Aubrey Wynne's Blog, page 41
May 4, 2022
Kit Hawthorne’s HILL COUNTRY PROMISE – giveaway #harlequin #heartwarming
Meet the Author:
Kit writes sweet contemporary Western romance. She makes her home in south central Texas on her husband’s ancestral farm, where seven generations of his family have lived and loved. When not writing, she can be found sewing, quilting, reupholstering furniture, playing Irish pennywhistle, refinishing old wood, cooking huge amounts of food for the pressure canner, or wrangling various dogs, cats, and people. Connect: Site | Facebook | Instagram | Goodreads About the Book:
Giveaway: Book of Choice (print or eBook) from Kit Hawthorne and Pair of Trinity Knot Earringsa Rafflecopter giveawayCan a childhood pact …
Lead to forever love?
Best friends Eliana and Luke agreed to marry if she was still single by age twenty-seven. And when her birthday arrived, Luke proposed. At first, everything seemed perfect. A little too perfect. Eliana now realizes she has everything she ever wanted—except Luke’s heart. Can their friendship survive their engagement?
Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | AppleBooks | Google | Kobo
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May 2, 2022
Trial of the Lovebird Butcher by Lumen Reese
You are going to want to check out this book and find out what readers are saying about it! Read on for more info about Trial of the Lovebird Butcher by Lumen Reese!
Trial of the Lovebird Butcher
Publication Date: May 13th, 2021
Genre: Urban Fantasy/ Crime Thriller
An antiquities dealer and amateur children’s magician named Edward Fox is charged with three murders dating back to the 1980’s, when he should have been only a child. But evidence suggests he has been around and interfering with the lives of humans for a very long time: back to 1920’s Chicago, through decades with a traveling circus, and during the Selma to Montgomery marches in Alabama, 1965
In New Haven, Connecticut, a decades-old cold case resurfaces. As charges are brought, the details grow stranger and stranger…
An antiquities dealer and amateur children’s magician named Edward Fox is charged with three murders, dating back to the 1980’s, when he should have been only a child. Fox is a wanderer and a fall-down drunk. The case’s unnatural timeline combined with one alleged victim’s status as a teen beauty queen set the stage for the State of Connecticut v. Fox to become the trial of the century.
Maggie Stowe -insomniac, Private Investigator, dream thief- has been following Fox for months. She is a crusader for women and girls and can still hear them screaming in Fox’s dreams every night. But reality has begun to blur for the exhausted Maggie. Soon she is unsure of anything except for the fact that she’s a pawn in a perilous game.
Defender Ben Cartwright -the son of a murdered civil rights activist- knows to never take justice for granted. To him, the case reeks of prosecutorial overreach. All three counts are alleged murders without cadavers, linked to his client by circumstantial evidence rooted out by an obsessive PI with a direct line to her girlfriend at the State’s Attorney’s Office. Edward insists that Ben is the man to defend him. Never mind that he’s young, or only just passed the Bar, or that he speaks a bit slowly because his mind works differently than most people’s.
The trial becomes a battle of wills. A jury and a nation are asked to consider -as the evidence strongly suggests- that Fox has been around and interfering with the lives of humans for a very long time; back to the Depression-era streets of Chicago, through decades with a traveling circus, and during the Selma to Montgomery marches that took place in Alabama, 1965…
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Available on Smashwords
About the Author
Lumen Reese is an author of diverse fantasy, sci-fi, historical and speculative fiction from Michigan.
Trial of the Lovebird Butcher is now available Smashwords!
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April 30, 2022
Check out Trials By Tides: A Zasra Press Anthology and enter the HUGE giftcard giveaway!
Trials By Tides: A Zasra Press Anthology
Publication date: April 26th 2022
Genres: Adult, Fantasy
The strangers hadn’t come for just any story. They’d come for her—the memory I’d clearly failed to bury. The one story I’d never tell… from “The Storyteller”
Somewhere down in the depths of the ocean, deeper than any light could reach, something awoke… from “Cost of the Crown”
I cannot shake the call of the ocean. It consumes me, fills my dreams, crowds my mind, and in that moment I know…I will do anything to become a mermaid… from “The Calling”
As gentle and sweet as the ocean’s lullaby can be, its waters are dark, dangerous, and full of mystery….
Dive in and explore ten original stories centered around the ocean. You’ll find something for everyone, from benevolent mermaids to powerful levjatans; stolen secrets and forbidden stories. Meet pirates and thieves, sea dragons and gods in these tales of action, grief, romance, and mystery!
~
The Song Thieves – Eleanor Owen
A girl who steals secrets from the sea searches for her missing sister, following clues found in the sea’s strange songs.
Manannan’s Daughter – Christiana Matthews
Mortals are all very well to use as playthings, but Cliohna’s decisions anger her father, with disastrous results.
Son of the Sea – Aisling Wilder
On an island in the West of Ireland, a lost soul rescues a dying man—or does the man rescue him?
The Delivery – Barend Nieuwstraten III
For a pair of hired hands, a simple task of escorting a coffin and its caretaker across the southern sea should make for a relaxing journey. However, as questionable things begin to happen, they find themselves more and more involved in the wild events to come.
The Storyteller – R. L. Davennor
An elderly storyteller is forced to recall the one tale she swore never to utter.
Cost of the Crown – Ine Gausel
Young prince Coral has always been told that the sea is a dark and dangerous place, but something he finds up on shore will change his life forever.
Heart of Amber – Kida Langås
After a storm brings two lost unlikely friends together after a decade apart, both of them have to make a choice: sneak away and rekindle their friendship, or risk losing each other a second time.
One More Time – A. M. Dilsaver
A young widower seeks solace from the ocean and its mysteries after his wife dies.
The Calling – A. M. Dilsaver
Torn between her true love and the ocean, Cordelia must make a choice that will change her life forever.
The Sparrow in the Ash Sea – S. K. Sayari
An unlikely hero must return the Goddess of the Sea to her temple before the ash sea overtakes all.
Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes & Noble / Kobo
—
SNEAK PEEKS:
From: The Song Thieves – Eleanor Owen
I’d been hearing the song for days. Its whispering voices had danced an aching beat in my mind as we’d pursued it across the waves. Though I should have known better, I still tried to make sense of it, to pick out a melody I could understand. It throbbed in my skull like a migraine.
Only when I was under the water did the song start to untangle. In the air, it was a distorted whisper scratching against my thoughts, but with the sea against my skin, I heard its voices clear. They spoke no language that had ever graced a human tongue, as much sound and feeling as it was word.
Through ink-dark water I kicked away from the shattered moonlight. Around me, streaked shadows and seaweed wove together into a darkness far thicker than the night above. All the while, I followed the song, deeper, deeper.
The strands of it, each voice within it that wove together to make something that was almost music, wrapped around me and pulled me down, yet I struggled to fall into the trance of their embrace. For as mesmerizing as this song was, I heard another, and amongst its voices, I heard my own. From distant depths it whispered a frantic litany, like a discordant thought had clambered from my head.
If you ever hear your own voice, get out of there. It was the first lesson Attarin had taught me about song hunting. He’d never cared to elaborate on why.
I gritted my teeth and focused on the song before me, the one I had been sent to salvage. I could see it now, a scrap of luminescence snagged between ribbons of seaweed. Lungs burning, I floated before it. Syllables pulsed through me with every swell of the sea.
Moments before my outstretched fingers touched it, I recognized a different voice within its chorus.
—
From: The Storyteller – R. L. Davennor
The tavern door swung open, stopping me mid-sentence as cold and snow scattered everywhere. The roaring fire to my left was enough to keep my old bones from feeling the sudden chill, but indignant muttering rose from the patrons seated near the back.
Several silhouettes emerged from the blackness outside. A few members of my audience raised their voices, demanding to know whether the newcomers had lost their minds; no one in their right one would dare brave a blizzard this harsh.
Unless they’d come to see me.
My fists clenched at my sides. Visitors were now a regular occurrence, disrupting the peace and constantly drawing attention. Despite my best efforts to quell them, rumors had spread far and wide by now: in the north resided not just any storyteller, but The Storyteller. Though I did have a name of my own, that was all anyone had called me for years, and I still hadn’t decided whether I liked it.
What I didn’t like were the rumors—because they weren’t rumors. They were true. I could recite any story, old or new, knew the mythos of the gods better than anyone, and adored being the vessel that kept their legends alive. I’d traveled the world and seen things that no other mortal had ever laid eyes on. But such a distinction attracted inevitable attention…and strangers.
I studied tonight’s lot. Four of them, led by a man so tall he had to duck to cross the threshold. They said nothing as they stripped themselves of their jackets and furs. Their teeth chattered and their hands shook, but strangely, they didn’t look too bedraggled, given what they’d just endured. I couldn’t even see any obvious signs of frostbite. Impressive, but I wouldn’t let it show. Raising an eyebrow, I waited until they’d crammed themselves into the only empty booth before continuing my story. Whatever the strangers had come for, they would soon leave empty-handed. I’d make certain of that.
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April 29, 2022
Bride and Tested by Brenda St. John Brown – read an excerpt and enter the giveaway
Bride and Tested
Brenda St. John Brown
Publication date: April 27th 2022
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance
Exes working together in a wedding business? What could go wrong?
EVIE
Having inappropriate dreams about my ex-husband is problematic. The fact that he’s applied to be the business partner in my wedding business – and is an infuriatingly savvy businessman – is even more so.
Our marriage ended because we were both more married to our jobs than each other, but now I can barely look at Lincoln without imagining him naked. How the hell am I supposed to work with him?
LINCOLN
My ex-wife, Evie – aka Evil (thank you, random autocorrect) – runs the most successful bridal shop in the whole of the Finger Lakes region and she needs a business partner. Happy coincidence because I need a steady income. ASAP.
I also need to stop noticing Evie’s curves. And her smile. And everything about her that makes me want a second chance.
Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes & Noble / iBooks / Kobo / Google Play
—
EXCERPT:
“I propose a toast.” Mika raises her lipstick-rimmed glass. “To finding an outstanding partner and crushing this year’s wedding season.”
“I’ll always drink to the success of my business.” I raise my glass too and clink it gently against hers.
“The right person is going to come through. I can tell.”
“Is this like the time you could tell Lincoln was going to propose? Because, although you were right, I’m hoping for a better outcome this time.” Preferably one which doesn’t involve getting my heart broken.
“Hey, Lincoln wasn’t all bad. You ended up in Enita Springs, you met me and you got his last name out of the deal for Bennett’s Bridal. The power of good alliteration cannot be underestimated.”
“True enough.” I laugh.
“Are we talking about him yet?” Mika asks, her voice softening. “Specifically, are we talking about what happened this morning because I think we should.”
I give a sharp shake of my head. “Definitely not.”
Mika studies me for a long minute then nods, too. “Okay. I figured, but you know I’m here when you want to process things.”
“I’m probably never going to want to process this.” I’d rather talk about a silent investor than what happened this morning with Lincoln. My face feels ten degrees hotter just thinking about it.
“Okay, fine.” Mika nods again and then says, “I’m just going to point out you’re bound to run into him again. Enita Springs isn’t big. Do you have a plan for when you do?”
Besides turn and run the other way? No.
To Mika I say, “I don’t need a plan. I’m sure it will be fine.”
“Because you’ve dealt with all the feelings seeing him brought up or because you’re still avoiding said feelings?”
“What’s there to deal with? I was embarrassed, which is understandable.” And the time before I was so nervous I thought my chest was going to explode, but being nervous is perfectly normal. “Besides, it’s stupid. We’ve been divorced longer than we were married.”
“Just because time has passed doesn’t mean you’ve dealt with your feelings about the end of your marriage.”
“Feelings, schmeelings. I’m avoiding them, and it’s working for me so far.” I take a sip of my wine. “Just like I plan to avoid Lincoln.”
“You two were the happiest couple I knew,” Mika says softly.
My heart feels like someone’s squeezing it and I’d wonder if I was having a sudden heart attack if I didn’t recognize it for what it is – nostalgia. “We were really happy, as much as it pains me to admit it.”
“Why does it pain you to admit it? Being happy is a good thing.”
“Not when you squander it like we did.” I take a deep breath, hoping it will help my chest expand again.
“You never saw him after you guys filed for divorce. It might be good for you to actually, you know, have a conversation with him about what happened.” Mika raises her glass to her lips and looks at me over the rim. “For closure.”
“I have the signed divorce papers, which is enough closure for me. Besides, I’m avoiding him, remember?”
“Hmmm.” Mika takes a sip of her wine but doesn’t say anything else.
She doesn’t need to. I know what she’s thinking, just like I know she’s wrong. I have zero intention of seeing Lincoln again if I can help it. If I do, I can always go with my unofficial plan to turn and run the other way and pray he doesn’t see me.
Because if he does, it’s not going to take him long to realize I still have feelings for him. Deep and complicated feelings I have no business having. Especially for my ex-husband. Add in the real reason I didn’t fight for us and, well…avoiding him is my only choice.
Author Bio:
Brenda is a USA Today bestselling author living in the English countryside. Originally from New York, she’s lived in the UK long enough to gain dual citizenship, but still doesn’t understand Celsius. However, she has learned the appropriate use of the word “pants”. And how to order a proper bacon bap/barm/buttie. Because, well, bacon.
Brenda writes contemporary romance to make you giggle and swoon. When she’s not writing, she enjoys hiking, running and reading. In theory, she also enjoys cooking, but it’s more that she enjoys eating and, try as she might, she can’t live on Doritos alone.
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April 28, 2022
The Touch of Love by Kyle Shoop – an excerpt and giveaway
The Touch of Love
Kyle Shoop
(Senses of Love, #5)
Publication date: April 27th 2022
Genres: Adult, Historical Romance
Two Love stories.
One surviving WW2.
One surviving a separation.
Both fighting their own war.
But neither is willing to give up.
Because love is worth fighting for.
Alternating between the past and the present, The Touch of Love tells two intertwined love stories spanning generations. The first is set in modern times and tells the journey that Katie embarks on while being embroiled in a separation from her husband. The second is set in Poland during World War 2, and tells the story of Jakob, an orphan, who falls in love with a Jewish woman. Will either of these love stories survive the unforeseen battles awaiting them?
Present Day: While going thru old keepsakes in her grandfather’s attic, Katie stumbles upon two items which thrust her on a journey of discovery. The first is her old wedding dress, the sight of which still stings due to her recent separation. The second item is even more perplexing – an old black and white photograph of her grandfather during a war. The man with a deeply mysterious past. Knowing her grandfather’s days are limited, this photo sparks Katie’s journey to discover his past before his future runs out.
1939: Jakob and his brother are two carefree orphans deciding whether to join the Polish army when all of Europe is on the bring of World War 2. But Jakob’s decision is sealed the moment he meets Anna, a Jewish woman. Deciding he would rather fight for her survival than fight alongside his brother, Jakob embarks on a harrowing journey through the War, motivated solely by his unyielding love for Anna.
Can love survive the immeasurable tragedies of war?
The books in this series are standalone novels and may be read in any order.
—
EXCERPT:
WARSAW, POLAND
AUGUST 1939
As the two brothers walked with naive swagger down the city as if they owned it, Ezra’s plan came spilling out with eager enthusiasm: “We’re going to join the Polish army.”
Jakob stopped immediately in his tracks on the Warsaw sidewalk. He didn’t care that they were in front of a restaurant with a large window full of patrons who would see their confrontation. For the first time that he could remember since his mother’s death, he found himself in stark disagreement with his older brother.
“No way,” Jakob said plainly.
This caught Ezra off guard, and he turned to see Jakob standing defiantly behind him. Frustration came barreling out of Ezra: “Well, we have to!”
“No way.” Jakob’s body language gave away that he wasn’t budging on the issue.
“Think about it, Jakob,” Ezra was now pleading. “War is right on Poland’s doorstep. Look around you. See all of this? This is just a facade. In a few short months, either Germany or the Soviets – if not both – will be invading. What you see around you won’t be here forever.”
“So, what if I want to enjoy it while it’s here – instead of running off to war?” As Jakob said it, he could see the light of Ezra’s plan die in Ezra’s eyes. Jakob knew it wasn’t just a plan he was spoiling – it was Ezra’s dream. And in the heat of their abrupt disagreement, Jakob let that spill out as an insult. “You’re the dreamer, Ezra. You always have been. And I’ve always followed you through your dreams. But this isn’t a dream. This is reality. And people die in war.”
Ezra knew that what Jakob just said was right – he was a dreamer. He always so easily got swept up into dreams and ambitions that he never stopped to realize their effect on his younger brother. But this time, that wasn’t the case. Ezra’s plan had been thought out extensively before divulging it.
Despite his natural inclination to give into the heat of their disagreement, Ezra’s tone calmed down. He loved his Jakob – like nothing else in the world. They’d been more than brothers since their parents’ deaths. They’d been friends. Confidants. Life rafts. Shoulders for each other to both cry and laugh on. So, in this moment, Ezra’s natural instinct toward conflict was overcome by his even stronger inclination to love his brother.
“I know, I know, Jakob. I’ve led you on some crazy paths since mom died.” Ezra then put his hand on Jakob’s shoulder to bridge the gap between them – both emotionally and physically. “But this isn’t about my dreams. It’s about what’s real.”
“And then what, Ezra?” Jakob’s tone was mellowing out. “We just hope to survive the war? Wouldn’t you rather go somewhere safe and let other people fight a war that isn’t ours?”
“We’d survive. Look at us – two orphans that don’t need much, who have always found a way to survive.” Ezra smiled at having just referenced their prior pointless disagreement about whether they were orphans. “And then afterwards, we’ll open an orphanage.”
This made Jakob chuckle out loud and playfully push Ezra in the shoulder. “Not funny. But I’ll think about the whole army thing.”
“No, I mean it, Jakob. Someone’s gotta show all the other orphans how to survive. Who better than you and me?”
Now that they’d made up, Ezra went to put his arm around his brother’s shoulder to keep walking down the Warsaw sidewalk. Ezra’s mind normally would be filled with dreams at this point, now that there was a glimmer of hope for them to enlist in the Polish army. But his dreams were immediately cut short. Jakob wasn’t moving.
It was as though he was frozen in place. Ezra quickly turned to look his brother in the eyes to see what the deal was. And for the first time, he saw dreams shining in Jakob’s own eyes. They’d always followed Ezra’s dreams, but now, for the first time, Ezra could instantly tell that Jakob had been struck with his own overbearing dream. The stark light beaming from Jakob’s glance emanated a look different than any other he’d ever seen his brother make before.
Ezra curiously followed his brother’s line of sight to see what had unexpectedly and wholeheartedly captivated Jakob.
Then he saw it. Or, rather – he saw her. Jakob was staring through the large restaurant window next to them, and at the lounge piano providing background music for the patrons. And seated at that piano was the centerpiece of not only Jakob’s attention, but what Ezra recognized as the centerpiece of Jakob’s very being in this moment. Behind the piano was, undeniably, a beautiful Jewish woman, whose blue eyes had met Jakob’s by happenstance, yet now was staring back at him with a consumption matching his.
Ezra knew it immediately by just observing the unspoken spark between his brother and the Jewish woman. Things were now going to be different for the two brothers.
Author Bio:
Kyle Shoop is a multi-genre author of compelling stories. His new “Senses of Love” series is a romance series that provides rewarding and inspirational stories. The newest book – A TASTE OF LOVE – is now out! The books in the series may be read in any order.
Kyle is also the author of the Acea Bishop Trilogy, which is an action-packed fantasy series. All books in that series are now available, with Acea and the Animal Kingdom being the first book.
At a young age, Kyle was recognized for his storytelling by being awarded the first-place Gold Key award for fiction writing in Washington State. After spending several years volunteering in his wife’s elementary classrooms, he was inspired to write the Acea Bishop Trilogy. He is now motivated to share the compelling stories in his new romance series. In addition to writing novels, Kyle is also an attorney.
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April 27, 2022
An excerpt from THE VISCOUNT’S LADY NOVELIST by ALISSA BAXTER
THE VISCOUNT’S LADY NOVELIST
BY ALISSA BAXTER
Publication Date: April 26, 2022
Vinspire Publishing
Genre: Historical Romance
Series: The Linfield Ladies, Book 2
Harriet Linfield is a lady novelist who has been disillusioned by love. She sets out to write more realistic tales about the emotion when she returns home to Linfield Court for the summer. Vowing to avoid any romantic entanglements along the way, she focuses instead on her writing and her plan to turn the estate she inherited from her uncle into a refuge for orphans.
Oliver, Viscount Wentford, is determined to restore his family fortunes. But his plans for the estate he inherited are in direct opposition to the wishes of Harriet, his new neighbour. Upon meeting her, Oliver is amused when, in response to his provocative comments, she informs him that she intends to make him the villain of her next book. But his amusement swiftly turns to dismay when circumstances align to show him in that exact light.
When an enemy comes back into Harriet’s life, she sees that love isn’t as clear-cut as the romantic tales she pens. But will the viscount manage to discard his villainous mantle to become Harriet’s real-life hero?
Praise“A charming love story set in the English countryside that’s grounded in impeccable research.” ~ Kirkus Reviews
“Alissa Baxter’s writing is period perfect.” ~ Mimi Matthews, USA Today bestselling author of The Matrimonial Advertisement
“This book is gorgeous!” ~ Rachel Burton, author of The Tearoom on the Bay
“A truly traditional Regency romance, with lots of witty banter, very reminiscent of Georgette Heyer. Recommended for anyone who likes a completely clean traditional Regency, with strongly authentic writing, historical accuracy and a satisfying romance. Baxter’s writing is excellent, and her dialogue, manners and settings are true to the era.” ~ Mary Kingswood, author of traditional Regency romances
“While immersing the reader in the mores and life of the Regency era, Alissa Baxter manages to write strong, independent heroines whom modern-day women will cheer and root for. Plus the addition of little details that wrap around the plot and the characters make reading her books all the more special because you never know when you might land on a little Easter egg morsel in the beautiful and engaging prose. Historicals with heart and engaging characters that read real—that’s what you get in Ms Baxter’s books.” ~ Zee Monodee, USA Today bestselling author
Excerpt
“You can’t still be afraid of beetles!” The boy rolled his eyes. “They’re completely harmless.”
He brandished the net under Miss Linfield’s nose again, and she twisted away. “Please don’t.” Her voice shook. “You know I don’t like insects. And you know very well why I don’t.”
“But that was years ago! You can’t still be frightened of them.”
Miss Linfield slight frame trembled, and Oliver frowned. “May I escort you inside, ma’am? You have gone quite pale.”
She closed her eyes. “It…it is foolishness on my part.” Her lids fluttered open, and she moved away from the net her brother still held out to her. “Only…” Her voice shook. “Georgiana and Stephen once locked me in the schoolroom and released a snake and a range of insects into the room.” A shudder shook her entire body. “They left me alone with them for hours. I developed an extreme fear of snakes and insects after that.”
“It was only a harmless old grass snake, Harry!”
“I didn’t know it was harmless. I sat on the schoolroom table for hours, terrified to move. But I couldn’t escape all those flying insects. The dragonflies were particularly frightening.”
“Yes…well, we wouldn’t have done it if you hadn’t been such a ninny. Always jumping at spiders… Some enforced proximity to snakes and insects should have cured you of your fears.”
Oliver positioned himself between the net and Miss Linfield. “I suggest you take those beetles away.”
Stephen shrugged. “Very well.” He darted a scornful look at his sister as he marched past her into the garden.
Miss Linfield put a hand up to her forehead. “Pray excuse me, my lord.”
Oliver led her through the Elizabethan oak-panelled front door, which stood wide open. “You need to sit down. May I ring for your maid?”
They passed through a vestibule into an airy hall, which had a number of doors leading off it. Oliver glanced at Miss Linfield, and she nodded in the direction of one particular room, where a footman stood at attention. They crossed the black-and-white-chequerboard marble floor, and the manservant opened the double doors which led into a luxuriously appointed drawing room. Oliver led Miss Linfield inside and directed her towards a chaise longue. She sank onto the welcoming sofa while he strode across to the bell pull.
“I do not require the services of anyone, my lord. I am not so feeble. I was merely taken by surprise. Indeed, I am quite well now.”
He halted and turned to meet her clear gaze. “If you are certain…”
She studied her hands. “I am aware that I need to conquer my fears. I am the despair of Georgiana and Stephen as I never wish to look at any of their discoveries. My behaviour isn’t rational, but I don’t know how to change it.”
“Fear is never rational.” His voice was gentle.
“I suppose it isn’t. Yet I seem to have more than my fair share of anxieties.”
He leaned against a side table and crossed his arms. “It is part of the human condition to be afraid.”
Jerking her head up, she met his eyes. “Men don’t show their fears.”
“That doesn’t mean we don’t have them.”
Miss Linfield kneaded the material of her muslin gown and then clasped her hands together. “I believe you are correct. Men are expected to wear bravery like a shield, while women aren’t expected to be brave at all. At least not on the surface. The knight-errant always rescues a damsel in distress—it is never the other way around.”
“Those are fairy tales, Miss Linfield.”
“So they are.” She smiled. “Although you were quite the knight errant-earlier— rescuing me from those beetles.”
“Hmmm… Your beetle-slayer, as it were.”
About the Author
Alissa Baxter was born in a small town in South Africa and grew up with her nose in a book on a poultry and cattle farm. At the age of eleven, she discovered her mother’s collection of Georgette Heyer novels. The first Heyer novel she ever read was Sylvester and she was hooked on Georgette Heyer after that. She read and reread her novels, and fell totally in love with the Regency period and Heyer’s grey-eyed heroes!
After university, where she majored in Political Science and French, she began writing her first Regency novel, before moving to England, which gave her further inspiration for her historical romances.
Alissa has lived in Durban and Cape Town but she eventually settled in Johannesburg where she lives with her husband and two sons. Alissa is the author of two chick-lit novels, Send and Receive and The Blog Affair, which have been re-released as The Truth About Series: The Truth about Clicking Send and Receive and The Truth About Cats and Bees.
Alissa’s Linfield Ladies Series features women in trend-setting roles in the Regency period who fall in love with men who embrace their trailblazing ways… at least eventually. The Viscount’s Lady Novelist is the second book in this series, following on from The Earl’s Lady Geologist.
WEBSITE | FACEBOOK | TWITTER | INSTAGRAM | GOODREADSGiveawayEnter to win a $30 Amazon Gift Card!The giveaway is open to the US only and ends on May 18th. You must be 18 or older to enter.The Viscount’s Lady Novelist
Blog Tour ScheduleTuesday, April 26
Guest Post at Novels Alive
Excerpt at The Caffeinated Bibliophile
Wednesday, April 27
Review at MTM Reads
Excerpt at Aubrey Wynne: Timeless Romance
Thursday, April 28
Excerpt at The Lit Bitch
Review at Michelle the PA Loves to Read
Friday, April 29
Review at Anna’s Book Blog
Saturday, April 30
Excerpt at Reading is My Remedy
Sunday, May 1
Excerpt at The Cozy Book Blog
Monday, May 2
Review at Bookish Rantings
Tuesday, May 3
Review at Bookworlder
Wednesday, May 4
Review & Excerpt at Elodie’s Reading Corner
Thursday, May 5
Review at Novels Alive
Friday, May 6
Review at Gwendalyn’s Books
Review at View from the Birdhouse
Saturday, May 7
Excerpt at Lisa Everyday Reads
Monday, May 9
Guest Post at Heidi Reads
Wednesday, May 11
Review at Ms. Darcy Reads
Thursday, May 12
Review at Reading Is My SuperPower
Friday, May 13
Review at Historical Fiction with Spirit
Monday, May 16
Review at One Book More
Tuesday, May 17
Review at Robin Loves Reading
Wednesday, May 18
Guest Post at The Tea Queen
April 26, 2022
Love You Right by Julia Kent – new release excerpt and giveaway
Love You Right
Julia Kent
(Love You, Maine, #1)
Publication date: April 26th 2022
Genres: Adult, Comedy, Contemporary, Romance
A missed opportunity five years ago makes for an unexpected encounter now between two people meant for each other – but who square off in a very public battle of wills in the small town of Love You, Maine, where every day is Valentine’s Day. Can love conquer all in a town steeped in it?
Kell Luview refuses to be a sucker at love again. Five years ago, he left D.C. with his tail between his legs and his heart broken. Fiercely protective of his small town in rural Maine, he’s determined to save the family tree business and avoid his feelings at all costs, no matter how much he longs to solve the mystery of what happened in D.C.
L.A. native Rachel Hart hates being underestimated almost as much as she hates this small town. She has two goals on this trip: get out of the cheesy tourist trap of Love You, Maine with a completed business deal, and avoid running into Kell, her old friend from D.C. who never became an old flame because of a huge misunderstanding.
One that still aches.
When her rental car breaks down on a logging road and Kell comes to her rescue, it’s clear he’s a changed man – and not for the good. Grumpy and reserved, he pushes all her buttons, still stubbornly convinced she betrayed him all those years ago. He’s never forgiven her, and she’s never forgiven herself for carrying a torch for him.
An embarrassing incident gets the town gossip mill going when residents wrongly assume Kell and Rachel are the newest couple to find love in the most romantic place on Earth. But the townsfolk aren’t wrong for long…
As Rachel breaks through his defenses and charms the town, he faces his biggest fear: all those pesky feelings he’s been avoiding.
Because they’re all about Rachel now.
And maybe they always were.
Can Kell and Rachel fight their growing attraction in the one place in the world where you can’t avoid love?
If you’re looking for a fun read about enemies to lovers, forced proximity, heroines who get their comeuppance and sworn bachelors felled by unexpected true love, featuring a hot bearded lumberjack impervious to poison ivy, and a city-slicker, jaded career woman with a penchant for great coffee, set in a small town in New England – then this is your book.
Grab a cup of (properly good) coffee, a can of hot cocoa mix, a jar of Fluff and maybe some calamine lotion (just in case), and get your happymeter ready as you read the very first book in New York Times bestselling romantic comedy author Julia Kent’s Love You, Maine series – where love isn’t just a feeling – it’s a way of life.
✓Standalone
✓Enemies to Lovers
✓Small town romance
✓Lumberjack and city slicker outsider
… and a cat named Calamine
Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes & Noble / iBooks / Kobo / Google Play
—
EXCERPT:
“Kell,” she whispered against his mouth. “Thank you.”
“For what?”
“For this.” She motioned at the romantic dinner he’d created for the two of them, the wide table in this conference room an ample spread for a…
Ample spread.
“We haven’t even had dinner. Thank me after.”
She batted her eyelashes. “Is that an offer?”
“Rachel,” he said, moving his hand from her waist to cup her ass. “That’s more than an offer.”
He started to kiss her again, but she put her fingers on his lips. “If we don’t eat dinner first, we’ll never eat. And I have a meeting here in this very room, to try to pitch the deal again, in three days. Boundaries, Kell – boundaries. I refuse to have sex on this conference table.”
“The thought never, ever occurred to me,” he lied.
“Liar.”
“Caught.”
With a deep laugh he adored, she reached for the bottle of wine. “How about you uncork this and we start with a lovely glass.”
“Fine. The table is off the table.”
Author Bio:
New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Julia Kent writes romantic comedy with an edge. Since 2013, she has sold more than 2 million books, with 4 New York Times bestsellers and more than 21 appearances on the USA Today bestseller list. Her books have been translated into French, German, and Italian, with more titles releasing in the future.
From billionaires to BBWs to new adult rock stars, Julia finds a sensual, goofy joy in every contemporary romance she writes. Unlike Shannon from Shopping for a Billionaire, she did not meet her husband after dropping her phone in a men’s room toilet (and he isn’t a billionaire she met in a romantic comedy).
She lives in New England with her husband and three children where she is the only person in the household with the gene required to change empty toilet paper rolls.
She loves to hear from her readers by email at julia@jkentauthor.com, on Twitter @jkentauthor, on Facebook at @jkentauthor, and on Instagram @jkentauthor. Visit her at http://jkentauthor.com
Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter / Instagram / Bookbub / Newsletter / Amazon
GIVEAWAY!
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April 25, 2022
Bridges by Linda Griffin – read an excerpt and enter the giveaway
Bridges
Linda Griffin
Published by: The Wild Rose Press
Publication date: April 25th 2022
Genres: Adult, Historical Romance
In 1963, Neil Vincent, a middle-aged World War II veteran and “Christian atheist” is working at Westfield Court as a chauffeur. He spends most of his spare time reading. Mary Claire DeWinter is a young, blind, Catholic college student and reluctant heiress. To secure her inheritance, she has to marry within a year, and her aunt is pressuring her to marry a rich man who teased and bullied her when she was a child. Neil and Mary Claire shouldn’t even be friends, but the gulf between them is bridged by a shared love of books. Can they cross the bridge to more?
Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes & Noble / iBooks / Kobo
—
EXCERPT:
On the drive to Brierly Station, he didn’t speculate about who Miss DeWinter might be. It wasn’t his job to know who she was, only to meet her train and take her safely back to Westfield Court. She wouldn’t be the last of the friends and relatives who would gather as the old man’s life came to its long-awaited and peaceful end.
Brierly was bustling today, as restless as the St. James household. He was in plenty of time for the train and sat in the car reading. The car was a Bentley Mark VI, as well-maintained and highly polished as it was the day it was purchased. The book he was reading was Thomas Hardy’s The Return of the Native.
When the train rumbled in, he got out of the car. He stood patiently on the platform as the passengers disembarked, holding up a small slate on which he had chalked DEWINTER in large capitals. There weren’t many passengers, but they were briefly delayed while the conductor helped a blind woman navigate the steps. Neil’s gaze fell expectantly on a woman in her thirties, with an awful hat, but she was immediately met by a portly man and a teenage boy. No other likely prospects appeared, and he waited for someone to respond to the sign. No one did.
Finally, only two passengers were left on the platform—a small, homely man and the blind woman. Blind girl, really. She couldn’t be more than twenty. She had a jointed white cane, and her large sunglasses didn’t cover the edges of the scars on her face. She would not have been beautiful even without the scars—too thin, for starters, of average height but with small bones. On the other hand, her face might once have been pretty, and her hair was clean and shining, raven black, and well brushed. She was too pale, and the scars around her eyes were red and ugly. She looked a little lost.
Feeling foolish, he lowered the slate. “Miss DeWinter?” he asked as he approached her.
“Yes,” she said, turning toward his voice with a smile.
“I’m Vincent,” he said. “The St. James chauffeur.”
“Pleased to meet you, Mr. Vincent,” she said. “Thank you for meeting me.” Her voice was soft, her enunciation perfect.
The porter fetched her luggage—a single gray vinyl suitcase with a flower decal—from the depot and turned it over to Neil with a cheerful nod. Jane would be disappointed, especially if the girl’s other clothes were as plain as what she wore, a simple dark dress with long sleeves and an unfashionable, below-the-knees hemline. “Would you take my arm?” he asked, positioning himself so she could place her hand in the crook of his elbow, which she did with easy confidence.
“Do you have a Christian name?” she asked.
“Yes, miss. It’s Neil.”
“That’s a good name,” she said. “Mine is Mary Claire. How is my grandfather, do you know?”
Neil, who hadn’t known the old man had any grandchildren, said, “Hanging on, miss.”
He opened the car door and helped her into the back seat.
“You don’t have to call me ‘miss’ all the time,” she said. “Please call me Mary Claire. Or my friends at school call me Sunny.”
“Yes, miss,” he said automatically and closed the door.
Author Bio:
For more information, visit my website, sign up for my newsletter, and claim a free autographed copy of Stonebridge: https://www.lindagriffinauthor.com/
I was born and raised in San Diego, California and earned a BA in English from San Diego State University and an MLS from UCLA. I began my career as a reference and collection development librarian in the Art and Music Section of the San Diego Public Library and then transferred to the Literature and Languages Section, where I had the pleasure of managing the Central Library’s Fiction collection and initiating fiction order lists for the entire library system. Although I also enjoy reading biography, memoir, and history, fiction remains my first love. In addition to the three R’s—reading, writing, and research—I enjoy Scrabble, movies, and travel.
My earliest ambition was to be a “book maker” and I wrote my first story, “Judy and the Fairies,” with a plot stolen from a comic book, at the age of six. I broke into print in college with a story in the San Diego State University literary journal, The Phoenix, but most of my magazine publications came after I left the library to spend more time on my writing.
My stories have been published in numerous journals, including Eclectica, Thema Literary Journal, The Binnacle, The Nassau Review, Orbis, and Avalon Literary Review, and in the anthologies Short Story America, Vol. 2, The Captive and the Dead, and Australia Burns. Four stories, including one as yet unpublished, received honorable mention in the Short Story America Prize for Short Fiction contests.
Member of RWA, Authors Guild, and Sisters in Crime
Website / Goodreads / Twitter / Instagram
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April 20, 2022
Love That Lasts by Michelle Helen Fritz & E.A. Shanniak
Love That Lasts by Michelle Helen Fritz & E.A. Shanniak Publication Date: April 14, 2022
Clear Spring Books LLC Genre: Regency Romance
Series: Bramley Hall Regency Romance, Book Two
Miss Isabelle Pembroke has spent most of her life doing as she pleases and she most certainly never wastes time on the suitors who call for her hand. She’d rather be an old maid than saddled with someone unworthy of her company.
George Wallis is the fifth Earl of Hathwell who has spent his adult years marching in the regiment. Then disaster strikes and sends him home with a letter of honorable discharge. He is soon faced with a daunting title that he was never prepared for.
Attempting to escape unwanted memories, George succumbs to his vices. Leaving his country home he makes his way to London and attends one of the renowned gambling dens. Believing his hand is well in his favor, he wagers a bet that alters his life forevermore- one that saddles him with a wife that loathes the sight of him.
Can this forced match blend their hearts together and declare a Love That Lasts or will they throw down their cards before they’ve even tried?
Love That Lasts is a clean Regency Romance and the second book in a three-story series that will entertain and delight you with its swoon-worthy heroes and the compelling leading ladies that capture their hearts. Each book can be read as a standalone, but are best read in release order.
Available on AmazonAbout the Authors
Michelle Helen Fritz was born and raised in Maryland and Arizona with lots of traveling throughout the States. She began her literary career as a personal assistant to Indie authors and loves to see the process of an idea turn into a finished book. Michelle loves to write about dashing heroes, and the compelling women that tempt them, with a dash of intrigue, an abundant amount of romance, and scenes that hopefully make her reader’s swoon. She is the mother of four children whom she homeschools and currently resides in Maryland with her own jaunty hero who makes all of her dreams come true.
Author Facebook Page | Twitter | Instagram
E.A. (Ericka Ashlee) Shanniak is the author of the successful fantasy romance series – A Castre World Novel. She is hobbit-sized, barely reaching over five feet tall on a good day. When she wears her Georgia Romeo’s not only does she gain an inch, she is then able to reach the kitchen cabinets. Ericka loves to write at her desk that her daughter’s cat destroyed. Fortunately for everyone, she can see over it.Ericka resides in the small town of Coldwater, Kansas with her husband, two kids, two dogs and two grumpy cats. The cats were her kids’ idea.
Author Facebook Page | InstagramBook Blast ScheduleThursday, April 14 Passages to the Past
Saturday, April 16 The Book Junkie Reads
Monday, April 18 My Reading Getaway
Tuesday, April 19 Pursuing Stacie
Wednesday, April 20
Cover Lover Book Review
Aubrey Wynne: Timeless Romance
Thursday, April 21 One Book More
Friday, April 22 Chicks, Rogues, and Scandals
Sunday, April 24 Reading is My Remedy
Tuesday, April 26 Encouraging Words from the Tea Queen
Thursday, April 28 Pages and Paws
Friday, April 29 Bookworlder CelticLady’s Reviews
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April 19, 2022
Magic Touch by A.S. Fenichel
Such a beautiful cover! Welcome to the book tour for Magic Touch by A.S. Fenichel. Read on for more info and a chance to win a signed copy of the book!
Magic Touch (Witches of Windsor #1)
Publication Date: April 19, 2022
Genre: Paranormal/ Historical Romance/ Witches
ESME
I never dreamed my small curatives shop in Windsor, England would attract the attention of war hero Sir William Meriwether. My feminine heart is aflutter when he enters. But I’m a witch and a healer, and he’s a man in pain, so I heal him. Desperate to do him a good service, I stretch my powers to the limit—or perhaps beyond. Somehow, in curing his ailing leg, I unleash powers inside William. At a loss to stop what’s begun, I’m forced to seek assistance from the coven I’ve sworn never to join. I dread the encounter, but for William’s sake, I put my family’s hatred aside. Getting to spend more time with William is an added enticement.
WILLIAM
I’m mesmerized by Esme O’Dwyer from the moment I lay eyes on her. Despite our different stations in society, I want something more personal than any restorative tea she might offer. As a gentleman, I contain those baser needs, and accept her assistance to ease the pain in my leg. When the alluring witch’s touch bestows me with magic of my own, I want no part of it. But the coven’s leaders insist magic never make mistakes, and for this to have happened, I must be needed. I’ve never been one to shy away from duty, and being secluded for training with Esme is magical in more ways than one.
ESME
Trouble is coming to Windsor. The signs are all there. The race is on to train William as a witch before his power is needed, but our growing attraction is as undeniable as the battle that lies ahead.
Add to Goodreads
Now Available
About the Author
A.S. Fenichel gave up a successful career in New York City to pursue her lifelong dream of being a professional writer. She’s never looked back.
A.S. adores writing stories filled with love, passion, desire, magic and maybe a little mayhem tossed in for good measure. Books have always been her perfect escape and she still relishes diving into one and staying up all night to finish a good story.
Multi-published in historical, paranormal, and contemporary romance, she also writes Contemporary Instalove as Andie Fenichel. A.S. is the author of the several series, including Forever Brides, Everton Domestic Society, Wallflowers of West Lane and more. Strong, empowered heroines from Regency London to modern-day New Jersey are what really excites her, and that’s what you’ll find in all her books.
A Jersey Girl at heart, she now makes her home in Southern Missouri with her real-life hero, her wonderful husband. When not reading or writing, she enjoys cooking, travel, history, puttering in her garden and spoiling her fussy cat.
A.S. Fenichel | Facebook | Twitter
Instagram | TikTok | Amazon | YouTube
Book Tour Schedule
April 18th
R&R Book Tours (Kick-Off) http://rrbooktours.com
Riss Reviews (Review) https://rissreviewsx.wixsite.com/website
@my.bookish.mind (Spotlight) https://www.instagram.com/My.bookish.mind/
Bunny’s Reviews (Review) https://bookwormbunnyreviews.blogspot.com/
Reads & Reels (Spotlight) http://readsandreels.com
April 19th
@what.kerry.reads (Review) https://www.instagram.com/what.kerry.reads/
@abutiful.nerdy.nightmare (Review) https://www.instagram.com/abutiful.nerdy.nightmare/
@bookishly_kenia (Review) https://www.instagram.com/bookishly_kenia/
Timeless Romance Blog (Spotlight) https://aubreywynne.com/
@ better_0ff_read (Spotlight) http://WWW.INSTAGRAM.COM/BETTER_0FF_READ/
Ravenz Reviews (Spotlight) http://ravenzreviews.blogspot.com/
April 20th
@disneyallthe_way (Review) https://www.instagram.com/disneyallthe_way/
@c0zyevenings (Review) https://www.instagram.com/c0zyevenings/
@mels_booksandhooks (Review) https://www.instagram.com/mels_booksandhooks/
@takealookatmybookshelf (Review) https://www.instagram.com/takealookatmybookshelf/
@tm_ghent (Spotlight) https://www.instagram.com/tm_ghent/
April 21st
I Love Books and Stuff (Spotlight) https://ilovebooksandstuffblog.wordpress.com
@jennlynnadams (Review) https://www.instagram.com/jennlynnadams/
B is for Book Review (Spotlight) https://bforbookreview.wordpress.com
Nesie’s Place (Spotlight) https://nesiesplace.wordpress.com
Cocktails & Fairytales (Spotlight) https://www.facebook.com/CocktailsFairytales
April 22nd
@evelovesbooks_travel_art (Review) https://www.instagram.com/evelovesbooks_travel_art/
@amber.bunch_author (Review) https://www.instagram.com/amber.bunch_author/
@books_inthecity (Review) https://www.instagram.com/books_inthecity/
Liliyana Shadowlyn (Review) https://lshadowlynauthor.com/
@gryffindorbookishnerd (Review) https://www.instagram.com/gryffindorbookishnerd/Click the link below to enter the giveaway!a Rafflecopter giveawayBook Tour Organized By:
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