Spotlight – Falling for Her Enemy & Kissing Her Crush

12 Thursday Nov 2015

Posted by romanticreadsandsuch in Blog Tour, Contest, Sneak Peek

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

Falling for Her Enemy, Kissing Her Crush, Ophelia London, Still Harbor series, Sugar City series, Victoria James

Got two great new Entangled books today … I love this publisher and just about everything they come out with 🙂

*****

Falling for Her Enemy

Still Harbor #2

by Victoria James

Releasing November 9, 2015

Entangled Bliss

Blurb:

She’s falling for the one man who could destroy everything…

Alex McAllister always dreamed of a life filled with the laughter and love of a family, but being abandoned at a young age left her wary of letting anyone in. Now that she’s settled in Still Harbor, Alex struggles between keeping her distance and the magnetic pull of the handsome stranger who claims he’s the biological father of her adopted daughter.

Hayden Brooks never wanted to be a father. Long hours spent building his family’s real estate empire suits him just fine. But when he discovers an ex put the baby he unknowingly fathered up for adoption, his world crumbles. He tracks the child to Still Harbor with the intention of bringing her home—and comes face to face with his daughter’s stunning adoptive mother.

The paternity test is in. And Hayden’s about to make the most shocking decision of his life, just in time for Christmas…

Goodreads Link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/26173418-falling-for-her-enemy?ac=1

Goodreads Series Link: https://www.goodreads.com/series/156171-still-harbor

Buy Links: Amazon | B & N | Google Play | iTunes | Kobo

*****

Author Info:

Victoria James is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of contemporary romance.

Victoria always knew she wanted to be a writer and in grade five, she penned her first story, bound it (with staples and a cardboard cover) and did all the illustrations herself. Luckily, this book will never see the light of day again.

In high school she fell in love with historical romance and then contemporary romance. After graduating University with an English Literature degree, Victoria pursued a degree in Interior Design and then opened her own business. After her first child, Victoria knew it was time to fulfill her dream of writing romantic fiction.

Victoria is a hopeless romantic who is living her dream, penning happily-ever-after’s for her characters in between managing kids and the family business. Writing on a laptop in the middle of the country in a rambling old Victorian house would be ideal, but she’s quite content living in suburbia with her husband, their two young children, and very bad cat.

Sign up for Victoria’s Newsletter to stay up to date on upcoming releases and exclusive giveaways, follow her blog for daily antics and insight into her daily life, and get to know her on twitter and Facebook. She loves hearing from readers!

Author Links: Website| Facebook | Twitter | GoodReads

*****

Kissing Her Crush

Sugar City #2

by Ophelia London

Releasing November 9, 2015

Entangled Bliss

Blurb:

He’s sweet trouble…

Natalie Holden wants three things: To be the best chocolate chemist in Hershey, Pennsylvania, to prove her chocolate recipe can help teenage depression, and to get over gorgeous Luke Elliott, the guy she’s had a crush on since birth. Unfortunately, he’s the microbiologist set to debunk her chocolate study. And, of course, he looks more delicious than ever!

Luke Elliott is still bitter over his divorce. Work is his passion now, and landing a huge promotion is just what he needs. What he doesn’t need is a crackpot trying to prove that chocolate cures depression. The last thing he expects is for the crackpot to be Natalie Holden—his “what if” girl from high school—or that she’d still tempt the hell out of him.

They may not see eye-to-eye on her project, but they can’t deny the explosive chemistry that keeps pulling them together. Even when it risks their jobs and the very different futures they both want…

Goodreads Link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/26087184-kissing-her-crush

Goodreads Series Link: https://www.goodreads.com/series/133704-sugar-city

Buy Links: Amazon | B&N | iTunes | Kobo

*****

Excerpt:

“Are you mad?”

“I must be, right? Freakin’ loco in the cabeza.”

“I mean, are you angry about…what happened?”

“Oh.” She bit her lip. Luke remembered how it had felt between his teeth, soft and full. “Why did you do that, anyway?”

“Kiss you?”

She stared up at the sky. “Um, yeah.”

He slid his hands in his pockets and shrugged. “It was an impulse. You were saying that stuff about it not being a requirement and then the lights went out and, I don’t know. It was entrapment. I had no choice.”

“You always have a choice.”

Luke sighed. Of course, she was right. It might’ve been an impulse, but he could’ve squelched it. Truth was, he’d been dying to kiss her; he just hadn’t known it until that moment.

“Okay then.” He looked her dead in the eyes. “Why did you kiss me back?”

She rubbed her nose and glanced away. “Yeah, um, I claim entrapment, too.”

*****

Author Info:

USA Today bestselling author Ophelia London was born and raised among the redwood trees in beautiful northern California. Once she was fully educated, she decided to settle in Florida, but her car broke down in Texas and she’s lived in Dallas ever since. A cupcake and treadmill aficionado (obviously those things are connected), she spends her time watching arthouse movies and impossibly trashy TV, while living vicariously through the characters she writes. Ophelia is the author of AIMEE & THE HEARTTHROB; DEFINITELY, MAYBE IN LOVE; the Abby Road series; Perfect Kisses series; Sugar City series; and the brand new cozy mystery CHALK LINES & LIPSTICK. Visit all her books HERE, but don’t call when The Vampire Diaries (or Dawson’s Creek) is on. #paceylove

Author Links Website | Facebook | Twitter | GoodReads

*****

Giveaway:

$25.00 Gift card to HERSHEY’S STORE

https://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/ea00417011/

*****

Click on the banner below to check out the rest of the tour

Cowboys and Christmas Blog Tour

11 Wednesday Nov 2015

Posted by romanticreadsandsuch in Blog Tour, Contest

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

Capturing Christmas, Cowboys and Christmas Blog Tour, Hardman Holidays series, Rodeo Romance series, Shanna Hatfield, The Christmas Vow

Welcome to the 2nd annual

Cowboys and Christmas

Blog Tour!

Raising funds and awareness for the Justin Cowboy Crisis Fund

Ring in the Holidays with a Helping Hand

November 1 through Dec. 24, 10 percent of the net proceeds from all Shanna Hatfield book sales will be donated to the Justin Cowboy Crisis Fund. The JCCF is a non-profit organization that assists rodeo athletes who’ve sustained catastrophic injuries and are unable to work for an extended period. Every book purchased during this promotional period adds to the donation total. Don’t forget to add books to your Christmas lists!

Interview with Two Heroines

Have you ever wondered what women from two different centuries would discuss?

Today, Shanna Hatfield brings together two of her popular characters for an interesting interview. Filly Granger is a wife, mother, and involved community member in The Christmas Bargain, a sweet Victorian romance taking place in 1893. Kenzie Morgan is from the contemporary sweet romance The Christmas Cowboy. She works from home as a direct sales corporate program developer, balancing that with her role as a wife and mother.

Welcome to you both. Tell us a little about your home.

Filly: I live in the small but bustling community of Hardman, Oregon in Eastern Oregon. We have several churches, a school, a newspaper office, skating rink and mercantile there. My husband, Luke, and I live in the house where he grew up on the edge of town where we raise cattle and a few horses. He owns and manages the Hardman Bank and is very involved in the community.

Kenzie: Tate, that’s my husband, and I live on the ranch that his grandfather started back in the early 1900s. We’re about thirty miles from Kennewick, Washington. We primarily raise beef cattle, wheat, and hay.

What is your single most favorite modern convenience?

Filly: Indoor plumbing. And my washing machines. I feel quite spoiled to have two but it is such a big help on laundry day.

Kenzie: Since indoor plumbing is something we all take for granted these days, I’d say my cell phone is my favorite convenience. (Smiles and shows Filly her phone, giving her a brief demonstration of how it works.)

Filly: (Wide-eyed, holds the phone in her hand.) This is the most miraculous invention. I dearly wish I could show Luke. He’d be utterly entranced.

What’s your favorite thing about your home?

Kenzie: (Smiles) Tate and our son, Gideon. They make a place home for me.

Filly: You have a son?

Kenzie: We sure do. He’ll be three soon. (Pulls up a photo of the baby on her phone and hands it to Filly.)

Filly: He’s adorable. His curls put me in mind of our own little Maura. She’s nearly a year and a half old. (Filly removes a small photograph from her reticule and gives it to Kenzie.)

Kenzie: What a lovely family. Your husband is very handsome.

Filly: Mr. Morgan appears quite dashing with those dimples and bright blue eyes. Oh, and to answer the question, my favorite thing about home is Luke and Maura. It would just be a house without them there.

Here are three fun questions…

Coffee or tea?

Kenzie: Most of the time coffee, but sometimes I enjoy a good cup of tea. Tate thinks I make special Christmas tea, but I buy it from the store.

Filly: (Grins at Kenzie) I prefer tea, as does Luke, although he hates to admit it to anyone. We also have spicy tea we make at Christmas. It’s so fragrant and delicious.

Skirts or pants?

Filly: Women wear pants?

Kenzie: (Opens a site on her phone with women’s fashions.) All the time. I’m used to wearing skirts when I’m working so I put one on today. Otherwise, I’d be dressed in jeans and boots.

Filly: Jeans? As in denim trousers?

Kenzie: (Nods and shows Filly a photo.) This is me with my horse, Goldie.

Filly: (Studies the photo and grins.) Oh, how I wish I could wear jeans to ride. They look much more comfortable than the split skirts I wear. Your boots are wonderful.

Sweet or savory?

Filly and Kenzie: Sweet!

Filly: I enjoy sweets, especially chocolate.

Kenzie: Me, too!

Tell us one thing you admire about your husband.

Kenzie: It’s hard to choose just one. Tate is one of the most optimistic, positive people I’ve ever met. He always looks for the good in situations and in others. I’d say that’s probably what I admire about him most. He’s also loyal, determined, gentle, and kind. And handsome!

Filly: Luke has the biggest heart of anyone I know. He rescued me when I needed it most. He’s definitely my hero, champion, and best friend. I also think he’s quite charming and handsome.

Thank you both for joining us. Any parting words for our readers?

Kenzie: If you enjoy historical fiction, sweet romances, or good westerns, I hope you’ll consider reading our stories in the Hardman Holidays and Rodeo Romance series.

Filly: Be sure to check out The Christmas Vow and Capturing Christmas, both releasing Nov. 12.

(The two women stand.)

Filly: If you aren’t in a hurry, do you mind if I peruse a few things on that? (Gestures to Kenzie’s cell phone.)

Kenzie: (Hands Filly the phone.) Go right ahead. By the way, do you think you could share that tea recipe…

New Releases

To kick off the second annual Cowboys and Christmas Blog Tour and the JCCF campaign, two brand new holiday romances will release Nov. 12!

Capturing Christmas is the third installment in the sweet holiday western Rodeo Romance series.

Life is hectic on a good day for rodeo stock contractor Kash Kressley. Between dodging flying hooves and babying cranky bulls, he barely has time to sleep. The last thing Kash needs is the entanglement of a sweet romance, especially with a woman as full of fire and sass as the redheaded photographer he rescues at a rodeo.

Determined to capture the best images possible, rodeo photographer Celia McGraw is fearless and feisty. Not one to back down from a challenge, her biggest risk isn’t in her work. Danger lurks in the way her heart responds to one incredibly handsome stock contractor. Will Kash and Celia capture the spirit of the season?

Pre-order your copy today! http://amzn.to/1FC8ZQj

Get all three books in the Rodeo Romance series!

The Christmas Vow is the fourth book in the Hardman Holidays sweet Victorian romance series.

Columbia River Pilot Adam Guthry returns to his hometown of Hardman, Oregon, after the sudden death of his best friend. Emotions he can’t contain bubble to the surface the moment he sees the girl who shattered his heart eleven years ago.

Widow Tia Devereux escapes her restrictive life in Portland, returning to the home she knew and adored as a girl in Hardman. She and her four-year-old son, Toby, settle into the small Eastern Oregon community, eager for the holiday season. Unfortunately, the only man she’s ever loved shows up, stirring the embers of a long-dead romance into a blazing flame. When her former father-in-law, a corrupt judge, decides he wants to raise Toby, Adam may be the only hope she has of keeping her son.

You can pre-order your copy today for only $2.99! http://amzn.to/1KQHhvI

Don’t miss out on the Hardman Holidays series!

You’re Invited to PARTY!

You’re invited to join in the online Cowboys & Christmas Facebook Party, Thursday, Nov. 12 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. (PST). Drop in anytime during those four hours to enter to win great prizes, chat with guest authors, and more (many of the giveaways will stay open until the following morning)!

Here’s the link to the party: http://tinyurl.com/cowboychristmasparty2

The talented guest authors joining in the celebration include:
10 a.m. – Carmen Peone
10:30 – Kayla Dawn Thomas
11 a.m. – Melanie D. Snitker, Author
11:30 – Julie Cerniglia Lence
Noon – Author CJ Samuels
12:30 – Rachel Rossano
1 p.m. – Author Kristin Holt
1:30 – Dani Harper

Enter to Win Prizes!

To enter the drawing for an Amazon gift card, Wrangler Tote Bag, Rock & Roll Cowgirl T-shirt, autographed books, chocolates, and more fun goodies, fill out this form. Winners will be randomly drawn and announced Nov. 16. http://tinyurl.com/cowboychristmasprizes2

Where to Find The Books

Start the Rodeo Romance Series with The Christmas Cowboy.

Kindle | Amazon

Travel back to a time of grandeur in the old west

with the Hardman Holidays series.

The Christmas Bargain begins the popular series

and is available free for a very limited time!

Kindle | Amazon

About Shanna Hatfield

Convinced everyone deserves a happy ending, hopeless romantic Shanna Hatfield is out to make it happen, one story at a time. Her sweet historical and contemporary romances combine humor and heart-pumping moments with characters that seem incredibly real.

When she isn’t writing or indulging in chocolate (dark and decadent, please), Shanna hangs out with her husband, lovingly known as Captain Cavedweller.

This USA Today bestselling author is a member of Western Writers of America, Women Writing the West, Romance Writers of America, Sweet Romance Reads, and Pioneer Hearts.

Find Shanna’s books at:

Amazon | Amazon UK | Barnes & Noble | Smashwords | Apple

Shanna loves to hear from readers! Follow her online:

Make sure you sign up for her newsletter to get the latest on new releases and exclusive giveaways!

Newsletter

Veteran’s Day

11 Wednesday Nov 2015

Posted by romanticreadsandsuch in Misc

≈ Leave a comment

Today we celebrate the service of U.S. military veterans. Please take a moment to honor the patriotic men and women who risked their lives for our country.

Spotlight – Getting Lucky, Relapse in Paradise and Twelve Nights

10 Tuesday Nov 2015

Posted by romanticreadsandsuch in Blog Tour

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Tags

Blue Moon Lake series, Getting Lucky, Long Shot Romance series, Nugget series, Relapse in Paradise, Roxanne Smith, Stacy Finz, Twelve Nights

Today we’re highlighting 3 great romances … one of these is sure to be your thing.

*****

Getting Lucky

A Nugget Romance

by Stacy Finz

Release Date: October 10, 2015

Publisher: Lyrical Shine

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Format: Ebook/Paperback

Blurb:

In Nugget, California, a tiny town tucked into the Sierra Nevada mountains, luck is what you make it, and love is never far behind…

From his humble beginnings in Nugget, Lucky Rodriguez has become a champion on the rodeo circuit, truly living up to his name in every regard. But when he returns home, he gets something success can’t buy: a daughter he never knew he had. And the girl’s mother, an old friend he has hasn’t thought about since, now touches his heart like no buckle bunny ever could.

Tawny Wade hasn’t always had luck on her side. She fell for a boy she couldn’t have, lost her parents too young, and now her daughter needs a transplant she can’t provide. But if Lucky is a stem cell match, all that could change. The trouble is, Lucky’s got a past in Nugget that makes him off-limits as anything more than a donor for her daughter. And yet, Tawny’s never stopped loving the man who now holds her family’s fate in his cowboy-callused hands…

“Finz is a unique new voice. Nugget, California is a charming small town filled with inventive characters and sweet romance.” –Jill Shalvis, New York Times bestselling author of the Lucky Harbor Series

“Tender and touching, Stacy Finz writes romance with heart.” –Marina Adair, #1 National bestselling author of Summer in Napa

Amazon | B&N | Kobo | Google Play | Goodreads

*****

Author Info:

Stacy Finz is an award-winning journalist. After more than seventeen years covering notorious serial killers, naked-tractor-driving farmers, fanatical foodies, aging rock stars and weird Western towns for the San Francisco Chronicle, she figured she finally had enough material to launch a career writingfiction. In 2012 she won the Daphne du Maurier Award for unpublished single-title mystery/suspense. She lives in Berkeley, California with her husband.

Website | Twitter | Facebook

*****

Relapse in Paradise

Long Shot Romance # 2

by Roxanne Smith

Release Date: October 10, 2015

Publisher: Lyrical Shine

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Format: Ebook

Blurb:

She likes Hawaii, but she just might love Boston…

Still stinging from her recent divorce, Emily Buzzly heads to majestic Hawaii to soothe her wounds. But once she arrives on Oahu, Emily discovers that a man she assumes is a beach bum is in fact her personal tour guide, hired by her sister. With his long hair and tattoos, Boston Rondibett is everything Emily detests—despite his sun-kissed surfer body. And with her straight-laced, executive persona, Emily is everything Boston rebels against. But both have a lot to learn about making snap judgments…

As it turns out, Boston’s real job, the one he truly cares about, is running his soup kitchen and homeless shelter. Embarrassed by her assumptions, rather than lazy beach days, Emily soon finds herself feeding the hungry, and even involved in the search for an AWOL soldier. And to Boston’s surprise, she’s loving every minute of it—and he’s loving seeing her loosen her chignon and be the admirable, beautiful woman she is. As each works through the challenges of the past, these two very different people just might find their hearts are on the very same page…

Amazon | B&N | Kobo | Google Play | Goodreads

*****

Author Info:

Men Like This, is my debut novel, the first story in a series of three I’ve decided to call Long Shot Romance–long odds and stubborn hearts make love a thing to fight for. I’ve always loved characters who surprise me and make me laugh, with just a tad of the dramatic tossed in, and I hope that’s something I’ve been able to do for my readers. So much of what inspires me comes from the unexpected; the fork in the road you might trip over. Life takes funny turns and there’s not much you can do but hang on.

Most of us pick up a pen with the understanding that the odds are against us. It’s a dream. I decided in my early twenties to take writing seriously and try. With trying came falling flat on my face more times than I can count, but there’s always something to be gained from effort, and I took that and ran with it like I was a wide receiver gunning for the end zone at the bottom of the fourth on Superbowl Sunday. Lots of revising, rewriting, and tears between then and now, and a whole stack of friends and family at my back.

I’m a mom and wife before I’m an author, which is just as well. You can’t leave the little people behind once you’ve ascended to greatness. Remember where you came from. My kids are my two favorite people. They’re weird and hilarious. They’re at that age where they’re forming into something unique and apart from everyone else. They’re developing self. It’s probably one of the most rewarding things I’ve experienced as a parent so far, right up there with teaching them bathroom independence. A teen parent twice over, I’ve done just as much growing as they have in the last decade, and I’ve done it with the perfect partner–married 11 years and still arguing over who gets to drive the hypothetical Corvette.

Website | Twitter | Facebook

*****

Twelve Nights

A Blue Moon Lake Novella

by Sharon Struth

Release Date: October 10, 2015

Publisher: Lyrical Shine

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Format: Ebook

Blurb:

True love waits forever…

For Erik Lindholm, it’s been a long climb to the top of his company. Now, as president he has the power to bring his vision to life and speed his company in bold new directions. If that means a complete staff overhaul, so be it. If that means firing the woman who left his heart in tatters fifteen years earlier, it’s a business decision, not personal…

Beryl Foster is highly competent and respected by everyone at the office. But rumors of a big shake-up are rampant and—surprisingly, scarily—Beryl’s job as CFO is on the line. Fifteen years ago she made a decision to put her career before everything else. It was also the last time she and Erik shared a life together. Every Christmas is a reminder. This one could be a second chance…

“Struth has a gift for layering stories within stories while keeping them all connected.” —Library Journal

“Struth is an author to watch!” —Laura Drake, author of RITA-award winner The Sweet Spot

“Sharon Struth writes a good story about love and loss. She knows her characters and has a path she wants them to take.” —Eye on Romance

Amazon | B&N | Kobo | Goodreads

*****

Author Info:

Sharon Struth writes from her home in Bethel, Connecticut where she lives with her husband and two daughters. She’s a graduate of Marist College and was raised in Poughkeepsie, NY.

Sharon’s next release is SHARE THE MOON (Kensington Books/Lyrical Press), Book One in the Blue Moon Lake novel series. Her debut novel, The Hourglass (Etopia Press.) is a finalist in the National Readers’ Choice Awards for “BEST FIRST BOOK.” She also appears in several Chicken Soup for the Soul Books, the anthology A Cup of Comfort for New Mothers, Sasee Magazine and WritersWeekly.com. Her work is represented by Blue Ridge Literary Agency (http://www.blueridgeagency.com/)

Prior to writing full-time, Sharon worked for thirteen years at the headquarters of Waldenbooks/Borders Books. She’s a member of the Romance Writers of America and Treasurer of The Romance Writers of Southern Connecticut and Lower New York (CoLoNY).

Website

*****

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Spotlight – No Groom at the Inn

09 Monday Nov 2015

Posted by romanticreadsandsuch in Blog Tour, Contest, Sneak Peek

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

Dukes Behaving Badly series, Megan Frampton, No Groom at the Inn

I love an author with a good sense of humor and Megan Frampton seems to have one in spades 🙂 Y’all have to check out her newest!

*****

No Groom at the Inn

Dukes Behaving Badly #2.5

by Megan Frampton

Releasing November 10, 2015

Avon Impulse

Blurb:

In this Dukes Behaving Badly holiday novella, a young lady entertains a sudden proposal of marriage-to a man she’s only just met.

What does a lady do when a man she’s never seen before offers his hand in marriage? Lady Sophronia Bettesford doesn’t scream and run away. Instead, she accepts the shocking proposition. After all, what’s her other choice? To live with her cousin, caring for six children and a barnyard full of chickens?

James Archer has roamed the world, determined never to settle down. He’s faced danger and disaster…he fears nothing and no one except his mother and her matchmaking ways. So when ordered to attend a Christmastime house party filled with holiday cheer and simpering young misses, he produces a fiancée!

Sophronia and James vow to pretend to be in love for one month. But when they each promise to give each other a Christmas kiss it becomes clear that this pact made out of necessity might just be turning into love.

Goodreads Link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25489930-no-groom-at-the-inn

Goodreads Series Link: https://www.goodreads.com/series/127805-dukes-behaving-badly

Buy Links: Amazon | B & N | iTunes | Kobo

*****

Excerpt:

She unfolded the often-read letter, suppressing a sigh at her cousin’s crabbed handwriting. Not that handwriting was indicative of a person’s character—that would be their words—but the combination of her cousin’s script and the way he assumed she would be delighted to perform all the tasks he was graciously setting before her, well, that was enough to make her dread the next phase of her life. Which would last until—well, that she didn’t know.

Sophronia was grateful, she was, for being offered a place to live, and she didn’t want to seem churlish. It was just that she had never imagined that the care and feeding of poultry—not to mention six children—would be her fate.

She hadn’t been raised to think too highly of herself, an impoverished earl’s daughter couldn’t, no matter her bloodlines. But she’d thought her father had put by enough money to see her through to find a cottage somewhere, somewhere to live with her books, and her wit, and her faithful maid, after he’d left this mortal coil. But while her father had been very specific when it came to ordering which text of ancient Greek poems would suit his needs the best, he had been less so when it came time to providing for his daughter’s future after his eventual, and inevitable, demise.

He’d left her with practically nothing, in fact.

Hence the chickens.

Which was why she had spent a few precious pennies on a last glass of ale at the coaching inn where she was waiting for the mail coach to arrive and take her to the far reaches of beyond. A last moment of being by herself, being Lady Sophronia, not Sophy the Chicken Lady.

The one without a feather to fly with.

Chuckling at her own wit, she picked her glass up and gave a toast to the as yet imaginary chickens, thinking about how she’d always imagined her life would turn out.

There were no members of the avian community at all in her rosy vision of the future.

Not that she was certain what her rosy vision of the future would include, but she was fairly certain it did not have fowl of any kind.

She shook her head at her own foolishness, knowing she was giving in to self-pity by bemoaning her lot. It was more than many women had, even ladies of her station. She might have to take care of children and chickens—hopefully in that order—but she would have a roof over her head, food to eat, and clothing to wear. Perhaps the holiday season would be one of celebration. Celebrating a roof over her head, for one thing.

“All aboard to Chester,” a voice boomed through the room. Immediately there were the bustling sounds of people getting up, gathering their things, saying their last goodbyes.

Sophronia didn’t have anyone to say goodbye to. Her maid, Maria, had found another position, even though she’d wept and clung to Sophronia until the very last minute. But Sophronia’s cousin had made it very clear the invitation was for one lady in distressed circumstances—namely, Sophoronia—and there was no room nor salary for a lady’s maid.

So she drained her ale and stood, raising up on her tiptoes for one last stretch. As tall as she was, it was difficult for her to retain any kind of comfort in a crowded coach for any period of time, and she knew the journey would be a long one.

That she would be cramped and uncomfortable for longer than the actual coach journey was a truth she was finding it very hard to ignore.

*****

Author Info:

Megan Frampton writes historical romance under her own name and romantic women’s fiction as Megan Caldwell. She likes the color black, gin, dark-haired British men, and huge earrings, not in that order. She lives in Brooklyn, NY, with her husband and son.

Author Links: Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

*****

Giveaway:

Three (3) Print copies of THE DUKE’S GUIDE TO CORRECT BEHAVIOR

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/521ac4c8826/

*****

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Spotlight – Burn For You

06 Friday Nov 2015

Posted by romanticreadsandsuch in Blog Tour, Contest, Sneak Peek

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Tags

Burn For You, Protector series, Stephanie Reid

This sneak peek for Stephanie Reid’s newest Protector series book definitely has me ready to get my hands on this one ….

*****

Burn For You

A Protector Series Novel

by Stephanie Reid

Blurb:

Vic Russo is just one of the guys. Except she’s not a guy. A paramedic, affectionately known as Vic within her firehouse, Victoria is a permanent fixture in the friend zone. But when her childhood crush, firefighter Graham McAndrew, becomes single once again, she decides enough is enough. It’s time for Graham to see her as the woman she’s become. There’s only one problem. A photo of her in the arms of another man has captured the nation’s attention.

Jason Meadows is not thrilled to have his police work interrupted by a small media craze. In fact, he’d be content never to see Victoria or that photo-gone-viral again. But a series of fires in town, paired with a growing attraction to the quirky paramedic, make staying away impossible.

Determined to ferret out a potential killer, Jason enlists Victoria’s help as his eyes and ears inside the firehouse. And while threats rise from within, Victoria is forced to choose between the love of her past and the man who’s ignited her fire within.

Amazon.com: http://amzn.to/1O6vhfU

Amazon.co.uk: http://amzn.to/1RAseub

*****

Excerpt:

The catty female voices returned and Victoria stiffened. They were headed this way. She couldn’t see them around the large fountain, but she could hear them loud and clear.

“All I’m saying is she doesn’t have what it takes to hold that hot cop’s attention. You wait. As soon as I find him, he’ll be wrapped around my little finger.”

Before she could even react, Jason scooped her into his lap, dug his fingers into her short hair and held her face to his. She murmured a small protest against his lips, but quickly realized he was doing this for her. To help her save face in front of those awful women.

She heard a quick intake of breath and knew they’d been stumbled upon. Oh, what she wouldn’t give to turn around and see their faces right now. To see what they thought of her sitting wantonly on Jason’s lap getting the life kissed out of her.

But her thoughts weren’t on them for long. She heard the rustling of clothes and the quick retreat of several pairs of high-heeled feet, but she no longer cared about that, because what had started as a closed-mouth hard kiss was quickly turning into something else.

His hold on her head gentled and the pressure of his mouth lessened until it was little more than a caress. He sampled her lips with a quick lick of his tongue and the groan of pleasure that followed that first taste let her know how much he liked it. He leaned back just enough to search her face with those hypnotic blue eyes of his while he skimmed his thumb over her lower lip. His gaze dropped to her mouth again and she took the lead, leaning in and tasting him for herself.

Salty and a little sweet, he tasted like heaven. She let her tongue explore—timidly at first but growing bolder with each low groan from his throat. He released her head and moved his hands to her lower back, pulling her closer and sliding his hands up her spine. She pressed herself against him, loving the feel of his hard chest against her.

She tried to get lost in the kiss, but doubts began to creep in. A warning voice from the self-preservation quadrant of her brain that said maybe she was reading this situation all wrong. Maybe he hadn’t kissed her out of some romantic, chivalrous inclination. Maybe he just didn’t want those catty bridesmaids to think he was available. Either way, whatever the reason he’d kissed her—to protect her or to free himself from Barbie—it wasn’t because he was interested in her.

But then again, maybe she didn’t care why he was kissing her. All that mattered was that he was, and it felt amazing.

“I think they’re gone now,” she whispered against his lips.

He moved to kiss her neck, slowly making his way down until he reached the top of her butterfly tattoo. “Good.”

*****

Author Info:

Stephanie Reid writes contemporary romances with heart, humor, and a happily ever after. She holds a master’s degree in Human Development Counseling and enjoys using counseling theories on her fictional characters (and from time to time her husband).

She draws inspiration for her stories from life experience, and when writing, she frequently asks her police officer husband for his input on all things law enforcement. They’ve agreed not to discuss the bits of advice she doesn’t take when it doesn’t serve her plots well, and this makes for a very harmonious marriage.

Born and raised in the Chicago suburbs, Stephanie now resides with her husband and three children in central Illinois.

Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/stephaniereidbooks/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/StephReidsBooks

Google+: https://plus.google.com/u/0/105860652330566944305/about

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/stephaniereidbo/

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/8319194.Stephanie_ Reid

*****

Giveaway:

Signed copy of the series

Amazon Gift Card

https://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/4cf78adb304/

*****

Tour Schedule:

2-Nov

Southern Yankee Book Reviews Review

cupcakes and vodka book blog Review

Friends Till The End Book Blog Excerpt

Paola’s Bookshelf Playlist

Maari Loves Her Indies Excerpt

Collector of book boyfriends Dreamcast

3-Nov

Summer’s Book Blog Excerpt

Dirty Little Secret’s Book Reviews Excerpt

Literary Lust Excerpt

Bad Boy Book Addicts Review

My Slanted Bookish Ramblings Review

4-Nov

My Secret Romance Book Reviews Review

A Sky Full of Stars Blog Excerpt

Reading Bliss Review

Connected by Books Review

Blushing Reads Review

Southern Vixens Book Obsessions Review

5-Nov

Kelsey’s Corner Time Review

After Dark Book Lovers Review

Book Briefs Review

G & T’s Indie Café Excerpt

Ficwishes Playlist

6-Nov

Adventures in Writing Excerpt

Cocktails and Books Review

mignon mykel : reviews Review

The Literary Gossip Review

Romantic Reads and Such Excerpt

7-Nov

Four Chicks Flipping Pages Review

Teatime and Books Excerpt

Reviews from the Heart Review

My YA NA Book Obsession Review

alpha book club Review

8-Nov

Winchester Book Reviews Review

PBC Excerpt

Lucky 13 Book Reviews and News Excerpt

Mikky’s World Of Books Excerpt

Angela Cramer Excerpt

The Phantom Paragrapher Review

Spotlight – Bane

05 Thursday Nov 2015

Posted by romanticreadsandsuch in Blog Tour, Contest

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

Bane, Brenda Jackson, The Westmorelands

I’ve got twice the treat for you today – first we get to preview the newest in Brenda Jackson’s popular The Westmorelands series, featuring a sexy Navy SEAL. AND the great people at Harlequin has some great info for those of you who are writers and want to be featured in their Desire line.

*****

Want to write for Harlequin Desire?

Harlequin Desire is one of our oldest and most widely read lines. Readers around the world devour these short, snappy stories–and we love reading them ourselves! So what makes a true Desire? Glad you asked…

Senior editor Stacy Boyd, editor Charles Griemsman and associate editor Allison Carroll weigh in on what makes a story Desire-able….

At Desire, we’re looking for passion and provocation in a crisp, concise package. These are 50,000-word books about high net worth heroes and resourceful heroines who give as good as they get. The stories are sexy but not raunchy; the central romance is the primary focus. Big business, royalty and ranching give the plots spice and color, but you don’t want to get bogged down in the details of stock swaps, cattle sales or royal pedigrees. At the end of the day, these books are about intense emotion, strong romantic hooks and what it takes to tame an alpha man’s heart. Click here to read more about: Desire Writing Guidelines

To understand what the line is all about, be sure to check out Brenda Jackson’s Westmoreland series! You can find a complete listing of the titles here.

While most Desires are set in the U.S., some have foreign settings, from fictional desert kingdoms (Olivia Gates, Conveniently His Princess) to island getaways. Then there are our writers from New Zealand and Australia, who add Down Under flavor to the line. (We love learning Australian slang from our authors, btw.)

The best way to get a sense of what we’re looking for in Harlequin Desire for new writers is to take a peek at continuity books. This is where some of our most popular authors come together and write a series of connected stories. Texas Cattleman’s Club has been a hit with readers for more than a decade!

And let us not forget babies…Billionaires & Babies, to be precise. The baby hook is a bestseller for Desire. Take a look at Cat Schield, who’s published twelve Desires since her series debut in 2011, fulfills the Billionaires & Babies promise with A Royal Baby Surprise.

We love surprises at Desire! In fact, most of our new writers came to our attention because of the surprises they included in their stories. Our favorite submissions are the ones that take classic themes, like secret babies and cowboy heroes, and make them seem brand new.

For example, Andrea Laurence’s first book, What Lies Beneath, is an amnesia story with a twist that won her the Romantic Times Reviewer’s Choice Award for First Series Romance.

And Kat Cantrell, who won Harlequin’s 2011 SYTYCW contest and published her first book with Desire in February 2013, started Marriage with Benefits—a marriage of convenience story—with a heroine looking for a divorce! She followed that book with The Things She Says, an opposites attract trope mixed with a Texas road trip adventure.

If your story is a new take on classic themes, and includes sensuality, drama and an alpha hero with a heart of gold, send it our way!

And be sure to check out BANE by Brenda Jackson, available December 2015 from Harlequin Desire!

Along with checking out the Harlequin Community Forums for Desire Discussions, follow #HarlequinDesire where @Stacy_Boyd, @CharlieGrim or @AllisonPCarroll can often be found talking about what they like–and don’t like!–in their current manuscripts and just keep reading. And writing!

*****

Bane

Series: The Westmorelands (Book 2413)

by Brenda Jackson

Mass Market Paperback: 192 pages

Publisher: Harlequin (December 1, 2015)

Blurb:

New York Times bestselling author Brenda Jackson’s last Westmoreland bachelor is a navy SEAL on a mission to protect the woman who got away…

After five years, navy SEAL Brisbane Westmoreland is back home on his ranch and ready to reclaim the woman he left behind. But when he tracks her to Dallas, he’s in for a shock.

Crystal Newsome isn’t ready to forgive Bane for saying he loved her then vanishing from her life. Only now the beautiful chemist needs his protection. As their own irresistible chemistry takes over once again, can Bane keep Crystal safe and convince her they can have the second chance they both deserve?

Amazon | Books-A-Million | Barnes & Noble | Goodreads

*****

Author Info:

A New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling and award-winning author of more than seventy-five romance titles, Brenda is a recent retiree who divides her time between family, writing and traveling with her husband.

Website | Facebook | Twitter

*****

Giveaway:

Complete the form below to register your preorder purchase of BANE

FOR A CHANCE TO WIN 1 of 10 Fortune’s Snowflake layered necklaces from Montana Silversmith and a collection of Harlequin Desire books!

The first 500 readers who enter will receive a Brenda Jackson 2016 Calendar and a $1.00-off coupon for any Harlequin Desire December title!

https://offerpop.com/campaign/780730

*****

Click on the banner below to check out the rest of the tour

Spotlight – Her Dream Lover

04 Wednesday Nov 2015

Posted by romanticreadsandsuch in Blog Tour, Contest, Sneak Peek

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

Her Dream Lover, Siren Allen, The Darkest Legion series

If you are into paranormal romances, check out Siren Allen’s newest below … this one looks fabulous!

*****

Her Dream Lover

The Darkest Legion Series

by Siren Allen

GENRE – Paranormal Romance

PUBLICATION DATE – October 21, 2015

LENGTH (Pages/# Words) – 117,000 words

PUBLISHER – Driven Independent Media

COVER ARTIST – Classy Designs

EDITOR – Gina Fiserova

Blurb:

Every time she closes her eyes, he’s there…waiting for her.

Working night shift at a mental hospital was never Brandi Connelly’s dream job, but in order to pay her grandmother’s medical bills she’s willing to do whatever she has to. Her new job seems like a piece of cake, there is only one thing keeping her from enjoying it – Draken Barrand, a patient.

Thoughts of her patient haunt her night and day and she’s too embarrassed to tell anyone about the strange dreams she’s having about him. Partly because she’s afraid they will think she’s crazy…mostly because the things that go on while she’s sleeping make her blush.

As the nightly visions become all too real she’s afraid they’re not dreams at all. If these nightly fantasies are real, that means everything her dream lover has told her is real, which means that the little mating ritual she so excitedly participated in was real. Soon she will change into a demon and there’s nothing she can do about it.

Claimed and marked, she now belongs to a creature of the night. There’s just one upside to this – he’s trapped behind the walls of a mental institution. That means she has time to figure out a way to stop the change… well, she would’ve had time, if her mate hadn’t broken out of his cell.

He’s tired of being alone.

Draken Barrand is determined to claim his mate. There’s just one problem – he’s unlawfully trapped behind the walls of a mental institution. The only way he can reach her is through her dreams, where he claims her and marks her as his own. But his mate’s life is threatened when the Leader of his Legion finds out about his unlawful mating.

Will Draken be able to break free of his cell in time to save his woman? If he does, will she finally accept him as the man of her dreams and her reality?

AMAZON KINDLE US – http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0170ME1Y6

AMAZON KINDLE CA – http://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B0170ME1Y6

AMAZON KINDLE UK – http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B0170ME1Y6

GOODREADS – https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/26875245-her-dream-lover

Check out the songs that inspired many of the scenes from Her Dream Lover. Her Dream Lover Youtube Playlist: http://bit.ly/1PKDuFI

*****

Excerpt:

“Brandi Connelly, I fear you have stolen my heart right from my chest.” He was so close to her she could feel his breath on her lips. “From this day forward I will never be the same.”

Neither would she. With her eyes still closed Brandi felt a lone tear escape from her eyes and travel down her cheek.

Draken wiped it away. “I am yours forever,” he whispered and he sounded so sincere.

Opening her eyes she stared up at him while he caressed her cheek and stared down at her with an expression of amazement on his face.

“Wish I’d found you sooner,” he told her. “Before I became the broken being I am today.”

*****

Author Info:

Siren Allen is a writer and lover of all things erotic and romantic. She resides in southern Mississippi where she writes steamy romances that are guaranteed to make you blush. When she’s not listening to the characters in her head and jotting down their adventures, she’s busy working as a Clinical Laboratory Technician.

Her weekends are spent writing and having sleepover’s for her wonderful nieces and nephews. She loves to travel, preferably with her husband, so he can do all of the driving. She enjoys time with her family, who are just as silly as she is. She doesn’t have any children…yet!

Her hobbies are reading, writing and shopping, though she hates trying on clothing. If she wasn’t a writer or a Laboratory Professional, she swears she would be a Secret Agent. But that’s the beauty of being a writer; you can create your own world and be whoever you want to be. In her imaginary world she is Queen and her siblings are her minions.

AMAZON AUTHOR PAGE – www.amazon.com/Siren-Allen/e/B00ELF795O/

WEBSITE / BLOG – http://sirenallen.com/

FACEBOOK – https://www.facebook.com/authorsirenallen

TWITTER – https://twitter.com/SirenAllen

PINTEREST – http://www.pinterest.com/sirenallen/

GOODREADS – https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7163788.Siren_Allen

Siren’s Newsletter: Join to stay updated on the Fantasy Diary Series and more new releases: http://eepurl.com/Wr6Jn

*****

Giveaway:

Ecopy of The Makeover by Monica Garry-Allen

Ecopy of Christmas Confusion by Monica Garry-Allen

Ecopy of Mercy by Anne Bikov

Ecopy of Lovers Unchained by Siren Allen

Ecopy of Tease Me, Taste Me by Synful Syren

Ecopy of One Night With A Succubus by Synful Syren

Ecopy of Ruined Innocence by Melinda De Ross

Ecopy of Be My Valentine by Melinda De Ross

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/9944253c199/

*****

Guest Post – The Opposite of Right

03 Tuesday Nov 2015

Posted by romanticreadsandsuch in Blog Tour, Sneak Peek

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

Bad Decisions trilogy, Christi Barth, The Opposite of Right

I always love having Christi Barth stop by but for some reason this time I’m even more excited … I think it’s gotta be the subject matter 🙂 So check out her post below and let us know what you think. Do you agree? And if so, let us know who you think is super sexy!

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Why Are Rock Stars Hot?

I decided to write my Bad Decisions trilogy about a rock band because 1) readers love them, 2) it meant fun, over-the-top sex and plots, and 3) rock stars are hot.

Hang on.

Are they? Are they really?

At brunch yesterday, I posed this question to three (female) friends. Because let’s face it, when you think of rock stars, you don’t think of tans and bulging muscles like firefighters or athletes. One of my friends—who doesn’t even like country music—would crawl over her husband for the chance to jump on Blake Shelton….and so she reminds us every single week when she watches The Voice with drool running down her chin. We all turned our noses up at Axl Rose (too skinny and grungy) but couldn’t deny that in his heyday, we all knew dozens of women who lusted after him.

And then, after tossing out a few more names, the conversation turned to Justin Timberlake. I will say upfront that I love his music. All the way back to NSync right up to his latest release. I think he’s a tremendous entertainer, and sexy. Except….when they said his name, I thought about it and said – he’s got kind of a baby face. So why do I think he’s so sexy (aside from the super hot body, of course)?

Which brings me to the answer of why are rock stars hot? It is charisma. If you strip away their ability to pour $400 bottles of champagne all over your naked body, and the wish that they might limo you to a private plane to have their way with you on a private island (which can’t be discounted as a perk!) then you are left with charisma.

Rock stars can hold a crowd of fifty thousand screaming people in the palm of their hand. They strip down—both emotionally and sometimes literally—and pour their passion into their performances. Unleashing that amount and depth of raw passion impacts an audience. It is incredibly powerful.

That charisma and magnetism makes people lifelong fans. And it is the perfect ingredient for a romance novel. Now, I took a little authorial leeway and made Cam, the rocker hero in The Opposite of Right, pretty muscled and gorgeous. But I promise he’s got charisma, too, and that you’ll enjoy him. So tell me—which rock star do you think is drop dead dreamy?

*****

The Opposite of Right

Book 1 in the Bad Decisions trilogy

by Christi Barth

Blurb:

Kylie Stafford has spent her whole life doing exactly what’s expected. The right major, the right sorority, the right guys, just like her mother and her sister before her. But when everything falls apart for her, Kylie wonders if doing everything right has been utterly wrong. There’s only one way to find out.

She decides to try making all the wrong choices for three months. Hit on a tattoo-covered rock musician? Check. Go back to his dressing room for a hot hook-up against the wall? Gulp. Drop everything to be a roadie for him to binge on more of the best sex of her life? Maybe. Start falling for him despite her better judgment? Um….yeah. Figure out why doing everything that seems wrong feels so darn right?

Pre-order at: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | iBooks | Kobo

*****

Excerpt:

Kylie tugged at the hem of her first ever Riptide concert shirt. It was faded. Too big, since she’d bought it to wear at the gym. So she quickly knotted it high over one hip. It exposed her midriff and pulled the material tight against her breasts. Perfect—in all the wrong ways. She could do this. She had to do this. So what if she’d never hit on a man before? This was the Metro, for crying out loud, one of Chicago’s most famous rock clubs. People probably hooked up by the bathrooms twenty times a night. If everyone else could do it, so could Kylie.

She looked back over her shoulder at Amanda, who grinned like a fool and gave her two thumbs up. Okay, then. Waiting wouldn’t make her any braver. So she marched right up to the hot man. Couldn’t even see his face because of the exposed single lightbulb hanging two inches above his head. Kylie focused on the late day scruff along his jawline instead.

“Hi. I think you’re hot. I’ve had a really lousy day, and I think kissing you will make it better.”

Silence—or what passed for silence in a crowded club at almost ten pm—hung between them just long enough for Kylie to decide she’d made a horrible mistake. She was only wearing jeans, not anything sexy. This guy was waiting for a bathroom to open up. Maybe he needed to pee more than he needed to be sexually accosted by a stranger. She tried to squint past the bright halo obscuring his face to figure out if he was smiling or shocked or just dismissive.

“Let’s find out,” he finally said in a good-natured tone.

Wow. That was easy. Except….asking him was only step one of her first bad decision. Implementing step two was something else entirely. Kylie had no idea how to start. Should she wait until after the bathroom? Go straight for the lips, or kick things off with an introductory neck nibble? And where to put her hands?

The man snaked out an arm around her waist, pulling her close enough that the buttons on their jeans clinked. Kylie stumbled, which ended up putting one of his legs between hers. Both hands flew up to rest on those taut pecs. “Hi,” he breathed softly against her ear.

Oh. That was nice of him. The polite ‘hi’ was all it took to spur her into action. Kylie pushed onto her tiptoes, turned her head sideways and aimed for his lips. She almost missed. Got the corner and some sharp stubble.

But this guy knew his stuff. He caught her lower lip with his upper, tugged her into place. And then he nibbled. Just soft, short nibbles. Ones that made all the hair on her arms stand up. His tongue traced the crease between her lips. Kylie parted them on a sigh, but he didn’t push the advantage. Instead, he just kept up the teasing, back and forth motion.

Heat seared into her lower back. Without her realizing it, he’d shifted his hand to the exposed skin between her jeans and tied-up tee. Big. Warm. Moving in a slow whoosh, like a brush across a snare drum. It made Kylie want to wriggle closer. So still on tiptoe, she wrapped her leg around his. That motion brought her flush against something very, very hard. Wow.

His other hand grasped the side of her face. Tilted it back a bit. Then his tongue finally swooped in, caressing—seriously!—all of her tongue as carefully and thoroughly as Kylie imagined he might treat her breast. God, she wanted to rip her shirt off and let him do just that.

Tipping his forehead against hers, he asked, “Is your day any better now?”

“Who cares about my day? My night is freaking fantastic.”

*****

Author Info:

Christi Barth earned a Masters degree in vocal performance and embarked upon a career on the stage. A love of romance then drew her to wedding planning. Ultimately she succumbed to her lifelong love of books and now writes award-winning contemporary romance. Christi is President of the Maryland Romance Writers and lives in Maryland with her husband.

Spotlight – The Boy Who Came Back A Wolf

03 Tuesday Nov 2015

Posted by romanticreadsandsuch in Blog Tour, Sneak Peek

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

Kara Lockharte, Space Wolf Chronicles series, The Boy Who Came Back A Wolf

If you like sci-fi romances, I think I have the book for you. But be warned it is short and, based on the reviews, hot …!

*****

The Boy Who Came Back A Wolf

Space Wolf Chronicles series

by Kara Lockharte

Blurb:

As one of New Tokyo’s top entrepreneurs, everyone knows the name Lauryn Daring. I’ve got almost everything I want: money, power, respect. The only thing I’m missing is someone
to share it with. It’s definitely not going to be skinny white boy Xavier Stone. He was my best friend growing up and though he may have had a crush on me when we were young, I thought that I would never be physically satisfied by
a man I’d be afraid of squashing in bed.

I haven’t seen nor heard from him since he shipped out on a military transport and stationed to a planet of werewolves more than a decade ago. Now he’s coming home and the least I can do for an old friend is offer him a place to stay. He says he’s not the boy I grew up with, but I know I can trust him. If Xavier insists he still has feelings for me, I’ll be able to handle it better this time.

Or will I?

(Buy on Amazon)

*****

Excerpt:

Why was it that some men, particularly white men from First Earth, always believed that black women must be in need of dick? Not just any dick per se, but theirs, of course. Take Sir Jameson Charles, a recent immigrant from First Earth. In his own mind, because he came from humanity’s birthplace, he was clearly a superior specimen.

In a place where they used to burn fossil fuels perhaps.

It didn’t matter to Sir Charles that I was a trillionaire who ran LD Holdings, one of the most prominent real estate management companies in New Tokyo, and one of the very companies he was trying to entice to partner with him in an offworld investment
in an asteroid resort. It didn’t matter that he was fat, balding and had a mustache that looked like it had been glued on.

Nope. All that mattered to him was that I was 1) female and 2) black, not necessarily in that order. He kept talking to my cleavage and trying to touch my hair. If we hadn’t
been at my friend’s charity event for disabled kids with children actually there, I would have run him over with a floating wheelchair. While he was distracted, I managed to dodge the fancy human servers, say my farewells to the hostess and leave the party.

I waited outside on the balcony for my aircar to arrive. I was checking my messages when I heard him behind me.

“The famous Lauryn Daring. Are you sure you don’t want to take me up on that drink?”

I quickly typed something into my phone and turned slowly with an exasperated sigh.

Sir Charles held up a bottle of scotch. It was the good stuff, the kind that came from First Earth. Huge eyebrows jumped up and down. He must have believed that to be sexy I guess, but it was actually kind of creepy.

I stepped away from him. “I’m sure.”

He ignored my clear dismissal. “Look, I’ll be honest, I’m just trying to give you a chance. I’m sure women like you don’t often get an opportunity to have some fun.”

Was he saying what I think he was saying? I lowered my screen, took off my glasses and gave him my deadliest stare. “What do you mean women like me?”

“I actually kind of find larger black women somewhat of attractive.”

Not this crap. I moved to go back inside to find someone I knew who could help me keep away from this jerk before I strangled him.

*****

Author Info:

Kara Lockharte is the author of the Space Wolf Chronicles. She loves writing science fiction interracial romances blended with fantasy elements. Multicultural futuristic worlds involving big beautiful women (BBW) and and shapeshifters (werewolves, weretigers, etc) are among her favorite subjects. She lives on Planet Earth.

Website | Facebook

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