Spotlight: Cruising on Ice by Kerry Evelyn

Genre: Sweet Friends-to-Lovers Hockey Romance 

It’s true that hockey players break hearts.
Sometimes, it’s their own.

Taylor Ranford has three immediate goals: have a blast on her birthday cruise with her sister, help Team USA win the international cheerleading title, and earn enough money to put her through grad school. Not part of the plan: her sister getting sick and sending her best friend—and Taylor’s longtime crush—in her place. She can't face the only guy she’s ever had feelings for treating her like she's his little sister when she really wants so much more.

After a big blow to his career—and his ego—and with no immediate plans for the next season, Kingston Brewer jumps at the opportunity to go on a last-minute cruise with the bouncy-ponytailed cheerleading coach. Taylor had always been there when he needed her most, and he holds a soft spot for her in his heart. But after a few days on the ship, Kingston begins to see Taylor as more than just his best friend’s little sister.

Just when he thinks they can explore a future together, Kingston gets THE call from his agent. Now he has to make one of the most difficult choices in his personal and professional life. Will he give up the professional chance of a lifetime for a chance with the girl he’s fallen head-over-skates for? 

Excerpt

From Chapter 17, in Taylor’s point of view…

Kingston grabbed my hand and spun us around so that he was skating backward. I reached for his other hand and grabbed it, spinning us again until he was pulling me at high speed. I squealed in delight as the people blurred in my peripheral.

He was grinning at me stupidly, and I’m sure I wore a similar expression. I couldn’t think of anything to say, so I just waggled my eyebrows at him. He spun us again and guided me into his arms, facing outward. His warm breath on my neck brought back the goosebumps and sent a shiver down my back.

“I’ve got a birthday gift for you,” he whispered. “I was going to wait until dinner, but I don’t want to.” His hands dropped to my waist, and we glided to the gate.

“Then I don’t want to wait.” I pressed my lips to his. We found a bench and changed back into our shoes. With a quick wave to the others, we left the recreation area and headed back to our room.

“When did you have time to get me a gift?” I asked breathlessly as I tried to keep up with him. Where had he found this much energy after all the physical activity we’d exerted today?

“I’m sneaky like that.” He flashed a grin and tugged me into the cabin, spinning me so that I was pressed against the door.

Kingston bent his head down, and I lifted to my toes to meet his lips. I closed my eyes, savoring every light, feathery brush of his kiss.

I looked past him and saw that the dresser was dotted in red rose petals. On a tray, a vase of red roses sat next to a champagne bottle chilled in an ice bin. A card leaned against the vase, and as I reached for it, Kingston scooped up the skinny, silver-wrapped rectangular box with a big red bow.

“Happy birthday, Taylor.”

I took the box and sat on the bed, grinning stupidly. I was almost afraid to open it. I was sure it was jewelry, but I wasn’t sure what that meant.

“Just open it. I hope you like it.”

I untied the bow and slid the satiny ribbon off the box. Carefully, I worked at the paper until it released from the box. I wasn’t normally a sentimental person, but a gut feeling told me I’d want to keep it as a memento. And the bow. And maybe a few dried roses, too.

I glanced up at him as I lifted the top of the box. He nodded, and I returned my attention to the gift. Inside, on a delicate chain, was a strip of silver tied into a bow.

“Oh, wow. I love it. Thank you.”

He kissed me again and reached for the card. “I got this for you before we left. I should have gotten you another card.”

“You’re the sweetest.” I opened the envelope. Inside was a year’s subscription for audiobooks. “This is perfect! Thank you!” Another kiss. I didn’t think I could ever get enough kisses from this guy.

He pulled away and looked at me seriously. “I don’t know how to do this, Taylor. I’ve never had a serious girlfriend. I . . . I want us to be serious. You want that, too, right?”

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About the Author

Kerry Evelyn is a native of the Massachusetts SouthCoast. She loves God, books of all kinds, traveling, taking selfies, sweet drinks, boy bands, and escaping into her imagination, where every child is happy and healthy, every house has a library, and her hubby wears coattails and a top hat 24/7.She is an instructor, mentor, and speaker, author of the Crane’s Cove series, small town romance set in Downeast Maine a Guest Author for the Cat's Paw Cove Romance world, and several short stories. 

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Cover Reveal: Preying on the Church by Kimberley B. Jones

Publication date: August 26th 2021

Genres: Adult, Christian, Contemporary

Synopsis:

Preying On The Church, is an inspiring novel about an African American middle-age woman Margie, who is well-known in her community through her job as a Realtor, serving as a representative on the Rockford Town Council, and giving her portion of life at Rockford Baptist Church.

A tragic accident happens that no one could ever believe. After a church shooting, Margie loses faith as her life is shattered into pieces losing someone close to her that causes her to journey through the five stages of grief.

It takes her to the lowest possible point of survival: isolating herself from friends and family, losing faith, drinking alcohol, almost getting arrested, and losing her job to realize she is on a path of destruction.

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About the Author

Kimberley B. Jones is a small country girl from St. George, SC. She followed her heart in college writing children books. Recently she decided to challenge herself and branch off to novels. She is your typical nomad who moves from place to place. Not by choice, but her husband serves in the military. She has a bachelors and masters in early childhood education. Kimberley is represented by Rhetaskew Publishing company and is best known for her debut novel, Our Friendship Matters.
​
When she is not writing, she is either thinking of another topic or reading. She loves writing , it gives her a chance to escape into another human character and express herself, other than being your typical mother and wife. If you don't want to be on her bad side, then she needs her white chocolate mocha every morning. Some days Folgers breakfast blend coffee is okay.

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Spotlight: Give Me a Reason by A.L. Jackson

A Single-Dad, Enemies-to-Lovers Romance from A.L. Jackson

Coming August 30th

From NYT and USA Today bestselling author A.L. Jackson comes a single-dad, enemies-to-lovers stand-alone romance about a jaded club owner and his son’s teacher…

Eden Murphy came into my club looking to make some extra cash.

A girl like her didn't belong in a place like this.

She'd get ripped to shreds.

Most likely by me.

There's nothing but sweetness dripping from her sexy little body, and I'm the monster who's salivating to get a taste.

Trent Lawson is the last man I should want.

Dark.

Dangerous.

So wickedly gorgeous he makes my knees weak.

He's also an arrogant jerk who happens to be my new boss.

When I discover his adorable son is also in my kindergarten class, I know I have to keep my distance.

But neither of us can ignore the attraction that flames.

One glance, and our hearts race.

One touch, and we’re aching for what we can’t have.

One night, and we’re falling fast.

Dragging her into my sordid world is wrong.

It doesn’t matter.

Eden Murphy is mine.

Excerpt

“Speaking of hot guys…” She angled her head in the direction of a white Porsche Panamera that pulled into the parent pick-up line on the other side of the wrought-iron fence. “There he is.”

And I wondered if I was seeing things. 

Hallucinating. 

If this was some kind of cruel, sick joke or if I’d just done something really terrible in another life and this was my punishment. 

Because there was no mistaking the smoldering eyes staring me down through the windshield where he came to a stop at the curb.

The way shock blanched his unbearably gorgeous face before his jaw clenched in what appeared hatred.

Or maybe glee. 

With the man, I was sure they were one and the same.

My hand tightened on the child’s. 

Instinctual. 

A gut reaction to protect him.

Shivers raced. This unsettled feeling that something was coming. Something I didn’t understand, but something I should fear. 

The man climbed from the driver’s seat of the flashy car that I wouldn’t have thought would fit him at all but somehow right then looked like the perfect accent piece. 

He straightened to his full, menacing height.

“There he is! There he is!” The child started jumping up and down and waving his hand in the air. “Hi, Dad, hi! Over here!” 

That seething intensity flashed through the air. My head spun and my knees knocked, my mouth going dry. 

Trent Lawson strode toward the gate, all dark swagger and don’t-give-a-shit attitude, even though there were at least fifteen signs asking parents to stay in their cars and their children would be escorted out.

I got the sense the man wasn’t exactly one to follow the rules. 

Because there he was, dressed a lot like he’d been last night, black jeans and a black v-neck tee and black boots that were unlaced. All that exposed, inked flesh somehow appeared obscene. 

I had the urge to wrap the child up and take him into hiding. Run to the rest of the children and usher them to safety. 

Emergency evacuation. 

But I just stood there.

Dumbfounded.

Finally, I mumbled, “That’s your dad?” 

Gage Lawson. 

Of course. 

This really was some cruel, sick joke, and I was the very brunt of it.

“Yep! That’s him.” Gage was jumping and pointing. “Tell him I got an A, Miss Murphy! He’s gonna be so proud!” 

Trent Lawson strode toward the gate with the clear intention of barging in.

Finally, I found my voice, calling out before he made it through the barrier. “Sir, you need to wait in your car. School isn’t over for a couple minutes, and we will bring your child to you. Parents aren’t allowed in this area without signing in at the office first.”

With his hand on the gate latch, he paused, an arrogant smirk ticking up like a threat at the corner of that plush mouth. “That so?” 

I lifted my chin, still clutching his son’s hand. “Yes.” 

He eyed me as if I were the enemy. “So, let me get this straight. I pay an ungodly amount of money for my son to come here, and you get to tell me when I can and cannot pick him up?” 

“You’re paying for your child’s education, Sir, not for me to order you around.” 

“Huh…would have been mistaken.” 

My chin lifted higher. “It seems you are very, very mistaken.” 

A war waged in the exchange. That same tension that had existed last night clear and present, his outright animosity unchanged. But there was something else lining it, too. 

As if I’d gained some sort of power as we stared each other down. 

“You’ve got to wait, Dad! I told you I got to get all the As, and you’re gonna ruin it by not followin’ the rules. Sheesh.” 

Tessa giggled beside me. 

One second later, the bell rang. It jarred me out of the trance the man held me under, my entire being jolted with the sound, as if time had been set to pause and it’d begun to speed to catch back up.

Children screeched their excitement and ran to grab their bags that were lined up against the wall. 

“Please remain in your car tomorrow,” I called out, the words roughened shards as I reluctantly released Gage’s hand.

“I’ll see what I can do,” he returned, just as smug and cocky and infuriating as he’d been last night. 

Gage went running that way, that giant backpack bouncing all over. He glanced at me, running backward for two steps, nothing but grins and belief. “Don’t worry, I’ll be back to see you tomorrow, Miss Murphy!” 

When the child made it to him, Trent stretched out a hand for Gage to take.

For a flash, his entire demeanor shifted when he looked down at the child and the child smiled up at him.

Soft. Kind. Protective. 

I had to be seeing things. 

Then he turned to leave on those ridiculous boots, but not before he tossed out from over his shoulder, “See ya soon, Kitten.”

Anger rushed, my cheeks hot and my pulse wild and that irrational rage taking hold. 

All mixed up with that feeling. 

That impossibility. 

They walked back to the Porsche, and I remained rooted to the spot as he helped Gage into the backseat and into a booster before he rounded the front of the car and slipped into the driver’s seat. 

The man glared at me before he tossed his car back into drive and pulled from the curb. 

Fingernails curled into my upper arm. “Holy shit, Eden Jasmine Murphy,” Tessa hissed. “What was that? And you better fess it up now, because I can already feel your denial coming on, and there is no denying whatever the heck that was.”

She waved a turbulent hand through the air as if she could capture that feeling. 

Something unattainable but real. 

“That?” I let my eyes follow the car that whipped out of the drive far too fast. “That was my new boss.” 

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About the Author

A.L. Jackson is the New York Times & USA Today Bestselling author of contemporary romance. She writes emotional, sexy, heart-filled stories about boys who usually like to be a little bit bad.

Her bestselling series include THE REGRET SERIES, CLOSER TO YOU, BLEEDING STARS, FIGHT FOR ME, CONFESSIONS OF THE HEART, and FALLING STARS novels. Watch out for her upcoming stand-alone, GIVE ME A REASON, releasing August 30th!

If she’s not writing, you can find her hanging out by the pool with her family, sipping cocktails with her friends, or of course with her nose buried in a book.

Be sure not to miss new releases and sales from A.L. Jackson - Sign up to receive her newsletter http://smarturl.it/NewsFromALJackson or text “aljackson” to 33222 to receive short but sweet updates on all the important news.

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Spotlight: Aloha With Love by Lindy Miller & Terence Brody

Published by: Rosewind Books
Publication date: July 13th 2021
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance

Synopsis:

Soon to be a motion picture.
From the screenwriter of Rescuing Madison and
A Lesson in Romance on Hallmark

After a tough week that includes losing a big job opportunity and being dumped by her long-term boyfriend, Jenna Burke receives word that her beloved Aunt May passed away.

Traveling back to her Hawaiian hometown for the reading of the will, Jenna discovers she and her sister have inherited May’s dilapidated Victorian home on desirable beachfront land. The sisters can do whatever they want with the property, but there’s one catch: the house must be renovated before it can be sold, and Jenna has to oversee the work. Their Aunt even stipulated the contractor for the job—Ben Fletcher—who has a gift for making things beautiful again. He also has another skill: driving Jenna crazy.

Jenna vows to sell the property the moment the job is done. But as Aunt May’s broken old house starts to feel like home again, Jenna is torn between the life she’s been chasing in the city, and the one she’d left behind.

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About the Authors

Lindy Miller is an entrepreneur, award-winning professor, and publishing professional. In 2011, Miller was part of the executive leadership team that founded Radiant Advisors, a data and business intelligence research and advisory firm, where Miller developed and launched the company's editorial and research divisions, and later its data visualization practice, for clients that included 21st Century Fox Films, Fox Networks, Warner Bros., and Disney. She is the author of numerous papers and two textbooks under the name of Lindy Ryan, The Visual Imperative: Creating a Culture of Visual Discovery (Elsevier) and Visual Data Storytelling with Tableau (Pearson) Miller holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration: Entrepreneurship and Strategy, and a Master of Arts in Organizational Leadership and a Doctorate in Education, Organizational Leadership.

Terence Brody is an active captain in the New York Fire Dept, assigned to Ladder 10 in lower Manhattan.

Two of his feature scripts, RESCUING MADISON (Ethan Peck, C. Thomas Howell, Alona Tal) and A LESSON IN ROMANCE (Kristy Swanson, Scott Grimes, directed by Ron Oliver) aired on the Hallmark Channel.

In 2021, his script, ALOHA WITH LOVE, was produced by Oren Kamara/Fade to Black Films, Branscombe Richmond, and Brian Bird of When Calls The Heart. The movie starred Trevor Donovan and Tiffany Smith and was directed by Brian Herzlinger. The novel is co-written with author Lindy Miller (July 2021).

Brody also wrote the screenplay for Miller's novel Sleigh Bells on Bread Loaf Mountain (2021) and The Christmas Spirit by Alexandrea Weis (Nov 2020).
Brody resides in Long Island, NY with his wife and two children.

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Cover Reveal: Make Me by Evelyn Sola

Release Date: 9/17/2021

Genres: Contemporary Romance

Trope: Widow Romance, Single Mom Romance, Blue Collar Romance, Small-Town Romance, New Adult Romance, Diverse Romance

Laci Hogan isn’t looking for love when she moves back to Oak Bend. Coming home is all about Laci gaining her independence she once lost. Besides, getting over a rocky past and losing her husband is more than enough for her to juggle while raising her two-year-old daughter but old acquaintance - Cooper Stevens can be persistent when it comes to getting what he wants.

No stranger to hard work, he’s willing to do all it takes to prove to his new neighbor Laci that she doesn’t have to do life alone and that with the right person, a relationship makes life better - oh so much better.

Will Cooper make her see that this could be all the happiness she never knew she was looking for?

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About the Author

A Boston native, wife, mother, and wine enthusiast. If she’s not writing, thinking about writing, you will find Evelyn with a book in her hands. While a new publisher, she’s been writing for years, and she will continue to write for many years to come.  

Evelyn is obsessed with assertive and confident men who will stop at nothing to get their woman. Her stories are filled with love, passion and humor. 
She currently lives in Chicago, IL with her husband and two daughters.

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Spotlight: The Valentine Suite by Tracy Broemmer

Grief drove Alys and Fletcher apart. Their son’s destination wedding and the double-booked Valentine Suite bring them back together. Will their stay in the Valentine Suite heal their broken hearts or drive them further apart?

Readers who enjoy Marci Bolden and Kristin Hannah, will love The Valentine Suite by Tracy Broemmer, an emotional and healing, women’s fiction novel.

Blurb

Grief pulls some families together and rips others—like the Hollands—apart. Two years have passed since Alys and Fletcher Holland lost two of their children in a fatal accident. But time has done nothing for Alys’ broken heart.

Her surviving son’s destination wedding means a reunion for Alys and Fletch, who divorced shortly after the accident. Alys intends to keep to herself for the wedding festivities and hustle back home to her quiet, sterile life when the big day is over.

When the double-booked Valentine Suite at the Kahalina Resort puts Alys and Fletch in close quarters, Alys soon finds it’s difficult to ignore the man she fell in love with over twenty-five years ago. Fletch frustrates her, but he protects her, too, acting as a buffer between her and the rest of his family and their son’s wedding guests.

Will their stay in the Valentine Suite drive them further apart and send them home as strangers or will their time together in the suite mend their broken hearts and put their family back together?

Excerpt 

Copyright 2021 Tracy Broemmer

Alys Holland rested her head on the lounge chair and closed her eyes only to open them immediately. She’d only just arrived in Palos Verdes earlier in the evening—after a four-hour flight, a thirty-four-minute wait at the rental car counter, and a quick stop at a liquor store in Redondo Beach. The next two weeks that stretched out before her beckoned, invited relaxation, respite,  healing. The trouble with that being that she would need to tear the scars away and dig into the pain to heal completely.

She wasn’t willing to do that. Not for Iva. Not for Fletch or Claire.

Not even for Ledger.

Still, her chest felt squeezed, painfully so. Gasping to breathe, Alys leaned forward, coughing hard at the tightening sensation. Shoulder and neck pain were sometimes symptoms of a heart attack in women; she had read somewhere that coughing could save someone suffering a heart attack until help arrived.

She wasn’t having a heart attack, though. If Iva were here, she would tell her that. She would roll her blue eyes and laugh at Alys, though usually Alys laughed, too, and laughing together took the sting out of Iva’s words.

No heart attack, though at her lowest points—and there had been so many now—she would have welcomed it. Death, sure. If there was a God, Alys would have died two years ago. The fact that she hadn’t, that she still woke in a comfortable bed every day, was why she quit believing. She would take death, gladly, and she would take the horrible pain and die in the most horrible way possible.

If only.

She heard music in the distance. Someone trying to sing an old Foreigner song, though the voice most definitely did not belong to Lou Gramm. Was it still the same band who had played at the bar two years ago?

The bar—Howie’s, no use pretending she didn’t remember the name—was just north of the main hotel where she was now. Where she and Fletch had stayed then. Still part of the resort campus, it was a family friendly bar and grill, and when they had wandered there, hand in hand one night, there was a summer festival going on. Perfect for enjoying live music and cold beer while you waited for a table.

She and Fletch had grabbed a beer—Fletch was into weird IPAs at the time and he had ordered a Firestone Walker Mind Haze, while teasing her about her simple, safe lager—and wandered over to the fence to watch the sunset bleed dark purple and a deep, flushed pink over the ocean, already black with night.

Alys thought the music was mediocre, but mostly, she remembered that incredible sunset and the feel of Fletch’s warm, solid body at her side.

She sipped from her thick glass tumbler. The glasses—everything—here was nicer than her own personal belongings. Which was saying something, because she and Fletch had done well together, and they had amassed a lot of nice things.

Lost some, too.

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About Tracy Broemmer 

Tracy is the author of the women’s fiction series, the Williams Legacy, and several stand-alone women’s fiction novels. She has recently dabbled in contemporary romance, as well.

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