Spotlight: Greetings from Asbury Park by Daniel H. Turtel

In a small, seaside city on the Jersey Shore, three half-siblings confront the death of a distant and bullying patriarch. They now have the chance to imagine new relationships and new futures, ones that would have been near-unthinkable while their father was alive.

At the heart of the novel are Casey and Gabrielle who are pushed toward a brief but torrential affair composed of equal parts love for one another and resentment for their father. Caught in their crossfire are the conservative religious communities that border Asbury Park, the longtime locals who have been pushed to the fringe by the shore's revitalization, and the legendary town upon which the whole world seems to converge. Slowly, however, they come to understand that everything depends--their future, their happiness--on whether they can face themselves.

Wise, perceptive, and provocative, Greetings from Asbury Park is a remarkable literary debut in the tradition of great American novels such as Sherwood Anderson's Winesburg, Ohio. It is a deep interrogation of place that depicts flawed characters as they breakthrough to adulthood, truth, and to a moral relationship with the world.

Buy on Amazon Kindle | Audible | Hardcover | Bookshop.org

About the Author

Daniel Turtel grew up on the Jersey Shore. He graduated from Duke University in 2013 with a degree in mathematics and has been living in New York City since. In 2020 Greetings from Asbury Park was awarded the Faulkner Society’s Best Novel Award. In 2018, he won the Faulkner Society’s annual competition in both the novella and novel-in-progress categories, for Among the Porcelain and Greetings from Asbury Park, respectively. His novels have also been short-listed in the Del Sol Press First Novel Competition and the James Jones Literary Society’s First Novel Fellowship, and his short fiction has been published in The Baltimore Review.

Spotlight: Butterfly Sisters by Jenny Hale

Publication date: February 22nd 2022
Genres: Adult, Contemporary

Synopsis:

“When emerging from its cocoon, a butterfly needs the struggle to push the fluid from its body into its wings. So essentially, without the struggle, it never flies.”

From the USA Today bestselling author of The Beach House comes a story about family bonds, second chances, and finding out who we really are. Butterfly Sisters is the perfect escape for fans of Susan Wiggs, RaeAnne Thayne, and Susan Mallery.

About to land her biggest deal yet, Leigh Henderson is on her game. She’s prepared for this, and nothing can get in her way. Except Rebecca Mayer, who’d sashayed in a few weeks ago with a former client list that would fill the entire hallway to Leigh’s office if she laid it out end to end. When her boss unexpectedly offers the deal to Rebecca and tells Leigh he’s letting her go, Leigh finds herself without a job.

But that’s the least of her worries. 

Her mother has some news that will change everything. She’s asked Leigh and her sister Meredith to meet her at the family cabin on Old Hickory Lake. Not only has Leigh been unable to pin her sister down in years, but going back to the cabin would mean dealing with the loss of her beloved grandmother and also chance running into her old flame Colton Harris, the one love she’s never been able to completely let go of.

Will confronting her grief, speaking to her estranged sister, and being forced to face the love she’d left behind help Leigh to learn who she really is? 

A heartwarming story that will have you laughing, crying, and rushing to those you hold dear. If you loved the Christmas movies based on Jenny’s books and are looking for more feel-good, small-town romance, look no further!

Excerpt

Her phone pressed to her ear, Leigh strained to hear through the buzz of morning commuters who bustled into New York City’s Financial District every weekday and gathered at the café on the corner of Wall Street and Pearl, while they waited impatiently for their morning coffee. Her younger sister’s voice came through the end of her phone—happy, bouncy. “It’s Meredith! You’ve reached my voicemail, so I’m obviously off doing something incredible. Leave a message.” 

She wedged the phone against her shoulder while she paid the cashier for her double-shot caramel latte on her way to work. Leigh had resorted to calling after both she and her mother had tried to text Meredith several times with no response, and apparently that wasn’t working either. 

“Mom wants us to go to the lake house,” she said after the beep, feeling strangled when she uttered the words, knowing the resentful look that would show in her sister’s eyes when she heard the message. Meredith hadn’t given the family or the cabin any thought since she’d left home, something Leigh had never understood. “It’s... important. Text me or call me back.” She ended the call, guessing she’d have to leave a few messages with something more dramatic for Meredith to actually respond. 

Her family had never been that close group of four who went to the movies together or laughed with each other over games of charades or family dinners. It was something Leigh had always longed for, but never seemed to be able to catch hold of. 

Her sister hadn’t been home for any length of time in the last eight years, other than their father’s funeral, which had happened three years after Nan died, when she’d actually stayed a night, before claiming she needed to go. The last time Leigh and Meredith had been in the same place for more than twenty-four hours had been in high school, for Leigh’s graduation. When, a few weeks later, everyone had gathered in the driveway to see her off to college, Meredith hadn’t appeared with their mother, father, Nan, and their neighbors to wave and cheer as Leigh left home for four years at Northwestern University, her old Ford Escort filled to the brim with all her belongings. Leigh had seethed over it for the first hour of the trip, wondering what she’d ever done to make her sister hate her so much. 

Leigh had always been frustrated with Meredith; her behavior put a strain on them. It had seemed as if Meredith would do anything to set herself apart from everyone in their family. And while her sister had appeared as though she’d had no direction her whole life, she had a kind of contempt for them all, as if they were criminals for having their lives together. All her sister had to do was apply herself, but she never did. She took odd jobs and lazily gathered the bare minimum to live on, spending nights on her friends’ sofas and living out of her car at times. 

But even though her sister was a disaster, Leigh was always a little envious at the way she never had to stay in one place or have anything special to be happy—she’d gotten that from Nan. Meredith could pack a tent and a loaf of bread and leave for a week, coming back looking vibrant and rested. Leigh wished she could have just a little of her free spirit.

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About the Author

Jenny Hale is a USA Today, Amazon, and international bestselling author of romantic contemporary fiction. Her books have sold worldwide, have been translated into multiple languages, and adapted for television. Her novels Coming Home for Christmas and Movie Guide Epiphany Award winner Christmas Wishes and Mistletoe Kisses are Hallmark Channel original movies.

She was included in Oprah Magazine’s “19 Dreamy Summer Romances to Whisk You Away” and Southern Living’s “30 Christmas Novels to Start Reading Now.” Her stories are chock-full of feel-good romance and overflowing with warm settings, great friends, and family. Jenny is at work on her next novel, delighted to be bringing even more heartwarming stories to her readers.

When she isn’t writing, or heading up her romantic fiction imprint Harpeth Road, she can be found running around her hometown of Nashville with her husband, two boys, and their labradoodle, taking pictures—her favorite pastime.

Connect:

https://www.itsjennyhale.com/

https://www.facebook.com/jennyhaleauthor/

https://www.instagram.com/jhaleauthor/

https://twitter.com/jhaleauthor

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

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7201437.Jenny_Hale

https://www.bookbub.com/profile/jenny-hale

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4xY4E_pNRwzu_S3IHrvwiQ

Spotlight: Kiss or Dare by Charlie Lane

The Debutante Dares Series, Book 3

Historical Romance, Regency Romance, Steamy Romance

Date Published: February 24, 2022

Publisher: WOLF Publishing

This enemies-to-lovers Regency romance by Charlie Lane, shows what happens when sparks fly between a flirty second son of a duke and an inventor’s daughter.

She’s risen like a Cinderella.

He’s more charming than any prince.

They shouldn’t be together, but fate can’t resist.

A new year and a new Season means a new Lillian Clarke. She’s transformed herself from wallflower to incomparable. But she’s no Cinderella. She’s washed her hands of love and of Lord Devon, her own charming prince who barely knew she existed. She’d rather be the fairy godmother, helping invisible debutantes gain the attention they deserve on the marriage mart. But even though she’s booted Lord Devon from her heart, he’s not done with her. His sudden appearance at her home and inexplicable teasing threaten to distract her from her debutante dreams.

Lord Devon, the second son of duke, has put self-pity and scandal behind him and found a new purpose. He’ll invent a machine that improves coffee, buy a coffeehouse, and be a self-made man. He’s determined to be more than the heir’s spare, privileged but kept in case of emergency. Unfortunately, he needs the assistance of Miss Clarke’s brilliant father. And he hates Lillian Clarke for speaking the truth about him. The delectable woman thinks she’s better than him. He’ll teach her she’s not. If he can ignore the way her courage makes him smile.

When sparks in the workshop fly, Lillian and Devon invent a passion that’s more than they bargained for and complicate their paths to happily ever after.

Buy on Amazon Kindle | Hardcover | Paperback

About the Author

Charlie Lane traded in academic databases and scholarly journals for writing steamy Regency romcoms like the ones she’s always loved to read. Her favorite authors are Jane Austen (who else?), Toni Morrison, William Blake, Julia Quinn, and Maya Rodale.

Charlie writes unique stories with unconventional characters who push against the rigid restrictions of their society. Officially, Charlie has a Ph.D. in literature with a focus on the nineteenth-century novel and children’s literature and answers to Professor. Unofficially, she’s a high-flying circus-obsessed acrobat, with an emphasis on two-tail silks and answers to Muscles Magee. She lives with her own Colonel Brandon, two little dudes, and a furry fella in East Tennessee.

Connect:

Website: http://www.charlielaneauthor.com

Facebook: http://www.Facebook.com/CharlieLaneRomance

Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/charlielaneromance

BookBub: http://www.bookbub.com/authors/charlie-lane

Publisher’s Contact Information

Website: http://www.wolf-publishing.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WOLFPublishing.WhereStorytellingLives

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wolf.publishing/

Spotlight: Frayed Obsession by Sherri White

(The Frayed Trilogy, #1)
Publication date: February 24th 2022
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance

Synopsis:

I was only three the first time I lost someone I loved.
And I was thirteen when my world shattered beyond repair.
Thrown into a nightmare—desperately trying to pick up the broken pieces of the girl I was before.


Escaping the demons of my past, I’m ready to disappear for good. But before I go, I want one 

more glimpse of the man who unknowingly gave me the strength to live. 

Except the pain I see hidden behind his cold eyes pulls me in so far I can’t leave. 

I can’t stop watching—waiting for the obsession that binds me to him to be severed. 

Until I get caught.

Sebastian Reed doesn’t know who I am.

But when he finds out I hold the answer to the question that’s been slowly destroying him, he 

will do anything to get at the truth.

Even making a deal.

Except I didn’t expect him to keep me in his penthouse until he gets what he’s owed.

Sebastian has the power to cut me deeper than any of the scars marring my body. 

But the more time we spend together, the deeper desire burns between us, and the harder it is to remember why I have to leave.

What should have been my downfall might be the only thing that can save me.

Excerpt

His hair is damp, darkened with sweat from his run, and despite that, all I want to do is run my fingers through it.

Still unaware of my presence, he grabs the bottom of his shirt and lifts it, revealing the dips and lines of his hard stomach, and I gulp. He then uses the material to wipe the bottom of his face, catching any rivulets of sweat before they fall.

 My focus gravitates to the deep V-like grooves disappearing beneath his black sweats and what I would find if I followed them. I’m so invested in what I see, I don’t notice Shadow heading my way until he’s right in front of me, drawing Sebastian’s line of sight.

I snap my gaze away from his bared skin as he drops the edge of his shirt, letting it fall back into place. But from the dark look he gives me, I know I’ve been caught.

My face feels like it’s on fire, and it only gets hotter when he stalks towards me. His chest brushes against mine as he stops in front of me, the movement causing the lace of my bra to graze my nipples, hardening them between us.

“If you’re going to look at me like that, Grace,” he says, grasping my chin and tilting it up towards him. “You need to be prepared for what it’s going to make me do.” 

My breath stutters. He smells like sweat and something I can only describe as uniquely Sebastian.

Intoxicating.

“What would it make you do?” I ask, my voice barely above a whisper.

He leans down, his lips brushing mine so lightly I can’t be sure they actually made contact before he brings them to my ear.

“Something I shouldn’t want to do, but it’s getting really fucking hard to stop myself. Especially when you stand there, caressing my body with your eyes to the point I can practically feel your touch on me, your mouth, tracing every part of me,” he says, each word sending shivers through my body as his lips move against my ear in a gentle torture.

Our chests move together with each breath, the friction of the lace continuing to make my nipples tingle. Then he grabs my hip with his free hand, his fingers flexing. “Is this what you want?” he asks, using my hip to pull me closer so our bodies are completely flush with each other.

I gasp as his hard length presses into my stomach.

“Because if it’s not, then you need to stop.” He nips at my earlobe, and I shudder.

I wasn’t aware I was doing anything. I had no idea I was affecting him like this, but if this is his reaction, I’m not sure I want to stop.

Sebastian drags his mouth back to mine, his lips hovering just out of reach. 

“Be ready in ten,” he says, letting go of my chin and releasing my hip before stepping past me and heading for the hallway. 

Before I can even gather my thoughts or ask what we’re doing, he’s disappeared from sight.

Buy on Amazon

About the Author

Spotlight: Lake Taimana by Stephanie Ruth

(Otago Waters, #3)
Publication date: February 21st 2022
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance

Synopsis:

Love a slow-burn, second chance romance, with tight-knit families and smouldering secrets?

Don’t we all!

Winner of both the Daphne Clair DeJong First Kiss and RWNZ Great Beginnings competition, LAKE TAIMANA (Lake Diamond) is a contemporary love story set in the stunning Lakes District in southern New Zealand.

The third novel by emerging Kiwi romance writer, Stephanie Ruth, LAKE TAIMANA can be read as a standalone, or in conjunction with two other linked love stories in the OTAGO WATERS series.

*****

What does it take to shift deep-seated betrayal?

Adele Fergus switched back to her maiden name with plans to never look back—never think about her naïve, short-lived marriage to James Montague. But that was before he turned up on her Wanaka doorstep with her missing diamonds, a crazy back-story, and persistent requests for visitation with his ex-stepdaughter.

Adele’s hell-bent on keeping James at arms-length, but it’s not easy with old attractions still running hot. What’s more, she’s beginning to suspect she may have left him on false information.

Divorce was never in James’ game-plan, so when his ex-wife’s jewellery comes to light, he’s drawn back to her—welcome or not—and he isn’t leaving until he has all the answers.

The more the exes re-learn to trust each other, the more they come to realise someone was intent on dragging them apart from the very beginning. Someone close.

Is it worth risking everything to start again? 

*****

Authors note: Though this story ends with an HEA, it also includes references to a historical miscarriage, depression, and suicide. Please read at your own discretion. 

Excerpt

Adele walloped James a few times between the shoulder blades, concerned. He was hunched forward in the armchair, still coughing as if his life depended on it.

“Steady on,” James choked the words out amidst bouts of hacking. “I might need my spine later in the week.”

“You’re alright now?” She stopped hitting and rubbed the spot with her palm instead, up and down. Turning back to the sofa, she refocused on what she’d been thinking before she’d been rudely interrupted. “I’m imagining red through to yellow. Sunshine colours, you know? Or maybe cooler tones—green and leafy. Yes! Tropical. Fiji-style would look great in here.”

“Adele?”

“Mmm?”

“Stop.”

“Stop what?” She turned to James in surprise, and realised she still had her hand on him, stroking the contours of his shoulders and back. Gently up, then massaging down in that valley between his blades that alluded to the power of his back; the strength and breadth of it. “Oh!” She withdrew immediately, red-faced and flustered. “Shit! Sorry.”

It’d felt so natural, so normal. For a moment she’d totally forgotten…

James leaned back against the cushions and slid his hands behind his head, lacing his fingers there as he closed his eyes. “Let’s get something straight.”

“Um, okay.”

“You don’t want me to touch you, right?”

Was that right? Why was she no longer sure if that was right? 

She should be positive. Right?

“Right. Yes.” Adele bit down on her lower lip, staring at the tanned skin of James’ exposed neck, and marvelling at how the new beard petered out to give way to corded muscle. “I mean, I guess so.”

Buy on Amazon Kindle | Paperback

About the Author

Award winning New Zealand contemporary romance novelist and short story writer, Stephanie Ruth lives in the South Island, Te Waipounamu, with her husband, three children, and an ever expanding array of animals. If it doesn't have a happy ending in some form or other, Stephanie's not writing it.

Author links:
http://www.stephanie-ruth.com/
https://www.facebook.com/stephanieruth.nz/
https://www.instagram.com/ruth_writes_nz/
https://twitter.com/ruth_writes_nz
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/21787284.Stephanie_Ruth

Spotlight: Forever You by Leah Busboom

(Connor Brothers, #12)
Publication date: January 1st 2022
Genres: Adult, Romance, Time-Travel

Synopsis:

Can love transcend the bounds of time?

Laci V’s star is bright. The up-and-coming singer just released her new single and it’s climbing the country music charts. Her concerts are filling stadiums, and she’s soon to be nominated for a Grammy award. Laci’s quickly becoming a big-time celebrity. But after a storm rolls through one of her outdoor concerts, Laci wakes up in 1855.

Matthew finds a woman from the future in a field near his homestead. He helps her and takes her home with him, and she fascinates him with stories of inventions that haven’t happened yet. Her determination and grit eventually capture his heart. But this rugged, handsome frontiersman isn’t quite sure what to do with this beautiful time traveler.

As Laci gets to know Matthew, she falls in love with his kind and gentle ways, his fierce love for the land, and his indomitable pioneer spirit. While Matthew may be her perfect man, he doesn’t live in the century she wants to live in. Laci longs for the modern conveniences of the time period she came from, for the friends and family she left behind, and for her blossoming career. Matthew realizes that to show his love for Laci, he must let her go back to the time that she came from. Even though it will break his heart.

Will one man’s love span generations? Can love transcend the limits of time, of past and present—turning what seems impossible into something extraordinary?

Book 12 in the Connor Brothers series of small-town, clean, and wholesome romances. You’ll visit Connor’s Grove before it became a town and Minnesota before it became a state.

This book is a unique blend of historical and contemporary romance, and a story about finding love and never letting it go despite the constraints of time. A clean and wholesome take on Outlander. Fans of The Time Traveler’s Wife or the Little House on the Prairie TV series will love this poignant, powerful twelfth book in the Connor Brothers series. This novel may be read as a stand-alone.

Excerpt

Matthew 

We head towards the creek where I found her. When we get there, she turns in the saddle, puts her  hand to my cheek, and gazes at me with love in her eyes. Something takes over and I close the space left  between us, pressing my mouth to hers. 

It’s a kiss that promises the beginning of forever. It takes my breath away. I’ve dreamed  about kissing her for weeks—wondering if her lips are as soft as they look. They are. Her fingers thread through the hair at my nape and my arms wrap around her, drawing her even  closer. She kisses me with a passion that she’s been hiding below the surface. I meet her passion with  my full heart—our embrace leaves absolutely no doubt about how we feel about each other. This is my  last chance to show her how much that I love her, and I don’t waste the opportunity. The wind swirling violently around us makes the kiss even more reckless and desperate. It’s as if the  wind feels my heart shattering into a million pieces. 

After an eternity, she pulls back with a stunned look on her face. “Wow,” she murmurs as we gaze  at each other, my arms still embracing her small body, never wanting to let go. “I wish you would have  kissed me sooner.” Her voice wobbles and a lone tear tracks down her cheek. I wipe it off with my  thumb.  

Would she have stayed if I kissed her sooner and let her know how I feel about her? I shake those  thoughts from my head. Laci belongs in the twenty-first century, and no matter how much I love her,  she won’t be happy here. 

Another clap of lightning makes us realize that if she’s going to do this, she needs to do it now. “You  need to get to the spot where I found you!” The urgency in my voice is evident, but she rubs my cheek  one last time as if she’s memorizing my face. 

I help her dismount near the place where I first saw her. When her feet hit the ground, she turns  and looks up at me. “I love you!” she shouts. Her voice cracks and her lips tremble, raindrops roll down  her face in a torrent and she tosses the wet hair out of her eyes. “Please come with me, Matthew,” she  pleads, her voice rising with emotion. 

The wind howls and thunder reverberates around us. Rain pelts my skin as if it wants to inflict  pain—mimicking the pain I’m going to feel when Laci’s gone. I yell to be heard over the roar, “I can’t go,  Laci. My place is here.” 

She closes her eyes tightly for a few seconds and nods, then takes a few steps away from Sarge and  me. My heart aches as I watch her—a tiny figure standing all alone in the vast field, just like when I  found her. Laci’s long brown hair swirls around her, and tears stream down her face. She looks beautiful  and fierce—a look of determination lights her eyes. My pioneer woman. 

A flash of lightning splits the sky. Sarge whinnies and takes a few nervous steps sideways. “Whoa,  whoa,” I say as I pat his neck, calming him down. 

Laci is still standing in the field, that bolt of lightning not striking close enough yet to do any  damage. She pulls something out of her pocket and tosses it to me. I lean over, stretching my arm out,  and barely catch it between my fingertips. 

“That’s something to always remember me by,” she shouts. I turn over the delicate locket in my  work-roughened hand, then tuck it into my pocket. 

“I’ll never forget you, Laci. Just like your song—I’ll love you forever.” 

Laci puts her hand over her heart. “I’ll love you forever too.” 

“Sing me your song, one more time.” A powerful urgency to listen to her beautiful voice and that  haunting song one last time hits me. The need to hear her sing is as strong as the need to breathe. Though the winds still whirl furiously around us, the sound seems to dampen, as if even the storm  itself wants to hear her song.

Laci locks her eyes with mine, biting her lip, then starts singing. The words come out wobbly at first,  but her voice gains strength as she lifts her voice above the storm and belts out the chorus. “Take me to  Forever, With you . . .”  

The touching words of the refrain nearly get obliterated as thunder roars full force around us, I feel  its vibration shake the ground. Suddenly, a bright flash overtakes my vision, accompanied by a deafening  crack! I’m momentarily blinded and Sarge shifts nervously under me. I hold tightly to the reins so he  doesn’t bolt.  

When my eyes adjust and I can make out the field again, Laci’s gone. . .

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About the Author

Leah Busboom wanted to become an author since the day she learned how to read! She specializes in the romance genre because she loves a great story with a happy ending. Her books are known for their heart warming stories, intriguing characters and hilarious real life situations that make you want to laugh out loud.

Leah currently lives in Colorado with her wonderful husband, her "Blue Bomber" bicycle and a hundred bunny rabbits that roam free in the neighborhood.

Leah has published several full length romance novel series: Chance on Love series (3 books) and Unlikely Catches series (3 books), which also includes her two holiday novellas - Unwrapping Sam's Heart and Melting Nick's Heart. She just published The Connor Brother series - a new Clean & Wholesome small town romance series. Books 1-12 are now available.

Connect:

https://authorleahbusboom.com/

https://www.facebook.com/LJBusboom

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/17040034.Leah_Busboom