Spotlight: Joanna's Destiny by Karen J. Mossman

Struggling with the past, Joanna can’t forget the love she lost and the man who broke her heart. During the summer at a rock festival, Joanna meets him again. Niko is now an international rock star. Can they put the past behind them and rekindle the love they once had?

Mike stood by her when no one else did, but Niko still wants her. Joanna becomes entangled in a web of lies and deceit. Niko is the love of her life, but she cannot leave Mike in confusion and betrayal.

In Joanna’s Destiny, she has some fun times in France and mingles with the stars in Montreux. With a backdrop of music and fashion, emotions and friendships are tested. But her love for Niko never falters, showing that love can conquer all, but at what cost?

Excerpt

The After show Party

The doorway wasn’t crowded with photographers, and Joanna was relieved. They were shown into a vast ballroom highly decorated with coloured lighting, lanterns, streamers and balloons. Waiters wandered around with trays of champagne and canapés and tables filled with a variety of food and drink.

“Oh, wow,” enthused Kim, looking around. “This is quite something. Come on, let’s mingle.” Kim helped herself to some champagne from a passing waiter.

“You two go ahead,” said Joanna. “I’m going to find Niko.”

Lee Chapman, from Colour Me Purple, came over as Niko had introduced them at the concert. He was charming, but his broad Scottish accent made him difficult to understand. He, in turn, introduced her to Gary Faith, lead singer of the Faith Brothers. His Scouse accent reminded her of Brookside, the television programme set in Liverpool.

Joanna was utterly unaware of how beautiful she looked.

Gary Jones, who had been covering the event for the BBC was a native of Manchester, too.

“You chatting up my girl, Gary?” said Niko, his arm encircling Joanna’s waist.

“Yes, a fellow Mancunian!” he waved at someone and excused himself.

Niko kissed her forehead. “Honey, you look gorgeous, and everyone’s asking who you are.”

“Really?” Joanna smiled, her arms going around his waist. “Did you tell them I was with you?”

“Sure did.” Niko was looking particularly handsome wearing a smart jacket, a white collarless shirt, and dark turn-up trousers.

As the evening progressed, Joanna knew it would be one she would remember forever. It had the glitz, the sparkle and the atmosphere that made everything just perfect.

She giggled a lot and drank plenty of champagne. Niko introduced her to his friends, his arm fixed around her waist. She loved the attention, unaware how striking she and Niko appeared standing together. Occasionally he went off to talk to somebody, while she danced, chatted, or drank.

Niko kept appearing back by her side asking if was all right and whether she was having a good time. They danced and smooched together looking adoringly into each other’s eyes. People turned to watch and raised their eyebrows. Who was this girl who had seemingly caught the heart of Niko D’Angelo?

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About the Author

Karen J Mossman is a grandmother, but these days that is not as old as it sounds. A grandmother can be as young as thirty-two. 
Karen laughs, “It’s a long time since I was thirty two, but we are who we are, and I have two beautiful grandchildren and a third on the way, so being a grandmother is fine.”

Besides writing, Karen is an avid reader and book blogger. She also loves to cross stitch and is devoted to her Yorkshire Terrier, Tilly. Living on the small island of Anglesey, just off the north Wales coast, she has plenty of nearby beaches to walk with her dog and draw inspiration for stories in her head, which may, or may not come to fruition one day.

Back in 1980 Karen married the boy next door and 38 years later, it’s a decision she has never regretted! She has two grandchildren with a third due in October.

Connect: Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Tumblr | Goodreads | Google + 

Although Joanna’s Destiny is a standalone book. If you wanted to know what went on before, you can read Joanna’s Journey – myBook.to/JJ 

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Read an excerpt from Why Stars Chase the Sun by C. R. Ellis

Genre: Contemporary Romance

JADE

Twenty-four hours.

A no-strings-attached adventure with the most gorgeous man I’ve ever seen—this was my alcohol-slash-lust-fueled proposal, and given before I could consider the potential ramifications. While his looks alone are enough to make a girl swoon, it’s the rest of him—a perfect balance of mysterious, sweet, and effortlessly charming—that draws me in. Through his cryptic comments and half-answers, he’s quickly become an enigma I’m determined to solve.

One way or another, this adventure promises to snap the stagnant, lackluster pattern my love life has been locked in lately.

Is it naïve and a little reckless to think this won’t blow up in my face? Probably.

But the bigger question is the only one I need to answer…

Is the chance to soar among the stars worth the risk of being burned when the sun eventually rises?

EMMETT

Love is a mistake I won’t make again.

My rules are simple. Keep things surface-deep. Don’t make plans. And never, ever get attached.

One look at her is all it takes for me to break my first rule.

One conversation with her is all it takes for me to question everything.

Which means accepting her proposal is bound to be a mistake.

She has no idea who I am or what kind of demons I live with, so I tell myself there’s no harm in spending one day with her. But the more I lose myself in her, the more she brings me out of the darkness and into her light, the harder it’ll be to let her go.

When reality comes crashing down on us in the worst way possible, I have to decide between walking away…or risking everything for the woman who breaks all of my rules.

Excerpt

“Hi.” I smiled, coming to a stop next to her.

The scowl she was wearing melted away completely, and the breathtaking smile I’d missed spread across her lips. Her smile, and the warmth it gave off, was far more intoxicating than any alcohol I’d ever had.

“Hi, yourself,” she tossed back, shaking her head gently with disbelief. “Tell me, do you always stare at strangers at bars?” she asked in a light, teasing tone, reminding me of the question I’d asked her at the lake.

I shook my head. “Only strangers who have tried to take my head off.”

Her eyes flitted to the side of my forehead where the stick had landed. She laughed. “You’re really milking that tiny little bump, aren’t you?”

I shrugged. “You know, I think it’s only fair I know your name since you’ve already left your mark on me.” In more ways than one.

She pretended to weigh her options, torturing me for a few seconds before reaching out to offer me her hand. “Jade.”

“Emmett.” I tried not to think about how perfectly natural having her hand in mine felt, or how mesmerizing her green eyes were when they seared into mine.

“Emmett,” she repeated.

Hearing my name on her lips did stupid things to my gut, and I was back to feeling like some teenage idiot unable to control his hormones. “So, Jade, what brought you out here with such a grim expression?”

Her gaze swept past me to somewhere behind us. She sighed, sounding relieved, before bringing her eyes back to me. “I came with my friend, but she was, um, occupied. Some guy inside was being crude and inappropriate and wouldn’t leave me alone, so I came out here to get away. Sounds stupid now,” she added with a shrug.

I nodded in understanding and tried to temper the anger I felt when I thought about some guy being an asshole to her. Knowing there were guys out there who exhibited behavior of that nature infuriated me. I wanted to find the guy and be more than crude and inappropriate to him.

Jade was gorgeous, and I had absolutely no doubt she’d dealt with her fair share of assholes. “On behalf of my gender, let me apologize and assure you the rest of us hate guys like him as much as you do.”

She nodded and sipped her drink. “What about you? Why were you all broody and mysterious out here by yourself?”

Something told me because I followed you and was trying to decide if I could talk to you wasn’t the best answer. With a shrug, I ran my hands along the stubble on my jawline. “Mysterious, huh?” Knowing she’d been watching me too sent a jolt of pleasure through my limbs. “I came with friends as well, and we had a, uh, disagreement, so I just needed a little breathing room.” Vague, but not untrue. My jaw tensed just thinking about the conversation, a reminder of why I shouldn’t even have come up to her in the first place. And yet…here I was. I’m such a fucking idiot.

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About C.R. Ellis

C.R. Ellis is a Texas native who writes contemporary romance novels with plenty of drama and humor, and just enough heat to ignite e-readers and paperbacks everywhere. She can almost always be found attached to her laptop with coffee nearby and her two trusty canine sidekicks by her side. When she’s not writing or plotting, she enjoys going to concerts with her sweet husband, dragging him along to see rom-coms at any theater that serves booze, checking off the next destination on her ever-growing travel bucket list, and trying new recipes.

Her passion for writing stems from her lifelong love of reading, and she often binge-reads entire books in a day. She’s an unapologetic book hoarder, and her paperback collection is rivaled only by her massive shoe collection.

Connect with C.R. Ellis : Website | Facebook | Instagram

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Read an excerpt from When We Found Home by Susan Mallery

Life is meant to be savored, but that’s not easy with no family, limited prospects and a past you’d rather not talk about. Still, Callie Smith doesn’t know how to feel when she discovers she has a brother and a sister–Malcolm, who grew up with affection, wealth and privilege, and Keira, a streetwise twelve-year-old. Callie doesn’t love being alone, but at least it’s safe. Despite her trepidation, she moves into the grand family home with her siblings and grandfather on the shores of Lake Washington, hoping just maybe this will be the start of a whole new life.

But starting over can be messy. Callie and Keira fit in with each other, but not with their posh new lifestyle, leaving Malcolm feeling like the odd man out in his own home. He was clever enough to turn a sleepy Seattle mail-order food catalog into an online gourmet powerhouse, yet he can’t figure out how to help his new sisters feel secure. Becoming a family will take patience, humor, a little bit of wine and a whole lot of love. But love isn’t Malcolm’s strong suit…until a beautiful barista teaches him that an open heart, like the family table, can always make room for more.

In this emotional, funny and heartfelt story, Susan Mallery masterfully explores the definition of a modern family—blended by surprise, not by choice—and how those complicated relationships can add unexpected richness to life.

Excerpt

Delaney drove the handful of miles between her small condo and her father’s house. As she got closer to the house where she’d grown up, the streets became more and more familiar. She could point to restaurants, corner stores and the school and remember specific events. The park where she’d played softball. The movie theater where a boy had first held her hand. The deli where she and her dad had gone every Wednesday night to get takeout. Much of Seattle was changing but her old neighborhood had thus far been spared. She knew gentrification was coming but hoped it would hold off for a while. It was nice to know that some things didn’t change.

As she pulled onto her street, she slowed. Between the two stop signs there were about thirty homes. When she’d been a kid, she’d known the names of every family, had hung out at most of their houses. Her mother had died during childbirth so Delaney had never known her but that didn’t mean she’d grown up without maternal influence. Instead she’d had about thirty moms all looking out for her. Screwing up and getting away with it hadn’t been an option. There were too many watchful, caring sets of eyes.

She parked in front of her father’s house, her BMW out of place in the working-class neighborhood. For the thousandth time Delaney thought she should sell it and replace it with something more…ordinary. The four-wheel-drive sedan was a reminder of her old life. She’d been so proud when she’d bought it with her own money. Tim had wanted her to get something sensible—like a small SUV. That was a car for a growing family. They’d compromised, with her promising to sell the BMW when they got married and started having kids. Something that had never happened, she thought, stepping out of the car.

A minivan pulled up next to her. Delaney smiled when she recognized her friend.

“Hey, you,” she called, stepping close to the vehicle.

Chelsea, a pretty brunette with her hair pulled back in a ponytail, grinned at her. “You here to see your dad?”

“I am. How’s it going with you?”

“Busy!” She nodded at the infant and toddler, both in their car seats behind her. “We have a doctor’s appointment and I’m running late. I can’t remember the last time I showered and the in-laws are coming over tonight. It’s card night.” She sighed. “We have to get together and catch up. Say yes like you mean it.”

“I do mean it,” Delaney told her.

Chelsea rolled up her window and waved as she headed down the street.

Delaney watched her go. A few years ago, she had assumed she would be living a life just like Chelsea’s herself. Married with a couple of kids, in-laws dropping by on a regular basis. Tim had talked about it all the time—what they would name their kids, what kind of tent camper they would buy and where they would drive to on their vacations. His dreams had all been the kind most people could relate to—getting married, having a family, putting his kids through college and living in the same house until he was too old to manage the stairs.

She’d wanted those dreams, too. Had told herself she would be happy when it finally happened. Only she’d been the one to take a different path from everyone she knew. First getting her college degree in finance, then taking a job at Boeing. She’d moved up in the company, had moved away from the neighborhood—only a few miles, but still a world away. She’d been the one to buy a condo on her own, and the BMW. Her dreams had been bigger than Tim’s. Now, nearly eighteen months after his death, she wondered if he’d realized that and, if he had, what he’d thought about it.

She circled her car and opened the passenger door. The tiny kitten was asleep in the cardboard carrier the veterinary office had given her. The vet had guessed the kitten to be nine or ten weeks old. Weaned, but still a baby. Underweight, female and uninjured. His guess had been that she’d been abandoned. The staff had fed her after they’d checked her out and now she was sleeping off her feast.

“You’re going to need a name,” Delaney murmured. Picking one out would be fun for Keira, and a distraction from the pain of her recovery. She might not have any serious injuries, but she was going to be sore for a while.

Delaney carried the sleeping kitten up to the front door. The house had been built back in the 1940s, but modernized over the years. A ramp led from the driveway to the front door. Delaney took the stairs, then glanced at the specially modified van parked by the ramp. Her dad had come a long way, she thought, grateful for his recovery. She knocked once, then let herself in the unlocked front door.

“Hi,” she called. “It’s me.”

“Hi, pumpkin,” her dad called. “We’re back here.”

Back here meant the kitchen, Delaney thought with a smile. Because that was where everyone always was in this house.

The kitchen was large and open, more great room than just a space to prepare meals. There was a big table in the middle, a wood-burning fireplace in the corner and a couple of worn sofas by the back windows. On the opposite wall were the cabinets, the stove and a large island.

When her father saw her, he grinned and wheeled toward her. “How’s my best girl?”

Phil Holbrook was a broad-shouldered, well-muscled man in his midfifties. Despite his inability to walk, he kept himself in shape and never let on that he found his wheelchair a problem.

“I’m good, Dad.” She leaned over to hug him, then handed him the carrier. “This is the unexpected little friend I mentioned.”

Beryl, a petite blonde two years older than Phil, came out from around the island and took the carrier. “Oh, she’s precious. How old is she?”

“The vet thinks nine or ten weeks. She was probably abandoned.”

Beryl looked at Phil. “Oh, honey, a homeless kitten.”

“No,” Phil said mildly. “We’re not getting a kitten. This one already has a home.”

“But what about another homeless kitten?”

“We’re going to start traveling. We’ve got that European cruise booked for September. What would we do with a cat?”

Beryl looked pleadingly at Delaney. “Maybe you could keep her.”

“Oh, I’m so staying out of this,” she said with a laugh.

“Travel,” Phil said mildly. “Lots and lots of travel.”

Beryl mock pouted. “I hate it when you’re sensible.”

“No, you don’t.”

She lightly kissed him. “No, I don’t.”

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About the Author

#1 NYT bestselling author Susan Mallery writes heartwarming, humorous novels about the relationships that define our lives-family, friendship, romance. She’s known for putting nuanced characters in emotional situations that surprise readers to laughter. Beloved by millions, her books have been translated into 28 languages.Susan lives in Washington with her husband, two cats, and a small poodle with delusions of grandeur. Visit her at SusanMallery.com.

Connect: Website | Facebook | Twitter

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Spotlight: Ain't Doin' It by Lani Lynn Vale

Coke Solomon has lived a full life.

He’s a retired army drill sergeant, so he is more than used to getting his way.

And if he can’t have his way?
Well, let’s just say that’s never happened before…

At least not until Cora Maldonado walks into his life, demanding he fall in line, or she’ll find a way to make his life hell.

He finds out fast that Cora marches to the beat of her own drum, and a lot of times that drum takes her farther away rather than closer to where he feels she needs to be.

He can’t stand it.

He wants her, and he has to have her.

It doesn’t matter what she’s twenty years younger than him, and has a father that would rather see him dead than have his baby girl anywhere near him. Nor does it matter that his ex-wife is highly offended that she’s been replaced with a much younger woman.

Despite the odds stacking against them, he’ll fight for what he wants.
His ex-wife, her father, and their age difference be damned.

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About Lani Lynn Vale

Lani Lynn Vale is a USA Today Bestselling Author of over thirty titles.  She is married with three children, two dogs, two cats, a donkey, and a couple (a couple also meaning over twenty) chickens.

When she’s not writing, you can find her curled up in her favorite chair reading.

Lani is married with three children, and lives in the Great State of Texas.

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Spotlight: Strong Hold by Sarah Castille

“Shayla?”

For the longest moment Zack’s brain couldn’t process the sight in front of him.

Seven years, ten months and twenty-seven days. That was how long it had been since he’d seen her. That was how long it had been since he’d lived a life without regret.

Fight promoter Zack Grayson is on the prowl for a rising star. As the top recruiter of a prestigious MMA promotion company, he wants to take someone where he will never be able to go again: the top of the professional league. He didn’t expect that someone to be the woman he loved…and left.

Top-ranked MMA amateur fighter Shayla “Shilla the Killa” Tanner built walls around her heart when Zack left her seven years ago—and again when her husband turned violent. Now, seeing Zack is nearly enough to send those walls crumbling. But she can’t risk the exposure of the limelight, and she definitely can’t risk another heartbreak.

As Shayla and Zack grow closer, though, business turns personal. And once their passion unleashes, there’s no going back…

Excerpt

“Shayla?”

For the longest moment, Zack’s brain couldn’t process the sight in front of him.

Seven years, ten months, and twenty-seven days. That was how long it had been since he’d seen her. That was how long it had been since he’d lived a life without regret.

He felt a dangerous heating of his blood as he stared at the woman in his arms. Her slim, lean, graceful dancer’s body was now powerful and strong, but the classic beauty of her oval face shone through the mask of bruises. Her eyes were still the dark blue of the violets he’d picked for her when she turned thirteen, and her beautiful long hair was shorter and tied into a ponytail that swung behind her.

His gaze dropped to her ripped shirt and torn, black leggings. No wonder he hadn’t recognized her right away. She was supposed to be fangirling Nureyev, not Nirvana.

“What are you doing here?” His hands tightened around her waist as he tried to control his emotions. He hadn’t ripped his heart out of his chest and walked away so Shayla could wind up bruised and beaten in an MMA gym in the worst part of Oakland.

And married. He had almost forgotten that only a year after they’d split up, she had married another man.

“I train here.”

She tried to pull away, but Zack firmed his grip. He’d let her go once, and he’d regretted it every single day of his life. He wanted answers, and he wanted them now.

“Why aren’t you dancing?” he demanded. He’d followed her ballet career until he’d won his first amateur title belt and MEFC had come calling with an invitation to the pros. With his belt in one hand, a contract in the other, and his worth now splashed on screens and magazines across the globe, he’d gone to New York to find her, only to discover she was with someone else.

Shayla bristled. “Because I’m not.”

“That’s not an answer.” He instantly regretted his abrupt tone. Although he’d thought nothing could hurt more than discovering he had been so quickly and easily replaced, the death of Tadashi “the Mountain” Okami had left him emotionally scarred and quick to anger.

“That’s all you’re going to get.” She twisted away and he released her, caught in a maelstrom of emotion. It was almost too much to take in. Shayla. Redemption. Her drastic career change. And the hostility he had never expected to face. He had given her everything. Sacrificed everything. He had left her to make himself worthy. He had set her free so she could fly.

“Shay…” He breathed in a lungful of her scent, his stomach doing a strange twist at the familiar fragrance of wildflowers.

“Leave me alone.”

“I just want to talk.”

Pain flickered across her beautiful face. “You’re seven years too late.”

“Give me a chance to explain.”

“I don’t care, Zack. It’s all in the past. I’ve moved on and so should you.”

“You don’t mean that.”

“Don’t tell me what I mean.” Her eyes glittered, brittle and hard. “You don’t know me. Not anymore.”

He felt her words like a knife in the chest. He had known Shay better than he had known himself. He knew what moved her and what made her smile. He knew it was harder for her to give up candy than it was to dance until her feet bled. He knew she was strong, brave, compassionate, and fearless. He knew she loved him so much, she would never leave him, even if it meant giving up her dreams.

“Shay…” He trailed off, suddenly aware of all the eyes on them, the slight sway of bodies as people leaned in to hear. If he could just get her alone… “Let’s take this somewhere private.” He grasped her hand, intending to lead her away.

“Don’t touch me.” She slapped him, the sound of flesh on flesh echoing through the gym.

“What the hell was that?” He didn’t feel physical pain from her blow—he’d suffered much worse in the ring—but her very public show of anger stung both his pride and his hope that after so many years, he might be forgiven.

She looked back over her shoulder as she walked toward the door. “That’s the ‘fuck off’ I never got to say.”

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Cover Reveal: In Too Deep by Dani Collins

In Too Deep
Dani Collins
(Blue Spruce Lodge #3)
Publication date: August 7th 2018
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance

The family he didn’t know he needed…

At her wit’s end with her twelve-year-old niece, Wren Snow takes the manager’s job at Blue Spruce Lodge so Sky can get to know her father, Trigg Johanssen—a tycoon snowboarder with a playboy reputation.

Gold-medalist Trigg Johanssen is furious she kept Sky a secret, but quits competition to focus on his newly discovered daughter only to have his chemistry with Wren complicate their attempts to co-parent.

When outside forces threaten the ski resort he’s rebuilding, a marriage of convenience seems like the answer. It would give his daughter the life she deserves, but is it too much for a heartbroken woman still nursing past hurts?

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Author Bio:

USA Today Bestselling author, winner of 2013 Reviewer’s Choice Award from Romantic Times Book Reviews

Before making my first sale to Harlequin Mills & Boon in 2012, I spent two decades writing and submitting to every publisher with a transom while holding down a day job and raising a family with my high school sweet heart. Since then, I’ve gone to contract on over thirty books.

While Harlequin Presents remains my first love, I also write romantic comedy, medieval fantasy romance, erotic romance, and small town contemporary romance for Tule Publishing’s Montana Born. In fact, I write just about anything, so long as it’s romance. P.S. I’m also Canadian.

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