“She read books as one would breathe air, to fill up and live.” ― Annie Dillard
11.30.2020
Release Day Blitz: Write Before Christmas by Julie Hammerle
11.24.2020
Release Day Blitz: Head Over Heels for the Holidays by Jennifer Bernard
Today we have the release day blitz of Jennifer Bernard’s Head Over Heels for the Holidays!
Check out this gorgeous new romance and be sure to get your copy today!
Head Over Heels for the Holidays by Jennifer Bernard
Genre: Holiday Romance
About Head Over Heels for the Holidays
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[video width="1920" height="1080" mp4="http://www.inkslingerpr.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/Head-over-Heels-for-the-Holidays-hd.mp4"][/video]Exclusive Excerpt
Without thinking too hard about it, Maya rose to her feet and grabbed Rune by the collar of his jacket, pulling him close. “How about a fake kiss?” she asked quickly. “Just make it look good from a distance.” He flashed her a pirate grin and cupped her face with his free hand. “My pleasure. I’m an excellent fake kisser.” “Come on, hurry.” He bent his head over hers, but he still didn’t go for the kiss. “You can’t hurry a fake kiss, or it will look fake. We’re flirting, we’re completely caught up in each other, we don’t even care that we’re drifting on the open ocean. Keep looking at me, just like that except without the ‘what the hell are you talking about’ expression.” She smothered a laugh and relaxed her face into a dazzled smile. As if Rune was the most wonderful thing in the world, better than chocolate and bubble baths combined. He blinked, as if she’d momentarily thrown him off his game with her smile. A personal triumph, she figured. “That’s…good,” he said, a little more strained than before. For a fake kiss, he sure was overthinking it. They needed to get this thing done. She took command and wrapped her hand around the back of his neck. Tugging him down, she offered him her mouth. “Let’s do this,” she hissed. “Tick-tock.” Honestly, why did she always have to be the one with any common sense? If those men onshore had binoculars, they were already watching. To throw them off, she only had a few moments. If the men thought they’d been busted, they might rework their entire comms system. The lead would be worthless. The source would be burned. The case back to square one. And then all thoughts of logic flew from her mind as Rune claimed her lips with a kiss that sent shock waves through her system. Warmth…sizzle…sunshine…all of it swirled together in a rush of brilliant pleasure. His lips were firm and generous at the same time, as if they were inviting her into his world. A world where she would be queen and he would be whatever she needed. A kind of exhilaration swept through her and she parted her lips for more. He gave it to her, sweeping his tongue inside the cave of her mouth, where every surface tingled and warmed at his touch. Fake kiss, my ass. This was the real thing and she couldn’t get enough of it. She drank him in as if she’d been starving for this, pining for it. Her mind—always working, always on guard—let go like an anchor releasing her to drift on the current. She lost herself in the flood of pure physical joy. She staggered as the boat got slammed with a supersized wave. Rune held her tight so she didn’t lose her balance. “I need to steer this thing,” he murmured against her lips before turning back to the helm. “Yes. Yeah. Of course.” She ran her tongue across her lips, tasting salt from the spray and sweet from Rune. She plopped down onto the bench as he wrestled with the wheel. Picking up her binoculars, she focused on the spot where the two men had been. They were gone—or maybe her angle had changed and she couldn’t see them anymore. She dropped her glasses and sighed. Hopefully she hadn’t messed anything up by making them suspicious. “Go ahead and pick up speed. Let’s keep going toward Mount Sage for a bit.” “Roger that.” Was his voice a little gruffer than usual? Was it the effect of the salt in the air? He put the boat in gear and they cruised farther into the bay. She watched the little cove as it receded into the distance, swallowed up by the greater landscape of forests and rugged outcroppings. What now? How to handle this? She and Rune had kissed, and there was no way she could forget about it the way she had when she was a kid. Maybe never mention it again? Or maybe do it again? The tempting thought hovered out there like the promise of an ice cream sundae after a long week. Treat yo-self, she could imagine her cousin Reecie in Anchorage saying. Go for it, Kate would urge. I knew it, Jessica would say. “Tell me when you’re ready to head back,” Rune said. “It’s your call.” His voice had returned to normal. She wondered what he was thinking about this situation. Then again, he didn’t overthink things like she did. He probably wasn’t worried about it at all. He probably kissed people all the time—all those non-girlfriend “girls” he’d talked about. “I will,” she told him. “Give it a few more minutes.” “The other thing is your call too,” Rune said softly, his attention still on the choppy water ahead. “What are you talking about?” “I know you’re trying to decide what to do about that kiss. I can see your wheels spinning from here.” “I’m not—okay, I am. I didn’t intend for it to be like that.” “It’s my fault.” His voice shifted to a jaunty cheerfulness. “My pride was hurt that you forgot the first kiss. I was aiming for ‘best kiss.’ One that you wouldn’t forget. That’s all.” It wasn’t all. She could hear it in his voice. It was so much more complicated than that. Friendship, attraction, sizzle…all that, lined up against her better judgment. But even so, it touched her that he was trying to make the whole thing easier for her. “Best kiss? Isn’t that a little arrogant?” She adopted a teasing tone to match his. “Second best? Third? Just tell me it wasn’t the worst. Gotta start somewhere.” “It wasn’t the worst.” That was as far as she could go right now. And maybe it was the best. Because right at this moment, she couldn’t think of any other specific kiss that might compete with it.Jennifer Bernard is a USA Today bestselling author of contemporary romance. Her books have been called “an irresistible reading experience” full of “quick wit and sizzling love scenes.” A graduate of Harvard and former news promo producer, she left big city life for true love in Alaska, where she now lives with her husband and stepdaughters. She still hasn’t adjusted to the cold, so most often she can be found cuddling with her laptop and a cup of tea. Sign up for her newsletter for book news and fun exclusives.
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11.17.2020
Release Day Blitz: The Christmas Plan by Samantha Chase
It wouldn't be the holiday season without a new Christmas romance from Samantha Chase! THE CHRISTMAS PLAN is out now and it's the perfect way to kickstart your holiday reading!
About THE CHRISTMAS PLAN
If only life was a cheesy holiday movie… Unfortunately for Aspen Harris, her life doesn’t even come close.
Finding herself unemployed just before the holidays, she has no choice but to move back home and in her parents’ house. And that means leaving behind her best friend Gabriel and all her dreams of someday owning her own chocolate shop. So when Gabe suggests she come to Silver Bell Falls to spend the holidays with his family, it seems like the perfect distraction.
What’s so great about holiday movies? Don’t people realize that living in an actual Christmas town is anything but magical?
Every year, Gabriel Andrews goes home to Silver Bell Falls to help his father run the family Christmas tree lot. When Aspen tells him she has to move to the other side of the country after losing her job, he suggests she come home with him for the holidays. It’s the perfect way to spend as much time together as possible before a whole country separates them.
But this is Silver Bell Falls at Christmas time…between a mother with matchmaking tendencies, tight living quarters and far too much chocolate, it doesn’t take very long for life to start imitating art.
Add THE CHRISTMAS PLAN to your TBR!
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About SAMANTHA CHASE
11.09.2020
Blog Tour: When the Wind Chimes by Mary Ting
When the Wind Chimes by Mary Ting
(Rosewind Books)
Publication date: November 17, 2020
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance
SOMETIMES ANGELS COME IN HUMAN FORM.
Kaitlyn Summers is heartbroken.
When she receives an invitation to spend Christmas with her family on the Hawaiian island of Kauai, she feels it may be the perfect medicine.
She throws herself into helping her sister’s struggling art gallery, even taking a temporary job for extra money by looking after a little girl from her nephew’s school. She also begins to paint again, something she’s been unable to do since her breakup. It’s tempting to stay on Kauai, but she has obligations back in Los Angeles.
Life gets more complicated when circumstances keep putting her close to Leonardo Medici. Not only is he drop-dead gorgeous, he’s a local celebrity. But Kaitlyn can’t shake the feeling he’s hiding something.
Should she believe the rumors that he’s romancing half the island’s single women?
Or is the random sound of wind chimes when he’s close-by a sign that an angel is near and the secret to her happily ever after?
Author Bio:
International Bestselling, Award-Winning Author Mary Ting writes soulful, spellbinding stories that excite the imagination and captivate readers all over the world. Her books run a wide range of genres: science fiction, fantasy, and swoon worthy stories. Her storytelling talents have won her a devoted legion of fans and garnered critical praise.
Mary was born in Seoul Korea and resides in Southern California with her husband, two children, and two dogs—Mochi and Mocha. She enjoys oil painting and making jewelry. Becoming an author was a way to grieve the death of her beloved grandmother. After realizing she wanted to become a full-time author, she retired from teaching after twenty years.
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9.28.2020
Excerpt: Sugar Blog Tour by Lydia Michaels
Today we have the blog tour for Lydia Michaels’ Sugar!
Check it out and be sure to get your copy today!
Sugar by Lydia Michaels
Genre: Contemporary Romance
About Sugar
Avery Johansson is borrowing against her youth and beauty to afford a better future by working as a sugar baby. Men think she’s everything they desire, soft, delicate, and able to stroke their fragile egos with a mere sweep of her lashes. The more they pay, the sweeter she becomes. If only they knew the woman behind the façade. Oh, she could bring them to their knees, make them beg, and unburden their minds to a point of ecstasy. The true Avery doesn’t care for roses. She prefers the thorns. Because behind her beautiful exterior, she’s more leather than lace, and beneath the sugar there’s nothing but spice. The only thing missing is a strong and submissive man to make everything nice. Noah Wolfe is used to getting exactly what he wants when he wants, and as he sets his sights on Avery Johansson, nothing will stop him short of having her. He’s determined to bury himself in her mind and body, and plans to unravel every dark secret she hides. As two dominant hearts collide in an explosion of sin and secrets, boundaries come tumbling down. But their future lies in someone’s surrender, a sacrifice neither is prepared to make—and everything their happiness depends on.I had plenty to say, but my lips wouldn’t move.
“Ah, fuck. Are you going to cry?”
“No.” But I did want to punch him in the dick.
“Don’t get all sensitive. I prefer you bitchy.”
Oh, I could be a bitch. If he only knew how much…
“First of all, I’m not going to cry. I just needed a second to process everything you said. Second, I don’t work out for anyone but myself. It’s a great stress reliever, and I use it as an outlet when I’m tense. And third, I ate the second piece, so shut the fuck up about my eating habits.”
“You know, there are other outlets for stress relief—”
“Oh, my God! Do you ever think of anything but sex?”
“I’m just saying, my door’s closer than the gym.”
“If you’re such a sex god, why don’t I ever see any women at your place?”
“Maybe I take my business elsewhere.”
I snatched the remote back and plopped on the couch. “I’m sure you do.”
He sat beside me and stole the remote again. “I have plenty of sex. Way more than you.”
“Well, I don’t doubt that.”
He turned and gave me a questioning glance. “When’s the last time someone gave you something worth thinking about?”
“I got flowers yester—”
“No, I mean something that made you scream in a good way.”
The last time I ordered someone to make me scream. “It’s been a while.”
“Why, though? You’re beautiful, sort of fun. Are you going through some kind of celibacy thing on purpose?”
“Maybe I’m trying to graduate from ‘sort of fun’ to something that’s actually flattering. Let’s just say I’m picky and it’s not worth my time if it’s not done my way.”
“So, you haven’t had good sex.”
I twisted to face him. “I’ve had incredible sex, but if everyone did it that good, it wouldn’t be incredible. Trust me, I’ve had good sex.”
“How good?”
“Great.”
His eyes narrowed. “Meh, I don’t believe you.”
I scoffed, and folded my arms, then scoffed again. “Well, lucky for you, I don’t give a dirty fuck if you believe me or not.”
“You sure about that?”
“Put on a damn movie.”
He chuckled. “One day you’ll give a dirty fuck. And I’ll give it right back.” He shut off the lamp and hit play.
“What the hell is this?”
“Shh… You don’t want to miss the backstory, that’s what makes it hot.”
“Oh, My. God. I’m not watching porn with you!”
“Just a few minutes.”
I reached for the remote, and he jerked his hand out of reach.
“Give it.”
“Five minutes, then we can watch whatever you want.”
“Noah!” I stretched over him, but his damn long arms were like telephone poles. “Change it!”
“It’s a good one. Chicks like the ones with a plot.”
That was it. I locked in on his nipple with my thumb and knuckle and pinched hard. “Shut it off!”
“Ow! Fuck! Okay! Okay!”
The remote fell to the floor, and I let go. Bad acting and crappy lines played on the surround system as I tried to change the movie. “How the hell do you work this thing?”
“I think you dislocated my areola.”
“You’ll live.” I finally found the source button, and the screen switched to something appropriate.
“I really think you did some damage.”
I glanced over my shoulder to find him peeking under the collar of his T-shirt. My lips twitched. There was something so adorable about him in that moment. I pictured myself straddling his thighs, removing his shirt, and kissing his nipple all better.
Good God! I needed to get the hell out of there.
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9.23.2020
Book Blitz: Romancing the Holidays Anthology
A dozen ways to fall in love at the holiday. Romancing the Holidays: A First Coast Romance Writers Holiday Anthology
Publication date: September 22, 2020
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance
Come celebrate the holidays with these dozen unique romances, ranging from sweet to steamy and all ending with a happily-ever-after. This anthology of short stories, written by multi-award-winning authors, including New York Times best-selling author, Alyssa Day, will transport you from Labor Day and Halloween antics to Christmas and Valentine romantics. Its stories will whisk you away into contemporary, historical, and paranormal worlds where love prevails. So, savor the authors featured in this enchanting book and bet your heart on some romantic cheer while you enjoy these twelve ways to fall in love.
Proceeds from this novel benefit First Coast Romance Writers, a non-profit chapter of Romance Writers of America that helps writers hone their craft and expand their knowledge of the publishing industry. A portion of the proceeds are also donated to FeedAmerica.org.
SNEAK PEEKS
“Faking it for the Holidays” by Lia Davis
Julius probably shouldn’t be as happy as he was about his parents going on a cruise the week of Christmas. But he was. For the first time since he met his best friend and future wife—although she didn’t know that yet—he would be able to spend a normal, quiet, holiday season with Tara.
Just the two of them.
Was it wrong that he wanted to spend Christmas with his best friend, alone?
They didn’t have to listen to his parents, especially his mom, go on and on about how they should get married and give her beautiful grandbabies. It was embarrassing and made things awkward between them for the whole trip to Oregon to spend Christmas with his parents.
Tara had always been fantastic about his crazy family, which made her even more perfect for him. She never complained. She fit right in with them and humored his mom when she started in about the future of their lives and how they weren’t getting any younger.
The whole thing made him hesitate to ask Tara to marry him. He didn’t want her to think he was pressured into proposing, which he wasn’t. He loved her from the moment they met as kids.
He wanted to show her how much he wanted to spend the rest of his life with her, without the pressure of his family lurking and watching them. Yessir, this year was going to be different.
He had Tara to himself.
His cell rang and he snatched it up from the kitchen counter where he was prepping movie-night snacks for him and Tara. It was their usual Saturday night “date” to make fun of bad movies. Not looking at the screen and thinking it was Tara, he said, “You better not be backing out on tonight.”
There was a long few moments of silence. Jules’ heart dropped to his feet. She wasn’t coming over. He’d spent all week gathering the courage to finally tell her how he felt. That he wanted to spend the rest of his life with her and not as just her best friend. He wanted more. “Tara?”
“Oh, no silly. It’s your mother. Don’t you check the caller ID?”
Damn. “Mom. How are you? Are you on the ship?”
She let out a disappointing sigh. “Sadly, no. The cruise was canceled last minute. That means we’re staying home for Christmas. You’re coming, right?
“An Elf’s Challenge” by Vickey Wollan
“Why are you being so nice to me?” She stared straight at him and lifted her chin. Angelina was determined not to be the first one to blink. Then, she noticed he hadn’t blinked either.
“I can do this all day. Remember, sawdust in my eyes regularly – no biggie.” Zack raised his lids and brought his nose inches from hers. “You had me at operational efficiency. I’m hoping you’ll return the favor, let me into the Paint Drying Zone.” He winked.
Angelina’s mouth went dry. No amount of soda could fix it. “Of course!” Oh, dear. What did I just do? What will my father think of me bringing a dust-covered woodworker into the paint shop?
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