Aubrey Wynne's Blog, page 15
March 27, 2024
New release – The Model’s Last Pose by Nancy Pennick with an excerpt and giveaway
The Model’s Last Pose
Nancy Pennick
(The Pearl Hotel Cozy Mystery Series, #1)
Publication date: March 26th 2024
Genres: Adult, Cozy Mystery
In a cozy tearoom of a prestigious five-star hotel, three friends embark on a mission to solve a murder along with a koi that appears to read minds.
Faced with a severe case of writer’s block, best-selling author Serena Tate seeks help from her close confidant, Mia, a popular fashion designer. Mia suggests that Serena observe the inner workings of her forthcoming fashion show for inspiration. What unfolds is beyond her wildest expectations—a shocking murder of a supermodel. Together with their tech-savvy friend, Lily, the unlikely trio embarks on a mission to uncover the truth.
—
EXCERPT:
Two koi swam away, but a majestic red one with white fins and tail stayed. “Oh, I see how it is. They’re loyal to Nina. But you?” Serena pointed to the fish. “Have sympathy for everyone.” She threw her head back and blew air through her lips. “Where do I begin?”
When Serena looked at the pond again, the koi hadn’t budged. “I loved him, you know. Madly. Passionately.” She stared at the fish. “Who am I talking about, you ask? My ex-husband, Justice Tate. He was a bad boy, and I loved bad boys. He owned a motorcycle, and we’d go on day trips, seeing parts of the state I’d never seen before. We had fun together, so much fun. When he asked me to marry him, I think I fainted. Not literally. But in my mind, I did.”
The koi’s mouth formed in the shape of an “O”. He, because Serena decided it must be a male, seemed interested in the story. “You want to hear the rest? It gets uglier. Sadder. I can’t really label it.”
Other fish swam by, distracting the red and white koi. He turned away but reappeared after a dip underwater. “What do you like to eat?” Serena asked. “Next time I’ll come prepared.”
The fish seemed to like her statement. Serena swore he nodded. They sat in silence for a moment, and she decided he was waiting to hear more of her sad tale.
“Okay,” Serena finally said. “Fine. I’ll tell you. We were young when we got married. Twenty-one, to be exact. We had two great years together, then I got pregnant with twins. Girls. Justice wanted to name the girls Jade and Jewel like the shiny, precious gems they were, and so we did. At first, everything was fine. Justice was the typical doting dad. But they cramped his style. We couldn’t take off at a moment’s notice with a double stroller. That didn’t fit on the back of a motorcycle. We needed a practical car. I encouraged Justice to choose whatever he wanted so he’d feel invested. Once the girls started school, I thought things would get better.” She paused and shook her head. “Nope.” She put emphasis on the ‘p’. “They got worse.”
Author Bio:
Nancy Pennick grew up and still lives in Northeast Ohio. After a career in teaching, she began writing young adult and romance books. The Waiting for Dusk series includes a historical fiction prequel, Broken Dreams. The sci-fi romance series about time travel has three books-Waiting for Dusk, Call of the Canyon and Stealing Time. The Swedish influences in the series come from her mother whose parents emigrated from Sweden.
Her second YA series-Twenty Nine-had slowly developed over time. One Leap Year, an idea came to her and she created the characters and story based on that special day, February 29.
Nancy has branched out into historical romance with her Clan MacLaren series and romantic suspense, The Secret Billionaire Society and Billionaire’s Bride series.
Nancy is married and has one son who helps her when she’s challenged by tech, which may be more often than he likes!
Website / Facebook / Twitter / Instagram / Newsletter
GIVEAWAY!
a Rafflecopter giveaway
—
March 26, 2024
An excerpt from new release The Willful Wallflower by Meredith Bond #newrelease #revengeofthewallflowers
The Willful Wallflower: A Zodiac Regency Romance
by Meredith Bond
Heat level: Sweet Romance
A sweet, tender, romance with a touch of humor by USA Today Best Selling Author, Meredith Bond.
At the tender age of fifteen, Emilie Pelham fell for a handsome older man of eighteen who kissed her and then never wrote or sought out her company again. Five years later, Emilie is a happy wallflower who wants nothing to do with men—and especially not one in particular, now the Marquess of Willingham. And yet that is precisely who the matchmaker, hired by her mother, insists is Emilie’s soulmate. Well, she would rather see the surprisingly thoughtful nobleman disgraced than marry him. She is formulating a plan to do just that for she is not one to change to her mind once it’s made up.
Gabriel, the Marquess of Willingham, was a young man ruled by his passions, but he learned his lesson. Now, he keeps a tight rein on his emotions. Since inheriting his father’s title, however, his grandmother has insisted he begin looking for a wife. He is happy to marry, just so long as no emotions are stirred. This is not good enough for Gran, though, who hires a matchmaker to find Gabriel’s soulmate. When the woman pairs him with the beautiful girl who opened his eyes to the dangers of passion, however, he annoyed when the same feelings try to overpower his newfound control.
Neither Emilie nor Gabriel are prepared, however, for the feelings they stir in each other. Neither could have foreseen that a passion sparked years ago could possibly rekindle no matter how hard they fight against. Will hearts be broken a second time or will love prevail?
In this cat and mouse game, it’s possible they both might lose—or both might win.
“Lady Preston, the matchmaker Mama hired, asked her to host a dinner last night so we could meet the man chosen for me,” Emilie told her sister.
“Oh, yes! My goodness! Mother told me about this, but I’d forgotten it was to be last night. Remind me why I wasn’t invited?” Eliza asked.
“Lady Preston asked that we keep it as small as possible,” Emilie explained. “I suppose so as to not overwhelm the gentleman.”
“Ah, I suppose that makes sense.” Eliza leaned forward. “So, how was he? Who was he?”
“You would not believe!”
Eliza widened her eyes. “Lord Easton?” her sister guessed.
“No. Try again.”
Eliza thought for a moment. “Lord Cumberland? Not Lord Humphrey, he’s already married,” she thought aloud.
“Who is the person I would least like it to be?”
“No!” Eliza exclaimed.
“Yes.”
“Not…”
“Lord Willingham,” Emilie said with a nod.
“Oh my word! What did you do?”
Emilie gave a little laugh. “Actually, I wasn’t the first one to object. Evan had that honor. He accused Lord Willingham of defiling me.”
“What?” The word came out as a breath of disbelief.
“I said he had done no such thing, but I did tell everyone assembled that he had kissed me—and then never contacted me again.” She placed her now empty teacup on the table in front of her. “You should have seen his grandmother’s expression,” she said with a chuckle.
“Lady Willingham was there?” Eliza’s eyes widened again.
Emilie nodded.
“So, will Lady Preston find another match for you?”
“No! She still thinks that Lord Willingham is my soulmate, if you can believe it!”
Eliza’s mouth fell open for a moment, but then she said back looking thoughtful. “Well, he did kiss you—and you let him.”
“It was pointed out,” Emilie reluctantly acknowledged. “But that means nothing. And besides, clearly he didn’t mean to, or wasn’t impressed after he did since he never spoke to me ever again.” She hated the look her sister gave her, as if she felt sorry for her. “Please, Eliza, it’s fine. I am very happy—now—that he never did so. He’s clearly a thoughtless, self-centered man, just like the rest of them.”
“But, Emilie…”
“No, really, I am not interested in him, or anyone. You know that!”
“Em…”
“Eliza.”
Her sister just looked at her sadly for a moment or two, then asked, “So, what are you going to do?”
“He asked me to go driving with him tomorrow. Evan said he wasn’t sure he was going to allow it,” Emilie said with a shrug.
“Do you want to go driving with him?”
“No! After what he did to me?”
“It would give you a chance to rail at him,” Eliza said with a giggle.
Emilie smiled. “But what good would it do? It’s been so many years. I’m really not interested in him anymore.”
“Are you sure you wouldn’t like to yell at him just a little? Maybe get a bit of retribution?”
Emilie straightened her head and stared at her sister. “Retribution? As in… kiss him and then never speak to him again?”
“Well, no, obviously not that,” Eliza said with a wave of her hand.
“But make him feel as bad as I felt when I never heard from him?” Emilie asked slowly, thinking about this. The idea did sound… enticing.
Eliza gave a little shrug and then shook her head. “Forget it. It’s a silly, childish idea. Go out for a drive with him. Maybe he is a nice sort, after all. I mean, you liked him enough to kiss him once.”
“Yes,” Eliza said, not really paying attention to her sister anymore. No, now she was thinking about retribution. Revenge. How could she do it? She was certain she could think of something. She gave her sister a little smile. “You know, you really are the best sister one could ever have.”
Eliza looked a little startled. “Oh, well, er, thank you?”
More titles releasing in March
Revenge of the Wallflowers
March 22, 2024
Current of Darkness by Robert Brighton with an excerpt and giveaway
Current of Darkness
Robert Brighton
Publication date: March 19th 2024
Genres: Adult, Historical, Mystery
“Unforgettable female leads power this stellar historical mystery” (BookLife Reviews) by Robert Brighton, told with “writing that is on par with the cunning of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle” (Manhattan Book Review).
A swirling tale of industrial espionage, love, and betrayal, Current of Darkness follows aspiring sleuth Sarah Payne behind the sleek, honeymoon façade of Gilded Age Niagara Falls and into a shadowy demimonde of ruthless union bosses, saboteurs, and tycoons-including the powerful, handsome, and mysterious Charles Kendall, whose intentions toward Sarah are unclear.
Meanwhile, sultry widow Alicia Miller is set on taking charge of her murdered husband’s company-only to find herself pitted against the new majority owner, who has his own ideas about women in the world of men. But cunning and captivating Alicia has ideas, too-and will stop at nothing to come out on top.
Both women will have to find the courage and resourcefulness-and set aside their own simmering feud-to survive in this “winning story of action, sabotage, cutthroat business dealings, and women daring to be something new at the dawn of the American century” (BookLife Reviews).
A captivating, page-turning, and immersive tale of industrial espionage, love, and betrayal – set against the backdrop of the glittering Gilded Age. Current of Darkness will draw readers in, and hold them under, until its final, explosive pages.
Read the Avenging Angel Detective Agency Mysteries in any order.
Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes & Noble
—
ALICIA MAKES AN OMELET
Excerpted from Current of Darkness: Desire & Deceit in the Gilded Age
A Novel by Robert Brighton
© 2024 Copper Nickel, LLC. All Rights Reserved.
When Alicia got back to the front door of Miller Envelope Company, damned if the thing wasn’t unlocked. She jerked the door open and saw none other than her Majority Owner, Howie Gaines, crossing the lobby, his foot almost to the first tread of the staircase.
“Howie!” she called, and he turned.
“Mrs. Miller,” he said. “I hope you weren’t waiting. I usually get here early.”
“We’ll talk about that in a minute,” she said. “But you need to come with me first.”
He returned to the front door. “What’s wrong?” he said.
“Follow me,” she said, crooking a finger. Together they walked along the Division Street side of the building and back to the loading dock area. The cigarette smoker was sitting on the loading dock again, smoking another cigarette. When he spied Gaines, he stubbed out his smoke and jumped down. “Mr. Gaines,” he said. “Good morning.”
“Shevlin,” Gaines said. “Good morning to you.”
“Go get those other two men who were with you just now,” Allie said to Shevlin, waving the back of her hand in his direction. He eyed her and then glanced at Gaines, who nodded. Shevlin hopped up on the loading dock, still trailing smoke, and went into the depths of the factory, and reemerged with the lanky man and the other one in tow.
“What is this all about?” Gaines asked Alicia.
“Teaching a lesson,” she said as the two men shuffled onto the dock with Shevlin. Allie looked up at them. “Who are these men?” she said to Howie, who stood by looking puzzled.
“Utz, on the left, and Kiesler. They’re two of our best delivery men.”
“Mr. Shevlin, Mr. Utz, Mr. Kiesler,” Alicia said. “We weren’t properly introduced earlier. I’m Alicia Hall Miller. Miller as in Miller Envelope. You must know it—it’s your employer.”
The three men could almost be heard to swallow audibly. The lanky man, Kiesler, who seemed to occupy a leadership role, cleared his throat. “We’re sorry, ma’am, about . . . earlier. Didn’t know who you were.”
“I see,” Alicia said. “You’re sorry, then.”
“Yes, ma’am,” Kiesler said.
“And you two? Are you sorry, as well?”
Utz and Shevlin nodded, somewhat sheepishly, mumbling assent.
“Well, good. Thank you for that,” she said. “Now, guess what else you are? In addition to ‘sorry’?”
The men looked back at her blankly.
“You’re fired,” she said. “All three of you. Right now. Go collect whatever shit you have in your lockers and get out.” She looked at her watch. “You have precisely two minutes to leave my property. If you don’t, you’ll wish you had. The chief of police owes me at least one favor.”
Gaines touched her arm. “Mrs. Miller,” he said under his breath, “a word?”
“What do you want?” she said, jerking her arm away. “These men were insufferably rude to me just a few minutes ago.”
“You can’t hire and fire people,” Howie said quietly, his face quite crimson. “You’re a minority owner. You don’t have the authority to—”
“I won’t make a habit of it, Gaines,” she said, “but I just did fire them, and fired they will remain. Now do not challenge me on this, or we’re going to have a very bad first day together.”
The three men were looking at Gaines and Alicia’s little sidebar conference. Gaines turned back to them. “You heard her,” he said. “You’re dismissed.”
The men muttered a few choice words and disappeared into the building to collect their belongings. Allie and Gaines trudged back to the front entrance.
“Those are—were—three of our best workers, you know,” he said to her as they mounted the staircase inside. “Do you know how difficult it is to replace good laborers?”
“You can’t make an omelet without breaking a few eggs,” she said. “And do you know how difficult it is to replace customers? I don’t want anyone who represents our company to treat anyone in the way I was treated. It’s simply not acceptable. They merely picked on the wrong person today, but my guess is that they’re rude to everyone. And they’re the ones driving around delivering our product? Gaines, we need pleasant, polite people meeting our customers, not surly bastards like those three. And they’re lazy. Smokers are all lazy. Every last goddamn one of them.”
“Fine, fine,” Howie said, as they stood on the upper landing, outside their office. “I don’t disagree with you, but—”
“Then don’t,” Alicia said. “Don’t say, ‘I don’t disagree with you,’ and then begin disagreeing with me. I absolutely loathethat sort of thing. It reminds me of visitors who drop by and, after a few minutes, consult their watches and say, ‘Well, I’d better let you get back to your more pressing matters,’ or some such horseshit. They’re the ones with pressing matters, and they want to blame me for it. If I have pressing matters, I say so.”
Howie seemed perplexed.
“Do you understand, Gaines? It’s a simile. I’m drawing a comparison, so that you can understand what your new business partner hates.” One corner of her mouth rippled up.
“Yes, yes, I understand.”
“Then you know what I would like to do? When you introduce me to the company today—the whole staff—I am going to emphasize that every person who works here is going to treat everyone as though he were a customer. Or she. Or they’ll be hitting the bricks, just like Shevlin and company.”
“People aren’t going to like that,” he said, working the lock of their office door and putting his hand on the doorknob.
“Isn’t that their hard luck. Oh, and by the way”—she put her hand over his on the knob—“these offices open at 7:30, sharp. Not 7:45, not between 7:35 and 7:30. We can’t expect anyone else to be punctual and attentive to their jobs if we’re not. People look at us and decide what they can get away with. We have excellent streetcars here in Buffalo, and broad sidewalks, and so there’s no cause to be late. None. Understand?”
Howie smirked at her. “You will understand, Mrs. Miller, I don’t plan to be lectured by a minority owner—”
“It’s Alicia,” she said. “Or just Miller. Like any other business partner. Not Mrs. Miller. I’m not calling you Mr. Gaines, you can depend on that.”
“As you wish, Miller,” he said. “Now may I please go into my office?”
“It’s our office, and yes, you may.”
Author Bio:
Award-winning author Robert Brighton is an authority on the Gilded Age, and a great believer that the Victorian era was anything but stuffy. In his Avenging Angel Detective Agency Mysteries, Brighton exposes the turbulence of the era – its passions, dreams, and disasters – against a backdrop of careful research on the places, sights, sounds, and smells of the time.
When he is not walking the streets in the footsteps of the Avenging Angels, sniffing out unsolved mysteries, Brighton is an adventurer. He has traveled in more than 50 countries around the world, personally throwing himself into every situation his characters will face – from underground ruins to opium dens – and (so far) living to tell about it.
A graduate of the Sorbonne, Paris, Brighton is an avid student of early 20th Century history and literature, an ardent and relentless investigator, and an admirer of Emily Dickinson and Jim Morrison. He lives in Virginia with his wife and their two cats.
Website / Goodreads / Pinterest / Instagram
GIVEAWAY!
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—
March 20, 2024
An excerpt from The Wager of a Wallflower by Linda Rae Sande #revengeofthewallflowers #steamyromance
The Wager of a Wallflower
by Linda Rae Sande
Heat Level Steamy Romance
A kiss in the gardens. A ruined reputation. A wager without a winner.
Having been caught kissing an earl’s heir in the gardens during a ball, Miss Lucy Fitzsimmons has been relegated to the company of potted palms and wallflowers at London entertainments. Despite behaving as a perfect young lady up until that fateful night, she knows time won’t lessen the stain on her reputation. She’ll rarely be asked to dance, nor does she expect to be courted by anyone, but then given the terms of the wager, she won’t need to—her brother apparently gave the rake permission to court her!
One thing is certain—when Marcus Higgins returns in two years, she intends to collect what she’s owed. They had made a wager, and she won.
Meanwhile, Marcus has disappeared from London. The second son of the late Earl of Greenley, he left on a Grand Tour the day after he accepted the terms of a wager and kissed the young woman he has secretly been in love with since they were children. Two years away from her will be torture—he can’t get her out of his mind. His only saving grace is they made a wager, and he’s quite sure he was the winner.
When he returns to British shores, a surprise for Lucy’s brother in tow, Marcus is determined to collect what he’s owed.
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“Really, darling, if you keep frowning like that, you’ll have permanent lines across your forehead,” Jane Fitzsimmons said as she waved for the footman to refill her teacup. Lucy looked up from her breakfast plate, expecting the comment had been said to her.
Instead, her mother’s attention was on her brother. “I’m not frowning, Mother. I’m reading,” Christopher countered, his gaze on that morning’s The Times. He suddenly inhaled as he leaned forward.
“Ah, here it is,” he said with some excitement. “On page six.”
“What’s that, darling?”
“A betrothal announcement.”
In the middle of chewing on a slice of toast, Lucy stopped moving her mouth and stared at her brother. She couldn’t even repeat what he’d said with her mouth full, so she was glad when her mother did it for her.
“Betrothal announcement? Whose?”
“Lucy’s, of course,” Christopher remarked. “And Mr. Marcus Higgins, current heir to the Greenley earldom. These are so rarely done, it’s quite good of the young man to have seen to its publication before he departed on his Grand Tour.”
Lucy swallowed. Hard.
“What’s this?” Jane asked, halfway out of her chair.
“Sit down, Mother,” Christopher stated. “This is welcome news. Best wishes, Sister,” he added, directing his gaze on Lucy.
“Thank you,” she replied, although she wasn’t sure an expression of gratitude was called for at the moment. They had discussed the situation, though. At length. Her brother’s immediate solution seemed well-advised and well-timed, given there was another ball scheduled for that evening. Even if only half the aristocracy read the newspaper, word would spread quickly, perhaps even as soon as this afternoon’s calls, and she would be spared further censure from the likes of Lady Pettigrew.
From where Christopher had found the ring he had given her the night before, she had no idea, but the single sapphire on a gold band was already on her finger. Although it wasn’t unheard of to be gifted a betrothal ring, she knew it was uncommon. However, after telling Christopher of the ring Frank Turnbridge had given Marianne to secure their betrothal, he had apparently decided she needed one, too.
Despite several attempts to make her mother notice the bauble—she had waved it about as she reached for the cream-pot, tapped her fingers on the table as the footman refilled her tea, and even splayed her fingers on her chest when she leaned back—Lady Reardon’s attention had been on other matters. Apparently, the cold eggs, the amount of fat in the ham, and the length of her day gown’s sleeves had all of her attention that morning.
“Well, what does it say?” Jane asked. “You must read it aloud. All of it,” she insisted.
Christopher leaned back and lifted the paper before him. He cleared his throat and recited, “Mr. Marcus Higgins, brother of Maxwell, Earl of Greenley, secured a promise of marriage from Miss Lucy Fitzsimmons prior to his departure to Rome to begin a Grand Tour. He will marry the only daughter of the late Christopher Fitzsimmons, Viscount Reardon, and sister of the current Viscount Reardon, upon his return to England. A gold ring, decorated with a sapphire of some value, has already been given to Miss Fitzsimmons as a parting gift. A wedding date has not yet been set.”
Grinning broadly, he lowered the paper to discover Jane staring at Lucy in disbelief. When her gaze finally fell on the ring, she gasped and appeared as if she was about to faint.
“Why didn’t you tell me?” she asked in dismay. She grabbed Lucy’s hand in both of hers to examine the ring.
“I thought Christopher was going to tell you,” she replied. “Since Mr. Higgins spoke with him at the ball. To gain his permission to ask for my hand.”
Her mother sighed as she shook her head. “Well, this is certainly going to be the subject of interest in all the parlors in Mayfair today, I should think,” she said with some excitement.
Despite being the subject of an article in The Times, and the probable subject of that day’s gossip over teas up and down Park Lane, Lucy found she didn’t care. Even if it meant she could attend that night’s ball without fear of reprisals—without fear of having to stand with the wallflowers all night—she decided she didn’t even care if her dance card was full. She was officially betrothed to Marcus Higgins. Even if he didn’t know it.
More titles releasing in MarchRevenge of the Wallflowers
March 19, 2024
Peers & Parasols Release Day! Grab your copy and read Poisons, Potions, and Parasols by Aubrey Wynne #lordsandladiesofstjames
A collection of five new exclusive novellas by your favorite historical romance authors all featuring Peers and Parasols.They say…
Parasols are to protect one from the sun
but for five Peers…
the fashionable accessory won’t save them from the rays of love.
Grab your copy of Peers and Parasols today and fall into the fantastic titles below:
Book 6 – Peers and Parasols
Kissed By A Scoundrel by USA Today Bestselling Author, Anna St. Claire
Poisons, Potions, ad Parasols by USA Today Bestselling Author, Aubrey Wynne
Her Fair Lady by Catherine Stein
Swindled by a Spinster by Rachel Ann Smith
The Seduction of Miss Standish by Laura Temple
Join the release parties!
HISTORICAL HARLOTS takeover – March 19th. All times are Eastern. Link to Join – https://www.facebook.com/groups/historicalharlots
2.30 – 2.40 PM Catherine Stein
2.40 – 2.50 PM Lara Temple
2.50 – 3.00 PM Rachel Ann Smith
REGENCY ROMANCE BOOK CLUB takeover – March 21st Link to Join – https://www.facebook.com/groups/regencyromancebookclub
2.30 – 2.45 PM Catherine Stein
2.45 – 3.00 PM Anna St. Claire
3.00 – 3.15 PM Rachel Ann Smith
THE TON AND THE TARTANS takeover – March 27th Link to Join https://www.facebook.com/groups/tonandtartans
2.30 – 3.00 PM Anna St. Claire
3.00 – 3.30 PM Aubrey Wynne
3.30 – 4.00 PM Rachel Ann Smith
Other Lords & Ladies of St. James series titles:
Book 1 – Lords and Lace
Book 2 – Earls and Pearls (no longer available)
Book 3 – Rakes and Reticules
Book 4 – Dukes and Diamonds
Book 5 – Gentlemen and Gloves
March 15, 2024
The Helping Heart by Annie M. Ballard with excerpt and giveaway
The Helping Heart
Annie M. Ballard
(Sisters of Stella Mare, #4)
Publication date: March 15th 2024
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Women’s Fiction
Helen comes home and everything should be wonderful. Even if she’s returning due to a divorce. But there is more…
The Madison sisters, once close, are suddenly alienated as oldest Helen returns to Stella Mare. Her desire to help everyone includes keeping them at a distance, so her own secrets stay private. Her plan backfires, making her persona non grata and upsetting her father. To keep the peace with Dad, she suggests a group activity: the four sisters will hike the Fundy Footpath, an iconic and challenging backpacking trip along the Bay of Fundy. Why not? They’re young, they’re strong, and besides, they’re Madisons.
Despite each sister’s reservations, the desire to reconnect pulls them into this adventure. The hike is arduous and not for the faint of heart. Daunting cliffs, deep forests, rushing rivers and unpredictable tides accompany the gorgeous views, stunning sunrises, and the sheer power of nature. The challenges, though shared, fracture things further, and even Helen’s campfire confession doesn’t heal the breach. But when crisis happens, Helen is called to rise to the occasion and be the sister they need her to be.
Returning to Stella Mare was hard. Regaining her place in the family was harder. Come home to Stella Mare with Helen, as she, Rett, Evie and Dorie learn once again how to be sisters.
Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes & Noble / iBooks / Kobo
—
EXCERPT:
“Time to burn some of those calories,” Helen called out. “Let’s get going.”
Evie cast her a curious gaze. “Is there something we’re hurrying for? You should let us know, Helen.”
She narrowed her eyes. “We need to get going. We’re like sitting ducks here.”
Rett laughed. “We’re nobody’s target. We started early, we already did the tidal crossings, so we are not worried about tides right now, and we have time to take a break if somebody is vomiting. Really.”
Helen shook her head and walked away toward the tree line. Where was that wolf? And why couldn’t her sisters take direction?
Annoyed, she kept gazing into the woods, though she kept an ear tuned toward the conversations behind her. Soon enough, everybody got ready to go again, and Evie called to her. “We’re all set, Helen.” She huffed a little as she headed back, chin held high.
Evie started off beside Dorie, the two easily chatting. Rett waited for Helen. “Tone it down a bit,” she advised.
“Are you bitching about me, too?” Helen snapped.
“Like that,” Rett said noncommittally. “Take it down a notch.”
“You’re so helpful,” she sniped. “Like anybody even notices me.”
“Everybody notices you.” Rett’s tone was correcting. “Especially when you’re being a royal pain in the neck. Tone it down. Nobody’s here to make a fool of you.”
Helen, shocked, took the impact of those words on her chest. Nobody’s here to make a fool of you. She had nothing to say.
Rett nudged her with an elbow. “Come on. Let’s make it a good day for a hike.”
She nodded tightly and followed.
Hiking made her brain run faster. Rett’s words rang in her memory. Nobody’s here to make a fool of you, Helen.
I don’t need anyone to do that. I’ve done it myself, more than once. A lot more than once.
Despite her tired body, her mind was super-charged as thoughts, memories and feelings flooded her. She couldn’t outrace them, and even the challenging terrain didn’t distract her, though after a series of switchbacks, landing at the brook felt like an accomplishment. Or at least a break from her thoughts.
Author Bio:
Annie M. Ballard writes about women and family ties in the small villages that feel like home. With one foot in the Canadian Maritimes and the other in New England, she digs deep into the lives of her characters. When she’s not writing, she’s happily baking, gardening, powerlifting and trying to make friends with every dog in her neighbourhood.
Annie’s stories include strong women living real lives, good men trying to do better, and always a happy ending.
Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Instagram / Bookbub
GIVEAWAY!
a Rafflecopter giveaway
—
March 13, 2024
PICASSO’S LOVERS by Jeanne Mackin with excerpt and giveaway
This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Jeanne Mackin will award a randomly drawn winner a $25 Amazon/BN GC. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.
You know Pablo Picasso. Now meet the women behind the masterpieces. The women of Picasso’s life are glamorous and elusive, existing in the shadow of his fame – until, in the 1950’s, aspiring journalist Alana Olsen determines to bring one into the light and discovers a past complicated by secrets and intrique.
Read an Excerpt
Gazes from Pablo Picasso are like brushstrokes. Some are long, lingering, full of texture and pigment. Some are short, shallow, even accidental. His gaze on me now falls somewhere between the two.
Once, his gaze would have found enough for an entire painting. He would have seen flesh, and the bone and muscle under the flesh, the question or certainty of the eyes. He would have seen past, present, and future and painted them in a way that made time irrelevant.
Yes, that was how he pained me. Everything and at once, all the angles and geometry of the body, and he made of me something eternal and always beautiful. That is what an artists can do for a woman. When most men looked at me, all I saw in their faces was desire, the urge to possess. When Pablo looked at me, his face filled with wonder waiting to be translated to lines and brushstrokes.
Spring. The second year of the Great War. I wasn’t twenty yet, and had returned from cold, starving Moscow, where a loaf of bread coast as much as a silk dress…Back to Paris for me!
When Pablo first saw me, I was sitting on the rim of the Wallace Fountain in Place Emile, face turned up to the sun like a basking cat, enjoying the fine day and wondering what adventure I might find…It was early summer. I had stolen a bunch of cherries at Les Halles and a roll, but my stomach rattled.
About the Author:
Jeanne Mackin is the author of several historical novels, including The Last Collection, which has been translated into five languages, and The Beautiful American, which won a CNY award for fiction. She has taught in the MFA Creative Writing program at Goddard College and won journalism awards, and is currently at work on her next novel.Website: http://www.jeannemackin.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JeanneMackinAuthor
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/JeanneMackin1
Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/JeanneMackinAuthor
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Picassos-Lover...
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March 12, 2024
Never Cross a Wallflower by Sydney Jane Bailey #revengeofthewallflowers #steamyromance
Never Cross A Wallflower (Revenge of the Wallflowers Book 2)
by Sydney Jane Baily
A Regency romance with wit, passion, . . . and cats!
Take one wallflower and thoroughly disgrace her.
Add an earl who thinks a jest is always in good fun.
Stir together with a spark of romance.
Sprinkle with the bon ton.
Bring to a boil with passion and vengeance.
Simmer through the London Season.
Let cool with a breeze of regret.
Finish with a deliciously happy ending.
Miss Evelyn Blythe is content with needlepoint and rescuing cats, intending no one a whit of harm – until the moment she is publicly humiliated for spite and sport. Game on!
Lord Percy Barrett, the fun-loving Earl of Flintshire, thinks his friend’s sister is delightful exactly as she is. Quiet, yes, but she can take a joke or jest as well as any man. Then a prank goes too far!
Transforming from wallflower to wildflower, Evelyn dazzles the bon ton, all the while exacting her revenge. Becoming increasingly like the ladies she has always scorned, with her heart set on vengeance, will she lose the man of her dreams?
AmazonAll vendorsAll books in the seriesEXCERPT from Never Cross A Wallflower by Sydney Jane BailyTormented for spite and sport, Miss Blythe transforms from wallflower to wildflower, dazzling the bon ton with her charm and wit. But when she becomes like the ladies Lord Flintshire disdains, will she lose the man of her dreams? A Regency romance with wit, passion … and cats!
Chapter Six
“May I have the honor of the next dance?”
Percy had watched the dazzling creature in a gleaming gown — black, he thought at first before he realized it was the deepest blue satin — as she detached herself from the nearby crowd, just before someone shrieked.
When the woman turned, he’d been gifted with a delightful view of her pale throat and shoulders. Better yet, the generous swell of her breasts was visible under and over the décolletage of her gown, making him instantly grateful for the current fashion. He particularly appreciated the way dresses fit the females’ upper form and snugged the ladies’ waists. Gone were the gowns that hung shapelessly from under their breasts with little hint of what was below.
Realizing this vision of loveliness was about to disappear into the shadowy section of the room, he had stepped in front of her.
The woman gasped as her flame-blue eyes caught the candlelight and flickered over him. Then she smiled, stealing his breath. That was when he asked her to be his partner.
“Yes,” she said, sounding a little breathless herself.
Taking her arm, Percy led her to where a rambunctious group had claimed a goodly portion of the ballroom.
“There is much mayhem here tonight,” he said, “but when the next piece begins, I’m sure the dancers will settle in.”
“Undoubtedly, you are correct, Lord Flintshire.”
He froze momentarily, then as the music started, he bowed and she curtsied. Taking her left hand in his right one, they turned to face another couple. As Percy had hoped, everyone fell into place, and the unruly guests turned into disciplined dancers performing the steps of a Lancier.
Puzzling out her identity became his task for the duration of the dance. How embarrassing not to know her when she clearly knew him. Moreover, she was a beauty from what he could see. How could he forget being introduced to her?
“Who are you supposed to be?” were her next words.
Percy had momentarily forgotten he was in costume. “Blackbeard, of course, and I’m wounded you did not recognize my character by my infamous red coat.”
“But your lack of a beard.” The mysterious lady pointed out his nearly clean-shaven face, sprouting little more than a shadow. He wished he’d allowed himself a few days growth, but he couldn’t put his valet through such torment.
Mr. Lawrence had nearly fainted when Percy hadn’t refused to let him perform the usual shaving ceremony that morning. And his valet had grumbled again later when dressing him for the masquerade.
“You have unsightly, rough bristles,” Mr. Lawrence told him with a measure of disdain.
“I know,” Percy had responded. “How marvelously piratical!”
At the lady’s words, he shrugged. “My coat, hat, sword, and pistols are correct.”
“But Blackbeard had a … Never mind,” she said, then gave him a stunning smile.
Percy grinned back at her.
“You are teasing me,” she concluded correctly.
“I could be any pirate, I suppose. But certainly, you are the night sky.” Her gorgeous gown was fancifully adorned with glittering stones, which he assumed represented stars. They winked in and out of his vision when she moved.
“You are most clever, my lord. I am Lady Midnight.”
Heat shot to his groin. Her tone more than the words made him imagine her in the pitch of night, sprawled across his best sheets, naked but for the delicate diamond-and-silver necklace she wore.
“Have you met up with my brother yet?”
Her brother? Slowly, realization seeped into his brain. Honeyed blonde hair, eyes of blue hyacinth, flickering with intensity. Impossible! Neither her outgoing manner, nor her upright carriage, the artful color on her lips, nor even the confident way she spoke were familiar.
Lady Midnight was nothing like …
“Miss Blythe, is that you?”
Percy would feel foolish if she wasn’t Evelyn Blythe, but he could scarcely credit his eyes. Was this dazzling creature in shimmering satin with her cleavage on display really his best friend’s sister?
Revenge of the Wallflowers
March 10, 2024
Pulling Her Resources by Mia Sivan with excerpt and giveaway
Pulling Her Resources
Mia Sivan
Publication date: March 16th 2024
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance
In Tel Aviv’s high-stakes business world, Dafna works in a startup teetering on the brink of financial doom. Divorced for six years and starved for passion, she goes on a wild one-night stand with a hot, much younger bartender. But then, the tattooed barman strolls into her startup. Surprise! Turns out he is Erez Ben Ami, the CPA assigned to go over their books with a fine-tooth comb.
Erez is a single dad, with a young brother to support. His boss offers him a dream position, but there’s a catch: first, review a new, promising startup and make it as favorable as possible. His future is on the line, and he must suppress his feelings for Dafna, keeping his hands and other parts to himself.
Dafna can’t stop wanting Erez, he is the man who made her get over her ex-husband. They spend hours together, and soon, they’re using the office desks for more than emails.
Erez is falling for Dafna, she is the woman he has always looked for. When he suspects shady dealings within her company, he finds himself at a loss. Investigating it can cost him his dream job, as well as the love of his life.
Pulling Her Resources is a stand-alone later-in-life steamy romance featuring a forbidden workplace affair, financial intrigue and a Happy Ever After.
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EXCERPT:
“Do you have a condom?”
Fuck! Rookie mistake!
“A condom?” He stalled, panic building in his abdomen, realizing that he most definitely didn’t have one. He didn’t travel everywhere with them. His brother would have been better prepared. Eitan always had one in his trousers’ back pocket.
“You know, that’s so embarrassing. I don’t.”
“This is my one and only night at the luna park, and I want to go on all the rides.”
“We could do other stuff. Tell me what you want.” He would make more love to her tonight, condom or no condom.
“To feel you in me, on me,” Dafna answered.
She was killing him.
Author Bio:
Mia Sivan is an Israeli woman who lives, works and loves in Tel Aviv. The city is as much a part of her books as any other character.
Mia has worked as a senior investment manager for many years, and the books she writes draws much from her personal experience, as well as real-life scams that took place in the Israeli financial market.
When not writing or dreaming up steamy scenes, she lives with her handsome husband and even handsomer two sons, and enjoys long walks by the beach (it’s Tel Aviv, it’s never too cold).
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March 7, 2024
The Forger and the Duke by Misty Urban with an excerpt and giveaway
The Forger and the Duke
Misty Urban
(Ladies Least Likely, #2)
Publication date: March 5th 2024
Genres: Adult, Historical, Romance
In 1776 London, orphaned vicar’s daughter Amaranthe Illingworth supports her small household with her skills as a copyist, but her quiet routine is shattered the day three children show up at her door seeking aid from her brother, their tutor. Behind them storms in Malden Grey, would-be barrister and their erstwhile guardian, who accuses Amaranthe of kidnapping the young Duke of Hunsdon and his siblings.
The former duke’s illegitimate son, Malden Grey has learned to live by his wits, and he’s told he’ll advance to the bar if he takes a proper wife. As she helps him restore order at Hunsdon House, Amaranthe seems a likely candidate—if only Mal can unearth the truth behind the rumors that she’s been forging, and selling, priceless medieval manuscripts. Amaranthe, in the meantime, needs to stay on her guard lest the charming Malden Grey steal her heart at the same time she’s hoping to borrow from his library a priceless book that could make her fortune.
But when Mal’s foray into Amaranthe’s past yields a discovery that will change both of their destinies, they’ll have to fight together to clear their names and stake out a future together—if either has a future at all.
Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes & Noble
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EXCERPT:
She set the portrait gently in its place. Mal battled the impulse to take those cool, capable fingers and press them against his aching head.
“And where is your mother now?” Her steady, fathomless gaze rested on him.
“She died when I was young.” Dear Lord, he was becoming sentimental. He pushed the weakness aside. “You are coming to know a great deal about us, Miss Illingworth, and I know very little about you.”
Her eyes crinkled as she smiled widely, and Mal cast about for breath. “We have not even been properly introduced.”
“Malden Grey of Bristol, aspiring to the bar.” He held out his hand.
“Malden,” she said, and a silken quality in her voice made him shudder, as did the slide of her fingers as she placed them in his.
“You haven’t told me your name.” His voice roughed his chest.
“Miss Amaranthe Illingworth of St. Cleer, Cornwall. My father was very fond of classical antiquity, so he chose a Greek name for me.” She held the volume of housekeeper’s accounts close to her chest, like a shield.
He sat back. She appeared completely unconcerned to learn he was a bastard, the status he wore like a brand on his forehead, marking him as less than, as lacking.
She rose, and he scrambled to his feet. Very neatly she placed her glass on the shelf beneath the decanter. Her eyes traced the figurines above, all of them representing mythological half-women with breasts prominently displayed.
“They’re not mine,” Mal said.
That small, maddening smile quirked her lips again. “No, they are young Hunsdon’s now, I imagine. I’ve seen this and worse among some of the medieval marginalia I’ve copied, Mr. Grey. You wouldn’t believe some of the grotesques those monks could dream up. I suppose it comes from being locked away day after day with no company but other men.”
That was his problem as well, Mal decided. Too much time in the company of other men. That was why she riled his senses so potently.
He moved around the desk toward her as she stepped away. “I can drive you tomorrow. When you make inquiries about hiring servants. What time shall I bring the carriage round?”
She hesitated, and her face went studiously blank. A slither across the back of his neck told him this was the expression she assumed when she was withholding something. He was beginning to recognize it.
“Eyde made up a room for me here,” she said. “Do you mind?”
“Of course not. There are dozens of rooms.” Or so he thought. Hunsdon House was not his, as nothing about the Hunsdon estate was to be his—not even the family name—and so he’d never let much of it occupy his attention.
Mal wondered which room Miss Illingworth would select for her own. Did she see her silk-smooth skin as best set off by the draperies in the Blue Room? Would she choose the Oriental patterns of the Jade Room? Or would she, like an empress of old, demand the royal purple? He imagined her nearby in the house going about her nightly routine, taking down her hair, drawing off her prim robe, perhaps splashing water onto her face that would run down that softly stern neck to the collarbones hidden beneath her gown and—
He’d best stop imagining Miss Illingworth at her ablutions. He was about to embarrass himself.
“Till tomorrow then, Miss Illingworth.” Had she said he could call her Amaranthe? He wanted to roll the name over his tongue. It was exotic, yet robust. A name with command and presence, much like the woman.
Good Lord! That brandy had turned his wits. He was behaving like a moonstruck calf. No, worse.
“Till tomorrow,” she said softly, and her gaze held his. The flickering candlelight brought out violet shadows in her eyes, and all the air left Mal’s body. He wanted to be found worthy of that calm, assessing gaze.
There was no way she would ever find him worthy.
The door shut behind her, and Mal smacked a hand to his head to clear it. He’d best bring himself in order. They had business to conduct. Problems to solve.
She had secrets he wanted very much to discover.
He had gotten his first good look at Miss Amaranthe Illingworth. He wanted a second. And a third.
Author Bio:
Misty Urban is a medieval scholar, freelance editor, and college professor who likes to write stories about misbehaving women who find adventure and romance. She holds an MFA and Ph.D. from Cornell University and lives in the Midwest in a little town on a big river.
Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Instagram
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