Belle's Book Bag: Blog Tour & Giveaway: Conflicted (Secrets And Lies, #1) by M. M. Koenig...

Tuesday, November 18, 2014

Blog Tour & Giveaway: Conflicted (Secrets And Lies, #1) by M. M. Koenig...

Mia Ryan was on the path to make all her dreams come true. Her life was everything she wanted it to be; until one fateful night changed everything – leaving her broken and without direction. Nearly a year later, she still has little faith in anyone or anything. Desperate to reclaim her life’s ambition, she takes an unexpected offer that promises to solve all her problems. But as Mia moves forward, she’s faced with obstacles she couldn’t have foreseen. The biggest of them lies within the mystery of Ethan Fitzgerald; a man who affects her like no other, but who she should avoid pursuing, at all costs.

On a mission himself, Ethan Fitzgerald didn’t care who he pissed off on his road to fulfill his mother’s dying wish. He relied on himself, and was closed off to the world around him – until Mia Ryan walked through his door. Normally one to avoid messy emotions, Ethan’s world is turned upside down by Mia, and he can’t seem to get enough of her. There are lines you can cross that will change the course of your life forever …

“Sweet Baby Jesus! God's gift to women just walked in,” Bri said hoarsely.

I groaned. “I've known Trey my entire life. Do you really have to refer to him like

that?”

Bri turned me to face the front door. I tossed my rag on the bar and looked around. “I wasn't talking about Trey. I was talking about that fine specimen of a man,” she whispered.

My breath caught as my eyes absorbed Ethan. He was in torn jeans and a white button-up shirt with the sleeves rolled up to show off his tattoos. My pulse quickened when he gave me a crooked smile. He motioned to an area of tables to the right of the bar; silently asking if anywhere was OK to sit. I nodded and indicated I'd be over in five to take his order.

His eyes lingered on me before he settled at a table. The fire that typically burned inside of me whenever he was around was on the move. I swallowed hard with the realization that this really was about to happen. This afternoon was about to wreak even

more havoc for me than our times together at the office. I had gotten lost in his looks, and my inability to fight it today meant that I failed to remember Bri was watching us. She arched a brow. When I remained silent, she forced me to face her.

“That's Ethan,” I said, feigning indifference.

Bri glanced at him and then back at me with cartoon-character-like speed. “That's

Ethan? As in the Ethan you work for now, Ethan?” she asked.

I nodded while lightly chuckling. I could tell Bri wasn't as amused by the hardness in her eyes.

“What you said before was the same thing I thought when I saw him for the first time.”

She giggled. “Who wouldn't react that way around someone as gorgeous as him? I've never seen anyone that beautiful. It's making me reconsider polygamy and open relationships.”

“I can't believe you said that out loud.”

Her lips curled into a twisted grin. “I can't help it. He's fine with a capital ‘F’. It wouldn't matter if I made a pass at him. He seems to have eyes for only one person in here.”

I looked around to see who else was here. When I had looked before, there was no one under the age of fifty. There had to be someone new in here for her to make that comment. A small pit formed in my stomach, wondering who might have caught his eye.

Bri rolled her eyes as she playfully knocked at my head. “I'm talking about you, you idiot. He hasn't stopped staring at you since he figured out that it was you behind the bar.”

“Whatever,” I retorted, throwing my dishrag at her.

“The looks you two were exchanging are enough to make me want to put the fire department on standby. You better go over and take his order before the bar spontaneously combusts,” she remarked.

M. M. Koenig was born and raised in Minnesota. She now lives in the Twin Cities area with her loving dog Marley. She is a graduate of the University of Minnesota with a Bachelors of Science in Sociology. M. M. Koenig enjoys being active and has a variety of interests that coincide with her passion for life. Always one to try new things, she has acquired a variety of skills. Her sarcastic nature and multitude of experiences tend to find their way into her novels. When she has free time and isn't writing, she spends as much time as she can with friends and family. To fuel her soul, she is constantly looking for new music, movies, and books to keep the writer's block at bay.