Welcome to the blog tour for JUST A LITTLE BET,the second book in the adult contemporary romantic comedy series, Where There’s Smoke, by USA Today bestselling author, Tawna Fenske. See below for information on the book and series, buy links, and an exclusive excerpt.
JUST A LITTLE BET (Where There’s Smoke Series #2) by Tawna Fenske
After a night of too many drinks, smokejumper Tony Warren and his best friend, photographer Kayla Gladney, come to the realization that they’re both bad at love. They even tried dating each other, but that crashed and burned, too. Now he’s got the hangover from hell and the certain conclusion he’s just a shit boyfriend. But Kayla thinks he’s a straight-up commitment-phobe.
So they make a bet—they’re going to hunt down his exes and decide once and for all why he’s so unlucky in love. Terrible boyfriend or commitment-phobe. Why does either answer feel like he’s still losing?
But between roadside burgers and late night detours, they discover some fires never burn out—like the one slowly smoldering between them. And suddenly losing feels a whole lot like winning again.
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Excerpt #1 He cleared his throat. “Got any plans today?”
“I need a shower, and then some errands. There’s this book I started reading, the one my sister sent me, and actually—” She paused, and Tony seized the chance to grab the water glass again. God, he was parched. “Actually,” she continued. “I’ve been thinking about my situation and your situation and how similar they are. I never thought so before, but after what you said last night—”
“What did I say?” He chugged more water, hopeful some hydration would wash his memory back into focus.
“You want to get married.”
Tony choked on his water, spattering the soft peach duvet all the way to the foot of the bed. He coughed and heaved, waving Kayla off as she jumped to her feet and made a grab for him.
“I’m fine. I’m fine,” he wheezed. “Don’t give me the Heimlich.”
She sat back on the edge of the bed with a worried look. “Are you okay?”
Eyes watering, he set the empty glass on the nightstand. “What exactly happened last night? Did I propose to you or—”
“What? Oh, God—no!” Kayla laughed, bouncing on the edge of the bed. “I’m so sorry. I should have phrased that better.”
Still fighting to catch his breath, Tony set his glass on the nightstand. He should definitely be wearing pants for this. And putting some distance between him and Kayla’s spandex-clad breasts.
“What the hell did I say?” He flung off the covers and hoisted himself from the opposite edge of the bed. “Marriage? Did I say something about getting married?”
“You did.” She tipped her head to the side. “Are you telling me it was the cinnamon whisky talking?”
“That depends on what I said.” He bent down and picked up his jeans, straightening just in time to catch her eyes on his ass. At least he wasn’t the only one appreciating his best friend’s form.
She grinned as he buttoned up his fly. “You told me you’ve always wanted the wife and kids and family and the whole mess.”
“I don’t. Absolutely, I do not.” He didn’t, right?
“Whatever.” She waved a hand like that wasn’t the point, but wasn’t it? “Look, whether you want to get married someday or not, the fact remains that you can’t seem to keep a relationship for more than a few weeks. Don’t you want to figure out why?”
“Not particularly.” Only…maybe he did? “Look, I’m just bad at relationships.”
“Right, but why?” She tucked a few strands of hair behind her ear and smiled. “The book my sister sent—it’s a self-help book called Go Get It! The Life You Want, The Love You Need, and it got me thinking about relationship stuff and my issues and your issues and—”
“I have issues now?”
She rolled her eyes. “Of course you have issues. Commitment issues. Duh.”
She said it like the fact was obvious, but Tony wasn’t so sure. “Maybe I’m just a shitty boyfriend.”
“As someone who dated you for a brief window of time, I beg to differ.” She folded her arms over her chest. “In fact, I’d make a wager.”
Tony scrubbed a hand through his hair and wished he had a toothbrush. “Isn’t it a little early in the morning for making bets? The last bet you made ended with me drinking way too much cinnamon whisky.”
She shrugged, unfazed by his grouchy bullshit. One of countless reasons she was such a good friend. “You know how we talked about you joining me on this road trip?”
“Yeah,” he said slowly, struggling to keep up. “It’d be cool to see some of those old fire zones again.” Plus he’d be there to watch out for her, something he’d never in a million years admit to a woman who took pride in being self-reliant. “I do love road trips.”
“Right, so here’s the idea: What if you really did come with me? I take my photos, you give me your insights about the fires, and we make it our mission to settle a bet along the way.”
He eyed her. “What is this bet, exactly?”
“A bet about the reason you’ve got no relationship sticking power.”
“I’m not seeing the connection.” It was possible he’d pickled his brain.
Kayla just smiled. “I get to pick the forests I’m photographing for this thing. And I was thinking how so many of your exes are near the sites of old fires.”
“Not all of them,” he muttered, feeling more than a little called out. “I’ve dated plenty of women around here.”
“Right, but there are tons to pick from near fire zones. Your college girlfriend outside Boise—or what about that professor up in Washington? Or flings from your years as a Hotshot, like that preschool teacher or the one who got married last year. Heck, Becca even has a piece of the puzzle.”
He blinked at her. “How do you remember all my exes?” They’d talked about it, sure, but he never realized she was paying so much attention.
She ignored the question as she smoothed her hands down her spandex-clad thighs. “You’re erecting all these barricades, walling yourself off as a means of self-protection, but—”
“What language are you speaking right now?” She sounded like a damn self-help book. Probably the one she’d been reading. “And why is this all about me?”
“Fair point,” she agreed. “I’ve got work to do, too. That’s exactly why it makes sense for us to team up on this. On figuring out our shit.”
“Maybe I like my shit the way it is.” Only he kinda didn’t.
She knew it, too. He could tell by how she looked at him and softened her voice just a little. “You’re so convinced you’re just a bad boyfriend,” she said. “And maybe that’s true. Or maybe you’ve got commitment issues you need to address. That’s my theory. Either way, all those women have the answers.”
“So what’s your idea? We’d just—interrogate my exes or something?”
“Not that, exactly. It’s a work trip, so obviously most of our time would be spent checking out the forests and taking pictures and driving. But what if we met up with some old girlfriends along the way? A casual lunch here and there, and maybe we just happen to probe a little to find out where they think things went wrong between you.”
He stared at her, hardly believing his ears. Maybe he was still drunk. “And you’re thinking they’ll just—what? Open up and give me all this insight into why I’m a bad boyfriend? Why would they do that?”
“Are you kidding?” She laughed. “What woman wouldn’t want a chance to tell a guy how he screwed up?”
About the Author When Tawna Fenske finished her English lit degree at 22, she celebrated by filling a giant trash bag full of romance novels and dragging it everywhere until she’d read them all. Now she’s a RITA Award finalist, USA Today bestselling author who writes humorous fiction, risqué romance, and heartwarming love stories with a quirky twist. Publishers Weekly has praised Tawna’s offbeat romances with multiple starred reviews and noted, “There’s something wonderfully relaxing about being immersed in a story filled with over-the-top characters in undeniably relatable situations. Heartache and humor go hand in hand.”
Tawna lives in Bend, Oregon, with her husband, stepkids, and a menagerie of ill-behaved pets. She loves hiking, snowshoeing, standup paddleboarding, and inventing excuses to sip wine on her back porch. She can peel a banana with her toes and loses an average of twenty pairs of eyeglasses per year. To find out more about Tawna and her books, visit www.tawnafenske.com..
Welcome to the book blitz for A CASE FOR THE TOY MAKER, the third book in the adult cozy mystery series, Ainsley McGregor, by Candace Havens. See below for the for information on the book and series, buy links, an exclusive excerpt, and details on her giveaway.
A CASE FOR THE TOY MAKER, the third book in the adult cozy mystery series, Ainsley McGregor, by Candace Havens
It’s Christmas in Sweet River, Texas, and the whole town is feeling festive apart from Ainsley McGregor. Ainsley has never enjoyed the holidays and would rather ignore them, but with her shop Bless Your Art busier than ever and filled with happy shoppers, even she’s feeling some Christmas spirit. That is, until her Great Dane, George Clooney, sniffs out a dead body in the Santa House at the Christmas Festival.
When one of her favorite crafters becomes the prime suspect, Ainsley is determined to prove his innocence. The case is full of so many twists and turns that even Ainsley begins to fear the truth. Is she protecting a killer?
With help from her friends and some extremely nosey townsfolk, Ainsley and her dog hurry to find the truth––as long as they can outwit and outrun the killer first. Otherwise, this Christmas might just be her last.
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Excerpt #3 “I have a job for you as well.”
Wait. My brother was asking for my help?
The apocalypse is nigh.
“Two things… We have someone who is stealing Christmas decorations from homes and store displays. I need you to keep an eye out.”
“The Christmas thief?”
He nodded. “Probably some kids pulling pranks, but you know how this town feels about its decorations. Just let me know if you see or hear anything.”
“What have they taken so far?”
He flipped open a file on his desk. “A wreath, a small animatronic Santa and a few dozen strings of lights.” “That’s crazy. Who would do that?”
“I have no idea, which is why I need your help. The town leaders are up in arms, even though the grand total of the stolen goods is less than a hundred dollars.
“And then the other thing, and I want you to be careful with this one—as head of the festival committee, I was wondering if you could stop by the vendor booths. Maybe introduce yourself, and see if you hear anything about Davy. Don’t get too nosy asking questions. Just chat with them, and then let me know if you see or hear anything suspicious. Do not get into trouble.”
“Gregory McGregor, are you asking me to snoop? I’m pretty sure hell just froze over.”
He snickered. “You’re going to do it anyway. Just be careful. Don’t ask too many questions. As much as I hate to admit it, you do have sense for finding killers. Unfortunately, not always before they find you. It’s about being careful.”
“Got it.”
I had permission to do my favorite thing.
Would it be as much fun?
Yep. I’m embarrassed to say I hadn’t been that excited in a very long time.
There were many people working the festival and one of them might be a killer.
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Author Candace Havens
About the Author Bestselling author Candace Havens has written more than 35 novels. She has won the Holt Medallion and her books have received nominations for the RITA’s and Write Touch Reader Awards. She is the author of the biography Joss Whedon: The Genius Behind Buffy and a contributor to several anthologies. She is also one of the nation’s leading entertainment journalists and has interviewed countless celebrities including Tom Hanks, Nicolas Cage, Tom Cruise, George Clooney and many more. Candace also runs a free online writing workshop for more than 2000 writers and teaches comprehensive writing classes. She does film reviews for Hawkeye in the morning on 96.3 KSCS, and is a former President of the Television Critics Association.
Welcome to the blog tour for THE CHRISTMAS SPIRIT, a stand-alone adult contemporary holiday romance, by Alexandrea Weis. See for information on the book, buy links, an exclusive excerpt, and details on her giveaway.
THE CHRISTMAS SPIRIT by Alexandrea Weis
About the Book – Read for Free with Kindle Unlimited Title: THE CHRISTMAS SPIRIT Author: Alexandrea Weis Publisher: Rosewind Books Release Date: October 27, 2020 Genre: Adult Contemporary Holiday Romance Links:Goodreads | Amazon | Amazon UK | Amazon CA | Amazon AU | Amazon DE | Amazon IT | Amazon FR
Synopsis SOMETIMES IT TAKES ONE BROKEN HEART TO HEAL ANOTHER.
Courtney Winston is a writer on a deadline. Eager to finish her book and get over a recent break-up, she ditches Christmas with her family and retreats to a secluded cabin in the mountains.
Appliances rarely work, and cell service is spotty, but Courtney senses there is more to her rustic rental—something dark and haunting.
Then Peter, the attractive Stone Mountain Lodge owner, and a meddling cook, Mrs. Finn, keep coming around, shattering her peace and offering advice on how to fix her heavy heart.
Courtney grows closer to Peter, but Mrs. Finn warns her of his troubled past. Undaunted, Courtney sets out to win him over. But being with the brooding stranger may end up costing her more than she ever imagined.
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Excerpt She spotted the bridge and decided crossing it would be faster than fighting the ice. Courtney headed toward the arched structure, wishing she had never come with Peter to the magical place.
She stepped over clumps of brush along the shoreline, her boots sinking into thick patches of snow as she hurried to reach the bridge.
The stonework on the steps was like the mantle in the cabin. The same attention to detail reminded her of Peter. Even when he chopped wood, he had to make everything precise.
Her glove brushed the smooth surface of the wooden railing, wondering how many hours the two young men spent building the bridge. That Peter’s beautiful remembrance of his life with his brother should be hidden away in the woods made her sad. If only others could see what they had done.
Then a funny indentation in the railing stopped her cold.
She rubbed the surface, not sure if the imperfection was intentional or just a play of light on the dark wood.
A portion of the railing had been expertly carved away, leaving a name raised in the wood like a bas-relief. The letters were swirled and decorative. This was professional, even, and expertly done. It wasn’t the work of a lovesick schoolboy, but a man who worshipped the woman whose name he’d forever attached to the bridge—Evelyn.
Courtney’s knees became weak as she traced the name she had no doubt Peter etched there. The love he’d borne for the woman became painfully clear.
Her heart grieved, sinking like an anvil in her chest. No one would carve her name into anything, or pine for her after she went off with another. She wasn’t the kind of woman who lived fairy tales. She only read about them in books.
“You found it.”
He was in the middle of the bridge, a few feet away. So caught up in the testament of one man’s love, Courtney had not heard Peter’s heavy boots or felt the bridge tremble under his weight.
“When did you do this?”
He swung his hands behind his back. “What makes you think it was me?”
She glanced at him and tipped her head. “I didn’t realize how much you loved her.”
The thin line was back on his lips. “Neither did she. I carved this right after she married Lawrence.”
She tapped the carving with her hand. “Has she ever seen this?”
“No. She never came here.”
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Author Alexandrea Weis
About the Author Alexandrea Weis, RN-CS, PhD, is a multi-award-winning author, screenwriter, advanced practice registered nurse, and historian who was born and raised in the French Quarter of New Orleans. Having grown up in the motion picture industry as the daughter of a director, she learned to tell stories from a different perspective. Infusing the rich tapestry of her hometown into her novels, she believes that creating vivid characters makes a story moving and memorable.
Weis writes romance, mystery, suspense, thrillers, supernatural, and young adult fiction and has sold approximately one million books. She lives with her husband and pets in New Orleans where she is a permitted/certified wildlife rehabber with the Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries and rescues orphaned and injured animals.
She is a member of both the International Thriller Writers Association and the Horror Writers Association. www.AlexandreaWeis.com..
Today is release day for HIS DISINCLINED BRIDE, the seventh book in the adult historical regency romance series, Seasons of Change, by Jennie Goutet. See below for information on the book, buy links, and an exclusive excerpt.
HIS DISINCLINED BRIDE (Seasons of Change Series #7) by Jennie Goutet
About the Book – Read for Free with Kindle Unlimited
Title: HIS DISINCLINED BRIDE Series: Seasons of Change Series #7
Author: Jennie Goutet Release Date: October 28, 2020 Genre: Adult Historical Regency Romance Links: Goodreads | Amazon | Amazon UK | Amazon CA | Amazon AU | Amazon DE | Amazon IT | Amazon FR
Synopsis Theirs is not a love match. She’ll make sure of it.
Kitty Stokes never imagined she’d be so weak as to sacrifice herself on the altar of family obligations, but when the only alternative to marriage with Lord Hayworth is to play nursemaid to her brother’s children, Kitty reluctantly agrees. On her wedding day, she’s certain she has made a grave error, but it’s too late to back out.
Phineas Hayworth refrained from setting eyes on his new bride before their wedding day—the price he forced himself to pay for being so mercenary as to wed the sister of a wealthy merchant in a bid to save his estate from ruins. Her beauty, therefore, comes as a shock, as does her icy treatment, which he feels he deserves. He swears an oath he will not approach her for an heir unless the invitation comes from her.
As Phineas sets out to put his estate in order and present his new wife to Society, he finds her more enchanting than he could have hoped for, even in a love match. Kitty continues to hold him at arm’s length, although he suspects her feelings for him run just as deep. As Phineas’s love and desire for his wife grows, the oath he swore her begins to suffocate. It soon becomes clear that while he’d once been prepared to settle for a loveless marriage, he will not abide an unrequited love.
His Disinclined Bride is a sweet/clean regency romance stand-alone novel, book seven in the Seasons of Change series. ♥
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Exclusive Excerpt Phineas saw his soon-to-be wife for the first time when Stokes stepped to the side, and one look was enough to strike him straight through the gut. He swallowed convulsively as if that could clear the heartbeat he could suddenly hear in his ears. His palms started to sweat in his gloves as his eyes followed her to the pew. She had looked regal enough when she walked in, shrouded in a brown cloak—her coloring harmonious with the wood pews and pulpit of the vast church, and her hair catching the light that shone through the stained glass windows and left pretty-colored patterns on the stone floor. But when she removed her cloak and faced him arrayed in an ivory and green dress, her skin radiant, her brown eyes warm, and her hair a mix of red and gold, Phineas’s breath left him. He had expected to make do with whatever wife this agreement brought him. He had not expected to contract an alliance with a woman who would be the envy of every man in the ton. She was incomparable. Miss Stokes met his gaze, her look shrouding any feelings, and her eyes flitted away. She did not smile.
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Author Jennie Goutet
About the Author Jennie Goutet is an American-born Anglophile, who lives with her French husband and their three children in a small town outside Paris. Her imagination resides in Regency England, where her historical romances are set. Jennie is also author of the award-winning memoir, Stars Upside Down, and the modern romances, A Sweetheart in Paris and A Noble Affair.A Christian, a cook, and an inveterate klutz, Jennie writes about faith, food, and life—even the clumsy moments—on herblog, aladyinfrance.com. You can learn more about Jennie and her books on her author website, jenniegoutet.com.
Welcome to the blog tour for BLACK WITCH MAGIC, a stand-alone adult paranormal romance, by Mila Nicks, releasing October 30, 2020. See below for information on the book, pre-order links, an exclusive excerpt, and details on her giveaway.
Synopsis Selene Blackstone spends her days camped out in library corners with her nose glued to books. In a town like Brimrock, where she’s an outcast, she prefers her book friends to her real-life enemies. They’re a lot less judgmental. The rest of town believes she descends from a family of witches—including her evil witch grandma, Luna. In this case, the truth is stranger than fiction. She is a witch, and she’s cursed for all of eternity. Good thing her to-be-read list is pretty long…
Prickly Paranormal Investigator Aiden O’Hare speaks two languages: sarcasm and more sarcasm. He travels the country—and sometimes even the world—investigating strange phenomena with his best friend, Cory. Their investigations bring them to a cozy New England town called Brimrock, home to fabled evil witch Luna Blackstone. Armed with his dry wit, his bibliophilic love for books, and far too much free time, he’s determined to find out just what happened to Luna…
When Aiden meets Selene, he decides he must get to know her. When Selene learns Aiden is in town investigating her grandma, she knows she must stop him. He’s out to expose the truth. She’s out to keep it a secret. Neither expects to fall under each other’s spell, but sometimes love is supernatural.
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Excerpt #3 It was like Noelle read her mind from halfway across town. She video called at that exact moment. Selene rolled her eyes before she answered.
“You didn’t think I was gonna forget, did you?”
“You never do—not where my dating life’s concerned. But I’m glad you called. I almost just put on another pair of jeans.”
Noelle’s eyes twinkled, framed by her thick false lashes. “We’re gonna have you looking fine tonight. Guaranteed. Give me a tour of the closet.”
Selene waved her fingers and her phone drifted on its own toward the racks. The camera hovered over each article of clothing for Noelle’s viewing pleasure. Noelle provided commentary when necessary. Almost all of the items were immediate nays. The one yay was from a studded leather jacket tucked away in the bowels of her closet. Selene snatched the phone out of midair and turned it around to herself.
“Noe, that’s your jacket, remember? You left it here last time you slept over.”
“I thought that looked too cute to be in your closet.” Noelle snorted out a laugh and then caught herself half a second too late. “Errr, I mean…we can build an outfit around that. It’s a real statement piece!”
“I’m not wearing a studded leather jacket,” said Selene, brows raised. “Too Fonz from Happy Days.”
“You’re right. Not your style. Okay, can I look at the back of the closet again? What was that LBD on the last hanger?”
“LBD?”
“Little black dress. That could work!”
Selene waved her fingers and the black A-line frock jumped off the hanger and hung midair in front of the phone’s camera. Noelle hummed her approval.
“You’d look so cute in that! Add some heels and it’s perfect!”
“No dresses. You know I hate showing my thighs.”
“Selly,” said Noelle in exasperation, “you will slay in that dress, do you understand me?”
“It’s supposed to snow tonight.”
“So wear some tights. Take your coat. You’ll be fine.”
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Author Mila Nicks
About the Author Mila Nicks has a thing for romance. Chick lit, chick flicks, you name it, she’s there. She’s all about basking in a quality, well-told love story. It’s why she’s decided to use her passion for writing to pen love stories featuring women of color.
When she’s not engrossed in all things romance, she’s probably out shopping, sampling food off of someone else’s plate, or hanging with her feisty and dangerous pet chihuahua, Zayden.
For more on Mila, including upcoming releases and story freebies, check out her website and subscribe to her newsletter: https://www.milanickswrites.com/
Welcome to the book blitz for SHOPPING FOR A CEO’S BABY, the sixteenth book in the adult romantic comedy series, Shopping for a Billionaire, by New York Times and USA Today bestselling author, Julia Kent. See below for information on the book and series, buy links, an exclusive excerpt, and details on her giveaway.
SHOPPING FOR A CEO’S BABY (Shopping for a Billionaire #16) by Julia Kent
Synopsis It’s Andrew and Amanda’s turn… in duplicate
We’re having twins. Twins. Which means my shooters are stronger than my brother’s. I win. Yeah, yeah, everyone can say it’s not a competition, but it is. And we all know it. Two babies at once means double the fun, and double the misery for my poor wife, Amanda. While I’m growing a Fortune 500 company, she’s growing two entire human beings out of nothing but orange cheese snacks and ice cream.
Do you have any idea how hard I’ve worked during this pregnancy, tracking down orange smoothies for her? Not to mention being forced to Facetime into a childbirth class on perineal massage, rescuing Chuckles the cat from being shaved bald by my two-year-old niece, and fighting with a wife who has named the twins Lefty and Righty. By the time we hit the ninth month, my entire world revolves around pleasing — and protecting — her.
Even if it means humiliating myself in the name of love. Wait a minute. Wait a minute, now. Hold on. Is she the one who’s winning?
Andrew and Amanda are BACK in the newest New York Times bestselling Shopping series book as they “beat” Declan and Shannon in the baby competition, but at what cost? As their future awaits them in the form of twins, Amanda and Andrew face ghosts from the past with wit, humor, and most of all — plenty of love.
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Excerpt #2 Andrew
My wife is orange.
She is caked with orange dust, on her fingers, in her cuticles, and her lips are the color of a traffic cone. She’s in the kitchen, standing in front of the blender, drinking something–
You guessed it.
Orange.
“Mmmmm,” she moans as she drinks straight from the blender itself. “Isss izz soooooo goooo.”
“What are you drinking?”
“Eeeto-eenie.”
“What?”
A swallow later and she says, “Cheeto-cini.” When my sister-in-law, Shannon, was pregnant with my niece, Amanda created a special orange smoothie for her out of Cheetos, marshmallow cream, and orange sherbet.
My wife has modified it to remove the sherbet and replace it with coocnut milk, which does nothing to change the fact that it’s vile to the core.
It’s just slightly less gross now.
“Another one?”
“It’s the only thing that stays down.”
“And the doctor really says this is okay?” I say, staying far away from the blender, knowing how territorial she is about her food. She’s pregnant and still stuck deep in morning sickness.
For the last few weeks, all she’s eaten is this.
Cheeto smoothie.
And nothing else.
“It’s full-fat coconut milk. One big leaf of kale.” She makes a gagging sound. “Apple juice. One banana. And Cheetos. I freeze the fruit and it tastes like a milkshake.”
“Our babies are made up of that.” At least she added the kale, banana, and apple juice this time.
“I choke down a prenatal vitamin, too, Andrew.” Her eyes tear up and her chin quivers.
Damn.
“It’s fine. Good. I’m so glad you can eat something. Really. Not judging you. I know you are doing everything possible for our babies.” I rub the spot between her shoulder blades, hoping I can calm her down before a full-blown meltdown kicks in.
“I am! Everything,” she says before gobbling down more of that candy corn-colored monstrosity. “I’ve lost two pounds. The doctor said the placenta looks fine and the babies are growing within range, but this morning sickness is horrible. If I drink water, I puke! If I drink this–” she points at the blender, “–I don’t.”
“Then by all means, drink that.” I hold back a shudder. My trainer, Vince, would have an unexpected coronary if he saw Cheetos in a Vitamix.
“I–I know I’m not doing this the way another wife would. A better wife. A wife who is stronger and who…” Her lower lip begins to quiver.
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 blog tour for PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE, the first book in the adult romantic suspense series, The Finish Line, by Timarie. See below for information on the book, buy links, and an exclusive excerpt.
PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE (The Finish Line Series #1) by Timarie
Synopsis April 15, 2013, Patriots Day. The city of Boston, and all of the nation, was rocked by a terrorist attack at the historical Boston Marathon finish line. Countless people are affected by this tragedy, including Michael Farino and Ireland “Ilee” Murphy. Neither one of them could have predicted that the act of saving Ilee’s life would lead Michael on a journey of personal discovery, while a decades old war between their rival Boston crime families threatens their happiness and their lives.
Michael and Ilee will have to pledge their allegiances to either their families or each other, but it is not that simple. Passion, secrets, betrayal and a very complicated past are working against Michael and Ilee. Nothing is ever as it seems… Nothing!
The finish line is just their beginning….
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Excerpt #3 I take the seat my father gestured to when I first walked in next to Uncle Enzo. My father begins talking to no one in particular. “I know this has been a fucked-up week for all of us, none more so than Mikey. Thank God, everyone is OK, and we’re now looking ahead.” I am irritated that he’s so short-sighted that what he really means is thank God everyone he cares about is OK, because there are hundreds of people who are still far from OK. “Damian told me about our friend on the Hill and how he wants to take up winter sports with us,” my father says as he holds his finger to the side of his nose mimicking cocaine. He’s referring to Capini. I nod my head. “He also told me that my brilliant son had the idea that should we give him access to winter sports training; having that piece of information could prove to be beneficial, especially since we are going to need his help securing the Seaport District location.”
My stomach drops. Fuck! This is going to be all-out war with Murphy. How the fuck will that go over with Ilee? I know she says she hates her father, and on some level she probably does, but it’s still her father. He’s the only parent she has left, and if our families start going at it how can we possibly make this work? I have to try again to reason with my father. Maybe my uncle can help me get through to him since he is my father’s most trusted adviser.
“Zio, please tell him this is a horrible idea. The dock is not worth the risk to all of our other business dealings or our soldiers if we get into another war.”
Uncle Enzo thinks for a minute and shifts in his chair to look at me. “Michael, at first I agreed with you, but then after looking over what we would be up against with Murphy’s crew, I started to see things differently. They don’t have the soldiers they used to have. Most are dead or in jail. They have maybe 20 people, where we have over a hundred. I don’t think even that fucking harp is stupid enough to wage war with the odds so heavily in our favor.”
I look at my uncle and then my father. “If we were down to 20 soldiers would we ever back down if Murphy and his boys tried to open up a liquor store on Commercial Street or Atlantic Ave.? Fuck no, we wouldn’t. We would never give up an inch to that piece of shit. Murphy is a sick fuck who gets off on things like this. He’ll go balls to the wall to get us out of there. It isn’t worth it in the long run.”
My father sits back and brings his index finger to his lips. “Mikey, you make a lot of good points, but you’re also soft when it comes to the street game. That’s my fault. I want you to bring our good name into the business world legitimately, and you have.” He leans forward on his desk, pinning me with his eyes. “Stay in that world, son. Let us handle the dirty work. There are pieces already in motion.”
I sigh, “So then why tell me anything about it if I’m too soft for you.” I emphasize the word soft.
“Watch yourself or you’ll get a slap,” my father threatens, but I know it’s all talk. I don’t think my father ever put his hands on me in a serious way. “We need you to work with Capini to get this deal done. There’s going to be a lot of red tape, and since we’re helping his activity calendar fill up this winter he should be more than happy to help.” I give a disgusted nod. “Damian will arrange the other thing with our friend and use you to let him know all about the winter activities.”
Fuck, no. “No way, Dad. I want zero involvement in that. I handle the business, remember?”
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Author Timarie
About the Author Timarie was born and raised in East Boston, Massachusetts. To this very day, Timarie still only live a few miles outside of downtown Boston. Since her early teens, Timarie has been a singer/song writer. After university, she continued to work in music, while simultaneously developing her business acumen in the private sector. It wasn’t until shortly after the terrorist attacks at the Boston Marathon finish line, that Timarie’s creative vision for this literary series came into focus.
Timarie continues to work in music, as well as being an active writer. In addition to the books in The Finish Line Series, Timarie has also authored three other books awaiting publication at the time of this printing. It is her hope to show the world that Boston is not just the birthplace of America, but also one of the most diverse, intriguing and culturally rich places in the country. As she always says, “Boston is always a supporting character in all of my books.”
Nothing is more important to Timarie than her family and friends, which includes her beloved Maine Coon, Princess. Timarie is also a fierce advocate for racial, gender and LGBTQ+ equality. She promotes independent thinking and social positivity.
Today is release day for JUST A LITTLE BET,the second book in the adult contemporary romantic comedy series, Where There’s Smoke, by USA Today bestselling author, Tawna Fenske. See below for information on the book and series, buy links, and an exclusive excerpt.
JUST A LITTLE BET (Where There’s Smoke Series #2) by Tawna Fenske
After a night of too many drinks, smokejumper Tony Warren and his best friend, photographer Kayla Gladney, come to the realization that they’re both bad at love. They even tried dating each other, but that crashed and burned, too. Now he’s got the hangover from hell and the certain conclusion he’s just a shit boyfriend. But Kayla thinks he’s a straight-up commitment-phobe.
So they make a bet—they’re going to hunt down his exes and decide once and for all why he’s so unlucky in love. Terrible boyfriend or commitment-phobe. Why does either answer feel like he’s still losing?
But between roadside burgers and late night detours, they discover some fires never burn out—like the one slowly smoldering between them. And suddenly losing feels a whole lot like winning again.
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Exclusive Excerpt He glanced over and winked. “Want to play a road-trip game?”
“Like twenty questions?”
“Or the alphabet game,” he said. “The one where you look at road signs to find letters of the alphabet in order?”
Kayla scanned the long stretch of highway dotted with sagebrush and junipers. Not a lot of signs in sight. “How about kiss, marry, kill?”
“What’s that?”
She wiggled her toes on the dash, enjoying the cool flutter of air conditioning. “We take turns naming three random celebrities,” she said. “Or they could be musicians or cartoon characters or whatever. You have to decide which one you’d kiss, which one you’d marry, and which one you’d kill.”
He glanced over and raised an eyebrow. “Sounds like another middle school game. Proceed.”
“Um, let me think.” She rubbed her palms down her denim-clad thighs and tried to come up with something. “Okay. Marge Simpson, Judy Jetson, and Princess Fiona from Shrek.”
“Those are my choices?”
She grinned. “Those are your choices.”
Frowning at the highway, Tony considered it. “I’m not keen on killing anyone, but Judy Jetson’s gotta be pushing ninety, since that show came out in the early sixties. So I guess I’ll go with her.”
“To kill?”
His brow furrowed. “Do we really have to do that part?”
“Yep, it’s the game.”
“Okay, then yes.” He tapped the brakes as a rabbit darted out in the road, then changed its mind and scurried back. Tony swerved to avoid hitting it, expertly keeping the Jeep on the road.
“Princess Fiona seems really happy with Shrek, so I’m not going to fuck that up for them,” he continued. “Just a peck on the cheek is okay, right?”
Kayla eyed him, surprised by how seriously he seemed to be taking this. “Does this mean you’re marrying Marge Simpson?”
He shrugged and tapped his thumbs on the steering wheel. “Homer’s kind of a dick, and she always seemed like a cool lady. Might as well get her out of that.”
“Wow.” Kayla stared at him. “So you’re seeing marriage as—what? A chance to rescue someone?”
Tony frowned. “That’s not what I said.”
“No, but you implied it.” She laughed and dropped her feet to the floor. “No wonder we didn’t work out.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“I don’t need anyone rescuing me,” she said. “If some sort of hero complex is the driving force behind—”
“I do not have a hero complex.” His words came out so forceful, even Tony seemed surprised. “I just don’t like seeing anyone in a lousy marriage. There’s too goddamn many of those in the world.”
He wasn’t meeting her eyes, which was probably just because he needed to watch the road. But Kayla couldn’t help feeling a dark fog hovering over this conversation.
“Fair enough,” she said mildly. “For what it’s worth, that’s very noble. Maybe not the best reason to marry someone, but not the worst, either.”
“It’s not like you gave me great choices,” he pointed out.
“Okay, you go. Give me three picks.”
His frown tipped up at the edges, and suddenly he was grinning again. “Fine. Tom Hanks, Denzel Washington, and Kevin Bacon.”
“Ooh, good choices.” Kayla tucked a knee up under her. “At their current ages, or do I get to choose my favorite roles they’ve played?”
“Current ages,” Tony said definitively.
Kayla laughed. “Says the guy who killed a geriatric Judy Jetson. Okay, I’m going to go ahead and kill Kevin Bacon. I never forgave him for being the guy who cheated with Julianne Moore and broke Steve Carell’s heart.”
“Which movie was that?”
“Crazy, Stupid, Love,” she said. “A brilliant—and dare I say highly underrated—romantic comedy.”
He glanced over at her. “How come you’ve never made me watch it?”
“The fact that you just said made you watch it is exactly why,” she said. “I don’t want your machismo sullying a movie so near and dear to my heart.”
“I’m wounded,” Tony deadpanned. “For the record, I’m a sensitive guy who digs the occasional rom-com.”
“I’ll keep that in mind.” Kayla got back to considering her options in the game. “Okay, so it comes down to Tom Hanks and Denzel Washington. Both are brilliant actors. Tom’s got a great mix between comedy and drama, where Denzel is a little more serious. But Denzel has the sex appeal thing going for him, while Tom just doesn’t curl my toes.”
Tony gave a low whistle. “Nice in-depth analysis.”
“Thanks.” She grinned. “You set the bar high with your thoughtful response.”
“Yeah, but you’re better at it than I am.”
She shrugged and grabbed her Hydro Flask to take a swig of water. “I do tend to overanalyze relationships.” Could be why she hadn’t managed to find her soul mate. “Not that it’s gotten me to the finish line.”
He frowned. “What the hell is the finish line?”
“Marriage. Babies. All the things you claim not to want but secretly might.”
He gave her a pained look and eased over to slip by a truck hauling huge bales of hay. “This bet is going to be the death of me. You’re going to spend the next couple weeks fiddling around in my brain, aren’t you?”
“Not if you don’t want me to.” She studied the side of his face as he steered them safely in front of the hay truck. “I just think a road trip is a perfect time for self-reflection.”
“Whatever you say.”
“Okay. So kiss, marry, kill.” She forced her brain back to the game. “I think I’m going to marry Denzel. The way he owned up to all his mistakes at the end of Flight seals the deal.”
Tony shifted his eyes off the road and looked at her. “That seems noteworthy, don’t you think?”
“How do you figure?”
“He played a raging asshole for 97 percent of that movie. But you focus on the redemption scene at the end.” He flashed her a grin. “It’s actually kind of sweet.”
She felt her forehead creasing. “Are you calling me a Pollyanna?”
“Hey, I didn’t say it. You did.”
Kayla rolled her eyes. “Is it too late to play the alphabet game?”
He laughed and picked up his cup of McDonald’s iced tea. “I’m sensing a trend here. We can play whatever you want, sweetheart.”
She dropped her foot to the floor and grabbed her own cup of soda. “I spy with my little eye…”
About the Author When Tawna Fenske finished her English lit degree at 22, she celebrated by filling a giant trash bag full of romance novels and dragging it everywhere until she’d read them all. Now she’s a RITA Award finalist, USA Today bestselling author who writes humorous fiction, risqué romance, and heartwarming love stories with a quirky twist. Publishers Weekly has praised Tawna’s offbeat romances with multiple starred reviews and noted, “There’s something wonderfully relaxing about being immersed in a story filled with over-the-top characters in undeniably relatable situations. Heartache and humor go hand in hand.”
Tawna lives in Bend, Oregon, with her husband, stepkids, and a menagerie of ill-behaved pets. She loves hiking, snowshoeing, standup paddleboarding, and inventing excuses to sip wine on her back porch. She can peel a banana with her toes and loses an average of twenty pairs of eyeglasses per year. To find out more about Tawna and her books, visit www.tawnafenske.com..
Welcome to the book blitz for DARE, the first book in the young adult contemporary romance series, Bradford Academy, by Rowdy Rooksy. See below for the for information on the book, buy links, an exclusive excerpt, and details on her giveaway.
DARE (Bradford Academy Series #1) by Rowdy Rooksy
About the Book – Read for Free with Kindle Unlimited Title: DARE Series: Bradford Academy Series #1 Author: Rowdy Rooksy Release Date: August, 2020 Genre: Young Adult Contemporary Romance Links: Goodreads | Amazon | Amazon UK | Amazon CA | Amazon AU | Amazon DE | Amazon IT | Amazon FR
Synopsis Welcome to Bradford Academy where power and elite are bred, wealthy bloodlines bond, and a risky game of Dare can make or break your family legacy. Fallon Gamble used to believe that life was simple until she found herself in the hall of Bradford Academy. At Bradford, the only thing that matters is your family legacy and what you’re willing to do to preserve it. Fallon used to live a simple life but things are different now. Now, Fallon’s caught in the viper’s den with a power hungry egomaniac out to destroy her, a dangerous secret that’s eating her alive and she’s torn between three of the hottest, wealthiest boys on campus.
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Excerpt #2 As much as I like Zade invading my space I can’t be this close to him right now. I get up and go stand by the window and stare out at the lake. I don’t hear him move but I know he’s standing behind me. I can feel his heat. Smell his scent.
“Fallon,” he says placing his hand on my shoulder. “I know this is difficult for someone like you to understand but it’s the way it is with people like us who come from powerful families.”
I turn on him. “So what? You just kill people and go about your life like nothing happened?”
He just looks at me. His silence telling me what I already know.
“It’s not right and you know it.”
“I didn’t say it was right, Fallon. It’s just the way it is.”
“But it shouldn’t be this way. You can’t just kill someone and act like it didn’t happen.”
“Who’s acting like it didn’t happen? I found out about it around the same time you did then Devya called. I didn’t even have time to really process it.”
“That may be true but you don’t care to process it. Look at you. You’re completely fine and I’m a mess. I’m completely broken by this. I don’t even think I’ll be able to look at myself in the mirror again. I’m not a good person. I used to be. But not anymore. Not after this.” The tears come crashing down like a tidal wave and there’s nothing I can do to stop them.
Zade grabs me and wraps me in his arms. He holds me tightly to him and I cry. I cry for my mother who died too soon. I cry for a boy who died because I was too much of a coward to do the right thing. I cry because no matter how much I want to, I know I’m not going to the police. I cry the most because the innocent girl from the Midwest is gone and I’m not sure if I’ll ever get her back.
I look up at Zade, fat tears fall in droves down my cheeks. “Zade, I…”
“Shhh,” he says running his thumb across my cheek wiping away the tears. “You don’t have to say anything. I know.”
I search his eyes. The soft violet color has returned and I’m lost in their blue-violet depths. Neither one of us speak. Everything is quiet. The only sound is the mingling of our breaths.
The air around us thickens and sizzles. Zade curls his fingers around the back of my head and pulls me close, hovering his warm lips above mine. He pauses there for what feels like forever, making me realize how much I want him to kiss me, how much I need him to kiss me. How much I want to get lost in his kiss and for it to taste like oblivion, for it to take me under and drown my pain.
Zade slants his mouth over mine and his hot tongue slides between my lips, taking complete control over me, over the situation. I melt into him and allow myself to drown in the sweetness of his tongue.
His kiss is like no other kiss I’ve had before. It’s nothing like the clumsy first kiss I had with my seventh-grade crush. It’s not like the gentle but urgent kisses that I shared with Lucca or the sweet, gentle kiss I shared with Alisander, no, Zade kisses with all the experience of a grown man, like someone who knows his way around a woman’s body.
I moan against his lips and curl my fingers in the soft hairs at the base of his neck.
When he pushes me back against the window, I welcome it, loving the feel of the cold glass against my back, loving how he slides his hand over the curve of my hip sending hot thrills of fire through me. My body feels achy and my thighs clench tight as I run my hands down his chest and under his t-shirt. I trail my fingers along the hard ridges of his abdomen. His body is so sculpted and muscular. I’ve never gone this far with a boy before, having his naked skin beneath my fingertips. I’m excited. I want more.
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Author Rowdy Rooksy
About the Author Rowdy Rooksy aka Rowdy fell in love with writing in junior high when she was given an assignment to read the poem Death Be Not Proud by John Donne and to write a sonnet in that similar style. She wrote the poem and hasn’t stopped writing since. She has several notebooks filled with poems and short stories and she finally decided to put some of her short stories into a novella which became her first published book, Turned Out.
Rowdy loves a range of genres from Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Contemporary Romance, Erotica to Young Adult. She can talk all day about aliens, ghosts and the afterlife and can get lost for hours in meditation. She hates peas but chocolate is her jam!
Rowdy loves to hang out on Instagram. Hit her up @authorrowdyrooksy.
Entangled Amara and USA Today bestselling author, Tawna Fenske, are revealing an excerpt from JUST A LITTLE BET,the second book in the adult contemporary romantic comedy series, Where There’s Smoke, releasing October 26, 2020. See below for information on the book and series, preorder links, and an exclusive excerpt.
JUST A LITTLE BET (Where There’s Smoke Series #2) by Tawna Fenske
After a night of too many drinks, smokejumper Tony Warren and his best friend, photographer Kayla Gladney, come to the realization that they’re both bad at love. They even tried dating each other, but that crashed and burned, too. Now he’s got the hangover from hell and the certain conclusion he’s just a shit boyfriend. But Kayla thinks he’s a straight-up commitment-phobe.
So they make a bet—they’re going to hunt down his exes and decide once and for all why he’s so unlucky in love. Terrible boyfriend or commitment-phobe. Why does either answer feel like he’s still losing?
But between roadside burgers and late night detours, they discover some fires never burn out—like the one slowly smoldering between them. And suddenly losing feels a whole lot like winning again.
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Exclusive Excerpt She was still talking with the bartender as he approached.
“I really don’t need all these,” she was saying. “It was just a joke. A silly bet.”
Tony slid onto the barstool beside her, none too graceful in his movements. His shoulder jarred hers, sending a strange jolt of electricity down his arm. “What’s a silly bet?”
Kayla gestured to the glasses. “I bet a bunch of the guys you and Becca had split. Sorry.”
He shrugged, not too concerned about it. “I’d bet against me, too.”
“I wasn’t betting against you, exactly—”
“Are you going to drink these?” He picked up one of the shots, which smelled vaguely like cinnamon.
A memory rippled through him—the cinnamon pine cones his mom tucked in baskets around the house at Christmas. His dad used to bitch about it, complaining the house smelled like a damn cinnamon bun, but five-year-old Tony had loved it.
He set the glass down quick, feeling his stomach pitch.
Kayla was studying him. “Wow, multiple beers and a shot? Since when do you get your drink on like this?”
“Since when is everyone my mom?”
There was some irony. His mom would be the last person to give a shit what he did, but Kayla didn’t need to know that.
No one did.
Kayla nudged one of the glasses in front of him. “I suppose you earned it.”
“By getting dumped, or by adding another notch to my shitty-boyfriend belt?” Which was probably the same thing.
“You’re not a shitty boyfriend.” She cocked her head, considering him. “I mean, yeah, you’ve got issues. Not that I have any room to talk on the relationship front.” Something dark flittered over her face, but it was gone before he could comment. “Anyway,” she said. “You’re a dude with serious commitment issues. Can’t fault a girl for not wanting to sit around indefinitely twiddling her thumbs.”
“I don’t.” He didn’t blame a single woman who’d dumped his sorry ass. Hell, he’d dump himself if he could.
He picked up the shot glass and knocked it back. The liquid burned hot and viscous down his throat, and he swallowed to make the feeling go away.
When he set the glass down, Kayla was watching him. “You good?”
“Yeah. Thanks for that.”
“You want the rest? I can drive you home.”
He looked at the shot glasses. Three more, each teeming with spicy liquid. He really shouldn’t have any more.
But the date on the calendar behind the bar had his heart wadding itself up in a tight ball. “How about a drinking game?” he heard himself say.
Kayla cocked an eyebrow. “A drinking game? Do you want to pretend we still have fake IDs, too?”
“Humor me. I need to earn those shots fair and square.”
She laughed, and Tony’s chest warmed at the sound. That was…different.
But it didn’t mean anything. Just some laughs with his best friend, plus the beers and cinnamon whisky he’d had already. What was that rhyme from college—beer to liquor, never sicker? Maybe the Fireball was a bad idea.
“Sure,” Kayla was saying. “What did you have in mind?”
“One of the rookies told me about this new one—did you ever play Flip, Sip, or Strip in college?”
Kayla surveyed the bar, and Tony noticed how blue her eyes were. Bright, like the sky as he pitched himself through the door of the aircraft. He thought about that breathless free fall and felt dizzy.
“Not that I’m opposed to public stripping,” she said, “but let’s not get kicked out of this place.”
“No, that’s not it—the clean version is called Flip, Sip, or Post.”
Kayla sipped something that looked suspiciously like water. “How does that go?”
Tony combed his brain to remember. “You start by flipping a coin. You can go first, since you’re a lady and all.”
She rolled her eyes. “Such a gentleman.”
He grinned, pretty sure she was kidding. “I call heads or tails, and if I’m right, it’s my turn to flip. If I’m wrong, you flip again. This time, if I get it wrong, I have to answer any question you ask me.”
“Any question?” Kayla lifted a brow. What did that mean? It’s not like they hadn’t bared all their secrets to each other.
Okay, not all his secrets. Maybe this was a bad idea.
“Wait, no,” he corrected himself. “You answer the question if I get it right.” Or something like that. He was definitely messing this up. “Anyway, on the third flip, if I guess right, I take a shot.”
“And if you guess wrong?” she asked.
“You get to pick any social media platform or person and choose what I have to post or text.” Yeah, definitely a bad idea. But he trusted Kayla and knew she wouldn’t have him do anything too mortifying. “Like you tell me I have to text the third name in my contacts and say, ‘I like the smell of my own armpit.’ Or post to Facebook about how Mariah Carey is my favorite recording artist. That sort of thing.”
Kayla laughed, blue eyes flashing. “Take the booze out and the clean version sounds like a middle school game. This should be interesting.”
He’d been starting to think this was dumb, but that spark in her eyes had him thinking twice. Damn, she was pretty. No, not pretty—fun. Fun to be around. That’s what he’d always loved about her.
Kayla rummaged in her purse and pulled out a quarter. “You ready?”
About the Author When Tawna Fenske finished her English lit degree at 22, she celebrated by filling a giant trash bag full of romance novels and dragging it everywhere until she’d read them all. Now she’s a RITA Award finalist, USA Today bestselling author who writes humorous fiction, risqué romance, and heartwarming love stories with a quirky twist. Publishers Weekly has praised Tawna’s offbeat romances with multiple starred reviews and noted, “There’s something wonderfully relaxing about being immersed in a story filled with over-the-top characters in undeniably relatable situations. Heartache and humor go hand in hand.”
Tawna lives in Bend, Oregon, with her husband, stepkids, and a menagerie of ill-behaved pets. She loves hiking, snowshoeing, standup paddleboarding, and inventing excuses to sip wine on her back porch. She can peel a banana with her toes and loses an average of twenty pairs of eyeglasses per year. To find out more about Tawna and her books, visit www.tawnafenske.com..
Welcome to the book blitz for BETTER LATE THAN NEVER, a stand-alone adult contemporary romance, by Ada Austen. See below for the for information on the book, buy links, an exclusive excerpt, and details on her giveaway.
BETTER LATE THAN NEVER by Ada Austen
About the Book – Read for Free with Kindle Unlimited Title: BETTER LATE THAN NEVER Author: Ada Austen Publisher: Emlu Press Release Date: October 20, 2020 Genre: Adult Contemporary Romance Links: Goodreads | Amazon | Amazon UK | Amazon CA | Amazon AU | Amazon DE | Amazon IT | Amazon FR
Synopsis Better Late Than Never – A Second Chance Seasoned (over 30) Romance set on the Beaches and Boardwalks of the New Jersey Shore.
Checklist for Best Romance Novel Ever
✓ BFF does not get left behind!
✓ A dress with working pockets!
✓ Toast to Girls Night Out!
✓ Toast to Damn the Patriarchy!
Checklist for Best Couple Ever
✓ He’s kind, compassionate and patient.
✓ He’s sexy, ripped and funny.
✓ She’s loud, bold and strong.
✓ She’s devoted to her BFF and her Art.
✓ They’re working together to raise their teenager.
Checklist for Best Hero Ever
✓ He makes a gift for her BFF!
✓ He’s sweet at that Time of the Month!
✓ He buys her a Romance Novel!
✓ He’s a Devoted Dad!
✓ He takes as long as she needs!
♥ ♥ ♥ LOVE FAMILY HOME ♥ ♥ ♥
Carrie’s a passionate artist and a Jersey Girl with seawater in her veins. She makes her art from the treasures she collects each day, walking the beaches of the New Jersey Shore.
Manny’s an architect and college professor. An Apache Native from New Mexico, he’s more at home in the mountains, but he moves to the Jersey Shore to be a better Dad to their teenage daughter.
Carrie’s Jersey. She doesn’t do calm. Manny’s quiet and takes his time to react. They were college sweethearts. Now, they’re strangers, each remembering the past differently.
Manny discovers his new boss wants to tear down Carrie’s house. Carrie will blow the roof off herself if she finds out. Manny must keep it from her, but there’s another secret that she’s been keeping from him. What will it take for them to learn to trust each other?
Together they will redefine the meaning of love, family and home.
A feel-good standalone story of multicultural romance with adult sex, realistic cursing, a bitch of a heroine, Jersey sarcasm and your next book boyfriend!
Content Warning: There is mention of a sexual assault.
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Excerpt #3 He touched her on the arm gently. She looked at his hand. It was a touch like one would touch an old photograph, a memory, asking nothing, only remembering. His face was near. The shadows on it intrigued her. His lips were so thin on the corners and yet thick. So expressive. How could anyone draw the sensuousness of them? It was only a sprinkle of charcoal dust that defined them. She could, if she was brave enough, allow them to come into her space, that blank paper she held inside her.
She reached to his arm. Only to touch it. Only to move her thumb across the secret strength of his muscle.
So they each only touched each other on the arm. And yet, she felt all her senses condensed at that spot, as he rubbed his finger into her muscle and as she did the same to him. It wasn’t a memory. It was now.
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Author Ada Austen
About the Author Ada Austen was born a Jersey Girl. She has lived in Monmouth County, NJ beach towns from Atlantic Highlands to Belmar. She currently lives in a small coastal city on the New Jersey shore called Asbury Park, and never plans to leave. She walks daily at the ocean, collecting shells, beach glass and stories.
Ada’s first novel, Helping Each Other, was published in October 2016. It is no longer in print, but she plans to release a revised edition someday. Her second novel, Better Late Than Never, is targeted for October 2020 release. She’s now working on her third novel, Boardwalk Ice which is set in Asbury Park. She’s targeting a 2021 release.
Ada’s novels are all full stand-alone with beginning, middle and end, (no cliffhangers). She believes in Happy Ever After endings.
Welcome to the blog tour for THE HIGHLANDER’S UNEXPECTED PROPOSAL, the first book in the adult historical romance series, The Brothers of Wolf Isle, by Heather McCollum. See below for information on the book, buy links, and an exclusive excerpt.
THE HIGHLANDER’S UNEXPECTED PROPOSAL (The Brothers of Wolf Isle Series #1) by Heather McCollum
Synopsis A lass begging to marry him might top the list of “oddest things to happen,” but Chief Adam Macquarie is desperate. And no matter how much he hates to do it, he’s not above lying to get what he wants. Starting with the fact that he just omitted the truth about the situation back at his home—where there are no women and only a handful of other people. Because he has a secret need for a wife himself, one she won’t be too happy about when she finds out.
Lark Montgomerie is thrilled the brawny chief agrees to save her from her drunken father’s machinations of wedding her off to the first fool that agrees. He’s easy on the eyes and no one can be worse than her current options. Now a new life awaits her, on an exciting Scottish isle no less, and nothing will dampen her spirits. That is, until she arrives in her new homeland and realizes more than a few things are amiss…
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Excerpt #3 Lark Montgomerie wiped her arm against her brow without losing the rhythm of the dasher shooting up and down in the butter churn, her mind churning just as fast.
Ye will wed tonight. Lord, the sun was already starting to descend. Each second brought her closer to her being forced take some irksome, lusty man as a husband.
Her stomach tightened on Roylin Montgomerie’s words, making it twist so much she thought she might lose the little bit she’d eaten to break her fast. She glanced up into the woods behind the tent. Could she make it on foot to another town without being eaten by wolves or taken by wandering bandits? She was utterly ignorant on survival skills outside the home.
“Maybe being eaten by wolves would be better than marrying an arse,” she murmured. But walking to safety would be impossible on foot, especially when missing a shoe.
Lark braced her feet on either side of the churn, frowning at her one bare foot, now speckled with dirt. Not only had the fierce, dark-haired Highlander held her against his hard body until she had flushed from her scalp to her toes, the blasted man had stolen her slipper. It didn’t matter that he’d held her without any effort or that his gray eyes had studied her with real interest. Or that he had kept her from falling from the tree. He had held her against him, and she’d lost her mind for a moment. Adam Macquarie.
With renewed annoyance, Lark threw her muscle into her work, ignoring the ache forming in her shoulders. “Roll around in mud and soak my head?” Would that be enough to deter a man?
“Talking to yourself?” Anna asked as she brought up a bucket of spring water. Her pretty golden hair was tied up high, and she wore one of their mother’s dresses that Lark had hemmed for her. She lifted out a wooden bowl and offered it to Lark. “With the way you are working that dasher, you have probably finished the butter.”
“I lost a slipper,” she said, taking the bowl. The cool water washed away the dryness in her mouth.
Anna planted hands on her hips. “How do you lose a slipper off your foot without noticing?”
“It dropped off when I was climbing a tree to escape Giles and Fergus, those foolhardy jackanapes. Then some bloody Highlander stole it.”
“A mistake, one which I am now remedying.” The deep voice cut through Lark’s breath as she faced Anna’s wide eyes.
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Author Heather McCollum
About the Author Heather McCollum is an award-winning, historical romance writer. With over twenty books published, she is an Amazon Best Seller and a Readers’ Choice winner.
The rugged beauty and rich history of Great Britain captivates Ms. McCollum each time she visits. The country’s history and landscape have been a backdrop for her stories since her very first book.
When she is not creating vivid characters and settings, she spends her time educating women on the symptoms of Ovarian Cancer. She is a survivor and resides with her very own Highland hero and three spirited children in the wilds of suburbia on the mid-Atlantic coast.
Welcome to the blog tour for LIMITLESS, the second book in the adult contemporary rockstar romance series, Less Than Zero, by Kaylene Winter. See below for information on the book and series, buy links, an exclusive excerpt, and details on her giveaway.
LIMITLESS (Less Than Zero Series #2) by Kaylene Winter
About the Book – Read for Free with Kindle Unlimited
Title: LIMITLESS Series: Less Than Zero Series #2 Author: Kaylene Winter Publisher: Rocker Romance Release Date: October 9, 2020 Genre: Adult Contemporary Rockstar Romance Links: Goodreads | Amazon | Amazon UK | Amazon CA | Amazon AU | Amazon DE | Amazon IT | Amazon FR
Synopsis
“She snuck up on me and stole my heart…”
Sexy Viking drummer Jace Deveraux used his genius marketing skills to help propel Less than Zero (LTZ) to the top. Friends-with-benefits was the only thing he was capable of. Until free-spirited social media influencer Alexandria LeRoux made him an offer he couldn’t refuse.
Their secret, spontaneous global hookups were decadent, erotic, extraordinary. For the first time in his life, Jace wants it all. Including a future with Alex. Will one fateful night destroy his chance with her forever?
“I’ll travel the world for him…”
Ethereal animal-lover Alex had one goal in mind: Conquer playboy Jace before they both left Seattle. Her plans for him certainly didn’t include forever. But their first time was so sublime, it ruined her for anyone else. What’s a girl to do? Enjoy him in as many countries as possible, that’s what.
Except Alex has her own dreams and they’re already in motion. Will Jace ever follow her for a change? Their lives orbit on different courses, but gravity always seems to pull them back together… Unless a blast from the past blows their chance to smithereens.
LIMITLESS is book 2 in the Less Than Zero Rockstar Romance Series.
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Excerpt #2
After our last night in the studio, we loaded everything out and everyone had left but I still had to pack up the last few pieces of my drum kit. When I brought the bass drum to the band’s new green Ford passenger van, Alex was leaning against the side of the brick building where it was parked.
“Dude, are you mad at me?” Alex inquired, sucking on an orange lollipop. Today wearing a white tank with cutoff shorts and those boots.
“Nope.” I pushed my hands into my jeans and slouched next to her against the side of the building, avoiding her gaze.
“Oh-kay.” She leveled her gaze at me.
“I’m just focused on my band right now.” I shrugged. “We have a lot riding on this.”
She didn’t break eye contact. “Yeah, I’m aware.”
“We leave in just over a week.”
She bit off the orange candy and crunched it. “Yeah, I know.”
“Carter has really set things up for us. We have a real chance to make this work, so I have to really focus.”
“What did he say to Zoey?” Alex squinted at me. “She was crying earlier.”
“Maybe he was comforting her because she’s upset about us leaving.” I really had no idea what she was talking about.
“I don’t think so.” She was unimpressed. “She was upset by something he said to her.”
“I don’t know, Alex. I mean, don’t you think Zoey and Ty are a little too serious for having just met a couple of months ago?” I usually kept my feelings to myself, but it was something that Connor, Zane, and I had talked about with Carter.
Unlike Connor, who had been with my sister for years, Zane who would fuck anyone for the sheer pleasure of it, and me who was slightly more discerning but not in the market for a serious relationship, Ty was a sensitive soul. He was our lead singer. We needed him to give 100% to the band right now. We all loved Zoey, but the odds of them working out were next to zero. Less than zero, pardon the pun.
“Yeah, I think they are too serious.” Alex surprised me. “She’s going to get her heart broken and I can’t stop it.”
“What do you mean?” I was similarly worried about Ty’s heart.
“You guys are going on the road. You’ll have your pick of beautiful women in every city you visit. Zoey thinks Ty is the one for her. I know that Ty will not be able to resist temptation.” She raised her eyebrow.
Despite my feelings on the matter, her comment made me angry. “Wow. You don’t give him much credit.”
“He’s a dude.” She shrugged, as if it was a foregone conclusion.
“You know nothing about him, do you?” My voice raised even further. “He’s not wired that way. If anything, Zoey will meet someone at college and forget all about her fling with a rock star.”
“Hmm.” Alex walked over to the trash and threw away her lollipop stick.
“Hmm what?” I followed her, wanting to complete this conversation and stick up for my man Ty.
“You just seem very defensive.” She smirked defiantly. “But, I’m glad to hear you say that about Ty, it makes me feel better.”
“Why?”
“Because tomorrow she’s going to lose her virginity to him and he better goddamn know what a gift it is.” Alex crossed her arms across her perky tits, drawing my eyes to them. Christ.
“Jesus.” I was shocked. “The way they carry on, I could have sworn they have been going at it all summer.”
“Nope.” Alex smiled. “They’re making it special. Seems unnecessarily dramatic.”
“Well, it’s none of my business.” I walked back over to the van we’d dubbed “The Green Dragon,” unlocked it and loaded in my bass drum.
“Can I tell you something?” Alex walked up behind me, her hands clasped behind her, causing her breasts to jut out slightly.
“Um, sure.” I couldn’t help but lick my lips.
“I was hoping that you’d do that for me.”
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Author Kaylene Winter
About the Author When she was only 15, Kaylene Winter wrote her first rocker romance novel starring a fictionalized version of herself, her friends and their gorgeous rocker boyfriends. After living her own rockstar life as a band manager, music promoter and mover and shaker in Seattle during the early 1990’s, Kaylene became a digital media legal strategist helping bring movies, television and music online. Throughout her busy career, Kaylene lost herself in romance novels across all genres inspiring her to realize her life-long dream to be a published author. She lives in Seattle with her amazing husband and dog. She loves to travel, throw lavish dinner parties and support charitable causes supporting arts and animals.
Author Ivy. B. Woods is revealing the cover to HIDDEN IN THE CAPITOL, the third book in her adult romantic suspense series, In the Capitol, releasing November 20, 2020. See below for information on the book and series, preorder links, and a link to add it to your Goodreads TBR.
HIDDEN IN THE CAPITOL (In the Capitol Series #3) by B. Ivy Woods
About the Book – Read for Free with Kindle Unlimited Title: HIDDEN IN THE CAPITOLS Series: In the Capitol Series #3 Author: B. Ivy Woods Genre: Adult Romantic Suspense Release Date: November 20, 2020 Links: Goodreads | Amazon | Amazon UK | Amazon CA | Amazon AU | Amazon DE | Amazon IT | Amazon FR
Synopsis
Sometimes things are better left alone.
Eve Jackson stumbles upon a secret that was never meant to see the light of day. She’s a journalist and it’s her job to find the story. But when she becomes the story, it’s time to get out of dodge. With the help of Kane Slade, the man who is the opposite of everything she thinks she wants, she bolts out of town.⠀
Kane doesn’t think twice about rescuing Eve. He happens to be in the right place at the right time. He also believes they could rekindle the chemistry they had during a one night stand several years ago. Most days he can be found running a foundation that supports veterans, but has always been secretive about his side gigs. After things get heated in Washington DC, he invites Eve to stay with him in his hometown, Capitol, Virginia. What starts out as a small vacation quickly turns dangerous
About the Author B. Ivy Woods has been writing for as long as she can remember. After getting her Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and Environmental Policy and a Master’s in Energy Policy and Law and working in the environmental field for several years, she decided to become a stay-at-home mom. That is when thoughts of a writing career really took off. Although she competed in NaNoWriMo multiple times, 2019 was the first year that she won. This win inspired her to make writing a career. Her debut novel will be self-published in 2020.
Although she is originally from New York City, she currently lives in the DMV (Washington, D.C., Maryland, Virginia) with her husband, daughter, dog, and cat.
Welcome to the blog tour for the adult contemporary romance duet, Like You, by Jillian Liota. See below for information on the books, buy links, and an exclusive excerpt.
LIKE YOU MEAN IT (Like You Series #1) by Jillian Liota
About the Book – Read for Free with Kindle Unlimited Title: LIKE YOU MEAN IT Series: Like You Duet #1 Author: Jillian Liota Release Date: November 13, 2018 Genre: Adult Contemporary Romance
Links: Goodreads | Amazon | Amazon UK | Amazon CA | Amazon AU | Amazon DE | Amazon IT | Amazon FR
Synopsis “I want to make you smile like you mean it.”
The day Cole Lannington says those words to me, I already know I’m falling. Hard. For a man I can never have. Because there’s no way in hell I’ll ever deserve a man like him.
Annie
All I need to do is keep my head above water. Push a little harder. Keep that smile plastered on my face for my son as we try to wade through the new life that’s threatening to drown us both.
But on the first day I can’t seem to hold it all together, I meet him. And for some reason, he comes to my aid. Before I know it, Cole steps in and becomes an important part of my life. Our lives. Fills a void left vacant by a man who never wanted to fill it in the first place.
Too bad he can never be more than a friend.
Cole
All I need to do is be a nice guy to my new neighbor. Make her smile a little bit. Find space in my tidy, structured life to ease the burden she carries so she and her son can enjoy life without the bastard who treated them like they were insignificant.
I don’t expect to talk and laugh and feel a warmth in my chest I didn’t know was missing until she showed up at my door. Somehow I end up caring about her more deeply than I should. But my friendship with Annie opens my eyes to what it could be like to have something deeper. To feel something stronger.
To fall in love like I mean it.
Like You Mean It is the first book in the Like You Series and is a standalone novel.
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LIKE YOU WANT IT (Like You Series #2) by Jillian Liota
About the Book – Read for Free with Kindle Unlimited Title: LIKE YOU WANT IT Series: Like You Duet #2 Author: Jillian Liota Release Date: March 25, 2019 Genre: Adult Contemporary Romance
Links: Goodreads | Amazon | Amazon UK | Amazon CA | Amazon AU | Amazon DE | Amazon IT | Amazon FR
Synopsis “Sometimes, wanting someone just isn’t enough.”
I don’t want to believe those words. Because I’ve never fallen for someone like Fin Callaghan. And I can’t imagine that this feeling isn’t enough.
CARLY.”
To say my first interaction with Fin leaves much to be desired is an understatement. He infuriates me, barely speaks, and glares at me all the time. Not to mention he thinks I’m a mess.
It isn’t in my plans to start to like him. To fall for him. To want something more. But Fin’s past is filled with a pain that makes any kind of us impossible. He can’t seem to figure out what he wants, and truthfully, neither can I.
All I know is that I want more than what he’s willing to give.
FIN.”
All I should be focusing on is my family as we try to sort through the wounds left by our past mistakes. I have more than enough on my plate, have sacrificed too much to fracture my focus. I shouldn’t allow a woman to get in the way. Especially one like Carly Palmer.
She’s different. Wild. A bright burst of color in my world of black and white. Before I know it, she’s all that I want. All I can think about. But it doesn’t matter. I’ve been through betrayal that still singes my skin, eats at my soul.
I won’t allow it to happen again.
Like You Want It is the second book in the Like You Series and is a standalone novel.
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Exclusive Excerpt I knock a few times, a bottle of Merlot clutched in one hand and a copy of Top Gun in the other. I’ve been looking forward to a dinner and movie with Susie since we agreed to it earlier this week.
It’s kind of weird being friends with your neighbor. We’ve seen each other a few times since Thursday, and we waved and said hello. But we also knew we had this upcoming dinner, so there was a strange need to wait until Sunday to chat.
Or maybe I’m the only one who felt it?
Yeah, it was probably just me.
I’m always overanalyzing everything. Dina says it makes me seem much more like an insane person. I always tell her that life is more fun when you’re insane.
“Open up, girlie! I’ve got a bottle of Merlot and the hots for a man in uni… form.”
My voice cuts off slightly when the door opens and there stands not my adorable new neighbor, but her sexy brother that despises me.
And yes, the look on his face says he’s just as happy to see me today as he was last weekend.
Perfect.
Exactly what I was hoping for.
“Okay if this is one of those TV shows where you and Susie are actually one person pretending to be male and female siblings, lemme just let you know right now that I am too smart to be Mrs. Doubtfire’d.”
When Fin just continues to stand there with that super flat, almost grimace-like expression on his face, my shoulders droop just slightly.
“Really? Not even a crack of a smile? Do you just not know how to do it?” I show him my teeth really dramatically and talk through a shit-eating grin like a ventriloquist. “She? Dis is hou you do id.”
He rolls his eyes and steps back, opening the door fully so I can enter the apartment.
“Or maybe you don’t have a full set of teeth? That must be embarrassing for you, Finley.”
His brows furrow as I walk into Susie’s living room. “That’s not my name.”
“He speaks!” I keep smiling and raise my hands over my head, almost bonking myself with the wine bottle. “It’s a miracle!”
He lets out an irritated huff.
“He speaks and he broods. Quite the showcase of skills you are today, huh, Finster?”
His nostrils flair but before he can say anything, our attention shifts to where Susie lets out a curse in the kitchen.
“I’m okay!” she tacks on to the end. “We just might need to order a pizza instead!”
I giggle and wander towards her kitchen, leaving Sir Glares-a-Lot behind. “Girl, I have every pizza place on speed dial in this neighborhood. Just lemme know what you want and I gotchu.”
She spins around, the stress from cooking for people other than herself visible in her muscles and her posture. Even in her short hair, which is naturally straight, although today it looks a little bit like she’s stuck her finger in a socket.
“Sorry, Carly. I swear I did this just like I normally do. But this stupid oven totally burnt the shit out of the chicken. Like, shouldn’t 350 be the same in every oven?”
I wave a hand in front of my face. “Don’t stress at all. Some other day you can wow me with your cooking prowess. Tonight, we feast on the delicious tastes of Gouchos.”
Her face pinches. “Isn’t that an Argentine word? I thought pizza was Italian.”
“Oh honey.” I set the Merlot and movie on the counter and dig my phone out of my back pocket. “Just you wait. You’re about to have a mouthgasm unlike anything you’ve ever experienced.”
The clearing of a throat behind me has me looking over my shoulder to where Fin stands, watching the two of us. I look back at Susie. “Am I ordering for two or three? Because if my experience with Finton back there has taught me anything, it’s that he is unlikely to say anything to me. And glower is, unfortunately, not one of the languages I speak.”
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Author Jillian Liota
About the Author Jillian Liota is a new author writing contemporary romance and new adult fiction. She lives in Kailua, Hawaii with her amazing husband, 2 cats, and 3-legged pup.
She is the author of the new adult romance novel The Keeper, which focuses on a female college soccer goalie, as well as the follow up novella, Keep Away. Her newest release, Like You Mean It, is in the contemporary romance genre and has a more mature voice, as it follows a pregnant mother finding love in a new town. The next novel in the Like You Series, Like You Want It, will be published in Spring 2019
She has a master’s in Higher Education and Student Affairs, and she is passionate about all things improvement, development and organization.
She’s also a big fan of taking walks with her husband and dog Maia, reading romance (obviously), watching a handful of horrible reality TV shows, and exploring the island she calls home. Check out her Contact page for more information on how to connect.
Ink Monster, LLC and author Beth Merlin are unveiling the cover to TELL ME S’MORE, the fourth book in her adult contemporary romance series, The Campfire, releasing April 27, 2021. See below for the cover, information on the book and series, and pre-order links.
TELL ME S’MORE (Campfire Series #4) by Beth Merlin
About the Book Title: TELL ME S’MORE Series: The Campfire Series #4 Author: Beth Merlin Publisher: Ink Monster LLC Release Date: April 27, 2021 Genre: Adult Contemporary Romance Links:Goodreads | Amazon | Amazon UK | Amazon CA | Amazon AU | Barnes & Noble | iBooks | Kobo
Synopsis Camp Chinooka was supposed to be a place of inspiration, the place where Perry Gilman would finally compose his symphonic masterpiece. But four years later, Perry Gillman isn’t any closer to his dream of becoming a world-renown musician. Instead, he fell love in with Gigi Goldstein and he thought that love would be enough. Now, struggling to find the right subject for a new musical while hustling as a piano player at a local jazz bar, he can’t help but measure his own shortcomings to his famous father’s monstrous success. So, when he stumbles onto the idea to write a musical about the life and times of Elizabeth I, everything finally changes. The musical is an international sensation and suddenly, Perry is on the fast track to superstardom.
However, fame and success come at a price. When his relationship with Gigi is thrown into a tailspin, he must decide whether to follow his dream for which he fought for so long or sacrifice it all for true love.
Told from Perry’s perspective, Tell Me S’more shows that there are two sides to every story and a cost to every choice.
About the Author Beth Merlin has a BA from The George Washington University where she minored in Creative Writing and a JD from New York Law School. She’s a native New Yorker who loves anything Broadway, rom-coms, her daughter Hadley, and a good maxi dress. She was introduced to her husband through a friend she met at sleepaway camp and considers the eight summers she spent there to be some of the most formative of her life. One S’more Summer is Beth’s debut novel.
Welcome to the sales blitz for the adult contemporary romance duet, Like You, by Jillian Liota. See below for information on the books, buy links, and an exclusive excerpt.
LIKE YOU MEAN IT (Like You Series #1) by Jillian Liota
About the Book – Read for Free with Kindle Unlimited Title: LIKE YOU MEAN IT Series: Like You Duet #1 Author: Jillian Liota Release Date: November 13, 2018 Genre: Adult Contemporary Romance
Links: Goodreads | Amazon | Amazon UK | Amazon CA | Amazon AU | Amazon DE | Amazon IT | Amazon FR
Synopsis “I want to make you smile like you mean it.”
The day Cole Lannington says those words to me, I already know I’m falling. Hard. For a man I can never have. Because there’s no way in hell I’ll ever deserve a man like him.
Annie
All I need to do is keep my head above water. Push a little harder. Keep that smile plastered on my face for my son as we try to wade through the new life that’s threatening to drown us both.
But on the first day I can’t seem to hold it all together, I meet him. And for some reason, he comes to my aid. Before I know it, Cole steps in and becomes an important part of my life. Our lives. Fills a void left vacant by a man who never wanted to fill it in the first place.
Too bad he can never be more than a friend.
Cole
All I need to do is be a nice guy to my new neighbor. Make her smile a little bit. Find space in my tidy, structured life to ease the burden she carries so she and her son can enjoy life without the bastard who treated them like they were insignificant.
I don’t expect to talk and laugh and feel a warmth in my chest I didn’t know was missing until she showed up at my door. Somehow I end up caring about her more deeply than I should. But my friendship with Annie opens my eyes to what it could be like to have something deeper. To feel something stronger.
To fall in love like I mean it.
Like You Mean It is the first book in the Like You Series and is a standalone novel.
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LIKE YOU WANT IT (Like You Series #2) by Jillian Liota
About the Book – Read for Free with Kindle Unlimited Title: LIKE YOU WANT IT Series: Like You Duet #2 Author: Jillian Liota Release Date: March 25, 2019 Genre: Adult Contemporary Romance
Links: Goodreads | Amazon | Amazon UK | Amazon CA | Amazon AU | Amazon DE | Amazon IT | Amazon FR
Synopsis “Sometimes, wanting someone just isn’t enough.”
I don’t want to believe those words. Because I’ve never fallen for someone like Fin Callaghan. And I can’t imagine that this feeling isn’t enough.
CARLY.”
To say my first interaction with Fin leaves much to be desired is an understatement. He infuriates me, barely speaks, and glares at me all the time. Not to mention he thinks I’m a mess.
It isn’t in my plans to start to like him. To fall for him. To want something more. But Fin’s past is filled with a pain that makes any kind of us impossible. He can’t seem to figure out what he wants, and truthfully, neither can I.
All I know is that I want more than what he’s willing to give.
FIN.”
All I should be focusing on is my family as we try to sort through the wounds left by our past mistakes. I have more than enough on my plate, have sacrificed too much to fracture my focus. I shouldn’t allow a woman to get in the way. Especially one like Carly Palmer.
She’s different. Wild. A bright burst of color in my world of black and white. Before I know it, she’s all that I want. All I can think about. But it doesn’t matter. I’ve been through betrayal that still singes my skin, eats at my soul.
I won’t allow it to happen again.
Like You Want It is the second book in the Like You Series and is a standalone novel.
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Exclusive Excerpt “Well, thanks for placating Jones with the motorcycle,” I say. “I appreciate how nice you are to him. But I should probably get back inside. We have to head out soon.”
Cole looks back at me, his eyebrows furrowing for a second, and Jess’ smile grows just slightly.
“See you guys later,” I say.
Then I turn and waddle my fat pregnant butt back to my house. I have places to be, and it doesn’t include whatever is going on between Jess and Cole.
But the minute I enter my house, I realize all of the windows in the front are open, and after standing in the entry for just a second, it’s more than easy to hear them talking.
“What was that?” Cole hisses.
There’s silence for a second, and I step closer to a window and glance outside. Jess is just standing there, looking at him.
“What do you mean?”
Even from here, I can hear the absolutely faux innocence in her voice. I roll my eyes, then realize Cole has done the same thing.
“Don’t pull that. I thought if you met Annie, you’d see that you have nothing to be worried about.”
Ouch. I wince at his comment. He wanted me to meet his girlfriend so she’d realize I’m not competition? Well, first of all, obviously I’m not competition. I’m a fat fatty pregnant lady that’s bloated and gassy and crying all the time. And two, Cole is way, way out of my league. Like years out of my league. Literally. He’s at least ten years older than me, seems to be leading a successful life, and as time passes, I’m becoming even more aware of how handsome he is. Like, really handsome.
Yeah, in the pool of life, he’s swimming in the Olympic-sized one next to Michael Phelps, while I’m over in the kiddie pool testing out floaties.
But still. No one wants their mediocrity shoved in their face.
Maybe I shouldn’t listen to them anymore. Eavesdropping never did anyone any good. I’m sure of it.
But before I can get far enough away from the window, I hear him continue.
“She’s my pregnant fucking neighbor who is all alone and has no friends. Have a little pity, Jess. Jesus.”
The blood drains from my face.
Have a little pity, Jess.
Great. Exactly what I fucking want. Someone who feels obligated to be nice to me because I’m such an unfortunate mess of desperation and failure.
I glance back out the window and see Cole sitting on his bike. And when his eyes track over to my house for a second, somehow, they land on mine.
I step quickly away and rush towards the back of the house.
“Jones!” I call to him.
His smiling face pops out of his bedroom just before I get there.
“You ready?”
When he nods, I give him a high five. Then I wait like a coward to hear Cole’s motorcycle rev up and head down the road before walking out to my car.
I don’t want his pity, and if he’s realized that I overheard what he said to Jess, I definitely don’t want his remorse either.
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Author Jillian Liota
About the Author Jillian Liota is a new author writing contemporary romance and new adult fiction. She lives in Kailua, Hawaii with her amazing husband, 2 cats, and 3-legged pup.
She is the author of the new adult romance novel The Keeper, which focuses on a female college soccer goalie, as well as the follow up novella, Keep Away. Her newest release, Like You Mean It, is in the contemporary romance genre and has a more mature voice, as it follows a pregnant mother finding love in a new town. The next novel in the Like You Series, Like You Want It, will be published in Spring 2019
She has a master’s in Higher Education and Student Affairs, and she is passionate about all things improvement, development and organization.
She’s also a big fan of taking walks with her husband and dog Maia, reading romance (obviously), watching a handful of horrible reality TV shows, and exploring the island she calls home. Check out her Contact page for more information on how to connect.
Today is release day for THE HIGHLANDER’S UNEXPECTED PROPOSAL, the first book in the adult historical romance series, The Brothers of Wolf Isle, by Heather McCollum. See below for information on the book, buy links, and an exclusive excerpt.
THE HIGHLANDER’S UNEXPECTED PROPOSAL (The Brothers of Wolf Isle Series #1) by Heather McCollum
Synopsis A lass begging to marry him might top the list of “oddest things to happen,” but Chief Adam Macquarie is desperate. And no matter how much he hates to do it, he’s not above lying to get what he wants. Starting with the fact that he just omitted the truth about the situation back at his home—where there are no women and only a handful of other people. Because he has a secret need for a wife himself, one she won’t be too happy about when she finds out.
Lark Montgomerie is thrilled the brawny chief agrees to save her from her drunken father’s machinations of wedding her off to the first fool that agrees. He’s easy on the eyes and no one can be worse than her current options. Now a new life awaits her, on an exciting Scottish isle no less, and nothing will dampen her spirits. That is, until she arrives in her new homeland and realizes more than a few things are amiss…
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Excerpt “I am not… I do not woo lasses like Beck. My whole focus has been on starting our clan over, building it up, so I never learned to be clever while talking to lasses.”
“You do not need to be clever,” she said, her mouth softening as she turned toward him. “Just say what you are thinking.”
The shadows and shards of firelight played over her high cheekbones and lovely chin. Lord, how he wanted to run his finger over that soft skin. Say what he was thinking? Can I throw up your skirts right here and kiss every inch of your lush body? Then carry you into that castle and make you scream my name as you burst with pleasure?
He opened his mouth and paused. “Uh… Are ye hungry?” Bloody hell.
“No,” she said with a shake of her head.
“Do ye need to use the privy?”
She shook her head again, her lips turning up slightly.
They stared at each other for another breath, and he curled his hand around her small one. It felt fragile in his large palm and yet he knew how strong Lark was. “Can I kiss ye?”
The world around him vanished into darkness as he waited for her answer. She gave a small nod, and he inhaled. Stepping into her, his lips bent toward her, and he waited to see if she would pull away. Lark kept her head tipped up to him, her eyes open, and he pressed a gentle kiss on her soft mouth.
The heat of her body soaked into him. He wasn’t sure if he’d pulled her into him or she’d melted forward, but his arms were around her so that he could feel the softness of her curves pressed into him. Softness to mold against his hardness.
The feel of her, the delicious smell of her, mixed with the detailed memories of his dreams, erupted a firestorm within him. He stroked down her back. She trembled slightly, and Adam caught her face with one hand, guiding her against him to deepen the kiss. She was letting him touch her! Slow. Keep it slow. Do not ruck up her skirts and rut with her against the chapel wall.
His rational thoughts faded quickly to fragmented whispers. He’d been so close to her, yet she’d been untouchable, for days and uncomfortable nights. But now… now he would touch her. “Lark,” he managed to say against her lips as she spread a trail of fire with her fingers down his chest to the hardness beneath his kilt. Through the wool wrapping, she stroked over him. He inhaled swiftly, her touch robbing him of his mind.
Pent up raw want funneled through Adam as he held her to him. She fit him perfectly, and the fact that she hadn’t pulled away at the feel of him released his worry over bedding a virgin. Lark was brave and soft with a good dose of wild.
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Author Heather McCollum
About the Author Heather McCollum is an award-winning, historical romance writer. With over twenty books published, she is an Amazon Best Seller and a Readers’ Choice winner.
The rugged beauty and rich history of Great Britain captivates Ms. McCollum each time she visits. The country’s history and landscape have been a backdrop for her stories since her very first book.
When she is not creating vivid characters and settings, she spends her time educating women on the symptoms of Ovarian Cancer. She is a survivor and resides with her very own Highland hero and three spirited children in the wilds of suburbia on the mid-Atlantic coast.
Welcome to the blog tour for THE LAST RULE OF MAKEUPS, the third book in the adult contemporary romance series, Breakup Bash, by Nina Crespo. See below for information on the book and series, buy links, an exclusive excerpt, and details on her giveaway.
THE LAST RULE OF MAKEUPS (Breakup Bash Series #3) by Nina Crespo
Synopsis Cori Ross is thanking her lucky stars. Sure, her long-time boyfriend just dumped her, but that’s a good thing. In her rush to find Mr. Right, she realizes she almost settled for Mr. Just Okay. And that’s definitely not okay. So, tonight, she’s out with her friends at the Breakup Bash—a private party for women celebrating their break-ups—and she’s actually celebrating. Still, it was too close a call. So she makes a deal with herself—no guys for six months.
Unfortunately, just as she’s leaving the club, she runs into her old boyfriend, Grey Latham—the guy she’d always wanted to be Mr. Right. Great. What a time to swear off guys. Maybe she needs to change the deal—no relationships for six months. There’s no reason why she can’t have a fling, right? Because Grey still holds the title of the best sex she’s ever had.
There’s no way this could go wrong. Grey is on his way to international DJ fame—he’s only in town for a short time, and then he’ll be gone again. No harm in burning up the sheets while it lasts.
Too bad neither expected what happened next…
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Excerpt #2 She leaned back against the wall. “Yes. Please tell me my shoe isn’t ripped.”
As he placed her foot on his thigh, the area near the top of her shoe throbbed. “You’re not bleeding. That’s what’s important. The top of your shoe is just scuffed.” The glide of his palm down her calf left a trail of tingles that traveled to her toes, momentarily distracting her from the pain. “We can go upstairs to the table Damien reserved for his guests in the VIP section. I can get some ice from the bar to cut back on the swelling. Do you think you can make it up the stairs or do you need me to carry you?”
“You mean the VIP table you’re sharing with the blonde and the woman who was giving me the stink-eye? No, thank you.” She took her foot from his thigh.
He stood. “Damien made sure the table was large enough for us and anyone else we wanted to bring.” He lightly grasped her shoulders. “You’re with me, and I couldn’t care less how Emery feels about it. I just want to make sure you’re okay.”
Cori let the pleasure of knowing he cared about what happened to her over everything else seep through the cracks in her confidence that had appeared after her breakup with Kevin.
The way he’d walked out on her, as if she’d meant nothing to him, had left her swinging on an emotional pendulum from feeling fragile to angry. And it was so damn exhausting.
“So.” Grey looked at her from eye level. “Tell me what you want to do. Are you coming with me?”
Coming with him? Her mind went rogue with images of them between the sheets and how the first glide in of his cock used to make her tremble with need. The way he’d rolled his hips, thrusting into her slowly, deeply, then faster and faster, and—
No. That’s not what he meant. She closed her eyes, wiping away the image, but desire remained.
Those few minutes of dancing with Grey had been amazing, and so were her memories of them in bed. Would having sex with him still be that good? Not that she wanted to relive the past. What was the Breakup Bash motto? Get over one man and move on to a better one? And at the moment, Grey definitely qualified as better, and being with him fit right into her no-relationships plan. And exploring every inch of him until morning would make her very, very happy.
Cori opened her eyes. Ignoring slight pinpricks of pain in her foot, she rose to her toes and slid her arms up Grey’s chest and around his neck.
As she leaned into him, he slid his hands to her back and widened his stance. “Have you made a decision?”
About the Author Nina Crespo lives in Florida where she indulges in her favorite passions — the beach, a good glass of wine, date night with her own real-life hero and dancing.
Her lifelong addiction to romance began in her teens while on a “borrowing spree” in her older sister’s bedroom where she discovered her first romance novel.
Let Nina’s sensual contemporary stories and steamy paranormal tales feed your own addiction for love, romance, and happily ever after.
Stay connected with Nina on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest or through her newsletter.
Welcome to the release blitz for THE GRITTY TRUTH, the seventh book in the adult contemporary romantic comedy series, TheWhiskeys, by New York Times and USA Today bestselling author, Melissa Foster. See below for information on the book and series, buy links, an exclusive excerpt, and details on her giveaway.
THE GRITTY TRUTH (The Whiskey’s Series #7) by Melissa Foster
Synopsis A fun, sexy, and emotionally riveting new standalone romance by New York Times bestselling author Melissa Foster. THE GRITTY TRUTH is the perfect love story for those who enjoy fiercely loyal and insanely sexy alpha heroes, smart, sassy heroines, strong family bonds, bikers, babies, and more!
Recovering drug addict Quincy Gritt has fought his demons. He’s confessed to his crimes and conquered his addictions. He’s finally ready to go after sweet, sexy Roni, the gorgeous brunette who won a date with him in a charity auction five months ago and has been putting him off, and driving him wild, ever since.
Dancer Veronica “Roni” Wescott worked hard to escape the seedy area where she was raised and followed her dreams to Julliard, only to have them shattered in the blink of an eye. She fought hard and regained her footing, but then the rug was pulled out from under her again when the grandmother who raised her passed away, leaving Roni feeling adrift in a world she knows very little about outside of dance. And then there’s Charlie Hunnam–lookalike Quincy Gritt—the man whose late-night texts pulled her through her grief and have been setting her heart aflutter for months.
Quincy pulls out all the stops, determined to prove that their friendship is only the beginning of what’s destined to be so much more. Romantic nights lead to smoldering passion and a deep connection too strong to be denied. But when Quincy’s past comes back to haunt him, can he and Roni accept their new gritty truth, or will Quincy spiral back into the darkness and lose the future he fought so hard to have?
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Excerpt Quincy walked into the dance studio a few minutes before Kennedy’s class ended. He slipped past the mothers waiting in the lobby and headed down the hall, following the sound of music to Roni’s classroom.
Roni stood at the head of the class, gorgeous in a skintight white bodysuit that disappeared beneath the waist of her sheer black skirt and leggings. He’d noticed she didn’t wear glasses when she taught, giving him a side view of her high cheekbones, slender nose, and gorgeous mouth. Kennedy was in the front row, dressed in all pink, her dark hair pinned up in ponytails, and she was giving Roni her full attention. Love stacked up inside Quincy for the sister-turned-niece, whom he’d fought to keep alive in crack houses and on the streets before their mother had overdosed.
“Right hand out to your side. Left hand out to your side,” Roni said, doing the motions as the girls copied her movements. “Cross your arms over your chest, hands up by your shoulders, and sway your upper body, leading with your shoulders.”
She moved with such fluidity and grace, Quincy was mesmerized.
“Let’s try it together now,” Roni said, repeating the movements slowly and patiently, her eyes moving over the girls, a compassionate gaze coming to rest on an adorable redhead leaning against the back wall, her hands tucked behind her. “Okay, ladies, let’s try that three more times on your own.”
As the girls practiced, Roni went to the redhead in the back of the room and crouched beside her as she spoke. The little girl shook her head, frowning. Roni touched her hand, still talking quietly. The girl nodded. Roni pushed to her feet, taking the child’s hand and speaking loudly to the class. “Good job, ladies. Okay, let’s—” Her eyes found Quincy, and she stumbled over her words.
A slow smile crept across his lips, loving her reaction, which was the same every time he picked up Kennedy. He winked as she struggled to regain control. She was so damn cute, smiling nervously for him, then tearing her eyes away with such force, he wondered why she bothered when it would be so much easier to give in to their chemistry.
Roni walked the redhead to the group, then hurried to the front of the class and said, “Excellent class, ladies. Give yourselves a big hand.” The girls cheered and clapped, although the redhead didn’t join in. Roni stole a glance at Quincy.
Hello, sweetheart.
“Don’t forget to get your things from your cubbies,” Roni said, inciting a flurry of activity.
“Uncle Quincy!” Kennedy ran over, her ponytails swinging.
Quincy hoisted her into his arms, and she threw her arms around his neck, kissing his cheek. After all he and the kids had been through, being loved by them was one of his greatest blessings. He was lucky to have many greatest blessings in his life, and he’d never take a single one for granted again.
“Hey, jelly bean,” he said, snuggling her. “Mommy got held up at work, so I’m giving you a ride home.”
“Yay!” Kennedy cheered.
As parents filtered into the room to pick up their kids, Roni watched over the children like a mother hen, sneaking peeks at Quincy.
“Did you see me dancing? Awen’t I good?” Kennedy asked.
“You’re the best. Why don’t you get your stuff while I talk with Miss Roni?”
She clung to him like a monkey and said, “I want to come with you.”
He couldn’t exactly charm Roni the way he’d hoped to with a little one in his arms. Time to get creative. He carried her across the room to Roni, who was saying goodbye to one of the other kids. The second she was done, Kennedy said, “Miss Woni, my uncle wants to talk to you!”
A nervous smile played at Roni’s full, kissable lips as she set her hazel eyes on him, causing a squirrelly feeling in his chest, and said, “What can I do for you, Uncle Quincy?”
“Let me take you out tomorrow night.” Come on, baby, just say yes.
Her eyes darted to Kennedy. “I’m sorry, but I have to work.”
“Wednesday, then?”
She lowered her eyes for only a second before they flicked up to his, as though it was hard to look away, and she said, “I have class.”
Time to bring out the big guns. He looked at Kennedy and said, “Jelly bean, help me out here. I want to have a playdate with Miss Roni, and she doesn’t want to play with me.”
Roni’s cheeks flamed. But her widening smile told him to pull out all the stops.
“Uncle Quincy has the best playdates!” Kennedy exclaimed. “He plays for hours. We play dolls and dwess-up. Sometimes we play football, but he has to play on his knees because he’s so big. We play house and we dance, and he even lets me put wibbons in his hair.”
Roni laughed, and he’d give just about anything to hear more of that sweet sound.
“Ribbons?” she asked.
Oh man, maybe Kennedy isn’t helping after all.
Kennedy nodded. “Yes, and if you’re good, he’ll take you to Penny’s ice cweam shop. He loves ice cweam. He always says he can eat it all night long. Right, Uncle Quincy?”
He cocked a grin. Best wing girl ever. “That’s right, kiddo. All night long.”
Roni’s eyes flew open wider, and she snapped her mouth shut.
“You should have a playdate with him, Miss Woni!” Kennedy said excitedly, and wriggled out of Quincy’s arms. “I’m gonna get my stuff!”
“You’re so bad,” Roni whispered, looking around them and laughing softly.
“That used to be true in the not-so-great sense. But I assure you, now I only use my bad side to be very, very good.” He stepped closer, the temperature between them spiking. Roni was tall, five six or seven, he guessed, the perfect height to take her face between his hands and kiss her. She smelled enticingly feminine, but he kept his hands to himself and said, “What’s a guy got to do to get a date with you?”
“I don’t really date, Quincy.” She said his name breathily, as if it lingered on her tongue.
“Neither do I,” he said honestly, and glanced at Kennedy, putting her shoes on by the cubbies. All the other kids were gone. “Maybe it’s time we start. What time do you get off tomorrow?”
“I have a late meeting for an upcoming production.”
“What about Wednesday?”
“Sorry. I’m here until eight. I like you a lot, but…”
“No buts, Roni. You can’t hide behind your phone forever.”
“Yes, I can,” she said with a shimmer of playfulness. “I don’t get flustered when we text. It’s easier when”—she waved at his body—“all this isn’t standing right in front of me.”
“Then maybe I need to up my texting game.”
“No!” she said quickly, laughing.
“Laughing is a good start.” He closed the small gap between them, and her chest brushed against him, desire rising in her eyes. Her breathing hitched, but she didn’t look away. Another good sign. He ran his fingers down her arm, and goose bumps rose beneath his touch. She made a sexy, needy sound, awakening the monster behind his zipper. “One date, Veronica, and I promise to keep my hands to myself.” He leaned in and said, “Unless you ask me not to.”
She opened her mouth to respond, and he cut her off. “Do you really want to make up another excuse? Because your eyes tell me that you feel the incredible, inescapable energy between us just as strongly as I do.”
“Mm-hm.” She pressed her lips together, holding his gaze for a beat before whispering, “I feel it, too.”
“That’s all I need to know.”
Kennedy ran over and grabbed Quincy’s hand. “Can we go now?”
“Of course, sweetheart.” Quincy winked at Roni and said, “Ticktock, beautiful. See you soon.”
About the Author Melissa writes sexy and heartwarming contemporary romance, new adult romance and women’s fiction with emotionally compelling characters that stay with you long after you turn the last page. Readers adore Melissa’s fun, flirty, and sinfully sexy, award-winning big-family romance collection, LOVE IN BLOOM featuring the Snow Sisters, Bradens, Remingtons, Ryders, Seaside Summer, Harborside Nights, Wild Boys and Bad Boys After Dark, and the Montgomerys. Melissa’s emotional journeys are lovingly erotic and always family oriented– perfect beach reads for contemporary romance lovers who enjoy reading about loyal, wealthy heroes and smart, sassy heroines with complex and relatable issues.
Melissa also writes sweet and clean romance under the pen name Addison Cole.
Melissa has painted and donated several murals to The Hospital for Sick Children in Washington, DC. Her interests include her family, reading, writing, painting, friends, helping others see the positive side of life, and visiting Cape Cod.
Melissa is available to chat with book clubs and welcomes comments and emails from her readers. Visit Melissa on social media or her personal website.
