Julie Elizabeth Powell's Blog, page 36
June 16, 2017
UNEXPECTED GIFTS by S.R. Mallery
UNEXPECTED GIFTS
by S.R. Mallery
Genre: Historical Romantic Fiction with Family Saga elements
A TRUE AMERICAN FAMILY SAGA: Can we learn from our ancestors? Do our relatives’ behaviors help shape our own?
In "Unexpected Gifts" that is precisely what happens to Sonia, a confused college student, heading for addictions and forever choosing the wrong man. Searching for answers, she begins to read her family’s diaries and journals from America’s past: the Vietnam War, Woodstock, and Timothy Leary era; Tupperware parties, McCarthyism, and Black Power; the Great Depression, dance marathons, and Eleanor Roosevelt; the immigrant experience and the Suffragists. Back and forth the book journeys, linking yesteryear with modern life until finally, by understanding her ancestors' hardships and faults, she gains enough clarity to make some right choices.
SONIA’S paraplegic Father --CHAPTER 2: Sam––Living With Fear
“...Nearing the village, we passed women in their beige tunics, black pants, and Sampan hats, shouldering thick bamboo rods weighted down by buckets of water. Most kept their heads lowered as they walked, but the few who didn’t, stared up at us with dead, black-brown eyes and pressed lips. The afternoon was drawing to a close by the time we reached a village compound that reeked of nuoc maum rotten fish sauce and animal dung. An old, leathery woman, squatting by her hooch was our welcoming committee, but once she saw us shuffle by, she scurried back into her hut, clacking loudly in Vietnamese as chickens pecked at rice granules, bobbing their heads up and down in 2/4 time.
Carbini cut to the chase. “First, pull every one of those gooks outta their hooches, then line them up here,” he barked.
I watched my troop comb each thatched home, rounding up families of all ages and herding them out into the open like a cattle drive in Oklahoma. I, too, started the mission and stooping into one of the huts, saw a young woman sitting on a straw mat, eating some rice in a black bowl, a young child at her side.
She was exquisite—the best possible combination of French and Chinese ancestry, with such delicate features, she made my heart ache. My immediate instincts were to protect her and her son from Carbini and this horrendous war, but she just gazed up at me, emotionless.
I could hear Carbini yelling orders to get a move-on, and I signaled this girl, this treasure, to follow me. She shook her head vehemently, and curled her legs around her son. I motioned again, but still, she refused. I froze, unable to think, but when Carbini popped his head in the doorway and snarled, “Weylan!” she got the message and followed me out.
Whimpering slightly, she joined her fellow villagers, gripping her child’s hand and wiping off a tear that had slid halfway down her cheek. I suddenly pictured slave owners in pre-Civil War days and felt my lunch rise up in my throat.
“Now, get your Zippos ready, men.” As Carbini’s face flushed red, I sucked in my breath. He caught sight of my reaction and came over. “Weylan here doesn’t like my orders. Anyone else here who doesn’t like my orders?” Nobody spoke up.
He opened up one of my backpack pockets, yanked out my Zippo lighter, and shoved it into my face. Immediately, you could hear the snap of pockets opening and boots shifting. We were getting ready to Rock ‘n Roll.
Carbini was first. He marched over to a hooch, flipped on his Zippo, and carefully lit the underbelly of its thatched roof. It smoldered for a few seconds, a thin, rising wisp of smoke twisting in the tropical air. From that, a flame grew, nibbling at the straw with a low, blue heat before suddenly bursting into a torch, arcing up towards the sky in a yellow-hot blaze.
Carbini turned to us and nodded, his eyes glazed. This was our cue, yet I spun around to search for the girl, who was at the back of the pack, crying softly as she hugged her son. I glanced over at some of the other men, their hands jammed deep into their pockets, and decided to follow their lead. The fire was raging full force on each hooch now, the thatch and bamboo crackling like a 4th of July fireworks display, leaving its reflections in the villagers’ eyes and turning the sky dark with thick, bulbous smoke.
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S.R. Mallery, Gold Medalist winner of the 2016 READER'S FAVORITE Book Awards for Anthologies, has been labeled nothing short of 'eclectic'. She has been a singer, a calligrapher, a quilt designer, and an ESL teacher. As a writer, History is her focus and is woven into her stories with a delicate thread. When people talk about the news of the day, or listen to music, Sarah's imagination likens the story to a similar kind of news in the past and is conjuring up scenes between characters she has yet to meet.
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JUST THE THING by Marie Harte
JUST THE THING
The Donnigans series, book 2
by Marie Harte
Genre: Spicy Contemporary Romance
"The sultry sex and seduction scenes are just the icing on this incredibly rich and satisfying cake. Readers will sit down, read this book from cover to cover in one sitting, and then pick it up to read it all over again." ―RT Book Reviews, 5 Gold Stars
A FLING MIGHT BE JUST THE THING...
Gavin Donnigan left the Marine Corps a shell of a man, hounded by guilt for deaths he couldn't prevent. But teaching a self-defense class at the local gym brings some stability to his life―along with a gorgeous woman who won't give him the time of day.
Zoe York lost her twin sister to a freak car accident a few months ago. She's been struggling to bury her grief, but it isn't until she signs up for a self-defense class with its distractingly hot instructor that she begins to come out of her shell again. With the memory of her sister telling her to live a little, Zoe decides a fling with buns-of-steel Gavin Donnigan might be just the thing.
Soon they're sparring both in and out of the gym. And for the first time in a long time, each is looking forward to tomorrow.
It had been one helluva day already, and it hadn’t even reached six yet. He’d secretly called dibs on the last remaining treadmill, needing to run out some kinks.
Problem was, so had she—Pink Yoga Pants.
Gavin Donnigan locked gazes with her before eyeing the distance to the machine, then saw her doing the same. A gentleman would let her go first… While an enthralled man would stand back and watch her work those mag nificent glutes, those toned hamstrings and calves.
But Gavin was no gentleman, at least, not in the gym. His domain. His jungle. His—
“Dude, you’re blocking the Nautilus.”
“Oh, sorry.” He moved out of the no-neck’s path, now no longer able to see the treadmill. When he stepped around another idiot standing in the way, he saw her smirk at him as she stepped on the machine. She kept his gaze as she slowly warmed up, making a huge production out of stretching her arms up over her head, then grinning from ear to ear.
He frowned.
She gave him a mock salute—the sexy witch—then proceeded to ignore the holy hell out of him as she tuned out the rest of the world and ran. Not jogged, ran. That made half a dozen times she’d blown him off with that same smug expression. Then she’d pretend he didn’t exist.
He’d like to throw her over his knee and spank the ever-loving—
“Gavin. Today, Bro. We have work to do before class.”
He groaned, needing the stress relief from a good run. “But Landon, I need to work out first.”
“Fine.” The dick wrapped a thick arm around Gavin’s neck and hauled him away in a headlock. “You want a workout? Let’s see if you can get out of this. Then I’ll throw you on the mat a few times and watch you flail as I beat your ass.”
Gavin sputtered, trying to breathe as his behemoth brother dragged him down the hallway toward the self-defense classroom.
Not cool to headlock a gym trainer in front of his many clients. Gavin tried not to wheeze as he fought Landon’s steel-hard muscles for breath. He glanced over and saw his nemesis laughing at him. Crap. The damage had been done. He heard snickers, mockery, and encouragement for Landon.
Major Donnigan. What an asshole.
The former Marine choking him growled, “Now suck it up, princess, and let’s see your moves. If you can’t do it, you sure as shit can’t teach it.”
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Meet the Donnigans
With the eldest Donnigan brothers adjusting to civilian life, their younger sister constantly in trouble, and their little brother clueless about life in general, falling in love is the last thing on anyone's mind...
Can this Bossy Badass Marine...
The Marine Corps was everything Landon Donnigan ever wanted in life...until a bullet sent him home with a medical discharge. Teaching a self-defense class at the gym is old-hat for a marine, but when he meets sexy Ava Rosenthal, his combat skills are useless for protecting his heart.
Be her Mr. Right?
Ava can take care of herself and likes quiet, bookish men-not muscular warriors who think women need to be coddled. But Landon is more than he seems, and when they come together, the results are explosive.
Caffeine addict, boy referee, and romance aficionado, New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Marie Harte has over 100 books published with more constantly on the way. She’s a confessed bibliophile and devotee of action movies. Whether hiking in Central Oregon, biking around town, or hanging at the local tea shop, she’s constantly plotting to give everyone a happily ever after. Visit Marie's website and fall in love.
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June 10, 2017
FLIRTING WITH FIREWORKS by Stacy Eaton
FLIRTING WITH FIREWORKS
The Celebration Township, book 9
by Stacy Eaton
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Brandy Nottingham has known Casey Lowe since high school and can’t wait to see firsthand how wonderful Casey’s life is with Thad Wagner in Celebration Township. As Brandy is introduced to some of Casey’s friends, she literally collides with a man from her past.
It’s been fourteen years since Chase Stevens held Brandy in his arms, and while the two of them clean the tray of paint they spilled on themselves, Chase is painfully reminded of how he’d been left on the pier all alone all those years ago.
As Chase and Brandy try to find a way to deal with the painful and embarrassing past, Brandy needs to decide what her future is going to be. If she were to stay in Celebration, she could lose everything she’s ever known—including her family and their money.
Could Chase be enough for her, or will he realize that he could never offer her the life to which she is accustomed?
“Ah, Casey and her girlfriend must be here.” George confided, “That Brandy is a pretty young thing, I’ve seen a few pictures of her.”
“Well, since lunch should be here soon, why don’t we hold off doing the other bathroom and bedroom fixtures until after we eat and go say hello to Casey and her friend?”
“You just want to check her out,” George joshed good-naturedly. “If I was twenty years younger, I’d be fighting you for her.”
I laughed, “That I would love to see.”
“Just you wait, one day, you’re going to see me in action again. I just need to find me a young lady who can keep up with me.”
I clapped him on the back. “I’m looking forward to it.”
George and I went out to the living room, and George called out to Casey as we entered. “Hey, Casey, you made it. Did you get your friend?”
Casey laughed and pointed to the other side of Nolan, “Yeah, Harper already has her working.”
I stepped around George so I could see her better, and the world around me tipped as her eyes practically popped out of her head, and she blurted, “Chase?”
“Brandy?” I was so surprised to see her that I backed up and hit the ladder on which Nolan was working. Luckily, Nolan didn’t fall, but the paint tray that was unsteadily perched on the top began to tip right toward Corrine who was bent over focused on the floor trim.
I stepped forward at the same time that Brandy did, and the two of us bobbed like bumbling idiots attempting to keep the paint tray from overturning. The cool wet latex paint began to slide down my arms and chest, and Brandy winced as she bounced off me. I grabbed her arm, which was now slick with paint, and the tray fell to the floor with a clatter.
Other people moved in feeble attempts to catch it, but my only concern at that moment was protecting Brandy. I didn’t want her to lose her balance and fall onto the array of tools and supplies scattered all over the floor. I jerked her forward and wrapped an arm around her waist to keep her upright. Our paint-slick clothes rubbed sensuously between us and suddenly I became a little turned on. Damn, fourteen years later, and the woman still did it to me with barely a touch.
“Are you alright?” I asked, and she lifted her face to mine. My heart skipped a beat as I stared into the gorgeous seafoam green eyes that had haunted my dreams many times over the years.
“Yes, you?” she asked.
“I’m fine, a little wet, a little sticky, and a whole lot surprised to see you here.”
She gave me a sexy smile, “Not the first time you’ve been wet and sticky, huh?”
She dropped her gaze to where our bodies were touching. I glanced around the room to find every eye on us. Each face wore a different expression. Sophia rushed forward as Levi began to laugh. Corrine’s mouth was hanging open, and Harper had her very-well-known matchmaker gleam in her eye. I didn’t get a chance to respond to Brandy before Sophia was next to us.
“Are you guys okay?” Sophia asked quickly.
“Yeah, we’re fine, but we’re going to need a shower.”
“The shower curtain is still hanging in my bathroom, you can use that one. I’ll find some towels,” Sophia said.
I looked down between us. “I swear I don’t mean anything more than what I am about to say, but we need to stay just like this and shuffle back to the bathroom. If we do, we can avoid spilling most of this to the floor, so keep your arms around me and follow me.”
Brandy laughed, “If you wanted a hug, all you had to do was ask for one, Chase.”
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Welcome to Celebration Township.
Casey Lowe is new in town and hiding from her past. Her next-door neighbor, Thad Wagner, is a sexy police officer, who is good with his hands, and his lips, but Casey refuses to get involved with a married man, and Thad can't seem to understand why she keeps pushing him away. No matter how they try to stay apart, something keeps drawing them together. When an unexpected visitor shows up at Casey's house the week before Christmas, her future is on the line. Will Thad figure it out in time to save her, or will Casey become a conspirator to a murderer?
Tangled in Tinsel is the first book in the thirteen-story novella series that takes place in quaint Celebration Township, Pennsylvania. The rest of the series will begin to release in the fall of 2016.
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Linda Maxim is a woman who learned early on how to work hard and succeed. Her only regret is that the man she loved disappeared just days after she got pregnant at the tender age of sixteen.
Fourteen years later, Ian Dugan needs a break from life and ends up crashing his vehicle and waking up in the hospital to find Linda watching over him.
Can Linda forgive Ian for leaving her alone as a pregnant teen? Will Ian be able to forgive Linda and himself when he learns of the daughter he never knew about? Find out on New Year’s Eve if Ian can erase the tears and find something to cheer about.
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Jason Hayes loves working as a nurse and living in Celebration Township—or he did until Riayn Simmers showed up in town, and a secret from his past is threatened to be exposed.
Riayn Simmers is shocked to find her college love-and the man she had called a heathen-residing in the same town as her aunt. Now Riayn needs to decide if she can handle sticking around to run her aunt’s bakery, My Baked Buns.
Somehow Riayn and Jason must find a way to coexist in the small town, but what happens when Jason’s secret is exposed and he’s up to be auctioned off at the Valentine’s Day Party? Will the town believe, as Riayn once did, that Jason truly is a heathen, or will he finally win over her heart for good?
Dabby Finnegan got roped into being auctioned off for the annual Valentine’s Party, and nothing could have prepared him to face the vibrant and determined Paige Brogan. From the moment she jumps into his arms to collect her prize, his life will change.
Paige Brogan has had a crush on Dabby for a long time, and this auction is exactly what she’s been waiting for to finally catch his eye. When Paige wins a date with Dabby, the only thing she wants to do is spend the day with him working at his tavern.
As Paige and Dabby get to know one another, Dabby has a hard time understanding why this incredible woman would be interested in him. It’s when the rainbows are overhead, and green beer is flowing that Dabby finally realizes what he has and vows to never lose it.
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Missy Moresco might be Celebration Police Department’s police dispatcher, but she’s also got her thumb on the pulse of the township. When FBI Agent Casper Princeton shows up in town on a case, Missy and Casper go undercover to protect the real reason he’s there by pretending they are a couple.
With Missy’s snarky comments and Casper’s quick comebacks, these two find it hard to keep a professional distance. When Casper needs to rush home to a family emergency, Missy is torn on whether it’s a good thing or a bad one. Just when she decides it doesn’t matter, Casper shows up on her doorstep with his five-year-old daughter.
Can Missy and Casper keep the fake relationship going while they wait for his case to come to a head, or will his daughter and his job come between them before Easter arrives?
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Corrine Wagner is determined to make a good life for herself and her son while hunting for the perfect man to complete her family. Unfortunately, with her crazy schedule of school and work, her patience begins to run thin with her constantly-in-trouble, five-year-old son, Tommy.
Nolan Tigues has lived across the street from Corrine his whole life—and carried a torch for her almost as long. When Nolan tries to help Corrine with Tommy, she takes it all the wrong way. She can’t believe Nolan thinks she’s a bad mom.
Can Nolan find a way to prove to Corrine that he cares about her—and about Tommy—as more than just a friend, or will Corrine push away the man who could give her everything she’s dreamed of her whole life?
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Harper Reed has run her family owned Bed & Breakfast for three years, and recently turned it into a place for couples to spice up their relationships. Harper has a dream for her business and her future, but recent events might upend those romantic dreams.
When Mason Tidewater arrives at her Inn, Harper believes its fate that has brought them together. While Mason doesn’t believe in fate, things start to happen in Celebration Township that could change his mind. Unfortunately, the reason he’s here in the first place, might destroy any chance he has with Harper.
During the Memorial Day celebration Mason must decide if he’s ready for sparklers or spankings, or perhaps if fate is good, he could have both.
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When Sophia Thayer realized that she’d squandered her savings, she decided to take on a second job. She didn’t particularly want to dust off her four-inch dancing shoes and get back into that line of work, but she knew the money would be good, especially if she got the job at Pleasure Your Fantasies.
Scott Allen has had a thing for Sophia since he’d met her, and it wasn’t until she won him at the Valentine’s Day Bachelor Auction that he realized the feeling might be mutual. Although a relationship didn’t initially work out, Scott didn’t give up on a future with her—not until he saw her dancing on stage at a gentlemen’s club and noticed that the owner was staking a claim on her.
When Sophia realizes she’s pregnant with Scott’s child, can the two of them figure out how to move forward and raise the child together—or will her past and present career choices keep Scott from her side?
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Levi Rivers is one of the most protective men in Celebration Township, so when his neighbor passes away, he feels responsible for not having noticed her absence for ten days. His guilt only increases when he finds out that it was possibly suicide, and he had been too wrapped up in his own life to catch any signs of her withdrawal.
Alesandra Findley moved away from Celebration when she was four years old and was told that her mother had died when she was young. She’s shocked to learn from her brother that he knew their mother had been alive the past twenty-five years and neither he nor her father had shared the information with her.
When Alesandra returns to Celebration to learn about the mother she lost years ago, Levi is there to lend his guidance, support, and encouragement. The two of them immediately connect in ways neither of them expected.
Levi will need to learn to live with his guilt while Alesandra learns the truth about her mother. When it’s time for Alesandra to return to her life in New York City, she’s not sure she wants to leave Levi and all she has discovered in the town to return to the cold world of fashion. But can life with Levi working with chrome and wheels instead of glamour and glitz be enough for her?
Stacy Eaton is a USA Today Best Selling author and began her writing career in October of 2010. Stacy took an early retirement from law enforcement after over fifteen years of service in 2016, with her last three years in investigations and crime scene investigation to write full time.
Stacy resides in southeastern Pennsylvania with her husband, who works in law enforcement, and her teen daughter who is working toward her second degree black belt in Tae Kwon Do and on the choral and cheerleading squads at school. She also has a son who is currently serving in the United States Navy.
Stacy is very involved in Domestic Violence Awareness and served on the Board of Directors for her local Domestic Violence Center for three years.
Be sure to visit her website for updates and more information on her books.
Sign up for all the latest information on Stacy’s Newsletter!
READ, WRITE, LOVE AT SEASIDE by Addison Cole
READ, WRITE, LOVE AT SEASIDE
Genre: Sweet with Heat Standalone Romance
Sweet with Heat: Seaside Summers features a group of fun, flirty, and emotional friends who gather each summer at their Cape Cod cottages. They're sassy, flawed, and so easy to relate to, you'll be begging to enter their circle of friends!
Read, Write, Love at Seaside by Addison Cole is the sweet edition of New York Times bestselling author Melissa Foster's steamy romance novel Read, Write, Love. The stories and characters remain the same, and convey all of the passion you expect between two people in love, without any explicit scenes or harsh language.
In READ, WRITE, LOVE at SEASIDE...
Bestselling author Kurt Remington lives to write. He spends twelve hours a day in front of his computer, rarely leaving the seclusion of his beach-front property, where he's come to finish his latest thriller -- that is, until free-spirited Leanna Bray nearly drowns in the ocean trying to save her dog. Kurt's best-laid plans are shot to hell when he comes to their rescue. Kurt's as irritated as he is intrigued by the sexy, hot mess of a woman who lives life on a whim, forgets everything, and doesn't even know the definition of the word organized.
Leanna's come to the Cape hoping to find a fulfilling career in the jam-making business, and until she figures out her own life, a man is not on the menu. But Leanna can't get the six-two, deliciously muscled and tragically neat Kurt out of her mind. She tells herself she's just stopping by to say thank you, but the heart-warming afternoon sparks an emotional and unexpectedly sweet ride as Kurt and Leanna test the powers of Chemistry 101: Opposites Attract.
LEANNA BRAY WAS wet, cold, and floundering. Literally. She’d been floundering for twenty-eight years, so this was nothing new, but being pummeled by rain, wind, and waves, chasing a dog that never listened? That was new.
“Pepp—” A wave knocked her off her feet and she went under the water, taking a mouthful of saltwater along with her. She tumbled head down beneath the surface.
Now Pepper and I will both drown. Freaking perfect.
Something grabbed her arm, and she reflexively fought against it, sucking in another mouthful of salty water as she broke through the surface, arms flailing, choking, and pushing against the powerful hand that yanked her to her feet.
“You okay?” A deep, annoyed voice carried over the din of the crashing waves.
Cough. Cough. “Yeah. I—” Cough. Cough. “My dog.” She blinked and blinked, trying to clear the saltwater and rain from her eyes. The man’s mop of wet, dark hair came into focus. He held tightly to her arm while scanning the water in the direction of where she’d last seen Pepper. His clothes stuck to his body like a second skin, riding the ripples of his impressive chest and arms as he held her above the surface with one arm around her ribs.
“Come on.” She coughed as he plowed through the pounding surf with her clutched against his side. She slid down his body, and he lifted her easily into his arms, carrying her like he might carry a child, pressing her to his chest as he fought against the waves.
She pushed against his chest, feeling ridiculous and helpless…and maybe a little thankful, but she was ignoring that emotion in order to save Pepper.
“My dog! I need to get my dog!” she hollered.
Mr. Big, Tall, and Stoic didn’t say a word. He set her on the wet sand and tossed her a rain-soaked towel. “It was dry.” He pointed behind her to a wooden staircase. “Go up to the deck.”
She dropped the towel and plowed past him toward the water. “I gotta get my dog.”
He snagged her by the arm and glared at her with the brightest blue eyes she’d ever seen—and a stare so dark she swallowed her voice.
“Go.” He pointed to the stairs again. “I’ll get your dog.” He took a step toward the water, and she pushed past him again.
“You don’t have t—”
He scooped her into his arms again and carried her to the stairs.
(Sweet with Heat: Seaside Summers Book 2)
Dreaming at Seaside is the sweet edition of New York Times bestselling author Melissa Foster's steamy romance novel Seaside Dreams. The stories and characters remain the same, and convey all of the passion you expect between two people in love, without any explicit scenes or harsh language.
In DREAMING at SEASIDE...
Bella Abbascia has returned to Seaside Cottages in Wellfleet, Massachusetts, as she does every summer. Only this year, Bella has more on her mind than sunbathing and skinny-dipping with her girlfriends. She's quit her job, put her house on the market, and sworn off relationships while she builds a new life in her favorite place on earth. That is, until good-time Bella's prank takes a bad turn and a handsome police officer appears on the scene.
Single father and police officer Caden Grant left Boston with his fourteen-year-old son, Evan, after his partner was killed in the line of duty. He hopes to find a safer life in the small resort town of Wellfleet, and when he meets Bella during a night patrol shift, he realizes he's found the one thing he'd never allowed himself to hope for--or even realized he was missing.
After fourteen years of focusing solely on his son, Caden cannot resist the intense attraction he feels toward beautiful Bella, and Bella's powerless to fight the heat of their budding romance. But starting over proves more difficult than either of them imagined, and when Evan gets mixed up with the wrong kids, Caden's loyalty is put to the test. Will he give up everything to protect his son--even Bella?
(Sweet with Heat: Seaside Summers Book 3)
July 19, 2017
Hearts at Seaside by Addison Cole is the sweet edition of New York Times bestselling author Melissa Foster's steamy romance novel Seaside Hearts. The stories and characters remain the same and convey all of the passion you expect between two people in love, without any explicit scenes or harsh language.
In HEARTS at SEASIDE…
Jenna Ward is vivacious, spontaneous, and confident—except when she’s around the man who stole her heart years earlier, strikingly handsome, quiet, and reliable Pete Lacroux. After years of trying to get his attention and overwhelmed from dealing with her mother’s new cougar lifestyle, Jenna’s giving up on Peter—and is ready to explore other men.
As the eldest of five siblings, with an alcoholic father to care for, boat craftsman Pete Lacroux always does the right thing and has no time for a real relationship. He’s looking forward to seeing his friend Jenna, a welcome distraction who’s so sexy and painfully shy that she equally entertains and confuses him.
When Jenna picks up a hard-bodied construction worker, jealousy ignites Pete’s true feelings, and he’s unable to ignore the desires for Jenna he never realized he had. But Pete’s not the quiet guy he appears to be, and his life is anything but conducive to a relationship. Can Jenna handle the real Pete Lacroux—the most alpha male she’s ever seen—or will she crack under pressure? And can Pete reclaim the life he once had without tearing apart his family?
(Sweet with Heat: Seaside Summers Book 4)
August 23, 2017
Sunsets at Seaside by Addison Cole is the sweet edition of New York Times bestselling author Melissa Foster's steamy romance novel Seaside Sunsets. The stories and characters remain the same, and convey all of the passion you expect between two people in love, without any explicit scenes or harsh language.
In SUNSETS at SEASIDE…
Jessica Ayers has lived a sheltered life with little more than cello lessons and practices taking up her day. Now a member of the Boston Symphony Orchestra, she escapes the prim and proper symphony to vacation in the Seaside community in Wellfleet, Massachusetts, to determine if she is living life to the fullest or missing it altogether.
For the first time since developing the second largest search engine in the world, billionaire Jamie Reed is taking the summer off. He plans to work from the Cape and spend time with his elderly grandmother—and falling in love is not in his plans.
From the moment Jamie and Jessica meet, the attraction is white-hot. Once-overly-focused Jamie can think of little else than sweet, smart, and alluring Jessica, and Jessica discovers a side of herself she never knew existed. But when Jamie’s business encounters trouble and his attorney and best friend intervenes, he proves that the brown-haired beauty is too distracting for Jamie. To make matters worse, it appears that Jessica might not be who she says she is, turning Jamie’s life—and his heart—upside down. In a world where personal information is always one click away, Jamie must decide if he should trust his heart or watch the woman he loves walk away.
(Love in Bloom: The Remingtons)
The Remingtons is a series of stand-alone romances that may also be enjoyed as part of the larger Love in Bloom series. Voted BEST BOOK SERIES by Supportive Business Moms, UK
In READ, WRITE, LOVE...
Bestselling author Kurt Remington lives to write. He spends twelve hours a day in front of his computer, rarely leaving the seclusion of his beach-front property, where he's come to finish his latest thriller--that is, until free-spirited Leanna Bray nearly drowns in the ocean trying to save her dog. Kurt's best-laid plans are shot to hell when he comes to their rescue. Kurt's as irritated as he is intrigued by the sexy, hot mess of a woman who lives life on a whim, forgets everything, and doesn't even know the definition of the word organized.
Leanna's come to the Cape hoping to find a fulfilling career in the jam-making business, and until she figures out her own life, a man is not on the menu. But Leanna can't get the six-two, deliciously muscled and tragically neat Kurt out of her mind. She tells herself she's just stopping by to say thank you, but the steamy afternoon sparks a wild and sexy ride as Kurt and Leanna test the powers of Chemistry 101: Opposites Attract.
SIGN UP for ADDISON'S Sweet with Heat newsletter. Fun, flirty romance with a dash of heat.
Addison Cole is the sweet alter ego of New York Times and USA Today bestselling and award-winning author Melissa Foster. She writes humorous and emotional sweet contemporary romance. Her books do not include explicit sex scenes or harsh language. Addison spends her summers on Cape Cod, where she dreams up wonderful love stories in her house overlooking Cape Cod Bay.
Addison enjoys discussing her books with book clubs and reader groups and welcomes an invitation to your event.
Addison’s books are available in paperback, digital, and audio formats.
DREAMING AT SEASIDE by Addison Cole
DREAMING AT SEASIDE
Genre: Sweet with Heat Standalone Romance
Sweet with Heat: Seaside Summers features a group of fun, flirty, and emotional friends who gather each summer at their Cape Cod cottages. They're sassy, flawed, and so easy to relate to, you'll be begging to enter their circle of friends!
Dreaming at Seaside is the sweet edition of New York Times bestselling author Melissa Foster's steamy romance novel Seaside Dreams. The stories and characters remain the same, and convey all of the passion you expect between two people in love, without any explicit scenes or harsh language.
In DREAMING at SEASIDE...
Bella Abbascia has returned to Seaside Cottages in Wellfleet, Massachusetts, as she does every summer. Only this year, Bella has more on her mind than sunbathing and skinny-dipping with her girlfriends. She's quit her job, put her house on the market, and sworn off relationships while she builds a new life in her favorite place on earth. That is, until good-time Bella's prank takes a bad turn and a handsome police officer appears on the scene.
Single father and police officer Caden Grant left Boston with his fourteen-year-old son, Evan, after his partner was killed in the line of duty. He hopes to find a safer life in the small resort town of Wellfleet, and when he meets Bella during a night patrol shift, he realizes he's found the one thing he'd never allowed himself to hope for--or even realized he was missing.
After fourteen years of focusing solely on his son, Caden cannot resist the intense attraction he feels toward beautiful Bella, and Bella's powerless to fight the heat of their budding romance. But starting over proves more difficult than either of them imagined, and when Evan gets mixed up with the wrong kids, Caden's loyalty is put to the test. Will he give up everything to protect his son--even Bella?
“Bella? Are you here for the summer, or do you live here?”
She stacked the chocolate on top of a graham cracker, added the warm marshmallow, and then topped it off with another graham cracker. She stared at it for a minute before cocking her head in his direction and answering.
“I’m here until the s’mores run out.”
Then let me run to the store for more marshmallows.
She took a bite of the gooey treat and licked a streak of chocolate from her lower lip. She had a dab of marshmallow on her cheek, and once again, it felt natural to reach over and wipe it clean with his finger.
Bella narrowed her eyes. Oops. There was that invisible boundary again. Maybe she wasn’t into him after all.
“I was saving that for later,” she said. With her back to Evan, who was preoccupied with his own dessert, she grabbed his hand and brought it to her mouth. His pulse quickened with the expectation of a sensually evocative suck. With wide, amused eyes, she turned his finger sideways and nibbled the sticky marshmallow off like it was corn on the cob.
“I’ll teach you not to steal my sugar. Open up.” She shoved the s’more toward his mouth.
“No, that’s okay.” He leaned out of reach to tease her.
“Come on. No one can resist s’mores.” She leaned in closer, holding the s’more to his lips. Her knee pressed against his thigh. “You know you want it.”
Yeah, I do. He took a bite of the sweet, sticky treat. Heat flashed in Bella’s eyes as she dragged her finger along the edge of his lower lip and held it up to show him the smear of chocolate before she slowly, seductively, sucked her finger clean.
Holy. Moly.
Beautiful, smart, and sexier than any woman he’d ever met. Bella piqued curiosities and desires that had been slumbering for way too long.
Amazon ✯ Amazon Int'l ✯ Amazon Paperback
(Sweet with Heat: Seaside Summers Book 1)
Dreaming at Seaside is the sweet edition of New York Times bestselling author Melissa Foster's steamy romance novel Seaside Dreams. The stories and characters remain the same, and convey all of the passion you expect between two people in love, without any explicit scenes or harsh language.
In DREAMING at SEASIDE...
Bella Abbascia has returned to Seaside Cottages in Wellfleet, Massachusetts, as she does every summer. Only this year, Bella has more on her mind than sunbathing and skinny-dipping with her girlfriends. She's quit her job, put her house on the market, and sworn off relationships while she builds a new life in her favorite place on earth. That is, until good-time Bella's prank takes a bad turn and a handsome police officer appears on the scene.
Single father and police officer Caden Grant left Boston with his fourteen-year-old son, Evan, after his partner was killed in the line of duty. He hopes to find a safer life in the small resort town of Wellfleet, and when he meets Bella during a night patrol shift, he realizes he's found the one thing he'd never allowed himself to hope for--or even realized he was missing.
After fourteen years of focusing solely on his son, Caden cannot resist the intense attraction he feels toward beautiful Bella, and Bella's powerless to fight the heat of their budding romance. But starting over proves more difficult than either of them imagined, and when Evan gets mixed up with the wrong kids, Caden's loyalty is put to the test. Will he give up everything to protect his son--even Bella?
(Sweet with Heat: Seaside Summers Book 3)
July 19, 2017
Hearts at Seaside by Addison Cole is the sweet edition of New York Times bestselling author Melissa Foster's steamy romance novel Seaside Hearts. The stories and characters remain the same and convey all of the passion you expect between two people in love, without any explicit scenes or harsh language.
In HEARTS at SEASIDE…
Jenna Ward is vivacious, spontaneous, and confident—except when she’s around the man who stole her heart years earlier, strikingly handsome, quiet, and reliable Pete Lacroux. After years of trying to get his attention and overwhelmed from dealing with her mother’s new cougar lifestyle, Jenna’s giving up on Peter—and is ready to explore other men.
As the eldest of five siblings, with an alcoholic father to care for, boat craftsman Pete Lacroux always does the right thing and has no time for a real relationship. He’s looking forward to seeing his friend Jenna, a welcome distraction who’s so sexy and painfully shy that she equally entertains and confuses him.
When Jenna picks up a hard-bodied construction worker, jealousy ignites Pete’s true feelings, and he’s unable to ignore the desires for Jenna he never realized he had. But Pete’s not the quiet guy he appears to be, and his life is anything but conducive to a relationship. Can Jenna handle the real Pete Lacroux—the most alpha male she’s ever seen—or will she crack under pressure? And can Pete reclaim the life he once had without tearing apart his family?
(Sweet with Heat: Seaside Summers Book 4)
August 23, 2017
Sunsets at Seaside by Addison Cole is the sweet edition of New York Times bestselling author Melissa Foster's steamy romance novel Seaside Sunsets. The stories and characters remain the same, and convey all of the passion you expect between two people in love, without any explicit scenes or harsh language.
In SUNSETS at SEASIDE…
Jessica Ayers has lived a sheltered life with little more than cello lessons and practices taking up her day. Now a member of the Boston Symphony Orchestra, she escapes the prim and proper symphony to vacation in the Seaside community in Wellfleet, Massachusetts, to determine if she is living life to the fullest or missing it altogether.
For the first time since developing the second largest search engine in the world, billionaire Jamie Reed is taking the summer off. He plans to work from the Cape and spend time with his elderly grandmother—and falling in love is not in his plans.
From the moment Jamie and Jessica meet, the attraction is white-hot. Once-overly-focused Jamie can think of little else than sweet, smart, and alluring Jessica, and Jessica discovers a side of herself she never knew existed. But when Jamie’s business encounters trouble and his attorney and best friend intervenes, he proves that the brown-haired beauty is too distracting for Jamie. To make matters worse, it appears that Jessica might not be who she says she is, turning Jamie’s life—and his heart—upside down. In a world where personal information is always one click away, Jamie must decide if he should trust his heart or watch the woman he loves walk away.
(Love in Bloom: Seaside Summers Book 1)
Seaside Summers is a series of stand-alone romances that may also be enjoyed as part of the larger series.
IN SEASIDE DREAMS...
Bella Abbascia has returned to Seaside Cottages in Wellfleet, Massachusetts, as she does every summer. Only this year, Bella has more on her mind than sunbathing and skinny-dipping with her girlfriends. She's quit her job, put her house on the market, and sworn off relationships while she builds a new life in her favorite place on earth. That is, until good-time Bella's prank takes a bad turn and a sinfully sexy police officer appears on the scene.
Single father and police officer Caden Grant left Boston with his fourteen-year-old son, Evan, after his partner was killed in the line of duty. He hopes to find a safer life in the small resort town of Wellfleet, and when he meets Bella during a night patrol shift, he realizes he's found the one thing he'd never allowed himself to hope for--or even realized he was missing.
After fourteen years of focusing solely on his son, Caden cannot resist the intense attraction he feels toward beautiful Bella, and Bella's powerless to fight the heat of their budding romance. But starting over proves more difficult than either of them imagined, and when Evan gets mixed up with the wrong kids, Caden's loyalty is put to the test. Will he give up everything to protect his son--even Bella?
SIGN UP for ADDISON'S Sweet with Heat newsletter. Fun, flirty romance with a dash of heat.
Addison Cole is the sweet alter ego of New York Times and USA Today bestselling and award-winning author Melissa Foster. She writes humorous and emotional sweet contemporary romance. Her books do not include explicit sex scenes or harsh language. Addison spends her summers on Cape Cod, where she dreams up wonderful love stories in her house overlooking Cape Cod Bay.
Addison enjoys discussing her books with book clubs and reader groups and welcomes an invitation to your event.
Addison’s books are available in paperback, digital, and audio formats.
ENTICE ME & ROPING THE COWBOY BOXSETS
ENTICE ME & ROPING THE COWBOY
BOXSETS
Genre: Sweet Through Hot Romance
This sweet through hot collection of love stories includes contemporary, period, and historical romance, otherworldly romance, and romance with a touch of magic by eight Award-winning and Bestselling Authors.
Beltane Lion by Cindy Spencer Pape
Rhodri of Llyan has returned from the Crusades a cursed man. On the way home to Wales, a friend is injured. Rhodri seeks help from Selene, whose gift for healing is uncanny. Selene’s magic can cure wounds, but she isn’t sure she can break the curse or heal Rhodri’s heart?
Operation Man Hunt by Marianne Stephens
Chris Carlisle needs a man and Tony Davis becomes her goal. He learns the hidden reason for her enticing attempts to capture his attention. Both can’t deny the mutual, lusty attraction. Will true love follow?
Desire’s Dilemma by Jean Hart Stewart
Feeling long neglected by her new guardian, Lady Valanna’s resentment quickly turns to attraction when she finally meets the war-wounded Marcus, Marquis of Tendale. Once a British spy who barely survived interrogation at the hands of the enemy, Marcus believes his wounds forever stand in the way of his long-held love for Valanna. Valanna disagrees, emphatically. Will they ever reconcile their differences and find happiness?
Werecat Love by Janice Seagraves
Morgan Brookhaven isn’t expecting romance when she accompanies her friend for a week of skiing, but when she meets Jared all bets are off. Ski instructor Jared Catterick has secrets that he doesn’t mind sharing with a special lady, and he hopes Morgan is the one.
Riviera Rendezvous by Gemma Juliana
Amalie flees when she runs into danger on the cruise ship she calls home, but soon realizes she can’t afford a ticket to fly home. Xandros is more than the shipping agent everybody thinks he is, and he’s had his sights on Amalie for months. So when she suddenly becomes a stranded damsel in distress, he is quick to suggest a solution.
Something Moor by Denyse Bridger
An unexpected trip to Ireland takes Caragh McCarthy back to her ancestral home, and the past collides with the present when car trouble strands her on the moors of Country Tyrone. When Kelan O’Shea comes to her rescue, a 300 year old injustice might yet be set right, and a promised future can be fulfilled.
I’ll Be Seeing You by Paris Brandon
Jack Howland, part of an elite group of special OSS agents, can’t resist the pull of the moon or widowed USO hostess, Lulu Lane. Separated after a night of passion, their paths cross again after the war, but will Jack’s dangerous secret send her screaming into the night, or back into his arms?
Capri Nights by Cara Marsi
A San Francisco sous chef discovers she might have bitten off more than she can chew when a scrumptious Italian man stirs up a recipe for romance on the delicious Isle of Capri.
Cindy Spencer Pape firmly believes in happily-ever-after and brings that to her writing. Multiple award-winning author of the best-selling Gaslight Chronicles, she has released almost sixty novels and stories, which blend fantasy, adventure, science fiction, suspense, history and romance. She lives in southeast Michigan and when not hard at work writing she can be found restoring her 1870 house, dressing up for steampunk parties and Renaissance fairs, or with her nose buried in a book.
Marianne Stephens writes romance and nonfiction. She has self-pubbed/published books with Naughty Literati and Romance Books '4' Us.
Naughty Literati ✯ Romance Book 4 Us ✯ Marianne Stephens
Jean Hart Stewart Love California, even though I’m a transplant. Love writing and all it entails, crazy characters demanding to be let loose on the page, long hours of research, every bit of it. I raised two children and spent about twenty years in real estate before I summoned the courage to quit and do what I always wanted to do, WRITE! While he was alive my husband was my first-stop editor and biggest fan. Now that my children are accustomed to my writing sexy novels they’re equally supportive.
I’m currently finishing my 21st book, tentatively named Double Love and have four books coming out this year. I think I’m blessed as well as lucky. Do write me with any questions. I love to hear from readers!
Janice Seagraves grew up with a deep love of science fiction and adventure stories. Always the consummate artist, she traded in her paint brush for a desktop to write breathless life-affirming novels that celebrate enduring love.
Gemma Juliana loves playing matchmaker to her characters, and takes great joy in creating love stories where two hearts end up beating as one. She has traveled the world, and adds the extra spice of international settings to her stories. Gemma lives with her true love in a cozy Texas cottage along with their teen son and a crafty dog who rules them all. Her muse is nourished with the finest creativity fuels–chocolate and coffee. Gemma loves hearing from readers around the world. Stop by her website to sign up for her newsletter and see what she’s written, what’s coming soon, and to receive special offers.
As an award-winning, best-selling author, Denysé Bridger writes about a multitude of things, always with a touch of romance, passion, and fantasy. Her heroes tend to be alpha men who are willing to do whatever it takes to win the heroine’s heart and trust, while her heroines are strong,
emotionally courageous women who put their hearts on the line for the men they love. Passionate, honorable characters drive Denysé’s stories, in whatever genre you find them in.
Mobile Friendly website ✯ Twitter ✯ Facebook ✯ Blog ✯ Website
A member of Romance Writers of America, and published since 2009, Paris Brandon writes contemporary, paranormal, erotic and historical romance, throwing in a little mystery and suspense for good measure. When not dreaming up stories featuring heroes who aren’t intimidated by strong heroines, she loves rummaging around antique stores for vintage clothes and jewelry. She lives in the mid-west with her husband of many years, and is currently enjoying all of the period dramas on Netflix, and wondering where she can find a hat that makes her look as stylish as Miss Phryne Fisher.
Pinterest ✯ Twitter ✯ Facebook ✯ Amazon ✯ Website
An award-winning and eclectic author, Cara Marsi is published in romantic suspense, paranormal romance, and contemporary romance. She loves a good love story, and believes that everyone deserves a second chance at love. Sexy, sweet, thrilling, or magical, Cara’s stories are first and foremost about the love. Treat yourself today, with a taste of romance. When not traveling or dreaming of traveling, Cara and her husband live on the East Coast of the United States in a house ruled by two spoiled cats who compete for attention.
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Genre: Hot to Sweet Romance
Follow Your Cowboy Heart by Janice Seagraves
Max struggles daily to hide his psychic gift with animals. Being a hired hand at a local dairy probably wasn't his best idea, but his mom needs the money he brings in. And there's the dairy owner's sexy daughter he can't stop thinking about. Will he ever have anything other than himself to offer her?
Cowboys Only by Nicole Morgan
After running off an adorable brunette, Terry realizes he may have just run off the very woman he never knew he was looking for.
The Shadows in Our Past by Denyse Bridger
Enroute home to Gold Ridge, Colorado after their honeymoon, David and Hannah Logan are attacked by a pair of bandits who plunge them back into a past they shared, but never truly came to terms with together... It’s been almost a year since the nightmare of violence and assault tore Hannah from David’s side and left him bereft and angry. When she returned to him, determined to rebuild what they’d lost, the light of love had come with her. Now, a new torment threatens to destroy everything, and Hannah’s biggest enemy might just be David himself…
Love, Texas Style by Gemma Juliana
Amy Waterstone must return to the family ranch in Glen Creek, Texas because her father had a serious accident. Then she learns her father compromised the ranch by taking a loan he can’t repay from Chase Storm, the cowboy next door. He’s the one man she never wants to see again. Chase has waited seven years for Amy to come home, and for a chance to redeem himself in her eyes. They’re both older, but are they any wiser?
Bear Country by Michele Zurlo
Tasked with scattering the ashes of her beloved aunt at the source of the Big Bear River high in the mountains, Mallory must swallow her pride and ask Gavin, a laconic, sexy ranch hand, to guide her.
Whiskey’s Sweet Revenge by Krista Ames
A cocky cowboy. A petite woman vet. A beautiful horse. Garrett doesn’t need a woman in his life. Miranda doesn’t like cocky cowboys. When a horse goes missing, will they learn to work together or kill each other in the process?
Pleasuring Pandora by Tina Donahue
This luscious cowboy’s been on her radar for years, but he’s never noticed her. A speeding ticket changes everything, leading to a sultry weekend and no-holds-barred romance—Texas style.
Janice Seagraves grew up with a deep love of science fiction and adventure stories. Always the consummate artist, she traded in her paint brush for a desktop to write breathless life-affirming novels that celebrate enduring love.
Nicole Morgan is a USA Today and International best-selling author who has written romance in various genres of romance. She is a proud member of Writerspace, a Romance Books ‘4’ Us Gold Author, as well as being a Sweet and Sexy Diva. Additionally, you will find Nicole writing under the names of Taylor Brooks and Nicki Day.
When she isn't busy writing, Nicole also mentors authors, offers administrative services and is the founder of Romance Collections. Find out more about Nicole and her books by visiting her website, or any of her social networks.
Instagram ✯ Twitter ✯ Facebook ✯ Amazon ✯ Website ✯ Blog ✯ Pinterest ✯ Tumblr ✯ Services by Nic
As an award-winning, best-selling author, Denysé Bridger writes about a multitude of things, always with a touch of romance, passion, and fantasy. Her heroes tend to be alpha men who are willing to do whatever it takes to win the heroine’s heart and trust, while her heroines are strong,
emotionally courageous women who put their hearts on the line for the men they love. Passionate, honorable characters drive Denysé’s stories, in whatever genre you find them in.
Mobile Friendly website ✯ Twitter ✯ Facebook ✯ Blog ✯ Website
Gemma Juliana loves playing matchmaker to her characters, and takes great joy in creating love stories where two hearts end up beating as one. She has traveled the world, and adds the extra spice of international settings to her stories. Gemma lives with her true love in a cozy Texas cottage along with their teen son and a crafty dog who rules them all. Her muse is nourished with the finest creativity fuels–chocolate and coffee. Gemma loves hearing from readers around the
world. Stop by her website to sign up for her newsletter and see what she’s written, what’s coming soon, and to receive special offers.
I’m Michele Zurlo, author of the Doms of the FBI and the SAFE Security series and many other stories. I write contemporary and paranormal, BDSM and mainstream—whatever it takes to give my characters the happy endings they deserve. I’m not half as interesting as my characters. My childhood dreams tended to stretch no further than the next book in my to-be-read pile, and I aspired to be a librarian so I could read all day. I ended up teaching middle school, so that fulfilled part of my dream. Some words of wisdom from an inspiring lady had me tapping out stories on my first laptop, so in the evenings, romantic tales flow from my fingertips. I’m pretty impulsive when it comes to big decisions, especially when it’s something I’ve never done before. Writing is just one in a long line of impulsive decisions that turned out to showcase my great instincts.
Blog ✯ Twitter ✯ Facebook ✯ Newsletter ✯ Website
Krista Ames was born and raised in Indiana. She now resides in Northern Michigan with the love of her life and their 4 children.
She is a full time stay-at-home mom and pursues her writing career when she's not chasing kids, cooking or doing laundry.
Goodreads ✯ Twitter ✯ Facebook ✯ Amazon ✯ Website ✯ Pinterest
Tina Donahue is an Amazon and international bestselling novelist in erotic, paranormal, contemporary and historical romance for traditional publishers and indie. Booklist, Publisher’s Weekly, Romantic Times and numerous online sites have praised her work. She's won Readers' Choice Awards, RWA awards - Holt Medallion and NEC, and won a Book of the Year award. She’s featured in the Novel & Short Story Writer’s Market. Before penning romances, she worked in Story Direction for a Hollywood production company.
Goodreads ✯ Twitter ✯ Facebook ✯ Triberr ✯ Website
STEEL KISSES by Laura Strickland
STEEL KISSES
A Buffalo Steampunk Adventure
by Laura Strickland
Genre: Steampunk Romance
Reynold Michaels might not be the smartest man in the city, but he knows a beautiful woman when he sees one. The lovely creature he watches disembark from the steam tram every morning simply cannot be a prostitute…or an automaton. Yet at the high-priced bordello where she works he discovers she’s not only a hybrid mechanical, she’s funny, vulnerable, and quite possibly the missing piece of his heart.
Lily Landry understands that as an automaton she isn’t entitled to make her own choices. She must do as instructed or face the ultimate horror of being shut down. But when she forms a bond with Reynold, she quickly learns what it means to desire a life of her own.
In a city conflicted over automaton rights, can they hope for a future together?
She smiled at him. “How would you like to begin?”
“I don’t rightly know.”
She reached for the buttons on the front of her dress, which had been sewn of pearl-colored silk. “Most my clients like to see what they have paid for. Would you like me to strip?”
He swallowed convulsively. A dull flush rose to his cheeks.
“Have you ever visited with one of Landry’s Ladies before?” Maybe he did not know what to expect, thought she would not look or feel like a human woman. Unless he touched her in certain places, he should not be able to tell the difference.
“No. No, I haven’t.”
She wondered how to put him at ease. She abandoned the buttons and reached for her hairpins instead. “Would you like me to take my hair down?”
“I would. I’d like that very much.”
A scratch came at the door which opened to admit the little mechanical maid with a tray holding whiskey and one glass.
The client leaped away from it. As soon as the maid left, he filled the glass with whiskey and gulped half of it down.
“Oh, I’m sorry.” He extended the glass to Lily. “Will you take some?”
“I cannot drink.”
“No?”
She shook her head. Her loosened hair fell down around her shoulders in separate tendrils, and he took a step closer.
“My God, you’re beautiful.”
Amazon ✯ Amazon Int'l ✯ The Wild Rose Press ✯ B&N ✯ Kobo ✯ Goodreads
Born in Buffalo and raised on the Niagara Frontier, Laura Strickland has been an avid reader and writer since childhood. She believes the spunky, tenacious, undefeatable ethnic mix that is Buffalo spells the perfect setting for a little Steampunk, so she created her own Victorian world there. She knows the people of Buffalo are stronger, tougher and smarter than those who haven't survived the muggy summers and blizzard blasts found on the shores of the mighty Niagara. Tough enough to survive a squad of automatons? Well, just maybe.
June 9, 2017
THE RANCHER AND THE CITY GIRL by Joya Ryan
THE RANCHER AND THE CITY GIRL
Tempting the Rancher, book 1
Rancher and single father Reed Montgomery is a master at French braiding and princess tea parties. He’s also the most eligible bachelor in Cheyenne, Wyoming. So when he stumbles upon a flashy, sexy city girl, he knows two things: 1) she’s a walking disaster, and 2) he needs to stay far, far away.
But she needs him more than he wants to admit…
Charlotte Gram knows what it’s like not to be wanted. She’s in Cheyenne for the summer to help her grandmother heal after surgery, but the farmhouse “chores” are proving much harder than she thought. If her day couldn’t get any worse, the sexiest man she’s ever seen strolls up to save the day...
...and he definitely doesn’t seem happy about it.
“You are the worst car in this hellhole town and I swear—to—God…” Charlotte Gram kicked the driver-side tire of her rental car with her favorite stiletto. The dry summer air blew hot against her skin, and a small film of dust settled on her neck.
Gross.
Was dust a thing out here?
She was used to the Los Angeles smog and clutters of asshole people. She’d never thought she’d step foot in Wyoming. Ever. But this was the prairie state her grandmother had chosen to retire in, so that’s where Charlotte needed to be.
Wilma Gram had moved to Cheyenne five years ago when she’d inherited her family farm. Something about a great-uncle who had died and left it to her. Apparently Grammy took really well to the country life, because even at seventy-plus years old, she was thriving. Up until this summer, at least. She’d needed ankle surgery that would leave her in a cast.
With Charlotte the only one left who stayed in touch with Grammy, it was up to her to see the older woman through her recovery. Which meant several weeks of summer in this tiny town, working remotely from the house, and attempting to help Grammy run the farm and all the chores that went with it.
Not Charlotte’s specialty.
Still, a simple enough plan.
She could continue building websites, earn a living, and get back to her life in L.A. in no time. Besides, it wasn’t like her grandma had a massive farm operation…she didn’t think. Charlotte hadn’t gotten out to visit the great state of Wyoming since Grammy had settled in. Between building her career and surviving a string of bad relationships, Charlotte was happy just keeping her head above water and being the forever bachelorette.
Every time she got past date number three, she started to feel like the man she was with never wanted her in the first place. And it wasn’t just romantic relationships, either. Charlotte never seemed to fit anywhere or in anyone’s ideals. She wasn’t successful enough—yet—to be “accomplished,” and wasn’t creative enough to be “small-business hipster woman.” She was also too blunt to be ladylike, and too prudish to be a vixen. It wasn’t like she could help it. Her mother had done a shit job raising her, and her father bailed when she was young. She sure as hell hadn’t been able to count on anyone.
Basically, she’d spent her life in a constant state of unclassified and unwanted.
Commitment wasn’t something she was interested in chasing. Ever. Doing so would mean trusting someone to want her completely, preferably long term, which wasn’t likely. No, better to stick to her rules of no strings, no commitment, no family. Grammy was the only exception. No way would she have her own kids, no matter how many busybody women in Spin class told her that her eggs would dry up soon. She was only thirty, for Christ’s sake.
So yeah. She worked alone, lived alone…
…and would probably die alone.
It was kind of depressing, actually.
Charlotte blew a lock of dark hair out of her face and glanced around. The town was cute, at least. Downtown Cheyenne was basically sandwiched between an old-looking bank made of all brick and an antiques shop. There weren’t many people milling about, let alone the floods of people she was used to.
Everything felt still. Calm.
Claustrophobic.
She shuddered. “I bet this place doesn’t even have triple-A,” she said, eyeing her newest enemy, the rental car she knew nothing about that was making a pained, gasping sound. A soft rise of smoke billowed out from under the hood. Charlotte frowned. Day one and she couldn’t even get through this hillbilly town.
She kicked it again, letting another round of curses fly. She just needed this piece of crap rental to get to her grandma’s. It couldn’t be too much farther, could it? “Piece of shhii—”
“Excuse me, ma’am?” a husky voice rumbled behind her.
Charlotte stalled midkick and looked up to see a very tall, very strong, very cowboy man staring at her.
“It—shit—I mean, yes?” Her skin went hot, even though Mr. Cowboy was shadowing her in his capable frame. Could she possibly sound more like an idiot who didn’t know how to speak?
“I wonder if I could assist you?” he asked, pinching the tip of his Stetson and keeping those crystal blue eyes locked on her.
Mr. Cowboy was wearing a crisp white T-shirt that clung to chiseled abs and a broad, solid chest. The bits of dirty blond hair sticking out from under his hat matched the several-day-old stubble on his face.
She didn’t know if it was the jet lag or the altitude that made it difficult to swallow.
She looked down, her gaze devouring him like a life-size Snickers bar, repeating the mantra in her head when she hit his narrow hips…
Hungry? Why wait?
“Ma’am?” he asked again.
She snapped out of her ogling and grimaced when she realized her own mind and body had betrayed her. Sure, it had been a while since she’d had sex last, but she needed to get a grip. Wasn’t like she’d never seen a cowboy before. Because she had…in the movies.
“I apologize,” she said, harnessing all her assertive grace. “I’m a hot mess because of this car and I’m—”
“A city girl,” he finished for her with a smile, then effortlessly rounded the car and popped open the hood.
“You say ‘city girl’ like it’s a bad thing,” she responded.
That smile stayed on his face as he shook his head and looked over the engine.
“Not a bad thing. Cities can be fun. Lots of flash.” He glanced her way, only his eyes started at her feet and slowly slid up her legs. Her skirt felt tight against her thighs, her button-up top suddenly constricting. Or maybe Mr. Cowboy’s eyes were making her flush.
“Nothing flashy around here, it seems,” she said, breaking his gaze on her.
“That’s not true. This place puts on a hell of a rodeo show every summer.”
She laughed.
He blinked.
Oh, he was serious?
“That sounds like…something,” she said, trying to polite, but the way Mr. Cowboy bent over the engine and messed with God-knew-what under the hood made his tan arms flex and that shirt of his pull tight over his shoulders. Well-defined shoulders. Shoulders that could handle fingernail scratches…
She shook her head again and reasoned that she was hungry and just needed an actual Snickers bar. That was it.
“Looks like you’re overheating,” he said, and stood to face her.
Her eyes shot wide and she smoothed her hands down her skirt. “I’m perfectly fine,” she defended.
He chuckled. “Nah, I mean your car. You’re low on coolant. I have some in my truck.” With that, he walked about fifty feet up the street to a massive truck and grabbed something out of the back. She thought she’d appreciated the front view of him? The back was even better. And those jeans? She didn’t know who designed Wranglers, but she was going to write that genius a letter because damn, they showcased Mr. Cowboy’s ass to perfection.
Maybe she could enjoy the sights of Wyoming just a little. She was set to be farm-locked for the summer. Maybe she had time to take advantage of the town before all the work and caretaking started?
Cowboy walked back to her with a jug of what she assumed was coolant in his hand and went back under the hood.
“Tough way for a lady to meet Cheyenne,” Cowboy said, focusing on the pouring he was doing.
“I must admit, this first experience could skew my judgment of Cheyenne from here on out.”
“Aw well, I hope you can leave with only a positive view of things,” he said, standing and brushing off his hands.
Positive view, indeed.
“Start her up and see if that helped,” he instructed.
She got in the car, and with the driver-side door open, he stood at the hood and she yelled, “Okay, going to start it up now…”
She did.
It did.
“You’re amazing,” she let slip out before she could think better of it. When she got out, she caught him smiling.
“No ma’am, just helping a woman in need.”
Speaking of a woman in need…
“I’d love to buy you a drink to repay you,” she said.
“No, ma’am,” he said quickly, and her internal balloon deflated. But he leaned against the car and grinned. “I’d love to buy you a drink and show you a kinder side of Cheyenne. No repayment necessary.”
Her entire chest lit up with happy sparks, and she tried not to dance like a tween goof at the thought of a date with Cowboy. Apparently she had a thing for country boys, because she hadn’t been this attracted to a guy in a long time.
“When?” she asked.
He smiled and tilted his chin toward the bar on the corner, just a block down from where they stood. “The Cadillac Bar right there has live music tonight. You free around eight?”
“I’ll meet you there,” she said.
He pinched the brim of his hat again. “Pleasure meeting you…?”
“Charlotte,” she said.
“Tripp.”
Of course his name was Tripp. A man like him would never be a Blain or an Andrew. No, he was Tripp. Rustic, a little dirty, and all kinds of perfectly wrong for her. But perfectly right for a minimalist situation. She didn’t have to worry about long term or her heart with this man; she had to worry about her panties.
She had a sneaking suspicion they wouldn’t survive.
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June 7, 2017
Romance Between The Pages presents...
Ever wondered about the personalities behind your favorite books? Victoria Danann's new podcast with Riley J. Ford has an incredible lineup of authors booked through the spring. No question is out of bounds. Check it out!
THIS WEEK'S BEST SELLING AUTHOR...
JENNIFER LYON!
Jennifer Lyon is the pseudonym for USA Today Bestselling Author Jennifer Apodaca. Jen lives in Southern California where she continually plots ways to convince her husband that they should get a dog. So far, she has failed in her doggy endeavor. She consoles herself by pouring her passion into writing books. To date, Jen has published more than twenty books, including a fun and sexy mystery series and a variety of contemporary romances as Jennifer Apodaca, and a dark, sizzling paranormal series as Jennifer Lyon. She's won awards and had her books translated into multiple languages, but she still hasn't come up with a way to persuade her husband that they need a dog.
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