Sarah Ballance's Blog, page 18

$50 Book Blast: The Orphan and the Thief by M.L. LeGette

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The Orphan and the Thief

An adventure that will keep you and your kids spellbound.

Toad thought it’d be easy to steal from Mr. Edward P. Owl. Unfortunately for Toad, he isn’t the best of thieves. Caught in the act, he’s in more trouble than ever before. Now to save his hide, Toad must track down five rare potion ingredients for Mr. Owl. Or else.All Melena Snead wants is her family back, but after the Miggens Street Fire, that isn’t very likely. Orphaned and miserable, forced to work in an apothecary, she’s determined to find Milo, her missing brother. No matter what.

When Melena finds Toad ransacking her apothecary, Toad gets a nasty shock: apothecaries don’t carry Mr. Owl’s ingredients. Luckily, Melena’s willing to help, for a price.

With Melena’s pet Spit-Fire dragon and Toad’s enchanted talking beer mug, they embark on a fantastical journey, traveling the country in search of the potion ingredients. But can they gather all of them in time, what with monsters, pirates, and axe-wielding thieves? And if they do, is there an even greater danger waiting for them at the end?

Amazon

Excerpt:

Panicking, Toad rushed, “Come on, Gent. There’s gotta be somethin’ that ya want! My prices are reasonable!”

“The price is your life,” Mr. Owl stated, gently placing the dragon statue upon the desk.

Mr. Ogg stopped again, his ham-sized hands falling back to his sides. Toad fell silent, too stunned to dare hope that he wasn’t about to be killed.

“Let me explain how this will work, Mr. Toad. If tonight was like any other night I would happily see your neck snapped and toss you out like the bit of filth that you are.” He gave a heavy sigh. “However, the Hickory Guard have become annoyingly tedious ever since that upstart became Captain.”

“Ya mean Dowell?” asked Toad.

“The man has become so inflated with self importance that he’s actually having me followed. Can you imagine? Me?”

“That’s … awful?” said Toad awkwardly, unsure how to respond.

“So, you will forgive me for not wanting to waste Mr. Ogg’s talents on you with so little preplanning.” He gave the window a casual glance. “I’m sure a guard is stationed outside somewhere and disposing of your body without detection will be troublesome to say the least.”

“Pardon me, sir,” Mr. Ogg interrupted, “but it would be no trouble.”

“Ah, Mr. Ogg! How I like you!” Mr. Owl cheered. “Always ready to break a neck. Good fellow!”

“We can stash him in one of the upstairs rooms,” Mr. Ogg continued in his deep, ocean floor voice. “I’ll make sure he won’t bleed.”

“But a body, even in such a large house, will be difficult to hide if Dowell decides to search the place, as he has been hinting at for the last fortnight. No, no, my man. We cannot afford the risk of housing him here.”

Toad sat still in his chair. It wasn’t every day that his own murder was discussed in such a light, conversational manner.

M.L LeGette:

Melissa Lee LeGette has been writing seriously since she was a teen. She loves an old world vibe with a magical twist, and she puts her full focus on creating believable characters–even if they happen to be a talking beer mug. Her books are targeted for children and teens, but have been enjoyed by adults of all ages.

She lives in Georgia where she helps run a family farm, so her nails are a fright.

Website * Twitter * Facebook * Pinterest * Goodreads

Praise:

[LeGette is] able to twist her unique fairy-tales to fit the imagination of children and the attention of adults. Five stars … The Orphan and the Thief is definitely worth reading! – Abigail / Goodreads Review

M.L. Legette conjures up a captivating magical tale in The Orphan and the Thief. I loved this story and I could not put my Kindle down until I finished the last page. This charming story is so good that it may very well become a classic. – Karen Dowdall, Author of Delphi Altair: Strange Beginnings

Blast Giveaway

$50 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash

Ends 3/23/14 – click here to enter Rafflecopter giveaway

Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code or Paypal Cash. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. Giveaway was organized by Kathy from I Am A Reader, Not A Writer and sponsored by the author. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.

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$50 Book Blast: From Gods by Mary Ting

From Gods by Mary Ting

Did you just see a flash of lightning across the sky on a clear sunny day? Don’t blame Mother Nature.

Skylar Rome should have been having the best summer ever, before heading off to college. Suddenly her whole life changes while visiting her cousin, and meeting the Grand brothers; Mason, in particular. Though she’s sure he is someone she should stay away from, the attraction was undeniable.

Strange things begin to happen, throwing

Skylar’s life into turmoil. Implausibly, she gets caught up in a world where the descendants of ancient gods have super powers, and evil beings are after her. Not only are her discoveries difficult to accept, but now she is running

out of time and running for her life, while trying to unravel the mystery of what they want from her. Forced into a battle set into motion long before she was born, will Skylar find the answers she seeks, or will she die trying?

 

Praise for From Gods

“A fast paced adventure full of mystery, action, magic and romance! Readers won’t be able to put this book down!” ~InD’tale Magazine

“From Gods takes mythology to a whole new level of imagination with its incredible plot and amazing characters. It’s full of hotness that you never want to end!” ~Michele, Insane About Books

“From Gods by the AMAZING AUTHOR Mary Ting is OMGods good!! If you even LIKE Greek Mythology, set aside some time because you will DEVOUR Mary Ting’s Demi Gods and Vultures!!!” ~Mindy, Books Complete Me

“This book is “electric” as it blends paranormal romance, mythology (which I love), action and suspense together for an amazing read. Mary Ting, you’ve done it again! This book exceeded my expectations and I was literally blown away as if I were struck by lightning!” ~Vanessa, Fairiechick’s Fantasy Book Reader

Grab your copy for just .99 cents!

Author Mary Ting

Bestselling/award-winning author Mary Ting resides in Southern California with her husband and two children. She enjoys oil painting and making jewelry. Writing her first novel, Crossroads Saga, happened by chance. It was a way to grieve the death of her beloved grandmother, and inspired by a dream she once had as a young girl. When she started reading new adult novels, she fell in love with the genre. It was the reason she had to write one-Something Great. Why the pen name, M Clarke? She tours with Magic Johnson Foundation to promote literacy and her children’s chapter book-No Bullies Allowed.

BookBlast Giveaway

$50 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash

Ends 3/23/14 – CLICK HERE TO ENTER VIA RAFFLECOPTER

Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code or Paypal Cash. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. Giveaway was organized by Kathy from I Am A Reader, Not A Writer and sponsored by the author. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Tori St. Claire Gets Brazen with “Unravel Me” (Entangled Brazen)

Whew, it’s getting hot in here! Author Tori St. Claire is here to talk about, UNRAVEL ME, her new steamy romance from Entangled’s Brazen imprint. I suggest y’all get something cold to drink before you grab this book…you’re going to need it! 

Tori St. Claire: Unraveling “Unravel Me”

Good morning, everyone!  Thank you so much for having me here today.  I’m so excited to be talking about my first Entangled Brazen release, UnravelMe.  It seems like I’ve been waiting forever to get to do so, and the whole “Debut author” feeling has returned in triplicate!

I set out two years ago, during the Entangled Smackdown with NANWRIMO to craft something new, something fun, something shorter than my Black Opals books.  Something sexy but slightly different.  And as I piddled around with plot ideas, I kept coming back to reluctant partners.  Who could I shove together who wouldn’t want to be together, and why the heck would anyone not want to be with a hot male hero?

Hm.  How about a pair of attorneys who had a crazy one-nighter before discovering they were working collaboratively on a case?  That might mix things up a bit.

As it turns out, it was probably one of the most fun writes I’ve had in a long while.  Particularly when they discover who their unforgettable strangers are.  My favorite scene in the entire book is Cassie’s reaction to seeing Brad after the event.  But as I wrote, I discovered I needed something deeper, something that was a little more angsty. Someone made a comment to me once in discussing a different book, which included a suggestion I didn’t choose to incorporate.  As I put together UNRAVEL ME, that comment kept coming back to mind:  It makes sense to have an alpha heroine want to let go of everything and be submissive in the bedroom.

The more I typed away, the more Cassie became that woman.  A confident and successful attorney, more than capable of handling her own affairs, put together and stable…which she achieved through playing by the rules.  Yet secretly, she craves the ability to let everything go, to give someone else the reins and not have to make decisions.  Don’t we all feel that way now and then?  What to make for dinner?  What approach to take in a particular aspect of our work?  Do we mow the lawn today, or hire the neighbor kid?  What tires to buy, for goodness sake.

As Cassie soon discovers, Brad offers a particular freedom she’s never known, and though she’s hesitant to embrace this discovery, she can’t resist.  It’s like chocolate sitting right in front of us.  Leave it there too long, and after a while, will-power becomes nill.

The result is Unravel Me, which to my delight manages to incorporate the heat my readers have expected from Tori St. Claire but won’t make my readers who’ve followed my contemporary romances as Claire Ashgrove uncomfortable.

It’s been a year and a half since that fateful NANOWRIMO endeavor, and I hope you’ll share my enthusiasm by checking it out!   Right now, as part of Entangled’s birthday celebration, it’s available for only .99 Cents.  Maybe you can let go of all the thinking along with Cassie for just a little bit!

~Tori

Unravel Me

Entangled Brazen
Barnes & Noble
Amazon
iBooks

Letting go might be the key that unlocks her pleasure…

Attorney Cassie Blaire has spent most of her life living by rules. Rules that keep her life sensible, and on the right path. But five years after losing her husband, Cassie is saying sayonara to “sensible.” And it starts now—with indulging a need she’s long denied.

When he arrives in Colorado, all Brad Steele wants is a scotch before he has to play nice in the first face-to-face meeting with his co-counsel in an ugly divorce case. But instead, he finds her—a lush, inviting stranger whose dark eyes invite him to sin…and thirst turns into a raw, undeniable hunger.

Now Cassie is initiated into a world that has nothing to do with being sensible, and everything to do with sensuality. Under Brad’s guiding touch, she’s receiving an education in desire—one that breaks all of the old rules, and explores tantalizing new ones. And once she learns that her naughty one-nighter is her arrogant co-counsel, all of her objections will be sustained…

Author Bio

National Bestselling Author Tori St. Claire grew up writing. Hobby quickly turned into passion when she discovered the world of romance as a teen. Poems and short stories gave way to full-length novels with sexy heroes and heroines. She wrote her first romance novel at seventeen.

While that manuscript gathered dust-bunnies beneath the bed, she established herself as Claire Ashgrove, an award-winning, contemporary, historical, and paranormal author. For those who prefer a taste of old-world charm and chivalry, she also established historical romance author, Sophia Garrett. Her writing, however, skirted a fine line between hot and steamy, and motivated by authors she admired, she made the leap into sexier stories where the intimate relationship forges unbreakable ties.

www.toristclaire.com
www.claireashgrove.com
www.authorsophiagarrett.com
Twitter: @ClaireAshgrove
Facebook Tori Page
Facebook Claire Page
Facebook Sophia Page

Road Trip 6: Deadwood, SD and Mt. Moriah Cemetery

It’s been a while, but road trip pics are back! Last fall we surprised the kids with a 5,000 mile road trip to the wild west, where we missed most of the national parks thanks to the govt shutdown (grrr) but we still had a BLAST. I took thousands of pictures (literally) and I’ve been sharing some of my favorites. Today we visit Deadwood, SD and the famed Mt. Moriah Cemetery. (If you’ve missed previous posts, links will be found following these images.)

Our first view of Deadwood (our RV park is at that first left visible just after the curve)

The famed Mount Moriah Cemetery, resting place of Wild Bill Hickok, Calamity Jane, and Seth Bullock.

Deadwood’s first lawman, Seth Bullock, is buried here along with his wife, Martha. This gravesite is 750 feet beyond the cemetery proper — a steep hike up loose gravel, but definitely worth the trip.

A view of Deadwood from Mt. Moriah. The buildings to your right line Main Street.

Mt. Moriah Cemetery – The paths through the cemetery are named so it’s easier to find the numerous famous folks within.

Wild Bill Hickok’s hand-carved grave marker.

Another view of Mt. Moriah Cemetery

A re-enactment of Wild Bill Hickok’s murder in Saloon No. 10

This is the actual building where Wild Bill was shot on August 2, 1876.

A view of Deadwood’s Main street.

The taller building is the Bullock Hotel, so named for the first sheriff of Deadwood, Seth Bullock. The hotel is widely reported to be haunted. (They didn’t have any vacancies or we’d have stayed there.)

We had company at the RV park, which if you’ll recall from the first picture is right there on Main Street. Most of the long, narrow town backs up to steep hillside. We happened to have a creek by our RV site, so we enjoyed quite a few visitors, including this one.

Next we hit the road for Wyoming and Devil’s Tower, the exposed cone of a volcano that makes for one heck of a landmark. Meanwhile, if you’ve missed any pics, you’ll find them here:

Roadtrip 1: highlights and favorites from the road
Roadtrip 2: on the road 
Roadtrip 3: on the road (still)
Roadtrip 4: Mt. Rushmore and the Black Hills of SD
Roadtrip 5: Badlands National Park, SD

$100 #Giveaway and Guest Blog: The Billionaire’s Demands by Addison Fox (Entangled Indulgence)

Please welcome Addison Fox as she talks character development, the Boardrooms and Billionaires series, and her new Entangled Indulgence release THE BILLIONAIRE’S DEMANDS. 

Addison Fox: When It’s Right, It’s Right

My thanks to Sarah for hosting me today on the blog. I am always up for a day spent discussing yummy heroes, smart, sassy heroines, hot heroes, fun stories and…did I mention…to-die-for heroes?

I don’t know about you, but it’s so important to me to feel for the characters I’m reading about. I want those two people to speak to me on some level. I don’t have to like them right away, but I do have to like them together.

As a writer, it’s no different. And what I’ve learned over time is that one of the most significant parts of my process is falling in love with the couples who speak to me as a writer. Who are they? Why do they belong together? And why should I spend the next several months of my life hanging out with them?!?!

Camryn McBride and Booth Harrison, the couple in THE BILLIONAIRE’S DEMANDS, absolutely fit that bill. When I began writing the Boardrooms and Billionaires series, I always saw the McBride sisters very clearly in my mind. Three sisters – thick as thieves – who have spent the last decade bringing their family magazine empire back from the brink of financial ruin.

And while I definitely saw oldest sister, Keira, and her corporate raider hero, Nathan, they took some getting to know as I wrote them. The same was true for youngest sister, Mayson. She and her bad boy, Holt, took some time as I dug under the surface to figure out who they were.

Camryn and Booth on the other hand….hoo boy! I knew these two from the very start. Something about them – shy, reserved Camryn and golden boy Booth – were complete, three-dimensional characters from the moment they crossed each other’s paths.

That understanding of both of them made writing this book a true joy. I loved seeing the push-pull between them – that slow slide into love that is as inevitable as the rising sun. Camryn and Booth belong together.

***

Camryn saw the light in his eyes—and his intent—for the briefest moment before he moved. And then she was wrapped in strong arms and pulled against a broad chest that was deliciously impressive, even through the layers of his suit jacket and crisp white dress shirt.

“Show me.” His words were a murmured whisper against her lips before he claimed her for his own.

The heated moments earlier on the pier had nothing on this kiss, Camryn realized abstractly before she stopped thinking and allowed Booth to drag them both into the abyss. For the life of her, she couldn’t quite understand how moments that were long and languid with need could be so insistent.

So urgent.

With his mouth pressed to hers, Booth’s tongue slipped through her parted lips as one hand shifted to caress her jaw. The intimacy of the moment—and their merged breath—only reinforced that strange understanding that had seemed to beat between them from the first.

Although their interactions had been limited, every moment in his company was comfortable. Familiar. Even while the distinct notes of discomfort played underneath, making her fully aware of the increasing attraction she couldn’t deny.

As his lips moved with masterful precision over hers, Camryn had to admit she was quickly coming not to care. Why deny something that felt so damn good?

With that thought foremost in her thoughts, she shifted her hands from where they lay pressed to his chest to slip underneath his suit jacket, fisting the material of his dress shirt above the waistband of his slacks. Hard muscle bunched underneath her fingertips, thick and ropy with strength. Desire flooded her limbs at his hard, masculine frame, and need burned her blood. She wanted this man.

The subtle arguments she’d made to herself over the last several weeks—that anything physical would be too complicated or messy or ultimately heartbreaking—seemed very far away at the reality of being in his arms.

                                                            ***

I’d love to hear about some of your favorite couples. What books have you read where the hero and heroine leapt off the page, so clearly right for each other you simply knew it from page one.

Thanks for sharing part of your day with me!

Happy Reading!

Addison

The Billionaire’s Demands

Booth Harrison has made a habit of getting what he wants, be it a new addition to the Harrison media empire, or a better relationship with his half-brother.  But meeting his brother’s new sister-in-law, Camryn McBride, poses a new challenge.  The savvy CFO of McBride Media has a brain he wants to pick…and a body he needs to claim.

Camyrn has spent the past few years helping to rebuild her family’s magazine company, focusing on that rather than her disastrous personal life.  But when Booth Harrison invites her to be the keynote speaker at a sales conference in Hawaii, she’s tempted to combine business with pleasure.

But meeting the billionaire’s demands won’t be easy, because someone doesn’t want a merger between them to happen.

Buy Links @ Amazon | Barnes and Noble

Addison Fox

Addison Fox can’t remember a time when words weren’t part of her life. An avid reader, her love of the written word started at the tender age of one with The Owl and the Pussycat by Edward Lear (a poem she could recite by heart to any family member who would listen.) Dr. Seuss, C.S. Lewis, Judy Blume and a host of others quickly followed until she discovered THE CLAN OF THE CAVE BEAR by Jean M. Auel while writing a paper at the library in the seventh grade. Although not a classic romance, Ayla and Jondalar’s love story moved her firmly into the romance section and she hasn’t looked back!

Addison writes paranormal and contemporary romance for NAL, category-length romantic suspense for Harlequin Romantic Suspense and category-length contemporary romance for Entangled Indulgence.

Addison lives in Dallas. She loves to get email from readers.

Follow her @ Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

Giveaway

Click here to enter the $100 gift card giveaway!

$100 #Giveaway: The Billionaire’s Demands by Addison Fox (Entangled Indulgence)

New from Entangled Indulgence!

The Billionaire’s Demands

Booth Harrison has made a habit of getting what he wants, be it a new addition to the Harrison media empire, or a better relationship with his half-brother.  But meeting his brother’s new sister-in-law, Camryn McBride, poses a new challenge.  The savvy CFO of McBride Media has a brain he wants to pick…and a body he needs to claim.

Camyrn has spent the past few years helping to rebuild her family’s magazine company, focusing on that rather than her disastrous personal life.  But when Booth Harrison invites her to be the keynote speaker at a sales conference in Hawaii, she’s tempted to combine business with pleasure.

But meeting the billionaire’s demands won’t be easy, because someone doesn’t want a merger between them to happen.

Buy Links @ Amazon | Barnes and Noble

Addison Fox

Addison Fox can’t remember a time when words weren’t part of her life. An avid reader, her love of the written word started at the tender age of one with The Owl and the Pussycat by Edward Lear (a poem she could recite by heart to any family member who would listen.) Dr. Seuss, C.S. Lewis, Judy Blume and a host of others quickly followed until she discovered THE CLAN OF THE CAVE BEAR by Jean M. Auel while writing a paper at the library in the seventh grade. Although not a classic romance, Ayla and Jondalar’s love story moved her firmly into the romance section and she hasn’t looked back!

Addison writes paranormal and contemporary romance for NAL, category-length romantic suspense for Harlequin Romantic Suspense and category-length contemporary romance for Entangled Indulgence.

Addison lives in Dallas. She loves to get email from readers.

Follow her @ Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

Giveaway

Click here to enter the $100 gift card giveaway!

HAWTHORNE is Back! Read the First Chapter Now…FREE.

“This is a marvelous ghost story. The mystery, the suspense, the eeriness – all collaborate to weave a spell-binding tale . . . The story seamlessly flows to a shocking ending that is utterly brilliant.”  – Coffee Time Romance 

“When I finished it, honestly, all I could do was sit there – a little awestruck.”  – Kick Back & Review

HAWTHORNE, first published by Astraea Press in 2011, is back as a self-published work available on Amazon. It’s FREE if you’re a member of Amazon Prime, but if not, no worries. You can grab a copy for only $1.29. No Kindle? No problem. Download FREE Kindle reading apps for your favorite devices by clicking here.

Okay, enough of my babbling. Here’s a look at the book!

Hawthorne

After a terrifying encounter with the unexplained, it takes ten years and the news of her grandmother’s passing for Emma Grace Hawthorne to return to her childhood home. She seeks peace in saying a proper goodbye, but what she finds is an old love, a sordid family history, and a wrong only she can right.

Living in the shadow of Hawthorne Manor, Noah Garrett has never forgotten about Emma Grace. In a house full of secrets, his search for missing documents reveals a truth that can cost him everything. What he finds gave Emma the freedom to walk away from the mansion, her heart free and clear, but at what price to Noah?

Find it @ Amazon 

Title: HAWTHORNE
Author: Sarah Ballance
Genre: Supernatural Romance
Release Date: February 11, 2014
ISBN 13: 978-0-9889995-1-0
Available format(s): ebook

Hawthorne | Excerpt
Chapter One

The car slowed to a stop and a decade’s worth of memories tumbled onto the sun-blanched asphalt.

Hawthorne Manor.

The hand-painted sign hadn’t changed in years. Despite the thick stew of humid air filling the Louisiana landscape, the wood display remained inexplicably unaffected. There it sat—every meticulously scripted letter as crisp and clean as the stark white walls of the manor it lauded, oblivious to the passage of time.

Emma Hawthorne tensed in the seat of the Mustang convertible and stared at her past. Uncertainty churned into unease, the effects of which sent terror flailing in her gut. Anywhere else, the view would have been gorgeous. The drive, lined on both sides with live oak laden with Spanish moss, was the South personified. At the end, Hawthorne Manor held court. Pristine, proud, the boastful antebellum home beamed, lording over its acreage.

But it harbored the unspeakable. No amount of time could erase what happened to her on the other side of the expanse of green lawn. Nothing could change what she’d seen there. Some might say she was crazy — that she’d imagined or invented the whole ordeal — but her scars were all the proof she needed. Whether the shadows lurking behind the façade of the picturesque plantation were real or born of an overactive imagination, there was no way she was going back into that house.

Especially not for a dead woman.

Sparing a glance in the rearview mirror, Emma steeled herself against a trembling in her hands that threatened to overtake her body. She released a pent-up breath, her heart settling into a less acrobatic rhythm at the thought of leaving. She didn’t have to stay here.

Let the South win this one. She was going home.

A split second later, something caught her eye. She blinked, trying to see through the swaying canopy of leaves and moss, certain a figure stood atop the widow’s walk straddling the roofline of the house. But no one—

Something brushed the car, rocking it. Swallowing panic, Emma tried to tear her focus from Hawthorne Manor, but fear kept her from looking anywhere else. Time and distance hadn’t done her any favors; she was a fool for coming anywhere near this place, much less with the ragtop down.

The car rocked harder. The something refused to be ignored.

Panic tightened her throat. Fighting it — fighting the remnants of her past that beckoned and taunted from the walls of the manor home — Emma forced herself to look away from the house, toward the intrusion over her left shoulder.

The first thing she saw was an aged set of gnarled fingers resting on the door, blue automotive paint showing through an ugly translucence.

The second was the face — withered, centurion, and expressionless. Haunting.

Familiar.

Her.

Emma screamed.

***

It couldn’t be her.

Noah Garrett tore down the drive, slapping through a muggy afternoon haze comprised of mosquitoes and humidity. He couldn’t know that scream, but he felt the connection the moment the sound of her fear pierced the thick air.

Emma Grace.

The one reason he allowed himself to stagnate on the old plantation, long after life and reason moved on without him. Long after she had.

A blue Mustang sat at the end of the driveway. He wondered if it could be hers — even as he knew it impossible — but she was nowhere in sight.

He slowed to a trot. The sprint left him drenched with sweat and not entirely disappointed his imagination had gotten away from him. His decade-old longing for another chance to see Emma Grace had never included himself as a dripping mess. He wiped the moisture from his brow, fast concluding the car must belong to a tourist. They often parked at the end of the drive and took pictures of the condescending mansion most thought beautiful. He assumed the intrusion seemed small to their frequent guests, but the constant ding of the hidden bell announcing a visitor could drive a man to the edge.

As if losing Emma Grace hadn’t already accomplished that.

Noah closed in on the convertible, giving the nearby grounds a cursory look. The lawn was meticulous, the beds overflowing with sprays of purple garden phlox which trailed around the bend in the road and disappeared. A riot of white and rust-red irises backed the smaller purple flowers, their leaves deep green and glossy. Overhead, Spanish moss swayed only occasionally atop a maze of live oak, more likely a result of a passing swarm of insects than an actual air current. The land was still. If there were tourists snapping photos of the historic plantation — or doing anything else — he didn’t see them. But someone had been there. The car was certainly real, even if that too-familiar scream had been a figment of his imagination.

Wasn’t it always?

Resigned to another night alone with his memories, Noah pivoted.

And found himself nose to nose with Emma Grace.

Astounded, he opened his mouth, then closed it. He wanted to reach for her, but his arms refused the notion; they hung uselessly by his sides, the effort futile. His mouth wasn’t much on cooperation, either. Finally, he found his tongue. “Em—”

Her expression cut him off. Green eyes wide, skin pale, her small frame shaking, she spoke. “I saw her, Noah. She’s back.” The words, nearly soundless, seemed to catch in the thick air. Lingering. Threatening.

And ripping the heart from his chest.

Find it @ Amazon 

New from Entangled Indulgence: Inara Scott’s Bencher Family Bundle

ABOUT RULES OF NEGOTIATION  

Title: Rules of Negotiation

Genre: Romance

Author: Inara Scott

Publisher: Entangled Indulgence

Pages: 181

Language: English

Format: Ebook

In a no-strings attached fling, NYC’s most eligible bachelor, Brit Bencher, vows to make a high-powered corporate attorney, Tori Anderson, feel like a woman. But what will she do when he decides he won’t take “one night stand” for an answer? 

AMAZON

 ~*~*~

ABOUT THE BOSS’S FAKE FIANCE

Title: The Boss’s Fake Fiance

Genre: Romance

Author: Inara Scott

Publisher: Entangled Indulgence

Pages: 168

Language: English

Format: Ebook

No relationships, that’s billionaire Garth Solen’s rule—especially not with a woman like his new employee Melissa Bencher, who thinks with her heart and not her head. But all bets are off when Melissa tries to make her jerk ex-boyfriend jealous by suggesting that she’s dating her gorgeous boss. The game is clear: for one month, they play the part of an engaged couple, and then they part ways. No emotions. No entanglements. But when it comes to matters of the heart, Melissa’s never been good at following the rules…

AMAZON

 ~*~*~

ABOUT FALLING FOR MR. WRONG

Title: Falling for Mr. Wrong

Genre: Romance

Author: Inara Scott

Publisher: Entangled Indulgence

Pages: 200

Language: English

Format: Ebook

Kelsey is as far from Ross Bencher’s ideal as a woman can get, but she continues to bewitch him at every turn. As a single father of three, Ross knows the kind of woman he needs: someone predictable, reliable, and safe; someone who can give his kids the security they deserve. Someone completely different from Kelsey, his temporary nanny, who only has the Himalayan climbing expedition on her mind. She knows that she can’t afford any second-guessing, attachments, or distractions, but try telling that to her heart when Ross’s blue eyes and strong hands leave her gasping… and questioning everything she’s ever known about love.

AMAZON

 ~*~*~

ABOUT INARA SCOTT

Bestselling author Inara Scott grew up on a steady diet of true love, heaving bosoms, and happily ever after. Romance inspired her first novel, penned at the age of 14, titled A Wild and Stormy Passion. Today, Inara writes anything and everything, including young adult fiction and adult romance. Inara loves to hear from readers, and can often be found avoiding actual work by playing on Twitter (@inarascott) and Facebook (www.facebook.com/inarawrites).

TWITTER *FACEBOOK * WEBSITE *GOODREADS

 

When Honey Got Married and Tycoon Reunion Book Bundle (Entangled Indulgence)

Check out the latest bundle from Entangled Publishing’s Indulgence line of contemporary romance!

Tycoon Reunion

Genre: Romance

Author: Candace Havens and Shannon Leigh

Publisher: Entangled Indulgence

Language: English

Format: Ebook

Sparks fly when a project brings a heartbreaker back to town and into the path of the woman he left behind. He’s determined to win her over in the boardroom … and the bedroom! 

AMAZON

Pippa Bared All

Genre: Romance

Author: Ally Blake

Publisher: Entangled Indulgence

Language: English

Format: Ebook

A When Honey Got Married… Novella

The groom proposed to her eight years earlier, but it was the steamy kiss that Pippa shared with his brother the night she left town that haunted her memories. Now she’s back and sharing much more than just kisses.

Bonus story included!

When Honey Got Married…

Nothing was going to ruin Honey’s wedding to the man of her dreams. And she has just the wedding surprise for her beloved groom!

AMAZON

Nina Tempted the Lord

Genre: Romance

Author: Kelly Hunter

Publisher: Entangled Indulgence

Language: English

Format: Ebook

A When Honey Got Married… Novella

The sister of the bride needed a date of convenience and who better than her hazel-eyed, mysterious co-worker? If only Nina could keep her hands off his perfect body until she learned his true identity…

AMAZON

Grace Felt the Heat

Genre: Romance

Author: Kimberly Lang

Publisher: Entangled Indulgence

Language: English

Format: Ebook

A When Honey Got Married… Novella

A wedding planner should never mix business and pleasure, but Grace couldn’t resist breaking rule number one for a hot night with her high school crush!

AMAZON

 

Eve Met Her Match

Genre: Romance

Author: Anna Cleary

Publisher: Entangled Indulgence

Language: English

Format: Ebook

A When Honey Got Married… Novella

A wedding planner should never mix business and pleasure, but Grace couldn’t resist breaking rule number one for a hot night with her high school crush!

AMAZON

~*~*~*~*~*~

ABOUT THE AUTHORS

Candace Havens

Bestselling author Candace Havens has written multiple novels for Berkley, Entangled and Harlequin. Her books have received nominations for the RITA’s, Holt Medallion and Write Touch Reader Awards. She is the author of the biography Joss Whedon: The Genius Behind Buffy and a contributor to several anthologies. She is also one of the nation’s leading entertainment journalists and has interviewed countless celebrities including Tom Hanks, Nicolas Cage, Tom Cruise, George Clooney and many more. Her entertainment columns can be read in more than 600 newspapers across the country. And she is the Editorial Director for the Covet, Edge and Select lines at Entangled Publishing. Candace also runs a free online writing workshop for more than 2200 writers, and teaches comprehensive writing class. She does film reviews with the Hawkeye & Dorsey on 96.3, and is a former President of the Television Critics Association.

Candace’s TWITTER *FACEBOOK * WEBSITE   

Ally Blake

Australian novelist Ally Blake is a redhead, a footy fan, and a devotee of the language of Aaron Sorkin. She is addicted to stationery and M&Ms, weak in the face of Italians and firefighters, married to a spectacular and ever-patient man, mum to three beings of pure delight, and a firm believer in love, luck, and fairies.

She is also a best-selling romance writer with more than twenty-five fun, flirty romance novels under her belt.  Published through Harlequin Mills and Boon and Entangled Publishing, and author of the romantic adventure Facebook page 50 Days with Rose, over three million copies of Ally’s books have sold worldwide.

For Ally’s take on life, writing, and other fancy stuff, follow her on Facebook and Twitter.

Ally’s TWITTER *FACEBOOK * WEBSITE 

Kelly Hunter 

Australian born Kelly Hunter writes short contemporary romance for Harlequin Mills &Boon and even shorter contemporary romance for herself. First published in 2007, Kelly’s books have finalled once in the Romance Writers of Australia’s RUBY award, six times in the Australian Romance Readers Awards, twice in the Romantic Times Readers Choice Awards and have been nominated three times for a RITA. Thus inspired, Kelly keeps writing them.

Why short category romance and not a bigger wordcount? Aside from a deep and abiding admiration for the shorter form, Kelly has a three-month book-writing attention span. If she ever learns to write faster or pay attention longer she may write longer books.

Kelly’s TWITTER *FACEBOOK * WEBSITE 

Kimberly Lang 

Kimberly Lang isn’t one of those people who always knew she wanted to be a writer. She actually wanted to be a ballerina, but puberty failed to deliver the required swan-like elegance. That dream scuttled, she went on to get her Master’s Degree in English – and she has the bartending skills to prove it. At her husband’s insistence, she quit teaching in 2007 to write full-time, and in May 2008, sold her first book to Harlequin’s London office. That book, The Secret Mistress Arrangement, debuted at number nine on the Borders Series Bestseller list and won the 2009 National Readers’ Choice Award for Best First Book.

Since then, Kimberly’s books have appeared on the USA Today, Amazon, Borders, and Bookscan bestseller lists, and have been translated into more than a dozen languages. (And, yes, that’s really cool.)

She’s married to her college sweetheart, whom she affectionately (but appropriately) calls her Darling Geek, and is Mom to the most brilliant and beautiful child on the planet (aptly nicknamed Amazing Child). She started taking yoga-based fitness because she eats way too many jelly beans while writing, and became an instructor once she figured out that spending time with her butt over her head helped spark her creativity. More than one sticky plot point has been solved in the Down Dog position.  She has no hobbies because she doesn’t have time, but if she did, they’d include knitting, skiing and ballroom dancing, because they sound like they might be fun.

Kimberly’s TWITTER *FACEBOOK * WEBSITE 

Anna Cleary

Anna Cleary is an affectionate Australian who discovered that writing is an even more powerful means of escape than reading.To this end she writes romance novels that are flirty and funny, sometimes weepy or dramatic, always emotional, and often piping hot.

Anna enjoys her family and friends, adores music and the arts, has an ongoing love affair with Italy, and is kept under constant surveillance by a thoughtful and deeply sensitive cat.

She loves to hear from readers.

Write to her at www.annacleary.com

Anna’s WEBSITE 

$50 #Giveaway: Lumière by Jacqueline E. Garlick

Lumière by Jacqueline E. Garlick

One determined girl.

One resourceful boy.

One miracle machine that could destroy everything…

After an unexplained flash shatters her world, seventeen-year-old Eyelet Elsworth sets out to find the Illuminator, her father’s prized invention. With it, she hopes to cure herself of her debilitating seizures before Professor Smrt—her father’s arch nemesis—discovers her secret and locks her away in an asylum.

Pursued by Smrt, Eyelet locates the Illuminator only to see it whisked away. She follows the thief into the world of the unknown, compelled not only by her quest but by the allure of the stranger—Urlick Babbit—who harbors secrets of his own.

Together, they endure deadly Vapours and criminal-infested woods in pursuit of the same goal, only to discover the miracle machine they hoped would solve their problems may in fact be their biggest problem of all.

When darkness is safer than light…

Amazon * Barnes & Noble

Praise

“One of the most inventive story worlds I’ve read in years…” Donald Maass, Author of Writing the Breakout Novel, Writing 21st Century Fiction, and The Fire in Fiction

“Such an engaging story featuring witty dialogue, gripping action scenes and a romance that will make your heart melt!” Laurel May

“I liked the mix of reminders I got from authors like Mervyn Peake, L.Frank Baum and Ray Bradbury. I’m sure that every reader will find shades of other famous writers, including or excluding these three.” Richard L. Bunning

“Eyelet and Urlick, the two main characters… There’s so much to love! They are like salt and pepper: totally different, spicy, argumentative, and brilliantly smart.” Rosemary Danielis

Excerpt From Lumière:

“Wait!” I shout, surging forward, shouldering my way through the crowd. I fight my way to the front and pound on the doors of the carriage. “Please!” I shout. “I need to speak to you!” But the stranger doesn’t hear.

He brings his whip down hard over his horse’s back and the carriage leaps forward, parting the angry crowd like soil in a furrowed field. “Wait!” I hoist my skirts and chase after the carriage. “Please!” I shout. “Please! Wait!”

A second crack of the whip and the carriage moves faster. I race on, struggling to keep up to its side. If I lose sight of the carriage, I’ve lost everything. All hope of ever leading a normal life.

I can’t let that happen.

Won’t let that happen.

He will not take my father’s machine.

“Please, I beg you, stop the coach!” I lunge, throwing myself at the back of the coach, barely catching a toe on the edge of the running boards, embedding my nails into the carriage’s seams. The carriage bursts forward through the streets of Gears, the city fast becoming a memory.

“Stop!” I plead as my boot slips from the running boards. I swing out to one side and dangle by one arm.

The stranger at the mount turns his head. “What are you doing?” he shouts. “Get off!”

“Get off?”

I kick my way back up onto the platform.

“I said get off!” he shouts again.

“I won’t!” I say, hoisting, myself up higher onto the cab.

My foot slips again and I sink beneath the rooftop, striking my chin hard on the way down. Grasping at the coach’s seams I desperately try to hold on, the toes of my boots burrowing twisted trenches in the dirt road below. My heart lodges in my throat as I lose my grip and swing out again to the opposite side.

“Bloody Hell!” I hear the stranger curse.

His face appears over the top of the cab seconds later. His eyes are lit like flares. I hang by the tips of my fingers, shocked, staring up at him. I don’t know whether to scream or cry.

Author Jacqueline E. Garlick

I’m Jacqueline Garlick. Author of YA, New Adult, and Women’s Fiction. I love strong heroines, despise whiny sidekicks, and adore a good story about a triumphant underdog. I love to read, write, paint (walls and paper) and plan cool writing events for cool writers. I have a love/hate relationship with chocolate, grammar, and technology. I prefer creating things to cleaning things, and baking to cooking. I believe laughter is a one-stop-shop solution to all that ails you and if that doesn’t work there’s always Ellen Degeneres. You will always find a purple wall (or two) in my house (perhaps even a door) and a hidden passageway that leads to a mystery room. (Okay, so you won’t find a hidden passageway but a girl can dream, can’t she?) Oh, and tea. There will always be tea. I love specialty teas…and collecting special teacups from which to drink them. (See website for collection.)

In my former life, I was a teacher (both grade school and college-don’t ask) and more recently I’ve been a graduate of Ellen Hopkin’s Nevada Mentor Program and a student of James Scott Bell, Christopher Vogler and Don Maass. An excerpt from Lumière earned me the 2012 Don Maass Break Out Novel Intensive Scholarship.

Lumière—A Romantic Steampunk Fantasy—is my debut novel, Book One in my young adult The Illumination Paradox Series. I am represented by Josh Adams of Adams Literary.

Website * Twitter * Facebook * Pinterest

BookBlast Giveaway

$50 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash

Ends 3/14/14 - Click here to enter Rafflecopter giveaway

Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code or Paypal Cash. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. Giveaway was organized by Kathy from I Am A Reader, Not A Writer and sponsored by the author. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.

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