What do you get when you cross a klutz with a GQ model lookalike?
Sounds like a bad joke, right? Only it’s my reality. And reality comes in the form of arm veins, dimples, and THE sexiest voice I’ve ever heard.
But there’s a slight issue. You see, I have a confession: I’m a klutz.
I’m used to it now and everything’s going fine— if you don’t count the monthly trips to ER and the twenty-three jobs in the last four years
—that is until I’m sent to New York.
We are excited to celebrate the release of PLAYING THE PAUSES by Michelle Hazen.
This is the second installment in her Sex, Love, and Rock & Roll series.
Follow the tour for reviews, excerpts, guest posts, plus enter to win a $50 Amazon gift card!
“Hazen’s use of the frantic energy of a rock band’s tour contrasts perfectly with the slow and seductive dance this couple engages in. Readers are sure to enjoy following The Red Letters on their drama-fueled climb to fame. “ —RT Book Reviews
“To call Playing the Pauses an erotic novel alone would be to belie its equally strong explorations of the boundaries between personal, career, and sexual growth.” —Midwest Book Review
When an ultra-independent tour manager meets the one musician she can’t resist, their kinks fit together perfectly, but their lives don’t. Michelle Hazen is back with PLAYING THE PAUSES, the second, stand-alone installment in her Sex, Love, and Rock & Roll series. Fans of Kylie Scott’s Stage Dive Series and YOU REALLY GOT ME by Erika Kelly, will love this bad boy, friends with benefits romance with a dash of BDSM mixed in.
Title: Playing the Pauses Series: Sex, Love, and Rock & Roll #2 Author: Michelle Hazen
Release Date: March 5, 2018 Publisher: Self-published Genres: Contemporary Romance
Synopsis:
Rock Star Dom + his Queen of the Spreadsheet employee = KRYPTONITE
Kate is a globe-trotting tour manager who can’t be tied down.
Danny is a Dominant rock star and tattoo artist who needs her help to explore his true kinks.
Kate just got her big break, running an international tour for a rising band. Her job is everything to her…at least until she meets the band’s enigmatic bass player.
After they collide in one unforgettably erotic night on a hotel balcony, he comes to her with a proposition. As a former BDSM club performer, Danny’s spent so long fulfilling other people’s fantasies that now he wants to reclaim his own—and he says she’s the only one who can help.
Getting caught in bed with her rock star boss could cost her career, and yet there’s something about Danny’s quiet intensity that she can’t resist. He steals her heart, hard. But the end of the tour is approaching, and their jobs are headed two different directions.
To be together one of them will have to stop touring, but the only thing they crave as much as each other is music.
** This book can be read and understood as a standalone, but does contain spoilers for earlier books in the series. **
So many of the songs that remind me of Danny are Rage Against the Machine. He has a very quiet soul, but likes very loud music, but that band isn’t a great match for the energy of most of the book.
I’m going to go through and suggest a song for each chapter, to match the mood and often to match the lyrics to what’s going on. It’s free of all but the most harmless spoilers and will be fun to read before you’ve read the book, and even more fun to go back to (and listen to!) as you’re reading the book itself once you can understand all the little inside jokes and references.
Ch 1 Let the Games Begin: “Off the Ground” by The Record Company. This has just the right energy for Kate’s confident stride into Danny’s life, plus a super-memorable bass line that seems like something Danny might play. The Record Company is one of the bands I saw live (In Danny’s home of Portland, Oregon!) as part of my research for this series. I feel like Danny’s BFF, Jera, would really approve of this band’s barefoot drummer.
Ch 2 With the Band: “Short Skirt, Long Jacket” by Cake. This is Kate’s theme song, as we get to see her swoop in and swiftly reorganize the band’s whole tour with the hand of a master, and enough energy left over to hit the mosh pit on opening night.
Ch 3 Raw: “Never Let Me Go” by Florence and the Machine. Because this chapter feels utterly inevitable, which is perfectly captured by the swell of the vocalist’s voice in this song. It also feels like it’s being sung into an unlimited expanse of air; just right for a scene taking place on a balcony high above a city.
Ch 4 Unconditional: “Same Love” by Macklemore and Ryan Lewis (featuring Mary Lambert) because we all need a friend who will love us even once they know all our most personal secrets.
Ch 5 Communication: “Sail” by AWOLnation
Ch 6 Good: “When the Sun Rises” by Stop Light Observations. Life on a tour bus, baby… This song has all that energy.
Ch 7 You: “Where I Stood” by Missy Higgins, for the lyrics. Then:
“Bloodstream” by Stateless. Dark and addictive and romantic as all get out.
Ch 8 Close Calls: “Trouble” by Pink. Then “Under the Bridge” by the Red Hot Chili Peppers, because it is referenced in the scene.
Ch 9 Switch: “One Time” by Marian Hill. Kate at her most sensually powerful.
Ch 10 Mercy: “Closer” by NIN. This is my favorite Danny song because it’s filthy and unapologetically sexual, just like him.
Ch 11 To Sleep, Perchance to Dream: Two scenes here.
First scene: “Long Line of Cars” by Cake. Two words, people: Porn. Pinata.
Second scene: “Slow it Down” by The Lumineers- Because it’s dreamy and sweet, and for the line “Rest your arms. Rest your legs.”
“Passing Afternoon” by Iron and Wine- this is the song Kate references in the chapter.
I think you’ll have noticed by now that this playlist zips from immersive rock to fun and flirty, to heart-wrenchingly romantic. RT Book Reviews, I think, explained this better than I could when they said: “Hazen’s use of the frantic energy of a rock band’s tour contrasts perfectly with the slow and seductive dance this couple engages in.”
Ch 12 Crossing Lines: “When I’m Small” by Phantogram. This is the bass-forward song I always hear in my head during the concert at the start of this scene.
Ch 13 Playing: “Yellow Ledbetter” Pearl Jam. Slow and private and sweet.
Ch 14 Girl Talk: “Hold On” by the Alabama Shakes
Ch 15 It’s a Sign: “Bartholomew” by The Silent Comedy
Ch 16 Stay: “Stay” by Megan Nicole.
Ch 17 The Best Part of Waking Up: “Oblivion” by Bastille
Ch 18 Meet the Parents: “Put the Gun Down” by ZZ Ward
Ch 19 Draw Me A Picture: “Unsteady” by X Ambassadors (Another band I saw while researching this series. I was so short I couldn’t see anything over the crowd. I could hear that they had a drummer but was never able to visually verify this to be fact)
Ch 20 The Ring: Ooh, this is an eclectic chapter. First: “Kiss Me” by Ed Sheeran
Second: “Perhaps, Perhaps, Perhaps” by Cake
Ch 21 3 AM in Munich: “Gold to Glass” by the Revivalists. What, you didn’t think I was going to make it through a whole playlist without a Revivalists’ song, did you? Pshaw. I saw them for the first time during 2016 Mardi Gras week as research for this book, and I went from that to driving everywhere and sleeping in my car to see six shows in one year, in 4 different states over 2300 miles apart. Yes, they’re that good.
Ch 22 Your Answer: “Love is a B*tch” by Two Feet. This fits the sexy, deliberate feel of the scene, and it sounds like something The Red Letters (Danny’s band) would play. I can just picture Jax whispering into the microphone, and Danny in the background, driving the whole song with his bass.
Ch 23 Happy Birthday: For this one, I absolutely have to link to YouTube. Danny plays a no-singing version of Happy Birthday on his bass in this chapter, which sounds so gravitational you have to hear it for yourself.
Ch 24 My So-Called Home: “All I Want” by Kodaline
Ch 25 For Better or Worse: “The Light of Day” Silent Comedy. This is the song you should start playing the first moment Kate and Danny are alone.
Ch 26 Playing the Pauses: “Far Away” by Nickelback. And yes, fair game to make fun of me for including a Nickelback song in my playlist. It’s still the perfect song for this moment.
GIVEAWAY
Enter to win a $50 Amazon Gift Card + A CRUEL KIND OF BEAUTIFUL eBooks!
Michelle Hazen is a nomad with a writing problem. Years ago, she and her husband ducked out of the 9 to 5 world and moved into their truck. As a result, she wrote most of her books with solar power in odd places, including a bus in Thailand, a golf cart in a sandstorm, and a beach in Honduras. Currently, she’s addicted to The Walking Dead, hiking, and Tillamook cheese.
An emotional can’t-miss romance, Whiskey Rebellion from New York Times
Bestselling Author Toni Aleo is AVAILABLE NOW!
“Hot and sexy, this love story is about taking chances not only with your heart but for your mind and soul.
A must read.” – USA Today Bestselling Author Terri E. Lane
I want to feel alive, and I do when I’m drinking and partying the way I should have when I was a teen. Instead, back then, I was preparing to become the Whiskey Princess, a role assigned to me from birth.
A lady never drinks to the point of blacking out, nor does she go home with men she meets in bars. But I went home with him…Jackson.
He was more than just a one-night stand, but I learned that a wee bit late and he was gone. Or so I thought.
For when I return home, Jackson is there, and he finds out very quickly who I am.
Problem is, I’m not sure that I’ve ever known who I really am.
***
I can tell by looking into her blue depths that she’s absolute trouble, but I have to have her. It’s only for one night. Some fun, and I’ll be on my way. My time here is done, and I’m ready to move on to my next adventure.
What I don’t realize at the time is that she is my next adventure.
Lena excites me. She blows my mind. And her brogue? It has me in knots. I don’t even care about the rumors that surround her.
She’s hurting. I want to help her, but then my time is up.
“I don’t understand why yer so upset. It’s no big deal!”
Ma’s eyes widened as much as they could. “Lena, you were in the pub after six! Are ya mad?”
I roll my eyes. “I don’t see why it’s such a big deal. I wasn’t doing anything but having a drink with a friend.”
“A friend? Ya kissed him! A lady doesn’t find herself in a pub after six and then kiss a man in front of a full room.”
I let my head fall back, a piece of bacon hanging from my lips. I don’t know what I expected. I knew damn well it would get back to her somehow.
“Declan never did such a thing,” she exclaims.
“Ah, he did, but since he has a cock between his legs, it didn’t matter,” I say, sitting up, ignoring Declan’s death glare. “He was making out with Amberlyn all the time in the pub. No one batted a wee eye though, ’cause he’s the Whiskey Prince. Boys will be boys!”
Amberlyn’s cheeks redden as she glares over at me. “Thanks, Lena.”
“Anytime,” I answer with a wink as I reach for my OJ. “It really isn’t a big deal.”
“But it is.” It’s my da this time, his eyes trained on me as his lips press into a line. “You know what is expected of you. It’s against the rules.”
“For goodness’ sake, it’s not the sixties. Fuck the rules, they’re mad as hell!”
“Lena!”
“Ma, for real. I don’t care. I’ll do everything ya want. Teas, ceremonies, and whatever else ya come at me with. But if I want to kiss a guy in a pub after six, I’m going to.”
“It isn’t right!”
I happen to think it was very right. A small little grin pulls at my lips as I think of Jackson. The way his hand came to rest against my forearm, the feel of his jaw in my hand, the tickle of his beard under my lips. The best part was the stunned look on his handsome face. It was all so perfect.
“What is it about that damn pub?” Ma looks around at all of us. “It’s just a pub, yet both my children seem drawn to the place.”
Declan shrugs, looking over at Amberlyn, a grin on his lips as he covers her hand. “I fell in love there.”
Amberlyn’s face warms a bit more as she laces her fingers with his. “We both did.”
“I go ’cause Fiona is hot,” I announce, and I mean it as a joke to calm Ma down, but it only makes her louder.
“So now yer tell me yer eating carpet. I wouldn’t be surprised!”
Declan balks at that while Amberlyn’s jaw drops. Looking to me, Declan asks, “Did she just ask if yer into girls?”
“I think she did,” I say, shaking my head. “But don’t worry, Ma, I haven’t played for that team yet.”
“Yet!” she roars, and I don’t miss the way Declan is holding back his laughter. Even he sees this is just pathetic. I mean, I get it. It’s the way I was raised, but things change. People change. I’ve changed. Completely. And it irritates me that she doesn’t realize that.
“Love, wasn’t she kissing a man in the pub?”
Ma throws her hands up at Da. “Yeah, which is another thing! Are ya mad? A bartender—”
“I won’t speak of him,” I say simply, my gaze cutting to hers. “Leave him out of this.”
I refuse to allow her to talk bad about Jackson. She’d call him everything but what he truly is, which is amazing. She doesn’t know how caring and sweet he is. How, when he looks at me, I get all gooey inside. She can’t take that from me. I won’t allow it.
★★★ TWO BOOKS / 99c EACH! ★★★
Whiskey Prince &Becoming The Whiskey Princess by Author Toni Aleo are only 99c!
“Once you start reading you can’t stop!” – Kindle Customer, ★★★★★
My name is Toni Aleo and I’m a total dork. I am a wife, mother of two and a bulldog, and also a hopeless romantic. I am the biggest Shea Weber fan ever, and can be found during hockey season with my nose pressed against the Bridgestone Arena’s glass, watching my Nashville Predators play! When my nose isn’t pressed against the glass, I enjoy going to my husband and son’s hockey games, my daughter’s dance competition, hanging with my best friends, taking pictures, scrapbooking, and reading the latest romance novel. I have a slight Disney and Harry Potter obsession, I love things that sparkle, I love the color pink, I might have been a Disney Princess in a past life… probably Belle. … and did I mention I love hockey?
I want to feel alive, and I do when I’m drinking and partying the way I should have when I was a teen. Instead, back then, I was preparing to become the Whiskey Princess, a role assigned to me from birth.
A lady never drinks to the point of blacking out, nor does she go home with men she meets in bars. But I went home with him…Jackson.
He was more than just a one-night stand, but I learned that a wee bit late and he was gone. Or so I thought.
For when I return home, Jackson is there, and he finds out very quickly who I am.
Problem is, I’m not sure that I’ve ever known who I really am.
***
I can tell by looking into her blue depths that she’s absolute trouble, but I have to have her. It’s only for one night. Some fun, and I’ll be on my way. My time here is done, and I’m ready to move on to my next adventure.
What I don’t realize at the time is that she is my next adventure.
Lena excites me. She blows my mind. And her brogue? It has me in knots. I don’t even care about the rumors that surround her.
She’s hurting. I want to help her, but then my time is up.
I am a wife, mother of two and a bulldog, and also a hopeless romantic. I am the biggest Shea Weber fan ever, and can be found during hockey season with my nose pressed against the Bridgestone Arena’s glass, watching my Nashville Predators play! When my nose isn’t pressed against the glass, I enjoy going to my husband and son’s hockey games, my daughter’s dance competition, hanging with my best friends, taking pictures, scrapbooking, and reading the latest romance novel.
I have a slight Disney and Harry Potter obsession, I love things that sparkle, I love the color pink, I might have been a Disney Princess in a past life… probably Belle. … and did I mention I love hockey?
She was once his inspiration. Now, he is her salvation.
Cori Clarke spent twenty-one years walking in her sister’s shadow. Being her bridesmaid is a duty she cannot refuse, even though her sister is marrying a man Cori always desired. The wedding is not a total loss once she runs into Jesse Woods, the older brother of her childhood friend. There are plenty of reasons to resist him, yet part of Cori is begging for Jesse’s touch. Regardless of how hard she fights against her desire, an exposed secret leaves her in urgent need of his help.
A complicated relationship is the last thing Jesse wants or needs. Being in a band left little time to find a girl genuinely interested in him, not the rock star he was becoming. Before he and Cori reconnected, he never thought he would be attracted to one of his sister’s friends. Cori always meant more to him, but admitting as much means confessing to something he has hidden for years. He cannot afford to make himself vulnerable to any woman.
When Jesse’s agent makes a ridiculous request, he spins it in his favor, allowing him to help Cori escape a dire situation. Now that she is his responsibility, he is in an awkward position. Being together dredges up old feelings. The ones Jesse has tried to forget. The ones Cori is just discovering.
Colliding with You is the second book in the Touched by Magic Series. If you like contemporary romances packed full of sass, steam, and second chances, then you’ll enjoy Kelli McCracken’s sensual tale of love and loyalty.
Kelli’s writing is always smooth, smart, and engaging. Colliding with You was sweet, sexy, and heart-warming. I would highly recommend. ~ CJ at Book Happiness
I loved how Cori and Jesse’s story developed. I loved how it ended. It was all wrapped up nicely. I highly recommend this book. ~ Jackie
Author Information
Most days you’ll find Kelli McCracken knee deep in chocolate bars, coffee, and kooky characters. She is a connoisseur of chocolate, professional percolator, and a master in the art of procrastination.
“Writing a novel is like running a three-ring circus. It’s chaotic, characters don’t do what’s expected, and they leave you with a trail of shit to clean. I’m the ringmaster of insanity. Welcome to the show.”
When she isn’t chasing kids, working on crafts, or sneaking a Kit Kat (or two), Kelli spends her time writing. Of course, it can’t be all work and no play. Once procrastination strikes, you can find her hanging out on Facebook, Pinterest, or Spotify. Be sure to stop by and say hi. She loves chatting with readers.
5 Random Facts About the Author
1) She’s a huge Star Wars fan 2) Her favorite authors include: J.R.R. Tolkien, Johanna Lindsey, PC & Kristin Cast, and Stephen King 3) Music inspires her writing 4) She loves singing (even if it’s off key) 5) If she could meet anyone dead or alive, she would choose Steve Jobs
Books authored by Kelli McCracken
Soulmate Series
Get swept away in a hot series by Kelli McCracken. Soulmate Series follows the journey of Dylan McBride, Heaven Lewis, and Layne Perry, a trio of Psi with a fate like no other. Can they save the world before it’s destroyed at the hands of The Fallen, or will their souls betray the love prophesied to save them?
Book One: What The Heart Wants Book Two: What the Heart Needs Book Three: What the Heart Takes Book Four: What the Heart Desires
Mystique Antiques Series
Book One: Only in Time
Heart & Soul Series
Heart & Soul is a contemporary romance series by author Kelli McCracken. The first book, Heartstrings, follows the journey of Jo Hayes, a pianist who, after a tragic accident, must rediscover herself as well as the life she once knew.
Book One: Heartstrings
Touched by Magic Series
A touch of spice. A touch of heart. A touch of magic. Fall under the spell of Kelli McCracken’s new Touched by Magic Series. The first book, Longing for You, follows the story of Theo McCabe, an up and coming musician on the verge of being a star, and Cassie Clarke, the only woman who’s ever affected his heart.
Book One: Longing for You Book Two: Colliding With You
“Vivid and charming.” — CHARLAINE HARRIS, #1 New York Times Bestselling Author
BLURB
He’s always been a haven:
For the lost. The sick. The injured.
But when a hunted woman takes shelter in his arms, this gentle giant swears he’ll do more than heal her battered spirit—he’ll defend her with his life.
K9 Officer Otto Gunnersen always had a soft spot for anyone in need. As Monroe’s very own Dr. Doolittle, he dedicates himself to rehabilitating the injured souls that cross his path—but for all his big heart, he’s never been in love.
Until he meets Sarah Clifton’s haunted eyes. Until he realizes he’ll do anything to save her.
All Sarah wants is to escape a life caught between ambitious crime families, but there’s no outrunning her past. Her power-mad brother would hunt her to the ends of the earth…but he’d never expect Sarah to fight back. With Otto and the whole of Monroe, Colorado by her side, Sarah’s finally ready to face whatever comes her way.
As she walked through the aisles, Sarah knew she was beaming like an idiot. She couldn’t help it. This place was amazing. It was part farm-supply, part hardware store, part department store. According to Jules, it was one of the few businesses in Monroe that stayed open all year round. Most of the shops and services closed for the winter.
They cut through a car-part aisle. Rounding the corner, Sarah sucked in a sharp breath.
“What?” Jules grabbed her arm and yanked her back into the aisle they’d just left. Grace followed, her expression concerned. “Is it someone you know? Do we need to go out the back?”
“No,” Sarah said hastily, embarrassed by her overreaction. “Sorry. I just saw…” Otto. The name rang in her head, but she didn’t want to admit that she remembered it. She hadn’t shared the details of her eventful morning walk three days earlier. Since Grace and Jules weren’t aware of the garage-roof conversation, Sarah knowing Otto’s name after so brief an introduction seemed like evidence of her budding, illogical crush. Her cheeks got hot, but she tried very hard to ignore that she was blushing—and the reason for her red face. “I just saw that cop I met last week. It was dumb. I just overreacted.”
“Otto?” Grace asked, and Sarah nodded, feeling her face heat even more at the sound of his name. Seriously, something was wrong with her. “Oh, he’s harmless. Really. I mean, so are Hugh and Theo, but they just come off a little more…harshly?” Grace gave Jules a help me look before turning back to Sarah. “You don’t need to be afraid of any of the cops here. We just didn’t want to overwhelm you by introducing you to all of them. They can be…” She looked at Jules again.
“Intimidating,” Jules supplied helpfully, and Grace nodded. “Otto really is the easiest to get along with of all three of them. You’ll love him once you get to know him.” Sarah tried not to grimace at the phrasing. She couldn’t admit that was why she was so nervous around Otto. The big cop was already in her thoughts much too often, and they’d exchanged just a few words. If she got to know him, she had a feeling she’d be in serious trouble.
Linking arms with Sarah, Grace started to lead her out of the aisle. Even though she was freaking out at the thought of talking with Otto again, Sarah tried to hide it. Her feet wanted to drag, but she forced her body to cooperate. She’d only known Grace and Jules a week, and they’d been nicer to her than anyone she’d ever known before. She didn’t want to admit her weird issues to them…not yet, at least.
“Otto!” Jules forged ahead, waving as she hurried over to the cop. He gave her a small smile before looking past her. When his gaze locked on Sarah, his expression stilled.
What does that mean? Why is he looking at me like that? she asked herself frantically. Unfortunately, she didn’t have an answer. Her previous life had kept her isolated, her social interactions limited to employees and business associates of first her father and then her brother. Sarah wasn’t sure how to read the big, blond cop, but she guessed that the frozen look was not a good sign.
He didn’t look away as they approached. Sarah couldn’t hold his gaze and dropped her eyes to the floor. It was impossible not to look at him, though, and she kept darting furtive glances in his direction. His hair was nearly white blond, cut short in a no-nonsense style. He wasn’t just a Viking lumberjack; he was like a Viking and a lumberjack had a baby, and that baby grew up to serve in the army and then become a Monroe police officer.
“Milk replacer? What orphans are you feeding now?” Jules asked, breaking what was turning into another awkward silence.
He finally looked away from Sarah to focus on Jules. “Puppies. Curtis Trammel’s shepherd was hit by a car.”
“He brought them to you?” Before he answered, Grace spoke again. “Of course he did. You’re the Dr. Doolittle around here, after all.”
Otto gave an uncomfortable half shrug, but Sarah had stopped pretending not to stare at him. He was a Viking lumberjack cop who bottle-fed orphaned puppies? If he’d spent years trying to think of the most effective punch to the ovaries, he couldn’t have come up with a better plan.
“Juju!” Ty called from across the store. “We’re going to get these guns, okay?”
“What? What guns? No, not okay.” Jules immediately charged toward the sporting goods section.
Grace grinned. Following after a stressed-looking Jules, she said over her shoulder, “This should be good. They probably want to mount them on their homemade drone.”
The two women disappeared around the corner of an aisle, and the realization hit Sarah—she and Otto were alone. Together. Sure, they weren’t really alone, since it was a public place with several people, including children, nearby, but…still. Alone. Together. Again. Her scalp prickled with sweat.
She tried desperately to think of something to talk about, but her mind was blank. There wasn’t a nearby herd of elk to supply a handy topic of conversation. It had been the same every time they’d met. Otto seemed to be a huge walking magnet, wiping her brain’s hard drive whenever he got near. “Um…how many puppies?”
He just stared at her, and uncertainty started to set in. Her question had made sense, hadn’t it? Maybe she should’ve clarified. But Sarah was afraid that, if she spoke again, she’d rush into a waterfall of babbly explanation, and that would just make her seem even more unbalanced.
“Your mouth…” He trailed off, his eyes fixed on her lips.
“My mouth…?” she echoed, and then horror hit her. There had to be something on her mouth. They had all just eaten lunch at the VFW-turned-diner where Jules worked. Was there something green and slimy in her teeth? Did she have residual barbeque sauce on her face? If so, she was going to kill Jules, Grace, and every last one of the kids for not telling her before she came face-to-face with a lumberjack Viking puppy rescuer. Sarah wiped frantically at her lips, feeling her cheeks heat. “What about my mouth?”
“It’s pretty.” His tanned face flushed to the color of brick. Abruptly, he turned and walked away.
Sarah went still, her hand still over her lips. There was a strange feeling in her stomach. It wasn’t the anxious dread she was used to, though. This was more of a hopeful fluttering, a funny little squeeze of happiness. Dropping her hand to her side, she smiled at Otto’s broad, quickly departing back.
He thinks I’m pretty.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
When she’s not writing, KATIE RUGGLErides horses, shoots guns, and trains her three dogs. A police academy graduate, Katie readily admits she’s a forensics nerd. While she still misses her off-grid home in the Rocky Mountains, she now lives in a 150-year-old Minnesota farmhouse near her family.
“So exquisitely titillating, full of hope and second chances, and so honest,
this is Rachel Blaufeld’s best and swooniest romance yet! I LOVED it!”
– Katy Evans, New York Times Bestselling Author
Heart Stronger, an all-new emotional romance from Rachel Blaufeld is available now!
“Sometimes, I feel like I’m watching a movie . . . that it’s not really me, Claire Richards, getting this second chance at life.”
“Open your eyes, it’s you, and I’m damn glad it’s with me.” ~ Aiken
Single mom and college professor Claire Richards only wanted a few hours of me time to soak in her tub, read a book, and drink wine.
But tragedy struck, and Claire found herself with a lot more me time than she bargained for.
Three years later, Claire is still mourning her losses when Aiken Fordham—who looks young enough to be one of her college students—moves in next door.
Forcing Claire to face her fears, Aiken almost forgets his reason for moving to Small Town, Pennsylvania. Falling for the sexy, smart, and strong professor next door was never in the plan.
But now it is . . . until their future intersects with their pasts.
Excerpt
The downpour stopped just as I did, soaked in rain and sweat. Rolling my neck, I took in my house. It was cute. Too cute for a single dude, but it was all fixed up, and I wasn’t in the mood for a renovation project.
I bent over to stretch, touching my toes, and before I could stand up, Smitty was at my feet, tail wagging, tongue lolling, begging to be petted.
“Smitty!” Claire came running out her front door, dark hair tied up in a messy bun, wearing tight black pants and a fitted green blouse. No shoes. She stopped in front of me, and I noticed her pink toes and tanned feet.
“Smitty, bad boy! You can’t leave the house.” She grabbed his collar and tugged him to her side.
“S’okay.” Wetness seeped into my eyes, and I swatted it away, making the burn worse. Squinting and blinking, I remained focused on the woman in front of me, and all woman she was. There wasn’t one girlish thing about my neighbor, and no—before you think it—I didn’t have mommy issues.
I had lean-muscular-legs and pouty-lips issues, both of which Claire had in earnest. Not to mention, I had a separate thing for independence after growing up around all these farming wives, who basically did all the heavy lifting for none of the credit. Then there was my dad, unable to move on, the epitome of lost.
“Don’t say that. He can’t be running out of the house.” Her breath was short at this point; she was almost panting. “He’s all I have.” It was a whisper of a sentence, but I heard it. Fuck it, I felt it. I got pain. Hated anyone else having to experience it.
She was eaten up with pain, but kept her head up—I could tell. I wanted to crack her veneers, let the pain ooze out, and see her smile in earnest.
Deep shit for a young guy, but I’d grown up fast. Like in the last forty-eight hours.
“I put my hand out to feel if it was still raining, and he bolted as soon as he saw you,” she continued to explain.
“Like I said, I’m cool with Smitty, but I get it. He can’t be escaping.”
“Thanks for understanding.” She stood, prim and proper, her gaze heavy on the concrete, clearly avoiding any direct eye contact.
“You okay, Claire? I’m sorry about last night.”
“I’m fine.” She turned back toward her house.
“Claire, listen, we got off to a bad start. Can we start over? Aiken Fordham, nice to meet you.” I held my hand out, flexing my bicep, waiting for her to return the favor.
“Claire Richards.” She took my hand, her smaller, dainty, and way smoother hand slipping into mine.
“Ugh. What do you want, Aiken? Look at you, shirtless, dripping from running in the rain.” Her hand whipped out of mine and began whisking up and down in the air, motioning at my very naked torso. “What could you possibly want from me? If you need an egg or a stick of butter, pop next door. Otherwise, let me be. I need to get out of here and beg Mary to give me a class full of students, probably not much older than you.” She alternated between eyeing me and her disobedient dog.
“You’re a beautiful woman, Claire,” I called, running up behind her. “And I’m a warm-blooded man, who’ll probably never have a need for a stick of butter. I’m a big boy. I know how to find a grocery store. All by myself too.”
She flung open her door and motioned Smitty inside. He stood at the screen door, staring us down with sad doggie eyes.
“Is there something wrong with getting to know my neighbor? I don’t know anyone here. Maybe you could be neighborly? Or are you so closed off you can’t do that? Because if so, that’s a damn shame,” I said through gritted teeth. Admittedly, I was more frustrated than I should have been. I was a man who desperately wanted the broken woman in front of me.
Rachel Blaufeld is a bestselling author of Romantic Suspense, New Adult, Coming-of-Age Romance, and Sports Romance. A recent poll of her readers described her as insightful, generous, articulate, and spunky. Originally a social worker, Rachel creates broken yet redeeming characters. She’s been known to turn up the angst like cranking up the heat in the dead of winter.
A devout coffee drinker and doughnut eater, Rachel spends way too many hours in local coffee shops, downing the aforementioned goodies while she plots her ideas. Her tales may all come with a side of angst and naughtiness, but end as lusciously as her treats.
As a side note, Blaufeld, also a long-time blogger and an advocate of woman-run anything, is fearless about sharing her opinion. She captured the ears of stay-at-home and working moms on her blog,BacknGrooveMom,chronicling her adventures in parenting tweens and running a business, often at the same time. To her, work/life/family balance is an urban legend, but she does her best.
Rachel has also blogged for The Huffington Post and Modern Mom. Most recently, her insights can be found in USA TODAY, where she shares conversations at “In Bed with a Romance Author”and reading recommendations over at “Happy Ever After.”
Rachel lives around the corner from her childhood home in Pennsylvania with her family and two beagles. Her obsessions include running, coffee, basketball, icing-filled doughnuts, antiheroes, and mighty fine epilogues.
When she isn’t writing, she can be found courtside, tweeting about hoops as her son plays, or walking around the house wearing earplugs while her other son, the drummer, bangs away.
In MAKE ME WANT, Lucy a bold and confident lawyer seeks the help of her good friend Gideon to reawaken her passion in the bedroom. Fans of Her Naughty Holiday by Tiffany Reisz or Expecting a Royal Scandal by Caitlin Crews will want to one-click this sizzling matchmaker romance.
Pre-order MAKE ME WANT and add it to your TBR pile on Goodreads! Then keep reading to get a sneak peek excerpt and enter the giveaway for one of five (5) eBook copies of MAKE ME WANT!
Title: Make Me Want Series: Make Me Author: Katee Robert
Genre: Contemporary Romance Release Date: March 1, 2018 Publisher: Harlequin Dare Format: Digital
Sexy. Passionate. Bold.Discover Harlequin DARE, a new line of fun, edgy and sexually explicit romances for the fearless female.
Praise for MAKE ME WANT: “Dare is Harlequin’s hottest line yet. Every book should come with a free fan. I dare you to try them!”—Tiffany Reisz, international bestselling author
Synopsis:
“I want everything.”
She’s taking control. And it’s driving him wild!
Lucy Baudin’s ex did a number on her self-esteem, but it’s time for her to regain control. In her job as a lawyer she’s bold, confident. But in the bedroom she needs inspiration to reawaken her inner seductress. Asking her friend Gideon Novak for help seems wrong…yet so deliciously right!
“You know exactly what I’m talking about.” He pulled her dress up, though he didn’t need the confirmation. “You come in here with that cock tease of a dress and you aren’t wearing panties.” Jealousy and desire twisted viciously through him. “Were you going to give Aaron a little show?”
“Oh, please. Give me a little credit.” She lifted her chin. “I’m proving a point. You, Gideon Novak, don’t get to make my decisions for me. I appreciate your help, but that’s where it ends.”
She didn’t want him.
He was good enough to fuck but not good enough to listen to.
He kept a white-knuckled grip on his temper because having a knock-down, drag-out fight here and now wasn’t an option for either of them. Not to mention the fact that he didn’t have a right to be pissed. She’d laid out the terms that first day and if he chose to ignore them, that was on him—not on Lucy.
It didn’t make how shitty this situation was any easier to swallow.
Gideon stepped back. “The table. Bend over it.”
Her eyebrows inched up. “You can’t be serious.”
“As a fucking heart attack. I told you what would happen if you showed up like that, and you were all too eager to pick up that gauntlet. Choices have consequences, Lucy. This is one of them.”
She backed toward the table. One step. Two. “The consequences being that you’ll spank my ass red and then fuck me right here.”
She wants it.
It didn’t soothe his temper. If anything, it ratcheted it up a notch. She might want it but she didn’t want him. “The table.”
Lucy turned and, prim as a princess, bent over the table. She seemed to consider and then lowered her chest further until the top half of her body was flush against the polished wood. The position left her ass in the air and had her skirt riding up so he could see how turned on she was by this.
“Which part is getting you?” He stood between her and the door and pushed her dress the last few inches to bare her completely. “The spanking, the defiance, or the fact that we’re in an unlocked room where anyone could walk in—including your fucking date?”
She tilted her ass up, just a little, an offer that made his mouth water. But it was her words that sealed her fate. “All of the above.”
About Katee Robert
New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling author Katee Robert learned to tell her stories at her grandpa’s knee. Her 2015 title, The Marriage Contract, was a RITA finalist, and RT Book Reviews named it ‘a compulsively readable book with just the right amount of suspense and tension.” When not writing sexy contemporary and romantic suspense, she spends her time playing imaginary games with her children, driving her husband batty with what-if questions, and planning for the inevitable zombie apocalypse.
Meet Dalton. He happily lives in the Bachelor Tower where women are allowed to visit but never stay for more than one night. It’s a dream come true until his entire life is turned upside down by one irresistible woman.
Dalton: Women are a perk of my lifestyle. I work hard. I deserve to play harder. But I didn’t get on the Forbes List of Rising Entrepreneurs by getting lost in the baggage and disruption that comes with dating. I’ve seen dozens of men fail when they fall in love. Pathetic.That’s why I chose the Bachelor Tower. It was designed by a genius, my hero: the late, Garry F. Sinclair. He created an all-male haven for ambitious men who want to live like kings and play by their own rules. Casino nights, a fully equipped gym and lap pool, cigar and Scotch bar, and a media room with screens the size of the average movie theater. The list is endless. I easily network with men trying to launch their careers or those at the top who want to stay hungry. The best part: the tower attracts women, beautiful women who hang out in the lobby bar and vie for an invite upstairs. Easy, like fishing in a barrel.Until Sinclair dies and Penny Fuller moves into the apartment next to me because the new owner doesn’t share his vision.
Everyone agrees Penny can’t stay. I don’t want to get involved, but she doesn’t understand the lengths my fellow building mates will go to to get her out. She’s not only irresistibly sexy and painfully optimistic, she’s also in real danger.
Ruth Cardello hit the NYTs and USA Today for the first time back in 2012. Millions of sales are evidence that her books are akin to potato chips, addictive from the first one. She has created a multi-series billionaire world with a combination of escapism and realism that has gained her a faithful following of readers.
What Kindle Reviewers write about her:
“Wow hot at every page. Heart stoping, fear raging, mind blowing wonderful.”
“I’m a true fan of Ms. Cardello. I ran on to her first book a few years back and have been hooked ever since. I could go on and on about the story line of this book, but I’m not. All of her books are total page turners, unique, heart wrenching, and I love them all. There isn’t two alike in the bunch and I feel like I know the characters personally. I personally read 97 authors books. And I buy every book they put out. This author is in my top 10. Great job and keep them coming.”
“Love this series. Got me to start reading again. I look forward to the next book. Thank you for giving me the love of reading back.”
Ruth was born the youngest of 11 children in a small city in northern Rhode Island. She spent her young adult years moving as far away as she could from her large extended family. She lived in Boston, Paris, Orlando, New York–then came full circle and moved back to New England. She now happily lives one town over from the one she was born in. For her, family trumped the warmer weather and international scene.
She was an educator for 20 years, the last 11 as a kindergarten teacher. When her school district began cutting jobs, Ruth turned a serious eye toward her second love- writing and has never been happier. When she’s not writing, you can find her chasing her children around her small farm or connecting with her readers online.
“”Tortured” is NOT your run of the mill romance… Hell No! It’s sizzling hot to a point of INFERNO… you have been warned… PROCEED WITH CAUTION! N.M. Catalano does not do light romance… definitely NOT her M.O.! She will grip all your senses and thrust passion with so much force you will be gasping for air! She lives up to her reputation as the Queen Of Erotica…” Pauline, Passionate About Books Blog
“Tests the limits of your emotions! From love to hate – from understanding to condemnation! Unrestrained – Primitive – RAW.” Joy, A Wonderful World Of Words Blog
“This overarching story has been building from Page 1 of Canvas. The tension is building and the pieces are starting to fit into place. The writing … N.M Catalano you are amazing.” Cat, Amazon Reviewer
Description
They say I have demons. They’re right. They say I’m dangerous. They’re right about that. The four of us, that’s what we do. They say I have no emotions. I wish. I feel everything, maybe more than you. They said I shouldn’t fall in love with a married woman. They’re right about that, too. It wasn’t part of the assignment. But I did. Now they want her. My demons are going to destroy them.
There once was a girl who believed in fairytales. They all came true. With contracts and lies and deceit. There is a woman who cries herself to sleep. Who lives a lie behind a beautiful mask. There is a woman who almost gave up. Almost. But then her prince charming came. He is everything she needs. Mysterious, dark, dangerous, who makes her do things, things that would shock you. Everything that she needs. There is a woman who belongs to someone else, who can never leave. There is a woman who is imprisoned by deals and money and power. There is a woman who loves a man she cannot have.
There is a man and a woman who will be destroyed.
**18+, very strong sexual content, very strong language, MFM. Suspense, a bit dark, BDSM, and absolutely intended for mature audiences, cliffhanger**
Excerpt:
TORTURED, Book 3 in The Program series
“Torture With Pleasure” Teaser
“Tonight, my pet, I’m going to tie you. It’s going to be tight, and you won’t be able to move. I’m going to torture you with pleasure. When you give up what I want, I’ll reward you.” Another shudder ripples through her body. “Do you understand?” She nods her head yes, but doesn’t answer. “Good.” I drag my hands over her body and cup her breasts, squeezing their delicious plumpness in my palms. “Lift your arms.” She does, and I pull her silk gold ribbed sweater over her head. “When I’m done with you, your body will be covered with the rope marks.” She sighs that fucking sigh that gets me harder. Undoing her bra, her breasts fall free. “What do you think when you look at my marks?” I whisper with my mouth at her ear. Her breathing is heavy now. I fucking love it.
She closes her eyes tightly. “I think, ‘yours’.”
That shit right there goes straight to my cock.
“Take off your shoes, Sasha,” I tell her as I unzip her skirt, slide it down until my thumbs slip into the elastic of her panties, and pull them both down her legs. With her now naked, I bend and pick up all of her things and bring them to one of the chairs under the window. The other, I carry to the foot of the bed. Next, I go to the walk-in closet, strip off my shirt, shoes, and socks, and leave them on the floor. In a box on the top shelf is where I keep the toys I bought for her. I take out the butt plug. Next to it is a bag of rope. I remove the five lengths I need. Back in the bedroom, I get the lube from the nightstand.
N.M. Catalano is an Amazon bestselling multi-published author. She spent many years in the corporate world, and owned several businesses. Having been fortunate to have such varied exposures, she had many opportunities to be exposed to different societies and cultures. After years of studying people and lifestyles, her fascination comes to life in the pages of her stories.
“I am just a woman, like many of you, who has lived through beauty and ugliness, happiness, (sometimes extreme), and sadness, (sometimes heart wrenching), and have grown to love life and myself even more. I write because I love the characters, I am madly and hopelessly in love with them and want to share them with the world. Life is beautiful and is meant to be enjoyed day by day, sometimes you have to pick out the good stuff with a magnifying glass like a needle in a haystack, but enjoyed none the less. The stories that I put on paper, I think, help us to find that enjoyment a little bit more.
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