Is It Hot In Here?

Hello, gentle readers!

It’s a hot one in Phoenix (not as hot as yesterday or the day before, but still…)! I turned on my air conditioner. Some of you might think this is late in the season (it is the middle of April, after all, and I know a few people who turned on their air in March), but the weather, up until rather recently, has been so pleasant, I haven’t had the need.

Of course, there is also the game I play…how long can I tolerate the soaring temperatures before I give in and turn on the A/C (I play the same game with the heat in the winter). If we’re keeping score, I beat last years’ game!

We hit our first 100 degree temperature on Friday (at least, according to my thermometer under the carport…I don’t think it’s official yet). I will admit, I was spoiled by our lovely spring here and wasn’t quite ready for it. Then again, I’m at that lovely age where I don’t know if it’s a heat wave or a hot flash!

I’m moving along on my current work in progress, though sometimes it seems like slow going. The voices are in my head (along with a whole chorus of other voices, screaming “write my story” but there’s only so much time, you know?).

It’s amazing to me, after all this time—I’ve been writing since I was fourteen—that I still have words left, but then I look at Jennifer Ashley and Victoria Alexander, two of my favorite authors, and the words are still coming for them (and a lot more than me), and I am filled with hope that the words will never stop.

Speaking of those words, I should get back to it. Wife for Hire will not get finished by itself.

Until next time, remember to spread kindness wherever you go.

Marie

VICTOR by Kate Hill and a Chance at a $10 Amazon Gift Card

Fangs and Fists 3: Victor

By Kate Hill

♥♥ GiveAway ♥♥ 

Kate is giving away a $10 Amazon GC during the tour. Please use the Rafflecopter below to enter. Remember there is a chance to enter everyday so be sure to follow the Blog Tour. You may find the tour schedule and locations here https://bit.ly/2G1mPye

About Fangs and Fists 3: Victor:  Werewolf gladiator Victor vows to escape captivity by demons or die trying--which nearly happens when his latest opponent takes him by surprise. Jolanda is a member of a secret pack of wolf witches who want to free their kin from the dreaded demon tower. Strengthened by the power of her pack, she defeats Victor in the arena and demands that he be given to her as a mate. Alone, they surrender to their overwhelming lust for each other, but Jolanda needs him for more than sex. She's been sent to rescue the captive wolves and Victor is the Alpha she needs to help her. Together he and Jolanda plan a mass escape from the tower, hoping to strike a blow the demon masters will never forget. Genres: Dark Fantasy, Futuristic, Paranormal, Romance Buy Links: 

• Amazon - https://amzn.to/2UAUM2c
• Changeling Press - https://www.changelingpress.com/victor-fangs-and-fists-3-b-2610

*♥*♥*♥*15% off any order when you shop Kate Hill *♥*♥*♥*

Code: Fangs-and-Fists

Will work on the entire cart, as long as there's one Kate Hill book in the cart. 

Only at Changeling Press

~♥~♥~♥~♥~♥~ Excerpt:

Two demon guards clad in black body armor entered the barracks. Their red eyes glowed behind dark face shields. They approached Victor and one guard said, “Get up and come with us.” All the guards sounded and looked alike. They were even the same height and body structure. Victor knew better than to refuse. There would be no point in fighting, even if he was so inclined. He guessed he would be going to one of two possible places. It would either be the punishment chamber because he’d killed Slate too quickly or -- and this was more likely -- to the demon masters who had bargained with him to kill for their entertainment. The guards brought Victor out of the barracks and down a steel corridor to an elevator at the end. They boarded it. Except for the soft whir of the elevator descending, there was silence. It stopped with an almost imperceptible lurch. The door opened and Victor, accompanied by the guards, stepped into a spacious room with an enormous glass ball in the center of it. Several couches surrounded it. While the upholstery resembled leather, Victor’s sense of smell told him the couches were covered with material that hadn’t come from any four-legged animal. He’d been in this room before. Here, the demons had bargained with him for the lives of his fellow gladiators, their mates, and their cubs. Here, he’d traded his integrity and his soul for their lives. The guards disappeared into dark corners of the room. Since he had no intention of sitting on the foul furniture, Victor stood near the glass ball and waited. The ball glowed faintly at first. Then it brightened. From within, two demon masters -- one male and one female -- stared at him. He knew they weren’t actually there. The ball was similar to television. He could see and hear them, but they were far away. The male had ink-black, elbow-length hair. Tall and slim, he was dressed from head to foot in red. The female had short white hair. Her skin was nearly as pale as her form-fitting white dress. Both demons stared at him with black eyes. “Your game has improved, Victor,” said the male, “but I’m afraid you still haven’t mastered the art of performing. Your kills aren’t entertaining enough, but for now that’s beside the point. We haven’t called you here to critique your style, but for another reason.” “We have something special planned for you,” the female continued. “There’s a new contender in the tower -- one who has seen you fight and wishes to face you in the arena.” ~♥~♥~♥~♥~♥~  
Other Books in the Series: Fangs and Fists 1: Bolt Buy Links:

• Changeling Press -https://www.changelingpress.com/bolt-fangs-and-fists-1-b-2562?series_id=484
• Amazon: https://amzn.to/2WPqPsA

Fangs and Fists 2: Grit Buy Links:

• Changeling Press - https://www.changelingpress.com/grit-fangs-and-fists-2-b-2592?series_id=484
• Amazon - https://amzn.to/2Umj4gP

~♥~♥~♥~♥~♥~  

About the Author: The child of a painter and a psychic dreamer, Kate Hill feels spirituality and storytelling go hand-in-hand. She loves the scent of gardenia, the sound of wind chimes and the taste of honey. By listening to what isn’t said, she creates works based on unspoken desires. Kate prefers blurred gender lines and many varieties of romance. In a world where passion must at times be restrained, she believes erotica is a pleasure to be shared. With her stories she would like to make her fantasies yours and hopes you enjoy the ride. She also writes under the name Saloni Quinby. Please visit her online at:

• kate-hill.com
• twitter.com/katehillromance
• twitter.com/compbeastsblog
• facebook.com/compellingbeasts/
• facebook.com/katehillsaloniquinby/

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Cowboy & Western Romance Spring Giveaway Bonanza with a chance for an eReader and 25 books!

I’ve teamed up with 25 fantastic authors to give away a huge collection of Cowboy & Western Romances to 2 lucky winners, PLUS a brand new eReader to the Grand Prize winner!

Oh, and did I mention you'll receive a collection of FREE reads just for entering? 😁

You can win my novel Trace's Trouble, plus books from authors like Jillian Neal, Shirleen Davies, Margaret Brownley, and more.

Enter the giveaway by clicking here 

 👉 bit.ly/WesternRomance-Apr2019

Good luck and enjoy!

Always, Lexi 

lexipostbooks.com  

Dark Road Home by Karen Harper

A great mix of romance and suspense mixed with the Amish lifestyle!

A quiet Amish community in Maplecreek, Ohio finds itself plagued with a tragedy, change, and acceptance.

Brooke Benton moves into town to leave behind the corporate lawyer world and looking for peace and quiet.

Daniel Brand grew up in Maplecreek, left to see what was beyond the quaint border, and has returned to reclaim his Amish heritage. 

Not long after they both move to town, a brutal murder of several young people in a vehicle/buggy collision tests the strength and Amish ways of the community. 

Amish want to mourn the lost children and keep the outside legal system from intruding.

Brooke yearns to use her legal knowledge to find the killer.

And then there’s Daniel, who struggles with the need to remain truthful to Amish ways, not let a worldly woman like Brooke enter his heart, and whether to find or ignore the killer.

Justice must prevail, and Daniel grudgingly and slowly partners with Brooke to search for the killer.  And who knows, maybe it’s okay to be Amish and love someone of another belief.

Brooke didn’t want to meet a man.  Simple is better, but when you have to deal with justice and high emotions, sometimes lovely things arrange themselves.

Keep reading,

Dawn

WICKED WAGER by Beverley Oakley and a Chance to Win a Signed Book!

Wicked Wager

By Beverley Oakley

♥♥ GiveAway ♥♥ 

Beverley is giving away a signed print copy of The Duchess and the Highwayman during the tour. Please use the Rafflecopter below to enter. Remember there is a chance to enter everyday so be sure to follow the Blog Tour. You may find the tour schedule and locations here https://goo.gl/XTRwwr
 

About Wicked Wager: Can innocence survive the machinations of a malevolent society beauty and a charismatic rake? Two weeks before her nuptials to her cold, harsh cousin, virtuous Celeste Rosington finds herself in the arms of notorious libertine, Lord Peregrine. The unexpected encounter is, at first, shocking, but as Peregrine’s charm weaves its magic, becomes a welcome distraction from Celeste’s troubles. Isn’t she already the subject of whispers due to her involvement in the mysterious disappearance of a wealthy plantation magnate? It was a role orchestrated by her demanding husband-to-be in which Celeste had failed spectacularly. Nevertheless, Celeste has no intention of sacrificing all of her scruples for a man she knows is only toying with her. One kiss from handsome, charismatic Viscount Peregrine will surely be enough to give her the strength to fulfil her marital obligations? But what if one kiss is not enough? With her reputation in the balance, Celeste must navigate the treacherous waters of envy, intrigue and deadly secrets, unaware she’s the unwitting pawn in a wicked wager between a ruthless society beauty and delicious, dissolute Lord Peregrine. Could Peregrine really be a party to such perfidious plans? Will his reckless charm be the final undoing of a young woman once respected for her virtue and piety? Or will Peregrine discover that true love is more powerful than greed and ambition in time to save Celeste from the terrible fate that otherwise awaits her? Genre: Georgian Historical Romance Buy Links:

• Amazon US: https://amzn.to/2Wz1Mtx
• all eBook formats: books2read.com/u/49WoqW
• Paperback: https://amzn.to/2Wz2jM3
• Large Print paperback: https://amzn.to/2WA22bI

~♥~♥~♥~♥~♥~ Excerpt: The last of the applause drifted away and for a few seconds the shrill cries of the orange sellers held sway. Rising from his ironic bow for the benefit of his companion, Lord Peregrine held back the red velvet curtain that had afforded them privacy so that Xenia could pass through and join the throng of theatregoers descending the sweeping staircase. He saw that she had fallen into conversation with a club-footed general whose more than interested eye swept appraisingly over Xenia’s abundant assets, and once again Perry felt again the familiar heating of his loins that only Xenia could inspire with a mere incendiary glance. The contours of her sack-back gown, adorned with a row of bows the length of her stomacher, recalled the more lascivious of those thoughts he’d entertained for the past decade: what it would be like to undress her, layer by layer by layer. He could only imagine how many layers there might be, but the prize would be worth the exquisite torture of restraint. He’d not revealed quite how much her proposition tonight had taken him by surprise, and the fact he’d agreed fuelled him with an odd combination of conflicting sensations: raging lust tempered by the knowledge that he’d just sunk to depths of moral depravity that might make even his uncle squirm in his grave: seduce an innocent on the eve of her nuptials. Except that Xenia maintained the young woman’s ingenuousness was a ploy. Still, Miss Rosington retained her standing in society as a paragon of virtue. What right had he to assume otherwise, just because it was convenient? He was diverted by a squeal to his left. Xenia was moving ahead, caught up by the crowd, her head bent to absorb the admiration of her club-footed general. Peregrine meanwhile found himself unable to continue, due to the fact the young woman in front of him had snagged her skirts on what appeared to be a nail or splinter protruding from one of the supporting beams. No one could move until she’d freed herself, and as Peregrine was directly behind her it was incumbent upon him to act the gentlemen and so enable the rest of the pulsing crowd to forge ahead. ‘Please be careful, sir, it’ll tear and it’s the first time I’ve worn it,’ the young woman warned as he took a handful of stiff silk in one hand. ‘It’s my finest.’ She twisted her head round to address him. As her lips parted, revealing a set of near perfect small white teeth, and her worried blue eyes bored into his, Peregrine felt a jolt of something unidentifiable plummet like a stone to the pit of his stomach. No, further than that, for without a doubt his groin was reacting with something akin to roiling hunger. And, surprisingly, with an intensity that exceeded the dull throb of ten years of wanting Xenia like a frustrated schoolboy. Close to, Miss Rosington was exquisite, her pale white and rose-blushed skin far more lustrous than when seen from a distance through opera glasses. Her powdered coiffure, dressed to fashionable heights, accentuated high, rounded cheekbones; and with growing excitement he followed the sweep of her graceful neck to a bosom that was rising and falling with surely greater rapidity than fear of what peril her gown might face. He liked to think that was so, as her candid look met his and the connection between them seemed like the sharp tug of some inner cord, forcing him forward, his hand brushing hers, nestled beneath a froth of silken furbelows, as they both reached for the undamaged silk petticoat, now released. ‘No harm done,’ he murmured as she drew herself up, her companion, the black-eyed viscount to whom she was affianced, returning to claim her, drawing her away with the barest of thanks. All over in a matter of seconds, and at what cost? For while silk skirts and dignity had escaped with minimal damage, Peregrine was the first to concede, as he watched her graceful back with pounding heart and aching groin, that a great deal of harm had indeed been done. ~♥~♥~♥~♥~♥~  

About the Author: Beverley Oakley is an Australian author who grew up in the African mountain kingdom of Lesotho, married a Norwegian bush pilot she met in Botswana’s Okavango Delta, and started writing historical romances to amuse herself in the 12 countries she’s lived as a ‘trailing spouse’ (in between working as an airborne geophysical survey operator, a teacher of English as a Second Language, and writing for her former newspaper). Her Scandalous Miss Brightwell series was nominated Best Historical Romance by the Australian Romance Readers Association. She is also the author of the popular Daughters of Sin series, a Regency-era ‘Dynasty-style’ family saga laced with intrigue and espionage. Under her real name Beverley Eikli, she writes Africa-set romantic suspense, and psychological historical romances. The Reluctant Bride won Choc-Lit’s Search for an Australian Star competition and her Regency tale of redemption The Maid of Milan was shortlisted in the Top Ten Reads of 2014 at the UK Festival of Romance. Beverley lives north of Melbourne (overlooking a fabulous Gothic lunatic asylum) with the same gorgeous Norwegian husband, two daughters and a rambunctious Rhodesian Ridgeback. You can read more at beverleyoakley.com

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Change Is Good

Hello, gentle readers!

It is a beautiful Sunday morning here in Phoenix as I sit down to write this. I wanted to make sure I did this first thing, before I perform my usual Sunday chores and forget again, causing me to be late (I hate to be late, and yes, I have a specific set of chores I do on Sunday…it helps me get prepared for the work week coming up…what can I say? Gotta love those routines!)

Speaking of routines, I have changed my work week routine up a little bit and it’s really helping on the writing front. I no longer fire up the computer when I get up at 4:30 and immediately check my emails. I work on my story in progress and my average word count for the hour and fifteen minutes I write has gone from about 200 to 500. I just recently hit the 70K word mark and I like that!

I’ve mentioned my work in progress before, but I don’t know if I’ve told you what it’s about so here goes…it’s a Mail Order Bride story, the first one I’ve ever tried, but it’s a little different than other Mail Order Bride stories I’ve read…at least I hope it is.

It’s been a joy to work on (well, most of the time….there was a short period of about three weeks where I didn’t work on it at all! Just couldn’t seem to get focused. Thankfully, I have some wonderful people in my life who pretty much kicked my butt and I’m grateful for that.) I like my heroine. She’s spunky and matter-of-fact and guess what? She likes routines as much as I do!

And that’s all for me…those Sunday chores are calling my name.

Until next time, remember to spread kindness wherever you go.

Marie

A MATCH MADE IN MONACO by Shana Gray and a Chance for a Kindle Paperwhite!

Hi everyone!

I’m so happy to be back visiting with Lexi and all of you! And today is RELEASE day in the UK and world for the last book in my GIRLS WEEKEND AWAY series. It comes out on the 15^th in US and Canada but you can preorder now.

Now for some really big news!! How about a chance to win a Kindle Paperwhite loaded up with a whole bunch of books by some of my amazing author friends!
This giveaway is to celebrate and have one last hurrah as we close off the GIRLS WEEKEND AWAY series!! I'm thrilled that Bonni, Celia, Ava, and Fredi's stories are now out in the wild. But I'm also sad that their stories have drawn to a close.

But that doesn't mean the fun is over. No way! You have four books that will whisk you away and help you escape to exotic locations with a bunch fun girlfriends and their sexy men. Plus, the chance to win a cool prize at the end.

 And here’s a special treat! WHAT HAPPENS IN VEGAS is now #FREE in the US & Canada If you haven’t started reading the series, what better way than to get the first book FREE! So hop on over and 1-click!

I'm super thrilled today is release day for A MATCH MADE IN MONACO. It's Fredi and Zayn's story and I hope you all love it. The UK/World version is out today and the US/Canada version is out on the 15th. If you preorder it now, it will drop right into your TBR pile and you'll be on track for a chance to win the Kindle.

When the cynic...
Fredi doesn’t believe in love. She might be a successful bridal gown designer but that’s just business. Sure, she’s watched her three best girlfriends fall head over heels with the men of their dreams but she’s certain that’s not in the cards for her. That doesn’t mean that she’s not interested in some fun with a handsome movie star––one who just happens to be her assigned date for her best friend’s wedding in Monaco.
Meets the movie star...
Zayn’s used to women falling at his feet so he’s utterly captivated by Fredi’s quick wit and her refusal to be impressed by him. Their chemistry is off the charts and their connection is something unexpected.
Sparks are about to fly...
With only a few days before Fredi disappears back to her life, Zayn is determined to convince her that she can trust him with the one thing she swore to never give anyone–her heart.
Each book in the Girls Weekend Away series is STANDALONE:
* What Happens in Vegas
* Meet Me In San Francisco
* The Nashville Bet
* A Match Made in Monaco
This contest will be fun and test your reading skills. I hope you enjoy it and good luck!!  Enter to win an All-New Kindle Paperwhite or an Amazon Gift Card, and an ecopy of Working Girl. Plus the winner will receive eBooks from these fabulous authors to load on their new Kindle!
Abigail Owen, Audrey Carlan, Avery Flynn, Cathy McDavid, Cecy Robson, Dani Collins, Heather Graham, Jamie K Schmidt, Jo Watson, JoAnn Sky, Karen Booth, Karri Thompson, Kelly Jamieson, Kenya Wright, Lexi Post, Lindsay Emory, Michelle McLean, NJ Walters, Radclyffe, Rasha Selim, Reese Ryan, Rhian Cahill, Rhyannon Byrd, Robin Covington, Samantha Towle, Sophia Henry, Stacey Kennedy, Susan Meier, Tammy Bailey, Victoria James and Vicki Lewis Thompson. 
How awesome is that?!?
This contest will be fun and test your reading skills. I hope you enjoy it and good luck!! Head on over to my BLOG for the Rafflecopter entry!

A very special thank you to my two amazing publishers

Headline Eternal Romance and Entangled Publishing xoxoxo

About Shana:

Shana Gray writes contemporary romance and women’s fiction that just might make you laugh. With 30 books behind her, some translated into multiple languages, she’s always eyeing the next story line. She lives in a small town in Ontario, Canada, is a mom of two grown sons, a brand new daughter-in-law, and is her black cat’s human. When she’s not writing or at her day job, she can be found daydreaming about life, usually with a glass of wine or cocktail in hand and making travel plans to far off lands to feed her wanderlust. Her newest series – Girl’s Weekend Away – is out now.