Stellar Reviews for My Latest Book!

My latest book, THE B*E*A*S*T* WITHIN, is receiving stellar reviews!  Here's some snippets I wanted to share with you guys, along with a blurb and an excerpt from the book.  :) 

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"This book was exciting and marks a wonderful start of a new trilogy by Rebecca Goings.  Every page is a ride packed with car chases, fighting and tender emotional scenes that will keep you on the edge of your seat wanting more.  Rebecca is a great writer and I will be the first one in line to get every book in the B*E*A*S*T series.  The men are hot, the stories unique and full of surprises.  The only complaint I have is that I am being forced to wait for her next book."

~~Romance Junkies, 5 Ribbons!

http://208.109.92.234/artman/publish/article_6810.shtml

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"Ms. Goings pens a sharp, powerful read that is spellbinding. With incredible writing, strong dialogue, and characters that stick in your mind, this is one astonishing story. A well-crafted plot, with some intense terrifying moments, this roller coaster ride really shapes into a masterpiece and gets the adrenaline flowing. Hold onto your seats, this is one keeper you don't want to miss. It makes the reader think, what if. Bravo to Ms. Goings, she never disappoints and the cover, awesome! This book comes highly recommended!"

~~Fallen Angel Reviews, Recommended Read, 5 Angels!

http://www.fallenangelreviews.com/2006/September/LindaL-TheBEASTWithin.htm

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Blurb:

When Lanie Erickson is thrown from her car in a horrific accident, she never dreams she'll be saved by a white tiger!  Nor does she think meeting the man who claims to be the tiger's 'friend' will change her life forever--but it does. 

Noah Carpenter has a terrible secret.  Mutated genetically by the agency known as B.E.A.S.T., Noah is a shifter, able to change his shape at will.  But he escapes the agency that made him a monster, and now he's on the run.

As Noah remembers more about who he used to be, his attraction for Lanie grows until it cannot be denied.  Even though Lanie knows of his savage side, she welcomes him with open arms.  But when B.E.A.S.T. suddenly abducts her, can Noah save the woman he loves from the torture he once had to endure? And can he do it even if it means killing anyone who gets in his way?

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Excerpt:

Noah held her gaze as she processed his words. He felt so damn guilty just looking at her that it was hard not to look away to hide it. Yet he schooled his features, keeping a straight face. What he'd told her was the truth. He was responsible for her accident, but it had nothing to do with a so-called friend. There was no "creature"--no one but the two of them for miles--yet he couldn't risk telling her the truth. She couldn't possibly understand. Not when he barely believed it himself.

As understanding dawned on Lanie's features, Noah feared her reaction as if she could somehow deduce the awful truth on her own. He held his breath as she spoke.

"Holy God," she whispered in awe. "There was a white tiger in the road! That's what it was! A white friggin' tiger!"

Noah could only nod. Lying to her now would raise her suspicions. After she'd swerved to miss the "creature," she'd plunged over the edge of a steep ravine, and Noah knew in that instant that he couldn't let her die. Without another thought, he'd leapt over the side of the ravine as well, practically killing himself to reach her car before it blew.

But she'd seen him. She'd seen him in his shifted state. Noah had hoped somewhere in the corner of his mind that she'd be unconscious, but she'd been very much aware, and the horror on her face then had almost matched the horror he now saw in her eyes.

"Your friend is a white tiger? What the hell are you, some kind of escaped circus performer or something?"

"No," he told her, finally looking away.

"Well, is he a pet?"

Slowly, Noah began pacing the cave, wondering how he should proceed with her. "Not… exactly."

"Is he friendly?"

"I've already told you he wouldn't hurt you."

Lanie glanced around the small cave, her gaze stopping on a small backpack. "Do you live here?"

"I've been staying here for a couple of days, if that's what you mean."

"Aren't you cold?"

Glancing down at his chest, he realized for the first time that he'd only put on his jeans since he'd shifted back to his human form. He couldn't help but blush just a little. If Lanie had awakened just a few moments earlier than she had, she would have seen a lot more of him than his bare chest!

"The cold doesn't bother me," he told her. And that was the truth. Whatever those bastards had done to him in that horrid lab made him not feel the cold air like he used to.

Lanie suddenly leaned her head against the wall of the cave and groaned.

"Hurting?" he asked.

She nodded. "I need to get to a hospital. Do you have a cell phone?"

"No."

"Walkie-talkie? One of those GPS locator thingies or whatever it is you hikers use?"

 She thought he was a hiker? Maybe that could work in his favor.

"No, sorry. I don't bring much equipment with me."

"Well, that's irresponsible of you," she chastised softly, closing her eyes.

"Why don't you sleep and get comfortable? We have to move in the morning."

"What do you mean move?" Lanie cracked open an eye at him.

Hunkering down next to the fire once more, he fed it a few more dry twigs. "We can't stay here. It's no longer safe."

"Will you take me to a hospital?"

"No."

"Look, mister, I just tumbled end-over-end in my car, got ejected on the way down and was dragged away from it by your tiger friend right before the damn thing exploded. I'm thinking I need to go to a hospital!"

"I can't risk it." Staring at her once again, he saw the hardened lines of anger cross her beautiful face.

Her hazel eyes darkened as she scowled at him. "What are you talking about?"

"Trust me, it's better if you don't know. But I can't take you to a hospital. I'm sorry."

"Oh, God."

"What?"

"You're not one of those creepy guys who rapes women in the wilderness, are you? Because I gotta warn you, I carry mace in my jacket."

Noah had to smile at that. This woman sure was feisty, even after what she'd endured.

"Don't worry," he told her. "I'm not one of those guys."

She seemed to relax somewhat, but he sensed her guard was still raised by the way her knuckles went white as she clutched onto the blanket despite the fact that her glorious scent gave away what else she was feeling.

"And I've already told you nothing is broken," he added.

"Well, can you at least take me to the nearest road?" she asked.

He shook his head. "I can't. You're with me now. If I let you go, they'll find you. They'll know--they always know. I need to protect you."

"Just what the hell are you talking about, Mr. Carpenter?"

"I'm talking about one of the most ruthless secret agencies in the world, Lanie. They're after me. And now they'll be after you too."

~ * ~

Lanie stared at him in shock. What the heck was going on here?

"Secret agency? What are you, some kind of James Bond?"

"Not quite," he said as he sighed heavily. His fingers once again trailed through his hair. "Look, I can't tell you much. Just about all of it is classified, but there are some really bad guys out there, and I've got no doubt in my mind that they know about your car accident by now."

"You're scaring me, Noah. What are you talking about?" Lanie looked out at the snow-covered trees beyond the cave and shivered. "The tiger--are they after the tiger?"

"In a manner of speaking."

"Did… did you steal him?" Her teeth chattered as she peered at him, watching his emotions play across his face. The man was handsome, there was no denying that, but there was something cold-blooded about him as well, and she didn't trust him completely.

"No, I didn't. Just trust me. I know it's hard. You don't know me from Adam, but believe me when I say these men will stop at nothing to get to me, even if that means going through you. And I will not allow that to happen. You have nothing to do with any of this."

"Any of what? Noah, why would these guys be after me? What did I do to them? And who are 'they' anyway? FBI? CIA? Homeland Security?"

She could have sworn that he growled at her as she returned his gaze. There was something familiar in those blue eyes as she stared back at him, but she couldn't place it. He walked toward her and hunkered on his knees.

"They aren't an American agency, Lanie. They have a secret base here in the states, but they aren't funded by our government. They're after you now, simply because of your contact with me. Anyone I come in contact with is suspect, which is why I needed to hide out here for a while. But if they know about your accident then they're close by, and I refuse to be caught again."

"Again? You mean you escaped from them?"

Noah broke her gaze and stared at the ground. He nodded and closed his eyes for several seconds. "I don't know how long I was with them. It's hard to remember my life… before."

"Wait, wait, wait," Lanie said, holding up her bandaged arm. "Your 'life before'? Before what?"

"It's what we call who we used to be. The life we used to live before we were taken."

"Who's 'we'?"

"There are others. But I am the only one who has managed to escape without being killed."

"Good Lord! You need to go to the authorities about this!"

"What this secret agency does, Lanie, is not something your average cop is going to understand, much less believe. Besides, if I went to the authorities, these men would find me within an hour, and it all would have been for nothing."

"What did they do to you?" Lanie asked, not really sure she wanted to know.

"Horrible things," he whispered.

As the silence stretched on, Lanie wasn't about to pressure him into telling her. Obviously it was painful for him, as his hands now shook when they rubbed his face.

"You need to sleep," he said, his gentle voice a stark contrast to his trembling body.

"What about you? Is this your only blanket?"

"I'll be fine."

"But--"

"I'll be fine," he repeated.

"All right. What about your tiger friend?"

"He'll be fine too."

His stony demeanor prevented Lanie from asking him any more questions as he stared into the fire. What the hell was she going to do now? Stuck in the middle of nowhere with a man she knew nothing about who spouted stories of white tigers and secret agencies. Should she even believe him?

Right now, she needed his help while her head still spun from her injuries. Yet he'd said those horrid men would be after her too now just for making contact with him. Lanie snuggled under the blanket and closed her eyes, trembling violently herself. She was exhausted, but whether or not she'd actually be able to sleep was another matter. Her entire body ached, her ears were ringing, and she was stranded in the mountains with a tiger and a man on the run.

What in God's name had she gotten herself into?

© Rebecca Goings

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http://www.champagnebooks.com/TBWI.htm

~~Becka

http://www.RebeccaGoings.com

http://beastseries.blogspot.com