From The Wicked Bargain –
BLURB –

London 1816

Haunted by a past as a sex slave, nobleman Ethan Warth returns to England as a male courtesan for rich matrons and runs a brothel for wealthy lords. Arabella Covington appears on his door, trained in the medical arts but unable to practice because of her gender. He hires her to care for his ladies but her inquisitive nature and beauty make him desire to teach her the world of seduction.

Ethan, however, never counted on falling in love…

EXCERPT

“Am I interrupting something?” A sultry male voice asked from across the room.

Arabella’s heart jumped, thudding harder as she pulled her hand back up. Thankfully, her back faced the door. She heard his bare feet padding across the floor to her. Quickly she dropped the book on the table below her and picked up the translation of Galen’s book of medical thesis. She pasted a bland look on her face and tried to force her body to relax against the mayhem of passion, heat, and desire stirring within it.

Turning toward him she tried to present a bored soul. “No your lord, I was just looking for a book to read.”

He laughed as he stood before her in a black silk dressing robe. His chest was exposed at the neck and the garment wasn’t long enough to cover his bare wrists or his naked feet. His eyes viewed her with candor, sparkling, and a half-cocked smile on his face. “Can’t sleep?”

Her face flooded with heat. Turning away to take a seat in the arm-backed chair with the Galen text she replied, “No, I took a long nap this afternoon.”

He chuckled and walked to the table where the other volumes sat. On top was the book she had been engrossed in when he arrived. She tensed, focusing harder on the line in the book in front of her she still hadn’t read. Almost rejoicing when he moved past the table to the sideboard, she burrowed deeper in the chair.

“Here,” he prodded, handing her a glass of red wine.

She peered up at him.

He sat across from her. The robe gaped at his chest as he sat and she found herself staring at his defined muscles. She blinked to break her view and delved back into the book.

He sat there quietly, drinking the wine. She felt his eyes on her. Why was he down here? With a sinister thought, she couldn’t resist the urge to say, “You just left your company to come here for a glass of wine?”

He smiled that dazzling, devilish grin of his, his dimples on display and mischievous all at once. “No, she had to leave.”

“Really? Enough rutting for tonight?” The moment the words left her mouth, she almost choked. Her body was still too hungry, needy, and it wrapped her sensibilities up.

Ethan laughed. “Sweeting, I can never have enough. I love what I do.”

Her body wanted more than his eyes on her. That thought made electric sparks travel through her. Whatever was wrong with her?

“Have you no morals?” she blurted, wondering where hers might go if she stayed here, alone with him.

One eyebrow lifted. Silence filled the space.

Setting her wine glass down on the side table, she slammed the book shut and rose to replace it. The man aggravated her. Then she heard the silk robe swish as he stood. Refusing to turn, she scanned the book titles before her on the shelf but she knew he stood behind her. His body radiated heat that wrapped around her.

“Ari,” he said quietly, almost a whisper. “Don’t be mad at me. I do what I must to survive.” That seductive voice caressed her ears. Her heart skipped a beat. “Just like you do or you wouldn’t be here, with me.”

The air grew dense and she couldn’t breathe. Desperately, she struggled to calm her erratic nerves.

“Why did you leave your home?”

What was she to tell him? The truth? Or what he wanted to hear?

“I needed to.” Close enough. “I had nowhere else to go but here,” she stated flatly.

“What of your aunt?”

She swung around, her nerves fraying as he stood right before her. Way too close for comfort.

“My aunt was not in a position to help me outside giving me a letter for you and your address. My cousin, he—” her heart thudded. “I just needed to leave and I can never return there.” All her options of surviving at Ethan’s narrowed if he continued to be this close to her.

He stood silently, his gaze slowly rising to her night cap.

“Why do you wear that preposterous thing?” His hand reached up and pulled it off her head. Her mussed braid fell over her shoulder. Her breathing hitched and her body froze, unable to move from those mesmerizing eyes of his and the lilt of his smile as it spread across his face.

Author bio –

Born in St. Louis, Missouri, Gina Danna has spent the better part of her life reading. History has been her love and she spent numerous hours devouring historical romance stories, dreaming of writing one of her own. Years later, after receiving undergraduate and graduate degrees in History, writing academic research papers and writing for museum programs and events, she finally found the time to write her own stories of historical romantic fiction.

Now, under the supervision of her three dogs and three cats, she writes amid a library of research books, with her only true break away is to spend time with her other life long dream – her Arabian horse – with him, her muse can play.

Right now I’m working on finishing up the fourth in the Novels of Aleyne series, a book that as yet has no title. I’ve been calling it Rob’s Book, after the main character, Rob Walker. Now, since I’m nearing the time when I plan to submit it, I have to find a real title for it.

The title for the first novel, Relocated, came to me without too much difficulty. As to the next two, the working title for Geek Games was Martin’s Book and the working title for Broken Bonds was Brad’s Book. No trouble with the working titles – I simply name them after the main characters. Now, however, it’s time to brainstorm the real deal.

This book is the longest one so far, over 80,000 words, and centers around the conflict between the Aleynis and the Terran Federation. The treaty between the two is up for renewal. The Aleynis want to boot the Terrans off their planet and take back the control of the space station and the military base the Federation maintains on Aleyne. The Federation needs to keep control of the space station, as it’s the only transit point between Terra – Earth to those of us who have never been off the planet – and the Outer Planets.

Colonel Robert Walker is the man who arrested Brad Reynolds for treason in Broken Bonds. In the new novel, we meet him as he’s having Brad arrested and taken to New Oregon for trial. Rob is left to head the base on the planet. He learns he’s been made responsible for the successful conclusion of the treaty negotiations. Prospects for success appear dim, as neither side is willing to compromise. If he fails, the resulting conflict could well destroy both sides.

In addition to his political troubles, Rob is in a troubled marriage to two women. He’s in love with his best friend, Captain Reuben Tyler, a fellow Belan. Reuben loves Rob, and is frustrated by Rob’s failure to acknowledge his feelings – even to himself.

Rob has his hands full. And so do I. Time to pick a real title. Do I go with Rob’s Dilemma or will I pick something else? Stay tuned.

Bio:

Born and raised in New York City, Margaret Fieland has been around art and music all her life. Her poems and stories have appeared in journals such as Turbulence Magazine, Front Range Review, and All Rights Reserved. She is one of the Poetic Muselings. Their poetry anthology, Lifelines, was published by Inkspotter Publishing in November, 2011. She is the author of Relocated, Geek Games, and Broken Bonds, published by MuseItUp Publishing , and of Sand in the Desert, a collection of science fiction persona poems. A chapter book is due out later this year.

Here’s the blurb for Broken Bonds, the previous novel in the series:

Broken Bonds

Sex with aliens? How about romance with aliens? A treason accusation? Brad Reynolds has his hands full. When Major Brad Reynolds is assigned to head the Terran Federation base on planet Aleyne, the last thing he expects to find is love, and certainly not with one of the alien Aleyni. How can he keep his lover, in the face of political maneuvering and of Ardaval’s feelings for his former partners — and theirs for him?

Excerpt (PG):

Brad took a deep breath of cool night air, inhaling the nutmeg scent of the flowers planted around Ardaval’s front door. Before Brad could knock, the door opened and Ardaval stood in the doorway. Brad hesitated before putting out his hands palm up.

Ardaval placed his hands over Brad’s. “My heart, my home, my hearth.”

“My hearth, my home, my heart,” Brad murmured in response.

Smiling, Ardaval directed his gaze at Brad’s eyes; it evoked the same curious flutter in the pit of his stomach as the last time they’d met. Ardaval held open the door and gestured for Brad to enter. “You’ve come to discuss Gavin.”

“I have.” Brad followed Ardaval into the front hall where tiles of local stone sparkled on the floor and a padded bench stood under a window. Through a doorway on one side, a glance revealed a kitchen furnished with dark wood cabinets, clean and a bit bare.

“Come.” Ardaval gestured toward the back of the hallway where a doorway led into a center courtyard, open to the cool night air, and motioned to a small table. A red-leafed tree in the center spread its leaves overhead. Brad sat, and Ardaval sat beside him.

Brad needed to talk about Gavin Frey’s political views. Views that, as far as he could tell from the records, were the opposite of his own. A breath brought him the scent of Ardaval’s skin, musky, with a hint of clove. Was it duty or cowardice keeping him from reaching for Ardaval’s hand and kissing the palm?

Ardaval clasped Brad’s hand in his. “Tell me more about why you were posted to Aleyne.”

Should he remove his hand? No. He enjoyed Ardaval’s touch and what was the harm, really? When he glanced up, he found Ardaval regarding him with evident amusement.

“I recommended that a man who used psi to save his squad be given a dishonorable discharge.” Brad hesitated. “Although the soldier deserved a medal rather than a court martial, he was a fool to admit he caught a thought.”

Ardaval nodded.

“About Gavin Frey. Is he your shan?” The thoughts slipped out.

Ardaval stared into Brad’s eyes for a a second or two before he replied. “As you surmise, he is my son; my shan, because I didn’t raise him.”

Might as well ask this, too. “His mother never told you about him?”

Ardaval shook his head. “No, she didn’t. He spent six months here after she died. Then we disagreed over a matter of ethical principal and he left.”

Given what he understood about Frey, Brad would have been surprised if they hadn’t.

“He married, but his wife died. He has a son who is now fourteen by Terran Standard years.”

“His mother possessed a strong psi talent.”

“She contacted you?” Brad’s eyebrows rose to his hairline.

“She did. I suggest you keep an eye on the boy.”

“Do you believe he has gazal?” If the boy developed Aleyni mind speech abilities, he’d need careful watching. Brad’s own family had been fairly accepting but how would Frey react if he discovered his son possessed gazal? And what about the terrorists, who might try to exploit Keth’s talent?

Ardaval nodded. “I do, though of course we’ve never met. Gavin doesn’t, or at least if he does, he keeps his mind so locked down it’s the same thing.”

Brad sighed and rose. He’d completed what he’d said he’d come to do.

“It happens this way with us, at times.” Ardaval paused for a moment. “We’ll meet again.”

Brad turned to leave. He couldn’t ignore this connection, wish it away, any longer. Only Ardaval’s assurance kept him moving out the door.

Publisher’s website:
http://museituppublishing.com/bookstore/index.php/new-releases/broken-bonds-detail

Amazon:
http://www.amazon.com/Broken-Bonds-Novels-Aleyne-ebook/dp/B00E5SGVSS/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1374851946&sr=1-1

Barnes and Noble:
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/broken-bonds-margaret-fieland/1116214695?ean=2940148784913
Bookstrand: http://www.bookstrand.com/broken-bonds

Where to find me on the web:

Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/margaretfieland/
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/margaret.fielandAuthor
twitter: http://www.twitter.com/madcapmaggie
goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4417476.Margaret_Fieland

Thanks for inviting me to share some time with your readers, Cynthia. I always enjoy connecting with new friends and fellow readers/writers. The topic of the day is flawed heroines. More specifically, what flaws would be considered over the top?

I, for one, love heroines who start out a mess. I don’t mean mousy and weak, or women who have such poor self-esteem that they can’t get out of their own way. I’m talking about main characters who have issues that need to be dealt with. When the story starts, I want to see a clear goal, motivation, and conflict. What do they want, why do they want it, and what stands in their way? If I see a spark of something redeemable in a female lead character, I am met with an immediate desire to witness their transformation. I can’t wait to see them overcome whatever is holding them back from becoming their best selves and finding their HEA. In other words, the bigger the obstacle, the bigger the pay-off!

Their flaws can be as simple as being clumsy, slightly self-deprecating, or that they are hopelessly addicted to Project Runway (although why anyone would see this as a flaw is beyond me). Perhaps their lack of social grace is more pronounced, and a past wound has made them a bit testy, snarky or downright unlikable. Of course we know they are only trying to protect their fragile hearts, so we can overlook a touchy disposition while we wait for our redeemable heroine to appear. But what if our main character has a fatal flaw that offends our sensibilities, or makes decisions that we are diametrically opposed to. Could you see her as redeemable if she had an affair, did drugs, had an abortion (if those are choices you would find reprehensible), or if she had a job that was less than reputable? Maybe she’s stripping to make ends meet during college, or she’s a teenager who smokes pot, as is the case in my contemporary YA romance, PIECES of LOVE? Would it change your opinion about her, or would you root for her all the more because you recognize how far she must travel on her journey to find her HEA?

Sixteen year-old Alexis Hartman wants nothing more than to play her guitar and get high, hoping to escape the pain of losing her sister. But when her second arrest for pot possession leads to her mother’s breakdown, Lexi is sent to stay with her grandmother for the summer. While embarking on a Mediterranean cruise hardly sounds like punishment, being forced to face her demons and falling for a guy she may never see again gives Lexi a chance to discover what it means to love someone—even when you have to let them go.

Lexi starts out as a grumpy, slightly underachieving, pot smoking teen who is struggling to get past the death of her older sister. She thinks because she doesn’t drink and doesn’t do “hard” drugs, she’s not hurting anyone or doing anything wrong. But when she meets Ethan Kaswell, the poster boy for good sons, she’s faced with making some hard choices about what she’s willing to give up for love. Lexi’s journey—and her transformation—hopefully give teen readers (and teens at heart) a chance to see that the things we think are holding us up are actually holding us back. What we see as flaws in our characters can be a mirror into our own lives. A chance to recognize a way through our problems and see that letting go of the past is the only way to move forward.

We can easily identify with most YA characters on some level since we’ve all been there. Those teen years were tumultuous for most of us, but also the most transformative time in our lives. Being able to identify with a character’s emotional journey is what makes us want to read on, even when the character deserves a slap to the head. I love writing/reading YA for this reason and wish I’d had books like these to read when I was a teenager and going through rough times. As teenagers, our flaws are not only glaring, but they are being repeatedly pointed out by our parents, our peers, and our teachers. When all we want is to be loved and accepted for who we are, all this judgment can be tough to take.

It isn’t until we are faced with losing something we truly value, that we are ready and willing to overcome whatever fatal flaw has kept us stuck in our little rut of self-destructive behavior—a fact that is still true into adulthood. The big dark moment that forces us to grow, change, become better, stronger, smarter, etc. is the moment when our flawed heroine becomes redeemable. So worth the wait, IMO.

What do you think? Are there flaws you just can’t get past? Or are you willing to read on and watch the unfolding? Do you have any favorite “flawed” heroines?

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00KVRESLY

BN: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/pieces-of-love-pj-sharon/1119697117?ean=2940149272792

Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/446712

I-tunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/pieces-of-love/id887052885?ls=1&mt=11

BIO
PJ Sharon is the award winning author of contemporary young adult novels, including PIECES of LOVE, HEAVEN IS FOR HEROES, ON THIN ICE, and SAVAGE CINDERELLA, winner of the 2013 HOLT Medallion Award and the 2013 National Excellence in Romance Fiction Award. She is excitedly working on The Chronicles of Lily Carmichael, a YA Dystopian trilogy. WANING MOON, Book One in the trilogy, was a finalist in both the 2013 National Excellence in Romance Fiction Award, Colorado Romance Writers Award of Excellence, and a HOLT Medallion Award of Merit recipient. Book Two, Western Desert released in June of 2013 and was a finalist in both the Winter Rose contest and Write Touch Readers contest. Watch for Book Three in the fall of 2014.

Writing young adult fiction since 2007 and following her destiny to write romantic and hopeful stories for teens, PJ is a member of Romance Writers of America, CTRWA, and YARWA. She is mother to two grown sons and lives with her husband in the Berkshire Hills of Western MA.

Website: http://www.pjsharon.com

Thanks for being here today Beverley.

Your Cover – Does It Sell Your Book?

(And I love Cynthia’s covers, by the way.) A great cover is so important in
selling your book. How do you get the perfect one? I don’t think it makes a lot
of difference if you’re traditionally published or indie, it still comes down to
your dream cover for your book. With traditional you have input but often don’t
make the final decision. With indie you have the control, but still, how do you
design it or explain to a cover artist your vision for that cover? I try to
visualize my dream cover. If it’s a series I try to find something that can be
repeated on each cover, a series brand. In Missing it’s the background of the
ranch. In my Holly Devine series it’s the target through a gun sight. Then I
have to decide do I want people, object, animals and tone of the cover. What
will catch the reader’s eye? And if it’s an e-book it’s usually quite small so
it can’t be too busy. Writing a great book is the most important thing, but
getting a great cover comes in second.

Book: MISSING – A MAINSTREAM WESTERN ROMANCE

Blurb:
A small Montana town doctor, Luke Hawkins, gets a New York City doctor, Allie
Parsons, to assist in his clinic temporarily. She can’t believe how remote the
town is and wants to get back to city life. , but the townspeople and the sexy
doctor are getting to her. When his daughter is kidnapped, he has to save her,
and convince the woman he loves that she really is a small town doctor at heart.

Excerpt
Allie pushed open the door to the clinic and stepped into the small, crowded waiting room. The slight scent of antiseptic tickled her nose. She stopped.
Silence crept across the room. One by one, heads turned toward the door.

It might be the novelty of a stranger, but more likely it was the novelty of a stranger in fancy city clothes with a run in her stocking. She threaded her way through the patients to the reception counter. Patients watched her. A few of them put down the magazines they were thumbing through.

She’d bet a month’s salary those magazines were three or four years old. The furniture in the waiting room had seen better days, but it was serviceable.

The men and women stared at her, probably wondering who the heck she was. Several patients smiled at her. She managed to return the smiles. At least no one laughed.

A man stood behind the counter, tall, broad-shouldered, and maybe thirtyish He had curly dark hair, a strong, square chin and he caught her attention right away. His cobalt blue eyes, under long dark lashes, latched on to her as she walked toward him. Even partially covered by his lab coat, his muscled chest strained against the white t-shirt.

If he was the doctor he was definitely not the old geezer she’d expected.

A few feet from the counter, she stopped. His electric blue eyes locked on her. She couldn’t look away. Sensuality oozed across the space between them. Her breath hitched into an irregular rhythm, kicking her pulse up a notch.

“Good, you finally got here. I thought Jean would send someone a little faster.” His rich, smooth voice rolled over her. “Look, we’re backed up. Patients’ files are over there and the appointment book is on the desk. Check them in, pull their file, and put the file in the slot by the examining room door.”

“Excuse me?” She stared up at the man snapping orders at her. She’d run away from one tyrant and had no intention of putting up with another overbearing one, even if he was knock-down gorgeous. His firm abs, linebacker-type shoulders and muscular body did not compensate for his attitude.

Who did this jerk think he was?

Her back stiffened. She assumed he was the doctor, but his manners confused her. If staff and working partners were expected to put up with this, no wonder they hadn’t been able to find another doctor.

“You’re not going to make me repeat all that are you? I have a room full of patients. When I asked Jean to send a temp over from the hospital, I thought she’d send someone with training and at least a vague idea of what they were doing.” A sigh slipped through his lips and he rolled his eyes. The look he gave her placed her one step above an idiot.

He pointed to a huge pile of folders. “The patients’ files are…”

Allie pulled her shoulders back, raised her chin and tightened her lips together. “Excuse me. I believe you’ve made a mistake. First of all, I’m not stupid. Second, I’m not your damn temp. I’m a doctor, Alexandra Parsons, M.D. I understood you were expecting me.”

“You’re the new doc? Shoot. I didn’t expect you today.” The heart-stopping man stared down at her. His full lips drooped in apparent disappointment.

The disappointment could be her or the fact he still didn’t have a temp. She couldn’t tell.

“I arrived early, so I could acquaint myself with the town and find a place to live. I dropped by to introduce myself.”

He focused on her, drawing his eyebrows into a frown. “You’re the new physician? I should have known by that fancy outfit, it screams big city.”

“Sorry. I’ve just arrived and haven’t had time to get my jeans and plaid shirt yet. I’ll move that to the top of my list, so I’ll fit in.”

A smile tugged at the corners of his mouth, but he controlled it, as he ran his fingers through the tangle of dark curls.

Buy links:
http://amzn.to/1mbfV6l
http://bit.ly/1tJsbEI
http://store.kobobooks.com/en-US/ebook/missing-67

Bio:
I’m a Canadian author and live in the Okanagan Valley in British Columbia, BC.
It’s beautiful country with lots of large lakes, beautiful beaches, orchards of
apples, pears, peaches plus raspberries, blueberries and lots of other fresh
produce. And of course, it’s wine country. We have world class wines which I
feel is my obligation to taste.

Social links
Facebook Authorpage – http://www.facebook.com/AuthorBeverleyBateman?ref=hl
Twitter @kelownawriter
Blog http://beverleybateman.blogspot.ca/
Pinterest http://pinterest.com/okwriter
Amazon author page http://www.amazon.com/Beverley-Bateman/e/B008M01F5E
BLOG – http://beverleybateman.blogspot.ca/
Facebook -https://www.facebook.com/beverley.bateman.18
Goodreads https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7052567.Beverley_Bateman
Webpage http://www.beverleybateman.com

Enjoy this deleted scene from Victoria Adams latest work, A GUY AND A GIRL.

Chelsea’s mother smiled at her husband’s personal assistant. “Chelsea and Kendall around?”

“They were in Coach’s office.”

She walked across the office, pulled open the door and peeked inside. “Flown the coop. I probably should have started at the party. Two twenty-year-old females and a roomful of young hockey players. Richard’s going to get gray hairs over this.” Wandering into the party, she smiled at Doc Johnson and Marjorie Rivers. “Hello. Happy recruitment camp.”

“Same old, same old,” said Doc Johnson.

“Marjorie, have you seen your daughter or mine?”

“Not in here. And thank-you for driving Kendall home for me. Her car’s still at the body shop.”

“That’s what she gets for letting a garbage truck run over it,” said Doc Johnson.

“It only backed into her car. Thank heavens she wasn’t in it!”

Mrs. Henderson laughed. “Isn’t it strange? They grow up and want their freedom then one sprains her ankle and the other kills her car and who do these sophisticated independent women run to?

Their mothers. What would they do without us? I’ll go ask Richard if he has seen his daughter.”

“No, he hasn’t.” Coach Henderson kissed his wife on the cheek. “At least not since I threw them out of the meeting earlier. I suggest you try my office.”

“Try again.” She smiled.

“The locker room would be my next guess.”

Nodding, she said, “You’re probably right. Oh! Found a player of yours though.”

Coach Henderson frowned. “Who? Where?”
“Said his name’s Hunter. He was in the arena. Too much bullshitting at the party – his words not mine. He was checking out the sweet spots on the boards. What’s a sweet spot? You’d think I’d know the jargon by now.”
“A sweet spot, my dear, is the spot where the puck hits and deflects off into the direction you want.” He rubbed his chin. “You know I don’t like Chelsea and Kendall just wandering around here. I liked it a whole lot better when she didn’t have hormones and thought hockey was a total bore.”
“They all grow up sometime. If I still thought hockey was a total bore, I wouldn’t be married to you. Now excuse me or I’ll never get that girl out of here and away from your hockey players. Remember home by seven. We’re going to Blasko’s. Evie’s promised she’ll have her scrumptious chocolate mocha cheesecake.”

Tagline
Lies, deceits and secrets – not a good way to begin a relationship.

Blurb

After an ugly past forced Hunter Connolly to escape to Europe, the talented hockey player is back in North America and determined to land a position with a professional team. But he can’t hide from his past forever, especially when his beautiful classmate, Chelsea, forces him to reexamine his life. Soon, hockey is not his first priority anymore.

Chelsea Henderson is a bright co-ed working towards her dream of being a professional dancer. She forms a unique friendship with one of her father’s newest recruits and would love nothing more than to take it to the next level. However, there’s just one small problem. He doesn’t know she’s his coach’s daughter.

Amid the deceptions, danger lurks closer than they could ever imagine. Will fate contrive to rip the young lovers apart? Or will Hunter and Chelsea have their shot at love?

Buy link – Exclusively at – http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00L2GRD1U

For Free Read – Blog – http://victoriaadams.blogspot.com
WattPad – http://www.wattpad.com/user/VictoriaAdams

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Wanting for a little western summer romance? Needing a few quick and entertaining reads to add to your Kindle? I’m romance author Kaye Spencer, and I may have just the books you’re looking for.

Prairie Rose Publications has four western romance summer anthologies that are hot off the press: Lassoing a Mail-Order Bride, Lassoing a Bride, Lassoing a Groom, and Cowboy Cravings.

My contribution, A Permanent Woman, is one of the stories in the Lassoing a Mail-Order Bride anthology.

Here’s the mail-order bride teaser:

This collection has four wonderful novellas about women who find themselves in the odd circumstance of needing themselves a husband, and grooms who must have a bride–or else!

A woman would have to be loco to become a mail-order bride…wouldn’t she? Leaving everything behind and starting fresh in the untamed west is the answer to a prayer for these ladies! A beautiful socialite needs a husband fast—but her husband wants a bride for life. A pregnant young lady becomes desperate —almost as desperate as her soon-to-be husband, who just inherited his sister’s kids. A man is in love with a woman he can’t have—Or can he? A woman’s reputation is tarnished and professional career compromised. She runs, but she can’t hide. Will they all find love with strangers they’ve never met who are set on Lassoing a Mail-Order Bride?

These Rough Dreams — Cheryl Pierson
A pregnant mail order bride. A groom with three orphaned children. Some dreams get a rough start.

Her Hurry-Up Husband — Tanya Hanson
A beautiful socialite needs a husband fast—for just one month—but the rancher wants a wife for life!

The Big Uneasy — Kathleen Rice Adams
A man in love with a woman he can’t have. A woman engaged to a man she doesn’t love. A secret in common could destroy them all.

A Permanent Woman — Kaye Spencer
He needs a wife to get custody of his grandchildren. She needs a fresh start and a new reputation. Desperate men—and women—sometimes take desperate measures…but can she be A Permanent Woman?

Lassoing a Mail-Order Bride (along with Lassoing a Groom, Lassoing a Bride, and Cowboy Cravings) is available in print and digital format at these online booksellers:

Amazon

B&N
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/lassoing-a-mail-order-bride-cheryl-pierson/1119681760

Smashwords
https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/445026

Until next time,

Kaye

Fall in love…faster, harder, deeper with Kaye Spencer romances

www.kayespencer.com

Twitter – @kayespencer

Please help me welcome Kristina Mathews to my blog today and don’t forget to enter the drawing for a $25 gift card at the end of the blog.

Writing a book is kind of like a baseball season. You want to start off with a bang, something to draw fans in and give them hope for an exciting finish. You have to have a great lineup, with players, I mean characters people feel good about rooting for. But it can’t be too easy along the way. There have to be ups and downs, thrilling victories and heartbreaking losses.

As a baseball fan, I’ve watched the San Francisco Giants start the 2014 season with high hopes for their third World Series this decade. There are a lot of reasons to be hopeful, with many of the players who brought them to victory in 2010 and 2012 still in the lineup. But with injuries to key players, a few replacements had to be made. They played well in April and May, going on an incredible run in May. They were playing so well, it was starting to look like nothing would stop them.

They came crashing down to earth in June, losing sixteen games and only winning ten. During that stretch, things couldn’t look any worse for the team who had pulled off so many exciting victories in previous years. Everything that could go wrong did. Starting pitching that had been so reliable for years wasn’t. The offense couldn’t get it going. The bullpen collapsed. Defensive mistakes were made. But it’s too early for the big black moment.

In a book, especially a romance, there has to be some uncertainty along the way. We all know there will be a happily ever after for the couple. But we wouldn’t keep turning the pages if there wasn’t at least some doubt. A couple can’t meet, go on a first date, never argue, and then say “I do.” It wouldn’t be a very satisfying story.

In Worth The Trade, Hunter Collins and Marco Santiago both want the same thing. They want to win the World Series. Hunter wants to prove to herself and the league that she can handle the pressures of being the only female owner in the league. Marco had been traded too many times, he wants to prove himself on the field in hopes a finding a long term deal.

It’s not an easy ride for either of them. Hunter is dealing with the loss of her father and the expectations of the league. Marco hits his worst slump at a time when he most wants to prove himself. There are twenty-four other guys counting on them both to get them to the ultimate victory.

They have some successes along the way. Bright spots in their relationship and the journey to the World Series. Even though Hunter presents herself as “one of the guys,” Marco sees her in a different light. He sees her as beautiful and feminine, and he shows this by buying her lingerie. Hunter has faith in her team, and especially in Marco.

Will they win it all?

BLURB

After inheriting majority ownership of the San Francisco Goliaths baseball team, Hunter Collins wants to prove to herself and the rest of the league that she’s got what it takes to build a champion. Her first move is to trade for a hot left-fielder. He’s got it all, speed, power, and a desire to win. Not to mention undeniable charm.

Marco Santiago is tired of being the new player in town. This is his fourth team in six years and he’s facing free agency at the end of the season. He wants nothing more than a long-term contract. Hitting on his new owner probably isn’t the best way to secure his future with the team.

They’ll both give anything to get their team to the World Series, even their hearts.

EXCERPT

As the last man off the bus, Marco was forced to watch his teammate fling himself into the arms of his awaiting bride. The woman who had been the force behind The Monk’s success this season.
Marco was almost able to brush away the envy. But standing next to Mrs. Scottsdale, was the one woman he was determined to forget. Hunter Collins.

What the hell was she doing here?

Other than the fact that it was her team, her bus, and her ballpark. Hell, for all he knew, she owned half the city. Including him.

Maybe he could slip past her. Get a cab back to the hotel and take the world’s longest, coldest shower.

“Marco.” Too late. She’d spotted him.

“Polo.” He tried to joke. To pretend her rejection hadn’t hurt. Hadn’t messed with his mind.

“Can I give you a ride to your hotel?” She smiled. A real, open and warm smile. Warning bells sounded in his head. He should run the other way. Catch a ride on the Muni. Walk. Take a cable car or hitchhike.

“Sure. Why not?” Damn. He wished he had his Mustang. Then he could drive his own sad self to the hotel. But it was still in St. Louis. Apparently along with his pride and his ability to hit a fastball.

“Great.” She smiled again. He wanted to go running to The Monk. To have the other man teach him the ways of the celibate competitor. But The Monk had his arms wrapped around his wife.
Marco shouldered his bag, following Hunter like a lemming going off to certain demise but unable to help himself.

She walked across the parking lot with determined steps. He supposed if she’d wanted him to get back on a plane to St. Louis, she would have met him at the airport. When she stopped in front of a red Mini Cooper convertible and disabled the alarm, he threw his head back and laughed.

“What?” She spun around so fast that a few strands of hair shook loose from her uptight hairdo.

“I just never would have matched you with this car.” It was red. And fast. And kind of sexy in an offbeat sort of way. “I would have pictured you as a BMW, Mercedes or… I don’t know, a Bentley kind of girl.”

“A Bentley?” She drew her brows together. She was cute. And far too sexy. “Seriously?”

“I don’t know.” He shrugged. Almost forgetting the vow he’d made to himself. The vow of forgetting her. “It seemed like a good guess. When you’re not riding around in a limo.”

“It’s fun to drive.” She didn’t really need to defend her vehicle choice, but she did anyway. “Easy to park, and on those really fabulous Northern California days, there’s nothing like driving a convertible up the coast.”

“But it’s red.” He swept his gaze over her gray pantsuit and ivory blouse and black shoes. Her outfit made the red car seem that much brighter.

Amazon: http://goo.gl/NnmWPr

Barnes & Noble: http://goo.gl/4kMT7q

Kobo: http://goo.gl/mNNhZl

GooglePlay: http://goo.gl/013rwR

BIO

Kristina Mathews doesn’t remember a time when she didn’t have a book in her hand. Or in her head. But it wasn’t until she turned forty that she confessed the reason the laundry never made it out of the dryer was because she was busy writing.

While she resigned from teaching with the arrival of her second son, she’s remained an educator in some form. As a volunteer, parent club member or para educator, she finds the most satisfaction working with emergent and developing readers, helping foster confidence and a lifelong love of books.

Kristina lives in Northern California with her husband of more than twenty years, two sons and a black lab. A veteran road tripper, amateur renovator and sports fanatic. She hopes to one day travel all 3,073 miles of Highway 50 from Sacramento, CA to Ocean City, MD, replace her carpet with hardwood floors and serve as a “Ball Dudette” for the San Francisco Giants.

http://kristinamathews.com/

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Please help me welcome Virginia Kelly to my blog today. Virginia has a giveaway for you readers. One lucky reader will receive a copy of one of these books, AGAINST THE WIND or JUST ONE LOOK, for their Kindle. Just leave a comment to be entered into the drawing.

A lounger. A colorfully striped umbrella. The Gulf of Mexico’s emerald waters. Gently lapping waves. Sugar white beaches. An exotic drink. Ah! I love the beach. I live along the Florida Gulf Coast, home of the most beautiful white sand beaches in the world. Truly. Just google sugar white sand and you’ll see what I mean.

I love to read and I love to travel. Trips mean a book or books in hand. If I’m driving, it’s a book on CD. It’s now summer, time for vacations. I often hear the term “beach read.” But what is a beach read? To me it’s fun, not weighty. Escapist reading. It can be romance, action/adventure, thriller or mystery. Genre fiction, not literary fiction. Not non-fiction. Not a textbook (I remember college days when that was all I read, wherever I went.)

How about books set on the beach? These could give “beach read” another meaning.

I write romantic suspense with an emphasis on the romance. My beach books, AGAINST THE WIND and the stand-alone sequel JUST ONE LOOK, are set along “my” beach (though fictional names and descriptions are used), but what we see of the beach in each is different.

AGAINST THE WIND opens with a hurricane, when the hero and heroine meet again after six years. My inspiration came from the many hurricanes we’ve withstood. We live six miles from the beach, so my house has never had storm surge damage, but the wind can cause a good deal of destruction. Once, one of our large oaks just missed the house, but in the middle of the night, when the limbs blocked our view from two windows, I thought we were in the middle of a nightmare. Then, a few years ago, Hurricane Ivan’s slow movement blew out the gable end of the roof. If Ivan had taken any longer, we’d have lost the roof. And then there’s the debris. Ours has mainly been big branches, lots and lots of twigs, and leaves. I had no idea the wind could blow hard enough to crush leaves into green mush against the window screens.

JUST ONE LOOK portrays a much gentler beach scene. There’s a wedding where the hero and heroine meet, calm waters, sand dunes, a beautiful sunset. My inspiration came from those relaxing beach days, like the ones when my children enjoyed snorkeling, building sand castles and gathering sea shells. Or the day I watched a giant sea turtle crawl up onto the beach.

Each book provides danger and romance along with a taste of the beach. Escapist reading.

What do you think of when you think of a beach read? If you go to the beach, which beach is it? Are you going for the 4th?

Comment for a chance to win a copy of either Against the Wind or Just One Look (Kindle only), winner’s choice.

Excerpt from JUST ONE LOOK:

That’s when Drew saw her.
The knock-out, fiddling with the younger sister’s hair. Who could that be? He’d met everyone, hadn’t he? Both sisters, the endless cousins and assorted relatives. Who the hell was she?
She turned, and he knew instantly who she was.
The older sister. The prickly one with thick glasses. Mia, she’d said as she’d shaken his hand with ice-cold fingers and a businessman’s grip. Only she wasn’t wearing the thick glasses she’d worn at the rehearsal dinner, nor the prim business suit. She stood next to the younger sister… Izzy, that was it. Dizzy Izzy, he’d thought last night. She stood next to Izzy as calm and serene as a queen in a knee-length cream-colored dress that enhanced everything the business suit had hidden.
She wasn’t tall or blond, what he’d always considered his type. Prepared to dismiss her since he’d been fooled too many times by good looks, he nearly turned away. Then she smiled at something the flower girl, daughter of one of the cousins, said, and squatted to be eye level with the little girl.
And all the prim, all the regal, disappeared.
She was simply breathtaking.
He remembered watching one of the old Godfather movies and ridiculing how, based on a single look, the youngest Corleone son had gone bat-shit crazy over a girl.
His rational self argued that this sort of thing didn’t happen.
Still, he watched as she totally disregarded formality, hair, clothes, and hugged the flower girl. No cold fingers or businessman’s grip about her.
Warm and vital and gorgeous and classy…and so damn sexy.
Jesus. He’d counted on a few days of sun, sand and water. He hadn’t counted on her.
It felt like getting shot in the gut again.

Buy Links (Just One Look):
Amazon US: http://amzn.com/B00JMV997S
Amazon Australia: http://www.amazon.com.au/dp/B00JMV997S
Amazon UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00JMV997S
Amazon Canada: http://www.amazon.ca/dp/B00JMV997S

About the Author:
Virginia’s first story involved a mouse that hitched a ride with Paul Revere. She was eleven. A bit later dreams of romance (and the requisite happily ever after), adventure, and danger came together to produce her RWA Golden Heart nominated novel. Her books have been nominated for several awards including the Holt Medallion, the Golden Quill, the Aspen Gold and the National Readers Choice Awards. She writes about dangerous heroes (sexy, gorgeous ones, of course!) and the adventurous women willing to take a chance on them. An academic librarian, Virginia is a native of Peru and lives in Florida with her family.

Website: http://virginiakelly.net
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