Aubrey Wynne's Blog, page 25
March 30, 2023
BELLS AND BOMBSHELLS by Trixie Silvertale with giftcard giveaway
This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Trixie Silvertale will be awarding a $75 Amazon or B/N GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. Click on the tour banner to see the other hosts on the tour.
A pattern of murder. A threadbare case. Can our psychic sleuth pick out the guilty before time spools out?
Mitzy Moon is finally tying the knot. And she’s loving the whole town’s excitement for their upcoming big day. But when their tailor is found buttons up behind a jazz lounge, the almost-newlyweds will have to hem in a murderer before their dreams rip apart at the seams.
Knowing they’ll get no help from the new sheriff in town, the couple embarks on a tightly woven undercover assignment. But Mitzy fails to heed ominous warnings from her mentor, Ghost-ma, and her entitled feline. When another body drops, she could be the next target erased by the mounting powers in the darkness…
Can Mitzy and Erick unravel the twisted clues, or will their wedding be eclipsed by a funeral?
Bells and Bombshells is the first book in a hilarious new paranormal cozy mystery series, Harper and Moon Investigations. If you like snarky heroines, supernatural intrigue, and a dash of romance, then you’ll love Trixie Silvertale’s wedded whodunit.
Buy Bells and Bombshells to stitch up a killer today!
Read an Excerpt
At long last, Erick turns to me and exhales dramatically. “How about we take a little drive, and I bring you up to speed?”
What am I going to say? First and foremost, I’m a diehard snoop. I absolutely have to know what’s going on. “Sure, Sheriff Harper. I can’t wait to be ushered into the inner circle.” My snarky tone is not lost on my intelligent boyfriend.
“Don’t get a burr under your saddle, Moon. It’s all good, I promise.”
He grabs his thick uniform jacket, takes my hand, and leads me out to his cruiser.
As he opens the door for me, a cloud of sadness blows over me. Is this my last time riding in the cruiser with the sheriff? What is he going to do next? And more importantly, where is he going to do it?
He closes the door, jogs around the front of the vehicle — making his plain uniform look like an Armani European-cut suit — and hops into the driver’s seat.
He cruises down Main Street, past Rex’s Drugstore, the boarded up Montgomery Wards, and a few other abandoned buildings whose signs have long-faded. When the iron ore mines shut down, most of Birch County took a massive financial hit. Towns like Pin Cherry Harbor have been able to keep afloat by repositioning themselves as enviable tourist destinations.
The sheriff turns right and heads across Third Avenue, past my favorite patisserie, and right again, eventually making it back to First Avenue.
We’re only a few blocks past my bookshop, back on the corner of First and Main, when he turns into an old gas station. This particular abandoned petrol station played a key part in a previous case I solved, and I happen to know it used to belong to local criminal mastermind Leticia Whitecloud. Not to mention, it connects to a warren of underground tunnels used during the prohibition era.
Despite the little pout I’m having, my curiosity is piqued.
Erick jumps out, opens my door, and instructs me to close my eyes.
“Close my eyes? I don’t think I like any part of this, Sheriff. You do know I have quite a lot of other senses I can rely on, even when my eyes are closed.”
He circles his arm around me, leans tantalizingly close, and whispers in my ear. “I’d consider it a personal favor if you would turn off all of those other senses, and let me have this moment. I promise I’ll make it worth your while.”
And I’m dead
About the Author:
USA TODAY Bestselling author Trixie Silvertale grew up reading an endless supply of Lilian Jackson Braun, Hardy Boys, and Nancy Drew novels. She loves the amateur sleuths in cozy mysteries and obsesses about all things paranormal. Those two passions unite in her Harper and Moon Investigations series, and she’s thrilled to write them and share them with you.Website
Audible Author Page
Amazon Author Page
BookBub Author Page
Amazon
a Rafflecopter giveawayLike this:Like Loading...
March 29, 2023
THE BEAUTIFUL MISFITS by Susan Reinhardt with excerpt and giveaway
This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. The author will be awarding a $15 Amazon/BN GC to a randomly drawn winner via Rafflecopter. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.
Eighty-four seconds can change your life. Or destroy it. Josie Nickels is an Emmy-winning news anchor, poised to rise through the ranks of television journalism. On a bitter March evening on live TV, the pressures and secrets burbling behind the closed doors of her ridiculous Victorian mansion explode and the overwhelmed journalist spills family secrets like a Baptist at altar call. The aftermath costs her much more than a career. It robs her of a beloved son—a preppy, educated millennial trapped in the deadly world of addiction. Desperate for a new start and a way to save her son, Josie packs up her pride, her young daughter, and accepts a new job slinging cosmetics at a department store make-up counter with other disgraced celebs. In the gorgeous mountains of Asheville N.C., known for hippies, healings, and Subarus, Josie is faced with a choice for her son: Take a chance on a bold, out-of-the-ordinary treatment plan for her son or lose him forever. This heart-wrenching and, at times, hilarious novel, will delight fans of book-club women’s fiction and inspire and give hope to those with addicted sons and daughters.
Read an Excerpt
She’d felt the bump of her lower abs, firm with life as she stood from the vanity and twirled in the fitted, beautifully cut gown, its swishy A-line skirt floating beneath her waist. In the mirror, the iridescent beads shimmered against the sun drifting through her bedroom window.
Her parents’ fifteen-room Beaux Arts mansion spoke Southern elegance at its uppity best. As she admired the gown, she heard staccato raps at the door. Without invitation, her mother burst into her pink-and-cream bedroom with its billowing canopy bed that made Josie feel protected. “You look beautiful,” she said, scanning her in her entirety. Josie waited for the “but.” “Turn around and let me see you from the side.”
Katherine looked striking—and intimidating—in her ruby mother-of-the-bride gown, its ruched waist showing off her incredible figure and a front slit opening to reveal a long, tanned leg. “The dress is deliciously posh. However…” she said, hands on Josie’s shoulders as she angled her in the light. She rubbed her forehead. “I’m having second thoughts about you wearing white. Anyhow, too late now, isn’t it?”
Josie inhaled sharply, refusing to let her mother ruin this day. “Can’t you wear a support garment? Around your middle?”
“I’m four months pregnant, Mother. It’s not exactly a secret.”
“Secret or not. We’re not the bloody sort to display our premarital lust at the altar.”
Josie flushed but said nothing. Her mother’s barbs and put-on British jargon would not get to her today. She had nothing to hide. It was 1994, for heaven’s sake, and not puritanical times when young women like her had been shuttled away to stay with “beloved relatives.”
About the Author:
Susan Reinhardt grew up in LaGrange, GA. and Spartanburg, S.C.where most girls twirled batons, entered beauty pageants, and became debutantes. Bucking the norm, Susan spent her free time water skiing almost every day, fishing, and pining for a ragamuffin boy who was always up to no good.
Earlier in her college years, she pursued nursing, but most of her patients were terminal and her mastery and frequency of giving enemas had her questioning this line of work, though she adores nurses and often wishes she’d have stuck with the field.
She recently took a part-time job caring for adults with disabilities and loves the work, figuring it would at least make up for past misdeeds and get her a better shot at the Pearly Gates.
Writing has always been her first love. And she became good enough at it to earn many dozens of awards, including three Best of Gannetts for her feature stories and columns. Along with a bunch of other junk that really doesn’t matter in the end.
What matters to Reinhardt is making people laugh. And think. And love others.
She is married to her second and final husband, country and genius lawyer Donny Laws who is bald but has a ponytail and loves to ride a bike. She has two adult kids, three steps, and a granddaughter.
She’s been on national TV, has modeled for one glossy magazine, and was the subject of a British documentary on aging and body image. She hopes that the documentary is lost and never resurfaces.
She once had a radio show called Susan Uncensored; a sold-out one-woman show called “From Hilarity to Insanity and Back.”
She no longer water skis but performs fairly decent front and backflips from a diving board and half-ass rides a unicycle and twirls a baton simultaneously.
Her hobbies include a vintage camper obsession and she’s owned three. Recently she’s settled on her 1968 Scotsman, which she hopes to paint pink and teal with polka-dots and haul on book tours.
She has two rescue cats who vehemently hate each other.
In her next life, she’d like to be a figure skater.
Amazon
Website
a Rafflecopter giveawayLike this:Like Loading...
March 27, 2023
Got Trouble by Dave Dobson excerpt
Welcome to the book tour for Got Trouble by Dave Dobson! Read on for more details and an exclusive excerpt!
Got Trouble
Publication Date: January 3rd, 2023
Genre: Thriller
Trouble can find you anywhere
When your day starts at 11 pm, it’s a long way to sunrise. Glynnis Cary is stuck working as a night manager at the Gas-O-Mart. Her husband Keith’s idea of romance is buying her grocery store flowers, usually only when he comes home drunk. Her son is in trouble at school, skipping out with his girlfriend, and keeping secrets. Big secrets, ones that may turn out to be both lucrative and felonious. Keith’s bumbling unexpectedly makes Glynnis the target of multiple murderous enemies and a lot of bullets. Way more bullets than is reasonable. On the run with a new friend, one whose life she’s just inadvertently destroyed, Glynnis has to rely on her gut, her grit, and her ability to spin big lies to find a way to survive.
Got Trouble is a new novel of suspense, thrills, humor, and one woman’s attempt to just have something go right. For once. For crying out loud.
Content warnings: Coarse language, some gun violence
Add to Goodreads
Her breath was still coming fast. She tried to calm herself down, but that was nearly impossible. Her rear right window was a web of silver-green cracks. There was a jagged hole in the lower back corner, framed with a splash of radial lines and white fragments. She had no idea where the bullet landed. Or where the other one that had hit the car had struck. Or if it had hit anything important. The car had shown no ill effects in driving, and the gas tank hadn’t exploded. Or whatever it should do. She suddenly felt the need to look down at herself. Her breath sped up again. She’d heard of people not realizing they were shot. But she seemed to be unharmed. She lifted her sweatshirt, looking for blood, and felt all over her arms and back, but she seemed to be whole. She realized she wasn’t wearing her seat belt, and she felt guilty. Then she felt like that was stupid, because taking the time to buckle in would have gotten her shot and killed. Then she felt like THAT was stupid, because if she ever had needed a seat belt, it was when she was flying out of a parking lot in a hail of gunfire.
Available on Amazon
About the Author
A native of Ames, Iowa, Dave loves writing, reading, boardgames, computer games, improv comedy, pizza, barbarian movies, and the cheaper end of the Taco Bell menu. Also, his wife and kids.In addition to his novels, Dave is the author of Snood, Snoodoku, Snood Towers, and other computer games. Dave first published Snood in 1996, and it became one of the most popular shareware games of the early Internet. His most recent project (other than writing) is Doctor Esker’s Notebook, a puzzle card game in the spirit of escape rooms.Dave taught geology, environmental studies, and computer programming at Guilford College for 24 years, and he does improv comedy every week at the Idiot Box in Greensboro, North Carolina. He’s also played the world’s largest tuba in concert. Not that that is relevant, but it’s still kinda cool.
Dave Dobson | Instagram | Twitter |Facebook
March 27th R&R Book Tours (Kick-Off) http://rrbooktours.com
@mamas_always_reading (Review) https://www.instagram.com/mamas_always_reading/
Timeless Romance Blog (Spotlight) https://aubreywynne.com/
March 28th @moonlightalesbooks (Review) https://www.instagram.com/moonlightalesbooks/
@dreaminginpages (Review) https://www.instagram.com/dreaminginpages/
B is for Book Review (Spotlight) https://bforbookreview.wordpress.com
The Faerie Review (Spotlight) http://www.thefaeriereview.com
March 29th Rambling Mads (Spotlight) http://ramblingmads.com
Reads & Reels (Spotlight) http://readsandreels.com
@read.em.if.you.got.em (Spotlight)
March 30th Liliyana Shadowlyn (Spotlight) https://lshadowlynauthor.com/
Breakeven Books (Spotlight) https://breakevenbooks.com
Stine Writing (Spotlight) https://christinebialczak.com/
March 31st Books + Coffee = Happiness (Review out of Tour & Spotlight) https://bookscoffeehappiness.com/
@redhead_reviews1 (Review) https://www.instagram.com/redhead_reviews1/
@my_fair_fiction (Review) https://www.instagram.com/my_fair_fiction/
Book Tour Organized By:
Like this:Like Loading...
March 26, 2023
Preorder Peers & Parasols – with a new story by Aubrey Wynne
A collection of six 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 six 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
The Care and Feeding of Rogues by USA Today Bestselling Author, Lauren Smith
Captivated By A Kiss by USA Today Bestselling Author, Anna St. Claire
Poisons, Potions, ad Parasols by USA Today Bestselling Author, Aubrey Wayne
Her Fair Lady by Catherine Stein
Swindled by a Spinster by Rachel Ann Smith
The Seduction of Miss Standish by Laura Temple
Pre Order retailer links:
Apple: https://books.apple.com/us/book/id6446517103
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BYZPM14M
B&N: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w?ean=2940186593843
Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/peers-parasols
Books2Read: https://books2read.com/peersandparasols
Other Lords & Ladies of St. James series titles:
Book 1 – Lords and Lace:
Book 2 – Earls and Pearls
Book 3 – Rakes and Reticules
Book 4 – Dukes and Diamonds
Book 5 – Gentlemen and Gloves
Like this:Like Loading...
March 24, 2023
Read an exclusive excerpt from House of Straw by Marc Scott
Welcome to the book tour for House of Straw by Marc Scott! Read on for more info and an exclusive excerpt.
House of StrawPublication Date: November 2018
Genre: Psychological Thriller
Traumatised by the tragic death of her twin brother, Brianna falls into a state of deep depression, isolating herself from the world and all those that care about her. When a twist of fate reveals that she has a half-sister she finds a new purpose in her life and sets out to find her sibling, desperately hoping she can fill the void left in her world.
Poppy has not enjoyed the same privileged lifestyle as her sister while growing up. Abandoned into the care system at the age of eight, she has encountered both physical and sexual abuse for most of her life. Passing through the hands of more care homes and foster families than she can remember, the damaged product of a broken upbringing, Poppy has never found a place to feel truly safe. Kicking back at society, she turns to drug abuse and acts of extreme violence to escape from reality.
When the two siblings are finally united, they discover that they have much more in common than their DNA. Their paths are shrouded with sinister secrets of betrayal and regret and both girls share a deep-rooted hatred for one of their parents. As the dark truths of their lives are unveiled they realise that nothing can ever be the same again… CW: Dark chapters involving child abuse and brutality, adult themes
Excerpt
The level crossing suddenly came to life. Car doors were slamming, people from both sides of the barrier were scurrying backwards and forwards. Some people braved the elements to venture further down the track, to where the remains of the car might be. Bree could not hear anything at all, her mind had completely shut off. People were talking to her, but there were just no sounds, as if she had suddenly been struck deaf. In the middle of all this pandemonium, a grey-haired man without a coat reached down and wrapped his arms around her shaking torso, clutching her tightly to his chest in a bid to offer her some comfort. She looked around to see more people arriving. Some were on their phones calling for emergency services, others were trying to make sense of the catastrophe that had taken place. As her senses slowly returned Bree could hear the frantic screams of a woman and make out the sobbing cries of a small child. She would, however, have taken no solace from knowing that the passengers of the vehicle were safe and well. Jamie was gone, that was all that mattered to her now.
Bree raised her head slightly as the old man, now soaked through, attempted to help her to her feet. The merciless downpour continued to fall around her aching body and the howling wind carried the remnants of her final scream into the distance. But just then, beyond the darkness, she heard a small voice call out to her, a voice she recognised. Suddenly, through the punishing rainfall amidst the growing number of do-gooders arriving to offer their assistance, she could see her, she was as clear as anything now, the girl from the bar. She was there, on a small hill overlooking the level crossing, her bright yellow coat standing out like a beacon for lost sailors. The tiny figure was motionless. She was watching, just staring, as she had done in the pub. She was looking down from the hill, studying the aftermath of the tragedy. What unsettled Bree more than anything was that she realised now that she knew who that girl was.
Available on Amazon
About the Author
Marc Scott was born and raised in the heart of the East End of London. He spent more than 25 years working in the video and film industry, including a 12-month spell on a project in Los Angeles. More recently he has been involved with assisting at the rehabilitation section of the UK court service, working predominantly with young offenders. It was here where he met the people that would inspire him to write his first novel House of Straw.
He is unapologetic for the dark backdrop and raw brutality in his books. ‘You can’t sugar-coat some of these damaged individuals that live in a broken society and make excuses for them.’ he says. ‘Not everyone wants the chance to redeem themselves.’
His gritty writing style has earned him much praise from reviewers and bloggers. The second book in his trilogy, House of Sticks, will be available later this year. A story that Marc describes as, ‘An even darker and more twisted journey into the depths of depravity.’
Marc lives in Halstead in England. He has a son and two daughters, who, he says, have given him the proudest moments in his life. He lists his favourite author as Kazuo Ishiguro, and his favourite book as ‘Birdy’ by William Wharton. He sums up his reading choices with a method which he applies to his own works. ‘When I read a book, I want to feel like a bystander, watching on, as an ‘extra’ as everything unfolds. If any of the characters in the book are bland and don’t affect you in some way, the author has wasted an opportunity.’ Marc Scott
Book Tour Schedule
March 20th R&R Book Tours (Kick-Off) http://rrbooktours.com
@bookqueenbee (Review) https://www.instagram.com/bookqueenbee/
@redhead_reviews1 (Review) https://www.instagram.com/redhead_reviews1/
B is for Book Review (Spotlight) https://bforbookreview.wordpress.com
March 21st @read_betweenthecovers (Review) https://www.instagram.com/read_betweenthecovers/ @itputs.the.book.upon.the.shelf (Review) https://www.instagram.com/itputs.the.book.upon.the.shelf/
@plungeintobooks (Review) https://www.instagram.com/plungeintobooks/
& Reels (Spotlight) http://readsandreels.com
March 22nd @fishgirllovesbooks (Review) https://www.instagram.com/fishgirllovesbooks/
@books.and.salt (Review) https://www.instagram.com/books.and.salt/
@moonlightalesbooks (Spotlight) https://www.instagram.com/moonlightalesbooks/
March 23rd @peruseapage (Review) https://www.instagram.com/peruseapage/
@2manybooks2littletime (Review) https://www.instagram.com/2manybooks2littletime/
Musings of a Final Girl (Review) https://musingsofafinalgirl.wordpress.com/
@finalgirlreads – https://www.instagram.com/finalgirlreads/
Breakeven Books (Spotlight) https://breakevenbooks.com
Liliyana Shadowlyn (Spotlight) https://lshadowlynauthor.com/
Stine Writing (Spotlight) https://christinebialczak.com/
March 24th @amber.bunch_author (Review) https://www.instagram.com/amber.bunch_author/
@niveditha_preeth (Review) https://www.instagram.com/niveditha_preeth/
@my_fair_fiction (Review) https://www.instagram.com/my_fair_fiction/
Timeless Romance (Spotlight) https://aubreywynne.com/
Book Tour Organized By:
Like this:Like Loading...
March 22, 2023
Taming the Rake by Erica Ridley with excerpt and giveaway
by Erica Ridley
GENRE: Historical Romance
BLURB:
Enjoy a fiery, passionate enemies-to-lovers revenge romance from a New York Times bestselling author!
All her life, Miss Gladys Bell was a wallflower whose parents despaired of her ever attracting a suitor. Then she met the man of her dreams, who said she was the woman of his. One passionate night later, Gladys awaits a marriage proposal that never comes. Reuben Medford, the ton’s most notorious rake, doesn’t even remember her name.
Thanks to his cold-hearted callousness, Gladys lost her reputation, her dowry, and her chance at love. But now she’s back, and bent on revenge. He’s trifled with the wrong woman: This wallflower has thorns. Once Gladys holds that damnable rake’s arrogant, fickle heart in her hands… She’ll crush it, just as he did to her.
This time, he’ll remember her name.
EXCERPT:
A hand closed around Gladys’s wrist. She yelped as she was yanked against a tall, hard wall of man. Before she could catch her breath or her balance, his arms were around her and his mouth claimed hers.
Gladys reacted in kind out of habit—and also out of nostalgia, and hope, and surprise—until she gathered her wits enough to splay her hands on the mystery man’s chest and push him far enough away to catch a moonlit glimpse of his face.
Reuben Medford.
Again.
“You,” she gasped, and slammed the side of her fist against his broad chest.
He let her go in equal surprise. “You!”
“Who did you think I was?” she snapped.
“For a moment, I thought you were… Someone I… Never mind.” The shifting shadows made it look as though the rake was blushing. “Forgive me my mistake. I wasn’t waiting for anyone. I had intended to be alone.”
“Then why did you… Ugh.” Gladys turned away without waiting for an answer. She didn’t need one. He’d told her himself: he wasn’t waiting on anyone in particular.
This wasn’t a romantic nook. This was Medford’s hunting ground. Five years ago, a little lost wallflower had believed their kiss to be a special moment. Had even believed, if only for a moment, that she was special. Instead, she was nothing more than the latest victim of a rakehell’s signature lustful maneuver.
Gladys wanted a fairy tale? She was in one. And they didn’t all end happily. The sculpture garden was the deep, dark forest. Medford was the iron trap, his metal jaws gaping and deadly, awaiting his prey. Any prey. It didn’t matter. And she was the fluffy, innocent bunny whose gamboling pink paw happened to fall right in his path.
AUTHOR Bio and Links:
Erica Ridley is a New York Times and USA Today best-selling author of witty, feel-good historical romance novels, including THE DUKE HEIST, starring the Wild Wynchesters. Why seduce a duke the normal way, when you can accidentally kidnap one in an elaborately planned heist?
In the 12 Dukes of Christmas series, enjoy witty, heartwarming Regency romps nestled in a picturesque snow-covered village. After all, nothing heats up a winter night quite like finding oneself in the arms of a duke!
Two popular series, the Dukes of War and Rogues to Riches, feature roguish peers and dashing war heroes who find love amongst the splendor and madness of Regency England.
When not reading or writing romances, Erica can be found eating couscous in Morocco, zip-lining through rainforests in Central America, or getting hopelessly lost in the middle of Budapest.
https://www.EricaRidley.com
Twitter: @EricaRidley
Facebook: https://facebook.com/EricaRidley
Instagram: https://instagram.com/EricaRidley
Goodreads: https://goodreads.com/EricaRidley
Amazon: https://amazon.com/author/ericaridley
Facebook group: https://facebook.com/groups/HistRomBookClub/
Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/erica-ridley/
Apple: https://books.apple.com/us/book/taming-the-rake/id6443430309
Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/taming-the-rake-erica-ridley/1142269126?ean=2940186632672
Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/taming-the-rake-1
Books2read: https://books2read.com/2TamingTheRake
Erica Ridley will be awarding a Winner’s choice ebook or paperback copies of the first TWO books in the Wicked Dukes Club series! (ebooks international) to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.
a Rafflecopter giveawayLike this:Like Loading...March 20, 2023
Flirting with the Stranger by Gia Stevens with an excerpt and giveaway
Flirting with the Stranger
Gia Stevens
Publication date: March 20th 2023
Genres: Adult, Comedy, Contemporary, Romance
Have you ever mistaken a guy for a stripper and had a scorching hot one-night stand with him only to find out he’s your new boss? No? Just me?
The first time I met Van, I was instantly drawn to his charismatic smile and stunning good looks as I shoved dollar bills into his waistband.
The second time I saw Van, he walked into my bakery as the new owner and boss. That time, I kept my dollars to myself.
But there’s a problem, owning a bakery wasn’t his choice and all he wants is to sell. Somehow, I need to persuade him to keep the business, so I can keep my dream job. When he admits he doesn’t know the difference between “frosting” and “icing,” I realize I have my work cut out for me.
With each passing day, our chemistry ignites like a chocolate flambé. But it’s a distraction I don’t need. I know from experience that when I wish for everything, I end up with nothing.
Van’s young and irresponsible, he can’t possibly know anything about running a bakery or falling in love. But he’s determined to prove me wrong.
It turns out he has a few cupcakes up his sleeve that just might satisfy my sweet tooth.
Flirting with the Stranger is a reverse age gap, strangers to lovers, one night stand, boss/employee romantic comedy with a hero who has a real sweet tooth for something besides cupcakes. Be prepared to laugh-out-loud one minute and swoon the next in this steamy standalone romance.
Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes & Noble / iBooks / Kobo / Google Play
—
EXCERPT:
“Finally, you’re here.”
“Oh. Um.” Play it cool, Van. Don’t let the hot girl get you tongue tied. “Of course, where else would I be?” I flash her a dimpled smile.
“No, seriously. You’re an hour late. The least you could’ve done was call. We have a group of girls who are ready to see you take your clothes off. Let’s go.” Her dainty fingers wrap around my wrist. The warm contact sends a current of electricity coursing through my body as she tugs me up the stairs.
“Wait.” I plant my feet. “What are you talking about? Take my clothes off? I think I deserve dinner before I get naked.” I flash her a seductive smile.
“Dinner? Are you kidding? We weren’t told we had to feed you.” She drops my hand and rests it on her hip. “Look, we have a thousand dollars for you plus tips, if you’re good, to take your clothes off and shake your ass while we all ooh and ahh over your ripped abs. You have ripped abs, right?” She lifts the hem of my shirt, exposing my hard six pack. “Oh yes, that’ll do.” Her gaze lingers on my exposed stomach for a few extra seconds before she reluctantly drops the fabric. “So, are you coming or am I calling your boss to tell him you won’t do your job?”
Fuck. She thinks I’m a stripper for her party. But it pays a thousand dollars plus tips. Since I’m jobless, I could use the cash. I wager the battle in my head for a split second and, fuck it. First time for everything. “Lead the way.”
She spins around and climbs the stairs, the shimmering sequins on the ass of her dress hypnotizing as her hips sway back and forth. As the giggles and laughter grow louder, I second guess myself. I’ve never done this before. I mean, I’ve gotten naked before, just never with more than one girl watching.
“Our entertainment has arrived!” the bombshell announces to her friends.
Author Bio:
Gia Stevens resides in the up north of Minnesota. She lives for the warm, sunny days of summer and dreads the bitter cold of winter. A romantic comedy junkie at heart, she knew she wanted her own stories to encompass those same feelings.
When she’s not busy writing your next book boyfriend, Gia can be found playing in her vegetable garden, watching reruns of The OC and Gossip Girl, or curled up with a good book.
Website / Goodreads / Facebook Page / Facebook Group / Instagram / TikTok / Bookbub / Newsletter
GIVEAWAY!
a Rafflecopter giveaway
—
March 19, 2023
Historical Romance Giveaway! Enter to win an Amazon Giftcard
Giveaway Alert
I’ve teamed up with some amazing historical romance authors to bring you three opportunities to win an Amazon gift card!
Enter here https://www.samanthaholtromance.com/win/
*Open internationally!
Like this:Like Loading...
March 15, 2023
New Release: We Come With a Vengeance by H.G Mural
We’re celebrating the release of We Come with Vengeance by H.G. Muralee. Read on for details and enter to win a fantastic giveaway — A copy of the map’s book, a postcard of the Felix character art, and an enamel pin for House Leigh-Van, along with a paperback.
We Come with Vengeance (Kaier Chronicles)
Publication Date: March 14th, 2023
Genre: Speculative Fiction/ Steampunk Sci-Fi
The war has stretched on for twenty years, and the soldiers, civilians, and nobles are exhausted. Towns grow more desolate while war technology continues to advance, leaving the rest of Kaier behind.
Felix—heir to House Leigh-Van—harbors resentment for the war that has claimed his sister’s life and his father’s ethics. Regardless, he follows his orders and is content to remain equal among his fellow soldiers.
When a routine stop for repairs puts Felix at the epicenter of a brutal attack impacting civilians rather than soldiers, he struggles to continue separating his ethics from his duty. He’s privately ambivalent but publicly supportive of his uncle—the king—when whispers of an underground rebellion start to circulate. The rebellion is gaining traction and could soon make a serious play at ending the war.
But when even the tactics of the resistance begin claiming lives as quickly as the war itself, Felix starts to wonder who will survive to see the peace they’re fighting for.
Amazon | B & N | Book Depository
About the Author
H.G. Muralee was born and raised in North Carolina. She graduated from Western Carolina University with a degree in Criminal Justice and works as a paralegal. When she isn’t writing, she’s reading far too many books, watching The Great British Baking Show, learning her husband’s native language, and playing with her dog, Oliver.
HG Muralee | Instagram | TikTok
Book Tour Schedule
March 13th
R&R Book Tours (Kick-Off) http://rrbooktours.com
@mulberryreads (Review) https://www.instagram.com/mulberryreads/
@word.addict914 (Review) https://www.instagram.com/word.addict914/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y%3D
@magicalmushroombookshelf (Review) https://www.instagram.com/magicalmushroombookshelf/
Timeless Romance (Spotlight) https://aubreywynne.com/
Stine Writing (Spotlight) https://christinebialczak.com/
@plungeintobooks (Spotlight) https://www.instagram.com/plungeintobooks/
Book Reviews by Taylor (Spotlight) https://www.bookreviewsbytaylor.com/
March 14th
Wagging Tales Press (Interview) https://www.waggingtalespress.com/blog
@ofmoviesandbooks (Review) https://www.instagram.com/ofmoviesandbooks
@madies.library (Review) https://www.instagram.com/madies.library/
@vinamkent_author (Review) https://www.instagram.com/vinamkent_author/
The Magic of Wor(l)ds (Spotlight) http://themagicofworlds.wordpress.com
March 15th
The Faerie Review (Review) http://www.thefaeriereview.com
@books.and.salt (Spotlight) https://www.instagram.com/books.and.salt/
@infinite.readlist (Review) https://www.instagram.com/infinite.readlist/
@ dog_ read_reviews (Review) https://www.instagram.com/ dog_ read_reviews/
@permanently_booked (Review) https://www.instagram.com/Permanently_booked
@okuta.otherside (Spotlight) https://www.instagram.com/okuta.otherside/?hl=id
March 16th
Cheryl’s Book Nook (Review) https://cherylsbooknook.blogspot.com/
@book_lover_danny (Review) https://www.instagram.com/book_lover_danny/
@all.you.read.is.love (Review) https://www.instagram.com/all.you.read.is.love/
@dreaminginpages (Review) https://www.instagram.com/dreaminginpages/
Breakeven Books (Spotlight) https://breakevenbooks.com
March 17th
@by_hckilgour (Spotlight) https://www.instagram.com/by_hckilgour/
Sophril Reads (Review) http://sophrilreads.wordpress.com
@tm_ghent (Review) https://www.instagram.com/tm_ghent/
Wagging Tales Press (Review) https://www.waggingtalespress.com/blog
@amber.bunch_author (Spotlight) https://www.instagram.com/amber.bunch_author
Click the link below to enter the giveaway (US Only)
Book Tour Organized By:
March 14, 2023
Read an excerpt from the new release Faking It With the Grump by Kate O’Keeffe and enter the giftcard giveaway
Faking It With the Grump
Kate O’Keeffe
(Second Chance Café, #1)
Publication date: March 14th 2023
Genres: Adult, Comedy, Contemporary, Romance
He’s grumpy, boring, and thinks it’s okay to wear a suit and tie to a smalltown bar full of lumberjacks. But when I kiss him? Let’s just say I wasn’t expecting THAT.
Harper Cole
It’s one thing to be dumped by the huge Hollywood star you thought you were going to marry. It’s quite another to move back to the small town you’re both from.
As a booby prize for being shown the door by Dex Ryan, everyone is trying to set me up with their son, their nephew, or their long-lost cousin’s gardener. Either that or they’re throwing me pitying looks that say, “You’re a big loser.”
I’m not going to put up with their patronizing sympathy anymore.
So, when I spot new-guy-in-town Christopher Young, I set out to make him mine. Or you know, pretend to make him mine. I’m still in a horrible funk over Dex, and Christopher is an uptight grump. Not exactly my type.
The fact that despite appearances, he’s gorgeous and doing weird things to my blood pressure doesn’t mean a thing.
Really.
Not. A. Thing.
Christopher Young
Hunter’s Creek, population next to nothing, is the reason I work all the time. I’m solely focused on buying the town’s lumber mill so I can go back to NYC and get my big promotion. This small town is a means to an end. Nothing more.
That is until the prettiest girl I’ve ever seen superglues her lips to mine in an unexpected and very public way. She’s not the kind of woman I usually go for with her boho dress and ankle boots, but that kiss…
I’m disappointed when she comes up for air and tells me it’s all for show. But if Harper Cole wants me to be her fake boyfriend while I’m here in town, who am I to turn her down? Being attached to a local might ingratiate me to the townsfolk and make my job that much the easier.
After all, dating Harper can only be make believe. Nothing more. Not when my entire future is at stake.
Faking It With The Grump is a grumpy-sunshine, opposites attract, fake relationship romance set in the small town of Hunter’s Creek, Washington. It’s the first book in the new Second Chance Café series. Each book follows a different sister’s love story and can be read as a standalone novel or as part of a series.
Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes & Noble / iBooks / Kobo
—
EXCERPT:
She looks suddenly nervous. “Okay, here’s the thing. I kind of told some people today that you and I are…well, that we’re…”
When she doesn’t complete her sentence, I lean in and ask, “You and I are what?”
She glances around nervously before she says, “Dating.”
I straighten, shocked.
As my brain tries to comprehend what she just said, I blink at her a few times.
I need clarification. In my experience, beautiful women don’t usually go around telling people they’re dating you without your knowledge.
Well, not sane, beautiful women, anyway.
“Did you say you’ve told people you and I are dating?” I ask.
She nibbles on her lip, reminding me of a rabbit. It only adds to her appeal. Despite my concern, she’s confirmed she’s not exactly sane. “I did warn you it was weird.”
“That’s true, you did. But that doesn’t explain why, exactly.”
She clasps her hands together, clearly uncomfortable.
I’m overcome with the strangest sensation, wanting to reach out and place my hand over hers to reassure her it’s okay.
I don’t.
She takes a breath. “I know this makes me sound crazy. And I’m not crazy. Really, I’m not.”
Said no crazy person ever.
“I don’t know if you recognize me or know what happened, but even if you don’t, I really, really need you to pretend to date me because—”
Wait. Pretend?
Her eyes dart to something behind me, and before I fully realize what’s happening, she’s pushed the bar stool to one side, closed the distance between us, a decidedly wild look in her eyes.
“Everything all right?” I ask her tentatively.
“Okay if I kiss you?” she murmurs out of the corner of her mouth.
I blink at her. “Now you want to…kiss me?”
She nods, her eyes darting behind me and then back to my face. “That okay with you?”
This gorgeous woman who smells like a meadow, the double threat, the woman who only just told me she wants to pretend to date me, now wants to kiss me.
As confusing as this situation may be, I’d be an idiot not to leap at this.
“Sure,” I tell her, the thought of having her soft lips pressed against mine making my belly clench.
It would appear she’s not a woman to be told twice.
Immediately, she pulls herself up onto her toes, places her hands at the back of my head, and before I can utter another word—like “why?”—she leans in toward me and kisses me.
I don’t move for fear this is some kind of mirage. Not that I think mirages are all that common in Washington, what with it not being a desert. But seriously, this sort of thing doesn’t happen to me a whole lot. Or, you know, ever.
And I’ll be honest, as far as kisses go, it’s easily the most surprising of my life, hands down. One second, she’s explaining to me why she wants me to fake date her, and the next she’s kissing me, like it’s no big deal at all.
The problem is, for me to kiss someone like Harper Cole, it should be a big deal.
Author Bio:
USA TODAY Bestselling Author Kate O’Keeffe writes exactly what she loves to read: laugh-out-loud romantic comedies with swoon-worthy heroes and gorgeous feel-good happily ever afters. She lives and loves in beautiful Hawke’s Bay, New Zealand with her family and two scruffy dogs. When she’s not penning her latest story, Kate can be found hiking up hills (slowly), traveling to different countries, and eating chocolate. A lot of it.
Visit kateokeeffe.com to sign up to her newsletter and you’ll receive a FREE romcom.
Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter / Instagram / Bookbub
GIVEAWAY!
a Rafflecopter giveaway
—
