Spotlight: Christmas with You by Nan Reinhardt

She’s loved him all her life… but will he be there when she needs him the most?

Disheartened and adrift after being written out of a hit TV show, actor Aidan Flaherty returns to his family’s historic winery, where he’s invested some of the fortune he’s made. As the holidays approach, Aidan becomes intrigued with the old showboat that’s dry-docked just east of town… and even more intrigued with the daughter of his former mentor, who now owns it. He decides to buy the boat and restore it to its former glory.

Single mom Holly Santos is back in River’s Edge after her divorce and she is over men in general and actors in particular. If she could only get rid of her father’s old showboat, a source of fascination for her son, Mateo. She never expects her old crush to walk into her tea shop or the fireworks that happen every time they’re in the same room. Can Aidan convince her that he is determined to restore their shared heritage on the showboat and that he’s home to stay?

Excerpt

A knock on his car window jerked him back to the Mickey D’s parking lot and he turned to see a young woman peering in. “Hey?” She tapped on the glass again. “Hey? Aren’t you that cop? The one on TV? Pete At-Atwater?”

Aidan came within a second of simply shaking his head since she didn’t even have the name of his character right, but another girl came up behind the blonde, a huge smile on her face. “It’s him!” She gripped the blonde’s arm. “It’s Pete Atwood from LA Detectives!” Elbowing her way to the window of the little MG, she stooped down. “We love you, Pete!”

Pinning on his celebrity smile, the one that showed off his dimples and made hearts race all over America and Canada, Aidan rolled down the window. “Good morning, ladies.”

They clutched each other and giggled, jiggling with excitement. “Can we get a picture with you?” the blond one asked while the other one bit her lip and sighed.

“Sure.” Aidan opened the car door and got out, surreptitiously scanning the parking lot as he did so. Most of the cars were in the drive-thru and the people in line weren’t paying attention to the activity in the corner of the parking lot, where he’d deliberately parked to avoid being recognized. How had these two figured out who he was?

Oh, crap, the California license plates on Pete’s distinctive MG! A dead giveaway and it’s no secret that the actor who plays Pete Atwood is from a small river town in southern Indiana.

At least ten pictures and a couple of autographs later, he was back in the car while the two girls scurried off. Aidan watched out of the corner of his eye as they high-fived each other before getting into an older compact car. No doubt they were both on their phones letting friends know that Pete Atwood was haunting the parking lot of the McDonald’s on the highway, so heaving a huge breath, he buckled up and turned the key in the ignition.

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About the Author

Nan Reinhardt is a USA Today-bestselling author of romantic fiction for women in their prime. Yeah, women still fall in love and have sex, even after 45! Imagine! She is a wife, a mom, a mother-in-law, and a grandmother. Nan has been a copyeditor and proofreader for over 25 years, and currently works on romantic fiction titles for a variety of clients, including Avon Books, St. Martin’s Press, Kensington Books, and Entangled Publishing, as well as for many indie authors.

Although she loves her life as an editor, writing is Nan’s first and most enduring passion. Her latest series, Four Irish Brothers Winery, includes A Small Town Christmas, Meant to Be, and the newly released, Christmas with You, all from Tule Publishing. Nan is busy at work on Book 4 of the series, as well as brewing a cozy mystery idea.

Visit Nan’s website at www.nanreinhardt.com, where you’ll find links to all her books as well as blogs about writing, being a Baby Boomer, and aging gracefully…mostly. Nan also blogs every sixth Wednesday at Word Wranglers, sharing the spotlight with five other romance authors and is a frequent contributor the RWA Contemporary Romance blog, and she contributes to the Romance University blog where she writes as Editor Nan.

Word Wranglers:  http://www.wordwranglers.blogspot.com/

RWA Contemporary Romance blog:  http://contemporaryromance.org/2018/03/awesome/

Romance University blog:  http://romanceuniversity.org/ru-contributors/

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Spotlight: Failure to Protect by Pamela Samuels Young

When the classroom is no longer a safe space for her child, the outraged mother of a bullied nine-year-old is determined to seek justice for her daughter. An ambitious school principal, however, is far more concerned about protecting her career than getting to the truth. She flat out denies any knowledge of the bullying and prefers to sweep everything under the rug. But just how low will she go? 

When the mother’s two hard-charging female attorneys enter the picture, they face more than an uphill battle. As the case enters the courtroom, the women fight hard to expose the truth. But will a massive coverup hinder their quest for justice?

Excerpt:

Chapter 1

 "Please, Uncle Dre, let me stay home with you today. Can you homeschool me? Please!"

 Dre stroked his goatee and laughed. "Unfortunately, I'm not smart enough to homeschool you or anybody else."

 "I'm serious," Bailey pleaded, her face twisted in terror. "Please don't make me go!"

 As his Jeep inched along behind the long line of cars dropping off kids in front of Parker Elementary School, Dre peered over his shoulder at the cute little girl sitting in his back seat. Bailey's stress level was way too high. She'd had a few run-ins with a bully at her old school, but he assumed the transfer to Parker had fixed everything.

 "What's going on? Why don't you want to go to school?"

 Bailey hugged her book bag to her chest as if it were a life raft. "I just don't."

 "C'mon, talk to me. Is somebody bothering you here too?"

 After a long beat, Bailey slowly bobbed her head.

 Dre had purposely used the word bothering, not bullying. He was tired of hearing all the hoopla about bullies. Kids getting picked on was nothing new. It happened in his day and would keep happening until the end of time.

 Truth be told, today's kids were too damn soft. People turned backflips to protect them from the realities of life. Like everybody getting a freakin' trophy just for participating. That was the stupidest crap he'd ever heard. Sometimes life is hard. Kids need to know that sooner rather than later.

 "Please don't tell my mom," Bailey begged, her brown eyes glassy with tears. "She'll fuss at me for not standing up for myself."

 Dre reached back and gave Bailey's foot a playful squeeze. "No, she won't. But you do have to start standing up for yourself. If somebody's being mean to you, you have my permission to be mean right back."

 He wasn't condoning violence, but if another kid started some mess, the only way to show 'em you weren't no punk was to clap back twice as hard. Most bullies were wimps. Once you got in their face, they backed off. That's what he'd taught his son to do and, to his knowledge, Little Dre had never had a problem. He would teach Bailey to do the same.

 "You don't get it," Bailey huffed, her shoulders drooping. "That won't help."

 They were almost at the drop-off point, when Dre steered his Jeep out of the line of cars and made a hasty U-turn in the middle of the street.

 Bailey's upper body sprang forward. "We're going home?"

 "Nope." Dre pulled to a stop along the curb. "I'm walking you inside. I want you to show me who's messing with you."

 Bailey slumped back against the seat, her lips protruding into a pout. "That'll just make it worse."

 Turning off the engine, Dre hopped out and jogged around to open the back door. "Let's go."

 He took Bailey's hand as they stepped into the crosswalk. The closer they got to the school doors, the slower Bailey walked. By the time they reached the entrance, Dre felt like he was tugging a sixty-pound bag of potatoes.

 "Please, Uncle Dre," Bailey whispered, glancing all around. "Please don't make me go!" Her tiny hand clutched two of his fingers.

 Dre led Bailey off to the side, squatted until they were at eye level, and caressed her shoulders.

 "I don't know what's going on, but there's no reason for you to be this stressed out about going to school. If somebody's messing with you, I need to know about it. What's the kid's name?"

 Bailey hung her head as a tear slid down her right cheek. For a second, Dre thought she was about to come clean.

 "It doesn't matter," she mumbled, hoisting her book bag higher on her shoulder.

 "Yes, it—"

 Bailey jerked away from him and dashed inside the school.

 He was about to go after her when a woman stepped in front of him, blocking his path.

 "May I help you, sir?"

 The woman's chin jutted forward like an accusing finger pointing him out in a lineup. "And you are?"

 "I'm Bailey's"—he paused—"uh, I'm Bailey's godfather." He'd started to introduce himself as her uncle to make himself sound more legit but changed his mind.

 "Your name?" Her tone conveyed all the warmth of an icicle.

 "Andre Thomas."

 Dre pegged the woman to be in her early forties. Her thick, black hair fell a couple of inches below her ears in a blunt cut that matched her funky disposition. Her sleeveless, form-fitting, red dress hugged every inch of her curvy frame. Actually, she was kinda hot. Kerry Washington’s classy style with Cookie Lyon's bad attitude.

 "Bailey's mother didn't tell us someone else would be bringing her to school today."

 She looked him up and down like he was some pedophile on the prowl for a new victim.

 Dre couldn't seem to pull his eyes away. Despite an innate seductiveness, the woman still managed to carry herself with the spit-shine polish of a CEO. If professionalism had a smell, she would reek.

 "Erika had an early meeting in Irvine and asked me to drop her off."

 Dre ran a hand over his shaved head. Rarely did anybody—especially a female—make him feel this degree of uneasiness. "I'm sorry. I didn't get your name."

 "I'm the principal. Darcella Freeman."

 He should've guessed. A sister with a little power.

"I'll be dropping Bailey off and picking her up from time to time," Dre said, anxious for the chick to move out of his way so he could go after Bailey. "Erika got a big promotion. Her job's a lot more demanding now."

 "Is that right?"

 "Yep, that's right." What's up with this chick? 

 "Please ask Bailey’s mother to email the office authorizing you to pick her up from school."

 Dre nodded. "Will do."

 He still wanted to go inside, but the woman stayed put like a queen guarding the gates of her castle.

 Without saying goodbye, Dre pivoted and headed back across the street. As he opened the door to his Jeep, he made a mental note to have a talk with Erika. She'd been thrilled about getting Bailey into Parker Elementary because of its stellar reputation. But the place might not be any better for Bailey than her old school.

 Dre also couldn't shake the feeling that something wasn't quite right. And not just with Bailey.

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About the Author

Award-winning author and attorney Pamela Samuels Young writes mysteries that matter. Dubbed “John Grisham with a sister’s twist” by one reviewer, Pamela’s fast-paced novels tackle important social issues.

Her most recent legal thriller, Failure to Protect, takes on the bullying epidemic and its devastating aftermath. Pamela won the prestigious NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Fiction for her thriller Anybody’s Daughter, which provides a realistic look inside the world of child sex trafficking. Her courtroom drama Abuse of Discretion centers around a troubling teen sexting case. #Anybody’s Daughter and #Abuse of Discretion are young adult editions of the two books. A young adult version of Failure to Protect goes on sale in December 2019. 

Pamela is a frequent speaker on the topics of sex trafficking, bullying, online safety, fiction writing, self-empowerment, and pursuing your passion. To invite Pamela to your book club meeting or to read excerpts of her books, visit www.pamelasamuelsyoung.com and www.sassysinclair.com .

Spotlight: Corporate Christmas by Bernadette Marie

Chloe Richardson had just landed the biggest client of her career. A promotion was in her future, or so she thought until the handsome Jason Mitchell walked into her office with his gorgeous smile and searing blue eyes—and took her job.

Losing her job so close to Christmas, Chloe’s only choice was to go back home to Aubrey Heights, where the Christmas spirit is celebrated in a tourist loving, wonderland. Perhaps she can pull herself together before the new year—before her new career search.

However, Jason follows her to Aubrey Heights—with a mission of his own. First he stole her job—now he wants to steal her heart.

Is the spirit of Christmas alive enough in her to let that happen?

Excerpt

Chloe stood from behind her desk to escort the man toward Byron's office. She expected him to just follow her, but he was shoulder to shoulder with her as they walked down the narrow corridor of the old building.

"I've met William," he said. "I was hoping to meet Byron before Monday."

"Are you only in town for a few days?" she asked, assuming that his rush to meet her boss meant he was leaving again.

"Oh, no. I live in the city. It's just good to get to know who you're working for before you start your new job."

That made her stop and turn to look at him. "New job? You're going to start working here?" Maybe it was some kind of Christmas miracle, she thought, inhaling that intoxicating cologne he wore.

"I am." He held out his hand to shake hers, and she took it. "Jason Mitchell."

"Chloe Richardson."

"Ah, your name was on my list of employees I'd be working with."

The smile was easy on her lips as she looked at him. Oh, Christmas miracle indeed. Santa had brought her a new glorious employee to look at while she took over the Account Manager position.

"So, we'll be working together?" she asked, realizing he still had a grip on her hand.

"Yes, I'm the new Account Manager, and I hear you've been a very busy bee this year bringing in some amazing accounts. I can't wait to see what this next year will bring."

She knew the smile had slipped from her lips, and now she could feel that headache pounding between her ears again. Had he seriously just said he was the Account Manager?

Those brilliant blue eyes were dull now as she dropped her hand to her side.

"Oh, Jason," William's voice echoed through the hallway. "You made it. My father just slipped out, but I convinced my mother to up her reservation for dinner, so we will join them. Let's chat in my office."

Chloe didn't want to turn and face William. She didn't want to know if he had a smug little smile going on or if he was absolutely clueless.

"Chloe," Jason said capturing her attention again. "It was very nice to meet you. I look forward to seeing you on Monday."

"Monday," she stammered. "Nice to meet you."

She stood there as he walked around her and a moment later she heard the door to William's office close.

Account Manager. She'd been completely bypassed for the job she'd been killing herself for. Did Byron Mason even know what his son had done?

Quickly she walked back to her office and kicked the door shut. If she made it home for her suitcase in the next hour, she'd head out of town right away. She could use a good dose of turkey dinner and time with her mother now. Maybe, just maybe, she wouldn't even come back to work on Monday. Maybe the Account Manager could find another puppet to bring in new clients.

She looked down at the contract on her desk, picked it up, and sent it right through the shredder.

A moment later, she shut the lights off in her office and headed out for a late Thanksgiving weekend.

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About the Author

Bestselling Author Bernadette Marie is known for building families readers want to be part of. Her series The Keller Family has graced bestseller charts since its release in 2011. Since then she has authored and published over thirty-five books. The married mother of five sons promises romances with a Happily Ever After always…and says she can write it because she lives it.

When not immersed in the writing/publishing world, Bernadette Marie and her husband are shuffling their five hockey playing boys around town to practices and games as well as running their family business. She is a lover of a good stout craft beer and might be slightly addicted to chocolate.

Connect: ~ Facebook ~ Website ~ Twitter ~ YouTube ~ Pinterest

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Spotlight: Fame You by Hattie Lou

Fame You
Hattie Lou
Publication date: December 4th 2019
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance

Olivia has learned that life doesn’t always go the way you want it to go. She didn’t expect to be a widow and a single mother at a young age. Olivia’s life changes for the better when she meets a woman who in time becomes a second mom to her. She spends her days and nights taking care of the woman.

Growing up, Luke destined to be a Hollywood star just like his famous screenwriter father, becomes addicted to the celebrity life in Hollywood and lives for the camera’s attention. It makes him feel good that guys want to be him and women want to be with him. He can’t get enough of the fame.

Luke shows up unannounced at his mother’s house after years of not speaking to her, and he finds out that his mother has a live-in caregiver, Olivia. Luke and Olivia don’t hit it off at first, but soon Luke comes to realize that the first impression isn’t always the right impression. Sometimes there’s more than meets the eye.

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—

EXCERPT:

When I reach the bathroom, I see Olivia standing in front of the mirror, already brushing her teeth. She changed out of her clothes. She’s now wearing a tank top with a tiny pair of shorts that show off her perfect tanned legs. I stop in the doorway as she continues to brush, but her eyes are on the mirror staring back at me.

“I knew you were beautiful this evening, but you are more beautiful without the makeup and the outfit,” I say, before realizing that I am actually saying the words to her and not in my head. I walk behind her and place my phone down on the sink. She remains quiet, not sure what’s going on between us. I’ll make it clear to her so she’ll understand.

My hand goes up to her arm, causing her body to freeze from my touch. God! She feels so good just like I imagined she would. Her skin’s so soft. Her eyes remain on the mirror watching my every move. I can feel her eyes begging me to keep going. She wants me to touch her.

I part her hair to both sides of her shoulders as I kiss the back of her neck. She lets out a little moan as she closes her eyes. “Keep your eyes on me,” I tell her as she opens them and watches me through the mirror. “Perfect,” I whisper against her ear. My tongue slides down her earlobe as my right-hand slides around her back to her stomach. I lift her shirt up a few inches, exposing her toned stomach. I pull her body into mine as I begin to kiss her neck harder, leaving marks along the way. Her skin tastes like strawberry. It’s a good thing I have always liked strawberries. I always found them to be tasty. Another moan escapes her throat. “You are always there for Mom when she needs you,” I whisper into her ear. “Whenever Savannah needs something, you get it, no questions asked. Greg lost his mom and you were on a mission to find her even if it took us all night. You are always there for everyone. My question is, who is there for you, Olivia?” I can feel her body getting hotter by the minute. I’m turning her on so I keep going. “Who takes care of your needs?” I watch her as she inhales and exhales slowly.

I’m about to tell her that I will fulfill her every need when my phone rings. I ignore it while I suck her skin into my mouth.

“You should probably get that. Wouldn’t want to upset your girlfriend.” Olivia says annoyed, slipping away from me and walking out the bathroom, leaving me angry and frustrated.

I make a fist and hit it off the sink. I almost had her and Erika ruined our moment.

Author Bio:

Hattie has had a love for romance as far as she can remember. Always believing in fairly tales and happy endings.

She spent most of her time reading about romance until one day when she realized she wanted to write her own novel. A romance novel. Her dream to release a romance novel came true when she released "Better With You" in 2018.

When she isn't sitting in front of her laptop writing, she likes spending her time with her furry pets and reading books about romance. Most of her time is spent plotting new stories and creating characters that people can relate to.

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Spotlight: Wonder With Me by Kristen Proby

Reed Taylor doesn’t pay much attention to the holidays—until he receives a surprise present. Four-year-old Piper is the daughter he never knew about, and with the death of her mother, is also now the roommate he never expected. He’s determined to make their first Christmas together one she’ll never forget.

Noel Thompson has gotten her share of strange requests in her career as an interior designer. The call to design a beautiful home for Christmas is more like a dream come true. And that was before she met her new employer—sexy and mysterious, he’s everything she ever hoped Santa would bring her.

As Noel showers his home with holiday spirit, Reed showers Piper with love. And the busy life he’s created for himself no longer seems nearly as important as the one Noel is helping him build with his daughter. But if he can’t convince his decorator to stay, this could be the only year he feels the true wonder of the season.

**Every 1001 Dark Nights novella is a standalone story. For new readers, it’s an introduction to an author’s world. And for fans, it’s a bonus book in the author’s series. We hope you'll enjoy each one as much as we do.**

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About the Author

New York Times and USA Today Bestselling author Kristen Proby is the author of the bestselling With Me In Seattle and Love Under the Big Sky series. She has a passion for a good love story and strong, humorous characters with a strong sense of loyalty and family. Her men are the alpha type; fiercely protective and a bit bossy, and her ladies are fun, strong, and not afraid to stand up for themselves.

Kristen lives in Montana, where she enjoys coffee, chocolate and sunshine. And naps.

Website: https://www.kristenprobyauthor.com/
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Spotlight: Unverified by Kristin Giese

Matthew Milles-Lade, a rich kid whose trust fund is suddenly in question, and Margo Valentine Melon, a writer whose career fizzled before it sparked, are two twenty-something strangers stuck living at home, trying to figure out their lives. When they each come across a real estate listing for a palatial (and significantly underpriced) guest house in one of LA’s toniest neighborhoods, their lives get turned upside down. 

What happens next has them racing to catch the truth before it catches them. 

Unverified has all the magic and making of the rom coms you love, set in the world of social media stardom and online fame, with just enough real world stakes to make it a page turner you won’t be able to put down.

Excerpt

“Run it again,” Matt said, hiding his annoyance behind a forced smile. “Please,” he tacked on to appear congenial. 

“I did. Twice. It says it’s been declined, Bud. If you want this beef jerky and Pedialyte, you’ll have to pay for it another way,” the cashier observed with obvious judgment.

Matt smiled, grabbed his card, and walked out of the shop dialing Rob Rolle as he did. He got his voicemail. “Rob on a Rolle,” Matt boomed over the line, using the nickname he’d given his father’s wunderkind of a CFO when Matt was 21 and Rob was 30. Rob on a Rolle hated that nickname, which is exactly why Matt kept calling him that. Matt hated Rob. “It’s me, Matt. I was just trying to buy some,” he paused grappling for a word other than “garbage at the 7-Eleven” and landed instead on, “groceries and my card got declined. Give me a quick call.”  

He hung up and told himself it was a fluke. The pit in his stomach said it was more than that.  The card in question was his debit card linked to his savings account, which drew directly from his trust fund. Each month money appeared there, and Matt vacationed, partied, and surfed his way through it. The thought that his father might finally have made good on a longstanding threat to freeze it made him dizzy, or was that hunger? He was starving, and still a little drunk, he thought. He reached in his pockets searching for cash. He didn’t even have enough to go back in and buy just that Slim Jim. I’m screwed, he decided.  

His phone rang. It wasn’t Rob. It was Leandra Jennings, the head of business services for his father’s company, Milles-Lade Enterprises. He thought about not answering, but knew it was Rob’s way of saying he wasn’t going to call back. Screw you too, Rob, Matt thought vehemently.  

“Hey Lee, what’s new?” he said, forcing optimism into his voice and putting on all his charms, which wasn’t hard. Matt Milles-Lade was all charm.

“Rob just rang saying he wishes he had a moment to chat, but”—Matt and Rob both knew that was a lie—“he and your father are on their way to Zurich. He wanted me to pass along some updates. Hate to be the bearer of bad news, Matthew, but they’ve frozen your trust…”

Rob said your father plans to reinstate your funds once you accomplish a few things on a checklist he’s emailed you….”

Matt pulled the phone away from his ear to look at the screen. Sure enough, his inbox blinked back at him. He opened the email.

“Son, I’ve frozen your trust. I’m happy to give you your access back, but first you’ll have to do the following, STOP BEING SUCH A FUCK-UP. Get a job. Drink less. Care more. Basically, be the sort of human that doesn’t have to be extorted by their own father to get their act together. Dad.”

He waited to read more until he pulled into the small corner parking lot of the café that resided halfway down the hill from their Bel-Air home, Coyote Café. It was one of the rare remaining canyon coffee shops. On any given weekend, all manner of celebrities could be found there, bedhead and all. There was no place for the paparazzi to stand and snap their picture on the way in or out. It was a hidden gem that only locals knew about. Their hours were strange, but their sandwiches were amazing, and yet Matt couldn’t remember the last time he’d been there. It was a hole in the wall that lacked any real décor but made up for it by the way they took care of their customers. As Matt idled in the lot, he read the text.

You’re out of chances, Son. Find a new place to live. 

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About the Author: 

Kristin Giese is a talent manager, brand developer, and executive producer who began her career building the entirety of the Nate Berkus brand, amongst other talent as well as partnering with the likes of The Oprah Winfrey Show, OWN, Sony, Target, TLC, NBC, P&G, GMC, and so many more.

Born and raised in Ohio and a proud Shelby Whippet, Kristin’s love for estate jewelry is only outmatched by her commitment to vintage kimonos and her family. Unverified is her 1st novel. Follow her on Instagram @allmoxie.

Connect with Kristin: Website | Facebook | Instagram | Pinterest

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