Category: May I introduce

#NewRelease “A way back into love” by Veronica Thatcher #awaybackintolovetour @merderlover1 @StarAnge13

  
Title: A Way Back Into Love
Series: Love Series #1
By: Veronica Thatcher
Publication Date: February 15, 2017
Publisher: Notion Press
Genre: Contemporary Romance

Cover Designer: Notion Press

#awaybackintolovetour

Nothing is perfect. Life is messy. Relationships are complex. Outcomes, uncertain. People, irrational. But love…well, that makes everything complicated. And when you are caught in a tangled web of secrets, lies, and complex affairs, someone is bound to get burned.

Emily Stevens is a spunky, spirited college girl whose life gets turned upside-down when she realizes she’s in love with her best friend of fifteen years, Derek Thorpe. As Emily prepares to confess her feelings to Derek, something happens one night which changes her life forever. Five years later, Emily finds herself in Boston, alone and heartbroken. Will she ever be able to forget the past? And what will she find when she returns home…to the man she left behind?

AMAZON UK – https://goo.gl/Tu1KoD
AMAZON CA – https://goo.gl/aOFU4K
AMAZON IN – https://goo.gl/123Zsi
Derek let out a frustrated sigh and ran his fingers through his hair. “Em…I mean that…It’s just this person you have become. The Emily I used to know didn’t hit on random guys at the bar.”
Emily crossed her arms over her chest and gave Derek a glare. “Five years is a long time, Derek. Maybe I have changed,” she said, “And besides, why do you care so much?”
Derek glared back at her as he replied harshly, “Oh, so you have changed so much over the last five years that now you throw yourself at random men like a…” he trailed off, not finishing his sentence.
Emily’s mouth fell open and her eyes widened as she let Derek’s words set in. She couldn’t believe her own ears for a minute. Had Derek really accused her of being a slut? She couldn’t believe it – it all felt like a nightmare.
“What did you just say to me?” Emily whispered, her voice sounding foreign to her own ears. “What did you just say to me?” Emily asked in a louder voice this time.
Derek didn’t say a word as he continued to look at Emily coldly.
Emily took a step towards Derek and narrowed her eyes. Poking Derek’s chest with the index finger of her right hand, she said in a soft yet acerbic voice, “You don’t get to call me a whore. You’ve no right to judge me. Do you hear me? You’ve no fucking right to judge me.” The anger, the jealousy and the heartache combined with the alcohol she had consumed gave Emily a newly acquired courage. She felt more emboldened than she had felt in her entire life, and so, she didn’t hold back in letting out her pent-up exasperation. “You broke me,” Emily continued, her words slurring slightly, “You broke me, but I am all glued up together now. And I make no apologies for how I chose to repair what you broke. You don’t get to call me a whore.” Emily finished her diatribe, her breaths coming in short pants as a result of her outburst.
Derek looked into her eyes, the anger and bitterness in his eyes now replaced by confusion. “I broke you? What do you mean?” he asked in a bewildered voice, his eyebrows shooting up.
Emily stepped back from him and shook her head. “Oh, you know damn well what I mean. You know what, Derek? I’m done having this conversation with you. I’m so done with this conversation and I’m so done with you,” Emily spat out angrily before brushing past him.
“Emily, wait,” Derek said, catching her by her arm. “Where are you going?”
Emily spun around and gave him a bitter look before looking down at his hand gripping her arm. “Leave my arm,” she said in a low yet threatening voice, “And why do you care where I’m going? It’s none of your business.”
Derek didn’t leave her arm in spite of her warning and said, “Em, you’ve had too many drinks. You can’t drive in this condition. I’ll drop you home.”
Emily jerked her arm free from his grasp and replied in a bitter voice, “Thank you, but no. I’m perfectly capable of getting myself home on my own. I don’t need you to drop me home. Do you get it, Derek Thorpe? I DON’T NEED YOU!” Emily yelled the last words, causing a few people to look their way.
Veronica Thatcher is an exciting new contemporary romance author. Ever since she was very young, she’s dreamed of becoming a doctor when she grew up. While still forging ahead with that, majoring in pre-med in college, she unwittingly stumbled upon a new dream—becoming a published author. Some may call her an introvert or a wallflower, but she has always found she could express herself better in written, rather than spoken, words. However, never in her wildest dreams had she envisioned she would pursue writing as a prospective career, not just a hobby. Her love for writing goes hand-in-hand with her love for a good romance novel—whether it be a feel-good, sweet romance or a dark, suspenseful one. When she’s not studying, reading, or writing, she is usually found blasting her favourite songs, sometimes singing and dancing along to them. She dabbles in a number of activities, including painting, karate, singing and dancing. She is a huge chocoholic – probably the biggest – and she is an ice-cream junkie too. She considers herself technologically handicapped forever and has no shame in admitting that. She also deems chocolates her boyfriend, Patrick Dempsey the love of her life, and Friends her life!

Her first book, A Way Back Into Love, is slated for release in February 2017, and she hopes readers will enjoy it as much as she enjoyed writing it. You can reach Veronica through Facebook, Twitter, Goodreads, Wattpad and Gmail.

#BlogTour “Because of You” by Silvy Wells #becauseofyoutour @starange13 @booksaremy

 Title: Because of You
By: Silvy Wells
Publication Date: February 17, 2017
Genre: Romantic Comedy
#becauseofyoutour

 

Nicole Wellston realized that falling in love would bring her just pain. She was working in the biggest publishing company in New York and didn’t want anything but her job. With head into the books, she enjoyed in fictional characters more than the real ones.

Nicole had nothing to lose she already lost everything except her job.She worked hard and did her best to hide her loneliness, assuring her four supportive friends even herself that everything was perfect in her life. They knew that she needed love in her life or she would “kill” herself working, and they arranged her blind dates. According to Nicole, men who were chosen by her friends were a complete disaster. Nicole wanted to enjoy in the perfection of fictional characters instead of going on dates with those men.

One night Nicole went out with her friends and met Sebastian, a good looking psychoanalyst. His athletic body and dark green eyes would make her believe that everything was possible.

No matter how hard Nicole tried to find him a flaw, she could not, he was perfect.

After one beautiful and romantic weekend in Aspen Nicole and Sebastian were back in New York, happier and engaged, but Nicole read the article that one magazine published about her exposing her previous life with a shameful secret which wasn’t true and ran.

Did Sebastian love her enough to find her and bring her back?

AMAZON UK – https://goo.gl/kX73Py
AMAZON CA – https://goo.gl/o1ssm2

I forgot that Sebastian was there, and I was wearing just a bathrobe. He came close to me and took me in a hug to warm me than he said: “You are shaking go and wear something before you get cold. I am in the shower if you need me just whistle.”

“Oh, you are too funny” when he went I slapped him on his butt and then I realized that he wasn’t Jess or one of my girlfriends and I got red as a lobster.
“I will forgive you for this because you are shaking, but tomorrow is a pay day, watch yourself. “ He kissed me on my lips and went to the bathroom.
Oh, my Goodness! He was too sweet. I couldn’t think of anything else except him. I was rushing to put on my clothes before Sebastian came out of the bathroom. I was freezing, wearing my pajamas and one warm sweater then I took one more blanket, and I covered myself with it and covered with the under blanket. That was it; I felt warmer at that moment. I got my phone and texted Jess, she replied very quickly, but she said that she wouldn’t interrupt something. Then I called Robert my big brother to tell him that I arrived in Aspen, I saw them on Viber and saw my sweet little niece, Bisera.
My new winter book caught my eye, and I took it. When Sebastian went out of the bathroom wearing just boxer shorts, I was pretending that I didn’t see him, but I was blushing, and he knew it because he looked me with a smirk.
“Alice in the Winterland what are you doing?”
“Reading. Please, just a little bit.”
“I understand you, but you will read to me because you didn’t buy a book for me.”
“I will” and I started reading aloud.

Sebastian was wearing his pajamas and threw himself on the bed next to me, lying in my lap and hugged me with his hands. Having him too close was like heaven to me. After two chapters he was asleep, I turned off the lamp and tried to sleep, turned my back to him. He turned back at me and wrapped his arms around me.

Silvy Wells has always wanted to write. She discovered her passion for being a writer when she was at the age of fourteen when started to write a novel in her native language, but she has never finished it. After that, Silvy has always written something -a poem or a short story. She has published some of her poems in several editions along with different authors.

After obtaining a degree in the Department of Classics, Ancient Greek, and Latin, Silvy became a Latin language teacher and still teaches students in one small town in the Republic of Macedonia. But there has always been that big desire for writing which she has minimized with reading books and writing reviews. Because that wasn’t enough, she finally sat down and wrote her first novel Because of You.

#NewRelease “Desire, Deceit, and the Doctor” by @KryssieFortune

Oh It Is a Wonderful Thing,
To Be a Pirate King

Edward Teach, better known at Blackbeard, might not have been a pirate king, but he made grown men tremble without firing a shot. How?

Firstly, the hair. Some accounts say his beard came down to his waist. Jet black, and twisted with black ribbons it must have looked awesome. Before battle, he’d add hempen rope strands soaked in saltpetre to his beard. When the attack started, he’d ignite them.
Hemp rope is slow burning and it gives off clouds of smoke. Teach was a tall man with a booming voice. With nothing showing except his eyes and his hair, he must have looked like demon from hell.

Teach was neither a story book pirate nor a soft hearted one like the pirates in Gilbert and Sullivan’s operetta Pirates of Penzance.  He disembowelled captives and fed their entails to the sharks. He cut fingers off prisoners too slow to hand over their rings. In one case, he cut off a captive’s ears and forced him to eat them. Yech!

When I was researching my Heroes’ of Westhopre Ridge Trilogy I realized Blackbeard died in the same state where I set my story – North Carolina. Also, the state has a replica of his ship, the frigate, The Queen Anne’s R evenge

I knew I had to bring pirates into my story.

My heroine, Mandy is a single mom with a ten-year-old son. I gave her a love of Gilbert and Sullivan, one she shares with her son, Ben. Next, the school had a trip to see the replica frigate. That was enough to spark Ben’s interest in pirates.

When Ben finally meets his father, Adam—a  retired army doctor who rejected Mandy because of another man’s lies—he’s looking out to sea trying to spot pirates. Fortunately, he spots the men trying to kill him and his mom instead.

After almost eleven years apart, can Mandy and Adam rekindle the love they once felt?

 

Tagline

After Adam Montgomery walked away and left her pregnant, dare Mandy trust him with her heart again?

Blurb

Twelve years ago, Mandy Devlin moved away from her friends and family–under threat. If she returned in the next ten years or told anyone who fathered her baby, her boyfriend’s great-aunt would bankrupt her family. She’s a single mom who dreams of her lost love and a good spanking. When she’s finally free to return to Westhorpe Ridge, the last person she expects to see is Adam—the man she loved and lost so long ago.

Dr. Adam Montgomery doesn’t know he has a son. Thanks to his great-aunt’s will, he has nine months to find a bride or he loses Montgomery Hall and the fifteen million dollars she left him. Although he seduces Mandy on his first night home, he still believes she betrayed him twelve years ago. No way would he marry a woman like her.

As Valentine’s Day looms, someone tries to kill Mandy. Is Adam trying to get rid of her? Or can Mandy trust him to protect them?

 

Buy links

Loose id         http://bit.ly/2kTGqp5
Kobo                http://bit.ly/2kH27b8
Amazon Uk     http://amzn.to/2lPNv9N
Amazon USA   http://amzn.to/2kJbtmK

Social Media – Kryssie loves to hear from her readers.

Facebook      –  https://www.facebook.com/KryssiesFortune
Twitter         –  https://twitter.com/KryssieFortune
Blog             –  http://kryssiefortune.blogspot.co.uk/
Website       –  http://kryssiefortune.wixsite.com/kryssie

 

 

#ReleaseBlitz “Bound” by C.M. Steele ~~ @Author_CMSteele @StarAnge13

 Title: Bound
Series: A Lamian Wars Series #1
By: C. M. Steele
Publication Date: February 17, 2017
Genre: Paranormal Romance
#boundreleaseblitz

A tale tells of a baby girl being born from a vampire and his human bride. She would be the sign that all would never be the same again. The wars would come to a bloody end and they would rule in peace.Three hundred years of waiting for an answer to their problem had worn on the soul of Falcon Lombardi and that of his best friend Draco Romano. The pain and guilt of the past etched in their hollow hearts. Both men spent their lives working to make things right, however nothing had truly changed in all that time. Disillusioned and left empty, neither of them expected the end of the dark to come from a trip to the theater.
How could something so twenty-first century fix the woes of a seventeenth century curse?


AMAZON – http://amzn.to/2lIsYrG

C.M. Steele is a full time mom and author. She loves writing and doesn’t do much else except watch ID Discovery and take care of the kids (of course.)She has 30+ novellas under her belt and many more in her head.



Social Media Links
Goodreads – https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/8449520.C_M_Steele
Website – www.cmsteele.com
Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/thelamianwars/
Twitter – @Author_CMSteele  

#BookBlitz “Autumn’s Dance” by Sarah Gai ~~~ @sarahgaicurvy @XpressoTours

 

Autumn’s Dance
Sarah Gai
Publication date: February 14th 2017
Genres: Contemporary, New Adult, Romance
“A story that captures your heart and continues you thinking about it long after you fall asleep.”

Autumn Nash lives a nomadic existence with her harvest-travelling father, except every summer when they return to one place like clockwork…Ligonier, PA. But this season, Autumn meets a young man who changes her world and makes her long for more.

Eric Foster has been sent to stay the summer in Ligonier with his grandfather in hopes of altering his path as his life spirals downward. His direction changes the moment he sees Autumn; he knows his very reason for breathing is solely to be with her.

When Autumn is ripped away from Ligonier, she leaves Eric confused and devastated that their time is over. Both teens struggle through the years gone by withoutthe other. Will Autumn ever see the boy who changed her life again? Will Eric wait for her? Will Autumn ever make it back to Ligonier? And what will happen when buried secrets surface?

Discover a love that takes you back to what it’s all about—the confusing, yet simplistic, beginnings of falling in love and watch it evolve into something that takes your breath away.

Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes & Noble / iBooks / Kobo

Are you a book reviewer?
Request a review copy here!

—

 


Author Bio:

So this is me in short. I’m plus size and completely adorable (or so my husbands tells me) A momma of three princes who light my world. I drink way too much coffee, chocolate is a staple. I love to write after midnight and my love for short stories will never fade. With such a limited amount of time to enjoy quiet writing, I have mastered the skills of fitting a lot into a small amount of pages. Humour keeps me smiling and well.. if you’ve read my books you’ll know that I put a lot of myself into the characters. And to answer your questions. My best friends and I forgot the part about growing up and love every minute of it. Aside from writing I also run a publication IndieLove Magazine, promoting Indie Awesomes from a range of fields and professions. Check it out at www.indielovemagazine.com

In 2017 I will be saying goodbye to Chick lit for a while and heading into Contemporary Romance. I hate to be put in a box! Join my street team at www.sarahgai.com and come have some fun!

Love to all xo.

Wanting to write for all the women out there who want a good short read about strong friendships, romance and body positive, love the skin you’re in kind of fiction. Check out http://Facebook.com/sarahgaiauthor or www.sarahgai.com

Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter

 

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“The Cowboy’s Triple Surprise” by Barbara White Daille – #NewRelease #book @BarbaraWDaille

The Cowboy's Triple Surprise
The Cowboy’s Triple Surprise

Iris – it’s always so nice to stop by for a visit with you and your readers! Thanks for helping me celebrate my newest release.

***

The Cowboy’s Triple Surprise
The Hitching Post Hotel series

A BIG SURPRISE—TIMES THREE!

The last time rodeo cowboy Tyler Buckham was in Cowboy Creek, he spent a steamy night with local beauty Shay O’Neill. Back in town for a quick visit, he’s hoping they’ll have another go-around before he heads for his next rodeo. But seeing Shay pregnant—with triplets!—leaves Tyler feeling as if his best horse has kicked him in the gut.

Shay swore she wouldn’t fall for an unreliable cowboy, and Tyler’s playboy past makes him even less likely to settle down. The whole town conspires to push them together, and Tyler insists he wants to do his duty by Shay and the triplets, but Shay knows she can’t count on promises from a cowboy. Besides, Tyler never once mentioned the word love…

Buy Links

Amazon  ** Barnes & Noble ** Books-A-Million ** Harlequin  ** IndieBound  ** Kobo 

Excerpt

The Hitching Post’s dining room was crowded with Garland family members and hotel guests, yet the instant Tyler paused in the doorway, he spotted Shay.

She sat on the far side of the long center table reserved for the Garlands, half turned away from him as she talked with one of Jed’s granddaughters. He recognized the straight, wheat-blond hair that fell below her shoulders and felt like silk against his fingers. He knew when she looked his way he would see eyes one shade lighter than her green sweater. Her cheeks held a natural pink tint. Her lips curved in a soft smile.

Just looking at her from a distance made his pulse speed up and his jeans tighten.

She reached for a cloth napkin and unfolded it. As if she’d given a signal, the folks around him began heading toward the tables. The movement spurred him toward the vacant seat at her side before anyone else could grab it. As he slid onto the chair, she turned his way.

The smile stayed, but the light pink color drained from her cheeks. He saw her fingers clutch the napkin she had draped across her lap. And then he saw the rounded expanse of belly straining the knitted weave of her sweater.

She was extremely pregnant.

Thoughts of anticipated pleasure flew from his head. Words did, too, leaving him struggling for something to say.

Jed Garland had no such problem. “Shay, you remember Tyler, don’t you?”

She nodded.

“I thought you might.”

Tyler couldn’t tear his eyes away from her. He also couldn’t miss hearing the satisfaction in the older man’s voice. What had brought that on? And why had Jed mentioned Shay’s invitation to lunch but said nothing about her condition? Of course, Jed—and everyone else at the Hitching Post—probably thought he and Shay were just passing acquaintances.

He tried for a casual smile. The one she gave him looked about as sincere as his felt.

Obviously, she’d met someone else since they were together last summer. Or she’d already been involved with the man when they’d had their fling. Either way, she wouldn’t want him hanging around, maybe bringing up their brief relationship in some conversation. As if he would.

The boys at the ranch back in Texas always said he needed to have “Love ˋem and leave ˋem” tattooed across his chest. That didn’t mean he’d make a public announcement about a one-night stand. Shay couldn’t know that, but you would think she’d at least give him the benefit of the doubt.

About the Author

Barbara White DailleBarbara White Daille lives with her husband in the sunny Southwest. Though they love the warm winters and the lizards in their front yard, they haven’t gotten used to the scorpions in the bathroom. Barbara also loves writing, reading, and chocolate. Come to think of it, she enjoys writing about those subjects, too!

Barbara wrote her first short story at the age of nine, then typed “The End” to her first novel many years later…in the eighth grade. Now she’s writing contemporary romance on a daily basis, with a brand-new series from Entangled Bliss (Snowflake Valley), an ongoing series from Harlequin Western Romance (The Hitching Post Hotel), and many more books on the schedule.

She would love to have you stop by her website and to look for her on Facebook and Twitter.

Social Media Links

Website  ** Blog  ** Newsletter  ** Twitter ** Facebook
Amazon Author Page

 

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My #Birthday #selfpromo for NEW BEGINNINGS …. and #promo for you ☺

 

Image kindly copied from http://www.isbn-us.com/publisher-talk/

 

I received a really nice 4-star-review from THE ROMANCE REVIEWS for NEW BEGINNINGS … and … since it’s my birthday I thought I’m allowed to a little self promo and share the review.

Sophie Levesque has been raising her younger sister since their mother died a few years earlier. They lived in Sydney and always wondered where their next meal would come from. They slept in the same bed had to share a common bathroom where the water usage was monitored so they never truly felt at home. Then it happened. A complete stranger to them, Clara Bellinger leaves them a house in Hobart. This is a wonderful feel good read. It’s a story of hope and, as the title states, new beginnings. Sophie is a twenty-two-year old woman raising her younger sister Mia since she turned eighteen so she hasn’t gotten to experience the normal life that young adults experience at that age. She was always struggling to put food on the table for the both of them as well as keeping a roof over their heads. Then out of nowhere they are offered a miracle. A woman by the name of Clara Bellinger leaves them a house in Hobart. Where this would be a true gift to most, Sophie isn’t used to good things happening to her so she is cautious. She has questions. Who is Clara Bellinger? How are they related? She relies on Mark, the attorney who is handling the transaction and also receives answers from Zack a very handsome neighbor who knew Clara. This creates an interesting love triangle. Can Sophie find happiness and love for herself? Can she truly make a home for herself and Mia? NEW BEGINNINGS is a very emotional read, one that is heartwarming as well as heart wrenching. It gives you hope in the act of human kindness and that good things do happen to good people. I highly recommend this book.

Liked it as well?

Feel free to hop over to Amazon or Barnes & Nobel – for only 99cents this story could be on your e-reader within minutes.

Oh – and I did get some money to spend on books as well. PLEASE, do leave a link to your latest book release or your favourite book in the comments. I’d appreciate it ☺

The power of pleasure… #BookBlitz “The Knight” by @skye_warren ~ @XpressoTours

The Knight
Skye Warren
(Endgame #2)
Publication date: January 31st 2017
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance

 

The power of pleasure…

Gabriel Miller took everything from me. My family. My innocence. My home. The only thing I have left is the determination to get back what’s mine.

He thinks he’s beaten me. He thinks he’s won. What he doesn’t realize is that every pawn has the chance to become a queen.

And the game has only just begun.

* * * * * *

THE KNIGHT is book two in the Endgame series from New York Times bestselling author Skye Warren about revenge and seduction in the game of love.

Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes & Noble / Kobo / iBooks


Grab book 1 – The Pawn – for only 99¢!
Amazon / Barnes & Noble / iBooks / Kobo

—

EXCERPT:

A sleek black limo idles in the center of the parking lot, the gleaming black stark against the backdrop of cracked concrete and cigarette-littered gravel. It’s not for me, I tell myself. It can’t be.

It’s probably one of Chastity’s customers.

At eight o’clock in the morning. In the cheapest motel in Tanglewood.

The driver steps out and nods to me in that deferent, discreet way that drivers have. My stomach sinks. He opens the back door and stands beside it, a silent invitation. A tacit command from the man inside.

My feet move me across the pavement, breath trapped. It’s that moment when you’ve slammed your finger in a door, before the pain has registered, when your mind is all too aware of what comes next.

The shadowed interior hides his face, but I know who it is before he speaks.

“Good morning,” comes the low voice of the man who made me come on his desk. The door shuts behind me, enclosing me in the warm darkness.
“What are you doing here?”

A shuffle of papers. The scratch of a pen. As the darkness solidifies, I see him reclined in the back of the limo, focused on a stack of papers in front of him. Working, like I’m a distraction. “I’m your ride.”

He doesn’t even look up. “Excuse me?”

“To Landon Moore’s office. That is where you’re going, I assume.”

My eyes narrow. “How do you know that?”

Finally he looks up, his golden gaze searing me. “Because you’ll do anything to get your house back. It’s the only place you feel safe, isn’t it? The only place you felt loved?”

My stomach clenches. “How did you know where to find me?”

“I don’t think you need me to answer that.”

Because he knows everything that happens in the city. He could have had me followed after I left his office yesterday, but odds are he knew where I was before. “Thanks, but no thanks. I’d rather walk on nails than ride with you.”

I pull the latch to discover that the door is locked. From the inside.

My gaze flies to him. “You’re kidnapping me?”

“Unfortunately,” he says with fake sympathy. “You’ll have to explain to the cops how I abducted you and transported you in comfort to your previously planned destination.”

The car glides forward, as if connected to his very will.

Asshole.

I glare at him, settling into the warm leather. Are these seats heated? Of course they are. I have to admit this is way more comfortable than the city bus, but everything has a cost. And when it comes to Gabriel Miller, the cost is always too high. “Why are you doing this?”

“Does it matter?” he asks, his voice faintly mocking. “As a gentleman your comfort is my highest priority. It’s enough to be of service to you.”

“You’re not a gentleman.”

“Probably right. In that case I’m coming with you to see sweet old Uncle Landon give you the horrible news, to see your face fall as he assures you there’s nothing you can do.”

My throat constricts. “Can’t you find someone else to torture?”

“No one nearly as pretty. Besides, my presence has some advantages.”

“My very own supply of fire and brimstone?”

“People are more inclined to tell the truth when I’m in the room. My reputation for dealing with liars and cheats is somewhat brutal.” He leans forward, his eyes reflecting sunlight. “All of it true, I’m afraid.”

I’m living proof of that, the fallout from my father’s decision to steal. “Be careful or I might think you’re actually being nice to me.”

A short laugh. “Not a chance. It will be my pleasure to see Landon Moore break. And even sweeter to watch you break, too. A show I can’t pass up.”

 


Author Bio:

Skye Warren is the New York Times bestselling author of contemporary romance such as the Chicago Underground series. Her books have been featured in Jezebel, Buzzfeed, USA Today Happily Ever After, Glamour, and Elle Magazine. She makes her home in Texas with her loving family, two sweet dogs, and one evil cat.

Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter / Instagram / YouTube / Pinterest

 

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#BlogTour “Flightless” by L Duarte ~~ #flightlesstour @starange13 @LDuarte77

Title: Flightless
By: L. Duarte
Publication Date: January 23, 2017
Publisher: LD Publishing LLC
Genre: Romance
Cover Designer: Okay Creations
#flightlesstour

Everyone has a story.Mine went like this: Once upon a time, I met a boy. He was the most handsome fella in the land. I fell in love. Together, we had cosmic chemistry. I believed I would live a life of unending bliss. Until he broke my heart. Shattered it to pieces. And I lived unhappily ever after instead. The end.

Or so I thought.

Life found a way to reunite us. But to change that unhappy ending, I had to learn how to forgive. And my heart seemed unable to do so.

This is a love story. But it is also, much more. It’s the story of how I coped with my shortcomings, my fears and rewrote my destiny. Everyone has a story. This is mine.

AMAZON US – http://amzn.to/2iWTYxD
AMAZON UK – https://goo.gl/usJ3w4
AMAZON CA – https://goo.gl/VPrQMu
AMAZON AU – https://goo.gl/ItxgHI
Check out these other amazing books from L. Duarte

 AMAZON –  http://amzn.to/2jKjjiu
 AMAZON  – http://amzn.to/2jLA6ly
Chapter One
I stepped back. Not literally, just figuratively. I did that with every concert. I allowed my mind’s eyes to hover over me and my fans while I analyzed and dissected the unique relationship between us.
As I watched the multitude of people—a beautiful kaleidoscope of different races and social statuses—my heart, in utter bliss, roared.
The audience held their hands upwards as if in an offering or a request. I never knew which. In perfect synchrony, their arms rolled in waves like the swaying of a stormy sea. Their voices cried out my name, and the smell of their sweat and the heat of their mingled bodies emanated from them, unfurling to me like the sweet perfume of incense.
I held the mic near my motionless lips and stared at them. At that moment, I became one with thousands. At that moment, I took back from the crowd all the energy I had fed them. And their vibe made me high and drunk. It was my personal Nirvana. The kind of rapture that can only be attained through uttermost intimacy. A oneness I had only felt with one other person. A person who had severed that connection and shattered my heart into a million shards of pain.
I worshiped them as they adored me. The exchange of atomic energy contained nuclear power. I was drained from giving. They were wasted from receiving. But we were both impossibly happy and satisfied.
My motionless lips finally moved, uttering the final words for the night. The parting words. “Good night, Sydney!” I waved a hand back at them. “You looked beautiful tonight. All forty thousand of you.”
I bowed. They deserved my reverence. People had spent their time camped outside the venue waiting for a closer glance at me. They had spent their precious earned money to see my performance. They were worthy of my respect and gratitude.
Another wave of a hand. A kiss. Another bow. And I was out. Another show was done. Eight more to go.
I jogged backstage and gave the mic to Jeremy, my makeup artist, in exchange for a bottled water. He opened a portable case containing all the potions that would quickly improve my appearance for the meet and greet. 
Before I took a swig from the bottle, Clara, my assistant, brusquely interrupted my post-concert ritual. She snatched the bottle from my hand and returned it to a confused Jeremy. “Gray. With me,” she demanded, grabbing my elbow and urging me toward my changing room.
I glanced back at the stunned face of Jeremy. It was time for meet and greet with the VIP’s. I needed to freshen up. My makeup had all but melted under the stage lights.
Once inside the privacy of the room, I demanded, “What’s going on?”
She raised a finger and said, “Wait.”
I opened my mouth to protest. Instead, I swallowed the words. Clara was usually a chatterbox; her clipped words quickly clued me in that something was seriously wrong.
As I waited, Clara dialed a number on her phone. Her silence became as unnerving as the red glare of an alarm light.
“Betty, I have Gray,” Clara said. Wordlessly, she shoved the device in my hand. The door closed with a thud after she exited in a flurry of silent drama. 
“Mama?” I asked holding the phone to my ear.
“Hey, Puppy,” Mama said in a soft, almost regretful tone.
“What’s going on?” I asked. Silence filled the other end of the line, only increasing my concern. Mama knew I had just left the stage. She followed my tour from home. Minute by minute. It was unusual for her to call me so soon following a show.
“How was, um, the, um, concert?” she asked.
“Mama, did you call me to ask how the show went?” I furrowed my brows and every hair on my body stood at attention. Mama knew my routine during a tour. After a performance, I had a brief meet with fans and then I would go on hours of silence to rest my vocal cords. Although she knew she could call me at any time, she never called until at least ten hours following a show.
“Mama?” I prodded after a long silence.
“I have cancer,” she said bluntly.
The phone connection was perfect. No static. But Mama’s words hummed in my ear with a tunnel-like quality. Distorted, altered, garbled. My mind, however, had remained sharp and alert. Without much thought and after a brief pause, I uttered the words, “I’m coming home.” I hadn’t said those words in over a decade. Somehow, they didn’t taste as foreign as I had imagined they would.

  ***

“Gray,” I said. The word hovered on my tongue, saturating my taste buds with an acrid taste. “Gray,” I repeated, letting it roll off my tongue. I did that a lot. It was my name.
Often, I mused about my name. It hadn’t been given to me because it was fashionable. Nevertheless, it had a history. My history.
When I was little, I liked to fancy its origin. The sky, I would think, was painted gray the day I was born. I loved the theory. The unattainability of the infinite mass of gray made it a great namesake. Whenever gray clouds hovered in the sky, I would lay on my back and stare at them, dreaming that when I grew up, I would build an enormous ladder, climb it, and touch the gray painted dome. It was all, of course, a foolish child’s dream, born out of vain imagination. I wasn’t born during the day, nor was the sky gray. And it was most definitely not the inspiration behind the choosing of my name.
I was born in a graveyard. Serene Hills Cemetery, it was called, though its surface was flat. It was a fall night, October 20th, approximately 11 pm.
They found me covered in vernix. I used the term ‘they’ loosely. A dog found me. A female German Shepherd mix that went by the name of Sunshine. Her fur was golden. Shiny like sun rays. I had a newspaper cut-out of her. It’s black and white, but it described her that way. In the shot, she looked straight at the camera, two vivid round eyes dotting a long and alert face. She had the knowing stare of someone who was aware she had done a good deed.
Obviously, I don’t recall the details surrounding my birth. I was an infant. But I had Mama tell me the story so many times, which after a while, the images ingrained in my brain like the roots of a tree embedded in the fertile soil. They became so real in my imagination that it felt as if they were my recollections.
I was a born a preemie. Weak, small, and blotchy-faced. I was skin and bones with a mop of black spiky hair, and a bad case of a cold.   
A miracle, they called me. But I knew I was no wonder. I happened to have the perfect concoction of healthy lungs and a loud cry. These, and the sharp canine sense of hearing and smelling had saved me. I didn’t believe in miracles. Not anymore.
When they found me, decay from the trees covered the ground on a fascinating palette of colors—an array of red, yellow, purple, brown, orange, golden, bronze.
I used to question why the leaves change colors and fall off the branches. According to a scientific explanation, leaves are a weak and feeble part of a plant. So, before the weather gets severely cold, the trees should toughen up to protect themselves. Or simply dispose of the leaves, the weak part.
Personally, I believe they turn colors before falling as revenge. A personal vendetta. And for that I applaud them. They turn their death into a poetic and alluring sight. That line of thought made me believe death was beautiful. It fascinated me. It’s more interesting than birth, although similar.
I had been abandoned under a pile of dead foliage. According to the police investigation, it appeared my birth mother had buried me under the leaves. Hid me. Like a criminal attempting to cover its tracks. Supposedly, I spent the night under a cocoon of leaves. The tree’s decay was soaked with blood and amniotic fluid.
According to Sunshine’s owner, they were walking on the sidewalk by the cemetery when she heard a whizzing sound. Sunshine’s owner discarded the noise as being the cry of squirrels.
Sunshine didn’t. At odds with her sweet nature, she became agitated and broke loose. She squeezed through a small gap in the fence and disappeared between the gravestones, leaving her owner in a frenzy.
Less than a minute later, Sunshine returned. Her mouth muzzled around my small waist, my umbilical cord dragging, rattling the decayed leaves.
I found my story fascinating, unique. Or so I told myself whenever I got teased at school.
The hospital staff called me the Graveyard Miracle. Soon after, Gray for short. It stuck.
I spent three months in the hospital. That’s where Mama worked. The graveyard shift. She fed me. She bathed me. She caressed my skin. “My heart had not a chance. It fell madly in love with you,” she said, whenever she told me my story. Her pale hand, dotted with freckles, caressing my black, straight hair.
 When I became her child officially, she quit the night job. “I had brought home my very own Graveyard Miracle.”
She found a day job at a pediatric clinic, occasionally helping at the hospital for extra income. She continued working at the clinic throughout my childhood, adolescence, and after I left home. She remained there until cancer said, “No more.” Until cancer said, “I want your time. From now on, you are going to dedicate every waking hour to me. I’m egocentric. I want it all. I want your flesh and the total sum of your soul.”
That’s why I was there, sitting in the back of a limousine Clara had rented to pick me up from JFK airport and take me home.
“When should I schedule your flight to LA?” she had asked. “Only a one-way ticket for now,” I responded.
32 Lorelai Lane, my childhood home. It was a small Victorian-style house, built in 1929. The colorful foliage of a maple tree and an oak tree framed the dwelling as if it was extracted from the pages of a fairy tale book. When I was little, I used to fancy my house was lovely. The most enchanting place in all realms. Staring at the house, I discovered that I still thought that. It was the most magical place in the world because it was the place that humans refer to it as ‘home’. And home is a thing of fairy tales. Rare and pure.
The car door was wide open, awaiting me. I climbed out. The driver stood straight as a pole. His hands perfectly folded in front of him, his face impassive. I wondered how long he had stood there, waiting for me, questioning my sanity. The luggage was lined up at the front porch. His face remained expressionless when I pulled a generous tip from my purse and handed it to him. “Thank you,” I murmured.
He drove off, the sound of the engine trailing off into the quiet street. It was late at night. The crisp air smelled of burnt wood and autumn, reminiscent of bonfires and fireplaces.
I crossed the stone path leading to the front steps.
The hinges of the front door squeaked, and Mama slowly appeared as light spilled out from inside the house. She leaned against the doorframe, cocked her head, her eyes fixed on me. She knew me so well. She knew I needed the time.
I peered up, carefully examining Mama’s face. It had been only two months since I had last seen her, but she appeared decades older. Even under the porch’s pale yellowed light, I could detect the lines circling her mouth. Small bags sagged under her eyes, and her plump skin appeared loose, dripping like melting wax. Her hair showed inches of gray and her usual square and proud shoulders were smaller, fragile. But what got my attention the most were her eyes. Their vivid green had turned opaque.
The grief and sorrow in her stare set my feet in motion, and I climbed the steps.
When mama stepped forward, the old wooden floor groaned and creaked under her feet. She came to a halt at the top of the stairs. Her lips curved into a small smile, and her arms spread open in an inviting hug.
As I stepped forward, my legs felt wobbly with the weight of so many years of absence.

 

I have found that there is only one thing better than reading, and that is writing. I am always torn between the two. I am also frequently torn between chocolate and coffee. However, I emphatically do not like the month of February, lies, and flies. For me, bravery is defined by the courage to do what we fear the most. I live in Connecticut with my husband and two children. Drop a few lines. I would love to hear from you.

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#BookBlitz “Her Southern Temptation” by Trish F. Leger @leger_f @starange13

Title: Her Southern Temptation
Series: Legacy Falls #1
By: Trish F. Leger
Publication Date: October 5, 2016
Genre: Contemporary Romance
#hersoutherntemptationblitz

A transplanted northerner, new to the south…Allie Magill is familiar with the hard knocks of life. The widowed mother of a four year old, Allie has landed in the South where the air is thick with humidity, the nights are hot, the men are honorable, but even hotter. But business as usual is stilted when she meets the new construction company owner, Jake Warren. Now it’s all Allie can do to keep her hands to herself and not put her job, or heart, on the line.

A southern man whose world is rocked by a northern beauty…

Jake Warren knows little about things up north, but he does know Allie Magill is unexpected. The liaison for a hotel chain, Allie enters Jake’s work life to make sure business goes as planned. But once he gets a taste of Allie, and takes a peek behind that closed-off northern exterior, all bets are off. He knows he has to make her see that life and love in the south flows differently and he hopes once Allie sees how sweet surrender can be, she won’t be able to turn him down.

Battling ghosts from her past, Allie will have to learn to accept Jake’s way of life and win the heart of her southern temptation.

AMAZON US – http://amzn.to/2jMDZ9k

When he stiffened against her, and let out a soft growl against her ear, Allie swore steam must be rising up between them. It was almost too much to bear.
“Damn, honey…”
His words were succinct, to the point, and had the same effect on Allie as a bucket of ice water. She tore herself from his arms, and like the coward she was, walked calmly past the crowd of people, out the building, to her SUV parked outside.
The night air was hot, of course, and did nothing to stop the burn that had come over her like a summer heat wave. She was breathing heavily, her heart tripping in her chest, and her only thought was to get home…NOW. She would be better able to analyze everything once she was safe in her own home with her daughter.
“Oh God, oh God…”
Don’t think about it.  It was one dance. Only one, and only . . . the hottest experience you’ve had in the past four years. Hell, maybe even your whole life.
Allie shook her head. No, she would be honest with herself. She and Ryan had never been like a match to a flame, but there had been some passion, mostly love, between them. But nothing at all like the living entity of combustible energy that had been growing between her and Jake on that floor.
With shaking hands, she got her keys out of her little clutch purse, and was about to open her door, when Jake’s voice interrupted her escape.
“Allie, honey, wait a sec…”
Oh God. Don’t turn around.
But she had to, didn’t she? If she pulled the cowardly lion act now she would never be able to face him again. They had to maintain some semblance of a business relationship. It had to be done. Gritting her teeth, she turned, and realized he was closer than she had originally thought.
The night clung to him lovingly, as Allie had been doing so moments before. She couldn’t see his face, or any hint of his expression. She just saw a large, looming Jake filling up her vision.
“Look, when you did what you did, it just caught me off guard, and I’m not about to apologize for my body’s reaction to something so simple.”
“Simple?” Her body began to quake and vibrate. He thought that lick had been something simple? That lick had rocked her little world, damn it!
“Well, maybe not so simple, you’re right. But it did surprise me, in a good way.” His voice was deeper now, slight amusing undertones hidden in there as well. And as Allie watched, he moved closer. She countered, moving back as well, her back hitting the door of her SUV. She was well and truly trapped.
There still was a slight shadow where his face was, so Allie had no idea what he was thinking, but she knew what she was feeling, and that burning, incendiary feeling was back. Her lower body erupted into little white hot flames, singeing her nerves as they awakened, tripping along her extremities.
“This isn’t a good idea Jake, you know it. I know you do.” Her voice sounded slightly raspy to her ears.
“Ah, darlin’, I know that, but when has anything that felt this good, been bad?”
And with no other warning, he invaded her personal space, and silenced all of her protests, swooping in like a large shadow. His mouth was on hers, his lips softly coaxing, softly nibbling at first her top, then lower lip. No other part of his body touched hers, except for his mouth. His hands were braced on both sides of her head on the vehicle. Allie was stunned, shocked into submission for the moment, and oh so glad that all she had to contend with was his mouth. She didn’t know if she could handle any other part of him touching her.
She inhaled Jake into her, realizing everything about him was delicious, including his lips. Her fingers tingled, wanting to reach out and grasp him, but she didn’t, she kept a death grip on her keys and clutch, not willing to make an ass of herself with this man.
He moved slightly back, canted his head and came back for more, this time licking the seam of her lips with his tongue. Oh yes… Allie’s breath left her mouth, only to be caught up by Jake. He let out another soft little growl then his body came down on hers, pressing her against the car, while his hands came into play, tearing through her hair on each side of her head, holding her in place while he seduced her mouth with his.
Oh God, he tasted so good, the alcohol on his breath only adding to his earthiness as Allie gave in and let her tongue swipe against his. His large body shuddered against hers, while his leg slipped in-between. The hardness of his thigh right in the place where she needed it most was a jolt to her system.
She pushed back, snapping out of their kiss, and catching his attention instantly.
Her hands came up to her lips, wanting to hold onto the taste and warmth of him that was still there, but the shaking took over her. She shook her head back and forth slowly.
“No, no, this shouldn’t have happened,” she whispered.
He tore his hands through his hair. “Allie girl, I’m sorry…”
“No…” That’s the only word that would come from her mouth. Allie kept shaking her head and turned her back, fumbling with her keys, finally unlocking the door, she climbed in and revved the engine.
Not once did he try and stop her as she threw her car in reverse and pulled away.

 

Trish Leger lives in South Louisiana and also has a full time job--other than the writing. She is married and from a loving, boisterous family. Since food is so important in the south, it is also important to her, ranking right up there with writing, reading and watching movies.

Writing with a strong sensual bent, intent on capturing the growing relationship between a couple falling in love, Trish adds warmth and emotion to her stories.

She is a fan of everything from Drama to Historical Romance.

Please visit her on Facebook under Trish F Leger-author. Or email her at wackycajun@hotmail.com


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