Posted in excerpt, Historical, romance on December 10, 2022

 

 

Synopsis

 

Inkerman, Queensland, Australia

Fall 1889

 

Jennie Stewart, an unemployed governess, is looking to escape the rule-abiding town of Inkerman.  After the death of her childhood friend, Grace, Jennie takes refuge with several other friends at a beach house, needing to embrace the freedom she so craved…and hopefully find a clue that might lead her to discover who killed her friend and why.

John Atheling, an estate steward, made many personal sacrifices to get to his position, including distancing himself from the fairer sex and their manipulative ways.  His ordered life turns to chaos when he finds the nanny, Grace, dead.

Being given leave from his job, John accepts an invitation from his childhood friend to join him and several others on a retreat to the beach.  He reluctantly accepts after discovering one of the men joining them is suspected of knowing the truth about Grace’s death.

Arriving at the beach, John discovers who the rest of his companions would be over the coming days, including Jennie, a woman who ignites a longing in him that both thrills and scares him.  He hadn’t come to the beach to be lured into the seductive web of a woman, but nor could he deny the instant attraction he has to her.

Jennie should have treated John as the stranger he was, but she was drawn to him, desires burning in her that she couldn’t – and didn’t want to – ignore.  Struggling to remember why she’d come to the beach, she fought against the lure of love and passion, reminding herself that love at first sight was nothing more than a fairytale.

Will John and Jennie surrender to their heart’s desire, or will they fall victim to the murderer they’re chasing before they discover if love at first sight really exists?

 

 

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Purchase from the Publisher for just $1.99 through 12/31/22

 

 

Excerpt

 

“You truly have no care for society’s rules, do you?”

“I do what I have to when I’m in town, but down here…”  She twirled around, rejoicing in the warmth of the morning sun touching her skin.  “Look where we are, John.  There’s no one for miles.  We’re free to live however we wish.”

His gaze narrowed.  “But at the end of the week we must return to reality.”

She stopped spinning, stepping back beside him and gazing up into his constant dark stare.  “I know, but then we can come back here so we can remember how to live.”  He stayed silent and continued to study her. Her heart sank.  “You look as if you don’t approve.”

He reached out to her, his fingers brushing her hair from her face.  “It’s not that.  It’s just listening to you talk of the way you want to live, and the dreams you have, it just reminds me how long I’ve spent bow-toeing to the rules of society and the men who make them.  For nearly ten years, I’ve conformed in every way I’ve been ordered to, sacrificing everything I once dreamed of.  After so long, I fear I’ve forgotten what it feels like to just live.”

Her hand went to his chest, stroking him through his shirt, the warmth of his skin caressing her fingertips.  How could this man claim to have forgotten how to live?  Even just the sound of his voice made her feel so alive.  She ached for him to know what he was making her feel, the haunting emotions that plagued her during the night.  She couldn’t tell him though, not without fearing he would think her a fool.  After all, making claims of tender emotions when they only met yesterday — it was beyond ridiculous.  Even as she thought this, she was reminded of her last conversation with Grace concerning love.  Her friend asked her then if she believed in love at first sight.  Her emotions in turmoil, and her body aching to be closer still to this man, Jennie began to wonder if she was right to fob off the suggestion.  She wasn’t claiming what she was feeling was akin to love, but she couldn’t think of any other emotion strong enough to describe what was cascading through her body.

Deciding to take a chance that he may feel something similar to what she did, she let out a shaky sigh.  “I’d be more than happy to remind you what it feels like to be alive.”

No sooner had she spoken, he took a sharp intake of breath, and she feared she’d been too bold.  She went to pull her hand away from him, but his own laid on top of hers, pressing her palm against his skin.

“Jennie, I —”

 

 

About the Author

 

Faye Hall spent her early years listening to stories about the families – including her own – who settled townships in and around her hometown in North Queensland, Australia.  The local townspeople, including her own parents, told her stories of corruption and slavery, along with family secrets and forbidden love.

Faye’s passionate stories combine controversial subjects, and provocative encounters as her characters struggle to survive the lifestyle in early rural townships throughout Australia.

When she’s not writing, Faye enjoys sharing a bottle of wine with her husband and encouraging the varied interests of their larger than average family.

 

 

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Posted in 5 paws, excerpt, Holiday, Review, romance on December 8, 2022

 

 

Synopsis

 

Melanie Beck is searching for an idyllic Christmas like the ones her small family used to have. Traveling solo and still grieving the loss of her parents, she’s counting on cozy Tall Pines Lodge tucked into the mountains of Utah to provide the elusive holiday feels with merry music, stunning decorations and traditional Christmas feast in a beautiful frosty setting.

But a blizzard turns the winter wonderland into a hazard, and a chance encounter with a now-famous high school crush has her reeling with emotions she’s never quite gotten over.

Tyler Shaw, a Hollywood heartthrob and silver screen star, is so over a grueling film schedule and persistent paparazzi. In disguise and using a fake name, he comes to Tall Pines to escape the spotlight and get some much-needed rest. He’s hoping the adrenaline rush of downhill skiing at the nearby slopes will give him the reboot he’s looking for.

Instead, he’s stuck at the lodge and is shocked to run into an old high school friend that he left behind more than a decade ago. He’s even more surprised to discover how much he’s missed her.

As their past and present collide, can an old flame ignite some Christmas magic?

 

 

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Review

 

Sometimes your first crush is your last crush.

Melanie has been spending Christmas alone for quite a few years, and this year she chose a picturesque resort in Utah. There are lots of fun events scheduled to occupy everyone’s time, but what she didn’t expect was to get snowed in with her high school crush and now famous actor, Tyler Shaw. Now Melanie is nothing to sneeze at, she is a best-selling author, but most people go crazy when they see actors. I personally would be more gaga over the author!

I enjoyed watching the story evolve over a few days and Melanie and Tyler reconnecting while trying to stay out of the spotlight. Of course, that doesn’t always happen, so we get to see how they handle the media response once they are discovered. And as the media is prone to do, they blow everything out of proportion. After all, who would believe the truth? They also have to reconcile over the past and what happened in high school, and how it impacted who they are today. There is also some drama with Tyler’s family and how he feels some sort of responsibility to them. But on the flip side, he realizes after this time away from them that maybe he needs to take a new path in his life.

This is a sweet romance with a little action thrown into the mix. It is a great Christmas read, and it just might put you in the mood for the holidays.

We give this book 5 paws up.

 

 

 

 

 

Excerpt

 

“Also, if you’re having an affair, keep that away from the camera.” His agent cleared his throat and hesitated a beat. “But if this woman is someone special, we can use that to our advantage. What’s the story?”

Tyler’s heart somersaulted.

This woman. He’d talked to Aiden about women before, mostly to enlist his help when things went the way of a three-ring circus in the media. All of a sudden, the topic felt more personal, private. He should’ve hung up ten minutes ago.

“I… She’s…” Damn, what story did he wanted to tell? Of course, she was someone special. Funny how crystal clear that was looking in the rearview mirror. Even in high school she’d been in a league of her own. The missed years weighed heavily on his mind. He had a feeling those years represented missed opportunities.

A low chuckle came across the line, and he wanted to kick himself for stammering around like an idiot.

“Well, well,” Aiden drawled. “This is an interesting development. Who is she?”

“We were friends in high school.”

“Uh-huh. And what are you now?”

Good question. And one he wasn’t sure how to answer. Friends? Potential lovers? A couple? As he considered the possibilities, his pulse skyrocketed.

“Don’t hold out on me, Shaw. I need to know what I’m dealing with.”

He let his glance wander to Annie’s book, and he lifted it from the table. Turning it over, he stared at her smiling face. Blood rushed to his head. He could definitely see himself spending more time with Annie. She was someone he’d be proud to be seen with in public, and someone he could relax with away from the prying public eyes.

But he would not be “using her to his advantage.”

“Aiden,” he warned. “Leave her out of this.”

 

 

 

About the Author

 

Darlene Deluca writes contemporary romance and women’s fiction that explores relationships – what brings people together or keeps them apart.

Her intent is to bring to life interesting characters that readers can relate to in real-life situations that combine a little fun, plenty of drama (with perhaps a tear or two), and big helpings of friendship, love and self-discovery, and will leave readers either cheering or sighing with a satisfied smile as they turn the final page.

The Kansas City author enjoys getting lost in a good story with a glass of tea, a bit of dark chocolate and a warm, sunny beach.

 

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Posted in Christian, excerpt, fiction, Giveaway, romance on December 4, 2022

 

 

Sunrise, Sunburst, & Sundown

 

THE SKY KING RANCH SERIES

 

by

 

Susan May Warren

 

 

Christian Fiction / Romance

Publisher: Revell

 

 

Scroll Down For The Giveaway!

 

 

 

 

THE SKY KING RANCH SERIES

 

Meet the boys of Sky King Ranch! The Kingston brothers are back in town, and you can read their stories in the Sky King Ranch series books Sunrise, Sunburst, and Sundown by USA Today bestselling author Susan May Warren.

 

 

Sunrise: (Publication Date: January 4, 2022, 352 pgs) Pilot Dodge Kingston has always been the heir to Sky King Ranch. But after a terrible family fight, he left to become a pararescue jumper. A decade later, he’s headed home to the destiny that awaits him.

 

 

Sunburst: (Publication Date: June 7, 2022, 368 pgs) When former Navy Seal and lifelong bachelor Ranger Kingston is called upon to take part in a rescue mission to save his brother Colt, who has been kidnapped by terrorists in Nigeria, he is shocked to find among the hostages a woman he knows and could never forget.

 

 

Sundown: (Publication Date: November 1, 2022, 352 pgs) Former Delta Operative Colt Kingston may not know the truth, but he sure doesn’t trust Tae, the woman who is caring for his ailing father at Sky King Ranch. Behind those beautiful blue eyes, he can tell there is a troubled–and smart–woman.

 

 

 

Baker Publishing Group

 

Amazon | Barnes & Noble |  IndieBound

 

Christianbook.com | LifeWay

 

Other Baker Publishing Affiliates

 

 

Praise

 

“Warren proves yet again why she is a master in the genre.”–Booklist, starred review on Sunrise

“International intrigue and adventure paired with a simmering romance equals one fast-moving story you won’t be able to put down!”–Lisa Harris, bestselling author of the Nikki Boyd Files series, on Sunburst

 

 

 

 

Excerpt from Chapter One of

 

SUNBURST

 

Book Two in The Sky King Ranch series

 

by

 

Susan May Warren

 

 

Forty-two seconds to freedom.

Noemi had done the math. Freedom lay just two hundred yards out of camp, buried in the thin shimmer of fading orange light caught between the thick-trunked Kuka trees and past the brown and yellow grasses, ramshackle houses, battered motorbikes, and the smoking campfire simmering rice in a pot.

Forty-two seconds away.

She’d have to run past the two guards who stood barefoot, smoking cigarettes, AK-47s hung on old belt straps over their bony shoulders. Clearly not devout adherents to the Islamic Haram, these terrorists who had kidnapped them three weeks ago. Not devout, but still dangerous.

“Is tonight the night?” The whisper came from behind her, from Blessing, the fifteen-year-old girl also hidden in the hijab and abaya their kidnappers had forced the women to wear.

Noemi didn’t care—the abaya kept her warm when the night closed in, protected her from the ants and moths that burrowed into the ground beneath her.

The costume also hid the assortment of weaponry she’d acquired. Like a dull-edged dinner knife she’d discovered near the firepit and had quietly honed to a fine point. And a shattered mirror, now wrapped in a piece of cotton and secured to the waistband of her filthy underwear.

But most importantly, it hid Freddie’s cell phone.

Either he hadn’t a clue that he’d dropped it last night or . . . or the twelve-year-old boy soldier who’d been assigned to guard them under the massive tamarind tree had finally become her friend.

She prayed so. No, more accurately, Selah prayed. Because her friend was under the illusion that God actually cared. Might even show up to rescue them. Nope—Noemi did the actual work of planning their escape and dearly hoped that she didn’t get found out.

She couldn’t bear another person getting hurt—or killed—because of her. Even if he might be a terrorist.

Now, she glanced at Blessing, her dark brown eyes the only thing she could see of her beautiful face. “I don’t know,” Noemi said to her question. Escape, tonight? “Maybe. Stay alert. If they—”

“Stop talking!” one of the guards shouted. She thought his name might be Jala. He was older, gray woven into his dark knotted hair. He wore a pair of tattered slippers and his ribs stuck out from his black threadbare T-shirt. She guessed him maybe a buck forty, sopping wet.

Sometimes Noemi pictured herself walking out of camp, daring Jala to follow her. She wasn’t a wisp of a girl, and her father had taught her skills. If not for Jala’s gun . . .

Noemi turned back to the rice she stirred. In it, she’d added wild onion and Kuka leaves, which she hoped might help Colt heal from his recent go-round with the real tough guys.

The ones who threatened, randomly, to execute him. It was a sort of evil game they played.

Smoke stirred up around the fire, filtering into the fading sunlight. Every night, the same war raged inside her.

Survive. Evade. Resist. Escape.

Master Chief Pete Sutton would never have been imprisoned this long—three excruciating weeks. She imagined her father looking down from heaven and shaking his head. You’re not here to survive this. You’re here to take charge of it.”

Fifty feet away, in another section, a couple men walked to the edge of the dusty camp and fired off their weapons. Beside her, Blessing jumped, but Noemi took her hand.

“They must have seen a wild dog.” Selah came over from where she had been gathering firewood from the outskirts of camp. The men liked her better—probably because of her blond hair and the way she never snapped back at them. Selah was calm in the chaos, and at night when the darkness settled, she sang hymns. But it wasn’t enough to drown out the cacophony of the savannah at night—the high-pitched squeak of the gray hornbill, or the chipped whine of guinea fowl, or worse, the incessant cackle of a francolin.

But the real danger were the wild dogs that roamed the outskirts of the camp. Feral and bold, sometimes they ran right in toward the fire and she had to ward them away with glowing sticks.

She imagined the dogs retreating into the darkness where they waited to gobble her up.

Coward.

If she didn’t run, they’d never be rescued.

Just forty-two seconds. She’d use the dusk to hide herself behind the massive tree, then scuttle through the brush and grasses, parallel with the dirt tracks, that wound through the wild savannah plains of northeastern Nigeria, away from the lush and beautiful montane forests to the east.

Away from the city of Jalingo, toward rescue.

Except, after the raid of the school there, she probably wouldn’t find anything but fear in the community. No, rescue had to be somewhere else.

Maybe her uncle’s home in southern Nigeria. If she could get there.

Selah added a gnarled stick to the fire, one of the many fallen from the massive tree that imprisoned them at night. “Did you talk to Moses?” She gestured to one of the four men across the compound. They hadn’t bothered handcuffing Dr. Aaron Hanson—not with his gunshot wound slowly turning septic. The sixty-year-old American had stopped moaning a few days ago. He mostly lay in the shade where Noemi and Selah had moved him, not even bothering to swat at flies.

He emitted a terrible odor, and the sight of him could make her weep. I’m sorry.

Moses, their translator, tried to bargain for medicine for him, early on, and had lost two teeth in the terrible wound one of their captors had delivered with the butt of his machine gun. His mouth had finally started to heal. But he sat, legs drawn up, head on his knees, humming, most of the time.

Moses didn’t deserve to die out here, not after everything he’d done for them.

The other two men, however, were bound hand and foot. Maybe because they’d been armed. Or because they’d fought back.

Because they were American soldiers who would, despite their injuries, grab the first chance to escape.

 

To continue reading Chapter One of SUNBURST, click here!

 

 

 

 

Susan May Warren is the USA Today bestselling author of over fifty novels with more than 1 million books sold, including Wild Montana SkiesRescue MeA Matter of TrustTroubled Waters, and Storm Front. Winner of a RITA Award and multiple Christy and Carol Awards, as well as the HOLT Medallion and numerous Readers’ Choice Awards, Susan has written contemporary and historical romances, romantic suspense, thrillers, romantic comedy, and novellas. She makes her home in Minnesota.

 

 

 Website * Goodreads * Facebook * Twitter

 

InstagramAmazon * BookBub

 

 

 

 

 

GIVEAWAY! GIVEAWAY! GIVEAWAY!

 

ONE WINNER:

 

Receives a set of the Sky King Ranch Books &

 

Northern Nights of Alaska Necklace.

 

(US only; ends midnight, 12/09/22)

 

 

 

 

a Rafflecopter giveaway
 

Visit the Lone Star Literary Life Tour Page

 

For direct links to each post on this tour, updated daily,

 

Or visit the participating blogs directly:

 

 

11/29/22 All the Ups and Downs Series Spotlight
11/29/22 Hall Ways Blog BONUS Promo
11/30/22 It’s Not All Gravy Review Book 3
11/30/22 Stories Under Starlight BONUS Review Bk 1
11/30/22 LSBBT Blog BONUS Promo
12/01/22 Shelf Life Blog Review Book 2
12/02/22 Bibliotica Review Book 1
12/03/22 Carpe Diem Chronicles Excerpt, Book 1
12/04/22 StoreyBook Reviews Excerpt, Book 2
12/05/22 Sybrina’s Book Blog Excerpt, Book 3
12/06/22 The Book’s Delight Review Book 1
12/07/22 Reading by Moonlight Review Book 2
12/08/22 The Plain-Spoken Pen Review Book 3

 

 

 

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Posted in Book Release, Fantasy, romance on December 2, 2022

 

 

Synopsis

 

In a war between humans and shifters, sparks, and fur fly…Until scales appear.

 

Princess Kisa, the middle daughter in the shifter nation of Dar, is often overlooked and underestimated. Always the devoted caregiver of family and country, she’s come to terms with her future as a Shield-Mate in a political marriage. Many, including Kisa, are surprised when her father names her as heir to his throne.

Kalman, once a privileged son of the former protectorate Sorota, is an outcast and a man without a future. The people of Ruinae consider him a weak, self-indulgent man. Only his trusted servant knows the heart of the soldier beneath the veneer.

Forces are gathering against the two countries, and now dragons, long banished to the outland, have returned. Kisa and Kalman are charged by King Dar to find out how entrenched the dragons are with the enemy. Since a long-ago meeting, Kalman never forgot the spitfire Lynx-shifter. He’s no longer the boy she’d met, but a man. One determined to have her despite their differences. But Kisa can’t fall in love with the enemy. Can she? Would her people accept not only the son of Sorota but one whom her family also seeks retribution?

 

 

Amazon

 

Read for Free via Kindle Unlimited

 

 

Excerpt

 

“How may I serve you, Father?” Kisa glanced around. “It’s been long years since I’ve been in here.”

This was his personal lair. Darkly masculine with shelves filled with books. Maps lined the walls and a side table with a miniature replica of the kingdom and surrounding areas. It was where he could find peace from all the demands of running the empire. Though no respite from the ghosts who haunted him.

Amaya’s portrait stared down at him with accusation I left my daughters in your care. You’ve disappointed me, Shield-Mate.

“We have much to discuss.” He turned from the portrait, his chest tight with pain as he walked behind his writing table and lifted the stack of papers he’d collected. “These are all Shield-Mate offers for you.”

She stared first at them and then him. Barely a whisper squeezed out, “So many?”

“Is it love and Shield-Mate you want?” He asked with a penetrating look. “What is your greatest desire, daughter?”

Kisa’s mouth opened and closed as she stared at him. He had never asked her about her dreams. Shouldn’t a father know his child? “Well, what is it?”

“What do you mean?” She tugged at her earlobe as she’d done since she was a babe.

“If I throw this pile of papers into the fire —” he grasped the stack into his large hand and pointed to the hearth with them, “—will it disappoint you? Or give you relief?”

She blinked at him. “I don’t know what you are asking me.”

“It’s simple––disappointment?” He shook the papers. “Or relief.”

Kisa whispered, “Relief.”

Dar threw the communiqués into the fire, where they flamed and sparked. Neither spoke while the letters—some paper, some parchment—curled at the edges, turning brown, then black, then nothing but ash.

When the last cinders drifted away, his daughter sobbed, and he thought he would too. “Someone must rule when I’m gone.”

“What?” Her voice cracked. “I always thought you intended to bind Lansdowne and Dar into one kingdom, and Orsolo and her Shield-Mate would co-rule.”

“Orsolo is shrewd and intelligent but frivolous. Before her Shield-Mating, I informed your older sister that she would not be Queen here.” Dar folded his arms across his chest. “Before you ask, she was relieved.”

“I know as children of the Darrian royal house, there is no guarantee to ascend the throne.” Kisa hugged her arms around her waist. “Who did you decide it would be?”

Dar went to the matching high-backed chairs near his desk and, with a groan, sank into the cushions. “Come, sit. This will be a lengthy conversation.”

 

 

About the Author

 

D.V. Stone is an award-winning, multi-genre, traditionally and independently published author. She writes books people want to read. Whether romance or fantasy, contemporary or mid-grade, her stories are about the importance of friends and family. About overcoming obstacles while often with humor.

Around the Fire is a popular weekly blog where she introduces both established and new authors giving an insider’s look into their lives and books as well as tidbits about her own life.

Now retired, she is a full-time author and incorporates her life experiences into her books.

A former Emergency Medical Technician, she volunteered in both New Jersey and Pennsylvania. At the same time, she worked as a professional EMT in a women’s state prison. She was the proprietor of a coffee shop and a small restaurant/ice cream stand in the years that followed. The years following were as a manager in an animal emergency hospital, while her last position was in a human medical office.

When not behind the wheel of 2Hoots—a 41-foot long 13.2 feet high 5th Wheel camper, she rambles around town in Northern New Jersey in a white Camaro. She also loves travel and history.

D.V. is a wife to an amazing husband, mother to one son, and not your average grandma to three beautiful grands. A woman of faith, she believes and trusts in God.

“My greatest pleasures are spending time outside with friends and family, cooking over the open fire, sipping a glass of wine, and reading.”

Hali, her rescue dog, always reminds her to let readers know, “Woof, woof.” Which is loosely translated as support your local animal rescue.”

 

Link Tree For one-stop connections

 

WebsiteAmazon Author Page * FacebookTwitterInstagram

 

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YouTubeAround the Fire with D.V. Stone

Posted in 4 paws, Review, romance on November 29, 2022

 

 

Synopsis

 

When college sweethearts Frankie and Ezra broke up before graduation, they vowed to never speak to each other again. Ten years later, on the eve of the new millennium, they find themselves back on their snowy, picturesque New England campus together for the first time for the wedding of mutual friends. But they wake up in bed next to each other with wedding bands on their fingers—and no idea how they got there. Over the course of one New Year’s Eve, together they have to face up to whether they can overcome and reevaluate their complicated past, look toward the future and ask themselves the most troubling question of all: what if they both got it wrong the first time around?

 

 

Amazon * B&N * Kobo * Bookshop

 

 

Review

 

This book definitely brought back some college memories!

Frankie and Ezra had a pretty good thing going in college, but they wanted different things and probably weren’t in the place to realize how much they wanted or needed the other person. I can relate to that; I know when I graduated from college, I wasn’t the most mature when it came to relationships. But that is the great thing about time; you grow and learn how to succeed in all aspects of your life. It took Frankie and Ezra 10 years to realize that what they had in college might just be the real deal.

However, it takes trying to relive the previous night that neither can remember to piece together what happened. How did they both come to be wearing wedding rings? How did Frankie get that lump on her head? How did they end up in one of the dorms? All good questions and the answers take input from others to bring forth the memories of what really happened.

Frankie and Ezra both have their issues from their formative years. Frankie and her genius ability on the piano. Ezra dealing with his mother’s cancer. I don’t think their lives were what they needed to become until they forged out on their own. I found it interesting that Ezra created a computer program that he sold for a pile of money. This was pre-2000, before the great computer explosion. I remember having a computer in 1995 and learning how to operate it, but the computers were nothing like we have today.

It is obvious that Frankie and Ezra had issues with communication and the ability to share their true feelings with each other. I don’t think they really knew each other until they reconnected at a friend’s wedding. However, each learns something from this time at their old alma mater, and they just might come out ahead in the end.

If you enjoy second-chance romances, you might enjoy this one.

We give it 4 paws up.

 

 

 

 

 

About the Author

 

Allison Winn Scotch is the New York Times bestselling author of eight novels, including Time of My Life, In Twenty Years, and Cleo McDougal Regrets Nothing. A cum laude graduate of the University of Pennsylvania, where she studied history and marketing, Winn Scotch now lives in Los Angeles.

 

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Posted in Book Release, romance on November 24, 2022

 

 

Synopsis

 

Opposites become allies to fool their matchmaking friends in this swoony reimagining of Shakespeare’s beloved comedy, Much Ado About Nothing.

Jamie Westenberg and Bea Wilmot have nothing in common except a meet-disaster and the mutual understanding that they couldn’t be more wrong for each other. But when the people closest to them play Cupid and trick them into going on a date, Jamie and Bea realize they have something else in common after all—an undeniable need for revenge.

Soon their plan is in place: Fake date obnoxiously and convince the meddlers they’re madly in love. Then, break up spectacularly and dash their hopes, putting an end to the matchmaking madness once and for all.

To convince everyone that they’ve fallen for each other, Jamie and Bea will have to nail the performance of their lives. But as their final act nears and playing lovers becomes easier than not, they begin to wonder, what if Cupid’s arrow wasn’t so off the mark? And what if two wrongs do make a right?

 

 

Amazon * B&N * Kobo * Bookshop

 

 

About the Author

 

Chloe Liese writes romances reflecting her belief that everyone deserves a love story. Her stories pack a punch of heat, heart, and humor, and often feature characters who are neurodivergent like herself. When not dreaming up her next book, Chloe spends her time wandering in nature, playing soccer, and most happily at home with her family and mischievous cats.

 

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Posted in 5 paws, excerpt, Review, romance on November 23, 2022

 

 

 

 

Synopsis

 

From New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Catherine Bybee comes a romance about childhood friends who marry in Vegas and embark on a wild ride to find their happily ever after.

With two protective older brothers and a traditional Catholic Italian mother, it’s surprising that Chloe D’Angelo can manage a date without someone in the family naysaying her romantic choice. And Dante Mancuso…oh, no. Her brother’s best friend is not a dating-app right swipe.

But when they are left unsupervised on a late night in Vegas, all of that changes. Add in a Vegas wedding chapel and a couple of “I dos” and Chloe wakes up with a ring on her finger and a hangover. Dating Dante was always a secret desire, but marriage? The rift that this news would cause in her family has the both of them keeping their nuptials to themselves as they scramble to undo their Vegas mistake.

Dante knew the rules: Chloe was off limits. Only he can’t stop once his mind starts to believe she might be his forever. Just as their attraction deepens, Chloe flees to Bali, desperate to clear her head.

All Dante has to do is keep her brothers from killing him and convince her that they are meant for each other. But first, Dante has to find her.

 

 

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Excerpt

 

“Go! I don’t want to see any of you back here until Monday.”

Chloe stood outside the back door of their home in Little Italy, surrounded by both her brothers and her soon-to-be sister-in-law. They all had small suitcases at their feet as the Uber van pulled up to take them to the airport.

Mari, their mother, had a hand on Francesca’s shoulder as they saw the bachelor/bachelorette party off.

“Mama, are you absolutely certain?” Luca, the husband-to-be, her over-worried oldest brother, couldn’t stop the concern that crossed his face anymore than he could the love he had in his eyes for the woman at his side.

He and Brooke were the real deal. Head over heels, all in . . . completely lost in each other.

Chloe couldn’t be happier for them.

They needed Vega. Boy, did they need two nights in Vegas.

“I ran this restaurant before you were born and after with all three of you jumping around. I have it, Luca. Go. Just don’t get married. Wait until you come back for that.”

“What about babies?” Gio, the middle child and smart-ass in the family, asked.

“That you can do,” Mari said with a wink.

Brooke knelt to Franny’s level and gave the eight-year-old a kiss. “Listen to your nonna.”

There were hugs and waves as Giovanni, or Gio, as he was more often called, shoved all the suitcases into the back of the van.

Gio took the front seat as the rest of them climbed into the back.

“I can’t believe you talked me into this,” Luca said to his brother. “Busiest time of the year.”

“It is not. That’s in the summer,” Chloe argued. It was the last week of November. The family restaurant was fully staffed and ran like a well-oiled machine, even with three of their employees out at the same time. “It’s going to be nothing but family and friends, celebrations and ceremonies from here on out. This is the last chance for you two to let loose until it’s all over.” Chloe reminded them.

“You mean until after Christmas,” Gio said.

“Right.” They weren’t taking their honeymoon until after Christmas. After they returned a week into the new year, then it would be Chloe’s turn to get out of town. Her long-awaited tickets to Bali were burning a hole in her pocket.

This was her last opportunity to cut loose until it was all over as well.

Chloe watched their family home disappear from sight. It was a four-story building with the family restaurant on the bottom floor. The second story was the family home where they’d all grown up, and the third floor was where Luca, Brooke, and Franny now lived. On the very top was what used to be guest quarters but now was the bachelor pad that Gio took over. Secretly, Chloe was hoping Gio would find Mrs. Right and move on himself so she could occupy the upstairs apartment as her own space. She loved her mother, but living with her was getting old. As an Italian, Chloe wasn’t going anywhere until she married, that’s just the way things were done in her culture.

“Franny is going to be okay, right?” Brooke asked Luca as they settled in for the short ride to the airport.

Chloe rolled her eyes.

Francesca, Luca’s daughter from his first unfortunate marriage, was probably already elbow-deep in gelato and milking Mari for all the attention and goodies a nonna could give her.

“She’ll be fine,” Luca said, kissing Brooke’s forehead.

The ride to the airport took less than ten minutes, a perk when you lived in San Diego and everything was close.

Getting through security and waiting in the airport would take longer than the actual flight to Vegas, but it beats a long drive across the California desert any day of the week.

“Thanks again for inviting Mayson to join you guys,” Brooke said to Gio and Luca.

“He’s a friend of yours. He’s a friend of ours.”

“Besides, we need even numbers,” Chloe added. As she said that, she saw Salena waving them over to her side before they entered the TSA line.

“Vegas, baby!” Salena all but yelled for everyone to hear.

Chloe tossed her arms around one of her dearest friends for a hug. They’d known each other before braces and periods. As ride-and-die friends went, Salena was someone Chloe could count on to be there.

“We could have picked you up,” Gio said.

Salena, who lived in Little Italy as well, shrugged. “It’s okay. I had Joey take me.”

“Joey? Do I know Joey?”

She waved a hand. “Flavor of the month.”

Gio narrowed his eyes. “You’re worse than me.”

“No one is worse than you,” Chloe and Salena said in unison.

 

 

Review

 

This book was just what I needed to read. It is a sweet contemporary romance with a little heat…and a little nail-biting action near the end.

Chloe and Dante have known each other their whole life, and Chloe has crushed on him for many years. However, her two older brothers are what have kept Dante from pursuing her any sooner than a fated trip to Vegas, where they end up in a chapel, married. What ensues is miscommunication between these two while they find their way back to one another.

I don’t know if I could handle being in Chloe’s shoes with two older brothers that have decided that no one is good enough for her. It doesn’t matter that she isn’t a gangly teenager anymore; they still take that responsibility seriously. It must be the Catholic and Italian in them. But I do like how their family is close-knit and watch out for each other.

Dante is Gio and Luca’s best friend, making it even harder for him to try to have a relationship with Chloe since she was always forbidden. But sometimes, the heart wants what the heart wants.

I really enjoyed watching their relationship grow once they accepted that they were meant for each other. It took time and some grand gestures on Dante’s part, but he never looked back from the moment they said their “I Do’s” at the chapel in Vegas.

There is some craziness near the end of the book, but when everything started, I had a strong feeling about who was behind it all. I won’t say much more and will let you discover the details for yourself.

This book is the 2nd in the series, but it can be read on its own. I don’t know what other books will come into play, but I am hoping that Salena gets a story. Now that is a woman that needs to find her center.

We give this book 5 paws up.

 

 

 

 

 

About the Author

 

Catherine is a #1 Wall Street Journal, Amazon, and Indie Reader bestselling author. In addition, her books have also graced The New York Times and USA Today bestsellers lists. In total, she has written thirty-six beloved books that have collectively sold more than 8 million copies and have been translated into more than twenty languages.

Raised in Washington State, Bybee moved to Southern California in the hope of becoming a movie star. After growing bored with waiting tables, she returned to school and became a registered nurse, spending most of her career in urban emergency rooms. She now writes full time and has penned The Not Quite seriesThe Weekday Brides seriesThe Most Likely To series, and The First Wives series.

 

 

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Posted in Giveaway, Guest Post, paranormal, Review, romance on November 20, 2022

 

 

 

 

Synopsis

 

A cursed town, a kidnapped selkie…what will happen when love is on the line?

Powerful selkie warrior Ronan must negotiate with a group of local sirens before war breaks out. The last thing he needs is a desperate human who steals his sealskin, intent on forcing him to help her. He decides to seduce her, get his skin back, and fulfill his mission. But finding out she’s his True Mate changes everything…

Widow Una MacCallan is determined to save her small Scottish fishing town from the curse that fell over it twenty-four years ago, even if it means blackmailing the fierce selkie. Though she knows he is the key to breaking the spell, she doesn’t anticipate the attraction between them. She can’t afford the distraction, and she doesn’t trust that his interest is anything more than a manipulation, a bid for freedom. But she keeps finding herself tempted…

Together, they must race against time to break the curse. But as the two get closer, they find themselves asking: can they give up love to save those around them? What is the price for their newfound passion?

Stealing the Selkie’s Heart is an exciting enemies-to-lovers paranormal romance and the first book in The Selkie Seas series by Ella Rose. Let it steal your heart today!

 

 

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Praise Stealing the Selkie’s Heart by Ella Rose

“A fun novel with a great HEA. I am looking forward to finishing the prequel. More fun awaits!”– John P., Amazon

“Stealing the Selkie’s Heart is a cute love story between a fisherman’s widow and a selkie warrior. One of the funniest utilizations of romance novel “logic” we’ve read in a while. It’s also fun to read along with the “whodunnit” portion of the book. If you like your PNR on the short, cute, & sweet side, this is a fun one to read.”– Meg Richmond, Reedsy Discovery

 

Praise Losing the Selkie’s Skin (Prequel)

“This was a really neat story about Selkies and the twists and turns they have to go through to help the Selkie Prince with his skin. I enjoyed reading it and am looking forward to reading more of the Author Ella Rose’s books.”– Jacquetta Harvey, Goodreads

“ Mythology and folklore tales are highly intriguing on their own. These stories are filled with mystique, adventure, and a sense of intrigue and fantasy that is unique to the genre. But take mythology and folklore and intertwine that with paranormal romance and you’ve got yourself a book that is difficult to put down.
This book is wonderfully written and from the start, the reader will be drawn into the story, wanting and needing more. The author writes in a way that makes you feel for the characters, yearning for them to just finally get together. The reader cannot help but fall for the main characters as they journey through the book.
Losing the Selkie’s Skin is a wonderful start to a thrilling series, in so many ways. I highly recommend this book for lovers of paranormal romance, mythology and folklore stories.”– Kristin, Goodreads 

 

 

Guest Post

 

Thank you for graciously hosting me today. As you know, my latest paranormal romance novel, Stealing the Selkie’s Heart (The Selkie Seas, Book 1), revolves around selkies and other water creatures. But the number one question that’s on most people’s minds is: “What is a selkie?” And if that was your question, too, don’t worry—nobody has to know.

Based on Scottish folklore, selkies are seal shapeshifters who shrug out of their sealskin when changing to their human form—to remove the sealskin, they must unfasten tiny hooks that run the length of the stomach. To change into their sealform from human, they drape the sealskin around their shoulders, refasten the hooks, and curl into the change at will.

My selkies exist as their own race and keep well away from humans when possible. For, all mythological accounts can agree, once a human gains possession of the sealskin, the selkie is bound to that human until (s)he regains ownership of the skin.

But selkies aren’t the only creatures that exist in the Selkie Seas world: there are mermaids, sirens, and humans to contend with.

Humans are the closest to selkies, genetically, since selkies can change into human form and pass, for the most, as anybody else. They can intermingle and breed like any human, though the offspring are born with a question mark: if the parents are in selkie form when they conceive, the offspring will be selkie as well. But if the parents conceive in human form, the offspring will appear as human until their 22nd birthday, when they may try on a sealskin and attempt to change. Not all such offspring are lucky enough to access their sealform.

But mermaids and sirens are merely humanoid. In Stealing the Selkie’s Heart, my male MC, Ronan, points out that mermaids are vile creatures: “Like lampreys in the vague shape of human women. We kill them when we can.”

And sirens are dark scaled creatures, with noseless faces and talons, who move awkwardly out of water. Unlike mermaids, who lack the vocal cords to make speech possible, sirens can and do speak the same language as the selkies and humans. In Stealing the Selkie’s Heart, there is reference to a war that has been going on behind the scenes, and it’s not until reading the Selkie Seas prequel novella, Losing the Selkie’s Skin, that you learn more about the reason for the selkie-siren war.

Regarding social structure, in my Selkie Seas world, selkies and sirens live in migratory clans, though they spend much of their time on the Isle of Selbane, a fictional island in the Hebrides off the west coast of Scotland. Both groups are governed by a king and queen, but only selkies are protected by Anchors, selkie warriors pledged to the safety of the clan.

Among the selkies, there is the myth of the True Mate, a metaphysical bond that ties them to their fated mate, whoever that may be. They get some sense of the bond during intercourse, but it’s only through simultaneous climax that the bond cements itself in place. Once bonded, the mates can experience mood shifts and emotions through the bond, though they cannot read minds.

As you can see, a lot went into the selkie mythology, and I tried to stay as respectful of the origins as I could, while still making my mark on the lore. As always, if you have selkie questions or curiosities about The Selkie Seas world, email me! You can always catch me at email.

Best,

Ella Rose

© Ella Rose

 

 

Guest Review by Nora

 

“Una froze in amazement. She knew the lore, probably better than most of the island having learned it all from her father, but to see a selkie in real life…It was incredible.”

I wish my errands could end this well! In ‘Stealing the Selkie’s Heart,’ the main heroine, Una, accidentally sees a selkie change into its human form and makes a decision that will alter not only her life but the life of her entire island forever.

The selkie is Ronan, a warrior in his clan who has come to shore only to meet with a siren emissary about the war that has been going on between their clans. When he realizes that his selkie skin has been stolen, Ronan is understandably angered.

Una intends to hold the skin hostage until Ronan helps her understand and stop the curse that has been put on her island, but Ronan insists that just because he is a magical being doesn’t mean he knows anything about curses. Still, he agrees to help her, assuming that he will be able to seduce her and retrieve his seal skin faster than she wants to let it go.

However, both of their plans are thrown into turmoil when they begin to fall for each other, and Ronan realizes that this woman—this infuriating, human woman—is actually his true mate.

Ella Rose is not an author that I have read before, but I will definitely be adding her to my list to keep an eye out for new releases. This was a dazzling novel that had everything I look for in a paranormal romance and more! Even the setting of the Hebrides Islands in Scotland created a scintillating atmosphere that pulled me in and wrapped me up in the story.

 

 

About the Author

 

Ella Rose is a paranormal romance author who loves kink, ink, and cake, and hopes you do too. She is a bi-sexual author writing through a Bi-Polar Disorder lens and thinks representation and mental health matter. She is the author of The Selkie Seas series, which includes Losing the Selkie’s Skin and Stealing the Selkie’s Heart.

Her latest selkie short stories will appear in Dark Rose Press’s Worlds Apart and Dragon Soul Press’s Beyond Atlantis anthologies. She is a member of Romance Writers of America and the Paranormal Romance Guild.

 

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Giveaway

 

This giveaway is for 2 print or ebook copies.

Print is open to Canada and the U.S. only, and the ebook is open worldwide.

This giveaway ends on November 24, 2022 midnight, pacific time.

Entries are accepted via Rafflecopter only.

 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

Posted in 5 paws, fiction, Review, romance, War on November 15, 2022

 

 

Synopsis

 

Nettie and Andy have been soul mates since the sandbox days. While planning their wedding, Andy deploys to South Vietnam for a year. Unable to quell her anxiety about Andy, Nettie dives into her work as a nursing intern in the emergency room. She inadvertently walks in on a nursing supervisor and surgeon during a late-night tryst in the shadowy recesses of the hospital. The vengeful lovers initiate a campaign to discredit Nettie and sabotage her internship.

In Southeast Asia, Andy is leading a reconnaissance squad when he receives orders to escort a high-ranking female freedom fighter, Bien, to a clandestine meeting with an enemy officer who wants to defect. Raped, beaten, and left for dead by North Vietnamese soldiers, Bien is suspicious of the enemy officer’s motives. But something tells her he may be the long-lost brother that her attackers conscripted into their army as a child. Andy believes his unit is walking into a trap that could cost him everything.

Struggling to survive in different worlds, Nettie and Andy navigate the best and worst of human nature as they try to find their way back to each other.

 

 

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Praise

 

In this wise and beautiful novel, Pam Webber writes about two kinds of courage: the kind that goes to war, and the kind that stays home. Set in 1972, Webber tells the story of Nettie, a nursing intern who works in the emergency room of a Virginia hospital, and Andy, her soulmate, who is sent to Vietnam to be a squad leader. An inspiring story of love, resilience and faith.  –  Susan Breen, author of the Maggie Dove mystery series

I highly recommend this book to those who not only want to read a great story, but also feel what real love, respect, and caring are about–what duty, honor, and country really mean. – Edythe A. McGoff, MSN, RN, CEN, FAEN, Lt. Col. USAF (Ret)

 

 

Review

 

Life Dust – One who is left behind.

I’ll start by saying that I loved this book! This story is told from two points of view – Andy and Nettie. They are an engaged couple in the early 1970s, and he is shipped out to Vietnam to fight in the war. Nettie is a nursing student doing an internship at a local hospital. Despite being separated, they are still connected through letters and a few phone calls that Andy is lucky enough to be able to make from the jungles of Vietnam.

While I have no idea how accurate the details are of the war in Vietnam, I found myself rethinking what I did know and what the people were fighting for over there. The book also brings to light MIA and POWs. I was impressed that the author included an organization that was formed during this time to help bring home these missing men and the lengths they went to in fighting politicians and the Pentagon to gather more information and bring closure for families.

I loved how the story was told from both Andy’s and Nettie’s points of view. They were both experiencing different things, and seeing it through their eyes gave me a better understanding of their lives. Andy led a squad of men that did recon work to determine where the North Vietnamese were located and determine if there was anything the military needed to know about their actions. There are many tense moments, as you can imagine, and I have more respect than ever for our military and what they do to protect us. Nettie has her own issues at the hospital where she is interning, from a head nurse that has taken an instant dislike to her and sets out to make her life miserable. The bright spot in all of this is Mr. Pepper, a dying patient, but he forges a bond of friendship with Nettie. Turns out, there is a lot more to his story that we learn as time passes.

Even with all of the turmoil in their lives, neither one loses faith in themselves and a higher power. This faith helps them endure strenuous situations and believe that all will be right in the world.

While this is a sequel to Moon Water, this book can be read independently. I now want to go back and read this book to watch Andy and Nettie’s relationship blossom.

We give this book 5 paws up.

 

 

 

 

 

 

About the Author

 

As the Amazon bestselling author of The Wiregrass and Moon Water, Pam Webber has won accolades from Historical Novel Society, Southern Literary Review, and Ingram Book Buzz. She has been a featured panelist at Virginia Festival of the Book, the Library of Virginia, and James River Writers, and speaks to literary groups and book clubs.

 

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Posted in 4 paws, Review, romance on November 3, 2022

 

 

Synopsis

 

Sometimes to follow your heart, you have to break the rules.

Amish girls don’t dance. Dancing is against the rules, and Nora Beiler always follows the rules…until a runaway logging truck shatters her world forever. Desperate to heal from the accident, she enrolls in Shuffle off to Fitness, an exercise class at the local senior center. She never dreamed it involved tap-dancing…or just how much she’d love to dance.

Exiled from Nashville, country music star Tucker McClure has no one to blame but himself. Weekly gigs at the local farmers’ market keep the demons at bay. The last thing he expects is to find himself in an old folks’ fitness class…dancing with a girl who makes him question everything he ever thought he wanted.

Will the past drive Nora and Tucker apart? Or can love bridge the gap between hearts and worlds?

 

 

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Review

 

What a sweet romance novel! It’s not all champagne and roses for Nora and Tucker, but there is enough conflict to create a little tension for these two.

Nora is Amish, lost her husband, and is raising her daughter. On top of that, she was badly injured in an accident and had her hip replaced at 32. Due to her culture and lifestyle, her rehab isn’t going as well as expected until her doctor recommends an exercise class at the senior center. I don’t know about you, but I am not sure how I would feel being referred to a senior center for rehab. However, this is the best thing that could happen to Nora. She realizes she loves to dance, she becomes friends with the Englishers, and falls in love.

Tucker is a country & western singer that ran into some trouble and is trying to find his way back. Luckily, his grandfather is in the same exercise class as Nora. They don’t hit it off but soon realize that they have a lot in common despite their differences.

I admire the Amish for the simple life that they lead. I can’t imagine living that way, but if that is how you were brought up, you don’t know any different. However, exposure to the outside world can cement your feelings or draw you into another life. Nora struggles with many things and isn’t always pleasant to be around. Considering all that she has gone through, it isn’t surprising that her outlook in the beginning is so negative.

I enjoyed watching the characters battle their issues and come out as better people. Nora’s daughter, Rebecca, is quite the spitfire. She may be 10, but she is going on 20. She is smart and loves to ask questions. She also isn’t afraid to give her opinion.

I had forgotten that this is the second book in a series, but you do not need to read the first book. I had read the first book over a year ago, and it didn’t dawn on me that this was part of a series since the main characters from book one only make a guest appearance. But things started clicking when they did make the appearance.

Overall, a sweet read, and we give it 4 paws up.

 

 

 

 

 

About the Author

 

Wendy Rich Stetson is a New York City girl who still considers the Central Pennsylvania countryside to be her home.  She grew up road tripping in a 1979 VW camper van, and she keeps a running list of favorite roadside attractions from coast to coast.  Now an author of sweet, small-town romance, Wendy is no stranger to storytelling.  She’s a Broadway and television actress, an audiobook narrator, and a mom who likes nothing more than collaborating on children’s books with her teenage artist daughter.  Wendy lives in Upper Manhattan with her family of three and rambunctious Maine Coon kitty.

 

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