Blitz: Love Brewing & Safe Love by Liz Crowe

Book Title: Love Brewing Author: Liz Crowe Genre: Contemporary Romance Hosted by: Book Enthusiast Promotions

Book Title: Safe Love Author: Liz Crowe Genre: Contemporary Romance (novella) Hosted by: Book Enthusiast Promotions

 

LOVE BREWING

Every family has one—the black sheep, the problem child, the prodigal. But Dominic Sean Love could teach all of those guys a lesson or two. Stuck in the middle of a boisterous group of siblings, he’s given “acting out” a new meaning from the day he drew his first breath.

While he’s the one son who follows his strict father’s footsteps into the Love family business, he’s also the one who butts heads with him the hardest. Their epic clashes are the stuff of family legend. But they have made peace and work side by side to take Love Brewing to the next level of success.

Until Dominic does the one thing his father can never forgive.

Diana Brantley has been Dominic’s friend, girlfriend and ex-girlfriend so many times she’s lost count. When he shows up at the farm she’s slowly transforming into a wildly popular farm-to-table resource for restaurants all over the U.S. her first impulse is to shoot first and ask questions later. But she doesn’t. And their lives entwine once more, for good, bad and ugly.

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SAFE LOVE: A Love Brothers Companion Novella

Antony Ian Love has a lot on his ample shoulders. He owns and runs a small business, is estranged from his teenaged daughter AliceLynn, his beloved mother is dying of cancer, and he's come face to face with his youngest brother Aiden's sudden reappearance into the Love family circle. Years of sublimating his true self in deep mourning for his long dead wife have hardened the surly, emotional shell he's nurtured, but one woman seems to have broken through. Rosalee Norris is the young widow of Antony's best friend Paul and their mutual sorrow and close friendship has slowly morphed into something more. Family therapist and recent divorcee Margot Hamilton is dropped into the close-knit Love family by necessity but fate has a real design twist in mind. With her heart and mind closed to anything resembling an emotional connection, Margot is shocked to discover something about Antony the very first time they meet--something she tries, and fails, to resist. SAFE LOVE, The Love Brothers novella is a tale of love's realistic complications within the saga of family devotion that runs as wide and deep as the Ohio River--except on Sundays when brothers Antony, Kieran, Dominic and Aiden work out their frustrations on the basketball court, Love brother style.

EXCLUSIVE SNEAK PEEK! Love Brewing - Chapter 1

Diana patted Pepper’s flank as she released him into the paddock then leaned against the barn door, relishing the soreness in her muscles. The sun burned a white hole in the light-blue late summer sky. Smells of her childhood filled her nose, smoothing her edges.

A bit of coolness in the air, heralding the coming seasonal transition sent a shiver of anticipation down her spine. Masie, the pregnant cow, uttered a low moo, snapping Diana out of daydreaming about her favorite season—the hunting kind. It brought her long to-do list flashing across her brain, reminding her she still had to finish mucking out the rest of the barn. The garden was in desperate need of weeding, too. The last of her tomatoes were due in and her sister had already sent three texts that morning about the chicken salad Diana still had to make and get over to the shop.

With a heavy sigh, she let the light wind cool her skin. Her arms burned and her thighs shook in a wholly welcome, familiar way, post long ride. She dropped onto the overturned bucket from the horse’s cool-and-wash.

“Go on, get out there, ya big baby.”

She smiled when the huge animal nuzzled her shoulder before he trotted away obediently, sticking his nose into the water trough, tail flicking lazily, indicating satisfaction with the morning’s proceedings. Bees buzzed, the cow made another lowing sound, late season locusts hummed, and the sun heated her skin. Drifting, her mind calm and free of Jen’s endless demands and catering menus she let the sweet sounds and distinct odors of her family’s farm soothe her.

When the horse whinnied and snorted, Diana ignored it and stretched her legs out. One of the dogs let out a loud bark then the other two joined in. They sounded delighted, so Diana figured that her sister must have arrived in the catering van to pick up the chicken salad—the one Diana hadn’t even started yet.

Deciding to pretend she was alone a minute longer and enjoy the peace and quiet she always found in the barn, Diana closed her eyes.

“Hey.” A distressingly familiar male voice hit her ears. “Um...Diana?”

She blew out a breath, unwilling to acknowledge how much she would have given at one point in her life to hear that voice say her name again.

“What do you want?”

“Just a place to crash. Hide a bit, I don’t know.”

“Why now? I thought you and your folks were gettin’ on like a house afire.” She tried to keep the anger out of her words, but it was nearly impossible.

“Diana. Please.”

She opened her eyes and observed the man she’d loved as long as she could recall. Dominic Love stood in front of her dressed in, of all things, a pair of dress pants and crumpled, long-sleeved shirt. A red tie hung loose around his neck. He had his blond hair scraped back and tied at his nape so she could see he’d added more body art. He stood still, hands tucked in his trouser pockets, his expression scarily blank.

She rose and smacked the dust off her ass then stood, arms crossed, willing him not to be there, not to tempt her, because God help her still loved the man, despite how badly he’d treated her.

“I am not letting you back in my bed, Dom.”

When the corner of his full lips lifted in a smirk, she imagined how satisfying it would feel to smack it off his face—with a blunt instrument.

“Not asking for that…yet.”

“Go to hell.” She brushed by him, forcing him out of her brain. He snagged her arm and held on tight.

“I’m already there, babe, trust me. I swear I just need a friend right now and someplace to lay low. I’ll help around the place, you know that.”

As if on cue, the horse bumped Dom’s shoulder, shoving the man forward. The grip on her arm tightened and Dom leaned in close. She yanked away from him, keeping her gaze on the far horizon and her mind on the fact that if she went with her gut right then, she’d pull him back into her life, no questions asked.

“You can sleep out here.”

He let go. “Thanks, babe.”

She clenched her jaw. “Stop calling me babe, you shit-heel, motherfucking, selfish, cheating asshole.”

“Okay,” he muttered, but his eyes were bright in a way she knew well.

She walked away, letting the memory of their last, and she believed final, fight fill her mind, fueling her fury as she put one boot in front of the other, placing as much distance as she could between them.

The dogs circled her legs, escorting her en masse to the door. It slammed, cutting off their nervous whines and snuffling, leaving her standing in the middle of her outdated, overworked kitchen. Usually being in this room helped her forget all the crap going on in the real world while she transformed the various vegetables from her large garden and the meats she’d either hunted or raised herself into meals fit for a five-star restaurant.

She shook her head. There were no five-star-restaurants in her universe and there never had been. Even thinking those three words in that order caused heat to rise up her neck and into her face at the memory of her ex-husband—the man who’d swooped in right after Dominic’s last rejection of her and convinced her that he would open the restaurant of her dreams, using the inheritance money she’d saved.

Yeah, that had worked out not-so-well.

Men.

Stupid, lying, cheating men.

Stupid me and my stupid need to have one nearby all the stupid time.

Her hand landed on something substantial and her fingers curled around it. She picked up the cast iron pan slowly, contemplating it for a split second, recalling she’d left it out to use for frying bacon. With a noise between a grunt and a yell, she put every bit of long-forgotten frustration into the effort to fling the pan at the door. At the last second she worried she might hit one of the dogs.

But there was no canine yip of pain. They’d vacated her immediate area, likely sensing the temper eruption on her horizon before she did. It did bust a satisfying hole through the screen at the top of the door and hit the back porch railing with a musical clang that echoed back to her still burning ears.

She blew her hair out of her eyes, ready to tackle the next thing on her long to-do list—this time free of any memory of her last disaster of a relationship. That loser—now officially her ex-husband—had been floating through, setting up some chain restaurant over in Lexington. Memories of his handsome face and lying mouth rolled through her head even as she tried to halt them.

A real five-star restaurant, Di, he’d liked to say, usually when they were naked. That and, You should try it, and, I could use thirty thousand of your dollars to make it work, plus, let’s get married!

And they were naked a lot.

Diana groaned and leaned over the sink for a few seconds then straightened. She had too much to do. There was no time for that kind of useless reminiscing. Damn Dominic Love to hell and back for showing up and sending her into this tailspin.

She grabbed her mother’s soup pot, slammed it into the sink and starting filling it from the leaky tap. A breeze lifted the lace curtains at the window, stirring the hair around her face. She smelled the rain a few seconds before it let loose, pounding onto the grass between the kitchen window and the barn. Squinting through the sheeting water she spotted Dominic standing in the middle of the paddock, seemingly impervious to the deluge.

Pepper trotted over to see what could possibly make the tall, yellow-haired male human stand in the rain like an idiot. When Dom didn’t respond to nudging, the animal gave every appearance of shrugging and glancing in her direction with a whattayagonnado look before getting under cover in the barn.

Within a very few minutes, Dom’s drenched dress shirt clung to him. She watched, gape-jawed and shivering as he yanked his hair from its tie and shook it free, turning his face to take the full force of the increasing downpour, arms outstretched as if preparing for crucifixion. Then he seemed to disappear in the space of a blink. She turned off the tap, which was overflowing the pot by then anyway, and ran out the door.

Heart pounding, ears ringing with well-remembered panic over what she might find, she took the expanse of grass between house and paddock in a few long strides. In her fury at how casually he’d sauntered back into her life that morning, she hadn’t thought to study his eyes very closely. Diana had memorized long ago how Dominic’s deep-brown gaze took a particular edge, a kind of sharp, distinctive sparkle, when he hovered on the verge of a breakdown.

The rain soaked all the way to her skin by the time she rounded the post at the paddock. At a burst of lightening, she flinched and started counting, only getting to three seconds before the ear-splitting thunderclap. She squinted, seeking a prone, muddy Dominic. But the paddock was empty.

Cursing, she glanced back at the house. It was pretty well futile to run back now that she’d gotten drenched. She mirrored Dom’s earlier stance, letting the rain pound against her cheeks, forehead, and lips. Lightning flashed. Thunder followed. Laughter bubbled up from her throat, only getting louder as she realized what an utter whack job she must be, out there, cackling and drinking rain.

---

  SAFE LOVE: A Love Brothers Companion Novella “I’m going to try a little experiment with you.” She came around the side of the desk and headed to him, just as he jumped to his feet. “Sit down, Antony,” she said, using her best ‘take no shit’ voice as she invaded his personal space with the blindfold in one hand. “It will be all right, I promise.” He shook his head but sat, leaving her standing over him, which gave her a shiver of anticipation that she promptly quelled. His strong arms hung loose at his sides, his jeans clad legs sprawled out, too long for the chair. She stood behind him and placed the black silk blindfold over his eyes. After tying it in a way she knew would be nearly impossible to release, she placed her palms on his broad shoulders. As she had hoped, his thrumming, nervous energy calmed under her touch. Too easy, she thought. Not good, she also thought, tamping down the extreme urge to lean over him and lick her way up his neck. Instead, she spoke into the air over his head. “Now, tell me one thing you miss about Crystal.” “Uh…” he said, clenching and unclenching his fingers. “It’s…um… been such a long time and I…” “One thing Antony, quick, without thinking too hard.” He took a long, shuddering breath. “Her lips.” “Okay, now another thing.” She kept her hands pressed on his shoulders, willing him to be calm and to open up to her. “Her ass,” he ground out. She smiled. “Now we’re getting somewhere. One more thing please.” “Her…” He sucked in a breath. “The way she’d be in charge.” “Hmm…” Margot said, willing herself to stay put, to not place herself in front of him and do what she really wanted. “And what do you mean by that? She balanced the checkbook?” “No,” he whispered. “Okay then. Where was she in charge?” She caught herself even as she said it, implying that Antony’s wife had been “in charge” in a specific place. It cut to the chase, so why not? “I’m, um…not really comfortable with this.” His leg was jittering up and down as tension rose in him again. Margot took a deep breath, cursing her body for betraying her. She squared her shoulders. “I know. That’s why we’re not looking at each other.” Unable to stop herself, she leaned down and put her lips near his ear, sucking in a huge breath of leather, a hint of smoke, cotton and a clean, soapiness that made her want to weep. “It’s all right. I’m in charge in this room so you can just…relax.” She saw him grit his teeth and knew he was trying hard to do the exact opposite of what she was telling him to, so she tightened her grip on his shoulders, not an easy feat considering how firm they were. A point had to be made and she knew her options for making it were limited, since she’d promised herself that this would be nothing more than a therapy method. “The bedroom,” he said, so low she barely heard him. “Crystal was in charge in our bedroom, in private. It was…something we…liked.” Margot straightened, smiling but shaking at the same time, even more confused about how to proceed. Keeping her hands on him, knowing he required at least that much from her, she got herself under some modicum of control and plowed forward. “How was she in charge?” “Oh, I’m pretty sure you know,” he said, surprising her with the sudden strength in his voice. “And I’m also pretty sure I’ve told you enough.” He jumped up, ripped off her un-rip-able blindfold, sending it fluttering to the floor in two strips of black fabric and kicked the chair out of the way. She stumbled, blinking fast, brain spinning and body going into overdrive at the look on his face. He was begging her now, using his unconscious body language, but she could not—she would not—give into the urge to shove him to his knees. Her butt hit the bookshelf, making her stumble and curse. Antony stopped, looming over her and sending out the sort of obvious vibe she’d spent years coming to terms with and assuming she understood—until recently. “Step away from me,” she said. “This isn’t what you think.” He frowned and got even closer, pissing her off and making her inner self rise up and take over. She put her hands on his impossibly firm chest and shoved, forcing him to move out of her personal space so she could breathe and process how quickly she’d lost control of the situation. Typical, she thought with a shudder of disgust. No wonder Gavin left you. You’ve gotten weak. Antony bent down and picked up the pieces of the blindfold. When he held them in his outstretched hands, his expression did nothing to dispel her dismay. “Sorry about this,” he said. She grabbed them, her heart pounding way too fast. “Get out,” she whispered. “Just go. I’m sorry. I can’t…do this.” “You’re the only one I’ve ever told…about Crystal and me and what we…you know, liked.” She willed away the girlie tears. “I know,” she said. “It’s not something you’d share with your brothers.” Antony chuckled and ran a hand around the back of his neck, breaking the tension in the room enough for her to breathe again. “I, um, I’m engaged. And I love her, Rosie, and her boy.” He dropped his gaze to the carpet. Without thinking, Margot tilted his face up, ignoring that strange electrical charge that snapped between them. “It took me nearly four years to even kiss her, Rosie. And we only just… um…” A charming blush rose from his neck to his face, making Margot faint with lust. “I don’t know why in the hell I’m telling you this.”

Amazon best-selling author, beer blogger, brewery marketing expert, mom of three, and soccer fan, Liz Crowe is a Kentucky native and graduate of the University of Louisville currently living in Ann Arbor. She has decades of experience in sales and fund raising, plus an eight-year stint as a three-continent, ex-pat trailing spouse. Her early forays into the publishing world led to a groundbreaking fiction subgenre, “Romance for Real Life,” which has gained thousands of fans and followers interested less in the “HEA” and more in the “WHA” (“What Happens After?”). More recently she is garnering even more fans across genres with her latest novels, which are more character-driven fiction, while remaining very much “real life.” With stories set in the not-so-common worlds of breweries, on the soccer pitch, in successful real estate offices and at times in exotic locales like Istanbul, Turkey, her books are unique and told with a fresh voice. The Liz Crowe backlist has something for any reader seeking complex storylines with humor and complete casts of characters that will delight, frustrate and linger in the imagination long after the book is finished. Don’t ever ask her for anything “like a Budweiser” or risk bodily injury. Website Books, Beer & More Blog Facebook Fan Page Liz Chat Group Twitter Feed Amazon Author Page Goodreads Page Sign Up for Liz Newz

 

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Excerpt: The Fixer Upper by Anne Conley

BOOK INFORMATION

TITLE – The Fixer Upper
SERIES – None
AUTHOR – Anne Conley
GENRE – Contemporary Romance
PUBLICATION DATE – March 1st
LENGTH (Pages/# Words) – 60K
PUBLISHER – Anne Conley
COVER ARTIST – Samantha Holt

BOOK SYNOPSIS

James is a has-been restaurateur from the UK, trying desperately to get himself out of the hole he’s dug for himself, while trying to figure out how to suddenly be a Dad for his brand-new tween-ager. He thinks he’s fixing things, or at least he’s making a mortgage payment, when he takes a job on a dating show as the Fixer Upper.
Margaret’s life is perfect. At least, that’s what she keeps telling herself. A recent divorcee, she can’t believe she’s turned into a cliché. When she makes a deal with her ever-helpful mother who will stop fixing her up with men, if Margaret will go on a dating show, she thinks she’s solved one of her problems.
What happens when the womanizing TV host meets the classy lady with OCD tendencies? Can they find what they need in each other?

BUY & TBR LINKS

AMAZON KINDLE US –  GOODREADS

EXCERPT

James watched as she picked up her onion sword and dipped it into her mouth, extracting one and swirling it around her mouth before taking a drink. He sipped on his scotch, churning it around his mouth and letting it cleanse him as it went down his throat, bloomed in his chest, and spread through his stomach. He relished the burn.

The bartender came over to wash some glasses near them, and after catching James’s eye, lowered to whisper to him, “Are you her decoy?”

“What do you mean?”

“She’s in here almost every night, beating men off, explaining why she doesn’t need to actually have a boyfriend to not be interested. I was just wondering if you were pretending to be her boyfriend, so she wouldn’t get hit on. I’ve been tempted to offer myself.”

“No, I’m not pretending to be her boyfriend.” James couldn’t hold back the grin at the image of Margaret fighting off potential admirers.

“Are you really her boyfriend?” The poor man’s eyes were huge with disbelief, and James could completely understand. She did put off the cold fish vibe, but he ached to change that.

“I can hear you two idiots,” Margaret hissed at them. Turning on the poor boy, “You are no longer my favorite. Where’s Marcy? She’s almost as good at my martini as you are.”

“Sorry. She’s not in tonight, you’re stuck with me.” He grinned at her boyishly, and James watched her blush. Was she flirting with the bartender? He left to go help someone at the end of the bar, and James turned to her.

“You like him, huh? Is he the one you want to take to dinner?” Her lucky date for tonight would get dinner out on the show.

“No! He’s a child!”

“That’s right. That pesky age thing.”

Before he could elaborate, a sharp-dressed CEO type walked up to Margaret on her other side. The man exuded money, from his Armani to his Rolex. James watched with interest.

“Hey there sweet thing. Can I buy you another?”

James felt a prickle of jealousy and again questioned himself. He had no claims on her, in fact, he was here to help her get a date, in spite of what the producers said. Even so, he cheered inside his head when her mouth shaped the word no, before snapping shut. When she re-thought her response, his unease returned.

“Sure, why not?” Her voice was blithe, but James saw the underlying tension and resignation to the simple statement, like she knew exactly what was going to happen next, and dreaded it, participating only to please the show.

As soon as the bartender brought another drink for the two, the man bent down close to Margaret’s ear. James didn’t hear all of it, but he managed to see red darken his Maggie’s chest and knew exactly what that meant, he’d done it to her himself. Before he could react, she’d thrown her drink in the CEO’s face, who took it all with aplomb.

Removing his handkerchief from his breast pocket, the man wiped his face before smirking and leaving. No more words were spoken.

“What the hell did he say to you?”

Angry tears sounded in her voice, and sudden understanding dawned on him. Men were fucking pigs. “He told me to come back to his place so he could stick his dick in my hot, wet, cu—
“Never mind. Forget I asked.” Her eyes shined at him, as if tears were just under the surface, and James wondered if it was always like this for beautiful women with no self-esteem. Margaret knew she was pretty, but didn’t give herself enough credit for the rest. That’s why she kept her standards so high, so she didn’t get hurt. And the men who came on to her were total assholes. James knew she’d only allowed the wanker to buy her drink because he’d told her to lower her standards. If she kept up with her normal routine, that man wouldn’t have stood there more than thirty seconds.

James held out his arms, trying to be comforting, and to his surprise, Margaret sort of slumped towards him. He took a step forward and enfolded her in his arms. It was similar to last night’s embrace, except she wasn’t trying to beat him senseless. Instead, she was just… limp.

Stroking her back, feeling her warmth through the thin material of her dress, he inhaled the scent of her shampoo, lavender and vanilla. Scents that should remind him of his gram, only on Maggie, they made him want her naked.

He was such a fucking tool, no different from the others.

She relaxed in his embrace, her own arms coming around his waist and squeezing him, pressing herself against him. Something welled up inside, something a little foreign, something that surprised him. He realized he cared for her, and not just enough to sleep with her. James cared for Margaret enough to want to know what happened to them after the sex.

“We should just go. I’m hopeless.” She sniffed into his chest, and he could barely hear her. “I’ve thrown my drink at one guy, and I’m hugging on you. Nobody’s going to want to go out with me now.”
“I do.” His words shocked him, but no less for the meaning behind him. He did want to take her out. He wanted to make her feel desired, undo all his words of yesterday and the day before. He regretted them, immensely, and didn’t know what to do to take them back.

She looked up at him, her brow furrowed with confusion, but didn’t take a step back. Still holding her with one arm, he reached his other to smooth the wrinkles on her forehead, and shrugged, murmuring, “Masochistic tendencies.”

Her lips curled into a smile, and she laughed. He’d never heard the clear tinkling sound resonating from her before, and suddenly he lost all of his senses. Something changed in both of them. As abruptly as she started laughing, she stopped, and James watched as her gaze focused on his lips. Maggie’s tongue snaked out and stroked her bottom lip, leaving it sparkling wet, preparing it for him. James was lost. He wasn’t sure if she raised herself, or if he lowered his face, but in the next second, their lips were on each other’s.

AUTHOR BIO

Anne has written her entire life and has the boxes of angst-filled journals and poetry to prove it. She’s been writing for public consumption for the last four years. Currently she is writing two romance series. In Stories of Serendipity, she explores real people living real lives in small town Texas in a contemporary romance setting. In The Four Winds, she chronicles God’s four closest archangels, Uriel, Gabriel, Raphael, and Michael, falling in love and becoming human. She lives in rural East Texas with her husband and children in her own private oasis, where she prides herself in her complete lack of social skills, choosing instead to live with the people inside her head.

AUTHOR FOLLOW LINKS

AMAZON AUTHOR PAGE –  WEBSITE / BLOG –  FACEBOOK (Fan Page) –  FACEBOOK (Friend Page) –  TWITTER –  GOOGLE+ –  PINTEREST –  GOODREADS –  Sign up for Newsletter

GIVEAWAY PRIZES

2 ecopies of the Fixer Upper
1 ecopy of The Best Laid Plans of Boys and Men
$5 amazon giftcard

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Blitz: The Tarnished Jewel of Jazaar by Susanna Carr

Book Title: The Tarnished Jewel of Jazaar Author: Susanna Carr Genre: Contemporary Romance Hosted by: Book Enthusiast Promotions

Jeweled veil weighing heavily on her head, Zoe Martin waits for her sheikh husband-to-be. The shame of her adoptive family, orphan Zoe has endured six years of being kept as a slave—now she's been sold into marriage…to a man known as The Beast!

Being discarded to the sheikh has one bonus—this could mean freedom! Zoe must play along with the three-day—and three-night—ceremony, but she isn't expecting the blazing attraction from just one stolen glance at playboy sheikh Nadir.…

"Come, Zoe." One of her cousins unceremoniously pulled her from her chair and her female relatives surrounded her. "It's time to prepare you for your wedding night."

Her wedding night. Her stomach twisted sharply and she battled back nausea. Her aunts smiled and giggled as they swept her out of the courtyard and up to the honeymoon suite. She hunched her shoulders as corroding fear, thick and searing hot, bled through her body. It pooled under her skin, pressing harder and harder, threatening to burst through.

It suddenly sank into her. She belonged to the Sheikh. A man they called The Beast. She was married to him. Married.

Her married cousins were offering words of advice, telling her how to please her husband, but Zoe didn't hear a word of it. There was a desperate energy among the women. Their laughter was a little shrill, their advice raw and uncoated.

Zoe didn't resist as the women settled her in the center of the bed. She knelt on the mattress, her hands folded in front of her, her head bent down. She wanted to jump out of bed and run, but she knew these women would bring her back and guard the bedroom.

She closed her eyes and took a deep, jagged breath. She heard the women leaving the room, their laughter harsh as they tossed her more marital advice. She had always thought her wedding day would be different. In her daydreams it had been full of laughter and joy, not to mention love.

The reality was much bleaker. Zoe slowly opened her eyes. She was marrying because she was out of options and running out of luck. She was taking a leap of faith, believing she could use this marriage to her advantage. But she might have given up more than her freedom to a man who was a dangerous stranger.

What had she done?

"This book is everything that you would enjoy about a Harlequin, and will fulfill the echoing refrain in the heart of every Presents fan who wants a new story to strike that familiar chord. -- The Season for Romance

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"The Tarnished Jewel of Jazaar shimmers with a fiery spirit and surprises galore. Susanna Carr blends strong likeable characters with a plot spiced with steamy situations. The Tarnished Jewel of Jazaar is an unusual twist on romance. Perfect vacation reading fare!" -- Romance Junkies

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" This book had me captivated from start to finish and I would highly recommend this book." -- Harlequin Junkie

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"This fast-paced read is filled with love, turmoil, hope and understanding. It's cover to cover of 4-star worthy talent and captured my heart from the start. Transported to the middle of Jazaar, Ms. Carr made me a true part of this story and I loved walking beside these amazing characters! I can't wait for the next book! -- The Romance Reviews

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"The Tarnished Jewel of Jazaar is a book that entertains and takes a reader on a journey filled with emotions and feelings. The finale was peaceful, romantic and true to all time-loved happily ever after endings. The dialogue is insightful, the romance scenes were wonderfully done and although harsh at times, the story is compelling. It’s a quick tale but well worth taking the time to read." -- Longand Short Reviews

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The Tarnished Jewel of Jazaar is anything but tarnished. It is a standout in the “Sheikh finds love” plotline. Zoe and Nadir make a sexy and smart couple! I look forward to sampling more of Ms. Carr's writing because it's beautiful and rife with emotion."-- Joyfully Reviewed

Susanna Carr is an award-winning author known for her contemporary romances. Readers throughout the world find Susanna's stories a delightful escape that has often helped them through difficult times. Reviewers frequently describe her work as "fun", "sexy" and "a must read." When she isn't writing or spending time with her family in the Pacific Northwest, Susanna enjoys reading romance and connecting with readers online.

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Review: Ward Sisters Books1-4 by Lucy Gage

Author: Lucy Gage

Title: Ward Sisters Books 1-4

Series: Ward Sisters Series

Release Date: January 12, 2015

SYNOPSIS

Back to December (Ward Sisters, #1)
Only One (Ward Sisters, #2)
Right Here Waiting (Ward Sisters, #3)
This Year's Love (Ward Sisters, #4)
Bonus Content Welcome to the world of the Ward Sisters, Emily, Anne and Charlotte. Get to know them, their friends and the new people who have come into their lives. Start with Emily's story, Back to December, where you'll meet the oldest Ward daughter, and the movie star, Rob Deacon, who sweeps her off her feet. Then, in Only One, you'll get to know Emily's bodyguard, Liam Neely, who happens to be Rob's best friend. You'll also meet Jenna Ackerman, Rob's assistant and his other best friend, the woman with whom playboy Liam falls in love. In Right Here Waiting, you'll learn about Emily's lifelong best friend, Meghan Miles, and meet the soldier who steals her heart, Captain Neil Murphy. And then, in This Year's Love, you'll hear middle sister Annie Ward's story of how she fell for her sister's ex-boyfriend, Josh Ricker. Additional glimpses into the lives of these characters – in the form of deleted scenes which didn't make it into the published narrative – are included at the end of each story. For any fans of the series, these are peeks at the characters you won't want to miss.

BUY LINKS

Amazon    Barnes&Noble    Kobo    iTunes

REVIEW

I really got sucked into this series from the first chapter.

In Book 1 we meet Emily and Rob. Their story is one that everyone dreams of. Being who you are with someone and loving then and getting loved in return, which has no time limit. Everything doesn't always go smoothly for them. Her family is a major source of drama but their love shines though.

In Book 2 we get to learn more about Liam and Jenna. We didn't get to know her very much in the first book but Liam I already liked him. A nice guy with a troubled past. They both had things in their past that causes drama, can they overcome for HEA?

In Book 3 is Meghan and Neil, they meet at the wedding of Danny and Charlie. Sparks fly immediately, but Neil is being sent to Afghanistan. Can they make it work? When something happens to test them can they make it together? This was one of those couples that I just root for, they seemed a perfect match.

In Book 4 is Annie and Josh's story. I really had a hard time liking these two. I just felt Annie was not a very good person for getting as close to Josh as she did while wanting him for herself. Since Josh and Emily broke up in the first book I knew something was going on with Annie. However, you get to see more of their story and understand them better.

Overall I loved the characters and the authors writing style. I will be on the look out for more from her.

EXCERPTS/TEASERS

Back to December

Emily looked at Rob and couldn't read what he was thinking. She could tell there was something on his mind, but she had no clue what it was.

“Care to share?” she asked, curious.

“Can I kiss you?” he replied, his voice steady.

Em was stunned. She didn't know what to say. It had been over five years since she had been asked to be kissed. She nodded slowly, so as not to appear too eager, though she was, in fact, dying to kiss him. She had been looking at his mouth quite a bit these last few hours, and it always seemed so kissable.

Rob leaned toward her, and she met him halfway. That heady forest scent invaded her nostrils more thoroughly now and her brain swam. He looked at her with a sweet smile, just a little grin that said he was looking forward to this. She met his eyes and his smile with one of her own, though she suspected that, as soon as he'd asked, he'd known what her answer would be by the expression on her face.

His lips brushed against hers, gentle at first, with just a little bit of pressure. The gesture implied respect without stifling the desire that raced through Emily's blood. Her skin heated and the dampness between her thighs, which had been present since dinner, bordered on embarrassing. How could she want someone so much from just a simple kiss?

Only One

They walked back to the car, hand in hand, in an unusual silence. Jenna started to step around the car to the passenger's side, and Liam tightened his grip on her hand so she couldn't let go. Her expression said she was curious as he drew her toward him and leaned against the car hood. She let him guide her until her body was pressed against his and their faces were inches apart.

His heart raced again, which Liam found odd – he hadn't felt nervous before he kissed a girl since junior high. Swallowing hard, he brushed the hair from her face like he'd done earlier. Her breath hitched, and he knew she wanted him to kiss her as much as he wanted to do it. He looked at her mouth, then into her eyes. They leaned in at the same time, crushing their lips together in a long-overdue kiss.

Heat rushed through his body and his dick hardened before she even slid her tongue into his mouth. As their tongues danced, one hand found her ass and pulled her pelvis to his, while the other threaded into her hair, bringing her mouth closer, and deepening the kiss. She whimpered and gripped his neck.

The kiss lasted a few minutes and then they needed air. They leaned apart, touched foreheads, their breath labored.

“Wow,” Jenna whispered.

“Yeah. I agree,” Liam said.

Right Here Waiting

Meghan stared back at him as intently. Finally, she said, “What's going on here, Neil?” “What do you mean? “This. What's happening between us? Am I reading you wrong? Are you not interested in me?” Neil couldn't let her think that. No. Never. He'd wanted her for too long to let her ever believe he wasn't interested, even for a moment. He pulled back, stood still and looked at her. He looked at her mouth. He wanted to kiss her, but if he waited until they were alone, she might give up on him. Danny was right, he had to stop sabotaging this. Neil threaded his hands in her sun-kissed hair. In her eyes, he saw a desire to kiss him as powerful as his own. He leaned in, pressed his lips to hers and a wave of heat washed over him. Meghan leaned into the kiss, opening her lips, and as he slid his tongue into her mouth, Neil had to use every ounce of restraint his military training had afforded him to keep it from getting indecent. Meghan pulled away and saved Neil from himself.

This Year's Love

“Are you okay?” she asked.

He nodded slowly and swallowed.

“Uh huh,” he muttered.

His dilated pupils said he liked what he saw. She grinned. In two strides of his long legs, he was right next to her and it was Annie's turn to gasp – he towered over her.

He looked at her, shook his head, then he crushed her to his body, his face a breath away. She opened her mouth and his tongue plunged inside. Unlike the other morning, he knew this was her and not Em. Yet, he kissed her with even more passion, stealing her air.

Before she knew what was happening, he lifted her off the ground, wrapped her legs around his waist and carried her to the bed. They collapsed onto the mattress, and when his pelvis pressed into her core, they moaned in unison.

“God, you're beautiful,” he breathed around her lips.

PLAYLISTS

 

Back to December

Only One

Right Here Waiting

This Year's Love

AUTHOR BIO

 As a child, Lucy Gage relished time to use her imagination, whether it was playing with her siblings - dolls, cars and trucks, make believe, LEGOs - or reading a book. That still translates today, as she writes the stories bouncing through her head, or reads the work of others. Her two imaginative children play the same way she did in her youth and love to read. She considers this her greatest accomplishment to date.  Married for the past dozen years, she and her family live in rural Maine. When not at the keyboard, she most enjoys gardening, hiking, amateur photography, the beach, dancing, crafts, ice skating, snow shoeing, boating and of course, reading.

AUTHOR FOLLOW LINKS

Facebook  Twitter  Google+  Goodreads 

Giveaway - 5 Copies of the Ward Sisters Boxed Set (eCopies)

 

 

 

Giveaway - 5 Copies of the Ward Sisters Boxed Set (eCopies) a Rafflecopter giveaway

Excerpt: Stitches by Jeremy L. Blunt

BOOK INFORMATION

TITLE – Stitches- Because Some Wounds Need More Than a Band-Aid Cure AUTHOR – Jeremy L Blunt PUBLICATION DATE – February 10, 2015 LENGTH (Pages/# Words) - 184 PUBLISHER – Upland Avenue Publishing Group COVER ARTIST – Daniela Frongia

BOOK SYNOPSIS

Have you ever found yourself at a loss when trying to figure out why relating to the very people you feel you have to or should be able to communicate well with just doesn’t work? Have you ever had that feeling after you come out of something which gave you the blues while in it, was actually not as bad as you made it if only you had paid attention to the signs and lessons from previous events? If either of these things sound like you then “STITCHES” are what you need. We look for answers from everywhere in the world, our friends, church members, parents, celebrities and sometimes even our enemies but never inside ourselves.

STITCHES are the tools we need to address the issues we have. If you’re tired of putting a Band-Aid on wounds that seem to just keep resurfacing and don’t seem to go away, then I encourage you to start using stitches instead. AS you read “STITCHES”, allow it to broaden your perspective and increase your confidence that you are not as lost as you may have believed.

BUY & TBR LINKS

AMAZON KINDLE US – AMAZON PAPERBACK

EXCERPT

The problem with most relationships is not the baggage that people knowingly bring into them, it is with the baggage that they have, know they have but act like it is not there. Now let's be honest. We all have baggage. Baggage is what we pick up from life's experiences that affect how we react to things, how we deal with people, and how we carry ourselves. All baggage is not bad baggage. For instance, it is only after you deal with someone who is independent that you determine if moving forward, you want someone else who is also independent or if you would rather have someone who just has independency. Either way, the baggage we carry from situation to situation affects us differently.

Ideally when we met someone we would like for their baggage to be displayed and scanned as it would be going through check in at an airport. First giving them an opportunity to dispose of anything that would be hazardous to anyone else around and then going through a thermo scan. The problem with baggage does not come when we are dealing with someone who is upfront with baggage that is not necessarily healthy but rather when things pop up that they claim to know nothing about. On my last trip to the airport, I remember hearing several announcements about baggage not being left unattended or taking packages from people that you do not know. We should treat the people we deal with every day with the same level of security and caution. Until we know what at least pops up during their initial scan, we should not pursue them past the outer lobby of our life. In other words, they should remain associates. They should not get VIP treatment or otherwise they may feel and act like they are entitled to more than they are. Then you will feel guilty and try and fast track them to the exclusive area prematurely. To catch a plane now, they tell you to be at the airport at least two hours before your flight so you can go through all of the proper checks and still make your flight on time. We should treat everyone we meet with the same expectation. If they are not willing to show up early, stand in a line or two for a few minutes, and undergo pre checks, then they may as well be labeled as a terrorist and should be treated hostile. I mean let's face it, what is the point of blood, sweat, and tears if you are not going to use the lessons it has taught you to better yourself. Would you knowingly let a terrorist come on a plane that you are boarding? Of course not! Then why do we let people in our lives without proper clearance. You need to know something about the people you deal with. Where they are from? Who have they been with? Who they people are? Have they picked up any habits, I mean packages, from strangers along the way?

Even after going through baggage check, people still can have extra stuff that can threaten your life. An example of this is insecurities. Let us say you have met this guy and he seems to have it pretty much together. He is a dream come true. You open up and allow him to board your life. Once in the air you realize he has tendencies. He always wants to know about the names of people from a previous manifest. He also asked repeatedly about current passengers who are just temporary passengers until the next stop or two. You understand his concerns but point out that none of these issues surfaced or questions were asked during initial boarding. You pacify him by giving him everything it seems that he would need but nothing is helping. He wants to dig deeper and ask more questions. This is a classic example of what I call “unauthorized baggage”. Unauthorized baggage can have you off balance with very little to no clue as to why. When a partner is overly aggressive or possessive, it can weigh you down to the point where you are ready to start throwing things off. When nothing you do seems to be working, you will start eliminating things that are actually in your life to help you; like fuel, food or even extra oxygen (friends who give you life). Again, those closest to you will give you warning signs when this happens. Your body will also be a good sign of indicators. Do not ignore the signs. Pay attention, life has a way of getting your attention. If you are not careful you will find yourself starting to become distant with friends and even point the figure at others as the reason to why things are the way they are.

BOOK SOUNDTRACK

Life and Favor – John P. Kee and New Life feat. James Fortune Her Heart – Anthony Hamilton My Favorite Thing – Ronald Isley featuring Kem Rise and Fall – Craig David feat Sting All of Me – John Legend Sweat – Toni Braxton & Babyface

AUTHORS PLAYLIST

Medelssohn: Octet in E flat, Op. 20-1 Van Cliburn Tchaikovsky: Concerto No. 1 & Rachmaninoff: Concerto No. 2 Michael Meets Mozart More Than Anything – Lamar Campbell & Spirit of Praise Grateful – Hezekiah Walker, Love Fellowship Choir

AUTHOR BIO

Jeremy L. Blunt is a capitol city native of Louisiana and a graduate of the East Baton Rouge Public School System. He is a proud Husband, Father, and Mentor. He is married to the former LaTrisha Earline Milton, also of Baton Rouge. He has two daughters, Kaylie and Amerie Blunt. His hobbies include traveling, reading, exercising, and interacting with people. He is honorably retired from the Louisiana National Guard. While also defending his country, Jeremy has and continues to be very active in his community. He serves as a Minister to young people and serves and advises several boards in his community. Jeremy attended Louisiana State University and attends HOPE Bible Institute for Theology and Religious Studies.

Jeremy is a motivated speaker and teacher who delivers a message of self empowerment and change to audiences of all demographics. He continues to work with “at-risk” youth and considers it as one of the most rewarding experiences of his life. He is an advocate for service and continued education.

Jeremy lives by the motto: “Change comes from those willing to do things differently”.

AUTHOR FOLLOW LINKS

WEBSITE / BLOG – FACEBOOK – TWITTER – PINTEREST – LINKEDIN

INSTAGRAM – stitches4life

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Great Expextations by Alexander McCabe

BOOK INFORMATION

TITLE – Greater Expectations AUTHOR – Alexander McCabe GENRE – Romantic Comedy PUBLICATION DATE – August 5th 2014 LENGTH (Pages/# Words) – 257 pages / approx. 90,000 words PUBLISHER – Self published ebook COVER ARTIST – Kirsty C. Maclauchlan

BOOK SYNOPSIS

It is said that the course of true love never runs smooth - even for us men. Yet it has never been easier to find love than in this modern digital era where the mighty computer has all but rendered Cupid redundant. Love is now to be found, quite literally, at your fingertips. Although love also seems to have changed with the times. This new love is deceitful and manipulative, cunning and untrustworthy. Love has gotten ugly. Thankfully, not all the answers to life’s mysteries are to be found in the computer and Cupid - battered and bruised as he may be - proves that he still has some game and a few tricks up his sleeve…

BUY & TBR LINKS

AMAZON KINDLE US – AMAZON KINDLE CA – AMAZON KINDLE UK – GOODREADS – SHELFARI

EXCERPT

When first I met my now estranged wife during our Master’s year at university, I was seeing someone else too. In the main, this defines me as a “bastard”, although I preferred to think of myself as a “player”. Indeed I would argue that it falls under the guise of “sowing wild oats”. That’s the phrase that makes the practice somehow acceptable, and mothers the world over tell their sons that this is what they need to do before they settle down. The rite of passage into manhood as it were. At least, it’s what my mother told me. Women may argue this point - sorry, women will argue this point - but then they become mothers.

Naturally, they just don’t want those “wild oats” sown with their own daughters.

However, it is a fallacy to think that we men are completely heartless. I realised that I actually liked the girl that I eventually married so quickly ended all contact with the third party. In actual fact, she was a girl that I had been seeing first but only by a matter of a few weeks. I got the usual tirade of “bastard” texts, emails, and drunken voicemails. “I thought you were different” being the obligatory phrase that she just had to use during every one of these “opportunities”. In one particular instance, during which she also branded me a “coward”, I foolishly responded. I explained to her that I was merely being cruel to be kind as it was blatantly obvious to me that there we had no future together. Furthermore, after everything that had been said and done – more on her part now than mine - she would surely realise and accept that there was no going back as any trust and respect that had been built was now completely shattered.

I got the following reply:

“See, I knew you were different. That was lovely, you thinking of me and my feelings and us and our future. Why can’t we make this work? We can, you just have to trust yourself to trust me. Call me.”

It took another six weeks of ignoring and blocking her before she finally gave up. We had only been dating, if it could ever have been called that, for three weeks.

It takes true courage and bravery to finish any relationship. As my marital separation was only a week old, I understood that there may be some element of hope that we could fix it and move on. Yet I knew there was no way I could, or would, allow myself to stoop to such a level of indignity. My sense of pride has taken a pounding and is undoubtedly battered and bruised, but it is still there, standing tall and intact, however weakly. It is also getting stronger with every passing day.

All thanks to “Hope”.

“Hope” is a very strange feeling that displaces others such as “confidence”, “faith”, and “trust” and one that I have naturally gravitated towards my entire life. We are old friends, hope and I. Never have I dared to have “confidence” in my academic or sporting abilities, rather I always “hoped” that I would perform at my best as necessitated in any particular circumstance. When things had gone better than I had even dared “hope”, then I defaulted to the notion that is was merely my “good luck”, and vice versa. “Luck” has always provided me an excuse for all of life’s highs and lows and everything in between. Now I wanted to change all that. Now I wanted to control my existence.

Now I wanted to stir the stagnant pool that is my life proactively to feel like I am living again.

So that may well explain why I am now sat in only my boxer shorts in front of my computer, as the rain batters the window behind my curtains, and trying to focus on completing an online dating profile that includes a “personal statement” section. Apparently, its purpose is to allow me to describe myself in as broadly generic terms as possible in order to seem “normal” and “average” - and so maximising my appeal - whilst also trying to ensure that I am unique enough as to stand out. The logic of the concept is irrefutable and yet fantastically ridiculous.

It is also proving so challenging to the point of being quite impossible.

As a truck driver, I work most weekends and so this job commitment removes the more conventional ways of meeting women. Using a dating site makes far more sense in this new age of technology as it allows for an immediate connection without the need to wait for the weekend, or the demand of a decent chat up line. It cuts to the chase, so to speak. The site has posted a statistic that states over 28% of couples now “meet” online, so I am still happily in the minority. However, it is utterly galling to me that I should ever try to be “normal” or “average” to anyone as I have never considered myself as such.

It seems to me to be morally fraudulent. 

Online dating. It really is quite an absurd concept yet totally in concert with the modern era where people are too busy with work and life to take the time and make the effort for actually dating. Yet where is the romance of it? You will never hear a love song that refers to such sites. Can you imagine Rod Stewart singing “The Algorithm of my Heart”, or some such like?

No? Me neither.

AUTHOR BIO

After graduating with a couple of useless degrees in law, I left my Scottish homeland and wandered nomadically around the globe to experience the rich diversity of culture that the world has to offer.

On my travels, I met my Canadian wife in New Zealand, we were married in Scotland and now live in Canada with our newborn son. Although we currently call Toronto home, this is not yet a permanent arrangement and, rather alarmingly, we are perfectly happy about that…

AUTHOR FOLLOW LINKS

AMAZON AUTHOR PAGE – WEBSITE / BLOG – FACEBOOK – TWITTER

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Cover Reveal: Savannah Sins by Jenna Fox

 

BOOK INFORMATION

TITLE – Savannah Sins

SERIES – N/A

AUTHOR – Jenna Fox

GENRE – erotic/horror

PUBLICATION DATE – March 3rd 2015

LENGTH (Pages/# Words) – 15,300 words

PUBLISHER –Dark Hollows Press

COVER ARTIST – 3 Rusted Spoons

BOOK SYNOPSIS

Her prison became his hell.

The only thing standing between Beverly Price and a prison cell is her well connected attorney, Jackson McNabb. Jackson pulls some legal strings, getting Beverly sent to his family’s plantation to work out her sentence at an isolated setting- the perfect place for sexual escapades. When Jack and Beverly act on the pent-up lust burning between them, their passion rouses an angry spirit, setting off a series of frightening paranormal events and sending Beverly fleeing the arms of her lover, leaving Jack to fight for both of their lives.

Where will you run when your sins come back to haunt you?

EXCERPT

Beverly’s libido was assailed at being around a man she wasn’t totally immune to and she shivered when Jack got behind her, bracketing her sides with his arms. She stood still as her scantily clothed skin absorbed his body heat, trapping it between them. She took the cutting knife, and he covered her hand with his, directing the chopping mechanisms. The close proximity was pressing on her, making her question everything she thought she knew about herself. He was teaching, but she wasn’t listening, only slipping into feelings she’d never meant to feel with him.

They were nearly meshed together when Jack’s hands wrapped her waist and he guided her toward the sink. He washed and she dried while a play-by-play reverie of Jack stripping her down and bending her over the counter projected in her head like a movie screen. Beverly’s breath caught in her throat when the bulge in his pants skipped across the back of her thigh.

AUTHOR BIO

Jenna Fox is a civilized hillbilly, mother, wife and multi-published author of erotic romance residing in Eastern Tennessee. Besides juggling a busy family life, Fox reviews and critiques for other authors and crafts her own dark erotic tales. Stories always feature a mysterious alpha male with unexpected twists to shock the reader. She believes in HFN and HEA endings, although not always in a romantic or conventional way.

Her work is born from real life experiences, an overactive imagination and a consuming caffeine addiction. Fox is a listener of bad-ass music and a watcher of classic slasher films. In short, she’s a multi-tasker – a writer, a storyteller, able to make a boo-boo all better with just one kiss and a proud, world class expert at screwing up recipes and scaring away closet monsters. She believes in ghosts and God and is absolutely convinced chocolate soothes the savage beast.

AUTHOR FOLLOW LINKS

Blog - Facebook - Facebook Fan Page - Pinterest - Twitter: @jennafoxrox - Goodreads - Amazon Author Page

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