Welcome to the blog tour for THE BALLAD OF AMI MILES, a stand-alone young adult contemporary LTGTQ+ romance, by Kristy Dallas Alley. See below for information on the book, buy links, an exclusive excerpt, and details on her giveaway.
Synopsis A teen girl on a quest to find her long-lost mother finds herself on a journey of self-discovery in Kristy Dallas Alley’s moving YA debut, The Ballad of Ami Miles.
Raised in isolation at Heavenly Shepherd, her family’s trailer-dealership-turned-survival compound, Ami Miles knows that she was lucky to be born into a place of safety after the old world ended and the chaos began. But when her grandfather brings home a cold-eyed stranger, she realizes that her “destiny” as one of the few females capable of still bearing children isn’t something she’s ready to face.
With the help of one of her aunts, she flees the only life she’s ever known and sets off on a quest to find her long-lost mother (and hopefully a mate of her own choosing). But as she journeys, Ami discovers many new things about the world…and about herself.
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Excerpt #2 By the time my grandfather was born, the world outside had gotten terrible. The government put out reports saying that only one in every ten thousand women could still produce a child. When I was about ten, I found some boxes full of old news clippings that told about scientists who worked day and night to figure out the problem and fix it. At first, Ruth just snatched the box away and refused to answer my questions, but I kept asking until she finally gave in. Those scientists had done studies—, “more like experiments,” Ruth would say with a shudder, that showed how it was a virus that caused the barrenness, and those rare women who didn’t get it seemed to be immune. Over time, those “lucky” girls became nothing but the government’s breeding stock, kept hidden and safe from any threat to their ability to reproduce. Later, the government heard rumors that a few babies were being born in secret, outside of their control. No one saw the C-PAFs as a safe haven anymore or went into them willingly. Then there were agents assigned to wide territories, making their rounds over the course of a year or so, checking in with folks in case any miracles had occurred. But that was a few years off yet.
Solomon and his bride, my grandma Ruth, were blessed with four healthy babies, three of them girls. Three children still safe at Heavenly Shepheard, but one of them lost. That was the youngest: my mother, Elisabeth, and when she was born in 2084, they didn’t have to worry yet about the C-PAF men, as folks came to call them. But by the time Elisabeth had me in 2104, she did have to worry about the C-PAF men. My family knew this, and like great-great-grandpa Jed, they made a plan. By the time that agent came around, they knew that spies might have told him I had been born. Somehow, they often seemed to know before they got to the families that a baby would be waiting for them. Just hiding me would be too dangerous, so they dug a tiny grave and filled it with the bones of some poor baby buried a hundred years before in the old church graveyard. They would say my mother had run off, crazy with grief, headed north to the C-PAF, where she could have more babies under the proper medical supervision. This story would be checked, of course, and he might be back again when she did not turn up.
It was easy enough to hide a little infant on a moment’s notice, but my mother couldn’t risk being found and dragged behind those walls to be bred like a dog to strange men. She had run, and I liked to think that she was filled with grief for the daughter she left behind, but she surely was headed south, as far from the Centers as she could get. Soon after that, the president of the United States took his own life, as thousands of others did in those terrible days so empty of hope. Ruth used to say that despair is a sickness, and it spreads the same as any other. The new president announced a change of policy: we would cut our losses, she said, and focus all our resources only on those who wanted to be helped. Lines were drawn, and those who chose to remain outside them were cut loose. We thought then that my mother would come back, but she never did.
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Author Kristy Dallas Alley
About the Author Kristy Dallas Alley is a high school librarian in Memphis, Tennessee, where she lives with her husband, four kids, three cats, and an indeterminate number of fish. She studied creative writing at Rhodes College in another lifetime and holds a Master of Science in Instruction and Curriculum Leadership from the University of Memphis. In an ideal world, she would do nothing but sit on a beach and read every single day of her life, but in reality she’s pretty happy reading on her front porch, neglecting the gardens she enthusiastically plants each spring, and cooking huge meals regardless of the number of people around to eat them. The Ballad of Ami Miles is her debut novel.
Today is release day for WRITE BEFORE CHRISTMAS,a stand-alone adult contemporary romantic comedy/holiday romance, by USA Today bestselling author, Julie Hammerle. See below for information on the book, buy links, an exclusive excerpt, and details on her Giveaway.
Reclusive fantasy author turned famous when his series got developed into a mega TV hit. Except now I’m way behind deadline, and the whole world is waiting to see what I’ll write next. The pressure is getting to me, and I. Can’t. Write.
Cue: small town where people don’t recognize me.
Cue: my assistant insisting on a personal chef to keep me fed and nothing more.
Cue: finding the first bit of inspiration I’ve felt in months whenever she’s around…
Am I a walking cliche now, or what?
Dani Cooper seems to have her own hurdles to jump this holiday season. Newly divorced, looking for her next move. She’s the first person who’s seen me for me in way too long. And I see her, too–as way more than just an employee, a divorcee, a cook. She’s becoming my muse…
But when my Christmas deadline hits, will it spell the end of us, too?
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Exclusive Excerpt “You said your house is full….” I was trying to get a read on her. She wore no wedding ring, but that didn’t mean she wasn’t seeing someone.
“My parents are there, obviously, and the dog and my daughter. And my niece and nephew and my sister-in-law…” She chuckled. “Kind of a full house, and my brother’s not even here yet.”
No mention of a boyfriend or girlfriend or partner or anything like that. “You said your daughter is there. Are you married?” Way to be blunt, Matt. Eh, sometimes it was best not to beat around the bush.
“Divorced,” she said. “You?”
“Single. Very single.”
Something in her eyes shifted. Heavy lids darkened her irises to charcoal as she studied me. “I was hoping that was what you’d say.”
I laughed nervously. “I was about to say the same thing to you.”
“I’ve been thinking about you since we ran into each other.” She pushed her hair over one shoulder. “Which is…not something I’d normally say to a complete stranger.”
“We’re not complete strangers now, though, are we? I’m Matt. You’re Dani—”
My stomach bubbled with excitement, as she stepped closer.
“I want to kiss you,” she said, her eyes narrowing.
“Please do,” I told her. “I want you to kiss me.”
She snatched the tumbler of moonshine back from me and drained it as a soft, chilly breeze ruffled her hair. With a lick of her lips, she dropped the cup. I barely had time to register the clank of the aluminum against the asphalt before her mouth was on mine.
I stumbled backward, still holding on to her, trying to keep us upright as our shoes skidded on the gravel next to the street and we tripped into the grass on the side of the road. Her soft, silky lips tasted like mangoes and cinnamon with a hint of alcohol. I held on tight to her, breathing her in, this stranger on the road in the middle of nowhere.
After a few moments, she pulled away, and I stifled a laugh.
“What?” Her eyes flashed.
“Nothing,” I said, shaking my head. “It’s just that, a few minutes ago, I’d been thinking about how we barely knew each other and were sharing a drink.”
She laughed, too. “I supposed all of this escalated quickly.”
“I’m not complaining.” I glanced down the road, toward the house where I was staying. I could invite her to join me, which was the kind of thing I never shied away from, at least it used to be. Random hookups had become more complicated in the past year. If I let Dani into my house, I’d be opening a can of worms. For the next several weeks, she’d be my neighbor. We’d run into each other constantly. Things would get awkward, and the stress of dealing with a romantic entanglement would distract me from my writing. Better to cut this short and leave ourselves with the sweet, perfect memory of making out with a total stranger in the moonlight on a deserted road. “I should probably…” I nodded back toward Linda’s house, making it look like I lived up that way.
“Me, too.” As she walked backwards, heading the way she came, she said, “But Matt, if you ever want to do that again…”
“I’ll keep an eye out for you.” I waved goodbye and headed back toward Linda’s house, ready to walk and walk and walk until I got that kiss out of my mind.
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Author Julie Hammerle
About the Author USA Today bestselling author Julie Hammerle writes young adult novels that focus on nerds, geeks, and basket cases falling in love. On the YA side, she is the author of The Sound of Us (Entangled TEEN, 2016) and the North Pole romance series (Entangled Crush, 2017). For adult romances, look for Knocked-Up Cinderella in the fall of 2018. A graduate of Butler University with degrees in secondary education and Latin with a minor in music, Julie lives in Chicago with her family and enjoys reading, cooking, and watching all the television.
Synopsis Leena Coughlin is simply eye-candy to her husband Steven’s sky-rocketing career. Steven may be a brilliant cardiac surgeon, but the self-absorbed man is more focused on other people’s hearts—and his own pleasure—than on the emotional heart of his family. He’s a God-like man, after all, saving lives every day. And a man like him has needs. More than Leena can provide.
To fend off the growing loneliness of her marriage, Leena strikes up a relationship with a stranger, Michael Casspi, through a letters-to-prisoners program. Michael was also once a cardiac surgeon. He claimed that assisting his dying wife with suicide was an act of mercy. The state called it murder. Can a man imprisoned behind bars fill Leena’s emotional void?
Focused on their own strained relationship, neither Steven nor Leena has noticed the deteriorating mental health of their college-aged daughter, Joy.
Two men. One woman. And a fragile girl teetering on the knife-edge of depression. But when Michael is unexpectedly released from prison, the precarious balance of all their lives will be dramatically altered forever.
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My Review The story is told in four first-person points of view: Leena, Steven, Michael, and Joy. Leena and Steven’s marriage is far from perfect, which is obvious right away from both POVs. The fact that Leena is writing to Michael out of loneliness as he languishes in prison is not a surprise. The opening chapter is Michael’s and it starts with a bang, hooking me almost instantly. As the story unfolds, we find out more about Steven’s extramarital behavior. He seems to love his wife and daughter, though he never has time for them. At least he sees his wife in bed most nights, where he grabs a quickie before going to sleep. But he barely sees his daughter and hasn’t for years. Steven is a famous cardio-thoracic surgeon, in high demand. He believes the material things he provides for his family should be enough. It’s not enough for him, though, because he has a rather active sex life with women who are not his wife. He claims it’s because he needs to blow of steam and doesn’t want to bring his hospital life home, which he views as a safe harbor. But in reality, he likes to do what he considers dirty and depraved things he believes his wife is too good for.
Leena is the long-suffering wife who we all know deserves better. She clearly loves her husband and adores her daughter, yet she’s completely oblivious to everything going on around her. She has no idea her daughter is suffering form mental illness that pushes her to the brink of suicide, nor that her husband has been unfaithful for probably most of their marriage. Shea assumes because he comes home to bang in her in the night, he’s clearly not getting anything on the side.
So much of the story I found problematic, but the author kept me turning the pages, proving she’s an outstanding storyteller. The book could have been a stronger story for me if the author had gotten certain details correct. For instance, Steven, a renowned surgeon, and even Michael for that matter, keep referring to conjoined twins as Siamese twins. That’s not a medical term at all and is actually quite offensive. I cringed every time it was mentioned, which was a lot. There was also a continuity error that yanked me out of the story when Leena is driving her beloved Karmann Ghia through the streets of San Francisco, only to end up in her black Mercedes, which blends in, without ever going home and swapping out cars. There is nothing about a Karmann Ghia that blends in, so this was jarring. And finally, the biggest problem I had was Joy’s mental illness. Throughout the book, everyone, including Joy, blames her father’s lack of presence in her life as the cause of her depression. But this does a disservice to anyone who suffers from mental illness. It is not caused by someone else. The blame game is very dangerous and hurtful, especially to anyone who has lost a loved one to suicide. The thought that if they’d only done more, been more present, etc., they could have prevented it, is a terrible message to send.
Plot The plot centers around Michael’s release from prison, his future beyond his time behind bars, and the relationships between all four main characters. There’s a lot of drama and even more at stake, and the author does a good job of keeping the pacing spot on. As I said, I was riveted to the story and wanted, or rather needed, to find out what happened next, regardless of my issues.
The Characters The characters were all well-developed and deeply flawed. We get deep into each of their points of view, even Steven’s. While it was good to understand what drives a man who has everything to throw it all away for cheap thrills, it didn’t really do much to make me like him, but I think that was never the point. it was an interesting twist I wasn’t expecting, though.
Top Five Things I Enjoyed About A HEART LIFE 1. San Francisco. I loved that my favorite city in the world was the backdrop for these characters. The story is as much a love letter to the City by the Bay as it is anything else.
2. Joy. She was my favorite character. Maybe because I have a daughter the same age or maybe because I could see a lot of my nineteen-year-old sister in her, but she was probably the only truly innocent person in the story.
3. Cliffhangers. Each chapter ended strongly, forcing me to read on. I love when an author can do that.
4. Twists. There were only a few twists that really caught me by surprise, but those are always a treat and I enjoyed them immensely.
5. Storytelling. The author knows how to weave a tale that kept me turning the pages.
Bottom Line A fun, fast read with deeply drawn characters.
Disclaimer I was provided by a copy of the book by the author in exchange for an honest review.
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About the Book – Read for Free with Kindle Unlimited
Title: A HEART LIFE
Author: Patricia Yager Delagrange Genre: Women’s Fiction
Release Date: November 26, 2020 Pages: 293
Rating: 4 out of 5 Stars
Links: Goodreads | Amazon | Amazon UK | Amazon CA | Amazon AU | Amazon DE | Amazon IT | Amazon FR
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Author Patricia Yager Delagrange
About the Author Fascinated by broken-hearted couples and atypical families, Patricia writes women’s fiction, weaving engaging tales of men and women who create cohesive families where love reigns supreme. She sprinkles her books with intriguing characters who struggle to find balance in life. Whether an unwed teenager, desperate widow, abandoned father, disconnected sisters, or a troubled couple, her characters form relationships impacted by their desire to create a family.
Patricia lives with her husband and two children on the island of Alameda, across the bay from San Francisco, along with three chocolate labs and a rescue terrier mix. When she’s not writing or spending time with her family, Patricia enjoys riding her Friesian horse Maximus, who lives in the Oakland hills with a million dollar view.
Welcome to the book blitz for RUINSONG, a stand-alone young adult fantasy/LGBTQ+ romance, by Julia Ember. See below for information on the book, buy links, an exclusive excerpt, and details on her giveaway.
Synopsis In Julia Ember’s dark and lush LGBTQ+ romantic fantasy Ruinsong, two young women from rival factions must work together to reunite their country, as they wrestle with their feelings for each other.
Her voice was her prison…
Now it’s her weapon.
In a world where magic is sung, a powerful mage named Cadence must choose between the two. For years, she has been forced to torture her country’s disgraced nobility at her ruthless queen’s bidding.
But when she is reunited with her childhood friend, a noblewoman with ties to the underground rebellion, she must finally make a choice: Take a stand to free their country from oppression, or follow in the queen’s footsteps and become a monster herself.
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Excerpt #2 Remi
The velvet curtain lifts, revealing two figures standing on the stage. One of them is Lord Durand, the queen’s confidant. I recognize him from last year. Papa says Durand is the architect of these Performings – the queen wanted vengeance on us, but it was he who proposed the method and honed it. As a reward, he was given a lordship and an estate, making him the only noble exempt from the horrors of the Opera Hall.
The second figure, a girl, surprises me. The queen has always employed the same chantrix for the Performing: a fire-haired mage named Ava who wore her advancing age like a carefully chosen accessory. This girl looks so young, and she stands hunched, wringing her hands. She presses against the rear curtain as if looking for the first chance to run. She stares into the crowd with wide eyes that never stop moving.
“She looks ready to faint,” Baron Foutain whispers. “Do you think that if the principal were to expire onstage, they’d just forget the whole thing and send us home?”
“Maybe we can sneak out in the shuffle,” I say. “Climb the balcony, steal the mage pins off some of those stewards, and bribe our way to freedom.”
“I like it.” The baron nods, his hazel eyes twinkling. He weighs his purse in his hand. “I’ve got a few coins to throw at this endeavor.”
Lord Durand takes center stage and clears his throat. “Esteemed guests, on behalf of Her Majesty, I am humbled to present a new talent to you this evening. Our most gifted corporeal singer, and a delightful, exuberant mezzo-soprano.”
He sweeps a low bow, but when he lifts his head, he’s smirking. The theatrics of it all make me sick. I fish another lemon drop out of my pouch.
Still, the audience applauds politely. The queen will be here somewhere, watching the proceedings from behind the stage or concealed in one of the dark private viewing boxes above us. No one wants to be seen resisting.
Durand beckons the new singer forward, and she creeps to him like a timid barn cat. There’s something I recognize in the shape of her nose, the curve of her pink rosebud mouth. She’s pretty, but in a fragile way, like a pressed flower in the pages of a book. She’s thin and white, with ivory skin and long blond hair styled into a sort of tiara. A green gown clings to her frame, her waist cinched by a shimmering corset inlaid with emeralds.
Durand pushes her into the light. “Chantrix Cadence de la Roix,” he says, and I nearly choke on the lemon drop. “The jewel of Her Majesty’s academy, ready for her first season.”
I start to cough, but the baron isn’t paying attention to me anymore. Cadence de la Roix. I know that name.
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Author Julia Ember
About the Author Julia Ember is the author of The Seafarer’s Kiss duology, a Norse myth inspired retelling of The Little Mermaid, published by Interlude Press (Duet Books), and Ruinsong, a standalone high fantasy reimagining of The Phantom of the Opera, forthcoming from Macmillan Kids (FSG) in November 2020. She lives with her wife and two fluffy cats in the Pacific Northwest.
Today is release day for for HEAD OVER HEELS FOR THE HOLIDAYS, the seventh book in the adult contemporary romance series, Lost Harbor, Alaska, by USA Today bestselling author, Jennifer Bernard. See below for information on the book, buy links, and an exclusive excerpt.
HEAD OVER HEELS FOR THE HOLIDAYS (Lost Harbor, Alaska Series #7) by Jennifer Bernard
Synopsis Ever since her ex-boyfriend dumped her on Christmas Eve, the holiday season has been tough for Maya Badger—especially since Lost Harbor, Alaska, pulls out all the stops for the holidays. Sure, she could focus on her police work and her father’s recovery from heart surgery. But when her dad’s home healthcare nurse turns out to be her childhood buddy—all grown up and the stuff of her naughtiest fantasies—she may have a solution to her holiday blues. After all, Jay-Jay always was the perfect playmate!
Rune Larsen hasn’t been skinny little Jay-Jay in a long time…not since he and his teen sister were forced to change their names to avoid Cara’s stalker. Taking a job in tiny, remote Lost Harbor seems like the perfect way to stay one step ahead of danger. The fact that his childhood friend is the town police chief is a bonus. Not to mention the fact that Maya has grown into a beautiful bronze goddess. Hell, even her serious cop side is a turn-on…though he’s up for the challenge of bringing some fun back into her life.
In fact, if they can navigate a stalker, a runaway yak, eleventy-billion holiday parties and a criminal investigation into the dark side of Lost Souls Wilderness, Rune just may convince Maya to fall head over heels for the holidays…and beyond.
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Excerpt Without thinking too hard about it, Maya rose to her feet and grabbed Rune by the collar of his jacket, pulling him close. “How about a fake kiss?” she asked quickly. “Just make it look good from a distance.”
He flashed her a pirate grin and cupped her face with his free hand. “My pleasure. I’m an excellent fake kisser.”
“Come on, hurry.”
He bent his head over hers, but he still didn’t go for the kiss. “You can’t hurry a fake kiss, or it will look fake. We’re flirting, we’re completely caught up in each other, we don’t even care that we’re drifting on the open ocean. Keep looking at me, just like that except without the ‘what the hell are you talking about’ expression.”
She smothered a laugh and relaxed her face into a dazzled smile. As if Rune was the most wonderful thing in the world, better than chocolate and bubble baths combined.
He blinked, as if she’d momentarily thrown him off his game with her smile. A personal triumph, she figured.
“That’s…good,” he said, a little more strained than before.
For a fake kiss, he sure was overthinking it. They needed to get this thing done.
She took command and wrapped her hand around the back of his neck. Tugging him down, she offered him her mouth. “Let’s do this,” she hissed. “Tick-tock.”
Honestly, why did she always have to be the one with any common sense? If those men onshore had binoculars, they were already watching. To throw them off, she only had a few moments. If the men thought they’d been busted, they might rework their entire comms system. The lead would be worthless. The source would be burned. The case back to square one.
And then all thoughts of logic flew from her mind as Rune claimed her lips with a kiss that sent shock waves through her system. Warmth…sizzle…sunshine…all of it swirled together in a rush of brilliant pleasure. His lips were firm and generous at the same time, as if they were inviting her into his world. A world where she would be queen and he would be whatever she needed.
A kind of exhilaration swept through her and she parted her lips for more. He gave it to her, sweeping his tongue inside the cave of her mouth, where every surface tingled and warmed at his touch.
Fake kiss, my ass.
This was the real thing and she couldn’t get enough of it. She drank him in as if she’d been starving for this, pining for it. Her mind—always working, always on guard—let go like an anchor releasing her to drift on the current. She lost herself in the flood of pure physical joy.
She staggered as the boat got slammed with a supersized wave. Rune held her tight so she didn’t lose her balance. “I need to steer this thing,” he murmured against her lips before turning back to the helm.
“Yes. Yeah. Of course.” She ran her tongue across her lips, tasting salt from the spray and sweet from Rune. She plopped down onto the bench as he wrestled with the wheel. Picking up her binoculars, she focused on the spot where the two men had been.
They were gone—or maybe her angle had changed and she couldn’t see them anymore.
She dropped her glasses and sighed. Hopefully she hadn’t messed anything up by making them suspicious. “Go ahead and pick up speed. Let’s keep going toward Mount Sage for a bit.”
“Roger that.”
Was his voice a little gruffer than usual? Was it the effect of the salt in the air?
He put the boat in gear and they cruised farther into the bay. She watched the little cove as it receded into the distance, swallowed up by the greater landscape of forests and rugged outcroppings.
What now? How to handle this? She and Rune had kissed, and there was no way she could forget about it the way she had when she was a kid.
Maybe never mention it again?
Or maybe do it again?
The tempting thought hovered out there like the promise of an ice cream sundae after a long week. Treat yo-self, she could imagine her cousin Reecie in Anchorage saying. Go for it, Kate would urge. I knew it, Jessica would say.
“Tell me when you’re ready to head back,” Rune said. “It’s your call.” His voice had returned to normal. She wondered what he was thinking about this situation. Then again, he didn’t overthink things like she did. He probably wasn’t worried about it at all. He probably kissed people all the time—all those non-girlfriend “girls” he’d talked about.
“I will,” she told him. “Give it a few more minutes.”
“The other thing is your call too,” Rune said softly, his attention still on the choppy water ahead.
“What are you talking about?”
“I know you’re trying to decide what to do about that kiss. I can see your wheels spinning from here.”
“I’m not—okay, I am. I didn’t intend for it to be like that.”
“It’s my fault.” His voice shifted to a jaunty cheerfulness. “My pride was hurt that you forgot the first kiss. I was aiming for ‘best kiss.’ One that you wouldn’t forget. That’s all.”
It wasn’t all. She could hear it in his voice. It was so much more complicated than that. Friendship, attraction, sizzle…all that, lined up against her better judgment. But even so, it touched her that he was trying to make the whole thing easier for her.
“Best kiss? Isn’t that a little arrogant?” She adopted a teasing tone to match his.
“Second best? Third? Just tell me it wasn’t the worst. Gotta start somewhere.”
“It wasn’t the worst.”
That was as far as she could go right now.
And maybe it was the best. Because right at this moment, she couldn’t think of any other specific kiss that might compete with it.
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Trailer
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Author Jennifer Bernard
About the Author Jennifer Bernard is a USA Today bestselling author of contemporary romance. Her books have been called “an irresistible reading experience” full of “quick wit and sizzling love scenes.” A graduate of Harvard and former news promo producer, she left big city life for true love in Alaska, where she now lives with her husband and stepdaughters. She still hasn’t adjusted to the cold, so most often she can be found cuddling with her laptop and a cup of tea. Sign up for her newsletter for book news and fun exclusives.
Entangled Publishing and USA Today bestselling author, Julie Hammerle, are revealing an excerpt from WRITE BEFORE CHRISTMAS,a stand-alone adult contemporary romantic comedy/holiday romance, releasing November 30, 2020. See below for information on the book, preorder links, and an exclusive excerpt.
Reclusive fantasy author turned famous when his series got developed into a mega TV hit. Except now I’m way behind deadline, and the whole world is waiting to see what I’ll write next. The pressure is getting to me, and I. Can’t. Write.
Cue: small town where people don’t recognize me.
Cue: my assistant insisting on a personal chef to keep me fed and nothing more.
Cue: finding the first bit of inspiration I’ve felt in months whenever she’s around…
Am I a walking cliche now, or what?
Dani Cooper seems to have her own hurdles to jump this holiday season. Newly divorced, looking for her next move. She’s the first person who’s seen me for me in way too long. And I see her, too–as way more than just an employee, a divorcee, a cook. She’s becoming my muse…
But when my Christmas deadline hits, will it spell the end of us, too?
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Exclusive Excerpt Matt’s back and arms rose and fell with mine, in sync, as if we were one, solid organism. Each breath spread through my entire body—from my head into my lungs and all the way down deep into parts of me that had been dormant for way too long. This was more intimate than anything I’d done with my ex-husband in the months leading up to our divorce.
“You sure you’re okay with this?” he whispered.
“Yes,” I said. “This is fun. Exercise.” Good lord, the rhythm of our breathing together was basically sexual.
“Now,” Una said softly, “lengthen your torso upwards and, exhaling, twist to your right and reach for your partners left knee.”
My shaking fingers grazed Matt’s thigh and walked forward, hunting for his knee. His hand found my knee right away, and he gripped it with his warm, strong hand.
I let out a hopefully inaudible gasp.
“With the next inhale,” Una said, “straighten your back some more, and then with your exhale, deepen the twist, using your partner’s knee as leverage.”
Matt’s back pushed harder against mine, as I gripped the hard ball of his kneecap. His breath continued to move with mine, a little faster now, as we strained into our mutual twist.
“Now relax into the pose.” Easier said than done, Una.. “Take a few more deep breaths.”
We did. My left eye met Matt’s, and he winked, diffusing the very palpable tension. I struggled not to laugh.
“On the next inhale, return to center.” Una waited a few beats. “On your exhale, twist to the left and find your partner’s right knee.”
Matt’s back muscles rippled against mine, as we turned to the other side. “This is the strangest thing I’ve ever done,” he whispered.
“Oh, I think this is just the tip of the iceberg.” I giggled.
“Shhh!” the person next to me hissed.
I turned toward them. “Sorry,” I said, but now I’d broken the dam. I tried to choke back a laugh, but it came out as a snort, which sent Matt into a laughing fit, too.
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Author Julie Hammerle
About the Author USA Today bestselling author Julie Hammerle writes young adult novels that focus on nerds, geeks, and basket cases falling in love. On the YA side, she is the author of The Sound of Us (Entangled TEEN, 2016) and the North Pole romance series (Entangled Crush, 2017). For adult romances, look for Knocked-Up Cinderella in the fall of 2018. A graduate of Butler University with degrees in secondary education and Latin with a minor in music, Julie lives in Chicago with her family and enjoys reading, cooking, and watching all the television.
Welcome to the book blitz for WICKED IDOL, the first book in the new adult contemporary romance series, Hellfire Club, by Becker Gray. See below for information on the book, buy links, an exclusive excerpt, and details on her giveaway.
WICKED IDOL (Hellfire Club Series #1) by Becker Gray
Synopsis The new girl doesn’t belong here. So why can’t I stop thinking about her? Iris Briggs a goodie two-shoes with a headmaster father who aims to ruin my school year before it’s even begun. She gets under my skin. With her demure skirts and braided hair, Iris flits around the periphery until she runs right into me, hot coffee soaking me as she looks up at me with wide, innocent eyes. We start off scalding.
In the library, we reach lava levels.
And then in the city? We go nuclear.
She’s a good girl, but I’m a Constantine. My duty is to my family. At least, it was until I started unbraiding the good girl and realizing there’s more to life than duty.
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Excerpt #2 “Keaton Constantine, what the hell?”
My brows popped. My mother rarely swore. “Wow, Mom. I didn’t even know you knew that word.”
“That relationship is important,” Mom explained, sounding like she was struggling for patience. “It’s your future.”
“Mom, I’m eighteen. You can’t really expect me to date the same girl for the rest of my life.”
“I can, and I do. You’ve been raised together. Groomed to be together. It’s not like you need to get to know her. You know exactly what kind of family she comes from. You should know that the expectation is that you two will get married.”
I laughed at that. “Again, we’re eighteen. We’re not going to marry anyone any time soon. And while I care about her, I don’t love her.”
I could envision her pinched face. “You’re being very naïve,” my mother said in a brittle voice. “Constantines marry well. That’s what we do. And it’s your role in the family to connect us with the Blairs.”
“And if I don’t want to?”
Mom didn’t say anything for a second. “Keaton, don’t make me compel you.”
“With money?” That was, after all, my parents’ go-to move.
She didn’t answer, but she didn’t need to. I had a trust fund and a monthly allowance that would balance the budgets of most Midwestern states—but both of those could be fucked with. By her. The first wave of trust fund money would be released once I graduated—and it would be enough to see me through college until I could get my own job . . . if I didn’t choose a career in rugby, that was. If I chose rugby, I’d need fuck-all from the family.
But again, I couldn’t start playing pro until after graduation at the soonest.
“You’re telling me that if I don’t keep dating Clara, you’re going to starve me out financially?”
“Don’t be gauche,” she said. She disliked overt money talk. “I’m just reminding you that the benefits of this family are tied to service to this family.”
“Does it matter to you that Clara doesn’t love me? Never mind how I feel?”
“This isn’t about love, sweetheart, this is about a merger of the families. Something better and stronger. You’ll see.”
I ground my teeth together. My gaze went outside my window again.
To Iris.
I looked over at Keaton, who pulled my feet into his lap the moment the car started and was now stroking up my bare legs with greedy fingertips. “Are we—do you want to—” I cleared my throat, feeling awkward and needy and repugnantly anxious. “Are we going to do this again sometime?”
His hands went still on my legs, and when he looked over at me, that lock of hair was hanging over his forehead, like he was a cartoon fairy-tale prince made real. “Tell me what you mean by this, Iris. A trip to New York? Staying at my place?”
I was already shaking my head, even though I wouldn’t say no to either opportunity if they arose again. “I mean us spending time together, Keaton. The hanging out. The fooling around. When we get to Pembroke, are we going to pretend this weekend never happened?”
Now all of him was completely still. Tense. I couldn’t read his expression when he said, “Is that what you want? To stop?”
An instinctive pain welled up inside me at the very thought of stopping. And then a wave of fear followed that pain. If I was this far gone for him after only a weekend, what would happen after weeks of this at school? Months? I’d be broken over him. He’d break me, and then I’d just be the stupid girl who fell for the king of the school. The girl that fell for the rugby idol and his arrogant smirk.
No better than a fool.
“I don’t know,” I whispered, looking away. “I don’t know what I want.”
He didn’t seem to like that answer at all. My seatbelt was unbuckled and I was in his lap before I could blink. He yanked me to his chest with one burly arm while his other hand slid up my skirt. Not to toy with me or tease, but to cup me. Hard. And with his hand molded possessively over me, he said in a fierce, rough voice, “Don’t keep me from this. Don’t keep us from this.”
I couldn’t help how I reacted to his touch. Just like in the library that very first time, his breathtaking arrogance only fired me—and my half-glaring, half-aroused response only stoked his need higher. He curled his hand over me even tighter, sending quivering heat to the place that needed his touch the most.
Focus, Iris!
“What about Clara?” I demanded, scowling at him.
He looked confused. “What about her?”
“We can’t be having sex while everyone thinks you’re with her!”
Keaton’s brow wrinkled. It made him look unfairly cute. “Why not? She’s got nothing to do with us.”
My stomach knifed. “So you’re just going to continue dating her,” I said dully. “While you fuck me on the side.”
“Iris,” Keaton said, the arm around my waist now moving up my back. He buried his fingers in the wavy mass of my hair. “You’re making this sound worse than it is. She and I don’t fuck, we don’t fool around, we don’t even kiss, and you know why? Because I only kiss the girls I want.”
I blinked at him.
I didn’t want this ugly doubt nestled inside me. I didn’t want what we’d shared this weekend to end up poisoned and ruined. I wanted to believe him. I wanted to imagine that the next few months or longer would be full of the same heady, thrilling fun we’d had this weekend.
A long minute passed while I thought. “Are you saying you don’t want her?” I asked shyly. A little miserably.
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Author Becker Gray
About the Author Becker Gray is the brainchild of two best friends who love rich boys in peacoats. The Hellfire Club is their first series together.
Welcome to the book blitz for OFFICE GRUMP, a stand-alone adult contemporary romance, by Wall Street Journal and USA Today bestselling author Nicole Snow. See below for information on the book, buy links, an exclusive excerpt, and details on her giveaway.
OFFICE GRUMP by Nicole Snow
About the Book – Read for Free with Kindle Unlimited Title: OFFICE GRUMP Author: Nicole Snow Release Date: November 12, 2020 Genre: Adult Contemporary Romance Links: Goodreads | Amazon | Amazon UK | Amazon CA | Amazon AU | Amazon DE | Amazon IT
Synopsis Wall Street Journal bestselling author Nicole Snow returns with a fierce and hilarious office romance where two sworn enemies make undeniable lovers.
My “interview” with bosshole supreme was anything but normal. He picked the worst day ever to chase me off my favorite park bench. I retaliated with a spray of cinnamon latte all over his Italian shoes. Then—for some unholy reason—Magnus Heron offered me a job.
Even his name sounds like a piece of work. Guess what? He is. But when you’re single, broke, and barely surviving in Chicago, you hop on the gift horse offering a six-figure salary and ride. I picked the stallion on a one-way trip to hell.
It’s not the impossibly long hours working under Grump-zilla. It’s not the fact that he’s snarly, demanding, horribly rich, and chiseled. It’s not even the pesky way he makes me blush every flipping time we’re together. Mag is my boss. I’m his lowly assistant. Some rules are carved in stone.
That’s my mantra until we’re sharing a sunset too beautiful for life. Alone with wandering lips, whispered secrets, and disaster in the making. The plan was simple: punch the clock, get paid, and keep hating my boss. What’s the blueprint when the office grump brings me to my knees?
Full-length enemies-to-lovers romance with the banter, intrigue, and slow-burn love worthy of a Happily Ever After. The bossman from Hades meets the hellion he totally can’t stand—until he can’t live without her.
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Excerpt Heron chuckles, burning me alive with that lightning in his eyes. “You must have eclectic taste for an English major. Wasn’t that the other degree listed next to fine arts on your resume?”
I scan the menu. “Huh?”
“I mean, to enjoy The Fireman’s Pregnant Tinkerbell.”
I’m busy reading the entrees—and frowning because there are no sandwiches, probably no fries, ugh—so it takes a second for his words to click.
Fireman’s Pregnant Tinkerbell? He must’ve seen my Amazon search.
Oh, great.
I decide to play it cool. After all, my personal shopping has zilch to do with him.
“Why would it have to be eclectic? There’s a literary reference right in the name. Sounds very English major-y to me,” I say.
“English major-y? Is that a word?” He holds his water up, taking a long, sardonic pull off the glass.
God. If only I could clock him in the nose right here.
“It is now,” I say without looking up.
“Interesting. I must’ve missed the part in Barrie’s work where Tinkerbell even met the fireman.” The bastard winks.
Winks.
My face heats at his words and I abhor how good he is at getting me all riled in more ways than one.
Yeah, no, I decide.
He’s not getting the satisfaction.
I scoff—I have to do something with the fire in my veins—and set the menu down so I can meet his eyes. “I’d love to meet a fireman. If I ever have an evening off in time for dinner, I’ll cruise Tinder or Match for one.”
“You’re serious? Firemen are your type?” His face becomes more serious and slightly angrier than it was like two seconds ago.
Oh, God. Thanks, Mom, for putting me in this predicament. You couldn’t just write a book with a more mysterious title?
I take a deep breath and look him square in the eye.
“Why does that shock you, Mr. Heron? Are you fireman-phobic? They’re heroic, hardworking, protective, and risk their butts all day to save lives,” I say, registering his grump-face growly mood with some satisfaction. I can’t resist adding a dollop of icing to the cake. “Plus, they’ve got big hoses. I know those are things preppy business guys probably wouldn’t know about, right?”
His face is, for once, completely blank.
I’ve caught him off guard.
Ha. I like being the one on top, so I continue while I’m on a roll.
“Especially the big hose part. I mean, you wouldn’t even know what to do with equipment like that. It’s not your fault. There’s no need for a long, thick hose in boardrooms.” I smirk at him and flip through my textbook of a menu again.
A second later, I’m actually a little mortified. My face heats, no doubt giving away the fact that I’m not as confident as my words.
What’s gotten into me?
Discussing long hoses with my egomaniac boss?
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Author Nicole Snow
About The Author Nicole Snow is a Wall Street Journal and USA Today bestselling author. She found her love of writing by hashing out love scenes on lunch breaks and plotting her great escape from boardrooms. Her work roared onto the indie romance scene in 2014 with her Grizzlies MC series.
Since then Snow aims for the very best in growly, heart-of-gold alpha heroes, unbelievable suspense, and swoon storms aplenty. With over a million books sold, she lives for the joy of making two people fight with every bit of their soul for a Happily Ever After.
Current fan favorites include her Enguard Protectors series, accidental love novels, plus long beloved MC romance thrillers like the Grizzlies and Deadly Pistols.
Welcome to the blog tour for SO WRONG IT’S WRIGHT, the third book in the adult contemporary romantic comedy series, So Far, So Good, by Amelia Kingston. See below for information on the book and series, buy links, an exclusive excerpt, and details on her giveaway.
SO WRONG IT’S WRIGHT (So Far, So Good Series#3) by Amelia Kingston
Michelle Anders is done with love. Done with the involuntary heart palpitations and suffocating in breathless moments. Done crying over a man who doesn’t deserve her. She is determined to become a strong, independent woman, starting with focusing on what really matters. Herself.
The solitary week of relaxation she planned at a friend’s remote lake house turns unbearable when the man who broke her heart stumbles in on her. While she’s stark naked in the bathtub. With his pants around his ankles!
Drew Wright may be the NFL’s newest darling, but to Michelle the jock is nothing but a loud-mouthed, crass, country-boy brute. He doesn’t deserve a second of her time…but the things he can do to her body are irresistible.
When mother nature conspires to keep them locked up together, Michelle needs to figure out where lust ends and love begins.
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Excerpt #1 TWACK. Silence. TWACK. Silence. TWACK.
What the hell?
My alcohol-soaked brain is racing with possibilities for the loud and violent sound. Eventually, my curiosity outweighs my sense of self-preservation and I have to know what that noise is. I toss back the covers and grab my wineglass. Not a weapon. Not my cell phone. My wineglass. A girl’s gotta have priorities.
I crack my door, expecting to see Freddie or Jason charging toward me, but the hallway is empty. I head toward the sound, kicking myself for being like every stupid woman in every slasher flick. I shake the thought out of my head. I’m perfectly safe. This isn’t a horror movie. Besides, someone would have to get past Drew first. He hates me, but not enough to let an ax murderer get at me. I don’t think.
I tiptoe into the living room, quiet as a mouse. The rhythmic hacking has stopped and the stark silence is somehow creepier. I peek around the corner and don’t see anyone in the large living room or foyer. I pinch my eyebrows together and tilt my head. Did I imagine it?
The seeming emptiness—and maybe the alcohol—makes me idiotically brave. I charge into the living room, but come to a screeching halt when I see Drew rise from where he was hunched over in front of the fireplace. He pushes himself up to his full height and I’m dumbstruck. He is in nothing but a pair of tight boxer briefs that are slightly askew and hanging low on his hips. They look painted on his deliciously thick thighs. His firm ass is pure perfection with two sexy dimples, just above the hem of his boxers, begging to be licked. His back glistens with a light sweat and I picture raking my nails across his skin.
“Fuck me,” I murmur.
At the sound of my desperate, breathy voice, Drew turns and I about faint. I’ve never seen anything so sexy. I drink him in, long eyelashes to thick calves. His shaggy brown hair hangs over his gentle eyes, making him look adorably nefarious. He slings an ax over his shoulder and his abs ripple in the firelight. The chiseled V dipping into his boxers draws my attention down to the impressive bulge that has my mouth watering. He is powerful and dangerous. The wild mountain man is my new favorite fantasy.
About the Author Amelia Kingston is many things, the most interesting of which are probably California girl, writer, traveler, and dog mom. She survives on chocolate, coffee, wine, and sarcasm. Not necessarily in that order.
She’s been blessed with a patient husband who’s embraced her nomad ways and traveled with her to over 30 countries across 5 continents (I’m coming for you next, Antarctica!). She’s also been cursed with an impatient (although admittedly adorable) terrier who pouts when her dinner is 5 minutes late.
She writes about strong, stubborn, flawed women and the men who can’t help but love them. Her irreverent books aim to be silly and fun with the occasional storm cloud to remind us to appreciate the sunny days. As a hopeless romantic, her favorite stories are the ones that remind us all that while love is rarely perfect, it’s always worth chasing.
Welcome to the book blitz for DAMNED WHEN I DIDN’T, a stand-alone young adult paranormal romance, by Cherie Colyer. See below for information on the book, buy links, an exclusive excerpt, and details on her giveaway.
Synopsis Death isn’t the end for eighteen-year-old Avery Williams, and her final resting place isn’t beyond the Golden Gates. No, the Queen of the Damned has plans for her and, unbeknownst to Avery, fought hard to gain possession of her soul.
As Hell’s newest succubus, Avery is expected to siphon life from the living. It only takes a long, meaningful kiss, but for a virgin like Avery, kissing guys she barely knows isn’t something she’s comfortable doing. Avery focuses on the upside of her fate—she’ll be returning home, or so she thinks. When the Queen of the Damned cuts her off from her old life, Avery is determined to find a way back to her family and friends, even if it means facing Hell’s fury if she’s caught.
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Excerpt #2 We got to Brookfield Zoo around ten, and even though I had forty dollars in my purse, Cole insisted on paying for the both of us. We entered through an underground tunnel that led to the main entrance. Images of ostriches and lions watched us pass as we followed the crowd to the turnstiles.
Cole handed a heavyset guy in a blue uniform our tickets and then held his hand in front of him. “Ladies first.”
“Thanks.” I tucked my hair behind my ear and asked, “Are you sure your friends won’t mind me tagging along?”
During the drive over, I envisioned Cole’s friends as a group of unruly demons. I couldn’t believe I hadn’t asked him what to expect when he first mentioned getting out of the apartment. When I voiced my concerns to Cole, he let out a loud guffaw. A minute later, he assured me there wouldn’t be a demon in the bunch, except for us. He also told me that Luz was psyched to meet me. She was tired of being the only girl in the group.
Cole and I headed toward a large water fountain at the center of the zoo. A boy wearing a lion sun visor held his little hands up as if they were paws and roared. His sister—who was about half his size—screamed. I couldn’t help but laugh. Then I remembered Cole’s comment back at the apartment.
“Are you really a fan of leopards?” I asked.
“Snow leopards,” he corrected. “They’re smaller than other wild cats, but they’re graceful, cunning, and exceptional survivors.”
I got the feeling he related to them on a personal level. Cole had said incubi were low on Hell’s totem pole of bad asses.
“What’s your favorite animal?” he asked.
I tapped a finger to my lips. “Hmm—”
He jumped in front of me, walking backward with a bounce in his step. “Don’t tell me. I’ll guess.”
I giggled. Cole’s behavior was so human it was hard to believe he was a demon. But then again, so was I.
“You’ll never guess.”
He tipped his head to the side. “Is that a challenge?”
“Maybe,” I replied with a smile.
He slowed, avoiding bumping into a stroller even though his back was to it.
“How’d you know they were there?” I whispered, fully expecting to be told that demons had the radar-like senses of a shark.
“Reflection in your sunglasses.” He wiggled the ones he wore.
Darn on the supernatural radar, or lack thereof.
“Where were we?” he asked.
“You were about to admit there is no way you’ll guess my favorite animal.”
“You think so.” Cole smirked. “Let’s make it interesting…winner sleeps in the bed tonight, his choice if he wants to share.”
“Or hers, and just so you know, I’m not sleeping in the same bed as you.”
“You did last night.”
“I was passed out due to being drugged. It doesn’t count.”
I hadn’t given much thought to the fact that Cole and I shared everything in a one-bedroom apartment. “Does the couch pull out into a sofa bed?”
“Nope. I usually don’t have company sleep over. I discovered last night you’re a cover hog.”
Since most mornings I woke tangled in the sheet, I knew better than to argue with the latter statement. “Don’t you have girls over?”
“Definitely not. Except Luz, but she’s a friend and doesn’t stay the night.” His expression became serious. “No bringing work home. House rule.”
I didn’t plan on hooking up with anyone, so that rule was fine by me. “Deal.”
His lips curved upward into a devilish smirk. “Which one: you won’t bring strange guys home, or you’re willing to risk losing dibs on the comfy mattress?”
I began to think Lilith had purposely paired me with Cole as a way to add to my own personal Hell. He was seriously charming and—had we been human—the type of guy I went for.
But he’s not human, and the only reason you find him charming is because he’s the only person you’re still allowed to talk to.
Even Gregory Davis—the geeky brain from school with thick black glasses and a never-ending supply of sweater vests—would look appealing when you’re staring down eternity and he’s the only person you know.
I shook my head to clear my runaway thoughts and replied with confidence, “Both.”
“Be prepared to lose.” He turned and fell in stride with me. In a low voice, he said, “Luz, Nick, and Dylan are human. Hunter’s something else.”
I stopped. “What’s Hunter?”
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Author Cherie Colyer
About the Author Cherie Colyer is the author of Challenging Destiny and the Embrace series. When she’s not getting the fictional people in her life into trouble, she can be found solving network issues at work, spending time with family and friends, reading, or exploring the great outdoors.
Cherie lives in Illinois with her family.
To learn more about Cherie and her novels visit www.CherieColyer.com
USA Today bestselling author, Julie Johnson, is revealing the cover to WE DON’T LIE ANYMORE, the second book in her new adult contemporary romance duet, Don’t, releasing December 8, 2020. See below for the cover, information on the book and series, preorder links, and a link to add it to your Goodreads TBR.
WE DON’T LIE ANYMORE (The Don’t Duet #2) by Julie Johnson
It’s been 365 days since I told my best friend I loved him.
365 days since he didn’t say it back.
365 days since he lied straight to my face.
WE DON’T LIE ANYMORE is a breathtaking story of forgiveness, friendship, and the fight for true love… It is the second installment in THE DON’T DUET, directly following the events of WE DON’T TALK ANYMORE.
About the Author JULIE JOHNSON is a twenty-seven-year-old Boston native and USA Today bestselling author of more than a dozen contemporary romance novels. When she’s not writing, Julie can most often be found adding stamps to her passport, drinking too much coffee, striving to conquer her Netflix queue, and Instagramming pictures of her dog. (Follow her: @author_julie)
She published her debut novel LIKE GRAVITY in August 2013, just before her senior year of college, and she’s never looked back. Since, she has published a dozen more novels, including the bestselling BOSTON LOVE STORY series. Her books have appeared on Kindle and iTunes Bestseller lists around the world, as well as in AdWeek, Publishers Weekly, and USA Today.
You can find Julie on Facebook or contact her on her website www.juliejohnsonbooks.com. Sometimes, when she can figure out how Twitter works, she tweets from @AuthorJulie. For major book news and updates, subscribe to Julie’s newsletter: http://eepurl.com/bnWtHH
Welcome to the book blitz for THE TIME GATHERER, the second book in the adult fantasy romance series, The Timegathering, by Rachel Dacus. See below for information on the book and series, buy links, an exclusive excerpt, and details on her giveaway.
THE TIME GATHERER (The Timegathering Series #2) by Rachel Dacus
About the Book Title: THE TIME GATHERER Series: The Timegathering Series #2 Author: Rachel Dacus Publisher: Time Fold Books Release Date: November 9, 2020
Genre: Adult Fantasy Romance
Links: Goodreads | Amazon | Amazon UK | Amazon CA | Amazon AU | Amazon DE | Amazon IT
Synopsis Traveling in time he found love. And became a target.
Young George St. James doesn’t know how to unfold the wings of his gift, but a timegathering medieval monk and a 23rd century geneticist can put him on the right track. He learns the genetic nature of his ability. He finds that his destiny is to nudge history in the right direction. Unfortunately, it brings him enemies. The Optimalists are a secret society that wants to change the genome, get rid of the timegathering gene, and control humanity.
Brother Bernardo shows George how to use his ability and counsels him on its purpose. He takes George to Philadelphia in 1776, as the American colonists hesitate to sign a Declaration of Independence from England. He wants to inspire George as a timegatherer move the Colonists to act.
George struggles to thwart the Optimalists and evades their attacks. But love unexpectedly arrives to divert him from his goal. Beautiful, talented 17th century painter Elisabetta Sirani is destined for an untimely end. Passionately determined to save her, George changes history in the service of love—but it may cost him his future.
“A fine tale of time travel, romance, and adventure” ~ Reader review.
THE TIME GATHERER is the second book in the spellbinding Timegathering Series that began with THE RENAISSANCE CLUB. Plunge into a suspenseful story of love and adventure tangled up in history!
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Excerpt #3 The next time he awoke, he figured he’d slept a long time, judging by the dryness of his throat and his raspy breathing. He‘d had nothing to drink for at least a day.
A sharp pang in his shoulder startled him. What was happening? An attacker straddled him, but George wrestled and freed himself. Getting to his feet, George saw that the man was a few feet away. His enemy leaped forward and gouged him in the shoulder. George lurched around the cell, remembering the Optimalists. Had he said his mantra?
Suddenly, the figure evaporated.
George just caught his breath when another man appeared—tall, robed, and coming toward him. At the last moment, he saw it was his mentor.
Brother Bernardo leaned down. He pushed open George’s shirt. “This is a shallow wound. I’ve brought unguent and herbal pills.”
The monk handed the pills to George, who swallowed them with spit as Bernardo squatted next to him and dabbed salve on his cut.
“You won’t be able to timegather until this heals, my son.”
“Can you partner me away?”
Bernardo nodded. “I can, but first let the pills work.” “How did they find me?”
“You must have left traces. Did you repeat the mantra?” “I can’t remember.”
“Never forget! The prayer is your lifeline. Keep it as close as your dagger.”
“I don’t carry a dagger.”
George could see Bernardo’s disdainful look. “Even monks carry daggers. Can you stand?”
George tried to stand up but sank down, his back against the wall.
“Give it a few more minutes. I wish I’d brought you wine.”
“I’d rather have water,” George croaked.
“Don’t be silly. No one drinks water.”
“You’ve lived too long in the Middle Ages. In 2061, we have pure mountain water from the tap.”
His mentor laughed. “I’ve forgotten civilization. Are you able to stand? We don’t have much time. Medieval justice is swift.”
“But I have to help Lucia!”
Bernardo grabbed George’s forearm and yanked him to his feet. “It’s too late. I can’t save you both. Breathe deeply and stand still.”
George surrendered. Bernardo gripped George’s arm hard enough to leave a bruise. The cell wavered and blurred. Then George was in his living room, the medieval monk still with him.
Bernardo dropped George’s arm. “Your home is a nice little place. And now you must listen to me and rest.”
As out of breath as if he’d run a mile, George sat in the desk chair.
“I’m leaving,” Bernardo said. “I urge you not to return to Bologna yet.”
George was too weak to shout, but he said slowly, with emphasis, “I will, but I have to go back when I can. If I don’t speak up for Lucia, they’ll kill her. I promised Elisabetta.”
About the Author Rachel Dacus writes about love, history, art and adventure, with a touch of the supernatural. Her newest book, THE TIME GATHERER, is Book 2 in the Timegathering Series. Her novel THE INVISIBLES is a story of sisterhood and sacrifice, set in a haunted cottage on the Italian coast.
In her first novel, THE RENAISSANCE CLUB (Book 1 in the Timegathering Series), a 17th century genius artist meets his superfan from the future. Dacus has published four poetry collections and many anthologies. Her most recent collection is ARABESQUE. She lives in Northern California with her husband and a tiny but mighty Silky Terrier. She’s a member of the Women’s Fiction Writer’s Association, Alliance of Independent Authors, and Authors18. Learn more at racheldacus.net.
Welcome to the blog tour for LET IT SNOW, a stand-alone adult contemporary holiday romance, by Cassie Cross. See below for information on the book, buy links, and an exclusive excerpt.
Synopsis Amy Winstead is a twenty something video producer who loves Christmas more than anyone she’s ever known. This year, the holidays are gonna be a lot less happy because she can’t afford the plane ticket home to celebrate with her family, and her best and oldest friend Josh is moving halfway across the country for a new job that he couldn’t turn down.
When Josh asks her to accompany him on his road trip from Texas to Connecticut and offers to pay for her plane ticket back home, how could Amy say no? He’s promised some fun surprises on the trip, and more time with him could never be a bad thing.
One surprise Josh hasn’t planned on is the record-breaking blizzard heading their way. They decide to wait out the storm in the charming town of Holly Hill, where a little holiday magic and a lot of snow combine to help Josh and Amy realize that the something that’s always simmered between them could easily become something more…
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Excerpt #2 Only we don’t get the show on the road exactly, we get the show on the road to Valentina’s, our favorite taco spot, for some farewell breakfast tacos. Josh waits at the window of the teardrop trailer for our order, while I head inside the barn where there’s tables and heat, glorious heat. I fiddle with the napkin while I wait for him, a flurry of nerves in my stomach.
This is really the last time we’ll be having tacos here together, on a trip where I’m going to have to say goodbye to him at the end and fly home by myself. We’re on the precipice of this giant change, one where I go from seeing him all the time and knowing him better than anyone, to seeing him rarely and not really knowing him at all.
I know this move doesn’t have to change anything, but people make promises to each other all the time that distance and time apart make them break. The thought has been gnawing at me, making tears spring in my eyes that I tried to hide by looking out the window.
Before long, Josh heads over with a tray full of foil-wrapped deliciousness. We eat in silence, because the awkwardness that invaded the car has taken root in the air between us.
I look down at my pork belly tacos, wanting to enjoy them but feeling a sudden loss of appetite. Josh reaches over and gently tilts my head up, because he’s never been the kind of guy who’s let me stew in my emotions for long without trying to help.
“Wanna tell me what’s gotten you so quiet?” he asks.
I shrug, because for the most part we’ve avoided any deep conversations about him leaving, and I certainly don’t want to start one while we’re here in public and everyone will see if I break down.
“It just hit me this morning that you’re leaving,” I manage to get out around the lump in my throat. “Before it was just a thing that you were preparing for, and I guess…I don’t know, I guess I hadn’t thought much about what it would feel like when you actually did it.”
“How does it feel?” he whispers.
“Like shit, honestly,” I say, as we both laugh, eyes shining. “These are our last breakfast tacos.”
He reaches over and swipes a tear off my cheek. “Not our last,” he assures me. “Just our last for a while. You’re my best girl, that’s not gonna change.”
I nod my head, wanting to believe him. Needing it. “Yeah.”
“Why don’t we just have the best time and try not to dwell on it too much, deal? I brought you some snacks to distract you, and we’re gonna see some Christmas lights tonight.”
That perks me up, except for one thing… “Healthy snacks?”
He grins before he picks up his taco. “Ames, there isn’t a green thing in the bunch.”
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Author Cassie Cross
About the Author Cassie Cross is a Maryland native and a romantic at heart, who lives outside of Baltimore with her two dogs and a closet full of shoes. Cassie’s fondness for swoon-worthy men and strong women are the inspiration for most of her stories, and when she’s not busy writing a book, you’ll probably find her eating takeout and indulging in her love of 80’s sitcoms.
Welcome to the book blitz for GRAVES’ ANATOMY, the first book in the new adult urban fantasy series, Luna Graves, by Adam Gierasch and Jace Anderson. See below for information on the book, buy links, an exclusive excerpt, and details on their giveaway.
GRAVES’ ANATOMY (Luna Graves Series #1) by Adam Gierasch and Jace Anderson
About The Book – Read for Free with Kindle Unlimited
Title: GRAVES’ ANATOMY Series: Luna Graves Series #1 Author: Adam Gierasch and Jace Anderson Genre: New Adult Urban Fantasy Release Date: November 17, 2020 Links:Goodreads | Amazon | Amazon UK | Amazon CA | Amazon AU | Amazon DE | Amazon IT | Amazon FR
Synopsis Tattoo artist Luna Graves’ life turns upside down when her estranged father dies and she learns it’s her destiny to be a doctor…to monsters.
Destiny? Fairy tale endings? Things that go bump in the night? Luna Graves doesn’t believe in any of them. Her father took off when she was three, and she’s worked hard to become one of the best young tattoo artists in Los Angeles. Of course, there was that mysterious exchange she had when she was 12 with Heath Guillaumet, who might not have been human…naw, that was just her imagination.
When her estranged father dies, Luna discovers that he led a secret life as an uphir, a doctor to the shadowkind — what we would call monsters. Now that he’s gone, she has to take his place — or be killed by the powerful Council. Thrust into a world she doesn’t know, the stubborn Luna refuses to give up on her original dreams. Soon Heath Guillaumet will return to unleash a disease last battled by the Knights Templar…the Black Death.
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Excerpt #2 It was one of the few remaining no-man’s lands in downtown Los Angeles – the kind of area that was commonplace before the neighborhood’s transition into “DTLA.” A desolate block of Wall Street, down where the fabric district jutted up against the flower district and all of the storefronts were blocked off by corrugated metal doors.
Silence reigned. To the west and north, loft windows lit up the night.
Chelle strode down the center of the street, her black overcoat swinging by her sides. The chunky heels of her Doc Martens boots splashed through puddles left after the flower sellers had hosed down their stalls. Her high cheekbones gleamed in the amber streetlights. Like Minx she was a matianak, a type of creature that could pass for human. But Chelle knew the matianak, though vastly outnumbered by humans, were the superior species. They measured their lives in centuries, and, with their tall, thin builds, had it particularly well now that Rubenesque was no longer the physical ideal. Of course, eating wasn’t an issue as they were incubi and succubi. It was a misunderstanding that they gained energy from sex, however. What really provided them with nourishment were human feelings like anger, grief, pain and passion. Sex and touching were just the most economical ways to get there.
She turned down a decrepit alley, her boots crunching on gravel. Rats gathered on the lip of a nearby dumpster glanced up, then returned to feasting on garbage. Save some room, guys, she thought. Fresh pickings are on the way.
Chelle’s target was up ahead: an alley door, covered in dull red peeling paint.
A six-foot-high statue rested next to it: a stone gargoyle. The fierce features were worn with age: cocked eyebrows, squinted eyes, long claws. It would seem out of place if it weren’t for the broken beer bottle at its feet and the green and yellow graffiti tags on its haunches.
Chelle’s footsteps were steady, unfaltering. As she passed a streetlight it flickered, one-two, one-two.
When Chelle was eight feet away from the door, the stone gargoyle opened yellow eyes and turned its head. A low growl sounded from its throat.
Chelle froze. Her prey was in her sights.
The gargoyle’s lips twitched into a snarl, revealing long canines and a glistening black tongue. It shifted its weight, turning to face Chelle.
A smile played around the edges of Chelle’s lips. She raised her right hand in front of her face, watching as her sharp red fingernails receded and long talons emerged from her nail beds. Come on, bitch.
For a moment both matianak and gargoyle remained still, staring at each other.
They leapt at the same moment, as if responding to some agreed-upon signal. Their bodies crashed together in mid-air, the gargoyle’s muscled jaws aiming for Chelle’s neck. At the last moment she pivoted, all willowy grace, and the gargoyle’s teeth closed on air. She ducked and the gargoyle sailed over her, landing in the alleyway and thundering toward the street before turning around, the growl in its throat growing deeper.
Facing the dull red door, Chelle raised both arms in front of her. A soft breeze played around her feet, and her long coat billowed around her legs. The door began to shake in its hinges: barely perceptible at first, then stronger, stronger…
The gargoyle leapt, smacking Chelle in the back and sending her to the ground. The door fell still.
It tried to bite the back of her neck but she elbowed it, knocking it to the side. In a blur of limbs, teeth and claws, the two creatures rolled in the alley muck, fighting with everything they had.
A few of the rats looked up from the dumpster, distracted from their evening meal.
Just a few minutes more, guys. It’s almost over.
The loss of focus cost her. Sharp teeth flashed, sank into Chelle’s shoulder. She screamed, in rage as much as pain, and drew her right hand back. Her long talons glinted in the low light. Now you’re just pissing me off.
With a quick stabbing motion she plunged her talons into the gargoyle’s abdomen, puncturing the stony flesh. Gray fluid spurted out and the gargoyle let out a high-pitched, piercing scream.
Her advantage secured, Chelle raked her fingernails through the creature’s belly. Three deep gashes opened. The gargoyle writhed.
Chelle threw the gargoyle to the side. Enjoy being rat food. She thought she heard the rodents closing in but didn’t bother to look back.
Her focus was only on the door. She ripped it off its hinges and headed into the dark.
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Trailer
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Authors Jace Anderson and Adam Gierasch
About the Authors Tattoo artist Luna Graves’ life turns upside down when her estranged father dies and she learns it’s her destiny to be a doctor…to monsters.
Destiny? Fairy tale endings? Things that go bump in the night? Luna Graves doesn’t believe in any of them. Her father took off when she was three, and she’s worked hard to become one of the best young tattoo artists in Los Angeles. Of course, there was that mysterious exchange she had when she was 12 with Heath Guillaumet, who might not have been human…naw, that was just her imagination.
When her estranged father dies, Luna discovers that he led a secret life as an uphir, a doctor to the shadowkind — what we would call monsters. Now that he’s gone, she has to take his place — or be killed by the powerful Council. Thrust into a world she doesn’t know, the stubborn Luna refuses to give up on her original dreams. Soon Heath Guillaumet will return to unleash a disease last battled by the Knights Templar…the Black Death.
Welcome to the book blitz for THE STORIES STARS TELL, a young adult contemporary romance by C.L. Walters. See below for information on the book, buy links, an exclusive excerpt, and details on her giveaway.
Synopsis Ever felt like the sum total of your choices have fixed your story in the stars?
For Emma Matthews, she feels like all of her choices are rooted in the fear of letting down her parents… God…of never being good enough.
For Tanner James, he’s wearing an identity he has created with his friends and their pact—Bro Code—fixed in sex, alcohol and bad choices.
Both are longing for a new story they look to one another to help them write.
Follow Emma and Tanner as they rewrite stories they thought had already been written into something new. To discover sometimes painful truths about love and identity.
About the ways that love can help us lose ourselves… or find ourselves.
How love can break us… or heal us.
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Excerpt Tanner
[…]I stood. “I’m going,” I told Griff, who had a girl sitting on his lap I didn’t know.
He smiled over her shoulder at me and presented his knuckles. The girl whispered something in his ear, and Griff laughed. She was attractive. Dark haired.
My mind drifted to Emma Matthews (which was strange since we weren’t friends). I’d seen her the day before with her friend, Liam, hanging a poster for some club or function in the hall after school, heads together about something. Under usual circumstances, I wouldn’t have noticed, but in this case, I had because I’d noticed Emma and how cute she was. I had noticed her for a while, but she was out of my league.
Emma wouldn’t be partying like this. She definitely wouldn’t be sitting in Griff’s lap, and if she were, it would piss me off, but I didn’t consider why. She was probably at home, doing something productive, like homework, or a group study session. Perhaps she was doing something fun and wholesome, like a movie with her friends. I wondered if she went to the movies. Though I wasn’t exactly sure why I wondered, because I wasn’t a big movie goer (too boring to sit in one spot for too long).
Why was I even thinking of Emma at all?
It wasn’t like we talked. Sometimes, I thought she might be looking at me in the cafeteria at school or in the hallway as we passed one another. Her pretty eyes always slid away, but they made me curious. What color were they? Was she just glancing at me, or was she looking? I used to think about her. A lot. That started in the eighth grade when she yelled at Cole Butler in science during a lab. She’d been so fiery and funny. The memory still made me smile. We hadn’t had many classes together — one or two, maybe — because she actually tried at school.
I shook my head to get my errant thoughts about Emma out of my mind. Leaving Griff and Wannabe Emma behind, I walked through the living room.
Deb stopped me with a hand on my chest. “Hey, Tanner. Want to dance?” An invitation.
The message was clear: I could have stayed there with her and gotten laid, but it made me tired. Instead I said, “I’m looking for Penelope,” and even as I said it, I was hoping she’d already left.
Deb shrugged, because that was as much as I meant to her. “Upstairs,” she told me and returned to grinding to the music with her group of friends.
I moved through the crush of people toward the stairs, even though I wasn’t sure why I was going through these motions. A different choice seemed an impossibility, though I couldn’t articulate why that was so. Josh and Danny were sitting in a group smoking weed, and they offered me a head nod as I passed. I gave them an eyebrow raise in return and started up the stairs.
Near the top, I almost tripped on someone sitting on the steps. “Whoa.” It was a girl folded over on herself, and because I’m not a complete douchebag, despite what I know has been said about me, I leaned down and asked her, “You okay?”
The girl tipped her head up to look at me, and suddenly, I was looking into the face of…
“Emma Matthews?”
She smiled, and it lit up her eyes — dark blue with swirls of gray — like stars in a dark sky. “Tanner James.”
“Are you drunk?” I asked. I was too, but not enough to help me forget that Emma was the object of my secret fantasies, along with the fact I’d just been thinking about her. I shook my head to make sure I wasn’t dreaming. There wasn’t anything in our experiences that should have contributed to our paths crossing, and yet, there she was, as if I’d conjured her. “What are you doing here?”
“I’m feeling really good.” She smiled again, and I remembered feeling that smile in my stomach like a lead weight had melted into molten liquid.
“Why are you sitting here on the stairs?”
“Waiting.”
“For what?”
“You.” She giggled.
That made no sense. First, why would Emma Matthews be at this party? Second, why would she be drunk? And third, why would she say she was waiting for me? I wondered if someone was playing a joke on me and even looked around, but it was just the two of us in the hallway. I slid down the wall and sat next to her. “You’re definitely drunk if you’re waiting for me.”
“Did I say that?”
“Yeah.”
“Oh. That’s a secret.” She pressed a finger to my lips, and that touch dove all the way from the top of my neck to the base of my spine like I’d been zapped with electricity. “I’m supposed to find Liam.” Then she moved her finger from my lips to hers, her dark blue eyes — flecks of green and aqua too — never leaving my mouth. “Shh.”
My heart pounded in my chest, excited by the form her lips took against her finger. “Damn, Emma. I didn’t know you drank.”
“Me either.”
I attempted an inconspicuous adjustment of my pants, because I started feeling that tingle in my crotch and needed to calm that shit down. I chuckled, amused, because I hadn’t caught wood from just a look and a touch since I was, like, fourteen. I decided the honorable thing to do was help her find her friend, which led to the decision to dump looking for Penelope. I hadn’t really wanted to be with Penelope outside of sex anyway, and that left me feeling dirty. “Shall we go look for Liam?”
Her eyes roved over every inch of my face. She reached up and touched my lips with her fingertips again; it was tender. “You have a nice mouth, Tanner James.”
My stomach tightened. I tried to remember that reaction. It was a hungry craving, the anticipation of the satiation of a voracious appetite, but it was also so distant. I hadn’t been aware I’d been missing it until it resurfaced inside of me.
“You want to hear a secret?” she asked and leaned closer to me, though I had the impression she thought she was whispering. “I’ve wanted to try and kiss it.”
Her admission made me smile, and my heart thumped a little more. I realized that while I’d been fantasizing about her, perhaps she’d thought about me too. Knowing that made me feel buoyant. “You have? Well, I could remedy that for you, but I’m afraid you wouldn’t remember it. I would want you to.” It was a truth. I wanted Emma to remember me.
“I would,” she said, wide-eyed, and nodded. “I promise.”
I stood up, needing the distance, because I was afraid I might kiss her. As I did, she held my arm, and I almost toppled onto her. I self-corrected and took her hand to help her up. Once upright, she stumbled against me, and I caught her waist with my hands while her other arm wrapped around my neck. My heart was now knocking against the wall of my ribs. She was so close, so pretty, so pressed against me. I looked at her mouth, heart-shaped pink. She licked her lips, and my belly buzzed. I wanted to kiss her so badly, but I chickened out, which was part of why I didn’t; it also felt wrong on some level. I could take advantage, but I didn’t want to. On the other hand, I wanted to extend my time with her, so when I said, “Come on. Let’s go look for Liam.” I took her deeper into the house instead of down the stairs, which was probably the more likely place to look. I wasn’t being altruistic.
She put her hand in mine.
I noticed how soft her skin was, and I wondered about the rest of her.
“I don’t want to find Liam,” she insisted as we walked down the hall. “I want to wait for Tanner.”
“I’m right here.” I looked over my shoulder at her.
Her eyes brightened again, the outside corners scrunching with joy. “Oh! It is you.”
“How much did you have to drink, Em?” I asked.
She held up four fingers. “Two.”
“We should get you some water. Let’s find a place for you to sit.”
I started testing doors in the hallway. Honestly, on one level, I knew what I was doing. I wanted to be alone with her, even if I didn’t want to cheapen the moment. I think I justified it to myself. I needed to find her a place to sober up. Deep down, though, it was a lingering understanding of a latent wish buried in the darkness of my fantasies attached to what she’d said: Waiting. For you. You have a nice mouth. I’ve wanted to try and kiss it.
Emma Matthews was waiting for me.
The knowledge made my heart swell even if I couldn’t believe it. Even if I didn’t — couldn’t — trust it. I wanted to keep the idea close, to remember it, to hold it tight. I knew the moment this was over, it would slip away.
“Em?” I asked as I tested another door.
She made a moaning noise to indicate she’d heard me.
“Why were you waiting for me?”
“I like Tanner. I want to be brave.”
My brain wasn’t quick enough, because it was slugging through the marsh of alcohol. I understood what she was saying, but I didn’t quite comprehend it. “You like me?”
She nodded emphatically. “I saw him.”
“What did you see?” I asked her as I tested another door.
“He helped Connor. At lunch. I saw him. I see him. Everyday. He helps Connor.”
Lunch time. Connor Festner, a kid I help with his tray. Griff gives me shit for it, but Connor is pretty badass and probably beats Griff’s butt playing Duty online. Connor’s given me tons of gaming pointers.
She had been watching me at lunch. I’d known it. My expanded heart compressed, constricted in my chest with a pressure that somehow made me feel like I might be floating off into space without oxygen.
I tested another door. This one opened. The bedroom was empty, and I took a deep breath. Relief. “Here.” I helped her sit on the bed. “Let me have your cup, and I’ll fill it with water.”She handed me her red cup, and I took it into the bathroom. I rinsed it out and put in water. Before I walked back into the room, I glanced at myself in the mirror. I stared into my own eyes and whispered to my reflection: “It’s Emma. Don’t be a dick.”
When I returned to the room, she was curled up on the bed, eyes closed. “Here, Em.”
She turned her head, looked at me and smiled as if it was the first time she’d seen me that night. “Tanner!” She reached for me, and I had the impression she wanted me to stretch out next to her.
Don’t be a dick, I reminded myself and helped her to sit back up. “Drink some water.”
She took a sip. “Liam says I’m dumb.”
“That isn’t nice of him.” Her statement annoyed me. I sat down next to her, suddenly absolved we weren’t looking for him.
She shook her head. “No. Not like that.” She stopped and took another sip. “Because I wanted to come to find you.”
“Why?”
“I’m scared.”
“Of what?”
“Of everything.” She took another sip and then leaned her head against my shoulder.
I could smell her — a nice scent that was clean and slightly sweet, like vanilla or cotton candy. I resisted the impulse to press my nose into her neck to find out for sure, or to run my tongue across her skin to taste it. Instead, we sat like that for a long time — her head on my shoulder, my hands in my lap and my brain chastising me for smelling her like a freak.
The doorknob wiggled several times as people tested the door; I was smart enough to lock it. Habit. I tried to tell myself it was because I was trying to protect Emma from my reputation, but it was also the temptation to maybe just get to kiss her once. I didn’t make a move though, and that was unfamiliar — and kind of exciting — territory for me.
“Tell me what you’re afraid of,” I said eventually, ending the silence, and also because I wanted to know if she’d fallen asleep. I needed to keep my mind occupied with other things besides thoughts about kissing her. I was beginning to feel more coherent and sober.
“I told you. Everything.” Her hands flailed out, and when they settled, one landed on my thigh. My skin tingled under her touch, and heat spread like radiant light from a lightbulb to illuminate all the dark parts of me.
I swallowed and closed my eyes to focus on her words. The words. “Well, name me one thing.”
“Failure.”
“Everyone’s afraid of that.” I looked down at her hand. Casually rested. On my thigh. Emma’s hand. Her fingernails were painted a bright green and matched her hoop earrings.
“Disappointing my parents,” she said. “Disappointing God.”
I looked at her then, the candor of her statement running through me almost as hot as her touch. It wasn’t practiced. It wasn’t her act of being flirty or a ploy to seduce me. It was just an honest statement. Maybe I couldn’t relate to either of those, even if I wanted to. My parents were so blind to me outside of the tug-of-war they played, using me against one another. And God? Never experienced that in my life, unless having an orgasm counted as prayer. “And?”
She moved her head from my shoulder and turned to look at me. “Never kissing Tanner James.”
My stomach did another of those nose dives into my body, toward my groin. The heat of her hand still warmed my leg. I noticed her eyes, fringed in thick lashes, rove over my face. They came to rest on my mouth. Under different circumstances, I probably wouldn’t have cared and would have provided what she wanted. I wanted it — bad — but I’d found some weird sense of honor I hadn’t been aware I had. “I can’t, Em. You’re drunk.” These were those different circumstances. Emma represented a different kind of life I didn’t think I deserved.
“You don’t like me.” She moved back, slumped a little, her shoulders rounding, and folded her hands in her lap. “It’s okay.”
I missed the weight of her hand on my leg. “It isn’t that.” I leaned forward to try and meet her gaze. “I do like you.”
She sat up quickly, her eyes big and bright. “I got it! I will kiss you. Then you don’t have to kiss me. I’ll do the kissing.”
This made me laugh, because I thought it was one of the cutest things I’d ever heard. And she was so excited by the prospect, as if she’d discovered something new. I couldn’t remember having more fun on a Saturday night.
“Unless, you think I’m — ugly.” Her eyebrows arched over her wide eyes, but now she couldn’t look at me.
I shook my head. “Nope, Emma. I don’t think that. At all.”
Her eyes met mine again, and she said with a slight frown, “The easiness is wearing off. We better do this fast, before I come back.”
I scrunched up my face. “What?”
“If I come back–” she tapped her head– “I’ll be too scared. My head will get in the way. My bravery will melt off.”
“Liquid courage.” I tapped her cup.
She nodded. “I made a plan. I was waiting for you.”
“Really?”
“I, maybe, drank a little too much. Miscalculated.”
I smiled. “And you were waiting for me. Why?”
“To kiss you.” She laid her hand on my arm.
I took a deep breath, as if her touch returned a missing piece of my soul, and I needed to breathe it in. Her admission had me unbalanced, however. My usual practiced lyrics receded from the surprise. I’ve had girls try and lure me with their sexuality, but this? This was totally new. “Why again, Em?”
“Because I saw you. You helped Connor. That’s nice, Tanner. And I think it’s sexy. And I don’t want Keven Bennett to be my only kiss.”
I glanced at her mouth, thought about her kissing Keven Bennett, and was annoyed by it. Then I looked at my hands in my lap. She saw me not because of how I looked. It was because I helped Connor that made me sexy to her. It wasn’t partying or being drunk. It wasn’t a rumor that I knew how to have sex. It wasn’t being smart at school. It was because I’d done something unselfish. “Keven Bennett, huh?”
She wrinkled her nose. “He has a lizard tongue.”
I chuckle. “That’s not good.”
She adjusted her body. “So, is it okay if I kiss you?”
“Who would you be kissing? Just for clarification.” I was testing the truth, not believing it.
“Tanner James. You.” She faced me, drawing her knees up between us, where they pressed against the outside of my thigh. “I see you. I’m not that drunk anymore.”
Her words were enough for me to nod, to give myself permission to cross the line, and indulge my curiosity. “Yes. Okay.”
“You have to turn.” She directed me with her hands on my arms, turning me toward her but with her knees between us.
I watched her working out the problem, completely satisfied in the moment, enjoying her and her cute pout. Her dark, curly hair fell around her heart-shaped face as she looked down at our legs.
“This won’t do.”
“It does seem rather awkward.”
She stood. “Stand up.” She remained steady, the alcohol wearing off, and held her hands out to me.
I took them and stood. When I looked down at her, my heartbeat quickened. The movement of her eyes caressed my face, and for the first time, I understood what it felt like to be seen — really seen. For me, Tanner. Not because of some rumor about what I could do, or because there was enough alcohol in my system to lower my inhibitions.
“Tanner?” She reached up and put her hands on my face.
“Yes, Em?”
“Can you bend down? Just a little bit?” She drew me closer.
I leaned forward, cataloguing all of her attributes. My heart went bat-shit crazy inside my chest. I noticed the width of her blue eyes, the fullness of her dark eyebrows, the way her bottom lip was a tiny bit fuller than the top, the way her pert nose was slightly upturned and kissed with tiny freckles that reached out across her cheeks.
I couldn’t believe she didn’t have a boyfriend. Did I want to be a boyfriend? Why was I thinking about that? I wasn’t boyfriend material.
Her gaze flicked to my lips — her tongue darted out to wet her own — then her eyes slipped up to my eyes before sliding shut as she pressed her lips to mine.
It was a gentle kiss, soft. Her mouth was warm and pliable against mine. My heart tripped into a more intense speed. Then her lips parted, and she used her tongue to coax me to be an active participant. As much as I tried to not be a dick, that was the last straw of my self-control. I answered the tease of her tongue with my own. Suddenly, where the kiss started as one-sided and tentative, it exploded, because my whole body was an exposed nerve ending. Every sensation — her hands in my hair, her mouth, her tongue, the whisper of her clothing when she moved, the soft noise she emitted because I became involved —was enough to light me on fire.
I’d dreamed of Emma.
I lifted her.
She wrapped her legs around my waist and hugged me closer with her arms around my neck.
Our tongues moved together, and it all felt like a first time. It was. With her. Exciting. Novel.
She moaned into my mouth.
I stumbled forward until her back was pressed against the wall and then my hands wandered, molded, massaged. I forgot myself. Just let go […]
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Author C.L. Walters
About the Author As a kid, CL Walters, world revolved around two things: stories and make believe. She’s built a real life around those two things: a teacher of stories and a writer of make believe.
With four books now published, she’s looking forward to her fifth release October 13, 2020, a YA Contemporary Romance called The Stories Stars Tell.
Sign up for her newsletter for news, goodies, and fun (www.clwalters.net)
Author Cat Lavoie is revealing the cover to EVENTUALLY EVIE, a stand-alone adult contemporary romantic comedy, releasing January 4, 2021. See below for the cover, information on the book, preorder links, and a link to add it to your Goodreads TBR.
Synopsis
How are you supposed to get your life back on track when the Universe won’t stop messing with you?
After a series of personal and professional setbacks, interior designer Evie Glass has lost faith in herself and the world. The last thing she needs is her loud, boisterous family poking their noses in her business, so that’s why she avoids opening up about anything—especially her love life—during their weekly dinners. Thankfully, her bestie and next-door neighbor, Matilda, always has her back.
When Evie is asked to cat-sit Matilda’s beloved rescue, she’s not thrilled at the prospect. One well-meaning mistake later and a distraught Evie is rushing her furry charge to the ER where she meets and is instantly smitten with Fletcher West, a charming veterinarian who seems to return her interest. That is until they both realize they’ve met before—ten years ago when he was dating her temperamental cousin. Fletch’s break-up with Bee put him at the top of her family’s hit list and makes him the last person Evie should be dating.
In addition to navigating a secret romance with Fletch, Evie must also deal with a demanding new job, an eccentric client from her former life, and an ex who’s suddenly blowing up her phone. She convinces herself she’s got it all under control, but what happens when things start falling apart and Evie learns she’s not the only one keeping secrets?
One thing’s for sure…
Eventually Evie’s got to take a chance—on love, on life, and on herself.
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Author Cat Lavoie
About the Author Cat Lavoie is a chick lit writer from Montreal, Canada.
She loves writing fun and quirky romantic comedies and is the author of BREAKING THE RULES, ZOEY & THE MOMENT OF ZEN, PERI IN PROGRESS and MESSING WITH MATILDA.
A fan of all things feline, Cat loves cats and hopes to someday have a house full of them in order to officially become a crazy cat lady. (But one or two cats will do for now.)
If she isn’t reading or writing, Cat enjoys listening to podcasts (mostly comedy and true crime) and watching way too much TV. She fell in love with London many years ago and hopes to go back one day. Cat is currently at work on her next novel.
To connect with Cat and find out more about her books, visit CatLavoie.com and follow @CatLavoieBooks on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.
Welcome to the book blitz for REMEMBER ME AT CHRISTMAS, the third book in the adult contemporary holiday romance series, Spirit of Christmas, by Debra Curwen. See below for information on the book and series, buy links, a couple of exclusive teaser quotes, and details on her giveaway.
REMEMBER ME AT CHRISTMAS (Spirit of Christmas Series #3) by Debra Curwen
Synopsis Andi has always loved Christmas. The magic, the surprises, and a precious music box she treasures inspired her to open her own Christmas workshop. Andi’s Antiques is now a thriving business, and she sees a long future ahead.
But she hadn’t counted on Mike who wields his charm like a weapon or his determination to buy out her business and replace her quaint, antique shop with its wonder of Christmas with a bar and gaming tables.
Andi isn’t selling no matter how convincing he may be. Sure, there’s something about the guy that’s magnetic, but it’ll take a lot more than a handsome face to make her give up on her dream. Unlocking her heart, though, may be a different story.
About the Author I am a multi-published author of various genres. I write children’s books under the pseudonym of Jaime McKoy and sensual romances under Tess Manning, although that name is being retired.
The contemporary romances I write under Debra Curwen are sweet and wholesome, much like a Christmas movie you would see on television. My first one, Remember Me At Christmas is a novella, it will release in November 2020 from Vinspire Publishing.
I am also a photographer, a wife of forty-plus years, mother of two, and grandmother of four.
I am addicted to Dancing with the Stars, Days of Our Lives, my maltipoo, Jasper, and Halo ice cream (mint chocolate chip, please).
Welcome to the book blitz for SLASH, the seventh book in the adult contemporary romance series, Devil’s Fury MC, by Harley Wylde. See below for information on the book, buy links, an exclusive excerpt, and details on her giveaway.
Synopsis Shella — The Devil’s Fury are the only family I’ve ever truly had. My mom was a junkie. When she died, no one wanted me. Except Grizzly. I had a home, until things went horribly wrong. I went wild, pushed too many boundaries, and overstayed my welcome. So I ran and didn’t look back. Trouble always seems to find me, so it’s no surprise I ended up pregnant, alone, and scared out of my mind. Then Slash shows up. Out of all the Devil’s Fury brothers to come for me, why did it have to be the one I’ve been crushing on since I was a teenager?
Slash — Little Shella was always a pretty girl. Spoiled. Outspoken. A complete terror. Now that she’s all grown up, she’s stunning. I needed to keep my hands to myself, and maybe I would have if she hadn’t been adamant not to disclose the name of her baby-daddy. Only way to protect her is to give her my name. Doesn’t matter I’m old enough to be her father. When I find out her secrets, and the reason she’d behaved so badly, I know I’ll do whatever it takes to make her feel safe… even if it means burying a few men. I already have blood on my hands. What’s a little more?
WARNING: Slash’s book contains graphic violence and sex, bad language, and scenes that may be difficult for some readers.
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Excerpt #2: I felt his hands at my waist and tipped my head back to look up at him.
“You like playing with fire?” he asked.
“Sometimes.”
“Hope you like getting burned. Get your ass in the bed, Shella.”
I turned off the light and crawled into bed, more tired than I’d realized. Sleep tugged at me almost the second my head hit the pillow. Until I heard the sounds of him removing his clothes. I leaned up on my elbow, trying to see him in the dark.
“What are you doing?” I asked.
“Going to bed.”
“The couch is in the living room,” I pointed out.
“So it is. Not where I plan to sleep, baby. Only way I can guarantee you won’t bolt is if you sleep in my arms. You like to cuddle, right? Because if not, this is going to be an uncomfortable night.”
I gaped at him, not sure what to think. Slash slid into bed and just as he’d said he would, he pulled me into his arms. The smell of him surrounded me and I fought the urge to burrow into him. Why did he have to smell so incredible? Musk, oil, and leather all rolled up together. It had always been my weakness.
“Night, Shella,” he murmured, already sounding tired.
“Goodnight, Slash.”
“Talon,” he murmured. “My name is Talon.”
Everything in me went still. Talon. A biker didn’t share his name unless it meant something. I just wasn’t sure what that might be. I liked the way I felt all warm inside that he’d trusted me with his given name. Maybe a little too much.
I’d secretly had a crush on the older man ever since I’d gone to live with the Devil’s Fury. One I’d thought I’d outgrown. Until now.
Out of the frying pan and into the fire.
He was right. I was going to get burned.
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Author Harley Wylde
About the Author Harley Wylde is the International Bestselling Author of the Dixie Reapers MC, Devil’s Boneyard MC, and Hades Abyss MC series.
When Harley’s writing, her motto is the hotter the better — off the charts sex, commanding men, and the women who can’t deny them. If you want men who talk dirty, are sexy as hell, and take what they want, then you’ve come to the right place. She doesn’t shy away from the dangers and nastiness in the world, bringing those realities to the pages of her books, but always gives her characters a happily-ever-after and makes sure the bad guys get what they deserve.
The times Harley isn’t writing, she’s thinking up naughty things to do to her husband, drinking copious amounts of Starbucks, and reading. She loves to read and devours a book a day, sometimes more. She’s also fond of TV shows and movies from the 1980’s, as well as paranormal shows from the 1990’s to today, even though she’d much rather be reading or writing.
You can find out more about Harley or enter her monthly giveaway on her website. Be sure to join her newsletter while you’re there to learn more about discounts, signing events, and other goodies!
Author Michelle Jester is revealing the cover to STOP ME, the first book in her adult contemporary romance series, Rue the Day, releasing February 1, 2021. See below for the cover, information on the book, and a link to add it to your Goodreads TBR.
STOP ME (Rue the Day Series #1) by Michelle Jester
About the Book Title: STOP ME Series: Rue the Day Series #1 Author: Michelle Jester Publisher: RopeSwing Press Genre: Adult Contemporary Romance Release Date: February 1, 2021 Links: Goodreads
Synopsis After moving to a new city with her parents, Jeselle Parsons quickly found friends and a life full of money, power, and privilege. Even though her parents weren’t wealthy like the other kids’ parents, Jeselle felt lucky to be welcomed into the circle of friends, until she learned how costly that type of life could be. A life that would cost her everything.
For fifteen years, Jeselle, with the help of her friend Dennis, worked to ensure nothing would stand in the way of her revenge on the people who played a part in ruining her life.
All the years of planning, all the years of working, have all come down to this.
Her enemies will learn that revenge has never been so cold.
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Author Michelle Jester
About the Author Michelle Jester lives in Greenwell Springs, Louisiana with her husband, high school sweetheart and retired Master Sergeant. Together they have a son and daughter. She is a hopeless romantic and has been writing poems and stories for as long as she can remember.
One of her prize possessions is a bracelet with only a yellow, Rubber Duckie charm on it; which she wears every day to remind her to enjoy the fun and happy things of life!
Welcome to the book blitz for THE TAMING OF A WICKED ROGUE, the first book in the adult historical romance series, The Lords of Scandal Row, by USA Today bestselling author, Samantha Holt. See below for information on the book and series, buy links, an exclusive excerpt, and details on her giveaway.
THE TAMING OF A WICKED ROGUE (The Lords of Scandal Row Series #1) by Samantha Holt
About the Book – Read for Free on Kindle Unlimited Title: THE TAMING OF A WICKED ROGUE Series: The Lords of Scandal Row Series #1 Author: Samantha Holt Publisher: Helstone Press Release Date: November 9, 2020
Genre: Adult Historical Romance
Links: Goodreads | Amazon | Amazon UK | Amazon CA | Amazon AU | Amazon DE | Amazon IT | Amazon FR
Synopsis Forced to leave friends, family, and a life of privilege and fun, Rebecca Fortescue’s world changed overnight nearly ten years ago. Now, with the tightening of a noose, it’s changed again, but she needs to make amends for what her father did.
Which means returning, secretly, to the place where he did the most damage.
And to the residence of one Lord Leonard Moncrieff—the only man she’s ever loved.
She’s certain she won’t see him again, though. Nicknamed a Lord of Scandal Row, it’s clear to her, he’s no longer the boy she knew, and never returns home. The last thing she needs it to be distracted by a man deemed one of the most attractive men in London.
Unfortunately for Rebecca, Leo has been practically banished from London under the orders of his mother thanks to a scandal that, for once, had nothing to do with him. Now he has to spend his days playing the country gent and trying to avoid the female of the species.
It will be harder than he expected, given a sudden influx of young ladies to the area. He might be a rogue, but he has no desire to upset his delicate mother and will, albeit begrudgingly, play the dutiful son. He can avoid a few pretty faces, surely?
At least, until he discovers the beautiful Rebecca hiding in the stables. She’s in need of help, and he cannot resist, despite the fact she once shattered his young heart. The pull between them is as strong as ever but anything between them is impossible.
Or is it?
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Excerpt #2 “You do not have to stay,” she murmured between forkfuls of lukewarm but beautifully spiced duck.
“I told Alexander I was taking a stroll about the parkland.” He lingered by the window, his hands clasped behind his back, despite there being nothing for him to view from such a position.
She sighed and gestured to the chair opposite. “You had better sit then. It feels mightily odd eating with you towering over me.”
He lowered himself onto the chair, his frame seeming too big for a piece of furniture that had likely been designed for a woman.
She forced her attention to the food. Tomorrow she had intended to hunt down a woman with whom her father had been connected, and it would likely involve walking into Grasmere so she would need her strength.
“How are your brothers?” she finally asked when the silence stretched too long.
Not that it was uncomfortable, at least not in the traditional manner. It left her feeling oddly achy and desperate for the days when they had been able to talk and touch freely.
“Well enough, though I cannot say they would confide in me were they not.”
She frowned, gesturing with her fork. “But you used to be so close, especially to Adam.”
“We are all busy these days.” He lifted both shoulders. “Alexander is forever hunting out his next adventure, probably determined to kill himself so he does not have to worry about siring an heir, and Adam still enjoys cards.”
“And you, what do you do?”
“I thought you knew all about me.” He smirked. “You have read all about me in the gossip columns after all.”
“Well, yes.” Warmth spread into her face, and she eyed the glossy table top until she could get the heat under control. “But only briefly,” she lied.
Leo leaned back and laced his hands behind his head. “Then I am sure you know it all.”
“The horses,” she blurted, motioning so fast with her fork that a few remnants of meat flung off it and splattered against the curtains. She grimaced and gently lowered the fork.
His lips curved but he said nothing of her disastrous manners.
“What I was trying to say was there are so many horses. Are they yours?”
He nodded. “We are so seldom here that Alexander does not mind me using the park land for the horses.”
“For racing?”
“No. They are too old. I purchase those who are at the end of their racing or working careers and they live out their retirement here.”
“Of course you do.”
Rebecca should not have been surprised really, but she almost wished there was some selfish reason. It would make it all the easier to ignore this pull toward him as though he had lassoed a rope around her and was slowly hauling her in with his every word and action.
He lifted both brows. “You sound almost disappointed.”
“Well, it does rather ruin your image as the seductive rake.”
“And that disappoints you?” His gaze clashed with hers, making her chest feel tight.
“No, it is just—”
“You want to know why I bedded all those women over the years?”
“Leo—”
“Because of you, Rebecca.” His jaw twitched. “To forget you.” He shoved a hand through his hair, leaving it in disarray. “I needed to get you out from under my skin, but I’ll be damned if I succeeded.”
She inhaled a sharp breath that seemed to sear her lungs. It all could be a lie, she supposed, but she did not think so. His confession had the loop tightening, drawing her closer still until she could fight him no longer.
Perhaps, just for now, she did not want to fight him.
“I never forgot you either,” she confessed.
The words escaped without thought and she should have regretted them, but when his gaze darkened and she knew precisely what his next move would be, she could not bring herself to.
She held herself still and waited.
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Author Samantha Holt
About the Author USA Today Bestselling author Samantha Holt lives in a small village in England with her twin girls and a dachshund called Duke. If you’re not sure where to start why not try…
▶ Amelia and the Viscount (Bluestocking Brides #1) for a fun, slightly hot shorter length read. Meet the Chadwick sisters and follow their adventures in each of their standalone stories.
▶ You’re the Rogue That I Want (Rogues of Redmere #1) is a longer read with heat, witty dialogue, a feisty heroine and adventure. All books in the series are standalone.
▶ Sinful Confessions is the first in the Cynfell Brothers Series. These are all novella length and standalone–ideal for a quick dip into the world of the sexy Cynfell brothers.
▶ Wake Me With a Kiss is a sweet, fairytale romance. Twists on Beauty and the Beast and Cinderella are also available if you love a clean, fun read.
▶ To Steal a Highlander’s Heart is a full length dive into the world of sexy highlanders. For those who love braw Scots, some steamy scenes, and medieval romance, this series is a perfect escape.
