Tina Martin's Blog, page 3
March 15, 2022
Gemma St. Claire on Love, Marriage and Trials.
We're back with a new St. Claire Series. This series is The St. Claire Women and the first book is titled Gemma. With this series, you'll get to know the women more as these new St. Claire marriages progress. Gemma and Royal's relationship is sweet. They started off as friends, although he quickly developed feelings for her that she didn't think were possible. In this new story, Gemma (The St. Claire Women, book 1) you'll get to know one of your favorite couples on a deeper level, see what they've been up to, and how married life is going for them.IMPORTANT: If you are new to the St. Claires, please note the reading order. Gemma first appeared in The Boardwalk Bakery Romance Series. She is the younger sister of Gianna. Although The Boardwalk Bakery Series tells Gianna's and Ramsey's story, Gemma is a huge part of it. I would highly suggest you read The Boardwalk Bakery Series (Baked With Love 1, 2 & 3) before reading this update story. Additionally, you will need to read Royal (A St. Claire Novel, Book 1).
Pre-Order Gemma now for $3.99. The price will increase on release day!
Happy reading friends!
February 18, 2022
It's a Re-Release: Dying To Love Her is Now Available...Again!
Dying to Love Her is available exclusively on Amazon and Kindle Unlimited. Read an excerpt below:
“ANDRE, YO, you cool man? You look like you have just seen a ghost,” Scott whispered.
“Uh...um, yeah. I’m good,” Andre responded, but he wasn’t good. As he looked across the restaurant he saw the woman he’d fallen in love with. He questioned himself at first, but it had to be her. She still looked the same as he’d remembered her – short black hair cut into a pretty style that neatly showcased the beautiful features of her face – small pouty lips and dark eyes. Milk chocolate brown skin. Yes, that was her – the woman who’d broken his heart. He thought she’d fallen off the face of the earth, but now, there she was, sitting just a few feet away from him, so close he could walk over to her. Talk to her. Touch her.
He contemplated walking over to her, but something else grabbed his attention and nearly ripped the life out of him – something he couldn’t turn away from, even after Scott had tried to redirect his attention back to their working lunch.
All the associates, including Benjamin, were looking at him, trying to figure out the source of his sudden silence.
Andre grew speechless – trying to wrap his mind around the fact that the little boy sitting next to Ava in a high chair looked identical to him. He did not need a DNA test to know the boy was his son.
“Ay, Andre,” Scott said again.
Andre snapped out of his trance, looked at Scott then resumed the meeting. After all, that was the reason he was here. He cleared his throat and said, “So, as you all know, Benjamin will assume the role of chief financial officer once the merger is complete.”
Andre took out his briefcase and handed them all a printout of their new job descriptions. Then he looked over at Ava’s table again and saw her packing up. Was she leaving? Running away?
He shot her an ominous glower. He concluded she was only leaving because she saw him. She wouldn’t slip away so easily this time. And she definitely wasn’t going to take off with his son.
Turning his attention back to the meeting, he said, “Ah...those are your new job roles and responsibilities. Most are in line with what you currently do today, just a few tweaks here and there. I will need these signed and returned to me no later than Friday.” Andre was supposed to go over the job roles one-by-one, but with this discovery, his mind was no longer on work. How could he?
After noticing Ava had gotten up from the table, he wouldn’t fully take his eyes off of her. He watched the older woman she was with exit with the little boy while Ava headed in the opposite direction, probably to the bathroom.
“Hey…Andre,” Benjamin said.
“Yeah?”
“I think it will be helpful if the both of us met with everyone here individually to discuss these responsibilities in more detail, as well as salary expectations.”
“Yeah, you’re…um…right,” Andre said as he watched Ava emerge.
Andre eyed her as she walked past his table. She didn’t look at him. Didn’t attempt to speak.
Now she’s trying to make a run for it, he thought, as she walked on by like they were complete strangers. Like their paths had never crossed.
* * *
December 21, 2021
#TeaserTuesday - Stranded Beside the Road
Hi reader friends!
Enjoy this excerpt for Snowed in at Shenandoah Valley. Dare and Deja are awesome, especially once you get to know them.
[This is a preliminary excerpt and subject to changes before the book release]
**********
Glancing at the side-view mirror, Deja paused when she saw a GMC pickup truck pull up behind her.
“Hell-oooooooo?” Sariah sang into the receiver.
“We’ll finish this later. I gotta go.” She ended the call but held on to her cell phone as she watched a man get out of the truck wearing a black peacoat, a black and white winter scarf and a red toboggan. Now, he was walking toward her car.
“Oh, no. This ain’t going to go well…” Deja said. She wasn’t exactly what you would call a people-person, and she understood that about herself, but other folk did not. They assumed she had a few screws loose and let her be.
Now, some man was walking up on her. She assumed he was in law enforcement. Ordinary people didn’t stop for stranded motorists these days, did they?
He tapped on her window with a gloved hand. She rolled the window down to a paper-thin crack and asked, “Can I help you, officer?” Her breath fogged the window.
He smiled.
Deja noticed his teeth were whiter than the beautiful snowflakes landing on his beard, coat and hat. Wow, she thought, instantly feeling a rush of blood to her brain. He was bundled for the elements, but she could still tell he had it going on.
He said, “I’m not an officer, ma’am. I saw your car steaming. I figured I’d pull over to lend you a hand.”
“Oh, um, that’s nice of you and all, but I’m good, officer.”
He narrowed his gaze at the lady. He’d already told her he wasn’t an officer, yet she was still referring to him as one. Was she that nervous? He looked at the hood, smelled coolant and said, “You’re not good. I think your engine overheated. There’s no way you can drive it any further.”
“Oh, uh, well, that’s a bummer, isn’t it? Anyway, thanks for stopping by.” Deja rolled the window back up, but the man was still standing there. Using his knuckles, he tapped on the glass again.
Deja inched the window down to an even smaller crack than before. “Yes?”
“I can pull your car to the next exit. At least, that way, it’ll be off of the freeway.”
Why is he so eager to help me? Seems suspect…
“I appreciate the offer, but I’m good,” Deja told the eager man. “I have roadside service.”
“With this traffic and the storm, roadside service probably won’t be here for a few hours yet.”
She chewed her lip. The tall, well-spoken stranger with flawless teeth was right, but what was she supposed to do? Get into a car with a complete stranger? Then she thought about those people who freely summoned a lift on those rideshare apps. They rode with strangers all the time and that was to get rides after a night of drinking and partying. Being stranded in a snowstorm was no party. This was an extreme circumstance. She could freeze her behind off beside the road or get rammed by a car or tractor-trailer skidding out of control. She had to do something. Besides, he seemed nice enough.
She sighed and said, “Um, okay, but just off the freeway and then we go our separate ways.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
He walked back to his truck and when he had clearance, he pulled out onto the street, passed her car and pulled over again. He backed up the truck until it was close enough to hook up her car to it. After he had successfully accomplished the task, he walked back to her car and said, “Shift the gear to neutral.”
“Okay,” she said, doing as he asked.
He said, “Okay, you can get out now.”
She grimaced. That wasn’t a part of the plan. “What?”
“You can get out now. You know you have to ride with me, right?”
“I can’t sit here and steer while you pull me?” she asked, trying to come up with a scenario where she didn’t have to be enclosed in a vehicle with him.
He grinned again. “No, ma’am. There would be no reason to steer if I’m pulling the car.”
“Oh. Right. Well, what if I don’t touch the wheel?”
“That’s not safe. Come on. You’ll be fine in the truck with me. I’m harmless.”
Perhaps the last words she’d hear before being bludgeoned to death…
“Okay,” she said, grabbing her purse. She stepped out of the car. Snowflakes dwindled down on her brown ringlets. Her flats were no match for the snow and ice. She was falling backward when he caught her.
“Whew! That was close. Thank you,” she said, looking up at him while snowflakes showered them both.
“No problem.”
She found herself impressed by his tall stature and his willingness to help.
He found himself enchanted by her oval face, cocoa brown skin and the way the wind tossed her shoulder-length hair.
**********
Enjoyed the excerpt? Pre-Order Snowed in at Shenandoah Valley today on Amazon. This title is coming to all ebook retailers, including Nook, Apple iBooks, Scribd and Kobo.
Follow Tina on Instagram for more updates!
November 9, 2021
5 Romances by Tina Martin to Read This Winter
Winter breaks are better with books! So while you're curled up with a blanket and a cup of hot cocoa, grab one of these titles when you're all snowed in with nowhere to go.
Hot ChocolateThis wintry goodness takes place in the Tennessee mountains at a quaint little Bed and Breakfast. It's a quick read about when Titus Cassidy is on a secret mission to find out everything he can about Baker Bed and Breakfast. He didn't expect to fall for the Haven, the woman running the place. This title is available in Kindle Unlimited.
Winter Wonder & Winter Wedding
Winter Wonder takes place in the North Carolina Mountains. Drake Lennox is the maintenance man for the Lennox chain of hotels and resorts. When Lavina Nelson plans her company's grand anniversary party at a Lennox hotel, she's met with resistance in the form of a hater who turns out to be her best friend. Drake helps the shy CEO to break out of her shell and reclaim what's hers. Winter Wedding is the follow-up to their story.
Caught in the Storm With a Lennox
This book is a prequel to the novel, Claiming You, that introduces you to Remington Lennox and Emory McNeil. They have special ties because of Emory's loving care of Remington's mother. The only thing is, Emory has no idea Remington is the woman's millionaire son.
Man of Her Dreams
Finally, we have Man of Her Dreams. This is one of my favorite winter stories because of the concept. Elsie doesn't date because she claims she hasn't found the man of her dreams. To prove her wrong, her bestie, Priscilla secretly sets her up with an amazingly handsome man who has all the physical attributes Elsie claims she wants. Will she go on a date with him, or retreat into her shell? This title is available on Kindle Unlimited.
Look for the newest winter novel, Snowed in at Shenandoah Valley coming this January! Follow Tina Martin on Facebook or Instagram to stay informed of new releases and more!
October 12, 2021
#TeaserTuesday - The Store Dilemma
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Jessalyn found a close parking space to the door and shut off the engine.”
“Don’t take all day in there,” Davina said, but since Jessalyn had turned off the engine, she knew she wasn’t about to be as quickas she led on.
“Davina, why don’t you come inside for a minute and see the new store layout. It looks really nice.”
“Nice try, but you’re not about to have me up in there only so you can stay longer. I’ll pass.”
“I’ll only be a few minutes. There’s no need for you to be sitting in the car looking crazy, now bring your butt on here.”
“No.”
“Why not?”
“First, I don’t want to get out. We weren’t supposed to stop here, anyway. Second, every time I happen to be at the store, Corbin gawks at me like he ain’t never seen a woman in his life. Ugh…it’s highly annoying.”
“It’s not annoying. It’s cute. You know Corbin likes you,” Jessalyn gushed, raising her brows.
“No, I don’t. How would I know that? How do youknow that?”
“I’ve seen him staring at you and I know you’ve seen it too.”
“I ain’t seen nothing.”
Jessalyn snickered reservedly. “Sure you haven’t.”
“Well, whatever the case, I’m not interested.”
“Davina, stop it. There ain’t a thing wrong with Corbin. He’s super cute and hardworking—you could use a good, down-to-earth man in your life. You most certainly ain’t going to find that at The Vue.”
The Vue was the local hotspot where the younger crowd gathered on the weekends to party after long work weeks. Davina had never claimed to be looking for a man there, but just to irritate her sister, she asked, “How do you know? I’m sure some fine marriages have resulted from nightclubs.”
“You mean one-night stands and accidental pregnancies.” Laughing, Jessalyn opened the car door. “Come on, Vina. This will only take a few minutes.”
“Ugh. Fine,” Davina said angrily unbuckling her seatbelt.
-------------------
Release Date October 22, 2021
August 3, 2021
#TeaserTuesday - Alyssa and Zander on IG
Okay, so they're really not on Insta, but being the eager author that I am, I thought I'd give you some what-if scenarios that would happen between them if they were on Instagram. Below, Alyssa posts, "Life is good". Do you see Zander's response? That's probably confusing for her, right? After all, she is in love with him and he supposedly has no idea.
Zander posted after one of his workouts at the fire house. Of course, Alyssa had to comment about him showing off, I mean, who could miss those muscles, but Zander is hoping she's cooked dinner because he's on the way to her apartment.
And finally, Alyssa posted that she had lunch at Rocco's - one the restaurants in the strip mall where she works and is also a key element of the story. Zimyra, Zander's sister, leaves a comment.
I hope you enjoyed this little glimpse into their lives. I like doing interesting things to help bring the characters to life. I had fun making them. If you missed the prequel to Zander, Just Being Us, visit the book page to find out where to purchase. Zander is available for order on Amazon. It releases on Friday, August 6, 2021.
July 12, 2021
#TeaserTuesday - It's a New Release!
It's a new release! Just Being Us is the prequel to Zander, A St. Claire Novel. I didn't think I would write a prequel to this story, but it was too good to pass up! I love these two. Zander and Alyssa are hilarious and I love the way they have each other's backs, even back when they were younger. The prequel takes you to their lives when they were twenty-three years old. You get to see how they interact with each other and how Alyssa has always had a crush on her best friend.
Download Your Copy of Just Being UsJust Being Us is the prequel to Zander (A St. Claire Novel) that will be released on August 6, 2021. You can pre-order at this link. Read more about Zander at the book page.
July 11, 2021
Lifetime Movie Review - Framed By My Husband
Review for Framed By My Husband that premiered on July 10, 2021 on Lifetime.
Image via www.mylifetime.com*SPOILER ALERT* Do not read if you haven't watched the movie yet.
June Lowe works at a hospital but is an aspiring writer. Her husband, Rick Lowe, is a writer and just learns that he made the New York Times Bestseller's List. The movie opens with him signing copies of his books and the women readers are supposed to be totally obsessed with him because of the kind of stories he writes.
One day out of the blue, June gets a letter in the mail from a woman who claimed Rick assaulted her and they're seeking money, fifty-thousand dollars, or they would go to the cops. Rick tells his wife that the fans are obsessed with him and he's never assaulted anyone. Together, they come up with a plan to pay them off, but he wants his wife to make the money drop...
That's how she gets framed.
I knew this Rick character was a little flaky to start. I mean, after all, the title is 'Framed By My Husband' but he certainly did a good job of pretending to be normal. I didn't like the fact that he didn't want his wife to be a writer, but always talked about his success. I think he brought up something about them having a baby to take her mind off of being a writer, but June isn't ready to be a mother.
June played a super naive role. First of all, I'm not going to meet anyone at night, in a parking garage with a suitcase full of money. I'm not going to meet anyone at night at a parking garage, period! And when June got there and saw that the people had been killed, she should've called the police then and there (and not touch anything) but she touched everything she could (SMH) and then jumped in the car and floored it back home to her conniving husband.
I don't remember what led the detectives to her house specifically but her husband threw her way up under the bus and planted evidence. You know what happens next...she gets arrested (well, sort of). She's so confused by everything that's happening, she falls and hits her head and has to go to the hospital where she's handcuffed to the bed with an officer sitting outside of her door. But not for long. She knocks the daylights out of one of the nurses with a food tray, uses a paperclip to free herself of the handcuffs and now she's free to do her own investigation of her husband.
Now we get to see who this man really is. Rick Lowe is an author, but he's PSYCHO. He uses a dating app to meet up with women. He wears a disguise (an ugly one at that...) uses an alias and assaults the women he meets. Afterward, he goes back to being the normal author. How his wife didn't know he was a little bonkers before he framed her is beyond me. She follows him, tries to convince the women he's meeting up with to go to the police, but they're not trying to listen to her.
Meanwhile, Rick is trying to move in on his wife's sister! He asked her out to dinner. He sent her roses. At one point he met her for coffee and tried to hold her hand. Eew!
Anyway, to make a long story short, the wife ends up solving the case because the police are clueless until the very end (as always the case with these types of movies). I think this concept has been done before so the movie didn't really give off an original vibe. The only surprise for me was that Rick was actually a predator. I thought he wanted to frame his wife because he wanted her younger sister and he wanted to have a child but June wasn't ready for that. I also thought he was being a creep to get more material for his next book. Oh, and I have to mention - I didn't like how dumb June's sister was. I think she should've had her sister's back and at first, she did not. All she did was cry and ask her why she killed those people. What??? And what woman you know leaves their cell phone on the table at a restaurant when they make a bathroom run?
Good one, Lifetime. *wink*
Movie Review - Framed By My Husband
Review for Framed By My Husband that premiered on July 10, 2021 on Lifetime.
Image via www.mylifetime.com*SPOILER ALERT* Do not read if you haven't watched the movie yet.
June Lowe works at a hospital but is an aspiring writer. Her husband, Rick Lowe, is a writer and just learns that he made the New York Times Bestseller's List. The movie opens with him signing copies of his books and the women readers are supposed to be totally obsessed with him because of the kind of stories he writes.
One day out of the blue, June gets a letter in the mail from a woman who claimed Rick assaulted her and they're seeking money, fifty-thousand dollars, or they would go to the cops. Rick tells his wife that the fans are obsessed with him and he's never assaulted anyone. Together, they come up with a plan to pay them off, but he wants his wife to make the money drop...
That's how she gets framed.
I knew this Rick character was a little flaky to start. I mean, after all, the title is 'Framed By My Husband' but he certainly did a good job of pretending to be normal. I didn't like the fact that he didn't want his wife to be a writer, but always talked about his success. I think he brought up something about them having a baby to take her mind off of being a writer, but June isn't ready to be a mother.
June played a super naive role. First of all, I'm not going to meet anyone at night, in a parking garage with a suitcase full of money. I'm not going to meet anyone at night at a parking garage, period! And when June got there and saw that the people had been killed, she should've called the police then and there (and not touch anything) but she touched everything she could (SMH) and then jumped in the car and floored it back home to her conniving husband.
I don't remember what led the detectives to her house specifically but her husband threw her way up under the bus and planted evidence. You know what happens next...she gets arrested (well, sort of). She's so confused by everything that's happening, she falls and hits her head and has to go to the hospital where she's handcuffed to the bed with an officer sitting outside of her door. But not for long. She knocks the daylights out of one of the nurses with a food tray, uses a paperclip to free herself of the handcuffs and now she's free to do her own investigation of her husband.
Now we get to see who this man really is. Rick Lowe is an author, but he's PSYCHO. He uses a dating app to meet up with women. He wears a disguise (an ugly one at that...) uses an alias and assaults the women he meets. Afterward, he goes back to being the normal author. How his wife didn't know he was a little bonkers before he framed her is beyond me. She follows him, tries to convince the women he's meeting up with to go to the police, but they're not trying to listen to her.
Meanwhile, Rick is trying to move in on his wife's sister! He asked her out to dinner. He sent her roses. At one point he met her for coffee and tried to hold her hand. Eew!
Anyway, to make a long story short, the wife ends up solving the case because the police are clueless until the very end (as always the case with these types of movies). I think this concept has been done before so the movie didn't really give off an original vibe. The only surprise for me was that Rick was actually a predator. I thought he wanted to frame his wife because he wanted her younger sister and he wanted to have a child but June wasn't ready for that. I also thought he was being a creep to get more material for his next book. Oh, and I have to mention - I didn't like how dumb June's sister was. I think she should've had her sister's back and at first, she did not. All she did was cry and ask her why she killed those people. What??? And what woman you know leaves their cell phone on the table at a restaurant when they make a bathroom run?
Good one, Lifetime. *wink*
July 6, 2021
#TeaserTuesday - Friendship or a Relationship?
Zander (A St. Claire Novel) is now available for Pre-Order on Amazon. The release date is August 6, 2021.
Pre-Order Zander
For Teaser Tuesday, here's a little background on these two!
How They Met: Zander met Alyssa when his parents moved into her area - Columbia, South Carolina. He was assigned to her class in middle school. They were twelve. Now they're twenty-eight and still friends. Best friends.
Things Alyssa Regrets: Not telling Zander how she felt about him all those years ago. Zander was her everything. In many ways, he still is. Her mistake was thinking he knew how she felt already. I think a lot of women make this mistake. Men can't read your mind ladies.
Things Zander Likes About Alyssa: She's strong-minded. She likes to forge her own path. She's not afraid to take a risk, especially when it comes to business, and she's always there for him when he needs her.
Things Alyssa Likes About Zander: His personality. Some people think he's a little rough around the edges, but she's grown to appreciate him. He follows his own path. He values his family and friendships. And then there are those amazing green/brownish eyes of his...
Their story is a friends-to-lovers romance, one of my favorite tropes because I think it's a lot easier to fall in love with someone if you're friends first. Do you agree? Or if you're like Alyssa and Zander, you both could individually be thinking that a relationship will completely destroy a friendship, so you do nothing and say nothing about the way you feel and hope those feelings subside. But what if they never go away?
Pre-Order Zander at Amazon today!
