December 17, 2024

Cover Reveal: Faking the Face Off by Anne Kemp

December 17, 2024/ Michelle Bowles

Publication date: January 29th 2025

Genres: Adult, Comedy, Contemporary, Romance

Synopsis:

There’s a reason you shouldn’t fake date a friend—because the biggest mistake you’ll ever make might just be falling for them… and NEVER ever wanting to let them go.

Anna: As the assistant to the coach of the River City Renegades, my life is a whirlwind of schedules, crisis management, and saving the day when things go sideways. I love my job, but sometimes I wonder if there’s more for me out there.

Then, I discovered my dad needs help. I’ll do anything to support him—even if it means stepping out of my comfort zone. So when the team’s publicist decides Ollie Decker, my long-time friend and the Renegades’ star defenseman, needs a fake girlfriend to boost his image, I volunteer. After all, it’s just pretend, it pays, and who knows Ollie better than me? But as the lines blur, I start to realize there’s more to Ollie—and us—than I ever let myself see.

Ollie: Being on the ice is easy. Off the ice? Not so much. Apparently, I’m not “relatable” enough, and the team wants me to soften my tough guy image with a fake relationship. When Anna Denault offers to step in, I figure this’ll be a breeze. But somewhere between staged date nights and late-night strategy sessions, I stop seeing Anna as just my rock and start noticing the spark that’s been there all along.

Now I’m wondering if the biggest risk of my career isn’t losing her as a friend but losing her entirely.

She could be the biggest mistake I’ve ever made…but also the only one I’ll never regret.

Faking the Face Off is a closed door hockey romcom that includes tropes like fake dating, friends to lovers, forced proximity, and found family. This is the first book in a closed door hockey series with sizzling chemistry and swoony kisses.

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About the Author

Anne Kemp is a bestselling author of romantic comedies. She loves reading (and she does it ridiculously fast, too!), gluten-free baking (because everyone needs a hobby that makes them crazy), and finding time to binge-watch her favorite shows. She grew up in Maryland but made Los Angeles her home until she encountered her own real-life meet-cute at a friend's wedding where she ended up married to one of the groomsmen. For real.

Anne now lives on the Kapiti Coast in New Zealand, and even though she was married at Mt. Doom, no…she doesn’t have a Hobbit. However, she and her husband do have a terrier named George Clooney and when she’s not writing, she’s usually with them taking a long walk on the river by their home.

You can find Anne on her website - come say hi! She’d love to hear from you: www.annekemp.com

Connect:

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https://www.tiktok.com/@annekempauthor

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https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5805725.Anne_Kemp

December 17, 2024

Audio Spotlight: Bits of String Too Small to Save by Ruby Peru

December 17, 2024/ Michelle Bowles

The long-awaited release of the audio format for the book, Bits of String Too Small to Save, won the 2022 Deanna Tulley Multimedia Prize. Narrated by the author herself, Ruby Peru, and voiced by a wide cast, this full-cast recording brings the novel’s colorful, imaginative characters to life in fresh new ways –sure to delight dark fantasy readers of all ages.

Ruby Peru’s, Bits of String Too Small to Save is a witty, classically illustrated fantasy for adults that asks: What’s the difference between animals and people? Magic and technology? A true home and a place to live? In 2021, Bits of String Too Small to Save was a New York City Big Book Award distinguished favorite. In the novel (now a dramatized, full-cast audiobook) innocent ElizabethAnn, her criminal genius Grandma, and their loyal sheepdog Jackson dive out of the postmodern police state of No Oaks, through a hidden portal, into the forested dystopia of Bumblegreen. There, ElizabethAnn must rescue this world from a terrible blight—or be executed as the cause of it. In the process, she investigates the disappearance of an ancient genderless magician, befriends a reluctant teenage queen, and rides a scheming talking monkey … all in order to restore Grandma’s scientific reputation and make this troubled land their new, true home. Perfect for fans of Mad Max, Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children, and Alice in Wonderland.

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

About Ruby Peru

A sloppy workaholic and independent operator, Ruby Peru drives a beat-up pickup truck and restores old houses. Named a 2021 “Indie Author to Watch” by Kirkus Reviews, Peru previously won the 1999 Bronx New Writers Award for fiction. She has also co authored Untamed Justice, Business Cards and Shoe Leather, and Money Isn’t Everything–Everything is Money. In addition to her novels, she ghostwrites memoirs and thought leadership books for clients from all walks of life.

December 13, 2024

Spotlight: The Office Games by Whitney G.

December 13, 2024/ Michelle Bowles

Release Date: December 13

Available in Kindle Unlimited

All I wanted for Christmas was for my most-loathed coworker to get hit by a bus.

Unfortunately, Santa decided to give him a promotion: my BOSS…

I couldn't afford to quit, so I suffered through his egotistical reign and hoped that my wish would be granted next season.

Does Santa even read our lists anymore?

Between an ice storm for the ages, getting arrested for “breaking and entering,” I wind up trapped inside his car for a never-ending road trip, and any time I think the journey home can't get worse, the universe throws me another wicked curveball.

The games are just beginning...

The third book in the bestselling Holiday Homecoming Collection.

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Meet Whitney G.

Whitney G. is a New York Times & USA Today bestselling author. Her books are currently published in over a dozen languages.

She lives deep in the Tennessee woods and spends most of her time drinking coffee while penning dirty-talking alpha males.

Keep up with Whitney and subscribe to her newsletter: eepurl.com/hbhVOf

To learn more about Whitney G. & her books, visit here!

Connect with Whitney G.: https://www.whitneygbooks.com/contact/

December 12, 2024

Spotlight: Take Me Home for Christmas by Tracy Solheim

December 12, 2024/ Michelle Bowles

(Chances Inlet Contemporary Romance, #5)

Publication date: December 12th 2024

Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Holiday, Romance

Synopsis:

In the quaint coastal town of Chances Inlet, Christmas is a time for rekindling lost connections . . .

Elinor “Elle” McAlister is on the brink of a big-time promotion that will finally put her on equal footing with her overachieving siblings. The catch? She has to babysit a notoriously prickly war reporter who’s late delivering his memoir. As if that weren’t enough, her editor banishes them both to Elle’s hometown on the Carolina coast to get the job done. Spending the holidays in Chances Inlet might have been fine—if only she hadn’t wrecked the most important relationship in her life during her visit last Christmas.

Deputy Sheriff Hayden Lovell has known Elle was his person ever since she swiped his purple crayon back in kindergarten. Through every twist and setback, her steady friendship has been his anchor, especially after he returned from combat with wounds that run deep. But everything changed last New Year’s Eve when Elle surprised him with a kiss, stirring feelings he didn’t realize he had. Now that she’s back in town and keeping her distance, Hayden wonders if that moment meant as much to her as it did to him.

Chances Inlet has a knack for bringing people together. With Christmas around the corner, can Elle and Hayden rewrite their story before the holiday spirit fades? Join them in a heartwarming tale of love, friendship, and the magic of second chances in a town that knows how to celebrate Christmas like no other.

Excerpt

“Do you know who Everett West is?” Madelaine asked.

Everyone with access to a television knew who Everett West was. He’d been a globe-trotting war reporter for the past thirty-five years.

“He’s writing his memoir,” Elle responded. “We are serializing it in the magazine. The number of readers downloading the chapters has quadrupled over the past three months.”

Helen beamed at her. “Impressive. You know your stats about other aspects of the magazine besides your own.”

“The serialization is meant to whet the appetite of readers in hopes of getting them to order the book when we release it in July,” Madelaine explained.

“The problem we have,” Helen added, “is that Everett hasn’t quite finished the manuscript despite signing a contract stipulating he would complete it by the first of this month.”

“Oh.” Elle looked between the two women, still unsure what this had to do with her.

Helen shook her head. “Mm. Men aren’t always good at keeping their promises as I’m sure you are aware, Elinor.”

Whoa!

Was Helen apologizing for her worm of a grandson?

Madelaine leaned forward in her chair. “We need Everett to finish this book by the end of the year, or the magazine will run out of material to serialize.”

“And we won’t have any way to fulfill those preorders,” Elle added.

“Exactly!” Helen slapped her palm on the table.

Elle continued to gaze at the two women, trying to divine some sort of explanation as to why they were telling her this. “That’s a serious problem for the entire company.”

“Everett doesn’t seem to be able to focus on the manuscript here in New York.” Madelaine sighed. “Too many distractions.”

“Too many cronies to go out drinking with, you mean,” Helen muttered.

If Madelaine agreed with her boss’ sentiments, she was too professional to show it. “We need him to go someplace quiet, someplace with a lot slower pace and fewer diversions so he can buckle down and get the job done.”

The man had reported from deep below the ocean inside a Polaris submarine, while rumbling along in a tank in Iraq, and even while embedded in the Afghan desert with special forces. Surely, he didn’t need a convent to finish his memoir? He already knew the ending, after all.

“Do you need me to research some potential places?” Elle asked.

“No, no, dear girl.” Helen waved a hand. “In fact, Jeremy gave me the most brilliant idea earlier this week when we met for dinner. He was reminiscing wistfully about the wonderful times he spent when you two visited your mother’s inn in North Carolina.”

Elle tried not to bristle. Why would Jeremy be “reminiscing wistfully” about the Tide Me Over Inn? He only visited there twice. Now that she thought about it, both times he found something to complain about—from the inn to Chances Inlet. He’d found the whole town to be “provincial.”

“My mother’s inn? You want Mr. West to go there to finish his book?”

Both women nodded.

“Um, sure. I’m happy to check with her to see what openings she has. Christmas time is usually as popular as the summer months in Chances Inlet, though. I can research some backup inns just in case.”

Please, Mom, don’t let your inn be full.

“No need.” Helen grinned. “I’ve already spoken with your mother. She’s arranged a suite for Everett through the end of the year.”

“Oh.” Elle was surprised her mom hadn’t said something to her. “That’s great. Do you need me to make any other arrangements for him?”

“Everything is all taken care of.” Helen stood. “You’ll both be flying out first thing tomorrow. Everett has less than five weeks to finish his damn book. I’m counting on you, Elinor, to see that he does. If it comes down to it, chain him to a chair. Stand over him twenty-four hours a day. Whatever it takes.” She gave Elle’s shoulder a gentle squeeze as she walked past. “I know you’re up to the task.”

The publisher was out of the room before Elle realized the impact of her words.

“Wait. What?” she whispered. “No, no, no.”

Buy on Amazon Kindle | Paperback | Bookshop.org

About the Author

USA Today bestselling author Tracy Solheim writes books with shirtless men on the cover. Some of them are actually best-sellers. The books, not the men. When she's not writing, she's practicing her curling. . . bottles of wine, that is. She's been known to cook dinner but no more than two nights in a row. Most days, she'd rather be reading, which to her is just necessary research. She lives in the suburbs of Atlanta with her husband and a neurotic Labrador retriever. Her two adult children visit but not often enough. (See the note above about cooking.) Check out her romantic suspense series featuring the Men of the Secret Service--shirtless, of course! See what she’s up to at www.tracysolheim.com

Connect:

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December 12, 2024

Spotlight: A Christmas Mystery by Noelle Adams

December 12, 2024/ Michelle Bowles

Release Date: December 13

When I return to my hometown for Christmas, I have only two goals. Spend time with my family and discover the identity of my mystery pen pal. I'm not interested in holiday festivities or reconnecting with old acquaintances, specifically grumpy, infuriating Theo Humphrey

For the past two years, I've been traveling the country in my tiny house, building a substantial social media following and recovering from the death of my fiancé, who died three weeks before our wedding day. Now I'm feeling more myself, and I want to find out who has been writing me anonymously for more than a year. Our online correspondence has become one of the best things in my life, and I'm determined to follow the clues to unravel this mystery.

My plans keep getting disrupted by Theo. He was the best friend of my former fiancé, but he's never liked me. He always thought I was too frivolous and superficial to be a good match for his friend. Now he's always around, glowering and muttering sarcastic comments and generally making a nuisance of himself.

My priority should be revealing my secret pen pal, but instead all I can think about is Theo.

Buy on Amazon Kindle | Paperback

Meet Noelle Adams

Noelle handwrote her first romance novel in a spiral-bound notebook when she was twelve, and she hasn't stopped writing since. She has lived in eight different states and currently resides in Virginia, where she reads any book she can get her hands on and offers tribute to a very spoiled cocker spaniel.

She loves travel, art, history, and ice cream. After spending far too many years of her life in graduate school, she has decided to reorient her priorities and focus on writing contemporary romances.

Keep up with Noelle and subscribe to her newsletter.

To learn more about Noelle Adams & her books, visit here!

Connect with Noelle Adams: https://www.noelle-adams.com/contact

December 12, 2024

Spotlight: Elf Against the Wall by Alina Jacobs

December 12, 2024/ Michelle Bowles

(The Wynter Brothers, #2)

Publication date: November 12th 2024

Genres: Adult, Comedy, Contemporary, Holiday, Romance

Synopsis:

When you kiss your perfect boyfriend under the mistletoe…only for your cousin to scream to the family that you stole her man, Christmas is OVER.

In my defense, I didn’t know my boss—yup, boss. Buckle up because this is messy—was my cousin’s newly minted and totally lying fiancé. I thought he was the Nutcracker Prince come to finally show my family that I, too, was worthy of putting the star atop the Christmas tree.

I was so wrong.
Now my entire family thinks I’m a ho ho ho.
I’m at the top of the naughty list, not in a fun Elf on the Shelf way, but rather in a snide-comments-at-brunch and sitting-at-the-kids’-table kinda way.

I have to clear my name, or Christmas is ruined. Again.
What better way than to blackmail my family’s number one sworn enemy?
Anderson Wynter is this desperate elf’s last hope. Six-foot-five, ethically challenged, with washboard abs and a death wish, Anderson is the perfect weapon to expose my ex and help me get back in my family’s good graces.
That is, until the weapon massively backfires… and no, not like that.

Anderson goes full Nightmare Before Christmas and shows up at my family’s annual holiday party in nothing but tattoos and a motorcycle helmet and tells everyone we’re dating.
Yep, that kicks me off the naughty list and sends me straight to the Grinch’s garbage dump.

Now I’m chained to a motorcycle-riding bad elf with terrible morals and an even worse attitude—one who sticks his hand down my shirt in the middle of my parents’ posh country club and tells me to ride him like I do his bike.
When I slap him, he just smirks and asks if I fluff my marshmallows while fantasizing about betraying my family with him.
As if.

No way am I sleeping with the man my entire family hates.
Because that won’t just ruin Christmas.
It’ll ruin the rest of my life.

Naughty elves of Christmas checking in! We’re drunk caroling, eating cookies at midnight, surviving family drama, and drooling over hot, unattainable men who are oh so wrong for us. This standalone holiday romantic comedy has all the Christmas cheer you can fit under the tree and a happily ever after guaranteed!

Excerpt

There was a man—a huge man!—in my father’s study, all in heavy black motorcycle gear, a helmet hiding his face.

Snowball had her needle-sharp teeth latched onto the robber’s pant leg, and he was batting at her roughly, trying to knock her off.

“Don’t you hurt my dog!” I screamed, picking up a priceless wood statue my parents had brought back from their anniversary trip to Japan and racing after the attacker.

He grunted in surprise but raised his arm too late to block the statue from crashing into his motorcycle helmet, shattering the tinted visor.

Eyes like a raging winter storm glared back at me through the broken glass.

I hefted the statue again, and it connected with one of his massive arms.

The hit didn’t even knock him off-balance.

“Oh shit,” I whimpered as he took a step toward me.

The huge arm came up, knocking the statue out of my hands to split on the floor.

I spun to escape but tripped on the corner of the rug and crashed to the floor, yelling unintelligibly as he pounced on me, pinning me on my back. His huge gloved hand covered my mouth and nose so I couldn’t scream. I could barely breathe.

“Shut up,” the deep voice ordered, slightly muffled by the broken motorcycle helmet.

I struggled under the massive male body that had me trapped on the floor, clawing ineffectively at him.

“What the hell?” he growled. “Fuck, I need to do something with you.”

Was he going to hurt me? Or take me with him to be—Gulp—disposed of somewhere else?

Don’t let yourself be taken to a second location!

But I couldn’t budge all the muscle and sinew holding me down.

“Motherfuck—” he roared, snatching his gloved hand back from my mouth as Snowball bit him, her sharp teeth sinking through the gloves into his thumb.

Sucking in shuddering breaths, I pummeled the man’s helmet as he shook his hand, Snowball not letting go as he flapped her around.

Scraping my nails on his neck, I managed to drag his helmet off his head and hoisted it, banging it on his face and shoulders as he cursed, finally shaking the dog and the glove free.

His tattooed hand made a fist and punched the helmet out of my grasp. His knee pinned my hip to the floor. As he raised himself slightly, his face was lit up by passing headlights.

“Oh my god,” I whimpered, eyes bugging out of my head as I took in his chiseled face, strong jaw, black hair, wintery gray eyes, and scars on his cheek and across one eye.

“You’re the… the… the…”

“The… the… the…” he mocked as he catalogued my dawning recognition.

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