The Lady’s Hand by Bobbi Smith – Spotlight and Giveaway

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Bobbi Smith will be awarding a $10 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.

Unlucky At Cards…

Cool-headed and ravishingly beautiful, Brandy O’Neill knew how to hold her own with the riverboat gamblers on The Pride of New Orleans. But she met her match in Rafe Morgan when she bet everything she had on three queens and discovered the wealthy plantation owner had a far-from-gentlemanly notion of how she should make good on her wagers.

Lucky In Love…

Disillusioned with romance, Rafe wanted a child of his own to care for, without the complications of a woman to break his heart. Now, a full house had given him just the opportunity he was looking for – he would force the lovely cardsharp to marry him and give him a child before he’d set her free. But a hot wedding night and a glimpse into Brandy’s tender heart soon made Rafe realize he’d been luckier than he’d ever imagined when he won… The Lady’s Hand.

Enjoy an Excerpt

“Have you been to the bar yet?” one of the men sharing their dinner table on The Pride of New Orleans asked Rafe and Marc as they finished eating.

“No, not yet,” Rafe answered.

“You’re in for a treat then,” the man told him.

“What kind of treat?”

“You’ll get to meet Brandy tonight.”

“Who’s Brandy?” Marc asked.

“You haven’t heard about Miss Brandy, the best poker player on the Mississippi?” he said with a grin. “I lost about two hundred dollars to her last night.”

“And you’re smiling?” Rafe was surprised by his attitude. Most men didn’t like to lose.

“You’ll have to meet her before you’ll understand.”

“She sounds interesting.”

“Brandy’s more than interesting. Why don’t you come down to the bar with us now? She should be there.”

Rafe and Marc agreed, thinking they would enjoy a good poker game tonight.

“There’s a mystery about Brandy,” the man said. “Very little is known about her past. Many men have tried to convince her to do more than gamble with them, but Brandy remains aloof. She refuses all advances.”

Rafe was intrigued, and when they entered the bar, they found a group of men standing around a table in the back of the room.

“She’s here,” the man pointed out.

They made their way over to stand by the table, and Rafe and Marc understood immediately what the other man had been saying. It was no wonder men didn’t mind losing to her. Brandy was beautiful enough to distract even the most accomplished poker player.

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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If I’d never heard of me, would I read my book? by Gladys Cross – Guest Blog and Giveaway

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Prmotions. Gladys Cross will be awarding a $10 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.

If I’d never heard of me, would I read my book?

I’ve been an avid romance reader since I first started reading. Believe it or not, when I was younger, I almost failed a grade because I had trouble with reading. Not sure what else to do, my mother started reading me her Harlequin’s, seeing if she could spark some kind of interest. Before you get too scandalized, she skipped the juicy parts, and it worked.

Every subgenre of romance is on the table for me, from historical to dark to paranormal. In my youth, I read more established authors, mainly because I purchased paperback books at swaps, book fairs, and the flea market.

These days, Kindle Unlimited has opened a whole new world for me. The only downside is their algorithm always recommends books that are selling well and similar to what you recently read. While helpful, it forces us into a rut, never reading outside our small favorite subgenre.

When I first started writing, I became passionate about helping other Indy Authors and reached out to one of the review groups I belong to. Needless to say, I got over 200 requests from authors wanting me to read and review their books. This was wonderful because I read so many authors I might not have otherwise, mostly because if it didn’t have a pretty man on the cover, I didn’t read it.

All that being said, today’s Gladys, older and possibly a bit wiser, would give my books a read. The best advice I can give readers is to step outside of your comfort zone and see what you may find. Who knows? It might delight you.

Want to know what I’ve read? Help some Indy Authors? Meet some new book boyfriends? Check me out on Goodreads!


Kassie knew she was in trouble when her matchmaking best friend announced she’d gotten professional help in time for Valentine’s Day. Her friend’s attempts had always been hilariously ridiculous and never in a million years was Kassie expecting a hunky firefighter to show up on her doorstep.

Her online dating profile said she was looking for a superhero, and Declan couldn’t help but believe it had to be fate. But fate was a fickle mistress who left him to wonder who he was behind the mask. He’d been hiding in plain sight for long enough that he wasn’t sure if he even knew the answer. And until he figured that out, he had nothing to offer the world, let alone Kassie.

Love had already ended in tragedy once for Kassie, and she feared that history was doomed to repeat itself unless Declan could learn to trust her with his secrets. This time around, would it be enough to harden her heart for good, or would his deception restore her faith in second chances?

Enjoy an Excerpt

“When was the last time you went on a date?” Tiffany asked, leaning over the back of the sectional.

“That would be the time you set me up with your cousin Phil.” I shuddered and gave my her a bitchy glare. “I’m still not recovered.”

She rolled her eyes. “How long ago was that?”

“Six months ago,” I grudgingly admitted.

My best friend was a horrendous match maker, yet she continued to subject me to these dating rejects every time I was single. Not that she kept the good ones for herself. Oh no, there was the guy who manufactured meth, the one who left her to watch his baby while he got drunk, and my personal favorite, the one who removed all his natural teeth in favor of a gold grill not knowing he could get a snap on. Dumbass.

“Exactly,” she said with a smirk. “Besides, this time it’s different. I sought professional help.”

Wait a second, what did she just say? And more importantly what sort of fresh hell was she planning on subjecting me to?

“What do you mean, exactly, by professional help?”

She winced, her button nose scrunching up. “I may have created a dating profile for you on LookingforLoveOnline.com.”

About the Author:Books transport us to a fantasy world where anything can happen, and once I overcame my difficulties in learning how to read, I was hooked. My mother always carried a Harlequin Romance with her, so it was only natural that I was drawn to that genre. There was something magical about the concept of eternal love and as I grew older, my tastes within the genre broadened to include everything from historical to dark.

My writing blossomed in much the same way. The first story I wrote was the Vanderbilt Affair, which was inspired by a field trip. Back then, I was fortunate enough to have an English teacher willing to nurture my love of writing by becoming my editor after school.

The writing bug stayed with me, but over the years, life got in the way, and it wasn’t until my early forties that I published my first short story in a Christmas Anthology. From there, I began writing and publishing across many sub-genres, with each book carrying some element of the unexpected.

When I’m not up to devious pursuits, like shooting a character, you’ll find me curled up with a book next to my dog, watching TV with my better half, or engaging in random water gun fights with my daughter and the neighborhood kids.

Stalk Me!

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Balancing Life and Writing by Courney Davis – Guest Blog and Giveaway

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Courtney Davis 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.

Balancing life and writing

Something I had to learn early on was balance, well, something I am currently learning is balance! I tend to get hyper focused and I don’t have hobbies and I don’t have other creative outlets to detract from my desire to pursue writing. I read and I write, that’s what I do with what free time I have!

My life is busy, no surprise there. I am married, I have 4 kids and I work as a kindergarten teacher full time. So when do I find time to do the things I want to do like read and write? Well before I delved back into writing last year after a nine year break, I made sure that my husband was behind me on it. Our kids were old enough that they didn’t need constant attention, though my youngest is only now 5 so they are far from out of the house. I had been saying for years that I was going to get back to writing someday, so he had fair warning! I was sure to be clear with him that I would love to write but knew I needed to find a balance with it and I didn’t want it to become something that anyone felt like was taking me away from them. I wanted it to enhance our lives, make me happier, maybe a little money, and give me a feeling of accomplishment in a creative manner. I definitely found all that! The balance comes and goes though to be honest. I try to write at night and on the weekends while the family swirls around me. I put it away for cuddles with the kids and I read before bed each night. It’s a comfortable routine I’ve fallen into and a very productive one, I managed to write seven books in a year! Not all great, not all going to be seen by the world necessarily, but still, seven!

As long as I keep in mind that my kids won’t always be here needing me, but my writing will, and nothing can replace a good relationship with my husband, I find that enough of a balance has found us. My house is usually a mess, but we are well fed and the laundry is done (just maybe not folded or put away.) There have to be some sacrifices to the writing Gods I suppose! Better those things than relationships and family.

I can’t imagine a life without writing and I can’t imagine a life without my family so balance just has to work, there is no other option!

Aranha is the last of her kind, a spider shifter who preys upon the dregs of society in an attempt to validate her existence and feed her hunger. She’s lived alone for two hundred years, no family and no friends; always watchful for those who would kill her.

Dag is one of a dying species, vampires who can walk in the day. They have lost their companions and live in dread of the day that they too will become extinct; leaving the earth to the vile creatures who prey upon humans without mercy.

Aranha sees danger in Dag’s face, Dag sees the future in hers. Neither can believe the other exists and their lives are about to get very complicated. Together they embark on a mission to save a young human from the vampires and learn the reality of what their two species were doing in The Garden of Eden.

Enjoy an Excerpt

Aranha hurried through the streets, passing people who hardly registered her existence. Thoughts flowed through her web and she looked for the pattern she’d felt from the monster she was chasing. As always, she was also watching for scent or thought from any other night creatures. She could never let her guard down, couldn’t risk a run in with one of them. A shudder ran through her at the thought of what would happen if she did. She ignored the part of her that wished for it, the release from this loneliness and pain. Death. The end to all of the darkness and filth, the horror that was this place. It could stop… she could stop…

She shook the dark thoughts away and hurried on, more determined than before. A purpose was driving her. As long as she continued to attend to that purpose, she could keep the suicidal thoughts away. Someday she wouldn’t be able to stop it, she knew she would present herself to the beasts that could take her down and she would welcome the release. Not today, not as long as there was a helpless soul cowering in chains that she could help.

“Shit,” she grumbled as she caught the familiar scent of vampire nearby. She rushed into an alley and shifted, scrambling out of her pile of clothes and up the side of the brick, backing herself into a tiny hole.

About the Author: Courtney Davis is an author of urban fantasy, paranormal, supernatural fiction with a little romance and humor thrown in. She loves creating worlds and exploring human, and inhuman, interaction. She lives in North Idaho with her husband and children where she teaches and enjoys time spent relaxing in the summer sun and winters by the fire. She has always had an affinity for reading and writing and a goal to make a career of it. There is no greater joy than to know her words took a reader out of reality for a time and into another world.

Website | 5 Prince Books Author Page | 5 Prince Books Book Page | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | TikTok | BookBub

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The Backstreets of the Victorian England – what is the reality?? by Rachel Brimble – Guest Blog and Giveaway

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

The Backstreets of the Victorian England – what is the reality??

As an author of historical fiction and romance, it is important to me that I convey the reality of the story setting, the characters, and the societal expectancy of the time period I am writing.
My stories tend to be about the lives of the more common people, even the poorer people of Victorian and Edwardian society rather than the aristocracy or upper classes. So instead of ballrooms, palaces and stately homes, you are more likely to find backstreet taverns, modest tearooms and two up/two down houses in my novels. It is this level of society that I find myself drawn to, who I want to explore and uncover the hardships they faced on a daily basis.

It is these people that I research and inevitably come to admire. They often survive the reality of violence, vice and viciousness amid the filthy streets of the inner city through bravery, tenacity and cunning. There is no one waiting with a helping hand or an inheritance to save the day, these people live hand to mouth, day by day in the hope of salvation, or else, by their own instincts.

Conveying the hardships of my characters, the emotional strain of survival, disappointment and those beautiful moments of success is what keeps me writing. I LOVE writing about strength of the human spirit despite the odds. Victorian England was once among the worse places to live in the world. Slums abounded, begging, prostitution and child death commonplace. So, how on earth can I convey this reality in historical romance and not entirely lose my reader?

The answer is simple.

I describe enough that the reader is grounded in time and place. I convey enough that they understand the characters’ circumstances are not by choice but from the outside. And finally, I spend more time ensuring I have expressed the emotions of the characters through every good and bad thing that happens to them that the reader comes to care so much for them that they are vying for their happy ending, no matter what.

It is this commitment from author to reader to character that makes a story a good one, regardless of the dire reality of the living conditions or hard circumstances. Emotion is everything in fiction and, indeed romance, and I will continue to bring happiness and possibility to those characters less written about for as long as I can and, in turn, I hope my readers come along for the journey with me, too!

He needs a wife…
Manchester industrialist William Rose was a poor lad from the slums who pulled himself up by his bootstraps, but in order to achieve his greatest ambitions he must become the epitome of Victorian respectability: a family man.

She has a plan…
But the only woman who’s caught his eye is sophisticated beauty Octavia Marshall, one of the notorious ladies of Carson Street. Though she was once born to great wealth and privilege, she’s hardly respectable, but she’s determined to invest her hard-earned fortune in Mr Rose’s mills and forge a new life as an entirely proper businesswoman.

They strike a deal that promises them both what they desire the most, but William’s a fool if he thinks Octavia will be a conventional married woman, and she’s very much mistaken if she thinks the lives they once led won’t follow them wherever they go.

In the third instalment of Rachel Brimble’s exciting Victorian saga series, The Ladies of Carson Street will open the doors on a thoroughly modern marriage – and William is about to get a lot more than he bargained for…

Enjoy an Excerpt

Louisa and Jacob’s conversation dimmed as Mr Rose slowly turned his gaze to Octavia. She barely resisted the urge to flinch. His eyes were as dark as his hair, their gaze so intense it was as though he looked to read her thoughts, desires and dreams. The notion was bizarrely unnerving, intoxicating and a frisson of trepidation – or maybe shameful anticipation – shivered through her. Suddenly it didn’t seem such a bad idea to allow Mr Rose’s unexpected visit to play out. Yet, impromptu admittance was not the Carson Street way…

As Louisa and Jacob seemed too imbedded in debate to address Mr Rose and his companions, Octavia raised her chin and held Mr Rose’s unwavering stare. ‘I’m sorry, Mr Rose, but it’s house policy that no girl spends time alone with a man we do not know. Therefore, I kindly ask that you leave for the time being. However, if you wish—’

‘Now, now, Octavia,’ Louisa said firmly as she brushed past her. ‘I don’t think it’s necessary to toss Mr Rose so unceremoniously out of our establishment on such a cold and dreary night, do you?’

‘Louisa…’ Octavia looked pointedly at her friend, her eyebrows raised. ‘Jacob is right. Mr Fairham should not have taken it upon himself to offer his friend’s unkept appointment to Mr Rose. Therefore, Mr Rose should leave.’

Octavia faced Mr Rose and, once again, fought the urge to flinch when she found herself the object of his intense study a second time. She pulled back her shoulders. He had better think again if he thought for one minute she might be intimidated by him.

About the Author:Rachel lives in a small town near Bath, England. She is the author of over 25 published novels including the Ladies of Carson Street trilogy, the Shop Girl series (Aria Fiction) and the Templeton Cove Stories (Harlequin).

Rachel is a member of the Romantic Novelists Association as well as the Historical Novel Society and has thousands of social media followers all over the world.

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Honor by January Bain – Spotlight and Giveaway

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. January Bain will be awarding a $50 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.

Never run from a wolf!

Isadora Champagne is a witch on a dangerous mission to take down Lucius Luceres. That bad boy Alpha billionaire doesn’t deserve to have it all his way. Thinks he can dump her baby sister after a one-night stand and get away with it! But now that she’s met the shifter, keeping her heart safe from him is going to cost more than a curse to stop him, it just might cost her a pack with the devil himself.

Lucius of the House of Luceres is an alpha werewolf, secure in his bad-to-the-bone reputation. But when confronted by the beautiful Isadora one fateful night, even he can’t help but notice the extreme attraction that instantly ignites between them. But what he hadn’t counted on was how useful her magic gifts can be to the House of Luceres when one of their own goes missing.

Will he be able to set aside the centuries of mistrust that has existed between witches and shifters and allow her special brand of courage and caring heal even the most jaded heart?

Enjoy an Excerpt

“Look! There’s a halo around the moon tonight, Lucius. You know what that means?” Veronica purred. Her mouth was coated in far too much red lipstick for my liking, though I more than appreciated her luscious body and adventurous spirit.

“What do you think it means?” I asked, not particularly interested in her take on it. I couldn’t imagine the notorious party girl having done much digging into mythology or history.

If I wanted facts, my twin brothers, Maximus and Alexandro, would be the ones I’d call on. One of the things I did like about Veronica’s type though—easy to forget. I didn’t need any complications as enforcer for the House of Luceres beyond those necessary to protect my pack.

“It means something momentous is on its way. Could be good. Or evil. It depends on the intentions of the spirit.” Veronica shivered for effect in a dress that barely covered essentials. She looked up at me, her eyes huge, reflecting not only the light of the roaring bonfire kept alight for the entirety of the Lupercalia festival, but I swear I caught a glimpse of myself.

Easy to look at, I’ve been told. Like all my pack brothers, I kept my GQ looks highlighted with exercise and good grooming. And all the Luceres were blessed with good genetics and lots of money.

The howling of a lone wolf in the distance cut short the woman’s unexpected announcement and I went on high alert. In the desert, on a clear night such as this, sound was deceptive. The interloper could be miles away…or nearby.

I glanced around the firepit, checking out the pack members milling about. Emily, one of the cousins, was dancing with wild abandon. I frowned. Wasn’t she a bit young for this? The festival was notorious for events that would curl a human’s hair. Rumors abounded and things that probably should not happen…happened.

About the Author: January Bain has wished on every falling star, every blown-out birthday candle, and every coin thrown in a fountain to be a storyteller. To share the tales of high adventure, mysteries, and full-blown thrillers she has dreamed of all her life. The story you now have in your hands is the compilation of a lot of things manifesting itself for this special series. Hundreds of hours spent researching the unusual and the mundane have come together to create books that features strong women who live life to the fullest, wild adventures full of twists and unforeseen turns, and hot complicated men who aren’t afraid to take risks. She can only hope her stories will capture your imagination.

If you are looking for January Bain, you can find her hard at work every morning without fail in her office with her furry baby, Ling Ling. And, of course, she’s married to the most romantic man! Who once famously remarked to her inquiry about buying fresh flowers for their home every week, “Give me one good reason why not?” Leaving her speechless and knocking her head against the proverbial wall for being so darn foolish. She loves flowers.

If you wish to connect in the virtual world she is easily found on Facebook. Oh, and she loves to talk books…

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Undoing Time by Rachel Dacus – Spotlight and Giveaway

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Rachel Dacus 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.

Liv Pomeroy’s high hopes and lavish lifestyle come horribly undone when her fiancé runs off with her maid of honor. Swearing off love forever, she goes on a summer escape to Florence, Italy. Agreeing to help her cousin May raise funds for an art restoration project, Liv is astonished to find they share a genetic gift for undoing time. Soon she’s joining a team of time travelers who rescue history from those who would change it. And fighting her attraction to a sexy time traveling colleague, who just might turn out to be working for the wrong side in the American Revolution. A thrilling tale of time travel, romance, and espionage.






Enjoy an Excerpt

In the dark, Liv barely could see his eyes as he whispered, “Tell me no if you don’t want me to kiss you.”

What a reversal from the judgy Tom who had practically called her a princess. She made him wait. She didn’t say No. She was two glasses of wine into reckless.

She whispered, “Yes.”

The exhilaration of knowing he’d been drawn to her from the first. He was like too much of that good Chianti, and she only wanted more.

But Tom quickly broke the kiss. She gasped. He didn’t move, holding her shoulders, but now looking down at her from so close. How far would she let this go? The sensation of his mouth lingered on hers, but he let go of her shoulders and grabbed her hand.

“I want to show you something. Will you come with me?”

“Yes,” she gasped, wondering if she could walk.

He pulled her along. Did this man never saunter?

“Look, I’m in heels—”

Suddenly, her heels were sinking into sandy dirt. She blinked under the bright sun. They were near another waterworks, but this one was a mill. It was daytime, and the water splashed down the ladder of the water wheel, making a different rhythmic music. Nearby was a rough wooden building. Clearly, they were somewhere else in space and time.

“This is where I work, one of my history projects,” Tom said, keeping his tight grip on her hand.

Liv tried to quell the shaking in her legs. She hadn’t meant for Tom to take her back in time. She began to gasp and felt she might drop to her knees. Instead, she clutched Tom’s hand as hard as she could. He reached around her waist to hold her up.

His eyes widened as he looked at her. “You said you wanted to see. Are you okay?”

“Is this the Gold Rush—here?”

Tom shrugged and smiled. “Yes. This is about three months after they discovered gold in the stream. In 1849.”

The shock quivered through her stomach and legs.

He held onto her waist and asked again. “Everything okay?”

She barely managed to stand upright but said, “Sure. Only I wasn’t expecting …”

She didn’t want to be accused of being Miss Pacific Heights. The feeling of his hands around her waist strengthened her. She was now oriented to his touch, wherever they were.

About the Author:

RACHEL DACUS writes about history, love, romance, and art – usually with a touch of the supernatural. If time travel were possible, she’d hop over to Renaissance Rome, and then check out how the American Revolutionary War is going, and maybe visit an 18th century London artist’s studio. A poet and novelist, Dacus has published four novels and four poetry collections. When not writing, she listens to music, new and old, from indie and progressive rock to classical and jazz. Once a dancer, she’s now an avid walker, often twice a day — once for the Muse and once for the world’s liveliest Silky Terrier. She blogs about the writing life and has collected a wealth of writing and publishing resources.

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If I’d never heard of me would I read my book? by Darby Baham – Guest Blog and Giveaway

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. One randomly chosen winner via rafflecopter will win a $50 Amazon/BN gift card. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

If I’d never heard of me would I read my book?

Every woman has gone through some version of creating her list of “shoulds.”

You know them well.
Ø should get a degree
Ø should have a successful career
Ø should be married by X age
Ø should be a certain weight with an envious waist-to-hip ratio
Ø should be whatever else society told you to be

Well, Reagan Doucet, the main character of The Shoe Diaries knows exactly how exhausting that can be. Like many of us, the successful writer has spent her twenties trying to build a perfect life. Not only has she managed to check off many of her shoulds, but she’s also cultivated an envious shoe closet and the best set of friends who can both laugh with her and challenge her when needed. And that’s perfectly enough until she realizes she is like the hot-pink stilettos that have gone unworn in her closet for years—beautiful to look at, but unfulfilled. On top of all that, one of her best friends is chronically ill, and she has a nagging suspicion (though she will absolutely deny it if asked) that she’s still in love with her ex from college.

I think this is a book many people can relate to. It’s fun, vulnerable, sometimes painful, but ultimately a hopeful story about trusting yourself again and giving love one more chance. The Shoe Diaries is also the first book of my Friendship Chronicles series with Harlequin Special Edition. Each book will follow a different woman dealing with the angst we all have around succeeding in our careers, our desires for love, and the beauty in the friend connections we make.

It’s never too late to put your best foot forward

From the outside, Reagan “Rae” Doucet has it all: a coveted career in Washington, DC, a tight circle of friends and a shoe closet to die for. When one of her crew falls ill, however, Rae is done playing it safe. The talented but unfulfilled writer makes a “risk list” to revamp her life. But forgiving her ex, Jake Saunders, might be one risk too many…

From Harlequin Special Edition: Believe in love. Overcome obstacles. Find happiness.

The Friendship Chronicles/Book 1: The Shoe Diaries

“Reminiscent of Sex and the City and the Shopaholic series in the best possible way. Her stories are a lot of fun and yet she still tugs at your heartstrings.”–Gail Chasan, Special Edition Editor

Enjoy an Excerpt

February 13, 2016

“With this ring, I thee wed, and with it, I bestow upon thee the treasures of my mind, heart and hands…”

Staring at my friends from my seat, I noticed more than just their words as they recited their vows. I saw their hands clasped together throughout the ceremony, and the smiles they wore even through their tears; the way they focused on each other like no one else was present even while a hundred and fifty of us stared at them with glee. But most important, I saw the love that was undeniable between the two of them. Strange, but I was all at once happy and sad, amazed and hurt. In them I saw hope for a future. Here were two people who’d found love and decided that nothing else was more important than their union. Yet, standing less than two feet away from them, I also saw the man I’d hoped would be my future—and it hurt me to my core to know that we would never have this same moment.

Every few minutes I caught myself peeking over at him during the ceremony, hoping he would turn to me, and we would have some kind of knowing thought between us. That we would have a brief second where no words were necessary, and through our eyes, we’d say, “I know it didn’t work for us, but I still love you.” I craved that moment more than anything I’d ever wanted before, wishing with all my might he would just look over. Just glance at me…and smile.

That look never happened.

About the Author: Darby Baham (she/her) is a debut author with Harlequin Special Edition and a New Yorker of five years who sometimes desperately misses the sprawling shoe closet she had while living in Maryland. She’s had personal blog posts appear in The Washington Post’s relationship vertical and has worked in the communications industry for more than two decades. The New Orleans, LA native is also a lover of big laughs and books that swallow you into their world. Her first book, The Shoe Diaries, is out now.

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Darby Baham’s Washington Post bylines

I had the perfect date dress. Why did it hang in my closet unworn for more than a year? — March 2016

When it comes to relationship advice, sometimes it’s best to ignore your friends — February 2016

I’m the oldest sister in my family and I’m single. And that’s okay. — March 2016

I was afraid to say ‘I love you.’ Here’s how I found the courage. –

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My Biggest Writing Quirk: The Magic Number by Jenna Jaxon – Guest Blog and Giveaway

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Jenna Jaxon 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.

My Biggest Writing Quirk: The Magic Number

Every writer has their own specific oddities or quirks, and I am no different than all the others in the respect of having a quirk. However, I haven’t heard of other authors having my particular quirk, which I think stems from my being a plotter. I cannot do anything, not write one word, until I’ve finished the outline for the entire book. I don’t mind adjusting the outline after I start writing, but I’ve got to have the outline—a very detailed outline—completed before I can sit down to write a word.

When I have the luxury of time, I hand write the first draft, although that doesn’t affect the really quirky part of my writing routine. Once I finish the outline and start to write, I set myself word goals for different sections of each chapter that will total 3,000 words. Usually, the chapter is divided into thirds, and I write 1,000 words for each section. Sometimes, depending on what’s going on in the chapter, I’ll divide the chapter into halves, and write 1,500 words as one section and 1,500 on the other. I’m not exacting with the specific word count of the chapter as long as I make at least the minimum of 1,000 or 1,500 for each section. That way I’m sure to complete the word count for the novel (usually 90,000). With 3,000 words per chapter, I’ll need 30 chapters to make that magic number of 90,000 words.

Most people look at me oddly when I tell them about this writing regimen, but it certainly helps me be productive and on track for deadlines for my editors. All I can say is “Thank God computers are equipped with Word Count!”

The Battle of Waterloo made them widows, but each has found new happiness. And Jane, Lady John Tarkington, intends to keep her freedom, even if love—and one particular gentleman—are determined to claim her heart . . .

It is a truth rarely acknowledged—at least in public—that a wealthy widow is free to pursue a great many adventures. For two years, Jane has privately enjoyed her independence. Why should she remarry, even when the gentleman proposing is as wonderful as Gareth, Lord Kinellan? She entreats him never to ask her again. But as her Widows’ Club friends—now all joyfully remarried—gather at Castle Kinellan, Jane begins to wonder if stubbornness has led her to make a terrible mistake . . .

Kinellan needs a wife to give him an heir, and he wants that wife to be Jane. They are perfect together in every way, yet she continually refuses him. Just as he is on the point of convincing her, a series of accidents befall Gareth and point to an enemy in their midst. He has promised Jane a passionate future filled with devotion, but can he keep them both alive long enough to secure it?

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Throwing up his hands, he groaned and sagged against the wall, his banyan sliding half off him. “Have your way with me, woman. I surrender myself into your hands. Do with me what you will and I swear I will enjoy it.”

Panting, she stepped back from him, seeing the sculpted muscular form, strong arms, and dark eyes glazed with smoldering desire as if for the first time. This man wanted her, or had wanted her to be his wife for a long time. No one would ever make her feel this way again, mo matter how many lovers she might take. She could look for the rest of her life and not find a man as kind or generous or loving as he. And she had all but thrown his love away with both hands. The revelation devastated her and she hung her head.

“Jane?” Kinellan straightened, peering into her face.

Sobbing, she threw her arms around him, laying her head on his broad chest, the only place she wanted it to be. Tears pricked her eyes. The fast beat of his heart beneath her ear should have given comfort, but did not, for her own heart was tearing asunder. The trickle of tears became a flood.

“Darling.” He slipped his arms around her, cradling her close. “What is wrong?”

“I…I don’t want to leave.”

“Sweetheart.” He cupped her chin and turned her face up to his. A thundery frown marred his brow. “Who has asked you to leave? Was it Aunt Prudence? Fiona?”

“N…no.” Jane sniffed, trying to blink back the tears and regain her composure.

“Someone else?” His frown grew darker.

She nodded. “You.”

About the Author Jenna Jaxon is a best-selling author of historical romance, writing in a variety of time periods because she believes that passion is timeless. She has been reading and writing historical romance since she was a teenager. A romantic herself, Jenna has always loved a dark side to the genre, a twist, suspense, a surprise. She tries to incorporate all of these elements into her own stories.

She lives in Virginia with her family and a small menagerie of pets–including two vocal cats, one almost silent cat, two curious bunnies, and a Shar-pei beagle mix named Frenchie.

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Talk of Tokyo by Heather Hallman – Spotlight and Giveaway

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Heather Hallman will be awarding a $25 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.

CAREFUL WITH YOUR WORDS

1897 Tokyo is no different than anywhere else in the world: men are exploiting women. Specifically, Western men are exploiting Japanese women, and Suki Malveaux holds no punches in her condemnation of their behavior in her weekly column in the Tokyo Daily News.

Suki knows firsthand when Western men arrive at Tokyo Bay there’s only one outcome for Japanese women: a child and new mother left behind as nothing more than discarded shrapnel from the heartless war on love.

Griffith Spenser is her latest target. He’s been seen with Natsu Watanabe, one of Tokyo’s esteemed war widows. Under full anonymity of the moniker “The Tokyo Tattler,” Suki makes sure Griffith knows exactly why his behavior with Natsu won’t be tolerated.

Away from her Japanese mask as a columnist, Suki never intended to meet the cad. When he seeks her out to hire as a tutor for his niece and nephew, she’s faced with seeing him day in and day out without him ever knowing who she really is.

Caught in her struggle for anonymity so she can keep battling for women’s rights, Suki’s about to learn the full impact of her words on the people behind the story, especially on Griff.

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Tokyo 1897

Foreign Quarter of Tsukiji

Shaky hands and racing heart notwithstanding, Suki gave herself a fighting chance. The incorrigible rake might have accusations, threats, and plans for retaliation, but she had feminine cunning. While she lacked familiarity with the mechanics involved in that sort of cunning, she’d seen how furtive glances and teasing words reduced men to foolishness. The basics of flirtation rivaled neither the complexity of French verbs nor the convolutedness of English spellings, both of which she’d mastered with ease.

A maid hastened across the garden and opened the front gate. “Mr. Spenser is expecting you,” she said in the clear, precise English of servants in Tokyo’s foreign quarter of Tsukiji.

Suki followed the maid through Spenser’s front garden, past azalea bushes boasting radiant displays of scarlets, lavenders, and magentas. Flurries of pale pink temple bells burst forth in a graceful arrangement that bore a decidedly feminine touch.

Of course it did. Spenser’s gardens would’ve been planted by his former wife.

Suki pictured the fair-haired young woman vigorously fanning herself at last summer’s festival. She’d worn one of those heavy dresses that trapped sweat and exacerbated the summer itch. Several months later, news had traveled through Tsukiji that Spenser’s bride had returned to England for good.

As Suki stared up at the Japanese-style wooden beam home with the gingerbread trim and second-story dormer windows favored by Tsukiji’s British residents, dread once again grew in the pit of her stomach. If Spenser had seen fit to alienate the woman he’d pledged to honor and protect, what did he have in store for the woman he most certainly despised?

About the Author:

Heather Hallman writes witty, sensual, contest-winning romances set in Meiji-era Japan (1868-1912). She is the author of the Tokyo Whispers series that includes Scandals of Tokyo and Talk of Tokyo.

She is fluent in Japanese language, history, and culture, and earned a doctoral degree in cultural anthropology based on fieldwork research in Japan. She lives in Tokyo with her professor husband and two young daughters. In her free time, she can be found translating ancient Japanese poetry and observing the passing of seasons while sipping green tea. Just kidding, she has no free time. But she does watch something that makes her laugh while she does the dishes.

Perennial obsessions include the weather forecast (she checks three different apps at least three times a day, as no single app can be trusted), Baltimore Ravens football (hometown obsession), and making smoothies that taste like candy bars.

Feel free to chat her up about any of her obsessions, or, even better, about historical Japan—any era is fine, she loves them all. She also enjoys exchanging book recommendations, discussions about the craft of romance writing, and stories about life in present-day Tokyo.

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In Plain Sight by Alison Packard – Spotlight and Giveaway

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Alison Packard will be awarding a $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.

Romance writer Maya Lange is stuck in the small town of Two Forks, Wyoming. It’s not the happily ever after she wanted for herself, but neither was dating a man who runs a criminal enterprise or witnessing a murder. Now she’s in witness protection, with a new name she hates and a permanent mistrust of men. That doesn’t keep the sparks from flying with her neighbor, Josh Madsen, though she suspects he’s hiding secrets of his own. She’s right to be wary. Josh is actually Jace Reed, a former undercover NYPD officer hiding from the mob. Jace knows his beautiful and mysterious new neighbor isn’t who she seems. Is she there to spy on him or to kill him? All he knows for sure is that she’s tempting him to do things he hasn’t thought about in years. How can either of them learn to trust when surrounded by so many secrets?

Former bull rider Ryan McCallister has returned to Two Forks with one goal in mind: to win back his childhood sweetheart, local bakery owner Katie Crawford. Ryan left eight years earlier for all the right reasons, but Katie doesn’t know that. All she knows is that he broke her heart. Can she trust him enough to take a second chance on love?

As Katie befriends Maya, and Jace works with Ryan on his ranch, their lives become entwined in ways none of them ever expected. Will their shattered pasts destroy the hopes any of them might have for a happy future? The truth is hiding in plain sight.

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“You just move in?” he called out, lowering the drill to his side. The move made him look like a gunslinger, albeit a modern-day one without a shirt.

“Yes,” she said, her mouth dry for no good reason. Okay, maybe the reason was the way his broad chest tapered down like a vee to lean waist. His jeans were faded, and rode low on his hips. Yeah, that was probably why her mouth was dry, and another part of her anatomy wouldn’t be if she stared at him for much longer.

“You need any help?”

“No. I’m good.” She wished she could see his face more clearly. If his face was half as impressive as his body, she might need to jump into the lake to cool off. “But thanks for asking.”

“You’re welcome. If you need anything, let me know.”

“I will,” she said. “What’s your name?”

He wiped his brow. “Josh.”

“I’m Sara.” She wished the feds had given her any other name besides the name of her high school nemesis. The horrible girl made her life miserable for four straight years, and while it wasn’t rational, she’d hated the name ever since. “How long have you lived here?”

“About six months.”

“And you’re still here?” she asked. Why would a gorgeous specimen live in such isolation? Unless he wasn’t alone. A man that hot most likely had someone in his life.

“It’s not so bad,” he said after a few seconds. He lifted the drill. “I’d better get back to this before the sun goes down. Let me know if you need anything.” He turned back to the railing and powered on the drill.

A bit disappointed their conversation was over, Maya’s gaze lingered on his muscular back. Maybe Two Forks might not be as dull as she’d initially thought. But then, a man was the reason she was living smack dab in the middle of the country, in a town with only one main street and no Starbucks. She turned on her heel, walked back to the deck and into the house. It would be a cold day in hell before she ever trusted another man. No matter how damn hot he was.

About the Author Originally from the San Francisco Bay Area, Alison now lives in the Southwest with her adorable rescue dog, Bailey. She writes heartwarming contemporary romance with a dash of spice and loves chocolate, reading, and taking Bailey for walks at their favorite park.

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