Tag Archives: #newbookrelease

January 14, 2023 · 12:16 am

A visit with #Author RACHEL BRIMBLE #twrp #Victorianhistoricalromance

I’ve said this so many times and I love saying it again and again: I LOVELOVELOVE when one of my Wild Rose Press sistahs comes for a visit, especially when they tell me about one of their new books. Today I have sistah RACHEL BRIMBLE here for the very first time. YAY! She was kind enough to answer all my interview questions then give me a little peek into her newest WRP book VICTORIA AND VIOLET (THE ROYAL MAIDS BOOK 1) available now.

Victoria…the floor is yours!

Rachel, the Author:

  1. What drives you to write?

Because I love it so much! I have wanted to write since I was very young and once I started writing toward publication in 2015, it became a huge part of my life. These days, if I go more than three days without writing, I become a very difficult person to live with, haha! It’s a compulsion…

  1. What genre(s) of Romance do your write, and why?

I have been concentrating on historical romance for the last four years or so, but I also have contemporary romance and romantic suspense novels published with Harlequin and the Wild Rose Press. Writing historical romance gives me a wonderful outlet for my history obsession and an excuse to read lots and lots of non-fiction books and watching numerous documentaries! However, I definitely write romance because I love LOVE!

  1. What genre(s) of Romance do you read, and why?

I read historical, contemporary, and romantic suspense – I think if I had to choose one as a favorite, I would have to say historical 😊

  1. What’s your writing schedule? Do you write every day?

I am lucky enough to be able to write full-time so I tend to write from 8.30am to 5.30pm Monday to Friday with a lunch break and dog walk in between as well as a couple of hours on Saturday. I try to take Sunday off completely!

  1. Give us a glimpse of the surroundings where you write. Separate room? In the kitchen? At the dining room table?

I started on the kitchen table, but for the last four years, I have written from my home office which is the spare bedroom of my house. This room is my haven and I appreciate the space so much. I have a beautiful white desk with my planning boards in front of me, a window looking out onto our back garden and two walls with floor-to-ceiling bookshelves containing research books and novels.

  1. Are you the kind of writer who needs total quiet to compose, or are you able to filter out the typical sounds of the day and use your tunnel vision?

I need total quiet to write but can edit and do my admin and/or social media content work with background noise. I need the silence to actually create.

7. Do you listen to music while you write, and if so, what kind? If not, why not?

No – I have just never felt the need. Lots of my writer friends have playlists for their different books, but it has never been a thing for me.

  1. How did you come up with the plotline/idea for your current WIP?

My current work in progress is the second book in my Royal Maids series and is set in the court of the Prince and Princess of Wales who go on to become King Edward VII and Queen Alexandra. The idea for the plotline came to me when I read about Alexandra’s love of clothes and how she had been admired for her looks and style in the early 20th century the same way Princess Diana was admired in the late 20th century.

  1. Which comes first for you – character or plot? And why?

It’s usually plot – I am often inspired by a historical building or a period drama I have seen on TV that I would have written differently. A plot will slowly form in my mind and then I have to wait for the characters to come forward and claim their spots in the book! I really enjoy getting to know my characters, but it isn’t until about a third way, or even halfway, through the first draft that I feel I know them well.

  1. What 3 words describe you, the writer?

Hardworking, passionate, ambitious (Peggy here: I LOVELOVLOVE those descriptions!!!)

Rachel, The Person:

  1. Tell us one unusual thing about yourself – not related to writing!

I have naturally curly hair and have not had my hair professionally cut since my wedding day in 1998 – my daughters or husband give it a quick trim whenever needed!

  1. Who was your first love and what age were you?

Apart from childhood crushes, I would have to say my husband! We started dating when we were 18 😊

  1. If you could relive one day, which one would it be? Think GROUNDHOG DAY, the movie for this one – you’ll have to live it over and over and….

Ooh, I have been blessed with many fabulous days in my life, but one that I will never forget and treasure forever was when my husband surprised me with a flight to Ireland and a two-night stay at Ashford Castle where romance writer Nora Roberts was hosting an afternoon tea and book signing.

I ADORE her books and it was a dream come true to talk to her and have her say hello again to me in the evening at the castle where she was staying, too.

  1. What’s one thing you love about your significant other?

His generosity – he is such a generous person in every way and would help anyone who needed it. He has a very good heart.

  1. If you had to give up one necessary-can’t-live-without-it item, what would it be?

My laptop, of course! 😊

  1. What three words describe you, the person?

Funny (I hope!), kind, conscientious (AWWW!)

  1. If you could sing a song with Jimmy Fallon, what would it be?

Ain’t No Mountain High Enough

  1. If you could hang out with any literary character from any book penned at any timeline, who would it be, why, and what would you do together?

The Artful Dodger from Oliver Twist – he would take me around all the dark, seedier places of Victorian London and teach me the art of survival. I love his character so much. He has always been an example of resilience to me rather than a petty criminal!

Bonus round

I love the Actor’s Studio show on Bravo, so this is my version of it:

  1. Favorite sound : A running bath!
  2. Least favorite sound: My children crying
  3. Best song ever written :I Have Nothing (Whitney Houston)
  4. Worst song ever written: Mr Blobby by Mr Blobby
  5. Favorite actor and actress:  Tom Hanks
  6. Who would you want to be for 1 day and why? ( It can be anyone living or dead)  Oprah Winfrey – I follow her on Instagram and her ranch looks amazing. I’d love to sit on her porch for breakfast and then contemplate my day/friends/family etc and then choose which famous person I’m going to call up to come over for dinner…
  7. What turns you on? Books!
  8. What turns you off? Housework…
  9. Give me the worst 5 words ever heard on a first date ( here’s mine: “Is that your real hair?”)

Can I have 6? “How much do you love football?” hahah – yes, you can!!!!

  1. What’s your version of a perfect day?

Writing in the morning, a long dog walk in the English countryside followed by dinner in an old pub, preferably Tudor.

It should be a dream come true to serve the Queen of England…

When Violet Parker is told she will be Queen Victoria’s personal housemaid, she cannot believe her good fortune. She finally has the chance to escape her overbearing mother, a servant to the Duchess of Kent.

Violet hopes to explore who she is and what the world has to offer without her mother’s schemes overshadowing her every thought and action.

Then she meets James Greene, assistant to the queen’s chief political adviser, Lord Melbourne. From entirely different backgrounds and social class, Violet and James should have neither need nor desire to speak to one another, yet through their service, their paths cross and their lives merge—as do their feelings.

Only Victoria’s court is not always the place for romance, but rather secrets, scandals, and conspiracies…

BUY: https://geni.us/u0GmS5

Rachel lives in a small town near Bath, England. She is the author of 29 novels including the Ladies of Carson Street trilogy, the Shop Girl series (Aria Fiction) and the Templeton Cove Stories (Harlequin). Her latest novel, Victoria & Violet is the first book in her new Royal Maids series with the Wild Rose Press and released 17th October 2022.

Rachel is a member of the Romantic Novelists Association as well as the Historical Novel Society and has thousands of social media followers all over the world.

To sign up for her newsletter (a guaranteed giveaway every month!), click here: https://bit.ly/3zyH7dt

Website: https://bit.ly/3wH7HQs

Twitter: https://bit.ly/3AQvK0A

Facebook: https://bit.ly/3i49GZ3

Instagram: https://bit.ly/3lTQZbF

Peggy here – I can’t thank you, Rachel, enough for coming to visit me today. I loved your interview and I’ve got my own pic of me with Nora, as well!!!! It was a top 5 day in my life when I met her and got to speak with her privately!!!! Good luck with Victoria and Violet – it sounds fabulous!!!)

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October 6, 2022 · 3:00 am

SUNSHINE, SELFIES, & SMUGGLERS a new #cozymystery from Louise Stevens – out today!

I am just thrilled to be able to present to you -once again on her release day! – one of my favorite authors, Louise Stevens, and her newest Port Sunset Mystery, SUNSHINE, SELFIES, & SMUGGLERS!

It’s a tradition around here that Louise and her doppelganger, Donna Simonetta, visit me on their books’ release day and it’s always a supreme pleasure for me.

So, let’s get to it….. here’s Louise and the Port Sunset gang!

Smuggling, social media sensations, and shootings…just another summer in Port Sunset

Solving mysteries with my fun-loving grandmother Lulu, her friends, and Spud the corgi is my side hustle. By day I’m Millie Wentworth the assistant general manager of the swanky Gulf Palms Resort, so you wouldn’t think sleuthing would be in my skill set. But lately it has been, and since summer is our busy season in Port Sunset I’d hoped it would be murder-free. Is that too much to ask?

            Apparently so, because when social influencer Merry Marissa’s yacht cruises into town, we’re suddenly up to our necks in smuggling, stalkers, and slaughter. I have more suspects than the Tipsy Turtle has mai tais. And I’m without my sleuthing team, because Lulu’s Crew are busy going viral to raise money for animal charities.

            Can I unravel the mystery and find the killer before Lulu’s Crew and I become the  next victims?

“I’m no expert, but I don’t think that’s how you do downward dog. What the

ever-loving fudge is she doing?” I watched a woman in a bikini roughly the size of four microchips strung together with dental floss as she posed on all fours on the beach.

            “In all fairness it is a doggy position. Just not the yoga one,” Lulu said.

            I swatted my grandmother’s arm. “Not helping, Lulu.”

            “She’s been doing this the whole time, and whatever it is, it is not yoga.” My BFF Nell was attempting to lead a yoga practice for guests of the Gulf Palms Resort and Spa on the gorgeous Gulf Coast of Florida. “I’m not even sure she’s a hotel guest. She’s being very disruptive. I had to stop the class because people were getting so upset. Can you get her to stop sometime before my morning yoga practice is over?”

            Nell was right, as the Assistant General Manager of the hotel, it was on me to put an end to this woman’s shenanigans. I pasted on my best professional smile and walked across the powdery white sand. “Excuse me––”

            The woman looked directly at the smartphone she had positioned on a tripod with a professional-looking light ring to film whatever the heck it was she was doing. She beamed at the camera and said, “Sorry Merry Maniacs, but my public is interrupting. I’ll be right back to you, my lovelies.” She flashed a peace sign at the camera with a roguish wink and then crawled over to turn off the video recording. She stood up, flicked her long, expertly waved brown hair over her shoulder, put her hands on her hips, and glared at me. “Just who the f–––”

            “Hello,” I interrupted before she could utter a very un-yoga-friendly word. Internally my professional smile might’ve wavered, but I kept it on my face as I stepped toward her with my hand extended. She scowled at my hand as if I were offering her rotten fish. I lowered my hand but responded pleasantly. “I’m Millie Wentworth, the Assistant General Manager of the Gulf Palms Resort and Spa. And you are?”

            Her big brown eyes widened and I noticed even on the beach she had full make-up on and false eyelashes luxuriant enough that a breeze might’ve wafted by my face as she blinked at me. “Don’t you know who I am? I’m Merry Marissa.”

            The name Merry Marissa meant nothing to me, in spite of her pronouncement of it as if she were telling me she was the Queen of England. “Ms. Marissa­­­­––”

            “Not Ms. Marissa,” she snapped. “My name is Marrisa Merriweather. Merry Marissa is my social media handle. My brand. M-E-R-R-Y. Because I’m so fun-loving.”

            At the moment, she didn’t seem fun-loving so much as cheesed off, but I let it slide.

            Lulu cocked her head and looked at the woman. “I’ve seen Merry Marissa online before. I didn’t recognize you.” She turned to me and added, “She’s a big-time social influencer.
            Merry Marissa nodded. “The old lady is right. I am big time.” She looked my grandmother up and down and her jaw dropped when she got to Lulu’s white bobbed hair, currently streaked with a lovely shade of aqua. “You are obviously one well-informed person. And I love the hair! Don’t tell me you got it done in this podunk town.”

            “I did.” Lulu jerked her thumb over her should at the historic pink resort where I worked. “At the Tranquility Spa and Salon in the hotel.”

            “I’ll have to check it out. Keeping up my appearance is very important to my brand.”

            Nell cleared her throat, and I jolted as I realized how off track our conversation had gotten. “I’m sorry, Ms. Merriweather, but Nell is leading a yoga practice for guests of the hotel, so I’m going to have to ask you to film elsewhere.”

            She shook her head and snapped. “No way.”

            “I’m sorry, what?” I asked.

            “I’m trying to film myself attending the yoga class for my followers. Show them how ‘spiritual’ I can be.” Marissa made air quotes around the word spiritual and then snorted while she rolled her eyes.

            “Yes, but these people are paying guests at our resort and actually participating in the practice, not just posing for pictures. And you are recording our guests for public display without their permission. I’m afraid I must insist you delete the video and move on, Ms. Merriweather.”

Get your copy here:

Amazon: Barnes & Noble: Apple: Kobo: Scribd: Vivlio

And if you prefer print copies, click this link: PRINT

Louise Stevens is the author of the Port Sunset Mysteries series. A lover of mysteries since her discovery of Nancy Drew many years ago, she is thrilled to be writing cozy mysteries now. She lives in Maryland with her husband, who also loves a good mystery, in a house packed with books.

Louise Stevens is the pen name of contemporary romance author Donna Simonetta

Connect with Louise here:

Facebook: Amazon Author Page Twitter Goodreads Bookbub

And check out the first two books in the series:

PENTHOUSE, POOLS, & POISON

When the obnoxious guest in the penthouse is poisoned beside his private pool, my daily planner is turned upside down. I’m Millie Wentworth, Assistant General Manager of the swanky Gulf Palms Resort and Spa and solving the murder shouldn’t be my job, but the only food found near the body is a charcuterie board sent to the victim by yours truly.

The Port Sunset Police are looking my way until a shocking revelation shifts their attention to a friend. Suddenly, cracking the case moves to the top of my to-do list and it’s up to me to find the real killer and clear my friend’s name.

Uncovering the truth should be a breeze with me, my pink-haired grandmother, her rescue corgi, and her crew of fun-loving septuagenarian beach bunnies on the case. What could possibly go wrong?

****COZY MYSTERY OF THE YEAR FINALIST, N.N. Light’s Annual Book Awards****

“Get ready to curl up with your next favorite book!” USA Today Best-selling Author Claire Marti

“…one of the best cozy mysteries I’ve ever read.” N.N. Light’s Book Heaven

“…you won’t want this rollicking romp to end.” 5-Star Amazon Review

DIAMONDS, DUNES, & DEATH

I’m Millie Wentworth and I never thought I’d be involved in another murder, but here I am smack dab in the middle of a crime wave at the swanky resort where I’m Assistant General Manager. It started with a major diamond heist and ended with a dead body on the beach.

When one of my grandmother Lulu’s group of fun-loving septuagenarian friends is a prime suspect it’s time for Lulu’s Crew, Spud the corgi, and me, to get sleuthing and uncover the real criminals.

And because dodging mobsters, international jewel thieves, and solving crimes isn’t stressful enough, my hypercritical parents are in town too. My mother doesn’t approve of Lulu and me in the best of times, and these are decidedly not the best of times. Plus she’s already planning my imaginary wedding to my kinda-sorta boyfriend Scott.

All I need to do is catch a murderer plus a jewel thief and survive my parents’ visit. No problem, right?

See the entire series here: PORT SUNSET MYSTERIES

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June 16, 2022 · 12:00 am

Claire Marti and MONTEREY KING #newrelease

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

Bookbub:  https://www.bookbub.com/profile/claire-marti

Amazon:  https://www.amazon.com/Claire-Marti/e/B01N9VOWLL

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June 13, 2022 · 3:00 am

A visit from Kara O’Neal, author of the newly- released FELICITY’S FORTUNE

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

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June 6, 2022 · 1:00 am

ANGEL KISSES & HOLIDAY WISHES releases 6.7.2022 #Dickensholidayromance #laterinliferomance

If you’ve been following me on Facebook or Instagram lately you know I’ve been obnoxiously promoting tomorrow’s release of ANGEL KISSES & HOLIDAY WISHES, heehee

This story was originally part of the CHRISTMAS COMES TO DICKENS anthology in 2020 and now that we’ve been allowed to, I’m releasing it in print and Ecopy as a Christmas in June precursor to this year’s Holiday book, SASHA’S SECRET SANTA which will release on November 7, 2022.

The ecopy is only 99cents, the print copy is $8.00.

If you haven’t read it yet, here’s a little about ANGEL KISSES & HOLIDAY WISHES...

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?

Merry Christmas 6 months early, kids!!!

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June 1, 2022 · 3:00 am

New release from Lucinda Race SUNDAES ON SUNDAY

New today from my talented writer friend, LUCINDA RACE…read on….

Sundaes on Sunday

About the book…

Although her husband died a year ago, first-grade school teacher Lisa Peck is keeping one tradition she shared with him: sundaes every Sunday at their special place, Seaside Scoops. It’s there that she meets a precocious five-year-old, Allie, and her handsome, dark-haired father, Hunter. 

Airline pilot Hunter Adams has been a single dad since his wife died when Allie was a baby. He has his life perfectly arranged. Allie stays with her grandparents during the week while he flies, then he spends weekends with his daughter, including taking her for sweet treats at Seaside Scoops. But Allie has never before been drawn to someone as quickly as she’s drawn to Lisa. Is it just a little girl interested in a pretty woman, or is it fate pulling Lisa and Hunter together? 

Lisa is cautious, but maybe it’s time to move on from the past and take a second chance on love. Everyone is encouraging Hunter to do the same, but will Lisa think he’s just trying to find a mother for his child? Maybe Allie is wiser than the adults in her life. Will their sundaes on Sunday lead to true love every day of the week? 

Excerpt…

Lisa sat alone at a table for two. Seaside Scoops had been their special place every week for the last four years where they could relax and gear up for the week ahead. She smiled in spite of her sadness when she thought of what Brian used to call their standing date, sundaes on Sunday. A year ago, he would have been sitting across from her in the quaint seaside town, wearing a silly grin with a dab of whipped cream on his nose, all in an attempt to make her laugh. It was corny but what she wouldn’t give to see it one more time.

The last time they had been there he’d had a hot fudge on coffee. It’s funny how some things just stick. Like the fact he always took her cherry since she hated them and he loved them which is why she always ordered one. It was one of the small ways they fit together like two halves of a whole.

She looked across the narrow strip of sand to the Atlantic Ocean. Traffic was almost nonexistent on this early Sunday afternoon. The mid-spring sun was warm without the need for the pink and white umbrella to be raised. Few people were sitting outside; tourists hadn’t started to show up yet, but it was just a matter of time, and then she’d adjust to coming just before dinner—that too had been Brian’s suggestion.

As she spooned the last of the now-melted strawberry ice cream from the silver dish, she noticed a man and a little girl sitting two tables over. She was wearing a sweet yellow jumper and a white shirt with bright-red Mary Jane shoes. She couldn’t have been older than four if Lisa had to guess. She was younger than her first-grade students.

Her sweet voice caught Lisa’s attention; it held a soft Southern drawl. “Daddy, how come we can’t have ice cream every day? It’s so good. I really like strawberry ice cream the best, even better than hot dogs.” She looked up at him with big cornflower-blue eyes and her medium-length dark hair was pulled to the side of her face with a butterfly barrette. She was adorable but looked nothing like her dad except her deep dimples; she must favor her mother.

Her father smothered a chuckle. “Ice cream is a treat, Allie, which is why we have it on the weekend.”

He lifted his eyes and gave Lisa a smile and half nod. She quickly looked away, embarrassed to be caught eavesdropping. If only her life had turned out differently.

A short time later the dad wiped his daughter’s hands on a napkin as best he could and placed the dishes in the container on the metal stand. Lisa held an open book in her hand but wasn’t reading it. Instead, her eyes were closed as she listened to the soothing sound of the waves crashing on the shore.

“Daddy?” Allie whispered loudly. “Do you think the pretty lady is sleeping?”

Lisa opened her eyes and gave her a small smile. “No. I’m listening to the ocean.”

Her mouth dropped open, and then she walked over to where Lisa was sitting and climbed onto a chair next to her as if they had known each other forever.

“If I close my eyes, can I hear it too?”

Her dad said, “Allie, let’s leave the lady alone; she seems to be enjoying her day.”

Lisa’s heart cracked a little. Every Sunday was the same, as if on repeat like an old movie. “I’d like the company if it’s okay with you.”

He pulled out a chair. Taking his daughter’s hand, he relented. “Just for a minute, and then we need to go.”

She couldn’t help but notice his soft-brown eyes and thick dark hair, cut short for what she guessed was ease of maintenance. He wore khaki shorts and a faded blue tee and flip-flops. Sitting across from her, he was taller by a full foot. But it was his warm smile that made her heart rate tick up in an unexpected way.

She held out her hand to the child. “I’m Lisa Peck.” Her eyes drifted to the dad.

“I’m Allie and this is my daddy.”

He gave her another warm smile. “Hunter Adams, father to a very precocious daughter.”

“It’s nice to meet you both.” She focused her attention on Allie. “Close your eyes and really think about listening to all the sounds around you. I’ll bet you can hear the waves crashing on the shoreline.”

She immediately closed her eyes and her dark lashes fluttered over her cheeks, so sweet and trusting.

“Tell me what you hear.”

Her eyes popped open, and she said, “You talking.”

Lisa laughed. “Fair enough. Let’s try it again and I’ll close my eyes too.”

Allie tipped her head. “You too, Daddy. You wanna hear the waves, right?”

He was still holding her hand. “I do but don’t let go of my hand, okay?”

“I won’t.”

Lisa set the book down and folded her hands in her lap. “I’m closing my eyes now.”

“Me too.”

They sat there quietly and the waves continued their steady rhythm of kissing the shore and slipping away.

“Daddy, do you hear it?”

Lisa opened her eyes and was surprised to see Hunter watching her.

“I do.”

“Can we go see the ocean, pretty please?”

Her big blue eyes were open wide and if she were Lisa’s daughter, it would be tough to say no. But Hunter must be used to it.

“How about we agree to walk along the sidewalk on the way to the car and we can see the waves. I wouldn’t want you to get your pretty dress all sandy before we get to Grandma’s house.”

She looked down and nodded. “I can’t get my Dorothy shoes dirty.”

Hunter leaned across the table. With a conspiratorial wink, he said, “Dorothy from The Wizard of Oz.”

“I see.” She gave Allie a smile. “You look very pretty to go see your grandmother.”

“Thank you.” She slipped off the chair. “Come on, Daddy.” She gave Lisa a little wave. “Bye, Lisa.”

“Bye, Allie.” She smiled at Hunter. “She’s adorable.”

“Thanks for indulging her.” He scooped up Allie in one arm. “It was nice meeting you.”

Hunter left the ice cream shop and as promised, he carried Allie across the narrow two-lane road to the sidewalk.

She raced to the rail and climbed up on it. “Look, Daddy. The waves are huge. Can we play on the beach today?”

“Not today, peanut, but someday soon we can.” He looked over his shoulder but he couldn’t see Lisa from this vantage point. She had looked isolated; that was the only way he could think to describe it until Allie interrupted her day.

She had a sixth sense when someone needed to be comforted. It had been like that from the time she was little, long after her mom had died. Allie didn’t have any memories of Judith even though she had a framed photo of her mom next to her princess bed.

After a few more minutes, he said, “Ready to go to Grandma’s?”

“How many days before you come home?”

He held up two fingers. “We’ll mark it on the calendar, okay? It’s just two overnights at Grandma’s this time.”

He loved being a pilot. It had been his passion for fifteen years, but he hated leaving his little girl. What choice did he have unless he wanted to step out of the cockpit permanently and train for a different position within the airline industry? But giving up seniority was tough to swallow and it had its perks. He liked flying in and out of Logan and it had a more flexible schedule along with making an excellent living. It had been especially tough when Judith got sick, but the cancer took her quickly. It wasn’t like he had time to adjust to being a single parent. She made it look easy, taking care of Allie while he jetted off to the next city, state, or even country. Moving back to the Northeast had been the right thing for both of them.

“Daddy, I don’t want a trip gift this time.”

He smiled. “You don’t want me to bring home a little something?”

She shook her head. “Nope, just you.”

That melted his heart. “I promise I’ll be home as fast as I can.”

She put her tiny hand in his. “That lady was pretty.”

“Who?”

“The lady eating ice cream. I wonder where her little kids were.”

“I don’t know, honey. Maybe she doesn’t have any.”

 “I bet if she has kids we could play together. She was nice.” Allie frowned. “We should have asked her to come see the waves with us.”

“I’m sure she had other things to do.”

Allie looked up. “Daddy, she was taking a nap.”

He laughed softly. “She was enjoying her afternoon and there is nothing wrong with relaxing after a busy week.”

She squinted her eyes and tipped up her chin. “How do you know she was busy?”

“Most adults are; it’s just how we roll.” He scooped her up and tickled her until she squealed, causing a flock of seagulls to take flight.

Get your copy here:

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09WM1SSJV

About the Author, Lucinda Race…

Award-winning and best-selling author Lucinda Race is a lifelong fan of romantic fiction. As a young girl, she spent hours reading romance novels and getting lost in the hope they represent. While her friends dreamed of becoming doctors and engineers, her dreams were to become a writer—a romance novelist.

As life twisted and turned, she found herself writing nonfiction but longed to turn to her true passion. After developing the storyline for The Loudon Series, it was time to start living her dream. Her fingers practically fly over computer keys she weaves stories about strong women and the men who love them.

Lucinda lives with her two little dogs, a miniature longhair dachshund, and a shitzu mix rescue, in the rolling hills of western Massachusetts. When she’s not at her day job, she’s immersed in her fictional worlds. And if she’s not writing romance novels, she’s reading everything she can get her hands on.

Social Media Links

FB https://www.facebook.com/LucindaRaceAuthor/

https://www.instagram.com/lucindaraceauthor/

Goodreads – Lucinda Race- https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/10174985.Lucinda_Race

Youtube Lucinda Race https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=lucinda+race+author

Pinterest https://www.pinterest.com/lucindaraceauthor/

Universal Link  https://books2read.com/ap/xyYO2g/Lucinda-Race

Bookbub Lucinda Race https://www.bookbub.com/profile/lucinda-race

Amazon Author Page  https://www.amazon.com/Lucinda-Race/e/B00Q0MMNUM

Lucinda’s Heart Racers Reader Group https://www.facebook.com/groups/118597305361578

https://lucindarace.com

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May 11, 2022 · 3:00 pm

Release day for THE HAUNTING OF WILTON JUNE – Romantic Hauntings book 2 #magnoliablossompublishing #PNR

So excited to share that Book 2 in the Romantic Hauntings series, THE HAUNTING OF WILTON JUNE is out today!

We met WIll in book 1, Merry’s Ghost. He’s Merry’s older brother, an Academy Award Winning indie filmmaker. In this book, he’s filming the script of Merry’s Ghost, as penned by CD Seacort – his now brother-in-law and Merry’s hubby, and he’s found the perfect house to shoot in. The only problem? The owner is very reluctant to have a film made in her home.

Here’s the blurb and a little taste of the story…

Hotshot movie director Wilton June is in pre-production for a new movie. The moment he sees Maison Toussaint he decides it’s the perfect setting for the film and wants to rent it. The one stumbling block? The owner isn’t sure she can let her ancestral home be used in a movie.

Botanist Jerica Toussaint needs cash – a lot of it – to keep her home up to code and her herbal healing business alive. June’s financial offer is oh-so-tempting, as is the director himself. But the house has a secret Jerica’s guarded her entire life. Can she, in good conscience, rent it to a man who may expose it?

Convincing Jerica to trust him with her home – and her secret – is no easy feat and after a time Will realizes he needs to convince her to trust him with one more thing: her heart.

As far as spooky, make-your-skin-crawl, haunted-looking houses went, this one was perfect, Wilton June mused as he gazed up at the Victorian structure. It could have been on the cover of a coffee table book titled The House Buyer’s Guide to Ghostly Mansions.

Four stories tall, it was by far the biggest house he’d seen since he’d started scouting for locations in Boston and the surrounding area.

The uppermost level consisted of a single, square room, circled by floor-to-ceiling windows on all four sides, and set in the dead center of the house.

I bet you can see the entire town from any window you look through. The natural light must be incredible on a sunny day.

Always a bonus for a cinematographer. The ground floor was ringed by a full, covered porch, Corinthian columns supporting the overhang awning every few feet. Stained glass windows filled the second level, the third supporting a half balcony running along the length of the front of the house. The paint, a steely, cold grey, could have been the original as it was faded and peeling in spots. The drab, lifeless color added to the house’s eerie aesthetic. The shutters ran to black and a few hung from their hinges. A huge front yard sported beyond rust-laden wrought iron gates and boasted an overgrowth of dead grass and weeds he’d bet hadn’t seen any action from a lawnmower in some time. Off to one side stood a rose arbor, withered vines and decayed blooms covering it from top to bottom and once again adding to the dead look and feel of the place.

“It’s perfect,” he told the woman standing at his side.

Realtor Genevieve Gordon tossed him a look indicating either, a, he was crazy, or, b, she was afraid he might be pulling her leg and wasting her time.

No one who viewed this place would ever use perfect as a description.

But for what Will wanted, it was.“What are the specs?”She handed him a brochure filled with the home’s dimensions. Will calculated the necessary room he’d need for three stationary cameras, sound equipment, and extra lighting.

Perfect shot through his mind again.

“Can we go inside? I’d like to see how the rooms are situated and get an idea of the space.”

Ms. Gordon made a face his mother would have termed pinched.

“Are you sure you want to? I mean, the spec pages have pictures of the main rooms and all the dimensions. Isn’t that enough?”

He wondered what prompted the concern lacing her tone.

“If you don’t mind, I want to see the setup for myself, the flow from room to room, to ensure it can fit all my equipment and if it’s big enough for what I need to do.”

She sighed. “I’ll have to call the owner for approval.”

He cocked his head. “Don’t all owners want potential tenants to do a walk-through? In my experience, that’s what usually seals the deal.”

“You’re the first person in over two years who’s expressed any interest in the place.”

He could tell the moment she uttered the words, she regretted giving them life. Her mouth slammed to a hard, closed line and she glanced down at her shoes.

Strange response for someone looking to make a commission.

“You mentioned at the office the owner refuses to sign a rental agreement until she meets the potential renter, right?” he asked. “Wants to size them up? Interview them?”

“That’s the major stipulation for her leasing it. This is her ancestral home. It’s been in her family for four generations and she wants to ensure whoever does rent it is going to take care of it.”

“Got it.” He glanced back at the structure, saw in his mind’s eye the opening scene, how he’d film it, the angles he’d shoot from.

“I have every intention of taking care of this place.”

“Just know as another condition for renting,” the realtor said, “Miss Toussaint would require six months’ rent, up front. No refunds if you leave early. No matter what the reason.”

Again, strange wording, but he let it slide. He’d only leave when the project planned was complete and the film was in the can. Nothing else would make him leave, because one thing everyone said about Academy Award-winning documentarian and director Wilton June, he never walked away from anything before he was done with it.

With anticipation to start working twitching about within him, he turned to the petite brunette and said, “I want to see the inside of the house. Go ahead and give her a call. Let’s do this.”

Intrigued? Get your copy here:

Amazon/KU

Add it to your Goodreads and Bookbub TO READ lists.

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February 2, 2022 · 2:10 am

A new release from friend and author, M.J. Schiller is out today!

I love when someone I know has a new book release. M.J. Schiller‘s series Love and Chaos has a new addition, out today: ROCK OF SALVATION. Here’s a little glimpse to whet your reading appetite!

Sometimes it takes a bad boy to redeem a good girl. But will she end up being his Salvation in the end?

Jericho Tyler was comfortable in his role as the wild man of Just Short Of Chaos.

Different gorgeous women throwing themselves at him every night? What self-respecting hetero male wouldn’t dream of that? But when Salvation steps out of his shower and into his life, things start to change.

Oh, yeah. I knew the second I saw her that she didn’t belong backstage. And she didn’t belong with a man like me, for sure. But I didn’t let that stop me from seeing just how far she was willing to go to keep up her little naughty girl charade. And if she had something to prove, why not prove it with me?

Salvation Jones was not like the rest of her family.

In a parcel of toe-the-line, conservative preacher’s kids, she stood out like a piece of her costume jewelry at the Inaugural Ball.

I must have had a far-sighted stork reading the directions for my delivery. I was louder than they were. More boisterous. I got into more trouble. I’d heard, “Oh, Salvation,” in my mom’s disappointed voice for so long I began to think the O stood for Olivia, or something. It’s not like I meant to misbehave, but it just came naturally to me. I’d tried to be who they wanted; now it was time for me to truly be myself. They say, “Go big or go home,” so why not start out by seducing a rock star? And not just any rock star, the luscious, womanizing Jericho Tyler. Now that was somebody worth sinning for!

Sometimes it takes a bad boy to redeem a good girl. But will she become his Salvation in the end?

I stepped away from the door and peeled my sweaty shirt off. A shower was going to feel amazing. And I was moving in that direction, until I was brought up short, realizing my shower was already running.

Did Dex get our dressing rooms confused?

It wouldn’t be the first time something like that had happened. I started to cross to rap on the door and it opened, a big ball of steam rolling out. A form emerged through the mist. A beautiful, womanly form. As the steam dissipated, I got a better idea of what I was looking at. She stood with a towel wrapped around her and one twisted on her head. Her gaze lifted to mine.

“Oh.” Her mouth became a perfect circle for a moment. Then she cleared her throat. “Uhh…hello—” She stopped abruptly and ran a hand up the door frame. As what appeared like an afterthought, she cocked the opposite hip awkwardly, in a position that she seemed to think was sexy. And, while it had its merits, her shaky voice, in fact, her whole demeanor told me she was an amateur.

What sort of rebellious preacher’s daughter have we got here, pretending to be a dirty girl?

She wet her lips nervously, which was probably the most provocative thing she had done, even though she did that as if without thinking. “Hello, handsome.”

I stifled a laugh. Her come-on was straight from a movie. No, she didn’t belong here at all. “Okay. Get your clothes on.”

“But don’t you want to….” She gestured vaguely.

It suddenly irritated me. She waltzes in and uses my shower. If I’d done the same to her, I would have been arrested. That flash of anger made me want to embarrass her. I finished her sentence. “Slap the sheets? Screw? Get laid?”

It did knock her back a bit. She blinked. “Yes. All those. I guess….” She chewed on a nail.

I inwardly rolled my eyes. I’d put money on this chick being a virgin. I felt an urge to play with her. It was mean and beneath me, but I had a strong desire to see just how far she would go with this miserable charade of a seduction.

“Okay. Let’s get at it then.” I crossed to her in two big strides. “You won’t be needing this.” I plucked the towel from her and tossed it aside, then pulled her against me.

She gasped and fear shadowed her features. It made me feel sorry for her and wonder what her story was, but I needed to teach her a lesson.

“So, what are you waiting for?” An edge cut through my words, because now that I was near her, and could smell the floral innocence of her fragrance, see her pretty, pouty lips, look into what had to be the most doe-like, amazing eyes I had ever seen, my body awoke.

Oh, shit. I want her. I could so have her without a single worry about whether it was right or not. She was in my shower. But I already knew I wouldn’t do it. Couldn’t do it, to her.

I grasped her chin, tilting her head back. “I thought you wanted to do me?”

She blinked rapidly and I could feel her tremble, which freaking made me yearn for her even more. The towel on her head fell off, exposing red hair with a hint of curl to it.

Shit.

Redheads were my weakness. I brushed my lips over hers. “Come on.” I swallowed but kept trying to push her buttons without engaging mine. “What’s making you wait?” I ran my tongue around her lips and kissed them softly. “Isn’t this what you want?”

Holy shit! I haven’t felt this turned on in a long time, if ever. And it has to be for the virgin I’m unwilling to hurt. This sucks.

I angled my head and lowered my lips until I was a breath apart from her. “This is what you wanted, isn’t it? Huh?” My voice sounded husky. “You want to do it, right?” I kissed her again, longer this time, and deeper. I made the mistake of lifting my gaze to hers, and suddenly I felt weak. Because, in that one moment, I couldn’t see the little girl trying to pretend to be something she wasn’t. All I could see was the desire I had ignited in her.

Her nails raked the skin of my neck and scalp as she threaded her fingers through my hair. With a flick of her tongue, she lashed my lips. Then did it again, searing me with her mouth. Branding me. I let my hand drift down to brush along the skin of her hip. Each new contact with her stirred me all the more. In a rush, I scooped her up from beneath her thighs, and we banged into the wall. I brought my mouth to her neck, grazing her with my teeth, tasting her with my tongue. Her heat against my straining crotch made me even harder.

It was going to take all of my scarce self-restraint to resist her.

She’s somebody’s daughter. She’s somebody’s daughter. She doesn’t know what she’s doing. Although it freaking feels like she knows what she’s doing. She’s simply acting out. She’ll regret giving herself for the first time to a guy like me.

My entire being groaned.

She’s just another girl. Like all the rest. There’s nothing special about her, even if it feels a tad different this time. For me, it will be like every other time. I don’t need this. I don’t need her.

I pushed away, getting a glimpse of a killer body before turning from my temptation. But I could tell she was determined, and she wouldn’t leave unless I forced her to. Scared her. She was a novice. She would crumble. I could handle her. She was a kitten, and I was the king of the jungle. I was freaking Jericho Tyler.

Links:

Books2Read: https://books2read.com/Rock-Of-Salvation

Amazon:  https://mybook.to/RockOfSalvation

Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/rock-of-salvation-m-j-schiller/1138588067

Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/rock-of-salvation-3

iTunes: https://books.apple.com/us/book/id1548110155

Book One, ROCKED BY GRACE, is on sale for 99¢.

Book Two, ROCKED BY LOVE, is on sale for $1.99.

Book Three, ROCK IT TO THE MOON, is up sale for $2.50.

M.J. Schiller is a lunch lady/romance-romantic suspense writer. She enjoys writing novels whose characters include rock stars, desert princes, teachers, futuristic Knights, construction workers, cops, and a wide variety of others. In her mind everybody has a romance. She is the mother of a twenty-seven-year-old and three twenty-five-year-olds. That’s right, triplets! So having recently taught four children to drive, she likes to escape from life on occasion by pretending to be a rock star at karaoke. However…you won’t be seeing her name on any record labels soon.

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January 19, 2022 · 2:00 am

A New Release from Bonnie Edwards…

One of my favorite people – and authors – Bonnie Edwards has a new addition to her RETURN TO WELCOME Series, CLAIMING SHANDY and she graciously allowed me to help her get the word out. Check out the wonderful cover:

She thought her divorce was final…

Welcome WA, where rumor, gossip, and old grudges endure long past their best before date.

Justin Camden wants his life back. His wife back. His son back. And he’s returned to Welcome to get them. Justin has a plan for the Christmas season and moving in with his ex and his boy is just the beginning.

Shandy Camden is stuck. Her big oaf of an ex-husband has finagled his way into her home for the entire month of December. He claims to want an old-fashioned family Christmas with their son. She’s forced to let Justin stay because refusing will break her son’s heart.

Slowly, Shandy sees that her ex may have another agenda. But she doesn’t believe in the magic of Christmas the way their son does. Helpless and forced to live with her ex, Shandy struggles to overcome her growing attraction to the only man who’s ever left her. The only man she’s ever loved. But Justin left once and if he leaves again, she’ll never recover, and neither will their son…

When the truth comes out, Shandy and Justin may well have discovered that more than anything, Christmas is about love.

Warning: This book has lots of groveling in it. If you don’t want to read about a divorced man making things right, then this romance isn’t for you.

December 1 Welcome WA

Justin Camden was no quitter. Never had been and he wasn’t about to give up now. But first he had to do battle against the dragons breathing fire in his gut. He’d never been this scared. Not even at fourteen when his dad caught him out driving his mom’s car at midnight.

He parked outside the Welcome Bar & Grill and called his buddy, Jake Morrow who was inside with a group of friends. Friends who included Justin’s wife, Shandy.

Everything he wanted to accomplish tonight hinged on whatever BS line Jake had come up with. “It’s me. I’m here. What did you tell her?”

In the background, Justin heard happy people greeting each other over the distant sound of a Christmas song. The season had begun. He climbed out of his car while he heard Jake excuse himself to take the call.

“Bedbugs.”

The background noise had receded, but Justin couldn’t have heard right. “What?”

“Every hotel in the area’s infested. Didn’t you know?” Jake said with a smirk in his voice.

“She’ll never believe that.” He had his hand on the brass door pull. Yanked it toward him.

“I believe she does believe me.”

He shook his head. No way. Shandy was the smartest woman he’d ever met and for the past three years, she’d been made of stone. He had to make her crack, but nonsense about bedbugs wouldn’t do it. The flame-thrower in his belly belched. Maybe he should turn around and leave.

“Plus, I told Shandy how much Brianna and I are enjoying our honeymoon period,” Jake was saying. “She can’t force you to stay with us. She has to let you stay at her place. She’ll have no choice.”

“Our place.” The home they’d bought together, to raise their family in. “You ass. Bedbugs?” He was inside the vestibule now, looking through the stained-glass partition, searching the restaurant side of the building. “I see the table.”

Jake stood a few feet away from the group. “Don’t worry, you got this,” he said, looking right at him through the multi-colored pane.

“My best and only shot.” He ended the call, plastered a smile on his face and made his way through the tables to where Shandy sat beside an empty chair. If this crazy bedbug story worked, he’d have a chance to get her angry. He needed her angry.

If she were angry with him, it was a sign that she still cared. That he could still make her feel something for him.

An angry Shandy was honest, and open. Angry Shandy was not a stone angel, cold and remote, the way she’d been for too long. He needed honest and open or his plan to return to Welcome and be the husband and father he wanted to be would fail.

Justin Camden was no quitter. He doused the flames in his gut.

Bonnie Edwards has been writing all her life, starting with a poem about Santa suffering with gout. She was seven, Santa was a thousandteen years old. Delighted with writing, she went on to write family sagas, humorous contemporary romance, romantic suspense, erotic paranormal ghost romances and more.

She may jump around within romance, but all her stories come with a tear, a laugh, and a happy ending. Published by Kensington Books, Harlequin Books, Carina Press, and Robinson (UK) Bonnie’s stories stretch from short stories to novellas and novels. Now, she’s happy to be publishing her work herself.

With 40 titles to her credit, she has been translated into several languages and sold books worldwide. Aside from standalone romances, she has 6 romance series that include Christmas romances and beach reads. Contemporary family sagas find a home in Return to Welcome. Learn about more exciting releases and get a free romance by subscribing to her newsletter, Bonnie’s Newsy Bits

Cheers and happy reading!

Bonnie Edwards

Follow her online:  Amazon     Website     BookBub     Twitter     Facebook

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January 14, 2022 · 12:28 am

New release: BEN ( The Dawsons of Montana) by Jan Scarbrough

On January 17, a new book by my friend Jan Scarbrough hits the book-reading world – and you don’t want to miss it! Jan is prolific writer and embodies that old saw write what you know!

Here’s a little about BEN and Jan….

Blurb:

Ben Dawson is a loner with a chip on his shoulder as big as the blue Montana skies he rides under every day. His widowed father’s marriage had been too quick, his stepbrother is a pain, and his stepmother turned his mother’s family ranch into a dude ranch. Ben has only returned to Six Buckles Guest Ranch to keep a promise to his late father, to watch over the ranch and his stepmother. He’s not there to get involved in a relationship, especially with a girl he knew back in high school.

Leigh Weston just wants to do her job as an event planner at Six Buckles and stay far away from entanglements. No good has ever come from them. Her father cheated on her mother, just like her ex-husband cheated on her. Her reunion with Ben leads to more than she expected, but she’s not ready to risk her heart. She exacts a promise from him that their relationship will be strictly hands-off. But when she needs a fake date to an event, Ben looks like the perfect choice. He understands the boundaries she’s set, right?

But even fake dates can ignite real romances. Are some promises worth breaking if it leads to a second chance at love?

Buy Link: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B09PVFQT4B

Release Date 1/17/2022

Whether it is the Bluegrass of Kentucky, the mountains of Montana, or Medieval England, Jan Scarbrough brings you home with romances from the heart.

Hi! My name is Jan Scarbrough. After a life-threatening illness when I was thirty-eight, I decided it was time to make my dream of being a novelist come true. So, I did!

I’ll print my website biography, then comment on it so you’ll get to know me better.

The author of two popular Bluegrass series, Jan writes heartwarming contemporary romances about home and family, single moms and children, and if the plot allows, about another passion—horses. Living in the horse country of Kentucky makes it easy for Jan to add small town, Southern charm to her books and the excitement of a Bluegrass horse race or a competitive horse show.

“They” say to write what you know. I live in Kentucky, so I set many of my books in my home state. I’ve been a single mom and raised two children. I like to ride American Saddlebred horses, so some of my books involve the horse show world. I also own a very small percentage (think ½ per cent) of a few thoroughbred racehorses. I’ve stood with other owners in the paddock of Churchill Downs and walked with them to the owner’s seats. I haven’t been in the winner’s circle yet for a group picture, but there’s time.

The Ghost Mountain Ranch series contains a trilogy of three contemporary western books with a good blend of mystery and happily-ever-after romance.

You need to read at least three books of the Ghost Mountain Ranch series to find “who done it.”

I have two contemporary western series on KindleUnlimited. The Dawsons of Montana series is about the ramifications of a father’s death on his family. My new release BEN is the fourth book in the series.

Jan leaves her contemporary voice behind with two paranormal gothic romances, Timeless and Tangled Memories, a Romance Writers of America (RWA) Golden Heart finalist. Her historical romance, My Lord Raven, is a medieval story of honor and betrayal.

Most of my writing career I couldn’t decide what I wanted to write, so besides contemporary romances, I wrote two gothic romances and one medieval. I love all three of these books.

A member of Novelist, Inc., Jan self-publishes her books with her husband’s help.

Without Bill’s help, I couldn’t self-publish my titles. He’s the tech guy. I have a great editor named Karen. That’s my team. I hope you’ll download a few of my books and tell me what you think at jan@janscarbrough.com.

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