contemporary romance

New from Lisabet Sarai– Two lovers? No problem?

WELCOME, LISABET!

Thanks, Alana.

Most authors put some of themselves into their characters. We can’t help it, really. We’re all shaped by our experience, in ways we can’t fully or consciously appreciate. Our characters are likely to share our assumptions, our biases and our values, whether this is our intention or not.

For instance, my female characters tend to be independent, well-educated and unapologetic about their sexuality. Anyone who knows me at all will recognize these traits also describe me. I don’t think I’ve ever written a helpless, timid virgin or a self-obsessed beauty queen. I don’t create violent characters, either, or at least not violent protagonists. You won’t find any mafia capos or special forces agents in my books. (The one exception is Cecily Harrowsmith in Rajasthani Moon, who is Queen Victoria’s spy, and she’s a slightly comic figure.)

Sometimes I deliberately try to create characters who are different from me, but that can be a struggle. The thing is, how can you imagine the inner life of someone whose background, priorities and goals deviate significantly from your own?

So my success varies. In that regard, I’m pretty proud of Wild About That Thing.

My heroine Ruby Jones is definitely not me. She’s a black woman, for one thing. As much as I try to empathize, I doubt I can really understand what it’s like to grow up black in America. She’s also a mother – a single mother, having divorced her cheating ex-husband. I’ve never had children, so it’s a stretch to imagine what it would be like to have total responsibility for someone else’s safety and well-being. Scary. My experience with marriage has been ninety nine percent positive. Ruby in contrast has been badly burned, and is naturally wary of new commitments.

Despite our differences, however, I feel that I know Ruby well. Early in the writing process, I learned about Ruby’s parents and came to see how her relationships with both her mother and her father shaped her personality and her behavior. Somehow these insights were not intellectual. Instead, I found myself in Ruby’s head, listening to her inner critic who often speaks with her mother’s voice.

Ruby is constantly torn between her analytical tendencies and her passionate nature. I suppose this is somewhat true of me, but in Ruby’s case the conflict is  particularly painful. One minute she’s a hard-headed businesswoman. The next, she’s a puddle of lust.

Anyway, I do hope my readers enjoy Ruby Jones. I feel that she’s one of the most realistic heroines I’ve created, as well as one of the most likable.

Note, though, that she still shares some attributes with me. She is independent and, as you might guess from the tag line, unapologetic about her sexuality.

She’s always been proud of her sensual nature. Now it seems to have landed her in an impossible situation. Two lovers…and she wants them both.

Ruby Jones has clear priorities. Her teenage son comes first, then her struggling blues club. Her love life ranks as a distant third, despite the efforts of Zeke Chambers to convince her otherwise. Zeke’s the lead singer in her house band, a devoted friend, and an occasional lover. He can drive her wild with desire, but can’t get her to make a commitment. Deserted by her cheating ex-husband, Ruby’s determined she’s going to make it on her own. She’s hot-blooded like her bluesman daddy, happy to satisfy her physical cravings, but she’s not about to let any man into her heart.

The stranger who takes the stage on open mike night upsets the delicate balance in Ruby’s world. From the moment Ruby sets eyes on him, Remy Saint-Michel inspires irresistible lust and inexplicable sympathy. Confused, guilty and worried about her prized independence, Ruby decides that the only way to deal with the two men is to push them both away. Zeke and Remy, however, have other ideas.

Note: Wild About That Thing was previously published by Totally Entwined. This new edition has been revised and re-edited.

Buy Links

Kinky Literature – https://www.kinkyliterature.com/book/1342-wild-about-that-thing-/

Amazon US – https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CPDD3JR9

Amazon UK – https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0CPDD3JR9

Smashwords – https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/1485627

Barnes and Noble – https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/wild-about-that-thing-lisabet-sarai/1110738210?ean=2940167659858

Kobo  – https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/wild-about-that-thing-4

Apple Books – https://books.apple.com/us/book/x/id6474285642

Add on Goodreads – https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/203152943-wild-about-that-thing

Add on BookBub – https://www.bookbub.com/books/wild-about-that-thing-by-lisabet-sarai-2023-12-10

Excerpt :

The crowd erupted into claps and whistles as the Travellers finished their number. “Thank you kindly, ladies and gentlemen.” A decade in New York hadn’t erased the softness of the South from Zeke’s speech. “Welcome to our first open mic night here at the Crossroads. Hope you brought your axe, your sax or your harp—if you didn’t, well, hell, you can borrow ours! Everybody gets the blues sometimes. This is the place to let it all out!”

Fresh applause greeted Zeke’s invitation. He stood up there on the platform—his hands jammed into the pockets of his jeans jacket, his axe hanging around his neck—and grinned like the country boy he used to be. At six-foot-one, with the solid build of a halfback, Zeke was an imposing figure. He’d broken up more than one drunken brawl for her over the past two years and he had a temper that could be scary. To Ruby and Isaiah, though, he’d been nothing but kind. Whatever success the Crossroads could claim was largely due to him.

“To kick things off tonight, I want to invite a very special lady to join us here on stage. She’s been through some hard times, friends, and she knows the blues. It’s in her blood, passed on from her daddy, Jimmy ‘The Harp’ Jones. When she sings, she spills her soul. Ladies and gentlemen, put your hands together for Ruby Jones, the lovely owner of the Crossroads Blues Bar!”

Applause filled the club. Zeke’s invitation hadn’t been a surprise. They’d discussed having her warm up the crowd, and of course, she’d been performing since she was a kid. Nevertheless, his effusive introduction made her feel self-conscious. Ruby wished she’d worn something a bit more glamorous than her usual jeans and tailored shirt.

She picked her way between the tables, headed for the stage. Zeke held out a big hand. When she grasped it, he swung her onto the platform, and quite neatly, into his arms. The crowd roared.

Zeke brushed his lips across hers. His distinctive scent engulfed her—clean sweat, Jim Beam and Ivory Soap. It was like turning on a movie—she instantly remembered the last time he’d been inside her. His blond stubble grazed her cheek. She saw him in her mind’s eye—body suspended above hers on powerful arms as he buried his cock in her pussy, fucking her with a smooth, steady rhythm while he scanned her face, focused on her pleasure. She felt again the way he stretched and filled her. The seam of her jeans teased her suddenly swollen clit. She wondered if Zeke could smell her growing dampness. Hell, what about the rest of the band?

“Stop it,” she whispered, pushing against his rock-hard chest.

Zeke released her with obvious reluctance. “I love her,” he told the audience, eliciting a chorus of hoots and whistles. Aching, hungry and guilt-ridden, Ruby knew he meant every word.

About Lisabet

Lisabet Sarai became addicted to words at an early age. She began reading when she was four. She wrote her first story at five years old and her first poem at seven. Since then, she has written plays, tutorials, scholarly articles, marketing brochures, software specifications, self-help books, press releases, a five-hundred page dissertation, and lots of erotica and erotic romance – over one hundred titles, and counting, in nearly every sub-genre—paranormal, scifi, ménage, BDSM, LGBTQ, and more. Regardless of the genre, every one of her stories illustrates her motto: Imagination is the ultimate aphrodisiac.

You’ll find information and excerpts from all Lisabet’s books on her website (http://www.lisabetsarai.com/books.html), along with more than fifty free stories and lots more. At her blog Beyond Romance (http://lisabetsarai.blogspot.com), she shares her philosophy and her news and hosts lots of other great authors. She’s also on Goodreads, BookBub and Twitter. Join her VIP email list here: https://btn.ymlp.com/xgjjhmhugmgh


Joyous holiday stories collected, all for you!

Just in time for the season–a collection of bright novellas and short stories to decorate your holiday mood. Author C.L. Hart shares her story UNEXPECTED ANGELS and the rest of the volume with us today. Check out the contents:

Book Blurb:

Bake your cookies, light some candles, trim your trees, and be enchanted with thirteen sweet-to-spicy Chanukah, Christmas, and New Year’s novellas that will sweep you from colonial days to contemporary times—each bearing a gift of happily-ever-after grand finales. This joyous collection is…  

A Winter Mating by Lia Davis. He returns to Willow Glen with one goal, to claim his mate. Convincing her that she belongs to him will be his toughest challenge, but he’s not above using seduction to get what he wants.

One Night at Christmas by Danica Winters. As the busy owner of a veterinary clinic, Emily Avery always has her hands full of puppies but empty of the one thing she really isn’t sure she wants anyway—a man. When the kind-hearted Derek Night makes an emergency call to help his mom’s naughty pup, they both must step outside of their shells and let the magic of Christmas and one mischievous pup bring them together.

The Christmas Crash by Tessa Lyons. Sparks fly when a relentless optimist and a grieving veterinarian are snowed in together at Christmas. Can they rediscover the magic of the season and find love in the most unexpected place?

His Christmas Date by Sara J. Walker. In this heartwarming story of seasoned romance, Dino Dudley and Hilde McQuire must navigate family drama and their own emotional baggage to find true love.

Jordyn’s Christmas Gift by Marie Morton. Jordyn Billings, a busy marketing executive, is gifted a holiday getaway to Chateau D’Or by her family, where she discovers an unforgettable and life-changing Christmas gift.

Four Chanukahs and a Wedding by Merrie Angel. Widowed and alone in 1973, Millie explores a professional photographer’s life, and stumbles upon Adam–an insatiable adventure seeker related to Jackie Kennedy. Will they find a way to ignite a flame that burns far beyond Millie’s expectations and set ablaze their own festival of lights?

Recipe for Romance by Gloria Ferguson. Ashley McClain wants to win the Holiday Bake-Off with her late mom’s cupcake recipe. Can she join forces with her friend and neighbor to claim the prize and a bit of romance just in time for Christmas?

Before the Rising Sun by V.L. Czerny. Their romance blighted at a colonial ball, Gertrude and Nicholas, forgetting their past acquaintance, are maneuvered by the Christmas spirit to set love loose and so refashion time’s expected plans.

Unexpected Angels by C.L. Hart. Sometimes the best things come together when everything is falling apart.

Christmas Market Magic by Tessie Benton. Sydney Hawthorne hires an escort for a business date, but he’s not what he appears to be, and their mutual deception sparks desire while careers hang in the balance.

A Merry White Christmas by Sally Murphy. Merry London, tasked with organizing an opulent Christmas ball for the McPhersons, faces an unexpected challenge in the form of Joel McPherson, whose fiery charm threatens to melt her icy exterior and unravel her meticulously laid plans. 

Lavender and Love Restored by M.J. Gates. Chief architect Jess Carlson is restoring a haunted historic hotel and helping a friendly spirit while reclaiming her life and love before the hotel’s grand reopening on New Year’s Eve.

Marry Me by Midnight by Leah Miles. Navy SEAL Kendall Nelson can’t manage a successful proposal, and single mom Luisa Sanchez has no time for romance.

Proceeds benefit the First Coast Romance Writers, an independent non-profit organization helping writers hone their craft and expand their knowledge of the publishing industry.

BUY LINK AT AMAZON

Here’s an excerpt from UNEXPECTED ANGELS:

“Gran, is Helen feeling up to joining us for dinner tonight, or should I fix her a tray with soup and crackers?”

A sturdy woman in her early thirties stood in the doorway of a large, cluttered kitchen filled with various cooking implements and both working and non-working appliances. She wore a goldenrod-hued apron with an image of a large lemon on the front over a short-sleeved red flannel shirt and black leggings. She reached up to run her hand over her metallic silver pixie shag and groaned.

“Crumbs—now my head is going to smell like French fried onions,” she sighed.

“Are we having a Thanksgiving-style dinner, Dear?” an older woman dressed in black jodhpurs and a short-sleeved black sweater with a white lace collar inquired. The lady’s cheap-looking bouncy black bob wig sat cockeyed on her head.

“Miss Helen, your…” the younger woman started, unconsciously gesturing at her own head. When the lady gave her a puzzled look, she changed the direction of her conversation.

“I’m glad you’re up and about,” she said. “Will you be joining us for dinner?”

“Well, Darling, as my Pete always said, I haven’t a bigger appetite than a bird. Though I did read in one of those clever books written by that delightful science gentleman that birds eat their weight in food every day. If I might just have a yam and a garden salad, that will be enough for this old girl.”

“Come, Helen, your coif is askew. Let’s get you fixed up,” a second elderly lady suggested, turning to give her granddaughter a conspiratorial wink. The younger woman mouthed the words “thank you,” and returned to dinner preparations.

“Where has that grandson of yours gotten off to, Rana?” the first woman inquired.

Author bio and links

About the Author:

C. L. Hart, the owner and sole employee of Naughty Netherworld Press, is spoken of in hushed tones. She is described as The Mad Scribe of the Northeastern Colorado Plains, The Terrible Old Woman, and The Author That Should Not Be.

When not penning sanity-destroying works of dystopian fiction, Lovecraftian fantasy, or old-school horror with the occasional sweet romance thrown in to upset the cosmic apple cart, Ms. Hart enjoys creating baked goods she hopes will be considered palatable.

Ms. Hart shares a home in a remote rural town of 134 souls with her adult son and three cats. Her sense of fashion is best described as Early Twenty-First Century Unmade Bed. This disabled former nurse can usually be found arguing with herself about subplots or rehabilitating eldritch horrors.

Follow C. L. Hart

C. L. Hart Amazon Author Page

https://bit.ly/CLHartAmazonAuthor

C. L. Hart Newsletter

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Naughty Netherworld Press Blog

http://www.naughtynetherworldpress.com

Naughty Netherworld Press Books

https://bit.ly/NNPBooks

Naughty Netherworld Press Start Page

https://naughtynetherworldpress.start.page

Naughty Netherworld Press Substack

https://naughtynetherworldpress.substack.com

Readers Roost Book Blog

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Readers Roost Facebook

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Readers Roost Twitter

Taking that first step

WELCOME GUEST AUTHOR ADRIANA KRAFT!

What romantic pairings do you love to read? Straight f/m? Bisexual f/f/m? Lesbian f/f? I’m half of the writing duo Adriana Kraft, and we love writing (and reading) all these pairings. Our newest release is a sapphic short story we wrote for an anthology over a decade ago, then revised and updated to release under our indie imprint. Is it really erotic romance? It’s definitely erotic, featuring one of my favorite f/f scenes as Natalie is caught between her fears and her desires in the middle of the night. Since it’s a short story, I’d call it happy-for-now, with a promising future.

And the inspiration? I love New York City, and we love setting stories there. I especially love it in the winter – Rockefeller center, with its giant tree and all the skaters, Central Park, Fifth Avenue with all the shoppers and window displays. Was I ever snowbound there? No, but I was stranded for two steamy August days during the great East Coast blackout of 2003.

Our conference was just concluding on the NYU campus in Greenwich Village when the power went out. When we left the building across from Washington Square Park, it seemed the entire city was on foot, rumors circulating wildly. Pretty quickly we knew it wasn’t just New York. With 9-11 less than two years behind us, there was speculation about the possibility of terrorism. I can’t remember how quickly that was dispelled with information about failure of the power grid in the heat wave. I do remember that several of us decided to walk the two miles north on Fifth Avenue to our hotel rather than try to board a bus. With no stoplights operating, traffic was basically gridlocked.

Part way back we found a Chinese restaurant with ready-to-go meals they had no way of keeping, and we bought supper, then sat and ate it on the steps of the beautiful beaux arts library at 42nd Street. When we finally reached the hotel, the elevator was out of service, but the staff had set out small candles on every step of the narrow spiral staircase leading up from the lobby, a welcome sight.

So many flights were cancelled that it was clear we wouldn’t get out of the city for a couple days. Some power was restored by the next day, and a friend and I took advantage of the nearby Times Square box office to get last minute discount tickets for two shows. I don’t know what adventures our heroines Natalie and Bridgette might get up to after their bedroom adventure, but I’m sure they’ll find ways to enjoy the city.

OUR STORY:

Natalie and the much younger Bridgette are real estate agents who’ve often traveled together for business seminars. Now they’re snowbound in New York City in a hotel room with only one bed. Will Natalie dare to make her move?

EXCERPT:

“Are you ready for me to shut off the TV?”

“Yes. I’ve heard enough chatter by pundits.”

“Me, too.” Natalie hit the off button, set the remote aside, and rolled onto her side to face the wall. The mattress shifted as Bridgette turned to face the opposite wall. “Good night,” Natalie murmured.

“Good night. I’m looking forward to being snowbound with you in New York.”

Closing her eyes, Natalie didn’t respond. She concentrated on breathing in and out. The predicted blizzard was a pleasant surprise that might prove to be the tipping point.

She’d done all she could do. It was up to fate now. She wouldn’t risk being rejected by her younger colleague. They’d traveled together several times representing their firm at realty conferences. She’d been surprised how comfortable they were as  travel companions, respecting each other’s routines. Bridgette chattered too much, but then Bridgette had probably had to adjust to some of Natalie’s idiosyncrasies, too.

Usually they shared a room with two beds. When they’d checked in at the front desk, Natalie had somewhat berated the clerk for their sleeping arrangements—but she was the one who’d explicitly requested one queen bed when making the reservation. She’d also anticipated correctly that given the size of the conference, there’d be no available rooms with two beds.

Natalie wished she could make the next overture, but she couldn’t. Pride intervened. She had no idea whether the twenty-six-year-old lying next to her would be interested in a forty-year-old divorcee who hadn’t been with a woman since college.

BUY LINK

Universal Buy Link

Just $0.99 at all e-book retail outlets

https://books2read.com/u/47djkE

ABOUT ADRIANA KRAFT

I’m Adriana Kraft, and I write both steamy romantic suspense and smoking hot erotic Romance. My husband – a criminologist – is my partner in crime. We’ve been writing romance together for twenty years and by now have published more than fifty novels and novellas.

Our goal? To write characters you’ll care about, hot sex scenes, and  compelling stories you can’t put down. Our romantic suspense novels deliver one man, one woman, danger, intrigue, and of course lots of steam. Our erotic romance is edgier and nearly always includes ménage or polyamory. As you’ve probably guessed, our romantic pairings include MF, FF, and the ménage arrangements FFM, FMF, MFM, foursomes, and more.

After many years in the upper Midwest struggling with ice-packed driveways and foot-deep snow, we gave my mother’s antiques to the kids, sold our house, and spent a couple years traveling the county in our motor home while working remotely. We especially loved spending several weeks in a region, learning its history and its less popular hidden gems. Santa Fe, Taos, Puget Sound, and the Black Hills were special favorites.

We now live in sunny southern Arizona, where we enjoy hiking, golf, and travel, especially to the many Arizona Native American historical sites. Oh – and if it’s too hot to go outside? We’ll probably hold an impromptu writing retreat. Arizona summers give us lots of opportunities.

AUTHOR LINKS

Blog: https://www.adrianakraft.com/blog

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Secrets, bloody secrets

The danger and lies are more than she can handle.

Shea O’Bannon feels like a fifth wheel around her romantically paired-off friends, but there’s too much slime in the dating pool for her to bother with it. Then she sees her two-timing ex, Trevor Madero, serenading the mostly female crowd at a live-music bar. God knows trouble follows him around, but her desire for him rushes back in anyway. After he rescues her from a handsy drunk, temptation takes over.

Determined to prove he never stepped out on Shea, Trevor slides back into her life—and her heart—with forever in mind. Even with the wall he keeps up to protect her, his secret criminal life weighs heavy on his soul and drives a wedge between them.

When the truth comes out and his enemies target them both, they’ll have to fight for their love, or kiss it goodbye.

Tagline: Will the truth send her running, or will she fight for the man she loves?

EXCERPT:

Trevor cracked the billiard balls with a hard, steady strike of the cue and grinned as two strips landed in the corner pocket. As Radster grumbled a curse, Trevor circled the green-felt pool table in the back of Slayers and twitched his nose from the godawful stench of beer, body odor, and cigarette smoke. He narrowed his gaze and blocked out the blaring sound of thrash metal coming from the stereo as he took the shot. The cue ball hit the eleven red-striped ball at the perfect angle, but a solid followed the eleven home into the middle pocket.

“Too bad, Alto. Let a master show you how it’s done.” Radster chalked his cue from across the pool table and struck three solids into the pockets. “Beat that, man.”

Damn. Trevor eyed the one hundred dollars on the edge of the pool table that he’d laid down for the bet. Radster could kick anyone’s ass at pool, but once he got a few beers in him, his winning streak always turned south. Had he not drunk enough? Trevor glanced at their booth where a dozen empty bottles cluttered the tabletop.

K-Pic and his latest flavor of the month made out hot and heavy on the bench seat as though Trevor, Radster, and a dozen-plus pricks in leather and dog chains weren’t hanging out in the seedy bar. Some of the bikers were getting busy with their chicks, too, and giving everyone else a show.

He turned back to the game as Radster missed what should’ve been an easy shot.

“Aw, hell.” Radster ran his hand over his short hair.

“Perhaps you should have another beer?” Trevor examined the placement of the balls. “It might clear your head.”

“Screw you, dude.”

Trevor chuckled and aimed his cue. The hair on his nape prickled. He looked up and spotted Shea a few feet away near the long, scratched-up counter that stretched along the right side of the room. Shock sucker-punched him. He fell against the table and accidentally took his shot. The cue ball went wide and hit one of Radster’s balls that bounced off the edge. His pal laughed in triumph, but Trevor didn’t care. He stomped to Shea.

“What are you doing here?” He gripped the cue so hard his knuckles smarted. “How did you find me?”

Add to Goodreads – https://bit.ly/TrevorsRedemptionGoodreads

Check it out on BookBub – https://bit.ly/TrevorsRedemptionBookBub

Download Links

Release Day – August 22, 2023

Only 99 cents for a limited time!

Universal – https://books.amberdaulton.com/trevorsredemption

Amazon – https://amzn.to/3WKxXqg

Barnes and Noble – https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/trevors-redemption-amber-daulton/1143581784?ean=2940160981512

iTunes – https://books.apple.com/us/book/trevors-redemption/id6449718746

Kobo – https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/trevor-s-redemption

Google Play – https://play.google.com/store/books/details?id=AjbCEAAAQBAJ

About the Author

Amber Daulton is the author of the romantic-suspense series Arresting Onyx and several standalone novellas. Her books are published through Daulton Publishing, The Wild Rose Press, and Books to Go Now, and are available in ebook, print on demand, audio, and foreign language formats.

She lives in North Carolina with her husband and demanding cats.

Social Media Link

Universal link – https://linktr.ee/AmberDaulton

The latest from Cynthia Terelst!

Coming out July 31, 2023!

Love can heal the scars on your heart

Lachlan

So what if I’ve gone through four nannies in three short years? I know what’s best for my children and it’s not the nanny my mother and ex-wife have hired.

Peyton may be all kinds of beautiful but she is totally unsuitable—city girl, former doctor and no experience.

Problem is, everybody loves her. I don’t want to feel the same; one failure at love is enough. Besides, I have a duty to my family and the farm.

Except the more I spend time with her, the more I’m drawn to her honesty and bravery. I need to remember, a farm is no place for a woman like Peyton; she will not stay.

Peyton

After an accident put an end to my surgical career, I jumped at the opportunity to be a nanny. Moving to Australia will get me away from my controlling family. It’s time I start making my own decisions.

But falling for my boss is not the wisest one I could make, even if it feels right. It doesn’t hurt that his singing makes my panties melt.

Everything is perfect—I feel heard and seen for the first time (and I don’t just mean my scars).

I’m where I belong…until my family get involved. Then I’m left with no job and no home.

Now I need to make the biggest decision of all—stand up to my family, choose my happy and fight for love.

**This is a standalone romance with medium heat**

Excerpts:

Two figures made their way down the stairs. I knew Ann instantly from our video calls.

The man beside her was striking. Sunlight glinted off his thick golden-brown hair like surgical blades would shine under focused lighting. He was tanned and muscular with tattoos down one arm, a mixture of black and white and colour, indistinct at this distance. Wowsers, I didn’t know farmers looked like that. I blushed. While Ann oozed warmth, he oozed stoic resignation.

***

“Peyton.” Lachlan’s voice aroused me from my sleep. I forced my eyes open. I was lying on the couch. Where were the kids? Lachlan reached out for the remote and turned the TV off. I must have fallen asleep during the movie.

“It’s time for bed,” he said.

I didn’t want to move. My eyes were awake, but the rest of my body was in slumberland. My eyes wanted to follow. 

“Do I need to carry you to bed like the kids?”

I let out a soft laugh. “I’m quite a lot heavier than a child.” 

“You don’t think I could?”

“No.”

Before I could swing my legs around to sit up, Lachlan had lifted me from the couch. I yelped. Then to help him with my weight, I wrapped my arms around his shoulders. I breathed in grass and man. Good man, not just aftershave and cleanliness. Earth and strength.

I melded into him, swaying with every step he took. Being in his strong arms, I felt secure. I shouldn’t feel like this. But I didn’t try to jump out of his arms. What was I doing? 

“Show off,” I mumbled against his shoulder.

“Just proving you wrong.”

He walked into my room and made his way to my bed.

“Is it wrong to like you?” I asked. My heart beat fast in my chest. Would he think I was stupid?

He lay me down on the bed. His face was shadowed. Was he going to answer?

“No, it’s not wrong.”

He bent down and kissed my temple softly.

Oh, the sweetness of it. I sighed. My eyes closed as my body floated in bliss. 

“I like you too.”

Was I dreaming?

I opened my eyes. He was gone.

Buy Link – https://books2read.com/Bull?store=amazon

Author Bio

Cynthia Terelst is an Australian author based in regional Queensland, where the sun shines 283 days a year. She is a document controls manager by day and a writer by night. Her contemporary romance novels share a little bit of history, some Australian scenery and a whole lotta love. Cynthia does not shy away from difficult topics, as she feels they should not be ignored.

Terelst has published seven books in her Love Down Under Series and has added short stories to multiple anthologies. She refers to her writing style as heat with heart. Her stories will leave you feeling warm and hopeful.

Social Media Links

Website https://cynthiaterelst.com/

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Amazon Author Page – https://www.amazon.com/Cynthia-Terelst/e/B07ZCTX8SB/

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Blog http://cynthiaterelst.com/blog/

Twitter https://twitter.com/CynthiaTerelst

Linktree – https://linktr.ee/cynthiaterelst

Any husband in a pinch?

She never wanted an arranged marriage. Now she’s got the husband to prove it.

Blurb:

Marrying a perfect stranger to nix Neha’s parents’ plans to marry her off seemed to be a great idea. It was for show only, after all. That is, it was until Neha’s powerful father threatened to have the marriage annulled so she’d be free for the fiancé he had chosen for her. Neha thought hard and long for a sanctuary, but the only place that came to her mind was her husband’s. And so she was stuck in exactly the scenario she had tried to avoid: make-do with a stranger as a husband.

Someone I Chose takes off where the second book in Ella Braeme’s Married in Windfall series ended, yet it is part of the multi-author Hallow Fall series, set in the Colorado mountains. If you like small-town romances about reluctant lovers, you’ll love this one.

This is a standalone novella for a mature audience.

About Ella Braeme:

I’ve dreamed of being a writer since I had learned how to read. The first stories I sold when still in grade school were handwritten. Then life got into this writer’s way and it took me decades to start writing again. My romances are short, a little over the top, with a pinch of sizzling heat—in short: The perfect getaway.

Someone I Chose is my third book and part of my Married in Windfall series. This is the first time a book of mine is part of a multi-author series, Hallow Falls. It was fun to work together with other authors and make our stories intertwine.

Tags:

small-town romance, marriage of convenience, steamy, novella

Excerpt:

And then the bouquet hit the fan.

Like in a movie, suddenly everything became so slow that one could perceive many things at the same time. At first, laughter bubbled up in Neha. The bouquet toss ending in the large ceiling fan was funny, after all. The dismayed cries of the single ladies that had been fighting over the best spot to catch the flowers were funny, too. Neha hadn’t meant to be part of this stupid game. She had no intention at all to be the next bride, thank you very much.

The fan grabbed the bouquet and swirled it around a couple of times. An angry whooshing sounded from the ceiling. Whether it came from the aggressive fan, or the captured bouquet was impossible to make out. After a few tours around, centrifugal forces helped the flowers to come loose—and sent them Neha’s way. They surged towards her in big cartwheels, mocking her attempt to stand at the far side of the venue, trying to not partake in a ceremonial divination of who would marry next.

Oh, her parents would love this! They had been nagging her about getting married and starting a family for years, but, with her thirtieth birthday only months away, they had become veritable pests. The constant badgering was grinding on Neha’s nerves, and she was appalled at fate’s trick to send her the bouquet. Her feet felt like they were glued to the ground, and her spine was unyielding—she could neither move to the side nor duck away. The only thing she could do to avoid being hit in the face by the stems of two dozen roses was to catch them.

She stared at the flowers in her hands and let them drop to the ground. Her hands itched, and she wiped them on her bridesmaid’s gown.

Everybody was staring. Some laughed and cheered. Neha wished to vanish. She turned to the door, but before she even took a step, Shanae came running and wrapped her into a tight embrace. Who would have thought her best friend would toss her wedding bouquet that wretchedly?

Shanae whispered, “I’m sorry.” She rubbed Neha’s back.

Neha hated to see that mortified look on her friend’s face. Just because she abhorred the thought of getting married off didn’t mean she wanted to ruin Shanae’s wedding. “I’m fine.”

Shanae squinted at her. “The hell you are.” They had lived together as roommates long enough to know each other well.

“No, really, I’m fine. It’s just flowers, you know.” Neha smiled and hooked her arm into the bride’s. “Let’s get back to the party.” She took Shanae’s hand and pulled her to the dance floor. Together, they egged the guests on to start dancing again.

Neha even let Nathan, the best man, whirl her around the dance floor, but a little while later she sneaked out. The rain had lessened to a soft drizzle, and it wasn’t too bad to walk through the dunes for a few minutes. Neha walked towards the shore and breathed in the salty, fresh air. Her shoulders relaxed. The errant bouquet had been an unfortunate sling slip. No clairvoyance involved at all.

Just when she had managed to calm herself, her phone rang.

Links:

Buy link: https://books2read.com/u/bpNR0k?store=amazon

website: https://ellabraeme.com/

Instagram: @ellawritesromance https://instagram.com/ellawritesromance/

newsletter sign-up: https://ellabraeme.com/landingpages/landingpage-homepage.htm

New from Jelly Beans and Spring Things at TWRP!

Delia loves her life at the lodge but when an email arrives threatening her happiness, she vows to fight to protect her children. Hoping her ex won’t follow through with his threats, she confides her concerns to a local cop and her brother’s best friend Noah.

Noah has loved Delia from afar for a long time. But he knows she’s off limits because she’s Max’s little sister. So, when she asks for his help, he puts his love on the back burner to find her kidnapped twin girls and put her ex-husband behind bars.

EXCERPT:

“Do you still have your lawyer from the divorce?”

“No. She retired and moved to Florida a couple years ago. I have to find a new one.”

“We have a good one we deal with. I think he has a woman in his office who handles family law. I’ll get the number for you.” Gigi wrapped her arm around Delia’s shoulders. “And you know that we’re all here for you. Nothing is going to happen to you and those girls.” She frowned at Delia. “How long has this been going on? And why haven’t you told me about it before today?”

“The harassment started two days ago. I didn’t want to bother anyone with his nonsense. But he started getting nastier yesterday.”

“So why now? What changed?”

Delia shrugged and stared out at the scenery. “I don’t know. Something obviously did, but I have no idea what.” She let her head rest on Gigi’s shoulder, fighting the tears. “Thank you.” She broke away and stood straight. “Enough about my effing ex. Now, about the Spring Fling.”

The Wild Rose Press: https://www.thewildrosepress.com/bookauthor/vicky-burkholder

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Raining-Jelly-Beans-Spring-Things-ebook/dp/B0BVRQQMN4

Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/raining-jelly-beans-vicky-burkholder/1143016056

Google Books: Books by Vicky Burkholder on Google Play

iTunes: https://books.apple.com/gb/book/raining-jelly-beans/id6445620749

Q&A with author VICKY BURKHOLDER:

What inspired the story: That’s probably the hardest question to answer.

Did you ever have a character surprise you? Yes. All the time. I think they’re going to do one thing and…there they go, off on some tangent I never had in mind. And it usually works out better.

Who is your favorite character and why? It depends on the story I’m writing. In one of my books, “Revenge Among the Stars”, SAMI, the AI, was actually my favorite character because he’s so…human. He’s a computer with attitude. In another (a fantasy with dragons), Crumb is my favorite. In another book, it will be someone else. Each book has someone I love. Someone who will stick in my mind.

What was your funniest moment as an author? Weird as it may sound, a vacation I took with my family to the ocean. I was in the middle of creating the world for another book and just couldn’t figure out the landscape, so, my kids and I sat on the beach and built a world out of sand, kind of like the guy in “Close Encounters of the Third Kind”. We built mountains and rivers, towns, everything. People looked at us kind of funny, but it all worked out. The kids and I had a ball and I got my world built. I took pictures of it all to take home before the tide washed it away.

What do you find more challenging about writing than you expected? Two things: the actual writing and the promotions. I have a ton of stories in my head, but actually sitting down and putting them on paper is often a challenge. There are some days when the words just won’t come. When you stare at the blank screen and wonder what the heck you’re going to write that’s new and different and exciting. If you’re not careful, you can become jaded after a while. And then there’s promoting your books and yourself. For a strong introvert like me who doesn’t travel, this can be the hardest thing in the world to do. But it’s necessary.

Are you a pantser or a plotter: A little of both. I don’t plot the entire story out, but I know where I’m starting and where it’s going and a little of what happens in the middle. It’s a very loose sort of plotting.

How do you start work on a book? I get an idea and come up with a main character. Then I interview that character using a journalistic approach: Who are you? What happened? Where did it happen? Why did it happen? How did it happen? When did it happen? And so on. Once I have those questions answered, I can write the story.

How do you decide on a character’s name? That’s a hard one for me. It has to have meaning of some sort. I have lists of names (and their meanings) that I often fit to the character. One thing is certain, I cannot write the story until I know their names. And once I settle on a name, it doesn’t change.

What authors have inspired you? A lot. Robert Heinlein, Anne McCaffrey, Linnea Sinclair, David Eddings, Kathleen Woodiwiss—I could go on forever. I read a wide variety of books that are not limited to just romances. I pretty much read everything except horror—and maybe “literary” books like Faulkner (read him, didn’t care for him). Not my thing. But science fiction, romance, fantasy, mystery, etc. You name it, I read it. You can even go farther back and add in Nancy Drew books, Shakespeare, the Greek tragedies… and more.

Which genre is your favorite? In line with the answer above, I can’t pin down an exact favorite. But if I had to say something, I’d say probably cozy mysteries and romantic comedies (any era) in the style of Sandra Hill or a good futuristic like Susan Grant and Linnea Sinclair. I like a little tongue-in-cheek humor when I read. Something that makes me smile. But they all have to have a HEA.

What time of day do you feel most creative? Very early in the morning. I’m definitely a morning person—I’m usually up around five or five-thirty (with no alarm clock) and use that time before my husband is up to write and work. The dark hours before dawn are the best time of day for me. But don’t ask me to do anything after 9:30 p.m. Not going to happen. 😊

When you’re having a problem with a book, what do you do to solve it? I have an amazing group of writing friends. We call ourselves the Boot Squad because we kick each other’s butts if we’re not getting the work done. Of the five of us, two are my best friends and I can turn to either one of them for brainstorming. They are my worst critics and my best supporters. I’d never be able do what I do without them.

When is your book scheduled for release? April 17, 2023

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

As her alter-ego, Vicky has multiple homes all over the universe. She looks human – for the most part – but when she starts writing about characters being able to move things or flicking fire from their fingertips, or changing the course of rivers, people tend to get a little freaked out. She found the one guy out there in the universe who loves her for who she is and they’ve been together forever and raised four wonderful (now) adults. Her career includes work as a technical writer/editor, a stringer for the local newspaper, and an editor and copy editor for various publishers. At various times in her life, she has been a teacher, a secretary, a short-order cook, a computer specialist, a DJ, and a librarian. When not editing or writing, she can be found in the kitchen creating gluten free goodies for her family.

Author Links

Website:  http://www.vicky-burkholder.com

Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/Vicky-Burkholder

Goodreads Page: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/1264928.Vicky_Burkholder

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Vicky-Burkholder-535739543163598/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/vickyburkholder

Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/vicky-burkholder

For Other Works by Vicky Burkholder

Please be sure to stop by her Website to see all of her works

Meet Levi Bradshaw from Tender Misdemeanors

The magical forests of the Bitterroot.

Levi Bradshaw grew up among these trees, and some feel like old friends. That’s why he risks incarceration and worse with his small band of eco-warriors, putting nails and spikes in the trees so loggers won’t cut them down. His group is made up of many young men, and he takes responsibility for every one, mentoring them into a force to be reckoned with.

It seemed harmless enough, until some other folk joined his little group, others with ties to the larger white supremacist, Patriot movement in western Montana and Idaho. Ron Ranning was their ringleader, and he seemed determined to turn Levi’s small protest into another Ruby Ridge.

Unfortunately, Levi doesn’t have a lot of backup. His parents bought this huge old house, intending to make it into a bed and breakfast for the winter ski crowd in Whitefish and surrounding vacation spots, but they both passed before they could make the dream come true. Levi’s brother Zane bailed after their parents’ death, going to law school and establishing himself in California. Levi’s best friend in the group, Alex Sullivan, had disappeared, and Levi was on his own.

His consulting work manages to keep him afloat, and he’s finishing the house bit by bit as he gets jobs. His companions there are Rosenkrantz and Guildenstern, a pair of Rhodesian Ridgeback brothers who have grown up with him, and a pointer named Ophelia, who he rescued after someone injured her on the road outside his house.

Things are only beginning to swerve out of control when his group is targeted by the Bureau of Land Management, which oversees the national forests and gives permission for logging interests to cut trees. The monkeywrenching Levi’s been doing is against the law, and he knows it’s only a matter of time before they catch up with him.

What he doesn’t expect is the arrival of Caryn Orlane, the BLM officer who finds them at work one afternoon. A mutual staredown at gunpoint is a rough introduction, but he comes to see she actually understands what he’s doing. They both agree the more violent agenda of the Patriot group is something that should be dealt with first.

Levi is attacked by his own people, and realizes he needs Caryn, first as an ally, then as a lover. When she joins him, things only get worse on every side. As the death and destruction spiral, the two wonder if there is a way to survive the madness, and how they can uphold the law and still remain together. If not, they’ll lose each other forever.

Here’s the story:

Caryn Orlane has law enforcement in her blood; her father was a cop, and his father, too. She’s a federal agent in northwest Montana, protecting the old forests and keeping the peace.

Levi Bradshaw also believes in protecting the forests, but has a very different MO. He’s the leader of a group of eco-warriors, determined to save the trees of the Bitterroot by legal—and illegal—means.

When they meet in the woods at gunpoint, their encounter ignites a spark of interest, despite operating on opposite sides of the law. When their worlds turn on them, they only grow closer. If they don’t work together, can either survive?

More information and purchase information: https://alana-lorens.com/tender-misdemeanors/

Exciting book trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HlVFvMZw0a0&t=63s

Out of the frying pan, into the fire?

Title:

Anyone at Hand by Ella Braeme

https://books2read.com/u/m0EpDJ

Tagline:

She needed a husband to get rid of her boyfriend. The grump obliged.

Story:

Sometimes the only way to end a relationship is to jump right into a new one. But when Shanae married Bo for just that reason, she found herself trapped with the town grump. Will she ever get on his good side?
This novella is a warning to all those who like small towns for a romantic weekend trip only. Don’t marry the local guy. The one who makes you want to stay.


Anyone At Hand is the second book in Ella Braeme’s Married in Windfall series. It has all the charms of a small town romance, with a marriage of convenience and a delicious grump. If you like the small town vibe with a little heat, then you’ll love Anyone At Hand.

Find author Ella Braeme on Instagram:
@ellawritesromance

Her website: https://ellabraeme.com/

(Pop over and meet Phoebe, the CCO!)

Have you already gotten your free copy of So Many Steps?
Click here to claim it.

ABOUT ELLA:

Hey there! I am Ella Braeme and I create romances as mini-vacations for women who need a little breather every now and then.

  • contemporary romance
  • small-town
  • open-door, steamy
  • set in the Deep South
  • interracial
  • short novellas

Discovering the wages of sin

Muddy Waters

by DV Fischer

Genre: A Curvy Girl Dark Romance

Forgive me Father, for she is my sin.

Willow Ashley pays her bills through sin. She’s made her peace with that. Her best friend, on the other hand, cannot. She relentlessly begs Willow to go to church to confess all of her wrong-doings. When Willow finally gives in, she stumbles across the new pastor, Rowan Elsher. He’s the kind of gorgeous she wants to thank the heavens for, and makes her think all sorts of filthy things that would make even God blush.

Rowan Elsher came to New Orleans hoping to make a real difference in helping those in his congregation. When a woman approaches him about her best friend needing guidance, yet refusing to tell him why, he becomes curious. Then he sees Willow, with her ample curves and seductive pout. In a glance, his infatuation with her begins.

He was told to stay away from dating within the congregation. He shouldn’t want her. He can’t want her. But he just can’t help himself but to break all the rules he vowed to keep.

USA Today Best Seller, DV Fischer, delivers a sizzling dark romance sure to leave readers gasping for more.

Amazon * Bookbub * Goodreads

DV Fischer is a second pen name for D. Fischer.

USA Today bestselling and two-time Iowa award-winning author D. Fischer (DV Fischer) is a mother of two very busy boys, a wife to wonderful husband, and an owner of two sock-loving German Shorthair Pointers. They also have a cat named Geralt, but since Geralt adopted them and not the other way around, the cat is more of a tenant who occasionally purr-purrs for his rent, if he’s not too busy murdering nerf darts.

Together, they live in Orange City, Iowa.

When D. Fischer isn’t chasing after her children, she spends her time typing like a mad woman while consuming vast amounts of caffeine. Sometimes, if her husband can manage to remind her of the real world outside her office window, they hike!

Known for the darker side of imagination, she enjoys freeing her creativity through worlds that don’t exist, no matter how much we wish they did.

Website * Facebook * Instagram * Bookbub * Amazon * Goodreads

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