New York Times and USA Today bestselling author, Julia Kent is unveiling the cover to HASTY, the fourth book in the adult comedy romance series, Do-Over, releasing July 28, 2020. See below for the cover, information on the book and series, pre-order links, and a link to add it to your Goodreads TBR.
Synopsis AN ALL-NEW STANDALONE FROM NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLING AUTHOR JULIA KENT
I never thought my perp walk would lead to true love.
Then again, I never thought I’d be arrested on RICO charges and hauled away in zip ties on camera for the world to see, minutes after closing the most amazing deal of my career.
And all of it in front of my biggest viral, billionaire wunderkind Ian McRory.
I am broke.
I am disgraced.
I am alone.
I am a sucker.
But the worst part? I have to go back to my hometown and live in my bedroom filled with relics from my childhood.
Lisa Frank never made me so mad before.
Just when I needed a rescue, I got one — in the form of help from my biggest rival.
He can’t bring back my money.
He certainly can’t bring back my reputation or my pride.
But there’s one thing he can bring back to me.
A sense of hope.
Maybe even love.
Ian sees something in me no one else does, and he’s relentless about making me see it, too. As we grow closer, I’m starting to see that while my entire life used to be a lie, the truth is staring me in the present — and it’s a truth I like very, very much, hot eyes and gorgeous smile and all.
But I have to be careful.
I can’t be too —
That’s right.
Hasty.
The final book in the USA Today bestselling Do-Over Series (Fluffy, Perky, Feisty), as Mallory’s sister, Hastings “Hasty” Monahan gets her turn at a happily ever after that starts off with an arrest.
Hers.
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HASTY (Do-Over Series #4) by Julia Kent (Full Cover)
About the Author New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Julia Kent writes romantic comedy with an edge, and new adult books that push contemporary boundaries. From billionaires to BBWs to new adult rock stars, Julia finds a sensual, goofy joy in every contemporary romance she writes. Unlike Shannon from Shopping for a Billionaire, she did not meet her husband after dropping her phone in a men’s room toilet (and he isn’t a billionaire). She lives in New England with her husband and three sons in a household where the toilet seat is never, ever, down.
Welcome to the book blitz for GRINDED, the third book in the adult romantic suspense series, The Invincibles, by Heather Slade. See below for information on the book and series, buy links, an exclusive excerpt, and details on her giveaway.
GRINDED (The Invincibles Series #3) by Heather Slade
Synopsis When the odds are against them, they fight for each other.
First loves torn apart… With a Tuscan backdrop of romance and innocence, sixteen-year-olds Miles “Grinder” Stone and Pia Deltetto learn of love and loss. After a whirlwind romance, they return to their separate lives with a hope of reconnecting someday.
Broken and battered… Severely wounded in battle, Grinder refuses Pia’s sympathy and pity. However, when he realizes the true danger Pia is in, Grinder will do anything to save the only woman he’s ever loved. With everything on the line, she’s forced to trust himr with her estate, her life, and her heart. But has too much time passed to bring to shattered souls back together where they belong?
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Excerpt #3 Four hours later, I raced out of customs at the Florence airport and into Pia’s waiting arms. My heart raced as I touched her warm, opened her lips with my tongue, and the rest of the world went silent. There were no more birds singing, no sounds of the traffic that surrounded us. Even the wind stilled as I focused solely on the way her body shuddered as I brushed soft kisses from her mouth, down her neck, to the smattering of freckles on her bare shoulder.
“Tell me there’s somewhere we can be alone.”
“Sì,” she said, leading me outside to where a car sat waiting. “Do you want to know where we’re going?”
I shook my head. “I don’t care.”
When the driver opened the back door and we got in, I pulled her into my arms and devoured her mouth like a starving man. We spent the next hour with our lips fused together in one long kiss.
The driver pulled up to what looked like a resort. I got out and waited for Pia to put her hand in mine. I pulled her close and kissed her again. “I can’t get enough of you.”
“Come,” she said as I grabbed our bags from the driver and followed her down a walkway to a villa that looked like a miniature of the one at Valentini.
Once inside, she put her hands on the hem of my shirt; I grabbed the back and pulled it over my head.
“Santa Madre di Dio.” She rested her hand on my bare torso, leaned up, and kissed me.
“Pia,” I breathed. “If you want me to stop…tell me now.”
She wound her fingers in my hair and pulled me closer. My blood throbbed, and my heart beat frantically in my chest. All at once, I felt like we were melting into each other, our two bodies dissolving into one.
She reached up and slid her dress off her shoulders. It floated to the wood floor, landing in a heap at our feet and leaving her naked but for her pale pink knickers.
“Touch me,” she demanded, bringing my hand to her breast. I couldn’t resist a taste. My mouth covered her nipple, and we both groaned. Her skin tasted like the sweetest honey; I wanted to lick her everywhere.
About the Author I write stories set in places I love with characters I’d be happy to call friends. The women in my books are self-confident, successful, and strong, with wills of their own, and hearts as big as the Colorado sky. And the men are sublimely sexy, seductive alphas who rise to the challenge of capturing the sweet soul of a woman whose heart they’ll hold in the palm of their hand forever.
I’m an Amazon best-selling author, and a PAN member of Romance Writers of America. I speak, teach, blog, am an executive sommelier, and all-around entrepreneur.
I grew up an East Coast girl, and then spent half my life on the West Coast. Now my husband, our two boys, and I happily call Colorado home..
Welcome to the book blitz for INFINITE US, a stand-alone adult contemporary romance by Eden Butler. See below for information on the book, buy links, an exclusive excerpt, and details on her giveaway.
Nash Nation loves zeroes and ones, over-sized monitors and late office hours. He’s too busy taking over the world to make time for relationships—that is, until his new neighbor Willow O’Bryant barges into his life, and now Nash can’t shake the feeling that this isn’t the first time she’s interrupted his world.
Then, the dreams start. And in the dreams—memories.
Memories of a girl named Sookie who couldn’t count on love or friendship, never mind forever. Memories of a library and a boy called Isaac and secrets made in private that destroyed his world.
The memories seem real, but who do they belong to?
When Nash and Willow discover the truth, life as they know it unravels.
The bridge between this life and the next is shored up by blood and bone and memory. Sometimes, that bridge leads to the place we’ve always wanted to be.
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NOTE: This is a completely revamped re-release version of this title with new characters and is a standalone with a HEA
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Excerpt #2 She was winter. The cold, cool stretch of emptiness that you think will consume you. The frigid bite you think won’t ever leave your bones, the one you try to pretend isn’t there, but can’t keep out of your head.
She was fall and the scent of a fire, the crackle of heat, the coming of change you try to pretend won’t come, but does anyway, that you wait for the whole year, that you wish away when it finally comes.
She was summer and the scorching warmth of sun and sin, the slick feel of lotion and the spray of ocean water, the salt of that taste on your tongue and the cool, crisp relief that comes over you when you dip inside the bottomless water.
She was spring, the fresh sweet smell of jasmine and the honeysuckle temptation of light and love and beautiful rebirth that cannot be ignored. Willow was the phantom spark of all those things I loved and hated. The things that tested me. The things that healed, all wrapped up in that tempting silhouette, in the sweet surrender of her body pressed against mine and the whisper of a tease in every syllable that formed my name from her full, thick lips.
“Nash.” It was a song sweeter than Coltrane. Hurt worse, too, my name, the hidden tone of promises and pleasure I’d stopped telling myself I didn’t want.
Four seasons laid out before me. Willow’s wild hair fanned against my pillow and her waiting body—pale skin and a trail of freckles that crossed her chest and dipped with the curves along her stomach.
“Nash,” she said again, reaching for me when I came to my knees, looking down at her, wanting her with an ache nothing had ever worked up in me.
There were two small lines along her hips, lightning on her skin and the round bends of her breasts, the sweet arches along her thighs when I touched her there. That look, though, went deeper, settled closer than the scent of her skin or rise in my body when I watched her shimmy out of her clothes and crawl on my bed, waiting, ready for me to react.
Now I was and I had to breathe deep, separate the want someone else held in my dream and the urge to take what was mine and mine alone; what I wanted for myself because of the sensation only Willow moved in me.
“Take off your shirt,” she said and I did, working one shoulder at a time out of that cotton, discarding it because it kept me from her. She touched me, nails against the lines and letters over my body, her mouth, her tongue warm and soft on my neck, over my chest, traveling like a wanderer, searching, seeking.
We came together like colors, moving into a gradient of light, of motion that reminded me of the sea, waves and water, sand and shore. We were sweeter than those Coltrane chords, went deeper than each note.
“Will… I could never get my fill of you…” I told her, moving closer, lips and tongue on her flesh, in the dips of her body. The invitation open, ready as she pulled me close. I took another bite, moving her apart with my knee, holding her tight until there were small marks from my fingers against her pale skin and she shuddered, gripping, clawing at me like she couldn’t get close enough. “I’m… I’m so sorry about that day at my building…”
“I don’t… Nash… it doesn’t matter.” She pulled me closer, like she didn’t want the words between us keeping our lips apart. “Nash… please…” And that melody spurred me on, had me forgetting control and patience and all the swagger I thought made me smooth. I was nothing but feeling, touch, and taste, and desperate, desperate want with her under me, with me slipping inside, deep, sweet.
Free.
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Author Eden Butler
About the Author Eden Butler is a writer of contemporary, fantasy and romantic suspense novels and the nine-times great-granddaughter of an honest-to-God English pirate. This could explain her affinity for rule breaking and rum.
When she’s not writing or wondering about her possibly Jack Sparrowesque ancestor, Eden patiently waits for her Hogwarts letter, reads, and spends too much time in her garden perfecting her green thumb while waiting for the next New Orleans Saints Superbowl win.
She is currently living under teenage rule alongside her husband in southeast Louisiana.
Welcome to the blog tour for WANT ME ALWAYS, the first book in the adult contemporary romance series, Heron Harbor, by USA Today bestselling author, Lea Nolan. See below for information on the book, buy links, an exclusive excerpt, and details on her giveaway.
WANT ME ALWAYS (Heron Harbor Series #1) by Lea Nolan
Wren Donovan’s done with love. Betrayed and humiliated by her ex-fiancé, she retreats to her family’s beach house on Heron Harbor Island to lick her wounds and gorge herself on ice cream, spray cheese, and a box of glazed donuts. Wren vows to devote herself to her law career and swears off men forever, but she isn’t prepared for what being reunited with her oldest friend makes her feel…
His heart says yes, please…
Smith Connors can’t believe his eyes when Wren walks into his restaurant. He’s loved her since they were kids, when summertime found them inseparable best friends. As a boy, he’d never felt good enough for Wren. But now he’s a rising-star chef with a thriving business who knows what he wants—which means he’s not letting beautiful, brilliant Wren get away again.
Smith determines to show Wren how good they could be together, and soon neither of them can resist the heat growing between them. He’d do anything to earn her faith—and her heart, if only she could learn to trust again.
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Excerpt #2 He was trying to tease her. And dammit, it was working.
It wasn’t fair. Wren had admitted her attraction and Smith was using it against her. It was time to turn the tables.
They put the finishing touches on the last wall, then turned to face each other.
“You’ve got a little paint.” Smith pointed to a small white dot on her T-shirt that she already knew was there.
“Well, you’ve got a lot of paint.” Wren swiped her still wet brush across his broad chest.
His eyelids stretched wide. “Did you really just do that?”
She nodded. “Uh huh. And guess what? I’m going to do it again.” Wren swung the brush in the opposite direction, drawing a giant white X across his black T-shirt.
Smith’s jaw dropped as he stared at his chest. “This is one of my favorite shirts.”
Oops. That might have been a mistake. Nervous laughter bubbled up her throat. “Sorry?”
He lifted his head to meet her gaze. “Oh, it’s on now.” With a devilish glint in his eyes, he bent and scooped a handful of paint from the tray, then hurled it at her. It splattered her T-shirt and leggings.
“Aaah!” Wren squealed, then ran across the tarp and ducked behind the covered furniture in the center of the room.
“You think you can hide from me?” Smith laughed as he stalked toward her.
“Um…maybe?” she giggled, crouched behind the dresser.
He loomed over her, his hand filled with another pool of white paint. “Uh uh. You started this war, you’ve got to fight in it.”
Wren stood, wearing her best sweet-and-innocent smile, the one she used when facing a particularly harsh judge in court.
“Truce?” she asked, her right hand tucked behind her back.
His lids narrowed. “Give me one reason why I shouldn’t dump this on your head?”
“Because it would be really hard to wash out.”
Smith exhaled. “That’s fair.” He slapped the paint on the tarp, then wiped his hand on the only dry spot left on his T-shirt.
Shaking her head, Wren clucked her tongue. “It isn’t smart to disarm yourself before your opponent does.” Rising on tiptoes, she pulled out the paintbrush she’d kept hidden behind her back and wiped it across his forehead.
Surprise flashed in his eyes. “You fight dirty.”
She shrugged. “I am a lawyer.”
“I’ll show you dirty.” In one smooth movement, Smith hoisted her up in his arms, and deposited her on the dresser top. Spreading her knees wide, he wedged himself between her legs and leaned in so far, she was nearly lying flat, propped on her elbows. A mischievous smile played on his lips. “That wasn’t very nice.”
“But it was funny.”
Smith’s eyes sparkled. “True, but you still deserve to be punished. What should your punishment be?” His hard length pressed against her. It was hot and hard and made her insides coil with need.
Wren swallowed. “It’s never a good idea to ask the accused to set their own punishment. They always go too light. I’ll leave it to you to decide.”
Kiss me. Hard and rough. Then rip off my clothes and do whatever you want.
“Hmm, what do you deserve?” His gaze bore into her.
Her breath raged as electric energy sparked between them.
Smith’s own fierce desire was written on his face. So what was he waiting for? All he had to do was dip his mouth to hers, then do all the things he’d promised last night.
Finally, his lips curled at the ends. “I’ve got it. But you’re not going to like it.”
Wren smirked. “Try me.”
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Author Lea Nolan
About the Author Lea Nolan is a USA Today bestselling author who writes smart, witty contemporary stories filled with head-swooning, heart-throbbing, sweep-you-off your feet romance. She also pens books for young adults featuring bright heroines, crazy-hot heroes, diabolical plot twists, plus a dose of magic, a draft of romance, and a sprinkle of history.
Born and raised on Long Island, New York she loves the water far too much to live inland. With her heroically supportive husband and three brilliant children, she resides in Maryland where she cracks crabs and bakes ugly birthday cakes.
Welcome to the blog tour for ATTRACTION, a stand-alone women’s fiction/suspense/psychological thriller by award-winning debut author, Ruby Porter. See below for information on the book, buy links, and an exclusive excerpt.
Synopsis The present reckons with the past in Attraction, Ruby Porter’s atmospheric debut novel.
Three women are on a road trip, navigating the motorways of the North Island, their relationships with one another and New Zealand’s colonial history. Our narrator doesn’t know where she stands with Ilana, her not-quite girlfriend. She has a complex history with her best friend, Ashi. She’s haunted by the memory of her emotionally abusive ex-boyfriend. And her period’s now weeks late.
Attraction is a meditative novel of connection, inheritance and the stories we tell ourselves. In lyrical fragments, Porter explores what it means to be and to belong, to create and to destroy.
‘[Porter’s] writing has the intensity of Sally Rooney, the rawness of Andrew McGahan’s Praise and 1988 but is also distinctly original…[A]n utterly amazing debut.’ Jon Page
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Excerpt #3 That kind of drowning feeling. The air is all around your face, if you could only breathe it. Ilana said, —The first breath you take again always hurts.
She is an experienced drowner and I am just starting out.
—This wave, she says. Yelling, —Come, no, here by me.
She gets it right. Knows exactly where to stand for the wave to pick her up and throw her. Carry her. She can surf some right back to the shallows. I keep getting hurled below. See the Gisborne sun rippling through all that green. And I’m not sure whether I’ve opened my eyes underwater, or if I never had a chance to shut them.
Ilana grabs my arm but I duck when the wave comes.
Then she tells me about the first time, when she was seven.
Her mum’s dinghy capsized and whenever she came up for breath she hit the hull instead. She says the sea was holding her down, not ready to let her go. And then it turned and it pushed her up, shot her face first, full of air. She’s the one who keeps pulling me up today.
When I look at her, I think: the ocean will never again be so in place. It shudders and slurps and turns—no two molecules will be together for long. No two molecules will find each other again. Or at least, it’s unlikely.
Then Ashi joins us.
Ashi doesn’t catch as many waves as Ilana, but she catches some. I keep surfacing to see them tumbling into the spray together. Sometimes, Ilana puts her hand on Ashi’s arm as they wade back out deep.
—What is it? Ilana says to me.
Water is furling itself on the horizon, creeping forward.
—Stay here, she says. —It’s a big one.
I’m sucked in before it’s even broken. This time I can hardly see. The ocean floor has been tossed into the wave—I blend with the sand and the seaweed and the dappled sun. Then I feel the break, and know I’m being pushed deeper.
For me it isn’t slowed down, like Ilana said, but sped up. A flash of light, greeny brown, something above the surface. The whir. The spin. The sea gasping, in and out, one giant lung that expands and compresses. When you’re beneath it, the ocean is the only thing that breathes.
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Author Ruby Porter
About the Author Ruby Porter is a prose-writer, poet and artist. She tutors creative writing at universities and high schools. Ruby was the winner of the Wallace Foundation Short Fiction Award in 2017, and the inaugural winner of the Michael Gifkins Prize in 2018, with her debut novel Attraction. Attraction was written during her Masters of Creative Writing at the University of Auckland under supervisor Paula Morris, and published in May by Melbourne-based Text Publishing. It is distributed throughout Australia and New Zealand.
Champagne Book Group and debut author, Rosie Weir, are revealing an excerpt from ADAMANTINE, an adult scifi romance, releasing June 1, 2020. See below for information on the book, preorder links, and a link to add it to your Goodreads TBR.
Synopsis Deep in the Appalachian Mountains, a brilliant scientist and his daughter retreat from a catastrophic global plague. Worried for Molly’s future, James crafts the ultimate gift for his lonely little girl: A sentient AI charged with the task of protecting her and keeping her company in the event he is no longer able to do so. His creation, Will, is bestowed with an expansive intellect, superhuman strength, and a fierce protective streak. However, as year go by, Will’s feelings start to change from duty and service to something more.
At eighteen, Molly knows little of the world beyond a collection of grainy VHS classics. Life with Will and James is idyllic. But Will’s mission to protect involves keeping dangerous secrets, including some that could destroy the trust between them forever. Will struggles with the rigid self-discipline of his programming, versus turbulent, irrational feelings that grow stronger each day. True love can’t exist without honesty and risk; the two things Will has been programmed to control at all costs. But trouble is brewing outside their sheltered utopia, and ignorance might be a luxury neither of them can afford any longer.
From the primitive heights of the Appalachian Mountains to the revolutionary scientific breakthrough hidden within, Adamantine, a story of love, sacrifice, and sentience is scheduled to be released in June 2020.
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Excerpt Fatigue lines circled James Walkers eyes and forehead; dry canals of wrinkled flesh ran down the sides of his face. A flood of light washed over him, flickering ever so often. He found himself hissing at that inconvenience before resuming his examination. James spent months inspecting every piece of hardware and taking voice notes—he was ready to proceed.
“James Walker, Ph.D.,” he said into the recorder. “After meticulous examination that produced minor wins and fails, everything seems to be in order. The mechanism is responsive. I’m proceeding to the next step—implementation. Cooling systems have taken to the previous modifications, refer to doc-234. Internal examinations will continue intermittently.”
James clicked off the recorder and sighed. He walked across the room and paused inches from his destination, letting his eyes scan the table and its contents. The thin, silicone-based polymer suit reflected the soft light in the room. The project was close to completion and when he thought of what was at stake, the usual litany of questions and doubts arose. He scratched his stubble and pushed aside thoughts of consequence. He knew all too well that one wrong move might bring down his research like a flimsy deck of cards.
“Positivity doesn’t exist in the realm of fringe science, but you have to try,” he muttered under his breath. Those words fueled James, who focused on the most favorable outcome.
The augmented bio-hybrid suit had muscles, tendons, and ligaments designed to replicate the human body—an exact replica. He rolled the table close to the gurney then proceeded to couple the parts together. It took thirty minutes of concentrated effort to get the body sheathed. James took a step back and admired his masterpiece. It reminded him of a Renaissance anatomical painting he once saw in a museum. A smile tugged at the corner of his lips, but he wiped it away with the back of his hand. He attached a transfusion tube to the small glass cylinder filled with dense liquid. He injected the mixture into the body’s cervical vertebrae. Spider-like microscopic nanocells hurried down the spine and spread into the hybrid suit. The muscle tissues expanded and solidified over the impenetrable frame underneath.
James watched the process unfold. His heart beat in double time, eager to move to the next phase. The pulsating vibe in his ears synced with his anxiety. He ambled to a wall lined with metal cabinets and retrieved the synthetic skin from its compartment. At the table, he arranged them over the entire body like a giant jigsaw puzzle. He watched the panels of skin adhere to one another. His hands imprisoned within his pockets to resist the urge to touch. Soon, skin covered the mechanical suit and a man lay in its place. The transformation was a success.
Exhausted, James glanced at his watch and wondered if he should call it a night or continue to the next phase. Logic advised against that course of action, but the restless inventor needed to proceed. A tremor ran through his hand, a reminder of the imminent situation he was in. Time was no longer a commodity he could afford.
He shook off the reverie and began the final phase. He flipped a switch and waited.
James didn’t expect movement, so when the eyes fluttered, he was startled. Rapid eye movement meant the system transmitted the packets of data through a private server James created, which allowed limited access to a vast global network.
“William? Can you hear me?” James whispered. He moved closer to the table and repeated the question. The eyes continued to flutter for a moment, then flew open. Gracefully, the body sat up and surveyed the room. It—he—was trying to assess its surroundings.
“How do you feel?” James asked tentatively.
“William? Is that my name?” His deep voice resonated throughout the room. His eyes stopped on the bespectacled man in a dark green, cable knit sweater, who stood next to the table. He looked to be in his fifties with tired blue eyes and short, graying, brown hair.
“Yes. Your name is William. And my name is James. I am your creator.”
The AI tilted his head to the side. His dark brown eyes rose to meet James’. “You’re ill. You ha—”
“I-I know,” James interrupted. “Do you know what you are?”
Will held up his hands and flexed the digits. “Am I awake, or am I programmed to feel awake?”
James smiled and sat in a chair near the wall. Excitement welled up inside him. “The fact you even ask that question gives me hope that you are exactly what you’re meant to be.”
“I’m not human,” Will stated.
“No, you’re far more advanced. I was able to correlate specific patterns of the central nervous system with emotions and thought processes to create something beyond a program—an organism. You are the first AI ever to have this organism installed.”
They held each other’s gaze for a moment before James broke contact and continued.
“This evolutionary system will gradually alter and determine your choices based on the human interaction you experience throughout your life, much like a regular person. Over time—I’m not sure how long—but over time, you will start to engage in a more human-like behavior. You will continue to write code as a sentient being.”
Will canted his head and blinked rapidly. “I’ll be able to freely write my own code?”
“To a degree. There are restrictions, uh, goal-oriented programs. More specifically, there is a source code which will prevent you from accessing data that can alter or corrupt your program. Once certain milestones are crossed, you will have the ability to act upon your own thoughts and emotions.” James looked at Will and let out a deep sigh. The expunged breath formed a visible cloud over his face before it dissipated. “For the time being, I need you to remain here in the lab until I’m certain your program is fully functional and is safe enough.”
“Safe enough for what?” William asked.
James didn’t answer.
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Author Rosie Weir
About the Author Rosie Weir is an authoress by passion and now profession. She penned her first story at the age of 10 and has been writing ever since. Obsessed with science fiction, horror, and sometimes dark historical romances, her writing repertoire is wide-ranging and wildly diverse. On a quest to tell unconventional stories, human behavior and humanness are at the heart of all her literary works; stories that inspire readers to rethink and reshape their perspectives. When she’s not busy writing, she’s baking and chasing after a tiny, and rambunctious human.
Her debut novel, Adamantine, is scheduled to be released in June 2020 with The Champagne Book Group..
Author Cassie Cross is revealing the cover to THE PLUS ONE PROPOSAL, the third book in her adult contemporary romance series, Love Is…, releasing May 7, 2020. See below for the cover, information on the book and series, preorder links, and a link to add it to your Goodreads TBR.
THE PLUS ONE PROPOSAL (Love Is… Series #3) by Cassie Cross
About The Book – Read for Free with Kindle Unlimited
Title:THE PLUS ONE PROPOSAL Series: Love Is… Series #3 Author: Cassie Cross Genre: Adult Contemporary Romance Release Date: May 7, 2020 Links:Goodreads | Amazon | Amazon UK | Amazon CA | Amazon AU | Amazon DE | Amazon IT | Amazon FR
Synopsis Peyton Castillo’s life is nearly perfect. She has a job that makes her happy, the perfect apartment, friends who love her, and all the time in the world to do whatever she wants, whenever she wants. She’s single and loving it, but she has a handful of weddings she’s RSVPed to and no plus-one to go with. That’s where Adam Portman, her gorgeous-and-knows-it coworker comes in.
Peyton’s proposal is simple: she’ll complete a work assignment Adam’s been dreading if he agrees to be her date to one of the weddings.
The offer is tempting, but sparks fly when Adam counters with a proposal of his own. That work assignment isn’t the only thing he’s been dreading. His parents’ 30th anniversary celebration is coming up soon and his mother is determined to set him up with her best friend’s daughter, who will be at the party. Adam needs a date to play along and convince his mom he’s off the market, and Peyton is the perfect choice…
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Get Caught up on the Series – Read for Free with Kindle Unlimited
About the Author Cassie Cross is a Maryland native and a romantic at heart, who lives outside of Baltimore with her two dogs and a closet full of shoes. Cassie’s fondness for swoon-worthy men and strong women are the inspiration for most of her stories, and when she’s not busy writing a book, you’ll probably find her eating takeout and indulging in her love of 80’s sitcoms.
Welcome to the blog tour for ROYALLY FLUSHED, the second book in the adult contemporary romance series, Tech Billionaires, by Ainsley St Claire. See below for information on the book and series, buy links, and an exclusive excerpt.
ROYALLY FLUSHED (Tech Billionaires Series #2) by Ainsley St. Claire
About the Book – Read for Free with Kindle Unlimited Title: ROYALLY FLUSHED Series: Tech Billionaires Series #2 Author: Ainsley St Claire Genre: Adult Contemporary Romance Release Date: April 20, 2020 Links: Goodreads | Amazon | Amazon UK | Amazon CA | Amazon AU | Amazon DE | Amazon IT | Amazon FR
Synopsis Staying with him will be dangerous…
They call him Billionaire, Environmentalist, and Playboy.
I call him Boss.
I try to keep it professional, I want to resist him, but the pull is too strong.
A bomb threat, a ransacked apartment, mysterious warnings, all telling me to leave him alone.
Yes, staying will be dangerous, but leaving him will destroy me.
Royally Flushed is a standalone romance with a happy ending. It’s second in Tech Billionaire Series. It takes place in the same world as the Billionaire Venture Capitalist and Clear Holiday and includes many of the favorite characters from the other books.
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Excerpt #4 I stare out into the ocean. It’s just a solid blue form below us, with ripples and puffs of clouds. The day I’ve been dreading is here, and I can’t avoid the momentous wall I need to climb. It’s right in front of me. Everything hinges on the next few days. I can already tell I’m not thinking straight—I put my wallet in the wrong pocket of my bag and then panicked when I couldn’t find it. My hands spread like pale starfish around the ivory coffee cup in front of me. They’re cold and not absorbing the heat from my drink. The closer we get to San Francisco and our normal life, the fork in the road weighs more heavily on me, like a San Francisco fog.
By the time we arrive, it’s after five. I’m tired, but we have work to do.
“You look exhausted,” Jackson tells me. “I’m going to go into the office for a few hours, but why don’t I meet you back at the apartment? Go get some rest and we can have a late dinner.” He kisses me on the temple.
His phone rings, and he answers. “Jackson Graham.”
I grab his arm and whisper, “I’m probably going back to my apartment tonight.”
He nods and gets out of the car, talking on the phone. I turn to Brian. “My apartment on Lake Street, please.”
He turns and looks at me. “Are you sure?”
“Yes, I have to return at some point.” I can’t look at him, and I watch Jackson disappear into the building.
“Does Mr. Graham know?”
I look at his eyes in the mirror. “I told him, and he didn’t seem to have a problem with it.”
Brian stares back at me. If he calls Jackson or Jim, they’ll probably veto it, but I pay rent for that apartment, and I should go home if it’s ready for me.
“Look, Brian, the long weekend was fantastic, but you know as well as I do, it’s impolite to stay too long at the party.”
“I don’t believe that for a minute,” he responds.
“I’m only trying to recognize this for what it is. We’ll still see each other at the office. You can’t get rid of me that easily.” I wink and smile to assure him I will be okay.
I’m trying to protect my heart, but I’ve already fallen for Jackson. And I don’t believe a zebra changes its stripes. Growing up with an alcoholic teaches you that—no matter how many promises they make.
About the Author AinsleyStClaire is a Romantic Suspense Author and Adventurer on a lifelong mission to craft sultry storylines and steamy love scenes that captivate her readers. To date, she is best known for her series Venture Capitalists.
An avid reader since the age of four, Ainsley’s love of books knew no genre. After reading, came her love of writing, fully immersing herself in the colorful, impassioned world of contemporary romance.
Ainsley’s passion immediately shifted to a vocation when during a night of terrible insomnia, her first book came to her. Ultimately, this is what inspired her to take that next big step. The moment she wrote her first story, the rest was history.
Currently, Ainsley is in the midst of writing a nine-book series called “Venture Capitalist.”
When she isn’t being a bookworm or typing away her next story on her computer, Ainsley enjoys spending quality family time with her loved ones. She is happily married to her amazing soulmate and is a proud mother of two rambunctious boys. She is also a scotch aficionada and lover of good food (especially melt-in-your-mouth, velvety chocolate). Outside of books, family, and food, Ainsley is a professional sports spectator and an equally as terrible golfer and tennis player..
Welcome to the book blitz for RICH, the fifth book in the adult romantic suspense/thriller series, Benson Security, by Janet Elizabeth Henderson. See below for information on the book, buy links, an exclusive excerpt, and details on her giveaway.
RICH (Benson Security Series #5) by Janet Elizabeth Henderson
Synopsis Rachel Ford-Talbot has nothing to do with her family or their pharmaceutical business. And she likes it that way. As one of four partners who own an internationally renowned security business, Rachel prefers to leave her past, with all its secrets, deeply buried.
But when a series of thefts reveal that the family business is being targeted for industrial espionage, her father begs Rachel to investigate. His illness makes it hard for her to refuse, but Rachel wonders if he truly understands what he’s unleashing on his company. Because she isn’t the same bright-eyed graduate that walked through their doors years earlier. Now, she’s strong, powerful, and somewhat terrifying. A woman who doesn’t suffer fools lightly and who is afraid of nothing.
She also isn’t alone.
This time, she has the might and expertise of Benson Security at her back. And an ex-CIA agent at her side—because Michael “Harvard” Carter has appointed himself her bodyguard for the duration. Even though Rachel doesn’t need, or want, the annoyingly sexy man’s help. But while the world sees a first-class bitch when they look at her, Michael sees only someone who intrigues him. Which makes him the biggest threat of all.
***This is a standalone novel. You don’t have to have read any of my other books to enjoy it.***
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Excerpt #1 Rachel hadn’t said more than ten words during the hour-long drive from central London to the heart of Surrey. You didn’t have to be a genius to know what was bothering her. They were on their way to dinner with her family, where he’d pose as her fiancé. To say Rachel wasn’t thrilled would be an understatement.
“You realize you’ve got a real-life spy in your James Bond car,” Harvard said into a silence that was so thick it made it hard to breathe.
If looks could kill, the glance she shot in his direction would have incinerated him. “You are no James Bond.”
Rachel’s hands tightened on the steering wheel of her Aston Martin, making the emerald cut diamond in her engagement ring catch the light and gleam. He’d spent days hunting down the perfect ring for her and had finally settled on a solitaire diamond in a platinum setting. Icy and elegant, just like Rachel, it was worth every cent he’d spent. Although well aware this was purely an undercover op, he hadn’t been able to resist the urge to see his ring on her finger. Of course, being Rachel, when he’d given it to her, she’d slipped it on without a word. But that alone had told him she liked it. If she hadn’t, she wouldn’t have worn it.
“I know, I’m no James Bond.” He relaxed back into the gray leather of the passenger seat and smiled at her. “He makes stupid decisions that would get him killed in real life. Plus, he’s a chauvinist asshole.”
She did that dramatic eye-roll thing that made his dick stand to attention. Damn, she was sexy as hell. All class and ice and keen intelligence. From her sleek mahogany hair falling against pale porcelain skin to her professionally manicured blood-red fingernails, she was perfection. Ever since he’d set eyes on her, he’d wanted to touch. But Rachel was resisting. He just wasn’t sure why—yet.
He’d seen the way she watched him when she thought he wasn’t looking. The woman practically drooled. And it wasn’t like she was a nun either. She’d dated in the time he’d been at Benson Security. One date per man. Which was the only reason Harvard had let them live—their lack of repeat access to Rachel.
“Why don’t you keep the flowers I send you?” The question popped out, even though an idiot could guess the answer.
“Maybe because I don’t want them.” She arched a perfectly groomed brow at him. “Or you.”
Oh, it was on the tip of his tongue to call her on her lies. On more than one occasion, he’d caught her touching the petals of the flowers he had delivered to her office every Monday. There had been a wistful softening in her face before she’d lifted the vase they’d come in and dumped it in the trash.
He hadn’t imagined it either. Elle Roberts, their resident computer genius, had alerted him to her behavior when she’d asked why Rachel didn’t keep the flowers she so obviously wanted. Like everything else about the woman who fascinated him, the answer was a mystery.
Unfortunately for Rachel, Harvard loved mysteries. He’d always been a sucker for a puzzle other people couldn’t solve. And for women who could kick his ass. Yeah, Rachel was his dream woman.
There was no denying he had issues.
“This is a complete waste of time.” She didn’t bother to signal before cutting someone off. “The only person at this dinner who doesn’t know our engagement is fake is my sister-in-law. Why do we have to pretend for Amelia? It isn’t like she’s involved in the family company. All she thinks about outside of Jonathan is her precious cello. She’s hardly likely to notice there’s anyone else in the room, let alone that you’re supposed to be my fiancé.”
“Your father seems to think this dinner will be good practice for convincing the rest of your family.”
“I honestly don’t see how.”
“Just go with it. There’s no point in letting it upset you.”
“Upset me?” She cast him a glance full of outrage. “This isn’t upsetting me. This is nothing but an irritation. I’m more annoyed that my weekend plans were ruined by your pathetic need for my assistance.”
Oh yeah, she could flay the skin off his balls with one sentence. And why the hell did that make him want her more? Harvard was beginning to think his closest friends were right: his taste in women was going to get him killed one day.
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Author Janet Elizabeth Henderson
About the Author Janet is a Scot who moved to New Zealand fifteen years ago. Among other things, she’s been an artist, a teacher, a security guard at a castle, a magazine editor, and a cleaner in a drop in center for drug addicts (NOT the best job!). She now writes full-time and is working on her 19th book. Her books have won several awards, including the Daphne du Maurier award for excellence in mystery and suspense. When she isn’t living in her head, she raises two kids, one husband, and several random animals. She survives on chocolate and caffeine.
Today is release day for WANT ME ALWAYS, the first book in the adult contemporary romance series, Heron Harbor, by USA Today bestselling author, Lea Nolan. See below for information on the book, buy links, an exclusive excerpt, and details on her giveaway.
WANT ME ALWAYS (Heron Harbor Series #1) by Lea Nolan
Wren Donovan’s done with love. Betrayed and humiliated by her ex-fiancé, she retreats to her family’s beach house on Heron Harbor Island to lick her wounds and gorge herself on ice cream, spray cheese, and a box of glazed donuts. Wren vows to devote herself to her law career and swears off men forever, but she isn’t prepared for what being reunited with her oldest friend makes her feel…
His heart says yes, please…
Smith Connors can’t believe his eyes when Wren walks into his restaurant. He’s loved her since they were kids, when summertime found them inseparable best friends. As a boy, he’d never felt good enough for Wren. But now he’s a rising-star chef with a thriving business who knows what he wants—which means he’s not letting beautiful, brilliant Wren get away again.
Smith determines to show Wren how good they could be together, and soon neither of them can resist the heat growing between them. He’d do anything to earn her faith—and her heart, if only she could learn to trust again.
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Excerpt He was trying to tease her. And dammit, it was working.
It wasn’t fair. Wren had admitted her attraction and Smith was using it against her. It was time to turn the tables.
They put the finishing touches on the last wall, then turned to face each other.
“You’ve got a little paint.” Smith pointed to a small white dot on her T-shirt that she already knew was there.
“Well, you’ve got a lot of paint.” Wren swiped her still wet brush across his broad chest.
His eyelids stretched wide. “Did you really just do that?”
She nodded. “Uh huh. And guess what? I’m going to do it again.” Wren swung the brush in the opposite direction, drawing a giant white X across his black T-shirt.
Smith’s jaw dropped as he stared at his chest. “This is one of my favorite shirts.”
Oops. That might have been a mistake. Nervous laughter bubbled up her throat. “Sorry?”
He lifted his head to meet her gaze. “Oh, it’s on now.” With a devilish glint in his eyes, he bent and scooped a handful of paint from the tray, then hurled it at her. It splattered her T-shirt and leggings.
“Aaah!” Wren squealed, then ran across the tarp and ducked behind the covered furniture in the center of the room.
“You think you can hide from me?” Smith laughed as he stalked toward her.
“Um…maybe?” she giggled, crouched behind the dresser.
He loomed over her, his hand filled with another pool of white paint. “Uh uh. You started this war, you’ve got to fight in it.”
Wren stood, wearing her best sweet-and-innocent smile, the one she used when facing a particularly harsh judge in court.
“Truce?” she asked, her right hand tucked behind her back.
His lids narrowed. “Give me one reason why I shouldn’t dump this on your head?”
“Because it would be really hard to wash out.”
Smith exhaled. “That’s fair.” He slapped the paint on the tarp, then wiped his hand on the only dry spot left on his T-shirt.
Shaking her head, Wren clucked her tongue. “It isn’t smart to disarm yourself before your opponent does.” Rising on tiptoes, she pulled out the paintbrush she’d kept hidden behind her back and wiped it across his forehead.
Surprise flashed in his eyes. “You fight dirty.”
She shrugged. “I am a lawyer.”
“I’ll show you dirty.” In one smooth movement, Smith hoisted her up in his arms, and deposited her on the dresser top. Spreading her knees wide, he wedged himself between her legs and leaned in so far, she was nearly lying flat, propped on her elbows. A mischievous smile played on his lips. “That wasn’t very nice.”
“But it was funny.”
Smith’s eyes sparkled. “True, but you still deserve to be punished. What should your punishment be?” His hard length pressed against her. It was hot and hard and made her insides coil with need.
Wren swallowed. “It’s never a good idea to ask the accused to set their own punishment. They always go too light. I’ll leave it to you to decide.”
Kiss me. Hard and rough. Then rip off my clothes and do whatever you want.
“Hmm, what do you deserve?” His gaze bore into her.
Her breath raged as electric energy sparked between them.
Smith’s own fierce desire was written on his face. So what was he waiting for? All he had to do was dip his mouth to hers, then do all the things he’d promised last night.
Finally, his lips curled at the ends. “I’ve got it. But you’re not going to like it.”
Wren smirked. “Try me.”
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Author Lea Nolan
About the Author Lea Nolan is a USA Today bestselling author who writes smart, witty contemporary stories filled with head-swooning, heart-throbbing, sweep-you-off your feet romance. She also pens books for young adults featuring bright heroines, crazy-hot heroes, diabolical plot twists, plus a dose of magic, a draft of romance, and a sprinkle of history.
Born and raised on Long Island, New York she loves the water far too much to live inland. With her heroically supportive husband and three brilliant children, she resides in Maryland where she cracks crabs and bakes ugly birthday cakes.
Welcome to the blog tour for PRIDE AND PERSUASION, the second book in the adult contemporary romance series, Inspired, by Wrenn Montgomery. See below for information on the book, buy links, and an exclusive excerpt.
PRIDE AND PERSUASION (Inspired Series #2) by Wrenn Montgomery
About the Book – Read for Free with Kindle Unlimited Title: PRIDE AND PERSUASION Series: Inspired Series #2 Author: Wrenn Montgomery Release Date: April 16, 2020
Genre: Adult Contemporary Romance
Links: Goodreads | Amazon | Amazon UK | Amazon CA | Amazon AU | Amazon DE | Amazon IT | Amazon FR
Synopsis Elliott James is a control freak. After being told she was nothing special by her ex, Baker Williams, she’s spent the last eight years proving him wrong. She’s built a life she loves— prominent attorney, partner at her firm, a luxurious penthouse, and the best friends a girl could ask for. After a harrowing encounter last year, she’s determined to get her life back on track. She’s succeeding, until a case brings her face to face with the one man that’s ever made her want to lose control.
Baker Williams started with nothing but determination to make a better life for himself. He’s built an empire he’s proud of, by acquiring companies and working his way up. So when a rogue employee threatens to bring his kingdom tumbling down, he hires the best to defend his case. His only fault is not realizing that the best is Elliott James, and she’s ready to remind him of all the damage he did years ago.
Eight years ago, Elliott and Baker were matches and gasoline. Explosive and hot. Back then, they both walked away burned. When they’re forced to work together long after the flames have died down, they discover they’re just as combustible as ever. Now, they have to figure out how to save each other without their spark burning down everything they’ve worked so hard for in the process.
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Excerpt #2: “You said we need to talk, so go on. Say what you need to say so you can leave and I can get on with my night,” she gets out between mouthfuls, and I stop myself from smirking at her. She’s the same old Elliott in this moment—monogrammed pajamas, fuzzy slippers, hair up in a messy bun, and stuffing her face as fast as she can but still talking shit.
I take a deep breath. I’m the worst fucking apologizer there is but I need to give this a go. “I said a lot of shit I didn’t mean, EJ.”
“Don’t call me that.”
“All right. Elliott.”
“Don’t call me that either,” she says.
“What the fuck am I supposed to call you?” I flinch at the anger in my own voice, but she doesn’t seem affected.
She just shrugs and takes a sip of her wine. She’s so incredibly frustrating when she’s defensive, but two can play that game.
“Okay. I said a lot of things I didn’t mean that night, Ms. James.”
“Okay.”
That’s it?
I expect her to say she did too, that she’s sorry too. “Are you fucking kidding me?”
She shrugs again, taking another bite of food, and I wait for her to finish, trying to stop my leg from bouncing in my impatience. “I don’t know what you want from me, Baker.”
“I don’t know, maybe an apology for the shit you said? We can start there,” I offer.
“Did you apologize? I think I missed that,” she quips back.
I grit my teeth, knowing I’m losing my temper. “I’m sorry for the things I said, which I didn’t entirely mean.” I choke the words out, each one wounding my pride.
She nods, standing and taking her empty cartons of food to the kitchen.
I wait, expecting her to come back and sit down so we can finish duking this out, but she doesn’t.
“That’s nice,” she flings, walking down a hallway.
“Nice? Where the hell are you going?” I’m ready to pull my hair out. For her to just fucking apologize already so we can get this over with and I can leave, like she said.
“To bed. I’m not fighting with you. That’s what you want and I won’t give it to you. So, I’m going to bed now.” She pauses, seeming to wrestle with herself before setting her face back into its usual ‘I don’t give a fuck’ look. “You coming?”
Fuck yes, I am.
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Author Wrenn Montgomery
About the Author Wrenn Montgomery resides in North Carolina with her husband and three daughters. She spends her time psychoanalyzing strangers and writing about them in steamy romances.
USA Today bestselling author, R.S. Grey, is revealing the cover to LOVE THE ONE YOU HATE, a stand-alone contemporary romance/romantic comedy, releasing May 7, 2020. See below for the cover, information on the book, a teaser from the book, and a link to add it to your Goodreads TBR.
LOVE THE ONE YOU HATE by R.S. GreyLOVE THE ONE YOU HATE by R.S. Grey
About the Book Title: LOVE THE ONE YOU HATE Author: R.S. Grey Release Date: May 7, 2020 Genre: Adult Contemporary Romance/Romantic Comedy Links:Goodreads
Synopsis Nicholas Hunt is the man I hate.
For good reason.
His opinion of me is tainted by prejudice even before my arrival at his grandmother’s estate, and my first impression of him is just as abysmal.
His arrogance and icy demeanor make it clear that he’s the type of man who’s best handled at a distance.
Fortunately, space shouldn’t be an issue inside this Gilded Age mansion and its lush gardens. If I stick with the servants and he keeps to his sailboat and vintage Porsche, we should hardly cross paths at all. Unfortunately, at Rosethorn, I find that all roads eventually lead to Nicholas Hunt.
Sparks fly as we spar at the dinner table. Fighting words are flung in the shadows of the palatial halls.
We hang suspended in our hatred of one another, painfully oblivious to the heat and tension that build with every moment we’re left alone. We’re liable to kill one another, I think…right up until my eyes land on his lips and a new feeling grips hold of me: lust.
What’s worse?
He knows it.
They say you should keep your enemies close, but when Nicholas tightens his grip on my waist and draws me near, I’m not sure if it’s out of loathing or love.
One thing’s for sure—I intend to find out.
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Author R.S. Grey
About the Author R.S. Grey is the USA Today bestselling author of thirteen novels, including THE FOXE & THE HOUND. She lives in Texas with her husband and two dogs, and can be found reading, binge-watching reality TV, or practicing yoga! Visit her at rsgrey.com
Author Gabrielle G. is revealing the cover to TROUBLE, the second book in her adult contemporary rockstar romance series, Darling Devils, releasing May 12, 2020. See below for the cover, information on the book and series, preorder links, and an exclusive excerpt.
TROUBLE (Darling Devils Series #2) by Gabrielle G.
About the Book – Read for Free with Kindle Unlimited Title: TROUBLE Series: Darling Devils Series #2 Author: Gabrielle G. Release Date: May 12, 2020
Genre: Adult Contemporary Romance
Links: Goodreads | Amazon | Amazon UK | Amazon CA | Amazon AU | Amazon DE | Amazon IT | Amazon FR
Synopsis There are three things I have to protect: My heart, my scars and my life. Even from my best friend.
Some secrets have the power to change lives. Or ruin them.
What I didn’t expect was for my best friend to walk away when I needed him most. I made the only decision I could. And I have no regrets–even if Lars Trouble can’t handle that.
Now I just have to convince my broken heart it’s better off without him.
***
I don’t do secrets, I hate deceivers and I’m not in love with my best friend.
Or so I thought.
As the man in the shadows, the drummer of the Darling Devils, the person I rely on most is my best friend. That is until I discover Naomi is a liar. If walking away from her was hard, learning she isn’t mine to love feels impossible. And just when I think it’s all finally coming back together, fate steps in and proves me wrong.
But when you love someone, you do the only thing you can. You fight for your love story to begin.
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Excerpt: Lars and I were kissing, and it was delicious.
As delicious as a spoonful of Nutella. You know you shouldn’t indulge, but at the end of the day, you can’t resist. And why would you?
He detached his lips from mine, dove back in, kissed me some more.
It was hot.
Nutella with sparkles.
But then he stopped, looked at me with fire in his eyes and dropped the bomb that would define our relationship.
“That’s why I love your kind of girls so much.”
It wasn’t a cold shower. It was an Arctic Tsunami.
I was just another preconceived notion, and this manslut of a rock star might have had an Asian fetish. (…)
Asian wasn’t a type.
It was the continent I came from. It was an ocean of misconception.
It was a melting pot of cultural mishaps of western minds.
And being Japanese, I hated men thinking I could become a Geisha once in their bed.
I liked sex. I liked men but not because I was born in Japan, not because I could become a mistress, and not because porn had made “Asian girls” the ultimate tight pussy to fuck.
I liked sex because I was me.
So, coming out of the bathroom, I rejected Lars.
(…)
Unfortunately, I had to talk to him later that night, and when he thought I came for more, I burst his bubble.
He had never heard of an Asian fetish and was convinced it wasn’t a thing.
I told him to check it out.
I explained why I didn’t have sex or date men who fell in this category.
He listened.
He learned.
And we ended up talking all night, and then some more on the phone the next day and around coffee after that.
We talked about who we were, who I was, where I came from, what he liked, how he became a rock star, how it changed his life.
We were spilling all of our secrets.
Or almost all of them.
We learned everything and anything there was to know about one another.
We spent nights together, talking for hours, falling asleep next to each other.
We were together for most of our free time, even if we barely had any.
We were always attached at the hip whenever we could be, wherever we would go.
It all started with a hot kiss, but Lars Trouble had become my most beautiful story.
He had become my best friend.
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Author Gabrielle G.
About the Author Gabrielle G will do anything for a hot cup of tea, still celebrates her half birthdays and feels everyone has an inner temptuous voice.
Born in France and having lived in Switzerland, Gabrielle currently resides in Montreal with her husband, three devilish children and an extremely moody cat.
After spending years contemplating a career in writing, she finally jumped off the deep end and took the plunge into the literary world. Writing consumed her and she independently published her work.
Gabrielle’s style is fiercely raw and driven by pure emotion. Her love stories leave you out of breath, yearning for more, while at the same time wiping away tears.
Welcome to the release blitz for PRIDE AND PERSUASION, the second book in the adult contemporary romance series, Inspired, by Wrenn Montgomery. See below for information on the book, buy links, and an exclusive excerpt.
PRIDE AND PERSUASION (Inspired Series #2) by Wrenn Montgomery
About the Book – Read for Free with Kindle Unlimited Title: PRIDE AND PERSUASION Series: Inspired Series #2 Author: Wrenn Montgomery Release Date: April 16, 2020
Genre: Adult Contemporary Romance
Links: Goodreads | Amazon | Amazon UK | Amazon CA | Amazon AU | Amazon DE | Amazon IT | Amazon FR
Synopsis Elliott James is a control freak. After being told she was nothing special by her ex, Baker Williams, she’s spent the last eight years proving him wrong. She’s built a life she loves— prominent attorney, partner at her firm, a luxurious penthouse, and the best friends a girl could ask for. After a harrowing encounter last year, she’s determined to get her life back on track. She’s succeeding, until a case brings her face to face with the one man that’s ever made her want to lose control.
Baker Williams started with nothing but determination to make a better life for himself. He’s built an empire he’s proud of, by acquiring companies and working his way up. So when a rogue employee threatens to bring his kingdom tumbling down, he hires the best to defend his case. His only fault is not realizing that the best is Elliott James, and she’s ready to remind him of all the damage he did years ago.
Eight years ago, Elliott and Baker were matches and gasoline. Explosive and hot. Back then, they both walked away burned. When they’re forced to work together long after the flames have died down, they discover they’re just as combustible as ever. Now, they have to figure out how to save each other without their spark burning down everything they’ve worked so hard for in the process.
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Excerpt:
I fling the door open, hitting the lights as I go, and stop short.
In my office, standing in front of my desk, is the sexiest back I have ever seen. I mean, there’s a man attached to it, but I’m mostly preoccupied by the muscles rippling across his shoulders as he reaches for the shirt on the chair next to him and hurriedly puts it on.
“What the hell?” I set my briefcase and purse down with my coffee on the side table. “Can I help you?”
“I’m sorry, I spilled coffee on my shirt and the bathroom was locked,” he says, turning to face me. “The door was open and—”
He pauses when he sees me, and my mouth goes dry. My heart begins to race, and I grab the door frame to steady myself. Baker Williams is standing right in front of me, dress shirt still hanging open, hand frozen on his shirt cuff. For a second, everything is right in the world. I want to run to him, jump in his arms just like I used to. A thousand memories run through my mind before I’m brought out of my haze by his sharp intake of breath.
“Elliott.” He says my name like a curse.
“Baker.” And just like that, the hate is back. The rage I feel at seeing him makes me want to run to him now for an entirely different reason.
“What are you…”
He trails off and I stand firm. I will not feel uncomfortable in my own damn office, at the firm where I’m a partner. “This is my office,” I say blandly, begging my voice not to betray me.
“I see.” He’s recovered, not looking flustered in the least. He continues buttoning his shirt, taking his time.
I avert my gaze, refusing to allow myself to ogle him the way I want to.
Holy shit.
These eight years have done him well. He was an eighteen-year-old boy when I loved him. Standing before me is a grown man.
“Could you hurry up? I have a meeting to get to,” I say, void of emotion as I cross my arms over my chest. I will not let him think he’s getting to me.
“As do I.” He finishes buttoning his shirt and grabs his bags from the floor. His eyes come up to meet mine and realization hits.
“You’re my eight o’ clock?” The words come out as a squeak and I curse myself.
“Apparently so.” I swear there’s a gleam in his eye and I want to choke him. “This is going to be interesting.”
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Author Wrenn Montgomery
About the Author Wrenn Montgomery resides in North Carolina with her husband and three daughters. She spends her time psychoanalyzing strangers and writing about them in steamy romances.
Welcome to the book blitz for BENEATH THE SURFACE, a stand-alone adult contemporary romance by Abbi Cook. See below for information on the book, buy links, an exclusive excerpt, and details on her giveaway.
BENEATH THE SURFACE by Abbi Cook
About the Book – Read for Free with Kindle Unlimited Title: BENEATH THE SURFACE Author: Abbi Cook Publisher: Dark Vine Media LLC Release Date: April 14, 2020 Genre: Adult Contemporary Romance Links:Goodreads | Amazon | Amazon UK | Amazon CA | Amazon AU | Amazon DE | Amazon IT | Amazon FR
Synopsis I was born and bred to be a killer. It’s all I’m supposed to be.
I take no prisoners. Until Lily. For her, I make an exception. But only for a week.
When I walk in, time starts ticking down to zero. Her father has seven days to save her.
Until then, she’s mine. Mine to have. Mine to take.
Mine to keep.
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Excerpt #2 Stuffing my hand into her hair, I tighten my grip on the soft strands and tug her head back. She doesn’t fight me at all, reaching out to run her hands over my chest and down my ribs.
Her need comes off her in waves, and it’s nothing less than intoxicating. But it’s not enough for me. I want her to beg.
So I pull my mouth away and look down at her to see her eyelids flutter open and her beautiful brown eyes staring up at me. Filled with confusion, that slowly morphs into a look of hurt, like she can’t believe I wouldn’t want her.
“What’s wrong?” she asks, every word laced with the same emotion that now fills her eyes. “Why did you stop?”
I know what she’s thinking. I can see it in her face, hear it in the panic that clings to every word. She’s set all her hopes for living on being able to make me want her. Smiling down at her, I can’t help but laugh at how wrong she is.
She can offer me her very soul, and it won’t change a thing. If her father fails to pay back that money by the seventh day, I’ll do to her what I’ve done to everyone else marked for death.
What I did to Creighton just hours ago.
And not even the best fucking sex of my life can stop that from happening.
“Let me hear what you want, Lily.”
Pressing her lips tightly together, she seems unwilling or unable to voice what she wants me to do to her. That needs to change. Now.
With a sharp tug of her hair that makes her wince, I give her a taste of what will happen if she doesn’t obey my command. “I told you once you come into this room, no is not allowed. So I repeat, let me hear you say what you want, Lily.”
In a tiny voice, she whispers, “You.”
But her eyes tell the real truth, what she wants more than anything else in the world, and it’s not me. It’s to stay alive.
For a moment, I consider pushing her away. It could be amusing to watch her desperation unravel in front of me before I send her back to her room to fret for the next six days.
That’s the sadistic part of me, but it’s not the part that’s controlling me tonight. No, tonight need has gotten the better of rage, and I want to know how good it will feel to be balls deep inside Lily.
So I don’t push her away, and I take her answer, even though it’s a lie. It’s enough that I’m going to make her mine tonight. I don’t need the truth from her, too.
My mouth crushes hers in a kiss meant to show her what’s coming when I take her. And that’s what it will be. Taking. If she has any illusions about what I’m after, she needs to forget them right now.
I am who I am, and whether that’s a killer or a monster, I’m always one thing. Merciless.
Her hands clutch the back of my neck, surprising me with how much she returns my kiss. I expected her to recoil at its hardness because she’s so small and so defenseless, but here she is standing on her tiptoes to meet my need with her own, pressing her lips to mine with the same intensity before sliding her tongue into my mouth to tease me.
Backing away, I smile at her efforts. “Be careful, little girl. I’m not one of those boys you play with.”
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Author Abbi Cook
About the Author Abbi Cook grew up wondering if she was different because she always wanted to know more about the villain than the hero in the stories she read. When she got older, she found there were others in the world like her and devoured their writing, loving every dark word. She’s written her own tales for years, but in 2019 she decided it was time to take the next step and publish them. She’s never looked back since that day.
Welcome to the book blitz for ADVANCED HEALING SPELLS, the third book in the young adult urban fantasy series, Ember Academy for Young Witches, by L.C. Mawson. See below for information on the book and series, buy links, an exclusive excerpt, and details on her giveaway.
ADVANCED HEALING SPELLS (Ember Academy for Young Witches Series #3) by L.C. Mawson
About the Book – Read for Free with Kindle Unlimited Title: ADVANCED HEALING SPELLS Series: Ember Academy for Young Witches Series #3 Author: L.C. Mawson Release Date: April 15, 2020 Genre: Young Adult Urban Fantasy Links:Goodreads | Amazon | Amazon UK | Amazon CA | Amazon AU | Amazon DE | Amazon IT | Amazon FR
Synopsis Keeping my head down shouldn’t be too hard… Right?
Unhappy with how everything with the Amazons went down, the Slayers are now investigating Ember Academy.
But not me. Not as long as I keep my head down.
Which would have been a hell of a lot easier if students hadn’t started dropping unconscious.
No one knows how to wake them, but I have ways to find answers that they don’t
The question is if I risk it with the Slayers watching me so closely…
Especially when it would mean reaching out to the very criminal the Slayers are trying to find.
ADVANCEDHEALINGSPELLS is the third book in the Ember Academy for Young Witches YA Urban Fantasy Academy series. If you love kick-ass heroines, Sapphic slow-burn romances, and magical boarding schools, you’ll love this latest fast-paced series in L.C. Mawson’s Snowverse.
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Excerpt #2 We approached to see Sarah waiting outside the building, and she smiled as she saw us, holding up a bag.
“What’s in there?” I asked as I got close.
“The final ingredients I need to wake up Aaron.”
“Wait, really?”
“Yes, really. Now, come on. We shouldn’t leave him waiting any longer.”
I nodded before eagerly hurrying after Sarah and through the portal.
“We should give you some privacy for waking up Aaron,” Willow said once we were back through the portal. “Unless, of course, you want us to come with you.”
I hesitated for a moment before shaking my head. “No, it’s okay. I can do this alone.”
Willow nodded before leaning forward and giving me a light peck on the cheek.
My heart squeezed at the gesture and I wanted nothing more than to take my words back and have her at my side.
But no, it would be hard enough for Aaron to wake up anyway, he should have my undivided attention when I apologised for everything that had happened.
For my part in cursing him.
I followed Sarah to the infirmary and waited patiently as she set up the spell, which involved setting up various runes and lighting candles around the room in an odd, disjointed pattern.
It was strange, most spells liked symmetry, but this haphazard arrangement.
“You’re trying to stabilise the spell,” I said as I remembered the arrangement from Maria Brown’s book. “The spell is keeping him trapped because he’s the last component to it and it needs him to stay stable, so you’re stabilising it without him before undoing it.”
Sarah turned to me with a frown before sighing. “Of course, Maria was tutoring you, wasn’t she?” She shook her head. “I should have probably asked you for help earlier. You might have helped come to this break-through earlier. But yes, I need to stabilise the spell first, and then I should be able to shut it down without risking any harm to Aaron.
“Do you want to help me with the spell? The more power we use to stabilise the spell, the less likely it is to want to cling to Aaron. And then I’ll need that same power to undo it.”
I nodded as Sarah finished her work and then picked up a notebook and handed it to me.
“There, it’s that incantation.”
She pointed to the words, but I frowned, unable to read them.
“Oh, sorry. Doctor’s handwriting,” she said with a shrug before taking a pen and rewriting the incantation in print. “I don’t usually cast verbally, will you be fine to follow along anyway?”
I nodded. “Yeah, I don’t like casting verbally, either.”
“All right, then on the count of three, think of the incantation and that should tie us into the spell. Then we need to stabilise the missing strands.” She indicated across the room, drawing lines in the air to where other candles would have needed to be placed to make the set-up balanced. “I’ll place the remaining candles if you focus on powering the spell, okay?”
I nodded once more as I took my wand from my pocket and re-read the incantation over and over again, determined to get it right.
“One… two… three.”
On the count of three, I thought the words and immediately dropped the notebook as the magic in the room hit me like I was a lightning rod, desperately searching for the missing parts it needed to stabilise.
Sarah moved over to the missing places, lighting a candle in each spot.
With each flame, I pushed back against the spell with my own magic, gripping my wand tight as I coaxed the spell to the flame.
As I did so, the flame shot up into the air, fuelled by my magic.
The spell’s pull on me mellowed as it chased after the flame instead, settling into a more harmonious shape.
The more flames Sarah lit, the more it settled, until eventually, the spell left me entirely, happily flowing through the room without trying to draw on living hosts.
I gasped as the spell left me, gripping the edge of Mr Stiles’ bed as a wave of exhaustion almost knocked me off my feet.
“Hold on, Amelia,” Sarah said as she made her way back over to me. “This spell won’t let him go completely until we undo it.”
“And how do we do that?”
“If we extinguish the flames all at once, it should shut the spell down too quickly, robbing it of the power it needs to find a new host to draw on.”
“Right. I can do that.”
I didn’t have to think about it much, the exhaustion shutting down my ability to think straight and letting something else, something more primal, in.
I snapped my wand-less hand into a fist and a gust of air shot through the room, extinguishing every flame at once.
About the Author Some say she’s an ancient creature of nightmare that was unleashed from beneath the ocean, come to devour the souls of men. Others say that she’s a cosmic being from the beyond the stars that has taken corporeal form to learn our ways for some unknown end…
In truth, L.C. Mawson lives in a tower in the middle of a haunted forest, far from civilisation and is definitely (probably?) not a witch who curses those who trespass upon her land. And she definitely cannot turn into a dragon that flies over cities in the dead of night and whose cries are often mistaken for an approaching storm. Where did you hear that? That’s absurd…
The only contact she has with humanity is publishing a book once a month, which is definitely just for fun and not part of an ancient contract with a trickster god..
Welcome to the blog tour for TEN SECONDS TO DEAD, a stand-alone adult thriller, by L.A. Clayton. See below for information on the book, buy links, an exclusive excerpt, and details on her giveaway.
Kate Edison witnesses her father’s death and, in order to keep his memory alive, decides to follow in his footsteps by joining the CIA. She molds herself into becoming exactly what the CIA is looking for—and captures their interest, both personally and professionally. But before she can finish the CIA process, Kate is offered a position as an espionage agent in another highly secretive government agency, which she accepts.
While completing her agency training, Kate is catapulted into a shadowy world where wealth and power are the ultimate goal, and those in charge will stop at nothing to get it. While on the job, Kate uncovers secrets that, if revealed, would cost her life, but if kept, could bring down a nation. Isolated and unsure of who to trust, she brings in a fellow agent, but pulling him into the web of conspiracy and lies puts a target on both their backs – and it will take every skill they’ve ever learned as agents to stay alive long enough to stop the enemy no one else can see.
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Excerpt #1 “Ms. Edison, this is Officer Lyon.”
This was it. All my hard work, all the hours of studying—all the sacrifice came down to this moment. This phone call.
“I appreciate the opportunity, Officer Lyon,” I said, nervousness swirling in my belly. The phone in my hand felt big and heavy. I was sitting on my old bed, in the room I’d grown up in. The call needed to be made over a landline, and the best option was at my mom’s house. Though, if my mom had known what call this really was, she would have kicked me out of her house and slammed the door.
The room hadn’t changed much. My desk, where I had spent so much time, was still across from my bed, my old and likely useless computer still perched on top. The maps that showed the origins of all the languages I had intended to learn—marked with different-colored pushpins—still covered the wall above my desk. The same funny-nerdy science posters still flanked the maps. One read, “YOU MATTER. Until you multiply yourself times the speed of light squared. THEN YOU ENERGY.” That one still made me smile. Remnants of the sticky-sweet perfume I had used in my youth, in quantities far too large, still hung in the air.
Officer Lyon was all business. “This will be your first official interview with the Central Intelligence Agency. I must advise you that this call will be recorded, as well as all future calls, interviews, and interactions with the CIA throughout your interview process with us, however long that may be. This will likely be our most casual interview, so relax and answer the questions naturally. Please state your full name.”
I cleared my throat. “Katherine Elaine Edison. But please, call me Kate.”
“Ms. Edison.”
Right. I should have assumed formality would be important here. Mistake number one, check. That would be my last.
“I am curious to know if you have any notion as to why the CIA is interested in you.”
I didn’t mind talking about my accomplishments—I worked hard, after all—but I didn’t want to come off sounding self-important either. I thought through my words carefully. “Well, I speak several languages and graduated at the top of my class in both my undergrad and law school. I assume that has something to do with it.” I could have also mentioned that those schools were Ivy League, that my double major in international law and diplomacy and in journalism were both preferred programs at the CIA, and that I didn’t just graduate at the top of my class—I was the top of my class, as in the number-one student. But I assumed he already knew all of that and that it was how I had landed the interview in the first place.
If I came off sounding pompous, Officer Lyon didn’t react. “Those are all likely things that did add to your qualifications. What exactly do you think we do here in the CIA?”
Again, an answer I had to think about carefully. “I am aware that there are many different positions within the CIA: analytics, language, science, engineering, and technological positions, to name a few. Also, of course, directorate of operations.”
The last one—directorate of operations—was where I wanted to be. Where I was meant to be. Where my dad had been. The clandestine service of the CIA. This was my goal.
“Of course … the spies. I should tell you that if this is an area of interest for you, you will have to get in line,” Officer Lyon said. Derisiveness dripped from his words.
I wasn’t sure if he was trying to discourage me or motivate me with that comment. But I definitely felt the latter. I had worked hard for this opportunity. I kept myself out of trouble—not too hard a task when a person’s studies took up all of the daylight the sun had to offer and then some—and I was careful to only keep up friendships with people who also valued education and abiding by the law. I was always the girl who chose her studies over parties. When my friends were in need of a break from the monotony of school, they would go the beach for a weekend. While they were gone I cherished the quiet, taking the time to study harder. I never found school monotonous; I craved learning.
Officer Lyon asked questions for another thirty minutes. Then, before hanging up, he scheduled a face-to-face interview with me for the following week and recommended a book for me to read beforehand.
I smiled. I knew the book. I’d read it years ago.
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Author L.A. Clayton
About the Author
L.A. Clayton has been an avid reader her entire life, devouring books at an alarming rate. Her husband often jokes that if she didn’t buy so many books they could retire. She went to bed one night a reader and woke up with a fresh memory of a dream she’d had the night before, sat down and became a writer.
L.A. Clayton lives in St. Louis, MO with her husband and their four young children. She makes time for writing in between wiping noses and packing lunches.
RUNNING FOR OUR LIVES, A Story of Faith, Politics, and the Common Good by Robb Ryerse
Synopsis Empowered by the Brand New Congress initiative in 2018, evangelical pastor and progressive Republican Robb Ryerse embarked on a long-shot, grassroots congressional campaign against Steve Womack, one of the most powerful Republican incumbents in Washington, DC. After he ultimately lost his race, Ryerse worked with the Vote Common Good campaign, traveling across the United States to help turn Congress blue.
Throughout his political journey, Ryerse gained new insights on the relationship between religion and politics in America today, the dynamics of our deep partisan divide, and the power of faithful people working for the common good. Running for Our Lives is the honest and authentic story of how one pastor tried to make a difference. Through all the joys and struggles of daring to make a stand, Ryerse shares what he’s learned about how our political identities shape us, what the role of government has in helping to meet peoples needs, and how others can get involved in politics as an expression of progressive faith.
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My Review When I saw this title on NetGalley, I was sure it was something I wanted to read. What I didn’t know was if it would infuriate me, give me hope, or change my views. But after finally deciding to request it, I’m happy to report that it did all three. I’m a strong believer in a solid wall between church and state. The state shouldn’t be telling religious institutions how to worship and religious institutions shouldn’t be trying to tell the American people how to live. I didn’t know anything about author, Robb Ryerse, before starting this book, but I soon learned he’s a pastor in Arkansas who ran to unseat the incumbent congressman from his district. I wasn’t sure if he was going to try to convert me to his way of thinking regarding the intersection of politics and faith, but I went into it with an open mind. No one is going to convert me to their religious beliefs at this point in my life, but I was willing to entertain different ideas on how elected officials and the faithful can best serve their country without sacrificing their beliefs.
RUNNING FOR OUR LIVES is about a lot of things. It’s about how politics work in America (hint, it’s seriously broken), how many of the American faithful have embraced an immoral president in the name of Jesus, and how people of faith can put their beliefs in action without trampling on the rights of others to believe something differently. I found this book refreshing. Having been raised Catholic, Robb and I have had very different religious upbringings, and yet we oddly have similar ideas when it comes to the teachings of Jesus. Nowhere does Jesus say that we should blame the poor for their circumstances. Nor did he ever say to turn a blind eye to the suffering of others if it mean less financial security for you. Yet I see these ideas being shared by Christians. That, “If only those people would do what I did, they wouldn’t be poor.” Or “We can’t help everyone.” I get it. We can’t necessarily help everyone, but we also shouldn’t, as a nation, make life harder for people in their own countries with our policies. But that is exactly what happens when our president rails about trade deficits with countries like Mexico. Mexico has a population of less than half of the United States and a GDP per capita of just $9,670 vs. our $62,794. It is unconscionable to expect a nation of impoverished citizens to buy the same amount of US products as we do from them. It is also very unchristian. Nowhere will you find Jesus demanding the poor buy more of your products in order for you to buy more of theirs. That is not how Christianity works.
I was pleasantly surprised to learn that Robb is my kind of Christian. Someone who really gets that Christianity is not about getting rich, or even ensuring your are comfortable enough before you help the less fortunate. I also completely understand the argument that Jesus wasn’t talking about government. He was talking about people. But people have let down the poor over and over and over again. When that happens, governments have the duty to ensure no one falls through the cracks as part of ensuring the common good. If people would step up and do what’s right, government wouldn’t need to. To ignore the crisis at our southern border because they aren’t Americans is a grievous sin in my opinion.
Once I realized Robb saw human suffering the same way I did, I was even more willing to really hear what he had to say. I highlighted more passages in his book than any other I’ve ever read. The following are some of my favorites:
Could we as potential candidates for Congress demonstrate that people are more important than party?
I’m so tired of both major political parties putting their party loyalty above their duty to their constituents, those who elected them to office in the first place. But we see it time and time again. It’s one of the biggest reasons people hate government. We feel as if government works for itself, but not for us. What is surprising about this is that most people think their own particular elected officials are generally doing a good job, but it’s those “other” guys who are messing it up. Which is why incumbents have such a high rate of reelection. I loved that Robb really got it and that he was determined to do whatever little part he could to right that enormous wrong.
Those who are cynical about American politics are convinced that the tribalism of the two-party system can’t be overcome. They frequently complain that their elected officials won’t cross the aisle to compromise. But how can we expect our leaders to put people ahead of party if we’re unwilling to do it first?
This is another paragraph that really stuck with me. I’ve been guilty as much of anyone of believing that I’m right. Because if I didn’t think I was right about an issue, I would be searching for what WAS right. And even if I think I’m right, I also know that nothing good ever comes from forcing my opinions onto others. We ping pong back and forth between liberal and conservative policies, depending on who is in the White House, giving the country whiplash. But if we stopped trying to make everyone bend to our will and realize that compromise is a beautiful word, not a curse, everyone could get a little of what they wanted, but no one would get everything they want. It means our country will change gradually, even if a big overhaul is what many of us believe is needed. But these gradual changes are more likely to be lasting changes that can be built upon over time.
The twenty-four hour news cycle means that each and every minute of airtime has to be filled in a way that drives ratings among people who already know the news. For this reason, sensationalized stories that feed the public’s appetite for entertainment and draw the largest audience get more play than substantive stories.
He precedes this statement by mentioning that everyone walks around with a handheld computer in their pocket, pushing news headlines constantly to our attention. So if we read that Bernie Sanders suspended his campaign in five different news stories on our phones, when we tune into the news later, we don’t want to see what we already know. So the cable news channels look for that angle, the something different they think will appeal to their viewers. For Fox News it may be how the DNC orchestrated once again, a scenario to allow the establishment candidate to win the nomination. But CNN may start speculating on who Biden’s running mate may be, and MSNBC may run with the ideas that Bernie brought to the table and how they changed the conversation within the Democratic party. All of which leads to Americans, understandably so, believing the cable new stations are biased. I think it’s far less about the stations being biased and more that their viewers are biased and they know it. They want to appeal to their viewers, even if it means slanting a story a certain way. In most cases, the media gets the facts right. Not always, but more often than not. Where bias comes in is how they present those facts, and of course, the salacious punditry, speculating on everything and anything when additional facts are not available.
I started to refer to myself as an “Eisenhower Republican,” because I wanted people to recognize that I was not trying to do something that had never been done. I was trying to stand on the shoulders of other Republican leaders who fought for progressive ideas.
Robb ran as a “progressive” republican. Many people on the campaign trail asked him why he was running as a republican, if he was a progressive, and not as a democrat. He had to explain time and again that his ideas were the same ideas of republican presidents of the past. The party has shifted from what it once was, but that doesn’t mean Robb wants to abandon the party of Eisenhower and Reagan. Rather, he wants to bring the party back to what it once was. I found that refreshing, particularly with so many republicans allowing their party to be hijacked by nationalism and protectionist policies.
Blaming social media and cable news networks for this division is easy, but assigning blame doesn’t help us move beyond it.
He’s so right. We often look at how divided this nation is right now and point to Twitter and Facebook, which have made it easy to spread false information and to attack people for holding views different from ours from the safety of our keyboards. These platforms allow us to shut off our phone if we don’t like the ugliness we started with our harsh words. But saying that the cable news channels who pander to their viewers’ beliefs or the internet for making it easy for us to find our echo chambers, doesn’t help us do anything about it, unless we’re ready to give up cable news and computers. Instead, he offers his own thoughts on how to move ahead as a more civil society. His background as a pastor provides him with a different worldview than mine and gave me a lot to think about.
Jesus said that the greatest commandment is to love God and others as we love ourselves. This is not two commandments, but one, a unified vision of love. It is recognizing that when we love others, we love God. When we feed the hungry, visit the incarcerated, welcome the stranger, and care for the sick, we are serving not just other people but Jesus himself. … In fact, maybe the most loving thing I can do when I enter the voting booth is to cast my ballot not for my own interests but for the common good.
This may have be the single most powerful few paragraphs in the book. Here is where he really breaks down his views on how religion and politics should mix. How faith can influence our vote, but not in the way I’ve always assumed. I always thought that Christians voted for other Christians, assuming they would bring about Christian policies. But it goes much deeper than that in Robb’s view and I found myself nodding throughout this chapter.
Until our campaign finance system is revamped, the best–and I believe only–hope we have for significant and needed change in Washington is working Americans supporting grassroots candidates with acupunctural interventions of small-dollar donations.
This is where the book infuriated me. Robb talks about how campaign financing works and how much it costs JUST to get your name on ballot to run. He also explains how, with big money donors, once elected, incumbents are tasked with making fundraising calls by their respective parties, eating up large chunks of their day. Time they are not spending working for the people who elected them. I know money in politics is a problem, but Robb’s inside information on the workings of elected officials in congress was mind-numbingly maddening. This is not what we send them to Washington to do. Also, if they need this money to get re-elected, where do their loyalties lie? Ryerse provides concrete examples of how this plays out, and trust me, none of it is good for average Americans.
This was an incredibly fast and engrossing read and I highly recommend it to anyone who has an interest in understanding politics in this country. You do not need to be a republican to appreciate it. You do not need to be a progressive of any party to understand what’s at stake. And you do not need to be a Christian to find something deeply satisfying to take away from this book.
Bottom Line An eye-opening, stunning look at American politics from an outsider’s point of view.
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About the Book
Title: RUNNING FOR OUR LIVES, A Story of Faith, Politics, and the Common Good Authors: Robb Ryerse Publisher: Westminster John Knox Press Publication Date: February 18, 2020 Pages: 179 Category: Politics/Religion/American Elections Rating: 5 out of 5 Stars Links: Goodreads | Amazon | Amazon UK | Amazon CA | Amazon AU | Amazon DE | Amazon IT |Amazon FR | Barnes & Noble | Publisher
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Author Robb Ryerse
About the Author Robb is the copastor of Vintage Fellowship, a progressive evangelical church in Fayetteville Arkansas. He serves as the Executive Director of Brand New Congress and the Political Director of Vote Common Good. In 2018, Robb ran for United State Congress in the Republican primary in Arkansas’ 3rd Congressional District.
He lives in Northwest Arkansas with his wife Vanessa and four children.
Robb is a graduate of Mission Seminary in Philadelphia PA and Clarks Summit University in Clarks Summit PA.
He is the author of Running For Our Lives: A Story of Faith, Politics and the Common Good and Fundamorphosis: How I Left Fundamentalism But Didn’t Lose My Faith..
Welcome to the blog tour for THROWBACK, a stand-alone adult contemporary romance by Zeia Jameson. See below for information on the book, buy links, an exclusive excerpt, and details on her giveaway.
Synopsis Dallas August runs a dangerous business—an organization of elite spies for hire.
The secrets trade.
Nothing is off limits, and no price is too high.
When asked to uncover what recluse Gwen Marsh knows about a Mafia kingpin’s death, Dallas poses as a bodyguard to get close to his target, but the stubborn Asian beauty wants nothing to do with him. As the FBI and the Mafia close in, danger drives them together, but can he protect Gwen, or will Dallas be the one risking everything to discover what she is really hiding?
Dallas August is about to find out how dangerous life can be as one of the Secret Brokers.
Once you are in, there is no turning back.
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Excerpt #1 JEREMY She’s fucking with me again and trying to make me squirm. She’s using confrontation as an intimidation mechanism, and I feel like she’s testing me to see if I’ll forcibly deny that I was checking her out or own up to my automatic masculine tendencies.
I feel like if I’m going to have any chance of getting her number—hell, even her name at this point—I should choose option B.
I look her square in the face and give her a good, confident smile. “Actually, I did.”
Looking at her eyes, I notice the sinister quality is fleeing and being replaced with slight surprise and a hint of satisfaction. “Hmm. A guy who admits he was checking out the goods. I like that.”
“Well, I didn’t figure you’d be wearing those jeans if you didn’t want people taking a peek.” I decide to go for a little teasing of my own. “And as long as I’m being honest, you know what else I checked out?”
She looks at me just like I thought she would. Like she knows I’m going to say her boobs. Or rack. Or tits. Or whatever other off-color term you could use to describe breasts. The smile leaves her face, and she gives me a look of disappointment. I admire that even though she is let down, she still locks eyes with me, awaiting my response. It makes me wonder if she’s had this exact same conversation countless times before. She gave me a little honesty, and she thinks I’m about to take advantage of that vulnerability.
How the fuck can I tell all of this about her just by looking at her face?
She leans into the bar and gets closer to my face. At the V of her shirt, the fabric loses connection with her skin, and if I were looking in that direction, I’d probably be able to get a great view of what was hidden underneath. But my eyes do not leave hers. “Yeah, what’s that, stud?” she says in a monotone but enunciates the d in the word stud, nearly making it its own syllable. She’s indicating that I need to choose my next words wisely.
I wait before I answer and stare at her for a few seconds. She looks so sad, like she wanted me to be different. There was a small glimmer of hope in her face before, and now it’s been extinguished.
I want to reignite it.
Here goes nothing.
“Your eyes,” I finally say. And, as I assumed, that takes her by surprise. But her reaction is hardly noticeable. I only see the minor adjustment of her face. Her eyes widen ever so slightly, and there is just the tiniest bit of a grin on the left side of her lips. But the best part is that I see the hope again.
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Author Zeia Jameson
About the Author Zeia Jameson’s passion for writing compels her to get into the zone and type until her fingers go numb. When not submerged within her own stories, she enjoys curling up in her large reading chair, snuggling underneath a blanket, and feeding her addictions of coffee and reading. She is fond of humor and laughter and believes these are elements that keep the world sane and spinning.
Zeia lives in Georgia with her husband and daughter, where they spend most of their time exploring recipes, bingeing on Netflix, and traveling as much as possible.
Welcome to the blog tour for THUNDERSTORM, the third book in the adult contemporary romance seres, The Perfect Storm, by Susana Mohel. See below for the cover, information on the book and series, preorder links, an exclusive teaser, and a link to add it to your Goodreads TBR.
THUNDERSTORM (The Perfect Storm #3) by Susana Mohel
About The Book – Read for Free with Kindle Unlimited
Title: THUNDERSTORM Series: The Perfect Storm #3 Author: Susana Mohel Genre: Adult Contemporary Romance Release Date: April 9, 2020 Links:Goodreads | Amazon | Amazon UK | Amazon CA | Amazon AU | Amazon DE | Amazon IT | Amazon FR
Synopsis Adrik Houston means nothing but trouble. I’ve spent years building my career, and I’m not about to let him push me away from the goal I’ve set for my future. I don’t care if he’s handsome, cocky, and fixated on getting me. On my charts, he’s Lucifer himself filling a panty-melting uniform.
But he doesn’t know how stubborn I can be when my heart is in the line of fire. He’s ready to fight. So am I.
We aren’t a match made in heaven. We’re two energy charged clouds ready to collide.
I’m Jordania Zanetti. In war the winner takes it all, and the battle is about to start.
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Excerpt “I’m dying to taste you,” he whispers seductively.
I’m naked and I don’t care. Right now, all I know is I need this. I’ll have time to think about this later—or to regret it—but for now all I want is something to calm this craving that grows within me and is consuming me.
Adrik lifts me up by the waist, ignoring my cry as I feel the cold countertop under my butt. His fingers caress my folds and I forget everything else. I’m wet and panting, ready for him.
I have imagined this many times, so many that I’ve lost count, but actually experiencing his fingers slipping into my heat far exceeds my expectations.
Adrik takes hold of my thighs and forces them apart so he can stand between them and cover my body with his. Next, his mouth leaves mine, to begin drawing a burning road southwards.
His fingers take care of my nipples, while he kisses my belly, playing with my navel. My hands fly to his head, wanting to press him closer to me, trying in vain to pull on his short cropped hair.
His tongue continues to travel, drawing maps around my body until it finally reaches the sweet place that impatiently awaits his attention.
“Adrik,” I cry out when I finally feel his mouth there.
His fingers join in the action, increasing the pressure, the desire.
“You summoned the devil, Jordania, so get ready to meet him,” he says, pulling away from me. I look at him with wild eyes, unable to speak. “You wanted to play with fire, right? So be prepared to get burnt when you find out who I really am.”
Then he straightens up, turns around and leaves, quietly closing the door behind him.
I lie there, unable to process what just happened.
Damn you, Adrik Houston.
I need to get you out of my system as soon as I possibly can.
Thank God Saturday is nearly here, because I need to get drunk.
About the Author Author, wife, and mother of a girl and a puppy. I love the happily ever after. Believer & dreamer. I live in my own world, sipping Ginger Ale and lime. I’m always plotting my next book, coloring pages, and reading.
