Read an excerpt from Phantom Heartstrings by Felicia Lynn

Love comes easy to some. It came easy to me. Loving him was never an issue. Appreciating him was as easy as breathing. Years of living a life of what others viewed as perfection gave me the security I thought was most valuable.

My marriage to Drake is symbolic of what others fight for, yet living in the glass house of perfection is the biggest challenge of my life. Life isn’t always what it seems. People change. Everyone has demons they fight and fighting them in secret to avoid letting others down takes its toll.

Love came easy, but maintaining it is a whole different game. I thought the happily ever after would be the end of the story. That wasn’t the case. There’s so much more. It’s only so long before the glass house of perfection is clouded with buried secrets.

Can we overcome this and get back to a place of true happiness, or will I always feel like I’m perfecting my acting skills to save face? Can I ever find the ending to this fairy tale life I wanted so desperately? 

Excerpt

I walk into the family room where Drake has immersed himself into a golf tournament. The kids are in the backyard playing and thankfully entertaining themselves, and as crazy as it sounds, it’s comforting to know the children won’t be high maintenance for him while I’m away. That calms a bit of my nerves.

“Hey, I’m leaving. I’ll be at the hospital, but I have my phone. I’ll call you with updates.” The distance between us, and his look of indifference would’ve scared me more than life several weeks ago, but now it’s become our normal.

“Food for dinner is in the casserole dish in the fridge. Instructions are on top for baking. Text if you need anything,” I continue. It’s hard to mask the annoyance and hide my frustrations of his aloofness, but somehow I’m able to do just that.

“Sounds good. How long am I babysitting for, Cams?” he asks flippantly, without bothering to remove his attention from the television that is clearly the center of his attention. “I was planning to watch the game with the guys tonight when you get back.”

I look at my watch. It’s two o’clock. I have zero intentions of leaving my friend that needs me far more than he needs a night out with the guys to watch the game, and it confuses me how he all of a sudden considers time with his own children babysitting. I don’t think I ever, in all our years of parenting, realized that’s how he’s viewed his role. Has it always been this way? Was I oblivious to this? Did I create this? It makes me sad and angry that he views such an integral role in our family life in this way. I believe this too can go on the list of new to us.

I quickly turn and busy myself with paperwork at the desk in the kitchen to avoid him seeing the tears forming in the corners of my eyes in response to his callousness. I cough slightly, clearing my voice of the emotions and slapping on my sickly sweet response. “Drake, sweets, it’s not considered ‘babysitting’ if they’re your children, that’s called fathering.”

I know the anger is seeping through now far more than the sadness that could have overtaken me moments ago, but I’m past the point of being able to cover everything and pretend we’re okay. I know I failed him and I’ll live with that, but him denying his responsibilities to this family and our four children could possibly be my breaking point and it takes so much effort not to scream; but again I don’t.

“I don’t know when I’ll be home, but I can go ahead and give you a heads up that I won’t be home to put the kids to bed. You’ll probably need to let the guys know you won’t be able to make it. K? Thanks.” Secretly, I’m hoping my passive aggressive answer would get a response out of him, but it doesn’t and it never will.

He won’t challenge me. He, like myself, will suck it up and pretend not to be bothered. This, I know about him. He doesn’t like confrontation and more importantly, he doesn’t care enough about me anymore to fight or show that he cares.

As I walk past him out to the backyard to say my goodbyes to the kids, I hear his tensed lowered voice behind me, “wrong choice of words, Cams. I’m sorry.” He reaches out for my arm and I pull away as his fingertips barely brush my forearm.

“If you’re looking for an argument, you won’t get it here, babe,” he continues to speak low from behind me. I know he’s close and the tension in the air is pillowing around me like dense fog.

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About the Author

Felicia Lynn, author of The Learning Curve series and Heartstrings series, is a transplanted Florida girl, born and raised, who lives just north of Atlanta, GA. She spends most of her days holed up in a cozy chair with her laptop, writing about the characters that live in her head. When she’s not writing, you’ll find her hanging out with her family and friends or interacting with her readers and fellow book lovers on social media! She loves traveling, reading, live music, baseball, good food and great company. 

Felicia writes contemporary romance and co-wrote The List, a mystery/suspense book she collaborated on with professional poker player, Chris Bell.

Connect: Website | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Pinterest

Sugar and Spice Tour with authors Amy Sandas and Elizabeth Michels

Amy Sandas interviews Elizabeth Michels

Amy: What was the first romance novel you ever read?

Elizabeth: I’ve always been one to have a book around, but I read across multiple genres without any particular favorite until about 12 years ago.  Whatever book caught my eye or was popular enough to make into a movie, I would pick it up, and dive into it without hesitation.  I blame this entirely on growing up in the country. In a home where my only choices in books were my brother’s science fiction novels, and my mom’s cozy murder mysteries, I was just happy to have something to read, anything to read.  

Then when I was in my late 20s, I walked into my local bookstore and saw a book with a cover depicting a ship at sea.  Bold blue skies, sails billowing in the wind, and a lady in a pink dress all seemed to beg me to pick up the book to investigate.  It was Johanna Lindsey’s CAPTIVE OF MY DESIRES.  That was the day I dove into historical romance novels, and I’ve never looked back.

Amy: When did you realize you wanted to write romance novels?

Elizabeth: I never realized I could write until I was grown.  I know many authors began their first novel at age 10, but that wasn’t me.  I was actually in my early thirties and I’d just had a baby.  I’d been reading romance for a few years at that point.  One day while cleaning out our closets my husband stumbled across my stash of romance novels.  He turned around to look at me with a look of shock on his face.  “You’ve read all of these?  Do you realize how much market research you’ve done on this subject?” 

Leave it to him to look at reading books in business terms.  I’m pretty sure I rolled my eyes.  “Market research?  Really?”  

Then he said, “No, I’m serious.  You should try to write a book.”

I could have ignored his suggestion and continued spring cleaning the house.  But I’d just closed my interior design business to be a stay-at-home-mom for our son and I was looking for something to work on in my free time.  So during naptime for my baby the following afternoon I sat down at the kitchen table and started to write.  

That first manuscript is still well hidden beneath my bed even today, but I learned from it.  What’s more, I found I had a passion for story telling that I never knew existed.  I’m so thankful that my husband wanted to clean out the house that day.  It changed my life.  And my husband is still my biggest cheerleader on this journey.  …Don’t tell him I called him a cheerleader, alright? It’ll be our secret. 

Amy: If you had only one book to read for the rest of your life, what book would it be?

Elizabeth: Only one book?! Forever?! Man, ask me a tougher question, why don’t you, Amy.  Geez! I would have to go with the book that will always hold a special place in my heart: the one that hooked me on reading when I was a teenager.  There was a long list of acceptable books for summer reading that year.  I wasn’t a big reader at the time, so I sighed and looked down the list settling on a title that turned out to be AMAZING! After I read it, I wanted more and began devouring book after book for the first time in my life.  But that first one is still my favorite book of all time.  The book that changed my life: REBECCA by Daphne Du Maurier.

Amy: What is the strangest way that an idea has come to you for a story?

Elizabeth: LOL I definitely have to go with the plot of my debut novel, MUST LOVE DUKES, for this one.  I was in the shower one Saturday afternoon after working in my flower beds all morning.  

It went something like this: shampoo, shampoo, shampoo… ENTIRE PLOT OF THE STORY SMASHING ME OVER THE HEAD! I gasped, didn’t even stop to rinse or repeat, and ran for a pen and paper before I could forget the details.  I wrote down a summary of the entire book with shampoo bubbles still dripping from my head.  And the rest is history. 

Amy: If you had to write something other than romance, what would you write?

Elizabeth: Although it would make me sad to step away from romance because of all of the friends I’ve found in the genre, I would shift to writing Women’s Fiction.  My books have been called deeply emotional, and I believe that’s a fair statement.  Even through the romance and the moments of laughter, there is always a layer of character growth happening in the background.  I like people with plenty of flaws.  *shrugs and laughs* But for this reason, I think I could write a heartfelt tale of woe for some poor character in a Women’s Fiction novel.  ;)

Amy: If you had to choose a favorite love scene you’ve written, which couple is it with, and why?

Elizabeth: Without a doubt, it’s Fallon and Isabelle from THE WICKED HEIR, chapter sixteen to be exact.  Isabelle is a true romantic.  She turns everything she sees into fantasy and makes up stories, even about Fallon.  In my favorite love scene from this, or any, book she spins a tale about being held as his prisoner.  Okay, so he *did* kidnap her and lock her in his bedroom, but he had his reasons, and he was a total gentleman about it.  But in Isabelle’s version of events, he’s an evil lord…  

Isabelle knew her smile must have covered half her face, and she giggled as she clambered to her feet. But a second later, she’d arranged her face to be that of a tortured lady. She squared her shoulders to Fallon, staring him down. “I only came here to save my family from harm. We had a bargain, sir. A bargain.”

He raised a brow in question at the story forming in her mind. Wrapping his hands around her arms, he said, “The terms of our agreement have changed, my lady. You shouldn’t have trusted me. I’m quite the wicked gentleman.”
Isabelle gasped and looked up at him. “What will you do with me? I only ask that you spare my life and release my family from captivity.”

“And if I’m so generous?” he asked, his voice drop- ping to a low rumble as he watched her.

“I’ll stay here forever. I’ll be yours forever.” The raw honesty of her words hung between them for a moment.  No matter the parts they played at the moment, at least that much was true.

Things get steamy after that.  

Amy: What author has been the greatest influence on your writing?

Elizabeth: There are so many authors I love to read, and authors I admire and for various reasons.  My number one favorite author though has to be Lisa Kleypas.  Her writing is beautiful! I love her descriptions and the characters she creates are amazing.  Every time I finish one of her books I sit there for a second in awe, hoping I can make a reader feel the same way I do in that moment.  For me, her books are the light house on the horizon that I steer my little boat toward.  I hope I hit land one day and I get to meet her in person.  That would be awesome!

Amy: Of the three heroes in The Spare Heirs series, which would you choose that have as your brother, which would you take as a lover, and which would you make your husband?

Elizabeth: Oh, goodness! What a question! LOL I would choose Ethan Moore, Lord Ayton (THE INFAMOUS HEIR) to be my brother.  He’s a great brother to his sister, Katie.  And I know if something went wrong in my life, he would have my back and would be the first one there throwing punches in my defense.  

I would marry Fallon St. James (THE WICKED HEIR) in a heartbeat! He’s a kind, generous, and powerful man in London. He lives in the elegant, flower-filled Headquarters for the Spare Heirs Society.   He’s…let’s be honest…the Godfather of the mafia, which is cool.  And he would be the one most likely to laugh it off when I do something impulsive and creative around the house.  

And that makes Ash Claughbane (THE REBEL HEIR) my lover.  Ash is adventurous, and fun.  He travels a good bit, so I think he would be a nice wild fling when he comes through town.  Of course, I think the heroines of the Spare Heirs series would have a problem with me stealing their men, so I’ll just stick with the husband I have.  He’s pretty awesome too.

Elizabeth Michels interviews Amy Sandas

Elizabeth: What’s your favorite line from your new release, LORD OF LIES?

Amy: “He knew before he spoke, however, that a sensible lecture would only end in a roll of her fascinating eyes or a snort of derision before she went along doing exactly what she wanted to do anyway.”

Elizabeth: When did you know you wanted to be a writer?  

Amy: I’ve loved writing since I was a pre-teen, but it wasn’t until college that I knew I wanted to make a go of it as a career. It took many years after that to actually commit to a discipline that would make it happen.

Elizabeth: If you had to live within the world of any genre of romance, which one would you choose and why? 

Amy: I’d have to go with contemporary. Specifically, the gritty, rock-and-roll, tattooed, dive bar contemporaries. Oh, to be young and rebellious again!

Elizabeth: Have any of your (adult) family members read your books?  Do you tear out the pages of the sex scenes? Or let them read the whole thing? 

Amy: Yes, many of my adult family members have read at least one of my books. Even my grandpa! And, as far as I know, they read the whole thing. We just don’t talk specifics afterward…

Elizabeth: Do you think there’s a secret ingredient that all heroes must have to be desirable?  Or does that magic “it” factor change from book to book? 

Amy: I definitely think it changes from book to book. To me the “it” factor is in how the hero is perfect for his particular heroine. It’s in the little details she notices when she first sees him and the way his presence makes her feel.

Elizabeth: What’s the best single moment of your career so far? 

Amy: Discovering that Luck Is No Lady hit the USA Today Bestseller list. It was totally unexpected and so thrilling.

Elizabeth: Which heroine in your books is the most like you? 

Amy: Ooh! Tough question. But I would probably have to say it is Lily Chadwick. I have always been very shy, though I’ve learned how to fake it in most situations.  And like Lily, I prefer to avoid conflict if possible.  

About Lord of the Flies

“You do strange things to me, Dell Turner. Tell me I am not alone in what I feel.”

His voice was low and rough. His eyes burned. “You are not alone,” he said.

Portia Chadwick longs for a life of adventure. When a dangerous moneylender kidnaps her sister, she dares to seek help from a man known only as Nightshade. Soon she finds herself charging headfirst into his world of intrigue and danger—and unexpected passion.

Dell Turner grew up in London’s back alleys and gin lanes. Vowing to escape his low beginnings, he hires himself out to society’s elite. When he accepts a job from a beautiful debutante, he doesn’t anticipate her relentless determination to join his mad occupation…or her unnerving ability to inspire emotions he thought long buried. She’s as dangerous to him as his world is to her, and yet Dell can’t bring himself to turn Portia away—even if it means risking her life.

About Amy Sandas

USA Today Bestselling author Amy Sandas’s love of romance began one summer when she stumbled across one of her mother’s Barbara Cartland books. Her affinity for writing began with sappy preteen poems and led to a liberal arts degree from the University of Minnesota Twin Cities. She lives with her husband and children near Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

Connect: Website | Facebook | Twitter:  @AmySandas | Goodreads

The Wicked Heir

The Spare Heirs Society Cordially Invites You to Meet Fallon St. James: The Mastermind

When the love of Lady Isabelle Fairlyn’s life is betrothed to her twin sister, Isabelle vows to find a suitable replacement before the end of the season. He must be a talented dancer, have a keen fashion sense, and be perfectly dashing in every way.

Fallon St. James is the farthest thing from perfectly anything. As head of the secretive Spare Heirs Society, he must stick to the shadows…even as Isabelle’s friendship pulls him reluctantly into the light.  But when Isabelle gets involved with the one man who could destroy Spares, Fallon must decide between protecting his life’s work—or risking everything to save the woman whose warm smile leaves him breathless.

About Elizabeth Michels

Elizabeth Michels is the award-winning author of the Tricks of the Ton series and the new Spare Heirs series. She attended Park University where she graduated Magna Cum Laude with a BA in Interior Design.  This Historical Romance author enjoys living in a lake-side town in North Carolina with her husband and son. Elizabeth is a lover of happily-ever-afters, laughter, and things that are sparkly. Tiara optional while reading, but highly recommended. 

Connect: Website | Facebook | Twitter: @SouthernTart | Goodreads

Giveaway

One lucky winner will receive a book bundle containing all three books in each author’s latest series! 

Amy Sandas’ Fallen Ladies Series:
Luck Is No Lady
The Untouchable Earl
Lord of Lies

Elizabeth Michels’ Spare Heirs Series:
The Infamous Heir
The Rebel Heir
The Wicked Heir

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Read an excerpt from The Day of the Duchess by Sarah MacLean

The one woman he will never forget…

Malcolm Bevingstoke, Duke of Haven, has lived the last three years in self-imposed solitude, paying the price for a mistake he can never reverse and a love he lost forever. The dukedom does not wait, however, and Haven requires an heir, which means he must find himself a wife by summer’s end. There is only one problem—he already has one.

The one man she will never forgive…

After years in exile, Seraphina, Duchess of Haven, returns to London with a single goal—to reclaim the life she left and find happiness, unencumbered by the man who broke her heart. Haven offers her a deal; Sera can have her freedom, just as soon as she finds her replacement…which requires her to spend the summer in close quarters with the husband she does not want, but somehow cannot resist.

A love that neither can deny…

The duke has a single summer to woo his wife and convince her that, despite their broken past, he can give her forever, making every day...

Excerpt

Chapter 1

DESERTED DUKE DISAVOWED!

August 19, 1836

House of Lords, Parliament

She’d left him two years, seven months ago, exactly.

Malcolm Marcus Bevingstoke, Duke of Haven looked to the tiny wooden calendar wheels inlaid into the blotter on his desk in his private office above the House of Lords.

August the nineteenth, 1836. The last day of the parliamentary session, filled with pomp and idle. And lingering memory. He spun the wheel with the six embossed upon it. Five. Four. He took a deep breath.

Get out. He heard his own words, cold and angry with betrayal, echoing with quiet menace. Don’t ever return.

He touched the wheel again. August became July. May. March.

January the nineteenth, 1834. The day she left.

His fingers moved without thought, finding comfort in the familiar click of the wheels.

April the seventeenth, 1833.

The way I feel about you . . . Her words now—soft and full of temptation. I’ve never felt anything like this.

He hadn’t, either. As though light and breath and hope had flooded the room, filling all the dark spaces. Filling his lungs and heart. And all because of her.

Until he’d discovered the truth. The truth, which had mattered so much until it hadn’t mattered at all.

Where had she gone?

The clock in the corner of the room ticked and tocked, counting the seconds until Haven was due in his seat in the hallowed main chamber of the House of Lords, where men of higher purpose and passion had sat before him for generations. His fingers played the little calendar like a virtuoso, as though they’d done this dance a hundred times before. A thousand.

And they had.

March the first, 1833. The day they met.

So, they let simply anyone become a duke, do they? No deference. Teasing and charm and pure, unadulterated beauty.

If you think dukes are bad, imagine what they accept from duchesses?

That smile. As though she’d never met another man. As though she’d never wanted to. He’d been hers the moment he’d seen that smile. Before that. Imagine, indeed.

And then it had fallen apart. He’d lost everything, and then lost her. Or perhaps it had been the reverse. Or perhaps it was all the same.

Would there ever be a time when he stopped thinking of her? Ever a date that did not remind him of her? Of the time that had stretched like an eternity since she’d left?

Where had she gone?

The clock struck eleven, heavy chimes sounding in the room, echoed by a dozen others sounding down the long, oaken corridor beyond, summoning men of longstanding name to the duty that had been theirs before they drew breath.

Haven spun the calendar wheels with force, leaving them as they lay. November the thirty-seventh, 3842. A fine date—one on which he had absolutely no chance of thinking of her.

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About the Author

New York Times, Washington Post & USA Today bestseller Sarah MacLean is the author of historical romance novels that have been translated into more than twenty languages, and winner of back-to-back RITA Awards for best historical romance from the Romance Writers of America.

Sarah is a leading advocate for the romance genre, speaking widely on its place at the nexus of gender and cultural studies. She is the author of a monthly column celebrating the best of the genre for the Washington Post. Her work in support of romance and the women who read it earned her a place on Jezebel.com's Sheroes list of 2014 and led Entertainment Weekly to call her "gracefully furious." A graduate of Smith College & Harvard University, Sarah now lives in New York City with her husband and daughter.

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Read an excerpt from The Red by Tiffany Reisz

Mona Lisa St. James made a deathbed promise that she would do anything to save her mother's art gallery, The Red. Just as she realizes she has no choice but to sell it, a handsome stranger makes her an offer: He will save The Red if she submits to him for the period of one year. Surely her mother didn't mean for Mona to sell herself. Then again, she did promise to do anything to save The Red…

Excerpt

“Better?” Malcolm asked. She gave him a tired smile. He dipped the linen into the water again, pressed it to another welt where it quieted the screaming of her skin. For a long time, he ministered to her wounds. Not a single one was missed. She felt spoiled as an only child, treasured as a prized possession, doted on like a king’s most favored concubine. What magic was it, what sorcery that could turn an act of violence and pain into an act of adoration and affection? It was alchemy, the art of turning base things into gold.
 
“Would you give me permission to love you, sir?” she asked Malcolm.
 
“You may tonight,” he said, the slightest smile on his lips to show how secretly pleased he was. “You won’t love me next time I come to you, so enjoy it while you can.”
 
She laughed softly into the pillow. Hard to take such a threat seriously from a man who was using his own linen cravat to tend to her wounds.
 
“You only love me tonight because of the beating. You understand that, don’t you?” Before tonight, she would have said “no,” that made no sense, there was no logic to it.
 
He’d done something to her mind as well as to her body. By the end of her beating, she couldn’t tell the riding crop apart from his kindnesses. They were one and the same to her so that every strike of the crop was tender as a kiss and every word of tenderness made her crave the crop.
 
“Now I understand,” she said, because now she did.
 
When he’d finished with the water, he brought out a clear glass bottle of golden oil. It smelled like crushed wildflowers and warmed her skin even more as he rubbed it into her sore flesh. He massaged her entire body—back and legs, shoulders and arms—then bade her roll onto her back again so he could do the same to her front. He lingered long over her breasts, using both of his hands on each one. She gave herself up to his hands, let him mold her like clay. She had no will over her own body. She willed only that Malcolm’s will be done.
 
Malcolm slicked the warm oil all over her stomach and hips and thighs. He brought his hand between her legs and nudged her thighs open. 
 
“Do you have children?” she asked.
 
He laughed softly. “I have four fingers in you and you’re asking me if I have children. Do you think I’m checking to see if there’s room for one?”
 
She grinned broadly, too tired and aroused to laugh. “I only wondered,” she said.
 
“Does it matter to you?” he asked.
 
“I’m nosy. And you’re a mystery.”
 
“I have children, yes. Though not so young anymore.” 
 
“Do you love them?”
 
“I love them though they’ve disappointed me.”
 
“How so?”
 
“They’re...respectable,” he said. “Respectable and well-behaved. Good citizens of the realm. They’re boring. Except the youngest. He takes after me.” His words made her grin drunkenly. “Are you happy to know that?”
 
“I am,” she said. “Although...I don’t know why.”
 
“It’s the intimacy of captor and captive,” Malcolm. “There’s nothing like it.”
 
“Am I your captive?”
 
“You are tonight.” 

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About the Author

Tiffany Reisz is the international bestselling author of the Original Sinners series for Mira Books and Mills & Boon, including the RT Book Reviews Best Erotic Romance 2012 winner The Siren and the LAMBDA Literary Award-winning The King. Her novel The Saint won the Romance Writers of America RITA® for best Erotic Romance in 2015.

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Spotlight: Last Chance Cowboys: The Outlaw by Anna Schmidt

“‘Someone like me?’ Is that how you see me, Amanda? As someone people should fear?”

“I don’t know what to think,” she said. “One minute you seem so dangerous, and the next you’re sweet and caring and…”

He took a step closer, his eyes sweeping her face. “And which do you want me to be?” His voice was low; it sent shivers down her spine.

“Both,” she whispered, and lifted her face for a kiss.

Amanda Porterfield longs to experience real adventure. So when she’s offered a position in bustling Tucson, she leaps at the chance despite unknown dangers—dangers like the mysterious Seth Grover.

As an undercover detective working to stop a gang of outlaws, Seth can’t afford the distractions a woman like Amanda inspires. Yet when the fiercely intelligent beauty is thrust into the middle of a heist gone wrong, Seth will fight for a future that may never be theirs…even if it means risking everything he holds dear.

Excerpt

Amanda fought her attacker with all her might, ineffectually flailing away at him with both fists. Then, realizing her nails and teeth were better weapons, she raked his neck even as she bit down hard and got a mouth filled with the taste of her attacker’s leather glove for her trouble. She struggled to free herself from his solid, muscular body pinning hers to the ground by straddling her. She went completely still, hoping to surprise him, but he hauled her to her feet, leaving her hat in the dirt and her hair falling free of the pins she’d used to hide it under the crown of the Stetson.

She took some pride in the realization that she’d put up enough of a fight to leave the man breathless. On the other hand, he was practically “Amanda?” Seth Grover was breathing hard and staring down at her, one hand touching her breasts, which were heaving noticeably after the exertion of the fight.

“Explain yourself, Mr. Grover,” she demanded as she planted both hands flat on the solid wall of his chest and shoved him away. He let go, but the sound of fabric ripping told her he’d taken the top couple of buttons of the shirt with him. When she saw his eyes riveted on her exposed skin, she covered herself with crossed hands and felt heat race through her body. “Well?” she hissed, aware that they were standing outside and anyone might pass by or hear them.

“I thought…are you following me, Amanda?”

“Do not flatter yourself, Seth. Miss Jensen might keep tabs on you, but your comings and goings are of no interest to me whatsoever.” She dusted off the seat of her pants, then realized she’d once again exposed herself to him by letting go of her shirt front. “A gentleman would avert his eyes,” she said, “or at the very least offer a lady the cover of his coat.”

He chuckled. “Have to say I’m not much a gentleman, ma’am, but if you’re feeling a chill…” He shrugged out of his coat and draped it over her shoulders, allowing his hands to linger there until she stepped out of reach.

“Thank you.” She bent to retrieve her hat and slapped it against her thigh as she’d seen her father, brothers and the cowboys at the ranch do more times than she could count. The gesture made her feel tougher and taller at the same time. She shook her hair back from her face and planted on the hat, tugging at the brim until the fit was snug. “I’ll leave your coat outside your room. Good evening, Seth.”

“I’ll walk you back.” He fell into step beside her. “Shall we take the street or the alley?”

He was mocking her. She remained silent but picked up the pace.

“Oh, then we’re going to race back?” He matched her step for step, an easy feat given his long legs.

“Will you please…”

He took hold of her arm, forcing her to stop walking. “I am not leaving you alone, Amanda. You shouldn’t be out at this time of night.” His tone bordered on patronizing. He sounded like her brother Jess, and that irritated her.

“Why do you care?” she snapped and meant it to be a challenge, but found that she really wanted to him to tell her. “You hardly know me.”

He was still holding her upper arm. She could feel the heat of his fingers through the coat and realized that he’d removed the leather gloves. While she processed this thought, he led her to a small lane that passed between the pharmacy and the milliner’s shop. There he took hold of her other arm and pulled her closer.

She was sure he planned to kiss her. She was also sure that she had never wanted anything in her life quite as much as she wanted to find out what kissing Seth Grover might be like. Here at last was the true adventure she’d come to Tucson to find.

“Listen to me, Amanda. You’re looking for trouble, and I won’t always be around to make sure you don’t find it, so fair warning. You need to stop these midnight wanderings. You need to stop getting yourself dressed up to look like a boy. You need to…”

So, kissing her was clearly the last thing on his mind.

She wrenched herself free of his hold. Not that he fought to hold on. “I can take care of myself,” she muttered as she massaged her arms, wanting him to believe he had hurt her when in fact his touch had been firm but gentle.

“Really?”

“Really,” she snapped, and started to walk away.

He caught her hand, and then before she knew what was happening she was pressed up against the side of the building by the length of his body. He had his other hand over her mouth again—this time without his glove. His skin smelled like leather, though. She struggled and he tightened his hold on her. His face was so close she could feel his breath, hot against her cheeks.

“Wake up, Amanda. You are no longer residing on your family’s ranch where no doubt you had others looking out for you. You are alone here in Tucson, and you need to take care.”

Amanda had no idea what came over her. Maybe she just wanted him to stop telling her what she already knew. She cupped his face with her hands and kissed him.

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About the Author

Award-winning author ANNA SCHMIDT delights in creating stories where her characters must wrestle with the challenges of their times. Critics have consistently praised Schmidt for her ability to seamlessly integrate actual events with her fictional characters to produce strong tales of hope and love in the face of seemingly insurmountable obstacles. She resides in Wisconsin.

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Spotlight: Don't Let Him Go by Kay Harris

When a strict and careful corporate lawyer collides with a laid-back, risk-taking activist they find an unexpected, unexplainable, and possibly, an unemployment-risking kind of love. 

Candace Gleason is making all of her dreams come true. She passed the bar, landed a great job, and is making a killer salary as a corporate attorney. Everything seems to be working out perfectly. That is until she’s assigned to keep the boss’s petulant son out of trouble. 

Jack Morrison is the rebellious black sheep of a mighty real estate family. He runs a non-profit whose mission is to save poor people from evil corporations, like the one his own family owns. He is obnoxious, horrible, ridiculously charming, and insanely hot. He is the bane of Candace’s very existence. 

Candace has more to worry about than just keeping Jack from chaining himself to bulldozers, though. She has to keep him from locking up her heart, too.

This contemporary romance has a touch of sweet, a little-bit sexy, and a whole lot of fun. It does not have a cliffhanger and contains a perfect HEA!

‘Don’t Let Him Go’ is part of the three-book series ‘I Want Morrison.’ Each book in the series deals with a different Morrison sibling and each can be read as a stand-alone.

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About the Author

I am a college professor, former park ranger, and anthropologist. People observation is in my blood. I write contemporary romance novels that emphasize character development and dialogue. The situations my characters find themselves in might not be everyday, but they could happen.

I have always loved romance novels of all kinds, and I've been writing love stories since I was kid. It wasn't until I was approaching a very significant birthday that that I decided to write down some of those stories in full length novels.

The Love on Tour series is a coming together of my love of romance and my love of rock n' roll. In particular I am a fan of classic rock (which might be obvious if you read my books). The titles of the books in the series are actually the song titles from one particular artist. If you can guess which singer/songwriter it is you get a gold star!

I grew up in Michigan, have since lived all over the west, including Montana, Wyoming, Utah, Arizona, California, and Nevada. I love to hike, am obsessed with museums, and take my 6'5 husband on 'adventures' all over the West.

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