Welcome to the book blitz for FOREPLAYER, the fourth book in the adult contemporary sports romance series, Rookie Rebels, by USA Today bestselling author Kate Meader. See below for information on the book and series, buy links, and exclusive excerpt, and details on her giveaway.
FOREPLAYER (Rookie Rebels Series #4) by Kate Meader
She’s got game everywhere but the bedroom. Enter the player who knows exactly how to grade her curves . . .
After a very public breakup and a viral post that declares him the villain, power forward Cal Foreman is taking a timeout from women and relationships to focus on hockey. When Chicago Rebels captain and old friend, Vadim Petrov, “volunteers” him to help train Vadim’s sister Mia, Cal figures he can do a favor for a pal and get ready for the season with his new team. But the imperious Russian would slice a skate blade through Cal’s internal organs if he knew what lessons Mia really wants.
Yeah, not that kind of stickhandling.
Hockey phenom and Olympics hopeful Mia Wallace needs help seducing the man of her dreams. That man is most definitely not Cal Foreman: notorious playboy, thorn in her side, and her brother’s bestie. But surely a guy with his reputed skill set has a few tips on how she can nail her target—which makes him the perfect foreplayer.
Cal knows Mia sees him as merely the warm-up act in her grand plan to win another man, but as they spend more time together, he wonders if that’s enough.
If they could be more.
And if he could convince her he’s worthy of the starting line-up . . . in her heart?
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Excerpt #2 She took the phone back. “So I was reading this list of ways to snag a man in the fifties.”
He exploded. “He’s in his fifties?
“No, it was written in the fifties. As in the 1950s?” She tapped a few more times. “It’s ridiculously funny, actually. One of the tips is to walk into a room with a hatbox—”
“Is that code?”
She laughed, full and melodic. His dick reacted predictably.
“I know, some of the stuff is crazy. But a couple of things struck a chord. Like stand in a corner and cry softly so he’ll ask what happened.”
“That’s … ludicrous.” And a genius move. No man would resist asking a woman why she was crying. He took the phone from her again. “You want to go in sounding like a sad sack? What else have we got? Tell him funny stories. Wear a Band-Aid. Ask his advice.” He looked up and grinned, when inside he didn’t feel like grinning at all. He felt like snarling, then punching out all these idiots who needed to be strategized into falling for a woman. “Ah, Mia, is this a cunning ploy to seduce me after all? Does this guy even exist?”
Something changed the moment he said it. Maybe the funny old notion that she might be plotting to seduce him, Cal, and not this other guy, who he fucking hated at this point because he wanted her to think of Cal this way. To work this hard to get him. To want him the way he wanted her.
The charge in the air was thick, electric, so when Mia laughed, he heard her nerves, and it strangely excited him.
“Of course he exists.” She took a sip of her soda.
“But …”
“But, what?”
He tilted his head. “You don’t sound so sure. All this advice-asking could be your way of finding out what works for me. Like asking for a friend but the other way around.” His pulse was racing, not because he believed the nuts-and-bolts of this theory for a damn second, but because he wasn’t alone in thinking about the possibilities. Of them.
It had definitely occurred to her, maybe a vague notion of what it might be like. To touch, to kiss, to want … a bolt of lust thrashed through him and knocked him on his ass.
“You’re crazy, Foreman.” It came out faint and unconvincing.
“Am I?”
“Would it work?”
“Would what work?”
Her voice was a whisper. “The cunning ploy to ask you advice about some guy?”
Sometime in the last sixty seconds, she had stepped in closer and he became vaguely aware of his thighs parting, accepting her into their embrace. An invite to get in good and tight against the part of his body that needed her so fucking badly.
“It might,” he said, warming to the hypothetical situation. “You talk about all the things you might be able to do to win him. To seduce him. To make him yours. And all this time, you’re really thinking of me. Of what might work to get my attention. And I’ll tell you here and now, Mia …”
“What?” She licked her lips and his cock turned as hard as the granite countertop he was leaning against.
“I wouldn’t need any games. No pretend crying. Or funny stories. Or wearing a Band-Aid. Or carrying a damn hat box. Because one look at you and I’d be all in. No seduction necessary.”
Her eyelashes fluttered, inky, sooty frames for those lovely eyes, ones he’d happily fall into. Drown in. Die in.
The air zipped with the energy that always existed between them, a thick, drugging force of knowing and what he now realized was recognition. Of seeing inside someone’s soul. He didn’t dare speak in case he ruined whatever was happening.
“No seduction necessary?” The words were a ghosted breath on her lips, almost disbelief in her tone.
“None. No one should need to be tricked into kissing you.”
“Hypothetically,” she whispered.
He watched her mouth, mesmerized by the plumpness of her lips, the dark pink color, the slight quiver that invited him in.
“Hypothetically,” he returned, his mouth so close to hers it would take an act of Congress to move him away. She would have to withdraw because he sure as hell was going nowhere. This was where he wanted to be.
Needed to be.
A small sound emerged from her throat, and with it some sort of plea. He took it as such and took her mouth with his.
About the Author Originally from Ireland, USA Today bestselling author Kate Meader cut her romance reader teeth on Maeve Binchy and Jilly Cooper novels, with some Harlequins thrown in for variety. Give her tales about brooding mill owners, oversexed equestrians, and men who can rock an apron, a fire hose, or a hockey stick, and she’s there. Now based in Chicago, she writes sexy contemporary romance with alpha heroes and strong heroines who can match their men quip for quip.
Author Brenda Rothert is unveiling the cover to KIT, the eighth book her adult contemporary sports romance series, Chicago Blaze Hockey, releasing January 26, 2021. See below for information on the book and series, preorder links, and a link to add it to your Goodreads TBR.
Synopsis Kit
Molly Lynch isn’t like any woman I’ve met before. The pretty, ball-busting reporter has a penchant for asking questions that dredge up memories I’d rather keep buried. I answer them, though, because I’m so intrigued by her—a mix of shy and bold, so set in her ways that the slightest change knocks her off kilter. The closer Molly gets to my dark truth, though, the more I try to shift her focus to what I want most—her total surrender to me in the bedroom.
Molly
I finally have the life I’m meant for. Predictable. Boring. Safe. NHL player Kit Carter upsets the stability I crave when he looks at me with his dark eyes, wounded and guarded, but also swirling with desire. I can’t let him figure out who I truly am—driven not by ambition but by anxiety. Unable to let go of my control, even for a second. There’s something about Kit that draws me to him so powerfully it’s no longer a choice, though. I need to give in, even if it costs me everything.
About the Author Brenda Rothert is an Illinois native who was a print journalist for nine years. She made the jump from fact to fiction in 2013 and never looked back. From new adult to steamy contemporary romance, Brenda creates fresh characters in every story she tells. She’s a lover of Diet Coke, chocolate, lazy weekends and happily ever afters.
Author Jayne Townsley is revealing the cover to IN YOUR EYES, the second book in her adult contemporary romance series, Seasons of Love, releasing in January 5, 2021. See below for the cover, information on the book and series, and a link to add it to your Goodreads TBR.
IN YOUR EYES (Seasons of Love Series #2) by Jayne Townsley
Synopsis Crystal Davis got her wish for the Crew’s long-awaited post-graduation trip. Sun and fun before focusing on her new career as a pediatric RN at St. Francis’ Children’s Hospital in Tulsa, Oklahoma, was just what she needed. Bonus? She met Troy Bennett, and she realized she wanted less frivolity in her life and a little more serious.
Troy Bennett is a man fighting the demons who tell him he is worthless every day of his life. Demons his mother conjured. He quiets them with alcohol and casual relationships, never allowing any woman to get close enough to him so he will never have to disappoint one. Then on the spur of the moment trip to Panama City Beach with his Ranger buddies, he sees the future he’s always been afraid to pursue exit a Jeep Wrangler at a local donut shop.
Just as Troy and Crystal are finding their footing, she gets the call she never thought she would earn: Crystal Davis is going to Hollywood to be a contestant on America’s Next Chart Topper. What started as a way to honor her murdered friend has now become her dream. Chasing her dream means leaving Troy behind for a bit, and she wonders if her absence will cause what they’ve built so far to come crashing down.
Chasing her dream also means she’s put herself in a place where she’s vulnerable to the side of Hollywood that no one wants to acknowledge. A place where people only care about her and Troy’s story for the audience while behind the scenes, evil, selfish people work to tear them apart.
About the Author Jayne Townsley lives with her multi-generational family in Northeast Oklahoma’s aptly named Green Country. A transplanted Okie from the Chicago suburbs, she has grown to love this state and its people with a passion, happily calling it home for the past 15 years.
Jayne shares her home with a rescued Shollie named Maui and two cats called Gamora and Nebula.
Jayne enjoys old-fashioned road trips and is in the process of planning one to tour Oklahoma’s Route 66. She is also something of a Disney World addict.
Welcome to the book blitz for EVIL VILLAIN, the third book in the new adult contemporary romance series, The Royal Court, by Rebel Hart. See below for information on the book and series, buy links, an exclusive excerpt, and details on her giveaway.
EVIL VILLAIN (The Royal Court Series #3) by Rebel Hart
Synopsis The man I love is missing, and there’s nothing I can do.
I need to find Deon.
All I want is to be in his arms again, but I don’t even know if he’s alive.
The Royal Court has changed dramatically, and we have to learn who we are again while trying to keep ourselves safe.
Will my new steely personality prevent my friends from accepting me?
Will our enemy get to Deon before we can?
Or will I be forced to mourn the death of the love of my life and my friends a second time?
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Excerpt #4 When Cherri and I entered the kitchen, all eyes turned to us. Across from me, and much to my surprise, Nathan looked like he was on the brink of tears. Everyone’s glances bounced between us, and even as uncomfortable as it made me, I had to admit it was good to see him. He took a step forward and so did I. He shook his head with a little chuckle and held his arms out for a hug.
And then Sicily jumped in front of him and threw his arms around me.
“Deon!” he whined. “It’s really you! I’ve been dreaming of this day!” Even though there was damn near a foot between us, he squeezed me tightly. “I kept looking for you! Your best friend never gave up.”
“I heard,” I said, finally managing to wedge between us to push him back a few feet, but I set my hands on his shoulders. “Thank you. You took care of Cherri, you never gave up on me. You really are the best friend a guy could ask for.”
What I’d learned about Sicily in the limited time that we had to develop a friendship was that he didn’t do emotions very well. He was a natural jester, and when his feelings started to get the best of him, he did what any good jester did—he played it off with a joke. His feelings about being reunited with me must have gotten the best of him, because he started out kidding, but in the wake of my earnest statement, I watched all of his inner jokester fade away.
“Deon,” he said in his serious tone, an octave lower than his usual jubilant tone. “You’re like, the first real friend I ever had, and as much as I hated thinking you were out there in a ditch somewhere, if that hadn’t happened…” He looked past me to Cherri. “I wouldn’t have made the second real friend I ever had.”
Cherri stepped forward and slid between Sicily and me to pull him into a big hug. When she released him, I pulled her back so her back was against my stomach and put a hand on Sicily’s head. “You’re the first real friend I ever had too. When I went missing, you looked after the most important people in my life, my queen…” I looked across at Nathan. “And my brother.”
In an instant, Sicily turned back into the class clown, and his typical tone was back. “Oh! He called me his friend! Nathan did.” He looked back at him. “Tell him.”
Nathan nodded. “I did say that, and I’ve regretted it ever since.”
Everyone chuckled a little, then Cherri stepped aside and dragged Sicily with her. I finished crossing the kitchen, and doing something I honestly never thought I’d do, I pulled Nathan into a huge bear hug. I closed my eyes and breathed in the moment—actually bonding with a brother I hated. We had something that bonded us more than anything else ever could.
The manipulation of Connor Loche.
“So,” Nathan said, pulling away. “How about that dad of ours?”
I shrugged. “I don’t see him as my dad.”
Nathan nodded. “Oh good, I don’t either.”
Colette raised her hand. “Don’t you have to acknowledge that he’s your dad to some extent? Otherwise you wouldn’t be brothers.”
“No,” Nathan and I said in unison, and it brought that concept to an end in a flash.
“He’s done all he needed to do in making us brothers by spreading his seed,” Nathan said.
I nodded. “And now it’s time to stop him so he can’t bring that level of harm to anyone else.”
About the Author Rebel Hart is an author of Dark and Contemporary Romance novels. Her debut series is a #1 Amazon Bestseller called Diamond In The Rough. It’s a High School Bully Romance with four books and a novella. Book one is Play With Me.
Text REBEL to 77948 to don’t miss any of her books (US only) or sign up at the bottom of the page to get an email alert when her next book is out.
Author Lynn Stevens is revealing the cover to JUST ONE CHANCE, the third book in her young adult/new adult contemporary romance series, Just One, releasing in January 25, 2021. See below for the cover, information on the book and series, and a link to add it to your Goodreads TBR.
JUST ONE CHANCE (Just One Series #3) by Lynn Stevens
Miranda Reynolds hasn’t had a good year. Her obsession with Eddie Blake pushed her over the edge last summer, and she’s been working toward straightening her life out since.
When Aiden King shows her more than a passing interest, Miranda hesitates. Aiden is smart, funny, and loyal. Not to mention gorgeous. Despite her reservations about dating her best friend’s brother, Miranda agrees to go out with him.
But she can’t stay away from Eddie.
With her world shifting, a family disaster turns her life upside down.
Determined to change perceptions, Miranda sets out to prove that she’s more than what she’s been labeled.
About the Author Lynn Stevens flunked out of college writing her first novel. Yes, she still has it and no, you can’t read it. Surprisingly, she graduated with honors at her third school. A former farm girl turned city slicker, Lynn lives in the Midwest where she drinks coffee she can’t pronounce and sips tea when she’s out of coffee. When she’s out of both, just stay away.
Sixteen-year-old Anne Elliot is in love with Captain.
He’s been her best friend for years. A rising musician with a special smile he reserves just for her, Captain even lets Anne practice her makeup skills on him—though his bandmates give him flack for it.
When Anne gets an anonymous comment challenging her to kiss her best friend, it threatens to reveal her secret. But how can she resist doing the one thing she’s wanted forever? It’s just one kiss. She and Captain’s relationship can stay the same…right?
The real challenge: Kiss your best friend, and don’t let him know you’re in love.
This YA romance novella is fun, fast-paced, and flirty, the perfect story for anyone who loves best-friends-to-lovers. Inspired by TikTok & Jane Austen, THE KISSING CHALLENGE is sure to make you swoon!
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My Review Oh my gosh, this is beyond adorable. Cookie O’Gorman has done it once again! Anne is a social media sensation as a makeup artist who can work magic with her brushes and pencils, but when it comes to matters of the heart, she’s more like a fish out of water. And she can’t resist a challenge, even one that fills her with equal parts excitement and horror. Because kissing her best friend means kissing the guy she’s been crushing on forever, and one small kiss could ruin everything. Still, she can’t let it pass when she’s tagged in the “kiss your best friend challenge” and frets and obsesses over how to best carry it out until it practically eats her alive. The chemistry between Anne and her BFF, Captain, is off the charts, so their first kiss is super hot followed by super awkward.
Plot This is a novella and it’s short and sweet, so the plot is the relationship between Anne and Captain. There’s no sub-plotting and no real character arcs, but the plot is so well done, none of that matters. I read it in a single sitting and had an enormous smile the entire time. This book is 100% what O’Gorman does best.
Characters I absolutely love Anne and Captain and I hope they show up as extras in a future novel. There were enough supporting characters, and any one of them could get their own story, and I would buy it the second it came out. Captain is in a band, and he has several swoon-worthy band mates in need of a solid growth arc, so if you’re reading this Cookie, I’m here for whatever you do with this cast!
What I Loved About THE KISSING CHALLENGE 1. Internet Challenges. While this is maybe not my personal thing, I totally love watching other people fool their dogs with a blanket, dump buckets of ice water on each other, throw cheese at babies, and numerous other, non-dangerous challenges. And kissing your best friend is an amazing idea (coming from someone who married her best friend).
2. Anne. She’s sweet, creative, talented, and is completely in love with her BFF who she believes to be out of her league.
3. Captain. His loyalty to Anne as girls everywhere fawn all over him makes him one of the good guys. We need more guys like him!
4. Makeup. I can’t tell you how many Instagram accounts I follow with makeup artists who do amazing things with pencils and powder and brushes. Reading about one of these awe-inspiring artists was so much fun!
5. True Love. Anne and Captain are meant to be and no one will ever convince me otherwise.
Bottom Line Adorable characters, steamy kisses, and a swoony love story wrapped in a tiny but mighty package.
About the Author Cookie O’Gorman writes YA romance to give readers a taste of happily-ever-after. Small towns, quirky characters, and the awkward yet beautiful moments in life make up her books. Cookie also has a soft spot for nerds and ninjas. Her debut novel ADORKABLE will be released in 2016.
Author C.M. Marin is revealing the cover to BLANE, the fifth book in her adult contemporary romance series, The Chaos Chasers M.C., releasing in 2021. See below for the cover, information on the book, and a link to add it to your Goodreads TBR.
BLANE (The Chaos Chasers MC Series #5) by C.M. Marin
About The Book
Title:BLANE Series: The Chaos Chasers M.C. Series #5 Author: C.M. Marin Genre: Adult Contemporary Romance Release Date: 2021 Links:Goodreads
Synopsis
BLANE
She’s back home.
My friend from a time that feels so distant is as beautiful and as kind as she was over five years ago, but her eyes now hold a confidence that didn’t use to shine there. Lana has returned as a fully independent woman sporting something hard that’s masking the pain that I know was etched in by her past.
And fuck if she isn’t sexier than I ever remember her being.
But after vanishing from my life without any sort of explanation or a goodbye, she’s come back home, and not for just a few nights of pleasure. She’s on a mission. One that has her diving into a world where danger lurks in its every corner. And even though I wish she wouldn’t keep her distance, I also know it might be for the best. Losing someone I care about again isn’t an option. But as more time passes, more worry creeps into my gut.
And when Lana allows me to get close to her in a way that destroys all boundaries of friendship, it becomes even harder to stay away.
Or rather fucking impossible.
LANA
I’m back home.
Trying to bring justice to my family should have been my hardest challenge once back in Texas. But the hardest part of being back home has been staying away from the friend I left behind all of those years ago.
I expected Blane to hold a massive grudge against me for disappearing without a word, but I should have known he would be there for me.
The grieving college student I met back then has become a brawny biker with a roughness and an intensity that slightly darkens his expression, but he instantly becomes like a rainbow to me, bringing colors to my dull, lonely days. That’s why it’s too bad that I have to keep him at a safe distance. And I was succeeding with flying colors until our chemistry explodes and I let myself crumble under the weight of my craving for him.
Now everything has lost its clarity, and the only part of my mind that’s not blurry with uncertainty is the one reminding me how much I want Blane in my life.
How much I care about him.
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Author C.M. Marin
About the Author C.M. Marin is an author of romantic suspense and contemporary romance.
Even though she lived in the crowded and beautiful city of London for a few years, she is now a small-town girl. Quiet and nature are all she really needs now… as long as there are books and a box full of assorted teas within easy reach!
She hasn’t found her own happily ever after yet, but she sure loves to write about falling in love and finding forever. With a touch of suspense, just the right amount of sexiness, and plenty of love, she writes books for every lover of romance around the world!
Welcome to the book blitz for MURDER MITTENS, the thirteenth book in the adult paranormal romantic comedy series, Magical Romantic Comedies, by USA Today bestselling author, R.J. Blain, releasing December 25, 2020. See below for information on the book, preorder links, an exclusive excerpt, and details on her giveaway.
MURDER MITTENS (Magical Romantic Comedies Series #13) by R.J. Blain
Synopsis Becoming a bounty hunter and taking on the call sign of Murder Mittens wasn’t Harri’s brightest move, but what’s a lynx to do with millions of debt while working a customer service gig? The scars deforming her face won’t remove themselves, and she’ll bag and tag every criminal in the United States to get rid of them if necessary.
Being assigned a handler could make or break her, but did the powers that be really have to toss Sebastian Sumners her way? The lion with a stubborn streak as wide as hers tests her patience on a good day, but nothing makes her purr more than goading him into roaring.
Add in a protective family, a serial killer on the loose, and more trouble than any one cat needs, and it’s going to take a miracle for Harri to get through the most important job of her life.
Warning: contains magic, humor, cranky shapeshifters, cats, murder, and mayhem. Proceed with caution.
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Excerpt #1 Above all, I hated the rule that we were not supposed to hang up on clients. It wasted time. Had I been allowed to just hang up, I would have wished him a good day, disconnected the call, and began the tedious process of adding notes to his file so the next customer service representatives stuck with him knew they had trouble on their hands.
My phone rang, but instead of a customer, my phone reported my boss wanted to speak with me. With slumped shoulders, I accepted his call and answered, “Sir?”
“I listened in on your Code Red.”
I hated when my boss actively monitored my calls; thanks to how the system worked, he could listen in on me at any time. But, a job was a job, and with my scarred face, finding a job became troublesome at best—and nobody in the call center knew or cared what I looked like. Oh, well. Before I jumped to conclusions, I’d ask. “What’s my grade, sir?”
“You did fine. You stayed professional, you didn’t come across as too condescending, and frankly, there’s no sane tech on this planet stays totally cool a Code Red. It could have been much worse.”
I checked the clock, breathing a sigh of relief that I’d hit the end of my shift and wouldn’t have to take any more calls. “What do you need?”
“I had a question about your schedule. You’re off for the next week, correct?”
“Yes, sir.” I had plans, and they involved the International Most Wanted List along with every legal bounty list I had managed to get my hands on in the past month. If my boss tried to put an end to my hard-earned vacation, I’d finally do what I should have done months ago, snap, and quit.
I wanted him to cross my last line so badly.
“Ted wants an extra shift. How would you feel about an unpaid day added to your vacation? I’ve already gotten approval if you’d like to claim the unpaid day.”
Score. I’d bid for time off almost a year ago, but sick days were the bare minimum the state allowed, which accounted to five for the entire year. An extra day tacked onto my vacation might let me bag an extra bounty.
Any day I bagged an extra bounty was a good day in my opinion.
“I can take an unpaid day, sir. That’s fine. Can you send me an email confirming the unpaid day off?”
“It’ll be in your inbox within the next ten minutes, and I’ll CC human resources notifying them you’re excused for that day.”
“Okay. Will the rest of my schedule remain the same once I’m back from vacation?”
“Yes. Ted just asked for extra hours, and the others with seniority declined the day off.”
I bet; on our income, every hour mattered. Most who worked for the call center had seen better days. I lived like I’d seen better days and I looked like I’d seen better days, but appearances lied. I only worked at the call center to maintain appearances. Thanks to depression in my teens and therapy that hadn’t gone like my parents had wanted, my entire family demanded I check in at least three times a week to ensure I remained human.
They believed if they took their eyes off me, I might shift into a lynx and never come back.
Two years ago, they wouldn’t have been wrong, but I’d found a new purpose in life.
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Author by R.J. Blain
About the Author RJ Blain suffers from a Moleskine journal obsession, a pen fixation, and a terrible tendency to pun without warning.
In her spare time, she daydreams about being a spy. Her contingency plan involves tying her best of enemies to spinning wheels and quoting James Bond villains until satisfied.
Welcome to the book blitz for ENTICED, the first book in the adult contemporary romance series, The Fullerton Family Saga, by Ginger Voight. See below for information on the book, buy links, an exclusive excerpt, and details on her giveaway.
ENTICED (The Fullerton Family Saga #1) by Ginger Voight
About the Book – Read for Free with Kindle Unlimited
Title: ENTICED Series: The Fullerton Family Saga #1 Author: Ginger Voight Release Date: January 14, 2014 Genre: Adult Contemporary Romance Links: Goodreads | Amazon | Amazon UK | Amazon CA | Amazon AU | Amazon DE | Amazon IT
Synopsis Rachel Dennehy had a crazy thought. If she could just start over somewhere else, she could forget about all the ghosts that chased her. When an email landed in her inbox, to tutor a difficult student whose father just happened to be a prominent businessman, the apple was a bit too enticing for Rachel to refuse. She moves to Beverly Hills, where she is tasked with turning around young Jonathan Fullerton’s bad attitude, one that stems directly from his parents’ ugly divorce and even uglier custody battle.
That Drew Fullerton is one of the handsomest and most eligible bachelors in the world means nothing to Rachel. Drew’s brother, Alex, however, assumes otherwise. This sets the two immediately at odds, though they both have young Jonathan’s best interest at heart. Unfortunately the more he tries to warn her away from Drew, the closer he ultimately propels her toward her charming boss.
Rachel stays solely to protect young Jonathan, trapping her into this sticky web despite her own history of loss and betrayal. How long will she last? More importantly, what will she be required to give to save these Fullerton men who continually tug her in three different directions?
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Excerpt “Maybe I’m keeping you too busy,” he mused as his eyes scanned my face. “A young woman such as yourself must have certain… needs.”
I shook my head. “You know better than that, Drew.”
“Do I?” he asked softly. “You’re human, flesh and blood. Certainly there are moments when you simply yearn for the touch of another.”
His voice was low and hypnotic. It stirred that very longing as if summoning it from the dead. “Listen, Drew…about what you saw…”
He flung the expensive jewelry onto my crumbled bedcovers. He stepped close enough to pull me towards him. “Tell me, Rachel,” he continued as he fit my body against his hardening contours, “do you long to be held? To be kissed?” He bent toward me and whispered, “To be taken?”
My brain scrambled as he lifted me up to crush his mouth on mine. It was every dream realized, though I was blissfully conscious. I groaned under him as he parted my lips and dominated my mouth. Every alarm in my head sounded, but my treacherous body ignored each and every one as it strained for him with a hunger so strong I was powerless to control it.
His fingers wound in my hair as he stole the very breath from my lungs with each kiss. His mouth dragged to my neck, his breath hot in his ear. “Tell me you want me, Rachel.”
I shuddered against him. “Drew…”
“Tell me,” he begged in a hoarse whisper as his hands slid down the arch of my back and over the curve of my hip.
My hands braced on his chest, but instead of pushing myself away, my palms delighted in how solid and real he felt. It sent a jolt through my entire body. “I don’t want you,” I eked out in a pitiful whisper.
“Liar,” he growled as he picked me up into his arms and carried me around to the bed. He followed me down onto the firm mattress.
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Author Ginger Voight
About the Author Ginger Voight is a screenwriter and bestselling author with nearly thirty published novels. Having covered everything from travel to politics as a nonfiction freelancer, she is unafraid to explore multiple genres like romance, paranormal, and dark, “ripped from the headlines” mainstream fiction with surprising depth.
Ginger discovered her love for writing in sixth grade, courtesy of a Halloween assignment. From then on, writing became a place of solace, reflection, and security. This was never more true than when she found herself homeless in L.A. at the age of nineteen. There, she wrote her first novel, longhand on notebook paper, while living out of her car.
In 1995, after she lost her nine-day-old son, she worked through her grief by writing the story that would eventually become The Fullerton Family Saga.
In 2011, she embarked on a new journey–to publish romance novels starring heroines who look more like the average American woman. These “Rubenesque” romances have developed a following thanks to her bestselling Groupie series. Other titles, such as the highly-rated New Adult series, Fierce, tap into the “reality-TV” preoccupation in American entertainment, which gives her contemporary stories a current, pop culture edge.
Known for writing gut-twisting angst, Ginger isn’t afraid to push the envelope with characters who are perfectly imperfect. Whether rich, poor, sweet, selfish, gay, straight, curvy or svelte, her characters are beautifully flawed and three-dimensional. They populate her lavish fictional landscapes and teach us more about the real world in which we live simply through their interactions with each other. Ginger’s goal with every book is to give the reader a little bit more than they were expecting, told through stories they’ll never forget.
Welcome to the book blitz for AIN’T SHE SWEET, the second book in the adult contemporary romantic comedy series, Seven Brides for Seven Mothers, by Whitney Dineen. See below for information on the book and series, buy links, an exclusive excerpt, and details on her giveaway.
AIN’T SHE SWEET (Seven Brides for Seven Mothers Series #2) by Whitney Dineen
About the Book – Read for Free with Kindle Unlimited
Title: AIN’T SHE SWEET Series: Seven Brides for Seven Mothers Series #2 Author: Whitney Dineen Release Date: December 15, 2020 Genre: Adult Contemporary Romantic Comedy Links: Goodreads | Amazon | Amazon UK | Amazon CA | Amazon AU | Amazon DE | Amazon IT
Synopsis Tara Heinz began her modeling career at the tender age of twelve. After spending fifteen years drooling over forbidden foods, she does the unthinkable. She enrolls in culinary school and becomes a pastry chef.
After a nasty breakup with her rock star boyfriend that leads to tabloid war, Tara takes a job at a rural lodge in Oregon to escape the spotlight she no longer desires.
James Cavanaugh is a farmer in Oregon. His days are spent building his business and his nights are spent sleeping, so he can get up at four in the morning.
Ruby Cavanaugh has plans for her son that involve her new pastry chef. Of course, neither James nor Tara know what’s going on until it’s too late.
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Excerpt #3 James is dawdling behind me on the way back to the lodge from the garden site. He’s moving as quickly as if he were on his way to have his legs amputated. “Hurry up, I have tons of stuff to do today,” I snap at him.
“I think I’ll just head home,” he says, veering his trajectory toward the parking lot.
“Get back here,” I order. “For some reason, your mom wants me involved in this garden. Being that she’s my boss, I’m going to do what she’s asked. Unless you want me to tell her you can’t be bothered consulting me, that is.”
“Are you seven years old? You’re going to tell my mom on me?”
He’s got a point. James definitely brings out the child in me, and not in a good way.
“The sooner we get this done, the sooner we can part ways,” I tell him. I don’t think I’ve ever annoyed a man as much as I do this one. Okay, there was that makeup artist who told me his makeup brush wasn’t a wand when I complained about how he applied my blush, but other than him, I usually get on pretty well with men.
“What kind of flowers do you want in the garden?” James asks like it’s causing him physical pain to do so.
“Obviously nasturtiums and roses, but I’d like dahlias, pansies, and violets, too.”
“Obviously …” he mumbles under his breath before asking louder, “What about hops?”
“I make a mean, stout brownie. I could use hops in it to add a sort of sedative effect.” Desserts tend to use a lot of things that are meant to soothe the palate after a big meal. Mint and lavender are two of the more common herbs, but hops would be a nice addition.
James interrupts my thoughts by asking, “Why did you come to Oregon?” He sounds perturbed again, or should I say, still.
“Clearly, because I somehow knew it would irritate you and I couldn’t help myself,” I fire back.
“Seriously,” his tone evens out to an almost conversational level. “You don’t seem the type to live someplace outside of the fast lane.”
“You don’t know me.”
“I know plenty. For instance, I know you were on the cover of the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Edition four times by the time you were twenty-five, I know you were engaged to Romaine Choate, and I know you can swear in French.”
“Caught that episode of Jimmy Fallon, did you?”
“I think the whole world watched that one.” His eyes twinkle with amusement.
“Part of the fun of being interviewed on late night television is the ability to be a bit salty. I simply took advantage of the situation.” Not to mention, Jimmy Fallon has a decent sense of humor about himself and he likes when people don’t fawn all over him. Although, I’m sure he would have forgiven me almost anything thanks to the dress I was wearing. Men seem to have a hard time concentrating when an attractive woman is practically painted into her clothes.
A whisper of a smile crosses James’s face before he says, “It takes talent to call someone an effing gasbag and have them laugh at it.”
“If I didn’t know better, I’d think you were a fan.”
He rears up and stops moving as soon as the words are out of my mouth. “Fan? No. I may have appreciated your physical attributes from time to time, but I was never a fan. Please disabuse yourself of that notion immediately.”
“Yet I recall your mom telling me that you hung my posters on your wall when you were in high school.” I can’t help myself; I have to tease him about that.
“Just because I liked the way you look on the outside doesn’t mean I like you.”
“That’s very superficial,” I tell him.
“Seems to me the whole modeling business is superficial. You’d think you’d know that being part of it for so long.”
There is no getting along with this guy, so I stop trying. We make the rest of the trek back to the lodge in total silence, which is far preferable to the conversation we had been having.
About the Author Whitney loves to laugh, play with her kids, bake, and eat french fries — not always in that order. Whitney is a multi-award-winning author of romcoms, non-fiction humor, and middle reader fiction. Basically, she writes whatever the voices in her head tell her to. She lives in the beautiful Pacific Northwest with her husband, Jimmy, where they raise children, chickens, and organic vegetables.
Gold Medal winner at the International Readers’ Favorite Awards, 2017.
Silver medal winner at the International Readers’ Favorite Awards, 2015, 2016.
Finalist RONE Awards, 2016.
Finalist at the IRFA 2016, 2017.
Finalist at the Book Excellence Awards, 2017
Finalist Top Shelf Indie Book Awards, 2017
Welcome to the blog tour for THE LUCKY ONES, the seventh book in the adult contemporary romance series, Love Is…, by Cassie Cross. See below for information on the book and series, buy links, and an exclusive excerpt.
THE LUCKY ONES (Love Is…Series #7) by Cassie Cross
About The Book – Read for Free with Kindle Unlimited
Title: THE LUCKY ONES Series: Love Is… Series #7 Author: Cassie Cross Genre: Adult Contemporary Romance Release Date: December 10, 2020 Links:Goodreads | Amazon | Amazon UK | Amazon CA | Amazon AU | Amazon DE | Amazon IT | Amazon FR
Synopsis Kendall Moore’s professional life has never been better. She’s an in-demand video editor who’s just started her own business, and that business is booming. She rarely has a moment to relax and has completely thrown herself into her work, which is just the way that she likes it. There’s just one tiny issue in her pursuit of professional and personal happiness: she’s getting burned out.
Of course, it doesn’t help that she’s hopelessly and secretly in love with her totally off-limits business partner, Jordan.
Jordan Murphy is an aspiring filmmaker with a past that he’s desperate to put behind him. When an opportunity arises to go to Vegas and film for a project he’s working on, he gets Kendall to agree to come along with him. After he makes a lucky bet that leads to a weekend full of fun, unexpected confessions, and a visit to a wedding chapel that neither one of them can remember, Kendall and Jordan head home wondering if what happened in Vegas should stay in Vegas…
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Excerpt #2 He told me that I’d know where to find him, and after a few minutes of thinking about it, I knew where he’d be. We’d come to Vegas for a convention a few years ago, and came here one day during a break in the schedule. We explored a little, but I was absolutely taken with the autumn display in the conservatory. He snapped a picture of me cracking up laughing next to the display of bears digging into a honey jar. He printed it out and has it on his desk in his office.
He says it’s his favorite picture of me, probably because I look like a complete goober. I’m certain it’ll be used in some kind of blackmail against me in the future.
I head over to the conservatory, and sure enough, there he is. He’s in this amazing black suit that fits him so well it looks like it must be custom tailored. He’s wearing a red tie, and has his hands shoved in his pockets, looking like an freaking model.
I take a couple steps closer, and he turns and looks in my direction, like he senses my presence. He looks absolutely stunned for a second, then his gaze settles on me and there’s barely concealed want in his eyes.
It sends a rush right through me. This dress is magic.
It’s cheesy, I know, but in that moment it’s just him and me, and the rest of the world falls away.
Jordan’s the only one who’s ever been able to make me feel this way. It started from the moment I met him years ago, and these feelings I have for him have been following me around ever since. I’ve tried to date them away with men who couldn’t even remotely compare to him. It wasn’t a fair fight. And now here he is, looking at me like this, and I want to believe that Skye is right. I want to believe that he feels the same way about me. Moments like this one make me think it’s a possibility, but as soon as I start to get lost in it, the reality of our situation comes crashing down.
There’s so much on the line that could be ruined if things didn’t work out.
He smiles, and all those doubts melt away.
“Wow,” he says, running the palm of his hand down the length of my arm. I don’t even know if he realizes that he’s done it, and the touch leaves goosebumps in its wake. His eyes drift down to take me in, lingering on the skin revealed by the plunging neckline.
He reaches out to me again, like he wants to touch me everywhere at once and doesn’t know where to start.
“Ken,” he breathes. “You’re beautiful.”
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Get Caught up on the Series – Read for Free with Kindle Unlimited
About the Author Cassie Cross is a Maryland native and a romantic at heart, who lives outside of Baltimore with her two dogs and a closet full of shoes. Cassie’s fondness for swoon-worthy men and strong women are the inspiration for most of her stories, and when she’s not busy writing a book, you’ll probably find her eating takeout and indulging in her love of 80’s sitcoms.
Welcome to the book blitz for HER MARINE NEXT DOOR, a stand-alone contemporary romance, by Aliyah Burke. See below for information on the book, buy links, an exclusive excerpt, and details on her giveaway.
Synopsis My next door neighbor Parker Jax is not my type. He’s covered in tats, rides a motorcycle, and his parties keep me up all night. The fact he’s sexy as sin doesn’t change the fact we are oil and water.
I’m a quiet artist. He’s a rowdy marine. I’ve got a broken heart. I’m convinced he doesn’t have a heart at all.
Thankfully, my bad-boy neighbor is on leave from the Marines for only thirty days. But then the jerk has to go and show me that he has a soft side beneath all those hard muscles. He actually leaves his own party to help me, and he didn’t even have to.
Fantastic. Now I owe him.
I’m not worried, though. What are the chances he’ll need me to do anything before the month is up?
But when a woman shows up with a kid at her side, knocking on Parker’s door, it turns out those chances are pretty good…
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Excerpt #2 “She doesn’t need any help moving wood. If it has to happen, I’ll handle it. Like I’ve been doing.”
That deep reverberating voice tore through the flimsy barrier she’d pretended she’d erected while staying away from him for the afternoon.
“And you are?” Dr. Morse asked.
“I’d be the fiancé.” Parker stared at her, looking like he just walked off some sexy tattooed man cover.
Instant heat hit her, making her knees weak and her mouth dry. It’s not fucking fair. Even now, right here, there wasn’t any way to ignore the pull he had on her. Not just on her hormones, but her.
“Interesting.” Dr. Morse reached out his hand. “Dr. Morse. I’m sorry, I had no idea Skylar was engaged.” He made a pointed look down to her left hand that was suspiciously empty of a ring.
Parker drew her close to his side, which happened to be the one of Parker’s furthest away from her doctor. His fingers flexed along her waist, but the smile never left his face. “You know Skylar, she’s not one who likes the limelight. We’re keeping it quiet until my woman here, picks a date.” Only then did he shake the man’s hand.
He kissed her temple and she stewed but kept her mouth shut. He wasn’t playing by the rules, but then, she shouldn’t have expected him to do so.
“I didn’t know you were coming to the doctor today, baby. I would have brought you.”
She forced a smile into her tone. “I thought you were busy and didn’t want to concern you. Just a checkup on my hand.”
“I see.”
Skylar had no doubt he saw far more than she wanted him to about that matter.
“We can get lunch on the way home. I had to take Mrs. O’Neary to a bridge game, so I swung by here after I dropped her off and did my physical therapy.” Parker looked back to Dr. Morse. “I’m sorry, we should get going, I’m sure you’re a busy man. Thanks for fixing up my woman.”
Not a single person in that room missed out on the utter proprietary claim Parker put on her with that statement. She swore every one of them also turned to look at them. Dr. Morse, thankfully, just gave a patented smile and pushed his hands in his lab coat.
“Just doing my job.” He dismissed Parker. “I meant what I said back there, Skylar. Take it easy. Call and set something up if it starts hurting again. Your knuckles will be sore a bit longer but at least they’re not broken.”
“Thank you,” she said.
Parker’s grip on her clamped down when she tried to move away from him. The moment they were outside, she tried once more to put some distance between them. Again, only to be denied.
She saw her truck there and reached for the driver’s door only to stop when he snorted and drew her back by him.
“Woman,” he growled. “You’re not driving. And when we’re on the way you’re going to tell me what the fuck is going on that you had to get back to the doctor.”
And that way of saying woman, still had that ability to turn her into a small pile of mush.
He opened the driver’s door and lifted her to the seat.
“This is my truck,” she protested.
He cocked a black brow in her direction, a taunting smirk on his face. “Keys are down the front of my pants, want to go after them?”
Hell yes. Her grin more feral than anything. “Aren’t you afraid something down there is going to be jealous with the keys outsizing them?”
His eyes, more green than blue right now, blazed with heat.
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Author Aliyah Burke
About the Author Aliyah Burke is an avid reader and is never far from pen and paper (or the computer). She loves to hear from her readers and can be reached at http://aliyah-burke.com/blog/contact/
She is married to a career military man, they have four Borzoi. Her days are spent sharing her time between work, writing, and dog training/showing.
Welcome to the book blitz for CEMETERY SONGS, a stand-alone adult paranormal, by Julie Gilbert. See below for information on the book, buy links, an exclusive excerpt, and details on her giveaway.
Synopsis Poignant and uplifting, Cemetery Songs is a compelling YA about a girl, a ghost, and the graveyard that sends them both on a journey of self-acceptance.
When Polly Stone’s birthmother dies, she feels lost and adrift. How do you mourn someone you never knew? Even the dead, whose final thoughts Polly can hear, offer no advice.
Instead Polly fails her classes, alienates her friends, gets fired from her summer job, and accidentally sets fire to the high school. At a loss, Polly’s parents ground her and insist she volunteer at the local archives.
The dusty boxes are boring, but Polly is intrigued by her assignment: mapping an abandoned Black settlement on the edge of town. At the very least, it gives her time to examine her confused feelings for Billy Meyer, a former classmate who is also blackmailing her.
Amid weedy tombstones, Polly and Billy encounter the charming ghost of Harrison Card, who died in 1924. Sensing there’s more to the story than Harrison can recall, the unlikely trio investigates the mysterious circumstances surrounding his death.
The discoveries are unnerving, especially since the ugly racist history reflects some of Polly’s own experiences as a biracial teenager. Past and present collide when Polly’s attempts to help Harrison go tragically wrong. As Polly grapples with the consequences of her actions, she must decide if she is brave enough to heed the wisdom of the dead.
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Excerpt “You about ready?” I ask as I sit in the grass at the corner of the gravestone.
“Sure,” Billy says, sitting back on his heels. He swings the flashlight to illuminate his handiwork. A series of objects is arranged around the perimeter of the grave. Nearest me is a chipped coffee mug with the Monroe city logo on it. Next to that there’s a single golf glove and a pile of tees. A worn dog leash curls in the corner, nestled against a plastic water dish.
“He’s the guy who died at his desk, isn’t he?” I ask. “Like two weeks ago or something.” My mom mentioned it over dinner the other night, the city employee who’d been physically fit but plagued with anger management issues. Apparently he died in the middle of a conversation.
“Yeah, that’s him. You know him?”
“No, but I’m about to.”
I wrap my hands around the mug, drawing in a few deep, clean breaths and turning my attention to Arnold Weber, sliding into his mind, or whatever’s left of it.
He died during an argument, I learn. What the hell, Scott? was his final thought. I hold the mug tighter and images start to appear in my mind. I see the inside of an office paneled in wood and carpeted in gray. There’s an industrial desk dominating the small space, buttressed by several filing cabinets. A clock ticks on the desk and I see that it’s golf-themed and inscribed with the word “Pinehurst.”
A wave of memories rushes through me as I amplify Arnold’s mind further. I see a woman’s blonde hair shot gray at the temples, her eyes tired and distant. I see the same woman in a photograph, younger, her eyes wary but hopeful beneath the veil of her wedding dress. I see a parade of children and I see Arnold and the woman standing near this very spot on a cold, October day, watching as a tiny coffin is laid into the ground.
There are more memories. Christmas morning, Halloween night. Endless meetings and workshops where the phrases “organic synergy” and “workflow analysis” rattle around sterile conference tables. There’s a cruise in the Bahamas where everyone got sick and another to Alaska where they saw whales. As I release the mug, there’s one last image of Arnold as a college student, skipping over the art class that tugs at his pen and reluctantly signing up for an accounting class instead.
I can feel myself return to the surface, can hear Arnold’s voice yelling at Scott in my mind. Before I break through into consciousness, I hear the words “Jessam Crossing” and a voice says, “She can’t use what she can’t find.” Then I’m back in my own body, crouching over a mound of earth.
Billy is studying me.
“How long was I gone?” I ask.
“About thirty minutes. You okay?”
“Yeah.”
“What did you learn?” he asks.
“Lots.” I shake my head. “Lots of images and memories. I’m not sure where to start.”
“I can ask you the security questions when I find them,” Billy says, his voice low.
“Might be easier,” I interrupt. I clamber to my feet and we start walking back to the truck. I’m concentrating so hard on trying to recall other snippets of the conversation that I step into a badger hole and stumble to my knees.
“I gotcha,” Billy says. His hands slide from behind me to cup my elbows and leverage me to my feet. When I’m standing again, I’ve got my back to him. We’re not touching, other than his hands at my elbows, but I can sense him, his entire body towering over me, sheltering me. It’s electric. I swallow and feel my breath speed up. He moves a hair closer to me, his chest against my back, his legs brushing mine. He’s so much taller than me but I feel tall and strong standing here like this. His head dips and I can feel his breath on my neck.
“Polly—” he says, just as a bat swoops overhead, breaking the spell. I jump and take a few steps toward the truck.
“I should get home,” I say. I put my hand over my throat to conceal the rapid flutter of my heart, even though I know he can’t see it in the dark anyway.
“Let’s go,” he says at last, his voice gravelly. We go back to the truck and don’t talk the rest of the way.
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Author Julie Gilbert
About the Author Although Julie K. Gilbert’s masterpiece, The Adventures of Kitty Bob: Alien Warlord Cat, has sadly been out of print since Julie last stapled it together in the fourth grade, she continues to write. Her short fiction, which has appeared in numerous publications, explores topics ranging from airport security lines to adoption to antique wreaths made of hair. Julie makes her home in southern Minnesota with her husband and two children.
Welcome to the blog tour for A CURSE OF ROSES, a young adult LGBTQ+ own voices fantasy, by Diana Pinguicha. See below for information on the book, buy links, and an exclusive teaser excerpt.
A CURSE OF ROSES by Diana Pinguicha
About the Book Title: A CURSE OF ROSES Author: Diana Pinguicha Publisher: Entangled Teen Release Date: December 1, 2020 Genre: Young Adult LGBTQ+ Own Voices Fantasy
Synopsis
With just one touch, bread turns into roses. With just one bite, cheese turns into lilies.
There’s a famine plaguing the land, and Princess Yzabel is wasting food simply by trying to eat. Before she can even swallow, her magic—her curse—has turned her meal into a bouquet. She’s on the verge of starving, which only reminds her that the people of Portugal have been enduring the same pain.
If only it were possible to reverse her magic. Then she could turn flowers…into food.
Fatyan, a beautiful Enchanted Moura, is the only one who can help. But she is trapped by magical binds. She can teach Yzabel how to control her curse—if Yzabel sets her free with a kiss.
As the King of Portugal’s betrothed, Yzabel would be committing treason, but what good is a king if his country has starved to death?
With just one kiss, Fatyan is set free. And with just one kiss, Yzabel is yearning for more.
She’d sought out Fatyan to help her save the people. Now, loving her could mean Yzabel’s destruction.
Based on Portuguese legend, this #OwnVoices historical fantasy is an epic tale of mystery, magic, and making the impossible choice between love and duty
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Praise for A Curse of Roses “This immersive, richly imagined queer love story set in medieval Portugal is guaranteed to enchant. A skillful weaving of history and mythology, Pinguicha will leave you rooting for her two headstrong heroines, brought together by fate but separated by duty and the prejudices of their world.” – Ellen Goodlett, author of the Rule series
“Brimming with heart, A Curse of Roses is magical, romantic, and impossible to put down. Yzabel and Fatyan’s love story will enchant you from the first page to the last. I loved it!” – Meredith Tate, author of The Last Confession of Autumn Casterly
“Pinguicha writes with such texture, creating an exquisitely detailed and vibrant world, full of color and energy. Yzabel and Fatyan are real and complicated characters, both vulnerable and strong in their own ways, reaching across time and space to find one another and to fight for a love that seems as impossible as it is inevitable.” – Emma Berquist, author of Devils Unto Dust and Missing, Presumed Dead
“A rich and captivating retelling of the legend of a Medieval saint, Pinguicha’s debut gripped me from its first page. An utter delight to read — meticulously researched, refreshingly queer and sharp as thorns!” — Julia Ember, author of Ruinsong and The Seafarer’s Kiss.
“Suspense, romance, compelling characters, and a unique setting make A Curse of Roses a strong addition to the growing body of folktale retellings for teen and crossover readers.”
– Lyn Miller-Lachmann, The Pirate Tree Blog
“…a delicate queer romance between strong heroines propels the plot forward.” –Publishers Weekly
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Author Diana Pinguicha
About the Author Born in the sunny lands of Portugal, Diana is a Computer Engineer graduate who currently calls Lisbon home. She can usually be found writing, painting, devouring extraordinary quantities of books and video games, or walking around with her bearded dragon, Norberta. She also has two cats, Sushi and Jubas, who would never forgive her if she didn’t mention them.
Welcome to the book blitz for A SWEET, SOFT GLOW, a stand-alone adult thriller, by Joshua Magnotta. See below for, information on the book, buy links, an exclusive excerpt, and details on his giveaway.
Synopsis In the ten years since John Malley lost his wife and daughter, he has slowly faded into obscurity in a rural Pennsylvania town. He spends his days at the local bar and tries to numb the pain of his loss. That is, until Ted’s Dead Rose Tavern becomes the home of the biggest mass killing in the history of the town. John, the lone survivor of the killing-spree, is forced on the run. He heads north where he hopes to hide out at his brother’s house.
Meanwhile, in New York City, young Melanie Parker investigates a disturbing new trend she discovered online. From what she has learned, metallic black bands worn along the forearm are responsible for some form of mind control. Skeptical of this theory, Melanie embarks on a night time excursion that places her in the middle of a riot in the middle of the city. Melanie fights for her life as chaos spreads throughout the city.
As John witnesses the events in New York, he is compelled to take action. But once in the city, John is forced to confront his past.
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Excerpt #3 He felt a soft, cool touch on his arm. He opened his eyes, and to his right, standing next to him in the rain was Elly. Tears streamed down her cheeks, her hands outstretched toward her father. John let go of the gun and rushed to her. He swept her off her feet and held her close. Her small arms squeezed him around his neck like they always had. She was here; he could feel her heart beating against his chest as he held her tight to him.
“Elly,” he cried, his tears fell into her locks of golden-brown hair.
“Daddy,” she said.
Her arms still tightly around his neck, Elly leaned back so John could see her face. Her bright blue eyes shone back at him. And there it was, that smile he missed so much. Her face was bright, ebullient as always.
Then she was gone. John’s arms were still locked in her embrace, but she was no longer there. When he blinked, he could see her like the image on a polaroid coming into focus except in reverse. Each time he blinked, she became a little less. His head was numb, and he suddenly felt lightheaded.
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Author Joshua Magnotta
About the Author Josh Magnotta has been a resident of northern Pennsylvania for most of his life. Throughout his early life and teenager years he was an avid writer but during college drifted away from the passion as work and other priorities took precedence. In 2014 he graduated from college and soon began working swing shift in a factory. It was here, during off shifts where Josh would read during the night to stay awake, that his passion for writing was rekindled. After leaving the factory-life behind Josh went back to college and began work on his first novel, A Sweet, Soft Glow. He has since been writing ever since.
Welcome to the book blitz for THE ART OF LOVING ELLIE, a stand-alone adult adult contemporary romance, by Loren Beeson. See below for information on the book, buy links, an exclusive excerpt, and details on her giveaway.
THE ART OF LOVING ELLIE by Loren Beeson
About the Book – Read for Free with Kindle Unlimited Title: THE ART OF LOVING ELLIE Author: Loren Beeson Release Date: December 14, 2020
Genre: Adult Contemporary Romance
Links: Goodreads | Amazon | Amazon UK | Amazon CA | Amazon AU | Amazon DE | Amazon IT
Ellie Clark has big dreams of moving to the city to become a well-known artist. With the help of her eccentric boss, Alex, and his influence in the New York City art scene, everything should go according to plan. Until suddenly, Ellie comes to realize that her passion for painting has vanished with no explanation.
Despite her best attempts at avoiding distractions, she not so gracefully tumbles into a sexy stranger, adding more chaos to her already unsteady life. He continues to challenge her to the point of losing her grip on the one thing that keeps her grounded—her control, and to make matters worse, a past she had long ago made peace with is ripped wide open when she receives a phone call from a ghost of her previous life.
The refuge of her comfort zone is her greatest dependency, but Ellie doesn’t see the bigger picture. Can she risk opening her heart to this exciting, overconfident trouble-maker, or will she embrace the trauma of her past to discover that second chances aren’t just for the storybooks…
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Excerpt #2 “Give me your hand,” I demand, and the bewilderment on his face makes me laugh.
Point, Ellie.
He gives me the hand that isn’t holding the palette, and I pause a moment to admire it. Tyler has long, strong hands, and I’m plagued with images of them groping my body. Remembering those hands firmly gripping my ass while we made out in the janitor’s closet makes me clear my throat uncomfortably.
I grab some white paint off the palette in his opposite hand and mix in some black to create a light gray. Placing my hand under his, I begin gentle strokes around the bones beneath his skin, creating thin white striations that make up the cartilage and tendons around them.
When I’m finished, I smirk at him, giving him a clean brush and offering my hand for him to work on. Admiring my work, he quirks an eyebrow at me, “I’m not normally so easy to outwit.” He gives me the palette and takes my palm in his. Dabbing some green paint onto his brush, he leans over my hand and applies it to my pale skin in slow strokes.
“It seems you may have met your match.” I smile at him, jumping slightly when the cold paint touches my skin.
He chuckles to himself, but I don’t miss the desire flooding his gaze when he glares back at me. “I’m no painter, so don’t you dare laugh.”
I giggle as he swirls the start of a green vine onto the back of my hand. He’s so focused on his work that he barely takes a moment to look up at me through his thick lashes. “I said don’t laugh.”
I hide my smile from him as he finishes the job, and we take turns painting our opposite hands. I move on to his right side contemplating where to start, and I run my fingers lightly down the full-length of his arm. Starting at his shoulder, I end my stroke over the pulse at his wrist where I absently rub a circle over his warm flesh, envisioning the direction of my design.
His skin is warm and smooth, and I can’t help but notice that I’ve left a trail of goosebumps with my touch. I’m lost in thought when he interrupts.
“Like what you see, Princess?” His words come out in a husky whisper that makes the hair on the back of my neck prickle.
I meet his gaze, teasing him, “A good artist always gets familiar with her subject.”
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Author Loren Beeson
About the Author Loren is a dreamer, artist, radiologic technologist, and author who loves animals and people. Always writing short stories as a young child and young adult, she knew she wanted to become an author someday. The Art of Loving Ellie is Loren’s debut novel.
Loren can be found in her cozy home in Texas with her nose in a book, her corgi and mini-aussie on her lap, and her son trailing along with her and her husband through their many adventures.
Today is release day for THE LUCKY ONES, the seventh book in the adult contemporary romance series, Love Is…, by Cassie Cross. See below for information on the book and series, buy links, and an exclusive excerpt.
THE LUCKY ONES (Love Is…Series #7) by Cassie Cross
About The Book – Read for Free with Kindle Unlimited
Title: THE LUCKY ONES Series: Love Is… Series #7 Author: Cassie Cross Genre: Adult Contemporary Romance Release Date: December 10, 2020 Links:Goodreads | Amazon | Amazon UK | Amazon CA | Amazon AU | Amazon DE | Amazon IT | Amazon FR
Synopsis Kendall Moore’s professional life has never been better. She’s an in-demand video editor who’s just started her own business, and that business is booming. She rarely has a moment to relax and has completely thrown herself into her work, which is just the way that she likes it. There’s just one tiny issue in her pursuit of professional and personal happiness: she’s getting burned out.
Of course, it doesn’t help that she’s hopelessly and secretly in love with her totally off-limits business partner, Jordan.
Jordan Murphy is an aspiring filmmaker with a past that he’s desperate to put behind him. When an opportunity arises to go to Vegas and film for a project he’s working on, he gets Kendall to agree to come along with him. After he makes a lucky bet that leads to a weekend full of fun, unexpected confessions, and a visit to a wedding chapel that neither one of them can remember, Kendall and Jordan head home wondering if what happened in Vegas should stay in Vegas…
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Excerpt “I have an idea.” He says it slowly, like he’s trying to reason with a small, frightened animal and doesn’t want to scare it away.
“I’m not gonna like this, am I?”
He laughs. “I’m hoping that you will if you hear me out.”
I take a deep breath. “Okay, I’m listening.” There may be a nervous ringing in my ears, but I can hear him over that.
“You know that film I’ve been working on forever?”
A Robin Hood-esque heist movie that’s been his creative baby for almost as long as I’ve known him? “Yes.”
“I have the chance to get some arial shots for it this weekend,” he explains. “You know my friend, Danny? The one with the helicopter business in Vegas?”
I nod. “Yeah.”
“He has a slot open on Friday night, and he offered to take me up so I can film. I’m flying to Vegas Friday morning so I can take him up on the offer.”
“That’s great,” I say, squeezing his hand. “But how does it involve me?”
The question hangs in the air as he stares at me meaningfully. “I want you to come with me.”
“No,” I say reflexively.
“Why not?”
“I’m not going to Vegas.”
“That’s not an answer. You’ll be done with the commercial by then, and our next project doesn’t start until next week. You haven’t been out of LA in a hundred years, Ken. It’s time.”
I playfully kick him in the shin. “It’s only been, like, a year. Maybe two.”
Yeah, okay. Still not great.
“It’ll be fun,” he says, really putting on the full-court press to sell me on this. “We’ll fly in and spend the night, have dinner and gamble a little. I’ll pay for the plane ticket.”
I love a night of debauchery as much as anyone, and I’m having a harder time saying no than I thought I would.
“Jordan…”
“You have an editor’s eye,” he argues. “It’ll be nice to have someone there to tell me what to shoot so I’ll have the best final product.”
Yes, this much is true.
“Please,” he says. He’s gone full puppy-dog eyes and I can never say no to those.
“No,” I reply, but it’s weak. A slight breeze could knock it over.
He reaches in his pocket and pulls out those dice. “You roll an odd, you come home with me. Even? You can edit all weekend and I won’t say a thing.”
I grab a die and inspect it to make sure it actually has evens and odds.
I’ve never let dice make a decision for me. The prospect is oddly freeing.
I start to roll, but he gently grabs my wrist and pulls my hand to his mouth, giving it a quick kiss.
“For good luck,” he says with a playful wink.
I roll my eyes, trying not to think too hard about how soft his lips are.
“Good luck for you or good luck for me?”
A full-on grin. “For me, of course.”
I toss the die on the hood of the car. I come up with a three.
“Better start packing,” he says, looking like he just hit the jackpot.
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Get Caught up on the Series – Read for Free with Kindle Unlimited
About the Author Cassie Cross is a Maryland native and a romantic at heart, who lives outside of Baltimore with her two dogs and a closet full of shoes. Cassie’s fondness for swoon-worthy men and strong women are the inspiration for most of her stories, and when she’s not busy writing a book, you’ll probably find her eating takeout and indulging in her love of 80’s sitcoms.
Bold Strokes Books and author Lauren Emily Whalen are revealing the cover to TWO WINTERS, a stand-alone young adult contemporary LGBTQ+ romance, releasing September 14, 2021. See below for information on the book and preorder links.
TWO WINTERS by Lauren Emily Whalen
About the Book Title: TWO WINTERS Author: Lauren Emily Whalen Publisher: Bold Strokes Books Genre: Young Adult Contemporary LGBTQ+ Romance Release Date: September 14, 2021 Links: Goodreads | Bold Stokes Books
Synopsis The winter of 1997 is a tragedy waiting to happen. Small-town life isn’t easy for seventeen-year-old, bisexual and closeted Paulina, especially when her best friend Mia becomes pregnant. A devout Catholic, Mia doesn’t want to tell her parents, see a doctor, or even tell the baby’s father, Paulina’s other best friend, Tesla. Meanwhile, Paulina’s secret relationship with volleyball star, Ani, is about to go public in the worst way. It all comes to a head one fateful night, and everything changes forever.
Fast forward to the winter of 2014, where Perdita, bi and proud in Chicago, is weeks away from turning seventeen. Her life is perfect–well, almost. She loves her two moms, but why do they refuse to tell her anything about her adoption? When Perdita meets Fenton, her handsome improv coach who’s taking a gap year before college, she discovers both a kindred soul and a willing accomplice in her search for the truth. Will Perdita find what she’s looking for? And if not, can time really heal all wounds?
TWO WINTERS is a contemporary queer YA retelling of Shakespeare’s The Winter’s Tale, about birth, death, Catholic school, improv comedy and the healing nature of time.
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Author Lauren Emily Whalen
About the Author Lauren Emily Whalen is the author of the YA novels SATELLITE (2017) and TWO WINTERS (2021), and the YA nonfiction book DEALING WITH DRAMA (2020). Her short story “I Saw Her Again” appears in LINK BY LINK: A SPIRITED HOLIDAY ANTHOLOGY (2020). Lauren is also an actor and very amateur aerialist, and lives in Chicago with her cat, Versace, and an apartment full of books. Follow her on Instagram at laurenemilywrites.
New York Times and USA Today bestselling author, Samantha Chase, is revealing the cover to THE ENGAGEMENT EMBARGO, the first book in her adult contemporary romance series, Meet Me at the Altar, releasing March 9, 2021. See below for information on the book and preorder links.
THE ENGAGEMENT EMBARGO (Meet Me at the Altar Series #1) by Samantha Chase
About the Book Title: THE ENGAGEMENT EMBARGO Series: Meet Me at the Altar Series #1 Author: Samantha Chase Publisher: Chasing Romance, Inc. Genre: Adult Contemporary Romance Release Date: March 9, 2021 Links: Goodreads | Amazon | Amazon UK | Amazon CA | Amazon AU | Barnes & Noble | iBooks | Kobo
Synopsis
Four failed engagements. One year-long hiatus on women.
Elliott Sullivan loves being in love, but after his latest romantic disaster, his friends and family finally put their foot down—no relationships or proposals for at least a year. Ready for his heart not to be squashed under another sexy high-heel, he agrees to fully embrace life as a perpetual bachelor. Which should be easy—especially when he recruits his sister’s best friend for help. Surely he won’t fall for her, no matter how perfect she seems…
Skylar isn’t sorry to see Elliott’s latest relationship go up in flames. She’s had a crush on him for as long as she remembers—not that anything can ever happen there. So when Elliott asks for her help to stop him from breaking his dating embargo, she jumps at the chance. They’ve spent time together before and nothing has come of it. So what could possibly go wrong this time?
Sticking to his embargo would be fine if all this time with Skye wasn’t making Elliott wonder if maybe the perfect girl had been in front of him all along.
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Author Samantha Chase
About the Author Samantha Chase is a New York Times and USA Today bestseller of contemporary romance. She released her debut novel in 2011 and currently has more than forty titles under her belt! When she’s not working on a new story, she spends her time reading romances, playing way too many games of Scrabble or Solitaire on Facebook, wearing a tiara while playing with her sassy pug Maylene…oh, and spending time with her husband of 25 years and their two sons in North Carolina.
Welcome to the book blitz for LITTLE HOOD AND HER WOLF, the second book in the young adult fairy tale romance trilogy, The Big Bad Wolf, by Janie Marie. See below for information on the book and series, buy links, an exclusive excerpt, and details on her giveaway.
LITTLE HOOD AND HER WOLF (The Big Bad Wolf Trilogy #2) by Janie Marie
About The Book – Read for Free with Kindle Unlimited
Title: LITTLE HOOD AND HER WOLF Series: The Big Bad Wolf Trilogy #2 Author: Janie Marie Genre: Young Adult Fairy Tale Romance/Coming of Age Release Date: December 8, 2020 Links:Goodreads | Amazon | Amazon UK | Amazon CA | Amazon AU | Amazon DE | Amazon IT | Amazon FR
Synopsis Kylie knew Logan Grimm came with a price. She just had no idea that the price was being told what to do by the most dangerous residents of Blackwoods.
She should run and survive, but Logan’s sweet words and even sweeter kisses keep her where she is.
About the Authors Janie Marie is a native Texan and resides in her hometown north of Austin, Texas, where she devotes her time to family, pets, and her writing.
Much of her life experiences–good and a lot of bad–are where she has chosen to draw inspiration from to create her characters and stories. It’s important to her to create the kind of characters she needs or needed at one point in time because she wanted to create something only the saddest souls would recognize as brave and strong.
Be ready for raw, emotional tales, as Janie never holds back. With her darkest thoughts she found light is still possible, that the sad girl can sometimes glow the brightest. Because she is beauty surrounded by darkness.
