Friday, March 30, 2018

PROMO of Desired by Kelly Elliott

 

I thought all I wanted in my life was to succeed at football and one day take over my grandfather’s ranch. Nothing else mattered but those two things. Why suddenly did she appear every single night in my dreams? The faceless woman who had me waking up each morning soaked in sweat with my heart nearly pounding right out of my chest. Who was she? Where was she? And why was she the one thing I desired more than anything?     
          
 The front door immediately opened, and four girls trickled out. I tried like hell to get a better look at them all.   “Stay here,” Jeff ordered us.   Once the door shut, Josh let out a laugh. “Is it just me, or does Jeff seem like he’s lost his damn mind?”   “Not just you,” Brad stated.   I watched as one of the girls moved closer to Jeff. Her brown hair was piled on top of her head, and her back was toward us.   “I can’t get a good look at her, damn it,” I whispered.   “Me either,” Brad stated.   Josh practically crawled into the front seat. “Do you think that’s the sister?”   “Maybe.”   Another girl walked up and got between Jeff and the girl who might be Ellie. It looked like she had brown hair as well. She looked pretty from what I could tell.   “Shoot me right now. That girl has a fucking hot body,” Josh said.   “You better hope that is a friend of the sister’s and not Ellie herself,” I said with a laugh. “But you’re right. She does have a nice body. So does the one with her back to us.”   I knew that was Ellie. I couldn’t explain how I knew; I simply did. My chest was pounding with the idea of her walking up to the truck and Jeff finally introducing her to us.   “Yeah, so does the blonde,” Brad added. “Can’t really see the other one; Jeff’s blocking her.”   “She has red hair, and trust me, she’s rocking a hot body as well and is pretty as fuck,” Josh stated as he leaned farther up into the front seat. “Why do I feel like I’ve seen her before?”   “Dude, why don’t you just fucking crawl up here already?” I snapped.   “Why didn’t girls look like this when we were in high school?” Brad asked with a sigh.   All three of us laughed as a porch light turned on, lighting it up for us to get a good look at all the girls.   The girl who had her back to us, who I was guessing was Ellie, turned and looked at the truck.   She was beautiful. My heart felt like it dropped to my stomach.   Josh gasped. The fucker actually gasped. “Holy. Shit. No wonder the bastard has been keeping her away from us. She is hot as hell.”   “That she is,” Brad agreed.   My eyes strained to take her all in. I could see her, could tell she was absolutely stunning, but I needed to see her better. Study her face so I could remember it.   Jeff pulled her into his arms and kissed her on the forehead. They took a few steps closer to the truck, and Jeff pointed. He leaned down and said something to her, making her look directly back at the truck again and smile.   My breath caught in my throat. She was stunning. I wondered what she looked like with the sun shining down on that pretty face of hers.   Ellie lifted her hand and waved toward us.   “I’m getting out!” Josh said, trying to scramble into the driver’s seat. I stopped him and pushed his ass back, forcing him to land next to Brad, who was laughing his head off.   I pointed to Josh. “Dude, he told us not to get out. Unless you want to get your ass beat, I suggest you stay in the truck.”   Crossing his arms, Josh looked away.   “Are you pouting?” Brad asked. “You’re freaking pouting. You pansy-ass!”   I couldn’t help but smile before turning back around and looking at Jeff and Ellie. As they moved a bit closer, Jeff stopped and turned to his sister. Her gaze went back to the truck, and it felt like I was having a déjà vu. A chill ran up and down my spine, and I couldn’t shake the feeling I’d seen Ellie somewhere else.                

18-year-old Ellie Johnson always believed she would never be loved or wanted by anyone. She focused all of her attention on her grades and getting into the University of Texas to start a new life away from her mother. The last thing Ellie expected was to fall in love with Gunner Mathews, a starting linebacker for the University of Texas football team and not to mention, her brother's best friend. Gunner only has two passions in life, football and his grandfather’s ranch, until he falls for his best friends little sister. He will stop at nothing to show Ellie how much he wants her, even if it means he has to move faster than she would like. Gunner knows they are meant to be together forever, but Ellie keeps denying her feelings out of fear of being hurt again. Every time he gets close to winning her love, something pushes her away again. Will Ellie ever be able to let go of the past and let him into her heart, and will Gunner be patient enough to wait for her?

 This is a new release of an edition originally published by K. Elliott Enterprises, INC. AMAZON       





   Kelly Elliott is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling contemporary romance author. Since finishing her bestselling Wanted series, Kelly continues to spread her wings while remaining true to her roots and giving readers stories rich with hot protective men, strong women and beautiful surroundings. Her bestselling works include, Wanted, Broken, Without You, and Unconditional Love, to name just a few. Kelly has been passionate about writing since she was fifteen. After years of filling journals with stories, she finally followed her dream and published her first novel, Wanted, in November of 2012. Kelly lives in central Texas with her husband, daughter, and two pups. When she’s not writing, Kelly enjoys reading and spending time with her family. She is down to earth and very in touch with her readers, both on social media and at signings. To find out more about Kelly and her books, you can find her through her website. www.kellyelliottauthor.com

FACEBOOK | TWITTER| GOODREADS | AMAZON AUTHOR PAGE

   

SPOTLIGHT & GIVEAWAY of Fearless in Texas by Kari Lynn Dell


Series: Texas Rodeo #4
Pub Date: April 3, 2018
ISBN: 9781492658115

He’d step in front of a bull to save a life
But even he’s no match for a girl this Texas tough

Rodeo bullfighter Wyatt Darrington’s got it all figured out. The perfect car, the perfect job, the perfect looks—the perfect lie. He may be on the fast track to the Hall of Fame, but he knows he’ll always be an outsider to people like Melanie Brookman. Texas-born and bred, with the arena in her blood, Melanie’s come to see Wyatt as her personal enemy, and that suits him just fine—this way, she’ll never realize the truth.

He’s been crazy in love with her for years.

Melanie’s always been a fighter. Fiercely independent and tough as nails, she’s stood up to everything that got in her way—including Wyatt. But now her infamous temper’s got her on the ropes, and there’s nowhere left to run but toward the man she swore she’d never trust…and this time, there’s no denying just how hot he makes her burn.

KARI LYNN DELL brings a lifetime of personal experience to writing western romance. She is a third generation rancher and rodeo competitor existing in a perpetual state of horse-induced poverty on the Blackfeet Nation of northern Montana, along with her husband, son and Max the Cowdog.

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What I Love about Rodeo
There are so many things I love about rodeo that I could—and have—filled several books (aka the Texas Rodeo series). A million tiny details like the scent of wood shavings in a horse stall, the indescribable joy of a perfectly thrown loop, or the way a belt and buckle sets off a nice pair of hips. Lately, though, I’ve come to appreciate a facet of rodeo and life on the ranch that I’ve always taken for granted: rodeo makes women stronger.
Unlike other parts of our society, in rodeo and ranching, strength is a highly prized trait in a woman—both physical and mental. From the time we are old enough to be hoisted onto a pony to trot around the arena, we are praised for being ambitious, competitive, aggressive and independent. We are valued as much for what our bodies can accomplish as we are for our appearance. I might’ve started out by catching my husband’s eye, but I captured his heart the first time he saw me sort cows.
The smart, capable, take-no-crap women of the Texas Rodeo books are products of my environment, and none more so than Melanie Brookman of Fearless in Texas. May every reader who ventures into our world steal a page from her book and leave with a little more cowgirl in their blood—and their attitude.

EXCERPT
Wyatt braced a hand on the front door of the Bull Dancer Saloon, blocking Melanie. “You can’t go back in there.”
She looked at his arm as if debating whether she should bite it or snap it in half. “You think you can stop me?”
“Yes.” He jerked a thumb toward the door and quoted the flyspecked sign posted inside. “I am the proprietor, and we reserve the right to refuse service to anyone.”
Hell. That wasn’t what he’d meant to say, but the sparks that were flying off of her were burying themselves under his skin, kindling fires that threatened to reduce all of his good intentions to ashes. Her mouth dropped open, and he braced himself for some truly spectacular swearing. Instead, she snapped it shut, whirled around, and strode away, her shiny red heels clicking angrily on the empty street.
“Melanie…wait! Could we just talk—”
Her answer was a stiff middle finger shot straight in the air. He took a couple of steps in pursuit, but his ankle made it clear that anything above a sedate stroll was a bad idea, not that he was sure what he’d do if he caught her. Attempting to stop her when she was like this would be like tackling a mountain lion, but if she intended to go to one of the other bars, she was headed the wrong direction.
“Where are you going?”
“To the bridge. It’ll have to do, since I assume you’ll follow me and there’s not a cliff handy.”
He’d already taken several more steps, but he stopped. “The rail is too high.”
“Then I’ll knock you over the head with a rock and roll you off the dike.”
She wouldn’t. Would she? “If you’re going to commit assault and attempted murder, you’ll need your keys to make your getaway.”
She stopped dead and spun around. He held up the keys in one hand and the purse in the other.
She swore and started back toward him. “Don’t think I won’t kick you square in the nuts and stomp on your fingers when you fall.”
“Not a doubt in my mind.” He unlocked the door that led up to her apartment, yanked it open, and threw both the keys and the purse to the top of the stairs before she could reach him. Then he stepped back, feet braced, ready to dodge or deflect any blow aimed at his groin. If Melanie had said it, she was seriously considering it.
She went for the door instead, but paused with her hand on the knob. “If I go in after them, you won’t let me out.”
“Nope.” Although it would take all his strength to hold the door shut if she was determined to push it open, and there was the fire escape…
Her hand dropped, and she turned on him. If it were possible for a stare to be literally cutting, his guts would’ve fallen out onto the street. “What…the hell…is your problem?”
“You.” He gestured toward her painted face, her dress, those damn red shoes. “I know what all of that means, but you’re wrong. And if you would just let me explain—”
“Yes!” She threw her hands in the air like a Baptist preacher. “Please, oh wise and knowing male, tell me how I’m supposed to feel. Better yet, explain why it is that you could leave this place with any of those women you’ve never met before and you get high fives, but if I do the same, I’m an embarrassment to your shitty little bar.”
Despite his vow to remain calm, his temper began to stir. “I did not say—”
“You don’t have to. I grew up in the goddamn Bible Belt. I’ve heard it all my life.” The bitterness in her voice ran generations deep. “Well, sorry, but not sorry. I’m done trying to please anyone but myself. I’ll sleep with who I want, when I want, and y’all can just deal with it.”
Not likely. Wyatt’s anger boiled up, shooting past the red line and straight into fury. Yes, her rage was justified, but she did not get to lump him in with bastards like Michael and her former boss. All he’d ever wanted, from damn near the first moment they’d spoken on the phone, was Melanie, but it was as if the entire universe had conspired against him, and he was so damn tired of fighting this bone-deep need…
He took a step toward her. Then another. She didn’t budge, but her eyes flicked toward the apartment door as if reconsidering her choices.
He leaned in close, his breath fanning her cheek, his voice low and lethal even to his own ears. “Is that what you want? Just someone with a pulse you can use up and toss out when you’re done?”
He heard her swallow, but she didn’t flinch. “Why shouldn’t I? Men have been doing it forever.”
“Yes, we have.”
He gathered a fistful of her hair and wound the warm silk around and around his hand until his knuckles were pressed to the nape of her neck. Her breath caught at the electric press of skin against skin, and her eyes went even darker. The line he’d held for so long had been crossed. He was beyond stopping—unless she made him.
“As long as you’re determined to do something you’ll hate yourself for in the morning, it might as well be with me.” And then he kissed her.
And instead of shoving him away, Melanie clenched both hands in his shirt and yanked him closer.




Thursday, March 29, 2018

FIRST LOOK & GIVEAWAY of Don't Call Me Cupcake by Tara Sheets



A cupcake baker with magical abilities suddenly finds herself competing with the unfortunately handsome owner of the fancy new bakery across the street in Golden Heart® Winner Tara Sheets's magical romantic comedy releasing April 24th, 2018.


About Don’t Call Me Cupcake:

Title: Don’t Call Me Cupcake
Author: Tara Sheets
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Release Date: April 24, 2018
Publisher: Zebra Shout – Kensington Publishing
Series: The Holloway Girls
Format: Digital eBook / Print
Digital ISBN: 1420146264
Print ISBN: 9781420146264

Synopsis:

There’s a very special kind of sweetness to life on Pine Cove Island …

Most families have a favorite recipe or two, handed down through generations. The Holloway women are a little different. Emma Holloway, like her grandmother before her, bakes charms into her delicious cupcakes, granting the recipient comfort, sweet dreams, or any number of good things. It’s a strange gift, but it brings only happiness. Until gorgeous, smooth-talking newcomer Hunter Kane strolls into her shop, Fairy Cakes—and Emma makes the mistake of selling him not one, but three Sweet Success cupcakes.

Hunter, it turns out, is opening a fancy new restaurant and bakery right on the waterfront—Emma’s competition. To make matters worse, the town committee has decided to split the upcoming summer festival contract between the two, forcing Emma to work with her nemesis. But she can’t afford to split her profits. The solution: create a recipe that will make Hunter leave town permanently.

The Holloway charms are powerful. But there are other kinds of magic in the world—like red-hot first kisses, secret glances, and the feeling that comes with falling truly, madly, inconveniently in love . . .

Add to your TBR list:  Goodreads

Available at:  Amazon  |  Barnes and Noble  |  Kobo  |  iTunes  |  Books-A-Million


Excerpt:
Copyright© 2018 Don’t Call Me Cupcake
Tara Sheets

“You.” A woman’s voice called behind him, and he turned to see the cupcake girl marching toward him. She was still wearing that black-and-white frilly apron. With her blond ringlets flying around her delicate face and flinty sparks in her gray eyes, Hunter felt like he was about to be attacked by a sexy Goldilocks.
He searched behind him as she approached, to make sure she wasn’t talking to someone else. “Me?”
She stopped in front of him, a little out of breath from her march down the street. Her chest lifted and fell intriguingly over the white apron lace, but her rosebud mouth was pursed tightly and Hunter took a step back. He had seen that look on women before. Goldilocks was not happy.
“Yes, you,” she said through gritted teeth. “You lied to me. You’re not a tourist.”
“Uh,” Hunter glanced around for a moment. “I’m not?”
“No, you’re not.” She stepped in close, grabbing the pastry box out of his hand. She peered inside and glared up at him in accusation. “And of course. You had to go and eat all three of them, didn’t you?”
He blinked. “But, I paid for them, remember?”
“That’s not the point. You. Ate. Them.”
“Yes,” he said carefully. Maybe Goldilocks liked to spike her morning porridge. “They were delicious?”
Ugh.” She stomped her foot and he tried not to smile. She was irritated, yes, but so damn adorable. Even if she was a little bit odd.
“You shouldn’t have eaten them because you weren’t being honest with me. You’re not just a tourist passing through. You’re the new owner of that.” She pointed to the empty waterfront building that would soon be his fancy new café and restaurant.
“Yes.” He held out his hand and gave her his best smile. “I’m Hunter Kane.”
She frowned back at him, ignoring his hand. “I know who you are. And you should have told me that before I gave you those Sweet Success cupcakes.”
“Why?”
“Because I own Fairy Cakes, and now your business is going to take away all my customers.” She looked so upset that Hunter felt a twinge of pity for her, even though she was being ridiculous. Competition was the name of the game in any industry, and restaurant ownership was no exception. “Look, I’m sorry you feel that way, but it’s just business. And why would my eating your chocolate cupcakes be a problem anyway? It’s not like I’m going to steal the recipe or something.”
“Ha,” she scoffed. “As if you ever could. My cupcakes are special, and everyone on this island knows it.”
“Oh . . . kay.” He still wasn’t quite sure what she was getting at.
“And now you’ve gone and eaten them.” She threw her hands up in the air.
Hunter frowned down at her. “Well, excuse me, ma’am. I thought that was the whole point of buying them.”
She jammed her hands onto her hips. “First of all, I’m twenty-five years old. Don’t call me ‘ma’am.’ Save it for old ladies with lapdogs.”
“Fine, Cupcake.” He shouldn’t have said it. He knew it. But something about her righteous indignation made him want to tease her. She gasped, her eyes narrowing on him like an angry feline. He was so dead.



About Tara Sheets:

TARA SHEETS is an award-winning author of contemporary romance and women’s fiction. Her work has earned first place recognition in literary contests nationwide and her debut novel, Don’t Call Me Cupcake, won the 2016 Golden Heart® award sponsored by Romance Writers of America®. Tara began her career as an author in the Pacific Northwest, inspired by the rain and the misty mountains and the rivers of Starbucks coffee.  She now lives in the warm, wonderful South where she can stand outside with no coat on, and she finds that pretty inspiring too.  When not writing, Tara enjoys life with her book-loving family and a book-eating dog named Merlin. She is represented by Sarah Phair at Trident Media Group.

Connect with Tara:  Website  |  Facebook  |  Twitter  |  Goodreads  |  Amazon  |  BookBub


Rafflecopter for Don’t Call Me Cupcake First Look Celebration Giveaway:

Tara is offering one (1) lucky Grand Prize winner an Alex & Ani cupcake charm bracelet and a paperback ARC of Don’t Call Me CupcakeTwo (2) Runner-Up winners will receive a paperback ARC of Don’t Call Me Cupcake! To enter, simply fill out the Rafflecopter below:

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Wednesday, March 28, 2018

COVER REVEAL of My One Regret by Claudia Burgoa

Today we are celebrating the cover reveal of MY ONE REGRET by Claudia Burgoa. My One Regret is a contemporary romance, standalone title. Check out the teasers and pre-order links below to get it while it's 99 cents!

Pre-order Now for 99 cents!

iBooks | Kobo | Amazon Coming Soon!

   

My One Regret by Claudia Burgoa

Contemporary Romance Add the book to Goodreads

Synopsis:

When he left her, he made the biggest mistake of his life. But now she might be gone for good. Kaden Hades couldn’t handle touring with his rock band and a relationship— until he discovered Sadie, the love of his life. But when tragedy struck with his teenage daughter, Kaden broke off the engagement, swearing to put his kids first. Then he gets the phone call. Sadie’s been in a car accident. By the time he reaches her side, she is critical. With Sadie in a coma, memories flood Kaden’s mind. Her kisses. And all the wonderful experiences they shared. The day it all went wrong…and Kaden made the biggest mistake of his life. Now, as her last line of defense against those who've given up hope, he'll move heaven and earth to protect her. Because she’s always had his heart—but if he loses her, his world will come apart.

Pre-order Now for 99 cents!

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-----------------------------

AUTHOR INFORMATION:

Claudia is an award-winning, international bestselling author. She lives in Colorado working for a small IT company, managing her household filled with three confused dogs, two daughters wrought with fandoms and a son who thinks he’s the boss of the house. And a wonderful husband who shares her love for all things geek. To survive she works continually to find purpose for the voices flitting through her head, plus she consumes high quantities of chocolate to keep the last threads of sanity intact.  

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REVIEW & GIVEAWAY of Play for Keeps by Maggie Wells


Series: Love Games, #2
Pub Date: April 3, 2018
Genre: Contemporary


Mixing business and pleasure is a dangerous game…

Tyrell Ransom, the new men’s basketball coach, is ready to whip his team into shape and start winning some games. But when compromising photos of his soon-to-be-ex-wife with one of his players go viral, everything comes crashing down. With reporters thick on the ground, Ty and his team need some serious damage control—now.

When public relations guru Millie Jenkins arrives in her leopard-print cape to save the day, things really heat up... Soon they’re going to have to work double time to keep their white-hot chemistry out of the headlines.


My Thoughts…


Play for Keeps is my first Maggie Wells book.    Within the story of Ty and Millie’s relationship there were numerous sub stories.  

The story of Millie’s history with men and how it causes her to put a “time limit” on each relationship so she doesn’t get hurt and knows when to walk away was odd.   I had a hard time connecting with Millie.   She was in charge, all the time, and didn’t bend to fit into Ty’s life.      She pushed and pushed and pushed at him and I felt her lucky that he didn’t just give up on her to move on with her life.    I will say that I liked that when she was in your corner there was nothing she wouldn’t do to help you out.

Ty’s story of his ex-wife was typical.     Marries a young, cute college girl…he gets older… she finds a younger guy.   This time the younger guy was one of her husband’s basketball players.    There are a couple other twists to their story but it was the typical story.     I was not surprised by much with Ty.     Other than his willingness to put up with Millie’s attitude he was the normal ex-husband.   

I wanted to get into this story, I wanted to connect to the characters but I just couldn’t do it.    This story was also pretty erotic, which is okay, but it wasn’t what I was looking for.  

As with every book there are people who will love this book, I just wasn’t that person.    







By day, Maggie Wells is buried in spreadsheets. At night she pens tales of people tangling up the sheets. The product of a charming rogue and a shameless flirt, you only have to scratch the surface of this mild-mannered married lady to find a naughty streak a mile wide. She has a passion for college football, processed cheese foods, and happy endings. Not necessarily in that order. She lives in Arkansas.

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AUDIOBOOK REVIEW of Driving Whiskey Wild By: Melissa Foster


Narrated by: Paul Woodson

Length: 8 hrs and 38 mins
Unabridged
Release date: 03-27-18
Language: English
Publisher: Melissa Foster


A captivating new sexy stand-alone romance by New York Times best-selling author Melissa Foster.


Special Forces veteran and Dark Knights Motorcycle Club member Bullet Whiskey lives to protect his family, their bar, and the residents of his small hometown. He's rough, unapologetic, and haunted by a secret, painful past. He's also a master at keeping people away, and when his sister hires gorgeous and sweet Finlay Wilson to help expand their biker bar, he knows just how to get rid of her.

After losing her boyfriend and her father, Finlay moves back to her hometown to be closer to the little family she has left. She needs her temporary job at Whiskey Bro's to get her catering business off the ground, and she's determined not to let the gruff, arrogant mountain of a man Bullet Whiskey scare her off.

Finlay is everything Bullet has never wanted. She's afraid of his dog, afraid of motorcycles, and sweet enough to give him cavities, but as she weaves her way into the hearts of everyone around him, he's powerless to resist her charms. Passion ignites, but trust doesn't come easily, and when their pasts collide, Bullet finds out the true meaning of protecting those he loves.

My Thoughts…


Paul Woodson has a voice that is perfect for the tough, biker of the Whiskey Family.    He takes a story that I read and brings it back to life for me.   I was able to hear the tones of the characters, feel the emotion of the story, and listen to an amazing story. 

The Whiskey Family is tough, tattooed, and run a biker club. I love everything about them. Along with all of that they are true to themselves, have strong family values, and work hard for what they want. Driving Whiskey Wild is Bullet’s story. He is fighting so many demons. PTSD from what he saw and experienced in war is the cause of many of his issues. Bullet just needs the right woman to help him beat those demons. 

I like that both Bullet and Finlay have experienced life. They have had rough times and still managed to come out on the otherside. They are not privileged, they have had to work to earn their way in the world. They both have reasons for not feeling like they could be loved again. Together Bullet and Finlay just make sense. They can understand each other, support each other, and love each other because they are alike in so many ways. 

If you are familiar with Melissa Foster and are looking for a sweet, loving, tender book Driving Whiskey Wild is not it. This is a hardcore, in your face, tough book. There are many sweet, loving, and tender moments but there is also a lot of swearing and hard conversations being had. 

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Add to your MUST-LISTEN at Goodreads

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Other Whiskey Books:
Tru Blue (Truman Gritt)
Truly, Madly, Whiskey (Bear Whiskey)




Melissa Foster is a New York Times and USA Today best-selling and award-winning author. She writes sexy and heartwarming contemporary romance and new adult romance with emotionally compelling characters that stay with you long after you hear the last minute. Melissa's emotional journeys are lovingly erotic and always family oriented - perfect beach listens for contemporary romance lovers who enjoy loyal heroes and smart, sassy heroines with complex and relatable issues. Melissa also writes sweet romance under the pen name Addison Cole.