Spotlight: The Sweetest Valentine by Lacey Baker

(Sweetland Valley, #1)
Publication date: February 16th 2021
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance

When the idea for a new script brings Hollywood actor Kelan Hunter to the Wine & Chocolate Festival in the small town of Sweetland Valley, MD, sparks fly with the charming candy shop owner who has a list of reasons for why their love isn’t meant to be.

Ruthlessly organized Sydni Murray’s life goal checklist was derailed after her broken engagement last Valentine’s Day. Now, with the holiday fast approaching again and the town’s biggest chocolate festival on the horizon, she must put her biases about love on the backburner. Until Kelan walks into her shop with his model good looks and a box of his grandparents’ love letters that melt her heart.

But happy ever after may not be in the cards for the couple as Sydni’s in danger of losing her shop and Kelan’s plan to stay in Sweetland is threatened by an unbelievable career opportunity.

Excerpt

There was a movie star standing in her shop, posing for pictures with two of her dearest friends and all Syd could think about was how many more milk and dark chocolate truffles she needed to make to complete Savannah Cantrell’s order. She’d intended to spend the morning in the kitchen working on the order but Sharay, her part-time clerk, was down with the flu. That left her the only one here to run the store today. Not that she minded, Sinfully Sweet was her dream come true. Owning and running her own specialty chocolate shop after the detour she’d taken on her career path was an accomplishment Syd was thankful for every day.

    “Unfortunately, we’ve been in here way too long. We’ve got to get going before Aunt Louisa becomes hysterical with worry.” Julia’s hand on her shoulder had Syd turning at the sound of her voice.

    “Huh? Oh, yes, you’re right. You were supposed to be over at the community center putting up decorations today.” Luckily for Syd, Marabelle Stanley was an early bird and any events that she oversaw she liked to get a head start on. With Syd having to work today she wasn’t available to help Marabelle. 

    It was Saturday, the week before the Wine & Chocolate Festival and tomorrow after church was the pre-festival kick-off with Marabelle’s Valentine’s Day luncheon. Louisa Kirk, Julia’s aunt, was Marabelle’s shadow and the sugar to Marabelle’s often bitter attitude. 

    Julia rolled her eyes. “Yes, we’ll have to hustle to get there without being too late, but I couldn’t resist getting that cupcake. I’m ordering a dozen from Gina since you only have a limited supply here.”

    “Great news! Kelan’s going to be in town for a few weeks and he’s agreed to stop by the luncheon tomorrow.” Nessa’s exuberance as she bounced over to them was infectious and Syd found herself smiling.

    “That’s very nice of him,” she replied and looked behind Nessa to where Kelan Hunter was staring down at his phone. No doubt checking his availability for the off-the-cuff commitment he’d just made. Surely a man like him would be too busy for a small-town luncheon. 

    “Let’s go tell Aunt Louisa,” Julia said nodding toward the door. “You gonna be alright here alone with him?”

    Syd shrugged. “He’s an actor not a serial killer, right?” 

    Julia waved a hand as she headed toward the door. “You know what I mean. And regardless of his good looks and official career, he’s a stranger in Sweetland so you call me if you need me.”

    “Get outta here,” she told them while moving toward the door. “I’ll call you later.”

    “Don’t forget. I want to hear about everything you two talk about after I’m gone,” Nessa told her before walking out.

    “Girl, bye,” she replied laughing as she stepped back pulling the door closed. The bell overhead jingled again and she turned back to see that Kelan had moved from where he’d been standing across the store.

    Now, just a couple feet away from her, he stood with one hand in his jacket pocket. A casual stance that made her feel more relaxed than she probably should be with a guy she’d just met. 

    “Look, I don’t mean to take up your time. I just have a few questions.”

    “Right.” She nodded. “About the post office and a letter that wasn’t written to you.” It all sounded extremely vague and admittedly more than a little confusing. The bigger issue was that she just didn’t have time for any of this today.

    “It was here a long time ago but in the late seventies there was a big fire and the majority of this block was destroyed. The post office was relocated two blocks over to Liberty Street and when the reconstruction here was finished, the Town Council decided to keep the post office there because the space was bigger.”

“I see,” he said with a shake of his head. Then he looked around the store again. “How long have you been here? What was this place before you moved in?”

“You ask questions like a reporter.” And with that observation she figured the best way to get rid of him was to answer the questions and send him on his way. “I’ve been here for five years. Took a mortgage out on the building after I returned from Germany.” 

His brows were raised when he returned his attention to her and she couldn’t tell if it was because of her reporter comment or her mention of Germany. Oftentimes people mistakenly assumed that small town folk never left their small town to see any of the world. Syd had made a point not to be that person and if everything went according to her updated five-year plan, she’d continue to shatter that myth. 

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About the Author

Lacey Baker, a Maryland native, lives with her husband, three children, two grandchildren and English Bulldog in what most would call Suburban America--a townhouse development where everybody knows each other and each other's kids. Family cook-outs, reunion vacations, and growing up in church have all inspired Lacey to work towards her dreams and to write about the endurance of family and the quest to find everlasting love. To date she has written in several genres including small town romance, YA paranormal (as Artist Arthur), a cozy mystery series titled Rumors and adult paranormal (as A.C. Arthur).

Connect:

https://acarthur.com/faq/who-is-lacey-baker/

https://www.facebook.com/ac.arthur.1

https://www.pinterest.ca/acarthur22/_saved/

https://www.instagram.com/acarthurbooks/

https://twitter.com/AcArthur

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6458381.Lacey_Baker

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Spotlight: Old Mrs. Kimble's Mansion by George T. Arnold

Suspenseful Drama

Date Published January 2021

 Publisher: Speaking Volumes

Forty-four-year-old Forrest Alderson isn’t at all sure of his motives for returning from self-imposed exile to Asher Heights, West Virginia, to see his hometown for the first time since he graduated from college. All he knows for certain is it’s something he has to do if he is to find out whether he can break free from the tragedy that compelled him to flee or whether he is forever doomed to be imprisoned by it.

He has spent the intervening twenty-three years in sacrificial preparation, striving obsessively to become enormously wealthy with one exclusive goal: to at long last take possession of Old Mrs. Kimble’s mansion, no matter the cost, and let that magnificent structure he has coveted since he was a poor boy stand as proof to one and all that native son Forrest Walker Alderson has done himself proud.

Or could it be his return is motivated – as his attorney, Olivia Fillmore, fears – by revenge, an evil desire to rub his great wealth and success into the face of the one person who caused him to hermit himself away all those years without a wife, children, or even a close friend?

To have any chance of finding the answers he so desperately needs, Forrest will have to struggle through a challenging new romance, an addiction to a perilous old love, a sensational murder trial, and the inevitable decision about what to do with the rest of his life.

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About the Author

George T. Arnold, Ph.D., is a professor emeritus in the W. Page Pitt School of Journalism and Mass Communications at Marshall University where he taught news and feature writing, language skills, ethics, and media law for 36 years. He worked full-time for seven years as a newspaper reporter to finance bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Marshall, and he has a doctorate in journalism and mass communications from Ohio University.

His textbook/resource book, Media Writer’s Handbook, a Guide to Common Writing and Editing Problems, is in its seventh edition and third decade of continuous publication. It has been purchased at more than 300 colleges and universities in the United States and abroad.

Dr. Arnold is the author of more than 50 professional and academic articles and has written a short story, One Minute Past Christmas, and two novels, Wyandotte Bound, and Old Mrs. Kimble’s Mansion.

Connect:

Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/George-T-Arnold-Author-101305861520553/

Facebook Profile: https://www.facebook.com/george.arnold.54379

Publisher's Author Page: http://www.speakingvolumes.us/authors/george-t-arnold/

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Spotlight: Love in the City: Limited Edition Romantic Comedy Box Set

Publication date: February 16th 2021
Genres: Adult, Comedy, Romance

Get ready for thirteen heart pounding and laugh out loud rom-coms from thirteen bestselling and award winning authors, including Amazon chart toppers and USA Today bestsellers. Filled with mystery, second chances, soulmates, brother’s best friends, bad boys, nobility, and the cute guy in the cubicle next to you, these stories will captivate you and leave you wishing for more.
 
Download this limited edition box set while you can and indulge in these sweet and sexy leading men and strong and beautiful heroines while they fall in love in cities around the world.
 
Sariah Wilson – All’s Fair in Love and War 
Becky Monson -The Love Potion 
Jennifer Peel – Love the One You’re With 
Kirsty Greenwood – Love Will Save the Day
Whitney Dineen – Love for Sale 
Aven Ellis – Love, the Viscount, & Me
Shari L. Tapscott – Little Lost Love Letter
Lucy McConnell – Love: Going Up?
Kate O’Keeffe – A Very English Love Story
Erin Huss – Love, Lies, and Limo Rides
Melissa Baldwin – Thanks for the Love
Stephanie Fowers – Love at the Masquerade
Kathryn R. Biel – Vision of Love

Excerpt

Love the One You’re With—Jennifer Peel

“You punched in the wrong code,” I whispered, a bit on edge. I mean, it wasn’t like I was getting ready to sneak into the home of one of the most recognizable women in the country right now. Okay, that was exactly what I was doing.

“Don’t get your panties in a wad, darlin’.” Dallas tried the code again to get into Vivian’s gated community. He had the fanciest car of anyone I knew—a Range Rover. And he was more than willing to help in the heist. Not only was he a troublemaker, but he was willing to do anything in the hope that Jake would move out of his place. I’d warned Dallas this was no guarantee that Jake and I were getting back together. In fact, I hadn’t even told Jake about the video yet. I thought maybe I should get the picture back first and then we should talk face-to-face.

“Don’t fuss at him,” Abs scolded me. “You’ll only make him nervous.”

I rolled my eyes. She was sitting in the front with Dallas, and the two had been flirting nonstop on the drive over here.

Dallas flashed Abs a devilish grin. “I’m excellent under pressure,” he drawled.

Even in the dark, I could see Abs blush. “Is that so? Would you like to prove that to me?”

Oh. My. Hello Kitty. I’d started saying that instead of hell when Maribelle was younger because there was nothing like your six-year-old telling your pastor that he gave a hell of a sermon. “Y’all, we are kind of in the middle of something important here. Can we push pause on the flirtation button?”

“I like the sound of pushing buttons,” Dallas said seductively. “Just tell me where.”

Abs giggled.

I threw up my hands and fell back against the seat. “I can’t deal with you two.”

Dallas turned around and pursed his lips together. “Now, darlin’, don’t go acting like someone licked the red off your candy. I got this under control.” Without looking, he reached out of the car window and punched in the code X had given me. The large wrought iron gate began to swing in, allowing us access to one of the glitziest neighborhoods in Nashville—Forest Hills.

“See, darlin’, I got this.”

I blew out a deep breath. I was glad someone had this under control. I didn’t know why I was doing this. If I wanted to, I could have had the picture reprinted and bought a new frame for Jake. It was just that something about Vivian got under my skin. The way she and the show’s producers manipulated those videos was wrong. They were intentionally hurting people’s lives. The lives I cared most about in the world—Maribelle’s and Jake’s. Even if Jake could be insensitive, I still loved the man. He was my first love, my only love.

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Spotlight: Anne Ever After by Lynne Marshall

Return to Whispering Oaks, Book 1

Sweet Contemporary Romance

Date Published: February 15, 2021

From USA Today Bestselling author, Lynne Marshall comes a new sweet contemporary romance series, Return to Whispering Oaks. Anne Ever After is the first book in the series

The runaway returns...

Love is complicated, at least that was Anne Grady’s conclusion after a high school love triangle went terribly, and unpredictably wrong. Shortly after the tragic events, she left Whispering Oaks and heartbreak behind. Now twelve years later, she returns home to take care of her injured parents, and almost immediately runs into her first love, Jack Lightfoot.

Jack hasn’t forgotten his feelings for Anne, long after dating and losing Anne’s best friend. Now faced with her in his life again, even though only temporary, he can’t deny the spark still shimmering between them. Neither can she, but her job in Portland is waiting and her plan is to leave town a soon as possible.

Now, with love even more complicated, and those tragic memories threatening to pull them apart, Jack refuses to let history repeat itself. He must prove they are meant to be more than high school best buddies who once shared an amazing secret kiss. This time, no matter what it takes, Jack is determined to convince Anne the only place they belong is together.

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About the Author

USA Today Bestselling author, Lynne Marshall has been traditionally published with Harlequin and Mills & Boon as a category romance author for fifteen years with thirty-one books. TULE Publishing is where she hit the USA Today list with the second book in the Charity, Montana trilogy, Their Christmas Miracle. She has now gone hybrid, self-publishing ten books. She is a Southern California native, has been married to a New Englander for a long time. She is an adoring grandmother, a woman of faith, a dog lover, a cat admirer, a meandering walker, a curious traveler, and an optimistic participant in this wild journey called life.

Connect:

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

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

Spotlight: The Life and Times of Angie Bardot

Publication date: February 14th 2021
Genres: Comedy, Women’s Fiction

IS THERE LIFE AFTER?

Setting out on her adventures, Angie is best described as endearingly tragic as she gives a truly laugh-out-loud account of what could possibly go wrong when her long-term marriage comes to an end. Extolling the many pitfalls of being single is no laughing matter and being thrown into the dating arena is even worse.

When curiosity to view a certain piece of the male anatomy takes priority, bedlam unfolds. Angie’s journey will leave you in fits of laughter while raising your eyebrows in absolute disdain.

Taking you from “Hell No” to “Hell Yes,” this two-part true story taps into a range of emotions as you travel along with Angie on her voyage of self-discovery. A captivating exposé of courage and raw honesty in finding a new beginning when life takes a nosedive, this compelling portrayal of compassion gives insight into the weakest and strongest moments of what it is to be human.

You will fall in love with Angie and won’t be able to stop turning the pages to see what she will do next. To err on the side of caution is not Angies strong suit. Heart wrenching, yet hilariously funny in the unique style of telling her tale, it’s never a surprise when she ends up on several occasions with her tail between her legs!

Does she ever learn?

This book is one of a kind, and better still, so is Angie Bardot.

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About the Author

There is more to Angela Bardot than meets the eye. Abducted at the age of five and as a teenager running away from her abusive childhood, Angela traveled overseas to an idyllic peace-loving commune which later becomes an army base and war zone. With no hope of escape, Angela's endurance from the events of this early part of her life have given her strength. After leaving the commune Angela traveled behind the Iron Curtain where very few westerners dared to go before a year spent in Canada living with her friends loving family which gave Angela an insight into what a family should be. She felt loved for the first time and was ready to return home.
Angela settled down to a somewhat normal life and obtained a Diploma of Copywriting and Advertising and a Certificate in Business, becoming a successful business partner. Angela is proudest of her role as a wife, mother, and grandmother. The importance of her family remains her greatest achievement. Angela traveled to many more countries over the years, but the one she holds dearest was her time spent in Canada, as part of a loving family environment.
Angela Bardot published her first book, Hell No in 2017 which is now incorporated as part one in her new book, The Life and Times of Angie Bardot.

Connect:

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/21097884.Angela_Bardot

https://www.pinterest.com/angelabardot

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Spotlight: Finding Fate by Keelan Storm

Genre: YA Fiction
Publisher: Jaiten Press; 2nd edition 
Release Date: February 20, 2021

Isabel Dearly is tired of feeling depressed. Still grieving over the death of her father from cancer seven months ago, the seventeen-year-old has immersed herself in dance. But just as she’s starting to emerge from the darkness, she’s brutally betrayed by the handsome boy she’d only recently begun to date.

Rescued by her best friend, Isabel falls into his arms… and his bed. And when the consequences threaten her career options, she fears she may never be happy again.

Can Isabel figure out her future when the complications of the present refuse to let her go?

Excerpt

“Dang it,” Isabel cursed to herself as she rode along the edge of the party, looking for a spot where she wouldn’t get boxed in. It was twelve-forty. Annie was so going to comment.

She probably should have set an alarm, but the distraction she’d been searching for with dancing had finally kicked in, and it had been hard to stop.

Finally finding a space not too far from Tucker’s Chevy, Isabel winced as her and Annie’s ancient Ford sputtered like it was coughing up a lung. She cut the engine, ignoring the looks the sound had brought, and peered around the gathered crowd for her friends.

The beach parties out at Corey’s were always big, at least the couple she’d been to before, but it was packed tonight with the first night of summer vacation crowd.

There were several people she didn’t know, but it wasn’t surprising. Tourists tended to flock to their small, picturesque beach town during vacation seasons, and it definitely kept things from getting boring. It was almost funny sometimes watching her classmates drool over the latest, temporary eye candy. Not that she’d ever bothered, not when they were destined to leave.

Glancing out her window, Isabel was surprised to find a guy watching her. Tall, dark, and classically handsome, he was leaning against a Mustang convertible, the shiny black lines of the metal obviously new and expensive. He smiled, and she blushed on instinct, not because of his car, but because something about him was…intriguing. Too bad he had tourist written all over him.

Recognizing the look of an oncoming pickup line if he came over, Isabel glanced away, not wanting to encourage anything that couldn’t happen, and almost immediately caught sight of Tucker nearby. His massively tall and muscled frame was hard to miss, and she watched him run a hand back through his sandy-blonde strands as he flirted with a couple of girls she didn’t know near the bonfire.

His gaze caught hers through the windshield, and that flirty grin of his shifted into a genuine smile. Watching him lean down to say something to his latest fangirls before he shrugged away from their suggestive touches, Isabel sat back as he ran up to her side of the truck.

Tucker leaned his arms against the open window frame and dragged his hand back through his hair again, the strands falling just so against the tanned skin of his brow. Isabel’s heart stuttered for a moment, but she ignored it. It was no secret that her best friend was insanely hot.

“Hey,” Tucker greeted. “You decided to join us for the party?”

Isabel rolled her eyes. “You know that’s a no.”

“You sure? I can go grab you a shot. Or maybe you’d rather ease in with a beer…” he teased.

“Tucker…”

He shrugged. “Just kidding. Wouldn’t kill you to come have fun with us, though.”

“You look like you’re having plenty of it without me,” she jerked her head to the girls that had just been hanging off his arms. One was frowning, looking concerned and disappointed, but the other was shooting daggers her way.

Whatever. It came with the territory this time of year.

“Tourist girls?” she surmised.

“The best kind,” Tucker grinned wide. Isabel rolled her eyes, and Tucker frowned, picking up finally on her mood. “Hey, you okay?”

Isabel shook off the weird vibe that had just come over her, forcing a smile back to her face. “Yeah. Annie called earlier about y’all needing a ride home. You ready to go?”

“Me? No. I’m about to give someone a ride myself,” he smirked.

“Tucker.”

“Sorry, just trying to lighten the mood.”

“Not working.”

“Got it. I am staying a while, though, but I’m pretty sure I saw Annie and Jet climbing into the bed of my truck earlier…”

Isabel released a deep breath. “Got it. I’ll text her then.”

“Probably a good idea. You’re sure you’re okay?” he asked again, the warmth of his brown eyes searching her expression.

“I swear. Just tired.”

He nodded. “’Kay. Call me if you need to. See you tomorrow?”

“Sure,” she agreed, wishing he would just go. Her friend was reading too far into her mood tonight for comfort.

***

“I told you, you’d be late,” Annie said smugly as she climbed in the passenger side a few minutes later, her ponytail loose and mussed from her last minutes with her boyfriend.

“How do you even know?” Isabel retorted. “I’ve been waiting for you.”

“Not that long, and I know because Jet and I didn’t even sneak off until twelve-thirty when you were supposed to be here,” Annie pretended to nag.

Trying and failing to look annoyed with her twin, Isabel shook her head as they shared their matching grins. “Fine, y’all have fun?” she asked as Jet settled into the seat beside Annie, his dark arm going to wrap around her sister’s waist.

“Plenty,” he winked one of his ocean blue eyes at her, and Annie smacked his stomach through his trademark Hawaiian print shirt.

“Babe,” she scolded. “It’s not like that, sis.”

“Yet,” Jet grinned. “I’m just teasing, sweetheart,” he added when Annie shot him a look, running a reassuring hand along her arm. “Izzy knows you wouldn’t hook up in the back of Tucker’s truck.”

“Where too many have gone before,” Isabel quipped, making them laugh. “And Jet’s right. I know you have better taste than that.”

Starting up the truck to head home, she noticed the honestly dreamy guy from before still watching her through the window, now talking to a couple of guys from school. She glanced away, though her cheeks flushed again at the attention.

Annie noticed, her gaze quickly shooting back and forth between them. “Who’s that?”

Isabel shrugged as Jet replied. “Wesley. He’s new. Tucker and I were talking to him earlier.”

“New?” Isabel questioned.

“Yeah, just moved to town like a week ago or something. He’ll be lifeguarding this summer, so you and Tucker should be seeing him at work soon, sweetheart,” Jet explained, his hand still stroking along the tanned skin of his girl’s arm.

“Not a tourist…” Isabel mused as she pulled away from the crowd, but then she shook her head. Boys were the last trouble she needed or wanted to mess with…

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About the Author

An author of young adult and coming-of-age romance, Keelan Storm brings readers pages packed with drama, heat, and emotionally heartfelt moments you won’t want to put down. With her soap opera style Tied by Fate series, you’ll find unwavering friendship, unpredictable twists and turns, swoon-worthy romance, and a fun cast of characters you can’t help but adore.

Keelan lives in Texas with her husband and two children, and when she isn’t writing, she enjoys reading, taking midnight drives, pretty much anything teal, and inhaling unhealthy amounts of iced coffee.

Connect:

Facebook: https://bit.ly/keelanstormfacebook
Twitter: https://bit.ly/keelanstormtwitterpage
Instagram: https://bit.ly/keelanstorminstagram
Pinterest: https://bit.ly/keelanstormpinterest
Author Website: www.keelanstorm.com
Newsletter Link: https://bit.ly/introducingfatenl 

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