Category Archives: Author Blog Tours

Blog Tour, Excerpt & Giveaway: More Than a Feeling (
Heart of the Rockies #3) by Sara Richardson

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More Than a Feeling (
Heart of the Rockies #3) by Sara Richardson 

Publication Date: March 29, 2016

Synopsis

imageSTOP RUNNING . . .AND START FALLING

For Ruby James the Walker Mountain Ranch is her safe haven. Here in Aspen, Colorado, she can finally build a quiet life for herself without fear of her old one rearing its ugly head. Or so Ruby thinks. Any single woman would be happy to indulge a tall, dark, and curious cop-but the closer Ruby gets to him, the closer she gets to losing her newfound peace.

Police officer Sawyer Hawkins is no stranger to secrets. He’s ready to leave town for good until a security threat brings him back to Walker Ranch, and Ruby’s gorgeous green eyes soon have him second-guessing his decision to go. Her kindness and quiet strength awaken feelings he’d thought long buried, even as her reluctance to talk about her past worries him. The cop in Sawyer only wants the truth-but the man in him wants Ruby in his arms forever . . .

Link to Follow Tour

Goodreads Link

Goodreads Series Link

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Excerpt

“Sawyer…” There was so much she couldn’t tell him. So many reasons she should ask him to leave, to leave her alone. But the ache tightening inside of her would never go away if she didn’t touch him, if she didn’t feel the generous hunger of his lips against hers, the thrilling sensation of his hands reading every curve of her body. So instead of saying anything, instead of casting him out of her life, she scooted to her knees so she could reach his lips, first touching them lightly with her fingers. “You’re a good man, Sawyer Hawkins,” she whispered. And though she knew he couldn’t have her forever, she could give herself to him now. He could have her for this one moment.
His gaze fused with hers, the mesmerizing blue of his eyes smoldering like the center of a flame. His large hands settled on her hips and tugged them until she straddled him.
The swing pitched forward and she wrapped her arms around his neck to keep from losing her balance.
“This isn’t why I came here,” he informed her hoarsely.
“That’s disappointing,” she breathed against his neck. The stubble made her lips tingle.
Sawyer sighed in a helplessly delicious way and took her chin in his hand, bringing her lips to meet his, brushing them lightly in teasing preview.
Oh, lordy, lordy, lordy…the man could kiss.
He pulled back to look at her, but what good was that? She wanted to feel him against her, solid and safe and warm. So she wrapped her legs all the way around his waist cinching them tighter until the hard bulge of his desire for her pulsed between her legs. It was blinding the way he made her lungs pound, the way he sent her dizzy heart twirling in circles. His touch brought her somewhere else, made her feel like someone else. Someone whole and unbreakable. The person she’d always wanted to be.

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Buy Links

Amazon: http://amzn.to/1MuobSu
B&N: http://bit.ly/1os7MDi
iBooks: http://apple.co/1Rq40Ww
Google: http://bit.ly/23X7HI4
IndieBound: http://bit.ly/1TcCooQ

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Giveaway

(Five (5) paperback copies of MORE THAN A FEELING)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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About the Author

imageSara Richardson grew up chasing adventure in Colorado’s rugged mountains. She’s climbed to the top of a 14,000 foot peak at midnight, swum through Class IV rapids, completed her wilderness first-aid certification, and spent seven days at a time tromping through the wilderness with a thirty-pound backpack strapped to her shoulders.

Eventually Sara did the responsible thing and got an education in writing and journalism. After a brief stint in the corporate writing world, she stopped ignoring the voices in her head and started writing fiction. Now she uses her experience as a mountain adventure guide to write stories that incorporate adventure with romance. Still indulging her adventurous spirit, Sara lives and plays in Colorado with her saint of a husband and two young sons.

Author Links: Website | Facebook | Twitter | GoodReads

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Blog Tour, Q&A, Excerpt & Giveaway: NOBODY BUT YOU (Cedar Ridge) by Jill Shalvis

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If you had choose ONE cookie to be your spirit food, which would it be and why?

My spirit cookie at the moment is Lemon Oreos. But last week it was Mint Milanos. I’m fickle like that…

Do you have a favorite (or current) book boyfriend? If so, who and why?

My current boyfriends are movie boyfriends. Chris Evans, Chris Pratt, Chris Hemsworth. What can I say, I have a thing for the Chris’s. ☺

What’s the funniest “meet-cute” you’ve ever written?

Possibly Jacob and Sophie in Nobody But You. After all, our poor seasick Sophie ends up throwing up practically ON Jacob. Maybe not traditionally “cute” … or okay, not cute at all … but definitely memorable.

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NOBODY BUT YOU (Cedar Ridge) by Jill Shalvis

Publication Date: March 29, 2016

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imageWhen Jacob was injured in the war, it changed him for life. Now all he wants to do is come home to Cedar Ridge, settle in at his lakeside cabin and get some much-needed peace and quiet. But there’s no peace to be had when he finds a spitfire of a woman camping out on his property. Half the time he’s not sure whether he wants to spank her or kiss–or maybe both. He’s in a dark place and a dark mood, and here’s this wildly hot woman who is also funny and light and may be the balm be needs to soothe his aching soul.

Sophie Marren is pretty much penniless after leaving her abusive husband. She doesn’t have the money to pay rent or the slip fees for docking the boat where she’s been sleeping. She was getting along just perfectly until the good-looking, brooding, I’m-too-sexy-for-myself guy moves into the lake cabin that the slip belongs to. Sure he’s hot as the noon sun with those dark lens and even darker ‘tude, but god forbid she tie herself to another man who’s always telling her what to do. But the more she gets to know Jacob, the more she sees how willing he is to battle for her wounded heart…a battle she might just let him win.

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Excerpt

She eyed the bench a long beat but did eventually sit, perching primly as far from him as she could get and yet still be close enough to grab the bottle.

Smart woman.

She took the Scotch and drank. Her eyes watered and she coughed as she handed it to him. With a sigh, she leaned back to study the night sky. Her bared throat was slim and creamy smooth. An unexpected temptation. Remembering the flash of pain and vulnerability she’d unwittingly revealed, and that for whatever reason he’d somehow added to it, he spoke. “I’m sorry.”

She glanced at him as if she’d never heard a man apologize before in her life. “For…breathing?” she asked. “Having a penis? What?”

“You were upset because you didn’t know I was a Kincaid.”

She sighed. “That was just me looking for a reason to be mad at you so I wouldn’t…”

She bit her lower lip, clearly not wanting to go on.

But now he had to know. “So you wouldn’t what?”

“Nothing,” she said. “It’s just that I’m trying to make better choices.”

“Of which I wouldn’t be one.”

“It’s not necessarily your fault,” she said. “It’s that you’re a man.”

“Guilty as charged.”

“And I’m off men right now.”

“And on…women?” he asked with admittedly more than a little fascination.

She rolled her eyes. “I’m on no one, but thank you for proving my point on men.”

“I get that,” he said. “But being off men doesn’t seem to be making you very happy, or sound like a whole lot of fun.”

“Maybe I don’t need fun.”

He understood that. He’d felt the same way since Brett died. “What do you need?” he asked, honestly wanting to know more about her.

Instead of answering, she reached for the bottle. He waited until she met his gaze before letting go.
“Nothing,” she said a little too quickly. “Everything’s…perfect.”

“And your glass is half full,” he said. “So you’ve said.”

But he didn’t believe her. “How about a game?”

“I don’t play games.”

Now, that wasn’t exactly true. Whether she knew it or not, she’d been playing with his head since he’d first laid eyes on her. “Three truths and a lie,” he said.

She stared at him. “As in you tell me three truths and a lie, and I pick out the lie?”

“Yes.”

She considered this. “What do I get if I win?”

“What do you want?”

For the briefest of beats, her gaze dropped to his mouth.

Oh, hell yeah, he thought. Want me…

“My first boyfriend taught me that game,” she said.

“What did the winner get?”

“A kiss.”

Definitely still playing with his head… “Is that what you want, Sophie? A kiss?”

Again she stared at his mouth before dropping eye contact and wrapping that eye-stopping pink robe tighter around her body. “Do you?” she asked.

“Hell yes.”

Her gaze flew to his.

“Problem is,” he said conversationally, “if I kissed you, I don’t think I’d be able to stop.”

Her mouth literally fell open. The pulse at the base of her throat jumped. And she seemed to lose her words.

He went on. “But you should know, I don’t lose. That means you’ll have to tell me three truths and a lie.” And he’d hopefully get to know more about her.
She closed her mouth to bite her lower lip in what could’ve been indecision or excitement. Obviously he was hoping for the latter. “But hey, if you’re not sure you can handle losing, we can just forget about it,” he said.

The challenge lifted her chin and put sparks in her eyes. That’s it, babe. Show me what you’ve got.

“Bring it,” she said.

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imageAmazon: http://amzn.to/1Rj1rFh
B&N: bit.ly/250OcyR
IndieBound: bit.ly/22gObop
iTunes: apple.co/1TJDOYH
GooglePlay: bit.ly/1RKiLPz
Kobo: bit.ly/1QTy644

Amazon Series Link: http://amzn.to/1Zw9mRq

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imageFive (5) winners will win the Cedar Ridge series by Jill Shalvis!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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imageNew York Times 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 bestselling, award-winning books wherever romances are sold and visit her website for a complete book list and daily blog detailing her city-girl-living-in-the-mountains adventures.

Social Networking Links: Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

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Blog Tour, Excerpt & Giveaway: Cuff Me
 (New York’s Finest #3) by Lauren Layne

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Cuff Me
 (New York’s Finest #3) by Lauren Layne

Publication Date: March 29, 2016

Synopsis

imageVincent knows he’s not the most charming of the Moretti brothers. He prefers brooding to flirting, reading to talking, and he sure as hell isn’t about to give into his mother’s insistence that he ‘settle down with a nice girl.’ Luckily, Vincent’s gig as one of the NYPD’s top homicide detectives keeps him busy. As does his long-time partner, Jill Henley–a tough-as-nails cop with the face of an angel and smart mouth that makes Vincent crazy in all the worst ways.

After six years of working the homicide beat with the tight-lipped Vincent Moretti, Jill figure she knows him better than anyone. Which is not at all. But when their most recent case points to a potential serial-killer situation, the higher-ups send them on a rare undercover mission to a place no NYPD officer dares go: the Upper Eastside.

Now the bureau’s most antagonistic set of partners is posing as Mr. and Mrs. Brooks of Park Avenue. Spending 24/7 in the suspect’s territory brings them closer and closer to their killer . . . and closer to each other. Soon Vincent and Jill are playing good cop/bad cop in and out of bed, and Jill’s falling hard. But can she convince Vincent to give her a shot as partner in life, as well as at the bureau?

Link to Follow Tour

Goodreads Link

Goodreads Series Link

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Excerpt

One never really realized how much New York City got under your skin until you left it for a while.
It was like one minute New York was your adopted home—a little bit intense, a lot scary.
And the next, you were holding your breath as your plane landed, your entire body on edge with the anticipation of being home again.
Jill Henley smiled as the plane touched down, her eyes closing just for a moment at the realization that she’d be sleeping in her own bed tonight. Going back to her job tomorrow. Eating at her favorite gyros place tomorrow.
But none of that—not the city, nor her pillow-top bed, nor the really freaking amazing gyros—were as important as who awaited her.
The Morettis.
Jill loved her mother desperately—it was the reason she’d spent the past three months in Florida taking care of her.
But the Moretti family had become every bit as much family to Jill as her own mom.
She couldn’t wait to see them again.
All of them.
Okay, so maybe there was one Moretti in particular whom she was especially excited to see.
Not that the excitement was mutual.
As she walked through JFK toward baggage claim, she couldn’t figure out for the life of her why she was even the tiniest bit disappointed about the fact that Vincent Moretti wouldn’t be the one picking her up from the airport.
She hadn’t even asked him. He might have said yes. Maybe. But it would have been done with a grunt and a grumble, and probably a lecture about how his workload was double because his partner had “up and ditched him.”
Besides, it made more sense for Elena to pick her up anyway.
Not only was Elena her best friend, but Elena was an attorney at a fancy-pants law firm, with access to a company car that was a hell of a lot nicer than Vin’s car and didn’t smell like old coffee.
Plus, Jill had news.
Big news.
The biggest.
The kind of news that female friends squealed over in the appropriate, gushing manner.
So why was she so nervous?

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Buy Links

Kindle | Amazon PBK | B&N | iTunes | Kobo

Amazon Author Page

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Giveaway

A Custom Mug, $25.00 Amazon Gift Card and Print Set of FRISK ME/STEAL ME

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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About the Author

imageLauren Layne is the USA Today Bestselling author of more than a dozen contemporary romance novels.

Prior to becoming an author, Lauren worked in e-commerce and web-marketing. A year after moving from Seattle to Manhattan to pursue a writing career, she had a fabulous agent and multiple New York publishing deals.

Lauren currently lives in Chicago with her husband and plus-sized Pomeranian. When not writing, you’ll likely find her running (rarely), reading (sometimes), or at happy hour (often).

Author Links: Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

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Blog Tour, Excerpt & Giveaway: Best Friends with Benefits
 (Most Likely To) by Candy Sloane

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Best Friends with Benefits
 (Most Likely To) by Candy Sloane

Publication Date: March 14, 2016

Synopsis

imageValerie Barkin and Alec Rogers survived bullies, awful parents, and seriously shitty social standing the only way best friends can—together. But with the unexpected sexual tension suddenly flaring between them, surviving their ten-year high school reunion might be a different story…

Val hasn’t changed. She still feels like the stringy-haired band geek the popular kids teased, but Alec has definitely changed. He’s now the front man for the Grammy-winning rock band Chronic Disharmony, with the sexual reputation to match. And he’s more than willing to help Val rock the reunion.

And then it happens—a drunken game of Seven Minutes in Heaven—and their fourteen-years-long foreplay comes crashing to the forefront…changing everything.

Seven minutes turns into a weekend of mind-blowing, no-strings-attached sex. But these best friends won’t be able to leave their hearts out of it forever, not when the most meaningful benefit could change their relationship for good….

Link to Follow Tour

Goodreads Link

Goodreads Series Link

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Excerpt

He shouldn’t want this. She was his best friend. But he couldn’t stop.
Even in the dark, he could sense her curves. Ample breasts just begging for a skimpy tank top, her ass plump in that tight little skirt and insistent for a strong squeeze, or a smack if she was being naughty.
The way her gaze locked and her breath met the speed of his own as he erased the last bit of space between them, he was sure she was naughty. Very naughty. That she would welcome the palm of his hand.
And just like that, his best friend had made him hard.
“I don’t hear anything in there,” Randy Tines yelled from outside the door.
“I think we’re supposed to be kissing,” Alec said, his cock so rigid he thought she could feel it through his pants.
“You mean each other?”
“We could just make kissing noises,” he suggested, thinking of his lips teasing along the inside of her collar, biting off button after button of her shirt and spitting them out like watermelon seeds.
Hell yeah, he wanted to kiss her, her lips and her neck and the little spot behind her knee that she had been kneading as they drove here. He knew it was crazy, he knew it was wrong, but he wanted to be the guy to fuck Mr. Peanut out of her.
“Like this?” She pressed her hand to her lips and pretended to make out with it, her eyes on him as her tongue slicked over her skin.
His stomach rumbled in pure sexual hunger. One thing was for sure—all that flute practice had been good for a lot more than music.
“That sounds completely fake,” he scoffed. Though considering the way his cock fought against the fabric of his pants, that was not entirely true.
Her bottom lip lay open against the inside of her palm.
“You think you could do better?”
He yanked her hand to his lips before she could protest, before he could consider. He kissed it lightly at first, soft and drugging, slid the tip of his tongue up to her wrist, until he hit the buttoned cuff. “Maybe it should be me.” The words spilled out against the soft-as-sin fabric.
“What?”
“Maybe I should be the one to fuck you like you deserve.”
Val didn’t reply, just breathed out more peppermint, hot peppermint against the skin of his face. Her eyes smoldered with want. It was clear she felt it, too, the heat between them, the confusing, beautiful, delicious heat.
He grabbed her forearm and drew her closer, slanting in to her chest. The shock of their bodies against each other caused them both to freeze. Not even a breath passed between them, but he knew exactly what he needed to do.
He clenched the back of her head, and his lips dipped to her neck, dripping down her skin like melting ice. Fuck, he had to taste her. He opened his mouth, and his tongue lapped at her tender skin.
“Alec,” she breathed.
“Follow my lead.” He couldn’t stop, though she certainly didn’t seem like she was asking him to. If anything, she was yielding to him. He trailed a finger down the center of her neck, playing with the top button of her shirt, pausing so he could think. Ten years. He could have gone to see her so many times. He hadn’t at first because of how they’d left things after graduation, and then because their careers got in the way and they had both gotten into the routine of being like pen pals, but maybe he had really been avoiding their attraction.
There was no avoiding it now. There was no thinking.
She needed this, and he was going to give it to her.

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Buy Links

$2.99 Kindle | B&N | Kobo | iBooks

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Giveaway

$25.00 Amazon eGift Card

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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About the Author

Candy Sloane is a pseudonym for a Young Adult & New Adult author who needed to write some naughty books her mother couldn’t read. She lives in Portland, OR and loves Lifetime movies. She would tell you more, but this persona is a secret.

Author Links: Facebook | Twitter | GoodReads

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Blog Tour, Excerpt & Giveaway: Serving Trouble: A Second Shot Novel by Sara Jane Stone

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Serving Trouble: A Second Shot Novel by Sara Jane Stone

Publication Date: March 8, 2016

Synopsis

imageThe first sexy contemporary romance in Sara Jane Stone’s brand new Second Shot series!

Five years ago, Josie Fairmore left timber country in search of a bright future. Now she’s back home with a mountain of debt and reeling from a loss that haunts her. Desperate for a job, she turns to the one man she wishes she could avoid. The man who rocked her world one wild night and then walked right out of it.

Former Marine Noah Tager is managing his dad’s bar and holding tight to the feeling that his time overseas led to failure. The members of his small town think he’s a war hero, but after everything he’s witnessed, Noah doesn’t want a pat on the back. The only thing he desires is a second chance with his best friend’s little sister.

Josie’s determined to hold onto her heart and not repeat her mistakes, but when danger arrives on Noah’s doorstep and takes aim at Josie, they just might discover that sometimes love is worth the risk.

Link to Follow Tour

Goodreads Link

Goodreads Series Link

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Excerpt

Chapter 1

“I drove to the wrong bar.”
Josie Fairmore stared up at the unlit sign towering above the nearly vacant parking lot, her cell phone pressed to her ear. Nothing changed in Forever, Oregon. Everything from the people to the names of the bars remained the same. The triplets, who had to be over a hundred now, still owned The Three Sisters Café downtown. Every car and truck she’d sped past had the high school football team’s flag mounted on the roof or featured on the bumper. And her father was still the chief of police.
Nothing changed. That was why she’d left for college and never looked back.
Until now.
She’d blown past the Forever town line ten minutes ago. She’d driven straight to the place that promised a rescue from her current hell. And she’d parked under the sign, which appeared determined to prove her wrong.
“Josephine Fairmore, it is ten-thirty in the morning,” Daphne said, her tone oddly stern for the owner of a strip club situated outside the town limits. “The fact that you’re at a bar might be your first mistake.”
Damn. If the owner of The Lost Kitten was her voice of reason, Josie was screwed.
“When did they take the “country” out of Big Buck’s Country Bar?” Josie stared at the letters above the entrance to the town’s oldest bar. She twirled the key to her red Mini that looked out of place beside the lone monster truck in the lot. She should probably take the car back to the city. The Mini didn’t belong in the land of four wheelers, pick-ups, and logging trucks. The red car would miss the parking garage.
But I can’t afford the parking garage anymore. I can’t even pay my rent. Or my bills . . .
“Big Buck gave in three years ago,” Daphne explained, drawing Josie’s attention back to the bar parking lot. “He decided to take Noah’s advice and get rid of the mechanical bull. He wanted to attract the college crowd.”
“He got rid of the bull before I went to college.” And before his son left to join the United States Marine Corps. She should know. She’d ridden the bull at his going away party.
With Noah.
And then she’d ridden Noah.
“Well, Buck made a few more changes,” Daphne said. “He added a new sound system and—”
“He changed the name. I guess that explains why Noah came home.” She glanced at the dark, quiet bar. The hours posted by the door read Open from noon until the cows come home (or 3am, whichever comes first!).
“He served for five years and did two tours in Afghanistan. Stop by The Three Sisters and you’ll get an earful about his heroics,” Daphne said. “But from what I’ve heard, Noah didn’t want to sign up for another five. Not after his grandmother died last year.”
“You’ve seen him?” Josie looked down at her cowboy boots. She hadn’t worn them since that night in Noah’s barn. She’d thought they’d help her land the job at the “country” bar. But now she wished she’d worn her converse, maybe a pair of heels.
“Yes.”
“At The Lost Kitten?” Why, after all this time, after she never responded to his apologetic letter, would she care if Noah spent his free time watching women strip off their clothes? One wild, stupid, naked night cut short by her big brother didn’t offer a reason for jealousy.
But the fact that I told him I love him? That might.
“No. I bumped into him at the café.” Daphne hesitated. “He didn’t smile. Not once.”
“PTSD?” she asked quietly. She couldn’t imagine walking into a war zone and leaving without long, lasting trauma. The things he probably saw . . .
“Maybe,” Daphne said. “But he’s not jumpy. He just seems pissed off at the world. Elvira was behind the counter that day. She tried to thank him for serving our country after he ordered a burger. He set a ten on the counter and walked out before his food arrived.”
“He left his manners in the middle east.” Josie stared at the door to Big Buck’s. “Might hurt my chances for getting a job.”
“I think your lack of waitressing or bartending experience will be the nail in the coffin. But if Noah turns you down, you can work here.”
“I’d rather keep my shirt on while I work,” Josie said dryly.
And he won’t turn me down. He promised to help me.
But that was before he turned into a surly former marine.
“You’d make more without it,” Daphne said. “Or you can tell the hospital, the collection agency—whoever’s coming after you—the truth. You’re broke.”
“I did. They gave me a payment plan and I need to stick to it.” She headed for the door. “I ignored those bills for months. Besides what kind of mother doesn’t pay her child’s medical bills?”
The kind who buried her son twenty-seven days after he was born.
Daphne didn’t say the words, but Josie knew she was thinking them. Her best friend was the only person in Forever who knew the truth about why she was desperate for a paycheck. If only Daphne had inherited a restaurant or a bookstore—a place with fully clothed employees.
“He has to agree,” Josie added. “I need that money.”
“I know.” Daphne sighed. “And I need to get to work. I have a staff of topless waitresses and dancers who depend on me for their paycheck. Good luck, Josie.”
“Thanks.” She ended the call and slipped her phone into the bag slung over her shoulder alongside her wallet and resume.
She drew a deep breath. But a churning feeling started in her belly, foreboding, threatening. She knew this feeling and she didn’t like it. Something bad always followed.
Her boyfriend headed for the door convinced he was too young for a baby . . . Her water broke too early . . .
She tried the door. Locked, dammit.
Ignoring the warning bells in her head telling her to run to her best friend’s club and offer to serve a topless breakfast, she raised her hand and knocked.
“Hang on a sec,” a deep voice called from the other side. She remembered that sound and could hear the echo of his words from five long years ago, before he’d joined the marines and before she’d gone to college hoping for a brighter future—and found more heartache.
Call, email, or send a letter. Hell, send a carrier pigeon. I don’t care how you get in touch, or where I am, if you need me, I’ll find a way to help.
He’d meant every word. But people changed. They hardened. They took hits and got back up leaving their heart beaten and wrecked on the ground.
She glanced down as if the bloody pieces of her broken heart would appear at her feet. Nope. Nothing but cement and her boots. She’d left her heart behind in Portland, dead and buried thank you very much.
The door opened. She looked up and . . .
Oh my . . .wow . . .
She’d gained five pounds—well, more than that, but she’d lost the rest. She’d cried for weeks, tears running down her cheeks while she slept, and flooding her eyes when she woke. And it had aged her. There were lines on her face that made her look a lot older than twenty-three.
But Noah . . .
He’d gained five pounds of pure muscle. His tight black t-shirt clung to his biceps. Dark green cargo pants hung low on his hips. And his face . . .
On the drive, she’d tried to trick herself into believing he was just a friend she’d slept with one wild night. She’d made a fool of herself, losing her heart to him that night.
Never again.
She’d made a promise to her broken, battered heart and she planned to keep it. She would not fall for Noah this time.
But oh the temptation . . .
His short blond hair still looked as if he’d just run his hands through it. Stubble, the same color as his hair, covered his jaw. He’d forgotten to shave, or just didn’t give a damn. But his familiar blue eyes left her ready to pass out at his feet from lack of oxygen.
He stared at her, wariness radiating from those blue depths. Five years ago, he’d smiled at her and it had touched his eyes. Not now.
“Josie?” His brow knitted as if he’d had to search his memory for her name. His grip tightened on the door. Was he debating whether to slam it in her face and pretend his mind had been playing tricks on him?
“Hi Noah.” She placed her right boot in the doorway, determined to follow him inside if he tried to shut her out.
“You’re back,” he said as if putting together the pieces of a puzzle. But still no hint of the warm, welcoming smile he’d worn with an easy-going grace five years ago.
“I guess you didn’t get the carrier pigeon,” she said, forcing a smile. Please let him remember. “But I need your help.”

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Buy Links

AMAZON | B&N | iTunes | Kobo

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Giveaway

(Two (2) full print sets of Sara Jane Stone’s previous series “Independence Falls” to include FULL EXPOSURE, CAUGHT IN THE ACT, HERO BY NIGHT and WILD WITH YOU)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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About the Author

imageAfter several years on the other side of the publishing industry, Sara Jane Stone bid goodbye to her sales career to pursue her dream-writing romance novels. Sara Jane currently resides in Brooklyn, New York with her very supportive real-life hero, two lively young children and a lazy Burmese cat. Join Sara Jane’s newsletter to receive new release information, news about contests, giveaways, and more! Visit http://www.sarajanestone.com and look for her newsletter entry form.

Author Links: Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

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Blog Tour, Excerpt & Giveaway: Drive (
Hot Rides Series) by Sidney Bristol

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Drive (
Hot Rides Series) by Sidney Bristol

Publication Date: February 23, 2016

Synopsis

imageBlazing Miami sun. Cool classic cars. Dangerous undercover assignment. In Sidney Bristol’s scorching new Hot Rides series, the cars are fast and the romance is furious…

Aiden DeHart has a history—and secrets. His classic car garage is a front for an FBI operation. His current mission: get some evidence from a drug dealer’s ex-wife, then get out. Madison Haughton sending his engine into overdrive isn’t part of the plan, though, especially considering she might not be as innocent as Aiden thought…

Since her divorce from her sleazeball ex, Madison has sworn off bad boys, gotten some sweet tattoos, and become a star of Miami’s roller derby scene. But however fast she skates, her ex is always on her tail. When the sexy guy in the muscle car offers to help, he could be her ticket to safety—or a detour down a deadly road…

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Goodreads Series Link

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Excerpt

There was a good way to start a week, and there was a bad one. Aiden DeHart figured the jury was still out on this one.
​“DeHart, microphones are live. Keep Ross near the car.”
​“It’s a Chevelle, Kathy,” he replied to the disembodied woman’s voice only he could hear. He hated this, working with the FBI, but they had him by the balls.
​“Yeah, whatever. Keep him near the Chevelle.” Kathy chuckled.
​Aiden tapped the steering wheel of his Chevrolet Chevelle and rolled his eyes at the FBI agent chirping more reminders in his ear. Kathy was a good agent, a little too motherly for his tastes, but a good woman.
​He tuned her out and cleared his mind, inhaling the scent of the beach. The simple truth was that every word he said needed to be carefully chosen. Microphones were all over the damn car, which irritated the hell out of him that his classic restore was getting adhesive all over the leather. He wouldn’t normally allow it, but if this job led to taking down Michael Evers, it was worth it. The son of a bitch had murdered Aiden’s sister and her cop husband to make a point to the Miami-Dade PD. His brother-in-law had been a good cop. A bit too good, unfortunately, and it had gotten both him and Andrea killed.
​“DeHart, we’re in place.” CJ’s voice echoed in Aiden’s ear. Great, he had not one, but two Feds in his head.
​CJ and his wife, Kathy, were FBI agents undercover in Aiden’s garage, and often worked support for him and his crew. He hadn’t known FBI agents could be married to another agent in the field, but he had the proof under his roof. Hell, there was likely some extensive study with all sorts of data to justify the work/wed arrangement. He could imagine CJ spouting said data as he got down on one knee. Kathy and CJ were a . . .unique couple. He overlooked their uniqueness because they knew their shit.
​“Try not to break too many laws,” CJ warned. They might be FBI, but the deep cover operation had them bending and breaking laws. Which was why it was Aiden doing this gig instead of his co-owner and best friend, Julian. While Julian was a full-fledged undercover FBI agent, Aiden was a contracted employee, or asset. He could break rules Julian couldn’t, though that line had begun to blur as of late.
​“No promises there. Going silent.” Aiden sucked in a deep breath and blew it out.
​It was time.
​He emptied his mind of the two people on the other end of the radio, of all the little things he needed to do today and simply—let go. The road stretched out ahead of him, a path to anywhere.
​He hit the accelerator and shifted gears. The old muscle car roared to life. He blazed down the well-kept street, mansions sprawling on either side of him. His awareness narrowed to the bend in the road ahead and the gate leading to their target’s home.
​The humid Miami air rushed through the windows, beating him in the face and carrying with it the cry of seagulls. The scents of freshly cut grass, salt water, and flowers drifted on the wind. Here, there was no Latino hip-hop music breaking up the pristine silence. It was all opulence and wealth.
​The gate yawned open to his right. He grabbed the hand brake, turned the wheel, and let the Chevelle drift sideways through the space. The whole car vibrated, tires squealing with the maneuver. A security guard in the gatehouse dropped a magazine out of the window and yelled something, but Aiden was already through and accelerating up the drive. Palm trees lined the quarter mile to the two-story mansion. The drive circled around a fountain. Several sleek sports cars were parked around the bend, like some fancy magazine spread. Those cars might have the flash, but his Chevelle had double the horsepower.
​Aiden brought the car around the fountain, breaking and letting the tail end swing around. It made for a jarring, flashy stop.
​Flash was what he was going for.
​“Fuck, Aiden. Did you have to burn so much rubber?” CJ whispered in his ear.
​The agent was a stickler for following the rules, and one of their biggest ones was: stay under the radar. The Feds didn’t want to have to cover up their shit if Aiden got in trouble, which was bound to happen on occasion. CJ had proven to be an invaluable member of their team. Between his experience in the field and his wife’s quick thinking, they’d saved Aiden’s ass more than a few times.
​He snorted and climbed out of the car. A trio of men in suits stood on the stairs leading to the grand double doors. It might have been impressive, except the whole community was one mansion trying to outdo its neighbors. At least a half dozen guys in suits hung around, hands poised on their barely concealed weapons. The whole setup was a little pretentious, but then again, men like Dustin Ross weren’t exactly classy folk.
​Two years ago, Dustin barely registered on the lowlevel crime scale. He’d climbed the ladder fast thanks to his greed, and he liked to show it off, unlike his boss, Michael Evers. What Dustin probably didn’t know was that Evers ran through guys like Dustin every two years, using them up and spitting them out to save his own ass.
Dustin was just the latest in a string of dummies stupid enough to get into bed with the Evers operation.
Aiden pushed his sunglasses up on his head and leaned against his car.
​“Aiden DeHart.” Dustin shook the hand of one of the men he was standing with before heading down the stairs toward him. “Wasn’t expecting you so soon.”
​“I drive fast. You said you wanted to see me?”
​“Yeah, why don’t you show me what this baby can do?” Dustin didn’t wait for permission. He climbed in the passenger side and settled in.
​Well, that was easy.
​“Sure. Whatever you say, boss.” Aiden sank into the driver’s seat while CJ snickered in his ear.
Aiden didn’t punch it hard out of the driveway. He did want to hear what the other man had to say, after all.
And they needed a clean recording. Dustin suggesting they leave his property—without security—confirmed Aiden’s suspicions. Whatever this job was, Dustin didn’t want his boss to know about it.
​In the grand scheme of things, Michael Evers was the real target. Dustin was just a stepping-stone to taking down the criminal mastermind. Jobs like this should never be personal, and yet here he was. Driving an asshole around one of the ritziest areas of Miami, neither speaking. Which was fine with him. Conversation with
Dustin was about as stimulating as watching oil drip out of a car. He took his time, winding through the houses, around the properties and eventually out onto the highway.
​“How fast does she go?” Dustin asked.
​“One-eighty if I’ve got the distance.” The Chevelle wasn’t a race car, though he liked its speed. It could perform, but he didn’t like to push the car too much. It was a classic that deserved the respect of the road. He had a few newer, American muscle cars tricked out and outfitted for racing.
​“Nice.” He cleared his throat. “I really appreciate that job you did for me. The guys were right when they said you were the person to go to if I wanted something done quiet—and right.” Dustin peered at him through tinted glasses. For someone with so much money, he still seemed sleazy. Maybe it was the off-the-rack suit with the Rolex watch and store-bought tan.
​“Glad I could be of assistance,” Aiden drawled. Thanks to a few dings on his record, the FBI had been able to embellish the truth a little. Between their additions and what came naturally due to racing, he had plenty of street cred and the experience to back it up. He doubted old Uncle Sam had intended him to put the skills he’d learned in the service to use chopping cars and pretending to be one of the bad guys.
​“That street gang, they don’t want to mess with us.” Dustin acted like he were the one who’d chopped six cars of the rival gang.
​“They’re punks. Kids. They don’t have any business playing with the big boys. Just let them drive their toy cars in circles.”
​Dustin approaching Aiden out of the blue like that had shocked him and sent their entire operation into chaos. While they’d had their heads shoved up Evers’s ass, Dustin had begun a little war with one of the street gangs. One Aiden knew all too well because he raced against them regularly.

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Buy Links

Amazon | B & N | iTunes | Kobo

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Giveaway

(3 Print Copies of DRIVE)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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About the Author

imageIt can never be said that NYT & USA Today Bestselling author Sidney Bristol has had a ‘normal’ life. She is a recovering roller derby queen, former missionary, and tattoo addict. She grew up in a motor-home on the US highways (with an occasional jaunt into Canada and Mexico), traveling the rodeo circuit with her parents. Sidney has lived abroad in both Russia and Thailand, working with children and teenagers. She now lives in Texas where she splits her time between a job she loves, writing, reading and fostering cats.

Author Links: Website | Facebook | Twitter | GoodReads

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Blog Tour, Q&A and Giveaway: The Total Package by Stephanie Evanovich

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The Total Package by Stephanie Evanovich

Publication Date: March 15, 2016

Synopsis

imageSmart and sexy Dani Carr knows as much about football as any man–maybe more. It’s always been her dream to make a living talking about the game she loves. But Dani’s not interested in being just the usual eye-candy sideline reporter; she wants to be the first woman analyst on a pre-game show, the ultimate in exclusive boys-club jobs. And it turns out, that despite the odds, she has the talent to get her there.

Star quarterback-and heartthrob–Tyson Palmer always did things in spectacular fashion, including ruining his career after debuting as a first-round draft pick. When the head coach of the Austin Mavericks refuses to let him waste his million dollar arm, Tyson makes a Hail Mary pass at redemption and succeeds with everyone…except Dani, who appears to be using her high-profile commentator job to make a name for herself at his expense. 

Dani refuses to let anyone forget about Tyson’s transgressions… and for good reason. There’s history between these two, sizzling history that dates back to their college days, and it ended in another spectacular flame-out of Tyson’s. He’s conveniently forgotten all about that episode because Dani is no longer the cute girl next door he barely remembers–she’s a bombshell with huge ratings and a long memory.

But can a woman trying to claw her way to the top and a quarterback who knows all about rock bottom make it to the Super Bowl without destroying each other in the process? And what will happen when Tyson-riding high on his career comeback-realizes he needs to make an even more important comeback with Dani?

Link to Follow Tour

Goodreads Link

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Stephanie, with THE SWEET SPOT, and now with THE TOTAL PACKAGE, you write heroes within the sports world (Baseball for TSS and Football for TTP). What aspects of that lifestyle makes for writing a great hero? And as with Tyson, what aspect’s of that lifestyle can make for great drama/character development?

Sports heroes are fun because it’s easy to picture them having lots of attitude. Also, they are disciplined when it comes to their bodies, which really helps ratchet up the hotness. And if they are at the top of their games, they usually have lots of disposable income. In Tyson’s particular case, it all sort of worked against him, because it was that very lifestyle that caused him to implode.

You write heroines that any reader can not only relate to, but could consider that woman a best friend, as with Dani from THE TOTAL PACKAGE. Do you find qualities of yourself if any of your heroines or do you write them based on someone you know?

Holly from Big Girl Panties shares the most of my views and personality traits, so thanks for the compliment! Amanda from The Sweet Spot has the full on sass I always wish I had. Dani Carr? (Heavy sigh). There were times I actually hated her, because she made some really bad decisions that I wouldn’t personally make in a million years. I can remember at one point calling my editor in tears and telling her I can’t write this woman anymore. My editor was thrilled and told me it showed real growth. Geez. Talk about growing pains.

If you could cast Tyson and Dani with any celebrity, who would you choose? Any reason why?

I would love to see Billy Miller as Tyson. For folks out there that may know him, he plays Jason Morgan on General Hospital. Excuse me, make that the NEW Jason Morgan, taking over for Steve Burton. The fact that Billy got me to forget about Steve is a coup in and of itself. I’m a huge GH fan, and for a long time I shook my fist in the air and shouted – “There is only one Jason Morgan!” Billy is adorable and does vulnerable so well. And has the killer blue eyes. While I was writing The Total Package, I would often picture Kaley Couco. Or maybe I was just watching a lot of Big Bang Theory. But she is totally my pick for Dani.

What is your favorite romance troupe to write? (Second Chance Romance, Opposites Attract, etc)?

Since The Total Package is only my third book, I’m not sure I have enough experience to give that question an honest answer. But now I suddenly feel like trying to write an opposites attracting, second chance romance.

Which was your favorite book to write? And which couple was your favorite to write?

Yikes! Why do I feel like you’ve just asked me to choose a favorite child? Haha. But seriously, each book offered me the opportunity to meet new people and continue this amazing adventure, not to mention try and grow as a writer. In all honestly I think the book that is my favorite will always be the book the am working on at the time. It keeps me focused and in the moment.

Of course all your readers want to know what you have in the works for your next release?

I’m currently working on a younger man/slightly more mature woman story with a martial arts backdrop. I’m even venturing into first person with this one. I was always the kid that just jumped into the deep end of the pool and my days alternate between thinking I’m having the time of my life and ordering a straight jacket. Some days, those thoughts alternate hourly.

Thank you so much for chatting with us today!! Thanks so much for having me. It’s been a real pleasure. Bring on the Ides of March!

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Excerpt

Within the last three years, the adjectives attached to Tyson Palmer’s name slowly morphed into overrated, reprehensible. A real waste. Wanting to stay in his father’s good graces, Tyson had often joined him in his downhill slide. Douglas Palmer proved a bad example. Tyson took responsibility for his mother’s heartbreak, stuffed all the hurt and pain deep down inside, and set the sequence on his time bomb to self-destruct.
Coming back here was supposed to be a kind of victory lap. But Tyson wasn’t being followed by throngs of alumni or asked to attend any ceremonies, not even the ones taking place on the football field. He wasn’t invited to any parties. Instead Tyson had been forced to retreat to the Bunker, where he was pointed at from a safe distance, like an animal in a zoo. Occasionally someone would approach him, politely engage him for a few moments, mostly about the weather, and be on their way. Nothing to see here—the phrase cops always used to move spectators along from a crime scene. His teammates and Blitz management had tried to be supportive . . . in the beginning. But it wasn’t long before Tyson’s shenanigans robbed him of his ability to lead, and they all had grown weary of him, even before he started racking up more interceptions than touchdowns on game day. He knew that within the next twenty-four hours his dirty drug test results would leave him jobless and probably tossed out of the league. The book they were getting ready to throw at him was heavy. I sure won’t miss those cold Massachusetts winters, he thought to console himself.
“Tyson?”
Bloodshot eyes focused on a face that was vaguely familiar. It was a wisp of a ghost brushing by him. Someone insignificant, but at the same time, not—pretty, but low maintenance. Dark hair, hazel eyes with a glint of determination magnified through the lenses of her glasses. When he’d seen her last, she had something he needed. And something he’d wanted.
“Helen?” he tried to zero in. They had spent quality time together, at least for a while. He hadn’t seen her naked, but it probably wasn’t from lack of trying. Those whose pants he didn’t get into were much more likely to stand out. “Ellen?”
“Ella,” she said hopefully. “I was your English tutor, in your senior year?”
Now he remembered. A flash that was stark and vivid, from the predrug days, before those first few injuries that weren’t so quick to heal. She had been one of several students handpicked by the administration when he fell short on his classes during football season. Hired for several hours a week to basically cram the exams into his skull and dictate his essays to him. He wasn’t stupid, but he also didn’t make it easy. Back then he thought about nothing but football and was easily distracted when it came to anything else. “Right.” He smiled at her, feeling the warm nostalgic wave. Her last name was something Italian.“Ella Bella.”
He had made up the cheesy nickname for her on a rainy afternoon four weeks into that semester, after they abandoned meeting at the library in favor of his dorm room. When he decided he would rather make out than recite the answers to an upcoming test. She was appealing enough, fresh faced and makeup free, a sophomore who had held on to her freshman fifteen. Not girlfriend material, but he wasn’t looking for a girlfriend.
And after one delicious kiss, Ella Bella had shot him down. Not in cold blood, of course; she’d stammered through the willing-to-date-him speech, but he’d never asked her for a date, and casual sex was off the table. She told him that she was still a virgin and she planned on staying that way. Something about a virgin never failed to make a horny guy hum. Tyson jokingly asked her to bang him every time they were together after that, but he was hardly brokenhearted when she laughed him off. There was always someone else on the sidelines. It was more his way of telling her he was available if she ever wanted to change her mind. He began to view her more like a little sister, especially since she could talk football better than any other girl he knew at school, even better than some of his teammates.
“You remember?” She smiled back at him, and then giggled. He still had it. And clearly she knew nothing of what was happening in his world. These days he was on almost every woman’s shit list.

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Buy Links

Amazon | B & N | iTunes | Kobo

~*~*~*~

Giveaway

(Two Hardcover Copies of THE TOTAL PACKAGE)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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About the Author

imageNew York Times Bestselling Author, Stephanie Evanovich is a full-fledged Jersey girl from Asbury Park who began writing fiction while waiting for her cues during countless community theater projects. She attended New York’s School of Film and Television and acted in several improvisational troupes and a few small-budget movies, all in preparation for the greatest job she ever had, raising her two sons. Now a full-time writer, she’s an avid sports fan who holds a black belt in tae kwon do.

Author Links: Website | Facebook | Twitter | GoodReads

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Blog Tour, Excerpt & Giveaway: Wild Lavender
 (The Aurelian Guard #1) by Nicole Elizabeth Kelleher

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Wild Lavender
 (The Aurelian Guard #1) by Nicole Elizabeth Kelleher

Publication Date: March 8, 2016

Synopsis

imageThis gorgeous, sweeping historical romance will enchant the readers of Deanna Raybourn, and introduces a wildly talented new voice.

Anna was born of Chevring, a territory renowned for its valorous war horses, in the kingdom of Aurelia. But peace reigns, and her family’s fortune has dwindled. Her father brokers an alliance with the wealthy Lord Roger of Stolweg. The price: his eldest daughter and the secrets to her family’s once great power. Soon after they are wed, Roger proves himself cruel and calculating, a harsh lord who sows the seeds of fear in his people.

He has an ambitious secret, and nothing will stand in his way. Not his new bride, nor his older brother, heir to all that he covets. But secrets have a way getting out, and the people of Stolweg quietly bide their time, coming to love Anna for her noble bravery in standing up to her scoundrel husband. She will prove the leader they need to rise up and bring their underground resistance to flourish.

But it is Larkin, a guard of Aurelia, whose presence brings Roger’s treachery to the forefront, igniting the spark of war. Larkin comes to Stolweg to investigate Roger for treason against the realm and ends up giving all of his attention to Anna. For she not only captures his heart, she may be the only person who can stop the battle that will tear the kingdom apart.

“Nicole Elizabeth Kelleher’s debut novel Wild Lavender is engrossing right from the prologue.” —B.B. Haywood, New York Times bestselling author

Link to Follow Tour

Goodreads Link

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Excerpt

Lark had been watching Will and hadn’t noticed that Lady Aubrianne
had rounded on him. When he did, he saw the fury in her eyes.
“Had I known Rabbit would go to such an uncaring clod of a man, I would not have troubled myself to train him.” The temper in her voice matched the fire in her eyes. “Did you not notice that he was hurting? Or worse, you noticed, and you continued to ride him.” He put up his
hands and opened his mouth to speak. Before he could, Will stepped protectively in front of Lady Aubrianne, shouldering Lark a step back.
“What is it, m’lady?” the young man asked. “A burr?”
“A nasty one,” she answered angrily. “A bogburr. I showed them to you once, remember?”
“Aye, brownish-red, almost an inch long. Poisonous, too.”
“I hope this one hasn’t burst,” she said.
They’d dismissed him, Lark realized, unused to being ignored. So he held Rabbit’s bridle straps and continued to scratch his horse. That she had questioned his loyalty to his steed had irked him, but more so that she’d been right to do it. He’d known something was wrong but hadn’t wanted to delay the others.
After they’d broken camp, they’d found themselves in a small fen. Rabbit’s tail had caught on some burrs, and he’d spent nearly a quarter hour removing them. He still had the thorn in his finger to prove it. And damn it, his finger was swollen and hurt like hell. When Rabbit
had grown skittish, Lark dismounted to search once more, signaling the others to ride on. Apparently, he had not been thorough enough. He swore to himself.
“Will, I need you to pull the cinch away while I slip this patch underneath,” she instructed. “Gently. Right here, where the burr is caught.” Will did as asked, and Lady Aubrianne plucked the burr off Rabbit’s coat and slipped the soft leather swatch under the strap.
She patted the great horse and rubbed his side again. “Good boy, Bunny,” she commended him.
Lark’s attention to Rabbit seemed to surprise her. He was cradling his horse’s massive head, murmuring soft noises in the stallion’s ear. “Go ahead, Will,” Lark whispered. Will unfastened the cinch and quickly removed the saddle.
Rabbit’s skin twitched as Lady Aubrianne peeled away the leather patch and probed the area, a raw spot the size of a thumbnail. She pulled first one, then two ugly barbs from the shallow wound. From the bag hanging over her shoulder, she brought forth a small, stoppered pot. A pleasant scent filled the air as she tenderly applied some sort of salve to Rabbit’s coat.
His destrier snorted in relief, and Larkin leaned back to look his horse in the eyes. “Sorry about that, Rabbit. I thought I found them all. Do you forgive me?” It seemed that Rabbit accepted the apology, for he nudged Lark’s chest playfully, nearly knocking him on his seat.
Lady Aubrianne gazed at him speculatively. At least she had ceased glaring at him. And in that instant, when her features softened, he recognized her: Anna.
He took a step back as if someone had struck him in the chest. She studied him for a moment. When it became clear that she didn’t recognize him in return, his disappointment was humbling. What did he expect, Lark thought, that she would rush into his arms, and finish the
kiss that he’d started? He was acting like a lovestruck boy.
She pulled an apple from her bag and tossed it to him. “It’s for Rabbit.”
He caught it deftly but winced. Unwilling concern flitted across her face, and Lark took a moment to really study her. Despite the dark circles under her eyes, she was quite beautiful. Her eyes were as he remembered: light, sooty brown, and like her hair, dusted with gold. And, she still had what Lark liked to think of as a kiss-worthy mouth: full lips that begged to be teased and nipped.
As for her hair, more tendrils had escaped the long braid. He resisted the urge to wrap one around his finger. His gaze rose to follow the curve of her cheek, and he noticed for the first time a greenish-yellow tinge under her eye, as if she had just overcome some illness. Roger was a lucky man to have married this woman. A surge of jealousy coursed through Lark, and he forced himself to pull his mind away from her attributes. When he looked at her again, he found himself condemned by her knowing eyes. She gave a snort of disgust. That she had found his regard distasteful bothered him more than he cared to admit.

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Buy Links

Kindle | Amazon PBK | B&N | iTunes | Kobo

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Giveaway

(Five (5) Print Copies of WILD LAVENDER)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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About the Author

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A graduate of the University of Michigan’s College of Literature, Science and Arts, Nicole Elizabeth Kelleher studied French Literature and Language, Spanish and Mandarin while concurrently attending UofM’s Art School. She moved to France and attended the Université Catholique de l’Œest before relocating to Belgium to complete an internship at a fine arts and antiques auction house. During this time, she traveled throughout the countryside of Europe, immersing herself in its history, architecture, and art. Nicole lives in Northern Virginia with her two children, husband and Tully the Dog.

Author Links: Website | Facebook | Twitter | GoodReads

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Blog Tour, Excerpt & Giveaway: The Sweetest Chase by Sharla Lovelace

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The Sweetest Chase (Heart of the Storm) by Sharla Lovelace

Publication Date: February 23, 2016

Synopsis

imagePhotographer Quinn Parker is getting married in a month, and she’s almost happy about it. Even though her mother is planning the whole wedding. Even though she’s secretly had the hots for Simon Chase forever. But he’s her best friend’s brother and her coworker . . . off-limits even if she were single. So she’s marrying the man who should be her perfect match—and that’s that.

Simon Chase’s life revolves around his family’s storm-chasing business. The meteorologist of the bunch, he’d rather be out in the weather than reporting it—especially if Quinn Parker is along to photograph the run. He’s been hiding his crush on her for a long time, and it’s only intensified. But she’s marrying someone else—and that’s that.

Or is it?  When a Chase family wedding sets the stage for body temperatures to rise and the pressure of Quinn’s impending wedding to build, a new reality breaks.  Quinn and Simon discover their unrequited affections have been mutual all along. When the gathering storm of their attraction finally reaches its peak, will it leave their lives in shambles? Or will they find shelter in each other?

Link to Follow Tour

Goodreads Link 



Goodreads Series Link

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Excerpt

Quinn entered the bathroom and locked the door behind her before her knees could give way.
“Shit,” she whispered, resting her back against the door and looking skyward. She didn’t know whether to laugh at the lunacy of it or cry over the irony. “Shit, shit, shit!”
What the living hell had that been out there? The second—the very second Simon had walked through that door looking like friggin’ James Bond, everything had turned. Quinn had felt it. In that second, she belonged to him. What the living hell? She couldn’t belong to him!
But his eyes had locked in on hers with . . . that look—God help her, that look—and she couldn’t have moved if she’d wanted to. It was like everyone else disappeared and it was just the two of them. Every inch of being naked under that dress had raised hands and waved. She’d half expected her ovaries to fall out on the floor and beg. And then—
Quinn pried herself off the door and met her own eyes in the mirror.
Since when does Simon Chase not have something to say?
When he’s looking at you.
“God, Mary, Jesus, and Joseph,” Quinn muttered, trying to channel Miss Lou instead of the string of curses dancing in her head. “Or something to that effect.”
He’s always had the hots for you.
“Why?” Quinn asked the mirror. “Why now? Why do I find this out now?”
She turned the cold water on full blast and placed her wrists under it. She needed to cool down, cool her blood, cool her jets, cool her hormones, whatever the hell it was that was raging through her like a bullet. It was Hannah’s words, that’s what it was. Quinn would have still been tweaked by Simon’s actions, by his words, by his unbelievably sexy appearance, but it was Hannah’s innocent little admission that wrapped itself around all of those things and liquefied. Oozing like hot honey into all the cracks, bringing everything to a heightened awareness.
She looked at herself again, cheeks flushed, chest flushed, eyes shiny like she was coming off a bender.
“It doesn’t matter. You can’t do this,” she said to her reflection, turning off the water and resting her weight on the sink. “You can’t—” She bit her bottom lip as something that felt less like silly attraction and more like the gavel of hell came crashing through her body. Looking up at the light fixture, she blinked back what she refused to let come. “You’re being ridiculous,” she whispered. “Stop this.”
Eric was going to be there any minute, and where was she? Locked in the bathroom acting like a hormonal twit over another man. Another man who was here with another woman. Yeah, explain that one.
His date. Simon never brought a date to anything—not that there were usually things to bring dates to. They didn’t really talk about that part of their lives much, so maybe he did go out with women. Maybe he had relationships she didn’t even know about. Oh, shit, what was she thinking—Simon Chase was a hot eligible single man, with a fiery wit and eyes that could melt the pants right off a woman. Of course he dated. And probably most of them looked like her.
Quinn inhaled deeply and let it go slowly, willing her heart to slow down. Drying her hands on the hanging towel, she continued to take slow breaths as she dabbed at her eyes and face.
It was fine. It had to be fine. No more crazy, regardless of how damn good Simon looked. He wasn’t hers to feel this way about. Meeting her own gaze in the mirror again, she let those words sink in.
He’s not yours.
“He’s not yours.”

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Buy Links

Kindle | Amazon Paperback

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Giveaway

(Three (3) Print Copies of THE SWEETEST CHASE (U.S. Only))

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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About the Author

imageSharla Lovelace is a bestselling, award-winning author of sexy small-town love stories. A proud Texas girl through and through, she lives in southeast Texas with her retired husband, a tricked-out golf cart, and two rambunctious dogs. Author of five stand-alone novels and the Heart of the Storm series, she loves connecting with readers; find her on Twitter, Facebook, and Goodreads, or subscribe to her newsletter at http://www.sharlalovelace.com to keep up with new releases.

Author Links: Website | Facebook | Twitter | GoodReads

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Blog Tour, Excerpt & Giveaway: See You at Sunset by V. K. Sykes

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See You at Sunset
 (Seashell Bay #3) by V.K. Sykes

Publication Date: February 23, 2016

Synopsis

imageDEEPER THAN ANY OCEAN . . .

All Holly Tyler wants is a fantastic career, a not-too-committed relationship, and a city where there are no painful memories. Instead, she’s called back to her hometown of Seashell Bay to help with her family’s struggling general store. It’s a town where everyone knows everyone, and where one man could sink Holly’s careful plans.

Deputy Sheriff Micah Lancaster has wanted Holly for as long as he can remember. He knows she has a life on the mainland-and a boyfriend-and that there’s no real future with her. But now Holly is back and the attraction still flickers between them, a promise of something more. Their desire is stronger than any undertow . . . and once it pulls them under, it won’t let go.

Link to Follow Tour

Goodreads Link

Goodreads Series Link

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Excerpt

The guys exchanged a few words and a fist bump before Aiden strode off. Holly had to shake herself into action, partly because they were two of the hottest guys on planet Earth and any red-blooded girl would be struck dumb at the vision of all that hotness in close proximity, and partly because she tended to freeze whenever she saw Micah these days.
That development was incredibly annoying. The man had been one of her best friends all her life, and yet damned if she didn’t feel like a nervous teenage girl when she thought about being alone with him, even in the store.
“Coffee, Deputy?” she asked brightly. As he strode up, she took a step back to lean against the back counter. The extra four feet of distance did little to diminish the impact of his overwhelming masculinity or the way his tall, muscled form seemed to make the store shrink around him.
“Hell, yeah. You know how I need caffeine in this high-pressure job,” he said as he laid his deputy’s hat on the counter. He flashed her a quick, charming grin. “It’s getting hot out there already.”
It was getting pretty hot inside the store too. She felt herself flushing, even though the store’s aging but still-efficient air-conditioning kept things at a steady seventy-three degrees.
Hormones, dammit. And she wasn’t anywhere near old enough to blame it on early menopause.
Since Micah took his coffee black, all Holly had to do was pour a cup, put a lid on it, and set it on the counter. And, yes, she was avoiding handing it to him in case their hands brushed. “There you go. I just made a new pot a few minutes ago.”
Micah reached into his pocket and pulled out a small wad of bills.
Holly rolled her eyes. “Put your money away, my friend. It’s on the house, as always. Cops and firefighters don’t pay for coffee in this establishment.”
Micah shook his head. “Maybe not before, but now they do. At least this one does. Holly, I’m sure as hell not taking free coffee when Florence and Beatrice are obviously struggling.”
As hard as her aunts had tried to keep the store’s financial woes under the radar, Micah clearly knew they had more problems than only the prospect of competition from a convenience store chain. Though the Jenkins General Store was looking tired, she suspected most people on the island had failed to realize how bad things were. Then again, Micah knew pretty much everything that was going on in Seashell Bay, often via Miss Annie, in whom Florence and Beatrice usually confided.
“It’s just a cup of coffee, Micah,” Holly said.
His expression was polite but implacable. “Doesn’t matter. It’s the principle. And I’m going to buy everything I can here from now on. No more picking stuff up in town just because it’s a little cheaper. Islanders have been doing that more than we should.”
He pushed a five-dollar bill across the counter. “And don’t give me any change,” he said with a little growl roughening his deep voice. Holly found it adorable—also totally sexy, which she would not think more about.

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Buy Links

Amazon | B&N | iTunes | Kobo

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Giveaway

(Grand prize: $25 Amazon gift card, and 4 runner-up prizes: books 1 & 2 of the Seashell Bay Series (Meet Me at the Beach and Summer at the Shore))

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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About the Author

imageV.K. Sykes is really two people – Vanessa Kelly and Randy Sykes, a husband and wife team who write USA Today Bestselling contemporary romance and also romantic suspense. Randy excels at plot and characterization, but tends to fall down on the job when it comes to that pesky old thing called emotion. That’s where Vanessa steps in. She usually writes the sex scenes too, since Randy is a bit uncomfortable when it comes to that sort of stuff. Vanessa also writes award-winning Regency-set historical romance for Kensington Zebra under her own name. You can check out Vanessa’s bestselling historical romances at www.vanessakellyauthor.com

Author Links: Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

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