Mini Tour & Giveaway: Life Rolls Along by Linda Nielsen – Genre: Contemporary Romance @TouchPointPress @RRBookTours1 #RRBookTours #RomanceBooks #BookLovers

March 14, 2022Reads & Reels 2 Comments

Welcome to the book tour for Linda Nielsen’s novel, Life Rolls Along. Read on for more details and a chance to win a $25 Amazon e-gift card!

Life Rolls Along (Because I’m Worth It #2)

Publication Date: November 8th, 2021

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Memorable characters move swiftly through a well-crafted plot. Punctuated with sharp humor, twenty-first century romances blossom in spite of well-heeled parental attempts to manipulate others to do their bidding.

Terri Sue Ellen, nonsensical and faux refined, and Charles Covington, wealthy executive, have a prickly daughter, Delaney Mae Anne, who wants a husband . . . so they buy one using their wealth and prestige to seal the deal.

But after a four week honeymoon, Skye Topple grasps the fact that he’s made a blunder in marrying the boss’s daughter.

Life’s hilarious complications follow him as he embarks on a journey to sort through the shambles of his life’s choices when he returns to his humble beginnings in Big Sur where he tries to reunite with his family.

Blending truth with hyperbole, wicked humor ensues as scheming business partners and arrogant in-laws attempt to destroy Skye’s bold plans for his future.
When the bizarre son of a new business partner covets his wife, Skye realizes he’s ready to move on but not before he gets what he’s been promised.
He joins forces with RB, the unwanted step-brother of his wacky mother-in-law, and the men take part in an eccentric ruse, hoping the final cards fall in their favor. How dangerous are they, and how far will they go?

Find out in the dramatic story that takes a humorous approach on classiness, opulence, family and romance. Life Rolls Along by Linda Nielsen.

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10 AM Covington Residence Chicago, Illinois

CLEMENT B. PICKET, ATTORNEY-AT-LAW, attempted to wipe the smirk from his face as he delivered bad news to the rude, ill-mannered wife of business tycoon, Charles Covington

“What do ya mean that ah have me a brother?” Terri Sue Ellen’s tone grew confrontational. “Ya crazy, Clem? Do ya think it’s funny makin’ up crap to annoy me?” She paused to sip her morning martini, then continued, “Ya know that ah’m a wealthy woman, and ah have no siblins! That’s a fact!” Unaware that her know-it-all attitude and exaggerated accent made her sound foolish, she plowed on, “Ah did not know that now a’days men in Atlanta enjoyed nigglin’ away at a lady. Is that why ya called me . . . to say ugly, untrue things to upset mah pleasant nature?”

Flipping a hand on her plump hip, she took a deep breath and felt her waist band grow tight. Damn those fried cheese fritters! She snorted in anger at the extra pounds she carried and turned back to the speaker phone. “Ya still there?”

“Yeah,” he replied wearily.

After numerous attempts to give her account to his junior associates, Clem conceded that she’d beaten them all down, so as head of his family’s law firm, her file was back on his desk. Rolling his eyes, he settled back in his chair. “I’m here.”

“Good!” She grumbled. “Need ah remind ya that your daddy always represented mah family with dignity and honor.” She nodded her head sharply and continued, “Just because ah sold the big house in Atlanta doesn’t mean ya can talk to me as if ah was never a true-blue southern belle. And furthermore, ah don’t want to be talkin’ to any more of your underlins, ever again. Ya got that?”

She sat down in a huff, and the artistic Wimberley sofa sagged with her weight. “Now that ya have been runnin’ your daddy’s firm for the last fifteen years or so . . .”

Savoring the vodka, she looked closely at the mirror and fluttered her eyelashes, admiring their thickness. Siberian mink and good glue. Mah sensual green eyes require long luscious lashes. She turned her thoughts back to Clem. “Where was ah?”

Sighing heavily, he dropped his head. She’s never been very bright. It’s no wonder that her father donated so much money to Georgia State. It was the only way she was going to get a diploma.

He moved to the southeast-facing window where he opened the shutters. The grand old magnolia tree filled his vision. His father had planted it after he opened his law office, shortly after Clem was born. It symbolized dignity. Now it was almost seventy-feet tall, and the creamy, white flowers greeted him every spring with their lemon-honey scent.

He’d learned a valuable lesson from that tree. Though it had luxurious dark green leaves on the surface, there was a rusty colored underside. It was like taking on a new client. Just because they showed you one part of their personality, you never knew what else was going on until you had a good look.

His father had warned him about the Covington family and Terri Sue Ellen, the spoiled girl he’d grown up with.

Returning to his desk, he chuckled. I’ll just wait for her to catch-up. I want her to be sharp. Wait. He paused and rolled his eyes. If that’s even possible. Smiling, he let his thoughts wander. ’Cause my news about her brother just gets better and better.

Available on Amazon

About the Author

Former business woman and entrepreneur, Linda Nielsen, is involved in community work, actively supporting animal rights, no kill facilities and finding home for senior pets.

Her mother was a writer, her maternal grandmother wrote poetry and her paternal grandmother was an artist. She jokes that artistic ability runs in her veins, but she has yet to discover her hidden ability to paint anything other than the bathroom walls.

She and her husband have traveled through Eastern Europe, Asia, South America, Russia. Australia and the Baltic with backpacks, catching any flights that were available. But now that the world has changed, she admits to discovering more at home activities.

Linda enjoys wine tasting and credits the lesser known areas such as Calaveras County and the Lodi area in San Joaquin County as having some of the finest wines in California.

She escapes from her computer by spending sunny mornings in her garden and has fun cooking but admits that not everything in the kitchen is a success.

She thanks her fans and their ongoing support for keeping her focused when she’s writing and offering their feedback on both the story lines and her characters.

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R&R Book Tours (Kick-Off) http://rrbooktours.com

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Books + Coffee = Happiness (Spotlight) https://bookscoffeehappiness.com/

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@gryffindorbookishnerd (Review) https://www.instagram.com/gryffindorbookishnerd/

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Mini Tour & Huge Giveaway: Last Blue Christmas by Rose Prendeville – Genre: Holiday Romance @RosePrendeville @RRBookTours #Romance #Books

December 13, 2021Reads & Reels Leave a comment

Looking for the perfect holiday read? Look no further!

Welcome to the book tour for Last Blue Christmas by Rose Prendeville. Read on for details and a chance to win a $50 Amazon e-Gift Card!

Last Blue Christmas

Publication Date: December 1st, 2021

Genre: Contemporary Romance/ Holiday Romance

The only case they haven’t cracked is how to be together.

Not on Officer Maggie Kyle’s Christmas bingo card:

• A homemade bomb in a bus station locker.

• A child, the prime suspect in the bombing.

• Her partner of ten years abandoning her to solve the case on her own.

Max St. James might be the worst cop in the world—or at least in Toronto:

• He fell in love with his partner.

• He’s the reason she never became a detective.

• He doesn’t much care who planted the bomb.

The IED’s blast ignites years of tension, sending Maggie and Max careening in opposite directions—but opposites still attract.

Can they find a way to come together to solve the case before another bomb goes off?

And will it mean another ten years sacrificing the future they want for the partnership they already have?

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Excerpt

On the fourth day of Christmas, my true love gave to me… four migraine headaches, three massive ulcers, two aching ear drums, and a hole where my heart ought to be,” Maggie sang quietly to herself as though Max wasn’t sitting right there. She cracked herself up and switched off the unmarked Suburban’s FM radio with a flourish, and Max could swear he caught a whiff of cinnamon.

“Maggie Kyle, your Christmas spirit confounds me,” he told his partner. He was pretending to watch a Buick creep down the street a little too slowly so she wouldn’t guess how attuned he was to the earnest timbre of her voice or the wry quirk of her lips. She was trying too hard to act casual with him, and he couldn’t figure out why.

Maggie forced another laugh. “Christmas spirit,” she repeated, skimming the crossword puzzle in her lap before glancing back across the street at the rundown residence of Bobby King. Its peeling paint, once white, was now a weathered gray, and of the four green shutters meant to frame the front windows, two were broken and one was missing altogether.

“What is a six-letter word for ‘lack thereof,’ Alex?”

“Jeopardy’s not a crossword puzzle,” she said, making sure he saw her eye roll.

“Dispatch, we need to put out an APB on Officer Kyle’s missing Christmas spirit.”

“You going to call in that Buick?” she changed the subject.

“I wrote down the plates,” he lied, squinting to make them out so he could record the vehicle in his logbook.

Maggie picked up the radio. “51-19?”

“51-19, go ahead,” another officer responded from his own unmarked vehicle around the corner.

“10-15 headed your way. Tan Buick, early 2000s model, traveling east. Manitoba plate: Yankee Lima Echo seven seven eight.”

“Copy,” 51-19 replied.

Maggie replaced the radio and turned her attention back to the crossword. “Frankie wants to enter that gingerbread contest, and her mom’s been playing Christmas carols since before Halloween. I’m not sure how much more I can take.”

“Got it. No Christmas carols.”

Max drummed his fingers on the steering wheel. When exactly had she lost her Christmas spirit? He could picture her as a little girl—in his mind she wore two long braids and was constantly shaking her bangs out of her eyes—staring up at the sky waiting for Santa to ride out of the stars like a meteor with the same patience she now bestowed on their stakeout. “But peppermint lattes are okay?”

She grinned. “I’ll allow it.”

“So you only hate Christmas a little bit then?”

Maggie snorted.

Time was, Max didn’t mind the odd stakeout. It beat writing parking tickets or chasing shoplifters through the snow. Play some tunes, shoot the shit, pee in a bottle if things got urgent.

With the right partner it could seem like a day off. But everything was like eggshells with Maggie lately, and he couldn’t figure out when exactly things had changed.

Today he felt a special kind of twitchy, the kind that made you want to peel off your own skin. Max loved the city—sometimes he hated how much he loved it—but sitting still all week, downtown where the Toronto high-rises blocked out the sky, he was starting to feel caged, like the buildings were closing in from every direction.

Maybe he was psyching himself out after the whole ancestry test situation. The dichotomy of an Indigenous urbanite was turning his brain against itself. Maybe he just needed a vacation.

“Do you believe in nature versus nurture?” he asked.

“What, you mean like, mama tried but Bobby King was born rotten and no amount of church or cuddles or bedtime stories could have stopped him growing up to be a cop-killing gun runner?”

“Something like that.”

Maggie shrugged at him. “You missed a button.” She pointed at his shirt. “Girlfriend didn’t catch that?”

She was obsessed with the idea that he and Selina from next door shared more than a wall. It had only happened once—okay a handful of times. But it was five years ago, and there was no way Maggie could have known, except somehow she did. Even back then there’d been something, in his gait as he walked to the patrol car or a half-guilty look in his eyes; she had known, and if he protested now she’d take it as some kind of proof.

Not that it should even matter. They were partners, not lovers, and he’d certainly been her shoulder to cry on when the asshat from college dumped her and split back to Edmonton.

Max should have made a move on Maggie then, but he was still her TO and besides, he’d been a rebound before. He didn’t want to be one for Maggie, and she didn’t want him anyway. She’d been singularly focused on making detective since her first day at Fifty-One Division. Until, somewhere along the lines, she hadn’t.

And she was right about the button. His black undershirt was peeking through. Did he bother to look in the mirror this morning? After a dozen years on the job, he knew what he’d see. Not his father, not even his grandfather—just a sad imitation, like a kid who got the wrong size costume at Halloween.

Her phone began to vibrate then, and she, too, silenced it without answering.

“Your mom again?” he asked.

She didn’t respond, which meant yes.

“She giving you a hard time about staying here for the holidays?”

“I’ll take ‘Does the earth orbit the sun?’ for a thousand, Alex.”

“Weren’t you going to invite your folks out here for Christmas?”

“That was last year.”

An uncomfortable mixture of lust and shame surged through Max, from the tips of his ears to his belly, at the thought of last Christmas. He tried to remember her parents being in town, but all that came to mind was the department holiday party and sweaty fumbling in a dark interrogation room. And cinnamon. She had smelled like cinnamon then, too.

Available on Amazon

About the Author

Rose Prendeville is a librarian and honorary Canadian with a passion for stories about found families and flawed people doing their best.

She’s been devising such tales for as long as she can remember, including secretly in the back of her tenth grade French class (Pardon, Madame Gonzales), and she went on to double-major in screenwriting and creative writing.

Hydrangeas are her lifeblood, hot baths and hiking are her solace. She adores baking (and mostly eating) macarons, and she can’t wait to share this and future books with you.

Rose Prendeville | Instagram | TikTok

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December 13^th

R&R Book Tours (Kick-Off Post) http://rrbooktours.com

Reads & Reels (Spotlight) http://readsandreels.com

Phoebe’s Randoms (Spotlight) https://phoebesrandoms.wordpress.com/

Stine Writing (Spotlight) https://christinebialczak.com/

December 14^th

@2manybooks2littletime (Review) https://www.instagram.com/2manybooks2littletime/

@gryffindorbookishnerd (Review) https://www.instagram.com/gryffindorbookishnerd/

December 15^th

Sadie’s Spotlight (Spotlight) http://sadiesspotlight.com/

@sleeping.bookish (Review) https://www.instagram.com/sleeping.bookish/

Rambling Mads (Review) http://ramblingmads.com

December 16^th

B is for Book Review (Spotlight) https://bforbookreview.wordpress.com

Breakeven Books (Spotlight) https://breakevenbooks.com

@my_books_and_coffee (Review) https://www.instagram.com/my_books_and_coffee/

Latisha’s Low-Key Life (Review) https://latishaslowkeylife.com/

December 17^th

Misty’s Book Space (Spotlight) http://mistysbookspace.wordpress.com

Liliyana Shadowlyn (Review) https://lshadowlynauthor.com/

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Book Tour & Giveaway: More Than the Game by Jenni Bara @Jenniferbbar3 @RRBookTours1 #RRBookTours #Books #Romance

September 27, 2021Reads & Reels Leave a comment

Who loves bad-boy, Sport Romance?

We’re celebrating the release of Jenni Bara’s latest novel, More than the Game! Read on for more details and a chance to win a $25 Amazon e-gift card!

More Than the Game (Becoming and Evans #1)

Publication Date: September 14th, 2021

Genre: Contemporary Romance/ Sport Romance

Trending on social media is her nightmare.

Beth Evans, former Olympic golden girl, known for a national scandal and daughter of a rising political star, is more than happy to stay out of the spotlight, living life as a normal single mom in a small Jersey town. The last thing Beth needs is Twitter’s favorite bad boy–Marc Demoda–walking into her life to stir things up.

Marc lives for the three b’s; baseball, bars, and ball bunnies, until the unthinkable happened. An accident destroys his shoulder and his career, leaving him desperate to get back in the game. Too bad no one hires notorious bad boys to coach. With his reputation on life support, Marc finds his saving grace might be the feisty blonde he can’t get out of his head.

When pictures of Beth and Marc’s chance encounter blow up on Twitter, they strike a deal to avoid further scandals and fix their image. But even in the harsh public spotlight, their fake relationship begins to feel real. Beth’s growing feelings for Marc have her questioning if she can permanently handle the limelight, just as Marc wonders if Beth might mean more than the game.

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Excerpt

Marc walked down the ramp over the dunes in front of his house with his water bottle, cooling off after his evening workout. He took a selfie and sent it to Austin, telling him to post it with a comment about keeping in shape. For fuck’s sake, he wouldn’t let anyone think he was getting fat. He pulled his shirt back on and leaned against the railing overlooking the Jersey coastline.

Who knew getting good media was so hard? When he’d been pitching, even bad press wasn’t that bad. He’d been patient with being called a drunk, a drug addict, a hothead, even a whorish disease-infested sleaze bag, but he drew the line at fat.

His eyes scanned the beach while he sucked in a breath of salt air. He sank into one of the two chairs he’d placed on the wooden planks, watching the runners who dotted the sand this time of night. Nothing caught his eye until he landed on slender, toned legs in a pair of tight Sideline shorts. The woman reached down to tie her shoelace, allowing him to catch a glimpse of her heart-shaped ass.

He swallowed, feeling relieved. For days he’d tried to drudge up interest in the women he met in bars and clubs, but he couldn’t. It had been years since he spent so many consecutive nights alone.

Seeing this woman, watching her bend down, Marc found himself interested. He smiled as he brought the water bottle up to his lips, but it stopped halfway to his mouth when the woman turned around, and he realized it was Beth. Shit. How had he not known this was the same woman he’d spent days uselessly trying to forget? He shook his head in frustration.

Ever since that night, when he’d been close to placing his lips on Beth’s, he’d spent most of his waking hours thinking about her. He couldn’t believe how badly he’d messed up by asking her to go out with him. He winced.

But he’d have to think about what that meant later if he wanted to catch up with her now. Marc left the bottle sitting on the chair’s arm and took off down the ramp towards the water.

“Beth,” Marc called, but she didn’t hear him. When he got closer and she still didn’t answer, it became clear she was ignoring him. No one ever ignored him–especially not women. Marc picked up his pace, putting himself in her path, forcing Beth to acknowledge him. Her eyes tracked over him, and his stomach tightened before she glanced away.

“Marc,” she replied coolly. Her tone clearly showed her annoyance. He’d have to try harder.

“It’s beautiful this time of night,” he said awkwardly.

That was the best he could do?

He shook his head as he moved in step beside her, slowing his long legs to match her shorter strides.

“I usually enjoy it alone.” Her eyes took in anything and everything apart from him.

“Lucky you; now, you don’t have to,” he joked sending her a smile—knowing full well by her body language that she didn’t see it as lucky.

She didn’t even crack a grin back.

“I realize I owe you an apology.” Her glare turned softer as, at last, she snuck a glance at him, so he continued. “Beautiful women make men nervous and we say stupid things.”

“It’s been two weeks, and that’s the best you got?” She shook her head and tried to speed up, but he easily matched her pace.

“I was trying to ask you out for a drink or dinner or something, and it came across like I was trying to get you into bed. That’s not what I meant.” Those words felt strange coming out of his mouth. They were true now, but for most of his life that statement would have been a lie.

“You think I don’t know Marc Demoda’s reputation?” Beth rolled her eyes, but Marc almost missed his footing.

“You know who I am?” He made a poor attempt to keep the shock out of his voice.

“Of course.” Beth stopped suddenly and turned in the opposite direction. “This is where I head back. Enjoy the rest of your run.”

Marc stood frozen after her apparent dismissal.

In hindsight, it was obviously she knew who he was. His father had called her a VIP client, and his sister spoke about Beth as if Glory knew her. On top of that, repeatedly Beth called him Marc without him having to introduce himself. But he’d assumed as soon as she discovered who he was, she would be falling over him like every other woman he met. She was so different.

“Beth,” he called, taking off down the beach after her. She seemed not to hear him, or maybe she was ignoring him again, but that didn’t stop him. “Did Steve know too?” He slowed down and matched her stride again.

“Yes.”

“He didn’t care either?” Damn, kids were always impressed with him. She shot him a look that said, Are you kidding me?

“You’re definitely not going to be his pick for a teammate anytime soon.”

“I had an off night.” He couldn’t even blame it on his bad arm; it was her fault. “Normally I’m more impressive.”

“Marc, you flooded my kitchen and played bad baseball. That’s the extent of my impressive experience with you.”

“Then give me a chance to do better.”

“I’ve told you I’m not interested,” Beth sighed.

Couldn’t she spend some time getting to know him before she decided he wasn’t worth her time?

“Well, I am,” he huffed. Wow, that was his comeback? Maybe even given a chance, he wouldn’t impress her.

“Why, Marc?” Beth stopped running and looked at him.

It was a good question, and one that he damn well wished he could answer, but he didn’t know. Well, that wasn’t exactly true. His eyes slid over her sweatshirt and then lingered on her hips. He reached for curl that had fallen out of her ponytail and tucked it behind her ear.

“I can think of a few reasons,” he said, his voice low and throaty. Without consciously deciding to, he’d fallen back into seduction mode.

Instead of backing away, Beth let her hand run down his arm before grabbing his wrist and pulling him closer, so almost no space existed between them. She stood up on her toes and let her mouth move to within a centimeter of his ear. His gut clenched as a jolt shot down his body and he licked his lips in anticipation of what she’d do. He finally had her.

Available on Amazon

About the Author

Even as a young child Jenni Bara would conjure up all kinds of tales with her endless imagination. She’s improved her skills since the days of scaring her younger cousins with ghost stories, but her love for books and stories has never changed.

In her everyday life, she is a paralegal for family law writing unhappily ever afters for people every day. So in turn she spends her free time with anything that keeps her laughing including life with her four kids, or five if you count her husband!

All joking aside she is blessed to have not only a very supportive husband but super supportive parents as well as a loving extended family always happy to share their opinions!

Her favorites spots all have the best views of the sunsets and she loves to share the views through photos

Jenni Bara | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook

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Book Tour Schedule

September 27^th

R&R Book Tours (Kick-Off) http://rrbooktours.com

The Faerie Review (Spotlight) http://www.thefaeriereview.com

Bonnie Reads and Writes (Spotlight) https://bonniereadsandwrites.wordpress.com

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September 28^th

Jessica Belmont (Review) https://jessicabelmont.com/

@nonbinaryknight_reads (Spotlight) https://www.instagram.com/nonbinaryknight_reads/

Rambling Mads (Spotlight) http://ramblingmads.com

Bunny’s Reviews (Spotlight) https://bookwormbunnyreviews.blogspot.com/

September 29^th

Dash Fan Book Reviews (Review out of Tour) https://dashfan81.blogspot.com/

Nesie’s Place (Spotlight) https://nesiesplace.wordpress.com

Book Review Crew (Review) https://thebookreviewcrew.com/

Books + Coffee = Happiness (Spotlight) https://bookscoffeehappiness.com/

@fle_d (Spotlight) https://www.instagram.com/fle_d

September 30^th

@jypsylynn (Review) https://www.instagram.com/jypsylynn/

B is for Book Review (Spotlight) https://bforbookreview.wordpress.com

Stine Writing (Spotlight) https://christinebialczak.com/

Lilyana Shadowlyn (Spotlight) https://lshadowlynauthor.com/

October 1^st

Misty’s Book Space (Review) http://mistysbookspace.wordpress.com

@loveleighreading (Review) https://www.instagram.com/loveleighreading/

The Cozy Pages (Review) http://thecozypages.wordpress.com/

Reads & Reels (Spotlight) http://readsandreels.com

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Book Tour: Borrowed Treasure by Jessica Tastet Genre: Contemporary Fiction/ Clean Romance @JessicaTastet @RRBookTours1 #RRBookTours #Books

April 19, 2021Reads & Reels Leave a comment

Congratulations to author, Jessica Tastet on the release of her latest novel, Borrowed Treasure! Read on for more info and a chance to win a digital copy of the book!

Borrowed Treasure

Publication Date: April 13th, 2021

Genre: Womens Fiction/ Clean Romance

Publisher: Dandelion Wish Publishing

Sissy Ames has been driven to succeed her entire life. On her own, she’s turned her Bittersweet Café into a success, and she’s rebuilt a friendship with her cousin Harper after years of going it alone, but her past bad judgement in trusting Hunter Wells during their relationship continues to cast shadows on the future she’s trying to build for herself.

Hunter Wells has been coasting through life, working at the family business and creating the life that his family expects for him. He’d once hoped for a different existence, but he’d been forced to move on and make do after Sissy Ames had ended their three-year relationship without an explanation.

Even in their small town, the two have managed to avoid each other, but then Hunter’s fiancée, Sissy’s nemesis, disappears after a suspicious confrontation, leaving them both looking like likely suspects. The only hope they have of clearing their names and figuring out what led to the disappearance is to find the one item that drove them apart two years ago: The Ames BORROWED TREASURE.

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Excerpt

Sissy

Sissy Ames ducked behind the ostentatious flower arrangement with its oversized lilies and Hyacinthian sprays shooting out at unnatural angles. The thickness hid the center of the room but exposed her to the tableclothed tables lining either side where the overdressed elite of Thibodaux and its surrounding areas sat. Tonight represented everything she typically avoided, mainly so that she could stay out of the proximity of the woman commanding the center floor. Why her arch nemesis must flit around the ballroom gloating about her latest accomplishment was beyond Sissy. That woman’s pretentious fake smile and sickly-sweet voice had followed Sissy wherever she went in the large ballroom until her hands had begun to shake and her jaw to ache from the clenching.

              Harper, her cousin, approached from the buffet table near the rear of the room. “The lobster bisque’s edible.” Holding out a tiny plastic bowl towards Sissy, Harper shrugged bare shoulders in defeat. Although the food lacked appeal, Harper certainly stunned in the black skintight number Sissy had sent over for her to wear tonight. Sissy had been right to prod the usually casual attired woman into vintage satin as it hugged her hips and showed off the curvy body that Sissy unfortunately did not possess. Sissy had inherited her mother’s straight form among other genetics she wished she could trade in.

              Accepting the ecru soup, Sissy’s eyes scanned the crowd, looking for Cecelia Domangue, the bane of her existence since they were fifteen years old and fighting over president of student council. Currently, the petite blonde in a fuchsia Valentino stood chatting with a town councilman and the sheriff, her fake laugh chiming her existence from twenty feet away.

              Sissy ran a clear plastic spoon through the watery consistency of the bisque. In her head she mentally critiqued the recipe’s minimal usage of cream. “Anything has to be better than that beef dish.”

              Narrowing her emerald eyes, Harper twisted her lips and flashed Sissy a familiar look. Sissy’s cheeks warmed. Her resentment must be showing.

Sissy had submitted a bid to cater the fundraiser tonight in an attempt at a business expansion, but her bid had been accepted under condition. As the serving contract had been awarded to Cecelia’s restaurant Twilight Fare, Sissy would have to submit her recipes to Cecelia for approval and preparation. As if Sissy would ever turn over her recipes to the woman who’d opened a restaurant blocks over in her continuing effort to encroach on every aspect of Sissy’s life. Even if Sissy’s own Bittersweet Café catered to a different crowd than Cecelia’s Twilight Fare, that woman had branched right into catering which Sissy had cautiously tested the waters only a month before Cecelia had gone full blown into advertising her own services.

              Harper glanced away to scan the room, and Sissy returned to the soup, which she knew she could have done better. “How long do we have to stay?”

              Discarding the bowl, Sissy picked up her champagne glass from the table instead. At least they’d bought the good stuff. “We need to be sure the right people see our faces, but besides from that, the committee already has our hundred bucks a head, so I don’t think they care if we are here an hour or close the place down.”

              Tonight’s fundraiser for the Downtown Revitalization committee had the special purpose of raising money to spruce up the downtown area with seasonal decorations to help promote the Christmas festival. The event had filled the local university ballroom with the social society of the small-town area and all its neighboring towns to be sure. As part of the committee, Sissy had aided in promoting the event, even though Cecelia’s recent addition to the committee had managed to sway votes and shut her out of the menu selections.

              Harper picked up her own glass from the table and sipped. “I see a few local lawyers from Emmett’s last mixer. I’ll go over and say hello. If I’m lucky, I may get home early enough to speak to Emmett before the different time zones mean he’s sleeping.”

              Sissy had Cecelia in her crosshairs, and she waited for her to prance to another unsuspecting guest, so she could emerge from behind the flowers that Sissy had voted against. Currently, Cecelia stood near Rudy Klingman, councilman for her district, who dropped in every Wednesday for a number six special, and she’d promised to propose streetlamps to him on behalf of the committee. Distracted, she asked Harper. “Any indication when he’s going to return from New York?”

              Harper shrugged. “He says the case should wrap up in a day or two. I believe he’s enjoying it way too much.”

              Sissy waved Harper’s doubt away with her champagned hand. “Pish, Emmett will be home soon, and you two will be making me sick with your sweetness.”

              Harper smiled, her olive complexion flushing. “Okay, no arguing with my date tonight, especially since you drove. Let’s make our rounds and be out of here in thirty minutes.”

              Sissy nodded and raised her flute in the air as if to toast. “That’s a plan I can drink to.”

              Harper clinked her glass against Sissy’s, and then they departed into the mingling crowd.

              Avoiding Cecelia’s group, Sissy slunk over to Suzy Rhodes, greeting a few of the lawyers and two judges that frequented her business for lunch during the week. In her two-piece blue suit, Suzy stood removed from the invitees, her eyes watching everyone. Her stance hadn’t changed since high school although she’d updated her attire to pant suits and cut her hair into a short bob she tucked behind her ears. Back then, she’d taken photos for the yearbook and everyone had wanted her attention to get within the pages. Today, she wrote a monthly column in the local entertainment magazine, specifically a review of local eateries. Sissy had attempted getting the café featured for months now, even sending a personalized gift certificate two months ago. The woman had never responded to the invitation nor shown up as even a patron, but Cecelia’s Twilight Fare had been prominently featured, not only as a food review but as a front-page feature on up and coming restaurant owners.

              Suzy Rhodes smiled, her cheeks dimpling as Sissy approached. “Why, Sissy Ames, I’m surprised to see you at a swanky function like this. Not your usual soiree, huh?”

              Plastering a smile on her face, Sissy drew upon her southern manners she knew lay beyond her desire to give the woman a good tongue lashing. “Since my café is located in the center of downtown, I have a vested interest in its revitalization efforts.”

              Laughing airily, Suzy’s eyes wandered the room as if bored with the conversation. “Right, that’s true, your little café is down there. I never remember it’s there.”

              Sissy raised an eyebrow, holding her glass closer to her lips. “I know. I’ve invited you several times as part of that little column of yours, but you have yet to accept my invitation.”

              A short, fierce laugh escaped as Suzy’s eyes met Sissy’s. She returned to her survey of the room just as quickly though. “My lord Sissy, I can’t accept every invitation I receive.”

              “Hmm.” Sissy scanned the room, her eyes naturally falling upon Cecelia, who stood facing Chef Homme from Le Homme, the elegant downtown restaurant. The two’s expressions revealed deep, serious conversation—too serious for a social mixer. “Is that why your material has been repetitive?”

              Suzy’s stance shifted. “Excuse me?”

              Sissy smiled, tilting her head. “Oh, I thought you were just so busy that you recycled material from the same four restaurants. Everyone has been talking.”

              Sissy continued smiling as Suzy’s eyes lit with anger. The dark haired, flat nosed woman bit her tongue though. They’d all been raised too southern to truly speak their minds at events such as these.

              “Well, it was nice running into you,” Sissy said, bowing her head in exit. “But I see a city council member I need to have a word with about lamp posts.”

              Sissy pivoted, feeling a surge of confidence from the conversation. Moments ago, she’d hid behind hideous flowers to avoid her high school tormentor, but they had grown up, even though some didn’t behave as if they had. Cecelia and even Suzy hid behind country club houses and designer labels still, making others feel as if they didn’t measure up in the circles they all moved in. She had to remind herself in their vicinity that she was proud of her downtown renovated apartment and scavenged consignment finds.

              Spotting Cecelia ahead on her path though, she pivoted and turned the other way to avoid her. She told herself that with her new found attitude, she would probably lose her southern manners and regret it later.

              Her attention lingered too long over Cecelia, and when she turned, she hit a wall of black cashmere and white softened woven cotton. Reaching her hand out, she pushed herself away, inhaling the masculine smell of sandalwood and musk. From his chest hugging shirt, her eyes followed the Italian silk woven tie in its beautiful pastel green and yellow swirl pattern. The feminine color selection had been a brave choice for a function such as this where the men showcased their masculinity and their pocketbooks. So, he either didn’t know better or his power came with his name.

              She continued on up to his tie’s perfectly anchored knot and landed on the chiseled jawline and soft brown, waiting eyes of Hunter Wells.

Her nose flared as she inhaled deeply, an awareness of their nearness. She took a step back.

“Excuse me.” Sissy felt her cheeks burn as the back of her neck flushed.

              A light flickered in his warm chocolate eyes.

              “Of course.” Hunter nodded, and his lip twitched. “How have you been?”

              Hearing her heart pound in her throat, Sissy straightened her spine, bracing herself for the old anger to return, but his nearness tempered any old residual anger.

Available on Amazon and other Online Retailers!

About the Author

Born and raised in Raceland, Louisiana, near Bayou Lafourche, Jessica Tastet uses the places and people of her childhood to create the backdrop of her fictional South Louisiana town in her Raleigh Cheramie series as well as her Treasure Trilogy.

An avid reader, she began writing stories in the sixth grade. The result was a mystery story she promptly shared with all her family and whoever she could convince to read it. She learned the first of many valuable writing lessons with this endeavor: don’t draw your characters too close to real-life people. Since then. she has earned her editing certification from the University of California and an MFA in Creative Writing from National University in California. Presently, she resides in her hometown with her husband and five teenagers where she works with Curriculum for the local school district.

Jessica Tastet | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram

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Book Tour Schedule

April 19^th

Reads & Reels (Spotlight) http://readsandreels.com

Books Rambling and Tea (Spotlight) https://booksramblingsandtea.com/

Jennifer Mitchell, Bibliolater (Spotlight) https://jennifermitchellbooks.com/

Jessica Belmont (Spotlight) https://jessicabelmont.wordpress.com/

The Cozy Pages (Spotlight) http://thecozypages.wordpress.com/

April 20^th

B is for Book Review (Spotlight) https://bforbookreview.wordpress.com

Book Dragons Not Worms (Spotlight) https://bookdragonsnotworms.blogspot.com/?m=1

Breakeven Books (Spotlight) https://breakevenbooks.com

Rambling Mads (Spotlight) http://ramblingmads.com

April 21^st

Shalini’s Books & Reviews (Review) https://bookreviewsbyshalini.com/

I’m All About Books (Spotlight) https://imallaboutbooks.com/

Misty’s Book Space (Spotlight) http://mistysbookspace.wordpress.com

Liliyana Shadowlyn (Spotlight) https://lshadowlynauthor.com/

April 22^nd

@addictedtobooks86 (Spotlight) https://www.instagram.com/addictedtobooks86/

Phantom of the Library (Review) https://phantomofthelibrarycom.wordpress.com/

@brendajeancombs (Spotlight) https://www.instagram.com/brendajeancombs/

Indie’s Review (Spotlight) http://indieproreview.blogspot.com/

April 23^rd

Bonnie Reads & Writes (Review) https://bonniereadsandwrites.wordpress.com

Nesie’s Place (Review) https://nesiesplace.wordpress.com

The Faerie Review/ Lys Luna (Review) http://www.thefaeriereview.com

@bookishkelly2020 (Spotlight) https://www.instagram.com/BookishKelly2020/

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Blog Tour: Summer Thunder by A. B. Gibson @abgibson1 @RRBookTours1 @KeriBarnum #SummerThunder #RRBookTours #Romance #ContemporaryRomance #Books

April 20, 2020Reads & Reels Leave a comment

Looking for a dreamy romance to escape into, check out Summer Thunder by A.B. Gibson!

All week, we’ll be sharing reviews, excerpts, and guest posts from the author himself. There’s also a fantastic giveaway — a $20 Amazon Gift Card and a print copy of the book!

Summer Thunder

Publication Date: October 15th, 2019

Genre: Contemporary Romance

A Modern-Day Fairy Tale That Will Have Readers Swooning

Lily is headstrong, independent, and stuck in a loop of bad luck. She makes fairy figurines that customers buy to bring them good luck, but her merchandise doesn’t seem do the same for her. Maybe it’s because she doesn’t believe in them.

Theos is handsome and charismatic, a kite-surfing superstar who travels the world. So why is he drawn to Lily and the store on a California beach she struggles to keep afloat? And could she be the one to trigger the awakening of his unusual destiny?

“Summer Thunder is one of the most anticipated romance novel debuts this year.” — Kendra Goldsborough, Four Seasons Books

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Excerpt

“The wind and water are perfect,” he announced. “Come out here, and I’ll help you on.”

Lily waded in, experiencing the weird first-time feeling of water against a wetsuit. A wave broke and splashed in her face. While she was wiping her eyes, a larger wave crashed on top of her, throwing her into the surf. She staggered to her feet, but a third wave pounded her under water again. “I’m done!” She pushed her matted hair from her eyes and spit out sand. “I told you I couldn’t do it.”

“Don’t be silly. It’s impossible to stay dry in this sport, even for me. Be glad you got that part over. Here, grab my arm.”

The way his hands glided over the rigging gave her confidence, and she was glad not to have to worry which clips attached to what pieces of hardware.

“Ready?” He gave her that mischievous look again.

“Are you insane? What am I supposed to do now? I’m terrified!”

“Ha-ha. Nothing. You didn’t think I’d let you go up alone, did you? You’ll be with me the whole time. We’re going tandem.”

He held the bar with one hand as he leaned her back against his chest and positioned her feet on the board. His slick wetsuit felt strangely soft against hers, and she pressed closer to him. Then he wrapped his other arm around her and grabbed the bar for lift off. In seconds, they were up and speeding over the waves. He squeezed her slightly before he made the board make its first jump. She screamed in delight, and they jumped again. When he suddenly whipped the board around and reversed their direction, her body rolled into his strong arms, and she felt safe.

“Put your arms on top of mine.” She gripped each of his hands, and when she lowered her arms over his, it was as though a circuit had been closed. A massive jolt of energy raced through her body, and from that moment she registered every twitch of his muscles as he pushed and pulled on the bar making subtle changes in direction and speed.

He put his mouth close to her ear, and she could feel his breath when he shouted, “Get ready to pop!”

They lifted off the surface, and Lily watched their magic carpet fly higher and higher into the sky and farther from the shoreline. So, this is what they mean by hang time, she thought and wondered how long they could float. His left hand released its grip, and she felt his arm tighten around her waist.

“Here we go!” The double somersault on the return down was more thrilling than any amusement park ride, and she held him tight long after they landed back on the water.

“Want to go back in?”

She was having the time of her life. “No. Keep going. I love this!”

They were far from the shore when he took the bar again with both hands, turned the board around and screamed toward shore.

“Hold on!”

He pulled the board up to jump, and when he brought it down, she looked back to see they were speeding across a giant wave like the ones she’d seen in videos. In his fitted suit, hair spraying straight behind him, Theos looked every bit a god. They rode the crest all the way in, and the board came to a stop at precisely where they started.

He let her drop into the water. It was over her head, and she bounced on her toes. He let her cling to him, and she couldn’t stop laughing from relief and joy all at once. He leaned into the sway of the ocean and intuitively adjusted his weight to suit the jerking made by the crosscurrents. Suddenly, he wrapped his arms around her middle and pulled her into a quick embrace.

She pressed her hands against his chest to maintain some space, but she found the rapid thump of her heart entirely pleasant.

“What are you doing?”

“I’m trying to kiss you, silly. Isn’t it obvious?”

Then it came to her. Theos had just helped her overcome one of her greatest fears. Helping her with another made perfect sense, and she had no problem reciprocating.

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About the Author

With over four decades in the advertising business, Alan has written and produced television, radio, print and digital commercials and built his reputation as one of the most creative players in entertainment advertising. Not content with writing in thirty and sixty-second formats, he took to novel writing in 2015 and published three best-selling mystery/thrillers, under the pen name of A.B. Gibson. High Voltage is published by Story Merchant Books.

Alan’s first book, The Dead of Winter, is the inspiration for The Seeding, a feature film he is producing with Ken Atchity Productions. Gibson also is an Executive Producer of The Book of Leah, a feature film due for release in 2020.

He serves as Co-founder and Chairman of OneClick.chat, a video social engagement platform startup that often competes for time with his writing.

A.B. Gibson | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram

Blog Tour Schedule

April 20^th

Viviana MacKade (Guest Post) https://viviana-mackade.blog/

Mowgli with a Book (Spotlight w/ Review to Follow) https://www.instagram.com/mowgliwithabook/

Didi Oviatt (Spotlight) https://didioviatt.wordpress.com

Vick’s Bookish Writing Blog (Review) https://vicksblogcom.home.blog/

April 21^st

I’m All About Books (Spotlight) https://imallaboutbooks.com/

The Cozy Pages (Spotlight) http://thecozypages.wordpress.com/

Tales of a Natural Spoonie (Review) https://talesofanaturalspoonie.com/

April 22^nd

Jessica Belmont (Spotlight) https://jessicabelmont.wordpress.com/

Reads & Reels (Guest Post) http://readsandreels.com

Tsarina Press (Spotlight) https://www.tsarinapress.com

April 23^rd

Dash Fan Book Reviews (Guest Post) https://dashfan81.blogspot.com/

B is for Book Review (Spotlight) https://bforbookreview.wordpress.com

Indie’s Reviews (Spotlight) http://indieproreview.blogspot.com/

Eclectic Review (Review) https://eclecticreview.com/

April 24^th

I Love Books and Stuff (Spotlight) https://ilovebooksandstuffblog.wordpress.com

The Faerie Review (Spotlight) http://www.thefaeriereview.com

Blog Tour Organized By:

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Blog Tour: Headliners by Lucy Parker @_LucyParker @CarinaPress @RRBookTours1 #Headliners #BlogTour #Excerpt #Giveaway RRBookTours

January 20, 2020Reads & Reels 1 Comment

Lucy Parker fans rejoice! Her latest novel is here, and we’re thrilled to share Headliners, book #5 in the London Celebrities series! Read on for an exclusive excerpt, purchase details, and a chance to win a print copy!

Headliners (London Celebrities #5)

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Publication Date: January 20th, 2020

Publisher: Carina Press

He might be the sexiest man in London, according to his fan site (which he definitely writes himself), but he’s also the most arrogant man she’s ever met.

She might have the longest legs he’s ever seen, but she also has the sharpest tongue.

For years, rival TV presenters Sabrina Carlton and Nick Davenport have traded barbs on their respective shows. The public can’t get enough of their feud, but after Nick airs Sabrina’s family scandals to all of Britain, the gloves are off. They can barely be in the same room together—but these longtime enemies are about to become the unlikeliest of cohosts.

With their reputations on the rocks, Sabrina and Nick have one last chance to save their careers. If they can resurrect a sinking morning show, they’ll still have a future in television. But with ratings at an all-time low and a Christmas Eve deadline to win back the nation’s favor, the clock is ticking—and someone on their staff doesn’t want them to succeed.

Small mishaps on set start adding up, and Sabrina and Nick find themselves—quelle horreur—working together to hunt down the saboteur…and discovering they might have more in common than they thought. When a fiery encounter is caught on camera, the public is convinced that the reluctant co-hosts are secretly lusting after one another.

The public might not be wrong.

Their chemistry has always been explosive, but with hate turning to love, the stakes are rising and everything is on the line. Neither is sure if they can trust these new feelings…or if they’ll still have a job in the New Year.

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Excerpt

Their boss started turning her pen in circles again. “You are correct in that you’ve both knocked yourselves out of contention for the evening show. That position will be offered elsewhere.”

Sabrina released a long breath, and Nick closed his eyes momentarily.

“So that’s it?” she said, with a slight feeling of unreality. Despite the setbacks since the summer, apparently she hadn’t really expected this to happen. “We’re both out?”

“Of the evening programming, yes. Your nights are going to be considerably more open.” Hania looked past Sabrina again, as the office door opened. “But if you agree to my suggestion, you’re also going to have to start getting up a lot earlier.”

Nick turned his head first, and his entire body went still.

She swung around and was greeted with her own smiling face on a full-length poster board. Her printed image had been placed back-to-back with Nick’s, and someone had done some excessive editing, because she’d never leaned on him in her life.

Her gaze travelled from their glossy heads to the sarcastic advertising copy scrawled across the cardboard: ’tis the season for peace and goodwill. And miracles. Wake Me Up London with Sabrina Carlton and Nick Davenport, weekdays at seven throughout December.

They broke the silence with an unusually united sentiment.

“Oh, I don’t think so.” Sabrina physically retreated from the horrifying prospect.

“I hope that’s a bad joke.” Palpable outrage from Nick. His fingertips were digging hard enough into the arm of his chair that she could see his knuckles flexing. “I don’t mind the odd piece of human-interest filler—nobody wants doom and gloom 24/7 and there are people who deserve recognition—but the morning show has been egregious rubbish for years. If you seriously think I’m going to sit there and smile inanely while people with too much time on their hands argue about—what was one of their scintillating topics, the ethics of putting tutus on puppies?—you can think again. And why am I second billing on the poster?”

“Alphabetical and moral seniority,” Sabrina said breezily. He was so annoyed that she’d recovered a bit of composure in response. She inclined her head towards their chummy-looking cardboard selves. “And it pains me to state the obvious, but you’re literally the poster boy for inane smiles, Troy McClure. Bit late to change your brand now.”

Nick’s jaw had stopped twitching, but his eye picked up the slack.

From her seat close to the offending poster, a member of the social media team cleared her throat. “Er…is the plan to boost WMUL’s embarrassingly shit ratings by turning the set into a Hamlet-style bloodbath? Because it’ll be job well done in any scenario that puts them on the same couch.”

“I’ve worked for the network since I was twenty-one,” Nick said, slipping back into his shield of drawling amiability. It tended to net more wins. One may smile, and smile, and be a villain. “I’ve headlined alone for almost four years, and I’ve made a damn good job of it.”

“Yes, you have,” Hania agreed. “You’re excellent at your job. Witty, tenacious, attractive—the public accolades are spot-on.” Before Nick’s head could expand too far, she continued, “You also humiliated your boss in a public forum. If you wanted to keep your name on the evening billing, you should have exercised some discretion. You’re on such thin ice here that one false step is going to drop you right in it. I hope I’m making myself clear.”

She walked around her desk to sweep a glance up and down the poster board, before she leaned a companionable elbow on it. “Happily for us all, the public is fascinated with your obvious feud. You surmise correctly that Wake Me Up London is in a losing battle where the ratings are concerned. I have a feeling that the two of you could salvage that situation.”

Nick opened his mouth again, and Hania finished, “And you’ve got from the beginning of December until Christmas Eve to prove me right.”

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About the Author

Lucy Parker lives in the gorgeous Central Otago region of New Zealand, where she feels lucky every day to look out at mountains, lakes and vineyards. She has a degree in Art History, loves museums and galleries, and doodles unrecognisable flowers when she has writer’s block.

Her interest in romantic fiction began with a pre-teen viewing of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice (Firth-style), which prompted her to read the book as well, and the rest was history.

Lucy Parker | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook | Goodreads

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