Author: Iris Blobel
#SnippetSunday “…it’d hadn’t been their first kiss..” #mustread #Bookbuzz #Romancenovel
In all fairness, it’d hadn’t been their first kiss, but they had been about five years old when their mouths had accidentally met for the first time, and Markus had given her a wet, sloppy kiss in kindergarten as well when she’d fallen off the slide.
So why was her body betraying her today?
“I have to take a raincheck, Marky,” she told him. “But thanks, anyway.”
“Want to tell me what’s up with you?” He placed a gentle kiss on her forehead. “You’re usually the first one on the dance floor and the last one to leave.”
Sarah let out another sigh before she decided what to tell him, if anything at all.
Markus had always been a good friend. More than that. He’d always been there for her, during good and bad times.
Especially during bad times.
#NewRelease ” A Bird in the Hand” by Cynthia Terelst
A Bird in the Hand
by Cynthia Terelst
Love Down Under
Blurb
She yearns for the past. He wants a better future. Can they learn to love the present together?
When thirty-something Makayla’s long-term boyfriend breaks it off, she is left broken hearted. Her best friends seize the opportunity and book a bus tour up the west coast of Australia. They hope distance will give her perspective, but she can’t see past what she’s lost.
Tyler needs a break from work and seeks something more fulfilling, even if he has no idea what that is. When his mates plan the trip of a lifetime he decides to tag along. He’s sure it will get him out of his rut, and in turn, help him set a course for his future.
No one is prepared for the planning mishap that finds Makayla and Tyler sharing a room. They are opposites in just about every way and are definitely not interested in each other. Add a fouled mouthed cockatoo to the equation and the perfect trip is not so perfect. Or is it?
**This is a standalone romance with medium heat**
Message from the Author
A Bird in the Hand was a fun book to write. Along with my characters, I visited parts of Western Australia I have never been to and others I have explored before. Even though I visited them nearly twenty years ago, they still hold a place in my heart.
From the start, we could see the differences between Makayla and Tyler, even if they were subtle. I enjoyed watching them change over time, where their attitude changed from ‘no way’ to ‘this could be a thing’. It was their bravery and their patience with each other that allowed that to happen.
The cockatoo in the story, with a most unfortunate name, was based on a pet cockatoo when I was a child, Old Bugger. I also asked people to share their cockatoo stories with me and formed this foul-mouthed character. Cockatoos are very smart and CM’s colourful vocabulary certainly showed that.
I like to bring awareness to social issues in my novels. This time, I chose inequality and diversity. I only touch on these in the novel, but I hope it opens my minds of readers and perhaps begin important conversations.
Excerpt
I looked up as Makayla came traipsing through the campsite, her clothing wet. “What on earth?”
I got up and followed her into the tent.
“Are you OK?”
“Fine.”
“Do you need some help?”
“I said I’m fine.”
I took a step back, holding up my hands.
She turned on me as fast as a competitor in a takeover negotiation. “Why do you always have to be so nice?”
Being nice was a bad thing? I tilted my head. “You don’t want me to be nice?”
“No.”
I’d never heard of someone not wanting people to be nice. “What would you rather me be?”
“Not nice. Unlikeable.”
My body felt light. “You like me?”
“No. I don’t like you.”
“But you said I was likable.”
She stamped her foot and stared at me, her jaw set. “It doesn’t mean I like you.”
“So, I’m likable, but you don’t like me?” I tried to hold my smile in.
She took two quick steps and was right up in my body space. “I don’t like you. I’m not interested in you.”
Her arms wrapped around my neck and her mouth crashed with mine. As quick as the kiss started, it finished.
Her wide eyes stared at me. She smoothed her top down which just made it cling to her body more. “Right. OK. Yep.”
I opened my mouth but before I could say a word she whipped around and escaped from the tent. What had just happened? I stared after her as she walked to the edge of the campsite and paused. What an idiot. I should have kissed her back.
She spun around and marched back to the tent. When she stepped inside, she smoothed her top down again. The wetness exposed the top of her breasts. I’d be jerking off to that sight for a very long time.
“Sorry about that.” She looked up at me and gave me a small smile.
“I’m not.”
Slight movement caught my attention, she was flexing her fingers.
I pulled her towards me. As my lips met hers, she sighed. My dick went hard as her lips opened to mine. Her warm mouth invited me in as if it was a haven and I was lost at sea. She pressed against my body and I held her there savouring every morsel of her sweet taste.
Her hands pushed against my chest. Our bodies separated and then our lips. I breathed heavy as I stared down at her.
“I like it when you express yourself,” I said, smiling.
She took a step back. My stomach dropped. Had I said the wrong thing?
Author Bio
Cynthia Terelst is a project officer by day and a writer by night. She is a contemporary romance writer who likes to share a little bit of history, some Australian scenery and a whole lotta love. Cynthia does not shy away from difficult topics, as she feels that they should not be ignored.
She lives in Queensland, Australia, where the sun shines at least 283 days a year.
Social Media Links
Website http://cynthiaterelst.com/
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BookBub https://www.bookbub.com/authors/cynthia-terelst
Amazon Author Page – https://www.amazon.com/Cynthia-Terelst/e/B07ZCTX8SB/
Goodreads – https://www.goodreads.com/cynthiaterelst
Blog http://cynthiaterelst.com/blog/
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Linktree – https://linktr.ee/cynthiaterelst
#NewRelease “FALLING FOR ROME” by @gillianarcher @InkSlingerPR
FALLING FOR ROME
by Gillian Archer
is out now!
Check it out and be sure to grab your copy today!
Title: Falling For Rome
Author: Gillian Archer
Genre: Contemporary Romance
About Falling For Rome:
Hollywood’s hottest actor is off the market! Who’s the mystery woman that caught his eye…and his heart?
Rome: My brother’s whole world imploded this week, and the media coverage is relentless. My assistant has come up with the perfect plan to take the attention off him and put it on me. Who doesn’t love a love story? Now let’s see if what’s-her-name wants to make some money and industry connections. It’s a win-win.
Sophia: The whole world knows who the Grier brothers are. The sexy Hollywood actors are on every woman’s wish list—and if I’m honest, mine too. But then I met Roman Grier and totally embarrassed myself. At least I’ll never see him again.
Only now he’s pursuing me. Well, kinda. He is promising me the world. Literally. I’ve always wanted to be a screenwriter, and he’s got the connections to get me through the door—if I pretend to date him and lie to everyone. It’s only a few months, and it’s not like I’m going to fall for Roman Grier for real…
Get Your Copy!
Amazon | Apple | B&N Nook | Kobo | Google Play
Exclusive Excerpt:
“Pongo!” I called to the prancing Dalmatian. “Come on, boy. Time to go home.”
Because I had about forty minutes to get to my other job and traffic was insane this time of day.
I’d taken about five steps with Pongo at my side when he gave a bark and dashed off.
“Pongo!” I yelled, but he didn’t even look over his shoulder at me. He’d always obeyed me before. “Pongo! Come!”
Instead, he crashed into a guy walking toward us. I watched in horror as they both went down in a tangle of flailing legs and fur. But over the sound of the ocean, I heard laughter.
I raced over to them. “I am so, so sorry. This big lug needs to learn some manners. Are you okay?”
The man pushed Pongo away from licking his face, and I gasped.
Roman Grier.
Pongo had tackled Roman Grier, Hollywood’s golden boy and my personal celebrity crush, Roman freaking Grier.
I felt distinctly light-headed. Taking a few swaying steps toward them, I grabbed Pongo’s collar and hauled him off the movie star. “I am so, so sorry. He usually listens to me. I’ve never had him tackle anyone but me.”
Pongo strained against my hold, whining as he stretched to lick Roman Grier.
Who was still flat on his back.
“Oh my god. I’m so sorry. Here.” Still holding Pongo’s collar with one hand, I reached down to help Roman Grier up, but Pongo took the opportunity to bolt back onto him again. Pongo’s momentum ripped me off balance, and I crashed down on top of my movie star crush.
Where I’d always dreamed of being.
But not like this!
I scrambled away from his hard, tight body. God, he really did have the firmest chest. Averting my eyes, I brushed the sand off my shorts and scolded the damn dog. “Pongo. No.”
About the Author:
GILLIAN ARCHER has a bachelor’s degree in mining engineering but prefers to spend her time on happily ever after. She writes the kind of stories she loves to read—the hotter the better! When she’s not pounding away on the keyboard, she can be found chasing her little girl, or surfing the couch while indulging in her latest reality TV fixation, or reading awesome romance ebooks by her favorite authors. Gillian Archer lives in the wilds of Nevada with her amazing husband, gorgeous little girl, and goofy dog.
Connect with the Author:
Website | Email | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Bookbub | Newsletter
#MusicMonday “The Rose” by #BetteMidler #Lovethissong
#SnippetSunday “Want to dance?” #mustread #Bookbuzz #PreOrder
Startled, Sarah nearly spilled the drink. Yet, the few simple words and his presence made her feel better already. For as long as she remembered, Markus had called her baby. Initially, it had annoyed her, because she’d been so proud of having finally reached her teenage years, but nowadays …nowadays she revelled in the comfort of their closeness. Tilting her head slightly to meet his gaze, she let out a soft sigh.
He laughed as he placed his arm around her for a little hug. “Want to dance?”
His mouth was so close to her ear, his breath touched her skin as he spoke. A faint shiver trickled down her spine. She’d known Markus for over twenty years, and she couldn’t remember her body ever responding to him like this. The combination of red wine, hangover, and the pain medication was clearly messing with her. After all, they’d shared lunches together at school, went together to movies and concerts, shared heartaches, and they even shared their first kiss celebrating Mark’s thirteen’s birthday. Both decided then and there that it wasn’t for them.
#MFRWHooks “Lost your keys?“ #Bookseries #SportsRomance #mustread
This week’s hook …
defining moments
by Iris Blobel
He nodded and a sense of relief trickled through him when the doors opened after what had seemed the longest two minutes in a long time.
“Enjoy Melbourne,” he tried once more, but he should have known better. She wasn’t the talkative kind. Shaking his head, he exited the lift and headed towards the front doors. As he walked across the car park, he saw her in the distance and as fate wanted it right next to his car. Choking back a snort in disbelief at the odds of parking beside her, he watched her rummaging in her bag as he approached her.
“Lost your keys?” he asked.
She startled, and the panicky expression in her eyes unnerved him.
BLURB
Women want him and he wants them…
Pitcher Oliver Dempsey loves playing baseball for a living, yet, when it comes to his private life, ‘love’ is not in his vocabulary. He likes to keep women at an arm’s length … until he meets Tamara. Unprepared for the attraction he feels towards her, he’s drawn in, even more when told by his coach that she’s off limits. And only Oliver can decide whether she’s worth fighting for.
Tamara Amis moved to Melbourne seeking distance from her past. With the help of her uncle, the coach of a baseball club, she quickly finds a job and a place to live. Yet, one meeting with the handsome pitcher Oliver stirs unexpected emotions that threaten to overwhelm her, despite her best efforts to resist falling for him.
It’s Oliver’s injury that brings them together, but as they find out about each other’s pasts, how can they be ready to share a future?
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#MusicMonday “By Your Side” by #Sade
#SnippetSunday “That’s your second cup of tea now.” #amreading #Romancenovel #PreOrder
Markus was laughing at one of the guys’ jokes, showing his dimples even from the distance. A foreign sensation crept up within her. It took her a moment to figure out the reason was the blond girl next to him, trying desperately to get his attention. Was Sarah jealous? She’d never been jealous of Markus’ girlfriends before, so why would she be today? Was it her vulnerability because of Timmy and that she’d always felt safe around Markus? Perhaps she didn’t want love, but simply something like security in a relationship. She’d had that from the very first day she’d met him as a kid. With a heavy sigh, she closed her eyes again, knowing that the damn tiredness and hurt were playing with her head.
Her eyes flew open when she heard a faint giggle over the music. Damn, she wished that girl would leave him be.
Exhausted, she squeezed a little lemon into her tea as she watched all the couples on the dance floor.
“Aww, baby, that’s your second cup of tea now. What’s the matter?” Markus pulled another chair close and sat next to her.
#MFRWHooks “Tyson had been a friend since kindergarten…” #Bookseries #SportsRomance #MFRWAuthor
This week’s hook …
defining moments
by Iris Blobel
From where he stood, he only saw a small part of her face, the pale skin, albeit flawless. Her blond hair was tied back in a ponytail, with a few stray strands tucked behind her ears. No earrings. He moved forward a bit. No rings on any of the fingers either. When she turned a bit, he was able to admire her deep blue eyes again. Indeed, beautiful, and yet underlined with troubling dark circles. He imagined for a moment what those eyes were hiding.
“So, what brings you to Melbourne?” he asked, noticing another little flinch.
Tamara met his gaze and for a beat, he was completely lost in her eyes. A smile tugged at his lips, but she returned to stare at the door.
“Business,” she whispered at last.
BLURB
Women want him and he wants them…
Pitcher Oliver Dempsey loves playing baseball for a living, yet, when it comes to his private life, ‘love’ is not in his vocabulary. He likes to keep women at an arm’s length … until he meets Tamara. Unprepared for the attraction he feels towards her, he’s drawn in, even more when told by his coach that she’s off limits. And only Oliver can decide whether she’s worth fighting for.
Tamara Amis moved to Melbourne seeking distance from her past. With the help of her uncle, the coach of a baseball club, she quickly finds a job and a place to live. Yet, one meeting with the handsome pitcher Oliver stirs unexpected emotions that threaten to overwhelm her, despite her best efforts to resist falling for him.
It’s Oliver’s injury that brings them together, but as they find out about each other’s pasts, how can they be ready to share a future?