Hell on Wheels

Z.A. Maxfield

Nash is the reliable one in the Holly family, the guy everyone counts on to keep things going. His genius twin brother is off at university, so Nash runs the family’s auto repair business and cares for his partially-paralyzed little sister while his crackpot father invents. His life seems mapped out for the foreseeable future, however much that might chafe.

So when Wolf’s Landing actor Spencer Kepler-Constantine lands in his life, Nash is ready for a diversion. Spencer is in the middle of a very painful, very public divorce and isn’t ready for a relationship—not that Nash wants one. But they both need a friend, especially one with benefits.

As they grow closer, Nash starts to see his family in a whole new light. Do they really need him so badly? Or does he simply need to be needed? Then Spencer’s ex reappears with a grand romantic gesture, and Nash has to figure out what he wants—and how to get it—before Spencer’s gone for good.

Excerpt

“But anyway . . . Who do you play on Wolf’s Landing? If I don’t find out, my sister will never forgive me.”

“I play Delaine Romanov.” His grin turned, well, wolfish. “The big, bad wolf.”

“Subtle. What does he do on the show?”

“He makes trouble.”

“Oh yeah?” Nash grinned at that. This man didn’t seem the trouble-maker type. He looked more like an Ivy League lawyer. Fancy office. Designer suits. “Delaine. What’s your story?”

“I’m one of the hidden royals—werewolf members of the Romanov dynasty who managed to hide and escape the revolution.”

That didn’t ring any bells. But then, even though his sister talked about the show constantly, he mostly tuned her out. “So you’ve been alive all that time?”

“No. I’m a descendant. My family has been living in Canada, biding its time, amassing wealth through various criminal means. My job is to muscle in on the Washington pack to expand our power base into America. There’s a tragic love story in my past. I’m a cold-blooded killer who is kind to widows and orphans.”

“Oh, I see now. My sister probably eats that up like Skittles. You’ll hate me for asking, but can I get a picture? Just so I can show her I met you? She’ll blow a gasket.”

Wariness filled Spencer’s eyes again. “A picture.”

“Yeah.” Nash took out his phone and fiddled with it. “Shelby’s Tumblr is all about that show. Werewolves on My Mind. That’s her. See?”

Spencer took the phone from him and scrolled through the entries. “Some of these pictures are of me.”

“Really? Which ones?”

Spencer turned the phone around so Nash could see.

Nash gasped at the sight of Spencer’s head stuck on some steroid-enhanced porn star’s body—totally naked except for the strategically placed skull hiding his junk. “My sister posted that?”

“The picture’s been manipulated.”

“Well, obviously that’s not your body, but she’s fifteen years old.” Nash fumed. “She has no business posting naked—”

“Wait. I don’t disagree, but for the record, what makes you so sure that’s not my body? I’m not exactly a troll.”

“Holy cow. I thought she was making up stories about that show for fun. I thought she was still acting out werewolf weddings with her little pony dolls. I had no idea she was getting into stuff like this.”

Spencer frowned at him. “I’m not saying I’d ever pose like that, but if I did, I wouldn’t exactly suck at it.”

“Yeah, sure.” Nash took his phone back and scrolled through more pictures. Sure enough, many were R-rated. Nothing X-rated yet, but still . . . “Wait until I get home. Pop and I are going to have a talk with her about the human body and why at her age she is better off appreciating it clothed.”

A picture of the real Spencer would be good for her. He unleashed his librarian-tested, teacher-approved Say yes face—the same expression that got him through language arts in high school despite the fact he barely read anything more literary than Cycle World.

“C’mon. Can I get one quick picture? Once I get over the shock of seeing my little sister’s online spank-bank I’ll never forgive myself if I don’t.”

“Her what?”

“Never mind.” Nash gave up his most winning smile. “I can’t promise you won’t end up on her blog, but at least you’ll be wearing clothes.”

Spencer laughed at that. He took off his cap and ran long fingers through his sleek black hair. “All right, turn on the video and let’s make a movie.”

“Really?”

“Sure. You stopped to help me, didn’t you? It’s the least I can do.”

Nash got out his phone. He pressed record, then nodded for Spencer to start. The next thing he knew, he wasn’t leaning in the window of a Mercedes and talking to some English actor anymore—he was watching a ruthless gangster werewolf say hello to his little sister.

“Shelby? Is that your sister’s name?” Spencer eyed the camera lens as though he were planning to incinerate it using nothing more than the power of his evil. “Hello, Shelby.”

That anyone could say hello and still be so perfectly menacing chilled Nash to the bone. There was something powerful inside Spencer, some unseen switch that made him so scary Nash had to steady his camera hand on the window frame to keep it from shaking. Spencer’s soulless gaze was electrifying.

“Family is important, don’t you think? Family is everything. Your brother is currently enjoying my hospitality. I hope you’re giving a great deal of thought to the proposition I put before you. I’d hate to see anything happen to him. He’s really quite . . . beautiful.”

The camera loved Spencer. Every chiseled plane of his face looked carved from marble. Every shadow held deep mystery. Nash bobbled the phone in his sweat-slick hand but managed to catch it again. He stopped the recording with an embarrassed chuckle.

“That’s going to be kind of hard to explain if it falls into the wrong hands.”

“Ha.” Spencer barked a laugh and presto change-o, he turned back into an ordinary human being. “That’s a scene from last season. Shelby will recognize it if she’s a fan.”

“Sure.” Nash felt like an idiot. “I recognize you now, without the hat. I’ve seen your picture enough.”

“Oh Lord.” Spencer raked his hands through his hair again. “That’s the part you don’t think about when you sign the contract.”

“Does it ever bother you that your image is all over?”

“It’s a trade-off.” Spencer shrugged. “I get to do what I love, but I pay for that with my privacy.”

Spencer said privacy with a short “i” sound, which was kind of easy on the ear. The light patter on the roof of the car indicated rain was about to start coming down. Cold water built up in the collar of Nash’s jacket. “I guess I’d better go before the interior of your car gets soaked.”

“Oh hell.” Spencer unlocked the door. “You shouldn’t ruin your nice leather suit. Get in.”

Z.A. Maxfield

Some diversions are life changing.

Thanks so very much to MM Good Book Reviews for hosting my book, Hell On Wheels. If you like chance meetings, intense physical attraction, and quirky men, this is the book for you!

And be sure to get to know the all the men of Bluewater Bay at Riptide Publishing, here.

My Blog Tour giveaway plan is as follows:

1. Comment here for the chance to win an ebook. My assistant William will randomly pick a winner for each blog I visit, and that person will win an ebook of their choice from my backlist.

2. For the Hell On Wheels Tour Rafflecopter giveaway, I will be awarding one lucky reader with a 25.00 gift certificate for Amazon. The giveaway will conclude at midnight on December 8^th, 2014 at which time we’ll choose a winner.

3. There are many ways to enter, and some can be done more than once. Give yourself lots of chances to win by following along the blog and commenting.

Now for the official Hell On Wheels Blurb:

Nash is the reliable one in the Holly family, the guy everyone counts on to keep things going. His genius twin brother is off at university, so Nash runs the family’s auto repair business and cares for his partially-paralyzed little sister while his crackpot father invents. His life seems mapped out for the foreseeable future, however much that might chafe.

So when Wolf’s Landing actor Spencer Kepler-Constantine lands in his life, Nash is ready for a diversion. Spencer is in the middle of a very painful, very public divorce and isn’t ready for a relationship—not that Nash wants one. But they both need a friend, especially one with benefits.

As they grow closer, Nash starts to see his family in a whole new light. Do they really need him so badly? Or does he simply need to be needed? Then Spencer’s ex reappears with a grand romantic gesture, and Nash has to figure out what he wants—and how to get it—before Spencer’s gone for good.

– See more at:

http://riptidepublishing.com/titles/hell-on-wheels – sthash.i6xzdk2b.dpuf

About the Author:

A. Maxfield started writing in 2007 on a dare from her children and never looked back. Pathologically disorganized, and perennially optimistic, she writes as much as she can, reads as much as she dares, and enjoys her time with family and friends. Three things reverberate throughout all her stories: Unconditional love, redemption, and the belief that miracles happen when we least expect them.

If anyone asks her how a wife and mother of four can find time for a writing career, she’ll answer, “It’s amazing what you can accomplish if you give up housework.”

Readers can visit ZAM at her website, Facebook, Twitter, or Tumblr.

Giveaway!

Z.A. Maxfield Rafflecopter giveaway!

Review

Title: Hell on Wheels

Series: Bluewater Bay 03

Author: Z.A. Maxfield

Genre: Contemporary

Length: Novel (291pgs)

ISBN: 978-1-62649-172-4

Publisher: Riptide Publishing (1^st December 2014)

Heat Level: Moderate

Heart Rating: ♥♥♥♥ 4 Hearts

Reviewer: Pixie

Blurb: Nash is the reliable one in the Holly family, the guy everyone counts on to keep things going. His genius twin brother is off at university, so Nash runs the family’s auto repair business and cares for his partially-paralyzed little sister while his crackpot father invents. His life seems mapped out for the foreseeable future, however much that might chafe.

So when Wolf’s Landing actor Spencer Kepler-Constantine lands in his life, Nash is ready for a diversion. Spencer is in the middle of a very painful, very public divorce and isn’t ready for a relationship—not that Nash wants one. But they both need a friend, especially one with benefits.

As they grow closer, Nash starts to see his family in a whole new light. Do they really need him so badly? Or does he simply need to be needed? Then Spencer’s ex reappears with a grand romantic gesture, and Nash has to figure out what he wants—and how to get it—before Spencer’s gone for good.

Purchase Link: http://riptidepublishing.com/titles/hell-on-wheels

Review: Nash has stayed home working in family garage and making sure there is a solid home base, his twin brother is at university, his dad loses himself in inventing and his little sister needs some supervision for her disabilities. Nash has never yearned for anything for himself until one of the Wolf’s Landing actors sweeps into his life. Spencer is going through a particularly unpleasant divorce, still hurting from the humiliation he isn’t interested in a relationship but he sorely needs a friend and when a sexy biker stops to offer his mechanic prowess he finds just the friend he needs. As the two become close their friends with benefits friendship edges towards the unknown with both men examining just what they really want in life, but then Spencer’s ex sweeps in with a grand romantic gesture and both men will have to decide if they really want to walk away from the other.

Oh I absolutely love this series and the assortment of books we are getting from the different authors, Z.A. Maxfield’s contribution has her characters digging deep as they find out what they really want. Nash is a wonderful character, he has stayed home to make sure his family is safe and he is happy with his life, if he has to drive around for a while just to clear his head every now and again well that’s just fine. Spencer is a great character who has had the worst time, he’s been burying his emotions but the blows just keep coming, he has no outlet and hasn’t even really got a close friend who isn’t a member of staff so he’s alone. When these two characters meet they both find someone who they can be themselves with, but Spencer still has his ex to deal with and Nash has to evaluate what he really wants as his family find their own lives to live.

Spencer and Nash are a great couple, they have fantastic chemistry which sparks from when they first meet. They connect from the first moment they meet but neither is looking for a relationship, Spencer is still reeling from the breakup with his ex, while Nash feels that he is still needed by his family. Their courtship is unconventional, fun dates that aren’t really dates, hot sex as a benefit of being friends and Nash’s instruction of the way that Spencer can let go of all his built up anger.

This is a great story, we get to know both Nash and Spencer really well and we hope that something nasty befalls Spencer’s ex. I really loved Bast and Tick they were incredible support for Spencer and also great fun. Nash’s family is wonderful, his dad Ace and his sister Shelby, and his absent brother Healey also manages to make an impression. There is a great backstory for Nash’s family as well, and we learn a little of Spencer’s background as well, these little details really flesh out the story and make you more invested in Nash and Spencer getting their happily ever after.

I recommend this to those who love roadside rendezvous, a man finally letting all his feelings out, accepting that change is good, finding happiness when you’re not even looking for it and a wonderful relationship blossoming into love.