She looked back into stunning brown eyes. Brown eyes with flecks of amber in them. “My apologies. I am many things, but fit is not one of them.”
He carried a stern look now, which she wasn’t able to interpret. “Are you okay?” he asked again.
“Yes, I am.” With a smile she added. “Thanks.”
“Want to provide me a brief background story of your day and how I can help you?”
“I think the short version is that we would like to have a lift to our car.”
He nodded. “No problems. Whereabouts is your car?”
Tilting her head slightly to the side, she replied, “At the car park?”
The Ranger pinched the bridge of his nose but didn’t reply.
She suppressed a sigh. “Okay, let me try this again. I am not as useless as I’m currently coming across. Zoe…” She pointed to her daughter. “My daughter and I have only recently moved to Alinta Bay. It’s a beautiful day, so we thought it’d be perfect for exploring the area.”
“You decided,” Zoe piped, to which Lexie replied with a stern look.
“The lovely lady from the bakery told us about this path along the creek and towards a little waterfall. We found the waterfall, but unfortunately not the way back. The car park was not really a car park—”
BLURB
She loves the feel of his skin beneath her hands …
Lexie Marshall packs up and moves 3,000 km east with her daughter Zoe, to forget and move on. Now, all that matters is her daughter and her new job. She tries hard to stay focussed, but the sexy and extremely kind park ranger, Jesse, is not making it easy. And when her husband shows up in the small coastal town creating chaos, all she can do is hang on and trust her new friends.
After his last girlfriend walked out on him, Jesse Parker is doing just fine on his own. Until his accidental meeting with single mother Lexie, when he rescues her and her daughter from getting lost in the forest. But when her past catches up with her, he is right in the middle of it all and it might ruin his career.
Will returning to her old life be the only chance to save his career?
Happy Sunday I’ve returned to an old manuscript which I started years and years ago. The story is about Sadie who’s found her mother’s diary, which will eventually take her on a journey to Germany. … she’s just landed in Singapore …
ENJOY ♥
Today’s Snippet
My shoulders sag as I let out a deep sigh. “I apologise. This is all too much for me.”
He flashes me one of his sexy smiles again, and I notice how near perfect his teeth are. I know, people think I’m obsessed about it, but hey, when you have a small gap between your front teeth, it kind of stands out when others don’t.
Mathias rakes his hand through his short, brown hair. It’s a bit like being in the movies, he just knows all the right moves.
“I’m Sadie,” I finally say. “I’m currently a shadow of myself because that flight killed me. I don’t think I could bear eating anything, but I’d love to come with and have a drink.”
He laughs and I’m sure I’ve just fallen in love!
“C’mon Sadie,” he says as he takes my hand. “Let’s get you something to drink.” As we walk through Singapore’s airport, I notice how I just follow without looking where we’re going.
Beatrice Callahan loves lists. Sometimes she even makes a to-do list of things she’s already done, just to go check, check, check and feel accomplished. So it’s easy to understand why, when her divorce is finally final and her ex is all moved out, Bea takes a cool, close look at her life…and makes a list.
It’s not exactly a bucket list.
It’s a love list.
Bea loves the outdoors, so she puts visit 10 National Parks on the list.
She loves animals, and on goes get a puppy.
She loves the beach, and she adds take a dream vacation to the list, and decides to do that one first. After all she’s been through and all she’s lost, she needs time to relax, rest, and reset.
On the first day she arrives in Hilton Head Island, she meets Grant Turner, the man whose house she’s renting for her fabulous beach vacation. He’s just there to make sure she settles in properly and has enough towels.
But when Bea asks for recommendations around the island, Grant quickly becomes her tour guide and then a friend and then…more than friends.
Bea turns to her lists when things get confusing and her love list morphs once again… Can she add fall in love at age 45 to the list and check it off?
She runs a personal blog on publishing and is a founding author of the QueryTracker blog, a co-founder of The League of Extraordinary Writers, and a co-organizer of WriteOnCon. She is a member of ALLi and NINC and a popular speaker for libraries, teens, and writer’s conferences across the United States. To contact Elana to speak at your event, please see her contact page.
I’m so thrilled to be a guest on this blog. Thank you so much for hosting me. My name is N. N. Light, otherwise known as Mrs. N. I write uplifting stories with my husband and better half, Mr. N.
In late February of this year, Russia invaded Ukraine. My heart plummeted as I saw the brute force of Russia’s army attach a sovereign nation. Can this really be happening? After all we have been through as a people, can we just sit by and watch the elimination of a race of people? I knew I needed to find some way to help. I certainly didn’t have the resources to fly over there but what could I do? The answer came in an Instagram post about two weeks ago. My fellow author, Dania Voss, put out a message on Instagram asking for more romance stories for a charity anthology. I signed up right away and I’m so honored to be a part of the Love Wins anthology. 100% of the proceeds go to a charity with boots on the ground helping Ukrainians in need.
We can’t stop the bombs from falling but we can do our part from this corner of our world. Please consider purchasing the anthology for $1.99. Not only will you be helping innocent people struggling to stay alive, but you’ll get fifteen romance novellas/short stories. These stories vary between sweet and contemporary.
Genre: Contemporary Romance, Charity Anthology, Romance Short Stories
Book Blurb: Stories include: ALL ROADS LEAD TO SHEPHERD GROVE–DANIA VOSS PAST, PERFECT, POLO–MARIBELLE MCCREA THE MADAM’S FRIEND–MARLENE F CHENG HAVEN OF SECRETS–PAMELA CLAYFIELD GOLD MINE–TIFFANY CARBY MISROUTED BY LOVE ~ A TALE OF MAYBE–AIMEE O’BRIAN CLICKING–R.A. CLARKE THE POWER OF LOVE–JUDY FISHER LOVE, ETERNAL–ROBERT BEECH SHIFTER: A WERE-CAT’S TALE–E.J. POWELL ON THE WINGS OF KITES–ALEX GREHY MOANA ACCOUNTANT–KERRY CARLISLE TWO WEEKS IN THE TETONS–MARIS PARKER
Authors include Dania Voss, Maribelle McCrea, Marlene Cheng, K.M. Jenkins, Deborah King, Annie McEwen, Pamela Clayfield, Tiffany Carby, Aimee O’Brian, R.A. Clarke, N. N. Light, Judy Fisher, Robert Beech, E.J. Powell, Alex Grehy, Maris Parker
Jack took a step back letting go of her pinky. He crossed his arms; his eyes glittered angrily. Sally’s nostrils flared. Taking a step back, she crossed her arms. “That’s a fine thing to say to me after all we’ve been through.” She turned to leave. “Maybe Trevor’s right…” “What?” Jack sat down on the cot, not looking at her. “What did Trevor tell you?” “Trevor has a buyer for the farm. It’s a friend of his father’s and he loves the idea of a brewery out here in the country. He wants to add a restaurant and make it some sort of oasis for city folk.” She ran her fingers through her blonde hair. “A buyer?” He put his head in his hands and sighed. “It’s too fast.” “What are you talking about?” She looked down at her watch, wishing she hadn’t come. Her sister was right; men were nothing but trouble. “Look, I know I’ve messed things up.” He stood and walked towards her. “But you’ve got to give the farm and me a second chance.” He extended his hand through the bars. Sally’s emotions shook her body. Guilt, love, pain, regret, anger and hope battled for supremacy in her heart. She eyed his outstretched hand warily. Could she trust him? Could he be depended upon? “Why should I give you another chance, Jack?” She let her arms fall to her sides. A force not her own pulled her body closer to his. She whispered, “You hurt me.” Tears welled up but she didn’t care. He reached up and wiped her tears away. “Oh Sally,” he whispered, his voice cracking with emotion. Her lower lip quivered. “I’m so sorry. I’m a first-class jerk.” He cupped her face with his hands. “Please don’t cry.” Sally closed her eyes. She felt like a tiny dingy in the middle of the ocean, battered and torn in pieces. She leaned her head against the bars. “Your opinion matters most, it always has. When you say things like you just did, it tears me apart.” She lifted her head. “I need you, Jack. I can’t do this without you.” “That wasn’t me; it was my jealousy rearing its ugly head.” “What do you mean? What do you have to be jealous of?” Her brows furrowed, she thought hard. “I’m jealous of how happy you seem to be with Trevor,” he replied.
Buy Links (including Goodreads and BookBub):
Preorder your e-copy for only $1.99. The price goes up to $4.99 after release week! 100% of the proceeds going to World Vision’s Ukrainian Refugee Fund.
N. N. Light is the award-winning husband-wife writing team, commonly known as Mr. N and Mrs. N. Books are their addiction and lifeblood. Life is meant to be lived; cherish the exciting moments, and relish in those all too brief moments of relaxation. They are here to live their own lives, read as many books as humanly possible and live it passionately. N. N. Light’s Book Heaven serves as a vessel to project their passions, and clue in their loyal readers as to what inspires them in this crazy world. So, sit back, relax, and read on. One link to rule them all: https://bio.link/nnlightsbookheaven
War correspondent Kate Tessler has followed the most dangerous news stories around the world. But can she survive going home?
Injured in a bombing, Kate returns to her hometown in Arizona to recover. For the first time in her life, she’s starting to feel her age (49), even though she’s living like a teenager again: staying with her father, trying to understand why her sister resents her so much, and running into people who still think of her as Kitty.
Seeing her mother in an Alzheimer’s unit is the hardest part – until an old friend asks her to investigate suspicious deaths at that nursing home. Is a self-appointed “Angel of Mercy” killing patients to end their suffering? Are family members hastening their inheritance? Is an employee extorting money and removing the witnesses? Kate uses her journalism skills to track clues, but the puzzle pieces simply won’t fit.
If Kate can’t uncover the truth, her mother could be next on the killer’s list.
Get a free short storyplus bonus material when you sign up for Kris Bock’s newsletter. This free collection starts with a ten-page mystery short story, “The Case of the Missing Monkey,”set in the world of The Accidental Detective series. That is followed by information about the first books in the series, Something Shady at Sunshine Haven and Something Deadly on Desert Drive, plus the first chapter of book 1. After that are three fun, short stories originally written for children.
Praise for Something Shady at Sunshine Haven
I just LOVE your protagonist and the cast of characters that you built.” – Sinclair Jayne, author
“A really fun read and the perfect set up for a great series.” – Lisa Honeycutt, author/illustrator
“Book one was a good read, and I’m looking forward to a series with Kate Tessler.” – Teresa Fannin, writer
“So much fun! Her wry notes always make me laugh. The mystery seems so impossible to solve. You have so many details and such a limited ability for the heroine to get answers, which makes the story even more engaging. I love her dry sense of humor.” – Emma J. Wallace, author
My childhood home had faded in the harsh Arizona sun and now showed its age—rather like me. I’d never dreamed of living here again after thirty years of traveling the world.
This is temporary. You’ll find a way out.
“Do you need help?” My sister’s tone made it clear the correct answer was no. She’d already hinted that picking me up at the airport had been one more burden in her busy life.
“I got it.” I eased out of the car and limped to the trunk to retrieve my travel backpack, still getting used to my new cane. My thigh throbbed where the doctors had dug out the shrapnel and stitched it back together with Frankenstein scars. My usual fast stride was an awkward hobble up the walkway. My luggage might have been “light,” considering it held everything I owned, but it still nudged the airline’s weight limit.
The front door opened, and I forced a smile. Jen disappeared inside, and Dad and I stood face-to-face.
Our smiles faltered. I dropped the backpack and stumbled into his arms. Tension drained out of my body. I blinked back tears and felt his frailty, the tremor in his hands. He smelled like Dad with a hint of a newer scent, something that only seemed to come from old men.
“Welcome home,” he whispered.
“It’s good to be home.” I needed to rest and heal, and where better to do that than in my parents’ house? In a few weeks—I promised myself weeks, not months, and definitely not years—I would be well enough to return to journalism. “How’s Mom?”
“Good. Well, you know. She’s settled in. She can’t wait to see you.”
I didn’t ask if she’d remember me. I hadn’t noticed signs of Alzheimer’s on my last visit, but that had been a year ago, and Jen assured me Mom had faded fast. She also made it clear that since I was home with no job, it was my turn to take care of our parents.
“Sit,” Dad said. “You need to rest that leg.”
Behind him, Jen sighed loudly. “Don’t coddle her. She needs to stay active.” You wouldn’t know from the way she acted that Jen was younger by two years.
Dad winked at me. “Come and sit anyway.”
Jen hustled outside. She glanced back through the open door. “Welcome home.” She sped down the path without waiting for an answer.
I closed the door and looked at Dad. “I guess I caught her on a bad day.”
“No, just a day. Hey, a friend of yours runs the care home. She gave me a message for you. Said it was urgent.” He shuffled through the mail on the little table by the door.
I couldn’t think of any friends in Arizona. I hadn’t had any here since my childhood. My friends were scattered around the world, wherever news was happening. If she ran the nursing home, she might hope I’d write a story on the facility to promote it, or do some free PR work. Drat. Were people going to treat me like I had nothing better to do than give away my time?
Double drat. I did not, in fact, have anything better to do. And I wanted a nap.
Dad handed me an envelope. I leaned on the door and propped my cane against the table so I had two hands to tear open the envelope. The handwritten message inside was brief:
Kitty—Please come see me ASAP. I need your help.
—Heather Garcia
“She sounded. . .” Dad hesitated. “She asked about your journalism and begged me to bring you in as soon as possible.”
Begged? This could be interesting after all. But who was Heather Garcia? Someone I knew in high school, given her use of my old nickname. Maybe I’d recognize her when I saw her. Or maybe not. I hadn’t changed a bit, of course, but other people sure looked different after thirty years.
Kris Bock writes novels of mystery, suspense, and romance with outdoor adventures and Southwestern landscapes. She has lived in ten states and one foreign country but is now firmly planted in the Southwest, where many of her books are set. Learn more at www.krisbock.com. Kris’s cat café series is lighthearted sweet romance. Readers call it heartwarming, fun, and delightful. Visit the Furrever Friends Sweet Romance series page on Amazon US or Amazon UK.
Kris also writes a series with her brother, scriptwriter Douglas J Eboch, who wrote the original screenplay for the movie Sweet Home Alabama. Follow the crazy antics of Melanie, Jake, and their friends a decade before the events of the movie. Sign up for our romantic comedy newsletter and get Felony Melanie Destroys the Moonshiner’s Cabin. These first two chapters from the novel Felony Melanie in Pageant Pandemonium stand alone as a short story. In the future, you’ll get fun content about upcoming Felony Melanie novels and other romantic comedy news and links. Or find book 1 at Amazon US or All E-book retailers.
An Angel’s Wylder Assignment A Wylder West Novel by Tena Stetler Genre: Paranormal Romance
It takes a Warrior Angel and Native American Shifter to save the past and create their future.
Angel Killian Dugan’s annual trip to the family castle in Scotland is shattered by the arrival of Legion Commander North. Killian’s skills are needed for an urgent time travel assignment. A rogue demon has escaped back in time. He must discover the why and where then stop the demon before it can damage the past and change the future.
Killian’s girlfriend Chinoah Grace, a Native American shapeshifter is included in the mission, which takes them to the wild west town of Wylder, Wyoming in 1878. She will have her hands full fitting in and making friends. Nothing is as it seems. They encounter visions, spirit quests, and a mysterious shaman. On top of it all, blending in as a blacksmith is more physically difficult than he imagined. But not as challenging as keeping his hands off his undercover wife. Will they complete their assignment or run out of time?
Tena Stetler is a best-selling author of award winning paranormal romance with an over-active imagination. She wrote her first vampire romance as a tween, to the chagrin of her mother and the delight of her friends. Colorado is home; shared with her husband, a brilliant Chow Chow, a spoiled parrot and a forty-five-year-old box turtle. When she’s not writing, her time is spent kayaking, camping, hiking, biking or just relaxing in the great Colorado outdoors.
Her books tell tales of magical kick-ass women and mystical alpha males that dare to love them. Travel, adventure, and a bit of mystery flourish in her books along with a few companion animals to round out the tales.
She straightened. “I’m okay. Embarrassed, my ego dinted, and having aged by about ten years, but I’m okay.”
His deep chuckle invaded her senses with its warmth and did something to her. And it’d been a while since a man had stirred something inside her, not since … she pushed the thought of her husband away, as well as the flutter in her stomach, trying to deal with the problem at hand.
“I got us lost,” she finally conceded.
Raising his brows, he opened his mouth, but closed it again, looking over at Zoe. “Okay, so one thing after the other. I hope you know that waving down a car can be dangerous.”
“Please don’t lecture her,” Lexie said, still gasping for air. “I will do that in due time later on, but at the moment, she deserves a medal, because…” She huffed. “Because we were lost.”
Lexie met his gaze dead on, acutely aware of the momentary silence between them. Again, she had to push the flutter in her stomach away by closing her eyes for a brief second or two.
“Mum.”
Eyes wide now, she turned to Zoe. “What?”
“The Ranger asked you a question.”
BLURB
She loves the feel of his skin beneath her hands …
Lexie Marshall packs up and moves 3,000 km east with her daughter Zoe, to forget and move on. Now, all that matters is her daughter and her new job. She tries hard to stay focussed, but the sexy and extremely kind park ranger, Jesse, is not making it easy. And when her husband shows up in the small coastal town creating chaos, all she can do is hang on and trust her new friends.
After his last girlfriend walked out on him, Jesse Parker is doing just fine on his own. Until his accidental meeting with single mother Lexie, when he rescues her and her daughter from getting lost in the forest. But when her past catches up with her, he is right in the middle of it all and it might ruin his career.
Will returning to her old life be the only chance to save his career?
Happy Sunday I’ve returned to an old manuscript which I started years and years ago. The story is about Sadie who’s found her mother’s diary, which will eventually take her on a journey to Germany. … she’s just landed in Singapore …
ENJOY ♥
Today’s Snippet
Maa-tee-aas <Mathias> smiles and suddenly my stomach makes a big flip.
“Was this your first flight?” he asks.
I nod. “It’s obvious, right?”
My tired eyes are all of a sudden wide awake when they meet Mathias’ dark-brown eyes. He looks absolutely gorgeous, even after the eight hours flight. I notice his olive skin and wonder whether it’s a tan acquired from surfing the famous Sydney beaches. His track pants hang loosely on his hips and the worn-out T-shirt with “You think I’m gorgeous, wait till you meet my dad” written on the front covers what seems a very athletic chest. I giggle and notice how he looks down to check out what amuses me.
When he looks back at me, he asks, “Want to have something decent to eat?”
I consider the question, because the thought of eating makes my stomach go mad at me, but the thought of saying no to Mathias makes my heart scream out loud yes, yes, yes.
