Welcome to the book blitz for SMOKE CITY, a stand-alone adult magical realism novel, by Keith Rosson. See below for information on the book, buy links, an exclusive excerpt, and details on his giveaway.
Synopsis Marvin Deitz has some serious problems. His mob-connected landlord is strong-arming him out of his storefront. His therapist has concerns about his stability. He’s compelled to volunteer at the local Children’s Hospital even though it breaks his heart every week.
Oh, and he’s also the guilt-ridden reincarnation of Geoffroy Thérage, the French executioner who lit Joan of Arc’s pyre in 1431. He’s just seen a woman on a Los Angeles talk show claiming to be Joan, and absolution seems closer than it’s ever been . . . but how will he find her?
When Marvin heads to Los Angeles to locate the woman who may or may not be Joan, he’s picked up hitchhiking by Mike Vale, a self-destructive alcoholic painter traveling to his ex-wife’s funeral. As they move through a California landscape populated with “smokes” (ghostly apparitions that’ve inexplicably begun appearing throughout the southwestern US), each seeks absolution in his own way.
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Excerpt #2 From the journals of Marvin Deitz:
There’s a grace inherent here. In writing things down. Like a confession signed, maybe. An admission. Nothing so lofty as a salve of the spirit, but at the very least it makes one feel a little better.
My earliest memory is of being in the marketplace in Rouen with my parents. I was probably three or four years old. I was walking with my parents amongst the stalls as fast as I could manage, amazed not at the flood of people, but at how the mass of them, the tide of them, parted for us. Because I’d thought at the time that it was me, right? My mother holding my hand, I thought it was me that made the people part ways for us.
I thought I was magic.
I did not notice at the time (but can imagine now, all too well) my mother’s downcast gaze, the way we stepped hurriedly through the leering crowd. How we did not stop to look at the untold riches of food, the bolts of fabric, the tools for sale. Things we never saw in our own village. I didn’t notice how my father gripped my mother’s arm, nearly dragging her along, her belly huge and rounded as she was pregnant with my sister at the time.
Three, four years old. I noticed the people parting for us, I remember that, but not the revulsion in their eyes, the contempt.
I would realize later, of course, just what it was the townspeople had shied away from, had leered at: my father’s coat, and the stitched image of the sword on the back.
The executioner’s mark.
And as for Joan, those decades later?
She was not loved unequivocally. She just wasn’t. At least not out loud. To do so was dangerous. But her victories, it was true, allowed some of us a rekindling of faith, a brief respite against death’s constant stutter of war and plague and occupation. The hope that God was watching over us all. The idea of it, that He believed in France’s sovereignty. That He might lift His face toward us again.
And thusly the order of her execution may as well have been passed down from the very day of her capture. The moment she was seized there outside the walls of Compiègne, it should have been clear to all that she would be put to death.
When Bishop Cauchon, toady of the English, bought her from the Burgundians after her capture, I knew the trial itself would be a hoax. A mockery. Yet I heard murmurings from serfs and landowners alike—from my darkened corner of the barroom, or on my way down the road to extract another bloody, weeping confession—and some of them hoped, prayed, that such a girl, who had served so obviously as the arm of God in the name of France, would not be allowed to die such a death. That God in His mercy would surely not allow such a thing. They prayed that Charles, their blessed King—after all Joan had done for him—would surely involve himself in the matter. That Burgundy would suddenly bend its allegiance like an arrow in the wind.
But I knew, there in the dim hallways of the heart, that men simply do what they want to do. Men do their darkness and misdeeds and later claim guidance under the banner of God’s will.
Shouldn’t I know that more than anyone? Didn’t I traffic in such matters?
She would die and they would call it divinity, because that’s what people do.
The trial was orchestrated by dozens of assessors and friars and clergymen, an ever-evolving assembly of men. The lot of them little more than castrated politicians hiding behind the guise of theology. English stormtroopers practically leaning over the benches with swords drawn throughout the entire sorry thing.
And Cauchon, ah, you should have seen him. Christ, that man. So puffed up with wine and his own righteousness and the quaking fear of an English blade suddenly tickling his balls in bed some night. Terrified, but paid well for his work, too. He would later die inexplicably in his barber’s chair, and the vengeful part of me still hopes the barber was paid to bleed him. And that it hurt terribly.
I dream of Cauchon nearly as often as I dream of Joan.
But Joan.Every avenue circles back. Everything returns to the mysterious and martyred Joan of Orléans. The young peasant girl who for a brief heartbeat of time was believed to have felt God’s lips pressed to her ear.
What of Joan of Arc?
For all of my grief and heartache and guilt, the truth is I only met her once, and that was the day I burned her alive.
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Author Keith Rosson
About the Author Keith Rosson is the author of the novels The Mercy of the Tide and Smoke City, and his short fiction has appeared in Cream City Review, PANK, December, The Nervous Breakdown, and more. He’s been twice nominated for a Pushcart Prize and a finalist for the Birdwhistle Prize for Short Fiction. He’s also an illustrator and graphic designer, with clients that include Green Day, Against Me, the Goo Goo Dolls, and others. A fierce advocate of public libraries and non-ironic adulation of the cassette tape, he can be found at keithrosson.com.
Welcome to the blog tour for DOWNFALL, a stand-alone adult contemporary romance, by New York Times and USA Today bestselling author, Jay Crownover. See below for information on the book and series, buy links, and an exclusive excerpt.
Synopsis Solomon Sanders doesn’t have time to fall in love. Until a stunning, skittish, single mother forces him to pause and recognize just how empty and hollow his busy life has become.
From the start, it’s been ingrained in Solo’s DNA to fight.
Fight for what he believes is right.
Fight for the people he loves.
Fight for the traces of good in a place which tends to be filled with a variety of bad.
Fight for survival, so at some point, his life will quiet down and find a normal pace.
He wasn’t ready for the impact his secretive, shy, obviously out of place new neighbor was going to have on him. And never in a million years was he prepared to fall head over heels for her and her young daughter.
Now, he’s facing the most important, and the hardest fight he’s ever fought… the battle to win Orley’s damaged heart.
Orley Vincent’s heart is full of fear, leaving no space for love. Until a big, brash, brawler of a man forces his way in and makes her realize facing her fears is the only way she can ever be free.
From the start, Orley was groomed to believe she wasn’t good enough.
She wasn’t the perfect daughter. Or student. Or girlfriend.
But, she has always been the best mother she could be to her daughter, Noble.
Keeping Noble safe has always been the one thing she was determined to do, which ironically, is how she ended up on the wrong side of the tracks, living next door to an unlikely hero. Orley’s a woman on the run. She had no idea her frantic sprint was going to land her in the tattooed arms of a man ready to teach her how to fight for herself… and for love.
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Excerpt ~SOLO~
“I’m not anyone’s savior, Orley. Don’t get that confused.”
She sighed again and pushed herself up off the floor. “I’m not confused. I’m incredibly lucky.” She sounded like she felt anything but lucky. “I want to do something nice for you. I have limited options, but if you want to come next door for dinner one night, Noble and I would love to have you.” She waved a hand around my kitchen, “I may have noticed you don’t keep much of anything edible on hand when I was looking for the coffee.”
Guiltily, I glanced at the abandoned bag of tater tots on the couch. “I’m on the go a lot. I usually just grab something I can eat on the run. Plus, I can’t cook.” My mom was a great cook, though, or she had been at one point. I couldn’t remember the last time I’d had a home-cooked meal. “Do you cook?” She was so young, it was hard to picture her slaving over a hot stove on the regular.
Orley nodded. “Sure. I mostly throw stuff together geared to the palate of a toddler, but I’m sure I can figure out something adult appropriate for one night. I really owe you more than I can ever repay. Being a good neighbor is the least I can do.”
I did a mental rundown of my week trying to find a hole where I could fit her in. Not for the first time a wave of exhaustion washed over me when I realized how every hour of my days were packed. It shouldn’t be nearly impossible to eke out a night for something as easy as dinner. Finally deciding I was just going to have to skip a training session or get up even earlier to work on school work, I told Orley I would be over on Wednesday night.
She nodded at me and took a step forward. I went to move out of the way so she could get out of the small space without feeling crowded, but she caught me completely off guard when she walked right up to me and wrapped her arms around my waist. I felt her soft breath against the base of my throat and her soft hair brush against the bottom of my chin. I reflexively put an arm around her shoulders and returned her embrace. If she tilted her head back just a little, there wasn’t enough self-control in the world for me to keep my mouth off of hers. I would kiss the shit out of her, even though I knew it was the last thing she needed.
“I’ve never had anyone like you in my life, Solo. You terrify me.” She hugged me hard enough I had to bite my tongue to keep the yelp of pain from my jacked-up ribs at bay.
“That street goes both ways, Orley. I’ve never met anyone like you either.” I never thought I would to be honest.
She let me go and took a deep breath. She was halfway across the room when I realized something. “Hey, what about you. You never told me your last name.”
She stopped by the door, her back to me. For a minute I thought she didn’t hear me, but then she pulled the door open and called softly, “I’ll see you on Wednesday night.”
She slipped out the door without another word, leaving me with one more piece of a puzzle I was determined to put together. Figuring out my pretty neighbor was going to have to wait. I still needed to shower and drive out to see my mom. My obligations were never-ending and usually I liked being busy enough I didn’t have to think about much of anything. Lately, I found myself resenting every minute that took my attention away from the mysterious redhead I couldn’t stop thinking about.
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Author Jay Crownover
About the Author Jay Crownover is the international and multiple New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of the Marked Men Series, The Saints of Denver Series, the Point Series, the Breaking Point Series, and the Getaway Series. Her books can be found translated in many different languages all around the world. She is a tattooed, crazy haired Colorado native who lives at the base of the Rockies with her awesome dogs. This is where she can frequently be found enjoying a cold beer and Taco Tuesdays. Jay is a self-declared music snob and outspoken book lover who is always looking for her next adventure, between the pages and on the road.
Welcome to the blog tour for FATAL RECKONING, the 14th book in the adult romantic suspense series, Fatal, by New York Times bestselling author, Marie Force. See below for information on the book, buy links, and an exclusive excerpt.
CAN’T BUY ME LOVE (Butler Vermont #2) by Marie Force
Synopsis When tragedy strikes, a cold case suddenly turns hot—and deadly
A peaceful morning is shattered when Washington Metro Police lieutenant Sam Holland’s beloved father succumbs to injuries from an unsolved shooting while on duty four years ago. As the community rallies around Sam and her family, one thing becomes crystal clear: her father’s death has turned the unsolved case into a homicide—and it’s on her to bring her father’s killer to justice.
But the case has been cold for years…until an anonymous tip that’s too shocking to believe leads Sam down a dark and dangerous path. Her husband, Vice President Nick Cappuano, knows if she can’t solve this case, it will haunt her for the rest of her life. She’ll need the strength of their bond to pull her out of the darkness before it’s too late, because as the missing pieces rapidly fall into place, Sam realizes the truth might just break her all the same—and that her father’s killer isn’t done yet…
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Excerpt #1 Chapter 1
As she had every morning for seven days, Sam reached across the bed, looking for Nick, finding his side of the bed cold and unoccupied. He would be home from his trip to Europe later that day. Thank God. In his absence, she’d been forced to make due with rushed FaceTime conversations on their son Scotty’s phone, texts and the press coverage of the trip that had included an audience with Queen Elizabeth. Sam had been sorry to miss the chance to meet a woman she idolized, but she’d remained at home to care for their Scotty as well as Alden and Aubrey, the five-year-old twins who’d recently become part of their family after their parents were murdered.
She’d put the time to good use, getting “the littles,” as Nick had nicknamed the twins, back on a schedule that included a return to their preschool. Dr. Trulo, the Metro Police Department psychiatrist, had helped her find a qualified therapist who would work with the children together and individually to help them cope with their terrible loss. And she’d fielded phone calls from their mother’s family members, who were suddenly concerned about their well-being now that the men responsible for their parents’ murders had been brought to justice.
Sam couldn’t stand hypocrites and had gritted her teeth each time a member of a family that had initially expressed no concern whatsoever for the children called to check on them. Fortunately, their parents had made their older brother, Elijah, their legal guardian, and he’d asked Sam and Nick to serve as the children’s custodial guardians while he finished college at Princeton. What would happen after he graduated, Sam didn’t know and couldn’t think about. Not now when the children needed everything she and Nick and their devoted assistant, Shelby, had to give them to get their lives back on track, or as close to it as they could get without their beloved parents.
One step a time, she told herself, just as she often did while working a homicide investigation. The activity with the littles had been good for her as she served out a seven-day suspension for taking in the children of her murder victims, something she’d do again in a hot second. Was it a conflict of interest? Absolutely, but she hadn’t thought about that when she saw two babies in need of something she could give them. It had only taken a few days after she brought them home for everyone associated with their household to fall in love with the blond-haired twins.
She moved from her pillow to Nick’s, which bore faint remnants of his distinctive cologne, the scent of “home.” If her time-zone calculations were correct, he would be on Air Force Two by now, about to begin the seven-hour flight home from France. Her phone rang, and she wondered if it was him, telling her he’d be home soon. Greedy for anything from him that she could get after a week apart, she grabbed the phone and flipped it open without checking the caller ID.
“Sam!” Her stepmother, Celia’s urgent tone had Sam sitting up in bed.
“Morning. What’s going—”
“Sam, it’s your dad. Something’s wrong.”
“I’m coming.” Sam was out of bed and running before she gave a thought to the fact that she was wearing pajama bottoms, Nick’s favorite ratty Harvard T-shirt and no bra. She bolted from the bedroom, past the shocked Secret Service agent in the hallway and down the stairs as she held the phone to her ear and tried to beat back a tidal wave of panic. The agent working the front door opened it for her, thankfully without asking any questions. As she didn’t have Secret Service protection, Sam could come and go as she pleased, and the agents had gotten used to her mad dashes.
Barefoot and oblivious to the cold October air, she sprinted down the ramp Nick had installed so her dad could visit their home and covered the short distance between her home and her father’s in seconds, cruising up the ramp to his front door and bursting into the house.
“Back here,” Celia called.
Sam went from the living room through the kitchen to her father’s bedroom in what used to be the dining room. With one quick glance, she saw that his color was all wrong and his lips were blue. In that moment, none of her training or years of emergency experience was available to her. In that moment, she wasn’t a decorated police officer. She was only a daughter staring at the lifeless face of the first man she’d ever loved.
“Sam! What should we do?”
Celia’s frantic tone and her fearful expression nudged Sam into action. With shaking hands, she called 9-1-1 and requested help.
The operator asked for specifics.
“Sixty-four-year-old unresponsive quadriplegic.” She recited the Ninth Street address. “Tell the Secret Service that Lieutenant Holland said to let them in.”
“Of course, Lieutenant.” The operator perked up when she realized who she was talking to. “Do you know the victim?”
“Yes.” Sam tried to swallow around the huge knot of fear wedged in her throat. “He’s my father.” My touchstone. My hero. My best friend forever. “Please hurry.”
“EMS is on the way. Has your father had any recent health issues?”
“Nothing other than the paralysis.” He’d been doing better in the last year after surgery to remove the bullet that had remained lodged in his neck for three years. He’d regained some sensation in his extremities, but he’d become frailer with every month spent immobile. Sam walked around the hospital bed to comfort Celia, who was stroking Skip’s face and hair and begging him to open his eyes, to talk to her.
“Please don’t do this,” Celia said pleadingly between sobs. “Not yet. Don’t leave me.”
Debra Nixon, the lead agent on Scotty’s detail, appeared in the doorway, probably after having been told of Sam’s sprint. “What can I do?” She assessed the situation with sharp eyes.
Holding the phone to the side, Sam said, “Tell the agents at the checkpoint to let in EMS.”
“Done. What else?”
“Ask the agents at the house to keep an eye on the kids? Don’t let Scotty come over here.” Dear God, Scotty… He adored his Gramps. All at once, Sam couldn’t breathe as the potential magnitude of what was happening registered, leaving her staggered, her legs nearly buckling under her. Somehow, she remained standing, but only because Celia needed her to keep it together. Inside, however, she crumbled.
“EMS has arrived,” the operator said. “I’ll pray for your family, Lieutenant.”
“Thank you.” Sam slapped the phone closed.
Debra went to let in the paramedics, who brought equipment and badly needed competence. They immediately took over, tending to Skip as Sam and Celia stood with their arms wrapped around each other. Watching one of her worst fears play out, Sam wondered if she might be dreaming this. It had to be a dream because the possibility that this could be real was too frightening and heartbreaking to entertain.
The lead paramedic looked to Sam and Celia. “Has he had any recent health issues?”
“Nothing other than the paralysis and a persistent urinary tract infection.” Celia dabbed at tears with a tissue. “He’s been on antibiotic for that.”
“Has he ever been unresponsive like this?”
“No,” Celia said. “Never.”
Sam knew she should call her sisters but couldn’t bring herself to move or do anything other than hope and pray.
The paramedic listening to her father’s heart shook his head, and the other one sprang into action, setting up a portable defibrillator. Seeing the paddles and understanding what they were doing snapped Sam out of the dreamlike trance she’d slipped into as the surreal scene unfolded around her.
“No,” Sam said. “No.”
“Sam!” Celia cried. “What’re you doing?”
Sam stared at the face of the man who meant the world to her. “It’s not what he would want.” She knew it without a shadow of a doubt. In some ways, the most difficult decision she would ever make was also the simplest.
“Please, Sam.” Celia sobbed helplessly. “Please.”
Sam met the intense gaze of the lead paramedic. “He has a DNR.”
Hearing that, the paramedics stepped back.
Sobbing, Celia pulled free of Sam’s embrace to lean over her husband, kissing and caressing the half of his face that had retained full sensation after the shooting and the stroke that’d followed. Long after his injury, Sam and her sisters learned that for some time he’d been dating Celia, who became his devoted nurse and later, his wife.
“Lieutenant,” one of the paramedics said. “Would you like us to transport him?”
A lifetime of holidays, celebrations, parties and other events in this house ran through her mind in a flash. Skip Holland had lived there for most of his adult life. It seemed only fitting that his life should also end in the home he’d loved. If he was in pain, he probably couldn’t feel it. She took comfort in that.
“No, thank you.” Sam’s heart hurt, her hands trembled and her mouth had gone dry from fear. How would she ever go on without him?
The paramedics stepped out of the room.
Sam wanted to beg them to stay. She couldn’t handle this. She couldn’t bear it. Tracy. Angela. She had to call them. Her hands were shaking so badly she could barely make the call to her eldest sister.
“Are you losing your mind without your man?” Tracy asked in a teasing tone.
“Trace.”
“What? Sam? What’s wrong?”
“It’s Dad. You need to come. Tell Ang too. Hurry.”
“What?” Tracy asked, frantic. “What’s wrong?”
“He’s… Just come. As fast as you can.”
“Sam.”
“Call Angela and get over here. Now.”
“We’re coming,” Tracy said, sounding undone.
Sam moved around to the other side of the bed and gazed down at her dad’s face as he struggled to breathe. Tears threatened, but she fought them off, determined to stay strong for Celia, who was hysterical.
They’d been on borrowed time for almost four years now, during which Skip’s once-robust world had been reduced to three rooms. He’d been trapped in a kind of hell she wouldn’t wish on her worst enemy. All that time, she’d known that at some point his body would surrender the fight.
Knowing it could happen at any time didn’t make the reality easier, though.
Her sisters lived close by, so it didn’t take them long to get there, rushing into the room and bringing the scents of cold and wood smoke with them. They took one look at Skip and broke down into heartbroken sobs when they realized what was happening. Sam didn’t acknowledge them or do anything other than stare at the face of the man who’d occupied the very center of her life.
“What can we do?” Tracy’s husband Mike asked, as he stood behind Sam and her sisters.
“Nothing,” Sam said. “We have to let him go because he wouldn’t want heroic measures.” Later, she’d probably wonder where her composure was coming from. All she knew for certain was that her dad had lived long enough trapped inside the prison of his useless body, and it was up to them now to let him go with the grace in which he’d lived his remarkable life.
Angela went around the bed to try and comfort Celia, who was inconsolable.
Tracy wrapped her arms around Sam. Only with her sister’s warmth pressed up against her, did Sam realize how cold she was.
As she wondered if he could still hear them, Sam thought about what she should say to him while she still could. But there was no need for last-minute salvos. Nothing had been left unsaid between her and her father. He would leave this world knowing exactly where he stood with her and the rest of his family. Skip Holland had been loved and respected and adored by his wife and daughters and had returned those sentiments tenfold.
They were all there, the four people he loved the most, when Skip took his last breath at eight thirty-seven.
Sam noted the time, because she knew it would matter. For a long time after his chest stopped moving, she continued to stare down at him. Through the fog of the surreal, she understood what had happened, and in one tiny remote part of her, she felt relieved for him. She’d never been a particularly religious person. However, the thought of Skip walking tall and proud, freed from the god-awful prison of his egregious injury, into the kingdom of heaven, brought badly needed comfort.
But when she thought about Celia, herself and her sisters, Skip’s beloved grandchildren, devoted sons-in-law, colleagues and friends—the many people who had loved him—she ached for everyone who would be left to go on without him. And in the corner of her soul that belonged to her family in blue, she seethed with rage, directed at the nameless, faceless criminal who’d taken Skip from them far too soon.
On the way home at last, Nick thought, watching the Paris skyline get smaller as Air Force Two climbed to altitude. He had a million things to do, emails that had given birth to more emails while he’d been away, briefing documents to review before he returned to the White House on Monday and a press corps on board hungry for interviews.
But all he could think about was eight more hours until he could see his Samantha. That felt like an eternity after missing her terribly for an endless week apart.
They were absurd. He knew it. She knew it. They didn’t care who knew it. What had started as a crazy, wildfire of attraction the night they met, had been denied for six long years until they were reunited at a crime scene, of all places. Sometimes Nick thought they were still making up for lost time almost two years after finding each other again.
That was the best explanation he had for the absolutely ridiculous love they had for each other, the kind of love that made a life worth living. He was eager to get home to spend time with Scotty and the “littles” who had recently joined their family. But he was absolutely desperate to see his wife, to hold her, kiss her, make love to her, breathe her in and stare at her gorgeous face. He could do that for hours and never get tired of the view. Her face was his favorite view in the world.
A knock on the door that separated his cabin from the rest of the plane, drew Nick out of his thoughts. “Come in.”
His lead Secret Service agent, John Brantley Junior, stepped into the room, his expression serious and professional as always. Brant rarely cracked a grin or removed the all-business façade that made him such an effective agent.
“What’s up?” Nick asked.
“We received a call from Agent Nixon.”
As Debra Nixon was his son’s lead agent, Nick’s first thought was for Scotty. “What?” He fought back a burst of panic.
“Your father-in-law.”
“What about him?”
“I’m sorry to have to tell you that he passed away a short time ago. Mrs. Cappuano, her sisters and stepmother were with Deputy Chief Holland when he passed.”
Sam. Oh no, no, no. “I need to speak to my wife.”
“We’re attempting to reach her now. She’s not answering her phone.”
“Call one of the other agents and have them find her.”
“Yes, sir.”
Nick’s entire body felt cold with shock and despair as he imagined Sam dealing with such an awful loss, and while he was hours away from her. He’d never felt more useless or despondent as he imagined what she must be going through.
Brant returned a short time later, speaking on a secure satellite phone. “Hold on just a moment. Here he is.” He handed the phone to Nick.
“Sam?”
“I’m here.” Her dull, flat tone told him so much but nowhere near enough.
“Babe… I’m so, so sorry.”
“Thank you. I know you loved him too.”
“I did. So much. I would give anything to be there with you right now.”
“I wish you were here too.”
“What happened?”
“Celia called when she couldn’t wake him. The paramedics came, but I told them he wouldn’t want to be resuscitated.”
Oh God, she had been the one to make that call? Nick closed his eyes, put his head back against the seat and released a deep breath, trying to imagine what it had cost her to make that decision on her father’s behalf. “What can I do for you?”
“It helps to hear your voice. I have to go tell Scotty, and the kids will be getting up.”
“Samantha…”
“I’ll see you when you get here, okay?”
“I love you so much, and I’m just heartbroken for you and Ange and Trace and Celia.”
“Thanks. I love you too. I can’t wait to see you.”
“Me too, babe.”
The line went dead, and he handed the phone back to Brant.
“I’m very sorry for your loss,” Brant said, visibly shaken. “Is Mrs. Cappuano…”
“She sounds… bad. Flat.”
“She’s in shock.”
Nick leaned forward, elbows on knees, head in hands. Skip is dead. Tears filled his eyes and spilled down his face, his thoughts full of Sam, Scotty and the rest of their family. This would be a devastating loss for all of them. And it was a devastating loss for him. Skip had been a friend and father figure to him since the day Nick met him. Even paralyzed from the neck down, Skip had managed to completely intimidate Nick with the formidable blue-eyed stare that had put him on notice. Take care of my baby girl, or you’ll deal with me. Few things had ever mattered more to Nick than keeping the promises he’d made to Skip Holland that first day.
“I’m going to ask Mr. O’Connor to step in, if that’s all right,” Brant said.
Nick nodded and used the sleeve of his shirt to mop up his tears.
Terry came into the cabin, shock etched into his expression. “I just heard the news. I’m so sorry, Nick.”
Nick insisted his chief of staff call him by name when they were alone. “Thanks.”
“Were you able to talk to Sam?”
“Briefly.”
“I won’t ask how she is.” Terry took a seat. “Did you hear what happened?”
“He was unresponsive this morning. They chose not to resuscitate him. He had a DNR.”
“What can I do for you?”
“Get me home to her as fast as you can. I don’t care what has to happen.”
“I’ll arrange for Marine Two to meet us at Andrews. We can land on the south lawn of the White House and have you home within minutes.”
“Thank you.” That would be quicker than being conveyed to the city via motorcade, but it was still going to take far too long.
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Author Marie Force
About the Author Marie Force is the New York Times bestselling author of contemporary romance, including the Gansett Island Series, which has sold more than 2.2 million books, and the Fatal Series from Harlequin Books, which has sold more than 1 million books. In addition, she is the author of the Green Mountain Series from Berkley Publishing as well as the new erotic romance Quantum Series, written under the slightly modified name of M.S. Force.
Her goals in life are simple—to finish raising two happy, healthy, productive young adults, to keep writing books for as long as she possibly can and to never be on a flight that makes the news.
Author Kennedy L. Mitchell is revealing another teaser from MINE TO PROTECT, a stand-alone adult romantic suspense, releasing April 8, 2019. See below for information on the book, pre-order links, and the exclusive teaser.
MINE TO PROTECT by Kennedy L. Mitchell
About the Book Title: MINE TO PROTECT Author: Kennedy L. Mitchell Release Date: April 8, 2019 Genre: Adult Romantic Suspense Links:Goodreads | Barnes & Noble | iBooks | Kobo
Synopsis Recruited to the FBI Cas Mathews has one focus – catch the killer. That’s until officer Alta Johnson shoves her way on to the team, making him fantasize about the delicious curves she hides beneath her park ranger uniform. Alta’s natural beauty catches his immediate attention, but the strength behind her fierce gaze is what holds him captive – demanding he learns more about her.
As the team grows close, the serial killer shifts focus putting them all in danger. Cas should walk away before their sizzling attraction distracts him and gets them both killed. But as the threat pushes Cas and Alta closer, the temptation turns too hot for either to resist.
With their focus diverted the threat zeroes in, catching everyone off guard. Figuring out the players in the killer’s cat and mouse game is key to Alta’s survival. Cas swore he would protect her but with the clues carefully hidden, can he figure it out before Alta disappears for good?
Mine to Protect is a standalone, romantic thriller novel based in the beautiful mountains of the Rocky Mountain National Park.
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Author Kennedy L. Mitchell
About the Author Kennedy lives in Dallas with her husband, son, and 80lb Goldendoodle who still believes he’s a lap dog. A bookworm at heart, Kennedy loves to snuggle up in bed or by the campfire with an unputdownable book. She began writing two years ago with Falling for the Chance and has no plans of stopping. Her novels are witty, action-packed, and offer enough steam for a great facial. If you like strong heroines and sexy, tattooed men who can’t keep their hands off them, then this author is the one for you.
Welcome to the blog tour for IMMERSE, the third book in the young adult fantasy romance series, Mer Chronicles, by Tobie Easton. See below for information on the book and series, buy links, a guest post on the author’s top ten vacation destinations, and details on her giveaway.
Synopsis Immerse is the spellbinding and breathless final installment of the Mer Chronicles series where descendants of the Little Mermaid must face deadly magic, shifting alliances, and the dangers of forbidden love.
Lia can’t wait for her parents’ coronation. Now living in the sparkling palace beneath the waves, she sneaks off to Malibu whenever possible to see Clay. Tucked away in an abandoned seaside mansion, Lia and Clay devise a plan to ensure they can stay together forever.
But when an old enemy resurfaces and Lia is restricted to the palace for the safety of all Merkind, she and Clay are ripped apart once more.
She fears not only for Clay, but for her best friend Caspian, who seems to be swimming down a dangerous path. He has invited the conniving Melusine to the coronation ball, convinced she’s capable of change. And no matter how hard Lia fights it, showing up on Caspian’s arm is just the start of Melusine’s insidious return to her life.
With threats Below growing more ominous by the day and a powerful ancient ritual looming, soon the two girls can’t escape each other. As their fates grow increasingly intertwined, Melusine might be the only one who can help Lia find the answers she desperately needs to save everyone she loves and to achieve her happily ever after. But can Lia trust her?.
About the Author Award-winning author Tobie Easton was born and raised in Los Angeles, California, where she’s grown from a little girl who dreamed about magic to a twenty-something who writes about it. Her debut novel, Emerge, is a Gold Medal Winner (Young Adult – Sci-Fi/Fantasy) of the Moonbeam Children’s Book Awards and is Book 1 in the acclaimed Mer Chronicles series. The trilogy follows the descendants of the Little Mermaid and offers fans a peek into a world where Mermaids aren’t just real, but live secretly among us on land.
She and her very kissable husband enjoy traveling the globe and fostering packs of rescue puppies. Tobie loves chocolate chip cookies and Oxford commas. A summa cum laude graduate of the University of Southern California, Tobie splits her time between Los Angeles and Boston..
Welcome to the book blitz for THE LAST WINGMAN, the sixth book in the new adult contemporary romantic comedy series, Wingmen, byUSA Today bestselling author, Daisy Prescott. See below for information on the book and series, buy links, an exclusive excerpt, and details on her giveaway.
Synopsis Another wingmen meets his match and this time it’s scandalous.
Carter Kelso is a man with a plan. And goats.
Ashley Kingston is a woman with a reputation.
Can he earn back her love before their past catches up with them and destroys everything?
On the island, my last name is synonymous with scandal. With a notorious father and a famous brother, I’ve been on the sidelines of our small town’s gossip circle for years. Nothing to see here. Just a man and his goats, happily going through life. Not a care in the world. Too bad it’s all lies.
I’m tired of trying not to be in love with Ashley Kingston, our very own island jezebel. Some people think she’s a slut. They think they know her. They’re wrong. Screw them.
Reputations can be deceiving. I should know.
Small Town Scandal is a second chance romance standalone novel and the fifth book in the Wingmen series. You do not have to read the other novels first.
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Excerpt An old-fashioned brass bell jingles when I open the door to June’s store. The narrow space is made even tighter by the floor-to-ceiling cubbies that line the two long walls. In the back of the store, a picture window frames a view of Saratoga Passage like a painting.
Tucked in the corner near the window is a comfy-looking wingback chair, and next to it, an oversized basket filled with balls of yarn. The shop is cozy and feminine, comfortable like a sweet grandmother’s house.
A grandmother who listens to “Sex and Candy” on low volume.
Not what I was expecting.
“Hello?” I call from my spot near the door. There’s no sign of June or anyone else inside. Double-checking the door for a Be back soon note and not seeing one, I step farther into the space. “Hello?”
A soft thump followed by more thumps comes from the desk area. Metallic pings and something heavy hitting the floor precedes a feminine voice yelping “Ouch” and “Fuck!”
June doesn’t seem like the type to drop f-bombs. Maybe she’s hired a ’90s-music-loving teenager with a foul mouth.
“Everything okay?” I follow the noise to the partially open door near the register.
“Fine. Fine! Nothing to see here! I’ll be with you in a second. Thanks for your patience.” What sounds like rapid-fire beanbags hitting a cornhole board contradicts her words.
As I see it, I have two options. I can ignore whatever is going on inside the closet and wait, or I can ignore her lie and step in to help.
I go with the second choice.
Swinging the door open, I’m greeted with a scene of colorful chaos. A box balances on its side on the edge of a high shelf, most of its contents now on the floor around June’s feet. She’s keeping the box aloft with both hands, but doesn’t have the height to shove it back into position.
“Here, let me help you.” I step into the small space behind her and reach above her head to stabilize the cardboard container before she ends up concussed.
“I don’t need your help.” Reluctantly, she releases her grip.
“Okay.” Disappointed and a little hurt by her obvious annoyance at my presence, I give the corner a final shove to guarantee we’re out of danger. “You’re welcome.”
“I said I was fine.” Continuing to face the shelves, she doesn’t turn her head to speak to me. In fact, she sounds downright angry.
“Got it. Well, I’ll get out of your way.” Resigned, I decide to abandon my mission and retreat to the safety of my own business, both literally and figuratively.
What happens next is more her fault than mine. Had she used a step stool and not tipped the box over, there wouldn’t be balls of yarn strewn across the floor, creating a minefield. Easily-tripped-over round objects that cause me to lose my balance and reach for the closest available thing to stop myself from landing on my ass.
Unfortunately, I grab June by the waist, surprising her. She’s not prepared to act as my anchor. Unstable, we both stumble backward.
Lucky for June, I break her fall. Unlucky for me, she lands on top of me.
We’ve never even hugged before this moment. I think we might have shaken hands once when Dan introduced us, but the memory isn’t clear. There wasn’t an electric shock when we first touched or met eyes, no love-at-first-sight zings upon initial contact—unlike now when my body is on high alert that we’re not only touching but lying flush against each other.
“I’m so sorry!” June wiggles, her movement drawing my attention to her clothes. How did I not notice she’s wearing a full skirt made of thin material? My imagination easily erases its existence altogether.
“Don’t apologize. This was completely my fault.” My words come out a grunt as I try to catch my breath.
My hands still grip her waist, making this position more awkward by the second. Unbidden, my fingers flex against her softness. Bad idea. Feeling my dick thicken, I tell myself not to move, not to even breathe. Oxygen is overrated.
Shifting on top of me, she bends her knees and gets her feet under her enough to stand up in a single, ninja-quick movement. Instead of waiting for me to stand or extending a hand to help me, she exits through the door and closes it behind her.
I’m left sprawled out on the floor, balls of yarn and possibly a needle poking me in the back. “No good deed goes unpunished,” I mutter to myself as I scramble to my feet. “Don’t worry, I’m fine.”
About the Author Daisy Prescott is a USA Today bestselling author of small town romantic comedies. Series include Modern Love Stories, Wingmen, Love with Altitude, as well as the Bewitched and Wicked Society series of magical novellas. Tinfoil Heart is a romantic comedy standalone set in Roswell, New Mexico.
Daisy currently lives in a real life Stars Hollow in the Boston suburbs with her husband, their rescue dog Mulder, and an indeterminate number of imaginary house goats. When not writing, she can be found in the garden, traveling to satiate her wanderlust, lost in a good book, or on social media, usually talking about books, bearded men, and sloths.
Welcome to the blog tour for UMBRA, the second prequel in the young adult fantasy/dystopian series, Dimension Drift Worlds, by Christina Bauer. See below for information on the book and series, buy links, the book’s playlist, and details on her giveaway.
UMBRA (Dimension Drift Prequels #2) by Christina Bauer
Synopsis “I have not found an author that I adore the writing style of this much since Jennifer L. Armentrout. The world that this author created was amazing.”– Brittany’s Book Reviews
A prequel novella to the new series from USA Today’s ‘must read YA paranormal romance’ author, Christina Bauer.
One day, eighteen-year-old Thorne will be the Emperor of the Omniverse, the single being who rules countless worlds. Trouble is, his father Cole–who’s also the current Emperor–is a sadistic freak.
In fact, Cole won’t even keep his promises to the very humans who got him his throne.
Thorne won’t stand for it. He decides to travel to the human world and make good on his father’s promises. What he doesn’t count on is falling in love….
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As part of the launch tour for my new book, UMBRA, the lovely folks at Adventures in Writing asked me to share the tunes that inspired me while writing this particular novella.
So without further ado, here are my top five songs!
“Let me put you in the picture, let me show you what I mean. The messiah is my sister, ain’t no king man, she’s my queen.”
In UMBRA, we have an intergalactic prince, Thorne, who thinks he will never be fortunate enough to find his transcendent (the girl he loves through so many parallel realties, their bond bleeds into his current universe.) This song captures the feeling he has when our guy meets a certain Meimi Archer.
“Hello, hello … let me tell you what it’s like to be a zero.”
Almost every time I write a book, I end up obsessing on a fresh Imagine Dragons song. This time, it was Zero. Thorne is the kind of guy who’s very open about his limitations … yet he never gives up. This song really captures that spirit for me.
“Look around, leaves are brown, and the sky is a hazy shade of winter.”
Much of UMBRA takes place in a future version of Boston, MA that is a hot dystopian mess. This song really captures that spirit. Plus, it’s a classic 1980’s chick rock song, so YEAH.
So there you have it—my top five tunes while writing UMBRA! I hope you enjoyed this list and I hope to return on a future book launch!
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“I love how Bauer manages to add some awesome new world building to each of her books.”–Woven Magic
This new series is perfect for: fans of urban fantasy, action & adventure, cool science, evil corporations, forbidden romance and hot new classmates who may or may not be aliens.
More series from author Christina Bauer: Beholder (YA Dark Fantasy), Angelbound (YA Urban Fantasy) and Fairy Tales of the Magicorum (YA Urban Fantasy)
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About the Author
Christina Bauer knows how to tell stories about kick-ass women. In her best selling Angelbound series, the heroine is a part-demon girl who loves to fight in Purgatory’s Arena and falls in love with a part-angel prince. This young adult best seller has driven more than 500,000 ebook downloads and 9,000 reviews on Goodreads and retailers.
Bauer has also told the story of the Women’s March on Washington by leading PR efforts for the Massachusetts Chapter. Her pre-event press release—the only one sent out on a major wire service—resulted in more than 19,000 global impressions and redistribution by over 350 different media entities including the Associated Press.
Christina graduated from Syracuse University’s Newhouse School with BA’s in English along with Television, Radio, and Film Production. She lives in Newton, MA with her husband, son, and semi-insane golden retriever, Ruby..
New York Times and USA Today bestselling author, Samantha Chase, is revealing the cover to from A GIRL LIKE YOU, the second book in her adult contemporary romance series, Magnolia Sound, releasing June 11, 2019. See below for information on the book and series and preorder links.
A GIRL LIKE YOU (Magnolia Sound #2) by Samantha Chase
Synopsis Sam Westbrook has always been the family hell-raiser, but as an adult he’s enjoyed not being under the constant watchful eye of his family. That was until his great-grandfather passed away. Forced to move to the small coastal town of Magnolia Sound, Sam can’t escape the reputation that has followed him since his teenage years. But he’ll have to do it to get his inheritance.
Shelby Abbott was always the good girl – it’s what happens when you’re the pastor’s daughter in a small town. Now, she’s ready to leave that image behind. For years she’s heard about wild Sam Westbrook, but she never though she would be the one to catch his eye. And being the center of Sam’s attention isn’t something Shelby ever prepared for.
Sam’s time in Magnolia Sound has an expiration date and Shelby’s not sure she’s the kind of girl who can be just another one of his flings. But Sam’s ready to make some changes. And a girl like her is just who he needs.
About the Author Samantha Chase is a New York Times and USA Today bestseller of contemporary romance. She released her debut novel in 2011 and currently has more than forty titles under her belt! When she’s not working on a new story, she spends her time reading romances, playing way too many games of Scrabble or Solitaire on Facebook, wearing a tiara while playing with her sassy pug Maylene…oh, and spending time with her husband of 25 years and their two sons in North Carolina.
Today is release day for DOWNFALL, a stand-alone adult contemporary romance, by New York Times and USA Today bestselling author, Jay Crownover. See below for information on the book and series, buy links, and an exclusive excerpt.
Synopsis Solomon Sanders doesn’t have time to fall in love. Until a stunning, skittish, single mother forces him to pause and recognize just how empty and hollow his busy life has become.
From the start, it’s been ingrained in Solo’s DNA to fight.
Fight for what he believes is right.
Fight for the people he loves.
Fight for the traces of good in a place which tends to be filled with a variety of bad.
Fight for survival, so at some point, his life will quiet down and find a normal pace.
He wasn’t ready for the impact his secretive, shy, obviously out of place new neighbor was going to have on him. And never in a million years was he prepared to fall head over heels for her and her young daughter.
Now, he’s facing the most important, and the hardest fight he’s ever fought… the battle to win Orley’s damaged heart.
Orley Vincent’s heart is full of fear, leaving no space for love. Until a big, brash, brawler of a man forces his way in and makes her realize facing her fears is the only way she can ever be free.
From the start, Orley was groomed to believe she wasn’t good enough.
She wasn’t the perfect daughter. Or student. Or girlfriend.
But, she has always been the best mother she could be to her daughter, Noble.
Keeping Noble safe has always been the one thing she was determined to do, which ironically, is how she ended up on the wrong side of the tracks, living next door to an unlikely hero. Orley’s a woman on the run. She had no idea her frantic sprint was going to land her in the tattooed arms of a man ready to teach her how to fight for herself… and for love.
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Excerpt “What did I tell you about lurking around my place, Skinner? I don’t fucking like it.” The guy’s voice was a low growl. Intimidating without even trying. “I don’t fucking like you.”
Out of habit, I reached back and covered Noble’s ears with my hands. She wasn’t new to foul language, but I didn’t need her repeating this stranger’s garbage words, which she absolutely would at the most inopportune moment.
My eyes widened as he shook the lurker hard enough to snap his head back and forth comically. The smaller man whimpered and clutched at the hands locked on the front of his dirty coat.
“Let me go, Solo. I was just having some fun. She’s a prissy bitch. You’ve seen her walking around here like her shit don’t stink.” The pleading was wasted. The larger man was clearly unmoved.
The new arrival’s massive arms tensed and flexed as he practically threw the other man on the ground. I noticed he was dressed in nothing more than a dark t-shirt even though it was chilly outside. The short sleeves showed off more than his impressive build. In the faded street lights, I could hardly make out the designs that were inked over almost every visible inch of skin. That wasn’t an uncommon look in this neighborhood. Gang tattoos, prison tattoos, and general outsiders who called these streets home tended to rock some serious ink, but this guy’s looked more deliberate and artistic than a simple statement piece.
As soon as my attacker was back on the ground, the bigger guy stepped forward. I reflexively cringed as he lowered his big, booted foot down on the other man’s unprotected private parts. A wail of agony shrieked through the air, and I realized belatedly I should be hauling ass for my apartment, not standing around waiting to see how this brutal display of street justice played out.
I clutched Noble’s hand in mine and briskly jogged the last few yards to my apartment building. I lifted Noble over the sleeping homeless man and hustled up the five flights of stairs to our floor. The elevator had been broken since before we’d moved in, not that I would dare let either of us get trapped in a small place with anyone from this complex.
I was a panting, quaking mess when I finally slammed the door. I dropped to my knees and pulled my daughter into my arms, covering her tear-streaked face in kisses and whispering soothing words over and over again.
There was no way this could be our new normal.
But it was.
Noble deserved so much better than this.
I sighed, pushing her hair off her precious face. “You know what, sweets?” She blinked big, watery blue eyes at me and shook her head. “I think we both need cake.”
She nodded and cuddled close to me.
It wouldn’t occur to me until much later that I hadn’t bothered to shout a thank you or shown any appreciation at all to my savior. I had no clue if he was any better than the scumbag who had grabbed me, but he had at least kept my daughter safe, so I owed him, even if he was one of countless things in this forever dark place that scared the life out of me.
People didn’t help other people in this neighborhood… but he had stopped and helped me, whether his intentions were altruistic or not.
And I owed him… well… at the very least, more than a piece of cake.
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Author Jay Crownover
About the Author Jay Crownover is the international and multiple New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of the Marked Men Series, The Saints of Denver Series, the Point Series, the Breaking Point Series, and the Getaway Series. Her books can be found translated in many different languages all around the world. She is a tattooed, crazy haired Colorado native who lives at the base of the Rockies with her awesome dogs. This is where she can frequently be found enjoying a cold beer and Taco Tuesdays. Jay is a self-declared music snob and outspoken book lover who is always looking for her next adventure, between the pages and on the road.
Today is release day for FATAL RECKONING, the 14th book in the adult romantic suspense series, Fatal, by New York Times bestselling author, Marie Force. See below for information on the book, buy links, and a couple of exclusive teasers.
CAN’T BUY ME LOVE (Butler Vermont #2) by Marie Force
Synopsis When tragedy strikes, a cold case suddenly turns hot—and deadly
A peaceful morning is shattered when Washington Metro Police lieutenant Sam Holland’s beloved father succumbs to injuries from an unsolved shooting while on duty four years ago. As the community rallies around Sam and her family, one thing becomes crystal clear: her father’s death has turned the unsolved case into a homicide—and it’s on her to bring her father’s killer to justice.
But the case has been cold for years…until an anonymous tip that’s too shocking to believe leads Sam down a dark and dangerous path. Her husband, Vice President Nick Cappuano, knows if she can’t solve this case, it will haunt her for the rest of her life. She’ll need the strength of their bond to pull her out of the darkness before it’s too late, because as the missing pieces rapidly fall into place, Sam realizes the truth might just break her all the same—and that her father’s killer isn’t done yet…
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Author Marie Force
About the Author Marie Force is the New York Times bestselling author of contemporary romance, including the Gansett Island Series, which has sold more than 2.2 million books, and the Fatal Series from Harlequin Books, which has sold more than 1 million books. In addition, she is the author of the Green Mountain Series from Berkley Publishing as well as the new erotic romance Quantum Series, written under the slightly modified name of M.S. Force.
Her goals in life are simple—to finish raising two happy, healthy, productive young adults, to keep writing books for as long as she possibly can and to never be on a flight that makes the news.
Today is release day for ROCKY GROUND, the fourth book in the adult romantic suspense/military romance series, Crimson Point, by New York Times and USA Today bestselling author, Kaylea Cross. See below for information on the book and series, buy links, and an exclusive teaser.
Single mom Tiana Fitzgerald has sworn off all romantic relationships to protect herself and her daughter. Her track record is disastrous and she’s done getting hurt. But a certain sexy Scotsman in Crimson Point has other ideas, and somehow manages to sneak past her defenses at every turn. As the hits keep coming and her life implodes, she begins to see he’s unlike any man she’s ever known. Now he’s become the greatest threat to her heart, because there’s no possible future for them. Not when he’s leaving the country in a few weeks. And when her worst fears are realized, she must risk everything by placing her trust in in his hands.
He’s determined to capture her heart.
Scotsman Aidan MacIntyre never saw the fiery, beautiful Tiana coming. The prickly redhead has gotten under his skin as badly as he wants to get under hers. But she’s determined to keep walls between them. Luckily the former Royal Marine doesn’t know how to give up. Someone from her past wants to hurt her, but Aidan will stand between her and any threat. He’ll stop at nothing to protect her and the little girl who have completely stolen his heart—and fight for them to have a future together.
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Author Kaylea Cross
About the Author New York Times and USA Today Bestselling author Kaylea Cross writes edge-of-your-seat military romantic suspense. Her work has won many awards, including the Daphne du Maurier Award of Excellence, and has been nominated multiple times for the National Readers’ Choice Awards. A Registered Massage Therapist by trade, Kaylea is also an avid gardener, artist, Civil War buff, Special Ops aficionado, belly dance enthusiast and former nationally-carded softball pitcher. She lives in Vancouver, BC with her husband and family.
Today is release day for MS BAKER, the second book in the adult contemporary romance series, Eastern Shore, by Lea Coll. See below for information on the book and series, buy links, an exclusive excerpt, and details on her giveaway.
MS BAKER (Eastern Shore #2) by Lea Coll
About the Book – Read for Free with Kindle Unlimited Title: MS BAKER Series: Easter Shore #2 Author: Lea Coll Release Date: March 26, 2019 Genre: Adult Contemporary Romance Link: Goodreads | Amazon | Amazon UK | Amazon CA | Amazon AU
Synopsis Ever since Jack protected Samantha from a high school bully, the two have been friends. But she wants more from the sexy firefighter. Too bad Jack has always seen her as the shy sweet girl, who can’t stand up for herself.
She can’t resist his boyish smile when he stops by the bakery for coffee. Or stop herself from bringing baked goods to the fire station.
It’s time to prove she’s all grown up and can take care of herself.
And show him, she’s done being friends.
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Excerpt Jack: Stopping by the station tomorrow?
I laughed at his transparency and typed: Are you requesting a bakery delivery?
Jack: Nope just want to see you.
I shook my head at that. Pretty sure you only want my baked goods.
Jack: That too.
My stomach flipped at his comment. As much as I wanted to pass it off as Jack being friendly, I couldn’t. He was flirting. My mind raced with the possibilities. Was he finally making a move? God knows, I’d never made one. I turned the mixer off, covered the batter, and placed it in the fridge overnight. I would fry the donuts in the morning.
I wanted Jack to see me as a strong, independent woman. One he could see himself with. I just had no idea how to be that person.
I looked down to find flour on my pajamas, so I quickly changed. I checked my phone when I finally eased under the covers.
About the Author Lea Coll worked for over ten years as a trial attorney in both civil and criminal law. She earned a J.D. from University of Baltimore School of Law where she was production editor on Law Review. Throughout the course of her legal career she wrote opinions for judges and various legal memoranda, briefs, and motions for a Fortune 500 Company. After years of legal writing, she enjoys the freedom that comes with writing fiction. Now that she stays home with her children she survives by plotting stories while fetching snacks and running back and forth to their activities.
Her experience in court influenced the legal drama in her book. She has an interest in the history and charm of small towns which is why she chose Chestertown on Maryland’s Eastern Shore for the setting of her first series.
Lea grew up in a small town in Pennsylvania and currently resides in Maryland with her husband and three children.
Welcome to the book blitz for A TALE OF TWO HOUSES, the first book in the young adult fantasy romance /fairytale retelling series, Defy the Stars, by Susan Harris. See below for information on the book, buy links, an exclusive excerpt, and details on her giveaway.
A TALE OF TWO HOUSES (Defy the Stars #1) by Susan Harris
About the Book Title: A TALE OF TWO HOUSES Series: Defy the Stars #1 Author: Susan Harris Publisher: Clean Teen Publishing Release Date: March 25, 2019
Genre: Young Adult Fantasy Romance/Fairytale Retelling
Links: Goodreads | Amazon | Amazon UK | Amazon CA| Amazon AU | Barnes & Noble | iBooks | Kobo | GooglePlay
Synopsis Centuries ago, the royal house of witches in Vernanthia split into two factions: House Cambridge and House Montgomery. These twohouses warred with each other for an age, causing widespread bloodshed and death. Those without magic—the Nulls—suffered the most. One day, a favored daughter of the Nulls was slain. With her dying breath, she cursed the covens to know no peace until love was possible between the houses.
That curse had long since been forgotten—until now.
Julian Montgomery is the reluctant Prince of House Montgomery and Rowan Cambridge is in no rush to become the Queen of House Cambridge. Both heirs long for freedom from their birthright obligations. When fate throws these two star-crossed lovers together, it sends them on a collision course with destiny that neither could have predicted.
Shakespeare’s classic Romeo & Juliet is reimagined in this compelling drama about two young people drawn by fate into an unwinnable situation. If you think you know how this story ends—think again!
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Excerpt #2
Underneath the window, a trellis crept up the wall, vines of ivy weaving in and out of the wood. I cupped my hands over my mouth and breathed out to try and put some heat into them. My heart began to beat a steady rhythm against my chest as I placed a booted foot on the end of the trellis, my cold hands less painful than the pit of magic in my stomach.
Creeping up the wall, I managed a quick incline, resting my butt on the window ledge as I considered that I might just be mad enough to knock on his window and beckon him to open it up. The wind whipped my braid against my face as I lifted my head and gave a gentle tap.
Nothing happened, so I tapped again, this time hearing a heavy footfall come toward the window. For a split second, I feared that the Montgomery heir would open the window, pushing me to my death before I could even blink, but as I perched myself on the window ledge, I rolled my shoulders and braced myself for whatever reaction I received.
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Author Susan Harris
About the Author Susan Harris is a writer from Cork in Ireland.
An avid reader, she quickly grew to love books in the supernatural/fantasy and Dystopian genre. She writes books for young adults and adults alike.
When she is not writing or reading, she loves music, oriental cultures, tattoos, creepy snow globes, DC shoes, stationary, anything Disney, Marvel movies, psychology and far too many TV shows. If she wasn’t a writer, she would love to be a FBI profiler or a PA for Dave Grohl or Jared Leto...
Author Cookie O’Gorman is unveiling the cover to THE GOOD GIRL’S GUIDE TO BEING BAD, a stand-alone young adult contemporary romance, releasing April, 2019. See below for information on the book and a link to add it to your Goodreads TBR.
THE GOOD GIRL’S GUIDE TO BEING BAD by Cookie O’Gorman
About the Book
Title: THE GOOD GIRL’S GUIDE TO BEING BAD Author: Cookie O’Gorman Release Date: April, 2019 Genre: Young Adult Contemporary Romance Links: Goodreads
Synopsis Seventeen-year-old Sadie is tired of being a good girl.
Her Career Aptitude Test results say she’s ideally suited for a career in the clergy (aka a nun), and on top of that, she receives yet another rejection. An aspiring dancer/choreographer, Sadie dreams of being featured on Dancer’s Edge—but they say she’s too sweet, needs more life experience. Her BFF, Kyle, and her oldest friend, 79-year-old Betty, agree: Sadie is in desperate need of a life makeover.
But she’ll need a coach.
Sadie doesn’t lie, cheat or steal–heck she doesn’t even curse (part of the reason she hasn’t checked off anything on her “Carpe Diem List”). Sadie doesn’t know the first thing about being bad. But Kyle’s twin brother, Colton, does. And he’s willing to teach Sadie on one condition: she has to do everything he says for the next month.
A dazzling first kiss, two smokin’ hot brothers and a bet that changes everything. In this enemies-to-more YA romance, Sadie learns:
Breaking the rules can be fun—especially when it leads to happily-ever-after.
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Author Cookie O’Gorman
About the Author Cookie O’Gorman writes YA romance to give readers a taste of happily-ever-after. Small towns, quirky characters, and the awkward yet beautiful moments in life make up her books. Cookie also has a soft spot for nerds and ninjas. Her novels ADORKABLE and NINJA GIRL are out now! Her third book, THE UNBELIEVABLE, INCONCEIVABLE, UNFORESEEABLE TRUTH ABOUT ETHAN WILDER, was released April 5, 2018!.
THE STAND-IN BOYFRIEND (Grove Valley High #1) by Emma Doherty
Synopsis Livy Chapman is in love with Jessie Stephenson. It’s that simple. She has been for years but he only see’s her as his best friend. His best friend who copies her homework, relies on her to bail him out of trouble and who he hooks up with other girls in front of.
Enough is enough and when Chase Mitchell, star of the soccer team, and all round Mr. Popular steps in and convinces her that they can do each other a favour by pretending to date, Livy is just crazy enough over Jessie to agree to it.
I mean, Chase is just her stand-in boyfriend. Nothing could go wrong. Right?
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My Review Oh wow, words are not sufficient to convey the depth of feelings this book brought out. THE STAND-IN BOYFRIEND is filled with love and longing, insecurities, anxiety, and more. It’s like stepping back into high school. And though I read a lot of young adult, that doesn’t happen very often for me.
Livy Chapman has been in love with her best friend almost from the moment they met. But he doesn’t see her as anything more than a buddy, breaking her heart just a little more every day. When she finally thinks her chance with him might actually happen, he ends up hooking up with his ex, shredding her already damaged heart. In comes Chase Mitchell, hottest guy in school. He offers Livy a proposition: pretend to date to make Jessie notice her and get Chase’s ex-girlfriend, Abigail, off his back. The only problem is, other than soccer, Livy and Chase have nothing in common. Or do they? The more time they spend together, the more Livy realizes that Chase gets her. Even if he’s only pretending they’re a couple, he makes her laugh and feel comfortable in a way almost no one else can. So when she finally gets Jessie’s attention, everything should be smooth sailing, right? Right?
Plot The plot centers around Livy’s relationships with Jessie and Chase. She and Jessie have been BFFs since seventh grade, but he doesn’t see her the way she sees him. Chase is the “it” guy in school, but Livy sees there’s so much more to him than everyone else does when they spend time alone. Even though their relationship is fake, the budding friendship is real. Livy is so blinded by her undying love for Jessie, she’s unable to see the boy right in front of her. As she’s tugged in two directions, her anxiety ramps up, eliciting genuine emotion from me as I read. Any female who has ever been a teenager will be able to identify with the emotions that are tearing Livy apart.
The Characters The characters were really well developed. Both Livy and Chase had rich backstories that defined who they were and drove their actions in believable ways. As Livy’s best friends, Jessie and Sophie are vibrant foils to her more serious self. Even Abigail is more than a two-dimensional mean girl.
Top Five Things I Loved About THE STAND-IN BOYFRIEND 1. Angsty romance. My favorite kind, the type that makes me keep turning the page to find out what happens next.
2. Loyalty. Sophie is the best of the best when it comes to BFFs. She has Livy’s back no matter what. Always.
3. Chase Mitchell. He’s genuine, sweet, funny, and thoughtful as well as hot with buns of steel. What’s not to love?
4. Character depth. The author created well-rounded, fully fleshed characters that are easy to root for, flaws and all.
5. Anxiety. I have a teen daughter who suffers from anxiety, and I thought the author handled this perfectly.
Bottom Line A breathtaking young adult romance that left me wanting more.
Disclaimer
I was provided with a copy of this book by the author in exchange for an honest review.
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About the Book Title: THE STAND-IN BOYFRIEND Series: Grove Valley High #1 Author: Emma Doherty Release Date: March 12, 2019 Pages: 260 Genre: Young Adult Contemporary Sports Romance Rating: 5 out of 5 Stars Link: Goodreads | Amazon | Amazon UK | Amazon CA | Amazon UK
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Author Emma Doherty
About the Author Emma Doherty was born in Yorkshire, England. She attended university in Newcastle before moving to London. She loves to travel, write, spend time with friends and family and hear from her readers.
Welcome to the book blitz for UPSIDE DOWN, a stand-alone adult contemporary LGBTQ+ romance, by N.R. Walker. See below for information on the book, buy links, an exclusive excerpt, and details on her giveaway.
UPSIDE DOWN by N.R. Walker
About the Book – Read for Free with Kindle Unlimited Title: UPSIDE DOWN Author: N.R. Walker Release Date: March 19, 2019 Genre: Adult Contemporary LGBTQ+Romance Links:Goodreads | Amazon | Amazon UK | Amazon CA | Amazon AU
Synopsis Jordan O’Neill isn’t a fan of labels, considering he has a few. Gay, geek, a librarian, socially awkward, a nervous rambler, an introvert, an outsider. The last thing he needs is one more. But he when he realises adding the label ‘asexual’ might explain a lot, it turns his world upside down.
Hennessy Lang moved to Surry Hills after splitting with his boyfriend. His being asexual had seen the end of a lot of his romances, but he’s determined to stay true to himself. Leaving his North Shore support group behind, he starts his own in Surry Hills, where he meets first-time-attendee Jordan.
A little bewildered and scared, but completely adorable, Hennessy is struck by this guy who’s trying to find where he belongs. Maybe Hennessy can convince Jordan that his world hasn’t been turned upside down at all, but maybe it’s now—for the first time in his life—the right way up.
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Excerpt #3 Jordan
I didn’t even notice that the room had cleared out. Merry had pulled up a chair at my side, but Hennessy sat with his knees between mine, holding my hand while I cried.
I fucking cried.
Through my stupid, traitorous tears, I caught the end of a silent conversation between Merry and him, my Headphones Guy.
Hennessy.
And then Merry rubbed my back before she walked out, and Hennessy squeezed my hand. “She’s just gone to get you a drink of water,” he said gently.
“I don’t know why I’m crying,” I said, wiping my face with my free hand.
“Because it can be overwhelming,” he said. His voice was calm and soft. “Because it can be life-affirming and scary as hell, all at the same time.”
I nodded. “I don’t want another label, you know? Because I have enough. I have more than enough. Too many, probably, you know for a geeky book-nerd gay man with so many levels of social awkwardness Freud would need an elevator, but the labels fit. And I hate that they fit. Everything that was said here tonight was like it was said for me, like I was saying those things. I didn’t want this to happen,” I said, shaking my head, fighting more tears. “I wanted to come here and, well, that’s not exactly true. I didn’t want to come here at all; it was Merry’s idea. She suggested that I look into what being asexual meant. After my 683rd failed attempt at a relationship, she thought maybe I should see if I ticked any boxes on the ‘How To See If You Could Be Asexual’ questionnaire on Teen Vogue, and after I realised that I could almost tick all the boxes, I decided I didn’t want or need another label. So then I had to come here tonight to shut her up. I was going to prove her wrong and then I could go on living my best life being not asexual but just a gay man who didn’t actually want to have sex. A socially awkward, geeky book-nerd gay man,” I amended through more tears, “who doesn’t actually want to have sex. I’m sorry for crying. I wasn’t expecting the emotional dump, but I wasn’t expecting to feel so… lost and found. Like I once was lost but now I’m found, kind of like the song, which is cheesy as fuck and I didn’t mean it to sound like that. I just didn’t realise how hard I’d been trying to fit in with the real world, trying to be normal, when my normal was here all along. Because I really am asexual and it hit me like a metric fuckton of bricks that there’s actually nothing wrong with me.”
And then there were more tears.
“Because that’s my truth, even if I thought there was something wrong with me, and fuck knows I’ve been told there was, many times,” I said, wiping my face. “But there’s not. I’m asexual, and that’s my motherfucking truth whether I like it or not.”
Hennessy smiled at me. With his perfect lips and perfect teeth, his pretty blue eyes, and three-day scruff. He looked so different without his headphones, like seeing someone who normally wears glasses without them. “There’s nothing wrong with you,” he said, still smiling, still holding my hand.
“I’m sorry, were you not here for the geeky book-nerd gay man with so many levels of social awkwardness Freud would need an elevator conversation?”
He laughed at that. “I believe I was, yeah.”
“Sorry about that. I tend to babble a lot when I’m nervous. And swear. Well, I say fuck a lot even when I’m not nervous. I don’t have Tourette’s or anything, I just like the word fuck. The noun and adverb, even the adjective, not the verb obviously because I’m asexual. Apparently. So there is definitely no actioning of the word.”
Hennessy chuckled. “No actioning of the word, got it.” He still had a hold of my hand, and I liked it. As in, really liked it. My Headphones Guy was holding my hand, and he was smiling at me, in what I think was not in a bad way. I mean, his smile was kind and his eyes were smiling too, if that was even possible. I mean, no it wasn’t possible—eyes could not physically smile, I got that—but damn, they sure looked happy.
“How are you feeling now?” he asked.
“A little weirded out,” I answered. “Not gonna lie. I didn’t want to admit the asexual thing to myself for a long time, and I’m thinking it will take some getting used to. Like breaking in a pair of Doc Martens, ya know? Like they’re uncomfortable and tight and basically kill your feet until they’re the most comfortable shoes you’ll ever wear. They become like a second skin, and I’m pretty sure this whole asexual thing will be like that.”
He made a thoughtful face. “I like that analogy.”
“And it’s even weirder, because you’re my Headphones Guy and I had no idea you’d be here, but here you are and now you’re holding my hand and I cried in front of you, which is not how I wanted our first meeting to go. Believe me. I had visions of it involving me not being so… well, so me. And doing all the talking, because I tend to talk a lot when I’m nervous, which I think I’ve said already—”
“I’m your Headphones Guy?”
Oh fucking fuckity motherfucker. “I said that out loud, didn’t I? To your perfect face, and what kind of perfect name is Hennessy, by the way? Because—”
A loud peal of laughter broke through the door when a couple, a guy and girl, stumbled into the backroom, their arms around each other, obviously intoxicated and handsy and half kissing, half laughing, until they realised the room wasn’t empty.
I shot to my feet and pulled my hand away from Hennessy’s.
“Oh, sorry guys,” the girl said.
“Didn’t mean to interrupt,” the guy said. He took his hand off her arse to wave it. “Keep doing what you’re doing. We don’t mind. We thought this room was empty.”
“We weren’t doing anything,” I said quickly.
“Excuse me,” Merry said, sliding in around the drunk couple. She held three bottles of water. “Sorry, it took forever to get served. They’re really busy.”
I’d never been happier to see her. “Oh, thank God.” I grabbed her arm and turned her back toward the door. “We need to leave. I called him my Headphones Guy to his perfect fucking face.”
Merry shot Hennessy a look and held out a bottle of water for him. He took it, still smiling, though somewhat confused. Then Merry looked up at me as I dragged her to the door. “To his face?”
“What was I supposed to do? You left me unsupervised!” I stopped at the couple who were still standing in the doorway, and only just then I realised what the guy had meant when he said they thought the room was empty… “Oh praise baby motherfucking Jesus, I hope you have antibacterial wipes.”
Now Merry was hauling me out through the crowded pub. I yelled back at the couple, hoping they’d hear, “At least wipe it down afterwards, we have meetings in there!”
We burst through the crowd onto the street and Merry looked up at me and sighed. “What else did you say?”
“What didn’t I say?” I answered. “I was a mess, crying all over him because of the whole asexual thing, thank you very much. Then I was nervous and we both know how well that ends. And I think I might have told him that he was my Headphones Guy, that he had a perfect face and a perfect name, because who the fuck calls their kid Hennessy, and now he thinks I’m a raving lunatic because you. Left. Me. Un. Supervised.”
Merry cracked her bottle of water, took a long drink, sighed, then hooked her arm around my elbow. “He really is very good looking,” she said as we began the walk back to my flat. “I can see why you’ve been crushing on him forever.”
I took a swig of my water. “Fucking hell, I wish this was wine. Where is Jesus when you need him?”
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Author N.R. Walker
About the Author N.R. Walker is an Australian author, who loves her genre of gay romance. She loves writing and spends far too much time doing it, but wouldn’t have it any other way.
She is many things: a mother, a wife, a sister, a writer. She has pretty, pretty boys who live in her head, who don’t let her sleep at night unless she gives them life with words. She likes it when they do dirty, dirty things… but likes it even more when they fall in love.
She used to think having people in her head talking to her was weird, until one day she happened across other writers who told her it was normal.
Welcome to the blog tour for OFF PLANET, the first book in the young adult dystopian series, Aunare Chronicles, by USA Today bestselling author, Aileen Erin. See below for information on the book, buy links, an exclusive excerpt, and details on her giveaway.
OFF PLANET (Aunare Chronicles #1) by Aileen Erin
About the Book
Title: OFF PLANET Series: Aunare Chronicles #1 Author: Aileen Erin Publisher: Ink Monster Release Date: March 19, 2019 Genre: Young Adult Dystopian Romance Links: Goodreads | Amazon | Amazon UK | Amazon CA | Amazon AU | Barnes & Noble | iBooks | Kobo
Synopsis From USA Today Bestselling Author Aileen Erin
In an all-too-plausible future where corporate conglomerates have left the world’s governments in shambles, anyone with means has left the polluted Earth for the promise of a better life on a SpaceTech owned colony among the stars.
Maité Martinez is the daughter of an Earther Latina and a powerful Aunare man, an alien race that SpaceTech sees as a threat to their dominion. When tensions turn violent, Maité finds herself trapped on Earth and forced into hiding.
For over ten years, Maité has stayed hidden, but every minute Maité stays on Earth is one closer to getting caught.
She’s lived on the streets. Gone hungry. And found a way to fight through it all. But one night, while waitressing in a greasy diner, a customer gets handsy with her. She reacts without thinking.
Covered in blood, Maité runs, but it’s not long before SpaceTech finds her…
Arrested and forced into dangerous work detail on a volcano planet, Maité waits for SpaceTech to make their move against the Aunare. She knows that if she can’t somehow find a way to stop them, there will be an interstellar war big enough to end all life in the universe.
There’s only one question: Can Maité prevent the total annihilation of humanity without getting herself killed in the process?
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Excerpt #2 I’d never been happier to be home as I was that night. Roan had paid the exorbitant cab fare and then left on foot for Starlite as soon as I’d entered the apartment building. He’d asked me to join him, but the close call with the cop was almost more than I could handle. All I wanted to do was hide in my darkened room for the next day or ten. But as I approached the front door of our apartment, voices seeped into the cement-lined hallway.
For a second, I dismissed them, but Mom’s voice rose above a deeper one, and I stopped walking.
We rarely had anyone over at all and never at this hour. Something was going on, and it couldn’t be good.
I tiptoed the rest of the way, pressing my ear to the door.
“I tried to contact you. I really did.” Mom’s voice was muffled, but I could make out her words. “But how could I know if he’d come for Maité after all these years?”
It felt like something slithered around my chest and tightened. Someone had come for me. But who?
Between the next three heartbeats, a few scenarios ran through my mind.
One. The cop from earlier had sent another officer to bring me in, but STPF didn’t move fast, especially for an idiotic ticket.
Two. SpaceTech had found us. Two of Earth’s Most Wanted. But if that were true, then there would be fighting and screaming and the sounds of my mother begging for them to leave me alone.
Then the third idea came, and I took a big breath.
There was only one other possibility. They were here. The Aunare were here. I’d stopped dreaming years ago that my father or the Aunare would show up to rescue us. I wasn’t sure what this meant except that my life was about to change in a huge way.
The fluttering in my stomach started small and crescendoed into thousands of flying butterflies. I wasn’t sure if it was excitement or nerves, but specifics didn’t matter.
Better face this now.
I slid my backpack off my shoulders and unlocked the door.
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Author Aileen Erin
About the Author
Aileen Erin is half-Irish, half-Mexican, and 100% nerd–from Star Wars (prequels don’t count) to Star Trek (TNG FTW), she reads Quenya and some Sindarin, and has a severe fascination with the supernatural. Aileen has a BS in Radio-TV-Film from the University of Texas at Austin, and an MFA in Writing Popular Fiction from Seton Hill University. She lives with her husband in Los Angeles, and spends her days doing her favorite things: reading books, creating worlds, and kicking ass.
Author Abigail Sharpe is revealing the cover to MOONSHINE AND MAGNOLIAS, the first book in the adult contemporary romance series, Just Add Peaches, releasing June 20, 2019. See below for the cover, information on the book, and a link to add it to your Goodreads TBR.
MOONSHINE AND MAGNOLIAS (Just Add Peaches #1) by Abigail Sharpe
About the Book – Read for Free with Kindle Unlimited
Title: MOONSHINE AND MAGNOLIAS Series: Just Add Peaches #1 Author: Abigail Sharpe Release Date: June 20, 2019 Genre: Adult Contemporary Romance Links: Goodreads | Amazon | Amazon UK | Amazon CA | Amazon AU
Synopsis Hotel executive Wendy Marsh puts her career on hold when she inherits half of her family’s inn. Her to-do list? It’s simple: teach her spoiled cousin how to manage Fountenoy Hall, then hightail it back to her structured, careful life in Atlanta. Romance has never been part of Wendy’s plan – so what is it about the sexy history professor researching the inn that she finds so tempting?
Rob Upshaw would be enjoying his time at the Inn at Fountenoy Hall if he wasn’t secretly hunting for a family treasure lost during Prohibition. Only a few minor inconveniences stand in his way. His uncle’s old journals are cryptic, he has only a vague description of the loot, and the beautiful, uptight innkeeper with a subtle sense of humor might hold the key to his quest. Even though Rob’s career is built on facts, he accepts he might have to lie to Wendy. But falling for her? That’s out of the question.
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Author Abigail Sharpe
About the Author Abigail is a Boston-bred Yankee now eating grits and saying “y’all” in North Central Florida. She dreamed more of being a stage actress or joining the CIA than being an author. While she still enjoys participating in community theater productions and singing karaoke, the secret-agent career was replaced by hours at her computer, writing stories of love and laughter and happily ever after.
Abigail lives with her husband, two kids, and one crazy princess puppy. You can keep up with her on Facebook at www.facebook.com/AbigailSharpeBooks on find her on Goodreads.
Welcome to the book blitz for FOOL’S ERRAND,the fourth book in the adult paranormal romance series, Fate’s Fools, by Ophelia Bell. See below for information the book and series, buy links, an exclusive excerpt, and details on her giveaway.
You never know what you’ve got until it’s gone. In my case that was literal – I had Ozzie West’s soul and didn’t know it, but now it’s been torn from me and him along with it. I’m afraid I will never get him back.
My heart is broken.
My three mates may try to fill that void, but they don’t understand what he meant to me. They can’t see the memories unlocked by Fate.
Only one man can help, but he’s the one man I’m afraid I can never trust again.
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Excerpt “Sing with me,” I whispered as I began to move. I lifted my wet hands from his shoulders to his temples, raking my fingers through his damp curls and holding on, my grip forcing his head to tilt back.
Rohan’s golden gaze fixed on my face, his eyelids fluttering slightly and his breath coming quicker as I fucked him. “Are you sure?”
“Yes. I want to try . . . ”
He gripped my hips with both hands and took a deep breath. His exhale became a long, plaintive note, his brows creasing with the tension of the first verse of a song to accompany our lovemaking.
The music was the perfect mix of hungry and sweet, and I clung to him as the notes settled inside me. I ached to join in when the tension of the pleasure coiled so tight I needed an outlet before I came too fast, but my voice betrayed me once again. When I tried to sing, the sound just came out as a pitiful croak, so I clamped my mouth shut, focusing on the pleasure to hold back the tears.
I buried my face in his neck, my moan half pleasure, half despair. Rohan stroked the back of my neck, halting mid-verse. “It’ll come back to you, baby. I promise. I’m proof you don’t need a turul soul to sing.”
“Just make love to me,” I whispered, pulling back to look into his eyes. He gazed intently back at me, brow creased and jaw clenched, betraying how my own hurt affected him just as acutely.
I took a deep breath and started rocking my hips again, focusing on the pleasure of our connection as he resumed the song. The music truly helped, even if I couldn’t join in without an instrument.
I let myself get lost in the rhythm he set and the deep notes that rose above the steam. I could draw the pleasure out with him, trusting that he’d let me know when he’d given too much. Rohan urged me on, holding tighter and shifting his hips into mine at a quicker tempo.
The lyrics to the song gave way to his cries of pleasure as we crested together, both of us finding our climax at the same second amid sloshing water and slippery, gasping kisses. Rohan’s strained expression fell into laughter as he relaxed, his skin glowing faintly with my iridescent magic and my own skin glimmering golden and wet.
I sank against him with a sigh, grateful for yet another reprieve from the ever-encroaching threat to my sanity and the added disappointment of losing my voice. Perhaps with enough time and their continued attention, that need would fade and my songs would return. For now, I would enjoy the lucidity when I had it and let them do the singing for me.
About the Author Ophelia Bell loves a good bad-boy and especially strong women in her stories. Women who aren’t apologetic about enjoying sex and bad boys who don’t mind being with a woman who’s in charge, at least on the surface, because pretty much anything goes in the bedroom.
Ophelia grew up on a rural farm in North Carolina and now lives in Los Angeles with her own tattooed bad-boy husband and four attention-whoring cats.
If you’d like to receive regular updates on Ophelia’s publications, freebies, and discounts, please subscribe to her mailing list: http://opheliabell.com/subscribe/
Welcome to the blog tour for RIGHT GIRL WRONG TIMING, the third book in the young adult contemporary romance series, Offsides, by Natalie Decker. See below for information on the book and series, buy links, and details on her giveaway.
RIGHT GIRL WRONG TIMING (Offsides #3) by Natalie Decker
About the Book – Read for FREE with Kindle Unlimited
Title: RIGHT GIRL WRONG TIMING Series: Offsides #3 Author: Natalie Decker Publisher: Swoon Romance Release Date: March 12, 2019 Genre: Young Adult Contemporary Romance Links: Goodreads | Amazon | Amazon UK | Amazon CA | Amazon AU | BAM! | IndiBound | Book Depository
Synopsis Adaline Frost’s life officially sucks. Now that her BFF has found her true love, Addy is constantly stuck being the third wheel. On top of that, she hasn’t started her junior project yet, so her advisor pairs her up with what could only be described as the “Reject Breakfast Club.” Instead of the weirdo and the troublemaker, Addy is forced to work with two stoners, a popular girl, and her crush, Austin Reed, the jock who broke her heart.
Austin Reed is sick of being labeled “dumb jock.” If he doesn’t get an A on this project, he can kiss his future goodbye. Austin thought he’d gotten lucky being partners with the very nerdy Adaline Frost, but boy was he wrong. Addy jumps down his throat about his being late and calls him names like “manwhore” on the daily. She has no idea Austin works before and after school in order to help his mom with the bills. Yeah, he’s made mistakes and has had lots of girlfriends, but he doesn’t need Adaline Frost to remind him of it every time he sees her.
Can Austin and Addy ever be a thing?
Right Girl Wrong Timing is book 3 in the Offsides series by Natalie Decker.
About the Author Natalie Decker is the author of the bestselling YA series RIVAL LOVE and NA Scandalous Boys Series. She loves oceans, sunsets, sand between her toes, and carefree days. Her imagination is always going, which some find odd. But she believes in seeing the world in a different light at all times. Avid reader of everything. She’s a huge Denver Broncos fan, loves football, and fuzzy blankets. She’s a mean cook in the kitchen, loves her family and friends and misses her awesome dog infinity times infinity. If she’s not writing, reading, traveling, hanging out with her family and friends, then she’s off having an adventure. Because Natalie believes in a saying: Your life is your own journey, so make it amazing!
