COVER REVEAL: Fire in the Stars by Nikki Groom

Title: Fire in the Stars (Steel Souls, #2)

Author: Nikki Groom

Release Date: June 19, 2017

Cover by Hart & Bailey Design Co.

Genre: MC Romance

Synopsis

When Sadie Foster’s world collided with Ramsey Dalton, she never expected to find herself in the middle of a vicious war between two motorcycle clubs. Caught in a web of secrets and lies, Sadie begins to question everything about herself, and her life.

Ramsey is struggling to keep it together. With the conflict between the Steel Souls and The White Wolves coming to a head, Sadie’s life isn’t the only one at risk. Pulled in all directions, Ramsey is torn between his feelings for Sadie, and his ability to keep everyone he cares about safe from harm.

Uncovering a new reality at every turn, Ramsey and Sadie are pushed to their very limits and forced to evaluate everything they know to be true. But things are not always as they seem. And knowing who to trust can mean the difference between life and death.

There’s no denying the chemistry between them, and it seems their paths were always destined to cross. But is their connection strong enough to withstand the storm?

Because the reality is, there’s no war without passion, and no love without loss…

Pre Order Today!

iBooks | Amazon US | Amazon UK |Amazon AUS | Amazon CA

About the Author

Nikki Groom is a hopeless romantic, lover of all things happily ever after and firm believer that love makes the world go around.

In her spare time, you will find Nikki laughing with her very treasured family, walking with her beloved dog in the hundred acre wood or curled up in a cosy corner with words and wine.

She lives in East Sussex with her husband and two children. Having turned her hand to many things over the years, Nikki is now proud to add ‘author’ to that list.

Having always been a dreamer, Nikki’s imagination stretches far and wide, which enables her to get lost in faraway places and imaginary people.

Nikki loves to chat, especially about books! You can find her here…

Facebook | Twitter | Email | Goodreads

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BLOG TOUR: REVIEW AND EXCERPT: Twenty-Two by Toni Aleo

 

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Synopsis 

When Lucas Brooks was traded to the Nashville Assassins over a decade ago, he was a brash, brawling hothead without an anchor.

Well, four kids and a smokin’ hot wife will weigh you down real fast, but Lucas wouldn’t change a minute of his happily ever after.

During an epic, end-of-season quest for the Cup, changes appear on the horizon, and suddenly, there’s a plot twist in Lucas’s fairy tale.

Review

Being a huge hockey fan and a lover of all things Assassins, I was so excited to hear that readers were going to be able to catch up with Lucas and Fallon Brooks, gaining new insights into how things have changed and grown both on the ice and at home and what their future looked like when it came to their kids and Lucas’ career with the Assassins franchise, and that is exactly what Toni Aleo delivers in Twenty-two.

Lucas and Fallon had to overcome quite a few obstacles to get where they are now in their lives, but without those struggles, they wouldn’t be the couple or the family they are today, so despite the uphill battle, this couple means everything to one another, and that bond has never been more evident than in this novella.

Lucas and Fallon’s story allows readers to check back in with them and their kids, finding out just how much Aiden takes after his dad and the love and affection that the Brooks’ kids have for their father, especially when he’s travelling for hockey. Lucas might always define himself as a hockey player, but he’s so much more than that – he’s one hell of a loving husband and father and he works his ass off to be a positive role model for his kids, even when his bones and muscles ache because he’s “not a spring chicken” anymore.

Fallon is definitely the backbone of the family. She holds the family together and puts her whole heart into everything that comes to her kids and her husband. She’s the perfect partner for Lucas and their connection is what allows them to conquer any hurdle, whether it be their kids growing up, the time spent apart due to the hockey season, or the craziness that always follows them around due to their brood of kids – there’s nothing the Brooks family can’t do as long as they stand by each other, cheering one another on and reveling in the fact that their lives couldn’t be any more imperfectly perfect than they are.

4 Poison Apples

Excerpt

Fallon held a half-eaten snow cone in one hand and her phone in the other with one earbud in as she watched Aiden rush down the ice, the puck under his control. He caught the defense on a change, somewhat of a breakaway, before he shot the puck hard toward the net, hitting the back of it with ease.

“Woot!” Audrey called from beside her.

“Yes!” Fallon fist-pumped as the girls stood by the glass, bouncing up and down in their way too big Brooks jerseys. Looking over to Asher, who was on his computer, she said, “Your brother scored.”

“Attaboy!” he called out, but he didn’t look up, which only made Fallon shake her head as she watched Aiden hug his teammates. “What’s the score on Daddy’s game?”

“Two-zip, Assassins,” she said as she waved her hand in the air when Aiden looked up at her, like he always did. Like he always had, and a part of her was excited about his future. But the other part just made her heart ache. When he was in college, would he be able to see her?

And in the NHL? Crap, she knew he wouldn’t be able to see her then.

“This is game four, right? They win, they go to round three?”

“Yes, baby. Emery! Get off there! Come eat this snow cone. It’s melting.”

Emery continued to climb on the rail of the bleachers as she looked up. “I don’t want it.”

“Then come get it and throw it away.”

She pouted. “I don’t want to.”

“Emery Elaine,” Fallon warned. “Get over here. Right now.”

“I want my daddy!”

“That’s new,” Audrey commented as Emery stomped up the stairs, her little brow

furrowed.

“That’s Emery, who has stayed close to her dad every moment he’s been home,” she muttered as Emery stopped in front of her. “Do you want that tail wore out?”

“No, ma’am.”

“Then what do you need to do?”

“Throw away the snow cone and watch my mouth?”

“Exactly,” she said, handing the snow cone to her trying child before looking down at her phone to see that the Assassins were on the penalty kill. They were probably playing the best hockey she had seen them play in her many years of supporting and loving the team. She was excited, but her gut was in a knot, not only for the Assassins but also for Aiden. Because across the rink, she could see the Bellevue representatives, watching her little boy with intent.

“Aiden is playing great,” Audrey said then, and Fallon nodded.

“I know, the best he’s ever played. Just like the Assassins.”

Audrey beamed. “We’ll close out tonight and then get a nice break before round three.

They need it.”

“They do.” Looking down at her phone, Fallon watched as the second period ended, and she let out a long sigh. One more period. Twenty more minutes, and if the Assassins could hold the Hawks, they’d move on to round three. She couldn’t believe it. This would be the first time the Assassins had swept anyone in the play-offs, and according to Facebook, Elli was coming out of her skin.

About the Author

My name is Toni Aleo and I’m a total dork.

I am a wife, mother of two and a bulldog, and also a hopeless romantic.

I am the biggest Shea Weber fan ever, and can be found during hockey season with my nose pressed against the Bridgestone Arena’s glass, watching my Nashville Predators play!

When my nose isn’t pressed against the glass, I enjoy going to my husband and son’s hockey games, my daughter’s dance competition, hanging with my best friends, taking pictures, scrapbooking, and reading the latest romance novel.

I have a slight Disney and Harry Potter obsession, I love things that sparkle, I love the color pink, I might have been a Disney Princess in a past life… probably Belle.

… and did I mention I love hockey?

Author Links

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RELEASE PROMO: RUCKUS by L.J. Shen

Title: Ruckus

Series: Sinners of Saint #2

Author: L.J. Shen

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Release Date: May 26, 2017

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/33643772-ruckus

Rosie

They say that life is a beautiful lie and death a painful truth. They’re right.

No one has ever made me feel more alive than the guy who serves as a constant reminder that my clock is ticking.

He is my forbidden, shiny apple.

The striking fallacy to my blunt, raw, truth.

He is also my sister’s ex-boyfriend.

One thing you should know before you judge me;

I saw him first. I craved him first. I loved him first.

Eleven years later, he waltzed into my life, demanding a second chance.

Dean Cole wants to be my bronze horseman. My white knight has finally arrived. Hopefully, he isn’t too late.

Dean

They say the brightest stars burn out the fastest. They’re right.

She sets my mind on fire.

All smart mouth, snarky attitude and a huge heart.

In a world where everything is dull, she shines like fucking Sirius.

Eleven years ago, fate tore us apart.

This time, I fucking dare it to try.

Getting to her is a battlefield, but man, that’s why they call me Ruckus.

Rosie LeBlanc is about to find out how hard I can fight.

And conquering her will be the sweetest victory.

 

L.J. Shen resides in sunny California with her husband, son, chubby cat and wild, wild dreams.

Her passion is to write badass stories, sushi, UFC and her awesome family and friends (not in this order, though. Obviously, sushi comes before writing. Oh, and also the family part.)

She spend the first half of her twenties traveling the world and is now paying all the fun with extra shifts in front of her MacBook. Feel free to contact her on her Facebook page. She loves to hear from her readers.

https://www.facebook.com/authorljshen/


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REVIEW BLITZ: REAL SEXY by Meghan March

Real Sexy AMAZONIn Nashville, country stars are a dime a dozen.

I swore I’d never get caught up with one, but Boone Thrasher made a liar out of me.

I said I’d never put my heart on the line, but he didn’t ask before he stole it.

Now we’re facing my worst fears, and we’ll see if this country boy is tough enough to see it through.

Girls like me don’t get happily ever afters… but maybe he’ll prove that wrong too.

Amazon | iBooks  | BN | Kobo | Google Play

Review

As an avid romance reader, I have a bevy of book boyfriends – those heroes whose character is the perfect blend of gentleman and bad boy…who continually rise above the bullshit and take control by going after what they want, proving once and for all that they live life on their own terms regardless of other people’s viewpoints or attempts to thwart any aspect of who they truly are.

In my collection of book boyfriends, there are quite a few of Meghan March’s heroes, even the ones who seem more anti-heroic than not, but after finishing the conclusion of Boone and Ripley’s duet, Boone Thrasher has springboarded to the top of my list!

March does one hell of a job showcasing the many facets of Boone’s character. There’s a depth to him that she allows readers to clearly see beneath the glitz and glamour of being a country music star. And, his down-to-earth demeanor is reinforced when he brings Ripley to his hometown and settles in with his family at his back. It says a lot about a person in how he treats his family once he’s made a name for himself and it’s clear that Boone remembers where he comes from and who allowed him to work for his goals by creating a solid foundation around and beneath him.

Ripley may not have the family that Boone does, but she proves her strength of character in all that she’s endured since losing her mother and becoming her father’s whipping post. Ripley has felt insignificant for so long that the struggle to stay afloat is the only thing she really knows. She’s lived her whole life burying her dreams, fighting through disappointment and loneliness only to be thwarted time and time again because there’s no fairy tale for her, no happy ending that allows her to keep her mother’s memory alive while living her life on her own terms without the pressure of holding everything and everyone together.

But in Real Sexy, Boone gives Ripley a shot at a life outside the walls of her family’s bar – a life where she can live the dreams she buried and figure out what she wants to do with her life, and while Boone and Ripley face a series of complications, all that threaten to undo the progress that Boone has made in claiming Ripley as his own, he refuses to give up now, especially when he’s so close to having everything he wants and needs and as long as Ripley keeps an open-mind and allows herself to see just how worthy of a woman she is and just how connected they are despite the limited time they’ve known each other, what was supposed to only be one night can turn into a lifetime of happily ever afters.

Boone and Ripley’s story focuses on what’s important in life and the fact that proving one’s worth shouldn’t be based on how others see them, especially those who don’t want to see them succeed, but rather, on people and ideas that matter. From the very beginning, Boone saw Ripley as the strong, capable woman that she is and he fought like hell to bring down her defenses so that she would willingly give them a shot, and while it was definitely a struggle because of the shitstorm that Boone’s stardom and Ripley’s past created, as long as Boone and Ripley are doing what they want with the people who matter most to them, that’s all that really matters.

I can’t get enough of Meghan March’s words, setting, and characters. She’s one hell of a storyteller who creates the perfect blend of realism, sensationalism, and romanticism, keeping readers engaged and coming back for more.

4.5 Poison Apples

Real Dirty AMAZONI have everything a guy could want—a new single burning up the charts, more money than a simple country boy could spend, and a woman I’m planning to marry.

Until she doesn’t show up for my proposal.

The life I thought was so perfect, isn’t.

The guy who thought he had everything, doesn’t.

I’ve got my heart on lockdown, but life sends me straight into the path of a mouthy bartender who puts me in my place.

Now the only place I want to put her is under me.

I thought I was done with love, but maybe I’m just getting started.

Amazon | iBooks | BN | Kobo | Google Play

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Meghan March has been known to wear camo face paint and tromp around in woods wearing mud-covered boots, all while sporting a perfect manicure. She’s also impulsive, easily entertained, and absolutely unapologetic about the fact that she loves to read and write smut. Her past lives include slinging auto parts, selling lingerie, making custom jewelry, and practicing corporate law. Writing books about dirty talking alpha males and the strong, sassy women who bring them to their knees is by far the most fabulous job she’s ever had. She loves hearing from her readers at meghanmarchbooks@gmail.com.

FACEBOOK | WEBSITE | INSTAGRAM | AMAZON AUTHOR PAGE | TWITTER | PINTEREST

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COVER REVEAL AND GIVEAWAY: Forgetting You, Forgetting Me by Monica James

FORGETTING YOU, FORGETTING ME

Monica James

Series: Memories From Yesterday Book 1

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Release Date: June 26th 2017

German Rights sold to: Heyne, Random House

 Pre-order Now

Kindle: bit.ly/FYFMKindle

iBooks: bit.ly/FYFMiBooks

Nook: bit.ly/FYFMNook

 Goodreads: https://tinyurl.com/mk4hrx5

My name is Lucy Tucker, and my life…it was perfect.

I worked the dream job. I had the most incredible family and friends. My home, Whispering Willows, a ranch in Montana, was everything I could ever wish for. My adoring fiancé, Samuel Stone, loved me unconditionally.

I had everything a girl could ever want.

But one fateful event shattered my perfect life. It’s unimaginable how simple, ordinary words can change a person’s life forever. For me those words were, “There’s been an accident.”

I thought Sam was my forever, but that forever came to a close the day Saxon Stone, Sam’s identical twin brother, came back. Saxon returned to Montana to help save Sam, however, the moment he entered my life, he turned my world upside down. But through chaos I somehow found clarity—clarity of who I was meant to be.

As time progressed, as seasons changed, and as a fire began to burn, I soon realized that Saxon was there for another reason…he was there to help save me.

About the Author

Monica James spent her youth devouring the works of Anne Rice, William Shakespeare, and Emily Dickinson.

When she is not writing, Monica is busy running her own business, but she always finds a balance between the two. She enjoys writing honest, heartfelt, and turbulent stories, hoping to leave an imprint on her readers. She draws her inspiration from life.

She is a bestselling author in the U.S., Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Israel, and the U.K.

Monica James resides in Melbourne, Australia, with her wonderful family, and menagerie of animals. She is slightly obsessed with cats, chucks, and lip gloss, and secretly wishes she was a ninja on the weekends.

Author Links

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/authormonicajames

Twitter: https://twitter.com/monicajames81

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/MonicaJames

Instagram: @MonicaJames

Website: http://monicajamesbooks.blogspot.com.au/

Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/monicajames81/

 

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RELEASE DAY REVIEW AND GIVEAWAY: Sexy Jerk by Kim Karr

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My best friend is married.

Everyone I know is married. It doesn’t bother me. I like my life the way it is.

Since I’m single though, when my best friend and her husband finally decide to go on their dream honeymoon, she asks me to watch their three-year-old son.

Of course I say yes.

What my best friend neglects to tell me is that I won’t be babysitting alone.

Feeling Max might be too much for me to handle, her husband asks his only single friend to help.

Nick Carrington and I have met a couple of dozen times. I’ve never really given him a second thought—other than to say he’s kind of a jerk. Out loud. So he can hear. Sure, he’s tall, dark, and handsome. And yes, he has the best ass I’ve ever seen, and I mean ever seen quite literally. You see he mooned me at last year’s Fourth of July barbecue because, like I said, he’s a jerk.

He always has to be the life of the party.

He’s also arrogant.

Imposing.

Rich.

And a playboy.

I’d even go as far as to say he’s a manwhore.

Yet somehow before I know it, this manwhore and I are co-parenting. Living under the same roof. Eating meals together and yes, talking.

Don’t look at me like that—it’s not like I had a choice. Even though I knew every minute would be hell, I had to say yes.

But after two weeks what I didn’t expect is that I’d been wrong about him.

That under his smart-ass exterior, he’s quite charming.

That his arrogance is actually confidence.

And that the sight of his naked body would do really bad things to me.

So yes, I’ve misjudged him. And yes, I like him. Really like him. Although there are times I still think he’s a jerk…I now think he’s a sexy jerk.

And I want more of him.

The question is—does he want more of me?

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RELEASE DAY Kim Karr Sexy Jerk Teaser 2

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Review

Everyone knows the old adage about assumptions: they make an ass out of you and me, and boy do Tess Winters and Nick Carrington fall victim that very idea when they classify one another with ill-fitting words – Tess refers to Nick as Ethan’s jerky friend, and Nick refers to Tess as Fiona’s bitchy and stuck-up friend from New York, and while, at times, I’m sure both of them display the very stereotype that people assume about them, there’s way more underneath the snarky attitude and player vibes they get from each other.

Thankfully, Tess and Nick’s two best friends make it possible for them to reassess their misconceptions when Fiona and Ethan go on a much needed honeymoon and leave the care of their 5 year old son in Tess and Nick’s hands, and even though Tess isn’t too keen on the idea of a playboy co-parenting with her for the two weeks Fiona and Ethan are gone, Tess and Nick’s close proximity and forced interaction proves to be exactly what they both need to work through their past issues and put to rest the ghosts of their respective pasts, finding a future that is way different than the one they thought they’d have; but in this case, different isn’t bad…it’s actually the best thing that could happen to either one of them.

Tess and Nick’s pseudo-relationship evolves quickly in Sexy Jerk, but it’s a fluid transition because they’re finally open to seeing who the other one truly is and because of that open-mindedness, everything they learn about one another reiterates exactly how wrong they were and exactly why Fiona thought they would be perfect for one another.

Kim Karr continues to write stories that are the perfect blend of sweet and sexy, and this new world that readers are introduced to in Sexy Jerk is just as rich and electric as her other series, which makes me eager to see what Karr has in store for Nick and Ethan’s widowed friend, Jace, and Nick’s younger brother.

4 Poison Apples

Sexy Jerk - giveaway

Go to Kim Karr’s Facebook Page to enter her Release Day Giveaway!

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Sexy Jerk - about author(1)

Kim Karr is a New York Times, USA Today and Wall Street Journal Bestselling author.

She grew up in Rochester, NY and now lives in Florida with her husband and four kids. She’s always had a love for reading books and writing. Being an English major in college, she wanted to teach at the college level but that was not to be. She went on to receive an MBA and became a project manager until quitting to raise her family. Kim currently works part-time with her husband and recently decided to embrace one of her biggest passions–writing.

Kim wears a lot of hats! Writer, book-lover, wife, soccer-mom, taxi driver, and the all around go-to person of her family. However, she always finds time to read. One of her favorite family outings was taking her kids when they were little to the bookstore or the library. Today, Kim’s oldest child is seventeen and no longer goes with her on these, now rare and infrequent, outings. She finds that she doesn’t need to go on them anymore because she has the greatest device ever invented–a Kindle.

Kim likes to believe in soul mates, kindred spirits, true friends, and Happily-Ever-Afters. She loves to drink champagne, listen to music, and hopes to always stay young at heart.

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COVER REVEAL AND GIVEAWAY: The Last Guy by Ilsa Madden-Mills and Tia Louise

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The Last Guy, an all-new steamy standalone from Ilsa Madden-Mills and Tia Louise is coming June 12th!

THE LAST GUY

By Ilsa Madden-Mills and Tia Louise

Publication Date: June 12th

Genre: Contemporary Romance/Romantic Comedy

Cover Designer: Shanoff Formats

Photographer: Wander Aguiar Photography

Model: David Wills

TLG PB wrap

The first rule of office romance is don’t do it—especially if your dream is to hold the anchor spot on the nightly news and your boss is trying to get you fired.

But one look at Cade Hill, the sexy new sports director, and uptight reporter Rebecca Fieldstone is daydreaming about other things.

Sex in his office…

Sex in the on-set kitchen…

Sex in the supply closet…

She can’t stop thinking about the former NFL quarterback and how perfect he’d look between her sheets—except he’s an arrogant jerk with a huge… ego.

He’s the last guy she’d ever have a one-night stand with.

Cade Hill draws a thick professional line on office romance—until it comes to the hyper-focused Rebecca. He wants her, and he gets his wish when a chance encounter has them having the hottest sex of their lives.

It’s just a hook-up, she says.

When can we do it again? he says.

With Rebecca determined to keep Cade in the friend zone, it’s going to be an uphill battle for Cade to convince her he’s the last guy she’ll ever want.

THE LAST GUY is the first white-hot CONTEMPORARY ROMANTIC COMEDY from Wall Street Journal bestselling author Ilsa Madden-Mills and Tia Louise. It features Fireball-fueled hookups, Doritos Locos Tacos, attack monkeys, toddlers in tiaras, and one fabulous drag queen. Prepare for frantic clicking (or page flipping!) and smoking-hot sexytimes all the way to the out-of-this-world happily-ever-after.

Enter the Giveaway

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★ Get an email alert when THE LAST GUY goes LIVE on Amazon: http://smarturl.it/TLGSignup

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Get a Text Alert as soon as it’s live! Text “TiaLouise” to 64600 Now.*

*U.S. only

ADD it on Goodreads: https://goo.gl/2dhXVt

SEE the inspiration board on Pinterest: https://goo.gl/ZfBjiq

LISTEN to the playlist on Spotify: https://goo.gl/AXnGKe

About the Authors

Wall Street Journal bestselling author Ilsa Madden-Mills and the “Queen of Hot Romance” Tia Louise are not a secret duo, but simply themselves.

Great friends, former English teachers, and southern gals in real life, they’ve teamed up to bring you laugh-out-loud naughty romances with strong leading ladies and sexy alpha males who know how to please their women… and who sometimes you just want to slap.

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Connect with Tia

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorTiaLouise/

Twitter: @AuthorTLouise

Stay up to date with Tia Louise by signing up for her newsletter:

http://smarturl.it/TLMnews

https://authortialouise.com/dirtyplayers/

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Connect with Ilsa

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/authorilsamaddenmills/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/ilsamaddenmills
Goodreads: http://bit.ly/2k6L96J
Amazon: http://amzn.to/2jjRzlD
Website: http://www.ilsamaddenmills.com/

 

 

 

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RELEASE BOOST AND EXCERPT: The Rebellion by S.L. Scott

Title: The Rebellion
Series: Hard to Resist #5
Author: S.L. Scott
Genre: STANDALONE Contemporary Romance
Release Date: May 18, 2017
Blurb

I met my muse at fifteen. I’d just gotten busted for smoking behind the school gymnasium. She inspired me with her laugh and nonjudgmental attitude and, before I knew it, we were inseparable. Then I left to pursue my rock star dreams—dreams she encouraged.

I got over Jaymes Grenier no problem. I never think about that little bow at the top of her pink lips, or the way her green eyes admired mine. Nope, I barely recall the way she fit so perfectly in my arms when I held her at night. The sweet way she would whisper she loved me has long faded from memory.

These are the lies I regularly tell myself in hopes of believing them one day. Yeah, I was told I’d get over my first love.

I didn’t. 

Derrick Masters marked me the moment we met back in ninth grade. He called me over—all bravado and bad boy mystery wrapped in a James Dean-esque package. Dark hair and blue eyes with a rebel without a cause charisma. He was everything I was warned about, but I couldn’t resist. I was his from that moment on.

His career took off almost as soon as he did. I knew it would. I just thought I would be beside him as his partner in crime, best friend, and lover. That’s what we had always been … before he left me behind to fend for myself.

Fend? Fight is more like it.

I’ve been fighting ever since. 

Fighting for survival.

Fighting for a better life in a world determined to keep me down.

 I don’t have the luxury of letting my head live in the lure of La La Land. His dreams may have come true, but mine were extinguished. These days I fight for something bigger than me, bigger than we were ever meant to be.

When his dreams come crashing back into my reality, is this a second chance at that fairy tale ending or another heartbreak in the making?

Purchase Links

AMAZON US / UK / CA / AU

Free in Kindle Unlimited

Trailer

Excerpt

On the front porch, leaning against the wood column in all his newfound glory, stands the most breathtaking man I’ve ever seen. As a teenager, I thought he was the best-looking boy I’d ever seen, and based on how I’m struggling to breathe just from looking at him now, I think he still holds the title. But now he’s a man.

Ace is talking about what some kid named Shiloh got in trouble for today at school, but I’m still staring at Derrick Masters.

Derrick Masters.

My very own Perseus, though right now I’m thinking he was more my Achilles heel in the grand scheme of things.

Derrick Masters is standing on my mother’s front porch like he belongs there. A smile that shines like the star he’s become appears and he waves. Not sure if it was the grin on his face or the wave that sends me tripping flat on my face into the grassy lawn, but I’m cursing the curb when I lift up and look right into the dark blue eyes I’ve tried to despise.

“Are you okay?” he asks, trying to help me up. His voice is deep, the timbre the same one that always made my heart beat a little faster. It’s not that thought that runs through my mind. It’s his hands on me, grappling to help me to my feet.

He’s touching me.

Derrick Masters is touching me and I consider lying there longer just to savor the feel of his calloused fingers again. Ace tugs at my ankle like that will help me up. “Mommy, you fell.”

Mommy.

Mommy.

Derrick knows I’m a mommy.

Oh my God. What does he think?

Does he hate me? Disappointed in me? Happy for me? Or not care at all?

I would care if I found out he has kids.

Maybe he already knew . . .

Maybe I’ll just lie here as long as I can until he goes away.

Ace lies down next to me and rests his face on my hand. Looking at me with wide eyes, he asks, “Are we playing a game? This is fun.”

“Yes, I quite like it here.”

I hear Derrick chuckling just above me, enough to feel his warmth covering my body like sunshine as I lie in the cool grass. I might be mistaken but it sounds like he’s behind me now. On the ground with me.

Ace’s eyes look over my head. “My friend is here too.” He giggles. “See? Right there.”

Lying like a dead fish, I smile at my cute son not quite ready to face Derrick Masters. “What’s your new friend’s name?”

“Derrick. He plays a guitar like you, Mommy.”

After a tap on the back, Ace’s new friend speaks, “Hi.”

I miss Derrick’s hands on me, even if it was just helping me up. Ace is a ball of laughter and gets up. I watch until he runs behind me. “I’m here now. We’re all here. This is fun. Oh look, the moon.”

I can’t avoid him forever and the grass is grounding, literally, and settles my anxiety over just this kind of thing happening. I’ve embarrassed myself and he’s found out I’m a mother in the course of one sexy smile and a wave. I shake my head and close my eyes annoyed with myself for acting so foolishly in front of him. He was once my everything. When I roll onto my back, the top of our hands meet in an innocent touch that neither of us bothers to retreat. Finally building enough nerve, I turn my head and look straight into his eyes again. “Hi,” I whisper.

That devastatingly charming smile reappears, and he says, “It’s good to see you, Jaymes.”

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Author Bio

Living in the capital of Texas with her family, Scott loves traveling and avocados, beaches, and cooking with her kids. She’s obsessed with epic romances and loves a good plot twist. Her favorite color is blue, but she likens it more toward the sky than the emotion. Her home is filled with the welcoming symbol of the pineapple and finds surfing a challenge though she likes to think she’s a pro.

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RELEASE REVIEW: BUNS by Alice Clayton

Archie’s #BUNS are here at last!

Listen to an audiobook excerpt from @SimonAudio: http://bit.ly/2qxhc4N

And download your copy today:

http://apple.co/2rdtikJ

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US: https://goo.gl/H7SBTk

Clara Morgan is living the dream, if you can call rebranding hotels that are desperate for a new life and running any kind of marathon a dream. Which she does. But the career she loves and the endurance races that keep her adrenaline pumping have kept her too busy to put down any roots. Growing up in foster care, she’s never been able to establish traditions of her own, which may be why she’s fascinated by the rituals that generations-old family resorts are known for. She’s especially interested in the Bryant Mountain House, and not just for their secret recipe for the yummy, gooey, can’t-get-enough-of Hot Cross Buns….

Archie Bryant, the man with the Buns, is fifth generation and one-day-owner of the charming yet run-down Bryant Mountain House in Bailey Falls, New York. He’s determined to save his family’s legacy from the wrecking ball the old-fashioned way—by gritting his teeth and doing what needs to be done. There’s no way Archie will be influenced by the new hotel branding expert his father brought in to turn one hundred and fifty years of tradition on its head just to attract a faster, younger, slicker crowd. But when some of Clara’s ideas start bringing in new, paying customers, Archie can’t deny that she may have just given him a shot at keeping his resort open.

It’s sticky, it’s messy, it’s sweet, it’s Buns.

Review

Bailey Falls strikes again!

And, if readers weren’t already smitten by the setting and ambience of Upstate New York, in Alice Clayton’s newest release, Buns, she takes readers back to the Hudson Valley, reinforcing all the things that readers already love about the area and adding even more historical relevance to the town as she illustrates the role that the Bryant Mountain House has had in creating a natural and opulent experience just outside of Bailey Falls.

Because readers are seeing Bailey Falls through an outsider’s eyes, they get to reacquaint themselves with the Mayberryesque feel of the small town as well as gain new insight into a place that was once an important part of who Bailey Falls was – the Bryant Mountain House. And, as Clara Morgan works to rebrand the historical hotel, bringing it into the twenty-first century by blending the old with the new and putting a bit of a twist on traditions, readers also get to witness a whole other side of Bailey Falls – a side that adds a new layer to an already majestic town, allowing it to become an even more pivotal character in the breakthroughs Clayton’s newest hero and heroine experience in Buns.

One aspect of the Hudson Valley series that I absolutely adore is the type of people Clayton uses as her main characters. They are definitely not cookie cutter constructs because their unique personalities and quirky actions are not commonplace. In a way, the male and female leads in this series embody certain attributes that seem contrary to one another, but as their stories continue and the characters transform through a number of new experiences, those differences seem to be the very aspects that draw the hero and heroine together, providing each of them with a counterpart that complements them in every way and giving each couple a chance at a happy life as long as they don’t allow their respective pasts to complicate things or run away because the emotions they are feeling are ones they worked so hard to bury and lay dormant for fear of breaking even more than they already have.

Clara Morgan is one hell of a woman; she’s fought her entire life to get to where she is now, relying solely on herself and keeping herself as isolated as possible because, that way, she won’t have to risk being left behind or thrown away. Never in a million years would she have thought that a quaint town like Bailey Falls and a high strung, frustrating man like Archie Bryant would have her breaking all of her rules and risking her professional career, but she is, and she can’t help but feel drawn to her Hotel Boy and his intelligence and of course, his buns! Archie Bryant is as straight-laced and traditional as they come. Everything about this Bossy outsider infuriates him, especially her rudeness and the fact that her ideas actually make a whole lot of sense.

These two couldn’t be more different, but for some reason, their conflicting personalities draw them together instead of drive them apart. And, as the hotel undergoes its transformation, creating a symbiotic relationship with old school and modern décor, Clara and Archie find themselves transforming as well, experiencing new desires and reaching for something that they never thought they’d have and as long as their fears and the complications that arise don’t scare them away, perhaps they’ll find their own little piece of paradise in Bailey Falls, just like Clara’s best friends have.

I absolutely ADORED Buns; Clara and Archie were amazingly complex characters whose personalities continued to change throughout the course of the entire story. The atmosphere that Clayton created through the hotel’s elements as well as the town itself added such depth and feeling to an already lovely storyline.

Alice Clayton’s words and characters continue to dazzle me and transport me to places that I’ve never been, hoping against hope that someday I’ll get to experience the cities and states that Clayton so easily brings to life.

5 Poison Apples

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EXCERPT REVEAL AND PRE-ORDER INCENTIVE: SALVAGED by Jay Crownover

New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Jay Crownover continues her delightfully sexy Saints of Denver series with the next thrilling standalone, SALVAGED!

Don’t miss the amazing excerpt below and pre-order your copy today!

 

Hudson Wheeler is a nice guy. Everyone knows it, including his fiancée who left him with a canceled wedding and a baby on the way. He’s tired of finishing last and is ready to start living in the moment with nights soaked in whiskey, fast cars, and even faster girls. He’s set to start living on the edge, but when he meets Poppy Cruz, her sad eyes in the most gorgeous face he’s ever seen hook him in right away. Wheeler can see Poppy’s pain and all he wants to do is take care of her and make her smile, whatever it takes.

Poppy can’t remember a time when she didn’t see strangers as the enemy. After a lifetime of being hurt from the men who swore to protect her, Poppy’s determined to keep herself safe by keeping everyone else at arm’s length. Wheeler’s sexy grin and rough hands from hours restoring classic cars shouldn’t captivate her, but every time she’s with him, she can’t help being pulled closer to him. Though she’s terrified to trust again, Poppy soon realizes it might hurt even more to shut Wheeler out—and the intense feelings pulsing through her are making it near impossible to resist him.

The only thing Poppy is sure of is that her heart is in need of some serious repair, and the more time she spends with Wheeler, the more she’s convinced he’s the only man with the tools to fix it.

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Excerpt

Poppy

I rounded the corner at the end of my block and came to a halt. The puppy took that as a sign that we were done playing outside and started jumping all over my lower legs and pawing at my shins. He whined at me until I picked him up, and as soon as he could reach my face, his little tongue started darting all over my chin and cheeks. I wondered if he could feel the tension that made my limbs stiff and the anxiety that tightened all my muscles. I felt my breath catch in the back of my throat and there was no stopping my eyes from rapidly blinking to make sure what I was seeing was real and not a figment of my imagination.

He looked like one of those black-and-white art prints that hung in every diner and restaurant I’d ever eaten in. The one that was a throwback to another era when cool was something you had to cultivate and couldn’t buy on Amazon. He was leaning against a black-and-silver car that looked like it should be on the cover of a hot-rod magazine and not parked on a busy and crowded Capitol Hill street. He had on dark jeans and a dark canvas jacket that had the logo of his garage embroidered on the front. His ankles were crossed on the curb in front of him and one booted foot bounced up and down, giving the impression that he’d been waiting for me for a while. His arms were crossed over his chest and his eyes were locked on mine as I stood still, unsure what to do. He had an effortless kind of charisma that radiated off of him. It was equal parts intimidating and irresistible. I was unsure if my feet wanted to rush me toward him or run me as far from him as possible.

The puppy made the decision for me. Seeing another human, and thus another opportunity for pats and rubs, he threw his wiggling little body out of my arms before I could react. He hit the ground with a little yelp and then bolted right for Wheeler. I let out a gasp and took off after him thinking I could catch the end of the leash that was trailing behind him. I didn’t want him to run into the road or veer off into a yard where he didn’t belong. I was light-years away from being able to handle a confrontation with a hostile stranger that didn’t want the puppy in their space.

I didn’t need to worry because Wheeler pushed his long, lean frame off the polished side of the car and reached the scrambling animal within just a few strides. He crouched down as the puppy hurled himself into his arms and scooped the excited bundle up in one fluid motion. Then he was rising back up to his full height, which meant he was towering over me when I made my way over to where he was standing. I was embarrassed at how out of breath I was. I was supposed to be stronger than I was before, but I could hardly handle a little jog up the block or the way my heart raced at the sight of him.

I shook my head and put my hands on my hips as I looked up and into those arctic eyes. He was scratching the puppy under the chin and looking at me from under lashes that had the barest hint of red to them. “Why don’t you have a coat on?”

It wasn’t what I was expecting but his question reminded me that I was cold and that the lightweight hoodie that had the Saints of Denver logo on it wasn’t doing much to keep the bitter chill in the air off my skin. The shirt came from the tattoo shop where both Rowdy and Salem worked and was probably the most exciting garment I had in my closet. It was the only thing I owned that was bright and colorful. I rubbed my arms up and down and fired my own question right back at him. “What are you doing here?”

The puppy barked like he was telling me not to be rude but I was unsettled by Wheeler’s unexpected appearance, and not the typical unsettled that I struggled with because he was a man that I didn’t know. It was the kind of unsettled that made parts of my body I forget could react to an attractive man feel warm and tingly. The kind of unsettled that had me involuntarily leaning closer to him as he started to shift so that he could pull his heavy jacket off one arm without letting go of the dog.

“I wanted to talk to you about the dog. Did you find someone to take him yet?” He shifted the puppy to his now bare arm as I watched the endless amounts of ink that covered his skin move and flex as he shook his other arm free of the coat.

“Uh…not really.” The truth was I hadn’t really put that much effort into finding someone because I didn’t want to let the puppy go. In just a few days I’d grown surprisingly attached even though I knew I wasn’t allowed to keep him in my apartment. I’d already asked since Dixie was allowed to keep Dolly, but the landlord informed they were grandfathered in before the laws surrounding pit bulls in Denver changed. My little guy wasn’t that lucky.

My response made Wheeler chuckle. He stared at me silently as he held out the coat he’d taken off in his free hand.

“Put this on.” I stared at him like he’d suddenly started speaking Russian until he shook the coat again and frowned at me. His voice was serious and left no room for argument when he repeated the command. “Put this on, Poppy.”

Jay Crownover continues her Saints of Denver series with SALVAGED, available June 20, 2017

Preorder and fill out the form herehttps://a.pgtb.me/MdHvvG

Enter your name, email address, and the order number from your pre-order receipt on the form to receive an advance excerpt of DIGNITY and a Saints of Denver Doodle download to print at home. 

Entries must be received by midnight PST on June 19th to be eligible.

The print-at-home Doodle and Dignity excerpt will be emailed the week of June 20th

About Jay Crownover

Jay Crownover is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of the Marked Men, The Point, and the Saints of Denver series. Like her characters, she is a big fan of tattoos. She loves music and wishes she could be a rock star, but since she has no aptitude for singing or instrument playing, she’ll settle for writing stories with interesting characters that make the reader feel something. She lives in Colorado with her dogs.

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