Category Archives: Events

Blog Tours, Events, New Adult/NA Romance, New Releases, Romance

New Release BLITZ!!! ~ Grinch Girl by Michelle Dayton

November 2022 writinstuff Leave a comment

Jane Zielinski has her hands full this December. The last thing she needs is to be upstaged by her former childhood BFF, Bella Bradley, who blows into town with handfuls of cash and a sexy business partner, Nate Wright. But a little competition never hurt anyone, and Jane’s ready to do whatever it takes– including flirting with Nate–to get Bella to pack up and leave. Fans of Christina Lauren and Sally Thorne will love Grinch Girl, a spicy and humorous Christmas Romance from Michelle Dayton. “The love story itself is stirring and emotional, and Emily and Bobby’s second chance feels well-earned.”—Publishers Weekly review for Escape Girl

Blurb Sometimes, the real story isn’t the beautiful city girl returning to her small town to save Christmas—it’s the townie chick who never left. Jane Zielinski has her hands full this December, working three jobs and directing a homemade reality dating web series, Single Bells, as a stunt to keep her small town competitive with the ritzy resort towns luring tourists. Then the gorgeous Bella Bradley, Jane’s childhood BFF who had no qualms about skipping town when times got tough, returns with handfuls of cash and her smoking-hot business partner Nate Wright on her arm. Jane can’t believe she’s being upstaged again, especially when Bella uses the Single Bells activities to rekindle a romance with her high school boyfriend—the man Jane had envisioned her future with. So if a little competition could convince Bella to leave town—again—Jane is ready to take the mittens off. And she’s not above sabotage, cheating, or flirting with Nate to win. Let the reindeer games begin…

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Excerpt

The stranger had a British accent, dark hair, funky glasses, and wore both an expensive cashmere sweater and a bored expression. He couldn’t have looked less local if he’d tattooed “I’m from away” on his forehead. “Do you know the Wi-Fi password, by any chance?” Of course I did; I’d installed it. “Nope.” OK, that was unnecessary. Don’t piss off the tourists, Jane. Jim’s pub couldn’t handle a one-star Yelp review from some asshole. He threw up his hands. “No sign posted with the Wi-Fi info. Nobody pouring drinks.” He let out an exasperated huff. “No wonder this place is a dying shithole, right? The bar, the whole town.” Strong words, stranger. Maybe I agreed, but I was allowed to think so because I lived here. He, however, could take his opinion and shove it straight up his ass. The need for caffeine was real. I stood, put my palms on the bar, and boosted myself over it. The stranger put his phone on the bar with an angry slap. “Are you kidding? Are you the bartender? You’ve just been sitting there ignoring me the whole time I’ve been here?” I almost wanted to say yes. Because that haughty, entitled tone in his prettily accented voice made his face a prime candidate for a fist. “I don’t work here,” I said flatly, although I did pick up shifts in the summers sometimes. “I just know the owner.” The stranger cocked his head and considered me. Changed tactics. “Do you know him well enough to grab me a beer?” He smiled, and it changed his whole damn face. He went from haughty and bored to…zing! There was a teasing tone in his wry voice now, complimented by curved lips and a flash of white teeth. A knowing, flirtatious glint in his dark eyes. Hmm. This was a person used to getting everything he wanted. Too bad for him that I hated people like that. Maybe I didn’t want a soda after all. Maybe I wanted something else. I slowly took a pint glass from the shelf and pulled a draft of Spotted Cow, all while making extreme eye contact with the stranger’s amused gaze. But instead of sliding the beer over the bar, I walked around it, grabbed my laptop, and strolled slowly to the back office, enjoying an enormous gulp of the beer on my walk. I ignored his “what the hell” and called over my shoulder, “Enjoy your stay in our shithole town.”

About Michelle Dayton

There are only three things Michelle Dayton loves more than sexy and suspenseful novels: her family, the city of Chicago, and Mr. Darcy. Michelle dreams of a year of world travel – as long as the trip would include weeks and weeks of beach time. As a bourbon lover and unabashed wine snob, Michelle thinks heaven is discussing a good book over an adult beverage.

Blog Tours, book reviews, Events, Fiction, Romance, romantic suspense, women's fiction

Book Tour & Review ~ The Hart Sisters of Birch Cove Minnesota

January 2022 writinstuff Leave a comment

Series: The Hart Sisters of Birch Cove Minnesota

Author: Alie Garnett

Genre: Small Town Romance

Cover Design: Designed with Grace

Zoey has no place left to go but home.

Her past makes that nearly impossible.

Zoey Hart is finally back in Birch Cove. In the years since she lived there, a lot has changed, her dad has passed and her sister now runs the farm that they were raised on. A farm she wants to be a part of. A dream she has held onto for so long. Except the army has changed her. No longer is she the outgoing, bubbly girl whose teen who couldn’t keep herself out of trouble. Now nightmares haunt her sleep and the fear of one misstep will get her sent away again. This time for good.

Gabe Watson’s not ready for the feisty red headed woman to kiss him minutes after laying eyes on her. But he can’t forget her either. Nobody can, but she isn’t the woman that everyone in town talks about. She hides the pain that he sees so clearly. Her past is far to present, and he is the only one who understands what she went through, and what she is going through.

Zoey needs Gabe, but will being with him be the last straw for her sister? Can she move past long buried secrets she has kept so long, secrets that will blow up her family if they came out. Because if they come to light, she will definitely be sent away forever. And Gabe won’t be able to keep her safe.

Seeing Her Pain is book one in the Hart Sisters Series, a heartfelt series about finding love with just the right amount of steam and stories that will stay with you after you’ve turned the last page.

I loved Zoey and Gabe from the opening bar fight. She’s tough and vulnerable and totally incapable of talking about her vulnerability. Gabe gives off instant protector vibes that never let up, and even better, he’s not overbearing about keeping her safe.

The instant attraction was perfectly written, not over the top, just two people recognizing sameness in each other. Seeing Her Pain wasn’t insta-love and Zoey & Gabe’s story didn’t move at hyper-speed but the connection between them felt that visceral. They were wonderful together and other than Gabe and Evie harping on it, the age gap never presented that big of an issue.

I am curious to learn who was in that photo and more about the Hart sisters’ father. And mother.

This series is off to a good start and I can’t wait to read book two.

Some neighbors ask for a cup of sugar.

But Evie’s going to ask for a whole lot more.

Seeing her sister fall in love warmed Evie’s heart. But she can’t help but wonder if she’ll get her own chance at happiness. Despite being a widow, she has little experience in the bedroom. She’s sure she’d disappoint any man she dated.

When her neighbor, Jasper, comes home for the harvest, Evie gets an idea. And she figures Jasper is probably too nice to turn her down. So she asks for a favor:

Would he, ever so kindly, mind taking her to bed?

Little did she know her request was like something out of Jasper’s dreams. He’s always known that Evie was the one for him, ever since he was a teenager.

Jasper is more than happy to oblige her. But he’d be happier still if she could realize he is the man for her.

In the bedroom, they’re a match made in heaven. But the rest of it may turn out to be more complicated…

Her Favor is book two in the Hart Sisters Series, a heartfelt series about finding love. There’s just the right amount of steam and stories that will stay with you after you’ve turned the last page.

I really enjoyed Jasper and Evie’s story but I admit that I did not connect to Evie at all. I felt she just created whole stories out of nothing. What she believed had no bearing on her situation with Jasper and he never once made her feel as if any of her negative thoughts were his feelings, which made her more annoying than a heroine I wanted to root for.

Even giving her plenty of latitude because of what she went through with her ex and all that, it was hard to say, “yeah, she totally deserved this happy ending.”

I mean, I am glad she got it because I think Jasper deserved it because he was great, honest and open with his emotions, while giving her the time she needed to figure her stuff out. The scenes between them were hot and sweet at the same time, which only made her actions and attitudes all the more annoying.

For that reason, Her Favor gets a 4.5 star rating from me.

Don’t look. Don’t move. Don’t even breathe.

Max Valentine is looking at me.

Yes, that Max Valentine. The tall, handsome and super successful lawyer that every woman at the firm is trying to get her hands on.

Well, every woman except Della. Okay, well, she does think he’s hot, but she’s more interested in making partner than making out with Max. Or anyone else. But that doesn’t matter. Because Max Valentine would never look at her.

Her career dreams are shattered when she gets fired unexpectedly. Della doesn’t know who she is without her work. With no clue what else to do, she moves back to her home town and rents an old Victorian home.

And she feels… free. She stops dying her hair. She wears whatever she likes. She starts finding a new kind of joy in her life.

Until she looks up and sees Max Valentine is looking at her. Really looking. But he couldn’t be, could he? She thinks maybe he wants a fling. Maybe she’s just the nearest woman.

But she’s wrong.

Max can see the real Della. And he would like to do much more than look. Because he’s convinced he’s looking at the love of his life.

If only he could convince Della of that.

Max Valentine is Looking at You is book three in the Hart Sisters Series, a heartfelt series about finding love with just the right amount of steam and stories that will stay with you after you’ve turned the last page.

Wow, I thought Zoey was the complicated sister but she doesn’t hold a candle to Della! I mean that in a good way, because Della’s pain and reservations were palpable and totally understandable. She did jump to conclusions the same way Evie did, but her reasons were crystal clear to me.

I loved Della and Max together. They were fun and flirty, but there was always that underlying tension of me just wondering when/if Della would blow up this amazing relationship she’d stumbled into. For his part, Max was supportive and kind, he thought she was brilliant and let her shine. I mean, what more could you want in a proper book boyfriend?

Watching Della grow beyond her professional achievements was truly a pleasure and I rooted for her all the way. I was worried that this story would go the ‘woe is me’ route but it didn’t. Della was a fully independent woman with demons and flaws that she—mostly—embraced. I loved this story almost as much as Zoey & Gabe’s.

Zoey and Gabe’s story was my favorite of the series but Zephyr and Zachary are a very close second. Zephyr’s pain was palpable throughout the story and the way she turned in on herself to stay safe was heartbreaking.

It took me some time, okay it took ALL the time to warm up to Zachary but I really liked them as a couple. He was just the right amount of protective and she was just stubborn enough to keep the story moving forward. The whodunnit wasn’t all that shocking but I’m not sure it was meant to be because the highlight was Z&Z together, actually getting to know each other this time around and unraveling her secrets.

It was great to make a trip back to Birch Cove and see everyone else again, and I admit to feeling as hesitant as Zephyr about the reception she would receive when she got there. This was a fun, rollercoaster ride of a story and I’m glad to say I enjoyed every step of the journey with the Hart sisters.

Zachary made two promises. To keep Zephyr safe. And to keep his hands off her.

But promises can be hard to keep.

The daughter of a hard-drinking mother who died too young, life has been tough on Zephyr. The one break she got was when local cop, Brian Wainwright, tried to adopt her and give her the better life she deserved. But his son, Zachary, put a stop to that.

Zachary might have stopped the adoption, but he made a deathbed promise to his father to keep her safe. And with threats made against her life, he knows it’s time to fulfil that promise.

In the dead of night, he steals her away to Minnesota, a place he knows no one will find them.

Despite ruining her chance for happiness, Zephyr has always had a crush on Zachary. One she’s finding hard to put aside when she finds herself in close confines with him.

So she asks him to make another promise: to keep his hands off her. And while keeping her safe is difficult for Zachary, staying away from the beautiful enigma that is Zephyr Hart is going to be downright impossible.

Keeping Her Safe is book four in the Hart Sisters Series, a heartfelt series about finding love with just the right amount of steam and stories that will stay with you after you’ve turned the last page.

Alie Garnett loves a little spice in her books. She lives on a small hobby farm in northern Minnesota with her husband and two kids. When she isn’t writing, she is doing everything that she didn’t ‘get to’ while writing.

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Events

NEW RELEASE!!! ~ All the Lonely Hearts by Ella Rye

April 2019 writinstuff Leave a comment

Title: All the Lonely Hearts: Poetry Inspired by Music

Author: Ella Rye

Genre: Free Verse Poetry, Poetry

Release Date: April 9, 2019
Cover Design: By Hang Le

Poetry

Has given me a reason

To breathe

A reason to be

Inspiration

It comes in many forms. One of those can be music. Be it the melody, or the story it’s trying to tell.

All the Lonely Hearts is an exploration of inspiration. Be it the melody, the story, or even a word. Ella Rye brings these two worlds crashing together. Each poem is inspired by a song.

All the Lonely Hearts is a collection of Free Verse Poetry.

Continue reading NEW RELEASE!!! ~ All the Lonely Hearts by Ella Rye →

Events, Fiction, MC romance, Romance

FREE BOOK BLITZ!!! ~ Undaunted by Sandy Alvarez and Crystal Daniels

January 2019 writinstuff Leave a comment

Title: Undaunted

Series: The Kings of Retribution MC

Author: Crystal Daniels and Sandy Alvarez

Genre: MC Romance

Publication Date: September 22, 2017

As the VP of Kings of Retribution MC, I live and breathe club life. After suffering the loss of two women in my life, I grew cold and indifferent to the idea of love. I don’t need to let anyone in. I’ve seen the aftermath it can leave in its quake.

The last thing I’m looking for is someone to fill the void.

Until – Bella Jameson

Struggling to keep my head above water, my only concern is taking care of my sister. The last thing I expected was to fall in love with a tattooed biker, Logan Kane. With evil hiding in the shadows, I have no idea the danger my sister and I are about to face.

Will they overcome their demons in the end, or will they lose each other in the process? Lies will be told, secrets will be revealed, and what was once lost… will be found.

Continue reading FREE BOOK BLITZ!!! ~ Undaunted by Sandy Alvarez and Crystal Daniels →

Events

The Mystery Blogger Award!!

July 2018 writinstuff Leave a comment

A big ol’ thanks to Erica Mae @Living a Hundred Lives for nominating me! Thanks, sugar!

I’m not sure which one was Erica’s so I’m using this logo because it’s prettier. 😀

What Is The Mystery Blogger Award?

It’s an award for amazing bloggers with ingenious posts. Their blog not only captivates; it inspires and motivates. They are one of the best out there, and they deserve every recognition they get. This award is also for bloggers who find fun and inspiration in blogging, and they do it with so much love and passion. –Okoto Enigma

The rules for the award are:

1. Put the award logo/image on your blog
2. List the rules.
3. Thank whoever nominated you and provide a link to their blog.
4. Mention the creator of the award and provide a link as well. (Okoto Enigma – link above).
5. Tell your readers 3 things about yourself
6. You have to nominate 10 – 20 people
7. Notify your nominees by commenting on their blog
8. Ask your nominees any 5 questions of your choice; with one weird or funny question (specify)
9. Share a link to your best post(s)

Three Things About Me:

I am a serious political junkie. I have two degrees in political science and even now, living and traveling overseas, I tune in to politics. America, Germany, Canada, Thailand…I love it all and I eat it up!
I LOVE tennis. I mean like psychotically LOVE it. Roger Federer and Serena Williams are my jam but I grew up in the age of the Sampras-Agassi rivalry and I haven’t stopped watching since. One day I plan to be at all the Grand Slams in the same year!
When I write romance, I am usually listening to true crime documentaries in the background. It’s weird I know, but it’s such a wonderful microcosm of humanity which is like the perfect martini as far as an author is concerned.

FIVE Questions from Erica

ONE: If you’d recommend a book to a non-reader, what would it be?

Boomsday by Christopher Buckley because it is hilarious and amazing and so incredibly well written that I think even a non-reader would get sucked in right away. He has taken satire and turned it even more absurd.

TWO: Is there a movie adaptation that you liked more than its book? Specify.

Nope. Absolutely not. I am a purist (my husband calls it a book snob) and I have yet to see a movie that was better than the book. Although if pressed to choose I’d say that The Notebook was one movie that I loved and I loved the book but that’s about as close as I’ve ever gotten to that reality. And I do love most movie adaptations of Jane Austen though not as much as I love the books.

THREE: What do you think is the most beautiful thing about reading?

That’s easy, getting lost in a world completely different from your own. Whether it’s a small town romance, urban fantasy fiction or paranormal, you get to go enjoy someone else’s life, their struggles and triumphs, tragedies and achievements. I love that I want to go to Marietta, Montana in hopes there’s something there as good as Sage Carrigan’s chocolates! THAT is the beauty of reading.

FOUR: Your favorite drink/food when reading?

I love a good cocktail when I’m settling in for some uninterrupted reading time. My go to is usually Jameson on the rocks but I’m always open to experimenting if my backup drink, a dirty vodka martini isn’t available. I don’t really eat when I read because usually food just sits there unforgotten.

FIVE: What was the last book that made you laugh so hard? And what’s so funny about it?

The Dare by Rachel Van Dyken! Dude, Grandma Nadine is one of the best characters in all of contemporary fiction! That old lady is hilarious and tough and amazing and when I’m her age, I hope to be as cool and feisty as her. Those little snippets before each chapter had me laughing so hard that at times my husband forced me to read them to him just so he could laugh along. SPOILER ALERT: He too loves Nadine!

I Nominate:

Trisy @Bobo’s Book Bank

Eleanor @Real Tasty Pages

Alyne @Alyne Hart Author

Samantha @Samantha the Reader

Fiona @Authors Interviews

Kristal & Charmaine @Once Upon a Book Blog

Kade @Kade Cook – Author

Annnd…my best post:

Top 5 Best Small Town Romance Series

Blog Tours, Events, Fiction, New Releases, Romance

BOOK TOUR!!! ~ The Bombshell Effect by Karla Sorensen

June 2018 writinstuff Leave a comment

Title: The Bombshell Effect

Author: Karla Sorensen

Genre: Sports Romantic Comedy

Release Date: June 14, 2018
Cover Designer: Najla Qamber

Allie Sutton just got a new job.

Not one she wants, and definitely not one she’s prepared for. She hadn’t seen her dad in years, so the last thing she expects upon his sudden death is to inherit the thing he loved more than anything (or anyone) … the professional football team he owned for the last twenty years.

Luke Pierson does not want a new boss.

What he wants is to be a good father to his daughter, the best quarterback possible for his teammates. What he doesn’t need is a blonde bombshell ruining the team’s chances at another championship. Especially when that bombshell turns out to be his new neighbor. The neighbor he was a complete jerk to the first time they met.

For the sake of the team, they treat each other like complete professionals. In public, at least. Behind closed doors, it’s a different story. And the fallout of giving in to that heat is something neither one of them can see coming.

Continue reading BOOK TOUR!!! ~ The Bombshell Effect by Karla Sorensen →

Cover reveal, Events, New Releases, Romance

FIRST LOOK!! ~ LEGENDS: CATORI by Maggie Adams

May 2018 writinstuff Leave a comment

It’s hard to keep secrets in a small town….

Out June 1st – The first in a new Paranormal Romance series from Maggie Adams – Legends: Catori

Follow the blitz and enter to #win a $10 Amazon Gift Card

Enter at: http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/b050ef29514/?

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Title: Legends: Catori

Author: Maggie Adams

Series: Legends

Genre: Paranormal Romance

Release Date: June 1, 2018

Continue reading FIRST LOOK!! ~ LEGENDS: CATORI by Maggie Adams →

Blog Tours, Events, Fiction, New Releases, Romance

BOOK TOUR!!! ~ Art of War by Monique Orgeron

March 2018 writinstuff Leave a comment

Title: Art of War

Series: A Stern Family Saga #3

Author: Monique Orgeron

Genre: Contemporary Romance w/ Suspense

Release Date: March 23, 2018
Cover Designer: Erica Alexander at Serendipity Formatting

“The storyline is fantastic, it will have you on the edge of your seat, will have you bawling, and will have your cheering and rooting for this family! This is absolutely a Must Read!!” ~ Amazon Review

“I LOVED THIS BOOK!! . . . If you have read the first two books this one is even better!” ~ Amazon Review

War is inevitable, but who will win?

The minute Murphy Larussa stepped foot in New Orleans, her life changed forever.

Murphy was meant to remain in the shadows, hidden from prying eyes, like any good bastard.

She finds herself hunted by a dangerous family for a debt she has no knowledge of.

Everyone wants her gone, but they underestimate her. She refuses to allow them to push her back into obscurity. From now on, everyone will know her name because she is here to stay and claim what is rightfully hers.

There will be a war, one Murphy is hell bent on winning!

Sent on a hunt for a person who owes his family, Zander will not stop until he has his man.

How was he to know who he would find?

Murphy Larussa is not what any of them saw coming.

So unexpected, she’s the only woman to ever bring the great Zander Stern to his knees.

Now he will do anything to protect her, even if that means protecting her from his own family.

Everyone wants a war.

He will give them one, but this is a war he plans on winning!

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MURPHY

Once Zander leaves, I hug myself, knowing I’m the one becoming stupid when it comes to him. I just have to be careful not to let it show. I feel everything he says that he does when we kiss. It’s a draw I have never felt, something I didn’t think existed. A spark that stays burning long after we’ve separated. It’s a spark that I can’t help wanting more of.

Kyle sneaks up on me and begins questioning. “Are you realizing how much you want him?”

“What? No! Leave me alone!”

Kyle jumps with glee. “You are! Oh my God, Murphy you like him. Like, really like.”

“Shut up, Kyle, get out of my way!”

I march right past him, slamming my bedroom door. Oh God, I do like him, probably more than any other man I’ve ever met. What does that say about me? I know, that I’m glutton for punishment. How can I possibly find him, the man who belongs to the family that is holding my life in their hands more attractive, more interesting and more annoying than any other decent guy out there? Maybe because I never truly met a decent guy, and for some reason I think Zander is decent. And the way he makes me feel. I can still feel his hands on me, gently cleaning my injuries.

I can maybe deny him during the day but when I sleep there is no denying in my dreams. Every night since we’ve met, I can see and feel his touch, the way it felt to be in his arms or the way he controlled my body. The orgasms that he gave me, nothing has ever come close to that.

Shit, what am I thinking? I can’t have these feelings. He is nothing to me, or at least that’s what I need to keep telling myself. I will not be like my mother and fall for the wrong man, or any man. So, I’m in like with him, but it’s not love. Love doesn’t truly exist; not for me, it doesn’t.

I’m startled from my thoughts as Kyle barges into the room. “I wasn’t finished with you yet, Murph.”

“Oh yes, you are. I don’t want to talk about Mr. Zander Stern again.”

“Mr. Zander Stern, that’s what we’re calling him now? So professional. Is that a way for you to feel less comfortable with him?”

“What the hell are you talking about now?”

“I’m talking about how that man is sweet on you and you keep pushing him away like you always do. Except this time, I see something different.”

“Really? Do tell, I know you’re dying to.”

“Oh I will. I see the smoldering heat that comes off you two when you’re around each other. I see the desire in your eyes for him.”

“You’re full of shit, Kyle. It’s almost laughable.”

“Except that neither one of us is laughing. Why do this to yourself, Murphy?”

“Do what, Kyle?”

“Why do you try so hard to keep people at bay? Why are you so determined not to let anyone in, especially men? That man cares for you so much that he has his mother waiting to collect from you, and you still push him away.”

I can’t answer, I have no answer for him other than I refuse to be used or hurt. I hang my head, not from shame, but for the time to build my defenses back up. Kyle’s right about me; over the years I let him in, I let him close enough to me that he recognizes my faults, but he has no right to throw them back in my face.

He refuses to stop. “Listen, Murphy, be smart. Even if you don’t want to admit how much Zander gets to you, you should still consider his mother’s offer. I heard everything. I know his mother wants you to marry him. I think you should do it. He can protect you, and you can keep a percentage of the casino. It’s a win-win.”

I’m done, that did it. “What the hell are you talking about? You want me to be forced to marry a man I don’t love to keep a small percentage of a casino I already own? You want me to be tied down to a man who is dangerous, not to mention a womanizer, to just piss away everything that’s mine by right? If that is my choice, I choose to just leave, go back home, let the Sterns have it all, just forget it ever existed. But I’m not. I will find a way to pay them back and keep what is mine without having to sacrifice the rest of my life.”

Kyle’s shaking his head in defeat. “Fine, Murph, do what you have to do, but honey, if you can’t pay them, you will lose everything, including Zander, and you won’t believe me now, but that will hurt more than losing the casino.”

I continue to watch in shock as he disappears into his bedroom. He doesn’t know what he’s talking about. I don’t care about Zander, and he definitely isn’t mine, so how could it hurt worse than losing my casino?

Written by Monique Orgeron’s eldest, most beautiful, and intelligent daughter. (My sister is going to hate this part.)

My mom happens to be the most caring, loving, and stubborn person I know, well anyone knows. She gives 100% percent of herself to everyone and has given up so much of herself for my sister and I. For twenty-one years she has poured her heart and soul into making sure we know that we are loved and that we can do anything we put our minds too, but it was about time she figured that out about herself.

Up until this year I hadn’t seen my mom do anything for only her, but this book has allowed her to travel the world through the pages of a book, make new friends, and feel the joy of doing something exciting.

There is a new light behind her eyes and it is just making me feel more joy than she can ever imagine. While she might be annoying most of the time, I am so thrilled that she is finally allowing herself to grow as a person and not spend all of her energy on her family.

It has been a long journey of self-discovery for my mom; she has gone from domestic supermom to domestic goddess throughout the process of writing.

We are so very excited and proud of you! I love you as big as the world.

-Bria and Tony

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Blog Tours, Events, Fiction, New Releases, Romance

BLOG TOUR!! ~ Magic Lover’s by Shelly McGowan

March 2018 writinstuff 1 Comment

Title: Magic’s Lovers

Series: Arcadia Global #1

Author: Shelly McGowan

Genre: Fantasy/Paranormal Romance

Deception and love leaves a new sorceress teetering on the edge of black magic, from which there is no return or forgiveness.

When her grandmother dies, Shay Mallory is thrust into the incredibly real world of sorcery. Along with her grandmother’s astonishing fortune, Shay has also inherited her magic powers. She is now a powerful sorceress, only if she can control her powers. As Shay begins her magical training, she finds her previous mundane life is more complicated and sinister than she realized.

As Arcadia Global’s CEO, Pierce Gresham begins teaching her the rules of sorcery, he steals her heart. But when he abruptly ends their relationship, the pressures of her magical training and the real world leave Shay teetering on the edge of black magic, from which there is no return or forgiveness.

Magic’s Lovers introduces readers to the world of magic and the epic struggle of those that govern, protect, and enforce against those forces that would use black magic to destroy everything.

Enter the world of Arcadia Global and learn about those that wield, control, and manipulate the elemental magics of the world.

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Shelly was raised by her paternal Grandma, Georgette. Her life was filled with good food, stories, and lots of lessons about antiques, old plantations, and what proper etiquette was for young ladies. Georgette’s retirement was dedicated to Shelly. That love resonates with her every day, especially in her writing. When she was thirteen years old Georgette handed her a paperback book and told her to dream. From that moment on she has not stopped reading or dreaming of becoming a writer.

After a long career in technology, real estate, and raising three children she decided it was time to pursue a dream. While Shelly had written technical documents during her career in technology she had no idea what it meant to be a fiction writer. With determination and the guiding hand of a veteran writer as her mentor, she slowly learned to craft a story. Finally, she realized her dream with her first publication of Magic’s Lovers in August 2016.

She saw the reviews for Magic’s Lovers, the emails, and private messages requesting that Shay & Pierce’s book become a series. She jumped into book two and wrote the second most requested story. Magic Denied was published in September 2017. Petra’s book is planned!

Living in Seattle, Washington area with her geeky husband of over twenty years and three teenagers, Shelly squeezes in writing when she can. The house includes four dogs, six cats, two birds, and whatever lizards her husband keeps in his basement lab. She spends most of her time researching, writing, and video conferencing with friends across the country.

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SALES BLITZ —> Shame & Make It To The Alter by Fiona Cole

March 2018 writinstuff Leave a comment

Titles: Shame (Shame Me Not) and Make It To The Altar (Shame Me Not Novella)

Author: Fiona Cole

Genre: NA/Coming of Age/BDSM Romance

The girl next door. Pretty. Sweet. Kind.

Submissive.

Until I met her, I was alone with the dark desires that I didn’t understand, that I couldn’t reconcile.

She became my best friend, and then she became so much more.

Desire. Disgust. Shame.

Dominance.

I wouldn’t have survived until college without her. When we were together, I was at peace for the first time in my life.

But it was too good to last.

Our appetite for pain and pleasure destroyed us. And all the drinks in the world weren’t enough to get used to missing her.

On the verge of earning my degree, Ana walks back into my life, those gray-blue eyes still able to see right through me. It’s the chance I’ve been waiting for. One last chance to overcome my shame.

If only it were that easy.

______________________________________

It took Kevin and Ana ten years to find their happily ever after, and they can’t wait to claim each other as husband and wife.

But when one thing after the next goes wrong, they begin to wonder if they’ll ever get to say their ‘I do’s’.

As Ana starts to crumble under the stress, Kevin knows that he needs a plan. Her submission calms her, his control centers them both, and speeding up their path to matrimony seems to be the best course of action.

That is, if they can make it to the altar.

Shame Excerpt

“Don’t scream. Don’t move,” Kevin growled into my ear.

“Fuck, Kevin,” I sputtered once his hand dropped from my mouth. “You scared the hell out of me.”

“Good.” He ran his hand along the outside of my thigh and then under my skirt, reaching for my panties. He fisted the waistband and tugged them down.

“What the hell are you doing?” My breath sawed in and out of my chest, feeling exposed with the black lace tangled around my knees. He didn’t answer, but I felt his hand unbuckling his pants and brushing against my bottom. “Kevin . . .” I said again, but he flipped my skirt up, and used his arm around my waist to yank me higher into contact with his hard cock before tearing open a condom wrapper.

“Going to fuck you, Ana.”

I was throbbing, aching. God, the way he’d snuck up on me and just begun tugging my clothes out of the way. The way he hadn’t asked, just moved me where he wanted me. The fact that we were in school, where anyone could catch us. All of it was setting my body on fire.

“Be a good girl and don’t make a sound.” He shifted his hips and without warning, he pushed inside me in one shove.

I groaned, unable to hold back every sound. I was wet, but Kevin was big and he hadn’t prepared me in any way, so it burned. And I loved it. He barely pulled back before he pushed in again. His thrusts were quick and deep. The frantic pace he set added to the intensity of being caught.

“Touch yourself,” he whispered. “Come for me. We don’t have much time.”

One hand splayed on his thigh, holding on, and the other moved between my legs to rub at my clit. The theater was so silent that our heavy breathing and quiet moans sounded like shouts. I felt like we were daring someone to come in and watch us.

I thought I was going to draw blood from biting my lips when Kevin’s hand roughly pinched my nipple beneath my shirt causing me to hold back my scream. There was no relief, he held on to my tip and squeezed, the burn shooting straight down to my throbbing core.

I wondered what we would look like to someone who stumbled upon us. Locked together, his body pressed to my hunched back as he rutted against me like an animal in heat. His fingers latched on to my breast and my hand moving furiously between my legs.

Just the thought—creating the image in my head—set me off. “Ke-Kevin,” I cried out on a breath, desperate to stay quiet as I arched up onto my toes and let the waves of pleasure pour over me. He clamped his hand over my parted lips to hold in the cries of my orgasm and buried his head into my back, letting his moans vibrate through my chest.

My whole body shook when I came down from my high. Our bodies both leaned forward as our chests heaved in sync from the effort it took to fuck so quickly.

Kevin placed a soft kiss between my shoulder blades and slipped out of me, holding me up so I didn’t collapse in a heap on the floor. Turning around, I pulled my panties up my legs and watched him pull the condom off. My pussy squeezed. Such an intimate moment that turned me on just to see him tugging the thin piece of latex off his softening dick. Without thinking, I squatted down and sucked the tip of his cock between my lips, wanting to taste him. His hand fisted in my hair and thrust in deep with a moan before pulling out and lifting me for a kiss.

It turned me on that he didn’t mind the taste of himself. Hell, everything Kevin did turned me on. Things I didn’t even think about or consider turned me on with him. Almost every day we discovered more and more and it felt safe and exciting to do it with him. My best friend. Kevin looked down at me and smiled as he buckled up his pants.

“That was pretty risky. We could’ve gotten caught.”

“And that is the thrill of it,” he answered.

Make It to the Altar Excerpt

We grabbed a seat at our gate and settled in for the wait. He took off his suit jacket and rested it over my shoulders before pulling me as close to him as I could get with an armrest between us. The sensation of his fingers stroking my hair almost lulled me to sleep when a slow song came on at the bar across the walkway and he shifted.

“Dance with me, Anabelle.”

Looking around at the people, I almost said no, but he’d already tugged me out of my seat and into his arms.

“Don’t tell me no. It’s our first dance.”

I dug my fingers into the hair along his neck and laid my head on his chest, letting Ed Sheeran’s song, Perfect, surround us as Kevin moved in slow circles. I was sure people were watching, but I didn’t care.

“How many kids do you want?” His question surprised me. We’d never really talked details about kids other than we both knew we wanted them.

“I don’t know. More than one, less than ten.”

His chest shook against my cheek as he laughed. “Sounds like a good limit.”

“What about you?”

“More than one. I didn’t love being the only child.”

“Me either. But I was lucky when I found you. Although, I wouldn’t have hated it if you’d had a sexy older brother.”

“Anabelle,” he growled my name.

Laughing, I said, “I’m kidding. You’re it for me. You’re the only person I want to have a baby with.”

Lifting my head, I looked up into his eyes, wanting to get lost in the depths and layers of brown. He leaned down and kissed my cheek working his way to my ear where he nipped at it with his teeth.

“I can’t wait to see you pregnant with my child.” His words sent a shiver of excitement down my body. “Does that excite you? Being filled with my seed?”

I didn’t answer, just swallowed hard and buried my head in his chest to hide the flush working its way up my chest.

“That first trimester, when everything is so sensitive,” he growled from deep in his chest. “Oh, Ana. I’ll suck on your full breasts, torture them, wrap them around my dick and fuck them. They’ll be so eager for my touch, I’ll probably be able to make you come just by playing with them.”

“Kevin.” I said his name on a desperate breath, squeezing my thighs against the ache his words created.

“Are you turned on, Ana? Do my words excite you, right here in front of all these people? I bet I could make you come with my words alone. And you would, for me.”

My whole body shook with need and I held tightly to his neck, scared he would do it. Terrified that he wouldn’t.

I could feel his breath against my neck and waited for him to begin when we were interrupted by an announcement.

“Passengers on flight one-five-two-three, to Jamaica, need to proceed to the desk. Flight one-five-two-three to Jamaica has been canceled. Please see check in for information.”

Fiona Cole is a military wife and a stay at home mom with degrees in biology and chemistry. As much as she loved science, she decided to postpone her career to stay at home with her two little girls, and immersed herself in the world of books until finally deciding to write her own.

Fiona loves hearing from her readers, so be sure to follow her on social media.