Joy to the Wolves

by Terry Spear

Publication Date: 9/29/2020

Synopsis

Meet the shifters of the Red Wolf pack…

Close quarters make for a cozy Christmas…

As Christmas approaches, red wolf shifter Brooke Cerise unexpectedly inherits an antique shop in Portland, Oregon. But when a missing reindeer calf turns up on her property, she becomes embroiled in a kidnapping case and the primary suspect of far-too-intriguing shifter Detective Josh Wilding.

Josh doesn’t intend to fall for the mysterious new woman in town, but Brooke gets under his skin from the moment they meet, and he can’t help his instinct to protect her. These red wolves are both on the hunt for love, but there’s a mystery to solve before they can enjoy their holiday happy-ever-after.

Amazon * B&N * Apple * Kobo

Bookshop * BAM * Walmart

Excerpt

Brooke called the first reindeer ranch she could find the number for while she hurried to leave the boxes outside for the recyclable trash. When she returned to the shop, someone from the ranch picked up the call.

“Hi, I’m Brooke Cerise, and a reindeer calf showed up—­” She quit speaking when she saw a tall, dark, and handsome man walk into her shop wearing a suit, a parka, and a badge. He’d better not be the bozo at the police bureau who had hung up on her!

The man glanced at the reindeer calf and then moved through the customers taking pictures of him. He reached Brooke, his posture saying he was in charge and going to get to the bottom of this. “This deer belongs to Wilding Reindeer Ranch. Do you care to explain why he’s in your shop?” He raised a dark brow. He had an Indiana Jones-­type build—­muscled enough to swing across caverns and climb tall peaks, nice broad shoulders, physically fit, not like he sat around in an office eating too many doughnuts. “This is your shop, correct?”

“Yes. I’m Brooke Cerise, the owner.”

That was when she smelled the officer’s scent and realized he was a red wolf like her. Wild, wolfish, and an Ivory fragrance. A red-­wolf pack was located outside Portland, but on her visits to see her great-­aunt, she hadn’t had time to meet anyone. She hoped it wouldn’t be a problem for her to move into the area without contacting the pack leaders first. Did he belong to the pack? Not that she could ask him in front of her human customers.

She said to the man on the phone, “Uh, sorry, it looks like I just found where the calf belongs.”

“No problem. Thanks for calling and checking with us.”

“You’re welcome. Have a great day.” She ended the call. “I called it in, but the officer I spoke to thought it was a crank call. The reindeer just walked into my courtyard.”

“I’m Detective Wilding, an investigator with the Portland Police Bureau. I’ve called the ranch, and someone’s coming to pick him up.” He had a nice, manly voice, warm and sexy like one of her favorite narrators of the romance audiobooks that she enjoyed listening to. He took a deep breath of her scent too. She wondered if he’d known her great-­aunt.

Brooke realized she was getting so much publicity that the police must have seen the news that the reindeer was at her open house and sent an investigator to investigate.

“I need to get your statement,” he said, all official-­like.

As if she were at fault for the reindeer calf being here! Hopefully, the other local wolves were a lot more welcoming than he was. That was all she needed though. To be considered a rogue wolf who committed crimes!

“By the way, you don’t leave anything important in your trash, do you? Like credit-­card or bank-­account information without shredding it?”

“No, why?”

“Someone was looking at your boxes.”

“Maybe to use for packing boxes?”

“Maybe.”

More people crowded into her shop. Brooke sure hoped people were going to purchase something and not just come to see the reindeer. Though she had to admit the little fellow made for a great marketing tool with all the social network shares that were going on. It was putting her shop on the map. He was adorable, and he seemed to be enjoying all the company.

Several of the customers were still texting about the reindeer and posting about her shop, and a few people had migrated to the drinks and food and begun to enjoy them. Then a couple of customers brought items over to her checkout counter. Yes!

“Sorry, why don’t you do your police-­officer duty and take care of the reindeer? I’ll give you a statement when things slow down, Officer,” she told Detective Wilding. She didn’t expect him to do anything with the reindeer, but she hoped he’d leave her alone while she was checking out her customers.

“Detective,” he corrected her. He situated himself right next to the checkout counter, waiting for her to finish ringing up her sales.

How annoying!

The ladies thanked her and smiled at the detective, who smiled back at them with a little lift to one corner of his mouth, giving him a charmingly handsome appearance. The ladies took their packages and left. Brooke glanced in the direction of the other people in her shop, wishing a whole bunch of customers would inundate her with merchandise to ring up so she could ignore the detective further, but nope. That meant she was at the detective’s mercy. Again. Darn it.

“Okay, give me your statement now.” He stood there tall and imposing, his dark hair windswept, his dark-­brown eyes capturing her gaze, powerful, demanding. There was no smile for her.

“He was eating holly berries off my shrub. Someone had left the gate open.”

“Not you, of course.”

“Of course not. I always close it.” Brooke folded her arms across her chest. She knew that was a defensive posture when she had nothing to be defensive about. She had nothing to do with stealing the reindeer!

“But you didn’t lock it.”

“Usually, I do.” She let out her breath. “I must have forgotten.”

“But you didn’t forget to close the gate.”

He might be gorgeous to look at, but he was annoying her to pieces. She was a law-­abiding citizen, and she wasn’t in the market for a reindeer calf. How could he make her feel like she was guilty of a crime just because she must not have locked her gate last night?

“The latch needs to be replaced.” She hated having to concede that to the detective.

“Faulty latch, hmm,” he said, writing it down.

Oh, for heaven’s sake. You’d think she’d committed the crime of the century!

About the Author

USA Today bestselling author Terry Spear has written over forty paranormal romances. Heart of the Wolf was named a Publishers Weekly Best Book of the Year and Billionaire in Wolf’s Clothing was a Romantic Times Top Pick. A retired officer of the U.S. Army Reserves, Terry also creates award-winning teddy bears. She lives in Spring, Texas.

Website * Facebook * Twitter * Goodreads

Giveaway

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Synopsis

Love in the time of war.

Highland Heart is a sensual historical romance set in England and the Scottish Highlands in 1745 at the time of the second Jacobite Rebellion. (Think Tom Jones!) The romantic involvement is between a French aristocrat who is part Scottish and a British army officer who finds her as desirable as she finds him. Try as hard as they might, their overwhelming passion for each other cannot be denied. But people and events come between them nearly destroying their relationship since they are politically on opposite sides.

Amazon * Google * Luminosity Publishing

Excerpt

“What will you do with him?” Madeleine asked, her face pale, lower lip trembling.

“He’ll be our prisoner until we’re well out of here. I’ll not be hung as a traitor by the English.”

Andrew turned to Gareth. “They say you’re a brave soldier and that your men respect you. We’ll do you no harm. Unlike your people, we’re not butchers.”

But Gareth wasn’t accepting what her cousin said. It took the same four men to subdue him, and finally, the giant, Fergus, rendered Gareth unconscious with a hard blow to the jaw.

“Is he all right?” she asked with a wavering voice.

“He’ll be fine, lassie,” Andrew reassured her.

“There was no other way to get the bonds on him,” Fergus said. “The mon has the strength of a demon.”

She remained in the cave, waiting for Gareth to regain consciousness, unable to bring herself to leave until she knew for certain that he would truly be all right. As he began to moan softly, she brought a cloth and some water to wash the blood from his face.

When his eyes opened, Gareth at first looked puzzled. Then a flicker of memory came into those glittering sapphire eyes and he seemed to recall the circumstances which brought him into his current situation.

“Untie me,” he demanded of her in a soft, urgent voice.

She shook her head. “I cannot do it. They won’t hurt you. Andrew promised.”

“The promise of a barbarian? And what’s that worth?” He sounded bitter and cynical.

“At least as much as yours,” she countered, pressing his bruised face a little too gingerly with the cloth. “My cousin is a man of honor.”

“Careful!” he said, squirming from the pain.

“You’ve nothing to fear.”

“As if I could trust you!” he spat out angrily.

She stared at him in surprise. “You think I betrayed you in some way?”

“Didn’t you? You knew I followed you here and you told them.”

“I did no such thing! I never dreamed you’d follow us. Why would I? And why did you follow us anyway?” She eyed him suspiciously.

“I thought you might be coming to your cousin.”

“How clever you are,” she said.

“Not near clever enough.”

Her heart hurt; she felt a deep sense of regret and disappointment. He obviously held a low opinion of her.

Andrew joined them at that moment. “Madeleine, I think we might try a bit of a ploy. Tell my mother what has happened. Ask her what she thinks about telling the English soldiers that we hold Eriksen. We could promise to return him if they leave here.”

“They have orders, MacCarnan. If I die, the next man in line will take command, and so forth. It will never end until you’re taken into custody or dead. I’m a worthless hostage to you.” Gareth’s voice was quiet and tightly controlled.

“We’ll see,” her cousin said.

Madeleine saw that Andrew’s face had grown paler and he looked very weak. Gently, she helped him to lie down. He pressed his cheek to hers and kissed her affectionately on the lips. She felt Gareth’s accusing eyes upon her and could hardly breathe as if a granite weight were pressed against her chest.

“Someday, there will be a time for us. I promise ye that, my bonnie lass.” Andrew’s smile was warm as the sun on a summer’s day.

“Rest now,” she said. “Grow strong that you may leave this place.”

His hand held hers until he finally slept. Turning away from Andrew, she saw Gareth’s eyes coldly watching her. His expression was so closed, she hardly knew what he was thinking. The extent of the control he could exercise over his emotions truly amazed her. It also frightened her. He gave away nothing.

“Come here,” he said in a voice that was deadly calm. His hooded eyes possessed her own the way a cobra would mesmerize its victim.

She did not want to move, yet her legs seemed to carry her of their own volition.

“Tell my men where I am,” he said quietly. “Help me escape from here.”

“I cannot do that and you know it!”

“I know nothing of the sort. If you care about me at all then you must help me escape.”

She shook her head. “I do care, but what you ask is impossible.”

“Talk softly. They are paying no attention to us at the moment, but if you raise your voice again, you’ll alert them.”

She pressed a compress against his face and then to his lips which were also badly battered. His lips kissed her fingertips, sending queer little quivers through her belly and heat through her blood.

“Help me,” he whispered. “You must.” He began sucking on her fingertips.

She quickly pulled her hand away.

About the Author

Multiple award-winning author, Jacqueline Seewald, has taught creative, expository and technical writing at Rutgers University as well as high school English. She also worked as both an academic librarian and an educational media specialist. Twenty of her books of fiction have been published to critical praise. She enjoys painting landscapes and singing along to all kinds of music.

Blog

Synopsis

‘Did you ever ponder the sheer absurdity of the story told in the New Testament? That humanity’s redemption lay in the execution of God’s only son?’

Elliot Ambrose is one of the few souls on Earth who knows the truth about Yeshua of Nazareth. His determination to expose this truth throws him into conflict with an ancient and powerful foe, who will stop at nothing to protect their secrets. A war started in Judea two thousand years ago culminates in a final battle in the twenty-first century.

This dark, gripping, time-shift thriller will appeal to fans of Dan Brown, S. J Parris, and Raymond Khoury.

Read for free via Kindle Unlimited

Excerpt

Pilate’s head was spinning. The auditorium floor, far beneath him, was as a choppy sea. The faces in the audience swayed. He sat, and felt physical relief wash over him.

‘We shall resume,’ Evandrus announced in a voice that pounded at Pilate’s fragile head, ‘with the defence.’

Yossef of Arimathea stood. Even at distance, and through the vinous fog, Pilate could sense the man’s fear.

This really matters to the man. Why?

‘Prefect, Boaz Ben-Jada has painted a picture for you of a violent agitator. I do not intend to waste your time counteracting the ridiculous claims put forward. I have too much respect for your intellect to consider such an approach necessary. The Sanhedrin are as transparent as they are false.’

There was a collective animal reaction from the Sanhedrin, hissing, snarling and muttering. Pilate did not bother to steel himself against the flattery. He enjoyed flattery, perhaps even encouraged it from time to time, but he was practised in ensuring that it would not avail petitioners too much.

‘Instead I hope to show you the type of man Yeshua is.’

Was Tavarius speaking truly? Does the advocate mean to prove that a god stands before me, awaiting my judgement? Well, good luck, advocate.

Pilate looked at Yeshua, whose hands worried over each other, while his eyes darted about the auditorium. Nothing could seem less powerful, less divine. And then, the man was transformed. His posture became straight, his body and face steel. It was a look Pilate associated with his strongest military commanders. Men who would not bend, and would die before they broke, men who would use their very corpses as obstacles to Rome’s many enemies. Yeshua stared directly at Pilate then, and the Prefect of Judea wilted beneath the man’s gaze.

Fire. This man is fire, and he has come to burn me.

About the Author

Francis Chapman, author of the thriller Book of Yeshua, was born in 1988 in Portsmouth, England. However, that would not have been his first choice of birthplace, and you certainly shouldn’t hold that against him.

He currently lives in Surrey, with his partner (and editor), three children, and a menagerie of badly behaved animals (six cats, three chickens, and a tortoise). He has had many jobs, including being a bartender, a copywriter, a magazine editor, and a Historic Property Steward at Stone Henge.

Francis studied Philosophy, which he greatly enjoyed, but he is most passionate about his writing. Most of his ideas come to him in the shower, or whilst walking his daughters to school.

During those brief moments when Francis isn’t writing, reading, or attempting to parent his children, he enjoys American football, learning Japanese, and is more than a little bit obsessed with the American reality TV show Survivor.

Website * Twitter * Goodreads

Synopsis

From the author of THE LANE BETRAYAL comes the second novel in the Time Box saga.

Months after stealing two time machines from a madman who wants them back, the Lanes, a family of six, seek safety and contentment in 1893, the latest stop on a journey through time. While parents Mark and Mary find relief at Chicago’s World’s Columbian Exposition, an extravaganza of science and splendor, children Jeremy, Laura, and Ashley find romance, friendship, and thrills.

Older son Jordan, meanwhile, heads west in search of answers. Grieving the loss of a lover from 1865, he travels to Virginia City, Nevada, where he integrates himself into a storied mining community and the heart of a pretty library clerk.

Billionaire Robert Devereux could not care less. Reeling from the theft of his million-dollar devices, he sends an assassin to the past to retrieve his property and rid the world of his former business partner and his troublesome clan.

Filled with humor, heartbreak, and suspense, THE FAIR follows a modern family on the adventure of a lifetime as they navigate their way through an unforgettable year in American history.

Read for free on Kindle Unlimited

Review

This book picks up where The Lane Betrayal ends. The Lane family has traveled to 1893 and has decided upon Chicago as its destination once they arrive in that time to attend The World Fair. The sites and exhibits sound amazing and what a wonderful way to learn about other parts of the world long before the internet. Plus you can touch, feel, and taste what was being offered.

This book really focuses on the two sons, Jordan and Jeremy.  Jordan decides to head out west to recover from losing a second love in the last book. On the train, he meets a woman that is a librarian in Virginia City, Nevada. He never expected to find love again, but he does. Not with the librarian from the train, but her adopted daughter. The relationship between Jordan and Jessie is intriguing and filled with new adventures for both of them. I have to admit, women were not afraid to shoot guns back then and Jessie is no different. Those skills come in handy later in the book.

Jeremy also finds love with a high society woman, Ivy, that he meets at the fair. While they might rub each other wrong at first, it doesn’t take long for them to recognize the love they have for each other. The only downside is that she is already engaged to someone else. Plus, she is from a wealthy family and what would Jeremy have to offer that would win her parents over? I loved the adventures they had together. They meet once a week and explore the fair, other towns, beaches, and much more.

Laura Lane has a small story in this book and strikes up a friendship with Prudence O’Leary that is from Ireland and is a commercial graphics illustrator. These two become best friends quickly and Prudence has a quick wit about her. It was nice to see Laura branch out and find someone she could befriend. Granted, their friendship almost ends but not due to anything Laura or Prudence say or do, but rather at the hands of a villain. You’ll have to read the book to find out more.

I enjoyed the historical aspects of this book especially learning more about The World Fair, and from the descriptive text, I felt like I was there in a small way. The author shares notes on his research in the notes and he did not skimp on the details. The Lane’s have some information downloaded to their phones but not a lot since I’m sure they didn’t plan to arrive here before they left 2021. But that at least forwarns them of some events.

They are still not safe and are still trying to lay low to avoid detection from Robert and his desire for revenge. They are doing pretty well until a few letters are unearthed that reference one of the Lane family members. This sets Robert on their trail again and Silas, the assassin, nearly succeeds in eliminating one of the Lane family members. I won’t say which one because Silas is in for quite a surprise himself.

There are many happy moments, and a few sad ones. There is more story to tell and the third in this series should be out in early 2021. I can’t wait to discover what happens next for all of the Lane family. There are a few clues about what is to come or how their journey to the past has impacted the timeline. So many possibilities!

We give this book 5 paws up.

About the Author

John A. Heldt is a reference librarian and the author of the critically acclaimed Northwest Passage time-travel series. The former award-winning sportswriter and newspaper editor has loved getting subjects and verbs to agree since writing book reports on baseball heroes in grade school. A graduate of the University of Oregon and the University of Iowa, he is an avid fisherman, sports fan, home brewer, and reader of thrillers and historical fiction. When not sending contemporary characters to the not-so-distant past, he weighs in on literature and life on his blog.

Blog * Facebook * Amazon * Goodreads * Shelfari * Twitter

Save

Synopsis

From the author of the critically acclaimed Northwest Passage, American Journey, and Carson Chronicles series comes the first book in the Time Box saga.

Virginia physicist Mark Lane has a problem. Weeks after privately creating two time machines, he learns his corporate partner wants to use the portable devices for nefarious purposes. Rather than give him the chance to do so, Mark takes the time boxes and escapes to the relative safety of 1865.

For Mark, wife Mary, and their children, the adventure is a chance to grow. Mary runs a business. Jeremy, 19, and Ashley, 12, befriend escaped slaves. Laura, 22, finds her place as a nurse. Jordan, 25, falls for a beautiful widow. All hope to find peace in the past.

Billionaire Robert Devereaux has other ideas. Shortly after Mark’s betrayal, he sends an assassin to 1865 to retrieve his property and set matters straight.

Filled with romance, suspense, and history, THE LANE BETRAYAL follows a modern American family as it tries to find security and contentment in the final weeks of the Civil War.

Free if you have Kindle Unlimited

Review

If you are looking for a master storyteller when it comes to time travel novels, then look no further than this author. Time travel can be a tough topic to write about because there are so many possibilities when it comes to the “how” of time travel. I have read multiple books by this author and each time, I have found a new book to love.

In this series, the Lane family is on the run from Mark’s boss and the company he worked for because they wish to do “evil” with the devices he created. He thought they were going to be able to disappear but things didn’t go quite as planned. They did end up in 1865 but not without some potential repercussions from the present in the form of a hired gun.

I enjoyed the historical aspect of this book and felt like I was right in the middle of things in DC during the Civil War and Lincoln’s time in office. I felt that the author stayed as true to the facts of the time as he could but wove in a tale that enhanced what was happening in our country during the Civil War. There is also love and romance, friendship, and betrayal. I enjoyed the thoughts of the Lane and how they couldn’t imagine the President just walking around the town with very little protection. But it was a different time back then and I feel like some people were a bit more refined. There are still plenty of rapscallions to make it interesting.

I also enjoy how the story is told from various viewpoints. I find that it pulls me into the story even more as I see the situation from various character’s thoughts and experiences.

We give this book 5 paws up and I am about to start in on the second book in this series, The Fair, so look for a review very soon.

About the Author

John A. Heldt is a reference librarian and the author of the critically acclaimed Northwest Passage time-travel series. The former award-winning sportswriter and newspaper editor has loved getting subjects and verbs to agree since writing book reports on baseball heroes in grade school. A graduate of the University of Oregon and the University of Iowa, he is an avid fisherman, sports fan, home brewer, and reader of thrillers and historical fiction. When not sending contemporary characters to the not-so-distant past, he weighs in on literature and life on his blog.

Blog * Facebook * Amazon * Goodreads * Shelfari * Twitter

Save

Synopsis

What if you were framed for a murder you didn’t commit? A gripping, addictive thriller for fans of Angela Clarke, Mel Sherratt, and Rachel Lynch.

Jennifer Smits is a young mother, married to a hotshot lawyer and living in Amsterdam. Her world explodes when her husband is found dead at a holiday park during a weekend getaway. Convinced that the police have failed in their investigation, she embarks on a desperate quest for the truth – but the deeper she digs, the more she gets enmeshed in a tangled web of lies, spun by a ruthless law firm.

As Jennifer’s search for answers intensifies, her grip on reality weakens. Barely able to manage her patients at the health clinic, or take care of her young son, Jennifer is at risk of losing it all – even her closest friends begin to desert her. And then a chance encounter with a charming stranger sparks a new chain of events that plunges her deeper into a world of threats and corruption. Soon, she begins to fear for her life – but who can she trust, and how far will she go in pursuit of the truth?

This is a gripping, addictive thriller that will make you question everything, including the flaws of forensics. Could we all be framed for a murder we didn’t commit?

Amazon * Amazon CA

Praise

‘Double Deceit was one hell of a book, the author has done an impeccable job in crafting out a plot that is not only very interesting to read, but one which is packed with little packets of surprises all the way through’

‘A really entertaining ‘who dunnit’ that kept me guessing… a thriller at heart, with many twists and turns, but there’s a wonderful element of romance, and a deeper message touching on the transient nature of life. Definitely worth a read!’

‘A terrific thriller that reminds of John Grisham’s novels, perfect from start to finish’

About the Author

Julienne Brouwers worked as a pharmaceutical scientist and medical physicist before becoming a writer. She lives in the Netherlands, with her husband and three children, where she has published two successful thrillers, and lived in the UK and US for a total of four years.

Instagram * Twitter * Facebook

Synopsis

It’s vintage Poppy McAllister when the gluten-free baker and B&B owner tries to solve a murder at a Cape May winery . . .

When Poppy and Aunt Ginny agreed to host a Wine and Cheese Happy Hour for a tour group at their Butterfly House Bed and Breakfast on the Jersey Shore, they never anticipated such a sour bunch. Grumpy guest Vince Baker should be in a better mood–he’s filthy rich and on his honeymoon with his much younger wife Sunny, who seems to dote on him almost as much as her high-spirited teacup Pomeranian, Tammy Faye Baker.

But the honeymoon is over when Vince drops dead the next day touring the Laughing Gull Winery. Turns out he’s been poisoned, and it seems like everybody on the tour is hiding something. Now Poppy has to put her gluten-free baking on the back burner and bottle up her feelings for the two men in her life while she charges after a bitter killer with a lethal case of sour grapes . . .

Includes Seven Recipes from Poppy’s Kitchen!

Kobo * B&N * Amazon * Indiebound

Review

This series always makes me laugh and drooling over the competition for Poppy’s heart by Tim and Gia.  I think I have mentioned I am Team Gia all the way, but will he do what it takes to win her heart?  We do get to find out at the end of the book which one she chooses, but there is a bit of twist when she informs the lucky guy that he is her love. Let’s just say it was a bit of a jaw-dropper for me but that is all I’m going to say and you will need to read the book to learn who she has chosen.

Aunt Ginny and her gaggle of friends are still a hoot and they discover a new interest….but I’m not telling you what that is either because it is quite comical how Poppy learns of this interest. There are some other antics this gang is up to and I like how everything is drawn out over the length of the book and not all at once. I am still quite surprised by what they can come up with to get into a bit of trouble.

The mystery portion was quite intriguing because quite a few potential murderers are discovered and any one of them could have done it. I enjoyed trying to decipher the clues but in the end, I had no idea who killed Vince. There are some very unlikeable characters, Vince included, and I hope that a certain character gets what is coming to him. No hints so as not to spoil anything.

Overall, I have really loved this series and the author leaves me on the hook breathlessly awaiting the next installment for the answer to the twist regarding Poppy’s love life, a new adventure, and more delicious recipes to try.

We give this book 5 paws up.

About the Author

Website * Facebook * Twitter * Pinterest

Cozy Mystery Crew * Goodreads * BookBub * Instagram * Amazon

The Cowboy Who Saved Christmas

by

Jodi Thomas,

Sharla Lovelace, and Scarlett Dunn

Genre: Romance / Adventure / Anthology

Publisher: Kensington Books

Date of Publication: October 27, 2020

Number of Pages: 336 pages

Scroll down for Giveaway!

The Lone Star State doesn’t have to be lonely during Christmas time!

Legendary author Jodi Thomas headlines a new holiday-themed Western historical romance collection featuring three Texas-set stories of romance and adventure. The Civil War is over, Christmas is coming—and it’s time for three rugged cowboys to hang-up their spurs and settle down.

These authors combine their talents and excel at creating atmosphere and complex characters that infuse these stories with Texas history and evoke the grandeur of a bygone era and the indomitable pioneer spirit of the region.

Prepare to be swept off your feet by these heroic cowboys who will stop at nothing to make sure this Christmas is one to remember. Ideal for gift giving, The Cowboy Who Saved Christmas will be the fan-favorite collection of romance for the 2020 Christmas season.

║Amazon ║ Jodi Thomas’s Website║

Praise for The Cowboy Who Saved Christmas

“FATHER GOOSE is a warm, entertaining story, with Trapper and Emery starting with nothing, yet finding love and hoping for a future.” — Rose from Roses Are Blue

“It was a pitch-perfect reading experience that left my heart bursting with joy.  This story has become an instant classic in my holiday reading canon.” — PJ Ausdenmore from The Romance Dish

“I love an anthology at this busy time of the year because I can read a complete story in a short time–this book hit the mark.” — Mary from Bookfan

With millions of books in print, Jodi Thomas is both a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of over fifty novels and countless short story collections. Her stories travel through the past and present days of Texas and draw readers from around the world.

In July 2006, Jodi was the eleventh writer to be inducted into the Romance Writers of America Hall of Fame. With five RITAs to her credit, along with National Readers’ Choice Awards and Booksellers’ Best Awards, Thomas has proven her skill as a master storyteller.

Thomas was honored in 2002 as a Distinguished Alumni by Texas Tech University in Lubbock, Texas and served sixteen years as the Writer in Residence at West Texas A&M University in Canyon, Texas.

When not working on a novel, or inspiring students to pursue writing careers, Thomas enjoys traveling with her family, renovating an historic home, and “checking up” on two grown sons and four grandchildren.

 ║ Website ║ Facebook ║ Twitter  ║

║ Instagram ║  Amazon  ║ BookBub ║

║ Pinterest  ║ Goodreads ║

————————————— 

GIVEAWAY!  GIVEAWAY!  GIVEAWAY! 

One copy of THE COWBOY WHO SAVED CHRISTMAS

signed by Jodi Thomas

Giveaway Ends Midnight, CST, 11/30/2020

 (US only)

Visit the Lone Star Literary Life Tour Page

For direct links to each post on this tour

blog tour services provided by

Wolf Untamed

by Paige Tyler

Publication Date: 11/24/2020

Synopsis

The guys in the Special Wolf Alpha Team (SWAT) are hotter than ever.

SWAT werewolf Diego Martinez was on a mission to save lives when he walked into the hostage situation—he didn’t expect to find a newly turned teenage werewolf and the kid’s fiercely protective mother. For Bree Harlow and her son, Brandon, Diego is a godsend, and not just because he saved the day.

Bree has spent the years since her divorce trying to do her best by Brandon. But lately the boy who used to tell her everything has been keeping secrets. In the face of all the bizarre things happening at home, there’s something about Diego that Bree can’t resist—especially when he’s able to explain Brandon’s new abilities.

But the hostage incident was just the start in a wave of violence that no one can explain, and when Bree and Brandon are caught in the middle, Diego will do everything in his power to protect the family he wants as his own.

Amazon * B&N * BAM * Apple

Kobo * Walmart * Books2Read * Bookshop

Excerpt

Bree had no idea if seconds—or hours—passed, but then she heard something so out of place with her surroundings that it immediately snapped her back to reality.

Growling.

Low, soft, pained…growling.

And it was coming from Brandon.

She looked down to find him gazing up at her with vivid-gold eyes, half-inch-long fangs visible over his bottom lip.

Bree had always considered herself to be a strong person. She’d gone through a lot in her life and dealt with it. But she couldn’t ignore the obvious. The accumulated stress of this situation had been too much for her. She was having a mental breakdown. Because there was no way she was seeing what she thought she saw.

Suddenly, the SWAT cop was at her side, pulling Brandon up and talking to him in a slow, calm voice, telling him to relax and breathe, that everything was over and he was going to be okay at the same time he used his big body like a shield, keeping other people in the diner from seeing her son’s face. His voice was the most soothing and calming sound she’d ever heard in her life, and even though he wasn’t talking to her, she found herself breathing in time with his instructions—in through the nose, hold it for five seconds, and out through the mouth.

Bree watched in stunned fascination as the yellow glow slowly receded from her son’s eyes and the fangs disappeared. All at once, his panicked breathing and frantic features relaxed, and she realized it was the first time in months he didn’t seem tense.

There was a commotion behind her, and she glanced over her shoulder to see the other officers—dressed like Diego but with weapons and heavy-looking tactical gear strapped across their chests—quickly moving the rest of the hostages outside, herding them in such a way that they didn’t have time to look at the body on the floor…or Brandon.

It was like they were all working together to keep anyone from seeing what was happening with her son. Like they all somehow knew something unexplainable was going on with him.

“There you go, kid.” The SWAT cop’s deep voice made her turn back around, and she saw him standing there with his hands on Brandon’s shoulders. “Just a few more deep breaths and you’ll be good to go.”

Diego was right. A few seconds later, Brandon was fine, and Bree found herself wondering if everything she’d seen was a figment of her confused mind.

It could have been, right?

She felt a gentle hand on her arm and looked up into the warmest brown eyes she’d ever seen, a little overwhelmed by the concern she saw there. Diego didn’t even know her, and yet he seemed genuinely worried.

“I think we should get out of here,” he said, nodding toward Brandon. “This place is about to be crawling with cops, crime-scene techs, and general-purpose gawkers. I’d rather be somewhere else before they show up. We have a lot to talk about.”

She was about to ask what he meant by that, but then it hit her. Everything she’d seen had been real. Diego had seen it, too. And now he wanted to talk about it. Because that’s what cops did. They dug into stuff until they knew everything.

Bree’s heart began to thump hard all over again as she realized the danger her son might be in now. What if Diego revealed what he’d seen? Brandon would be treated like a monster. From the look on Brandon’s face, he realized the same thing and was on the verge of freaking out.

“Relax,” the cop said softly, looking first at Brandon, then her. “I’m not a threat to your son. I promise.”

Gaze locked with hers, Diego’s eyes flared vivid yellow-gold. The color was only there for a second before it disappeared, but it was impossible to miss. Or mistake it for anything other than what she’d seen in her son’s eyes. The cop looked at Brandon, earning a wide-eyed gasp. Bree had no idea what any of this meant, but it had to be a good sign…right?

“Like I said,” Diego murmured. “We have a lot to talk about.”

***

Excerpted from Wolf Untamed by Paige Tyler. © 2020 by Paige Tyler. Used with permission of the publisher, Sourcebooks Casablanca, an imprint of Sourcebooks, Inc. All rights reserved.

About the Author

Paige Tyler is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of sexy, romantic fiction. Paige writes books about hunky alpha males and the kick-butt heroines they fall in love with. She lives with her very own military hero (a.k.a. her husband) and their adorable dog on the beautiful Florida coast.

Website * Facebook * Twitter * Goodreads

Giveaway

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Ride the Tide

by Julie Ann Walker

Publication Date: 11/24/2020

Synopsis

Once a fighter, always a fighter…

Former Navy SEAL Mason McCarthy is done being a fighting man. Now he and the Deep Six Salvage crew are working feverishly to find the wreck of the Santa Cristina and its legendary sunken treasure. Unfortunately for Mason’s peace of mind, chatty, brilliant historian Alexandra Merriweather has joined the hunt and there’s no avoiding her. Alex is exactly the kind of distraction Mason can’t afford right now…or maybe ever.

When a murderous enemy from Mason’s past threatens the Deep Six, he must rely on old instincts and the skills he honed from years of running black ops to make sure nothing touches Alexandra. But with their lives on the line and the adrenaline running high, it’s inevitable that sparks will fly.

Amazon * B&N * BAM * Bookshop

IndieBound * Chapters Indigo * Apple

Excerpt

Mason “Monet” McCarthy had a problem.

She was five feet tall. Had curly red hair that was only fifty percent tamed under the best of conditions, and one hundred percent out of control this early in the morning. And she was sitting at a table by the window watching the multicolored ships of the shrimp fleet as they rocked precariously with the wave action out near the horizon while her fingers absently fiddled with the corner of a book.

Oh, and she was also studiously ignoring him.

She was wicked good at that last part. Was making a frickin’ hobby of it, as a matter of fact. Not that he could blame her, considering what she’d offered him.

And what he’d turned down.

Her name was Alexandra Merriweather. Alex for short, which was a ridiculously masculine moniker for such a tiny wisp of a woman. One with skin like porcelain, eyes the color of Colombian emeralds, and a laugh as sweet and tinkling as a music box.

She was his problem because…well…he liked her. Like, liked her liked her. And if his cheating ho of a wife… Scratch that. Rewind… That would be his cheating ho of an ex-wife—had taught him anything, it was that he wasn’t fit to like a woman like Alex.

Not anymore.

All the years schlepping his ass through countless missions, maiming and killing in the name of the flag, had turned him into something…not normal.

That was the phrase Sarah had used when he came home early to surprise her for her birthday, but instead found her screwing his ex-best friend in their marriage bed. Surprise!

“What d’you expect, Mason?” Sarah’s expression had been so sincere. “You’re gone all the time, and when you’re here, you’re not normal.”

Copy that. When it came to a life of violence, the effects were biological, physiological, and psychological. It was the price of being a warrior.

So even though he’d been heartbroken by her betrayal, he’d never worked up much anger over it. Then and now, there was no way to deny the truth. Mason McCarthy was no longer capable of living an ordinary life with the house, the wife, and the two-point-three kids.

The only reason he was sitting in this hotel bar now, a bona fide civilian, was because of a deathbed promise he and the rest of his teammates had made to Rusty Lawrence, the eighth man in their SEAL unit. Barring that, Mason figured he would’ve kept on running and gunning until he found the bullet with his name on it.

With a fingertip, he traced the scrolling black letters inked on the inside of his left forearm. For RL they read. Picturing Rusty’s craggy face, he tried to determine whether to curse the sorry sonofabitch or thank him for forcing them all to make that vow and wave their fond farewells to the navy.

A call of “G’morning, asshole!” cut into his thoughts. Turning, he found Ray “Wolf” Roanhorse standing behind him.

Since he’d yet to determine how good the morning was or wasn’t, Mason grunted his reply. Wolf, used to Mason’s wordless responses, bent to scratch Meat’s exposed belly.

The fat English bulldog slept on his back beside Mason’s barstool, dick and balls on display for the entire breakfast crowd, and his snores nearly drowning out the cries of the seagulls coming in through the hotel’s open windows.

Meat was the only thing Mason had taken from the divorce. He’d let Sarah have their restored three-decker in Southie, along with the furniture and all the minutia that went with a “normal” life. But Meat? Well, not to put too fine a point on it, but he’d have crossed hell with nothing but a bucket of ice water before he’d let her keep his dog.

“A wise woman once said, ‘If you risk nothin’, you risk everythin’.’” With the unaffected ease that came with being supremely fit, Wolf settled himself onto the barstool next to Mason’s.

The two of them had become instant friends when they’d been teamed up as swim partners way back in BUD/S—Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL—training. And through all the intervening years, Wolf had never run out of inspirational quotes. He fancied himself a scholar of the world’s philosophers and religions.

There were times, including this one, when that could get damned annoying.

Instead of answering, Mason kept quiet. He hoped his silence conveyed his wish for more coffee and less talk.

“I said,” Wolf said louder, “a wise woman once—”

“First off,” Mason muttered irritably, “what part of this face”—he pointed to his scowling mug—“makes you think I’m in the mood for morning convo?”

“You’re never in the mood for conversation,” Wolf drawled, his Oklahoma accent making the words sound twice as long as they normally would. “Don’t matter what time of day it is.”

“Second off,” Mason went on as if Wolf hadn’t spoken, “what’s that supposed to mean anyway? If you risk nothing, you risk everything?”

“It means you should pull your head from your ass and go for it. Take her up on what she’s offerin’.” Wolf stuck a cocktail straw between his teeth and hailed the bartender to put in an order for a Bloody Mary. Hitching his chin toward Alex’s table, he added, “Come on, man. You know you want to.”

Mason hadn’t been kidding when he said he wasn’t in the mood to talk. But he sure as shit wasn’t in the mood to talk about Alex and her heart-stopping offer.

***

Excerpted from Ride the Tide by Julie Ann Walker. © 2020 by Julie Ann Walker. Used with permission of the publisher, Sourcebooks Casablanca, an imprint of Sourcebooks, Inc. All rights reserved.

About the Author

Julie Ann Walker is the USA Today and New York Times bestselling Author of the Black Knights Inc. romantic suspense series. She is prone to spouting movie quotes and song lyrics. She’ll never say no to sharing a glass of wine or going for a long walk. She prefers impromptu travel over the scheduled kind, and she takes her coffee with milk. You can find her on her bicycle along the lake shore in Chicago or blasting away at her keyboard, trying to wrangle her capricious imagination into submission.

Website * Facebook * Twitter * Goodreads

Giveaway

a Rafflecopter giveaway