THE PROMISE KEPT

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

Cybil Roe gave her heart away thirteen years ago only to have it wind up shattered. With painstaking determination, she has rebuilt her life into something to be proud of today. Yet all her future plans are upended when the only man she has ever loved returns to Echo Springs. Nor does it help that he seems bound and determined to draw her back into his life. Cybil vows to stay away from him, no matter what seeing him all the time does to her resolve.

Miles Keaton wiped the dust of his hometown off his shoes years ago, never expecting that life would lead him back to the place where he had begun. Coming home to Echo Springs, to Cybil, to start a new law practice and a new life is a risk he never thought he'd take. She hates him – with good reason. Years ago, he walked away when she needed him the most. But now is he back, and intends to argue the case of his life, one more important than any he has debated in a courtroom, because she is the one woman he cannot live without.

Can Miles convince Cybil to take a second chance on him, or will a secret she has kept all these years destroy any future they might have?

Read an Excerpt

At five until seven, Alex texted her that he was outside the building. Cybil headed down the wooden stairs that tended to creak in spots. At least the lighting in the stairwell was decent, glowing off the muted tan walls to create a warm atmosphere. When she strode across the small building lobby that was really nothing more than an oversized foyer and opened the door, she noticed that the lights in Mr. Biddle’s office were on already. The old codger did like to get an early start.

She pushed open the front glass and wood door to permit entry to her client. Admittedly, Alex was an attractive man in his black workout gear. His naturally wavy blond hair was meticulously trimmed, his angular jaw clean shaven, his cheekbones sharply pronounced, and he had a mocha gaze that always seemed set to smolder anytime he glanced in her direction. She just wished his smolder, along with his six-foot lean build, did something for her girly bits, but it didn’t. Maybe it was because she knew him well and thought he had the personality of a turnip. Not to mention there was an undercurrent of menace she sensed that he tried to hide behind a polished sheen that she didn’t trust. She kept her grimace to herself and said, “Alex, come on in.”

“Cybil. You look refreshed this morning,” Alex said, telling her with his gaze that he appreciated her, the way a man did a woman he found attractive: his gaze roving over her body, warming over the sweet spots like he was a lion envisioning sinking his teeth into a gazelle.

A part of her wished she could feel something for him, anything really, other than mild annoyance.

Before she could reply, Clark Biddle shuffled out of his office, wearing gray tweed slacks with a matching suit jacket, a bright canary yellow dress shirt, and a multicolored plaid bow tie to complete his ensemble. For a man in his eighties, he was rather spry and moved with efficiency.

“Cybil, I’m glad I caught you. If I could have you come into my office for a few minutes so I can introduce you to your new landlord?” Clark’s voice boomed and echoed in the stairwell.

“I have a personal training session. Can it wait?” she asked, indicating Alex with a slight nod as he crowded her. Really, the man needed to learn about personal space.

“It shouldn’t take more than a minute,” Clark said, his bushy, stark-white eyebrows raised. The tufts of his matching white hair were in wild disarray and windblown. Clark’s hair, for all his styling clothing wise, always looked like he’d stuck his finger in an electrical socket and was just too busy to care about taming what was left on his balding dome.

With a sigh of defeat, because she knew Clark well enough that he wouldn’t let up until she capitulated, she turned to Alex. “Would you mind going on up and getting yourself warmed up on either the treadmill or elliptical? I’ll be right up.”

“Sure thing, as long as you don’t forget about me,” Alex teased in an attempt to flirt with her.

Her annoyance at his insistent innuendos climbed, but instead of showing it, she pasted a bland smile on her face and said, “I won’t. I’ll be up shortly.”

Alex gave her what she was sure to his mind was a sexy half grin and a swaggering tilt of his head intended to make her swoon. Too bad it made her want to roll her eyes and ask if that move had worked for him in the past. As Alex ascended the stairs, Clark steered her into his office. The man without fail smelled of peppermint and Old Spice aftershave.

“Now, as I mentioned last week,” Clark said, “the terms of your lease will stand for the full twelve months. Then you will have to negotiate a new lease with your new landlord.”

Cybil replied, “Thank you, I appreciate that. I—”

Oh, sweet biscuits and gravy, no!

Not him. Anyone but him. She’d take the devil himself in exchange. Give her Beelzebub, give her Hades, give her the Hells Angels biker gang, all of them, over the man sitting so casually in Clark’s office like he owned the place—which from all indications, he now did.

“Cybil. Good to see you. From what I understand from Clark, you’re one of my new tenants,” Miles Keaton said in his deep baritone voice as he rose from his seat when she entered the office.

“No,” was all she could say. He couldn’t be her new landlord. Surely she was still in bed and having a nightmare. That was all. She would wake the moment her alarm rang. Any minute now.

Miles raised a golden brow in her direction. His turquoise eyes, the ones that had haunted her dreams for thirteen years, regarded her coolly, with indifference.

It would have been far better if he had gotten fat or gone bald over the last thirteen years, losing some of the tousled golden hair that always looked like he’d run his long, sturdy fingers through it a hundred times. But if anything, he was like a fine wine or scotch, where he’d only gotten better, more potently gorgeous and alpha with age. The handsome, strong lines of his face had matured, and there were crinkled lines at the corners of his enigmatic eyes that glimmered with intelligence. He hadn’t shaved today, and there was a hint of darker golden stubble gracing his square jaw, framing a pair of the most kissable lips she’d ever seen and tasted on a man. His six-foot-two, broad-shouldered frame, which had always been solid, had thickened and filled out with muscle. He wore a pair of tailored black slacks that rode low on his lean hips and a crisp salmon dress shirt, unbuttoned at his neck, that should have looked girly, but which made Miles appear even more dominant and alpha, if that were possible.

The man had always been a walking wet dream. And dammit, but her girly bits awoke like a princess awakening from true love’s kiss, and were throwing an excited rave at his presence.

About the Author

Born in St. Louis, Missouri, Maggie Mae Gallagher grew up listening to Cardinals baseball and reading anything she could get her hands on. She remembers her mother saying if only she would read the right type of books instead binging her way through the romance aisles at the bookstore, she’d have been a doctor. While Maggie never did get that doctorate, she graduated cum laude from the University of Missouri-St. Louis with an M.A. in History.

Maggie is a bestselling and award-winning author published in multiple fiction genres. She also writes erotic romance under the name Anya Summers (http://www.anyasummers.com. A total geek at her core, when she is not writing, she adores attending the latest comic con or spending time with her family. She currently lives in the United States Midwest with her two furry felines.

Website: https://www.maggiemaegallagher.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MagMaeGallagher
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/magmaegallagher
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7846308.Maggie_Mae_Gallagher
Twitter: https://twitter.com/magmaegallagher?lang=en
Amazon Author Page US https://www.amazon.com/author/maggiegallagher
Amazon Author Page UK https://www.amazon.co.uk/Maggie-Mae-Gallagher/e/B00JG1IIVC/
Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/maggie-mae-gallagher
Newsletter: https://www.maggiemaegallagher.com/newsletter/

Amazon: https://amzn.to/2UbMvQE
Nook: https://bit.ly/3dyNhyN
Kobo: https://bit.ly/3dHWzYE
iBooks: https://apple.co/2XwRPQI

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

MORNING STAR - AN AMISH ROMANCE

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

When four maidels join forces to turn an abandoned barn into an Amish marketplace, the unmarried women have community in mind. But their fledgling enterprise promises to reap surprising rewards for each in turn, including the gift of unexpected love . . .

For Regina Miller, the new Morning Star Marketplace is a chance to share her secret work with the world—without revealing herself. Old Order Amish forbid the creation of art without purpose, but without a husband, Regina has been free to explore the joy of painting in her attic.

Yet when Gabe Flaud’s curiosity leads him to speculate that Regina herself is the painter, the full weight of their community’s judgement falls on her shoulders. When Gabe stands up to defend Regina, questioning the Order’s restrictions, he reveals his own guilty secret and is shunned along with her. 

Forced to turn to each other for companionship, the young couple must learn to balance their own needs with their deep faith … and a love that will show them all things are possible.

Read an Excerpt

Regina entered her bedroom, stepped onto her large wooden trunk, and then opened the short, narrow door in the wall so she could climb the wooden stairs to the attic.

What if nobody wants my paintings, or worse yet, ridicules them? And what if folks figure out that I’m the artist—and that I’ve been living a lie for years? Best to nip this in the bud before I have to tell any more whoppers and get caught in them.

And yet, as Regina stood in the center of her secret studio, something deep inside her longed to display the work that so satisfied her soul. Nearly every evening, after a day of staining furniture, she spent a few hours in her hideaway, painting nature scenes.

Regina needed to paint the way most folks needed to eat and breathe. Her schoolteacher had complimented her artwork when she’d been young—and her parents had allowed her to take a short watercolor class at Koenig’s Krafts when she’d entered rumspringa. Dat’s brother Clarence was a preacher, however, so he’d been adamant about Regina joining the church at an early age. She’d secured her salvation at seventeen by being baptized, but she’d forfeited her innermost soul: in the Morning Star district, members were forbidden to create art for art’s sake because it was considered worldly and it called attention to the artist.

Regina had obediently tucked her paints and brushes into her wooden trunk, but she’d felt the loss of her art acutely. After her parents had died when a train collided with the bus they were all riding home from a wedding, Regina had kept herself sane by taking up her paints again, setting up her easel in the attic—out of sight when anyone came to visit. At twenty-two, she’d been rather young to live alone on her family’s small acreage but moving in with Uncle Clarence, Aunt Clara, and their young daughters would’ve killed her spirit forever.

Bishop Jeremiah had taken her side and had dropped in on her often until she’d gotten a little older. Martin Flaud had hired her because her father had been one of his finest craftsmen—and because Regina had proven herself to be more meticulous at staining and finishing than any of his male employees. She’d survived the rough, lonely times by working hard at the factory, and by surrounding herself with the quilts and curtains Mamm had made and the furniture Dat had built for their cozy home.

And so the last ten years had passed . . .

Regina had willingly given up any chance for marriage—because she couldn’t reveal her sinful pastime to a husband.

Gazing at the nature paintings that surrounded her on that Sunday afternoon, Regina felt torn. Why had God given her a keen eye and the talent to render woodland scenes, flowers, and wild creatures on paper if He wouldn’t allow her to paint pictures of His creation openly and without guilt?

About the Author

In 1983, Charlotte Hubbard sold her first story to True Story. She wrote around 70 of those confession stories, and she’s sold more than 50 books to traditional or online publishers. A longtime resident of Missouri, she’s currently writing Amish romances set in imaginary Missouri towns for Kensington. She now lives in Omaha, NE with her husband of 40+ years and their Border collie, Vera.

Website http://www.charlottehubbard.com
Facebook http://www.Facebook.com/Charlotte.Hubbard1

Order Ebook

Kindle https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07ZPKX5SQ
Kindle UK http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07ZPKX5SQ/
Kindle Canada http://www.amazon.ca/dp/B07ZPKX5SQ/
Kindle Australia http://www.amazon.com.au/dp/B07ZPKX5SQ/
Apple Books https://books.apple.com/us/book/morning-star/id1507818638
Apple Books UK https://books.apple.com/gb/book/morning-star/id1507818638
Apple Books Canada https://books.apple.com/ca/book/morning-star/id1507818638
Apple Books Australia https://books.apple.com/au/book/morning-star/id1507818638
Barnes and Noble https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/morning-star-charlotte-hubbard/1134434813?ean=9781420145151oks New Zealand Apple: https://books.apple.com/nz/book/morning-star/id1507818638
Nook https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/morning-star-charlotte-hubbard/1134434813
Kobo https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/morning-star-60
Google Play https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Charlotte_Hubbard_Morning_Star?id=goq5DwAAQBAJ

Order Print

Zebra Books
July 28, 2020
ISBN-13: 9781420145120
ISBN-10: 1420145126

Amazon http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ISBN=1420145126/
Amazon UK http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ISBN=1420145126
Amazon Canada http://www.amazon.ca/exec/obidos/ISBN=1420145126
Barnes & Noble http://barnesandnoble.com/booksearch/isbninquiry.asp?ean=9781420145120
Books-A-Million http://www.booksamillion.com/product/9781420145120
Chapters Indigo http://www.chapters.indigo.ca/books/a/9781420145120-item.html
IndieBound http://www.indiebound.org/book/9781420145120
The Book Depository http://www.bookdepository.com/book/9781420145120

a Rafflecopter giveaway

OUR TIME WILL COME

Our Time Will Come 

by 

Jean Gallant Marcoux 

Historical romance 

BLURB 

After a year in Paris studying painting at l'´Ecole Nationale des Beaux-Arts, Hélene Simard returns home to Quebec City in 1939, with a secret. She has a German fiancé. She can conceal his identity, but not the baby she carries. Hans Werner, her lover, was drafted in the German army, and his dreams of ever reuniting with Hélene are shattered with WWII escalating. In 1942, a bold opportunity arises for him to cross the Atlantic. Hounded by the Canadian police and Nazi assassins, the lovers' hope for a new life together becomes intertwined with a plot to kill Winston Churchill. 

 "Our Time Will Come is an historical fiction novel that revolves around a romance that began in Paris in 1938. The war impeded the couple’s plans as Hélène returned home to Canada while Hans fulfilled his obligations as a German soldier. Despite the complications of the war, their love motivated them to find a way to be together. The unique perspective that the author shed on this world event kept me intrigued. The exceptional character development and the numerous twists that the narrative took made reading the book pass quickly. Readers of historical fiction would enjoy this author’s innovative angle on World War II. Romance is also a central theme of the book and would satisfy readers of that genre." -Official OnlineBookClub.org review.

EXCERPT

“How was your day?” Milaine asked. “Your grin tells me it was good.” 

“I met the most stunning man and he invited me to a picnic,” Hélène said, bouncing from foot to foot, and then deciding to place her painting material on the floor. “I want to go, but I’m not sure I should. He’s gorgeous, and he has the cutest accent, but I don’t know…” 

 “Hold on, hold on,” Milaine said. “Who is he? Where is he from? What kind of cute accent?” 

 “His name is Hans Werner,” Hélène recounted, pacing. “He’s from Berlin—” 

 “Hélène, never trust a German!” Milaine stopped for a moment for emphasis. “None of us Belgians do, after what they did to us during the Great War.” 

 “You don’t understand. You should see him; he’s so handsome.” 

“Such a good-looking man is probably married,” Milaine said, “or more likely in a liaison.” 

“He doesn’t wear a ring.” 

 “Hélène, you’re so naïve. What if he is one of these Nazi maniacs we see in magazines and newsreels in the movie theatres?” 

 “He’s so nice,” Hélène said, pouring herself a glass of Chablis in one of the two cheap wine glasses that came with the apartment. “I’ll ask him all these questions next Sunday.”

AUTHOR INTERVIEW

Tell us something about your early life---where did you grow up, family, etc. 

I was born in Québec City, Canada, in 1942. At the time of the first Québec Conference, August 1943, when the action of Our Time Will Come takes place, I was one-year-old, living with my mother at the Kent House, the same building where my main character, Hélène Simard, lived with her son Antoine. Mrs. Marceau, the character who operated the Guest Rooms and Apartments building, was in fact Mrs. Regina Marcoux, my grandmother. When my father came back from the war, we moved to Ste-Foy, a suburb of Québec City. \

During my college years, I was a tourist guide at La Citadelle, the 19th century fortress where Roosevelt and Churchill met in 1943, and again in 1944. Since then, I have had a passion for history. 

What other jobs have you held? 

 I graduated from Laval University Medical School. As a board-certified allergist, I practiced in Québec City from 1970 to 1977, after which I continued my career in Houston, Texas, until my retirement in 2007. What initiated your publishing career? I had always wondered why didn’t the Nazis try to assassinate Churchill during the Québec Conferences. Or did they try? Once I retired from medicine, I started researching the subject, to write a spy thriller about it. I soon realized that a typical story of a Nazi spy coming by U-boat to assassinate Churchill didn’t make historical sense. The planning of the Conference was kept secret almost until the day it began, and Churchill was NOT supposed to be exposed to the public, It’s only the Prime Minister’s daredevil nature, coupled with daily hordes of Quebecers in front of the Chateau Frontenac Hotel clamoring for Churchill, that produced the last-minute decision of the open-convertible city tour. 

My spy novel became a love story between Hélène, a Québec City girl meeting Hans, a German boy, in Paris in 1938, where they were both students. They fell in love and planned to marry. However, WWII was brewing, and Hans was drafted in the German army, while Hélène had to return to Québec. Daring efforts to reunite resulted in our protagonists’ lives becoming intertwined with a Nazi plot to assassinate Churchill. They were chased by the Canadian police AND by Nazi assassins. At the end, “Our Time Will Come” became a story that fans of historical novels should enjoy because of the Canadian angle on WWII. Romance being a central theme of the book, it should also satisfy readers of that genre. 

What genre/genres do you write? 

Our Time Will Come is my debut novel. In the past, I have published articles for historical society magazines in my native Québec. What are you working on now? I am writing a sequel to Our Time Will Come, that takes place during the second Québec Conference in 1944. The major characters will be the same, and the Nazis will try again to blackmail Hans into killing Churchill, this time by kidnapping his and Hélène’s son Antoine. 

What else do you want to tell us? 

All writers love to hear from their readers, and find out what they liked, or didn’t like about their book, and answer any question they might have. Do not hesitate to contact me.

Jean Gallant Marcoux was born in Quebec City Canada, where he earned an MD degree from Laval University. As a board-certified allergist, he practiced in Quebec City from 1970 to 1977 after which he continued his career in Houston, Texas until his retirement in 2007. Passionate for history, he has published articles for historical society magazines in his native Quebec. This is his debut novel. Dr. Marcoux lives in Houston with his family. 

Website: https://jeangmarcoux.com/ 

Blog: https://jeangmarcoux.com/blog/ 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JeanGMarcoux/ 

 Buy links:

Amazon.com 

Amazon.ca 

Barnes & Noble Indigo

 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

GIVEAWAY 

Jean Gallant Marcoux will be awarding a $20 Amazon or Barnes and Noble GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. a Rafflecopter giveaway

COVER REVEAL FOR CHARLOTTE'S CHALLENGE

I’m so excited about this story that I want to share the cover. The preorder is up and CHARLOTTE’S CHALLENGE will be released September 18.

The Universal Amazon Link is https://mybook.to/Bret

 

Here’s the legend on which the series is based:

The Golden Legacy

In 1734 a pirate brigantine attacked a merchant ship, The Golden Fleece, in the Caribbean. Although smaller, the merchant ship bested the pirate craft that contained a treasure trove of gold and jewels. A dying pirate claimed the Incas had cursed anyone who misused the treasure, hence the reason the merchant crew was victorious. The treasure would also bless anyone who used it for good. The greedy merchant captain, James Carlson, was killed during the battle, but his eighteen year old daughter, Sarah, survived in her cabin.

Mindful of the curse and to thank God for their salvation, she asked the crew members to split the treasure equally, but to make a binding pledge that they would keep only twenty percent for their own use, and give ten percent to help others. With the rest, each was to buy something of great value that could be passed down to their descendants, with the curse passing onto anyone who broke the line and used it selfishly. If used selfishly, the treasure would be lost but reappear in some form after skipping a generation. 

You can understand why I wanted to be a part of this multi-author project. Can’t you conjure numerous possibilities for this series? I’m revealing the cover for the historical that is set in 1885 Texas. Early next year, I’ll write a contemporary romance for the series. 

Here’s the blurb for CHARLOTTE'S CHALLENGE:

Bret Craig is a descendant of one of the crew of The Golden Fleece. Over a century ago the merchant ship had prevailed against pirates carrying a treasure of cursed Inca gold. The legacy promises retribution against anyone who misuses the treasure. Bret has heard the story all his life but he believes the tale is a myth and that he’s in no danger if he spends the money selfishly. Ignoring his sister’s warning, he sets out for a grand adventure heading west.

Mail-order bride Charlotte Dunn lost her husband to a rustler’s bullet. Now she’s in danger of losing the ranch her husband built and intended passed down to his eldest son. Charlotte’s two stepsons are riding their horses when they see Bret fall from his horse and strike his head on a stone. Once he regains consciousness, he has amnesia. She nurses Bret and plans to sell their remaining cattle to pay the mortgage on the ranch. Bret regains his memory and learns the remainder of the herd has now been stolen. Worse, the villain does not give up easily.

They must work together to defeat those trying to ruin Charlotte’s attempt to save the ranch.  Are two people at cross purposes able to embrace the love blossoming between them?

I hope the blurb intrigues you and you preorder CHARLOTTE’S CHALLENGE. I believe you’ll enjoy Charlotte and Bret’s story. 

LAST CHANCE BEACH BOX SET AND FREE COCKTAIL BOOK #LastChanceBeach

There’s still plenty of time to find summer fun and summer love, new romances and second chances, hot alpha males and heartwarming heroes, beach bunnies, dudes, and romance popping up when you least expect it.

Throw a log on the beach bonfire tonight and celebrate LAST CHANCE BEACH: Summer’s End, a special collection of 14 short stories from bestselling authors—all new, never published before—that will thrill the hopeful romantic in you. Some stories are sweet; some are sizzling hot. All will touch your heart and make you want to book a vacation to LAST CHANCE BEACH.

Only 99 cents and only for a limited time!

Purchase link is https://www.amazon.com/Last-Chance-Beach-Summers-End-ebook/dp/B08CV3GN3R

LAST CHANCE BEACH: Summer’s End

Genre: Contemporary romance

By

14 members of the Romance Gems https://romancegems.blogspot.com

 LAST CHANCE BEACH is the island paradise where dreams go to live again and wishes may come true. It’s Summer’s End on the island, and the cottages, condos, hotels, and bungalows are filled to capacity. Where is LAST CHANCE BEACH? The island is just off the mainland—wherever you want it to be.

Let your imagination carry you to the island!

Video is https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O1dAWk_o9Fk

Puzzle https://www.jigsawplanet.com/?rc=play&pid=04cd695b6511

Hot August Night by Joan Reeves, NY Times and USA Today Bestselling Author

Can a chef and a hot dog loving cop resist desire when they’re forced to share the same overbooked beach cottage?

Something New by Liz Flaherty, USA Today Bestselling Author

Their lives are all planned out—until they're not.

I Do…Again by Nancy Fraser, Amazon Top 100 Author

Can they re-ignite what they once had and take a last chance on love?

The Man in Gull Cottage by Caroline Clemmons, Amazon Top 100 Author

Will the solution to her dilemma drive them apart or into one another's arms?

That One Summer by Maddie James, Amazon Top 100 Author

He's the one who got away. She's the one who couldn't commit.

Romancing the Spouse by Jan Scarbrough, Amazon Bestselling Author

Can she turn back the clock to save her marriage?

Blue Sky Summer by Kathleen Lawless, Amazon Bestselling Author

Of all the beaches on the coast, who does she see again? Him!

Hangover Husband by Bonnie Edwards, Amazon Bestselling Author

What happens in Vegas doesn't always stay there

One Last Shot by Marcia King-Gamble, National Bestselling Author

She can run, but can she hide?  Will love still find her?

Secondhand Hearts by Kathryn Hills, Award Winning Author

Life takes you down many winding paths. Will theirs lead to love on Last Chance Beach?

Paradise Perfume by Connie Vines, Award Winning Author

Fragrance and love cannot be hidden.

Dreams of the Past by Laura Hunsaker, Award Winning Author

Can dreams of the future erase her nightmares of the past?

Beach Kisses & Sunset Wishes by Nora LeDuc

She wants someone interested in a fling. He wants someone interested in a ring.

Can't Buy Me Love by Hannah Rowan

Things aren't always what they seem.

 

That’s not all—we have a FREE book of recipes for tempting cocktails to drink while you read! In case you don’t drink alcohol, the recipe I contributed is for an alcohol-free punch that also doesn’t leave a permanent stain when spilled.

https://www.amazon.com/Cocktails-Last-Chance-Beach-Reeves-ebook/dp/B08DR4K3YX

COCKTAILS ON LAST CHANCE BEACH is the companion recipe book to LAST CHANCE BEACH: SUMMER'S END box set.

What's not to love about savoring a fruity, icy cocktail in the dog days of summer? Or sipping a crisp spritzer to wake up your senses after a sleepy afternoon on the beach? Can any of us resist a tart margarita or the lure of a tequila sunrise during a beachside seafood dinner? Perhaps there are those who could resist all of the above--but not the authors of the LAST CHANCE BEACH: SUMMER'S END collection of romantic short stories set--where else?--on Last Chance Beach.

We hope you try out and enjoy each of these recipes soon--perhaps while you are reading our stories!

THE SUBWAY GIRL

Don't miss the Rafflecopter giveaway at the end of this post!

The Subway Girl

The Subway Girl Series Book 1

by
Lisa Becker

Genre: Contemporary Romantic Comedy 

CONTEMPORARY ROMANTIC COMEDY ABOUT FATE AND UNEXPECTED LOVE 
FROM AN AWARD-WINNING WRITER

"You don't find love, it finds you. It's got a little bit to do with
destiny, fate and what's written in the stars." Anais Nin

A hopeless romantic.

A cynical web show producer.

An unscrupulous cameraman.

A sleazy businessman.

An aspiring actress.

A womanizing best friend.

A scheming ex-girlfriend.

A commitment-phobic roommate.

An unlucky-in-love buddy.

These lives intersect when an average guy is awed by a gorgeous mystery
woman on a New York subway and vows to meet her.

Those catlike green eyes. That long, silky brown hair, flowing over her right shoulder from underneath a pink beanie. A radiant smile of straight, gleaming white teeth, lined up perfectly, sinking into a juicy magenta lip.

Ryan Carlson looked up after offering his seat to an elderly passenger and knew his life had changed forever. Leaning against a pole several feet in front of him on the crowded 1 train to Times Square stood the most exquisite woman he had ever seen. And, for just a brief beat, she was looking right at him, too.

In a moment, as quick and powerful as a strike of lightning, he knew he had to meet her. Yeah, right, approach a total stranger on the subway. He had no doubt he’d come off looking like a weirdo or a stalker, as there was certainly no shortage of those in New York City. He knew he was neither. Just a regular guy, a decent guy, looking for the right girl.

He took a moment to study her further. There was no engagement ring or wedding band on her finger, although she did wear a wide silver thumb ring. She was dressed in a pair of black workout pants, a gray sweater and that pink beanie.

She probably had a boyfriend. One look at her, and it was hard for him to imagine someone wasn’t already lucky enough to be with her. He’d been on the receiving end of betrayal and wouldn’t put someone else through that kind of hell. Men probably approached her all the time. But maybe she was single.

His mouth went dry as he tried to think of what he would say. He honestly didn’t know. It wasn’t like this situation had come up before. All he knew was he was determined to meet her. Maybe it was his fate to meet her. Yes. It’s fate. He was convinced of it.

His heart raced as he took a deep, calming breath. With sweaty palms, he grabbed the pole next to him and pushed forward while he considered his next move. As he got closer to the woman, he could hear her singing to herself under her breath, and her charming accent caused his stomach to clench in the most amazing way.

“Fifty-Ninth Street–Columbus Circle,” the conductor droned over the loudspeaker as the subway car rattled and whistled. The lights flickered, and when they came back on, the woman was no longer clinging to her pole. With rising panic, Ryan surveyed the car. She had managed to move toward the door just as the train pulled into the station. Ryan tried to keep an eye on the pink hat as passengers pushed to get off.

A large man with a bad comb over, dressed in a tattered brown suit and scuffed shoes, blocked Ryan’s way. Not wanting to be rude, Ryan gently shifted the shabby businessman aside. “Excuse me, getting off,” he muttered.

Ryan stepped off the train and stood on the subway platform, two exits before his intended stop, stretching onto his toes to look left and right, seeking out the pink beanie. He jumped up a few times, trying to see over the hordes of people exiting and entering the train.

“Watch it, asshole,” a woman carrying two reusable shopping bags said as she pushed her way past him.

“Pardon me, ma’am,” he responded. With each passing second, his mystery girl was getting farther and farther away. Knowing he had a fifty-fifty chance, Ryan turned left and traversed the packed underground tunnel, seeking her out. He walked back and forth, peering up and down staircases and escalators to no avail.

She was gone.

Goodreads
*
Amazon

Book Trailer

https://youtu.be/YWxBW_RUA4U

Lisa Becker, Author

Lisa Becker is an award-winning romance writer who spends her time like
she spends her money - on books and margaritas.  As Lisa’s
grandmother used to say, “For every chair, there’s a tush.”
Lisa is now happily married to a wonderful man she met online and
lives in Manhattan Beach, California with him and their two
daughters. So, if it happened for her, there’s hope for anyone!

Website

*
Facebook
*
ReadersGroup
*
Twitter
*
Bookbub
*
Amazon
*
Goodreads

Follow the tour HERE
for special content and a giveaway!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

THE LAST COLLECTION

The Last Collection

by 

Jeanne Mackin

GENRE: Historical Romance

ABOUT THE BOOK

An American woman becomes entangled in the intense rivalry between iconic fashion designers Coco Chanel and Elsa Schiaparelli in this captivating novel from the acclaimed author of The Beautiful American.

Paris, 1938. Coco Chanel and Elsa Schiaparelli are fighting for recognition as the most successful and influential fashion designer in France, and their rivalry is already legendary. They oppose each other at every turn, in both their politics and their designs: Chanel’s are classic, elegant, and practical; Schiaparelli’s bold, experimental, and surreal.

When Lily Sutter, a recently widowed young American teacher, visits her brother, Charlie, in Paris, he insists on buying her a couture dress—a Chanel. Lily, however, prefers a Schiaparelli. Charlie’s beautiful and socially prominent girlfriend soon begins wearing Schiaparelli’s designs as well, and much of Paris follows in her footsteps.

Schiaparelli offers budding artist Lily a job at her store, and Lily finds herself increasingly involved with Schiaparelli and Chanel’s personal war. Their fierce competition reaches new and dangerous heights as the Nazis and the looming threat of World War II bear down on Paris.

"Sophisticated couture wars and looming world wars take center stage in Mackin’s latest, with a plot that buzzes with love triangles and political intrigue. A gorgeous meditation on art, fashion, and heartbreak. Stunning."

--Fiona Davis, national bestselling author of The Masterpiece

“Exquisitely melding world politics and high fashion, THE LAST COLLECTION is a smart, witty, heartfelt, and riveting look at the infamous rivalry between Coco Chanel and Elsa Schiaparelli set against a gripping period in history. Mackin’s powerful novel brings these characters to life and transports the reader, juxtaposing both the gaiety and tension of Paris on the brink of war. As elegant and captivating as the designs depicted in the novel, THE LAST COLLECTION is the perfect read for both historical fiction lovers and fashion aficionados. Simply stunning.”

--Chanel Cleeton, USA Today bestselling author of Next Year in Havana

“A wonderful story of two intensely creative women, their vibrant joie de vivre, and backbiting competition played out against the increasingly ominous threat of the Nazi invasion of Paris. Seamless research makes every character leap to life and kept me totally engaged from beginning to end.

--Shelley Noble, New York Times bestselling author of Lighthouse Beach

“A vibrant portrait of two designers cut from very different cloth, Jeanne Mackin’s THE LAST COLLECTION pits bold Coco Chanel and colorful Elsa Schiaparelli against each other in a fiery feud even as the ominous clouds of World War II darken the horizon. A captivating read!”

--Stephanie Marie Thornton, author of American Princess

"As Hitler and the Nazis gather strength and the world braces for war, Elsa Schiaparelli and Coco Chanel, whose politics differ as much as their couture, wage a war of their own. Lily Sutter, the woman who finds herself in the middle of their feud, has a battle of her own as she struggles to make a new start amidst extreme grief and loss. From New York to Paris, Jeanne Mackin takes the reader on an enthralling journey, complete with such vivid descriptions of the clothing, you can practically see them on the page. Beautifully rendered and meticulously researched, THE LAST COLLECTION is a must read."

--Renée Rosen, author of Park Avenue Summer

EXCERPT

Of the three primary colors, blue is most suggestive of paradox: it is the color of longing and sadness, and yet it is also the color of joy and fulfillment. On a ship, at night, blue water merges into blue sky, so blue is the color of places with no borders, no edges.

If you throw salt into a fire, the flames will burn blue. Salt rubbed into a wound renews the pain, intensifies it. Seeing others kiss and embrace was salt in my wound, a blue flame burning the length of me.

Blue best represents the contradictions of the heart, the need to be loved and cherished at the same time that we wish for freedom.

Blue, the color of the Worth gown that the little girl Elsa Schiaparelli found in her Roman piazza attic, the color of the covers of the penny romances Coco Chanel found in the orphanage attic.

Blue is what made Elsa Schiaparelli’s daring color, shocking pink, so special: it is pink infused with blue, turning a demure blush into an electric surge. Schiaparelli turned girlish pink into the color of seduction by adding that touch of blue.

And always, there is the blue of the Paris sky on a June day.

Listen. I’m going to tell you a story about fashion, and politics. And, of course, about love. The three primaries, like the primary colors.

AUTHOR INTERVIEW

Do you ever wish you were someone else? Who?

First, thank you for inviting me to your page. Yes, I have wished to be someone else and quite a bit of the time! I was having zoom happy hour with a friend who had once studied drama (she has since become a psychologist) and asked her why she was drawn to acting. “So I could inhabit other lives,” she said, and I almost fell off the sofa…because that’s why I am so drawn to writing historical fiction. So I can inhabit other lives, be in other times and places. Who would I most like to be? Impossible to answer because I know how all the stories end. Marie Antoinette and her guillotine, Cleopatra and her humiliation in Rome, to say nothing of that snake. No, I’m glad to be here and now, when I’m not writing. Although working in a jazz club in Paris in 1930…that would be something.

What did you do on your last birthday?

My husband was born a week before I was, so we celebrated the two birthdays together, in June, by going to a garden store (I’m a passionate gardener) and then out to dinner after a walk together. A lovely, quiet day with a lot of hand holding.

What part of the writing process do you dread?

There’s a moment when ‘the book’ becomes ‘the damn book’ and that’s usually about half way through the first draft. My energy and attention start to lag a bit. I have to force myself to the desk, to work. The first page is always as exciting as the first date with the love of my life. So much to discover, to experience, to enjoy. And then it becomes work and commitment.

Do you ever suffer from writer’s block? If so, what do you do about it?

I never used to, when I first began writing. I didn’t believe in it. But then I got older and terrible things began to happy to friends and family, illness, death, financial problems. Then, the writer’s block began, when life felt sometimes like a kick to the stomach. I would stop writing and allow myself the time I needed to suffer and grieve. I knew that if I tried to force it, nothing might be there, the stories might not show up. But after a while, my imagination starts to kick in again, I feel that impulse again to put a story on the page. And I begin.

My latest novel, The Last Collection – A Novel of Elsa Schiaparelli and Coco Chanel, is my love letter not so much to the fashion industry but to that impulse in us that makes us want to look good, even during war, even during grief. A little vanity is a very wonderful thing, it helps us get out of bed in the morning. So I went to my favorite city, Paris, physically and in my imagination, and wrote about the fierce, almost fatal rivalry between Paris’s two queens of fashion, Coco and Elsa. They were both astounding, powerful, creative women who happened to detest each other. When World War II broke out they made very different choices. Great fodder for a novel! I worked it around a love story involving an American woman and a German soldier, and Paris. Toujours Paris.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Jeanne Mackin's latest novel, The Last Collection, A Novel of Elsa Schiaparelli and Coco Chanel takes the reader to Paris, just before world war II, and the intense, dangerous rivalry between the two queens of fashion. Her previous novels include A Lady of Good Family, the award winning The Beautiful American, The Sweet By and By, Dreams of Empire, The Queen’s War, and The Frenchwoman.

Her historical fictions explore the lives of strong women who change their worlds…because we know the world always needs a lot of change! She has worked all the traditional ‘writers’ jobs’ from waitressing to hotel maid, anything that would leave her a few hours each morning for writing. Most recently, she taught creative writing at the graduate level. She has traveled widely, in Europe and the Middle East and can think of no happier moment than sitting in a Paris café, drinking coffee or a Pernod, and simply watching, while scribbling in a notebook.

https://www.JeanneMackin.com
https://Facebook.com/JeanneMackinauthor
https://Twitter.com/JeanneMackin1

Penguin Random House - https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/531859/the-last-collection-by-jeanne-mackin/

Amazon - https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07H71Q5FQ/ref=dp-kindle-redirect

GIVEAWAY

One randomly chosen winner via rafflecopter will win a $50 Amazon/BN.com gift card.


a Rafflecopter giveaway

THE BABY CONTRACT

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Nan Reinhardt will be awarding a set of 6 handmade wineglass charms and a $10 Starbucks gift card. (USA only) to 5 randomly drawn winners via rafflecopter during the tour. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

She wants a baby…he wants a family

Firefighter and paramedic Tierney Ashton has always been a bold adventurer, but at thirty-four she longs to embark on a new adventure—motherhood. But who will be the father? Although financially challenging, a sperm bank appears to be her best option. That is, until she shares her dream with her long-time pal, Brendan Flaherty.

Government analyst and world traveler Brendan Flaherty returns home to River’s Edge to help out at his family’s thriving winery and his brother’s new community theater. He also plans to finally achieve his lifelong goal of writing a novel. But when Tierney shares her wish, Bren offers to be her baby daddy—with one condition. Marriage.

It seems like a perfect contract, but will love get in the way?

Read an Excerpt

Three texts from Bren—he’d heard about the fire—wondering if she was okay. He was moving into his cabin; did she want to come up to the winery and help him celebrate. And, hey, it was almost midnight, where was she?



She smiled. Good old Brendan Flaherty. Her buddy had returned home from Washington, DC, nearly a year and a half ago. It was good to have him back in River’s Edge. He’d been her older brother, Mike’s, best friend since elementary school and had always treated her like his own little sister. He’d stepped right in as surrogate big brother when Mike died in Afghanistan fifteen years ago, and the two of them had helped each other through the grief. She treasured their friendship, especially now that Bren was home to stay.

Her eyes went to the photo on the mantle above the fireplace in the living room—Mike and Bren on their bikes with her sitting on Mike’s cross bar, his arm around her skinny form. The boys had been in seventh grade in the picture and at eight years old, Tierney had worshipped her older brother, although she’d always found his best buddy a little geeky. Actually, both Mike and Bren had been kind of nerdy—into computer games and science experiments and exploring the caves down by the Ohio River.

Bren was still geeky, but in the nicest way possible. He still made a point of looking after Tierney, even though at thirty-four, she was quite capable of taking care of herself. She went into the kitchen, refilled her coffee mug, and retrieved the box of marshmallow cereal from the pantry. Plopping back down at the table, she ate fingersful of dry cereal directly from the box while she texted Holly to let her know she’d be there at three and then Bren to reassure him that she was fine and would love to come out to the winery to celebrate his new digs.

About the Author

Nan Reinhardt is a USA Today-bestselling author of romantic fiction for women in their prime. Yeah, women still fall in love and have sex, even after 45! Imagine! She is a wife, a mom, a mother-in-law, and a grandmother. Nan has been a copyeditor and proofreader for over 25 years, and currently works on romantic fiction titles for a variety of clients, including Avon Books, St. Martin’s Press, HarperCollins, Kensington Books, Tule Publishing, and Entangled Publishing, as well as for many indie authors.

Although she loves her life as an editor, writing is Nan’s first and most enduring passion. She can’t remember a time in her life when she wasn’t writing—she wrote her first romance novel at the age of ten, a love story between the most sophisticated person she knew at the time, her older sister (who was in high school and had a driver’s license!), and a member of Herman’s Hermits. If you remember who they are, you are Nan’s audience! Her latest series, the Four Irish Brothers Winery series is available from Tule Publishing and all book retailers. Books 1 through 3 are currently available; Book 4 releases July 16, 2020 and is available for preorder.

Visit Nan’s website at www.nanreinhardt.com, where you’ll find links to all her books as well as blogs about writing, being a Baby Boomer, and aging gracefully…mostly. Nan also blogs every third Tuesday at Word Wranglers, sharing the spotlight with five other romance authors, is a frequent contributor the RWA Contemporary Romance blog, and she contributes to the Romance University blog where she writes as Editor Nan.

Website: http://www.nanreinhardt.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/authornanreinhardt


Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/NanReinhardt

Buy Link for The Baby Contract

BN https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-baby-contract-nan-reinhardt/1136768046

Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/the-baby-contract-6

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Baby-Contract-Irish-Brothers-Winery-ebook/dp/B086L7MMYL/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0



a Rafflecopter giveaway

ULTIMATE BETRAYAL BY KAT MARTIN

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

To prove her father’s innocent of treason, she’ll have to face a killer--and risk everything ...

When journalist Jessie Kegan’s father is accused of espionage and treason, Jessie has no doubt the man she looked up to her entire life is innocent. Worse yet, before Colonel Kegan can stand trial, he’s found dead of a heart attack…but Jessie knows it was murder. Forcing down her grief, she’s determined to use her investigative skills and resources to clear her father’s name. But going after the truth means Jessie soon finds herself in the crosshairs of a killer who wants that truth to stay buried with her father.

Protecting Jessie Kegan is a job bodyguard Brandon Garrett can’t refuse. Jessie isn’t just a client at Maximum Security—she’s the sister of his best friend, Danny, killed in Afghanistan. With dangerous forces gunning for Jessie from every angle, keeping her safe will mean keeping her close and Bran finds their mutual attraction growing, though being Danny’s sister puts Jessie out of bounds.

With their backs against the wall, Jessie and Bran will have to risk everything to expose her father’s killer—before his legacy dies with his daughter.

Read an Excerpt

Lounging back in the chair behind his desk at Maximum Security, Brandon Garrett looked up at the sound of the front door swinging open. A gust of cool, late October winds swept in, along with a petite, whirlwind of a woman with the prettiest strawberry blond hair Bran had ever seen.

It wasn’t tough to read the anxiety in her big green eyes as she surveyed the room, but instead of heading for the receptionist’s desk, those big green eyes landed on Bran and as she started toward him, there was something about her that rang a distant bell. Interest piqued, he rose from his chair. “Can I help you?”

“You’re Brandon Garrett, right? You were a friend of my brother’s. Danny Kegan? I recognize you from the photos Danny sent home.”

The mention of his best friend’s name hit him like a blow, and the muscles across his stomach clenched. Daniel Kegan had been a member of his spec ops team, a brother, not just a friend. Danny had saved Bran’s life at the cost of his own. He was KIA in Afghanistan.

Bran stared down at the girl, who was maybe five-foot-four. “You’re Jessie,” he said, remembering the younger sister Daniel Kegan had talked so much about. “You look like him. Same color hair and eyes.”

She nervously wet her lips, which were plump and pink and fit her delicate features perfectly.

“My brother said if I ever needed help, I should come to you. He said you’d help me no matter what.” She glanced back toward the door and his mind shifted away from the physical jolt he felt as he looked at her to the worry in her eyes.

“I’ll help you. Danny was my closest friend. Whatever you need, I’ll help. Come on. Let’s go into the conference room and you can tell me what’s going on.” When her gaze shot back to the door, his senses went on alert.

“I didn’t mean I needed your help later,” Jessie said nervously. “I meant I need your help right now.”

Gunshots exploded through the windows. “Get down!” Bran shouted to the other guys in the office as he shoved Jessie down behind his desk and covered her with his body. Glass shattered and a stream of bullets sprayed across the room.

About the Author

New York Times bestselling author Kat Martin is a graduate of the University of California at Santa Barbara where she majored in Anthropology and also studied History. Currently residing in Missoula, Montana with her Western-author husband, L. J. Martin, Kat has written sixty-five Historical and Contemporary Romantic Suspense novels. More than sixteen million copies of her books are in print and she has been published in twenty foreign countries. Kat is currently at work on her next Romantic Suspense.

Buy Links

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Ultimate-Betrayal-Maximum-Security/dp/1335080600

B&N: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-ultimate-betrayal-dwayne-t-martin/1125832346?ean=9781488056048

Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/the-ultimate-betrayal-26

Google: https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Kat_Martin_The_Ultimate_Betrayal?id=GqmqDwAAQBAJ


Itunes: https://books.apple.com/us/book/the-ultimate-betrayal/id1477473206

Social Media

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KatMartinAuthor/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/katmartinauthor

Website: https://www.katmartin.com/



a Rafflecopter giveaway

THE SECRET BY SUSAN SAXX

The Secret

A Real Men Series Prequel
Novella 

by
Best-selling Author 
Susan Saxx

Genre: Contemporary Romance  

A once in a lifetime Hawaiian vacation...

...what could go wrong?

Dare is crazy about Abby. But he struggles with his feelings, knowing he
can never match the lifestyle she was born into.

But when he takes her on an exotic vacation to Hawaii and his plans to
personally pamper her fall apart, his love for her is tested in ways
that surprise even him.

READER NOTE:
This book is a short prequel to REAL DEEP, Book #2 in the REAL MEN
series. It is not required to understand the story in Real Deep. It
can be read and enjoyed as a standalone and does not end with a
cliffhanger.

Reviews:

“…a delightful prequel novella”

“Susan Saxx writes with both heart and honesty and The Secret is a great
addition to  the wonderful 'Real Men' series.”

FREE EXCLUSIVE GIFT

NOT FOR SALE
ANYWHERE

ONLY FOR NEWSLETTER
SUBSCRIBERS!

If you’d love this
short, sparkling read for your summer escape readathon, 

GO HERE: 

THE SECRET 

Get it FREE here!

The Real Men Series

Come on a Journey.

Meet the band of military reservists from Jack’s
Bay, Northern Ontario, and Terrence Point Mountain, British Columbia,
as well as the strong women they fall in love with. 

Brothers,
with an unbreakable bond, living in two very different parts of Canada.

Yet family, brotherhood and love...are the same.

Readers say:

“I absolutely love this series!”

~ 5 STARS, Amazon Reviewer

“But mostly there’s a lot of heart, tons of deep friendship, and the
kind  of loyalty and trust that you can’t find just anywhere.
Oh, and men—did I mention this place was full of testosterone? Yep.
Sounds like paradise to me. I’ll be back to Jack’s Bay!”

~ 5 STARS, Amazon Reviewer

Bestselling Author

Susan Saxx's REAL MEN are waiting...

...for YOU.

Check out the series here!

Add to Goodreads

Amazon
* Apple
* B&N
* Kobo

Hi there! I'm SO glad we've connected!

I write books set in the small towns and big cities of Canada. Right
now I'm writing the Real Men series - first installment set in Jack's
Bay, northern Ontario - a place I 

My heroes and heroines haven't had an easy time of it. But they take
what life dishes out, and somehow, with grit, determination and heart
- especially heart - they transform it into gold. Their gold.

Their stories - like life! - range from sweet to sexy, contemporary to

suspenseful.

Want to know when there's a new Susan Saxx book released? Click the yellow
"FOLLOW" button above.

Want more news and special, subscriber ONLY 'insider' stories? Join my
newsletter at http://eepurl.com/bFwHOb.

Interaction your thing? Come hang with me at Saxxy Reads, on FB. I promise - the
water's always fine!

And welcome...to Jack's Bay, northern Ontario, to the upcoming sister
series in B.C., and to the rancher (#1), the tormented dark-netgenius (#5), 
the 'hit rock-bottom' ex-Seal (#4), and the ex-star hockey player (Coming Dec. 2018) - all military reservists, and the passionate, heroic women they fall for.

REAL MEN is the series - get to know them all at www.susansaxx.com.

Website
*
FB Author
*
Readers Group
*
Twitter

Instagram
*
Bookbub
*
Amazon
*
Goodreads
*
Newsletter

Follow the tour HERE
for special content and a giveaway!

a Rafflecopter giveaway