Category Archives: Endorsements
BOOK TOUR ~ Luck of the Cowgirl (Holidays in Lake Point Series) by Sarah Cass
by Sarah Cass
Book Tour March 23rd – 29th
Calli Ryley lost everything when her last relationship went south—her job, her lover, and she hightailed her way all the way to Lake Point to escape. She’s steeled her heart against love, and most certainly wouldn’t get involved on the job again. The best thing she can do is keep working with her head down and no sights on love.
Dee Parker has spent the past year away from Lake Point dealing with illness and death. She returns home ready to dive back into life. When she first sets eyes on the sexy cowgirl Calli, she’s instantly smitten. The cold reception Calli gives her leaves Dee ready to move on.
Could one seemingly simple business trip turn their luck in love around? Or will love get snowed in?
Deanna rubbed her eyes with the heels of her hands. All of the information in front of her made her eyes cross. She knew eventually she’d get a handle on the whole breeding business, but at first glance it was a complicated mess of bloodlines and pure money.
The money she could handle, the pedigrees were convoluted and confusing to a newbie. She pondered asking Calli for help, but then thought better of it. After the first couple of days of overt flirtation, Deanna had pulled her head out of her ass. Maybe she’d read Calli wrong, maybe not, whatever the reason flirting clearly put the girl off. Instead, Deanna had settled into a routine that didn’t involve much contact with the sexy cowgirl.
When she had seen Calli, Deanna had been the consummate professional. After all, she was an adult and knew how to act with some decorum when she needed to. Didn’t mean she liked it any. Having fun was a much better way to pass the day.
She groaned in frustration and leaned back in her seat to stare at the ceiling. “I am smart enough to do this. I really am.”
“Uh, okay.” Calli’s cute little drawl interrupted Deanna’s self-chastising moment. If Deanna wasn’t completely delusional she would have sworn there was a hint of laughter in Calli’s voice. “Don’t recall saying you weren’t.”
“Oh, no. You didn’t.” Deanna sat upright and remembered her resolve to not act like a fool around the woman in front of her any longer. “I was yelling at myself. Maybe I’m just trying to think too much.”
“Wouldn’t be the first person to do that. Most of us do.” Calli’s gaze settled on the papers scattered on the desk. “Hank wouldn’t have hired you if you couldn’t do it. That man’s got a good business head on him.”
“Yes he does, everything is in great order for me. It’s this breeding info. The family trees and such are making my eyes cross.” Deanna flipped through a few of the folders on her desk. “And Hank said something about one of the broodmares no longer being able to breed, and having to replace her and finding a few more for the ones that are aging out.”
“You don’t have to worry about that so much. I know the circuit and the horses well enough. I’ll let you know what we need.”
“But I need to understand it.” Deanna pursed her lips. “I’m not your boss and you aren’t mine, so we’re going to have to work together on this. I need to know what I’m spending the businesses money on.”
“Fair enough.” Calli hesitated at the door a minute longer before she entered to sit across from Deanna. “Did Hank tell you who I’ve got my eye on to bring in?”
“Yes, let me find the list.” Deanna pulled open a drawer and pulled out the pad she’d written notes on in her lengthy talks with Hank. “Sorry, I haven’t had time to transfer all my notes to the computer. Let’s see, there’s one in California that’s going to cost a pretty penny to ship.”
“But she’s not bred yet and her line hasn’t touched any of the ones we usually work with. It’ll widen our birth and bring back some repeat business we might have lost in the next few years. It’s worth the money.”
Deanna nodded at the logic. “Are there any others like that?”
“Probably not on the list he gave you. I have a lead on another in Colorado. She’s not ready yet for breeding, but I’d like to bring her in anyway.” Calli leaned on the opposite side of the desk, her face brightening the more they talked about the horses. “She’s a beauty, too. Unfortunately, she’s also fast so they’re thinking of training her to race instead.”
“That’s unusual, isn’t it?”
“Yes. Like I said, she is fast. That could also drive up how much she’d be worth on the breeding circuit. Get a fast stud and a fast broodmare and that ups the ante.”
“Interesting. What’ll it take to convince them to sell her to us?”
“I’m working Carl over best as I can. He’s waffling, though.”
Deanna pursed her lips as she thought it over. From what she knew, a young mare with a long life of foaling ahead of her could be good for business. “Would it help if we went and met him directly?”
“We?” Calli grew cold immediately and sat back. “I can handle it myself.”
“I’d like to see how this works.”
“Then you can come with when I go over to the next county and talk to the Billings. No need for both of us to go flying.”
Deanna couldn’t comprehend the attitude change in Calli over the simple suggestion. “You do business with the Billings all the time. This Carl is new. I’d like to be involved.”
Calli’s lips thinned and she turned her gaze away.
“I promise not to step on your toes.”
“Fine.” Calli rose with a heavy sigh. “Let me know what you work out so I can let Carl know we’re coming.”
“All right, then.” Deanna furrowed her brow as Calli left the office without ceremony. Well that went downhill fast.
Calli loves her job but the cold is really getting to her. She loves the ranch and really wouldn’t have it any other way. When Hank hires Dee as the new office person, Calli goes into self-destruct mode. The two travel to Dominion Falls to make a deal about a horse for the ranch and they really get to know one another. Back home, Dee finally makes her move and of course Calli runs. When confronted, Calli lets her fears go and gives Dee a chance. I loved the book. Excellent writing with a heartbreaking story as the background. This author is fabulous.
Cali, a cowgirl with a painful past and Dee, an office manager with patience and a killer smile are the focus of this story. Fate lends a helping hand in this relationship with a needed business trip coupled with a surprised blizzard. It was a treat seeing Cali begin letting down her defenses and allowing herself to trust her feelings and accept the love flowing her way.
***All reviews from Amazon.com
Sarah Cass‘ world is regularly turned upside down by her three special needs kids and loving mate, so she breaks genre barriers; dabbling in horror, straight fiction and urban fantasy. She loves historicals and romance, and characters who are real and flawed, so she writes to understand what makes her fictional people tick. And she lives for a happy ending – eventually. And enough twists to make it look like she enjoys her title of Queen of Trauma Drama a little too much.
An ADD tendency leaves her with a variety of interests that include singing, dancing, crafting, cooking, and being a photographer. She fights through the struggles of the day, knowing the battles are her crucible; she may emerge scarred, but always stronger. The rhythms to her activities drive her words forward, pushing her through the labyrinths of the heart and the nightmares of the mind, driving her to find resolutions to her characters’ problems.
While busy creating worlds and characters as real to her as her own family, she leads an active online life with her blog, Redefining Perfect, which gives a real and sometimes raw glimpse into her life and art. You can most often find her popping out her 140 characters in Twitter speak, and on Facebook.
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RELEASE & REVIEW TOUR ~ THIRSTY (Eastside Brewery #1) by Mia Hopkins
Feeling THIRSTY? Visit the Eastside Brewery…
A gangster hiding from his past. A single mom fighting for her future. Can she show this bad boy the man’s he’s meant to be? Mia Hopkins is back with the first in an all-new contemporary series, THIRSTY (Eastside Brewery #1)!
About THIRSTY
My name is Salvador Rosas. Back in the barrio, my past is written on the walls: ESHB. Short for East Side Hollenbeck, my father’s gang—my gang. Hell, it’s a family tradition, one that sent both my brothers away. They used to call me “Ghost” because I haunted people’s dreams. Now I’ve got nothing going for me except a hipster gringo mentoring me in a new career. An ex-con making craft beer? No mames.
Still, people in this neighborhood look out for one another. That’s how I became Vanessa Velasco’s unwelcome tenant. Chiquita pero picosa. She’s little, but with curves so sweet they’re dangerous. I remember Vanessa from the old days, the straight-A student with big plans. Plans that were derailed by another kid stupid enough to think he was bulletproof. Now Vanessa knows better than to believe in empty promises. There’s fire in her . . . and if I touch her, I might get burned.
I’m trying everything I can to go straight. But when East Side Hollenbeck comes calling, I might have to risk it all to find out if there’s a future for Vanessa and me. Because she’s the only one who can quench my thirst for something real.
On Sale in Digital: March 13, 2018
Amazon | Barnes and Noble | Google Play| iBooks | Kobo
Add THIRSTY to your TBR pile on Goodreads!
CELEBRATE THE RELEASE WITH A GIVEAWAY!
Grand Prize: (1) 7’ Kindle Fire (8GB) + (2) Backlist titles from Mia Hopkins (Digital Only)
2 Runner-Ups: (1) $10 Amazon Gift Card each + Any (1) backlist Mia Hopkins title (digital version)
Excerpt:
The ride starts with a burst of music like a jack-in-the-box. We glide backward and over a couple of times. The Ferris wheel stops to let other passengers on. At the very top, our carriage swings back and forth before it goes still.
Now I can see my neighborhood from a different viewpoint, high above. The lights of the carnival are bright and beautiful. The smells of tacos, hot dogs, and popcorn fill my nose. People pack the church parking lot. Cars line the street, and in the surrounding houses, lights in the windows show where families are talking or watching TV or having dinner.
“How are you doing?” I ask.
“I’m all right.”
She’s looking at the same things I am. I wonder if she is seeing the same details. I stroke her hair and take another risk. “So what do you think?”
“About what?”
“Starting something with me?”
She takes a deep breath but doesn’t say anything.
“What are your doubts?” I say.
“Are you kidding?” She snorts. “You’re seriously asking me that?”
I laugh a little. “Okay, well. Besides the obvious.”
“You have your own life. I have mine. You’re trying to rebuild from the ground up. I’m trying to secure my daughter’s future. We’re heading in different directions.”
She isn’t wrong. Life has disappointed her in such deep and cruel ways, I don’t blame her for protecting herself. But even as she tells me this—the truth about how we’re not right for each other—I feel how right it is to talk to her, to hold her hand, to show her who I am. “I have an idea,” I say. “Probation.”
“What?”
“I’m only around for two months, right?”
“Right.”
“Spend those two months with me.” I look into her eyes. “I want to be with you, Vanessa.”
“Sal—”
“I’ll be gone before I have a chance to disappoint you.” When the words leave my mouth, I try to ignore how pathetic they sound. “We’re adults, not dumb kids. We won’t lose our heads.” I run my fingers through her silky hair. “I swear to God, every time I look at you, I feel . . .” I reach for the most honest word I can find. “Thirsty.”
Praise for titles by Mia Hopkins:
“Mia Hopkins knows how to put characters on a page.” – HEROES AND HEARTBREAKERS
“Mia Hopkins is an imaginative author who doesn’t take the easy road to a formulaic book.”
– USA TODAY
“Sweet and filthy at the same time, just the way I like it. This book made me so happy.”
– READ ALL THE ROMANCE
“The writing is excellent, the emotions leap off the page, and the sex is downright earthy.”
– JILL SORENSON, AUTHOR
“Beautifully descriptive…hot, sexy and full of yearning!” – DELILAH DEVLIN, AUTHOR
“Off the charts hot.” – THE ROMANCE STUDIO
“A tantalizing slow seduction of the senses.” – STRANGE CANDY REVIEWS
“Hopkins packs a lot of heat and romance on the pages…Caution: hot, sexy times ahead!”
– READER GIRLS BLOG
“Filled with sizzling chemistry, hot sex, and just enough sweetness to leave me wanting more…And those sex scenes…Holy hotness!” – CRYSTAL BLOGS BOOK
See what others are saying about THIRSTY:
“Thirsty is sexy and soul-wrenching, with Sal’s irresistible voice luring you through a living, breathing Los Angeles. Vanessa and Sal’s chemistry is sizzling right off the page, and their journey will keep you on the edge of your seat. Five smoldering, tattooed stars!” – USA Today Bestselling Author Sierra Simone
Author Bio:
Mia Hopkins writes lush romances starring fun, sexy characters who love to get down and dirty. She’s a sucker for working class heroes, brainy heroines and wisecracking best friends. She lives in Los Angeles with her roguish husband and waggish dog.
You can also visit her online at the following places:
Website | Facebook | Twitter | Amazon | Goodreads | Pintrest | Instagram
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RELEASE BLITZ ~ Jinxed by Thommy Hutson
Title: Jinxed
(Book 1 in trilogy)
Publisher: Vesuvian Books
“Thommy Hutson is the ultimate authority in nostalgia-driven storytelling.” —Clive Barker, Bestselling Author of Books of Blood and The Thief of Always
“Jinxed is the teen whodunit that Wes Craven and Lois Duncan never made. Hutson has created the best new slasher franchise since Scream.”—Peter M. Bracke, Author of Crystal Lake Memories: The Complete History of Friday the 13th
“A dark, tension-filled thriller that’s wicked to the very end. Bad luck was never so much fun!”—Jeffrey Reddick, Creator of Final Destination
There was no one else around now. Just Sydney and this person. She could see her dorm, where lights flashed behind drawn curtains and blinds. End-of-semester reverie. Sydney fumbled for her keys, cursing. Dammit, don’t look afraid, she hated thinking. This was getting ridiculous. She was Sydney Miller for Christ’s sake. She turned to face the walker. Stalker.
“Listen, Ass—”
There was no one there. Sydney looked around. She wondered what was going on.
Unnerved, she stepped backwards and glanced to the left, then to the right. No one. She turned to the door and jammed her key into the lock, where it stuck. Her eyes rolled as she wiggled the key and turned the knob, cracking the door open. Looking up, she screamed. A reflection in the glass. Directly behind her. Running. She spun around, terrified.
The stranger stopped and backed away a few steps.
“Woah, woah, woah! Sorry, forgot my key!” Some freshman girl. She wriggled past Sydney and inside the building.
“No prob—” Sydney started to say, but the girl was halfway up the stairs and not even remotely interested. Loud music, laughter, and yelling spilled through the door. The party permeated the air.
Sydney watched as the heavy metal door to the stairwell, with its tiny square of wire-meshed glass, closed with a substantial click.
“You’re welcome,” Sydney said sarcastically. She felt more on her own, surrounded by the sound of a party she was not going to, than she had shuffling across campus. She shook it off. There’d be plenty of parties, one day.
She heard a noise at the door behind her and turned to see what it was. Probably a student hoping to sneak in to the dorm. But there would be no need for sneaking. Someone was already inside.
He was bigger than her, with a wide stance. And a mask.
The mask, made of silver and bronze, was a sickening amalgamation of the comedy and drama faces so well-known in the theater world. One half of its shiny silver surface was twisted into a sort of smile, one that looked gleeful after doing terrible things. The other turned downward, as if that same grin had melted away in pain and despair.
Nothing good could come of this.
“Who are—?”
He rushed toward Sydney, frighteningly fast. Shocked and confused, she felt his fist connect with her throat, hard. The impact shattered delicate blood vessels, bruised her larynx, and sent her spinning back to the concrete wall. Her head snapped against it, causing more pain and a momentary dizziness that brought flecks of light, like tiny sparklers, to her vision. Breath became a torturous mix of searing pain and the metallic taste of blood. She panicked, fearing suffocation, and emitted a tragic rasp. Crying hurt, but she couldn’t stop the tears.
The stranger pulled a polished silver blade from under his dark overcoat. Dear God, Sydney thought, it’s actually gleaming. The glare brought her back to cohesive thought. She had to do something, and do it fast.
I will not die here, she thought. Not tonight.
Born and raised in Upstate New York, Thommy graduated from UCLA and launched his career co-writing the story for the Warner Bros. animated hit SCOOBY-DOO IN WHERE’S MY MUMMY? He followed that with co-writing the concept and additional material for CHILL OUT, SCOOBY-DOO!
![Make Me Want by [Robert, Katee]](https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51b8kHJ%2BA0L._SY346_.jpg)
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