Cross the Line A Boston Love Story by Julie Johnson

 A man never dates his best friend's sister.  Nate Knox knows this, follows this, yet will he ever cross the line?

Phoebe West has loved, lusted, and wished for some emotional connection to her brother's best friend since she was six years old.  She never got over it.  Two decades later, when Nate came back from Special Forces, maybe, just maybe she'll have the nerve to catch him or forget him.

Having an elite family comes with unexpected danger for Phoebe.  She's the advertising agent for her father's large construction company, which has enemies.

Nate has moved into protective services and watches who circles her.  She is clueless to why he unexpectedly appears and disappears, refusing to say more than two words or get too close to her.

Well, that ends when he needs to be around more often as the vultures are circling.  A casual bump, stares caught, and tremendous heat building up when they're near each other is stuffed down by Nate.  But Phoebe, it could be promising.  

Phoebe finds herself in a compromising position and it's a shame to progress under such circumstances, but she'll use it to her heart's advantage.  Nate has to put his talents to work to save her, and we can only hope it pushes him over the line!

Happy reading,

Dawn

 

WOO HOO…HI!!! (See me waving wildly.)

Well, it’s been a while since I blogged here on HEAT, and I am sooo glad to be back.  I have missed you guys so much!

For those of you who don't know, I stepped away from the writing for a few years to take care of my deaf mother who was struggling with dementia during the pandemic. It was a really tough time, and mom did pass in October of 2021. But I have it on good authority that she’s now having an absolute ball bossing my brother around, organizing skits and plays in Heaven, and beating all her old buddies at Texas Hold ‘Em.

 As that chapter of our lives closes, it is now time for mom and I both to move forward and kick up some dirt in the next phase of our existence. So, that said, I’m back on my feet and back in the writing saddle—stronger, healthier, and ready to rock and roll…or country swing, as the case may be.

Which means I have a new book coming out. This one is a bit of a departure from my normal romantic comedies, in that it is a nonfiction book about my time with Mom...a love story of a different type, if you will. It’s written in the same snarky tone as my fiction novels, while dealing with the weightier subject matter of caring for a dramatic deaf woman with dementia…and trust me, she was a drama queen! 

Between the heavy subject matter and my smart-ass way of retaining my sanity in the midst of a whirlpool of chaos, it becomes a bit of a roller-coaster ride that I hope you will share with me when it comes out in October. I will be announcing the release date and a pre-order sometime in the next week…watch for it here and on my Facebook page!

https://www.facebook.com/KayceLassiterBooks/

I also want to give you just a little peek at something that’s new at my home since we last chatted. There is a new cat in my house—Oliver. (Although he thinks his name is…“Dammit, Oliver!”)

He’s an orange tabby who swings from sweet-and-cuddly-cherub to demon-child-spawn-from-hell…hence, the appended name. My grandson and I were standing in the driveway chatting one day when this little orange fur-ball (about six weeks old) came running out of nowhere, screaming at the top of his lungs with his tail stuck straight up in the air as he ran back and forth between us—as if we couldn’t see or hear him and he was beating through a block wall from another dimension to get our attention. 

I snatched him up on one of his hysterical passes by me and he immediately went into frantic air-biscuit-making mode as he continued to scream for help. Our hearts were immediately hooked, and it took about fifteen seconds for us to realize he was now a part of the family.

Had I known at the time that this brazen, loud, pushy little guy would grow into such an energetic, tenacious devil-cat, I might have thought twice. 

Oh, who am I kidding? He was freaking adorable and tiny and brave as hell—and hungry. A guy that determined to survive deserves a home with three hots and a cot. There was no turning him away.

But now he’s grown into Dammit, Oliver! And as I write this blog, I’m sitting cross-legged in my big old recliner with my computer in my lap. Dammit, Oliver! has also wedged himself into my lap, beneath my computer, and is working hard to snag my wrists by reaching through and swiping at me from under the front of my computer as his tail jerks and waves over the top of the computer from the back.

Seriously? 

Talk about a writer’s block!

Well, folks, that’s a bit of an update from the Kayce Lassiter camp. I’m tickled as hell to be back. Looking forward to hanging with ya’all again and sharing our books and our journeys as we pull on our big girl boots with the pointy toes and kick down the doors to new chapters in our lives.  Be sure to sign up for my new mailing list below, and climb on board in the shotgun seat!  Hugs to everyone and wishes for a Fabulous Friday. Hmmm…that has a nice ring to it.  😊  (I’ll have to see what I can do with that.)

So…that’s my story, catty and crazy, and I’m stickin’ to it.  Hang on tight now ‘cuz we’re gonna go real, real fast!

Love ya,

Kayce

 

Be sure to sign up for Kayce’s newsletter and get a couple of free e-books at: 

https://subscribepage.io/wnOodI

Note:  If you already have the free books, sign up anyway so you don’t miss any shenanigans—and be sure to forward the link to all your friends who might want to join us.    

A Breakthrough!

 

        

        Hello, gentle readers! Hope you are well and staying safe! 

        I’ve done it! I’ve had a breakthrough on my current work in progress (well, at least I think I did). You know when you’re writing along and it’s just NOT working and you can’t figure out why? 

        It seems I always run into problems during the “sagging middle”, that part of the story where you’ve set the stage, so to speak, but you’re not quite to the point where you can begin that downward spiral toward the end of the book. This is the point where I usually ask myself why I’m writing this story (and no, I am not kind to myself. The phrases “this is boring” or “this stinks” can usually be heard by my poor DH and the dogs. There are other phrases uttered, but I can’t use those words in this post).  

        So, I took a few days of PTO around Labor Day, bound and determined to figure out why Wife Wanted is not going the way I want it to (I also made a big batch of spaghetti sauce, but that’s a different story). Anyway, I read the thing from beginning to where I started running into trouble and I found it. Oh my gosh! The answer was so simple, too (yes, truly a head slap moment)! 

        And now that I’ve found it, I know what I need to do to fix it, which I’ve started to do. Wish me luck that what I found was truly the problem and it’s not something else lurking in this manuscript! 

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

Marie

Anything But a Gentleman by Elisa Braden

 The rules of London in the early eighteen hundreds don't favor women.

Augusta Windmore is determined to change that around for her sister, Phoebe.  Phoebe was promised a betrothal before the pregnancy, and the future groom has fled the situation. 

Doing anything for her younger sister, Augusta has one choice.  She needs to convince Sebastian Reaver, owner of the Men's Club, to help her.

In disguise as a maid, she gains access to Sebastian's private quarters.  And she won't budge regardless of his brutish candor.  

Sebastian likes things simple and utilitarian.  The constant badgering by the spinster, Augusta, has thrown him for a loop and he's not quite sure what to do with her.  

He makes an unconventional deal with her, sure she'll run, but an agreement confounds him.  Especially since they will be in close quarters for an extended time.  Time for them to realize or deny why they look forward to seeing each other.  Time to get a husband for Phoebe.  Will there be time for Sebastian and Augusta to lower their shields of pride and realize they aren't that different?

Read to find out if a double romance can survive an unconventional start!

Happy reading,

Dawn Kunda

The Winter Sea by Susanna Kearsley

 Author Carrie McClelland finds a humble cottage to rent in Scotland where she plans to write an historical fiction novel of the nearby Slains Castle.  

The owner of the cottage has two sons, one kind and helpful, the other both kind and helpful and a university history professor.  Not to mention, the second, Graham, the mutual attraction building through walks around the castle and horse rides.

In the 1700's, Carrie's focus for her novel, the French and Scottish attempted to reclaim the exiled James Stewart crown.  She created in her mind the setting of the castle and the people involved.  Yet, it became apparent that her memory matched the history and she may be dealing with ancestral memory.  

As Graham shows up at her cottage frequently, her connection to her character begins to cause problems in the current day.  She knows what really happened between the invasion and mysteries surrounding Slains Castle and the relation to her character and Graham's family.

The atmosphere of The Winter Sea is richly produced giving the reader a feeling of being in the present and the past along with Carrie.  The intensity between Carrie and Graham is spine tingling while you read to find out if the past will remain a problem with the present. 

Happy reading,

Dawn Kunda

 

 

Up Before The Sun

 

Hello, gentle readers! Hope you are all well and staying safe!

I love the early mornings! Most of the world is still sleeping when I get up to begin my day. Heck, the sun isn’t even up, but that’s okay. It’s quiet and peaceful and I have been witness to many a beautiful sunrise. That’s not to say that I wouldn’t enjoy sleeping in once in a while (especially on the weekends!), but after years and years of training myself to get up this early, I find it impossible to stay in bed. I’d like to, but my internal clock has its own alarm.

It didn’t used to be this way. When I was young (much younger than I am now), I had the capacity to sleep until noon (to my mother’s frustration). What teenager couldn’t? Of course, at that point in time, I was such a night-owl. I’d stay up to three or four in the morning, usually reading (sometimes with a flashlight under my blankets! I’m sure you did that as well!). As an adult, I would occasionally stay up all night, my nose deep in a book then notice, as I closed the book, satisfied with the conclusion, that it was time to get everyone up and out the door for the day. Now? Not so much. I start yawning at 9. By 9:30, my eyes are getting tired and really want to close. By 10? I’m done for the day!

I started getting up this early so I could write but not steal essential time from the family. It was (and still is) my time--before the commotion of getting everyone off to school and work (including myself), before the hustle and bustle of the day job, before picking up said kid at the end of the work day and coming home to make dinner and do homework. It worked for me for years and still does though the kid has long since left home and the DH has retired (I’m still doing the day job thing). These early mornings, before the sun has risen, when it’s quiet and serene, I get to slip into the world I’m creating and write.

With that being said, I really should get to it. Wife Wanted is not going to write itself.   

Stay well! Stay safe! And remember to spread kindness wherever you go! 

Marie

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Always, Lexi