Read an excerpt from Wild by Ashley Bostock

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Ever since my divorce became final, I decided to start putting myself first. The problem is when I think of putting myself first, I think of my son’s biological father, Thatcher Patterson. The man that wanted nothing to do with me when he found out I was pregnant.
When he left me, he took my heart with him and I’ve never gotten it back.

Suddenly my son and I are forced to live with Thatcher indefinitely and it’s difficult to remember all the reasons why I don’t trust him. The way he looks at me, the way he is with our son and the way he makes me feel are all the reasons I’m running toward him instead of away from him.

But if I run toward him, how long will it take for him to up and run the other way from us, much like he did before?

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I’ve never stopped loving Abigail Murphy or wishing I could be the perfect dad to my son. So, when a stipulation in my late grandfather’s will states that I must have an heir to claim my inheritance, it’s the push I need to get them in my life.

Because I need them as much as I need that money. With my business in the red, I have no other option. As the deadline creeps closer, I never counted on the guilt I would feel at trying to get a two for one deal. When the two of them move in with me, I’m reminded of all the wonderful things this woman has to offer and all the emotions she makes me feel.

She makes me feel worthy. Wanted. Loved. She makes me feel like I could be the man she needs and just maybe I could be the father my son deserves – the father I’ve been so afraid to be.

Excerpt

I shifted the bins for his inspection and Thayer seemed satisfied with my explanation. When I caught sight of Abby watching us, a sharp pain stabbed me right in my gut. Her furrowed brows had me guessing that she no doubt was wondering what our lives would’ve been like if things were different. Heck, I was wondering that myself right now as Thayer brushed up against my leg, almost settling into me so he could examine his new turtle’s home. This was as close as we’d ever been as a family. This moment, this proximity to one another, making a decision families made all the time regarding new pets.

If I leaned over just enough, I could pull the two of them in for a family hug. Nuzzle my days old beard into Abby’s delicate neck and tousle Thayer’s blond hair with my fingertips. It was an urge I’d never experienced and seeing the look on Abby’s face, I knew she was thinking along the same lines as me. Why? Why couldn't we be a family? Why couldn't we try? Because if she found out I was going to push to gain custody of Thayer, she’d run as far away from me as she could get.

I swallowed, “How’s Adrian doing?”

“He’s good. He’s out of town for a few days right now.”

“Daddy’s gone but he’ll be back to see my turtle, right Mama?”

That stabbing pain I felt only moments ago resurfaced and settled into my chest as I watched Thayer’s face light up with excitement at the thought of showing his dad his turtle. His dad. Not me. It would never be me because I’d given up that right five years ago when Abby told me she was pregnant with him.

“Yeah, of course buddy. He’ll be home in two days for you to show him.”

She wouldn't look at me and I couldn’t help but wonder what she was thinking about. Did she resent me as much as I resented myself? No. She was happy with Adrian. They made their relationship work. The few times I've run into her around Lone Star, she was always happy. Always smiling, always giddy with excitement and I couldn't help but think about her when she was my girl. How she’d rarely, if ever, gotten angry at people because she was genuinely happy all the time. I’d never met anyone like her.

I'd stayed as far away from her and Thayer as I could because, well, for the obvious reasons. I had to give them up. The more I saw of Abby, the more that flame burned deep inside me, begging for Abby to be the one to extinguish it. I’ve been doing a great job of ignoring it so far.

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About the Author

Ashley Bostock was born and raised in Colorado where she currently resides with her husband, two children and her animals. She loves reading, writing, and music and is always trying to find more time in the day to incorporate all three.

Seeking an outlet and pursuing her life-long passion for writing, she began composing her first novel in 2013. She has traveled all over the world, but still has an extensive list of places she would love to visit. Anywhere near a sky-blue ocean will always be at the top of that list.

She carries a Bachelor’s Degree in History with a concentration in Elementary Education from Metropolitan State College of Denver. While she loves children, she now fears teaching, which probably has something to do with being a stay-at-home mom.

She is mostly active on Instagram, but feel free to follow her at any or all of her social media pages!

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Read an excerpt from From the Start by Cheryl Etchison

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For many women, Ranger Battalion Surgeon Michael MacGregor is the ideal man. He’s far better than average looking, a generous tipper, not to mention an officer and a doctor. So when he encounters a woman resistant to his charms, he finds himself… intrigued.

Kacie Morgan has had her fill of arrogant military men since the last one left her with a shattered heart and one heck of a career rut. Now, with her prestigious fellowship starting in the fall, all she has to do is survive the summer—and her little sister’s wedding. 

When an ill-fitting bridesmaid dress has Kacie wanting to temporarily shake things up in her carefully planned life, she knows just the man to call. They agree to a no-strings, summer fling, although it isn’t long before Michael wants Kacie for forever.

But to win her heart, he’ll have to confront the nightmares from his past if they’re to have any chance at a future.

Excerpt

May 2013

Kacie Morgan raised the cloudy glass tumbler to her lips and licked the course salt from its rim, all the while surveying the bar, knowing she was officially in hell. Despite it being a fairly new establishment—and a nice place as far as bars went—it just wasn’t her scene. The cowboy hats and cowboy boots. The painted-on jeans that both the men and women wore. The line dancing and mechanical bull.

Then there was the fact she couldn’t stand country music. She might have been born and raised in the South, but the appreciation for songs about racing pickups down red dirt roads, getting drunk on Jack, and skinny-dipping in farm ponds must have skipped a generation.

She sighed and turned back around, catching a glimpse of herself in the mirror behind the bar.

Dear God in the heavens. She shouldn’t have looked.

She squeezed her eyes shut and tossed back the remnants of her margarita on the rocks. A tang and tart shiver raced the length of her spine, her body squirming involuntarily to shake it off.

Her empty glass met the cow-print bar top a little heavier than intended, the upside being it garnered the bartender’s attention. “Another?” He shouted to be heard over the music.

“Sure,” she said. “Why the hell not?”

He came over to clear away the empty glass and his eyes roamed her chest as he took his damn sweet time to read the front of her shirt. She didn’t have to glance at the mirror again to know the club lights ignited the rhinestones across her shirt, the word bridesmaid glimmering in the relative dark like a ’70s disco ball.

“Eight weeks,” she chanted to herself. “Eight. More. Weeks.”

Just eight weeks until the bachelorette weekend, the holiday weekend, the rehearsal dinner, the wedding, all of it would be over. Her baby sister would be happily married and, more importantly, her maid of honor duties would be complete. No longer would she have to be overly friendly to women who were not her friends. No longer would she be guilted into wearing questionable attire or spending money she didn’t have on all of the cutesy little things they wanted her to “chip in” on.

Kacie handed the bartender a few bills as he returned with her drink, then resumed leaning against the bar, watching as the country music gave way to hip-hop and the puritans bolted for the bars and seated areas. In the span of a few minutes, the dance floor became an instant bump and grind session for anyone under the age of twenty-five or with more than a few drinks in them.

In a sea of cowboy hats and baseball caps, her baby sister was easy to spot. The rhinestone tiara with attached veil on her head glittered in the pulsing lights as she bopped around the dance floor. And all the other bridesmaids were right there with her.

If she were a better maid of honor, a better big sister, she’d suck it up and join them. But she just couldn’t find it in herself to move. Ever since her well-planned future with a man she loved—or at the very least thought she loved—had taken a deep dive into the toilet nine months earlier, she found having fun an almost impossible feat. How sad. How pathetic.

With a pang, Kacie realized at the age of thirty-one she’d become what she always feared most—a total buzzkill.

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About the Author

Cheryl Etchison graduated from the University of Oklahoma’s School of Journalism and began her career as an oil and gas reporter. Bored to tears and broke as hell, it wasn’t long before she headed for the promise land of public relations. But that was nearly a lifetime ago and she’s since traded in reporting the facts for making it all up. Currently, she lives in Austin, Texas with her husband and three daughters.

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Read an excerpt from When a Lady Dares by Tara Kingston

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Sophie Atherton knows a liar when she sees one. Perhaps because she’s so skilled at deception herself. Searching for clues to a string of mysterious deaths, the secret operative for the Crown has connived her way into a phony medium’s confidence. When a dashing archaeologist seeks out the charlatan’s services, Sophie suspects he’s after more than a long-lost heirloom. Their electric attraction storms her defenses, but loving the rakish scholar would threaten her investigation and the life she’s crafted.

Gavin Stanwyck is a man on a mission. Masquerading as a treasure hunter to trap the spiritualist, he's drawn to the medium’s enigmatic assistant. As treacherous forces close in, passion awakens his hardened heart—he’ll protect Sophie at all costs, but he cannot give her his love. Uniting to survive a sinister plot, they must tear down their defenses and learn to trust their hearts.

Excerpt

“The way I see it, you set forth a challenge. I am debating whether or not to accept it.”

“A challenge?” She frowned. “I don’t follow.”

He unfolded his arms and stalked to where she stood. Gently, his hands draped her shoulders. Strong, but without pressure. Without violence. “You said I would have to try harder for you to be convinced I am a scoundrel. What is that, if not a challenge?”

Words hovered on the tip of her tongue but failed to escape her lips. He shouldn’t be holding her, regardless of how warm his hands were against her body. He shouldn’t be so very near. She drank in subtle notes of sandalwood on his jaw and his throat. He shouldn’t be studying her with those perceptive eyes, a glint of sensual interest darkening his sapphire irises.

She drew in a breath, even as he held her closer still. If she’d detected any hint of danger, she would’ve brought him to the ground with a well-placed knee or a calculated swing of her weighted reticule against the pulse point behind his ear. But this man did not present that nature of a threat.

No, the danger in his touch was more subtle. More insidious. And ultimately, far more powerful. She could not betray the effect he had on her. She could not give him that weapon against her.

“I meant what I said.” A miracle, how steady she held her tone. “When I look at you, I do not see a cad. I see a man in need of answers. The only question is, what are the answers you truly seek?”

“And if I kissed you? Would you think me a rogue?”

The heat in his gaze kindled a spark deep within her, but she steeled herself against the sudden and powerful need. She could not let on how delicious his breath felt against her cheek, how good…how right…it felt to be in his arms.

“No.” She lifted her gaze to lock with his. “I would think you a man, with a man’s desires and needs. Nothing more. Nothing less.”

“You are a temptation I could not have anticipated.” A tiny muscle in his jaw tensed. “And I…well, I am a bloody fool.”

His hands slid lower, settling on her leg-of-mutton sleeves, and he dipped his head. She might’ve imagined the sound, but his breath seemed a sigh. And then, his lips claimed hers in a kiss.

Oh, my, such a delicious caress. Shock rippled through Sophie’s veins, coupled with an instinctive alarm. Not fear. Far from it. Rather, this man’s touch should not feel so very tempting, so very tender. So maddeningly right.

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About the Author

Award-winning and Amazon.com best-selling author Tara Kingston writes historical romance laced with intrigue, danger, and adventures of the heart. A Southern belle-out-of-water in a quaint Pennsylvania town, she lives with her real-life hero and a pair of deceptively innocent-looking cats in a cozy Victorian. A former librarian whose love of reading is evident in her popping-at-the-seams bookcases, she’s thankful for the invention of digital books, thereby eliminating the need for yet another set of shelves. When she’s not writing, reading, or burning dinner, Tara enjoys movie nights, cycling, hiking, DIY projects, and cheering on her favorite football team.

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Read an excerpt from Updrift by Errin Stevens

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Ever since her father died, Kate Sweeting’s home life has been in the pits, her well being on life support. Her future looks desolate, too, until she and her mother make another plan: abandon their shriveled existence for more promising prospects on the coast, where Mom can play small-town librarian/bachelorette, and Kate can figure out what’s up with that secretive Blake family from the beach.
 
Everyone is eerily captivated with Kate and her mother, and Cara is the first to figure out why when the man of her dreams arrives all dripping and devoted and closed-mouthed about what he intends. Kate is willing to go along with their subterfuge for a while, but eventually makes a charge for the water to learn what her mother is hiding. Gabe Blake is there waiting for her… and so is someone considerably less friendly. By the time Kate navigates her way home, everything will have changed for her – what she feels, what she wants, and what she will risk to be with the man she loves.

Excerpt

The waves would have carried Will into the face of the cliff, not out to sea as he speculated, an erroneous belief intuited by all of them watching him from underwater, Anna included. They all knew his body would have been smashed to bits in a matter of seconds without their intervention, which they were eager to provide after an entire afternoon spent watching him and drinking in his delicious, rich sentiments. As it was, he fainted well before he hit the water. He never saw the creatures who softened his fall and kept his body from annihilation, not that they would have allowed him to remember them.

One of the women had noticed him standing at his perch near the time he arrived there, and, as the day wore on, others gathered under the water’s surface to watch too. His feelings radiated forcefully off him, creating a yearning they were not supposed to indulge in but by the time Anna joined the fray, she was too late to interrupt. His allure had intensified during his all-day stand at the edge of his rock. The women now sang to him, to ease his anxiousness, and to invite him to join them in the water.

I will love him, Lydia announced.

No, I’ll be the one, Bridget argued, and then others spoke up, each vying for primary custody. They squabbled playfully as they waited.

Perhaps we could share him, one of them suggested, their prolonged attendance urging them into a frenzy Anna believed was dangerous. Their interest had progressed far beyond simple caprice, and none of them had any real experience keeping humans alive in the water.

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About the Author

Errin Stevens writes paranormal suspense/romance from her home in Minnesota, where she lives with her husband and son. When not wrestling with unruly narrative – or reading everything from mythology to contemporary romance to literary novels – you’ll find her swooning over seed catalogs (winter), or digging in the garden (the other three days of the year). Visit her blog site at http://errinstevens.com for release updates and random essays on writing and mothering.

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Spotlight: Much Ado About Bachelors by Caitlyn Blue

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Drama teacher Sarah Callahan has been falling for Harrison Academy’s hot, new chemistry teacher since the first day of school. Unfortunately, this sexy nerd has a policy against dating coworkers after his relationship with a teacher at his former school crashed and burned. So what do you do when you’re hot for teacher? Pretend to be drunk so he’ll take advantage of you of course.

Reed Barron has done a great job resisting the beautiful, quirky Sarah. Then comes the night she parties a little too hard and begs him to kiss her. How’s a guy supposed to hold out against…begging? Chemistry like theirs doesn’t happen every day, but Reed isn’t going to give their romance a chance. He’s learned that when things get too intense, it’s safer to retreat.

Armed with Shakespearean quotes and a Goldendoodle puppy, Sarah is determined to teach Reed how to open his heart. But when he’s offered the opportunity of a lifetime to teach abroad, it looks like she might lose him—and their shot at love—forever.

Excerpt

Sarah is a monsoon, earthquake, and climate change all rolled into one adorable package. When she comes out of the locker room, wearing a blue-and-white-patterned bikini, my pulse actually stops. Then, it lurches forward at twice its normal pace when she smiles at me. The strain from keeping my attraction hidden makes the muscles in my face feel as if they’ve turned to stone, but I can’t release my grip on the indifferent mask that has served me so well.

After last night’s daring halter dress, I knew she had an outstanding body, but bared by a bikini, I’m hard-pressed not to appreciate each and every one of her assets, from her perky breasts to her tiny waist and flat stomach. Her hips flare enticingly, almost begging my fingers to grip them while I slide into her.

Fuck, I’m dying.

““Do you like my bathing suit?”” she asks, misinterpreting my interest.

I blink and redirect my attention to the bikini and away from the delectable body beneath it. For several seconds, my brain refuses to process what I’m seeing, and then it all falls into place.

““It’s…””

““Adorable, right?””

““Adorable,”” I echo.

I’m spellbound as Sarah lifts onto her toes and strikes a pose with one hand on her hip and the other saluting me, like a pinup girl from the forties.

My mouth goes dry at her cheeky sex appeal. And then, when I think I can’t take any more, she spins, presenting her back to me.

Stretched across her tight, round ass is R2-D2’s round dome and the words Beep Boop.

Holy shit.

““Brynn bought it for me.””

She’s slowly killing me, and my strangled voice reflects my torment. ““She obviously knows what you like.””

A smug grin dispels the flirty vixen from a moment earlier, and she’s back to being my Sarah. Upbeat, happy, a natural charmer. I actually find myself grinning back at her, half in relief. Sexy Sarah is impossible to resist, but I can almost keep my wits around fun-loving Sarah.

While I concentrate on getting my libido back under control, Sarah’s attention has ventured toward the broad turquoise rectangle of the gym pool. On Saturday nights, it’s open swim, and the staff takes down the ropes that mark the lanes. Several families have brought their young children, and the atmosphere is noisy and exuberant.

““I guess we should do this.”” Sarah’s lively expression dims as she asks, ““Where do you want me?””

In my arms. Beneath me in bed. Up against a wall. In the shower. Bent over my dining room table. In front of the fireplace. My gaze strays toward the large hot tub, and I picture her bare breasts floating just above the surface while hundreds of bubbles caress our skin.

I need to get myself under control, or I won’t be any help to her.

I clear my throat. ““The water is three and a half feet deep in this pool. I’ll meet you by the stairs.”” I point to where she should go, and then I do what all the signs forbid and dive in.

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About the Author

Voracious reader with an overactive imagination, chocolate addict, lover of fancy cocktails and tasty edibles, sucker for adventure movies and any music with a beat.

When not writing, Caitlyn loves to connect with her readers for whom she’s extremely grateful. Join her VIP list to stay up to date on giveaways and exclusive offers.

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Read an excerpt from How to Lose a Highlander by Michelle McLean

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Forced into marriage by their king in order to stop years of inter-clan feuding, Sorcha Campbell and Malcolm MacGregor are each determined to drive the other away.

Malcolm knows he can never trust his new shrewish wife, despite the fact that everything he observes seems to prove that she’s not only trustworthy, but utterly perfect for him.

Sorcha knows she can never let her guard down around the man she believes betrayed her father, yet the longer she’s with him, the more she discovers he is nothing like she was led to believe.

They’ll have to fight their way through past prejudices and their own determination to destroy their union in order to gain their perfect HEA in this Taming of the Shrew meets How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days tale.

Excerpt

“Hmm, and in the meantime, ye’ve been sleeping in my bed.”

He’d backed her up against one of the four posters of the bed and she bumped against it with a little squeak. Instead of pushing him away, though, she raised her impertinent little nose in the air.

“Yes. But now that you are home I shall make other arrangements. I’m certain a pallet on the floor somewhere will suffice.”

“Och, no. We canna have the lady of the castle sleeping on a lowly pallet. There is more than enough room for us both in my bed.”

She smiled up at him. Her sweet smile momentarily caught him off guard. Her gaze dropped to his lips and lingered before slowly traveling back to meet his own and the heat in those eyes hit him like a fist to the chest.

“Oh, I have no intention of sleeping on a pallet, my lord.”

She rose up on tip toe and trailed one finger along his jaw line.

“Nay?”

Sorcha shook her head and bit her lip and most of the blood in his body rushed south. She looked up at him through a thick fringe of lashes, her sparkling blue eyes staring deep into his. A quick, gasping breath had her breasts straining against the laces of her dress. She placed her hands on his chest…and pushed him as hard as she could, her foot lashing out to connect sharply with his leg. He stumbled backward and she escaped, storming toward the door.

“The pallet is for you!” she called over her shoulder. “I’ll send up some water. I have no desire to share a bedchamber with a man who reeks of horse and sweat.”

Malcolm hopped back until he collided with the bed and sat down heavily. The door to the outer chamber slammed and he started laughing. Finally, he lay back and flung his arm over his face.

“What am I going to do wi’ that woman?” he said.

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About the Author

Michelle McLean is a jeans and t-shirt kind of girl who is addicted to chocolate and Goldfish crackers and spent most of her formative years with her nose in a book. She has a B.S. in History, a M.A. in English, loves history and romance and enjoys spending her time combining the two in her novels.

When Michelle's not editing, reading or chasing her kids around, she can usually be found in a quiet corner working on her next book. She resides in PA with her husband and two children, an insanely hyper dog, and three very spoiled cats.

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