Spotlight: Wishing for a Cowboy by Victoria James

𝑭𝒓𝒐𝒎 𝑵𝒆𝒘 𝒀𝒐𝒓𝒌 𝑻𝒊𝒎𝒆𝒔 𝒃𝒆𝒔𝒕𝒔𝒆𝒍𝒍𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒂𝒖𝒕𝒉𝒐𝒓 𝑽𝒊𝒄𝒕𝒐𝒓𝒊𝒂 𝑱𝒂𝒎𝒆𝒔 𝒄𝒐𝒎𝒆𝒔 𝒂 𝒉𝒆𝒂𝒓𝒕𝒘𝒂𝒓𝒎𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒍𝒐𝒗𝒆 𝒔𝒕𝒐𝒓𝒚 𝒂𝒃𝒐𝒖𝒕 𝒇𝒂𝒎𝒊𝒍𝒚, 𝒇𝒐𝒓𝒈𝒊𝒗𝒆𝒏𝒆𝒔𝒔, 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒕𝒓𝒖𝒆 𝒎𝒆𝒂𝒏𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒐𝒇 "𝒉𝒐𝒎𝒆."

Janie Adams has been a single parent to her nephew since he was a baby. Fifteen years later, she’s finally found out who his father might be, so the two of them travel across the country to find him. She’d do anything for this kid. But when they arrive in the small town of Wishing River, Montana, and Janie finally meets the ruggedly handsome cowboy she’d been told had abandoned his son, his shocked response changes everything.

Aiden Rivers can’t dispute this is his kid when he sees his own features staring back at him, but he had no idea Janie’s sister was pregnant when she left him. He didn’t even know she had a sister—clearly they’d all been lied to. Now he has fifteen years of fatherhood to make up for and no idea how to be a dad. This was never in his plans.

Janie sticks around to help him ease into parenting, everything from showing him how to lure a sulky kid out of his bedroom to keeping up with the latest teen-speak. Together, they surprisingly make a good team, this city girl and country boy. But when the past catches up with them, Aiden and Janie must decide what’s best for the boy who's connecting them, not only for each other…which could mean splitting them apart.

Excerpt

Aiden tensed at the sound of someone whispering. He quietly left the kitchen and spotted Morris jumping on the couch and Janie sitting up.

“Did I wake you?”

He heard a sigh, and then the table lamp turned on. Janie was sitting up, wrapped in a blanket, a tangle of gorgeous, shiny hair around her head. She snatched her glasses from the end table and put them on. “Couldn’t sleep, actually.”

Her gaze flickered over him, and then her face turned red. He hadn’t bothered with a shirt because he didn’t think he’d see anyone and he was used to being the only person in the house. His plan had been to take his coffee back to his room.

“I, uh, didn’t think you’d be awake. I’m just going to go grab a shirt. Coffee is brewing if you want some,” he said over his shoulder, heading back to his room, trying to brush off the strange sense of intimacy that hit him when she looked at him.

When he came back, Janie was in the kitchen, still wrapped up in the blanket, drinking coffee. She quickly poured him a cup. He found the hurried gesture odd but chalked it up to the nerves of being in a stranger’s home. “Thanks,” he said, accepting the mug.

He noticed she went out of her way to not touch him, and if he hadn’t been fast, the cup would have ended up on the floor. “So…why couldn’t you sleep? Is it the couch? I really don’t mind switching with you.”

She shook her head, her eyes on him as she took a sip of coffee. “No, no. It’s not the couch, it’s…” She let out a weak laugh. “Life.”

He ran a hand through his hair. “Yeah. Tell me about it.”

“You’re not on any social media,” she said abruptly, tilting her head, her eyes on him intently. 

He swallowed, having the distinct feeling he was being evaluated again. That was fine. Deserved. “I’ve lived in Wishing River my entire life. I know everyone I need to know, and I know way too much about them already. Why would I want to see these same people online? Selfies and all that? No thanks.”

She smiled as though that answer was acceptable. “You were looking me up?”

She shrugged, the blanket falling slightly, revealing a glimpse of the smooth, creamy skin of her shoulder and the strap of a pink tank top. He tore his gaze from that and kept his eyes on hers. “I had looked you up before, but it dawned on me as I was lying on the couch that we really don’t know much about you. And you don’t know me, either, but I don’t just sleep at strange guys’ houses, especially not with my nephew, who I’m supposed to be protecting.”

He kept his expression neutral and definitely didn’t open his big mouth until he could appropriately filter his thoughts. 

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About the Author

Victoria James is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of contemporary romance.

Victoria always knew she wanted to be a writer and in grade five, she penned her first story, bound it (with staples and a cardboard cover) and did all the illustrations herself. Luckily, this book will never see the light of day again.

In high school she fell in love with historical romance and then contemporary romance. After graduating University with an English Literature degree, Victoria pursued a degree in Interior Design and then opened her own business. After her first child, Victoria knew it was time to fulfill her dream of writing romantic fiction.

Victoria is a hopeless romantic who is living her dream, penning happily-ever-after's for her characters in between managing kids and the family business. Writing on a laptop in the middle of the country in a rambling old Victorian house would be ideal, but she's quite content living in suburbia with her husband, their two young children, and very bad cat.

Sign up for Victoria's Newsletter to stay up to date on upcoming releases and exclusive giveaways, follow her blog for daily antics and insight into her daily life, and get to know her on twitter and Facebook. She loves hearing from readers! www.victoriajames.ca

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Spotlight: The Mind Witch by Nicole Demery

Release Date: March 1

My plan was simple and…mostly ordinary. Finish my PhD. Teach Celtic mythology in a tiny college town. Stop hearing the thoughts and feelings of every person I happened to meet. 

As a wayward seer just coming into her powers, I couldn’t avoid the last one. 
But the first two were just within my reach when sorcerer-particle physicist Jonathan Lynch appeared one chilly winter morning along two other shocks: 

The death of my grandmother, the most powerful seer in a generation;
And the mysterious box she protected, which just might have belonged to Pandora.

Suddenly I was tangled in a secret that had been unraveling for years, and my unruly talents and complicated inheritance were at the heart of it all. 

Ordinary life would have to wait. 
The extraordinary was coming for me after all.

______________________________________________

A hot debut series in the tradition of Deborah Harkness, Diana Gabaldon, and Anne Rice weaves magic, scholarship, and romance for readers who crave a little adventure.

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Meet Nicole Demery

Prior to becoming a USA Today best-selling author, Nicole Demery originally 

told stories as a literature and history instructor while working on her Ph.D. in early American Studies. When not writing, she spends time with her three children, her husband, a brooding scientist, and daydreaming about her next novel.

Nicole writes books that combine the fantastical with the historical, plus a solid dash of romance. Her characters explore the ins and outs of history and myth while remaining as real as anyone you might meet.

Connect with Nicole Demery

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Spotlight: His Secret Starlight Baby by Michelle Major

Becoming a father wasn’t part of his game plan in USA TODAY bestselling author Michelle Major’s latest book in her Welcome to Starlight miniseries!

Coparenting this baby is going to take teamwork

Former professional football player Jordan Schaeffer’s game plan was simple: retire from football and set up a quiet life in Starlight. But when Cory Hall arrives with their infant son, Jordan not only gets a surprise but has to devise a new life strategy. And Cory finds herself agreeing to be his fake fiancée until they work out a coparenting plan. Jordan may have rewritten the dating playbook…but will it be enough to bring this team together?

From Harlequin Special Edition: Believe in love. Overcome obstacles. Find happiness.

Welcome to Starlight

Book 1: The Best Intentions

Book 2: The Last Man She Expected

Book 3: His Last-Chance Christmas Family

Book 4: His Secret Starlight Baby

Excerpt

Cory needed a fresh start like she needed her next breath.

Jordan went back to locking the door, and if it weren’t for that initial rigidity and the tension currently radiating from him, Cory might have thought he hadn’t heard her greeting.

When he turned, she realized what a fool she’d been—nothing new there. Jordan’s pale green eyes blazed with an emotion she couldn’t name, although it definitely wasn’t friendly. Not that she expected a warm welcome back into his life, although she had to admit, in the two and a half days it had taken to drive halfway across the country, her mind had wandered down the path of silly fantasy more than once.

She fisted her hands, the sharp pain of nails stabbing into the flesh of her palm a much-needed reminder to stay grounded in reality. Cory was in Starlight to take care of business, not to indulge in ridiculous daydreams. Single moms didn’t have time for that sort of nonsense.

“How are you?” she asked, clearing her throat when the words came out on a croak. She tried for a smile. “It’s been a minute.”

“What are you doing here?” He pocketed the set of keys and rocked back on his heels. His eyes raked over her in a way that left her wishing she hadn’t forgotten her flat iron back in Michigan. Or had she deserted that particular styling tool when she’d taken off from Atlanta? She hadn’t given much thought to making herself look pretty in what felt like ages.

“I was…um…in the area, and I thought I’d stop in and say hi.” She gave a limp wave. “Hi.”

Jordan stared at her like she’d lost her mind.

“I didn’t know if you’d remember me.” She pushed away a stray lock of hair that blew into her face. “I’m sure you want to—”

“I remember, Cory.” His voice was a deep, angry rumble. “I remember everything.”

She swallowed. “Oh. Okay, well, that’s good. I think.” She gestured to the bar he’d exited minutes earlier. “You own this place, right? It looks nice.” She inwardly cringed at her inability to stem the tide of inane babble pouring from her mouth. She wasn’t here for pleasantries but couldn’t quite bring herself to get to the point.

“It’s after midnight.” He ran a hand through his thick hair. She still couldn’t see its true color, but it was longer than he’d worn it when he’d played football in Georgia. Untamed and a bit wild, much like the man himself.

“Right.” She took a slow, steadying breath. “I need to talk to you, Jordan.”

“I got that.”

“It’s about what happened when you left.”

“From what I saw on ESPN, Kade got one hell of a contract offer. Forty million for four years. He got it all. You both got exactly what you wanted.”

She winced at the accusation in his voice, even though she deserved every bit of judgment and condemnation Jordan Schaeffer could dish out. “Kade and I aren’t together,” she said, as if that explained everything when it was only the tip of the iceberg.

“Not my concern, Cory. In fact, right now my only concern is getting home and into bed for a decent night’s sleep. I wish you well in whatever you choose for life after Kade Barrington, if you’re telling the truth about that.”

“I never lied,” she said, trying and mostly failing to keep the pain out of her voice. Trying and completely failing to stop an image of Jordan asleep in bed from filling her mind.

“You went back to him.”

Cory sucked in a shaky gulp of air, because she could have sworn she heard an answering pain in Jordan’s tone. That couldn’t be possible, because…

“After you took off.” She bit down on the inside of her cheek until she tasted blood. “You left without even saying goodbye.”

He laughed, a harsh scrape across her fraught nerves. “Sweetheart, we barely said hello.”

Oh no. He wasn’t going to do that. Not now. Not after everything Cory had dealt with in the past year. She might have had only one night with Jordan, but it had meant…something. To her, it had turned out to mean everything.

Her gaze darted to the gas guzzler her grandmother had given her before she died last month, and Cory was tempted to walk away. She could climb back in the car, spend one night in the local inn where she’d rented a room and be on the highway by first light.

Then she looked at him again, at those unique eyes she saw staring back at her every day, and realized she had to see this through. If not for herself, then for her baby.

“We said plenty,” she told him, straightening her shoulders. “We did plenty. Enough that I have a six-month-old son in that car.” She hitched a finger at the Buick. “You have a son, Jordan.”

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About the Author

USA Today bestselling author Michelle Major loves stories of new beginnings, second chances and always a happily ever after. An avid hiker and avoider of housework, she lives in the shadow of the Rocky Mountains with her husband, two teenagers and a menagerie of spoiled furbabies. Connect with her at www.michellemajor.com.

Connect:

Website: https://michellemajor.com/ 

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6468588.Michelle_Major 

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

Twitter: https://twitter.com/michelle_major1 

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Spotlight: It’s a Zin to Tell a Lie by Pamela Gibson

(Love in Wine Country)

Publication date: February 3rd 2021

Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance

Emma Bradford, world class pianist, is tired of living out of suitcases and wants to change her career. When she returns to Napa to consider her options and play for a friend’s wedding, she discovers a nasty surprise. The man who called off their engagement two years ago will also be there and there’s no way to avoid him.

Antonio Reynoso is a dissolute playboy living on a Caribbean island. At least that’s what he’s let his family believe. He’s purposely stayed away so he won’t be tempted to break a promise and try to win back the only woman he’s ever loved.

But when he and Emma are unexpectedly thrown together during a violent storm, Antonio’s resolve begins to weaken and he wonders if leaving her had been a mistake. His wine country family says yes, and with a little well-intentioned meddling, he and Emma might just get a second chance.

Excerpt

It took every ounce of courage she possessed to walk over to where Antonio was sitting, the bottle of wine in her hand, aware of her pantlegs tightening with every step, the sway of her ponytail as it brushed her shoulders. 

She swallowed several times before she reached him, noting again how broad his shoulders were and how tanned his face and arms. He looked up at her with those emerald eyes, and her stomach tickled like it had soft cotton balls floating inside. 

The old line—one they’d often used when teasing each other—came out of her mouth without even thinking.

“How are you Tony, and remember, it’s a zin to tell a lie.” 

“No lies today. You’re brave to come out here and sit with me. And that’s the truth.”

She tried to smile, but it didn’t quite happen. “Everyone’s been treating me like I’m made of freshly blown glass. I tell them you and I are the past and we’ve both moved on. They don’t believe me.”

He seemed to be mulling over his response before he spoke. “They’re Reynosos. Emotional. Devoted. Protective of those they love. They’ve adopted you as one of their own. I’m the outcast now.”

She nodded, focusing on a few blades of grass at her feet. “Does it bother you?”

“I try not to think about it, so maybe it does. I miss this.” His arm swept out. “Family gatherings, and hearing about the progress made on Lindsay’s restored house, and Paige’s latest cabernet crop, and Aiden’s new venture as a small-town newspaper editor. I get my family news from Nana. She doesn’t judge.”

“She judges. She just doesn’t let on. Likes to tell people she’s omniscient.”

“And lovable. Don’t forget that.”

Her mouth did turn up at the corners then, she couldn’t help it. Nana was a safe subject, and one that invariably led to smiles.

“People are starting to notice us, Tony. Your mother is frowning and grabbing your Dad’s arm. They’re talking about us now. She keeps slanting glances our way.”

“Dad won’t turn to look, though. He’s stoic. He won’t let her come over here, either, and boy, does she want to.”

She held the glass up and Tony took it from her hand, a tiny zing of heat where their fingers touched. Damn. The chemistry was still there.

“Tell me how you are, Tony. Remember, this is just a friend asking.”

He handed the glass back to her and she refilled it, taking a sip. They often did this, sharing one glass of wine at dinner so the designated driver would be sober when they left. 

“I’m good, but I could be better.”

“Too many wild island nights getting you down, huh?” She hadn’t meant to be sarcastic, but it slipped out. He’d hurt her so badly two years ago, she didn’t think she’d ever recover. But her music saved her. “Sorry.”

“I deserved it. How about you? Your career has taken off. Every time I talk to Nana, she tells me about another tour you’re on.”

“I love music. But the travel gets old. And I’m getting old without fulfilling my dreams.”

He turned to her and touched her face, gazing deeply into her eyes. “I thought a glittering concert tour was your dream.”

“And here I distinctly remember telling you it wasn’t. But some men never listen, do they?”

She brushed his hand off her face and stood. “I’ll leave you the bottle. Nice talking to you, Tony. Maybe your family will believe me when I tell them I’m okay with you being here.”

“Are you?”

She shrugged. “I’m not sure.”

Filling her lungs with the cleansing air of a civil confrontation, she walked back toward the crowd, her eyes fixed on the golden leaves of an aspen tree. Awkward, but the conversation had to take place, and it needed to be done in full view of staring eyes.

She wanted to send a message. I’m okay. I’m good. I’m truly over him. And while a part of me can never forgive him, I can stand to be civil in a social situation.

But that would have been a lie.

She would never be over him. Every string of her soul tightened and vibrated at his touch. 

And that was the truth.

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About the Author

Author of eight books on California history and fifteen romance novels, Pamela Gibson is a former City Manager who lives in the Nevada desert. Having spent the last three years messing about in boats, a hobby that included a five-thousand-mile trip in a 32-foot Nordic Tug, she now spends most of her time indoors happily reading, writing, cooking and keeping up with the antics of Ralph, the Rescue Cat. If you want to learn more about her activities go to https://www.pamelagibsonwrites.com and sign up for her quarterly newsletter and occasional blog. Or follow her in these places:

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https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/209763.Pamela_Gibson

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Spotlight: Fandom Hearts by Cathy Yardley

About Level Up:  

Geeky introvert Tessa Rodriguez will do whatever it takes to get promoted to video game engineer– including create a fandom-based video game in just three weeks. The only problem is, she can't do it alone. Now, she needs to strong-arm, cajole, and otherwise socialize with her video game coworkers, especially her roommate, Adam, who’s always been strictly business with her. The more they work together, though, the closer they get…

Adam London has always thought of his roomie Tessa as “one of the guys” until he agreed to help her with this crazy project. Now, he’s thinking of her all the time… and certainly as something more than just a roommate! But his last girlfriend broke up with him to follow her ambitions, and he knows that Tessa is obsessed with getting ahead in the video game world.

Going from friends to something more is one hell of a challenge. Can Tessa and Adam level up their relationship to love?

Get Your Copy: Amazon | Audible

About One True Pairing:  

They couldn't be more opposite, the Hollywood actor and the hometown girl, but all they need is a little convention magic to become the perfect ship in Cathy Yardley's One True Pairing.

Jake Reese needs a decoy girlfriend. Fast. The lead actor of the popular TV show, Mystics, is tired of losing his shirt to overeager fans. Literally. Which is why a chance meeting with gothabilly bookworm-slash-barista Hailey Frost seems almost too perfect to be true. Hailey is not impressed with his TV fame and is desperate to save her family's bookstore. It's a match made in Hollywood, but as the two pretend to date, fan fiction becomes reality. Can this OTP become canon?

Excerpt

He glanced at her. "I don't suppose you could take me," he said, with a hopeful smile.

She felt a jolt of awareness flash through her like an electric shock.

Dimples, she thought absently. They were her downfall. 

Jake Reese gave great dimples.

She looked heavenward. "I have an afternoon shift, at my other job," she said, trying to fight the pull of attraction she felt.  This guy’s not for you, kiddo. 

"You said it's only five minutes away, though," he wheedled.

"What is it with guys trying to get on my good side today?"

He deliberately turned, pointing at his ass. She saw the gaping hole where his pocket used to be. The guy was wearing striped boxers, she noticed. He also had an ass a woman could write odes to, she couldn't help but also notice.

"I don't think I'll survive another round with those women," he said, his eyes imploring.

Damn those dimples.

"Fine,” she said, ignoring the flash of his blue eyes and her corresponding hormonal bump.  “As soon as my replacement comes back, I'll..."

"Oh, thank you," Jake said quickly. Before she knew it, he was hugging her. 

She was being hugged by Jake Reese, a.k.a. Rick from Mystics, the brooding bad-boy with muscles for miles and a kick-ass Shelby Mustang.

He smelled like expensive cologne, just a splash of it, plus some pure rugged male. Her body tightened in response, her breasts crushed up against the rock-hard wall of his chest.

Oh, my.

Of course, it was at that point that Stan breezed back in, a paper bag of greasy goodness in hand. "Thanks, Hales, I..." he stopped, jaw dropping at the sight in front of him. 

Jake pulled back away from Hailey, with a rueful half-smile.

"Well, I got a double burger and fries with a milkshake," Stan said, tongue in cheek. "What goodies did you grab for lunch, girl?"

Get Your Copy: Amazon | Audible

About Cathy Yardley

  Cathy Yardley is an award-winning author of romance, chick lit, and urban fantasy, who has sold over 1.2 million copies of books for publishers like St. Martin's, Avon, and Harlequin. She writes fun, geeky, and diverse characters who believe that underdogs can make good and sometimes being a little wrong is just right. She likes writing about quirky, crazy adventures, because she's had plenty of her own: she had her own army in the Society of Creative Anachronism; she's spent a New Year's on a 3-day solitary vision quest in the Mojave Desert; she had VIP access to the Viper Room in Los Angeles. Now, she spends her time writing in the wilds of East Seattle, trying to prevent her son from learning the truth of any of said adventures, and riding herd on her two dogs (and one husband.)

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Spotlight: Thunder on the Moor by Andrea Matthews

Historical Fiction/Scottish/Time Travel

Maggie Armstrong grew up enchanted by her father’s tales of blood feuds and border raids. In fact, she could have easily fallen for the man portrayed in one particular image in his portrait collection. Yet when her father reveals he was himself an infamous Border reiver, she finds it a bit far-fetched—to say the least—especially when he announces his plans to return to his sixteenth century Scottish home with her in tow.

Suspecting it’s just his way of getting her to accompany him on yet another archaeological dig, Maggie agrees to the expedition, only to find herself transported four hundred and fifty years into the past. Though a bit disoriented at first, she discovers her father’s world to be every bit as exciting as his stories, particularly when she’s introduced to Ian Rutherford, the charming son of a neighboring laird. However, when her uncle announces her betrothal to Ian, Maggie’s twentieth-century sensibilities are outraged. She hardly even knows the man. But a refusal of his affections could ignite a blood feud.

Maggie’s worlds are colliding. Though she’s found the family she always wanted, the sixteenth century is a dangerous place. Betrayal, treachery, and a tragic murder have her questioning whether she should remain or try to make her way back to her own time.

To make matters worse, tensions escalate when she stumbles across Bonnie Will Foster, the dashing young man in her father’s portrait collection, only to learn he is a dreaded Englishman. But could he be the hero she’s always dreamed him to be? Or will his need for revenge against Ian shatter more than her heart?

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About the Author

Andrea Matthews is the pseudonym for Inez Foster, a historian and librarian who loves to read and write and search around for her roots, genealogical speaking. In fact, it was while doing some genealogical research that she stumbled across the history of the Border reivers. The idea for her first novel came to mind almost at once, gradually growing into the Thunder on the Moor series. And the rest is history, as they say.

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Thunder on the Moor