Happy Release Day to Dianne Duvall’s The Purveli!!!!!

The next thrilling adventure in Dianne Duvall’s Aldebarian Alliance series is AVAILABLE NOW! Grab your copy of The Purveli at your favorite online book retailer today!

ABOUT THE BOOK

The Purveli (Aldebarian Alliance #3)
by Dianne Duvall
Release Date: January 18th, 2022
ORDER: 
Audible | Paperback | HardbackKindle Nook | Kobo | iBooks AmazonAU | AmazonCA | AmazonDE | AmazonFR | 

AmazonUK

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Dianne Duvall is the New York Times and USA Today Bestselling Author of the Immortal Guardians paranormal romance series, the Aldebarian Alliance sci‐fi romance series, and The Gifted Ones medieval and time‐travel romance series. The Lasaran, the first book in the Aldebarian Alliance Series, was a #1 Audible Mover & Shaker. The Segonian, the second book in the Aldebarian Alliance Series, was a Barnes&Noble Top Indie Favorite. Audible chose Awaken the Darkness as one of the Top 5 Best Paranormal Romance Audiobooks of 2018. Reviewers have called Dianne’s books “fast-paced and humorous” (Publishers Weekly), “utterly addictive” (RT Book Reviews), “extraordinary” (Long and Short Reviews), and “wonderfully imaginative” (The Romance Reviews).

Dianne’s books have twice been nominated for RT Reviewers’ Choice Awards. And her audiobooks have been awarded the AudioFile Earphones Award for Excellence. Dianne’s books have all appeared on the New York Times, USA Today, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Apple Books, and/or Kobo Bestseller lists. The first book in Dianne’s The Gifted Ones series, A Sorceress of His Own, is a prequel of sorts to Darkness Dawns. A USA Today bestseller, A Sorceress of His Own is a medieval romance with paranormal elements that was awarded the AudioFile Earphones Award for Excellence and was an Audie Finalist. The second book in the series, Rendezvous With Yesterday, is a time travel romance that won the GraveTells Readers’ Choice Award for Best Historical Romance.

In addition to writing romance, Dianne has completed a one-act play (comedy) and teamed up with an award-winning screenwriter to write a spec script for a new situation comedy. Several of her poems have also been published in anthologies.
When she isn’t writing, Dianne is very active in the independent film industry and has even appeared on-screen, crawling out of a moonlit grave and wielding a machete like some of the psychotic vampires she creates in her books.

For the latest news on upcoming releases, contests, and more, please visit DianneDuvall.com or sign up for her Newsletter.

You can also find Dianne online . . . Blog | Facebook | Twitter | YouTube | Pinterest | Goodreads | Book Bub | Instagram

Don’t miss the first two books in the Aldebarian Alliance series!

The Lasaran (Aldebarian Alliance #1) The Segonian (Aldebarian Alliance #2)

TOUR-WIDE GIVEAWAY

To celebrate the release of The Purveli, Dianne Duvall will be giving away a The Purveli Prize Pack to (2) two separate readers (US only please) AND a $25 Amazon Gift Card to (2) two separate readers! To enter, follow the link below to fill out the Rafflecopter form. Follow along with the Blog Tour for more chances to win daily. Good luck!

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/cceafca166/

Interview with Taelon & Lisa from The Lasaran by Dianna Duvall.

Hello! Thank you for joining me. I’m very excited to be here, celebrating the release of THE LASARAN, the first book in my new Aldebarian Alliance series. To help you get a feel for some of the characters you’ll encounter in the story, I thought I would borrow Sheldon (a character from my Immortal Guardians series) and have him interview Taelon and Lisa, the hero and heroine of THE LASARAN:

Sheldon: Hi, guys. Nice to meet you. I’m Sheldon.

Lisa: Nice to meet you.

Taelon: Good to meet you.

Sheldon: Everyone around here is very curious about you, Taelon. You really caught us by surprise.

Taelon: I’m equally curious about all of you.

Sheldon: Would you mind answering a few questions? Not many are in the know as far as what you are, but those who ARE tend to be . . . how should I put this . . .

Marcus: *calls from a room down the hallway* Enormous gossips?

Sheldon: *laughs* Yeah. But we keep it in the family so to speak.

Taelon: *smiles* I’d be happy to answer your questions.

Sheldon: Good. So . . . you’re an alien.

Taelon: Yes. I’m from the planet Lasara.

Sheldon: Okay. I think the one burning question that’s currently on everyone’s mind is . . . What’s up with aliens and butt probing?

Taelon: *blinks* What?

Sheldon: I said, what’s up with aliens and—

Taelon: I heard you the first time. I just have no idea what you’re talking about.

Sheldon: You know . . . Aliens are always abducting humans and probing their butts.

Taelon: *looks askance at Lisa*

Lisa: Hey. Don’t look at me. He said ALIENS do it.

Taelon: I admit this is the first time I’ve heard of such.

Sheldon: Really? Lasarans don’t do that?

Taelon: We do not. And on behalf of the Lasaran people, I can tell you with absolute certainty that none of us are interested in discovering what’s up your butt.

Marcus: *calls from the room down the hallway* Good move! With Sheldon, you never know what you’ll find.

Lisa: *laughs*

Sheldon: *scowls* Oh ha freaking ha.

Lisa: *turns to Taelon* By the way, I forgot to mention that Susan and Dana said you should NOT under ANY circumstances read Sheldon’s mind.

Taelon: *regards Sheldon with suspicion* Why? 

Sheldon: It’s nothing. I’m not plotting against you or anything. They just like to tease me about some of the sex stuff they see up there.

Taelon: *eyes widen suddenly* Oh. *looks flabbergasted* Really? That sort of thing is legal on Earth? In public?

Sheldon: *face reddens as guffaws erupt down the hallway* She said NOT to read my mind. NOT to read it.

Taelon: *swiftly nods* I will certainly refrain from doing so in the future.

Lisa: *peers up at him curiously* Why? What did you see?

Taelon and Sheldon: Nothing!

Lisa: *lips twitch*

Sheldon: Anyway, as I was saying . . . *pauses* Wait. What was I saying?

Lisa: You were talking about butts.

Sheldon: Right! Speaking of butts, Lisa . . .

Taelon: *expression darkens* Speak of Lisa’s butt and I’ll kick your ass.

Sheldon: Wow. You’ve really got Earth vernacular down, don’t you

Taelon: *narrows his eyes*

Sheldon: *grins* I wasn’t going to mention her butt. I was going to ask her about someone else’s.

Lisa: Taelon has an awesome butt.

Taelon: *grins and takes her hand* Like it, do you?

Lisa: Hell yes.

Sheldon: Gross. 

Taelon: *laughs *

Sheldon: So, Lisa, rumor has it you held one of the network’s special ops soldiers at gunpoint and ordered him to strip down to his skivvies.

Lisa: Actually, I held him at gunpoint and Taelon ordered him to strip.

Sheldon: Kinky.

Taelon: *looks at Lisa* I don’t think that word is translating correctly.

Lisa: What is your translator telling you it means?

Taelon: Curly.

Lisa: *grins* Yeah. That’s not it. Not the way he used it anyway.

Sheldon: You have a translator?

Taelon: Yes.

Sheldon: Where?

Taelon: Embedded in my brain.

Sheldon: Cool.

Lisa: *smiles* It is. But we’ve discovered it’s a little like autocorrect and can really miss the boat sometimes. I’ll explain what kinky means to him later.

Sheldon: *winks* I bet you will.

Lisa: *laughs*

Sheldon: So you really did disarm and hold a network special ops soldier at gunpoint?

Lisa: Yes.

Sheldon: That was pretty ballsy.

Taelon: *smiles* Yes it was.

Sheldon: Strong women are so hot.

Taelon: I agree. *wraps an arms around her* And Lisa is the strongest woman I know.

Lisa: *leans into his side* Flatterer.

Sheldon: Don’t go getting all lovey dovey on me, guys. I still have more questions to ask. Taelon . . . *looks at Taelon and sighs* Ah hell. You’re thinking about her butt now, aren’t you?

Lisa: He probably wouldn’t tell you if he was, but I have no problem admitting that I’m thinking about his.

Tracy (Sheldon’s girlfriend): *strolls down the hallway in form-fitting yoga pants and a tank top.* Hi, Guys. Don’t mind me. I’m just passing through on my way to get a drink after my workout.

Sheldon: *stares after her* And now I’m thinking about HER butt. *rises* Catch you later.

Lisa: *watches him leave, then looks at Taelon*

Taelon: *offers her a boyish grin* I WAS thinking about your butt.

Lisa: *laughs*

______________________________

I hope you’ll enjoy Taelon and Lisa’s story!!

 

The Lasaran
Book #1 Aldebarian Alliance
By Dianne Duvall
April 21, 2020

New York Times bestselling author Dianne Duvall brings readers the first novel in a thrilling new sci-fi romance series full of action, intrigue, humor, and happily-ever-afters.

Taelon searches the galaxy for his younger sister, who mysteriously disappeared while on a diplomatic mission. When an ally reveals that she was seized and is being held prisoner on Earth, Taelon descends upon the blue planet, intent on freeing her and exacting vengeance. However, all does not go as planned. Before he can find her, Taelon is captured and becomes the subject of torturous experiments. For what feels like an eternity, all he knows is pain and fury… until a mind tentatively touches his own and a woman’s voice forever changes his world.

After suffering tragic losses, Lisa is finally beginning to carve out a future for herself when chance sends her to the Anomalous Cognition Research Institute. What at first appears to be a benign organization seeking participants for a psychic study instead turns out to be a government facility harboring a much darker intent. Lisa discovers this too late and soon becomes the unwilling subject of a terrifying experiment. Just as fear and desperation threaten to consume her, a deep, compelling voice penetrates the looming insanity and lends her hope.

Having seen only the worst of humanity, Taelon is shocked when Lisa risks everything to free him. Together the two make their escape, and Taelon finds himself fascinated by the small human woman who—despite all she’s suffered—can still laugh and tease and lure smiles from him. Friendship swiftly grows between them as they work together to evade soldiers intent on capturing them and find themselves hunted by mystifying preternatural beings. Through it all, Lisa steadfastly remains by his side, stealing more of his heart each day while she helps him unravel the mystery of his sister’s fate. Can they find his sister before the hunters find them? If they survive their quest, will Taelon have to bid Lisa farewell… or can he coax her into leaving her planet and joining him for the adventure of a lifetime?

KindleKoboB&N |  iBooks | Audible | Paperpack 
 
 


The Immortal Guardians Series:

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Dianne Duvall is the New York Times and USA Today Bestselling Author of the Immortal Guardians series and The Gifted Ones series. Reviewers have called Dianne’s books “fast-paced and humorous” (Publishers Weekly), “utterly addictive” (RT Book Reviews), “extraordinary” (Long and Short Reviews), and “wonderfully imaginative” (The Romance Reviews). Her books have twice been nominated for RT Reviewers’ Choice Awards and are routinely deemed Top Picks by RT Book Reviews, The Romance Reviews, and/or Night Owl Reviews.

Dianne loves all things creative. When she isn’t writing, Dianne is active in the independent film industry and has even appeared on-screen, crawling out of a moonlit grave and wielding a machete like some of the vampires she creates in her books.

For the latest news on upcoming releases, contests, and more, please visit DianneDuvall.com. You can also find Dianne online . . .

Blog | Facebook | Twitter | YouTube | Pinterest | Goodreads | Book Bub | Instagram

Tour-Wide Giveaway:

– (1) $50 Amazon Gift Card
– (2) An Aldebarian Alliance, Immortal Guardians, and The Gifted Ones by Dianne Duvall Prize Pack
*Please be aware, that should conditions worsen due to COVID-19, the author reserves the right to substitute an Amazon.com gift card of their choice amount for the prize pack. Thank you for your understanding in this matter. 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Release Day blitz for Dianna Duvall’s The Lasaran!!!!

We are beyond excited to be celebrate this release from Dianne Duvall with you today by participating in the release day blitz! THE LASARAN is the first novel in a thrilling new sci-fi romance series full of action, intrigue, humor, and happily-ever-afters!  Keep reading to find out more about the title below. Click here to order your copy today!

The Lasaran
Book #1 Aldebarian Alliance
By Dianne Duvall
April 21, 2020

New York Times bestselling author Dianne Duvall brings readers the first novel in a thrilling new sci-fi romance series full of action, intrigue, humor, and happily-ever-afters.

Taelon searches the galaxy for his younger sister, who mysteriously disappeared while on a diplomatic mission. When an ally reveals that she was seized and is being held prisoner on Earth, Taelon descends upon the blue planet, intent on freeing her and exacting vengeance. However, all does not go as planned. Before he can find her, Taelon is captured and becomes the subject of torturous experiments. For what feels like an eternity, all he knows is pain and fury… until a mind tentatively touches his own and a woman’s voice forever changes his world.

After suffering tragic losses, Lisa is finally beginning to carve out a future for herself when chance sends her to the Anomalous Cognition Research Institute. What at first appears to be a benign organization seeking participants for a psychic study instead turns out to be a government facility harboring a much darker intent. Lisa discovers this too late and soon becomes the unwilling subject of a terrifying experiment. Just as fear and desperation threaten to consume her, a deep, compelling voice penetrates the looming insanity and lends her hope.

Having seen only the worst of humanity, Taelon is shocked when Lisa risks everything to free him. Together the two make their escape, and Taelon finds himself fascinated by the small human woman who—despite all she’s suffered—can still laugh and tease and lure smiles from him. Friendship swiftly grows between them as they work together to evade soldiers intent on capturing them and find themselves hunted by mystifying preternatural beings. Through it all, Lisa steadfastly remains by his side, stealing more of his heart each day while she helps him unravel the mystery of his sister’s fate. Can they find his sister before the hunters find them? If they survive their quest, will Taelon have to bid Lisa farewell… or can he coax her into leaving her planet and joining him for the adventure of a lifetime?

KindleKoboB&N |  iBooks | Audible | Paperpack 
******

******
The Immortal Guardians Series:

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Dianne Duvall is the New York Times and USA Today Bestselling Author of the Immortal Guardians series and The Gifted Ones series. Reviewers have called Dianne’s books “fast-paced and humorous” (Publishers Weekly), “utterly addictive” (RT Book Reviews), “extraordinary” (Long and Short Reviews), and “wonderfully imaginative” (The Romance Reviews). Her books have twice been nominated for RT Reviewers’ Choice Awards and are routinely deemed Top Picks by RT Book Reviews, The Romance Reviews, and/or Night Owl Reviews.

Dianne loves all things creative. When she isn’t writing, Dianne is active in the independent film industry and has even appeared on-screen, crawling out of a moonlit grave and wielding a machete like some of the vampires she creates in her books.

For the latest news on upcoming releases, contests, and more, please visit DianneDuvall.com. You can also find Dianne online . . .

Blog | Facebook | Twitter | YouTube | Pinterest | Goodreads | Book Bub | Instagram

Tour-Wide Giveaway:

– (1) $50 Amazon Gift Card
– (2) An Aldebarian Alliance, Immortal Guardians, and The Gifted Ones by Dianne Duvall Prize Pack
*Please be aware, that should conditions worsen due to COVID-19, the author reserves the right to substitute an Amazon.com gift card of their choice amount for the prize pack. Thank you for your understanding in this matter. 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Sunday Series Presents:

TITLE: A Discovery of Witches
SERIES #: All Souls Trilogy #1
CHARACTERS: Diana Bishop
AUTHOR: Deborah Harkenss
PUBLICATION DATE: February 2011
ORDER LINKS: Amazon | Audible | B&N
BOOK SYNOPSIS:
Deep in the stacks of Oxford’s Bodleian Library, young scholar Diana Bishop unwittingly calls up a bewitched alchemical manuscript in the course of her research. Descended from an old and distinguished line of witches, Diana wants nothing to do with sorcery; so after a furtive glance and a few notes, she banishes the book to the stacks. But her discovery sets a fantastical underworld stirring, and a horde of daemons, witches, and vampires soon descends upon the library. Diana has stumbled upon a coveted treasure lost for centuries-and she is the only creature who can break its spell.

 

 

 

 

 

*****

TITLE: Shadow of Night
SERIES #: All Souls Trilogy #2
CHARACTERS: Diana Bishop
AUTHOR: Deborah Harkenss
PUBLICATION DATE: July 10, 2012
ORDER LINKS: Amazon | Audible | B&N
BOOK SYNOPSIS:
Picking up from A Discovery of Witches’ cliffhanger ending, Shadow of Night takes Diana and Matthew on a trip through time to Elizabethan London, where they are plunged into a world of spies, magic, and a coterie of Matthew’s old friends, the School of Night. As the search for Ashmole 782 deepens and Diana seeks out a witch to tutor her in magic, the net of Matthew’s past tightens around them, and they embark on a very different—and vastly more dangerous—journey.

 

 

 

 

 

*****

TITLE: The Book of Life
SERIES #: All Souls Trilogy #3
CHARACTERS: Diana Bishop
AUTHOR: Deborah Harkenss
PUBLICATION DATE: February 2011
ORDER LINKS: Amazon | Audible | B&N
BOOK SYNOPSIS:
The #1 New York Times bestselling series finale and sequel to A Discovery of Witches and Shadow of Night

Bringing the magic and suspense of the All Souls Trilogy to a deeply satisfying conclusion, this highly anticipated finale went straight to #1 on the New York Times bestseller list. In The Book of Life, Diana and Matthew time-travel back from Elizabethan London to make a dramatic return to the present—facing new crises and old enemies. At Matthew’s ancestral home, Sept-Tours, they reunite with the beloved cast of characters from A Discovery of Witches—with one significant exception. But the real threat to their future has yet to be revealed, and when it is, the search for Ashmole 782 and its missing pages takes on even more urgency. 

 

 

About the author:
Bestselling novelist Deborah Harkness is also a professor at the University of Southern California. A prize-winning historian, she specializes in the history of science and Europe in the fifteenth through the seventeenth centuries. She has been studying history—particularly the history of science, magic, and alchemy–for more than twenty-five years, so it’s safe to say she knows her way around a library card catalog or the computerized equivalent. Her career in fiction began at an airport bookshop in September of 2008 when she noticed the shelves were lined with supernatural fiction and asked herself “If there really are witches and vampires, what do they do for a living and why don’t I know any of them?” Her debut novel, A DISCOVERY OF WITCHES, was her answer to that question.

The first book in the All Souls series, A DISCOVERY OF WITCHES sold more than a million copies in the United States, also appearing in thirty-eight foreign editions, and was adapted by Sky into a television show of the same name. Deborah continued to tell the story of the Bishop and De Clermont families in SHADOW OF NIGHT, THE BOOK OF LIFE, and most recently, TIME’S CONVERT. She is currently at work on Book #5 of the All Souls Series. For updates, including a tasting menu of the books, music, people, and places which inspire and sustain her in the classroom and at her writing desk, you can subscribe to her monthly newsletter “The Blast” on her website: www.deborahharkness.com.

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

 

Sunday Series Presents: Jennifer Estep’s Crown of Shards Trilogy

TITLE: Kill the Queen
SERIES #: Crown of Shards #1
CHARACTERS: Everleigh Blair Winter
AUTHOR: Jennifer Estep
NARRATOR: Lauren Fortgang
RUN TIME: 13 Hours & 4 Minutes
PUBLICATION DATE: October 2, 2018
ORDER LINKS: Audible | Amazon | B&N

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
Gladiator meets Game of Thrones: a royal woman becomes a skilled warrior to destroy her murderous cousin, avenge her family, and save her kingdom in this first entry in a dazzling fantasy epic from the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of the Elemental Assassin series—an enthralling tale that combines magic, murder, intrigue, adventure, and a hint of romance.

In a realm where one’s magical power determines one’s worth, Lady Everleigh’s lack of obvious ability relegates her to the shadows of the royal court of Bellona, a kingdom steeped in gladiator tradition. Seventeenth in line for the throne, Evie is nothing more than a ceremonial fixture, overlooked and mostly forgotten.

But dark forces are at work inside the palace. When her cousin Vasilia, the crown princess, assassinates her mother the queen and takes the throne by force, Evie is also attacked, along with the rest of the royal family. Luckily for Evie, her secret immunity to magic helps her escape the massacre.

Forced into hiding to survive, she falls in with a gladiator troupe. Though they use their talents to entertain and amuse the masses, the gladiators are actually highly trained warriors skilled in the art of war, especially Lucas Sullivan, a powerful magier with secrets of his own. Uncertain of her future—or if she even has one—Evie begins training with the troupe until she can decide her next move.

But as the bloodthirsty Vasilia exerts her power, pushing Bellona to the brink of war, Evie’s fate becomes clear: she must become a fearsome gladiator herself . . . and kill the queen.

*****
TITLE: Protect the Prince
SERIES #: Crown of Shards #2
CHARACTERS: Everleigh Blair, Lucas Sullivan,
AUTHOR: Jennifer Estep
NARRATOR: Lauren Fortgang
RUN TIME: 12 Hours & 40 Minutes
PUBLICATION DATE: July 2, 2019
ORDER LINKS: Audible | Amazon | B&N

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
Magic, murder, adventure, and romance combine in this second novel in the exciting Crown of Shards saga from New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Jennifer Estep.

Everleigh Blair might be the new gladiator queen of Bellona, but her problems are far from over.

First, Evie has to deal with a court full of arrogant, demanding nobles, all of whom want to get their greedy hands on her crown. As if that wasn’t bad enough, an assassin tries to kill Evie in her own throne room.

Despite the dangers, Evie goes ahead with a scheduled trip to the neighboring kingdom of Andvari in order to secure a desperately needed alliance. But complicating matters is the stubborn Andvarian king, who wants to punish Evie for the deaths of his countrymen during the Seven Spire massacre.

But dark forces are at work inside the Andvarian palace, and Evie soon realizes that no one is safe. Worse, Evie’s immunity to magic starts acting in strange, unexpected ways, which makes her wonder whether she is truly strong enough to be a Winter Queen.

But Evie’s magic, life, and crown aren’t the only things in danger—so is her heart, thanks to Lucas Sullivan, the Andvarian king’s bastard son and Evie’s . . . well, Evie isn’t quite sure what Sullivan is to her.

Only one thing is certain—protecting a prince might be even harder than killing a queen…

*****

TITLE:  Crush the King
SERIES #:  Crown of Shards #3
CHARACTERS: Everleigh Blair Winter
AUTHOR: Jennifer Estep
PUBLICATION DATE: March 17, 2020
ORDER LINKS: Audible | Amazon | B&N   

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
A fierce gladiator queen must face off against her enemies in an epic battle in this next thrilling installment of New York Timesand USA Today bestselling author Jennifer Estep’s Crown of Shards series—an action-packed adventure full of magic, murderous machinations, courtly intrigue, and pulse-pounding romance.

Queen Everleigh Blair of Bellona has survived the mass murder of the royal family, become a fearsome warrior trained by an elite gladiator troupe, and unleashed her ability to destroy magic. After surviving yet another assassination attempt orchestrated by the conniving king of Morta, Evie has had enough. It’s time to turn the tables and take the fight to her enemies. 

There is no better opportunity to strike than during the Regalia Games, a time when warriors, nobles, and royals from all the kingdoms come together to compete in various sporting events. With the help of her loyal friends, Evie goes on the attack at the Regalia, but things don’t turn out the way she hopes. Soon, she is facing a terrifying new threat, and she will have to dig deep and learn even more about her growing magic if she has any chance of defeating her foes.

Because to secure her throne and ensure her kingdom’s survival, Evie must think like a true Bellonan: she must outsmart and outwit her enemies . . . and crush the king.

 

About the author:

Jennifer Estep is a New York TimesUSA Today, and international bestselling author who prowls the streets of her imagination in search of her next fantasy idea.

Jennifer is the author of the Crown of ShardsElemental AssassinMythos AcademyBigtime, and Black Blade fantasy series. She has written more than 35 books, along with numerous novellas and stories.

In her spare time, Jennifer enjoys hanging out with friends and family, doing yoga, and reading fantasy and romance books. She also watches way too much TV and loves all things related to superheroes.

For more information on Jennifer and her books, visit her website at www.jenniferestep.com or follow her online on FacebookGoodreadsBookBubAmazon, and Twitter. You can also sign up for her newsletter.

Sunday Series Presents: Nalini Singh’s Hard Play Series

TITLE: Cherish Hard
SERIES #: Hard Play #1
CHARACTERS: Sailor Bishop & Ísa Rain
AUTHOR: Nalini Singh
PUBLICATION DATE: November 14, 2017
ORDER LINKS: Amazon | B&N
BOOK SYNOPSIS:
New York Times bestselling author Nalini Singh kicks off her new Hard Play contemporary romance series with a sizzling story that’ll leave you smiling…

Sailor Bishop has only one goal for his future – to create a successful landscaping business. No distractions allowed. Then he comes face-to-face and lips-to-lips with a woman who blushes like an innocent… and kisses like pure sin.

Ísa Rain craves a man who will cherish her, aches to create a loving family of her own. Trading steamy kisses with a hot gardener in a parking lot? Not the way to true love. Then a deal with the devil (aka her CEO-mother) makes Ísa a corporate VP for the summer. Her main task? Working closely with a certain hot gardener.

And Sailor Bishop has wickedness on his mind.

As Ísa starts to fall for a man who makes her want to throttle and pounce on him at the same time, she knows she has to choose – play it safe and steady, or risk all her dreams and hope Sailor doesn’t destroy her heart.New York Times bestselling author Nalini Singh kicks off her new Hard Play contemporary romance series with a sizzling story that’ll leave you smiling…

Sailor Bishop has only one goal for his future – to create a successful landscaping business. No distractions allowed. Then he comes face-to-face and lips-to-lips with a woman who blushes like an innocent… and kisses like pure sin.

Ísa Rain craves a man who will cherish her, aches to create a loving family of her own. Trading steamy kisses with a hot gardener in a parking lot? Not the way to true love. Then a deal with the devil (aka her CEO-mother) makes Ísa a corporate VP for the summer. Her main task? Working closely with a certain hot gardener.

And Sailor Bishop has wickedness on his mind.

As Ísa starts to fall for a man who makes her want to throttle and pounce on him at the same time, she knows she has to choose – play it safe and steady, or risk all her dreams and hope Sailor doesn’t destroy her heart.

*****

TITLE: Rebel Hard
SERIES #: Hard Play #2
CHARACTERS:Nayna Sharma & Raj Sen
AUTHOR: Nalini Singh
PUBLICATION DATE: September 18, 2018
ORDER LINKS: Amazon | B&N
BOOK SYNOPSIS:
New York Times bestselling author Nalini Singh continues her Hard Play series with a sweet, sexy romance featuring big, fat, OTT weddings, a meddling grandma, and a too-serious hero who needs to be unbuttoned…

Nayna Sharma agreed to an arranged marriage in the hope it would heal the fractures in her beloved family… only to realize too late that a traditional marriage is her personal nightmare. Panicked, she throws caution to the winds, puts on the tiniest dress she can find, and ends up in the arms of a tall, rough-edged hunk of a man who has abs of steel—and who she manages to mortally insult between one kiss and the next.

Abandoned as a child, then adopted into a loving family, Raj Sen believes in tradition, in continuity. Some might call him stiff and old-fashioned, but he knows what he wants—and it’s a life defined by rules… yet he can’t stop thinking about the infuriating and sexy woman who kissed him in the moonlight then disappeared. When his parents spring an introduction on him, the last woman he expects is her. Beautiful. Maddening. A rulebreaker in the making.

He’s all wrong for her. She’s all wrong for him. And love is about to make rebels of them both.

*****

TITLE: Love Hard
SERIES #: Hard Play #3
CHARACTERS: Jacob Esera  & Juliet Nelisi
AUTHOR: Nalini Singh
PUBLICATION DATE: March 10, 2020
ORDER LINKS: Amazon | B&N
BOOK SYNOPSIS:
Jacob Esera, star rugby player and young single father, has worked hard to create a joyous life for his six-year-old daughter. After the death of his childhood sweetheart soon after their daughter’s birth, all Jake wants is safety and stability. No risks. No wild chances. And especially no Juliet Nelisi, former classmate, scandal magnet, and a woman who is a thorn in his side.

As a lonely teenager, Juliet embraced her bad-girl reputation as a shield against loneliness and rejection. Years later, having kicked a cheating sports-star ex to the curb, she has a prestigious job and loyal friends—and wants nothing to do with sportsmen. The last thing she expects is the fire that ignites between her and the stuffed-shirt golden boy who once loved her best friend.

Straitlaced Jacob Esera versus wild-at-heart Juliet Nelisi? Place your bets

 

 

 

 

About the author:

I was born in Fiji and raised in New Zealand. I spent three years living and working in Japan, where I took the chance to travel around Asia. I’m back in New Zealand now, but I’m always plotting new trips. If you’d like to see some of my travel snapshots, have a look at the Travel Diary page.

I’ve worked as a lawyer, a librarian, a candy factory general hand, a bank temp and an English teacher, but not necessarily in that order. Some might call that inconsistency, but I call it grist for the writer’s mill.

On writing

I’ve been writing for as long as I can remember. All of my stories held a thread of romance, even when I was writing about a prince who could shoot lasers out of his eyes. Creating unique characters and giving them happy endings is my favorite thing. I even love the voices in my head, so there’s no other job I’d rather be doing. When I got the call in September 2002 that Silhouette Desire wanted to buy my first book, Desert Warrior, it was a dream come true. I hope to continue living the dream until I keel over of old age on my keyboard.

Website| Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Goodreads | Amazon Page

 

Sunday Series Presents: Darcy Burke’s The Untouchables Series

TITLE: The Forbidden Duke
SERIES #: The Untouchables #1
CHARACTERS: Eleanor Lockhart & Titus St. John
AUTHOR: Darcy Burke
PUBLICATION DATE: March 15, 2016
ORDER LINKS: Amazon | B&N 

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
Spinster Miss Eleanor Lockhart is suddenly homeless and employment is her only option. Ruined after succumbing to a scoundrel’s excessive charm nearly a decade ago, she’s lucky to obtain a position as a paid companion and committed to behaving with the utmost propriety. She definitely shouldn’t be in the arms of a man capable of utterly destroying what little remains of her reputation…

Titus St. John, Duke of Kendal, is known as the Forbidden Duke, a mysterious, intimidating figure who enters Society just once each year at his stepmother’s ball. A decade ago, he was a devil-may-care rake until his idle roguery brought about the ruin of Eleanor Lockhart—and his resulting self-imposed isolation. Now she’s back, and she needs his help. But by “saving” her, he may just ruin her life all over again.


*****
TITLE: The Duke of Daring
SERIES #: The Untouchables #2
CHARACTERS: Lucinda Parnesll & Andrew Wentworth
AUTHOR: Darcy Burke
PUBLICATION DATE: July 5, 2016
ORDER LINKS: Amazon | B&N 

BOOK SYNOPSIS: Miss Lucinda Parnell is out of money, a dismal failure at the Marriage Mart, and she’d just as soon leave Society far behind. Desperate to earn funds to retire with her grandmother to the country, Lucy disguises herself as a man to gamble in London’s hells. But the Earl of Dartford, an Untouchable she never imagined speaking to let alone spending time with, is onto her in a trice. When he insists on joining her, Lucy fears her desire to remain an independent woman is destined to go up on flames.

As a boy, Andrew Wentworth, Earl of Dartford lost his family to illness, leaving him a hollow shell. Obsessed with conquering one adventure after another to fill the bitter holes inside of him, Andrew has set his sights on parachuting. Nothing will stop him from trying to achieve his goal—not the hazard of death and certainly not a woman who’s gotten far too close. Love is the one risk he doesn’t have the heart to dare.

*****

TITLE: The Duke of Deception
SERIES #: The Untouchables #3
CHARACTERS: Aquilla Knox & Edward Bishop
AUTHOR: Darcy Burke
PUBLICATION DATE:
ORDER LINKS: Amazon | B&N 

BOOK SYNOPSIS: After five years on the Marriage Mart, Miss Aquilla Knox is ready for spinsterhood until a benefactress steps in to help her secure a husband. Only Aquilla doesn’t actually want to marry—her failure is entirely on purpose. When the earl she’s nicknamed the Duke of Deception sets his sights on her, she refuses to be drawn in by her attraction to him. If there’s one thing she knows it’s that a gentleman is never what he seems.

Edward Bishop, Earl of Sutton, has a reputation for courting young misses and dropping them without a second thought. This has earned him a reputation for deceit, a description he can’t refute because he does in fact, harbor secrets and will do anything—deceive anyone—to ensure they don’t come to light. As he comes to know the charming Miss Knox, his resolve is tested. However, trust comes at a price and Ned won’t pay with his heart.

*****
TITLE: The Duke of Desire

SERIES #: The Untouchables #4
CHARACTERS: Ivy Breckenridge & Sebastian Westgate
AUTHOR: Darcy Burke
PUBLICATION DATE: March 28, 2017
ORDER LINKS: Amazon | B&N
BOOK SYNOPSIS:
Ten years ago Ivy Breckenridge’s life was ruined. She had to reinvent herself, and now, after painstakingly making her own way in the world, she’s nearly forgotten the dreams of home and family she’d once nurtured. Until one man peers into her soul and awakens every one of her hidden desires. But no matter how good he makes her feel, she can’t trust him-alone by choice is better than alone by necessity. With a notorious reputation for training married women in the art of passion, Sebastian Westgate, Duke of Clare, is reviled by some and celebrated by others. He doesn’t allow anyone close enough to see past his charming exterior. When Ivy uncovers the man beneath, the seducer is suddenly the seduced. Enraptured by her mind and spirit, he wants more but revealing his darkest secrets is a price he won’t pay.

*****

TITLE: The Duke of Defiance
SERIES #: The Untouchables #5
CHARACTERS: JOanna Shaw & Bran Crowther
AUTHOR: Darcy Burke
PUBLICATION DATE: June 27, 2017
ORDER LINKS: Amazon | B&N
BOOK SYNOPSIS:
Difficult and defiant as a child, Bran Crowther, Earl of Knighton left England as a young man to pursue independence and adventure. He never expected to inherit the title and when duty calls him home, he still finds Society’s codes constricting and others’ expectations oppressive. Nevertheless, he needs a wife to be a mother to his young daughter, preferably a woman of intelligence and warmth who is, above all, immune to his idiosyncrasies—and to falling in love.

Widow Joanna Shaw isn’t interested in a second marriage, not after the loveless, passionless union she endured. She’d much rather dote on her young niece and nephew since they will likely be the only children in her life…until she meets a precocious girl, in desperate need of a mother. But her father, the so-called Duke of Defiance, is as peculiar as he is handsome, and Jo won’t take another risk with her heart. Their rules, however, are made to be broken, even when the consequences could destroy them both.

*****
TITLE: The Duke of Danger

SERIES #: The Untouchables #6 
CHARACTERS: Emmaline Townsend & Lionel Maitland

AUTHOR: Darcy Burke
PUBLICATION DATE: September 26, 2017
ORDER LINKS: Amazon | B&N
BOOK SYNOPSIS:
After killing his opponent in a duel, Lionel Maitland, Marquess of Axbridge, is known as the Duke of Danger. Tortured by guilt, he shields himself with a devil-may-care attitude. However, when he kills another man in another duel, he’s beyond redemption, even though it wasn’t his fault. He refuses to smear a dead man’s name, especially when he’s left behind a blameless widow who doesn’t deserve an even bigger scandal.

Widowed and destitute, Lady Emmaline Townsend must marry the man of her parents’ choosing or beg unsympathetic relatives for support. The only way out is to ask for help from the one man she’s sworn to hate, the man who owes her anything she asks, the man who killed her husband. They strike a devil’s bargain in which passion simmers just beneath the surface. But her dead husband’s transgressions come back to haunt them and threaten their chance at love.

*****

TITLE: The Duke of Ice
SERIES #: The Untouchables #7
CHARACTERS: Violet Pendleton & Nicholas Bateman
AUTHOR: Darcy Burke
PUBLICATION DATE: December 26, 2017
ORDER LINKS: Amazon | B&N
BOOK SYNOPSIS:
Everyone Nicholas Bateman ever loved has died. Except Violet Caulfield, which must mean he never loved her. Nine years after she threw him over to marry a viscount, Nick is a widowed duke who prefers isolation. When a friend convinces him to leave his lair of self-imposed solitude, he considers taking another wife, provided she agrees to his terms: no emotional attachment of any kind.

Now widowed, Lady Violet Pendleton hopes for a second chance with the man she’s always loved. But she isn’t prepared for the desolation in his soul or the animosity he still bears toward her. Despite those obstacles, it’s clear their passion hasn’t dimmed. However, the heat between them isn’t enough to melt the Duke of Ice, and this time Violet may find herself the jilted party. Can love, once so tragically lost, finally be found?

*****
TITLE: The Duke of Ruin
SERIES #: The Untouchables #8 
CHARACTERS: Diana Kingman & Simon Hastings
AUTHOR: Darcy Burke
PUBLICATION DATE: March 27, 2018
ORDER LINKS: Amazon | B&N
BOOK SYNOPSIS:
With her betrothal to a duke in tatters and scandal imminent, Diana Kingman has two choices: live in certain ignominy or flee into obscurity. Diana wants solitude. She never wished to wed in the first place. However, her father will stop at nothing to betroth her to one of the finest titles in the realm…no matter how loathsome the bearer. Escape is Diana’s only option, and she’ll pay any price to achieve freedom.

Universally blamed for the death of his wife and unborn child, Simon Hastings doesn’t dispute his guilt over an accident he cannot even remember. He hasn’t had a drink since, nor a moment’s peace. Determined to be a better man, Simon rescues a young woman in need—only to be accused of kidnapping. They must marry to save him from prison. But how can a man haunted by the love he lost and a woman afraid to get too close find happiness together?

*****

TITLE: The Duke of Lies
SERIES #: The Untouchables #9
CHARACTERS: Verity Beaumont & Rufus Beaumant
AUTHOR: Darcy Burke
PUBLICATION DATE: March 29, 2018
ORDER LINKS: Amazon | B&N
BOOK SYNOPSIS:
Verity Beaumont has suffered domineering men most of her life, first with her father and then with her husband. Free from both men, she has finally found peace. Even meeting a kind and hard-working gentleman who just might be the perfect father her young son so desperately needs. But as she dares look to the future, her carefully ordered world is shattered when her dead husband returns.

Imprisoned in America during the war, Rufus Beaumont, Duke of Blackburn, wants nothing more than to return to his native England. He longs for comfort and safety away from the horrors of battle, only the life he returns to is not the life he left. He must convince his wife that their marriage is worth fighting for, that he’s not the man he was. But when the truth about what happened to him leaks out, he must prove that not everything about him, especially his love for her, is a lie

*****
TITLE: The Duke of Seduction
SERIES #: The Untouchables #10
CHARACTERS: Lavinia Gillingham & William Beckett
AUTHOR: Darcy Burke
PUBLICATION DATE: August 21, 2018
ORDER LINKS: Amazon | B&N
BOOK SYNOPSIS:
Lady Lavinia Gillingham prefers rocks and dirt to marriage. Her passion is science, and she’s determined to marry if—and only if—she finds a man who supports her interests and intellect. So far, she’s managed to avoid attention on the Marriage Mart, but when the Duke of Seduction pens anonymous letters singing her praises, she suddenly become the toast of the ton and matrimony seems imminent.

William Beckett, Marquess of Northam possesses the reputation of a rake, but is secretly a romantic. Spurned at sixteen, he doesn’t expect to feel the sting of Cupid’s bow a second time, and yet he’s able to woo the coldest of hearts with the anonymous words he publishes. As the Duke of Seduction, he uses his skill to help Lavinia, never anticipating she has no desire for assistance. While Lavinia is pursued by several suitors, Beck is the one who is seduced when he learns that love can strike twice.

*****

TITLE: The Duke of Kisses
SERIES #: The Untouchables #11
CHARACTERS: Frances Snowden & David Langley
AUTHOR: Darcy Burke
PUBLICATION DATE: November 27, 2018
ORDER LINKS: Amazon | B&N
BOOK SYNOPSIS:
Frances Snowden can hardly believe her good fortune when she’s whisked away from her boring life by her sister who is now a duchess. Instead of becoming the third wife of her parents’ stuffy neighbor, she can be anything she wants: a doting aunt to her newborn niece, a debutante in London, or even an independent spinster. But when she meets and kisses a mysterious man on a walk in the countryside, she knows exactly what she desires—him.

David Langley, Earl of St. Ives, is resigned to marrying the dull woman his parents chose when he was a child. His future is suddenly, and happily, diverted when he encounters a captivating young woman who shows him everything he’s been missing. Ready to embark on a blissful life together, a long-buried feud between their families makes their marriage impossible. Nothing is more important than duty and family, but can he turn his back on love?

*****
TITLE: The Duke of Distraction

SERIES #: The Untouchables #12
CHARACTERS: Sarah Colton & Felix Havers
AUTHOR: Darcy Burke
PUBLICATION DATE: February 26, 2019
ORDER LINKS: Amazon | B&N
BOOK SYNOPSIS:
After witnessing how love embittered his uncle and broke his father, Felix Havers, Earl of Ware vows never to love. He conceals his emotions behind a wall of wit and charm, and is celebrated as the master of entertainment—parties, picnics, races. When his best friend’s wallflower sister needs to find a husband, he promises to make her the toast of London… without losing his heart.

Miss Sarah Colton has given up on the pursuit of marriage. When her parents learn she intends to open a millinery shop, they give her an ultimatum: choose a husband or they’ll do it for her. She accepts Felix’s help, never imagining their scheme will ignite a mutual attraction neither of them dare indulge. But when tragedy strikes, can they heal each other or will the demons of Felix’s past consume them both?

 

 

 

About the author:
Darcy Burke is the USA Today Bestselling Author of sexy, emotional historical and contemporary romance. Darcy wrote her first book at age 11, a happily ever after about a swan addicted to magic and the female swan who loved him, with exceedingly poor illustrations. Join her Reader Group at https://www.darcyburke.com/join-my-reader-group/. A native Oregonian, Darcy lives on the edge of wine country with her guitar-strumming husband, their two hilarious kids who seem to have inherited the writing gene, two Bengal cats and a third cat named after a fruit.

Learn more about Darcy here: Facebook Page | Darcy’s Duchesses Historical Group | Burke’s Book Lovers Contemporary Group | Twitter | Instagram| Pinterest | Goodreads | Contemporary Crushes (Facebook Group) | BookBub

 

 

 

*****

Spotlight feature: Dakota Cassidy’s You Dropped a Blonde Me

TITLE: You Dropped a Blonde on Me
SERIES #: Ex-Trophy Wives Club #1
CHARACTERS: Maxine Cambridge & Campbell Barker
AUTHOR: Dakota Cassidy
PUBLICATION DATE: January 31, 2020
PREORDER LINKS: Amazon 
BOOK SYNOPSIS:
Dear readers, PLEASE NOTE, this book and the subsequent series was previously published in 2010 by Berkley Publishing. The series has new covers with some some minimal changes and revisions. Essentially, there have been no significant changes. Please take care before mistakenly purchasing twice.

From pampered to pauper…

Maxine Cambridge, former high school beauty queen turned trophy wife, has officially been traded in for a newer, younger model. From a mini-mansion to her mother’s eight hundred square foot retirement village, Maxine and her teenage son Connor are left with nothing and life is looking pretty bleak for this one-time rich girl.

Maxine hasn’t worked in twenty years at being anything more than her very rich, very-soon-to-be-ex-husband’s eye candy and a stay-at-home-mom. She doesn’t know the first thing about making a livable income, but she’s going to find out as she scoops poop and hosts bingo night at her mother’s village.

In the midst of fighting her mad insecurities, getting her footing while wearing her mother’s hand me downs, and desperately looking for a way to support herself and her son, in walks Campbell Barker–former high school classmate–a one-time geek turned total smoke show.

Campbell gives her glimpses of who she used to be before she became someone’s dress up doll. Before she lived in a world that revolved around someone else’s opinion of her and he refuses to believe she’s no longer the vivacious, smart girl he once had a major crush on.

But the harder she fights the notion that the old Max is gone, the more she finds herself again and now she’s ready to take back what was once hers and fight for her new life!

 

 

Watch for our features of Burning Down the Spouse (bk2) and Waltz this Way (bk3) in the Ex-Trophy Wives series.

About Dakota:

Dakota Cassidy lives for a good laugh in life and in her writing.  In fact, she almost loves a good giggle as much as she loves hair products and that’s saying something.

Her goals in life are simple, (like really simple): banish the color yellow forever, create world peace via hot rollers and Aqua Net; and finally, nab every tiara in the land by competing in the Miss USA, Miss Universe, and Miss World pageants, then sweeping them in a stunning trifecta of much duct tape and Vaseline usage, all in just under one week. Oh, and write really fun books!

Dakota lives in Oregon with her dogs and has a husband who puts the heroes in her books to shame.

Learn more about Dakota and her books here: Website FacebookTwitter Goodreads

Kimberly reviews Old Bones by Preston & Child

old bonesTITLE: Old Bones
SERIES #: Nora Kelly #1
CHARACTERS: Nora Kelly
AUTHOR: Douglas Preston & Lincoln Child
PUBLICATION DATE: 08/20/19
ORDER LINKS: Amazon | B&N

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
The first in the groundbreaking Nora Kelly series from #1 bestselling authors Preston & Child blends the legend of the Donner party with a riveting suspense tale, taking the dynamic duo’s work to new heights.

Nora Kelly, a young but successful curator with a series of important excavations already under her belt, is approached by the handsome Historian, Guy Porter, to lead an expedition unlike any other. Guy tells his story–one involving the ill-fated Donner Party, who became permanently lodged in the American consciousness in the winter of 1847, when the first skeletonized survivors of the party stumbled out of the California mountains, replete with tales of courage, resourcefulness, bad luck, murder, barbarism–and, finally, starvation and cannibalism.

Captivated by the Donner Party, Nora agrees and they venture into the Sierra Nevada in search of the camp. Quickly, they learn that the discovery of the missing starvation camp is just the tip of the iceberg–and that the real truth behind those long-dead pioneers is not only far more complex and surprising than they could have imagined…but it is one that puts them both in mortal danger from a very real, present-day threat in which the search for the lost party, and its fabled fortune in gold, are merely means to a horrifying end.

REVIEW:
4.25 Hearts As a fan of the Pendergast series by Preston/Child I was looking forward to starting this new series. And it doesn’t hurt that I lived in the Sierra Nevada mountains and frequently visited Donner and knew the story of the Donner Party well. But then on the other side I was worried because of being close to the story I wasn’t sure they wouldn’t get facts and lore correct. But I should not have worried.

Preston/Child are two authors that team up to write their stories and somehow it works. The flow they have together is incredible. I am not quite sure of their collaboration techniques but it is one of the best.

In this new series we meet Nora Kelly, who is a character brought over from the Pendergast series. But you do not have to have read the old series to pick up the new one. There is also FBI agent Swanson.

The two meet as Nora is looking for a possibly hidden camp and Swanson is looking for treasure hunters on government land.

I really enjoyed this story and I am thrilled that Preston/Child have started a new series but I do hope that they haven’t stopped with Pendergast because there is never enough of him.

Disclaimer:
I received a complimentary copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

4 Hearts
4 Hearts

Release Day Blitz: The Wedding Date by Jasmine Guillory

wedding dateTITLE: The Wedding Date
CHARACTERS: Drew Nichols & Alexa Monroe
AUTHOR: Jasmine Guillory
PUBLICATION DATE: January 30, 2018
ORDER LINKS: Amazon | B&N

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
A groomsman and his last-minute guest are about to discover if a fake date can go the distance in a fun and flirty debut novel.

Agreeing to go to a wedding with a guy she gets stuck with in an elevator is something Alexa Monroe wouldn’t normally do. But there’s something about Drew Nichols that’s too hard to resist.

On the eve of his ex’s wedding festivities, Drew is minus a plus one. Until a power outage strands him with the perfect candidate for a fake girlfriend…

After Alexa and Drew have more fun than they ever thought possible, Drew has to fly back to Los Angeles and his job as a pediatric surgeon, and Alexa heads home to Berkeley, where she’s the mayor’s chief of staff. Too bad they can’t stop thinking about the other…

They’re just two high-powered professionals on a collision course toward the long distance dating disaster of the century–or closing the gap between what they think they need and what they truly want.

My review

Excerpt

Alexa danced with Lauren, letting the movement and the laughter shake away her annoying thoughts. When she felt a hand on her waist, she turned to see Drew behind her and laughed again, at how ridiculous the evening had been and how much fun she was suddenly having. He took ahold of one of her hands and swung her around to face him and laughed back down at her. Other members of the wedding party joined their group and danced with and around them, but song after song came on, and he never moved from her side.

“Water?” he said in her ear after they’d been on the dance floor for a long time.

“Yes, please.” She walked with him over to the bar.

She glanced up at the ornate clock over the bar, surprised at how late it had gotten. And how much she didn’t want this night to end. Damn it, it had been fun to be Drew’s fake girlfriend, but she knew that once the clock struck midnight, so to speak, the fairy tale would be all over.

He leaned against the bar, his jacket off, his bow tie untied, a little sweaty and disheveled from dancing. Good Lord, this guy was hot.

He rolled up his sleeves, exposing his tan forearms. She wanted to run her fingers up and down them and feel how warm and strong they were.

She needed to stop letting her imagination run away with her.

“Um,” she said. “It’s getting late, and if I want to make the last BART train back to the East Bay, I should probably leave pretty soon.”

Why had she said that? Why, when she was standing next to a hot guy, basically panting over him? If she was Maddie, hell, if she was Amy, she would have grabbed one of those hot forearms and wrapped it around her body, letting him know what she wanted without having to say anything. Sadly, she was Alexa, so she would flee instead.

He put his water bottle down and looked at her.

“Okay.”

“Okay,” she said. Olivia and Maddie would get mad at her for not throwing herself at him, but they didn’t understand that she just didn’t know how. Plus, rejection from this guy was the last thing her self-esteem needed. Talk about the opposite of getting back on the horse; that would make her avoid horses, and stables, and all farm animals for another few years. So to speak.

He stepped closer to her and put his hand on her waist. Her hand landed on his arm, and, without even meaning to, she ran her fingers up and down. Oh God, touching him like this was as good as she’d thought it would be.

“Or”—he looked straight down into her eyes—“you could stay.”

A question was in his eyes, and a smile hovered over his lips. His thumb drew slow circles on her hip and then moved up her side to her ribs. His other hand moved up to her face and traced the outline of her lips with his fingers.

She shivered.

He waited.

“Or,” she said, “I could stay.”

TheWeddingDate_banner

 

Jasmine Guillory headshot_photo credit Andrea ScherABOUT Jasmine Guillory is a graduate of Wellesley College and Stanford Law School. She is a Bay Area native who has towering stacks of books in her living room, a cake recipe for every occasion, and upwards of 50 lipsticks.

As well as writing books, Jasmine sometimes writes about books, pop-culture, and food, some of her favorite things. Here are some of her recent pieces:

– Words With Friends
– The 33 Best Romantic Comedies of All Time
– If Michelle Obama Were Your Girlfriend
– If Nigella Lawson Were Your Girlfriend
– What to Do When ICE Raids Your Restaurant
– If Lupita Nyong’o Were Your Girlfriend
– If Barack Obama Were Your Dad

 

Spotlight feature of Amanda Bouchet’s Breath of Fire + a giveaway

We are super excited to host Amanda today. I (Kelly) fell in love with world.  I love Cat, Griffin, Carver, Flynn & Kato.  I can not wait to dive into the second book in this series.  But until then here is a note to readers of The Kingmaker Chronicles.

Breath of Fire comes out on January 3rd and I couldn’t be more excited about it! I hope that readers who met Cat and Griffin and followed their exploits in A Promise of Fire will be looking forward to this second installment in The Kingmaker Chronicles, and I hope that new readers will be interested in giving this fantasy romance trilogy a try. The story picks up right where A Promise of Fire left off and with a shocking moment of truth: Cat’s secrets are finally revealed to all. But with the cat out of the bag (pun definitely intended!), important plans can now form to move Thalyria toward unification under Cat and Griffin’s joint rule—plans that will certainly keep Beta Team on their toes. But while Cat’s violent past and lingering self-doubt still haunt her on a deep level, Griffin won’t let her back down from the fate she’d love to avoid. As Griffin propels her toward her inevitable destiny and Cat tries to come to terms with the prophecy that’s haunted her for eight years, readers can expect plenty of adventure and danger, more of Cat’s smart-mouthed humor, exciting Beta Team moments, and a romance that heats up to positively scorching levels. Friendships solidify into unshakable bonds, and perilous quests lead the members of Beta Team into uncharted territory where monsters, magic, and mayhem abound. With Breath of Fire, I hope that readers get swept away and caught up in the emotion and adventure as Cat and Griffin try to navigate their developing and intensely passionate relationship while also taking on the daunting and dangerous task of conquering the world. But most of all, I hope you simply enjoy the book!

kingmaker-chronicles_-beta-team-hunks-1

 

******

Breath of Fire

Series: The Kingmaker Chronicles, #2

cvr-breath-of-fire_-sourcebooks-casablanca

 

ISBN: 9781492626046
Pubdate: January 3, 2017
Genre: Fantasy Romance

Amazon | AudibleB&N |

SHE’S DESTINED TO DESTROY THE WORLD…
BUT NOT IF SHE CAN HELP IT
 

Cat” Catalia Fisa has been running from her destiny since she could crawl. But now, her newfound loved ones are caught between the shadow of Cat’s tortured past and the threat of her world-shattering future. So what’s a warrior queen to do when she knows it’s her fate to be the harbinger of doom? Everything in her power.

Griffin knows Cat is destined to change the world—for the better. As the realms are descending into all-out war, Cat and Griffin risk sacrificing everything they’ve fought for. Gods willing, they will emerge side-by-side in the heart of their future kingdom…or die trying.

Excerpt: 

We assemble in the Athena courtyard after breakfast on the fourth day. Griffin and I are already mounted, but the rest of Beta Team—Kato, Flynn, and Carver—are still finishing their good-byes, strapping on the last of their gear, and readying their horses. If I’m not mistaken, Flynn is moving slowly because he keeps shooting discreet glances toward Jocasta from under lowered auburn brows. Carver, his long, leggy gait slower than usual, only just left his family under the shaded arcades that band the castle’s ground floor like an ornate, marble ribbon. And Kato, all blond hair, blue eyes, and corded muscle, moves with casual purpose and lionesque indolence—unhurried in his stride but powerful and inherently ready for action. Despite the stakes of the journey, none of them seems to feel any real urgency to leave.

I don’t like lingering over farewells, and their lagging makes me feel like I have ants in my pants. It’s all I can do not to start hopping in the saddle. Panotii is champing at the bit, and so am I. He prances sideways and bumps into Brown Horse. Brown Horse doesn’t move an inch and regards us with calm, intelligent eyes. He’s so much like his rider that I almost laugh.

Unable to hold back a smile, I drink in Griffin with my eyes. Actually, I look at Griffin all the time. I think about him even more, and every time I do, it’s like a wild kick of adrenaline straight to the heart. It’s distracting. He’s distracting.

A tingling warmth spreads beneath my skin. “I can’t wait to gallop.” I haven’t been outside the city walls since Ios. Panotii and I need to stretch our legs, see for miles, and feel the wind in our faces. It’s good for a horse. For a person who’s been confined to a cage, it’s cathartic. Castle Sinta and its grounds may be big, beautiful, and full of Griffin, but in some ways, it’s still a cage. Real freedom is answering to only yourself, and being responsible for no one. Since that’s a moral vacuum, none but the truly wicked are ever truly free.

That must be how Mother feels—free.

Panotii keeps dancing, and I stroke his sleek, chestnut neck, trying to soothe him. “Panotii wants to run, too.”

“You’ll burn yourselves out.” Griffin’s silver-hued eyes hold a hint of warning. “And you’ll burn us out chasing you. We have a long way to go.”

I make a sour face. “Did I ever tell you I detest the voice of reason?”

“Did I ever tell you you’re adorable when you’re riled up?”

I scowl. “I’m never adorable.”

“You’re right,” he says mock-seriously. “You’re very scary. Especially with that curl bouncing over your cheek.”

I shove the stupid curl behind my ear. My wavy hair is turning even more unruly with the approach of the rainy season. It’s overcast for the first time in weeks, and I can smell the moisture in the air, somehow both sultry and refreshing, as if a cloud were about to burst over the scorched land, but the Gods aren’t quite ready to stick a dagger in it yet. My hair doesn’t know the difference. Anything too short to stay firmly in my braid is now springing out with gusto and frizzing all around my head.

Out of habit, I check my knives. My old set hangs from multiple belt loops. My new set is secured to flat, leather straps circling my thighs. My sword is on my back in a sling Griffin had fashioned for me along with the thick boar’s hide armor that hugs my upper body from shoulders to waist in a sleeveless, close-fitting shell. A direct hit will pierce the leather, but it’ll provide protection from slices or glancing blows, as will the new vambraces on my forearms.

I told Griffin I’d be too hot and confined, which I am, but he insisted in that steady, intractable voice of his that if I want to ride with warriors, I’d better have the equipment.

He knows I’ve been fighting without any of this since before I could walk, but I humored him because I love him. Apparently, that’s how couples work. Compromise. Gah! Now there’s so much metal and leather weighing me down that I almost couldn’t get on my horse.

 

*****

bouchet1_headshot_color_photo-credit_richard-beban_2015Award-winning author Amanda Bouchet grew up in New England and studied French at the undergraduate and graduate levels, first at Bowdoin College and then at Bowling Green State University. She moved to Paris, France in 2001 and has been there ever since. She met her husband while studying abroad, and the family now includes two bilingual children, who will soon be correcting her French.

Learn more about Amanda here: Website Facebook | Twitter: @AuthorABouchet | Goodreads 

To Buy: http://www.amandabouchet.com/breath-of-fire.php

*****

Win one of ten copies of A Promise of Fire by Amanda Bouchet, the first book in her The Kingmaker Chronicles series, plus a signed bookplate!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Spotlight feature of The Hero by Donna Grant

the-hero-blogger-banner-851x315

 

the-hero

Buy Links: Amazon | Kindle B&NNook  | Audible  | BAMIndieBound iBooksKobo

THE HERO’S HOMECOMING

Owen Loughman is a highly-decorated Navy SEAL who has a thirst for action. But there’s one thing he hasn’t been able to forget – his high school sweetheart, Natalie. After over a decade away, Owen is returned home to the ranch in Texas for a dangerous new mission that puts him face-to-face with Natalie and an outside menace that threatens everything he holds dear. He’ll risk it all to keep Natalie safe – and win her heart. . . .

Natalie Dixon has had a lifetime of heartache since Owen was deployed. Fourteen years and one bad marriage later, she finds herself mixed up with the Loughman’s again. With her life on the line against an enemy she can’t fight alone, it’s Owen’s strong shoulders, smoldering eyes, and sensuous smile that she turns to. When danger closes in, she holds close to the only man she’s ever loved…

Make sure to check out Kelly’s review HERE

Add THE HERO to your Goodreads  list.

Excerpt: 

Excitement or dread? She wasn’t sure she knew.

This wasn’t the first time she’d been on the ranch since her breakup with Owen. In fact, she’d been there several times since discovering Ragnarok, but this time was different.

This time, Owen could be there.

“I’m close,” Callie said.

The line disconnected. Natalie didn’t see the black fence that lined either side of the drive, or the cows and horses that grazed peacefully.

Her gaze was locked on the white house that drew closer with each second. By the time she parked in front of the two- story ranch home with its wide, wrap- around porch, all she could think about was the dinner she’d had the week before with Callie, Virgil, and Charlotte.

She put the car in park and glanced around. There was no sign that anyone else was there. Since she expected someone to come out at the sound of her car, she assumed Owen and his brothers hadn’t yet made it to the house.

Or perhaps, luck was on her side, and those choppers hadn’t been bringing the brothers.

She got out of her car, but it was more difficult than she imagined making herself go up the steps to the porch. She might be involved in all of this, but she’d never witnessed a murder scene firsthand.

Frankly, she didn’t want to.

But Orrin’s life was on the line. Everything she and Callie could discover only helped their chances of learning who took Orrin and where Ragnarok was.

She reached the front door. At least she wouldn’t have to see Virgil’s and Charlotte’s bodies. They had already been taken away.

That was her last thought as she walked through the doorway and found herself fl at on her back. Natalie knew the instant the large hands grabbed her that it was Owen.

Her heart skipped a beat, even as she instinctively reacted and used her momentum to pull Owen over her head. She got up, but in the next heartbeat, he had her pinned to the wall.

The heat of him was the first thing she felt. Then it was his hard body trapping her. She felt herself softening, needing to feel him after all these years.

She thought he would threaten her. Instead, he knocked off her cap. His dark brown eyes widened in shock.

How she wished her heart didn’t feel like it was about to explode out of her chest. He was . . . breathtaking. She drank in the very sight of him. Sharp, chiseled features that looked as if they had been fashioned from granite stared back at her. Gone was any hint of the teenager she’d known. Before her stood a man in all his masculine glory.

He’d always been tall, his muscles honed at an early age from working on the ranch. Now, however, Owen filled out his wide shoulders. His light tan tee stretched tightly across his chest, molding to every ripple of muscle in his arms and shoulders. The shirt was tucked into camo pants she imagined were for the desert by their sand and khaki color. His hair was longer, the dark strands shoved away from his face in long waves.

Her surprise at having Owen against her was quickly hidden. Out of the corner of her eye, she spotted two more figures. How she wished she would’ve waited for Callie.

“Hi, boys,” Natalie said. It was the only thing she could think of. Owen frowned, the irritation clear in his sensual chocolate gaze. “What the hell are you doing here?”

“She’s looking for me.”

At the sound of Callie’s voice, most of the apprehension left Natalie. Now she wouldn’t have to face the Loughman men on her own.

She barely paid attention to anything going on around her. She was too intent on staring into Owen’s eyes. It was obvious that he was irritated to find her there, but he had yet to release her.

And she didn’t remind him of that fact.

Her allowing him to keep her pinned was an indication of how long it had taken her to get over him. And how she hated herself for it. After all she’d suffered, she should be shoving him away.

Her body had other ideas, however. With her blood burning through her and her nipples hard, she ached for his touch.

Yearned for it.

His eyes dropped to her mouth. Her breath hitched, caught in her throat. Yes! She wanted his kiss. It didn’t matter where they were or who was around.

Dimly, she heard Callie and Wyatt talking. Much to her annoyance, Owen released her. She was more hurt than she wanted to admit.

Perhaps it was for the best. She’d sworn off all men. Especially Owen. She quickly moved to stand beside Callie.

“Someone please tell us what’s going on?” Owen demanded. Callie shrugged. “I work here.”

Natalie looked at Owen and said, “I came to help.”

Owen’s breath locked in his lungs as he stared at Natalie’s long, brown hair streaked with strands of copper.

He wanted those deep green eyes of hers to land on him again, to fill with desire . . . again.

She was even more beautiful than he remembered.

The years had transformed her into a seductress who left him breathless and needy.

The girl had become a woman, and what a woman she was. He knew the weight of her breast in his hand, knew how it felt to sink into her body and hear her scream in pleasure.

And yet, the woman before him now held a hint of wariness that hadn’t been there before. What happened to her to take away that lighthearted girl he once knew?

Copyright © 2016 by Donna Grant and reprinted by permission of St. Martin’s Paperbacks.

 

The Sons of Texas Series

the-protector

 

Add book 2 The Protector to your Goodreads list.
Amazon | Kindle | B&N Nook | BAMiBooksIndieBound KoboPowells Tantor Audio

EVERYTHING’S HOTTER IN TEXAS
When Marine Force Recon captain Cullen Loughman learns that his father’s been kidnapped, he will do whatever it takes to find him. In order to achieve his mission, Cullen will need to team up with the best of the best—someone who just happens to be the most stunning woman he’s ever laid eyes on…

This isn’t the first rodeo for ex—Air Force pilot Mia Carter. Still, Cullen’s bad-boy good looks and charm are distracting her from duty. . .and it appears that the feeling is mutual. As Mia and Cullen make their descent into a dark, dangerous world, their attraction reaches the boiling point. But is their desire worth the risk when a ruthless enemy is waiting in the wings—or will their Lone Star love conquer all?

If you pre-order THE PROTECTOR you will receive a bonus scene that features Owen and Natalie from THE HERO. The scene will NOT be shared anywhere else. It will be exclusive to those who pre-order THE PROTECTOR and fill out this form:

Pre-order form to THE PROTECTOR: http://bit.ly/TheProtectorPO

 

AUTHOR CHAT:

twitter-chat-donna-the-hero

For those hosting before Dec. 9th, please include Donna’s Author Chat as part of your post. All the information is included below.
Date: Thurs., 12/1/2016

Time: 7pm CST / 8pm EST
Link to the FB Event is https://www.facebook.com/events/267169100347430

Hash Tag: #TheHeroDG

 

donna_grant_newAuthor’s Bio & Picture:
New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Donna Grant has been praised for her “totally addictive” and “unique and sensual” stories. Her latest acclaimed series, Dark Kings, features a thrilling combination of dragons, Fae, and immortal Highlanders who are dark, dangerous, and irresistible. She lives with her two children and an assortment of animals in Texas.

Author Links:

Website:  http://www.donnagrant.com/

FB Author Page: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorDonnaGrant

Twitter: https://twitter.com/donna_grant

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/1141209.Donna_Grant

Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/donnagrant1/
Tumblr: http://donnagrantauthor.tumblr.com/

Audible: http://www.audible.com/search/ref=a_search_c4_1_2_1_srAuth?searchAuthor=Donna+Grant&qid=1432841454&sr=1-2

Tantor: https://tantor.com/catalogsearch/result/?q=donna+grant