chance romance set in the heart of Appalachia that will make you root for first love, forgiveness, and family.

Lenore Wheeler knows what a hard life, heartbreak, and failure tastes like. Heading home to the backwoods Appalachian town she swore she’d never return to with her young daughter in tow, she can’t imagine her future getting much bleaker.

That is until she comes face-to-face with the one man she never expected to see again.

Jesse Yates was supposed to escape the mountains, make something of himself, and attain every dream Lenore destroyed. He’s determined to wear down her resolve and win her back, but she’s got a secret to keep and reasons to keep her old flame at arm’s length.

Lenore already broke her own heart to save Jesse, but she’ll do anything to protect her daughter from the same fate.

Except fate has a funny way of working out, especially when all roads lead to home.







Pre-order Links

AMAZON US / UK / CA / AU





Excerpt

A sharp rap on my open classroom door precedes the entrance of my new boss into my professional sanctuary. I can’t fault him for his dominance here and now. This is his building. I’m his employee who he’s contractually bound to supervise.
I still haven’t come up with a new plan to circumvent that twist of fate. Mostly because my wildest dreams have no place in my current reality.
Jesse perches on the edge of the student desk closest to mine, his forest-green eyes boring into me. That’s ironic, considering he couldn’t be bothered to make direct eye contact for the duration of our faculty meeting. He’s sure making up for it now. His gaze sweeps me from head to toe quickly, then he starts over again much, much slower. 
I let him drink his fill because I’m hungry to do the same. The past five years have been so good to him. He’s removed his jacket and vest, leaving me to feast on a white dress shirt and red tie that look like they cost a pretty penny. The hint of his physique I noticed in the auditorium is much more pronounced without added layers. Scrawny until the night I left him, his arms now look as strong as they used to feel when they were wrapped around me tight. Biceps bulge against the fabric of his shirt. A row of buttons clings to his flat stomach then disappears beneath his belt. His smooth dress pants hug muscular thighs that used to thrust against me until pleasure I never knew was possible made me feel so high I wondered if I’d ever be able to come back down.
I’m down now, all right.
His heavy gaze touches me in all the places that the years haven’t been as kind to me.
I squirm in my seat, cursing Mama and Liz’s choice of dress. There’s no way to hide the bulge of my belly or the breasts that aren’t as perky as the last time he caressed them. At least that’s one thing going for me. He’s matured and aged like a fine wine, but any physical trait I used to possess that attracted him to me is long gone.
His voice sounds the same, even if it’s softer now than the last time I heard it. “I have imagined this moment in so many different ways over the past five years, but now that it’s here…I don’t rightly know what to say.”
I nod even though I never imagined this moment at all.






Author Bio


Kata Čuić lives in the suburbs of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, with her husband and three teens. She’s an actual marching band geek, and she attends alumni events for both high school and college whenever her schedule allows. Her children wouldn’t exist today if she hadn’t fallen clarinet over tuba in love with her spouse during their shared time in marching band. Coincidentally—or not—the kids are following in Mom and Dad’s footsteps. Band family isn’t fictional at all.


Author Links




Tuesday, April 21, 2020

Keep the Beat (A Band-Com for Romance Geeks) by Kata Cuic




Title: Keep the Beat
A Band-Com for Romance Geeks
Author: Kata 
Ĉuić
Genre: Romantic Comedy
Release Date: April 21, 2020



Blurb

Sophia Reston has never been bothered by the term band geek. The definition of geek is an enthusiast or expert in a particular field or activity. She loves marching band with all her heart, so the term is appropriate. Of course, one of the lesser known definitions of a geek is a carnival performer who is often billed as a wild man and whose act typically includes biting the head off a live chicken or snake. This definition also seems accurate since there is one snake Sophia fantasizes about maiming in the most deliciously torturous ways—her archnemesis, James Fossoway.

He has a stupid nickname, stupidly attractive muscles, a reputation for sleeping around, and he is a fellow band geek. Unfortunately for Sophia, he’s also an enthusiast of pushing all her buttons—and not in a good way. 

When their rivalry leads to one final showdown during the competition for head drum major, the entire band is invested in the outcome. And James has some new tricks up his sleeve to win the last battle they’ll ever wage against each other.

Because, after years of pranks, James isn’t out for revenge. He wants Sophia’s heart.

Or maybe it's just another dumb challenge.







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AMAZON US / UK / CA / AU

Only available at the following retailers
for a limited time 






Excerpt

“Why is it so hard to imagine that I could put the needs of the band before my own? You might hate my guts, but you can’t deny you know me. I love band, James. I’ll do anything to make our senior year successful.”
Silent laughter dances in his eyes. This is not the reaction I was hoping to get from calling him James again. “You mean, you’ll do anything to make your senior year successful.”
He never denies hating my guts. That’s noteworthy. Or not.
“It’s no secret or surprise every one of us wants the head drum major spot for ourselves. You, me, and the other guys are all going to be trying to get the votes. Don’t make it out to be some sort of covert operation that only I’m participating in.”
Only I am. And so are they.
Screw being an attorney. I should be a spy. I actually think I just said all that with a completely straight face.
“Is that right?” James nods, his gaze sweeping over my face like he’s trying to play hide-and-seek with all the lies piling up between us in this room. 
“Yes, that’s right.” I struggle not to nod and raise my voice to the liar, liar, pants on fire octave. 
“Okay.” James crosses his arms over his chest without stepping back, nearly knocking me off-balance. “Prove it.”
“Prove what?” That physical move was meant to reinforce this mental one. “That I love band?”
“Prove that we’re friends now.” He swings his finger in the miniscule distance between us. 
Distance that feels stifling all of a sudden. Did the AC break down? Maybe I am dehydrated after all. I’m sweating while chills skitter down my spine.
“How?”
He rolls his eyes up and sticks his tongue in his cheek, making a big show of pretending to think about it when it’s obvious he already has a suggestion waiting to pounce out of his throat like a bloodthirsty tiger. When he focuses his intense blue eyes on me, a sneery sort of smile creeps along his lips until he looks like a lopsided Joker. It’s turning into a freaking circus in this tiny, tiny room.
“Kiss me.” 






Author Bio


Kata Čuić lives in the suburbs of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, with her husband and three teens. She’s an actual marching band geek, and she attends alumni events for both high school and college whenever her schedule allows. Her children wouldn’t exist today if she hadn’t fallen clarinet over tuba in love with her spouse during their shared time in marching band. Coincidentally—or not—the kids are following in Mom and Dad’s footsteps. Band family isn’t fictional at all.


Author Links

Sunday, March 22, 2020

Keep the Beat by Kata Cuic




Title: Keep the Beat
A Band-Com for Romance Geeks
Author: Kata 
Ĉuić
Genre: Romantic Comedy
Release Date: April 21, 2020



Blurb

Sophia Reston has never been bothered by the term band geek. The definition of geek is an enthusiast or expert in a particular field or activity. She loves marching band with all her heart, so the term is appropriate. Of course, one of the lesser known definitions of a geek is a carnival performer who is often billed as a wild man and whose act typically includes biting the head off a live chicken or snake. This definition also seems accurate since there is one snake Sophia fantasizes about maiming in the most deliciously torturous ways—her archnemesis, James Fossoway.

He has a stupid nickname, stupidly attractive muscles, a reputation for sleeping around, and he is a fellow band geek. Unfortunately for Sophia, he’s also an enthusiast of pushing all her buttons—and not in a good way. 

When their rivalry leads to one final showdown during the competition for head drum major, the entire band is invested in the outcome. And James has some new tricks up his sleeve to win the last battle they’ll ever wage against each other.

Because, after years of pranks, James isn’t out for revenge. He wants Sophia’s heart.

Or maybe it's just another dumb challenge.







Pre-order Links

99c for a limited time!

AMAZON US / UK / CA / AU





Excerpt

“Where is this secret meeting being held?” I whisper as we hug the shadows, so none of the underclassmen will catch us.
Shannon is the trumpet section leader; I’m one of the drum majors. That means we’re at the beck and call of any band member who needs help, especially this week. If a nervous freshman spots us, we’re done for.
“In the instrument room,” she whispers back.
Right under my nose on hallowed ground. The nerve of Jimbo.
At least that helps us stay on the side of covert surveillance. We sneak into the main band room without being seen since the lights are on night mode then hightail it into the uniform room, which just so happens to be separated from the instrument room by a weird window. It’s opaque enough to keep our cover but mostly, it’s a useless decoration, so we can still hear everything. With the lights off in here, it makes it even easier to see the vague forms of several bodies in the other room.
Four large bodies in fact. One for every drum major except me.
“Shh,” Shannon hisses.
“You shush,” I whisper back.
We stop shoving each other for the best viewpoint when the sound of Jimbo’s annoying voice carries through the window. 
“There hasn’t been a woman drum major in the past one hundred years. There’s not going to be one now.”
Fucking pig.
Nate’s voice pulls me out of my plans for homicide. “I dunno, man. All she has to do is use the #MeToo movement to get the spot. One word to the directors that she’s faced harassment just because she has a pussy, and they’ll give it to her. You know they will.”
Eww! What the fuck? I always thought Nate was a decent guy, but obviously not. Why the hell would I make a false claim? Why wouldn’t I want to earn my spot, same as anyone else in the history of the band? Obviously, I’m already facing harassment as the only female drum major, but that only makes me want to crush them on my merits instead of on my breast size even more.
“And I’m telling you they won’t.” Jimbo’s voice sounds relaxed on the surface, but there’s an underlying edge to it that makes me think he’s gritting his teeth. He’s never had very much patience for people who don’t bow down easily and accept him as their supreme overlord. “I have a plan.”
“Oh, you’ve got a plan?” Another of the guys, Tim, laughs. “To put yourself in the head drum major spot. What the hell does that have to do with any of us?”
“Nate isn’t wrong. Sophie has the best chance to get it out of any of us.” 
I clench my jaw. I hate it when Jimbo calls me Sophie.
“You just said there’s not going to be a female head drum major this year,” Jake, a fellow trumpet, practically sneers. I like Jake. “So, how do you figure she has the best chance?”
“Because she’s a woman,” Jimbo emphasizes like they’re all clearly stupid for not following his invisible train of thought.
I think it’s Tim who throws his arms up in the air. It’s definitely his voice. “That doesn’t make any sense!”
A body presumably belonging to the snake I hate the most leans forward in a chair, resting his elbows on his knees and clasping his hands together. “The directors are putting it up to a vote this year, yes? And what is the ratio of men to women in this marching band?”
Nate huffs out a breath of frustration. “It’s about fifty-fifty. What’s your point?”
“My point is, it’s not an exact split,” Jimbo explains, his tone quickly running out of patience. “There are a hundred ninety-eight women and only a hundred twenty-nine men. Now, I don’t know about everyone’s sexuality, but I’d rather stare at a sweet pair of tits on that main podium than an accidental boner in wool pants.”
Shannon’s body tenses like she’s going to leap through the window, so I wrap her in my arms to hold her still. 
“Don’t. I need to hear this.”
“Get your phone out and record it,” she hisses. “Show it to the directors. You’ll get the spot and be rid of him forever.”
True, but where’s the fun in that? It’ll hurt more if he fails and has to watch my sweet tits up on that podium every game. 
“I’ve never let him beat me before. I’m not about to start now.”
“Ugh, fine,” Shannon whispers and goes limp.
“Which brings me back to my plan.” Jimbo grins with his words. “If we take that fine rack and tight ass off the market, the guys’ votes are suddenly more … changeable.”
“Only if you don’t care about the lesbians in band.” Jake snickers.
“I’m going to take care of their votes, too.” The silhouette of Jimbo leans back in the chair, placing his hands behind his head in a relaxed pose that indicates he thinks his plan is foolproof.
“Spit it out already!” Nate yells.
“I’m gonna make her fall in love with me.”
For a split second, everything goes deathly silent. Or maybe that’s just because my heart stops beating.
A chorus of laughter defibrillates me back to life.
“I have never seen anyone hate someone as much as Sophia hates you.” Nate cackles. It takes him a few tries to catch his breath. “There’s no way, man. There’s just no way. It’s a great plan, but you need to let one of us do the wooing. At least we’ll all have a shot at the votes that way.”






Author Bio


Kata Čuić lives in the suburbs of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, with her husband and three teens. She’s an actual marching band geek, and she attends alumni events for both high school and college whenever her schedule allows. Her children wouldn’t exist today if she hadn’t fallen clarinet over tuba in love with her spouse during their shared time in marching band. Coincidentally—or not—the kids are following in Mom and Dad’s footsteps. Band family isn’t fictional at all.


Author Links

Touchdown by Lisa Suzanne

  Release Date: October 21 As much as I’ve coached the pro football quarterback to believe he always has a choice, this time I’m the one bac...