Wednesday, October 31, 2018

#Review ~ Beautiful Sinner by Sophie Jordan ~ @SoVerySophie

Review:

Beautiful Sinner: A Devil's Rock Novel by [Jordan, Sophie]
I think this may be the first book I have had the chance to read by Sophie Jordan. I was impressed and I will certainly be on the lookout for more books by this talented author. 

I quickly bonded with Gabriella Rossi because honestly she kind of reminds me to me. She's sweet, loving, strong-willed when needed, courageous even if she doesn't necessarily think she is, will do anything to help those she loves, and loyal. Her life has not been easy and she is still dealing with some of the rotten folks from her high school that made her high school experience anything but enjoyable. 


Cruz Walsh, wow where do I start with this guy. He loves his family so much and would do ANYTHING for them. He was convicted of a crime he sure didn't commit and even after being proved innocent and released from prison, the mean folks of town are still trying to tear him down. This guy has such a big heart, he's strong, determined, loyal, and just one really awesome guy that got a bad deal. 


I loved watching Cruz and Gabby get to know each other as adults. There are so darn many things that keep jumping into their path to keep them apart but the attraction is there, the feelings are strong, and even some of the family is approving. It's going to be a bumpy ride to get their relationship to a point of even possibly finding a happily ever after. They truly do make a great couple. With everything they have been through they sure do both deserve to find that happily ever after that's for sure.


I really enjoyed this book. I found Ms. Jordan to have a very nice writing style that quickly captured my attention from the first page and held on all the way to the end. The characters are charismatic, charming, and give you that feeling of you just found a new friend. The storyline was interesting and filled with plenty of drama and mystery to keep my fingers flipping those pages just as quickly as I could while sitting on the edge of my seat wondering what in the world could possibly happen next. 


This is the last book in the Devil's Rock series. Ms. Jordan has done a fabulous job of making it a stand alone. I didn't feel like I was missing any important details that would distract from my enjoyment of the book. However, after reading this book I know I sure wouldn't mind reading more of her work. 


I was given the opportunity to read this incredible book and it is my pleasure to share my thoughts with you. 


Amazon Buy Link: https://www.amazon.com/Beautiful-Sinner-Devils-Rock-Novel-ebook/dp/B076GZSMZZ/ref=as_li_ss_tl?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1541018490&sr=1-1&keywords=beautiful+sinner+by+sophie+jordan&linkCode=sl1&tag=revibycrys-20&linkId=a699184dde2181ec6464a14b030bd9f1&language=en_US


About Beautiful Sinner:

Beautiful Sinner: A Devil's Rock Novel by [Jordan, Sophie]Locked in with the town bad boy . . .
Most women would be scared, but Gabriella’s only worried about resisting Cruz Walsh, who’s even hotter than he was back in high school. Cruz was wrongly accused of the high-profile crime for which he was imprisoned; Gabriella’s desperate for the scoop that will get her career off the ground and get her out of Sweet Hill, where everyone still remembers her as “Flabby Gabby.” Being stuck in a supply closet with Cruz is the perfect opportunity to land an interview. What Bri doesn’t count on is Cruz taking “up-close and personal” to a whole new level.

If there’s a silver lining to the hell Cruz went through, it’s that losing his freedom put everything in perspective. Maybe starting over someplace new would be easier, but after years locked up, Cruz values his family—and his true friends—more than ever. So he’s back home, facing the gossip, dodging reporters . . . and face-to-face with Gabriella Rossi. They’ve both changed: Bri wants a story and Cruz just wants her. Another thing he’s learned? Don’t let a good thing slip away.


#GiveAway ~ BUBBA AND SQUIRT’S BIG DIG TO CHINA by Sherry Ellis ~ @513sherrye @DancingLemurPre @MCBookTours.



It’s a pleasure to be participating in author Sherry Ellis’ BUBBA AND SQUIRT’S BIG DIG TO CHINA Blog Tour through MC Book Tours today.

This tour-wide giveaway is for five (5) autographed copies of BUBBA AND SQUIRT’S BIG DIG TO CHINA. The giveaway is open internationally.

To enter the giveaway, just click on the Rafflecopter widget below and follow the instructions. The widget may take a few seconds to load so please be patient. If the widget doesn’t show up, just click HERE and you’ll be directed to the widget.

About BUBBA AND SQUIRT’S BIG DIG TO CHINA:

Squirt doesn't believe Bubba can dig a hole to China. But when the hole swallows them, the kids find themselves in Xi'an, China, surrounded by Terracotta Warriors.


It gets worse when the ghost of the first emperor of China appears. He tells them they can't go home until they find his missing pi. The kids don't know where to begin until they meet a girl and her grandmother who promise to help find the pendant.


Soon they realize they are being followed. And they are no closer to finding the missing pi. Will Bubba and Squirt ever make it back home?

Genre: Juvenile Fiction
Publisher: Dancing Lemur Press
Print & eBooks
Paperback: 94 pages
Grades 3-5

BUBBA AND SQUIRT’S BIG DIG TO CHINA available at:
Excerpt: 

CHAPTER 5 BUBBA: GHOST WANTS A PI

Swirling wisps of black smoke rose from the ground. A wind sound filled the cave. I shivered. The wisps gathered and formed a column. It grew until it reached the top of the cave. Then it dissolved. I gasped when I saw what was left: a man. A ghost man. He wore a long white robe, like Mama’s bathrobe, only fancier. And he had a wispy, black mustache and beard. And his eyes–boy, those things really creeped me out! They were like black slits painted on his face. I gulped and tried real hard not to scream.
I looked at Squirt. Her face was as white as the ghost’s, and her eyes were as big as traffic lights when they turn green. I looked back at the ghost. Nobody said a word. If this was a magic trick, it sure was a good one. I had no idea how he could appear out of thin air like that.
I shifted on my feet, wishing somebody would talk. When nobody did, I swallowed and took a deep breath. I stepped forward. “Hi, Mister Chinese man. I’m Bubba and this is Squirt, and we want to go home.” I took another breath and waited for the ghost to say something. But he didn’t. He did nothing but stare at me with those slit eyeballs.
Squirt stepped up behind me and whispered in my ear. “I don’t think he understands English. Try saying, ‘ni hao.’ It means ‘hello’ in Chinese.”
I didn’t know how Miss Smarty Pants knew that information, but I thought I’d give it a try. I cleared my throat. “Ni hao.”
The ghost stared at me, his face expressionless. I thought maybe he was a hologram. But then he spoke. His voice was high and raspy. “I am Emperor Ch’in. You have invaded my burial chambers.”
Whoa! We were in a tomb? I had no idea. There were no bones or anything that made it look like one. I raised my eyebrows. “You speak English?” I didn’t think Chinese ghost guys could do that.
“I am a spirit. I speak and understand all languages. Now, why are you here?”

I told him about the magic shovel, the hole, and the clay soldiers. He listened quietly. When I was finished, he didn’t say a thing. He just kept staring.

Sherry Ellis is an award-winning author and professional musician who plays and teaches the violin, viola, and piano.

When she is not writing or engaged in musical activities, she can be found doing household chores, hiking, or exploring the world. Sherry, her husband, and their two children live in Atlanta, Georgia. 

For more on Sherry and her writing, you can connect with her on Twitter, Facebook, Goodreads, her blog, her website and her Amazon Author Page.

Thanks for stopping by and be sure to follow Sherry on her month-long tour HERE. You never know what you might find out.

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Thursday, October 25, 2018

#GiveAway ~ THE EXENE CHRONICLES by Camille A. Collins ~ @GoddessFish


THE EXENE CHRONICLES
by Camille A. Collins

Camille will be awarding a lovely pen and notebook to a randomly drawn winner. Please use the Rafflecopter below to enter. Remember you may increase your chances of winning by visiting the other tour stops. You may find those locations here.  (http://goddessfishpromotions.blogspot.com/2018/09/blurb-blitz-tour-exene-chronicles-by.html)



BLURB:
 
Camille A. Collins's lyrical debut novel speaks to the passionate engagement of adolescent girls—with music, with injustice, with love, with life. This is a courageous coming-of-age story, one that poet Nikki Giovanni recommends "sharing with our teenage sons and daughters."

Collins's 1980s southern California set novel is a literary debut that tackles social inequality with poetic riffs and heart-pounding angst.

GENRE: Vintage Young Adult / Multi-culture



Excerpt:

Cobblestones, crisscrossed by scarlet rills…

Away from the clean, wide streets of Coronado, downtown San Diego, with its vagrant hotels, Salvation Army treasures, and errant trash tumbling along the gutters, provided Ryan and Lia some undefined relief. The grit egged on their teething pathos, their emerging view of life through some inverted prism, where on the one hand, they believed that in some far-off distance they would attain a sort of middle-class contentment, but for the present, nothing besides a noncommittal flirtation with the dark, baneful, and untoward, procured in the pedestrian way of most fourteen-year- olds (through books, music, and imaginative musings), could create for them a sense of satisfaction.

In order to feed their insatiable quest for all things bleak on a diet more substantial than what Danielle Steel had to offer, the girls’ eighth grade English teacher introduced them to Baudelaire. Whether or not they had really understood The Fountain of Blood was hard to say.

“Romeo and Juliet isn’t so melodramatic,” Ryan murmured reflectively.

“I mean, who wouldn’t die for love? I would…if it came to that.”

“You’re nuts.”

“It’s just…I think that Prince song is right: the party’s over in the year 2000. Do you realize we’ll be, like, thirty years old, if we even live to see 2000?”

“Wait. What’s that got to do with anything?” Lia frowned.

“I dunno, it’s just … I’d rather die young for love instead of living without it, not knowing what might happen. Have you ever seen those warships down at the end of Palm Avenue? I hate them.”

Lia paused to consider Ryan’s words.

“You’re right. I never thought about it that way … but you’re absolutely right. I guess I’d prefer it that way too.”

Apparently, what Mrs. Buchanan had offered as a cautionary tale had suffered gross misinterpretation.


AUTHOR Bio and Links:

Camille A. Collins has an MFA in Creative Writing from The School of the Art Institute of Chicago. She has been the recipient of the Short Fiction Prize from the South Carolina Arts Commission, and her writing has appeared in The African-American National Biography, published by Harvard University and Oxford University Press; in The Twisted Vine, a literary journal of Western New Mexico University, and other places.

#GiveAway ~ My Wonderful Wobbly Life by Charles Irwin ~ @GoddessFish



My Wonderful Wobbly Life
by Charles Irwin

One randomly chosen winner via rafflecopter will win a $50 Amazon/BN.com gift card. Please use the Rafflecopter below to enter. Remember you may increase your chance of winning by visiting the other tour stops. You may find those locations here. (http://goddessfishpromotions.blogspot.com/2018/07/vbt-my-wonderful-wobbly-life-by-charles.html)


BLURB: 

Having survived quite a few birthdays and had some interesting experiences, I wrote them down. That's how "My Wonderful Wobbly Life" was conceived. It was nearly born in 2004, but decided to hang on until 2018 to become 'Born again' Alleluia!!!!

GENRE:  Memoir (Autobiography)

Buy Links:  
BOOK IS ON SALE FOR $0.99 DURING THE TOUR (Please verify before you purchase to make sure it has not changed)



Excerpt:

“When they told my mother her little Bobby had brain damage and was a cripple, can you imagine how she felt? According to her, devastated!

The way home from the hospital led to one of London’s bridges across the River Thames.  She stopped halfway across with the intention of SPLASH!!! End of story for both of us. She hesitated. The thought of a man crippled by polio, who had succeeded despite his disability and become President of America, came into her mind. She walked on thinking, if F.D. Roosevelt can succeed, so can my Bobby!

When my father arrived home that afternoon my mother was on her hands and knees scrubbing the kitchen floor, filling the bucket with her tears.

“What’s the matter Peg?”

“Oh Bert! our little Bobby’s a CRIPPLE!”

“Well Peg, even if he is, there is one thing we are not going to do. We are not going to be ashamed and hide him away. He will come everywhere with us.”

He was as good as his word. I went everywhere with them when I was young and have fantastic memories of fun times. One of my favourites was being at a dance hall, possibly the Wimbledon Palais de Dance. I could not have been older than three or four, but I distinctly remember my father dancing around the dance-floor with me standing on his feet. It made me feel so proud and grown-up and I was then content to sit and watch for the rest of the evening.  He was a real Yorkshireman, proud of me, his son. “
                                                           

AUTHOR Bio and Links:

Charles was born in London U.K. in 1932. During his birth the forceps slipped, resulting in brain damage to the motor control nerves of his right side and causing total body spasticity. However, his intellect was not damaged. Throughout his life the two adversaries, controllable brain and semi-controllable body, always needed to be balanced. After several years of work and study he became a Chartered Production Engineer. In 1971 he emigrated to Australia and became a senior examiner in the Australian Patent office. This autobiography illustrates the rhyme: “He started to sing as he tackled the thing, That couldn’t be done - but he DID IT!” Charles chronicles his journey from useless to useful, with humour and joie de vie. He pays tribute to friends who only gave him help when it was asked for. At a young age he recognized his psychic abilities and, by using lessons at the end of each chapter, shares some insights with readers

Wednesday, October 24, 2018

#GiveAway ~ OUR SECRET POWERS by Terje G. Simonsen ~ @GoddessFish

OUR SECRET POWERS
by  Terje G. Simonsen 

Terje G. Simonsen will be awarding a $25 Amazon or Barnes and Noble GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. Remember you may increase your chances of winning by visiting the other tour stops. You may find those locations here http://goddessfishpromotions.blogspot.com/2018/09/blurb-blitz-our-secret-powers-by-terje.html


About the Book:
Is the paranormal normal?

Many readers will be surprised when learning that reputable scientists, among them several Nobel laureates, have claimed that telepathy is a reality. Their curiosity will increase when reading that Cleopatra’s lost palace and Richard III’s burial place were recovered by means of clairvoyance. And some will think it to be science fiction when finding out about Stargate—the espionage program where the American military and CIA engaged in the development of psychic spies!

Simonsen, a Norwegian historian of ideas, introduces an array of entertaining paranormal tales from history, archaeology, anthropology and psychology, and presents scientific research that has provided fascinating results. He argues that the stories we hear about telepathy, clairvoyance and precognition ought not to be dismissed as superstition

In step with spiritual and occult traditions, the author suggests that consciousness is not limited to our own head. Rather he thinks that all humans (and perhaps all living beings) are linked together in a “Mental Internet.’ Via this network we may exchange ‘telepathic emails’ with friends and family and make clairvoyant ‘downloads’ of information. Thus perhaps what we usually call ‘supernatural’ is completely natural but little understood communications via this Mental Internet?

Our Secret Powers gives us a engaged and entertaining analysis of a controversial subject and would make an excellent travel companion.

Buy link:





Read an Excerpt:

Based on this idea, we launch a quite simple model, called the “Mental Internet.” The basic metaphor here is that somewhat in the way our computers are linked together via the Internet, the ‘consciousnesses’ of all humans, and perhaps all living beings, are linked together via some sort of Mental Internet. Consciousness, like the Internet, is—on some level—something that we are all doing together; it is networking. And telepathy is the communication that drives this network.


I therefore invite the reader to engage in a little thought experiment throughout the book: namely that an Internet Model of consciousness may have some relevance. Galileo once invited the Inquisition to look through his telescope in order to see what he himself had seen. But, as we know, the inquisitors were not very keen on having their horizons expanded and instead muttered murkily of ‘the work of the Devil.’ However, I take it for granted that the reader has a radically more open attitude than those darkened souls, and I am therefore confident that my invitation will be well received.


I find it intriguing to think that our everyday perception of Space and Time may, in some respects, be merely a mental frame, a habit. And therefore it might be possible to think outside the box in a more radical way. The proposed thought experiment about a Mental Internet allows for this, and telepathy can then be considered as the ‘emails’ sent and the ‘downloads’ made via this mental network. Many phenomena that otherwise would appear inexplicable will in light of this model fall quite nicely into place. More (much more) about this later!

About the Author:

Terje G. Simonsen is an author with a Ph.D. in the History of Ideas. He has increasingly focused his attention on the esoteric and occult traditions and on paranormal phenomena, as telepathy, clairvoyance, precognition, telekinesis, healing etc. Recently he published the highly acclaimed Our Secret Powers, based on his extraordinary knowledge within this field. Elegantly and with great personal wit and insight, he discusses parapsychological phenomena such as telepathy, clairvoyance, and precognition. 


Simonsen has had his work praised by several of the world’s most renowned experts on the paranormal: The bestselling parapsychologist, Dean Radin, chief scientist at the Institute of Noetic Sciences, says: ‘As an encyclopedic introduction to the psychic side of the fascinating but puzzling domain known as the paranormal, there is no better choice than Our Secret Powers.” And Stanley Krippner, expert on hypnosis, shamanism and altered states of consciousness, former leader of two departments in the American Psychological Association, says: “This is an outstanding book and it deserves all the attention it can get. Not only is Our Secret Powers a book for all seasons, it is a book for all reasons!’






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Tuesday, October 23, 2018

#Review ~ Hot Winter Nights by Jill Shalvis ~ @JillShalvis


Hot Winter Nights: A Heartbreaker Bay Novel by [Shalvis, Jill]

Review:

I love Christmas stories, just love them! With Hot Winter Nights, Jill Shalvis has created an interesting Christmas story with romance, drama, suspense, some laughter, and characters that are so easy to become friends with.

I have loved each of the books I have had a chance to read in the Heartbreaker Bay series. Each one seems to be just as good as the previous story or maybe even a touch better. None the less they are all fabulous reads that I devoured quickly with each new release. 

Molly Malone has not had an easy life. To be honest, life has been rough for this incredibly strong and intelligent lady. I found an instant bond with her and totally understand her fighting to not let a horrible a medical issue get her down. This lady is an inspiration. She can kick butt when she needs too, she can keep all those strong handsome men she works with in line, and she is one awesome friend too. 

Molly is strong and independent but she has a big brother and a whole slew of guys that love her like a sister to protect her. She's got her hands full trying to show them she can be a help on cases out in the field too. She already rocks at the research she does for them. Molly is one of those ladies that I'd like to sit down with and chat. I know she has some stories she could share.

Lucas Knight is recovering from a work-related injury. Lucas learned a quick lesson, never ever, mix alcohol and pain medication. I won't tell you too much about this part either but Molly is a mischievous lady at times. She has Lucas wondering what might have happened. 

Lucas is supposed to keep an eye on Molly while she helps out her neighbor with a "Bad Santa" Case. The more time Molly and Lucas spend together the more their mutual attraction to each other is smoldering and ready to explode into a fiery passion. I enjoyed watching these two get to know each other better. They are both strong and independent so there is some friction along the way but that only adds to the incredible passion between them. They have a lot of things that are standing in the way that they need to overcome if they are going to possibly get that happily ever after that neither one was really looking for right now. 

The Bad Santa storyline funny yet jam-packed with drama and suspense. I found myself sitting on the edge of my seat many times wondering just how they were going to get out yet another sticky situation. 

Overall I LOVED this story. I loved catching up with some of my old friends from the previous books in the series. The Christmas theme, the drama, the hot and steamy romance, the friendships and family relationships all added up to a really awesome story. 

This is part of the Heartbreaker Bay series, however, it will stand on its own just fine. Jill Shalvis has done a fabulous job with each book to make sure they will easily stand on their own and you won't feel like you are missing anything. I have read quite a few in this series and they are all great. If you haven't read the previous books in the series you might want to pick them up while you are shopping. I am sure you will enjoy them as much as I did. 

You may find more of my reviews on Jill Shalvis' work here: https://reviewsbycacb.blogspot.com/search?q=jill+shalvis&max-results=20&by-date=true

Amazon Buy Link: https://amzn.to/2PMZQL7 

***
About Hot Winter Nights:
Hot Winter Nights: A Heartbreaker Bay Novel by [Shalvis, Jill]Who needs mistletoe?
Most people wouldn’t think of a bad Santa case as the perfect Christmas gift. Then again, Molly Malone, office manager at Hunt Investigations, isn’t most people, and she could really use a distraction from the fantasies she’s been having since spending the night with her very secret crush, Lucas Knight. Nothing happened, not that Lucas knows that—but Molly just wants to enjoy being a little naughty for once . . .
Whiskey and pain meds for almost-healed bullet wounds don’t mix. Lucas needs to remember that next time he’s shot on the job, which may be sooner rather than later if Molly’s brother, Joe, finds out about them. Lucas can’t believe he’s drawing a blank on his (supposedly) passionate tryst with Molly, who’s the hottest, smartest, strongest woman he’s ever known. Strong enough to kick his butt if she discovers he’s been assigned to babysit her on her first case. And hot enough to melt his cold heart this Christmas.

Amazon Buy Link: https://amzn.to/2PMZQL7 

#Review ~ The Christmas Key by Lori Wilde ~ @loriwilde


The Christmas Key: A Twilight, Texas Novel by [Wilde, Lori]Review:

I LOVE Lori Wilde's books and I adore Christmas stories so pardon me for a moment while I bask in the Glee of this fabulous book.  The Christmas Key has all the great things that make a great story. The characters are incredible, the storyline is unique and captivated my attention from the very first page all the way to the end. 

Naomi Luther is one of those characters that I could not help but bond with right away. This lady has her plate full because she has such a caring heart and love her family, her community, her job, and most of all her little nephew that is about to be her son due to sad circumstances. She has it all going and sure is not looking for love when she accidentally jumps into the wrong jeep. 

#Mark Shepherd has been through war, felt a tremendous loss, and is still trying to figure out what to do with his life. My heart went out to Mark from the moment I met him. He's such a fabulous guy but has so many things he's trying to overcome. When Naomi Luther jumps into his jeep on a busy Christmas shopping day he just may have found exactly what he needs to put his life back on track.

I love the Christmas Kismet Cookie plot of the story. I don't want to spoil too much of the story I'll just say this is such a fun and interesting concept that I loved the story. Naomi and Mark have an instant connection and when Mark ends up working for the Luther family and church they find themselves spending more and more time together. There is a little secret that Mark is carrying around and trying to figure out how to deal with. I loved watching these two get to know each other and I loved that Mark bonded with Hunter. This sweet little boy has lost a lot but is so surrounded in love he's thriving and a healthy little boy. 

I love books where the family is involved in the storyline. Naomi's family plays a big role in this story and that just adds so much more to the story. I enjoyed watching the whole family help Mark with his PTSD struggles. They truly take this guy in and make him a part of their family and their community. 

This book is just one incredibly Christmas time read. I highly recommend grabbing the Kleenex box before you settle in to read this one. I know I had tears flowing a few times but I also laughed out loud a few times. If you are a fan of Christmas stories like me, you have to grab this book. If you are a fan of Lori Wilde's work and a Christmas story fan then I can almost guarantee you are going to love this book as much as I did. 

I can't wait to see what Ms.Wilde has in store for us lucky readers next. I always know it's going to be a great read when I see her name on the cover. 

I was given the opportunity to read this fantabulous story and it has been my great pleasure to share my thoughts with you.

You may find more of my reviews on Lori Wilde's work here:  https://reviewsbycacb.blogspot.com/search?q=Lori+Wilde&max-results=20&by-date=true

Amazon Buy Link: https://amzn.to/2CZx5rT 

***
About The Christmas Key:
The Christmas Key: A Twilight, Texas Novel by [Wilde, Lori]There’s a legend in Twilight, Texas. If you sleep with a kismet cookie under your pillow on Christmas Eve, you will dream of your one true love.
She saw him in her dreams . . .
It’s impossible! Naomi Luther was standing face-to-face with the man she’d dreamed about over a year ago. Was it the magic of kismet Christmas cookies that brought him to her? Or is there an even greater force at work? All Naomi knows is she is falling, hard and fast, for the one man all good sense says she should not have.
She was his buddy’s sister . . .
Rebellious Mark Shepherd found order in the Marines but chaos on the battlefield. In a mission gone wrong, Mark is injured and one of his fellow soldiers loses his life. Haunted by guilt, he arrives in Twilight to keep a solemn promise. But when the Luthers mistake him for their handyman, he’s swept up in playing Santa to his buddy’s orphan son . . . and falling hard for Naomi’s irresistible bright spirit and sweet, sexy smile. But what will happen when she learns the truth?

Amazon Buy Link: https://amzn.to/2CZx5rT 

Thursday, October 18, 2018

Desire & Dessert By Madison Michael


Desire & Dessert
B&B Billionaire Romance Series (Book 1)
By Madison Michael

Madison has put together some really awesome Prize Packages to giveaway during the tour. Please use the Rafflecopter below to enter. Remember you may enter every day for your chance to win one of the prize packages. You may find the tour locations here




About Desire & Dessert:

Can they forge a business merger and a personal one too?

Spoiled Stevie Jurran expects smooth sailing when she arrives at Lakeside Lodge to implement her plan to merge it into the luxury Bijoux Hotel chain. Completing this simple task will move her up the corporate ladder, increase her value to her father’s multi-billion dollar business and settle the score with her cheating ex-fiancé. Just one insignificant B&B stands between her and success –one B&B and its provoking and intriguing manager.

Secretive and sexy Grant Harris is not your typical innkeeper. Digging in his heels, he tries to preserve the aesthetic of Lakeside Lodge by resisting every change Stevie implements. Retreating from his life in the B&B’s surroundings, Grant quickly learns there’s no way to combat his growing desire for the infuriating heiress. Can he concede to her demands and contend with his past to win this alluring woman?

The B&B should be a perfect fit for the hotel chain. Stevie and Grant should be a perfect fit as well, but will they set aside their pasts and egos to complete a merger of a different kind?
Will love seal their deal?


Amazon Buy Link: https://amzn.to/2NJ30xy



Excerpt from Desire & Dessert:

“Inside or out?”

The maître’d and Grant were both looking at Stevie expectantly. Usually assertive, she demurred to Grant. “You know the place better; you choose.”

“If you would like the patio, Dr. Harris,” the host suggested in a heavily accented voice, “I have a lovely corner table.”

The couple acquiesced and were seated in the back corner of the enclosed patio. The music was fainter, but still audible accompanied by the tinkling sound of a fountain. Stevie glanced across the patio. There were about eight tables outdoors, all for parties of two. High bushes of hibiscus and roses bursting with blooms surrounded the patio. The fragrance was wonderful, the table incredibly intimate.

“You like it?” Grant asked with a hint of uncertainty.

“I love it.”

“Wait until you taste the food,” he promised, his confidence restored.

They hid behind tall menus, selecting dishes to share along with a carafe of sangria. After giving their order to the server they were finally alone.

“It’s beautiful here,” Stevie breathed. “Thank you for suggesting it.”

“Now that I finally have you alone,” Grant teased only to be interrupted by the server arriving to pour their drinks. “So much for my sinister plans.”

“Do you have sinister plans?” Stevie queried in a low, husky voice.

“Do you want me to?”

“No answering a question with a question,” Stevie responded. She watched conflicting emotions waver across Grant’s face and waited quietly. She would not give him an out. She had learned from business that silence was a powerful tool.

“Yes, in fact, Stevie. I have very sinister plans.”

The words were out, electric between them like a live thing. Stevie sucked in a breath, surprised by how quickly and matter of factly Grant had stated his desires. She reached her foot forward under the table closing the few inches that separated them. She rubbed her foot slowly up his leg, allowing her movements to acknowledge what she failed to say with her lips.

“Have I shocked you?”

“I guess that depends on just how sinister you can be. Mostly you have pleased me,” Stevie admitted. No shy wallflower, she gave Grant a bold smile and placed her hand in his. “I’m looking forward to finding out.”

Grant pressed a soft kiss on the back of her hand then released her as course after course of Latin inspired small plates arrived. For the next hour they spoke of the food, the atmosphere, the music, everything but each other and what lay ahead. After assuring that he ordered something to satisfy Stevie’s sweet tooth, Grant requested the check. When it arrived, Grant automatically reached for it and Stevie reveled in the moment. Too often she was the one who paid for the date. Not tonight.

“We could go dancing?” Grant asked. “Perhaps a salsa club in keeping with our theme?” Stevie believed he was just making a polite offer but couldn’t quite tell.

“Are you a good dancer?”

“Not on a dance floor.” Grant offered her a wicked smile and reached to help her from the chair. “But in a bedroom…”

“Braggart.”

“Am I?”

“Shall we find out?”


About Madison:

Madison Michael traded 28 years in Fortune 500 tech and management positions for a chance to spend her days with sassy heroines, sexy, rich heroes and nothing but happy endings. Growing up the daughter of a librarian, she learned to love books, especially classics and romances, and spent winters cuddled under blankets losing herself in books.

Madison is the author of three novels in the Beguiling Bachelor series, as well as several short stories. She is a member of Romance Writers of America.


After living in the northeast, southeast and the west, Maddy returned to her Midwest roots. She lives in Evanston, IL with two feline editorial assistants and great views of Chicago’s famous skyline.





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