Category: Blog Tour

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Blog Tour & Giveaway: Montana Actually by Fiona Lowe

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A big-city doctor in a small-town Montana practice….A former nurse who has sworn off doctors forever….The scene is set for passions to ignite in Big Sky Country.

City doctor Josh Stanton and his sports car don’t suit the country, but with his medical school debt about to bury him, Josh has to make the best out of a bad situation. Adjusting to his new job and life in the middle of nowhere isn’t easy, but at least the views of the mountains—and one distractingly attractive local—are stunning…

After eight years away, Katrina McCade is back in Bear Paw for a break from her life, bad choices—and men. But when a broad-shouldered stranger bursts into town, she finds herself unexpectedly saddled with the town’s sexy new doctor as a tenant. Katrina doesn’t need a man to make her happy, especially a disgruntled physician. But try telling her body that…

Amazon/B&N

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Just as they reached the door of a squat, flat-roofed building, Floyd’s phone started ringing. He checked the screen and with an apologetic smile said, “I’m sorry. I have to take this but you go right on ahead. They’re expecting you.”

Josh took that to mean his staff and he pushed open the door, stepping into a waiting room. Two framed and faded prints of the Rocky Mountains hung crookedly facing each other, and the rest of the wall space was taken up with health posters that urged people to quit smoking, lose weight and have their eyes checked. The reception desk had the usual raised counter and he caught the sight of a computer screen but there was no sign of a receptionist. He could however see a black hoodie slung over a chair. Kitty-corner to the reception desk was a large basket overflowing with toys and in the center of the room a small stack of dog-eared magazines sat on a low table.

Matching green upright chairs— all evenly spaced— bordered three sides of the room making it like most every other waiting room he’d ever seen. The chatter in the room faded as twenty sets of eyes swung straight to him, their expressions a mixture of interest and caution.

With no one available to formally introduce him, Josh took the situation into his own hands. After all, he was the physcian they’d been waiting for and he had experience addressing the media from his time in the E.R. having treated some of the more infamous gang members for gunshot wounds. Clapping his hands together as a sign that an announcement was about to be made, he said with appropriate gravitas, “Hello. I’m Dr. Stanton from Chicago’s Mercy Hospital and I’m in Bear Paw for—”

    “Has Randall finally quit to fish?” an elderly lady asked in surprise.

    Josh wasn’t used to being interrupted. He opened his mouth to reply but another woman got in first. “Lynn didn’t mention it when I met her at the grocery store the other day.”

    The man next to her adjusted his glasses and gave Josh a long, hard stare. “Are you a real doctor or just one of those pretend ones they usually send us?”

    “Physician’s assistant,” someone added in clarification. “He doesn’t look old enough to be a doctor.”

    “Of course I’m a doctor,” Josh said incredulously, still trying to come to grips with the way the conversation was flying off on tangents. It was like being on a stage with a cast who’d gone off-script. “I’m a qualified E.R. physician.”

    “Oh, I used to like that George Clooney,” a woman who looked to be in her sixties said with a dreamy smile.

    Now he was seriously in the twilight zone. “He’s an actor,” Josh said firmly, his voice sounding overly loud. “I’m board-certified. A real doctor.”

    The room went silent and the geriatric inquisition stared at him unhappily. This wasn’t going quite like the ticker tape parade he’d imagined.

    “I’m quite aware that Mr. Clooney’s an actor,” the woman said with a sniff. “He made a fine doctor.”

    The inference was clear— Josh was coming a distant second to an aging Hollywood actor who’d starred in the role fifteen years ago. What the hell sort of a town had he come to?

    “No one can live up to George, Doris,” said a new voice behind him.

He turned to see a young woman smiling at him.

    “That’s very true, Millie,” Doris replied. “I guess for now we’ll have to give Dr. Stanton the benefit of the doubt. Mind you, he’s got a look of a younger George with his height and curly hair.” Doris sounded slightly mollified.

    “I’ll do my best.” Josh said uncertain exactly how to proceed. Right now he’d take a patient with a gunshot wound or an off-his-face meth addict rather than face this group of critical seniors. He was used to being judged on his clinical skills, not his ability to look like an actor.

    The young woman stuck out her hand. “I’m Millie Switkowski, nurse practitioner and I’m your go-to person here at the clinic. Welcome to Bear Paw Dr. Stanton. I’m looking forward to working with you.”

    He gripped her hand like it was a life preserver in a choppy sea. Finally, he’d met someone who seemed professional and competent. Hell, she was the first person he’d met in Bear Paw who seemed normal.

    The memory of dancing green eyes, a sassy mouth and a sweet behind, flooded him and he immediately tried to shut it out. Katrina McCade wasn’t normal— she was difficult, bitter, bossy and annoying. And as sexy as hell.

    Someone coughed— a wet and hacking noise that was the insidious sound of heart failure. It immediately focused him. The town and its population might be as foreign to him as Kazakhstan and he may not have gotten the welcome he’d anticipated, but this he knew. He swung round briskly. “Who ever owns that cough, I’ll see you first.”

About the Author:

FionaFiona Lowe is a RITA® and R*BY award-winning, multi-published author with Harlequin , Carina Press and, Berkley USA. Whether her books are set in outback Australia or the USA, they feature small towns with big hearts, and warm, likeable characters that make you fall in love. When she’s not writing stories, she’s a weekend wife, mother of two ‘ginger’ teenage boys, guardian of 80 rose bushes, slave to a cat and often found collapsed on the couch with wine.

Website/Twitter/Facebook

 

Jennifer’s Review of Montana Actually

Review (4.5 Stars): I enjoyed this sweet romance because it was actually two love stories wrapped in one.  Katrina moved back to Bear Paw to get away from the mess of her life and reconnect with her family.  Josh ended up in Bear Paw to pay down his student loans and never expected to meet the one woman he couldn’t resist.  Together they find that love has been waiting for them all along and they just have to take a chance at a future they have always wanted.

I liked Katrina and Josh together in this story because I loved Katrina’s personality.  She was this spunky firecracker that seemed to be able to do anything she set her mind to except finding the right guy.  Josh was very conservative in the beginning and seemed as though he needed to work on his bedside manner quite a bit to be able to fit into this small community.  They just seemed to work well together and I enjoyed spending time in Bear Paw getting to know these characters.  Montana Actually is a very charming romance that is the perfect start to this series. Bear Paw seems like a great place to visit and fall in love and I’m looking forward to seeing which character is up next for their happy ending.

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Blog Tour & Giveaway: Feta Attraction by Susannah Hardy

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Guest Post for FETA ATTRACTION

by Susannah Hardy

I love mysteries! You’re here visiting this blog because you do too. Did you ever solve a real mystery? Not ones like what that smell is emanating from your teenager’s bedroom, or who put the toilet paper on the roll backwards. Not that those aren’t important or that you shouldn’t get credit for your detective skills, LOL! But I’ve solved a couple of family mysteries, and I’ll tell you about one here today.

Genealogy is one of my hobbies, and there is a genealogical element to FETA ATTRACTION, one that will become more important in Book Two (sorry, I don’t have an official title or a release date on that yet!). My heroine, Georgie, will find out some very interesting things about who she is and where she came from and why murders keep happening around her in Bonaparte Bay.

My real-life family, and I suspect just about everyone else’s too, has its own mystery. Family legend says that my great-great grandfather was a Native American (Mohawk), that he and my white great-great grandmother had an affair, then he ran off when she found out she was pregnant. She left the baby with her widowed mother, and ran off herself. I’ve always taken that story with a grain of salt.

Now, thanks to the Internet and some digitized old newspapers, it turns out I was right to be skeptical.

The real story, which I pieced together from old newspaper articles and online census records—did I mention, I LOVE research?—is rather more Downton Abbey or Upstairs, Downstairs. Not nearly as romantic or interesting as having a Mohawk ancestor! The documentation proves that Great-Great-Grandma was a servant in the home of a wealthy shopkeeper, and they had a relationship, which resulted in a baby, my Great-Grandfather. A lawsuit was brought by the girl’s mother for loss of the girl’s services due to the pregnancy, and damages were awarded against the shopkeeper. My Great-Grandfather either never knew the real story, or deliberately lied about who his parents were on his marriage certificate, which other members of my family have taken as truth. Even though I’ve presented my proof, most still cling to the legend rather than the reality.

Not that I can blame them. Stories are often so much better than real life, aren’t they? Which is why we keep reading novels, and especially cozy mysteries with their familiar characters and satisfying endings. I hope you enjoy FETA ATTRACTION!

Wishing each and every one of you peace and prosperity in the New Year,

Susannah

About the Author:

susannahSusannah Hardy is the author of the Greek to Me Mysteries, coming January 6, 2015 from Berkley Prime Crime. If you like your mysteries cozy, culinary, and a little bit crazy, you’re going to love Georgie and the gang at Bonaparte Bay. It’s available for order now! Click here.  Please!

Suze is a member of the New England Chapter of Sisters in Crime, the Romance Writers of America and the Connecticut Chapter of RWA.  Susannah is originally from Northern New York State (Way north!  Only a few miles from the Canadian border), graduated from St. Lawrence University, and now lives in Connecticut with her husband, teenaged son, and Elvira the Wonder Cat.

Website/Twitter

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Georgie Nikolopatos manages the Bonaparte House, a Greek restaurant and historic landmark in beautiful upstate New York rumored to possess ghosts and hidden treasure. But when her husband disappears and her main competitor is found dead, it’s up to Georgie to solve a big fat Greek murder.

With her husband, Spiro, inexplicably gone for days, Georgie has her hands full running the restaurant and dealing with the crew of the TV show Ghost Squad, called in by Spiro to inspect the house for haunting. So when she has a chance to take a boating excursion on the St. Lawrence River with her friend Keith Morgan, she jumps on it. But their idyll is quickly ruined when they discover the body of rival restaurant owner Domenic “Big Dom” DiTomasso floating in the water.

When the police start asking questions, it doesn’t help that Spiro can’t be found—and with Georgie on their suspect list, it’s up to her to find her missing husband and find out who killed Big Dom before someone else’s order is up.

Amazon/B&N

Jennifer’s Review of Feta Attraction

Review (4.5 Stars): Georgie Nikolopatos is the manager of a Greek restaurant called the Bonaparte House, which is owned by her husband, Spiro and his spunky mother, Sophie and she currently has her hands full.  Georgie’s husband has been missing for several days and even though this isn’t unusual, she now has to deal with the film crew that her husband set up to investigate claims that the restaurant is haunted.  To make matters worse, Georgie finds the body of a wealthy competitor and has been receiving threatening notes that may be related to her husband’s disappearance.  Now, Georgie has to find a murderer before it’s too late and she becomes the next person to suddenly disappear.

This is the first book in the Greek to Me mystery series and I already love this series!  Georgie was an enjoyable heroine that you will instantly like and want to spend more time with.  I thought that her relationship with her husband was very complicated and I was surprised that Georgie had lived that way for so long.  Her coworkers at the restaurant were hilarious and I enjoyed that the restaurant was being investigated by paranormal investigators to discover if it was really haunted while Georgie was dealing with a murder mystery.  The mystery was well-written with clever twists and turns that will definitely keep people guessing. Feta Attraction has the perfect combination of humor, mystery and romance that will have readers hungry for more.  Can’t wait to read the next installment in this charming series.

Giveaway

I’m excited to give away a copy of Feta Attraction. This giveaway is for US Residents only.  To be entered in the drawing by January 17th, please leave me a comment below:

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Blog Tour & Giveaway: All The President’s Menus by Julie Hyzy

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It’s an old adage that too many cooks spoil the broth. But when a tour of the White House kitchen by a group of foreign chefs ends in murder, it’s Olivia Paras who finds herself in the soup… 

Due to a government sequester, entertaining at the White House has been severely curtailed. So executive chef Olivia Paras is delighted to hear that plans are still on to welcome a presidential candidate from the country of Saardisca—the first woman to run for office—and four of that nation’s top chefs.

But while leading the chefs on a kitchen tour, pastry chef Marcel passes out suddenly—and later claims he was drugged. When one of the visiting chefs collapses and dies, it’s clear someone has infiltrated the White House with ill intent. Could it be an anti-Saardiscan zealot? Is the candidate a target? Are the foreign chefs keeping more than their recipes a secret? Once again, Olivia must make sleuthing the special of the day…

Amazon/B&N

About the Author:

juliehyzyJulie Hyzy’s very first job had her flipping burgers and chopping onions at a neighborhood hot dog stand. She traded that experience for a job as a singing waitress at Farrell’s Ice Cream Parlour — but gave that up when she started college (and because she couldn’t carry a tune).

Over the years, she’s acted in community theater productions, appeared in television commercials, and crashed a previously all-male fraternity to become one of the first female brothers in Loyola University’s Chapter of Delta Sigma Pi. Julie had dreams of becoming a writer, but family, friends, and frat brothers convinced her otherwise. Having held positions as junior officer at a downtown bank, office manager at an architectural firm, and financial advisor at a prestigious wealth management company, she realizes that the business degree was probably a good choice — but fiction is truly her passion. Now, with some well-earned life experience behind her, she’s delighted to finally be able to make writing a priority in her life.

Website/Facebook

Jennifer’s Review of All The President’s Menus

Review (4.75 Stars): This is a fabulous series and I can never get enough of Ollie and the wonderful cast of characters in this series.  In this story, Olivia finds herself entertaining foreign chefs and a presidential candidate from Saardisca at a time when she least expects it, during the middle of a sequester.  While taking the foreign chefs on a pastry tour, Marcel passes out and claims that he has been drugged and soon one of the visiting chefs ends up dead, leaving Olivia to believe that there is more going on than meets the eye.  Now, she must find a killer before it is too late and another victim is found at the White House.

This is the eighth book in the White House Chef mystery series and this is one of my favorite series to date.  Olivia is a fabulous character and I love reading about her life at the White House and the wonderful culinary creations she comes up with for Presidential events or just to feed the First Family.  I enjoyed this mystery because I’m always amazed at the way she handles herself in any situation, whether it is life or death or dealing with difficult chefs and she does it all effortlessly. I can’t say enough great things about this series and I can’t wait to read what is in store for Olivia and her team at the White House.

Giveaway

I’m excited to give away a copy of All The President’s Menu. This giveaway is for US Residents only.  To be entered in the drawing by January 12th, please leave me a comment below:

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Blog Tour & Giveaway: Snow Way Out by Christine Husom

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About the Snow Globe Shop Mystery Series

by Christine Husom

We’re in the season of winter and I live in Minnesota, the Land of 10,000 Frozen Lakes. Christmas 2014 is now part of our memory banks, but I know there are people of all ages who were given a snow globe as a gift and are this very minute picking them up, giving them a shaking, and watching the snow settle over a wide variety of scenes.

From little on, I have been drawn to the seeming magic of snow globes. I loved giving them as gifts for my children because they always appreciated them. Even now, when I see one on display in a store, I can’t resist flipping it over then back again to see how the scene looks in a snow fall.

When the opportunity arose to write a series set in a shop that specializes in snow globes, it was a natural fit. The catch is that Camryn Brooks, the one running Curio Finds, never planned to do anything like that in her lifetime. She had a successful career as a senator’s legislative affairs director in Washington D.C., and thought she’d be working there forever.

But a scandal changed her career path and she returned to her hometown of Brooks Landing in a hurry. For how long, she had no clue. But it appears to be the best place for the time being. Her parents need help running Curio Finds, and an added bonus is Cami has a large family and many friends who love and support her, no matter what the media had to say about her.

The cast of characters who are part of a small community in Minnesota often get pulled from their day to day activities to deal with events that are anything but ordinary. Alice “Pinky” Nelson, Erin Vickerman, and Mark Weston are Cami’s childhood friends who stayed in Brooks Landing and are glad Cami came back. Pinky runs Brew Ha-Ha, a coffee shop adjoining Curio Finds.

When Snow Way Out opens, Jerrell Powers, a man that had wreaked havoc in Brooks Landing a few years before has returned to town. And Erin was one of his victims. Cami and Pinky are getting ready for a snow globe making class that evening, and they’re also wondering what Erin will do if she runs into her nemesis. What they have no way of knowing is the role Jerrell Powers will play in the evening’s events or how the night will end after the class is over.

This is a snippet from the back cover, “After the flurry of activity has ended and everyone has gone off with their handmade snow globes, Cami spots on a shelf a new globe left behind, featuring an odd tableau—a man sleeping on a park bench. On her way home, she drifts through the town park and is shaken to come upon the scene from the globe—a man sitting on a bench. But he isn’t sleeping—he has a knife in his back.”

I’d love to have you join me on this Snow Globe Shop Mystery series adventure, I hope you make the people of Brooks Landing and their relationships, and all the things they get involved with, a part of your reading pleasure.

About the Author:

christinehusomChristine Husom lives in Minnesota with her family. She is a small business owner and author of Murder in Winnebago County, Buried in Wolf Lake, and An Altar by the River, the first three in the Winnebago County mystery thriller series. She holds an undergraduate degree in business from Concordia University in St. Paul and a law enforcement certificate from Metropolitan State University in St. Paul. She is a former corrections officer, mental health practitioner, and deputy sheriff. Experience has taught her that fact truly is usually stranger than fiction. She enjoys reading, writing, family time, volunteer work, entertaining, gardening, and exercising.

Website/Facebook

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Curio shop manager Camryn Brooks thought she’d seen every kind of snow globe—until she saw one depicting a crime scene…

Ever since she was a child, Cami has loved the sparkling beauty of snow globes, and now, she sells them. In fact, they’re so popular, Cami and her friend—coffee shop owner Alice “Pinky” Nelson—are hosting a snow globe making class.

After the flurry of activity has ended and everyone has gone off with their own handmade snow globes, Cami spots a new globe left behind on a shelf, featuring an odd tableau—a man sleeping on a park bench.

On her way home, she drifts through the town park and is shaken to come upon the scene from the globe—a man sitting on a bench. But he isn’t sleeping—he has a knife in his back. When the police arrive, it’s clear they consider Cami a little flaky and possibly a suspect. After her friends also come under suspicion, Cami starts plowing through clues to find the cold-blooded backstabber—before someone else gets iced…

Amazon/B&N

Jennifer’s Review of Snow Way Out

Review (4 Stars): Great start to a new series and I just love the idea of a mystery with the heroine being the owner of a snow globe shop.  Camyrn Brooks runs Curio Shop, a lovely little shop that features snow globes, which is situated right next door to a coffee shop that is owned by her best friend, Pinky.  The girls decide to hold their first ever snow globe making class but find that the students have more in common than they originally thought.  When the body of Jerrell Powers is found in the park by Camryn, she learns that several members of her class had reasons for wanting him dead and finds herself on the hunt for a killer to keep herself from being sent to jail for a crime she didn’t commit.

I liked Camryn and I think that this is going to be a great series.  She is smart, intriguing and definitely doesn’t seem like someone that you can push around. I love the idea of having snow globes involved in the mystery and I think that this is a very creative idea for a mystery series.  Snow Way Out is a delightful new mystery that is sure to entertain readers and I’m looking forward to reading the next book in the series.

 Giveaway

I’m excited to give away a copy of Snow Way Out. This giveaway is for US Residents only.  To be entered in the drawing by January 12th, please leave me a comment below:

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Book Spotlight & Giveaway: Lie of the Needle by Cate Price

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As the owner of Sometimes a Great Notion, a shop specializing in vintage sewing notions and antique treasures, Daisy Buchanan is a strong advocate of preserving the past. But when a killer strikes, she turns her attention to saving lives…

Talk about a great notion! As a fund-raiser to save a two-hundred-year-old farmhouse and stop an ambitious developer, the ladies of the Historical Society of Millbury, Pennsylvania, are producing a Hunky Men of Millbury calendar. Daisy is delighted to lend her support, and the female population of the village is abuzz with anticipation.

But after Daisy’s close friend Cyril doesn’t show up for his photo shoot and the calendar photographer is found dead, it’s beginning to look like the days may be numbered for the men of Millbury. Can a cryptic verse on an antique sampler help Daisy pin down the killer before another pinup runs out of time?

Amazon/B&N

About the Author:

cate-price-225Cate Price was born in England and came to the U.S. when she was sixteen. She spent her high school years translating her quaint English expressions for fellow classmates, and majored in Communications at Central Connecticut State University with an emphasis on Radio and TV production. She’s made a living as an actress, voice over artist, talent agent, waitress, bartender, casting director and real estate agent, until finally settling on her current occupation as Executive Assistant to a CEO.

She’s a regular sight on the streets of her home town walking her two amazing rescue dogs, and enjoys gardening, yard sales, and cooking with adventurous friends. Writing this Deadly Notions series proved to be rather a dangerous project, because while researching auction houses, she also became addicted to bidding on box lots.

Cate’s previous (unpublished) books span the genres of romantic comedy, romantic suspense and murder mysteries, and have won or finaled in numerous contests, including the prestigious Daphne Du Maurier Award for Excellence in Mystery/Suspense. She is a member of Romance Writers of America, and over the years has served as vice president, web mistress, treasurer, corresponding secretary, and contest coordinator, and has since learned not to volunteer at chapter parties where wine is involved. She is also a member of Mystery Writers of America and Sisters in Crime.

Website/Twitter/Facebook

Jennifer’s Review of Lie of the Needle

Review (4 Stars): This is the third book in the Deadly Notions mystery series and I have to say that this series is really starting to grow on me.  Daisy is such a delightful character and I love the idea of her selling collectable sewing items in her store which always puts her in the middle of a murder mystery.  In this story, the Millbury Historical society is hosting a fundraiser where they will be selling calendars featuring the men of Millbury.  On the night of the photo shoot of Daisy’s good friend, Cyril, something sinister happens which leaves the photographer dead and Cyril nowhere to be found.  As the hunt for answers begin, Daisy finds that there is more to this mystery than meets the eye and she fears that her friend may also be the victim of foul play.  Hopefully she can find the killer before it too late or everything they have worked for will go up in smoke.

Lie of the Needle is a charming addition to this intriguing mystery series and I enjoy spending time with this fun cast of characters.  The mystery in this story was very complex and I love the fact that I had no idea who it was until the great reveal.  In this story, we also get updates on the lives of secondary characters and love is definitely in the air in the small town of Millbury.  I was so glad that Eleanor found a second chance at love because she is my favorite character after Daisy.  Looking forward to reading the next book in the series to see what treasures and mysteries that Daisy finds next.

 

Giveaway

I’m excited to give away a copy of Lie of the Needle. This giveaway is for US Residents only.  To be entered in the drawing by January 10th, please leave me a comment below:

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Guest Blogger: Carolyn Brown

Hello and thank you for inviting me to Books-N-Kisses.Just reading the name of your site makes me smile. Nothing much better in this world than books and/or kisses!

In my newest release, The Trouble with Texas Cowboys, Sawyer O’Donnell and Jill Cleary had no idea that they were going to be sharing a bunkhouse until the deal was already done. Sawyer’s first thought, after Jill put down that shot gun she had trained on his chest, was Travis Tritt’s song, “T.R.O.U.B.L.E” and he wasn’t far from wrong. Before the night was done, two cowboys had already come to the door, hats in hand, asking Jill to go to Sunday dinner with them the next day.

Either one, Quaid Brennan or Tyrell Gallagher, could give Jill a life that any cowgirl could only dream about. A prosperous ranch, money to burn, a lifestyle of the rich and famous and the list went on from earth to eternity. So how in the hell did someone like Sawyer, who was the newly hired, ranch foreman stand a chance? Well, there’s more than one way to court a sassy red headed lady and not a single one of them involve spending tons of money.

Sometimes a foot rub can start off a beautiful relationship:

He picked up her feet and put them in his lap, massaging the soles through her socks. “I’m going to Wild Horse for dinner and River Bend for supper, but believe me, it’s not happening but this one time,” he said. “I’ll be ready for them next time around.”

She dramatically threw a hand over her eyes. “Next time? Shit! We’re going to have to outrun them again? That feels so good. Did you ever think of leaving ranchin’ and going into massage work?”

“No, ma’am. My heart is in ranchin’, but it makes a person plumb cranky to have achin’ feet.”

And then there’s daisies! Jill hates roses but neither of the two feuding families knew that about her and they brought roses. Since wild daisies aren’t blooming in the middle of winter, Sawyer finds things with daisies on them to surprise her, like setting an old cracked cookie jar in the middle of the table that had daisies painted on the lid.

Going to church with her on Sunday morning and sharing a hymn book. There’s something about letting the mind wander as the preacher talks that can create all kinds of sinful visions. A long, sexy shower together when he washes her hair and tells her that he’d planned to let her sleep late while he did their chores.

And slow dancing after the bar closes its doors. There’s just something about swaying to a country music song on the juke box that has “courting” written all over it.

So what would you consider the ultimate cowboy date? Does it involve wining and dining or would you rather have something like Sawyer gave Jill in The Trouble with Texas Cowboys?

 

*****

The Trouble with Texas Cowboys

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When Sawyer O’Donnell takes a ranch job on a whim, he lands smack dab in the middle of a Texas-sized feud! The Gallaghers and the Brennans are at each other’s throats to woo the red-headed spitfire, Jill Cleary, and stake a claim for the Fiddle Creek Ranch.

Jill makes Sawyer’s blood boil. They argue, they banter, but Sawyer soon goes from being driven crazy to crazy in love. Damned if he knows how that happened. But now that it has, how does he compete with two men that can give this cowgirl a lifestyle beyond her wildest dreams.

Make sure to check out Kelly’s review of The Trouble with Texas Cowboys HERE

 

carolyn brown author photoA little about Carolyn: 

Carolyn Brown is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author with more than 60 books published. Born in Texas and raised in southern Oklahoma, Carolyn and her husband now make their home in the town of Davis, Oklahoma. Carolyn’s first women’s fiction novel, The Blue Ribbon Jalapeño Society Jubilee is now available, and you can look for her next cowboy romance, Cowboy Seeks Bride in August 2013! For more information, please visit: www.carolynlbrown.com.

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Book Spotlight & Giveaway: Secrets of a Scandalous Heiress by Theresa Romain

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Title: Secrets of a Scandalous Heiress

Series: The Matchmaker Trilogy #3

Author: Theresa Romain

Pubdate: January 6th, 2015

One good proposition deserves another…

Heiress Augusta Meredith can’t help herself—she stirs up gossip wherever she goes. A stranger to Bath society, she pretends to be a charming young widow, until sardonic, darkly handsome Joss Everett arrives from London and uncovers her charade.

Augusta persuades Joss to keep her secret in exchange for a secret of his own. Weaving their way through the treacherous pitfalls of a polite world only too eager to expose and condemn them, they begin to see that being true to themselves is not so bad…as long as they’re true to each other…

 Amazon/B&N

*EXCERPT*

She tilted her head, setting the loose curl free again. “Are you doing what you wish?”

Doing what he wished? No, of course he wasn’t.

Right now he wished he could make her smile as she had when giving away her gloves. He wished he could dispense with his conscience and plead for her to take him as a lover. He wished he could pluck the pins from her sunset hair and send it tumbling over her naked skin, wished he could stop kissing her only to make her cry out in pleasure.

But always, in the face of a wish, came prosaic reality. A scarred wooden table, a plate of mutton and potatoes, a wedge of cheese. An adequate fire and a roof over one’s head. Such a reality was perfectly acceptable, even if it didn’t hold the luster of a gemlike fantasy.

“I try to wish,” he said in a calm voice, “for what I know I might attain. For respectable employment for a reasonable wage. For a reasonable employer.”

This brought a faint smile to her features, but the expression fell away in another instant. “That seems a very small dream.”

“What on earth do you mean by that? It’s a very suitable dream.”

“But it’s not really a dream, is it? It’s what you have now, just shuffled about a bit.”

Again, he folded his arms. She lifted her hands, placating. “As you say, it’s perfectly suitable. And if you insist that it’s exactly what you want, then I suppose it is a dream, after all.”

Of course it wasn’t a dream. It was good sense. It was practicality. “I don’t know what else I ought to wish for. This is my life. I am a man of business for a nobleman.” Remembering Chatfield’s words, he added, “I am not in bodily danger, nor in mortal peril. It could be far worse.”

“It could be. But if you want it to be better…”

“Not everyone is fortunate enough to be able to buy happiness.”

“No one is fortunate enough for that.” She turned over her fork and scratched the tines into the surface of the table. “That’s not what I meant. I know happiness can’t be bought, or I would have bought it.”

About the Author:

theresaHistorical romance author Theresa Romain pursued an impractical education that allowed her to read everything she could get her hands on. She then worked for universities and libraries, where she got to read even more. Eventually she started writing, too. She lives with her family in the Midwest.

Website/Twitter/Facebook

 

 

Jennifer’s Review of Secrets of a Scandalous Heiress

Review (3.75 Stars): I absolutely love Ms. Romain’s books and I absolutely enjoy her style of writing and the humor that is sprinkled throughout each of her stories.  In Secrets of a Scandalous Heiress, Augusta Meredith is in Bath society to hide her famous identity so she can find herself a lover with no strings attached.  She pretends to be a newly widowed young woman to accomplish her mission but runs into the one person who knows most of her secrets.  Joss Everett has arrived in Bath to uncover the identity of his cousin’s blackmailer and never expected to run into the beautiful and entertaining Ms. Meredith.  She propositions Joss to become her lover at first and when he declines her invitation, he agrees to help her find a more suitable candidate if she helps him with her new found connections. As the two get closer to achieving their goals, they find that they are more alike than they expected with a certain chemistry that is becoming too hard to resist.

I loved Augusta in this story because she was just this fun and spunky woman who knew what she wanted and was willing to take a chance to get it.  I connected with her right away but I had a really hard time connecting with Joss in this story.  For some reason, I just felt that he wasn’t quite the guy that I could see with Augusta and the two of them just felt a little mis-matched.  With that said, I still enjoyed the story and am looking forward to the next novel that Ms. Romain releases.  Even though I didn’t care for Joss, I think Secrets of a Scandalous Heiress was a fun read and I hope other readers will have a different opinion of Joss than I did.

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Kelly’s interview with Tara Lain + a tour wide giveaway

 

Tara welcome to the blog.  Can you please share with us a little about yourself
I’m a long-time non-fiction writer who sat up in bed one day about five years ago and thought, I should write a novel. My first romance novel was published in January of 2011 and that was 25 books ago! People often ask me how I got interested in writing MM romance. It’s a hard question to answer. As a young girl, I had two very dear friends who I later discovered were gay. I remember how hard life was for both of them and I hated that they had to hide all the time. Shortly before I wrote my first novel, I ordered a book by a favorite author, Jet Mykles, and discovered to my surprise that the book was MM. I loved it! I adored the lack of gender roles and the peek into the emotional life of these complex men. I had started working on a MF, older woman/younger man romance, and I added another man to the story! Just that fast, I was a MM author. Giving happy ever afters to heroes like my two childhood friends, is a constant pleasure. While writing books is a fulltime job for me, I also continue my day job – because I own it! I own a small advertising agency with a partner and enjoy the variety that my two fulltime jobs provide.Have you always wanted to be an author?
I guess I never thought about it much. Writing was just something I could always do. I wrote my first book at five. But when I started making my living as a non-fiction writer, the idea of becoming an author also seemed like too much work! Then I found romance novels and never looked back. Now I’m proud to be an author.What is your most interesting writing quirk?
I can’t write with music playing. I listen to other authors talk about their play lists and I’m amazed. But I think I’m such a right-brain writer that music is more distracting than words.

Can you please tell us about your latest book(s)?
My new book is called Canning the Center and it’s the second book in my series, The Long Pass Chronicles. It’s the story of an unlikely love affair between an NFL football star and a drag queen. Because my football player is hiding his sexual orientation, he can’t be seen romantically with another man. So my drag queen offers to date him dressed as a woman. That’s when they get in a LOT of trouble!

How did you come up with the idea for this story?
When I wrote Outing the Quarterback, book 1 in the Long Pass Chronicles, I wanted a best friend for my hero, Will Ashford. Since Will is a quarterback, it was logical that his best friend might be the center for the football team. Centers are big men, so Jamal Jones, the gentle giant was born. Jamal and his family are integrally involved in that first book and people loved his character. My agent and publisher immediately asked if I was writing a book about Jamal. I love hatching plots based on characters that are wildly different. When I’m thinking up a story, I first create an idea for my main character. In this case, I already knew I had a big, smart, laid-back guy who loved football and was very good at it. I knew he was going into the NFL which is not a gay friendly environment, so I thought about Jamal being signed by a team with an ultra-conservative owner. Then I wanted to put him in the most wildly difficult and unlikely scenario I could find. Voila! I had him fall in love with a drag queen. But when I came up with that plot idea, I had no concept of how complex and layered that drag queen would be! LOL.

Can you share with us your current work(s) in progress?
Since writing Canning the Center, I’ve completed two more books – Winter’s Wolf (releasing in March) which is the third book in my Tales of the Harker Pack paranormal series, and Knight of Ocean Avenue (coming out in May) which is the first book in a new contemporary series called Love in Laguna. I’m currently writing the second book in the Love in Laguna series. It’s called Knave of Broken Hearts. It tells the story of a tough construction worker who finds himself attracted to a beautiful Asian cardiologist who reminds him of a character from his favorite comic book as a kid.

Who is the one author that you would love to meet someday and why?
If I could go back in time, I would love to have met Oscar Wilde. Today, I’m so fortunate to have met many, many of my favorite authors and a number of them have become friends – Z A Maxfield, Lynn Lorenz, Jet Mykles, Eli Easton, Jordan Hawk, and others.

What is the best piece of advice you would give to someone that wants to get into writing?
It’s not original, but the answer is WRITE! Write, write, write. The more you do, the better you’ll get and the fact of finishing a book is a huge milestone psychologically. Yes, study and learn, but above all, write.

Can you share with us something off your bucket list?
I’ve been all over the world in my travels, but somehow I’ve missed Ireland. I’d like to go there. I was also determined to move out of our very big house we lived in and downsize – which we just accomplished! Yahoo!  I’d like the privilege of writing more novels with happy endings and having people enjoy reading them!

What is in your To Read Pile that you are dying to start or upcoming release you can’t wait for?
I’m always salivating over new releases from Eli Easton, Jordan Hawk, ZAM Maxfield, and others.

Is there anything else you would like to add?
Every time someone sends me an email or posts on Amazon, Facebook or Goodreads that they like one of my books, I’m thrilled. After a pretty complete career in marketing, the fact that I could have wound up as an author that people enjoy reading is a gift. Every reader amazes and delights me. Thank you all from the bottom of my heart.

 

*****

Let’s take a look at Canning the Center

Canning The Center
(Long Pass Chronicles, #2)
By Tara Lain
 
Blurb:
Six foot seven inch, 300 pound Jamal Jones loves football, so when he finds out the ultra-conservative owner of his new pro football team fired their current center because he’s gay, bisexual Jamal decides to stay in the closet and hang with the females. Then, at a small drag show, he comes face-to-face with his sexual fantasy in the form of Trixie LaRue, a drag queen so exquisitely convincing she scrambles Jamal’s hormones — and his resolve to nurse his straight side.
Trevor Landry, aka Trixie LaRue, hides more than his genitals. A mathematician so brilliant he can’t be measured, Trevor disguises his astronomical IQ and his quirk for women’s clothes behind his act as a gay activist undergrad at Southern California University.
To Trevor, Jamal is the answer to a dream — a man who can love and accept both his personas. When he discovers Jamal’s future is threatened if he’s seen with a guy, Trevor becomes Trixie to let Jamal pass as straight. But Trevor risks his position every time he puts on a dress. Is there a closet big enough to hold a football pro and a drag queen?
Available for purchase at
         
Excerpt

 

Trevor stuck out a
hand. “My name’s Trevor. Pleased to meet you.”
Jamal reached out to
take the offered handshake and—whoops! In one gentle pull on Trevor’s arm that
clearly required no effort on Jamal’s part, Trevor was up against that huge
chest. “I’m Jamal. I don’t mean to be presumptuous. Just tell me to stop. But
if I don’t kiss you again soon, I’m a dead man.”
Trevor smiled up
into those dark brown eyes. “I would never want to be accused of murder.”
Such full, full
lips. They moved slowly down, down to Trevor’s. The first touch sent a flash
like lightning through every nerve, and he shivered.
Jamal pulled back.
“Cold?”
“Quite the
contrary.” He wrapped his arms tightly around the bunny’s neck.
Invitation
delivered. Jamal’s mouth closed over Trevor’s. Those lips were just as soft as
they looked, but not as silky as the tongue that slipped into his mouth. Oh my,
a girl could get drunk on this sweetness. Trevor opened and received, allowing
exploration—and sharing it. His poor abused cock, which had spent a couple of
hours locked between his asscheeks, wanted to stretch in a whole new direction.
Sweet God, he hadn’t throbbed like this in ages. One leg crawled up Jamal’s ass
all by itself—and it was a long way up. Too far to get his bulge anywhere near
its rightful companion. His eyes popped open. “Well, damn. Not much chance of
sexing you up unless we’re lying down.”
Jamal chuckled. “Oh
no, sweet thing, there are advantages to all these muscles.”
He picked Trevor up
under the butt. Yes! Contact.
Trevor looked into
those melted chocolate eyes. “I am estimating your equipment fully matches in
size the other proportions of your body?” He wrapped his legs around Jamal’s
surprisingly narrow waist.
Instead of getting
all peacocky like he had the right to, Jamal kind of blushed. “Yeah. Sorry.”
“Surely you jest.”
He grinned, but he
was breathing hard. “So you don’t mind big all over?”
“Not one little
bit.”
Jamal rode Trev up
and down against his cock. Oh God, that felt so good. Trevor never had decent
sex because he had this reputation to uphold, and Trixie never had sex at all.
Jesus, that added up to one crappy sex life. But the bunny was like a world in
the middle. With Jamal, for the first time, he got to be both Trevor and Trixie
and that was whole and perfect and hot! “You might want to stop unless you
would enjoy watching me wash these jeans.”
“Better yet, how
about I take you out and we get to know each other before I quit football and
take up fucking you full time?”
Who could laugh at a
time like this? But he still did. He hugged that big, muscular frame tight and
rubbed his cock against Jamal’s huge bulge until they were both gasping. “No.
No, I think you better write the resignation letter.”
“Deal. But I could
take us out for root beer floats first.”
Trevor stopped. “I
love root beer.”
Jamal held him
still, their cocks still squashed in bliss. “You’re kidding. No one likes root
beer but me.”
“I do. It’s my
favorite.”
“There’s this
diner—”

“Okay, fuck sex. I
need a root beer float and a hamburger.”

 



About the Author
Tara Lain writes the Beautiful Boys of Romance in LGBT erotic romance novels that star her unique, charismatic heroes. Her first novel was published in January of 2011 and she’s now somewhere around book 23. Her best­selling novels have garnered awards for Best Series, Best Contemporary Romance, Best Ménage, Best LGBT Romance, Best Gay Characters, and Tara has been named Best Writer of the Year in the LRC Awards. In her other job, Tara owns an advertising and public relations firm. She often does workshops on both author promotion and writing craft. She lives with her soul­mate husband and her soul­mate dog in Laguna Beach, California, a pretty seaside town where she sets a lot of her books. Passionate about diversity, justice, and new experiences, Tara says on her tombstone it will say “Yes”!
You can find Tara at
               

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Spotlight feature of Katie Lane’s The Last Cowboy in Texas + tour wide giveaway

The Last Cowboy in Texas Blog Tour[3]

*****

The Last Cowboy in Texas

book 7

in Katie Lane’s Deep in the Heart of Texas series
Lane_The Last Cowboy in Texas_MM[6]
Amazon | B&N | iTunes | Kobo
Country music princess Starlet Brubaker has a sweet tooth for moon pies and cowboys: both are yummy-and you can never have just one. Now Beckett Cates may not be a cowboy, but he certainly has the heart, soul-and body-to whet her appetite. He’s a sexy ex-Marine with a touch hotter than the scorching Texas sun and arms strong enough to catch her when she lands into trouble.

Playing bodyguard to America’s sweetheart isn’t easy for Beckett. But falling for her sure is. Unfortunately, Starlet has a reputation for keeping a guy or two wrapped around her finger and Beckett refuses to be anybody’s backup. So now it’s up to Starlet to prove that she’s put her cowboy-crazy days behind her. Otherwise, she’ll be singing solo instead of living in harmony with the man who’s loved her even before her fame and fortune.

Excerpt: 

She stood in the very center of the floor, the tiny dots of light from the disco ball dancing all around her.  At first, he thought she was practicing some song for her next concert, but then a jazz singer’s voice came through the overhead speakers that sounded nothing like Starlet’s sweet country twang.

As the song continued, Starlet started to move.  For the first time, Beckett noticed what she had on:  A feathery dress that flared out on either side and reached to her knees.  With the dress, she wore spiked heels that made her legs look a mile long as she swayed to the beat of the music.  Even when she had weighed more than a bushel of apples, she’d been a good dancer.  The night of her going away party, he had watched from the sidelines while one man after the other had swept her across the ballroom floor.  Back then, he had been impressed.  Now he was more then a little turned on.  There was something about the way she moved that was as seductive as the jazz singer’s voice.  Something about the way she held her eyes at half-mast as her arms came out to her sides—

Beckett’s eyes widened as the feathers of the dress parted for a split second then fluttered back into place.  Suddenly, he realized that it wasn’t a dress she was wearing but two large feather fans.  Two large fans that she proceeded to manipulate around her body in a swirl of white as she twirled and spun around the dance floor.

Make sure to check out Kelly’s review of The Last Cowboy in Texas HERE

 

Katie-Lane-PicAbout Katie Lane
Katie Lane is the USA Today bestselling author of the Deep in the Heart of Texas and Hunk for the Holiday series.  Katie lives in Albuquerque, New Mexico, and when she isn’t writing, enjoys reading, going to the gym, golfing, traveling, or just snuggling next to her high school sweetheart and cairn terrier Roo.
Learn more about Katie Lane at: Website | Facebook | Twitter @ktlane3 | Goodreads

 

*****

 GIVEAWAY TIME

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Blog Tour & Giveaway: Once Upon a Highland Christmas by Lecia Cornwall

Once-Upon-a-Highland-Christmas-Lecia-Cornwall

OnceUponaHighlandChristmas

Lady Alanna McNabb is bound by duty to her family, who insist she must marry a gentleman of wealth and title. When she meets the man of her dreams, she knows it’s much too late, but her heart is no longer hers.

Laird Iain MacGillivray is on his way to propose to another woman when he discovers Alanna half-frozen in the snow and barely alive. She isn’t his to love, yet she’s everything he’s ever wanted.

As Christmas comes closer, the snow thickens, and the magic grows stronger. Alanna and Iain must choose between desire and duty, love and obligation.

But it’s Christmas in the Highlands, and there are bound to be a few surprises.

Amazon/B&N

Excerpt-Banner

She trudged on. Safety was just over the next hill—or was she in a glen? It was impossible to tell. Her cloak was crusted with ice, the hem stiff and scratchy against her legs, snagging her stockings, shredding them. Fear rose, more menacing now, and she fought the urge to panic. She gulped a deep breath and tasted snow, felt the chill invade her lungs, form a cold ball in her belly. She could barely open her eye against the force of the driving snow stinging her face.

The world was as opaque as linen, or new milk.

Or a shroud.

“Hello!” she called out. The wind snatched the word and flung it away. “Please,” she begged. The gale took that word too. She bent forward, forced her way, step after step, the snow creaking and whining under her feet, the wind tearing at her clothes.

Alanna didn’t see the gully. It was as white as everything else—but suddenly she was tipping sideways, sliding, unable to stop herself from falling down the frozen slope. She screamed as she hit something sharp and hard  and came to a jarring stop. Pain shot through her knee, filled her body with agony, made her pant as her heart hammered against her ribs. There were sharp rocks lurking under the fresh snow. They peered up like jagged teeth from where her fall had uncovered them. It could have been much worse than a bruised knee. “Lucky,” she whispered.

She lay still, staring up at the sky, as white and heartless as the earth, lost in shock and pain. She reached her hand down to where pain radiated from her left knee, but her frozen fingers were useless. She raised her hand and stared at the blood on her glove. She swallowed hard.

Cut then, at least. Or was her leg broken? She tried to move it, felt the instant stab of pain, and cried out. The world dissolved from snow to white-hot fire. She felt a bubble of hysterical laughter fill her chest. Surely this would delay the wedding. Or would it simply make her bruised and battered and ugly on her wedding night? Her mirth died. She tried now, as she had for days, to imagine Merridew above her, in her bed, his body against hers. She felt only dread.

Up—she must get up, keep going. She gritted her teeth and tried to rise.  White hot agony forced the breath from her lungs, and she fell back. Perhaps the injury was worse than she’d thought, or maybe she was simply mired in a deep drift of snow. She would have to dig herself out, force herself to her feet, and continue on. She looked around, trying to get her bearings, but there was nothing, no one. The world had disappeared. She bit her lip, fought tears, and set a hand over her heart to still the terror that threatened to choke her. She was so cold, and so tired.

She lay back. She just needed a moment to rest, and then she would get up and find her way home. Above her, the snowflakes rushed toward her, silver on white, hypnotic. They tickled as they settled on her skin, a gentle caress. Alanna shut her eyes.

Just for a moment, she’d rest. Then she’d get up and find her way home.

About the Author:

LeciaLecia Cornwall lives and writes in Calgary, Canada, amid the beautiful foothills of the Canadian Rockies, with four cats, two teenagers, a crazy chocolate Lab, and one very patient husband. She is hard at work on her next book.

 

Website/Twitter/Facebook

 

Jennifer’s Review of Once Upon a Highland Christmas

Review (4.75 Stars): I found a new favorite author after reading Once Upon a Highland Christmas and I want to find a guy exactly like Iain.  He was sweet, charming and so gentle with Alanna after she was injured out in the snow. He was definitely an alpha male who had so much responsibility on his shoulders and planned to propose to another woman because it was expected of him after receiving his new title. The chance meeting with Alanna that night wasn’t what either of them had planned but once they saw each other, you could feel the sexual chemistry and heat between these two characters.

Alanna was used to fulfilling obligations as well and didn’t want to disappoint her family even though she was set to marry a man that she didn’t love.  Iain saved her life out in the snow that night and because of her injuries, she had to recuperate in his home.  I loved the interactions between the two and you could just see their relationship growing stronger as time went on.  They were an adorable couple and I was hoping that a little Highland magic could keep this couple together for Christmas. 

This is the third novel in the Once Upon a Highland series and I loved every minute of this story.  Ms. Cornwall has created a perfect holiday romance that is sure to keep readers warm on those cold winter nights.  Once Upon a Highland Christmas was a beautifully written story with the right amount of Highland magic and charm that makes it one of my favorite books of the holiday season.

 

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Lecia would like to also giveaway an Ebook Copy of ONCE UPON A HIGHLAND AUTUMN to One Commenter. (US and Int)

Leave a comment for Lecia below:

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Blog Tour & Giveaway:Love Me Tender by Susan Fox

Love-Me-Tender-Susan-Fox

Love me Tender

Pay a visit to Caribou Crossing, the rustic, inviting Western town where broken hearts mend and new love takes root…

Dave Cousins, owner of the Wild Rose Inn, is known throughout Caribou Crossing as the nicest—and loneliest—guy in town. He’s had his heart broken more than once, and he’s determined not to let it happen again. So it’s no wonder he’s wary when a free-spirited drifter leaves him longing for more than just a steamy fling…

Like the wild goose tattooed on her shoulder, Cassidy Esperanza goes wherever the wind takes her. For her, a new day means a fresh start. And yet something about her days in Caribou Crossing—and nights with its handsome hotel owner—makes her think about staying a while. But when life takes an unexpected turn, her first instinct is to take flight once more. Is Dave strong enough to help them both face their fears, come to terms with the past, and believe that sometimes love truly can last a lifetime?

Amazon/B&N

Excerpt-Banner

How many times had some well-intentioned relative or friend told him he needed to dip his toe in the dating waters, get back in the game, yada yada? He rejected their efforts at matchmaking and suffered through the curious gazes they gave to every female he even spoke to.

Didn’t they get it? He couldn’t imagine ever loving again. Besides, he’d been by Anita’s side from the time she got the diagnosis of terminal brain cancer until the day she died. Never, ever again, would he let himself be vulnerable to the shattering pain of loss. To the bitter anger against the world, himself, even the woman he loved but couldn’t save.

His heart clenched, the ache rose in his throat, and—

“Dave? You okay?” Warm fingers brushed his forearm, bare below the rolled-up sleeve of his lightweight denim shirt.

Cassidy. He breathed in, fresh air cleansing his throat, his chest.

“Yeah, sorry,” he said brusquely. Her voice, her touch had beaten back the darkness.

And now that he was back in the real world, he realized how disconcertingly good those soft fingers felt against his skin.

They’d reached the outskirts of town, which gave him an excuse to raise his arm so that her hand dropped. He pointed ahead. “That’s Westward Ho!—where I keep my horse.” The well-maintained wooden stable housed a couple dozen horses. Beside it was a red-roofed barn, and two white-railed paddocks provided space for the horses to stretch and socialize.

“That’s so cool, that you have your own horse.”

He shrugged. “Can’t imagine my life without a horse.”

“You’ve been riding since you were little?”

“Yeah, though I wasn’t a ranch kid, or into rodeo, like some of my friends. When I married Jessie, horses became a bigger part of life, and Robin lives and breathes them.”

“Handy that you can keep your horse in town.”

“Uh-huh,” he said as they walked into the stable. “I try to get out on Malibu at least every couple of days. When I can’t, Robin or one of the staff here exercises him for me.”

Dave greeted Eddy, the teenage girl whose dad owned the business, and introduced Cassidy. Leaving the two of them to deal with Cassidy’s paperwork, he and Merlin went out to the paddock to call Malibu. The palomino gelding came over, bobbing his head eagerly.

Dave went through the familiar ritual: tie his horse with cross ties, groom him and pick his hooves, then saddle and bridle him. By the time he was finished, Eddy’d got Cassidy up on the back of a pinto mare and given her refresher instructions on how to position her body, hold the reins, and give basic cues to her horse.

“You’re all set,” Eddy said. “Have fun.”

“Absolutely.” Cassidy beamed at the girl, then at Dave. “Lead on.”

Her smile really did have a way of lighting the day. And warming his blood.

They headed out on a quiet dirt road that led out of town, their horses walking side by side with Merlin springing happily along beside them. Cassidy looked relaxed and comfortable in the saddle. Did she fit in this easily wherever she went?

She bent forward to stroke her horse’s neck, the motion snugging her jeans even tighter against her firm butt. “This is Cherry Blossom, if you can believe it,” she said. “Eddy says she prefers to be called Cherry, and I can see why. You said your palomino is Malibu?”

“Yes. Named by the woman who owned him before me.”

“Suits him. Such a pretty boy.” Her gaze skimmed up from his horse to move across Dave’s torso and end up on his face, a hint of suggestive mischief in her eyes.

“Thanks.” He added quickly, to make it clear he wasn’t flirting, “On his behalf.”

Her lips squeezed together like she was holding back a smile. “How long will it take us to get to . . . what did Robin call it? Riders Boot Camp?”

“Yes, that’s the place her mom runs. It’s about ten miles by highway, only eight by the back roads and trails. It usually takes Robin and me about half an hour, but we move fast. Don’t know how much speed you’re up for.” He cocked an eyebrow.

“I’m up for pretty much anything.” Her striking blue-gray eyes danced, and he got the sense she didn’t just mean riding.

“Uh,” he said awkwardly, “we should let the horses warm up first.” The moment he said those words, he wondered if they could be taken sexually too. He was about to clarify, then figured that would only make things worse.

“Sure,” she said. “My muscles could use a little warming up too.”

Riding muscles, right?

Best to change the subject.

About the Author:

Susan Fox 2014Award-winning, international best-selling author Susan Fox (who also writes as Savanna Fox and Susan Lyons) is a Pacific Northwester with homes in Victoria and Vancouver, British Columbia. She has degrees in law and psychology, and has had a variety of careers, including perennial student, computer consultant, and legal editor. Fiction writer is by far her favorite, giving her an outlet to demonstrate her belief in the power of love, friendship, and a sense of humor. Visit her at her website.

Website/Goodreads/Facebook

 

Jennifer’s Review of Love Me Tender

Review (3.75 Stars): This is the fourth book in the Caribou Crossing series and even though I’m unfamiliar with the other titles, this romance is easy to follow along with. Dave and Cassidy were a very interesting couple because they were both afraid to open themselves up to love.  Dave lost his “true love” to an illness and felt that love only comes once in your life, so since he had his opportunity, there wasn’t another woman that could take her place.  He then focused all his time on his daughter and his hotel, The Wild Rose, and pretended that he didn’t need anything else in his life.

Cassidy, on the other hand, didn’t believe in love because she saw what happened to her parents and the pain that it caused her family growing up so she was out to just have a good time.  Never stayed in any one place for too long and felt that true love wasn’t real.  Her carefree attitude was her shield in life until she met Dave and he made her feel things that she wasn’t expecting. In her own way, she was looking for a home and a family that would be there when she needed them and she never realized that until that possibility was within her reach.

Love Me Tender was a sweet romance about two people who found love when they finally found the courage to open their hearts to it.  I enjoyed this book and am looking forward to reading the love stories of characters that were mentioned throughout this book.  Since this is the fourth title in the series, I have a lot of catching up to do and I know I will enjoy their stories as much as Dave and Cassidy’s.

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Blog Tour & Giveaway: Once Upon A Grind by Cleo Coyle

great escape tour banner large once upon a grind640

A NOTE FROM CLEO

Thanks to Books-n-Kisses for hosting us today, and happy holiday greetings to everyone! Marc and I are delighted to tell you more about Once Upon a Grind, which merges classic fairy tales with a modern murder mystery.

Like any good fairy tale, our book takes you through secret doors; plays with your sense of reality; introduces you to an array of colorful characters; and while the ending is happy, not everyone survives.

RecipeSamples-CleoCoyle-OnceUponaGrind

Once Upon a Grind is also a culinary mystery. Our amateur sleuth, coffeehouse manager Clare Cosi, samples fascinating New York foods as she tries to solve the crime against “Sleeping Beauty,” and she cooks up some tasty goodies, as well.

For a look at the recipe section, click here.

We hope you’ll join us for more stops on our Coffeehouse Escape Blog Tour. We’ll give you more insights to reading Once Upon a Grind, and we’ll share holiday goodies like this one:

Holiday Cookie Swap! Today we’re sharing one of the most popular recipes on our blog, Oatmeal Cookie Brittle (no flour, no butter, no gluten, no kidding)! To get our recipe, which was featured by New Jersey Family magazine in its 12 Days of Cookies, click here.

To read a special excerpt from ONCE UPON A GRIND, click here.

SECRET CODE: The 6th of the 9 words in Cleo’s Secret Code Contest is DESTINY (Learn how to enter Cleo’s Secret Code giveaway here.)

May your holidays be bright!

~ Alice and Marc (Cleo Coyle)

About the Author:

Alice-Alfonsi-and-Marc-Cerasini-Cleo-Coyle-Central-Park-NYCCLEO COYLE is the pseudonym for Alice Alfonsi, writing in collaboration with her husband, Marc Cerasini.  CLEO COYLE grew up in a small town near Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. After earning scholarships to study writing at Carnegie Mellon and American Universities, she began her career as a cub reporter for The New York Times. Now an author of popular fiction and New York Times bestselling media tie-in writer, Cleo lives and works in New York City, where she collaborates with her husband (also a bestselling author) to pen the Coffeehouse Mysteries for Penguin. Together Cleo and her husband also write the Haunted Bookshop Mysteries under the name Alice Kimberly. When not haunting coffeehouses, hunting ghosts, or rescuing stray cats, Cleo and Marc are bestselling media tie-in writers who have penned properties for NBC, Lucasfilm, Disney, Fox, Imagine, and MGM. In their spare time they cook like crazy and drink a lot of java. You can learn more about Cleo, her husband, and the books they write by visiting www.CoffeehouseMystery.com.

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ONCE UPON A GRIND

When coffeehouse manager turned amateur sleuth Clare Cosi roasts “magic” beans for a Fairy Tale Fall event, she brews up a vision that leads to a sleeping beauty in Central Park; a big, bad wolf of Wall Street; and an East Side enclave with storybook secrets…

Fairy tale fever has descended on New York City. Broadway fans are flocking to Red Riding Hood: The Musical; museums are exhibiting art inspired by the Brothers Grimm; and Clare Cosi and her merry band of baristas give their coffee truck a “Jack and the Beanstalk” makeover for a Central Park festival. Clare’s coffee hunter ex-husband contributes a bag of African beans with alleged magical properties. His octogenarian mother entertains customers with readings of the grinds, but Clare remains skeptical–until she receives a vision that helps her find a young model’s body in the park’s woods.

The police dismiss “sleeping beauty” as the victim of a drug overdose. Then Clare uncovers evidence that points to a list of suspects–from a New York Giant to quite a few wicked witches–and a cold case murder that reaches back to the Cold War. Now Clare is really in the woods with a dangerous predator on her heels and an investigation that leads from a secret Prince Charming Club right back to her own NYPD detective boyfriend. If she doesn’t solve this mystery, those magic beans predict an unhappy ending.

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Cleo Coyle’s Coffeehouse Escape Tour Giveaway – Prize Package Includes…

* An autographed copy of Cleo’s brand new book, ONCE UPON A GRIND, in its beautiful first-edition hardcover format

* A complete set of all 13 Coffeehouse Mysteries published to date, each one personally inscribed by Cleo to the winner

* A durable, custom-designed Coffeehouse Mystery Tote Bag

* A freshly-roasted package of Billionaire’s Blend, a hand-crafted coffee created by One Good Woman Fine Coffees and Teas as a tribute to Cleo’s recent bestseller BILLIONAIRE BLEND.

* A Coffeehouse Mystery cup, featuring a favorite saying of Madame’s, the octogenarian owner of The Village Blend: “Survive everything. And do it with style.”

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Jennifer’s Review of Once Upon A Grind

Review (5 Stars): This is one of my all-time favorite mystery series and Once Upon A Grind is a fabulous addition to this deliciously entertaining series. In this story, we find Clare Cosi and her employees are currently working in Storybook Kingdom, a week-long festival celebrating everything fairy tale related in Central Park. At the festival, Clare and her ex-husband, Matt, find a young woman from the festival who appears to be the victim of an overdose and Matt is arrested because he was seen with the woman earlier that day.  Clare decides to investigate to clear Matt’s name and finds herself with a long list of suspects and a killer that wouldn’t hesitate to add to their list of victims.

This is the 14th book in the Coffeehouse Mystery series and I am always amazed at how each book is more delightful than the last.  Once Upon A Grind is a smart, fun and exciting mystery that will not disappoint fans of the series.  I have always enjoyed Clare as a heroine because she is very intelligent, articulate and is never a damsel in distress.  She never backs down from a situation and is one of the best female characters out  there today.  I enjoyed the fairy tale aspect of this mystery and there were several plot twists and turns that will keep everyone guessing until the end.  This is an amazing series by two talented authors and I hope it continues for many years to come.

 

Giveaway

I’m excited to give away a copy of Once Upon A Grind. This giveaway is for US Residents only.  To be entered in the drawing by December 20th, answer me this question in the comments:

What is your favorite holiday recipe?