Mayhem and the Marquess (Virtual Tour & Giveaway)

May 5, 2020May 3, 20202 Comments

MAYHEM AND THE MARQUESS

by Win Hollows

GENRE: Historical Romance

Book Blurb

Daughter of an infamous murderer, Ivy Wollard now wields knives instead of needlepoint to survive in a society where no one wants her. When the Marquess of Blackbourne comes along and ruins her chance at a better life, she decides she’d rather have her toes eaten by eels than agree to his proposed scheme. There’s no way her surrender has anything to do with the mesmerizing angle of his jawline or the wicked twinkle in his eyes.

But Asher Blackbourne has a secret. He knows it’s just a matter of time until he goes mad and loses his illustrious title, so when Ivy falls into his path, he realizes he could use her to keep his house of cards from falling down. If every illicit touch between them doesn’t drive him mad first, that is.

Yet Ivy cannot escape her grisly legacy and the dark desires of her father’s admirers. What if violence runs through her veins, and no one who gets close is safe? Mayhem will descend as this rake finally falls for the enigmatic woman who might be just his brand of poison…Er, cure, of course.

Read an Excerpt

Blackbourne came towards the clawfoot tub, running a finger along the porcelain edge.

Ivy shrank back instinctively into the steam.

He chuckled. “Don’t worry, love. I won’t bite,” he drawled, and then paused. “Yet.”

She inhaled as his eyes flashed promises of things she wasn’t sure she understood.

“Your bathwater is quite thoroughly unrevealing with all those suds. What a pity.” He sighed, pulling the nearby chair closer to the tub and lowering himself down into it. “Will you wash your hair for me?”

Ivy blinked “Right now?” she choked, reaching up to pat her hair, which she’d styled in a high chignon.

He nodded, his posture relaxed, although Ivy knew this to be deceptive. He was waiting to hear her answer with taut focus. When she didn’t move a muscle, Blackbourne interrupted her tumultuous thoughts with a soft suggestion. “Let me help you.”

The words reached out to her with tendrils that wrapped her consciousness in a sensual fog, causing the hair on her nape to rise. This was not done, she knew. A proper lady would never allow a gentleman to touch her hair, much less while she bathed. But what about any of their arrangement was proper in the first place? Who would even know?

Besides him.

So she reached up slowly so as not to disturb the water covering her chest and drew the stickpin from her hair, letting its length fall in a heavy coil down her back.

His sharp intake of breath echoed in the tiled chamber.

Was that a good thing? Ivy’s body trembled as she watched him rise and come towards her through the steam…

Win Hollows is awarding a $10 Amazon/B&N Gift Card to one lucky winner during this tour. Click here to enter the Rafflecopter giveaway.

Meet Win Hollows

Win Hollows is a multi-award-winning romance fiction writer who still believes that love conquers all. She currently lives in Colorado with her own real-life hero and their three fur babies. Her passion is writing stories about love and intrigue and will continue to do so as long as characters keep having conversations in her head. Hollows’ other interests include traveling to places with delicious food and languages she can’t speak, having wilderness adventures, and, of course, reading! She loves connecting with readers and fans on Facebook, Instagram, and through her website at http://www.winhollows.com.

Social Media Links:

https://www.instagram.com/winhollows/

https://www.facebook.com/Win-Hollows-166439534079985/

www.winhollows.com

https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/44526655-mayhem-and-the-marquess

Buy Links:

https://www.amazon.com/Mayhem-Marquess-Lords-Havoc-Book-ebook/dp/B07NHR2TYQ

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/mayhem-and-the-marquess-win-hollows/1130949870

https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/929031

https://www.evernightpublishing.com/mayhem-and-the-marquess-by-win-hollows/

Advice for Aspiring Authors (Guest Post & Giveaway)

February 5, 2020February 4, 20209 Comments

Today I am pleased to host author Kimberly Daniels, who is sharing some of her best advice for aspiring authors. Be sure to read to the end for information about her book, SAVED BY YOU, and find out how to enter her giveaway to win an Amazon/B&N gift card!

Kimberly Daniels Tells Aspiring Authors…

Diving into that world of writing and (gasp!) committing to becoming an actual published author can be both exciting and utterly frightening. The idea that your words, your very own stories will be out for anyone to see and experience is a scary thought. The good reviews and those pesky one and two-star reviews can really wreak havoc on your psyche. My advice to aspiring authors is to silence all that noise. Stay true to your words, your stories. No matter what agents, publishers, and reviewers say, remember that those stories are your very own masterpieces. Most importantly, write simply because you love it.

Check out the book

Saved by You

by Kimberly Daniels

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Blurb

Cole Stevens thought he was finally given a second chance in life. With the woman he always loved now by his side, an adopted son who felt like his own since the day he met him, and a baby on the way, Cole could finally see his forever. And then his past showed up on his doorstep, threatening to take it all away.

Now forced to relive painful memories and bring dark secrets to light, Cole begins a downward spiral that leads him back to the place he spent years trying to escape. As the pain of his past collides with the present, he finds himself lost again, fighting for his family’s future. How can he find the way back in time for his forever to be saved?

Read an Excerpt

I let go of him and he falters back. Dusty wraps his arms around me to pull me back and Camryn is begging me to stop. Her voice registers, sinking through the fury that just consumed me, and my head snaps up realizing where I am. Camryn’s hands are over her mouth and I can see her fighting back tears. And that’s when I see him, my little superhero, crying and shaking at Camryn’s side. My sweet little boy, my Gavin—how could I let myself get to this point?

I reach out to him and he shudders back, sinking into Camryn even more. At that moment, my heart shatters, seeing that my son, the one I vowed to protect, is afraid of the menace I just became. My gaze travels to Camryn and I see the pain in her eyes, which I am sure I put there. “Take him home, away from me.”

She reaches her hand and grasps my wrist, pulling me with her. “Come home with us.”

I pull my hand away and begin to back away from them. “Take him home without me. Right now, he’s afraid…of me.” I can’t bear to stay here and look at what I did to Gav and Camryn, to see that the old Cole has never really left. I rush off the beach, away from my family, the ones I disappointed again with my thoughtless actions. I try to grasp the realization that I’m no longer the superhero Gavin once thought I was. Today, I became the villain.

Kimberly Daniels is Awarding a $10 Amazon/B&N Gift Card to one lucky winner. Click here to enter the Rafflecopter Giveaway!

Meet Kimberly Daniels

Kimberly Daniels is a middle school English Teacher who took the advice of her students to pursue her writing hobby as a career. When she’s not at her laptop dreaming up new happily-ever-afters, she can be found glued to the TV or Kindle consumed with a new show or book addiction. She lives with her husband and two daughters in in the suburbs of Philadelphia, spending weekends at basketball games, softball fields, and dance recitals.

Connect with Kimberly Daniels:

Website: https://www.kimberlydanielsauthor.com/

FB Page: https://www.facebook.com/kimberlydanielsauthor/?ref=settings

FB Profile: https://www.facebook.com/authorkimberlydaniels

Twitter: https://twitter.com/authorkdaniels

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/author_kimberly_daniels/

GoodReads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/17942227.Kimberly_Daniels

Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/Kimberly-Daniels/e/B07BPMLDY3

Much Ado About a Widow (Virtual Tour & Giveaway)

December 31, 2019December 30, 20192 Comments

Much Ado About a Widow

by Jenna Jaxon

Genre: Historical Romance

Blurb

A key grated in the lock. Lulu growled and stalked toward it, the fur on her back rising straight up.

“Not yet, Lulu.” Georgie gathered the leash. “Don’t bite him quite yet.”

Her dog stopped advancing on the door; however, the growling did not abate. Better be safe. She gathered Lulu into her arms. “I’ll give you the signal.”

The cabin door swung open, revealing Lord St. Just, an impossibly broad grin on his face. “Wait until I tell you what my men and I just did.”

“You don’t have to tell me, my lord. I already know.” Georgie glared at him and held Lulu tighter. The little animal was shaking, and Georgie was sure if she loosened her grip Lulu would launch herself at the unwary marquess. Serve him right too.

“You do?” He frowned and cocked his head, which made him look like a puzzled puppy. Lulu looked just like that whenever she was unhappy. But what did he have to be unhappy about? He was the one who had kidnapped her.

“You have set sail, my lord, with me and my maid aboard against our wills. Many sensible people call that kidnapping.” She’d always known this man was a pirate. In fact, she’d told her brother so. She handed Lulu to Clara before the dog could leap out of her arms and tear at his lordship’s throat. If anyone was going to attack the marquess, it would be Georgie herself. Plant him a facer and see how he liked being set upon.

“Oh.” The impossible man was all smiles again. “Yes, we had to put out or miss the evening tide.” His grin had returned, showing many straight, white teeth. “But we did manage to steal your trunks, Lady Georgina. If you will consider yourself abducted again, at least rejoice in the fact that you will have clean linen throughout the ordeal.”

During the tour, Jenna Jaxon will be randomly awarding a $25 Amazon/B&N Gift Card to one lucky winner. Click here to enter the Rafflecopter contest.

Meet Jenna Jaxon

Jenna Jaxon is a multi-published author of historical and contemporary romance. She has been reading and writing historical romance since she was a teenager. A romantic herself, she has always loved a dark side to the genre, a twist, suspense, a surprise. She tries to incorporate all of these elements into her own stories. She lives in Virginia with her family and a small menagerie of pets. When not reading or writing, she indulges her passion for the theatre, working with local theatres as a director. She often feels she is directing her characters on their own private stage.

She has equated her writing to an addiction to chocolate because once she starts she just can’t stop.

Blog: www.jennajaxon.wordpress.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jenna.jaxon

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Jenna_Jaxon

Instagram: passionistimeless

Buy the Book:

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Much-about-Widow-Widows-Club-ebook/dp/B07Q6VM63Q/

Guest Post from Jo McNally – The Challenges of Writing a Holiday Themed Novel

October 31, 20191 Comment

Today I’m hosting romance author Jo McNally, who’s going to tell us a bit about the challenges she faced when writing STEALING KISSES IN THE SNOW. Be sure to check out info on her book AND giveaway below!

~~~~~~~~~~

Stealing Kisses in the Snow was my first holiday romance, and it was exciting to tackle a new sub-genre. There were a couple of unique challenges that kept pushing back at me as I wrote–the predefined end date, and getting the emotions to go deeper than snowflakes and Christmas lights.

I usually write from a start date and let the romantic relationship play out organically in my books. But a holiday romance generally ends on the holiday. In an early draft, Piper and Logan were being so cautious that when I went back and tracked the days, it was December and they were still just flirting around. I realized I couldn’t let them just meander through their relationship because tick-tock, Christmas was coming! I charted out the weeks from the start of the story in October up to Christmas Day (the final scene in the book) and moved things around so the timeline felt natural but still hit the target.

My other challenge was writing a fun holiday romance with laughs and snowstorms and joy, but also with intense emotions. Piper is a widowed mom of two, and she’s promised them a “perfect” Christmas. Her plans don’t include the rugged oil rig worker who just cruised into town on a Harley to help his grandmother run the Victorian inn where Piper works. She’s had love once in her life, and lost him when he was killed in action. She’s not sure she deserves a second chance at love, and she’s convinced it wouldn’t be fair to her kids. So her reasons for resisting her feelings for Logan are complex. She has frank discussions with Logan, her children, and her former in-laws about her late husband and his importance to all of them. Logan has to navigate that reality and responsibility as he’s falling for the cute little mom in the ruffled apron. That story of a family coming apart, then coming together again, was important to tell, but at the same time, this is a funny, sexy story that ends on a not-so-perfect, but very special, Christmas Day.

~~~~~~~~~~

Stealing Kisses in the Snow

by Jo McNally

GENRE: Contemporary Romance

Maybe “perfect” is over-rated…

Between juggling two kids, two jobs, and a fixer-upper house, single mom Piper Montgomery is so busy she can hardly see straight. But when rugged biker Logan Taggert strolls into the B&B where she’s working, she can’t help but stare. He has bad boy written all over him. She’s promised her kids a “perfect Christmas” this year, and bad boys aren’t part of the plan. But how can she resist?

Once his grandmother is back on her feet, Logan can leave her Victorian B&B get back on the road. It’s where he belongs after all, even if his grandmother’s matchmaking book club biddies try to convince him otherwise. But there’s something about beautiful, spitfire Piper that makes him wonder if kids and commitment might be just what he needs after all.

As Christmas draws ever closer, so do Piper and Logan. Could these two opposites find all they want this Christmas is each other?

Read an Excerpt

“Okay, Lily. If you see that giant again, bring him to me so I can tell him to stop hanging around here. It’s bad for business.”

Lily giggled and dashed out of the kitchen before Piper could tell her they were leaving soon. She put away the rest of the dishes and tossed the dishrag into the bin to be washed. She was mopping up the last corner of the floor when she heard the kitchen door open again. Good—Lily hadn’t wandered far.

“I’m glad you’re back, sweetie. I’m almost done, so—”

“Momma! I found the giant! Isn’t he hoomongus?”

Piper turned and froze, clutching the mop handle tightly. Lily was standing in the doorway, holding hands with a stranger. Well over six feet tall, with straggly, wet hair hanging to his shoulders and a scruffy beard, the man was clothed entirely in black leather, including leather chaps on his long legs. He had the deepest-set eyes Piper had ever seen, shadowed under heavy, dark brows. With his size and overall menacing appearance, it was no wonder Lily thought he was a giant.

And he was holding her daughter’s tiny hand.

Piper bristled, her exhaustion gone in a flash. She’d gladly battle actual monsters to save her children, and big or not (and he was big), this was just a man. A man who was about to regret touching her little girl. She brandished the mop handle in front of her like a sword as she went toward him. “You let her go right this minute! And get out of here! I’m calling the police…” She fumbled to get her phone out of her back pocket while still aiming the mop at him. Her voice was fast approaching a scream. “You get the hell away from my daughter!”

Jo McNally will be awarding one print copy of SLOW DANCING AT SUNRISE by Jo McNally and 1 print copy of STEALING KISSES IN THE SNOW by Jo McNally, shipping limited to North American (US and Canada) only to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. Click here to enter the contest!

Meet Jo McNally

Jo McNally lives in coastal North Carolina with 100 pounds of dog and 200 pounds of husband – her slice of the bed is very small. When she’s not writing or reading romance novels (or clinging to the edge of the bed…), she can often be found on the back porch sipping wine with friends, listening to great music. If the weather is absolutely perfect, she’ll occasionally join her husband on the golf course, where she always feels far more competitive than her actual skill-level would suggest.

Author Links

Website: https://jomcnallyromance.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JoMcNallyAuthor/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/JoMcNallyAuthor

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jo.mcnally/

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/15850595.Jo_McNally

STEALING KISSES IN THE SNOW Buy Links

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1335041486

Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/stealing-kisses-in-the-snow-jo-mcnally/1129992769

iTunes: https://books.apple.com/us/book/stealing-kisses-in-the-snow/id1446004554

Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/stealing-kisses-in-the-snow

Google: https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Jo_McNally_Stealing_Kisses_in_the_Snow?id=vTp-DwAAQBAJ

Miss Felicity’s Dilemma (Virtual Tour & Giveaway)

October 14, 2019October 13, 20194 Comments

MISS FELICITY’S DILEMMA

by Eileen Dreyer

Genre: Historical Romance

Book BLURB

ALL SHE WANTS IS HER OWN HOME

Miss Felicity Chambers is the new teacher of piano and deportment at Miss Manville’s Academy for Superior Girls. There is no reason a duke should contact her. There is certainly no reason she should marry his son. But that is evidently what the duke wants. Felicity should be delighted. But the orphaned schoolteacher has long since stopped believing in fairy tales. If only the duke’s son weren’t so compelling…

ALL HE WANTS IS THIS HOME

Lord Flint Bracken knows just what is behind the duke’s command, and it isn’t an attempt to secure a happily-ever-after for his son. The proposal is one of the duke’s schemes. Flint has no choice but to cooperate, though, or he risks more than his home. He risks national security. So court a penniless schoolteacher he must. He should be furious. But Felicity Chambers isn’t at all what he expected. She might very well be what he wants…

Read An Excerpt

“Damme if the duke doesn’t have better taste than I gave him credit for,” Lord Flint mused, suddenly sounding quite merry.

Felicity feared she was gaping. “Pardon? The duke?”

“The very one. You are quite correct. The command for you to appear came directly from him, even though in my hand. He wished you to present yourself here for my perusal. At least he was that kind about it.”

Felicity feared she wasn’t breathing. “Perusal?” she demanded. “For what?”

“Why to see if you’d do, of course.”

Suddenly she was afraid. She took a step back and bumped into a table, making something rattle. She couldn’t even find the words to challenge him. Her comprehension seemed to have disintegrated in the space of a kiss.

“Don’t you want to know what for?” he asked.

Felicity closed her eyes, awash in humiliation. “Very well, if it will get me out of here.”

He chuckled. “Why, me, of course.”

Felicity’s eyes flew open. “I beg your pardon?”

“I am usually more fond of blonds,” he admitted. “But I imagine I could learn to like brunettes quite well.”

Felicity stopped breathing altogether. “For what?”

She just hoped her voice sounded as ominous as she intended.

It obviously didn’t. He was smiling again, his head tilted as if assessing her reaction, his hands back on his hips. “Well, marriage, of course.”

She knew she was staring, but suddenly she felt numb and stupid. “Marriage.”

He had the nerve to laugh. “You didn’t think I’d want you for a mistress, did you?”

Felicity had never once fainted in her life. She didn’t then. She reared back and slapped the laughing lord as hard as she could before stalking out the door.

Author Eileen Dreyer will be giving a way a $25 Amazon/Barnes & Noble Gift Card to one lucky winner. Click here to enter the Rafflecopter Giveaway!

Meet Eileen Dreyer

New York Times Bestselling, award-winning author Eileen Dreyer has published 40 novels and 10 short stories under her name and that of her evil twin, Kathleen Korbel in contemporary romance, paranormal romance, historical romance, romantic suspense, mystery and medical forensic suspense. A proud member of RWA’s Hall of FAME, she also has numerous awards from RT BookLovers and an Anthony nomination for mystery. She is now focusing on what she calls historic romantic adventure in her DRAKE’S RAKES series. A native of St. Louis, she still lives there with her family. She has animals but refuses to subject them to the limelight.