Category Archives: Author Spotlight

Spotlight, Review, Guest Post & Giveaway: WOLF UNLEASHED (SWAT, #5) by Paige Tyler

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WOLF UNLEASHED (SWAT, #5) by Paige Tyler

Publication Date: December 6, 2016

Genre: Paranormal Romance

Synopsis
img_5459SHE BRINGS OUT THE WOLF IN HIM

Lacey Barton can’t deny her crazy attraction to Alex Trevino, but that doesn’t mean she has time for the gorgeous SWAT officer. She’s hell-bent on discovering who’s behind the brutal dogfights sending countless mauled animals to her veterinarian office. The trail leads Lacey to a ring of vicious drug dealers and suddenly she’s in way over her head—right smack in the middle of a SWAT stakeout.

With Lacey in danger, Alex’s wolf side is unleashed. But when she witnesses Alex shift, she’s even more terrified… Now it’s up to Alex to crack the case—and earn back Lacey’s trust and, ultimately, her heart.

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Author Guest Post

In Wolf Unleashed, the fifth installment in Paige Tyler’s sexy and suspenseful SWAT series, Lacey, the heroine, is determined to uncover the perpetrator behind the brutal dogfights that are sending countless dogs into her vet practice. She fearlessly dives into the case even though it’s extremely dangerous!

We asked Paige Tyler about her favorite fearless female protagonists from pop culture. So, who are her favorites.

Wonder Woman. Back when Wonder Woman debuted, all the super heroes were men. It was a “Man’s World” and we women were just living in it. But Diana Prince changed all that. She had the strength, heart, and courage to stand her ground with any supervillain—or superhero—out there. And when it came to Batman, Superman, and all the other testosterone-laden superhero egos, more often than not it fell to Wonder Woman to hold the Justice League together. I’d also be remiss if I didn’t say that another reason I love Wonder Woman is for those cool accessories! I’d love to have those bullet deflecting bracelets and golden lasso.

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Donna 5 Stars

I loved this installment of the SWAT series. The group’s dynamics are fun and their camaraderie makes me wish I were a part of it all. Alex was sexy, smooth and alpha; but still so real that you feel that connection. Lacey was the perfect match for him, even though I groaned at a few things she did. I was a bit nervous about the serial killer aspect, afraid it would overpower the storyline, thankfully the team member’s banter and the sizzling Alex/Lacey romance balanced it out well. This was one of those exciting stories that I had to read straight through just to see what happens.

*Review copy provided NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

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Excerpt

Dr. Barton was bent over rummaging through a bottom drawer of the built-ins on the far wall. Even though Alex did his best not to stare, it was impossible not to notice that she had an incredibly spectacular ass. He’d always been a leg man, but one look at her derrière and he suddenly decided he’d been missing out.
Then she stood up, turned around, and flipped her long, wavy blond hair over her shoulder, and he realized that the rest of her was equally stunning. While her baggy white lab coat hid a lot, he could still tell that she had an athletic build and some really nice curves. It was her face that made his heart beat faster, though. She had the most captivating pair of blue eyes he’d ever seen and full red lips just begging to be kissed. From this moment forward, whenever he pictured an angel, he would think of the beautiful Dr. Barton.
Alex smiled, and when she smiled back, he heard her heart thudding a little quicker. But then she looked down at Tuffie, and her entire expression changed. Hurrying over, she dropped down to one knee beside Tuffie, gently examining her ears and face.
She gave Alex an angry glare. “Please tell me you arrested the people who put this beautiful girl in a dogfighting ring. Even better—tell me you shot them.”
If Alex had thought her heart was beating fast before, it was nothing compared to the way it was thumping now. Clearly, Dr. Barton was very passionate about protecting dogs. In his book, that made her even more beautiful than she already was.
“I wish I could, but unfortunately, we never found the people who did it,” Alex said. “We rescued Tuffie when her owner was killed. He died trying to protect her from a psychopath armed with a rifle.”
Dr. Barton’s gaze went back to Tuffie, her expression turning from anger to sadness as she ran her fingers down the fresh scars along the dog’s chest and side. “Looks like she got shot anyway.”
“Yeah. It’s a miracle she lived long enough for my teammate and me to get her here in time for Doc Jones to save her. Thank God for sirens. I think we ran every red light in town.”
The veterinarian straightened, gracing him with another dazzling grin, and Alex felt his knees go a little loose. Damn, what a smile.
“I knew there was something I liked about you the second you walked in.”
Alex felt his face flush. “It wasn’t a big deal. I’m a cop. Saving people—and dogs—comes with the job description.” He cringed the moment the words left his mouth. Had he really just said something that lame?
Thankfully, the beautiful Dr. Barton didn’t seem to notice the cheesy line. Or if she had, she was too polite to laugh at him.
“And is bringing Tuffie to her appointments also in your job description?” she asked, her eyes twinkling.
Was her heart beating even faster than before? Unless it was his own heart pounding in his ears. That was a definite possibility. Because it seemed like he had a real thing for Dr. Barton.
He smiled. “It is if the rest of the SWAT team and I adopted her and gave her a new home.”
Alex knew it was a shameless grab to get further into the doctor’s good graces, but he couldn’t seem to stop himself.
“Not only did you save her life, but you adopted her too? I think Tuffie hit the lottery with you, Officer…?”
“Trevino,” he said, filling in the blank and offering his hand. “But please, call me Alex.”
She took his hand and gave it a shake. “Nice to meet you, Alex. I’m Lacey Barton.”
Her hand was small in comparison to his, her skin soft and warm, and Alex found himself holding on a bit longer than was customary. Lacey didn’t seem to mind. In fact, she appeared just as reluctant to let go as he did.
She pushed her hair behind her ear and cleared her throat. “I guess we ought to get on with Tuffie’s checkup. So you can get back to saving the world and everything.”
“Yeah, of course.”
Reaching down, Alex gently picked up Tuffie and set her on the stainless steel exam table.
“Nice muscle tone,” Lacey murmured.
Alex felt the compliment go right to his head. “Thanks.”
“Actually, I was talking about Tuffie,” Lacey said as she tenderly ran her hands over the dog’s shoulders.
“Oh.”
She looked up at him from beneath her lashes. “But yours is pretty good too.”
Alex chuckled. Damn, this woman was good. He had her by a foot in height and more than a hundred pounds in weight, yet she was playing him like a fiddle, and he didn’t mind one bit. He couldn’t remember ever having such an immediate and intense reaction to any woman he’d ever met. Suddenly, he wanted to know everything there was to know about her—and then some.
Lacey was more than accommodating, telling him about how she’d recently gotten a job here after working several years at a place on the west side of Dallas closer to Arlington.
“I loved it there, but this place is closer to my apartment,” she told him as she continued to examine Tuffie. “I’ve cut my commute time by about an hour and a half each way, so it’s like getting a whole extra day off to do stuff I want to do instead of sitting in traffic.”
“And what do you like to do with all this extra time?” he asked.
Lacey leaned over to read something in Tuffie’s medical records. Alex tensed, worried she’d found something wrong, but after a moment, she merely nodded to herself, then went back to checking Tuffie. “I do a lot of volunteer work at one of the nearby animal shelters,” she said. “I’m also on call to help out both Animal Services and the DPD Animal Cruelty Squad when they run into injured dogs.”
Whoa. A woman who spent her days taking care of dogs for a living, then did it during her spare time for free? That was definitely a woman Alex could appreciate.
“It’s pretty amazing that you give so much of your time to animal causes,” he said. “Getting called out at all hours of the day and night must be tough on your boyfriend, though.”
Lacey urged Tuffie over on her back, pressing carefully along one of the long scars that ran all the way from the base of her rib cage to the middle of her cute pink tummy.
“I don’t have a boyfriend right now,” she said, the corners of her mouth turning up. “My life is a little too busy for that at the moment.”
Bingo! Alex had already noticed she wasn’t wearing a ring. Now he knew she wasn’t seeing anyone. Could this get any better?

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Buy LinksAmazon: http://amzn.to/2dBvWvC
B&N: http://bit.ly/2f6Yj3j
iBooks: http://apple.co/2dZy66Z

Amazon Series Link: http://amzn.to/1tf4Ls4

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Giveaway

Enter to win one of five copies of Hungry Like the Wolf, the first book in Paige Tyler’s SWAT series!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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About the author image

Paige is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of sexy romantic suspense and paranormal romance. She graduated from The University of West Florida with a degree in education in 2000, but decided to pursue a full-time career as a writer in 2004. Since then, she’s written over fifty books in several genres, including paranormal, contemporary, western, sci-fi and erotica. She loves writing about strong, sexy, alpha males and the feisty, independent women who fall for them. From verbal foreplay to sexual heat, her stories of romance, adventure, suspense, passion and true love will leave you breathlessly panting for more.

Author Links: Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

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Spotlight, Guest Post & Giveaway: THIS IS OUR SONG (The Shaughnessy Brothers) by Samantha Chase

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THIS IS OUR SONG (The Shaughnessy Brothers) by Samantha Chase

Publication Date: December 6, 2016

Synopsis

img_5420New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Samantha Chase crafts a tender, hopeful family-centered romance

She knows him by reputation

Riley Shaughnessy knew that to stand out in his large family, he’d have to go big. Making a name for himself as a musician wasn’t easy, but he followed his dreams to rock-star success. But the relentless expectations of fans is not helping the slump he’s in now. So of course the person who attracts him is the woman who is not impressed by fame.

Which gives Riley Shaughnessy a lot to prove

Entertainment reporter Savannah Daly is completely unfazed by pretty-boy rock stars. She’s just here to get her interview and write her story. But spending an entire month with the Shaughnessys is going to show Savannah a side of Riley she never could have guessed.

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Buy Links

Amazon: http://amzn.to/2gLMU9M
B&N: http://bit.ly/2fWMMlP
iBooks: http://apple.co/2fWKRNZ

Amazon Series Link: http://amzn.to/2gLGCa9

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Author Guest Post

I’m one of those people who can multi-task. To a point. I do like almost complete silence while I write with the exception of my Sounds of the Ocean soundtrack playing. I can have twenty tabs open online and be on social media while I’m writing, but please don’t make me listen to anything! But amazingly enough, on most of my books I do end up with a playlist that helps me get the job done.

I just don’t listen to it while I’m writing.

I turn to it when I’m blocked – when I’m stuck in a scene and need to get hyper-focused on my characters. This is Our Song was kind of easy to have a playlist to because Riley is a musician. There were songs that I felt like I could imagine him singing or that the lyrics really applied to him.

So what was on my list and why? Here’s just one of the songs that was on my This is Our Song playlist!

Help! By The Beatles:
I am a fan of the earlier Beatles songs and this one is a favorite. In the book, Riley is dealing a lot with insecurity after having been successful for so long. His life is changing and he’s having a hard time coming to grips with it and making people understand how he feels. So for this song, I almost feel like he’s singing it.

Favorite line: “When I was younger so much younger than today
I never needed anybody’s help in any way
(But) But now these days are gone (These days are gone), I’m not so self assured
(I know I’ve found) Now I find I’ve changed my mind and opened up the doors.”

I was lucky with This is Our Song because of Riley’s career. Some books it will just be a single (as in one) song that is on my playlist to help me over the humps. And sometimes I’ll have to listen to that song like five times in a row to get me in the proper mindset to write what I need to write.

Happy listening and I hope you enjoy This is Our Song!!

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Excerpt

He didn’t just beat her in the best of three.
Oh, no. That would have been too easy.
No, Savannah—who realized too late that she was a very sore loser—kept egging him on until he finally put the paddle down after beating her in twelve games. Twelve! Why did she have to keep taunting him? Even while they were playing she couldn’t make herself ask him anything important. They talked about useless stuff—favorite bands, favorite foods—hell, at one point she’d even asked him his favorite color.
She hung her head low in defeat and put her paddle on the table. Riley had excused himself and went to get them each a drink. She prayed it was vodka. Something to make her forget this humiliation.
His prize at the end of the first three games was that she’d stay and have dinner with him.
After the next three she’d stay for a movie.
She really thought she was going to beat him in the third round. Unfortunately, it had been her biggest loss, and he’d simply chuckled and said he’d have to think about his reward. And he’d repeated that after the fourth and final win.
Riley cleared his throat when he walked back into the room and handed her a glass of ice water. They drank in silence for a few minutes. “That was fun,” he finally said, and Savannah realized he wasn’t being obnoxious and he wasn’t gloating. He genuinely looked like he’d had a good time.
And despite all the losing, Savannah would have to agree. It was fun.
“How do you feel about salmon for dinner?”
“It’s one of my favorites,” she said and was relieved he wasn’t gloating.
“It’s kind of early yet. Maybe we can watch a movie first?”
That was a reasonable request, and she agreed. Together they picked out a classic Neil Simon movie from 1967, Barefoot in the Park. “Ooo…Robert Redford.” She sighed. “Another favorite.”
Tucked away in a corner was one of the biggest flat-screen TVs Savannah had ever seen. Riley noticed her stunned look. “It’s one hundred ten inches. They don’t come any bigger than this right now. The picture’s great too.”
Two oversized recliners were centered in front of the screen and they each sat down. Riley started the movie and within minutes Savannah was more relaxed and they were both laughing along with the story.
She kicked her sandals off and tucked her feet up on the chair beside her. Next she pulled the clip out of her hair so she could relax her head against the back of the comfortable chair. Looking to her right, she saw Riley was watching her. His expression was intense and for the life of her, she couldn’t figure out what was wrong. “Is everything okay?”
He didn’t answer right away.
“Riley?”
“I still have to decide what I get for winning those last two rounds,” he said, his voice low and gravelly.
Savannah nodded, hypnotized by the way his eyes had gone so dark.
“I’m going to combine them into one request,” he said, and it sounded more like a warning than a statement.
“Okay.” Her own voice was almost a breathy whisper.
Leaning closer, Riley’s eyes zeroed in on her lips before meeting her eyes. “Savannah?”
“Hmm?”
“I’m going to kiss you. Twice.”
“Oh.”
His hand snaked out and around her nape and slowly drew her closer to him. And then his lips touched hers and Savannah’s brain simply stopped functioning.

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Giveaway

Samantha Chase Prize Pack!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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About the Author

New York Times and USA Today Bestseller/contemporary romance writer Samantha Chase released her debut novel, Jordan’s Return, in November 2011. Although she waited until she was in her 40’s to publish for the first time, writing has been a lifelong passion. Her motivation to take that step was her students: teaching creative writing to elementary age students all the way up through high school and encouraging those students to follow their writing dreams gave Samantha the confidence to take that step as well.

With twenty-three titles currently to her name, she has no plans to slow down. The success of the Montgomery Brothers series has her working on six new titles in that collection as well as two new exciting series set to start popping up on bookshelves in 2015. You won’t find her books with the erotica or paranormal titles, all of her works are pure contemporary romances.

When she’s not working on a new story, she spends her time reading contemporary romances, blogging, playing way too many games of Scrabble on Facebook and spending time with her husband of 25 years and their two sons in North Carolina.

Author Links: Website | Facebook | Twitter

Spotlight, Excerpt & Giveaway: The SOUL of a SEAL by Anne Elizabeth

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The SOUL of a SEAL (West Coast Navy SEALs, #4) by Anne Elizabeth

Publication Date: December 6, 2016

Synopsis

img_5298Love may be the toughest battle of all

Captain Bennett Oscar Sheraton
Navy SEAL, the best of the best

Dr. Kimberly Warren
Brilliant engineer, founder of secret space program

When scientists on Dr. Warren’s super-secret space mission start dying, Navy SEAL Captain Sheraton is sent in as an astronaut candidate with a hidden agenda—find the person sabotaging the program.

Kimberly and Bennett’s instant attraction may prove to be a major distraction—or it might be the key to both of their dreams coming true…

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INTERESTING SEAL FACT

Research the terminology. There’s nothing worse than someone saying they visited the “can” when the Navy calls it “the head” – unless you are being ironic, of course.

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Buy Links

Kindle | Amazon Paperback | B&N | iBooks

West Coast Navy SEALs Series

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Excerpt

Her eyes lifted to his. She had no words as a flush that began in her toes rose to the top of her head. If she were to walk four feet to the mirror and look, she knew she would see herself as red as a cherry tomato. “Uh…s-s-sorry…” she finally said. What a time to stutter! Rubbing her hands together, she walked to the glass-enclosed shower, opened the door, turned on the water, and then took off her silk teddy and matching silk panties. It was time to be bold.
Glancing over her shoulder, it was her turn to smile. His jaw was practically on the floor.
“Can you hand me my loofah?” She turned toward him and pointed to the shelf next to the sink. “The fluffy pink one.”
He nodded his head, but it was several seconds before he turned and complied with her request. As he closed the distance between, she congratulated herself on being courageous…for changing the rules and making the playing field between them level. She’d seen his, and now he’d seen hers. That was out of the way, and they could move forward.
She put out her hand for the loofah, her smile smug and delighted. What she hadn’t prepared for…was him pulling her gently, and oh, so tenderly, against him so the heat of his body seared hers, and then kissing her until she was gasping for air as her hands held on to his biceps for dear life.
Time froze and the kiss lasted forever, or maybe it was only several seconds. It was hard to tell, because all thought had fled from her mind. When he urged her against the shower wall and slowly pulled away, she saw his smile—one of such male satisfaction that anger bloomed inside of her.
“That’s why they call me…Boss. Well, one of the reasons.” He waited, as if he wanted her to respond.
She couldn’t believe the idiot was just standing there. Why did he have to speak? Why doesn’t the male species know when to leave well enough alone? That kiss had been amazing! If only he’d chosen to be a gentleman, and mute. She sighed as she gave in to her emotion.
“Out!” she said indignantly. Men! She’d get him back in less than half an hour, when his first duty of the morning would be regurgitating his breakfast onto his lap.

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Giveaway

(5 Copies of SEAL at Heart)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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About the author

Anne Elizabeth is a romance author, comic creator, and a monthly columnist for RT Book Reviews magazine. With a BS in Business and MS in Communications from Boston University, she is a regular presenter at conventions as well as a member of The Author’s Guild and Romance Writers of America. Anne lives with her husband, a retired Navy SEAL, in the mountains above San Diego.

Author Links: Website | Facebook | Twitter

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Spotlight, Guest Post, Excerpt & Giveaway: Last Chance Cowboys: The Lawman by Anna Schmidt

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Last Chance Cowboys: The Lawman (Where the Trail Ends, #2) by Anna Schmidt

Publication Date: December 6, 2016

Genre: Historical Western Romance

Synopsis

img_5264From acclaimed author Anna Schmidt comes a sweeping historical Western romance about the unbreakable bonds of family, second chances, and a whole lot of heart in the Wild West.

“This is me, Addie,” Jess murmured. “You and me, the way we always were.”
But it wasn’t, no matter how much she wished it were true. They were different now. She would always love him…
But can she trust him not to break her heart?

Jess Porterfield fled to the big city after his father’s sudden death, leaving behind his family ranch-and his childhood sweetheart. Now Jess has returned as the local lawman, determined to prove his worth…and win back the one woman he could never live without.

Young frontier doctor Addie Wilcox was devastated when Jess left her behind. Now he’s back and it’s difficult to remember why she should keep her distance. But with the town’s richest man set to see her hang for a crime she didn’t commit, Addie must put her faith in the lawman who broke her heart-and trust that together they’ll find their second chance at love.

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Author Guest Post

When authors aren’t hard at work crafting books readers can fall in love with, like readers, they enjoy unwinding with a good book, movie or television program. Maybe the writing is inspiring, or maybe it’s just nice to escape the real world for a little bit. I asked Anna about her favorite stories, ones from popular books, movies, and television shows that many of us probably know too. Read on to see what she had to say!

ALL THE LIGHT WE CANNOT SEE
Anna: Give me a WWII setting in Europe any day of the week; add in love interests who cannot be separated by world events, and I’m hooked.

Interestingly enough, Anna takes inspiration, not just from other books, but from film and television most of all. She says:

That’s the way I write. My characters are actors on a stage or in a movie, and they walk around doing whatever they please while I try to get it all down!

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Excerpt

FROM THE AUTHOR…

Sometimes characters I think are minor speak up. (Sometimes they pretty much grab me by the shoulders and shout, “I want to tell my story!”) That was the case with Dr. Addie Wilcox. So when her childhood sweetheart and love-of-her-life Jess Porterfield returns at the end of The Drifter, I knew what the second book in the series would be. In The Lawman, Addie has to fight her lifelong attraction to Jess, determined that he won’t break her heart again. Trouble is, once he gets appointed to serve as the town marshal and is pretty much living down the street from Addie and her family, avoiding his good looks, charming smile and determination to win her heart becomes pretty much impossible.

The story of Addie and Jess is all about first love and second chances. Here’s an excerpt that I hope sends you running to the store or your computer to read more…

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Addie could not for the life of her figure out why she continued to allow that man to get to her. Why couldn’t she be more like Jess’s younger sister and her good friend, Amanda—calm and sophisticated? She searched the gathering for Amanda, but hesitated when she saw her friend surrounded by the usual trio of admirers. Amanda had been planning this party for weeks now. She certainly deserved to enjoy herself and not have to sympathize with Addie. Besides, Jess was Amanda’s brother, newly returned to the fold from his travels following his father’s death—a death everyone now knew had not been the accident they’d first thought.
Addie stopped dead in her tracks. Her hand flew to her mouth. What was she thinking?
Poor Jess. Did he know? Had anyone told him? Of course not. Jess had a temper, and if he knew what everyone now knew—that his father’s death was not the accident they’d first thought–he’d likely be off trying to track down the killer.
Maybe Jess had overheard some of the talk. Maybe that was why he was talking about applying for the marshal’s position. After all, Jasper Tipton had built that big house in town to please his bride, Pearl, and his brother, Buck, lived there as well. While the local marshal had no jurisdiction outside the town limits, Jess might just think the fact the Tiptons resided in town opened the door for him to go after them. More than likely he would get himself killed in the bargain. Her head was spinning as she tried to think the issue through from every side.
“This is not one of your medical cases,” she muttered to herself. “This is Jess.” And when it came to figuring out what Jess Porterfield might be thinking, she fully appreciated that logic was not part of the process. She was still mad at him for leaving all those months ago but that didn’t mean she didn’t care about him and, knowing his temper, he was bound to get into trouble. With a sigh, she headed off to find her father. Maybe he could talk some sense into the man—the man she had fallen in love with, planned a future, with and then rejected. But as she moved through the throng of party guests pausing now and then to exchange a greeting, it wasn’t her father she saw—it was Jess.
He wasn’t spoiling for a fight at all. No, he was laughing and flirting with Sybil Sinclair. Sybil with her blonde curls and her bright blue eyes and a cupid’s bow of a mouth that made her look like a porcelain doll. Sybil with her tiny waist and her flawless skin and giddy laugh that actually came out as Tee-hee-hee.
“My brother is trying to make you jealous,” Amanda murmured, coming to stand next to her. “Do not let him know that it’s working.”
“It’s not,” Addie insisted, pushing her glasses more firmly onto the bridge of her nose. She straightened to her full height, which was still a good three inches shorter than Sybil’s willowy five foot four. She brushed back a lock of hair that had come loose from the practical bun she preferred and tried not to think about how her stick-straight locks would look worn down like Sybil’s long curls. “I really couldn’t care less if your brother wants to make an utter fool of himself with that…”
“Good to know you aren’t affected,” Amanda said wryly.

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Buy Links

Kindle: http://amzn.to/2ghzGBq
Amazon Paperback: http://amzn.to/2gHlePZ
B&N: http://bit.ly/2f1LKFQ
iBooks: http://apple.co/2eXO11s

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Giveaway

Win one of five copies of Last Chance Cowboys: The Drifter, the first book in Anna Schmidt’s Where The Trail Ends series

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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About the Author

Award-winning author Anna Schmidt delights in creating stories where her characters must wrestle with the challenges of their times. Critics have consistently praised Schmidt for her ability to seamlessly integrate actual events with her fictional characters to produce strong tales of hope and love in the face of seemingly insurmountable obstacles. She resides in Wisconsin.

 

Spotlight, Excerpt & Giveaway: Beautiful Crazy (Rock ‘n’ Ink Book 1) by Kasey Lane

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Beautiful Crazy (Rock ‘n’ Ink Book 1) by Kasey Lane 

Publication Date: November 1, 2016

Synopsis

img_5137“You confound me. You’re all these maddening contradictions that don’t make any sense… And I can’t get enough of your special brand of beautiful crazy.”

She’s a rocker with attitude and ink…
He’s a sexy suit who gets what he wants

Kevan Landry is trying to keep her life on track and her brother in rehab. If her fledgling marketing firm can sign the hot new band, Manix Curse, it will make a world of difference. Mason Dillon heads the most successful music PR firm in Portland. He’s desperate to breathe new life into the company by signing Manix Curse.

The last thing either one needs is a one-night stand with a smoldering stranger…

The stakes are high when a battle for the band—in the bedroom and the boardroom—becomes a battle of the heart. But if these two can set aside their differences, they may find they’re the right mix of sexy savvy to conquer both their worlds.

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Excerpt

The squeak of the motor home door got his attention, and the real source of his discombobulation walked onto the RV and into the kitchenette.
“Ready to go?” she asked with an upbeat lilt to her voice. Was that courtesy of Jax? One more asshole’s teeth to kick in.
“Go?”
“Leave for Medford. Ben says any time.”
“Could you go up front and let him know we’re ready?”
When she returned, Kevan filled a glass with water before sitting across from him.
“I’m sorry,” they both started at the same time. Then she laughed, her voice as shaky as the hand gripping her glass.
He smiled. “Ladies first.”
“Look, I got a little carried away.” She ran her purple-tipped finger around the top of the glass, watching like it was the most fascinating thing in the world. “The music gets me amped up, and I forget how to behave sometimes. It won’t happen again.”
He should be relieved, really. Getting involved with her while they were on the road made everything much more complicated. He didn’t like complicated. Remember? He liked simple, honest, professional. Or, boring, as Kevan would call it.
“Promise?” he teased.
“Of course,” she snapped. “I’m sure I can manage to keep my hands off you.”
“Whatever you say,” he said, looking back at his computer screen, closing out GEM’s email server. He didn’t need Kevan learning his bosses had sent his protégé to undermine his progress. No telling how she’d take the news.
“What the hell does that mean?” Her glare made him want to smooth the lines on her forehead.
With his mouth.
“It means we made a deal, and I’ll keep to it. Unless…”
“Unless what?” She scrunched up her nose and tilted her head.
“Unless, maybe you’d like to break that part of the deal.” He held her gaze, his tone even, not wanting to give away his plan.
“What part? I’m not giving up on my band.” Her face flushed with the telltale sign of a woman ready to do battle. Yeah. He wasn’t going there, today. The RV was too small, and maybe her aim had gotten better.
“I just meant…oh, never mind.”
“What? Say it.” Her voice was husky.
“I thought maybe…” He started praying the warmth he felt creeping up his neck didn’t show as a blush. Because he didn’t blush. Not ever.
“What?” She got up and rinsed her glass in the sink. As she leaned her fine ass against the counter, the bus stopped short, sending her into Mason’s arms with a grunt.
“I got you, darlin’.”
She looked up into his eyes, her face so serious, and said, “This time you do, don’t you?”
He nodded and cleared his throat. “I’m starting to get used to you landing on me.”
Kevan’s lush body perched on his lap like it was custom-made to fit him. On impulse, he almost asked her to dinner on their first day off. Maybe it was best not to.
“I bet you are,” she said. God, the feel of her in his arms felt so fucking right as images of their bodies entwined flashed through his mind. He almost moaned when she looked away and struggled back to her feet, her ass wriggling right over his suddenly attentive cock. Fucking hell.
When she sighed and yawned, Mason reluctantly allowed her out of his hold.
“I need to get to ready for bed.”
Minutes later, she emerged from the small bathroom wearing a faded, holey Reverend Horton Heat T-shirt and sweats cut off at the knees. She’d wrapped her hair up in a knotted handkerchief and removed all her makeup. With the protective layer of paint gone, her skin glowed. Her freckled face looked young and sweet.
He couldn’t win. She had stunned him in her tight pinup dresses, but standing there without makeup, she devastated him in her sweats and grubby T-shirt. At that moment, he wanted nothing more than to strip her of her cute pajamas and fill her with his cock, brand her with his come, show her what she was doing to him.
Instead, Kevan moved toward the side bunk and said quietly, “Good night, Mason.” Then she pulled aside the bunk’s curtain and ducked inside.
He shut down his laptop, walked over to her bed, and bent over her bunk to brush a chaste kiss across her cheek. “Good night, darlin’.”

~*~*~*~

Buy Links

Amazon: http://amzn.to/2gDKQ54
B&N: http://bit.ly/2edBFEA

~*~*~*~

Giveaway

5 Copies of BEAUTIFUL CRAZY

a Rafflecopter giveaway

~*~*~*~

About the Author

Award-winning debut author KASEY LANE writes sexy romances featuring music, hot guys with ink, kick-ass women, and always a happily ever after. A California transplant, she lives with her high school crush turned husband, two smart but devilish kids, two Papillons, three cats, and several chickens in the lush Oregon forest.

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

Spotlight, Guest Post, Excerpt & Giveaway: THE UNTOUCHABLE EARL by Amy Sandas

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The Untouchable Earl (Fallen Ladies, #2) by Amy Sandas

Publication Date: November 1, 2016

Genre: Historical Romance

Synopsis

img_5070“Are you afraid?”
“Yes,” she replied in a soft voice. “But I love the way you frighten me.”

Lily Chadwick has spent her life playing by society’s rules. But when an unscrupulous moneylender snatches her off the street and puts her up for auction at a pleasure house, she finds herself in the possession of a man who makes her breathless with terror and impossible yearning…

Though the reclusive Earl of Harte claimed Lily with the highest bid, he hides a painful secret—one that has kept him from knowing the pleasure of a lover’s touch. Even the barest brush of skin brings him physical pain, and he’s spent his life keeping the world at arms’ length. But there’s something about Lily that maddens him, bewitches him, compels him…and drives him toward the one woman brave and kind enough to seek to heal his troubled heart.

~*~*~*~

Author Guest Post

Amy Sandas/ The Untouchable Earl – Guest Post

Brooding heroes. I’ve always been drawn to them over all other hero types. They stay in my mind long after they attain their happy ending, perhaps because that HEA tends to be so hard-won. They tend to carry around scars that won’t heal and painful memories that won’t fade, closing themselves off from others, fearing judgement or further hurt. I love their complexity, their secrets, the deep inner darkness they don’t bother to hide, and the tenderness they don’t want you to find.

Who are my favorite brooding heroes?

Derek Craven from Dreaming of You by Lisa Kleypas – Derek Craven is one of my favorite romance novel heroes of all time. It is not just his ruthless determination to distance himself from the gutters from which he had been born that makes him so alluring, or even his rough, almost brutish masculinity, though it certainly helps! Craven is a man of power and wealth of his own making, he is “a figure of mystery; arrogant, self-mocking, sociable and yet intensely private.” Ultimately, it is the unexpected sentimentality buried in depths of Craven’s soul that gives him his greatest mystique and urges a worthy woman to bring light to his darkness.
Avenell Slade, the hero in my latest title, The Untouchable Earl, is also a wonderful brooder. Keeping people beyond arms reach is vital to his survival in a society that would scorn him for the physical affliction he acquired from a childhood illness. No one can know his secret, and that means no one can get too close. It is a wretched existence made only more devastating when he meets Lily Chadwick, a woman whose closeness he desires beyond all else.

~*~*~*~

Excerpt

“Are you going to try the champagne?” she asked.
He looked at the elegant glass in his hand. The act had become such an ingrained habit that he never even thought about it anymore. But then, no one else seemed to notice when he did not actually raise his glass to drink.
“I prefer not to have my judgment clouded.”
In truth, he never consumed anything that might promote a loss of control while among society. He had to be ever diligent if he was to successfully maintain his composure.
Perhaps tonight more than ever.
“Then why pour yourself a glass?”
“It has become habit, I suppose. A way to blend with my peers and avoid drawing attention.
She tilted her head. A smile played about the corners of her mouth. “You do what you can to blend in, whereas I’ve always secretly wished I possessed some quality that might help me to stand out. We make an odd pair, my lord.”
Avenell’s lips curved upward involuntarily. “We do indeed, Miss Chadwick.”
He hadn’t intended the intimate tone that had crept into his words, but in seeing her eyes widen with that barely perceptible reaction she had to him, he was glad for it. Knowing he could cause the involuntary response made him feel as though they were on a bit more equal ground.
“Will you call me Lily?” she asked with a modest dip of her chin. “It feels odd to be so formal, considering our…association,” she added hesitantly.
It took him a moment to gather himself enough to respond. “Would you like me to call you Lily?”
“Yes. I think so.”
He nodded.
“Shall I call you Avenell?”
Hearing his name on her lips created a fine point of pressure in his chest. He instinctively squared his shoulders in defense. Although he was pleased she would allow him the intimacy of using her given name—in fact, he intended for her to share far more intimacies with him—he could not do the same in return.
“I prefer you address me as Lord Harte.” He knew his words sounded cold, but there was no help for it. “Or my lord.”
A shadow slid across her expression at this response. Her mouth curved softly downward in a way he found intensely alluring. A tiny line formed above her brow, then quickly disappeared. He could see his refusal bothered her. For a moment it appeared she might dispute him, but she held her tongue.
While she remained silent, Avenell felt an unusual desire to provide some sort of explanation. Not all of the truth, perhaps, but something to help her understand that the denial was not a personal rejection.
“I have never kept a mistress,” he began, carefully easing into what he needed to say.
“I recall you telling me as much,” she replied. “And of course, you know I have never been one before.”
Her tone was gentle, and her features were set in a perfect expression of serenity, but he could have sworn he detected a note of dry humor in her tone. Her composure despite the subject matter astounded him. She was so unlike the typical modest young lady.
Something in the steadiness of her gaze urged him to glance away, to look anywhere but at her. He resisted the temptation and began again. “I never entered into such an arrangement because I knew there would be an expectation of certain liberties that I cannot allow.”
There was a long pause, during which the point of pressure in his chest spread outward. Then she tilted her head in a subtle gesture.
“What sort of liberties?” she asked softly.
Her voice had changed. It was difficult to identify exactly what it was, but it warmed him. Made him feel a burst of impatience, a wave of deeper desire. He took a moment before he replied.
“You will understand more fully soon enough. But I promise, I will not allow my limitations to lessen the pleasure you experience during our association.”
A blush pinked her cheeks. But she did not look away.
“And what of your pleasure, my lord?” Her voice was soft and low. Smoky, like her eyes.
It weaved through Avenell’s senses and hit him hard in the gut. Heat scored through his insides on a direct path to his loins. He had suspected from the start that her gentle manner had lured him so strongly. But the unexpected boldness in her query had an intense effect on him.
His arousal roughened his tone as he answered, “My pleasure is assured. Do not doubt that.”
The pink in her cheeks spread down across her chest and the upper swells of her breasts, but still she held his gaze. He wondered what she might be thinking. Her stillness was disconcerting when he sensed so much going on inside her.
After a few moments, her lashes swept low as she looked down at the glass of champagne held lightly in her hands.
Avenell set his own glass on the mantel over the fireplace and turned to face her more fully. It was time to begin.
“Come here, Lily.”

~*~*~*~

Buy Links

Amazon: http://amzn.to/2f6j1jf
B&N: http://bit.ly/2e2j3Hz
iBooks: http://apple.co/2dPh2gc

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Giveaway

10 Copies of Luck is No Lady

a Rafflecopter giveaway

~*~*~*~

About the Author

Amy Sandas’ love of romance began one summer when she stumbled across one of her mother’s Barbara Cartland books. Her affinity for writing began with sappy pre-teen poems and led to a Bachelor’s degree with an emphasis on Creative Writing from the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities. She lives with her husband and children in Wisconsin.

Social Networking Links: Website | Goodreads | Facebook | Twitter

Spotlight, Guest Post & Giveaway: Picture Perfect Wedding by Lynnette Austin

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Picture Perfect Wedding (Magnolia Brides, #3) by Lynnette Austin

Publication Date: November 1, 2016

Synopsis

img_5045Third in the heartfelt and charming Magnolia Brides series from Lynnette Austin

One mistake can change everything…forever

Beck Elliot and Tansy Calhoun were inseparable—until Tansy left Misty Bottoms, Georgia, promising to come back after she finished school. Beck stayed behind to save the family business, dreaming of the day when Tansy would return. Instead, his trust and his heart were broken when she inexplicably married another man and bore his child.

Five years later, Tansy comes home, a sadder and wiser woman. Despite his anger, Beck finds it hard to avoid her and her adorable little daughter—especially with all the busybodies of Misty Bottoms going out of their way to throw him and Tansy together, hoping a lingering spark will reignite their enduring flame…

~*~*~*~

Buy Links

Kindle | Amazon PBK | B&N | iBooks

~*~*~*~

Author Guest Post

Love—the Second Time Around!

I love second-chance romances—both to read and to write! Our couple’s first chance has generally happened before the book begins, and, then, they meet again—with all the ensuing angst. This is no slow-build relationship but rather a raging inferno from the get-go with the chemistry and connection full-blown on page one.

The once-lovers often face-off as enemies; the conflict is built in. Something caused their relationship to implode the first time around. When they meet again, that problem remains unresolved. If they couldn’t solve it before, how can they hope to now?

On top of that, neither the hero nor the heroine has remained in a vacuum during their “away” time. They’ve both had lives for these two or five or ten years. Both have changed, and those old emotions, resentments, and frustrations have had a chance to fester.

Picture Perfect Wedding, the third book in my Magnolia Brides series, is a second-chance-at-love story. When Tansy Calhoun left for college, she promised to return to Beck Elliot, who stayed behind in Misty Bottoms, Georgia, to save the family business. She reneged on that promise and married someone else, had his baby.

Five years later, divorced and broke, she and her daughter return to Tansy’s small hometown to create wedding cakes for Magnolia Brides. The question isn’t whether or not she and Beck will fall in love but rather will either take a chance on risking his heart again.

One mistake can change everything…forever.

If you love this trope as much as I do, I’m sure you have favorites! Here is one of mine:
Ain’t She Sweet by Susan Elizabeth Phillips. Sugar Beth Carey ruled Parrish,

Mississippi, fifteen years ago. When she left town, she left behind a lot of hatred and resentment, all well-earned. Collin Byrne’s animosity is almost a living entity.

At the story’s start, this golden girl crawls back to Parrish with her deceased third husband’s dysfunctional dog and barely enough money to feed herself and put gas in her car. One of the feistiest heroines ever, it’s a veneer. She’s the girl you love to hate, the one who made high school a living hell. Yet, under Phillips’ expert hand, I found myself rooting for Sugar Beth, and, once the reason for her behavior was exposed, I wanted her to rise like the phoenix. Sugar is fighting for a second chance both at love and redemption.

My guilty confession—I’ve read Ain’t She Sweet at least six times, and, every single time, I cringe at the fork-under-the-table incident. I’m not telling. You’ll have to read it for yourself.

What’s your favorite second-chance romance? Why?

~*~*~*~

Excerpt

In a perfect world or, heck, even in a movie, music would play softly in the background. The SUV’s windows would be down, her auburn hair blowing softly in the breeze. Her hero would wait at the road’s end, arms open and welcoming.
They’d kiss…
Tansy Calhoun Forbes’s cell rang, and, startled, she glanced in the rearview mirror. Gracie, her four-year-old daughter, slept soundly, a welcome respite from today’s endless are-we-there-yets.
“Hello?” she practically whispered.
“You unpacked yet?” Jenni Beth Beaumont, her best friend forever, sounded stressed.
“Still a few miles from town, but almost there.”
“Good. Great. Listen, I know this has been a stressful day, heck, a stressful year, and you’re tired…”
Tansy smiled. She could practically see her friend squirming. “What do you need, Jenni Beth?”
“Oh, Tanz, I have two weddings and a sixteenth birthday party coming up this week. Magnolia Brides is booked solid for the next nine months—my dream come true—but I’m dying here! I need cakes. Phenomenal cakes. Your cakes!”
“I don’t have—”
“Kitty said you can use the bakery’s kitchen.”
Tansy sighed and ran her fingers through already-mussed hair.
“I know, I know.” Jenni Beth’s tension vibrated over the airwaves. “I’m putting you on the spot. Big-time. I’m a horrible person. An even worse friend.”
“No, you’re not.” Determined, Tansy sat up a little straighter. “This is exactly what I’ve insisted I want. Part of the reason I’m on my way home. Color me stupid, but I’m in.”
As the city-limits sign loomed, she hung up and removed her dark glasses. Misty Bottoms, Georgia. The Low Country. Even slowing to a crawl didn’t stop the inevitable.
Home, sweet home.
Right back at the starting gate.
Waiting for her? No music, no hero, and no kiss.
And no one but herself to blame.
Tansy pushed her sunglasses back in place and glared at the brilliant sunshine that bathed the beyond-gorgeous autumn day. The humidity had dropped, and a few white clouds drifted high in the bluebird sky. Shouldn’t it be raining, the sky dark with ominous thunderheads?
Divorced for fifty-three days, five hours, and—she checked the dashboard clock—six minutes, and here she was, hell-bent on creating the cake for a bride’s special day.
She’d had her own shot at the dream and lost—because the wrong groom stood beside her at the altar.
Walking out of her supersized house that morning had been confusing. She’d expected a huge weight to lift, and it had. Still, that was the house she’d brought Gracie home to after she’d been born. Where her first four birthdays had been celebrated. Christmases and Thanksgivings.
And so much unhappiness and deceit.
A building off to Tansy’s right caught her attention and caused a hitch in her heart. Elliot Construction and Lumberyard.
Beck Elliot, the groom behind door number one, the door she hadn’t chosen.
Oh boy. Was she making another mistake? Should she have started over somewhere else?
Ding, ding, ding. The low-fuel indicator chimed, and the little red light blinked on. Shoot!
Tommy’s Texaco loomed.
Relieved, she flipped on her turn signal, veered into the lot, and pulled up to the gas pump.
And there it sat.
A big red truck with Elliot Construction on the side.
The door to the gas station opened, and Beck Elliot, looking hotter than any man had a right in dusty jeans, a faded T-shirt, and old work boots, stepped outside.
He tore the wrapper off a candy bar and took a bite.
Then his intense, midnight-blue eyes met hers. The chill had her rubbing her arms even though the temperature read seventy-five in the shade.
As she got out, her gaze collided with Beck’s again.
His eyes radiated resentment and betrayed hopes.
Hers? She figured they held remorse, hurt, and impossible-to-deny desire.
Beck nearly choked on the bite of chocolate. What the hell?
He tossed the bar into the trash barrel outside the door.
Months ago, he’d heard rumblings that Tansy’d enrolled her daughter in the local preschool, but since no one had said anything else about it, he’d figured she’d changed her mind. That fancy SUV of hers was loaded to the roof, though, way more than she’d need for a quick visit.
His chest constricted, and he swore under his breath. Why would she return to Misty Bottoms? She looked like one of those emaciated French models in the magazines his mom read. A good strong wind off the coast would blow her from here to Atlanta.
The strong, carefree Tansy he’d known had disappeared. She’d become… He didn’t know. Ethereal came to mind.
Not his business—and she’d be the first to tell him that.
“Hey, Beck,” Tommy said. “Got your truck filled for ya.”
“Thanks. I left the money on the counter. Later, pal.”
Without another word, without another glance toward the woman he’d once expected to marry, Beck hopped in his truck, turned the key, and pulled out of the gas station, reminding himself that Tansy Calhoun—no, make that Tansy Forbes—was history. Ancient history.

~*~*~*~

Giveaway

10 Copies of The Best Laid Wedding Plans

a Rafflecopter giveaway

~*~*~*~

About the Author

LYNNETTE AUSTIN gave up the classroom to write full time. An author of eight novels, she has been a finalist in RWA’s Golden Heart Contest, PASIC’s Book of Your Heart Contest, and Georgia Romance Writers’ Maggie Contest. She and her husband divide their time between Southwest Florida’s beaches and Blairsville, GA.

Author Links: Website | Facebook | Twitter

Spotlight, Guest Post & Giveaway: True-Blue Cowboy Christmas by Nicole Helm

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True-Blue Cowboy Christmas (Big Sky Cowboys, #3) by Nicole Helm

Publication Date: October 4, 2016

Synopsis

img_4962BIG SKY CHRISTMAS

Thack Lane has his hands full. For the past seven years, he’s been struggling to move on from his wife’s tragic death and raise a daughter all by his lonesome. He doesn’t have time for himself, much less a cheerful new neighbor with a smile that can light up the ranch.

Christmas spirit? Bah, humbug.

With Christmas right around the corner, Summer Shaw is searching for somewhere to belong. When her neighbor’s young daughter takes a shine to her, she is thrilled. But Thack is something else altogether. He’s got walls around his heart that no amount of holiday wishes can scale. Yet as joy comes creeping back to the lonely homestead, Summer and Thack may just find their happily ever after before the last of the Christmas miracles are through…

~*~*~*~

Excerpt

Summer started walking, but Thack took the guitar case from her. “Here, let me help.”

It wasn’t necessary, but it was awfully nice. Especially when his free hand took hers, their fingers intertwining. It was like the culmination of so much desperate belief—that not all men were like the men Summer had met through her mother. That something sweet and easy and normal could exist, and that it could be something she might earn. She swallowed at the lump in her throat. How silly she was to be emotional over something so…little.

The frigid, dark air helped her get her bearings. She led him to where her car was parked, and he helped her load the guitar in the back. When she shut the door, she turned to look at him and managed her best flirtatious-if-nervous smile. “So. Walk?” Though she didn’t know how long they’d last in the freezing temperatures, she thought she might tempt frostbite if it meant spending time with him.

“Yeah. Just…one thing first.”

Before she could even ask what, his mouth was on hers and she sighed into the kiss, leaning into him. She loved the way his hands tangled in her hair, that even though they weren’t exactly at ease around each other one hundred percent of the time, this was easy.

No, easy wasn’t the right word. It just worked. Their bodies fit and somehow his mouth always knew exactly how to move against hers, like they had been built to match in all of the right places—two puzzle pieces that on the surface hadn’t looked like they would fit together.

But the surface was never the whole story, and while for the past two years she’d desperately tried to make the layers fit, she couldn’t erase those first twenty years of her life.

Somehow, kissing Thack in the middle of a dark Montana town, she found she no longer wanted to erase the experience of those years. It was a part of her, a part of how she’d gotten here, to this place where his kiss, his hands, he felt like magic.

She wanted more. He wanted more. They wanted each other. She didn’t want to freeze her butt off on a walk down Main Street. Not when, for the first time, their time together was truly just the two of them. No matter where this took them, that was something to grab with both hands and not waste.

“We could skip the walk,” she said, holding on to his coat, ignoring the press of the car door handle in her back.

His eyes narrowed as if he wasn’t quite certain she was suggesting what he thought she was suggesting. “Um. What exactly would we do instead?”

“You could take me home.” She sounded breathless and probably ridiculous, but she didn’t care. This was something she’d dreamed about. Over the years, she had put a great deal of thought into the details—when and how, and what type of person would be the one she would want to give those last pieces of herself to.

Thack wasn’t exactly what she’d pictured, but at the same time, he was more. Strong, steady, dedicated. Everything about him awed her. He had her pressed against a car door, and she was deliriously excited with it. How could she not want to jump in feet first?

“But we have two cars and… I’m taking this too literally, aren’t I?”

She couldn’t stifle the laugh, both happy and nervous. “You are. I mean, if you have to get back to Kate, I understand. But you could escort me home. If you have the time. If you want.”

“Dad said he’d call if he and Mrs. Bart needed me, so I could take you home. You know, I…I’m kind of curious about what the inside of that thing you live in looks like.”

“I’ll give you a tour.”

“Thank you for being ten times better at this whole flirting thing than I am.” He brushed a kiss against her mouth.

She smiled up at him. “Luckily, you make up for the bad flirting in the kissing department.”

He gave a short laugh. “Not a bad trade.”

She took a deep breath and mustered all of her courage and all of her determination. She set goals, and she reached them. Thack didn’t have to be any different. “So, follow me home?”

He gave a short nod and held the driver’s side door open for her as she slid in. She started the old clunker, only partially sad when it actually started. It would have been kind of nice if he’d been able to drive her home.

Oh well. “Parked around front?”

“Ah, yes. Meet me there?”

“Yup.”

He hesitated again, then smiled. “I’ll see you soon.” Carefully, he closed her door. In the rearview mirror, she watched him walk away, her heart pounding wildly. She’d invited him to her place. She’d offered a tour, which she hoped was obviously more euphemism than reality.

Well, it didn’t matter. Because tonight…tonight she was going to go after exactly what she wanted.

~*~*~*~

Buy Links

Kindle | Amazon Paperback | B&N | iBooks

Amazon Series Link

~*~*~*~

Author Guest Post

Top Five Holiday Traditions

I admit it, I’m a Christmas junkie. I used to take boxes of Christmas decorations to my college dorm/apartment every year. I have three trees in my basement and a plethora of tubs of ornaments, books, sparkly things, decorative plates and the like. December is all Christmas music all the time. I love Christmas.

Which was why it was fun to mix the magic of Christmas and the magic of romance in True-Blue Cowboy Christmas. My favorite part of Christmas is family, which is why I brought the whole crazy Shaw clan together for this final book in my Big Sky Cowboys series.

To me, the holidays are all about love, so my favorite holiday traditions are either done with family or because they remind me of family.

Eating! I’m sorry, it’s true, I love eating through the holidays! There are a lot of one-time treats that come out at my house, or in the houses we visit. I love to make Kringla, but it’s a pain, so I only make it at Christmas time. My grandma always has gingerbread cake, which feels especially like Christmas to me, plus the afore-mentioned sugar cookies. My mom or I make Swedish Rye Bread. My tastebuds are always very happy the week of Christmas. And all these eating usually happens with some of my favorite people in the world, which makes it that much more fun.
There are a million other things I love to do around Christmas time as well, but I’ll spare you my never-ending list. True-Blue Cowboy Christmas features a few (Rudolph, tree trimming, etc), and if you’re looking for a heart-warming Christmas read, I hope you’ll check it out.

~*~*~*~

Giveaway

5 finished copies of True-Blue Cowboy Christmas

a Rafflecopter giveaway

~*~*~*~

About the Author

img_4964NICOLE HELM writes down-to-earth contemporary romance specializing in neighbors who don’t live close enough to be a problem. When she’s not writing, she spends her time day dreaming about someday owning a barn. She lives with her husband and two young sons in O’Fallon, Missouri.

Author Links: Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram

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Spotlight, Review, Guest Post & Giveaway: A Very Jaguar Christmas (Heart of the Jaguar) by Terry Spear

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A Very Jaguar Christmas (Heart of the Jaguar, #5) by Terry Spear

Publication Date: October 4, 2016

Genre: Paranormal Romance

Synopsis

img_4922There are all kinds of surprises under the mistletoe!

As a protector of all jaguar-kind, Guardian agent Demetria MacFarlane isn’t surprised to get a call near Christmas—but when she’s sent to protect a cub whose species she didn’t even know existed, her holiday season gets complicated. And it doesn’t help that her partner is a distraction of the hottest kind.

Hotshot JAG agent Everett Anderson can handle dangerous poachers and wildlife traffickers, no problem…but kids? Everett fears he’ll be stuck cub-sitting under the Christmas tree, but working with one sexy Guardian she-cat may be the best present he’s ever gotten.

~*~*~*~

Excerpt

What do you do when you think your boss is drinking on the job in celebration of Christmas when he gives you the most unreal mission you could think of?
Early that morning, Demetria got an emergency call from the director of the Guardian branch. She was feeling better, but she was on vacation, had had to take something for a headache this morning, and fully intended to sleep for a few more hours. It was only six in the morning!
Then her heart thumped wildly, her first thought that there was some awful development concerning Brayden.
When her boss told her the trouble he was calling about, she immediately believed Ben had gotten an early start on drinking mistletoe martinis in celebration of the holidays.
She put the call on speaker so she could get dressed. “Okay, sir, you’re telling me that the jaguar shifter daycare has an Arctic wolf shifter pup there. Really? That’s like saying they have a Bigfoot baby there. They’re trying to pull a prank on us.”
“I’m serious, Demetria. I need you to go over there immediately. You might know that a JAG agent’s mother owns and operates the daycare, so she called her son Everett Anderson to take care of it at first. Since he was working with you on Brayden Covington’s case, he called and highly recommended you handle it. The JAG agency doesn’t normally deal with guardian-type services. That’s our job.”
Mary Anderson’s daycare? Demetria couldn’t believe it. Mary was great at coming up with fantastical stories and games for the kids, but she didn’t figure her for going with a practical joke that involved a policing agency.
Demetria squinted at her reflection in the mirror. Ugh. She brushed her hair and began applying her makeup. “We don’t handle anything like that either, for anything other than jaguars. This has got to be someone’s idea of a joke. This year, the different branches pulled all kinds of pranks on each other.”
“That was on April Fool’s Day.”
“So, maybe they’re a little early for next year.”
Ignoring her comment, Ben said, “I need you to check it out and report back to me ASAP.”
“All right, sir.” This was nuts. And she hated to be the fall guy.
“Okay, but if this truly is a case of learning there’s such a thing as a wolf shifter, I’m canceling your leave and assigning you the job. This case takes priority over anything else.”
She wished she hadn’t had that third margarita last night.
She grabbed her purse and glanced at the clean kitchen, vaguely recalling that Everett had been mopping the floor before…before he carried her off to bed. Now she felt even guiltier that she’d said no to a date with him today. Was this a way for him to get even?
She headed out the door.
“All right?” Ben said, getting confirmation she was going along with the program.
“Yes, sir.” Because she knew this was all some dumb hoax. Though she couldn’t believe Everett or his mother would be trying to pull some prank on her. She just didn’t know what to think.
When Demetria arrived at the daycare, pretend frost covered the windows, making it look like a winter’s day in Dallas. Twinkling colorful lights hanging from the eves and lights in the windows gave it a real holiday look. The sign out front had two little angels holding jaguar cubs, signifying to jaguar shifters that one of their own ran the place. She didn’t imagine any human daycare would include jaguars in its motif, and she wondered what humans would think of the notion of having a wild animal as part of the branding.
Looking totally frazzled with her blond hair slipping from her bun, Mary Anderson met Demetria outside and quickly ushered her into the daycare. “Oh, oh, I’m so glad you’re here, Demetria. This is just well…just…unreal. And wonderful. And horrible.”
Demetria had never seen Everett’s mother so rattled. Well, except for the time she was helping search for the runaway preschooler. “My boss sent me to help take care of the situation. May I see the wolf shifter pup?”
“Yes, yes, this way. Everett has been watching over him. He starts crying and whimpering if we leave him alone for even a minute.”
“Wolf pack mentality,” Demetria said, as if buying into this. “Unless you mean your son.”
Mary smiled a little. “Everett will be thrilled you arrived to take the pup off his hands. He was the one who called your boss and asked for your help. He was a little worried you might not be feeling well because you were a touch under the weather last night, but he knew you were just the one to handle it. We have a serious problem here.”
Demetria hoped he hadn’t told his mother why she was a “touch under the weather” last night. “Besides the fact werewolves don’t exist?”
“We don’t know who the mother was.”
Demetria frowned at her. “You didn’t sign the child in?” Even though she knew this had to be a joke, she still couldn’t help treating it like it was a real case.
“No. Neither did Heidi Johansson, my helper,” Mary said. “The woman just dropped the child off, then left. If he had been strictly human and hadn’t told Heidi he was going to shift and then shifted, I would have called child protective services.”
Demetria did smell the wolf scent, which told her that they’d had a real wolf, or wolf-dog, here at some point.
They both reached the doorway to a room in the back of the building and looked in. Smiling, Everett crouched on the floor, playing tug-of-war with the wolf pup, the silver aluminum halo firmly entrenched between the pup’s teeth. Demetria smiled at the sight, pulled out her cell phone, and snapped a shot to send to her boss. Now this was seeing Everett in a new light. Though watching him mop the spilled margarita off her floor and clean up all the glass was something she’d never seen him do either. She had to admit she was grateful he’d cleaned up the floor, dishes, and everything.
“Oh, no, Everett,” his mother scolded. “We need those for the Christmas play.” Mary took the halo away from Everett, looking highly annoyed with him.
Everett appeared properly chastised, while the pup looked like he was disappointed his favorite toy had been taken away from him and was still eyeing it in Mary’s hand.

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Donna review 4.5 stars

I immediately loved this story and the characters in it. Their easy banter and camaraderie was relaxing and fun. Everette and Demetria made the perfect couple and the perfect agents for the Christmas time mission. There wasn’t a lot of action with the mystery, rather it was a sexy, feel-good romance. It flowed nicely and was a perfect book to curl up with.

*Review copy provided by NetGalley in exchange for an review.

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Author Guest Post

What if the shifter world as you knew it suddenly changed?

That’s what happens in A Very Jaguar Christmas. Everyone, jaguars and wolves alike, were blissfully unaware of the others. And now with one little Arctic wolf pup deposited at a jaguar shifter daycare before Christmas, both their worlds collide.

Can you imagine that? I mean, it would be like if some hunky guy you were friends with suddenly turned out to be a wolf—more than just a wolfish guy, but really a part-time wolf! So they have to deal with not just knowing that wolf shifters exist, but that they have one of their little ones, and where does that leave them?

Jaguars are not pack animals, yet the momma takes care of her babies until they’re old enough to hunt on their own. I was just watching a video about cougars, and the myth that the daddy isn’t welcome anymore might be just that. It showed the momma in a den with her babies and daddy coming to join them! So it’s possible that jaguars are the same. They’re so elusive, it’s hard to say.

In any event, the human part of the equation usually makes the shifter just as family-oriented as the wolf packs. But there are differences. They don’t have the issue of the full moon to contend with, if they’re more newly turned.

But how do you, if you’re a jaguar shifter, even find where the wolf packs are? How do you take care of a wolf pup? How do you convince a wolf pack that you have one of their own, and you’re a jaguar shifter that they didn’t even know existed?

It’s not just an adult issue, either. How will the pup feel about being with a bunch of big cats? And little cats too? How will the jaguar kits feel about this alien wolf pup in their daycare? What about protective mommas?

So I’m excited about showing their worlds come together, to see how they will relate, work together, or not. They do have the shifter issue in common, so they have common ground right from the start. And that’s important. But what about territories? Each have their own territories in the wild. Will that be an issue for them as shifters?

For instance, what if a jaguar shifter moved into the town of Silver Town, one place that is totally run by a wolf pack? Would they object? How would a jaguar fit in if he or she had to run in Colorado? What if the jaguar had a mate and little jaguars?

The Victorian Inn is already prepared to handle a jaguar family with a jungle theme just for them in one of the rooms, but what if the family wants to stay and put down roots? Could they abide by wolf pack laws?

So many questions. Fun and conflict—that makes it fun for readers too!

Yep, there’s trouble in shifter paradise, and it’s Christmas on top of that. So it’s time to make some changes in the natural order of things, deal with the fallout, and make this the best Christmas ever.

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Buy Links

Amazon | B&N | Kobo | iBooks

Amazon Series Link

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Giveaway

10 Copies of A Very Jaguar Christmas

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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About the Author

USA Today bestselling author Terry Spear has written over fifty paranormal and medieval Highland historical romances. In 2008 Heart of the Wolf was named a Publishers Weekly Best Book of the Year. A retired officer of the U.S. Army Reserves, Terry also creates award-winning teddy bears that have found homes all over the world and is raising two Havanese puppies. She lives in Crawford, Texas.

Social Networking Links: Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

 

Spotlight, Review & Giveaway: RULED (The Outlaws Series) by Elle Kennedy

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RULED (The Outlaws Series, Book 3) by Elle Kennedy

Publication Date: November 1, 2016

Genre: Romantic Suspense/ Science Fiction

Synopsis

img_4849The latest novel in the series with the “sexiest, baddest, hottest”* outlaws around, from the New York Times bestselling author of Claimed.

In the latest novel in the series with the “sexiest, baddest, hottest” outlaws around, one woman must choose between the two men who want to claim her…

…Or does she?

Despite his magnetic personality, Rylan can’t seem to seduce Reese, the deadly leader of their town of outlaws. Winning her over is a welcome challenge, but her indifference isn’t the only thing standing in his way. If he wants Reese, Rylan must also win over Sloan, her stoic protector…

Sloan has always loved Reese, but their painful past has stolen his chances of a future with her. Rylan’s interest in Reese only intensifies the tension—until Sloan begins to wonder if the reckless man might be the one person who can bridge the distance…

The last time Reese fell for the wrong man, she had no choice but to kill him. Now, she desperately wants to take what both Rylan and Sloan are offering. But if she makes the wrong call again, she risks losing them both.

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Cori 4.5 Stars

I loved it! RULED is a scorching hot romantic suspense set in an apocalyptic world that kept me flipping the pages. It had not one, but two hot alpha heroes and a heroine I rooted for. The story took some twists and turns that surprised me. I couldn’t choose  between the two heroes and fell in love with them both. I just love this series. Elle Kennedy has a writing style that draws the reader into the story. Anytime I pick up one of her books I know I’m going to get swept up in a good story. RULED is part of Elle Kennedy’s Outlaw Series, but it can be read as a standalone. It’s set in apocalyptic world but I think romance readers that do not normally read this genre would still enjoy it. It’s a great romance and I highly recommend it.

*Review copy provided by Penguin in exchange for an honest review. 

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Excerpt

Reese curled both hands around the cracked ceramic mug and breathed in the mint-flavored steam rising from the rim. It heated the tip of her nose and brought a much-needed rush of warmth. She’d felt chilled to the bone all morning, and it had nothing to do with the dipping temperature outside.
“So the raid was a success?” The very pregnant Bethany waddled over to the small sofa under the window.
Reese nodded. “We’ve got enough guns and ammo to start a war.”
Bethany’s eyebrows flicked up. “Or a revolution.”
“Same thing.”
“Is it?”
She didn’t even know anymore. Reese lifted the mug to her lips and took a small sip, all the while doing her best to avoid looking at Bethany’s bulging stomach. Seeing it reminded her of her own losses, the choice that had been stolen from her. And it reminded her of Arch, the ginger-haired giant who was never going to see his baby come into this world.
Arch had been a good man, an exceptional soldier. Everyone in town was still grieving for him, but none more so than his woman, whose brown eyes fixed on Reese now.
“What’s going on?” Bethany stroked her belly in absent- minded gestures. “You look worried.”
Reese set down her mug. “Nah, I’m fine.”
“Bullshit. Something’s up.”
She hesitated, because she didn’t confide in many people. Sloan was the one she went to when she was feeling vulnerable. Sometimes Lennox. Tamara. But for all the others, she put on a strong front. She was their leader, which meant they weren’t allowed to see her worrying, or vacillating, or drowning in self-doubt.
She’d known Bethany a long time, though. Shit, it had been almost eight years now. The two women were seventeen when they’d first crossed paths. Where the hell did the time go?
“I did something stupid last night,” she found herself confessing.
“Yeah? What’d you do?”
“Rylan.”
Bethany snorted. “Ah. So he finally charmed his way into your bed?”
The humor in Bethany’s eyes was such a welcome sight that Reese’s heart squeezed. In the two months since Arch’s death, Bethany’s expressions had alternated between completely vacant and raw with grief.
“How was it?” Bethany pressed.
How was it? Reese couldn’t even begin to answer that. Hell, she wasn’t sure there were actual words in the English language that could describe what went down between the two of them last night.
No, the three of them.
Her wrists were still sore from Sloan’s punishing grip. He’d held her, restrained her so she was at Rylan’s mercy. Sloan’s mercy. The memory sent a rush of desire to her core, which only confused her body. She didn’t even know who she’d been coming for last night. Rylan? Or Sloan? Or both?
What she did know was that she’d done a very bad thing. A dangerous thing.
Rylan had been as wild and addictive as she’d suspected he’d be, but . . . she’d crossed a line with Sloan. She’d stared into his eyes while she was sobbing in release. She’d clung to him while Rylan screwed her hard enough to make her see stars. She’d threatened their friendship, and for what? A few orgasms?
It wasn’t fair to Sloan. She knew damn well that he wanted her—she’d always known—yet she’d selfishly asked him to be there last night, even though it must have been torture for him.
What kind of friend did that make her?
“You’re worrying me again.”
Bethany’s quiet voice jolted her from her thoughts. “I’m sorry,” Reese murmured. She picked up her mug and took another long sip. “My head is foggy this morning.”
“Good sex will do that to you.”

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Buy Links

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

Amazon Series Link

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Giveaway

Paperback Copy of RULED by Elle Kennedy

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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About the author
imageA USA Today bestselling author, Elle Kennedy grew up in the suburbs of Toronto, Ontario, and holds a B.A. in English from York University. From an early age, she knew she wanted to be a writer, and actively began pursuing that dream when she was a teenager.

Elle currently publishes with Signet Eclipse, Harlequin Romantic Suspense, Samhain Publishing and Entangled Brazen. She loves strong heroines and sexy alpha heroes, and just enough heat and danger to keep things interesting!

Social Media Links: Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

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