Melissa Snark's Blog: The Snarkology, page 41
March 19, 2015
Fontana’s Trouble by T.C. Archer (Contest) #Romance
Genre: Science Fiction Romance
Enforcer Fontana Marks vacations undercover until she can testify against the Track Cartel for crimes against the Galactic Coalition. But the cartel is hiding something, and Fontana intends to find out what—then make them pay for murdering Jenny, the young scientist she failed to protect while on assignment on Rigil IV.
The last thing Fontana intends to do while vacationing incognito on the fantasy resort Sagitariun is follow the advice of her superior. “Rest, recuperate, and find a man.”
But how can a woman resist a blond, blue-eyed man streaking naked in public?
And why can’t she to get rid of the damned trench coat she stole?
Buy Link: Amazon
~Excerpt~
The man shifted, and the loose-fitting white shirt went taut across his broad shoulders. Memory of his tanned skin and steel muscle hit like a thunderbolt, and Fontana’s stomach did a flip.
He grinned, a sure sign he knew he was being viewed through a one-way door. Desire rippled through her on a slow, sure wave that promised heart-stopping pleasure. She’d known good-looking men. Ray, her last serious relationship five years ago, had been gorgeous. She’d been mad for him, but the man standing outside her door had a quality about him that made her want to snuggle up against him and fall asleep.
Fontana snorted. Her body would disagree. Right now that part of her throbbed with an insistent desire to bed him—hard. Maybe then the flutter in her heart would have a say, and she’d fall asleep wrapped in his arms. That would be a welcome change to the sleepless nights she’d spent since Jenny’s death. It would be a temporary fix, but she could use at least one good night’s rest.
She sighed. First she’d better deal with the damned raincoat and find out how the naked man had escaped the shock troopers. Then there was the little matter of how he’d found out where she was staying.
Fontana rose and smoothed the form-fitting blouse and poly-cotton slacks she wore. “Open door,” she said, and the door dematerialized.
His stare slid down her body, and her nipples tightened to a delicious discomfort—and one he couldn’t miss under the millipore fabric of her top.
“Well, Mr. Long John.”
His blue eyes returned to her face. “Long John?”
She stepped aside and motioned him in. “Last time I saw you, your long johnson was standing at attention.”
He entered, and the door rematerialized behind him. “Give him a minute, and he’ll be at your command again.”
“What are you doing here?”
He wrapped an arm around her waist. “You said to look you up.”
She spun out of his grasp and backed up. “How did you find me?”
“Spacer Jack’s is brimming with information.”
He was right. She’d figured that out the first time she’d walked in. Even a benign resort like Club Sagitariun had a dark side. Proof stood right in front of her in all its masculine glory. No. All his masculine glory had been long, hard, and ready to go in the alley. Damn shock troopers. Ten more minutes and she would have had a quick hard ride on his steel rod.
He continued to advance.
She retreated. “Where’s my raincoat?”
He grasped her hand. “What do you need with a man’s raincoat?”
“The owner is looking for it.”
“Forget about him.” He stepped closer.
“Can’t.”
“I came to thank you for the coat. Let me buy you breakfast.”
Some offer—and not what she had in mind for jump-starting a morning that had begun four hours ago for her.
“It’s not my coat,” she said.
“We’ll find the owner and thank him—later. We have some unfinished business.”
Heat radiated from his body. Her pulse sped up. The smile at the corners of his mouth deepened. Her calves made contact with the bed. He stepped closer, grasped her hand, and pressed her palm over his heart.
Fontana ignored the warmth spreading through her and locked gazes with him. “What did those shock troopers want?”
He shrugged. “Never found out.”
“They never caught you.”
“I had to elude them so I could be here.”
That had a certain logic she liked.
His fingers gently tightened over the hand still pressed against his heart. “You’ve got my heart beating like crazy.”
She noted the hard muscle of his chest, under which only a regular heartbeat thumped, and pulled her hand away. “It’s not nice to lie.”
“I’m hurt.”
She wanted to laugh. He actually did look hurt.
“Don’t tell me you’ve forgotten all that we’ve shared,” he said.
Now she did laugh. Fontana was startled at the unexpected relief she felt. She hadn’t laughed since setting foot on Rigil IV. He cut off her thoughts by pulling her against him. His mouth crashed down onto hers. The hard ridge of his arousal dug into her stomach. She could almost believe she had a special effect on him. Almost. But that erection was just a little too ready—a little too eager—to belong to anyone but a working man.
~Giveaway~
T.C. Archer is giving away an ebook copy of Fontana’s Trouble to one lucky winner. Enter the rafflecopter below for your chance to win.
~About the Author~
C. Archer is comprised of award winning authors Evan Trevane and Shawn M. Casey. They live in the Northeast. Evan has a Ph.D. in electrical engineering, and Shawn is a small business owner. Their collaboration began on a lark with the post WWII film noir story The Pickle My Little Friend, and has evolved into over a dozen works, which includes their new series The Phenom League, the Blood Angels series, and Daphne Du Maurier winner, the romantic thriller For His Eyes Only.
Author Links: Site Facebook Twitter Goodreads
March 18, 2015
New Release: Her Soldier’s Touch by J.M. Stewart #Romance
Genre: contemporary romance
Publisher: Crimson Romance
Word Count: 70, 000/214 pages
Release date: March 16, 2015
ISBN: 9781440581373
ISBN-10: 1440581371
AISN: B00U7W5WNQ
Experience has taught single mother Rachel Madison that the only person she can truly rely on is herself. But what she wants most in the world—to give her son the life she never had growing up—means she must put her faith in a man who once walked out on her.
Retired from the service, U.S. Army Sergeant First Class Colten Taylor makes a detour to Phoenix to bury his brother. Nobody is more surprised than he is to see Rachel waiting for him at the airport. He regrets the morning he walked away from her, but coming from an abusive home taught Colt to put limits on all his relationships—especially this one.
So when he discovers he has a son, Colt knows this is a chance to prove to himself he’s not a chip off the old block. Turning his life around doesn’t come naturally, though. Then a drug dealer crops up from his brother’s dark past, threatening their son and forcing Colt and Rachel to face their demons … and each other.
Sensuality Level: Sensual
Purchase links:
Amazon | Amazon UK | Barnes and Noble | iTunes | Kobo | Crimson Romance
Excerpt
“Maybe I do it to protect you. Did you ever think of that? I don’t do relationships, Rach. You’re better off finding someone who can give you what you need, because I’m not that man.”
That damn stony wall made her want to hit him just to see him react.
She clenched her fists. “Coward.”
Colt’s head jerked in her direction. His gaze seared into her as he studied her.
“I don’t need your protection.” She glared at him. “I’m perfectly capable of looking out for myself.”
He turned his body fully toward her and copied her stance, folding his arms across his chest. “All right. You really want to know what I’m thinking? Telling me you want me because our son needs his father wasn’t what I hoped you’d say. I wanted you to tell me you wanted me. But, I know damn well I have no right to want that, for exactly that reason … I walked out. And, for the record, I didn’t tell you all that stuff that night to scare you. I was being honest.”
His body heat radiated against her side as he closed the distance between them, stepping into her personal space then taking another step, until his scent of soap and man washed over her and his firm body brushed hers. His voice lowered to a husky murmur, his breath whispering across her cheek.
“More than I should have been. Those eyes of yours pull things out of my mouth I shouldn’t say. You’re my ultimate weakness, sweetheart.”
Author bio
J.M. Stewart is a coffee and chocolate addict who lives in the Pacific Northwest. She’s a hopeless romantic who believes everybody should have their happily ever after.
Find J.M. Stewart at: http://authorjmstewart.com/, on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/authorjmstewart, and on Twitter @JMStewartWriter.
KEYWORDS: soldier, PTSD, secret baby, friends to lovers, Phoenix, single mother
March 17, 2015
GEOGRAPHY AS A CHARACTER IN YOUR NOVEL by Judith Works (Contest) @Goddessfish
When I decided to write a novel it was natural to me to set the characters in motion in a setting that offered myriad opportunities to use landmarks and ambience to advance the plot and affect the characters’ thoughts and behavior. Because I am familiar with Rome, Italy, a city of romance and intrigue, I used that city. A city where there an opportunity to use Egyptian obelisks piercing the sky for Laura to wonder about the meaning of her new life, cobblestones to evoke the historic center, fantastic food to share with a lover, evocative moonlit ruins, museums with enigmatic paintings to ponder, and cloisters for assignations.
A number of readers have confirmed my feeling that the setting can be a character in a novel. Rome is a character in City of Illusions when it shapes Laura’s destiny as she searches for a new life far away from the gray city of Seattle. And it is a character when Jake, her husband, is so numbed by the overwhelming sensations that he becomes unable to capture the city with his paints.
A place molds characters’ lives. The novel could have been set in a different location but it would have been a different story. If Laura and Jake moved to London filled with pageantry and royal palaces or Paris with its 19th Century buildings and wide boulevards they would have been different people by the end of the year. Different weather, different food, different architecture. No ruins, no Vatican, no Trevi Fountain where Laura tosses in a coin to make a wish. Would Laura have found life so difficult in an English-speaking city with its Anglo-Saxon lifestyle; would Jake have become involved in antiquity theft when he was not surrounded by them? Unlikely.
What do you want your characters to experience? If the story is only about interior lives the setting will fade into the background and become unimportant. But if the story needs action and color the choice of setting will inform the story. Will the characters have a car chase? How about the twisting roads along the French Rivera as in To Catch of Thief? Will the characters fight for their country or empire? You will have a different story if the setting is the South during the Civil War or a fantasy world of the future like the Star Wars series even though the big themes of our existence always remain the same.
I often select novels for my reading list by their settings – London during World War II, Paris in the Jazz Age, contemporary life on the barren Great Plains, or Shanghai during the Japanese occupation. Not only do I want to know the characters’ personal journey, but I want to learn what it is like to live where and when they did. Did bombing in London affect their actions by making them timid or brave, did the wind and blizzards roaring over the Plains cause them to become quiet and resilient? Did they experience terror in a concentration camp? And how would I react to those experiences if I was in their place and time?
The setting provides you, the author, with an opportunity to move your characters thoughts and actions in response to the world they find themselves in – a world your readers want to know about as they follow the story.
A yearning for change puts Laura on the road to Rome but her marital problems, muted in cool Seattle, become magnified in the glare of the Roman sun. Will she find happiness in the Eternal City or are her dreams only an illusion?
Links to purchase City of Illusions:
Excerpt:
She recognized the inertia of their marriage had been roiled by the move to Italy, although it wasn’t in the manner she intended. Instead of coming closer, a centrifugal force had whirled them into seldom- intersecting elliptical orbits, hers energized, his wobbly. Whatever the difficulties of living in Rome were, she was becoming increasingly sure that she would find a more fulfilling life in Rome rather than Seattle. With or without Jake.
She turned back to her work, but the day passed slowly as she worried about him and her parents’ visit. As she expected, the evening wasn’t any better. Jake watched another inane spettacolo with bouncing babes on TV while they ate dinner. In an effort to appear as if married life was normal, after the dishes were done Laura said she was going to get ready for bed. Jake ignored the hint. She was washing her hands when she heard him come into the bathroom. She looked in the mirror to see his face hovering over her shoulder.
“It’s not what you think. I delivered stuff to a gallery for sale. We might even get a cut of the profits. It’s interesting to be a part of the action. I’ll be helping restore a few old artworks so others have a chance to enjoy them. Otherwise they would just rot in some moldy old church or castle. You should be proud of me instead of picking all the time.”
Laura tried a smile. Then she gave him the bad news. “Well, we’ve got a small problem: my mom and dad are coming in February for ten days. They expect the weather to be warm and that you will take them around the whole time.”
“Are you kidding? No way – I’m not a tour guide. What were you thinking to agree to this? We don’t have a car. And I’m busy. This is insane.”
He marched off to his spot in front of the television, leaving Laura holding the toothpaste, squeezed in the middle instead of from the bottom as she liked. She carefully rolled the tube, flattening the used portions.
AUTHOR Bio and Links:
Life was routine until the author decided to get a law degree. Then a chance meeting led her to run away to the Circus (Maximus) – actually to the United Nations office next door – where she worked as an attorney in the HR department and entered the world of expat life in Rome. The ten years of happy and sometimes fraught experiences are the subject of her memoir, Coins in the Fountain. She continues to travel, having visited over 100 countries in between many journeys to Italy where she always tosses a coin in the Trevi Fountain to ensure a return to Rome. Judith and her husband now live near Seattle where she is working on her second novel.
www.facebook.com/judithworksauthor
www.aLittleLightExercise.blogspot.com
Twitter: @judithworks
BOOK TRAILER: bit.ly/COIYouTubeTrailer OR http://youtu.be/8EsGi2sdVII
Previous Book/Memoir:
Coins in the Fountain
Background:
Judith has a BS in Psychology, M Public Administration, JD from Lewis & Clark School of Law. She has spent most of her career in Human Resources administration. Judith is a member of Northwest Women Writers, past President of Edmonds Friends of the Library, board member for Edmonds Center of the Arts, vice-president EPIC Group Writers, and a member of PNWA and Willamette Writers.
Take A Chance, Cowboy by Lacey Wolfe (Contest) #Romance
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Carver Ranch Series , Book 2
Can a city girl heal a cowboy’s broken heart?
Nathan Carver gave up on love long ago after a betrayal he wasn’t sure he could ever get over. When Angie Simms arrives in town to help his brother’s fiancée with their upcoming wedding, she stirs things in him that he hasn’t felt in a long time. Things he doesn’t want to feel. So he pushes her away.
Angie wants what she wants, and doesn’t always think before she speaks. When she lays eyes on sexy cowboy Nathan, she’s determined to find out what caused his brooding attitude. She can tell right away that he’s not someone to play with. He’s got a layer of hurt around his heart, which makes him that much more attractive.
The feisty woman is determined to make Nathan her conquest, but will he take a chance on Angie?
Content Warning: contains adult language and sexual situations
Buy Links: Beachwalk Press Amazon Barnes & Noble
~Excerpt~
“So, cowboy.” Angie set her beer bottle down. “You’re halfway done with that drink and you’ve managed to sit with me the whole time. Now tell me about the broken heart you’re still mending.”
Nathan rolled his drink between his hands. “Nothing to tell.”
“Quit the bullshit. Do I look like her? Remind you of her? What?” She sat back in her chair and crossed her arms. “There is some reason you dislike me.”
You make me feel things. Not to mention, in some ways, her features were similar to his ex, like her long, dark hair. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
She ran a hand through her hair. “Well, whoever she was, get over it.”
“Why do you care so much?” He lifted the bottle to his lips, but didn’t drink. “You don’t know me, I don’t know you. Why do you care if I’ve got a broken heart?”
“Because you’re taking it out on me.”
He shook his head and finished the beer. That was his last one for the evening. He stared at Angie. She had a point that he’d been rude to her on numerous occasions, but he hadn’t intentionally meant to hurt her feelings. “I apologize.”
She smiled, her red lips parting. She had one of those contagious grins, because he felt his spread across his face.
“Now that is sexy. I can see why the girls would fall for you.” She winked.
“What?”
She leaned forward, and he caught a glimpse down her shirt again. “Your smile. It could make a woman fall to her knees.”
I want you on your knees. He wasn’t sure how to respond.
“Now that you’re in a better mood, want to tell me how I can make you like me?”
There was nothing she needed to do. He liked her plenty. “I don’t have an issue with you.”
She shrugged and stood. “Okay, whatever.” She rubbed his shoulder. “I’m going to find me a handsome man to dance with.”
He grabbed her wrist and she stared back at him.
“What? Did you want to be that handsome man?” She tried to look innocent, but the tease knew what she did to him.
Yes, yes he did. He wanted to take her on that dance floor and mold her body to his and let everyone in this place know she was off limits. “Nah, I’m heading out. Just be careful. Some of these guys think dancing should lead to other things.”
She raised an eyebrow. “Good to know.” She moved close to his ear. “I am looking for a good time.”
Something tore loose in Nathan and he stood, pulling her against him. Without another thought, he claimed her lips. She went still in his arms, but then, as he expected, she grabbed hold of him and thrust her tongue in. The taste of beer met his senses and he laced a hand around her neck. She moaned as she lifted up on her toes to make the kiss deeper.
~Giveaway~
Lacey is giving away 3 copies of any eBook off her backlist during her tour!
For a chance to win please fill out the rafflecopter below.
~About the Author~
Lacey Wolfe has always had a passion for words, whether it’s getting lost in a book or writing her own. From the time she was a child she would slip away to write short stories about people she knew and fantasies she wished would happen. It has always been her dream to be a published author and with her two children now of school age, she finally has the time to work on making her dream come true.
Lacey lives in Georgia with her husband, son and daughter, their six cats and one black lab who rules the house.
New Release: Alphas Gone Wild (Shifter Paranormal Romance Boxed Set) #Contest
Some alphas are too wild to tame, but our sassy heroines enjoy a beast in the sheets. It’s feminine wiles and wanton shenanigans as each of these ladies comes up against the man of her dreams.
Alphas Gone Wild features 11 sizzling hot tales of shapeshifter romance from NY Times and USA Today best selling authors.
Available for Only 99 Cents
Amazon
To celebrate the release of Alphas Gone Wild, I’m sponsoring a giveaway for an ebook copy of the boxed set. Please leave a comment on this post telling me what shifter species you love best! I’ll choose a winner via Random.org by Friday.
Also, be sure to enter the Rafflecopter below for a chance to win a $50 Gift card!
Touch of Alpha by Catherine Vale
When Denver is given the chance to become Alpha of his clan he must choose a mate. Unfortunately, the obvious choice isn’t the one his heart agrees with.
Pack Justice by Michelle Fox
Sabrina’s been a naughty werewolf, two-timing alphas from different packs. When her lovers find out the truth, they arrange for a little pack justice.
A Cat’s Tale by Melissa Snark
Alpha werewolf Jared wakes up in a vampire’s dungeon, swearing revenge upon the wily Siamese werecat who lured him there. To escape, he seduces the skittish puss and teaches her a hot, hard lesson.
Wild for the Lion by Kristen Strassel
After she’s claimed by a lion, Daphne must learn to embrace her wild side if she wants to survive as the only weredeer against Soldier Mountain’s jealous pride.
Masked Desire by Crystal Dawn
Heart-broken over his soul mate’s unwillingness to mate with him, Luke plans to lure her into spending a night of passion to change her mind.
Dragon’s Dewdrop by Ruby Glass
When Rochelle discovers jewels scattered like dewdrops over her gorgeous employer’s lawn, she plans to profit. In fact, the gems are a sign that he’s a dragon shifter – and that he’ll need her help…
Cat Lover by Selena Kitt
Sebastian and Katie are having relationship issues when her ex shows up to complicate things, but that’s the least of their worries, because Katie is finally changing—into something not quite human.
Ravished by The Ice Palace Pack by Ariana Hawkes
The Ice Palace Pack capture a young were-female as part of their winter mating rites. Delilah’s never been mated before, but soon learns the pleasures of being shared between so many smoking-hot males
Harvest Moon by Tabitha Conall
In a world where werewolves mate in threes, wolves Donovan and Eli find their mate in Maddy. But a mad wolf wants Maddy for his own. Can her mates keep her safe before she disappears forever?
Getting Bear by Ever Coming
Getting Bear is a stand alone erotic romance featuring a sexy werebear shifter determined to claim his curvy mate before her time in Greenville is over.
Desired by Alisa Woods
Shifters live in the shadows of Seattle, from dot-com billionaires to college students. Mia hopes being a shifter won’t sabotage her college dreams. Lucas is a broken alpha not looking to rescue anyone… but now he has to keep Mia safe. If only he could keep his paws off her.
March 16, 2015
RECONCILED FOR EASTER by Noelle Adams (Contest) #Romance @Goddessfish
Abigail has been separated from her husband for almost two years. After a marriage that brought her only insecurity, she seeks a life now of peace and independence with their six-year-old daughter. Thomas wants to put their marriage back together, because he liked the wife he used to have, but she never wants to be that person again.
She might need his help with their daughter and start to enjoy his company again, but she just can’t trust him with her heart. Even when she discovers that her heart still wants him for a husband.
Buy links:
Kobo:
Excerpt:
She looked perfectly respectable for dinner and the symphony for a work function—and nothing like the plain, shy girl she used to be—so she grabbed her purse and headed to the living room.
“Ooh!” Mia squealed at her arrival. “Mommy looks beautiful!”
“Thank you, sweetie.” Abigail ran her hands down her skirt absently, feeling suddenly self-conscious at Thomas’s steady gaze. His face showed no expression, but she knew he missed no detail of her appearance.
“Just in time,” Thomas said, glancing at his watch. “Seven o’clock. I didn’t know you took such long showers.”
Abigail felt her cheeks burning, but she managed not to react in any other way. There was absolutely no way Thomas could know what she’d been thinking about in the shower. “Thanks for coming over early to sit with Mia while I got ready,” she said, pleased when her voice sounded natural.
“Of course.”
“I’m not sure when I’ll be back, but it will be late since we’re going to Dalton.” She glanced outside and saw headlights turning into the driveway of her little bungalow. “That’s Jim. He’s picking me up, and then we’ll pick up the Seymours.”
“I see.” Thomas’s voice was strange, but she didn’t know why.
“All right,” Abigail said in a rush, feeling anxious and self-conscious and at loose ends. “You be good, Mia. Obey your Daddy and go to bed when he says. Eight o’clock.” She said the words with a certain significance to remind Thomas of the girl’s bedtime. “And you can read until nine.”
“I know, Mommy.”
“There are snacks in the kitchen,” Abigail went on. “And I’ll have my phone on vibrate the whole time, so just call me any time if you need me.”
“I know, Abigail,” Thomas said, his mouth twitching up a little.
“Okay.” She glanced down at herself to make sure she had everything she needed. Then she told Mia, “I’ll give you your goodnight kiss now, since you’ll be asleep when I get back.”
She leaned down to kiss Mia, and she was about to leave when Mia said, “You didn’t give Baxter his kiss!”
Abigail hurried back over, flustered by the way Thomas’s eyes never left her face. She kissed Baxter. “All right. You be good and have fun.”
Then she kissed Mia again. “Mommy loves you.”
“I love you, Mommy.”
Rushed and thoughtless, Abigail moved to give Thomas a quick kiss on the lips in sequence. “I’ll be back after midnight probably.”
With a last wave, she left the living room. As she was reaching for the handle of the front door, she heard Mia’s giggle rippling out from the other room.
She paused, wondering what had prompted her daughter to laugh like that.
Then Abigail realized.
She’d just kissed Thomas. On the lips. Without even thinking about it.
With a gasp, Abigail whirled around and took a few steps back, with some sort of half-formed notion to try to explain.
But she caught sight of Thomas and Mia on the couch.
Mia was shaking with merriment, her hands covering her mouth. And Thomas had one finger to his lips as he smiled at his daughter, in the universal signal to keep quiet.
Overwhelmed with confusion, Abigail fled.
It was no big deal. She’d just been in a rush and hadn’t been thinking. Mia probably thought it was funny. She couldn’t let it bother her now.
It had been a really long time since kissing Thomas had been natural.
AUTHOR Bio and Links:
Noelle handwrote her first romance novel in a spiral-bound notebook when she was twelve, and she hasn’t stopped writing since. She has lived in eight different states and currently resides in Virginia, where she teaches English, reads any book she can get her hands on, and offers tribute to a very spoiled cocker spaniel.
She loves travel, art, history, and ice cream. After spending far too many years of her life in graduate school, she has decided to reorient her priorities and focus on writing contemporary romances.
Social Media:
Website: http://noelle-adams.com/Home_Page.html
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NoelleAdamsAuthor
Twitter: https://twitter.com/NoelleAdams3
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6572847.Noelle_Adams
Book Trailer for Reconciled for Easter:
March 15, 2015
Exposed by Rage (Deadly Exposure Series Book 1) by Sherrel Lee @GoddessFish #KindleScout
He has a dead body. She has the seedy connections. To solve the crime they are forced to work together.
To keep her mother’s reputation from destroying her, Ashley Dix Gibson had to learn at an early age to persevere and tune out the lies, gossip, and the bullies. Detective Michael DeMarco has no desire to team up with a woman with ties to the underbelly of the porn industry but if he wants to solve his case, he has no other options. When Ashley and DeMarco combine their resources to find a brutal killer, sparks of distrust turn into the fires of passion.
A word from the author regarding Kindle Scout:
Between Monday, March 2 and April 1, 2015 go to my campaign at: https://kindlescout.amazon.com/p/1VT4C9BS6157E
Browse by Category or Search for Exposed by Rage.
Read the excerpt.
If you like it, please nominate it for the next round.
Let all your friends know.
Excerpt:
I must have been feeling weak, because instead of rushing out to confront a few of those I wanted to talk to, I invited DeMarco in. He’d left Braden in charge of the scene and didn’t appear to be in a rush to start the reports he’d have to do. That thought made me smile. For once I wasn’t chained to a desk for seventy-five percent of the investigation. I could get used to being out of the Army and doing things my own way.
“Glad to see the smile. I know this has been extremely hard on you,” DeMarco said. “Want to share?”
“I was thinking about Jillie, wanting me to come home. She kept trying to talk me into the leaving the military. It took her death to accomplish that.” Hot, wet tears started streaming down my face. Appalled, I turned away from DeMarco and stumbled toward the bedroom. He didn’t say anything or try to stop me, but he did follow me. When I didn’t collapse on the bed, he put his arms around me, gave a gently hug and helped me to sit on the mattress.
Damn. This was awkward. The harder I tried to stop crying, the more I leaked tears. I don’t cry. I don’t show emotion, especially to guys. I didn’t want to feel the warmth of his touch and long to put my head on his shoulder. But I did. Before I knew what was happening his lips were on mine and I was holding him. Desperate to keep from drowning.
He pushed back, looking into my eyes. Reading me like the clichéd open book.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
AUTHOR Bio and Links:
Wrangler of a fearsome Yorkiepoo named Rogue (Half Yorkie half Poodle weighing in at a hefty eight pounds). Obsession controlled writer with a passion for making up names and twisting myths.
Sherrel, as the daughter of an Emmy winning cameraman, learned early in life the dark secrets of creating all those incredible fantasy characters for the large and small screen.
Refusing to be crushed at the discovery the monsters, aliens, and Robby the Robot weren’t real, Sherrel’s imagination soared. She became a SELF-proclaimed voyeur of special-effects and expert at fictional character creation.
Website: http://sherrellee.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Sherrellee.valens
Amazon Author Page: http://amzn.to/1E4qlDv
Twitter: @SherrelLeeBooks (Romantic Suspense) @gryphoenix (Urban Fantasy)
March 11, 2015
Scandalous Endeavors by Amanda Mariel (Contest) #Romance @AmandaMarieAuth
Genre: Historical Romance
Lady Amelia has only known the comfort of life in mid-eighteenth century English aristocracy. But when first her mother and then her father die, she finds herself alone, grief stricken and….. not of age. Her appointed guardian, an American uncle, has ordered her travel to his plantation where she must remain for at least two years when she will come of age.
With the help of Lady Grace and Lady Sarah, Lady Amelia gets her uncle to agree to give her four weeks to settle her affairs and unbeknownst to him…find an English lord to marry so she can remain in her beloved England. Despite her mourning period she endeavors to trap one of London’s eligible bachelors in matrimony.
Lord Goldstone, Lady Grace’s nephew is devilishly handsome, but a Scottish Duke and so entirely unacceptable as a possible husband. After all Scotland is not her beloved London and environs. He also has a nasty habit of showing up at all the wrong moments and thwarting her carefully laid plans to ensnare a suitable husband. Sparks fly as the pair find themselves at odds with each other and drawn to each other at the same time. Can they find a way to stop arguing long enough to explore their growing passion? Is it strong enough to make Lady Amelia give up her English home after all? Or will Lady Amelia find a suitable English lord and avoid social exile in America? Time is running out.
Buy Links: Amazon Barnes & Noble Kobo Google iBooks
~Excerpt~
Lord Roseington wrapped his arms around her and stood up, setting her on her feet. “Yes, Amelia, everything is okay now.” He reached up and removed her arms from around him, then took a step back. “We must stop winding up in these situations before we cause a scandal.”
She looked at him through hooded eyes. “‘Tis a wonder we haven’t already.”
A man cleared his voice behind her.
Amelia turned her head, already knowing who had caught them. “Lord Goldstone, you mustn’t trouble yourself with keeping our secret.”
“What she means to say is that there is no secret to be kept. Amelia carelessly got close enough to the hearth to catch her skirts ablaze. I could not very well let her burn up.”
“No, Roseington, you were obliged to help. I am glad to know that you were not taking advantage of our dear Amelia.” He glanced at her and flashed a rakish smirk. “Indeed, you are a hero. Let us go share the story while Amelia changes her charred gown.”
She tried her hardest to shoot daggers at him from her narrowed glare. His grin only deepened at the attempt, which increased her ire. “Don’t you dare tell a soul. I would most definitely perish from the embarrassment!” Amelia spat the words out with anger and annoyance. How dare he ruin everything for a second time, and then jest about sharing her humiliation. If he were not Scottish, she would trap him instead. That would teach him a lesson.
“Do not worry your head over it, Lady Amelia. We will not breathe a word of this little mishap,” Lord Roseington said. “Right, Goldstone?”
“Of course not. All of your secrets are safe with me.” He winked.
Amelia blushed at what he had implied. “Thank you. Now that it is settled I am going to retire for the evening. Enjoy the rest of the party. Lord Roseington, Lord Goldstone.” She inclined her head to them before spinning on her heels and speeding from the room.
~ Giveaway~
Amanda is giving away an eBook copy of Scandalous Endeavors and a $5.00 Amazon Gift Card during her tour.
For a chance to win please fill out the rafflecopter below.
~About the Author~
Amanda Marie dreams of days gone by when life moved at a slower pace. She enjoys taking pen to paper and exploring historical time periods through her imagination and the written word. Her hobbies include reading, writing, crocheting, traveling, photography, and spending time with her family. Some of Amanda Marie’s favorite places in the continental U.S. are Harper’s Ferry West Virginia and Sea Brook New Hampshire. She loves the history that surrounds them and visits them every chance she gets.
Amanda Marie lives along the Lake Huron shore line in northern Michigan with her husband and two kids. She holds a Master of Liberal Arts Degree with a concentration in literature and has a long standing love affair with sugary junk food.
Author Links: Blog Facebook Twitter Goodreads Three World’s Press Amazon
Write to Amanda Marie at amandamarieauthor@gmail.com
March 9, 2015
A Treasured Lily by Dawn Brower (Contest) #Romance @dawnab33
Genre: Historical Victorian Romance
Lilliana Marsden has a deep desire to leave England and live in Charelson, South Carolina. As part of her dowry, if she ever weds, the plantation will become hers. She only visited America once as a child, but it left lasting memories. Her parents want her to wait and try another season to find a husband in England. Lilliana wants to much more than to tie herself to one man for the rest of her life. Lilianna develops a plan to get everything she wants.
Randall Collins came to England to get investors to expand his shipping line. On the advice of the Viscount Torrington his potential investors decide against supplying him with the necessary funds to expand. After those plans fall apart he makes preparations to go home to South Carolina aboard his own ship.
Rand meets Lilliana and is instantly enamored. She confides in him her desire to leave England and make a home in South Carolina. Will he risk everything to help her run away from home?
Buy Links: Amazon Barnes & Noble All Romance Books Smashwords
~Excerpt~
He wondered how far he could push her. The decision to give into her and take her on his ship had already been made. Lilliana just didn’t know he already decided to let her come back to America with him, but only because it worked in his own plans.
“What do I get for my trouble?” he asked. “I’d be risking quite a lot to assist you with your scheme.”
“What do you want? Money? I certainly can afford to pay for my passage.”
Rand’s lips rose into a cocky smile. He desired a lot from her, but at this point only one thing would do as payment. Would the lovely lady be willing to give it to him? He had nothing to lose and only one way to find out.
“How about a kiss?”
Lilliana looked stunned as she stared unblinkingly at him, and then just as suddenly she stopped dancing right in the middle of the dance floor. Her face flushed a pretty shade of pink as she began to move to the music again with him in the lead.
“How forward of you. I’m not sure I like your idea of compensation.”
“It’s a small thing, one little kiss. To be given to me at a time of my choosing.” He leaned in close to her and whispered in her ear. “Are you afraid?”
Lilliana’s breath sucked deep into her chest, and he could feel her slowly exhale it in little pants. Her pulse raced on her wrist beneath the palm of his hand and thrummed a small beat as he held it firmly in his grasp. A blush formed on her cheeks turning them a nice shade of pink, and her lips parted in anticipation. Her body’s reactions suggested she had an interest in kissing him also. Would she take the bait and give him what he desired? He needed her to accept the proposal. Once she did he’d have her sailing with him in a few short days.
“All right, you have a deal,” she agreed.
~Giveaway~
Dawn is giving away winner’s choice of any of my books (Ebook only) and a $5.00 GC during her tour.
For a chance to win please fill out the rafflecopter below!
~About the Author~
Dawn Brower holds a Bachelor of Arts in psychology, a Master of Arts in Education, and is currently working on a Master of Arts in Liberal Arts with concentrations in Literature, History, and Sociology. She works as a substitute teacher and enjoys the flexibility it gives her to concentrate on her other endeavors.
Growing up she was the only girl out of six children. She is a single mother of two teenage boys; there is never a dull moment in her life. Reading books is her favorite hobby. There is nothing like a nice glass of wine and a good book to relax with at the end of the day.
Author Links: Site Blog Facebook Twitter Goodreads Sign up for her Newsletter
March 8, 2015
Danger, Tangled Hearts, and Broken Cannoli By Maria K. Alexander (Contest) #TWRP
I’m a sucker for a second chance romance trope. Maybe it’s my own twisted way of trying to right the wronged relationships in my past…or not. Regardless, I enjoy reading and writing stories where two people who were separated find their way back to each other. And why not combine my love of food and traditions in the mix, too?
I stumbled upon my Tangled Hearts series while writing my first book, which remains 
under my bed until a time when I decide I want to dust it off and re-tool it for a prequel. It was through the journey of my first story that I found the DiFrancesco family and my voice as a contemporary romance writer. This hand-gesturing, loud-talking, nosy family is not a replica of my own, but we share many of the same Italian traits and traditions that will hopefully captivate the reader. They also serve as comedic relief to hopefully diffuse some of the tension from the suspense sub-theme of the stories.
The books in my Tangled Hearts series are about strong and determined women who can stand on their own feet. They don’t think they need a man…until they do. They’ve been burned by love and are not looking to fall in love. But when danger spirals around them, my feisty heroines will need to reach out to the men they least expect to untangle themselves from danger and from the hardened shell around their hearts.
In my current release and second book in the series, FOREVER IN MY HEART, Vicky DiFrancesco has worked hard to rise above being the family member with no career ambition. She’s finally gotten her derailed life back on track and has opened the hot new café in town in the space that used to be her family’s pizzeria. With her goals and priorities clear for the first time in her life, she’s not looking for any complications. Especially when it comes in the form of her high school sweetheart, now home from the army and looking hotter than ever with all six-feet of washboard abs and bulging biceps.
When Jamie DiSilva returns home from the army, he’s faced with ailing parents, a floundering new business, and a trio of thugs. He’ll need to take matters in his own hand to protect those he cares about most. At the top of his list is the girl he never forgot, all grown up and sexier than ever. To protect her from danger, he’ll need to get past her stubbornness and convince her to allow him to renovate her outdated café so he can search for something hidden by a dead man. Something that three deadbeat thugs are willing to injure, kidnap and possibly kill to get their hands on.
Here’s an excerpt from FOREVER IN MY HEART:
She leaned her forehead against his. “Oh, God. What are we doing?”
He kissed her, trying to recapture the passion that had evaporated with Lucy’s grand entrance.
“We’re doing what feels right. What is right,” he said.
She put her hands on his shoulders. “Please…this is too much, too fast. I’m not ready for this, yet.”
Yet, not never.
“You seemed ready a few minutes ago.”
She fastened her bra and pulled her dress up onto her shoulders. “It’s like I told you before, there’s more to us than what we’re feeling. My family is a huge obstacle.”
No kidding.
“I understand. But don’t you think it’s unfair of them to judge me, to judge us together before they’ve gotten to know me. They knew the punk kid I was. That’s not who I am now. Give me a chance to prove to your family I’m not like my brothers and that we’re good together.”
“I’m not sure. This is so confusing.”
“Okay. Just don’t tell me you won’t ever be ready for it.”
She sighed. “I’d be lying if I said that.”
He smiled and though still aroused and wanting her so much that his entire body vibrated, he stepped back but kept his hands on her waist.
“Tell me what you want, but please don’t shut me out.”
He could see the war in her—the woman fighting for what her heart wanted versus what was expected of her.
She tilted her head back. “May God not strike me down for what I’m about to say. How would you like to go to a birthday party?”
You can buy Forever in My Heart at:
The Wild Rose Press (Digital Link)
The Wild Rose Press (Print Link)
Giveaway
From February 20th through March 9th Maria is having a release giveaway. Stop by for a chance to win a digital copy of Untangle My Heart, the first book in her award-winning Tangled Hearts series or a $5 Amazon GC.
About Maria K. Alexander
Maria K. Alexander is an award-winning author of contemporary romance. When not writing, Maria loves to read, bake, downhill ski, visit the beach, and watch romantic comedies. Maria lives in New Jersey with her husband and children, and writes in her “spare” time between juggling a full-time job and her kids’ busy schedules. You can keep in touch with Maria at http://mariakalexander.com.
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