Showing posts with label Holiday Reads. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Holiday Reads. Show all posts

Tuesday, December 31, 2019

HOLIDAY READS : Love in the Key of C by Daryl Devore




Love in the Key of C by Daryl Devore


BLURB:
Can a slice of pizza and a flute erase the ravages of life and allow Giselle and Ethan to fall in love by Christmas?
Collapsing in front the biggest department store in the city on one of the busiest
days of the holiday season was not how Giselle imagined her day. Cold and
hungry, she trudged through her daily existence wondering if she'd ever find
happiness again.
Teenagers. Ethan loved working with them and turning their raw musical talent
into something beautiful and rewarding, but that didn't fill the black void in his
soul.
Like fate, the songwriters' muse nudged Giselle and Ethan together. But can
Giselle overcome her fears and can Ethan get past the darkness that surrounds
him, so they can find love?

Release date – Dec 23, 2017

eXtasy Books
EXCERPT:
She looked so cold and weak, like she hadn't eaten in a while and was clinging
with failing resolve to any semblance of a normal life. I heard the rumbling of her
stomach. Anybody could who happened to be within a ten-foot radius. But more importantly, she was beautiful. No, not her outside. Her clothes were
worn and hung on her like she'd purchased them three sizes too big. The
sallowness of her skin resembled some of the dead and faded leaves that
still clogged the city's sewers. Her hair was wet from the weather and a small
cap of whiteness rested on her shoulders. A shiver shot through me as I glanced
down at her feet. Tired shoes soaked from the slush on the sidewalk. I fought off
the sensation of how cold her toes must be. It was her eyes that captured me. No, not the color, which was brown if you really
needed to know. It was the pain of her existence that poured from them. They
were a billboard exposing the humiliation that hung around her shoulders and
robbed her of the proud stance she'd once possessed. I wanted to help her, offering her a moment of warmth, rest and nourishment.
What stopped me? A debate raged inside. Did I offer her this gift and then release
her back into the elements and despair that had become her life? Wouldn't that
be cruel? Or, did I look away and pretend she didn't exist, like so many others had
done? I knew how this city worked. What we refuse to acknowledge does not then
taint our lives.
Taint. Taint me—dammit. I needed to meet this woman.



***


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Tuesday, December 24, 2019

HOLIDAY READS: The President’s Daughter by Seelie Kay



The President’s Daughter by Seelie Kay

Release Date: Dec. 22, 2018
Publisher: Extasy Books
Romantic Suspense, three flames

An Interview with Seelie Kay:
Q.  Why do you write romance?
Because I am fascinated by the games people play to find and secure a lasting relationship, which is not always love. There’s the chase, the courtship, the falling, the surrender. That’s what I try to capture in my stories.
Q.  Do you prefer a certain type of romantic hero?
I adore smart, dashing gentlemen who aren’t afraid to live on the edge. They can be a bad boy, a billionaire, a prince, or a secret agent. That hint of danger just hooks me! However, I also love strong, independent women who aren’t afraid to fight for what they want, even love.
Q.  Why did you write “The President’s Daughter?”
Actually, the book is dedicated to my editor, since he inspired the idea for the book. About a year ago, he posted a photo on Facebook. It turns out he was adopted by an American couple at eight years old from an orphanage in Italy. That started me thinking about the adoption process and how families aren’t necessarily born of blood, sometimes they are born of the heart. So as my overactive imagination began to wander, I came across an article about someone who was kidnapped as a baby and as a teenager, discovered her true origins. From there, I wondered what happens when, after being raised by your kidnappers, you are suddenly faced with the truth? How does that impact your concept of family? Do you love your kidnappers any less? At the time I was looking for a holiday story and family is so important during the holidays that my musings became “The President’s Daughter.” 
Q.   Romantic suspense is a new genre for you. You’re most known for your Kinky Briefs series, which are collections of stories about lawyers in love, with a dash of kink. “Snatching Dianna,” your first attempt at suspense was released Oct. 19 and this book has the same elements. Why the shift from erotic romance?
I have always had a preference for mysteries and thrillers. I enjoy plots that challenge the mind. My characters still enjoy erotic, loving relationships, but now the action focuses on solving a dilemma or crime. And in “The President’s Daughter” the lead character is faced with the discovery of two families. She must decide whether blood takes precedence over the heart.
Q.   How does your former profession as a lawyer impact your writing?
After 30 years, the law and the legal world are so firmly embedded in my brain that I can’t flush them out. That has become the lens through which I view the world and that naturally guides my characters and plots. Little peculiarities that I have witnessed in lawyers and the law always work their way into my stories. 
Q.   Any plans to write outside the romance genre completely?
Actually, I ghostwrite non-fiction for other professionals—doctors, lawyers, financial gurus—so I dip my toes into a lot of different genres. However, I have been itching to write a book about a relative who founded a religious cult. I researched it for years and found a lot of information that had been buried. I have a pile of paper a foot high. Someday, I need to go through it carefully and start writing. I have the interest, just not the time.
Blurb:
Be careful what you wish for because it just might send your life into a tailspin from which you may not recover.
When presidential candidate Jamisen Powell meets volunteer Sarah Lee Pearson, he is shocked to discover her eyes mirror his own. But Sarah was raised by two loving parents and has no questions about her heritage. Instead, after their death, she merely longs to find an extended family. She becomes convinced that Powell could be a distant relative. Powell, on the other hand, has spent twenty-five long years haunted by the memory of a daughter kidnapped from her bed. He suspects Sarah could be his long-lost daughter. As both launch separate covert searches for the truth, Sarah is found by the estranged parents of the man who raised her. Suddenly, the truth will no longer set her free. It could destroy the happy memories of her childhood. Hang on to your seat, and more importantly, hang on to your heart, as one woman discovers the true meaning of family.
Excerpt:
“You think I’m Sally Jane Powell?”
“I can’t confirm that, not without a DNA test, but…” Lisa pulled out two driver’s licenses from the envelope. “I found these in that shoebox you gave me, the one with your parents’ personal effects and your photos and stuff. Your parents were first issued driver’s licenses in Wisconsin in nineteen ninety-four, five years after you were born, also the year Sally was kidnapped.” 
Lisa tapped the photos on the licenses. “Look at your parents, Slee. You look nothing like them. Do you know the chances of two brown-eyed adults, both with dark hair, having a blonde, blue-eyed child? It’s exceptionally rare. It’s possible one of your grandparents had blue eyes, but I couldn’t find any photos to confirm.”
“Maybe I was adopted. I always wondered…”
Lisa shook her head. “I’m sorry, Slee. I couldn’t find a record of that either.” She pulled out two more news clippings. “Slee, this is a photo of you when you were seven. When you won a spelling bee? It was in your box.” She handed the other clipping to Sarah. “Compare that photo to the one of Sally. The one the police distributed when she was taken.”
Sarah studied both photos. Then she shook her head. “There are some similarities, sure. Same eyes. Same color hair. But there are also some differences. My face is thinner. My hair is long and straight. Hers is curly. It could just be a coincidence.” She looked up at Lisa and her eyes filled. “No way I was kidnapped. My parents loved me too much. Besides, don’t people kidnap for money?”
Lisa shook her head. “Not always. Sometimes, they just want a child.” She patted Sarah’s hand. “Slee, I know this is disturbing, but let’s not put the cart before the horse. And no matter what we find, that doesn’t make your parents any less your parents. Sure, there’s a chance that you don’t share their blood, but they loved you. Hold on to that.” 
Buy links:







About Seelie Kay:
Seelie Kay is a nom de plume for a writer, editor, and author with more than 30 years of experience in law, journalism, marketing, and public relations. When she writes about love and lust in the legal world, something kinky is bound to happen!  In possession of a wicked pen and an overly inquisitive mind, Ms. Kay is the author of multiple works of fiction, including the Kinky Briefs series, The Garage Dweller, A Touchdown to Remember, and The President’s Wife. 
When not spinning her kinky tales, Ms. Kay ghostwrites nonfiction for lawyers and other professionals. She resides in a bucolic exurb outside Milwaukee, Wisconsin, where she shares a home with her son and enjoys opera, gourmet cooking, organic gardening, and an occasional bottle of red wine. 

Ms. Kay is an MS warrior and ruthlessly battles the disease on a daily basis. Her message to those diagnosed with MS:  Never give up. You define MS, it does not define you!
Author links:
Twitter: @SeelieKay https://twitter.com/SeelieKay
Prior Books:


Coming soon:
Infamy (Part Two, Feisty Lawyers):  January 4, 2019
Cult (Part Three, Feisty Lawyers): TBD

Seizing Hope (Divorce Divas anthology): January 24, 2019

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Tuesday, December 17, 2019

HOLIDAY READS : The Gift of the Songbird by Cynthianna

HOLIDAY READS : The Gift of the Songbird by Cynthianna 



The Gift of the Songbird
by Cynthianna
Devine Destinies (Release date is 11-22-19)


Blurb
Hannah Cummings has big plans for her future. An invitation to sing at the mansion of the dashing Elisha Spielman on Thanksgiving Day promises to launch her music career and help her raise funds to receive further vocal training. It’s a most fortuitous invitation, and Hannah is grateful and excited to accept. However, one man seems to stand in her way.
Daniel March won’t have it. Hannah has always sung for their village’s Thanksgiving festival to support the orphanage, and this year should be no different.
Friends since long before the terrible war separated them, Hannah feels there is more to Daniel’s determination to change her mind than simply his need to get his own way.
 Can a songbird help them count their blessings and come to see each other in a different light?


Excerpt from The Gift of the Songbird

Daniel raised one dark eyebrow. “I do want something, but it’s not a hot beverage. I want you to say you’ll help us at the Thanksgiving feast for the orphanage and give up this non-sense of entertaining our town’s wealthiest citizens. They own the mine and the miners’ souls. They don’t need to own yours, too.”
How like Daniel March to get straight to the point! He’d displayed this annoying habit ever since they were first introduced as children. Hannah felt like sticking her tongue out at him but wisely thought the better of it. She sat on the settee instead and frowned.
“You’re like a dog with a bone, and you just won’t let it go.” She sighed loudly for effect. “I told you that I’ve made my decision. I’m not going back on my word.”
“But you’re going back on your word to the orphans. You’ve entertained them for many years, and you’ve helped Eustace and I raise a lot of money with our Thanksgiving dance and auction. Folks come from miles and miles around to hear you sing.”
Hannah looked heavenward and shook her head. “Hardly. They come from the next valley over possibly, but that doesn’t qualify as any great hardship in this day and age of rail travel.”
Daniel harrumphed. “Lucky for them, I didn’t blow up any train bridges in these here parts then.”
Hannah clenched her fists in her lap. It didn’t bode well to remind war veterans of their time of service. Many suffered nightmares and drank heavily to deal with their pain. Daniel was more fortunate than many, as he had returned home soon after his injury and had been nursed back to health by his older brother and his wife. Still, any mention of the war brought on a dark mood she’d never witnessed in Daniel growing up.
Hannah cleared her throat and smoothed her skirt. “Let’s change the subject, shall we? What are you and Eustace thinking of making for the festivities beside that awful fruit punch?”
Daniel raised an eyebrow. “What’s so awful about my brother’s award-winning recipe? It’s an authentic wassail.”
“It’s authentic, all right. That’s the only thing that could be said for it.” She chuckled. “Good thing Carrie always brings a couple of her delicious cakes. No one really cares what they’re drinking as long as they have enough sweets.”
“And no one really cares what they’re eating if they’re with their friends enjoying an operatic concert courtesy of our resident entertainer.”
Hannah would not be persuaded. “I’m not the only entertainer. There’s Mr. Cletus and his fiddling. Miss Bucket can bang that tambourine and warble pretty good, too. It’s time you encourage a few others to perform. I won’t be here forever, you know?”
A dark cloud descended over Daniel’s expression. “Are you really thinking of leaving us so soon after your father’s passing? Can’t wait to leave this holler behind you and live in the big city?”

The hurt in his voice stabbed at her heart. Could Daniel’s brusqueness hide his true feelings?

***

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Tuesday, December 10, 2019

HOLIDAY READS : Unfructuous and Thimblerigged by Taryn Jameson and Gabriella Bradley



Unfructuous releases Nov. 29th


How did Thanksgiving in their new home turn into the worst nightmare of her life?
Gilina had everything she could have ever wanted in life. A good job, a husband, a new home. The only thing missing was the joy of a child. Until Thanksgiving took a dreadful turn, leaving her shattered in ways she had never dreamed possible.

The path to salvation is a treacherous one and sometimes the heart and soul must be fractured to understand that true love is a precious gift. But will Gilina allow the pain of her past destroy the hope for the future?

EXCERPT:
Gilina could barely contain her excitement. For the first time in years, she felt as if her life was coming together. Love, marriage, and a baby carriage. She couldn’t wait to fill their new home with the laughter of children.

The housing unit she and Darren had originally rented had been much too small for entertaining guests. This place was much larger and had come fully furnished. It was perfect—not just for entertaining, but also for the family they were desperately trying to start.

She frowned. They’d been married ten years now. Eight of those long years they had been trying for a baby, but so far it hadn’t happened. In the first two years of their marriage, they had been far too busy going to the academy and studying. Then they had decided not to wait to have a baby, especially since Darren’s mother had offered to babysit when Gilina returned to work after her maternity leave.

Gilina poured herself a glass of red wine and leaned against the kitchen island. Five more minutes and the turkey would be finished. The vegetables were ready, the mashed garlic potatoes were done, all kept hot in the warming oven. She had even made a delicious gravy from some of the turkey drippings, and she’d made some stuffing. And for dessert, there were two pumpkin pies made from scratch to go with French vanilla ice cream that she had managed to find. All that was missing now were her guests and her husband.

Seven p.m. and Darren still hadn’t come home. She tapped her wrist and texted him but got no response. Neither had his parents or their friends arrived, and not a call from any of them. Was it a coincidence that they were all late?



Thimblerigged releases Dec 20th


Homeless and alone on Christmas Eve… Chana’s life couldn’t get any worse.

Chana had her dream job, money, a rich alien boyfriend…

Until he kicks her to the curb with nothing but the clothes on her back and the change in her pocket. For almost four days she walks the streets of New York seeking shelter in subway stations at night.

No job, no home, no family to speak of, Chana finds herself brutally alone and heartbroken on Christmas Eve. To escape the snow and her heartache, she enters a sleazy bar and spends her last pennies on a couple of beers only to find kindness in the most unexpected way.


EXCERPT:
Chana hung her head, fighting desperately not to cry. She tried to ignore the partying people crowding the bar, the cheery Christmas tunes blasting so loud it hurt her eardrums. No, it wasn’t the noisy people or the loud music that caused her discomfort.

She was broke.
No job.
No clothes.
Homeless.
Her heart shattered.
She had no one.
Nothing.
I need to call the cops.

Her bank accounts had been stripped clean. She had discovered the money was gone when she had tried to pay for a coffee three days ago. The server had scanned her wrist, and the payment was declined due to insufficient funds. She had trusted Peter with everything, including the small inheritance she had received after her parents’ death. Now it was gone. All of it. Thimblerigged. She had been completely and utterly swindled.

Why the fuck did I ever agree to add him to my accounts?


Chana shifted uncomfortably on her stool and grabbed the dish of nuts on the bar. She stuffed a few in her mouth, attempting to stop the hunger pangs that wracked her, then finished off the rest of her beer. Her last. She had nothing left to pay for another. Three days of walking the streets, trying to find shelter where she could spend the night, she usually ended up in the subway station. The cups of coffee and small snack she allowed herself each day had eaten away at the meager amount of cash that had been stashed in her coat pocket.

She felt bedraggled.
Dirty.
Smelly.

She was beginning to look like all the other scruffy, homeless people that she encountered in the subways. Soon, she’d have to start digging in garbage cans to find something to eat.
Or starve.

Right now, death would be preferable.


***

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Tuesday, December 3, 2019

HOLIDAY READS : The Prophet and the Snow Angel - Coming Dec 7th from eXtasy Books!

Blurb ~ 

Two Turtle Doves must save the throne of the most powerful church in the world before a terrorist act destroys it and all hope for Christmas.

When Navy Seal Team leader, Charlie Stein is paired with Operations Analyst Aria Lockett, he is annoyed. Having the burden of an Analyst on a field mission was not a headache he wanted to endure.

Operations Analyst Aria Lockett has been tracking The White Guard Terrorist cell for years. When they finally get a strong lead on an upcoming attack, she is ready to put an end to their terrorist reign once and for all.

 With an imminent attack scheduled for Christmas Day in Rome, the pair must work together to thwart the threat. The unease between them quickly turns to trust and unexpected desire. When the terror cell is alerted to their plan, can they remain focused and save Christmas or will their growing feelings cloud their judgment and destroy the path of hope?

Excerpt ~
Stein watched the lightly freckled redhead look him over before diverting her eyes to her phone. She walked past him for he assumed privacy. He took a seat at the table where she’d sat, looking over the scattered documents, noticing her empty cup of coffee he grabbed it and moved to the coffee station, hearing pieces of her conversation on the phone.

“I'd like to restate our commitment to helping you find some answers. No, I understand the meaning of proprietary – do you understand the meaning of collusion?”

Damn

Stein filled up both cups of coffee, noticing she had cream and a hint of hazelnut from the smell of the cup. He bent opening the mini-refrigerator beneath the coffee station. A bottle of hazelnut creamer sat on the door. He added the cream, grabbing two filled cups and returned to the table.

“Correct.” Stein watched her brow furrow, before she swept her hand through her hair. “We need to know the specific chemical contents of those canisters.”
Stein put the cups on the table and removed his dress jacket, hanging it in the cabin closet before unbuttoning the top of his shirt and loosening his tie. She returned to the table, picking up the cup of refilled coffee, taking a sip while she listened to the person on the phone.

“Uh, no, I am in charge. What do you want me to say? We are talking about an imminent terrorist threat. Yes, well—I see. No, I understand…All right. Get back to me with the chemical breakdown of what…this is the number. And how long—I'll be expecting your call.” She hung up the phone and tossed it on the table. “Asshole.”

“Araena lawyers giving you a hard time?” Stein snickered.

“Yes, and imminent threat or collusion has no meaning – wait how did you know that’s who I was talking to?” Aria glared, picking up her cup of coffee.

“I recognized the photos. Araena Pharmaceuticals burnt to the ground last week. From the tidbits of the conversation – not that I was eavesdropping—those canisters are missing, or Araena is stating they were empty. Also, you wrote down the name Geoff Vlakin and underlined it twice. Vlakin was the only reported death in the Araena fire. My guess is mister Vlakin was the creator of what was in them – likely not a cure for Cancer—and has miraculously turned up somewhere in Paris.” He extended his hand, “Charlie Stein.” She took it with a firm grip.

“Aria Lockett.” She nodded at the cup in her hand. “Thanks for the coffee.”

“No problem.”

The cabin door opened, and a man stepped down the aisle, “Sorry, I’m late.”

“Wes Giddings, this is Charlie Stein from ST five.”

Stein rose extending his hand once more.

“You must be Wheeler’s man,” Wes shook his hand. “Nice to meet you.”

“That I am.”

“Thanks for the heads up, Wes.” Aria flopped into her seat with a long breath.

“There was no time.” Wes shrugged and put his go-bag on one of the seats.
“Understatement of the year,” Aria muttered under her breath. Wes took a seat at the table on the opposite side of the aisle pulling out a laptop. The pilot came over the intercom announcing their departure.

“Wes, would you call Langley? We're waiting for Krandif's psych profile.” Aria glanced at Wes.

“He's an asshole. I'll save you the red tape.” Stein sat snacking on a bag of peanuts.

“Thanks. I'll go with the official version.”

“Ok. Officially, he's an asshole. What’s the connection?”

“Vlakin was spotted going in The Ice House two nights ago.” Aria handed him the photo.

Stein scanned the photo and then tossed it onto the table. “So, we are headed to Paris.”

Aria collected the photo, her face scrunched, placing it neatly on the stack of papers beside her computer. “If we can find Vlakin, we can find the canisters.”

“Krandif is an enabler, not a terrorist. Which is good, makes him predictable.” Stein slid into the seat directly across from Aria, still popping peanuts in his mouth.

Aria put her elbows on the table clasping her hands together. “He’s a criminal.”

Stein leaned across the table, meeting her gaze “But not a terrorist.”

Wes twisted in his chair closer to join the conversation. ”How do you know?”

“Krandif’s sole motivation is money, always has been, throw him enough cash and he’ll dig up his mother.” Stein rested his leg up onto his thigh and popped a few more peanuts in his  mouth before looking distractedly into the bag.

Bafoon

“Your area of expertise, Stein? Or so has the word on the Hill.” Aria’s focus went back to her computer screen.

Stein nodded his head. “You've been doing your research.”

“Dangerous times.”

“I'd like to know something,” Stein tossed the empty bag of peanuts on the table before putting his arms on the table and facing Aria. “How exactly does a top-rated field agent get stuck behind a desk?”

“A choice.”

“So, it's that simple?”

“It is to me, that simple.” Aria met his gaze. “You've done some research yourself.”

“Like you said, dangerous times.” Stein pulled his gaze away, uncomfortable with the warmth pooling in his gut. “All this data, charts and intel tell you nothing.”

Wes tilted his head, looking to Stein. “Why’s that?”

“In the field, the good guys, that's us, chase the bad guys, and they don't wear black hats.”

Aria glared at Wes and then Stein, “if you recall, I was a field operative. I do know how it works in the field.”

“Then you already know, the bad guys are, however, all alike. They mandate power and respect, and they'll pay top dollar to get it.”

“Not these guys,” Aria shook her head, straightening her back. “The White Guard has other motivations they don't care about money or respect. They believe killing innocent people is vindicated. For them, it is about rage, frustration, and hatred. An excruciating pain they endure and want to share it.”

“You see, that does me no good,” Stein shook his head, tapping his finger on the table. “Let's deal with the facts at hand. One week ago, a German scientist walked away with five large canisters of what we can only assume is a bioweapon. Krandif and Vlakin’s motivation is money.”

“I know that, Stein. I could care less about Vlakinor or Kardif,” Aria rose from her seat moving to the coffee maker.

“Then what are we doing going to Paris? What’s the point?” Stein stood challenging her eyes.

 Aria straightened her shoulders and stepped into his space, “the point is, I want to know who is buying the weapon to use it. Because that person is not interested in money, they have it to spend. They are interested in hurting a lot of people, and I intend to stop them.”


~

The Prophet and the Snow Angel is Coming Dec 7th from eXtasy Books!
We are going on tour, myself and 12 other amazing authors are going on a Holiday Tour starting Dec 6th - Dec 17th!


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