Category Archives: Fun
thighs. She sighed with pleasure when he pressed closer, his tongue dipping into her mouth and tangling with hers. Good lord, the man knew how to kiss.
Lori King is the author of more than twenty-five Amazon best-selling romance novels, as well as a full-time wife and mother of three boys. Although she rarely has time to just enjoy feminine pursuits; at heart she is a hopeless romantic. She spends her days dreaming up Alpha men, and her nights telling their stories. An admitted TV and book junkie, she can be found relaxing with a steamy story, or binging in an entire season of some show online. She gives her parents all the credit for her unique sense of humor and acceptance of all forms of love. There are no two loves alike, but you can love more than one with your whole heart.
NEW RELEASE ~ Moonlight (Moonkind Series #2) by Ines Johnson
She was no damsel but he rescued her anyway.
SYNOPSIS
You can never go home again…
Viviane Veracruz is on her way home from university with a degree in one hand…and a baby in her belly. Desperate to escape the judgement of her family, she accepts a sexy stranger’s offer to pose as the father for a few days.
The plan is for him to run off leaving her family none the wiser. But the longer Pierce Alcede stays, the more she can’t let him go.
Home is where the heart is…
Pierce Alcede has finally come to terms with the fact that he is a lone wolf, prone to roam the wilderness alone and never settle down with a family of his own. When he meets a pregnant woman in need, he thinks nothing of stepping in to take the brunt of her family’s ire. But somewhere between working on the Veracruz Ranch by day and climbing into Viviane’s bed at night, Pierce forgets to run away.
Can a woman searching for a place to belong find a home with a man who lives to roam?
Moonlight is the second in a paranormal romance series full of alpha men and the strong, capable women that bend them to their knees. If you like a touch of magic in your romance novels, then you’ll love the witches, fairies, and wolves in the dystopian world of the moonkind.
EXCERPT
“Is this seat taken?”
The husky feminine voice called Pierce’s attention away from the window and up long legs, down dangerously curved hips, around high, pert breasts to end at a heart-shaped face engulfed in a halo of dark curls. The dark curls and lush curves marked her as a wolf.
Pierce cleared his throat and shifted in his seat. He motioned with his hands for the she-wolf to take the place across from him. She struggled to lift her luggage into the overhead compartment. Pierce stood to offer assistance.
“I’ve got it,” she insisted and hefted the bulk over her head with a grunt.
Pierce stepped back. He was used to strong, independent women. He’d been surrounded by them his whole life. He took no offense that this woman didn’t want his assistance. That didn’t mean he wasn’t a gentleman. He waited to be sure she’d secured the case. Then he waited some more until she was seated.
When she’d finished with her case and stepped into the booth, she stopped in front of her seat and blinked at him. Confusion and then irritation played across the angles of her beautiful face. Her brows rose to her hairline. She tilted her head towards his seat. When he failed to sit down, she motioned with her hand.
Pierce flustered down into his seat, averting his gaze. Had he made a mistake? Perhaps she wasn’t a wolf? Perhaps she was a witch?
It wouldn’t be the first time he’d mistaken a witch for a wolf. His last encounter with a witch -on a train no less- had led to a wedding. It had nearly been his wedding. Until his older brother, Jackson, had stepped in and claimed Lucia as the mate to his soul. The wolf and witch lived happily in a quaint little cottage in the woods.
With Pierce now in his seat, the woman sat. She crossed those mile long legs. Then she cleared her throat.
Pierce blinked. Then he realized; he’d been staring. That’s when he knew she wasn’t a witch. Had she been one he’d have been under a spell by now.
He looked up to offer a sheepish apology. When his eyes met hers, his breath caught in his throat. Beneath the halo of dark, thick hair she had eyes of the lightest blue. Pierce had seen the ocean of the Arctic. That body of water was a dark, murky swamp compared to the crystals set deep in this woman’s face.
He was a lone wolf, prone to roam. He was also a man with needs. Both man and wolf salivated at this woman before him. He was certain his interest was plain. He heard himself panting. His mouth watered. He brushed his thumb at the corner of his lip to capture the drop of evidence.
In response, the she-wolf closed her eyes and sighed. Her foot tapped an irritated song on the floorboards. She turned her head and focused her attention outside at the scenery.
“This is beautiful countryside,” he tried.
They were now far from Sequoia and nearer to the Mexican border.
“Yes,” she said. She turned her head from the window and produced a book from the bag in her lap. She held the book up in front of her face, blocking him from her beauty.
The terse response indicated that she wasn’t interested in him. It should’ve turned Pierce off. It didn’t. The last thing he wanted was an entanglement. Her disinterest in him would serve him well. If he could flip that disinterest, and by extension her, on its back for the morning.
Pierce rarely went for she-wolves. The hot-blooded females could form attachments with males who were not their mates. It was in their natures.
He saw no bite marks on her collarbone. He scented no other wolf on her skin. Though he noted a male scent; probably human. Wolves played with humans, but they didn’t mate for life. Which meant she likely wasn’t looking for any entanglements herself. If he could just capture her attention, he might spark her interest.
“I hope you don’t mind my saying,” he began, a wolfish smile on his face. “But you have the most beautiful-”
“You know, I’m perfectly fine if we dispense with all the niceties and sit here in companionable silence.” She said it with the most polite, most beatific smile.
That smile made Pierce’s blood pump and his cock harden. He’d give her anything to keep her smiling at him like that. “If that’s what you wish.”
“It is.” She aimed the smile pointedly at him.
From his peripheral view, he caught a look at the stupid grin on his face in the glass window. “Then that’s what you’ll have.”
“Thank you.” She pulled the book up, hiding her smile and those eyes, breaking the spell. With her smile gone, Pierce’s grin turned into a frown. He read the cover of the thick book in her hands; Sheep Health, Husbandry, and Disease. He doubted it was for pleasure reading. Perhaps it was a textbook? Maybe she was a student? Sequoia University was near the train station.
“Are you a student?”
She lowered the book and arrowed those light-colored eyes at him. “I thought we agreed to dispense with the niceties?” She smiled, but the facial expression was tight and full of annoyed patience.
His wolf wanted to poke it with his paw. “I can’t help it. I’m always nice. My mother raised a gentleman.”
Her false facade dropped at the word gentleman. “The only time males are gentlemen,” she practically spat the word, “is when they want to get up a female’s skirt.”
Pierce’s eyes darted to those long legs and the hem of her skirt. By the time he made it back to her face, he knew he was caught. He put on his most winning smile. This smile had gotten him an A in Ms. Peckham’s Chemistry class even after he failed both the midterm and final exams. Fairies fell to their knees at this smile. Hell, even a witch had fallen under the spell of this smile. Pierce launched it at the wolf across from him.
Before he could put forth words, she opened her mouth to speak. Then she swallowed. She rubbed her hand over her flat abdomen. Finally, she lurched forward, vomiting in his lap. So much for his A game.
Moonrise ~ Book 1 in the series
Sometimes love at first sight needs a second glance.
It’s love at first sight when Lucia rescues a charming wolf shifter from certain death. She’s sure he feels the same way and will tell her so—just as soon as he wakes up from his coma. To remain by his side at the emergency room, she pretends she’s his mate. But her resolve is tested when she gets a glimpse of her fake-mate’s brother.
For months, Jackson has sensed that his fated mate was near. When he enters his unconscious brother’s hospital room, he instantly pounces on the beautiful, curvaceous woman he finds there, ready to mark her as his. Until he learns his brother got there first. Jackson’s skepticism about their mating grows the more he gets to know Lucia. She has nothing in common with his wayward brother, but she checks everyone of Jackson’s boxes.
As Jackson and Lucia fight their attraction, the rest of the family embraces Lucia as one of their own. But what will happen when his brother, her fake-mate, wakes up?
You can purchase this book now.
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MOONRISE EXCERPT:
Jackson
The ride across town was a blur. On the streets, Jackson defied the sped limit, sirens blaring.
Once he reached the hospital, he tore through the doors, startling the woman behind the desk. “PPU,” he flashed his badge. “Pierce Alcede’s room.”
The woman scrambled and gave him the room number.
As Jackson stalked down the hall, he caught another whiff of that tantalizing scent. It nearly knocked him off his course, but his mind deftly shifted to his brother.
Inside the room his brother lay limp on the hospital bed. Pierce had grown smaller since the last time Jackson had seen him. Or perhaps it was because he lay prone and helpless in a bed. The sharp angles of his cheeks appeared gaunt. He needed a shave. The fuzz on his chin and cheeks were overgrowing as it tended to do with wolves in general, but the Alcede men in particular. It also looked as though it had been a while since Pierce had had his haircut. Pierce never groomed as much as Jackson, because unlike Jackson, Pierce rarely had to make himself presentable doing a job he didn’t find fulfilling. No, Pierce got to traipse around the world and get into fights with humans over protecting a witch.
Before Jackson’s irritation at his brother could take hold of him, Pierce pulled in a struggling breath and then settled once more. Jackson sighed and released his anger at his wounded baby brother.
He took a deep breath and the tantalizing scent from the train station reached his nose and diverted his attention. The scent was a light layer on his brother’s skin, beneath the antiseptic and other chemical smells the doctors used on him. What the hell was that?
It appeared to grow closer and denser in his nose as though it were enveloping him in a balloon; expanding wider, a wave growing larger. The door to the hospital room opened, and the wave crashed into him.
Standing just inside the door was the most beautiful woman Jackson had ever seen. She had a mane of thick hair. Her skin was a cross between raw honey and an almond, perhaps honeyed almonds because that’s exactly what she smelled like.
She had her back to him and he caught the shapely hourglass figure that could only belong to a wolf woman. Fairies were tall, thin waifs. Witches, what few he’d encountered in person, were strong and muscular. Human women ran the gamut, but none had the curves of a wolf.
And then she turned.
Her face was perfection. Heart-shaped with a full set of lips that parted as she saw him standing there. Her dark eyes widened. She opened her mouth and said something, but the scent of her fogged Jackson’s brain and the single word didn’t translate.
Jackson’s canines watered. His claws pierced the tips of his fingers. The pain distracted him, and his wolf slipped its leash. He was on her before he could stop himself.
She gasped in surprise as he pinned her to the door. His body flush with hers, but not quite touching. Only a half an inch between his chest and hers. His legs boxed her in below. His arms caged her in. They were nose to nose. The taste of her breath on his tongue was nearly enough to make him raise up the thin dress she wore.
But he couldn’t do that. He didn’t even know her name.
“Tell me your name.” It wasn’t his voice. It came from within. It was the wolf’s deep growl.
The woman—no, not the woman—his woman. His woman flinched. She gasped in a breath, taking away a tendril of the scent. The loss felt like an ocean going down a drain.
From within, Jackson grabbed at his wolf. But the beast swatted his attempt away. It was in full control. The honey-brown tint of her skin was slowly changing to shades of silver.
“Please,” the word came out a grumbled plea. It was the best the wolf could do being this close to the woman he knew was his mate. Jackson’s upper lip grazed her nose as he said the word. She shivered in the cage of his arms. It took all of Jackson’s inner strength to hold the wolf back that half of an inch between his body and hers. “I want to know what to call you, besides mine.”
She tilted her head up at him. Her dark eyes widened even more. “Yours?”
Jackson’s lips curled up in a possessive smile. He knew he must look possessed. But she didn’t run. She didn’t flinch. She stared at him, caught in this trap.
She was a wolf. She knew she could reject him. She also knew it wouldn’t mean he wouldn’t let her go so easily. He would pursue her until she gave in or she accepted another’s suite. Even then, his feelings would never likely die. That was the way of male wolves.
But she didn’t run. She kept perfectly still.
Of course she knew if she ran, he would chase. He would track her and when he finally caught her, he would pin her down and lick, nip, and stroke her into submission.
By the Goddess, he wanted her to run. Jackson’s hand slipped to the door handle, prepared to turn it to give her a head start.
And then she spoke. “My name is Lucia.”
Lucia
Over this man’s broad shoulder she spied Pierce lying prone on the bed. In an instant, the man she’d planned to spend the rest of her life with was blocked from her view, and all she saw was the beast of a man who held her captive in his churning gaze.
His eyes bored into hers. There wasn’t a thought of fear in the layers of brown and bronze and gold. There was only hunger. With every flick and twitch of his irises Lucia felt herself being devoured.
He held her there. She was free to move, but her body was entirely immobilized, captivated by his gaze.
A wave a panic hit Lucia. Was she under a spell? Could this be a warlock weaving his magic into her brain to leave her a spineless, whimpering damsel in distress? Would he put a gold ring on her finger and rob her of her will and her shoes to become barefoot and pregnant for the rest of her days?
A low growl escaped the man. Not a growl, more like a purr. There wasn’t any menace in the sound. It wasn’t the dominant sound a predator made when it spotted easy prey. The sound that emanated from the chest of this large man with soul-brown eyes reminded Lucia of evening prayers. The sound was reverent, humble, grateful.
Any ounce of fear, any thought of flight, fled Lucia’s very being.
The cauldron of his eyes traced each of her brows, every lash on her left then her right eyelid. They burned a path down her nose, hanging on the tip. When the corner of his mouth hitched up in a grin, she pressed her thighs together, certain her undergarments were about to slip off her hips.
“Tell me your name,” he said in a voice that was barely human. “Please? I want to know what to call you, besides mine.”
“Yours?” she asked.
Lucia’s heart pounded in her ears, drowning out any sense. This man—no, this wolf had called her his. He was claiming her. A wave of pleasure rolled down her shoulders and settled low in her abdomen when he’d called her ‘mine.’ She wanted him to say that word again, and then again.
It had been so long since she’d felt like she belonged. For the past ten years since her mother’s passing, she’d felt like a burden to Mother Sage. She’d felt like an outsider in her coven. She’d felt so alone since her mother had returned to the Goddess. But this wolf wanted her name.
The myths and lore about there being power in names held a fair amount of truth. When you called out someone’s name, you captured their attention. When someone affixed their name to a piece of paper it transferred power. When a woman took a man’s name, it consolidated power. There was an awesome amount of power in names.
She gave him hers.
INSPIRATION:
These stories are based on my favorite holiday movies. Starting around November, cable channels start to run romantic comedies like While You Were Sleeping and Moonstruck. I will stop what I’m doing and watch these films, even if I catch them in the middle. What gets me each time is that love comes to the characters unexpectedly and they’re helpless to do anything about it.
Although I’m a fan of romantic comedies on cable, I’m not the hugest reader of that genre. I like a touch of magic with my romance novels. That got me thinking; What if these books were set in a paranormal world? I wrote Moonrise my adaption of While You Were Sleeping in December. Then in January, I penned Moonlight after I caught Keanu Reeves stomping grapes in A Walk in the Clouds. And in February, I adapted the Cher classic Moonstruck into Moonfall with a wolf that is barely on this side of sanity, but he loves hard. Enter my paranormal romance series full of alpha men and the strong, capable women that bend them to their knees. If you like a touch of magic in your romance novels, then you’ll love the witches, fairies, and wolves in the dystopian world of the moonkind.
AUTHOR Q & A
What got you started in writing?
I come from a family of storytellers. My mother would talk your ears off for hours and my father is a songwriter. I began my storytelling career in television, where I still dabble from time to time. A few years ago I’d written a script that I thought would make an excellent book, only I didn’t know how to write a book. So I took a couple of classes and started querying. I never received a single rejection letter. Instead, I got no responses at all in the beginning! But I never gave up and I never stopped writing. Wait, isn’t the definition of insanity?
How do you get your ideas for writing?
I’m a very bad Buddhist. I sit each week in sangha, which is similar to sitting in a church pew on Sunday. In a sangha the teacher, think preacher, will lecture on spiritual teachings and guide the group in mediation. During meditation when I’m supposed to be getting my zen on, my mind always wanders back to the teaching and turns it into a story.
What do you like to read? Perfect heroines are boring and unrealistic to me; they must be flawed in some way. I prefer stories where the heroine’s a strong, bright, and successful in their careers but are clueless and inept in their love lives.
How long did you write before you were published?
I went to school for producing and screenwriting, and worked in the broadcasting industry for over a decade, before trying my hand at novel writing. I wrote my first novel in 2009. It was based off a script that I wrote but couldn’t find the financing for. I was so proud of my work, but readers and critique partners noted that it was evident that I was a screenwriter and didn’t understand the mechanics of novelization. Screenwriting consists of action and dialogue. That’s it. In scripts, there is no internal monologuing and setting is minimal. I had some learning to do. Five years, and a ton of classes later, I’ve got four published novels lush in setting and internal angst.
Generally, how long does it take you to write a book?
The first time I tried to write a book it took me one year to write the first three chapters because I agonized over each word choice. Now, I believe in fast drafting. Vomit the story onto the page without a care for comma placement. All told, it takes me about six months from the first drafted word to the final polished manuscript.
I take three to four weeks for the first draft, which I call The Dirty. I let The Dirty breath for as long as I am able to be parted with it -usually a week or two. Then I come back and Sweep up the grammar and plot holes, which usually takes another three to four weeks.
Next I send The Swept draft out to my trusted critique partners. When it comes back I Clean it up for another three weeks focusing on my weaknesses, which is setting. Finally, I send The Clean manuscript off to the copyeditor for two to three weeks. When it comes back I Polish up all the commas and rethink my overused words. Then I hit publish, and start all over again!
What genres do you write?
I write romantic erotica, paranormal romance, and fairy tale retelling romance novels. Notice the romance in each genre. I began writing YA, but realized my love scenes were too hot for teens!
What is the most you have written in one day?
The most I’ve written in one day is 4551 words. How do I know that? Because I keep a log. I record what plot point I was writing, where I wrote, what time I started writing, how long I wrote, and my word count.
I typically Fast Draft with a friend; a competitive friend. I recommend writing along with competitive people. It forces you to get the words out. I also believe in incentives and I give myself stickers when I meet my word count -a trick I learned stalking Laini Taylor’s blog.
What are you currently reading?
I’m reading a nonfiction book called “Sperm Wars: The Science of Sex” by Robin Baker. The title reveals the subject matter. It’s about what goes on inside a fertile woman’s body. Did you know that less than 1% of sperm is designed for fertilization of the egg? There are Terminator sperm that engage in warfare with enemy sperm from the PartTime Lover. Its fascinating! Its research for my current WIP.
What are your current projects?
There are so many stories in my head begging to get out. I’m drafting the fourth book in my fairytale retellings where all the heroines are single mothers getting a second chance at love. And, waiting in the wings is my new adult, science fiction romance, which is an ode to the sun.
AUTHOR INFO
Ines writes books for strong women who suck at love. If you rocked out to the twisted triangle of Jem, Jericha, and Rio as a girl; if you were slayed by vampires with souls alongside Buffy; if you need your scandalous fix from Olivia Pope each week, then you’ll love her books!
Aside from being a writer, professional reader, and teacher, Ines is a very bad Buddhist. She sits in sangha each week, and while others are meditating and getting their zen on, she’s contemplating how to use the teachings to strengthen her plots and character motivations.
Ines lives outside Washington, DC with her two little sidekicks who are growing up way too fast.
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SPOTLIGHT TOUR ~ Last Chance Cowboys: The Lawman (Where the Trail Ends #2) by Anna Schmidt
SPOTLIGHT TOUR
Title: Last Chance Cowboys: The Lawman
Series: Where the Trail Ends, #2
Author: Anna Schmidt
ISBN: 9781492612995
Pubdate: December 6, 2016
Genre: Historical Western Romance
From acclaimed author Anna Schmidt comes a sweeping historical Western romance about the unbreakable bonds of family, second chances, and a whole lot of heart in the Wild West.
“This is me, Addie,” Jess murmured. “You and me, the way we always were.”
But it wasn’t, no matter how much she wished it were true. They were different now. She would always love him…
But can she trust him not to break her heart?
Jess Porterfield fled to the big city after his father’s sudden death, leaving behind his family ranch-and his childhood sweetheart. Now Jess has returned as the local lawman, determined to prove his worth…and win back the one woman he could never live without.
Young frontier doctor Addie Wilcox was devastated when Jess left her behind. Now he’s back and it’s difficult to remember why she should keep her distance. But with the town’s richest man set to see her hang for a crime she didn’t commit, Addie must put her faith in the lawman who broke her heart-and trust that together they’ll find their second chance at love.
Award-winning author Anna Schmidt delights in creating stories where her characters must wrestle with the challenges of their times. Critics have consistently praised Schmidt for her ability to seamlessly integrate actual events with her fictional characters to produce strong tales of hope and love in the face of seemingly insurmountable obstacles. She resides in Wisconsin.
Buy Links
From the Author…
Sometimes characters I think are minor speak up. (Sometimes they pretty much grab me by the shoulders and shout, “I want to tell my story!”) That was the case with Dr. Addie Wilcox. So when her childhood sweetheart and love-of-her-life Jess Porterfield returns at the end of The Drifter, I knew what the second book in the series would be. In The Lawman, Addie has to fight her lifelong attraction to Jess, determined that he won’t break her heart again. Trouble is, once he gets appointed to serve as the town marshal and is pretty much living down the street from Addie and her family, avoiding his good looks, charming smile and determination to win her heart becomes pretty much impossible.
The story of Addie and Jess is all about first love and second chances. Here’s an excerpt that I hope sends you running to the store or your computer to read more…
Excerpt:
Addie could not for the life of her figure out why she continued to allow that man to get to her. Why couldn’t she be more like Jess’s younger sister and her good friend, Amanda—calm and sophisticated? She searched the gathering for Amanda, but hesitated when she saw her friend surrounded by the usual trio of admirers. Amanda had been planning this party for weeks now. She certainly deserved to enjoy herself and not have to sympathize with Addie. Besides, Jess was Amanda’s brother, newly returned to the fold from his travels following his father’s death—a death everyone now knew had not been the accident they’d first thought.
Addie stopped dead in her tracks. Her hand flew to her mouth. What was she thinking?
Poor Jess. Did he know? Had anyone told him? Of course not. Jess had a temper, and if he knew what everyone now knew—that his father’s death was not the accident they’d first thought–he’d likely be off trying to track down the killer.
Maybe Jess had overheard some of the talk. Maybe that was why he was talking about applying for the marshal’s position. After all, Jasper Tipton had built that big house in town to please his bride, Pearl, and his brother, Buck, lived there as well. While the local marshal had no jurisdiction outside the town limits, Jess might just think the fact the Tiptons resided in town opened the door for him to go after them. More than likely he would get himself killed in the bargain. Her head was spinning as she tried to think the issue through from every side.
“This is not one of your medical cases,” she muttered to herself. “This is Jess.” And when it came to figuring out what Jess Porterfield might be thinking, she fully appreciated that logic was not part of the process. She was still mad at him for leaving all those months ago but that didn’t mean she didn’t care about him and, knowing his temper, he was bound to get into trouble. With a sigh, she headed off to find her father. Maybe he could talk some sense into the man—the man she had fallen in love with, planned a future, with and then rejected. But as she moved through the throng of party guests pausing now and then to exchange a greeting, it wasn’t her father she saw—it was Jess.
He wasn’t spoiling for a fight at all. No, he was laughing and flirting with Sybil Sinclair. Sybil with her blonde curls and her bright blue eyes and a cupid’s bow of a mouth that made her look like a porcelain doll. Sybil with her tiny waist and her flawless skin and giddy laugh that actually came out as Tee-hee-hee.
“My brother is trying to make you jealous,” Amanda murmured, coming to stand next to her. “Do not let him know that it’s working.”
“It’s not,” Addie insisted, pushing her glasses more firmly onto the bridge of her nose. She straightened to her full height, which was still a good three inches shorter than Sybil’s willowy five foot four. She brushed back a lock of hair that had come loose from the practical bun she preferred and tried not to think about how her stick-straight locks would look worn down like Sybil’s long curls. “I really couldn’t care less if your brother wants to make an utter fool of himself with that…”
“Good to know you aren’t affected,” Amanda said wryly.
A Bit of Fun:
When authors aren’t hard at work crafting books readers can fall in love with, like readers, they enjoy unwinding with a good book, movie or television program. Maybe the writing is inspiring, or maybe it’s just nice to escape the real world for a little bit. We asked Anna about her favorite stories, ones from popular books, movies, and television shows that many of us probably know too. Read on to see what she had to say!
POLDARK (PBS Series)
Anna: I’m watching this now and total in love with Poldark—for the moment.
Interestingly enough, Anna takes inspiration, not just from other books, but from film and television most of all. She says:
That’s the way I write. My characters are actors on a stage or in a movie, and they walk around doing whatever they please while I try to get it all down!
Giveaway
Win one of five copies of Last Chance Cowboys: The Drifter,
the first book in Anna Schmidt’s ‘Where The Trail Ends’ series
About the Author:
Anna Schmidt is the award-winning author of over twenty works of historical and contemporary fiction. A reviewer from Romantic Times notes that “Schmidt is not timid about presenting her characters with their faults laid bare for the reader to see.”
Anna’s series set in WWII Germany with an American Quaker protagonist has been praised by Publisher’s Weekly! Her trilogy of contemporary novels about Mennonites living in the community of Pinecraft just outside Anna’s winter home of Sarasota, Florida is now available in single title and as a three-book volume. She is currently working on a four-book Western romance series.
Anna is a three-time finalist for the coveted RITA award from Romance Writers of America and has finals and won the Reader’s Choice award from Romantic Times magazine. Critics have called Anna “a wonderful storyteller”!
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SPOTLIGHT TOUR ~ Sweet Southern Bad Boy (Harmony Homecomings #3) by Michele Summers
Title: Sweet Southern Bad Boy
Series: Harmony Homecomings, #3
Author: Michele Summers
Pub Date: December 6, 2016
ISBN: 9781402293610
Sweet Southern Bad Boy is now casting actors for the main couple
Looking for dynamic couple with off the charts chemistry and sizzling sex appeal and ability to banter, laugh and cry with each other. Need to believe in the elusive love at first sight and living happily ever after.
Buy Links:
Amazon | Books-A-Million | Barnes & Noble | Chapters | iBooks | Indiebound
ABOUT Sweet Southern Bad Boy
Katie McKnight loves her job. Not really. But Katie loves her dad and this job means everything to him. Which is why she finds herself scouting for the perfect house to film a mini-series…and that house happens to be in Harmony, NC. Now if Katie can convince the grouchy, disheveled, but totally hunky guy who owns it that this is the perfect setting for the next teen craze, then she’ll be in business.
Bestselling author, Vance Kerner has lost his mind along with his favorite loafers and the notes to his next novel…somewhere under all the dirty dishes in his kitchen. Since babysitting his brother’s three kids, one dog and a cat, Vance hasn’t found a moments peace. So when California Katie knocks on his door, Vance doesn’t stop to ask questions. He simply yanks her inside and puts her in charge.
Katie agrees to babysit if Vance will allow her film crew access to his property. Vance agrees to listen to Katie’s terms with an open mind. He’ll agree to anything for the time and peace he needs to write. Almost.
But having Katie underfoot is anything but peaceful. And Vance is finding less and less time to write and more and more time to watch Katie weave a lovely spell on all the Kerners, especially him. Can these two opposites find a common ground and the love they both deserve?
Sweet Southern Bad Boy Casting Call
Casting call for one strong, hunky, athletic, alpha-male with a bit of an attitude and a little bit of crank on the side, but beneath the gruff exterior, a really good guy. All actors apply between 29 and 34 years of age, 6’ to 6’-3’’ tall, dark longish hair, dark eyes, cool facial scuff, and totally handsome. No scrawny pip-squeaks need apply. No shaved heads, dreadlocks or Mohawks and no Duck Dynasty look-a-likes. Authentic southern drawl a real plus along with a sexy smoldering look and a piratical smile.
Calling all pretty, fresh-faced gals with long dark hair and dark eyes, approximately 5’-4” to 5-6” in height with a sunny smile and disposition to match. Between the ages of 26 and 30; size 10 with womanly curves. Nice but no push-over, strong enough to wrangle three wild children under the age of 6. No shrinking violets, or high-maintenance, spoiled princesses need apply. Executing piercing wolf whistle could seal the deal.
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About the Author
MICHELE SUMMERS writes about small-town life with a Southern flair, and has her own interior design business in Raleigh, North Carolina, and Miami, Florida. Both professions feed her creative appetite and provide a daily dose of humor. |
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SPOTLIGHT TOUR ~ Wolf Unleashed (SWAT, #5) by Paige Tyler
SPOTLIGHT TOUR
Title: Wolf Unleashed
Series: SWAT, #5
Author: Paige Tyler
ISBN: 9781492625988
Pubdate: December 6, 2016
Genre: Paranormal Romance
SHE BRINGS OUT THE WOLF IN HIM
Lacey Barton can’t deny her crazy attraction to Alex Trevino, but that doesn’t mean she has time for the gorgeous SWAT officer. She’s hell-bent on discovering who’s behind the brutal dogfights sending countless mauled animals to her veterinarian office. The trail leads Lacey to a ring of vicious drug dealers and suddenly she’s in way over her head—right smack in the middle of a SWAT stakeout.
With Lacey in danger, Alex’s wolf side is unleashed. But when she witnesses Alex shift, she’s even more terrified… Now it’s up to Alex to crack the case—and earn back Lacey’s trust and, ultimately, her heart.
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Excerpt from Wolf Unleashed
Dr. Barton was bent over rummaging through a bottom drawer of the built-ins on the far wall. Even though Alex did his best not to stare, it was impossible not to notice that she had an incredibly spectacular ass. He’d always been a leg man, but one look at her derrière and he suddenly decided he’d been missing out.
Then she stood up, turned around, and flipped her long, wavy blond hair over her shoulder, and he realized that the rest of her was equally stunning. While her baggy white lab coat hid a lot, he could still tell that she had an athletic build and some really nice curves. It was her face that made his heart beat faster, though. She had the most captivating pair of blue eyes he’d ever seen and full red lips just begging to be kissed. From this moment forward, whenever he pictured an angel, he would think of the beautiful Dr. Barton.
Alex smiled, and when she smiled back, he heard her heart thudding a little quicker. But then she looked down at Tuffie, and her entire expression changed. Hurrying over, she dropped down to one knee beside Tuffie, gently examining her ears and face.
She gave Alex an angry glare. “Please tell me you arrested the people who put this beautiful girl in a dogfighting ring. Even better—tell me you shot them.”
If Alex had thought her heart was beating fast before, it was nothing compared to the way it was thumping now. Clearly, Dr. Barton was very passionate about protecting dogs. In his book, that made her even more beautiful than she already was.
“I wish I could, but unfortunately, we never found the people who did it,” Alex said. “We rescued Tuffie when her owner was killed. He died trying to protect her from a psychopath armed with a rifle.”
Dr. Barton’s gaze went back to Tuffie, her expression turning from anger to sadness as she ran her fingers down the fresh scars along the dog’s chest and side. “Looks like she got shot anyway.”
“Yeah. It’s a miracle she lived long enough for my teammate and me to get her here in time for Doc Jones to save her. Thank God for sirens. I think we ran every red light in town.”
The veterinarian straightened, gracing him with another dazzling grin, and Alex felt his knees go a little loose. Damn, what a smile.
“I knew there was something I liked about you the second you walked in.”
Alex felt his face flush. “It wasn’t a big deal. I’m a cop. Saving people—and dogs—comes with the job description.” He cringed the moment the words left his mouth. Had he really just said something that lame?
Thankfully, the beautiful Dr. Barton didn’t seem to notice the cheesy line. Or if she had, she was too polite to laugh at him.
“And is bringing Tuffie to her appointments also in your job description?” she asked, her eyes twinkling.
Was her heart beating even faster than before? Unless it was his own heart pounding in his ears. That was a definite possibility. Because it seemed like he had a real thing for Dr. Barton.
He smiled. “It is if the rest of the SWAT team and I adopted her and gave her a new home.”
Alex knew it was a shameless grab to get further into the doctor’s good graces, but he couldn’t seem to stop himself.
“Not only did you save her life, but you adopted her too? I think Tuffie hit the lottery with you, Officer…?”
“Trevino,” he said, filling in the blank and offering his hand. “But please, call me Alex.”
She took his hand and gave it a shake. “Nice to meet you, Alex. I’m Lacey Barton.”
Her hand was small in comparison to his, her skin soft and warm, and Alex found himself holding on a bit longer than was customary. Lacey didn’t seem to mind. In fact, she appeared just as reluctant to let go as he did.
She pushed her hair behind her ear and cleared her throat. “I guess we ought to get on with Tuffie’s checkup. So you can get back to saving the world and everything.”
“Yeah, of course.”
Reaching down, Alex gently picked up Tuffie and set her on the stainless steel exam table.
“Nice muscle tone,” Lacey murmured.
Alex felt the compliment go right to his head. “Thanks.”
“Actually, I was talking about Tuffie,” Lacey said as she tenderly ran her hands over the dog’s shoulders.
“Oh.”
She looked up at him from beneath her lashes. “But yours is pretty good too.”
Alex chuckled. Damn, this woman was good. He had her by a foot in height and more than a hundred pounds in weight, yet she was playing him like a fiddle, and he didn’t mind one bit. He couldn’t remember ever having such an immediate and intense reaction to any woman he’d ever met. Suddenly, he wanted to know everything there was to know about her—and then some.
Lacey was more than accommodating, telling him about how she’d recently gotten a job here after working several years at a place on the west side of Dallas closer to Arlington.
“I loved it there, but this place is closer to my apartment,” she told him as she continued to examine Tuffie. “I’ve cut my commute time by about an hour and a half each way, so it’s like getting a whole extra day off to do stuff I want to do instead of sitting in traffic.”
“And what do you like to do with all this extra time?” he asked.
Lacey leaned over to read something in Tuffie’s medical records. Alex tensed, worried she’d found something wrong, but after a moment, she merely nodded to herself, then went back to checking Tuffie. “I do a lot of volunteer work at one of the nearby animal shelters,” she said. “I’m also on call to help out both Animal Services and the DPD Animal Cruelty Squad when they run into injured dogs.”
Whoa. A woman who spent her days taking care of dogs for a living, then did it during her spare time for free? That was definitely a woman Alex could appreciate.
“It’s pretty amazing that you give so much of your time to animal causes,” he said. “Getting called out at all hours of the day and night must be tough on your boyfriend, though.”
Lacey urged Tuffie over on her back, pressing carefully along one of the long scars that ran all the way from the base of her rib cage to the middle of her cute pink tummy.
“I don’t have a boyfriend right now,” she said, the corners of her mouth turning up. “My life is a little too busy for that at the moment.”
Bingo! Alex had already noticed she wasn’t wearing a ring. Now he knew she wasn’t seeing anyone. Could this get any better?
A question to Paige:
In Wolf Unleashed, the fifth installment in Paige Tyler’s sexy and suspenseful SWAT series, Lacey, the heroine, sees a side of the hero, Alex, that she really did not expect. Namely, his wolf side!
We asked Paige Tyler about other fantastic stories that portray a character seeing another in a new light. What are her favorites?
Belle from Beauty and the Beast. There may be something there that wasn’t there before. How many people just said “aww, I love that scene” the moment they read those words? I know I did! This movie is the ultimate example of seeing someone in a new light.
Beast was mean and he was coarse and unrefined, but once Belle got past that, she discovered he was dear and so unsure. Tell the truth. You just sang that part out loud, didn’t you? I know I did!
Belle discovered that even a big shaggy creature with fangs and claws could be more than that, if you give him a chance. It’s one of the reason that I love that movie so much (Plus there’s that amazing yellow ball gown. Are you kidding me?).
BLP REVIEW ~ Tracy
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About the Author
Paige Tyler is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of sexy, romantic fiction.
Paige writes books about hunky alpha males and the kick-butt heroines they fall in love with. She lives with her very own military hero (a.k.a. her husband) and their adorable dog on the beautiful Florida coast.
Some Fun Facts about Paige…
She loves anything and everything Disney related, and has pictures with every Disney character to prove it.
Her favorite Disney characters are Tigger, Pooh, Goofy and Tinkerbell.
She’s addicted to dark chocolate, Pinterest and Sephora.
She’ll tell you she’s not exactly the outdoor type, but yet she loves the beach.
She studied ballet for twelve years.
She went to art school, and yes, figure drawing was her favorite class (probably because all the nude models were male!)
She collects Barbie Dolls, plush animals and Jim Shore Disney.
She’s just as likely to have Rhianna, Lady Gaga, Pitbull, Ke$ha, Black Eyed Peas and LMFAO on her iPod as she is Billy Idol,
Foreigner and Golden Earring (if you can dance to it, it’s probably on there!)
Must-See TV :
Current Shows –
Supernatural (she has a huge thing for Sam and Dean!)
Bones (she has a thing for Booth, too!)
The Walking Dead
Teen Wolf
Psych
Shows That Should Still Be On –
Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel (no other vamp comes close!)
Charmed
Stargate Atlantis (one word – Ronan!)
Kim Possible
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Enter to win one of five copies of Hungry Like the Wolf, the first book in Paige Tyler’s SWAT series!
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5th Annual Attack of the 14 Nights of Halloween Giveaway Hop
It’s that time of year again. The days are getting shorter, the air is getting cooler and the nights are getting spookier. Yes, it’s time for
tricks and treats, goblins and ghouls, chills and thrills and huge amounts of sugary sweets. But at the Laughing Vixen Lounge blog it’s also time for the 5th annual Attack of the 14 Nights of Halloween Giveaway.
Join Laughing Vixen Lounge and our bewitching co-hosts The Kids Did It, The Mommy Island,
Herding Cats and Burning Soup, The Hopping Bloggers, Mama Smith’s Reviews and Women and Their Pretties
for a spooktacular Halloween event.
Enter to win a $250 Prize Pack filled with goodies from 10 wickedly fabulous shops.
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All shops are offering Gift Cards or your choice of item(s) so there will be something for everyone.
Many of the shops have items perfect for any book lover along with lots of unique, handcrafted and custom designs to choose from.
Visit the Laughing Vixen Lounge blog daily during the giveaway for the Halloween Movie Marathon.
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Test your movie knowledge with the Guess the Movie Game. Then try to solve the Murder Mystery Scavenger Hunt, if you dare!
Each event will get you daily entries in the giveaway plus a special giveaway for the Scavenger Hunt.
Find full details for these events HERE.
OUR BLP SCARY MOVIE PICK
Soooo, when it comes to scary movies, we’re not the biggest fans….. sad but true..
but if I have to pick one to watch it would be the movie version of one of Stephen King’s books.
SK was the first mainstream author who’s books I started reading when I was about 13 (my dad was an avid reader of his books and it was him that got me into the genre!), gods, the stories (and my imagination) scared me half to death and I checked under the bed every night before I went to sleep, but I bloody loved his stories and still do to this day!!
I think as I am a huge paranormal fan (as is Rebecca) Christine is one of my favourite movies from the SK world.
A cool car, a possessed teen, a jealous female and lots of paranormal goings on all in the one film….. excellent!! 😉
Leave us a comment to let us know whether or not you like scary movies and,
if you do, what’s your favourite one to watch?
~ Tracy (& Rebecca) xxx
You can start by entering the Rafflecopter widget below.
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To experience all the games, movies, shop features, giveaway info and all around awesome fun make
sure to stop by the Laughing Vixen Lounge blog HERE.
The giveaway runs October 18th – November 1st and is open worldwide to anyone 18+.
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1 winner will win the Prize Pack and 1 winner will win the Scavenger Hunt Prize Pack.
Laughing Vixen Lounge is responsible for all giveaway details. Click HERE for full details.
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