Title: Taking the Reins
Series: The Rosewoods Book 1
Author: Katrina Abbott
Genre: Young Adult
Pages: 208
Price: FREE
Thoughts: Fast-paced and interesting!
Book Synopsis:
Brooklyn Prescott (if that’s even her real name) is the new girl at The
Rosewood Academy for Academic Excellence, now that she’s moved back to
the States after two years living in London. Rosewood, a boarding school
for children of the rich and famous and known for its celebutantes, is
missing just one element important to any junior’s education: boys. But
luckily for Brooklyn, and the rest of the Rosewood girls, there’s a
boys’ boarding school, The Westwood Academy, just a few miles away.
On her very first day, Brooklyn meets Will, a gorgeous and flirty
boy on campus to help with move in. But is he who she thinks he is? And
what about Brady, the cute stable boy? Or Jared, the former child actor
with his grown-up good looks who can always make her laugh? As Brooklyn
settles in at Rosewood, she’s faced with new friends, new challenges
and new opportunities to make herself into the girl she always wanted to
be. Whoever that might be.
Taking The Reins is the first installment of The Rosewoods, an
exciting new Young Adult series for readers who love fun, flirty love
stories.
Review:
I'll admit that I mostly stick to fantasy when I read YA books, but I really enjoyed this one. Katrina Abbott has created an interesting storyline with great characters. This book was a fast-paced read and I can't wait to read the next one.
Wednesday, December 31, 2014
Raleigh Point - Rescue by Victoria Sue Review
Title: Raleigh Point - Rescue
Author: Victoria Sue
Genre: Erotic Paranormal Romance
Pages: 167
Price: $4.99
Thoughts: Unique and sexy!
Book Synopsis:
Lisa was wicked.
Wicked and damaged. She’s spent half her twenty years locked away in a psychiatric facility because her uncontrollable alpha rages are inexplicable in a human world. Orphaned when she was a baby, she doesn’t even know what she is. All she knows is what they’ve always told her.
Wicked.
Mac helps his family run Raleigh Point, a group foster home for abused or abandoned shifter babies and children. Beyond taking on an occasional tracking job for the FBI, he never worries about much. He likes to play hard, usually with an attractive woman. Never too much responsibility. Life is good.
When Mac rescues Lisa from that grimy god-forsaken excuse for a hospital, he realizes life has to change. Lisa, drugged and damaged, is his mate.
With Lisa’s problems only just beginning, can Mac also rescue her from a crazed rogue alpha intent on making her his queen?
Review:
WOW! What a unique, sexy, and enjoyable read. As someone that loves paranormal romance, I thought all the unique storylines had been done, but boy was I wrong! Raleigh Point - Rescue is unlike anything I've ever read. If you love Para Rom, grab this book!
Author: Victoria Sue
Genre: Erotic Paranormal Romance
Pages: 167
Price: $4.99
Thoughts: Unique and sexy!
Book Synopsis:
Lisa was wicked.
Wicked and damaged. She’s spent half her twenty years locked away in a psychiatric facility because her uncontrollable alpha rages are inexplicable in a human world. Orphaned when she was a baby, she doesn’t even know what she is. All she knows is what they’ve always told her.
Wicked.
Mac helps his family run Raleigh Point, a group foster home for abused or abandoned shifter babies and children. Beyond taking on an occasional tracking job for the FBI, he never worries about much. He likes to play hard, usually with an attractive woman. Never too much responsibility. Life is good.
When Mac rescues Lisa from that grimy god-forsaken excuse for a hospital, he realizes life has to change. Lisa, drugged and damaged, is his mate.
With Lisa’s problems only just beginning, can Mac also rescue her from a crazed rogue alpha intent on making her his queen?
Review:
WOW! What a unique, sexy, and enjoyable read. As someone that loves paranormal romance, I thought all the unique storylines had been done, but boy was I wrong! Raleigh Point - Rescue is unlike anything I've ever read. If you love Para Rom, grab this book!
My Despicable Ex - Part 1 (The Ashly Roberts Saga) by Sierra Rose Review
Title: My Despicable Ex - Part 1
Series: The Ashly Roberts Saga
Author: Sierra Rose
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Pages: 177
Price: FREE
Thoughts: Can't wait to read part two!
Book Synopsis:
WARNING:
****This is part one and all your questions won't be answered without purchasing part 2.***
She thinks he’s despicable. He wants her back…with a vengeance.
BOOK TRAILER: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pZ8m9f7JDzk
Short blurb: A woman must travel around the globe with her despicable ex in order to get her hands on her inheritance.
Longer blurb: Ashly Roberts and Jake Connors are barely twenty when they decide to take the proverbial plunge and walk down the aisle to exchange vows in front of the dearly beloved. Basking in bridal bliss, Ashly feels she is living the perfect fairytale, until she’s faced with a runaway groom, dumped at the altar by bad-boy fiancĂ©, Jake Connors.
Five years later, Jake steps back into her life…
He realizes that being a no-show for their nuptials was the worst mistake of his life. A little older and more mature, he is ready to fight for Ashly’s love once again. When Ashly sees him, she can’t deny the attraction she feels, but her hormones are overruled by the horror of what he did to her in the past. Nevertheless, Jake’s most potent weapon, those dazzling baby blues, ignites a spark in Ashly, no matter how angry she wants to be. She cannot deny the spark, and she only hopes the inferno it ignites will not consume her heart again.
*This is a two book series* (All of your answers won't be answered in book 1)
Review:
A really good read with a cliffhanger ending. I can see how some readers would be irked, but I really enjoyed the story and will be picking up a copy of book two. After all, I have to find out what happens next!
Series: The Ashly Roberts Saga
Author: Sierra Rose
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Pages: 177
Price: FREE
Thoughts: Can't wait to read part two!
Book Synopsis:
WARNING:
****This is part one and all your questions won't be answered without purchasing part 2.***
She thinks he’s despicable. He wants her back…with a vengeance.
BOOK TRAILER: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pZ8m9f7JDzk
Short blurb: A woman must travel around the globe with her despicable ex in order to get her hands on her inheritance.
Longer blurb: Ashly Roberts and Jake Connors are barely twenty when they decide to take the proverbial plunge and walk down the aisle to exchange vows in front of the dearly beloved. Basking in bridal bliss, Ashly feels she is living the perfect fairytale, until she’s faced with a runaway groom, dumped at the altar by bad-boy fiancĂ©, Jake Connors.
Five years later, Jake steps back into her life…
He realizes that being a no-show for their nuptials was the worst mistake of his life. A little older and more mature, he is ready to fight for Ashly’s love once again. When Ashly sees him, she can’t deny the attraction she feels, but her hormones are overruled by the horror of what he did to her in the past. Nevertheless, Jake’s most potent weapon, those dazzling baby blues, ignites a spark in Ashly, no matter how angry she wants to be. She cannot deny the spark, and she only hopes the inferno it ignites will not consume her heart again.
*This is a two book series* (All of your answers won't be answered in book 1)
Review:
A really good read with a cliffhanger ending. I can see how some readers would be irked, but I really enjoyed the story and will be picking up a copy of book two. After all, I have to find out what happens next!
The Kidnapped Christmas Bride by Jane Porter Excerpt
The Kidnapped Christmas Bride (Taming of the Sheenans Book 3) by Jane Porter
$0.99 or FREE for Prime Members
All he wants is a Christmas memory...
Trey Sheenan has cultivated his reputation as Marietta’s resident bad boy, until one day he lets things go too far and he loses everything—his freedom, his fiance McKenna Douglas, and his infant son.
McKenna has loved Trey since they were kids, but she’s had enough. When Trey is sent away for five years, McKenna is determined to do what’s right for her and baby TJ, which means putting her mistakes—namely Trey—behind her, and move on.
When Trey is released early, he returns to Marietta determined to beg McKenna’s forgiveness and become the father TJ needs him to be, only to discover that he’s too late. McKenna’s marrying local insurance agent Lawrence Joplin in a candlelight Christmas wedding.
Or is she?
Once again, Trey risks everything, but this time it’s for love….and the memory of one perfect Christmas together as a family.
Taming of the Sheenan series
Book 1: Christmas at Copper Mountain
Book 2: Tycoon's Kiss
Book 3: The Kidnapped Christmas Bride
Excerpt:
It was quiet in the truck.
The kind of quiet that made Trey know trouble was brewing. And if anyone knew trouble, it was he, Trey Sheenan, voted least likely to succeed (at anything legal, moral, or responsible) his senior year at Marietta High.
At eighteen, he’d been proud of his reputation. It’d been hard earned, with rides in the back of sheriff’s cars, visits to court, trips to juvenile hall, and later, extended stays at Montana’s delightful Pine Hills, where bad boys were sent to be sorted out. Reformed.
It hadn’t worked.
Trey Sheenan was so bad there was no sorting him out. Maybe back then he hadn’t wanted to be sorted out, and so he’d continued his wild ways, elevating trouble to an art form, growing from a hot-headed teenager with zero self-control, to a hot-headed man with questionable self-control.
Now at thirty-five, after four years in Montana’s correctional system, he was tired of trouble and sick of his reputation.
Just hours ago he’d been paroled, a whole year early. It’d come as a shock when the warden came to him early this morning, letting him know that he was being released today. Trey knew his brothers had been working on getting him released early for good behavior, as Trey had become a model inmate (at least after the first year), and the back bone of the prison system’s successful MCE Ranch, but he’d never imagined he’d be out now. In time for Christmas.
It gave him pause. Made him hope. Fueled his resolve to sort things out with McKenna.
He missed her and his boy TJ so much that he felt dead inside. But now he was out, coming home. Finally he had the opportunity to make things right.
“It was sure good to see you step outside those gates,” Troy said, breaking the silence.
Trey nodded, remembering the moment he’d spotted Troy standing outside the gates in front of his big black SUV. He’d nearly smiled. And then when Troy clapped him in a big hard bear hug, Trey’s eyes had stung.
It’d been a long time since he’d been hugged by anyone. A long time since he’d felt like anything, or anyone.
Prison had done the trick, breaking him down, hollowing him out, teaching him humility and gratitude.
Humility and gratitude, along with loneliness, shame and pain.
His dad had died while he was at Deer Lodge. He hadn’t been allowed to attend the funeral last March, either. Talk about pain.
He shifted ever so slightly in the passenger seat and flexed his right foot to ease the tension building inside of him, aware that Troy might not actually be looking at him, but he was keeping him in his peripheral vision. Smart. One didn’t let a Sheenan out of your sight. Especially not Trey the Dangerous. Trey the Destroyer. Hadn’t he even tattooed that on the inside of his bicep on his nineteenth birthday? What a joke he’d been.
What an ass he’d become.
“Should hit Bozeman in thirty minutes or so,” Troy said.
Trey said nothing.
“Want to stop for anything? Need anything?”
Trey shook his head. Silence descended. Troy ran a hand over his jaw. It really was too quiet in the truck, what with the volume down on the Sirius radio station, muffling the country songs, making the lyrics an annoying mumbo jumbo, so that the only other sound was the salted asphalt of the 90 beneath the tires, and the windshield wiper blades swishing back and forth, resolutely batting away the falling snow.
He itched to lean forward and turn up the radio volume, but it wasn’t his truck and he didn’t want to be demanding. He needed to prove to his family and community that he wasn’t the hot-head Sheenan that intimidated and destroyed, but protected. He was ready to show everyone who he really was. A solid, responsible man, a good man, who was committed to making things right.
And the first person he had to see was McKenna. He was dying to see her, and TJ. It’d been a long time since he’d seen, either. Two years and a month almost to the day. It was Thanksgiving weekend the last time he saw TJ. The boy was three. McKenna had been so very silent and sad, sad in a different way than he’d seen before. He hadn’t realized that would be their last visit. He hadn’t realized she’d decided then that she was through…
He winced at the hot lance of pain shooting through him.
It’d taken him a long time to process that she wasn’t coming back. In the beginning of his incarceration, she came every two weeks with the baby. And then gradually she came once a month and then every five to six weeks until that last trip for Thanksgiving when she never returned again.
He’d about lost his mind at Deer Lodge. He’d died in ways you couldn’t explain.
She wouldn’t write him back. She wouldn’t visit. She just…cut him out.
That’s when he truly suffered. That’s when prison became a living hell. He was trapped. Hostage. He couldn’t do anything about it but write and write and write…
He must have made a sound because Troy suddenly looked at him, brow creased. “You doing okay?”
Trey clamped his jaw tight and shoved all the worry and fear deep down into that tough hard heart of his and snapped the lid, locking it, containing it.
He wouldn’t let guilt and anxiety get the best of him.
He’d sort it out. Make it work. There was only one girl for him, one family, and that was McKenna and TJ.
But he had put her through hell. He was the first to admit that he’d done her wrong. She deserved everything but the pain and heartache he’d dished out…heartache and trouble he’d dished out in spades.
So he had one task: fix the mess he’d made of their lives.
Tonight, tomorrow, sometime this week after he’d cleaned up and calmed himself down, he was going to go to her and apologize for his stupid asinine immature self and beg her forgiveness and show her he was different. Changed.
She’d see that he’d finally grown up, and he was ready to be the husband she deserved.
Ready to be the father TJ needed and a real family at last.
A wedding, a honeymoon, more kids, the whole bit. He couldn’t wait, either.
“Worried about going home?” Troy asked, breaking the silence.
“No,” Trey said roughly, his voice a deep, raw rasp. He winced at the sound of his voice, but what did you expect? He hadn’t talked much the past four years. He’d never been a big communicator to start with, but prison just put the silent in him.
“Home for Christmas,” Troy said.
“Yeah.” And it would be nice. He’d missed the ranch. Marietta. Everyone.
But mostly he’d missed McKenna and his boy.
Just thinking about her and TJ made his gut burn, and his bones ache. Their memory was an ache that never went away.
He dug the heel of his foot into the floor and pressed his shoulder blades against the leather seat, pinning himself to the black leather.
Warden and his officers might think it was their excellent corrections program that turned him around, but it wasn’t the work program or the ranch, or the counseling. It was losing McKenna.
They’d been together for years, since high school. Well, they’d been together off and on for years, but in the months—or years–they were off, there had never been another woman he’d loved. Sure, he’d screwed a few. He was a Sheenan and Sheenans weren’t saints, but he’d never cheated on her when they were together.
He’d rather cut his dick off than betray his woman that way.
And then his conscience scraped and whispered, just like the windshield wiper blades working the glass.
You betrayed her in other ways, though.
The drinking. The fighting. The small bar fights. The big bar fights.
And finally, the afternoon at the Wolf Den that changed everything…
“You’ve been home for a few days now?” Trey asked, wanting to ask about McKenna and not sure how because Troy hadn’t brought her up, nor had he mentioned TJ, and Troy always talked about the five year old, wanting to keep Trey in the loop.
“A week.”
“What’s it like without Dad around?”
“Quiet.” Troy hesitated. “It’s just Dillon there, you know. I’m still dividing my time between San Francisco and Marietta, and when I am here, I’m usually at The Graff.”
“Things still good with your little librarian?”
“Yeah.”
“Wedding date set?”
“We’re talking February, maybe around Valentine’s Day since we were paired up for that ball. But things are kind of hairy at work and I’m honestly not sure a February wedding would be the best thing.”
“How hairy is hairy?”
“Got hit with a big lawsuit. It should sort out but its damn expensive and time consuming until then.”
“Then wait till it’s settled to marry. No sense being all stressed out over a wedding.”
“I agree.” Troy tapped his hand on the steering wheel and then exhaled. “There are some other things going on, too. Family things.” He shot a quick glance in Trey’s direction. “Dad was a real bastard when it came to mom.”
“That’s not news.”
“He had an affair with Bev Carrigan. A long affair.”
Trey said nothing.
Troy increased the speed on the windshield wipers. “Mom probably knew. Or found out.”
Trey had heard enough. He’d only just been out a couple hours. He wasn’t ready for family conflict and drama. “They’re all gone now, and the past is the past. Maybe it’s time to let sleeping dogs lie.”
“Except they’re not all gone, and it’s not just the past.” Troy flexed his hands against the steering wheel again. “Because there is something else going on—“
“Another affair?”
“No, but with Callan.” Troy shot him a swift glance, brow creased. “When her dad passed, he didn’t leave the place to her. Or any of them.”
“What?”
“There’s some talk in town—just gossip at this point—that maybe he wasn’t their biological father—“
“Bullshit.”
“Well, why didn’t he leave the Carrigan ranch to his kids?”
“I don’t know. But Callan must have been pretty broken up. She loves that place.”
Troy was silent a moment. “I think Dillon knows something, too, but he’s not saying.”
“Those two friends again?”
“More friendly than friends. While you were gone they became drinking buddies. Every Friday night you can find them at Grey’s, playing pool and shooting the shit.” Troy’s lips curved. “Dillon practically lives at Grey’s on the weekends.”
“He’s not driving back to the ranch drunk is he?”
“Usually he finds a warm bed in town, along with an even warmer woman.”
“Our Dillon is a player.”
“He’s certainly enjoying being a bachelor.”
“No little Sheenans on the way?”
“None that I’ve heard about.” Troy leaned forward, turned up the music and then halfway through the Martina McBride Christmas song turned it back down. “There’s something else I’ve got to tell you.”
Trey glanced warily at his brother. “Brock got cancer?”
“Um, no. Thank God.” He sighed. “But it’s not going to make you happy.”
Trey stiffened. “No?”
“It’s McKenna.”
Trey held his breath.
“I didn’t know how to tell you, or when to tell you, but seeing as you’re out today, now, you’re going to need to know.” Troy’s eyes narrowed and his jaw tightened. “McKenna is getting married tomorrow.”
They drove another mile in deafening silence, snow pelting the car and windshield. Trey stared out the window blindly, seeing nothing of the Tobacco Root Mountains and Three Forks before them. Instead he fought wave after wave of nausea. McKenna getting married….McKenna marrying tomorrow…
Unthinkable. Impossible.
His stomach rolled and heaved. He gave his head a sharp shake. This couldn’t be happening. He couldn’t lose her now, not after waiting four years to make things right.
“Hey, Troy. Pull over.” Trey’s deep voice dropped, cracked. “I’m going to be sick.”
$0.99 or FREE for Prime Members
All he wants is a Christmas memory...
Trey Sheenan has cultivated his reputation as Marietta’s resident bad boy, until one day he lets things go too far and he loses everything—his freedom, his fiance McKenna Douglas, and his infant son.
McKenna has loved Trey since they were kids, but she’s had enough. When Trey is sent away for five years, McKenna is determined to do what’s right for her and baby TJ, which means putting her mistakes—namely Trey—behind her, and move on.
When Trey is released early, he returns to Marietta determined to beg McKenna’s forgiveness and become the father TJ needs him to be, only to discover that he’s too late. McKenna’s marrying local insurance agent Lawrence Joplin in a candlelight Christmas wedding.
Or is she?
Once again, Trey risks everything, but this time it’s for love….and the memory of one perfect Christmas together as a family.
Taming of the Sheenan series
Book 1: Christmas at Copper Mountain
Book 2: Tycoon's Kiss
Book 3: The Kidnapped Christmas Bride
Excerpt:
It was quiet in the truck.
The kind of quiet that made Trey know trouble was brewing. And if anyone knew trouble, it was he, Trey Sheenan, voted least likely to succeed (at anything legal, moral, or responsible) his senior year at Marietta High.
At eighteen, he’d been proud of his reputation. It’d been hard earned, with rides in the back of sheriff’s cars, visits to court, trips to juvenile hall, and later, extended stays at Montana’s delightful Pine Hills, where bad boys were sent to be sorted out. Reformed.
It hadn’t worked.
Trey Sheenan was so bad there was no sorting him out. Maybe back then he hadn’t wanted to be sorted out, and so he’d continued his wild ways, elevating trouble to an art form, growing from a hot-headed teenager with zero self-control, to a hot-headed man with questionable self-control.
Now at thirty-five, after four years in Montana’s correctional system, he was tired of trouble and sick of his reputation.
Just hours ago he’d been paroled, a whole year early. It’d come as a shock when the warden came to him early this morning, letting him know that he was being released today. Trey knew his brothers had been working on getting him released early for good behavior, as Trey had become a model inmate (at least after the first year), and the back bone of the prison system’s successful MCE Ranch, but he’d never imagined he’d be out now. In time for Christmas.
It gave him pause. Made him hope. Fueled his resolve to sort things out with McKenna.
He missed her and his boy TJ so much that he felt dead inside. But now he was out, coming home. Finally he had the opportunity to make things right.
“It was sure good to see you step outside those gates,” Troy said, breaking the silence.
Trey nodded, remembering the moment he’d spotted Troy standing outside the gates in front of his big black SUV. He’d nearly smiled. And then when Troy clapped him in a big hard bear hug, Trey’s eyes had stung.
It’d been a long time since he’d been hugged by anyone. A long time since he’d felt like anything, or anyone.
Prison had done the trick, breaking him down, hollowing him out, teaching him humility and gratitude.
Humility and gratitude, along with loneliness, shame and pain.
His dad had died while he was at Deer Lodge. He hadn’t been allowed to attend the funeral last March, either. Talk about pain.
He shifted ever so slightly in the passenger seat and flexed his right foot to ease the tension building inside of him, aware that Troy might not actually be looking at him, but he was keeping him in his peripheral vision. Smart. One didn’t let a Sheenan out of your sight. Especially not Trey the Dangerous. Trey the Destroyer. Hadn’t he even tattooed that on the inside of his bicep on his nineteenth birthday? What a joke he’d been.
What an ass he’d become.
“Should hit Bozeman in thirty minutes or so,” Troy said.
Trey said nothing.
“Want to stop for anything? Need anything?”
Trey shook his head. Silence descended. Troy ran a hand over his jaw. It really was too quiet in the truck, what with the volume down on the Sirius radio station, muffling the country songs, making the lyrics an annoying mumbo jumbo, so that the only other sound was the salted asphalt of the 90 beneath the tires, and the windshield wiper blades swishing back and forth, resolutely batting away the falling snow.
He itched to lean forward and turn up the radio volume, but it wasn’t his truck and he didn’t want to be demanding. He needed to prove to his family and community that he wasn’t the hot-head Sheenan that intimidated and destroyed, but protected. He was ready to show everyone who he really was. A solid, responsible man, a good man, who was committed to making things right.
And the first person he had to see was McKenna. He was dying to see her, and TJ. It’d been a long time since he’d seen, either. Two years and a month almost to the day. It was Thanksgiving weekend the last time he saw TJ. The boy was three. McKenna had been so very silent and sad, sad in a different way than he’d seen before. He hadn’t realized that would be their last visit. He hadn’t realized she’d decided then that she was through…
He winced at the hot lance of pain shooting through him.
It’d taken him a long time to process that she wasn’t coming back. In the beginning of his incarceration, she came every two weeks with the baby. And then gradually she came once a month and then every five to six weeks until that last trip for Thanksgiving when she never returned again.
He’d about lost his mind at Deer Lodge. He’d died in ways you couldn’t explain.
She wouldn’t write him back. She wouldn’t visit. She just…cut him out.
That’s when he truly suffered. That’s when prison became a living hell. He was trapped. Hostage. He couldn’t do anything about it but write and write and write…
He must have made a sound because Troy suddenly looked at him, brow creased. “You doing okay?”
Trey clamped his jaw tight and shoved all the worry and fear deep down into that tough hard heart of his and snapped the lid, locking it, containing it.
He wouldn’t let guilt and anxiety get the best of him.
He’d sort it out. Make it work. There was only one girl for him, one family, and that was McKenna and TJ.
But he had put her through hell. He was the first to admit that he’d done her wrong. She deserved everything but the pain and heartache he’d dished out…heartache and trouble he’d dished out in spades.
So he had one task: fix the mess he’d made of their lives.
Tonight, tomorrow, sometime this week after he’d cleaned up and calmed himself down, he was going to go to her and apologize for his stupid asinine immature self and beg her forgiveness and show her he was different. Changed.
She’d see that he’d finally grown up, and he was ready to be the husband she deserved.
Ready to be the father TJ needed and a real family at last.
A wedding, a honeymoon, more kids, the whole bit. He couldn’t wait, either.
“Worried about going home?” Troy asked, breaking the silence.
“No,” Trey said roughly, his voice a deep, raw rasp. He winced at the sound of his voice, but what did you expect? He hadn’t talked much the past four years. He’d never been a big communicator to start with, but prison just put the silent in him.
“Home for Christmas,” Troy said.
“Yeah.” And it would be nice. He’d missed the ranch. Marietta. Everyone.
But mostly he’d missed McKenna and his boy.
Just thinking about her and TJ made his gut burn, and his bones ache. Their memory was an ache that never went away.
He dug the heel of his foot into the floor and pressed his shoulder blades against the leather seat, pinning himself to the black leather.
Warden and his officers might think it was their excellent corrections program that turned him around, but it wasn’t the work program or the ranch, or the counseling. It was losing McKenna.
They’d been together for years, since high school. Well, they’d been together off and on for years, but in the months—or years–they were off, there had never been another woman he’d loved. Sure, he’d screwed a few. He was a Sheenan and Sheenans weren’t saints, but he’d never cheated on her when they were together.
He’d rather cut his dick off than betray his woman that way.
And then his conscience scraped and whispered, just like the windshield wiper blades working the glass.
You betrayed her in other ways, though.
The drinking. The fighting. The small bar fights. The big bar fights.
And finally, the afternoon at the Wolf Den that changed everything…
“You’ve been home for a few days now?” Trey asked, wanting to ask about McKenna and not sure how because Troy hadn’t brought her up, nor had he mentioned TJ, and Troy always talked about the five year old, wanting to keep Trey in the loop.
“A week.”
“What’s it like without Dad around?”
“Quiet.” Troy hesitated. “It’s just Dillon there, you know. I’m still dividing my time between San Francisco and Marietta, and when I am here, I’m usually at The Graff.”
“Things still good with your little librarian?”
“Yeah.”
“Wedding date set?”
“We’re talking February, maybe around Valentine’s Day since we were paired up for that ball. But things are kind of hairy at work and I’m honestly not sure a February wedding would be the best thing.”
“How hairy is hairy?”
“Got hit with a big lawsuit. It should sort out but its damn expensive and time consuming until then.”
“Then wait till it’s settled to marry. No sense being all stressed out over a wedding.”
“I agree.” Troy tapped his hand on the steering wheel and then exhaled. “There are some other things going on, too. Family things.” He shot a quick glance in Trey’s direction. “Dad was a real bastard when it came to mom.”
“That’s not news.”
“He had an affair with Bev Carrigan. A long affair.”
Trey said nothing.
Troy increased the speed on the windshield wipers. “Mom probably knew. Or found out.”
Trey had heard enough. He’d only just been out a couple hours. He wasn’t ready for family conflict and drama. “They’re all gone now, and the past is the past. Maybe it’s time to let sleeping dogs lie.”
“Except they’re not all gone, and it’s not just the past.” Troy flexed his hands against the steering wheel again. “Because there is something else going on—“
“Another affair?”
“No, but with Callan.” Troy shot him a swift glance, brow creased. “When her dad passed, he didn’t leave the place to her. Or any of them.”
“What?”
“There’s some talk in town—just gossip at this point—that maybe he wasn’t their biological father—“
“Bullshit.”
“Well, why didn’t he leave the Carrigan ranch to his kids?”
“I don’t know. But Callan must have been pretty broken up. She loves that place.”
Troy was silent a moment. “I think Dillon knows something, too, but he’s not saying.”
“Those two friends again?”
“More friendly than friends. While you were gone they became drinking buddies. Every Friday night you can find them at Grey’s, playing pool and shooting the shit.” Troy’s lips curved. “Dillon practically lives at Grey’s on the weekends.”
“He’s not driving back to the ranch drunk is he?”
“Usually he finds a warm bed in town, along with an even warmer woman.”
“Our Dillon is a player.”
“He’s certainly enjoying being a bachelor.”
“No little Sheenans on the way?”
“None that I’ve heard about.” Troy leaned forward, turned up the music and then halfway through the Martina McBride Christmas song turned it back down. “There’s something else I’ve got to tell you.”
Trey glanced warily at his brother. “Brock got cancer?”
“Um, no. Thank God.” He sighed. “But it’s not going to make you happy.”
Trey stiffened. “No?”
“It’s McKenna.”
Trey held his breath.
“I didn’t know how to tell you, or when to tell you, but seeing as you’re out today, now, you’re going to need to know.” Troy’s eyes narrowed and his jaw tightened. “McKenna is getting married tomorrow.”
They drove another mile in deafening silence, snow pelting the car and windshield. Trey stared out the window blindly, seeing nothing of the Tobacco Root Mountains and Three Forks before them. Instead he fought wave after wave of nausea. McKenna getting married….McKenna marrying tomorrow…
Unthinkable. Impossible.
His stomach rolled and heaved. He gave his head a sharp shake. This couldn’t be happening. He couldn’t lose her now, not after waiting four years to make things right.
“Hey, Troy. Pull over.” Trey’s deep voice dropped, cracked. “I’m going to be sick.”
Tuesday, December 30, 2014
Kindle Book Deals for December 30th
A Very Special Favor by Ann Jacobs
$2.99
A single father who needs a wife to keep custody of his son and a woman he’s never thought of as anything but his best friend. Maybe she’s the solution he’s looking for. Or maybe that very special favor will change everything. Forever.
The Kidnapped Christmas Bride by Jane Porter
$0.99 or FREE for Prime Members (Regularly $2.99)
All he wants is a Christmas memory...
Trey Sheenan has cultivated his reputation as Marietta’s resident bad boy, until one day he lets things go too far and he loses everything—his freedom, his fiance McKenna Douglas, and his infant son.
McKenna has loved Trey since they were kids, but she’s had enough. When Trey is sent away for five years, McKenna is determined to do what’s right for her and baby TJ, which means putting her mistakes—namely Trey—behind her, and move on.
When Trey is released early, he returns to Marietta determined to beg McKenna’s forgiveness and become the father TJ needs him to be, only to discover that he’s too late. McKenna’s marrying local insurance agent Lawrence Joplin in a candlelight Christmas wedding.
Or is she?
Once again, Trey risks everything, but this time it’s for love….and the memory of one perfect Christmas together as a family.
The Tycoon's Bride by Megan Crane
$0.99 or FREE for Prime Members (Regularly $2.99)
Emmy Mathis is sure of three things:
1. Her sister Margery’s three-week wedding extravaganza at their grandmother’s Marietta, Montana home will be over-the-top ridiculous.
2. She’d much prefer to stay home in Atlanta in a pair of sweats.
3. And she absolutely, positively, won’t feel even a hint of a spark for Griffin Hyatt, grandson of her beloved grandmother’s best friend and the architect of the most embarrassing night of her life ten years ago.
But Emmy is dead wrong about number three. The moment she and Griffin lock eyes again, the passion that’s always smoldered between them flames. And they aren’t kids any more, so why should they deny the desire that sears through them both?
Is this no more than a wedding fling between two people with too much chemistry and an overload of history, or can Emmy try to build a new life from the ashes of their past? And if Griffin is truly really free of his fiance, why is he a finalist in the town’s Wedding Giveaway? Emmy can’t answer those questions, but she does know that Griffin has the power to burn her like no one else.
Still, how can Emmy walk away from the one man she’s always loved now that she knows what she’s been missing?
$2.99
A single father who needs a wife to keep custody of his son and a woman he’s never thought of as anything but his best friend. Maybe she’s the solution he’s looking for. Or maybe that very special favor will change everything. Forever.
The Kidnapped Christmas Bride by Jane Porter
$0.99 or FREE for Prime Members (Regularly $2.99)
All he wants is a Christmas memory...
Trey Sheenan has cultivated his reputation as Marietta’s resident bad boy, until one day he lets things go too far and he loses everything—his freedom, his fiance McKenna Douglas, and his infant son.
McKenna has loved Trey since they were kids, but she’s had enough. When Trey is sent away for five years, McKenna is determined to do what’s right for her and baby TJ, which means putting her mistakes—namely Trey—behind her, and move on.
When Trey is released early, he returns to Marietta determined to beg McKenna’s forgiveness and become the father TJ needs him to be, only to discover that he’s too late. McKenna’s marrying local insurance agent Lawrence Joplin in a candlelight Christmas wedding.
Or is she?
Once again, Trey risks everything, but this time it’s for love….and the memory of one perfect Christmas together as a family.
The Tycoon's Bride by Megan Crane
$0.99 or FREE for Prime Members (Regularly $2.99)
Emmy Mathis is sure of three things:
1. Her sister Margery’s three-week wedding extravaganza at their grandmother’s Marietta, Montana home will be over-the-top ridiculous.
2. She’d much prefer to stay home in Atlanta in a pair of sweats.
3. And she absolutely, positively, won’t feel even a hint of a spark for Griffin Hyatt, grandson of her beloved grandmother’s best friend and the architect of the most embarrassing night of her life ten years ago.
But Emmy is dead wrong about number three. The moment she and Griffin lock eyes again, the passion that’s always smoldered between them flames. And they aren’t kids any more, so why should they deny the desire that sears through them both?
Is this no more than a wedding fling between two people with too much chemistry and an overload of history, or can Emmy try to build a new life from the ashes of their past? And if Griffin is truly really free of his fiance, why is he a finalist in the town’s Wedding Giveaway? Emmy can’t answer those questions, but she does know that Griffin has the power to burn her like no one else.
Still, how can Emmy walk away from the one man she’s always loved now that she knows what she’s been missing?
Playing With the Drummer by Robin Covington - $0.99 Goodie!
Playing With the Drummer by Robin Covington
$0.99
Entertainment journalist Lita Matthews is on the verge of making it big. As in her-own-TV-show big. She just needs amazing inside scoop on the year's hottest celebrity wedding. Instead, her big break is becoming a big nightmare—all thanks to rock star Rocky Cardano. Who apparently hasn't gotten over what happened between them four years ago...
Rocky is pretty damn familiar with just how far Lita will go for a “scoop.” Hell, their unbelievably hot hook-up in Mexico years ago was the story of a lifetime. Rocky's learned his lessons. He'll do whatever it takes to keep her from the story—even if he has to seduce her to the point of distraction! But Lita has always had a way of getting under his skin. Only this time, he won't be able to just walk away...
$0.99
Entertainment journalist Lita Matthews is on the verge of making it big. As in her-own-TV-show big. She just needs amazing inside scoop on the year's hottest celebrity wedding. Instead, her big break is becoming a big nightmare—all thanks to rock star Rocky Cardano. Who apparently hasn't gotten over what happened between them four years ago...
Rocky is pretty damn familiar with just how far Lita will go for a “scoop.” Hell, their unbelievably hot hook-up in Mexico years ago was the story of a lifetime. Rocky's learned his lessons. He'll do whatever it takes to keep her from the story—even if he has to seduce her to the point of distraction! But Lita has always had a way of getting under his skin. Only this time, he won't be able to just walk away...
How to Spot a Closet Spanko by Author Patricia Green
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Photo by xksenia |
Have you ever stood in line at the fast
food restaurant and wondered which of your fellow consumers was a
spanko? They don't walk around with paddles strapped to their belts
or their red behinds exposed in chaps. So how do you know?
Of course, you can't be 100% certain
unless you ask them—and risk a punch in the nose—but there are a
few telltale signs that might help you figure it out.
1. Is that woman rubbing her behind a
little? Just a little, mind you, surreptitiously. Maybe she's looking
around nonchalantly when she does it. "I'm not rubbing my butt!
There's something in my back pocket that's poking me. Yeah, that's
it." Closet spanko. Her aching behind is tenderized. Her husband
probably caught her using her gas money for chicken nuggets with
mustard sauce. You know the type.
2. Is that man giving an annoying
counter waitress a gimlet eye and fingering his belt? Does he appear
to be sizing her up for something other than a romantic encounter or
a happy meal? I doubt he'll approach her with a threat to spank her
if she doesn't change her attitude…not in public anyway. Closet
spanko. He really wants to teach her some manners, and the proper way
to apply mayo to buns.
3. Is that woman wearing tight-tight
short-shorts? Do they emphasize her behind? Either her name is
Beyoncé, or she's got spanking on her mind. She might not even
realize that she's presenting a bull's-eye of a target, but she'd
love it if someone tall, dark, handsome, and wielding a wooden spoon
noticed. Closet spanko. There's a Mix Master on her mind, but it's
not on her kitchen counter.
4. What about the guy in the next line
over who's attention seems to be riveted on that Beyoncé-look-alike's
posterior? Is this about sex? Maybe sexy spanking. Men who like butts
often like to give them a smack. Would he call himself a spanko?
Probably not. He's a closet spanko, in denial. He'd really like to
bend her over the counter, right there by the French fry warmer, and
give that rounded rump a salt and peppering of a different kind.
5. Are you and
your significant other engaged in spanking behavior, but keep it to
yourselves? You know who you are. It's a little "correction"
here and there, an erotic whack on the fanny, maybe even a regular
paddling as a reminder of who is in charge. But you don't tell your
mom, uh-uh. Your cousin Jill is in the dark, too. You might not even
mention it to your best friend. You're a closet spanko! I'm not
saying that you should shout it from the rooftops, or even the
drive-through PA system, but at least admit it to yourself. You're
the kind of person who wants a paddle with her McWhatzit. Do you want
ketchup with that, too?
So, there you have it, several ways to
identify a closet spanko. Go forth and giggle, folks, 'cause you know
their secrets. You might even give them a wink before you get your
burger and fries.
Monday, December 29, 2014
Kathi Daley Returns with the New Whales and Tails Cozy Mystery Series
A Whales and Tails cozy
mystery series is set on Madrona Island, a fictional island within
the San Juan Islands off the coast of Washington State. As a fourth
generation islander Caitlin Hart is struggling to make her way as the
economy and culture of the island evolves toward a tourism based
industry. Cait lives in a cabin on her aunt's oceanfront estate where
she helps her aunt run Harthaven Cat Sanctuary. When she isn't
working with the cats, she helps best friend Tara, operate Coffee Cat
Books, a coffee bar/bookstore/cat lounge.
Like all Kathi Daley
Cozies, this series will include close friendships, a romance
element, and recipes. This series differs from the others in that
there is a ‘light’ paranormal element as Caitlin is helped in her
investigation by Bella and Tansy, two very
intuitive women who sell herbs and tell
fortunes, and a series of extremely helpful
cats who seem to show up and point her in the right direction at just
the right time.
Romeow and Juliet:
In the first installment of the series, Caitlin and her dog Max find
the body of a member of the island council dead in the back room of
the old fish cannery. As Cait delves into the murder she finds
herself with an unlikely sleuthing partner. Meanwhile, Cait’s first
love, returns to the island after being away for ten years, and
Romeo, a stray cat that followed Cait home, is causing all sorts of
problems with the neighbor next door. In spite of dire warnings from
both Cait and the neighbor, Romeo refuses to stay away from Juliet, a
very expensive show cat, who may just lead Cait to the answers she
needs.
The
Mad Catter: In book 2 of the series, a
beautiful white cat named Alice comes into Caitlin’s life. Although
Cait is expecting Alice’s arrival, she is unprepared for the fact
that the fury feline is about to lead her down a rabbit hole in which
nothing is quite what it seems. Not only does Cait find out that a
very unlikely person is behind her Aunt Maggie’s illness, but when
a body is found in the church, the only real suspect is someone
Cait’s heart tells her couldn’t possibly be a killer.
Grimm's Furry Tail:
Caitlin’s friend Cody buys the old newspaper and discovers a
previously unpublished edition that details a murder that occurred
decades ago. The fact that the story was written but never published
peaks the curiosity of the friends, who decide to delve into a cold
case that reaches back fifty years. When the truth is discovered they
struggle with the ramifications of what they have uncovered. They
know that revealing it will rock the small island community to its
core.
(Available for preorder
soon)
Sunday, December 28, 2014
Kindle Book Deals for December 28th
A Queen for the Tentacle Monster by K Matthew
$0.99
When the queen is murdered, it's up to the tentacle monster to choose another. But its method for selection is not for the faint of heart. The tentacle monster will only accept girls of the purest quality, and when it doesn't like the offering, the girl ends up brutally murdered by the monster. While it normally takes a handful of maidens before the monster chooses the new heir to the throne, this time, its hunger cannot seem to be satiated.
Content Warning: Contains explicit sexual activity. For adults only.
Estimated Length: 5,000 words
The Walking Dead: Rise of the Governor (The Walking Dead Series Book 1) by Robert Kirkman
$1.99
Winner of the 2011 Diamond Gem Award for Trade Book of the Year
In the Walking Dead universe, there is no greater villain than The Governor. The despot who runs the walled-off town of Woodbury, he has his own sick sense of justice: whether it’s forcing prisoners to battle zombies in an arena for the townspeople’s amusement, or chopping off the appendages of those who cross him. The Governor was voted “Villain of the Year” by Wizard magazine the year he debuted, and his story arc was the most controversial in the history of the Walking Dead comic book series. Now, for the first time, fans of The Walking Dead will discover how The Governor became the man he is, and what drove him to such extremes.
Wastelands
$1.99
$0.99
When the queen is murdered, it's up to the tentacle monster to choose another. But its method for selection is not for the faint of heart. The tentacle monster will only accept girls of the purest quality, and when it doesn't like the offering, the girl ends up brutally murdered by the monster. While it normally takes a handful of maidens before the monster chooses the new heir to the throne, this time, its hunger cannot seem to be satiated.
Content Warning: Contains explicit sexual activity. For adults only.
Estimated Length: 5,000 words
The Walking Dead: Rise of the Governor (The Walking Dead Series Book 1) by Robert Kirkman
$1.99
Winner of the 2011 Diamond Gem Award for Trade Book of the Year
In the Walking Dead universe, there is no greater villain than The Governor. The despot who runs the walled-off town of Woodbury, he has his own sick sense of justice: whether it’s forcing prisoners to battle zombies in an arena for the townspeople’s amusement, or chopping off the appendages of those who cross him. The Governor was voted “Villain of the Year” by Wizard magazine the year he debuted, and his story arc was the most controversial in the history of the Walking Dead comic book series. Now, for the first time, fans of The Walking Dead will discover how The Governor became the man he is, and what drove him to such extremes.
Wastelands
$1.99
Famine, Death, War, and Pestilence:
The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, the harbingers of Armageddon —
these are our guides through the Wastelands... From the Book of
Revelations to The Road Warrior; from A Canticle for Leibowitz to The
Road, storytellers have long imagined the end of the world, weaving
tales of catastrophe, chaos, and calamity. Gathering together the best
post-apocalyptic literature of the last two decades from many of today’s
most renowned authors of speculative fiction, including George R.R.
Martin, Gene Wolfe, Orson Scott Card, Carol Emshwiller, Jonathan Lethem,
Octavia E. Butler, and Stephen King, Wastelands explores the
scientific, psychological, and philosophical questions of what it means
to remain human in the wake of Armageddon.
Special Agent Finnegan (Undercover FBI Book 2) by Mimi Barbour Review
Title: Special Agent Finnegan
Series: Undercover FBI Book 2
Author: Mimi Barbour
Genre: Mystery
Pages: 202
Price: $0.99
Thoughts: Impossible to put down!
Book Synopsis:
When Special Agent Finnegan O'Reilly gets shot, and the news brings on his father’s heart attack, he decides to take leave from more undercover assignments. The O'Reilly has suffered enough and Finnegan can’t be the cause of more distress for this beloved old rascal. Then his boss forces one more case on him - to take place in their own pub. Acting as the target to expose serial, suicide killers rampaging through New York City, Finn must play the part of a wife-beater, a cheating husband and an all-time jerk. No problem, until he meets his make-believe wife.
RenĂ©e Knight enjoys her job as a New York City cop. Her disguises have become a permanent fixture in her life. No one really knows what she looks like except for the father she loves fiercely… the man, whose suicide makes no sense. If it means going undercover in an Irish pub where the culprits hang out, she’s their girl. Playing the victim wife of the bar owner to catch the killers—easy. But they never intend for her to fall for this guy, she does this all on her own. Now she has to hire the assassins to arrange his suicide. Will she catch them, before they complete the mission?
Review:
I've read several of Mimi Barbour's books and I have to say this is my favorite. I love the storyline and from page one, you're so drawn into the story it's impossible to put down. I highly recommend this book to anyone that loves romantic mysteries and suspense.
Series: Undercover FBI Book 2
Author: Mimi Barbour
Genre: Mystery
Pages: 202
Price: $0.99
Thoughts: Impossible to put down!
Book Synopsis:
When Special Agent Finnegan O'Reilly gets shot, and the news brings on his father’s heart attack, he decides to take leave from more undercover assignments. The O'Reilly has suffered enough and Finnegan can’t be the cause of more distress for this beloved old rascal. Then his boss forces one more case on him - to take place in their own pub. Acting as the target to expose serial, suicide killers rampaging through New York City, Finn must play the part of a wife-beater, a cheating husband and an all-time jerk. No problem, until he meets his make-believe wife.
RenĂ©e Knight enjoys her job as a New York City cop. Her disguises have become a permanent fixture in her life. No one really knows what she looks like except for the father she loves fiercely… the man, whose suicide makes no sense. If it means going undercover in an Irish pub where the culprits hang out, she’s their girl. Playing the victim wife of the bar owner to catch the killers—easy. But they never intend for her to fall for this guy, she does this all on her own. Now she has to hire the assassins to arrange his suicide. Will she catch them, before they complete the mission?
Review:
I've read several of Mimi Barbour's books and I have to say this is my favorite. I love the storyline and from page one, you're so drawn into the story it's impossible to put down. I highly recommend this book to anyone that loves romantic mysteries and suspense.
January Jinx (The Calendar Mysteries Book 1) by Juliet Kincaid Review
Title: January Jinx
Series: The Calender Mysteries Book 1
Author: Juliet Kincaid
Genre: Cozy Mystery
Pages: 224
Price: $3.99 or FREE for Prime Members
Thoughts: A great beginning to the series.
Book Synopsis:
The first chance Minty Wilcox gets in January 1899, she sets off to find a stenographer’s job in Kansas City. But her search is jinxed from the start.
First, a soldier named Hanks falls backward down the steep Ninth Street Incline, site of the cable car line. Next, Clayton Cole, an old man with a gun and a badge, accuses Minty of murdering the soldier. Then Cole chases Minty away before she can find out if Hanks is alive, dying or dead.
On Minty’s way home, a young, bearded stranger approaches her. Though he turns out to be her mother’s prospective boarder, Daniel Price stays a mystery in other ways. For instance, what was he really doing next door inside the house of the nosy Miss Agnes Shackleton?
Minty barely has time to tell her mother about her jinxed morning when Miss Shackleton shows up and repeats malicious gossip about the Wilcox family. She even threatens to run the Wilcoxes out of the Quality Hill neighborhood.
Before Mama can get rid of Miss Shackleton, who should show up but Clayton Cole, demanding the steep sum of one hundred dollars to forget what he claims he saw Minty murder Soldier Hanks.
So there’s nothing for Minty to do but set aside her search for employment and go looking for Soldier Hanks. At Mama’s insistence, Daniel Price escorts her. Talk about nosy! Why else does Price keep showing up wherever Minty goes? Why else would he sneak into her room and look at her diary? (Thank goodness, she writes her installments in shorthand.)
In spite of her efforts to clear her name, eventually bad luck spreads like a nasty cold from Minty to her entire family and to Mr. Daniel Price as well. Minty feels that she brought all these troubles to her family and friends, so she must set things right.
This won’t be easy in Kansas City where, a hundred years ago, living could get downright deadly.
Review:
Sometimes a girl just can't catch a break and that's certainly true for Minty Wilcox. Everything just keeps getting worse, but Minty knows she's not a murderer and she's bound to prove it. January Jinx is a great mystery and a great kick-off for this series.
Series: The Calender Mysteries Book 1
Author: Juliet Kincaid
Genre: Cozy Mystery
Pages: 224
Price: $3.99 or FREE for Prime Members
Thoughts: A great beginning to the series.
Book Synopsis:
The first chance Minty Wilcox gets in January 1899, she sets off to find a stenographer’s job in Kansas City. But her search is jinxed from the start.
First, a soldier named Hanks falls backward down the steep Ninth Street Incline, site of the cable car line. Next, Clayton Cole, an old man with a gun and a badge, accuses Minty of murdering the soldier. Then Cole chases Minty away before she can find out if Hanks is alive, dying or dead.
On Minty’s way home, a young, bearded stranger approaches her. Though he turns out to be her mother’s prospective boarder, Daniel Price stays a mystery in other ways. For instance, what was he really doing next door inside the house of the nosy Miss Agnes Shackleton?
Minty barely has time to tell her mother about her jinxed morning when Miss Shackleton shows up and repeats malicious gossip about the Wilcox family. She even threatens to run the Wilcoxes out of the Quality Hill neighborhood.
Before Mama can get rid of Miss Shackleton, who should show up but Clayton Cole, demanding the steep sum of one hundred dollars to forget what he claims he saw Minty murder Soldier Hanks.
So there’s nothing for Minty to do but set aside her search for employment and go looking for Soldier Hanks. At Mama’s insistence, Daniel Price escorts her. Talk about nosy! Why else does Price keep showing up wherever Minty goes? Why else would he sneak into her room and look at her diary? (Thank goodness, she writes her installments in shorthand.)
In spite of her efforts to clear her name, eventually bad luck spreads like a nasty cold from Minty to her entire family and to Mr. Daniel Price as well. Minty feels that she brought all these troubles to her family and friends, so she must set things right.
This won’t be easy in Kansas City where, a hundred years ago, living could get downright deadly.
Review:
Sometimes a girl just can't catch a break and that's certainly true for Minty Wilcox. Everything just keeps getting worse, but Minty knows she's not a murderer and she's bound to prove it. January Jinx is a great mystery and a great kick-off for this series.
Miss Prentiss and the Yankee by Susan Carroll Review
Title: Miss Prentiss and the Yankee
Author: Susan Carroll
Genre: Regency Romance
Pages: 177
Price: $2.99
Thoughts: Impossible to put down.
Book Synopsis:
A Regency Romance by Susan Carroll, award winning author of The Bride Finder-- Abigail Prentiss was engaged to turn the two Misses Harding from Pennsylvania into proper English ladies, acceptable to the ton. She vowed to do in spite of their brother Nathaniel and his boorish behavior. A truly superior governess would not lose her temper or become ruffled by a barbaric Yankee. Even though Nate Harding had clearly thrown down the gauntlet, Abigail was determined not to fight the revolutionary war all over again. She would be the last to admit that this handsome lusty male had already begun to breach the walls she had so carefully constructed around her heart.
Review:
Author: Susan Carroll
Genre: Regency Romance
Pages: 177
Price: $2.99
Thoughts: Impossible to put down.
Book Synopsis:
A Regency Romance by Susan Carroll, award winning author of The Bride Finder-- Abigail Prentiss was engaged to turn the two Misses Harding from Pennsylvania into proper English ladies, acceptable to the ton. She vowed to do in spite of their brother Nathaniel and his boorish behavior. A truly superior governess would not lose her temper or become ruffled by a barbaric Yankee. Even though Nate Harding had clearly thrown down the gauntlet, Abigail was determined not to fight the revolutionary war all over again. She would be the last to admit that this handsome lusty male had already begun to breach the walls she had so carefully constructed around her heart.
Review:
Susan Carroll has the amazing ability
to wrap you up in her novels. The world around you melts away as you
read her vivid descriptions and excellent use of dialect. I really
enjoyed this novel. It was incredibly fast-paced and impossible to
put down.
Rosamond's Heart (The Black Mountain Saga Book 1) by Cate Dean Review
Title: Rosamond's Heart
Series: The Black Mountain Saga Book 1
Author: Cate Dean
Genre: Young Adult Fantasy
Pages: 94
Price: $0.99 or FREE for Prime Members
Thoughts: Addictive!
Book Synopsis:
A missing prince. A haunted castle. A dangerous man bent on ruling the kingdom - whatever the cost.
When Rosamond convinces her friend Dan to explore a haunted castle, she expects them to find only a ghost or two. Instead they discover the missing prince, and stumble into the middle of a violent, desperate bid for the throne.
In order to save the injured Prince Jaren, and the boy she has loved since they first met, Rosamond must reach beyond her own violent past to find her courage.
And by choosing the path of courage, she may end up losing her heart.
Review:
Series: The Black Mountain Saga Book 1
Author: Cate Dean
Genre: Young Adult Fantasy
Pages: 94
Price: $0.99 or FREE for Prime Members
Thoughts: Addictive!
Book Synopsis:
A missing prince. A haunted castle. A dangerous man bent on ruling the kingdom - whatever the cost.
When Rosamond convinces her friend Dan to explore a haunted castle, she expects them to find only a ghost or two. Instead they discover the missing prince, and stumble into the middle of a violent, desperate bid for the throne.
In order to save the injured Prince Jaren, and the boy she has loved since they first met, Rosamond must reach beyond her own violent past to find her courage.
And by choosing the path of courage, she may end up losing her heart.
Review:
Pulls you in from the very beginning
and doesn't let go! This is such a fast-paced read. It's addictive,
incredibly interesting, and leaves you wanting more. Can't wait to
read book two.
Saturday, December 27, 2014
a Touch of Intrigue: The Everly Gray Adventures by L. j. Charles Review
Title: a Touch of Intrigue
Series: The Everly Gray Adventures
Author: L. j. Charles
Genre: Mystery
Pages: 290
Price: $4.49
Thoughts: A great series!
Book Synopsis:
Tick Tock
Time bombs explode around Everly Gray, uncovering dangerous secrets. After thirty years, the complex web of intrigue created to protect her has begun to unravel, laying bare a shocking conspiracy, and leaving her alienated from her past, and exposed to a master of manipulation.
With her hefty dose of curiosity and a drive to live in truth, Everly is determined to follow the conspiracy to its core and heal the damaged roots of her life.
Tick
Tynan Pierce has been a moving target for most of his adult life—normal for a covert agent working black ops, but not okay for a man who’s fallen in love and wants to build a lasting relationship. He’ll protect Everly at any cost, even if they have to live apart.
Tock
Tynan and Everly’s hearts and souls beat as one, but what will happen when her ESP fingers and his Circle of Nine gifts merge? Will these two strong-willed people be able to share their intuitive gifts and build a future together?
Review:
Series: The Everly Gray Adventures
Author: L. j. Charles
Genre: Mystery
Pages: 290
Price: $4.49
Thoughts: A great series!
Book Synopsis:
Tick Tock
Time bombs explode around Everly Gray, uncovering dangerous secrets. After thirty years, the complex web of intrigue created to protect her has begun to unravel, laying bare a shocking conspiracy, and leaving her alienated from her past, and exposed to a master of manipulation.
With her hefty dose of curiosity and a drive to live in truth, Everly is determined to follow the conspiracy to its core and heal the damaged roots of her life.
Tick
Tynan Pierce has been a moving target for most of his adult life—normal for a covert agent working black ops, but not okay for a man who’s fallen in love and wants to build a lasting relationship. He’ll protect Everly at any cost, even if they have to live apart.
Tock
Tynan and Everly’s hearts and souls beat as one, but what will happen when her ESP fingers and his Circle of Nine gifts merge? Will these two strong-willed people be able to share their intuitive gifts and build a future together?
Review:
I'll admit that I haven't read but a
few books in this series, but I really enjoy them. The characters are
funny and well-developed. I love that the author takes the time to
fill you in, just in case you haven't read the other books. In other
words, yes, you can read these books as stand alone novels. Those
that love mysteries and women sleuths should definitely check out
this series.
Highlander of Mine by Red L. Jameson Review
Title: Highlander of Mine
Series: The Glimpse Time Travel Book 2
Author: Red L. Jameson
Genre: Time Travel Romance
Pages: 317
Price: $0.99
Thoughts: A great read!
Book Synopsis:
**Book Two of the Glimpse Time Travel Series**
Trickster muse sisters, Clio and Erato, kidnap genealogist Fleur Anpao and dump her in the seventeenth century. Even though Fleur has never been to Scotland, let alone the Highlands, and feels like a modern-day fish out of an ancient loch, the muses have a plan. What it is remains to be ambiguous—they are mischievous muses, after all, and can’t just tell her. Though the logical genealogist wants nothing more than to return home, there’s something about this time and rough land that feels somehow familiar. And there’s something about Duncan MacKay—so strong, so brutally handsome, and so distracting.
As a mercenary for long years, Duncan has seen many things. But never in his life has he seen the likes of Fleur: more beautiful than any woman he could have imagined. It doesn’t matter she insists she’s from another time, or that she’s too far out of reach for a common man like him. He’s drawn to her intelligence and wicked sense of humor. However, Cromwell’s reign threatens anarchy, clan rivalries reach a peak, and a laird’s younger brother vies for her attention. He can hardly protect her from his county’s bedlam, let alone convince her he’s the better man. And if he does, will the bonny time traveler stay with him?
Making matters worse, a god wreaks havoc, or has fun as he calls it, with Clio and Erato’s mortals. The two firecracker time stewards might have to set down their margaritas for this glimpse!
Review:
Series: The Glimpse Time Travel Book 2
Author: Red L. Jameson
Genre: Time Travel Romance
Pages: 317
Price: $0.99
Thoughts: A great read!
Book Synopsis:
**Book Two of the Glimpse Time Travel Series**
Trickster muse sisters, Clio and Erato, kidnap genealogist Fleur Anpao and dump her in the seventeenth century. Even though Fleur has never been to Scotland, let alone the Highlands, and feels like a modern-day fish out of an ancient loch, the muses have a plan. What it is remains to be ambiguous—they are mischievous muses, after all, and can’t just tell her. Though the logical genealogist wants nothing more than to return home, there’s something about this time and rough land that feels somehow familiar. And there’s something about Duncan MacKay—so strong, so brutally handsome, and so distracting.
As a mercenary for long years, Duncan has seen many things. But never in his life has he seen the likes of Fleur: more beautiful than any woman he could have imagined. It doesn’t matter she insists she’s from another time, or that she’s too far out of reach for a common man like him. He’s drawn to her intelligence and wicked sense of humor. However, Cromwell’s reign threatens anarchy, clan rivalries reach a peak, and a laird’s younger brother vies for her attention. He can hardly protect her from his county’s bedlam, let alone convince her he’s the better man. And if he does, will the bonny time traveler stay with him?
Making matters worse, a god wreaks havoc, or has fun as he calls it, with Clio and Erato’s mortals. The two firecracker time stewards might have to set down their margaritas for this glimpse!
Review:
Ooooh, I liked this one even better
than the first! The Muses are so funny, I just love them! Throw in a
sexy highlander and what girl could resist this novel? I can't wait
for the next one!
Suede to Rest (A Material Witness Mystery Book 1) by Diane Vallere Review
Title: Suede to Rest
Series: A Material Witness Mystery Book 1
Author: Diane Vallere
Genre: Cozy Mystery
Pages: 304
Price: $5.99
Thoughts: Great beginning to the series!
Book Synopsis:
Review:
Series: A Material Witness Mystery Book 1
Author: Diane Vallere
Genre: Cozy Mystery
Pages: 304
Price: $5.99
Thoughts: Great beginning to the series!
Book Synopsis:
Unraveling family secrets can be murder in Suede to Rest...
THE FIRST BOOK IN THE ALL-NEW "MATERIAL WITNESS" MYSTERY SERIES
With her career as a dress designer in shreds, Polyester Monroe is looking forward to a fresh start. But as it all unfolds, the pattern to a new beginning looks a lot like murder.
When Poly Monroe was little, she loved playing in her family's textile store. But after a fatal family tragedy, Land of A Thousand Fabrics was boarded up and Poly never expected to see the inside again. Now, as inheritor of the long-shuttered shop, she's ready to restore the family business. However her two new kittens, Pins and Needles, aren't the ones causing a snag in her plans...
Not everyone wants Poly back in San LadrĂłn, especially a powerful local developer pressuring her to sell--and leave town fast. But even when the threats turn deadly, she's not ready to bolt. Because Poly is beginning to suspect that the murder behind the shop is tied to a mystery in her family's unsettled past that she's determined to solve...before her own life is left hanging by a thread.
INCLUDES A CRAFT PROJECT
THE FIRST BOOK IN THE ALL-NEW "MATERIAL WITNESS" MYSTERY SERIES
With her career as a dress designer in shreds, Polyester Monroe is looking forward to a fresh start. But as it all unfolds, the pattern to a new beginning looks a lot like murder.
When Poly Monroe was little, she loved playing in her family's textile store. But after a fatal family tragedy, Land of A Thousand Fabrics was boarded up and Poly never expected to see the inside again. Now, as inheritor of the long-shuttered shop, she's ready to restore the family business. However her two new kittens, Pins and Needles, aren't the ones causing a snag in her plans...
Not everyone wants Poly back in San LadrĂłn, especially a powerful local developer pressuring her to sell--and leave town fast. But even when the threats turn deadly, she's not ready to bolt. Because Poly is beginning to suspect that the murder behind the shop is tied to a mystery in her family's unsettled past that she's determined to solve...before her own life is left hanging by a thread.
INCLUDES A CRAFT PROJECT
Review:
Over the past couple years I have
become a cozy mystery junkie. Throw in the fact that I've been a
lover of crafts since I was a toddler and it's no wonder I was drawn
to this book. Suede to Rest is an excellent beginning for this new
series by Diane Vallere. Those looking for a great cozy to cozy up
with this winter are going to love this book. Can't wait for the next
one!
Ground to a Halt (Jolie Gentil Cozy Mystery Series Book 8) by Elaine Orr
$2.99
Amazon
When Jolie Gentil goes to buy a cup of coffee the morning after a storm knocks out power at her house in Ocean Alley, she finds Java Jolt unlocked and minus its owner. A bigger surprise is seeing proprietor Joe Regan a few minutes later, badly injured. It seems a potential killer thinks Jolie has something Joe was hiding. The normal routine of appraising houses and volunteering at the Harvest for All food pantry is interrupted by an SUV that nearly smashes Jolie, a break-in at the home Jolie and Scoobie share, and a terrifying kidnapping. Jolie needs to figure out who's telling the truth and how far the thugs will go to to find what they want. Only solving the puzzle will keep Jolie safe, protect a vulnerable Iraqi vet, and make sure everyone stays alive. But if Jolie keeps searching, her budding romance with Scoobie may grind to a halt.
NOTE from Author Elaine Orr:
Eight books ago I named the owner of
the Java Jolt Coffee Shop Joe. And my heroine is Jolie. I should have
bumped him off awhile ago.
First part of chapter 2, Ground to a
Halt
INSTINCT
PULLED ME toward and away from Joe. I wanted to help him, but my
muddled thinking said the noise had been a gun. I compromised by
crouching and looking toward Joe for several long seconds.
When
there were no more ominous pops I stumbled toward him, leaning
forward as I went. Some TV show must have taught me I’d be less of
a target if I bent over.
Joe
was on his side and his eyes were open. I knelt next to him, unsure
what to do. I need to call 9-1-1! Sirens headed toward us made
me drop the phone I’d just taken from my pocket and I looked at
Joe. "Help is coming."
He
whispered. "Jolie. Don’t let them hurt him." He coughed
and drew a raspy breath.
"Hurt
who?"
Joe
closed his eyes.
A
heavy vehicle door slammed and two EMTs sprinted toward Joe and me.
"Move back!"
I
obeyed by falling from my squatting position onto my butt and kind of
crab walking backwards for a few steps. I could only stare at Joe.
He was so…white.
"Back,
Jolie, back!"
It
was Sergeant Morehouse, now dressed for business. Somehow I couldn’t
move any more. He reached down and yanked me into a standing position
by grabbing my elbow. "What did you see?" he yelled.
I
pointed to Joe and looked at Morehouse, still unable to speak.
He
lowered his voice. "Are you hurt?"
"I…no.
Joe, he came towards me…" I looked toward the corner of E and
Seashore Street. There were several bright red spots on the sidewalk
behind Joe. Blood?
Morehouse
grabbed my elbow and moved me a couple meters away from Joe and the
EMTs. "Did you see anyone with a gun?"
"No.
I think…he was just around that corner." I gestured to the end
of the street.
Morehouse
pointed toward the corner and two uniformed officers who had been
running toward us turned and ran with Morehouse in that direction.
They ran to the right and disappeared.
"Jolie,
come inside." Mr. Markle called from the door to the market. His
tone was insistent.
I
walked toward him. "What happened?" I had seen Joe fall, it
just didn’t seem real.
A
ledge runs at the bottom of the plate glass windows that face the
street. Little kids try to walk on it and their parents shoo them
off. Mr. Markle more or less pushed me to sit there and he walked to
the coffee pot and poured me another cup.
"Thanks."
I took a small sip, careful not to scald myself. Not until the hot
liquid hit my throat did I realize I was shaking.
"You
aren’t going to hit the floor, are you?"
I
looked up at Mr. Markle. He’s about five-ten and kind of pear
shaped. The front side of the pear is rounder than it was a few years
ago. I couldn’t help it. I started to giggle. I put my hand over my
mouth. "I’m sorry. It’s not funny."
He
stared at me, both hands now on his hips. "You’re in shock or
something."
The
whoosh of the hydraulic entry door made both of us turn in that
direction. Sergeant Morehouse walked in with Dana Johnson, my
favorite officer on the Ocean Alley Police Force, a couple of steps
behind him.
Morehouse
pointed at me. "You okay?"
I
nodded as Mr. Markle said, "Jolie said earlier that she saw Joe
coming out of my back storage area."
Dana
started for the back of the store. Morehouse put the radio to his
lips. "Check behind the store. Seems Joe was just in the store
room." Someone on the other end of the radio crackled an okay.
Morehouse
glanced toward Dana’s back. "Wait up." Morehouse did a
half-jog to catch up with her and they were soon out of sight.
I
looked at Mr. Markle. "Thanks a lot."
"That’s
the third time you’ve thanked me today." He turned and walked
a few feet from me to peer around the huge sale signs that covered
the plate glass window. "Ambulance is gone."
"Do
you think he’ll be okay?"
Markle
looked at me in mild irritation, and his expression softened a bit.
"They left in a hurry. That’s usually a good sign." He
walked to the cash register to pick up his clip board and started
writing on it.
How
can he do normal work now?
Two
more police officers came in, but they didn’t look to be in a
particular hurry. They looked at Markle. "Where are…?"
"Back,"
he said, in his more common clipped tone.
"Here,"
Morehouse said. He and Dana were approaching from the soup aisle,
which is across from the cash register. "Nothing obvious.
Markle, would you mind seeing if anything looks out of place?"
"You’ll
drive away business again," the store owner muttered, and led
the two younger officers toward the back of the store.
What
he said might not be exactly true, but I understood his thinking. The
In-Town Market was robbed last fall. No one hurt and not much taken,
but for a time patrons had stayed away.
Morehouse
walked outside and Dana sat next to me. "The sergeant said
something about you saw Joe in the store?"
I
nodded. "I was in the back, looking at some coffee, and he
walked out of the store room going to the front of the store."
"Did
you talk to him?" Dana had pulled out a thin spiral notebook and
I studied her for a few seconds as she uncapped a pen. Dana is
roughly my age, and taller than my five foot two inches, but not
much. She’s pretty, but you don’t notice her soft brown hair when
it’s pinned under her police hat.
"Just
for a second. I told him I’d been to Java Jolt, and was glad he was
all right."
"Did
he respond?"
"Not
directly. He just asked if anyone else was there and walked away. He
said he had, I think he said stuff to do."
"Anything
look odd? Did he seem stressed? Was he carrying anything?"
"I
saw him just for a second. He seemed preoccupied. Then he walked down
the aisle next to mine to go out."
Dana
turned toward Mr. Markle, who had returned to the front of the store.
"When did Joe come in?"
"I
didn’t see him come in. He’s not what you’d call chatty, but I
order things for the coffee shop for him sometimes, so he talks to me
more than to some."
Dana’s
head turned from right to left and settled back on Mr. Markle.
"Security cameras?"
"No."
He pointed to a larger round mirror that sat high on the wall near
the ceiling. "Can’t afford ‘em. Keep my eyes on the mirrors,
same as always. Have four of them."
She
looked back at me. "I heard you said you think Joe got shot just
around the corner on Seashore Street. Did you see anyone?"
"Not
a soul."
Morehouse
came back into the store and stood a few feet from me, frowning. "So,
you talked to him?"
Dana
went over what Mr. Markle and I had just said, in sort of police
shorthand style.
"I
was about to call you guys," I said to Morehouse. "Joe just
seemed really odd, and I wasn’t sure you knew where he was. That he
was safe."
Morehouse
snorted. "Safe."
Sympathy for the Devil (International Bad Boys Book 4) by Kelly Hunter
Sympathy for the Devil (International Bad Boys Book 4) by Kelly Hunter
$0.99 or FREE for Prime Members
Damned if he does...
Bad boy Caleb Jackson has a secret. At eighteen he'd fallen for his brother's girl - hard. One steamy summer night, Bree Tucker had offered him her innocence, he'd offered up his heart, and together they'd set the sheets on fire. And then she'd fled the town.
Ten years later, Bree is back and the passion between them burns brighter than ever. This time, Caleb makes his intentions ruthlessly, publicly clear. He wants her. He aims to claim her.
And to hell if old secrets will out.
International Bad Boys Series
Book 1: No Rest for the Wicked by Katherine Garbera
Book 2: Never Seduce a Sheikh by Jackie Ashenden
Book 3: Born to be Bad by Carol Marinelli
Book 4: Sympathy for the Devil by Kelly Hunter
$0.99 or FREE for Prime Members
Damned if he does...
Bad boy Caleb Jackson has a secret. At eighteen he'd fallen for his brother's girl - hard. One steamy summer night, Bree Tucker had offered him her innocence, he'd offered up his heart, and together they'd set the sheets on fire. And then she'd fled the town.
Ten years later, Bree is back and the passion between them burns brighter than ever. This time, Caleb makes his intentions ruthlessly, publicly clear. He wants her. He aims to claim her.
And to hell if old secrets will out.
International Bad Boys Series
Book 1: No Rest for the Wicked by Katherine Garbera
Book 2: Never Seduce a Sheikh by Jackie Ashenden
Book 3: Born to be Bad by Carol Marinelli
Book 4: Sympathy for the Devil by Kelly Hunter
Friday, December 26, 2014
Sympathy for the Devil (International Bad Boys Book 4) by Kelly Hunter Review
Title: Sympathy for the Devil
Series: International Bad Boys Book 4
Author: Kelly Hunter
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Pages: 106
Price: $0.99 or FREE for Prime Members
Thoughts: HOT AS HELL!
Book Synopsis:
Damned if he does...
Bad boy Caleb Jackson has a secret. At eighteen he'd fallen for his brother's girl - hard. One steamy summer night, Bree Tucker had offered him her innocence, he'd offered up his heart, and together they'd set the sheets on fire. And then she'd fled the town.
Ten years later, Bree is back and the passion between them burns brighter than ever. This time, Caleb makes his intentions ruthlessly, publicly clear. He wants her. He aims to claim her.
And to hell if old secrets will out.
Review:
This was the third book I've read in the series and it was by far my favorite. It was hot as hell and such an addictive read! I highly recommend this one! I can't wait to read more of this author's work.
Series: International Bad Boys Book 4
Author: Kelly Hunter
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Pages: 106
Price: $0.99 or FREE for Prime Members
Thoughts: HOT AS HELL!
Book Synopsis:
Damned if he does...
Bad boy Caleb Jackson has a secret. At eighteen he'd fallen for his brother's girl - hard. One steamy summer night, Bree Tucker had offered him her innocence, he'd offered up his heart, and together they'd set the sheets on fire. And then she'd fled the town.
Ten years later, Bree is back and the passion between them burns brighter than ever. This time, Caleb makes his intentions ruthlessly, publicly clear. He wants her. He aims to claim her.
And to hell if old secrets will out.
Review:
This was the third book I've read in the series and it was by far my favorite. It was hot as hell and such an addictive read! I highly recommend this one! I can't wait to read more of this author's work.
Kindle Book Deals for December 26th
Be Mine This Christmas (Star Light ~ Star Bright Book 1) by L.A. Sartor
$0.99 or FREE for Prime Members
First place winner in the International Digital Awards (Contemporary Shorts Category)
The Children's Author ...
Annie Hamilton's children's series Star Light~Star Bright is a mega hit. She loves kids and wants nothing more than a family of her own, but twice burned, thrice shy. When a gorgeous man with two young boys moves next door, Annie can't help but dream her impossible dream.
And The Widower Who Moved Next Door ...
Cole Evans is a brilliant scientist, but finds fatherhood a challenge. When his son develops a bond with their enchanting neighbor, the boy's favorite author, Cole discovers just how much he's lost--and how much he needs.
Will Their Wish Come True This Christmas Night?
Can Cole overcome family meddling and alleviate Annie's fears so they can be a ready-made family?
Come Home for Christmas, Cowboy by Megan Crane
$0.99 or FREE for Prime Members (Regularly $2.99)
This Christmas season, Christina Grey Cooper has finally accepted that her marriage to her college sweetheart Dare is over.
So she packs up her things, leaves a note, and heads back home for Marietta, Montana in the hope that a Christmas with her family will help piece her head—if not her heart—back together.
Dare isn’t about to let the love of his life go, and who cares if that’s what he thought he wanted? He’ll do what it takes to win Christina back—even if that means suffering through Christmas with his in-laws, pretending to still be happily married for the sake of family harmony, and trying not to get caught up in all that holiday nonsense he’s never believed in…
But Christmas is magical, especially in Montana.
And if Dare has any hope of convincing Christina to give him one more chance, it’s going to be here…
Robin Pembroke: Pirates & Winged Horses by J. B. Pelts
$0.99 or FREE for Prime Members (Regularly $4.85)
Robin Pembroke didn’t foresee pirates playing any part in his upcoming school holidays whatsoever. But then again neither did he expect to find a secret treasure map, uncover a dinosaur fossil, sight a legendary lake monster, or make three fantastic new friends. That though is exactly what happened.
Without a proper holiday in his almost-11 years of life, Robin was expecting to spend another summer in his parent’s flat in rain-soaked middle England. That was until he arrived home one day to the news that his Great Aunt Dorothy had passed away and left him her estate on the island of Corentin. Robin hadn’t even known that he’d had a Great Aunt Dorothy, let alone had he ever heard of Corentin.
Join Robin as he and his new friends, Georgie, Millie, and Olwenn, stumble upon a pirate mystery that has been waiting over 200 years to be uncovered. After finding a secret entrance into Smuggler’s Cove, clues start to mount up that point to the fact that not all of the pirates had actually died during the ambush there in 1812, the adventure unravelling secrets as they chase the story of the pirate Captain Longshadow across the island and across time.
With its mysterious Breton heritage and even more mysterious stone giants standing guard over Corentin’s eastern shore, the kids race from castle ruins to haunted inns to cannonballed ships as Robin explores this magical new island. As the days pass chapter by chapter, the five weeks of summer disappear in an adventure-filled haze. The solving of one mystery leads to another taking its place, and the questions mount along with the kids’ realization as to the size of what it is that they are uncovering. Why had the Kerezenn really sunk? What was true reason that the lighthouse wasn’t working that night? Whatever happened to the pirate ship Firemast? Where is Nante’s lost treasure? And who is Captain Longshadow?
Beyond Robin’s new friends of Millie, who is late for just about everything and has a magical artistic talent, her brother Olwenn, with his checkered shirts and knowledge of all sorts of things about the history of Corentin, and Georgie, who lives in London but visits with her grandparents every summer and her frequent ability to be at the forefront of their adventures, we also meet many others who influence Robin’s five weeks on the island. There is Alfie Andrews and his friends Nigel and Margaret who are computer wizzes and come to Robin’s aid; the streaked haired Ezzie Telfair who dreams of being an archeologist; and Georgie’s brother Greg together with his girlfriend Vicki Painter, who herself has a fantastic knowledge of the mysterious stone giants.
Not everyone Robin encounters though is as friendly or helpful, and after he runs into the Mauriers he tries his best to avoid them for the remainder of his visit, especially Seb and Angelina who seem to have a particular hatred of his new best friends.
The island of Corentin is magically brought to life in the adventure of a lifetime, and is a summer that will change Robin’s world forever. Become engrossed with the tale as it races along, and get lost in that ‘just one more chapter’ feeling as you live through Robin’s summer with him, feeling every high and celebrating every success, and being amazed at each new twist and turn.
Oh, and what’s the story with winged horses???
To Make a Witch: A Sword of Elements Novella by Heather-Hamilton-Senter
$0.99 or FREE for Prime Members
A standalone story featuring the enigmatic Lacey McInnis from The Sword Of Elements Series. It isn't necessary to have read Bound In Blue to enjoy this supernatural adventure of a wannabe witch.
On December 17th, 2013, a vandal painted the tomb of Marie Laveau—the famed Voodoo Queen of New Orleans—bright pink. It is believed that the vandal’s intent was to cover the X marks that had been scratched into the tomb. This story takes place just after that event.
At her old high school, Lacey found herself on the wrong side of a conflict between Celtic gods. Making a new start in an exclusive boarding school in New Orleans, she hopes to forget that she was once on the verge of becoming a powerful witch—and everything she’s lost both since and before then.
When a gruesome murder occurs in the very heart of Westover Academy, Lacey discovers a connection between it and the desecration of the tomb of Marie Laveau, the famed Voodoo Queen. Haunted by a trauma in her past, Lacey must solve the mystery before she becomes the killer’s next target.
Circumstances beyond her control may once again make Lacey McInnis—cheerleader, scholar, and all-around good girl—a witch.
$0.99 or FREE for Prime Members
First place winner in the International Digital Awards (Contemporary Shorts Category)
The Children's Author ...
Annie Hamilton's children's series Star Light~Star Bright is a mega hit. She loves kids and wants nothing more than a family of her own, but twice burned, thrice shy. When a gorgeous man with two young boys moves next door, Annie can't help but dream her impossible dream.
And The Widower Who Moved Next Door ...
Cole Evans is a brilliant scientist, but finds fatherhood a challenge. When his son develops a bond with their enchanting neighbor, the boy's favorite author, Cole discovers just how much he's lost--and how much he needs.
Will Their Wish Come True This Christmas Night?
Can Cole overcome family meddling and alleviate Annie's fears so they can be a ready-made family?
Come Home for Christmas, Cowboy by Megan Crane
$0.99 or FREE for Prime Members (Regularly $2.99)
This Christmas season, Christina Grey Cooper has finally accepted that her marriage to her college sweetheart Dare is over.
So she packs up her things, leaves a note, and heads back home for Marietta, Montana in the hope that a Christmas with her family will help piece her head—if not her heart—back together.
Dare isn’t about to let the love of his life go, and who cares if that’s what he thought he wanted? He’ll do what it takes to win Christina back—even if that means suffering through Christmas with his in-laws, pretending to still be happily married for the sake of family harmony, and trying not to get caught up in all that holiday nonsense he’s never believed in…
But Christmas is magical, especially in Montana.
And if Dare has any hope of convincing Christina to give him one more chance, it’s going to be here…
Robin Pembroke: Pirates & Winged Horses by J. B. Pelts
$0.99 or FREE for Prime Members (Regularly $4.85)
Robin Pembroke didn’t foresee pirates playing any part in his upcoming school holidays whatsoever. But then again neither did he expect to find a secret treasure map, uncover a dinosaur fossil, sight a legendary lake monster, or make three fantastic new friends. That though is exactly what happened.
Without a proper holiday in his almost-11 years of life, Robin was expecting to spend another summer in his parent’s flat in rain-soaked middle England. That was until he arrived home one day to the news that his Great Aunt Dorothy had passed away and left him her estate on the island of Corentin. Robin hadn’t even known that he’d had a Great Aunt Dorothy, let alone had he ever heard of Corentin.
Join Robin as he and his new friends, Georgie, Millie, and Olwenn, stumble upon a pirate mystery that has been waiting over 200 years to be uncovered. After finding a secret entrance into Smuggler’s Cove, clues start to mount up that point to the fact that not all of the pirates had actually died during the ambush there in 1812, the adventure unravelling secrets as they chase the story of the pirate Captain Longshadow across the island and across time.
With its mysterious Breton heritage and even more mysterious stone giants standing guard over Corentin’s eastern shore, the kids race from castle ruins to haunted inns to cannonballed ships as Robin explores this magical new island. As the days pass chapter by chapter, the five weeks of summer disappear in an adventure-filled haze. The solving of one mystery leads to another taking its place, and the questions mount along with the kids’ realization as to the size of what it is that they are uncovering. Why had the Kerezenn really sunk? What was true reason that the lighthouse wasn’t working that night? Whatever happened to the pirate ship Firemast? Where is Nante’s lost treasure? And who is Captain Longshadow?
Beyond Robin’s new friends of Millie, who is late for just about everything and has a magical artistic talent, her brother Olwenn, with his checkered shirts and knowledge of all sorts of things about the history of Corentin, and Georgie, who lives in London but visits with her grandparents every summer and her frequent ability to be at the forefront of their adventures, we also meet many others who influence Robin’s five weeks on the island. There is Alfie Andrews and his friends Nigel and Margaret who are computer wizzes and come to Robin’s aid; the streaked haired Ezzie Telfair who dreams of being an archeologist; and Georgie’s brother Greg together with his girlfriend Vicki Painter, who herself has a fantastic knowledge of the mysterious stone giants.
Not everyone Robin encounters though is as friendly or helpful, and after he runs into the Mauriers he tries his best to avoid them for the remainder of his visit, especially Seb and Angelina who seem to have a particular hatred of his new best friends.
The island of Corentin is magically brought to life in the adventure of a lifetime, and is a summer that will change Robin’s world forever. Become engrossed with the tale as it races along, and get lost in that ‘just one more chapter’ feeling as you live through Robin’s summer with him, feeling every high and celebrating every success, and being amazed at each new twist and turn.
Oh, and what’s the story with winged horses???
To Make a Witch: A Sword of Elements Novella by Heather-Hamilton-Senter
$0.99 or FREE for Prime Members
A standalone story featuring the enigmatic Lacey McInnis from The Sword Of Elements Series. It isn't necessary to have read Bound In Blue to enjoy this supernatural adventure of a wannabe witch.
On December 17th, 2013, a vandal painted the tomb of Marie Laveau—the famed Voodoo Queen of New Orleans—bright pink. It is believed that the vandal’s intent was to cover the X marks that had been scratched into the tomb. This story takes place just after that event.
At her old high school, Lacey found herself on the wrong side of a conflict between Celtic gods. Making a new start in an exclusive boarding school in New Orleans, she hopes to forget that she was once on the verge of becoming a powerful witch—and everything she’s lost both since and before then.
When a gruesome murder occurs in the very heart of Westover Academy, Lacey discovers a connection between it and the desecration of the tomb of Marie Laveau, the famed Voodoo Queen. Haunted by a trauma in her past, Lacey must solve the mystery before she becomes the killer’s next target.
Circumstances beyond her control may once again make Lacey McInnis—cheerleader, scholar, and all-around good girl—a witch.
Never Seduce a Sheikh (International Bad Boys Book 2) by Jackie Ashenden Review
Title: Never Seduce a Skeikh
Series: International Bad Boys Book 2
Author: Jackie Ashenden
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Pages: 151
Price: $2.99 or FREE for Prime Members
Thoughts: Perfect for a cold winter's night.
Book Synopsis:
How deep into the darkness will she have to go to help bring him into the light?
Oil baronness Lily Harkness isn't so much steel magnolia as titanium cactus. She's used to living in a man's world and when she plays, she plays to win. She wants exclusive oil rights to ensure her company remains at the top and she's not walking away empty handed.
Sheikh Isma'il al Zahara rules his country his way. Always in command, he has his own plans for his country's oil and it's not just about the money. But he's intrigued by the buttoned up business woman who's come to his country to strike a deal. He can't help but wonder what's beneath her icy facade.
Lily's desires are buried down deep, but her attraction to Isma'il is too strong to deny. Will seducing the sheikh cost Lily her body and her soul?
Review:
A great book to add to your winter reading list. This is a quick-paced, intense, and steamy romance.
Series: International Bad Boys Book 2
Author: Jackie Ashenden
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Pages: 151
Price: $2.99 or FREE for Prime Members
Thoughts: Perfect for a cold winter's night.
Book Synopsis:
How deep into the darkness will she have to go to help bring him into the light?
Oil baronness Lily Harkness isn't so much steel magnolia as titanium cactus. She's used to living in a man's world and when she plays, she plays to win. She wants exclusive oil rights to ensure her company remains at the top and she's not walking away empty handed.
Sheikh Isma'il al Zahara rules his country his way. Always in command, he has his own plans for his country's oil and it's not just about the money. But he's intrigued by the buttoned up business woman who's come to his country to strike a deal. He can't help but wonder what's beneath her icy facade.
Lily's desires are buried down deep, but her attraction to Isma'il is too strong to deny. Will seducing the sheikh cost Lily her body and her soul?
Review:
A great book to add to your winter reading list. This is a quick-paced, intense, and steamy romance.
Alaskan Alliance (Zoe Donovan Mystery Book 12) by Kathi Daley Review
Title: Alaskan Alliance
Series: Zoe Donovan Mystery Book 12
Author: Kathi Daley
Genre: Cozy Mystery
Pages: 198
Price: $2.99 or FREE for Prime Members
Thoughts: LOVE this series!
Book Synopsis:
Zak and Zoe fly to Alaska after Zoe is asked by her dog trainer friend Peter to fly to Moosehead Alaska to deliver a search and rescue dog to a team who is desperate for some canine help after their own dog is injured during a rescue. Within twelve hours of arriving in the isolated little town, Zoe stumbles onto a murder scene where everything must be questioned because nothing is exactly as it seems. When a second body is found and a five year old cold case is reexamined, things go from complicated to bizarre. Meanwhile Levi and Ellie are home in Ashton Falls dealing with complex emotions as they solve their own thorny mystery.
Review:
Another awesome book in the series. I had no idea who the murderer was and I read a lot of cozy mysteries, so I was really impressed. Of course, I can't wait to read more! I love these characters and the delicious recipes. Kathi Daley is such an amazing author!
Series: Zoe Donovan Mystery Book 12
Author: Kathi Daley
Genre: Cozy Mystery
Pages: 198
Price: $2.99 or FREE for Prime Members
Thoughts: LOVE this series!
Book Synopsis:
Zak and Zoe fly to Alaska after Zoe is asked by her dog trainer friend Peter to fly to Moosehead Alaska to deliver a search and rescue dog to a team who is desperate for some canine help after their own dog is injured during a rescue. Within twelve hours of arriving in the isolated little town, Zoe stumbles onto a murder scene where everything must be questioned because nothing is exactly as it seems. When a second body is found and a five year old cold case is reexamined, things go from complicated to bizarre. Meanwhile Levi and Ellie are home in Ashton Falls dealing with complex emotions as they solve their own thorny mystery.
Review:
Another awesome book in the series. I had no idea who the murderer was and I read a lot of cozy mysteries, so I was really impressed. Of course, I can't wait to read more! I love these characters and the delicious recipes. Kathi Daley is such an amazing author!
Tuesday, December 23, 2014
Come Home for Christmas, Cowboy by Megan Crane Excerpt
Come Home for Christmas, Cowboy by Megan Crane
$0.99 or FREE for Prime Members
This Christmas season, Christina Grey Cooper has finally accepted that her marriage to her college sweetheart Dare is over.
So she packs up her things, leaves a note, and heads back home for Marietta, Montana in the hope that a Christmas with her family will help piece her head—if not her heart—back together.
Dare isn’t about to let the love of his life go, and who cares if that’s what he thought he wanted? He’ll do what it takes to win Christina back—even if that means suffering through Christmas with his in-laws, pretending to still be happily married for the sake of family harmony, and trying not to get caught up in all that holiday nonsense he’s never believed in…
But Christmas is magical, especially in Montana.
And if Dare has any hope of convincing Christina to give him one more chance, it’s going to be here…
Montana Born Christmas series
Book 1: Blame the Mistletoe by Dani Collins
Book 2: Mistletoe Wedding by Melissa McClone
Book 3: Her Mistletoe Cowboy by Alissa Callen
Book 4: Cowboy, It's Cold Outside by Katherine Garbera
Bok 5: Come Home for Christmas, Cowboy by Megan Crane
$0.99 or FREE for Prime Members
This Christmas season, Christina Grey Cooper has finally accepted that her marriage to her college sweetheart Dare is over.
So she packs up her things, leaves a note, and heads back home for Marietta, Montana in the hope that a Christmas with her family will help piece her head—if not her heart—back together.
Dare isn’t about to let the love of his life go, and who cares if that’s what he thought he wanted? He’ll do what it takes to win Christina back—even if that means suffering through Christmas with his in-laws, pretending to still be happily married for the sake of family harmony, and trying not to get caught up in all that holiday nonsense he’s never believed in…
But Christmas is magical, especially in Montana.
And if Dare has any hope of convincing Christina to give him one more chance, it’s going to be here…
Montana Born Christmas series
Book 1: Blame the Mistletoe by Dani Collins
Book 2: Mistletoe Wedding by Melissa McClone
Book 3: Her Mistletoe Cowboy by Alissa Callen
Book 4: Cowboy, It's Cold Outside by Katherine Garbera
Bok 5: Come Home for Christmas, Cowboy by Megan Crane
Excerpt:
“You
could smile,” she told him. “It won’t kill you.”
“It
might.”
“You’re
the one who wanted to pretend we were happy together,” she reminded
him, and there was no particular accusation in her voice. It was
simply a fact. “This was your idea. You could have been sitting
at home in Denver all by yourself if you wanted. You probably
shouldn’t have come all the way up here and agreed to lie about
your feelings if it’s this hard for you to crack a single freaking
smile.”
“It’s
never just a smile, though. Is it?”
And
the situation got out of hand, just like that.
“Dare…”
But
she was whispering, and she had no idea if she was warding him off or
begging him to come closer.
“First it’s the smile,” he
said, his voice a husky thing in the momentary privacy of the back
hall. “Then all the things that come with it. You make me imagine
I can be that man you smile at, Christina. You make me think that if
I play him long enough, I’ll turn into him one day. But what
happens if I don’t?”
“I
have no idea what you’re talking about.”
She
also didn't care. The hallway was dimly lit, his mouth was so close
to hers as he stood there in front of her that it was the only thing
she could think about. Then he flattened his palms on the wall on
each side of her head and the world disappeared into that gaze of
his, smoky and intent.
“You
know where I come from,” he said, his voice like a dark throb along
the surface of her skin, then deep beneath it. “You know what that
makes me. Why do I have to keep reminding you?”
“You
were a kid who deserved better and a man who overcame a deeply crappy
start,” she said, not following him. But it was hard to follow
anything just then that wasn’t his mouth. “You were also an
awesome husband for a while, but then you went deep freeze on me.
That’s on you, Dare.”
“You’re
drunk.”
“I’m
tipsy. Slightly
tipsy. And what does that have to do with anything?”
He
leaned closer and Christina trembled, thinking he would put his mouth
to hers again. But he didn’t. He angled himself so his mouth was
right next to her ear, so that when he spoke his voice shivered over
her and into her as if his hands were running along her skin.
She
wanted that more than she could bear.
“That’s
too bad.”
“Why?”
She hardly recognized her own voice. Tight and needy and breathless
besides. “I thought you told me not to get drunk.”
“But
if you were, I might tell you all the ways I want you, because you
wouldn’t remember. You wouldn’t hold me to it in the light of
day.” His breath fanned over her skin and she wanted.
She’d wanted him forever. She thought she always would. God save
her from the things she wanted.
“You wouldn’t know.”
“I
already know.” She didn’t mean to move, but then her hands were
at his hips, touching him as if she’d never lost that right. As if
he’d never shut her out. As if his body was as much hers as her
own had always been. She’d forgotten how good that felt. How
right.
“But that doesn’t matter if you won’t do it, does it?”
“Christina.”
Her name was like fire. It streaked through her, searing her to the
bone. “I try so hard to keep you safe, especially from me, and yet
all I seem to do is hurt you.”
She
wasn’t drunk, but she wasn’t thinking particularly clearly,
either. And maybe that was a good thing. She wrapped her arms
around that lean waist of his, luxuriating in the feel of those hard
muscles she loved so much even through the long sleeved shirt he
wore. The exquisite perfection of his finely-hewn back. He sucked
in a breath and she tipped her head back, her face still caged
between his hands on that wall on either side and her arms caging him
in turn, and their gazes tangled. Held.
“Then
stop it,” she suggested, and then she lifted herself up the
remaining distance, high up on her toes in her favorite old boots,
and kissed him.
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