Excerpt: Any Time, Any Place by Jennifer Probst

About the Book

HGTV’s Property Brothers meets The Marriage Bargain in this second volume in the Billionaire Builders series, an all-new heart-wrenching and sexy contemporary romance from New York Times bestselling author Jennifer Probst.

When she was a teen, Raven Bella Stratton’s father was killed in a horrible car crash. The bigger shock was the discovery of a woman with him—Diana Pierce—and their two fully packed suitcases with airline tickets to Paris. Devastated by her father’s betrayal, Raven went to live with her aunt, never truly overcoming the traumatic event. When she discovers that the mysterious woman had a family with a husband and three boys, Raven vows to leave the memory of her father behind.

Until Dalton Pierce visits one night and suddenly her past challenges her future...

Leaving his life in California behind to run Pierce Construction with his two older brothers, Dalton Pierce has enjoyed returning home and studying his passion of woodworking. But when he visits the local bar with his brothers one evening, he’s immediately drawn to the smart-mouthed, badass, sexy bartender who sets his body on fire. Unfortunately, she doesn’t seem as intrigued by him, and his multiple advances are met with rejection. When he offers to restore the bar back to its original glory, he begins to work with her on a daily basis, and falls harder. His plan of seduction slowly weaves a web around them both, until they are caught up in the spell. But Dalton doesn’t know the secret that can either destroy them both...or finally mend two broken hearts.

Excerpt

“I’m a thirsty man, darlin’. Got a tall, cool one for me?”

She already knew the man attached to the voice but couldn’t believe the punch of heat between them when she turned. Raven had dated a lot of men. Slept with a lot, too. She knew about dating, flirting, and teasing and wasn’t scared of anything. She knew about dirty, delicious, mind-blowing sex. She knew about mornings after and speedy Batman disappearances in the ugly dawn light. But this man wiped all her expertise away with one bat of those dark lashes or a tug of those full lips.

Dalton Pierce.

A man she’d vowed to hate and the one man she was crazy attracted to.

A man who held the key to a past she didn’t want to unlock.

Raven turned and studied him. Cocky, as always. Charming, as usual. He was a visual feast for the female sex and knew it. Tawny, goldstreaked strands, worn long, framed his face. He liked to tie them back or put them in a man bun, which should look ridiculous but only made him that much hotter ’cause he didn’t care. Peacockblue eyes so bright and so deep, if she stared too long she’d never come back up for air. Square jaw with sexy scruff to keep him from looking too pretty, and actual dimples when he smiled. The sun had turned his skin tan and a bit rough. His hands were calloused, and he always smelled like varnish, lemon, and a faint hint of Hershey’s chocolate. Sawdust clung to his black T-shirt, and his jeans had holes in the knees.

Dalton was the ultimate Achilles’ heel for any walking, breathing female who’d sworn off men. Thank goodness he’d never be able to bust through her barriers. They were so thick and tall, he’d get bashed in the head each and every time he tried.

Yet the oddest shimmer of connection always sparked to life when they were close. As if the universe was playing the ultimate joke, forcing her to be attracted to the one man she could never be with.

The past surged up like a tsunami and dragged her under.

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About Jennifer Probst

Jennifer Probst wrote her first book at twelve years old. She bound it in a folder, read it to her classmates, and hasn’t stopped writing since. She took a short hiatus to get married, get pregnant, buy a house, get pregnant again, pursue a master’s in English Literature, and rescue two shelter dogs. Now she is writing again.

She makes her home in Upstate New York with the whole crew. Her sons keep her active, stressed, joyous, and sad her house will never be truly clean.

She is the New York Times, USA Today, and Wall Street Journal bestselling author of sexy and erotic contemporary romance. She was thrilled her book, The Marriage Bargain, was ranked #6 on Amazon's Best Books for 2012. She loves hearing from readers. Visit her website for updates on new releases and her street team at www.jenniferprobst.com.

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Excerpt: This Piece of My Soul by Robyn M. Ryan

About the Book

They believe love conquers all.

One of pro-hockey’s golden couples, Andrew and Caryn Chadwick live in the limelight reserved for elite professional athletes. On their second anniversary, Andrew receives an unexpected contract offer to join the Tampa Suns. As they look forward to a new adventure, neither foresees an event that challenges their love and threatens their marriage.

Until it doesn’t. 

A sudden and senseless accident threatens Andrew’s life and inexplicably drives a wedge between the couple. Shattered by the incident, paralyzed by fear that it could happen again, Caryn finds herself at odds with her husband and unable to provide the support he needs—at the time he is most vulnerable.

As their perfect world crumbles, each makes choices that take Andrew and Caryn further apart. Distrust, fears, and secrets construct walls. This Piece of My Soul follows the joint and separate paths the couple navigate as each hopes to rediscover the love that can conquer all.

Although This Piece of My Soul is the second book in the Clearing the Ice Series, it can be read as a standalone novel.

Excerpt

Andrew Chadwick jerked awake as the phone vibrated on the bedside table. He glanced at the screen as he quickly pressed “ignore.” He slipped from the bed, hoping the noise and movement didn’t wake his wife. His eyes adjusted to the darkness and satisfied that Caryn still slept, he grabbed clothes and headed downstairs. Don Wilson calling in the middle of the night can only bring news I don’t want to hear. When he got to the kitchen, Andrew quickly texted a response to his agent, then dressed and splashed cold water on his face. He grabbed a Coke and quietly opened the door to the courtyard patio. He sat in the predawn Toronto light, staring at the phone a few minutes before he returned the call. 

 “Sorry to call so early.” Don apologized before Andrew could speak. “I know you’re headed out today and had to catch you before you two fall off the grid.”

“What can’t wait ten days?” Andrew twisted the bottle cap and took a long drink.

“Tampa sent an offer sheet an hour ago.”

“Hudson signed with Chicago?”

“Late last night.”

Andrew sighed. “How much?” He closed his eyes and his agent relayed the amount and terms. Not what I want to deal with today. “The Blues’ response?”

“Just got off the phone with Jenkins. Andrew, if you sign the sheet, the Blues can’t match the offer without making some quick moves. This totally blows up their salary cap.”

“No indication they’re interested in a deal?”

Don barked a laugh. “Oh, they might sign the deal we discussed last month.”

Andrew’s fingers drummed against the table. “Your take on their lack of interest up to now?”

“The Blues can’t afford you long-term; you’ll be traded before your current contract expires.” Wilson waited a beat. “The Suns are a contender right now, Andrew. They want you to fill a huge hole in the starting line. This may be the offer you can’t refuse.”

“How long do I have?”

“Obviously, the Suns would like your answer as quickly as possible. They’re willing to fly us down, so we can discuss this face-to-face, and you and Caryn can look at the area. I can hold them off a while, but probably not ten days.”

Andrew stood and walked across the patio. “No, I don’t want this hanging over our heads that long.”

“If you tell me your trip plans, I will rebook it out of Tampa.”

“Good try, Don, but no, I’ll take care of that.” He laughed a little. “Give me a few hours. I need to discuss this with Caryn and think things through.”

Slipping his iPhone into his pocket, Andrew stepped back inside. Way too early to wake Caryn. His thoughts drifted to the trip they were scheduled to begin that morning. An anniversary tradition that began with their honeymoon two years earlier. Destination his secret and Caryn packing according to his ambiguous suggestions—casual or formal, warm or cold, passport just in case. Despite her best efforts to pry information from him—even during their most intimate moments—Caryn never knew the destination until they arrived at the airport. Even then, he might insert a plane change mid-route. 

Last year, she thought they were going to California’s wine country, but when the plane landed in San Francisco, he took her hand and led her to another gate. He laughed softly as he remembered her expression of delight, mixed with pure panic at the thought of getting on another plane that would take them over the Pacific Ocean to reach the final destination, Fiji. He’d pushed her to her limit…well, beyond her limit, despite the unforgettable ten days in the lush secluded villa. He carefully planned this year’s trip to minimize her fear of heights and air travel.

Andrew leaned against the counter and gazed out the kitchen window, the darkness slowly retreating. Tampa’s offer cast a shadow over their plans, not just the anniversary trip but the upcoming move back to St. Louis before training camp. Caryn’s made St. Louis a second home, her client list managing corporate and individual social media accounts expanding monthly. Not to mention that her best friend Lauren just landed a marketing job in St. Louis and plans to move from Vancouver in just a few weeks.

He pushed away from the counter and wandered to the living room, sitting down in a chair and closing his eyes. It’s a no-win situation. If I sign the Suns’ offer sheet, the Blues will either decline to match—or worse, trade teammates to keep me. 

His ambitions had never included owning one of the highest contracts on a team. But, if he didn’t sign the offer sheet, his agent’s prediction very likely would play out. Come March, he’d find himself playing on a different team—worst-case scenario traded to one of the teams in the midst of rebuilding.

The Suns were a contender now. They’d made it to the Stanley Cup Final last season. They couldn’t re-sign the league’s leading scorer, but extended the offer sheet to the Blues last night. The offer catapulted him into an entirely new level, both in terms of money and the pressure of replacing the team’s leading scorer. Andrew knew he could fill the slot—on the ice at least—but at what cost to Caryn, their friends in St. Louis, and the chemistry that existed among his linemates? 

He didn’t hear Caryn approach until her hand rested on his shoulder. “You’re up early, Drew. I planned to surprise you with breakfast in bed.” She pressed her lips against the top of his head. “Happy second anniversary.”

Andrew slipped his arm around her waist and drew her onto his lap. “My favorite day of the year,” he whispered before her kiss chased all thoughts of Tampa from his mind.

“Shall we just skip the breakfast part?” Her voice purred in his ear. 

He closed his arms around her, his mouth finding hers. He shifted his body until he could stand with her locked in his embrace. He stepped across the room and gently placed her on the sofa, breaking the kiss with a soft curse as his phone vibrated in his pocket. He sat on the edge of the sofa as he pulled the phone from his pocket and glanced at the display. Don. Again. Now what? 

“You’ve got something?” He caught Caryn’s questioning look at the impatient tone in his voice as he stood and began to walk across the room.

“Just spoke with Jenkins again. Wanted to see if they are open to revisiting our contract negotiations before you decide anything.”

“And?” He stopped for a moment, anticipating the response.

“He said their offer is on the table.”

“Take it or leave?” Andrew felt Caryn’s hand grasp his shoulder, but he shrugged it off as he continued pacing.

“More or less. You owe it to yourself to talk with the Suns. The Blues’ best offer is two years only. You could be looking at a long-term deal with Tampa.”

“Yeah. Give me a little more time. I’ll call you back.” He ended the call and tossed the phone across the table before turning toward the door. The mounting frustration threatened an angry release.

“Drew?”

He held up his hand. “A couple minutes, Cary. I need to clear my mind.” Without waiting for her reply, he jerked the door open and stepped outside, closing it firmly behind him.

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About the Author

By the time she was an eight-year-old tomboy growing up in the suburbs of Chicago, Robyn M. Ryan definitely knew what she wanted to do when she grew up—play major league baseball or write. She wrote throughout elementary and high school, first composing novels featuring favorite TV and music personalities, and then venturing into sports writing.

Attending UGA’s journalism school launched her career in public relations, which included an internship with the Atlanta Flames NHL hockey team. With the encouragement of a writers group on twitter—WritersThatChat—This Piece of My Heart, a hockey romance, and the first book in Robyn’s series Clearing the Ice was published May 2016. The second book in the series, This Piece of My Soul, introduces the Tampa Suns professional hockey team.

Besides writing, Robyn’s passions include following the New York Rangers, NASCAR, and the Atlanta Braves; splitting time between homes in Atlanta and Palm Coast, and visiting Paris as often as possible. Two brilliant Westies rule both homes.

As do many writers, Robyn chooses to write using a pseudonym—hers is a combination of her sons’ names, a contribution from her youngest nephew.

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Excerpt: The Tattered Gloves by J.L. Berg

About the Book

Head down.
Don’t look up. 
Never make eye contact.

Those were the words I lived by growing up, the words that protected me in an unsafe home. But words are only letters and eventually even they couldn’t keep his hands off me.

Hoping to leave behind the shattered life of my past, I find myself in a boring, small town, with an aunt I’ve never met and at a school I loathe.

But soon I learn, not everything in this world is as black and white as I’ve determined. Sometimes those we are so quick to judge often need a second, third or even fourth time to make a first impression.

And often, there are friendships and even love waiting just around the corner, if we are brave enough to take the first step.

Am I brave? Or will I hide behind these tattered gloves of mine forever?

Excerpt

“What you heard, it’s common knowledge around town. So, in June’s mind, it’s not gossip; it’s just a fact. Doesn’t make it right, but that’s how she sees it. However, whenever there is a crisis, those two crazy women are always first on the call list to offer assistance. So, you take the gossip with a grain of salt. Or at least that’s what I do.”

I didn’t say much after that, instead choosing to focus on my meal. Part of me was relieved to hear the women in the office had a giving side to balance out the gossip they’d been slinging in front of me.

But I wondered how far it reached.

If they knew where I’d come from, what I’d been through, would they be the first to offer a hand in my aid? Or would they turn their backs on me, like everyone else in my life?

Looking up at my aunt, I couldn’t help but ponder over the same thing sort of questions when it came to her.

Would she be there for me? If she knew?

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About J.L. Berg

J.L. Berg is the USA Today bestselling author of the Ready Series, The Walls Duet, and the Lost & Found Duet. She is a California native living in the beautiful state of historic Virginia. Married to her high school sweetheart, they have two beautiful girls that drive them batty on a daily basis. When she's not writing, you will find her with her nose stuck in a romance novel, in a yoga studio or devouring anything chocolate. J.L. Berg is represented by Jill Marsal of Marsal Lyon Literary Agency, LLC.

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Spotlight: French Orphan Series by Michael Stolle

The French Orphan (Book One)

The year is 1640, and Louis XIII is on the French throne. However, as far as you’re concerned, this is all pretty meaningless. After all, as a teenage orphan living in a monastery school in Reims, all you have to worry about is dodging the unpleasant advances of a few unsavoury monks and looking forward to a life of penniless and celibate servitude in a religious order.

After a childhood and adolescence plagued by a constant longing to know who he really is, orphan Pierre has not the slightest idea that his questions are about to be answered. But you know what they say – be careful what you wish for…

Suddenly finding out who you are can bring with it not only happiness and fortune, but danger, friendship and the sort of swift education that the monastery could never have provided! The discovery of who Pierre really is affects not only Pierre and his friends, but has ramifications for the French nobility, the English crown, and most dangerous of all, the machinations of Cardinal Richelieu and his fierce ambition for the Church and for himself.

The Secrets of Montrésor (Book Two)

The Secrets of Montrésor is the eagerly awaited sequel to The French Orphan, and continues the story of young Pierre de Beauvoir…

Coming into a fortune at any age brings huge responsibility, but when you’re an inexperienced teenager, it seems that surprises are waiting for you around every corner.

Pierre, former orphan and now Marquis de Beauvoir, may have claimed his inheritance, but life is never that simple. For a start, he needs to learn pretty quickly exactly who to trust and who to keep at arm’s length. For example, how do you work out (and survive….) the changing motives of the most powerful man in seventeenth-century France, Cardinal Richelieu? And then what do you do when the people you should be able to trust try to deliver you into the hands of your worst enemy? And then there’s the small matter of a sacred quest to Italy…

Fortunately for Pierre he has his best friend Armand to support him as he gets to know his chateau at Montrésor, its people and… its secrets. (Armand, of course, has his own agendas to pursue, usually involving a pretty face and a willing smile.)

Far from being certain, Pierre’s future has yet to be settled and Pierre will have to draw on his own innate talents as well as those of the people around him to ensure he survives, as his enemies are just waiting to seize their opportunity.

Under the Spell of The Serenissima (Book Three)

The third in the French Orphan series follows the exploits of Pierre, former penniless orphan who discovers he is heir to the de Beauvoir inheritance.

So far, Pierre has found friends in unexpected places, been surprised by love, learned the true meaning of friendship, discovered the extent of human cunning and depravity and dodged numerous attempts by his closest family member to despatch him to the next world.

In Under the Spell of the Serenissima Pierre’s search for the third Templar ring continues, but as ever, his path is not a smooth one. Pierre and Armand, along with Jean and Edoardo, are making for Venice, unaware that others too are racing towards the beautiful city, some intending to help, others with far more sinister motives.

As the various characters are drawn inexorably towards Venice, a conclusion will be played out that must decide Pierre’s fate, one way or another…

The Queen’s Maid of Honour (Book Four)

The year is 1643. The scheming Cardinal Mazarin is now Prime Minister of France, but on the other side of the Channel, unrest in England grows daily, as civil war is erupting. As the political situation in England deteriorates, the royal court flees London for Oxford, and King Charles is desperate to secure both funding and troops to come to his aid.

Mazarin, every bit as devious as his predecessor, Richelieu, engages the services of François de Toucy to save the Queen of England, a former royal princess of France. François and his friends will set sail for England, in a quest to ensure the safety of the queen.

Whilst François is walking a diplomatic tightrope across the political cauldron of the royal court, his friend Armand falls desperately in love with the Queen’s Maid of Honour, a lady as beautiful as she is cunning.

Soon the friends find themselves deeply entangled in a deadly combination of cut-throat politics, disasters on the battlefield and bitter machinations at court over love and war and the struggle between Protestants and Catholics that threaten to spell only death and disaster.

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About the Author

Born and educated in Europe, Michael has always been intrigued by the historical setting and the fact that what makes us human was as true in the 17th century as it is now.

He has been reading and writing about history for longer than he cares to recall…

Giveaway

To win a paperback copy of The French Orphan (Book One) by Michael Stolle, please enter via the Gleam form below. Three copies are up for grabs!

Rules

– Giveaway ends at 11:59pm EST on February 11th. You must be 18 or older to enter.
– Giveaway is open to residents in the US, UK, and CANADA only.
– Only one entry per household.
– All giveaway entrants agree to be honest and not cheat the systems; any suspect of fraud is decided upon by blog/site owner and the sponsor, and entrants may be disqualified at our discretion.
– Winner has 48 hours to claim prize or new winner is chosen.

French Orphan Series

Spotlight: The Billionaire’s Bet by Victoria Davies

Synopsis

Hailey Mitchel wants one thing. Her boss. The only problem is he’s never looked at her as more than a loyal employee. At least, not until his charming business rival, Caleb, drops into her life with an offer she can’t refuse. He’s willing to bet he can make her fall in love with him in a month, and if he’s wrong, he’ll help her find the keys to her boss’s heart.

Caleb Langston wants one thing. Revenge. Hailey is his ticket to finally evening the score with his old adversary. There’s just one problem. The more time he spends with her, the less he cares about his grand plans for payback. But love is always a gamble, and soon he’ll have to choose between his past and his future. And pray Hailey never discovers the secret he’s been hiding from her.

Excerpt

“I’m attracted to men of substance. Guess that rules you out.”

“But not my rival. Alec is your paragon of honor, isn’t he?”

“He’s an excellent man,” she agreed.

“One you just wish would walk over to your desk and sweep you off your feet, carrying you out into the sunset.”

“I’d probably break his back, and we’d both end up on the floor.”

His gaze raked down her body. “I’d be willing to risk it.”

“Luckily, you’ll never have to.”

His eyes returned to hers. “Why not just tell him?” he asked. “Confess your undying devotion and see what he does?”

She knew what he’s do. He’d get flustered trying to figure out how to tell her he didn’t return her affections. She wasn’t petite or blond, two things all his previous paramours had in common. 

She wasn’t pursuing a career in acting, and she didn’t have trouble calculating the percentage of a tip. Worse, she didn’t come from old money the way Caleb and Alec did. She hadn’t grown up in that privileged world, didn’t understand the deeply ingrained rules. Alec had said more than once that when he settled down, it’d be to make a good alliance for his family. Keep all that lovely money in the right bloodlines.

No, she was nothing like the woman he would eventually fall in love with.

Not that logic stopped her from wishing for the impossible every now and then.

“You don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“All right.” Caleb straightened from the bar. “Why don’t I go ask him these questions and see what he thinks?”

Her fingers sank into his arm before he could move.

“Don’t.”

The movement had been a mistake. An admission. A certainty filled his expression that hadn’t been there a moment ago.

She shook her head, knowing she was steering toward a cliff. “What do you want?” What would buy his silence?

“I want many things,” he said, swirling the liquor in his glass. “Chief among them is you.”

“It’s just because you love the chase,” she said, rolling her eyes. “We’d never work.”

“Maybe,” he replied with a shrug. “But it’d be fun to try.”

“I’m not sleeping with you in order to keep your mouth shut.”

“I don’t remember asking you to.”

She resisted the urge to stamp her foot. “Then what are you asking?”

“I’m going to make you a bet,” he said, his eyes capturing hers. “Give me one month.”

“To do what?”

“Make you fall in love with me.”

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About the Author

Victoria Davies’s passion for writing started young. Luckily she had a family who encouraged believing in magic and embracing imagination. From stories quickly scribbled in diaries, her love of storytelling developed. Since then her characters may have evolved and her plots may have grown decidedly more steamy but she never lost her love of the written word. Writing is not only a way to silence the wonderful voices in her head, but it also allows her to share her passions with her readers.

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Spotlight: Illusions of Magic: Love and Intrigue in 1933 Chicago by J.B. Rivard

About the Book

The withering of vaudeville was bad enough in 1933. Because of the Great Depression, bookings for stage magician Nick Zetner disappeared. With his marriage cracking under the strain, Nick reluctantly accepts a devious banker’s deal: He earns a generous reward if he retrieves photos stolen during a break-in at the bank. Along the way, a love he thought he’d forever lost reappears. Despite his skill in the arts of magic, penetrating the realm of the thieves grows increasingly perilous, especially when it endangers his newfound romance.

Illusions of Magic seamlessly merges this tale with the true-life assassination attempt on President-elect Franklin D. Roosevelt resulting in Chicago’s mayor, Anton Cermak, being shot. His lingering death and a lack of legal means for his replacement causes great civic and social upheaval in the city.

In modern style, this novel propels the reader through emotional highs and subterranean lows with knife-edged dialogue, easy humor, page-turning action and authentic history.

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About the Author

Almost everyone is familiar with the illustrations in “Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland”. However, the number of illustrated novels published–for adult readers–declined steadily from the beginning to the middle of the 20th century, although not for lack of popularity. “Illusions of Magic” dares a return to the edgy, swirling arts of the illustrated story, with pen and ink illustrations by the novel’s author, Joseph B. “J. B.” Rivard, supplementing this exciting story.

As a young child, Rivard began drawing by copying newspaper comics. In his teens, he drew illustrations for his high school’s award-winning yearbook. He attended the Chicago Academy of Fine Arts and his artworks have appeared in more than fifty juried exhibitions, earning many prizes and awards. He’s an artist-member of the Salmagundi Club of New York City.

Rivard’s writing draws on wide experience–he served in the U.S. Navy, graduated from the University of Florida, worked as a newspaper reporter, a magazine writer, and on the engineering staff of a U.S. National Laboratory where he wrote and co-authored many technical papers listed on Google Scholar. His broad background supports a wide array of significant publications, from short stories to song lyrics, from essays to novels. He calls Spokane, Washington home.

For more information, please visit the Illusions of Magic website.

Giveaway

To win a paperback copy of Illusions of Magic by J.B. Rivard, please enter via the Gleam form below. Three copies are up for grabs!

Rules

– Giveaway ends at 11:59pm EST on January 27th. You must be 18 or older to enter.
– Giveaway is open to residents in the US only.
– Only one entry per household.
– All giveaway entrants agree to be honest and not cheat the systems; any suspect of fraud is decided upon by blog/site owner and the sponsor, and entrants may be disqualified at our discretion.
– Winner has 48 hours to claim prize or new winner is chosen.

Illusions of Magic