Monday, January 19, 2015

Feeling Beachie Massive Valentine's Day Book Giveaway!

Valentine's Day is almost here, y'all! Are you feeling romantic? Nothing will get you in the mood like reading a good romantic comedy! I have quite the selection for you to choose from, courtesy of my good friend, Hilary Grossman, and her array of author friends (moi included, of course). There are a whopping 40 books listed below, each with a separate rafflecopter, so you can enter to win only the books which intrigue you! Get going!




DANGLED CARAT by Hilary Grossman
Dangled-Carat-Hilary-Grossman FINAL
For every girl who wondered if she should love him or dump him…..
For every girl who listened to her heart instead of her friends advice….
For every girl who l wondered if she was wasting her time dating that guy….
meet Hilary….
She had gotten used to dating the commitment-phobic Marc, thirteen years her senior. They had a great relationship–why rush into things? She saw no need to pressure him for marriage, believing that when the time was right, he would propose. But after they had been together for four years, their friends decided to take matters into their own hands, pushing Marc to propose and making Hilary realize how much she really did want to marry the man that she loved.
Unfortunately, Marc still wasn’t ready–and their friends’ meddling in the form of a faux engagement party led to a disastrous New Year’s Eve that brought their relationship to an inevitable turning point.
“Dangled Carat sparkles with humor and shines with wisdom. It is a gem of a book.” – Christina Baker Kline – New York Times & USA Today Best Selling Author of Orphan Train.
Available: AMAZON Print $11.53 eBook $2.99 Barnes & Noble

OUT TO LUNCH by Stacey Ballis
Out_to_Lunch
A touching and hilarious novel from the fabulous Stacey Ballis about best friends, true love, and the joy of food—for fans of Jen Lancaster, Jennifer Weiner, and Emily Giffin…
Jenna has lost her best friend.
With Aimee gone so tragically young, Jenna barely knows where to turn. Aimee was the one who always knew what to do—not to mention what to wear. The two built a catering company together and had so much in common—well, except their taste in men. Jenna never understood what the successful, sophisticated Aimee saw in Wayne, with his Star Wars obsession and harebrained business schemes.
And gained her best friend’s husband…
But Aimee has left a shocking last request: Jenna now has financial custody of the not-so-merry widower. True, Wayne needs someone sensible around to keep him under control, but what was her dear departed friend thinking?
The thing is, as she gets to know Wayne better, his latest moneymaking idea actually starts to intrigue her. Her attractive new lawyer boyfriend doesn’t approve of it—but then, Wayne doesn’t approve of her attractive new lawyer boyfriend. Now Jenna has to figure out what direction her life is going to take next. And she can’t help asking herself: What would Aimee do?
Available: AmazonBarnes & Noble Print $9.70, eBook $9.22

MY BIG DELICIOUS LIFE by Stacey Ballis
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150 simple and scrumptious recipes from Stacy Ballis’s hit novels Out to LunchOff the MenuGood Enough to Eat, and Recipe for Disaster, as well as 40 new, never-before-seen recipes! 
Stacey Ballis is not a professional chef. She is, however, a foodie novelist, meal innovator, family cook, memory maker, and Brussels sprout advocate who believes that delicious meals can be simple, fun, and creative. Her love of all things culinary has made her “foodie fiction” irresistible. Now, all of the best recipes featured in her novels are available in one mouthwatering cookbook, including 40 “lost” recipes that were not included in the original printings.
With dishes for every occasion, designed to appeal to both experienced cooks and kitchen newbies, this easily-transportable digital collection will make every meal a happy moment and a special memory.
Includes a preview of Stacey’s delectable novel, Recipe for Disaster
“Deeply satisfying.”—Jen Lancaster, New York Times bestselling author of The Tao of Martha
Available: Amazon eBook $3.79

BLOGGER GIRL – by Meredith Schorr
blogger girl
What happens when your high school nemesis becomes the shining star in a universe you pretty much saved? Book blogger Kimberly Long is about to find out. A chick lit enthusiast since the first time she read “Bridget Jones’s Diary,” Kim, with her blog, “Pastel is the New Black,” has worked tirelessly by night to keep the genre alive, and help squash the claim that “chick lit is dead” once and for all. Not bad for a woman who by day ekes out a meager living as a pretty, and pretty-much-nameless, legal secretary in a Manhattan law firm. While Kim’s day job holds no passion for her, the handsome (and shaving challenged) associate down the hall is another story. Yet another story is that Hannah Marshak, one of her most hated high school classmates, has now popped onto the chick lit scene with a hot new book that’s turning heads—and pages—across the land. It’s also popped into Kim’s inbox—for review. With their ten-year high school reunion drawing near, Kim’s coming close to combustion over the hype about Hannah’s book. And as everyone around her seems to be moving on and up, she begins to question whether being a “blogger girl” makes the grade in her off-line life.
Available Amazon eBook $1.99



HOW DO YOU KNOW - by Meredith Schorr
how do you know
What if you were approaching the end of your thirties and all of the life milestones you took for granted in your youth suddenly seemed out of reach?
On the eve of her thirty-ninth birthday, Maggie Piper doesn’t look, act, or feel much different than she did at twenty-nine, but with her fortieth birthday speeding toward her like a freight train, she wonders if she should. The fear of a slowing metabolism, wrinkling of her skin, and the ticking of her biological clock leaves Maggie torn between a desire to settle down like most of her similarly aged peers and concern that all is not perfect in her existing relationship. When a spontaneous request for a temporary “break” from her live-in boyfriend results in a “break-up,” Maggie finds herself single once again and only twelve months from the big 4.0. In the profound yet bumpy year that follows, Maggie will learn, sometimes painfully, that life doesn’t always happen on a schedule, there are no deadlines in love, and age really is just a number.
Available AmazonBarnes & Noble eBook $3.99, print $14.64






BROKEN PIECES – by Rachel Thompson
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Not easy subjects — love, loss, sexual abuse, date rape, grief — but real ones, told in pieces (thus the title). Broken Pieces is a work of non-fiction.
Poetry, prose, and essays to let you into one woman’s life — a searingly raw examination of topics most people avoid.
Already a #1 best seller on Amazon (eBooks) on Women’s Poetry and Abuse, this book is recommended for mature audiences only.
Available Amazon $0.99 eBook, $7.10 print







BROKEN PLACES – by Rachel Thompson
broken places
Award-winning author Rachel Thompson courageously confronts the topics of sexual abuse and suicide, love and healing, in her second nonfiction book of prose: Broken Places. The sequel to Rachel’s first nonfiction book, Broken Pieces, Rachel bares her soul in essays, poems and prose, addressing life’s most difficult topics with honesty. As you follow one woman’s journey through the dark and into the light, you will find yourself forever changed. Rachel’s first book in this series, Broken Pieces, has been a #1 best seller on Amazon (eBooks) on Women’s Poetry and Abuse. Please note: this book discusses serious topics, and is intended for mature audiences only.
Available Amazon 






LIVING BY EAR - by Mary Rowen
living by ear
What happens when the world you love doesn’t press pause when you do? Singer-songwriter Christine Daley hit the streets of Boston and became a minor celebrity—with a local radio hit—in the 90s, but a “short” career break to marry and have kids changed everything. Now, sixteen years later, she’s a frustrated suburban housewife, struggling to find her place in life.
After filing for divorce, she learns that her attempts to reestablish her own rhythms—both in music and in love—are more complicated than she’d anticipated. Her two teenagers are desperate for their mom, and her soon-to-be-ex-husband is throwing every obstacle he can in her way. Adding to the stress is the progress in technology, which has not only changed the music industry, but also the dating world. Is there room in the mix for Chris?
Available Amazon eBook $3.99, print $13.59







LEAVING THE BEACH - by Mary Rowen
leaving the beach
Erin Reardon gets her first kiss from Jim Morrison. She loses her virginity to David Bowie. When she flunks out of college, Bruce Springsteen is there to comfort her, and Elvis Costello breaks her heart in Europe. So what happens when she actually meets a rock star? Leaving the Beach is a gritty story about illusion, reality, and the odd ways that music can blur the lines between the two.
Written with heart and keen observation about the day-to-day struggles of a “functioning bulimic,” Leaving the Beach explores the power of fantasy, then shoves it up against harsh reality until something has to give in this women’s novel set on the sandy beaches of Winthrop, Massachusetts.
Available Amazon eBook $3.99, print $13.59








STARTING FROM LOST – by SK Wills
Starting from Lost
Hannah Rogers is lost: cynical, insecure, and withdrawn. Skeletons forged through a bad breakup that should have been a marriage proposal. Now four years later, Hannah follows her dead-end job to the big city where her only hope is to survive the next eight months as her flirtatious boss’s personal assistant. The last thing her predictable life needs is to collide with the boy responsible for breaking her heart, or the twist of fate that sends a sexy new neighbor to awaken feelings she’s long since put to bed.
Alex Sorrento doesn’t have any room in his life for another pet project. He’s already put aside his career and his personal dreams to follow his half-sister Mackenzie to the big city. Lost in the guilt over the events that nearly took her life, he feels he owes her that much. When Mackenzie befriends the new girl on the third floor, Alex finds himself defenseless against the sizzling chemistry between them and the sadness in her eyes. Can he protect Hannah from her ex without losing his heart?
In this turbulent journey about self-discovery, forgiveness, and love, some second chances aren’t worth taking, but others have their own rewards.
Available Amazon eBook $3.99


MY FAIR LILY by Meara Platt
My Fair Lily Cover

Ewan Cameron, estranged grandson of the Duke of Lotheil, is in London because of a deathbed promise made to his father and has no intention of staying beyond his three month obligation. Nothing can tempt him to remain, not even Lily, the beautiful bluestocking determined not only to restore relations between him and his grandfather, but to turn Ewan into a proper gentleman. Ewan, proud of his Scottish heritage, refuses to admit that Lily, a blue-eyed, English girl, has claimed his heart. It doesn’t matter that his big lump of a sheepdog is madly in love with her. Nor is it significant that Ewan can always tell Lily apart from her identical twin sister. Always.
Lily Farthingale, the scholarly twin, dreams of becoming the first female member of the Royal Society. She grabs at the chance when the elderly Duke of Lotheil approaches her with a proposition – he’ll admit her into the Royal Society, if she helps him to establish a relation with his estranged grandson, Ewan Cameron, a very rough-around-the-edges Scotsman who hates everything English. Between shootings, explosions, and Lily’s abduction, Ewan ends up falling in love with Lily in this Pygmalion-inspired story.
Available AmazonBarnes & Noble eBook $3.99




A SHIFT IN THE WATER - by Patricia D. Eddy
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Cade Bowman leads a small werewolf pack in Bellingham, Washington. Or he did, before a fire elemental intent on revenge traps him as his wolf. His pack gone, held prisoner by the elemental’s charms, he knows death is coming for him.
Mara Taylor is dying. A mysterious blood disorder is taking her life and her doctors can’t seem to stop it. Only her daily swims offer her any relief. Resigned to her fate, she heads to Orcas Island for one last swim.
When Cade’s wolf finds Mara, he knows instinctively that she’s the key to freeing him from the fire elemental’s charm. She’s more than that. She’s his.
Can Mara free Cade his wolf and save her own life in the process? And if she does, can they survive when they learn the identity of the fire elemental hunting them both?
Available Amazon eBook $3.99

32 GOING ON SPINSTER SET – by Becky Monson
Spinster Cover - Amazon

Julia Dorning is a spinster, or at least on the road to becoming one. She has no social life, hates her career, and lives in her parent’s basement with her cat, Charlie.
With the arrival of Jared Moody, the new hire at work, Julia’s mundane life is suddenly turned upside down. Her instant (and totally ridiculous) crush on the new guy causes Julia to finally make some long-overdue changes, in hopes to find a life that includes more than baking and hanging out with Charlie.
But when the biggest and most unexpected change comes, will the new and improved Julia be able to overcome it? Or will she go back to her spinster ways?




33 GOING ON GIRLFRIEND – by Becky Monson
Girlfriend Cover - Amazon


Julia Dorning thought she would die a lonely spinster. That was until nine months ago, when her world was turned upside down. Now she’s got a dream career as a bakery owner, and a relationship with handsome Jared Moody—a life she never thought possible.
Just as she’s starting to feel comfortable in her new life, Julia is invited to battle it out on national television making cupcakes. An amazing opportunity, if she can muster up the confidence to do it, that is. Then, out of the blue, Jared goes and throws a rather large wrench in their relationship causing Julia to have to make some big decisions. With her two trusted confidants off in wedding la la land, Julia is on her own to figure everything out.
Left to her own devices, will Julia be able to work things out for herself? Or will she make a disaster of it all?
Available AmazonBarnes & Noble $0.99 Spinster $2.99 Girlfriend



WHISKEY AND GUMDROPS – by Jean Oram Book TWO in the Blueberry Springs series — All STANDALONE novels from New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Jean Oram! 
Whiskey303K


One woman. One case of self-denial. One hunky best friend who wants a lot more.
Mandy Mattson has always believed that what you want isn’t what you need. But never in her life has she been more wrong.
As a small town waitress, Mandy has never felt as though she deserves the love of her best friend Frankie. But when she sees an ex-lover marry her rival she realizes her life is adding up to a big fat nothing and she needs to make a change. With every path in her new life leading back to Frankie, will she finally be able to reconcile that the one thing she’s always wanted is the very thing she needs?
This best friend romance is a companion novel to Champagne and Lemon Drops: A Blueberry Springs Chick lit Contemporary Romance and can be read as a standalone–does contain spoilers for Champagne and Lemon Drops (free ebook).
Available Amazon Barnes & Noble Print $10.99 eBook $2.99


THERE ARE NO MEN  – by Carol Maloney Scott
ThereAreNoMen-ebook cover

Divorced thirty-something Claire doesn’t know who’s in her dating pool—but she’s doing her best to avoid shark infested waters.
Leaving her clueless and insensitive husband behind was a smart move after losing her fertility, but now she’s riding the wave of flying toupees and strange men in leather thongs.
After a long drought, men are flooding her shores and she’s drowning in choices. There’s the 25-year-old IT boy-genius with the GQ looks, the charming but mysterious doctor, and her hot new neighbor with the hard rock night gig.
To further rock her boat, Claire’s ‘stable’ career in publishing has been tossed about by her floundering company’s launch of a new line of trendy, salacious books. Cookbooks aren’t selling these days, but erotica is flying off the shelves—and challenging Claire’s attitude about sex, work…and her new, tempestuous life.
Available Amazon ebook $2.99


CHARLOTTE’S RESTRAINED, THE ACCIDENTAL STALKER - by Celia Kennedy
2 Charlotte's Restrained E-Book Cover

What could go wrong celebrating New Years in the swanky, celebrity-packed, French Alps? The answer is nothing, unless your name happens to be Charlotte Young.
Her four closest friends conspire to help Charlotte meet long-time celeb crush, Des Bannerman, a.k.a. King of Romantic Comedies. While she may not be able to dislodge his world-famous girlfriend, the evening is a dream come true. That is, until an innocent night of champagne, gambling and lighthearted banter turns into tabloid fodder and a restraining order.
An entertaining series of events allow Charlotte to hunt Des down, helping her restore her reputation and uncover a misunderstanding. Fifteen minutes of fame just isn’t all it’s cracked up to be!
Available Amazon eBook $2.99


VENUS RISING – by Celia Kennedy
Venus Rising E-Book Cover

Akshaya Bertrand, is a Professor of Art History at an Ivy League college in New England. Young and incomparably beautiful, she hides her traumatic childhood in India behind vibrant veils of secrecy.
Jared Harrison, a war correspondent in the Middle East accepts a position as guest lecturer. Upon meeting, the two find themselves drawn to one another, sensing the others deep wounds.
Thrown together on a voyage of discovery, the two travel through exotic India. Amongst beauty and poverty, sorrow and friendship, they both will finally face the past that has shaped them and the present that defines them.
Will the answers they find close the gap between them or push them further apart?
Available Amazon $2.99 eBook


I’M STILL HERE – by Kathryn Biel
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It started out as an ordinary day for Esther Comely-Cox, if you consider simultaneously totaling your car, smashing a Ho Ho in your face and meeting a handsome doctor ordinary.
Estranged from her family over her sister’s mental illness and death, Esther can’t help but feel alone. And when Esther hears the voice of her twin sister who committed suicide seven years ago, she begins to question her own sanity, leading her to wonder if anything is what it seems. Searching for answers, Esther must confront her past while looking towards a new future—one in which she is finally accepted.
Through humor and heartbreak, Esther learns that blood does not mean family, that absence does not make the heart grow fonder and that silence can speak volumes.
Available Amazon Barnes & Noble eBook $3.99

CONFESSIONS FROM A COFFEE SHOP – by TB Markinson
Confessions Cover


Cori Tisdale was on top of the world. A basketball star at Harvard and a promising author with a lucrative book deal.
A few years later, Cori’s life is falling apart. Her beautiful girlfriend, Kat Finn, has a shopping addiction. To make ends meet, Cori takes a part-time job at a coffee shop.
Just when Cori thinks her life can’t get any worse, an old crush appears out of the blue. Cori’s friendship with Samantha Clarke pushes Cori further into a dangerous abyss when Sam reveals two secrets to Cori and asks her not to tell a soul, including Kat.
Will this be the end of Cori’s and Kat’s relationship?
Available Amazon eBook $2.99




FRENCH TWIST  – by Glynis Astie
french twist

Sydney Bennett had spent her life in pursuit of perfection. She planned, weighed her options and made careful choices based on calculated outcomes. Through all of her efforts, she had come pretty close to perfection, if she didn’t say so herself. She had fled the cold winters in New York for sunny California, found a job that she loved and lived in the same town as her sister, and best friend, Kate. The one area of perfection that had always eluded her was her love life. No matter how hard she tried, she always ended up with a broken heart. After a particularly traumatic breakup, Sydney vowed that she was done with love.
Just as Sydney threw herself into her new plan to forget about men, a handsome Frenchman tossed all of her intentions out the window as he swept her off of her feet. Louis Durand had lived a life filled with excitement and adventure. He was impetuous, intelligent and incredibly charming. So naturally, he scared Sydney half to death. From the moment they met, Louis and Sydney’s romance progressed at warp speed. Sydney did her best not to run, but her deep rooted relationship anxiety threatened to provide an easy exit. When Louis mentioned marriage before Sydney even knew his favorite color, she was more than tempted to reach for her running shoes. Will she be able to put her fears aside to follow her heart? The one thing that Sydney will learn is that sometimes perfection comes with a twist…
Available Amazon eBook $0.99



FRENCH TOAST  – by Glynis Astie
FRENCH TOAST!


Sydney Bennett is back! And her pursuit of perfection is alive and well. Naïve to the core, Sydney believed that when she finally married the man of her dreams, the hard part was over. Following a civil ceremony as a means to keep Louis from being deported, Sydney continues to plan the fairytale wedding that she had dreamed of since the age of five. Much to her chagrin, she discovers that her mother-in-law is planning what seems to be a rival wedding in France that SHE has been dreaming about for her only child since before he was born. How will poor Sydney be able to ensure two perfect weddings in the midst of Louis’ fruitless job search? Especially when her mother-in-law’s idea of perfection appears to be having Sydney embarrass herself in front of hundreds of French people that she has never met?
As if she didn’t have enough on her mind already, Sydney finds herself faced with the trials and tribulations of being a wife. Sydney had always heard that marriage was hard, but she thought that this was just a ruse that married couples portrayed in a bid to make single girls feel less desperate. But as the bills pile up and emotions run high, she realizes that there may just be some truth to this statement. And as she watches Louis’ perfection fade away before her very eyes, she begins to wonder if she made a rash decision in marrying a man that she had known for a mere six months.
With all of the obstacles that Sydney and Louis will encounter, will they be raising their glasses in celebration or watching their impulsive marriage crash and burn? One thing is for certain, Sydney and Louis Durand are headed for one hell of a toast…
Available Amazon eBook $2.99


HOME  – By Rachel Smith
home

After twelve years on top of the charts, country music superstar Lily Rae has decided to hang up the microphone and move home. Becoming Lillian Raftzen again is harder than she anticipated and soon, it seems running home is not enough to escape from her manipulative ex-agent, who not only threatens to end her happiness, but her life.
When the girl of his dreams walks back into his life twelve years later, Justin DeLuca realizes as much as he loves her, she is no longer the girl he remembers. With everything they must overcome, can the two of them make their dreams come true? Lily’s dream to sing and Justin’s dream for a family are so very far from the same path. But by veering off course they find a new dream on a new path ending up right where it all began…..home.
Available AmazonBarnes & Noble eBook $2.99


FIVE MINUTES LATE – by Rich Amooi
Five minutes late ebook cover


Can an always-tardy garlic mogul and a punctual Silicon Valley librarian fall in love?
 The world needs garlic and somebody’s got to sell that garlic. Cedric Johnson is that man. But even though he’s got just about everything he can wish for, Cedric is still missing one thing in his life: someone special. Fate may be on his side, but he encounters a few distractions along the way—like almost being killed by a UPS truck. Oh, and a little case of blackmail.
Ellie Fontaine is a walking Wikipedia with clear professional goals, but when it comes to landing Mr. Right, she doesn’t know jack squat. She even gives online dating a shot and ends up with an unappetizing buffet of unibrows and losers. What’s a girl to do?
After Ellie saves Cedric’s life, serendipity takes over as they continue to run into each other. Their connection grows stronger with each meeting, even though he embodies her number one pet peeve: he’s always late. But even if they can get past their issues and misunderstandings, Ellie’s ex-boyfriend, an unscrupulous cop, will do anything to keep them apart.
Five Minutes Late is a hilarious fast-paced romantic comedy, full of snappy dialogue and fun, quirky characters, guaranteed to warm your heart.
Available AmazoneBook $4.99 Print $12.99 Paperback


PLOTTING MR. PERFECT – by S.E. Babin
Plotting mr perfect


The closest Katie has come to romance lately is arguing with her lawn-care-obsessed, handsome neighbor, Will. After a drunken girls’ night out with her best friends involving a visualization exercise for the perfect man and an instance of breaking and entering, Katie wakes up thankfully in her own bed with a massive hangover and her neighbor standing on her porch with a peace offering.
But soon after, she gets another surprise in the form of a naked man in her driveway who proclaims he’s been created just for her. As antics and romantic gestures commence, Katie will begin to question herself about love and loyalty. How do you know when the perfect man is not really perfect? And when does Mr. Wrong begin to look like Mr. Right?
Available Amazon eBook $3.82

BATTER UP – by Robyn Neeley
BatterUp_Final

She mixes more than flour and sugar into her cake batter, and he’s about to find out if a little bit of magic is to his taste…
Bakeshop owner Emma Stevens has a secret — a delicious, slightly unorthodox secret. Each Monday, she mixes up a premonition to share with the bachelors of Buttermilk Falls, and sets one lucky man on the path to true love.
When reporter Jason Levine finds himself mixed up in a Las Vegas bachelorette party, he hears the strangest rumor: the marriage is happening thanks to magic cake batter. Seriously skeptical, and sick of frauds, Jason journeys to the backwater town of Buttermilk Falls to expose the baker and release the townspeople from her evil clutches.
But when Jason meets Emma, tempers flare and sparks fly. Will Jason cling to his logic at the expense of a future, or will he let himself fall under Emma’s spell?
Available Amazon eBook $3.53


THEIF FOR HIRE – by Jillianne Hamilton
Theif for hire


Professional, experienced contract burglar.
It’s not exactly something you can put on a business card.
Molly Miranda has made a successful living from “acquiring” valuables and delivering them to clients who pay buckets of cash for her unique services.
So what if she has to lie about her lavish lifestyle in Manhattan and her frequent trips out of the country? Molly has everything under control.
Things go astray when she knocks boots with her charming roommate right before taking off to Scotland with an untrustworthy wildcard on a job assignment that doesn’t go quite as planned.
It doesn’t help that this new partner-in-crime is super annoying. And attractive…
Join Molly on her hilarious adventures as she dodges bullets, trespasses, wears disguises, and steals her way into trouble.
Available Amazon eBook $2.99


SHE SINS AT MIDNIGHT - by Whitney Dineen


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Lila Montgomery, thirty-two-year-old Hollywood assistant extraordinaire, has a secret. On the outside, she’s a hard-working dedicated employee, a good friend, and a loving daughter. But above all else, she’s been raised to be a lady, which of course is why she’s determined to conceal her secret life. If her straight-laced friends and family back home ever discover that she is really the smashing new author of a steamy romance novel, their disapproval would shame her forever! That’s why Lila has chosen to publish her sexy narrative under the nom de plume, Jasmine Sheath.
With her fifteenth high school class reunion on the horizon, Lila finds herself at a crossroads. More than anything she wants to go home and see her childhood friends but is embarrassed that she hasn’t accomplished the things she feels she should have by this time in her life; mainly marriage and children.
After another brutal run-in with Melinda Forrester, Oscar nominated actress and client of her boss, Josh Furber, Lila decides that fleeing Hollywood for a month is the best thing for her. Lila packs her bags for her childhood home of Bentley Hills, sure that her friends and family will be the touchstone of normalcy that she so desperately needs. What she doesn’t expect is that Melinda will follow her and a tabloid media circus will ensue!
Not only does Lila discover that her home is nothing like she remembers, but she meets and falls in love with the very man that inspired the hero in her novel.
She Sins at Midnight is full of laugh out loud hi-jinks that will make you never look at Hollywood the same way again!
Available Amazon eBook $2.99


SET ME FREE –  by Jennifer Collin
Set me free cover


Disastrous love life aside, Charlotte Evans is rather content with her life. Her quaint little art gallery is plodding along nicely, and her sister Emily’s artistic career is about to take off, thanks to her tireless promotion. She even gets to see her best friend every day and drink his delicious coffee in the café next door.
But when dastardly property developer Craig Carmichael comes along, threatening to demolish her gallery and take everything away, Charlotte has an unexpected fight on her hands. Not only is she battling to stop Craig’s development, she’s also struggling against the mysterious magnetic pull that has her on a collision course with Craig himself.
Craig Carmichael is fighting the Battle for Boundary Street on more than one front. The tenants of the building he wants to knock down are mounting a strong case against him and in a hot-headed moment he put his career on the line for a project that is threatening to fail. If the project doesn’t succeed he will lose everything, but for some reason he’s having trouble maintaining his focus.
As their worlds begin to unravel around them, anyone could win. It’s what they might lose that has Charlotte and Craig wondering what it is they really want.
Available Amazon eBook $0.99


What A Texas Girl Wants – by Kristina Knight
what a tx girl wants


Kathleen Witte is a down-to-earth girl. She has to be, with the family ranch on the verge of success. After seven months of keeping it all together by swearing off men, however, Kathleen needs a bit of fun in the sun. Waking up with a husband she can’t remember isn’t how she planned to blow off steam.
The last thing Jackson Taylor wants in his life is a down-to-earth girl. He has four weeks of freedom in which to find his birth mother. He’s done well avoiding commitment until now, so when he wakes up on a Mexican beach with Kathleen his first reaction is curiosity. When he spies the matching wedding rings on their left hands curiosity turns to concern.
Neither Jackson nor Kathleen want to stay married, but when her family shows up, they have no choice. Once back in Texas, however, can they keep this all-business marriage from turning into an all-consuming love?
Available AmazonBarnes & Noble eBook $3.82

THE DAUGHTER HE WANTED – by Kristina Knight
the daughter he wanted

Since the loss of his wife, Alex Ryan has been living a half-life. But with one phone call, Alex discovers he’s the biological father of a four-year-old girl…and everything changes.
Single mom Paige Kenner preferred to have a family without the man. Now suddenly there’s Alex, who desperately wants to be a father to her little girl. A gorgeous, kind and committed father. Letting a stranger into their lives is far too dangerous—especially if his presence stirs a part of Paige that she longs to forget…
Available AmazonBarnes & Noble eBook $4.74








THE TROUBLE WITH DYING – by Maggie La Page
the trouble with dying


When Faith Carson wakes up on a hospital ceiling looking down on her body in a coma, it’s a bad start to the week. A very bad start. She has no idea who she is or how she got there or why, and the biggest mystery of all is why she married the schmuck who wants her ventilator switched off.
As if that’s not enough Faith has a dead gran haunting her, a young daughter missing her, and one devilishly delicious man making her wish she could have a second chance at life. And maybe she can, if she finds a way back into her body and wakes up by Friday. But if she doesn’t, this will be her last bad week–ever.
Nate Sutherland decided long ago he’d settle for friendship if he couldn’t have Faith’s heart. But now, as she nears death, he’s going to have to listen to his feelings in a whole new way–and act. Because if he doesn’t, this week will be the worst damn week of his life. He’ll lose everything he’s ever loved.
Available Amazon eBook $2.99

MISS ADVENTURE - by Geralyn Corcillo
Miss Adventure Cover

Day-dreaming city girl Lisa Flyte decides to face her fears and get a backbone by going on daring outdoor adventures with the cynical adrenaline junkie Jack Hawkins. She survives all the treks, dives, and jumps (barely!), but can she use her new found moxie to become the alpha hero of her everyday life? Will she find the grit to go after a career she really wants or the nerve to stand up to her bulling family? And will she get gutsy enough to go after Jack? He’s a man who’s not afraid of anything…except falling for Lisa.
Available Amazon eBook $2.99








CHEATING TO SURVIVE – by Christina Ardigo
Cheating_To_Survive_E-Book_Cover

Edge-of-your-seat ‎Drama, Steamy ‎Romance & Hilarious ‎Humor!
So many Women are trapped in Marriages & feel they have no options.
Is Cheating the Answer? Heather traveled down a forbidden Road. TWICE.
And she was Married.
Can Cheating on Your Husband Bring Unimaginable Pleasure or Completely Destroy Your World?
To her three daughters, Heather is a fun-loving, silly mom. Her co-workers at Norlyn Plains Hospital think she has it all, including a handsome lawyer husband.
But when a flirtatious new doctor chooses Heather to spend his down time with, he reminds her of the man she regrettably gave up so many years before. Each interaction breathes new life into her and she gives in to the doctor’s seductions, threatening her fifteen year marriage.
Her co-workers Victoria and Catherine, are stunned by her actions, but when they see the positive transformation in Heather, and question their own crumbling marriages, they wonder if she has the right idea.
Can cheating on their husbands bring the three of them happiness? Or will they be destroyed by the consequences?
Available Amazon $3.99 eBook $11.99 print


BLACKMAIL BRIDE – by Storm Chase
Small Blackmail Bride by Storm Chase

No swirling highlanders here!  This is a modern Scottish novel (But the hero is a hunk and the heroine has brains!)
Stalked by her abusive ex-husband, Lucy Grant is desperate for a protector. Lucy aims for the one man who is tough enough for the job, ex-convict Jack Welsh. Found guilty of a crime he didn’t commit, Jack Welsh is convinced Lucy’s ex set him up. Jack will do anything to clear his name – even if it means marrying Lucy. A story of love and redemption with fully depicted love scenes.
Available AmazonBarnes & Noble $1.49 eBook








THE DEGAS GIRL – by AJ Adams
small The Degas Girl


"He wore jeans and a turquoise T-shirt. The colour made his eyes look blue instead of green. I wasn’t fooled by his looks and his gentle ways. This man had a will of iron, and by the way he looked at me, I could see he was just as determined to control me as Angelo. He just used his tongue instead of his fists.
I’d go along with it, because anything that kept me out of the hole meant I had a chance to escape. I’d pretend to be docile, and as soon as he fell asleep or took his eye off me, I’d make a run for it.
He looked me over, frowning slightly. Suddenly I wondered if he was changing his mind. Maybe he wasn’t going to let me eat. Maybe it was a game. Maybe he’d show me the food, and then tie me up and leave me to starve while he stuffed his face. I was trembling at the thought. “
###
Serenity Bishop is a work of art. Her skin a canvas, decorated with the scars of her evil captor’s twisted abuse. But her tormentor, Angelo, is about to lose control.
Zachary Schiavelli is an art thief and forger. His handsome face is merely the mask that hides a cold, calculating man whose own childhood of abuse has honed him into a remorseless killing machine.
Zachary is about to take an intense disliking to Angelo.
Sometimes you need to fight fire with fire.
In a violent tale of mob rule where violence begets violence, an unlikely alliance between two forces of nature is about to change the face of organized crime. When Serenity and Zachary collide, it’s an unstoppable force meeting an immovable object, and everyone around them is about to get caught in the crossfire.
A complete novel with no cliff-hangers.
A violent tale of mob rule and dark romance. Warning contains explicit scenes of dubious consent, graphic violence and sex. Adults only

Available AmazonBarnes & Noble $3.99 eBook


A FAIR EXCHANE – by Monique McDonell
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Who hasn’t wondered about their first love? What happened? What went wrong? Where are they now?
What if you got a second chance?
Amelia Armstrong is about to find out. What a shame her long-lost love, Matt,  has returned  (looking way too good and acting way too sweet) when her life is a shambles and she has finally decided once and for all to put herself and not whichever man is currently in her life, first.
How do you balance that desire to recapture that loving feeling with the need to finally be the best version of yourself? What if this really is the one, how do you choose when to stand your ground and when to cut your losses?  Amelia takes a journey from Sydney to New York and back again trying to find the answers while negotiating with pop-divas, ex-lovers, crazy teenagers, a well-meaning cousin and the tabloids.
A Fair Exchange is a story about being a grown up when, maybe, you’d much rather be sixteen again.
Available Amazon $2.99 eBook


THE DIVORCED NOT DEAD WORKSHOP – by CeCe Osgood
Divorced Not Dead Workshop. Final.contrast ebookcover (2)


Divorced five years ago and recently dumped by Theo, her Brit boyfriend, Dorsey brainstorms about a dating workshop for divorced men. Too bad she’s an idea person with zero follow-through.
That all changes when her feisty best friend opts to set up the workshop on a cruise ship. But do things ever really work out as planned. No. No, they don’t.
A startling mishap, rebellious workshop attendees and the arrival of handsome but wily Finn Woodall soon send things topsy-turvy for Dorsey.  More trouble arises with the unexpected re-appearance of Theo. Will Dorsey and Theo rekindle their relationship? Or is she smitten with Finn who could possibly be a back-stabbing weasel?  And has the workshop made a difference in what she desires in life … and love?
Available Amazon $2.99

THE UNICORN’S DAUGHTER – by Norma Beishir
unicorn


Jaime Lynde would stop at nothing to find the truth….
As a child, she was told her father was dead, but one by one, the lies began to unravel. James Lynde was an operative for the OSS during World War II, and later for the CIA. In 1986, he was still alive and working undercover in Libya. As Jaime followed his trail, a traitor followed hers…and the US prepared to take military action….
“Beishir pens a winner with this gripping thriller…she confidently builds to a revelatory and spellbinding finale.”
— Publishers Weekly
Available AmazonBarnes & Noble $2.99 eBook



WE’VE ALWAYS GOT NEW YORK – by Jill Knapp
Weve_always_got_new_york high res

The second book in Jill Knapp’s fabulous series about dating in New York picks up after Amalia Hastings returns to Manhattan from her trip to Brazil – and finds that life has indeed gone on without her.
Fresh off the plane, Amalia’s feeling anxious and unresolved; left alone to pick up the pieces and deal with the repercussions of choosing her own path over Michael.
Without an apartment, without a job, and starting to wonder if she’s even without a best friend, she finds herself holding on tightly to the one thing she is familiar with, New York City.
Sometimes you have to let go of who you were to become who you will be…
Available Amazon $4.74


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Wednesday, January 7, 2015

New Release: Twin Piques by Tracie Banister



There's nothing like a brand new year to prompt you to take stock of your life. Just two short days ago, I blogged about my resolutions for 2015, touting how I would "show the love" to all the important people in my life. At the very top of this list is my sister, Megan. If it were not for this incredible person, I would never have become an author. Not in a million years. My amazing sister is the person who believed in me from the very beginning, the person who boosted my confidence every time it waned, the person who talked story ideas through with me when I became frustrated and was ready to chuck the whole thing AND the person who designed my gorgeous covers. What more could a girl possibly ask for?

With thoughts of sisters fresh in my mind, I have just downloaded my good friend Tracie Banister's third novel, Twin Piques! Happy Release Day, Tracie! Let's get to the good stuff...





Release Date: January 7, 2015
Genre: Chick Lit

Forensic accountant Sloane Tobin and kooky pet psychic Willa may have the same face, but that’s the only thing these identical twins have in common.

How she can read the hearts and minds of animals has always been a mystery to Willa, and her rotten luck with men is equally baffling. Although she’s been looking for “The One” for what feels like forever (A teenage marriage to a French mime and dating a guy named Spider seemed like good ideas at the time!), optimistic Willa refuses to give up on love. When she meets Brody, the handsome rose expert hired to save her grandmother’s garden, she’s instantly smitten, but why does he keep sending her mixed signals? Does he return her feelings, or is their attraction all in her fanciful head?

Unlike her twin, Sloane has zero interest in romance. Her passion is her job, where she uses her gift for numbers to take down slimy embezzlers and asset-hiding spouses. When she’s assigned two high profile cases, Sloane feels confident the promotion she’s been angling for is within her grasp. But will her plan to climb the corporate ladder be thwarted by difficult clients, her co-worker-with-benefits, or – most surprisingly of all – her own sister? And how’s she supposed to stay focused on the drama at work when her childhood friend, Gav, moves in next door and the spark between them becomes impossible to ignore?

To get what they both want, can Willa and Sloane band together and rely on each other’s strengths? Or will their differences drive them apart once and for all?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


 About the Author




An avid reader and writer, Tracie Banister has been scribbling stories since she was a child, most of them featuring feisty heroines with complicated love lives like her favorite fictional protagonist Scarlett O'Hara. Her work was first seen on the stage of her elementary school, where her 4th grade class performed an original holiday play that she penned. (Like all good divas-in-the-making, she also starred in and tried to direct the production.)
Tracie’s dreams of authorial success were put on the backburner when she reached adulthood and discovered that she needed a "real" job in order to pay her bills. Her career as personal assistant to a local entrepreneur lasted for 12 years. When it ended, she decided to follow her bliss and dedicate herself to writing full-time. Twin Piques is her third Chick Lit release. The pet psychic character in this novel was inspired by Tracie’s rascally rescue dogs. She’d love to know what goes on in their heads!


Ready to buy Twin Piques? Go on with your bad self!



To find out more about the lovely and talented Tracie Banister, check out your options below!


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Sunday, January 4, 2015

Ready for a Brand New Year?

Once again the holiday season is behind us and I find myself wondering what the next year will bring. December was, once again, a flurry of activity in my house, since both of my boys were born during this lovely month which means we add birthday parties (gasp!) on top of the bevvy of holiday events we partake in. This year we had the added challenge of a plague-like illness which swept through each one of us with reckless abandon. We may have been a little worse for the wear (thousands of tissues MAY have been sacrificed), but we still managed to enjoy our cherished time together.

During one of my fever induced sleepless nights, I began to craft my annual list of - dum, dum, dum –New Year’s Resolutions. I know what you’re thinking. Why bother? No one follows through on these crazy lists anyway. I will admit that I have not been very successful in the past in adhering to my aspirations, but this small detail is not going to stop me from trying once again. ;)
Are you ready? Here goes nothing!

Live each day with gratitude

This is one I promise to do EVERY year and while I think I’ve made a vast improvement, I still have a long way to go. I’m an insanely lucky person. I have an amazing husband, two adorable and charming boys, a close-knit family and many, many wonderful friends. I would do quite well to remember this rather than becoming mired down in all the annoyances of every-day life. All that frowning only adds to my wrinkles! As a reminder, I have slapped the word gratitude all over my house (Repetition is key, y’all!) and squealed with joy when I found this awesome shirt.

Share the love

Just over nine years ago, I lost my mother in a tragic accident. I lived the following year in such anger – wondering what I had done to deserve such a fate. I worried constantly if she knew how much I loved her. Did she know what an amazing mother she was? Did she have any idea how grateful I was for all of her sacrifices? From this day forward, if you mean something to me, you’ll hear about it. Sure, I may achieve stalker status, but at least if I get hit by a bus tomorrow, I’ll have no doubts that everyone knew how I felt.

Be outside more

Who doesn’t like a good bout of sunshine? It just makes you feel better. Aside from the scientific explanation (Some sort of biochemical something or other…I used to be smart!), donning a pair of shades and taking a moment to survey the gorgeous landscape around you will lift your spirits considerably. Not to mention, taking you away from the stress of your laptop, tablet and/or phone for just a few minutes. You will survive being unplugged for this miniscule amount of time, I promise!

Take my kids to more fun places.

I’m not just talking about museums. Sure, museums and other educational fare are wonderful learning opportunities, but I also want my boys to have fun. That’s right. F-U-N! We all need more laughter in our lives. I want my babies to have hours and hours of happy memories to play over in their minds when I’m gone. In fact, while you’re reading this post, I’m off playing indoor glow-in-the-dark mini golf! Woohoo!

Exercise more

Physical activity makes you feel good! Endorphins, baby! And let’s not forget the gorgeous side effects. My good friend, Deepa, (otherwise known as Maya from my French Twist series) was telling me the other day that she plans to tone her body a la Jennifer Lopez in 2015. And why not? I plan to go on with my bad self and follow her example!

Blog more

I have tons of musings in my mind; why not share them? And if I try really hard, I can be quite funny. J This year I plan spend more time writing amusing tales for you to read rather than obsessing over every last word. You’ll forgive a typo or two, won’t you?

Live in the moment

My mind is always fifty steps ahead of my body, resulting in endless lists playing through my consciousness as I go through my day. Just the other day, I was reading a book with my little one and I kept finding my mind wandering to my ever present task inventory. Again I had to remind myself of the proverbial bus – if it were to hit me tomorrow, I would like to think I cherished every moment I had with my loved ones instead of fussing over the little things. Enough said.

Dance like nobody is watching

I know it’s a cliché. It’s the ultimate cliché. But that doesn’t mean it isn’t awesome! Dancing is one of my favorite things to do. My boys and I will run into the kitchen, fire up the MP3 player and listen to everything from Annoying Orange to Katy Perry. I bust out my favorite Billy Joel tunes and they beg for Bon Jovi and Usher. The mood is light, the smiles are plentiful and we always invent a few new dance moves!

Snuggle my babies

I’m honestly not sure if it’s possible to hug and kiss my boys more than I do, but I plan to try! They’re growing up so quickly and before I know it, my attempts to cuddle with them will be met with an eye roll and a whiny, “Mom! Stooooop!” Carpe diem!

Worry less

OK, this is the BIG one. If you’ve read my books, you’re quite familiar with the, um, heightened state of worry exhibited my alter ego, Sydney Durand (née Bennett). That ain’t no fairy tale, folks. I’ve been known to exude anxiety from every single pore of my being. And while I like to think it’s part of my charm, the delusion has begun to wear off. (There’s nothing like a few book reviews mentioning the crazy-with-a-capital “C” main character in your books to make you think!)

Instead of my endless obsession with the “what ifs” of every-day life, I plan to use this energy towards something much more positive. Like, learning to knit! Or perfecting my French! Conversations with my in-laws are rather few and far between based on my limited vocabulary. (Most of my words are food related. Go figure!)

Find my inspiration

There’s much writing to be done this year, y’all! I have just begun the second round of edits on the third and final book in my French Twist series, French Fry, AND I plan to write my first complete work of fiction. Writing a series based on my life hasn’t been easy, but at least I had the main plot points outlined for me. Now I must wrangle the ideas in my head into a mythical Chick Lit adventure. Wish me luck!





So, there you have it. My list of things to aspire to in 2015. Got resolutions? I would love to hear about them! We can be resolution buddies! I with you all the best in the coming year and am looking forward to hearing more from you! Don’t be a stranger!

Friday, November 7, 2014

New Release: Early Bird by Tracy Krimmer

Hey, everyone! Ready for a holiday-themed short story? The lovely and talented Tracy Krimmer has just released a Thanksgiving tale told Chick Lit style. Feast your eyes on this!






Francie excels at her job as a party planner, but can't say the same about love. When an obnoxious, but handsome, man approaches her in line at a Thanksgiving sale, she pushes him away like she always does. Can Francie put her fears aside and nab an early bird special, or is she destined to plan every wedding but her own? 

Sound good? I know I'm intrigued. Just on my way to Amazon to buy it. Feel free to join me! 

Interested in finding out more about Tracy? 

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Sunday, October 19, 2014

Down on Love Blog Tour Stop: The Fabulous Jayne Denker




Greetings, y'all! I have a real treat for you today. My good friend, Jayne Denker, has stopped by for a chat about her fabulous book, Down on Love. It is the first book in her Marsden series, a collection of books based in a delightful town in the Catskills which is full of, well, busybodies. (Please reference the above signage.)

I thoroughly enjoyed Down on Love and am now addicted to the series. Ms. Denker's books are bursting with charm, wit and sincerity, just like Ms. Denker herself. Are you ready to meet her?
                             

Tour of Marsden, Day 6
There’s More to the Catskills Than Dirty Dancing

Hey there! Happy Monday! ...What, no love for the beginning of the week? But we’re not toiling away in the workplace—we’re on a tour bus in the Catskill Mountains, heading for the fictional town of Marsden, NY, where my small-town rom com series takes place!

Don’t know much about the Catskills? Well, I can help you out there. I’m a native (western) New Yorker and have spent most of my life north of New York City and west of the Hudson. I was born in Rochester, I’ve lived in the Finger Lakes and downstate near the Pennsylvania border, and I went to college in the Catskills.

And I can tell you that there’s nothing more beautiful than an autumn afternoon in that weathered mountain range in the middle of New York State.

How about some Catskills trivia? 

(Sources: CatskillMountainKeeper.org, CatskillCenter.org, TheCatskillRegion.com, Wikipedia.org)

·         The Catskills Mountains are 100 miles north of New York City and the region extends from Albany in the east, down the Hudson River, and westward into what’s known as the Leatherstocking Region. It’s made up of 6,000 square miles, six counties, nearly 100 mountain peaks, and 700,000 acres of parkland (nearly half of which is designated as forever wild).

·         The area was once an inland sea.

·         The name has nothing to do with killing cats. In Dutch, “kill” means creek, so it was known as Cat Creek, possibly because of the mountain lions in the area at the time the Dutch explored it (1600s).

·         Howe Caverns is located in the Catskills.

·         The classic novel My Side of the Mountain is set there (Delhi, NY).

·         The Woodstock music festival took place in the Catskill town of Bethel (no, not Woodstock, NY, but that’s a famous artists’ colony).

·         The first Christmas trees sold in New York City came from the Catskills in 1851.

·         The Baseball Hall of Fame is located there (Cooperstown, NY).

·         Washington Irving’s Rip van Winkle is set in the Catskills.

·         New York City gets nearly half its water supply from the region.

·         In the mid-20th century, part of the Catskills was famously known as the Borscht Belt, an area filled with resorts and “summer camps” that hosted families from New York City all season.

·         Movies set in the Catskills: Dirty Dancing (of course!), A Walk on the Moon (mmm...Viggo Mortenson...), Woodstock (double of course!), Manny & Lo, and the documentary Stagedoor, just to name a few. Scenes from Tootsie were shot there, and several movies like You Can Count on Me were set there but not filmed there.

Most important of all (koff): my Marsden series is set in the Catskills! Although you won’t find Marsden on any map, there’s a little bit of other towns in it...and a whole lot of the Catskill vibe.

Here’s an excerpt that’ll give you a feel for the place; it’s when our heroine, Georgiana (George) Down, comes back to town after being away for years:

                                                                           ~~~~~~~~~~

They crossed a side street, and George did a double take at the sight of a picture of a garden spray-painted on a brick wall. She glanced at Casey with a smile. “Banksy crossed the Atlantic when nobody was looking?”

“What, the street art? Local version. We call him Marsdy.”

“Who is it?”

“Nobody knows—haven’t caught anybody in the act yet. And that’s some feat.”

“Keeping a secret around here? You’re not kidding.” They hurried past a mime on the corner, avoiding catching the person’s eye so they didn’t have to stop and watch the invisible box thing. “When did you move back? Sera didn’t tell me—well, why would she, you know? But I didn’t—I mean . . .”

“It’ll be two years in October.”

“She hasn’t mentioned you in two years? Not that we talk very often, but . . .”

“I’ve been keeping a low profile.”

“‘Working hard on the farm?’” It seemed like everything came back to that.

“Yeah.” Before she could ask for details, he went on, “And speaking of working, what was that Mrs. P said, about a blog . . . ?”

“Girl’s gotta make a living.”

“Well, aren’t you wired—” Casey paused as a cell phone chirped. “Yours?”

George stopped walking and pulled her phone out of her pocket. “Nope. You?”

Casey was checking his. “Not me.”

They stowed their phones and started walking again, but their path seemed to be blocked more frequently, and by individuals who were looking at them rather intently.

George whispered, “Do I have spinach in my teeth?”

“When was the last time you ate spinach?”

“Two thousand eleven?”

“When was the last time you brushed your teeth? And please don’t say two thousand ten.”

“This morning.”

“All right, then.”

“Are you getting the feeling we’re missing something?”

Casey looked grim, but he said, “It’s nothing. Come on, we’re here.”

The hardware store looked exactly the same as it always had—clapboard front, two plate-glass windows, swinging sign overhead reading “Smithson’s Hardware” even though Tony Smithson, the previous owner and proprietor, had died twenty-five years ago. Because it was June, the window display featured a wheelbarrow, a Garden Weasel, bags of fertilizer, a small stretch of picket fence, and a carpet of fake grass. Just like every year. If you’d just woken up from a coma and didn’t have a calendar handy, you could tell what month it was by checking the hardware store’s window display.

Inside, it was as though time had stood still. The dark wooden shelves were still twenty feet tall (it seemed), the lights high and dim, the farthest recesses dark and dusty, the bins of odds and ends and bits of metal parts, screws, nails, washers, and clamps organized in such a way that only the employees could find anything. Probably, George thought, to ensure job security. You couldn’t fire any of the old fossils who’d manned the counter for decades; if you did, nobody would be able to locate anything they needed.

And sure enough, there were the three of them right now, in various states of apronage, two older gents with eyeglasses flashing, reflecting the lights overhead, the third a bit younger, with more hair and less stomach—the next generation, a future fossil. They all watched Casey and George walk in and raised their hands in greeting.

“Welcome home, George,” the senior fossil said, as George, still refusing Casey’s help with the stroller, worked hard to navigate it around cardboard displays and bins of stuff on sale. “Heard you were coming in.”

She stopped short, stunned. “Thanks . . . ? Henry, how did you—”

He waggled a cell phone at her. “Missy called.”

“Of course she did.”

“Help you with the plumbing fixtures?”

Apparently Mrs. Preston had been listening to their excuses—and had filled in the hardware store crew so they’d be prepared. But Casey didn’t break his stride, just waved over his shoulder. “We’re good, Henry. But thanks.”

George followed, pushing the stroller between the tall shelves, the aged floorboards creaking under her feet, to a far corner where a few faucet sets were on display.

She wrinkled her nose as she examined their options. “Home Depot has, like, fifty different kitchen faucets to choose from. Maybe we should—”

Casey shushed her. “Do you want to get run out of town on a rail? Do not speak a big box name within the town limits! Now get over here and pick one, city girl.”

“They all look the same.”

“Then it’ll be easier to choose.”

George made a face at him and pointed at the middle set. “That one, I guess.”

“If your sister doesn’t approve, it’ll be on your head.”

“Isn’t it always?”

As they approached the counter with the faucet and some other plumbing-related items Casey had grabbed along the way, he ventured, “So how did you end up offering to be Amelia’s nanny, anyway?”

“Didn’t, did she?” senior fossil Henry said as he rang up their purchase. “Sera called and begged.”

“No, she didn’t,” argued the junior fossil—Pete, if George remembered correctly—as he bagged each item after Henry rang it up. “I heard she blackmailed George, threatened to reveal some ancient family secret. She couldn’t refuse after that.”

“Guys. I’m right here.”

“So you know what I’m saying,” junior fossil Pete said with a pointed look at her, as though he shared her secret.

“Why don’t you set these geezers straight, George?” Mike, the future fossil, suggested, resting his elbows on the counter and giving her a wink. “Otherwise they’ll be arguing about it for days.”

“Well, that’ll give them something to talk about besides the weather, won’t it, Mike?”

And George smiled politely before turning her attention to getting Amelia’s stroller back out the door.

“What’re you grinning at?” she snapped at Casey as he held the door open for her, although she couldn’t hide her amusement either.

He grasped the front of the stroller to help ease it over the threshold. “You.”

“Well, that’s quite . . . blunt of you.”

“You seem . . . different.”

“Everybody keeps saying that.” She stopped short as Casey studied her. “What?”

“Just trying to figure out what the recent version of Goose is like, that’s all.”

~~~~~~~~~~

If this bus isn’t traveling to the Catskills fast enough for you, grab Down on Love, on sale for only 99 cents, all e-formats, all month long, and dive right in! You might just fall in love with the place.

Next stop, tomorrow (Tuesday, October 21): I’ll share some Marsden secrets over at 1 Rad Reader (www.1rad-readerreviews.com)!


    
Now that you have experienced her charm first hand, here is the lowdown on the fabulous Ms. Denker's first Marsden novel, Down on Love. 




When it comes to love, she's a professional skeptic. Is it too late for a career change?



If there's one thing Georgiana Down is an expert in, it's bad relationships. That's what inspired her blog, Down on Love, where she gives snarky advice--usually along the lines of "dump him." In fact, George is abstaining from men all together. At least that's the plan--until she makes a trip back to her tiny hometown in the Catskills, where meddling is an art form. . .

George loves helping out with her new baby niece, but she's counting the days until she returns to Boston. Then she runs into Casey Bowen, her high school crush. The boy she once loved is now a handsome grown man--and suddenly George needs a little advice of her own. She's in the right place, because when she drunk posts on her blog, everyone in Marsden has something to say about George and Casey. It's like high school all over again--but maybe this time she'll get things right. . .

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About the Author



Jayne Denker divides her time between working hard to bring the funny in her romantic comedies and raising a young son who's way too clever for his own good. She lives in a small village in western New York that is in no way, shape, or form related to the small village in her Marsden novels Down on Love and Picture This. When she's not hard at work on another novel, the social media addict can usually be found frittering away startling amounts of time on Facebook (Jayne Denker Author) and Twitter (@JDenkerAuthor). She’d like to say she updates her Web site, http://jaynedenker.com, quite often, but most of the time when it crosses her mind, she shouts “Can’t you see I’m writing?!” and puts it off till another day.

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