Welcome to the book blitz for REVENGE HONEYMOON, a standalone adult contemporary romantic comedy by K.J. Gillenwater. See below for information on the book, buy links, an exclusive excerpt, and details on her giveaway.
Synopsis
What happens in the Caribbean, stays in the Caribbean…
Emily Small has a big heart, a loud mouth, and a terrible taste in men. She’s used to living in her perfect best friend Ruby’s shadow – but when Ruby is left devastated at the altar, Emily becomes desperate to save her friend from heartache… and salvage their non-refundable cruise!
Emily hatches an ingenious plan to soothe Ruby’s broken heart by island-hopping together as an act of revenge. There’s only one teensy problem: the cruise is for newlyweds only. Naturally, they have a solution. They’ll pretend to be a married couple!
But their ten days of fun are about to spiral into a crazy, messy adventure that risks leaving a few hearts broken along the way – because when Emily bumps into the ship’s hot photographer, Max Keeling, she begins to wish she could rethink their arrangement. If her deception gets discovered, would they boot her off the boat? But Emily can’t keep her hands to herself, and her cruise fling could bring everything crashing down.
How can she support her best friend at the worst moment in her life while pursuing an out-of-her-league guy in the Caribbean? And can she somehow find a way to have the best of both worlds?
As a hilarious, sexy, and heartwarming read that strikes the perfect balance between feel-good emotions and laugh-out-loud humor, Revenge Honeymoon is a fun and memorable romantic comedy that you won’t be able to put down. Scroll up and grab your copy today!
Note: This book was originally released on Kindle Vella in serialized format. This version has been edited with an additional epilogue added.
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Excerpt #2 “It’s not that bad,” said Ruby as they approached Gorgeous Max who tinkered with the unruly lights.
“It feels pretty bad.” Emily tugged on the skirt and had the strange sensation the slit in the skirt had reached half way up her ass.
“It’s not that bad,” her friend repeated. “Just a few photos. It’s only going to be from the front. Nobody will see. I promise.”
This was not how Emily imagined her first meeting with Maxwell the Perfect—stuffed into a too-small dress with her very unsexy, very matronly underwear on display.
“I want to go back to the room,” she whispered. Her armpits were damp. Her heartbeat sped up to the pace of a racehorse on his last stretch of the Kentucky Derby. She was about to meet the sexiest man alive, and…no, it wasn’t going to be like this.
Was it?
“Number, please?” Maxwell said with a masculine rumble that nearly shook her ovaries loose.
He barely looked at them as he attended to the light stands, readjusting them, while mumbling, “It will be only a week, he said. Great money, he said.”
Why did she let Man Magnet Ruby have the first words? The story of her life. Ruby took a single step, and men fell all over her. Emily exposed her ass to the whole room, and it was as if nothing happened.
Maxwell brought his gaze up from his work. His green—yes, they were green!—eyes caught the dazzling lights and glowed as if they were on fire. Green gorgeous fire from the depths of some Irish fairy tale come to life. Were there Irish fairy tales? Was Maxwell even Irish? Did she care?
“Oh,” his voice caught in his throat.
His gaze stuck to Ruby like glue.
Yeah, the usual. Emily’s fate as cruise third wheel had begun. But maybe it was for the best. She kept her backside facing the wall behind them—the only safe angle. If she moved too much to the right, the rest of the newlyweds waiting in line would figure out that Kim Kardashian’s Skims line really did work miracles. If she moved too much to the left, well, Maxwell might have to hold back a laugh…and Emily wanted to avoid that humiliation as much as possible.
“Miss, your dress.” Maxwell picked up a suit jacket he’d laid across the back of a chair near his equipment and handed it to Emily. “You might want to put this on.”
What? He’d noticed her and handed her a jacket that smelled like manliness and muscles and sandalwood?
She must be dreaming.
“My dress?” Oh, God, did his jacket smell incredible. Was she clutching it too closely to her nose? Was that weird?
“The rip?” He gestured at the wall behind her.
“What?” She looked over her shoulder. A full-length mirror stood leaning against the wall. The giant rip that had created a fault line the length of Florida up the back of her skirt assaulted her eyes. “Crap.” She slipped into the jacket smelling of gorgeous man and attempted to laugh off the humiliation. “I had no idea,” she said.
Yet she had every idea. And so did Ruby. But Emily wouldn’t let on. No, she wasn’t about to admit that she’d continued to stroll about the room knowingly in such a state. That any number of Moscowitzes and whoever the hell else stood in line for their oh-so-important free honeymoon portrait got a good look at her unmentionables and that they weren’t even newlyweds and this whole idea had been stupid, stupid, stupid from the very beginning.
“That actually looks really good on you,” Mr. Beautiful said. “Somehow it works.”
Ruby took a step back. “He’s right.”
“It does?” The sleeves hung down below her wrists, and the shoulders sagged on her narrower frame. But she was willing to believe anything that came out of the sexy mouth of their photographer. Two perfect lips accentuated by the dark bristly shadow of his beard.
“You just need to zhuszh it a little bit.” Ruby pushed the sleeves up to her elbows. “See?”
Ruby spun her friend around so she could view the transformation in the evil mirror that had exposed her Skims-encased rear to the perfect Maxwell.
He nodded his approval. “It gives your photo a little more of that ‘bride and groom’ aspect.” He sucked in his breath. “Was that offensive? I mean, there’s nothing wrong with two brides.”
And everything that Emily had been building up inside her head crumbled at that very moment.
Right. The lesbian newlyweds.
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Author K.J. Gillenwater
About the Author K. J. Gillenwater has a B.A. in English and Spanish from Valparaiso University and an M.A. in Latin American Studies from University of California, Santa Barbara. She worked as a Russian linguist in the U.S. Navy, spending time at the National Security Agency doing secret things. After six years of service, she ended up as a technical writer in the software industry. She has lived all over the U.S. and currently resides in Wyoming with her family where she runs her own business writing government proposals and squeezes in fiction writing when she can. In the winter she likes to ski and snowshoe; in the summer she likes to garden with her husband, take walks with her dog, and explore the Big Horn Mountains. She has written multiple books and plans on writing more.
Welcome to the book blitz for ALL HALLOWS AIRSHIP, a standalone adult holiday fantasy steampunk novella by Liz Delton. See below for information on the book, buy links, an exclusive excerpt, and details on her giveaway.
Synopsis A catastrophic blast. A haunting memory. And she only has one chance to prove her family’s innocence.
All Caz Coppersdown has ever wanted is to be a journalist for the Soldark Times. But the chances of her parents letting her pursue a breaking story are slim. Secluded after a childhood illness, Caz finally gets to leave Soldark for a trip to the country to her great aunt’s estate, but she quickly finds out there isn’t anything newsworthy there—unless you count her aunt’s upcoming All Hallows Eve soiree.
Until the local airshow clashes with her aunt’s party plans—causing more than just pumpkins to be destroyed. When Caz meets one of the airship pilots and discovers something about her family’s past, Caz might have just found her big story.
But she’ll need to dig for the facts quickly, because the constables are looking for a culprit, and old ghosts are making themselves known on this All Hallows Eve.
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Excerpt As they pulled up to the front door of Daguerre, Caz didn’t know what to expect. She certainly didn’t expect to see her great aunt, dressed in a modest burgundy gown with black lace edging, stacking pumpkins on the doorstep with the help of a maid. There was dirt under her fingernails. Caz grinned and removed her satin gloves, stuffing them into her pocket before opening the door to the auto. Grimlee wordlessly brought her carpetbag around as Caz stepped forward. She took a deep breath of the country air, inhaling the unfamiliar yet alluring scents of nature.
Dowager Daguerre straightened, a calculating look in her eye as she smiled at her great-niece. “Go get the last four, will you, Marla, and then we can see if we need to buy extra from Shore. Caroline! Welcome to Daguerre.”
“It’s Caz,” she blurted, and heat immediately rushed to her cheeks as she reached up to cover her mouth. Had she really just corrected her? “I’m sorry, Dowager.”
Her great aunt raised a single eyebrow–a feat Caz envied–and said, “What for? I would never wish to call you by a name you dislike. And as far as names go, you may call me Elmira. We are flesh and blood, by-golly.”
“I–all right,” Caz said breathlessly, her cheeks still burning, though she was secretly pleased. Her aunt was nothing like the stuffy nobles in Soldark. Her opinion on the upcoming month shifted immediately to excitement.
“Grimlee, take her bag to her room, it’s already prepared. That’s all you brought?” she asked Caz.
“No, my trunk should be here this afternoon. At least, that’s what my father said.”
“Perfect,” Elmira said crisply. “Now, I need your opinion on these pumpkins.”
Caz grinned as her great aunt picked up some wicked-looking shears and sliced off a few inches of the long stem on one of the bright orange gourds littering the mansion’s doorstep.
Though she wasn’t sure she’d find much action worthy of a gripping story she could write for the Soldark Times, perhaps the season in the country wouldn’t be so boring after all.
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Author Liz Delton
About the Author Liz Delton writes and lives in New England, with her husband and amazing son. She studied Theater Management at the University of the Arts in Philly, always having enjoyed the backstage life of storytelling.
She reads and writes fantasy, especially the kind with alternate worlds. Liz is the author of the dystopian Arcera Trilogy, the fantasy Realm of Camellia series, and the steampunk novel THE ALCHEMYST’S MIRROR. World-building is her favorite part of writing, and she is always dreaming up new fantastic places.
She loves drinking tea and traveling. When she’s not writing you can find her hands full with one of her many craft projects.
Welcome to the book blitz for THE PRINCE’S PREGNANT SECRETARY, the second book in the adult contemporary romance series, The Van Ambrose Royals, by Emmy Grayson. See below for information on the book and series, buy links, an exclusive excerpt, and details on her giveaway.
THE PRINCE’S PREGNANT SECRETARY (The Van Ambrose Royals Series #2) by Emmy Grayson
Synopsis
In this royal baby romance by Emmy Grayson, becoming pregnant with the prince’s heir was completely unexpected!
One night. One baby.
One royal wedding!
Though Clara Stephenson takes five different pregnancy tests, she’s still unprepared for the result: she’s carrying her royal boss’s baby! The last thing that Clara wants is to become Prince Alaric’s convenient princess when the painful memories of her previous relationship still remain.
Making Clara his bride is the only way for Alaric to save his heir from a scandal-filled childhood like his own. But when their honeymoon reminds Clara and Alaric of the desire that led them to the altar, will they realize that more than duty binds them?
From Harlequin Presents: Escape to exotic locations where passion knows no bounds.
Read all The Van Ambrose Royals books:
Book 1: A Cinderella for the Prince’s Revenge
Book 2: The Prince’s Pregnant Secretary
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Excerpt #1 The fury burning through Prince Alaric Van Ambrose’s veins surprised him with its intensity. He hadn’t thought it possible to experience this level of anger unless it involved his useless sire.
But it wasn’t his father staring up at him from the picture pulled up on Clara’s tablet. No, it was his ex-fiancée, Celestine Osborne, in the arms of not one but two men on the dance floor of some ritzy New York club. One man had his hands on her waist, his hips pressed provocatively against her barely covered rear. The other man’s hands rested just beneath the curves of her breasts that nearly popped out of her plunging halter top.
Most women in that position would have been focusing on at least one of their admirers, perhaps even ducking away from the bright flash of the camera.
Celestine, however, had looked straight at the photographer, her sapphire blue eyes defiant, her perfectly shaped chin raised as she smiled smugly. Some might find her apparent confidence sexy. But to him, her bared pearly white teeth reminded him of a piranha.
Slowly, he uncurled his fingers from around his phone and set it on his desk. He’d kept the photo pulled up when he’d called Celestine, a visual reminder to himself that he could no longer overlook her scandalous behavior. Their engagement of nine years had been a business agreement arranged by their fathers, but one he thought they’d both willingly entered into.
Except according to her and the acrimonious conversation that had ended with her screaming at him before terminating their engagement, marrying him had been the last thing she’d ever wanted.
About the Author Emmy’s interest in romance can be traced back to her love of Nancy Drew books, when she tried to solve the mysteries of her favorite detective while rereading the romantic chapters with Ned Nickerson. Fast-forward a few years when she discovered a worn copy of “A Rose in Winter” by Kathleen Woodiwiss on her mother’s bookshelf, and she was hooked. Over 20 years later, Harlequin Presents made her dream come true by offering her a contract for her first book.
When Emmy isn’t writing or reading, she’s chasing around her baby boy, feeding her menagerie of fur babies or carving out a little time on her front porch with her firefighter hubby.
Welcome to the book blitz for CHAOS AND CRANBERRIES, a standalone adult holiday cozy mystery crossover in the Charming Mysteries and Piney Falls Mysteries series by USA Today bestselling author Joann Keder. See below for information on the book, preorder links, an exclusive excerpt, and details on her giveaway.
CHAOS AND CRANBERRIES by Joann Keder
About the Book – Read for Free with Kindle Unlimited Title: CHAOS AND CRANBERRIES Series: A Charming Mysteries and Piney Falls Mysteries Crossover Author: Joann Keder Publisher: Purpleflower Press Release Date: November 1, 2022
Genre: Adult Holiday Cozy Mystery
Links: Goodreads | Amazon | Amazon UK | Amazon CA | Amazon AU | Amazon DE | Amazon IT | Amazon FR
Synopsis When you wake up in Bath, England two hundred years in the past, how far can a love of Jane Austen get you?
Janet Roberts dreams of an academic career in literature, so she can hardly believe her good fortune when she’s accepted into a Jane Austen graduate seminar in Bath, England. Settled in Georgian splendor among her seminar colleagues, Janet and her classmates live, eat and breathe Jane Austen.
An accident interrupts this idyll when Janet regains consciousness in her own room—back in Regency England. For a scholar of nineteenth-century literature, this should be a dream come true.
But Janet quickly learns there’s a world of difference between scholarly knowledge of the written page and maneuvering real life as a reluctant time traveler.
Her burgeoning friendship with Emma Huntington eases her entrée into nineteenth-century society. However, Emma’s brother, the handsome, proud and frustratingly magnetic Sir Edward, is far less welcoming.
While desperately attempting to make sense of her dilemma, Janet treads a thin line between trying to blend into her new world and not being unmasked as the imposter she is. Can she discover the way to return to her twenty-first century life? After working so hard to create a rewarding nineteenth-century life for herself and opening her hart to friendship and love, does she even want to?
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Excerpt #2 Vem stood uncomfortably close and read aloud:
Ivy Merrilee Globe was a prolific author, completing seventy-nine books in her twenty-six years of life. Her most recent, Snowily Severed, was a short story featured in the massively popular Christmas horror anthology, Strung by the Fire.
She recently signed a contract with Brain Gravy Pictures to turn her short story into a movie.
Driving home from physical therapy, she stopped for children crossing three blocks from her home, when her neighbor’s sleigh ornament slid off the roof of their home and through her car windshield, impaling her. Ivy herself couldn’t have written such a dramatic end.
Ivy leaves behind three brothers and a cat named Ice.
“She didn’t die on the twenty-second like the other two. Find the date of the Frosty attack, Lanie,” Vem urged.
I typed in the information and when the page came up, our mood was somber. “Ivy was attacked on the twenty-second by the Frosty wannabe. They intended to kill her that day, and when it didn’t work, they came back to finish the job.”
“Poor Ivy,” Vem lamented.
My phone rang and I jumped up to answer. Even though we’d been together for several years, I was always expecting his call.
“Babe?”
“Mrs. Hill? This is the Tucson police department.”
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Author Joann Keder
About the Author USA TODAY bestselling author, Joann Keder spent most of her years in the Midwest, growing up and raising a family on the Great Plains of Nebraska. She worked for sixteen years as a piano teacher before returning to school to receive a master’s degree in creative writing. A mid-life move to the Pacific Northwest led her to re-examine her priorities. She now creates stories about life and relationships in small towns while her ever-patient husband encourages her on.
Welcome to the book blitz for THE SHADOW OF THE APENNINES, a standalone adult contemporary/historical women’s fiction by Kimberly Sullivan. See below for information on the book, buy links, an exclusive excerpt, and details on her giveaway.
Synopsis An American divorcée. An Italian shepherdess. Separated by a century, united by common dreams.
The sleepy little Abruzzo mountain town of Marsicano seems about as far as Samantha can flee from her failed marriage and disastrous university career. Eager for a fresh start, Samantha begins to set down roots in her Italian mountain hideaway.
At first, the mountain retreat appears idyllic, but an outsider’s clumsy attempts at breaking into the closed mountain community are quickly thwarted when the residents discover Samantha’s snarky blog ridiculing the town and its inhabitants.
Increasingly isolated in her mountain cottage, Samantha discovers the letters and diaries of Elena, a past tenant and a survivor of the 1915 Pescina earthquake. Despite the century that separates the two women, Samantha feels increasingly drawn into Elena’s life, and discovers startling parallels with her own.
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Excerpt #2 LOOKING BACK to when I bought this house, I realize that I was bamboozled by the weather. I should have known better. A fool and her money are easily parted.
It was the kind of day real estate agents would trade their eyeteeth for. The air was still crisp, but the sun shone warmly, laden with promise for the long, lovely days beckoning just around the corner. Snow still capped the mountaintops, yet the grass was green and lush.
We approached a front yard, and I could see the wildflowers sprouting around the edges, forming sporadic beds of color against the imposing grey stone of the house.
Lost in my reveries, I forgot all about the agent beside me. She smiled as she switched off the engine. “Here we are. The lovely little cottage I told you about.”
“A drafty little money pit, to be sure,” said Tom from the backseat, a wide smile carefully plastered on his face as he spoke the words.
I started to regret having invited him along. Worried about understanding everything in Italian, and even more terrified about not understanding the local dialect, I’d asked Tom to join me on my house hunting. Now I was ready to strangle him.
To be fair, Tom had been honest from the outset about his lack of enthusiasm for my plans to purchase property in Abruzzo. He made those views abundantly clear on each house tour. Since the agent didn’t understand a word of English, he masked his caustic comments with a ridiculous smile. The routine was becoming old.
With the benefit of hindsight, perhaps I should have heeded Tom’s warnings. Back then, however, I was in no mood to entertain his negative thoughts. I summarily ignored Tom’s comments, instead concentrating my full attention on the little cottage from the passenger window. I unlocked the door and stepped out, breathing in the invigorating mountain air, the earthy smell of soil and grass freed from winter hibernation under thick layers of snow.
Now I see it was all staged. The agent gave me just enough time to drink in the idyllic scene as she fumbled slowly for the keys in her purse. Timing was crucial. Standing before the old stone house, its cool grey exterior bathed in bright sunlight, I began to imagine it as my own. I envisioned my new life within those walls.
I imagined the garden I would plant, and lounging in a hammock tied between two ancient oaks. I fantasized about finally finishing that book I’d never completed. How could I not be inspired, with the majestic views of the mountains all around?
I wondered who’d lived in the cottage before. Had children played in its big yard? The cottage was set slightly apart from the town, but an easy walk in. That isolation could mean it was particularly cold in the winter. I made a note to examine the heating system and fireplaces within its thick walls.
The agent and Tom stood at the gate as I walked around the entire cottage. Fruit trees were scattered out back. A lovely little garden appeared to have been untended for quite some time. A large table would be perfect there, a spot for gathering with new friends or working.
The cottage was simple, but solid. Like all houses up high in the Apennine Mountains, the windows were small, the walls thick. I’d heard complaints that newer constructions were built cheaply, with thin walls, while these older homes were built to withstand the harsh mountain climate.
Returning to the front of the house where Tom and the agent waited for me, I paused. Scattered white dots punctuated the ankle-high grass. Narcissus flowers. Six delicate white petals surrounded yellow pistils rimmed in a narrow edge of bright pink; its arching stem lent elegance to the dainty bloom.
I knelt down to smell the sweet nectar of the flower, the perfect little wild flower—the metamorphosis of the vain Narcissus, who was unable to part with his handsome reflection in the pond. I spared a thought for poor Echo, who pined away until only her voice remained, after she was unable to win Narcissus’ love.
Had I been much better when Michael’s indifference toward me was laid plainly at my feet? Hadn’t I pined away, hoping for his return? When I think back to the humiliation I endured in my useless attempts to win him back, I cringe with shame.
I looked with fresh eyes on the sun-drenched cottage so far removed from my former life, at the lawn scattered with the symbol of unrequited love. This must be a sign. Perhaps this was the place where I was meant to construct my new life.
I returned to the front yard walkway. The agent smiled at me, holding out the key that caught a glint of sunlight and appeared to burst into a glow of light. Another sign, surely?
“Signora Samantha,” she said, her tongue losing its battle with the difficult “th.” “Shall we look inside?”
The tour was irrelevant. My mind was made up.
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Author Kimberly Sullivan
About the Author Kimberly grew up in the suburbs of Boston and in Saratoga Springs, New York, although she now calls the Harlem neighborhood of New York City home when she’s back in the US. She studied political science and history at Cornell University and earned her MBA, with a concentration in strategy and marketing, from Bocconi University in Milan.
Afflicted with a severe case of Wanderlust, she worked in journalism and government in the US, Czech Republic and Austria, before settling down in Rome, where she works in international development, and writes fiction any chance she gets.
She is a member of the Women’s Fiction Writers Association (WFWA) and The Historical Novel Society and has published several short stories and two novels: Three Coins and Dark Blue Waves.
After years spent living in Italy with her Italian husband and sons, she’s fluent in speaking with her hands, and she loves setting her stories in her beautiful, adoptive country.
Welcome to the blog tour for HERE WITH YOU, the second book in the adult contemporary romance series, Willow Bay, by Kelly Collins. See below for information on the book and series, buy links, an exclusive excerpt, and details on her giveaway.
HERE WITH YOU (Willow Bay Series #2) by Kelly Collins
About the Book – Read for Free with Kindle Unlimited
Title: HERE WITH YOU Series: Willow Bay Series #2 Author: Kelly Collins Publisher: Book Nook Press Release Date: October 13, 2022 Genre: Adult Contemporary Romance Links: Goodreads | Amazon | Amazon UK | Amazon CA | Amazon AU | Amazon DE | Amazon FR | Amazon IT
Synopsis A swoon-worthy family drama filled with heartbreak, happiness, and a happily ever after…
Emmaline Brown had been in love once, but when Miles McClintock cracked open his family’s secrets, he ruined a lot of lives and crushed Emmaline’s dreams. With Miles no longer an acceptable suitor in her family’s eyes, she chose the life she was born and raised for—to run The Brown Resort. As part-owner and operator of Willow Bay’s largest luxury property, she’d been delivering happily ever after to the hundreds who flocked there each summer. She thought she was content to live her life alone, but that all changed when Miles McClintock came back to town.
Paramedic Miles McClintock left Willow Bay decades ago in disgrace. One honest decision lost him everything, including his family’s honor and the love of his life, Emmaline Brown. Luck had never been on his side until the day he was summoned home by his ill mother. One stop at the Five and Dime would change his life. An opportunity to run the resort next door puts him exactly where he wants to be—straight in the path of Emmaline Brown. She had once loved him when he was a wealthy rancher’s heir, but could she fall in love with the poor man he was pretending to be?
He feels abandoned. She feels betrayed. Can their love for one another douse the burning rage that keeps them apart?
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Excerpt #2 “If you had to do it all over again, would you do the same thing?”
He reached forward and twisted a lock of her hair around his finger. She could see his mind moving through all the scenarios as the golden specks in his eyes shifted with his thoughts. Miles could never get away with much because his eyes were so expressive. He never had a great poker face, but she didn’t know what he’d say this time.
“I’ve thought about that a lot.” He cupped her cheek. “I hated what happened to us, but maybe it was a good thing. We weren’t ready for the love we deserved, and I don’t think we knew how to give the love we needed. So, to answer your question, yes, I would have done the same thing because when we leave this world, all we leave behind are memories, and I’d rather be known as a man with integrity.” His thumb brushed her cheek. “What about you?”
She reached out and laid her hand on his hip. It didn’t stay there long as the pull to know whether the hair on his chest was soft or course drew her to him. Those tiny hairs sprouting all those years ago were both, and she loved how her fingers felt as she brushed her fingertips through them.
“I regret not going away with you, but I don’t regret staying.”
“You can’t have it both ways.”
“By staying, I ended up with The Brown. That’s what I wanted all along.”
“You’re wrong.” They were close enough for his breath to tickle her cheek. For several seconds his gaze lingered on her mouth until he leaned in and touched his lips to hers. “Let me remind you of what you wanted.” She barely had time to take a breath before his mouth covered hers.
About the Author Like FREEBIES? Join the VIP readers at http://bit.ly/KellyCollinsFreeBook for members-only exclusives!
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International bestselling author of more than thirty novels, Kelly Collins writes with the intention of keeping love alive. Always a romantic, she blends real-life events with her vivid imagination to create characters and stories that lovers of contemporary romance, new adult, and romantic suspense will return to again and again.
Kelly has sold more than a quarter of a million books worldwide, and in 2021 she was awarded a Readers’ Favorite Award Gold Medal in the Contemporary Romance category for A Tablespoon of Temptation.
Welcome to the book blitz for THE GUARDIAN, the fifth book in the adult paranormal romance series, The Cities Below, by Jen Colly. See below for information on the book and series, buy links, an exclusive excerpt, and details on her giveaway.
THE GUARDIAN (The Cities Below Series #5) by Jen Colly
Savard was in a mood to die, but when a human insists on saving his life, death is no longer an immediate option. He knew of no species – human, vampire, or demon – that could see him while in his invisible Spirit form. Unique to this world, this woman’s singularity was a danger to the entire vampire race.
Waking behind bars in an underground vampire city was not how Sera envisioned her night drive ending. She has come to expect nothing from those who pass through her life, but this man, dying on the side of the road, proves to be different. Savard fights to free her from tyrannical vampire laws and to hide her unique abilities. What Sera doesn’t understand, is why he would fight his growing love for her.
Savard’s haunted past threatens to tear them apart. Soon, Sera discovers just how far her guardian is willing to go, and what he’s willing to do, to keep her safe.
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Excerpt #2: Savard watched her delicate jaw drop at the sight of his fangs. Never in his long life had he shown a human what kind of creature lurked behind the visage of a man. He waited for her scream, expected her terrified flight or even a fainting spell. Instead of acting like a normal human, she just sat there, taking it all in, processing, and then out of the blue, the minx slugged him in the shoulder.
He groaned, not so much from her punch, but from stabilizing his core muscles to keep his body upright. Through gritted teeth, Savard asked, “What the hell was that for?”
“Give it a guess,” she huffed, not frightened, and certainly not shying away. “You can speak. Just say what you are. You didn’t need to threaten me with the pointy teeth.”
“Wasn’t a threat…won’t bite,” he mumbled. He knew he was behaving poorly, but his body ached, his hunger beat a heavy cadence against his tongue, and this woman had ruined his plans for a quick death.
His eyelids drifted shut, his head tilted back against the cushion. He was getting worse. The pain was there, but not exactly excruciating, making it easier to speak. His body was numbing out, going cold on the inside. Sensation was slipping away, along with life.
“If you’re what I think you are, then…” her soft voice trailed off, as if redirecting her question. “What can I do? Be honest.”
“Nothing you’d be willing to do,” Savard said, cracking one eye open to observe her reaction, and when she shifted closer, he suddenly realized she still held his hand. In fact, her grip had never wavered. Even after he’d bared his fangs.
“Like letting you bite me? How can you be sure I wouldn’t?”
“I’m not asking.”
“But if it would help you…” Her delicate eyebrows scrunched together, and she asked in earnest, “Would it help you? And would it hurt?”
His lips twitched, the beginnings of a smile that never fully formed. For some reason, he found explaining the nuances of a vampire’s bite to this innocent human amusing. “Blood heals. A bite is more pleasure than pain.”
“I wouldn’t turn into a…”
“No.”
“When you bite someone…” Her voice was hesitant, the first subtle hint of trepidation he’d found in her. “Do they die?”
“No. Life is precious,” he said quietly.
Deafening silence surrounded him and he closed his eyes again, the calm lulling him. Several minutes passed, or perhaps more, and then he unexpectedly caught her scent. The soft, delicate flesh of this woman had a scent all its own, and he opened his eyes to see her leaning close to him, her hand pulling that fluffy white-blonde mass of randomly braided hair away from her neck. Savard growled, closing his eyes against the temptation, and turned away from her.
“Why not?” she asked, her steady voice sending shivers through his battered body.
Teeth clenched, he said, “You should have left me there.”
About the Author Jen Colly is the rare case of an author who rebelled against reading assignments throughout her school years. Now she prefers reading books in a series, which has led her to writing her first paranormal romance series: The Cities Below. She will write about anything that catches her fancy, though truth be told, her weaknesses are pirates and vampires. She lives in Ohio with her supportive husband, two kids, one big fluffy dog, and four rescued cats.
Welcome to the book blitz for GIVE ME FOREVER, the fifth book in the adult contemporary romance series, Beaumont: Next Generation, by New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Heidi McLaughlin. See below for information on the book and series, buy links, an exclusive excerpt, and details on her giveaway.
GIVE ME FOREVER (Beaumont Next Generation Series #5) by Heidi McLaughlin
Synopsis From the New York Times bestselling author of Forever My Girl: The Motion Picture, Heidi McLaughlin delivers an emotional second chance romance about life, love, and what it means to truly be happy!
Elle James has it all: a loving fiancé in Ben, a promising career as a music manager, and a supportive family. She couldn’t be happier with her life. That is until the unthinkable happens and she must accept the consequences of her actions and figure out how to come clean to her family or continue living the lie.
Ben Miller had it all: a loving fiancée, a budding career, and the support of people who loved him like family. That was until he wanted more, and his fiancée was unable to meet him halfway. He makes a decision, one that affects everyone. When his life takes an unexpected turn and he’s diagnosed with a life changing illness, he finds himself fighting for more than just love.
With their happily ever after slipping through their fingers, will Elle and Ben be able to survive, or will life’s curveball be too much for them to handle?
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Excerpt #2: The fanfare at the stadium is something I’ve never seen before. People tailgate. They’re throwing parties in the parking lot, with food, music, and games. Some have televisions set up and they’re watching the pregame. Each time I hear Noah’s name, I block out what the announcer says. I don’t care to hear whether or not they think the Pioneers should be in the Super Bowl or not. They’re here, and that is the only thing that matters. Win or lose, Noah’s dreams of making it to the big game have finally come true.
Nola and I walk around the parking lot, taking in the energetic atmosphere. I’ve been to concerts where the tailgating is a giant party, but not to this extent. Venues normally open the parking lot two, maybe three hours before a concert starts, unless it’s a festival. Still, I’d love to see 4225 West or Sinful Distraction have something like this.
“I’m hungry,” Nola says. My stomach growls loud enough for her to hear. She covers her mouth and cackles. I roll my eyes and pray no one else heard it.
“Thanks.” It’s her fault. Lately, food doesn’t interest me. My mother has picked up on the fact I’ve lost weight and barely eat. I don’t have the heart to tell her or anyone in my family about Ben and what we’re going through. How do I tell my loved ones when I don’t understand myself?
“We can head into the stadium and get something,” I tell her.
“Or we can introduce you to people, tell them who you are, and see what they give us.” Nola waggle’s her eyebrows and she smiles like the Cheshire cat. Nola doesn’t care that she’s intermingled with a famous family, and rarely tells people who she’s engaged to, until she wants something. Even then, she’s joking. She’s never used Quinn’s name to get anything from anyone. She likes to tease though.
“Or we go find my dad and drag him around the parking lot with us.”
Nola’s mouth drops open and she gasps. “Oh my, can you even imagine? We wouldn’t make it past the first row. Of course, if we did this, I’d have to get a bullhorn to let everyone know Harrison James walks among us.”
About the Author Heidi McLaughlin is a New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and USA Today Bestselling author of The Beaumont Series, The Boys of Summer, and The Archers.
Originally, from the Pacific Northwest, she now lives in picturesque Vermont, with her husband, two daughters, and their three dogs.
In 2012, Heidi turned her passion for reading into a full-fledged literary career, writing over twenty novels, including the acclaimed Forever My Girl.
Heidi’s first novel, Forever My Girl, has been adapted into a motion picture with LD Entertainment and Roadside Attractions, starring Alex Roe and Jessica Rothe, and opened in theaters on January 19, 2018, and is now available on DVD & Digital.
Welcome to the book blitz for MOON TAMED, a standalone adult paranormal romance, by Audrey Greene, releasing December 6, 2022. See below for information on the book, preorder links, an exclusive excerpt, and details on her giveaway.
Synopsis Coraline Patten enjoys nothing more than facing new challenges, but when she’s asked to evaluate Moonriver’s ruling faction, she worries she’s bitten off more than she can chew.
Allasandro Stephans has reigned since she’d been a child, unwavering in his dedication to Moonriver. His heir, Calden, has supported him every step of the way. Together, the shapeshifting widower and his son appear to be the perfect men for the job of preserving and protecting their home.
When Moonriver’s heir asks her to free his father from the burden of leadership, Coraline is determined to do what is best for her people, even if it costs her the love of her life.
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Excerpt #2 Sila snickered. “With that comment, you just guaranteed your selection. That is what normal people call testing their luck. Have you worked for the Hunters before?”
“No.” With Sila, short and to the point worked the best. If I gave her a single opening, she would talk me to death and force me to regret my decision to be her friend.
Sila meant well, however, even when she drove me mad.
My friend rubbed her hands together. “They’re pretty nice to work for. While most of them are predatory shifters, they’re respectful of time and energy. It helps they can smell fatigue and frustration, and they understand a happy worker is a better worker. They stop problems before they become problems as a general rule. The male temps get the short straw—they get into pissing contests with the Hunters. Us women? We already know how to avoid the pissing contests. We win when we don’t play the game.”
When Sita started spouting sexist nonsense, it often sourced from a bad night with her latest suitor. “Did you have a bad date last night?”
“It was horrible. Who knew a Legacy researcher could be so clueless? I educated him, but there won’t be a second date. He was so dry I thought about asking him to do my laundry.”
The few times I’d dated a Legacy member, I’d emerged better educated but lacking in the basic relationship department. Members of Legacy lived for the pursuit of old knowledge. Intellectual company appealed, but I also longed for the other facets of a good relationship, including physical affection, sweet nothings, and someone I could be near in safety and comfort.
Still, Legacy members could be taught, and I’d met more than a few who were kind to a fault but oblivious. “Maybe you should give him a second try, Sila. You bothered to educate him. Why not benefit from your tutoring. Is he nice?”
“He is disturbingly nice,” she complained.
Well, some problems had simple solutions. “Teach him to get a little rough with you, then.”
“I might. He texted me this morning. I replied that I was getting my work assignment. You think I should try him again?”
“He’s nice and can be taught, Sila. Find out if he cooks and cleans. If so, he might be the perfect man.”
“You make a good point.” Sila sighed, dug out her phone, and tapped at the screen. “There. I told him that, assignment allowing, I’m free most nights this week if he’d like to get together. This might be for the best. I was about to hit up someone from Moonward.”
I winced. Of Moonriver’s factions, Moonward attracted the most ambitious men and women with an interest in magic. Witches made up most of the membership, but they accepted all types. “Dangerous dates are not wise, Sila.”
“I’m looking for love. That is dangerous.”
No kidding. Before I could reply, our manager rang his little silver bell so he could deliver the news—and reveal who would assist the Hunters. “I’ll keep this as short as possible, as we have a busy day. I already drew the name for the Hunter contract while you gossips talked up a storm.”
When Almon Friarin went the route of serious efficiency, we had a higher number of requests than normal.
“Today is going to be fun,” Sila predicted.
I huffed and refrained from cursing. “Sure. It’s going to be about as fun as a lobotomy.”
Before I could further embarrass myself, our boss said, “Line up for your assignment. You’ll just have to accept I won’t be turning our job into a circus today. Maybe tomorrow. The Hunters of Moonriver have asked for discretion.”
“Well, this sucks,” Sila muttered. “He lured us all here so nobody would skip out on a crazy day.”
“You’re probably right.” My fellow co-workers queued up to receive their assignments, and I joined the line, dragging Sila with me. “Be grateful it’s not a parade. Or worse, a positive reinforcement day.”
“Good point. There is only so much public praise I can handle a year. A ten-minute lecture on how good I am at following basic instructions would break me today.” Sila made a show of shuddering. “Last time, one of the clients had sent him a photo of my work along with praise. I almost perished.”
I knew of one way to derail my friend before she delved deeper into the dark waters of her self-inflicted stress. “Did you get a raise?”
“Ten cents an hour for accomplishing perfection.”
Well, that backfired in a painful fashion. “I’ve never gotten a raise for perfection,” I informed her.
“I asked for it. Did you?”
The next time I got pulled into our boss’s office, I would make a point of asking. “Did the ten cents an hour actually help your budget?”
One of the distinct disadvantages of remaining unaffiliated was our pay; the factions made a point of paying their members competitive rates for their work. Migrant workers made up the majority of the unaffiliated, although holdouts like me existed.
I accepted lower pay and less say in the governing of Moonriver in exchange for flexibility and freedom.
“Every penny counts, except when it doesn’t.” Sila shrugged.
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Author Audrey Greene
About the Author Audrey Greene writes sweet paranormal and urban fantasy splashed with some romance and hints of science fiction. She lives in California, loves going to the beach, and appreciates taking the time to smell the roses.
