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Could This Be Love
by Lee Kilraine
GENRE: Contemporary Romance
BLURB:
Everyone in Climax,
North Carolina, knows the Cates brothers. But Sijan Cates is famous far beyond
his quaint hometown--and when he comes back, he brings trouble with him. . .
Avery Danford urgently
needs to get back in touch with her estranged family. If only she could get her
picture in the papers, maybe they'd track her down. . .and what better way to
accomplish that than to squeeze into the world's tightest dress and cozy up to
the world's hottest actor, Sijan Cates? It's a crazy idea, but it just might
work. And though the former actress has sworn off Hollywood hunks, she's got to
admit this desperate measure might be a pleasure. . .
Scandal-plagued Sijan
has come home for some peace and quiet--and to stay out of the tabloids. Then a
woman claiming to be his number-one fan plants a hot kiss on him--in front of a
pack of paparazzi. There's only one way to protect his reputation: tell the
world they're engaged. It's all just a show, as they use each other to get what
they need. But in this sleepy Southern town, love stories have a way of coming
true. . .
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
EXCERPT:
“All right, let me see if I have the latest scandal
straight.” Sijan Cates sat with his older brother in Dave’s Diner, a former
passenger train car turned restaurant. There were two main entrances, one at
each end of the car. Booths snaked around the front of the diner next to the
front windows while a sit-down counter sat in front of a cramped but ruthlessly
clean kitchen. Dave, the owner and cook, was known for his biscuits and
homemade blackberry jam, and his burgers. That’s it. Ordering anything else on
the menu was like playing Russian roulette with your stomach. But if you wanted
biscuits and jam, a burger, or all the most up-to-date gossip, the diner was
the place to eat.
“Hell, Ty, I came home to get a break from it.” He frowned
across at his brother, but of course, it had no effect.
“It says here in The Tattler you got a sweet young thing
pregnant and then dumped her.”
“I did not get a sweet young thing pregnant. I’ve never even
met that sweet young thing. Hell, if I slept with even half the women the tabloids
claim I do, I wouldn’t have time to get out of bed, let alone make movies.”
“According to them you’ve got a revolving door on your
bedroom with a ‘Now Serving’ ticket machine attached to the wall next to it.”
Sijan leaned back as their waitress, Renee, slid steaming
mugs of coffee in front of them both. “Renee, run away with me and save me from
all this.”
“Sijan, if I weren’t having hot flashes, I’d be just another
crazy woman trying to get a piece of you.” Renee tucked her serving tray under
her arm and wagged a finger at him. “Now, your latest scandal’s got the
Grapevine stirred up. I don’t think the Simon sisters can take the excitement.”
“Those ladies can handle anything. Besides, they’ve seen
this before. Remember four years ago when an ex-girlfriend tried the same
thing?”
“Thank goodness for DNA tests and poor math skills.” Tynan
grinned. “She sure didn’t account for your six months of filming in Prague. You
do attract the crazy.”
“It’s Hollywood.” Sijan’s muscles tensed at the memory. “Too
many people can make money off you. I’m just an ‘opportunity.’ An opportunity
to get a script read, a part in a movie, or free publicity.” “Or generous child
support payments for the next twenty years.”
“Hey, I’ve dated some nice, normal women. Once I learned to
steer clear of actresses.”
Tynan nodded. “That would explain all those models,
politician’s daughters, and savvy career women.”
He’d be the first to admit he’d enjoyed the benefits of his
moviestar status over the years, but he’d always shied away from serious
commitment like it was a box of rattlesnakes. Lately though, the serial dating
felt . . . empty. Especially after coming home and seeing how happy his brother
Quinn and his fiancée Delaney were. “I need a hiatus from women.”
“Bite your tongue. Life is a smorgasbord and you are too
young to go on a diet. Seriously, Si, I joke, but this”—he rattled the tabloid
before tossing it down in disgust—“just pisses me off.”
“Every job has its downside, right?” Sijan shrugged tense
shoulders. He leaned back against the booth, consciously willing his muscles to
relax. “I’ve decided I’m just going to lay low and focus on my work while the
studio’s lawyers deal with that.”
“You decided?”
“Yup. About five seconds after the president of Majestic
Studios called me into his office three days ago and explained loudly and in a
few choice phrases that my next two films need to exceed box office
predictions.” Or else.
“One year ago, this same man couldn’t wine and dine you fast
enough after your Oscar nomination.” Tynan sat back, muttering a graphic
although physically impossible suggestion for the president of Majestic
Studios. “Fame sure is fickle.”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
AUTHOR Bio and Links:
A former Air
Force spouse, Lee Kilraine moved seven times over eighteen years before finally
settling with her husband in the pine woods of North Carolina. She has worked
as a physical therapy aide, a cashier, a waitress, an English tutor, a ballet
teacher and a stay-at-home mom. Holding tight to her mother’s motto, “There’s
nothing you can’t do if you try hard enough,” Lee returned to college as an
adult and graduated from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro.
Writing thirty-one papers in two years (she counted) rekindled her love of
writing, and she set her sights on her other dream—writing romance. When she
isn’t swinging on her front porch swing or watching another of their four young
adult children leave the nest (she swears she isn’t pushing them out!) you can
find her typing away on her computer with her golden retriever, Harley,
destroying something at her feet. Lee is a 2014 Golden Heart® Finalist.
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Not Second Best
by Christa Maurice
GENRE: Contemporary Romance
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
BLURB:
As a lawyer at
Touchstone management, Tessa's position brings her up close and personal to
some of the world's biggest heartthrobs. Sometimes that intimacy crosses
professional lines, which is understandable considering Tessa's impressive
contact list. But when rock star Brian Ellis set her aside for the girl of his
dreams, Tessa can't help wonder if "spinster aunt" is her true
vocation. Which explains her hook-up with rising star Brett Cherney at Brian's
celebrity wedding . . .
As the lead singer of
BroRide, Brett has lived the rock-n-roll bad-boy lifestyle to the very hilt.
But when the girl of his dreams marries fellow rocker Brian Ellis, he buries his
disappointment in the arms of an older woman. The following morning, Brett
realizes what he experienced was only the beginning of a song he's been trying
to write all his life. It's a seductive theme, which Tessa falls for again and
again, but getting her to believe they have a hit is turning out to be far from
a sure thing . . .
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
EXCERPT:
Tessa walked outside, maintaining her happy expression past
the knot of smokers by the door. This wedding shouldn’t bug her so much. Brian
had gotten over his crush on her years ago. Shit, he’d been married before.
She’d fallen off his pedestal a long time ago.
So why did this marriage seem like the end of the world?
Suzi made a beautiful bride. One of her friends had designed
the simple white gown for her. Ribbons of rainbow colors started as faint
pastels across the bust and gained intensity as they wrapped around her body
and down the back of her dress until they formed a brilliant train. Daisies
wound through her upswept hair and complemented her pretty, sweet face. Brian
looked rather sharp, too, in his white tux, open at the throat. His best
accessory, though, had to be the expression of utter joy in his eyes.
It made Tessa want to puke. Not because they were happy. No,
never that. Brian deserved to be happy. Suzi did, too. Apparently, everyone
deserved to be happy. Except her.
“Nice show, huh?”
Tessa glanced at Brett who’d wandered up beside her at the
overlook. Or maybe she’d wandered up beside him. The ocean smashed into the
cliffs below as if it held a grudge against her. “Yeah. They look really
happy.”
“She’s the Holy Grail,” Brett said. He leaned on the
guardrail, fiddling a cigarette between his fingers. “She was a total mess when
she left Logan last year. I took her out to this place I go to. Never laid a
hand on her.”
Tessa nodded. Why did he think she should care? Everybody
knew he’d pulled Suzi out of the party where she’d broken up with her last
boyfriend, Logan, nearly a year ago. Tessa had been one of many people trying
to figure out where the hell they’d gone for weeks before Suzi had reappeared
at Jason’s West Virginia place. “You’re a big damn hero.”
“Something like that.” He flicked the cigarette off the
cliff, unlit. “Brian’s a good guy, right? He’ll be good to her, won’t he?”
“I’ve known him since he was a kid. He’d walk through hell
for her.” Brian was the best guy. Absolute heart of gold. If she’d been half
awake ten years ago, she could have had that.
“Good. That’s good. Cause next time I have to haul her away
from some asshole, I’m not going to be so easygoing about letting her leave.”
She glared at Brett, but he looked like he’d been dragged
backward through the desert by a tour bus, and she faltered. “What’s wrong with
you?”
Brett turned, stared at the ocean. “Probably the same thing
that’s wrong with you.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“Oh, come on. How dumb do you think everybody is? You’ve
known Brian since he was in elementary school. His daughter is named after you.
The only person at this wedding who looks sicker about it is Logan.” Brett
bobbed his head. “And maybe me. You and Brian had a thing, or you wish you had
a thing, or something. I’d say I could write a great song about it, but there’s
already been a bunch. Etta James did three or four.”
“So, are you telling me that party-hearty Brett Cherney lost
his poor little heart to the bride?” Tessa meant to smirk, but it came out
twisted because of the sob she was trying to cover.
“Only as much as tough lawyer Tessa Callisto lost her heart
to the groom.”
Tessa stared back in the direction of the pavilion. Over six
hundred guests. This wedding was almost as well attended as the Grammys. No
point hiring a band because no local band could hold a candle to this audience,
so music had been supplied by a running jam. Everyone was having a blast. They
wouldn’t notice a couple of people missing.
“You know what the best cure for a broken heart is, don’t
you?”
“What?” He glanced over his shoulder as if the answer to her
question was back at the wedding reception.
She stared into Brett’s eyes. Brett, who slept with every
female who caught his fancy. And there were lots of those. What with his lean
build and washboard abs, he was such a very good-looking specimen. “Wanna?” She
arched an eyebrow at him.
His lips curled into a smile. “Sounds good to me.”
“Your place or mine?”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
AUTHOR Bio and Links:
Christa Maurice
has been obsessed with rock stars from early childhood when her older brother
started randomly quizzing her on rock trivia. How many first graders know who
the headliners were on the Black and Blue Tour? Christa did. (Black Sabbath and
Blue Oyster Cult.) When not listening to music and/or writing, she enjoys
traveling, reading and science fiction. Readers can find Christa on Facebook,
and visit her website at christamaurice.wordpress.com.
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Spooning Daisy
by Maggie McConnell
GENRE: Contemporary Romance
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
BLURB:
Her
mango chutney is exquisite; her blueberry sauce is to die for. But right now,
Chef de Cuisine Daisy Moon is a woman without a kitchen--and without a fiancé.
Unceremoniously dumped from her place of business and her relationship, Daisy
sells her belongings, plus a few of her ex's, and packs her bags. Maybe
smashing all the china in her former restaurant was a bad move. Stripped of her
Golden Spoon for "un-chef-like" conduct, she is now blacklisted all
over Seattle. Her sole job offer is from the Wild Man Lodge. . .in Otter Bite,
Alaska.
Too
bad Daisy can't even get out of Dodge without incident. By the time she boards
a ship for Alaska, she's got a trail of new troubles behind her, and suddenly
Otter Bite is sounding pretty good. But the vessel turns into her own personal
Titanic when a series of close encounters confirms her terrible taste in
men--including one very good looking bad luck charm named Max Kendall. She vows
to dedicate the rest of her days to chowders and brulée. Yet even Alaska isn't
far enough away to shake the memories of the sexy shipmate who rocked her
cabin--and her world. Thank goodness she's done with surprises--but they may not
be done with her. . .
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
EXCERPT:
“What’ll ya take for this?” Daisy Moon lifted her glazed
eyes from a makeshift plywood table where she had been tidying pieces of her
past. She focused on the midlife, mostly brunette whose brassy streaks fit her
gravel voice. Backlit by the golden afternoon pushing into the garage, the
woman appeared heaven-sent. After a closer look, Daisy knew better.
In her right hand, a cigarette was wedged between two
fingers while her left hand strangled a porcelain figurine, its milky pastels
and melted contours in unhappy contrast to the black polish on the woman’s
talons.
“I’d appreciate it if you wouldn’t smoke,” Daisy said
politely. “There’s a bucket outside—”
Too late. The cigarette was crushed between the sole of one
strappy stiletto sandal and the pristine concrete of Daisy’s double garage.
“So how much?”
A cloud dulled the sun and the saintly aura faded. Stepping
back to allow yet another stranger to judge the resale value of her life, Daisy
answered the brunette. “Doesn’t the tag say fifty dollars?” as if she couldn’t
remember how, in the wee hours of the morning while Lady Antebellum pleaded
“Need You Now,” she’d painstakingly tied the price tag around the necks of the
porcelain lovers.
“Ye-ahh,” the woman answered as if Daisy were dense. “But
how much will you take?”
“Excuse me,” a voice from behind interrupted. “What size is
this?”
Daisy turned to a stout woman who held a Kelly-green midcalf
skirt and matching short jacket. Daisy loved that suit—it perfectly
complemented her Irish genes—but love wasn’t a good enough reason to keep
something that squeezed the breath from her. “Size six.”
“Is there some place I could try it on?”
“Try it on . . . ?” Daisy imagined popped buttons and
exploding seams.
“I’ll handle this,” Charity Wagstaff whispered, coming
through the milling browsers. “You take care of Cruella.”
Daisy shot her eyes toward the heavens.
“But remember,” her best friend softly chided, “you’re
turning the page, moving on, taking risks. You’re letting go—”
“I know, I know.” Forcing a smile, Daisy attended to the
brunette. “Make me an offer.”
“Ten bucks.”
“Ten bucks? That’s a Lladró!”
The brunette stared impatiently, as if she were tapping a
foot. “It’s a limited edition and it cost $275 last year. They’ve probably
broken the mold.”
“Well, if it’s so valuable, why’re y’ selling it?”
Because it was meant to crown the top layer of a fabulous,
fivetier Amaretto wedding cake . . . “Because I’m moving,” Daisy said instead.
“And I don’t have the room.”
The brunette yawned.
“It’s like this—” Daisy tried to look pitiful. But it took
memories of her long-departed mutt, Sophie, to produce the tears needed for
effect. “My husband died and I have to downsize.”
“Twenty bucks,” countered the dry-eyed shopper.
“She’ll take it,” Charity said, sneaking up from behind.
Her auburn frizz quivering with indignation, Daisy spun
toward the sunny blonde. “Have you lost your mind? It’s worth more than twenty
dollars. It’s worth more than fifty dollars!”
“Let it go.”
“It’s so beautiful.”
“It’s only clay. Let it go.”
“I don’t have all day.” The woman held out a rumpled bill.
“Y’ want the twenty or not?”
Reaching across the plywood, Charity snatched the money.
“I’ve changed my mind, it’s not for sale!”
Daisy screamed. Charity blocked her attempt to chase the
woman, who fled down the drive like a hyena with carrion.
Daisy wilted, then quickly tensed. The browsing had stopped
and all eyes were upon her. A Miss Marple–type linked elbows with her equally
tweedy companion and the two scurried out of the garage, pausing briefly at the
garden tools displayed along the drive before glancing back and continuing
their escape.
Sympathetically, Charity said, “Why don’t you take a break?
You’ve been at this for hours.”
Daisy took a shuddering breath, the embarrassment and
humiliation of the last year dumping on her like a sudden downpour. She didn’t
even know these people who were picking over the remnants of her life. Why
should she care what they thought? It was her garage—for another two weeks. If
she wanted, she could be as contrary and unpredictable as the Seattle weather.
“Maybe a short break,” Daisy conceded, before wending her
way between bookshelves and lamps and a widescreen television marked with a
SOLD sign. Who could’ve predicted that only weeks after Jason had replaced his
reliable television with a sleeker state-of-the-art model, he’d do the same
with his fiancée?
Certainly not Daisy, who, nonetheless, had taken the high
road, thanks to the example set by her mother, a corporate wife who always kept
her smile in the face of adversity. With more at stake than just her personal
relationship, Daisy had been civil, allowing Jason to move out at his leisure;
she had never intended to keep either the television or the telltale Callaway
golf clubs until she received the certified letter from Dritz Klak & Smite.
She’d fantasized about bashing the $2,500 television with
the $600 driver, but the ever-pragmatic Charity convinced her to sell them
instead.
“You’ll get the best price on eBay,” Charity had told her.
But money was less the objective than expediency; Daisy didn’t have time to
photograph, upload, monitor, and mail. And fear of another “Craigslist Killer”
kept her away from that website. So, the old-fashioned method it was; anything
remaining at day’s end would be donated to the SPCA thrift shop.
Of course, Jason didn’t know his precious belongings were
the main course at a garage sale.
Although short-lived, the thought cheered Daisy as she
passed from the netherworld of her garage into the haven of her kitchen. But
not before fluffing the potpourri of carnation petals strategically placed
between a crystal mantel clock and a silver-plated chafing dish.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
AUTHOR Bio and Links:
Golden Heart
nominee Maggie McConnell spent her childhood in Asia and South America as the
daughter of US diplomats. Attending college in Illinois, she earned a BA in Art
and an MBA while working at the local animal shelter. At 26, she packed her dog
and cat into a Ford truck and drove the Alcan Highway to Alaska, where she
spent 23 years exploring The Last Frontier in single-engine Cessnas. An
animal-rights advocate and vegan, Maggie provides a sanctuary on her Arizona
ranch for all creatures great and small. Her compass still points north.
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Working It
by Leah Marie Brown
Working It
by Leah Marie Brown
GENRE: Contemporary Romance
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
BLURB:
With her trust fund and
coveted job at Christian Dior, Fanny Moreau believes she has it all. But when
her best friend finds a fulfilling new career abroad—and a dreamy relationship
with a great guy, Fanny’s fabulous life suddenly feels empty. Inspired to find
her true purpose, she trades her cushy lifestyle in San Francisco for an
adventure in the Alaskan wilderness.
Everyone thinks Fanny
has gone off the deep end. What’s a girl with a Ph.D in Prada doing teaching in
an Inuit village? Even Fanny is wondering, especially when she comes face to
face with Calder MacFarlane. The Scottish search and rescue pilot is everything
Fanny is not—selfless, heroic, and used to living on the edge. He’s also the
man who once loved her best friend. Yet something in Calder’s sexy gaze has her
believing that she’s a woman capable of great things—a woman who might just
find her own happily-ever-after, in a place where she least expects it.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
EXCERPT:
The worst day of my life started with an unfortunate spritz
of perfume.
Every tragedy can be traced back to one fatal mistake, one
seemingly insignificant miscalculation that sets into motion a series of small
blunders resulting in utter catastrophe.
Take James Cameron winning the Oscar for Titanic over Gus
Van Sant for Good Will Hunting. If the Titanic’s wireless operator had known
how to work the Marconi efficiently, he might have translated the warning
messages about ice in the area, the unsinkable ship would have remained afloat,
and James Cameron wouldn’t have won the Oscar for a hopelessly insipid movie.
If Christian Lacroix had added jet beads to his pared-back
coat dresses and peplum skirts, his ’09 Fall Collection might have been the
buzz of the season; instead, fashion editors and snarky bloggers lamented the
loss of his talent.
One seemingly insignificant snowball-sized mistake starts
its journey down the mountain, and before you know it, a shit avalanche is
descending upon you.
My best friend, Vivian—her name is Vivia, but I call her
Vivian because it’s more glam—coined the phrase “shit avalanche.” It’s an
unpalatably graphic and overblown phrase and not one I use often, but it
superbly describes my situation.
My shit avalanche started with an unwelcome spritz of Kitty
Kat’s Purrfect. Kitty Kat, the bubblegum pop singing phenom, might know a thing
or two about writing hit songs, but she doesn’t know a thing about the delicate
art of blending scents to create an intoxicating perfume.
How could a spritz of perfume cause a disaster?
I will start at the awful beginning, but only because I hope
my tragic story will serve as a cautionary tale. The Titanic. James Cameron.
Christian Lacroix. Stéphanie Moreau. The world has suffered
enough disasters. Read and learn, mon amie.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
AUTHOR Bio and Links:
Leah Marie
Brown has worked as a
journalist and photographer. An avid traveler, she has had adventures and
mishaps from Paris to Tokyo. She doesn't buy cheesy tee-shirts or useless
bric-a-brac, but prefers friendships and memories as souvenirs from her
travels. She lives a bike ride away from the white sand beaches of Florida’s
Emerald Coast with her husband, children, and pampered poodles. She is hard at
work on the next novel in The It Girls series, but loves to hear from readers.
Please visit her website at www.leahmariebrown.com Follow Vivia on Twitter @Chic_Traveler and Pinterest as
Vivia Perpetual Grant, Perpetual Virgin.
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WORKING IT:
amazonkindle, Apple, Google, Kobo, Nook
COULD THIS BE LOVE:
amazonkindle, Apple, Google, Kobo, Nook
NOT SECOND BEST:
amazonkindle, Apple, Google, Kobo, Nook
SPOONING DAISY:
amazonkindle, Apple, Google, Kobo, Nook
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
GIVEAWAY:
The authors will be awarding digital
copies of all books on the tour to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter
during the tour.
Good morning, ladies! Another week begins. Thanks for hosting us. Do you have room service? :-)
ReplyDeleteOur room service is out of order this week :-(
DeleteBut these books look amazing and when we add in some fruity umbrella drinks, no one will miss the lack of room service! lol
Thanks for hosting!
ReplyDeleteFruity umbrella drinks and romance books? Perfect combination for the first day of summer! Thank you for hosting us, Booklover Sue!
ReplyDelete