First Comes Desire by Tina Donahue/I Wanna Be Loved By You by Heather Hiestand

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. The authors will be awarding digital copies of both books on tour to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

On a lush, secluded island, one passionate adventure leads to another….

Diana Fletcher means business. The beautiful, innocent, reverend’s daughter has traveled all the way to a tropical island off Madagascar on a mission: To find her brother—and to punish the man who drove him to a life of piracy. But when she comes face to face with the enemy in question, the handsome, powerfully seductive man is not at all what Diana expected…

Tristan Kent never intended to harm Diana’s brother. A man of humble origins, Tristan claims he tried to save him from another ruthless captain. Diana is desperate to believe he is telling the truth…and that the intoxicating desire that escalates between them is true as well. But can she trust him? Or is Tristan’s story—and his heart—nothing more than fool’s gold? Amid the haze of sensual delights and soaring ecstasy Tristan has in store for her, all will be revealed…

For a young woman swept into international adventure, romance can’t be far behind…

The 1920s are in full swing when Sadie Loudon leaves her grandfather’s stodgy vicarage, and she dreams of the glamour and excitement she’s seen on the silver screen. But before she even begins work at the storied Grand Russe Hotel, she is ushered into London’s glittering nightlife by a handsome young businessman intent on introducing her to the pleasures available to a Bright Young Thing. Is it a fleeting romance…or something even more intriguing?

Les Drake is on the lookout for Bolsheviks when he encounters sweet, sexy Sadie. A British Secret Intelligence agent, Les has more experience with the seedy underside of the city than with innocent chambermaids, but he can’t deny that Sadie tempts him. Using her as part of his cover seems like a brilliant plan until the danger of his assignment threatens what has suddenly become a love he can’t bear to lose…

Enjoy an Excerpt from I Wanna Be Loved by You:

Les glanced between the two women. His gut told him that they were not compatible. Sadie was too fresh and uneducated to appeal to this cosmopolitan refugee. Not like the young wife from Acton who was desperate for a friend. When Glass had given him orders he hadn’t accounted for Sadie’s youth. She was only a chambermaid, after all.

“What time is the rally?” he asked Semyon in Russian.

He responded in kind. “In an hour. Will I see you there?”

Les nodded. “I need to pay a couple of sales calls on bookshops here and then we will go to the docks. Will your wife come along?”

Semyon nodded and took his own bowl of soup off the tray. “She is very political.”

“Mrs. Rake is not educated in these matters.” Les spooned up the last couple bites of his borsht. There likely wouldn’t be time for food later.

“She’ll learn,” Semyon said. “What is her background?”

“Orphan,” Les said, not wanting to reveal more.

“English through and through, right?”

Les nodded and put his and Sadie’s bowls on Semyon’s tray, then poured overbrewed tea from the pot into his empty cup.

“Why did you marry her? Money?”

Les was glad they were still speaking in Russian. He let his gaze peruse the length of the skinny brown bow detail on Sadie’s cream dress. The ribbon slid down her chest between her breasts, revealing their buoyant shape underneath the thin fabric. He glanced back at Semyon, who smirked.

“A young man must have his pleasures,” Semyon said.

“Your wife is very beautiful,” Les told him. Sadie’s eyes went to him. The color matched the stormy sea now. He realized he had missed an exchange between her and Irina Kozyrev. When he glanced next to him he saw Irina was putting the nesting doll together, then, when at last the matryoshka was back together, she put the doll into the gift box and placed the lid on top, then slid it into her handbag.

Shocked, he let his hurt show as he moved his gaze back to Sadie.

She shook her head slightly, as if warning him of danger. Next to her, Semyon was devouring his soup. Sadie pushed a plate of brown bread to him and he took a piece without looking up.

Les stared at his erstwhile wife. Had she given Irina the dolls because she was afraid of her, or was there some deeper game? What had the girl sensed about her role here? Irina set her handbag on her lap, her lips curving with genuine satisfaction. With a last look at Les, Sadie deliberately moved her attention to the other woman, smiling.

Irina laughed.

Sadie had done the unexpected and turned the assassin’s daughter into an ally, it seemed.

About the Authors:

Tina Donahue is an award-winning, bestselling novelist in erotic, paranormal, contemporary and historical romance for Kensington, Ellora’s Cave, Samhain Publishing, Siren Publishing, Booktrope, and indie. Booklist, Publisher’s Weekly, Romantic Times and numerous online sites have praised her work. Three of her erotic novels (Adored; Deep, Dark, Delicious; Lush Velvet Nights) were named finalists in the 2011 EPIC competition. Sensual Stranger, her erotic romance, was chosen Book of the Year 2010 (erotic category) at the French review site, Blue Moon reviews. The Golden Nib Award at Miz Love Loves Books was created specifically for her erotic romance Lush Velvet Nights. Deep, Dark, Delicious (erotic romance) received an Award of Merit in the RWA Holt Medallion competition. Take Me Away (erotic romance) captured second place in the NEC-RWA contest. And The Yearning (erotic paranormal) was honored with an Award of Merit in the RWA Holt Medallion competition. She’s featured in the 2012 Novel and Writer’s Market. Before penning romances, she worked in Story Direction for a Hollywood production company.

Website: http://tinadonahuebooks.blogspot.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DonahueTina1
Twitter: https://twitter.com/tinadonahue

Buy the book at Amazon, iBooks, Google, Kobo, or Barnes and Noble.

Heather Hiestand was born in Illinois but her family migrated west before she started school. Since then she has claimed Washington State as home, except for a few years in California. She wrote her first story at age seven and went on to major in creative writing at the University of Washington. Her first published fiction was a mystery short story, but since then it has been all about the many flavors of romance. Heather’s first published romance short story was set in the Victorian period and she continues to return, fascinated by the rapid changes of the nineteenth century. The author of many novels, novellas and short stories, she makes her home in a small town with her husband and son and supposedly works out of her tiny office, though she mostly writes in her easy chair in the living room.

Website: http://heatherhiestand.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/heather.hiestand
Twitter: https://twitter.com/heatherhiestand

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Taming the Texas Beauty by Jody Vitek - Guest Blog and Giveaway

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Jody Vitek will be awarding a $25 Amazon/BN GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

Do Romance Writers Do Research?

Thank you for having me here today to talk about romance writers and research. I’d like to make clear that this is my opinion and how I’ve done research for my stories. Every writer should be researching something about their story. You can’t know everything. Okay, so I know there are people out there who do, but they are rare.

I remember writing papers for school using the encyclopedia or go to the library for research. Boy, how times have changed. The world-wide-web is an amazing and wonderful invention for writers—we don’t have to leave our homes to do research. A large number of us are introverts. To be honest, we love the quick availability of a computer because it saves us valuable writing time. Oh, and you can’t forget how wonderful email is for communicating with a possible subject matter expert.

My latest release, Taming the Texas Beauty, and the prior book, Texas Two Step, are set in Dallas, Texas. I’ve never been to Texas. I relied on Google Maps to help me with research. It’s amazing what you can get from the Earth view. If you go to the street level, it’s as if you’re standing there in person. I’ll get to how the Earth view helped me in the next paragraph. Also, a great mechanism is the Search bar in maps for seeking businesses in the area. I mention several restaurants, businesses, and locations in my books. Some are fictitious or contain part of the real name. If I didn’t use the map, the stories wouldn’t have a realistic feel to them. It’s one thing if you make up your own town or city. But when you name a real, major downtown area, you’d better get things right, or a reader will call you on it. While working on these books, I saved my locations to help keep things straight. You don’t want to say a restaurant is in one location and then say it’s in another, later in the story. I wanted to share my Dallas map so you could see how I use the map. Unfortunately, Google Maps doesn’t allow sharing maps with saved locations.

Let’s talk about my hero, Ryan Rogers, in Taming the Texas Beauty. Ryan works for the Dallas Police Department, as a Police Detective. They’re dealing with a string of robberies targeting the wealthy. Hmm, where are the 500+K homes located? Again, writing about a factual city I needed to do research. To learn about the area and see photos of the houses, I searched realtor sites for homes in my price range. I plopped the address of said home for sale into the fabulous map search, and voila, I knew the location. This is where I would switch to the Earth view. I could see the house from the street and draw my descriptions from there. At one point Ryan and his partner look for a home to set up a sting operation. I used this same research method to write how the house would work for a robbery.

As for the law enforcement research, that’s where I could have some things wrong when it comes to the Dallas PD. I reached out to the PIO of the police department via email and never received a response. None. A similar thing happened when I wrote Florida Heat. So, what’s a writer to do? I had the organizational chart and lists of departments of the police department, prior to contacting them. There’s a lot of information available on their site. But not descriptive info I wanted or needed to know for my story. Law enforcement agencies operate differently around the country. This is where I’m lucky, to a degree. My husband happens to work for a local sheriff’s office. Your sheriff’s office is a different creature than your police departments. But the law is the law, so I sought help from my husband. Without him, I would have inaccurate information in my books. I’ve written scenes, then consulted with my husband, and had to rewrite the scene, and anything that may have been affected by the changes made. Sometimes when I’ve asked for his help, he’ll answer my question but say that they, the police department, may handle it differently. I use the information from him because he’s the closest thing I have for a more accurate answer. We watch several police shows on TV, and I’ve gathered information for my books from them as well. I owe a lot to my husband for having patience with me and answering my questions.

There is so much more that I had to research for this story, as well as my other books. I could go on forever about what I did for this, that, and the other, but I’ll spare you. Just know that writers don’t simply sit down and write what they want without doing research. We talk to people, search the Internet, read books, or even visit a destination. In my opinion, those who write historical romances have a bigger job of doing research. If you’re wondering how an author wrote a character, scene, chapter, or whatever, reach out to them and ask. We love to talk about our books to our readers.

Leave me any questions you have in the comments section. Thank you for visiting today.

Two years ago, Ryan Rogers was attracted to Stephanie Lockhart, but as the detective who brought down her criminal brother, getting close to her was out of the question. Now, ready to restart the relationship, he discovers her salon is connected to a series of high-end robberies.

In spite of losing her brother because of Detective Rogers, Stephanie hasn’t forgotten their attraction. It could be happily ever after when they meet once again…until she and her salon are implicated in crime, sending her world spiraling out of control.

Read an excerpt:

“We need to talk to Stephanie.” Vergas’s voice softened. He remained silent while running a hand through his hair.

“If you want, I can call the salon and see when she’d be available to talk to us.”

His stomach tightened. He didn’t answer her, as his thoughts focused on Stephanie. Glancing in the rearview mirror, he skirted into the right lane.

“I’ll make the call. Ryan, she’s not a suspect, as of today, but you need to—”

“I know what I need to do, Vergas,” he snapped. He flexed his fingers gripping the steering wheel several times, then rubbed the back of his neck. “I’m sorry. I’ll talk to her as soon as I can.” He exited the highway and entered the concrete jungle, putting them a block from the salon. Taught muscles screamed for relaxation.

“Is that why you’ve been quiet?” Vergas’s calm kept his frustration at bay.

“Yeah.” City traffic and lights held his focus. He wasn’t in the mood to talk. Monica got the hint, and for that he was thankful.

This development had him realizing his feelings for Stephanie were more concrete than he’d originally thought. His stomach sank. They couldn’t rule Stephanie out as a possible suspect. She owned the salon. Like her brother, she could easily be involved in illegal activities. Ryan couldn’t believe she’d be like her brother. Yet, she did have a connection to the wealthy through her parents. Surely, they belonged to the same clubs and groups as many of their victims. Maybe she was involved.

About the Author:

Jody Vitek is a multi-published author with Satin Romance, an imprint of Melange Books, LLC. She has been a member of Romance Writers of America (RWA) and Midwest Fiction Writers (MFW) since 2001 and is a Provisional PAN member of RWA.

Born and raised in Minnesota, Jody remains close to home living with her husband of twenty-five plus years, three children and a cat named Holly. Growing up, she enjoyed reading V.C. Andrews’ the Dollanganger series, starting with Flowers in the Attic, S.E. Hinton, and Stephen King to name a few. Today her tastes run across the board in fiction and non-fiction, in all genres.

She has traveled throughout the United States, to the Bahamas and Cancun, Mexico. Between watching her youngest son playing soccer, maintaining one of the many scrapbook albums, gardening and being the COO of the Vitek household, she writes contemporary romances.

Website: www.jodyvitek.com
Email: info@jodyvitek.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Jody-Vitek-Author/142820225824162
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/JodyVitek
Buy the book at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Smashwords, or Satin Romance.

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The Good Spy Dies Twice by Mark Hosack - Spotlight and Giveaway

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Mark will be awarding a $30 Amazon or B/N GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

"The Good Spy Dies Twice," the cryptic final words from a condemned death row inmate draw Jake Boxer, the one-time king of cable news, out of retirement, setting him on a collision course with a deadly global conspiracy involving his secretive wife, a depraved New World Order, and the "guests" at a posh Alaskan ski resort. Everyone is a suspect. Part spy thriller, part whodunit, "The Good Spy Dies Twice" is the first book in Mark Hosack's explosive new thriller series, Bullseye. Called "an undeniably spry and rousing espionage tale" by Kirkus Reviews.

Enjoy an Excerpt

Panting (he was an audio guy, not an athlete), Brody reached the fence. He put a hand on it and felt his arm spasm uncontrollably in one long, sustained, hot pulse.

The same type of electric shock that had knocked him off the second fence was once again rushing through his fingers and into his arm. He crumpled to the ground with a new, yet familiar, scream on his lips. Luckily, he fell backward, and the weight of his body jerked his hand away from the fence, breaking the electrical current.

Lying in the snow, his arm shook violently for several seconds, and Jesus, his heart—it was skipping beats like a rock skimming a lake. He looked back at the fence. It was just fifteen feet high, and slouching in parts where the support poles were bent, or in some cases missing. It was old, a relic of a bygone era. Totally unassuming.

Or so he’d thought.

Somehow, there was now electricity coursing through it, electricity that hadn’t been there when he’d first scaled it, just minutes earlier.

Someone had turned on the juice, and that meant someone was watching him.

When he first parked his car, he’d counted two fences from the road.

Two fences between him and the rumored Soviet installation.

No problem, he’d thought. The fences were falling apart—he could easily climb them. But now here he was, stuck in between them. Like a rat in a cage.

With his stomach in his throat, Brody cradled the audio recorder.

Okay, so he’d recorded a sound that just might change the world, but as several headlights appeared in the road just beyond the now-electrified fence, as dark silhouettes of bulky Russian men poured out of the cars and hurried through the snow toward him, he found himself asking a much more personal question:

Was it also a sound worth dying for?

About the Author:

Mark Hosack is the author of THE GOOD SPY DIES TWICE (Book 1: The Bullseye Series), and IDENTITY (Simon & Schuster). He also wrote on the web series SEQUESTERED for Sony Crackle, the screenplay for GIVE 'EM HELL, MALONE (Thomas Jane, Ving Rhames), and he both wrote and directed the award winning independent film PALE BLUE MOON. Mark lives in Los Angeles with his wife and a brood of gremlins that insist on calling him Dad.

Website: http://www.markhosack.com
Newsletter: http://www.markhosack.com/newsletter
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/markhosack
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/mark.hosack

Audiobook: https://www.audible.com/pd/Mysteries-Thrillers/The-Good-Spy-Dies-Twice-Audiobook/B01MY99FAD.

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Buy the book at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, iBooks, or Kobo.

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Fighting Love by Melissa West - Guest Blog and Giveaway

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. The authors will be awarding digital copies of the books on tour to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

Single dad Zac Littleton has always tried to make lemonade from life’s lemons, and striking a bargain with Sophie Marsh is no different. A relative newcomer to town, she needs his help convincing the locals to try her Fresh Foods Organics produce—and Zac needs to satisfy his preteen daughter’s pleas to get out and have fun. Fake-dating Sophie will kill two birds with one stone, at least for a while—unless he gets addicted to the sweet pleasure of his beautiful competitor’s company…

Sophie can’t stand Zac. Or maybe she simply can’t stand Littleton Farms beating her in sales every week. It’s true that pretending interest in Zac and his sculpted biceps and devilish smile is a lot easier than she expected, and much more tempting, too. But despite their all-natural attraction, Sophie’s past has left her wary of any man—even one as charming as Zac. Besides, he’s got trust issues of his own. If anything real can blossom between them, it’s going to take a whole lot of patience, persistence…and passion.

Read an excerpt:

Grabbing the phone book that was still delivered to her door every three months, despite the fact that nobody needed a phone book anymore or even looked at one, she flipped through the names until she found the one she was looking for. She dialed the number before she could chicken out.

The phone rang three, then four times, and it was then that Sophie realized the time and that maybe they were both sleeping and she was going to ruin the little girl’s day tomorrow and maybe she had a test and now she would fail and it would all be Sophie’s—

“Hello?”

“Oh my God.”

“Well, actually, most people call me Zac. Or ‘Hey, dude.’ But sure, you can go with God.”

“I wasn’t calling you God.”

“But you were calling me.”

Sophie stomped her foot and cursed to herself, except she must not have kept it to herself, because the next thing she knew, Zac was laughing. Loudly. A full-body kind of laugh, the kind that rumbled from deep within a person.

“What?”

“You call me, and then you get mad because I called you out on calling me? What sense does that make? Ah, right. About as much sense as you thinking you were going to win that bet today.”

“I can’t stand you.”

“Man, not many people admit to hating God, but whatever works for you, honey.”

“I didn’t call you God.”

“Sure you didn’t.”

“Oh my God!”

“See.”

“I’m hanging up now.”

“All right, but you won’t have any resolution to whatever made you call if you hang up.”

Sophie’s temper boiled over, her fingers and toes and stomach all tensed for a fight. She’d never met a man who behaved as arrogantly as Zac, and suddenly she regretted every positive thought she’d ever had about him.

“I called to ask how you cheated.”

“Wait, wait, wait.” He chuckled softly, the sound so delicious she almost sighed—before yelling at herself to pull it together. Once again, she wished Zac had some horrible habit that would make her less attracted to him. Maybe he smoked. No, no way did he smoke. Not with super white teeth like his. She’d have to find something to secure this hate before it turned into something really dangerous.

Like a crush.

About the Author:

Melissa West writes heartfelt Southern romance and teen sci-fi romance, all with lots of kissing. Because who doesn't like kissing? She lives outside of Atlanta, GA, with her husband and two daughters and spends most of her time writing, reading, or fueling her coffee addiction.

Website: http://www.melissawestauthor.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MelissaWestAuthor
Twitter: https://twitter.com/MB_West

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Ghost Touch by LA Dragoni - Spotlight and Giveaway

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. A randomly drawn commenter will receive a $15 Amazon/BN GC. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

For fifteen minutes each night a portal opens in Tamara’s barn and a horde of ghosts spills into her yard. She and Dex work together to find a way to help Cal and the thousands of spirits stuck in the void to cross over. When she learns she has the ghost touch—the ability to touch the ghosts as if they were corporeal—and she accidentally helps a little boy cross, she believes it might be possible. But not all the spirits play nice and when they learn they can sip energy from her ghost touch, they become greedy putting her life at risk.

Each time Cal has to pull her from the mass of ghosts, her touch restores him more and more until he is at danger of being stuck on earth—forever, which is very enticing to Tamara the better she knows him. Will she and Dex figure out how to help the spirits cross and if they do, will she be able to let Cal go?

Read an excerpt:

“Dex!” she shouted again, leaping forward and running toward the door. A stabbing pain of cold sliced through her upper arm when she knocked against the ghost with the shovel in his hand. He stopped to stare at her with a surprised expression on his face. She pushed forward, ignoring the increasing pain as she jostled up against the ghosts.

A knot of ghosts hunkered together where she last saw Dexter. She pushed through them, her warm touch surprising enough to make them jump back. Dex lay crumpled in a quivering ball at the center of the group. Tamara kneeled beside him and clutched his shoulders.

“Dex! Are you okay?” He didn’t respond, just rocked to and fro, mumbling incoherent words. She shouted. “Dex! Can you hear me?”

His gaze finally lifted, a wary look colored with terror.

“Oh my God.” Tamara wrapped her arms around him. His body was ice cold. She pressed as much of herself against him as she could and buried her face in his hair. “I gotcha. You’ll be okay.”

Then she became aware of an ache worming through her muscles and realized hands pawed at her, clutched her, and were trying to pull her away. She raised a furious glare at the eager crowd of ghouls and snarled. “Stop! Leave us alone.”

However, hunger showed in the eyes of those who’d been dead a short enough time to still have them. Actions became more insistent and then combative. The group shoved and swayed until she worried she’d be crushed beneath them when they fell. She kept her arms wrapped around Dex, hoping to keep the spirits off him, but many simply reached through him to get to her. He shuddered violently and had grown quiet.

Each individual touch drained her of warmth and energy, yet they continued to grope at her arms and back, tug on her hair and clothing. She grew weaker and weaker until the edges of her vision dimmed and she could barely feel the boy she was trying to protect.

About the Author:

LA Dragoni isn’t too particular about who falls in love or where they fall in love. She simply considers it her job to capture the story about their love. Whether it’s paranormal, mythical, or time travel, LA will be there to divine their story for you. She lives in Central Oregon with her husband and children, but haunts ghost towns and cemeteries up and down the west, in search of the next adventure to sift through her storytelling brain.

Follow LA on https://www.facebook.com/ladragoni/ and https://twitter.com/LA_Dragoni. Subscribe to her mailing list http://eepurl.com/czuyuP and learn more about LA and her work at http://www.ladragoni.com.
,br> Available in ebook, and audiobook from Amazon, http://amzn.to/1G7ZpC4 and now available in print! https://www.amazon.com/dp/152052157X?ref_=pe_870760_150889320. Also available on Barnes and Noble, http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/ghost-touch-la-dragoni/1122871133, Kobo, https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/ghost-touch-2, iTunes, https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/id1053760714 and other e-tailers.

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The Art of Breathing by Janie DeVos - Spotlight and Giveaway

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. A randomly drawn commenter will receive a copy of the featured book. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

From author Janie DeVos comes a poignant and richly detailed novel set in 1950s North Carolina, where one young woman struggles to save her own life—and finds the strength to truly live it.

When Kathryn Cavanaugh steps over the threshold of the Pelham Sanatorium in 1954, she has no idea when, or if, she will ever leave it again. Despite the rise of promising new treatments, Tuberculosis is still feared and often fatal. But twenty-four-year-old Kate has proven her resilience before, leaving her Blue Ridge Mountain home for a very different life in the city with her ambitious attorney husband, Geoffrey. For the sake of her family, especially her young son, she’s determined to get healthy again.

The sanatorium is a strange battlefield, with every patient fighting for survival amidst a numbing routine of tests, treatment, and enforced rest. Kate quickly finds camaraderie among the women on her ward—and a growing kinship with fellow patient Philip McAllister. As weeks pass, the hospital’s confines come to offer more independence than Geoffrey’s preoccupation with status ever allowed. And with this surprising new discovery comes the courage to contemplate the choices she has made—and, perhaps, the chance to breathe freely at last…

Read an excerpt:

“Grandma, what’s a shi . . . shiva . . . ?” Donnie had turned around in his seat and was hanging over the back of it.

“A shivaree. It’s a kind of surprise party, you might say,” Mama answered.

“I’d sure say it is!” Daddy snorted.

Mama, choosing to ignore Daddy, began to describe it. “Honey, a shivaree happens after a wedding takes place to let the bride and groom know that everybody approves of the marriage. We’ll sneak up on them at Uncle Prescott’s house, after the ceremony, and we’ll bang pots and pans, and holler and sing, and make a big ol’ ruckus—just to let them know that we’re tickled Glory’s a part of the family now.”

“Sure hope we don’t catch ’em in a most compromising position.”

Daddy snickered. “I can just see it now: We’ll be sneaking up to their window, real quiet-like, and before we can make any racket, we’ll hear Prescott shouting to the rafters, Lord, God a’mighty! Glory hallelujah!”

Daddy and I roared with laughter, while Mama, trying her hardest to be stern, could barely contain herself either. “Oh, for heaven’s sake, Jack! You behave yourself, you hear me!” Then she couldn’t hold back any longer and joined us as we laughed so hard we cried.

Oh, it was good to be home!

“Mama . . .” I tried to move on to another subject, but each time I did, we started laughing again. Finally, I was able to ask the question.

“What’s going on with Ditty? I haven’t heard from him since Christmas, and every time I’ve called his place, there’s no answer. I’ve even left messages with Jean to have him call me, but she’ll say something like Well, I will if I see him, real mysterious-like. When I ask her if there’s something going on with him, she’ll say she doesn’t know nothin’ about no one. Says she’s just the mill’s secretary and that she minds her own business. So, what’s going on with him? Is he all right?”

“We don’t know,” Daddy quietly answered and all the humor suddenly evaporated. “We haven’t seen him in weeks. Last we heard he was over in Lost Cove.”

“Lost Cove! What in the world is he doing over there?”

Donnie was watching and listening hard to our conversation. Mama knew the subject was one that needed to be discussed without him, so she quickly shifted the conversation. “How ’bout we save this talk for the front porch, later on.” Then, “Donnie, after we eat some supper, we’ll go do somethin’ fun. Sound good?”

I suggested that we go down to the creek and try catching a few trout. “Or would you rather go over to the orchard’s shop and get some of those good soft peppermints that your grandma loves more than life itself?”

“Peppermints!” both Donnie and Mama shouted in unison. And though the atmosphere in the truck was light once again, I was fairly certain there was a storm brewing on the horizon and my brother was in the eye of it.

About the Author:

Janie DeVos is a native of Coral Gables, Florida. She attended Florida State University, then worked in the advertising industry for over a decade, including radio, cable television, public relations and advertising firms. Though her career changed over the years, one thing didn’t—her love of writing. She is an award winning children's author. Beneath a Thousand Apple Trees is her adult debut.

Website: http://www.janiedevos.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/janie.devos?ref=ts
Twitter: https://twitter.com/JanieDeVos

Buy the book at Amazon, iBooks, Google, Kobo, or Barnes and Noble.

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Retribution Ridge by Anna Willett - Guest Blog and Giveaway

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Anna Willett will be awarding a $10 Amazon/BN GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

Five Things You Might Not Guess About Anna Willett

I suppose we all have hidden depths, weird obsessions and guilty secrets. As I sift through mine, I’ve tried to stick to the ones that make me sound the least crazy. Here goes:

I never learned to ride a bicycle. It’s something I don’t share with many people because whenever I do, people seem shocked and saddened. It’s as if I’ve admitted to being illiterate or something. I get where they’re coming from, I think I react the same way when someone tells me they can’t swim.

When I was in my twenties, I applied and was accepted as a contestant on The Wheel of Fortune. I don’t know why I did it, it seemed like a good idea at the time. Thinking back on it now makes me laugh. When I tell people, they always ask if I won. Sadly the only thing I came away with was a beach umbrella.

I met my husband when we were both in year 8 (first year of high school). We’ve been married for 25 years and have two children. I suppose it’s unusual these days to have found the right person so early in life and stuck with them for so long. All I know is, I feel fortunate.

My secret guilty pleasure is watching zombie movies. I can’t get enough of them. My favorites are Zombieland and Dawn of the Dead. I’m also addicted to the TV show The Walking Dead. I’m a huge movie buff, I’ll watch any genre but sometimes I just need a bit of zombie action. If I had to put something on my bucket list, it would be playing a zombie in a movie or television show.

If I wasn’t a writer, I’d probably be a cartoonist. I enjoy drawing cartoons, mostly of family members. My husband and grown-up children are always encouraging me to draw them or people they know.

For Milly Birdsworth and Her sister Judith, a two day trip in an isolated area of the National Park seems like an ideal way to mend their tattered relationship. With Milly’s best friend Harper along for moral support and experienced hiker Lucas as their guide, it seems nothing can go wrong.

But when everyone has something to hide, it’s difficult to know who to trust. What starts out as an adventure to bring two sisters together quickly becomes a terrifying ordeal where old wounds are exposed and a deadly tragedy is brought to light. One thing is clear, someone is seeking retribution and won’t stop until the guilty are punished.

Enjoy an Excerpt:

Milly reached for her hand under the sleeping bag. It felt icy. “Anything could be happening. We don’t know it was Harper screaming.” There was so much she wanted to say. So many things she needed to tell her, but now wasn’t the time.

“What’s that?” Judith jumped and squeezed her hand tight enough to cut off the circulation. “In the trees, I… I thought I heard something.”

Milly followed her sister’s gaze. Three metres beyond the fire lay only blackness. It was impossible to see anything, human or animal. Suddenly Milly wondered if the fire was a good idea. If there was someone out there, the light would make the two women clearly visible to anyone watching. They’d be easy targets. Targets for what? Her mind raced in a dozen half-formed directions, all of them ominous. She shuddered and leaned against her sister.

“I don’t hear anything,” Milly whispered. “Maybe it’s an animal. A kangaroo or something.”

About the Author:

Anna Willett is the author of Backwoods Ripper and Retribution Ridge. Raised in Western Australia Anna developed a love for fiction at an early age and began writing short stories in high school. Drawn to dark tales, Anna enjoys writing thrillers with strong female characters. When she’s not writing, Anna enjoys reading, travelling and spending time with her husband and two children.

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/15315859.Anna_Willett
Website: http://www.annawillett.info
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Anna-Willett-1732961043643247
Pinterst: https://au.pinterest.com/AnnaWauthor

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The Second Time Around by Ella Quinn - Spotlight and Giveaway

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Ella will be awarding a $10 Amazon or B/N GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

Can a beautiful Worthington widow find love again? Depends on who’s asking . . .

Before he died, Patience was the Earl of Worthington’s second wife. So why shouldn’t Patience be allowed a second chance at marriage, too? Of course, finding a new husband was not something the mother of four had ever planned on. But a surprise encounter with her first love has suddenly made the impossible seem possible all over again . . .

It seems like a lifetime ago that Richard, Viscount Wolverton, was halfway around the world, looking for adventure . . . while Patience, at her coming-out, was left with no choice but to take old Worthington’s hand. Richard never forgot the woman whose heart he yearned for—and now that he’s back, he’s not going to let her slip away again . . .

Read an Excerpt:

Patience gasped. Not loudly, she was much too self-contained to draw attention to herself. But Richard could feel her pulse jump, and he was pleased that he still had the ability to shake her calm, to make her react to him. He wondered if her old husband had been able to command her attention in the same way. The corners of his lips twitched. Probably not. Whether she knew it or not, she was his and always had been.

If only he hadn’t been such an idiot. Who forgets the year of his beloved’s come out? A young man who had traveled halfway across the world looking for adventure, that was who. By the time he had returned home, it was just days before her marriage to Lord Worthington. He had argued with her father to be able to see her, but it was as if her parents had locked her in the house. When they’d traveled to Town for the wedding, he had followed. However, his pains had been to no avail. Neither her mother nor father was going to let him ruin their plans for Pae. After all, an earl outranked the heir to a viscount. There was also the scandal that would ensue if she broke the betrothal just days before the nuptials. He would not have cared, but he was the only one. Even his parents would have been appalled if Pae jilted Worthington for Richard.

Too late. That is what everyone had told him. But he wasn’t too late now.

About the Author:

Bestselling author Ella Quinn’s studies and other jobs have always been on the serious side. Reading historical romances, especially Regencies, were her escape. Eventually her love of historical novels led her to start writing them. She has just finished her first series, The Marriage Game, and her new series, The Worthingtons, began in April 2016.

She is married to her wonderful husband of over thirty years. They have a son and two beautiful granddaughters, and a dog. After living in the South Pacific, Central America, North Africa, England and Europe, she and her husband decided to make their dreams come true and are now living on a sailboat cruising the Caribbean and North America. Europe is next!

Website: http://www.ellaquinnauthor.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/EllaQuinnAuthor
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/ellaquinnauthor
Blog: http://ellaquinnauthor.wordpress.com
Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/Ella-Quinn/e/B00CAE0FSQ/ref=sr_tc_2_0

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Love Runs Deep by Gail Chianese - Spotlight and Giveaway

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. The authors will be awarding digital copies of all books on tour to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

Active duty is no time for romance, but when two naval officers find themselves in truly close quarters on the USS California, the temptation to fraternize is hard to resist. Can two ambitious sailors follow orders long enough to see if love is on the horizon when they’re finally above water?

Lieutenant Nic Riley is the only girl in a long-time Navy family, and she’s determined to prove she’s just as seaworthy as her brothers. When she aces training for submarine duty, it calls for a celebration—and one incredibly hot guy is happy to party with her all night long. But when Nic boards the sub and finds herself face to face with her hunky fling, the idea of spending six months underwater takes on a whole new meaning . . .

Having a girl in every port was Lieutenant Kyle Hutchinson’s style—until the explosive night he spent with Nic. Dating onboard is firmly off limits, but Kyle can’t get her off his mind much less out of his vicinity—until a junior seaman’s devastating stunt puts Nic’s career in danger. Kyle won’t let her take the heat alone, even when it means risking his own reputation, but fighting for a future together will be a whole new battle . . .

Read an Excerpt:

“We have one last order of business before you can get back to work. As you all know, Lieutenant West was in a serious accident last week. He’s been upgraded to stable and the docs believe he’ll be released in the next couple of days to rehab. The spouses group has pulled together and has been and will continue to be a big help to Cecilia West and the kids while he makes his recovery. With that said, we’re short a supply officer. Or were until this morning.”

The CO paused and set down his mug, but didn’t release it.

Kyle tilted his head toward Mace. “What’s up with the Captain? He doesn’t’ usually stand during these things,” he whispered.

“No clue. He’s been in rare form all day.”

The CO looked up and met Kyle’s gaze. With hands relaxed on his hips, Commander Holloway glanced at all of the men before continuing.

“There weren’t a lot of options on such short notice, but PERS did present me with an interesting option. One that will put the California in the history books. We’re stealing one of the Trident’s female officers.”

The room broke out into cheers. There was nothing a fast-attack crew liked more than to stick it to a Trident sub. The CO broke out into a smile and let his guys get their good-natured comments out before continuing.

He used his hands to quiet the room back down. “Okay, settle down. Obviously, with such short notice, we’ve got some shifting to do to accommodate everyone Gatlin, you’re in with Hutchinson and Havers.”

Bryant groaned. “They snore.”

“That’s what earplugs are for,” one of the junior officers teased.

“Master Chief Ronquillo will work out a schedule for the aft head for showers. I want it stressed to each and every man under you that when the “Women Only” sign is up, they respect it. I will not have this boat be the center of scandal because some young pup got a wild hair. Am I understood?

“Yes, sir,” came from all in the room.

“Some of you may recognize the name, Lieutenant Lily Riley. For those of you who don’t, she’s the daughter of Vice Admiral Riley. The last thing I need is SUBLANT breathing down my neck.”

Instead of more applause or cheering, the CO’s announcement was met with pure silence. They had stolen the Golden Goose, at least according to Kyle’s buddy Tom, the weapons officer on the USS Alaska. As far as Kyle was concerned the Tridents could have her. Having the only daughter on the man who ran the entire Atlantic submarine force on board was asking for a headache. Sure, if the mission went well and baby girl reported back to Daddy good things, then no problem. They might even get an extra medal out of it. If things didn’t go so well?

The Commanding Officer could kiss his career goodbye, and so could every other officer and the Chief of the Boat.

The rest of the wardroom broke into various small conversations while the CO and COB consulted on the schedule.

Bryant leaned over to look at him and Mace. “Either of you met the Rileys?”

Kyle shook his head and looked at Mace.

“Served with Liam, the oldest of the three kids. Decent guy. Big guy. Should have played linebacker. I think he’s out best, Bangor or San Diego. Never met the others, but Liam mentioned her a few times.”

Which told Kyle squat about the woman herself, only that she was protected by her family.

“Lieutenant Hutchinson, I’m assigning you as Riley’s sponsor. Make sure she gets settled in. Between you and the COB, I expect her to feel like one of the crew. Get her through her quals. You know the drill.”

“Yes, sir.” AS her sponsor she’d practically be in his pocket until she got settled in. He really hoped she was a fast learner.

The XO, Christopher Ward, who was the exact opposite of the CO, stepped through the door and every eye turned in his direction. Kyle’s heart slammed against his rib cage twice and then failed to start again as he looked at the woman peeking around than man. A petite woman, with dark, almond-shaped eyes, a scattering of freckles and silky hair that he’d been dreaming of for days.

“Sir, gentlemen. Our new supply officer, Lieutenant Lily Riley.”

Her eyes locked on to Kyle’s. Images of her screaming his name pierced his brain.

It’s going to be a long six months, he thought.

About the Author:

Gail Chianese's love of reading began at the tender age of three, when she'd make her grandpa read Fourteen Country Rabbits over and over and over again (and correct him when he skipped parts). While she's branched out over the years by reading mystery, women’s fiction, and urban fantasy, she always circles back to romance in the end. That's probably because she's married to her real life hero. Her wonderful hubby has served in the US Navy for the past twenty two years and he’s done things he can’t tell her about. But it doesn’t stop her from being extremely proud of him and the sacrifices he makes for her, his family, and his country. He’s also uber-supportive of her dreams and of their three children. Living in Mystic, CT and a member of Connecticut Romance Writers of America, Gail loves to hear from readers.

Website: http://www.gailchianese.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GailChianese
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Gail_Chianese

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Becoming Dragon by Eve Langlais - Spotlight and Giveaway

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. One randomly chosen winner via rafflecopter will win a $50 Amazon/BN.com gift card. Three randomly chosen winners via rafflecopter will win a print a copy of Becoming Dragon (international giveaway).

Can he embrace the beast within?

I’m a monster. That’s what Brandon thinks when he flees the medical institute that changed him. Living a normal life isn’t in the cards for him because, while he can hide his scaly skin, his wings are hard to miss. So he runs and lives in the shadows where monsters belong. What he didn’t expect to find were others just like him, and they call themselves dragons. Or so Aimi with the violet eyes tells him when she pins him to the ground.

Seriously, though, dragons?

He doesn’t want to believe, but the evidence is mounting. Not helping his resolve is the fact that the woman with the silver hair doesn’t fear the monster and wants to claim him.

However, before he can think of his own happiness, he has to rescue his little sister. Uncle Theo kidnapped her, and Brandon will do anything to get her back, even if he must embrace the monster within to become the dragon.

Read an Excerpt:

“Are you looking for compliments?” Her lips curved. “I claimed you because you intrigue me. It is hard enough to find an unmated male, but to find one who is handsome and strong and not a mama’s boy…” She reached out a hand to trace his lower lip. “That was not a prize I could ignore.”

“I won’t be owned.” His uncle and Andrew and Bittech had thought to own him once upon a time. He wouldn’t let that happen again.

“But I take ever such good care of my things. Wait until you see my hoard.”

About the Author:

A New York Times & USA Today Bestselling Author

Hello, my name is Eve. I’m a stay at home mom who writes full time in between juggling my three kids, hubby, and housework, I write hot romance with a bit of a twist. I like strong alpha males, naked chests and shifters. Lots of different breeds of shifters. I am also extremely partial to aliens, you know the kind who abduct their woman and then drive them insane…with pleasure of course.I love to write, and while I don’t always know what my mind is going to come up with next, I can promise it will be fun, probably humorous and most of all romantic, because I love a happily ever after.

Buy links: http://evelanglais.com/wordpress/books/dragon1
Eve Langlais author page : https://www.facebook.com/eve.langlais.98
Web page to find out all there is about Eve: http://evelanglais.com
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/evelanglais

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Glimmer by Rayna Noire - Guest Blog and Giveaway

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Rayna Noire will be awarding a Kindle Fire (US only) or $50 Amazon GC (international) to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

Five Things You Don’t Know About Rayna Noire

1. I am an Indiana born farmer’s daughter, which might explain my obsession with gardening.

2. I was one of the first women trained in combat. An incident involving a grenade may have delayed women the right to participate in combat for the last two decades.

3. My husband and I write cozy mysteries under the name M K Scott.

4. My husband’s ancestor was one Susannah Martin, who was hanged as a witch during the witch trials. We recently visited her memorial in Salem, MA. When we took a photo of it, a large ball of light showed up on the screen, which was odd considering it was night.

5. I made a butterfly and bee garden this year, which was amazingly successful. Even hummingbirds and goldfinches showed up to take advantage of the garden.

Bonus Fact

6. Every year, my husband and I attend the state fair. Last year, I got to hold a baby pig. Every Christmas, we go to the movies.

For seventeen years, the convent walls kept Meara Cleary from the secret of her own parentage. A bearded stranger claims she’s his niece and promises to take her home. Before he can, a cataclysmic event thrusts her into a war-torn world.

Meara vows to journey to Ireland to find her uncle, unaware of how perilous a journey it will be. Her Druidic father guides her through dreams, explaining her magical heritage. Her dead parent can’t help her with the intricacies of village life, especially when she catches the eye of the very engaged Braeden.

A whirlwind composed of equal parts menace, romance, and revelation sweep Meara across the continent while gathering allies and enemies with equal speed. Her intent to return to her family turns into a fight to survive her own destiny.

Read an Excerpt:

Meara glanced back the way she had come realizing nothing looked familiar. How far had she’d wandered from the path. The rustle of movement and the snapping of nearby sticks sped up her heartbeat. A week ago, she’d panicked, sure, someone had followed her only to have a deer wander into the clearing, but this time two large shadows grew out of a nearby underbrush. People. She hadn’t expected this. Could they see her? One gestured in her direction and said something in a guttural language she couldn’t comprehend. The other answered in the same tongue. By the time, it took her to realize the men were after her, one had slipped behind her and grabbed her arm, pinning it painfully behind her back.

He spoke, as his companion reached out for her hair. "Kriegsbeute“

Meara twisted, knowing at an instinctual level she needed to get away from these strangers. The man holding her captive laughed, then muttered something before releasing her arm. She stumbled away recognizing an opportunity. A quick glance back showed the two of them being attacked by the bobbing lights. An occasional yelp assured her the attack was painful. They must be some type of glowing bees.

One hovered in front of her. Follow me. The musical voice sounded in her head. Besides the strangers behind her, there was no one else here. Certainly, no one with a voice as clear and bell-like that it reminded her of a raindrop or dew glistening on a flower. Somehow, this bobbing light placed the voice inside her own head. Her impulsive foray into the woods had landed her into a situation she didn‘t know how to handle. The shimmering light blinked, indicating a need to hurry.

About the Author:

Rayna Noire is an author and a historian. The desire to uncover the truth behind the original fear of witches led her to the surprising discovery that people believed in magick in some form up to 150 years ago. A world that believed the impossible could happen and often did must have been amazing. With this in mind, Ms. Noire taps into this dimension, shapes it into stories about Pagan families who really aren’t that different from most people. They do go on the occasional adventures and magick happens.

www.facebook.com/AuthorRaynaNoire
www.twitter.com/raynanoire
www.raynanoire.weebly.com

Buy the book at Barnes and Noble or Amazon. The book is on sale for only $0.99.

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Age of Order by Julian North - Spotlight and Giveaway

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Julian North will be awarding a $50 Amazon/BN GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

What if the people who thought they were better than you… really were?

In this world, inequality is a science. Giant machines maintain order. And all people are not created equal.

Daniela Machado is offered a chance to escape the deprivation of Bronx City through a coveted slot at the elite Tuck School. There, among the highborn of Manhattan, she discovers an unimaginable world of splendor and greed. But her opportunity is part of a darker plan, and Daniela soon learns that those at society’s apex will stop at nothing to keep power for themselves. She may have a chance to change the world, if it doesn’t change her first.

Age of Order is a novel that explores the meaning of merit and inequality. Fans of the Hunger Games, Red Rising, and Divergent will enjoy this world of deception and intrigue, where the downtrodden must fight for a better future.

Read an Excerpt:

The scene around the Tuck School reminded me of an anthill consisting entirely of the best-fed ants in the world. Students ranging from five to eighteen years old streamed towards the opposing entrances of the illustrious school—my school—in a navy and white parade of controlled chaos. The kids compensated for the monotony of their clothing with a dazzling array of hair colors: gold, platinum, silver, copper, chrome, and several I couldn’t guess. You could’ve mined their skulls for precious metals, but not much else. Younger students clustered on the south side of the street, upper-school students stayed on the north side, while hulking vehicles, their exteriors colored in hostile shades of black, human drivers at the wheel, traversed the street to deposit their pampered cargo at Tuck’s doorstep. Familiars ruled the skies like air cover for an invasion.

I turned onto the street atop humble feet, the only school-aged person not attired in a standard uniform, although I had chosen dark colors. Not that I expected to blend in. In addition to not being in uniform, I lacked the obligatory mechanized crown floating above my head. There was also the matter of my skin color. And I walked alone.

About the Author: I’ve been writing since I could grab a pencil (remember those?). Then I had kids. Not much time for writing anymore. Until they started school… in New York City. I’m not from here, and the tumult of that experience inspired me. AGE OF ORDER grew from a diary of injustice. Now I write what I’m feeling, and let the rest flow from there. I hope you enjoy it.

Please visit my website at www.juliannorth.com and join my book club to receive a free short story set in the same world as AGE OF ORDER.

http:// www.juliannorth.com
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/539032.Julian_North

The book is on sale for only $0.99 at Amazon.

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Wenna by Virginia Tayler/Schooling the Viscount by Maggie Robinson

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. The authors will be awarding digital copies of both books on tour to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

The lady’s maid meets her match…

Wenna Chenoweth’s future is secure, until dashing Devon Courtney’s illicit flirtation gets her dismissed from her job as a lady’s maid. With nowhere to turn, Wenna is forced to accept Devon’s bold proposal: To be his bride. To enter society on the handsome aristocrat’s arm. To give him the heir he requires. It’s a foolproof plan. Except Wenna finds herself falling hard for a man who can never love her for who she is….

Wenna is passionate, mysterious, and ill-suited to the idle life of a society wife. She’s also exactly the kind of woman who could endanger Devon’s hopes to build his own future far from his family’s influence. For the spirited beauty has embarked on an unthinkable plan of her own—one that could lead him to surrender his resolve, and sacrifice everything he believes he holds dear….

Yet amid the wondrous landscape of colonial South Australia, anything is possible. Perhaps even love between two people the boundaries of society would keep apart….

*********************

Welcome to Puddling on the Wold, where the sons and daughters of Victorian nobility come for a little rest, recuperation, and “rehab,” in this brand-new series of rebellious romance from Maggie Robinson.

After a harrowing tour of duty abroad, Captain Lord Henry Challoner fought to keep his memories at bay with two of his preferred vices: liquor and ladies. But the gin did more harm than good—as did Henry’s romantic entanglements, since he was supposed to be finding a suitable bride. Next stop: The tiny village of Gloucestershire, where Henry can finally sober up without distraction or temptation. Or so he thinks…

A simple country schoolteacher, Rachel Everett was never meant to cross paths with a gentleman such as Henry. What could such a worldly man ever see in her? As it turns out, everything. Beautiful, fiercely intelligent Rachel is Henry’s dream woman—and wife. Such a match would be scandalous for his family of course, and Rachel has no business meddling with a resident at the famed, rather draconian, Puddling Rehabilitation Foundation. All the better, for two lost souls with nothing to lose—and oh so very much to gain.

Enjoy an Excerpt from Schooling the Viscount:

“Quite right. I haven’t the best reputation. A sensible girl like you is wise to be wary. See, that’s why I want to marry you. You’re sensible.”

Rachel curbed the urge to throw her inkpot at him. She didn’t want to be sensible at the moment! But really, of course Henry didn’t love her. She didn’t love him either. She hardly knew him, and she wasn’t even supposed to know as much as she did. She’d be getting a visit from members of the Puddling Rehabilitation Foundation any second to accuse her of sabotage.

Someone would have noticed him walking down the hill to the school on such a filthy day, and would blame her for being some sort of Circe. Unless he was planning on plunging into the stream and getting even wetter, the school as the final destination.

She stood up. “While I am grateful for both your offer of escort and of marriage, I must decline both. Good day, Lord Challoner.”

He rose too, with a blinding smile. “At least take my umbrella.”

“Did you hear me?” Rachel cried.

“Yes. I have my good ear turned toward you. And I’m getting better at reading lips. Of course, when I look at yours, I forget what you’re saying and just want to kiss you.”

Well, that was almost romantic. Rachel tried not to feel a pleased flutter.

“I insist you take the umbrella.” Henry propped it against her desk. “I assume you don’t wish to be seen with me.”

“You assume correctly.”

“Very well. Shall I leave first?”

“Don’t you have a hat?”

“No, I hate them.”

Blast. He would be soaked by the time he climbed back up the hill.

He was probably used to marching in the rain. Beneath the scorching sun. Under conditions in countries she couldn’t even fathom or find on a map. It wasn’t as if it was an Indian monsoon out there—just a heavy warm English rain. Rachel had not been looking forward to it herself, but hadn’t been afraid to brave the elements. Why should she worry about a strong, healthy man?

Yet she did. She’d worried last night when she’d left him unconscious in the cool night air. Henry needed someone to take care of him. Care for him.

No, Rachel. No. But she picked up the umbrella and took hold of his arm, ignoring the warning voice in her head. Sometimes being sensible was overrated.

About the Authors:

After training at the South Australian School of Art, Virginia Taylor worked in an advertising agency. This segued into re-training as a nurse/midwife before meeting the man of her dreams, marrying and producing two children. Over the years Virginia has been a theatre set painter and designer, but now she fills her days as a full-time writer.

Website: http://www.virginia-taylor.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorVirginiaTaylor
Twitter: https://twitter.com/authorvtaylor



Buy Wenna at Amazon, iBooks, Google Play, Kobo, or Barnes and Noble.

*********************

Maggie Robinson didn’t know she wanted to write until she woke up in the middle of the night once really annoyed with her husband. Instead of smothering him with a pillow, she decided to get up and write—to create the perfect man—at least on a computer screen. Only to discover that fictional males can be just as resistant to direction as her husband. The upside is that she’s finally using her English degree and is still married to her original, imperfect hero. Since she’s imperfect, too, that makes them a perfect match. Until her midnight keyboarding, she had been a teacher, librarian, newspaper reporter, administrative assistant to two non-profits, community volunteer, and mother of four in seven different states. Now Maggie can call herself a romance writer in Maine. There’s nothing she likes better than writing about people who make mistakes, but don’t let the mistakes make them.

Website: http://www.maggierobinson.net
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/maggie.robinson.165
Twitter: https://twitter.com/maggielrobinson


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51 Love by Jeremy T. Ringfield - Spotlight and Giveaway

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. One randomly chosen winner via rafflecopter will win a $50 Amazon/BN.com gift card. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

This story is about Abram, a hopeless romantic who enrolls into college and begins leaving love notes for the girl, Jec, who works at the front desk of his student apartments. About why they know each other when neither have even met. That's right, she had seen his face only two weeks earlier, when he tossed his book bag in the middle of the street, holding up traffic like a mad homeless man. But what she doesn't know is that just before he came to grab his keys to move in, the handsome albeit strange eyes and the person they belong to had just been released from the county jail.

The jail cell talk without any cameras around to record make his last 51 minutes in the pen with a sketchy bunkmate a do or die conversation that may explain why he became homeless, why he wrote the love letters in the first place, and if both were random at all.

Read an Excerpt:

It is the guy from the fire pit of whom Bobby was just joking about that is now approaching the front desk where I sit, and my heart rate begins to decrease as I feel the baritone boomp-boomp in my chest getting slower. But I cannot not look away, for he looks as if he got ran over by a train this morning from this closer view and I am not sure what is about to happen next.

I think, have we not already asked what of vanity is so serious? Or is our ultra-modern scientific understanding unresponsive to the inward call of good will? Does it need a new face?

But there is something underneath the wreckage that is dark, and handsome. I’ve got a secret thing for bad boys, and this one looks like just the right amount of danger.

I inhale a deep slow breath of air just before he begins to speak.

“May I ask for the keys of the apartment I am renting please? Here is my check. My name is Abram Wedger and I am two weeks late from my move-in date.”

I let out a long slow breath.

He is gazing directly into my eyes and for a brief moment I felt I knew.

“Of course” I tell him, and then proceed to retrieve the keys to his apartment in the file cabinet. As I turn in my chair, I clumsily knock the pen holder onto the floor, scattering a few pens and pencils. I blush, then kneel to the floor, placing a knee on the ground as I pick up the utensils that are nearer to my front foot. I hastily return the pen holder to the counter trying to save face before walking to the back office and realizing one of my earrings fell out of my ear.

What is wrong with me?

When I return, he is still standing in the exact same spot, facing in the exact same direction, as if stoic in time, space, and emotion. I swiftly pick my earring up off the floor, and place it into my ear lobe.

About the Author:

Jeremy lives in Colorado Springs, Colorado. He grew up in the south Atlanta area, where he eventually earned a football scholarship to Duke University. After experiencing enough life to form his own opinions, he enjoys sharing some with friends, reading, watching fantasy thriller and romance films, listening to music, and jogging when he is not writing. He writes new adult fiction.

Jeremy would love to hear from you.

http://www.jeremytringfield.com
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https://twitter.com/JTRingfield



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