Spotlight: Sunsets and Somedays (425 Madison Ave Book 21) by S.L. Sterling

Ben

I know why I lost her. I was too serious. I was too practical. I was grounded when I should’ve been dreaming about forever with Jess.

Over time, this wore on her, all her big exciting ideas and all the ways I shut them down. No wonder she handed me my ring back and left town. No wonder she hadn’t been back in ten years. No wonder she’d married someone else, leaving me with memories of sunsets at the beach and the somedays we planned for the future we’d never live.

So, I built a lift without her. My father and I opened the second division of Sunset Builders in New York, and to my surprise, I stayed busy, almost busy enough not to notice the loneliness.

While I was on a job site, my little sister booked an appointment with a woman who lived on Madison Avenue. A quick bathroom and kitchen remodel, she’d said. I should have asked more questions because when I arrived and the door opened memories came flooding back.

Jessica had returned. If I’d learned anything in her absence it was that anything worth doing was worth being done well, and anything worth having was worth fighting for. Maybe by the time the condo was done, Jessica would give me a second chance.

Jessica

All those years ago, Ben had been right to try to keep me grounded. I should’ve listened. The falls didn’t hurt as bad that way.

Instead, I wanted a bigger life in a bigger place and I never appreciated the beauty of living in a small town with a huge support system. So, I left town without so much as a goodbye chasing a silly dream. I alienated myself, moved to a strange city where I knew no one, and chased after something that took me down a dark path.

I married the man who promised me the sun, moon, and stars, but delivered blinding blows. Sometimes, I thought I’d die before I escaped the nightmare. I knew my only way out would be to run...again. This took more years than I could count. Years of me squirreling away money, and years of me hiding in the dark so that no one would see my bruised face in the light of day.

Then my grandfather died. He left me money and a gorgeous condo in New York. While my husband was away on a month-long trip, my best friend drove me to New York. My plan: to upgrade the condo, sell it, and leave my current life behind.

Little did I know when I had called contractors to get some quotes that Ben would show up on my doorstep. He swore we could make more dreams real, but this time I was the grounded one. This time, I could only see how it would never work. I’d made too many mistakes. Love was terrifying. And I never wanted to tie myself to anyone ever again.

After all, 425 Madison is the perfect place to fall in love. 

 Exclusive Excerpt

I slowly opened the envelope and pulled out a thick stack of papers. On top sat some beautiful images of Jessica, which I flipped through slowly, taking them in. "These are amazing pictures of you. It was nice of them to send them to you. I love this one," I said, holding up what I thought was one of the best shots of her.  

"Yeah, they are great, but that isn't all they sent me," she said, the excitement building in her voice. She reached over and pulled the images off the thick pile of paperwork, producing what looked to be a contract. "Two weeks ago, they called and presented me with an enormous opportunity, and here it is! All in black and white." She squealed. "I waited to tell you until I got the paperwork."

I began reading the letter that sat on top. Words like contract, New York, California, moving. They were the ones that jumped out at me, and I felt my chest getting tight at the thought of her going away. I swallowed hard. "What does all this mean, Jessica?"

"It means they are offering me a modeling contract in the big city, Ben. It's my dream come true. I'll get to model and see the sights, and I am so excited that I wanted to share this with you in our special place."

"What did your parents say?" I asked as I sat there trying to focus and re-read the letter, but it did little good, so I started flipping through the bundle of paperwork. 

"They were angry. Furious, actually," she said, picking at one of her nails. 

"Are... Are you going to go?" I asked. I could feel tightness in my chest that hadn't been there before, but now that I'd asked her the question, it didn't seem to want to let up.

"Well, I thought that perhaps you would want to go with me. I'm sure my parents would feel better about it if you were with me. Plus, there is so much opportunity out there, and it would only be for a little while. I mean, the contract is only for a year. I want you to go with me." 

My stomach hurt at the thought of her leaving me, and it was getting harder and harder for me to breathe. It reminded me of the time that I had gotten tackled in one of my high school football games. The guy had come charging at me and knocked me flat on my ass. I hadn't even seen him coming. When we collided, I went flying, and when I landed, he had knocked the air right out of me. This was no different. She had tackled me, just differently. 

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About the Author

 USA Today Bestselling Author S.L. Sterling was born and raised in southern Ontario. She now lives in Northern Ontario Canada with her two dogs,  and is married to her best friend and soul mate. 

An avid reader all her life, S.L. Sterling dreamed of becoming an author. She decided to give writing a try after one of her favorite authors launched a course on how to write your novel. This course gave her the push she needed to put pen to paper and her debut novel "It Was Always You" was born. 

When S.L. Sterling isn't writing or plotting her next novel she can be found curled up with a cup of coffee, blanket and the newest romance novel from one of her favorite authors. 

In her spare time, she enjoys camping, hiking, sunny destinations, spending quality time with family and friends and of course reading. 

Connect: Website | Facebook | Instagram | Bookbub |  Books + Main Bites | Twitter | Pinterest | Goodreads 

Spotlight: Last Beautiful Girl (Magnolia Sound, #6) by Samantha Chase

Series: Magnolia Sound #6

Release Date: September 28, 2020

Kyle Jones loves women. All women. And just because he’s seen all his siblings settle down it doesn’t mean he has any intention of following in their footsteps. After all, he’s happy to keep going through life like it’s one big party and getting tied down to someone would just get in the way of having a good time. Or so he thought until the one woman he could never forget returns to Magnolia Sound.Sydney Albright never thought she would become a mother by losing her sister and brother-in-law. But for the sake of her niece she’ll do whatever it takes, even move into the money pit that is her sister’s home. But the good thing about small towns is there’s always someone ready to help. She just never thought Kyle would be the one to land on her front porch to help with the renovations.Sydney vows she’ll never fall for Kyle again – the past is in the past and that’s right where it should stay. Never mind that she doesn’t even have the time to think about a relationship. But Kyle has other plans. He always said she was the first beautiful girl he loved and now he’s determined to also make her the last.

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About the Author

Samantha Chase is a New York Times and USA Today bestseller of contemporary romance. She released her debut novel in 2011 and currently has more than forty titles under her belt! When she’s not working on a new story, she spends her time reading romances, playing way too many games of Scrabble or Solitaire on Facebook, wearing a tiara while playing with her sassy pug Maylene…oh, and spending time with her husband of 25 years and their two sons in North Carolina.

Connect:

Website: https://www.chasing-romance.com/ 

Twitter: https://twitter.com/SamanthaChase3 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SamanthaChaseFanClub/ 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/samanthachaseromance/ 

Newsletter: https://www.chasing-romance.com/newsletter 

BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/samantha-chase

Spotlight: Beyond Relatively Normal by Mikaela Miller

YA fantasy

Date Published: January 21, 2020

Jack Galloway has had enough of life and is chasing a high he just can't seem to find. Upon meeting with a drug dealer from his school, he is given some mysterious, bean-shaped pills that just so happen to be nothing but beans. However, Relatively Normal beans do not grow miles and miles into the sky overnight, drawing attention from everyone around and destroying the very idea of reality on Earth.

Now, in order to restore his Relatively Normal world, Jack must embark on a mission with a girl he barely knows from high school, Red Crawford, who just so happens to be the only one he knows who has encountered a tear in the non-magical reality they live in.

The beanstalk, too tall and too wide to climb, leads them down a rabbit hole to the strange and nonsensical Underland, where they must go through insane trials in order to reach the answer to their problems -- the Giants, magical creatures who live in Overland and can rid the Relatively Normal world of that pesky beanstalk. However, the beanstalk and its effects on reality might just be the least of their worries when they reach the dark, mysterious Overland.

Excerpt

Jack sighed. “Listen. It wasn’t a coincidence that yesterday, I decided to try some harder drugs. It wasn’t a coincidence that Shy gave me those beans. It wasn’t a coincidence that you were the one to find me after I passed out. It wasn’t a coincidence that we’ve been experiencing all of this together. I know we don’t even know each other that well, but for some weird reason, I feel like we’re in this together. If we want to fix this, it can’t just be me. It can’t just be you. It has to be both of us. We’re the reason the portal is opening, and we’re the ones that have to close it.” 

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About the Author

Mikaela Miller has not exactly found her place in the world yet, and she's still trying to understand herself, so there's not much to say. She loves writing, memes, her friends, and her fur children. She is currently living the small town life but has high hopes of moving to a big city to live out her dreams one day. She loves the darker side of all fairytales and has recently discovered a love for horror novels. This book idea came to her in a dream, as many of her strange ideas do, and she hopes for a bright future as she delves further into her characters' lives. One day, she would like to be able to rescue lots of homeless animals and be the crazy old cat lady down the street.

Connect:

Facebook: facebook.com/mikaelamauthor

Twitter: @mikaelamauthor

Goodreads: mikaelamauthor

Instagram: @mikaelamauthor

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Spotlight: Prescription for a Lonely Heart by Rosalie Jardin

Publication date: September 21st 2020
Genres: Adult, Comedy, Romance

“If we’re both still single when we’re thirty, we’ll marry each other . . .”

The marriage pact was made during a lazy day at the beach, half in jest, and seemingly forgotten by the boy who started it.

But ten years later, Kay hadn’t forgotten. She’s still shy and introverted, not interested in relationships. So when Adrian reappears in her life—two years early—and asks her to marry him now, she surprises herself by agreeing.

So now she must deal with her mother’s disapproval, his brother’s hostility, and a load of self-doubt. Can she forge a real relationship with Adrian? Has he really changed from a ladies man to someone she can trust? Will she be able to let go of everything she’s ever thought she wanted and reach out to grab a new future?

Prescription for a Lonely Heart is the first book on the "Hearts in Glencoe City" series. This friends-to-lovers standalone romance features a marriage pact, a calm-but-sassy heroine, a himbo with a heart, and a HEA guaranteed.

Excerpt

"We should make a marriage pact." My eyes almost popped out. My heart, too. "You know? If we both aren't married by the age of thirty, we'll marry each other." 

"​What?!"​ Now it was my turn to throw my head back and laugh. I laughed so hard, the sides of my stomach ached. "Oh no, no, no, no, no. ​No.​ That is not something I'm interested in, sorry." 

"Obviously if we end up marrying other people, the deal is null and void," he pointed out. It did nothing to quash my resistance. "But you're one of the nicest girls I know and I like hanging out with you. And I’m pretty sure that you can tolerate me for more than five minutes.” 

My eyes were as wide as saucers. Was he for real? “I’m going to pretend I didn’t hear all that, Adrian. You know you’re talking nonsense, right?” 

“I’m not! Do you think I’m kidding? Why wouldn’t I make this pact with you?" 

"Because a lot can happen in twelve years!" I stood up from my beach chair, exasperated. Where was this coming from? Did he conveniently forget this past year when we barely said a word to each other? The summer heat was messing with his brain. "People change, things change, the world changes! Pacts are made one day and broken the next." 

"The world can change all it wants, but if I'm able, I'll always keep this promise no matter what." The way he looked at me, eyes wide open with a hint of boyish charm, reminded me of why he was popular with the ladies at school. "I get that things may change and we may both end up married to other people and we could laugh about this later. But I can't think of a better person to take this kind of pact with." 

My eyes fluttered closed. I willed myself to remain calm, and ordered my heart to keep steady. I had to admit that there was something flattering about being “proposed to” (and I’m using the phrase loosely) by the most "desirable" (or at least that’s what I’m told) guy in school. Between that wild wavy black hair, dark eyes, and tanned skin, he was pleasing on the eyes. If you asked everyone else what made Adrian so attractive, they’d point out his toned muscular body or that bright smile of his. But it was his kind heart that mattered to me more. 

If anyone could get me to consider agreeing to this kind of pact, it was him.

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About the Author

Rosalie Jardin is the pen name an American-born author living in British Columbia. Writing has been a passion since she was five, beginning with telling stories- which often got her in trouble with her teachers because they kept catching her writing instead of doing her schoolwork.

Rosalie considers herself to be living the glamorous geek mom life and channels that energy into her writings and her debut novel. Her characters rumble around in her head, demanding to have their stories told and, like any good author, she is just doing what she’s told.

Author links:Website: ​https://rosaliejardin.com/

Facebook: ​https://www.facebook.com/rosaliejardinwrites/ 

Twitter: ​https://twitter.com/rosaliejwrites

Spotlight: Beyond Valor: A World War II Story of Extraordinary Heroism, Sacrificial Love, and a Race against Time by Jon Erwin and William Doyle

On April 12, 1945, a fleet of American B-29 bombers flew toward Japan. Their mission was simple: stop World War II by burning the cities, factories, and military bases of the Japanese em­pire, thereby forcing an unconditional surren­der. Yet the mission did not go as planned. On board one of the B-29s, the City of Los Angeles, a phosphorus bomb detonated inside the plane. Staff Sergeant Henry E. “Red” Erwin absorbed the blast of burning phosphorus yet managed to throw overboard the still-flaming bomb, be­fore collapsing from the third-degree burns over much of his body.

Breaking protocol, the plane diverted to a military hospital at Iwo Jima. President Truman quickly ordered that Erwin be awarded the Medal of Honor, the highest honor of the American military, before the young airman died of his wounds. There was just one problem: no Medals of Honor were available in the entire Pacific theater. General Curtis LeMay dispatched a squad of airmen on a 1,000-mile mission to smash their way into a display case and steal a medal to give to Erwin before time ran out.

Meanwhile, Red’s courageous young bride set out on her own mission, one of against-all-odds healing. Her success would determine the fate of the twenty-three-year-old warrior–and years later make possible the birth of the book’s author: their grandson, Jon Erwin.

Drawn from in-depth interviews with eyewitnesses and deep archival research, Beyond Valor is an extraordinary tale of bravery, heroism, faith, and devotion.

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About the Author

About Jon Erwin

Jon Erwin, the grandson of Medal of Honor recipient Henry E. “Red” Erwin isan American film director and producer. With his brother Andrew, he is among only eight directors to receive the incredibly rare A+ Cinemascore not once but twice, joining a list that includes Steven Spielberg and Robert Zemeckis. Their film I Can Only Imagine was the #1 independent movie of 2018. The brothers have a multi-year film and TV deal at Lionsgate and are developing Beyond Valor into a major motion picture

Connect with Jon: Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram

About William Doyle

William Doyle is the award winning, New York Times bestselling author of ten nonfiction books, and has produced TV shows for HBO, the History Channel, and PBS. He is coauthor with Chris Kyle of American Gun and, with Dick Couch, of Navy SEALs. He is also author of the highly acclaimed 2015 book PT 109: An American Epic of War, Survival, and the Destiny of John F. Kennedy. Doyle is a Fulbright Scholar and the son of a US Army combat veteran who served in the Pacific theater during World War II.

Spotlight: Black Frost by Willow Rose

Genre: Mystery, Thriller, Suspense 

From Multi-Million-Copy Bestselling author Willow Rose comes the next chapter in the #1 Bestselling Emma Frost Mystery Series.

Emma Frost is tied up in a murder mystery that seems out of this world.

When a young girl disappears one night from the park, then turns up again the next morning in a different place on the island, people start to talk about her.

Was she drunk and just doesn't remember what happened?

Did she go home with a guy and won't admit it?

What happened to her, and why is she insisting that she doesn't know?

Emma Frost is fighting for Victor's best friend, Skye.

Emma is trying to get her back from the people who took her in the night, but having no luck when a guy falls into her arms in the street and dies a few minutes later.

The autopsy shows he has frozen to death, but it doesn't seem possible. When a young boy from Victor's school turns up frozen as well, and things start to get cold around her own house, Emma begins to fear for her loved ones' lives.

Once again, Willow Rose has written a story so compelling that it leaves the reader in almost unbearable suspense until the surprise ending is revealed.

Buy BLACK FROST today to indulge in an engulfing mystery dripping with suspense!

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About the Author 

The Queen of Scream aka Willow Rose is a #1 Amazon Best-selling Author and an Amazon ALL-star Author of more than 60 novels.She writes Mystery, Thriller, Paranormal, Romance, Suspense, Horror, Supernatural thrillers, and Fantasy.Willow's books are fast-paced, nail-biting pageturners with twists you won't see coming. Several of her books have reached the Kindle top 10 of ALL books in the US, UK, and Canada. She has sold more than three million books.Willow lives on Florida's Space Coast with her husband and two daughters. When she is not writing or reading, you will find her surfing and watch the dolphins play in the waves of the Atlantic Ocean.

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