Spotlight: The Troubles with Heartbreak by Brittany Taylor

Release Date: October 14

Trouble #1:
Levi Hawkins. Always....


Levi Hawkins has been trouble since the first time I saw him through the lens of my camera our senior year of high school.

He was the star quarterback.
I was the yearbook photographer.

Although Levi’s hatred for me was no secret, I spent the entire school year fighting my feelings for him, counting down to the day of graduation.

When that day finally came, I foolishly thought I'd seen the last of him. Until five years later, when he walked into the same newspaper I worked for. Only now, he was no longer a football star. He's the paper's newest reporter.

Disguised by a grand opening of a hotel on the shores of South Padre Island, Levi dragged me on an assignment. His college football reunion.

But just when I thought he'd roped me in enough trouble, he asked for one more favor.

Pretend to be his fiancé... for the entire reunion.

I knew he had dragged me along to get a story, but it wasn’t long before I realized there was more written between the lines.

And then I remembered... Levi Hawkins has always been trouble.

*This is the final book in the Heartbreak Series.

Buy on Amazon

About the Author

Brittany Taylor grew up all over the world including places such as California, England and Texas. Today she resides in Connecticut with her husband, son and two cats. She loves reading, but loves writing even more. Her favorite things in life are her family, binge watching Netflix, and tacos. 

Brittany Taylor has been obsessed with reading since kindergarten. She followed her lifelong dream in 2017 when she published her first novel, Without You. Ever since, she's been hooked and can't write the stories in her head fast enough. 

Connect with Brittany Taylor:

Website https://www.brittanytaylorbooks.com 

Newsletter https://www.brittanytaylorbooks.com/newsletter 

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

Amazon Author Page https://amzn.to/3HjQhyA 

Goodreads https://bit.ly/3Hny6rx 

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

BookBub https://www.bookbub.com/profile/brittany-taylor 

TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@authorbrittanytaylor 

Spotlight: Ruin the Friendship by S.A. Clayton

When there is Love at Sea, can a week-long cruise prove they deserve a shot at forever? Kacey Reid has had a thing for his sister’s best friend, Ashley Kenndy for as long as he remembers, but has fought his attraction for just as long. Being stuck together on the cruise will either give him the chance to finally prove that he’s not the unreliable man she always thought he was or it will it just ruin everything. Fans of Forbidden Romances will devour RUIN THE FRIENDSHIP by S.A. Clayton, a sexy, best friend’s sibling romance.

Read Now! 

Amazon https://amzn.to/3qlXTZQ 

Ashley

I’ve had a thing for my best friend’s brother, Kacey, for as long as I could remember.

I mean, what’s not to love?

He’s smart, sexy as hell, and everything I ever wanted in a man — except for the part where he’s totally unreliable.

Being stuck on a seven day cruise with my favorite friend-emy?

Well, that may be more than enough to drive me insane, in more ways than one.

Kacey

I’ve wanted Ashley my whole life.

Sure, she’s my sister’s very best friend but she’s the most amazing girl I’ve ever known.

But, not all that long ago she told me to move on. To forget her.

Except there is no forgetting Ashley and I’m going to spend the next seven days trying to prove that I’ve changed and we deserve a shot at this forever thing.

No matter what happens, one thing is certain — I’m ready to ruin our friendship.

Ruin the friendship is a best friend’s sibling romance, part of the Love at Sea multi-author series. Get ready to set sail through the Caribbean on Festival Cruises’ most alluring voyage with eight of your favorite authors - happily ever after guaranteed!

Experience everything the Love at Sea series has to offer. From speed dating to masquerades, guests are sure to enjoy the hot days and steamy nights. Explore hidden waterfalls, swim with dolphins, and watch as eight couples find their forever on the open ocean.

Excerpt 

Copyright 2022 @S.A. Clayton

The instant I open the door and see the figure bent over the hood of his car, my heart stops. I haven't seen Kacey Reid since prom night when he drove Kelsey and me home after our disastrous dates ditched us at the after-party. I secretly fell in love with him that night, basking in the way the rage washed over him when Kelsey explained what happened, loving the way his eyes softened when he met my eyes and gave me his jacket when I was cold. I tried to forget him, even moving to the other side of the continent, but nothing worked. I was still in love with my best friend’s twin brother. 

“Well look who decided to finally come back home after all these years,” Kacey teases, that knowing smirk playing at the edges of his lips as his blue eyes latch onto mine. I take a breath, wondering how one man can change so much and yet so little in three years. His once shaggy blond hair is cut short, tendrils falling strategically in front of his face, making him look older than his twenty-one years. His crystal-clear blue eyes still cause my insides to flip every time they’re trained on me and those tattoos…they’re new. Both arms are covered and from the little I can see of his chest through his white t-shirt, that’s covered too. 

“I've been home, you’re just never here,” I quip, loving the way his eyes shine with humor as they meet mine. 

“Touché,” he says before grabbing the rag from his back pocket and wiping the grease from his hands. I wonder what those hands would feel like against me, how the calluses on those fingertips would feel gripping me tightly as I…I shake my head, silently berating myself for going there when I know I can't. 

“I didn't know you were home?” My voice cracks as I make my way to the fridge on the other side of the car. Kacey’s eyes follow my every move. There was a time when I would have begged him to look at me the way he is right now, but I have to keep my distance because from what Kelsey has told me, he will ruin me. 

“I’m not. My new place doesn't have a garage to store this baby,” he says, shutting the hood. “I keep it here and Mom and Dad let me come over and work on it.” I nod, turning so my back is against the fridge, and our eyes connect. 

“Are you sure it's not just a ploy to get you to come home more?” I say, his eyes widening as if the thought never crossed his mind. 

“Well shit,” he mutters, a small laugh leaving his throat as I smile, turning back around to get the beers out of the fridge. The second my back is turned and the door is open, I sense him behind me.

“Kacey, what are you doing?” I whisper just as his fingers grip my waist, hauling me back until I can feel all of him. Every hard inch. My breath shudders as those deft fingers trace over my hip and rest just over the waistband of my bikini bottoms. 

“Do you know how many times I’ve told myself to stay away from you?” he mutters against my neck, the stubble on his jaw causing delicious friction against my skin. “Do you know how many times I’ve had to remind myself that you're my sister’s best friend?” I shake my head, my fingers gripping his wrist as the tips of his fingers drop just below my bikini, causing every breath to leave my lungs. 

“Kacey we can't do this,” I whisper, closing my eyes and wishing we could, wishing I could feel what his lust feels like against me, what his passion would feel like inside me. 

“I know,” he growls against the shell of my ear, nipping at the lobe until I’m putty in his hands. “But that doesn't mean I can walk away without a taste…” 

About S.A. Clayton

S.A. Clayton lives in a small town outside of Toronto, Canada with her husband and her scary large collection of books that seem to take over every room. 

She has worked on both sides of the publishing industry, both in a bookstore and for actual publishing companies. Although she loved both for different reasons, she found that writing was her true passion and has spent the last few years breaking into the industry as best she can. 

She is a lover of all things romance and began her writing journey in her late twenties. Since then, she has immersed herself in the romance genre and couldn't be happier. 

When she's not writing or reading, she enjoys binging a great Netflix show (Stranger Things anyone?), baking (because who doesn't love cookies!) and spending time with her family. 

Follow: Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | TikTok| Goodreads | BookBub | Website | Newsletter | Amazon 

Spotlight: Christmas in Glowing Springs by T.J. Amberson

Publication date: September 24 2022
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance

Avery Walsh is a romantic at heart, but her demanding career as a big-city attorney means she doesn’t have time for love. Dane Livingston is a small-town boy who has had his share of heartbreak, and so he vowed never to love again. When a Christmastime snowstorm leaves Avery stranded in Dane’s charming village of Glowing Springs, Avery and Dane team up to save the village’s beloved Huckleberry Inn. With Christmas Day approaching, will Dane and Avery be able to save the inn . . . and dare to take a chance on love?

A sweet (clean) romance told in 3rd-person, dual POV

Excerpt

Up ahead of her, unaware of Avery's presence, Dane was chopping wood. His lumberjack-style coat and forest green sweatshirt were draped over one of the woodshed's fence posts, leaving his chiseled torso covered in nothing but a fitted t-shirt as he worked. Every rippling muscle in Dane's neck, chest, arms, and back were on display as he skillfully and steadily swung the axe. His broad chest was rising and falling with exertion, his heavy breaths were visible against the cold, and a hint of sweat lined his forehead.   

            Avery started feeling a little lightheaded as a shock-like sensation coursed down her spine. Intense heat filled her body, momentarily displacing the cold. She swallowed hard, still barely able to move or breathe.

            This was most definitely not the way to get over her attraction to Dane Livingston.

            Dane stopped what he was doing, used his teeth to pull the working gloves off his hands, and wiped his brow with his forearm. He turned his head slightly, doing a double take when he caught sight of Avery staring at him. His eyes got big, and he spun so he was facing her directly.

            "Avery," he barked.

            "Um, hello," Avery said, her words coming out squeaky. She was suddenly grateful for the freezing temperature, since it made it appear as though her cheeks were only red from the cold. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to sneak up on you, but I didn't want to startle you while you were using the axe."

            Dane was still breathing hard from exertion as his brows snapped together. "What are you doing out here?"

            Avery started clenching and unclenching her hands into fists at her sides, trying to get some feeling back into them. "I'm finished in the kitchen, so I wanted to ask what else I can do to help." 

            Dane glanced down at Avery's hands, and then his steely stare returned to her face. He exhaled an exasperated-sounding breath. Brow furrowed, he dropped his axe and gloves, strode fast over to the fence, and snatched up his coat. He stomped through the snow toward Avery. 

            "You shouldn't be out here without a coat," he growled.

            Avery didn't have a chance to reply before Dane stopped right in front of her and draped his big, heavy coat over her shoulders. His touch instantly caused her respirations to catch, and she went completely still. He seemed to pause, too, with his strong, sturdy hands resting upon her shoulders. For another moment, neither of them moved. Avery started feeling the intense heat that was radiating from Dane's body, despite the cold, and her own body started quivering in response. Slowly, she raised her eyes. He met her gaze through the falling snow. Her heart pounded feverishly as she watched him search her gaze with his. 

Buy on Amazon

About the Author

TJ Amberson hails from the Pacific Northwest, where she lives with her husband and nutty cocker spaniel. When she's not writing, TJ might be found pretending to know how to garden, riding her bike, playing the piano, enjoying a hot chocolate, or scouring the Internet for cheap plane tickets. She adores all things cozy, seasonal, and holiday-themed; she cheers for happily-ever-afters; and she believes there's no such thing as too much seasonal decor. With a love of multiple genres, TJ writes sweet romance and romantic comedies for adults and advanced teen readers, and clean fantasy adventures for teen and advanced tween readers.

Connect:
https://tjamberson.com/
https://www.instagram.com/tjamberson/
https://www.pinterest.ca/tjamberson/
https://www.facebook.com/authortjamberson/
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7535763.T_J_Amberson

Spotlight: How Snowball Stole Christmas by Kristen McKanagh

(Snowball, #3)
Publication date: September 27th 2022
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Holiday

It’s Christmas time at the Weber Haus mountainside inn, where the official greeter, watcher, and matchmaker of the hotel’s resident humans is an adorably mischievous bundle of feline fluff named Snowball. Snowball takes her job very seriously –even if it means being a little more naughty than nice –and she’s ready to celebrate her third holiday season by making the purrrrfect match.

Most cats have nine lives, but Snowball is one of the very few with two jobs. Officially, she’s the Weber Haus inn’s greeter. Unofficially, she’s the town matchmaker. Her track record is the cat’s pajamas—until she meets her owner’s grinchy brother, Peter Diemer. Peter hopes to move the family bookstore to a busy location downtown—but someone else has outbid him for the last storefront.

Christmas is the ideal season for Lara Wolfe to fulfill her dream of expanding her home business into a real shop. Too bad someone is posting negative comments on the town forum. What kind of Grinch objects to a toy store?

Snowball is sure these two are a perfect match. They already have so much in common—books are a kind of toy, right? Now all they need to add to the mix is love, and Snowball has just the shenanigans up her furry sleeve to deliver a sweet romance in time to make the season merry and bright . . .

Excerpt

When a grumpy grinch and a sunshine Christmas lover meet cute…

“I’m your neighbor next door.” Peter pointed.

She looked that direction, then back at him, a slow smile blooming. “Nice to meet you I’m—”

He wasn’t here for chit chat. “I’m afraid that you put some of your Christmas lights up on my side of the roof.”

The woman, whose face was still mostly in shadow, blinked. That much he could see. “Sorry?” she asked.

Did her voice waver with humor?

“Your lights.” He pointed again. “I’m in the condo next to you on the left. Your lights are on part of my roof line.”

She looked over his shoulder and seemed to study the lights, which were glowing a bright rainbow of colors. “I don’t understand.”

What wasn’t to understand? “I don’t want them on my part of the roof.”

“It’s only one little area,” she countered in a reasonable tone that only set his teeth on edge. He got that tone from his mother and sister a lot lately.

He crossed his arms. Why was she arguing with him? His roof. His rules. “But it’s right under my bedroom window and it’s making it hard to sleep.”

“Oh.” She bit her lip. “Don’t you have curtains?”

Peter gritted his teeth. The man he’d been even a year ago would have probably laughed it off and not even brought it up. But him these days, and after two sleepless nights in a row… “I have blinds. It shows through.”

“Oh,” she said again. “But it’s Christmas.”

“And?”

“The lights won’t be up more than a month and it would really throw the whole look off if I took them down. Do you think you could maybe handle it for that long?”

“No.”

The slump of disappointment was almost comical, then she suddenly straightened. “What if I get you a sleep mask?”

“No.”

Then she suddenly grinned and huffed at the same time, hands landing on her hips. “Do you not like Christmas, or something?”

Only she said it with such charm, that a tiny bit of his irritation trickled away. Not enough to give in though. “I like it fine. Just not when it’s shining in my bedroom window.”

A flash of white teeth in the shadow and her husky chuckle reached out through the cold and the dark and maybe even warmed him up a tiny bit.

Who was this woman? Most people these days didn’t argue with him. They just agreed or left him alone. His sister, Emily, said he could be intimidating when he wanted. So why was his neighbor laughing?

“Fine, fine,” she said. “I’ll take down that strip.”

About time. “That’s all I ask.” He gave a brusque nod then turned to head inside his own home.

“Hey,” she called after him. “Isn’t your name Peter?”

He pulled up sharply at that, swinging around to stare at her with a small pit if dread in his gut widening by the second. “How do you know that?”

The woman stepped out from behind the raised trunk of her car and the lights from her townhome illuminated her features. “We met a few years ago at Weber Haus. My name is Lara Wolfe.”

Recognition hit. Two years ago he, and several other single men, had flirted with her for a single night. Then he’d left to return to duty and oddly she’d stuck in his head for months after. Hard to forget a face like that though, or her soft grey eyes, or the air of fragility that had hung over her, tugging at every protective instinct he’d had.

 Peter hid a wince. Because the man she met two Christmases ago was not the same guy standing in front of her now.

Buy on Amazon | Bookshop.org

About the Author

Romance author Kristen McKanagh writes sweet contemporary romance & Amish romance. She loves plots that warm the soul, feisty heroines with sass, heroes with heart, a dash of snark, and oodles of HEAs! Other titles include wife, mother, Star Wars geek, ex-competitive skydiver, spreadsheet lover, eMBA, organizational guru, Texan, Aggie, and chocoholic.

Kristen attempted to find a practical career related to her favorite pastime by earning a degree in English Rhetoric (Technical Writing) and an MBA. However, she swiftly discovered that writing without imagination is not nearly as fun as writing with it.

Kristen currently resides in Austin, Texas, with her own swoon-worthy hero, their amazing kids, who are growing up way too fast, and 2 adorable fur babies.

Connect:

https://kristenmckanagh.com/

https://www.facebook.com/KristenMcKanagh

https://twitter.com/KristenMcKanagh

https://www.instagram.com/kristenmckanagh/

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/19900984.Kristen_McKanagh

Spotlight: A Shadow of Love by Amy S. Cutler

When Annabelle flees her abusive husband and moves into an 1860's farmhouse, she soon learns that she is not alone; she shares her home with Christian, the ghost of a poet who killed himself in 1917. Christian, wanting nothing but solitude, tries to scare Annabelle away, but once they come together while she is dreaming, they fall in love. The clock is ticking for Christian, for moments after his hanging his fiance magically cursed his spirit to be stuck on earth for one hundred years, and his time is almost up.

With Annabelle's ex threatening her and the spirit she has fallen in love with on the verge of disappearing, Annabelle becomes obsessed with staying with Christian, and will do anything to be with him.

Being in love with a ghost is bad enough, but for Annabelle, discovering that her true love will be crossing over at any moment pushes her over the edge of reckless behavior.

Buy on Amazon | Audible | Bookshop.org

About the Author

Amy S Cutler, author of A Shadow of Love earned her master’s degree in Creative Writing from Goddard College. Most recently she was published in Slut Vomit: An Anthology of Sex Work and featured in the Tales to Terrify Podcast, among others. Her writing focus is suspense, horror, science fiction, and ghost stories. She can be contacted through AmysHippieHut.com. You can also follow her on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.

Cover Reveal: Love & Resistance by Kara H.L. Chen

Published by: Quill Tree/Harper Collins
Publication date: July 4th 2023
Genres: Contemporary, Romance, Young Adult

Seventeen-year-old Olivia Chang is at her fourth school in seven years. Her self-imposed solitude is lonely, but safe. At Plainstown High, however, Olivia’s usual plan of anonymity fails when the infamous Mitzi Clarke (influencer, queen bee, bully) makes a pointed racist comment in class. Olivia knows what she must do: let it go. But Olivia is tired of ignoring things just so she can survive. This time, she defends herself.

And that is the end of her invisible life.

Soon, Olivia discovers, and joins forces with, the Nerd Net: a secret society who has been thwarting Mitzi’s reign of terror for months. Together, they plan to unite the masses and create true change at Plainstown High.

But in order to succeed, Olivia must do something even more terrifying than lead a movement: trust other people. She might even make true friends along the way . . . if Mitzi doesn’t destroy her first.

From debut author Kara H.L. Chen comes a razor-sharp tale of love, resistance, and the enduring friendships that make it all worthwhile.

Buy on Amazon

About the Author

Kara H.L. Chen grew up near Cleveland, Ohio, where she once had to shovel snow off her car with a plastic trashcan. She now lives on the West Coast with her husband and daughters, and is learning how to use an Instapot. She has undergraduate degrees in English and economics, a J.D., and an MFA in fiction. She has used her economics degree exactly once, when she tried to make a joke about marginal costs and marginal returns. It did not go well.

Connect:

https://karahlchen.com/

https://twitter.com/hl_kara

https://www.instagram.com/hl_kara/

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/22046781.Kara_H_L_Chen