Broken Notes by Stacie Santoro blitz with giveaway
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Broken Notes
Stacie Santoro
(The Bar Lies Series, #1)
Publication date: June 20th 2023
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance
Troy
I was the walking tragedy she couldn’t even remember.
It had been almost fifteen years since I’d seen Alessa Crawford. The last time seared into my memory with the strongest pain and hatred a person could possess.
Seeing her again was like a shot of adrenaline and made those previous feelings seem minor in comparison.
A plan took shape quickly when I saw her sitting at a table in my bar.
A plan that would finally give me peace.
Until I wasn’t so sure anymore.
I fought against her being different from the girl who had become the villain of my story.
I refused to let her win that fight.
I had resolve.
Surprisingly, I also had second thoughts.
Hindsight’s always 20/20.
And always too late.
Alessa
I was sleeping with an enemy I didn’t even know I had.
After my marriage collapsed, I moved back in with my dad. Back to my childhood home, a place weighed down with sadness and loss.
I had work, my best friend, and my sister and her family.
And then Troy made me an offer I didn’t want to refuse.
It was good timing. I was ready to move on.
So, for once in my life, I took the good offered to me.
My body came alive under his touch, and I saw a glimpse of a life I hadn’t had the chance to live.
Troy was taking, too, and with sweet lies and a hard body, he took parts of me I never planned to give.
It’s true what they say about there being a thin line between love and hate.
I just didn’t know which one would save me.
—
EXCERPT:
TROY
“Not her,” I demanded through gritted teeth, slowly peeling my fingers away from my palm.
His exasperated breath was the only sign that he’d heard me before he said, “Alexa, make it louder. A little more.” Once the music volume in the room was louder, he walked back to me. “Why, man? What’s your issue?”
All my fingers finally opened, the last one painfully so. I used my left hand and scrubbed down my face. “Just trust me.” This whole situation suddenly exhausted me.
Theo crossed his arms. “You know I do, but you have to trust me too. You are the last person I expected to walk in here and start insulting fucking clients, so explain or get the hell out so I can go back there and do my damnedest to get her to see me again.”
A frustrated growl rose from deep in my chest, and I looked up to the ceiling, forcing myself to take a deep breath. He deserved to know. “Les is her.” I waited for a response. When none came, I forced myself to look back at him and clarified, “Les is . . . Alessa.”
A second of confusion lingered before realization sparked in his eyes. His frustration dropped away and his mouth pinched as he rocked back a step. “No fucking way. What are the odds?”
“Never thought there were any odds. Never thought she’d be back around here.”
“I wonder why she—”
“No.” My voice was sharp, my anger rising all over again. “Don’t wonder shit. Just ink her friend and get her the fuck outta here.”
I stormed out the door, needing space and air and a goddamn deep breath that wasn’t tainted with any part of her. My hands touched the leather of the seat of my bike, palms flush against it, and my chin craning up, opening my airway. I inhaled the light smell of tacos from the truck a block over and watched the streetlight go from yellow to red. My fingers traced the custom stitching in the leather a bit harder as I tried to even my breaths.
Even with all the time that had passed and life that had been lived—it didn’t matter. I would have known it was her if only one of my senses had been working.
She smelled the same as she had all those years ago. I laughed in the least humorous way possible because, as much as I loathed it, she was every bit as beautiful as she’d been in high school too. Just like back then, she sure as hell didn’t know it now either.
I leaned over and spit on the sidewalk. All I needed to do was ride away and pretend as if the last ten minutes never happened. My freedom was right in front of me, and I should climb on, gun the engine, and open the throttle.
I shouldn’t go back in.
With my jaw locked tight, I turned away from my bike and headed down the alley between the shop and another building. Then, as quietly as I could, I unlocked the emergency exit and let myself into the back of the shop.
In the small, narrow space of the hallway, I could smell her. I inhaled deeply because my brain still wasn’t working, and I let myself think it fueled my hate, that it was only disgust punching at my skull. I refused to acknowledge that there was anything but deeply rooted loathing making my skin tight or that I didn’t care at all about what she may say or do while here. I told myself it was not because of her that I parked myself in the chair in the office, which was right next to Theo’s station, and left the door wide open while I pretended to look at his books.
I had to make myself believe it all because I’d only ever been weak once before in my life.
Once.
For the woman named Les in room five.
The girl who I knew as Alessa.
Author Bio:
Stacie Santoro lives with her family in New York, in the town where she was born and raised. She is the mom to three amazing boys and wife to a great man (who swept her off her feet with his basketball skills).
When she’s not running with her family, you can find her enjoying a glass of wine or cup of tea, reading a book or daydreaming about a million things; like stories to write, putting her toes in the sand or owning every lip gloss created. Or maybe having one created just for her.
She’s also smiling big from the release of her debut novel, The Real Devil; Journal One, and a firm believer that it’s never too late to make your dreams come true.
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Healing Cassiopeia by Charlie Daye blitz with giveaway
**This post contains Amazon affiliate links which will allow me as an associate to earn a small commission on any purchase made through the link of the products I share. This commission in no way changes the pricing of any items for the buyer.**
Healing Cassiopeia
Charlie Daye
Publication date: June 20th 2023
Genres: Adult, Fantasy, Romance
What if you lost everything you ever loved?
Cassie lost everything in a single night… Her husband, her unborn child and any hope for a happy future.
Welcome to Elvy – Land of the Fae and endless magic.
In an attempt to pull Cassie from her downward spiral, her parents take her home, to Elvy… A world of unparalleled beauty, magic and endless possibilities. But Elvy is not all it appears to be… there is trickery, deceit, a social hierarchy Cassie doesn’t understand and rules she refuses to play by.
To Love again…
When love comes calling, will Cassie fall to the pressure of Elven society or follow her heart to the happiness she thought she lost forever?
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EXCERPT:
Cassie sat in her room staring out the window. It had been three months since her husband died and yet the melancholy that enveloped her would not let go. But it wasn’t just her husband’s death that haunted her. She was, unfortunately, hit with a double whammy that night.
She was three months into her pregnancy and she and her husband, Greg, had decided to go out and celebrate. It was the first successful pregnancy she’d had since they started trying to conceive. It had taken them nearly three years and after two miscarriages and more hormone injections than Cassie would ever want to think about, the pregnancy finally took.
“If it’s a boy, we’ll have to name him Greg Jr.,” Greg said, taking her hand.
“Oh, you think so, do you? And what if I want to name him something else?” she teased.
Bringing her hand to his lips, he kissed it, “I may be willing to negotiate… for the right price.” He winked at her.
She laughed, “Only you would use sex as a bargaining chip.”
“Hey! I never even mentioned the word sex, but if it’s on the table…” he shrugged, then grinned.
Author Bio:
Charlie Daye began writing at the tender age of thirteen. With an obsession for romance, happy endings and the supernatural she delves into your greatest fantasies and worst nightmares. She will have you laughing, crying, falling in love and getting angry. She will always give you a HEA but getting there is the journey worth taking.
Charlie Daye was born in Lynwood, California. Her greatest passions are music and writing. Her first short story was written at the age of thirteen. At the time her entire class was asked to write a short story for Halloween as part of a homework assignment. Most of the kids in the class wrote one to two page stories… Charlie wrote eight. The short story titled The Haunted House went on to win her district wide awards and was published locally. From their she began writing poetry as means of expression.
Since her writing career began she’s has published several titles… The House, The Colonial, The Reservation, The Portrait, The Gypsy’s Dance, Mistaken for a Call Girl, Her Last Request and Breeders. Four of which have been nominated for the 2012 RONE Award.
For updates on her books or just to spend some time in her fun and crazy world check out her webpage at charliedaye.com or find her on Facebook!
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Whiskey by Sybil Bartel blitz with giveaway
**This post contains Amazon affiliate links which will allow me as an associate to earn a small commission on any purchase made through the link of the products I share. This commission in no way changes the pricing of any items for the buyer.**
Whiskey
Sybil Bartel
(The Alpha Elite, #7)
Publication date: June 20th 2023
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance, Suspense
Mercenary.
Navy SEAL.
Unconventional Operative.
I didn’t join the Teams. I was recruited. They called me the Specialist. They said I had a unique skill set. I knew who I was.
For eight years, the Navy tried to rein me in with their tactics, techniques and procedures—operations, missions, objectives—they told me to adapt and overcome. I didn’t adapt. I did my time.
Now I worked for Alpha Elite Security. If you called me Specialist, I’d eliminate you before you took your next breath. If you recognized me, it was already too late. I lived by my instincts, and used the resources around me. No target was out of my scope…until my boss unknowingly handed me the only assignment that was.
The one woman I couldn’t kill.
Code name: Whiskey.
Mission: Eliminate.
WHISKEY is a standalone book in the exciting Alpha Elite Series by USA Today Bestselling author, Sybil Bartel. Come meet Will “Whiskey” Damien and the dominant, alpha heroes who work for AES!
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Author Bio:
Sybil Bartel is a USA Today Bestselling author of unapologetic alpha heroes. Whether you’re reading her deliciously dominant mercenaries, bodyguards or military heroes, all of her heart-stopping, page-turning romantic suspense novels have sexy-as-sin alpha heroes!
Sybil resides in South Florida and she is forever Oliver’s mom.
To find out more about Sybil Bartel or her books, please visit her at:
Website / Facebook Page / Facebook Group / Twitter / Instagram / Bookbub / Newsletter
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Lucky Shot by Shanna Hatfield blitz with giveaway
**This post contains Amazon affiliate links which will allow me as an associate to earn a small commission on any purchase made through the link of the products I share. This commission in no way changes the pricing of any items for the buyer.**
Lucky Shot
Shanna Hatfield
Publication date: June 20th 2023
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance, Western
What’s a girl to do when her aim is true?
As a registered nurse at the Boise VA Hospital, Grace Marshall is devoted to her patients, but some wounds require more than medical care. A patient too stubborn and angry to accept the help he needs storms out of her exam room, ruffling her feathers. Yet, when the man returns to apologize, something about him tugs at her heart.
Levi Gibson left for war young and idealistic but returned from Vietnam with physical scars and a haunted soul. He tries to banish the darkness brewing inside him with hard work on his family’s potato farm, but it’s a young nurse’s kindness that brings unexpected light and joy into his life. If Levi can open up to Grace and let her see his pain, could she be the key that unlocks a future full of hope instead of mere survival?
After her father sends Grace a legendary pistol, target practice provides an excuse to spend time with Levi during the summer of 1972. As his shadows overwhelm him, it will take far more than a lucky shot for Grace to hit love’s mark.
—
EXCERPT:
She straightened in time to see Levi sprinting through the rain with a vase of flowers.
His cowboy hat had kept his head dry, but Grace was sure she could wring water out of his shirt when he stepped inside. A vision of him shirtless made warmth sear her cheeks as he walked over to her and held out the vase.
“Here,” he said, holding it out to her.
She stared at the vase brimming with fragrant lilacs, white tulips, and pink peonies. The arrangement was stunning, but she had no idea why he’d bring it to her.
Hesitantly, she reached out for the vase. “What’s this?”
“An apology,” he said, removing his hat as she took the vase from him.
She held the vase against her mid-section, longing to bury her nose in the divine lilacs. She’d always loved the scent of them when they bloomed in the spring. On their dairy farm, they had several old bushes that bloomed along the back fence. She’d missed them since she’d moved to Boise. The only chance she got to smell flowers now was while walking in the park, or when one of her fellow nurses received them as a gift.
“An apology?” she asked, giving the cute cowboy a curious glance.
“For Friday. I was rude, and I’m sorry. It wasn’t anything you did,” he admitted, appearing both nervous and repentant.
She ignored the way he’d shoved his left hand into the front pocket of his jeans to hide his injury. His right hand clenched his hat, as though he was anxious. Uncertain.
“Do you really think I’m too young, incompetent, and impertinent to be a nurse?” she asked, keeping her expression unreadable, but she shifted her posture, cocking one hip defiantly.
A slow grin spread across his face as he watched her, appearing to keenly observe her every move. His head shook from side to side. “No, ma’am. I think you are more than qualified to do your job, and you were not impertinent. I’m truly sorry for the way I behaved when I was here. The way I acted was unnecessary and unkind, and it bugged me all weekend that I’d been that way with you. Truly, I’m sorry.”
“You’re forgiven,” Grace said, grinning at him and surrendering to her need to sniff the blooms. She closed her eyes to better savor the fragrance, then opened them to find Levi watching her. “I love lilacs.”
His grin broadened. “We have a bunch of them at the farm just starting to bloom. The tulips were on the north side of the house, or they’d likely be gone for the season.”
“It’s a magnificent bouquet. Do you need the vase back?” she asked.
“No. Ma has dozens of them. She gets the credit for arranging the flowers, though. She said to tell you that she did a better job of raising me than you might have previously considered and to please not hold my behavior against her.”
“I did have a few thoughts about that this weekend.” Grace smiled and hugged the vase a little tighter. “I do thank you, Sergeant Gibson, for these lovely blooms, but I should get to work.”
“I didn’t mean to keep you. I just wanted to apologize and ask for your forgiveness.”
“You are forgiven.”
“Thank you,” he said, taking a step back toward the door.
Grace had never, not once in her life, considered asking a guy on a date, but a sense of panic welled in her at the thought of not seeing Levi again soon.
The words spilled out of her, leaving her unable to stuff them back into her mouth. “Are you busy next Saturday?” she heard herself ask.
Levi appeared as shocked by the question as Grace felt.
“No. Not really. Did you have something in mind?”
Author Bio:
USA Today Bestselling Author Shanna Hatfield writes sweet romances rich with relatable characters, small town settings that feel like home, humor, and hope.
Her historical westerns have been described as “reminiscent of the era captured by Bonanza and The Virginian” while her contemporary works have been called “laugh-out-loud funny, and a little heart-pumping sexy without being explicit in any way.”
When this farm girl isn’t writing or indulging in rich, decadent chocolate, Shanna hangs out with her husband, lovingly known as Captain Cavedweller. She also experiments with recipes,
snaps photos of her adorable nephew, and caters to the whims of a cranky cat named Drooley.
To learn more about Shanna or the books she writes, visit her website http://shannahatfield.com or find out more about her here: linktr.ee/ShannaHatfield
Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter / Newsletter / Pinterest / Instagram / Bookbub
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The Ro Bro by J.A. Huss & Johnathan McClain blitz with giveaway
The Ro Bro
J.A. Huss, Johnathan McClain
Publication date: June 20th 2023
Genres: Adult, Comedy, Contemporary, Romance
Essie Smith-Scott, the author known as SS, has been the number one erotic romance writer in the world for the past ten years. Movie deals, merchandise, dozens of books on the New York Times bestseller’s list, and the founder of the biggest romance convention to ever hit the planet.
Scoring an invitation to the Sin With Us Romance Convention in Las Vegas is the ‘big break ’every romance author hopes for and Cynthia Lear’s name just made it to the top of the wait list. She’s in. And she’s gonna make the most of it. This is her chance to shine and propel her career into the stratosphere.
But then she meets Essie’s twin brother, Steve. Not only is Steve Smith handsome, and charming, and loves her work—he’s also… lying. To the whole world. Literally everyone.
Because his twin sister, Essie, isn’t the one who’s been writing all those super-spicy Master Choke books all these years—it’s Steve.
***********
Written by New York Times bestselling author JA Huss and actor, author, narrator, Johnathan McClain—The Ro-Bro is a rompy feel-good adventure through the secret life of romance authors and the conventions they attend. Prepare to laugh so hard you pee your pants. This is a story that will make you smile every time you think about it.
(P.S. – If you’ve never been to the biggest romance convention in the world, well now you don’t even have to go. Because they all happen just like this.)
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EXCERPT:
“Holy shit.” Britney, the assistant, looks up at me with an incredulous expression of ‘what the fuck.“ ’She’s a… a…”
I volunteer a noun. “A bitch?”
“Yeah!” Britney laughs this word out with gusto.
And I’m laughing too, but then I look over at Cordy, and she’s… not. “What did she mean by that?”
That question is directed to Britney, not me. And immediately I feel cut out of the conversation.
What did she mean by that? Translation—Did Raylen Star just caution me, Cordy, about handing over my ARC to SS’s brother, Steve, because she was insinuating they, she, he might steal my words?
That is exactly what Leslie fuckin ’Munch just did.
I had a good thing going with this girl. She and I were having a moment. And even though Britney kinda busted in on us, Britney wasn’t obtrusive. I was winning her over. Which is important. As the number one romance writer in the world, I wholly and completely understand that the new love interest must befriend the BFF.
And fine. Maybe ‘new love interest ’is a premature title for me? We were still on introductions. We hadn’t made any concrete declarations of intent or anything, but we were on our way. We were getting there. Would’ve gotten there if fuckin ’Leslie hadn’t showed up.
And now, as I watch Cordy and Britney exchange a look and in the next moment watch, in real time, as Cordy’s eyes drop down to the book gripped firmly in my hands, I have to tuck down a moment of rage.
Two minutes. Two. Minutes. That’s all it took for Leslie to ruin the good thing I was building with this lovely creature who might be the only person in the room who can write a run-on sentence with such skill, and emotion, and… and… and moxie that one does not even understand that she, lovely Cordy, just wrote the world’s longest run-on sentence because they have been captivated—imprisoned, even—by her brilliant author voice.
Cordy Serendipitous’s ability to string words together for the longest of sequences is what drew me to her in the first place. I love it. I love that she breaks all the rules. It’s so… so… fuckin ’courageous—especially in a world filled with people who want nothing more than the expected to jump out at them in a totally expected way, lest they have to stretch their minds a bit to find the hidden messages hiding just below the surface—that I, for once, did not feel like a completely isolated freak among those who fit in. At least as far as writing goes.
And Leslie Munch has fucked that up with two words of caution.
Be careful.
Author Bio:
JA Huss is a New York Times Bestselling author and has been on the USA Today Bestseller’s list 21 times. She writes characters with heart, plots with twists, and perfect endings.
Her books have sold millions of copies all over the world. Her book, Eighteen, was nominated for a Voice Arts Award and an Audie Award in 2016 and 2017 respectively. Her audiobook, Mr. Perfect, was nominated for a Voice Arts Award in 2017. Her audiobook, Taking Turns, was nominated for an Audie Award in 2018. Her book, Total Exposure, was nominated for a RITA Award in 2019.
She lives on a farm in central Colorado with her family, horses, donkeys, dogs, goats, and chickens.
FIND HER HERE
http://www.facebook/authorjahuss
@jahuss – www.jahuss.com
Johnathan McClain is an award-winning actor, screenwriter, producer, romance novelist, and audiobook narrator. As an actor, he has an extensive television, film, and theatre resumé spanning over twenty-five years. As a screenwriter, his feature film debut, THE OUTFIT, co-written with Academy Award winning screenwriter Graham Moore, and starring Academy Award winner Mark Rylance, Zoey Deutch, Dylan O’Brien, and Johnny Flynn, premiered at the 2022 Berlin International Film Festival and was released theatrically by Focus Features the same year.
He has narrated almost two-hundred audiobooks and is the recipient of multiple Audiofile Earphones Awards, SOVAS nominations, and an Audie for his narration of Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff’s #1 NY Times bestselling sci-fi novel, Illuminae, which won the Audie Award for audiobook of the year for multi-voiced narration in 2016.
Along with JA Huss, Johnathan is the co-author of ten novels, two of which have been optioned for screenplays, and the story of their writing partnership was developed as a TV series with MGM Television.
He lives in Los Angeles with his wife, Laura.
Find him at www.johnathanmcclain.com
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