Spotlight: Wolf Touched by Jen L. Grey

(The Forbidden Mate Trilogy, 3)

Genre: Urban Fantasy, PNR

Publication Date: June 6, 2024

My destiny caught up to me, and it could destroy everything.

I almost miss my life as an outcast where being the target of cruel jokes and laughter was the worst that could happen.

Instead, I’m faced with the fallout of my true heritage and dealing with the wolf shifter king and a secret society hunting my newly formed pack.

Now that Raffe’s and my fated mate bond is complete, our enemies are more desperate to kill me.

War is here, and the stakes are higher than ever for my pack, Raffe, and our future.

But tragedies continue to hit, eventually forcing our hand to make a decision that could end our life as we know it.

Raffe and I are willing to fight everyone for a future together or die trying.

Get this steamy and suspenseful touch her and unalive, broody male, forbidden love, fated mates, royal wolf shifter romance today!

Buy on Amazon Kindle | Paperback

About the Author

USA Today Bestselling Author

Reading has always been one of my favorite hobbies, even as a little girl. When I was a toddler, my parents would read stories to me over and over. I would hear them so often that I had the books memorized and could recite the story word by word.

My favorite genres are fantasy, paranormal, and contemporary romance. So of course that's what I'm inclined to write.

​I have a husband, two young daughters, and a mini Australian Shepherd. I've lived in Tennessee the majority of my life and love the state.

I'm extremely addicted to caffeine and enjoy drinking coffee and lattes.

Connect:

Amazon: https://amzn.to/3SBVUNT

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/17153032.Jen_L_Grey

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

Reader Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/138638240054476/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/authorjenlgrey

Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/jen-l-grey

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

Website: https://www.jenlgrey.com/

Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@authorjenlgrey

Spotlight: The Accidental Dating Experiment by Lauren Blakely

I’ve spent the better part of eight years resisting my best friend’s little sister. What’s one more week? The hardest week ever when it includes a proposition to be her dating coach.

Eight years ago I fell into a secret summer fling with the bright, big-hearted Juliet before our lives went in different directions.

Now, I’m the grumpy to her sunshine on a popular dating podcast we host, and when a wealthy fan gives us a charming coastal cottage as the biggest thank you ever, we head to the town where I grew up to give it a makeover.

And find the house has only one bed.

Located under a mirrored ceiling.

To make matters even harder, the woman I’ve been pining for tells me she wants to try to find the one and would I please be her dating coach for the week?

Like hell I’ll let her date other men. I’ll coach her on three dates with me.

But the second I take her out, I don’t feel like her teacher. I feel like she’s mine, especially when the first night ends with us tangled up together in that bed.

Each night we grow closer, but this dating experiment forces me to face my greatest fear – whether a man like me is worthy of her love.

Even though I’m already head over heels for her.

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

About the Author

A #1 New York Times Bestselling, #1 Wall Street Journal Bestselling, and #1 Audible Bestselling author, Lauren Blakely is known for her contemporary romance style that’s cute but spicy. Lauren likes dogs, cake, and show tunes and is the vegetarian at your dinner party.

Website: laurenblakely.com 

NL Signup: http://laurenblakely.com/newsletter 

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/LaurenBlakelyBooks

Instagram: http://instagram.com/laurenblakelybooks

Tik Tok: https://www.tiktok.com/@laurenblakelybooks 

Spotlight: Love Signals by Melanie Summers

(Love Struck Romantic Comedy, #2)
Publication date: June 6th 2024
Genres: Adult, Comedy, Contemporary, Romance

Synopsis:

A loud-out-loud, opposites-attract, only-one-bed, revenge romantic comedy from Amazon All-Star Melanie Summers…

Allie Cammareri is about to get her revenge. It’s been twelve years coming, but she’s finally going to defeat the ex who stole her research then dumped her.

She’s in a race against him to finish the same big project, and there can only be one winner. All she needs is a few more weeks of working around the clock, and victory will be hers.

So when her boss announces she’s being pulled off the project to mentor a Hollywood A-lister who’s preparing for an upcoming movie role, Allie is devastated. She doesn’t care that it’s People’s Sexiest Man, Hudson Finch.

Allie refuses to let him get in her way, even if Hudson is the most distracting (and delicious-smelling) man on the planet. But between the close confines of her tiny office and a night stranded together in a secluded mountain cabin, her feelings for Hudson turn into something she never could’ve predicted.

She may be falling hard for him, but can Allie really find her happily ever after in his muscley arms?

*** Love Signals is an irresistibly charming, deliciously dishy, banter-filled tale about an ordinary woman and the superstar who falls for her. With a crazy cast—including a father who’s sure no one will ever be good enough for his little girl—there’s sure to be plenty of cringe-worthy moments, lots of laughs, and even a few tears. It’s a standalone rom-com with a few tablespoons of extra spice than a regular Melanie Summers book.***

Excerpt

“Can I talk to you in the hall for a second?”

“Of course,” he says, following me as we cross the large room. 

As soon as we round the corner, I whisper, “You don’t know what you’re getting yourself into. They’re crazy people.”

“They seem fine.”

Shaking my head, I say, “They’re insane. And they’re going to ask you all sorts of embarrassing questions and my dad’s going to assume you’re trying to sleep with me so he’s going to be just awful to you and they’re going to make you eat so much, you’ll feel sick. You should just go, while you still can.”

Placing both hands on my shoulders, he says, “Allie, I’m fine. In fact, I’m going to have a great time. Now, you go get to work.”

“Are you sure?”

“Of course I’m sure. This whole thing was my idea,” he says. “Now go.”

I stare at him for a second, feeling all kinds of warm, gooey feelings. He’s here to help me. He just showed up exactly when I needed him. “Okay, but only if you’re sure you’re sure.”

“I’m totally sure I’m sure.” 

I start toward the stairs, but he stops me. “Wait. I should probably borrow that apron. My stylist will kill me if I get this shirt dirty.”

I tuck my lips between my teeth to stop myself from laughing, and he says, “Yeah, I just heard it myself. Let’s pretend I didn’t say that.”

I reach behind my back and try to untie the strings, only to discover they’ve knotted up somehow. “Just a sec,” I tell him, leaning to my left as if that’ll work. 

“You need some help?”

“No, I’m good. I’ve got it,” I say through gritted teeth while I attempt to twist the apron. It is not going to budge. Dammit.

“Allie, let me help,” Hudson tells me, his voice a little more forceful this time.

I grunt a little, then let my shoulders drop. “Fine.”

I spin on my heel and stand with my back to him, my temperature rising three degrees centigrade as I feel his fingers brushing against my lower back.

“Has anyone ever told you how stubborn you are?”

“I prefer the word independent.”

“I’ve met independent. You’ve crossed the line to full-on stubborn.”

“Hey,” I answer, attempting to turn around so I can argue with him, but he stops me with his hands on my waist.

“Stay still.”

God, that felt good. It’s been way, way too long

Holding my breath, I take in every second while he fiddles with the knot, his big, strong hands only inches from the top of my bottom. My mind wanders right back to him carrying me out of my office, and it occurs to me that here he is, saving me again, when he is under no obligation to do so. 

“There, got it,” he says, and far before I’m ready, his hands are gone. 

I turn back to him and lift the apron off my neck and place it around his, and there’s that cologne again. Wow. I watch as he wraps the strings around his narrow waist and ties it in front. Grinning at the sight of him in my mom’s flowery old apron, I say, “Do you want me to take some pics for your Insta account?”

He grins. “Is this a good look for me?”

“Totally.” And the crazy part is, it actually is.

“Now, go get to work,” he says, pointing up the stairs with his thumb. 

“It’s not too late. You can still sneak out.”

“Never.” He gives me a wink and walks back into the kitchen. 

As I’m heading up the stairs, I hear my dad’s voice. “So, Hudson. That blonde with the huge knockers. What’s she like in real life?”

Oh, sweet Jesus. This is going to be a total disaster.

A totally wonderful, incredible, heart-fluttering disaster…

Buy on Amazon Kindle | Paperback

About the Author

Melanie Summers also writes steamy romance as MJ Summers.

Melanie made a name for herself with her debut novel, Break in Two, a contemporary romance that cracked the Top 10 Paid on Amazon in both the UK and Canada, and the top 50 Paid in the USA. Her highly acclaimed Full Hearts Series was picked up by both Piatkus Entice (a division of Hachette UK) and HarperCollins Canada. Her first three books have been translated into Czech and Slovak by EuroMedia. Since 2013, she has written and published three novellas, and eight novels (of which seven have been published). She has sold over a quarter of a million books around the globe.

In her previous life (i.e. before having children), Melanie got her Bachelor of Science from the University of Alberta, then went on to work in the soul-sucking customer service industry for a large cellular network provider that shall remain nameless (unless you write her personally - then she'll dish). On her days off, she took courses and studied to become a Chartered Mediator. That designation landed her a job at the R.C.M.P. as the Alternative Dispute Resolution Coordinator for 'K' Division. Having had enough of mediating arguments between gun-toting police officers, she decided it was much safer to have children so she could continue her study of conflict in a weapon-free environment (and one which doesn't require makeup and/or nylons).

Melanie resides in Edmonton with her husband, three young children, and their adorable but neurotic one-eyed dog. When she's not writing novels, Melanie loves reading (obviously), snuggling up on the couch with her family for movie night (which would not be complete without lots of popcorn and milkshakes), and long walks in the woods near her house. She also spends a lot more time thinking about doing yoga than actually doing yoga, which is why most of her photos are taken 'from above'. She also loves shutting down restaurants with her girlfriends. Well, not literally shutting them down, like calling the health inspector or something--more like just staying until they turn the lights off.

She is represented by Suzanne Brandreth of The Cooke Agency International. 

Connect:
https://mjsummersbooks.wordpress.com/
https://twitter.com/mjsummersbooks
https://www.instagram.com/mj_summers_author/
https://www.facebook.com/MJSummersAuthorPage
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/17105602.Melanie_Summers

Spotlight: Break My Bones by Rachael Tamayo

(Deadly Sins, #1)
Publication date: June 6th 2024
Genres: Adult, Thriller

Synopsis:

Three years ago Brooklyn James ran for her life with her toddler in tow. Now, her estranged husband, Cain, is back. Brooklyn will be forced to decide, will she run once again, or stand her ground and face the devil himself?

Brook is the manager of a popular Dallas Nightclub, mother, and wife. Three years later she and her daughter are back on their feet and things for her are going better than she imagined when she was forced to run for her life from her husband Cain and ended up homeless with a toddler to protect. Despite her current success, spending every waking moment watching for his inevitable return has taken its toll on the young mother.

Cain James has been released from a three-year stint in prison, and has hooked back up with his lifelong best friend, Donovan. With money in hand due to a substantial inheritance after his father’s death, and the support of the man that has always helped him when he needed it most, he’s got a plan to win back his wife, by any means necessary.

As Cain becomes a man undone by obsession and descents slowly into madness, Brook must watch virtually helplessly and decide, will she run from him again, or stand this time, risking everything?

Excerpt

After dropping off my daughter and parking my car, I walk into the empty, closed club, pulling the ringing cell out of my purse to answer. 

“Hello.” 

“Is this Brooklyn James?”

“Who is this?” 

I can’t make out the noise in the background on the line, wondering if it’s just a bad connection or if she’s really somewhere that loud. “My name is Mary, and I’m with the Texas Department of Criminal Justice. I’m calling to advise you that your husband has been released from custody.”

The world sways around me, and I wonder if I heard her correctly. I swallow even though my mouth is dry and grip the rail on the bar next to me, steadying myself as I choke out, “What?”

“He was released three days ago.” She says it as if it’s nothing. As if she might not have just destroyed my life. 

He’s been out for three days? 

But why is she calling? It doesn’t even make sense. 

“Why are you notifying me? He wasn’t arrested for assaulting me. You guys don’t do that for DWI, do you?”

“Yes, I understand that, and no ma’am, we don’t. When his file was being processed, there was a request that you be notified. I apologize for the delay, but we’ve been short-staffed here due to budget cuts.”

I sit on a barstool, glancing around to make sure no one else is here. What if a vendor is walking around? Or the bartender came in early, and I didn’t notice his car in the parking lot? I’ve worked hard to keep this part of my life in the shadows, away from almost everyone. “Can you tell me who made the request?”

“I’m afraid not. We can’t release that information. I’m sorry.”

I blow out a breath, having figured as much. But you never know when you’ll get that one person who will bend the rules, or simply doesn’t know the rules. “Um, okay then. Thanks, Mary.” What else do I say? Thanks for destroying my life? 

“You’re welcome, ma’am. Have a nice evening.” 

The conversation ends, and I put the phone back in my purse without thinking. I’ve told myself that I would know what to do when this happened. I’ve had a mental checklist for close to two years now. 

Call Ashley and let her know. 

Call the school.

Consider changing my name, my daughter’s name. Why didn’t I leave Dallas? Why did I stay here and make it so simple to find me? 

I should take the money, turn around now, and go. Fetch my child, pack, and never look back. His mother knows how to find me. My heart beats too fast in my chest. I close my eyes, considering every choice I’ve made in all these years, making no move to hide from him. No move to run once I had the means to get away. 

What was I thinking? Fuck. 

No, scratch that. I won’t run. I won’t hide. I’ve been training, and I’ve been shooting; I know how to handle the gun, and myself. I’m strong now. I can do this. I have to. Because he will show up. He will find me. 

I have no doubt. 

Buy on Amazon Kindle | Paperback | Bookshop.org

About the Author

Rachael Tamayo is the bestselling author of the award-winning Deadly Sins Series, and award-winning thriller, Crazy Love, among several other titles. Before she started her writing career, she was a highly awarded 911 emergency services dispatcher with twelve years of experience and many commendations under her belt. Upon exiting law enforcement, she focused her writing career on the dark, suspenseful, and psychological after beginning as a romance author. Now Rachael uses her dark thriller as a sort of self-therapy after all those years answering 911 calls and works all that she knows and was exposed to into the frighteningly realistic and layered characters her readers know and love her for. Rachael lives on the Texas Gulf Coast in Houston, Texas with her husband and their two children. 

Connect:

https://rachaeltamayowrites.com/

https://www.tiktok.com/@rachaeltamayowrites?

https://www.instagram.com/rtamayo2004/

https://x.com/rtamayo2004

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/15251093.Rachael_Tamayo

Spotlight: Falling in the Blue Hour by Kristi Ayers

Genre: Young Adult Contemporary Romance

Publication Date: June 4th, 2024

Surfing with her best friend Brody by day and playing guitar alongside her other best friend Nate in the evenings is what Sam equates as the ideal way to spend summer vacation. When her mother announces they will be moving from the California beach where Sam grew up, Sam’s world gets rocked off its core. Her mother and her childhood best friend from Michigan, both newly divorced, decide they want a fresh start, and what better way than a sleepy fishing town on the coast of South Carolina, their families all together in one big house.

Sam’s mother doesn’t tell her that Julie’s boys will be joining them. She last saw Ledger and Noah on a visit to Michigan when she was thirteen. Gangly limbs, braces, pimples, and a hefty dose of brotherly competition didn’t amuse Sam then, and nothing is going to amuse her about them now. Ledger and Noah aren’t her boys. Nate and Brody hold that title.

But Ledger and Noah grew up…

The brothers begin to show an interest in Sam, and slowly, day by day, they wiggle their way into her guarded, tentative sphere. It’s not until one night that a race in the swimming pool changes Noah’s feelings for Sam, but it’s too little too late.

Will Sam be able to navigate her feelings for both South Carolina and her new housemates in the midst of missing her old life, or will she let the tide sweep all her passions away? Find out in the latest teen romance from author Kristi Ayers, Falling in the Blue Hour.

Warning: Contains strong language and sexual situations.

Excerpt

   I can feel her respirations have evened out, but she’s not asleep yet, just relaxed. “I’m sorry, Sam.”

     She’s quiet for a few moments, staring at the ceiling. “No. You warned me. I didn’t listen.” She turns her head to look at me. Our faces are so close now. “…and I should have.”

     My eyes glance at her lips, but I drive them back up to her eyes. I want nothing more in this world than to kiss her right now, but we can’t. Not yet. 

     “I want you to look back up at the ceiling.” Her brows draw together, confused by my request. “Look up there, Sam.” She tries to read me for a few moments and then finally turns her head and looks up at the white ceiling. 

     Her profile is stunning. I have a hard time continuing, taking one long blink to get back on track.

     “That’s a blank canvas. We can paint any kind of picture we want. Now I want you to close your eyes.”

     She lets her eyes close, her long lashes resting against her cheeks now.

     “Picture yourself in the ocean, sitting on your board.” She gives me a side-eye with a raised brow. “Just humor me.” When her eyes are closed again and she’s focused, I continue, “Think of what the water feels like moving against your legs, your hands. What it sounds like. What the breeze feels like flowing through your hair. Focus on the peacefulness that’s out there because it’s just you and the warm sun shining on your back, your shoulders, your arms. Do you feel it?”

     She nods. Her lips are parted.

     “This time, there isn’t a wave coming. Just soft lapping ripples that started a thousand miles away. Each ripple is determined, and it never once lost faith that it would reach the shore. It saw sharks that cut it in half, boats that flattened its drive for the minutes of time they took to leisurely move along, and storms that threw it off its course completely, throwing droplets in every direction, but it never wavered in its determination to reach the sand.” 

     I love that she’s intently listening to me. “The ripple meets you where you are and you both head in the direction of the shore. You lie on your stomach and paddle, following alongside the ripple that started before you even decided to go out on the ocean, before you even woke up that morning. When you both reach the shore, you realize that, like seashells, as fragile as you seem, you traveled, you overcame, and you made it home.”

     Her eyes remain closed, but I feel her hand search for mine, threading her fingers through mine when she finds it. 

     I freeze. Any words that were on the tip of my tongue to say next get stuck in my throat along with a plethora of emotions. How many times did I want to simply hold her hand since the night we kissed? Countless. Though admittedly, half were to lead her away from Ledger. But the other half…I wanted to take her wherever made her smile. 

Buy on Amazon Kindle | Paperback

About the Author

I write in the hope of sparking infinite imaginations for all readers who enjoy love stories. I most enjoy writing young adult and new adult novels containing slow-burn romance with a dash of pining, a sprinkle of pounding heartbeats, and a measured heaping of desire. When I’m not writing, I’m reading, planting flowers, or hanging out with my family. 

Connect:

Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100069713360931

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6444996.Kristi_Ayers

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

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

Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/kristi-ayers

Reader Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/645960327618553/

Website: https://www.kristiayersauthor.com/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/kristi_ayers

Amazon: https://amzn.to/3x4JLv9

Cover Reveal: Wrinkled Rebels by Laura Katz Olson

Literary Novel / Historical Fiction

Date Published: 07-23-2024

Publisher: Vine Leaves Press

Now 80 years old, retirement and advanced age have dissipated the spirit of six college radicals of the 1960s, who jointly had participated in civil rights campaigns and anti-war protests. Having engaged in only periodic communication over the decades, they suddenly receive an invitation to reunite for an extended weekend. Struggling with whether to go, each of them has divergent qualms and expectations for the proposed gathering.

During their three days together, they confront their inner demons, each other, and their future. Does Rebecca, the prime mover of the event, find solace after losing her wife and career? Can Malaika regain her sense of self after stepping down from her successful law practice? Mourning the loss of her youthful athletic prowess and attractiveness, what happens when Deanna faces her old friends?

Struggling with two divorces and a failing marriage, can Russell attain peace of mind? How will Max, an expat living in Canada, manage with his incipient dementia? Will the demoralized Keith recover his idealism?

Wrinkled Rebels is a story of how six people achieve meaningful lives through the struggle for social justice. It is also a tale of love, the bonds of friendship, and growing old positively.

Buy on Amazon Kindle | Paperback | Bookshop.org

About the Author

Laura Katz Olson, AGF Distinguished Professor of Political Science, has taught at Lehigh University since 1974. To date, she has published nine nonfiction books, focusing on aging and healthcare. Her latest, Ethically Challenged: Private Equity Storms U.S. Health Care has been awarded several gold medals, including from the Independent Book Publishers Association (IBPA) and the Benjamin Franklin Awards. Elder Care Journey: A View from the Front Lines, which relates her personal experiences as a caregiver for her mother, won a Gold Medal in the Ninth Annual Living Now Book Awards. Wrinkled Rebels is her second novel.

Connnect:

Website: http://wrinkledrebels-olson.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61559156664714

Twitter @lauralee111

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/55546307-laura-olson

LinkedIn: http://linkedin.com/in/laura-katz-olson-a7706034/