Sarah Ballance's Blog, page 23

Entangled Launches Flirt and Flaunt Novellas (Many, Many #Giveaways)

We have so much awesome in here today! Entangled Publishing is launching its Flaunt (super sexy) and Flirt (sweeter) novella lines, and they’re doing so in a big, BIG way. We have a TON of giveaways with some incredible prizes, so get comfy. There’s a lot to check out!

 

Entangled Flirt Novellas and Giveaway

Flirt Tour Giveaway

Nook, a $50 Amazon/B&N Gift Card, and a $25 Ghiradelli Gift Card

CLICK HERE TO ENTER

Letters From Home

Bethanne Strasser
Entangled Flirt
ISBN: 9781622663835

An Army doctor, Lena Rodriguez has always been too busy with school or the Army for romance. But the letters she received during deployment have captured her heart. Back home for the holidays, she awaits Christmas morning to meet the man who has turned her life upside down.

When Zack Benson watched his best friend’s sister Lena leave for Afghanistan, he knew he had to tell her he loved her. So he sent her anonymous love letters. Now that she’s home, he realizes he’s made a tactical error. Lena has fallen for the man in those letters but still thinks of him as a brother. He has to convince her otherwise because if he succeeds, he’ll get the best Christmas present ever. But if he fails, he could lose her for good.

Find it @ Amazon | BN

Second Chance Christmas

Ellen Butler
Entangled Flirt
ISBN: 9781622663804

Prominent DC attorney Emma Taylor is pulled away from a promising date the week before Christmas to pick up her ex-fiance from the ER after a bar fight. She’s in no mood to re-open old wounds, but it’s Christmas and she can’t just leave him alone and injured.

Eight hundred eighty-four days. That’s how much time has passed since Major Colton Evans made the biggest mistake of his life. Even after two tours of duty and too much shrapnel in his leg, it’s still the loss of Emma that haunts him. And if he can win her back, he’ll take any chance.

When she insists he stay with her during the holiday, they put out enough sexual electricity to rival the most decorated house on the block. But will it be enough to light the way to a future together?

Find it @ Amazon | BN

The Blacksmith’s Son

Rebecca Thomas
Entangled Flirt
ISBN: 9781622663798

Captain Quentin Drake returns home after his Naval commission ends to find a young groom being beaten in the village stables. Weary from his travels, Quentin only wants a good night’s sleep, but refuses to turn a blind eye to the lad’s mistreatment. He intervenes, taking the lad to his room, only to discover a woman masquerading as a boy.

After Ally Lockwood’s family dies, she supports herself by assisting the local blacksmith with his horses. She’s not allowed to do the work as a woman, so she dresses as a boy, but her ruse is up when, due to injury, she’s disrobed by a handsome stranger. What starts as a shared supper, leads to so much more…

Find it @ Amazon | BN

White Lie Christmas

Christine Bell & Riley Murphy
Entangled Flirt
ISBN: 9781622664191

The holidays are here, and Leah Latrelle has made a mess of them. When her out-of-town parents’ concern over her non-existent love life threatens to interfere with her father’s health, she invents a boyfriend who quickly turns into a fiancé. Her family is thrilled, and they change their Christmas plans last minute to meet their future son-in-law. Now Leah has no choice but to come up with the goods. She needs a man, fast. When her friend and business partner, Mick, offers himself up as a sacrifice, she’s all over it. He’s handsome, dependable and available for the job.

What could go wrong?

Tis the season, and Mick Kilpatrick can’t say no to a damsel in distress. Especially when that damsel is his luscious business partner who has been the object of his reluctant desire for the past year. He hasn’t pursued anything because being a dad is still priority number one. A sexy woman like Leah will only distract him from what’s really important and he can’t have that. He’ll pretend to be her fiancé, but when it’s over, everything will go back to normal. Sure, he’s fantasized about her once or…a million times but that doesn’t mean he’s in love with her. Does it?

Find it @ Amazon | BN

Her Hot Pursuit: The Caldwell Sisters Trilogy

Hold Me, Thrill Me, Entice Me
Lucianne Rivers
Entangled Flirt
ISBN: 9781622664306

Hold Me  

Still reeling from her mother’s death, news anchor Jane Caldwell’s life is upended further when she learns the father she lost twenty years ago is still alive. Her mother’s will unleashes a manhunt—the Caldwell sisters must find their father, or their mother’s estate will not be settled, and their questions about his disappearance will remain unanswered.

Jane’s search leads her to Guatemala to investigate a man who claims to be her father and heir to the family fortune. Needing a translator, she enlists enigmatic Harrison DeNeuve, a sexy ex-patriot with a penchant for wearing dark sunglasses in public.

As Jane struggles to reunite with her would-be father, Harrison fights to suppress his desire for Jane. He has a secret—one he’s sequestered himself in a third-world jungle hideaway to keep safe—and falling for Jane puts more than his heart at risk.

Jane finds two men in Guatemala—a father and a lover—but can she trust either of them?

Thrill Me

Santa Fe Police Detective Margo Caldwell needs a vacation, but the wild goose chase her mother’s death triggers isn’t quite what she had in mind. Margo and her sisters must locate their father, or the Caldwell estate will remain unsettled—and they’ll never know why their father didn’t return from the Gulf War.

Pursuing a lead, Margo heads to the Virgin Islands in search of Zach Caldwell. To navigate the waters of the Caribbean, she needs a boat and a captain. Too bad Captain Adrian Prince, with his mesmerizing muscles and wicked grin, may be a gunrunner.

Adrian takes Margo on his delivery route to small islands near St. Thomas that hide more than wildlife, booze, and sexy boaters. On a remote, mangrove-ridden patch of sand, they find gun-toting Zach Caldwell. When their mission turns deadly, Margo must save Adrian’s life—and her own—even if she loses her heart in the process.

Entice Me

Robert Rivera, private investigator and former Navy SEAL, alerts Allison to new intel identifying her father as a P.O.W. in Afghanistan. With her sisters out of the country pursuing leads, Allison insists on heading to the war-ravaged country to find him. Robert doesn’t want his naïve client to take the risk. He knows what danger lays in that godforsaken land…he’s lived through it. Barely.

But Allison is determined to go, and Robert can’t let her travel alone. Reluctantly appreciative, Allison quickly realizes how much she needs his guidance and protection, and how deeply she longs for his love. Robert struggles to understand her effect on his battle-weary heart.

The path to Allison’s father is blocked by terrorists, traps and treachery—all demons of Robert’s past. Can he survive a second round with the enemy and keep Allison out of harm’s way?

Find it @ Amazon | BN

Entangled Flaunt Novellas and Giveaways

 November 25 Flaunt Group Tour Promotion

Flaunt Tour Giveaway

Nook, a $50 Amazon/B&N Gift Card, and a $25 Ghiradelli Gift Card

CLICK HERE TO ENTER

Conned

Chloe Cole
ISBN: 9781622664085
Entangled Flaunt

Human sexuality professor Cricket Malloy typically likes bad boys, but when buttoned-up science teacher Tucker Lamb needs help with an experiment on aphrodisiacs, she goes the extra mile to help him out. After all, what could go wrong? He’s totally harmless…

Tucker Lamb was born into a life of a grifter. He used to pride himself on his fast fingers and quicksilver tongue, but ever since being placed in the witness protection program, he’s been on the up and up. Still, something about Cricket Malloy makes him ache to see if his tongue is as fast as it used to be.

Find it @ Amazon | BN | Goodreads
Blog Tour Giveaway: click here to enter to win (one) $50 and (one) $25 e-gift card. Winner’s choice: Amazon/B&N

Cowboy’s Way

Cathryn Fox
ISBN: 9781622664207
Entangled Flaunt

Sports medicine doctor and weekend cowboy, Chase Cooper, is ready to settle down, and he’s beginning to wonder if his best friend from high school, Mari Blair, could be the one that got away.  Coop and his buddies have come up with a plan, but he never imagined it would be Mari’s sister, Julia—the girl who was always off-limits—, who would take him up on his invitation.

When lawyer, Julia Blair, finds herself on a dude ranch half way across the country, only to discover the invitation was meant for her vivacious twin sister, she knows she has two choices—go home alone or walk a day in her sister’s shoes. When she sets eyes on sexy cowboy Chase Cooper, the choice becomes easy. She’s determined to stay and have some carefree fun while at the ranch.

Coop can’t believe the mix up, but when he discovers Julia wants to play, then play they will. When things get steamy and playtime becomes so much more, he’s determined to prove she’s the girl for him. And he’s not above using a few tricks of the trade to get his point across…

Find it @ Amazon | BN | Goodreads
Blog Tour Giveaway: click here to enter to win a $25 Amazon gift card

Falling for the CEO

Audra North
ISBN: 9781622664092
Entangled Flaunt

Finance genius Meredith Klaus prefers numbers to people, especially around the holidays. At least the large sum of money that’s mysteriously vanished from the company accounts will distract her from the ghosts of Christmases past. Until her sexy boss asks her to be his last-minute date to a fundraiser gala, that is, and the promise of a special evening calls to something long-buried in her.

Andrew Stanton, Manhattan’s best-known philanthropist, has worked hard building his reputation in the industry. He offers to work closely with Meredith to fix his company’s financial crisis, but the more time they spend together, the harder it becomes to look at her as just a colleague.

A beautiful dress. A handsome man on her arm. A challenge she can’t refuse. Can they find the missing money and fulfill their holiday wishes, or will Meredith be unable to overcome the demons of her past and lose her chance at happiness?

Find it @ Amazon | BN | Goodreads
Blog Tour Giveaway: click here to enter to win one $25 Amazon gift card and one $10 Amazon gift card

If You Dare

Jessica Lemmon
ISBN: 9781622664214
Entangled Flaunt

SHE’LL MAKE HIM A BET…

Lily McIntire is tired of losing every office wager to her overly cocky—and yeah, devilishly handsome—coworker, Marcus Black. After a few too many tequila shots, and a taunt from Marcus that she’s a wuss, Lily lays down a bet he can’t refuse: One night in the abandoned and spooky Willow Mansion alone for his recent office win, a trip to Hawaii.

HE CAN’T REFUSE…

There’s only one thing Marcus wants more than his upcoming vacation to Hawaii, it’s to take his sexy coworker on a real date. Every time he’s tried to get close to her, she’s shut him down cold. Too bad the sexual tension just keeps climbing the charts. Now, he’ll have to scare her out of the mansion if he has any chance of going out on a real date with her any time soon.

UNTIL ALL BETS ARE OFF…

But in between trying to scare Lily out of her pants and get his hands into them, Marcus realizes there’s more to Willow Mansion than either of them counted on. Suddenly, it’s not just he and Lily that are going “bump in the night”.  If they manage to survive the night and escape the mansion unscathed, can they survive each other in the light of day? Or will what happens at Willow Mansion stay at Willow Mansion?

Find it @ Amazon | BN  | Goodreads
Blog Tour Giveaway: click here to enter to win a $50 gift card. Winner’s choice: Amazon or B&N

Playing Doctor

Jan Meredith
ISBN: 9781622664078
Entangled Flaunt

When a fellow RN jokingly predicts that Beth Roberts will meet a tall, ripped and totally lick-o-licious stranger who will fulfill her deepest desires, it’s supposed to be from across a crowded room, not giving CPR to a wedding guest. Given her tragic love life, Beth has no desire to become involved again, but who could have predicted the ponytailed doctor with the mischievous smile would break through her defenses?

Dr. Gabriel North blamed himself for his wife’s death. Now, after two years of battling guilt and meaningless hookups, he’s ready to move on. When he sees the sexy brunette at his friend’s wedding, his attraction is swift and strong, and he wastes no time in pressing his advantage. One night with the woman who makes him feel alive again isn’t enough, but gaining her trust as a man was going to take more than medical school had prepared him for.

Find it @ Amazon | BN | Goodreads
Blog Tour Giveaway: click here to enter to win one $10 and one $25 gift card. Winner’s choice: Amazon or B&N

Take a Chance – Series Bundle

Diane Alberts
ISBN: 9781622664221
Entangled Flaunt

Try Me -  Take a Chance Book 1

What happens in Vegas…can lead to romance. It took one wild night for Sergeant Jeremy Addison to realize that Vegas? Was a bad idea. Bloody. Bruised.

Dehydrated. Abandoned in the desert, and left to stagger down the road. The only way this leave could get worse was if his savior was his ex-best friend’s sister…and the girl he’d loved since childhood.

The last person Erica expected to find on the roadside was her high school crush. She hadn’t seen Jeremy in seven years—ever since the night he said he loved her, and she ran away. Losing him then had been a mistake, but wanting him now could be catastrophic if he discovered the secret that chased every other man from her life. But with a tall, tattooed Marine determined to prove he’s always been faithful, can Erica resist his advances…or will she surrender ground and give love a try?

Love Me -  Take a Chance Book 2

Thomas Jones has come to Vegas to win yet another account for his marketing company. But when he sits across from beautiful and sensual Brianna Falk to deliver his pitch, his desire to leave Vegas as quickly as possible is replaced by the need to get closer to her.

Yet she resists his charm.Brianna knows a date with Thomas could jeopardize her job, but he’s so maddening and insistent, she has a hard time denying him just one date. But that’s all it can be: one date. Because she has to protect her job and her secrets, even if it means giving up a chance at a life she never thought she’d have again.

Play Me -  Take a Chance Book 3

Even the best-laid plans can go awry.

Single-mom Kiersten Worth knows a bottle of champagne and night of hot, no-strings-attached sex is the perfect solution to her jilted bride blues…and Garrett Kelly, long-time friend and her teenaged son’s sexy basketball coach, is just the stud for the job.

Garrett wants more from the elusive temptress than a casual affair, but he never expects it to come in the form of an unexpected pregnancy. When he proposes an unorthodox solution—move in and raise their baby together—Kiersten has to decide whether to let down her guard and open her heart to the man who secretly loved her for years, or risk losing his tender embrace for good.

Take Me -  Take a Chance Book Four

Married in the morning…

Professional heartbreaker Mike Worth thrived on the chase—and dancer Morgan Collins represented the ultimate prize. But there was no way he was going to throw away his single-man status…not even for an elusive redhead with sparkling eyes and mile-long legs. So how did he let one drunken Vegas night end with I do instead of hell no?

Morgan’s life revolved around her career and she had no intention of letting a man interfere—even if Mike made her question all her rules about love. At his urging, she reluctantly agreed to give their spur-of–moment marriage a chance. But once their trial-honeymoon ended, would she choose to follow the dance and leave her unforgettable husband behind?

Find it @ Amazon | Barnes & Noble
Blog Tour  Giveaway: click here to enter to win a $10 Amazon or Barnes & Noble e-gift card (winner’s choice)

 

#Roadtrip 5: The Badlands are GOOD. Fantastic, Even.

The Badlands were probably my favorite spot on our 5,000 mile, 9-day road trip (with all six kids, yes). The wow factor is every bit as great as that of the Grand Canyon (which I’ve also seen firsthand) but you just don’t see pictures of the Badlands like you do the Grand Canyon. So when I say WOW, I mean WOW. Sadly, we had no idea what awaited us and only had an hour or so to visit before night fell, but we were treated to an an amazing sunset over this landscape that is nothing short of alien…and stunningly beautiful.

The first views of Badlands National Park…thousands of acres of prairie.

Our first view of the canyons and craters of the Badlands. Everyone was absolutely stunned to see this landscape.

This picture was taken just a few feet from the last one. The views were just amazing.

A couple things to see here. First, these guys owned the road and we were in THEIR way, thankyouverymuch. Second, look how the Badlands just go on FOREVER. (Tens of thousands of acres). And finally, see how those little nubby posts are all that stand between the road (which is gravel) and what I assure you is a very, very steep edge? Um, yeah.

They would NOT move. We went through them at an idle, and they were close enough to touch through the open windows. (Not that we did, mind you).

The drop is on one side of the road, and this is the other. Endless prairie.

These are my lovely children…standing on the edge of a cliff. ERMAGERD.

This is easily one of my favorites from the whole trip. That’s my husband on a bluff overlooking the Badlands.

Is this not gorgeous bathed by the light of a sinking sun?

Thar be a bison in the Badlands.

This could not be more gorgeous. 

Growing dusk…and the haze you see is dust from a wind that started kicking like crazy when the sun went down.

Sunset over the Badlands

A bison grazing in the Badlands

Unless you’re really tall (say, better than seven feet or so) that hump is probably higher than your head.

The view in every direction was absolutely breathtaking.

One last look at the prairies of Badlands National Park in South Dakota.

Next we hit the road for historic Deadwood, SD…site of the funniest moment of the whole trip. (I might not win any parenting awards, but I STILL get tears in my eyes from the memory). Next time I have an open day on my blog we’ll visit there. 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

Barbara Bretton: Family Secrets and “Just Desserts” (Kindle Paperwhite #Giveaway)

Please welcome today’s awesome guest, Barbara Bretton. She’s talking secrets and her new e-release, JUST DESSERTS. (If the book sounds familiar, it’s because Berkley previously published the print edition.) And after dessert…what else? A giveaway! Welcome, Barbara!

Barbara Bretton: Family Secrets and “Just Desserts”

Once upon a time, Hayley had believed that a good woman (her) could turn a bad boy (her ex) into a knight in shining armor (pure fantasy). Ten years of marriage had finally drummed the truth into her head. In the real world bad boys didn’t turn into knights in shining armor. Bad boys grew up to be even worse men and the world would be a much happier place if little girls were taught that basic fact along with their ABCs.

Hayley Maitland Goldstein knew all about how these things worked. First a girl giggled, then she sighed, and the next thing you knew she was in Vegas taking her wedding vows in front of a red-haired Elvis with an overbite. You knew you had made a bad choice when Elvis slipped you his divorce lawyer’s business card while you were still shaking the rice from your hair.

But then Finn Rafferty came into her life and everything changed.

Story ideas are everywhere. Most writers know that. A newspaper article, An overheard conversation. A hint of perfume in the air that sends your memory spiraling back to another time and place.

And sometimes you find them a little bit closer to home.

I grew up an only child. Only grandchild. Only niece … or nephew, for that matter! I lived in a world of adults and for the most part I was a very happy kid. But there was a part of me, hidden away, that longed for more family. I had a recurring dream where there would be a knock at the door and I’d open it wide to brothers and sisters and cousins I never knew existed.

Although it didn’t happen quite that way, many years later I stumbled on a family secret that turned my perception of who I was and where I came from upside down.

My grandmother was a natural born storyteller. From the time I was a little girl until the day she died when I was thirty-nine, she regaled me with stories of her English birth, her New Zealand childhood, her Upstairs/Downstairs adventures in 1920s New York City, and her two beloved husbands. I knew chapter and verse about the grandfather who died three weeks before I was born. His kindness. His love for animals. His talent for writing. I grew up believing that much of who he was lived on in me and that fact made me very happy.

Except it wasn’t true. Oh, he lived on in me but not in a biological sense because, as it turned out, my grandmother had been keeping a whopper of a secret, one that I didn’t uncover until twelve years after she died.

It turned out that Grandpa Bert wasn’t her first husband after all or my biological grandfather. Grandma had had three husbands, not two, and husband Number One was the husband whose DNA had made my existence possible.

And all I had left of him was a name (Max) and a birth place (Romania) and enough questions to overflow a 1T hard drive.

Family secrets. Where would we be without them?

When down-on-her-luck baker and single mother Hayley Maitland Goldstein meets Finn Rafferty, she has no idea that her life is about to change forever. Not only is Finn the great-guy-in-bad-boy clothing she’d always dreamed about but he holds the key to a family secret her mother has been hiding for more than thirty years. A secret that thrusts Hayley from sleepy anonymity on the Jersey Shore to paparazzi target on an international scale.

Want to know Hayley’s secret? Love stories filled with steamy romance, family secrets, and major laughs? Then pick up a copy of Just Desserts. I know you’ll love it!

Praise for “Just Desserts”

“Very few romance writers create characters as well developed and realistic as Bretton’s. Her books pull you in and don’t let you leave until the last word is read.”—Booklist (starred review)

“Once again Bretton produces a wonderful, heartwarming story full of strong emotion, humor, charming pets, delightful characters and a lovely romance. There’s also a poignant secondary romance. The way Bretton brings all this to life and pulls it all together for a satisfactory conclusion are what make her a wonderful storyteller.”   –Susan Mobley, ROMANTIC TIMES

“Good pacing and dialogue make this warm-hearted story one that readers are sure to relish. The romances have both serious and funny elements. If you like light-hearted, feel good, romantic tales, you are sure to enjoy reading JUST DESSERTS.”  –Marilyn Heyman, ROMANCE REVIEWS TODAY

“There are surprising, funny twists to this story and a lot of touching episodes to pique the emotional side. I found Barbara Bretton’s JUST DESSERTS to be highly entertaining, cleverly written and hard to put down. Being a witty and warm read, I recommend JUST DESSERTS and look forward to reading other novels by this author.” –Kay Quintin, FRESH FICTION

“If you’ve not ever read Ms. Bretton then you are in for a real treat with Just Desserts.” –Sandi, A Romance Review

“Just Desserts is a fun, romantic read. I enjoyed it and recommend it for all those who like a great story filled with humor and romance.”–Victoria Kennedy, Midwest Book Review

“JUST DESSERTS is a warm family drama filled with tender humor . . . Fans will appreciate Barbara Bretton’s invasion of South Jersey as everyone receives their JUST DESSERTS.” –Harriet Klausner, Genre Go-Round Reviews

“Ms. Bretton gives her readers an easy, yet not bland, story with wonderful, vibrant characters and wholly believable situations. You’ll want her backlist in your library, if it’s not there already.”--Amanda Killgore, Huntress’ Book Reviews

Just Desserts | Excerpt

Trish, one of the high school girls Hayley was currently mentoring, burst into the kitchen looking like she had just bumped into Justin Timberlake and then ricocheted off Johnny Depp.

“There’s two guys outside who want to see you and they’re unbelievably hot!” Trish was seventeen, the age when the arrival of any biped with a Y chromosome rated a breathless announcement. “One of them looks like a rock star from, you know, way back in the eighties.”

Ouch. She had been Trish’s age in the eighties.

“A rock star?” she asked, lifting a brow. Rock stars were in short supply in Lakeside.

“A rock star,” Trish confirmed. “And he’s wearing leather.”

There was only one reason an aging leather-clad hottie would show up at Goldy’s Bakery at three o’clock on a Wednesday afternoon and it had nothing to do with brownies, cheesecake, or bagels.

“Tell him Mr. Goldstein doesn’t live here anymore.” And that Mrs. Goldstein couldn’t be happier about it. Not even sending him his monthly share of the store’s profits dimmed her joy.

“But he didn’t ask for Mr. Goldstein. He asked for you.”

Why did that surprise her? She was the Goldstein with a bank balance, after all. It had been a while since someone had come looking for her ex but the knot in her stomach was painfully familiar. The faint stench of danger still lingered in the air. She wished she had a dollar for every angry enabler who had shown up at Goldy’s in search of the reluctant Mr. Goldstein. She’d be able to buy him out once and for all and still have money to spare.

“Then tell him I’m not here.”

“But, Mrs. G., I already told him you were.”

“Then tell him the truth,” she said. “I’m busy working on a cake that should have been finished an hour ago. I can’t spare a second.” And here she’d thought her life would settle down after Michael moved to Florida to mooch off his mother. The man’s problems had the half-life of uranium.

Trish rearranged her pretty features into an even prettier frown. “He really wants to see you, Mrs. G. Maybe—”

Hayley could feel the hot breath of the Cumberland County Association of Female Realtors on the back of her neck. She whipped out The Look, the same look every mother on the planet had down cold, aimed it in Trish’s direction, then hoped for the best.

“I’ll tell him,” Trish mumbled, then pushed through the swinging door to deliver the bad news.

The Look had stopped working on Lizzie when she was seven, but it was nice to know she still had enough maternal firepower at her command to keep her young staff in line.

She pressed her ear against the swinging door but she couldn’t make out Trish’s words, just a high apologetic string of female sounds that was followed by a male rumble. Leather Boy had a good voice, baritone, a little smoky. She couldn’t make out his words either but Trish’s answering giggle conjured up some painful memories of herself at that age.

First a girl giggled, then she sighed, and the next thing you knew she was in Vegas taking her wedding vows in front of a red-haired Elvis with an overbite. You knew you had made a bad choice when Elvis slipped you his divorce lawyer’s business card while you were still shaking the rice from your hair.

She listened closer. Trish said something girly. Leather Boy rumbled something manly. This time Rachel, her other counter girl for the week, giggled too, a sound that sent Hayley’s maternal early-warning system into overdrive.

Rachel Gomez was a serious straight-A student bound for Princeton next year on full scholarship. She needed the paycheck more than any mentoring Hayley might have provided her. Rachel had probably never giggled before in her life.

If Rachel giggled, then even Lizzie might not be immune. Fourteen was when it started, that fizzy sensation in your veins, the yearning for things you couldn’t define, the sudden realization that boys were infinitely more interesting than global warming or the fate of the humpback whale.

Fourteen was also when young girls parted company with their self-confidence and traded in their love of math and science for a date for the prom.

Sometimes she wanted to lock Lizzie away in her room with her computer, her books, and a cell phone (maybe), and not let her out again until she was twenty-one. Thirty sounded better but even fantasies had their limits. The advisor at Olympia Prep had suggested that Lizzie might be better served intellectually by skipping the rest of high school and starting college in the fall but Hayley was dead set against it. Lizzie might be brilliant when it came to science but when it came to life, she was still only fourteen.

The world could be a scary place. A mother did her best to protect her kid from fast cars, drunk drivers, broken bones, flu, the common cold, but there was nothing she could do to protect her kid from growing up. No matter what you did or how well you did it, your little girl wasn’t going to stay a little girl. Right before your eyes she was going to grow up on you anyway and all you could do was pray she didn’t follow in your foolish footsteps.

Once upon a time, Hayley had believed that a good woman (her) could turn a bad boy (her ex) into a knight in shining armor (pure fantasy). Ten years of marriage to Michael Goldstein had finally drummed the truth into her head. People didn’t change with time. They just became more of who they were to begin with.

In the real world bad boys didn’t turn into knights in shining armor. Bad boys grew up to be even worse men and the world would be a much happier place if little girls were taught that basic fact along with their ABCs.

Why didn’t women teach their young how to cope with the things that were really important instead of how to walk in their first pair of heels? Why didn’t they make a point of sitting their girl children down and telling them the truth about men instead of letting some guy in a leather jacket seduce them over a tray of black-and-white cookies?

That was one of the many reasons why she had helped institute the mentoring program at the high school. Lizzie claimed her overflow worrying needed an outlet but it went far deeper. She saw herself in those girls, insecure, struggling, hungry for love, and ready to hand over their futures to the first guy who came along.

Those idiot girls out there were like ripe fruit on a very low-hanging branch. The slightest breeze would be enough to shake them from the tree and into the waiting arms of Leather Boy or someone just like him and their entire lives would be changed forever.

Except it wasn’t going to happen on her watch. With apologies to the good real estate agents of Cumberland County, it was time to prepare for battle.

About the Author

Oh, how I hate bios! All of that deadly dull information about name (Barbara Bretton) and date of birth (June 25) and geographical data (born in New York City; lives near Princeton, NJ), marital status (many years married), and hobbies (who has time??). How do you gather up all of those dull, dry facts and turn them into something interesting?

No wonder I tell lies for a living.

I considered weaving a story for you about life on a houseboat on the French Riviera. Or maybe my years as a concubine, hidden away in a golden pleasure palace in the shimmering desert. Then I decided to do the unthinkable and tell you the truth.

When I sold my first book and my life changed forever. I sent in my manuscript on Thursday February 21, 1982 and four days later the telephone rang and I heard the amazing words, “We want to buy your book.” How I wish you could have seen me. I was standing by the kitchen door of our North Babylon house, the picture of cool sophistication, as I listened to Vivian Stephens explain the terms of the deal to me. You would have thought I’d sold a first book every single day of my life. Yes, I said. Sounds wonderful. Thank you so much for calling. I look forward to our association. That cool sophistication hung on until I hung up the phone, took a deep breath, then promptly threw up on my shoes.

I was thirty-one years old, unagented, unschooled, unfamiliar with anything to do with the business of publishing. To put it mildly, I was in shock. My husband was working in Manhattan at the time (and finishing up his degree at night) so it would be hours until I could break the news to him. This was too exciting to waste on a phone call. I wanted to see his face when I told him that my dream had finally come true — and came with a $6000 advance!

He pulled into the driveway at midnight. I was waiting in the doorway, holding a bottle of champagne and two glasses. I didn’t have to say a word. He knew right away and the look of joy and pride in his eyes warms me now, years later, long after the advance faded into memory.

A lot has happened to me in the years since that first sale. I’ve learned that this is a difficult and demanding business (it takes a tough writer to write a tender book) and that I am happiest when I am most ignorant. I’ve also learned that a good friend, a writer and pal who truly understands, is worth her weight in good reviews and royalty checks.

I fell madly in love with Skye O’Malley in early 1982 and wrote an unabashedly gushy fan letter to our beloved Bertrice Small. By the time Sunny answered, I had joined the ranks of the published and Sunny became friend and mentor, guide and confidant. She has held my hand through broken dreams, disappointments, family illnesses, and accepted my bizarre need to go underground from time to time with great affection and understanding. Over the years I’ve come to understand the difference between the writer and her work, that loving the book doesn’t guarantee that I will love the author. But what a joy it is when you discover that the author of a beloved favorite is even more wonderful and witty and wise than the characters she creates.

So this bio is for you, Sunny, for being the best of friends during the worst of times and — even more wonderful — during the good times as well.

And now for the statistics:

Barbara Bretton is the USA Today bestselling, award-winning author of more than 40 books. She currently has over ten million copies in print around the world. Her works have been translated into twelve languages in over twenty countries.

Barbara has been featured in articles in The New York Times, USA Today, Wall Street Journal, Romantic Times, Cleveland Plain Dealer, Herald News, Home News, Somerset Gazette,among others, and has been interviewed by Independent Network News Television, appeared on the Susan Stamberg Show on NPR, and been featured in an interview with Charles Osgood of WCBS, among others.

Her awards include both Reviewer’s Choice and Career Achievement Awards from Romantic Times; Gold and Silver certificates from Affaire de Coeur; the RWA Region 1 Golden Leaf; and several sales awards from Bookrak. Ms. Bretton was included in a recent edition of Contemporary Authors.

Barbara loves to spend as much time as possible in Maine with her husband, walking the rocky beaches and dreaming up plots for upcoming books.

www.barbarabretton.com
www.barbarabretton.net
www.facebook.com/barbarabretton
www.facebook.com/authorbarbarabretton
www.twitter.com/barbarabretton
www.goodreads.com/barbarabretton

Giveaway

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Book Info

Genre: Contemporary Romance
Publisher: originally Berkley; this is a digital indie reprint
Date of Publication: print 2008; digital 2013
ISBN: 9781940665047
ASIN: B00G2EE306
Number of pages: approx. 320
Word Count: approx. 88000
Cover Artist: Erin Dameron-Hill
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Trailer

“Her Wicked Sin” Promotional Tour and $25 #Giveaway (Nov 13 – Dec 11)

HER WICKED SIN is on tour with a brand new giveaway! Check dates below.

Her Wicked Sin 

SALEM, MA 1692

On a moonless night, he rides into the winter forest on his beast as black as midnight….

Dashing stranger, Henry Dunham, comes to Salem on a mysterious errand, but is thrown from his horse in the dead of night and rescued by the local Puritan midwife, Lydia Colson.

Haunted by her past, Lydia is running from her own dark secrets, avoiding intrusive questions by pretending her dead husband is simply…away. But when she and Henry are caught in a compromising situation, one punishable by Puritan law, he saves her from scandal by claiming to be her errant spouse…and claiming her bed.

Forced to fake a marriage, Lydia and Henry find their passion overwhelming and their vows a little too real. As their lies become truths, a witch hunt closes in on Lydia, threatening not only their burgeoning love, but her life.

Find it @ Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | iTunes | Goodreads

Title: HER WICKED SIN (Sins of Salem #1)
Author: Sarah Ballance
Genre: Historical Romance
Publisher: Entangled Publishing
Release Date: September 9, 2013
ISBN 13: 9781622662494
Available format(s): ebook

Her Wicked Sin | Excerpt

“Willard, you beast.” A round of profanity followed the utterance. Though the stranger’s words were foul, they offered for his equine companion both comfort and reassurance. Their soothing cadence eased the alarm from the horse’s eyes, leading his ears to relax from their pinned state.

Lydia found herself enchanted by the man’s tones and by his obvious affection for the horse.

He shifted in the leaves, still facing away, and he had yet to acknowledge her. She should flee. She had freed him from his quandary, and his voice tinged itself not with pain, but with humor. She would feel  no remorse for moving past, yet her feet did not budge.

If she remained silent, would he not know her there? No, eventually  he would wonder what held the reins aloft. She watched, waiting for that moment. Through the profound darkness, she noticed his hair was a nutty brown and longer than that of a Puritan man, though its richness showed no trace of the powder worn by many wealthy travelers. He was a study of contrasts, this man. For all of his finery, he seemed to shun the ways of society, and his roguish nature appealed to those innermost desires she had thought long lost. Her husband, as he were, had ruined her womanhood.

This stranger, in the most insignificant ways, had roused it.

Find it @ Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | iTunes | Goodreads

Review Snippets

“A thrilling romantic historical that deals with the Salem witch trials in a way that’s never been done before. Amazing!”  - NY Times and USA Today Bestselling Author Rachel Van Dyken (cover quote)

“Sarah Ballance has done an exceptional job with this release. The story is well built, plot flows effortlessly and the language is true to the era. An exciting read, start to finish! Definitely a must read!” – Joe Breedon via Goodreads

“This was wonderfully written and I just feel in love with the characters and the story.” – Crystal via Goodreads

“I loved and adored this book! Historicals are tricky because I often find that the characters use modern language and have modern opinions and feelings. NOT true here. The author has clearly researched the period and uses language that the people of the time would have used.” - Negar Arvanaghi via Goodreads

“This story is a page turner. There was one particular incident I never saw coming when it happened I was like OMG it can’t be. This is a must read for lovers of historical romance.” - Nadene via Goodreads

“This book was so good! … The relationship between the two characters is sensual and has twists that made me gasp. … I would definitely recommend this book and would read it again in a heartbeat.” - Darcus Murray via Goodreads

“I loved “Her Wicked Sin” from the first page. … I fell in love with her writing and characters. Sarah is able to make you feel as if you are a part of her character by her descriptions of their settings and feelings.” – Vicki Lake via Goodreads

Tour Schedule

November 13: Have Novel, Will Edit – Promo

November 14: Deal Sharing Aunt – Promo and Excerpt

November 15: Bunny’s Review – Review and Excerpt

November 18: A Little Fiction of Every Flavour – Promo and Excerpt

November 19: Samantha Holt – Promo

November 20: Aspired Writer – Review and Excerpt

November 22: Battery Operated Book Blog – Review

November 25: Some Like It Hotter – Promo and Excerpt

November 26: Dawn’s Reading Nook – Promo

November 29: Celestial Reviews – Review and Excerpt

December 2:   KMN Books – Promo and Excerpt

December 5:   Crystal’s Many Reviewers – Review

December 9:   Rose’s Book Blog – Review

Book Reviews by Xunaira – Promo

December 10: Reader Girls – Review and Excerpt

December 11: We Love Kink – Review

Harlie’s Books – Review, Promo and Excerpt

Giveaway

Click here for the Rafflecopter giveaway and a chance to win a $25 gift card to Amazon or Barnes & Noble.

‘Tis the Season To Be Tempted: A Baby It’s Cold Outside Novella (Entangled Indulgence) #Giveaway

‘Tis the Season to be Tempted

After the worst year ever, free-spirited Evie Lee rings in the New Year alone, swearing off men forever. So when her brother’s childhood friend, the perfect man with the perfect life, winds up on the same plane home, she’s determined to ignore him. Wes is determined not to take her seriously. Unfortunately a snowstorm traps them at the airport with no way to finish their commute, and his perfect body is tempting her to break her vow—if only for one hot night!

CEO Wes Campbell is famous for always doing the right thing, and running into Evie again is torture. He’s determined to continue his hands-off attitude. But he wasn’t counting on the little hellion’s infectious smile, her killer body, or the vulnerability in her eyes. For the first time in his life, Wes is tempted to do the wrong thing…

Find it @ Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo Books | iTunes

Excerpt

Chapter One

The urgent ping of the call button broke through the first-class cabin as the airline passengers prepared for takeoff, some bringing their ongoing New Year’s Eve revelry attitudes on board, others clearly nursing hangovers from the night before.

The last to board, Wes Campbell handed his winter coat to the waiting flight attendant. Ringing in the New Year with his newest client hadn’t been his first choice. Neither had the multiple rounds of Dom Perignon.

He sank wearily into his leather seat, grateful that the nasty winter weather had cleared long enough for his flight home. The second call-button ping came just as he closed his eyes. Determined to catch some much-needed z’s, he ignored the male flight attendant as he passed to assess the problem.

Until Wes heard a female voice address the man from a few seats back.

“I hate to complain, dude.” The vaguely familiar tones reached through the sleep-deprived, muddled mess of Wes’s mind as the woman continued. “But I think we have a problem.”

“The name is Bob,” the airline employee said. “And how can I help you?”

“Well, Bob, my seatmate still has his cell phone on,” she said.

Wes cracked a lid open. He definitely recognized the voice.

An outraged male, undoubtedly the rule-breaking neighbor, said, “Hey, look lady—”

“If having all electronics turned off means the difference between living and dying in a fiery crash,” the woman pushed on, “shouldn’t you have been confiscating them as we came on board?”

Full comprehension finally hit, and Wes sat up straighter in his seat. He’d recognize that enticingly husky, frustratingly persistent voice anywhere. Because Evie Lee Burling rarely stopped for anything, including red lights. But beneath the hint of sarcasm in her voice, Wes detected a note of panic.

“Surely that would be the safest plan?” she said, as if the idea made total sense.

And despite the determined tone and the sliver of fear beneath, the sexy voice resurrected never-quite-forgotten memories. The remembered desire shimmied down Wes’s back and settled in, as if determined to stay, competing with the fatigue for his total attention.

Bob sounded less than appreciative of Evie’s help. “Miss, you have to buckle your seat belt.”

Wes sympathized with the man. Evidently Dan’s free-spirited little sister hadn’t changed much since high school, offering her opinions freely.

Whether they were welcome or not.

“How do you know all the electronics have been powered down?” The panic in Evie’s voice grew a bit stronger. “I mean, I don’t think you should be leaving our safety up to the cooperation of the passengers.”

Amused by the soundness of her logic, Wes leaned in to look down the aisle, anticipating catching a glimpse of the woman he hadn’t seen in ten years. But all he could see was an irritated, balding passenger in the aisle seat five rows back—no doubt the cell-phone offender—and the less-than-stimulating view of the backside of Bob. From the airline employee’s posture, it was obvious he was irritated, too.

“I can assure you, Miss,” Bob said, “you are quite safe.”

The scoff that followed sounded unconvinced. “Really?” Evie said, and Wes was disappointed the seat in front of her blocked his view of her face. “We all know how inherently uncooperative most people are.” Her voice took on a reasonableness that communicated she was about to spell out her point. “Just look at Congress—”

“I’m sorry, Miss,” Bob said firmly, and Wes doubted the man’s blatantly annoyed voice was triggered by a need to defend the elected members on Capitol Hill. “You need to buckle your seat belt,” he said. “Now.”

Evie ignored the escalating tension and plowed on, the hint of panic growing thicker. “But I think I saw that lady over there with her iPod on.”

Wes bit back the smile. Evie never could keep her mouth shut. Wouldn’t take direction, either. As a matter of fact, the word contrary came to mind. Deliciously, delectably contrary. Not that Wes had ever done more than secretly appreciate the sassy mouth he had found both frustrating…and fascinating.

But Evie Lee had been off-limits from day one.

She went on. “You should check to make sure—”

“Seat belt,” Bob bit out before signaling his female colleague in the galley. “Marge, can you get this lady a drink?” He turned back to Evie, his smile tight, his voice deceptively smooth. “What would you like?”

The fear in Evie’s voice was briefly replaced with doubt. “I downed two drinks just to screw up the courage to board the plane, and I don’t think another one is a good idea—”

“Champagne?”

“I’m pretty sure the suit in 5A still has his laptop on, so I’m not really in a celebrating mood—”

“Vodka and tonic?” The attendant spoke in a tone that made it clear he was about two seconds away from grabbing a drink for himself, pulling the emergency slide, and shoving the annoying passenger out the door.

After a brief pause, Evie said, “Fine.”

Wes’s amusement abruptly died, and he suppressed a groan. Ever since he’d woken for this morning’s flight, he’d longed for more sleep. A few minutes of relaxation. After the whirlwind business trip, and being forced to celebrate his latest coup for his company with a champagne-guzzling client, all he wanted was to snooze in peace. Up until now, staying out of the current Evie Predicament—a phrase her family had coined years ago—had been easy to do. But her agreement to the vodka and tonic was sure to end in a disaster.

He knew that from personal experience.

Damn, he didn’t want to feel responsible. He didn’t want to get involved. He just wanted a couple of hours of shut-eye. But she was still the little sister of his best friend and former Harvard University roommate. Hell, Wes had practically grown up at the Burling house, especially during the terrible teen years stained by his father’s embezzlement scandal. Not only had Dan been the only friend to remain true throughout the ordeal, Wes also owed Evie’s brother an enormous debt for loyally signing on as his client during the infancy of Campbell Investments, Inc.

Not that Wes had a clue how to handle Evie Lee; the black sheep had perplexed her family for years.

Blowing out a breath, Wes stood and finally spied Evie, his gaze meeting her dark chocolate eyes. Long, brunette hair framed her misleadingly delicate features adorned with a small eyebrow piercing, and the vibration that had been pulsing through his body gained strength. Apparently her affection for grunge fashion hadn’t changed. She wore an ugly knit hat with a tiny brim in front and a white T-shirt with the words “Conformity: the surest form of death.”

The pretty, rebellious teen had matured into a beautiful maverick.

Wes stepped down the aisle to address Bob with a smile. “Light on the vodka, please,” he said. Ignoring the exasperating, and wholly inappropriate, attraction dogging him since his teens, he glanced at Evie meaningfully. “She doesn’t hold her liquor well.”

The soft snort from Bob as he passed by was barely audible, and Wes’s brow crinkled in restrained amusement at Evie’s expression, memories of his senior prom filling his mind. From the look on her face, it was obvious she was remembering, too.

Wide brown eyes locked with his as Evie hiked her chin a touch. And the wild, glossy waves of dark hair were just as tempting as he remembered. “Hello, Harvard Boy,” she said drily. “I see your pointless habit of bossing me around hasn’t changed.”

He bit back a smile. “Neither has your annoying need to be bossed.”

“And how do you figure that?”

He leaned an arm against the back of a seat. “I told you eleven years ago that you don’t handle your liquor well.”

Her balding neighbor glanced at Evie with concern.

“Lots of people drink too much at their first prom,” she said, pointedly ignoring her seatmate.

“Yes,” Wes said wryly. “But most don’t attend simply to protest the event.”

He suppressed a smile at the memory. Being elected Prom King had been a noteworthy turn of events that evening, but nothing compared to the memory of the attendees filing past a seventeen-year-old Evie in grunge attire holding a Down With the Monarchy sign.

“We fought a freakin’ war to overthrow royal oppression,” she said. “Why should we subject high school students to a royal court? Most people hate the exclusionary tradition.”

He lifted a brow. “And I’d venture to say that most prom-goers don’t end the evening vomiting on the chief of police’s desk as she’s telling the man to go to hell.”

Evie’s chin hiked higher, the sudden color on her cheeks bringing out the lovely olive tones of her mother’s distant Italian ancestry. She’d inherited the passion in spades.

And an impulsiveness that had worried her brother sick.

“I had every right to be on that sidewalk,” she said. “It was all just a…” She paused, as if searching for the right word. “It was simply a miscommunication.”

Wes couldn’t help it. He let out a laugh. “Oh, I think you communicated your displeasure well enough.”

During the pause that followed, Wes realized Evie had stopped arguing. Which was a change. But the spirited spark in her eyes remained the same—the very look that had set him on fire during his youth. Wes was never sure which had attracted him more, her beauty or her spunk. Whenever she was near, the air snapped with the charge of a pending electrical storm. He suspected her off-limits status had lent an air of the forbidden, increasing her appeal. And yet now, years later, the same prickle of energy spread up his spine and across his neck.

Staring at her lovely face, the buzz of awareness grew stronger, leaving him on edge. Feeling restless.

He’d warned the flight attendant to go light on the vodka. His duty was done. So he should be returning to his seat, catching up on the sleep he’d been craving for days. But it had been years since he’d had the pleasure of admiring her delicate features, the mesmerizingly smoky eyes, and the wide, impertinent mouth. So he allowed himself one more question before returning to his seat.

“What brings you to Boston?” he asked.

“My parents’ thirtieth wedding anniversary party.”

He’d received an invitation to the event himself, so the news wasn’t a surprise. That she’d decided to gowas.

He cocked his head. “I’m amazed you elected to make an appearance.”

Something flashed across her face, angst or an ache or a fragment of fear, and she dropped her eyes to her hands. “Of course I’m going,” she said. “They’re my parents.”

He patiently waited for her to return his gaze again, leaving his knowledge of her tumultuous history with her family unspoken. Fate had played a cruel joke on Evie Lee, the free-spirited nonconformist born into a traditional, upper-crust family heritage that reeked of old money. And she’d resented the silver spoon her family had repeatedly, and insistently, tried to stuff into her mouth.

“You haven’t been home in years,” he said.

She blinked, and Wes finally recognized the emotion brimming beneath her usual bravado. Although the set of her chin still screamed stubborn, there was a new hint of vulnerability in her eyes. Which only made her all the more alluring.

Damn.

“My father bought me a ticket,” she said simply.

“First-class seats, too,” he said. “I’m surprised you didn’t insist on going coach.” When she didn’t respond he studied her distressed jeans, the holes offering an enticing glimpse of creamy skin. The white T-shirt clung to breasts he diligently ignored as he went on. “Maybe you’ve finally learned to appreciate the finer things in life.”

Evie let out a delicate snort. “I hate to disappoint you, but I haven’t changed. My affections still can’t be bought. And I refuse to participate in the Burling sibling race for my father’s approval.” Her expression briefly reflected the earlier fear in her voice. “I hate flying,” she said before letting out a quiet sigh. “I just figured if I puke in first class I’d spray fewer people.”

Evie’s neighbor bolted upright and into the aisle—forcing Wes to step back and make room lest the man land on his feet—and said, “Would you like to switch seats and sit with your friend?”

Every muscle in Wes’s body tensed. Briefly speaking with Evie was fine, but sitting next to the woman was a bad plan. How could he rest while seated beside the tempting, off-limits blast from his past?

Wes said, “Thanks, but that’s not necessary—”

“No problem at all,” the balding man said as he reached for his briefcase under the seat. He forced his way past Wes, not giving him time to protest further. “Wouldn’t want to get in the way of your reunion.”

Before Wes could say another word, the man plopped himself into Wes’s assigned spot, shoving his briefcase beneath the seat in front of him. It appeared that the mention of vomit had been the straw that cracked the camel’s back. Wes swung his gaze back to Evie, who was looking at him warily. And, for a moment, all he could see was the alluring swell of her breasts beneath the defiant shirt and the attractive flare of her hips. All features he’d regularly admired while growing up.

How could he get any sleep with that tempting body only an arm’s length away?

Unfortunately, his seat was now taken by a man who looked as if he’d sooner be tossed off the plane at ten thousand feet—minus a parachute—than be parked next to Evie.

Wes cocked an eyebrow. “I guess we’re sitting next to each other.”

The twisted smile she sent looked less than pleased. “Lucky me,” she said as Wes dropped into the seat and buckled his belt. “Now you can spend the next two hours engaging in one of your favorite pastimes.”

He simply hiked an eyebrow higher in question.

She shot him a brilliantly false smile. “Telling me what to do.”

Wes couldn’t restrain the ghost of a grin.

Her gaze clashed with his until the prerecorded message boomed over the PA system, beginning the routine safety instructions. Instantly, Evie’s stubborn expression faded. And Wes swore she lost a little color in her face. Marge, the female attendant, arrived with Evie’s drink and shot him a grateful look, as if he could somehow control the wacky passenger who was driving the staff crazy.

When had he been assigned caretaker of Evie Lee?

As Bob demonstrated how to put on the oxygen mask, Evie’s face grew paler. She tossed back the vodka and tonic as though a crash were imminent and she planned on feeling no pain on impact.

Evie handed her glass to the passing female attendant. “Another one, please.”

Marge’s smile was tight. “Of course.”

Wes’s heart sank. But the desperation in Evie’s face must have convinced the lady it was best to comply or risk ruining their chances for an on-time departure, all because of one uncontrollable, freaked-out passenger.

He sent Evie a look, ignoring the big Bambi eyes. “Don’t you think you should slow down?”

“I’m not a teen anymore, Wes. I know how to drink responsibly.”

“The odds of the plane crashing are incredibly slim.”

She blew out a breath. “If you were familiar with the year I just had, you’d be running over little old ladies to escape.”

Against his will, his heart softened a touch. “Tough one, huh?”

“You have no idea,” she murmured.

Actually, he did. Dan had told him about her breakup with her heavy metal guitarist boyfriend of ten years. Rumor had it, Chuck had cheated. Wes’s chest hitched in sympathy. Unconventional relationship or not, she’d remained a steadfast supporter of her boyfriend’s dreams until he’d succeeded, so it was a lousy way for things to end.

Evie seemed relatively calm until the announcer gave instructions in the event of a water landing and Bob placed the life vest over his head. Her face took on the color of the undead.

Marge returned with Evie’s refill, and the safety demonstration continued with the two methods for inflating the life vest, including the manual option in case the automatic system didn’t work. Evie muttered something about the inevitability of her equipment failing and tossed back her second drink without pausing to breathe.

And suddenly, despite himself, Wes felt sorry for the petrified Evie. “There aren’t any oceans between Minneapolis and Boston.”

“I’m sure there are plenty of lakes,” Evie said, clutching her empty glass as if desperate for a refill.

Unfortunately, the obliging Marge returned to exchange the empty glass for a full.

“The odds of a water landing are almost nil,” Wes tried again.

“Which is just far enough away from zero to make me nervous.” She sent Marge an overly bright smile before downing the entire contents of her glass.

Wes bit back the groan, sensing the situation slipping further out of control.

Safety demonstration complete, the flight attendants took their seats, and the plane taxied across the tarmac. A few seconds later and they were hurtling down the runway. The plane lifted off, pulling Wes’s heart and stomach more firmly into his body.

“You know, I’m an enlightened woman,” Evie said, her tongue sounding thick, her voice radiating sheer terror. But now, her words were slightly slurred.

Damn.

“I’m sure you are,” he said with a sigh, gently tightening her seat belt.

“I change the oil in my car. Well, I did until it died on me. I squish my own spiders—”

Another stomach-dropping swoop occurred.

“I’ve always admired women who slay their own bugs,” Wes said, hoping to distract her.

She turned those heavily lined, heart-melting eyes toward him, her words sloppy. “I even take charge of my sexuality.”

Wes’s heart shifted to somewhere around the level of his groin. But this time, the adjustment had nothing to do with their rapid ascent and everything to do with the erotic images her words brought to his already primed mind.

He gripped his armrest, his pulse escalating. “I’m sure you do.” He was proud he managed his best businesslike voice, as if not aroused by her fantasy-inducing words. “You’ve never been the type to take direction,” he said, praying the woman wouldn’t take the current topic any further.

But apparently her bad luck was catching.

Her honest yet slightly glassy eyes on him, she said, “And I certainly don’t need a man to have an orgasm.”

The heated flush in Wes’s body burned higher, and he longed for a cool drink. He’d even partake of the dreaded champagne. Anything to douse the fiery blood now coursing through his veins. She studied him closely, making him shift uncomfortably in his seat, amused. Disturbed. And incredibly turned-on.

He cleared his throat and aimed for a noncommittal tone. “Good for you.”

And he wondered how his peaceful, worry-free commute had descended into the flight from hell. Being delegated keeper of the frustratingly tempting Evie Lee, unwillingly reassigned to sit next to the only woman he’d ever considered off-limits. Made worse by a fresh vulnerability that would worry her brother more. But it was a simple three-hour flight.

He could handle anything for a short three hours. Couldn’t he?

Maybe he’d get lucky and she’d pass out soon.

The color on her cheeks had nothing to do with embarrassment and everything to do with being tipsy. “I’ve always wondered what it would be like.”

“What?”

“Sleeping with you.”

Wes froze, his libido pounding out its approval as Evie went on. “Tell me, Harvard Man,” she said. “Do you make love with your dress shirt on?”

Evie leaned closer, her breast pressed against his arm, short-circuiting his brain and sending his heart rate higher. Her scent was rich, like a decadent dessert, and her eyes simmered with a heat that was impossible to ignore. If she’d had full command of her faculties and wasn’t on the rebound—and had been anyone other than Dan Burling’s sister—he’d have been hard-pressed to refuse the offer in her gaze.

But sex with Evie couldn’t get any more wrong. He owed his friend that much. “Even in high school you had an authoritative air.” Her words were more slurred than ever, but her tone betrayed both awe and sympathy, as if his personality was something to be both admired and pitied. “So tell me, Mr. Responsible…”

Gaze now dreamy, she plastered her soft body against his. Wes’s heart paused along with her as he studied the liquid brown eyes and the beautiful, flushed face, waiting to hear what she’d say next. The words weren’t reassuring.

“Is there was a wild man beneath that do-right exterior?”

And suddenly, three hours with a tipsy Evie sounded like a lifetime in temptation hell.

Find it @ Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo Books | iTunes

Aimee Carson

The summer she turned eleven Aimee left the children’s section of the library, entered an aisle full of Harlequin Mills and Boon, and pulled out a book.  That story sparked a love affair that has followed her from her life in Florida to Alaska, Seattle, and finally South Dakota.

Armed with a fantastic job working part-time as a physician in the Alaskan Bush (imagine a combo of Northern Exposure and E.R., minus the beautiful mountains and George Clooney), she enjoys being home in the gorgeous Black Hills, riding her dirt bike with her three wonderful kids and beyond-patient husband.  But every morning she gets to play God and flirt vicariously through her characters, who all just happen to reside in one of her favorite vacation destinations . . . South Beach, Miami.

Her motto? Life is too short to do anything less than what you absolutely love.

Aimee’s Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

Giveaway

Click here for a chance to win the following drool-worthy prizes:

One e-Book Copy of Fair Play by Tracy A. Ward

One e-Book Copy of The Best Man’s Baby by Victoria James

One e-Book Copy of Italian Affair by Annie Seaton

Fair Play

Writing three plays for a nationally acclaimed theater in Phair, Texas, wasn’t supposed to put my inheritance at risk and force me into constant contact with Noah Blake–the very guy I love to hate. But with one chance to prove to my controlling father that I can succeed as a playwright, I’ve developed a major case of writer’s block.

Cue Noah, my older brother’s best friend and the guy I’ve avoided since my crush-gone-bad days. And now my director thinks he’s the key to unleashing my creativity. He thinks Noah is my muse. Discovering the fate of the theater is also in my hands, I have no choice but to collaborate with my worst enemy. But it’s more than just a great scene Noah inspires. Now everything I thought I wanted is put to the test. And the guy I swore I was over still has a hold on my heart.

The Best Man’s Baby

Florist Claire Holbrook has always played by the rules her entire life, but breaks them to spend one night with sexy lone wolf Jake Manning, a man she’s adored since she was a teenager. Six weeks later, things get complicated when she discovers they created a bond that will last a lifetime.

Jake has never played by the rules. Getting Minister Holbrook’s daughter pregnant wasn’t part of any life plan, but he won’t run from his responsibilities. He’ll step up and be the best man he can, even if he doesn’t have a clue where to begin. The more time he spends with Claire, though, the more he wants her, and the harder it is to get close, because that would mean sharing the one thing he hasn’t with anyone–the truth and his heart.

Italian Affair

Free-spirited sex therapist Brianna Ballantine has four days to find a fiancé so she can inherit her birth mother’s Italian villa. Commitment is not on the agenda. Writing her sex therapy book and signing legal papers are. And once all is said and done, she’ll return home to Scotland.

For finance guru Tomas Richards, relationships have been a bad investment—give him stocks and shares any day. When Tomas offers a marriage of convenience to help Brianna secure her inheritance, the sizzle between the sheets promises an affair to remember, despite family complications at every turn.

But Tom must convince Brianna to stay, and make this Italian affair a lifelong commitment.

 

The Billionaire’s Matchmaker: An Anthology (Entangled Indulgence) $25 #Giveaway

Billionaire’s Matchmaker, an Anthology

by Shirley Jump, Susan Meier, Jackie Braun and Barbara Wallace

Can a feisty four-legged matchmaker help four best friends find the romance of their dreams?

When a handsome man from Gabby’s past agrees to a cross-country road trip, her master plan to re-launch her art career quickly morphs into an unexpected, romantic reunion.

Marney’s 9-1-1 emergency help arrives in the form of a rugged, blue-eyed cop. Now she has the perfect bodyguard to keep her safe during those dark, steamy nights…

The last thing Mia wants is a relationship…yet the headstrong florist can’t keep her hands off her sexy-as-sin ex-boyfriend.  Will she open her heart before he leaves town for good?

Jenny is a woman on a mission – she’ll even resort to dognapping to make her point! But can she teach a reclusive, emotionally-wounded tycoon that love heals all things?

Excerpt from Driving Home Mr. Wrong

“That’s what friends are for.” Though he wanted more than that and had for a long, long time. He wasn’t on this trip with Gabby to see if he should forget her. He’d come to see if she loved him like he’d always loved her.

“Is that what we are?” she asked. “Friends?”

“Are we?”

The two-word question hung in the air. Hell, the question had sat between them for years, ever since the day they’d met. There’d always been this magnet that drew him to her, a magnet he’d attributed to her being so different from him, so wild, so unpredictable. When really, what he wanted more than anything was Gabby herself.

“I think we’ve always been more than that,” he said. He reached up, let his hand trail along her jaw. Her eyes widened, and her pulse leapt in her throat. “Don’t you?”

“T.J….” She turned away. “I don’t think we should take this any further. I just don’t think it’s a good idea.”

“Okay.” He lowered his hand.

A heartbeat passed, another. The temperature rose, heating the space between them. She caught his hand with hers, her fingers warm and tight against his. “I want you,” she said softly. “But I’m so afraid. Of a thousand things, of making a mistake.”

“Oh, Gabby.” Her name slid from his lips, part groan, part whisper. “Don’t be afraid. I’m here and I’m not going anywhere.”

A long slow smile curved across her face. She splayed her fingers, pressed her hand on his chest. Her touch trailed down the front of his shirt, skipping over the buttons, dancing along the ridges of muscle beneath the cotton fabric. “You’ve changed.”

“We both have. We’ve grown up.” His attention drifted to her curves and the desire that had been on a slow simmer began to burn hotter, brighter.

She laughed, a deep, throaty sound. “I don’t know if I have. But you have grown up. In very nice ways.” A flush of pink invaded her cheeks, nearly as bright as the streak in her hair.

“I’m not that geek you remember.”

“No, T.J., you definitely aren’t. But underneath it all, I think you’re still the same guy. You’re down to earth and honest. At your core, you’re the T.J. I remember. I’ve missed that person a lot.”

“You missed me?”

“More than I realized. You’ve always…tempered me. Brought out the best in me.”

The words filled him with joy. She saw who he was underneath. She always had. “And you’re still the same person who pushes me to step out of my comfort zone, to take chances.”

“I could say you’ve turned the tables in that department this week.” Her gaze softened when she looked at him.

“Maybe we should take this beyond just a road trip. To something more.” He’d said nearly the same thing years before. Back then, she’d rejected him. But this time, he sensed the undercurrent of attraction, the simmer of want, warring with whatever battles Gabby had inside her.

“But…” She got to her feet, and shook her head. “We’re just traveling together for a few days. It wouldn’t be smart to complicate that. What’s going to happen when we get to California? You stay there, I go back to Illinois? We have something long distance?”

“Honestly, I don’t know what will happen then.” He wanted more, wanted it all, but to have that, he had to tell her the truth about who he was…about why he stayed away all these years.

ABOUT SHIRLEY JUMP (Driving Mr. Wrong Home)

New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Shirley Jump spends her days writing romance and women’s fiction to feed her shoe addiction and avoid cleaning the toilets. She cleverly finds writing time by feeding her kids junk food, allowing them to dress in the clothes they find on the floor and encouraging the dogs to double as vacuum cleaners. Look for her Sweet and Savory Romance series, including the USA Today bestselling book, THE BRIDE WORE CHOCOLATE, on Amazon and Nook, and the debut of her Sweetheart Club series for Berkley, starting with THE SWEETHEART BARGAIN in September 2013. Visit her website at http://www.shirleyjump.com or read recipes and life adventures at http://www.shirleyjump.blogspot.com.

www.facebook.com/shirleyjump.author

www.twitter.com/shirleyjump

www.goodreads.com/shirleyjump

www.shirleyjum.com

www.eating-my-words.com (blog)

About Jackie Braun (Love Unleashed)

Jackie Braun is the author of more than 30 contemporary romance novels.  She is a three-time RITA Award finalist, a four-time National Readers’ Choice Award finalist and was nominated for Series Storyteller of the Year by RT Book Club in 2008. She lives in Michigan with her husband, their two sons and a former shelter dog named Pip.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/authorjackiebraun

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Jackie_Braun

Website: www.jackiebraun.com

Blogging 2 Tuesdays each month on The Chocolate Box: www.chocolateboxwriters.com

About Susan Meier (The Sheriff’s Secret)

In 2013 Susan Meier lived one of her career-long dreams. Her book, THE TYCOON’S SECRET DAUGHER was a finalist for RWA’s highest honor, the Rita! The same year NANNY FOR THE MILLIONAIRE’S TWINS was a Book Buyer’s Best Award finalist and National Reader’s Choice finalist.

Susan is the author of over 50 books for Harlequin and Silhouette, Entangled Indulgence and one of Guideposts’ Grace Chapel Inn series books, THE KINDNESS OF STRANGERS.

One of eleven kids, Susan never lacks for entertainment or amusement from her over thirty nieces and nephews. Her family’s Wednesday Morning Breakfasts are the highlight of her summer. And with lots of her nieces and nephews now in their twenties, wedding season is in full swing!

Susan lives in west central Pennsylvania with her husband, son and two crazy cats.

Connect with Susan at

susanmeier.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/susan.meier.54

Twitter: @susanmeier1

About Barbara Wallace

Barbara Wallace has been a life-long romantic and daydreamer so it’s not surprising she decided to become a writer at age eight.  However, it wasn’t until a co-worker handed her a romance novel that she knew where her stories belonged.  Her first Harlequin Romance debuted in November 2010.

Barbara loves writing sweet, smart, ‘it-could-happen-to-you’ style romances.  She lives in Massachusetts with her other loves – her husband, their teenage son, and three very spoiled pets (as if there could be any other kind).  She also loves hearing from readers.

You can find her at her website (www.barbarawallace.com), on Twitter (@BarbaraTWallace) and on Facebook.

GIVEAWAY: The authors will award a $25 Amazon GC to one randomly drawn commenter during the tour. Be sure to comment here today and follow the tour for more chances to enter!

Elizabeth Morgan: Creating Isolation and Restrictions (#Giveaway)

Please welcome Elizabeth Morgan, who visits us today with a guest blog that totally sold me on her book. She’ll also introduce you to her new book, RAZEL AND DAZZLE, and she’s offering up a fabulous giveaway, so let’s get to it. Welcome!

Elizabeth Morgan: Creating Isolation and Restrictions

Firstly, I just want to say a big THANK YOU to Sarah for having me over. I always enjoy visiting her blog, especially because of you guys her readers. You’ve always been very warm and welcoming and I really appreciate that.

So, today I’m here to talk about building restriction and isolation for a character, or more specifically, I’m talking about how I have modernized the fairytale Rapunzel by taking her out of her tower and putting her into a metaphorical one of sorts.

We all know the story or Rapunzel; long haired beauty, trapped in a tower. The isolation of this heroine is one of the reasons why this story stands out so much.

The little mermaid came from a beautiful underwater kingdom.

Cinderella had to slave away in a house for her horrid stepmother and stepsisters.

Snow-white got lost in the forest and ended up as a maid for seven dwarves.

Sleeping beauty had it good until the whole spindle wheel incident . . . but the point is that even though they had their problems to overcome, they were still out in the world living some form of a life with the freedom to move about and communicate with people.

Rapunzel was all alone. Cut off with only a Witch for a visitor. She no doubt spent her time day dreaming about what the world was like. Wondering how other people spent their days and knowing deep in her heart that their lives would be far more interesting, and fuller than her own. She would have no doubt spent that time wanting to be free; to venture out in the world and discover new places and people, but knowing that she never would be able to, because she had no way out. No way to get away from the witch.

It was a lot of fun modernizing this particular fairytale, but when I was planning the story the one thing I was sure of was that I wouldn’t be physically placing my Rapunzel in a tower. I wouldn’t physically lock her up.

So, how was I going to build that isolation? How was I going to restrict her? Cut her off?

As soon as I had decided I was going to re-vamp this particular tale I just knew that my Rapunzel was going to be a model. Long, blonde hair? Why else would a witch of a mother force you to grow your hair to such unmanageable lengths, unless she was also your agent who wanted you to have a signature feature. Controlling parent alert.

Now, I know you might be thinking that I could be contradicting myself here. I mean, models are out on display, they are in the public eye, but you see, that is the beauty of it.

How many times have we heard celebs complaining that they have no privacy? The public are a big key to any actors/actress, musicians, models etc career without them they wouldn’t get very far, but despite the fact they need an audience they still hate the lack of privacy they profession brings. Whatever they do, say, wear, go . . . all of it is dissected and analyzed. One minute they do something right, the next its wrong. One minute they are loved, the next minute hated. They have a very fine line to walk to keep on peoples good sides, because the right type of scandal could ruin their career.

And there lies the restriction and the isolation. They don’t lead normal lives, and even when they try to they still have a camera in their face. Their day trip is still printed in magazines. It doesn’t surprise me that a lot of celebs live behind big walls with security guards and cameras just so they can get a little peace and privacy.

So, take that lifestyle and throw in a mother who is also your agent, and the founder of the number one modelling agency in the US, the agency you represent, that you have put on the map . . . can anyone say pressure? Such expectations and ones that you don’t really have the chance to break because your mother/agent is with you constantly; talking for you, telling you what to do, how to smile etc.

Razel was forced into modelling at the age of five and has been pushed into staying and progressing in this profession all the way up to twenty-one. Modelling is what she does. It’s what she has always done. She doesn’t know anything else, and certainly wouldn’t know how to go about gaining anything else. If she wants a drink, someone gets it for her. If she wants to go shopping it has to be put on a schedule and she can’t go alone. She can’t talk to people unless Gabrielle thinks there is a good reason too. She can’t sit and watch TV for a day. She’s not allowed to decorate a Christmas tree, or go on a date, because it’s all a waste of time; and time is money. She is money so every second she has when she is not working, she has to exercise, spend time in the sauna, and do everything that she must to make sure she is always at her best, because it is what’s expected of her. She is restricted by those expectations and that routine.

So you see, in my version of Rapunzel her tower is the lifestyle her mother has conditioned her too. It is her daily routine. She is constantly busy. She always has something to do, and yes, it is possible for someone to stay conditioned to a lifestyle/a routine, especially when you have an individual with you whom you’re supposed to trust.

It doesn’t mean that Razel likes the way her life is. No, over time she has gradually questioned what she does and who she is, but fear has kept her by her mother’s side and in the modelling profession. Fear and uncertainty has kept her quiet and obedient. It just takes something special to happen, or in this case, someone special to come along and show her that there is a world full of possibilities out there, that life is hers to live to the fullest, that she should say “good-riddance” to fear and just take that jump. She has the power to escape, to love, to laugh and just live however she sees fit.

She is in charge of her Happily Ever After, and like all true fairytales, she eventually finds it.

Thanks for having me today. Below is the blurb and an excerpt from my recently release re-vamp on Rapunzel, titled Razel Dazzle. This 25k novella is a steal at just $0.99 so if you find yourself intrigued please do go pick up a copy, or alternatively, make an entry on the below rafflecopter and you could be in with a chance of winning one.

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Razel Dazzle

A modern twist on a long haired tale….

By Elizabeth Morgan

Blurb:

Will she let down her hair for the man of her fantasies?

Famous for her long, golden hair and beaming smile, Razel D’Punz is the hottest model in the industry. But although most women would kill to get ahead in this profession, Razel lives an isolated life; one she has learnt to accept…until she meets Matthew Prince, a new photographer in the business.

Refusing to let her mother/agent’s strict rules stop her from spending time with the man of her fantasies, Razel quickly discovers that one night with Matthew isn’t enough….

And neither is the life she is chained to. Something will have to change if she is ever to get her very own Happily Ever After.

Warning: This title contains explicit language and graphic sex.

Buy Links:

Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/authorelizabethmorgan

Barnes&Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/razel-dazzle-elizabeth-morgan/1111917777?ean=2940045359238#product-commentaries-1

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Excerpt:

Prologue

They were two beautiful people. Both strong and healthy, exactly what she was looking for.

The male was at least six foot, slender, but his body was firm. His light brown hair was slicked back, making his jaw-line and chiseled cheekbones more defined. His eyes were firmly fixed on his partner as they attempted the triple spin.

The female—such a petite thing with snow-white skin and a dazzling set of white teeth. Her blue eyes shone as she gazed up at him from a slanted dip. Her golden hair was tied up with stray curls hanging around her face.

Such a beautiful couple. They will do perfectly. She waited for the show to end.

*****

Gabriella stood in front of the dressing room door. The small copper star resting against the worn wood had lost its gleam; the scratched metal had seen better days. She moved her attention to the two sheets of paper pinned below it, one reading: Robert Burton; the other: Nina Hewson. The dancing couple from Arizona. A couple whose lives were about to change.

She knocked sharply upon the door, which opened immediately, bringing her eye to eye with the polite, green-blue gaze of Robert.

“May I help you?”

“You may indeed.” She walked past him into the small room.

The dressing room, like the rest of the broken-down theater, wasn’t anything special. The general necessities were there; a mirror, vanity table, railing for costumes, and two chairs that looked like they had been stolen from a high school classroom. And from what she could guess, the hideous, moth-eaten red fabric hanging from the wall toward the end of the small space was the door to the restroom. The faded floral wallpaper peeled in many places, and the room stank of sweat and cheap perfume. Her nose wriggled almost uncontrollably as the rancid smell swamped her. At the sound of the door shutting, she turned and focused her attention on Nina, who was standing and pulling her faded, pink silk robe shut.

She drank their beauty in almost hungrily, reminding herself why she was in the hellhole of a theatre in the first place. Robert moved and stood beside Nina, who had folded her arms across her chest.

Happy with her choice, Gabriella dusted one of the chairs and sat, making herself as comfortable as possible. This was the last place in the world she would ever choose to be, but for her plan to work, she would need working class people. Individuals hungry enough for fame and fortune that they would sell their souls to the devil himself just for a taste. Who could be more famished than a struggling performer; or in this case, a couple of performers?

So she’d had to drag herself downtown, forced to sit for two hours in the dump that somebody had a nerve to call a theater. No one in their right mind who cared about their career or their bodies would even consider what she was about to propose, but the information she had found on these two loved-up dreamers was enough to assure her that her money would be welcomed, even if it took quite a bit of persuading. And she was, after all, very good at persuading.

She placed her red purse on her knee and folded her hands. “May I just begin by saying that you are both simply marvelous dancers?” Her fake and flattering smile slid into place, and satisfaction stirred inside her as the compliment sank in.

Nina blushed as Robert nodded.

“Why, thank you.” His broad smile fluttered across his lips. “What can we do for you, miss?”

“I was wondering if you would like to make some extra money.”

They glanced at each other.

“I was thinking along the lines of ten thousand. How does that suit you?”

Excitement sparked in their eyes. She could see the slight twitches running through their bodies at the offer, and she imagined they either wanted to embrace each other in sheer delight or fall at her feet and kiss her Prada shoes.

Nina beamed. “We would be very interested.”

“Yes,” Robert agreed, although hesitation quivered in his words. “But firstly, who are you?”

“My name is Gabriella D’Punz. I am—”

“Gabriella D’Punz, the founder of Ivory Tower Modeling Agency?” Nina dropped her arms to her side and took a step forward.

Gabriella cleared her throat and purged the surge of irritation that pulsed through her at the girl’s interruption. “That is right, my dear.”

“We accept.”

She fought the slight urge to smile at Nina’s conclusion. “You do not even know what I am proposing.”

Naturally, the girl would presume they were being offered a contract for modeling; why else would a modeling agent come to see them?

“But surely there is only one reason you would want to see us—”

“I’m afraid you have mistaken me, my dear.” Nina’s brow creased under her words. “Or should I say you jumped to conclusions. I am Gabriella D’Punz, founder and agent of Ivory Tower, but I have not come here to offer either of you a modeling contract.”

“But—”

“Although you are both beautiful—I openly admit it—and you are at a reasonable modeling quality, well, you are such wonderful dancers. That is where your hearts are, and I wouldn’t dare drag you away from that passion.”

“Then what do you want?” Nina asked, slumping down in the chair facing Gabriella.

“I want a child.” She paused as their eyebrows dipped in uncertainty to where this conversation was heading. “You see, my husband is growing old, and I am unable to have children….”

“I…I’m sorry to hear that, but what has this got to do with us?” Robert asked.

“Well, I was wondering if you could help me.”

Nina lifted her shoulders, her eyes widened a fraction. “How exactly?”

Gabriella’s focus shifted to Robert; a small smile curled her lips as realization blossomed over his face.

“Haven’t you heard of adoption?”

“Yes. But I want a surrogate mother and in all honesty, I have had my eyes on you,”—she rested her gaze on Nina—“my dear, for quite some time.”

Nina shifted in her seat. “What do you mean?”

“I want you to be my surrogate.”

“What? No.” She shook her head. “No, I won’t do that.”

Robert stepped forward. “Why her? What do you mean; you’ve had your eyes on her?”

“I saw a show of yours a year ago. I became interested in you. You’re both beautiful and in good health. From what I have learned of your education, you are both decently smart. All the qualities I need in a child. I have considered adoption for years, but I never found a child I liked.”

Nina’s eyes grew bigger. “What, you…you’ve been spying on us?”

“No, not spying. I just have an interest. I also have an interest in your career. You’re not making very much money. You have no home. You’re living out of Motels, travelling up and down the country—”

“How dare you!” Robert thundered. “How dare you come in here and…and poke your nose in to our business, to ask—”

“There’s no need to get hysterical.”

“No need? I…I…Get out! I want you out!”

Gabriella sighed. “I see you are going to make this difficult. So, let’s just get down to it, shall we? How much money do you want?”

“What? This isn’t about money,” Robert snapped.

“Nonsense, everything is about money.” She reached into her purse and pulled out her silver cigarette pouch. “Everyone has a price. So name it.”

“No. This isn’t about money. This is about a complete stranger waltzing into our dressing room demanding a baby from us!”

“I have not demanded anything from you. Please keep calm.” She placed a cigarette in her mouth and put the pouch back in her purse.

“I will not! You have no right! No right to ask this! No right to go digging around in our private business!”

“I was not digging, and more to the point, I am offering you fifteen thousand dollars to have a child for me; for a woman who is unable to have children.” Gabriella pulled her lighter from her purse and lit the end of her cigarette.

“And that’s our problem?”

“I do not see what the problem is.”

“You wouldn’t, would you? You strut in here with your expensive clothes thinking you can buy people. Thinking you can buy a baby?” Robert’s face grew redder with each word.

“Why did you choose us?” Nina’s voice was soft, tentative.

Removing the cigarette from between her lips, she blew out a cloud of smoke. “Because with your looks,—” Gabriella’s lips twisted into a smile “—you would give birth to a supermodel.”

“You’re disgusting,” Robert replied through clenched teeth. “Get out!”

“You’re making a big deal out of nothing. I get a child, and you get money.” She slipped the lighter back into her purse. “Money that you are both in need of.”

“Get out.” Nina stood up. Her hands balled into the material of her robe. “Please, get out.”

“Are you sure you want to turn this offer down?” She kept her attention on Nina as she stood. “Twenty thousand can really come in useful.”

Robert walked to the door and opened it. “Your money isn’t welcome here.”

She laughed, and glanced in his direction. “My money is welcome everywhere.”

“Get out.”

“Why are you so insulted?” She tucked her purse under her arm. “I am offering you twenty thousand dollars to have sex and get pregnant. Once you are pregnant, you will stay in my home as guests. My doctor will see you, take care of you, and then when it is time, he will deliver the baby. As soon as you are well, you may leave. You may leave twenty thousand dollars richer than you are at this very moment. You can get on with your lives, fulfill your dreams. Tell me what is so disagreeable?”

“You want me to get pregnant and sell my baby to you for twenty thousand dollars?” Lines creased Nina’s forehead.

“Yes.”

“No! It’s wrong.”

Gabriella shrugged. “Who said it is wrong?”

Nina shook her head. “I won’t do that.”

“Not even for twenty-five thousand dollars?” Gabriella quirked her right eyebrow. “How much do you want?”

“Get out!” Robert demanded once more.

“Fine.” She reached into her coat pocket and pulled out a small ivory card, which she placed on the vanity table beside Nina. “Call me when you realize this is the best offer you will receive in your lifetime.” She walked past Robert and out the door, turning right toward the fire exit.

Gabriella heard the door slam shut as she took another drag of her cigarette. Then the shouting began. She pushed the fire exit open as her smile spread to her ears.

~ * ~

Author Bio:

Elizabeth started life wanting to be an actress because she loved entertaining people. She enjoyed nothing more than being able to make people laugh and to help distract them from reality for a few hours.

She studied Musical Theatre in college, but during her second year, her mind started to overflow with story ideas, so she began writing plays. Slowly, over the following three years, she wrote more and more, channeling every ounce of her imagination into the written word.

And now, here she is, years later, hiding away like a hermit in her little cottage in Cheshire, England, writing like crazy and loving every minute of it.

Where to find Elizabeth Online:

Website: www.e-morgan.com

Blog: www.xxxxmyworldxxxx.blogspot.com

Twitter: @EMorgan2010

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/ElizabethMorgan

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/elizabeth.morgan.944

Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/elizabethm2012/boards/

Blog: (Shared with Dianna Hardy): http://notjustastiffupperlip.blogspot.co.uk/

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Tour wide Rafflecopter Giveaway!

Click here to enter to win one of four copies of RAZEL DAZZLE and one of four swag packs from author Elizabeth Morgan!

 

 

Gratitude Giveaways Hop (Nov 15-30 INT #Giveaway)

Welcome to the 4th annual Gratitude Giveaways Hop, hosted by I Am A Reader Not A Writer! With nearly 200 blogs each giving away a prize valued at $10 or more, this is an event not to be missed, so be sure to keep hopping once you leave here…but don’t go yet. Here’s what you can win.

The Giveaway

I’m offering a $10 gift card to either Amazon or Barnes & Noble, winner’s choice. To enter, the ONLY thing you need to do is leave a comment with an email address so I can contact you if you’re the winner. (If you enter your email into the form, you do not need to post it publicly.) If your comment gets caught in spam, don’t worry–I always check it one last time before the big drawing.

Once you’ve entered, click here for more easy-entry giveaways!

New Releases

 

 

Meet the Heroes of Dangerous Attraction: Only **99 cents** for 10 Bestselling Authors! (#Giveaway)

 

MEET THE HEROES OF DANGEROUS ATTRACTION

The women of Dangerous Attraction are with us today to tell us about the heroes you’ll meet when you buy the set.

Kaylea Cross: Ooh, Hunter! He’s a badass former Navy SEAL with a wealth of experience to draw from, which makes him the perfect team leader. He’s hard (all over!) and as alpha as they come, and that’s why I love seeing the softer side of him come out when he meets the heroine, Khalia.

Dana Marton: Jack Sullivan is a detective who followed a serial killer up the East Coast. Catching the man is his obsession. He is truly in a dark place, crossing lines, getting dangerously close to the point of no return.

Debra Burroughs: Ryan Wilson is an ex-police detective who left the force, seeking a safer profession with which to raise a family, someday. Thick brown hair and deep green eyes, with broad shoulders and an engaging smile, Ryan is arguably the best looking Realtor in Seattle. He’s sweet and thoughtful, but strong and commanding when he needs to be. Captivated by Kate, he’s drawn back into the role of protector when he learns she’s in Seattle searching for her missing sister and that her own life is also in danger. I’ve had a lot of my readers ask, “Where can I get a man like that?”

Jill Sanders: Ethan is ex-special forces with a stellar record and long resume of top secret missions. He’s a true protector to all around him. He’s the big teddy bear that bad guys are afraid of. When he gets on a mission, there is no limit to the depth he’ll go. Especially when he is protecting someone he loves.

Toni Anderson: Ty Dempsey is a career soldier with 20 years in the British SAS. He’s blond, blue-eyed, with rough, rugged good looks. He’s spent his entire adult life trying to make up for his father’s crimes and knows he has to work harder than anyone else, be better than anyone else to keep his place in the Regiment. I love his dedication to making the world a better place, his uncompromising principles and the way he sacrifices himself for the woman he loves. I love his brains and his self-deprecating sense of humor.

Marie Astor: Janet Maple is the heroine of Catching the Bad Guy, book two of the Janet Maple Series. I enjoyed writing Janet’s character because when she’s in a pickle, she stands her ground. She has insecurities, but she knows how to overcome them to get what she wants, and most importantly she knows how to get her man.

Lori Ryan: Jack Sutton is my dream hero. He’s frightening in the board room but turns into this gorgeous, dreamy, melt your panties guy at home when he’s with Kelly. Sometimes he’s supportive and sweet, other times he’s hot and intense when he’s pursuing her. Jack’s two best friends are his cousin, Chad, and his friend, Andrew. He considers his housekeeper, Mrs. Poole, to be family and he’s the kind of guy who would do just about anything for any of his friends. I love that about him.

Rebecca York: Jordan Campbell, the hero of CHRISTMAS CAPTIVE, comes from a dysfunctional family. His father insisted on “tough love” right from the cradle, then pushed his son to succeed. Jordan rebelled by doing badly in school. His hard driving father died young, and Jordan only straightened himself out after his mom died of breast cancer. He took the fortune he inherited from his parents and made millions, but his upbringing made him trust no one and insured that he guarded his emotions. When someone arranged a fatal boating accident for him, his sister saved his life. Now he’s in a coma, and only one woman can pull him out of it, Hannah Andrews, a trained nurse with psychic abilities that may allow her to communicate with Jordan. Can he allow himself to trust her? Can they figure out who tried to kill him and why he’s still in a coma when there’s no medical reason for it? And are Jordan’s emotions too damaged for him to forge a relationship with Hannah in the real world?

Patricia Rosemoor: Everyone sees Tyler Leighton as a successful re-developer of properties that would otherwise face the wrecking ball. What they don’t see beneath his expensive well-pressed suits is the man hardened by betrayal, one who would do anything, even lie about his daughter’s mother being dead to protect the girl. And when she disappears, he would pay anything, do whatever it takes to make sure she and Keelin McKenna are safe.

Sharon Hamilton: SO (Special Operator) Calvin Cooper is tall 6’4” and quiet. He spent his youth under trucks and tractors as a farm boy from Nebraska. He has a natural need to be frugal, so pockets his housing allowance and lives by the beach in the Babemobile, which is not only handy for picking up girls at the beach, but saves him money. He also can fix or rig up anything. He’s a medic, also by training, and could have been a vet. He could have been an Olympic swimmer, but never grew up by a pool or the ocean, and hired a coach to teach him and discovered he had world class talent. He doesn’t drink (for a reason) and is very popular with the ladies.

10 Award-winning, bestselling authors – 10 Hot Heroes – 10 Romantic Suspense Page Turners

99 CENTS THROUGH NOVEMBER 16th!

With nine full-size novels from bestselling romantic suspense authors and a brand new Christmas novella from New York Times bestselling author, Rebecca York, this boxed set can’t be missed. Sexy, steamy heroes to heat you up and twisting plots to keep you turning page after page well past midnight!Grab it at the introductory price of 99 cents. That’s 10 books for less than a buck!

From sweet to scorcher, these stories are a must read. Fall in love with our sexy cops, tough military heroes, and hot CEOs. Treat yourself to an amazing reading experience by top authors of romantic suspense collected in one boxed set at a price that can’t be beat.

Ignited by award-winning and national bestselling author, Kaylea Cross – Can sexy ex-SEAL Hunter Phillips keep Khalia safe from the terrorists who took her father’s life? (Scorcher)

Secret Guardian by international bestselling author, Jill Sanders – Will ex-special forces hero, Ethan, save Ann in time, only to lose himself to love? (Scorcher)

Deathscape by Daphne du Maurier Award of Excellence recipient and Rita Award finalist, Dana Marton – Detective Jack Sullivan will do anything to put Ashley in prison for her crimes…even if he’s falling in love with her. (Sensual)

Legal Ease by award winning and national bestselling author Lori Ryan – Marrying Kelly solved the problems this steamy CEO faced at his company, but will he ever be able to forgive himself for the price she has to pay? (Scorcher)

The Killing Game by international bestselling author, Toni Anderson –Forced to choose between his country and his heart, British SAS Soldier, Ty Dempsey risks it all to save a wildlife biologist caught in the crosshairs of a ruthless killer. (Sensual)

Fallen SEAL Legacy by national bestselling author, Sharon Hamilton – Will Navy SEAL Cooper be able to survive the loss of the woman he loves, or will his self-sacrifice be enough to keep Libby safe? (Scorcher)

Three Days in Seattle by national bestselling author, Debra Burroughs – Trying to stay a step ahead of a lunatic set on revenge, Kate and Ryan are locked in a desperate race to find her missing sister and capture the madman before both women wind up dead. (Sweet)

See Me in Your Dreams by Patricia Rosemoor, Golden Heart Winner and two-time recipient of the Romantic Times Career Achievement Award – Her dreams allow her to see through his missing daughter’s eyes, but he thinks she’s a con woman…until she dreams of something known only to him and the girl. (Sensual)

Catching the Bad Guy by national bestselling author, Marie Astor – Top-notch white collar crime investigators Janet Maple and Dennis Walker team up to solve what could be the biggest case of their careers, but will their attraction to each other get in the way? (Sensual)

Bonus Christmas Novella, Christmas Captive by Romantic Times Career Achievement Award Winner and Rita Finalist, Rebecca York – Her special sight let her glimpse the Christmases past of this international financier, but did he have a Christmas future?

Dangerous Attraction Buy Links:

Amazon US
Amazon UK
Barnes & Noble
Smashword
iTunes
Kobo

Giveaway

The authors are giving away multiple prizes! There are too many to list, lol. You can check them out here: RAFFLECOPTER GIVEAWAY

 

If You Feel So Inclined, Please Help Out A Soldier - I'll Give Away A Prize!

Reblogged from Melissa MacKinnon | Author:

A Soldier with a back injury is trying to win this hunting blind that is ON WHEELS. I'm glad to help out.

If you would like to help out, too, please click on the picture below. If not, no harm done. :)

Then, find the comment by Daniel Pickering.

LIKE his comment.

That's all you need to do to help out a Soldier!

Read more… 67 more words

Please click over to Melissa's blog to see how you can help this deserving soldier!