Outlaw Cowboy by Nicole Helm…Book Spotlight and Author Guest Post

Title: Outlaw Cowboy

Author: Nicole Helm

Series: Big Sky Cowboys, #2

Pubdate: May 3^rd, 2016

ISBN: 9781492621270

BIG SKY TROUBLE

Ever since his father’s accident, Caleb Shaw vowed he’d mend his wild ways, and he means to keep his word. He’s a changed man. A better man. And he knows he should want absolutely nothing to do with his crazy old life…or the maddening temptation that is Delia Rogers.

Because Delia? Is nothing but trouble.

Delia’s been stealing her sisters away from their violent father ever since she was old enough to fight back. But now with the police on her trail and all her bridges burned, there’s nowhere left to run but back into the arms of the one cowboy she knows she shouldn’t need. Caleb has always been too good for her, no matter how bad he claimed to be. Yet when close quarters turn into something more, Delia and Caleb are forced to decide what really matters: mending their reputations or healing their wary hearts…

What are your Top 5 must haves for writing?

As a mom of two young kids, the wife of a man with a very non-traditional work schedule, and just someone who isn’t very good at following a rigid schedule, writing for me happens whenever and wherever it needs to. I don’t have much of a ritual, or ‘must-haves’ for writing.

However, there are certain things that get me in the mood to write, or help me focus when I have such luxury.

First, I make a Spotify soundtrack for each book I’m working on. It helps set the mood, and then if I’m switching between edits on one book and writing another, as I am often doing, switching soundtracks helps me immediately get into the right headspace. In fact, if you have spotify, you can listen to OUTLAW COWBOY’s soundtrack here. It’s heavy on the Dierks Bentley, as so many of my soundtracks are.

Second, I always have a Pinterest board for each book. In the beginning, it usually helps orient me, helps me decide how I want the characters, houses, settings to look. As I’m writing, I often go back to the Pinterest board if I’m stuck, hoping it will spark an idea. I’ve actually written a lot of scenes that were inspired by happening upon a random pin. In fact, in OUTLAW COWBOY both Delia’s engraving on the bottom of her boot, and Rose’s engraving on her gun were inspired by Pins I found. If you’re interested in the OUTLAW COWBOY Pinterest board, you can find it here.

Third, well I mean I have to have my computer (that should probably have come first) to do all of these things. I never write by hand anymore. Sometimes I will plot on pen and paper (when desperate measures are needed), but everything I do is typed. First drafts, edits, what have you, I have become so computer oriented that I recently wrote a letter to my grandparents and it was nearly illegible as it had been FOREVER since I’d had to hand write anything. I can type much faster than I can handwrite, and I can dictate even faster than I type, which is how I’ve been writing books lately. So, Mr. Computer is most important in the must haves, that’s for sure.

Fourth, in the world of beverages, I am a caffeine queen. If it’s morning, I usually have a mug of coffee at my elbow, and if it’s afternoon, I’ll have a can of pop/soda/whatever you call it. Usually it’s a Coke, and it is what gets me through the afternoon.

Lastly, my deep dark probably not at all secret is that, although I like chocolate, it’s not my go to writing snack like it is for so many romance writers. I love fruity candy—Starburst, Skittles (greens picked out), Jolly Ranchers (no watermelon, please!), Nerds, Twizzlers, Now and Laters, it’s a sad day indeed if I’m out of my favorite candy. (There may be a mountain of Starburst wrappers at my elbow as I type because, even though it’s morning, mentioning candy necessitates eating it). I even had a candy bar at my wedding, as my love of candy is known far and wide. I can tell you far too much about the way different candies have changed their colors over the years (RIP lime Skittles, Lifesavers, and lemon Jolly Ranchers).

Also, a shout out to my bed, where I can curl up and happily work when my husband is on day shift and my kids are at school. A truly important must-have runner up.

Nicole Helm writes down-to-earth contemporary romance specializing in people who don’t live close enough to neighbors for them to be a problem. When she’s not writing, she spends her time dreaming about someday owning a barn. She lives with her husband and two young sons in O’Fallon, Missouri.

Visit Nicole’s website for more down-to-earth contemporary romance!

Buy Links:

Amazon: http://amzn.to/1Ma67gF

Apple: http://apple.co/1owf0Wp

BAM: http://bit.ly/1V5eg8T

B&N: http://bit.ly/1RACCVp

Chapters: http://bit.ly/1PQLUHm

Indiebound: http://bit.ly/1q1j2XN

Kobo: http://bit.ly/1Yc5aoG

Claimed by the Warrior by Eliza Knight…Spotlight & Excerpt

Claimed by the Warrior

The Conquered Bride Series

Book 3

Releasing 3/31/16

He came to conquer…

A widower, Laird Torsten Mackenzie, has worked long and hard to regain the respect his clan deserved after his older brother turned traitorous. Even in death, Cathal’s crimes remain a mar on Torsten’s conscience. Setting aside his grief, Torsten devotes his life to his people, and to his young, motherless daughter. When a rival clan attacks his lands unprovoked, he’s determined to put them in their place once and for all. Marching on their gates, he’s taken by surprise when Lady MacDonell steps through the opening instead of her wayward husband. Reacting impulsively, Torsten exacts his revenge by whisking her away.

But she laid claim to his heart…

Headstrong and fierce, Éabha MacDonell’s true nature has been buried for six long years in a marriage that fills her with shame, and has kept her tucked in the shadows. But the death of her husband, and being forced from the only home she’s ever known, brings freedom in a way she’d never imagined. Free to rediscover parts of herself she’d thought never to behold again—her love of art, her desire for children. But most of all, the tug at her heart, the warmth of a secret glance and the heat of a passionate embrace.

In the arms of her captor, Éabha’s more liberated than she’s ever been before and Torsten might just have found the one person who can make him whole again.

Excerpt:

Damned MacDonells.

Why the hell did those bloody fools have to keep raiding? Had they not yet learned their lesson?

Laird Torsten Mackenzie crouched just out of arrow’s reach from the high, thick walls of the MacDonell’s castle.

The fortress loomed up in the moonlight, but despite its fortifications, he planned to breach it this very night. A promise

he’d made the last time the bastards had dared to cross onto his land.

Torsten was certain he’d been clear that any further raids on his lands would not be tolerated. Another raid from the

MacDonells was a declaration of war, he’d even put it in writing so the imbeciles would not be confused. Yet, despite

his warnings, the arseholes had done so again, trampling crops, burning crofter’s homes, beating tenants and violating

women.

Rage lanced hot through Torsten’s veins. He gripped the reins tighter, his body stiffened, and his mount, Lucifer,

tossed his head in irritation. When he got ahold of Donald MacDonell, that sorry excuse for a laird, he was going to beat

him to a bloody pulp, until the last of his breath escaped and his face was unrecognizable.

His warhorse snorted and Torsten loosened his grip, concentrating his fury on the castle just beyond.

“My laird?”

Torsten glanced at Little Rob, his second-in- command, a man not so little in personality or size. He, too, had steel-

studded leather armor covering his leine shirt, his green and blue plaid muted in the darkness.

“Wait.” Torsten glowered at the wall and keep, imagining the men inside celebrating their latest raid, and reliving

every horrifying moment. Well, Torsten, wasn’t celebrating, and his people surely weren’t. They were trying to pick up

the pieces of their lives, while desperately trying not to relive it. Donald MacDonell had better start praying now, for

Torsten would show no mercy.

BUY LINKS:

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01AKXRP0E

B&N:http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/claimed-by-the-warrior-eliza-knight/1123272022

ITunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/claimed-by-the-warrior/id1076208162

Kobo: https://store.kobobooks.com/en-us/ebook/claimed-by-the-warrior-2

About the Author:

Eliza Knight is a USA Today Bestselling and award-winning author of sizzling historical romance and time-travel erotic romance. Under the name E. Knight, she pens riveting historical fiction. She runs the award-winning blog, History Undressed. When not reading, writing and researching, she likes to cuddle up in front of a warm fire with her own knight in shining armor. Visit Eliza at www.elizaknight.com or www.historyundressed.com

Harlequin Spotlight…Q&A with author Maisey Yates

Synopsis:

This sexy rancher is her best friend…but can he be more? Only from USA TODAY bestselling author Maisey Yates!

She’s just one of the boys, but with a new business in Copper Ridge, Anna Brown needs to change that. Her brothers bet she can’t land a date for a fancy charity event. So Anna turns to her best friend—the hottest bachelor in town—for advice.

Rancher Chase McCormack wants in on that gala. If Anna takes him, he promises to turn her into a lady. But the makeover reveals what he’s long suspected—Anna’s irresistible! Is his best friend prepared to be taken—heart, body and soul—by her very own cowboy?

Q&A for Maisey Yates – Take Me, Cowboy

How did you first get started writing romance? I had always fiddled around with writing, but didn’t know what I wanted to write until I picked up my first Harlequin Presents. That was when it clicked for me. So really, I started writing romance almost as soon as I started reading it. I fell in love, and that was it.

If you could be any villain from your favorite novel, who would you choose and why? I think I would have to be Narcissa Malfoy, from Harry Potter. Just because she has awesome hair and I have a thing for Lucius. (Well, as played by Jason Isaacs)

Out of all the books you’ve read, which one would you turn into a book to film adaptation, (if it has not been done before)? That’s a hard one. I’m going to have to go with Megan Crane’s Edge of Obsession. I love the world that she’s created in that series, and I would really enjoy a chance to see these dystopian Vikings on screen.

List five adjectives to describe yourself.

Caffeinated. Busy. Creative. Hungry (typically). Bad dancer.

What’s your favorite place for inspiration? I get inspiration from everywhere. Music, the view, good weather, bad weather. That’s the great thing about writing. If you really look around, and listen, inspiration is everywhere.

Do you have one thing that can completely distract you while writing? My virtual social life. I have a few friends that I text way too often. And I can get involved in a conversation and forget that I’m supposed to be on task.

9. What is your trick to getting over “Writers Block”?

Writing through it. That’s the only way I know to solve a problem with the book. If I leave it for too long, it becomes easier to stay away from it. I have to face it head on, or avoidance can become an issue.

When it comes to book covers, what inspires you? Pinterest. I put together a board of visual inspiration when I plot my books, and then I usually send that board to the publisher.

While you were writing, did you ever feel as if you were one of the characters? None of my characters are ever me exactly. But, I definitely borrow from real-life experiences and feelings. Particularly various issues and insecurities, though, I usually apply them to situations I’ve never been in, just to keep it removed.

If you could ask any character in Take Me, Cowboy a question, what would it be? I would ask Anna where she got her great collection of old musicals on Blu-ray.

What are you working on next? Right now I’m working on finishing up edits for Tough Luck Hero, and upcoming book in my Copper Ridge series.

About the author:

USA Today Bestselling author Maisey Yates lives in rural Oregon with her three children and her husband, whose chiseled jaw and arresting features continue to make her swoon. She feels the epic trek she takes several times a day from her office to her coffee maker is a true example of her pioneer spirit. In 2009, at the age of twenty-three Maisey sold her first book.

Since then it’s been a whirlwind of sexy alpha males and happily ever afters, and she wouldn’t have it any other way. Maisey divides her writing time between dark, passionate category romances set just about everywhere on earth and light sexy contemporary romances set practically in her back yard.

The Randy Romance Novelist by Meghan Quinn….Promo & Review

We’re celebrating the release of The Randy Romance Novelist by Meghan Quinn! Check out the teasers below and giveaway!

THE RANDY ROMANCE NOVELIST by Meghan Quinn

Scheduled to release: April 12, 2016

Romantic Comedy

Cover designer: Meghan Quinn
Goodreads: http://bit.ly/1P3pJkb
Amazon: http://amzn.com/B01BDSLWNG
iBooks: http://apple.co/1TAd5wf

BLURB:

It finally happened, I lost my virginity. Cue applause and cheers.

For a while life was all rainbows and kittens prancing in a sky full of cotton candy clouds…that was until the demands of the real world set in.

My best friend is getting married and she asked me to be her maid of honor. She’s not worried about flowers, or the dress, or the food at the venue. No, she’s worried about the bachelorette party, what kind of penis crown she will wear, and the nipple size of the stripper who will be attending.

I’m in way over my head trying to balance life with a boyfriend, planning a penis party, and writing my romance novel. Something is bound to give.

This is my life after my happily ever after…

REVIEW

This was the perfect sequel to The Virgin Romance Novelist. And yes, you HAVE to read that before reading this. Meghan did an amazing job on this follow-up!

For those of who you know Meghan’s writing, you are in for a treat with her humor and wit. For those who of you who have never written anything by her – you may feel that she’s over the top with the quirkiness or how “impossible” certain things happen – but that’s Meghan. Nothing is normal and that’s what makes her books so fantastic.

The Randy Romance Novelist is about Rosie after she lost her virginity and has fallen head over hells in love with Henry. This is there ever after – with all the quirks and crazy happenings in between.

Henry and Rosie have quite the healthy relationship with great sex. Quite possibly too much sex. And Rosie begins to question things when Henry slowly starts to back off. Rosie finds out that Henry’s ex is now working with him on a project. To top it off – Rosie is acting a tad nuttier and emotional than normal and her body is changing.

Meghan has written another brilliant romantic comedy. It’s witty, snarky, hilarious, sassy and smart!! This is one couple that you want to see go through their crazy journey of love!

GIVEAWAY:

Signed Print copy and $15 Amazon Gift Card

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Link: http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/4a501259567/?

Purchase THE VIRGIN ROMANCE NOVELIST HERE!

Her bosom heaved at an alarming rate as his rough hand found its way down to her soft, yet wiry briar patch…

Can you say briar patch in a romance novel? What about meat sword? That’s what it is…a meat sword, right, all meaty and sword like, slaying through the inner dungeons of a woman’s dark desires. What about breasts? Do bosoms really heave?

God, I have no idea what happens when private parts touch.

I’m a virgin trying to write a romance novel and can’t seem to write past a sex scene thanks to my lack of experience.

My two best friends encourage me to drop the pen for a while and gain some real life practice through multiple dating facets such as blind dates, online profiles, and random hookups.

But losing my virginity is proving to be tougher than expected…

Amazon: http://amzn.com/B00U9T8FUE

iBooks: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/id975044758

Kobo: https://store.kobobooks.com/…/e…/the-virgin-romance-novelist

Nook: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-virgin-roma…/1121344652

About the Author:

Born in New York and raised in Southern California, Meghan has grown into a sassy, peanut butter eating, blonde haired swearing, animal hoarding lady. She is known to bust out and dance if “It’s Raining Men” starts beating through the air and heaven forbid you get a margarita in her, protect your legs because they may be humped.

Once she started commuting for an hour and twenty minutes every day to work for three years, she began to have conversations play in her head, real life, deep male voices and dainty lady coos kind of conversations. Perturbed and confused, she decided to either see a therapist about the hot and steamy voices running through her head or start writing them down. She decided to go with the cheaper option and started writing… enter her first novel, Caught Looking.

Now you can find the spicy, most definitely on the border of lunacy, kind of crazy lady residing in Colorado with the love of her life and her five, furry four legged children, hiking a trail or hiding behind shelves at grocery stores, wondering what kind of lube the nervous stranger will bring home to his wife. Oh and she loves a good boob squeeze!

Like me on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/meghanquinnauthor

Find me on Goodreads:

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7360513.Meghan_Quinn

Visit my website: http://authormeghanquinn.com/

1986 by Morgan Parker…Cover Reveal

Title: 1986

Author: Morgan Parker

Genre: Romantic Suspense

Release Date: June 13, 2016

Add to Goodreads

Allana Harrison wanted out. She wanted to escape her painful, broken past and enjoy a fresh start somewhere else. Anywhere else. And while all of the boys in high school and college promised to deliver that dream, only one man actually pulled through.

Now a young adult, Allana finds herself on the opposite side of the world, in a prosperous and rich town that’s not only isolated from her past, but from the crime, grime and hustle of bigger cities, in a country where she doesn’t understand the language or know anybody else except her husband. And that’s how she likes it.

Until she meets Alex, another American who ends up being her only other friend, the one person who reminds her of what it’s like to feel desired, wanted and hungered for.

Except Alex has motives. And Alex has questions — about her husband’s work at the world’s most-advanced, leading-edge power station, questions he wants answered… and when Allana can no longer provide them, Alex threatens to reveal the secrets of their forbidden past, secrets that will destroy the man that saved her.

Caught between two men — one she loves and the other she can’t help but love — Allana must deliberate the role she plays in the moments leading to humankind’s greatest disaster… in 1986.

Amazon | Amazon UK

As the author of the best-selling mystery romance, Surviving Goodbye, Morgan Parker has written several other novels under this pen name. In 2012 and 2013, he self-published Textual Encounters and Textual Encounters: 2, respectively. As a result of the interest in these two stories, he wrote non friction, an unconventional love story. That love story earned Mr. Parkera tremendous amount of attention and at the insistence of his readers, he followed it with Hope (a novella) and Sick Day. All three of those stories have spent time on Amazon best-seller lists.

When not writing, Morgan likes to spend time gathering story material from his two young children, rereading books by Colin Harrison, and napping where he discovered the Type II Sleep State, which is the topic for an untitled trilogy to be released in late-2016.

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April Harlequin Spotlight…A Cowboy’s Claim by Marin Thomas

Synopsis:

A DIFFERENT KIND OF HERO

Everyone knows Victor Vicario—he’s the scarred loner who’s on his way to the National Finals Rodeo in Vegas. But no one knows about the guilt that drives him. And until he achieves his goal, there’s no room in his life for attachments.

So when Vic is given temporary custody of his young nephew, he is torn. He can’t turn his back on family, but how can he look after a kid when he’s traveling the rodeo circuit? Then he runs into feisty barrel racer Tanya McGee and makes her an offer. She helps him with Alex, and he’ll pay her rodeo expenses. The problem is their little “family” starts to feel all too real.

SONG PLAYLIST: A prepared playlist of songs that embodies the book’s characters and their love story.

Rodeo by Garth Brooks

Rank Riders Anthem Luke Kaufman

Too Young to Feel This Damn Old- Garth Brooks

I Wanna Be A Cowboy’s Sweetheart- Patsy Montana

Cowgirls Don’t Cry- Brooks & Dunn (featuring Reba McEntire)

Happy Trails– Roy Rogers & Dale Evans

Red Dirt Road-Brooks & Dunn

On The Road Again-Willie Nelson

Life Is A Highway-Chris Ledoux

If It’s The Last Thing I Do-Montgomery Gentry

Amarillo by Morning–George Strait

Country Roads (Take Me Home)-John Denver

How ‘Bout Them Cowgirls-George Strait

Always On My Mind–Willie Nelson

Breathe-Faith Hill

One Ride In Vegas Chris Ledoux

Cowboy Like Me Cody Johnson

About the author:

Marin Thomas is an award-winning author of over thirty novels, including The Cash Brothers series. She grew up in Janesville, Wisconsin, where she was inducted into the Janesville Sports Hall of Fame for being the city’s first female athlete to receive a Division I basketball scholarship. Marin played basketball at the University of Missouri in Columbia for two years before transferring to the University of Arizona, where she played center for the Lady Wildcats from 1983 to 1986. During her time at Arizona, Marin was an Academic All-American and earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in radio-television. After graduation, Marin married her college sweetheart in a five-minute ceremony at the historic Little Chapel of the West in Las Vegas, Nevada. She used the first names of her two children, Thomas and Marin, to create her penname, despite her daughter’s insistence that no one would ever pronounce “Marin” correctly (muh-rín). Marin now writes full time in her empty nest, eagerly awaiting the next text or phone call from her grown kids. Marin and her husband currently live in Houston, Texas. The Promise of Forgiveness is her first women’s fiction novel.

Visit her website for more info

Cover Reveal…Until Now by Laura Ward

Title: Until Now (Not Yet #2)

Author: Laura Ward

Release Date: May 23, 2016

Find on Goodreads

Focus.

Dean Goldsmith is Indiana University’s star quarterback, and his dreams are about to come true. His undefeated season means he has a legitimate shot at the NFL. If he stays focused. Football comes first.

College senior, Grace Yeates, is determined to defy the odds. She is months away from graduating with a business degree, something no one thought she would be able to pull off. All she has to do is focus on her number one priority. Family comes first.

Distraction.

Dean has no time for distractions, but when a gorgeous, snarky, redheaded waitress refuses to tell him her name, he can’t seem to focus on anything else.

Grace knows she can’t let herself get caught up in a guy, particularly a man-whore like Dean, no matter how charming or sexy. She has two hearts to look out for now and no room for a Dean-sized distraction.

Complications.

Everyone in Dean’s life agrees that Grace is the kind of complication his career doesn’t need.

Grace knows that Dean is the kind of risk her heart shouldn’t want.

But what if the last person you think you need, the one you shouldn’t want, becomes the one you can’t live without? Can their biggest distraction actually be the focus they were missing all along?

I stood up and moved behind him. The heat from his body warmed mine, even without touching. His smell was fresh and clean with only a hint of cologne. “Am I?” My voice was whisper soft, and he turned around; one step closer and our bodies would touch. I willed him to take that step. “A game to you? Is that what this is? You said it’s not pity or worry, so what is it?”

He took that step, his hand reaching to cup my jaw. My body tingled, charged with the nearness of him. “Attraction, Red. Not a game. Not pity. I don’t feel bad for you. You’re one of the toughest people I know. I want to know more. I want to be near you.”

I whimpered.

As soon as the noise escaped from my lips, I closed my eyes. Shut up, Grace. So much time had passed since I’d allowed a man to get close enough to truly want me. I nearly forgot the power behind that sentiment.

My knees weakened, and I trembled. His hand remained on my face, and when he felt me tremble, heard my whimper, registered that my eyes were closed— he reacted.

I didn’t see his lips come closer to mine, but I knew it was happening. Every other sense was magnified. I heard the sound of his breathing increase in speed. The smell of his cologne became intoxicating, and I felt the warmth of his chest as it pressed against me when he pulled me closer. Then his lips found mine, and he held them there, almost as if he was asking permission. My eyes fluttered open and I shifted, fisting his shirt in my hands, holding him to me.

I opened my mouth, and our tongues met, sliding together, exploring and tasting. I released his shirt and brought my hands up and around his neck. A moan erupted, and it took a few seconds before I realized it came from me. Dean groaned in answer, running his hands down my sides and along my back.

Neither of us would break the kiss. We moved, Dean pulling on my lower lip, biting gently. I ran my tongue along the edge of his lips, teasing and coaxing them back open. Then our mouths were fused together. The kiss became desperate. We communicated words we had never spoken to the other through that kiss. This was real. This was different. I knew enough from what I was feeling to be scared, but I was still not willing to stop. I held myself back from climbing his body, the ache inside me growing like a wildfire.

“Grace,” Dean pulled back, resting his forehead against mine as he gasped for air. “You feel that, right? It’s not just me?”

I laughed softly, kissing the corner of his mouth. “I feel it.”

He placed his hands on my hips, shifting me so he could look into my eyes. His blue eyes sparkled, and something inside me melted. “Let me get to know you. Let me in.”

He already was in he just didn’t know it. “Yes. I want to know you, too.”

His lips tilted up, and he kissed my lips softly. “Lock up behind me, Red.”

And he was gone. Out the door and into the night, but slowly making his way into my heart.

Not Yet (#1) – Released July 28, 2014

Emma Harris is learning that life is just a series of lessons.

Lesson #1: Nothing goes the way you plan.
Lesson #2: You can’t trust men. Especially not the pretty ones.
Lesson #3: Turns out, appearances are almost always deceiving.

Emma thinks she has life all figured out, and what she knows isn’t good. For years, she’s put her big sister, who was born with Down syndrome, first. Now Emma’s ready to start her own life, but fate has other plans. To do the right thing for the sister she loves, Emma’s dreams will just have to wait.

She doesn’t plan on meeting Landon — a rich, flirtatious jock, who never has to wait for anything. Not for attention, not for money, and certainly not for girls. Meeting Emma marks the first time in his life that he’s had to fight for something. And Landon doesn’t know how to lose.

Emma has no interest in wasting her summer with a superficial guy like Landon. But very soon she realizes she is wrong about him. The question is, can she trust him? Or will he let her down like every other guy in her life? But most importantly, can Emma trust herself enough to live the life she’s always dreamed of?

Life has a way of sneaking in the most important lessons when you aren’t looking. And once the heart gets involved, that’s when the real learning begins.

*** This book is intended for mature audiences. 18 and over!

Amazon

Laura Ward lives in Maryland with her loud and very loving three children and husband. She married her college sweetheart and is endlessly grateful for the support he has given her through all their years together, and especially toward her goal of writing books. When not changing diapers, driving to lacrosse practice, or checking spelling homework, Laura is writing or reading romance novels.

Laura has written three novels so far, the new-adult novel Not Yet and the contemporary romance novel Past Heaven. Her third novel, co-written with author Christine Manzari, The Pledge, was released July 25, 2015.

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The Wedding Pact by Katee Robert….Excerpt Reveal

“What are you wearing?”
A pause, as if she’d shocked him. “You’re hitting on me.”
“Are you complaining?” She twisted around in her chair and stared into the mirror on the wall across from her. When he didn’t immediately respond, she kept going. The only alternative was to back down, and Carrigan was so goddamn tired of backing down. The only reason she kept taking James’s calls was because of the distraction he offered her. If he wasn’t going to play, there was no reason for her to stay on the phone.
She really wanted him to stay on the phone. “Shy? That’s okay, I’ll go first. I’m wearing a thin white tank top and a pair of black panties.” She was a liar, but it would take all of five seconds to make it the truth.
“Lovely, you’re testing me.” His voice gained an edge.
Good. At least someone was feeling as out of control as she was. “I suppose you’d like photographic proof.” She stood and shimmied out of her long skirt, and then pinned the phone between her ear and shoulder while she unhooked her bra and took it off. “Hold, please.”
Ignoring his cursing, she adjusted her angle so he would have to be blind to miss the faint outline of her nipples against the fabric of her tank top, and snapped a picture. She knew she was playing with fire. Good lord, of course she knew. But she wasn’t about to stop. She grinned as she sent the picture.
Carrigan put the phone back to her ear in time to hear his sharp inhale. “Your turn.” She held her breath, waiting to see if he’d actually do it. Receiving pictures was one thing. Putting them out in the world was entirely another. Really, she shouldn’t have taken the risk in the first place. There was no telling what he would do with them—they might show up on the Internet. Then who would want to marry her?
Funny, but the idea of countless men checking out her rack didn’t bother her nearly as much if it meant she dodged the marriage bullet. The shame on her family might be enough that her father would send her away permanently. She’d like to spend some time in New York or LA or even New Orleans. Maybe Rome or Paris or Tokyo. The world was so damn big and she’d only seen a little slice of it.
Her phone beeped, pulling her out of her thoughts. She glanced at the picture he’d sent and started to shake. Oh my God. James was shirtless, wearing only those goddamn jeans she couldn’t seem to get enough of. And they were unbuttoned—a clear invitation if she ever saw one. An invitation she desperately wanted to accept. “Damn, James. Somebody taught you how to selfie.”
“Maybe I’m a natural.” His voice was little more than a growl. “You started this, lovely. Tell me what’s next.”
The strange mix of command and handing her the reins got her head back in the game. She walked over to her bed and climbed onto it, trying to ignore the trembling in her legs. She could be in charge. She wanted to be. “I’m lying on my bed.”
“What color are the sheets?”
The question seemed to carry far more import than it should. “White.”
“They don’t suit you. Red is your color. Go on.” He sounded so damn imperial, as if he actually knew her. He didn’t. No one did, really. She wore so many masks, sometimes she worried she’d forget the woman at the center of them all.
But this time he was right. She would have chosen red for herself.
Carrigan put the thought away and focused on the now. “You talk too much.”
“My mistake.” He didn’t sound the least bit sorry. Good. She wasn’t, either. “How do you want it, lovely? Rough, I’d bet. You’re not fucking breakable, and I think you love to be reminded of that fact.” Something rustled on his end of the line. “Close your eyes.”
She obeyed without thinking, and then instantly snapped them open. “I thought I was in charge.”
“You let me know if I get something wrong.” His laugh told her how unlikely he found the possibility.

THE WEDDING PACT
by Katee Robert

Carrigan O’Malley has fallen in love with family enemy #1, James Halloran and he has absolutely no intention of letting her get away. THE WEDDING PACT is the second book in a smoking-hot series about the O’Malleys—wealthy, powerful, and full of scandalous family secrets from New York Times Bestseller Katee Robert and Forever Romance.

Series: The O’Malley Series #2
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Release Date: April 26, 2016
Publisher: Grand Central Publishing- Forever

Synopsis:
Carrigan O’Malley has always known her arranged marriage would be more about power and prestige than passion. But after one taste of the hard-bodied, whiskey-voiced James Halloran, she’s ruined for anyone else. Too bad James and his family are enemy number 1.

Hallorans vs. O’Malleys—that’s how it’s always been. James should be thinking more about how to expand his family’s empire instead of how silky Carrigan’s skin is against his and how he can next get her into his bed. Those are dangerous thoughts. But not nearly as dangerous as he’ll be if he can’t get what he wants: Carrigan by his side for the rest of their lives.

Get More information at: Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | iTunes

Meet the O’Malley family in book one of the O’Malley series, The Marriage Contract:
Get More information at : Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | iTunes

About the Author:

New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling author Katee Robert learned to tell her stories at her grandpa’s knee. She found romance novels at age twelve and it changed her life. When not writing sexy contemporary and speculative fiction romance novels, she spends her time playing imaginary games with her wee ones, driving her husband batty with what-if questions, and planning for the inevitable zombie apocalypse. Connect with Katee at: Website | Facebook | Twitter | GoodReads | Instagram | Tumblr | Youtube

Harlequin April Spotlight…Want Ad Bride by Cheryl St. John

Synopsis:

Second Chance Bride

When Daniel Gardner convinced the residents of his Kansas boomtown to advertise for mail-order brides, he never expected the woman he once loved to respond. But Leah Swann steps off the bride train…pregnant and widowed and in need of a husband. Drawn to protect his fragile childhood friend, Daniel proposes a marriage of convenience.

Seeing her onetime best friend waiting to meet the bride train is a wonderful shock for Leah. After her first rocky marriage, a practical partnership with Daniel sounds perfect—as long as her heart doesn’t get involved. But when she starts to fall for her husband, will her plans of a fresh start be ruined…or is a real marriage to Daniel exactly what she needs?

Cowboy Creek: Bringing mail-order brides, and new beginnings, to a Kansas boomtown.

Bon Appetit and a Book

I have a passion for cake, and especially Bundt^® cakes. This one is probably one of my very favorite recipes ever and my family tussles over the last crumbs. I’ve included tips at the bottom, because this type of cake bakes differently depending on the pan and your oven, so experiment a little and watch the baking process carefully.

If you make this cake, do let me know how it was. I dropped one off to a neighboring daycare, and the report was, “This cake is evil. It’s the best I’ve ever had.” I think that means it’s a winner.

Glazed Citrus Bundt^® Cake

¾ cup softened butter

3 cups sugar

5 eggs

3 Tbsp lemon zest

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 – 2 tsp lemon extract

3 cups sifted flour

1 cup Sprite or Squirt

Preheat oven to 350°.

Grease and flour Bundt^® pan well

Beat butter with hand mixer. Add sugar one cup at a time and mix until creamy.

Add eggs one at a time, mixing briefly after each.

Stir in lemon zest and extracts.

On medium speed alternate adding flour and Sprite. Don’t overbeat.

Pour batter into pan.

Baking time varies depending on your oven and your pan. I use my convection oven setting. My heavy NordicWare^® pan bakes more quickly than my silicone pan. In the NordicWare^® I bake this about 40 minutes, then cover with foil for another ten. Test and if a toothpick doesn’t come out clean, add more time. Remove from oven and cool on a wire rack ten minutes. After ten minutes remove cake from pan and allow to cool.

Glaze:

2 cups powdered sugar

2 Tbsp Rose’s sweetened lime juice (I find this in the liquor section)

2 Tbsp lemon juice

Whisk until desired consistency and drizzle over cooled cake.

Bundt Cake Tips:

There is a difference between a tube pan and a Bundt^® pan. A tube pan is more shallow, while a Bundt^® pan has higher sides. Each will hold a different amount and will bake the same batter differently.

Cooking spray doesn’t cut it for a Bundt^® cake. Grease with shortening and dust with flour to help the cake rise in the pan.

Always sift the flour.

Over mixing the batter gives cake a tough texture.

When creaming sugar and butter, have the butter at room temperature, mix on medium and add the sugar gradually.

Don’t overbeat eggs. Mix with a whisk or on low with the mixer, just until blended.

After removing from the oven, cool the cake on a wire rack for ten minutes. Any longer and you risk the cake sticking to the pan. Finish cooling on a rack.

After years of being asked for recipes, Cheryl St.John spent a summer writing down ingredients and baking times, baking and asking for beta testers in order to put together this collection of mouthwatering recipes for Bundt cakes.. Cheryl’s philosophy: Eat cake! It’s someone’s birthday somewhere.

Amazon link: http://www.amazon.com/All-About-Bundt-Cake-Recipes/dp/0988904543/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1458610110&sr=8-1&keywords=all+about+the+bundt

About the author:

Cheryl is the author of more than fifty books. Her first book, Rain Shadow was nominated for Romance Writers of America’s RITA Award for Best First Book, by Romantic Times Magazine for Best Western Historical, and by Affaire de Coeur readers as Best American Historical Romance. Since then she has received three more RITA nominations, a Writer’s Digest award for a feature article, and several Romantic Times Reviewers Choice awards. Many of her books made the Waldenbooks Top Ten lists, USA Today, and Big Sky Brides climbed to #35 on the NYT list.

Cheryl has been a keynote speaker numerous times and has taught workshops at: Romance Writers of America National Conference, American Christian Fiction Writers National Conference, Romantic Times Booklovers Convention, Mid-America RWA Conference, Desert Dreams Conference, Orange County RWA, Midwest Mystery and Suspense Convention, University of Nebraska at Omaha, Writers Conference, Nebraska Literature Festival, Nebraska Writers Guild, Rocky Mountain Book Festival, Friends of the Public Library, Romance Authors of the Heartland, Iowa Romance Novelists, Prairie Romance Writers, and Carolina Romance Writers.

Cheryl has had articles on the craft of writing published in Romance Writer of America’s Romance Writers Report Magazine, and numerous chapter newsletters. She was featured in the Writer’s Digest Romance Writer’s Sourcebook and the UK magazine, Writers Forum featured her in a two-page article, How To Break Into Western Romances. Cheryl’s online workshops have garnered praise from new writers and multi-published authors alike.

One thing all reviewers and readers agree on regarding Cheryl’s work is the degree of emotion and believability. Words like ‘heart-warming, emotional depth, touches your soul, tugs your heart, endearing characters and on my keeper shelf’ are commonly used to describe her work.

In describing her stories of second chances and redemption, readers and reviewers use words like, “emotional punch, hometown feel, core values, believable characters and real life situations.” Amazon and Goodreads reviews show her popularity with readers.

River of Love by Melissa Foster…Release Day Event

Today is the release da for River of Love by Melissa Foster! We ae so excited to share this fantastic new contemporary romance with you! Check out the excerpt and the giveaway and grab your copy today!!

River of Love Synopsis:

River rafting and adventure company owner Sam Braden works hard and plays harder. He’s fast, focused, and determined—and never at a loss for a willing woman to share his time with. The trouble is, the only woman he wants refuses him at every turn.

Physician assistant Faith Hayes escaped her painful past and built a safe, happy life in Peaceful Harbor. She’s also put what she’s learned to good use helping others by founding Women Against Cheaters, an online support group. When her boss’s sinfully sexy brother sets his sights on sweet Faith, she knows the self-professed player is everything she shouldn’t want, and she’s determined to resist him.

Sam pulls out all the stops, proving to Faith that his past doesn’t have to define his future. As she lets down her guard and begins to trust Sam, intense conversations turn to intimate pleasures. But when real life steps in and their pasts collide, it’s Faith who’s left with something to prove.

WANT MORE BRADENS? All Braden books can be read as stand-alone novels or as part of the series:

THE BRADENS (Peaceful Harbor, MD)
Healed by Love (Nate)
Surrender My Love (Cole)
River of Love (Sam)
More Coming Soon!
Crushing on Love (Shannon)
Whisper of Love (Tempest)
Thrill of Love (Ty)
***
The Bradens are part of the Love in Bloom big family romance collection. Characters from each sub-series appear in future books.

Buy yours today!!

Exclusive Excerpt:

A MAN COULD take a wedding for only so long before he drank too much booze or left with a warm, willing woman to wash away all that purity. Sam Braden stood with a drink in one hand and a greedy itch in the other, debating doing both.

“I’ll take the redhead if you want the brunette.” Ty, his youngest brother, lifted his chin in the direction of the bar. In addition to being a world-renowned mountain climber and photographer, Ty was also Sam’s carousing partner. “Unless you’re double-dipping tonight, in which case I’ll go for one of the Staley sisters.”

Sam scoffed. Been there, done them.

He spotted two blondes slinking across the dance floor toward them. He’d hooked up with the one who was currently eye-fucking him last month, and the redhead Ty had been ogling moments ago had joined them in their hot, sweaty romp. His gaze shifted to the sexy brunette standing by the bar looking like she wanted to jump over it and hide behind it but she couldn’t quite figure out how. Faith Hayes. He’d been trying not to look at Faith all night, but he was losing that battle. Faith worked in Sam’s brother Cole’s medical practice. She was sweet, and good, and smart, and… Sam should not be thinking about laying her on the bar and doing dirty things to her gorgeous body.

No. He definitely should not.

Every time he looked at her, every time he thought of her—which was every damn day—that feeling of wanting more than a few quick hookups resurfaced. He not only wanted to lay her down on the bar, but he wanted to take her home. That was bizarre, too, since as a rule Sam never took any woman to his cabin. But half his visits with Cole at his office were merely made-up opportunities to get a glimpse of Faith. He didn’t fully understand his fascination with her, considering he usually preferred the kind of woman who wanted to jump him and damn well knew how, but there was no denying the stirring inside him every time she was near. He forced himself to look away and focused on the dance floor, where Cole, their eldest brother, danced with his new wife, Leesa, and just beyond, their younger brother Nate and his fiancée, Jewel, were gazing into each other’s eyes. Weren’t they always? Sam used to get hives just thinking about being tied down—unless, of course, it was to a bed. But he couldn’t deny how happy his brothers seemed since they’d fallen in love, and lately he’d begun feeling as if he were missing out on something.

The tall blonde sidled up to Sam, blocking his view of Faith and blinking flirtatiously, while her friend joined Ty. “You boys look lonely.”

“Ladies,” Sam said smoothly, bringing his attention back to the pretty girls who definitely knew how to use their bodies for the good of mankind.

“Care to dance?” she asked, and like a puppy with a bone, Sam followed her out to the dance floor.

Music and dancing ranked right up there with white-water rafting in Sam’s book. As the owner of Rough Riders, a rafting and adventure company, he rarely slowed down, but a strong beat calmed his internal restlessness. And Sam was always a little restless.

The blonde moved sensuously in his arms, reminding him of all the reasons a woman should win out over booze tonight. On that thought, his eyes drifted back to Faith, still standing by the bar, holding a drink he’d bet was soda, and nervously running her finger up the side of the glass as she…watched him? Sam’s lips curved up and Faith’s gaze skittered away. She became adorably flustered whenever he visited Cole at the office, and though he probably shouldn’t, Sam got a kick out of flirting with her.

Cole stepped into his line of sight, blocking his view of Faith and casting a threatening look at Sam, sending the message, Don’t even think about it.

There were no two ways about it, Sam loved women and everyone around him knew it. He loved the way they smelled, the feel of their soft bodies against his hard muscles, their delicate features, the sounds they made in the throes of passion. But his mind refused to play the any woman game these days. It was drenched in thoughts of Faith, and he wanted to experience all those things about her firsthand.

“Sam!” Cole chided.

He shook his head to clear his mind, laughing under his breath, as he turned his attention back to the woman he was dancing with. His hands sank to the base of her spine. Mm. She felt good. His eyes were drawn to Faith again, who was staring into her drink. Bet you’d feel even better, was his first thought, but it was the second—I wonder what you’re thinking—that took him by surprise.

Melissa Foster Bio:

Melissa Foster is a New York Times & USA Today bestselling and award-winning author. She writes contemporary romance, new adult, contemporary women’s fiction, suspense, and historical fiction with emotionally compelling characters that stay with you long after you turn the last page. Her books have been recommended by USA Today’s book blog, Hagerstown Magazine, The Patriot, and several other print venues. She is the founder of the World Literary Café and Fostering Success. When she’s not writing, Melissa helps authors navigate the publishing industry through her author training programs on Fostering Success. Melissa has been published in Calgary’s Child Magazine, the Huffington Post, and Women Business Owners magazine.

Melissa hosts an Aspiring Authors contest for children and has painted and donated several murals to The Hospital for Sick Children in Washington, DC. Melissa lives in Maryland with her family.

Visit Melissa on social media. Melissa enjoys discussing her books with book clubs and reader groups, and welcomes an invitation to your event.

NEWSLETTER | FACEBOOK | TWITTER | WEBSITE | STREET TEAM

Enter Melissa’s Giveaway:

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The Empty Jar by M. Leighton….Cover Reveal

Cover Reveal

Title: The Empty Jar

Author: M. Leighton

Release: May 8, 2016

Today is cover reveal day for M. Leighton’s upcoming new release entitled The Empty Jar. She wanted to say a little something about the cover before she revealed it and the description, so here she is.

First of all, a huge, heartfelt thank you to every single one of you amazing women who is helping me reveal this cover today.
I appreciate everything you do for me, for authors and readers in general and for this community.

Secondly…

OMG
IT’S FINALLY TIME FOR THE EMPTY JAR COVER REVEAL!!!

I feel like I’ve been waiting AGES to share this with you!

This cover… GAH! Y’all, it took me forEVER to get it just right. There was a certain “feel” that I wanted to achieve with it and I wasn’t happy until I felt that it jumped right out when I looked at it. I wanted the cover to speak of the book, wanted it to show the highs and lows, the sweet and the poignant, the depth of it, if you will. And finally…finally, I feel like it does:)

You might not realize just how much NOW, but once you read it, you’ll be like, “Yeah. It’s perfect for this book!”

When I got the paperback proof in the other day, I held it in my hands and I just stared at it. Not only is this story extremely special to me, but this is probably my favorite cover of all my books. Ever.

When I look at it, I see so much more than just a picture. I see all the things that I find in life as well as what I put into the story that is The Empty Jar. It’s a blend of happy pinks and brooding blues. It’s light and it’s dark. There are highs and there are lows. There is morning and there is night. But if you notice the sky on this cover, there are little flickers of brightness in the bodies of the lightning bugs. Life is that way, too. Even in the darkest part of the night, there is a spark of hope.

There is beauty. There is the romantic glow of a full moon, the silvery face of your mate, the delicate twinkle of fireflies. It’s all there if we look hard enough—that balance of beauty and tragedy.

And love.

Always love.

Below is a little more about the book. It’s hard to tell you much without spoiling anything, but I think you can get a feel for it. It’s such a special story. So raw, so real.

I honestly can’t wait for y’all to read it! I hope you love IT and the cover as much as I do:)