Jean C. Joachim's Blog: Stories of Love and Passion, page 11

FROM MY LIBRARY #review #recommendation #lovestory #hotromance #romance

Today's new feature is my book recommendation. Each week I'll write about a book I read and liked, showcasing the book and offering one link for those who wish to buy it. 

I will not be posting any negative reviews. I believe in positive energy and prefer to rave about something I enjoyed rather than rant about something I didn't. I hope you will join me each week. 
If you sign up to follow the blog, then you won't miss any of my special features. Have a great day and thanks for stopping by. 




Contemporary Romance

I don't know where to begin with this book. The writing, the characters, the story --all were excellent. Let's start with the story. 

Ms. Taylor pulled me in right from the get-go with a sketch of a sexy man with an unusual past. Jack Howell isn't simply a hot guy with the Justice Department, he's a man who had been denied his heritage, for most of his adult life. While this tragedy has made him a loner, it's also made him hunger for the family he never had.

Enter gorgeous Chloe McNeil, decorator extraordinaire. She's a proud, self-sufficient woman with an unfortunate past of her own. 

As the two dance around each other, attracted to each other, but wary, their backgrounds are revealed to us, little by little. And then a surprise happens, which draws them together. That's all I'm going to say so I don't ruin the story. 

Now the writing -- WOW! This lady knows how to use words to build scenes and evoke emotions. There are no cliches here. Each sentence is constructed with the utmost care to make the story come alive. The grammar is perfect and the dialogue true to life. 

But I can't ignore the longest, hottest love scene I've ever read. Holy crow -- turn on the air conditioning! Because she's built up the sexual tension to a fever pitch, this scene is twice as powerful. 

I loved this story. The characters seemed like people I would know  in real life. And I couldn't put it down. I must fault her for interfering with my writing time as I had to  yank myself away from the book to get my work done. 

If you love holiday love stories, this heart-warming, sexy tale should be at the top of your list. 

Find it for only $2.99 on AMAZON


















#noraroberts
#debbiemacomber

COVER ART GALLERY! #art #bookcovers #romance #books #writing

Can you judge a book by its cover? I love book cover art, mine and those of many other authors. Here are a dozen of my favorites. Take a stroll through the gallery. Thanks for stopping by!















Thanks for stopping by.







My website
































#noraroberts
#debbiemacomber
#eloisajames

TUESDAY TALES - WORD PROMPT "TOWN". #romance #football #christmas

Welcome to Tuesday Tales! This week's story is a continuation of A King's Christmas. This week, we're poking our nose into Trunk Mahoney's life. Scroll down for the link back to Tuesday Tales. Thanks for stopping by. 
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Across town at The Savage BeastWhen he walked in the door, the delicious aroma of roasting turkey greeted Trunk Mahoney. He salivated. His wife, Carla, was busy behind the bar, setting up glasses.  Her black hair was pulled back into a pony tail, with a few stands escaping to tickle her neck. She wiped her hands on a towel and looked up. She broke into a wide grin. His heart swelled at the warm greeting she gave him. He hadn’t been lucky in his life to grow up with people who loved him. When he was a kid, after his parents died, he bounced around in cold, neglectful homes until he went out on his own. Even his first wife didn’t truly love him and left him for another woman. According to Al “Trunk” Mahoney, his life began when he met Carla. He’d fallen for her while he was married, but never did anything about it. They became fast friends, but that was it. Trunk vowed he’d never be a cheater and he’d lived up to that. Now beautiful Carla was his, and his heart skipped a beat every time he looked at her, and thought about what happiness lay ahead.

The contractors had finished the rebuild on the cottage in the back of their property that had burned down. Carla’s parents were coming to stay for Christmas. Trunk could hardly wait. He’d not had warm, loving family and had missed it, especially around the holidays. He thought Carla had been close to her mom, so Trunk hoped he could fit right in and be part of their cozy circle. The cottage was beautiful, rebuilt to be roomy and comfortable with a fireplace, efficient small kitchen, and a big bed with a down comforter.
He could hardly wait until he moved his inlaws there for a two-week stay. The idea of preparing for Christmas with these surrogate parents gave him butterflies in the stomach. He looked forward to the best holiday he’d had since he was thirteen and lost his folks.
He’d been making plans in his head for weeks of the places he wanted to take them, the gifts he wanted to give them. And the nights doing jigsaw puzzles in front of the fire while watching a football game. Of course, he might be playing. But if he wasn’t, he’d be content to be with them. He’d conjured up a Currier and Ives Christmas in his mind –the fulfillment of an old dream. Could a guy like him get much luckier?   
BACK TO TUESDAY TALES HERE
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MONDAY - 5 FAST FACTS DAY! #fastfacts #baseball #worldseries

Monday is 5 fast facts day. Today I'm sharing facts about baseball, and the World Series in particular --since we just finished a most exciting one. 


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WORLD SERIES FACTS

1.  Boston and Pittsburgh played the first World Series in 1903. The series was nine games long. Boston won: 5 to 3. No, that doesn't add up to nine, but once Boston won five games, there was no way Pittsburgh could win even enough to tie. 
2. You probably already know this one. The New York Yankees have won 26 World Series, more than any other team. 
3. Mickey Mantle still holds the record for the most home runs and RBI's in the World Series. 18 home runs and 40 RBI's. I suppose another player won't have a good shot at that until they're on a team that plays in the series many times, like the Yankees. 
4. Including this year, the American League has won 64 World Series titles while the National League, only 48. 
5. The only perfect game, a no-hitter, in World Series history happened in  game 5 in 1956. It was the New York Yankees vs. the Brooklyn Dodgers. The pitcher was Don Larsen. The Yankees won: 2 to 0. 

Love baseball? Try my new baseball romance series, Bottom of the Ninth. Here's a bit about the first book:
DAN ALEXANDER, PITCHER
Fed up with cheating women, Dan Alexander, star pitcher for the New York Nighthawks, grew restless. Searching for something more than a bar babe, he zeroed in on a girl in the stands. He never expected to see a beautiful chick pushing frankfurters. But the hot dog girl looked as smokin’ as the food she was selling. Holly Merrill found a place to hide in plain sight, as a vendor at Nighthawks’ stadium. Keeping her secret safe and simply happy to stay alive, she never considered finding love an option. After all, a bad girl doesn’t deserve a decent guy, does she?
Coming off his best season ever, Dan went into the playoffs, hell bent on winning the pennant and playing in the World Series. But could he maintain his focus on the field, where everything was going right, when off the field everything was falling apart?   
COMING SOON - BOOK 2, MATT JACKSON, CATCHER
Clutch hitter, fielder extraordinaire, and the team captain, Matt Jackson is dynamite on the baseball field, but a bust with women. He makes a show of coming on to chicks in bars, but always strikes out.

A secret he hides keeps Matt dateless. Does a solo life make living with emotional pain easier? Everything he believes in is challenged the day he walks in on a beautiful woman in the locker room. The sharp-tongued spitfire gives as good as she gets.

Getting close to Dusty is dangerous. What if something happens to her? Can his risk his well-protected heart? Matt faces a difficult choice -- will he make the right decision? 

Buy Dan Alexander, Pitcher in ebook and paperback here:
AMAZON
BARNES & NOBLE
ITUNES
KOBO
GOOGLEPLAY
SMASHWORDS
AMAZON U.K.
PAPERBACK
AMAZON AUSTRALIA
AMAZON CANADA
AMAZON SPAIN
AMAZON GERMANY
You can check out my 30+ other books on my website HERE





#mickeymantle
#noraroberts
#romance

One of my goals in writing books is to please readers. I'...

One of my goals in writing books is to please readers. I'm happy to say I do more than I don't and here are a few samples of what people are saying about my books. 

How about the military romantic suspense I wrote with Ben Tanner? 



    LOVE LOST & FOUND

"This book was a fantastic, can't put down book that will knock your socks off and then keep you coming back for more!"  TeCe

"Wow! Tara and Mike what a love story, with some Sadness with trust issues(with Cheating ex's)even on the plane together joking on who's cheat story was better. What a great job on the Hospital chapters. You had me on the edge of my seat when..."  TVM

"The romance between Tara a reporter, and Mick a Marine is thoroughly engrossing. I love how they click. Coming from recent break ups they both were a bit gun shy. The vivid imagery and deep descriptions made an already wonderful romance even better. Everything about the hunky marine was sexy and I fell in love with him. Jean Joachim and Ben Tanner are definitely a great writing team. It is a well written, fast paced, fun romance with just the right amount of passion and suspense."  KB

DANGEROUS LOVE LOST & FOUND

(Dangerous Love Lost and Found won the Suspense category of the International Digital Awards.)

"If you like your suspense hot then you'll love the sizzle between Tom and Eden..." MD
"When Spec Ops meet the CIA you are guaranteed an action packed, combustible, passionate good time and that is exactly what Jean Joachim has delivered. .." F 
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These are just a sampling of the rave reviews for these two books. 
Find them here:
Love Lost & Found
AMAZON
ITUNES
KOBO

Dangerous Love Lost & Found
AMAZON
ITUNES
KOBO
Thank you for stopping by. I hope you return tomorrow, because it's 5 Fast Facts day! 






#lorifoster#noraroberts

SATURDAY SNIPPETS #baseball #romance #sexysnippet

As we head into winter, I'm organizing my life better. That includes my blog. I have a new heading and content for each day of the week. Here's the lineup:

Saturday - Snippets
Sunday - Reviews
Monday - 5 Fast Facts (about all sorts of things)
Tuesday - Tuesday Tales
Wednesday - Art Gallery - Covers & Other Pictures
Thursday - From My Library - Book recommendations
Friday - News (Including coming attractions)

I hope you'll stop by every day. Please leave me feedback. This isn't set in stone and I can change topics and rearrange days. So let's begin with today's topic. 




Today, let's eavesdrop on a late night conversation between star pitcher, Dan Alexander and his best friend, catcher, Matt Jackson as they down a beer at Freddie's bar...straight from DAN ALEXANDER, PITCHER, the first in the Bottom of the Ninth baseball romance series. 





********************

Dan tipped back in his chair.“What happened? Valerie give you the boot?”Dan shook his head.“On the rag?”Dan laughed. “Just not up for her usual stuff. I’m tired of the same women all the time. Just interested in clothes, money, and what a guy can give ’em. Valerie’s never even been to a game. She doesn’t know shit about baseball.”“She has other skills.” Matt snickered, his eyes glowing.Dan chuckled. “Yeah, but even that gets boring, when it’s all there is.”“You’re bragging! Bore me, baby. Bore my balls off!”“Your problem is that you have no finesse. You’re too blunt. Right out there. Trying to get the chick in bed in the first thirty seconds.”“Okay, I’ll try to wait two or three minutes. Think that’d help?”“Asshole.” Dan smirked. “Woman are people too, you know. They have other parts, like brains.”“Yeah? Really? I never noticed. Can’t get past the tits.”“You’re hopeless.”“So you say.”“Don’t you ever want to talk to a woman?”“There are much better things she can do with her mouth.”“You’re a sexist pig, know that?”Matt grinned. “Yeah. And the babes love it.”“Really? Is that why you’re at Freddie’s by yourself on a Saturday night?”Matt frowned. “I’m between chicks, that’s all.”“You’ll be between chicks for the next twenty years if you don’t change your routine.”Tommy plopped two draft beers in front of the men. “How many did you have before you got here?” the bartender asked Dan.“One.”“This is your limit, then. Cal Crowley told me two’s it for you guys.”“Since when does the manager of the Nighthawks get off telling a barkeep how many beers to serve?” a man with a pot belly and thinning hair asked, closing his fingers around a glass of whiskey.“Since he invested in this place, buddy,” Tommy responded.“Okay, okay. We got it,” Dan said, sliding twenty bucks across the bar. “This one’s on me, Matt.”“Yeah? How come?”“I may be a pitcher, but you’re the strike out king,” he said, before raising the stein to his lips.
His buddy punched him in the arm. “Very funny.”
*****************
If you want more, find it in ebook and paperback, and soon to be on audio:
AMAZON
BARNES & NOBLE
ITUNES
KOBO
GOOGLEPLAY
AMAZON U.K.
SMASHWORDS
PAPERBACK
Thank you for stopping by! 

BRAND NEW ON KINDLE UNLIMITED! THE MOONLIGHT SERIES, boxed set. #kindleunlimited

Three different women, three lives crisscrossing in the small town of Pine Grove. One’s escaping her life, one’s seeking her future, and the third is discovering her dream.  Meet Sunny, April and Mindy and the men who love them in three full length clean, wholesome novels of romance.    Three full novels, over 800 pages, of clean, wholesome romance.
Sunny Days, Moonlit Nights
Can a young woman run away from a bad marriage back to her past? Sunny Davis is on the run, hiding in the cabin where she spent her summers. Will she be able to shake multi-millionaire Brad? And who's that handyman, hanging around the summer community? 
April's Kiss in the Moonlight 
Caught in an accident that killed her lover, the injured young woman faces a choice -- go back home to a life she dreads or give up her dreams of world travel to settle in a small town? Will a handsome fireman have the answer to her dilemma? 
Under the Midnight Moon
Give the fulfillment of her dreams by an inheritance, a young woman builds a theater. But treachery everywhere she turns threatens to take away what's she's built. She has to choose between the man she loves and the life she's always wanted. Which way Mindy go?
Get them only on Amazon, here: MOONLIGHT SERIES

For the rest of my books, go to my website



#noraroberts
#debbiemacomber
#eloisajames

#Baseball #Romance to warm your heart! Dan Alexander, Pitcher, first of the BOTTOM OF THE NINTH series!

Brand new book! Here's a bit about it:


Fed up with cheating women, Dan Alexander, star pitcher for the New York Nighthawks, grew restless. Searching for something more than a bar babe, he zeroed in on a girl in the stands. He never expected to see a beautiful chick pushing frankfurters. But the hot dog girl looked as smokin’ as the food she was selling. Holly Merrill found a place to hide in plain sight, as a vendor at Nighthawks’ stadium. Keeping her secret safe and simply happy to stay alive, she never considered finding love an option. After all, a bad girl doesn’t deserve a decent guy, does she? Coming off his best season ever, Dan went into the playoffs, hell bent on winning the pennant and playing in the World Series. But could he maintain his focus on the field, where everything was going right, when off the field everything was falling apart?   
Have a taste:

Dan was tired. His six-foot-three-inch frame needed sleep. He raised his hand in greeting to Bud Magee as they passed in the hall, before the pitcher ran smack dab into a young woman. He would’ve knocked her to the ground, if he hadn’t caught her first. He’d never seen her before, but her wide, blue eyes and hair the color of mink captured his attention.“Excuse me, miss. I didn’t see you.” Though she felt good in his arms, he let go before she started to scream.“Dan Alexander, one of our top pitchers. This is Holly Merrill. She’s new. Gonna be selling hot dogs for us.”“Welcome,” the ball player said, as his gaze slid down her curvy body.“Thanks.” She straightened her shirt and smoothed her jeans.After shooting her a sexy grin, he tipped his cap and replied, “The top pitcher.” With a chuckle, he disappeared into the locker room.
***********************************  Then, it happened. She dropped a hot dog loaded with mustard. The man in the stands stood up and started hollering. Holly bent over to clean it up. The guy in the TV booth running the camera zeroed in on her ass, and there it was, cute and big as life on the Jumbotron!People clapped and hooted. The players laughed. Dan held his breath. She craned her neck and looked around. Although Dan couldn’t hear what the man was saying, the pitcher saw him point to the giant screen. Dan cringed as she spied her backside, huge, amusing the crowd.Her hand few to her mouth. She picked up the cart and ran up the stairs.The camera went back to the action on the field. Dan’s stomach flipped. His heart melted. She didn’t deserve that, and he wasn’t sure she'd be able to deal with that kind of humiliation. The inning was over, and it was time for the seventh inning stretch. He looked for Holly, but couldn’t find her anywhere.He approached his manager. “Cal, need me?”“You can hit the showers, Alexander. Game’s almost over.”“Thanks.” He left the dugout and headed for the concession stand. Bud Magee was behind the counter. Dan asked him where Holly was.“What the hell happened? She dumped her cart and ran out of here like a bat out of Hell.”Dan explained then asked, “Where’d she go?”“Damned if I know. Probably back to my place. She’s a good kid, but she needs to get a sense of humor.”Dan thanked Bud and headed for the gate. He’d been to Bud’s house many times for big dinners, especially during the off season, when they could drink what they wanted and stay up late. He saw a figure walking fast up the sidewalk. He broke into an easy lope and caught up with her. She had her head down and held a tissue to her face. A queasy feeling grabbed Dan’s stomach. He hated crying women. He never knew what to do or say, and whatever he did only seemed to make them cry more.He cupped her shoulder with his big palm. “Wait. Wait. Holly?”She stopped in her tracks, but didn’t turn around. He felt her tremble.“Hey, come on. Nothing’s that bad.”“You didn’t have your ass, big as the Empire State Building, on TV.” Her tone was sharp, but she had stopped walking.“No, can’t say I’ve ever had that honor. That I know of. They get shots of us when we don’t know it. Some pretty embarrassing too.”She turned to face him. “Yeah? Like what?” She trained gorgeous blue eyes on him and rested her hands on her hips.“Like a guy picking his nose or scratching his…his crotch.” Now, Dan was the uncomfortable one. He raised his gaze to hers.She was laughing.
**************************************** 
“All I ask is that you not be an asshole. Is that too much?” Jake directed his request to Matt Jackson.“Shut the fuck up,” the catcher said, in a low voice.Dan cracked up. “Sounds reasonable to me.”“Same goes for you,” Matt said, pointing a finger at his friend.“No stories. No fake names, okay? No hitting on the first woman you see. And, no hitting on Valerie!” Dan said.“Afraid of a little competition?” Matt asked.“I might be if it came from someone like Jake. But you? Uh, no!”Matt pushed back into the seat and frowned.Jake poked Dan. “Remember the time he told some chick his name was Pancho Villa?”“And she didn’t even know who Pancho Villa was, but Jackson wanted to sleep with her anyway,” Dan said.“Until he said he couldn’t speak Spanish. Then, there was no way she was going home with him,” Jake croaked out.“Then, he told her he was a pro baseball player, and she didn’t believe him. Remember what she said?” Dan could hardly speak he was laughing so hard.“Yeah, yeah! She said, and I quote, ‘next you’ll tell me you’re George Bush’.”At that, Jake and Dan doubled over, laughing until they cried. Even Matt couldn’t stay angry. He joined his buddies. The men were still chuckling when the cab stopped in front of the club. 
BUY LINKS
AMAZON
BARNES & NOBLE
ITUNES/APPLE
GOOGLEPLAY
KOBO
SMASHWORDS
PAPERBACK
AMAZON U.K.

I have 35 books & short stories published. You can find them here: 

MY WEBSITE




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#eloisajames#noraroberts

TUESDAY TALES – FASTEN – MAGGIE’S STORY

 Hi! Welcome to my Tuesday Tales piece. We're still on Maggie's Story this week. Last week she confessed to John about something that tore her up inside. Here's the continuation of their encounter. Scroll down for the link to return to Tuesday Tales.
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            A thousand thoughts ran through Maggie’s mind during the silence that ensued after she had confessed to John –and none of them good. His gaze rested on the floor, though his hand still gripped hers. She eased away from him, toward the nightstand.            “Guess I’ll be going now.”  She stepped back toward the door.             John tightened his hold, drawing her closer. “Just where do you think you’re going?”            “I understand completely. What man would want a woman as his wife who had done so, so terrible?”            “I would,” he said quietly. “Forget about it. You’re mine and that’s that. I’m sorry you had to endure that, old girl. But never again. No one will ever mistreat you again,” his voice was soft, but firm.             Her eyes watered.             “And where the hell was that bloke? If it’a been me, I’d’ve taken you away so fast –punched your dad in the nose,” he said, through gritted teeth.             “Awww. John,” she sighed, shaking her head slowly.            “No one would ever do that to my girl. Never. Never.” He held her fast.             “Am I your girl for ever and ever?” She asked, fastening her arms around his neck.            “You’re my wife, Maggie. And that’s forever.”            She smiled and snuggled into his chest.             “Then what are we doin’ standin’ here? With the bed empty and all?” She whispered.
            He laughed, then picked her up and tossed her on the mattress. 

Back to Tuesday Tales My Website

TUESDAY TALES - PICTURE PROMPT - MORE OF MAGGIE'S STORY

Welcome! This week is picture prompt week. We're in Maggie's Story, still. Scroll down for the link back to Tuesday Tales and the excellent stories there. Thanks for stopping by. 


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Maggie slipped into John’s bed. Now that they were engaged, the Roberts’ didn’t mind them sleeping together. Plans were underway to add a door and connect the two bedrooms so they could have a sitting room.             John slid in next to her.             “Okay, Maggie, what did you want to tell me?”            She picked at the trim on her new nightgown, her head bowed. Facing him was more than she could do.             “Out with it. You’re sitting there, so pretty.” He took her hand in his.             “It’s not that easy.”            “Nothing you could say would make a difference. I love you, girl.”            “Don’t be so quick to say that.”            “Please, Maggie.”            “Okay, then. Well. I was sent here on purpose.”            “To find work, right?”            “Yes and no. I’d done something at home.”            “Done something?”            “Disgraced my family. When I was sent here, it was clear there was no going back.”            John was quiet. He increased the pressure on her hand.             Maggie took a shuddering breath. She’s sworn to herself she’d never admit this to anyone. Now she was taking a big chance he wouldn’t want her anymore.             “I’d had a beau,” she said, stopping to clear her throat.            “Go on.”            “Edward. Eddie he was.”            John nodded, his eyes hooded.            “Well, we made a mistake. We goofed.”            Silence.             “I got pregnant.” She stopped when she heard his intake of breath.             “What happened to it?”            “Me dad and mum made me get rid of it.” The sting of tears had her blinking.            “You had an abortion?”            Unable to say the word, she nodded.             “Fuckin’ damn,” he said shaking his head.             “Told ya it was bad,” she said. “He’d be about little Penn’s age by now, I imagine.”

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