Aubrey Wynne's Blog, page 12

A Wallflower Never Surrenders by Courtney McCaskill #steamyromance #revengeofthewallflowers

A Wallflower Never Surrenders
by Courtney McCaskill

They call them the Weatherby Wallflowers…

After her mother’s death, Eleanor Weatherby has had a hard enough time shepherding her three younger sisters through the world and running her father’s household on a shoestring budget. But now her father, an eccentric naturalist who has always shown more interest in birds and beetles than his own flesh and blood, has sold their home so he could afford passage on an exploratory voyage around the world! Suddenly the four sisters dubbed the Weatherby Wallflowers don’t even have a roof over their heads.

Their only chance…

Eleanor somehow manages to secure an invitation to the Countess of Milthorpe’s house party, which buys them two weeks of shelter. Eleanor is firmly on the shelf, but her youngest sister, Philippa, manages to catch the eye of Felix St. James, younger brother of the Duke of Norwood. If Pippa can bring Felix up to scratch, it will draw them back from the brink of destitution.

The man standing in their way…

There’s only one problem—Jasper St. James, the Duke of Norwood. He immediately marked Pippa as an upstart miss who was only after his brother’s fortune. Jasper vows that he won’t let Felix out of his sight. But at every turn he is foiled by Eleanor Weatherby, who seems as determined to promote the match as Jasper is to prevent it.

As Jasper and Eleanor match wits, he discovers that she is impertinent, imperious… and impossible to resist. It turns out that sparring with a headstrong wallflower is more to this stern duke’s taste than the milquetoast maidens he was considering for his bride at the start of the house party. Maybe one of the Weatherby Wallflowers will be marrying into the St. James family after all… if Jasper hasn’t already ruined everything.

A Wallflower Never Surrenders is a steamy, comedic Regency Romance. It is Book 19 in the multi-author series Revenge of the Wallflowers and also Book 1 in The Weatherby Wallflowers Quartet. Look for Clarissa Weatherby’s story, Snowbound with the Scoundrel, in November 2024!

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More titles releasing in July

Rogue Wallflower: Lady Be Vengeful (Revenge of the Wallflowers Book 18) by Dawn Brower

Rogue Wallflower: Lady Be Vengeful (Revenge of the Wallflowers Book 18) Kindle Edition
by Dawn Brower

Lady Victoria Spencer has loved one man her entire life. Of course he never notices her. Why should he? She’s a wallflower and no one pays the unwanted ladies much mind. Had she been a bit plump? Yes. Now that she no longer is, she has a plan. She’s going to become a rogue wallflower, and only one man will do as her first lover.
David Brooks, Earl of Foxcroft had led a charmed life. Right up until his father died and he was forced to take responsibility for his family and the estate. His father had run the coffers nearly empty and it had been up to him to restore their fortune. He could have married an heiress, but felt that was a cowardly way out. Instead he focused on rebuilding his fortune. Now that he feels secure enough with his family’s status he has decided to take a wife. Only one woman will do, but now that he can claim her, she would rather take a lover, not a husband.
All Victoria needs is a gentleman well versed in everything roguish to give her those lessons. David seizes upon the opportunity. He is more than willing to use her curiosity to his advantage. As long as in the end, he’s the only rogue she wields her newfound skills on.

Shop now: https://books2read.com/u/3nBWx8

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More titles releasing in July

The Wallflower Trap by BW Haggart with Excerpt #ReleaseDay #RevengeoftheWallflowers

The Wallflower Trap by BW Haggart

Lady Mimolette Lindsey harbors a secret which leads her to refuse any requests for a dance. This isn’t because her late father, the Earl of Bathmorris, named all his children after cheeses. It isn’t because he spent his fortune on fake Aphrodite antiquities, threatening financial ruin. It isn’t that this brands the Lindseys as socially undesirable. Her secret simply makes it even more difficult to find husbands for her younger sisters, Treccia and Ovolina. Like the Lindsey sisters, any number of hopefuls attend the Season’s events. Any number are labeled wallflowers, rarely asked to dance, with little opportunity for romance.

Refusing to be crushed by the ton’s disdain, Mimolette devises a shrewd plan, organizing the christened wallflowers, crafting the needed conditions for them to garner dances, and perhaps find husbands. Revenge for the passing snubs of coxcombs and bucks also figures into her scheme. Her stratagems are working too, until an arrogant Major Tremaine decides, as a lark, to insert himself into their “game.” Or does he mean to spoil it altogether?

Nine years of bloody war are over, leaving Major Lord John Tremaine with nightmares and at loose ends. Entertainment and carousing prove the most convenient opportunities for forgetting the war. Crashing one of the first balls of the season, he notices a mysterious beauty in white sitting among a gaggle of nature’s unfortunates and asks for an introduction. His friends refuse, claiming Lady Lindsey is dangerous. Any introduction or even proximity invariably leads to dancing with one or more of the ‘plain janes’ gathered about the lady. The warnings only pique Tremaine’s curiosity, the most intriguing sport he’s come across since returning home. He fenagles an introduction, though he must bribe his best friend to approach the lady. He grins, anticipating the fun he will have uncovering this incognita’s machinations.

Shop Now –  Amazon – Release June 26

Available at other vendors June 25

Barnes and Noble – Kobo – Apple Books 

Shop the Series – https://books.bookfunnel.com/revenge_of_the_wallflowers/7x4ng9tv7t

The Wallflower Trap Excerpt
“Who is that captivating vision?”
Jack Tremaine studied the intriguing lady sitting on the far side of the massive ballroom. A shining light in pure white among the multi-colored crush of guests. The dark-haired exotic reposed among a gaggle of drab chits which made her gleam all the brighter. He stood admiring her straight, lithe form, while he leaned a hip against the refreshment table. The flocks of well-bred fashionables milling between them only awarded him brief glimpses of the lady.
He had been catching up with an old university chum, the Honorable Reggie Ramsbottom. They hadn’t seen each other since Jack had gone off to war. He was grateful for the unexpected reunion because he didn’t know anyone here and needed a primer on current affairs among the Ten Thousand. As at Oxford, Reggie proved a font of such intelligence.
“Eh, wot?” Reggie squinted, looking in the direction Jack discreetly indicated and jerked erect. “Her? Oh, no, no, no. You, sir, need to avoid that woman at all costs.
She’s dangerous.”
“Pardon?” Jack grinned, astonished by Reggie’s alarm, the man’s Adam’s apple bobbing animatedly. “Come now, in a ballroom? Is she harboring knives or possessing a wicked upper cut? She looks perfectly harmless. Who is she?”
“Harmless? Ha! She’s the devil’s snare, an absolute bonnet.” Reggie gulped down his rum punch and went about obtaining more. “That is Lady Mimolette Lindsey. Two of the nature’s unfortunates sitting with her are her sisters, Treccia and Ovolina.”
Jack frowned and cocked his head, not sure he’d heard aright. “Those are the names of French and Italian cheeses.” Reggie nodded. “In truth?”
“Their father, the Earl of Bathmorris was a mad eccentric. The man had an obsession for cheese and marbles of Aphrodite. Nearly paupered the family buying both in great quantities. Absurd, I know.”
Jack shook his head, intrigued. “The man must have been dighted.”
“Without a doubt an addled pate. The youngest of the four, his only son and heir, Edam, is off at Eton.
Jack eyed Lady Mimolette, her dark hair close about her head, her elfin features an enjoyable study. She seemed contemplative, letting other women talk. “So, Reggie, how can such a siren be hazardous?”
“How? She always turns down any invitation to dance, but somehow, constantly contrives to foist off one of the present gaggle of wallflowers on unsuspecting gentleman.”
“She doesn’t dance?”
“Refuses to. I’ve never seen her on a dance floor this fortnight.”
“Ah, sort of a bait and switch.”
“That’s not the half of it. I have ended my attempts to dance with any of the choice belles. By some dark sorcery, once introduced, I find myself dancing with one of those creatures surrounding the desired beauty. Just tonight, like a fool, I have suffered through three sets of country dances with these frumpish drabs while attempting to be introduced to some of this evening’s diamonds.”
Fascinated, Jack considered Reggie. At Oxford, he had been judged a complete Tony. A cawker always welcomed at evening card games. Perhaps he’d been snookered again. “Other gentlemen too?” With a nod. “You’re serious?”
“Damn twig I am.” Reggie poured another glass of punch, siphoning mostly rum.
“Once introduced to those, those wallflowers, no one can be rid of them.” He took a healthy swig from his glass. “I’ve been to several assemblies and celebrations in the two weeks past, and whenever that—,” he waved his punch glass in Lady Lindsey’s direction,
spilling some, “—person is in attendance, I end up dancing with nothing but Cheiranthus cheiri torments.”
Jack smiled. If there was one thing he cherished in this world, it remained a challenging intrigue, or was it an intriguing challenge? He chuckled to himself at his nonsense. She proved the first really stimulating curiosity to present itself in more than a month. Occupying Paris had quickly turned tedious . Returning to England and traveling to London without encountering the slightest opposition, no Frenchmen, no
highwaymen, no tavern bullies, or even naval officers, proved just as boring. This celebration threatened to be more of the usual dull conventions.
He acknowledged his sad, hurly-burly need for excitement and the novel. Provided by the bucketful on campaign in foreign lands, here entrenched in English Society, it remained considerably less so. Unfortunately, weaned on war and battle, exhilaration and challenge remained a drug he craved. He dreaded this peace so dearly won against Napoleon.
Studying Lady Lindsey, he made one of those quick, energetic decisions so valued among cavalry officers.
“Reggie, introduce me to the lady.”
Shivering, he declared, “Absolutely not. I am not approaching that witch again.”
Jack scrunched up his face in surprise, but seeing his companion so resolute, he glanced around for others he might know. Reggie cut in.
“Don’t bother, old boy. You won’t find any men willing to introduce you to that sorceress. Other females seem to be of two camps, unwilling or in league with Lady Lindsey, and deuce it, I can’t ferret out which is which beforehand. It’s a dem conspiracy, I tell you.”
Just then, a prime example of an incomparable beauty gracefully strode over to talk to Lady Lindsey as the music began for the next set. Lady Lindsey’s greeting smile enchanted him. A man would brave dragons to win that smile.
What proved to be the most amazing thing was the herd of coxcombs following after the beauty. They blew away like leaves in an Autumn breeze as she closed on Lady Lindsey and company. He grinned as the men played least in sight, hiding among the well-dressed multitudes while the women happily chatted. A magnificent cut circumbendius, dodging the horde without a word. She had used the Lady Lindsey to
shed unwanted suitors. Brilliant, absolutely brilliant. This evidenced an unusually deep scheme. Blazes, Lady Lindsey seriously piqued his interest.

More titles coming this June

MY GANGSTER FATHER AND ME! by Marcia Rosen

MY GANGSTER FATHER AND ME!

Marcia Rosen

GENRE:  Memoir

BLURB:

Happy Fathers Day.
Our history and experiences can define us, inspire our actions and as writers impact our words and stories.  Mine most definitely has. My father was a gangster. Really!

This is my story about my relationship with my father and how his profession affected me and my life, “He called me Sugar Plum. Both a blessing and a burden, I learned interesting lessons from my father: about generosity and determination, taking risks, and certainly finding the willingness to live life as an adventure.”

E xcerpt

You can command respect by your actions and deeds. You most certainly can’t demand love. I’m pretty sure my father never really felt loved by his family or by my mother, except perhaps briefly when they were dating and first married.

My father showed me by example the importance of helping someone who is homeless and hungry. He often bought a meal for those in need. I watched him do those things. One time, I was walking with him on Main Street in downtown Buffalo, past the five and dime store. A man, who looked like he was around fifty, asked for money. My father said, “Let’s go inside and I’ll buy you something to eat.” I can still picture us going inside to buy him a meal.

I grew up learning to be tolerant, yet at times he was intolerant. He taught me to believe in the necessity of fairness and justice, yet he himself did not always demonstrate those traits. He taught me to respect others, yet from my point of view he showed a lack of respect for some people. I believe he was a racist and told him so. His own history figured largely in his feelings and way of thinking.

My father’s attitude towards Black people had its source when he was in his early twenties. He and my grandfather had a small, thriving business providing farm-grown produce to some of the larger grocery chains in the city. Several times a week, leaving well before dawn, they would drive outside of the city to buy fruits and vegetables, often returning after dark.

Tired and in need of some rest, a young Black man who worked for them took over the driving. He too must have been tired and fell asleep at the wheel. There was a serious accident killing my grandfather and sending my father to the hospital for several months. He was lucky to have survived, as was the driver. My dad was not told about his father until the doctors were sure about his recovery. He spent the rest of his life taking a small white pill each day to stop him from shaking; he had nerve damage from the accident. He rarely spoke about it. Yet it affected his entire life.

We strongly disagreed about his being a racist. He would always say, “I’m not racist.” I think he was. When I became very friendly with the daughter of a Black family who moved in next door to us, we moved. As a teenager, when my African American boss drove me home from work one day, my father had a fit. “What if someone sees you? What will they think?” It was the 1950s and people thought all sorts of illogical and irrational things.

There was more of this type of attitude and comments from both my father and mother. I was not at all happy with them, and they were not too pleased with me. This was a frequent topic of controversy between us.

For me, like many others in this country, I cried tears of hope on November 4, 2008, when it was announced an African American was elected President of the United States of America. Tears were on my cheeks, as they were on thousands of others: leaders and everyday Americans, white and Black. We voted and sent an important message. Not everyone heard it, but on that day reasonable voices prevailed.

AUTHOR Bio and Links

Marcia Rosen is an award-winning author of twelve books including nine mysteries, the most recent is An Agatha, Raymond, Sherlock, and Me Mystery: Murder at the Zoo. She is also the author of The Senior Sleuths, the Dying to Be Beautiful Mystery Series, and The Gourmet Gangster: Mysteries and Menus (Menus by her son Jory Rosen). She wrote The Woman’s Business Therapist and My Memoir Workbook and has given Memoir Writing presentations and classes for close to twenty years. Her Memoir Blog can be found on her website. For twenty-five years she was owner of a successful national marketing and public relations agency.

Marcia has frequently been a featured speaker at organization meetings, bookstores, libraries, and Zoom Programs presenting talks on Encouraging the Writer Within You, Marketing for Authors, Writing Mysteries…Not A Mystery and A Memoir Detective…Writing Your Life Story. She has also helped numerous writers develop and market their books.

She is a member of Sisters in Crime, Southwest Writers, New Mexico Book Association, Public Safety Writer’s Association, International Memoir Writer’s Association, Women’s National book Association and National Association of Independent Writers and Editors—for which she is also a board member.

www.MarciaRosen.com

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A Scoundrel’s Secret by Jane Charles Release day with excerpt #revengeofthewallflowers

A Scoundrel’s Secret by Jane Charles

Miss Carina Leonelli had once been the pampered daughter of an Italian barone. All that came to an end when her father fell into bankruptcy, lost everything, and then suffered a violent death. With no home to return to, she became the companion of her dearest friend and found her place among the wallflowers.

Mr. Felix Knight had wanted a simple life and one that did not include his grandfather. He found that when he took the position as the coachman for a marquess. His situation further improved when his employer brought home a wife and her sweet companion.

He hopes to win Carina’s heart, but will he be able to keep it when she learns the truth?

Excerpt

“Tell me, Carina, do I have even a chance to court you.” Knight leaned close. “You did kiss me once. A memory that stayed with me as I lingered in my bed eager to recover so that I might see you again.”

“I kissed you because you asked and only because I thought you were dying,” she reminded him again.

“Must I be fatally wounded to taste your lips a second time?”

“Your honeyed words will not sway me when I know that they are spoken from the lips of a rogue.”

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More titles coming this June

 

Tayvie’s Story by Mim Eichmann with excerpt and giveaway

TAYVIE’S STORY

By Mim Eichmann

GENRE:  Historical Fiction

BLURB:

Chicago, IL – December 1923

Terrified, racing from an irate shopkeeper who has accused her of stealing, her comatose mother sprawled in a dark hallway, four-year-old Tayvie Jackson falls asleep while hiding in a car. Hours later, Tayvie, who understands almost no English, awakens many miles from a home she barely knew. Forced to live with deceitful relatives during the Depression in the Jim Crow south, Tayvie and her adopted mother later escape, hoping to build on Tayvie’s fledging career as a jazz singer.

In 1938, Tayvie innocently signs a six-month contract to appear at the Moulin Rouge in Paris. Almost immediately distorted allegations erupt surrounding her involvement with the historically devastating Kristallnacht, the propaganda broadcasts called Charlie and His Orchestra, and the elite Nazi playgrounds in Berlin and Paris, all of which force her into a demoralizing relationship with a strategic member of Hitler’s most despised inner clique, Dr. Joseph Goebbels.

The extraordinary coming-of-age saga of a talented, young, biracial jazz singer, who perfects her craft on two continents during the volatile 1930’s and ’40s despite appalling circumstances.

Excerpt

But it’s a beautiful place … nothing like this awful cold place where Maman brought me a few months ago on the dark train! This awful place where almost no one understands my words. This place where the man who has been living here with us — the man who was bringing us the food — has now been gone for many, many days. The man I was told to call Papa and when he made me cry one afternoon, hugged me and then took me to a store filled with toys and bought me a bright green parrot with real feathers. The man who yelled at Maman and maybe hit her hard and maybe knocked her down. Again. I don’t really know this, but I think it might have happened. Maybe.

Maman’s friends down in the warm place called Vieux Carré that’s my real home said they thought this might be happening. They thought that the man I was told to call Papa was maybe hitting her hard sometimes. But there have been other men in our apartment too. There’s been a lot of shouting by Maman with these other men too. They all talk in English, so I understand almost nothing that is said. Maybe it’s been one of these other men hitting Maman. I don’t know. I’ve never seen any of them hitting her at all. I’ve only seen her lying on the ground like she is right now. But she’s always gotten up. Always.

But not this time.

AUTHOR Bio and Links:

A graduate from the Jordan College of Music at Butler University in Indianapolis, IN, Mim Eichmann has found that her creative journey has taken her down many exciting, interwoven pathways. For well over two decades, she was primarily known in the Chicago area as the artistic director/choreographer for Midwest Ballet Theatre, bringing full-length professional ballet performances to thousands of dance lovers annually. A desire to become involved again in the folk music world brought about the creation of her acoustic quartet Trillium, now in its 19 th year, which performs throughout the Midwest and has released four cds. Among other varied music avenues, she’s recorded two award-winning original children’s cds and an album of early jazz vocals. Her debut historical fiction novel A Sparrow Alone was published by Living Springs Publishers in April 2020 and was a semi-finalist in the 2020 Illinois Library Association’s Soon-to-be-Famous Project Competition. The highly anticipated sequel, Muskrat Ramble, was published by LSP in March 2021. Both books are bestsellers. Her historical thriller Whatever Happened to Cathy Martin was published in August 2022.

Website: http://www.mimeichmann.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/EichmannMim

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A Wallflower’s Midsummer Night’s Caper by Alina K. Field #revengeofthewallflowers

A Wallflower’s Midsummer Night’s Caper by Alina K. Field

A Midsummer Night’s masquerade at her family’s country home presents the Honorable Nancy Lovelace with the perfect opportunity for revenge against the man who ruined her first London season—a man she’s known since childhood, a man she’d once thought she loved.
Simon Crayding’s newly inherited properties are in disarray, and, thanks to his bad behavior, he’s no longer known to society as Captain Crayding but as the Swilling Duke. When an old school chum invites him for a Midsummer Night’s party, he jumps at the chance to lick his wounds among friends… as well as apologize to his friend’s sister, Nancy, because apparently, he’d done something to hurt her, he just didn’t remember what.
It soon becomes clear that Nancy will not easily forgive. Never one to resist a challenge—or a beautiful woman—Simon vows to find out why. As the night unfolds and passions rise, will Simon be well and truly punished, or will Nancy be caught in her own game?

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Excerpt

Nancy lifted her skirts and tiptoed along the dark passage, willing herself to proceed in a stately manner, with her hem and her hair wreath minding their places.
She had been doing so well, so very, very well, quelling the nervousness twitching through her… Until that first step from the carriage when she’d knocked the poor footman’s wig askew.
She took a long breath and assumed the ramrod posture that was her defense against the busk in her stays—as well as all the other worries unsettling her.
The dancing would start soon, and she would so love to dance the first set.
There’d be no more tripping. No more ripped clothing. No more embarrassing awkwardness.
If only she and Mama were not virtually alone in this crowd of strangers.
Not that the ball guests were all strangers to her mother. Though Mama had been absent from London these last two years since Papa’s death, she’d kept up her correspondence with friends and acquaintances.
Mama would find someone to lead her daughter out. Someone young, Nancy hoped, but not too fashionable. Not eager to wed, because she wasn’t at all ready to spend hours drinking tea or being driven in the park. She could drink tea and go for drives at home, and there were far too many interesting museums and theaters in London to waste time on mere courting. Her friend from school, Sally Simpkins, was in London as well, though Mama had advised restraint about socializing with the daughter of a Drury Lane actress, never mind that the woman was considered respectable.
It had seemed a trifle unfair. Sally was as much a lady as any of the ton, and she’d know exactly how to act with the crowd gathered here, no matter how high the title.
Oh, for a familiar dance partner. Her brother, George, wouldn’t mind if she stepped on his toes; her brother, Fitz, would laugh if she made a wrong turn. The same was true for Rupert and Selwyn.
Or… what about Simon?
Thoughts of him sent emotions spiraling in her, longing twining with annoyance, and strands of hurt and embarrassment befuddling her, so that when she turned a corner, she stumbled against a large body with a startled squeak.
“Here now. What’s this?”
Powerful hands matched the deep masculine voice and set her back, steadying her. She looked up, astonished, and her heart swelled and threatened to burst. All the mixed emotions evaporated, and joy flooded her. Dark hair spilled over one blue-gray eye and the full lips pursed together in a frown.
He’d come for her. Simon Clayding—Duke of Something now, but he would always be Simon to her—Simon was here.
“It’s you,” she said. “I’m so s-sorry. I’m as clumsy as ever. B-but… you’re here?”
Perhaps he would dance with her. Perhaps she should ask him.
“’Course I’m here.” He blinked, as though trying to focus. “Question is, why are you here looking like a fresh young thing ready for your come-out?”
“S-Simon?”
“Simon?” He muttered a foul profanity she’d heard only on the rarest of occasions spilling from one of her brothers’ mouths. “Demmed Percy told you my Christian name, I suppose, and sent you along. One of his pranks. Well, madam, you’re a pretty thing, and I mean you no offense, but I’m not going to be sidetracked tonight. I’m not interested.”
A wave of misery stilled her tongue and drove the breath from her. She’d loved Simon Clayding since her brother George brought him home from school that first holiday fifteen years ago when she’d been not much more than a baby.
In the dim light of a wall sconce, his gaze darkened and held hers, despite his proclaimed lack of interest.
Perhaps… Simon hadn’t seen her in nine years. He didn’t recognize her. He had her confused with someone else.
Reasoning trickled back into her senses, bringing along the strong scent of brandy.
Of course. He was completely foxed.
She licked her lips, preparing to set him straight, but as she opened her mouth, a spark lit his eyes and turned up the corners of his mouth.
And then he tugged her, pressing his lips to hers, pressing his chest to her… to her…
Breath left her in a whoosh as he angled his mouth over hers, nibbling and then entering her with his tongue, inflaming desire, demanding surrender.
She gripped his broad shoulders but instead of steadying her, their solidness sent heat spinning through her.
Simon was kissing her. Simon. The first man to kiss her. At a public ball. He cared for her. He hadn’t forgotten. He meant to mar…
“There.” He set her back as suddenly as he’d swooped down on her.
A tendril of hair fell over her cheek, the same one that a maid had just pinned.
“That’s all you’ll get from me. Go back and tell Percy we’ve had our tumble, if you will, and demand payment from him. Get you gone before one of the servants sees you and throws you out on your arse.”
He turned her around and smacked her bottom. She staggered against the wall, righted herself, and turned back ready to give him a piece of her mind.
But he’d disappeared.

Love Signals by Melanie Summers with excerpt and giveaway

Love Signals
Melanie Summers
(Love Struck Romantic Comedy, #2)
Publication date: June 6th 2024
Genres: Adult, Comedy, Contemporary, Romance

A loud-out-loud, opposites-attract, only-one-bed, revenge romantic comedy from Amazon All-Star Melanie Summers…

Allie Cammareri is about to get her revenge. It’s been twelve years coming, but she’s finally going to defeat the ex who stole her research then dumped her.

She’s in a race against him to finish the same big project, and there can only be one winner. All she needs is a few more weeks of working around the clock, and victory will be hers.

So when her boss announces she’s being pulled off the project to mentor a Hollywood A-lister who’s preparing for an upcoming movie role, Allie is devastated. She doesn’t care that it’s People’s Sexiest Man, Hudson Finch.

Allie refuses to let him get in her way, even if Hudson is the most distracting (and delicious-smelling) man on the planet. But between the close confines of her tiny office and a night stranded together in a secluded mountain cabin, her feelings for Hudson turn into something she never could’ve predicted.

She may be falling hard for him, but can Allie really find her happily ever after in his muscley arms?

*** Love Signals is an irresistibly charming, deliciously dishy, banter-filled tale about an ordinary woman and the superstar who falls for her. With a crazy cast—including a father who’s sure no one will ever be good enough for his little girl—there’s sure to be plenty of cringe-worthy moments, lots of laughs, and even a few tears. It’s a standalone rom-com with a few tablespoons of extra spice than a regular Melanie Summers book.***

Goodreads / Amazon

—

EXCERPT:

I stare at myself in the mirror. I’m brushing my teeth with some sort of magical brush that feels like it’s a thousand tiny hands massaging my gums. The toothpaste is a ginger mint flavor that comes from an old-timey-looking silver tube that is probably made from actual silver. I’m wearing the softest, coziest striped men’s flannel p.j.’s of all time (seriously, they feel like getting a big, warm hug). The slippers are too big but the fleece lining is so incredibly soft, I want to live in them forever.

What is happening? Seriously? What? How?

I’m getting a glimpse into what it’s like to be rich and famous. Well, rich, anyway. Or someone with generous rich friends. But it’s not real. This isn’t my life, it’s his. It’ll never be my life. I’m Allegra Cammareri, nerd, scientist, loving daughter, and pushover auntie. I’m not some sexy sex goddess who men like Hudson Finch fall for. They fall for voluptuous hotties from Brazil or icy blondes with perfect skin from Sweden. Not girls like me. I wasn’t even interesting enough to keep Lando’s attention, and he’s a fellow nerd.

But it doesn’t matter because that’s not what this is, and I know it. But whatever it is, it’s incredibly fun. And a little flirty, and totally exciting, even though it’s under the world’s weirdest circumstances. I’m here to hang out with a man who I don’t want around (or so I thought) while he recovers from a poisonous spider bite.

And he’s sweet and funny and thoughtful and sexy as hell, and … and I’m going to get so badly hurt if I don’t hit the brakes on my feelings. But maybe, just for tonight, since I’m here anyway, I could just let myself enjoy being with him. As a friend.

Yes, that’s what we are. Friends. New ones. Who flirt with each other while one of us is drugged. And really, I’m only flirting with him to distract him from his situation, which, when you think about it, is an act of service. So, in a way, I have to keep flirting with him. It’s what Jesus would do. But as soon as we’re back at the office however, it’ll be all business. But for now … fun.

Author Bio:

Melanie Summers also writes steamy romance as MJ Summers.

Melanie made a name for herself with her debut novel, Break in Two, a contemporary romance that cracked the Top 10 Paid on Amazon in both the UK and Canada, and the top 50 Paid in the USA. Her highly acclaimed Full Hearts Series was picked up by both Piatkus Entice (a division of Hachette UK) and HarperCollins Canada. Her first three books have been translated into Czech and Slovak by EuroMedia. Since 2013, she has written and published three novellas, and eight novels (of which seven have been published). She has sold over a quarter of a million books around the globe.

In her previous life (i.e. before having children), Melanie got her Bachelor of Science from the University of Alberta, then went on to work in the soul-sucking customer service industry for a large cellular network provider that shall remain nameless (unless you write her personally – then she’ll dish). On her days off, she took courses and studied to become a Chartered Mediator. That designation landed her a job at the R.C.M.P. as the Alternative Dispute Resolution Coordinator for ‘K’ Division. Having had enough of mediating arguments between gun-toting police officers, she decided it was much safer to have children so she could continue her study of conflict in a weapon-free environment (and one which doesn’t require makeup and/or nylons).

Melanie resides in Edmonton with her husband, three young children, and their adorable but neurotic one-eyed dog. When she’s not writing novels, Melanie loves reading (obviously), snuggling up on the couch with her family for movie night (which would not be complete without lots of popcorn and milkshakes), and long walks in the woods near her house. She also spends a lot more time thinking about doing yoga than actually doing yoga, which is why most of her photos are taken ‘from above’. She also loves shutting down restaurants with her girlfriends. Well, not literally shutting them down, like calling the health inspector or something–more like just staying until they turn the lights off.

She is represented by Suzanne Brandreth of The Cooke Agency International.

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THE BIG COMB OVER by J.P. Rieger with excerpt and giveaway

THE BIG COMB OVER

J.P. Rieger

GENRE:  Family satire; Farce; Magical realism

BLURB:

Three nephews and three eccentric uncles.

It’s 2050 and Robbie Elders has all but forgotten about his oddball, religious fanatic uncle, tim tim. He’s taken up the latest fad, genealogical research based solely on DNA. But Robbie’s “inconclusive” DNA results are unsettling. He crashes back to his childhood, back to his world of comic books and tim tim.

“I opt for posh and London” declares Lady Florence Stour. It’s 2019 and time for a Royal Wedding. Robbie’s uncle, Stef, is engaged to Lady Florence, a distant member of the British royal family. Stef’s Baltimore clan have been invited, but Robbie’s mom and dad can’t attend. They’ve entrusted Robbie and big brother, Doyle, to their mom’s two eccentric brothers, uncles Roy and Roland. Roy, a weathered waterman with a severe Baltimore accent, lives for Maryland blue crabs. Roland, a mildly hypochondriacal actor, lives to survive the Karens he unavoidably encounters. And then there’s Desales, Roy’s smart aleck, teenage son. He lives to prank. They’ve descended upon London. What could possibly go wrong?

Meanwhile, tim tim has been coaching Robbie on “the mission.” A silly religious fantasy according to Robbie’s atheist parents and the therapists. Or perhaps not? Things are not always as they appear in The Big Comb Over.

Excerpt:

“Thanks, bud! So, how has your travel thing worked out? You had said you were doing, like, covered bridge destinations?”

“Well, yes. I started with that because, you know, a lot of people really connect with covered bridges. There’s a peacefulness.  A return to simpler times and virtues. A lot of people like that.”

“Sounds nice.”

“But I’m not the only agent with that idea. There are actually a lot of travel consultants doing covered bridges. Old railroad lines are also big these days. Anyway, I upped the ante. I’m now working in acoustic sound barriers.”

Chris saw Roland’s puzzled look.

“Okay. So, it’s interesting. You know you drive along the Beltway or other highways and see they’ve put up all those sound barrier walls, right? That way it’s not so noisy for the people in their houses. The walls are all prefabricated and look about the same. But I noticed, every now and then, they stick a door in one. I always wondered why. I learned that it’s so that the highway people can get access for maintenance or to get to fire hydrants or what have you.”

“Yes?”

“So, I had been curious about that and thought, ‘You know, if I’m curious about that, other people will be too.’”

“Okay.”

“So, I surveilled various sound walls throughout the state—mostly around Baltimore—and made a list of the most interesting ones with doors. Some of them have been around like twenty years, so they have, like, a highway patina. A lot of them have plants and vines growing around them, randomly, but sometimes in very beautiful ways. So I reached out to some of the folks whose homes are affected to get a tour, as it were. The coolest thing is the ‘before and after.’ You know, you listen first with the door open. At peak times the noise is unbelievable. But once you close that door, there is an immediate calm. Much more peaceful. Very Zen. And like I said, the naturally occurring flora and fauna are quite amazing. Besides the plants, there were things like rodents and birds nesting near the doors. Some right on the walls above the doors. You could tell because of all the droppings.”

Roland blinked twice.

AUTHOR Bio and Links:

Paul (J.P.) Rieger is a born and bred Baltimorean and mostly retired Maryland attorney. As such, he’s well acquainted with the quirkiness and charm of Baltimore’s unique citizens. He’s author of Clonk!, a police farce set in Baltimore and published in 2023 by Apprentice House Press (Loyola University-Baltimore). He’s also author of The Case Files of Roderick Misely, Consultant, a mystery novel featuring a wannabe lawyer anti-hero. The Big Comb Over, a slipstream comedy of manners featuring three nephews and their three eccentric uncles, is Paul’s third novel. Paul is married and lives in Towson, Maryland.

Website: http://www.jpaulrieger.net

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Need You Now by Maria K. Alexander with an excerpt and giveaway

Need You Now
Maria K. Alexander
(A Pelican Bay Novella)
Publication date: June 2nd 2024
Genres: Adult, Comedy, Contemporary, Romance

Can two lost souls reunite in time to save her shop and their hearts?

Abby O’Connell returned to Pelican Bay to start a new chapter of her life. With the revitalization of the hurricane-ravaged beach town, it’s a perfect time to open the bath and body product shop she’s always dreamed of. But with her place looking more like a construction zone, the risk of not being ready for opening day is high. Just when she thinks things can’t get worse, she takes a fall on the beach, only to be rescued by her sexy surfer ex.

Connor Maguire was always the party guy. In recovery from a substance abuse disorder, he’s gotten his act together and now is a partner in a home improvement business and co-host of a reality TV show. Surfing has always been a way to escape his worries while becoming one with the waves. When he witnesses a woman fall on the beach, the last person he expects is the girl whose heart he broke ten years ago.

With a week until the grand opening of her shop, can he use his renovation skills to bring her shop and their hearts to life without risking his hard-earned recovery?

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EXCERPT:

She quickly dressed in running shorts, a tank top, and sneakers. After grabbing a bottle of water, she went downstairs and let herself out the rear entrance, refusing to walk through the store and the reminder of all that needed to be done.

There’d be time to freak about work later. Now she needed to clear her head.

The benefit of living above her storefront was its prime location along the boardwalk, only a few steps away from the beach. Abby veered left and jogged along the water, pacing herself. She did a circuit around the lighthouse before turning and heading past where she started and the newly renovated amusement pier.

The sun had peeked past the horizon and was slowly making its way into a new day. Watching the sun rise over the Atlantic was one thing she’d missed most after leaving Pelican Bay nine years ago, a year after Hurricane Samantha hit and wrecked the small New Jersey barrier island. In the months since she’d returned, Abby had made a point of watching it rise every day. Each sunrise looked different and brought her a joy she’d experienced nowhere else.

Usually, she had this part of the beach to herself, but she caught the outline of someone in the water.

A surfer.

Her heart lurched as she got closer.

Could it be…

It was hard to be sure from the distance, but once he rose on the board and got into position, Abby recognized the form…the body…the man.

Connor Maguire.

After riding the wave in, he grabbed the board and paddled out even further. He straddled the board with his back to the shoreline, like a god calling to the waves. Then, with the ease and swiftness of the boy she remembered, he turned and paddled toward shore, rising at the perfect moment to get the lift and rush he needed to propel him forward.

Abby continued to run, mesmerized by his form, by the way his hair and body looked against the backdrop of the rising sun. The damn man was as beautiful as ever.

Despite the magnetic pull, she had every intention of running past him.

If only she had been watching where she was going.

When she stepped on something in the sand that caused her ankle to turn, all she could do was cry out as her knee buckled, and she started to fall.

Author Bio:

Maria K. Alexander is an award-winning contemporary romance author. She writes about strong women, who are fearless in pursuit of their ambitions. Her stories have strong connections with family and friends, both important parts of her life. When not writing, she loves to read, bake, crochet, bike, visit the beach, and watch romantic comedies. She has two adult children and is a semi-empty nester. She lives in New Jersey with her husband and juggles a full-time job, while dreaming of writing full time by the Jersey shore.
You can keep in touch with Maria at: http://mariakalexander.com and https://linktr.ee/mariakalexander

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