Love You Right by Julia Kent – Spotlight

May 12, 2022 By Leave a Comment

Long and Short Reviews welcomes Julia Kent who is celebrating the recent release of Love You Right, the first book in the Love You, Maine romcom series.

A missed opportunity five years ago makes for an unexpected encounter now between two people meant for each other – but who square off in a very public battle of wills in the small town of Love You, Maine, where every day is Valentine’s Day. Can love conquer all in a town steeped in it?

Kell Luview refuses to be a sucker at love again. Five years ago, he left D.C. with his tail between his legs and his heart broken. Fiercely protective of his small town in rural Maine, he’s determined to save the family tree business and avoid his feelings at all costs, no matter how much he longs to solve the mystery of what happened in D.C.

L.A. native Rachel Hart hates being underestimated almost as much as she hates this small town. She has two goals on this trip: get out of the cheesy tourist trap of Love You, Maine with a completed business deal, and avoid running into Kell, her old friend from D.C. who never became an old flame because of a huge misunderstanding.

One that still aches.

When her rental car breaks down on a logging road and Kell comes to her rescue, it’s clear he’s a changed man – and not for the good. Grumpy and reserved, he pushes all her buttons, still stubbornly convinced she betrayed him all those years ago. He’s never forgiven her, and she’s never forgiven herself for carrying a torch for him.

An embarrassing incident gets the town gossip mill going when residents wrongly assume Kell and Rachel are the newest couple to find love in the most romantic place on Earth. But the townsfolk aren’t wrong for long…

As Rachel breaks through his defenses and charms the town, he faces his biggest fear: all those pesky feelings he’s been avoiding.

Because they’re all about Rachel now.

And maybe they always were.

Can Kell and Rachel fight their growing attraction in the one place in the world where you can’t avoid love?

If you’re looking for a fun read about enemies to lovers, forced proximity, heroines who get their comeuppance and sworn bachelors felled by unexpected true love, featuring a hot bearded lumberjack impervious to poison ivy, and a city-slicker, jaded career woman with a penchant for great coffee, set in a small town in New England – then this is your book.

Grab a cup of (properly good) coffee, a can of hot cocoa mix, a jar of Fluff and maybe some calamine lotion (just in case), and get your happymeter ready as you read the very first book in New York Times bestselling romantic comedy author Julia Kent’s Love You, Maine series – where love isn’t just a feeling – it’s a way of life.

✓Standalone
✓Enemies to Lovers
✓Small town romance
✓Lumberjack and city slicker outsider
… and a cat named Calamine

Enjoy an Excerpt

“Kell,” she whispered against his mouth. “Thank you.”

“For what?”

“For this.” She motioned at the romantic dinner he’d created for the two of them, the wide table in this conference room an ample spread for a…

Ample spread.

“We haven’t even had dinner. Thank me after.”

She batted her eyelashes. “Is that an offer?”

“Rachel,” he said, moving his hand from her waist to cup her ass. “That’s more than an offer.”

He started to kiss her again, but she put her fingers on his lips. “If we don’t eat dinner first, we’ll never eat. And I have a meeting here in this very room, to try to pitch the deal again, in three days. Boundaries, Kell – boundaries. I refuse to have sex on this conference table.”

“The thought never, ever occurred to me,” he lied.

“Liar.”

“Caught.”

With a deep laugh he adored, she reached for the bottle of wine. “How about you uncork this and we start with a lovely glass.”

“Fine. The table is off the table.”

About the Author: New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Julia Kent writes romantic comedy with an edge. Since 2013, she has sold more than 2 million books, with 4 New York Times bestsellers and more than 21 appearances on the USA Today bestseller list. Her books have been translated into French, German, and Italian, with more titles releasing in the future.

From billionaires to BBWs to new adult rock stars, Julia finds a sensual, goofy joy in every contemporary romance she writes. Unlike Shannon from Shopping for a Billionaire, she did not meet her husband after dropping her phone in a men’s room toilet (and he isn’t a billionaire she met in a romantic comedy).

She lives in New England with her husband and three children where she is the only person in the household with the gene required to change empty toilet paper rolls.

She loves to hear from her readers.

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Newsletter | Instagram | BookBub | Goodreads | Amazon Author Page

Buy the book at Amazon, Amazon UK, Amazon AU, Amazon CA, iBooks, Kobo, Barnes and Noble, or Google Play.

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Daughter of Light by Eileen Dreyer – Spotlight and Giveaway

May 4, 2022 By 2 Comments

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Eileen Dreyer will be awarding a $20 Amazon or B/N GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

He’s had enough…

Harry Wyatt, Earl of Hartley has enough problems trying to keep his estate solvent. What he does not need is yet another lost child showing up on his land looking for the Hartley Fairy Diamond made famous by a recent film. A fairy diamond that is no more than myth handed down by delusional ancestors and responsible for the perilous state of his finances. And yet there is something about this latest visitor, something beside her delicate beauty and troubling familiarity. Something that is compelling him to go against everything he believes to help her. To want her.

She’s on a quest…

Sorcha, daughter of Mab Queen of Fairies is on a quest. Dropped into a cold, alien world, it is her task to recover the great fairy stone that has been lost to the land of mortals, a stone whose absence has upended the balance of nature. If she doesn’t get the stone back, spring will not come. But there is a handsome mortal standing in her way. A mortal she is drawn to like no other man, fairy or mortal. A mortal who claims he doesn’t believe in her, but whose memories and fears say otherwise. A mortal with green fairy eyes. A mortal she could love, if only he weren’t mortal and she fairy.

Note: This title was previously published as Dark Seduction

Enjoy an Excerpt

“Here! What are you doing? Get up!”

Startled, Sorcha looked up to see long legs in front of her. Thick boots, sturdy pants, long, sleek limbs. Tall limbs. She kept looking up and then up and still he went on.

A man.

A mortal, dark and fierce and glowering at her.

Sorcha stumbled to her feet, her instinct that of flight. This man was her enemy, surely, in this terrifying place.

“I—I… Forgive me…” she gasped and stumbled. Her feet were too numb from the cold to hold her up, her senses still in too much upheaval.

She reached out for balance and ended up crashing into the mortal’s chest. He grunted, struggling to stay upright. He reached for her, but it was too late. In a tangle of limbs, the two of them tumbled over and their momentum carried them rolling all the way down the long hill into the rocks at the bottom.

“Ooomph!” he grunted, coming to a halt right on top of her.

“Please…” She shoved at him, but it was like trying to move granite. “I… can’t… breathe…”

“Oh. Sorry.”

He lurched up, a hand on either side of her head, until he balanced himself over her, lifting his weight but not his control. “I…”

But then he stopped and stared. Sorcha couldn’t help it. She stared back. A mortal he might be, but he was magnificent. Taller than even the Tuatha, stronger than the elven guards, fiercer than the Dubhlainn Sidhe. Dark and sharp-edged, with high cheeks and a taut jaw and a rapier of a nose. A face on which even a scowl was a thing of beauty. And Sorcha revered beauty.

But that wasn’t what silenced her. It was his eyes. Dark-fringed, wide, crystal-bright. And green.

Fairy green.

Sorcha’s heart leapt in her breast. She felt joy bubble up in her, the relief of a saved life, the delight of finding that she’d been wrong. There was another familiar face in this alien place.

“Ah, how lovely,” she said, lifting her hand to his face. “You’re the one I’m to be looking for, then.”

“The one you’re looking for?” he asked, his voice oddly hushed, his eyes still deep and dark.

She laughed. “Of course. Didn’t the queen herself tell me to look for the one who is us? And who would be quicker to recognize the mark of a fairy than I? Your sister thanks you for her welcome, mo dearthair’”

“What?”

She gave him an even larger smile. “Ah, pardon. I forget it’s the mortal tongue I need. I merely called you my brother. I thank you, my brother, for my welcome.”

For a second the stranger stared at her. Then, shaking his head, he dragged her to her feet. “That’s it,” he said. “I’m calling the police.”

About the Author:

New York Times bestselling author and RWA Hall of Fame member Eileen Dreyer and her evil twin Kathleen Korbel have published over forty novels and novellas, and ten short stories in genres ranging from medical suspense to paranormal to romance. She is thrilled to have joined Oliver Heber Books to continue her Drake’s Rakes series about Regency aristocrats who are willing to sacrifice everything to keep their country safe, of which Ill Met by Moonlight is a near relative.

A former trauma nurse, Eileen lives in St. Louis with her husband, children and large and noisy Irish family, of which she is the reluctant matriarch. A seasoned conference speaker, Dreyer travels to research, and uses research as an excuse to travel. Oh, who’s she kidding? She doesn’t need an excuse. She has the Irish wanderlust and satisfies it as often as she can to the point that she has sung traditional Irish music on four continents. She also had the incredible chance to research Drake’s Rakes by attending the 200th anniversary of not only the Battle of Waterloo, but the Duchess of Richmond ball (in period attire). She has animals, but refuses to subject them to the limelight.

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Buy the book at Amazon.


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The Kind of Writer I Am by JR Salisbury – Guest Blog and Giveaway

May 3, 2022 By 5 Comments

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. J R Salisbury will be awarding a $25 Amazon or Barnes and Noble GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

What kind of writer am I??

I am fortunate that writing is my full-time job.

For years I’ve written by the seat of my pants with only a notebook with ideas and important details to each story. My editors convinced me my books would be oh-so-much better if I’d outline first. So kicking and screaming I’ve read a zillion books on plotting, learned to outline with the help of one of my editors. It’s been a slow process as I feel the time I spend doing that I could better use writing.

I will say Her Wicked Desires is the first serious attempt at a detailed outline and writing it pretty much in accordance to said outline. Do I think it helped? Yes, though I still have the urge to just write whatever pops in my head and revise later. To me the first draft is just a rough draft that you go back and polish during your second and third times. Then it’s off to the editor and later a proofreader. When its returned to me the final time I re-read it in detail along with sending it out to a couple of beta readers – just in case something’s been overlooked. A fresh pair of eyes is always good.

When I’m writing the story I usually write 1-2000 words per day. Sometimes more. I’ve learned to slow down and really put a lot of thought into what goes on the screen so sometimes a sentence can be rewritten a dozen times – but the best is always the last.

I could go on and on because I love sharing my experiences, but this gives you a small bite of how I write.

A daring widow. A determined duke. A story too wicked for the eyes of the ton…
Lady Georgiana, dowager duchess of Ashwood, emerges from a year of official mourning with her next steps firmly in mind. She will retreat to her beloved country estate, play merry matchmaker to her dearest friends, and write daring romance novels under a male pseudonym. Far from the prying eyes of the ton—and her late husband’s odious cousin.

But when her publisher wants to meet “Geoff Parker” in person, she gratefully accepts the help of Jeremy Graystone, childhood friend and heir to a dukedom. A man whose bronze, muscular good looks could tempt her to forget to keep him at arm’s length.

Years ago, Jeremy had to watch Georgiana’s family marry her off to another. Now the timing is finally right. But with Georgiana determined to relish her newfound freedom, he will be patient and plan for the day he will have her in his bed, his hands tangled in her spun-gold hair, her lapis blue eyes only for him.

And do whatever is necessary to keep her late husband’s greedy cousin from destroying her happiness…

Enjoy an Excerpt

Martin pushed his way into the solicitor’s office, acting as though he were the most important man in all of England.

She’d never met him before, but he was everything Ashwood had described him to be. An unattractive short man who bordered on obesity, sweated profusely, and had a head of thinning dark blond hair and cutting brown eyes.

He barely acknowledged her as he sat in the chair beside hers.

“What’s she doing here?” he demanded.

“She is your cousin’s widow. This concerns her as well,” Pickford replied, looking him in the eyes.

“She’s just that—a widow. All she’ll need is some source of income until she can find another man to dupe and a place to live. There must be somewhere we can put her.”

Georgiana’s back bristled. Time to put this man in his place. “I’m sorry, my lord, but I’m sitting right here. I’m not a book on a shelf you take out to dust off from time to time. I’m a living, breathing human.”

“Yes, yes. Now, can we get on with this? My bags and such should arrive at the house, along with my valet, as we speak. There’s much to do.”

“And where would you have me stay, my lord?” She knew her misuse of his new title would irritate him, and that was what she intended, wanting to see him blow up like a puffer fish, insulted. Which was precisely what happened next.

“I’m sorry, but I’m now the duke and therefore referred to as Your Grace.”

“And I am the dowager duchess and am referred to as Your Grace as well,” she replied smugly.

“Your living arrangements are none of my concern. As I said, I’ll be happy to find a cottage or small house on one of the estates. Until one is found, I suggest you go to a hotel. There is no longer a place for you at Ashwood House.”

“You’d throw a dowager duchess out onto the street?” Georgiana said in mock horror. Martin was a miserable man, and she would be sure everyone among the ton knew it. All she had to do was say the word, and invitations would be few.

Pickford interrupted their bickering. “Can we begin, Your Graces?”

“Of course,” Georgiana said with a polite smile.

Martin nodded and grunted. “Oh, very well, though I strongly protest to this woman being present.”

“Duly noted, Your Grace.”

The next hour was painful. Martin challenged every point of Ashwood’s will where Georgiana was included, but Pickford persevered and finally finished. She rose, ready to take her leave.

“Would you be so kind as to send a copy of all this to my solicitor, please?” she asked. She and Pickford had already gone over it. Because of Martin’s attitude, she had decided long before meeting the new duke to have her affairs handled by the prestigious firm of Kingsley and Kingsley.

Pickford nodded as he rose. “I will make sure a copy is forwarded to Kingsley and Kingsley. I’m sorry to lose your business, Your Grace, but I understand. I look forward to perhaps doing business with you again in the future.”

Nothing had been lost on Martin, and though he didn’t utter a word, his eyes never left her.

“I assume the carriage you use belongs to me now,” he challenged. “Have it sent back to Ashwood House as soon as you’re finished. You’ll have to purchase your own or hire one.” He snorted, thinking himself funny. Such a vulgar sound.

“No, Your Grace, I purchased the carriage and four you saw. If there’s nothing else, I bid you both good day.”

About the Author: I’ve always been a creative individual. Writing is just a facet of that creativity…

My careers in public relations in and around the entertainment industry, photography, editing, artist management, modeling and special event planning all elevated my passion for writing, not to mention gave me a treasure trove for story lines.

I write women’s fiction; contemporary romance (as Jamie Salisbury) and historical romance (as JR Salisbury) which is ever evolving. I am fortunate enough that writing (and marketing of said product(s)) is my full-time job, although I always have one or two other projects going at the same time.

Some of my other interests include photography, equestrianism, reading, and of course, travel.

I sincerely hope my writing will entertain, enlighten, and inspire others to pick up the pen and pursue their own dreams. I love to be contacted by readers, writers, and history buffs.

Website

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Daughter of Lore by Eileen Dreyer – Spotlight and Giveaway

April 29, 2022 By 2 Comments

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Eileen Dreyer will be awarding a $20 Amazon/BN gift card to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

He doesn’t believe…

Zeke Kendall doesn’t believe in fairies. He’s a scientist; an anthropologist who has spent the last ten years digging in the harsh deserts of the American Southwest. But things look a lot different in the soft green shadows of Ireland. There it is easier to believe that magic exists, especially when Zeke tumbles off a fairy mound and ends up in the arms of the beautiful Nuala, who seems to know everything about him. When she tells him she is a fairy, he actually wants to believe it, even as he knows better.

She can’t believe…

Nuala is daughter of Mab, Queen of Fairies. She has grown up in the twilightland of the fae, fiercely loyal and loving to her people. But she has also been in love with Zeke Kendall ever since she first saw him in her scrying water as a child. To now have him so close is both joy and torture.

For she is the heir to the great crown of the Tuatha de Danann fairy clan. She has no place in Zeke’s world. And he, a man drawn in the sharp edges of his deserts, has no place in hers. Even as passion rises and the love she’d only dreamed of blossoms into reality, Nuala knows that a future for them is impossible. And yet, she can’t find a way to send him back to his own world.

Note: This title was previously published as Dark Seduction

Enjoy an Excerpt

Zeke Kendall did not believe in fairies. Not merely a serious scientist but a man of the millennium, he held no truck with ghosties or ghoulies or things that went bump in the night. It didn’t matter that he was standing hip-deep in what was purported to be a fairy glen in the middle of Ireland, where generations had seen, consorted with and recovered from fairies. Even standing in the middle of fairy central, Zeke could say with perfect conviction that he did not believe in the species.

Which was why the sudden sight of the delicate, sloe-eyed woman sent him reeling.

He caught her out of the corner of his eye, the way you would in a dream. Creamy skin that all but glowed in the soft, watery light. Thick, curling auburn hair that seemed oddly dry in the rain. Big eyes. Wide eyes. Clear, laughing green eyes that sparkled at him and then turned away. Eyes he would swear on his grave he recognized from somewhere.

Before he realized what he was doing, Zeke was following her. Splashing in puddles up to his ankles, he shoved aside ferns and fuchsia and oak branches in his haste to catch up with her.

She was in a dress. A floaty kind of silky thing in the most iridescent shade of peacock he’d ever seen. Tantalizing over breast and hip and thigh. Compelling a man who had never had the need to be compelled.

Zeke was no monk. He’d had his share of relationships. He’d been told by people other than his family that he was handsome. Rugged, according to his latest friend, Tina. Wide-shouldered and tall and healthy. He hadn’t needed to beg women to stop for him, nor had he ever particularly felt the gut-wrenching desire to do so.

But suddenly, after the swift, stunning sight of a woman who had laughed at him, luscious strawberry lips parted over perfect white teeth and a toss of perfect copper hair, he was running as if his life depended on it.

And somehow, on a single path to a single stream in the middle of nowhere, he lost her.

Zeke got to the very bottom of the path, all but breathless from hopping boulders, sliding through mud, and ducking under foliage, and stopped. Looked around. Stared hard at nothing.

He was sure he’d seen her. He could almost still hear her windchime-light laugh as she spun away. He swore he smelled cloves. Hell, he could almost feel that silk dress against his fingers.

Where the hell was she?

Who the hell was she?

About the Author:

New York Times bestselling author and RWA Hall of Fame member Eileen Dreyer and her evil twin Kathleen Korbel have published over forty novels and novellas, and ten short stories in genres ranging from medical suspense to paranormal to romance. She is thrilled to have joined Oliver Heber Books to continue her Drake’s Rakes series about Regency aristocrats who are willing to sacrifice everything to keep their country safe, of which Ill Met by Moonlight is a near relative.

A former trauma nurse, Eileen lives in St. Louis with her husband, children and large and noisy Irish family, of which she is the reluctant matriarch. A seasoned conference speaker, Dreyer travels to research, and uses research as an excuse to travel. Oh, who’s she kidding? She doesn’t need an excuse. She has the Irish wanderlust and satisfies it as often as she can to the point that she has sung traditional Irish music on four continents. She also had the incredible chance to research Drake’s Rakes by attending the 200th anniversary of not only the Battle of Waterloo, but the Duchess of Richmond ball (in period attire). She has animals, but refuses to subject them to the limelight.

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Ella by Nancy Fraser – Spotlight and Giveaway

April 25, 2022 By 3 Comments

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Nancy Fraser will be awarding a $20 Amazon or B/N GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

To get away from her late husband’s questionable deeds, Ella Winslow takes her three children and heads west to the unsettled Washington Territory to claim land she believes she’s inherited from her father.

Tucker McAlister was fired from his position as deputy marshal for arresting the mayor’s brother-in-law for spousal abuse. His mentor has found him another job, first escorting the wagon train going west, and then as the new marshal in the growing town of Tacoma, Washington Territory.

The trail is long and hard, yet Ella is more than up to the task. Still, Tuck feels the need to watch over her and her children, whether she wants him to or not. It isn’t until they arrive in Washington that he realizes his protection will now need to extend even further than the wagon train itself.

Will Ella’s faith allow her to trust again and make a safe home for her family, while welcoming Tuck into her heart?

Enjoy an Excerpt

Whispering Willows Farm
Maryvale, Missouri
April 16, 1870

Ella Winslow turned toward the kitchen door, the loud crash of wood on wood causing her to startle. Raising her head, she met her brother’s angry glare.

“What the devil are you thinking, Sis?” Connor Miller asked. “You can’t just up and take off with your children. And crossing the country in father’s prized possession, no less? Have you lost your senses?”

“I’ve never understood why everyone claims it’s women who are moody, hysterical even. We can’t hold a candle to a flustered man.” Narrowing her gaze, she gave Connor the same no-nonsense look she often used on her daughter and two sons. “It’s my decision to make. With my husband dead and buried, there’s nothing holding me here. As a matter of fact, given the legacy Peter Winslow left behind, I’d say taking my children away from this town is the right thing to do.”

“So, I’m nothing, am I?” Connor asked angrily.

The hurt she could see in his eyes caused her a small niggle of pain, a moment’s pause.

“Of course, you mean the world to me. You’re my brother, the only family I have left, other than my precious children.”

“Then, why are you leaving?”

Her shoulders heaved on a deep sigh. “You know why. I’m tired of having the good people of Maryvale stare at me with pity, while gossiping about me behind my back. Not to mention the way the children have been teased in the schoolyard.”

“This whole mess will blow over soon enough.”

“I’d like to believe you… that the people I’ve known my entire life will come to their senses and realize I had nothing to do with Peter’s abhorrent business dealings. And, his…” Her voice lowered before trailing off. She couldn’t bear thinking about all the secrets her late husband had harbored. All the evil deeds he’d done.

“He was a liar, a cheat, and—assuming the reports from the marshal’s office are accurate—a cold blooded killer. His actions were his own. You had nothing to do with them.”

“Tell that to the townsfolk who treat me, and my children, like steamy piles of horse dung.”

“Now who’s being hysterical?” Connor teased, his familiar grin firmly back in place.

“Not hysterical, just fed up with being treated so poorly.” She dipped her hand into the pocket of her apron and produced a piece of paper, waving it in the air. “The farm, the last of father’s workshop projects, and this… it’s all that’s left of any value.”

Connor snatched the deed from her grasp and unfolded it, scanning the page for what was likely the hundredth time.

“You don’t even know if this paper is valid. Didn’t you say the land office never responded to your letters?”

“No matter,” she insisted, swishing her hand in the most dismissive way she could manage given her own doubts. “The solicitor who handled the sale of the house and the disposition of claims against Peter’s estate said it’s a legal document. And, thankfully, never part of Peter’s holdings so it couldn’t be used to cover his debts.”

Connor’s voice softened. “You and the children are welcome to stay here with me and Millie.”

Ella reached up and cradled his cheek in the palm of her hand. The threat of tears warmed her eyes. “You’re sweet to offer, but you and your new wife don’t need us hanging around when you’re just starting out. The children and I will be fine.”

Connor shook his head, pulling away from her caress, and dislodging his thick dark curls until they fell across his forehead. “It’s not safe, setting out in a wagon train all alone. Four months—maybe more—on a dusty trail is no way for a lady to travel.”

“I won’t be alone. I’ll have my children, and at least seven other wagons.”

“What if they’re not all going as far as you are? You may be the only wagon on the Naches Pass Trail. You should wait for a year or two, until the railroad is finished. They plan to reach Olympia and Tacoma by 1872.”

“They haven’t met their previous expectations, what’s to say they’ll make this one?” Ella asked. “I don’t want to risk losing out on my claim once the population starts growing.”

“You can’t live in a wagon.”

“According to our father’s notes, he… they… built a small cabin on the property.”

“I wouldn’t be putting any faith in the jabbering of that old fool.”

She gave Connor’s cheek another pat. “Sometimes, dear brother, faith is all we’ve got. I trust the Lord will protect us on our journey.”

About the Author:

Nancy Fraser is a best-selling and award-winning author who happily jumps across multiple romance genres with gleeful abandon.

She’s also the granddaughter of a Methodist minister known for his fire-and-brimstone approach to his faith. Nancy has brought some of his spirit into her Christian romances. And, her own off-beat sense of humor to her clean & wholesome books.

When not writing (which is almost never), Nancy dotes on her five wonderful grandchildren and looks forward to traveling and reading when time permits. Nancy lives in Atlantic Canada where she enjoys the relaxed pace and colorful people.

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Brazen by Bobbi Smith – Spotlight and Giveaway

April 19, 2022 By 4 Comments

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Bobbi Smith will be awarding $10 Amazon or Barnes and Noble GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

Casey Turner could rope and ride like any man, and she scandalized folks by wearing boys’ clothes, but when she strode down the streets of Hark Luck, Texas, nobody took her for anything but a beautiful woman. Working alongside her pa to keep the bank from foreclosing on the Bar T, she had no time for the frivolous things of life, no time for romance. But all that was about to change…

Michael Donovan had had a burr under his saddle about Casey for years. Ever since she caught him skinny-dipping and stole his clothes, making him the laughingstock of the whole Circle D. The last thing he wanted was to be forced into marrying her, but it looked like he had no choice if he wanted to safeguard the future of the Donovan ranch. Their families had been bitter enemies for years, but now his parents were urging Michael to court Casey, to treat her like a lady. He’d do his darndest, but he could never let on that underneath her pretty new dresses Casey was as wild as ever, and in his arms she was positively…BRAZEN.

Enjoy an Excerpt

It was a hot late-August afternoon. Young Casey Turner had been out working with some hands from her family’s ranch, checking for strays since early morning. She’d ridden away from the men to look for stock along the river that marked the property line between the Bar T and the Donovan ranch, the Circle D.

Casey was hot and tired, and the water looking mighty inviting, but she couldn’t allow herself the luxury of taking a break. Times were hard on the Bar T. Money was tight. She had work to do. When she heard splashing around the bend just up ahead, she expected to find cattle. She rode quietly closer, not wanting to spook the strays.

Then she rounded the bend.

Casey’s eyes widened in shock and amazement at the scene before her, and she quickly reined in.

There, standing in the waist-deep water with his back to her, was none other than the Donovans’ son Michael, and he was—as best she could tell—skinny-dipping.

Michael hadn’t heard her approach, and she was glad. She’d never seen a naked man before. As embarrassed as she was curious, she took her time looking him over. His shoulders were broad and strongly muscled, and his waist was lean. Casey was grateful he was staying put, though, for she’d seen all of Michael Donovan she wanted to see.

Then she had a thought… The Donovans and the Turners had been feuding for years, and suddenly Casey realized this was the perfect time to take a little revenge on Michael.

The thought of getting even with him made Casey smile. The last time she’d seen him in town, he’d made fun of the way she was dressed. She hadn’t wanted to admit it at the time, but his comments had hurt her. Arrogant and rich Donovan that he was, he deserved what he was about to get as a payback for being so mean.

She smiled. Michael was unaware of her presence. She looked around to make sure he was alone. Her grin broadened when she saw his horse tied up nearby and his clothes hanging over a low tree limb. True, the clothes were on the Donovan side of the river, but that wasn’t going to stop her today…

About the Author:After working as a department manager for Famous-Barr, and briefly as a clerk at a bookstore, Bobbi gave up on career security and began writing. She sold her first book to Zebra in 1982.

Since then, Bobbi has written over 40 books and 6 novellas. To date, there are more than five million copies of her novels in print. She has been awarded the prestigious Romantic Times Storyteller Award and two Career Achievement Awards. Her books have appeared on the New York Times Best Seller List, the USA Today Best Seller List and the Wal-Mart Best Seller List.

The rights to Ms. Smith’s books have been sold to China, France, Germany, India, Israel, Russia and Sweden. Bobbi has also written two faith-based contemporary novels – Haven and Miracles – using the pseudonym Julie Marshall.

Website

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Filed Under: Guest Blogs, Romance

Inked Caffeine: Melrose and Vine by Monique Duclos – Exclusive Excerpt and Giveaway

April 15, 2022 By 4 Comments

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Monique Duclos will be awarding a $15 Amazon or B/N GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. Click on the tour banners to see the other stops on the tour.

I was just your typical Starbucks barista without an interesting bone in my body. I liked to keep my head down and do my best to cruise through life uninterrupted, although my bright red hair made it almost impossible. Things took an interesting turn when I met Jimmy, an artist from the tattoo parlour down the street. Living and working in Hollywood, California, I met a lot of intriguing characters, but no one as intriguing as him. He brought a new light to my life that I didn’t know I had, let alone one that I needed.

My past wasn’t a great one, but I got out and made a new life for myself. And now, it felt like my future was looking better with Jimmy in it. I felt like life was finally worth living, until… everywhere you looked, something was on fire. The screaming was enough to make you go deaf and the scent of blood made you gag. My body was screaming in pain and I couldn’t stop choking on all the smoke in the air. My lungs felt tight, and when I looked up, I couldn’t decide if it was snowing or raining ashes. People were firing guns chaotically and I had never run so fast in my entire life. Jimmy jumped up to the roof of a parked car and I was quick to follow, bending over to catch my breath.

“Now where?” I panted.

Enjoy an Exclusive Excerpt

Smiling up at the clear sky, I glanced to my right as I walked and continued to smile at the Hollywood sign off in the distance. Suddenly, somebody was calling my name and I almost tripped on my own foot.

“Dallas!” they yelled again, only louder.

I frowned, looking all around. I started laughing when I saw Jimmy running across the street, waving at me. I took out an earbud and smiled.

“Hey!” I yelled back, just as he dodged a taxi and made it across to me.

“Funny seeing you here!” he said.

I laughed. “You too!”

“Nah, not really. I work here . . .” he mumbled, shoving a thumb over his shoulder and motioning to the tattoo parlour behind him.

My face dropped as I stared at the giant No Regrets sign. The store front was mainly windows, and inside, customers could be seen sitting and waiting for their appointment. He had told me he worked here too. Was I subconsciously walking to his work? I swallowed the lump in my throat and smiled.

“Oh yeah!” I played dumb and he laughed.

“So much for that tornado yesterday . . .”

“Heh, yeah. My power did go out though. How about you? Were you tattooing?” I asked with a smirk.

He frowned. “Yeah. And then I couldn’t finish. My schedule is crammed too, so I gotta wait to finish it,” he mumbled and I bit my lip, trying my best not to laugh out loud. “Oh well. But hey! It’s my lunch break! What’cha up to?” he asked.

I shrugged. “Going for a walk, I guess . . .” I said, frowning at the ground.

It suddenly sounded so stupid when it came out of my mouth.

He snorted. “Sounds like a thrill. Wanna go grab a bite or something?” he asked, smiling. I stopped my music and rolled my iPod up, shoving it in my pocket.

“Sure!” We ended up going to a cheap pizza joint up on Santa Monica Boulevard. We ordered a large pepperoni pizza and some pop, and then ate in silence out on the patio.

“So. When’d you get that tattoo on your finger?” he asked, pointing to the little black heart on my middle finger.

I stared at it and shrugged. “I dunno. I was like, seventeen or something. The act of a rebellious teen or some shit,” I mumbled, forcing an awkward laugh.

“Haha! Been there!” “What about you? You’re basically covered . . . from what I can see anyways,” I said and he started laughing and my stomach got tight and did a back flip.

About the Author: Monique lives in Southern Ontario with her high school sweetheart and her two lop eared rabbits. When she’s not writing, she’s getting tattoos, dyeing her hair, or travelling. She is an avid concert-goer and has way too many houseplants.

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Buy the book at Amazon, Amazon CA, Bookshop, Indigo Chapters, Barnes and Noble, or Book Depository.


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Heart Fire by Rose Mackie – Spotlight and Giveaway

April 12, 2022 By 3 Comments

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Rose Mackie will be awarding a $30 Amazon or B/N GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. Clkick on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

*The planet Falosia has an excess of females. The planet Verit has a surplus of males. The best of each have been put forward to start a new colony and find mates, in a last desperate attempt to save both worlds. A scorchingly hot sci fi, alien romance. *

Denara barely survived her disastrous first attempt at marriage; for years she threw herself into her research, giving herself time to heal. When the opportunity arises to take up a position on the colony, she decides to take a risk for the chance to live, and love, again. Lucius has spent his life under the heel of the ruthless Matriarchs of Verit. Tasked with leading the males of the new colony, he reluctantly accepts the assignment. The last thing he wants is to tie himself to a scheming female through mating, but nothing could have prepared him for meeting Denara. Sparks fly, but can they overcome their pasts to find love? With the political machinations of two planets vying for control over the colony, perhaps together, they can bridge the gap between their worlds.

What to expect: Glorious world building, spicy alien romance, friends to lovers, enthusiastic consent. Recommended 18+ due to sexual content.

Enjoy an Excerpt

A familiar older officer with a regal bearing was last to enter, her sleek form fitting jumpsuit studded with her badges of rank. She strode past the couches and stood in the basin of the amphitheatre to address the assembled colonists. “Welcome colonists. For those that don’t know me, I am K’Dec Maral Lien, and I will be the governor for Unnamed Colony Twenty-Nine for Phase One. We will depart at zero-nine hundred and collect the Verit colonists tomorrow from Space Station Amprhey. From there we will take the colonial jump gate to sector sixty-four, and then travel a further two weeks to the colony.” She paused, her eyes travelling over the group, feeling ancient in front of their eager anticipation.

“You have completed your briefing and the psych evals, you are the best Falosia has to offer. Once we leave, you are committed for at least twelve months. Twelve months on a colony with zero existing infrastructure.” She paused a moment to give everyone a final chance to speak up, but she didn’t expect anyone would.

The assembled females before her had gone through two years of competitive and gruelling testing to be selected, and several months of invasive medical treatments to make their digestive and immune systems compatible with the local environment on Colony Twenty-Nine. She was deeply proud of every single one of them, the cream of more than two million applicants. Her heart ached for the eagerness, the hope she sensed from them all like little wings brushing against her empathic senses – gossamer thin, but strong enough to carry them far.

“What we are attempting with this colony has never been tried before; we will be merging two totally different cultures to form a new one, and there will be pitfalls along the way. Be brave ladies, and I hope you all get what you are searching for.”

About the Author:

Rose Mackie (she/her) is an Australian author who writes and loves sci-fi romance, paranormal romance and fantasy romance. Born in Scotland and living in Perth, Western Australia for the past 15 years, Rose loves nothing more than to hang out with her family and rescue cat, and create magical worlds of imagination.

All Rose Mackie books have an element of spice, kick-ass heroines, enthusiastic consent and happy endings. Rose has been writing for as long as she can remember, but has recently published her first book, Heart Fire. It still spins her out that people are reading the weird stories she makes up in her head!

Rose has fallen in love with writing, and loves seeing audiences connect with her work and characters, and hopes you’ll love them too!

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America’s Hero by Regan Taylor – Spotlight and Giveaway

April 8, 2022 By 5 Comments

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Regan Taylor will be awarding a $25 Amazon GC or a copy of the book to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

After her F/A-18 crashes Marine Corps Major Cassie Winter embarks on a daring rescue saving both her life and that of her RIO. In the aftermath she returns to her ship and hottie actor, Austin Quinn learns of her story. Quinn is determined to tell Cassie’s story with a slight twist — he will be the hero instead of Cassie. When he arrives on her ship she wants nothing to do with him, but once she is ordered to take him on a flight something strange happens and they find themselves back in time. As they move forward to their own time and beyond the couple finds more than just adventure. He plays America’s Hero, but she IS America’s Hero.

Enjoy an Excerpt

Over the whop-whop of the rotors, the CH-46 rescue helicopter reported in to the aircraft carrier George Washington’s air controller. “Calvary 1 approaching LZ.”

“Copy your traffic, Calvary 1,” the controller responded, calm and in control. The voice of assurance coming over the air was heard clearly as the CH-46 approached what was designated as the landing zone, a place that was as safe as could be—given the circumstances.

Pilot Dawg Jameson scanned the area where the F/A-18 Hornet they were searching for had been downed two days earlier. If its pilot and weapons systems officer were alive, at a minimum, they’d be badly injured. He spotted a moving cloud of dust and identified three battered trucks, loaded with men who appeared to be carrying guns. The cloud moved toward the barely visible, scattered debris. No doubt they were also headed for the crash site. Most definitely not to effect a rescue but to take prisoners—if the crew were still alive.

“Calvary 1, Base, looks like company en route, counting three trucks filled with tangos. Request fast mover cover ASAP,” Dawg radioed in.

“Base copies, fast movers en route.”

“You see anything?” Dawg asked his co-pilot and crew.

“Nothing yet, Captain,” the co-pilot’s voice crackled over the headset.

Hovering over the crash site of the downed F/A-18 the crew of the CH-46 scanned the area. Major Cass Winter, aka, Snow White, had been shot down with Weapons System Officer Keith McDonald two days before and all the wingman could provide was a general location with two chutes deployed.

One of the embedded reporters on a passing helicopter sent out to check for survivors reported seeing what appeared to be one of the jet’s external tanks. Now, with tangos approaching from the east, the 46 either had to find the crewmen in the next few minutes or get out of Dodge fast. The thwuck of two COBRA attack helicopters initially sent as cover could be heard approaching, buying the rescue crew a few more precious minutes.

“Where the hell are those fast movers?” Jameson yelled as he set down the 46.

“There! I see something in that clump of whatever the heck that stuff is over there!” Lance Corporal Adamson called out.

About the Author: Regan Taylor is originally Seaford, New York and now bucolic Marin County California. Published in both fiction and non-fiction she enjoys quiet days writing, reading with one of her cats on her lap and crocheting. She volunteers with Friends of Ferals in Marin County and considers the feral she cares for, OC, as one of her own. Her past careers include legal secretary, therapist and police dispatcher.

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Avocado Toast by Nancy Fraser – Spotlight and Giveaway

April 6, 2022 By 5 Comments

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Nancy Fraser will be awarding a $20 Amazon or B/N GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

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The last place Andrew (Drew) Morgan wants to be is back on the family avocado farm in Plentiful. If he had his way, he’d still be active military and deployed someplace far, far away. Unfortunately, he rarely gets what he wants. And, being back in the orchard is just the latest in a long list of disappointments.

Single mother, Chloe Taylor has relocated from Fresno to the rural area of Plentiful, California to build her marketing business beginning with the local agriculture co-op. It’s her job to convince the local farms to invest in a major overhaul of the co-op’s publicity campaign. A mixture of modern operations, and older, family-owned farms, only adds to her frustration.

At the moment, her biggest challenge is bringing the owner of Plenty Good Farms in line with the others. The fact that the old curmudgeon of an owner, Samuel Morgan, has brought his nephew in to run things gives her hope. Surely, the younger Morgan will be more amenable to her progressive ideas.

When Chloe first presents her plan the Morgan men, it’s Drew who throws a monkey wrench into his uncle’s agreement to sign the necessary contract. What she doesn’t realize is that Drew’s reluctance has more to do with his uncle’s health issues, and the possibility that he won’t be able to talk the man who raised him into retiring.

When Drew is forced by the military medical team into choosing between a desk job or retirement, he shares his frustrations with Chloe and she helps him find a new purpose outside of being a full-time farmer. It also helps that their attraction is growing. Drew has definitely fallen for the independent woman, and her adorable daughter.

Will Chloe’s faith and determination help her lead Drew through his difficult decisions and bring them what they both need… a love that transcends their everyday challenges.

Enjoy an Excerpt

Drew Morgan pulled his muddy four-wheeler to a stop on the side of the road just short of the driveway leading to Plenty Good Farms. The last place he wanted to be, but where he was needed most. After nearly twelve years of active military service, he understood duty. Responsibility.

It wasn’t like the military was giving him an assignment any time soon. If ever.

He killed the engine, slid from behind the wheel, and walked around for a few minutes, working the kinks out of his bum leg and stretching his back. It wouldn’t do to arrive on his uncle’s porch with a limp.

The stubborn old coot would likely brand him injured and useless, and continue to insist he could manage on his own.

Drew knew better. Thanks to a letter from Doc Taylor, he’d been apprised of Sam’s failing health. As badly as Drew wanted to stay close to Fort Hood in hopes of haranguing them into letting him go back to work, he couldn’t very well desert the man who’d raised him from the age of ten.

C’mon, Andrew, grow a pair!

His uncle’s familiar admonishment echoed in Drew’s ears. Samuel Morgan was—if nothing else—an opinionated and cranky curmudgeon who liked nothing better than to goad people into doing what he wanted them to do.

Still, Drew loved the set-in-his-ways old man with all his heart. So much so, he’d accepted his mandatory three-month medical leave without so much as an argument. Then, he’d set out on the eighteen-hour drive from the base to the farming town of Plentiful, California in order to check on Sam for himself.

No sense putting off the inevitable any longer. Drew hopped back into the car and turned up the long, winding driveway. Parking at the rear of the century-old farmhouse, Drew took the steps two at a time, the reward for his exuberance a shooting pain that ran from behind his knee cap, up the back of his thigh, and ended in his hip. With the pain came the flash of memory he couldn’t quite escape, the loud explosion of an IED, flames shooting into the air, jagged shards of shrapnel flying everywhere.

He stopped at the door and sucked in a breath before turning the knob and stepping into the warm and welcoming kitchen.

“About time you got here, Andrew,” Sam groused from his seat at the table. He cradled an all-too-familiar cup of coffee in his sun-tanned grasp.

The first thing Drew noticed was the way Sam’s hands trembled where he held the ceramic mug. “The road was wet,” Drew countered. “I couldn’t go top speed all the way.”

Sam’s faded gray gaze narrowed in his direction. “No doubt you’ve lost all the driving skills I taught you as a teenager.”

“After maneuvering caravans of military vehicles for a dozen years, handling a lightweight four-wheel drive takes a bit of practice.”

“Yeah, well, you’re home now. You’ll catch on once you’re back on the tractor and pulling a wagon load of fresh-picked ‘cados.”

About the Author:

Nancy Fraser is a best-selling and award-winning author who happily jumps across multiple romance genres with gleeful abandon.

She’s also the granddaughter of a Methodist minister known for his fire-and-brimstone approach to his faith. Nancy has brought some of his spirit into her Christian romances. And, her own off-beat sense of humor to her clean & wholesome books.

When not writing (which is almost never), Nancy dotes on her five wonderful grandchildren and looks forward to traveling and reading when time permits. Nancy lives in Atlantic Canada where she enjoys the relaxed pace and colorful people.

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Also available:

Treats From the Orchard: A Companion Cookbook to The Orchard Brides Series

Just 99 cents or Kindle Unlimited. All proceeds to benefit the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA). Click on the book to buy.

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