Cracks In The Armor

Chris, a sexy tattoo artist, tries to win the heart of Sarah, a grad student with little interest in him, in this second e-short and follow-up to Helena Hunting’s gripping love story, Clipped Wings—“twisted, dark, incredibly erotic…a love story like no other” (USA TODAY bestselling author Alice Clayton). Part owner of the Chicago tattoo shop Inked Armor, Chris Zelter is a talented artist who decorates skin with gorgeous designs. He might look the part of the typical jacked-up, inked-up bad-boy, but underneath is a fiercely loyal, complicated man. Kicked out at sixteen, Chris has had to fend for himself for the last twelve years, making his Inked Armor crew as much family as they are business partners. For him, it’s enough—until he meets Sarah Adamson. A grad student waitressing at the local strip club, Sarah is used to propositions and crude comments. The job is a means to an end—finish her MBA, pay off the tuition loans, and get a good job. Then she won’t have to rely on anyone to take care of her. So when brawny, tatted up Chris begins hanging out at the club, she rebuffs his advances. At first. But Chris isn’t like her usual clientele: despite his hard exterior, he’s almost…sweet. Sometimes, the people with the roughest edges have the biggest hearts.

Put on the entire armor of God and be able to effectively survive and thrive during conflict.

An emotional love story that follows the touch-and-go relationship of Hayden and Tenley; two young people who desperately want to love and be loved but are afraid to completely let go of their pasts. Their body art is hot. Their chemistry is even hotter. From her dark hair sweeping below her waist to her soft, sexy curves, Tenley Page intrigues tattoo artist Hayden Stryker in a way no one else ever has…especially when she asks him to ink a gorgeous, intricate design on her back. Yet for all her beauty, there is something darkly tragic and damaged about Tenley that Hayden is everything. Covered in ink and steel, Hayden is everything Tenley has never dared to want, awakening a desire to explore more than the art adorning his stunning body. Trapped by a past that leaves her screaming from nightmares, Tenley sees Hayden as the perfect escape. Although he has secrets too, if they both keep themselves guarded perhaps their intense physical connection will remain only that. But nothing, not even passion, can keep them safe from their pasts…

"Everywhere we turn, women are challenging men's power and men are rethinking what it means to be men. But why is it that so many men feel powerless and alienated despite the social, economic and personal power that seems to be their birthright? In Cracking the Armour, Michael Kaufman weaves a rich and colourful narrative of men's experiences with sexuality, pornography, violence, fatherhood, families, and friendships. He gives an account of men's aspirations, obsessions, and concerns that is sometimes funny, often provocative, and always honest and direct. In the process, he helps us understand what is harmful to men and oppressive to women about our current notions of masculinity, and to reclaim the possibilities and joys so many men have buried in the quest for an armour-plated manhood."--Author's website.

In this follow-up to Clipped Wings, the emotional love story continues between Hayden and Tenley; two young people who desperately want to love and be loved but are afraid to completely let go of their pasts. In the wake of losing Tenley Page, tattooist Hayden Stryker's tumultuous past is haunting him. Plagued by nightmares about the murder of his parents, Hayden reaches out again to Tenley. Having run from the man she doesn't believe she deserves, Tenley finally lays her guilt to rest. Despite their intense physical attraction, Hayden and Tenley struggle to repair their fragile emotional connection. As Hayden gets closer to the truth, he must find a way to reconcile his guilt over his parents' death in order to keep the woman who finally cracked his armor, and found her way into his heart.

***A STANDALONE novel*** Sometimes the things we shouldn’t want become exactly what we need . . . Waitressing at a seedy strip club isn’t ideal, but it pays Sarah Adamson’s tuition. Her goal is to finish her master’s program and get a job that doesn’t involve tight skirts and groping hands. She doesn’t need distractions. Especially not the one that comes in the form of a hot-as-sin tattoo artist who works across the street from her apartment. Kicked out at sixteen, and a high school dropout, Chris Zelter is familiar with wanting things he can’t have. His fractured life has never been easy. As the product of someone else’s bad decisions, he knows exactly what happens when the wrong person controls your marionette strings. Now an accomplished tattoo artist in a renowned studio in Chicago, Chris has it together. Mostly. Apart from his infatuation with Sarah. She’s way out of his league, and Chris knows it. But he’s willing to be her bad decision. At least for now.

By the international bestselling author of Billie: These seven short stories exploring modern French life are “a raw and tender ode to the human spirit” (Booklist). Critically acclaimed and beloved across Europe, Anna Gavalda’s bestselling novels have been translated into numerous languages. In this collection of short stories, all written in the first person, Gavalda has crafted intimate and inspiring portraits of people who confront their vulnerabilities and admit their weaknesses. These tales illustrate the importance of moving beyond the wounds of the past to embrace love, friendship, forgiveness, and family. From the trucker who puts his dog to sleep following the death of his son to the alcoholic widow who befriends a mysterious stranger, readers will meet expertly drawn characters in these seven stories of suffering and salvation. “The voices heard in these seven stories, each entirely distinct from the others, are of the sort that permanently embed themselves in the memory.” ―Le Soir