Spotlight: Calamity by Lexi Barr

Calamity

Beautiful Destruction Series, Book 1 by Lexi Barr Publication Date: December 13, 2018 Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance

Purchase: Amazon

The first night our eyes met, my life was flipped upside down. After a celebration with my best friend that resulted with a vicious attack, I was left questioning my very identity. Who was Luna Russo, and why did I feel like such an intruder in her body? The new life I built around what remained of myself began to crumble when a stranger walked through the door of my bakery. A man who knew all of my secrets. A man who reminded me of a painful night I’d rather forget. And despite every ounce of my being warning me against it, I found myself trusting this man, believing in him. With a heartbreaking past of his own, could love triumph even in the darkest of places?

About Lexi Barr

Lexi Barr is a debut contemporary romance author who writes heartbreakingly real characters dealing with tough situations. Her books are not written for the faint of heart. She lives in a mitten with her husband, two wild dogs, and vocal cat. When she isn’t writing, you can find her watching The Office for the trillionth time, sipping chocolate milk, and being inspired by other amazing authors.

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Spotlight: Not the Duke's Darling by Elizabeth Hoyt

New York Times bestselling author Elizabeth Hoyt brings us the first book in her sexy and sensual Greycourt Series!

Freya de Moray is many things: a member of the secret order of Wise Women, the daughter of disgraced nobility, and a chaperone living under an assumed name. What she is not is forgiving. So when the Duke of Harlowe, the man who destroyed her brother and led to the downfall of her family, appears at the country house party she’s attending, she does what any Wise Woman would do: she starts planning her revenge.

Christopher Renshaw, the Duke of Harlowe, is being blackmailed. Intent on keeping his secrets safe, he agrees to attend a house party where he will put an end to this coercion once and for all. Until he recognizes Freya, masquerading among the party revelers, and realizes his troubles have just begun. Freya knows all about his sins-sins he’d much rather forget. But she’s also fiery, bold, and sensuous-a temptation he can’t resist. When it becomes clear Freya is in grave danger, he’ll risk everything to keep her safe. But first, he will have to earn Freya’s trust…by whatever means necessary.

Features a bonus novella from New York Times bestselling author Grace Burrowes!

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About the Author

Elizabeth Hoyt is the New York Times bestselling author of over seventeen lush historical romances including the Maiden Lane series. Publishers Weekly has called her writing “mesmerizing.” She also pens deliciously fun contemporary romances under the name Julia Harper. Elizabeth lives in Minneapolis, Minnesota, with three untrained dogs, a garden in constant need of weeding, and the long-suffering Mr. Hoyt.

Spotlight: Highlander Ever After by Paula Quinn

From New York Times bestselling author Paula Quinn comes a sweeping Scottish historical romance between a dashing MacGregor highlander and his English bride.

They tried to resist a marriage of convenience . . .
As the clan chief’s son, Adam MacGregor is duty-bound to marry a royal heir. Yet when he meets his bride—a beautiful but haughty young lass who thinks he is nothing more than a common savage—he realizes she’s more than he bargained for. But the more Adam gets to know his new wife, the more intent he is on proving her wrong about him.

But can they resist each other?
Sina de Arenberg wants nothing to do with the unsavory MacGregors, especially the fierce Highlander she now calls husband. But the more time she spends with the man she married, the more she sees his honor and courage. Just when she thinks there might be a future for her and Adam, Sina is called back to court. England isn’t the place she remembers, though, and soon she’ll be forced to choose between the life she once knew, and the Highlander who has captured her heart.

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About the Author

New York Times bestselling author Paula Quinn lives in New York with her three beautiful children, three over-protective chihuahuas, and a loud umbrella cockatoo. She loves to read romance and science fiction and has been writing since she was eleven. She loves all things medieval, but it is her love for Scotland that pulls at her heartstrings.

Cover Reveal: Privileged by Bethany Kris

PRIVILEGE

by Bethany-Kris Renzo + Lucia , #1 Publication Date: January 7, 2019 Genres: Adult, Romantic Suspense, Organized Crime. Erotic Romance

Cover Reveal Credits: London Miller

SYNOPSIS

They didn’t come from the same world …

Born rich to a family of mafia royalty, Lucia Marcello was already destined to succeed. She wanted for absolutely nothing, until she met him.

Born poor to parents who never cared, Renzo Zulla was already destined to fail. He has struggled for absolutely everything, but she’ll prove to be his biggest fight yet.

She’s high society from the upscale suburbs. He’s a drug dealer from New York’s slums.

They just weren’t meant to be … until they were.

What would it take to change a life—an entire perspective? All the things you thought you knew and wanted?

For them, it took thirty-six days. And the privilege of meeting each other.

They shouldn’t be. They don’t fit. Love doesn’t care.

Note: Privilege is book one in a three-book trilogy following the same couple.

EXCLUSIVE REVEAL EXCERPT:

The young woman screamed money. From the Cartier watch on her wrist to the diamond studs in her ears. Even the way her wavy light brown hair had been streaked with red and blonde highlights looked like something that had been done in a proper salon. And that was before Renzo thought to figure out what brand of jeans she had decided to paint on that morning, or if that was actual silk she was wearing for her blouse.

Yet, even through the money she might as well have been draped in, Renzo wasn’t so distracted that he couldn’t see Lucia was pretty.

That was a bit rude, really.

Beautiful was a better description.

She was tiny featured. Small lips with a perfect cupid’s bow. A button nose. High cheekbones. Soft lines on her face, and an even softer smile. She was petite in height, maybe only reaching his chin, but that didn’t detract from the shape of her hips or the tight cinch in her waist.

Shit.

He needed to get laid if he was noticing how nice looking some spoiled little rich girl from the other side of the city was. And he really didn’t need to be thinking about getting laid while he was holding Diego.

“Hi, Lucia,” Diego said. “Miss Teresa said you’re gonna work here now.”

Oh, for fuck’s sake.

Lucia nodded, and smiled back at Diego. “That’s right.”

Her gaze drifted to Renzo again.

“What?” he asked.

“I was thinking about offering you two a ride home. It’s late, and your little brother looks like he’s had a rough day. I don’t know how far you live from here, but do you really want to carry him the whole way?”

Renzo’s jaw stiffened. “Like I don’t do it every other day?”

Lucia didn’t miss the bite in his tone if the way her smile faded was any indication. Maybe he took a little bit of satisfaction in that, but he wasn’t about to admit it. Renzo wasn’t the type to be an asshole just to be an asshole. But here he was.

Something about this chick made his nerves stand up on fucking end. Like little hairs that felt something annoying or bad, and were reacting to it being too close.

He knew exactly where Lucia Marcello came from, and she was nothing like him. A privileged little girl who probably never knew what it was like to struggle, or walk the streets day after day because she wouldn’t eat otherwise.

He doubted she knew any of that kind of shit at all.

And for some reason, it just irked him like nothing else that she was so willing to stand there like she was and act as though there was no difference between the two of them. As if the two of them were somehow on level ground when it came to the rest of the world. Like she wasn’t wearing designer and silk while he was running around in frayed jeans and a leather jacket that he’d won from a bare fist boxing match three years ago.

Like her heels didn’t have red soles.

And his combat boots weren’t scuffed all to hell.

He was the poor kid from the Bronx.

She was the trust fund baby with mafia connections.

Oil and water.

Lucia seemed to pick up on his hesitance to take a ride from her, and she shrugged. “It’s just a ride, you know. You seemed angry inside, and I thought maybe I could make it a little better.”

Renzo arched a brow high. “Better?”

“That’s what I said.”

“A ride isn’t going to make my life better, Lucia.”

He didn’t miss the way her throat jumped when he said her name, or how her pretty mouth drifted open a little more. He was noticing too much about this chick, and at the moment, his brother was getting heavier by the second on his arm.

He figured, why not let Diego decide? His kid brother always had a better feeling about people than Renzo did. It was a talent, really.

“What do you think, Diego,” Renzo started to say, “should we ride with her?”

Lucia huffed a bit.

Diego just smiled. “Yeah, Ren.”

That was that.

“Guess we’ll take a ride,” Renzo muttered.

Lucia’s hazel gaze glittered when she smiled brilliantly all over again. She even did a little bounce on her feet that only added to her sprite-like joy.

Yeah.

He was noticing way too much.

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

Website • Blog • Twitter • Facebook • Goodreads • Pinterest • Mailing List • Amazon Author Page

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Spotlight: Taking the Work Out of Networking: An Introvert's Guide to Making Connections That Count by Karen Wickre

The former Google executive, editorial director of Twitter and self-described introvert offers networking advice for anyone who has ever cancelled a coffee date due to social anxiety—about how to nurture a vibrant circle of reliable contacts without leaving your comfort zone.

Networking has garnered a reputation as a sort of necessary evil in the modern business world. Some do relish the opportunity to boldly work the room, introduce themselves to strangers, and find common career ground—but for many others, the experience is often awkward, or even terrifying.

The common networking advice for introverts are variations on the theme of overcoming or “fixing” their quiet tendencies. But Karen Wickre is a self-described introvert who has worked in Silicon Valley for 30 years. She shows you to embrace your true nature to create sustainable connections that can be called upon for you to get—and give—career assistance, advice, introductions, and lasting connections.

Karen’s “embrace your quiet side” approach is for anyone who finds themselves shying away from traditional networking activities, or for those who would rather be curled up with a good book on a Friday night than out at a party. For example, if you’re anxious about that big professional mixer full of people you don’t know, she advises you to consider skipping it (many of these are not productive), and instead set up an intimate, one-on-one coffee date. She shows how to truly make the most out of social media to sustain what she calls “the loose touch habit” to build your own brain trust to last a lifetime.

With compelling arguments and creative strategies, this new way to network is perfect not only for introverts, but for anyone who wants for a less conventional approach to get ahead in today’s job market.

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About the Author

Silicon Valley veteran Karen Wickre is the former Editorial Director at Twitter, where she landed after a decade-long career at Google. An advisor to startups and a lifelong information seeker, she is a member of the Board of Visitors for the John S. Knight Journalism Fellowships at Stanford University, and serves on the boards of the International Center for Journalists, the News Literacy Project, and the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts. She has been a featured columnist for Wired.com and is a cofounder of Newsgeist, an annual gathering conference fostering new approaches to news and information. She is the author of Taking the Work Out of Networking and lives in San Francisco.

Read an excerpt from Seduced by a Scot by Julia London

From New York Times bestselling author Julia London, comes SEDUCED BY A SCOT—the next standalone novel in her Highland Grooms Series!

SEDUCED BY A SCOT is now available where all fine books are sold. Grab your copy today!

There’s no matchmaking an unruly heart

When a prominent Scottish family faces a major scandal weeks before their daughter’s wedding, they turn in desperation to the enigmatic fixer for the aristocracy, Nichol Bain. Remarkably skilled at making high-profile problems go away, Nichol understands the issue immediately. The family’s raven-haired ward, Maura Darby, has caught the wandering eye—and rather untoward advances—of the groom.

Nichol assuredly escorts Maura toward his proposed solution: an aging bachelor for her to marry. But rebellious Maura has no interest in marrying a stranger, especially when her handsome traveling companion has captivated her so completely. Thankfully, Nichol loves a challenge, but traveling with the bold and brash Maura has him viewing her as far more than somebody’s problem. Which raises a much bigger issue—how can he possibly elude disaster when the heart of the problem is his own?

Excerpt

It was truly maddening that a man could be in complete control of his deeds, of his desires, of his thoughts, with no more than a wee bit of effort. But lie next to a beautiful woman and it took every ounce of willpower Nichol could summon not to touch her.

            He was a lad again, fighting against his urge to taste the cake the cook had made. He was a greenhorn, desperate to catch the scent of a woman. He was a man who had denied himself the pleasure of flesh for an eternity.

            None of these things were true, but nevertheless, he felt as if they were, and he thought he’d never sleep. He couldn’t quiet his mind, couldn’t stop feeling her presence at his back, all soft and warm and pressed against him, her breath tickling the back of his neck. He couldn’t stop imagining her without a stitch of clothing, of covering her beneath the blankets on this starry night, his body in hers, his eyes on her clear blue eyes.

            But sleep he obviously did, for when the sun made its first appearance over the tops of the trees, he roused himself from the unsettled rest, and into his conscience crept the realization that his back was cold.

            Nichol rolled over. She was not there, bundled in her cloak, her hair spilling about her. A jolt to his heart sat him up, and he looked about, trying to make sense of it.

            She was gone. And she’d bloody well taken his plaid.

            Nichol sprang to his feet with a roar, startling the lad, who sputtered awake. “Have you seen her?” Nichol demanded as Gavin tried to disentangle himself from his bedding.

            “Who?” the lad asked stupidly.

            Perhaps she’d gone to the creek. Nichol whirled about, but what he saw there made his heart sink even deeper. One of the horses was missing. Bloody hell, why had he not remained awake? Why had he been so damnably complacent? He let forth a string of swearing that made Gavin’s face turn four shades of red, but Nichol was livid. He didn’t like surprises—he was the one to control the circumstances. If there was one thing he detested, it was when a client did not behave properly. He was furious with himself for assuming that a young miss would not have the sense or the courage to make a muck of his carefully laid plans. And he was absolutely irate because it was entirely possible she’d gotten herself killed by now.

            And maybe he was grudgingly impressed, too, because he’d never known a woman who would run off in the middle of the forest in the middle of the night. He doubted he would have had the guts to do it, without anything to protect himself, without provisions. Could she even ride? How did she put her self on a horse that was at least two hands taller than her? How far did the wench think she would get before she was lost, or fell or was set upon by thieves?

            “Aaaiiieee,” he roared, and kicked a log with all his might.

            “What’s happened to her, then?” Gavin asked timidly, his dark hair sticking up in several directions.

            “She’s gone off, that’s what.”

            “By herself?”

            “Aye, by herself,” Nichol bit out.

            Gavin’s eyes rounded.

            Nichol stomped down to the brook, thinking. He looked around, for any sign of where she might have gone. There was the horse’s hobble lying on the ground. But the saddle was precisely where he’d left it. He shook his head at her audacity.

            He knew where she was heading, if she could manage to determine the direction. He knew because she had done quite a lot of talking yesterday. She was so angry, and she wanted to give Miss Garbett a piece of her mind. Had she not said so more than once? Nichol didn’t pretend to understand how a woman’s mind worked, but he’d been with enough of them to know that a woman scorned was like a dog with a bone.

            He was entirely confident that Miss Darby was on her way to Stirling just now.

            There was no question that he had to go and fetch her. He couldn’t have her appear in Stirling on the back of a horse with nothing but her fury—his reputation would be ruined! Not to mention he would lose his fee. Bloody stupid lass. Stubborn wench.

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About the Author

Julia London is the New York Times and USA TODAY best-selling author of more than thirty romantic fiction novels. She is the author of the popular Cabot Sisters historical romance series, including The Trouble with Honor, The Devil Takes a Bride, and The Scoundrel and the Debutante. She is also the author of several contemporary romances, including Homecoming Ranch, Return to Homecoming Ranch and The Perfect Homecoming. She has over 100,000+ Facebook followers, is the recipient of the RT Book Reviews for Best Historical Romance and a six-time finalist for the prestigious RITA award for excellence in romantic fiction. You can visit her website JuliaLondon.com. She lives in Austin, Texas.