I’m so excited about these two books – it’ll be my first Mill Pond Romance (although it looks super good!) and I’ve loved the rest of the Players series (To Win Her Love, To Win Her Trust) … I’ve been waiting for Max to get his girl 🙂

*****

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Cooking Up Trouble

A Mill Pond Romance

by Judi Lynn

Blurb:

Tessa Lawrence swore off men when she found her fiancée in the arms of another woman.  These days, she concentrates on caring for her small farm and running a bakery and farm stand out of its barn.  Ian McGregor moves to Mill Pond to build a resort on the property next to Tessa’s.  Tessa’s fine with that.  Mill Pond’s trying to attract more tourists.  The problem is, Ian understands business, but he’s never changed a tire or pounded a nail.  She finds herself helping him more than she expected, and spending time around Ian is a dangerous proposition.  The man’s far too good-looking and fun to be around.

Purchase Links:  http://www.kensingtonbooks.com/book.aspx/32318

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Excerpt:

He stared at her a minute, then threw back his head and laughed. “I get it. Everyone knows your dirty laundry here.”

“Pretty much.”

“Then I’d better learn to be discreet.”

She raised her eyebrows. “Hmm, that much to hide? This should be interesting.”

With a grin, he motioned for her to follow him as he toured the first floor of the house. A small room, near the back, had a double bed made up and ready. He went to the kitchen and opened a few cupboards. A bag of ground coffee sat in the one above the coffee pot. “No food, but I can figure that out later.”

“No problem. When you come to my place for supper, I’ll send you home with some leftovers and a coffee cake for breakfast.”

He turned and reached for her hand. “Thank you. You’ve been really nice. It’s made this  easier.”

She felt a blush creep up her neck and stain her cheeks. “We’re neighbors. It’s what country neighbors do.”

“Well, I appreciate it. If you ever need any help, let me know.” She couldn’t hide her surprise.

He glowered. “I might not be good with tools, but I’m good at fi- nances, business, things like that.”

“So am I, but thanks for the offer.”

He stared. “You’re good at money management, too?” “I took accounting before I dropped out of college.”

He thought a minute. “If you need a spider killed, a hand held, I’m your man.”

He was pretty sweet, really. But Gary had been sweet, too. Nice, handsome men might make great friends, but nothing more. “I’ll keep that in mind. For now, I’ve got to go. I have blueberry bushes to plant. You have a beautiful place. Settle in and I’ll see you at six.”

With a nod, he watched her go.

On the drive home, she couldn’t help thinking about him. Boy, did he have a lot to learn. She’d been lucky. She’d stayed with her grandparents every summer before she’d moved here. She knew what to expect of a small town. She had a feeling Ian McGregor didn’t have a clue.

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Author Info:

When some people think of Indiana, they think of corn—which we have a lot of.  But to me, Indiana is green—lush, beautiful, vibrant greens—so I use fictional towns and plunk them in an Indiana setting for a lot of my stories.  I love cooking and gardening, and those sneak into my novels, too.  I’ve collected more strays than I deserve.  I’m a fan of Agatha Christie and urban fantasy, and I believe in happy ever after.

Website:  http://www.judithpostswritingmusings.com/

Blog:  http://writingmusings.com/

My twitter handle:  @judypost

My Facebook author page:  https://www.facebook.com/JudithPostsurbanfantasy/

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Giveaway:

Ebook copy of Cooking Up Trouble

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/e4be888269/

*****

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To Win Her Heart

The Players Series, Book 3

by Mackenzie Crowne

Blurb:

In order to protect her, they’ll both have to let their guards down…

Country music’s It Girl Jessi Tucker is fed up with her family’s stifling security measures. The threat of a dangerous stalker has gotten the men in her life—including her football star cousin, Tuck Tucker—monitoring her every move. To get the freedom she yearns for, Jessi hatches a plan to recruit Max Grayson, Tuck’s sexy brawler best friend, to play the role of her new boyfriend. But if her scheme works, will she be forced to hide her true romantic feelings for the sake of her independence? Or will she finally steal the heart of her dream man?

Max has been pining for Jessi for years and would do anything to protect her, but a professional cage fighter with too many skeletons in his closet has no business being with one of America’s sweethearts. Yet while Max does his best to keep Jessi at arm’s length, the Tucker family persuades him to accept her offer.
Max believes he can keep Jessi safe from danger, but can he shelter her from his own dark secrets, the media’s unforgiving spotlight—and a mutual desire that’s harder to resist each day?

AMAZON

BARNES & NOBLE

KOBO

GOOGLE PLAY

KENSINGTON BOOKS

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Excerpt:

“Actually, I came by to apologize.”

“Apologize?” She crossed her arms and hid her surprise. “Are you saying my proposition wasn’t as screwy as you made it sound?”

A wry smile curved his lips. “Hell no. Your plan is full out nuts, but I shouldn’t have shut you down the way I did without hearing you out.”

Renewed anger simmered in her belly and her laugh was harsh. “My plan was nuts but you should have asked for details? Right. Don’t patronize me, Max. I get it. You think I’m a silly little girl who has nothing else to do but come up with ridiculous larks to fill my time. Believe what you want. I don’t care.”

Pulling his hands from his pockets, he closed the distance between them in four long strides. She took a tentative step back and her gaze skidded briefly to Dan. He didn’t look up from his book, and she didn’t bother calling out to him. The studio was soundproof with the intercom shut off. He wouldn’t hear her, anyway.

Her pulse sped up as Max dipped his head until his face was only inches from hers.

His sober expression held no hint of humor. “First, don’t put words in my mouth. A silly little girl is the last thing I see when I look at you, and second, you do, too, care.”

She yearned to ask what he did see, but crowded between the keyboard at her back and his big body, she was too flustered to pull off the question. She settled for a blatant lie. “No, I don’t.”

“If you don’t care then why this angry little wrinkle?”

The breath caught in her throat as he touched a fingertip to the space between her brows. Shaken, she jerked her head back. “Because I don’t happen to like you anymore.”

He dropped his hand to his side, but didn’t step back. She wasn’t sure if that was a good thing or bad. He smelled delicious, but her heart tended to overreact whenever he was near. This close, that foolish organ was going bonkers.

His deep chuckle made her shiver. “Liar. You’re pissed.”

~

Author Info:

Wife, mother and really young grandmother, Mackenzie lives with her high school sweet heart husband, a neurotic Pomeranian, and a blind cat. She calls Phoenix home because the southwest feeds her soul. Though her friends claim she’s a princess, she disagrees. After all, one can’t raise two rambunctious boys to wonderful men without getting a little dirt under their nails. A lover of the romance genre, her resolve to share her stories with others was sharpened by a bout with breast cancer. Today she is an award-winning author and eight year survivor, living the dream. Her friends call her Mac. She hopes you will, too. Connect with her at http://mackenziecrowne.com, https://www.facebook.com/MackenzieCrowne and https://twitter.com/MacCrowne.

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Giveaway:

Ebook of To Win Her Heart

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/e4be888268/