PERSONAL THOUGHTS

Don’t Call Me Cupcake by Tara Sheets

A cupcake baker with magical abilities suddenly finds herself competing with the unfortunately handsome owner of the fancy new bakery across the street in Golden Heart® Winner Tara Sheets’s magical romantic comedy releasing April 24th, 2018.

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About Don’t Call Me Cupcake:

Title: Don’t Call Me Cupcake

Author: Tara Sheets

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Release Date: April 24, 2018

Publisher: Zebra Shout – Kensington Publishing

Series: The Holloway Girls

Format: Digital eBook / Print

Digital ISBN: 1420146264

Print ISBN: 9781420146264

There’s a very special kind of sweetness to life on Pine Cove Island …

Most families have a favorite recipe or two, handed down through generations. The Holloway women are a little different. Emma Holloway, like her grandmother before her, bakes charms into her delicious cupcakes, granting the recipient comfort, sweet dreams, or any number of good things. It’s a strange gift, but it brings only happiness. Until gorgeous, smooth-talking newcomer Hunter Kane strolls into her shop, Fairy Cakes—and Emma makes the mistake of selling him not one, but three Sweet Success cupcakes.

Hunter, it turns out, is opening a fancy new restaurant and bakery right on the waterfront—Emma’s competition. To make matters worse, the town committee has decided to split the upcoming summer festival contract between the two, forcing Emma to work with her nemesis. But she can’t afford to split her profits. The solution: create a recipe that will make Hunter leave town permanently.

The Holloway charms are powerful. But there are other kinds of magic in the world—like red-hot first kisses, secret glances, and the feeling that comes with falling truly, madly, inconveniently in love . . .

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Excerpt:

Copyright© 2018 Don’t Call Me Cupcake

Tara Sheets

That half smile ghosted across his face again and he crossed his arms. It was a simple gesture of relaxed ease, but Emma didn’t buy it. There was a hunger in his dark green gaze that she remembered all too well. The lion was on high alert.

“What did you want to talk about?” he asked.

“It was wrong,” she blurted.

Hunter’s posture shifted slightly. “You think last night was a mistake.”

“Totally. I mean, I never do that kind of thing. Ever. I don’t know what I was thinking, you know?” Here came the babble. She always babbled when she was nervous. “But I know it’s not a good idea to mix my personal life with business. And you and I are just business, so I hope you understand it’s not going to happen again because, you know, I can’t really believe it even happened in the first place.”

His gaze was intense, like he was imagining the things they could do. The things they had done. A delicious shiver skittered up her spine. She forged ahead. “I mean, I just don’t think it should have happened at all. It was kind of crazy and well, contrary to what you may have heard, I’m not actually crazy. Weird, sure. But not reckless like that. At least I never have been in the past. So anyway, I would like to forget about it and, you know, just go on like before,” said the queen of Babble-on. “Normal and stuff.”

Hunter nodded once and glanced down at the floor. He seemed deep in thought, as if he was trying to make a decision.

Emma tried not to notice his muscular arms, crossed against his chest. Nothing sexy about those. Nope. La la la. She could hear the second hands ticking on the wall clock. Tick. Tick.

He pressed his lips together and she suddenly remembered the feel of them, warm and hot against the sensitive spot on her neck. Focus!

When he finally lifted his head, her knees almost buckled. The lion stared back, all wild and hungry and seductive, like he was about to lick zebra chops. He leaned closer.

She should probably back away.

He watched her beneath thick, dark lashes and lowered his gaze to her mouth.

Yup. Definitely backing away soon. She could almost feel the heat of his body on hers and her traitorous limbs ached with the desire to step closer.

His face hovered inches from hers, as if he was waiting for some sign.

Any second now, she would back away. Any second. Emma’s mouth opened on a tiny indrawn breath.

It seemed to be exactly what he was waiting for. The moment his lips touched hers, her limbs flooded with heat. Her body remembered him and was instantly ready.

He gripped her hips and lifted, pulling her flush against him. She wrapped her legs around his waist, completely lost in the kiss that spread like wildfire through her blood. He carried her to the back room, knocking over a bag of sugar on the way as he braced her up against the pantry wall. She gripped the edge of the shelf, sending stainless steel mixing bowls toppling to the floor. The two of them were like a hurricane, demolishing anything that got in the way, and she was helpless to do anything but hang on.

Emma suddenly wanted to feel his skin against hers. She grabbed the hem of his shirt and yanked it up, breaking away from their kiss just long enough to tear it over his head.

A low growl escaped him as he ran his hands up under her apron, sending a jolt of pure desire rocketing through her.

Screwed. She was so screwed. But in this moment, who cared?

She smiled against his mouth and licked his lips. If he was the hungry lion, then she was happy, slow-roasting zebra chops.

About Tara Sheets:

TARA SHEETS is an award-winning author of contemporary romance and women’s fiction. Her work has earned first place recognition in literary contests nationwide and her debut novel, Don’t Call Me Cupcake, won the 2016 Golden Heart® award sponsored by Romance Writers of America®. Tara began her career as an author in the Pacific Northwest, inspired by the rain and the misty mountains and the rivers of Starbucks coffee.  She now lives in the warm, wonderful South where she can stand outside with no coat on, and she finds that pretty inspiring too.  When not writing, Tara enjoys life with her book-loving family and a book-eating dog named Merlin. She is represented by Sarah Phair at Trident Media Group.

Connect with Tara:  Website  |  Facebook  |  Twitter  |  Goodreads  |  Amazon  |  BookBub

Digiprove sealCopyright secured by Digiprove © 2018 Margaret Margaret

Lying, Cheating, and Occasionally Murder by Ginny Fite

Book Review Graphic

FTC: I received a free copy of this book from Partners In Crime in exchange for my honest review. I received no other compensation and the opinions expressed in this review are one hundred percent true and my own.

Lying, Cheating, and Occasionally Murder by Ginny Fite was a great book.  It has been awhile since I have read a book that I enjoyed as much as I enjoyed this book.  I think that this is the first book that I have read by this author and I can’t wait to read more books by her in the future.  I hoped through the entire book that Charlotte was the one who did it because it would have made this book different from most of the other ones that I have read.  I fell in love with this author writing and her characters right from the start.  This is one that left me sad when it was over because I wasn’t ready to say goodbye to these characters yet. At times I was annoyed with Lagarde from time to time, but that always happens when the author makes the characters come to life for me.  If you love mystery books like I do I am sure you will love this book as much as I did.

About The Book

Genre: Fiction-Murder Mystery
Published by: Black Opal Books
Publication Date: February 10th 2018
Number of Pages: 270
ISBN: 9781626948 (ISBN13: 9781626948648)
Series: Sam Lagarde Mystery Series, Book 3 (Each is a Stand Alone Novel)
Purchase Links: Amazon  | Barnes & Noble  | Kobo  | Goodreads 

When it comes to murder, even brilliant scientists aren’t immune.

The night Harold Munson is shot dead in his car, the primary suspect is the man’s brainiac wife. But Charlotte, who has a passion for science and sex with strangers, swears all she wants is a Nobel Prize for curing brain cancer, even if that requires fudging her research and a few dead patients along the way.

When the next body drops, all signs point to Charlotte, but Detective Sam Lagarde doggedly follows the clues until he has his own Eureka moment.

 

About The Author

Ginny Fite is an award-winning journalist who has covered crime, politics, government, healthcare, art, and all things human. She has been a spokesperson for a governor, a member of congress, a few colleges and universities, and a robotics R&D company. She has degrees from Rutgers University and Johns Hopkins University and studied at the School for Women Healers and the Maryland Poetry Therapy Institute. She is the author of I Should Be Dead by Now, a collection of humorous lamentations about aging; three books of poetry, The Last Thousand Years, The Pearl Fisher, and Throwing Caution; a short story collection, What Goes Around; as well as two previous Detective Sam Lagarde mysteries: Cromwell’s Folly and No Good Deed Left Undone. She resides in Harper’s Ferry, West Virginia.

Catch Up With Ginny Fite On:
Website , Goodreads , Twitter , & Facebook !

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Digiprove sealCopyright secured by Digiprove © 2018 Margaret Margaret

Forget You by Nina Crespo

In the first novel in the new Kingman Brothers series from Nina Crespo a disgruntled assistant is wrangled into staying on to help her boss when he suffers from amnesia after a plane crash…Playing this out with him was so wrong, but she didn’t want to stop.

 

About FORGET YOU

Sophie Jordan dreams about hooking up with Nicolas “King” Kingman—the gorgeous CEO of her company—but as her boss, he’ll always remain out of reach. King knows he isn’t built for happily-ever-afters and only indulges in brief romantic encounters. But when Sophie agrees to fill in as his last-minute date to a charity gala, an unexpected discovery quickly escalates their platonic relationship to one of passion.

King is determined to ignore their attraction and, feeling betrayed, Sophie severs ties with him and the company. Everything changes, however, when he’s injured in an accident, and Sophie agrees to help until he closes a major deal. Unfortunately, he’s developed amnesia, and although he doesn’t remember their night together, desire binds them in ways they can’t resist.

Time is running out on closing the deal, as well as Sophie moving on to her new career. Will King deny love in favor of winning and lose Sophie forever?

 

Available Now!

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Grand Prize: $15 Amazon Gift Card and (1) Digital Copy or Print Copy (if available) of any backlist Nina Crespo title. 

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Read and exclusive excerpt from FORGET YOU:

What he was about to do seemed crazy. He just needed to hear Sophie say nothing sexual had ever happened between them. Then he could chalk up those images as pure fantasy.

He pulled into a space, threw the gear in park, and got out. Sophie’s shocked expression alone would whip him down to size. Guilt over dreaming of her naked would replace his attraction to her. That’s exactly what he needed. A heaping pile of remorse.

Signs with numbers and arrows led him through the maze of duplexes in the courtyard. In the past, he’d followed her from work after a long night to make sure she’d made it safely home, but he’d never actually gone to her apartment before. King located the right door and rapped on it. Not that he had a good reason now.

A porch light flickered on above him. He heard movement inside. What if Sophie’s roommate answered? He’d forgotten about her. Shit. What was his excuse? A lost phone number. Problems accessing the presentation from his computer.

Sophie opened the door. Devoid of makeup, hair swept back into a ponytail, and dressed in a faded green tee and jean shorts, she radiated uncomplicated beauty. “King? What are you doing here?”

He barely squashed the need to take her in his arms and went inside. “We have to talk. Is your roommate here?”

“No. Robin’s at work.” She closed the door. “Why? What’s going on?”

“When were we together?”

“Yesterday. Don’t you remember?” The genuine concern in her expression made him feel like a cross between a jerk for thinking of her sexually and a man struggling to prove his sanity.

“No. I mean yes.” He raked his hair and pulled so hard his scalp stung. “When did we sleep together?” Shock. Laughter. An emphatic denial. He braced for them.

Sophie paled. She shrugged and brushed her bangs from her forehead. Her tell. She planned to deny what happened.

No way in hell was she getting away with that. “How long ago was it? Weeks? Days? Why didn’t you tell me?”

What’s next for Sophie and King? Pick up your copy of FORGET YOU, The Kingman Brothers and find out. Available April 16, 2018

http://www.ninacrespo.com

Copyright © 2018 Nina Crespo. All rights reserved.

 Author Bio:

Nina Crespo lives in Florida where she indulges in her favorite passions—the beach, kickboxing, a good glass of wine, and dancing. Her lifelong addiction to romance began in her teens while on a “borrowing spree” in her older sister’s bedroom where she discovered her first romance novel. Curiosity about people and places, including what’s beyond the stars, fuels her writer’s imagination. Indulge in her sensual contemporary stories and steamy paranormal tales to feed your own addiction for love, romance, and happily ever after.
Need Nina? You can also visit her online at the following places:

Website Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Amazon | Goodreads | FreshFiction |BookBub | Authorsdb | Newsletter | Pinterest

Digiprove sealCopyright secured by Digiprove © 2018 Margaret Margaret

Pre-Order: Total Bravery by Piper J. Drake

True heroes will do anything to protect the women they love… 

Out April 24th – Total Bravery, a True Heroes novel, by Piper J Drake. Pre-order your copy today!

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Title: Total Bravery

Author: Piper J. Drake

Series: True Heroes

Genre: Romantic Suspense

Release Date: April 24, 2018

Publisher: Grand Central Publishing – Forever

Print Length: 304 Pages

Format: Digital and Mass Market Paperback

True heroes will do anything to protect the women they love…

As the newest recruit at Search and Protect, Raul has a lot to prove. Luckily, he’s got the best friend and partner a man could ask for: a highly trained, fiercely loyal German Shepherd Dog named Taz. Together, Raul and Taz make an unbeatable team. But their first mission in Hawaii really puts them to the test when an international kidnapping ring sets its sights on the bravest woman Raul’s ever met . . .

Mali knows her latest job has put one hell of a target on her back. And on this small island paradise, there’s nowhere to hide. With a service dog like Taz, Mali feels safe. Sharing close quarters with a smoldering muscle-for-hire like Raul, she feels something else – an unexpected wave of desire. Raul feels it too. But when the kidnappers make their move, he’s got to turn that slow-burning passion into hard-hitting action – and save the life of the woman he loves.

 

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Today Only!! Pick up your copy of ABSOLUTE TRUST, a True Heroes novel, for just $1.99

 

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About Piper J. Drake:

Piper J. Drake is a bestselling author of romantic suspense and edgy contemporary romance, a frequent flyer, and day job road warrior. She is often distracted by dogs, cupcakes, and random shenanigans.

Connect with Piper at: Website | Facebook | Twitter | Google + | GoodReads| Youtube

 

 

Digiprove sealCopyright secured by Digiprove © 2018 Margaret Margaret

Sale Blitz: Strange Tango by Michelle Dayton

STRANGE TANGO by Michelle Dayton Sales Blitz!

 

 

We are excited to announce that STRANGE TANGO is currently on sale for only $.99! Don’t miss out on this quick and sexy read. Snag up your copy today!

 

The first in the series of novellas, STRANGE TANGO by Michelle Dayton, follows the story of Adam, a professional jewel thief and Jess, a brilliant technologist and disgraced whistleblower. Find out what happens when they must work together on a diamond heist, despite the fact that they’re on opposite sides of the law. Fans of Janet Evanovich’s Stephanie Plum series and the In Death series by JD Robb will love this light and sexy story featuring a bad guys with a heart of gold.

 

 

Synopsis:

 

Adam Patrick Henry, professional jewel thief, knows an amateur—and a cheap wig—when he sees one. The mysterious woman across the room is far from a pro, but her good instincts might come in handy on his next job. He could use a partner, and if that partner happens to be irresistible, all the better.

Jessica Hughes has a long way to climb—and a whole lot to prove—before she’s back where she belongs. A cruel setup cost Jessica her job and her reputation, and she’s not opposed to a disguise and some underhanded tactics if it means getting her life back. But she’s no thief, not really, and teaming up with a gorgeous stranger who’s clearly up to no good might prove more dangerous than it’s worth.

Working a job this big could give Adam and Jessica everything they’ve ever wanted—if their rocky partnership lasts long enough to carry it off.

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Strange Tango Series

Strange Tango:
Amazon | iBooks | B&N | Kobo | Google

Twisted Taste:
Amazon | iBooks | B&N | Kobo | Google

Wicked Stage:
Amazon | iBooks | B&N | Kobo | Google

 

Praise for STRANGE TANGO

 

“Fun, with well-written moments of adrenaline, danger, and suspense” —Smart Bitches, Trashy Books

“The main characters, Jess and Adam, have great chemistry with an adventurous plotline that had me turning the pages so quickly, I couldn’t put it down until the last page.” —Amazon Reviewer

“A fast paced, witty, and sexy story with smart, warm hearted characters. An exciting read that’s fun from start to finish.” —Amazon Reviewer

 

This novella is a great read for fans of fast-paced romantic spy caper suspense. You don’t see many computer hacker/programmer heroines, so I was happy for the change of pace. I also loved the complexity of the corruption conspiracy the hero and heroine find themselves embroiled in. Typical Chicago. Despite its short length, this story kept me guessing. The ending is sweet, though not what you would expect. Definitely recommend.” —Amazon Reviewer

 

STRANGE TANGO Excerpt

Copyright © 2017 Michelle Dayton

 

Jessica Hughes couldn’t remember the last time she’d been so physically uncomfortable. The wig from hell was so itchy her eyes were watering with the effort not to scratch her head. The sequins from the stupid dress were poking her in the armpit like tiny little daggers. None of the reviews on Rent the Runway had mentioned that fun detail. The sexy pink pumps that RTR recommended as an accompaniment to the dress looked great, but they also pinched her toes and heels. She was going to have feet full of blisters tomorrow.

And maintaining a British accent was a lot more difficult than she expected.

Luckily, the idiot she was dancing with had quite a bit to drink with dinner and didn’t seem to notice how she kept repeating words like “brilliant” and “fancy” and “fortnight” in their conversation.

Now if only she could distract him enough to get his keycard out of his pocket.

She glanced over his shoulder at the clock on the wall. In five minutes the speeches would begin and he would be up on the stage for a half hour. That was her window. Unfortunately, she was running out of ideas on how to pull the keycard out of his front pocket without getting grabby. Uck.

He picked just that moment to run his sweaty hands down her mostly bare back and pat her on the bottom. She was lucky that her face was over his shoulder so he couldn’t see her suppress a gag. Luckily, she recovered quickly and gave an approving squeak. So gross. I just let Jerome Taft touch my ass.

Oh, how the mighty had fallen. Six months ago she’d been a star. The youngest VP in the history of the University. The boss of Jerome’s entire department. Thank goodness they’d never actually met in person. The University had three campuses across Chicagoland and he’d worked at the suburban campus. While she’d been VP, his reputation had been less than stellar. She remembered that in last year’s performance review, his manager had labeled him “eager for advancement but unwilling to put in the hard work required.” In other words, he liked to complain about his lack of authority while he sat around playing on the Internet all day. Exactly the opposite kind of employee she wanted in her department.

And now she was dressed like a pricey call girl and letting him grope her. She felt like crying. Or slapping him in the face.

Pull it together, Jess. Focus on the goal. He’s a necessary evil for tonight.

She glanced around the dance floor to make sure that no other members of her old department had decided to dance. For those who didn’t know her well, she was confident that her disguise was good. Tonight she didn’t look anything like Ignatius University’s disgraced former Vice President of Technology. The one who’d been led out of the building by security officers last October.

No, tonight she was a skinny, tan, tarty, blonde Brit. But there were a few people in the ballroom who had known her for years. If one of them got a good look at her face…well, that could be trouble.

Luckily, the dance floor was still safe. It was crowded with couples, but no one she recognized. The band finished “As Time Goes By” and transitioned to “At Last.” She sighed. She loved that stupid, sappy song. Trying to distract herself from Jerome’s hands and the ticking clock, she closed her eyes and counted backward from ten.

When she opened her eyes, a tall man with brown hair was staring right at her.

About five feet away, he danced with a brunette in a purple dress. For a moment, his open stare convinced her that she’d been recognized. Her pulse raced, and she started to sweat. But, no. After meeting his eyes for ten seconds, she knew she’d never met him before. Because, good God, she would have remembered this one. Wow. He was about 6’3” with broad shoulders and wavy hair. His eyes were a vivid bright blue.

The brunette said something to him, and he broke eye contact with Jess to look down at her. Jess kept on staring. She’d been looking for a distraction and this potent combo of Tom Hiddleston and Gerard Butler had given her just that. Men dancing in tuxedos didn’t usually look so…masculine.

He looked back up at her and their eyes locked again as the female singer of the band crooned the lyrics to “At Last.” Inwardly, Jess snorted. Probably every woman in the room looked at that guy and heard Etta James singing “At Last.”

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About Michelle Dayton:

 

There are only three things Michelle Dayton loves more than sexy and suspenseful novels: her family, the city of Chicago, and Mr. Darcy. Michelle dreams of a year of world travel – as long as the trip would include weeks and weeks of beach time. As a bourbon lover and unabashed wine snob, Michelle thinks heaven is discussing a good book over an adult beverage

Follow Michelle:  Website | Facebook | Twitter | Amazon | BookBub

Digiprove sealCopyright secured by Digiprove © 2018 Margaret Margaret

First In Series Box Set

Escape into the emotional, intricate Regency world of Christina McKnight with four series starters.

Out April 17th – Regency Romance, First in Series Box Set by Christina McKnight

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Title: First in Series Box Set
Author: Christina McKnight
Genre: Historical Romance, Regency
Release Date: April 17, 2018

Escape into the intricate, emotional Regency world of Christina McKnight with four series starters.

Shunned No More (A Lady Forsaken Series, Book One)
Lady Viola Oberbrook longed for a quiet life in the country, far from London and the society who’d shunned her during her first season. She never expected to come face-to-face with Lord Haversham, the only man who had every right to despise her.

The Thief Steals Her Earl (Craven House Series, Book One)
The Earl of Cartwright is determined to find out who stole from his family. When he finds out the thief is the woman he’s fallen in love with, he must choose between duty and love.

Theodora (Lady Archer’s Creed Series, Book One)
When Lady Theodora Montgomery is unmasked while competing in an archery tournament, she fears her reputation is ruined. To save face, she accepts a marriage of convenience with her friend’s older brother, Alistair Price—who soon shoots arrows to her heart with perfect aim.

The Disappearance of Lady Edith (The Undaunted Debutantes Series, Book One)
One tragic night changed sensible, proper Lady Edith Pelton’s life: when her best friend fell to her death, pushed down a flight of stairs by a nefarious lord. Now, Edith dedicates her time watching the man she thinks is responsible, while gathering other information to expose other scoundrels posing as gentlemen of honor about London. But when her spying is noticed by a perfect stranger, Edith finds herself with two mysteries—what happened to her friend, and how to win the heart of a brilliantly handsome lord.

Available at: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | iBooks | GooglePlay

Author Bio:
USA TODAY Bestselling Author Christina McKnight writes emotional and intricate Regency Romance with rebellious women and maverick heroes.

Her books combine romance and mystery, exploring themes of redemption and forgiveness. When not writing she enjoys coffee, wine, traveling the world, and watching television.

You can visit her online at the following places: Website Facebook | Twitter Goodreads | Amazon

 

 

 

Digiprove sealCopyright secured by Digiprove © 2018 Margaret Margaret