Victoria Adams's Blog, page 5

Spotlight on Lori Sizemore's contemporary romance - Infamous #contemporary #romance

INFAMOUS by Lori SizemoreGenre: Contemporary Romance
Justine Montgomery, daughter of a divorced beauty queen and TV magnate, is a tabloid disaster after her infamous sex tape. She’s so desperate to help save her family’s home she turns to her deal-making dad. Can she prove to him she’s cut out for a career in television or will she lose it all? Sawyer has his own past and a successful career is his only goal. Seeing Justine fail would mean the promotion of a lifetime, but things get complicated when he develops feelings for her. Suddenly, the lines between work, life, sex, and love are blurry. They will have to overcome the bitterness of a rejected ex, the controlling actions of her father, and the half-truths they’re telling one another to forge a lasting partnership both on the job and off the clock.

When she came out and flipped the bathroom light off behind her, Sawyer wanted to tell her to try again. Her choice was anything but unattractive. She’d slipped into a gown that settled halfway between her knees and…well, places he had no business concerning himself with. The gown flounced around her, touching her nowhere except under the arms and across her chest with a black ribbon gathering the material.

She lifted one foot and slid it behind the other. “Poppies.”

He dragged his gaze to her face. “What?”

“The flowers on the gown are poppies. They make you drowsy.” She slid her gaze to the side. “I found that amusing when I bought it.”

He held up his hands. “It’s fine. Get in the bed.”

“I don’t do pajamas. I have a thing against sleeping in pants. I like the way the sheets feel, cool and slippery, on my legs.” She looked past him to a corner of the room. “I talk a lot when I’m uncomfortable.”

“It’s fine.” He shifted toward the bed and then paused as her words sank in. “Wait, you have panties on, though, right?”

“Of course.”

He tilted his head to glance at her with a frown, trying not to look at her bare legs. “Are they hot?”

“Doesn’t matter.”

“Right, no. Doesn’t matter. Lay down.” She stopped beside him at the foot of the bed and they stared at the down-turned blankets. “I want to make sure you get some sleep. You get under the covers, and I’ll lie on top so I don’t invade your not-pants-wearing space.”“You’re volunteering to give me emotional comfort.”

“Shut up, Justine.”

She hopped into bed, twisting to pull the covers to the top of her shoulders, and lay on her side. He climbed on top of the blanket, scooted close. “Do people send you designer nightgowns, too?”

“Trying to sleep here.”

Her body moved in the rhythm of breath, slowed down, as her muscles softened and relaxed. He wanted to kiss her shoulder, to press his lips against it, to find out if it was as soft as it looked. And what was that scent? Her hair fanned across her pillow and it smelled like… watermelon? Strawberries? Apples?

She interrupted his fruity thoughts, her voice soft and blurry. “Thank you.”

“I’m an ass.”

“You’re okay right now, though.”

“I’m using you, right now, because I like how you smell. I’m an ass.”

She didn’t speak again, and he realized she was out. He should get up. Go to his own room. Get away from the bare legs, under the covers, and the shoulder, and the hair. Try to put whatever had awoken during that hug back to rest. In a minute, he’d get his jacket and go.

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Lori Sizemore grew up in the mountains of West Virginia and never quite managed to escape them. Lori lives at home with her husband of twenty-plus years and two of her three daughters. She also lives with two dogs, a cat, and five hermit crabs. Yes, five of them. This menagerie and her family keep her busy. She worked in mental health as a social worker for ten years before making the choice to write full-time.


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What’s up and coming on Victoria’s Pages of Romance11- Book Hooks #MFRWhooks #MFRWAuthor 12- Thursday  Thoughts  - #ThursThoughts 13- Friday Snippets  #FridaySnippets 14- My Sexy Saturday #MySexySaturday15- Blog Available 16- Author Spotlight – Karen Long – The Safe Word17- Author Spotlight – Petie McCarty - Mystery Angel Romance18- Book Hooks #MFRWhooks #MFRWAuthor 19 – OtherWords  #ThursThoughts 20 - Friday Snippets  #FridaySnippets 21- My Sexy Saturday #MySexySaturday22- Blog Available23- Author Spotlight – Susanne Quill – The Order of the Crimson Lotus24- Author Spotlight – Suz deMello – Rakes in Tartan25- Book Hooks #MFRWhooks #MFRWAuthor 26- Thursday  Thoughts  - #ThursThoughts 27- Friday Snippets  #FridaySnippets  28 – My Sexy Saturday #MySexySaturday29 – Blog Available30 – Author Spotlight – M.C.V. Eagan - Death of A Sculptor in Hue, Shape and Color31 - Author Spotlight – Linn B Halton - A Little Luck, A Lot of Fate

If you see an available spot and would like to post on that day - leave a comment with your email and I'll get back to you ASAP.

Contemporary romance - Caught Between Two Worlds by June Moonbridge #contemporary #romance

CAUGHT BETWEEN TWO WORLDS BY JUNE MOONBRIDGE
Genre: CONTEMPORARY ROMANCERelease Date: 1stFebruary 2017A vacation on the shores of the Egyptian Red Sea was Veronica Blake’s long lasting dream. But dreams turn into nightmares. Controlling boyfriend Peter complains and embarrasses her frequently in front of everybody from the start. A trip to the ancient sites turns into a disaster. But the salvation comes in the form of the mysterious Nicholas, a blue-eyed man she remembers from the hotel. Deep in the Sahara desert Veronica encounters a totally different way of life. She desperately seeks the truth about everything that happened. Alone and afraid of her new written future she finds consolation with Nicholas, the only man she’s left to trust. Will she ever accept the truth she seeks, the whole truth and nothing but the truth? Will she be able to find a way back to the life she was forced to leave behind?
BUY LINKShttps://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B01NAQ25FRhttps://www.amazon.com/dp/B01NAQ25FR
ABOUT JUNE MOONBRIDGE
June was born in June and she always loved the moon.
She studied economics, and quickly realised she hated it. She started to write in high school and was criticised by her teacher. Stubborn as she is, that didn't stop her.Under different pen names, she had stories published in magazines, and then went on to publish three books.
After having two children, and learning that her second child has autism, she married their father and carried on working. Work and family life left her with little free time. But the desire to write didn't die. When life somehow sorted itself out, she decided to write a novel in English…
For what happened then, re-read the second paragraph, third sentence...
Facebook: www.facebook.com/JMoonbridge Twitter: https://twitter.com/JMoonbridge Goodreads Author Page: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/13887820.June_Moonbridge Google+    https://plus.google.com/u/0/+JuneMoonbridgedreams LinkedIn:   https://si.linkedin.com/in/jmoonbridgeBlog: www.junemoonbridge.com







What’s up and coming on Victoria’s Pages of Romance10- Author Spotlight – Infamous by Lori Sizemore 11- Book Hooks #MFRWhooks #MFRWAuthor 12- Thursday  Thoughts  - #ThursThoughts 13- Friday Snippets  #FridaySnippets 14- My Sexy Saturday #MySexySaturday15- Blog Available 16- Author Spotlight – Karen Long – The Safe Word17- Author Spotlight – Petie McCarty - Mystery Angel Romance18- Book Hooks #MFRWhooks #MFRWAuthor 19 – OtherWords  #ThursThoughts 20 - Friday Snippets  #FridaySnippets 21- My Sexy Saturday #MySexySaturday22- Blog Available23- Author Spotlight – Susanne Quill – The Order of the Crimson Lotus24- Author Spotlight – Suz deMello – Rakes in Tartan25- Book Hooks #MFRWhooks #MFRWAuthor 26- Thursday  Thoughts  - #ThursThoughts 27- Friday Snippets  #FridaySnippets  28 – My Sexy Saturday #MySexySaturday29 – Blog Available30 – Author Spotlight – M.C.V. Eagan - Death of A Sculptor in Hue, Shape and Color31 - Author Spotlight – Linn B Halton - A Little Luck, A Lot of Fate

If you see an available spot and would like to post on that day - leave a comment with your email and I'll get back to you ASAP.

Contemporary romantic WIP - Sunrise - a flash fiction novel by Victoria Adams #contemporary #flashfiction

For the next few weeks, I'll be posting snippets from my - trying to get it rewritten - contemporary time traveller romance - Sunrise.



Sian walked to the end of the dock and sat on the planks. Inhaling a deep breath, she watched as the edge of the sun peeked over the horizon. The air was still. The lake glassy. She allowed her mind to empty and became one with herself in the moment. Sian was at peace.She closed her eyes and bathed in the sun's rays as it kissed her face. Behind her, the early morning song of the first waking bird rang out. Soon the air was filled with a feathered choir's greetings to the new day. Focusing on a four-count inhale and a longer exhale, Sian allowed the calmness to fill her, replacing the horror threatening to consume her.The crunch of tires on gravel broke the spell and brought Sian crashing back to the present. She opened her eyes and blinked in the bright sunshine. One car door slammed. Then another. Listening to the sound of footstep, Sian pursed her lips and shook her head. They meant well, but they just refused to listen. She wanted to be alone. She'd faced her mortality and wanted time to accept her new reality."Good morning." The call was cheerful, yet to Sian it was a salt-covered finger rubbing an open wound. She did not turn.The steps along the dock brought the inevitable closer. "What a beautiful morning. I stopped and got us blueberry bagels and coffee. One cream, no sugar. Just the way you like it. You'll never guess who I saw in the coffee shop. Marilyn Higgins and that little princess daughter of hers."Sian inhaled and counted to three.A second set of footfalls scurried up behind her. "Wow. The lake is so calm today. Did you get the letter from the bank? Today's the day, isn't it? I drew a heart on the calendar to remember. Please tell me I got the day right. I can be so silly with dates. Remember when I almost forgot my own birthday?"With the tranquility of a Dalai Lama, Sian stood and turned to greet her twin cousins. "Good morning, Apple and Opal. Yes, it was a beautiful morning." She linked arms with the two women and walked away from her serenity toward the rest of her morning.




What’s up and coming on Victoria’s Pages of Romance7- My Sexy Saturday #MySexySaturday
8 - Blog Available9- Author Spotlight – June Moonbridge - Caught Between Two10- Author Spotlight – Infamous by Lori Sizemore 11- Book Hooks #MFRWhooks #MFRWAuthor 12- Thursday  Thoughts  - #ThursThoughts 13- Friday Snippets  #FridaySnippets 14- My Sexy Saturday #MySexySaturday15- Blog Available 16- Author Spotlight – Karen Long – The Safe Word17- Author Spotlight – Petie McCarty - Mystery Angel Romance18- Book Hooks #MFRWhooks #MFRWAuthor 19 – OtherWords  #ThursThoughts 20 - Friday Snippets  #FridaySnippets 21- My Sexy Saturday #MySexySaturday22- Blog Available23- Author Spotlight – Susanne Quill – The Order of the Crimson Lotus24- Author Spotlight – Suz deMello – Rakes in Tartan25- Book Hooks #MFRWhooks #MFRWAuthor 26- Thursday  Thoughts  - #ThursThoughts 27- Friday Snippets  #FridaySnippets  28 – My Sexy Saturday #MySexySaturday29 – Blog Available30 – Author Spotlight – M.C.V. Eagan - Death of A Sculptor in Hue, Shape and Color31 - Author Spotlight – Linn B Halton - A Little Luck, A Lot of Fate

If you see an available spot and would like to post on that day - leave a comment with your email and I'll get back to you ASAP.

Don't sit in your comfy rut - get out and experience life. #mythoughts

A new year lays ahead of us.
New books to write.
New books to read.
New movies to watch (Guardians of the Galaxy!!!!)
New people to meet.
New things to try.
Don't sit in your comfy rut - get out and experience life.

What writing rule do you wish you’d never heard? Insecure Writer's Support group post for January 2017 #IWSG

Link Back to IWSG
Insecure Writer's Support Group created by Alex J. Cavanaugh
Purpose: To share and encourage. Writers can express doubts and concerns without fear of appearing foolish or weak. Those who have been through the fire can offer assistance and guidance. It’s a safe haven for insecure writers of all kinds!

Posting: The first Wednesday of every month is officially Insecure Writer's Support Group day. We share our thoughts - talk about our doubts and fears. Or we can offer a word of encouragement to others. 
Co-hosts for this month are:
Eva @ Lillicasplace
Crystal Collier
Sheena-kay Graham
Chemist Ken
LG Keltner
Heather Gardner




I was going to post an insecurity, but then I went a bit long on the question of the month – so instead I'll wish everyone a Happy New Year and great success with your writing.


Question for this month - 


What writing rule do you wish you’d never heard?
Where do I begin to answer this one? So many of the rules of writing just piss me off. They aren't rules. They are grammar tips – or someone's opinion that everyone accepted as law. I only know of one true rule of writing and I'll state it at the end of this – rant.  I'd say the stupidity of never use the word "as". Which is just asinine in itself. One blog post I read suggested that after you use the word you should then poke out your eyes. Come on its 2 little letters - an insignificant word.
Another suggested that using the word is not possible as a person cannot do 2 things at once. Obviously he wasn't a mother or a teacher – multitasking is how we survive.Writing example – As Bill walked to his car, he clicked the button to unlock the door.(yes – it can be rewritten – but it still proves my point.)
I teach a beginner writers course in my little town in the middle of nowhere. And I try not to get too carried away on this topic and temper it with – look at the rule – try and figure out whether it is just someone spouting false truths or is it a legitimate idea. AND – does it work for them.
And what writing rule do I insist they bow down to – NEVER BORE THE READER.
Now I'm off to read what rules drives you off the deep end.




What’s up and coming on Victoria’s Pages of Romance5- Thursday  Thoughts  - #ThursThoughts6- Friday Snippets  #FridaySnippets 7- My Sexy Saturday #MySexySaturday8 - Blog Available9- Author Spotlight – June Moonbridge - Caught Between Two10- Author Spotlight – Infamous by Lori Sizemore 11- Book Hooks #MFRWhooks #MFRWAuthor 12- Thursday  Thoughts  - #ThursThoughts 13- Friday Snippets  #FridaySnippets 14- My Sexy Saturday #MySexySaturday15- Blog Available16- Author Spotlight – Darlene Fredette17- Author Spotlight – Petie McCarty - Mystery Angel Romance18- Book Hooks #MFRWhooks #MFRWAuthor 19 – OtherWords  #ThursThoughts 20 - Friday Snippets  #FridaySnippets 21- My Sexy Saturday #MySexySaturday22- Blog Available23- Author Spotlight –24- Author Spotlight –25- Book Hooks #MFRWhooks #MFRWAuthor 26- Thursday  Thoughts  - #ThursThoughts 27- Friday Snippets  #FridaySnippets  28 – My Sexy Saturday #MySexySaturday29 – Blog Available30 – Author Spotlight – 31 - Author Spotlight – Linn B Halton - A Little Luck, A Lot of Fate

If you see an available spot and would like to post on that day - leave a comment with your email and I'll get back to you ASAP.

Thriller - Paladine by Kenneth Eade #thriller

PALADINEby Kenneth Eade
Genre: Thriller
2016 quarter-finalist in Publisher's Weekly's Book Prize in Fiction
Meet terrorism's worst enemy

From the best-selling & award winning author critics hail as "one of the strongest thriller writers on our scene" comes an unforgettable story of an unlikely "anti-hero."

Robert Garcia was an unremarkable man, tapped out of a promising military career to become a death squad assassin for the CIA. Retirement was not in the cards for Robert, so he disappeared instead. After he comes out of the cold to answer the call to aid a fellow soldier facing a bum rap, he is thrust back into the spotlight when he is in the wrong place at the wrong time and kills a terrorist, thereby saving dozens of lives. He finds gainful employment in the slaughter of jihadists, which sparks an urban social media legend that Robert, a dangerous and unfeeling assassin, is a living paladin, whose mission is to rid the earth of evil for the betterment of mankind. Social media gives him the name: "Paladine" and God help whoever gets between him and his next target.


The apartment obviously belonged to a bachelor, but it was neat and orderly, like a military man’s freshly made bed. The cushions on the couch were soft and comfortable and the Colonial style furniture practical and functional, rustic but not antique. The décor was earth tone and neutral, and the walls were peppered with tasteful framed prints, replicas of art that said nothing about the occupant. They were just hanging there so the walls would not be bare. There were no framed family photos on the tables, no stacks of well-worn books and no magazines. It was almost as if nobody lived there.

Robert Garcia was an unremarkable man. Other men, the exceptional types, could never be forgotten. Men of striking, imposing persuasion, or those with a certain superior intellect or cleverness. Robert held none of those attributes but, if you had the misfortune to have him touch your life in any way, and were fortuitous enough to live after the experience, he would be indelibly etched in your memory.

Robert’s characteristics were fine-drawn, precise. He could drift in on the night air with only a whisper of the wind, and then disappear into the shadows, the only place where he ever felt secure and content. At five-foot-eleven, dark-haired with a touch of grey around the edges, he was a chameleon that blended in with most crowds. But under the ordinary clothing he wore he had the body of a herculean powerhouse, chiseled and ripped. Née John Richards, Jr. to an American military career man who had taken a Lebanese wife, since Robert had been old enough to walk, he had marched in the footsteps of his father. When his country came calling, John Richards, Jr. proudly answered that call and served with pride as his father’s son, the nephew of his Great Uncle Sam. There was never any question of it. Working up the ranks the hard way, he made Captain, and it wasn’t long before his special traits and abilities landed him his first secret assignment, along with his first alias – Malik Abdul.

Malik was a name that had fit Robert well. He never did look or behave like a John Richards. That was a name his Anglo Father, John Richards, Sr., had insisted on giving the child and his mother dutifully went along with it. Eventually, it was adept profiling that helped Malik recognize his destiny. His swarthy skin and his second language – Arabic – made Malik a valuable asset to his country. Beyond his language prowess and physical attributes, Malik possessed a unique set of special skills, forged by intensive training and honed to perfection with experience. Malik and his band of assassins were utilized only in the most extreme of circumstances – covert operations for well-known agencies who called themselves by three letter acronyms – and the unknown ones as well.

Malik had tried to retire, tried his hand at transforming his life into the “normal” one of Robert Garcia, and had dutifully taken the number 4 train Monday through Friday, from his little brownstone in El Barrio to Two Penn Plaza, where he worked as a janitor. But Malik’s past had beckoned. It was a call he could not resist. He had come out into the open to support a fellow soldier who had been given a bum rap. About the only thing Malik had left which resembled a conscience was the soldier’s creed. He had no morals, no principles, except for those, which were burned into his hardwiring like a brand on a cow: The mission comes first; never accept defeat; never quit; and never leave a fallen comrade.

The comrade was Captain Ryan Bennington, an officer serving in the war against the insurgency in Iraq who had been sent on a mission by his superiors with instructions to breech four houses in an Iraqi village that intelligence had confirmed were being run by Al-Qaeda terrorists and kill any one of them who did not actively surrender. It was a mission the likes of which Malik – Robert – knew well, as he had been on many of them, committing unspeakable acts in the name of the War on Terror during the insurgency. Now the accused officer was being court-martialed and could face life in prison for simply doing his duty.

Robert had come back from the court-martial trial on the coast a ball of nerves, constantly looking over his shoulder. Now that the record had been set straight, Robert’s life was in a state of distress and disquietude. He couldn’t resume his job as a custodian. They could be watching for him there. He couldn’t return to the woman he had been seeing regularly, and who had given him hope that he actually could rejoin society after all that he had seen and done, and he couldn’t go back to the little apartment in the quaint brownstone on 118th Street, between 2nd and 3rd Avenues in Spanish Harlem that he had called home for the past five years. Well, he had to come back here – for only one last time, he thought, as he shut the door behind him.

***

Now that Robert had exposed himself and his new identity to set the record straight it was, once again, time to slip back into the shadows. Without a glimpse of emotion, he had left everything behind in the top floor of that little brownstone that had been collected by Robert Garcia over the years –the furniture, the clothing, the little knick-knacks reminiscent of the life he had simulated. He also left something in the apartment that had never been there before, a product of his life’s work – something that he had not produced for the past five years – the body of a dead man, five-foot eleven, olive-skinned and dark-haired. He took one last look at the life of Robert Garcia as he threw the match on the floor and then slipped away.



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On sale for only 99cents till January 3 Even killers need a vacation
Paladine, terrorism's worst enemy, is back in this sequel to the hit thriller.

From the best-selling & award winning author critics hail as "one of the strongest thriller writers on our scene" comes the continuation of the unforgettable story of an unlikely "anti-hero," Robert Garcia, a dangerous and unfeeling assassin of jihadist terrorists, has been exalted by social media as "Paladine", a living paladin whose mission is to rid the earth of evil for the betterment of mankind. In this installment of the series, Paladine crosses paths with a Russian assassin, which puts him in the middle of the controversial new cold war between the United States and Russia.

Sequel to the bestseller, "Paladine"#1 Superhero Thriller best seller & #1 hot new release#2 Pulp Thriller best seller #1 hot new release#2 Terrorism Thriller best seller & #1 hot new release

Discover what critics are saying about this new terrorism thriller series:

"Robert Garcia is a vigilante known as Paladine, and in this well-written and fast-paced thriller, the author demonstrates skill not only with plot, but with character -- and character is what makes this book stand out. An ill-fated love story and an irresistible dog only deepen what could be just another hit-man-killing-jihadists story." --Publisher's Weekly, Booklife Prize in Fiction

"A satisfyingly original, compelling piece that moves well beyond genre writing and into the realm of military precision, insight, and adventure, linking action into modern-day pursuits and concerns with the precision of a surgeon. Paladine is very highly recommended reading for anyone looking for a protagonist and purpose that goes the extra mile, and then keeps on running." Midwest Book Review

"Kenneth Eade is one of our strongest thriller writers on the scene and the fact that he draws his stories from the contemporary philosophical landscape is very much to his credit. Another top-flight novel from the master of intrigue – one of his best series yet."Grady Harp, Amazon Hall of Fame, Top 100 & Vine Voice

Described by critics as "one of our strongest thriller writers on the scene," author Kenneth Eade, best known for his legal and political thrillers, practiced law for 30 years before publishing his first novel, "An Involuntary Spy." Eade, an up-and-coming author in the legal thriller and courtroom drama genre, has been described by critics as "One of our strongest thriller writers on the scene and the fact that he draws his stories from the contemporary philosophical landscape is very much to his credit." He is the author of the "Brent Marks Legal Thriller Series", the fifth installment of which, Killer.com, won best legal thriller in the 2015 Beverly Hills Book Awards, and the "Involuntary Spy Espionage Series".

Said Eade of the comparisons, "Readers compare me in style to John Grisham and, there are some similarities, because John also likes to craft a story around real topics and we are both lawyers. However, all of my novels are rooted in reality, not fantasy. I use fictional characters and situations to express factual and conceptual issues. Some use the term 'faction' to describe this style, and it is present in all my fictional works."

Eade has written twelve novels, which are now in the process of being translated into six languages. He is known to keep in touch with his readers, and offers a free Kindle book to all those who sign up at his website.

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What’s up and coming on Victoria’s Pages of Romance4- Insecure Writer Support Group - #IWSG5- Thursday  Thoughts  - #ThursThoughts6- Friday Snippets  #FridaySnippets 7- My Sexy Saturday #MySexySaturday8 - Blog Available9- Author Spotlight – June Moonbridge - Caught Between Two10- Author Spotlight – Infamous by Lori Sizemore 11- Book Hooks #MFRWhooks #MFRWAuthor 12- Thursday  Thoughts  - #ThursThoughts 13- Friday Snippets  #FridaySnippets 14- My Sexy Saturday #MySexySaturday15- Blog Available16- Author Spotlight – Darlene Fredette17- Author Spotlight – Petie McCarty - Mystery Angel Romance18- Book Hooks #MFRWhooks #MFRWAuthor 19 – OtherWords  #ThursThoughts 20 - Friday Snippets  #FridaySnippets 21- My Sexy Saturday #MySexySaturday22- Blog Available23- Author Spotlight –24- Author Spotlight –25- Book Hooks #MFRWhooks #MFRWAuthor 26- Thursday  Thoughts  - #ThursThoughts 27- Friday Snippets  #FridaySnippets  28 – My Sexy Saturday #MySexySaturday29 – Blog Available30 – Author Spotlight – 31 - Author Spotlight – Linn B Halton - A Little Luck, A Lot of Fate

If you see an available spot and would like to post on that day - leave a comment with your email and I'll get back to you ASAP.

All Jazzed Up Book One: Love, Lies, & Ninja Missions by Tracy Ellen #contemporary #romance

ALL JAZZED UPBook One: Love, Lies, & Ninja Missionsby Tracy EllenGenre: contemporary romance
A pretend marriage. A real desire. Being friends with no benefits has never been hotter! Jazy Axelrod’s in love with the hunky man-whore Max Byrd, who also happens to be her best guyfriend! Even worse, Jazy soon gets Max isn't into her that way. But Max has problems, too. A woman is trying to trap him into marriage. Max begs for Jazy's help. Jazy decides to give Max more than he ever bargained for. Can Jazy seduce the cynical player in just a few short weeks to believe in her, and happily-ever-after? Or does Jazy learn real love needs no convincing? A stand-alone HEA romance.

“I can have sex with other men when we’re married, right?”

“Hell no you can’t have sex,” Max ground out between clenched teeth. “We’re supposed to be newlyweds in love. What if Angela found out?” He shook his head at my puffed out lower lip. “I’d have to divorce you. That would defeat the whole purpose of everything, now wouldn’t it?”

“Jesus, I hope you’re not going to be this grouchy when we’re married. I thought since you get to have a pregnant girlfriend running around, I could have a little dick on the side, too.” I laughed a little and corrected, “Well, not a little dick, but some dick.” At his continued glare, I spread my hands palm up with a belabored sigh of acceptance. “Okay, okay, but if I can’t have sex, then you can’t have sex.”

“Neither of us can fuck during our marriage.”

After he delivered that F bomb, we stared at each other in shocked silence for a few moments.

Max recovered first, tugging slightly on the collar of his shirt and clearing his throat. “So we agree. It’s a marriage of friends with no benefits.” Max shrugged, as if it was no big deal that his cock saw ten times the action of your average penis on the streets.

Double shit. I closed my eyes for a second at his words, trying to imagine months and months with no sex. I’ve gone nearly insane after these last four days of erotic dreams, even the odd one.

I try to be a good friend to those I care about. But what was I getting out of this damn deal, other than the guarantee of carpel tunnel in both wrists from a future filled with massive amounts of masturbation?

I nodded jerkily.

“Was that a yes?” Max demanded in a pissed tone.

“Yes, dammit.” Not that I blamed him for being irritable, since I was also feeling the pinch of the no sex rule already. “What about my big money?”

“What about it?” Not missing beat, Max went on, “Since we’ll be living together, I’ll pay all our living expenses. Agreed?”

Putting a hand to my forehead at what living together meant, I moaned, “Oh dear God.” I dropped my hand and sighed in defeat. I didn’t eat much or use much electricity, so Max’s normal bills wouldn’t increase much, wherever we lived. “Okay, agreed.”

Still somewhat reeling that I’d actually said yes to his idiotic scheme, but seeing no way out now that I’d given my word, I wriggled in my seat feeling incredibly put upon. Whenever I feel put upon, I tend to get belligerent.

Max laughed, but there was a challenging edge to his voice. “Why do you look mad if you agree?”

I blurted, “I’m not teasing about the money. I think it’s only fair I be compensated for my role as your wife.” At his blank stare, I continued hurriedly, “I mean, I know we’re friends, and generally I wouldn’t charge a friend for help, but I’m putting myself at your disposal for ten months. Ten months! I’m giving you all my time and my acting skills.” Thinking of the no sex mandate, I choked out, “I’m putting my whole life on hold to help you.”

Eyes unreadable, Max responded evenly, “True. So what do you think is fair compensation for posing as my wife for ten months?”

A straight jacket in a fucking insane asylum was the correct answer, but I replied briskly in a business-like manner, “A new furnace, a new roof, new insulation for my house, a new fridge,” I glanced at my wrists, thought for a second of my pitiful health insurance plan, and went for it all before I lost my nerve, “and some cash set aside for possible future surgeries.”

He raised his brows at that but only murmured, “How much cash you talking?”

“Umm,” I scrambled to recall my deductibles, “uh, five thousand?”

“You don’t sound sure.”

“I’m sure.” I nodded, as if I hadn’t noticed his small smile.

He shrugged. “Deal.”

“Good.” I nodded brusquely again.

Letting out a breath at his easy agreement, I didn’t care if Max was amused. I was happy the negotiations were over--asking for money did not come easy for me.

In the past, James Byrd had offered me business loans to get ahead. Max had offered me cash, no strings attached. I’d stubbornly refused both of them. I liked standing on my own two feet. My take has always been accepting money from friends was the quickest way to lose them, but this was different. This marriage to Max will be the job from hell and I’ll deserve every penny.


Amazon ✯ B&N ✯ iTunes ✯ Kobo ✯ Goodreads Tracy Ellen was born in Indiana to middle-class parents, the third out of five hellions. She’s lived in the Midwest her whole life--in a small town, on a farm, and in the big city. Currently, she resides in the suburbs of St Paul, Minnesota with her incredibly tolerant, awesome husband and family. Always an avid reader of all genres, her writing career began in 2012 with the debut of A Date with Fate, a blend of contemporary-romance/ romantic suspense / and romantic comedy. Tracy’s goal as a writer will always be to create worlds readers can’t wait to dive into for a few hours of fun and excitement. She thrives on trying to come up with the witty banter, steamy love scenes, pulse-throbbing action, and belly-laughing humor her reader fans have come to love and expect in her novels. Please let Tracy know how she’s doing!

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What’s up and coming on Victoria’s Pages of Romance2- Author Spotlight – Tracy Ellen - All Jazzed Up
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If you see an available spot and would like to post on that day - leave a comment with your email and I'll get back to you ASAP.

Victoria'a Pages of Romance is Closed Until the New Year #2017

Have a Happy and Safe New Year.
See you back here - Jan 2


Author Spotlight – Tracy Ellen - All Jazzed Up

One final snippet from Christmas Knight on Victoria's Pages of Romance #Christmasstory #romance

For the month of December, I am going to post snippets from one of the two Christmas stories of mine in the Exquisite Christmas Anthology.

Christmas Knight is set on a cruise ship in the Caribbean. Tamara meets a handsome stranger with the mysterious initials S.C. (I attached a smidge of last week's post so you understand




Tamara chuckled. "I almost was. The ship is only about a quarter full." She bit her bottom lip. "I saw you when I was first on stage, getting my bearings. When I dance I can't look at the audience. I pretend it's just dress rehearsal and there's no one watching me.""I was watching you." He brushed his hand across her cheek. "And what do you mean, getting your bearings?"Shifting in her seat, Tam leaned against the back and stretched out her legs. "I find the edges. You know, so I don't misstep and fall off. I don't want the audience to know how much of a klutz I really am.""I would catch you." He stood, turned to face her, and held out his arms. "Let's practise. You fall off the bench and I will catch you."Tammy slapped her hand against her mouth, giggled, and shook her head."No is the wrong answer." He crossed his arms. "I'm doing my best knight in shining armour impress—" He glanced down at his suit. "Change that to, I'm here in my best Hugo Boss suit doing by my Sir Lancelot impression of a brave and noble knight, willing to rescue a damsel in distress. You have to fall, so I can catch you." He thrust his arms out."Do it," a voice from somewhere in her head shouted.Digging up a moment of courage, Tam stood, climbed onto the bench, and turned to face her gallant knight-wannabe. She bit back a tsunami of nervous giggles, raised her arms, and moved them in an undulating, snake-light movement. Swerving her hips in a slow figure eight pattern, she rippled the muscles up and down her belly. She took two steps to the right then slightly turned to the left. She raised the back of her hand to her forehead and squealed in a perfect drama-queen voice, "Ooh. Catch me." Then shifted her balance and allowed herself to fall.His arms were strong as they pulled her close to his body. Inhaling the sensual aroma of his aftershave, she rested her head against his shoulder and let a wave of serenity wash over her.His gaze met hers. "I feel at a moment such as this, we should be introduced. I'm S.C.""Tamara.""Hello, Tamara. Lovely name.""What does S.C. stand for? And are you going to put me down?""If I must."





When romance writers give love stories to the world, we do more than entertain – we share our hope for something better. These imaginative moments of happy-ever-after warm the soul and ripple outward. The world needs more love, and every bit helps.

We hope you enjoy this collection of heartwarming seasonal tales and delicious recipes by twenty-one Bestselling, Award-winning, and Multi-Published Authors from the international Exquisite Quills community: Victoria Adams, Rose Anderson, E. Ayers, Beverley Bateman, Lily Bishop, Barb Caffrey, Helena Fairfax, J.D. Faver, Jennifer Garcia, Romy Gemmell, Vonnie Hughs, Susan Jaymes, Gemma Juliana, Jean Lamb, Lyndi Lamont, Zanna Mackenzie, Janis Susan May, Dee Ann Palmer, Jane Leopold Quinn, Kaye Spencer, and M. S. Spencer.
Happy Holidays!
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What’s up and coming on Victoria’s Pages of Romance31 – Closed for Holidays

I know it's scary. Do it anyway. #Mythoughts

On Thursdays I open my blog - to myself. My thoughts. My ramblings. My whatever.
On the final Thursday of the month I am going to post a motivational saying. Some words to rumble in the back of your mind.


thoughtsnquotes.blogspot.com
Look in the mirror.
That's you.
Don't let other people run your life.
Step up.
Take charge.
I know it's scary.
Do it anyway.