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Second Chances – Virtual Book Tour

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Contemporary Romance
Date Published: 11/30/17
Publisher: Carolina Blue Publishing
 
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 Dr. Charlotte Avery is the newest resident of Windsor Falls, North Carolina. Just back from the war-ravaged plains of Africa, Charlie only wants to settle into her new life and to reconnect with Elizabeth Fitzgerald, her best friend from residency. What she doesn’t expect, or need, is the instant attraction she feels for Elizabeth’s brother-in-law, Brendan. A single dad, Brendan Fitzgerald isn’t interested in anything that will further complicate his life. Will they be open to a second chance?

Second Chances Excerpt

 Charlie locked the door and came down the driveway. She carried a duffel bag over one shoulder. “Where do you want this?”He pulled his head out of his ass and got out of the truck. He walked towards her, reaching for the bag. “I’m sorry. I would have gotten that. Where’s the rest of your stuff?”

She grinned at him. “For two days?” She handed the bag to him. “This is it.”

His grin answered hers. “I might be falling in love with you.”

Both stood in the driveway, less than five feet apart, staring at each other. Brendan swore he could hear her heart thudding. Or maybe his. What was wrong with him? First thoughts of her living in his home. Then this. At least the thoughts had been just that. Thoughts. He stared at his sneakers, unsure what to say, or not, next. “Uh, what I meant was…”

“Should I pick a date?”

“What?” If it was possible for him to swallow his own tongue, he would have. Then he heard her laugh. At him.

“If you could see your face!” Laughter bubbled up from her.

Brendan stood there, annoyed with himself. “When you’re through, we can go.” Great! Now he sounded like a pouting teen. “I meant to say, we have a long drive. We should go.”

She stretched up and kissed him. He felt it to his toes. “I’m sorry, Brendan, but I couldn’t resist. Of course, you don’t love me yet. You don’t even know my favorite flavor of ice cream.” Leaving him scratching his head at that one, Charlie walked around his truck and got in.

Brendan did the same. “Mine’s mint chocolate chip. In case you were wondering. And what does favorite ice cream flavor have to do with anything?”

She buckled her seat belt, grinning at him. He backed out of the driveway. “That’s what I call it when you’re getting to know someone. The ‘what’s your favorite flavor of ice cream list.’ You know, like when’s your birthday? What’s your favorite holiday or season? Dogs or cats? Things like that, superficial but fun facts about someone that you don’t know yet.”

They came to a red light. He turned to look at her. “September 15th, Thanksgiving, winter, and definitely dogs.” He grinned.

“I’m more of a December 1st, Memorial Day, summer kind of gal. You get points for dogs though. Dogs rule, as everyone knows.”

“Memorial Day? I had you pegged for more of a Christmas or Valentine’s Day kind of girl.” The light changed, and he continued on.

She stuck her tongue out at him, making him wish he wasn’t driving. “Memorial Day is the unofficial start to summer, my favorite season. It became very important to me when I lived in Chicago. By Memorial Day, I knew I wouldn’t be cold again for a while.  I hate being cold.”

“Noted.”

“And Valentine’s Day is a Hallmark holiday. I want flowers because it’s Tuesday and someone thought of me. Not because it’s a national holiday and there’s a marketing campaign. Of course, I do love Christmas. Who doesn’t? From the day after Thanksgiving until New Year’s Day. I love the decorations, especially the over the top, ridiculous ones. The ones my parents looked down on. And gifts are fun of course. But more than anything, I love the way people are a little bit nicer to each other.”

Brendan couldn’t stop the grin if he tried. Charlie was unique. “It’s a shame you’re so shy about expressing your opinions,” he quipped, tongue planted in cheek.

About the Author


Kimberley O’Malley is a recent transplant to Charlotte, North Carolina from the frozen North. She is learning to say y’all but draws the line at sweet tea. Sarcasm is an art form in her world. When not writing, she is a full-time nurse and part-time soccer Mom, but not necessarily in that order. She shares her life with an amazing husband of more than twenty years, two teenagers, and one very sweet Shetland Sheepdog, Molly.
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Long, Tall Cowboy Christmas by Carolyn Brown

Long, Tall Cowboy Christmas cover

Who wants a Long, Tall Cowboy Christmas?

“This goes down like a cup of hot cocoa–warm and sweet.” –Entertainment Weekly

A heartwarming holiday read from USA Today bestselling author Carolyn Brown

Nash Lamont is a man about as solitary as they come. That’s exactly why ranch life in middle-of-nowhere Happy, Texas suits him. So what the heck is he doing letting a beautiful widow and her three rambunctious children temporarily move in? Before he knows it, they’re stringing Christmas lights and decorating the tree… and he’s having the time of his life. But after everything he’s been through, Nash knows this kind of happiness doesn’t last.

Kasey Dawson thought she’d never get over the death of her husband. Nash, with his strong hands and infinite patience, is stirring something she hasn’t felt in a long time. Kasey knows the sexy cowboy isn’t telling her everything about this past, though. And she refuses to risk heartbreak all over again. But her kids have a plan of their own: Nothing will keep them from having a real family again-even if it takes a little help from Santa himself.

“Genuinely sweet.” –Publishers Weekly

The Happy, Texas series:
Toughest Cowboy in Texas
Long, Tall Cowboy Christmas
The Luckiest Cowboy of All
Book Description Courtesy Of Amazon

I was given a copy of this book by Netgalley for an honest review.

Carolyn Brown does it again with a Heartwarming, Sexy read! Nash was in the military and moved to Happy, Texas. He now lives next door to Kasey who lives with her brothers and her children. Her husband was in the same platoon as Nash. Kasey has to take care of Nash when he falls of a ladder and gets a concussion, because of his PTSD, they need to make sure that any hallucinations are cause by the concussion and not the PTSD. Kasey moves into Nashes’  house with her kids until he is released from the doctor. This is where things really start to heat up between Kasey and Nash. He also comes to care greatly for Kasey’s kids. They all get ready for Christmas by putting up the tree and lights. I loved this book and the series. Carolyn Brown is truly a gifted author. I give
Long, Tall Cowboy Christmas (Happy, Texas) 5/5 stars. I recommend this book to everyone!!

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One Night to Fall – Release Blitz

One Night to Fall BANNER

Today we have the release blitz for One Night to Fall by Kelsey Kingsley! Check it out and grab your copy today!
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Title: One Night to Fall
Author: Kelsey Kingsley
Genre: Contemporary Romance
About One Night to Fall:

Patrick Kinney wasn’t a god. He was a parasite, and nobody worships a parasite.

Patrick Kinney was a glob of sticky, persistent peanut butter stuck to the roof of Kinsey McKenna’s mouth, and she craved him.

In fact, she had been craving him ever since he set foot in River Canyon, Connecticut, when they were just three years old. And she hated it ever step of the way. (Well, sort of.)

But Patrick has a plan to fix it, and set the wrong things right. Can he turn it all around with one night and a sweet, but painful, trip down memory lane?

Fall in love again in this novella of firsts, second chances, and a little town on the coast of Connecticut, where everything meant everything.

One Night to Fall teaser
Exclusive Excerpt:

As my mother filled Mrs. Kinney in on our ages, my eyes had fallen upon a little boy, peeking through the long legs of his red-headed father. He was blonde, like his mother, and his skin was a stark white in the glow of the summer sun, just like his dad. After all this time, I have no idea how I can so distinctly remember a little boy, not to mention so fondly. But, in my mind, I can still see the way the light breeze tousled his bowl haircut. The way his little fingers clenched to the linen of his father’s pants. The tan and scuffed sandals that poked through the lively green of their front lawn, and the oceanic eyes that seemed to focus on mine with an old soul intensity. Too old for a little boy.

“Ah, she’s three, y’say? Like our Patrick here,” Mrs. Kinney seemed to sing in her melodic voice. “Come here, Paddy. Come say hi to your new friend.”

Ladies and gentlemen, meet Patrick Kinney.

Our fates were determined in that moment: your new friend. We didn’t have a choice, did we? We didn’t stand a chance.

Patrick was pulled from behind his father with an embarrassed chuckle over his boy’s reluctance, as the strong hand pushed him along faster than his little legs could move.

“Say hello to Kinsey, son,” Mr. Kinney commanded in his own special voice, wearing a friendly smile and mussing up the little kid’s hair.

“Hello.”

I hadn’t expected a kid my age to also speak in that special voice, like his parents, but smaller and higher pitched. I also hadn’t expected his pudgy arms would wrap around my neck, pulling me into him for a hug. I remember wondering why he was hugging me, and then, God, why did I hug him?

Our parents laughed and fawned over us, as we stood there on their front lawn in a tight embrace. Neglected due to her age, because three was the age to be, Kate had run off to play with a ball that had come all the way from Ireland and the babies in Mrs. Kinney’s arms were there, but forgotten as they slept.

Nothing mattered, except for Patrick and me.

One Night to Fall cover 2
About Kelsey Kingsley:

Kelsey Kingsley grew up in the great state of New York, and still lives there with her family and a cat named Ethel. When she isn’t writing her fingers to the bone, she enjoys a good (or bad) book, reruns of Frasier, ruining the lives of her Sims, and singing and dancing in the kitchen. She somehow survives off a diet of tea, doughnuts, and French fries. However, she hates cheese and listening to people chew. You’ve been warned.

Connect with Kelsey:
Enter Kelsey’s Giveawy:

 

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Review – So Over You by Kate Meader

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Three estranged sisters struggle to sustain their late father’s failing hockey franchise in Kate Meader’s sizzling Chicago Rebels series. In this second entry, middle sister Isobel is at a crossroads in her personal and professional lives. But both are about to get a significant boost with the addition of a domineering Russian powerhouse to the Rebels….

Isobel Chase knows hockey. She played NCAA, won Olympic silver, and made it thirty-seven minutes into the new National Women’s Hockey League before an injury sidelined her dreams. Those who can’t, coach, and a position as a skating consultant to her late father’s hockey franchise, the Chicago Rebels, seems like a perfect fit. Until she’s assigned her first job: the man who skated into her heart as a teen and relieved her of her pesky virginity. These days, left-winger Vadim Petrov is known as the Czar of Pleasure, a magnet for puck bunnies and the tabloids alike. But back then… let’s just say his inability to sink the puck left Isobel frustratingly scoreless.

Vadim has a first name that means “ruler,” and it doesn’t stop at his birth certificate. He dominates on the ice, the practice rink, and in the backseat of a limo. But a knee injury has produced a bad year, and bad years in the NHL don’t go unrewarded. His penance? To be traded to a troubled team where his personal coach is Isobel Chase, the woman who drove him wild years ago when they were hormonal teens. But apparently the feeling was not entirely mutual.

That Vadim might have failed to give Isobel the pleasure that was her right is intolerable, and he plans to make it up to her—one bone-melting orgasm at a time. After all, no player can perfect his game without a helluva lot of practice…

BOOK DESCRIPTION COURTESY OF AMAZON

I was given a copy of this book by Netgalley for an honest review.

I have read a couple of Kate Meader’s books and since then I have been hooked! The characters and story line are very well-developed. Isobel and Vadim knew each other as teenagers and had one night together. Her father had Vadim sent back to Russia and blocked from joining the professional hockey league in the US while he was alive. Isobel’s dreams playing in the Women’s Hockey League ended in the first half hour of her debut in the league. Now she is trying to run the Hockey team, The Chicago Rebels, that she inherited with her sisters from their Father. Isobel is coaching Vadim one on one, and the chemistry they had as teenagers is once again blazing hotter than ever. This is one sexy hot read! Kate Meader is definitely one to keep on your TBR shelf. I cannot wait for the next book in this series! I give So Over You (The Chicago Rebels Series Book 2) 5/5 stars. I recommend this book and series to everyone.

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KATE MEADER – SO OVER YOU – BLOG TOUR

so over you cover

About the book:
SO OVER YOU
Chicago Rebels series, Book 2
Kate Meader
Pocket Star EBooks
December 4, 2017
$5.99
ISBN 9781501168567

“Meader serves up a delicious mix of sports, sexy romance, and complicated, captivating characters with her second Chicago Rebels hockey contemporary (after Irresistible You)…Meader’s erotic scenes could melt ice, and her complex protagonists will keep readers eagerly turning pages.”
—Publishers Weekly (So Over You)

“Things heat up on the ice in Meaer’s latest installment of the Chicago Revels series (Irresistible You, 2017)…Isobel and Vadim’s chemistry is off the charts, and Meader’s engaging details of hockey and Chicago pull you further into their world. Even nonhockey fans will be rooting for the Rebels by the last page.”
—Booklist (So Over You)

“Hockey is a sport that moves a mile a minute, and it’s even more thrilling when the action off the ice has even more speed. In the second Chicago Rebels book, external conflicts make the path to a happy ending difficult for the couple, but that makes it even more satisfying in the end. Meader’s thought-provoking tale has well-rounded characters who touch each other’s lives — sometimes not too gently.”
—RT Book Reviews (So Over You)

“Meader’s strength is creating characters who live, breathe, and jump off the page; Remy and Harper shine, and the supporting cast of characters, including Harper’s half-sisters, is very strong. The mix of sexual tension and emotional decisions will lead Meader’s series launch to many a keeper shelf.”
—Publishers Weekly STARRED REVIEW (Irresistible You, Book 1)

“Meader takes her readers on a breathtaking, non-stop, glorious ride. The sex scenes are lyrically written with fresh, descriptive prose. Enough is included about hockey to add its fast rhythm to the book. Remy’s family is multi-faceted and fills the pages with joy. Readers will love the relationship between Remy and Harper, and will be excited for the next story — Isobel’s.”
—RT Book Reviews Four and a Half Star TOP PICK (Irresistible You, Book 1)

About the book:
Three estranged sisters struggle to sustain their late father’s failing hockey franchise in Kate Meader’s SO OVER YOU, Book 2 in the new sizzling Chicago Rebels series. Middle sister Isobel is at a crossroads in her personal and professional lives. But both are about to get a significant boost with the addition of a domineering Russian powerhouse to the Rebels…

Isobel Chase knows hockey. She played NCAA, won silver at the Games, and made it thirty-seven minutes into the new National Women’s Hockey League before an injury sidelined her dreams. Those who can’t, coach, and a position as a skating consultant to her late father’s hockey franchise, the Chicago Rebels, seems like a perfect fit. Until she’s assigned her first job: the man who skated into her heart as a teen and relieved her of her pesky virginity. These days, left-winger Vadim Petrov is known as the Czar of Pleasure, a magnet for puck bunnies and the tabloids alike. But back then…let’s just say his inability to sink the puck left Isobel frustratingly scoreless.

Vadim has a first name that means “ruler,” and it doesn’t stop at his birth certificate. He dominates on the ice, the practice rink, and in the backseat of a limo. But a knee injury has produced a bad year, and bad years in the NHL don’t go unrewarded. His penance? To be traded to a troubled team where his personal coach is Isobel Chase, the woman who drove him wild years ago when they were hormonal teens. But apparently the feeling was not entirely mutual.

That Vadim might have failed to give Isobel the pleasure that was her right is intolerable, and he plans to make it up to her—one bone-melting orgasm at a time. After all, no player can perfect his game without a helluva lot of practice…

About the author:
Kate Meader was raised on romance. An Irish girl, she started with Catherine Cookson and Jilly Cooper novels, and spiced it up with some Mills & Boon. Now based in Chicago, she writes romances of her own, where sexy contemporary alpha heroes and strong heroines match each other quip for quip. When not immersed in tales of brooding mill owners, oversexed equestrians, and men who can rock an apron or a fire hose, Kate lives on the web at katemeader.com.

Giveaway:
Kate Meader will be giving away a $25 Amazon gift card during release week. To enter, please go here!

 


Excerpt #3 (R-rated)

“So we are agreed. You are looking for nice.”

“Most everyone is, Vadim. No one wants a creep.”

He inclined his head until it almost touched hers. “The opposite of nice does not have to be a bad thing. Not when it comes to certain areas. Sex, for example.”

“You can never stray long from that subject, can you?”

“Men think of it often, yes. I am just a slave to my gender. My offer is still open, you know.”

Oxygen was at a premium. He was far too close. “What offer?”

“To apologize. With my cock.”

Oh, she got it now. There was no apology on the table. This was purely Vadim Petrov trying to prove he was top dog, the man who could make a woman’s panties drop with a smile and a wink.

“You raging dingus! You’re not interested in ‘my disappointment’ or in making up for that first terrible time. All you care about is that there are women living in this universe who didn’t go off into the stratosphere when your dick made its debut inside their vaginas.”

“Only one woman, Isobel.”

She scoffed. “So sure.”

“I know.”

“You didn’t know back then. You just assumed tectonic plates shifted because, like all men, you imagine you’re the epicenter of the orgasm earthquake. As long as you feel the earth move, to hell with everyone else.”

Nothing but aristocratic hauteur from him now. “I am trying to be nice—”

“Nice? You just said you only recognize nice because you’re the opposite!”

He curled a hand around her neck, his touch shockingly sensual. “Then I shall be the opposite. I shall be very, very bad, Isobel.”

She wanted to say something about how “bad” wasn’t the opposite of “nice,” but this wasn’t an appropriate time for an English lesson. Her pulse stuttered, then gathered strength, a relentless pounding of yes, yes, yes. He must have heard it because, the next second, his lips crashed into hers, taking control as if it was his right.

But she knew better, didn’t she? She knew that Vadim Petrov was all smoke and mirrors, style without substance, a man whose only focus was his own pleasure.

Boy could he kiss, though.

This wasn’t your standard teenage fumbling. This was a man who knew exactly what do with his mouth. Probably all that practice over the years, she thought bitterly.

The bitterness melted in the face of a wildfire consuming her body. Pure, white-hot need. Maybe the owner of the lips didn’t matter. Maybe it was just a joining together of body parts that worked in this never-to-be-repeated moment.

He halted, his expression impossible to read in the shadows.

“It is bad, yes?” His breathing was labored.

“Terrible,” she murmured. “Again.”

She expected him to say something cutting, but he surprised her.

He did as he was told.

He didn’t taste like the boy she remembered. She thought she’d committed everything about that experience to her soul, both the bad and the good, yet Vadim’s mouth was different now. He was different.

This kiss . . .

. . . different.

Spicy and sweet, authoritative yet testing. It cracked open something. Not inhibition, because that had never been her problem, but reticence. With other men, she would hold back, waiting for the sparks to fly. If it didn’t ignite within a few seconds, she was already moving on, steeling herself for the disappointment that would come later.

Vadim’s kiss blew her wariness away. If it was this good, then the rest . . . No, that was not going to happen.

He was an employee, a coworker, a tabloid manwhore, sort of a dick, and the guy who took her virginity and did a piss-poor job about it. If none of these reasons were enough to put a halt to this nonsense, then she was in deep freakin’ doo-doo.

“Well?” he asked, though there was no missing the blink back to reality of his eyelids. He was just as affected as she.

“You want a score?” she panted. “Seven point four. The French judge marked you down. Too much tongue.”

This appeared to delight him, delight coming in the form of a lift at the corner of his decadent mouth. “It seems we both have lessons to learn. Again.”

In a flash, he had pulled her across into his lap—okay, she may have helped because this couldn’t not continue. Strangely, the snark fired her up. That hadn’t been their thing before, but maybe his time in North America had improved his personality.

She liked this version of Vadim. She liked it very much.

She also liked his positioning of her core over his erection. His hands kneading her ample ass to bring her closer was another check in the “like” column. And, additionally, helping her improved opinion of him was his mouth back on hers, sucking, testing, exploring.

“Again,” he murmured.

“Again,” she sighed right back into his mouth.

Again.

Rubbing her center against him was divine.

His hands everywhere were divine.

That mouth . . . oh, God, that mouth was ten steps above divine.

And then that mouth was speaking Russian, rough, sexy, sweet nothings that drove her wild. Forced out all common sense. His mouth trailed her jaw, delivering little nips and hot licks to her neck.

Bellasomething in RussianBellamore RussianBella.” As if one language was inadequate to express how she affected him.

She heard the scrape of her track jacket zipper, felt tingles as he applied openmouthed kisses to newly exposed skin. Her nipples were on fire, sensitive and needy. Can’t stand this. Going to die. She ripped her bra strap off her shoulder and freed one aching breast.

“Suck me,” she begged, and then his mouth closed over her tit and suckled hard. His moan on tasting her sounded like he was in pain, but she didn’t care; all she cared about was this mindless grasp at pleasure.

The insistent pulse thrumming through her body beat louder, stronger, showing no sign of stopping and heading for the one place she’d never visited with this man. She rolled her hips and hiked her suggestive rubs into a dirty grind. He was huge against her, toting this hard, hot instrument of pleasure that stroked her just right.

Still not enough.

“Please,” she begged as she rode him harder. Faster. Dirtier.

“Da, da, da,” he said. Yes, yes, yes.

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