Sarah Cass's Blog: Sarah's StoryLines, page 5

Sleigh Ride by Trixie Pierce

Title- Sleigh Ride  Author- Trixie Pierce  Holiday Ride Trilogy book #2 CAN BE READ AS AS STANDALONE~Synopsis ~ *Warning: Contains cute winter scenes, adorable critters, violence, blood, guns, plenty of cussing, sensual characters with a hard ass mentality, explicit sex, and a warped sense of humor. Enjoy!* Winter Beauman left behind glitz, glamour, and the Manhattan skyline for a calmer existence in Wyoming. Taking up welding, she built a life around the new talent in the tiny town, with no need to be anyone but herself. Mason St. Croix spent five years alone reconciling the death of his wife, when he decided it was time to finally rejoin the living. Commissioning a custom sleigh to take presents to many of the children in town puts him face to face with the beautiful, and talented, Winter … making his long dormant libido roar to life. But someone in town doesn’t want Mason and Winter to be more than acquaintances, and are willing to kill to keep it that way.  Searching for answers reveals secrets best kept in the dark, ones that could tear them apart. Mason and Winter find they must accept the pain from the past, or lose the light of a happily ever after.  Buy links for Sleigh Ride  AMAZON UK AMAZON AU CA  for Hard Ride (Novella)  B&N   AMAZON  for Harvest Ride Book #1 in the Holiday Ride Trilogy  B&N AMAZON Excerpt Ignoring it, his clothes had dried, and he dressed quickly. Making the bed, he walked into the living room to find Winter bundling into several layers, a snow shovel leaning against the door. “I’m just in time,” he smiled. “Come on, let’s get this over with,” she returned the smile from under a knit cap and the dark blue parka’s hood. It made her light blue eyes burn a deeper color, and accentuated the red lips against the paleness of her skin. Taking a deep breath, and glad his coat didn’t let her see the way his dick liked her, he followed outside. Snow flurries swirled around them like a river, but it was light and the wind was easy. Unused to shoveling snow after buying a snowblower, he was breathing hard a foot from the porch. Winter continued, whistling. She bent over, and he noticed she wore jeans, low riders that gave him a glimpse of the dark blue g-string. His breathing escalated for another reason altogether. Images of removing the slip of underwear with his teeth, nibbling and licking the skin, making her moan, caused his heart to beat hard enough to force him backwards. The wall of snow kept him upright. He worked hard to get the image out of his head, closing both eyes and counting to one hundred. “Are you okay? Do you need a break, Mason? Mason? Are you okay?” her voice grew stronger, more urgent. He opened to find her only a foot away, a hand on his chest. Swallowing the lump in his throat, he croaked, “Yes, I, I …” “Do you need to go inside?” She jerked off a glove and put a warm hand against his cheek. “You’re really hot, maybe we should go inside.” The feel of her palm against his skin unlocked a dam. He shoved a hand into her hood, under the cap, grabbed a handful of the silky blonde hair, and pulled her head back. He stared into her eyes, gauging. “I’m going to kiss you, and kiss you hard, Winter. All you have to do is say yes.” His voice dropped several octaves, came out deep and harsh, much like his breathing. “Yes,” she whispered, a puff of coffee laced breath gently pushing against his face. It was all he needed. He took her mouth, pushing hard, forcing her to open to him. Taking advantage, he tasted her, the mocha laced coffee, and the underlying sweetness that was all Winter. Throwing the shovel to the side, he wrapped the other arm around her waist, jerking the soft body against his. Her moan vibrated against his mouth, and the imprisoned beast growled. Mine. Using his tongue, he showed her exactly what he wanted, in and out of her mouth, tasting every inch between thrusts, giving her little room to breathe or decide to end it. He wanted her to know exactly what he wanted, how he wanted it, and that she was going to enjoy every minute. Her hips moved against him, and the beast he thought died with Beth roared to life. Excerpt #2: Mason signed the necessary paperwork, put in a report, and left. Outside the station, he hailed a cab, and watched the familiar buildings pass slowly in the early morning traffic. He’d seen the anger in Winter’s eyes, and knew what it looked like. Damn his stupid instincts. She could obviously protect herself if needed. She didn’t require a man to do it for her. She didn’t manipulate to get what she wanted, nor had she ever demanded he watch over her every move. Closing his eyes, the night flashed on the inner screen. He had to get it together. He’d taken time off work, saying it was a family emergency, and it was already getting close to Thanksgiving. Not that he’d had big plans. His parents were dead, no siblings, and he wasn’t going to spend the holidays with Beth’s family. The cab came to an abrupt stop, and he handed the cabby the fare plus a good tip. Getting out, he stepped onto the sidewalk and stretched. Muscles protested, but nothing had been broken in the fight. A lot of bruises formed, and he couldn’t see out of the one eye, but otherwise, he was okay. Stepping inside the hotel, he took the elevator to his room, and once inside, stripped. A hot shower was in order, and some serious soul searching. Part of him screamed to find and watch over Winter. She was still in danger, and alone. Word was her parents were going back to the Hamptons. The danger in Wyoming wasn’t likely to stay there. A towel wrapped around his waist, he hit the power button, and sat on the bed. The news was the same thing, nothing good. There was a blip about a possible fight involving Winter Beauman, but it hadn’t been verified. He flipped the channels until he found an old sitcom. Leaving it, he noticed the red light blinking on his cellphone. Tapping the screen, he listened to the voicemails, saving a couple, deleting the rest. The final voicemail was from Emily, asking him to call. He tapped her number in and stopped. Staring at the screen, he wondered why he was calling. He’d been clear about the boundaries. It was time to cut the cord. Deleting the numbers, he tossed the phone on the bed, and grabbed a pair of sweats. Turning on the TV, he settled into the recliner. A noise woke him, and he opened the one good eye. He could hear rustling at the door, and frowned. Walking on the balls of his feet, keeping his footfalls quiet, he moved to stand on the side of the door opposite the handle. He ducked at the sound of the shotgun cocking on the other side of the door, as the roar of a shot blew the door in. He caught the door, slamming it against the person trying to get in. He heard the groan of pain as it connected with the intruder’s face, and he rolled into the small entrance. One foot kicked out, the heel connecting solidly with the groin of the male. “Call 911!” Mason yelled, the intruder falling onto his legs. He punched hard, hitting the man’s temple. The feel of the delicate bone crunching under his knuckles almost made him sick. The body went limp. Author BIO  Although she hates writing bio’s in third person, Trixie does love fast cars, fast men, and an enduring fascination with internal combustion engines. Living in the Rockies, she’s traveled enough to know the mountains are home. When not working, she can be found with her head under the hood, or buried in the pages of her next novel. AUTOR LINKS – FACEBOOK  AMAZON GOOD READS Hard Ride Novella  STANDALONE  Buy links for Hard Ride (Novella)  B&N   AMAZON Harvest Ride  Book #1 in the Holiday Trilogy  CAN BE READ AS A STANDALONE  Harvest Ride Book #1 in the Holiday Ride Trilogy  B&N  AMAZON

Tuesday Tales – Address – Free Falling

Welcome back to Tuesday Tales!  This weeks prompt is Address. Back with Free Falling again. Over half done (I think) with this one, and loving it as much as the rest of Lake Point. This week Ryan and Logan end up on a sort of unplanned date. Logan has just revealed some heavy details about his past, and Ryan has been moved by the events. So she decides to show him something: “Come on.” She rose and tugged on his hand. “The air’s too thick in here. Come on.” “What?” He furrowed his brow, possibly confused by the sudden change. “Where?” “You’ll see. Come on.” With a grin, she dragged him from the coffee shop and out onto the square. When he headed toward her truck, she tugged him the other direction. Over his protests, she dragged him across the square, past the second hand clothes shop, past the antique store Past Overs and into the alley just beyond. “Ryan?” “Patience, Logan. And trust.” He grunted at the last word, but his protest stopped. She took the small victory as she led him back through the next side street and darted across the silent street into the funeral homes parking lot. “Right back here.” She pulled him around the fence into the tree line behind it. They crept through to a small opening she’d discovered a while back. She plopped down onto the bed of pine needles and patted the space beside her. “What are we doing?” Despite the skepticism lingering in his tone, his lips bore the distinct curve of a smile. “Enjoying the quiet.” She leaned closer and whispered. “With these pines, the stone fence, and the privacy fence on that side, this place is one of the quietest in Lake Point.” “One of?” “Hush and listen.” “To what?” “Hush.” This time he listened, and she happily lay back on the bed of needles. She sighed and closed her eyes. A breeze stirred the trees above, lending a slight rustle to the quiet night and helping to block any external noise. His hand touched her shin, but remained there as the silence settled over both of them. After a few minutes he lay back on the needles beside her, a soft sigh slipping from his lips. “We’re never so aware of the constant hum of our existence until it’s gone.” “Do you come here often?” “Not as often as my other favorite spot, but this does in a pinch when I’m in town.” “Where’s your favorite?” He turned to look at her. In the faint light his eyes glittered, and his hand laced with hers. “Oh, that’s as secret as my library.” “You won’t show me?” “That’s something you have to earn.” “Then why show me this one?” “I thought you needed it.” She turned toward him, studying the lines of his face in the dim light. At the rate she was going, she was going to do something she never let herself do, she was going to fall for him. “When you unload something like that, you need to find yourself again.” “How would you know?” “My life wasn’t all sunshine and roses and happy family. I know.” She set her hand on his shoulder, using her fingertips to trace the lines of muscle. “I showed you mine.” She laughed. “You used the same logic with the library. Sorry, but it’s a story for another day, another time.” “Fuck. Time.” He tapped his watch, the glow lighting his features briefly. A sigh escaped and he lay back. “I thought it was later. I thought I was late getting Sher.” “How long do you have?” “About twenty minutes still.” “Then let’s get you back to your girl.” “And then what?” His hand tightened on hers. “Are you done here? With me? I do have a daughter.” “A fact I’m well aware of.” She squeezed his hand right back. “I told you, coffee and no promises.” “I don’t know what that means.” “That means for the sake of your daughter we are going to play this by ear. I don’t know what’s going to happen, and you’re going to have to accept that getting into anything means you don’t know what will happen. You can’t know what will happen. Address the elephant in the room.” “She asked me if we were dating.” “The elephant.” “Are we?” She chuckled and flopped back to stare at the pine canopy above them. “I think against my better judgment we’ll go with yes, but I still can’t make any promises. We’ll go a step at a time and if you tell Noah—” “I’d rather cut my dick off.” “Oh, good. That’s the threat I was going to make.”   *~* Hope you enjoyed it!  Click on the Tuesday Tales badge to see more excellent entries!!  

Paranormal Picks from Lyrical Press

Buy Links:  Amazon | B & N | iTunes | Kobo | Publisher Enchanter’s Echo by Anise Rae Mayflower Mages # 2 Blurb Aurora Firenze lives a quiet life hiding in a junkyard. Her repair shop is the last hope for gadgets and gizmos before they get tossed onto the trash towers. Fortunately, Aurora can fix almost anything, including mages, though repairing people with metal enchantments is highly illegal. Edmund Rallis, heir to the Rallis senate seat, has spent months hunting down his errant enchantress. He’ll play every game he knows to win her back and entice her to share the secrets she hides. But he’s inadvertently put her on the frontlines of a new game, one with an opponent who’s determined to destroy Rallis Territory and drive the Republic toward war. If the new enemy isn’t stopped in time, Edmund will lose his enchantress again—and this time there won’t be another chance.  Link to Follow Tour:  http://www.tastybooktours.com/2015/01... Goodreads Link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2... Author Info Anise Rae grew up among the cornfields and soybeans of Ohio, dreaming of being a ballerina, an astronaut, and a romance writer. With no turn-out and a soul deep love of chocolate, her ballerina dreams floated away as high as the moon, equidistant with the astronaut aspiration. She stuck with writing. After 22 years, she got the call. Or rather, she got the email. Syphon’s Song, a 2012 Maggie Award of Excellence finalist, will be released March 3, 2014 from Lyrical Press. Now transplanted to the South, Anise lives in Georgia with her family and a cast of characters that flit around in her head. A select few of those imaginary people are ever so grateful for their chance to escape into the real world of books. The remaining characters, enough to form an army, still clamor for freedom.  Author Links:  Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads Buy Links:  Amazon | B & N | iTunes | Kobo | Publisher Black Wolf’s Revenge by Tera Shanley Silver Wolf Clan # 2 Blurb He’ll risk it all to bring her home. Morgan Carter witnessed her sister’s murder, has been turned into a werewolf and is now raising her young niece. Then her fiance, Greyson Crawford, proves he wants to be with her for the wrong reasons, and she knows her life couldn’t be any stranger. Devastated, she retreats to her cozy house in the city with her sister’s little girl, Lana. There, they’ll have normalcy, and maybe eventually, even happiness. But Morgan’s the only living silver wolf. Her uniqueness—the ability to produce werewolf offspring—means, without Grey’s protection, she’s unknowingly put herself and Lana in deadly danger. Other werewolves want to claim her for their pack, and she’s the easiest, most tempting prey ever. When they strike, Grey has to find her and rescue her before it’s too late. Not so simple a task; he has only the uncontrollable beast inside him, Wolf, and an unlikely pack of allies he’s forced to rely on. Can he get to her in time? And if he does, can he convince her he’s there for the right reasons, saving them both? Link to Follow Tour:  http://www.tastybooktours.com/2015/01... Goodreads Link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2... Author Info Born and raised in small town Texas, Tera Shanley grew up in books. Her cousin gifted her a signed copy of Beauty by Bill Wallace when she was young and that was it for her. So smitten was she with getting lost in a story, that while other eleven year olds her age were groaning at the accelerated reader program in school, she was racking up the points just for fun. Balancing chronic book-wormyness is her devotion to the outdoors. Hunting, fishing, hiking, horseback riding, camping – her soul is happiest out of doors. And lucky for Tera, her family feels the same. She grew up a wild child helping her grandma ranch cattle, and has a hundred memories out in the wilderness which tend to influence her books. When she’s not eating chocolate, slinging rifles, or soaking up some sun, she’s lost in a book, but these days it’s more often one she’s writing. From historic western romance, to paranormal romance, to apocalyptic (zombie) romance, the genre doesn’t matter quite as much to her as the love story. She currently lives with her husband and two young children, and is owned by two crazy mini-cujos. Author Links:  Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads Buy Links:  Amazon | B & N | iTunes | Kobo | Publisher Windburn by Juliette Cross Nightwing # 2 Blurb In the Gladium Province, the boundaries between humans and Morgons, the dragon-hybrid race, continue to blur as a new generation surrenders to long-forbidden temptation… Sorcha Linden does whatever she wants whenever she wants, and no one can stop her. Least of all a man. After all, they’re good for only one thing—warming her bed. But then she meets Lorian, brother of Lucius Nightwing. Seductive and iron-willed, Lorian is determined to melt her emotional defenses—and warm her rebellious heart. The beast within Lorian longs to cage Sorcha and mark her as his own. Forever. Yet the man within also longs to protect her. When a stalker starts leaving Sorcha suggestive gifts with cryptic messages bearing an ancient blood cult symbol, Lorian’s dragon side takes over. With her life at stake, Sorcha can no longer deny the love they share. But when evil tracks her into the night, will she be too late to claim it? Author Info Juliette Cross calls lush, moss-laden Louisiana home, where the landscape curls into her imagination, creating mystical settings for her stories. She has a B.A. in creative writing from Louisiana State University, a M.Ed. in gifted education, and was privileged to study under the award-winning author Ernest J. Gaines in grad school. Her love of mythology, legends, and art serve as constant inspiration for her works. From the moment she read Jane Eyre as a teenager, she fell in love with Gothic romance—brooding characters, mysterious settings, persevering heroines, and dark, sexy heroes. Even then, she not only longed to read more novels set in Gothic worlds, she wanted to create her own. Visit her website at www.juliettecross.com.  Author Links:  Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads Buy Links:  Amazon | B & N | iTunes | Kobo | Publisher Love, Lattes and Mutants by Sandra Cox Mutants # 1 Blurb Finding love is hard, even when you aren’t a mutant. Like most seventeen-year-olds, Piper Dunn wants to blend in with the crowd. Having a blowhole is a definite handicap. A product of a lab-engineered mother with dolphin DNA, Piper spends her school days hiding her brilliant ocean-colored eyes and sea siren voice behind baggy clothing and ugly glasses. When Tyler, the new boy in school, zeroes in on her, ignoring every other girl vying for his attention, no one, including Piper, understands why… Then Piper is captured on one of her secret missions rescuing endangered sea creatures and ends up in the same test center where her mother was engineered. There she discovers she isn’t the only one of her kind. Joel is someone she doesn’t have to hide from, and she finds herself drawn to the dolph-boy who shares her secrets. Talking to him is almost as easy as escaping from the lab. Deciding which boy has captured her heart is another story. Author Info Multi-published author Sandra Cox writes YA fantasy, historic and paranormal romance and metaphysical nonfiction. Sandra lives with her husband, a menagerie of pets, and an occasional foster cat in sunny North Carolina. To see the brood go to her website www.sandracox1.com and click on the cat tab. Author Links:  Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads Rafflecopter Giveaway (Digital iBook Bundle of ALL Four Releases) a Rafflecopter giveaway

Crashing the Net by Jami Davenport

  Enter to Win $15.00 Amazon or B&N eGift Card and  Backlist Romance of winners choosing   CRASHING THE NET Game On In Seattle #3 Jami Davenport Releasing February 24th, 2015   Hockey star Cooper Black and professional party crasher Izzy Maxwell return in this sequel to Crashing the Boards. Jealous boyfriends and glitzy parties can be a recipe for disaster. When the gorgeous yet controlling Cooper interrupts a party Izzy was paid to crash and almost ruins her career as a professional party crasher, Izzy kicks him to the curb. She learned early in life not to count on anyone, and she will not relinquish her independence, not even to a sexy-as-sin pro athlete who can melt her with one wink. As the Sockeyes hockey team opens their inaugural season in Seattle, Cooper finds himself minus a girlfriend and plus a surly teenaged nephew. Cooper doesn’t want to be a surrogate dad, he doesn’t want to play in Seattle, and he doesn’t want to be alone. He misses Izzy, but seeing her with other men at parties turns him every shade of green. Regardless, he wants her back, and he’s willing to change, if only she’ll give him a second chance. Aware of her precarious finances, Cooper makes an offer she can’t refuse by hiring her to be responsible for his nephew when he’s traveling with the team. Fearing Cooper isn’t capable of changing his control-freak ways, Izzy resists his efforts to turn their financial arrangement into a personal relationship. He needs a sweet, docile girlfriend, and Izzy cannot be that woman. Yet, when tragedy strikes, Izzy is there when Cooper needs her the most, and love has a way of getting what it wants, no matter the circumstances.   BUY NOW Amazon | iBooks | Kobo | B&N       a Rafflecopter giveaway     USA Today Bestselling Author Jami Davenport writes sexy contemporary and sports romances, including her two new indie endeavors: the Game On in Seattle Series and the Madrona Island Series. Jami lives on a small farm near Puget Sound with her Green Beret-turned-plumber husband, a Newfoundland cross with a tennis ball fetish, a prince disguised as an orange tabby cat, and an opinionated Hanoverian mare. She works in computer support in her day job and juggles too many balls, but she wouldn’t have it any other way. Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads  

Tuesday Tales – Arm – Free Falling

Welcome back to Tuesday Tales!  This weeks prompt is Arm. Well, Stars, Stripes & Motorbikes is with my editor, so it was time to move on to the Independence Day story for 2015, Free Falling. My heroine, Ryan, is a furniture builder/designer that sets her own hours…mostly so she can always have a three day weekend to go out and pick up guys. She’s not looking for a commitment. Logan is a single dad who has to be dragged out, where he meets Ryan.  They had a really great night together, but since then there’s been a lot of tension…namely because Logan’s daughter unexpectedly came home and found Ryan in his bed. For today’s post, Ryan has to deliver a hand-carved mantel to her clients house.: The Bennett’s lived in Ryan’s favorite neighborhood in all of Lake Point, and where she hoped to live herself one day. Houses rarely went up for sale there, and the old stately homes stood as a testament to the town’s rich history. Of course, Ryan loved the intricate details in the old homes, including woodwork throughout every area of the homes. Every few years she got a call from the neighborhood from someone else wanting to update and asking her to handle the woodwork. Thankfully the neighbors were all close, having all lived there forever, and so word of her skills had made it around. In fact, that’s how the Bennett’s had gotten her name. She hoped the mantel was just an initial test, as the living room and dining room beside had both been emptied when she’d come to do measurements and discuss design. Usually that was a good sign a remodel was in the works. She hopped out of the truck and went around to the back of her trailer. In a quick, practiced motion she had the trailer unlocked and open with the ramp in place. Rather than try to move the whole piece and try to lug the heavy item into the house, she’d left it in pieces for easy reassembly and transport. Each piece was carefully wrapped, and the whole lot had been sealed in a box currently banded to a dolly. If everything went according to plan she’d have the mantel unpacked and assembled well before her appointment time at ten. She halted with her arm extended, the memory of the awkward encounter with Logan at the bank two days before pulling her out of her work-focus. Rather than cave to the incessant thoughts of what should have been nothing more than another one night stand, she hauled the dolly onto the ramp. On her way out of the trailer she grabbed her large tool bag and slung it over her head, cross-wise. She pulled the dolly up the driveway to the Bennett’s front stoop, and then one step at a time until she was on the porch. By the time she made it up, Mrs. Bennett was already at the door, holding it open with a welcoming smile. “Good morning. You’re right on time, aren’t you?” Rather than meet her gaze, Mrs. Bennett was staring beyond Ryan toward her truck. Confused, Ryan glanced back, wondering if there was something wrong with her truck. “I try to be. Do I need to move the truck?” “What? Oh, no.” The smile returned to Mrs. Bennett’s features, but this time Ryan would almost dare to call it sly, like a cat that had a canary by the tail feather. “Come on inside. Will that fit through the door all right?” “Definitely. I made sure to use a box that would fit through my shop door.” Ryan pulled the dolly over the threshold, glad to see they’d put some cardboard boxes across the hardwood floor to protect it as she’d suggested. “Richard. Our new mantel is here!” The murmur of conversation that had been filtering through the house quieted. Richard called back, “Coming.” Ryan pulled off her tool bag and set it aside. One by one she pulled out the tools she’d need, rising only when Richard appeared. Rather than an immediate greeting, as he usually gave her, he was stopped by a tug on his arm from his wife. There was a quiet exchange, during which Richard’s own smile nearly broke his face. He crossed the room with his hand extended. “Good to see you again.” “Good to see you too.” Ryan did her best to keep her voice even and not show her confusion over the unusual behavior. “Like I said before, I’m not here to interrupt your day. You can go about your business and I’ll be out of your hair in no time.” “We appreciate it, although I’m awful excited to see it in place.” Richard wrapped his arm around his wife’s shoulder, a gesture that seemed both habit and pure affection. “That box looks heavy, though. Do you need help lowering it?” She was more than capable of handling her job, but she wouldn’t be so rude as to say as much. Instead she tried a polite decline of the offer. “Oh no, I’m fi—” “Logan!” Richard interrupted her, but the name was what made her still in her attempts to rebuff his offer of help. The whole thing was a coincidence, of course. Fate wouldn’t be such a bastard as to throw her in the path of Logan again. Right? Wrong. A moment later, Logan stepped into the room. Like her own vibrant mood had faded at the simple mention of the  name, Logan’s own cheery smile disappeared into a cloudy scowl. He immediately turned away from her to face his father. “Yeah, dad?” A million curses she didn’t dare voice flew through her head, but she forced a smile. “Really, Mr. Bennett. It’s fine.  You have company, you should go enjoy yourself. I’ll be done soon enough.” Maybe even quicker now that she had every reason to get the heck out of Dodge. “Why don’t you help her with that crate, son?” Richard continued on as if she hadn’t spoken. “We’ll keep Sher occupied.” “I’m right here.” The young girl from the other morning walked in, a book in one hand. “Why do I need to keep occupied?” Ryan immediately turned to put more focus into reorganizing her tool layout in hopes the girl wouldn’t recognize her. “Really, I’m fine. I do this all the time.” “You heard her. She’s fine. Come on, Sher. Let’s take your grandpa and see if you can’t beat him at another game of chess.” Logan’s tone started cold, but warmed up with every word to his daughter. This was just a fabulous mess. “What’s in the box?” Sheridan didn’t bother to respond to her dad. “Hey, I know you.” Ryan closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Rather than answer, she turned her attention to the crate. She ignored the simmering discussion nearby to do her job. By the time she had the crate flat on the ground and the crowbar position to open it, the young girl was at her side. “Whatcha doing?” Sheridan eyed the box curiously. “I’m putting a mantel up for your grandparents.” Ryan didn’t have any heart to be cruel or cold to the girl. It wouldn’t be the first time a child was curious about what she was doing, and she never turned them away. “Sheridan.” Logan snapped. “Why don’t we let her work?” “I want to see, dad. How do you do it?” Sheridan turned rich blue eyes, just like her father’s, up toward her. Ryan grinned, despite the tension in the room. “The mantel is all ready to go. I carved all the pieces in my shop and made sure everything fit together, and now I’m going to put it up here.” “Can I watch?” “Sheridan. We should stop bothering her.” Logan stepped closer. “It’s fine.” Ryan waved him off. “So long as she stays back when I ask her to, she might even be able to help me. I have a feeling Sheridan is a good listener, aren’t you?” “I am. Smart too.” Sheridan stood tall. “And so modest.” Ryan chuckled. “She won’t be in the way.” “Come on, son.” Richard moved to usher Logan from the room. Mrs. Bennett followed suit, and soon all three had left Ryan alone with her one-night-stand’s daughter. If things could get any more awkward, Ryan had no idea how. Especially since Sheridan clearly recognized her. Ryan turned her attention to the girl. “Sure you want to stay?” “Yeah. I want to see how you do this.” “All right.”   *~* Hope you enjoyed it!  Click on the Tuesday Tales badge to see more excellent entries!!  

Gambling on a Dream by Sara Walter Ellwood

GAMBLING ON A DREAM Colton Gamblers #3 Sara Walter Ellwood Lyrical Press Releasing June 9th, 2015 With Everything At Stake….It’s been years since Sheriff Dawn Madison said goodbye to Texas Ranger Wyatt McPherson. She’s closed the door on the heartache of her past. But when the sleepy town of Colton, Texas, is rocked by a series of shocking murders, Dawn has no choice but to trust the man who broke her heart if she wants to protect the ones she loves… All Bets Are OffFour years have passed. But Wyatt hasn’t forgotten the bold, Native American beauty who stole his heart . . . and broke it. Losing her and the life they had hoped to share left him an empty shell of himself. But if he wants to stop the deranged killer terrorizing the innocent kids of Colton, he’ll have to let Dawn back into his life. It’s a risk he’s willing to take, even if heartache is all he takes home… Pre-Order Now Amazon | B & N | iBooks | Kobo  a Rafflecopter giveaway Although Sara Walter Ellwood has long ago left the farm for the glamour of the big town, she draws on her experiences growing up on a small hobby farm in West Central Pennsylvania to write her contemporary westerns. She’s been married to her college sweetheart for over 20 years, and they have two teenagers and one very spoiled rescue cat named Penny. She longs to visit the places she writes about and jokes she’s a cowgirl at heart stuck in Pennsylvania suburbia. Sara Walter Ellwood is a multi-published and international Amazon bestselling author of the anthology set Cowboy Up. She also publishes paranormal romantic suspense under the pen name Cera duBois. Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

I’ve Got My Duke To Keep Me Warm by Kelly Bowen

  Buy Links:   Amazon | B & N | iTunes | Kobo Blurb Where Secrets Smolder…  Calm. Cool. Collected. Gisele Whitby has perfected the art of illusion—her survival, after all, has depended upon it. Years ago, to escape an abusive husband, Gisele “disappeared.” Now she must risk revealing her new identity to save another innocent girl from the same fate. But she needs a daring man for her scheme, and the rogue in question shows a remarkable talent . . . for shattering Gisele’s carefully constructed façade and igniting her deepest desires.  …Passion Ignites.  This isn’t the first time Jamie Montcrief has awakened naked and confused from a night of drinking. It is, however, the first time a stunningly beautiful woman offers him payment afterward. Gisele has a business proposition for him, a mission involving cunning thievery and a brazen rescue. How can he say no to a plot this dangerous . . . and a woman this delectable?  Link to Follow Tour:  http://www.tastybooktours.com/2015/01... Goodreads Link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2... Goodreads Series Link: https://www.goodreads.com/series/1260... Author Info Kelly Bowen grew up in Manitoba, Canada. She worked her way through her teenage years as a back country trail guide and ranch hand. She attended the University of Manitoba and earned a Master of Science degree in veterinary physiology and endocrinology. But it was Kelly’s infatuation with history and a weakness for a good love story that led her down the path of historical romance. When she is not writing, she seizes every opportunity to explore ruins and battlefields. Currently, Kelly lives in Winnipeg with her husband and two boys, all of whom are wonderfully patient with the writing process. Except, that is, when they need a goalie for street hockey.  Author Links: Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads Rafflecopter Giveaway ($20.00 Amazon or B&N eGift Card) GIVEAWAY CODE HERE Excerpt Well, shit.  He deserved that.  “Who are you?” She smiled at him, the first genuine smile he had seen, and it did strange things to his chest. “I am… just Gisele.” That was helpful.  He knew nothing more about her than he knew last night.  Annoyance bubbled up again.  “Very well then Just-Gisele, since you won’t tell me anything useful about yourself, would you be so kind as to enlighten me as to what it is you’d like me to do should I accept your generous offer of employment?” Her smile turned brittle.  “Not yet.” “Not yet?”  Jamie’s eyebrows shot up to his hairline.  “How the hell am I supposed to make a decision based on not yet?” The ice queen shrugged.  “You’ll have to trust me.” Jamie closed his eyes, fighting for patience.  “Will I need to steal something?” “Unlikely.” “Kill someone?” “Hopefully not.” “Blow something up?” “You’re familiar with explosives?” His eyes popped open at the undisguised interest in her last question.   What the hell kind of woman used the word explosives the way most used the word marmalade?  Or teapot?

REVIEW: The Artful by Wilbert Stanton

| Amazon | BN | Curiosity Quills | BLURB New York City, 2025: Everything is changed. The city that never sleeps is now a land of death and decay. A rampant virus has taken over and the survivors have become carriers, quarantined from the rest of the world. Twist and Dodger grew up in the streets, the sewers and underground tunnels – their playground. They aren’t heroes. They just like attention; and stealing meds from the rich and giving them to the poor is their golden ticket. On their latest raid, they unknowingly steal a cure that puts them square between the ailing Emperor of Manhattan and the war hungry Governor of Brooklyn and forces them on a quest into the darkest shadows of their putrefying world. *~* I was up and down on my rating of this one. The beginning was so slow I almost didn’t keep going on. I have 2 ereaders and bookshelves full of books that need read. Still, I pushed on and the action picked up, which made the reading go a lot faster. The characters were ones I never really found myself pulling for or ‘liking’. They were products of their situation and I’m not sure I was supposed to ‘like’ them – but that did make it hard for me to rate it higher.  In the end the pace of the story pulled me in and I did see character growth throughout the story. The world building was good, and set the dark mood of the world they live in quite well. There were unbelievable parts of the dystopian world built, and the technique of everyone stays behind the fence because they’re told to was predictable.  Still, I like how the city has fallen in disarray and the factions are separated. The ending, while confusing, did draw me in and make me curious about the rest of the series, which a good series set up does.  So in the end, I gave it three stars and will keep an eye on the rest of the series. Maybe my rating will change after that *Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.*

Runaway Cowboy by T.J. Kline

Buy Links:   Amazon | B & N | iTunes | Kobo Blurb  ”You had your chance, and you threw it away…“  Five years ago, Jen woke up with a ring on her finger and her fiancé nowhere to be found. She swore she’d gotten over the betrayal, but when Clay unexpectedly hires on with the rodeo for a week, she finds herself torn between passion and regret. Clay left intending never to see Jen again. He’s been running from his troubled past for far too long, and it’s not a life he wants for her. But it’s hard to run from the past when the past is your own family, and Clay finds himself thrown back into the chaos he thought he’d finally left behind. Will the truth drive Jen away, or is there a second chance at happily ever after for this runaway cowboy?  Link to Follow Tour:  http://www.tastybooktours.com/2015/01... Goodreads Link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2... *~* Author Info T. J. Kline was raised competing in rodeos and rodeo queen competitions since the age of 14, She has thorough knowledge of the sport as well as the culture involved. She has had several articles about rodeo published in the past in small periodicals as well as a more recent how-to article for RevWriter. She is also an avid reader and book reviewer for both Tyndale and Multnomah.  Author Links: Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads Rafflecopter Giveaway (Digital Bundle Including: RODEO QUEEN, THE COWBOY & THE ANGEL and LEARNING THE ROPES) ENTER RAFFLECOPTER CODE HERE Excerpt  “Mind if I get a refill?” Jennifer rolled her eyes at Clay but slid the pitcher toward him. “Be my guest.” She turned to leave. The less time she spent near him, the easier it would be to get through the next week. “Do you realize everyone is making bets on how long it will take before you slap me?” She arched a brow at him and leaned her hip against the table. “Really? Who has five minutes?” “I think that would be me.” A smile curved his lips. It made him look younger and less cynical. He was always so damn handsome when he smiled. She forced herself to look away, busying herself with shifting the food on the table and stacking empty bowls. “Then I’ll wait a few more minutes so someone I like wins the money.” She gripped the edge of a half-empty bowl of potato salad. He tried to hide the frown that furrowed his brow and turned his lips down again. It only lasted a second before he grinned and shot a glance at her brothers, still seated near Mike’s trailer. “Come on, Jen. How can you say you don’t like me?” He moved a step closer to her, his fingers toying at the side of the bowl, over hers. Her gaze bounced from their hands to his green eyes. “It’s real easy. I. Don’t. Like. You.” She made sure to enunciate every word. Why couldn’t he get the hint? She didn’t want anything to do with him, not now, not ever again. Jen pulled her hand from under his, but he took a step closer, his gaze holding her own. “You used to be friendlier,” he pointed out. “And you used to be charming.” Clay straightened his shoulders and took another step toward her as she backed away. “I’m still charming, with people who aren’t antagonistic.” How dare he insinuate that she was being antagonistic? Okay, well, maybe she was, but he deserved every bit of resentment she directed at him. The man left her lying in his bed after proposing and never gave her any explanation for his departure. She narrowed her eyes for a moment before she allowed a sweet smile to curve her lips. “I’m so sorry, Clay. I didn’t mean to be so hostile.” She reached again for the potato salad. “You’re right, I used to be friendlier. Let’s start again. I’m Jen,” she said, thrusting her right hand out. He eyed her suspiciously but took the bait, curling his fingers around her hand. “I’m Clay. Jen, do you realize you have the most amazing eyes?” He flirted with her. “Thank you.” She gave him her most engaging smile and leaned toward him. “Tell me, Clay, who had the bet that I’d dump potato salad on your head?” “What?” He barely opened his mouth before she upended the plastic bowl over him. Bits of mayonnaise, carrots, and potatoes dripped down his face, and she couldn’t stop herself from laughing out loud as she quickly moved from his reach. Clay swiped at the mess on his face, flinging it from his hands to the ground. She heard the laughter from her brothers behind her and looked over at them. “Next time, don’t make bets about me.” She shoved the bowl into Clay’s chest. “And the three of you can clean up this mess. I’m leaving.”

Just the Way You Are by Beverly Barton

Buy Links:  Amazon | Barnes | iTunes | Kobo Blurb  The South sizzles in New York Times bestselling author Beverly Barton’s sultry tale of a woman torn between two brothers… Mary Beth Caine has always been the good girl in her small Mississippi town. But when a big, protective, shamelessly sexy stranger offers to console her on the night of her disastrous engagement party, Mary Beth lets him—only to discover that Parr Weston also happens to be the older brother of her fiancé, Bobby Joe. Parr left Mississippi after years spent holding his family together. Now that he’s back, he can’t steal Bobby Joe’s woman, and he sure can’t offer Mary Beth the tidy happily-ever-after she deserves. But everything about the petite beauty—from her flame-gold hair to her artless sensuality—makes him crave her more. Love or lust, right or wrong, all he knows is that nothing has ever felt like this before, and walking away will be the hardest thing he’s ever had to do…  Link to Follow Tour:  http://www.tastybooktours.com/2014/12... Goodreads Link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2... *~* Author Info Beverly Barton was an award-winning, New York Times bestselling author of more than fifty novels, including Silent Killer, Cold Hearted, The Murder Game and Close Enough To Kill. Readers can visit her website at www.beverlybarton.com Author Links:  Twitter | Goodreads   Rafflecopter Giveaway (3 print copies of Just the Way You Are) a Rafflecopter giveaway