Tag Archives: contemporary and literary fiction

All I Can Say Is: Baby Please (LOL) by Mimi Jean Pamfiloff @MimiJeanRomance

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I don’t read a lot of contemporary romance with a sports star as the main character, but I will read anything Mimi Jean Pamfiloff writes! Can you resist that sweet cover?

Baby, Please (OHellNo #7)

Amazon / Goodreads

MY REVIEW

I have read numerous books by Mimi Jean Pamfiloff and I will happily read anything she writes. This is my first book in the OhHellNo series. Even though it is the seventh in the series, it had no affect on my enjoyment of the story. Mimi writes with humor and wit, with dialogue that has me laughing out loud. Look at that cover…then add a sexy damsel in distress and you tell me…can you resist it?

Dean had worked hard to get where he was. A chance at the NFL. A baby he is raising by himself. And brother who’s an addict and needs constant help. The NFL is his answer to all his problems. But…life is never that simple.

In one of his lowest moments, she walked into the bar. Older, classy, and just what the doctored ordered…at the time. Or, so he thought, because the wrong head was thinking. The result, two year old Patrick and trouble he couldn’t have seen coming.

No one has given him anything…well, except Minnie, his landlady. She is selective about who she rents to. Daisy comes to town and the OhHellNo begins. When Dean and Daisy meet for the first time, Mimi Jean Pamfiloff had me cracking up.

I was wondering about the book. Mimi Jean Pamfiloff usually has more going on than Three Men and A Baby, and about halfway through it bites. My heart dropped right along with his.

This tough guy football jock has changed and I am loving it. I am curious to see how it will all play out, because I want warm fuzzies when the story is done.

I found the plot predictable, but that’s okay. I still enjoyed Baby Please by Mimi Jean Pamfiloff and would recommend it. I have enjoyed some of her other series more, but I have other books of the OhHell No series on my Kindle and I will be reading them.

I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of Baby Please by MImi Jean Pamfiloff.

Animated Animals. Pictures, Images and Photos
3 Stars

GOODREADS BLURB

From New York Times Bestseller Mimi Jean Pamfiloff comes a Surprise Baby Romantic Comedy, BABY, PLEASE.

SURPRISE! IT’S A GIRL!

DEAN

Ever since I was recruited by my college football team, I’ve pushed myself hard. Going pro and earning some real money is a must. Mostly because my brother, Flip, is in a bad place, and I’m all he’s got.

No problem. I’m tough. I’m a hard worker. I’ve got a plan.

Then right before the season starts, a woman shows up at my apartment with a baby, claiming I’m the father. And then she leaves her with me. For a week? Forever?

I have no idea, but college, football, and the single-dad gig don’t go together. And forget about my experience with babies. Does this thing come with an off switch? Volume control? Is that a poopie diaper? Help!

Things go from bad to worse when the public catches wind of my surprise-baby situation, and it turns into a PR nightmare. I’m suddenly the poster boy for young single dads.

This isn’t happening.

Suddenly, all eyes are on me, both on and off the field, and the only person who can keep me from losing my mind confesses her love.

And I mess it all up. Her, football, baby, everything.

Now I’m going to have to choose: fix my career or fix my personal life, including coming to grips with loving a baby girl who might not be mine.

ABOUT MIMI JEAN PAMFILOFF

MIMI JEAN PAMFILOFF is a New York Times bestselling author who’s sold over one million books around the world. Although she obtained her MBA and worked for more than fifteen years in the corporate world, she believes that it’s never too late to come out of the romance closet and follow your dreams.

Mimi lives with her Latin lover hubby, two pirates-in-training (their boys), and their three spunky dragons (really, just very tiny dogs with big attitudes) Snowy, Mini, and Mack, in the vampire-unfriendly state of Arizona.

She hopes to make you laugh when you need it most and continues to pray daily that leather pants will make a big comeback for men.

Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter / Instagram

MY MIMI JEAN PAMFILOFF REVIEWS

MY M O MACK REVIEWS

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Giveaway – Audrey by Sean Paul Thomas @XpressoTours

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Audrey
Sean-Paul Thomas
Publication date: May 21st 2021
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance

From the author of My Sister and I and The Old Man and The Princess (recently optioned to be a motion picture) – comes a new, suspenseful romantic tale that will knock you off your feet. A story that has a reminiscence of ‘500 days of Summer’ and ‘Midnight in Paris’ with a fair dollop of ‘The Graduate’ thrown in. And of course Audrey, a delightful, older female protagonist who takes the young and wayward ex-con Joe under her wing.

Just out of prison Joe, a young builder from Edinburgh who writes movie scripts in his spare time, randomly meets Audrey, a washed-up, hard-drinking, chain-smoking, middle-aged French film actress at his local film festival. After hitting it off and spending one crazy, magical night together, Audrey sees some potential in Joe and his writing and tries to help him win back his estranged daughter by getting his first screenplay made into a movie in Paris. And so, the adventure of a lifetime begins…

Goodreads / Amazon

EXCERPT

“Don’t say that. Jesus. You were brilliant up there. And you barely look a day over twenty-nine.” Joe said with a reassuring grin. Audrey’s eyes widened and she smiled with delight at the compliment.

“Well the dim lighting out here in this dark alleyway is fantastic, yes?” she teased. “It hides all of my lovely wrinkles and skin imperfections.”

“Okay,” Joe said rolling his eyes. “Maybe thirty-five then when you were outside earlier in the natural light,” Joe said, teasing her back, trying his best to flirt with her now, but it had been such a long time since he’d played the flirting game with anyone, that he didn’t even know if he was doing it right anymore. They both chuckled at his words and Audrey even slapped him lightly on the arm. Joe took it as a pretty good sign that she enjoyed his rusty flirting banter, even if she was only humouring him. He was just about to ask her something else. Something a little bit deeper and meaningful. That was when the festival host suddenly appeared through the fire escape, desperately searching for Audrey. Joe realised instantly that he was coming to steal her away even before he gave Joe a quick dismissive look.

 “Miss Beart? We need to take some more pictures now. Can you please come back inside?”

Joe had never felt so gutted before in his life. It was like the brick alley walls around him were all crumbling in and there was nothing he could do to stop the imminent disaster. They both hesitated and looked deeply into each other’s eyes like they knew they had so much more to say and ask of the other. At first, the festival host just assumed that Joe was only a starstruck fan and would be dropped by Audrey like a hot piece of coal effective immediately at the host’s mere white-knight presence in front of them. But after a long but comfortable silence, even Joe felt surprised that Audrey was still standing there and hadn’t made her excuses to leave already.

“So…” She finally uttered with that cute and delightful smile of hers, which was directed straight at him once again. “It would appear as if they remembered who I am after all…”

Audrey threw her almost finished cigarette down onto the ground and stamped it out with her shoe.

“I guess it was nice meeting you then… Joseph…”

“Please, just call me Joe”

“Hey, Joe, what do you know?” Audrey replied right back at him with a playful smile and a casual wink.

“You too, Audrey. It was an absolute pleasure,” was all Joe could fire back even though he wanted to say a million and one other things.

There was another fleeting second of hesitation. Joe didn’t want her to go anywhere and he knew she could feel it too, but in the end, he felt utterly powerless to make her stay. Who the hell was he to demand such a thing? In a normal world of boy-meets-girl, this would have been the ideal time to ask for her number or e-mail address or at least add her on bloody Facebook. But Joe did nothing. Not only was he well out of practice on the boy-meets-girl market front, but who the hell was he to ask anything of her? Joe knew he didn’t belong there. He knew he didn’t belong in Audrey’s world at that particular moment in time. He hadn’t yet earned that kind of accolade or respect as an artist. He was a nobody, and she was a somebody. Joe lived in Edinburgh as an ex-con, part-time plumber, and a starving writer and she lived in the vibrant, stunning, and equally chaotic city of Paris, or so he’d read on her IMDB page, deep within the magical film world that Joe hadn’t even begun earning the right of entry into. Plus, it felt even more awkward to him with the festival host still impatiently leering over them, still wondering why on earth Audrey hadn’t made her excuses and left with him yet, but at the same time not wishing to appear verbally rude by enforcing her to come back into the cinema.

“Good luck with the movie, too, and your writing.” Joe finally added, still not taking his eyes away from the middle-aged beauty.

“Merci Beaucoup,” Audrey replied, still gazing right at him before finally turning away and beginning to make her idle move back through the fire exit doors and into the cinema. “See you then,” she continued in a tone that suggested if Joe would only man the hell up and ask her to meet him later that evening for a drink or a late-night coffee so they could chat some more about movies, writing, or whatever the hell other life subjects that came up, then she would absolutely and positively accept his invitation. But Joe didn’t say another damn word, because Joe wasn’t that bold, or charming, or confident. Had he ever been? Yes, perhaps, once upon a time, before five long years of living in a lonely cell had robbed him of some crucial part of his personality and socialising skills to the extent where two minutes conversing with a French film actress convinced him that was two minutes more than what he actually deserved. Then, to the cinema host’s deep frustrations, Audrey suddenly paused at the fire exit door for much longer than he would have liked.

“What are you doing later, Joe?” Audrey asked out of the blue. Joe found himself utterly taken aback by her question, but quickly composed himself with a sharp, cool, and confident response that he would thank himself for in the not too distant future.

“Nothing I can’t get out of. Why, what do you have in mind?”

“Can you show me where to buy some cigarettes around here?”

“Aye. I can do that.” Joe replied, utterly delighted but trying his best to hold it in.

“Good. Why don’t you meet me out front in say… thirty minutes, and I’ll maybe even let you show me around your wonderful city, too, if you’re lucky?” Audrey said, finishing with a wink.

Joe smiled with utter pleasure. He couldn’t quite believe what Audrey had just said, but he went with it all the same.


Author Bio:

Scottish Author/Screenwriter.

Sean is an author from Edinburgh in Scotland. He is the best selling Kindle Author of ‘The Old Man and The Princess’ which was recently optioned to be a major motion picture.

Sean spent most of his childhood and teenage years on the move with his Scottish and Irish army Parents growing up in the likes of Cyprus, Germany, Wales, and England, as an army brat.

With a keen interest in both reading and writing, he was diagnosed with travel and writing bugs very early in life. Now, writing, travelling, reading, cinema, and Scottish football (Supporting the mighty Edinburgh City for his sins) are his main passions in life.

His main inspiration for writing today comes from living in such a beautiful, charming and hauntingly, Gothic city, such as Edinburgh. An awe-inspiring wee city that has given him so much amazing inspiration to write the more time he spends there.

Recently, Sean has been working on a couple of screenplay adaptations of his books. One of which ‘The Old Man and The Princess’ made the final of the Nashville Film Festival Screenwriting Competition 2018 and has since been optioned by an award-winning Director /Producer team. Scheduled to go into production in Ireland in the summer of 2021 filming has been postponed until 2022 due to the recent covid pandemic.

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Giveaway – The Shoe Diaries by Darby Baham @darbybaham @GoddessFish

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The Shoe Diaries by Darby Baham

GENRE: Contemporary Romance

BLURB:

It’s never too late to put your best foot forward

From the outside, Reagan “Rae” Doucet has it all: a coveted career in Washington, DC, a tight circle of friends and a shoe closet to die for. When one of her crew falls ill, however, Rae is done playing it safe. The talented but unfulfilled writer makes a “risk list” to revamp her life. But forgiving her ex, Jake Saunders, might be one risk too many…

From Harlequin Special Edition: Believe in love. Overcome obstacles. Find happiness.

The Friendship Chronicles/Book 1: The Shoe Diaries

“Reminiscent of Sex and the City and the Shopaholic series in the best possible way. Her stories are a lot of fun and yet she still tugs at your heartstrings.”–Gail Chasan, Special Edition Editor

EXCERPTS

Romance

February 13, 2016

“With this ring, I thee wed, and with it, I bestow upon thee the treasures of my mind, heart and hands…”

Staring at my friends from my seat, I noticed more than just their words as they recited their vows. I saw their hands clasped together throughout the ceremony, and the smiles they wore even through their tears; the way they focused on each other like no one else was present even while a hundred and fifty of us stared at them with glee. But most important, I saw the love that was undeniable between the two of them. Strange, but I was all at once happy and sad, amazed and hurt. In them I saw hope for a future. Here were two people who’d found love and decided that nothing else was more important than their union. Yet, standing less than two feet away from them, I also saw the man I’d hoped would be my future—and it hurt me to my core to know that we would never have this same moment.

Every few minutes I caught myself peeking over at him during the ceremony, hoping he would turn to me, and we would have some kind of knowing thought between us. That we would have a brief second where no words were necessary, and through our eyes, we’d say, “I know it didn’t work for us, but I still love you.” I craved that moment more than anything I’d ever wanted before, wishing with all my might he would just look over. Just glance at me…and smile.

That look never happened.

AUTHOR Bio and Links:

Darby Baham (she/her) is a debut author with Harlequin Special Edition and a New Yorker of five years who sometimes desperately misses the sprawling shoe closet she had while living in Maryland. She’s had personal blog posts appear in The Washington Post’s relationship vertical and has worked in the communications industry for more than two decades. The New Orleans, LA native is also a lover of big laughs and books that swallow you into their world. Her first book, The Shoe Diaries, debuts in 2022.

  • Author Website  www.DarbyBaham.com
  • Linktree https://linktr.ee/darbybaham
  • Facebook  /https://www.facebook.com/darby.baham/
  • Twitter https://twitter.com/darbybaham
  • Instagram https://www.instagram.com/darbybaham/
  • Darby Baham’s Washington Post bylines
  • I had the perfect date dress. Why did it hang in my closet unworn for more than a year? — March 2016
  • When it comes to relationship advice, sometimes it’s best to ignore your friends — February 2016
  • I’m the oldest sister in my family and I’m single. And that’s okay. — March 2016
  • I was afraid to say ‘I love you.’ Here’s how I found the courage. –
  • NOTE:  Here is the link to subscribe to receive books specifically from Harlequin Special Edition — https://www.readerservice.com/content/series/harlequin-special-edition/
  • Darby’s book will be included in the January edition.

Amazon / B&N / BooksAMillion / Harlequin / Indiebound / GoogleBooks / Target

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Giveaway – In Plain Sight by Alison Packard @GoddessFish @Alleyfics

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In Plain Sight by Alison Packard

GENRE:   Contemporary Romance

BLURB

Romance writer Maya Lange is stuck in the small town of Two Forks, Wyoming. It’s not the happily ever after she wanted for herself, but neither was dating a man who runs a criminal enterprise or witnessing a murder. Now she’s in witness protection, with a new name she hates and a permanent mistrust of men. That doesn’t keep the sparks from flying with her neighbor, Josh Madsen, though she suspects he’s hiding secrets of his own. She’s right to be wary. Josh is actually Jace Reed, a former undercover NYPD officer hiding from the mob. Jace knows his beautiful and mysterious new neighbor isn’t who she seems. Is she there to spy on him or to kill him? All he knows for sure is that she’s tempting him to do things he hasn’t thought about in years. How can either of them learn to trust when surrounded by so many secrets?
 
Former bull rider Ryan McCallister has returned to Two Forks with one goal in mind: to win back his childhood sweetheart, local bakery owner Katie Crawford. Ryan left eight years earlier for all the right reasons, but Katie doesn’t know that. All she knows is that he broke her heart. Can she trust him enough to take a second chance on love?  

As Katie befriends Maya, and Jace works with Ryan on his ranch, their lives become entwined in ways none of them ever expected. Will their shattered pasts destroy the hopes any of them might have for a happy future? The truth is hiding in plain sight.

EXCERPT

Still staring at the lake, Jace shoved his phone into his back pocket. Behind him, a familiar click filled the silence. The hairs on the back of his neck stood up, and goosebumps rose on his arms. Turning slowly, he found himself staring into the barrel of a gun. A gun held by the woman he now knew was involved with the organization out to kill him. Tension filled the air as their eyes clashed across the expanse of the deck. Gone were her smile and welcoming eyes. Instead, her mouth was pressed into a tight grim line, and her dark eyes burned like coal.

“You won’t need to make that call, Josh.” She held the gun using both hands, her stance indicating she’d used a gun before. If she was part of Alastair’s organization, she knew how to use it. His heart began to hammer so loudly it seemed to echo off of the lake. He hadn’t thought to bring his gun—a stupid mistake and one that could very well cost him his life.

“If you want to know about Maya Lange.” She paused, tilted her head, and regarded him with disdain. “You can ask me. And maybe, just before I blow your head off, I’ll tell you all about her.”

AUTHOR Bio and Links

Originally from the San Francisco Bay Area, Alison now lives in the Southwest with her adorable rescue dog, Bailey. She writes heartwarming contemporary romance with a dash of spice and loves chocolate, reading, and taking Bailey for walks at their favorite park.

For more information on Alison’s upcoming releases, you can sign up for her newsletter at alisonpackard.com; follow her on Twitter: @alleyfics, and Facebook: http://bit.ly/2uERElk

Buy Links: Amazon / B&N / Kobo / Apple

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Giveaway – Sleigh Bells by Lindy Miller @LindyWritesLove @XpressoTours

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Sleigh Bells on Bread Loaf Mountain
Lindy Miller
Published by: Rosewind Books
Publication date: December 7th 2021
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Holiday, Romance

Screenplay by the writer of Rescuing Madison and
A Lesson in Romance (Hallmark), and the forthcoming Aloha with Love.

Christmas isn’t fashion editor Roxanne Hudson’s style, but when she finds herself snowed in with a handsome stranger, she might just discover the magic of the season after all.

Roxanne Hudson does not like the holidays. They come with too many family obligations that take her away from work as a rising fashion editor in New York City. But this Christmas might be Grandma Myrtle’s last, and Roxanne’s parents want her to spend the holiday at the family cabin in the Green Mountains. With her boyfriend out of the country for a photo shoot, Roxanne decides to brave the long commute—and the wilderness—to spend Christmas in Vermont.

After an uncomfortable call from her boyfriend starts the trip off badly, Roxanne is blindsided by a blizzard on the snowy mountain road, where the last thing she hears before losing consciousness is sleigh bells. When she’s rescued by Mark Foster, a handsome park ranger who’s the exact opposite of everything she always thought she wanted, Roxanne seeks her grandmother’s wisdom and discovers an uncanny connection that could be a sign of what her life is really meant to be.

Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes & Noble / Kobo

—

EXCERPT:

“You’re seriously going to drive all the way to Vermont to spend Christmas with family you haven’t seen in years?”

Spencer’s voice was so thick with sarcasm Roxanne couldn’t decide which part of what he’d said offended him the most.

Her work bestie slumped dramatically against the high wall of her cubicle, fanning at himself. The perfection of his coiffed hair and meticulously starched clothes might have given the impression that Spencer Chen was impervious to the indignities of human emotion, but the expression on his face said plainly he was not. At the present, he was wearing the most severe of his trademark histrionic faces: upper lip drawn back to expose a row of pearly white teeth, nostrils flared, expertly sculpted eyebrows arched. The look said he hated everything that had just come out of his mouth.

All of it.

Don’t encourage him. Roxanne bit her lip and willed herself to stay silent. When Spencer got on a roll, it was best to just let him tire himself out. Working in the fashion industry had earned her a closet full of designer labels and, along with them, the kid gloves necessary to handle the drama queens in her life, including Spencer. Usually, Roxanne enjoyed his dramatic reactions to everyday happenings—so long as they weren’t directed at her.

Like now.

She opened her mouth to speak, but Spencer wasn’t finished.

“In a log cabin,” he added, stabbing his index finger upward to punctuate each word. A shudder passed through his body as he dropped his palm over his heart. He was so spun up he actually looked faint.

“I am.” Roxanne drew her response out and bit her lip. Maybe if she said the words slowly, they wouldn’t spin him back up.

Spencer closed his eyes and sucked his teeth, still fanning.

She sighed. “It’s not as bad as you’re making it sound, though, Spence. Seriously.”

“Oh, honey.” Spencer’s eyes snapped open with an exaggerated pop. “It absolutely is. You’re Divine, remember? Being divine isn’t just a job; it’s a lifestyle. And there’s nothing cute about spending the biggest holiday of the year in the sticks.”


Author Bio:

Lindy Miller is an entrepreneur, award-winning professor, and publishing professional. In 2011, Miller was part of the executive leadership team that founded Radiant Advisors, a data and business intelligence research and advisory firm, where Miller developed and launched the company’s editorial and research divisions, and later its data visualization practice, for clients that included 21st Century Fox Films, Fox Networks, Warner Bros., and Disney. She is the author of numerous papers and two textbooks under the name of Lindy Ryan, The Visual Imperative: Creating a Culture of Visual Discovery (Elsevier) and Visual Data Storytelling with Tableau (Pearson) Miller holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration: Entrepreneurship and Strategy, and a Master of Arts in Organizational Leadership and a Doctorate in Education, Organizational Leadership.

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Giveaway – Christmas in Smithville by Kirsten Fullmer @AuthorKFullmer @XpressoTours

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Christmas in Smithville
Kirsten Fullmer
(Hometown, #4)
Publication date: November 30th 2017
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Holiday, Romance

Even though Gloria is determined to change her reputation, most of the women in town still think she’s a tramp. Sure, she may have dressed a little flashy and dated pretty much every single guy in town, but that’s the past. Now that she wants to make a fresh start, will Smithville give her a second chance?

Ned has heard all the gossip, but being the Sheriff’s Deputy, he sees all the kind things Gloria does behind the scenes for the folks of Smithville. It looks like the upcoming Christmas Pageant will offer him the opportunity to spend time with her, but can he overcome a frustrating stutter and talk to her, face to face?

Your favorite characters from the Hometown Series bring craziness, love, and Smithville Christmas style, to a whole new romance about overcoming your past and sharing your deepest secrets. Fall in love and be swept away with the Christmas Eve celebration of your dreams.

Goodreads / Amazon

—

EXCERPT:

“Then I just had to wr—wrap the baby up and hand her to her mother,” Ned said as he dropped his paint roller in the bucket of hot water.

Gloria stared at him, her eyes wide in fascination. “I can’t believe you delivered a baby by the side of the road. I don’t think I could have—”

“Sure you could,” he said with a shrug. “When the time comes and work needs doing, folks like us st—step up.”

Unsure, she scoffed. “Well, baking a casserole is one thing, but—”

Ned reached out to take her paint roller. “Yeah, okay, the baby was kind of a big deal,” he conceded, “Usually, I just end up learning w—way more about people than I want to know.”

“I understand that.” Gloria nodded. “Given my past, I know—” She stopped, realizing what she was saying. “Of course, I’ve forgotten all about those guys…” She faltered, her words fading away and her cheeks burning red under her freckles.

Ned’s laughter rang out into the workshop. “Oh, I’m sure you don’t know which guys in town burp at the table, who is connected at the hip to their momma, or who snores—” The words chopped off and it was his turn to blush. “I… I d—didn’t mean… I—I w—wasn’t…” His stutter always got much worse when he was upset. Frustrated, he stopped talking and turned back to the water bucket.

“Don’t be embarrassed,” Gloria said, feeling bad for him. “It’s true though, especially with your job. What do you do when you meet someone on the street, and you know intimate details about their personal life?” She waited, but he just pumped the paint rollers up and down in the water, so she tried again. “I’m asking for advice, honest. Do they train you on this stuff at the police academy?”

He shrugged, then straightened and shoved one hand in the front pocket of his jeans. “Well we have to t—take ethics classes, but—” he looked up, making eye contact, “no, they don’t tell you that stuff. You just h—have to act like you weren’t at their house two n—nights ago with the fire chief, helping them get their hand unstuck from the k—kitchen drain they were trying to fix.”

Her eyes widened, and she chuckled in surprise. “Who? No, no don’t tell me.”

He shook his head; his hand raised to stop her. “I wouldn’t,” he said, but his eyes were bright with humor. “It’s a th—thing you have to learn to do I guess. I know you’re g—good at it, I’ve seen you in action.”

She shrugged modestly. “Oh, well, I just try to put myself in their place.”

They were both quiet for a minute, contemplating all the dirt they’d collectively compiled on the people of Smithville.

“Yeah, ” she continued with a sparkle in her eye. “Because if I were a great big guy, I wouldn’t want everyone to know that I scream like a little girl when I see a spider.”

Ned’s eyebrows rose, and a big grin spread across his face. “Now I have to wonder…”

“It will go with me to the grave,” she assured him, looking solemn. But she couldn’t help it and broke into laughter. “Oh my gosh, it was the funniest thing. I thought he was going to run away, but he kept screaming for me to ‘get it’. Of course, I was far too busy laughing and taking video.”

He chuckled, enjoying the way her eyes shone when she was happy. Her laughter was like music, and her cheeks turned rosy with happiness. His own heart swelled, catching him off guard. “You’re a mean one, aren’t you,” he teased.

“Me?” she asked, with her hand on her chest. “No, no, I finally took pity on him and smashed the bug.”

“Well that’s good,” he said, wishing he could make her laugh like that all the time.

“Anyway,” she trailed off, “I better get moving. I have a ton of sewing to do.”

“I wish I could help you with th—that,” he said, collecting the butcher paper he’d spread for them to paint. “But I have no idea how to even thread a needle.”

Her head tilted to one side. “I doubt that.”

“Okay, okay,” he relented, crumpling the paper to stuff it in the trashcan. “I can thread a n—needle, but choir robes and sh—shepherd costumes are way beyond my scope.”

She waved him off. “Oh, these are pretty simple. I figure they’re for one night and no one will really see them up close.”

“True.”

“Except…”

He waited for her to continue, watching her think, wishing he could hear what was on her mind.

“Well, it’s just,” She chuckled. “Practically every family in town has someone in this thing, so I guess in reality, everyone will see them up close.”

“Right?” he laughed. “I wonder sometimes, who is going to watch the show.”

“Me too!” she agreed. “We may need to set up a bus service to bring folks from Uniontown.”

He rubbed his chin. “Not a bad idea.”

She reveled in the shared moment, then turned away, looking for her purse. “Well, I’d better get going.”

“Thanks for the help,” he said, wishing he knew how to make her stay. “ Do you have to go?”

The question froze Gloria in her tracks. Normally at this point, if a gorgeous man was being funny and sweet and she liked him, she’d stay and talk. And not only that, she amended, she’d sign up for more. But things were different now. She was different. She wasn’t doing any of this to get a man, and, truth be told, she wouldn’t know what to do with one at this point anyway. She wanted to prove to the women in town she didn’t need to flirt, and that she could do a job and do it well, without attracting male attention. She frowned. That wasn’t going so well evidently. Was she attracted to Ned?

Turning back toward the shop, she regarded him carefully. He had a swipe of red paint across one cheek, but that only made him more approachable. The man was a knock out no matter how you looked at him. The paint spear made him cute. Shocked by her appraisal, her eyebrows lifted. When was the last time she’d thought a grown man was cute? Especially one with a physique like the deputy.

He grew uncomfortable under her stare, and she realized she was being rude. “I really do have to go,” her words said, but the rest of her said, “I want to stay.” He was easy to talk to and friendly. He didn’t judge her. He was nice. It came to her then; she had a friend in Ned. They had some things in common, and they could have a laugh together. Given her situation, a friend was something she needed. Gaging her words carefully, she hoped she could make him understand how much she appreciated him. “I really do have to go, but this has been… this has been great.”

He looked so disappointed that she nearly relented, but she knew it was for the best. This pageant was not the time or place to be looking for a new boyfriend. And she was sure she didn’t want to ruin the budding friendship they’d forged. This was new territory, and she had to move carefully and use her head.

“I have to go.” She turned toward the door, then, with her hand on the door handle, she stopped and looked over her shoulder. “But I’ll see you tomorrow night at practice, right?”

For a minute she thought he wasn’t going to respond, but finally he nodded, and an easy grin lit his face. “Sure.”

All she could manage was a quick nod, and then she ducked out the door before she could change her mind.


Author Bio:

Kirsten is a dreamer with an eye for art and design. She worked in the engineering field, taught college, and consulted free lance. Due to health problems, she retired in 2012 to travel with her husband. They live and work full time in a 40′ travel trailer with their little dog Bingo. Besides writing romance novels, she enjoys selling art on Etsy and spoiling their three grandchildren.

As a writer, Kirsten’s goal is to create strong female characters who face challenging, painful, and sometimes comical situations. She believes that the best way to deal with struggle, is through friendship and women helping women. She knows good stories are based on interesting and relatable characters.

Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter / Instagram


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Giveaway – Warming My Heart by MIchelle Cornish @Chellevester @XpressoTours

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Warming My Winter Heart
Michelle Cornish
Publication date: November 22nd 2020
Genres: Adult, Comedy, Contemporary, Romance

You can’t run from love forever . . .

When Lexi Blair comes home to Little City from LA for Christmas, she gets the surprise of her life—the ex-fiancé she thought was dead is very much alive and wants her back!

It’s Christmas Eve and Lexi’s seen a ghost. Or . . . she thought he was a ghost until her mom admits to faking his death so Lexi would come home for Christmas.

After a humiliating run-in with her ex—which results in Lexi disowning her mother—she hides out at her best friend’s tree farm, babysitting a nameless puppy while her friend and hubby tend to a family emergency.

But farm life comes with a few perks Lexi isn’t expecting—mainly a hunky farmhand who’s helping Lexi run the place until her friends return.

While Lexi ran from Little City, John ran to it, and she quickly learns he’s healing from past hurts of his own.

Can Lexi and John stop running before it’s too late?

Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes & Noble / iBooks / Kobo / Google Play

—

EXCERPT:

Before long, Mom has dinner on the table, and when we’re seated, she says grace. Mom’s always loved going to church on Christmas Eve, but after her big fight with Aunt Flora, she started going every Sunday and doing things like saying grace.

Dad gives me a fully loaded, sideways look that says, “Yeah, your mother still hasn’t talked to your aunt and we still do these things to make it okay in her eyes.” I give him a nod. Does he know what they fought about that Christmas? He took a misdirected punch while he and Ian pulled Mom and her sister apart. That was before Ian became the biggest boob on the planet. Ugh.

“Oh, Lexi, I almost forgot.” Mom draws my attention back to the present. She grabs a box from the kitchen. “I got Christmas crackers.” Ooh. Seems hardly worth it for the three of us, but I do love Christmas crackers. Their gold and silver foil shines as Mom hands one to Dad and me then places one next to her own plate.

I look inside the cracker for the pull tab and grip it firmly then cross my arms, offering the Christmas cracker to Mom on my right and reaching for Dad’s cracker with my right hand.

“Ready?” Mom says. I’m transported back in time as I nod then Mom issues her standard Christmas cracker instructions. “On three. One . . . two . . . three!”

We all pull hard on our crackers against each other and our three little crackers pop and snap while bits of ripped paper scatter across the table. If Mom and Dad had a cat, it would have run for cover.

“Ooh, look,” Mom says. “I got a magnifying glass.” An urge to make a snarky comment about Mom’s eyesight and “how did the Christmas elves know?” pops into my head, but I let it go. I just got here, no need to start a fight just yet.

I check the table for my prize while Dad holds up a giant sparkly paperclip. “Not sure what this is about,” he says.

“It’s a bookmark, dear.” Mom touches Dad’s hand as she says it. She must have splurged on the premium crackers that encourage you to spend more money by showing you on the back of the package what you’ll get.

Something shiny catches my eye on the floor. “Ooh,” I say, leaning over in my chair to pick up my prize. “I got a pen.” I hold it up like it’s some kind of trophy. At least it’s something useful. I place it on the table right next to the fuschia paper crown that also spewed forth from the Christmas cracker.

“Put on your crown.” Mom flutters her hand in my direction. She’s already wearing hers. Dad somehow “accidentally” ripped his, so it won’t stay on his head. Lucky guy. I put on the crown. My cheeks burn a bit, and I feel like I’m ten again—the last year I remember actually liking these silly crowns. I scan the table hoping a bottle of wine has materialized in the last few minutes. Nope.


Author Bio:

Michelle Cornish is a recovering CPA with a passion for stories. Writing mostly romance and women’s fiction with strong female heroines, Michelle’s books often include nods to her former life as a CPA. When Michelle’s not writing, she’s hanging out with her two boys and husband in the beautiful Okanagan Valley, BC, Canada.

Newsletter / Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter / Instagram / Bookbub / Amazon


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Giveaway – Holiday Fake Out @dollycas

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Holiday Fake-out: 22 Fake Holiday Dates to Heat Up the Season
by Heather Graham, Carmen Falcone, Victoria Pinder, Christine Glover, Ann Omasta, K.L. Brady, Michele De Winton, Kristin Wallace, Rossie Cortes, EmKay Conner, Jodi Linton, Melanie Rose Clarke, Lyz Kelley, Marcia King-Gamble, Brynn North, Cindy Redding, Kathleen Lawless, Laurel Greer, Dee J Holmes, Emma Lee Jayne, Cara Carnes, Kat Baxter, Kara Kendrick

About Holiday Fake- Out


Holiday Fake-out: 22 Fake Holiday Dates to Heat Up the Season
Holiday Contemporary Romance
Publisher ‏ : ‎ Love in a Book (October 19, 2021)
Number of Pages: 500
Digital ASIN ‏ : ‎ B08WM377B8

Need a date for the holidays? We’ve got you covered with 22 fake holidates to heat up your season!

Travel from small towns to cosmopolitan cities, snow covered mountains to gorgeous mansions. You’ll meet sexy billionaires, brainy tech gods, buff journalists, sinfully cocky athletes, and sizzling hot chefs. They’re naughty and nice (and everything in between) and they’re enough to fulfill any romantic fantasies.

These 22 swoon-worthy heroes are ready to be your *fake* plus-one at holiday events, from Christmas weddings to Chanukah and Kwanzaa celebrations. Each starts out as a charade, and though they might lie to family, friends, or co-workers, they won’t be able to fool themselves when a very real romance develops.

Escape into addictive tales of second chances, sweet new beginnings, secret crushes, friends to lovers, love triangles, and forbidden rendezvous. Throw in a mix of suspense, laughs, passion, and temptation, and your holidays are set.

PreOrder HOLIDAY FAKEOUT now to get the season started. The tingles, butterflies, and swoons brought on by these sweet and scorching stories will have you wondering which book boyfriend you should bring home for the holidays.

About some of the authors

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.
(From Amazon)Cindy ReddingEmKay ConnorMarcia King-GambleK. L. BradyAnn OmastaMelanie Rose ClarkeChristine GloverLyz KelleyCarmen FalconeLaurel GreerBrynn NorthKara KendrickEmma Lee JayneCara CarnesJodi LintonKristin WallaceKat BaxterVictoria PinderPurchase Links – Amazon – iTunes– KOBO– B&N– 99 Cents 

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Giveaway – Lost and Found by Ronald L Ruiz @RonaldRuizauthor @iReadBookTours

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Join us for This Tour:  September 20 to October 8
 
Book Details:
 
Book Title:  Lost and Found by Ronald L. Ruiz
Category: Adult Fiction (18+), 292 pages
Genre:  Literary
Publisher:  Embajadoras Press
Release date:  June 2021
Content Rating:  R – Includes f-words and profanities throughout, one sex scene
 
 
Book Description: 
 
When community leaders began to doubt Abel Mendoza, the law practice he had spent years building began to crumble. It was the 1960s and there was but a handful of Mexican lawyers in California. Abel had worked tirelessly to earn respect in the courts, avoiding any semblance of a personal life to achieve his goals. Now, his personal and professional lives had collided and he found himself being rejected by the community that had previously supported and admired him. His fears of inadequacy kindled, Abel began to question who he really was, what he did, and where he belonged. A desire to avoid these questions and the people who had provoked them sent this small-town lawyer on a trip to escape not only his community but his own self-doubts, and into a relationship that changed his life completely.
 
Buy the Book
Amazon
add to goodreads
 

Meet the Author:

Ronald L. Ruiz is the author of a memoir and six previous novels. His novel Giuseppe Rocco (1998) received the national literary prize, 1998 Premio Aztlán Award, and his novel Life Long (2017) was named to Kirkus Reviews’ Best Books of 2017. His work has been compared to Richard Wright’s Native Son (Publisher’s Weekly, featured review) and his writing described as “frighteningly real” (New York Newsday). Ron was born and raised in Fresno, California, and educated at St. Mary’s College, University of California, Berkeley Law, and University of San Francisco School of Law. Ron practiced law for over 30 years in California, as a Deputy District Attorney, criminal defense attorney, and Deputy Public Defender. He was appointed to the California Agriculture Labor Relations Board by Governor Jerry Brown in 1974, and later served as the District Attorney of Santa Cruz County, California. Ron retired from criminal law and continues to write every day.

Connect with the Author:  website ~ facebook ~ goodreads 
 
Tour Schedule:

Sep 20 – Locks, Hooks and Books – book review / giveaway
Sep 20 – Gold Dust Editing & Book Reviews – book spotlight / guest post / giveaway
Sep 21 – Working Mommy Journal – book review / giveaway
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Oct 7 – Literary Flits – book spotlight / giveaway
Oct 8 – Adventurous Jessy – book review / giveaway

Enter the Giveaway:
 

LOST AND FOUND Book Tour Giveaway

 


 

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Giveaway – The Devil Kings MC Series by Nicole James @CaffeinatedPR @Nicole_James1

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Nicole James’ Devil Kings MC Series is now on audio. You can now binge listen to Dirty Deeds, Dirty Deals and Dirty Desires. The series is narrated by Ryan West and Virginia Rose. Come see why fans love this series on audio…

The Devil Kings MC Series



Dirty Deeds

Amazon | Audible

Kara Harbinger’s only crime is having a court judge for a father, one who just happens to be presiding over the criminal case of the president of the Devil Kings MC. The DKs are about to use the biggest Achilles’ heel he’s got to bend him to their will, to buy his decision, to buy his very soul.

Reno: I want nothing to do with this job, but I can’t get out of it. As a member of the Devil Kings MC, my life is a violent existence hinged on loyalty to the oath I took: Devil Kings before all else. I’m the club’s muscle, the brother they give the vicious, vile jobs, the dirty deeds. When it comes to my club, I do whatever they ask, whatever they need. 

Then I see Kara, all sweet and innocent with her soulful eyes and sexy body. She’s a bright light in my dark existence. In her eyes, I see an escape from the brutal life I’ve lived for so long, a life void of feelings, emotions, and light. She gives me the faith to believe I can have more, to believe I can have everything.

What do I do when my VP wants her taken as leverage to use against her father? What do I do when one look at Kara threatens everything I thought I held dear? What do I do if they want me to put a gun to her head and end her life? I’ll have to convince her to trust me if I have any hope of getting us both out of this alive.

Kara: He’s the only one who can save me. I’m not supposed to want a man like Reno. He’s dangerous – a lawless, badass, alpha biker. I know I should be afraid, but the way he looks at me, with hunger in his eyes makes me want to become his.

I believed the lies he told me. I thought he was a good guy. But when he takes me hostage, everything I thought about him is turn.



Dirty Deals

Amazon | Audible

Rusty

I’m the president of the Devil Kings Atlanta MC. With a fractious club to rebuild and a revolving door on my bedroom, the last thing I need is 5’4” of sex-on-a-stick trouble.

When a mysterious beauty shows up with her playmate’s body, dark soulful eyes, and a bagful of cash, I’m willing to make an exception. 

I don’t fully trust her, but she needs my help. 

Ashlynn

Things are finally good. I’m one of the best high-roller hostesses on the strip. But I’ve lived in Las Vegas two years and have yet to unpack my bags. Why? Because shit always goes sideways. 

I should have known this time would be no different.

When I’m asked to hostess a private poker game at a mega exclusive hotel penthouse, I end up in the proverbial wrong place at the wrong time.

I’m the sole witness to a double murder and I’m suddenly on the run again, but this time I’m running for my life.

I get as far as Atlanta before my Porsche blows a tire. 

That’s when he shows up. Dangerous. Drop-dead gorgeous. Scary badass biker. One I can’t take my eyes off. Maybe this town is as good as any to lay low.

When trouble tracks me down, I want to run again. But he has other plans.

He’ll protect me — for a price.

My willing body in his big bed — all night, every night.

That’s the dirty deal he offers.

Dare I accept?

Where the President of the Devil Kings is involved, there are no rules. 

But I’ll stand toe-to-toe with him and make it out of this bargain with my heart intact. Because in the end, running is what I do best.



Dirty Desires

Amazon | Audible

A twist of fate threw us together…. 

Gypsy: I’m a Devil King; loyal to no one but my club, until she comes along and tests everything I thought I believed in.

When I do a favor for my imprisoned ex-president’s ol’ lady, I come face to face with the one-night stand that’s haunted me for three years. She pulled a disappearing Cinderella act on me, vanishing with the dawn. I searched high and low for her, and now that I’ve found her – she’s the definition of off-limits. She’s an MC princess – my MC’s princess. And even if her father no longer runs things, she’s still forbidden with a capital F. 

Tell that to my traitorous body that reacts every damn time she gets within sight of me. 

They say no good deed goes unpunished, and I’m learning this golden haired beauty could be the death of me. 

Though our chemistry blazes, every second I spend with her risks the brotherhood we’ve just repaired. 

Tess: I’ve never wanted anything to do with my father’s filthy MC, The Devil Kings. With daddy dearest in prison, my mother is falling apart. Her struggle with anxiety, drugs and money problems drag me back from the independence I crave. She needs my help and my father holds the key – literally. 

But when he insists I get him information on the Devil Kings in exchange, I’m thrust into a world I want no part of. My father may be their ex-president, but I’m still considered an MC princess. 

When my mother pulls in a favor and arranges an escort for me down to the prison, he walks in – a patched member of the Devil Kings MC – and a memory from a one-night stand we had three years ago. 

But there’s a reason I ditched him the next morning; I want nothing to do with men like my father. Gypsy is everything I need to steer clear of – he’s an outlaw, a Devil King, dangerously sexy, and loyal to his club. 

As my mother’s world falls apart, my choice becomes clear. 

But how do I choose between saving her and betraying the man I love?

About the Author

Nicole James is a USA Today and Wall Street Journal bestselling author who loves writing about hot alpha men who’ll do anything for the women they love! Her stories are filled with struggle, conflict and real human emotion. She is the author of the Evil Dead MC series, the Brothers Ink Tattoo series, The Devil Kings MC series, and more. Join her mailing list to be the first to receive cover reveals, release information, giveaways and more!

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Amazon

Giveaway

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  • If you like what you see, why don’t you follow me?
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