The Tour Stop
Check out these featured authors making their way around the blog scene!
|
For the Win
Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes & Noble / iBooks -- EXCERPT:
The strains of some kind of classical music reached Will before he entered the room. He didn’t immediately see Katie and Jasmine. When he reached the chair he’d pulled down for himself, he saw them standing at the barre, facing the mirror. He was pretty sure his eyes nearly plopped out of his head. Jasmine was performing a standing split. Her long legs, now covered in tights rather than the baggy pants, made one straight vertical line. Her right hand grasped the barre while her left hand grasped her calf in the air, leaving her torso curved in an elegant arch. “So that’s the second position stretch,” Jasmine said, lowering her leg. “But as I said, that will come later. Our barre work will be much more basic to start.” She spotted him as he dropped down into his chair. He did his best to close his gaping mouth. “All done?” she asked. “Yep.” Thank God she didn’t ask him anything else. He wasn’t sure he’d be able to find his voice again. Jesus. She was magnificent. There was no doubt Jasmine was a beautiful woman. She had dark, lustrous hair, a flawless porcelain complexion, high cheekbones, and almond-shaped brown eyes that hinted at Asian heritage somewhere in the mix. She was lithe and slender, her every movement a study in grace and precision. And she had fucking killer legs. Sure, she was beautiful. But now…good lord. Those tights and that leotard showed him just what her baggy clothes had been hiding. Combined with the refinement of her movements, it had his body responding in a completely unexpected way. Which was crazy, he told himself, since her poise and control were the two traits he had initially disliked about her the most. Life could sure be ironic. He shook off his reaction and returned his focus to the lesson, doing his best to look only at Katie. He pulled out his phone and used his camera, both to take pictures and capture some video. His dad was going to want to see them later. The lesson went over the hour by nearly twenty minutes. Will hadn’t even registered how much time had passed. Having the opportunity to watch his daughter learn something that made her happy had the time passing in a blink. “I know going through the moves and positions is repetitive,” Jasmine said as she and Katie sat to change their shoes. “But these are building blocks to learning routines.” Katie nodded sagely. It had Will’s lips twitching in amusement, especially when he observed how she was mimicking Jasmine’s posture and mannerisms. “It seems you enjoyed yourself, huh, kiddo?” he said, walking over to her and giving her bun a gentle tug. She smiled and nodded. “Would you like to do this again?” Jasmine asked her. Another nod, this one more vigorous. Jasmine also smiled. The genuineness of it made her attractive on a whole other level. It revealed to him that she wasn’t just polished, poised, and aloof. There was passion inside her just waiting to be ignited. Five minutes later, he locked Giuseppe’s doors and walked with Jasmine to the back of the Jeep so he could load the barre for her. She reached past him to toss her gym bag into the back and he caught her scent, something lightly floral and utterly feminine that once again made his libido take notice. And when she reached up, untwisted her hair tie, and released her glorious dark hair so it spilled down between her shoulder blades, there was even a moment where he forgot how to breathe. “Call or text me when you’re ready to schedule another lesson,” she said as she closed the Jeep’s rear hatch. “Sure,” he managed. Then, remembering he hadn’t paid her, he reached into his back pocket and pulled out his wallet. He handed her the hundred dollars plus an extra twenty for the additional time she’d given them. “Thanks again for doing this.” “It was my pleasure.” He and Katie waved her off and then climbed into his truck to head home. As he started the engine and backed out of the parking spot, he took a moment to reflect on how the lesson had gone. He had started it with serious reservations about working with Jasmine because he hadn’t thought she would be invested in Katie, and he quite frankly hadn’t liked her very much. Now here he was ninety minutes later, having serious reservations about working with her for the exact opposite reasons. He wasn’t at all sure what to do about that. When he’d come up with this idea, he’d had some expectation that he’d have to help protect Katie’s heart from being broken if this didn’t work out. What the hell was he going to do to protect his own?
GIVEAWAY!
1 Comment
The Good Samaritan
-- EXCERPT: “That’s one of the victims?” Closing the file, he set it aside. “She was his first one. That we know of. I want to warn you that these interviews are going to get personal. But with any luck, we’ll find a thread that will help us catch this guy.” A shadow of concern crossed her face, but it was gone so fast he almost missed it. Emma had secrets she wasn’t going to part with easily. “Can you tell me about you past boyfriends? Men you’ve dated? I need first and last names. Phone numbers if you still have them.” He flipped the tablet to a clean page, set the pen on it, and pushed it across the table. Something painful flashed in her verdant eyes, her expression locking down. “There isn’t anyone.” She slid the tablet back to him. She’d told him she wasn’t dating right now, but never? Not possible. But why hide it? No way she had no one to put on that list. “Everyone has someone in their past, Emma. You haven’t been living in a convent for the past twenty-six years. This is important—” She exhaled a sigh, grabbed the tablet back, and scribbled a name on it before pushing it toward him. “This isn’t going to help you.” “How do you know that?” “Because he’s dead.” Good thing Sawyer was experienced in masking his emotions because Emma just surprised the hell out of him. It explained a lot. Why she didn’t date, why she buried herself in her work. She was obviously still in love with the guy. He’d known there was more to it than simply being busy with her residency. And now her virgin status took on a whole new meaning. These were all questions he was dying to know the answer to, but in this context, he had no business asking. He felt like a prick for being jealous of a ghost and stuffed the emotion before it could take root. “All right, so no boyfriends. What about the hopefuls? Guys that have been interested in you?” She shrugged. Well, that was clear as mud. “What about Blake Weston?” he prodded. Her gaze snapped up and locked on his. “Blake’s my boss.” “I’m not sure how that excludes him from the list.” “He knows how I feel about mixing my personal life with my professional one. I’ve been very clear with him. I don’t date the people I work with.” Her tone was clipped, as if he’d offended her by even suggesting she’d mix business with pleasure. It still didn’t mean shit, though. Blake Weston had a thing for Emma. Anyone with eyes in their goddamn head could see that. He wrote Blake’s name down then met her eyes with a waiting stare. “Anyone else?” She returned it, non-pulsed, and didn’t miss a beat when she replied, “Not unless you want to put yourself on that list.” 
GIVEAWAY!
The Horrors Hiding in Plain Sight
by Rebecca Rowland
Genre: Psychological Horror, Transgressive Dark Fiction, Short Stories
Three adolescent bullies discover that the vicious crime for which they were never charged will haunt them in unimaginably horrific ways; a dominatrix and a bondage fetishist befriend one another as one’s preoccupation grows to consume his life. A man persuades his wife to start a family, but her reluctant pregnancy comes with a dreadful side effect. A substitute teacher’s curiosity about a veteran teacher’s methodology provides her with a lesson she won’t soon forget. An affluent, xenophobic lawyer callously kills two immigrants with her car with seeming impunity; a childless couple plays a sadistic game with a neglected juvenile each Halloween. An abusive father, a dating site predator, a neglected concierge, and an obsessed co-worker: they are all among the residents of Rebecca Rowland’s universe, and they dwell in the everyday realm of crime and punishment tempered with fixation and madness. There are no vampires, zombies, or magical beings here; no, what lurk in this world are even more terrifying. Once you meet them, you will think twice before turning your back on that seemingly innocuous neighbor or coming to the aid of the helpless damsel in the dark parking lot. These monsters don’t lurk under your bed or in the shadows: they are the people you see every day at work, in the supermarket, and in broad daylight. They are the horrors that hide in plain sight, and they will unsettle you more than any supernatural being ever could.
Trigger Warning:
Contains graphic violence (though not continually) including accidental death, murder, and suicide; sexual content, and occasional graphic language. Sexual assault is implied but not described in a graphic nature. No animals are harmed.
Rebecca Rowland is the transgressive dark fiction author of the short story collection The Horrors Hiding in Plain Sight, co-author of the novel Pieces, and curator of the horror anthologies Ghosts, Goblins, Murder, and Madness; Shadowy Natures, and the upcoming The Half That You See and Unburied. Her writing has appeared in venues such as Coffin Bell, Waxing & Waning, and the
WiHM online collections The Ones You Don’t Bring Home to Mama and Final Girls with 20/20 Vision and has been anthologized in collections by Red Room Press, Transmundane Press, Forty-Two Books, Emerald Bay Books, Twisted Wing Productions, Thurston Howl Publications, J. Ellington Ashton Press, and Dark Ink. To surreptitiously stalk her, visit RowlandBooks.com.
I Am Moore
All That & Moore Book 1
by Celeste Granger
Genre: African American Contemporary Romance
Emery Moore moved away from home after finishing her juris doctorate. She was a successful corporate attorney and had been living in Washington D. C. for the past five years. It wasn’t often that she returned home to Atlanta, but the love of her family drew her back. Emery had success in so many facets of her life, but she hadn’t been as lucky in love. The word love was unsettling for Emery; it was loaded with notions of submissiveness and sacrifice, the loss of self and being dependent on another person. Notions Emery wasn’t sure she wanted. Yet, there was someone Emery couldn’t shake her soul loose of and she tussled with her heart and the sensible tug in her mind daily.
Evan Stanton Esq. had been an integral part of Emery Moore’s life for the past six months. He like she, was an attorney. During the day, the attorneys at law litigated from different sides of the aisle; fighting with everything they had for their clients. But for the past few months, business was left at the door, and the fighting ended as Evan and Emery delved into uncharted territory. Evan loved how Emery felt in his arms. The curve of her hips, the arch in her back made it difficult to keep his hands off her. It wasn’t always like this. Emery had to be pursued, and although Evan was attracted to her unapologetic disposition in the courtroom, along with her sophisticated air, Emery was a challenge; one that Evan planned to take on full steam ahead.
This book can be read as a standalone. It is interconnected to the All That & Moore series
Teach Me Moore
All That & Moore Book 2
One family. Eight sisters, tangled in romance. Kennedy Moore, the second Moore sister, is the glue that holds the sisterhood together. While Emery, the oldest sister, was away in Washington DC, it was Kennedy that her younger sisters leaned on. A master chef in her own right, Kennedy spends most of her time in the background, pouring her passion into the culinary delicacies she creates for her clientele. Being in the kitchen has left little time for Kennedy to find love, outside of the love she has for culinary arts.
Bryce Monroe is the owner and head chef of Taste, a world-renowned, four-star restaurant in the heart of downtown Atlanta. Much like Kennedy, Bryce spends his days and nights in the kitchen, masterfully creating delectable dishes that keep his clientele coming back for more. Bryce is a multimillionaire who has everything he’s always wanted except someone special to share it with.
An unintentional brush with Bryce Monroe reminds Kennedy that there is more to life than cooking and taking care of her sisters. The two have so much in common, and the chemistry they mutually felt shakes both their foundations. Bryce is captivated by Kennedy and realizes she is what he’s been missing. Yet, Kennedy shies away, unsure whether there’s room for something more in the world she’s created for herself. Will Kennedy let down her guard and allow love in? Will Bryce push past her resistance and pursue the love of his life? Find out in Teach Me Moore: Book 2 in the All That & Moore Series.
Each book in the series is a full novel and can be read as a standalone.
Expect Moore
All That & Moore Book 3
One family. Eight sisters, tangled in romance. Daphne Moore, third eldest sister of the Moore girls has had tremendous success in her professional life. As the Founder and Head Mistress of Moore Academy for Girls, Daphne taught her girls to be smart, self-reliant and confident. Yet, with all the success in her career, Daphne struggled when it came to matters of the heart. Daphne spent three years of her life loving a man who didn’t show the same kind of faithful, unwavering love. The wounds Stephen left were deep, and Daphne wasn’t sure she’d ever recover. Nicholas St. John, preeminent real estate developer and multimillionaire, was much like Daphne, successful professionally. However, unlike Daphne, there wasn’t an unfaithful lover to taint Nicholas’ view on love, Nicholas simply never made time for it. But an accidental encounter between the two would change the trajectory of both their lives.
So Much Moore
All That & Moore Book 4
One family. Eight sisters, tangled in romance. Felicity Moore, an actuary and entrepreneur, deals with facts and numbers as the foundation of her business. Her hard work and nurturing dedication is what makes her a leader in the industry. It’s the one thing that her world revolves around on a daily basis, and because of it, there had been no time for love or no place for a relationship in Felicity’s life.
It is the sole reason why when Garrett Thompson enters her life, Felicity doesn’t take him seriously. Especially with him being a trust fund baby. He’s never had to work to earn a living. Although Garrett does dabble in philanthropic endeavors, he spends much of his time living in the lap of luxury; doing the things he wants to and nothing that he doesn’t have to. Garrett lives by choice, and any relationship he’s had in the past has been an accessory to his lifestyle not a primary focus. With Garrett living life on his own terms, what if anything do they have in common?
Despite Felicity being dismissive of him, Garrett intends to prove just how serious he can be.
Never Moore
All That & Moore Book 5
He was her best friend. She was the girl of his dreams.
Charity Moore is on the cusp of becoming the neurosurgeon she has always dreamed of becoming. As a student physician for world renowned Emory University Hospital, Charity demonstrates her intellectual prowess in the classroom and in the operating room. Charity has been plotting her course of becoming a surgeon for as long as she can remember. She plays by the rules, colors within the lines and does what is necessary to make her dreams come true.
O’Shea Ali, is also a student physician at Emory Hospital. As the son of international industry giants, financial security has never been an issue. For O’Shea, becoming a neurosurgeon isn’t about prestige or financial gain. His desire stems from O’Shea’s passion to charter new medical territory and save lives. O’Shea lives his life passionately without restriction. He fights for what he believes in and is a fierce protector of the one’s he loves. That includes Charity.
But emerging desire crosses the friendship line, catapulting Charity and O’Shea out of the friendship zone and into dangerous territory. Charity fears their new entanglement is risky and may cost her the very relationship she treasures most. While O’Shea’s unbridled yearnings for Charity become harder to contain, he doesn’t want to lose what they have in pursuit of what he craves.
The All That and Moore series follows each sister in the Moore family as they navigate through the entanglements romance brings. Each book can be enjoyed if read as a standalone or if it’s read in the order of the series
Promise Me Moore
All That & Moore Book 6
Physical therapist, Aubrey Moore, is growing her private practice, heavily courted by coaches from every major sport as she continues to become a household name. Focusing exclusively on her business, Aubrey has made little time for matters of the heart until retail store mogul and multimillionaire, Brett Quinn catches her eye during a charity basketball game. No one woman has captivated Brett’s heart but that fleeting encounter ignited a spark, and when they meet again, the seed of attraction that captivated them before blooms, leaving them both to wonder if their reunion could be their second chance.
The All That and Moore series follows each sister in the Moore family as they navigate through the entanglements romance brings. Each book can be enjoyed if read as a standalone or if it’s read in the order of the series
Moore Than Enough
All That & Moore Book 7
As an international attaché to a Sudanese Diplomat, Ivory Moore is constantly surrounded by very important people, making international exchange seem easy with her mastery of multiple languages and business accouterment. Between her job and her loving family, Ivory’s life is full. VIP’S don’t impress her. It takes more than that to gain Ivory’s attention. Or so she thought until a chance encounter with a blast from the past shakes her foundation at the very core.
Roman West was that disruption, rocking Ivory on her heels. A visit to the Sudanese Embassy brought Ivory Moore back into his life. Seeing her again reawakened feelings he thought were lost for good. Although their encounter seemed to have been by happenstance, Roman believed in destiny, and he refused to lose Ivory again. But Roman was a man with secrets; secrets that could ruin what he hoped would be their future and certainly devastate their past.
My Cherie a'Moore
All That & Moore Book 8
She was somewhat of a free spirit, yet, she felt rightly guided to his.
Trinity Moore, burgeoning entrepreneur and youngest of the Moore sisters, does what she will. Whether business or pleasure, Trinity does it on her own terms, unapologetically.
But he touched her in a way Trinity couldn’t deny; assuaging unknown pains and awakening a transcendental energy that spoke to her soul. She realized she wanted more of that touch. Esau Knight was right there to fulfill her every desire.
All books in the All That & Moore series are standalone connected in a series with HEA’s.
USA Today Bestselling Author and lover of Love. It is a many splendid thing, isn’t it? Yet, it’s not a straight path from one heart to another. Most often, love is a tangled mess that challenges our thoughts, beliefs, and challenges us to prove over and over that we are more than enamored with an individual. Love is a tangled conglomeration of what the mind thinks, what the soul feels, and what the heart knows. And I write about it...
Follow the tour HEREfor special content and a giveaway!
Memoir Published: September 2019 Publisher: Angels Fortune Editions 
Although her origins are in Nocedo del Valle, an agricultural village in Orense, a province of Galicia, Spain, Blanca De La Rosa was born in the Dominican Republic in the bosom of a humble family. But fate had something else in store for her. Pursuing a Better Tomorrow is not just a novel that portrays the history of three generations, but rather an inspiring cross-generational journey from Spain to the United States. The novel details a historical overview and the ideologies of each era where the characters portray the strength of character required to achieve a better tomorrow given the twists, turns, and synchronistic events that shaped their lives. De La Rosa candidly shares her coming-of-age story of self-discovery as she transitioned from New York City’s projects to corporate America, detailing her personal and professional journey. This great novel will inspire you to believe in your abilities, dare to dream, and reach for your goals as you pursue a better tomorrow. Are you ready to embark on this journey?
About the Author Blanca De La Rosa was born in the Dominican Republic. She grew up in the Projects of the upper west side of Manhattan in New York, during the time before the Hispanic population developed the supportive Latino community which exists today. Although she struggled without support in her cultural and linguistic transition, De La Rosa was able to graduate from Pace University with a Bachelor’s Degree in International Business Management and to establish a successful 34-year career rising through the ranks of Mobil/ExxonMobil Oil Corporation. During her career, she held numerous positions both domestic and international in nature with increasing responsibility. These assignments took her around the United States, Europe, Central / South America, and Nigeria. De La Rosa retired from ExxonMobil after 34 years of service. As a Business Development Manager and President of the company’s Employee Resource Group she often represented her company as lead presenter at the Regional and National Scholarship Awards hosted by the Hispanic Heritage Foundation. In addition, she represented her company as host, keynote speaker, and panelist of various events with organizations supported by the company's charity foundation. After all her time in the industry, she says her most rewarding role was serving as mentor to the young employees in her company – guiding them through the corporate maze.
Contact Links
Purchase Links 
Dark Energy (Return to Becker Circle) is a stand-alone sequel to Becker Circle
Romantic Suspense; Adult/New Adult
Date Published: June 10, 2020
Publisher: Tirgearr Publishing
Cybercrime doesn’t talk. It creeps in and destroys lives right under Gillian’s nose when a cryptojacking scheme lands her boss, Pinkie, in jail. Gillian had just started over with a new career, boyfriend, and confidence after escaping a vicious murder investigation that shattered her ability to trust. Then Pinkie’s arrest leaves her struggling to run his two bars while also unraveling the conspiracy.
Gillian will not let her mentor and friend go down for something he didn’t do. Neither will Jon, the most talented musician on the bar’s stage and the perfect boyfriend…until his good fortune sends her reeling. Gillian forces herself to trust the cops, people who hurt her, and known criminals. Will it be enough to free Pinkie and save her life?
Excerpt
Chapter Seven (portion)
When I approach the entrance, a man with a tablet computer approaches my car. “Your name, please? And why are you visiting the FBI today?” They’re holding Pinkie at FBI headquarters? He doesn’t belong at a place like this. “Yes, hello. I’m Gillian Davis, here to visit with Pinkie—I mean Patrick Cunningham.” He fingers through pages on his screen. “Your purpose for seeing Mr. Cunningham?” I shift in the driver’s seat. “I manage a business he owns. I need to talk to him about work—I mean what to do while he’s away.” “You’re not listed.” The arm holding the computer relaxes to his side. “Officer Jeff Reeves called ahead. He’s with Dallas police.” “I’ll make a quick call.” He walks away with a phone to his ear. In a few seconds, the gate opens, and he waves me through. I let out the lungful of air I’ve been holding and drive. Hurdle one crossed. Three flags line the entrance like they’re waving me away, or maybe they’re inviting me in. Either way, I march through the heavy glass doors, step through the metal detector, follow the signs through the cold marble and stainless steel lobby to the visitor area, and wait. A lawyer-like young woman in a gray suit taps on her laptop across the otherwise empty room. I feel underdressed. Footsteps echo toward us, and my heart beats as fast as her fingers type. It’s a man in a dark blue suit, his eyes on me. “Ms. Davis? I’m Agent Redman.” His voice is gentler than I expected. “Come with me.” While we walk, the million questions I have for Pinkie parade through my head. What happened? Who would do this to you? When will they let you out? What do I do at work tomorrow? Is your lawyer one of those hotshots who only represent innocent people? Do you have a lawyer? He opens the door, revealing Pinkie sitting on the edge of a chair in a small room. Dark circles have bloomed like he didn’t sleep last night. “Gillian, you’re a sight for sore eyes.” He motions to the chair on the other side of the table. “Make yourself comfortable. Can I get you a glass of wine?” A laugh overpowers my questions. “You can still keep your sense of humor. How are you?” “Been better.”
About the Author
Addison Brae lives in Dallas, Texas on the edge of downtown. As a child, she was constantly in trouble for hiding under the bed to read when she was supposed to be napping. She has been writing since childhood starting with diaries, letters and short stories. She continues today with articles, video scripts and other content as an independent marketing consultant.
Addison writes new adult and adult romantic suspense and young adult contemporary fiction. When she’s not writing, Addison spends her time traveling the world, collecting interesting cocktail recipes and hosting parties. She’s still addicted to reading and enjoys jogging in her neighborhood park, sipping red wine, binge-watching TV series, vintage clothing and hanging out with her artistic other half and their neurotic cat Lucy.
Contact Links
Purchase Links
Nathan Unwrapped
by Bestselling Author Susan Saxx
Genre: M/M Contemporary Romance
Nathan buries his talent and has sworn off his art, and all romantic relationships, but when a bulldozer of a man comes to seek refuge in the dilapidated house Nathan is renovating, all the promises he made to himself collapse under the weight of powerful emotions.
A RIDDLE WRAPPED IN A MYSTERY
Nathan Gentael couldn’t bear to lose his family’s legacy, an old house on the tiny cove of Refuge Bay. He scraped together every penny he could find to buy back the derelict manse, and now he needs investors to help put it to rights so he can create a place for people like him: emotional wrecks in need of a safe place to get themselves together.
Okay, he isn’t a wreck, but he has turned his back on his passion, and believes by helping others, he’ll help himself. When it seems no one is going to help, a new investor, ex-military Augustine Jake Reiden, who insists on being called Og, shows up early and inverts Nathan’s reality. Nathan has secrets, but this bull of a man who has more bravado than anyone Nathan has ever met, is harboring mysteries.
Dark and closed off, Og is willing to risk investing in the house, but he has conditions, and it turns out one of them is he wants Nathan.
To My Readers:
A New Genre.
A writer loves creating new worlds.
To date, I’ve written male/female romance anywhere from sweet to hot to erotic, all in the Real Men series. I love this genre, and plan to continue writing in it.
Last year though, I decided to try my hand at writing male/male romance and found that I loved it, in a very special way.
I find the dynamics between two men so different than the dynamics I’ve explored previously. There’s something about two warriors, two characters with similar power bases figuring out how to come together. And the intense vulnerability when they finally do…
I hope you love this new series. My lovely beta readers, none of whom read m/m previously, all gave it a big thumbs up.
Dear Reader: I hope you take a chance on Nathan, and his story. He’s an amazing man, and just needs someone to pull himself out of his self-imposed prison…
…and you may just find a new series that you love.
Love,
Susan
Amazon Bestselling Author Susan Saxx is a top 2 Amazon bestseller with her small town military romance series, Real Men, currently over 10 books long. She has a passion for the small towns of North America, and sets her compelling stories in the north country (Jack's Bay), western mountain country (Terrence Point, Dawson Ridges, Golden) and in Chesapeake Bay (Refuge Bay), all replete with quirky yet big-hearted neighbours always willing to lend a hand—and an opinion, whether requested or not.
Susan also deeply loves Christmas, with numerous Christmas stories in her series, and adds more holiday books (including Valentine’s and Halloween), annually. As she continues to write the beloved Real Men series, she is applying her passion for love without boundaries to the m/m genre. Her first book in the Men of Hope House series is garnering excellent reviews, with formerly m/f only readers exhorting others new to the genre to pick up the first in the series, calling it, “Pure Joy”, and ‘one of the best books I have read in a very long time’ – GoodReads. Susan can be reached at susansaxx@gmail.com.
Website * FB Author * Readers Group * Twitter
Instagram * Bookbub * Amazon * Goodreads * Newsletter
Follow the tour HEREfor special content and a giveaway!
Hasty
Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes & Noble / iBooks / Kobo / Google Play -- EXCERPT:
Today is the best day of my life. I know people say that, and they mean it, but they don’t mean this. My best day is better than anyone else’s. Trust me. I know. I’m sitting at a table at Essentialz, a five-star restaurant in San Francisco. Everyone at the table watches me as I tuck the signed paperwork away in my black Bottega Veneta woven leather brief bag. I, Hastings Monahan, just signed a nine-figure investment deal on behalf of the venture capital firm I work for. Full partner, here I come. Of course, lawyers will handle the majority of this. The signatures are symbolic as much as they are legal. But the fellow diners at my carefully crafted table will go back to China with an exciting opportunity for their company, Zhangwa Telecommunications, to enter the North American market with climate-change technology projecting yields that are the best aphrodisiac ever. As I sip from my glass of Montrachet Grand Cru, I catch the eye of Ming Bannerton, a consultant with Zhangwa whose father is a high-ranking U.S State Department official in China, a woman who has a hunger for financial success that I can spot in anyone in three seconds flat. There’s something special about a fellow hustler–and when I use the word hustler, I don’t mean it pejoratively. People who hustle get things done. We connect. We network. We pattern match. We ruthlessly apply what we intuitively feel to what we operationally know in order to produce optimal outcomes. In short–we hustle. And we win. But in competition, there can only be one winner. One. Tonight, I’m it. Her smile mirrors mine, red lips stretched over perfectly white teeth that are as straight as a new picket fence. The smile doesn’t reach her eyes, but an intensity infuses her. She’s about five years younger than me, with a knowing eye that tells me we need to stay in touch. Someday soon, she may shoot past me, and that’s where all the legwork pays off. In this business, you network down as well as you network up, if you want to get anywhere. And the manila folder resting in my brief bag, the one that feels like a warm gold ingot pressed against my lips? That, ladies and gentlemen, is how you get somewhere. “Where is Burke?” Mr. Zhao Bai asks, his head at a slight tilt, a gesture of genuine curiosity as his eyes survey me, looking for information that doesn’t come directly from my mouth. He’s the youngest of the four men at the table, a fast talker who looks around the room like he’s a mob boss. Negotiating with him took a steady hand I didn’t know I possessed, but now I understand. Burke is part of the deal, and I didn’t realize it. The contracts are signed, though. That makes my husband an off-the-books addendum. No matter what, this is my accomplishment. My husband, Burke Oonaj, is one of the hottest market makers in finance right now. Even he will have no choice but to be impressed by the deal I’ve just put together. But the inquiry about my husband makes my uterus fall. And it’s not like he’s around to catch it. “Good question,” I say before taking another sip of wine, needing to buy myself a smidgen of space and time. I only need a split second. Normally. For some reason that I can’t explain, my emotions are tangling in my mind, and that’s an unpredictable variable I have to weed out. Fast. My heart feels strangely heavy in my chest, a sense of dread filling me that has no right to be here. This is MY night, I tell that sense of dread. This is MY deal. This is my culmination of six years of careful work, all coming together, right now. Go away, dread. But Mr. Zhao’s question is a good one, because Burke isn’t answering any of my texts or emails or phone calls, and hasn’t for the last three days. My husband has disappeared. Not literally, of course, because husbands don’t just do that. Business travel can be intense. Plenty of stretches of time have gone by without hearing from him. They involved twenty-four hours or less, though. Not eighty-one hours and thirteen minutes. Not that I’m counting. I can’t admit any of this to anyone at this table, of course, so instead, I give what my pattern-matching brain tells me is the optimal answer, designed to make me look good. “Burke’s fine,” I say with a grin, the glass of wine still full enough to make more sips look like an appropriate response. “He sends his best regards. He would have been here tonight, but… you know.” Two of the men share a look I don’t like. It’s a fleeting glance, the type that is practiced and meant to look like nothing. You think I’m paranoid, that I’m inventing it all? Wrong. I’m in a state of hyperarousal. No, not the sexual kind. Haven’t felt that in a long time, at least not with Burke. My hyperarousal is based around the stress hormones pumping through me from the excitement of what I just accomplished. Me. Myself. Alone. Independent of Burke. As workday smiles stretch to become the more casual, intimate grins of people enjoying bottle after bottle of excellent wine, I loosen up. The answer I gave them sufficed. We can move on. My body feels numb and excited at the same time. I’m on top of the world. The pinnacle. I am Peak Hastings. Which is why, when the maître d’ approaches my side, I don’t pick up on the gravity of his whisper. No one would. Because learning that my credit card has been declined for this business dinner is definitely not part of the plan, and the areas of my brain assigned to processing language literally can’t comprehend it. “It’s what?” I whisper, standing carefully, legs still steady, my alcohol consumption measured, even if my tablemates have made their way through more wine than an entire wedding party back home. The maître d’, José, gives me a wide-eyed but polite look. “I’m sorry, Ms. Monahan. This has never happened before when you’ve dined with us. But the credit card company was very firm. You cannot use this one.” Mr. Zhao gives me an inquiring look. My stomach sinks. Did he overhear? “Will you all excuse me?” I tell them, hating the disruption, my legs turning into two steel beams covered in chilled skin. “Something must be wrong with the credit card processor,” I snap at the maître d’ as I hurry away from my group. I want to get the taint of this failure out of the way and get back to my stellar success. Once we’re out of sight of my table, I rifle through my purse and find another business credit card. “Use this one. And let me be very clear, to you and to your boss, that this is absolutely, abjectly unacceptable.” He inserts the card, chip side in. “I realize this, Ms. Monahan, but we cannot…” Beep. He stares at the credit card terminal. I read the display upside down. “Declined!” I hiss. “This is impossible! That card has no limit!” “Perhaps you’ve had your identity stolen, or there are fraud alerts on your account? Perhaps you’re the victim of a financial crime?” José suggests. “I can’t be the victim of a financial crime!” I snap at him. “I’m a financial expert! This doesn’t happen to people like me. Here!” I shove a third company card at him. This one better work. I only have one more. My mind races ahead, conjuring contingency plans, even as my cheeks burn with shame. Shame. Why would I feel shame for someone else’s mistake? And yet, there it is, and I have to override it fast. Because if I don’t, it gets a toehold. And that is the fastest way to lose your edge. José closes his eyes and lets out a sigh through his nose, a split second before the display terminal beeps. Again. “Your computer system is down,” I declare, pulling out the fourth card and my phone, texting my office manager. Maybe something went wrong. Maybe José is right. Maybe we were hacked. But this is surreal enough to let the dread come inside me and have a seat, as it decides whether to become an overnight guest. It doesn’t matter. What matters is that I’m staring at a mid-four-figure bill that I owe, right now, and have no way to settle. This cannot be happening. As he runs the fourth card, the main door opens. My spine straightens, calves stretching tall, and not just from the five-inch heels I’m wearing. I know that man. I hate that man. And he’s the last person on Earth I want to see in the middle of this debacle. Ian McCrory cannot see me like this. 
GIVEAWAY!
Time-Travel Romance Date Published: 7/2/2020 Publisher: Evernight Publishing
Dicen Burke had it all. As lead singer in the world famous rock band, Dark Army, the world lay at his feet. But the path to super stardom warred with a painful past and during a performance the demons haunting him finally descended. Unable to stop the self-destructive path of alcohol and drugs, when he fell, he fell hard. He wakes up in a world he doesn’t know. The Twenty-first century rocker is now in the 1920’s, lost and bewildered. He’s taken in by Juliet Fox, a beautiful woman trying to be a positive influence in her brother’s wild lifestyle among the Hollywood Motion Picture elite. Dicen does his best to adapt, and with Juliet by his side, he discovers a world that offers him a clean slate. But when he’s pulled back to the present, separated by time from the one person that gives him a reason to live, will he find a way to push past his demons as well as find Juliet again?
Excerpt
“Hey you,” a soft voice commanded. “Open your eyes please” He tried to obey, struggling to push past the lingering darkness that clung to him like a second skin. God, he felt horrible. “That’s it,” she soothed. “Open your eyes. Look at me.” Finally, he managed to raise his eyelids. An angel leaned over him, staring into his eyes. She smiled at him so he smiled back. He had always thought it would be demons that would come collect him when he died so it amazed him that heaven was calling. “Ah, a set of beautiful baby blues,” she murmured, stroking his cheek. “Hello, handsome.” He opened his mouth to say something but the words wouldn’t come. His tongue felt swollen, dry. He forced himself to swallow to try to get some saliva flowing. “W-what happened?” She cocked her head. “Bad hooch I’m thinking. Gotta be careful of certain juice joints. Come,” she said, holding out her hand. “Let’s get you sitting upright.” He hadn’t realized he’d been lying down but as she helped him up, he realized the halo around her head had been nothing more but the flickering of a street light accentuating the midnight hue of her hair. When he was vertical once more, he finally saw all of the woman’s features. Short bobbed hair held back by a headband made of crystal beads while dark eyes watched him from under thin, perfectly arched eyebrows. Her lips were a cupid’s bow, painted a deep red. Her skin a flawless pale shade that contrasted sharply with her heavily made up eyes. “Like what you see?” she asked. He blinked. “I always like my fans. Where am I?” One of those thin eyebrows arched. “That hooch must’ve really made you balled up. You’re off Hollywood Boulevard, of course, belly up in an alley.” He looked around, completely baffled. How the hell did he get here? Where was the stage? The screaming fans? Kieron, Van and Tony? “Do you have a name, handsome?” “Yeah, sorry. I’m Dicen Burke.” He waited. He waited for the name to sink in, for her eyes to widen, for her to begin batting her eyes in an attempt to flirt her way into his bed. “Juliet,” she said. “Juliet Fox. I was looking for my brother, Thayer, and figured I’d find him upchucking out here and instead I find a keen big six. Say, you’re no drugstore cowboy are you?” “Excuse me?” Her lack of a response to his name, along with slang he didn’t understand, threw him. “You know, a guy that hangs around street corners looking to pick up ladies. Just so we’re clear on the matter, I ain’t that kind of girl,” she informed him, the smile on her face lessening the harshness of her tone. “Have you seen another man out here, by chance, throwing up?” She confused him. He shook his head and then wished he hadn’t when it throbbed. “God, I need an aspirin.”
About the Author I began reading my mom’s Harlequin Presents in the fifth grade, and from the first story I knew I wanted to write romance novels. I like writing about the very ordinary girl thrust into extraordinary circumstances, so my heroines will probably never be lawyers, doctors or corporate highrollers. I try to write characters who aren't cookie cutters and push myself to write complicated situations that I have no idea how to resolve, forcing me to think outside the box. I love writing characters who are real, complex and full of flaws, heroes and heroines who find redemption through love. You can find me on the web at:
Contact Links
Purchase Links
Anywhere and Always Book 1 Contemporary Romance Published: December 2019 Publisher: Totally Bound Publishing
One wild and passionate Caribbean night leaves Annelise with amazing memories…but what happens when her vacation fling reappears as a VIP client? Deserted by her fiancé only three months before their wedding, a devastated Annelise decides to go on their Caribbean honeymoon alone in the hope of thawing the deep freeze of her emotions. Tripping and landing on top of the most gorgeous man she’s ever seen, a sexy French-Canadian stranger, is as surprising as it is mortifying. Rémy Gaspard is staying at his family’s remote tropical resort to get some work done after a difficult visit with his sister, but instead, he finds himself drawn to the sad young woman he sees from across the beach. When she quite literally falls into his lap, he can’t believe his good fortune. Their passionate vacation romance is cut short by a troubling accident and they part ways, but neither can stop thinking about the other. When they meet up again in Montreal, seemingly by accident six months later, their attraction is just as strong…or stronger. As they face the challenges of misunderstandings, suspicions and a shadowy menace that won’t leave Rémy’s family alone, one thing becomes clear. Their love remains strong, anywhere and always.
Book 2 in the Anywhere and Always Series: Snowbound with the Billionaire is Coming Soon!!!
Excerpt She scrambled up as quickly as possible, but not before she pressed up against the length of a tall, muscular man. He was warm and smelled of the ocean and the wind—and also a bit spicy, like some of the more exotic seasonings used in the local dishes. As she brushed herself off and stood as swiftly as she could, she just had time to realize that he smelled…incredibly good. For someone I apparently fell on like a ton of bricks. Smooth. Real smooth, Annelise. “I’m so sorry!” she apologized, feeling a hot blush rise from her hairline to her ears and even onto her chest. She knew her cheeks must be flaming. The stranger, dressed only in faded board shorts that might have been red once but were now a washed-out salmon, was covered in sand. It dusted his tan, muscular chest and sprinkled his dark-brown hair. He might have looked silly if he hadn’t been… Well, the only words that sprang to her mind were ‘unbelievably gorgeous’. No, that wasn’t true. She also thought ‘scrumptious’ and ‘hot as hell’. Mentally recalling herself, she realized he hadn’t responded to her apology. “Do you speak English? Español?” Annelise hoped he spoke at least a tiny bit of English, because her Spanish was abysmal. “Oh my gosh, did I hurt you?” she continued, worried. The man sat up with a little shake, and his mouth quirked into a wry smile, making his dark eyes crinkle at the corners. “No apology needed. I must have fallen asleep. I’m fine. No harm done. Although”—he gestured at the empty beach—“it was an unlucky coincidence that you should choose this one spot to walk onto.” His accent sounded French, and his tone was compelling as he spoke, inviting her to share his amusement, not only at their situation but also possibly at life in general. Annelise felt an unfamiliar smile tug at the corners of her lips. “I’m so glad you’re not hurt. And ‘unlucky’ should be my middle name,” she answered, the words out before she could recall them. It was totally unlike her to talk about her personal life with a complete stranger. Alone. On a deserted beach. Totally alone. She took an unconscious step backward. The stranger didn’t look as though he’d been lying in wait to trip unsuspecting tourists, though. He looked as if he belonged—and as if he was mildly interested in what she was saying. If he’d looked too interested, she might have shut down, but instead, she found herself answering the questioning quirk of his dark eyebrow. “I’ve…had a bit of a setback recently in my personal life,” she said. It was the understatement of the century. “Sounds like it was a bad one. Do you want to talk about it?” he offered, as if it were the most natural thing in the world, just two strangers watching a Caribbean sunset and talking about their personal lives. It suddenly occurred to her that he was the first person besides the unobtrusive security guards that she’d seen on the private beach this entire trip. She’d actually begun to think she must be the only guest at the cabanas. Her thoughts turned suddenly suspicious. “What are you doing on this beach? It’s supposed to be private and definitely a no-trespassing sort of place.” Her mind turned to the prominent guns she’d seen the security guards carrying, and she wasn’t sure if she was trying to intimidate or warn the stranger. The white of his smile on his tan face was stunning in the sunset. “Thank you for the warning, chérie, but I am a guest here…in the owner’s cabana.” He gestured with one long, muscular arm and Annelise noticed a path she hadn’t seen before, leading to what looked like a giant house. It was much larger than her own spacious cabin. “Oh, right. The owner’s French, isn’t he?” Annelise answered, trying to recall the details she knew of the resort. She’d learned about it from her colleague, and the owner was a big-time client of the financial services firm where she worked. “French-Canadian,” the stranger corrected, raising his eyebrow again, “but I’ll let it slide just this once.” “Sorry…I know there’s a big difference,” she hastened to apologize. Great, she’d now offended a close friend of a client who could get her fired. The stranger shook his head. “I was teasing. I’m not so easily offended,” he said, bending up his knees and wrapping his arms loosely around them before motioning toward the soft-looking hollow next to him. “Care to join me? You can’t beat the view.”
About the Author Aurora Russell is originally from the frozen tundra of the upper-Midwest (ok, not frozen all the time!) but now loves living in New England with her real-life hero/husband, two wonderfully silly sons, and one of the most extraordinary cats she has ever had the pleasure to meet. But she still goes back to the Midwest to visit, just never in January. She doesn't remember a time that she didn't love to read, and has been writing stories since she learned how to hold a pencil. She has always liked the romantic scenes best in every book, story, and movie, so one day she decided to try her hand at writing her own romantic fiction, which changed her life in all the best ways.
Contact Links
Purchase Links
|
