Stacy Claflin's Blog, page 7
March 12, 2022
100s of FREE Sci-Fi and Fantasy books!
If you love Science Fiction and Fantasy books – this is a sale you won’t want to miss!
And you’ll need to hurry — it disappears after the 16th!
Find your new favorite book at the online bookstore of your choice: Apple, Kobo, Nook, Google Play, etc.
>> Click here to go to the page. <<
The post 100s of FREE Sci-Fi and Fantasy books! first appeared on Stacy Claflin, Author.
March 11, 2022
Some secrets should stay buried…
Twenty years ago, Clara’s best friend was brutally murdered. And the killer remains free. Each year on the anniversary of her death, something bad happens to Clara or someone she loves.
She’s convinced the day itself is cursed.
This year is the worst one yet — her husband Shane is arrested for the killing. Not only that, but the arrest reveals a teenage daughter he never told Clara about. And the girl’s mother is accused of the crime along with Shane.
Clara takes in her rebellious stepdaughter while trying to find proof of Shane’s innocence. She relies on old and new allies for help, but when the teen disappears, everyone looks suspect. Including Clara. Not even she realizes just how much danger they are all in.
Can Clara find the real murderer before he finds her?
Lost and Found is a new stand-alone thriller by USA Today bestselling author Stacy Claflin. If you like heart-pounding tension, page-turning suspense, and twist and turns that you never saw coming, then you’ll love Lost and Found.
★★★★★ “Friday the 13th or April 5th: which is worse? Fast-paced suspense!”
★★★★★ “Phenomenal book! Once again Stacy Claflin has managed to write a thrilling book that kept me on edge.”
★★★★★ “I loved this book and felt I couldn’t read it fast enough. Very good read with the perfect amount of suspense!”
The post Some secrets should stay buried… first appeared on Stacy Claflin, Author.
March 5, 2022
Where do you turn when the love of your life dies? To the one person who understands…his best friend.
Where do you turn when the love of your life dies? To the one person who understands…his best friend.
Feelings intensify but so does guilt. The attraction can’t be denied, but then she reveals a secret that changes everything…
Amazon | Apple | Kobo | Nook | Google | Other
ExcerptSutton
Warm, sticky blood drips onto my face, splattering near my eye. I reach to wipe it away, but my arm feels twenty pounds heavier.
I’m moving so slowly.
My head hurts. Bad.
The ground is on my right, beneath me. I’m sideways, held in place by the seat belt digging into my shoulder.
How did I get here? I can’t even tell whose car I’m in. It’s too dark. The little light I see is from outside. Headlights. Maybe a street lamp.
Another spattering of blood drips on me. From the driver’s seat.
From his seat.
Everything comes back to me in a dizzying flood.
I gasp for air. “Kade! Are you okay?”
Silence.
I reach around for the overhead light. It’s out of reach. I’m sideways.
The driver’s seat is empty.
“Kade!” My voice is shrill, my heart about to explode from worry. “Kade!”
I reach toward where he should be, but he’s not there. He doesn’t seem to be anywhere. I need to find him. My entire body hurts, but it doesn’t matter. The only thing that matters is finding Kade.
Got to get loose. I grope for the seatbelt button. It won’t push, won’t free me. Stuck! I pull, squirm, but the belt won’t loosen.
Oh! Kade keeps a pocket knife in the glove box for emergencies. This is definitely an emergency.
My fingers fumble, but I manage to open the box. The knife falls. Somehow I catch it before it slides out of my reach. I manage to pull out a blade without hurting myself further. Then I cut the seatbelt.
I crash against the window below me. My shoulder hits first, then my head, making my ears ring.
Where’s my purse? I need to call for help. It’s not on the floor—or I guess, the car door, since that’s what’s on the bottom now. I can’t find it anywhere.
First I’ll find Kade, then worry about making a call.
I force myself to stand, then I scramble over the seats and to the driver’s side window, which is shattered. The broken glass slices a deep gash in my arm as I start to climb through. Cringing, I try to ignore it. I’m halfway out of the car, and look around to get my bearings.
A streetlight shines about twenty feet ahead, casting a light glow on the asphalt. Another car is near Kade’s, but it’s completely flipped over. They had to have hit us. It’s hard to remember.
I still don’t see my boyfriend.
“Kade!” My voice sounds foreign, and it echoes around me in the too-quiet night. “Kade!”
Why isn’t anyone answering? Where is everyone? There’s another car. Maybe other people from the graduation party.
“Help!”
More silence.
I want to scream at the top of my lungs, but it won’t do any good. I just need to find Kade. He must need my help.
As I pull myself through the window, my hand slips in something, and I slide.
Rip!
My new dress, the one Kade picked out for me, is ruined. I’ve slipped in blood that soaks into the fabric and onto my side.
It’s not mine. Must be Kade’s.
My chest tightens. Squeezes the air from my lungs.
Where is Kade?
Something primal takes over, and I vault out of the car and jump down to the pavement. Pain shoots through my feet because I’m wearing heels. An ankle twists and I crumple to the ground.
But I don’t care about me or my injuries. The only thing that matters is finding Kade.
“Kade!”
Someone mumbles something.
I stumble toward the voice. It’s coming from the other car. Not Kade, but it’s someone who’s hurt.
But not Kade.
My throat closes up. I kick off my pinching shoes and hurry toward the muttering.
It’s a guy in his forties, wearing a red Hawaiian shirt, hanging halfway out of the crushed car. He’s not from the graduation party, like I thought.
“Help… my wife… please.” He stares at me with almost empty eyes. “My wife.”
Then I notice he has a cell phone in his hand. I grab it from him. “I’m calling for help!”
“My… wife.” He closes his eyes.
“Hold on!” My voice is even more shrill now. I make my way to the other side of the car as I fumble to find the emergency numbers without having to deal with his password.
The phone is ringing.
When I get to the other side of the car, what I see makes my stomach lurch. I’ve never seen so much blood in my life. Not even in slasher films or the gory lifeguard training videos.
A horrible odor hits me. I turn around and retch.
The emergency operator is talking on the phone.
I wipe my mouth and struggle to find my voice. “There’s been an accident.” My voice barely comes out louder than a whisper. I try to speak louder. “A bad accident. People are dying!”
The woman on the other end asks me some questions. I answer as best I can, but I don’t even know where we are. Need to find the street signs. I stumble away from the car and down the street. There, on the corner, I spy two signs. “Near the corner of Third Avenue and West Spruce Street. Hurry!”
“Stay on the line. What’s your name?”
Didn’t I already tell her? I struggle to swallow air. “I need to find my boyfriend!”
“Sutton, stay with me.”
I knew I’d told her my name. “Hurry!”
Then I drop the phone without ending the call. I limp back over to Kade’s car as fast as I can. He has to be near it. And he has to be in better shape than that couple. I can’t bear to think of anything happening to him.
We’ve already promised to marry each other after college. Agreed on three kids, a dog, and a cat. We’re going to grow old together. But before all of that, we have an action-packed summer to get through. We’re going to celebrate the year between high school and college with a backpacking trip, beach parties, and even a week building houses for the poor.
“Kade!”
I make my way around to the other side of his car.
Then I see him.
My knees nearly give out on me, but I run toward the person I love more than any other. “Kade!”
Shards of broken glass dig into my soles, but I don’t care. He’s lying on his side, sprawled halfway on the road and halfway on the grass. Not moving.
Hot tears sting my eyes worse than the broken glass in my feet. I call out to him, not sure I’m actually making sense.
It feels like forever, but I finally reach him. I crumple to the ground, put my fingers under his nose.
He’s not breathing.
Yes, he is. Warm air tickles my finger!
“Kade!” I wrap my arms around him and brush his black hair from his face. Some of it sticks to his forehead—his bloody forehead. “Kade, I’m here. It’s Sutton.”
He mumbles something, but I can’t make it out.
“Kade, I love you. Talk to me!”
His eyelids flutter.
I kiss his cheek. “I’m not going anywhere, babe. I’m right here.”
“My head hurts.”
I kiss his temple, getting blood on my mouth. “There was an accident. Paramedics are on the way.”
“My back.” He gasps for air.
“Help is coming.” I kiss his lips.
Kade mumbles again.
“Stay with me.” My voice cracks. I’m barely holding myself together, but I have to. For him. “We have to get ready for the backpacking trip, remember?”
His eyelids flutter again, then he opens them. “I’ll always love you.”
My heart sinks at the finality in his tone. Tears blur my vision. I blink them away. “Don’t do this! Don’t say goodbye.”
“You made my life worth living.”
A lump in my throat prevents me from responding.
“Enjoy the trip for me. I love you.”
“Kade, no!”
He closes his eyes.
“No!”
His breathing sounds like a whistle.
“Wake up!” I kiss him all over his face. “Wake up, please! I love you too!”
Kade takes a shallow breath. Then another.
“Kade!”
I wait for another breath. Wait some more.
Sirens sound in the distance.
“Help is here,” I whisper in his ear.
He still hasn’t taken another breath.
“Hang on, Kade!” Tears stream down my face, mixing with his blood. “Breathe!”
He doesn’t.
I press on his chin, forcing his mouth open. Then I plug his nose and breathe into his mouth. Once, twice, three times.
Tires squeal, stopping behind what’s left of the car.
“Sutton? Kade?”
I turn to see Anchor, Kade’s best friend. His eyes widen and his face pales. Then Anchor’s date shows up next to him. She covers her mouth with her hands and cries out.
“Sutton?” Anchor falls to his knees next to me. Tears shine in his eyes as he stares at Kade. “Is he…?”
“He’s gone.”
Anchor leans over and gives Kade mouth-to-mouth. Then he looks up at me with a wild look in his eyes. “This isn’t working!”
I collapse, then bury myself against Kade’s chest for what will surely be the last time. Choking on violent sobs, I realize my world will never be the same. My heart shatters into smaller pieces than the window glass.
I know I’ll never recover.
The ambulance is now here. But it’s too late.
My Kade is gone.
***
Anchor
The medics are here now, but Sutton is still clinging to Kade, blocking them.
Pushing aside my own grief, I grasp her arms. “Sutton, we have to let them work on him.”
She turns to me, her expression like a zombie. “He’s gone.”
I tighten my grip slightly and pull her away from Kade. The medics move in and start CPR.
“Kade’s gone.” Sutton shakes, her big brown eyes wider than I’ve ever seen.
I pull her close and hold her tight. “Maybe they can bring him back.”
She shakes even harder. “He said goodbye. I told him not to!”
“Shh.” I rub her back and swallow the lump in my throat. In a way, I’m glad she’s here to comfort. It gives me something to focus on—something other than the fact that the guy who is more brother than friend is lying in front of me. Dead.
He’s dead.
The reality of it crushes me. Forces the air out of my chest.
I’m only vaguely aware of Sutton’s tears soaking my silk shirt. I continue rubbing her back and force myself to look at Kade again.
One of the medics calls it.
It’s official.
My best friend, my brother, is gone.
There’s nothing more anyone can do for him.
His parents. Someone has to tell his parents. His sisters. They shouldn’t hear it from a cop. I need to tell them. I’m like a second son to them.
How am I going to manage?
Somebody’s talking to me. She sounds so far away.
“Anchor.” Ella waves her hand in front of my face. “They’re going to take Kade away.”
I sit up and clear my throat. “Sutton, we need to let them take him.”
She bolts upright. “No!”
“Sutton…” My heart breaks for her.
It breaks for me.
Mostly for Kade, who will never live to do all we have planned.
Sutton throws herself on top of Kade and sobs.
I can’t take it any longer. My floodgates explode and I cry harder than I ever have in my life. This is a hundred times worse than when Sparky died.
How will I get by without my best friend? We’ve been causing trouble together since before we were out of diapers. I don’t know life without him. There isn’t life without my brother.
Ella puts her hand on my arm. “Let’s take Sutton to your car.”
“Right.”
She helps me up, then I help Sutton up. Sutton struggles against me. I don’t blame her. The last thing I want is to leave Kade right now. To have strangers take him away. Then they’ll leave him alone on a slab. A cold, metal slab. All alone.
I hand Sutton over to Ella, then turn around and throw up.
After I wipe my mouth, I turn to them and notice a long gash in Sutton’s dress. It runs just below her chest down to her waist, exposing her underwear. I slide off my suit jacket and help her into it. It perfectly covers her side.
Somehow, the three of us end up back at my car. Sutton’s back in my arms, still sobbing. I lean my head against hers and cry along with her, my tears soaking her now-messy updo.
I wish it were me being loaded onto the ambulance. Kade’s the one with his whole life mapped out. He’s going to spend part of his summer volunteering to help the poor…
Was. He was going to. Me? I was just going to laze around and enjoy having no summer homework for once. Selfish bastard. Why am I the one alive?
Ella’s talking again. She’s nice, but I wish she’d go away.
“Anchor,” she says. “The medics want to look over Sutton.”
Then I remember the gashes on her face and arms. Blood all over her powder-blue dress. How much of it was hers, and how much was Kade’s?
Sutton’s still sobbing into my chest.
I wipe my tears and clear my throat. “Sutton, are you hurt?”
She looks up at me. “Kade’s dead. Of course I’m hurting!”
I lick my lips. “I mean physically. The medics want to look at you.”
“Don’t leave me!” She pleads with her eyes.
“I won’t.” I guide her in the direction of the ambulance. She stumbles, limps. Sutton is barefoot and glass is spread all over the road. Without a word, I scoop her up.
“What are you doing?”
“Helping you out.”
Fire lights in her eyes and she starts to say something, but then she leans her head against my shoulder and goes limp in my arms.
“If it makes you feel better, I wish it was me. Not him.”
She looks back at me, her mouth gaping. “Don’t say that. He wouldn’t want you to say that.”
I frown. “He’s the better person.”
“He would disagree.”
We reach the ambulance before I can respond. I set her on her feet, and one of the medics helps her to a bed.
“Don’t leave me.” Sutton reaches for me.
I throw a questioning glance to the medic. He nods, giving me permission to join her.
The body bag is on the other bed. I feel like throwing up again, but I hold myself together for Sutton. Kade would want me to. In my mind, I see him smiling at me in thanks.
I’ll never see that smile again.
Why wasn’t it me?
I stand between Sutton and the body bag, hoping she doesn’t see it. She grabs my hand and answers the medic’s rapid-fire questions in a monotoned voice. All I can think about is the long black bag behind me. More specifically, what’s inside.
Who’s inside.
My stomach lurches again. I swallow down the bile and focus on Sutton.
“You’re going to need stitches,” a paramedic tells her. “We have to take you to the hospital. Then there will be more questions about the accident.”
Sutton turns to me, her eyes shining with tears. “Can he come with me?”
“I’m sorry, no. But he can meet you there.”
Tears spill onto her face.
“I’ll call your mom.” I help her back into my jacket and take a deep breath. I also need to talk to Kade’s parents, but I don’t tell Sutton.
“Can you meet me there too?”
“If you want me to.”
She nods quickly, then grimaces and puts her hand on her temple.
I turn to the medic. “How long do you think it’ll be before they let me see her?”
“Hard to say. She’s going to need a lot of stitches.”
“Okay.” I turn to Sutton and squeeze her hand. “I’m going to drop off Ella, then I’ll meet you at the hospital.”
“And you’re going to call my mom?”
I nod. I’ll have to call her before I break the news to Kade’s family.
“We’ll take good care of you,” the paramedic assures Sutton.
She doesn’t look convinced.
I squeeze her hand again. “I’ll see you really soon. You’ll be okay?”
Sutton swallows, then nods. “As much as I can be.”
“Okay. I’ll meet you there.” Then I whisper to the medic not to let her see the bag.
Ella’s pacing outside. “Is everything okay? I mean, Sutton’s not hurt, is she?”
“Just needs stitches.”
“She’s lucky.”
That’s up for debate, but I don’t say anything. We head back to my car. “I have to call her mom, and I need to tell Kade’s parents before the cops do.” I glance around at the officers swarming the scene now. We pass Kade’s car, and I notice his side is almost completely caved in. His side window and the windshield are completely shattered.
I shudder.
Ella sighs. “I don’t know how anyone survived that.”
I can’t bring myself to answer. All I can think about is what Kade must’ve been thinking. Did he know he was going to die? Sutton said he told her goodbye, so he must have.
My heart breaks even more than it already has. I clear my throat, determined not to shed any more tears for the time being. I need to be strong for Kade’s family.
“What do you want me to do?” Ella asks.
I want her to go away. I hardly know the girl, but we decided to go to the post-graduation party together after we both got dumped. Our stupid exes cheated on us with each other. We went to the party together to spite them. Now she’s the one helping me through the worst night of my life. It’s not like she’s a bad person. She’s sweet enough. But I don’t want an acquaintance, not even a nice one, with me right now.
“Anchor? Let me help.”
“Okay.” I draw in a deep breath. “Call my parents and let them know what’s going on. They’ll know what to do.”
“Sure. Or you can call them, and I’ll drive. Do you want me to? I’m not sure you’re really up to it.”
I shake my head. Nobody drives my baby. I’ve only even let Kade drive her a few times, and I’d trust him with my life.
Ella frowns. “Well, if you change your mind, just let me know.”
“Right.” Like that would ever happen. I climb into the driver’s seat and start the car. She purrs to life and I turn on the headlights.
Kade’s broken, mangled car lights up.
Everything crashes down on top of me. I punch the steering wheel. Again and again. The horn blares a few times. Tears blur my vision. Anger and heartache choke me. I scream at the top of my lungs. I scream and I scream.
I’m never going to see Kade again. Never be able to call him in the middle of the night for our ridiculous conversations that only make sense to us. He’ll never pull another prank on me and laugh until he can’t breathe. We’ll never do anything together ever again.
Graduation doesn’t mark a new beginning. It marks the end of everything.
A hand rests on my arm.
I struggle to breathe. Ella didn’t ask to be here through this with me. I turn to her. “I’ll take you home.”
She shakes her head. “I’m going to take you home. You need to let me drive.”
I can’t argue with her, so I climb out and hand her the keys. I don’t know why I took them out. I’m just not thinking straight.
Ella starts the car and turns to me. “I know how much the car means to you. I’ll be careful.”
“Thanks.” Guilt stings me for wishing she’d go away.
Now it’s time to make some calls. Do I call Sutton’s mom first, or my parents?
I call Sutton’s mom because she’ll want to head to the hospital to see her daughter. Plus, I need her there in case it takes me a long time at Kade’s house.
Never have I dreaded a conversation more than right now.
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Meet the other flawed souls…
The post Where do you turn when the love of your life dies? To the one person who understands…his best friend. first appeared on Stacy Claflin, Author.
March 2, 2022
Best Free Books of March
Who doesn’t love FREE BOOKS? There are HUNDREDS to choose from, in multiple genres. Look around until you find one (or a bunch) that you like. You’ll keep yourself busy reading all month long!
*Note that some of the books are sales/deals, so always check prices! But most are free.
Find your new favorite author today!
Click the images below to be taken to your new books:
And these books of mine are always free…
The post Best Free Books of March first appeared on Stacy Claflin, Author.
March 1, 2022
Already blew your resolutions? Start over in the 2nd quarter!
I can hardly believe it’s already March!
Are you with me? I had all these lofty goals for the new year, but then life threw in more wrenches. This year started off as 2020-too. Ugh!
But there’s good news: we’re nearly to a fresh new quarter.
That’s where the HB90 Bootcamp comes in… I’m ready! Are you?
I’ve been following Sarra’s HB90 method for two years now, and her system has really helped me a lot! Sure, things have been going crazy all around me on so many levels, but at least I have a method to get me through the madness!
Not only will the course help you figure out and implement your goals, but Sarra is a wonderful person who loves to help the author community. She gives to other authors constantly, always sharing her wisdom and insights.
What exactly is the HB90 Bootcamp? It’s a different planning method – with a community and coaching videos. It runs each quarter, and the next round of bootcamp is nearly here.
This system works, and I wouldn’t recommend it if it didn’t. Like I said above, I’ve been using the HB90 method for over a year now, and it’s totally changed the way I plan. It helps me get and stay focused ... even when life gets in the way.
But more than that, it helps me to get more things done because I don’t get sidetracked by unimportant things. It helps me focus on what’s important to me and my goals. Not what other people say I “should” do, but what fits into my life plan.
It’s flexible enough to work for different personality styles and career goals.
You discover how to move toward your dream life.
What are you waiting for?
The post Already blew your resolutions? Start over in the 2nd quarter! first appeared on Stacy Claflin, Author.
February 23, 2022
Enter to win one of 100 thrilling box sets!
Follow Alex Mercer as he fights to save his daughter from a ruthless kidnapper, stands against a deadly cult leader, and fights someone who wants him dead…
Girl in Trouble: He gave up his daughter years ago, but now he’ll risk his life to save hers.
Turn Back Time: A dangerous cult disbanded years ago. Now they’re back, and they want revenge.
Little Lies: He’s dedicated his life to saving missing children, but will it be enough to save himself?
And don’t miss these:
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February 20, 2022
Two nail-biting thrillers in one…
Two nailing-biting stories featuring side characters from the USA Today bestselling Gone Trilogy…
DEAN’S LIST
A USA Today bestselling novel
Every marriage has secrets. Some are deadly.
Lydia Harris knows her marriage to Dean has problems, but when she finds a box of news clippings he took great pains to conceal, the problems go from disappointing to dangerous. Nation-wide murders… in cities where he has traveled. She doesn’t want to believe him capable of such violence, so she searches for clues to explain the hidden clippings.
As the evidence begins to mount, Lydia is torn. Dean seems to be trying to rekindle their lost spark, and she yearns for what they’d once had. But can she look past her own feelings to uncover the truth, or will she be next on his list?
NO RETURN
Family comes first. Until it kills you…
Rusty Caldwell is a lonely victim of tragedy. After losing his wife and kids to a drunk driver, he spends most nights towing drunks to keep them off the streets. His one-track existence takes a turn when he finds out his estranged sister Mandy has committed suicide.
After flying out to offer his support, Rusty learns there’s much more to the story. It turns out his sister had been cheating on her husband Chris with Travis Calloway, the rich CEO of the biggest company in town. Before Mandy died, she claimed that Travis fathered one of her children and demanded that he pay up…
While Rusty is trying to figure out the truth, Mandy’s friend Laura offers to help look into Travis. Sparks start to fly between her and Rusty, and soon neither can deny the attraction. Before they can catch a break, they receive death threats for their efforts.
With Travis and Chris both looking guilty, Rusty better find out the truth before he or Laura are the next one to fall.
The post Two nail-biting thrillers in one… first appeared on Stacy Claflin, Author.
February 18, 2022
Missing Valentine’s Day? Read a SWEET ROMANCE today…
The holiday championing romance may be past, but that doesn’t mean YOU have to stop celebrating! Find some sweet new reads here.
I’ve published 20 romantic novels and novellas! You can learn more about those below…
The Flawed Souls series
He saved her life. She’ll shatter his.
Kenna Mitchell grew up despised and mistreated by those who should’ve loved and protected her. Now homeless and alone, with pain too heavy to bear, she’s ready to end it all.
Enter Rogan Scott, an up-and-coming rock star with one focus—his band. Out in the woods, looking for song inspiration, he comes across a beautiful girl seconds from ending her life. He saves Kenna, only to face her anger. Intrigued, he pulls her into his world of rock and roll.
But his social circle proves as cruel as the one she left behind. If Rogan can’t show Kenna that life is worth living, the merciless secrets of her past will convince her to finally end it all. And it will rip him apart.
Read for free: Amazon | Apple | Kobo | Nook | Google | Other
What could be worse than your boyfriend dying in your arms?
The night of their graduation, a car wreck takes Kade’s life. Sutton’s world is shattered. But then everything spirals out of control when, at his funeral, she discovers she’s pregnant.
She turns to the one person who understands her devastation—Anchor, Kade’s best friend. He pushes past his own anguish to help Sutton navigate her impossible decisions. Feelings and attraction intensify, but so does guilt. Despite the tangled emotions, they manage to fill the Kade-sized hole in each other’s hearts.
Then life hits them with another devastating blow. Anchor and Sutton grew close through tragedy, but this time it could be what ends them… unless they can muster the strength to fight for what they’ve built.
The Only Things You Can Take explores the depths of grief, loss, and true love.
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She’s there for everyone. But who’s there for her?
Malia is the glue that holds her dysfunctional family together. Her two brothers need constant attention, the family business drains her, and her narcissistic parents are on the verge of divorce. All that leaves her little time for herself. But when her brother nearly dies in her arms, she’s terrified she isn’t enough to save him.
Then Lincoln walks into her life at that crucial moment.
Linc’s got real pain in his past, pain that’s made him harden his heart. Even so, he can’t walk away from Malia—not the night he meets her, and not afterward. She might just be the thing that helps him risk love again.
But Malia has secrets that make her try to push him away, secrets some people would do anything to protect. When Linc forces them to light, he puts her in jeopardy, making him once again face the fear of losing someone he loves. And this time, he doesn’t think he can survive it.
Amazon | Apple | Nook | Kobo | Google Play | Other
The Hunters sweet romance series
Kindle | Apple | Nook | Google | Kobo
She’s hiding from danger. He’s deeply wounded. Could they be exactly what the other needs?
Tiffany Saunders is on the run. When she winds up stranded in a seaside town, she wants nothing more than to forget her horrific past and kept moving. But a chance meeting with a handsome local changes everything.
Jake Hunter has some deep emotional scars and is trying to cope with running the family business. The last thing he wants is a relationship—until a mysterious brunette walks into his store and complicates it all.
Tiffany prefers to keep the painful memories of the past where they belong—in her rear view mirror. But dark secrets cannot stay hidden forever. Just as the walls around Tiffany’s heart start to come down, the past catches up with her. Will true love be able to conquer all?
Kindle | Apple | Nook | Kobo | Google
Sometimes love shows up when you least expect it.
After years of hard work, architect Lana Summers just wants a relaxing vacation in the beach town of Kittle Falls. Instead, she suffers unexpected heart problems, and finds herself in the office of a gorgeous cardiologist—who only makes her heart work harder.
Brayden Hunter left his successful cardiology practice in Dallas to be closer to his aging parents. Focused on building a health care clinic in his hometown, he doesn’t want any distractions. However, the beautiful Lana is one he can’t seem to avoid.
As their attraction grows, they stumble upon a 160-year-old mystery. Brayden catches her adventurous spirit as they chase after answers, and he can’t help falling for her. But can he convince her to stay in the small beach town and with him?
Dream big. Dance often. Love completely.
Zachary Hunter is no stranger to rejection. After multiple failed efforts to get his novel published in New York, he’s counting on a trip home to turn his luck around.
Jasmine Blackwell has big dreams. She hopes her internship as a dance instructor in Kittle Falls will be the stepping stone she needs to achieve her lifelong goals.
After a chance meeting, neither Zachary nor Jasmine can deny their attraction. They fear their aspirations are too big to let a relationship tie them down. Can they have both love and the careers of their dreams?
People change, but some feelings last forever.
Rafael Hunter never thought he’d return to Kittle Falls, but life gave him no other choice. Los Angeles chewed him up, spit him out, and sent him back to square one.
Amara Fowler has lived in the small beach town her entire life. She’s overcome her shyness to grow into the woman she always knew she could be, but she never forgot her secret crush. When the alluring Rafael returns, he can’t help but stir in her a whirlwind of old feelings.
They’ve both changed so much. Has life kept them incompatible or has it molded them into a matching set?
He can’t stand her. She thinks he’s crazy. Will their feelings stay etched in permanent ink?
Cruz Hunter has always stuck out in his small hometown. Now that he’s covered in tattoos, the residents peg him as even more of an outcast. It seems like the whole world is against his dream of opening a local tattoo parlor.
When he finally finds the perfect place for his new business, Cruz discovers a pastor and his daughter have already bought it. The only thing more irritating than the change in his plan is Talia, a beautiful and feisty argument in a dress. Cruz would like nothing more than to have her out of his life and his mind, but for some reason, she’s the only thing he can think about.
If Cruz and Talia can stop arguing long enough, opposites may do much more than attract.
She’s guarding a family secret. He’s investigating a murder. Will a second homecoming lead to true love?
Freya Hunter is living the fabulous life. The west-coast girl rakes it in as a fashion model in New York City, but everything changes after she returns home for a quick visit.
The reunion with friends and family in Enchantment Bay is sweet, especially when she hits it off with Nico Valentin, a ruggedly handsome police sergeant. As Nico investigates the death, Freya learns a family secret big enough to turn her world upside down.
Freya is torn between her new life and her hometown — the life she loves vs. the brother who needs her and the sergeant who wants her. When her decision doesn’t go nearly as well as she planned, she wonders if she can help her brother and keep her growing feelings for Nico at bay before they consume her.
If you like sweet romance, easy storytelling, and satisfying tales of true love, you’ll enjoy this new spinoff series from the wildly popular Seaside Hunters.
Always the wedding planner, never the bride.
She’s single and stuck. His relationship is going nowhere. Will the next wedding they plan… be their own?
Dakota Hunter is great at wedding planning but terrible at finding a guy. Each one she encounters is worse than the one before… until she meets Clay. There’s one teensy problem: her attractive new assistant has a long-term girlfriend.
Clay Harper is thrilled to land his new job with Dakota, surrounding himself with happy couples day in and day out. But when he sees true love in person, he realizes his own relationship is far less than happy. It doesn’t help that being around Dakota feels easy. It feels right.
As Dakota and Clay grow a deeper connection, Clay’s girlfriend refuses to go down without a fight. Can the wedding planners go from seeing happy couples… to being one?
She’s wounded. He’s driven. Could they be exactly what the other needs?
Ten years earlier, Haley Faraway fled home without looking back. After her father’s death, she reluctantly returns to Enchantment Bay to help her mom and sister. Painful memories haunt her, and Haley finds herself pouring her heart out to the one person she least expected—the impossibly gorgeous, albeit short-tempered, Sullivan Hunter.
Sullivan wants nothing more than to focus on his newly-acquired realty business. But when Haley comes back to town, he can’t deny his attraction to her. After a string of bad relationships with gold-digging women, she’s a breath of fresh air. Or is she? Just as he begins to get comfortable with their burgeoning relationship, he discovers she’s a realtor, too. His temper gets the best of him as he suspects he’s being used by yet another woman.
Every time Haley and Sullivan clear one hurdle, another looms larger in their path and they push each other away. Can they move on from their painful pasts and find love—or are they doomed to repeat old mistakes?
What do a fifteen-year-old pact, a fake engagement, and a stalker have in common? Audrey Hughes.
Audrey’s ex-boyfriend won’t take ‘no’ for an answer. A master manipulator and a violently selfish man, he’s decided Audrey is his property. And he’s determined to get her back. Forcibly, if necessary.
She flees to the one place she ever found ‘family’—to Enchantment Bay. More precisely, to Logan Hunter.
Logan is a successful attorney and consummate bachelor. His work is his wife, and that’s the only long-term relationship he sees for himself. Until a childhood sweetheart shows up and reminds him of the pact they made years earlier—to get married.
It surprises him that she remembered, stuns him that he’s intrigued, and shocks him to discover her reason for returning. He uses all his influence and connections to protect her, only to be the one who causes her unbearable pain and drives her away.
Can Logan find a way to keep Audrey safe, make things right, and mend both their broken hearts?
She’s burdened by guilt and tragedy. He wants to help her, but he has secrets of his own.
Madisyn Steele graduated college with no job lined up and no income of her own. She returned to her childhood home where her wealthy and overbearing father won’t wait for her to get her life in order. He’s continuing his domineering pattern and ruling her life, even going so far as to ignore her wishes by trying to arrange her marriage to Reese Rutherford, a man she despises—just to solidify his business prospects.
Nate Roberts is barely making ends meet. Despite his hardships, he plans to make it on his own and never return to the home he ran from years earlier. He’s begging friends for food the night he has a chance encounter with Madisyn and everything changes. First he’s willing to go back to Enchantment Bay and earn an honest wage for her, then he’s ready to chance hauling illegal contraband just to make the kind of money she’s used to.
Madisyn doesn’t care about material things. She only cares about Nate. But her father’s plans and Reese’s schemes threaten the future she and Nate are trying to build. Can they reveal their secrets and work through all the issues keeping them apart, or will they ultimately push each other away?
(Bayside Opposites was previously published as Love’s First Kiss. It has been revised to become part of the Hunters series and has one new chapter added. Otherwise, it is essentially the same story.)
He broke her heart. She never moved on. Can the magic of Christmas bring them back together?
Judy Rivera has kept busy with college life, but she never forgot Gary Hunter. She’d really thought he was “the one” but was obviously wrong—she hadn’t seen or heard from him since the day he walked out of her life. When he walks back into it, more gorgeous than ever, she’s shocked. And embarrassed. Her only recourse is to pretend not to notice. And then not to care.
Gary Hunter hasn’t stopped regretting the day he stormed away from Judy after a stupid argument then moved out of state. When he returns, hoping they might work things out, he finds her more confident and beautiful than ever. When he sees her in the arms of another man, he fears he’s too late. But he’s determined to win back her affections.
Little does he know her date is the least of the obstacles they have to overcome.
Bayside Mistletoe is the story of the Bayside Hunter parents. It’s a timeless second-chance romance set in an era before cell phones and laptops. Get swept away in nostalgic Christmas magic and enter a decade long gone, where lifestyles were simpler and love was every bit as complicated—and equally as wonderful.
All of her dreams just went up in flames…
Cassidy’s entire life was wrapped up in her business boarding and caring for pets — that is, until the night it burned down.
Shale never expected to find love again, especially with a stubborn woman running into the flames. Ever since his wife died, he’s avoided emotion like the plague, but there’s something about the annoying stranger that makes him want to know more.
Cassidy has physical and emotional scars from the night she lost everything. Whenever she looks in the mirror, she’s reminded that nobody could ever love her the way she now looks… except there’s no denying the way the gorgeous firefighter keeps finding reasons to be around her.
But the hidden scars each holds close to their hearts are their biggest obstacles. If they can’t overcome what’s holding them back, they’ll lose each other forever.
Indigo Bay sweet romance series
Ever since her twin became a singing sensation, Sky Hampton has struggled to be appreciated for who she is—apart from her sister. She wards off Aspen’s fans, who beg for autographs and selfies everywhere Sky goes. She can’t even find a guy who likes her for her. Sky flees to the small coastal town of Indigo Bay in hopes of blending in and building her blossoming career.
Jace Fisher is the textbook definition of the strong silent type—nobody can break through his tough exterior. He has suffered more than his fair share of tragedies, and to protect his shattered heart, he pushes everyone away. Jace spends his days fixing the Indigo Bay cottages, and his nights… nobody really knows. He keeps to himself.
When Jace shows up to fix Sky’s AC, he barely notices her and she’s distracted with settling in. It takes an emergency situation to get them talking, and when they do, the two find they have more in common than first appeared. As their attraction grows, defenses soar. Will they be able to risk love when they’ve both been burned in the past?
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She’s determined to stay single, but everyone else is determined to see her married.
Maggie Kendrick is trying to start over in the enchanting beach town where she spent her summers growing up. Life has thrown her one too many wrenches, and now she’s resolved to move on—without a man.
Aunt Lucille has made it her life’s mission to see Maggie walk down the aisle. Everyone knows it too, as Lucille has tried to set Maggie up with every available bachelor in Indigo Bay.
Canyon Leblanc was Maggie’s first love, and he just returned to town. Sparks start flying again—stronger than ever. Distance has definitely made their hearts grow fonder, but Canyon has spent the last seven years living a wild and destructive lifestyle, and that reputation labels him a less-than-desirable catch.
Maggie and Canyon see past each other’s situations, but nobody in town wants them to get together, least of all Aunt Lucille. Friends, family, and even an enemy work hard to keep them apart.
Will Maggie open her heart to love again despite the many obstacles, or will the single life prove to be her best option?
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He can have any woman he wants… except her.
NFL quarterback Dylan Manley’s life revolves around his career and the fame associated with it. He’s only back in Indigo Bay to help with a fundraiser in memory of his best friend. But then finds he has to work with Brooke—the one person who has always made him trip over his own feet.
Brooke Davenport is a far cry from the girl next door who left town years ago. Focused on her political aspirations and still recovering from the loss of her doting brother, she wants nothing more than to return to DC for good. But first she has to get through the fundraiser with Dylan, who she blames for her brother’s death.
When a family emergency pulls Brooke’s parents out of town, the success of the fundraiser depends on Brooke and Dylan. He’ll do whatever it takes to show her he’s a new man, but every attempt only makes him look worse. If he can’t make things right, he’ll lose her forever.
Work is her life. He’s the boss’s son. Will she risk it all for love?
Alisyn has thrown herself into her job to avoid facing her past. It has been perfect so far. And as a bonus, working as a nanny lets her be part of a family that she adores. Her job is perfect until the day her boss’s grown son comes to town and takes her breath away.
The last place Shane Rockford wants to be is at his dad’s house with his new family. He just wants to survive the trip without losing his mind or his temper. After meeting his dad’s nanny, Shane finds a compelling reason to be in Romance, Oregon—Alisyn Bennett.
Dr. Rockford is furious that Alisyn and Shane are going on a date, and he will stop at nothing to keep them apart. Will Alisyn risk her job–her everything–to be with Shane, or will Shane’s father once again ruin his life?
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He’s looking for his lost love… but she’s living in a different time period.
Chase Williams is desperate to find Penelope Jackson, and the only shot he has is by locating a specific mirror. Even then, his chances are slim. He can’t operate it, so she’d have to tumble through it to his exact time.
Penelope has been traveling through various years in her history in search of her parents’ killers. She’d been with the agency so long, she can hardly remember life before. She relies on her trusty mirror to take her to the times and places she needs to go.
Then one day, she stumbles out into a strange new place… and meets a man who clearly knows who she is. But she’s never seen him before—of that much, she’s sure. Unless her future self has? The possibilities are too numerous to count, and the implications could be disastrous. Is this man trustworthy or out to get her?
Giving her heart over could be the only way to find out for sure. Or it could lead to her ultimate demise. And maybe the destruction of time as we know it.
The post Missing Valentine’s Day? Read a SWEET ROMANCE today… first appeared on Stacy Claflin, Author.February 17, 2022
Signed Paperback Giveaway!
One lucky winner will receive 2 signed paperbacks!
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Scroll down for your chance to win your copies of Tainted Love and Take On Me, two standalones from the Alex Mercer series. If you love page-turning suspenseful reads that will keep you up long past your bedtime, you won’t want to miss these two books!
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February 15, 2022
Looking for your next read? Find free books and more…
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