R.E. Hargrave's Blog, page 231

BOOK BLITZ: Bound by Obsession by Trish McCallan #GIVEAWAY

Bound By Obsession
Trish McCallan
Publication date: February 21st 2019
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance

When Navy SEAL Brett (Tag) Taggart’s ex-love is kidnapped during her wedding—to another man—Tag joins his SEAL brethren to rescue her. The mission reveals why Sarah walked out on him two years earlier, a revelation that serves to inflame the baggage between them. This time—after the danger settles and Sarah is free, will Tag be the one to walk away?

Goodreads / Amazon—EXCERPT:“You shouldn’t be here.” Her voice was flat, a careful monotone.He locked down a flinch. That even, cautious tone was another departure from the free living, expressive spirit she’d been back then.“We need to talk,” he said, channeling that same flat monotone.“There’s nothing to talk about.” She backed up a pace, as though she were about to slam the door in his face.“Then you can listen.” He stuck his foot in the doorframe and locked down every ounce of emotion. “Look, I’m not here to get you back, okay? That ship sailed a long time ago. But you used to be a friend, and you’re about to make a big mistake. That’s something I can’t walk away from.”“This isn’t your business.” The skin around her eyes tightened.“I’m making it my business.” He forced the next words out, all too aware that the bearer of bad news was usually the one skewered and strung. “You don’t know what you’re getting into. Mitch isn’t the guy you think he is.”“I know exactly the kind of man he is.” She contradicted him, her voice even tighter than before.“Do you?” Tag asked grimly. “Then you know your loving fiancé is fishing at the BU and taking a new catch home every night?”Something slipped through her eyes. But it wasn’t pain. It was more calculating than that.“I don’t care.”Tag rocked back on his heels. She didn’t care? That didn’t sound like the Sarah he’d known.She must have seen the surprise on his face, because she leaned forward slightly, her voice dropping with intensity. “Look, nothing you say is going to change my mind. Nothing. Just go.”He shook his head, disoriented. Could she really have changed that much over the course of two years? The Sarah he’d been in love with would never have put up with Mitch’s bullshit. Not if she’d known about it. The Sarah he’d loved had too much pride for that.With a lift of his eyebrows, he cocked his head, studying her. Every freckle stood out like flecks of gold on her white face. He regrouped, frowning. There was something off here. Way off.

Author Bio:
Trish McCallan was born in Eugene, Oregon, and grew up in Washington State, where she began crafting stories at an early age. Her first books were illustrated in crayon, bound with red yarn, and sold for a nickel at her lemonade stand. Trish grew up to earn a bachelor's degree in English literature with a concentration in creative writing from Western Washington University, taking jobs as a bookkeeper and human- resource specialist before finally quitting her day job to write full time. Forged in Fire, the first book in her Red Hot SEALs series, came about after a marathon reading session, and a bottle of Nyquil that sparked a vivid dream. She lives today in eastern Washington. An avid animal lover, she currently shares her home with four golden retrievers, a black lab mix and two cats.Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter

GIVEAWAY!
a Rafflecopter giveaway

BOOK REVEAL: Demon Magic and a Martini by Annette Marie

Demon Magic and a Martini
Annette Marie
(The Guild Codex: Spellbound #4)
Published by: Dark Owl Fantasy Inc.
Publication date: April 12th 2019
Genres: New Adult, Urban Fantasy

When I first landed a bartending job at the local guild, I didn’t know a thing about magic. These days, I’m practically an expert on the different magical classes, but there’s one nobody ever talks about: Demonica.Turns out they have a good reason for that. My guild is strictly hellion-free, because who wants to risk life and limb to control the biggest bullies on the mythic playground?Well, some people do, and now a demon has been loosed in the city. My three best friends are determined to slay it, but even badass combat mages are critically out-magicked. And that’s not all. The monster they’re tracking—it’s not hiding. It’s not fleeing. It’s not leaving a trail of corpses everywhere it goes.The demon is hunting too. And in a city full of mythics, it’s searching for deadlier prey.If we can’t unravel the demon’s sinister motivations, more innocent people will die, but finding the answers means digging into dark secrets … and learning truths I never wanted to know.
—Note: The three mages are definitely sexy, but this series isn’t a reverse harem. It’s 100% fun, sassy, fast-paced urban fantasy.

—THE GUILD CODEX: SPELLBOUNDThree Mages and a Margarita (#1)Dark Arts and a Daiquiri (#2)Two Witches and a Whiskey (#3)Demon Magic and a Martini (#4)

Add to Goodreads

Author Bio:
Annette Marie is the author of Amazon best-selling YA urban fantasy series Steel & Stone, its prequel trilogy Spell Weaver, and romantic fantasy trilogy Red Winter. Her first love is fantasy, but fast-paced adventures and tantalizing forbidden romances are her guilty pleasures. She lives in the frozen winter wasteland of Alberta, Canada (okay, it's not quite that bad) with her husband and their furry minion of darkness—sorry, cat—Caesar. When not writing, she can be found elbow-deep in one art project or another while blissfully ignoring all adult responsibilities.Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter

BOOK BLITZ: Wicked Obsession by Patti O'Shea #GIVEAWAY

Wicked Obsession  Patti O’Shea  (The Paladin League, #1)Publication date: January 22nd 2019Genres: Adult, Romance, Suspense

Blue-blooded womanAs an ambassador’s daughter, Langley Canfield has lived all over the world, but she’s never fit in—not abroad and not at home. She thought she found a man who loved her for who she is, but when it becomes obvious that she’s the only one with deep feelings, Langley breaks up with him and heads across the country for a friend’s wedding.Blue-collar guySpecial Forces Sergeant Ryder Pienkowski knew that he’d never be able to hold on to Langley Canfield, that she was completely out of his league, but it still stuns him when she ends things between them. He’s trying to get her out of his head when her father arrives and tells Ryder there’s a death threat directed at her. Without hesitation, Ryder hops on a plane and flies out to protect Langley. She might not want him anymore, but he’s not letting anyone hurt her.

Goodreads / Amazon—Behind the Scenes of Wicked ObsessionSome books don’t have much of a behind-the-scenes story, but that isn’t the case with Wicked Obsession . Here are some things that went on with this book.Ryder and Langley weren’t supposed to be first in The Paladin League series. One of Ryder’s friends and that guy’s heroine were slated for that spot, but when my long-time writing buddy, Trish McCallan, asked if I was interested in doing connected stories, Ryder arrived.Originally, Trish and I planned to write novellas, but both our stories expanded until they were novels. Oops! We decided to go with full books and forged onward.As I wrote, Straight Up by Paula Abdul continually played in my head and it became the theme for this book. I’ll never be able to hear it again without thinking of Ryder and Langley.In the first draft of Wicked Obsession , chapter 6 was the opening chapter. I needed to back up because too much happened before that point. Sometimes it’s hard to tell where to begin writing, and this was the first story I’ve tackled since I lost my mom to breast cancer. It was hard to get back in the swing of things.My characters tell me their names—I don’t get to pick them. Ryder was straightforward and gave me his full name right away. Langley provided her first name immediately, but her last name changed multiple times over the first few chapters.I always find pictures of my hero and heroine early in the writing process. By then I know them well enough to find a person who looks like them and that image also helps reveal things about my characters that I didn’t know at the start. With Ryder, I knew he was Polish from his surname, but I didn’t realize he was also half Italian until I found his picture.In the series arc for The Paladin League, the hero from book 3 showed me a whole lot of attitude. I didn’t know what his problem was, and since I wasn’t working on his story yet, I didn’t try to find out. Wicked Obsession showed me why he acted the way he did.No two books ever seem to write the same, and this one blazed its own trail. Sometimes it frustrated, but I enjoyed Ryder and Langley and I’m glad I was able to tell their story.

Author Bio:Nationally bestselling author Patti O'Shea has won many awards for her writing and been nominated for even more. Her books have appeared on the Barnes & Noble, Waldenbooks, and Borders bestseller lists and have earned starred reviews in prestigious publications such as Publishers Weekly and Booklist.At various points in her life, Patti O'Shea wanted to be a doctor, a pilot, an archeologist, an astronomer, a figure skater, a ballerina, an oceanographer, a marine biologist, and a photographer before she discovered writing at the age of fourteen. That's when she knew what she really wanted to be when she grew up.By the time she entered the University of Minnesota, she realized she'd need a practical career. She chose the School of Journalism and took classes in nearly every discipline the college offered. After graduating with a degree in Advertising Copywriting (and far more credits than she needed), she promptly went to work for Northwest Airlines—in accounting. Since then she's moved throughout the company, working in departments like Technical Records, Tech Publications, and 757 Engineering. After the merger with Delta, her job was moved to Atlanta and Patti followed it. She works in TechOps in Maintenance Programs.Born with a need to see everything, Patti has traveled to far off and exotic places like Papua New Guinea, Fanning Island, and the Yukon Territory in Canada. Along the way, she's had the opportunity to experience a lot of cool things. In Alaska, she saw a humpback whale breach near the catamaran on which she sailed; she's visited a salt mine in Austria and traveled to a lower level by sliding down a wooden rail; and she's seen a shark fin break the water in Australia right next to the small boat she was on. She's visited just about every one of King Ludwig's castles in Germany; watched the cliff divers of Acapulco; and was nearly mugged in a parking lot in Los Angeles.With her wanderlust sated, Patti finally decided to get serious about writing. She quickly discovered that her travel and her eclectic education were all training to become an author. It's helped her to know a little bit about a lot of things since she's had characters that have been computer geeks, army officers, private investigators, demons, thieves, and other assorted careers. She's even managed to incorporate pieces of some of the places she's visited into her stories.

Website / Goodreads

GIVEAWAY!
a Rafflecopter giveaway

BOOK BLITZ: No Cowboys No Angels by Petie McCarty

No Cowboys No Angels
Petie McCarty
(Mystery Angel Romances #1)
Publication date: November 28th 2018
Genres: Adult, Mystery, Romance

. . . a cozy romantic mystery with suspense from The Mystery Angel Romances series. An angel hidden in every book, waiting for the reader to figure out who . . .Kellen Brand’s inheritance turns out to be a whopper — one dilapidated farm in West Virginia and one guardian angel! Since Kellen is convinced no sane woman would choose to live in Riverside, she vows to sell her farm and quick.Her handsome and reclusive neighbor Luke Kenyon must block the farm sale or risk exposure of his family’s secrets. While Kellen has located one potential buyer, she faces a town full of objectors. Someone is trying to frighten her off, and Luke is forced to step in and rescue her more than once.Unfortunately, Kellen can’t seem to stay out of trouble. She stumbles onto a clandestine hazardous-waste-dumping operation next to her farm, and she prays Luke has one more rescue up his sleeve. It’s her only hope of staying alive.Unless her mother really did leave her a guardian angel . . .

Book 2–No Angels for Christmas–coming April 2019Book 3–The Angel and the SEAL–coming June 2019

Goodreads / Amazon—EXCERPT:The frigid water closed in over Kellen, and she lashed out with both arms to force her head above the surface for a desperate breath. Her hiking boots would sign her death warrant. They already felt like concrete blocks. She had only minutes, maybe seconds, to keep herself afloat. She thrashed again, and this time her face barely cleared the water’s surface. She was ready and screamed with all her might.Icy water filled her eyes, and her arms stroked hard to keep her mouth above the water long enough to grab a precious lungful of air. She scissored her legs to help her dwindling buoyancy, but the physical act was so difficult with the boots on, her muscles screamed with the effort.How many more times can I get a breath? Two, maybe three?Her arm muscles strained in revolt as she scissored her legs again. She plummeted farther after each thrust, and her best effort barely pushed her mouth and nose above the surface. She didn’t scream again. There was no one around to hear, and she couldn’t spare the strength. Less than a minute had passed since she’d hit the freezing water.Downward she stroked her arms hard, but the heavy flannel shirt dragged against the motion. She opened her eyes to see the surface, and at the peak of her thrust, her lips were still underwater. She tried to scissor her legs, but she had nothing left. She feared she would sink and flailed both arms upward. Death hovered at her shoulder, near as the blackest of shadows beneath the dock, tangible enough that she could reach out and touch the darkness. Another stroke downward, and she jerked her head back, ready to grab a breath. She could see a blurred shadow moving overhead. Hope buoyed her efforts to escape from the frigid arms of the river drawing her down, and she forced her way to the surface.A huge hand plunged into the icy water and grabbed her right arm. Kellen felt her body straining toward the surface. The second her mouth was exposed to the air, she gasped for a breath. A cough wracked her frame and threatened the tenuous hold of the mighty hand on her arm. She sunk back down, her eyes filled with water, and her vision blurred. She knew she weighed a ton—with the soaked clothing and boots—and panicked thinking the hand couldn’t hold on. Yet she was dragged higher until another hand grabbed the back of her shirt, and her body careened up and sideways onto the deck. The mighty hands released her, and she clutched at the wooden planks to be sure she was far enough from the precipice to the icy water. She heaved two successive gasps, and a hard sob wracked her frame.Two strong arms tugged her upright. She blinked rapidly to clear her blurred vision and saw Luke’s face, his dark eyes wide. Nothing had ever looked so good to her in all her life. With another hard sob, she threw herself into his arms and broke into tears. The brush with death shattered all her resolve and kindled emotions buried in the deepest recesses of her heart.He yanked her roughly to him and clutched her tight to his chest, mumbling soothing words into her ear. His warmth seeped into her, and she clung to him like her lifeline, digging her fingers into his back, unwilling to let go and unable to stop crying.“I almost d-drowned,” she stuttered, her face buried against his warm and now soaked chest.“Good Lord, I know,” he rumbled and crushed her even tighter against him.“If you had been a minute later,” she wheezed and tried to look up at him.“Don’t even think that!”She flinched and leaned back. His gaze looked hard and unyielding.“Just be glad I got here in time,” he whispered harshly, and his eyes went black as onyx. He cupped her cheeks, lowered his mouth, and gently brushed his lips against hers.The sizzle of heat shot straight to her heart and warmed her from the inside out. All she could manage was a nod. His kiss twisted all her wild emotions into a spinning vortex, allowing her only to react without thought, and she leaned in to kiss him again.

Author Bio:
Petie spent a large part of her career working at Walt Disney World -- "The Most Magical Place on Earth" -- where she enjoyed working in the land of fairy tales by day and creating her own romantic fairy tales by night, including her new series, The Cinderella Romances. She eventually said good-bye to her "day" job to write her stories full-time. These days Petie spends her time writing sequels to her regency time travel series, Lords in Time, and her cozy-mystery-with-a-dash-of-romantic-suspense series, the Mystery Angel Romances.Petie shares her home on the Cumberland Plateau in Tennessee with her horticulturist husband and a noisy Nanday conure named Sassy who made a cameo appearance in No Angels for Christmas.My first two books released by the now-closed Desert Breeze Publishing--Everglades and Catch of the Day--are temporarily unavailable while I change publishers. You can contact me at petiemccarty@gmail.com for updates on their re-release.Visit Petie's web site online at petiemccarty.com or her Facebook page at Facebook.com/petie.mccarty 

Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter

GIVEAWAY!
a Rafflecopter giveaway

BOOK BLITZ: Resisting the Rancher by Kadie Scott #GIVEAWAY

Resisting the Rancher
Kadie Scott
(Hills of Texas #2)
Published by: Tule Publishing
Publication date: July 30th 2018
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance

First comes marriage, then comes…Rusty Walker has spent her entire life trying to earn her tough, ranching father’s respect and approval by learning the business inside and out. But now her uncompromising parent has decreed she must marry if she wants to inherit. Worse, her husband has to be someone who can help her run the business. As if she needs it!Williams Hill kissed Rusty in a bar in an act of temporary insanity, and lost his heart to her on the spot. Despite the complications to his own rodeo stock business, he agrees to marry the feisty red-head, hoping to woo her once they’re hitched. But she only views him with suspicion and resentment.Can this soft-spoken Texas cowboy convince his proud wife, who’s never known unconditional love, that she is everything he wants?

Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes & Noble / Kobo / iBooks / Google Play—99 cents for a limited time!
—EXCERPT:Williams Hill dragged his hand over his face as he sat in his truck at a stoplight in Estes Park, Colorado. After two straight days of driving up from Texas, he was ready to reach his destination of the rodeo grounds in the small Rocky Mountain town. Flexing his shoulders to work out the kinks, he happened to glance over at the vehicle stopped next to him.Everything in him froze… then released in a pent-up laugh.The woman driving a shiny new black Ford truck was gorgeous with high cheekbones and pouty lips. Her long hair was pulled back in a ponytail, so he couldn’t quite make out the color, but her appearance wasn’t what had made him laugh.She was clearly enjoying a favorite song—singing and dancing for all she was worth, without a care in the world for who might be watching. He chuckled again as she did a little shoulder shimmy. Adorable was the word that struck him, and he was strangely affected, an instant attraction coiling inside in a way that surprised him.He wasn’t an instant attraction kind of guy.Suddenly, she glanced toward him and stilled as she discovered her audience. Her eyes went wide and she sent him a sheepish grin. He smiled back and pretended to tip an imaginary hat. However, instead of another smile, she went cold on him, eyes hardening, lips thinning. She whipped her head around to face forward, her chin in the air, and didn’t glance his way again. She definitely didn’t start singing again. Not that she would have had much time, because the light changed a second later.She was quick to hit the gas, faster on the draw than Will, who was still blinking at her abrupt about-face. He almost expected her windows to frost with the drop in temperature in there. A flash of bright pink on her back window caught his attention as she drove ahead of him. For the second time in a handful of minutes, Will chuckled. The sparkly sticker on the back of her truck read Silly Boys, Trucks are for Girls. Lips tipped in amusement, he shook his head.At the next light, she went straight when he turned, which meant she probably wasn’t there for the rodeo. He gave a mental shrug. Wouldn’t be seeing her again. Probably for the best, since he was here to work.

Author Bio:
Award-winning contemporary romance author, Kadie Scott, grew up consuming books and exploring the world through her writing. She attempted to find a practical career related to her favorite pastime by earning a degree in English Rhetoric (Technical Writing). However, she swiftly discovered that writing without imagination is not nearly as fun as writing with it.No matter the genre, she loves to write witty, feisty heroines, sexy heroes who deserve them, and a cast of lovable characters to surround them (and maybe get their own stories). She currently resides in Austin, Texas, with her own personal hero, her husband, and their two children, who are growing up way too fast.

Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter

GIVEAWAY!
a Rafflecopter giveaway

BOOK BLITZ: Wishes in a Bottle by Allie McCormack #GIVEAWAY

Wishes in a Bottle
Allie McCormack
(Wishes & Dreams, #1)
Publication date: January 15th 2019
Genres: Adult, Paranormal, Romance

Centuries ago in plague-struck Italy, Julian DiConti cast a powerful spell in desperation to have the magical power to be able to help his people who were dying in horrific conditions. The spell goes spectacularly awry, leaving Julian enslaved to a Djinn bottle, bound to grant three wishes to each Master of the bottle until the spell can be broken. More than anything, Julian longs for a normal life – for a home, and a family. After six hundred years, however, he has begun to despair of ever being freed from the spell.Enter Alessandra Taylor, a young woman who has followed her calling to help others, in the face of vociferous disapproval from her family, particularly her controlling father. Working at a shelter for battered women, she’s thrilled to meet the reclusive Julian DiConti, whose collection of garments from third world countries has provided funding for shelters across the country. When Julian turns out to be a Djinn from the old bottle she found in her attic, she hears his story and empathizes with his despair. Although she’s willing to free him, he can’t tell her how. As time goes by, their initial attraction blossoms into a love that both realize is doomed. Once she has made her third wish, the magic of the bottle will whisk Julian away and out of her life forever… unless she can somehow figure out how to free him. But one by one, she’s forced to use the precious wishes to help others.

Goodreads / Amazon—EXCERPT:“Betty!”Alessandra burst into the supervisor’s office, bursting with excitement. It was her first day back at work after everything that had happened. Betty looked up from her computer monitor, peering at Alessandra over the top of her reading glasses.“Welcome back. What’s got you in such a tweak?”“You’ll never guess who I’ve met.” Alessandra came to perch on the corner of Betty’s desk, nudging a stack of official-looking papers aside with her hip, anticipating Betty’s response.“Whom,” Betty corrected automatically, taking her glasses off and leaning forward, slender brows raised over grey-blue eyes sparkling with interest. “Don’t keep me in suspense. Tell me.”Alessandra leaned forward. “Julian,” she spoke the name slowly, enunciating each syllable, “DiConti.”She enjoyed seeing Betty’s eyes widen, hearing her audible gasp.“No!”Alessandra just smiled and nodded.“Oh my God, Alessandra. How did you meet him? Where? Is he here, in New York?”“Yes, he’s here. In fact, it turns out he lives here, in the city.”Alessandra paused for effect, grinning at the growing anticipation on her boss’ face. A thought struck her, and she pondered. Julian’s face arose in her mind’s eye, the clear pleasure on his face when he’d learned that she worked at one of the shelters that had received donations from the fund he’d set up. He would never ask, she thought, to visit the shelter to see for himself. He’d be well aware of the security and anonymity they required. But she would bet her bottom dollar he would love to actually see for himself the difference his Foundation had made for some.“I wonder,” she said slowly. “I wonder if we might invite him to visit, and see what improvements his donations have made possible.”“Yes!” Betty shot out of her chair. “Alessandra, this could be wonderful for us.”“I’ve told him a bit about what we’ve been able to do with the funds we’ve gotten from Uncommon Threads. It turns out that he’s never seen a safe house, and has only the most basic knowledge of what we do here. He told me that he’d never met anyone who’d benefited directly from his Foundation, not here in the States, I mean. I think he’d very much like to see the place, what we’ve been able to do with the extra funding.”Betty sank back into her chair, staring at Alessandra.“I can’t believe it. You have met Julian DiConti. You’ve actually spoken to him. Do you know he has only appeared in public once? Once! And that was at the opening of his Uncommon Threads exhibit last year. He’d never been seen before then, has never been seen since. He travels a lot, the papers say,”Betty seemed to be still lost in amazement. She lowered her voice, leaning forward conspiratorially, “Do you know, no one has ever been able to get a picture of him? He’s never been in the paper or in a magazine, not on the Internet… nothing! Even the paparazzi can’t seem to snap a shot of him.”Alessandra tucked that away in the back of her mind to ponder. She’d ask Julian about it later. It seemed impossible that journalists, as persistent as they were annoying, would not have gotten some shots of him. A person as wealthy and reclusive as Julian DiConti would draw paparazzi attention like bees to honey. Maybe it was something to do with the Djinn magic. Certainly one could not live for so many hundreds of years and leave a record, something by which one could be recognized, especially now with photography. How embarrassing to have a photograph of one resurface half a century later and you haven’t changed by a whisker.Betty’s mind was already darting ahead.“We can invite the Board of Directors, and maybe some of the…”“No, absolutely not,” Alessandra interrupted hastily. She didn’t have to ask Julian to know what his feelings about that would be. “He wouldn’t like that at all. He’s a very private person. Really, Betty. I think he’d appreciate seeing the positive results of his efforts, to see for himself the difference that is being made. He wouldn’t want publicity, or any grand fuss made, and you know it would be bound to get out, if we told the Board. And, too, you know,” she pressed on, “the residents here wouldn’t like it, either. It would make them uncomfortable. Just being here is hard enough for most of them.”“Yes,” Betty admitted. “But, at the same time… Mr. DiConti is such a huge contributor. More than half a million dollars, just to us! It seems almost rude not to do everything we can to welcome him.
“Bring out the red carpet and brass band?” Alessandra suggested with a laugh. “Betty, I assure you he would neither expect that, nor want it.”Betty pursed her lips, thinking this over. “You’re sure?”
“I am.” Alessandra made her answer as firm and authoritative as she could. “I’m very sure, Betty. And I was thinking, you know. We might ask some of the women if they would be willing to talk with him, tell him their stories. He knows the stories of the women he has helped in India, why shouldn’t he hear the stories of the women here? We can let the residents know exactly when he would be here, let them choose to come out to meet him, or not.”“He’s worth millions, you know. Billions.” Betty’s eyes held a dreamy, far-away expression. “Mostly inherited, but he’s made a pile on his own. That antique shop has been around forever. There was an article on him in People magazine when he first opened Uncommon Threads, and then when it did so well and he sent the collection on tour across America. There was an article on Whimsies, too, in that artsy magazine from the Village. No one really knows much about Julian himself, though.”“Except that he’s worth a lot of money.” Alessandra laughed, but inside she cringed. Billionaire? Of course, six hundred years was plenty of time for financial planning, but still… It was almost impossible to comprehend. Billions of dollars? And he was living in a little glass bottle on her dresser!It would have been funny, if it weren’t so sad. Alessandra’s heart ached for Julian. If only there were something she could do for him, some way that she could release him from the spell so that he could really live, could have a real life. She would gladly give all three of her wishes… well, the two she had left… but she would have given all of them to free him.That spell seemed more like a curse to her. Julian was so desperately unhappy. He never said so, but she could see it in his dark azure eyes, the brooding sadness that never quite left, that lurked behind the charming smile. So many times she had caught the quiet lapses, when he retreated inside himself when he thought she was unaware. It seemed an awful punishment, no matter what he had done. She just wished she could find a way to help him.

Author Bio:
A career medical transcriptionist, Allie McCormack is now writing from home full-time. Allie has traveled quite a bit and lived many places all over the U.S., and also a year in Cairo, Egypt as an exchange student, and a year in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia under contract to a hospital there, plus a short stint with NATO while she was in the Army. As a single mom, she raised a wonderful daughter who's recently married and there are plans afoot for grandchildren. A disabled veteran, Allie now lives in the beautiful Sorona Desert in southern Arizona with her two rescue cats and writes full-time. Allie says: "A writer is who and what I am... a romance writer. I write what I know, and what I know is romance. Dozens of story lines and literally hundreds of characters live and breathe within the not-so-narrow confines of my imagination, and it is my joy and privilege to bring them to life, to share them with others by writing their stories."

Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter

GIVEAWAY!
a Rafflecopter giveaway

BOOK BLITZ: Hollywood King by Monica Corwin #GIVEAWAY

Hollywood King
Monica Corwin
Publication date: January 22nd 2019
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance

Heath was never my brother.Nor my step brother, or any other relation our family tried to impose on us.
He was always just Heath, and at the end he was my Heath.Ten years ago he disappeared, and within three years of his absence he’d taken over Hollywood.
The world my father built.The world he wasn’t good enough for.The world he’d been denied when he was told he couldn’t have me.Now he’s back, and he only wants one thing…to take it all.Even me.Hollywood King is Wuthering Heights crashed into the glitz and glam of Hollywood Royalty. A stand alone book with the happily ever after you always wanted for Cathy and Heathcliff.

Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes & Noble / iBooks / Kobo—

Author Bio:
Monica Corwin is a New York Times and USA Today Bestselling author. She is an outspoken writer attempting to make romance accessible to everyone, no matter their preferences. As a Northern Ohioian, Monica enjoys snow drifts, three seasons of weather, and a dislike of Michigan football. Monica owns more books about King Arthur than should be strictly necessary. Also typewriters...lots and lots of typewriters.

Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter / Instagram / Bookbub

GIVEAWAY!
a Rafflecopter giveaway

BOOK BLITZ: North Star by Posy Roberts #GIVEAWAY

North Star  Posy Roberts (North Star #1-3)Publication date: January 22nd 2019Genres: Adult, Contemporary, LGBTQ+, Romance

A romance with a seventeen-year intermission. Love that’s worth the wait, and now a family to fight for.Hugo and Kevin were best friends and secret lovers back in high school, but love came too early for them to make a solid commitment. College, other relationships, kids for Kevin, and years got in the way, but a chance meeting at a lake in the middle of nowhere proves the spark that first drew them together remains. Seventeen years later, life is a lot more complex, but falling in love again is easy.In Spark, Hugo and Kevin attempt to rekindle their relationship while overcoming the obstacles of coming out, divorce, and parenting. Second chances at lost love are rare but worth it. In Fusion, Kevin and Hugo make plans to blend their lives, but bleak news changes everything. Building a future together is still a priority, but only if their relationship can survive. And in Flare, Hugo and Kevin seek stability for themselves and the kids after tremendous loss. They never expected family and friends to toss obstacles in their way, but they are determined to fight for their happily ever after.

Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes & Noble / iBooks / Kobo / Smashwords / Google Play / Books2Read
—EXCERPT:Seventeen years after their last kiss, a second chance…They’d been good together, Kevin and Hugo. Not just back in high school, but also last night. It was as if their bodies knew exactly where to pick up, like they’d only left each other a day or two before rather than years ago.Their kisses alone . . .Hugo pressed his fingers to his mouth, but a knock at the door startled him.“Do you need a toothbrush?”“If you have a spare, sure,” he said as he opened the door.“This is the only one I could find.”“Thanks.” Hugo tore into the package, unwilling to take his eyes off Kevin. He looked more rested than Hugo. Kevin smiled.“Toothpaste is in . . .” Kevin gestured but then walked in and retrieved it from a drawer. “Here.”Hugo loaded the bristles, nodded, and turned to brush his teeth. Kevin stood in the doorway for a few extra seconds but then slipped away.He spent a few minutes brushing, lost again in thoughts of the previous night before spitting and rinsing his mouth. When he looked down, he saw a redheaded princess on the handle.No wonder it felt so small in my mouth. It’s a kid’s toothbrush.Hugo turned off the faucet.“Kevin,” he called out, “where should I put this? Maybe take it with me?”“No, you can leave it on the counter.” Kevin appeared in the doorway with a teasing smile. “It can be yours. I’ll label it so you can use it the next time you come to the lake.”Hugo gave a small snort of laughter, liking the sound of a next time.“Do you have kids?” he asked warily.Kevin looked to his bare feet, then back to Hugo’s eyes.“Yep. Two. Brooke and Finn. Brooke, she’s ten and just finished fourth grade, and Finn is five. He’ll start kindergarten this fall.”“Oh.” That’s all Hugo managed, not sure what the hell happened to his tongue, let alone his brain. It was as if his brain flipped to a television station with only static.“That’s why I’m going to Fargo today. They’ve been spending time with my ex at her parents’ house.”“So you’re a dad?” Hugo’s brain barely took in a few images beyond the static.“Yep,” Kevin said with a cocky smile. “That’s generally the title you take on when you’ve fathered children. Does that surprise you?”Hugo blinked several times, looking into the familiar midnight-ringed gray of Kevin’s eyes as if that would bring back feeling in his fingers and clarify things in his head. Did it surprise Hugo that Kevin was a father?“No. No, I suppose not. You always had your life pretty well laid out. Or your parents did.”“And I did everything they wanted. I went to the college they wanted me to, got the degree Dad said was worth something, found a job in a field he approved of, married a smart, beautiful woman who was my best friend, and had a couple of great kids with her. Unfortunately, the marriage didn’t last, but I got two amazing children out of the deal. I’d like for you to meet them. My kids, that is.”“Me? Why me?” Hugo stammered.Kevin laughed. “Why not? They’d love you. Not to mention, I think I’d like them to meet the man who changed my life.”Hugo took a step back. “What are you talking about? I didn’t change your life.”“The hell you didn’t. Before I met you, I was my dad’s pawn in everything. It wasn’t until I told you how angry I was that I stood up to him. Only on little things at first, but I rebelled in my own way. I never would’ve done that without you. After he died, I finally made the changes I needed to make.”Kevin pressed a kiss between Hugo’s brows, causing the creases there to melt away. Kevin whispered as his hands warmed Hugo’s back. “You were so much more significant in my life than I ever let you know. Probably more than I even knew at the time. I took you for granted, but you changed me. When I was with you, I was just Kevin. I wasn’t Kevin Magnus, son of the great Peder and Linda Magnus. I was just plain ol’ Kevin, and you liked me for who I was.”“Of course I did.” Hugo pressed a kiss in the slight cleft of Kevin’s chin. It felt natural to kiss him like this, uninhibited. “You were easy to like, most of the time.”“That was different for me, you realize, someone liking just me.”Hugo nodded, enjoying the sensation of Kevin’s freshly shaved skin smoothing over his lips.“If it weren’t for you, I would’ve never known I was bisexual. Or I would’ve never been brave enough to see what those feelings were even about.”“You probably would’ve experimented in college.”Kevin shook his head and drew Hugo closer, pressing a kiss in front of his ear. “No. No, Hugo. Don’t you see? I already knew I was bisexual in college, and not once was I with another guy. You were it. You were the only one who made me feel brave enough to go against my father. No one else in my life even knows about this. Not even my ex.”Hugo pulled away as he asked, “Then why on earth would you want your kids to meet me? If this is still such a secret, why risk that? We barely know each other.”Kevin reached for Hugo’s hand and held his fingers tight. “I didn’t say I wanted to introduce you as my ex-boyfriend . . . as anything more than my friend. Geez. Wow. That sounded bad, didn’t it?”Hugo barked out a nervous laugh. “A bit rushed. Yeah. I’m glad we ran into each other and all, but . . . I’m still trying to wrap my head around that. But dating . . . ? And meeting your kids . . . ?” He mimed his head exploding.“God.” Kevin chuckled, flustered. “No. I guess what I meant to say is I’d like to spend more time with you.”“I can’t believe I let things get away from me last night. I rarely hook up like that.”Kevin gave a short nod.“It’s not a bad thing . . . what happened, I mean. But I’m more of a relationship guy.”“So am I.” A frown marred Kevin’s gorgeous face.“It’s certainly not unappealing seeing you again.” Hugo stepped in close and played with the button in the center of Kevin’s chest. “Let’s not go so fast though.”“I got carried away last night. I’ve never done anything like that before, but it was you. It was Hugo Thorson.” Kevin smiled and ran a thumb down Hugo’s temple, tracing his jaw until his fingers pressed below Hugo’s chin. Kevin directed Hugo’s mouth to his own and whispered, “Hugo Thorson,” again.They kissed slow and sweet, velvet tongues licking into open mouths and sliding against each other, but it didn’t deepen or turn desperate.“I can’t believe I ever walked away from this,” Kevin said as he rested his forehead against Hugo’s and closed his eyes.

Author Bio:
Posy Roberts started reading romance when she was young, sneaking peeks at adult books long before she should've. Textbooks eventually replaced the novels, and for years she existed without reading for fun. When she finally picked up a romance two decades later, it was like slipping on a soft hoodie . . . that didn't quite fit like it used to. She wanted something more.She wanted to read about men falling in love with each other. She wanted to explore beyond the happily ever after and see characters navigate the unpredictability of life. So Posy sat down at her keyboard to write the books she wanted to read.Her stories have been USA Today's "Happily Ever After" Must-Reads and Rainbow Award finalists. When she's not writing, she's spending time with her family and friends and doing anything possible to get out of grocery shopping and cooking.

Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter

GIVEAWAY!
a Rafflecopter giveaway

BOOK BLITZ: Winter's Heist by Emily Duvall #QandA #GIVEAWAY

Winter’s Heist
Emily Duvall
Publication date: December 6th 2018
Genres: Adult, Romance, Suspense

Beautiful. Haunting. Rare. The Fabergé Eggs are on display at the Carter Museum of History and Science. Jason Hood, the museum’s pretentious owner, knows their value is bound to attract attention, but the coordinated attack on the exhibit is not something he saw coming. A field trip to the museum for Amara Massey and her students takes a deadly turn. She finds herself at the center of a police investigation with few leads. Convinced Amara is withholding information, Jason pursues her to get the answers he cannot get on his own. The outcome neither of them expect is their surprising need for each other. What must they sacrifice to get everything they want?

Goodreads / Amazon




—Q&A WITH AUTHOR
Q: What is the first book that made you cry?A: Not the first book, but a scene from Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. Harry witnesses Cedric’s death-I think I was just riding on the emotion of the series and then when that scene hit, I just started to cry. The dialogue and actions were beautifully written.

Q: What are some traps aspiring writers should avoid?A: It is important for writers to create the story they want to write. I’ve made the mistake of letting people review manuscripts too early, and then making every little change. Feedback is extremely valuable, but there is a time and a place for incorporating suggestions and building confidence for what must stay and what should go. A writer can lose valuable writing time changing every detail based on each suggestion. Bottom line? Trust your vision.

Q: Have you ever gotten reader’s block?A: Big yes. I was just telling a friend that I’ve been in a reading slump the last few months. I think it’s because I see the story from a writer’s POV now or maybe because there are so many choices for books in every genre, that it can feel overwhelming with what to pick and what to read.

Q: As a writer, what would you choose as your avatar or spirit animal?A: Big Foot. It reminds me of Indie Authors. We’re out there and we’re writing and publishing even if you can’t see us.

Q: What’s the best way to market your books?A: Word-of-mouth is still the most powerful tool, but with social media, I like engaging in readers that I follow on Instagram or Twitter and asking them to beta read. If they like the story, they’ll do these amazing posts with the cover of the book and reach far more readers than I can do on my own.

Q: Do you view writing as a spiritual practice.A: Yes. The heart has so much to say.

Q: How do you select the names of your characters?A: I look up names on baby naming websites. They’re all there with rankings and popularity. Mostly though, I just look to see if a name catches my attention.

Q: Do you hide any secrets in your books that only a few people will find?A: Yes, there’s always the occasional inside joke or word choice that is based on someone I know. Whether they pick up on it, I can’t say

Q: What is your favorite childhood book?A: Nothing’s Fair in the Fifth Grade by Barthe DeClements

Q: Do you believe in writer’s block?A: Absolutely. I was at a writing retreat a few years ago and Sylvia Day was the guest speaker. She said that writer’s block means that something is wrong with your story and that point resonated. Now instead of wasting time trying to move forward if I’m stuck, I go back and re-read the chapters before, and that usually unlocks the problem and the solution.

Author Bio:
Emily loved reading books as a young girl and filled up her journals with characters (both real and not). Romance is her favorite genre to write. She lives in Maryland with her husband and two children. She loves hearing from fans and readers. Website / Goodreads / Twitter / Instagram

GIVEAWAY!
a Rafflecopter giveaway

BOOK REVEAL: Swan Song by Allie McCormack

SwanSong
Allie McCormack
(Sons of the Desert, #1)
Publication date: March 4th 2019
Genres: Adult, Romance

Sarah Pendleton was born into a life of wealth and privilege, raised in the shadow of her famous soprano mother and her father, an equally famous composer. Shy and retiring, Sarah has left behind the world she grew up in to make her own life in the coastal town of Santa Barbara, California.A visiting University professor of Arabic literature from the small oil-rich country of Taqara, Khalid Al Mansour is the eldest son of a Taqaran diplomat and an independent American artist. He’s never settled down in one place, but that’s because he’s never found what he wanted… until one evening he sees the lovely bellydancer at a small, smoky cafe downtown.

Add to Goodreads / Pre-order

Author Bio:
A career medical transcriptionist, Allie McCormack is now writing from home full-time. Allie has traveled quite a bit and lived many places all over the U.S., and also a year in Cairo, Egypt as an exchange student, and a year in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia under contract to a hospital there, plus a short stint with NATO while she was in the Army. As a single mom, she raised a wonderful daughter who's recently married and there are plans afoot for grandchildren. A disabled veteran, Allie now lives in the beautiful Sorona Desert in southern Arizona with her two rescue cats and writes full-time. Allie says: "A writer is who and what I am... a romance writer. I write what I know, and what I know is romance. Dozens of story lines and literally hundreds of characters live and breathe within the not-so-narrow confines of my imagination, and it is my joy and privilege to bring them to life, to share them with others by writing their stories."

Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter