Category Archives: Sneak Peek

Spotlight – Weekend Wife

04 Tuesday Feb 2020

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Weekend Wife, an all-new sassy and quirky stand-alone rom com from New York Times bestselling author Erin McCarthy, is available now!

*****

Weekend Wife

by Erin McCarthy

Blurb:

Billionaire businessman in need of a fake fiancée…

It should be the easiest job ever for an out-of-work actress, right?

All I have to do is pose as Grant Caldwell (the Third)’s fiancé for a fancy-pants weekend in the Hamptons. Easy. Wear designer clothing and sip champagne? Don’t mind if I do. Flirting with Grant? It’s so delicious I should be paying him.

Nothing can go wrong as long as I can just keep my hands off of him.

But that’s the hard part. And I do mean hard.

Because Grant is sexy.

And bossy.

And surprisingly sweet, a real rarity in his pretentious family.

Oops. I’m not as good at faking it as I thought. Or maybe they call this method acting. Because it’s getting harder to figure out where my character ends and I begin…

It just might be the role of a lifetime.

Download your copy today or read for FREE in Kindle Unlimited!

Amazon: https://amzn.to/2vCLc3P

Amazon UK: https://amzn.to/3b9dbZs

Amazon CA: https://amzn.to/2u3DcbV

Amazon AU: https://amzn.to/397Id21

Add WEEKEND WIFE to Goodreads: http://bit.ly/35JEWEF

*****

Excerpt:

I looked at Leah. “Sorry about that. I am not filthy rich.” I actually was, but I felt compelled to be modest. “I’m just rich.”

“Oh, yeah? Well… I think everyone’s definition of filthy is different.”

And just like that, Leah took an awkward moment and made it flirtatious. Her voice was low, breathy.

Green light. That’s what that was. And I was hitting the gas and plowing into the intersection.

I eyed her. “What do you know about filthy?”

I had leaned closer to her, turned slightly, my thigh brushing against the fabric of her skirt. Her lips were a ripe raspberry color and she had a divot in the base of her chin that made me want to kiss it. Her chest rose and fell beneath her tight sweater with a quick rhythm, like she was turned on. Intrigued. Contemplating her move. She opened her mouth, gaze sweeping over my lips, and for a second I thought she was going to move close enough that I could kiss her.

Instead, she held my gaze, all seduction and skill, while her hand shot out and tucked the cash into the breast pocket of my suit. She grinned and turned back to the front, smug.

Damn.

“Nice acting skills,” I told her dryly. Leah, starring in the role of femme fatale, and I’d fallen for it.

“Thanks. I’m working on eye contact.”

I was working on blue balls.

She was cute and clever. Fuck.

I knew a couple of women who wanted exactly what I did—no-strings-attached sex. No one got offended if months went by without contact and it was just as likely they would text me as I would text them. I didn’t get… ensnared. Leah could ensnare me. It might be time to send out a sexual SOS. I needed zero contact with Leah after today. She wasn’t good for my concentration. But I did admire both her boldness and her talent.

“That was savage,” I told her. “I love it.”

“I need a distraction from the fact that my ankle seems to have a heartbeat and half the ice has melted so now my sock is damp.”

Right. Her busted ankle. That was the relevant issue at hand, not my dick.

“You really should elevate your ankle. Turn a little.”

Surprisingly, she obeyed me. I dug my way through all that fabric and hauled her calf and ankle up onto my lap. I also tucked the hundred bucks back into her skirt pocket. She didn’t seem to notice and just cleared her throat.

Leah bit her bottom lip. “This is weird,” she said. “I don’t think you want my damp sock on your pants.”

There were so many things I wanted to say. All of them inappropriate as fuck.

What I settled for was, “Don’t assume what I want.”

*****

Author Info:

USA Today and New York Times bestselling author Erin McCarthy sold her first book in 2002 and has since written over seventy-five novels and novellas in the romance and mystery genres. Erin has a special weakness for high-heeled boots, martinis, and Frank Sinatra. She lives with her renovation-addicted husband (he built her a bar, so it’s all good!) and their blended family of kids and rescue dogs.

Connect with Erin

Facebook: http://bit.ly/39K0yDk

Instagram: http://bit.ly/37EuvCQ

Twitter: http://bit.ly/2ZWtdQT

Amazon: https://amzn.to/2QtYjMD

BookBub: http://bit.ly/2uqW6Jx

Goodreads: http://bit.ly/2FrgL2d

Stay up to date with Erin by joining her mailing list: http://bit.ly/2tYmOsP

Website: https://erinmccarthy.net

*****

Spotlight – Run With It

03 Monday Feb 2020

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I’ve not read any of Nuystrom’s Dragon Runners books but if this new series is any indication I may have more books to add to that ever increasing TBR pile of mine.

*****

Run With It

MacAteer Brothers #1

by ML Nystrom

Cover Designer: BookSmith Design

Genre:  Contemporary Romance

Release: February 1, 2020

Goodreads: http://bit.ly/319dm1X

Blurb:

The struggle is real.  Beverly spends so much of her time juggling her four kids, a dead-beat ex, and two jobs that she never has time for herself or another man in her life.

Then Connor moves in next door.

 Connor is healing from a hard break from his family and is working to find his own identity.  He has no interest in joining another one.

Then he meets his neighbor.

Two people building new lives. Two people with no time or energy for love. Bev and Connor are determined to stick to their plans, but life has other ideas—now they just have to run with it.

“Run With It” is a Dragon Runners motorcycle romance spin-off, featuring Connor from “Stud.”

Buy Links:

AMAZON US: https://amzn.to/37F26gd

AMAZON UK: https://amzn.to/2GxoUCZ

AMAZON AU: https://amzn.to/318B66I

AMAZON CA: https://amzn.to/2REYS72

ITUNES: https://apple.co/2S1oYA5

KOBO: http://bit.ly/36KLAKI

B&N: http://bit.ly/2S5hk81

UNIVERSAL: http://bit.ly/38Ozgu8

*****

Excerpt:

The man turned and looked at the wide front porch where my kids were holding the welcome wagon. Just my luck to have them squabbling loudly when our new neighbor was moving in.  As we moved to the driveway, I noticed he was a large man, broad and solid. I wore “mom” jeans with elastic at the waist, sneakers and an oversized hoodie with a picture of our school mascot peeling from age.  My hair sat scraped back in its usual ponytail and any scrap of makeup I had on from earlier today had worn off hours ago.

Please don’t be handsome too, please don’t be handsome too, I prayed.  It would be more of my luck to have a real hottie move in when I looked every bit of my age.

“I blocked you in, didn’t I?”  His voice was deep and slightly accented.  Ya ain’t from around here, are ya? floated through my mind in a deep Southern twang. 

“Um… yeah.  We were just leaving for the football game and you’re makin’ us late.”  Mattie spoke up. Not a shy bone in that kid’s body.

“Mattie, don’t be rude.”

The man didn’t seem to mind my son’s bold statement. “Sorry about that lad.  I didn’t realize you were leaving. Get on in your car there and I’ll move my truck for you.  Yeah?”

As I got closer, his dark hair came into view and the lower half of his face sported a short beard of the same color. He wasn’t classically handsome, but he certainly wasn’t bad to look at either.  His bright green eyes had small lines that radiated from them, making him around my age. He was definitely rugged and his tanned skin made me think he worked outdoors a lot.

“That’s very fair Mr.-?” I hedged.

“MacAteer.   The name’s Connor MacAteer.

*****

Author Info:

ML Nystrom had stories in her head since she was a child. All sorts of stories of fantasy, romance, mystery and anything else that captured her interest. A voracious reader, she’s spent many hours devouring books; therefore, she found it only fitting she should write a few herself!

ML has spent most of my life as a performing musician and band instrument repair technician, but that doesn’t mean she’s pigeon-holed into one mold. She’s been a university professor, belly dancer, craftsperson, soap maker, singer, rock band artist, jewelry maker, lifeguard, swim coach, and whatever else she felt like exploring. As one of her students said to her once, “Life’s too short to ignore the opportunities.” She has no intention of ever stopping… so welcome to her story world. She hopes you enjoy it!

Book Review – Almost Just Friends

30 Thursday Jan 2020

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Shalvis’s newest doesn’t scrimp on the drama or the heart!

*****

Almost Just Friends

Wildstone #4

by Jill Shalvis

Blurb:

Piper Manning’s about as tough as they come, she’s had to be. She raised her siblings and they’ve thankfully flown the coop. All she has to do is finish fixing up the lake house her grandparents left her, sell it, and then she’s free.

When a massive storm hits, she runs into a tall, dark and brooding stranger, Camden Reid. There’s a spark there, one that shocks her. Surprising her further, her sister and brother return, each of them holding their own secrets. The smart move would be for Piper to ignore them all but Cam unleashes emotions deep inside of her that she can’t deny, making her yearn for something she doesn’t understand. And her siblings…well, they need each other.

Only when the secrets come out, it changes everything Piper thinks she knows about her family, herself…and Cam. Can she find a way to outrun the demons? The answer is closer than she thinks—just as the new life she craves may have already begun.

Amazon: https://amzn.to/2OtvsWN

Amazon Worldwide: mybook.to/AlmostJustFriendsJS

Apple Books: https://apple.co/2lOamrb

Nook: http://bit.ly/2kENTg5

Kobo: http://bit.ly/2kDLaDM

Google Play: http://bit.ly/2lMr9v6

Add to Goodreads: http://bit.ly/334gMmi

*****

Excerpt:

“Well?” he asked.

She grinned. “That was possibly the most thrilling ride of my life.”

He pulled off her helmet, the look in his eyes saying that he knew he could give her an even more thrilling ride.

She had no doubt. But she hadn’t managed to raise her siblings and get them all a relatively decent life by following a whim, sexy as that whim might be. She’d been afraid of commitment with Ry because … well, she still wasn’t one hundred percent sure. But she thought it had something to do with the knowledge that committing to him would mean becoming something she wasn’t – a person capable of further dividing her heart, handing another chunk of it off to someone, and in turn giving them power to hurt her.

But looking into Cam’s gaze, she couldn’t see him ever trying to make her into something she wasn’t. Life with him would only get better.

But they weren’t going to go there. And if that caused a little teeny tiny spark of sadness, she shoved it aside. This wasn’t the time to dwell. She needed to live in the moment. And that needed to go into her journal. She had it in her purse in the truck. “Do you have the keys?”

“Sure. What do you need, I’ll get it for you.”

Okay, so she could admit her crazy here, or she could keep it to herself. But maybe to prove that this wouldn’t – couldn’t — last, she gave him the truth. “I need to write something in my journal.”

“Okay,” he said without blinking an eye and turned toward the stairs to get to the parking lot.

Just the fact that he’d do it made it okay to stop him. “I can wait.’ Then she stepped into him and pressed her face in the crook of his neck to just breathe him in for a moment, willing herself to remember. Live in the moment. There was no sense in thinking about the future, because as she knew all too well, not everyone got one. So there was no use in spoiling the here and now by running ahead of herself. Besides, she thought as his arms came around her, the here and now was pretty damn amazing. “Thank you,” she whispered against his skin, and then, unable to resist, kissed his throat.

*****

Review:

I think that this one should probably fall more into the woman’s fiction category than romance. There is a sweet and fun love story between Cam & Piper, which I don’t think that Shalvis does any kind of disservice to. Cam is the perfect mixture of steady and calm that Piper needs – because that poor girl can be a bit of a mess personally. She’s had a whole lot put on her shoulders, ever since she was little, and not a lot of support for it. And she feels like she’s finally getting to the end of it only to have her siblings back with their own lives in tatters.

This, the family drama, is the heart of the story and I really enjoyed it. Piper has to learn to see her siblings as people with their own lives, making their own decisions (and mistakes), who needs a sister to support them instead of a mother figure. But they also need to learn to see her for the supportive person that she can be, instead of the heavy that she’s had to be to get them through their childhoods. All while discovering the people they want to be moving forward. It’s not easy for any of them to find a new dynamic but with a little help (and some influence from Mr Steady himself) they surely can figure it out … with a minimal amount of bloodshed.

There were moments that made me laugh (Winnie with her tool belt and YouTube videos is awesome), moments that made me cringe (things were definitely going to go badly for Piper when she found out everything), and quite a few times that I felt sorry for all of them. And that’s what makes any book a worthwhile read in my mind.

(Part of a series but definitely can be read as a stand alone.)

*****

Author Info:

New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Jill Shalvis lives in a small town in the Sierras full of quirky characters. Any resemblance to the quirky characters in her books is, um, mostly coincidental. Look for Jill’s sexy contemporary and award-winning books wherever romances are sold and click on the blog button above for a complete book list and daily blog detailing her city-girl-living-in-the-mountains adventures.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JillShalvis/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/JillShalvis/

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Book Review – And Then One Day

29 Wednesday Jan 2020

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Best friend’s sexy, tattooed older brother who works with cars all day … yes, please!

*****

And Then One Day

Magnolia Sound #4

by Samantha Chase

Release Date: January 28, 2020

Blurb:

Courtney Baker is ready to put small town life—and the man she can’t have—behind her. Years of secretly crushing on her best friend’s older brother have led nowhere and she’s finally ready to move on. It would have been a great plan had she not drunkenly blurted out all her feelings and kissed him. At least she’ll be able to forget all about it when she leaves town in less than 48 hours.

It takes a lot to surprise Dean Jones, but a kiss from the girl he’s been secretly attracted to for years does just that. All it takes it one kiss for him to realize he doesn’t want to let her go. But she’s his sister’s best friend and that’s a line he knows he should never cross. Never mind that she seems determined to leave their small town—and him—behind.

When a storm and a broken car stop Courtney from leaving town, Dean sees perfect opportunity to get her out of his system. But can one night ever be enough?

Goodreads: https://geni.us/OneDay-Goodreads

Amazon: https://geni.us/OneDay-Amazon

Apple: https://geni.us/OneDay-Apple

Barnes & Noble: https://geni.us/OneDay-BN

Kobo: https://geni.us/OneDay-Kobo

Google Play: https://geni.us/OneDay-Google

*****

Excerpt:

“You sure this is what you want to do? Moving?” he asked, his voice low and deep and…concerned.

Looking at him, she sighed. “I was.”

“And now?”

“Now that it’s really happening, I’m…I mean…I wish…” Damn. This was all too depressing to talk about and totally not what she wanted to be doing either. Shaking her head, she said, “Can we change the subject? Please?”

“Sure,” he said with a nod, reaching up to caress her cheek and man-oh-man did it feel good.

Swallowing hard, she studied his face. God, he was so handsome. Why was he still single? Why weren’t there women banging down his door?

Although, that would make things pretty awkward if that were to happen right now.

So many thoughts raced through her head and she finally asked, “What are we doing, Dean?”

For just a second, he seemed as if he was going to move away–like he was doubting what was happening–but luckily it didn’t take long for him to get over it.

“Whatever it is that you want, Court,” he said and she swore she could have orgasmed right there on the spot.

Whatever she wanted? For real? Like…anything? She wondered.

If I only have tonight, then I’m going to go for it all…

Before she could lose her nerve, she moved away from him and instantly missed the feel of his hand on her skin. Standing, she moved in front of him and did her best to hold his gaze as she reached behind herself and unzipped her gown. The sound of the zipper going down seemed overly loud in the room, but Courtney didn’t stay focused on that. It was the look on Dean’s face that mesmerized her.

She swore she saw his hand twitch–as if he couldn’t wait to touch her–but she needed to finish what she was doing. This was her first attempt at a striptease, and dammit, she was going to do it without turning into a trembling mess!

Once the zipper was down, she wrapped an arm around her waist to hold the strapless gown in place–all the while not breaking eye contact. Licking her bottom lip, she dropped her arm, and thankfully, the gown floated down over her breasts, over her hips, and to the floor–leaving her standing in a deep purple thong that matched the gown and her stilettos.

Dean’s hand reached out and landed on her hip as he looked up at her to make sure it was okay. Nodding, she silently willed him to stand and touch her everywhere he could at once, but he was a man who clearly enjoyed taking his time.

And hopefully he would.

Later.

Right now, she wanted the wild and frantic man who kissed her near the boardwalk earlier.

“Dean…”

He stood, his hand still on her hip as he took in the sight of her. She’d been naked with men before, but for some reason, standing here in front of Dean in a thong and heels left her feeling way more exposed than ever before.

“Damn, Court,” he finally said, slowly licking his bottom lip. He met her gaze and his expression was heated and intense and she braced herself for what was to come.

“Don’t hold back. Please.”

As soon as the words were out of her mouth, it was madness. His arms banded around her as his lips claimed hers in a kiss she could only describe as carnal. With his hands on her ass, he lifted her out of the puddle of her dress and she wrapped her legs around his waist. They were a tangle of lips and limbs and it wasn’t elegant or pretty, but it felt so damn good that she was ready to go up in flames.

She figured he was going to lay her down on the sofa and was surprised when he started walking. His lips left hers to kiss along her jaw and neck and her head fell back to give him better access. Her eyes closed and didn’t open until he stopped moving.

His bedroom was dark. That was the only thing she noticed. As Dean slowly lowered her to the bed, she only had eyes for him. Standing back, he stripped off his tuxedo jacket and then the tie.

Looks like I’m not the only one doing a striptease tonight…

Part of her wanted to sit up and help him, but it was hypnotic watching his hands work–slowly unbuttoning his shirt, taking off his cuff links, his belt…

Oh, my…

Clothes hit the floor and when he was finally down to black boxer briefs, her eyes went a little wide.

He was perfection.

She knew Dean had tattoos, but she’d never seen how many. The ones on his arms were visible whenever he wore a t-shirt, but the ones on his chest were completely new to her. Reaching out her hand to him, he joined her on the bed, lying beside her.

Without a word, she rolled toward him and placed her hand on his chest with a whispered, “Wow.”

He smiled but she could feel the rapid beat of his heart under her palm. “You like?”

“Um…yeah,” she said, laughing softly. “I had no idea you had these.” His right arm had a cluster of red roses and a cross with his mother’s name on it, and his left had a very intricate tribal design. On his chest, however, he had a massive lion’s head and the artwork–even in the dim lighting–was spectacular. She was tempted to ask him to turn on a light but figured there was time for that later. Right now, she was simply enjoying having the freedom to touch him.

After several moments, she looked up at him and gave him what she hoped was a sexy smile right before she pulled him in for another kiss. This one was slower, sweeter, but as soon as Dean rolled her onto her back and covered her body with his, it changed–grew more urgent–and pretty soon all Courtney could think of was how much she wanted him.

All of him.

She began to move beneath him, rubbing against him, and just as she had thought earlier, she was all for him taking things slow later. Right now, however, she couldn’t wait. Hell, she’d been waiting for more than ten years to be like this with him and she was beyond impatient.

Her hands began to score down his back until she reached the waistband of his briefs and began pushing them away. His deep chuckle against her lips told her he got the message. But when he still made no move to help her, she broke the kiss.

“Dean?”

“Hmm?”

“Lose the boxers,” she said breathlessly.

“Yes, ma’am.” And as soon as he was done, he surprised her by ridding her of her thong and of her breath when his mouth trailed a hot path from her breasts and downward. As soon as he settled in to please her, Courtney forgot about everything else and enjoyed the ride.

*****

Review:

I love how Chase emphasizes just how much these two don’t know each other. Even though they grow up around each other, they weren’t close and having a crush on someone you kinda know is definitely not the same as dating.  While their past eases some of the transition into a relationship, it also shows exactly how much they have to learn. They’ve made a lot of assumptions over the years and it’s fun seeing them grow as they get closer.

But while I enjoyed a lot of the interpersonal goings on, I have to say that I am really not a fan of lying in stories, even if it seems like a good idea, which is a pretty big plot point. Lying to someone you supposedly care about just ends up making me feel icky and never works out well in the end. I will admit, though, that Chase does a good job here of handling the fall out and I didn’t mind it as much as I have with other stories.

Friend’s sibling is one of my favorite romance tropes and I think that Chase manages to capture the implications of their relationship pretty well. The couple’s concerns are valid to them and I especially like how everyone handles the situation when it all comes out.

(While And Then One Day is well into a series, not having read any of the previous stories really didn’t seem to impact my enjoyment at all. I’m sure that I missed some things, especially with the sister and her new husband, but Dean and Courtney’s story was pretty well self-contained as far as I could tell.)

*****

Author Info:

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.

Website: https://www.chasing-romance.com/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/SamanthaChase3

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SamanthaChaseFanClub/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/samanthachaseromance/

Spotlight – The Sinful Scot

28 Tuesday Jan 2020

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I think this is the most intriguing book I’ve run across so far this year.

*****

The Sinful Scot

Saints & Scoundrels #3

by Maddison Michaels

Genre: Historical Romance

Blurb:

Constance Campbell, the Duchess of Kilmaine, once believed that all she needed in life was a duke. But everything unraveled when she realized her perfect husband was a perfect monster. Now broken beyond repair, she hides her misery behind a perfect Society mask…even from her childhood friend, Alec.

Dr. Alec McGuinness reluctantly finds himself back in Scotland, and checking up on the only woman to ever get under his skin, Connie. After she spurned him many years ago, he knows his humble life as a doctor could never be enough for her. But when the Duke of Kilmaine is murdered in cold blood, with Connie sleeping right next to him in bed, Alec knows he must protect Connie at all costs from those who would frame her for the duke’s murder.

Now on the run, Connie feels a freedom she only ever dreamed about before, and an unexpected attraction to the man who is keeping her safe. But even if they can win her freedom and clear her name, could she ever open her heart up to someone again?

Amazon | Apple | Nook | Kobo | GooglePlay | Indigo

Catch Up on the Series:

Book 1 – The Devilish Duke

Book 2 – The Elusive Earl

*****

Excerpt:

“A penny for your thoughts.” Alec’s warm voice penetrated across the cooling breeze.

She glanced out the corner of her eye at him. “I don’t think you’d want to know them. They’re rather scandalous.”

He raised a brow, and his very expression sent a shiver of delight down her spine. Goodness, he was handsome. His thick brown hair was just begging to have her hands ruffle through it, and the stubble on his face was creating a dark shadow over his jawline that did the oddest things to her. She couldn’t help but wonder what it would feel like brushing against her own skin. Rough, she suspected, but perhaps thrilling, too?

As long as she didn’t make a ninny out of herself again and flinch away from his touch.

“You have me extremely curious,” Alec said.

“Very well.” Connie relented as a sense of daring overcame her. “I’m thinking about what it would feel like if you kissed me.”

She couldn’t believe she’d just blurted that out. But now that she had, it felt good. They were both adults, after all, and she was certain he’d felt the same pull of desire earlier, just as she had. Why shouldn’t they explore that attraction? There wasn’t anything stopping them from doing so. Even if she was technically meant to be in mourning and was still rather scared of physical contact with a man.

But this was Alec, and if she could feel comfortable in a man’s embrace, it would be in his. At least, she hoped so— and that Duncan hadn’t scarred her for life.

A part of her felt guilty that she was talking of kissing Alec so soon after Duncan’s death, but if she was going to end up imprisoned over it, then at the very least she should be able to experience some actual passion for once in her life. An experience Duncan had denied her but that she was certain Alec could provide, if he let himself. And if she allowed herself to let go of her fear.

Though judging by his furrowed brow, she suspected he wasn’t going to be too open to having an affair with her.

But rather than feeling depressed by the observation, Connie actually felt challenged. Which was a nice surprise. She’d always succeeded when she’d had a goal to pursue,

and the goal of kissing Alec and truly eradicating Duncan’s hold over her, physically, seemed like a worthy endeavor. In fact, she’d never felt such determination before, not even when pursuing Duncan and his title.

“Pardon me?” It sounded like Alec was choking slightly on the words.

“You heard me well enough, Alec McGuiness. I might lose my freedom anytime, and I would like to experience what it’s like to actually feel passion before that eventuates. I never have, you see. And I do not want to go to the grave with only the memories of Duncan’s touch. I want to experience the joy of being with someone. Are you up for the challenge?”

“Good God, no!”

*****

Author Info:

Indoctrinated into a world of dashing rogues and feisty heroines when she was a teenager, Maddison Michaels is a bestselling, award-winning Australian romance author, who loves to write sexy history with a dash of mystery! Her debut novel, THE DEVILISH DUKE, won the 2019 RWA Australia Historical Romance Book of the year. Maddison lives in Sydney with her gorgeous hubby and daughter, and always starts her day with a cup (or two) of liquid gold… coffee (just quietly, she’s addicted to the stuff)!

Spotlight – Valentine’s with the Single Dad

20 Monday Jan 2020

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There’s a reason single dads are kinda hard to resist and Cox has a series just full of them!

*****

Valentine’s with the Single Dad

The Single Dads of Seattle Book 7

by Whitley Cox

Genre: Steamy, Contemporary Romance; Rom-Com; Single Dad; Holiday

Release Date: January 18, 2020

Blurb:

When a business arrangement takes a personal turn …

Welcome to Seattle, the Emerald City and home to The Single Dads of Seattle. Ten sexy single fathers who play poker every Saturday night, have each other’s backs, love their children without quarter, and hope to one day find love again.

This is Mason’s story …

Single Dad of Seattle Mason Whitfield made some big changes in his life five years ago, starting with quitting his Fortune 500 job and moving away. Now he’s back in Seattle, he bought a bar and is finally a father—life is good. But when a beautiful mystery woman keeps coming to his bar interviewing men night after night, Mason’s curiosity is piqued and he just has to know more.

Five years ago, cancer nearly killed Lowenna Chambers. Then her husband left her—for her sister. Now in remission, she just opened up her own chocolate shop and is determined to live the best life possible. Until she’s asked to do the impossible: design an enormous chocolate center piece and give a speech for her sister and ex-husband’s wedding, on Valentine’s day of all days. A perfect opportunity to show them she’s moved on. But first, she needs a date. A drool-worthy hunk who will steal the show. Cue, Mason who is tall, dark, dangerous and with two sleeves of tattoos to boot.

But as the wedding approaches it’s no longer a simple business arrangement between Mason and Lowenna. She likes him and he wants her, but love is never that simple and a future together begins to look unattainable.

Can Lowenna get over her pain and heartache and spend Valentine’s with the single dad, or will she let yesterday haunt her today, ruining any chance of a beautiful tomorrow?

**Note: This book can be read as a standalone. It includes lots of steamy scenes, cursing, and of course as with all my books, this has an HEA and no cliffhanger or cheating. If you like single dads who take charge, this book is for you.

Buy Links: Kindle Unlimited

Amazon US: https://amzn.to/35W2up8

Amazon CA: https://amzn.to/378goFS

Amazon UK: https://amzn.to/2FSGSzo

Amazon AU: https://amzn.to/2QVcvhV

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/48746273-valentine-s-with-the-single-dad

Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/books/valentine-s-with-the-single-dad-the-single-dads-of-seattle-book-7-by-whitley-cox

~

In the series (Kindle Unlimited – Standalones):

Hired by the Single Dad

Dancing With the Single Dad

Saved by the Single Dad

Living with the Single Dad

Christmas with the Single Dad

New Year’s with the Single Dad

Amazon US: https://amzn.to/2SyZ2f9

Amazon CA: https://amzn.to/2XZVkRD

Amazon UK: https://amzn.to/2GrOXf7

Amazon AU: https://amzn.to/2YpYHka

*****

Excerpt:

He handed her the water bottle, and she took a sip, pulling her dress down over her knees and tucking her breasts back into the top of her dress at the same time. Even though he told her she wasn’t allowed to be shy, she was having a hard time looking at him.

She located her G-string, but it was too far away on the floor, and for some reason she didn’t think he’d be too pleased with her if she stood up and retrieved it. So instead, she simply sat there, staring at her knitted hands, her stomach churning, her pulse thundering in her ears and her thighs slick.

“Lowenna.” His deep, calm voice drew her to look at him. How could she not? His gaze was kind but avid, almost concerned. Heat still flickered behind the intense blue, but there was also a wariness there now too. “You okay?”

She nodded for what she felt like was the millionth time. “Yeah.” She exhaled. “I’m more than okay.”

That earned her a big smile.

“Good. Me too.” He reached over and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, his hand lingering and then cupping her cheek, his pinky finger resting along her neck, undoubtedly feeling her rapid pulse. “I’ve wanted this for so long, Lowenna. Wanted you. Since the moment you came into my bar and sat there with your little notebook and pen, interviewing man after man … ” He shook his head and huffed a laugh, glancing down at his lap. “Even if you weren’t interviewing gigolos or, I dunno … if you were a madam of some kind, I wanted you. Wanted to get to know you, everything about you.”

She blew out a breath and leaned into his hand, closing her eyes. “Mason … I … ” She blinked rapidly a few times as she took a moment to process everything he’d just said. When she lifted her head to his meet his gaze once again, the look that greeted her was no longer worrisome or wary. It was intense and heated, and it made her entire body tremble instantly.

He ran his free hand through his hair, exhaling another shaky laugh. “Hell, I didn’t even know you yet, had the opportunity to kiss half a dozen women on New Year’s Eve, and I didn’t, because all I could think about was you. I’m falling for you.” His lips twisted. “Or maybe I’ve already fallen, I don’t know. But I don’t want this to be a business arrangement anymore. I want us to be real. I want us to be together. I don’t want to just give you the boyfriend experience, I want to be your boyfriend.”

Holy shit.

Desire … and something else rolled through her in big, lazy waves, touching every inch of her until her entire body burned like the surface of the sun for the man whose soulful blue eyes were at that moment looking at her like no man had ever looked at her before.

*****

Author Info:

A Canadian West Coast baby born and raised, Whitley is married to her high school sweetheart, and together they have two beautiful daughters and a fluffy dog. She spends her days making food that gets thrown on the floor, vacuuming Cheerios out from under the couch and making sure that the dog food doesn’t end up in the air conditioner. But when nap time comes, and it’s not quite wine o’clock, Whitley sits down, avoids the pile of laundry on the couch, and writes.

A lover of all things decadent; wine, cheese, chocolate and spicy erotic romance, Whitley brings the humorous side of sex, the ridiculous side of relationships and the suspense of everyday life into her stories. With single dads, firefighters, Navy SEALs, mommy wars, body issues, threesomes, bondage and role-playing, these books have everything we need to satisfy the curious kink in all of us.

Social Media Links:

Website: WhitleyCox.com

Twitter: @WhitleyCoxBooks

Instagram: @CoxWhitley

Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/CoxWhitley/

Blog: https://whitleycox.blogspot.ca/

Multi-Author Blog: https://romancewritersbehavingbadly.blogspot.com

Exclusive Facebook Reader Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/234716323653592/

Booksprout: https://booksprout.co/author/994/whitley-cox

Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/whitley-cox

*****

Spotlight – Loki Ascending

10 Friday Jan 2020

Posted by in Blog Tour, Contest, Sneak Peek

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I think I might have just found a new series to read … as if my TBR pile isn’t big enough!

*****

Loki Ascending

Viking Warriors #3

by Asa Maria Bradley

Publication Date: 12/31/2019

Blurb:

LOKI WANTS TO END THE WORLD

Only they can stop him—but at what cost?

Although Scott Brisbane is human, he’s developed an inner warrior—a berserker that wants to claim Irja Vainio as his own.

Irja is an immortal Viking healer, but she hasn’t used her true powers for centuries. The last time she did, someone close to her ended up dead. So instead she relies on medicine and science to protect her tribe while denying her feelings for Scott.

But the Viking warriors are falling mysteriously ill, and without magic, Irja’s knowledge of healing isn’t enough. When the trickster god Loki offers her a cure, it comes with a steep price that could cost Irja everything. She needs Scott’s help, the man whose loyalty to the Vikings is unmatched, whose love for Irja cannot be broken—and whose inner fury has yet to be unleashed.

Amazon: https://amzn.to/2jMDUVL

B&N: http://bit.ly/2Yhmf8p

Apple: https://apple.co/2YhLwPF

Kobo: http://bit.ly/2rXC9IQ

IndieBound: http://bit.ly/2Yhmh01

BAM: http://bit.ly/2YeI0FY

*****

Excerpt:

Irja took another breath. Beyond the Norse magic borders that protected the house, shades of red and orange twirled and swooped, undulating like a giant caterpillar across the landscape. This was the native magic of the Arizona desert. It lacked the ordered structure of the Norse spells, and its untamed nature made it powerful and unpredictable.

As if the energy noticed Irja tuning in to its presence, the twisting and twirling stopped. She held her breath. The red enveloped the orange and together they became a hot glowing ball. From this bright sphere, tendrils of red energy extended toward Irja, beckoning to her. In her sleep-deprived state, she almost lowered her shielding as if she were about to harness the energy and refill the wells inside her that had been empty for millennia. She’d given up practicing magic when she was a little girl. The power always demanded a sacrifice and usually the price was too steep to pay, as she had painfully learned.

Her berserker stirred and growled. The warning from her inner warrior spirit snapped Irja back into control, and she quickly reinforced her shields against the magic’s pull. The effort required more energy than it should and she grimaced.

The quiet swoosh of the door opening had her quickly schooling her features before turning to greet whomever had joined her. “King Erik,” she said and bowed her head.

“Please. No need for formality. There are important things we must discuss, and I’d rather you just spoke freely. If I have to follow court protocol, it will take forever.”

Irja raised her head to find his cornflower-blue eyes lit with humor, but the strain around the corners showed the king’s worry. He was taller than her six-foot frame by about two inches, and she had to tilt her head back a little to meet his gaze. “As you wish.” Suddenly, she swayed on her feet and gripped the railing. What had she been thinking, leaving herself so unguarded that the magic could seek her out?

The king reached out and gently grabbed her elbow, steadying her. “Are you okay, Ms. Vainio?”

Irja wiped her forehead and forced a smile. “Please call me Irja. I’m just tired.” Hopefully, the king would believe her lie. Sweet Freya, she couldn’t afford to be that careless. She needed to be extra vigilant here. Washington State’s volcanic rock’s magic was easy to shield herself against after living so many years within it. The ancient Sedona red desert’s magic was hundreds of millennia older and so very wild and free. It would tempt the most disciplined practitioner with its promise of raw power.

“Irja,” the king repeated. “Then you must call me Erik.” He released her elbow.

That would probably never happen, but Irja nodded. “I’m afraid I don’t have any good news. I still don’t know what’s wrong with your warrior. My main concern right now is to reduce her fever. I have given her modern drugs as well as herbal remedies, but so far, I haven’t seen results. She is still very agitated, so I gave her a mild sedative to make her rest.”

“It is a comfort to me and my tribe just to have you here to take care of Kari. Odin willing, she will recover and fight again.”

Irja forced a smile on her face, but the truth was that she had no idea how to wake Kari or lower her temperature. In her current state, the high fever might severely damage that Valkyrie’s cognitive abilities. The extreme temperature was literally cooking the warrior’s brain. It was tempting to open herself up to all the glorious red-hot magic just beyond the walls. To allow that energy to flood her body and channel it into a healing burst of power that could possibly cure the feverish Valkyrie. But the magic burst could just as easily kill Kari. Or someone else.

She had once been young and cocky when it came to her abilities. Now she lived with eternal guilt and the goddesses’ punishment of a painful void inside her because she could never again risk to fill it with the energy of magic.

The pause in conversation was dragging into awkward territory, and Irja searched her mind for something to say, but she was too tired to get her thoughts to cooperate. Luckily, something distracted the king from scrutinizing her face, and he turned away.

“The warriors I’d sent tracking the wolverines are back from the desert,” he said just as the gate in the concrete wall opened. The king lifted a hand to shield his eyes and peered into the courtyard.

Irja mimicked his gesture and discovered her twin brother, Pekka, striding through the opening, closely followed by Ulf and a red-haired Viking she hadn’t met before. But it was the man bringing up the rear of the group that drew her attention. Scott’s physique had filled out in the year and two months since she’d last seen him. His athletic build spoke more of endurance than brute strength, but his shirt stretched over broad, defined shoulders and a well-muscled torso. Her berserker stirred.

“Excuse me,” King Erik said. “I must go ask the warriors about their mission.”

“Of course,” Irja mumbled. Her gaze lingered on Scott. As was always the case when she was near him, she couldn’t look away. He was her queen’s brother and had been her patient at one point. Both were excellent reasons for ignoring the restless feelings he always stirred within her. So she did what she always did when strong emotions threatened to rise—she retreated behind the protective walls she’d long ago learned would shield her from heartache and painted a blank expression on her face. But she still couldn’t look away from the dark, curly-haired man walking across the courtyard.

Excerpted from Loki Ascending by Asa Maria Bradley. © 2019 by Asa Maria Bradley. Used with permission of the publisher, Sourcebooks Casablanca, an imprint of Sourcebooks, Inc. All rights reserved.

*****

Author Info:

Originally a native of Sweden, ASA MARIA BRADLEY came to the United States as a high school exchange student, but decided to stay for the next couple of decades and add a few more degrees. She now lives in the Pacific Northwest. Learn more about the author at asamariabradley.com.

*****

Giveaway:

3 sets of Viking Warrior Rising & Viking Warrior Rebel

https://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/54ca7af7854/

*****

Spotlight – Risk It All

09 Thursday Jan 2020

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I really enjoyed the first book in the series and I’m super excited to see what happens next … It’s near the top of my TBR pile so hopefully I’ll let you know soon!

*****

Risk It All

Rocky Mountain Bounty Hunters series

by Katie Ruggle

Publication Date: 12/31/2019

Blurb:

When bounty hunter falls for bounty, they’ll risk it all to save the one they love.

Cara Pax never wanted to be a bounty hunter—she’s happy to leave chasing criminals to her more adventurous sisters. But if she wants her dream of escaping the family business to come true, she’s got one last job to finish.

Too bad she doesn’t think her latest bounty is actually guilty.

Henry Kavenski is a man with innocence to prove. But when his enemies target Cara in an attempt to force his hand, he’ll do whatever it takes to keep her safe. Deep in the Rocky Mountains, surrounded by danger on all sides, Henry and Cara will have to learn to trust their unexpected partnership if they want to make it out together—and alive.

Amazon: https://amzn.to/2jMEG57

B&N: http://bit.ly/2RpIAz1

Apple: https://apple.co/366ZGWM

Kobo: http://bit.ly/368oHk6

IndieBound: http://bit.ly/2PhbaQI

BAM: http://bit.ly/2sPbjmP

*****

Excerpt:

When the woman stopped the stroller next to the bus-stop bench and took a seat next to Kavenski, Cara knew something was up. For one, she would eat her phone if that woman would ever set foot on a public bus. Also, Kavenski, for all his hotness, was a big and intimidating guy. No one would casually plop themselves down next to a dangerous-looking stranger, especially with her baby right there.

With both Kavenski and the woman facing forward, it was impossible for Cara to see if they were talking. She was tempted to move closer to the pair to see if she could eavesdrop, but Kavenski had known she’d been following him earlier, and that made her hesitate. It was one thing for her to follow as he skulked around town, but this meeting seemed very shady and purposeful. He’d let her go once, but who knew what he’d do if she had incriminating information on him.

The woman turned her head toward Kavenski for just a few seconds, and Cara hurried to take a few pictures. With the oversize sunglasses, hat, and scarf, it was hard to get an idea of what the woman actually looked like, especially from a distance. The only things Cara was sure of were that she was white, tall, and fashion-conscious.

To Cara’s frustration, she saw that the woman’s lips were indeed moving. Once again resisting the urge to get close enough to listen to their conversation, Cara watched as the woman reached into the stroller and appeared to adjust the baby’s blanket. When she withdrew her hand, however, she was holding something white and rectangular.

Almost bursting with curiosity, even as her heart pounded from fear of discovery, Cara found herself leaning forward, straining to see what the woman had taken from the stroller. In just the split second it took her to pass the item to Kavenski, Cara was pretty sure it was a legal-sized envelope. Before she could see any other details or even take a few steps closer, he slipped the item into his jacket pocket.

The woman stood and pushed the stroller past Kavenski, and Cara realized that she would be passing right by. After a frozen second, she forced her gaze to her phone screen. Her hair fell in heavy curtains on either side of her face, hiding her profile from the woman’s view, and Cara was intensely grateful that she hadn’t pulled it back that morning.

The seconds seemed to tick by agonizingly slowly as the burr of stroller wheels and the sharp click of the woman’s bootheels drew closer. Cara didn’t breathe as the woman passed just five feet away, and her pounding heart was so loud it made it hard to hear if the footsteps were slowing.

When she couldn’t hold her breath any longer, she dared a pseudo-casual glance and saw the back of the woman a half block away. Sucking in a much-needed breath, Cara returned her attention to Kavenski, just in time to see him rocket off the bench right into rush-hour traffic. The movement was so sudden and unexpected that Cara jerked back a step, startled.

“What is he doing?” Without considering the wisdom of what she was doing, Cara bolted toward him, her eyes locked on his big, surprisingly nimble form as he played a terrifying game of Frogger with oncoming cars. Brakes squealed and drivers laid on their horns as Kavenski shot across the road to the far lane. Turning to face the SUV heading toward him, he raised both hands, palms out, like a traffic cop.

He faced down the oncoming vehicle barreling toward him. The tires squealed as the wheels locked, and Cara instinctively reached toward him as if she could somehow snatch him to safety. His huge frame actually looked small as the five-thousand-pound vehicle bore down on him.

Cara reached the curb, a useless shout of warning building in her chest. Kavenski stared down the SUV, not even flinching as it rocketed closer. Just inches from Kavenski, the vehicle lurched to a halt, rocking back from the force of the stop. Cara’s breath escaped her in a rush. She stopped abruptly, realizing that she had been about to run right out into traffic. She’d been so focused on Kavenski’s near death that she hadn’t even thought about her own safety.

As the driver of the SUV rolled his window down and screamed invectives, Kavenski turned and strode over to a small dog huddled in the center of the lane. Scooping up the tiny furball, Kavenski stepped out of the street, waving casually at the still-yelling driver to continue on his way.

Cara gave a small gasping laugh at Kavenski’s nonchalance. He was acting as if risking his life to save a tiny dog was no big deal, while Cara’s heart was still trying to pound out of her chest and her hands shook with an overdose of adrenaline. As if he’d heard her slightly panicked laughter, Kavenski met her gaze across the four lanes of traffic. They stared at each other for an eternal moment before the corner of his mouth kicked up in more of a grimace than a smile.

Excerpted from Risk It All by Katie Ruggle. © 2019 by Katie Ruggle. Used with permission of the publisher, Sourcebooks Casablanca, an imprint of Sourcebooks, Inc. All rights reserved.

*****

Author Info:

When she’s not writing, Katie Ruggle rides horses, trains her three dogs, and travels to warm places to scuba dive. A police academy graduate, Katie readily admits she’s a forensics nerd. Connect with Katie at http://katieruggle.com/, https://www.facebook.com/katierugglebooks, or on Twitter and Instagram @KatieRuggle.

*****

Giveaway:

5 copies of In Her Sights

https://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/54ca7af7860/

*****

Spotlight – A Cowboy Never Quits

08 Wednesday Jan 2020

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I just love the idea of a place that helps troubled teens … throw in a romance and it makes it all the more appealing.

*****

A Cowboy Never Quits

A Turn Around Ranch Novel

by Cindi Madsen

Publication Date: 12/31/2019

Blurb:

These hardworking cowboys give everyone a second chance…

When single mom Jessica Cook is at the end of her rope, she takes her 16-year-old daughter to Turn Around Ranch. The ranch has a great reputation for teen therapy, and Jessica prays there’s room there for her and Chloe.

Wade Dawson’s first priority is to keep the ranch afloat to help teens and their families. But he can’t seem to keep his boundaries when it comes to Jessica—she’s talked her way into a job on the ranch so she can stay near her daughter and her tenacity and courage are truly impressive. Not to mention she’s a natural beauty and sparks fly whenever he’s in her vicinity.

But as one crisis after another befalls the ranch, Wade is going to have to decide whether he can afford to let a woman get under his skin…

Amazon: https://amzn.to/2jMGE5v

B&N: http://bit.ly/2ql0wzQ

Apple: https://apple.co/2OPlaS3

Kobo: http://bit.ly/33Rce2V

IndieBound: http://bit.ly/350NnLD

BAM: http://bit.ly/2rYVR7m

*****

Excerpt:

A hint of sympathy flickered through Gruff-and-Grumpy’s eyes, but then the firmness crept back in. He reached up and readjusted his cowboy hat, which set off some kind of wave that made the other two brothers do the same.

Seriously, why do they have to look like they belong on the cover of Ride a Cowboy Weekly?

Wait. That sounded dirtier than she meant it. Not that she’d exactly take it back.

They practically dripped masculinity, their bodies speaking to hours of manual labor, and the effect kept hijacking her jumbled thoughts. It’d been so long since she’d more than half-heartedly checked out a guy that apparently now she couldn’t even handle being in the presence of handsome men.

Back when she was in her early twenties—before guys discovered she came with baggage and a five-year-old—she used to be fairly decent at flirting her way into getting a guy to help her out with things like clearing that late fee or giving her a few more weeks on the rent. Once she’d even talked her disgruntled landlord into mowing the overgrown lawn he was harping on and on about. Clearly, she’d lost it, because the expressions aimed her way were immovable ones that conveyed disbelief in exceptions or wiggle room. Or the charity she’d shed her pride to ask for.

A spinster failure-of-a-mom at thirty-one. Well, it took fifteen years, but Mom was right. Just when she’d been so cocky about how much she’d accomplished. Now she wanted to Frisbee the employee-of-the month plaque she’d received from her boss last week, for all the good it did her.

“We’re sorry you drove all the way here only to have to turn back,” Mrs. Dawson said, tucking behind her ear the sandy-brown and gray strands of hair that’d fallen from her bun. The woman had a frail sense about her, her skinniness and the dark circles under her eyes speaking to a recent—or possibly even current—health issue. “I can give you some referrals, and I’ll see if my contacts know of a good counselor in your area.”

In a daze, Jess blinked at the woman, defeat weighing against her chest and tugging down her shoulders. She truly had failed. And curse her DNA for passing on traits she wished it would’ve held back. In a lot of ways, her daughter was too much like her: stubborn to a fault, blind when it came to guys, spurred on by the words no and can’t, and turning the word guideline into loose suggestion.

If they simply returned home, it’d be harder and harder to keep Chloe from bad influences. This past year she’d struggled to fit in at school, and her solution had been to find the worst possible group of “friends.” Friends who ditched and smoked pot and encouraged Chloe to sneak out at night so she could go meet a guy like Tyler. He was two years older and a whole mess of bad influences on his own. Rebellious, disrespectful, and mysterious—the same things Jessica had been attracted to at Chloe’s age.

Not that her daughter was blameless. Chloe had made plenty of bad choices. She’d dived fully into the party lifestyle, snuck out yet again, and gone on the joyride in the stolen car while under the influence. It was a slippery slope, which was why Jess wanted her at the best place in the state.

Even the others were out of her price range. A counselor might be as well. Maybe they’d just move to a different state entirely. Leave it all behind and eat…ramen. Get a nice box hut under a bridge. Really live out the scenarios people had thrown at her when she’d refused to give her baby up for adoption.

Feeling both levels of failure, Jess shakily stood. “Thank you for your time.”

“I’ll walk you out,” Gruff-and-Grumpy said, and she wanted to shout that she didn’t want chivalry. She wanted her daughter enrolled in their program and a way to pay for it.

“It’s fine. I’ve got it. Unless you’re scared I’ll just drive away without my kid, and then you’ll have to take her.”

“Well, I am now.” An almost-smile crossed his face.

She almost returned it, but her lungs constricted more and more as she walked toward the door.

There in the corner, she caught sight of a wall of flyers on a corkboard. Along with a schedule that outlined class time, equine therapy time, and a few other events she couldn’t quite make out, she saw a neon-yellow paper with the words Help Wanted across the top. Even better, it was for a job here at Turn Around Ranch.

“You guys are looking for a cook?” It was as if she’d stepped out of her body and someone else had taken control—someone crazy and reckless, personality traits she’d tried very hard to suppress through the years. When you had a kid who depended on you, impulsiveness went out the window, and recklessness wasn’t an option. Still, even as she told her mouth to hold up before it landed her in trouble, the next words were pushing from her lips. “You’re in luck. I just so happen to be one.”

Those dark eyebrows lowered again, only visible under the brim of his cowboy hat when he was giving the signature scowl he’d given her from the moment she’d stepped inside the office. “You’re a cook?”

“Oh, we’ve been looking for a cook for forever and a day,” Mrs. Dawson said, scooting to the edge of her chair.

Hope edged in desperation bobbed up inside Jess. She’d told her boss she needed some time off, and he’d been super understanding. He might not be as cool about her taking…a month? Two? Whatever. This was her daughter. Jobs came and went, but if she lost Chloe, she’d regret it forever. “Perhaps we could help each other out. If you let my daughter into your program, I’ll stay and cook while she’s here. The only other thing I need is a bed to sleep in. I’m not even picky as to where that bed is.”

“Under the stars, then?” the looming cowboy next to her said.

“Okay, I’d prefer a roof over my head. Like a lean-to, at least.”

That almost-smile quivered his lips, but he tamped it down. Why was he so determined to keep up the steely front? Or maybe it wasn’t a front. Right now, she didn’t care, and since she clearly wasn’t going to get anywhere with him, she turned to Mrs. Dawson. “I can have a list of references to you within a matter of hours. My bosses all love me.” At least that was true. At one point she hadn’t known how to balance books or create databases, but she’d learned. Cooking had never been high on her priority list, but she could learn to do that as well. There were Google and the Food Network, and she could make a box of mac and cheese like nobody’s business. How hard could it be?

Excerpted from A Cowboy Never Quits by Cindi Madsen. © 2019 by Cindi Madsen. Used with permission of the publisher, Sourcebooks Casablanca, an imprint of Sourcebooks, Inc. All rights reserved.

*****

Author Info:

Cindi Madsen is a USA Today Bestselling author of contemporary romance and young adult novels. She sits at her computer every chance she gets, plotting, revising, and falling in love with her characters. Sometimes it makes her a crazy person. Without it, she’d be even crazier. She has way too many shoes, but can always find a reason to buy a new pretty pair, especially if they’re sparkly, colorful, or super tall. She loves music, dancing, and wishes summer lasted all year long. She lives in Colorado (where summer is most definitely NOT all year long) with her husband and three children.

*****

Giveaway:

3 copies of A Cowboy Never Quits

https://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/54ca7af7853/

*****

Spotlight – The Way Back to You

07 Tuesday Jan 2020

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Fans of Sharon Sala’s book will be thrilled to see a new Blessings, Georgia book on the shelves.

*****

The Way Back to You

A Blessings, Georgia Novel

by Sharon Sala

Publication Date: 12/31/2019

Blurb:

What do you do when your whole life is turned upside down?

Sully Raines sets out to find his birth mother, and ends up in Blessings, Georgia. A new surprise awaits him here, but of the best kind—his childhood sweetheart, whom he hasn’t seen since she moved away when they were teens, is living in Blessings now. He’s not sure she’s as happy to see him as he is to see her, but it’s been a lot of years, and a lot of water under the bridge…

Sully’s heartfelt search for answers about his past might just turn out to be the key to his future…

Amazon: https://amzn.to/2jRq04K

B&N: http://bit.ly/2ppOvbJ

Apple: https://apple.co/2prI4Vy

IndieBound: http://bit.ly/31mxnkc

BAM: http://bit.ly/2YjFkXK

*****

Excerpt:

Sully drove straight to the flower shop. A bell rang as he walked in, and an older woman in a colorful floral smock appeared from the back.

“Hello. I’m Myra. How can I help you?”

“I want to get a bouquet of flowers. Do you have some made up?”

“Yes. Here in the cooler behind this stand of stuffed toys. But if you don’t see what you want, I can easily make something else while you wait.”

“Okay, thanks,” Sully said. “Let me check these out first.”

“Seeing as how fall is upon us, we have several different sizes of fall bouquets, and with different kinds of flowers. And, of course, the roses,” Myra said.

He pointed to a bouquet of red roses in a crystal vase with a ruby-colored base.

“Those, in that vase with the ruby-colored base. How much are those?”

“Well, it’s a dozen American Beauties, and the vase is crystal, which makes it a bit pricier than others. It’s one hundred and ten dollars.”

“I’ll take it,” Sully said.

Myra beamed. Her husband, Harold, had fussed at her nonstop because she’d used a vase that expensive, and now she could say “I told you so.”

“Wonderful,” she said, as she removed the bouquet from the cooler and carried it to the register. “Will this be cash or credit card?”

“Card,” Sully said as he pulled it out of his wallet.

“If you want to sign a card to go with the flowers, you can pick from these,” Myra said, pointing to the little rack on the counter.

“No card, I’m handing them to her in person.”

Myra pulled up a new screen on the computer. “Your name, sir?”

“Sully Raines.”

Myra gasped. “You’re the man who saved Melissa Dean’s life, aren’t you?”

“Yes, ma’am.”

“This is wonderful. I’m glad to meet you. Everybody loves Melissa.”

Sully smiled. “I’m finding that out, but I’m not surprised. She was a sweetheart when we were kids, and she’s only gotten better with age.”

“You knew each other! Wow. Then you must have been really frantic when you were trying to get her out of the burning car.”

“I’d only arrived in town about an hour before it happened. I didn’t know anybody here, and I sure didn’t know it was her until we were in the ER. The last time we’d seen each other, we were thirteen.”

“Oh my! What an amazing story. If these are for her, please give her our best.”

“Yes, ma’am,” Sully said, and then they finished the purchase.

He made the drive back to Melissa’s house slowly and carefully, and he was happy to see her car in the driveway when he arrived. He got out carrying the vase, and then instead of using the key she’d given him, he rang the doorbell.

When Melissa opened the door, her eyes widened in delight.

“Delivery for the prettiest woman in Blessings,” he said.

She laughed. “I think you must have the wrong house.”

“Nope. I know exactly where I am, and these are for you. Where do you want me to put them?” he asked.

“I think here on this table in the foyer. That way I’ll see them all the time, coming and going.”

He set them on the table, then turned around and hugged her.

“Does this mean Elliot gave you good news?” Melissa asked.

“He gave me news,” Sully said, and felt the knowing of meant to be when he kissed her.

Melissa’s heart fluttered from the gentleness of the kiss, but she was dying for information.

“But what news? Did he know where she was?”

“That man talks around a subject more than anyone I’ve ever met. He told me my birth father’s name, thinking I already knew.”

“Oh my gosh! What is it?”

“Marc Adamos. I never found the name on any papers, but now I know.”

“And your mom? What did he say?”

“He told me not to leave Blessings.”

Melissa frowned. “But what does that mean, exactly? That she’s here? Then where?”

“He just kept repeating, ‘Don’t leave Blessings,’ so I’m not leaving.”

Melissa laughed and hugged him. “Don’t expect me to be sad about that.”

“He also said you were my soul mate and wished us a long and happy life together.”

She gasped. “Did he really say that?”

Sully nodded.

Melissa sighed. “Well, it took us long enough to find each other again. Maybe that is why it was so easy to fall back into this.”

“Works for me,” Sully said, then kissed her again until he heard her moan. “The feeling is mutual.”

Melissa felt like her whole body was humming—like someone had turned up the energy in the room.

Sully saw her shiver. “Are you afraid? Don’t be afraid. This is not anything to act on until we’re ready.”

“Afraid? Of you? No, Sully. I just don’t know what to do with what I feel.”

“Then don’t do anything. When the time is right, there won’t be any confusion. That I can promise.” He wrapped his arms around her. “It’s all good, love. It’s going to be all right.”

“I feel like a forty-something idiot. This should not be so hard,” she muttered.

He chuckled, and when he did, she started to push away, then felt his heartbeat. Without moving, she put her other hand on her own. Their heartbeats were in rhythm.

“What’s wrong?” Sully said.

She reached for his hand and put it over his own heart, and then put his other hand on hers.

“Feel that?” she asked.

“Feel what… Oh, wow! We’re in sync.” Then he laughed. “I love this.”

“I know,” she said. “It’s pretty amazing. I adore the roses, and I adore you, too, Sully Raines.”

“Is this where I sweep you off your feet and take you to bed, or is this where we go eat pie?”

Melissa burst into laughter, and once the joy bubbled up, more kept coming, and she laughed until there were tears in her eyes.

Sully grinned and then put his arm around her and led her to the kitchen.

“I think it’s pie.”

“Just because you went to see a psychic doesn’t mean you’re turning into one.”

He stopped in the middle of the kitchen floor. “Are you saying it’s not pie?”

“Not pie. Cake!”

“You and your sass,” Sully said, and kissed the laugh right off her face.

Excerpted from The Way Back to You by Sharon Sala. © 2019 by Sharon Sala. Used with permission of the publisher, Sourcebooks Casablanca, an imprint of Sourcebooks, Inc. All rights reserved.

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Author Info:

SHARON SALA has over one hundred books in print and has published in five different genres. She is an eight-time RITA finalist, five-time Career Achievement winner from RT Book Reviews, and five-time winner of the National Reader’s Choice Award. She lives in Norman, Oklahoma.

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