
Big time!!!
Filed under year in photos
Filed under year in photos
I’m so incredibly excited to announce A PRIDE OF BROTHERS: RICK is now available to read on the KISS app!
Now, you can read it anywhere you are on your phone or iPad!
You can download the app link here: KISS, then access my book by typing in my name as AUTHOR or the title of the book, A PRIDE OF BROTHERS: RICK.
KISS is a new and exciting way to experience Romance stories of all genres.
Enjoy serialized quality content from NYT and USA Today bestselling authors, available right from your phone!
KISS has hundreds of titles and authors to choose from, including new and exclusive content from some of your favorite voices!
Best of all? You can choose just how much to read with our pay-as-you-go format!
Hope you’re intrigued!!
Filed under A PRIDE OF BROTHERS: RICK
Filed under year in photos
From my soon-to-be-released LAST MAN STANDING addition to the series, CHANCE.
“The trash gets picked up at midnight,” she told him, apologetically, as she led him to an ancient Volkswagen Beetle, the two front fenders different colors.
“How old is your car?” he asked when she popped the front trunk open.
“A hundred and thirty-thousand miles old.” She started placing the containers inside the spacious trunk. “But still running, isn’t a gas guzzler, and has the added benefit of being paid for.”
Chance helped her stack the remaining boxes. When they were done she slammed the hood down, turned to him and said, “Thanks,” with a smile that took his breath away.
He nodded, looked up, then down the alley. “What time do you get here in the morning?”
“Around six. It’s usually light by then. I can get everything up and running before Lindsey comes at seven and we open.”
He nodded again.
“Well, thanks for the help,” she said. “Can I drop you somewhere? I’m heading downtown, but I can reroute if you need a lift. Or do you drive to work every day?”
He glanced down at her car. He wasn’t even sure he’d be able to sit in the front seat without tilting his head to the side. “I don’t have a car in the city. It’s too stressful driving into work every day and my job’s got enough of that already attached to it.”
She cocked her head and a thought popped into the front of his head. Before he could stop himself, he said, “Let me take you to dinner.” The request surprised him and, apparently, Freddie. Even in the subdued lighting surrounding them he could see her eyes go wide, her mouth drop open.
“Wh-what? Why?”
A good question and one he’d try to answer for himself later on. For now, though, he had the uncontrollable urge to feed her. “I’m sure you didn’t get a break all day and you must be starved. I know I am.”
The quizzical quirk to her brow was followed by, “I’m not dressed to go out to dinner.”
He shrugged. “Doesn’t have to be fancy. I love diner food as much as the next guy. In fact, there’s a great place one block up. Best breakfast in town and their burgers are insane.”
She didn’t look convinced.
“You don’t have to run home and fix supper for…anyone, do you?”
Way to go, Chance. You never even considered she might be married before blurting out your invitation.
She didn’t wear a wedding ring and in his experience women always did. It was the men who removed them or elected to keep their fingers naked.
“No,” she said.
“So, no husband waiting for you to get dinner on the table?” he asked because he had to be clear on the subject.
For a fleeting moment something he couldn’t get a bead on crossed in her eyes. Then it was gone. “That’s a little sexist, you know, assuming it’s the wife who has to always make dinner.”
She was right. “Sorry. That was stupid of me.”
Her left eyebrow rose as she considered his remark. He felt like a jerk asking again but he really wanted to know.
“I wouldn’t use the word stupid,” she said. “Maybe unenlightened.”
That pulled a grin from him.
“But no. No husband at home.”
He held back his sigh of relief, then wondered why she didn’t have a guy waiting at home for her. He knew asking would truly make him sound insensitive so he kept the question to himself.
“Then how do the best burgers in the city sound?”
Chance had always been good at reading body language. It was a talent that had suited him well when the words a client spoke often didn’t jive with the truth of the situation. Their bodies outted them every time.
When Freddie’s shoulders dropped from their hunched position under her ears he knew he was making headway.
“Look,” he said, pulling out a grin he usually reserved for friends and family, “I know you don’t know anything about me other than I’m a divorce lawyer and I like coffee.”
A half-smile slid up her face. “And corn muffins.”
He nodded. “But I’m not a serial murder, I don’t cheat on my taxes, and if you ask my sister she’d tell you other than the fact I tend to argue a point to death, I’m a good guy.”
A full smile graced her face from that declaration.
Progress.
“So what’d’ya say? Wanna grab something to eat before you head home?”
He held his breath waiting for her answer.
After a few moments when he wondered if he’d ever be able to breathe again, she said, “Well,” as she shifted her bag to the other shoulder. “I am hungry, that’s the truth. It was a long day and I didn’t get a break.”
“Is that a yes?”
Please let it be a yes.
With her lips pressed together and her eyes narrowed slightly she finally –finally – nodded. “I guess it is.”
He couldn’t stop the full-wattage smile that jumped across his face.
Happy reading, peeps. ~ Peg
Filed under Last Man Standing
Filed under year in photos
Filed under year in photos
Calling all holiday-themed readers! It’s more than evergreens and twinkly lights at N. N. Light’s Book Heaven’s sixth annual Christmas in July Fête. 46 Christmas, Hanukkah and holiday-themed books featured plus a chance to win a $75 Amazon (US or Canada) gift card.
I’m thrilled to be a part of this event. My book, ANGEL KISSES & HOLIDAY WISHES is featured Today! Wait until you read what I love most about the holidays. You won’t want to miss it.
Bookmark this event and tell your friends:
https://www.nnlightsbookheaven.com/christmas-in-july-fete
ANGEL KISSES & HOLIDAY WISHES ( A Dickens Holiday Romance)
Can a first love be rekindled when the past is filled with heartache?
After a personal tragedy, Sage Hamilton left the town she’d grown up in and the boy she’d given her heart to. With a vow never to return, Sage forged on with her life in order to forget the sadness of her past.
Keith Mills loved Sage from the first moment he spotted her ambling down the hallway of their middle school. And she’d felt the same about him. Or so he’d thought until she’d walked away from everything they’d meant to one another with a tearful and rushed goodbye.
But now, eighteen years later, she’s back and, as the town’s new doctor, it looks like she’s staying. Can Keith put the hurt of Sage’s dismissal to bed for good? And will she want to rekindle the love that had burnt so bright all those years ago?
Giveaway Information –
One lucky reader will win a $75 Amazon (US) gift card.
Enter here: https://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/92db7750175
Open internationally. You must have a valid Amazon US or Amazon Canada account to win.
Runs July 1 – 31
The drawing will be held on August 1.
Good luck, peeps! ~ Peg
Filed under Dickens Holiday Romance
Filed under year in photos
That little dot way out in the lake is Maple. Larry threw a stick very far…Maple was up to the challenge.
Filed under year in photos
Filed under year in photos
NYC, 2022
Filed under year in photos
So we had to go away last weekend and boarded Maple at day care. This is the picture one of the workers sent me on the morning we were going to pick her up with the caption, “See you in a little while, Mom!”
Best ever!
Filed under year in photos
Don’t ever think your favorite writer is sitting at home in lounging pajamas, drinking champagne and eating decadent chocolate after just having written 250 words in her work in progress.
This is an urban myth of the first order!
Writers are more than writers these days. We are business owners, graphic artists, marketing directors, secretaries, newsletter writers, sales people, accountants, and brainstormers.
Here, just to show you how my past week has been, is what I have worked on every day, all the marketing balls I have in the air right now, and the books I am currently either writing, editing, or formatting.
Marketing:
I have 4, count ’em 4 promos going on simultaneously.
I am writing:
I am formatting:
In addition, I have released this year this following books:
MIX AND MATCH (Heaven’s matchmaker, book 1)
THE SHERIFF & THE PSYCHIC (( Welcome to Renewal, Book 1)
THE HAUNTING OF WILTON JUNE ( Romantic Hauntings, book 2)
ANGLE KISSES & HOLIDAY WISHES ( A Dickens Holiday romance)
Since I don’t have an assistant or a PA or even a Virtual PA, I have to design and make all my graphics for sales, promos, ads.
So the next time you see me, if I seem tired/confused/out of it/thinking…don’t be insulted. I truly have 1,000,000 things on my mind and an equal number of balls in the air!
The life of a writer….le sigh
And ps….I made all of those book graphics!!!!
Filed under Writing
Filed under year in photos
https://booksprout.co/reviewer/review-copy/view/85923/chance
Chance Miller, divorce lawyer extraordinaire, knows the whole happily ever after dream is an urban myth. He deals with miserable and wedded warring couples every day and swears staying single keeps him sane and happy. His friends and family consider him the last single man standing and fear he’ll never find someone and settle down. But Chance relishes his carefree status and unencumbered lifestyle and has no plans to change anything.
If only his relatives would stop trying to set him up with their version of the perfect woman.
Fredrika Poole already experienced her one great love, and the widow can’t read any future romance in her tea leaves. She’s content to bake, run her business, and care for her daughter.
When Chance meets Freddie and discovers her marriage thoughts run on the same road his do, he realizes she’s the answer to his prayer for keeping the relatives at bay. But the pixie barista has a way of making Chance question everything he’s always thought about love, marriage, and wedded bliss.
Will his last man standing status go unchallenged? Or will Freddie be the one woman he wants…but can never have?
***You can claim your copy until August 1. Reviews are due by September 5 for the 9.12.2022 release date
Have fun reading!!!
Filed under Last Man Standing
Filed under year in photos
Filed under year in photos
I am so thrilled to be part of this Kindle Unlimited Book Bonanza!
Two of my books – Mix & Match and The Sheriff & the Psychic are both available thru KU everyday and if you read them and let Bookthrone know – you could Win A 2-Year Kindle Unlimited Membership + A $250 Amazon Gift Card. The rules are below but it’s fast and easy!!!
MIX AND MATCH ( HEAVEN’S MATCHMAKER book 1)
Divorced and lonely, nurse Jasmine Green retains the services of Heaven, NH’s very own successful matchmaker, Olivia Joyner. The bar scene and dating apps give Jasmine hives and Liv’s reputation is stellar. If anyone can help guide her through the quagmire that dating has become, Olivia can.
Architect Donovan Boyd is ready to settle down. He wants the kind of marriage his parents have; long lasting, filled with love, children, and joy. But even after a year of living and working in Heaven, he’s still considered an outsider by many. Finding the type of woman he’s looking for is hard in the tight-knit community. Retaining Olivia Joyner to help him find his forever love is one of the smartest things he’s done, especially after she sets him up with Jasmine Green.
But the red-haired, green-eyed beauty wants a different kind of marriage from the one Donovan considers ideal.
Can these two strong-willed people learn to compromise so they can both find their happily ever after? Or will their relationship forever be relegated to the friend zone?
THE SHERIFF & THE PSYCHIC ( Welcome to Renewal, book 1)
Police Psychic Silvestra Coeltrain comes to Renewal, OK to visit with old friends and to heal. After a year in which she was tested physically, mentally, and psychically, all she wants to do is sleep, fish, and bask in the tranquility of the sleepy town.
Sheriff Caleb Blackbear doesn’t understand the feelings he’s quickly developing for Renewal’s newest visitor. She responds to his kisses with a passion that equals his own. But she’s an enigma, filled with secrets and evasions, and he’s a suspicious man.
When several of the local ranches begin losing cattle to a mysterious illness, it’s Silvestra who claims the animals are being methodically targeted and killed. As Cal’s investigation zeros in on who and what could be slaying the animals, the murder of a prominent rancher’s daughter – and Cal’s former lover – complicates things. With Silvestra’s life now in danger, Cal is determined to keep her safe at any cost.
ENTER TO WIN!!!!!
For your chance to win, all you have to do is READ, READ, & READ. Read any of the books above. All are available for free on Kindle Unlimited. The more you read the better. Our sponsoring authors would love every bit of support from you.
Enter here: KU ( scroll all the way down until you see HERE’S YOUR CHANCE TO WIN
Winner will be chosen randomly.
Entries must be received by midnight July 20th, 2022 BST.
The Winner will be contacted via email not more than 48hrs after the giveaway has ended.
(Beware of Scammers! Book Throne will never ask you to fill in a form or ask for any payment whatsoever when you win. We also DO NOT announce winners on Facebook or any social media platforms. Always refer to the giveaway page to check if you’ve won.)
Barbara Russell, Peggy Jaeger, Tatenda Creed, C. N. Jackson, R.G. Roberts, Jane Armor, Ashton Abbott, Danni Rose, Craig A. Hart, J. M. Davies, Samantha Adair, Katie Mettner, Gina Manis, Rowan Dillon, Christy J Nicholas, Chiquita Dennie, Changeling Press Authors, Eva DeMoan, Casey Dembowski, Pat Wahler, Jessica White, Book Throne.
GOOD LUCK! And Happy reading!! ~ peg
Filed under Writing
Filed under year in photos
I’m so excited to be a part of @NNP_W_Light’s Celebrate Weddings Bookish Event.
BAKED WITH LOVE ( A Match Made in Heaven, book Three) Is spotlighted today.
You can check it out here: BWL or BookishEvent
And, of course, you can buy it for yourself or someone else who loves Wedding Romances, here: UNIVERSAL CODE
Check out all books featuring weddings and enter the giveaway to win a $20 Amazon gift card: https://www.nnlightsbookheaven.com/celebrate-weddings-bookish-event
Innkeeper Maureen O’Dowd lives to cook and bake, spoils her family and friends, and is an expert at keeping secrets, especially about the man who’s held her heart for years.
Police Chief Lucas Alexander is dealing with an aging father and a moody teenage son, and he’s in love with a woman who only wants to be friends.
How can these two fiercely private people reveal their feelings for one another without destroying the friendship they already have?
And if they’re successful, will another secret, if revealed, drive a wedge between Maureen and Lucas that can never be repaired?
Who doesn’t love a wedding? Hee hee
Filed under A Match Made in Heaven
Filed under year in photos
So here’s little sumthin’ sumthin’ from my upcoming Sweet romance, CHANCE, part of the Last Man Standing series.
You all know that guy: the confirmed bachelor who vows he’s never gonna be tied down to one woman.
And you all know, as writers, we just love to see guys like this fall! LOL.
Chance Miller, divorce lawyer extraordinaire, knows the whole happily ever after dream is an urban myth. He deals with miserable and wedded warring couples every day and swears staying single keeps him sane and happy. His friends and family consider him the last single man standing and fear he’ll never find someone and settle down. But Chance relishes his carefree status and unencumbered lifestyle and has no plans to change anything.
If only his relatives would stop trying to set him up with their version of the perfect woman.
Fredrika Poole already experienced her one great love, and the widow can’t read any future romance in her tea leaves. She’s content to bake, run her business, and care for her daughter.
When Chance meets Freddie and discovers her marriage thoughts run on the same road his do, he realizes she’s the answer to his prayer for keeping the relatives at bay. But the pixie barista has a way of making Chance question everything he’s always thought about love, marriage, and wedded bliss.
Will his last man standing status go unchallenged? Or will Freddie be the one woman he wants…but can never have?
Intrigued? Read on….
Before he could stop himself, he said, “Let me take you to dinner.” The request surprised him and, apparently, Freddie. Even in the subdued lighting surrounding them he could see her eyes go wide, her mouth drop open.
“Wh-what? Why?”
A good question and one he’d try to answer for himself later on. For now, though, he had the uncontrollable urge to feed her. “I’m sure you didn’t get a break all day and you must be starved. I know I am.”
The quizzical quirk to her brow was followed by, “I’m not dressed to go out to dinner.”
He shrugged. “Doesn’t have to be fancy. I love diner food as much as the next guy. In fact, there’s a great place one block up. Best breakfast in town and their burgers are insane.”
She didn’t look convinced.
“You don’t have to run home and fix supper for…anyone, do you?”
Why to go, Chance. You never even considered if she was married before blurting out your invitation.
She didn’t wear a wedding ring and in his experience women always did. It was the men who removed them or elected to keep their fingers naked.
“No,” she said.
“So, no husband waiting for you to get dinner on the table?” he asked because he had to be clear on the subject.
For a fleeting moment, something he couldn’t get a bead on crossed her eyes. Then it was gone. “That’s a little sexist, you know, assuming it’s the wife who has to always make dinner.”
She was right. “Sorry. That was stupid of me.”
Her left eyebrow rose as she considered his remark. He felt like a jerk asking again but he really wanted to know.
“I wouldn’t use the word stupid,” she said. “Maybe unenlightened.”
That pulled a grin from him.
“But no. No husband at home.”
He held back his sigh of relief, then wondered why she didn’t have a guy waiting at home for her. He knew asking would truly make him sound insensitive so he kept the question to himself.
“Then how do the best burgers in the city sound?”
Chance had always been good at reading body language. It was a talent that had suited him well when the words a client spoke often didn’t jive with the truth of the situation. Their bodies outted them every time.
When Freddie’s shoulders dropped from their hunched position under her ears he knew he was making headway.
“Look,” he said, pulling out a grin he usually reserved for friends and family, “I know you don’t know anything about me other than I’m a divorce lawyer and I like coffee.”
A half-smile slid up her face. “And corn muffins.”
He nodded. “But I’m not a serial murder, I don’t cheat on my taxes, and if you ask my sister she’d tell you other than the fact I tend to argue a point to death, I’m a good guy.”
A full smile graced her face from that declaration.
Progress.
“So what’d’ya say? Wanna grab something to eat before you head home?”
He held his breath waiting for her answer.
After a few moments when he wondered if he’d ever be able to breathe again, she said, “Well,” as she shifted her bag to the other shoulder. “I am hungry, that’s the truth. It was a long day and I didn’t get a break.”
“Is that a yes?”
Please let it be a yes.
With her lips pressed together and her eyes narrowed slightly she finally –finally – nodded. “I guess it is.”
He couldn’t stop the full-wattage smile that jumped from him.
You can preorder your Kindle copy here or buy it in print now, here.
And it will be enrolled in Kindle Unlimited, so if you’re a subscriber, you can read it as part of your subscription fee after 9.12.2022!
Happy Sunday, peeps ~ Peg
Filed under Last Man Standing, sunday snippet
I’m so excited to be a part of @NNP_W_Light’s Celebrate Weddings Bookish Event.
TODAY, TOMORROW, ALWAYS( A Match Made in Heaven, book Two) Is spotlighted today.
You can check it out here: TTA or BookishEvent
And, of course, you can buy it for yourself or someone else who loves Wedding Romances, here: UNIVERSAL CODE
Check out all books featuring weddings and enter the giveaway to win a $20 Amazon gift card: https://www.nnlightsbookheaven.com/celebrate-weddings-bookish-event
Lawyer Cathleen O’Dowd wants to break free from her boring image. Widowed young, she’s toed the good-girl line but now wants a little fun and laughter in her days…and nights. Living in a small town, though, she can’t do anything that would tarnish her professional reputation.
Mac Frayne’s tragic past has turned him into a sullen loner. In town to write a book on the city’s founder, his plan is to get it done, then head home to his solitary existence.
When circumstances force them to work together, their opposing personalities clash, but the sexual attraction between them is palpable.
Can a simple affair with an end date be just the thing to brighten up their lives?
Who doesn’t love a wedding?? Hee hee
Filed under Today Tomorrow Always
Filed under year in photos
I’m so excited to tell you about this wonderful new contest from BOOKTHRONE. It’s specifically for Kindle Vella readers ( and you should be one) and 2 of my books are featured. You can read the rules and enter here: KINDLE VELLA BOOKTHRONE CONTEST
We’re giving away a $250 Amazon Gift Card to one lucky Book Throne reader.
For your chance to win, all you have to do is READ, READ, & READ. Read, Follow the Story, Give Thumbs-Up to Episodes, and Award your Weekly Fave Vote to our stories above. All stories are only available on Kindle Vella. The more you read the better. Our sponsoring authors would love every bit of support from you.
Read the first 3 episodes of our stories above for free on Kindle Vella
Share the giveaway through the links below.
Refer a friend
Winner will be chosen randomly.
Entries must be received by midnight July 15th, 2022 GMT.
The Winner will be contacted via email not more than 48hrs after the giveaway has ended.
(Beware of Scammers! Book Throne will never ask you to fill in a form or ask for any payment whatsoever when you win. We also DO NOT announce winners on Facebook or any social media platforms. Always refer to the giveaway page to check if you’ve won.)
Pearl Hunter, Linda Nightingale, R.G. Roberts, Peggy Jaeger, Penelope Wright, Joan Reeves, Carly Claire, Emma Lynn Everly, Eva DeMoan & Book Throne.
Filed under kindle vella
My good friend – and fellow Rone Nominee, Claire Marti, has the third book in her California Suits series, MONTEREY KING releasing today to the book-reading world. When I found out she had a new addition to the series, I just knew I had to spotlight it — and her!
MONTEREY KING
About the book…..
When former Army Major Cameron Taylor comes home a hero from his deployment in the Middle East his scars run deep – both physically and emotionally. But he’s starting over, running a luxury hotel with his best friends. And Lucy Goodwin, apparently…his high school sweetheart who he’s never quite managed to forget.
There’s only one reason Lucy’s been engaged – and walked away – three times and now he’s standing right in front of her. Cameron Taylor is the man she’s never stopped loving, even when he left her “for her own good” all those years ago. There was nothing good about it, that’s for sure. Just like there’d be nothing good about trying to break down Cameron’s walls now. But that doesn’t mean she’s not tempted to try…
***Monterey King is the third book in award-winning and USA Today bestselling author Claire Marti’s spin-off contemporary romance series, California Suits. The series follows the adventures of five best friends who are opening a string of luxury boutique hotels from La Jolla to Monterey to Beverly Hills as each one finds true love…usually where he least expects it. Each book is a standalone.
Excerpt….
But sharing the conference table with the hotel’s Managing Director, Cameron Taylor, who she hadn’t set eyes on since he’d dumped her thirteen years ago? Yeah, that explained why her pulse pounded in her temples like the massive surf crashing on the nearby Monterey shore. She paused in front of the closed conference room door, taking a moment to gather her composure.
“The door isn’t locked.” An unmistakable voice rasped from beside her.
She spun around and her throat tightened the moment her eyes locked with Cameron Taylor’s arctic blue gaze.
How could someone look so familiar yet like a stranger? Lucy studied his lean, angular face. His strong, slightly crooked nose was the same, as was the determined squareness of his jawline. Small lines fanned out from his arresting eyes and grooves bracketed his chiseled mouth, which was pressed into a firm line. His posture was ramrod straight––even more rigid after a dozen years serving overseas in the Army.
“Cam.” How many times had she imagined what she’d say if she ever saw him again? How many impassioned speeches had she rehearsed before moving on with her life?
He inclined his head. “Hi, Lucy.” His crisp tone was as remote as his stony expression. The voice of an acquaintance––not the man she’d shared the love of a lifetime with until he’d broken her heart.
Through impeccable self-control, if she did say so herself, she forced her lips to curve upward. “So… how are you?” Awkward, but it was the best she had to offer. She hadn’t expected to encounter him one-on-one, at least not yet.
“Fine, but we should go in. Ryan and Charlie are waiting.” Cam reached for the mahogany wooden door’s carved brass handle at the same time she did.
His long, blunt fingers brushed hers. A flash of heat sparked up her arm and she snatched her hand back. Muscle memory? Of course, Mr. Poker Face didn’t flinch as he pushed the large door open.
Bright light flooded the conference room and bathed the expansive space in a golden glow. Lucy blinked. January on the Monterey coastline wasn’t celebrated for clear blue skies, but the cloudy gray morning had cleared, and rays of sunshine exposed the rugged Pacific coastline beyond the floor-to-ceiling windows.
Get your copy here:
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09BG9MP68
Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/monterey-king
Apple: https://books.apple.com/us/book/monterey-king/id1578951727
Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/monterey-king-claire-marti/1139922605
Universal Link: https://books2read.com/montereyking
Goodreads:
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/60136171-monterey-king
A little about Claire Marti…
Claire Marti is an award winning and USA Today Bestselling author of swoonworthy Contemporary Romance novels set in Southern California, including the Pacific Vista Ranch series and the California Suits series. She lives in San Diego with her husband, silly dog and three clever cats.
Claire started writing stories as soon as she was old enough to pick up pencil and paper. After graduating from the University of Virginia with a BA in English Literature, Claire was sidetracked by other careers, including practicing law, selling software for legal publishers, and managing a non-profit animal rescue for a Hollywood actress.
Finally, Claire followed her heart and now focuses on two of her true passions: writing romance and teaching yoga.
Social Media Links:
Website: www.clairemarti.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ClaireMartiAuthor/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/clairepmarti
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/8203678.Claire_Marti
Don’t you just love a wedding romance!!!
Filed under Dearly Beloved
Filed under year in photos
#TeaserTuesday
From my upcoming addition to the Last Man Standing series, CHANCE ( book 13)
Available for preorder: https://amzn.to/3tVIylh
The next morning Chance wasn’t surprised to see a line already forming behind the counter of A Hug in a Mug. From what he’d sampled the day before, the coffee was the best he’d ever tasted. He’d woken that morning with a craving for another cup to jumpstart his day.
The hope that the ponytailed pixie would be the one to make it for him was also a major contributor to his desire to start the day with a hot cup of caffeinated comfort.
Like the day before, she was busy seeing to the coffee orders while her much younger cohort ran the register. When it was Chance’s turn the girl, who couldn’t have been out of high school yet, stared at him for a moment, a look of pique on her pretty face, then asked, “Anyone gonna toss anything in your face this morning? ’Cuz I don’t want to have to mop it all up again.”
Chance winced at the decided testiness in her voice and said, “No worries about that today. I just want a cup of coffee and I’ll be on my way.”
From the way she pursed her lips, he didn’t think she believed him. But she took his order, wrote his name on the cup, and handed him back the change from the twenty he’d given her. Chance stuffed it into the tip jar again and moved down the counter to the pickup section.
Without ever turning toward him, the pixie grabbed the cup, perused the iPad order, and went to work, Chance watching.
She moved effortlessly between the coffee brewer, the foam dispenser, even the milk machine, as she made the order to his specifications. Only when she was done did she glance up and call his name.
He didn’t think she recognized it until their eyes locked. That hurt just a little since he’d been thinking of her for the better part of his night and morning.
“Well, good morning,” she said, a slow and easy smile trailing across her lips. She started to hand him the coffee, when she suddenly pulled her hand back and asked with a decidedly playful pitch in her voice, “No one’s going to be tossing this at you today, are they?”
He grinned back at her and nodded toward the counter. “Your coworker already grilled me about that and I assured her there was nothing to worry about.”
The way her mouth pulled into a thin line had his breath catching.
“Sorry about that. Lindsey’s not used to dealing with the public and she needs to work on her people skills. How’d your suit survive the attack?”
Her word choice charmed him. “My dry cleaning guy says it’ll be costly, but salvageable. The shirt’s toast, though. I’m billing my client’s husband for the cost since her anger at him was really displaced on me.”
Her eyebrows lifted at that, while she shook her head a few times. “Lawyer fees are never cheap.”
“Experience talking?” Her subtle eye roll told him it was. “So,” he said while she wiped down one of the machines, “I know your coworker’s name is Lindsey, and you know my name,” he lifted the coffee cup to where it was written, “is Chance. What’s yours?”
The way she cocked her head at him and the line that popped up between her brows proved she was reluctant to give it. She opened her mouth but before she could say anything the counter girl called, “Freddie, the line’s empty so I’m gonna take five, okay?”
She nodded and moved toward the front of the station. “Freddie?” he said as he followed her.
“Short for Fredrika.”
“Beautiful name.”
Her eye roll charmed him. “I’ve always thought it sounded like it should belong to a racehorse. Freddie’s what most people call me.”
Intrigued? Heehee I hope so…
Filed under Last Man Standing
One of my Romance Gems sistahs, prolific and talented writer KARA O’NEAL, has a new book out, titled FELICITY’S FORTUNE for Magnolia Blossom Publishing and I asked her to give me a little info on it so I could share it with all of you. Here’s Kara….
I could hardly wait for the second book in my Gamblers and Gunslingers series – FELICITY’S FORTUNE – to release!
When we visited St. Joseph, Missouri, we had to stop at Jesse James’ house. While I was walking through those rooms, I wondered about his wife.
She’d set up a house, cooked meals, raised children…and her husband was an outlaw. She knew what he was, and that surprised me. Of course, who knew how she felt about his choices, and I’m sure it was hard to leave him since she loved him.
But I thought…what if she hadn’t known? What if a woman had married a man who was an outlaw, and she discovered it…
And turned him in.
So…FELICITY’S FORTUNE was born.
I had to give her a mighty hero, and so Butch Wilder grew in my mind’s eye. And he’s a good one. He had to be a little sinful, though, but he’s got a big, big, big heart!
I loved writing this story. Felicity’s daughters are the cutest little things.
I also enjoyed sending Felicity to Hell’s Half Acre, because God bless Texas, but that place was scary. It belonged in a book.
You know, that’s the best thing about being an author. You get to put cool places, events and people in your books.
I hope y’all enjoy Felicity and Butch’s story as much as I did! Happy reading!
ABOUT THE BOOK….
Felicity Capwell Archer had no idea she’d married a thief and a killer. And even though she’s the one who turns him in, people still think she helped her former husband steal and is now hiding the money. To protect herself from the repercussions and attacks, she hires Butch Wilder. Gambler. Gunslinger. And a giant who hides a heart of gold.
Butch Wilder grew up on the streets of New Orleans, learning how to fight, how to gamble and how to use a Colt .45 with deadly precision. When Felicity begs him to protect her family, she’s too damned pretty and too intriguing to turn down. Determined to avoid any emotional attachments and to keep it purely professional, Butch takes the job. But he finds himself sitting down to nice meals, walking her children to school and being part of a family for the first time.
Only by finding and returning the stolen loot can Felicity and her daughters ever truly be safe. Following clues she deciphers from her former husband’s letters, Felicity and Butch travel to the outlaw-infested Hell’s Half Acre. It’s madness, but Butch will do anything to protect Felicity. Even if it means his life.
A LITTLE EXCERPT…
When Butch reached Rickman’s office, he tried to see through the windows to the inside, but the grimy panes allowed for nothing. Cautious but unafraid, he walked in without hesitation.
But when he found who had come calling, he about swallowed his tongue. He stopped short, his hand on the knob, his mind devoid of all thought.
“Are you Mr. Wilder?”
Her honey voice poured through him, grabbing hold of his senses.
She cleared her throat. “I’m sorry to interrupt your work, sir, but I’m looking for Mr. Butch Wilder. Are you he?”
Snap out of it, man! Butch blinked then cleared his throat. “Uh, yeah. Yes. I’m Butch Wilder.” He shut the door.
She looked him over.
He steeled himself against the fear he might see in her eyes due to his size, but when her gaze touched his face, what he found was desperation. Confused and a little nervous, he wrapped his thumbs around his suspenders.
“Do you know who I am?”
Would it upset her if he did? But he couldn’t lie to her. Somehow she’d know if he did. “Yes.”
She twitched her lips as if frustrated by her infamy. He couldn’t blame her.
After letting out a slow exhale, she said, “My home, and by that I really refer to my children, my housekeeper and myself, has been under attack since my former husband was arrested and tried.”
So…she had gotten divorced. Or was it an annulment? He stayed quiet, not knowing what she wanted or if he was allowed to respond.
“We need constant protection until this is settled.” She waved a hand in the air. “Until either the…the hanging or…” She paused, and her gaze went distant.
He narrowed his eyes slightly. What bothered her? The event she hadn’t mentioned or the hanging?
She shook her head. “I apologize. The last weeks have been rather harrowing.”
He could imagine. From the arrest, to the trial, to now…
A portion of what she’d said registered in his mind. “I’m sorry, ma’am. But why are you here? You mentioned…protection?” Hell. Was she going to ask him to…
“Yes. The sheriff’s office can’t provide anyone, so he suggested I hire you.”
Butch’s mind whirled with the implications.
“I will pay you well, plus meals, because I would prefer it if you moved into my home. People come at all times of the day and night. I’m fearful of what has occurred in my absence for the last few hours.” She pressed two fingers to her temple and rubbed. “Not that I can do anything about it,” she muttered. She let out a weary exhale.
While she struggled with exhaustion, he tried to make sense of what she was offering. It was ridiculous. Him? Butch Wilder? Protect her? And her family?
Hell. That was damned laughable.
Book Purchase Link: https://amzn.to/3MXKUa9
ABOUT KARA O’NEAL…
Award-winning author, Kara O’Neal is a teacher and lives in Texas with her husband and three children She writes stories with strong family ties, lots of romance, and guaranteed happy endings! Please visit her at www.karaoneal.com.
Where to Find Kara
Website – http://www.karaoneal.com
Bookbub – https://www.bookbub.com/profile/kara-o-neal
Amazon – http://www.amazon.com/Kara-ONeal/e/B00FL19TH8/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1?qid=1465007993&sr=8-1
Barnes and Noble – http://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/kara+o’neal?_requestid=845025
Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/KaraONeal84/
Twitter – https://twitter.com/KaraONealAuthor
Pinterest – https://www.pinterest.com/karaoneal7/
Goodreads – https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7278350.Kara_O_Neal
Blog — http://www.karaoneal.com/blog
Blog – The Story Continues — http://www.karaoneal.com/the-story-continues
Filed under ROmance Gems
Filed under year in photos
Filed under year in photos
Some days it pays to get out of bed. Yesterday was such a day.
The June issue of InD’Tale Magazine dropped yesterday afternoon and there were 3 amazing things that happened when it did.
How much joy can one little writer take!!!!!
Check out this link to read the article – and even better? My name is on the cover!!! HEE HEE
Filed under #balance, A Pride of brothers: AIden, Rone Awards
Enter this contest for a chance at a $50.00 Amazon gift card and 10 Sweet romance books! Who knows – you may find your new fav author ( other than me, of course – hee hee!)
Here’s the landing page to enter: SWEETROMANCE Scroll all the way down the page until you see the ENTER GIVEAWAY banner in orange. then, just follow the rules.
My book MIX AND MATCH is part of this great giveaway. Here’s a little about it:
Divorced and lonely, nurse Jasmine Green retains the services of Heaven, NH’s very own successful matchmaker, Olivia Joyner. The bar scene and dating apps give Jasmine hives and Liv’s reputation is stellar. If anyone can help guide her through the quagmire that dating has become, Olivia can.
Architect Donovan Boyd is ready to settle down. He wants the kind of marriage his parents have; long lasting, filled with love, children, and joy. But even after a year of living and working in Heaven, he’s still considered an outsider by many. Finding the type of woman he’s looking for is hard in the tight-knit community. Retaining Olivia Joyner to help him find his forever love is one of the smartest things he’s done, especially after she sets him up with Jasmine Green.
But the red-haired, green-eyed beauty wants a different kind of marriage from the one Donovan considers ideal.
Can these two strong-willed people learn to compromise so they can both find their happily ever after? Or will their relationship forever be relegated to the friend zone?
Good luck, kids ~ Peg
Filed under Writing