Posted in excerpt, Giveaway, romance on February 12, 2018

 

 

Before the Leap by Liz Isaacson

The ranch foreman, a fiery new designer, and an old flame that could burn them both…

Jace Lovell only has one thing left after his fiancé abandons him at the altar: his job at Horseshoe Home Ranch. He throws himself into becoming the best foreman the ranch has ever had—and that includes hiring an interior designer to make the ranch owner’s wife happy.

Belle Edmunds is back in Gold Valley after she lost her job at a prestigious design firm in California. She’s working for a conglomerate, but she’s desperate to build a portfolio that she can use to start her own firm in Montana. She applies for the job at Horseshoe Home, and though Jace and Belle grew up together, they’ve never seen eye to eye on much more than the sky is blue.

The spark between them now that they’re adults can’t be denied, and as Jace and Belle attempt to work together, they also fight their growing attraction to each other. But Jace isn’t anywhere near forgiving his fiancé, and he’s not sure he’s ready for a new relationship with someone as fiery and beautiful as Belle. Can she employ her patience while he figures out how to forgive so they can find their own brand of happily-ever-after?

 

Praise for Second Chance Ranch, Book 1 in the Amazon #1 bestselling Three Rivers Ranch Romance series: “Isaacson artfully combines disparate threads in her contemporary Western Christian romance.” ~BookLife, Publisher’s Weekly

“I loved that both Jace and Belle are strong people dealing with vulnerabilities. Liz’s characters are real people! I appreciate how she described Jace’s emotional struggle resulting from being jilted as well as Belle’s desire for everything to look okay on the outside.Having read all of the Three Rivers Ranch series, I enjoyed the move to Montana, following Tom Lovell’s extended family.” ~Nerkalj, Amazon Reviewer

“A captivating story of love. A wonderfully clean romance that held my attention all the way through. The characters in this story are in real everyday situations where you hurt, and you lash out, and you hurt more because you did. True to life stories are the kind I like best. They help me deal with my own failings and feelings. With all that, these stories show that with God all things are possible, that He helps us heal. I highly recommend this book!” ~Barbara W., Amazon Reviewer

 

 

 

 

 

 

Three more interviews, and still Jace didn’t see something in the folders—or the applicants—he thought might fit at Horseshoe Home Ranch. Finally, only one folder remained on his desk. He didn’t bother to open it. All the designers had brought a copy of their designs for the different spaces on the ranch.

Landon opened the door and said, “Miss Belle.”

Jace snapped his head up, ice sinking through his chest, coating his lungs and internal organs in stiff blocks he’d never escape. Why hadn’t—?

“Well, look at you.” Belle strode forward, her luxurious auburn hair flowing behind her like a curtain. She’d pinned back only the very front, leaving the rest to frame her high cheekbones, her bright green eyes, and her very glossed lips.

Jace yanked his attention away from those lips, which had always intrigued him. “Look at me?” he asked, making a conscious effort not to reach up and smooth down his beard like he did when he wanted to look his best. “Look at you. What happened? Did Sacramento run out of red lipstick? You had to come all the way to Gold Valley to get stocked up?”

“Ha ha.” She swept him from head to toe. “I see you’re still wearing that ridiculous hat.”

“Everyone wears these hats,” he shot back. “We’re cowboys.”

“Yes, well, most decent men buy a replacement every few years.” She sniffed as she perched on the edge of the chair across from his desk and pulled a folder from her purse. No briefcase bag. No pretentious heels—Belle didn’t need them. She stood almost as tall as her brother, Landon.

The snake, Jace thought as he rounded the desk and took his seat. Landon should’ve told him his sister had applied. Growing up, Jace had never seen eye-to-eye with the redhead, though he did enjoy trading jabs with her when she visited from her hoity-toity job at a design firm in Sacramento.

Instead of focusing on her tight black jeans and flowing top of cobalt blue—which he thought made her hair look positively decadent—he flipped open the folder to check her address. “You moved back?”

She shrugged one shoulder, the silky blouse she wore slipping a little. “My parents are on a six-month service mission in Africa. I’m taking care of the house.”

He returned his gaze to the folder, which was safer than drinking in Belle’s curves. “Mm hm.” He’d heard that before. Pretty princess left home, and instead of admitting that the world had chewed her up, she came home “to take care of the house.”

“You must be tired.” Her tone, which someone less experienced than Jace could’ve misinterpreted to be sympathetic, caused him to abandon the folder.

“Why do you say that?” Jace knew Belle’s body didn’t actually house sympathetic bones, even though she dressed it up nice and sprayed intoxicating, lilac-scented perfume across her collarbone. His gaze dropped to that spot, and her golden skin made his blood run a little faster.

“You didn’t even make a joke about me taking care of the house.”

Jace opened his mouth to say something, but closed it when nothing came to mind. “It’s been a long day. Let’s get this over with.” With effort, he closed her folder and shoved his traitorous thoughts about Belle’s attractiveness to the back of his mind. “Did you bring your portfolio?”

 

 

Liz Isaacson is the pen name for USA Today bestselling author Elana Johnson as she writes inspirational romances. Her Three Rivers Ranch Romance series has multiple #1 bestsellers in half a dozen categories. She loves all things cowboys, and will write romance in Texas, Montana, and anywhere else she can find horses and mountains.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Giveaway Details

$25 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash Giveaway

Ends 3/6/18

Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code or Paypal Cash. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. Giveaway was organized by Kathy from I Am A Reader and sponsored by the author. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.

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Posted in Christian, excerpt, romance on February 11, 2018

Synopsis

When a Valentine’s Day contest for Arizona’s Cutest Couple throws two romance-challenged people together, will a fake engagement help them win the prize?

All Penny Merrill wants to do is run her own sweet shop in ritzy Scottsdale, Arizona, but her money-hungry mother and conniving stepfather are making it nearly impossible to keep her dream alive. When Penny finds an advertisement for a Valentine’s Day contest for Arizona’s Cutest Couple, with the winnings being enough to enable her to hold on to her floundering business, she comes up with an idea that might just work—if she can find the right man for the job.

Commercial contractor Preston Ames is starting to develop feelings for Penny, and even though he’s been through enough heartache to know that he should avoid her at all costs, he can’t keep himself from visiting her sweet shop every day. When Penny asks him to participate in a crazy scheme so that she can overturn her stepfather’s underhanded business ploy, Preston hesitates, wanting to keep the fact that he’s a billionaire a secret. However, one look into her soulful blue eyes and he’s a goner.

Everything seems to be going well for Penny and Preston until they compete with another couple whose heartache transcends all of their misconceptions about love. When all is said and done, will they do the right thing and, in the process, discover a bond that is greater than they thought was even possible? Can just one picture turn Penny into Preston’s sweet Valentine?

Read it Free on Kindle Unlimited

Excerpt

Setting: a phone conversation between Penny and Preston, my main characters, on the morning of their scheduled interview on a televised news program

On Monday, February twelfth, Penny woke up before the sun appeared through her window. With all the excitement of a teenaged driver getting her first car, Penny hopped out of bed and showered, making her hair extra soft and smelly (in a good way) for her on-air TV interview. She couldn’t believe this day was finally here!

After showering, she stood in front of her closet with a towel wrapped around her body, debating what to wear. She had chosen and re-chosen her outfits dozens of times already. But this morning, she couldn’t afford to be wishy-washy. This was a Valentine’s Day-themed contest, so she should wear red. Right?

Or maybe pink. She owned the softest pink cashmere sweater. It would go perfectly with her pair of tight jeans and long, sleek boots. And Preston? What was he planning to wear? Eek! Why hadn’t she called him last night to ask?

She remedied that problem in no time flat. “Hiya, Penny,” he answered around a yawn on the second ring. “Everything all right? How are those new security cameras working out for you?”

This was the morning they’d been waiting for, and all he could ask her about was the security cameras? “Great, although they haven’t caught any suspicious activity since we put them up. But we caught another white mouse. Who knows how many more are scurrying around the place? And Ms. Forrester is supposed to come back any day.”

“I’ll help you do a thorough cleanup,” he offered.

“Thanks. Listen, I wanted—”

“Well, I’d better let you go so that I—”

“What are you wearing?” she blurted.

There was a pause. “Well, at the moment, since you just woke me up—”

“No, I mean today. What are you going to wear today?” Great. Now she couldn’t get the image of Preston, sitting up in bed with no shirt on, his face scruffy with new whiskers, and his hair standing out in all directions, out of her head. Oh, my!

“I’m going to wear a T-shirt and pair of jeans like I always do when I go to work.”

Work! “Preston,” she said, trying to keep the growing panic out of her voice, “don’t you realize what day this is?”

Another pause. “Monday?”

“The twelfth,” she added for emphasis.

Dead silence for at least thirty seconds. Then, “Something supposed to happen on Monday the twelfth?”

“PRESTON!”

A hearty laugh rang in her ears. Ooh! Was he going to get it—but not until after their appearance on TV. “You scared me out of my mind,” she confessed with an aggravated chuckle. “Please tell me you didn’t really forget.”

More laughter. “Nope. I just wanted to make sure you got your cardiac workout this morning since it is close to Valentine’s Day and all.”

Argh!

Just when she started thinking about the best way to get him back, he surprised her again by asking, “What are you wearing?”

Penny looked down at her towel-wrapped body. “Uh . . . “

“See? It’s not so fun to be bombarded with personal questions first thing in the morning.”

“I’ll try to remember that in the future,” she grumbled. “Now, can we get serious?”

“I am. I want to know what you’re wearing so that I can match my T-shirt to yours.”

“No. Not a T—”

His low rumble let her know she’d fallen prey to his teasing again.

“Preston Ames,” she said in a threatening tone.

“Uh-oh. In order for that to work, honey, you’ve got to know my middle name. It’s Preston Lee Ames.”

“I’m not your mother. I’m your—”

“Fiancée, I know. And that’s why we’re practicing our flirting, so we’ll be all warmed up for the show.”

Penny froze. So that’s what he was doing? What a sweet guy. Her legs turned to butter, and she practically sank onto the floor. “Thank you,” she whispered.

“You’re welcome, sweetheart. I’ll pick you up at four-fifteen.” They’d been told they would need to arrive at a quarter ‘til five so that they would have time to prepare. They’d also been told to wear minimal makeup; their crew would take care of that.

It wasn’t until after Penny hung up that she realized that she never found out what he’d be wearing that day.

About the Author

Laura L. Walker grew up in a large family in the beautiful Gila Valley of southern Arizona. From the time she was young, she spent hours drawing characters on paper and fantasizing about their adventures. Life became more serious, however, when Laura met her own hero at Northern Arizona University and they later became the parents of six children. In between spurts of grocery shopping, sewing costumes or quilts, transporting kids to practices, and making dinner, Laura still enjoys putting her imagination to good use. She is the author of four novels and three novellas.

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Posted in excerpt, Fantasy, Giveaway, romance on February 9, 2018

Title: The Last Wolf

Author: Maria Vale

Series: The Legend of All Wolves #1

Pub Date: February 6, 2018

ISBN: 9781492661870

Synopsis

For three days out of thirty, when the moon is full and her law is iron, the Great North Pack must be wild.

If she returns to her Pack, the stranger will die.

But if she stays…

Silver Nilsdottir is at the bottom of her Pack’s social order, with little chance for a decent mate and a better life. Until the day a stranger stumbles into their territory, wounded and beaten, and Silver decides to risk everything on Tiberius Leveraux. But Tiberius isn’t all he seems, and in the fragile balance of the Pack and wild, he may tip the destiny of all wolves…

Amazon | Books-A-Million | Barnes & Noble | Chapters | iBooks | Indiebound

Letter from the Author

Dear (Potential) Reader,

There is so much vying for your attention, I’m grateful you’ve read even this far.

I know I’m asking a lot from you.

I’m asking you to take time with a new writer when there are so many great ones already out there.

I’m asking you to take a chance on a new direction in a well-loved genre, in which the wolf is not a vicious beast to be subjugated and feared, but rather the human form is a useful tool for protecting the wilder self.

In this reworking, werewolves fall into two categories: Pack, who must be wolves for three days out of every thirty—self-aware wolves, but not magic, any bullet can kill them. And Shifters, who don’t have to change and so remain human, the apex predator, rather than wolf, the maligned and despised outsider.

Still, like any romance, its foundation is in the growing love between two characters: the worldly half-Shifter Tiberius who hates the wolf inside him as bestial and monstrous. And the unworldly Silver, who is fully Pack and believes her wild self to be sacred.

Silver is a runt with a displaced hip when she is a wolf and in a society that determines position by fighting wild, this means she is at the bottom of the hierarchy—the last wolf.  Tiberius, however, discovers real strength in her perseverance and fierceness. For her part, Silver recognizes something about him: that by denying his wild, Tiberius has sown the roots of despair.

But this is not only a love story between two people, it’s also a love story about the Great North Pack, because, despite our fascination with lone wolves, it is the pack that really defines this most social of all animals.

I imagined the Great North as something beyond family or community, something tight-knit and loving and brave and frightened. And intensely vulnerable. I imagined, like most embattled societies, the pack would be very conservative, with a traditional culture, a history, a language that was part of its identity. I chose to base that culture loosely (very loosely) on the world of 9th century England, partly because I love the sound of the language of Beowulf. To me, it is gruff and beautiful and haunting, like a wolf’s howl. But also because 9th century England was a place of great insecurity. One never knew when Northmen might show up and destroy everything you loved.

It was the Great North’s first Alpha, Ælfrida, who forced her pack to change. With humans decimating the forests of England, she dragged her pack from the Old World to the vast forests of northern New York, she re-wrote laws in order to allow new wolves to join their bloodlines, she forced her wolves to leave their isolated territories, so that they could learn human ways and protect the Pack using human law.

What results is a society that is both human and decidedly not, both harsh and loving, severe and tender.  The way I imagined wolves fighting daily for their lives would be.

I have loved every minute of researching and writing these books. I can only hope that you will enjoy reading them.

Stay wild,

Maria

Excerpt

The day of the first waxing crescent of fall is when all of the wolves who live on the Homelands traditionally run the perimeter and make sure that our land is properly marked before the ground freezes and damaged posts become hard to replace.

The entire Pack is wild. Barking and wagging tails, they lick each other and jump around each other, their ferocious jaws open and gentle. They chase mice through windrows, their hind legs scratching leaves into a brightly colored explosion high in the air, so that the pups can twist and turn and catch them in snapping teeth as they spiral down.

Not me. I have to pull on heavy muck boots over thick socks with jeans shoved inside. And I won’t mark our territory the way wolves are supposed to. I will mark it on an iPhone 6 Plus, crammed into the big pocket of a thick orange vest. All because Ti refuses to phase and John doesn’t like it.

“He tells himself he’s human,” John says. “But if he lies to himself, what makes you think he’s not going to lie to us?”

So because I am Ti’s schildere, I have to stay in skin too. Keep an eye on him.

“I mean, what were you thinking?” I ask as Ti fits the Outlast cap over his clipped skull. “When you came to a bunch of wolves asking for protection. That you’d just keep on being a human? Was that your grand plan?”

“I didn’t have a grand plan. What I had was a hole in my stomach, a vague set of directions to my mother’s pack, and a need to survive. I changed long enough to fight; I never thought you’d be asking me to give up my humanity.”

“No one’s asking you to give up your humanity, but if you refuse to admit what you are, it is going to rise up and bite you in the ass.”

“Well, how about you?”

Me? I love changing. I—”

“I know you love changing. You do it all the time. The second Sten doesn’t need your thumbs, you evaporate, and there’s nothing left but clothes hanging from a branch. I may be a crappy wolf. But you… You’re a crappy human.”

I cringe, because he’s right. I’ve never been happy in skin, but then those stupid fire fairies burrowed into my body all those days ago, and that spark has caught fire and burns so fierce that now when I walk beside him and hear his quiet, low voice or look into those gold-flecked black eyes, my tendons strain and my muscles coil and my lungs open up and my blood beats hot and fast. The only way I know how to deal with need is to run hard and far until I collapse, unable to feel anything at all.

A brindle pup barks worriedly at my feet. All of the other wolves have disappeared, fading like a whisper in the woods.

“I know, Leelee. We’re coming.”

“She’s going with us?” Ti asks.

“We’re supposed to take her along. Help her learn the farther reaches of the Homelands.” Leelee scampers on ahead, leaping awkwardly over a huge downed log and sliding down the other side, her fur covered in the sooty brown decay.

Ti clears it in one stride and stands close, not helping me exactly, but I know if I falter, his big shoulder is there for me to grab on to. I make it by myself, but I appreciate his silent gesture.

Leelee watches, her head cocked to the side, as I take a running jump over one of the numerous small, mucky streams that crisscross our land. I slip down the other side, my foot sinking into a soft bruise in the moss. She yips and worries, waiting for me to pull my boot out with a dull sucking sound.

I lift her up and give her an open-jawed kiss on her ear, but she sees a squirrel and won’t stop squirming until I set her down.

“No farther than the Stones, Leelee.”

When we finally catch up, she’s clambering over the variously sized rocks that form rough circles around the ancient central stones. Over the years, the circle has encroached farther and farther into the forest, surrounding the trees.

Leelee marks one of the stones.

“What is this?” Ti asks.

“It’s, um…the Gemyndstow? The memory place? But we just call it the Stones.”

“Like a graveyard?”

“Graveyards are for bodies, aren’t they?”

“Yes.”

“So, no. Coyotes eat our dead. That’s why we call them wulfbyrgenna. Wolf tombs. The stones are only for wolf names and the date of their last hunt so that we can remember.”

When Ti crouches down and looks at one near the front, Leelee runs up to him and looks too, trying to figure out why it is so interesting.

As soon as he stands, she marks that one too.

An ill-advised squirrel runs across the outer rim of the Stones, and Leelee turns quickly to run after it, the wind tickling her fur and the scent in her nose. I know that feeling of taking it all in—moldering pine needles, owl pellets, borer beetle, tree sap, two-year-old porcupine den, sassafras bush—until the scent of prey hits you right in the back of the throat and everything tenses and you chase, even if your tummy’s little and full and all you really want is for the thing, whatever it is, to escape so you don’t have to eat it, but still you can’t help but hunt.

She peels off after her squirrel, looking behind to make sure we’re watching.

The squirrel chitters at her from the safety of a maple. Ti stares, his hands fisted by his sides, as Leelee scampers and bounds and falls on her back and twists her little legs in the air, her belly dotted with leaf litter. A tiny furrow cuts through his usually impassive brow, and his mouth, while still tightly closed, turns down a little at the corners. His wild—that seductive scent of crushed bone and evergreen—radiates thicker now, and when I touch his arm, he jolts as if from a waking dream and blinks down at me, looking in this moment like a lost boy.

About the Author

Maria Vale is a journalist who has worked for Publishers Weekly, Glamour magazine, Redbook, the Philadelphia Inquirer. She is a logophile and a bibliovore and a worrier about the world. Trained as a medievalist, she tries to shoehorn the language of Beowulf into things that don’t really need it. She currently lives in New York with her husband, two sons and a long line of dead plants. No one will let her have a pet.

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Giveaway

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Posted in excerpt, Giveaway, romance on February 9, 2018

 

 

 

Love’s Journey Home

Olivia Dalton has a reputation in the DA’s office—tough, thorough, and fierce when she’s closing a case. Those skills are essential in the courtroom, but not in the relationship department—until Mick Donovan crosses her path. Everyone thinks he’s a player, but when an unexpected situation arises, she glimpses an honorable man instead. Olivia is drawn to him, but he pushes her away, unable to shake the past that still haunts him.

Mick Donovan learned at a young age never to let anyone close because those you love never stay. Keeping people at arms-length has never been hard for him—until he meets Olivia Dalton. Mick is caught up in a case she’s prosecuting, and he can’t deny his attraction to her, but when she uncovers the past he’s kept carefully hidden, he’s sure she’ll turn away. Yet, even with all his secrets in the open, Olivia reaches out. Can he let his guard down long enough to let her in and take a chance on love?

 

“Bellon usually writes action packed international intrigues, but with Love’s Broken Road she introduces a tender romance to her readers . . . This story is a second romance between two people who have suffered hurt and loss and are uncertain whether they can risk loving again. The characters are likable and draw the reader’s sympathy from the start . . .” –Meridian Magazine

“This book was easy to fall into and felt so good around my heart. I really enjoyed it!” –Getting Your Read On

“Readers will be pleased with this gentle romance . . .” –InD’Tale Magazine

 

 

 

Julie Coulter Bellon is the author of more than a dozen romantic suspense novels. Her book All Fall Down won the RONE award for Best Suspense and Pocket Full of Posies won a RONE Honorable Mention for Best Suspense.

Julie loves to travel and her favorite cities she’s visited so far are probably Athens, Paris, Ottawa, and London. She loves to read, write, teach, watch Castle, Hawaii Five-O, and eat Canadian chocolate. Not necessarily in that order.

 

 

 

 

 

Giveaway Details

$25 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash Giveaway

Ends 3/5/18

Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code or Paypal Cash. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. Giveaway was organized by Kathy from I Am A Reader and sponsored by the author. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.

 

 

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Posted in e-books, excerpt, Giveaway, romance, Sale on February 8, 2018

 

Illegally Wedded by Jennifer Griffith

He needs a promotion. She needs to stay in the country.

Piper Quinn has a great thing going. She’s young, talented, and the sole chef at Du Jour, San Antonio’s hottest lunch bistro. She and her business partner just have to stay open one year to be eligible for the coveted Texas Star.

Days before eligibility though, Piper gets terrible news: she’s getting deported. To New Zealand. Where her parents have joined a hobbit cult.

Attorney Zach Travis can’t seem to break into the partnership bracket at his big, respected firm—despite his stellar record. Then, Zach hears a rumor his bachelor status may be holding him back, and he needs a wife to advance his career. The girl at the bistro is an intriguing candidate.

As Piper shares her desperate plea for legal help, Zach realizes he can fix both their dilemmas—with a marriage certificate. However, their plan puts them in the cross-hairs of more than one vindictive enemy. Worse, neatly ending their marriage may be tricky due to a sparking chemistry neither Zach nor Piper can ignore.

 

 

“I have to really love a book to give the perfect 5 stars but this one deserved it! …Well written characters and plot. Would DEFINITELY recommend this book.” –Melanie Pontius

“If I could I would give this 10 stars – or one BIG Texas Star (read the book you’ll see why that’s important). Such a compelling situation and full as life characters. I even found myself dreaming about Piper and Zack one night. And the ending – so full of all the right feels I had tears in my eyes.” – NMW

“This book had me mad at my phone for not holding a charge just a little longer!” –LC

“Everything about this book is brilliant … the characters, the story, the food, the twists and the romance. Add the exceptional, funny and original support characters and stories .. biker granny, Hobbits, tiny dog, Neil Diamond … and you have a beautifully written, clever, clean romance that you won’t want to put down. I cannot recommend this book highly enough, it is a definite must read for everyone.” – lcr

 

 

 

 

 

“Wait.” Cora stopped her, and Piper paused a moment, turning back. “Look. You’re a nice person, I can tell. And I’m definitely not an attorney, so this is not legal advice. Do you hear me? Not legal advice.”

Right. Piper nodded, listening carefully, but promising with her eyes not to accept Cora’s words as gospel.

“I once knew a guy with a friend in a similar situation.” Cora was whispering and glancing down a hallway. Clearly she could get in trouble for this. “He found out he had a couple of options.”

“Options?” Piper needed options.

“He could one, leave the country. Then he could and try to get back in on a legal visa—but it could take years.”

“I don’t have years.”

“Two, he could go into hiding.”

That sounded awful, like it would involve living in a cave with cave rats and water dripping with plinks into limestone ringed pools, and like it wouldn’t solve anything.

“Or three,—and this is completely the best if you are already in a relationship—get married to a U.S. citizen.”

Married! A huge hand gripped Piper’s heart and squeezed. Marry someone? But who? She was dating Chad.

She guessed she could ask Chad when he called her back.

Wait. A proposal over the phone? Ugh. Her head dropped into her hands as she passed the Unique Boutique with all its incense and bath soap smells. This was just getting farther and farther away from the ideal she’d been taught all her life—man proposes on one knee after asking the permission of his bride’s father.

Uh, none of that was happening.

Great. So, it looked like this warped version of her life was the new normal.

And she’d better get used to it or else start planning her future home decor around circular wooden doorways and houses where even she at five-foot-nothing had to constantly stoop.

Her back ached just thinking about it.

Her phone rang. Oh, good. Chad was calling her back already. How unexpected. Her heart clutched. How should she break it to him? Instead, she should just tell him they need to meet up. This conversation should happen when she could look in his eye and talk it out in person. The implications. The duration. The…oh, geez. Now it really did feel like fraud.

“Hey, babe,” she said when she clicked the answer button. “You have time to get together tonight? Because I have something I really want to talk with you about. I mean, brace yourself, heh-heh, because I’ll be bringing up the dreaded relationship talk.”

She gave another little nervous laugh. How was Chad going to react? Her trial balloon could be shot down by his bazooka at first float, and then where would that leave her?

“Uh, yeah. I’m down. Totally. What time should I pick you up?”

Uh, this wasn’t Chad’s voice.

“Piper? You still there?”

She stopped dead in her tracks on Market Street.

“Because I’m thinking of a little dinner right on the river. What do you think? How’s six?”

This wasn’t Chad. This was Zach Travis.

 

 

 

Jennifer Griffith writes light, sweet romances she calls Cotton Candy for the Soul. Her Legally in Love Collection stems from the fact she fell in love with a handsome law school student who now serves as a judge—as well as her muse. She also writes the Billionaire Makeover Romances, billionaires and makeovers being some things with which she has less experience.

Jennifer loves old cars, landscape paintings, fresh bread with raspberry jam, and reading. She lived in Japan during college, where she once ate a cricket on a dare. She also traveled through Europe, where she slept a night in a castle on the Rhine. Jennifer worked summers in a cookie factory, and she spent a few years working for the U.S. Congress before becoming a wife, a mom and an author.

 

 

 

 

Giveaway Details

$25 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash Giveaway

Ends 3/4/18

Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code or Paypal Cash. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. Giveaway was organized by Kathy from I Am A Reader and sponsored by the author. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.

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Posted in Giveaway, Guest Post, Historical, romance on February 7, 2018

Title: Highland Conquest

Author: Alyson McLayne

Series: The Sons of Gregor MacLeod #2

Pub Date: February 6, 2018

ISBN: 9781492654537

Synopsis

HE WAS LOOKING FOR VENGEANCE

INSTEAD HE FOUND HER

Laird Lachlan MacKay never planned on leading his clan, but when his older brother was murdered, he was left with no choice. His vow to avenge his brother has led him to the MacPherson clan—and their bewitching healer, Amber.

Amber MacPherson is desperate. Dressed as a boy to escape her clan’s treacherous leader, she runs right into Lachlan—who orders her detained. At first, she causes him nothing but frustration, especially when she blackmails him into helping her clan. But when she’s threatened by the same man who murdered his brother, Lachlan will do whatever it takes to keep her safe—and by his side.

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Alyson’s Top Six Romantic Couples

February is fast approaching, and with it come several big events in my life. Not only do my kids turn 6 at the end of the month, but on the actual 6th, my historical romance, HIGHLAND CONQUEST—book 2 in my series THE SONS OF GREGOR MACLEOD—releases to the world! This is a book I can’t wait to hit the stands. The love story between Amber and Lachlan is one of my favorites. Amber is the MacPherson healer who’s had to pretend to be a witch in order to stay safe from her depraved laird while she heals her people. Lachlan’s the laird of his own clan who attacks the MacPhersons in order to bring their laird to justice for killing Lachlan’s brother. When the MacPherson laird escapes, Amber blackmails Lachlan into sticking around and helping her people. She’s outspoken and strong-willed and doesn’t hold anything back in her dealings with her new laird. Lachlan doesn’t hold back, either, and the two of them begin a tumultuous relationship that dances around their physical and mental attraction and drives both of them just a wee bit batty.

February also brings us Valentine’s Day, a favorite holiday for many romance readers! So I decided to celebrate the release of HIGHLAND CONQUEST on February 6th, and Valentine’s Day eight days later, by revealing my top 6 favorite romance couples of all time!

  1. Anne & Gilbert

When I was ten-years-old, my mom gave me the first three Anne of Green Gables books by Lucy Maude Montgomery. I got hooked on Anne’s adventures and all the different characters in Avonlea, including her nemesis, Gilbert Blythe. When they first meet, Gilbert pulls Anne’s braid and teases her about her red hair, calling her “carrots”. She responds by smashing her slate over his head. Thus the relationship between Anne and Gilbert is born, and a rivalry and enmity develop between them that takes years for them to overcome. Along the way, Anne refuses Gilbert’s declaration of love and almost becomes engaged to another man. But finally, she realizes she loves Gilbert too and wishes with all her heart that he’ll say the words again. Which he does, bringing me my first ever Happily Ever After—warm fuzzies and a heartfelt sigh included.

  1. Arwen & Aragorn

Just saying those names leaves me sighing and feeling a little teary and mushy inside (in a good way!). Theirs is a romance for the ages, portrayed beautifully by Liv Tyler and Viggo Mortensen in Peter Jackson’s filmed adaptation of JRR Tolkien’s Lord Of The Rings. Arwen, daughter of Lord Elrond of Rivendell, is an immortal elf who falls in love with the mortal Aragorn, heir of Isildur and rightful claimant to the thrones of Arnor and Gondor. In order to be together, Arwen has to give up her immortality and know that she will only die after Aragorn has died. Aragorn tries to dissuade her from being with him, but Arwen will not be swayed, saying: “I would rather share one lifetime with you, than face all the ages of this world alone.” Sigh…

  1. Mac & Barrons

If I had to pick a book boyfriend it would be Barrons from Karen Marie Moning’s Fever series. He. Makes. Me. Shiver—in a good way. He is the epitome of Alpha—strong, dominant, smart, whose only saving grace is that Mac is his everything…even if she doesn’t yet know it. There is no greater bad boy in my opinion. You just know that his reserve and icy control shields a raging inferno beneath. When Mac & Barrons finally get together at the end of book four (and yes, I do know they were together when she was Priya, but that doesn’t count), it’s like he unleashes himself on her. He devours her and she devours him right back. And what makes their love story even twistier, adding more layers to their relationship through the first four books,  is discovering in a later book (Burned, I think) that Jericho Barrons and MacKayla Lane have done the wild deed once before—all night long—and Barrons used magic to erase Mac’s memory of it. Bad. Boy. And here’s the other thing I love… they still call each other Barrons and Miss Lane, same as they always did, unless they’re having sex or in near-death situations. Then it’s Jericho and Mac.

  1. Elizabeth & Mr. Darcy

How can I write a list about my favorite couples and not include Elizabeth Bennet and Fitzwilliam Darcy? Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen is one of the first classic novels that I read and I kept the book in my backpack for many months reading it over and over, when I was at university. Mr. Darcy’s proposal to Elizabeth about halfway through the story is a shock because he’s been nothing but aloof and haughty toward her and her family—in fact, the proposal is filled with condescension about Elizabeth’s lack of social position and wealth compared to his, and he claims it’s an obstacle his love has had to overcome. The scene where Elizabeth rejects him is a favorite of mine—especially the rain-soaked version between Keira Knightley and Matthew Macfadyen. What I love about this scene, is that Mr. Darcy is undone by her. He takes her opinion of him to heart, even though some of her accusations against him are unfounded. She opens his eyes to his lack of kindness and grace and it changes him for the better—makes him into a man that Elizabeth could love.

  1. Han & Leia

I contemplated putting Han Solo and Princess Leia at the top of the list. My brother took me to see Star Wars when it first came out, so technically they were the first couple I met—but at seven, I was too young to truly appreciate the sigh-worthiness of Han and Leia. This is a romance that builds…and builds…and builds amidst verbal sparring and sarcastic jabs until finally near the end of The Empire Strikes Back they kiss—just before Han is yanked away from Leia and frozen alive in carbonite.  Irrepressible bad boy that he is, when Leia says a heartfelt, “I love you,” as they’re securing Han for freezing, Han looks back at her and simply says, “I know.” Gets me every time.

  1. Claire and Jamie

Seeing as I write Highlander romance (and love Highlander romance—big shout out to some of my favorites: Julie Garwood, Monica McCarty, and Karen Marie Moning!) it would be impossible for me NOT to include Claire and Jamie Fraser from Diana Gabaldon’s Outlander series. She’s created this unforgettable, iconic romance between Jamie and Claire all wrapped up in some of the most interesting and tumultuous times in Scottish history. I’m going to choose to focus on book three, Voyager, for one big reason: the REUNION. Le sigh. You begin the book, knowing that Claire and Jamie will reunite after so many years apart, and then you have to wait…and wait. Or was I the only one who didn’t jump ahead? Finally, Claire walks into Jamie’s shop, and they kiss, but we still have to wait as Jamie grabs the drunken Mr. Willoughby from the pub, gets chased, and takes Claire back to a whore house, before…the moment. It starts with an awkward kiss and nose bump before Jamie takes control and says to Claire, “Give me your mouth, Sassenach.” Excuse me while I melt.

Do you like my list? Did I miss any of your favorites? Please let me know if you agree or disagree with my top 6 favorite romance couples!

About the Author

Alyson McLayne is a mom of twins and an award-winning writer of contemporary, historical and paranormal romance. She’s also a dog lover and cat servant with a serious stash of dark chocolate. After getting her degree in theater at the University of Alberta, she promptly moved to the west coast where she worked in film for several years and met her prop master husband.

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Posted in excerpt, Giveaway, romance on February 7, 2018

Coming February 22, 2018


If I Could Stay by Annette K. Larsen

They killed her mother, and if they find her, Leila could be next. Being pursued from one state to another, she has learned to constantly look over her shoulder, and when necessary, to become someone new. She’s burned through four cities and four identities, always managing to stay one step ahead.

Now Leila is left with nothing. No car, no money, and no choice but to trust the man who finds her, half frozen, wandering the back roads of Missouri.

Despite the fact that Jack seems to genuinely care about her, Leila knows all too well the danger she poses to anyone brave enough to get close to her. Her growing feelings for Jack force her to make a choice. She could risk staying and hope she’s not found, or she could do what she’s always done, and disappear.

Excerpt

I don’t know how long we sat in that pickup truck, two strangers wrapped around each other. One desperate for help, the other willing to give it without a thought for himself. But it was long enough that my shaking stopped, and my breathing slowed, and I started to feel very, very tired.

“You falling asleep on me?” he asked.

“Maybe,” I whispered.

“So you can talk.”

I cleared my throat and took a deep breath, realizing for the first time how good he smelled. “Yeah. I can talk.”

“You got a name?”

Hmm. I hadn’t decided on a new name yet. Now was as good a time as any. “Celeste.” It came out sounding like a question.

“You sure?”

I let out a little chuckle. “No, I’m not sure. What do you think my name should be?” I was feeling a little bit floaty, safe, like everything was suddenly fine.

He grunted. “Angel seems appropriate.”

My brow furrowed in confusion. I wasn’t an angel. I might not have been sure of much right then, but I did know that. “Why?” I asked as I was finally able to unlock my arms and wrap them around him.

“That’s what you looked like, standing in the middle of the road. Your hair looked like it was glowing. Though that might have been frost.”

I was guessing my white blouse, beige pants, blonde hair and pale skin all added to the image.

He cleared his throat. “Wow, that sounded cheesy. I swear I’m not trying to hit on you.”

I smiled, knowing that was true. “What’s your name?”

“Jack.”

“Nice to meet you, Jack. I’m pretty sure you saved my life.”

About the Author

I was born in Utah, but migrated to Arizona, Missouri, and Virginia before settling in Idaho.

Though I dabbled in writing throughout school, being an author seemed like an unattainable dream. It took me seven years to write my first book, Just Ella. During that time, I taught myself how to write a novel. Not the most time effective method, but it gave me an education I wouldn’t have received from a class or a how-to book. Something about the struggle of writing without a formula or rules worked for me.

I write clean romance because I love it. Jane Eyre is the hero of my youth and taught me that clinging to your convictions will be hard, but will bring you more genuine happiness than giving in ever can.

I love chocolate, Into the Woods, ocean waves, my husband, and my five littles. And I love books that leave me with a sigh of contentment.

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Also by Annette K. Larsen

Giveaway Details

$25 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash Giveaway

Ends 2/23/18

Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code or Paypal Cash. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. Giveaway was organized by Kathy from I Am A Reader and sponsored by the author. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.

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Posted in e-books, excerpt, Giveaway, romance on February 6, 2018

 

 

Blue Moon Kisses by Cindy Roland Anderson

At age twelve, Ashlee Nichols fell in love with her brother’s best friend, Beau Jacobsen. Everyone thought she was cute and that her crush was simply that…a crush. But her young heart had known he was the one, and she had planned on marrying him as soon as she was old enough. Unfortunately, when she confessed her feelings to Beau, he’d laughed, patted her on the head and told her he was flattered. Sure, Beau had been twenty-two at the time, but she knew she wouldn’t always be a little girl. Just when she turned eighteen and was finally old enough to date him, Beau joined the Army and was deployed to Afghanistan. Now, six years later, Beau is back in Mitchel Creek, Georgia for a few weeks. He’s hotter than ever…and still ten years older, something he can’t seem to get past. He still sees Ashlee as a glorified little sister…or does he?

 

 

 

Blue Moon Kisses was well worth the wait. I anxiously awaited this sweet clean romance and was not disappointed. I was engaged from the first line and didn’t want the story to end. The author has a fun writing style and I loved getting to know this couple as they navigated the obstacles in their relationship. There are some funny and heartwarming moments you will enjoy- Diane, Amazon Reader

This book had me laughing, smiling, and wanting to read it all over again!- Jessie C, Amazon Reader

This was the perfect ending to The Georgia Moon books. I’ve been waiting for Ashlee and Beau’s story for a while now. I was NOT disappointed! I loved it. It perfectly captured their romance. If you haven’t read this series you need to – Sarah, Amazon Reader

 

 

 

 

 

 

Using a skill Beau had picked up in the Army, he silently approached Ashlee. He wasn’t sure how happy she’d be to see him, so he’d come bearing gifts. The apple pie was still warm, melting the scoop of vanilla ice cream on top. He spotted her lying in the hammock with her ankles crossed. Smiling at the sight of her red Chuck Taylors, he tried not to stare at the length of leg showing. The hem of her dress had ridden up mid-thigh, revealing smooth, tan skin.

He squinted at the screen of her phone and saw she was playing a game, not reading about the hot Navy SEAL. He still couldn’t believe how fast his blood had turned cold when he’d thought she was going out with one of the cocky special ops guys. He knew right then and there that he was in trouble. His thoughts might have been protective, but they were also possessive—as in he didn’t want Ashlee going out with any guy. Period.

Although he still grappled with the age difference, he knew it wasn’t a showstopper. The showstopper was how to tell his best friend he was into his little sister. He had no idea how Chase would react. Beau figured before he even said anything to his buddy, he should at least explore his new-found attraction to Ashlee. He would go cautiously. For all he knew, her crush might never amount to anything more than that. She’d liked him for so long, she may not know how to act any differently around him.

He was close enough that he could see she was definitely not reading. When he called her on it, she squealed and rolled to one side of the hammock. Before she toppled to the ground, he quickly advanced and righted the hammock. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you.”

“Somehow I don’t believe you.” Her light blue eyes flashed with irritation, making him smile. She was so cute when she was mad. “I thought I told y’all not to bother me unless it was an emergency.”

“I know, but I brought you a peace offering.” He held out the bowl toward her. “It’s still warm.”

She leaned in to look and nearly tipped the hammock over. Beau caught it again. “Maybe you should sit up.”

“Maybe I don’t want dessert.”

One corner of his mouth lifted into a smile. “You forget how well I know you.”

“Used to know me, Beau.” She swung her feet around so she sat in the hammock vertically. “People change. I’ve changed.”

“True.” He sat down beside her, the weight of his body making her press up against his side. The attraction was still there, spiking his pulse rate. He tried not to freak out and had to force himself to stay right there beside her. “So, you’re okay if I eat this then?”

She snatched the bowl out of his hands. “Not so fast. I may have changed, but I still love dessert.”

“You’re welcome,” he said when she dug in for a taste.

She swallowed and licked the corner of her mouth where a dot of ice cream had landed. “I was going to say thank you…eventually.”

The speck of ice cream still remained and, without thinking it through, Beau reached out and swiped his thumb across her mouth. “You missed it,” he said gruffly when she stilled and looked at him with wide eyes.

“Is it gone?” she asked in a voice just barely above a whisper.

His eyes dropped to her mouth, and he forgot all about checking for lingering ice cream. Her lips were pink and perfectly shaped with the bottom lip slightly fuller than the top. The urge to cover her mouth with his for just one little taste was overwhelming. It was also seriously freaking him out.

He couldn’t kiss her before asking her out. He’d been raised to treat a girl with respect. Besides, Chase had gone in with Addie to help get their daughter into bed, but he could come back at any moment. They were going to shoot a few hoops before Beau went home.

Shifting his focus from her mouth to her face, his mouth went dry. No wonder she was good at playing the role of any one of the beautiful fairy-tale princesses. The combination of her heart-shaped face with her light blue eyes and all that gorgeous, long blonde hair falling around her shoulders left him breathless.

This was too fast and too much for him to handle. “Yeah, it’s gone,” he said, jumping to his feet.

“Where’s a pool when you need it, right?” Ashlee said dryly.

He couldn’t help laughing. He’d forgotten how funny she could be, and the humor dispelled the crazy tension between them. “That was pretty good, Ashlee.”

“Much better than my date-with-my-book-boyfriend joke, wouldn’t you say?”

“Definitely.” He narrowed his gaze. “By the way, what is it with women thinking Navy SEALs are so hot? I’ve known a few of them, and they aren’t very good boyfriend material. They’re always gone on training missions or on a real mission. Plus, they’re so secretive.”

“Should I get the opportunity to date a hot Navy SEAL,” she said with a wink, “I’ll keep that in mind.”

She took another bite of the pie, and Beau decided it was wise not to check for any residual ice cream left on her mouth. He usually had incredible self-control, but being around her was sorely testing him.

“So, do you ever read any books about…I don’t know…Army guys?”

“Nope,” she said with a smirk. “I guess they’re not hot enough to make the cut.”

It took every ounce of Beau’s discipline not to drag Ashlee to her feet, pin her against a tree and prove to her he had what it took to make the cut. “So, I guess that means you’d never go out with anyone from the Army?”

A stunned expression wiped the smile from her face. “Is an Army guy asking me out?”

Oh boy, he’d really gotten himself into a tight spot. He felt like he was tiptoeing through a minefield. One wrong move and he was dead and so were the people around him.

 

 

 

Cindy Roland Anderson writes clean, contemporary romance with a combination of humor, romantic tension and some pretty great kissing scenes. She and her husband, John, live in northern Utah, and have five amazing children. Their family has expanded by adding a son-in-law, a daughter-in-law, and six adorable grandchildren. She is a registered nurse and has worked in the NICU as well as the newborn nursery. She loves to read, almost as much as she loves writing. And she loves chocolate, probably a little too much.

 

 

Giveaway Details

$25 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash Giveaway

Ends 3/3/18

Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code or Paypal Cash. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. Giveaway was organized by Kathy from I Am A Reader and sponsored by the author. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.

 

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Posted in 3 paws, fiction, Giveaway, Review, romance, women on February 5, 2018

Book Title: Sugar and Spice and All Those Lies by Evy Journey
Category: Adult Fiction, 240 pages
Genre: Literary / Women’s Fiction
Publisher: Sojourner Books
Release date: December 2017
Content Rating: R (Two bedroom scenes)

Synopsis

Cooking a wonderful meal is an act of love. An act of grace. A gift that affirms and gives life—not only does it nurture those who partake of a meal; it also feeds the soul of the person who creates it. These are lessons Gina learns from her mother.

Gina is a young woman born to poor parents; a nobody (her words) who wants to taste life outside the world she was born into and her passion for cooking is all she has to help her do so. She gets lucky when she’s chosen to cook at a Michelin-starred restaurant in the San Francisco Bay Area where she finds a world of a privileged class with money to spare for dinners that cost hundreds of dollars. A world of new friends and new challenges—one that exposes her to fascinating people who’re also gripped by dark motives.

Amidst her culinary adventures, she becomes good friends with pastry chef Marcia, and falls in love, in different ways, with, two very different men: Leon, a rich regular client who has been dating Cristi, her friend from childhood, and Brent, a brooding homicide detective. This other world, it turns out, is also one of unexpected danger that eventually threatens her life.

Can the lessons she learned from her mother about cooking and life help Gina survive and thrive in this other world of privilege, pleasure and unexpected danger?

Review

This book is a mixture of romance, a little mystery, and food! All three are a good combination in my book.

This story follows Gina – from her involvement with Leon, a spoiled millionaire, to her attraction to Brent, a police detective, to her life as a chef/cook for a high-end restaurant. Her life hasn’t been easy and she even refers to her family as “white trash” because of where they live and her family life growing up as a child.

The story is fairly consistent in pace and tone. It was near the end that the action picked up as Gina was being targeted because of her relationship with Leon. The who was quite surprising but looking back, it was somewhat obvious by some of the conversations with this character.

Gina is talented and has a soft heart, but sometimes I thought she was naive. She is young, in her 20’s, and that could play a factor in her actions. It also made me wonder about her relationship choices. She did not want to become involved with Leon because of his playboy nature and his previous relationship with her childhood girlfriend, Cristi.

I do like that this story comes full circle and Gina is able to build a strong relationship with her family despite her childhood. I don’t want to give away too much, but her mother is able to find some peace even though tragedy struck her family when she was a young child. This tragedy carried forward and is most likely part of the reason Gina felt the way she did about her family.

We give this 3 paws up.

About the Author

Evy Journey, writer, wannabe artist, and flâneuse (feminine of flâneur), wishes she lives in Paris where people have perfected the art of aimless roaming. Armed with a Ph.D., she used to research and help develop mental health programs.

She’s a writer because beautiful prose seduces her and existential angst continues to plague her despite such preoccupations having gone out of fashion. She takes occasional refuge by invoking the spirit of Jane Austen to spin tales of love, loss, and finding one’s way—stories into which she weaves mystery or intrigue.

Website ~ Twitter ~ Facebook ~ Pinterest

Giveaway

Prizes: Win an ebook copy of Sugar and Spice and All Those Lies. One winner will receive a $50 Amazon gift card (21 winners total / open internationally to wherever Amazon delivers)

(Ends Feb 24, 2018)

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Posted in e-books, Giveaway, romance, Sale on February 5, 2018

 

 

 

Miss Leslie’s Secret by Jennifer Moore

Decorated war hero Conall Stewart has spent ten years envisioning his return to his beloved Scottish Highlands. But now, with the days of battle finally behind him, it seems that his dreams of home have been in vain: the land of his youth lies in ruins, and his family is gone. Though he will never stop searching for his kin, Conall knows he must begin again. But when he takes on a rented farm in a nearby town, he finds far more than the fresh start he was looking for . . . After catching a mischievous local lad stealing, Conall returns young Jamie to his mother, Aileen Leslie—and finds the woman’s coddling of the child maddening. What Conall does not realize is that Aileen hides a frightening secret: her devoted protection of Jamie is all that shelters them from discovery by a dangerous man from their past. Drawn together by circumstance, Conall soon develops a fatherly relationship with Jamie—as well as romantic feelings for Aileen. But even as the couple accepts their growing affection for one another, time runs out for Aileen and her son: after years of hiding, they have been found. Conall lost his family once—he will do all in his power not to let history repeat itself . . ..

 

 

 

 

Jennifer Moore never disappoints. She’s one of my go-to authors. I order all her new books no matter what. This one was wonderful. I loved the setting, the characters, and the story.

 

Five full stars. This story was perfect. A Scottish small town, families trying to survive and reconnect after wars and displacement, a mother’s love for an adopted son, keeping a secret to protect loved ones, and the entrance into Leslie’s precarious life of a returning soldier who inspires hero worship (and a male role model) in Leslie’s son. Beautifully done. One of my new favorites by Jennifer Moore!

 

 

Aileen opened the door and drew back with a gasp. Sergeant Stewart stood at the threshold, one large hand holding Jamie by the arm. The child twisted trying to escape his grip.

“Good evening. Mrs. Leslie, I presume?” His voice was polite in spite of his angry expression. He inclined his head but did not loose his hold. “May I speak to your husband?”

“No, you may not.” Aileen’s hands tightened into fists. “And I’ll thank ye to release my son immediately, or I shall call for the constable.

What is the meaning of this, sir?”

Sergeant Stewart’s eyes widened for an instant, then his expression returned to a scowl. “Madam, perhaps ’tis I who should call the constable.” He glared down at Jamie. “I discovered this lad sneaking aboot my library.”

“Unhand him at once.”

The sergeant released his hold, and Jamie ran toward her. She clasped him in her arms. He appeared unharmed, only frightened.

“Jamie, mo croí. My love, did he hurt ye?”

Jamie shook his head and moved behind Aileen, burying his face against her skirts.

The sight of tears on his freckled cheeks made heat boil up inside her. She turned toward the man in the doorway. “Have ye no decency a’tall? Treatin’ a wee child like a criminal.” She jabbed a finger toward his face. “Yer library? And what would ye accuse him of then? Tievin’yer books?”

“Éist! Listen!” He held up a hand, stopping her rant.

Aileen hadn’t realized that, in her anger, she’d switched to speaking Gaelic until he answered in the same. Just as well. She considered it a far more suitable language for an argument.

 

 

Jennifer Moore is a passionate reader and writer of all things romance due to the need to balance the rest of her world that includes a perpetually traveling husband and four active sons, who create heaps of laundry that are anything but romantic. She suffers from an acute addiction to 18th and 19th century military history and literature. Jennifer has a B.A. in Linguistics from the University of Utah and is a Guitar Hero champion. She lives in northern Utah with her family, but most of the time wishes she was on board a frigate during the Age of Sail.

 

 

 

 

Giveaway Details

$25 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash Giveaway

Ends 3/2/18

Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code or Paypal Cash. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. Giveaway was organized by Kathy from I Am A Reader and sponsored by the author. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.

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