Read an excerpt from Crazy for You by Rachel Lacey

“Rachel Lacey is a sure-fire star." --- Lori Wilde, New York Times bestselling author

SHE'S TAKING A WALK ON HIS WILD SIDE

Emma Rush can't remember a time when she didn't have a thing for Ryan Blake. Haven's resident bad boy is just so freakin' hot-with tattoos, a motorcycle, and enough rough-around-the-edges sexiness to melt all her self-control. Now that Emma's over being a "good girl," she needs a little help being naughty . . . and she knows just where to start.

Before Emma's brother enlisted in the military, he made Ryan promise that he would protect her from everything--including himself. When her brother doesn't come home, Ryan needs to turn his screwed-up life around to honor his pledge. But he knows he's still not the right kind of guy for someone as sweet as Emma. Only he can't stop wanting to be with her. Wanting her. Falling in love with a good girl may be the craziest risk this bad boy can take . . .

Excerpt

Whoa. Emma closed her eyes and let out a shriek as Ryan guided the motorcycle onto Main Street and picked up speed. The cold wind whipped her face, taking her breath away. Beneath her, the engine rumbled and roared like a wild thing. Holy sh*t. She was on the back of Ryan Blake’s bike, and it was amazing.

The wind bit through her thin, knit gloves, hitting her fingers with an icy blast. Actually, every part of her was freezing, but she didn’t care. She wrapped her arms more firmly around Ryan’s waist, anchoring herself to him so she didn’t tumble off the back of the bike, and somehow her hands slipped beneath his jacket. Ahh. That was better. Toasty warm, and also…her hands were on his T-shirt. Even through her gloves, she felt the hard contour of his abs, and nope, she wasn’t cold now.

And this was absolutely freaking amazing.

She hung on tight as he guided them over Haven’s twisting mountain roads, deserted at this hour. Overhead the moon shone like a beacon, illuminating the night in its soft, silvery glow. The roar of the engine and the slap of the wind against her face shocked her senses. It was thrilling, invigorating, so completely different from riding inside a car.

She’d never have done this if Mandy hadn’t dared her, and now she felt like her eyes were open for the first time in years. This was what she needed. Somewhere along the way, as she sat at the bar talking to Ryan, she’d realized she was having fun, really having fun. And she wanted more. She wanted it all, every last wild and crazy fantasy.

All too soon, her building came into view. Ryan cut the engine and guided them quietly into the driveway, coming to a stop behind her silver Toyota RAV4. He turned his head to look at her, so sexy in his helmet and riding glasses. “So how was it?”

“Even better than I thought it would be.” She gulped for air. His lips were way too close to hers, and she was still a little bit drunk on beer and a whole lot drunk on her first motorcycle ride. Mandy’s words echoed in her ears. Bonus points if you kiss him. Just stand up a bit, lean over his shoulder, and…

Emma leaned forward, her chest sliding up his back as she tipped her face to his. Holy hell, she had completely lost her mind, but she was going for it. Every nerve in her body went haywire.

Clunk. Her helmet smacked into his, drawing her up an inch short of his lips.

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About the Author

Rachel Lacey is a contemporary romance author and semi-reformed travel junkie. She's been climbed by a monkey on a mountain in Japan, gone scuba diving on the Great Barrier Reef, and camped out overnight in New York City for a chance to be an extra in a movie. These days, the majority of her adventures take place on the pages of the books she writes. She lives in warm and sunny North Carolina with her husband, son, and a variety of rescue pets.

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Spotlight: The Truth Will Out by Karen J Mossman

You Can Run.

But You Can Never HIde!

Kelly needs to escape from her abusive and controlling boyfriend, but she's terrified to leave. She’s then given a chance to start a fresh, but is the cost for her freedom too high?

Sarah is happy in her life. She has a dream job and a perfect roommate. But when a brick is thrown through the window, followed by a letter containing razor blades, her life starts to spin out of control. Detective Ryan Andrews is on the case and the two quickly form a close bond.

Will Kelly pay that price for freedom? Can Sarah's secret past be kept from Ryan?

Excerpt

The Truth Will Out
© Karen J. Mossman
ovember 11, 2016
Metamorph Publishing
Sample 1st edition 

“How’s the yoga going?” Dave asked, having watched her practice in the garden.
“Good. I like it.”
“You go to that retreat, don’t you?” he added.
Kelly’s heart dropped as Johnny suddenly looked up. “What retreat?”
“The one down the back road over Forsham way,” Dave volunteered, not realizing this was the first Johnny had heard of it.
“I hadn’t told you because I didn't think you'd be interested," she lied.
“Since when do you keep things to yourself? Of course, I'm interested.”
Dave stood up, aware that he had caused a little trouble. “Sorry, I didn’t realize it was a secret. I’m gonna get showered and burn these clothes. Get the stink of pig off me.”
Pete stood too. “Yeah, thanks for the coffee, I’ve got some stuff I need to be doing.”
That left her and Johnny looking at one another. “Tell me about this retreat?” he said as the door closed.
“There is nothing to tell, really. I came across it one day and liked what I saw. I go a couple times a week. The rest of the time I practice in the garden. I just need something for myself, Johnny.”
“You don’t need anything more than what I provide for you.”
She sighed. “I know, generally, it is enough, but I want to stay healthy and looking good for you. It’s important to me too.”
“I don’t like you keeping anything from me. I like to know exactly what goes on in my organization. You know that. It’s the only way I can control everything.”
“It’s not part of your organization. It’s just something I like to do.”
“You are part of it. You play an integral part of it. I’m the one who says what’s good for you, K, not you. So, tell me more about this retreat and let me decide.”

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About the Author

Karen J Mossman comes from a family of journalists with her grandfather and uncle having been newspaper editors. Further back a 2x grandfather wrote for his local paper and also published a book based on those articles. Karen is the only one to go into fiction.

Two of her novels are romantic suspense and one is a thriller. She also has three themed short story collections.

Karen is also an avid blogger and book reviewer, "It's especially important to me to have feedback from my readers, so please leave a review when you have read one of my books."

Karen lives on the beautiful Isle of Anglesey off the North Wales coast with her husband and elderly Yorkshire terrier. She has two grown up children, who were both born on the same day, two years apart.

"I enjoy writing in different genres and you can see some of my shorter stories on my website."

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Spotlight: Waking the Dead by D.B. Sieders

The road to hell begins when the reaper darkens her door.

A chance encounter with a dying stranger opens an empathic connection between down-on-her-luck caregiver Vivian Bedford and the world of spirits. Lazarus Darkmore, a grim reaper in a charming and seductive package, seeks to recruit her as a soul broker. Guardian spirit Ezra and his new apprentice Zeke offer protection from the reaper--so long as she works on their side of afterlife management. But these guardians are no angels, and their methods leave Vivian fearing the price of their protection.

Her ability to channel conscious energy from the living, something no guardian or reaper can do, could be a game changer. If she can control it, she can use this power as leverage. And she needs a bargaining chip, especially when she discovers that incapacitated living mortals can supply energy for the spirit realm, making her disabled sister Mae a prime target for guardian and reaper alike.

Can she move from pawn to major player in order to save Mae, and herself, from a horrific fate beyond the simple and fleeting terrors of death?

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About the Author

I was born and raised in East Tennessee and spent my childhood hiking in the Great Smoky Mountains, wading barefoot in creeks, chasing salamanders, fish, and frogs. We loved to tell stories while sitting around the campfire.

Those days of frog chasing sparked my interest in biology. I am a working scientist by day, but I never lost my love of telling stories.

I write contemporary fantasy, fantasy romance, and contemporary romance. My stories feature unlikely heroes and heroines who face a healthy dose of angst as they strive for redemption and a happily ever after, which everyone deserves. I live in Nashville, Tennessee with my husband, two children, three cats, and my very active imagination.

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Spotlight: The Lilac Bouquet by Carolyn Brown

It’s an exciting day here in southern Oklahoma today. The Lilac Bouquet is on the shelves. The idea for this story has been in my mind for more than forty years. I do believe that it was just waiting for Emmy Jo to be born and grow up for all the puzzle pieces to the whole story to fit together.

With that in mind, I’ve asked Emmy Jo to tell us a little about this big wedding and why she thought it was so necessary in her life. So I’m going to get a glass of sweet tea and a homemade pecan cookie and let her do the talking.

(Emmy Jo takes the microphone.) 

Hello, folks. I’m so glad to get to visit with you about The Lilac Bouquet. The whole story started way back in the 1930’s when my great grandmother, Tandy, got pregnant and had to raise her child as a single parent when the baby’s father joined the service rather than marry her. When my grandmother, Rose, grew up she had a child, Crystal, out of wedlock. Tandy was left with that child to raise, too, when Rose died in an accident. Then Crystal got pregnant in high school and planned to marry her boyfriend but died when I was only a few days old. That was four generations that I termed the Massey curse and I was determined to break it with the biggest wedding Hickory had ever seen. With a big splashy affair like I’d planned the curse would be over. But a wedding that big and fancy is expensive so I took a job as assistant for Seth Thomas and almost lost Tandy and my best friend for the decision. But even if it cost me everything, it was that important to me.

Maybe a little excerpt about the day I brought out my wedding book to share with Seth: 

Seth had not expected something so thick or heavy when Emmy Jo laid the wedding book on the table that evening. “All this for one wedding? Just how big is this event going to be?”

“We are posting an open invitation in both churches for all our friends and families. Basically the whole town of Hickory is invited.”

Seth whistled through his teeth. “Good Lord! Why?”

“Because I want everyone to witness the fact that I am breaking the Massey curse. I’m getting married, and it will be at least nine months—but hopefully two years or more—before I have a baby,” she answered.

“And you think you need to have a big affair for that?”

“You don’t?” She crossed her arms over her chest and raised her brows.

He opened the book to the first page, which had pictures of various cakes she had cut from magazines or taken photos of. “The way this town gossips, you could get married on the creek bank with no one there but you, Logan, and a preacher and it would be all over the county in twenty minutes.” He turned a page. “Which one have you picked out?”

She reached over and flipped through to the middle of the section marked with a tab that said cakes. “That one.” She pointed. “And then there will be all kinds of fancy cupcakes. Only a few folks will have the actual cake. Do you like those little stick things with a lilac bouquet picture on them?” She pointed to a picture of a dozen cupcakes with different things on the tops.

“Lilacs?” His voice cracked.

“Always been a favorite of mine. My colors will be shades of purple, and I’m going to carry a white daisy and lilac bouquet.”

He had to swallow four times to get the lump in his throat to go away. “Purple, huh?”

“Loved it since I was a little girl. Got into lots of trouble one year when I was a little girl for picking every pansy in Granny’s flower bed and the neighbor’s, too.”

Seth pointed at the cake. “I don’t see any purple on this.”

“There will be. We’re not putting a bride and groom on the top like that shows. A tiny bouquet made just like mine will lie on the top, with the streamers coming down the front side.”

“Then you need the lilac pictures on the cupcakes,” he said.

She picked up a pen and circled the cupcake with the lilacs. “Another decision made. Thank you. Now let’s go look at dresses.”

“First you need a place so you know what kind of dress to get, right?” he asked.

“Why?” she asked.

He flipped to the tab with dresses on it and pointed to the first one. “See that big train out behind that thing? Now think about having this wedding in a park or outside. Dragging that thing behind you would guarantee that by the time you got down the aisle you’d have more cockleburs and goat head stickers than you’d have them shiny things on it.”

She ignored him and stuck a finger under the venue tab, and suddenly he was looking at pictures of outdoor weddings. In most, white folding chairs were set up on two sides with an aisle down the middle for the bride. Some had archways at the front with flowers. Others had a gazebo-looking thing with sheer fabric flowing in the breezes.

His mind shot into high gear as he imagined the wedding out on his driveway. Concrete paving, so she wouldn’t have to think about her dress. He could hire valets to park the cars out in the pasture beside his house, and the garage could be the reception hall. It was air-conditioned, so her cakes and food would be safe from the heat and flies

There were a few places that put tears in my eyes so you might want to grab a few tissues, but then there were many happy times that Seth and I shared. He’s got a right snarky sense of humor that matches mine so well. And now I’ll give this microphone back to Carolyn.

I’ll close this by saying thanks again for inviting me and Emmy Jo to your site and by saying that I appreciate and value every one of my readers. So until next time, Happy Reading to you all!

Release Date: March 28, 2017
Publisher: Montlake Romance

Summary

Come hell or high water, Emmy Jo Massey will have a wedding. After three generations of Massey women with children out of wedlock, she wants the whole town of Hickory, Texas, to witness the legitimacy of her union with Logan Grady. But dream weddings aren’t cheap. So she accepts a highly lucrative stint as a home health assistant to retired realtor, and town recluse, Seth Thomas—a decision her great-grandmother Tandy is dead-set against.

Seth isn’t happy about it, either. The eighty-two-year-old doesn’t want a “babysitter”—much less a Massey—something he makes clear when Emmy arrives at his house, an empty mansion built for the woman who broke his heart. But as Emmy stays and the two eventually open up to each other, she learns the reason behind a feud between Seth, Tandy, and Logan’s grandfather Jesse Grady that goes back six decades. She also uncovers a secret that forever changes how she sees her past and her future…

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About the Author

Carolyn Brown is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author, as well as a RITA finalist. She has written several beloved and popular romance titles, ranging from historical to contemporary to cowboy-themed. She and her husband live in Davis, Oklahoma. They have three grown children, and enough grandchildren to keep them young.

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Spotlight: Kiss, Marry, Kill by Sidney Halston

He's been chasing a memory . . .

It was just supposed to be a regular Thursday afternoon…and then he saw her. Sitting in seat L214, one seat over from his at the baseball game, right next to her douche of a soon-to-be-ex-boyfriend. An impromptu kiss for the kiss cam, and Jax knew his life would never be the same. Five years and a tour in Afghanistan later, Jax is back stateside running his own private security firm, Iron-Clad, with his best friend. He isn't the man he used to be... but Megan isn't the sexy and sweet, though sheltered, twenty-two-year-old he left behind, either. And she's in trouble.

...but now they're on the run.

Megan Cruz has made something of herself. She’s turned her dreams of pop stardom into a reality. But when a deadly stalker breaks into her home claiming to be her number-one fan, the only person she can turn to is the boy who got away. But Jax isn’t the same carefree charmer who stole her heart, then broke it when he joined the military. This man is seductive, hard, guarded. And he'll do anything to protect what's his.

Excerpt

“Promise me, you’ll be happy,” he sang from the other side of the door. “Promise me, you’ll always sing. Promise me you’ll never settle . . .” He jiggled the door handle. “Meggy? Where are you, my little mouse?” he said in a sing-song voice, sounding nice enough. Soft enough.

Safe enough. But Megan Cruz knew better.  The man trying to lure her out of her enormous walk-in closet was deranged. Megan huddled in a corner behind all of her cocktail dresses, her knees pushed up and a butcher knife in one of her trembling hands. Just waiting. Waiting for the cops to show up, or for Ryan to finally find her. If she could stop breathing, she would. Trying to stay perfectly still and utterly quiet was an impossible feat with her hands shaking so violently. Surely he could hear her fear from where he stood on the other side of the door. If he walked deep enough into the closet, the dresses that served as a barrier between them would not be sufficient to shield her. And the fact that he’d broken into her house in the middle of the night was a good indication that he did want to hurt her.

Twenty minutes earlier she had been sitting on her bed, completely immersed in writing some lyrics in her notebook, when she heard the sound of a window shattering downstairs. Her house may have been huge, but it wouldn’t take long for whoever had broken in to find her, especially since her room was the first one up the grand staircase, even more obvious because of its huge double doors. Not about to sit and wait to find out if it was her stalker or a robber who had broken in, she immediately sent a text to her parents who lived close by, praying they’d understand the message:  Break in. 911. Help! Then she silenced her phone and tucked it into her bra. She had also grabbed the enormous butcher knife she’d hid under mattress six months ago when Ryan had started sending her disturbing emails and letters.

At that time she’d thought he was just an overzealous fan and had worried she was being overly cautious, but now, as she cowered in fear, she realized how wrong she’d been. Megan actually held her breath when she heard the squeaky noise of the hinges of her closet door. He was inside now. Sweat dripped down her back and her heart pounded so loudly it seemed he had to have heard it. It felt as if it was going to physically come out of her chest, together with the sandwich she’d eaten a few hours ago. Peering under the hanging clothes she could see green

Converse sneakers moving closer to where she sat curled into a small ball, her arms around her knees.

“Oh Meggy, where are you? Sing for me, my naughty little mouse. Just one song. Just ‘Promise Me,’ that’s my favorite.”As he stepped closer, she tightened her grip on the knife.

“You’re supposed to make your fans happy.” His voice was louder and more agitated this time.

She could hear the fabric running through his fingers as he caressed her clothes, shifting the fragile curtain of dresses and shirts she was hiding behind.

“Oh, this is what you wore to the Grammys last month!” He pulled the dress out, and Megan tensed when a sliver of light cut through her hiding place. The small gap where the dress had hung made her more visible, and if he happened to look down he’d undoubtedly see her on the floor behind the rest of the clothes. She shut her eyes. “This is perfect. You can wear this when you sing for me at my house. Does anyone else know how much you love the chase, Meggy? Am I the only one that knows your secret? I have your new room all ready for you. We can play and sing all the time...It’ll be so fun, Meggy.”

His feet were moving slowly, as if he had all the time in the world. She could tell he was directly in front of her now by how close the sound of his heavy breathing was and by the way the rubber soles of his sneakers skidded against the wood floor. She shut her eyes harder and braced herself. She didn’t need her eyes open to see him—the memory was burned into her brain. His face was unassuming and his body unimposing. White skin, rounded cheeks, kind-looking face, maybe even cute, if he wasn’t a complete sociopath. He wasn’t too thin or too large, not too tall, not too short. Just an ordinary-looking guy. One you would smile at in line for coffee or at the grocery store. The non-threatening Good Samaritan who helped you with your flat tire. Completely harmless, completely average, except for his eyes, gray eyes that were a bit too large and had a slight tilt upward, reminding her of a cat. Gray eyes that could be considered attractive if it weren’t for the coldness behind them.

Megan didn’t want to die looking into that coldness. She didn’t want to die hiding in her closet, with the creepy man asking her to sing the song that was about the best four days of her entire life. The four days that also changed the course of her life. Ironic, she would potentially die thinking of those memories.

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About the Author

USA Today bestselling author, Sidney Halston lives her life with one simple rule: "Just Do It"--Nike. And that's exactly what she did.

After working hard as an attorney, Sidney picked up a pen for the first time at thirty years old to begin her dream of writing. Having never written anything other than very exciting legal briefs, she found an outlet for her imaginative, romantic side and wrote Seeing Red. That first pen stroke sealed the deal, and she fell in love with writing. Sidney lives in South Florida with her husband and children. She loves her family above all else, and reading follows a close second. When she's not writing, you can find her reading and reading and reading. She's a reader first and a writer second. When she's not writing or reading, her life is complete and utter chaos, trying to balance family life with work and writing (and reading). But she wouldn't have it any other way. 

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Spotlight: Jaybird by M.A. Foster

Who is Jaybird?

Jaybird was just a nickname my dad gave me when I was born.
But after he died, the name took on a life of its own.

Everyone wants to know me.
The media.
The fans.
But how can they know me when I don’t even know myself?

A year ago, Jayla King had the world at her fingertips.
A loving family.
Two amazing best friends.
A promising music career.
And the heart of the only boy she’s ever loved.

But then everything changed.

When the news hits the streets, that famous rock star and celebrity judge, Marcus King, has suddenly died, the spotlight shifts to his only daughter.

His Jaybird.

But is she ready to be in the spotlight?
Is that what she really wants?
What if the choice is no longer hers?

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About the Author

M.A Foster was born and raised in Tampa, Florida and is currently suffering from empty nest syndrome in Land O’Lakes, Florida with her husband and her crazy dog, Rocky. When she’s not reading or writing, she’s searching for chocolate.

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