Release, Review, Giveaway and Excerpt Tour: HARD AS STEEL by Laura Kaye

 

Are you suffering from Hard Ink withdrawal? Are you ready for the Raven Riders?  We excited to be able to bring you the Review & Excerpt Tour for Laura Kaye's HARD AS STEEL!! HARD AS STEEL is a Hard Ink/Raven Riders Crossover Series Novella brought to you by 1001 Dark Nights. Grab your copy of this sexy novella today!

HARD AS STEEL: A Hard Ink/Raven Riders Crossover Novella

by Laura Kaye

About the Book: 
After identifying her employer's dangerous enemies, Jessica Jakes takes refuge at the compound of the Raven Riders Motorcycle Club. Fellow Hard Ink tattooist and Raven leader Ike Young promises to keep Jess safe for as long as it takes, which would be perfect if his close, personal, round-the-clock protection didn't make it so hard to hide just how much she wants him—and always has. Ike Young loved and lost a woman in trouble once before. The last thing he needs is alone time with the sexiest and feistiest woman he's ever known, one he's purposely kept at a distance for years. Now, Ike's not sure he can keep his hands or his heart to himself—or that he even wants to anymore. And that means he has to do whatever it takes to hold on to Jess forever.  

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If you are a fan of Laura Kaye's Hard Ink stories, you will not be disappointed. You will recognize Jessica and Ike. They both work for Jeremy and are beloved like family.  Ike is also the a member of the Raven Riders Motorcycle Club.  When Nick and the rest of gang get in over their heads, Ike offers help from the MC.  

One of the things I like most about this story is that Ike and Jessica have an established relationship.  In too many cases with novellas, insta-love abounds. However as co-workers and friends, it doesn't requires much imagination to see that these two beautiful, edgy people would find love. Unlike the previous Hard Ink books, there is more emphasis on the relationship between Ike and Jessica and less on the suspense. The biggest obstacle to this couple's relationship is their own inner turmoil and rightly so. Guilt, fear, pride can be the biggest hurdles in relationships. 

With the precision of a tattoo artist, Laura Kaye has a beautiful way of articulating the small truths that hit home: 

Funny thing about having choices taken away from you—it tended to make things all kinds of crystal clear. You either felt relief all the way into your bones because it was the right decision even if you hadn’t made it, or every cell inside you cried out in rebellion and loss and regret because you learned—too late—what it was you really wanted.

She also amps up the bedroom scenes.  This is as racy and explicit as Hard to Be Good. Whoa, just whoa. 

Hard as Steel seeks to establish the bridge between the new characters in future Raven Rider books and the old Hard Ink folks. Giving us just enough to tease our interest, we know that we will be seeing more of Doc, Bunny, Rodeo, Slider, Scooter, Blake, Jeb, and Bear. It's thrilling and exciting to see where Laura Kaye will take us next. 

                  

HARD AS STEEL EXCERPT: Be Nice

I’m thrilled to be here celebrating the release of my 21st book, HARD AS STEEL! After a midnight break-in at her apartment, close friends and Hard Ink Tattoo co-workers Ike Young and Jessica Jakes are forced into hiding—and forced to confront the feelings they’ve always denied for one another. I have always adored friends-to-lovers and forced proximity stories, and HARD AS STEEL delivers that and more, including a taste of both my award-winning and best-selling Hard Ink and upcoming Raven Riders series! Check out this excerpt:

“Any better?” Ike asked, sitting on the edge of the bed.

Jess peered up at him. “A little.”

His eyes narrowed. “You’re still cold now, aren’t you?”

She shivered and pulled the cover tighter around her shoulder. “Yeah.”

“Fuck.” Ike scrubbed a hand over his bald head and mumbled something she couldn’t quite make out. “Maybe I shouldn’t have put you in the tub after all.”

“I think it was the right thing, Ike. I was so out of it. It is better than it was before.” She worked at a small smile. No matter how bad she felt, the last thing she wanted was to make him feel bad given everything he was doing for her. As if he hadn’t already gone out of his way in giving her a place of refuge and his personal protection for as long as she needed it, now he had to play freaking nursemaid to a sicky. Which, on top of everything, was super attractive.

The only upside to that ice-cold bath was that Ike had gotten wet and tossed his shirt, and Jess thought she might be willing to be sick more often if it meant getting to see him shirtless. Because, holy bad-ass tattooed biker on a stick, he was so freaking hot. Cut muscles, ink everywhere, two insanely delicious indents low on his waist. And scars Jess had never seen before and had no idea how Ike had gotten. 

All that goodness and Jess couldn’t even see the big Ravens tat that she knew covered Ike’s broad back. But she’d seen it before, back at Hard Ink when Jeremy occasionally did a new piece for Ike. She’d seen it enough to know that she’d love to have a good reason to dig her fingers into that tat… 

Oh, for fuck’s sake, even sick she couldn’t stop fantasizing about what it would be like to be with Ike. Just once.

“Jess?”

Her gaze snapped to his eyes. “Huh?” Hopefully the warmth crawling up her cheeks would pass for a fevered flush. Because she was so busted.

“I, uh, asked if you thought it would help if I got in with you.” The expression he wore said he was dubious about the idea.

And as much as Jess loved the idea, she didn’t want him doing anything with her that he didn’t really want to do. “That’s okay. Why don’t you go get some sleep now? It’s gotta be almost morning.”

He looked at her for a long moment, and then he tapped his hand against her arm. “Scoot over.”

“Ike—”

“Damnit, scoot your scrawny ass over already.” He cocked an eyebrow, humor sliding into his eyes.

“Well, I’ll scoot over,” she said as she made herself move. “But you and I both know there ain’t anything scrawny about my ass.”

“Jessica?” Ike said as he got in next to her wearing only his jeans.

“Yeah?” The minute he was down, she nearly dove into the crook of his body, her forehead against his neck, her breasts against his ribs, her bare legs intertwined with his denim-clad ones. She wasn’t sure where to put her hand, because the not-sick part of her brain wanted to touch him everywhere right now oh my god I’m in bed with Ike! But she settled for resting it on his chest, the hair on his pecs ticklish against her fingers.

“Shut up and go to sleep.” He took the edge off the words by clasping her hand in his and pressing it more firmly to his skin.

“Be nice to me. I’m sick,” she said, burrowing in further.

Ike wrapped his arm around her shoulders and pulled her tighter against him. God, he felt good, warm and hard and strong. “Woman,” he said, his voice full of gravel. “This is me being nice.”

Laura is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of over twenty books in contemporary and paranormal romance and romantic suspense. Growing up, Laura’s large extended family believed in the supernatural, and family lore involving angels, ghosts, and evil-eye curses cemented in Laura a life-long fascination with storytelling and all things paranormal. She lives in Maryland with her husband, two daughters, and cute-but-bad dog, and appreciates her view of the Chesapeake Bay every day.

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Laura Kaye’s HARD AS STEEL – Review & Excerpt Tour Schedule:

September 23^rd

The Book Hammock – Review & Excerpt

What I'm Reading – Review & Excerpt

Smut Book Junkie Reviews – Review & Excerpt

Guilty Pleasures Book Reviews – Review

JB's Book Obsession – Excerpt

Love Affair with an e-Reader – Review

Book Reader Chronicles – Review & Excerpt

September 24^th

Coffee-Books-Life Blog – Review & Excerpt

East Coast Book Chicks – Review & Excerpt

Obsessive Reading Disorder – Review & Excerpt

Blushing Reads – Review & Excerpt

Krista's Dust Jacket – Review & Excerpt

Red Hot + Blue Reads – Review & Excerpt

Kelsey's Corner Time – Review & Excerpt

Wicked Reads – Review & Excerpt

A little fiction of every flavour – Review & Excerpt

Fangs, Wands and Fairy Dust – Review & Excerpt

September 25^th

Naughty Book Eden – Excerpt

Reviews by Tammy and Kim – Review & Excerpt

Deluged with Books Cafe – Review & Excerpt

What Is That Book About – Excerpt

mignonmykel : reviews – Review & Excerpt

Adventures in Writing – Excerpt

Hot Guys in Books – Review & Excerpt

JordansBookReviews – Excerpt

Books According to Abby – Review & Excerpt

September 26^th

Little Read Riding Hood – Review & Excerpt

I Heart YA Books – Excerpt

Reading Between the Wines Book Club – Excerpt

Becky on Books – Review & Excerpt

Words of Wisdom from The Scarf Princess – Review & Excerpt

A Tasty Read Book Reviews – Review

Ashleyz Wonderland – Excerpt

Those Crazy Book Chicks – Review & Excerpt

September 27^th

Ramblings From This Chick – Review

Connected by Books – Excerpt

Ripe For Reader – Review

Inner Goddess – Review & Excerpt

Cocktails and Books – Excerpt

Southern Vixens Book Obsessions – Excerpt

Ticket To Anywhere – Review & Excerpt

My Favorite Things – Review

September 28^th

MrsLeif's Two Fangs About It – Review

Echoing Books – Review & Excerpt

Book Sojourner – Review & Excerpt

Edible Pages Book Blog – Review

Dark Faerie Tales – Review & Excerpt

The Book Reading Gals – Review & Excerpt

My Girlfriends Couch – Review & Excerpt

Romancing the Readers – Review

Bewitching bibliophile – Review

September 29^th

Obsessed With Myshelf – Review & Excerpt

Sultry, Steamy Reading – Review & Excerpt

Love Affair With Fiction – Excerpt

Feeling Fictional – Review

Alleskelle Blogs – Review & Excerpt

Becky's Book Bytes – Review & Excerpt

Teatime and Books – Excerpt

September 30^th

Wickedcoolflight.net – Review & Excerpt

The Fairest of All Book Reviews – Review

Typical Distractions – Review & Excerpt

Booklover Sue – Excerpt

Renee Entress's Blog – Review & Excerpt

The book obsessed momma – Review

Always YA at Heart – Review & Excerpt

We stole your book boyfriend – Review & Excerpt

Friends Till The End Book Blog – Excerpt

October 1^st

Books Need TLC – Review

The Book Junkie – Review

Bitten By Love – Excerpt

Sweet Reads: You're In For A Treat – Review & Excerpt

Sofia Loves Books – Review

Viviana, Enchantress of Books – Review

Confessions of a Bookfreak – Review & Excerpt

Read-Love-Blog – Excerpt

October 2^nd

Somewhere Lost in Books – Review & Excerpt

Cupcakes and Vodka Book Blog – Review & Excerpt

Grownupfangirl – Excerpt

My Book Snack – Review & Excerpt

Talking Books Blog – Review & Excerpt

Nose Stuck in a Book – Review & Excerpt

Once Untold – Review & Excerpt

G & T Indie Café – Excerpt

Brooklynn Gibbs – Excerpt