Blog Tour – Page 9 – Books-n-Kisses

April 28, 2015April 27, 2015

Blog Tour & Giveaway: Wild Heat by Lucy Monroe

Sometimes old flames are the hottest of all . . .

In the quaint little town of Cailkirn, Alaska, it’s impossible to keep a secret, especially one as juicy as the unexpected return of Kitty Grant. Tack MacKinnon remembers her wild red curls and even wilder spirit-and still feels the sting from when she shattered his heart in college. But there’s a pain in Kitty’s gorgeous eyes that guts him to the core and Tack is determined to do whatever it takes to see the woman he still loves smile again-even if it means taking on her demons as his own.

After fleeing an abusive ex-husband, Kitty decides that the best way to heal her broken heart is to come back home. But she gets a whole new shock when she sees how undeniably sexy Tack has become. More handsome, more muscular, more charming-more everything-he’s impossible to resist. Before she knows it, they’re reigniting sparks that could set the whole state of Alaska on fire. Yet trust doesn’t come easy to Kitty anymore, and as things heat up between her and Tack, she can’t help but wonder if one of them is going to get burned . . .

Amazon/B&N

*EXCERPT*

An almost frenzied need to bring her back to the present washed over him. His instincts were telling him the best way to accomplish that, but his brain insisted it was a bad, bad idea.

Fighting the urge to act on his instincts, Tack cleaned up the detritus of lunch. It only took a couple of minutes to put everything back in his pack. But in that short time, Kitty didn’t just maintain her distant silence, but she drew further away from him.

And she couldn’t afford to do that.

He couldn’t say how he knew that, he just did.

Tack’s certainty growing that she’d checked out mentally in a way that was dangerous for her emotions, he put his pack aside and scooted closer to Kitty. She didn’t seem to notice.

“Wildcat?” he prompted, his voice as gentle as he could make it. “You okay in there?”

“Of course.” The words were right, but the vacant tone was anything but.

He slid his hand under her hair, cupping her neck, giving physical contact to draw her back to him and now. She didn’t react to the touch at all and that scared him.

“Damn it, Caitlin Elizabeth Grant, look at me.”

Her brows furrowed. “Don’t.”

“What?” he asked in a tone as gentle as he’d spoken sternly before. Come on, wildcat, tell me not to yell at you.

Her silence changed, as if she was searching for words. “Call me Caitlin.” She frowned. “I don’t like it.”

“I thought you wanted me to.” She’d said so, hadn’t she?

“No.”

“Why not? Why don’t you like it?”

She shrugged.

And that was it. He was done playing nice, his own misgivings not nearly as powerful as his need to stop whatever was going on inside Kitty’s mind.

With careful, but inexorable pressure, he turned her head so she faced him. Her pupils were dilated like they’d been yesterday, her complexion waxy, but her lips were pink and parted invitingly.

Her breathing changed just a little bit and he took that as a victory.

“I’m going to kiss you, wildcat. Are you up for it?”

About the Author:

A USA Today Bestseller, most of Lucy Monroe’s titles have spent multiple weeks on national bestsellers lists, including Neilson Bookscan (in both North America and the UK), Amazon & B&N.com. She is ranked as a top selling contemporary romance author on Amazon.

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Jennifer’s Review of Wild Heat

Review (4.5 Stars): Such a great romance and I love Alaskan men! Kitty Grant has returned home to pick up the pieces of her life after ending an abusive marriage and there is no other safe place then being with those you love. Tack Mackinnon grew up with Kitty and was heartbroken when she chose another man while they were both attending USC together. Now, that she is home for good, Tack finally has a chance to see if they have a second opportunity to find their happy ever after together.

I loved seeing Kitty and Tack together as a couple. He had loved Kitty for so long and was devastated when she decided to marry someone else and cut all ties with him. By returning home to find herself, Tack pretended that seeing Kitty wouldn’t affect him the way that it used to but it was hard to deny what was in his heart. Kitty has always cared for Tack but her abusive ex-husband wouldn’t let her have any connection to her old life or her handsome childhood friend. She tried desperately to get back to her old self when she got home but it took her a while to trust anyone including Tack. I loved the interaction between these two because even though it seemed playful on the surface, you could tell that these two characters had deep feelings for each other and only time would heal their hearts. Their chemistry together was amazing and I wanted so desperately for them to finally find their way back to each other after all this time apart.

Wild Heat was a deliciously sexy Alaskan romance that makes me want to go find a guy like Tack right away. This is the first book in Ms. Monroe’s new series, The Northern Fire and I can’t wait to get my hands on the next book in this delightful series. Ms. Monroe is an author to watch and I’m looking forward to reading more from this talented author.

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April 27, 2015April 26, 2015

Blog Tour & Giveaway: Sugar on Top by Marina Adair

She’s sassy and sweet

The last thing Glory Mann wants is to become chairman of the Miss Peach Pageant in Sugar, Georgia. Spending months hearing nothing but the clinking of pearls and judgment? No thank you! But when Glory is forced to take the rap for a scandal she didn’t commit, the judge sentences her to head the committee. Even worse, her co-chairman is rugged, ripped . . . and barely knows she’s alive.

He’s ready and willing
Single dad Cal McGraw can’t take any more drama in his life. After a difficult divorce, his little girl became a boy-crazy teenager and his hands are full. The last thing he needs is to spend his down time with the town bad girl. Glory is pure trouble-tempting and tantalizing trouble. But he can’t deny the strong chemistry between them-or how her touch turns him inside out. Now as squabbles threaten to blow up the contest and the town of Sugar itself, Cal must risk everything on the sexy wild card to get a second chance at love . . .

Amazon/B&N

*EXCERPT*

“Shut off the tractor and put your hands in the air.” The command came through the speaker attached to the top of the sheriff’s car, which was right next to the flashing red and blue lights.
Squinting against the rain, Glory stared in panic at the speed trap up ahead. A floodlight clicked on, blinding her and causing her foot to slip off the clutch. The engine sputtered to a stop.
Determined to see this through, Glory cranked the engine and spun the tires, kicking up loose gravel and a few cow pies. She hadn’t come all this way, spending thirty minutes on the muddy back roads in the middle of the night to right someone else’s wrong, just to get caught now.
“Come on now, Ms. Hattie. Step on off that tractor so we can all get out of the rain.”
Ms. Hattie?
Ms. Hattie was the town busybody and one of Glory’s grandma’s oldest and dearest friends. Which explained how the Prowler ended up in her grandma’s garage.
The roadblock of wet and irritated officers obviously had no idea who was driving the tractor. If they had, Glory was certain that their boss would have her butt tossed in jail before she could say, “Morning, Sheriff.”
Plus she was pretty sure the smug-looking guy in the department-issued hat, weighing in at two hundred pounds of bad attitude, was Sheriff Jackson Duncan.
“Look, I promise my grandma won’t press charges.” Yup. Sheriff Duncan. The entitled drawl was a dead giveaway. And if he thought Ms. Kitty wouldn’t press charges, he was insane. “Heck, Ms. Hattie, as long as the Prowler is back in the bay before she wakes up, she doesn’t even have to know
it went missing and we can all go home and back to our respective business.”
“Do I have your word on that, Sheriff?” The second Glory opened her mouth, Jackson realized Hattie McGraw wasn’t behind the wheel because he went from leaning against the grill of his cruiser to reaching for his gun. She also knew that only ten feet and some plywood separated her from a mug shot—a mug shot that was not going to happen. She had enough mascara under her eyes to pass for a linebacker and enough emotion built up that, after one too many double shifts slinging beer and a lifetime of double standards, getting arrested would fill out her already unflattering résumé.
Jackson silently made his way toward the tractor, boots clacking against the slick concrete, cuffs jangling in his hand. Knowing nothing good could come from that, she rested her hand on the gear shift and asked, “I’m guessing by the pissy look on your face that your generous offer is no longer on the table.”
“Sorry to say, but you’d guess right,” he said, not sorryat all.
Jackson Duncan had been sheriff of Sugar County for the past four years, and he’d hated Glory for at least twice that amount of time. He was uptight, by the book, and still blamed her for his older brother leaving town. Not that he had ever bothered to listen to her side of the story. No one really had. But everyone knew that he would love nothing more than to parade Glory around town in cuffs and prove that she was a menace to Sugar’s properly polite society.
“Even if I told you that I wasn’t stealing Ms. Kitty’s tractor? That I was trying to return it?”
“Even then. Possession is nine-tenths of the law.”
And wasn’t that just great, because in this county possession might constitute only nine-tenths, but being the girl who cost Sugar High their beloved football coach and the state championships all in the same year surely made up the other one-tenth. Which meant the odds of her getting out of this mess with a friendly warning were a big fat zero.
There was no way she was letting him take her in. Not dressed in flannel and fertilizer. And sure as hell not when she had a Pediatric Health Theory midterm in six hours. It had taken her the better part of a decade, juggling part-time classes and full-time bar tending, to get to where she was, and she wasn’t about to let one mistake screw up everything. Not again.
“Sorry then, Sheriff.”
Grabbing the edges of her rain slicker, she flipped it up to cover her face and gunned it. The tractor roared as she threw it in second. The gear kicked in, causing the Prowler to pick up in volume and speed—surprising speed for a machine that looked like a giant peach and was built when she’d been in preschool.
“Aw, hell,” Jackson said, racing back to the cruiser. “Let ’em go, boys.”
Heading straight for the road, she vowed that she would drive right through that speed trap, over the metal spikes and all, if she had to. Her grandma was counting on her, and the entry to the Prowler’s parking bay was only a few yards past the sheriff’s patrol car. She could slip in, park the vehicle, and hightail it out of there.
She hit fourth gear right as the Prowler’s wheels cruised over the first set of shredders—tires unscathed. Only before she reached that second strip, Jackson stepped in front of the tractor.
“Dang it, Jackson,” she screamed over the roar of the tractor’s engine. “Move your overentitled, stubborn ass out of my way or I’ll run it down!”
“And miss busting yours for grand theft auto and assaulting a police officer?” he yelled back, smiling as though he’d just won box seats at the Georgia Dome. “No, ma’am.”
Glory looked from side to side, weighing her options. Had she been thinking with her head instead of her heart, she would be warm and snug in her bed, not facing jail time in little more than a pink slicker and ducky galoshes. Instead she was trying to solve a feud that had been brewing since Glory turned seventeen and made the biggest mistake of her life.
Before Glory could react, she crossed the second trap and the back two tires exploded simultaneously. The tractor jerked forward and she didn’t know what was thumping louder, her heart or the deflated tires struggling to roll over the blacktop.
The Prowler decelerated and slowly crawled toward Jackson,who stepped out of the way right as the tractor made its final stop—giving the cruiser a big smacker to the front bumper. The Prowler must have been made of steel because a loud crunch broke through the night’s air, followed by an awful sizzle and finally steam, which drifted up from under the hood and into the inky sky.
“I guess I can add destruction of city property to the charges,” Jackson said with a smile.
“Damnit, Jackson.” Glory picked up a stray cow pie,which had landed in the back of the tractor during her off roading excursion, and threw it on the ground. It shattered,splattering right up his department-issued boots and onto his pant legs. “I’m just trying to return it.”
“And I’m just doing my job,” he said as he approached the vehicle and hoisted his smug self up. “Now, do you need me to read you your rights? Or would you like to say them with me?”
And right then Glory understood that no matter how hard she tried to atone for her past, she was never going to be free of it.

About the Author:

Marina Adair is a lifelong fan of romance novels. Along with the Sugar series, she is also the author of the St. Helena Vineyard series and the upcoming Shelter Cove series. She currently lives in a hundred-year-old log cabin, nestled in the majestic redwoods of the Santa Cruz Mountains, with her husband and daughter. As a writer, Marina is devoted to giving her readers contemporary romance where the towns are small, the personalities large, and the romance explosive. She also loves to interact with readers and you can catch her on Twitter at @MarinaEAdair or visit her at www.MarinaAdair.com.

Website/Twitter/Facebook

Jennifer’s Review of Sugar On Top

Review (4.75 Stars): I always have a special place in my heart for characters that are in the medical field and Sugar on Top was the perfect romance for me. Glory was just one of those characters that had a wonderful heart but got a bad reputation for something that happened when she was a teenager. She spent so many years trying to change everyone’s opinion of her and is working towards her nursing degree to help head a teen volunteer program for the pediatric center. By trying to help others, she lands herself in trouble and worries that everything that she had worked so hard for will be over in a blink of an eye.

Cal McGraw has always been attracted to Glory and finds himself the one person that can help her get out of her current situation. By spending more time with one another, the physical attraction between them intensifies and they soon find that they have a second chance at forever. They just have to reach out and take it. Cal was the perfect guy for her and Glory needed someone that would believe in her and support her no matter what. I loved Cal and I wished that there were more guys out there like him in the world.

Sugar On Top is the second book in the Sugar, Georgia series and is a wonderfully romantic tale of second chances. These two characters were absolutely delightful and I can’t wait to read the next book in this sweet series.
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April 27, 2015April 26, 2015

Blog Tour & Giveaway: Lady Sarah’s Sinful Desires by Sophie Barnes

Welcome to Thorncliff Manor, where London’s elite mix, mingle, and may even find their heart’s desire…

There are thousands of things Christopher, Viscount Spencer, would rather do than hunt for a bride, especially since experience has taught him that women are not to be trusted. Then he finds the intriguing Lady Sarah scrambling around in Thorncliff’s conservatory and he is instantly charmed by her passionate nature. But why is she so intent on avoiding him?

Lady Sarah would make the perfect bride for a peer—if not for a tarnished past that she’s hiding from the ton. A stay at Thorncliff Manor was meant to help her plan for her future, not fall in love. Yet Christopher’s kisses are irresistible, his gallantry enticing. When her secret stands to be revealed, will the truth ruin their dreams of happiness?

Amazon/B&N

In a carriage on the way to Thorncliff Manor
1820

“Do you suppose we’ll be arriving soon?” Rachel asked with an edge of impatience. “Before leaving the last posting inn, Mama assured me that it would only be another two hours, but according to my pocket watch it has already been one hundred and twenty- seven minutes. To be exact.”

Christopher gazed across at his younger sister. “I don’t believe Mama has ever visited Thorncliff before,” he said, referring to the Countess of Dun- caster’s large estate, which she had turned into a guesthouse. He and his family would be spending the summer there. “This makes her estimate regarding the duration of this journey exactly that—an estimate.”

Rachel didn’t look pleased. “I wish everyone would appreciate the importance of precision as much as I do.” “Cook does,” Laura said sweetly, directing Christopher’s attention to another sister. He had five in total. “I’m sure she would acknowledge the importance of accuracy. After all, there’s nothing worse than a cake with too much flour in it.”

“Do you have to encourage her?” Fiona asked. As the youngest of the Heartly siblings, she had never developed the sort of patience the rest of the brood possessed.

Christopher frowned, while Rachel’s face beamed with newfound pleasure as she latched onto Laura’s comment. “Life as we know it would be impossible without adhering to mathematical and scientific principles. Buildings would fall to the ground, dough would refuse to rise, your clothing would be ill- fitting . . . why, I could go on forever about the effect a lack of structure would have on us all.”

“Must you?” Fiona asked with an underlying note of dread.

“Why not distract yourself by contemplating the splendor of our destination?” Christopher suggested. As much as he loved Rachel, he had little desire to endure a prolonged lecture on Euclidean geometry or, God forbid, her recent study on the movement of slugs. “I’ve heard that Thorncliff is magnificent. Apparently the third Earl of Duncaster wasted no expense when he expanded it,” Laura said before Rachel could comment. “My friend Lady Harriet visited last year with her family, and she has assured me that the estate can easily amuse us all for the duration of our three-month stay.”

“I’ve no doubt about that,” Fiona said promptly, her eyes lighting, “especially since I’ve every intention of putting my own time there to good use. I mean to find that jewelry box Grandmamma spoke of when we were little.”

Christopher stared at her. “What are you talking about?”

“Don’t you remember? She always said her family in France sent heirlooms to England during the revolution to prevent them from falling into the wrong hands. It was all she would have had left of her family after they all perished at the guillotine, but for un- known reasons, the box of heirlooms never arrived. I’m convinced they must be hidden away at Thorn- cliff. Considering Grandpapa’s close friendship with Lord Duncaster, I—”

“Now that you mention it, I do recall her saying something to that effect, but I never really put much weight in it,” Laura said.

“You know how badly Grandmamma suffered the loss of her family. I always believed her talk of the jewelry box was her way of hoping a part of them had been left behind and would eventually come to her.”

“But she specifically mentioned receiving a letter from her sister, the Duchess of Marveille, in France, encouraging her to wait for it—that the duchess had sent it to England and that arrangements had been made for it to be delivered to her.”

“Your memory is certainly to be admired,” Rachel said, “but I think we must accept that the heirlooms never left France, as unfortunate as that is.”

“But in her diary,” Fiona insisted, “Grandmamma wrote of a visit Grandpapa made to Thorncliff shortly before his death. She wrote that she prayed her husband would soon return home with the box.” “And yet she never received it,” Christopher pointed out.

Fiona sighed. “No, she didn’t. Grandpapa set sail for France, perishing with the third Earl of Duncaster when the ship went down.” She sighed, her expression somber, though her eyes remained sharp with determination. “It’s possible the jewelry box is still at Thorncliff, in which case, I’ve every intention of locating it. You can count on that.”

About the Author:

Born in Denmark, Sophie Barnes spent her youth traveling with her parents to wonderful places all around the world. She’s lived in five different countries, on three different continents, and speaks Danish, English, French, Spanish and Romanian. She has studied design in Paris and New York and has a bachelor’s degree from Parsons. But, most impressive of all, she’s been married to the same man three times—in three different countries and in three different dresses.
While living in Africa, Sophie turned to her lifelong passion: writing. When she’s not busy dreaming up her next romance novel, Sophie enjoys spending time with her family, swimming, cooking, gardening, watching romantic comedies and, of course, reading. She currently lives on the East Coast.

Website/Twitter/Facebook

Jennifer’s Review of Lady Sarah’s Sinful Desires

Review (4.5 Stars): Lady Sarah was such a fun, spunky and entertaining character that was trying to deal with the proposition of marrying an older man to appease her family for her past indiscretions. She was at Thorncliff Manor to meet her future husband when she has a chance encounter with Viscount Spencer that changes everything. Christopher was a delight and I loved the humorous banter between these two characters over the course of this book. Lady Sarah didn’t want Christopher to discover her secret because she was afraid that he would want nothing to do with her. It didn’t matter what her secret was, he wanted her anyways and would stop at nothing to win her heart. Lady Sarah’s Sinful Desires is a very sweet and charming romance where true love can conquer all your past mistakes and lead to an even brighter future. Looking forward to reading the next book in this wonderful series.

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April 23, 2015April 22, 2015

Blog Tour & Giveaway: Getting Lucky by Jennifer Seasons

Welcome to Fortune, Colorado—where the air is clean, the men are rugged, and the all the good ones… are bachelors.
Born into the infamous Charlemagne equestrian empire, Shannon has been raised to do whatever it takes for the family business. Even if it means going undercover and digging up dirt on a competitor. It’s easy enough when she believes he’s a bad guy whose success seems too good to be true. In fact, Shannon’s excited to put the aggravatingly sexy Irishman in his place and get back in her father’s good graces. All she needs is to stay focused on the goal … and out of Sean Muldoon’s arms.

From stealing a thoroughbred racehorse from the Irish mob to striking gold in the mountains of Colorado, there’s little Sean hasn’t experienced. But when it comes to resisting his hot new stable manager, he’s out of luck. With the mob hot on his heels, keeping Shannon off their radar is all but impossible, and he’s not about to put her in danger too. Sean wants Shannon, but how can he offer her a future … when he can’t even guarantee tomorrow?

Amazon/B&N

Humor shimmered in her sister’s hazel eyes as she tipped her head toward the huge Pine Creek Ranch sign that hung suspended from wooden beams arching over the entrance. Her blond hair brushed across her freckled cheeks as she said, “I wouldn’t be so hasty in keeping those girls on the shelf if I were you . . . I saw Sean Muldoon in person.”

“When?”

“During the races in Kentucky this past May with his Triple Crown winner, Something Unexpected. This guy that Dad is sending you to spy on is full-on Irish—with the accent to prove it—and downright sexy. He’s like an Irish Dove bar—you know just by looking at him that he’s dark, smooth, and addictive. He moves with this loose, long-limbed gate and has an easy smile, but there’s something almost dangerous about him just bubbling under the surface. It’s seriously potent.” Colleen fanned herself and grinned. “It’s too bad I’m such a blabbermouth, because I’d dig up the goods on him, all right.”

Shannon remained silent and waited for it. It had to be coming.

“Of course, I’d see if Muldoon was as fast to the finish line as his racehorses are while I was at it, if you know what I mean.” Her sister finished with an overly dramatic eyebrow wiggle and wink.

And there it was. Right on schedule. That’s one of the things she loved most about her only sibling—she was reliable. If there was ever an opening for a crude comment to be slipped in, you could bet she was all over it.

That’s what she said, Shannon thought.

Crap! Damn it, now Colleen had her doing it too. Figured.

“Let’s go through this one last time,” Shannon said briskly. “I’m supposed to find this Sean Muldoon and tell him I’m responding to his ad for the stable manager position and convince him to hire me.” She stared down the long gravel lane beyond the ranch’s entrance as it lazily rounded a bend and disappeared into a sea of aspen, spruce, and pine in the distance.

Into Sean Muldoon’s ranch.

She’d learned from her father that Pine Creek sat on about one hundred acres, though it was hard to tell at the moment from the thick grove of trees that flanked each side of the single-lane road. It looked more like the entrance to a state forest, not a sprawling horse ranch.

But, as Shannon knew better than most, looks were most often deceiving. Nervously swiping her hands down the thighs of her worn denim jeans, she continued reviewing the plan that their father had designed, hoping that repeating everything would help her focus.

Colleen opened her mouth and started to say, “That’s why you should—”

Shannon held her hand up like a crossing guard. “I know, use the ladies. I get it.” She probably could if she wanted to, honestly. They weren’t bad.

A quick glance downward confirmed that claim. Not bad at all. A little on the small side, but so what? What she lacked up top she made up for on the bottom with an ample and curvy derriere.

Depending on the day, that was either a blessing or a curse.

However, given that she was a professional equestrian and spent half her life bouncing around on a horse (with skill and grace, of course), having the extra padding was more often a bonus than not. Her butt was like a car’s suspension system—it absorbed the shock and made the impact of jumping her horse feel like the smooth ride of a Rolls Royce. Not that she was going to upstage big-butted celebrities or anything, but it wouldn’t be a runaway victory if they did compare backsides. Only she had earned hers the cheap and easy way: genetic inheritance.

Colleen cleared her throat. “Dad’s gut is saying that either Muldoon or one of his trainers is doping the Thoroughbreds with steroids before the races.” Her sister’s eyes flickered and unfocused briefly, like she was recalling a memory. “I’ve seen them run. They’ve got rockets for hooves, Shan.”

No wonder all of the company’s clients had bailed on their breeding program over the past few years. Shannon knew they were down to a teeny-tiny trickle, and if she didn’t find a way to reverse that fast, then they were going to go bankrupt and lose the farm. And it was the only thing of material value they had left. Over the years her father had sold off everything else. All the jewels, cars—everything. It hadn’t escaped her notice that the walls of her childhood home were now mostly bare, when priceless Monet originals and the like had once hung there.

Not for the first time, she wondered what had happened to all the family’s money. Where were all their millions disappearing to? It didn’t make sense. Not in the least. But pondering that made Shannon’s stomach go tight and queasy, so she stopped. With effort she grappled with her thoughts and redirected them to the immediate problem at hand.

About the Author:
Jennifer Seasons has been a lifelong writer and reader. She lives with her husband and four children in the mountains of rural New England. An enormous yet lovable dog and the world’s coolest cat keep them company. When she’s not writing, she loves spending time with her family outdoors exploring her beautiful new home state, learning the joys of organic gardening, and—if she’s lucky—relaxing in her hammock under the trees with a really good book.

Goodreads/Twitter/Facebook

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April 22, 2015April 21, 2015

Blog Tour & Giveaway: Broken by Cynthia Eden

The first novel in New York Times bestselling author Cynthia Eden’s sizzling LOST series introduces the Last Option Search Team, an elite unit that must protect the only surviving victim of a serial killer.

Ex-SEAL and LOST founder Gabe Spencer is accustomed to the unusual in his job. But when knockout Eve Gray steps into his office, he’s rattled. For the mysterious woman is a dead ringer for the heiress thought to be the latest prey of the serial killer who goes by the name Lady Killer.

When Eve awoke in an Atlanta hospital, her past was a blank slate. Then she recognized her own face in the newspaper and vowed to learn the truth. Determined to confront the nightmares hidden in her mind, she never expects to find a partner in Gabe.

As Gabe and Eve work together, their explosive attraction becomes irresistible. Gabe knows that his desire for Eve is growing too strong, bordering on a dangerous obsession, but nothing pulls him away from her. And when another Eve lookalike disappears, Gabe vows to protect Eve at all costs. While Eve may have forgotten the killer in her past, it’s clear he hasn’t forgotten her.

Amazon/B&N

“Do you think I’m a con artist or a victim?”

“I think you’re a woman who has been hurt.” No denying that. “One of my team members, Wade Monroe, is contacting the Montgomery family. We’ll get DNA from them and find out—”

“If I’m Jessica.” There was hope in the words. Enough hope to break his heart.

Gabe nodded.

“When will we know?”

It would take a few days, even with the strings that he could pull. “As soon as possible,” he said, not wanting to give her a specific timetable.

“Thank you.” Then, just like that, she was across the car, giving him a tight hug. “Thank you.”

His arms wrapped around her, an instinctive response. She smelled faintly of flowers, a sweet scent that teased his nose, and her body was soft against his.

She tried to pull away, as if realizing what she’d just done.

For an instant he was tempted to hold her, to keep her close.

She’s a client. Focus.

He let her go, but his body ached.

“I … um … I should get inside.”

Yes, she should. While he was still clutching tight to his control. The control that said he shouldn’t push her. Shouldn’t want her so much. Not when she’d already been hurt so badly.

Her fingers reached for the door.

“Let me,” he said, voice rumbling, and Gabe climbed from the Jag. In seconds he was on the passenger side, opening her door for her. She rose, and her body brushed against his.

He stepped back. Distance. He seriously needed to put some distance between then. But even with some fast steps back, he could still smell that light and sexy scent that clung to her body. And he still wanted her.

“Your shrink asked me a lot of questions about you,” Eve told him as she stood temptingly close.

Gabe inclined his head. “I’m sure—”

“I think she wanted to know why I respond so much to you.”

Oh, hell, she’d just said … He cleared his throat even as part of his body surged in quick response to her. “It’s a tense situation, you’re—”

“You don’t look at me as if I’m a victim.”

He stopped talking.

“I mean, you know what I am, but you still look at me and seem to just see me … as a woman.”

“Others see you the same way.” Doc Tyler sure did. Bastard.

“It’s different with you,” she murmured as she stepped even closer to him. Her head had tilted back so she could look into his eyes. “I don’t know what I’ve felt for other men before.”

Why did the idea of others have his body knotting with tension?

“But I know that when I see you, I want.” A hushed confession. “I just … I needed to tell you that.”

And he needed to make his self-control a hell of a lot stronger. Her lips were just inches from his, and he wanted her mouth beneath his. Wanted her lips open. Needed to taste her.

“You’re the first man I’ve wanted since I opened my eyes in that hospital.”

He could actually feel his control splintering. Client. Cli—

“You probably don’t want me. I—I might not be your type.”

Now her gaze had fallen, as if in embarrassment. Had she really just asked if she was his type? She was probably every damn man’s type.

“But you make me feel normal again, so I had to tell you—”

His fingers curved under her chin. “Eve …”

Her smile was a little too big. Too bright. “I don’t think I can handle anything else right now, I’m …” She pulled away. Stumbled onto the sidewalk.

“I just wanted to tell you how I felt,” she told him again.

Then she walked into the shelter, her steps hurried. As if she were running.

From him.

He stared after her. She wanted him.

And she was so fucking beyond his reach.
***

About the Author:

Award-winning author CYNTHIA EDEN writes dark tales of paranormal romance and romantic suspense. She is a New York Times, USA Today, Digital Book World, and IndieReader best-seller. Cynthia is also a two-time finalist for the RITA® award (she was a finalist both in the romantic suspense category and in the paranormal romance category). Since she began writing full-time in 2005, Cynthia has written over thirty novels and novellas. Cynthia lives along the Alabama Gulf Coast. She loves romance novels, horror movies, and chocolate. Her favorite hobbies include hiking in the mountains (searching for waterfalls) and spelunking.

Website/Twitter/Facebook

Jennifer’s Review of Broken

Review (5 Stars): I absolutely loved this book and was hooked from the very first page. Eve was such a great character because she had gone through this horrific ordeal and came out a survivor that was willing to do anything to protect herself from the evil that desperately wanted to finish what he had started. I instantly connected with her and there were times that I was on the edge of my seat flipping the pages, hoping that Eve would come out of this situation the victor. I liked Gabe as the hero but in the beginning he seemed very cold and distant to Eve. He redeemed himself as the story progressed and he was the only one that could really help Eve get through this cat and mouse game with a serial killer that wanted nothing other than seeing Eve dead.

Broken is an amazing thrill-ride with fascinating characters and a story that will have you reading with the lights on. This is the first book in the Lost series and I desperately want to get my hands on Twisted which is out next week and takes place in the great city of New Orleans.

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April 17, 2015April 16, 2015

Blog Tour & Giveaway: Five-Alarm Fudge by Christine DeSmet

The Cape Cod of the Midwest is this cozy’s setting

With author Christine DeSmet, the Fudge Shop Mystery Series

Ava Oosterling and her Grandpa Gil operate Oosterlings’ Live Bait, Bobbers & Belgian Fudge & Beer on a harbor in Door County, Wisconsin, known as the “Cape Cod of the Midwest.”

In Five-Alarm Fudge, Book 3 of the Fudge Shop Mystery series, Ava and her Grandpa Gil are again mixed up in a fun fudge felony—this time involving romance, royal relatives, and revenge.

When a visiting European prince asks Ava Oosterling to unearth a priceless, 1800s divinity fudge recipe, the request fans the flames of foul play, with murder marring Ava’s Cinderella dreams.

Prior to the story, Grandpa took it upon himself to invite the prince of Belgium to visit. Grandpa insists the prince is a shirt-tail relation but far enough removed by ancestors to qualify as marriage material for Ava.

Ava is beside herself with Grandpa. She’s in the midst of a rekindled romance with her ex, Dillon Rivers, who is refurbishing the Blue Heron Inn in order for Ava to take it over. In the meantime, Ava lives in a rundown rental cabin with an ever-present field mouse.

Grandpa has also promised the prince that Ava will find a long, lost divinity fudge recipe supposedly hidden in a local historical church by a Belgian nun during an 1871 fire.

The irony of being surrounded by miles and miles of water in this peninsular county is that on October 8, 1871 the very real Great Fire happened—taking an estimated 1,500 to 2,000 lives in this region. This event occurred the same days as the famous Chicago fire that took about 300 lives.

This novel delves into a lot of real history of the region. Did you know that this area is home to the only church-sanctioned Marian sighting in the United States? You’ll learn about the real Sister Adele Brise, who hid in a wood church and was spared in the Great Fire. Prior to that event, she reported being visited by Mary, the mother of Jesus. Today, travelers from across the United States stop at the shrine in Champion, Wis., on their way to Door County.

Just north of there, in Namur, Wis., Grandpa Gil feels sure that the traveling, teaching nun must have hidden an early version of a divinity fudge recipe in the brick church, thus protecting the special recipe from fires.

Ava scours the local church for the recipe, but instead finds a dead body, a fire, and the start of a game of hide-and-seek with an arsonist out to do in Ava before she can try on the glass slipper.

Other regular characters in my series include Ava’s best friend Pauline, who’s a kindergarten teacher, and Laura, who’s having twins and waiting for her husband to come home from a special mission in the Middle East.

There’s also a smart gaggle of church ladies who often cause Ava no end of trouble when they volunteer at the fudge shop.

And Dillon Rivers’ American water spaniel, Lucky Harbor, finds his nose in all kinds of trouble in every fudge mystery.

My series presents a warm-hearted view of a real place popular for vacations. I hope readers have a chance to look it up online to explore and then visit sometime where reading a Fudge Shop Mystery while lazing away a day in a hammock is what Door County is all about.

About the Author:

Christine DeSmet writes the Fudge Shop Mystery Series (Penguin Random House/NAL/Obsidian). She’s also an award-winning scriptwriter and teaches writing at University of Wisconsin-Madison Continuing Studies where she directs the annual June Write-by-the-Lake Writer’s Workshop & Retreat. You can write to her at UW-Madison, cdesmet@dcs.wisc.edu or find her on Facebook or at her website, www.ChristineDeSmet.com.

It’s autumn in Fishers’ Harbor, Wisconsin, and fudge shop owner Ava Oosterling is busy preparing for the harvest festival and a visit from some royal relatives who live in Belgium. According to Ava’s grandpa, a famous divinity fudge recipe from the 1860s is hidden somewhere in a local historical church—a treat fit for a prince.

But when a fire in the church reveals the body of a murdered man, it looks like someone is willing to go to any length to possess the valuable secret to the divinity fudge. As Ava searches for the killer—and the recipe—she could use a little divine intervention, because she may have bitten off more than she can chew…

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Jennifer’s Review of Five-Alarm Fudge

Review (4 Stars): Five-Alarm Fudge is a charming mystery filled with irresistible treats, fascinating characters and a complex plot-driven whodunnit that kept me reading past my bedtime. Ava and her family are preparing for a visit from some royal relatives and Ava must find a missing fudge recipe that her grandfather said that she would make for their visiting guests. When a fire in the church leads to the discovery of a dead body, Ava learns that this missing recipe may be the motive for murder and is on the hunt to find another killer before it is too late.

Ava is such an interesting character and I enjoy spending time with her and her lovely friends with each new mystery. I loved seeing how far she has come over the course of the series, especially in her relationship with her old flame, Dillon. The mystery was entertaining and fun and I’m looking forward to reading the next book in the Fudge Shop Mystery series.

Giveaway

I’m excited to give away a copy of Five Alarm Fudge. This giveaway is for US Residents only. To be entered in the drawing by April 22nd, please leave me a comment below:

April 17, 2015April 16, 2015

Blog Tour & Giveaway: Obsessed by Beth Ciotta

A Fallen Star…

A hot-mess of controversy and scandal, Dakota Breeze—tarnished pop star of fading fame and fortune—accepts a friend’s offer, taking refuge in a small Midwestern town in order to rehearse her comeback concert in secret. Starstruck is the perfect venue however rehearsals are marred by Dakota’s reluctance to resurrect her former bad-girl persona and complicated by an anonymous death threat.

A Haunted Bodyguard…

Enlisted by a mutual friend, Wyatt MacDermott—a seasoned protection specialist—agrees to act as Dakota’s temporary bodyguard. Forced to set aside a personal grudge in order to fulfill his duties, Mac’s stunned by his fierce and instant attraction to the reckless celebrity he’s long associated with his greatest regret.

Obsessed with conflicting needs and united passion, Dakota and Wyatt spin out of control, indulging in a whirlwind affair and tempting an avenger’s wrath.

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Dakota palmed her aching chest, fought for an even breath as Mac steered the sedan through the gates to her temporary residence. She hadn’t meant to spew or to beg. She didn’t want his pity.

But she did want him.

For all his indifference, he made her feel safe. At this point she’d welcome anything, even the company of Ice Man, to minimize her stress. Stress messed with her concentration and judgment, undermining her on-stage performances and her pursuit of private serenity.

Feeling exposed and raw, Dakota pushed her agenda. “So are you with me or not?”

He didn’t respond. Of course, he didn’t respond. The man was a freaking robot.

The car stopped just shy of the house and, with a white-knuckled hold on her purse, Dakota pushed open her door. Her shoulder sang with the effort, but she didn’t groan or complain or even wince. Mac was right. She was lucky to be alive.

She blocked his cold rejection from her mind, focused on Maggie. She needed to check on her ailing assistant and she didn’t want to compound matters by looking like a frazzled mess.

A startled scream stuck in her throat as her new bodyguard backed her against the car.

“One,” he said, spearing her with steely grey eyes, “You don’t move without telling me first. Two: As soon as we get in the house, I want that letter. Three: I say jump, you jump. I’m talking unflinching trust, Dakota.”

It was the most he’d said to her since they’d met and even though he’d done nothing but issue arrogant orders, a strange sense of calm snaked through her tense being. Pinned between the tank of a car and her broad-shouldered bodyguard, Dakota held his gaze and raised onto her toes, her mouth a breath away from his own. “For me to jump, MacDermott, I need to know something other than ice flows through your veins.”

And with that she indulged in one last impulsive act. She pressed her lips to his, anticipating rejection.

Anticipating Antarctica.

Instead, he blew her away, melting her bones with a deep, searing kiss. His touch, his taste, his passion dazed her far more than any spinning car. Who could think straight with his strong hands exploring her curves? With his massive erection raging between them?

Dakota gave over to the intensity, the wonder, the mind-blowing melding that obliterated morality. Just shy of her jumping his freaking bones, Mac cooled her jets by backing away.

“Now you know,” he said as he reverted to professional indifference. “And if you’re smart, you’ll leave it at that.”

About the Author:

Storytelling comes naturally to award-winning author Beth Ciotta. Dubbed “fun and sexy” by Publisher’s Weekly, Beth specializes in contemporary, historical, steampunk, and paranormal romantic fiction.
Beth lives in NJ with her husband, two zany dogs, and a crazy cat. A retired professional performer, Beth now pours her artistic passion into her writing. To learn more about her colorful life, visit her website at www.bethciotta.com

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Jennifer’s Review of Obsessed

Review (4 Stars): I loved Obsessed and was sad that this story wasn’t longer. The chemistry between Dakota and Mac was so hot that smoke was coming of the pages from these two. Mac was so stoic and distant when he first met Dakota because he blamed her for what had happened to his sister. After spending time with her, he couldn’t fight the attraction that he felt for her and Dakota felt the same way about him.

I enjoyed the mystery of discovering the identity of the person that was stalking Dakota and trying to prevent her from returning to the stage which added just the right amount of suspense to this sexy romance. I’m a big fan of Ms Ciotta’s cupcake series and I’m definitely looking forward to reading the next two books in the Starstruck series. Obsessed is a hot sexy thrill-ride and I have a feeling that I will revisit this story in the future.

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April 15, 2015April 14, 2015

Blog Tour & Giveaway: Demise in Denim by Duffy Brown

Walker Boone here from the lovely city of Savannah, Georgia. The azaleas are in bloom, the magnolias are big as dinner plates and I’m on the run.

In Demise in Denim, I’ve kind of gotten myself into one big huge mess and it looks like Reagan Summerside and Auntie KiKi are the only ones trying to get me out of it.

You see there was this dead guy in a bathtub. Not my bathtub but his own and my housekeeper happened to stumble across the body. If I remember right it went something like…

“See, there he is, Mr. Boone,” Mercedes said to me. “Just like I told you on the phone, Conway Adkins dead as a fence post in his very own claw-foot bathtub and naked as the day he was born.”
“I take you added the washcloth?” I said to Mercedes, both of us standing in the doorway and staring at the corpse.
“Couldn’t be having the man laying there with his shrivelness all exposed to the world now could I. Not proper for a man his age.”
“Or for the rest of us,” I added.

At first Mercedes was the number one suspect. That was bad enough because she’s a friend and she can’t be beat as a housekeeper. On both accounts–and with my dust-bunnies threatening to mutiny—I went after the rear killer.

I didn’t have a lot of luck, in fact I almost got killed a few times and then…somehow…I wound up the number one suspect.

“This is circumstantial evidence,” I said to Reagan as we stood on the sidewalk outside my house. “The police have to see that someone’s setting me up to cover their own butt.”
     “It’s your butt that needs covering, Walker Boone,” Reagan offered. “The police found your .38 and it matches the bullet that killed Conway. The cops are on their way. You got to get out of here right now.”
      I looked at my red ‘57 Chevy convertible parked at the curb. “Might as well put a target on my back driving this thing.”
      Reagan shoved her helmet at me.      “Take Princess.”
     “A scooter? You want me to ride a pink scooter named Princess?”
     “Better than that being your nickname in the big house.”

Reagan was a big help in me getting away but it might not be enough:

The convertible top was down, a crescent moon hung low over the marshlands and the night sky was filled with a bazillion stars as I drove Walker Boone’s precious ’57 red Chevy toward Tybee Post. It was a perfect spring night except that my palms were sweating, my heart was rocketing around in my chest, and there were one, two, make that four police cars on my bumper, their red and blue lights flashing in my rearview mirror.

I need a place to hide out but where? Where would you go if you were on the run? Who would help you out? Let me know and I’ll give away two Demise In Denim totes from the answers. Wish me luck.

About the Author:

Duffy Brown loves anything with a mystery. While others girls dreamed of dating Brad Pitt, Duffy longed to take Sherlock Holmes to the prom. She has two cats, Spooky and Dr. Watson, her license plate is Sherlok and she conjures up who-done-it stories of her very own for Berkley Prime Crime. Duffy’s national bestselling Consignment Shop Mystery series is set in Savannah and the Cycle Path Mysteries are set on Mackinac Island.

Website/Facebook

It’s springtime in Savannah, Georgia, in the newest Consignment Shop Mystery from the national bestselling author of Pearls and Poison. The azaleas and magnolias are in bloom—and Walker Boone is on the run. . .

When Reagan Summerside turned the first floor of her old Victorian home into a consignment shop, she never imagined she’d be harboring a fugitive in her attic. But after a dead man is found in a bathtub and local lawyer Walker Boone is accused of doing the dirty deed, she suddenly has a new houseguest.

Having the lawyer who took her to the cleaners in her divorce settlement—and who has been getting under her skin ever since—in close proximity is enough to drive Reagan to distraction. For the sake of her sanity—and Walker’s freedom—they need to put their heads together to find out who is trying to get the lawyer out of the picture . . .

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Jennifer’s Review of Demise in Denim

Review (4.5 Stars): I want to warn everyone first that Demise in Denim picks up right after the events of Dead Man Walker, which is a novella that was released in earlier this year. It would be helpful to read this first but if you are already familiar with these characters then you are able to follow along with the story rather quickly. Boone is wanted for murder and it is up to Reagan to figure out the identity of the killer who is trying to frame Boone for a crime he didn’t commit.

I absolutely love this series because I can’t stop myself from laughing as I read all the crazy antics that Reagan seems to find herself in with each book. I enjoyed seeing how Reagan and Boone’s romantic relationship was progressing in Demise in Denim and I’m happy to say that I had a huge smile on my face by the end of the book. Demise in Denim is a charming mystery with the right dose of southern sass and hospitality that always has me coming back for me. I adore Reagan and I can’t wait to see what is up next for her and Boone in the future.

Giveaway

I’m excited to give away a copy of Demise in Denim. This giveaway is for US Residents only. To be entered in the drawing by April 22nd, please answer Duffy’s question above:

April 13, 2015April 12, 2015

Blog Tour & Giveaway: A Sticky Situation by Jessie Crockett

The author of Maple Mayhem returns to Sugar Grove, New Hampshire, where the Greene family—including Dani’s irksome Aunt Hazel—are busy preparing for the annual Maple Festival. But nothing kills the festive spirit like murder…

Aunt Hazel isn’t exactly sweet, but she’s not the only one putting syrup maker Dani in a sour mood. Her family is trying to help renovate the town’s Opera House, but their contractor Russ Collins seems to specialize in finely crafted excuses. And his latest one is killer.

In the Opera House basement, Russ uncovers the remains of Spooner Duffy, a charming drifter thought to have skipped town decades ago with a hefty sum of the town’s money. Tapping into some unpleasant memories, Spooner’s bones also threaten to reveal a murderer’s secret, and now it’s up to Dani to catch a killer before the town is stuck with a deadly reputation.

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About the Author:

A nearly life-

long resident of the Granite State, Jessie naturally adores black flies, 98% humidity, killing frosts in August and snow banks taller than the average grandmother.

When not working on her next murderous adventure she enthusiastically combs the beach, designs bento lunches and throws parties. She delights in mentoring young writers at local schools.

Her debut mystery, Live Free or Die, was the 2011 winner of the Daphne DuMaurier Award for Mainstream Mystery.

Jessie lives with her dark and mysterious husband and exuberant children in a village so small most other New Hampshire residents have never heard of it. Hearing from readers makes the winter seem shorter so please drop her a line.

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Jennifer’s Review of A Sticky Situation

Review (4 Stars): This is the third book in the Sugar Grove mystery series and I absolutely adored Dani in this book. I loved the humor that was sprinkled throughout this book and the lengths that Dani and her family went to trying to avoid spending time with Aunt Hazel. The mystery was very entertaining because it was very complex and well-written and is bound to please cozy readers alike. A Sticky Situation was a fun romp with fascinating characters and a spunky heroine that is absolutely delightful. Looking forward to read the next book in the series to see what Dani finds herself involved in next.

Giveaway

I’m excited to give away a copy of A Sticky Situation. This giveaway is for US Residents only. To be entered in the drawing by April 19th, please leave me a comment below:

April 13, 2015April 12, 2015

Blog Tour & Giveaway: The Courtesan Duchess by Joanna Shupe

Can a bold-faced lie lead to everlasting love? One by one, the impetuous heroines in the Wicked Deceptions series intend to find out, each in her unique way…

How to seduce an estranged husband—and banish debt!—in four wickedly improper, shockingly pleasurable steps…
Learn the most intimate secrets of London’s leading courtesan.
Pretend to be a courtesan yourself, using the name Juliet Leighton.
Travel to Venice and locate said husband.
Seduce husband, conceive an heir, and voila, your future is secure!

For Julia, the Duchess of Colton, such a ruse promises to be foolproof. After all, her husband has not bothered to lay eyes on her in eight years, since their hasty wedding day when she was only sixteen. But what begins as a tempestuous flirtation escalates into full-blown passion—and the feeling is mutual!

Could the man the Courtesan Duchess married actually turn out to be the love of her life?

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A smart woman may transform herself into whatever
the situation requires.
—Miss Pearl Kelly to the Duchess of Colton

Venice, November 1816

Julia needed a male child, a legitimate one, to serve as the heir to the Colton estate. Only then could she thwart Templeton’s designs on the dukedom.

Her plan was foolproof. Six months ago, Julia had sold off all her remaining jewelry in order to secretly hire Pearl Kelly, London’s true reigning courtesan, to offer advice. Pearl had proved a veritable fount of information, telling Julia precisely how to dress, act, speak, and flirt like a Cyprian.

Pearl had even helped design Julia’s gowns along with the courtesan’s own modiste. The resulting wardrobe was luxurious and elegant with sumptuous fabrics and daring necklines, such as the deep emerald green gown she wore tonight. The undergarments had been ordered from Paris, and they still made Julia blush.

Her jewelry had posed a problem, since every good piece she’d owned had been sold off over the past two years. So Pearl had graciously loaned Julia several stunning sets, which included the expensive diamond and pearl necklace now around her neck.

Julia had also learned how to use creams and paints to best enhance her features. Earlier, she’d applied a dusting of white pearl powder on her face, rose pink rouge on her lips and cheeks, and a light coating of lamp-black on her lashes and eyebrows. The enhancements combined with her red hair made her completely unrecognizable to anyone familiar with the blond and understated Duchess of Colton.

They ventured near the duke. After a moment, Colton looked up and his face registered surprise. “Winchester!” He threw his cards on the table and unfolded his lanky frame to stand before them. “I can scarcely believe it. Why didn’t you write to let me know you were coming?”

Simon managed to look surprised, then slapped Colton on the back. “I’d heard a rumor you were still here, old man.”

“I cannot find a reason to leave.” Colton turned to Julia, focusing on her with polite interest. “I see you are not alone. Pray introduce me.”

“Of course. Colton, meet the inimitable Mrs. Juliet Leighton. Juliet, this wastrel is my oldest friend, the Duke of Colton.”

She dropped into a deep curtsy and watched from under her lashes as her husband took in the shockingly low neckline of her gown, where her ample bosom threatened to make an appearance at any moment. “Mrs. Leighton, your reputation precedes you,” the duke said as she rose. “I’ve heard nothing but accolades to your beauty and wit. It is said you are the woman who holds all of London in the palm of her hand.”

Julia was relieved to hear the rumors they’d started had reached her husband’s ears. “Perhaps not all of London, Your Grace, but a fortunate few have indeed felt the palm of my hand.”

A black eyebrow shot up, and he gave a devilish grin that would surely melt the insides of a weaker woman. “Winchester, I am beginning to envy you,” Colton murmured, his smoky gray gaze never leaving hers.

“As you should. I am entirely at Mrs. Leighton’s whim.” Simon’s intimate smile left no doubt as to the nature of their relationship.

“You flatter me,” Julia said in her best coquettish voice. “Simon, darling, please leave His Grace and I alone for a few moments. Be a good lad and fetch me some champagne.”

Simon flashed her a besotted glance that would’ve had Julia laughing under any other circumstance.

“Anything for you, love.” He walked away to leave Julia alone with the husband she hadn’t seen in eight years.

She should be tongue-tied, she thought, as she regarded the man who wielded enormous power over her, even from such a great distance. But considering the hot gleam of male interest in Colton’s eyes, the way he studied her carefully, Julia knew the control now lay in her own hands.

“Your Grace,” she started, then boldly moved closer and took his arm. “I feel as if we already know one another.” Julia led him toward the terrace doors.

“Do you?” He deftly maneuvered them around other couples and placed his large hand on the small of her back as they continued outside into the cool darkness. “If we had met, Mrs. Leighton, I am quite sure I would remember.”

“Oh, you must call me Juliet. All my good friends do.”

“Then, by all means, you must call me Nick. I’ve never been fond of my title.” Tall and lithe, he leaned casually against the terrace railing, the backdrop a surprisingly clean stretch of canal. He was even more handsome up close. His shoulders were broad, and power lurked beneath his finely tailored clothing. She suddenly felt so . . . alive and edgy in his wickedly alluring presence. Little wonder her husband had become such a rake and scoundrel.

“If you insist, Nick,” she drawled while noticing the way he studied her lips. “Are we to be friends, then?”

“I certainly hope so.” His face softened with a flirtatious smile and her knees went weak, the power of
that small gesture warming her down to her toes. “Are you enjoying Venice, Juliet?”

“It is a lovely place. This is my first trip, and I must confess it’s nothing as I imagined. The food is superb and they are passionate, friendly people. And you? Have you been here long?”

“About three years. Before that Vienna, Cologne, Paris. . . .”

“And do you plan to return to our fair England one day?”

His features tightened ever so slightly. “No. I have no plans to return. There is naught there for me now.”

Rage blossomed in her chest, hot and strong. How dare he. Naught there for him—even a wife? Although her hand itched to smack his cheek, Julia forced what she hoped was an intimate expression and dropped her voice to a husky purr. “My luck, then, in meeting you here.”

“Indeed. And just when I’d thought Venice had grown boring. Have you known Winchester long?”

“No, not long. Though he’s spoken of you. I understand you’ve been friends forever.”

“It’s true. Since Eton, actually. We—”

“Here you are, love.” Simon appeared with a glass of champagne.

“So, Winchester,” the duke began, “tell me how you’ve been getting on the last two years.”

Two years! Julia gasped and almost choked on a mouthful of champagne. Simon had seen her husband two years ago? If Colton weren’t standing here, she would give Simon a good kick in the leg for not telling her.“I find myself remarkably well. And you?”

“I enjoy it here,” Colton responded lightly. “The Venetians are quite pleasant, despite the resentment of the Austrian presence. I had thought, however, to travel to St. Petersburg next year.”

“It’s been eight years. Do you not think enough time has passed—”

“Do not say it.” Colton’s voice took on an edge and his face darkened. “After our last row, I thought you agreed to cease hounding me to return.”

“But really, Colt. Your wife deserves—”

“Oh, you mean my father’s pawn?” He straightened to his full height. “Cease immediately. Do not make me regret keeping you informed of my whereabouts all these years.”

Pawn? What on earth? Julia could scarcely wait to get Simon alone in order to get answers.

Simon held up his hands in surrender. “I have no wish to quarrel with you. Especially in front of such a beautiful woman.” He slid his arm around Julia and gave her shoulders a reassuring squeeze.

Her face a mask of polite civility, she focused on the duke. “Your Grace, we plan to attend the performance of Tancredi at La Fenice the evening after tomorrow. Perhaps you would care to join us?”

“I had already planned to attend, in fact,” Colton replied, his posture once again relaxed. “I would be honored if you both would join the party in my box.”

Julia tried to look surprised though she’d already known his plans. Simon’s valet had convinced one of the duke’s maids to give them information on Colton’s daily social schedule. More chance meetings with Mrs. Leighton were in Colton’s future. “That would be lovely, Your Grace. I shall look forward to it.”

About the Author:

Award-winning author JOANNA SHUPE has always loved history, ever since she saw her first Schoolhouse Rock cartoon. While in college, Joanna read every romance she could get her hands on and soon started crafting her own racy historical novels. She now lives in New Jersey with her two spirited daughters and dashing husband.

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Jennifer’s Review of The Courtesan Duchess

Review (5 Stars): I was so impressed with Julia over the course of this story because she went to great lengths to find her husband and set her plan in motion to save her family. She played a wonderful role to attract the attention of Nick and the chemistry between them was explosive. You could tell that these two characters were meant for each other and I loved the interaction between the two.

Once I started this story, I stayed up all night reading it because I became so involved with these charming characters and this well-written romance. The Courtesan Duchess is the first in a brand new series and I’m already a big fan of this amazing writer. I can’t wait to read the next book in the series, The Harlot Countess, which is out in the next couple of months.

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April 13, 2015April 12, 2015

Blog Tour & Giveaway: A Fright to the Death by Dawn Eastman

From the author of Be Careful What You Witch For, here is the newest Family Fortune Mystery, starring former cop Clyde Fortune, who—snowbound with her kooky family in a creepy castle—is climbing the walls and combing the halls, looking for a cold-blooded killer…

After their flight to Mexico is cancelled, Clyde and her detective boyfriend, Mac, end up snowed in with their families at a supposedly haunted hotel. Clyde’s tarot card reading mother, Rose, is making dire predictions for the weekend, and self-proclaimed pet psychic Aunt Vi is enchanted by the legend of the hotel’s ghost—until the power goes out and a body turns up.

With a hotel full of stranded suspects, Clyde will have to draw on all her skills—both the police ones she’d rather forget and the psychic ones she’d rather ignore—to solve the bone-chilling mystery before someone else gets iced…

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About the Author:

When I was ten years old, my two favorite things were climbing trees and reading. As a bonus, I discovered if I combined the two, I could hide from my mother when she wanted me to clean my room. Nancy Drew and I spent many afternoons solving crimes and avoiding chores. Eventually, I moved on to Hercule Poirot, Sherlock Holmes, and Stephanie Plum. I improved my housework-dodging ploys.

After many years in Michigan, I now live in Iowa with my husband, son and daughter. When I’m not writing or chauffeuring kids, I keep busy catering to the whims of a bossy bichon-shih tzu mix who wants to rule the world.

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Jennifer’s Review of A Fright to the Death

Review (4.5 Stars): Clyde and Mac are headed to a romantic getaway in Mexico when a horrible snow storm shuts down everything including their flight to their destination. Determined to make the best of the situation, Mac takes Clyde to a charming hotel that he had heard a lot about only to discover that Clyde’s family is there for a knitting convention. Things go from bad to worse, when a body is found and the killer is trapped right along with them because of the snowstorm. Now Mac and Clyde must find a killer before they decide to take their next victim.

It is always a treat to visit the charmingly eccentric characters of Crystal Haven and each book in this series is more delightful than the last. I loved how Clyde and Mac’s relationship was progressing by the end of the book and I felt so sorry for them that they ended up at the last place they wanted to be while on vacation. A Fright to the Death is a hauntingly fun mystery filled with thrills and chills, that will keep you on the edge of your seat. Can’t wait to read more from my favorite magical family in the next book.

Giveaway

I’m excited to give away a copy of A Fright to the Death. This giveaway is for US Residents only. To be entered in the drawing by April 19th, please leave me a comment below for Dawn:

April 10, 2015April 9, 2015

Blog Tour & Giveaway: Shadow of a Spout by Amanda Cooper

Why I Write Cozy Mysteries
by Amanda Cooper (aka Victoria Hamilton)

I’ve been reading mysteries for a long, long time (see my bio at the end!). I started with Agatha Christie, and continued with Ngaio Marsh (a new Zealand writer) and Dorothy L. Sayers. I then moved on to many other mystery writers, among them M. C. Beaton, Donna Andrews, Joan Hess, Mary Daheim, Laura Childs and others.

But I don’t think I really ever had a grasp on what a cozy mystery was until I decided I wanted to write them! I had what I thought was a wonderful premise, wrote the book, worked up a proposal and went looking for agents to replace the agent I had who primarily dealt in romances and cookbooks. The agent of my dreams (aka, my current agent) wrote back and said the premise was interesting, but it didn’t feel cozy to her. I asked what was cozy? She said, read any first mystery in her stable of mystery authors. I did just that.

Aha! I got it. A cozy series often includes a craft, or cooking, and often features cats, and sometimes dogs, though not always. The main character is often (though not always) female. The mystery is what is important, and the investigation takes precedence over everything, but the main character’s personal life will also be explored. That’s one of the things I like about it; I can write about people, not must murder. The skill at characterization I developed writing romances serves me well in writing cozy mysteries.

After all… people are the ultimate mystery. My main characters are generally trying to figure out their life as they figure out mysteries, one clue at a time.

Since beginning in this sub-genre, I have found the absolute best community of writers and readers, those who write and read cozies. They are warm, smart, friendly and kindhearted. Most of them are probably nicer than I am, but I’ll keep trying. As I said to a friend when I discovered all the likeminded cozy readers and writers out there, ‘These are my people!’

And it’s true; they are.

About the Author:

Amanda Cooper is the pseudonym for bestselling mystery author Victoria Hamilton. She writes the Vintage Kitchen Mysteries and the Merry Muffin Mysteries as Hamilton, in addition to the Teapot Collector Mysteries as Amanda Cooper.

Cooper’s long time love of mystery novels started at age twelve when her mom handed her an Agatha Christie book and said ‘Read!’. Thousands of novels later Cooper is still reading. And writing.

But besides those two favorite pastimes, Cooper also enjoys collecting vintage kitchenalia, old books, teacups, teapots and other ephemera. Perfume is her secret addiction. She likes to cook, hates to clean, and enjoys time spent with friends chatting over wine or tea. She loves crafts, loathes boredom, and her guilty pleasure is ‘reality’ TV, which she knows is largely fake but enjoys anyway.

Cooper thinks that people are the most interesting study of all, and more than anything, she loves to hear from readers, not just about her books but about anything and everything.

To learn more about Amanda Cooper and the Teapot Collector Mysteries see these pages:

Website/Facebook/Pinterest

Avid teapot collector Rose Freemont takes a break from her Victorian tea house only to find a new mystery brewing elsewhere…

Leaving her home in Gracious Grove behind her, Rose is off to the annual convention of the International Teapot Collector’s Society. Her granddaughter Sophie is minding the tea house while she’s away. Rose is eager for tough cookie Zunia Pettigrew to appraise a prized antique teapot she believes may be a holy water vessel from China.

But when Zunia declares the pot a fake, Rose is really steamed. After Zunia’s found dead beside Rose’s dinged-in teapot, Sophie must rush to her grandmother’s aid and find the real killer—before Rose is steeped in any more trouble…

Amazon/B&N

Jennifer’s Review of Shadow of a Spout

Review (4 Stars): These characters are such a delight and always seem to make me laugh out loud with the snappy dialogue in this series. In this mystery, Rose and Laverne are off to the annual convention of the International Teapot Collector’s Society while Sophie is back home running the tea house in their absence. While there, Zunia Pettigrew, the president of the Teapot Collector’s Society, is found dead with Rose’s teapot next to the body. Now Rose is being blamed for a crime she didn’t commit and Sophie comes rushing to her side to help track down a killer before it is too late.

This is the second installment in the entertaining Teapot Collector Mystery series and I love the interaction between these lovely ladies. The mystery was smart, fun and engaging until the very last page. I loved how Sophie is settling into her life in Gracious Grove and how she is adding her personal touch to the tea house after her negative experiences in New York. Can’t wait to read more about these characters and looking forward to Ms. Cooper’s next book in the series.

Giveaway

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