Michelle C. Hillstrom's Blog, page 2
June 21, 2020
Summer Score-Ch
Summer has just began and it’s already SCORE-CHING hot! What hotter way to spend your summer than enjoying the sports we ALL miss?
The below listed authors have “teamed” up to bring you a slew of FREE books and samples of their SPORTS romances. All these titles have sports involved! Baseball, football, basketball and SO much more.
Books from: Michelle C. Hillstrom, Shanna Swenson, Nicole Rodrigues, J.D. Park, Ava Greene, Trisha Harley McCarthy, Mya Grey, Ruby Rose,Eden Rayna, Lily Roberts, Kathy Obuszewski, Simone Rivers, and Melissa Belle.
Available for free for a limited time. Promo runs through July 5th.
NOTE: SOME BOOKS ARE SAMPLES, PREQUELS, AND NOVELLAS.
Included in this book promo is a sneak peek at the first eight chapters of my upcoming friends-to-lovers release: FRIENDZONE!
Get them all here!
June 20, 2020
Review for “Walk Off (Double Play Series Book 5)” by Nicole Rodrigues
Nicholas “Nico” Johnson, aka ‘Hulk’. The man got past all my defenses despite my efforts to keep him at a distance. It’s a lost cause because our bodies call to each other, like a moth to a flame, we give in. Time and time again we come together and crackle like lightning. I said we were done, for good this time, but the funny thing about desire is, you don’t tell it when it’s done, it tells you. Our desire would never be done, oh no baby, it was just getting started.
An impenetrable wall was built around her heart. That’s what she said anyway, but I didn’t care. Lacey Turner was my kryptonite, my Achilles heel. We were the golden couple, the love that everyone secretly wished for themselves, but obstacles keep getting put in our way, testing the strength of our connection.
Our bodies know exactly what to do behind closed doors, but we can’t seem to get it right elsewhere. As long as I can keep her in my bed, I’ll find a way to make everything else fall into place. Just when I think I have it right, there are those obstacles again, but this time we have no choice but to overcome them.
The game between us has always been tied, but with so many extra innings one of us is bound to hit a walk off to end it. Lacey finally does it with those two little words…and no they aren’t home run.
This is book 5 in the Double Play Series and should be read in order. Mature content. 18+.
My Review:
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I’ve loved every single one of the Double Play books and Walk Off doesn’t let me down.
I’ve been anticipating and anxiously awaiting Nico and Lacey’s Story since they first got together back in Damon and Bella’s book.
So, first this has a surprise sub-genre plot that isn’t usually my favorite (can’t tell you what it is because it’s a surprise twist and I’m not going to spoil it for you) but damn – the way Nicole Rodrigues writes it makes me love it!
Nico and Lacey are beautifully broken and piece each other back together. On again and off again for years, they heal each other with their mutual passion, love, and stubbornness. Their chemistry is fire and their love for one another conquers all their obstacles (and boy are there a lot!!!).
This book checks all my boxes:
Strong, feisty female lead – check
Dominant sexy male lead – check
Super steamy scenes – check
Major emotional and physical chemistry with lots of wit/banter give & take – check
All the feels – check
Happy ever after – check
Highly recommended for the sports romance fans!
Buy Walk Off (Double Play Series Book 5) here.
May 31, 2020
Review for “Forever and One Day” by Jacqueline Simon Gunn
Everyone has wondered “what if?” But how many get a chance to live it?
Seventeen years ago, Olivia Watson’s world was turned upside down when she discovered Justin, her high-school sweetheart turned fiancé, having sex with her best friend, Petal. Unable to muster up any forgiveness, she turns her back on him and every friend connected to that part of her life, leaving many questions about the details of the betrayal unanswered.
When Olivia receives an invitation for her twenty-year high school reunion, she decides that she’s been avoiding the past for too long. It’s time to go back and revisit that part of her life, her old friends, and the betrayal that created the wedge between them.
As soon as she and Justin lay eyes on each other at the reunion, they immediately sense the vibrant remains of their unbreakable connection. The spark between them never faded. However, Justin is now married to Petal and Olivia is involved with Adam, her handsome, best-selling-author boyfriend. But is healing old wounds enough for Olivia and Justin to move forward together, or will it help them make peace with the new lives they have chosen?
Each of the four main characters remain bound to their past by unresolved issues, demonstrating that sometimes we can’t find our future until we settle our past. But, most importantly, Olivia learns that forever isn’t time eternal; rather, forever is a place we share with the people we love the most — even when they’re gone.
Although part of a series, this book can be read as a stand-alone.
My Review:
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Forever and One Day is my first read by Jacqueline Simon Gunn. This is not a romance subgenre or style that I usually read but it kept me glued to the story from beginning to end. The book is skillfully written and all the characters: Olivia, Justin, and Adam feel so real and relatable with their flaws. This story was beautifully, devastatingly painful to read in the best way. It ripped my heart out and left a gaping aching hole in my chest because I saw myself in Olivia. All the what ifs and wondering about the one who got away. The heartbreaks. The fear of trusting and committing again.
Ahhk. And that ending. I loved it!
Add this one to your must read list! **Content Warning for cheating! Don’t read if cheating is one of your book dealbreakers.
Buy Forever and One Day by Jacqueline Simon Gunn here.
Learn more about Forever and One Day and Jacqueline Simon Gunn here.
May 23, 2020
Review for “The Van Birch Incident: A Rock Star Romance (The Incident Series Book 1)” by Marla Holt
Van Birch: Pop Star. A-list starlet. Off-limits.
Clay Noble has spent the better part of a decade avoiding his taboo obsession: His stepsister Van. In love with her since the first time he’d heard her sing, even shipping himself off to the army couldn’t stop thoughts of her. Now that he’s lost everything in a tornado, he’s forced to move back in with the only family he has left, Van and her dad. Sleeping down the hall from her is forcing every unwanted impulse back to the surface.
Clay Noble: Gorgeous. Infuriating. Untouchable.
Everything Van touches turns to gold with a side of outrageous. When she accuses her manager of sexual assault, the public thinks it’s just another one of her publicity stunts and the backlash is brutal. Wounded, she dashes home to a tornado-devastated Wellville, Kansas to heal and help rebuild, even though the constant stream of social media doubts and threats won’t let her rest. But there’s another reason for her sleepless nights and fevered dreams. Clay is back, hotter than ever, and his lingering glances and stolen moments have her convinced the feelings she’s fought for so long may not be one sided after all.
******
The Van Birch Incident marries forbidden romance, bordering on taboo with a little danger and a guaranteed happily ever after, while exploring how social media and real life collide in a post #metoo world where the internet never sleeps.
My Review:
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First, I have to say that Marla Holt is one of those authors whose books are one-click books for me ALL THE TIME. I don’t even have to read the blurb. What? Marla Holt wrote another book??? BUY NOW! And with The Van Birch Incident she lived up to my expectations. She definitely hit another one out of the park.[image error]
As an advocate for the #MeToo Movement, I have to applaud Ms. Holt for writing this timely story. It’s important for stories like this to be shared because they paint a picture of the reality that so many people live with daily. With that being said, “The Incident” in the beginning of the book and the subsequent fallout was definitely hard to read. It was raw, real, and emotional. Ms. Holt covered that subject matter with care and respect while allowing for the heinous nature of the incident and Van’s pain to shine through.
I love Van and Clay and the supporting cast of characters. They are strong, real, emotional – easy characters to connect with a root for. I love watching them fight their feelings! It’s so hot!
Ms. Holt had me crying, laughing, and swooning with The Van Birch Incident. One-click this book and be prepared to make Clay your next book boyfriend and wish you could be BFFs with Van.
++ Make sure you are in a good head space before reading because of the triggering nature of some scenes.
Buy The Van Birch Incident: A Rock Star Romance (The Incident Series Book 1) by Marla Holt here.
Learn more about The Van Birch Incident: A Rock Star Romance (The Incident Series Book 1) and Marla Holt here.
May 20, 2020
Write About It Wednesday: Paranormal Investigation
Happy Wednesday, Writers! I hope you’ve had a good week so far. I’ve been busy since we talked last getting books ready for publication and I am back to work at my day job. I have a lot of catching up to do at work because I was gone for about two months while trying to avoid COVID-19. It’s still going around in my town, but while at work I just lock myself away in my office and avoid everyone. The amount of work I have to do to catch up is overwhelming if I think about it too much or stare at the piles on my desk. My strategy is just tackling one task at a time. Send out all the invoices. Enter all the receipts. Update all the folders and files. Just do one thing at a time instead of trying to do a little bit of everything all at once. Are you back at work? Have you been working this whole time? Sadly, a lot of businesses are closing and going out of business in my town. Including my favorite bar. I don’t go out on the town very often but when I do that’s the only bar I ever want to go to. I have a lot of good memories of going there with my friends and my siblings.
When I am not working, writing, reading, or going out to a bar, I like to watch paranormal investigation shows like Ghost Hunters, Ghost Adventures, Ghost Nation, etc. If you watch my Instagram or Facebook stories you might have seen that I was binge watching Ghost Nation the other day. That story led to me having a conversation about paranormal investigation shows with one of my author friends on Instagram, and that’s honestly how it became the topic for today’s writing prompts. I might kind of have an obsession with paranormal investigation shows. And I also might have a tiny (more like big) crush on Steve Gonsalves from Ghost Hunters / Ghost Nation and Zak Bagans from Ghost Adventures. I’ve always wanted to do a paranormal investigation / ghost hunt myself, but also am actually terrified of doing it and having something creepy happen while I am there or coming up with scary evidence like an EVP of a ghost saying ” I’m standing right beside you” or something like that.
Another reason I want to use paranormal investigation as your topic for writing prompts today is I actually have a work-in-progress about a paranormal investigation duo. So, I know that paranormal investigation can lead to a lot of fun writing. Now, on to the writing!
Write About:
A paranormal investigator that falls in love with a ghost.
A paranormal investigator who doesn’t realize they themselves are a ghost.
A paranormal investigation at a scary location in your hometown.
A paranormal investigation you have been a part of.
A place that you would like to perform a paranormal investigation at.
Your own paranormal experiences.
Ghosts. Are they real or not?
[image error]Do you watch any paranormal investigation shows? What are your favorites? Tell me in the comments!
Don’t forget to hit the SUBSCRIBE/FOLLOW button near the top of the page before you leave so you never miss a post. Also, follow me on Facebook and Instagram, and Twitter at @shelliewriter.
I hope you enjoy today’s writing prompts!
Until next time,
Write on, Writers!
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May 16, 2020
Review for “Right Princess (Modern Princess Collection #3)” by Autumn Archer
About Right Princess (Modern Princess Collection #3) by Autumn Archer
From #1 best selling author, Autumn Archer comes a light hearted best friends to lovers romance you will adore.
She has an epic crush… on the wrong guy.
Her father is demanding she marry a wealthy man, but Ada wants mad love and belly flutters. Her roomies big brother, Cicero, is rich and fits the bill for a Daddy approved husband. Her crush on him grows each time he swings by the dorm, turning her butterflies into flutters. Problem is, he is dating someone else.
Ada’s best friend, Theo, is a simple guy. A talented man who manages the student bar, and also happens to be her boss. He’s the all American guy every girl dreams of. Super hot, muscular and rides a motorcycle. But they’re friends and nothing more.
A VIP pool party changes everything. Ada wakes up the next morning with a guilty conscience.
Who did she kiss?
And why is Theo leaving town?
Download Right Princess now to see Ada get her HEA.
My Review:
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This is the first book I’ve read from Autumn Archer.[image error]
It’s a fun, quick Princess and the Pea inspired story.
This is a friends-to-lovers, everyone can see it but them, mild steam romance.
Ada is in lust with her roommates brother (Cicero) while ignoring the fact that the right guy for her (Theo her best friend) has been in front of her all along.
Ada, Theo, and Cicero drove me nuts with their tantrums and inability to communicate – this kept the angst level up throughout the story. Seriously, you’re going to want to shake these characters for being too stubborn to just sit down and talk to each other.
Overall, I liked the book, recommend it to readers who enjoy friends-to-lovers, and I will read more books from Autumn Archer in the future.
Learn more about Right Princess (Modern Princess Collection#3) and Autumn Archer here.
Pre-Order Right Princess (Modern Princess Collection #3) by Autumn Archer here. Book releases on May 20, 2020.
May 14, 2020
Secrets Revealed
In my newsletter that went out on Monday, May 11th, I revealed all of my secrets. In case you missed it, here is the recap:
Secret #1: The New FRIENDZONE Release Date!
Okay, I know you have all been patiently (or impatiently) waiting for this. FRIENDZONE finally has a new release date.[image error]
Are you ready for it?
FRIENDZONE will be released on September 1st of this year.
The reason it’s still a ways off is I want to hurry and get the rest of the books in the series as close to finished as possible so there isn’t a long wait time in between each book.
Wait, a minute… Did I just say the rest of the books in the SERIES?
Yes. Yes I did. FRIENDZONE morphed itself into a FOUR book series. Technically they could all be read as standalones, but isn’t it so much more fun when they are all read together in order? I personally love books that are in a series, and apparently can’t keep myself from writing them. All of the characters in FRIENDZONE just had so much to say and so many stories they wanted to share!
[image error]I’ve also got something else up my sleeve that I’ve been working on! I’ve been very busy during all this social distancing and Quarantine period! THERE WILL BE A FRIENDZONE SPIN-OFF SERIES!!!!
The spin-off series is called Rescate Canyon Rivalries. While the FRIENDZONE books are all about friends-to-lovers, Rescate Canyon Rivalries will all be enemies-to-lovers. Many of the characters that we meet in the FRIENDZONE series will be making appearances and getting their own books. I’m very excited about the way all of this is coming together! I can’t wait to share all of these books with you!
About FRIENDZONE
To get out of the FRIENDZONE you’ve got to shoot your shot…[image error]
Taylor Echols… He’s my mortal enemy. My boyfriend’s best friend. He bullied me in middle school and has ignored me for all of high school. But when tragedy strikes and I experience an unexpected loss, he is shockingly there for me – comforting me and reminding me about all the good things in life. Now he has me feeling complicated and confusing emotions. I’m so close to trusting him – to wanting him. I’m feeling things I didn’t think I could ever feel again. Feeling things for Taylor I would never have imagined possible. He’s there with me every day reminding me about the good things in life. Making me laugh, supporting my dreams, and cheering me on. He’s earning back my trust, my friendship, and my heart piece by piece. But is this new Taylor the real Taylor? Can I trust him with my heart?
Mikayla Hightower… She’s the girl who has always been too good for me. Unattainable. My best friend’s girl. All I want to do is make her smile, but my past mistakes make her wary of trusting me. My loyalty to my best friend makes me feel guilty for the way I look at her and think about her – for all the things I want to do with her and to her. Not that it matters. I don’t do girlfriends. I have to stay focused on basketball, school, getting into a good college, and drafted into the NBA. Mikayla’s pull is strong, though. All she has to do is flash that smile with that damn dimple and I’m wrapped around her pinky finger. She might just be enough to have me rearranging my priorities. Jordan would understand, right?
FRIENDZONE is part one of a four part series. Ends with a cliffhanger.
Tropes in FRIENDZONE include:
Athlete / Jock Romance
Best Friend’s Lover
Friends-to-lovers / Frenemies-to-lovers
Childhood friends
Everyone can see it except them
Love triangle
Secret #2: My New Pen Name and Genre!
If you follow my blog or my social media, which if you are reading this email right now, I assume you at least do one or the other, you know that I dropped the news about a new pen name and genre that I am venturing into.[image error]
My new pen name is: Shellie Christine
My new genre: Erotica.
I will still be writing under Michelle C. Hillstrom for New Adult Romance and Paranormal Romance; I just wanted to have a separation for the dirtier erotica novellas that I will be publishing.
Follow Shellie Christine on Instagram
Follow Shellie Christine on Facebook
Subscribe to the Shellie Christine Website
Seducing the Marine
by Shellie Christine
Seducing the Marine is my first novella to be published under the Shellie Christine pen name. It will be released on June 01, 2020.
It is currently available for Pre-Order here.
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Sexually-frustrated librarian Miranda Hale has
always dated bookish beta guys. They are safe and smart. Men with a stable future. They fit in with her introverted, bookworm lifestyle. They satisfy her need for mental stimulation, but cannot satisfy her in the bedroom. She can only dream of the passionate sex life she reads about in romance novels.
That is until she meets the Marine while out celebrating her birthday.
Sergeant Eli Garcia is everything her usual type is not. Muscular, charming, cocky, alpha-hole, passionate, and sexual. When their eyes lock at the bar her mind tells her to turn him down, but her body has other ideas. Ideas about what a fantastic birthday present he would make to herself. How they could celebrate all night long, over and over. With one chance encounter can she finally have everything she’s fantasized about night after night?
Grab this steamy, erotic seduction novella now.
[image error]I hope you are as excited about these upcoming book releases as I am. I have had so much fun writing the FRIENDZONE Series and this new erotic novella. I look forward to hearing your thoughts on the books after you read them.
Don’t forget to hit the SUBSCRIBE/FOLLOW button near the top of the page before you leave so you never miss a post. Also, follow me on Facebook and Instagram, and Twitter at @shelliewriter.
I hope you enjoy today’s writing prompts!
Until next time,
Read on!
XoXo,
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May 13, 2020
Write About It Wednesday: Flowers
Happy Wednesday, Writers! I hope you’ve had a good week so far! It’s been a busy week for me. Writing, spending time with my family, cleaning, organizing my new office space… But all week long I’ve been smelling flowers. The house is full of them right now. We have flowers in vases, potted plants, and there are new seeds for us to plant. We’ve got roses, lilies, sunflowers, pansies, carnations, and tulips.
My mother loves flowers, so every year she plants flowers in the Spring and gets flowers for Mother’s Day, as I’m sure most mothers do. We’ve always had house plants growing up. I have a lot of memories of potted plants in the windows of our houses. Going to nurseries and home improvement stores to get gardening supplies for flower gardens. Home wouldn’t be home without one… or ten flowers and plants.
My favorite flowers are tulips. The first time I remember seeing tulips in person was in my early twenties. I was working as a hostess at an upscale restaurant and they always had small bud vases with flowers in them. One day I walked in and there were these pretty pink flowers in the vases. Somehow, I instinctively knew they were tulips. Then and there I decided they were the prettiest flowers I had ever seen and they were going to be my favorite flower from now that moment on. And they’ve been my favorite flower ever since.
Today I’m changing up the prompts a little bit. I want you to focus on characters and character development when you start writing.
All the prompts revolve around flowers, but the real prompt is to focus on the character. Who they are, what they want, why they are where they are, why they are doing what they are doing. How are they feeling?
Think about all of that while you write about:
A character who has just received flowers.
A character who is giving someone flowers.
A character who is tending flowers.
A character who is in a flower shop.
[image error]Do like flowers? Do you have a favorite flowers? Any special memories associated with flowers? Let me know in the comments.
Don’t forget to hit the SUBSCRIBE/FOLLOW button near the top of the page before you leave so you never miss a post. Also, follow me on Facebook and Instagram, and Twitter at @shelliewriter.
I hope you enjoy today’s writing prompts!
Until next time,
Write on, Writers!
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May 9, 2020
Review for “Beautiful Collision” by Tori Alvarez
They are both running from their family legacies…
Raised on the wrong side of town with a mother who fell for every man with money, Toni refuses to fall for a pretty face. Her mom did a great job of showing her men were only good for heartbreak. She will depend on no man to be her knight in shining armor. They are only a means to an end to escape the life she is destined to live if she does not claw her way out.
Due to inherit his dad’s cattle empire, Garrett trusts no woman. They fall all over him to get closer to his last name and money. He is searching for his equal—one he can care for but who is able and willing to do it on her own.
Neither of them is honest about their pasts or families. One is looking for true love and the other is avoiding it at all costs. Will this cowboy be able to soften her hardened heart?
My Review:
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Beautiful Collision is the story of Toni and Garrett.
Toni is struggling to reconcile the “hood life” she came from and the college life she is currently living.
Garrett wants to be loved for who he is and not for what his family can offer a woman.
Both characters are filled with secrets, and trust issues.
This is a sweet and sad story with a HEA.
The characters are real and interesting with great back stories.
I love the side characters: Alex, Javie, and Lola.
If you enjoy New Adult/College romance one-click and add this to your Kindle.[image error]
Learn more about Tori Alvarez and Beautiful Collision here.
Buy Beautiful Collision here.
May 6, 2020
Write About It Wednesday: Mothers
Happy Write About It Wednesday, y’all! (Yes, it is Wednesday once again in case you’ve lost track.) Or are things starting to go back to normal for you now? I know that some places are starting to reopen and recover from the pandemic. Texas has started partially reopening, but I’m still staying home and have not returned to my day job yet since I’m immuno-compromised. This past weekend was the first weekend that the rules were lifted and it seems like half of our city flocked out to our local lake. The lines to enter the lake area and crowds were equivalent to Fourth of July or Memorial Day weekends according to the lake officials.
Speaking of weekends, this coming weekend is Mother’s Day. Are you a mother? Are you celebrating your mother? What are your plans for the weekend?
My family and I will probably order something in from my mom’s favorite restaurant and just spend a chill evening at home. Maybe rent a Prime Movie. I’m not a mother except to a bunch of furbabies (in case you were wondering).
With Mother’s Day coming up I thought Mothers would make a good topic for our Write About It Wednesday Prompts today.
Write about:
Your favorite fictional mother.
The day you became a mother.
Your favorite memory of your mother.
A character who longs to be a mother.
Character visiting their mother in the hospital/nursing home/grave.
How much you appreciate your mother.
*** all of these can be substituted with stepmother or guardian figure.
[image error]I hope all of you Mothers, Grandmothers, Stepmothers, and Godmothers have a great Mother’s Day!
Don’t forget to hit the SUBSCRIBE/FOLLOW button near the top of the page before you leave so you never miss a post. Also, follow me on Facebook and Instagram, and Twitter at @shelliewriter.
I hope you enjoy today’s writing prompts!
Until next time,
Write on, Writers!
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