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This morning, Marina Adair dropped by to share a Top 5!  Be sure to enter the giveaway below!

Top 5 Books You’ve Read This Year

1.     Honor’s Splendor by Julie Garwood (I reread this book every year or so)

2.     The Reign series by Joya Ryan

3.     Do or Die by Suzanne Brockman

4.     The Best of Me by Elizabeth Barrett

5.     This Heart of Mine by Brenda Novak

About the author:

Marina Adair is a lifelong fan of romance novels. Along with the Sugar series, she is also the author of the St. Helena Vineyard series and the upcoming Shelter Cove series. She currently lives in a hundred-year-old log cabin, nestled in the majestic redwoods of the Santa Cruz Mountains, with her husband and daughter. As a writer, Marina is devoted to giving her readers contemporary romance where the towns are small, the personalities large, and the romance explosive. She also loves to interact with readers and you can catch her on Twitter at @MarinaEAdair or visit her at www.MarinaAdair.com.

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A TASTE OF SUGAR by Marina Adair (August 25, 2015; Forever Mass Market; Sugar, Georgia #3)

A blast from her past…

Charlotte Holden, Sugar’s favorite pediatrician, knows better than anyone that love only leads to heartbreak. Instead, she’s focused on creating the Grow Clinic, an outpatient center for children. All she has to do now is to host the best Founder’s Day Parade in the history of Sugar, Georgia, to win over a big-city donor. Easy as peach pie. Then sexy Jace McGraw blows back into town and utters those three words every woman dreads: we’re still married.

…leads to tantalizing trouble

Jace McGraw was making an offer on his dream business in Atlanta when he was told that his wife had some credit issues. Wait, his wife? The annulment went through years ago—or so he thought.  He’d walked away only to keep his troublemaker reputation from ruining her dreams. But now that they have a second chance, Jace offers Charlotte a deal: he’ll grant a discreet divorce in exchange for 30 days and nights of marriage. Because this time he isn’t going to let her go without a fight.

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SUGAR ON TOP by Marina Adair (April 28, 2015; Forever Mass Market; Sugar, Georgia Book #2)

She’s sassy and sweet

The last thing Glory Mann wants is to become chairman of the Miss Peach Pageant in Sugar, Georgia. Spending months hearing nothing but the clinking of pearls and judgment? No thank you! But when Glory is forced to take the rap for a scandal she didn’t commit, the judge sentences her to head the committee. Even worse, her co-chairman is rugged, ripped . . . and barely knows she’s alive.
He’s ready and willing
Single dad Cal McGraw can’t take any more drama in his life. After a difficult divorce, his little girl became a boy-crazy teenager and his hands are full. The last thing he needs is to spend his down time with the town bad girl. Glory is pure trouble-tempting and tantalizing trouble. But he can’t deny the strong chemistry between them-or how her touch turns him inside out. Now as squabbles threaten to blow up the contest and the town of Sugar itself, Cal must risk everything on the sexy wild card to get a second chance at love . . .

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SUGAR’S TWICE AS SWEET by Marina Adair (November 25, 2014; Forever Mass Market; Sugar, Georgia Book #1)

He’s trouble she doesn’t need…

Thanks to a cheating fiance, Josephina Harrington’s perfect life just crashed and burned. Moving in with her overbearing parents is definitely not an option. No, she needs to prove she can make it on her own. And she will—by turning her great-aunt’s old plantation house into a destination getaway. She’s just not expecting her contractor to be so hands-on—and so totally irresistible. 

…but everything she wants

Bad-boy golf champion Brett McGraw figured his hometown of Sugar, Georgia, was the perfect place to lay low and get his life back up to par. The leggy blonde with a pint-sized pup is the kind of sweet ’n’ sassy trouble he never saw coming. She doesn’t know a nut from a bolt and before long, he’s renovating her house…as she steals his heart. Can he convince Josephina that his womanizing ways are in the past and he’s ready for forever?

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Excerpt: 

“Morning, Dr. Holden,” he said, unfolding himself from the car.

“You’re late.” Charlotte stood and swished her way down the steps toward him. No good morning, no thanks for coming, just a you’re late as though they had plans, as though he’d disappointed her again.

“Sorry,” he said coolly, tapping the face of his watch. “Forgot to set it to Charlotte Standard Time.”

She stopped a few feet from him, and he could see the hesitation in her expression. Hesitation and something else. Something that looked an awful lot like vulnerability. Oh, there was a good portion of irritation and hostility glaring at him through those baby blues, but behind it all was definitely vulnerability. Interesting.

“You’re the one who said we had to go to Atlanta today.”

“I believe you told me you were too busy to make the time,” he said, not sure how he was going to handle six hours in an enclosed space with her. Just standing downwind taking in her floral scent was making him hard.

“I changed my mind.”

Jace looked at her for a long moment, then laughed. She was serious.

“Darling, you don’t change your mind. Ever.” Charlotte Holden might be a Southern belle, but her Kevlar wall of stubbornness could rival a Southern granny’s—and having been raised by the most mule-headed granny in the world, that was saying a lot. Oh, he believed that Charlotte had changed her mind, he just didn’t know why. “So what happened with your debutante sisters yesterday that has you desperate enough to call me?”

“Sugar Peaches,” she corrected. “And since when do you keep up on Sugar gossip?”

“Since you started calling yourself a Sugar Peach. I mean, weren’t the Peaches your mom’s thing?”

Charlotte had once confided in him that she moved to Atlanta to escape the pressure of following in her mother’s footsteps. The pageants and parties and social ladder climbing were Babette’s dream for Charlotte. Charlotte’s dream was to save lives—and she was a master at it.

“Well, it’s my thing now,” she said, and he couldn’t help but notice the resignation in her voice. He wanted to know what else had changed, then realized it didn’t matter anymore. “And that means I have to be back as soon as possible. Founder’s Day is only three weeks off, and I have a lot to do.”

“Yeah, me too.” He had to get an annulment, convince his buddy to fix Hattie’s car, and secure that loan before Dale pulled his offer.

“Good, because as the current regent of the Sugar Peaches it falls to me to plan the Founder’s Day Fair, so this trip needs to be a quickie,” she said, her bossy, take-charge tone making him smile.

“Quickies aren’t really my specialty,” he said. “But who am I to argue with a lady?”

“Easy and discreet, Jace. The last thing I need right now is to explain this to my parents,” she clarified as though he was slow, as though he didn’t know just how anxious she was to put the past behind them. Which shouldn’t have pissed him off, because that was what he wanted, too. But it did.

“Easy and discreet? Kind of like our marriage?” he mused.

She looked at him for a long moment and then slowly shook her head. “Nothing about our marriage was easy, Jace,” she said, and the absolute certainty in her voice made him want to prove her wrong.

“There was one easy thing between us,” Jace said, stepping into her and closing the distance, trapping her between the car and his body. He reached behind her neck, crushed his mouth to hers, and kissed the hell out of her.

Only one touch, and she was kissing him back. No hesitation, no second-guessing, just—pow —debutante to seductress. Not interested to tongue down his throat in two seconds flat.

And holy fucking God, it was perfect. The way she felt, the way she tasted, the way she crawled up his body and demanded more…How had he forgotten this side of her?

That insane pull between them, which he’d convinced himself didn’t exist, wasn’t only burning a hole through his clothes—and his mission—it also wasn’t one-sided. Which told him that he should a) back the hell up, and b) immediately cancel this field trip they had planned. Before things got crazy.

But then she made this sexy little sound in the back of her throat—the one that used to drive him batshit crazy, that still drove him batshit crazy—and he was a goner.

So he deepened the kiss, because why the hell not? Charlotte had her prim and proper hands all over him, and he was certain that this was the best kiss he’d ever had. Hot and needy and raw and so damn desperate it was like driving down the track at three hundred miles per hour with no breaks.

Then he realized that this was not only the best kiss ever, but probably also their last kiss ever, and he slowly pulled back, tugging her lower lip between his teeth as long as he could until the connection finally broke. And damn, he wished he hadn’t stopped.

That one second of uncharged air was all Charlotte needed. Sure, she was breathing heavily, and her gaze was dazed and confused. A mirror image of his own. But within a split second her eyes frosted over and that unflinching fortitude was back.

Not that he was fooled. Jace knew that they had chemistry, remembered how electric they were together, but what had arched between them just now floored him. And it had floored her, too.

Charlotte cleared her throat. “This changes nothing.”

Jace lowered his gaze to her hands, which were resting on the buckle of his belt. “Oh, it changes something.”

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The digital age has created a generation of people who view digital media as the norm and some even struggle to interact with the physical product and its paper origins. Those who have been born into the digital era may even expect to be able to shrink, enlarge or swipe a paper product. The question that is asked over and over again is whether the method of reading is important; as long as people continue to read.

The Latest Findings
Research has shown that those who read electronically may be missing out. Studies into this complex field suggest that the act of physically holding, and turning pages, is far superior when it comes to retaining the information being read. The brain actually responds differently to printed words as opposed to computer generated ones. It is believed that this is linked to the way the mind perceives physical items. It is not programmed to perceive symbols and responds much better to ‘things’. The act of holding a book and of flipping through the book allows the mind to build a mental picture of the contents and emulate the contents into a voyage. This is often shown by the ability to pick up a book, even if you read it a long time previously and instantly locate the passage you want.

Speed Reading
Before the electronic reader or even the internet became common place research suggested that reading from a screen was always slower than from a physical book. However it now appears that the average electronic reader finishes an article or book electronic far quicker than if reading its physical counterpart. Unfortunately this development of speed reading comes at a cost; less information is absorbed and less comprehension is gained. This is an important issue that affects anyone who reads; whether electronically or physically.

Mobility
The development of electronic readers and the ability to read an e-book on a computer, tablet or even a phone has enabled people to read anywhere at any time. This has encouraged many people to start reading when they previously struggled with having the time to read. However, this convenience does not prevent people from mixing media’s. Research suggests that many of the people who enjoy reading electronically still prefer to read magazines and books when the opportunity arises.

Issues with Reading Electronically
The biggest issue is that the brain will intuitively map a text when reading from a paper source. This skill does not apply when dealing with electronic reading and the brain will not intuitively absorb the information being presented. The consequence of this is a lack of ability to learn or reflect on the subject matter being read. This issue arises from the necessity of the brain to see everything as a physical object. A page of writing will become a series of objects which create a landscape and allow the brain to absorb the information contained within it. Words on paper can be processed in such a way but this does not apply to the electronic book.
Much of the reason it does not apply to an electronic book is the inability to define the boundaries of any story. A paper book has defined corners, thickness and it is easy to see how far you have got into the story or even how far you have to go. It is this that creates the landscape in your mind and this that is not possible with an electronic book. An electronic book will not allow your brain to feel like it is a part of a bigger picture, you feel stationary in a moving world instead of crafting a journey through your surroundings.

A final point that is important to note is that, despite the ability to search an electronic book for certain words or phrases it is usually quicker to find the information you need from a paper book as it can be held in your hand and multiple sections quickly located and referenced. There’s no doubt that a conceptual retention and understanding increases the more paper books we read. Even though e-reading is also increasing in popularity, some people related better to a story when they hold an actual book in their hands.

By Paul Trevino and LoveReading.co.uk!

Lauren Dane dropped by this morning to share the most essential items in her deadline survival kit. Check it out!

Top 5 Items in My Deadline Survival Kit

1.  Pizza delivery. Two meals in one move! My kids can’t complain all they’re eating is sandwiches and cereal. Sometimes I order salad to keep them guessing.

2.  Pony tail holders – because showers are a rarity as you stare the deadline in the face!

3.  Chocolate – I use it for bribes for myself to get my words done.

4.  Music – my book playlist helps keep me on track and in the right mindset.

5.  Water – It’s so easy to drink too much coffee but I need the water so I make myself carry around a giant container of it.

FALLING UNDER by Lauren Dane (August 4, 2015; Forever Trade Paperback; Ink & Chrome #2)

Duke Bradshaw, co-owner of the Twisted Steel custom motorcycle and hot rod shop, may devote his days to chrome and leather, but his nights belong to Carmella. His sultry redheaded neighbor has a smile like an angel and a body built for sin, and for the past year both have dominated Duke’s dreams. When a problem at Twisted Steel requires a fast fix, Duke sees his chance to finally make his fantasy a reality.
Ever since she first heard the low rumble of his engine, Carmella Rossi has wondered if Duke Bradshaw handles his women as expertly as he handles his bike. When he shows up at her door offering her a much-needed job at his shop, she gets her chance to find out. Beneath Duke’s masterful touch, Carmella soon submits to a world of unimaginable pleasure.
But history has taught Carmella how bad a boy boy can be. If she doesn’t put on the brakes fast, her hard-bodied heartbreaker could drive her right over the edge . . .

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About the author:

The story goes like this: While on pregnancy bed rest, Lauren Dane had plenty of down time, so her husband took her comments about “giving that writing thing a serious go” to heart and brought home a secondhand laptop. She wrote her first book on it. Today, Lauren is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of more than 60 novels and novellas across several genres.

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Excerpt:

Carmella answered her door to find Duke standing on her porch with a six-?pack

and some chips.

He held them aloft. “I was thinking we could hang out and have a beer and some snacks.”

She smiled, even as she looked down at herself. “Uh. I’m sort of messy. I was cleaning the kitchen.”

He walked in without saying anything else, but once he got to her kitchen, he turned back. “You look fantastic.”

Ginger had already abandoned her nap at the sound of Duke’s voice and deposited herself at his feet.

“So easy,” she murmured to the dog as she joined them in the kitchen.

“Glasses or the bottle okay?” He indicated the beer with a tip of his chin.

“Bottle is fine. There’s an opener in that drawer there.” She pointed. “If you’re hungrier than just chips and dip, there’s leftover baked ziti. I was just thinking about some dinner.”

“Leftover ziti? How is that even possible? Was everyone sick? I promise if you made me baked ziti, I’d eat every last bit.” He cocked his head and looked extra hot.

She put a hand on her hip. He was so totally full of it. “Actually, I made a smaller one for myself and took two to a big family dinner. It’s my uncle’s favorite. But I brought home coconut cake and some other stuff.”

Carmella bent to look in her fridge because he was standing so very close and she was getting giddy. Giddy was bad. Giddy ended up being the last time she slept with her ex. Though to be fair, it had been fantastic.

This man was a giddy nuclear reactor and it made her girl parts want to be so stupid.

And then he bent to peer into the fridge at her side. “Jesus Christ. Carmella. Baby, this is the most organized refrigerator I’ve seen in my entire life. I’m in awe.”

She was so surprised and weirdly flattered, Carmella turned to look at him and ended up whacking her forehead to his so hard she saw stars against her closed eyes.

Firm hands took her by the upper arms and helped her stand though she wobbled a little. “Honey, are you all right?”

“Ouch,” Carmella managed. “Sorry. I got you pretty hard.”

Duke laughed as he moved the hand she’d had over her forehead and replaced it with a bag of frozen berries. “My go to is corn usually, but you don’t have any. That should help. I’m okay. I have a very hard head. That’s totally true so stop it with that look of yours.”

“You have a go to remedy for head bumping?” Carmella sat at one of the stools at the island. “And what look do you mean?”

“Works for busted knuckles, black eyes, the usual sort of lifestyle-related injuries.”

Carmella winced when she raised her brow at him. “Lifestyle-?related?”

Duke shrugged. “What can I say? Ass kicking and fisticuffs seem to be a regular part of my life. And the look I meant is the one you’re wearing right now. The one you give that makes everyone feel like a wayward boy who craves your approval.”

“I have that look? Really?” How awesome! She clearly needed to use it more.

“You do. Why do you think we’re all so obedient to your paperwork rules?”

“Because it’s efficient and makes money move back into the shop more quickly?”

He laughed again and then moved the bag of fruit to kiss the sore spot.

They both went very still.

His muscles tightened, the tension radiating from him made her dizzy. And probably crazy, but needing to soothe. So she slid her hands up the wall of his chest, not to restrain or hold back, no matter how much she told herself that lie.

Once she touched him, she knew it to her toes that everything had changed.

“Damn it,” he snarled and then kissed her. Only, no. He took her mouth, owned it, and had his wicked way with it.

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Please give a warm welcome to Victoria Vane!

SHARP SHOOTIN’ COWBOY is not a typical romance. Reid Everett and Haley Cooper are two very different personalities. They are like opposite poles of a magnet and just as powerfully attracted to one another even though they are constantly at odds. This was a risky book for me because I knew many readers would tend to side with one character over the other based on who is more closely aligned with the reader’s own socio-political views, but I had to write it anyway.

To quote my hero Reid Everett, “Being on different sides doesn’t necessarily make us enemies. Good people are allowed to disagree. Some of the best solutions to the hardest problems result from differing minds coming together, meeting in the middle.”

That’s what SHARP SHOOTIN’ COWBOY is really all about- meeting half way and finding compromise, even when the odds are against it. I hope readers will enjoy getting to know and like both Reid and Haley.

Warmest regards,

Victoria Vane

What is the craziest thing you’d do to prove you love your partner?

Haley – “I’m tied between riding Mickey’s Fun Wheel at Disneyland and trekking alone into a three million acre wilderness.”

Reid – “I’ve run straight into enemy fire without a second thought, but telling Haley I loved her without knowing if she reciprocated was one of the scariest things I’ve ever done.”

What is your idea of perfect happiness?

Haley – “Camping out under the stars with the man I love.”

Reid – “Making love under the stars with the woman I adore.”

What is your favorite physical feature of your significant other?

Haley – “His size and his gorgeous blue eyes.”

Reid – “Her long pale blonde hair. I always fantasized about how it would look while her…” (He flushes and looks at his boots).

Sharp Shootin’ Cowboy

By Victoria Vane

Hot Cowboy Nights, Book 3

June 2, 2015

Contemporary Western Romance

ISBN: 9781492601180

$7.99 paperback

Buy SHARP SHOOTIN’ COWBOY here: Amazon | B&N | BAM | iBooks | !ndigo | IndieBound

TAKE YOUR BEST SHOT, COWBOY…

Weary warrior… After eight years as a Marine sniper, war-scarred Reid Everett is back in his native Wyoming. He knows and loves this rugged land, so working for wildlife services to reduce the booming wolf population suits him to a T.

Caring crusader… Wildlife biologist Haley Cooper is desperate to make a difference. Leaving the world of academia behind, she accepts a position as a wolf advocate to protect the animals she loves.

Raw attraction… Their jobs set them on a collision course, but chemistry sparks like wildfire between Reid and Haley. They’ll have to brave some rough territory if they hope to reconcile their polarizing views with a passion that won’t be denied.

About the Author

Victoria Vane is a multiple award-winning romance novelist and history junkie whose collective works of fiction range from wildly comedic romps to emotionally compelling erotic romance. Victoria also writes historical fiction as Emery Lee and is the founder of Goodreads Romantic Historical Fiction Lovers and the Romantic Historical Lovers book review blog.

Connect with Victoria Vane: Website | Facebook | @AuthorVictoriaV | Pinterest | Goodreads

Praise for Rough Rider by Victoria Vane:

“Victoria Vane continually surprises the reader in her latest western romance Rough Rider as she plunges audiences into the world of bull riders and cattle ranchers.”

– The Examiner

“Ms. Vane entertained me… had me at the edge of my seat with twists and turns, and even had me scream at Dirk’s stupidity, so she completely EARNS my top score of 5 fingers up & 10 toes.”

– Avon Romance

“I honestly loved this book! This is an unconventional love story about second chances. The characters were great on their own, but it was the unique way that the plot unfolded that sold the book for me… The romance was passionate, and the road to a happy ending was bumpy with some detours along the way.” – The Romance Reviews

“Another winner. It was a really good tale in the rough and tumbled world of cowboys and bull riding… if you get a chance, check it out and also, check out [Victoria Vane’s] other books. You won’t be disappointed.” – BTS Magazine

Excerpt from SHARP SHOOTIN’ COWBOY by Victoria Vane

He could see her getting more worked up by the minute, and damned if he wasn’t also—just not in the same way. She’d been baiting him from the start, spewing arguments that usually just pissed him off, but in this case, it was turning him on.

His gaze locked on her mouth. Her tongue darted out as if she read his thoughts. She drew a breath as if to formulate another rebuttal, but he’d had enough. Before her lips could spout off anymore of the Pacifist Tree Hugger’s Manifesto, he pulled her into his arms and silenced her with his.

***

The kiss came without warning, and Haley was too stunned at first to react. He began gently enough, his lips sliding over hers, hands cupping her face, thumbs stroking her jaw, and then he grew more insistent, his tongue probing the seal of her lips. His callused hands were simultaneously firm and gentle, and his lips paradoxically soft and commanding.

Mere seconds had her head spinning and stomach fluttering. She was slipping fast and not about to let him pull her in any deeper. Part of her wanted to give into it, to see where it might lead, but the other half resented his audacity. Her pride won out. She resisted the urge to soften, to open to him, then stiffened, pressing her hands against his chest.

He released her instantly.

She stepped back, knees weak and pulse racing. “I didn’t come here looking to hook up.”

“Neither did I. But sometimes unexpected things happen.” His gaze locked with hers, a look of speculation gleaming in his eyes. “When they do, it’s best to just go with your gut instinct.”

“That so? Well all my instincts scream ‘no marines,’ so don’t let it happen again.”

Suddenly remembering the cue in her hand, Haley turned back to the table. It took all of her will to focus back on the game. She could hardly believe how he’d nearly unraveled her with a single kiss. Then again, no one had ever kissed her like that. She made her break, pocketing the one, and then moved methodically around the table, calling each shot as she sank every solid. Only the eight ball remained, but it was trapped behind two stripes.

Reid’s lips curved with smug certainty. “Looks like I’ll get my turn after all.”

“Don’t count your chickens, cowboy.” She laid down her cue and searched the wall behind her for a shorter one. “Jump cue,” she answered his silent question.

“You’re kidding right?”

“Nope.” Approaching the table, she angled for her shot. She could almost feel his eyes on her ass. She glanced over her shoulder. Sure enough. He was leaning against the wall with both arms crossed over his broad chest, his gaze zeroed in on her behind.

“Enjoying the view?”

“Sure am,” he confessed, unabashed.

He was sadly mistaken if he thought he’d unnerve her. Keeping him in her peripheral vision, she widened her stance and stretched out over the table. All sign of smugness evaporated from his face. He tugged on his jeans.

Haley grinned, reveling in her small victory, and then prepared for a bigger one. “Eight ball, side pocket,” she declared with confidence. On a three count she took the shot, jumping the stripes to pocket the eight. “Yeah baby!” She threw down the cue and fisted the air, gloating in her triumph.

Reid gaped at the table. “I’ll be goddamned. How did you learn to do that?”

“My grandpa was a regional pool champion.”

“That bit of information was mighty sneaky to withhold.”

She shrugged. “You didn’t ask. Loser buys. I’ll take a mojito.”

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Hot Cowboy Nights Book Bundle! (3 books)

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This morning I have a guest post and giveaway for Lia Riley’s Last First Kiss!

Top Five Favorite #Nailedit Moments on Pinterest

My Last First Kiss heroine, Annie Carson, is a mommy blogger and makes a living by being a bit of a crafty whirlwind. I on the other hand, well. . .let’s just say I’m better off writing (and watching Richard Armitage movies). One of my favorite memes on Pinterest are the #Nailedit pictures…where people bravely attempt a recipe and fail with spectacularly hilarious results. Can you empathize or are you a craft wizard?

1. Cookie Monster Cupcakes: https://www.pinterest.com/pin/450148925231789492/

2. Mary’s Very Sad Little Lamb: https://www.pinterest.com/pin/447404544208167281/

3. A Truly Despicable Minion: https://www.pinterest.com/pin/479070479081909147/

4. Rainbow Brite would cry over this breakfast: https://www.pinterest.com/pin/75083518762711658/

5. Fun fruity drink and. . . get that murky swamp water away from me: https://www.pinterest.com/pin/527624912566666733/

Last First Kiss
Brightwater Series Book #1

By: Lia Riley

Releasing June 23rd, 2015

Avon Romance

Blurb

New to Avon author Lia Riley makes a splash with her first sexy, hilarious book in the sizzling Brightwater series!

A kiss is just the beginning…

Pinterest Perfect. Or so Annie Carson’s life appears on her popular blog. Reality is… messier. Especially when it lands her back in one-cow town, Brightwater, California, and back in the path of the gorgeous six-foot-four reason she left. Sawyer Kane may fill out those wranglers, but she won’t be distracted from her task. Annie just needs the summer to spruce up and sell her family’s farm so she and her young son can start a new life in the big city. Simple, easy, perfect.

Sawyer has always regretted letting the first girl he loved slip away. He won’t make the same mistake twice, but can he convince beautiful, wary Annie to trust her heart again when she’s been given every reason not to? And as a single kiss turns to so much more, can Annie give up her idea of perfect for a forever that’s blissfully real.

Link to Follow Tour: http://www.tastybooktours.com/2015/06/last-first-kiss-brightwater-series-book.html

Goodreads Link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23507376-last-first-kiss
Goodreads Series Link: https://www.goodreads.com/series/141818-brightwater

Buy Links: Amazon | B&N | iBooks | Kobo

Author Info

Lia Riley writes offbeat New Adult and Contemporary Adult romance. After studying at the University of Montana-Missoula, she scoured the world armed only with a backpack, overconfidence and a terrible sense of direction. She counts shooting vodka with a Ukranian mechanic in Antarctica, sipping yerba mate with gauchos in Chile and swilling XXXX with stationhands in Outback Australia among her accomplishments.

A British literature fanatic at heart, Lia considers Mr. Darcy and Edward Rochester as her fictional boyfriends. Her very patient husband doesn’t mind. Much. When not torturing heroes (because c’mon, who doesn’t love a good tortured hero?), Lia herds unruly chickens, camps, beach combs, daydreams about future books, wades through a mile-high TBR pile and schemes yet another trip. Right now, Icelandic hot springs and Scottish castles sound mighty fine.

Author Links: Website | Facebook | Twitter | GoodReads

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Please welcome Emily Greenwood to the virtual offices this morning!

Thank you so much for having me here today! To celebrate the release of THE BEAUTIFUL ONE, the first title in my Scandalous Sisters series, I asked Anna Black, my spirited heroine, to answer a few questions so you can get to know a little about her and her love interest, Will Halifax, Viscount Grandville.

What is your greatest strength?

Though I’m small, I think I’m stronger than the average Regency lady. Or at least, I’d like to think all those years spent running around outside “like a native,” as the local ladies said, made me stronger. Oh, you mean inner strength… I’m brave.

What is your biggest fear?

I’m in hiding, in danger of being exposed as the Beautiful One. So my biggest fear is that my identity will become known, and I’ll then be the kind of disgraced woman no one dares to acknowledge.

What do you love most about where you live?

Living at Stillwell, Will’s estate, where I’m employed as a governess, is amazing. It’s not that my head is turned by his vast wealth, but I’m the daughter of a doctor, and I grew up in a cottage, so what I love about being at Stillwell is how different it is. Also, he has a folly that looks like a medieval tower, and it’s pretty irresistible.

The Beautiful One

By Emily Greenwood

The Scandalous Sisters, Book 1

Historical Regency Romance

June 2, 2015

ISBN: 9781492613657

$7.99 paperback

Buy THE BEAUTIFUL ONE here: Amazon | B&N | BAM | !ndigo | IndieBound

“A SIZZLING ROMANCE THAT TOUCHES THE HEART.” —Sally MacKenzie, USA Today bestselling author

A PICTURE SAYS A THOUSAND WORDS…

The ton is buzzing about The Beautiful One, a striking figure in a scandalous book of nude sketches. Only two men know the true identity of The Beautiful One, and they are scouring the countryside, determined to find her.

BUT NOT THE MOST IMPORTANT ONES

The unlikely center of the scandal, Anna Black is forced to flee home as disaster looms. Her tomboy’s heart and impertinent tongue serve her well when she meets the most brooding viscount ever to darken a drawing room. Will Halifax, Viscount Grandville, has his reasons for pushing people away, and when his tempestuous teenaged ward arrives on his doorstep, he presses Anna to take on her care. As Anna begins to melt the Viscount’s frozen heart, she knows the more she loves, the more she has to lose. For although Will cares nothing for what makes Society titter, he has yet to see The Beautiful One.

About the Author

Emily Greenwood worked for a number of years as a writer, crafting newsletters and fundraising brochures, but she far prefers writing playful love stories set in Regency England, and she thinks romance novels are the chocolate of literature. A Golden Heart finalist, she lives in Maryland with her husband and two daughters.

Connect with Emily Greenwood:

Website – http://emilygreenwood.net/

Twitter – https://twitter.com/emigreenwood

Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/pages/Emily-Greenwood/365744720128570

Goodreads – http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6506600.Emily_Greenwood

Excerpt from THE BEAUTIFUL ONE by Emily Greenwood:

Rounding the edge of the wood at the back of Stillwell, he was startled to see his ward standing about. She was looking up at a tree in which, from the movement of its leaves and branches, some large creature seemed to be thrashing. A crow?

As he drew nearer to the oblivious Lizzie, he was almost certain he heard a woman’s voice coming from among the leaves. Lizzie stepped closer to the tree and lifted her hands upward, and he saw that on a thick branch perhaps six feet off the ground were perched two feet in past-their-prime dark ankle boots, and above them he was treated to a view of trim calves he could not regret. The surrounding leaves and branches mostly obscured the rest of his recently hired governess. In the instant before Lizzie became aware of Will, he saw that she held in her cupped hands a fluffy white ball.

Lizzie turned and saw him, her mouth forming into an “O” as a voice called from above, “Lizzie? I’m ready for the owlet.”

“Er,” said Lizzie, looking at him. In the clear afternoon light he noticed that her eyes were a different color blue than Ginger’s had been. But the shape was Ginger’s, as were the eyebrows. Not her fault, but he couldn’t go the route of compassion. It would only muddy what had to be. He looked past her and lifted a hand to rub his eyes.

“Miss Black,” he said, knowing he could not avoid asking, “what on earth are you doing?”

There was a pause as she absorbed his arrival and a shifting of the feet on the branch near his forehead as they drew together, perhaps in an attempt at modesty.

“Ah, my lord,” she said from above him. “Good afternoon. Lizzie and I are engaged in returning a fallen owlet to its nest. It was her idea. She is very caring toward animals.”

He could feel Lizzie’s big blue eyes on him though his own were still covered by his hand. He had no doubt as to whose idea it had been to climb the tree. He hadn’t truly expected Anna Black to be a typical sort of governess, had he?

“Come down at once.”

“If you will wait just a moment, my lord,” she said breezily, “I shall be down directly. Lizzie, the owlet.”

Lizzie cleared her throat. “Here.”

He tapped her on the shoulder before she could lift her arms farther. “Give me that creature, please.”

She looked uncertain, but she clearly didn’t want to displease him, and she handed over the motionless owl. He took it carefully from her and did not return her tentative smile. He could feel her eagerness for him to acknowledge her, but he let it flow past him.

The leaves and branches above them shook as Anna Black crouched down and extended her hand for the animal. Her bonnet, the same horrible blue one, had fallen on its strings around her neck again, and her hair, apparently loosened by her climb, curled crazily about her face as if she were some unkempt urchin, accentuating her pert nose and reminding him of her jack-in-the-box appearance from the coach.

Her pink lips pressed outward at the sight of him; doubtless she was annoyed by his arrival, but her expression didn’t draw an answering wave of annoyance from him. Instead, her lips were making him wonder, unaccountably, what it might feel like to be kissed all over by pink butterflies.

“The owlet, please,” she fairly ordered him.

“Don’t be ridiculous. Get down this instant before you fall. I will return the owlet.”

“I am already positioned to do so. If you will just give it to me, I can put it back and then receive your displeasure properly on the ground.”

He grunted. Why did he keep finding himself in out-of-his-control conversations with this maddening woman?

In his palm the owlet’s heart beat with a rapid, stressed flutter. He reached up his hand, and she gently took the animal and disappeared into the foliage.

From above came a few rustling noises, then the angry screech of what had to be an adult owl and a yelp. Fearing Miss Black would fall, he stepped forward to catch her, but at that same moment she jumped neatly down, so that she landed right in front of him.

He grabbed her arms, a reflex to steady her. She didn’t need his help, but their eyes locked, and for a moment he read vulnerability there before it was replaced with the hard glint of independence. She smelled like sunshine and crushed leaves, and he felt the slim softness of her arms and his body’s yearning to hug her close.

She stepped away from him. It had all happened in the space of a few moments.

But as he watched her brush some leaves from her skirts with her head down, that vulnerability he’d glimpsed tugged at him. Who was this woman? Where had she come from? She was clearly educated and intelligent, and though she was too forthright and she dressed terribly, she was not rough, merely unusual.

That life-on-the-edge-of-propriety quality he’d observed in her the night before had suggested that she’d known some hardship, or that she had some burden she might trade for money. And yet today, in the company of his ward, she looked at ease, even if her eyes seemed to be hiding something.

Giveaway

3 copies of The Beautiful One by Emily Greenwood

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The Temptation series is like crack to me, so I am very happy to welcome Karen Ann Hopkins to the virtual offices this morning!

Top 5 things Karen would miss the most if she adopted an Amish lifestyle

Thank you for having me today!

I highly respect the Amish and their way of life, but I wouldn’t willingly choose to live the way they do. I think a lot of people have an extra cozy, peaceful vision of the Amish, but they are people, just like us, and they face many of same problems we do. Financial woes, troubled marriages, and rebellious children are part of their lives. But their strong religious faith, family ties, and community support help them deal with their issues remarkably well.

Here’s my list:

1. I love riding my horse, but not in the rain and snow for the thirteen mile trek into town. I have ridden in a buggy, and honestly, I was completely terrified every time. The mixture of cars whizzing by at 60 MPH, and horse and buggies plodding along at 10 MPH on busy roads, is very dangerous to say the least. There are no seatbelts in those buggies, and they are made of thin wooden boards and a vinyl-type covering. My neighbor lost her daughter, her daughter’s fiancé, and her son was crippled, when a semi-truck crashed into their buggy. And there have been several other accidents in the last few years between buggies and cars in my community alone. Nope. I’m not giving up my SUV.

2. My computer. Although, I’ve spent a lot of time looking up information for my neighbors, I wouldn’t want to be in that position myself.

3. Electricity. My neighbors use natural gas to power their lights and appliances. But they still have to use a match to light those lantern lights. I have trouble enough locating my car keys, I can only imagine how irritated I’d get if I had to search for matches in the dark. My community has it much better than the Amish in the more rustic community about fifteen miles away, though. They have to fill up their bathtub with water they heat on the stove. They also still use icehouses to keep their food cold. And they have outhouses too, although sometimes the outhouse is actually in the house, but that’s a whole different story.

4. Zippers. The Amish don’t ever use zippers. I’ve asked about it, but no one has given me a straight answer why not. Can you imagine fumbling with buttons ALL THE TIME?

5. Freedom. There are just too many rules that every Amish person within a community has to adhere to. For example, some of the Amish girls started wearing lace up riding boots like the ones I wear. The entire community voted, and they decided that they were just too flashy for the girls to wear. So now they’re back to wearing black tennis shoes that won’t protect their foot if a horse steps on it. And riding boots are designed to slip easily from a stirrup for safety, while tennis shoes aren’t. The boots these girls were wearing were plain-old brown, and by the end of the day, they were covered with dirt and manure. How would you like to have your neighbor tell you what kind of shoes your family was allowed to wear? But it’s a rule, and the Amish follow the rules to a fault. Many of the girls returned to riding barefoot. Don’t even get me started on that.

Thank you so much for your interest in Rachel’s Deception, the Temptation series, and my other books: Embers (YA paranormal), Lamb to the Slaughter and Whispers from the Dead (adult Amish mysteries)! I love to connect with readers and I’d be happy to answer questions about the Amish way of life. Please contact me at my website: www.karenannhopkins.com or you can message me on FB, Twitter, and Instagram.

Happy Reading,

Karen Ann Hopkins

Karen Ann Hopkins returns with a gripping new book in the YA Temptation series. The powerful family saga continues with Noah’s little Sister in:

Rachel’s Deception

Growing up Amish is difficult…but leaving it behind is even harder.

Noah was Amish…Rose wasn’t. Being together should have been impossible. But somehow they found a way to make it work. They are finally a family, but their happily-ever-after is still a long off. Will Rose and her friends be able to force real change?

Karen Ann Hopkins returns with a gripping new book in the YA Temptation series. The powerful family saga continues with Rachel’s Deception, as events spiral out of control in the sleepy farming community of Meadowview. And Rachel Miller has her own secrets to hide. Noah’s younger sister has been living a double life. That is, until Justin Cameron, Rose’s little brother, catches her in the act. Rachel is not the obedient Amish girl that her sister was, and her rebelliousness takes her to a very dangerous world. A world that only her true friends can help her escape from.

As Rachel questions all she has been taught about love, family, and commitment, Rose discovers what it really means to be shunned. And an evil shadow looms on the horizon, threatening not only Rose, but everyone she holds dear.

About Rachel’s Deception:

• Goodreads

• Buy: Amazon| B&N

About Karen Ann Hopkins:

Website | Blog | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

Karen Ann Hopkins resides in northern Kentucky with her family on a farm that boasts a menagerie of horses, goats, peacocks, chickens, ducks, rabbits, dogs and cats. Karen’s main job is home schooling the kids, but she finds time to give riding lessons, coach a youth equestrian drill team, and of course, write. She was inspired to create her first book, Temptation, by the Amish community she lived in. The experiential knowledge she gained through her interactions with her neighbors drove her to create the story of the star-crossed lovers, Rose and Noah.

Karen grew up about a mile from Lake Ontario in Upstate New York. She was bitten by the horse bug at the age of five, and after diligently taking riding lessons for several years, was rewarded with her first horse when she turned eleven. The feisty horse’s name was Lady, a Quarter Horse-Thoroughbred cross, who became Karen’s steadfast companion. Through the years, the constant force in her life was horses. Eventually, she found her place as a riding instructor herself. Before accepting her fate in the barnyard, she worked a short stint as a paralegal, traveled abroad, and guided tourists on horseback riding tours in the Smoky Mountains of Tennessee.

Karen is currently working on her Amish mystery series, Serenity’s Plain Secrets, along with the YA paranormal/fantasy series, The Wings of War. Karen is also excited to announce the Temptation series has been optioned for TV by Pilgrim Studios and is available on Audible. More books in the Temptation series are in the works.

The Temptation Series:

Temptation (Book 1)   on Goodreads |Get a Copy  Amazon | B&N | Indiebound

Belonging (Book 2)  on Goodreads | Get a Copy Amazon | B&N | Indiebound

Forever  (Book 3)  on Goodreads | Get a Copy Amazon |B&N |Indiebound

The Temptation Series is now on Audible!

The Temptation Series on Audible! Here are some exciting news for all those audiobook lovers out there: The Temptation Series will be available April 21st and you can Pre-Oder your copy right now! Listen to a sample on audible.

Karen’s other Books Adult Mystery, Serenity’s Plain Secrets

• LAMB TO THE SLAUGHTER (book 1): Available e-book now and in print March 2015
• WHISPERS FROM THE DEAD (book 2): Available e-book now and in print March 2015
• SECRETS IN THE GRAVE (book 3) Available in paperback and e-book in December 2015

YA Paranormal, Wings of War

• EMBERS (book 1): Available in e-book now and in print March 2015
• GAIA (book 2): Available in paperback and e-book in November 2015

Check out all of the stops on the blog tour!

Monday, May 18th – pageturnersblog – Guest Post

Tuesday May 19th – A Bookish Escape – Review

Wednesday May 20th – Books and Things – Guest Post

Thursday, May 21st – Sassy Book Lovers – Review together with Guest Post

Friday, May 22nd – Lose Time Reading – Review

Monday, May 25th – Literary Menaderings – Author Interview Tuesday, May 26th – Reading Lark – Review

Wednesday, May 27th – Sassy & Dangerous – Interview

Thursday, May 28th – Actin’ Up with Books – Review

Friday, May 29th – Her Book Thoughts – Review together with Guest Post

Monday, June 1st – Bittersweet Enchantment – Guest Post

Tuesday, June 2nd - Supernatural Snark –  Interview Wednesday, June 3rd – Curling Up With A Good Book – Interview

Thursday, June 4th – Manga Maniac Cafe – Guest Post

Friday, June 5th – Bewitched Bookworms - Guest Post

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Amber Hart dropped by with a guest post and a giveaway to celebrate the release of Captured by You.  Enjoy!

5 WAYS TO GET YOUR FICTION BOOK PUBLISHED

Stories need a lot of work to get to the publishing stage. Like, a whole lot. There’s an ocean of books out there and it’s hard to tell how, exactly, to become one of them. There’s not a “right” way, per say, but the general census boils down to these five things.

1. WRITE YOUR BOOK IN ITS ENTIRETY

It’s super tempting to send your book off when it’s only partially done. I mean, you’ve achieved this monumental thing. You’ve written part of a book! That has to count for something, right? It does. Trust me. I’m with you. It’s lovely, but you still need to write the whole book before you send it off. Unless you are already published and/or are wildly popular in the business, agents and publishers like to know how the story started, progressed, and ended before they will sign you for the first time. It’s tough, but you’ll be glad you finished.

2. EDIT

This step is so very important. Edit, edit, edit. Edit until you feel like it’s the most polished stone in the pond. Edit until you’re one million percent sure that the book is as good as it gets. Maybe, if you can afford it, even let a freelance editor rake through it. And then, celebrate! You’ve just finished a book, after all.

3. LET TRUSTED PEOPLE BETA READ

There’s only so many times you can edit and read your own book before you become blind to the story and words. It’s important to have someone else, someone who is not in your own head, read it. They are looking at it with fresh eyes. They might be able to point out that you skipped too far ahead in one section, or that a part is dragging, or that a certain character needs more fleshing out. Beta readers can see bigger picture issues that you’ll want to correct before you send your baby novel off to an agent and/or publisher.

4. WRITE A KILLER QUERY

How are you possibly going to hook an agent and/or publisher in one page? It’s the same question all authors have had, the one that keeps them up at night sweating bullets. It’s impossible, you say. Something-hundred pages can’t be contained in a simple paragraph, you say. It has to. And it all starts with a hook. Make the reader want to know more. Explore the books on your own shelves. Look at the back jackets. What drew you to them? What one-lines did they drop to snag your interest? Now, it’s your turn to create one of your own. Follow it up with a few sentences about your book. Don’t be afraid to infuse your voice in it. Actually, that can be the difference between getting signed or not.

5. BE PREPARED FOR REJECTION

It’s a hard part of the business. Someone is bound to say no. All the greatest writers will tell you the same. But I think you should know that rejection can also be gold. Sometimes agents and publishers include reasons why the book wasn’t strong enough for them. Those reasons can be used to better your book. If you feel they might be dead on, fix the problem areas and then query more agents and/or publishers. The point is, rejection WILL happen. Don’t loose hope. Don’t give up. It only take one “yes.” Don’t quit before you get yours.

And, as always, be respectful. Thank that agent and/or publisher (by name) for taking time out of their day to read your words. Know that your time will come as long as you keep writing. There are many paths to cross to get to the finish. Find yours. Don’t forget that some books never get published. Write another one. Keep writing. Keep writing. Keep writing. Never stop.

Captured By You
Until You Find Me # 2

By: Amber Hart

Releasing May 19, 2015

Loveswept: Flirt

Blurb

In the passionate, gut-wrenching sequel to Amber Hart’s Until You Find Me, Raven and Jospin must fight for each other in a world where love is never safe—and power is deadly.

Raven, a college girl from Michigan, came to the jungles of Cameroon searching for closure. Falling for Jospin, a handsome, charismatic hunter with dark secrets of his own, was never part of the plan.

But despite their differences, their attraction is addictive, as exhilarating and wild as the rain forest itself—and also as dangerous. For the sake of both their lives, their heated affair must remain a secret.

Raven wants justice for her conservationist father’s death; to help her, Jospin must turn his back on his own father and the only life he has ever known. Together they risk being hunted by a band of ruthless poachers, but they take the chance anyway, working to bring down their enemies between each stolen kiss. But when one slip puts Raven’s life at stake, Jospin knows he must act.

He has captured Raven’s heart—now can he set her free

Link to Follow Tour: http://www.tastybooktours.com/2015/02/captured-by-you-until-you-find-me-2-by.html

Goodreads Link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22675554-captured-by-you?from_search=true
Goodreads Series Link: https://www.goodreads.com/series/132345-until-you-find-me

Buy Links: Amazon | B & N | iTunes | Kobo

Author Info

Amber Hart is the author of Before You and Until You Find Me. She grew up in Orlando, Florida, and Atlanta, Georgia, and now resides on the Florida coastline with her family. When not reading, she can be found writing, daydreaming, or dipping her toes in the sand.

Author Links: Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

Rafflecopter Giveaway (Loveswept Mug, Flirt Mug and Select Ebook Bundle)

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Tina Leonard is celebrating the release of Last of the Red-Hot Riders.  Read her guest post and enter the giveaway below!

Tina’s Top Five Guilty Pleasures

1. Time on a Florida beach.  I was born in Pensacola, so my husband says I’m a salmon, I have to go “home” at least once a year.    But there’s almost no place that makes me happier than the ocean!

2. Kindle reading. Argh! I used to have to wait for reading a great book, but not any more! And audible books, omg.  If I’d had these things when I was a kid, I wouldn’t have had to hide in the closet at night to read!

3. Expensive shoes, one pair a year. Thankfully, my husband understands this tiny, expensive, foible of mine.

4. Santa Fe.  Churches. Historical stuff. I can’t help it, there’s something about churches and history that calls to me. Santa Fe is a place where I felt it all coming together for me.  We went to El Santuaria de Chimayo and dug holy dirt out of a hole. There’s something about walking in Willa Cather’s footsteps, too, that called to my spirit. I can get so lost in books about history.

5. China. And jewelry.  Fragile things. Anything British, like Britcoms and P.G. Wodehouse.  I know this is eclectic for a guilty pleasure, but teacups, teapots, jewelry—these things are catnip for me. I had a friend send me a necklace handmade in Africa and I love it. My son brought back a ceremonial collar, worn around the neck, from Kenya, that the Masai warriors wear. I love these things that people make. I also have several teapots, one made in Ireland with an Irish pattern on it that I adore. I guess I’m an old-fashioned girl, but I love things with beauty and sentiment attached to them!

Last of the Red-Hot Riders
Hell’s Outlaws # 2

By: Tina Leonard

Releasing May 26, 2015

Loveswept

Blurb

The toughest rodeo rider in Hell, Texas, discovers his tender side with a feisty cowgirl in this sexy new novel from USA Today bestselling author Tina Leonard.

Cameron Dix knows that becoming an elite rider is the first step to realizing her dream: owning a special-needs equestrian academy. Only one thing stands in her way—and he’s big, tall, and sizzles like a Texas steak. Superhunk Saint Markham claims that he isn’t happy about all the women galloping into town, but the heat in his eyes tells Cameron a different story. What else can a fiery redhead do but let her hair down and give in to desire hot enough to melt her saddle?

Saint has seen what happens when women come marching into the Hell’s Outlaws Training Center: Strong men crumble. Problem is, he’s got rivals willing to train a talented lady rider like Cameron. But after one night of passion, he’s branded. And from the moment he kisses her ruby lips, Cameron is his—even if he’s too stubborn to admit it. Now Saint must stake his claim on a life of delicious sin with the woman he loves.

Link to Follow Tour: http://www.tastybooktours.com/2015/02/last-of-red-hot-riders-hells-outlaws-2.html

Goodreads Link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23166849-last-of-the-red-hot-riders?from_search=true
Goodreads Series Link: https://www.goodreads.com/series/122625-hell-s-outlaws

Buy Links: Amazon | B & N | iTunes | Kobo | Publisher

Author Info

USA Today Bestselling and award-winning author Tina Leonard has sold over 3 million books, making the USA Today, Waldenbooks, Bookscan, and Ingrambook bestseller lists, and publishing over seventy titles. Her work has been contracted by Random House Loveswept, Samhain Publishing, Harlequin, London Bridge, and most recently Diversion Books. Leonard is known for her sparkling sense of humor, endearing communities, snappy dialogue, and memorable characters that include sexy hunks with attitude and heroines with plenty of sass. Join her at www.tinaleonard.com

Author Links: Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

 Rafflecopter Giveaway (Loveswept Mug, Flirt Mug and Select Ebook Bundle)

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I was born in Zandvoort, in the Netherlands, at the seaside and from an early age I loved making things. I adored my grandfather who painted a lot and who loved animals, two things which, up until now, are very important in my life. My grandfather invented an oil machine but he also had to raise a family of 5 girls, among them my mother, during the war so he didn't always have the time to paint but there was always a place in his house where he had several projects going on - ceramics, painting, sculpture, etc.. I really learned drawing from him !

In my books animals and nature are very important. I am very concerned about the earth and I hope that by reading and looking at my drawings children might care a tiny bit more about our planet.

Lots of love, Nicole

Nicole and Shy

This morning I have a guest post and a giveaway for Emma Cane’s Ever After at Sweetheart Ranch. Enjoy!

Must Haves for a Romantic SWEETHEART RANCH Picnic

By Emma Cane, author of EVER AFTER AT SWEETHEART RANCH

By now you’ve seen the lovely cover of EVER AFTER AT SWEETHEART RANCH: those beautiful mountains of the Colorado Rockies, a ranch in the distance, and Lyndsay and Will sharing a picnic lunch. Lyndsay is a math teacher with a secret: she’s written a romance novel and accidentally based the hero on Will, a hard-working cowboy with a tragedy in his past. They deserve the lovely and serene moment depicted on the cover—dare I say it’s romantic? Well…looks can be deceiving. Let me tell you about the must-haves for a picnic on Will’s ranch.

1) Hip boots. You read that right. The first time Will brings Lyndsay to the ranch, he puts her to work on the irrigation system. Hip boots are necessary in the muddy business of moving temporary dams in the irrigation ditches to flood different hay fields. Romantic, huh? Good thing he tells her she looks adorable with mud on her cheek. And of course, he has a picnic basket all ready.

2) A pocket knife. You could think I meant to cut sandwiches or fruit, but nope, a knife is necessary to cut the stem of a morel mushroom, tasty, rare and expensive. Will has found a cache of them on his ranch, and believe me, you seldom tell people where you found your morels or they’ll all be gone. But Will trusts Lyndsay and brings her on a horseback ride to pick morels. She feels suitably flattered.

3) Cookies that say “Sweets from Mrs. Sweet.”: Will’s Grandma Sweet is running for president of the Valentine Valley historical society, and she’s courting voters with cookies. Her opponent happens to be Mrs. Thalberg, who’s dating Lyndsay’s father, so Lyndsay and Will are on opposite sides. Good thing there are delicious cookies to share!

4) A blanket: because yes, Lyndsay brings a picnic basket to Will’s softball game, and afterward they drink wine and nibble on cut fruit and shrimp, while lying on the blanket. And if you want to know what happens next, I hope you’ll read EVER AFTER AT SWEETHEART RANCH for more than just the good picnic scenes!

So what do you think is necessary for a romantic picnic?

Ever After at Sweetheart Ranch
Valentine Valley # 6

By: Emma Cane

Releasing April 28^th, 2015

Avon

Blurb

The only thing hotter than a cowboy…

Math teacher Lyndsay De Luca never surprised anyone-least of all herself-until this summer. First, she secretly published her debut romance novel. Then she started dating Will Sweet, the cowboy of her dreams. And now Lyndsay’s scrambling to hide the juiciest tidbit of all: that the hazel-eyed hero of her steamy fiction is the same guy whose kisses have become her mind-blowing reality.

Is a cowboy in love.

Ever since Will’s high school sweetheart died in a tragic accident, he hasn’t been able to commit to a long-term relationship. Lyndsay is the first woman in years who’s been able to catch-and keep-his attention. She’s fascinated by his work at Sweetheart Ranch, and a glance from her gorgeous brown eyes sends Will’s thoughts wandering. Will she be the one to finally break down the walls around his guarded heart?

Link to Follow Tour: http://www.tastybooktours.com/2015/03/ever-after-at-sweetheart-ranch.html

Goodreads Link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22864471-ever-after-at-sweetheart-ranch?ac=1
Goodreads Series Link: https://www.goodreads.com/series/89051-valentine-valley

Buy Links: Amazon | B & N | iTunes | Kobo

Author Info

Emma Cane grew up reading and soon discovered that she liked to write passionate stories of teenagers in space. Her love of “passionate stories” has never gone away, although today she concentrates on the heartwarming characters of Valentine, her fictional small town in the Colorado Rockies.

Now that her three children are grown, Emma loves spending time crocheting and singing (although not necessarily at the same time), and hiking and snowshoeing alongside her husband Jim and two rambunctious dogs Apollo and Uma.

Author Links: Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

Rafflecopter Giveaway (Print Copies of the Valentine Valley Series including A TOWN CALLED VALENTINE, TRUE LOVE AT SILVERCREEK RANCH, A WEDDING IN VALENTINE, THE COWBOY OF VALENTINE VALLEY, A PROMISE AT BLUEBELL HILL, and SLEIGH BELLS IN VALENTINE VALLEY )

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Olivia Miles stopped by with a  Top 5 and a giveaway to celebrate the release of A Match Made on Main Street!

5 items you won’t find in Mark’s kitchen

1. A framed family photo

2. Champagne

3. Flowers

4. His father’s apron

5. Anna…until now.

About A MATCH MADE ON MAIN STREET:

Anna Madison has faithfully avoided her old flame for six years, even though their Main Street restaurants are only a few blocks apart. The sting of his rejection was enough to make her swear off dating for good, but when her successful restaurant is damaged in a fire, she’s left to the mercy of the one man she’s spent years proving she doesn’t need…and convincing herself she doesn’t want. Mark Hastings can’t say he’s happy being alone, but at least his heart is safe. Burnt out from running the Briar Creek diner, he’s ready for a change. He tells himself he’s just being neighborly by letting Anna use his kitchen, but being by her side again stirs up temptations he might not be able to resist a second time around.  

About Olivia Miles:

Having grown up in New England, Olivia Miles attended McGill University in Montreal, Quebec before settling in Chicago where she lives with her husband, their daughter, and two ridiculously pampered pups. When she is not chasing after her little ones, she is hard at work creating feisty heroines and alpha heroes with a heart. A city girl with a fondness for small town charm, Olivia enjoys highlighting both ways of life in her stories.

Olivia’s SM:

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7126529.Olivia_Miles?from_search=true

https://www.facebook.com/AuthorOliviaMiles?fref=ts

http://oliviamilesbooks.com/

@MsOliviaMiles

Buy Links:

Amazon – http://amzn.to/1QrtEIL

BAM –  http://bit.ly/1EpMXgk

B&N –  http://bit.ly/1I5X63f

IndieBound – http://bit.ly/1Pxna9H

GooglePlay – http://bit.ly/1bCde0d

iTunes – http://apple.co/1PxhkoP

Kobo –   http://bit.ly/1JDtA36

Excerpt:

Mark leaned in, catching a whiff of her sweet scent as he did. He closed his eyes briefly, trying to capture the single sense. When he looked up, Anna was staring at him, her gaze hooded. He could lean in, just another inch, remember what it felt like to kiss her mouth, to feel her soft curves pressed against him.

He pulled himself back in the stool instead. He was here to find her friendship again. Nothing more. “The bookstore’s doing fine now; I see people in there all the time. It’s never looked so great.”

Anna sighed through a small smile. “It does, yes. But…that’s not what has me worried. I took out a loan to match Grace’s investment. She’s covering rent and the bookstore renovation; I’m covering well…everything else. For now. It was all going to be fine. More than fine. And then–”

“The fire.”

She nodded. “The fire.”

“How bad is it?”

She met his stare. “Bad.”

He let out a low whistle. It was exactly the kind of situation that made Hastings to appealing. The place was paid up; they owned it outright. A new venture, of any kind, could never offer the same security. One day it could be booming, the next…

“Does Grace know?”

“No,” said quickly, “and I don’t intend to tell her.”

He leaned into his elbow. “So what’s your plan, then?”

She looked at him quizzically. “I intend to win this contest!”

He burst out laughing, hearing his own foolish desires in her preposterous statement. Until now, winning had been a vague notion, not something he was banking on, but hearing her say it aloud, a desire to not only compete but to win, made him suddenly believe it was possible. That anything was possible.

“I do intend to win!” Anna cried, but even she couldn’t stop from laughing. The sound rolled through the room and pulled at his heart, filling holes he didn’t even know were there.

He didn’t realize he’d stopped laughing until she did. The air went still, punctured only by the sound of his heart beating in his chest, and he knew he couldn’t hold back any longer. Without thinking, or daring to consider the consequences, he leaned into her and her eyes flashed with surprise, her lashes fluttering quickly as he slid off his stool and closed the distance between them.

A gasp of surprise escaped her throat as he brought his lips to hers and his hands came around her waist, pulling her close to his chest until he felt her body relax on each kiss. He sensed her hesitation, but he couldn’t pull back, not when her lips were on his, her sweet taste filling his senses. She parted her mouth, and he pulled her closer, feeling the soft swell of her breasts against his chest. His groin pooled with warmth as her thighs rubbed against his. He pressed his palms deeper into her back, and lower, resisting the urge to explore her hips, knowing if he did he wouldn’t be able to stop. And he should stop–he should. But…he couldn’t.

He kissed her, as if for the first time, tasting the forbidden fruit, knowing it was wrong, wrong, wrong, even thought it felt so damn right. He tore his lips from hers, letting his mouth roam her neck, burying himself into her hair, that coconut-scented hair, and breathed into her ear, wondering if she would run, if she’d push him back, tell him to go.

He pulled back, watching the way her eyes searched his. He should say something, explain himself, but there was nothing to say.

Anna’s cheeks were dotted with pink as she picked up a knife and pulled the vegetables from the basket. His gaze lingered her on a few moments more, watching the way she expertly chopped and diced, the way they’d been instructed in school, fingers tucked.

“Anna.” His voice was low and husky.

He should tell her it was a mistake, that it couldn’t happen again. That he wanted to be friends, to make her understand once and for all that it was all they ever should have been.

“We should get to work,” she said abruptly, and he hated the slight quiver in her voice. “We still have a lot do and we leave for Cedar Valley tomorrow afternoon.”

They’d be at the lodge for two nights; he’d have time to talk to her then. For now, she was right. It was time to get to work, put all personal matters aside, and focus on winning this contest. And getting what they wanted at long last.

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I get lots of queries asking if I allow guest posts. Guest blogging is a powerful content marketing strategy. Accepting guest posts is a great way to make connections and increase visibility. But, when I get a query that asks if I accept guest posts, I automatically know the blogger didn’t do her research. I have a page specifically titled, “Guest Posts” in my menu bar. If the blogger was

Angela Addams is celebrating the release of Spell Weaver, the latest in the Order of the Wolf series. I’ve read the first two books and enjoyed them quite a bit.  Now’s your chance to learn about the series, as well as enter for a chance to win a copy of Wolves’ Bane.

Welcome to The Order of the Wolf series: where a battle rages and you must choose which side you’re on. Like the fated Huntresses, each book demands that you pick a side, werewolf or Hunter and determine the fate of man and beast. Lines are blurred and depending on what book you’re in, you just never know who a Huntress will choose.

5 things you should know about The Order of the Wolf series by Angela Addams

5. Pass the knife.

The heroines in my series are all Huntresses, the only living being on Earth who can mortally wound a werewolf. An injury from a Huntress, even a scratch, sends a deadly poison into the bloodstream of a beast. Unless they are dispatched quickly by a well-placed stab to the muscle encased heart or decapitation, a wound from a Huntress leads to a long drawn out and agonizing death. The hero of Spell Weaver, Dyami, is suffering in exactly this way when we meet up with him again at the start of his story.

4. That guy has a nice wolf tattoo.

You know who has the special wolf tattoos? Hunters. Hunters, the men chosen to fight along side the Huntresses, have only that purpose in mind when they search for their destined mate. Their goal is to bond with the Huntress, thereby igniting the woman’s dormant powers and make her the ultimate warrior against the beasts. The only problem is that for every Huntress there are two possible mates, a Hunter and a werewolf, and she must choose which one to give her heart to. Unbeknownst to Spell Weaver’s heroine, Summer, her boyfriend of a few months is a Hunter in disguise and he’s not too happy to find a werewolf in her tattoo shop.

3. What a pretty dog.

The boys in Riot aren’t the typical werewolves in appearance. They’re too young and without proper mentoring, they have no idea that they have the ability to transform into something other than a large wolf. Unlike the beasts encountered in Wolves’ Bane, Dyami and the rest of the band haven’t been tainted by the surge of power that comes with transforming into the monstrous shape of the beast. Although they are all powerful entities in their own right, what they don’t know about their legacy handicaps them in a huge way. Wait and see what happens in Mayhem due out in August.

2. It’s all fun and games until some gets her powers.

Each Huntress has innate magical powers which are shared by her Hunter. The powers can be ignited by her werewolf’s bite or by bonding with her Hunter. A Huntress’s powers can vary in intensity, sometimes even coming out from childhood on. So far in the series, we have a spell caster (Darcy), a healer (Aubrey) and a magic etcher (Morgan). It shouldn’t be hard to figure out what Summer’s magical abilities will be…hint, hint (Spell Weaver).

1. Eat me.

A Huntress claimed by a Hunter is instantly bonded to the Order of the Wolf and through that bond gains valuable knowledge about the inner workings of the Order. She is not only gifted by amplified strength but each time she and her Hunter touch, she gains more information about the legacy of her ancestors the Amazons, as well as all insight into her Hunter’s training with weapons, battle techniques and the time he’s spent honing their special powers. She becomes the perfect werewolf-killing machine and is definitely on the wrong side as far as the wolves are concerned. Losing a Huntress to the Order instantly transforms her into the enemy and a foe to the beasts must be neutralized.

I’ve shared a little excerpt with you so you can see both sides of the battle.

Copyright © 2015 Angela Addams

All rights reserved — a Samhain Publishing, Ltd. publication

Another wash of dizziness rolled through him and he stumbled back, letting out a hiss of pain as his newly inked flesh rubbed against the wall. His wolf growled, snapping his attention to focus. “Danger. There is danger.” Dy needed to get out of there. He wasn’t sure what the hell was up, but he felt a kind of rage building, like he was going to lose his shit at any moment. His wolf so agitated that he was lunging at the surface of control.

Time to go.

He pulled out a wad of cash and peeled off ten bills. Too much for sure, but he wanted to give Summer something that would make her smile. He dropped the money on the table, and snatched up his shirt. He was pulling it on as he exited the room and almost barreled over Summer in his haste.

“Hey, where are you going? I need to bandage you up.” Her hands were on his chest, and his instinctively came around her waist so he didn’t knock her over.

She felt so good up against him like that. Too good. His wolf growled again.

“Yeah, I gotta go.” He pushed himself back, the loss of her warmth like a gap opening in his heart. “I left some money for ya on the table. Thanks for doing this for me.”

Summer frowned. “You okay? You don’t look so hot right now. Maybe you should sit down.”

He shook his head and pushed past her, images of her kissing her boyfriend flashing in his mind. His brain was fuzzy, his wolf demanding attention.

Not now. Not now.

She trailed behind him as he thundered down the hall. Panic seized his gut, his wolf punching through.

“Dy, don’t go.”

He barely heard her as he entered the front reception area of the shop. Her guy was still there, seated on one of the couches. He glanced up from the magazine he was reading, an eyebrow cocked, smile turning into a frown as he glanced from Dy to his own arm where the tattooed image of a wolf seemed to be almost pulsing, his skin undulating.?As their eyes locked, Dy’s wolf roared.?“Hunter.” Dy’s fangs pushed through his gums. His claws burst at his fingertips. His wolf fighting for control over his body, the poison keeping his transformation from taking hold.

“What the fuck are you doing here, beast?” The man stood, reaching behind him and retrieving a blade—one he immediately threw.

Bio

Every day is Halloween for author Angela Addams. Enthralled by the paranormal at an early age, Angela spends most of her time thinking up new story ideas that involve supernatural creatures in everyday situations. She believes that the written word is an amazing tool for crafting the most erotic of scenarios.

She is an avid tattoo collector, a total book hoarder and loves anything covered in chocolate…except for bugs.

She lives in Ontario, Canada in an old, creaky house, with her husband and children.

Website: www.angelaaddams.com

Twitter: @angelaaddams

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/angelaaddams/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Author.Angela.Addams

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4801196.Angela_Addams

Samhain

https://www.samhainpublishing.com/book/5390/spell-weaver

Amazon

http://www.amazon.com/Spell-Weaver-Order-Wolf-Angela-Addams-ebook/dp/B00PDJV2C8

Kobo

https://store.kobobooks.com/en-CA/ebook/spell-weaver

BN

http://m.barnesandnoble.com/w/spell-weaver-angela-addams/1120724215?ean=9781619224476

iTunes

https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/spell-weaver/id939148403?mt=11

Coloring outside the lines can sting like hell…

The Order of the Wolf, Book 4

Shot by a Huntress, his wolf trapped within him, Dyami Storm is battling a poison that is eating him alive. His only hope is finding his mate, but without his wolf to guide him, he doesn’t know where to look.

The second the sexy bad boy stumbles into her tattoo shop, smelling of booze and oozing attitude, Summer Sinclair knows he’s trouble. She should turn him away, but a strange magnetic pull compels her to help him out with a little ink.

When Summer’s boyfriend walks through the door, Dyami senses he’s in the presence of a Hunter, and the Hunter recognizes him as a wolf. With hackles raised, a weapon coming at him, Dyami’s only choice snaps into place. Bite Summer, marking her as his—and unleashing her powers as a Spell Weaver.

On the run from Hunters and losing his fight against the poison, Dyami is in a race against time to convince Summer her power could change the course of the war…and that his fate is in her hands.

Warning: Sexually explicit. Tattooed, rock star drummer with a tender heart seeking his one true mate. Tough little tattoo artist with a special talent for spells. Lots of hot and heavy, wet and sweaty.

Spell Weaver Tour Info

Tour Schedule:

April 7^th: Paranormal Haven

Thoughts of a Scot

April 8^th: Manga Maniac Cafe

April 9^th: Rabid Reads

April 10^th: Carol Kittie Reviews

Musings and Ramblings

Aprl 12^th: Musings of An Independent Artist

April 13^th: I Smell Sheep

April 14^th: Bea’s Book Nook

Giveaway Info:

Angie is giving away a signed copy of Wolves’ Bane, limited edition Order of the Wolf keychain and a signed Cursed bookmark! Giveaway is only open to Canadian and U.S. addresses.

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Please give a warm welcome to Ashlyn Macnamara!  She’s here to celebrate the release of What a Lady Requires.  Be sure to enter the giveaway below!

Top Five Ways a Couple Might Get Off on the Wrong Foot by Ashlyn Macnamara

1. Show up at the first meeting a bit tipsy—Yes, you might have a good reason for drinking, and yes, you might not even be aware that the summons you’ve received is an introduction to your future spouse, but a little too much brandy may just result in you being overly obvious in your appreciation for your intended’s form.

2. Carry on a secret correspondence with another man—Again, you have reasons. Don’t you always? But once your husband finds out, you may have a little explaining to do. Especially when it turns out he has issues with fidelity.

3. Send flowers—Under normal circumstances, a lady would find this charming. But when you have a history of spending more than you earn, and your intended is there to help you get back on your financial feet, you might want to avoid extravagances.

4. Exhibit problems understanding basic math—When your intended is a whiz at the books, when she can do them in her head, perhaps it’s not the best time to admit all those columns of numbers make no sense to you. But that’s possibly better than making it worse and playing the idiot on purpose, especially when you derive a certain pleasure out of winding your wife up.

5. Have annoying relatives—Just when things are starting to go, shall we say, swimmingly, the relatives decide to pay a surprise call. Could they possibly have worse timing?

In my March 31 release, What a Lady Requires, Emma and Rowan manage all this and more. How do they overcome these obstacles? Being locked in a cold wine cellar might teach them a thing or two.

What a Lady Requires
The Eton Boys Trilogy # 3

By: Ashlyn Macnamara

Releasing March 31^st, 2015

Loveswept

Blurb

Perfect for fans of Julia Quinn, Eloisa James, and Sabrina Jeffries, Ashlyn Macnamara’s blazing hot novel tells the story of mismatched newlyweds who discover a simmering connection.

Unlike every other proper young lady, Miss Emma Jennings views marrying well as little more than a means to an end. Such a merger would provide her industrious father with social credibility, and Emma with a chunk of her vast inheritance. Emma’s practical views are shattered, however, when her father ties her to the fabulously handsome ne’er-do-well Rowan Battencliffe, a man she loathes on sight—from the smile that promises all manner of wickedness to the way he ogles her with those striking blue eyes.

Deep in debt, especially to his wine merchant, Rowan figures the sooner he gets his finances in order, the sooner he can go back to doing what he does best: burning through ridiculous sums of cash. Which is why Rowan agrees to marry the merchant’s daughter, a prim and proper woman with delightful curves and an ample dowry. But Emma seems to think it’s her business to reform him! Their marriage is a tinderbox—and it’s just too tempting to resist playing with fire.

Link to Follow Tour: http://www.tastybooktours.com/2015/02/what-lady-requires-eton-boys-trilogy-3.html

Goodreads Link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23167197-what-a-lady-requires?from_search=true

Goodreads Series Link: https://www.goodreads.com/series/128184-the-eton-boys-trilogy

Buy Links: Amazon | Barnes | iTunes | Kobo

Author Info

Ashlyn lives in the wilds of suburbia outside Montreal with her husband and two teenaged daughters. When not writing, she looks for other excuses to neglect the housework, among them knitting, reading and wasting time on the internet in the guise of doing research.

Author Links: Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

 Rafflecopter Giveaway ($25.00 eGift Card to Choice Book Seller, Loveswept Mug and Nail Polish)

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This morning I have a note from Jodi Thomas, as well as a giveaway for her latest release, One True Heart.  This is Book 8 in the Harmony series, and I’ll have a review later this morning.

From Jodi Thomas:

Welcome to ONE TRUE HEART. Like waiting for fine chocolate, this book is one you will not want to miss.  For me the story is always about the people and I loved writing this story.  This one started at a real place I know well, the Amarillo airport where one night a man and a woman meet by accident.  She’s exhausted and on crutches.  He offers her a ride to Harmony.  She’s a trained soldier and sees this professor type in glasses as no threat.  Only, while she sleeps, he steals a kiss.

When he drops her off at Winter’s Inn, the bed and breakfast, the inn keeper thinks he’s staying the night.  For the first time in years, Drew is tempted to get involved.

When you step into ONE TRUE HEART you’ll step into Harmony where the lives of the people in the town blend together.  You’ll meet Millanie McAllen and Drew Cunningham.  Both hiding out from life for different reasons.  In their love story the gentle, loving man wins out.  As they face the truth about real love they also must both face their fears.

Drew, who is always organized and calm has, what he believes, is the craziest sister on the planet.  She dances in the moonlight and tells fortunes.  In her first session with Johnny Wheeler, he’s arrested for killing his ex-wife.  Kare knows Johnny didn’t do it.  She didn’t see murder in his lifeline.  Johnny thinks she’s nuts, but she’s determined to help him even if she has to draft her big brother to help.

Another story threads its way through the book.  Beau Yates comes back to town for a few days.  He’s a successful singer in Nashville, but deep down knows that all his love songs are about one girl.  He doesn’t even know her name, he simply calls her Trouble.  She used to pick him up after work.  She’d every dream he’s ever had about love.

I love it when new readers find me for the first time.  It’s like I’m brand new, and they just discovered a Jodi Thomas book.  Then after they read one, they check my website or Amazon and discover they have many more to read.  I get a real shot of sunshine when they write or call.  It is kind of like the feeling you get when an old friend from the past calls.  For a moment, you’re sixteen again and giggling.

So, whether you’re a first time reader of a Jodi Thomas book or you’ve been with me through them all, I want you to know that you are the reason I write.

With love,

Jodi Thomas

www.jodithomas.com

www.facebook.com/JodiThomasAuthor

www.twitter.com/jodithomas

US addresses only, please

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This morning I have a guest post and giveaway for Paula Quinn’s latest, The Scandalous Secret of Abigail MacGregor.

Top 5 distractions while working on a deadline by Paula Quinn

Everything is a distraction when I’m working on a deadline. The worst are:

1. Shopping

2. Arrow (The T.V. show. Have you seen it? Have you seen Stephen Amell?)

3. My dogs. The seem to know when I’m on a deadline and want all my attention.

4. Journaling—I love to write!

5. Reading

About THE SCANDALOUS SECRET OF ABIGAIL MACGREGOR:

A LADY’S MISSION . . . 

Known for her beauty and boldness, Abigail MacGregor must preserve her clan’s dangerous secret: that her mother is the true heir to the English Crown. If the wrong people find out, it will mean war for her beloved Scotland. To keep peace, she embarks for London, unprepared for the treachery that awaits-especially from her wickedly handsome escort. He is the enemy, but his slow, sensuous kisses entice her beyond reason . . . 

A WARRIOR’S TEMPTATION

General Daniel Marlow, loyal knight and the kingdom’s most desirable hero, would rather be on the battlefield than transporting a spoiled Highland lass. But Abby MacGregor is unlike any woman he’s ever met, in a ballroom or in his bedroom. Captivated by her daring spirit and seduced by her lovely innocence, Daniel must choose between betraying his queen or giving up the woman who would steal his country-and his traitorous heart.

About Paula Quinn:

New York Times bestselling author Paula Quinn lives in New York with her three beautiful children, three over-protective chihuahuas, and a loud umbrella cockatoo. She loves to read romance and science fiction and has been writing since she was eleven.  She loves all things medieval, but it is her love for Scotland that pulls at her heartstrings.

Paula’s SM:

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/253272.Paula_Quinn?from_search=true

http://facebook.com/pages/Fans-of-Paula-Quinn/336691429368

https://www.pinterest.com/quinnsromance/

http://www.paulaquinn.com/

@Paula_Quinn

Buy Links:

Amazon – http://amzn.to/1IrFQEb

BAM – http://bit.ly/1FTJxCB

B&N – http://bit.ly/1u6Wkgl

IndieBound – http://bit.ly/1sFMkb3

GooglePlay – http://bit.ly/1CnmAXk

iTunes – http://apple.co/1AHmJGd

Kobo – http://bit.ly/1FBNoWy

Excerpt:

“Aye, ye did say that,” she murmured. “Well, since we’re both awake, we might as well spend the night together again.”

The innocence in her voice struck him in the guts. She wanted nothing more from him than someone to be with outside in the night.

He, on the other hand, was not innocent at all. Her choice of words sent a little spark of heat to his groin. The way she turned on the pads of her feet and ended up pressed against his side and tucked neatly under his shoulder tilted him on his axis a little.

“I’m cold,” she whispered, her teeth chattering.

He put up no fight when she lifted his arm around her shoulder, then covered them both with her plaid. The desire to protect her overwhelmed him and sent tremors through his muscles. He knew little of her. Was she an innocent daughter of a Jacobite chief, or part of some secret scheme Anne was devising.

Hell. Anne didn’t devise schemes.

“I wasn’t certain if you were ever going to speak to me again,” he said, when what he should have said was, You should go sleep somewhere, lady, and not on me.

“I was verra’ angry with ye. But I’ve forgiven ye.” He heard the smile in her voice and made a mental note of how well it pleased him that she was no longer angry. He would decide what to do about his unwanted concerns for her tomorrow. Right now, he only wanted to sit with her just like this, with her beneath his arm and pressed snuggly into his side. Warmth swept over him like fine wine until he felt drunk on it.

How was it that she fit so neatly into him, now and earlier when she slept in his lap, like she belonged there, close to him?

Close to his heart.

Hell, it scared him, and after fighting for over a decade, not much scared him anymore.

“D’ye have a wife, General Marlow?” Came her sweet voice against his chest.

“No, lady.”

“Are ye betrothed?”

“I am not.”

“Is there a lass somewhere who has yer heart?”

“No.”

“Well,” she laughed softly, “are all the ladies in England fools?”

“They’re the opposite,” he told her. “They’re wise to set their interests in another direction.”

She shook her head then tilted her face up to his. In the filtered light of the moon, he could make her out enough to fall victim to the alluring curves of her mouth, her soft, sweet breath against his chin. “Nae, they are fools not to try to win yer affections.”

He knew every reason there was to stop what he was thinking, what he was feeling, and what he was about to do. But reason was a puny opponent compared to desire.

Slipping one hand behind her nape and the other to her throat, he tilted her chin another half-inch then covered her mouth with his. The instant after he did it, he regretted it, but then she coiled her arms around his neck and drew him closer, and he couldn’t stop. He never wanted to. She didn’t resist him, in fact, she melted in his arms. She groaned softly when he drew his tongue across the seam of her mouth. She bit his lip and ignited his blood to liquid fire. He swept his tongue in and out of her, holding her close to him while they kissed, wanting nothing more from her than what she gave him now. Making love to her could be dangerous if Charlotte found out. He’d have to make sure she didn’t find out, at least until he had proof of other crimes and could arrest her. If she hurt Abigail before that he’d hang her himself.

He wondered, as he held her in his arms and kissed her long into the night, how he could be so content with one he was supposed to hate.

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  Please give a warm welcome to Sharon Cullen!  She’s here to chat about spies. 

Top Five Female Spies by Sharon Cullen

First of all I want to thank you for hosting me today. I’m so excited about the release of Sebastian’s Lady Spy. This was a fun book to write because these two characters were so suited for each other but too hard-headed to realize it until it was almost too late.

Usually when we hear about spies, we hear about male spies but there were plenty of female spies throughout the ages that had an impact on history.

Here are five of the more interesting ones:

1. Belle Boyd was a female spy during the Civil War who ran a hotel and ferried information from union soldiers to confederate soldiers using her maid.

2. Josephine Baker was a renowned beauty and musician who was cleared to play in France during WWII. She worked for the French resistance passing secret information in her sheet music.

3. Nancy Wake (my personal favorite) worked for the French resistance during WWII. She cycled more than 500 miles to replace destroyed codes and she killed an SS sentry with her bare hands.

4. Sarah Emma Edmonds was a master of disguise and actually served in the Union Army during the Civil Was as a man named Frank Thompson.

5. Mata Hari is an interesting study and probably one of the best known of female spies. She was a courtesan and an exotic dancer from India as well as a spy in WWII. She was shot and killed by the French.

Sebastian’s Lady Spy
Secrets & Seduction # 5

By: Sharon Cullen

Releasing March 31^st, 2015

Loveswept

Blurb

Seduction abounds in Sharon Cullen’s steamy historical romance! For the Crown’s top agents, love is a hazard best avoided—until an unforgettable affair exposes their undercover hearts.

Sebastian Addison has a powerful secret. To society he is the Earl of Claybrook, the patriarch who raised his siblings after the death of their parents. But to the king, Sebastian is Britain’s top spy—a position that has taken an emotional toll on him. Contessa Gabrielle Marciano has also been living a lie, her title a cover devised by the Office of Intelligence. The femme fatale was plucked from a life of crime and prostitution and trained to restrain her passionate nature. Until she meets the earl.

For three deeply sensual days and nights, Sebastian and Gabrielle drop their masks, indulging in pleasures that seem too good to be true. Then the lovers go their separate ways. Seven months later they reunite when inside sources report that an English aristocrat has been aiding France in a plot to topple the Crown. Their objective: to find the turncoat. Their greatest challenge: to keep their wild, wounded hearts from derailing a mission of life and death.

Link to Follow Tour: http://www.tastybooktours.com/2015/01/sebastians-lady-spy-secrets-seduction-5.html

Goodreads Link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23167091-sebastian-s-lady-spy?ac=1

Goodreads Series Link: https://www.goodreads.com/series/137236-secrets-seduction

Buy Links: Amazon | Barnes | iTunes | Kobo

Author Info

Sharon Cullen is the author of the historical romances The Notorious Lady Anne, Loving the Earl, and Pleasing the Pirate, as well as many novels of romantic suspense, paranormal romance, and contemporary romance. If you’d like to find out more about the author and her books, you can visit her blog or her website. She is addicted to social networking so you can find her on Facebook and Twitter. Friend her! Like her! Follow her! She’d love to hang out with you and talk about her passion: books.

Author Links: Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

 Rafflecopter Giveaway ($25.00 eGift Card to Choice Book Seller and Loveswept Mug & Nail Polish)

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Please give a warm welcome to Maeve Greyson!  She’s hijacking the virtual control panel to tell you about her latest release, My Highland Lover.

Hello there! I’m Maeve Greyson and I’m very pleased to be here. My new release, MY HIGHLAND LOVER, the first book in my Highland Hearts series, is Trulie Sinclair’s story. Trulie’s the eldest of four time-traveling sisters and her matchmaking Granny has grand plans for her future—in the past.

Trulie and Granny jump from Kentucky in the year 2014 to Scotland of 1247. Needless to say, the world of 1247 is drastically different—culturally, politically and any other adjective you’d like to slap with an “ly”. But really, you don’t have to look back that many years to realize just how much has changed in the world in a very short time.

Remember when mobile phones were the size of a brick and the only way they’d work was if you had them plugged into the cigarette lighter of your car? Now, not only are some cell phones the size of a playing card, cigarette lighters are no longer a standard feature on a car.

And look at the publishing industry. When I first started writing, to sell a story to a publisher, you had to type a letter, on paper, with a typewriter—and not white-out too many typo’s on the paper so the publisher wouldn’t think the finished letter was a childish, white-out art project instead of a professional correspondence.

Then, you’d mail it. You know—in an envelope, with a stamp? And then wait. And wait. Sitting by the mailbox like a vulture waiting for something to die.

When the glorious day came and that editor from that golden publisher sent you a letter expressing an interest, you printed your story out—neatly typed, double-spaced, one side only with one inch margins. Then you boxed up that ream of paper, lovingly tucked a thank-you-for-not-throwing-me-in-the-slush-pile letter on top and shipped the ten pound box of your story to the wonderful editor. And then you became the mailbox vulture again.

Now, you email when you’re shopping out a story. Or sometimes fill out website forms in hopes of connecting with a particular publisher. Of course, the one thing that hasn’t changed is the vulture part. But trust me; watching for emails is a heckuva lot more comfortable than sitting on a stump beside the mailbox.

My Highland Lover
Highland Hearts # 1

By: Maeve Greyson

Releasing March 24^th, 2015

Loveswept

Blurb

Maeve Greyson unleashes a thrilling tale of magic and desire as a feisty Southern gal falls into the arms of a rough-hewn Highland chieftain.

As the proprietor of a homeopathic store in rural Kentucky, Trulie Sinclair knows that her neighbors think she’s strange—but they have no idea how strange she really is. Trulie was born in Scotland in the thirteenth century to a line of time-traveling Highlanders. When Trulie’s grandmother convinces her to return to their homeland, Trulie jumps back in time, right onto the powerful chest of Gray MacKenna. Just as his steely good looks send ripples through her body, their fierce attraction will send ripples through the ages.

After his parents murdered, Gray is consumed by thoughts of revenge. As the new chieftain of the MacKenna clan, he has reason to believe that there’s a traitor in his midst, and nothing—not even the bonny lass who suddenly drops from the sky—can distract him from his single-minded pursuit of the culprit. But when Gray learns that this sassy beauty possesses gifts beyond the sparkle in her eye, he allows his gaze, and his heart, to linger. While he hunts for the murderer, Gray finds in Trulie a precious companion—and a timeless love.

Link to Follow Tour: http://www.tastybooktours.com/2015/01/my-highland-lover-highland-hearts-1-by.html

Goodreads Link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23167115-my-highland-lover?from_search=true

Goodreads Series Link: https://www.goodreads.com/series/137240-highland-hearts

Buy Links: Amazon | Barnes | iTunes | Kobo

Author Info

No one has the power to shatter your dreams unless you give it to them. That’s been Maeve Greyson’s mantra since she was a girl. When she’s not at the full time day job at the steel mill, Maeve’s writing romances about sexy Highlanders and the women who tame them. Tucked away in a five acre wood, Maeve listens to the wind singing through the trees and hears her characters telling their stories. Her work is proofed by her sharp-eyed dog, Jasper, and her greatest supporter is her long suffering husband of over thirty-five years who’s learned not to throw away any odd sticky notes filled with strange phrases.

Author Links: Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads | Google+

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