Spotlight: Just One Spark by Jenna Bayley

/

Hannah Daniels reads steamy romance novels to forget her last trip on the love roller coaster shredded her heart and tossed it like confetti. Her instincts about men stink, but at work they’re on point. Only her busy schedule means she reads whenever she can make time. Like at the laundromat while sitting on top of a washing machine. Don’t judge.

Firefighter Mason McNally has searched his whole life for a woman who stirs his soul. When he finds her, she’s nose-deep in a racy paperback atop a vibrating washer. Her beauty, boldness, and raw sensuality ignite his interest. But there’s a problem. He’s forgotten he’s wearing a wedding ring.

No amount of hasty explanations that it’s for his brother’s psychology experiment convinces her to give him a chance. But he’s rushed into fiery situations before, and this woman is totally worth the risk. He’ll just have to prove to her that first impressions can be wrong and their spark of attraction is oh so right.

Excerpt

Wide-eyed, Hannah looked up at him. He reached out as if in a dream, tucked his fingers underneath her chin, and angled her mouth up to accept his. He brushed his lips softly against hers, wondering if she’d resist him. Her eyelids drifted closed, and he let himself taste her. Gently, he kissed her, fighting the urge to push and plunder. She crept her hands up his body and flattened her palms against his chest, resting them there for a second before she firmly pushed him away.

As her heavily fringed lids fluttered open, she said, “I don’t know you. You have no right to kiss me.”

Cocking his head to the side, he wondered if she was more upset that he’d kissed her, or that he’d stopped. From the way her chest hitched with every breath, he’d bet his paycheck on the latter. Still, she denied the attraction.

“That was not a kiss.”

“Excuse me? I know when I’ve been kissed,” she said breathily.

“This is a kiss.” Mason reached for her and molded his hands on either side of her creamy oval face. Energy pulsed through him as he pressed his lips to hers. He had one chance to assault her senses the way she did to him with just her presence. A physical expression of just how she made him feel. No softness this time, no holding back.

He pressed his body against hers, his lips firm where hers were pliant. He swallowed her moan as she parted her lips, allowing him inside. His head rushed with the refreshing minty taste of her. He seduced her with the kiss. Caressing. Nipping. Inviting. Taking.

When she ran her fingers through his hair, he relaxed his grip. Reluctantly, he pulled away and gazed at her expression, eyes closed, lips still parted. He grinned down at her as her eyes flickered open, the dichotomy of a single blue and a single green eye studying him intently. Derek was an idiot with his ideas about symmetry. The play of the two colors against each other was amazingly sexy.

“That was a kiss,” she whispered, licking her lips.

Buy on Amazon | Barnes and Noble

About Jenna Bayley-Burke

Jenna Bayley-Burke is known for her fun, sexy romance novels, baking banana bread and over volunteering. She thinks she has the best jobs in the world: mother, wife, and author. When she’s not lost in her latest story, she can be found pursuing whatever hobby her characters are enamored with: photography, yoga, planning, traveling, crafts and cooking up a storm.

Keep up with Jenna online: Newsletter  • Website • Facebook • Twitter  • Pinterest  • Blog

Spotlight: Back in the Rancher's Arms by Elsie Davis

/

Dylan Hunter has always loved the girl next door. Part of loving her meant making sure she left their small town to study to become a veterinarian. He just never expected it to take this long for her to come home. His hands are full raising his younger brother and bringing his ranch through the drought, but one look at Kayla and his feelings are back full force.

Kayla Anderson’s not prepared to see the guy who broke her heart in high school again, but she can’t get out of returning home to be maid of honor at her cousin’s wedding. She’s determined to have fun and celebrate the special day, despite the fact Dylan is her family’s closest neighbor and the best man, and get the heck back out of Dodge.

But Dylan already lost the woman he loved once. This time, he’s determined to win her back...

Excerpt

“And now if we could get the maid of honor, the best man, and the rest of the wedding party to join the bride and groom on the dance floor, we’ll kick off this shindig.”

Dylan crossed the room to her side. “May I have this dance?” He held out his arm.

“Yes.” She laid her hand gently across his forearm.

Dylan led her to the far side of the dance floor. “I’m sorry about earlier.” He pulled her tightly against his chest, one arm looped around her back, the other holding her hand out to lead her in a waltz.

“I don’t want to discuss it,” she said, trying to hold her body stiff against his.

“What do you want to talk about?”

“Let’s not talk.”

“Darling, we’ve done enough of that for five years. Don’t you think it’s time for a change? Besides, I don’t think you’re as immune to me as you claim to be.”

Weddings were hell on a person’s emotions, and being in Dylan’s arms made it worse, but him calling her darling, well, that was over the top. His hand dropped to her waist, the contact burning through the thin layers of material that separated his hand from her skin.

“I don’t know. Things are good the way they are. Why change it now?”

Kayla scanned the room as Dylan spun her around the dance floor. Anything other than looking up at Dylan and getting lost in the temptation his chocolate eyes offered.

“Are you happy in the city?” His question caught her off-guard.

“Wow. Where did that come from?” She tried to dodge the bullet.

“Answer the question. Are you happy?” he persisted.

How could she answer if she didn’t know herself? Before she’d come to visit, the answer would have been easy. Time and being back home had changed her perspective about a lot of things. A lot of things except Dylan. He’d gotten older and possibly more charming, but nothing could change the past.

“Yes.” It was the safest answer.

The city offered her the fun and excitement she’d originally longed for, but once the newness had worn off, she’d realized a lot of the people there were going through the motions of living, hopping from one party to the next, one event to the next, one dinner out to the next. There was always something going on, and people never stopped to get off the carousel and look around. To breathe.

She’d already considered moving home, but there was simply too much history in Riverbend, which is why she’d accepted the partnership offer.

“Have you ever thought of coming home?” he asked. It was like he could read her mind.

“Houston is my home now. I like it there.”

He pulled her in closer. “And I like you here.”

His words caused her to stumble. Here in Riverbend or here in his arms? Either way, his statement confused her.

She ignored his last words. “Why do you think Sophia and Ethan did this to us?” she asked bluntly. It wasn’t a big secret she didn’t want anything to do with Dylan.

“What makes you think it was planned?” he asked.

“They both know how things stand between us.”

“Maybe they’re trying to rewrite the ending.” He pulled back to smile down at her.

“You think they’re playing matchmaker? That’s crazy.”

“Is it?” He pulled her back in close, keeping her emotionally off-balance.

“What things?”

“Things. Like if you stick around a while, you might be surprised what you learn.” He spoke the words like a lover imparting a secret.

Buy on Amazon | Barnes and Noble

About Elsie Davis

At the age of twelve Elsie Davis discovered Barbara Cartland, the Queen of Romance, and has been hooked ever since. While three daughters, four grandchildren and her own hero husband keep her busy, she still manages to write full-time from her mountain-top log home. 
Elsie loves cruising, birding, kayaking, camping, fishing, wildlife, disc golf and nature walks; basically, being outdoors EXCEPT in the cold weather.
Indoors, she enjoys a warm fire, a glass of red wine, a romantic comedy movie or a great romance, as long as they are a guaranteed Happily Ever After.
She is an award-winning author and an active member of RWA and KOD.

Connect: Website | Twitter: @elsiedavishea

Spotlight: Notes of Magic by Jessica Bucher

/

Enchanted city. Old magic. New threat.

Taq, a young fiddler, comes to Prague with dreams of joining the Bohemians—a band of immortal, magic-wielding street performers. With a mission to right past wrongs, things don’t go as planned when he meets the beautiful performer, Katia. Now, he must decide if revealing his secret is worth losing her heart.

Katia has spent one hundred years chained to the city, broken-hearted and silent,

waiting for her chance to be free. But with an impending threat on Bohemia itself and a mysterious newcomer, peace is starting look farther than ever. Now she must decide if she should trust Taq or put her faith in the one who broke her heart—the tyrannical Magistrate of Bohemia.

Curses can be broken, but at what cost?

Buy on Amazon | Barnes and Noble

About the Author

Jessica Bucher is a Young Adult author living in Texas with her husband and children. Her first book, The Hereafter, was published in 2016. When she’s not writing, editing, or chasing her kids, she can be found scrolling through Facebook or planning her next travel adventure.

Connect: Website • Twitter • Facebook • Goodreads

Spotlight: The Earl in My Bed by Stacy Reid

/

For years, Daphne Wentworth, Countess Carrington has loved her powerful, enigmatic husband, despite the fact that they married under less than ideal circumstances. But no more. Finally at her breaking point, Daphne intends to create a scandal so big, her austere husband will have no choice but to divorce her. Except everything goes awry when he surprises her with the last thing she expected.
 
Sylvester Wentworth, Earl of Carrington, has returned to London for one reason—to seduce his wife. After a near-death experience, he is in need of an heir and means to make his marriage a real one. To his shock, though, his wicked, beautiful countess wants the exact opposite, and he must now do everything possible to entice his countess to stay forever.

Excerpt

Sylvester prowled over to her until she had to tilt her head back to meet his gaze. She blinked when he took the glass and set it on his desk and then returned to her. He cupped her cheek with one of his palms. 

“My lord?” Daphne stared at him, alarm coursing through her veins. He’d never held her with such intimacy before. 

She was unnerved by the rather intense look in his eyes. Anger warred with fascination, and she shot a glare at her glass on the desk. Was she already tipsy? That could be the only excuse to even be slightly captivated. What was happening? 

He dragged her up against him, one hand curving to the swell of her hips. Her skin prickled with a depth of awareness that shocked her into rigidity. He smoothed a thumb along the curve of her lower lip. She let out a gasp when he pulled her hair pins out and the weight of her tresses tumbled to her shoulders.
“What are you doing?” she asked shakily. 

He made no reply. Instead, the wretched man pressed his mouth to hers. They stilled, and her lips trembled against his. He had never kissed her before. They stood like that for what felt like forever, and she slowly became aware that his heart was pounding beneath the palm she had placed on his chest in denial. Her eyes that had instinctively closed flew open. 

Oh! He was staring at her, and in the depth of his gaze, she spied surprise and desire so powerful her entire body quaked.

His lips moved, the stroke of his tongue against the closed seam of her lips tender, persuasive, arousing. Somewhere in the hazy back recesses of her mind, she hated her weakness for his touch. He coaxed her lips apart, and with a muffled gasp she submitted, her eyes fluttering closed. Sylvester grew more demanding, and she parted her lips farther, allowing him greater exploration. She made another incoherent sound. His tongue stroked against hers, and she jolted at the shocking and delightful intimacy. Daphne had not known a kiss could be like this, as if they were consuming the essence of each other. 

Her husband was unyielding in his advances, and he kissed her over and over with devastating expertise. Something unknown was happening, and she felt panicked. An unbearable heat was twisting through her, and the sensations were too wonderful. She attempted gathering her senses, but his sensual assault did not abate, drowning away the protest before it fully formed.

Buy on Amazon | Barnes and Noble

About the Author

Stacy is an avid reader of novels with a deep passion for writing. She especially loves romance and adores writing about people falling in love. Stacy lives a lot in the worlds she creates and actively speaks to her characters (out loud). She has a warrior way, never give up on her dreams. When Stacy is not writing, she spends a copious amount of time drooling over Rick Grimes from Walking Dead, watching Japanese anime and playing video games with her love.

Connect: Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

Spotlight: All the Wrong Reasons by Olivia Hardin

/

She's on the edge. He may be the only thing that can keep her from falling.
 
Geneva Rawley is broken. All of her hopes and dreams for a future ended the night the only man who ever loved her was killed in a tragic car accident. And it was completely her fault. The guilt of what happened is a burden that is slowly suffocating her, and finding relief in a bottle seems her only solution... until she meets Rhys.
 
Rhys Connor knows addiction, and he knows brokenness. He’s been down that road, and he knows that it’s nothing short of a miracle that he found his way back from it. That’s why he’s spent the last several years helping to rescue others from that precipice. When an AA buddy asks him to talk to his struggling cousin, he feels more than up to the task. But the moment Rhys lays eyes on Geneva, he knows she's the one he's been waiting his whole life to find.
 
Can one broken soul save another from destroying herself, or will they both go down in flames?
 
Meet the Rawleys. A series of stand-alone romances, each following a different couple in this saga of life, love, family, and friends...

Buy on Amazon | Barnes and Noble

About the Author

When Olivia Hardin started having movie-like dreams in her teens, she had no choice but to begin putting them to paper. Before long, the writing bug had bitten her, and she knew she wanted to be a published author. Several rejections plus a little bit of life later, she was temporarily “cured” of the urge to write. That is until she met a group of talented and fabulous writers who gave her the direction and encouragement she needed to get lost in the words again.
 
In November 2011 Olivia sent her first novel, Witch Way Bends, out into the world; and to date, she has over fifteen novels and short stories available both in print and digital.

To find out more about Olivia Hardin  you can visit her at: Website | Facebook | Goodreads | Twitter
 

Read an excerpt from Disgrace by Bethany-Kris

/

Publication Date: April 2018
Genres: Adult, Romantic Suspense, Organized Crime. Erotic Romance

Siena Calabrese is no longer the prized daughter of la famiglia. Her transgressions against her brothers and family have stained more than just her reputation. Her best chance at keeping breath in her lungs would be to sit down and shut up like she was taught to do. She definitely shouldn’t be feeding information to her family’s enemies. And yet, she is still willing to risk it all for a chance at forever with Johnathan Marcello. After everything, how could she not?

The disgraced one …

Johnathan Marcello’s life and secrets have now been put on display for everyone to see. There’s no hiding the things he’s tried to keep hidden, but maybe that’s the best thing that could have happened. Now he’s about to walk straight into a war between rival mafia families, and he’s got choices to make. His love is on one side, he’s on the other, and everybody is playing for keeps. He’ll play the game just as dirty as anyone else to get what he wants, even to the detriment of himself. For her, how could he not?

The shamed one …

It’s time that the forgotten king takes back his throne. It’s already been too long since it was taken from him.

But when has anything in this life been easy?

Excerpt

“It is a little concerning that she’s here,” another man put in.

“She was here for me,” John snapped over his shoulder. “She didn’t leave my room all day yesterday, or last night. She was kept company by several people while she waited for me. And if you have a fucking problem with who I involve myself with, then you can bring that issue to me.”

“John makes a valid point,” Giovanni said, stepping in between the men. “And right now, the important topic is not who is involved with who, but what we need to do next to lock this family down, and protect anyone who needs protection.”

“And what, ignore the fact he’s sleeping with one of the goddamn snakes?” Nathan asked.

Jesus.

John had done so well.

He hadn’t let his anger or frustration overwhelm him for a long damn while. His new med regime really helped with the sometimes heavy swings of emotions that he experienced. At the very least, it gave him some time to think shit over before he outright reacted to something. But sometimes, shit just could not be helped.

This was one of those times.

Rage swelled through John like a fucking tsunami coming to destroy hallowed ground. Rage was often his favorite emotion as it was the easiest to understand, and to feel. It certainly wasn’t the easiest to control, but he wasn’t concerned about that at the moment. He had other things to handle.

He swung around, despite seeing the warning flash in his uncle’s eyes, and took aim at the idiot who smirked at him.

Good.

Wiping that off would be greatly satisfying.

John reared back, and let his fist crash into the face of the Capo. He didn’t hold back for a second, and he put every bit of his weight behind the punch. He swore Nathan’s nose broke under the impact as the man’s bones flattened with a sickening crunch damn near instantly. That sound was quite satisfying, really.

Blood poured.

Someone swore.

Someone else moved closer.

“John,” he heard his uncle warn.

John didn’t need anybody to step in. He knew exactly what he was doing, he was perfectly in control, and he had this shit handled.

He had himself handled.

John pulled back, stood straight once more, and fixed his fucking jacket. Another time—another day in his life or another person he disliked a little bit more than Nathan—and he might have beat the guy to a bloody pulp because he couldn’t fucking control himself, and it would have felt divine.

Today was not that day.

John only needed the one hit to make his fucking point clear. He looked over Nathan as the man covered his broken, bleeding nose with one hand, and nodded when the Capo glanced up at him. Bleeding and holding onto his face, Nathan muttered a garbled apology when John cocked his brow at the man.

He hadn’t even needed to ask.

The Capo just knew.

So was their life.

Pointing a finger at him, John said, “And you fucking remember how this shit went down the next time you put Siena’s name in your goddamn mouth, too.”

Turning fast on his heel, John looked to his uncle. What had been concern and a warning in Gio’s eyes before was now only a slight amusement, and shit, maybe even pride. It was hard to tell with Gio sometimes. His mind was all over the place, and really, he was usually the first man in their family to step out of line when it came to rules and whatever else.

John figured he was good to go. And even if he wasn’t, that one punch had been worth it, all things considered.  

“We don’t assault other made men,” Gio said quietly.

“Let him act that way toward your wife, then.”

Gio raised a brow. “Siena is not your wife, John. Therein lies the difference, and you’re quite aware of that.”

Yet.

She was not his wife yet.

John didn’t say that out loud, only shrugged. “I said what I said.”

“Can we finish our discussion, now?”

“Sure,” John murmured, “but somebody might want to get Nathan a towel. He’s ruining the rug, and that’s a damn shame.”

Buy on Amazon | Barnes and Noble

About Bethany-Kris

Bethany-Kris is a Canadian author, lover of much, and mother to four young sons, one cat, and two dogs. A small town in Eastern Canada where she was born and raised is where she has always called home. With her boys under her feet, snuggling cat, barking dogs, and a hubby calling over his shoulder, she is nearly always writing something … when she can find the time.

To keep up-to-date with new releases from Bethany-Kris, sign up to her New Release Newsletter here: http://eepurl.com/bf9lzD

Connect: Website • Blog •  Twitter • Facebook • Goodreads •  Pinterest • Mailing List