B.L. Blair's Blog, page 51
February 19, 2016
February Giveaway - $10 Amazon Gift Card
Monthly Giveaway
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This month's giveaway is a $10 Amazon gift card. You may enter each day, but please note that entering the giveaway will also register you to receive my quarterly newsletter. You may unsubscribe at any time.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
February 17, 2016
Walker Bride by Bernadette Marie - Free Books Giveaway
BLURB:Tyson was happy being a miserable man, taking care of his family's land, and not involved with a woman. However, even he can't resist the pull of attraction to the beautiful, and off limits, Pearl.The feud between the Walkers and the Morgans had torn apart friends and families for generations. What might happen when Pearl Walker and Tyson Morgan become business partners—and more?
EXCERPT:So, she wasn’t a morning person. This was twice she’d found him on her doorstep and twice she might not have been so glad to see him.
Pearl stepped back and Tyson stepped inside. He’d ever been inside of her house, and now that he was there he felt a bit odd about it.
Having seen the girlie interior of her store, he might have thought her house would be pristine and white. That surely wasn’t the case.
She wasn’t neat and tidy, but she wasn’t messy either. Her purse sat open on a chair in the living room. Shoes were tossed aside by the door. A blanket she might have wrapped herself in while watching TV was thrown on the couch and forgotten plate and glass sat on the coffee table.
It brought a bit of pure joy to his heart to see this side of her.
“Do you want anything in your coffee?” Pearl asked from the kitchen.
He hadn’t even noticed she walked past him. “No. Just black.”
Walking through the doorway to the kitchen, he watched as she turned with a mug in her hand. She wasn’t covering herself up now, and there wasn’t much left to the imagination.
Tyson swallowed hard and willed every manly part of him to behave.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:Bernadette Marie has been an avid writer since the early age of 13, when she’d fill notebook after notebook with stories that she’d share with her friends. Her journey into novel writing started the summer before eighth grade when her father gave her an old typewriter. At all times of the day and night you would find her on the back porch penning her first work, which she would continue to write for the next 22 years.In 2007 – after marriage, filling her chronic entrepreneurial needs, and having five children – Bernadette began to write seriously with the goal of being published. That year she wrote 12 books. In 2009 she was contracted for her first trilogy and the published author was born. In 2011 she (being the entrepreneur that she is) opened her own publishing house, 5 Prince Publishing, and has released contemporary titles and has begun the process of taking on other authors in other genres.
Bernadette spends most of her free time driving her kids to their many events. She is also an accomplished martial artist, working her way to her second degree black belt in Tang Soo Do. An avid reader she loves to meet readers who enjoy reading contemporary romances and she always promises Happily Ever After.
Website: http://www.bernadettemarie.com/Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/authorbernadettemarieTwitter: http://www.twitter.com/writesromanceBlog: http://www.authorbernadettemarie.blogspot.com/Amazon Author Page: http://www.amazon.com/Bernadette-Marie/e/B003M75S8W
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February 8: Louise Lyndon Romance Author Hear Me RoarFebruary 9: Lisa Haselton's Reviews and Interviews
February 10: jbiggarblog
February 11: Wendi Zwaduk ~ Romance to Make Your Heart Race
February 12: Punya Reviews...
February 15: EskieMama Reads
February 16: Hope. Dreams. Life... Love
February 18: Christine Young
February 19: Sharing Links and Wisdom
February 15, 2016
Monday Excerpt - Dead in a Park: Leah Norwood Mystery #2
This month’s Monday excerpts are from Dead in a Park: Leah Norwood Mystery #2.
“Was he murdered?” I asked softly.
“Oh, yes. It was murder,” Griggs replied.
The last time I found a body it had never occurred to me that the police would consider me a suspect. As a law-abiding citizen, I had just assumed that people knew I was innocent. My experience with the police showed me I was wrong. I looked at both Griggs and Reddish.
“Please tell me you don’t think I killed him.”
Griggs snorted. “No, we don’t think you killed him. He was taller than you, and his neck was broken. No way could you have done that.”
“It was fast and neat,” Reddish added and then turned to Griggs. “Probably someone with military or combat training.”
“Someone who knows how to kill with their hands,” Griggs said softly.
I swallowed. Candace had shot and killed two people in December and tried to kill me twice. She had been crazy, her behavior unexpected and unpredictable, which had made the situation scary. This sounded worse. A person who was calm and rational murdering someone with their bare hands was chilling. And I couldn’t forget about the weird shoe thing.
“Did you find his shoes?”
“No,” Griggs replied, turning toward me.
“Why would someone want his shoes?”
“Who knows? There wasn’t much of a struggle, although there were multiple sets of footprints. But all appeared to be made by people wearing shoes.” He turned away from me and back toward Reddish. “Between Leah and her dog stomping around, I doubt we’ll get any viable footprints.”
“Hey,” I said indignantly. Both men ignored me.
“Let’s keep the area secure anyway,” Griggs continued. “Send a team out to see if they can find anything. Maybe the shoes will show up somewhere else in the park.”
“Got it,” Reddish replied as he started to walk away. “See you around, Leah.”
“Bye, David,” I said reluctantly. I didn’t want to be alone with Griggs. It was awkward and unpleasant. I’m not exactly sure why he had kissed me and then disappeared from my life, but I wasn’t going to ask. I hadn’t thought he would be interested in me in the first place. Although not traditionally handsome, Griggs is an extremely attractive and sexy man. After waiting weeks for him to call or come by, I finally chalked it up to a gaffe on his part. Instead of telling me he wasn’t interested, he simply disappeared. If I hadn’t found this body, I probably would have never seen him again except in passing.
We stood there in silence for a few moments before Griggs said, “You can leave now. Thank you for your patience.”
He sounded so formal and polite. I didn’t like it. I gathered Harry’s leash, pulled him up, and started to walk away. “Well, I guess…I guess I’ll see you around.”
Griggs stepped back and let me pass. I hadn’t gotten very far before I heard him call my name. When I turned around, he was standing in the same spot with an odd look on his face. He rubbed his hand across his head and then gave me a slight smile. “It was good to see you, Leah.”
“Uh, yeah, you too,” I stuttered before we both turned and walked away.
Available on Amazon, iBooks, B&N, Kobo, Smashwords, CreateSpace, and Google.
“Was he murdered?” I asked softly.
“Oh, yes. It was murder,” Griggs replied.
The last time I found a body it had never occurred to me that the police would consider me a suspect. As a law-abiding citizen, I had just assumed that people knew I was innocent. My experience with the police showed me I was wrong. I looked at both Griggs and Reddish.
“Please tell me you don’t think I killed him.”
Griggs snorted. “No, we don’t think you killed him. He was taller than you, and his neck was broken. No way could you have done that.”
“It was fast and neat,” Reddish added and then turned to Griggs. “Probably someone with military or combat training.”
“Someone who knows how to kill with their hands,” Griggs said softly.
I swallowed. Candace had shot and killed two people in December and tried to kill me twice. She had been crazy, her behavior unexpected and unpredictable, which had made the situation scary. This sounded worse. A person who was calm and rational murdering someone with their bare hands was chilling. And I couldn’t forget about the weird shoe thing.
“Did you find his shoes?”
“No,” Griggs replied, turning toward me.
“Why would someone want his shoes?”
“Who knows? There wasn’t much of a struggle, although there were multiple sets of footprints. But all appeared to be made by people wearing shoes.” He turned away from me and back toward Reddish. “Between Leah and her dog stomping around, I doubt we’ll get any viable footprints.”
“Hey,” I said indignantly. Both men ignored me.
“Let’s keep the area secure anyway,” Griggs continued. “Send a team out to see if they can find anything. Maybe the shoes will show up somewhere else in the park.”
“Got it,” Reddish replied as he started to walk away. “See you around, Leah.”
“Bye, David,” I said reluctantly. I didn’t want to be alone with Griggs. It was awkward and unpleasant. I’m not exactly sure why he had kissed me and then disappeared from my life, but I wasn’t going to ask. I hadn’t thought he would be interested in me in the first place. Although not traditionally handsome, Griggs is an extremely attractive and sexy man. After waiting weeks for him to call or come by, I finally chalked it up to a gaffe on his part. Instead of telling me he wasn’t interested, he simply disappeared. If I hadn’t found this body, I probably would have never seen him again except in passing.
We stood there in silence for a few moments before Griggs said, “You can leave now. Thank you for your patience.”
He sounded so formal and polite. I didn’t like it. I gathered Harry’s leash, pulled him up, and started to walk away. “Well, I guess…I guess I’ll see you around.”
Griggs stepped back and let me pass. I hadn’t gotten very far before I heard him call my name. When I turned around, he was standing in the same spot with an odd look on his face. He rubbed his hand across his head and then gave me a slight smile. “It was good to see you, Leah.”
“Uh, yeah, you too,” I stuttered before we both turned and walked away.
Available on Amazon, iBooks, B&N, Kobo, Smashwords, CreateSpace, and Google.
February 14, 2016
February 12, 2016
Monthly Giveaway - $10 Amazon Gift Card
Monthly Giveaway
This month's giveaway is a $10 Amazon gift card. You may enter each day, but please note that entering the giveaway will also register you to receive my quarterly newsletter. You may unsubscribe at any time.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
This month's giveaway is a $10 Amazon gift card. You may enter each day, but please note that entering the giveaway will also register you to receive my quarterly newsletter. You may unsubscribe at any time.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
February 10, 2016
Deadly Alliance by Kathleen Rowland
Blurb:Finbar Donahue, former Army Ranger, walked on the wild side in Iraq, but now he lives in the shadows. After his evasive partner, Les, was shot in a random drive-by, Finn discovers cash is siphoned monthly. He fights to keep his investment company afloat. When the late partner’s girlfriend, Amy Kintyre, applies for his bookkeeping job, Finn suspects she knows about his company drain and hires her.Amy needs a nine-to-five with free evenings and weekends to get her fashion design business back on track. She unearths Les’s secret bank account and alerts Finn. Freezing of the money laundering account sets off havoc within an Irish gang. Amy witnesses a gang fight between a brutal ISIS fundraising organization and the Irish. Desperate to escape a stalker’s crosshairs, she seeks refuge with Finn. As danger heats up, sparks fly hotter.
Les is alive. After cheating the Irish mob, he became their target. Mistaken identity took the life of his disabled twin brother. Now Les makes another deal—trading Amy and stolen drugs for their forgiveness. Stakes are high as Finn tracks assassins across the San Bernardino Mountains. If he gets her back, can he trust her?
Excerpt:Amy rapped just once before twisting the knob. “You’re in your skivvies.” Seeing him in his boxers was a gut-punch. She inhaled a breath and nudged the door shut with her back.
He slipped behind his desk and narrowed his eyes at her. A sexy smile showed on one side of his mouth. “You knocked. Did I say, ‘open?’ ” He looked darn incredible.
With the scorch of embarrassment, Amy realized she was just standing there.
“Relax. I’ve got one up on you. Remember New Years, five years ago, in the closet with Les? There you were, commando.” Finn chortled with a slap to his knee.
Purchase Links:Amazon UKhttp://www.amazon.co.uk/Deadly-Alliance-Kathleen-Rowland-ebook/dp/B019EE5OP8/Amazon UShttp://www.amazon.com/Deadly-Alliance-Kathleen-Rowland-ebook/dp/B019EE5OP8/
About the Author:Book Buyers Best finalist Kathleen Rowland is devoted to giving her readers fast-paced, high-stakes suspense with a sizzling love story sure to melt their hearts. Kathleen used to write computer programs but now writes novels. She grew up in Iowa where she caught lightning bugs, ran barefoot, and raced her sailboat on Lake Okoboji. Now she wears flip-flops and sails with her husband, Gerry, on Newport Harbor but wishes there were lightning bugs in California.
Kathleen exists happily with her witty CPA husband, Gerry, in their 70’s poolside retreat in Southern California where she adores time spent with visiting grandchildren, dogs, one bunny, and noisy neighbors. While proud of their five children who’ve flown the coop, she appreciates the luxury of time to write while listening to demanding character voices in her head.
Tirgearr Publishing - Leading The PackPlease visit at www.kathleenrowland.comTwitter: https://twitter.com/rowlandkathleenBlog: https://kathleenrowland.wordpress.com/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kathleen.rowland.50
February 8, 2016
Monday Excerpt - Dead in a Park: Leah Norwood Mystery #2
This month’s Monday excerpts are from Dead in a Park: Leah Norwood Mystery #2.
Once again my mind had wandered. I glanced down at Harry. He trotted alongside me, searching the bushes for anything that moved. Harry is still a young dog, not quite a year old. He walks on the leash pretty well but is easily distracted. Usually a quick tug from me brings him back in line, but I had known the day would come when the inevitable would happen. As we neared one of the park benches, I stopped to re-tie my shoe. I must have startled the squirrel because it rushed out from under the bench, ran across the walking path, and ran straight into the wooded area on the other side. My grip on Harry’s leash was not very strong, and he shot away from me and after the squirrel before I even knew what had happened.
“Harry,” I yelled before I ran after him. When I stepped onto the grass on the side of the path, my feet squished. Looking down, I saw the ground was soft and still muddy in places. Just as Sean had warned me, the ground was still wet. I didn’t really have a choice as I could hear Harry barking wildly nearby. It sounded like he was close to the creek. I knew he wouldn’t come to me unless I was in his sight line. Consigning my shoes to their fate, I waded into the brush. Luckily, it was still winter so the woods and brush in the park were thinner than they would be in a few weeks. I didn’t have to go far before I found my dog.
He was standing near the creek bed, barking ferociously at the dead man on the ground. At first, I wasn’t sure he was actually dead, but one step closer showed he was laying perfectly still, head at an odd angle, and face-down in the small creek. He was dressed in what appeared to be a custom-made suit, the white collar of his shirt just showing along the neckline of his jacket and a fedora at his side. The suit reminded me of something from the 1930s with the charcoal color and narrow stripes. I looked at him from head to toe and then stopped.
He was so neatly dressed that I was shocked to see that he wasn’t wearing any shoes. His feet were encased in socks, but his shoes were nowhere in sight. And who wears a fedora? What was a well-dressed mobster doing in Reed Hill City Park? I couldn’t see much of his face, but he looked like a young man. The clothing and hat seemed totally out of place. Harry ran up to me, and I grabbed his leash. Wrapping it tightly around my hand, I pulled him away from the scene and back out to the walking path. I reached in my pocket for my phone. As I dialed 911, I couldn’t help but wonder what the hell happened to his shoes.
Available on Amazon, iBooks, B&N, Kobo, Smashwords, CreateSpace, and Google.
Once again my mind had wandered. I glanced down at Harry. He trotted alongside me, searching the bushes for anything that moved. Harry is still a young dog, not quite a year old. He walks on the leash pretty well but is easily distracted. Usually a quick tug from me brings him back in line, but I had known the day would come when the inevitable would happen. As we neared one of the park benches, I stopped to re-tie my shoe. I must have startled the squirrel because it rushed out from under the bench, ran across the walking path, and ran straight into the wooded area on the other side. My grip on Harry’s leash was not very strong, and he shot away from me and after the squirrel before I even knew what had happened.“Harry,” I yelled before I ran after him. When I stepped onto the grass on the side of the path, my feet squished. Looking down, I saw the ground was soft and still muddy in places. Just as Sean had warned me, the ground was still wet. I didn’t really have a choice as I could hear Harry barking wildly nearby. It sounded like he was close to the creek. I knew he wouldn’t come to me unless I was in his sight line. Consigning my shoes to their fate, I waded into the brush. Luckily, it was still winter so the woods and brush in the park were thinner than they would be in a few weeks. I didn’t have to go far before I found my dog.
He was standing near the creek bed, barking ferociously at the dead man on the ground. At first, I wasn’t sure he was actually dead, but one step closer showed he was laying perfectly still, head at an odd angle, and face-down in the small creek. He was dressed in what appeared to be a custom-made suit, the white collar of his shirt just showing along the neckline of his jacket and a fedora at his side. The suit reminded me of something from the 1930s with the charcoal color and narrow stripes. I looked at him from head to toe and then stopped.
He was so neatly dressed that I was shocked to see that he wasn’t wearing any shoes. His feet were encased in socks, but his shoes were nowhere in sight. And who wears a fedora? What was a well-dressed mobster doing in Reed Hill City Park? I couldn’t see much of his face, but he looked like a young man. The clothing and hat seemed totally out of place. Harry ran up to me, and I grabbed his leash. Wrapping it tightly around my hand, I pulled him away from the scene and back out to the walking path. I reached in my pocket for my phone. As I dialed 911, I couldn’t help but wonder what the hell happened to his shoes.
Available on Amazon, iBooks, B&N, Kobo, Smashwords, CreateSpace, and Google.
February 7, 2016
February 5, 2016
Holton Series Box Set - Release Day
The Holton Series consists of four sweet, simple, and relatively short romance novels. It is now available in a box set. Only $3.99.Convince MeAnna West just wants to start over in a new town far away from her past. The only child of a mixed race couple, Anna learned about the ugly side of human behavior at an early age. After watching her abusive father mistreat her mother, Anna knows that love is not for her.
Steven Carson has always known what he wanted, and from the moment he saw her, he wanted Anna. Steven is ready for love. He is ready to settle down, start a family, and he knows Anna is the one for him. Now all he has to do is convince her.
Notice MeAndrew Moore has always thought of Victoria as family. She is his best friend’s little sister and his little sister’s best friend, but recently something has changed. Andrew is thinking about Victoria in a completely different way. She will never fit into his quiet, conservative world. They are too different to have a future together, but he cannot stop noticing her.
Victoria Carson has been in love with Andrew since her sixteenth birthday, but Andrew never noticed her as anything other than the girl next door. She fled from her hometown so that she wouldn’t have to watch Andrew build a life with someone else. But things have changed. Andrew is now a widower, and Victoria has returned home. It is time to make him notice her.
Trust MeRachel Lewis hides her looks behind dark framed glasses and drab clothes. As the head librarian in Holton, she is satisfied with her life and her appearance. Rachel isn't looking for love or a relationship, but Paul captivates her. He lives in a completely different world, but she wants him more than she has ever wanted any other man.
Paul Hart is handsome, rich, and successful. As the owner of a thriving business, he is happy with short-term relationships and jaded women. Paul has been betrayed too many times to trust a woman, but Rachel intrigues him. She isn't like any other woman he has ever known. Can he learn to trust her?
Forgive MeGrowing up, Mitch Carson had always dreamed of leaving Holton, Texas, traveling the world, and writing life altering stories. As an investigative journalist, he made those dreams come true, but he left behind the only woman he ever loved. That was his greatest mistake. Mitch has returned home to see if she can forgive him for leaving her when she needed him the most.
In high school, Emily Fairview had fallen deeply, madly, and completely in love with Mitch. The two of them planned a life together far away from Holton, but when Emily’s family needed her, she chose to stay. Mitch chose to leave. Fifteen years later Mitch is back and wants a second chance, but Emily doesn’t know if she can forgive him.
Available on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, iBooks,Kobo, and Smashwords.
February 3, 2016
Royal Pain by Danielle Doolittle - $10 Amazon or B&N Gift Card Giveaway
Blurb:
Excerpt:Turning to organize the various equipment hanging on the wall opposite the little sorrel’s stall, she didn’t hear him approach. "I have always heard redheads are inclined to tempers." His voice was far too close to her for her peace of mind. She felt his fingers whisper across her cheek as he pushed a wayward curl behind her ear. "I wonder if anything else I’ve heard would also prove to be true.""I don’t know what you’re talking about." Carleigh spun and found herself nearly in his arms. Narrowing her eyes, she fought the sudden urge to wrap her arms around herself.
"Oh, I think you do," he practically purred. "I’d be more than happy to explore the possibilities with you."
She felt her lips twitch a bit at the ridiculous overly-flirtatious note in his voice. Did he honestly expect her to melt into a puddle of need while he stood there with a practiced look of seduction? Deciding to fight fire with fire, she moved a step closer. Using his shirt collar, she pulled herself on her toes, the spicy scent of his aftershave surrounding her, making her wonder if being so close to the man was such a good idea. Carleigh was determined to ignore it; after all, any man could smell just as amazing — surely they sold it by the bottle somewhere. She leaned in closer.
Affecting her most seductive tone, she allowed her lips to brush his ear as she whispered, "Not on your life.”
Buy Links:Amazon: http://amzn.com/B014QPPQTEB&N: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/royal-pain-danielle-doolittle/1122599709?ean=2940150918412ARe : https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-royalpain-1901969-152.html
AUTHOR Bio and Links:Danielle Doolittle has always had a knack for storytelling. When she completed her first work of fiction at age six about a bunny and particularly juicy carrot she was hooked. Years later, she's spinning tales of first loves, awkward moments, and the occasional creature that goes bump in the night.She lives in the wilds of a Northwest Ohio college town with her husband and three small children where she consumes above average amounts of coffee and dark chocolate and spends way too much time on Twitter.
She loves to hear from readers so don't be shy!
Email: d.doolittle.author@gmail.comWebsite: http://www.danielledoolittle.weebly.comTwitter: https://twitter.com/elledooFacebook: http://www.facebook.com/daniellewrites
Danielle Doolittle will be awarding a $10 Amazon/BN GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.
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Follow the tour for more chances to win:January 25: Independent Authors
January 26: Lisa Haselton's Reviews and Interviews
January 27: Christine Young
January 28: Let's Get Ready to Romance
January 29: Welcome to My World of Dreams
February 1: T's Stuff
February 2: Laurie's Thoughts and Reviews
February 4: Deal Sharing Aunt
February 5: Lampshade ReaderFebruary 5: Long and Short Reviews
