T. Gephart

Wednesday, December 20, 2017

COVER REVEAL: #1 Rival by T. Gephart

   

Releasing February 21, 2018
Cover Design by Hang Le
 
Blurb
Lauren Harper wanted four things.
Respect.
Success.
Happiness.
And to annihilate Roman Pierce.
Sure, he was a smooth, smart and sexy attorney who made the senior partners at their law firm cream their pants. But he was also an annoying cocky jerk who she’d been competing with since they had both been hired over a year ago.
And Lauren didn’t care how amazing his smile was or how hot his body was underneath that suit—the firm-sponsored fun run had a lot to answer for—he was a ruthless, ambitious prick who would stop at nothing to climb the corporate ladder. He’d even climb over her given half the chance. Sadly, she’d probably enjoy that.
No.
That wasn’t what she was supposed to be thinking.
She did not want him climbing over or under her, or doing anything else to her.
He was the enemy. Destroying him was the only option.
Wiping that smug, beautiful grin off his gorgeous, obnoxious face, a bonus.
Now, if she could just keep her objective in check and obliterate him before he did the same to her.
 
Add to your TBR - http://bit.ly/2ud9uMq
Exclusive Pre-Order on iBooks - http://apple.co/2hzlQMH
Sign up to receive Amazon Live Alert - http://amzn.to/2mnwmrE
     

About T. Gephart

  T Gephart is an indie author from Melbourne, Australia. T’s approach to life has been somewhat unconventional. Rather than going to University, she jumped on a plane to Los Angeles, USA in search of adventure. While this first trip left her somewhat underwhelmed and largely depleted of funds it fueled her appetite for travel and life experience. 

 With a rather eclectic resume, which reads more like the fiction she writes than an actual employment history, T struggled to find her niche in the world. 

 While on a subsequent trip the United States in 1999, T met and married her husband. Their whirlwind courtship and interesting impromptu convenience store wedding set the tone for their life together, which is anything but ordinary. They have lived in Louisiana, Guam and Australia and have travelled extensively throughout the US. T has two beautiful young children and one four legged child, Woodley the wonder dog. 

 An avid reader, T became increasingly frustrated by the lack of strong female characters in the books she was reading. She wanted to read about a woman she could identify with, someone strong, independent and confident who didn’t lack femininity. Out of this need, she decided to pen her first book, A Twist of Fate. She enjoyed the process so much that when it was over she couldn’t let it go. 

T loves to travel, laugh and surround herself with colourful characters. This inevitably spills into her writing and makes for an interesting journey – she is well and truly enjoying the ride! 

 Based on her life experiences, T has plenty of material for her books and has a wealth of ideas to keep you all enthralled.  


Follow T. Gephart

 

Sunday, July 9, 2017

BOOK REVIEW: Trainwreck by T. Gephart


Title: Trainwreck
Author: T. Gephart
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Release Date: July 10, 2017

       
“No passion, no emotion, no originality—a train wreck of epic portions.”
Those were the words to describe Eve Thorton’s exhibition. Not even a fine arts degree from Yale or her daddy’s bank account could save her from the scathing reviews. And failure was a word Eve would never be comfortable with. Not even close.
Plotting the demise of every critic who’d written her off was her first instinct. But that would come later. Instead, she would show them that she wasn’t a bored socialite with more money than talent.
She would prove everyone wrong, and she wasn’t afraid to get her hands dirty. But when her journey for redemption crashed headfirst into Josh Logan, the sexy, talented tattooist from Queens, getting her hands dirty took on a whole new meaning.
Josh was everything Eve wasn’t, translating on skin what she couldn’t onto her canvas. All she had to do was convince him to share his jaw-dropping brilliance, and help her—seeing him naked—a bonus. Then she could go back to her regular life, vindicated.
It should have been easy. Pity her plans had a habit of derailing

            




NO ONE could perfectly mix romance, sass, and laughter the way Miss T. Gephart does. I am completely obsessed with her words! Trainwreck is a masterpiece itself! 

"I get the real you, and you get the real me. Even if we argue."


Eve Thorton found out that her passion for art wasn’t really transferring into her canvases as extraordinarily as she would’ve wanted. So when her eyes caught a stunning piece of art inked on skin, she knew she had to meet the genius behind it and draw inspiration from him. Little did she know, his artistic abilities won’t be the only thing she’d be drawn to. Eve was such a great character to explore! This badass woman driven by her need to prove people that she wasn’t just money and degree surprised and delighted me in many ways. I loved that Eve wasn’t a damsel-in-distress but I also loved that she opened herself for some changes. Her journey was such a vital part of this book. 

"It's how much of yourself you give. What you sacrifice for someone else. I'm concerned you are too busy worrying about other people, and no one is worrying about you."


Josh Logan had a tough life but he’s getting through it quite well. His escape? Art. He’s a genius with an ink gun and a man armed with knowledge and life lessons that he vividly transfers into ink. Known for magnificently translating classic paintings into the human skin, Josh’s gift knows no limits. But Eve Thorton might just be the only art form he would not be able to replicate. Oh, Josh. Where to begin? There’s a certain charming poignancy in this man that drew me to his character. Sure, he was hot, no doubt about that. But Josh’s major charm was his mind and the insightful, artistic way he views the world. I loved that his looks felt like a secondary (but definitely not a lesser) trait in this book. He was just an absolutely great mystery I loved unraveling. 

What I love in Miss T’s books are the streaks of unexpected details in every one of her works. Trainwreck has tons of those. Even just the little quirks or the slight twists on scenes give me such happiness. Josh and Eve may seem more different than alike but they wonderfully complement each other. I really, really love how they mesh! There was also a perfect amount of emotion in this book. Not overplayed nor unnecessary, just the right feels for Josh and Eve. And of course, I couldn't get through with this review without mentioning Dallas. He is a character every reader would absolutely love! He’s this unfiltered friend whom you can’t help but keep. I really loved the flavor he added to the book! 

The thing I really loved about this book is this grin I couldn’t get off of my face. A totally riveting read; sexy, hilarious, romantic, and refreshing. It’s a definite happy pill!


Tuesday, June 6, 2017

RELEASE BLITZ: Imperfect Love Kindle World

    
IMPERFECT LOVE Kindle World, a fabulous new series featuring strong alpha heroes who get knocked sideways when they suddenly begin noticing the heroine in a whole new light. 

In partnership with Kendall Ryan & these amazing bestselling authors: Kelly Elliott, Adriana Locke, Mandi Beck, T. Gephart, Kim Karr, Cora Kenborn, Magan Vernon & Natasha Madison. 

Sexy, laugh-out-loud funny, and sweet at times, this series is all about exploring romance tropes like friends to lovers, fake fiancé, arranged marriage, surprise pregnancy, budding office romances, and more, that all share one fabulous thing in common--they end in a happily ever after.

JOIN THE GROUP FOR ALL THE NEWS: 

  

FAMED by Magan Vernon: 

On the heels of Mary James leaked sex tape - totally a fake one to make her boyfriend jealous she might add- she needs some PR help if she ever wants her acting career to end up in a fiery hell like her love life.

Chris Garcia has been working his way up from mail room clerk to junior associate at Tate & Cane and now to get to the next rung of the corporate ladder he has to take on the firm's toughest client: Mary James.

With a little help from a nosey Aunt Rosita and Mama Garcia, the two decide the best way to move forward is simple: a fake relationship. 

But what happens when something fake gets to be too real and FAME gets involved?   

  
One-Night Stand-In  - T. Gephart 

Sarah Madison loved working at Tate & Cane Enterprises.

While she looked and, for the most part, acted conservatively—she was a gladiator in the boardroom.

The fast-paced, energetic work environment not only fed her need for corporate blood but also allowed her to work for one of her role models, Olivia Cane—living proof a woman really can have it all. 

And after months of paying her dues, she was finally offered the promotion she’d been vying for. Which was great, except for the fact she had to share the position with a new guy they brought in especially for the role.

Kyle Drake was smart, experienced, and probably just as good, if not better, in negotiations. And if she wasn’t careful, prove he could do the job without her. Add in good-looking and an incredibly sexy smooth talker, and everyone in the office either wanted to be him or sleep with him. Which Sarah could have totally ignored if he hadn’t been the stranger she’d married in Vegas during a fake ceremony six months earlier. 

He was supposed to be her one-night stand, a stand-in for a ceremony that wasn’t even legally binding. They were never even going to see each other again. Hell, she apparently hadn’t even known his real last name at the time. It was the only time she’d ever done something completely reckless and spontaneous. 

It figured that one time would come back and bite her where it hurt.  
   
THE RUN IN – KELLY ELLIOTT 

Becoming the new Marketing Manager at Tate and Cane was a game changer. I was hell bent on proving I deserved this job, and that it wasn’t my cousin Sterling Quinn who had helped me score the new job title. Him being one of the CEO’s best friend—didn’t help the rumors. 

 Well screw that. 

 Ten years of sweat and hard work was the reason I was sitting in a large corner office with a killer Manhattan view. More focused than I’d ever been, it was time to take the bull by the horns. 

 And God help the person who stood in in my way. 

 ******** 

Things I left behind in Seattle, Washington: A promising career at a top marking firm, the past I was desperate to escape, and obviously my sense of direction. It was because of all of those reasons I was standing in the middle of New York City lost and cursing at my phone. 

If I didn’t get to Tate and Cane soon, I wouldn’t only be late, but also blow the chance to make the good impression on my new boss, Mason Quinn. And I needed that more than anything. 

One wrong turn, an unfortunate collision, and an expensive suit drenched in my soy chia tea latte was not how I wanted to start my first day. 

Then there was the other little problem I had. The drop dead gorgeous man whose suit I’d ruined was my new boss. 

And boy did he look pissed. 

  
TIED BY KIM KARR

I was rich, single, and connected, which meant a steady diet of beautiful women wherever I went. 

I really did think I had the perfect life. 

Until I went and married a supermodel I’d just met, and everything changed. 

Of course there were choices. But the word annulment meant giving her up, and I never give up anything. Still, I was a bachelor at heart, and having a wife, well, I didn’t really know what to do with that. 

After only forty-eight hours of marriage, I had already gone and screwed everything up. 

Now I have thirty days to prove to my new wife that I’m husband material. There’s only one problem—I don’t even know what husband material means. However, I’m certain that won’t stop me from excelling at it. 

 My wife tells me it isn’t going to be easy. 

That I have numerous issues to overcome. 

First, there’s my jealousy. It needs to be tamed. Did I flip over the fact that her latest picture was causing men around the world to do dirty things all over the covers she graced? Hell, yes. I couldn’t help myself though. When her photo went viral, my caveman instincts kicked in, and I demanded she quit her job and stay home—barefoot and pregnant in my kitchen. I can work on that, right? 

Then there’s my mother. I need to convince her that my new wife is not the money hungry floozy she called her. Did my mother actually call her that? Yes. I can’t help it that my mother wants me to get rid of my new wife. The problem is what my mother wants, she always gets one way or another. Still, turning my mother’s opinion around can’t be that hard, can it? There are many other issues, but according to my new wife, those are minor compared to the biggest one—she says I will never be able to accept being tied down.

Don’t worry—I got this one. I intend to prove to her in no uncertain terms that being tied up, down, or horizontal is just what this Upper East Sider needs.  

  
Battle of the Sexes  Adriana Locke 

Carver Jones’ partner at Jones + Gallum had to step down for medical reasons. He’s absolutely devastated. He swears. Just ignore his cheeky grin, okay? 

 When word reaches his fancy corner office that Gallum is replacing himself with his daughter, Amity, Carver is ecstatic. 

 For real this time. 

 Jones squashes men in the business industry flat. A woman? Pfst. He’ll be completely in charge in no time, doing whatever he wants. He’s so ready for this. 

 But is he ready to fight the hardest fight of his life? No, not the one to maintain control of his company. The one to keep control of his heart. 

 The battle may begin in the boardroom, but the war will definitely be won in the bedroom. May the best sex win.    


  
UNSUPERVISED by Cora Kenborn Niall 

A non-existent love life, unstable paycheck, and a six-year-old who’d rather hit boys than books sound more like a cry for help than a dating profile. On paper, it would seem like I need a life coach, but I’ve managed to get a decent grip on the single-dad thing. My love life, on the other hand, is an entirely different story. With my sexy Irish accent, I should have women of all ages losing their minds, but I seem to attract only a certain type—crazy. 

 The last thing I want is a new relationship, but I need a date for my company’s charity function. A chance meeting with a tall, leggy blonde who looks like she could use a night out is the perfect solution. Beautiful, sane, and she has a kid? We have a winner. 

 I didn’t count on Laken being unforgettable. Unlike all the other fake women I’ve met in this city, she’s real. And if there’s one thing I value more than anything, it’s honesty. 

  Laken 

I didn’t bust my ass in college to be a nanny. Unfortunately, a 4.0 GPA and sucking up to the owner’s sister did nothing to secure a coveted Tate & Cane Enterprises internship. I’m not proud of being a nanny-for-hire to get my foot in the door, but my wealthy socialite employer has the ears of company executives. Swallowing my pride, I do what I need to—until an afternoon at the park changes everything. I don’t mean to let him think Preston is my kid, but he just assumes. This isn’t me. I’m not a liar. Although his panty-melting accent does unspeakable things to me, I should set the record straight. There’s only one problem. Niall is a freelance photographer for Tate & Cane and invites me to a company event as his plus-one. He’s my “in.” 

 If I can hold on to this charade long enough, I can get the job and the man of my dreams. I’m winging this completely unsupervised. Game on.
  
TWISTED by Mandi Beck  ​

Three friends walk into a bar . . . One walks out the fake girlfriend of a hot, bearded Scotsman.

 Fannin McGuire is up for promotion at Tate and Cane Enterprises, but first she has to make it through her stepsister’s wedding. To Fannin’s ex. Yep. Her ex-fiancĂ© is about to be her new brother-in-law. One big happy family. And lucky her, she also gets to work with him. 

While Fannin is putting all of her energy into her career, her ex is putting all of his energy into making her life hell. Just when Fannin is sure she’ll be attending the wedding without a plus one, in walks Jasper James to save the day. He’s the bartender at the Iron Flask, the account she’s trying to land, and everything she didn’t know she needed or wanted. Before Fannin knows what’s happening, Jasper is playing knight in shining armor and she likes it. And him. A lot. With his smooth Scottish accent, ridiculously good looks, and that beard? She doesn’t stand a chance. 

Jasper isn’t in the habit of rescuing anyone. But when Fannin is confronted by her ex about her lack of a date for his upcoming nuptials, Jasper can’t help but step in. Her wild hair, violet eyes, and killer legs have him doing a few things he normally wouldn’t. Never mind that he shouldn’t be getting involved with the woman in charge of making the bar a global success. 

Their fake relationship becomes more real than either thought it would. Now they’re at the mercy of their feelings when truths are twisted, and the lies don’t taste as smooth as the whisky.

  
CHEEKY by Natasha Madison  ​​​

Bradley Fitch has it all. A suave job, a gigantic trust fund, and an accent that makes panties drop faster than the speed of light. His new life in New York City is fast-paced and furious, but it's nothing a little getaway can't cure. 

What says party and unwind like Las Vegas? Nothing. Plus, whatever happens there has to stay there.  

When his best friend bails, he finds himself sitting on the plane next to his best friend's sister. She’s off-limits—proverbial caution tape wrapped around her body. Of course, she’s also totally ball busting gorgeous.

Lexi Quinn fell in love with Bradley at eight years old and then vowed to kill him at eight and a half. What was supposed to be a romantic week away is turning into a nightmare. Her ex is actually married, her luggage is lost, and her reservation is cancelled. And she's sitting next to the man she swore to hate forever.

One week. No strings attached. What is the worst that could happen? 

It's all fun and games till this British bad boy gives new meaning to BBC and becomes a little bit too cheeky.​​    

   

A New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and USA Today bestselling author of more than two dozen titles, Kendall Ryan has sold over 2 million books and her books have been translated into several languages in countries around the world. Her books have also appeared on the New York Times and USA Today bestseller lists more than three dozen times. Ryan has been featured in such publications as USA Today, Newsweek, and InTouch Magazine. She lives in Texas with her husband and two sons. 

Monday, February 20, 2017

RELEASE BLITZ: #1 Crush by T. Gephart




Title: #1 Crush
Series: #1 Series #1
Author: T. Gephart
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Release Date: February 20, 2017



Blurb

Tia Monroe was smart, sassy and successful. Sure, she could get a little crazy at times—life around Tia was never boring—but that was part of her appeal. And while she didn’t see herself as ‘classically beautiful’, she had no shortage of options in the boyfriend department. She just hadn’t found one who held her interest.

Until she laid eyes on Eric Larsson, and then it was lust at first sight.

He packed the perfect mix of smoldering sexy and unapologetic cool into his blond-haired, blue-eyed, ridiculously hot six-foot-four frame. One smile from him was enough to twist her insides, making her girlie bits tingle in the most delicious way. But it wasn’t just his looks, he was smart and funny—charming in the most a-dork-able way.

The only problem was . . . Tia had never actually met him.

Eric Larsson was one of Hollywood’s hottest movie stars, rising to the top of his game and leaving a trail of disintegrated panties in his wake. Tia’s were no exception—but she wasn’t delusional. Love, marriage and happily-ever-after were not part of her fantasy; she just wanted to meet him. Just one time. One time. Confident that just seeing him in the flesh would get him out of her system.

So, with her resolve steeled, Tia set off on a quest to make it happen while avoiding her mug shot being splayed across the five o’clock news.

The journey no doubt will make for one hell of a story.
 








Purchase Links

AMAZON US / UK / CA / AU





Excerpt

“Oh my God.” The words wheezed out of me as all the oxygen escaped from my lungs. My chest tightened like I’d been kicked right in between my ribs.

There he was a few feet behind me slowly making his way toward me.

“Eric, look here.”

“Eric, this way.”

Both sides of the line screamed at him as he patiently walked from side to side, signing autographs and taking selfies. Each step he took inching him closer to where I had frozen, my eyes bulging out of my head like a complete lunatic.

There he was.

Eric Larsson, right in front of me.

And not even internet stalking could have prepared me for what he looked like in real life.

Breathtaking.

So handsome he almost didn’t seem real, and as much as I tried I couldn’t stop staring.

Say something my mouth begged as my brain continued on its mental vacation. My eyes scanned every inch of his body like it was planning to build a 3-D replica.

Holy hell he was wearing the absolute fuck out of that suit. Every inch of the fabric curling around his delicious body like its life depended on it. And believe me, even though he was covered from head to toe in tailored Tom Ford perfection—I’d seen photos of him in this particular suit before—it did nothing to hide how obscenely hot he was.

My heart thumped loudly as he took another step closer, his eyes remaining on the crowd.

“Larsson.”

It rang out clear despite the noise around us. It took me a minute to realize that while my brain had stalled, my mouth hadn’t suffered the same fate. My lips still open as his name left them.

Who the hell yells out his last name? I panicked, unable to tear my eyes from him as his head lifted and his eyes settled on me.

Dear. Lord. In. Heaven. And. All. The. Saints.

Eric Larsson was looking at me.

At me.

At ME!

His brow lifted in acknowledgement as his lips curled, momentarily blinding me as he flashed his trademark smile.

Well, if that wasn’t an invitation, I didn’t know what was.

So, even though I was struggling to breathe—my ability to remain upright also not guaranteed—my feet moved me closer toward him. My internal pep talk worked overtime as I reminded myself we were on a mission. Two minutes of eye contact, conversation . . . and something about me finding out what an asshole he was.

“Hi.” The best I could do given the circumstances.

Intellectually I knew the man was tall. I mean, in my head I figured I knew what six-foot-four looked like. But as I lifted my eyes, it didn’t come close to where I should be looking, my gaze hitting his chin before I tilted my head even higher.

“Hi,” he responded, the single word sent a shiver down my spine as he unleashed another blinding smile.

Those eyes were something else. The clearest blue I had ever seen, and though I knew it wasn’t possible it seemed like they illuminated from the inside out. Like magical orbs, the weight of their stare hypnotized me, pulling me in closer like a force field. I couldn’t have looked away if I’d tried. Not that I tried, and not that I wanted to.

And oh Lord have mercy, did he smell good. Mouthwatering. Ridiculous that it would even get a mention given I already had those eyes, his face and his delectable couture-wrapped body to contend with. Yet there was his scent wafting up my nose uninvited. A sadistic mix of sexy, clean and masculine—probably Calvin Klein—overwhelmed me as I fought the urge to bury my head in his neck and inhale him like a line of cocaine.

Say something you dumbass. My mouth begged as my hand, completely of its own accord, reached out and rested on his arm.

Holy. Freaking. Shit. I. Was. Touching. Him.

Do not moan, I reminded myself.

“Congratulations on the movie.” Words poured out of my mouth, thankfully in a sequence that made sense, as my fingers struggled not to caress the fabric of his suit. My fingers didn’t listen, slowly stroking in small—slightly inappropriate and rather suggestive—circles.

Wow, this is a really, really nice suit.

Do not lick it.






Author Bio

T Gephart is an indie author from Melbourne, Australia.

T's approach to life has been somewhat unconventional. Rather than going to University, she jumped on a plane to Los Angeles, USA in search of adventure. While this first trip left her somewhat underwhelmed and largely depleted of funds it fueled her appetite for travel and life experience.

With a rather eclectic resume, which reads more like the fiction she writes than an actual employment history, T struggled to find her niche in the world.

While on a subsequent trip the United States in 1999, T met and married her husband. Their whirlwind courtship and interesting impromptu convenience store wedding set the tone for their life together, which is anything but ordinary. They have lived in Louisiana, Guam and Australia and have traveled extensively throughout the US. T has two beautiful young children and one four legged child, Woodley, the wonder dog.

An avid reader, T became increasingly frustrated by the lack of strong female characters in the books she was reading. She wanted to read about a woman she could identify with, someone strong, independent and confident and who didn't lack femininity. Out of this need, she decided to pen her first book, A Twist of Fate. T set herself the challenge to write something that was interesting, compelling and yet easy enough to read that was still enjoyable. Pulling from her own past "colorful" experiences and the amazing personalities she has surrounded herself with, she had no shortage of inspiration. With a strong slant on erotic fiction, her core characters are empowered women who don't have to sacrifice their femininity. She enjoyed the process so much that when it was over she couldn't let it go.

T loves to travel, laugh and surround herself with colorful characters. This inevitably spills into her writing and makes for an interesting journey - she is well and truly enjoying the ride!


Based on her life experiences, T has plenty of material for her books and has a wealth of ideas to keep you all enthralled.



Author Links

Monday, October 24, 2016

RELEASE BLITZ: The Fall by T. Gephart




Title: The Fall
Author: T. Gephart
Genre: Romantic Suspense
Release Date: October 23, 2016



Blurb

Salvation doesn’t exist.
It’s a lie people tell themselves in the dark, alone so their conscience might be eased. To give them hope that, in the end, we can all be forgiven.
Except we can’t.
And no amount of praying will change that.
For me there will be no redemption, and I will leave this world with the same black heart I entered it with.
The comfort in knowing who I am and what I am capable of keeps me warmer than any lie of having my soul saved.
Because I know the truth.
Because I know there is no Heaven.
And there is no Hell.
There is only the fall.

Michael has no one. No family. No Friends. And not a soul in the world cares about him, only a system that tried to break him.
With a strong dislike for establishments and conformity, he has lived his life as a rogue. A hired thug with no allegiances except to his own word.

Sofia has grown up in the shadow of her father—one of the most powerful drug lords in the city. She has vowed to bring him to justice, moving through the ranks of the Chicago PD in an effort to be as far removed from her father’s lifestyle as possible.

Two worlds collide when Michael shows up at her door, a gun in his hand and a look in his eyes that terrifies her. Suddenly, Sofia has a price on her head and Michael is the only one who can keep her out of the crossfire.







Purchase Links

AMAZON US / UK / CA / AU





Excerpt

Prologue

“Please.”

An anguished scream ripped through the night as the rain pummeled against the thick stained glass. The heavy splat against the windows was not unlike the streams of unrelenting tears that rolled down her face.

Darkness had come, and with it the howling wind battered at the doors, stirring at the unrest. The fat white candles that littered the room were the only source of illumination, a lightning strike killing the power an hour or two before.

The sisters had gathered, huddled together as mumbled Our Father’s competed against the sound of the storm, fearing the Devil himself was knocking at their door.

It wasn’t just the gale and torrential rain that crackled in the dark. Evil was dense in the air, rolling in like an all-encompassing fog—heavier than the thickest winter coat.

Another scream pierced through the sound of the weather. The very voice tore from her throat like a soul desperate to leave its earthly vessel.

There was no hope. It was the sound of death.

“Please,” she begged. The accumulation of fear and pain weighted in that one word made the sisters’ skin goose bump like the cold that had yet to breach the room. “Please, save him.”

Labored breaths dragged in air behind her chattering teeth.

“Please.”

“Save.”

“Him.”

It was more than a plea, and there was no mistake it would be the woman’s last request.

“Mother?”

Sister Catherine’s gaze rose to Mother Superior from her place on the floor. Her knees had been cemented to the very spot for the last ten hours, but not for prayer like the others. She waited for direction as blood stained the cold blue stone rock around her. Both the mother and child were closer to meeting the heavenly Father than the dawn was to the new day.

“Mother, we’re losing her.”

Mother’s eyes closed as she drew out a long, deep breath—Sister Catherine was right—the end was coming quickly.

“We will do all that we can, child. Be at peace.” Her hand brushed against the damp forehead of the expectant mother.

They had been the only words of comfort Mother could offer without betraying the cloth. She couldn’t lie to her. Not because of the promise she had made when she had accepted the habit, but because her very eyes watched as mortality slipped from the blessed child on the floor, the gray pallor of her skin already making her look like a corpse.

“One more push.” Sister Catherine’s attention was refocused, her actions determined to keep Mother’s promise. “I can see the head, but you need to help me.”

Sister Catherine’s hands worked swiftly, her fingers doing their best to work with the limited knowledge she had. Her calling had come during her second year of medical school; the important things not yet learned. But she was young, just barely having accepted her final vows, and her determination to serve was stronger than her fear.

This was not how she’d imagined her vocation, but one did not question when it came to serving the Lord. She would do whatever she needed to do, and tonight it was the experience of her pre-cloistered life that was desperately needed.

There were no further words, not from Sister Catherine nor from the woman who lay in front of her. The last gasps of energy were needed if the mother was going to be able to birth her child, and only the Lord himself knew if either of them would survive.

“Agh!” The mother fell back, the rock beneath her biting into her skin but she no longer felt pain. Not from her body at least, her agony had long been numbed. It was the heaviness in her heart that was her only emotion.

Just a little more.

She wasn’t sure if it had been Sister Catherine’s urging or her own internal thought that spoke those words, but it had been enough to keep her going. Her face strained from the effort as she bore down through the constant contractions. It would have to be enough. She had nothing left.

The child she had carried for nine months slipped from her body, finally making his entrance as she whispered her offering to the Father. That offering being her own sacrifice.

Take me, she prayed. Let him live, take me.

Her eyelids closed as Sister Catherine delivered the son, but there had been no cry. Not from the mother and not from her child, the eerie silence settling into the room as she accepted her fate. In fact, there had been no sound as she took her last breath, her eyes not having the luxury of gazing on the boy she’d been so desperate to save. Whether or not she’d succeeded, beyond her control.

“He’s breathing, barely.” Sister Catherine’s hands swaddled the boy with her own veil, his entrance into the world only a few moments before. “He’s weak, but he’s fighting.” She hoped it would be enough. They had already lost the mother; losing the boy would surely be too much.

“A fighter. Yes, we shall call him Michael.” Mother genuflected beside the altar, offering quick word of thanks before she rose to her feet. There wasn’t a lot of time; they needed to get the child to the hospital and fast.

“Blessed child, Michael.” The tiniest drop of holy water rolled off the infant’s forehead. Mother’s hand hovered above it, her lips moving quickly as the sacred words of baptism spilled from them. It was the best she could do without a priest, but at least she’d given him hope.

“There’s no time for an ambulance. Sister Mary, bring the car around. I will keep him breathing if needed.” Sister Catherine’s resolve kicked in. He would live. He would not die on the cold stained floor of the church.

“Go.” Mother clutched at the crucifix that hung close to her breast and slowly removed it from her neck. “I will care for the mother.” The gold chain placed gently upon the lifeless body of the mother who would never know the child she had birthed.

Sisters Catherine and Mary wasted no time; the boy’s breaths shallow as they ran out of the church into the courtyard toward the old used sedan. The rain soaked their clothes in minutes, the doors closing quickly behind them as the engine roared to life. Thankfully the hospital was not more than a few miles away.

And while it had been Sister Catherine’s previous expertise that had kept Michael alive, Sister Mary’s reputation for her lead foot was exactly what they needed now. The church and the convent quickly faded in the rearview mirror as they sped away.

Catherine and Mary’s attention had been about reaching the hospital, while Mother knelt beside the woman whom she hadn’t known nearly long enough, but had loved like her own child. She remembered the very day she had come to them, the day they had accepted her as one of their own.

She had been so brave; even as the end came her strength had not waned. Fearless, even in the face of her own death. She was safe now, seated with the Father, free from pain and sorrow. The Lord would protect her and do what Mother had been unable to do. God forgive her, while it had been Sister Catherine’s hands that had been bloodied, it had been Mother’s who had worn the biggest stain.

Had her vow of silence been responsible for the death?

“Should we call the police?” Sister Bridget offered, her bright eyes blinking away tears they all felt welling. “Mother? What would you like us to do?”

It was a question Mother had been contemplating for weeks. What she would do when the time came and the child was born. Had she done the right thing? They should have taken her to a hospital. It was insanity to try and handle this within the walls of their sanctuary, and yet it was exactly what she had promised. No one would ever know about the child. Not how he came to be in this world or who his parents had been, his existence hidden by not only her resolve, but that of her devotion to the mother.

No. No one could know.

The plan was set.

The boy was to be reported as abandoned, left in the church’s vestibule with no indication of who the mother was. It was a lie and one she would take to her grave. Her father would judge her, but when that time came she knew he would understand.

“No. No police.” Mother’s voice was hoarse as she removed the veil from her head and covered the body. “Our sister is gone. We will see that she is buried with the faithful at the back, but there can be no record.”

“Mother?” There was a collective gasp, the very fabric of their lives called into question as she told them her plan.

“We must honor her. We must give her the peace in death she was unable to gain in life. I have prayed on it and it is the only way. In this you must trust.” Her voice maintained its steely resolve, even if underneath her heart was breaking.

Did she do everything she could?

God help her, she couldn’t be sure she had.

“Save him.” Mother’s eyes rose to the crucifix mounted on the wall, the words more a prayer than a request. “Please, Lord. Save him.”

Her thoughts returned to the boy, his mother giving her own life so that he might live.

Only time would tell whether it had been enough.






Author Bio

T Gephart is an indie author from Melbourne, Australia.

T's approach to life has been somewhat unconventional. Rather than going to University, she jumped on a plane to Los Angeles, USA in search of adventure. While this first trip left her somewhat underwhelmed and largely depleted of funds it fueled her appetite for travel and life experience.

With a rather eclectic resume, which reads more like the fiction she writes than an actual employment history, T struggled to find her niche in the world.

While on a subsequent trip the United States in 1999, T met and married her husband. Their whirlwind courtship and interesting impromptu convenience store wedding set the tone for their life together, which is anything but ordinary. They have lived in Louisiana, Guam and Australia and have traveled extensively throughout the US. T has two beautiful young children and one four legged child, Woodley, the wonder dog.

An avid reader, T became increasingly frustrated by the lack of strong female characters in the books she was reading. She wanted to read about a woman she could identify with, someone strong, independent and confident and who didn't lack femininity. Out of this need, she decided to pen her first book, A Twist of Fate. T set herself the challenge to write something that was interesting, compelling and yet easy enough to read that was still enjoyable. Pulling from her own past "colorful" experiences and the amazing personalities she has surrounded herself with, she had no shortage of inspiration. With a strong slant on erotic fiction, her core characters are empowered women who don't have to sacrifice their femininity. She enjoyed the process so much that when it was over she couldn't let it go.

T loves to travel, laugh and surround herself with colorful characters. This inevitably spills into her writing and makes for an interesting journey - she is well and truly enjoying the ride!


Based on her life experiences, T has plenty of material for her books and has a wealth of ideas to keep you all enthralled.



Author Links

Saturday, October 22, 2016

BOOK REVIEW: The Fall by T. Gephart


Title: The Fall

Author: T. Gephart
Genre: Dark, Suspense, Romance
Salvation doesn’t exist.
It’s a lie people tell themselves in the dark, alone so their conscience might be eased. To give them hope that, in the end, we can all be forgiven.
Except we can’t.
And no amount of praying will change that.
For me there will be no redemption, and I will leave this world with the same black heart I entered it with.
The comfort in knowing who I am and what I am capable of keeps me warmer than any lie of having my soul saved.
Because I know the truth.
Because I know there is no Heaven.
And there is no Hell.
There is only the fall.
Michael has no one. No family. No Friends. And not a soul in the world cares about him, only a system that tried to break him.
With a strong dislike for establishments and conformity, he has lived his life as a rogue. A hired thug with no allegiances except to his own word.
Sofia has grown up in the shadow of her father—one of the most powerful drug lords in the city. She has vowed to bring him to justice, moving through the ranks of the Chicago PD in an effort to be as far removed from her father’s lifestyle as possible.
Two worlds collide when Michael shows up at her door, a gun in his hand and a look in his eyes that terrifies her. Suddenly, Sofia has a price on her head and Michael is the only one who can keep her out of the crossfire.



‘When I looked into his eyes, I saw him. I saw who he was, not who he thought he’d become, and I saw kindness.’

Miss T has kept up my interest with her sizzling hot humor on the Power Station series. But after reading The Fall, I am so, so interested on what more this author can give us. Angsty, emotional, suspenseful. I’m not quite sure how to get over this book. 

A man without a concrete identity is the hardest target. No family to pawn on, no feelings to play with. Michael lived his life killing people. Devoid of empathy and a stranger to love, he had no problem slitting someone’s throat and rinsing their blood off of his hands. Michael is the main attraction of this book! The angst and the depths of this man was riveting and poignant, the weaving of his past from start to end was brilliantly played. 

Enter Sofia. A daughter of a drug lord who devoted her life seeking justice for her father’s deeds. When she was forced to go under Michael’s wings, she will soon realize that the man she once doubted might be the only man she can trust. This character broke me. It’s up to you to find out why. 

There was a different form of grit in this book that I really loved. The relentless teasing and tension between Michael and Sofia spiced up this story. The suspense and the drama of this book’s plot gave me a unique experience. I just know this book will create an uproar of emotions in every reader that finishes this book. That is all. I am not spoiling. I am fine. Really.



© The Reading Ruth. Made with love by The Dutch Lady Designs.