Can enduring love heal her shattered soul and his broken body?
In their small agricultural town, Scarlett’s family is the picture-perfect variety. The mother encourages juvenile delinquents at the local detention center and her father coaches the church’s youth group.
All is right until Scarlett lets a shameful secret slip. Blaming her for the indiscretion, the family silences Scarlett’s accusation but the arrival of a new high school student threatens the delicate balance.
Everett’s giant frame and fractured skull are compliments of his father, but his world shifts after an accidental touch from Scarlett. Starved for affection, they forge an inescapable bond. Their relationship is encouraged by Everett’s grandmother, Marjorie Ashley, a woman with an unnatural gift, the ability to witness painful memories of those around her.
Fifteen years later, Marjorie is fading, her impending death a blow to Scarlett. Everett enjoys a flourishing legal career while Scarlett writes weekly investigative articles—keeping her own secrets hidden. An old police report is found in Marjorie’s house, revealing a web of deception spun by Scarlett’s family.
The deeper Scarlett digs, the more unsettling the discoveries. No longer aided by Marjorie’s gift, Scarlett is given an impossible ultimatum, she must choose between the family who raised her and the man who loves her—or risk losing both.
Clarissa Kae is a preeminent voice whose professional career began as a freelance editor in 2007. She’s the former president of her local California Writers Club after spending several years as the Critique Director.
Since her first novel, she’s explored different writing genres and created a loyal group of fans who eagerly await her upcoming release. With numerous awards to her name, Clarissa continues to honor the role of storyteller.
Aside from the writing community, she and her daughters founded Kind Girls Make Strong Women to help undervalued nonprofit organizations—from reuniting children with families to giving Junior Olympic athletes their shot at success.
She lives in the agricultural belly of California with her family and farm of horses, chickens, dogs and kittens aplenty.
A whisper of a smirk appeared on Scarlett’s face before a mask of innocence slid back down. With the paper hidden, Everett assumed in her back pocket, she reached for his schedule.
Scarlett hadn’t looked at him yet, allowing him to study her. Her hair, thick and dark, was streaked with auburn highlights. She’d pulled it up into a messy ponytail, obviously caring little for her appearance. From her profile, she seemed ordinary, normal nose, chin, and lips. She would be easy to draw. And easy to forget.
“Sophomore …” Scarlett held out his schedule but instead of facing Everett, she smiled at his grandmother.
The expression lifted her cheekbones, highlighting her near perfect face. Her eyes, large and brown, glinted with something more, something deep. Her brows and lashes, thick and black as ebony. A delicate strand of hair fell from the tie and in an instant, she was extraordinary.
Separated, but still joined, they strive for freedom.
Left behind at the sept son’s compound, Zezilia Ilar struggles with the after effects of her prolonged commisceo-link with Hadrian. She devotes herself to caring for the wounded arriving almost daily from the battlefields. Pressed to perform procedures and make decisions far beyond her training, Zez grows in confidence and skill. All the while, she wonders if she’ll see Hadrian again, fearing the worst possible news will arrive any day.
Sept Son Hadrian Aleron fights to bring peace to his home nation. Allied with the new high king, he and a small army of Talented struggle to retake the capital city. Elitists, though scattered, continue to pick off the strongest of his men. As he battles the remnants of the commisceo-link and tries to organize the campaign, he begins losing himself to exhaustion. Only a miracle will keep him alive.
Rachel Rossano is a happily married mother of three children. She spends her days teaching, mothering, and keeping the chaos at bay. After the little ones are in bed, she immerses herself in the fantasy worlds of her books. Tales of romance, adventure, and virtue set in a medieval fantasy world are her preference, but she also writes speculative fantasy and a bit of science fiction.
As the youngest of seven sons, he was given seven names (a cultural tradition): Ilias Durand Fidel Hadrian Krispin Valens Savill Aleron (which mean Jehovah is my God, enduring, faithful, dark one, curly-haired, valiant, from the willow farm, eagle). However, he goes by Hadrian most of the time.
Physical Appearance – Tall, dark brown unruly curls, angular features, and intense dark eyes
Tallest among his siblings, he stands out in many ways. Perhaps it was because of the knowledge that he was going to have to help lead a nation at a young age, but even before he took up the role, he carried an air of purpose and gravity about him.
Hadrian was raised by believing parents to honor, love, and obey the Almighty at all costs. In a nation that worships a goddess, that fidelity could mean persecution and, for a public official, possibly death.
Name – Zezilia Ilar
Her parents also followed the tradition of giving a child the same number of names as their placement in the family. More names usually meant more prestige. Her names are Zezilia Septima Calypso Aldyne Dulcia Tulliola Olethea Ilar (which means: gray-eyed, seventh born, she who hides, little winged one, sweet, little quiet one, honest, cheerful). Her parents and friends frequently call her Zez.
Physical Appearance – I envision Gal Godot. She is tall for a young woman, she has a nose a bit too long for beauty according to some, changeable gray eyes, and a thick mane of dark mildly curly hair.
Although she is the youngest of her siblings, all brothers, she holds her own in keeping up with as many of their activities as she can manage to join. Eager to please, she is acutely aware of the fact her parents, especially her father, are deeply disappointed she wasn’t the seventh born son they had hoped to raise. However, she is strong willed and not too remorseful. Instead she focuses on her interests of spending time outdoors and studying.
As your mom’s guest at the holiday party, there are certain rules that must be followed. Too bad he didn’t get the memo. Breaking the rules has never been more tempting. Readers who love forbidden romances will enjoy this light, humorous and sexy romance.
There are many rules to follow as your mom’s guest at the company holiday party.
Rule one – do not, under any circumstances, find the new boss so attractive.
Rule two – definitely do not undress him with your eyes.
Rule three – if he slips you his phone number, throw it away. I repeat, throw it away. Who cares if just one look into his blue eyes makes you want to drag him underneath the nearest mistletoe?
Rule four – when you show up at his house the next day, do not let him kiss you. Your lips are meant to say good-bye.
Rule five – at no point should you let him take off your clothes like he’s unwrapping his sexy Christmas gift. And moaning will only make it worse.
Rule six – rule six is a bonus rule, so pay attention. Forget rules one through five.
“I want to see you again. Meet me tomorrow.” It’s not a request, it’s an order. I shrug out of his touch and take a step away from him. “Are you crazy? No.” “Why not?” he asks, his eyes more piercing than ever. “A million reasons. You’re my mother’s boss, and she hates you, by the way. Why would I go out with someone who’s been so awful to my mother? Oh, and you’re old. You’re my mother’s boss,” I repeat. “And Glen’s already asked me out and about a million other reasons!” I whisper-yell the last part to make sure he gets it. “The Glen issue is simple. Tell him to fuck off. I have not been awful to your mother. She’s been hostile toward me since the day I stepped foot in the office. She has a problem with me because I’m not my uncle. And what other reasons? Are you talking about my melanin deficiency? What the hell century are you living in? You think I care about that? And I want to see you again, not your mother. And thirty-six is hardly old.” “Thirty-six! That’s older than I thought. Holy shit!” I yell. “Do you realize when I was thirteen you were already twenty-six?” “Unless I was asking you out when you were thirteen and I was twenty-six, I don’t see the problem.
A Boston native, wife, mother, and wine enthusiast. If she’s not writing, thinking about writing, you will find her with a book in her hands. While a new publisher, she’s been writing for years, and she will continue to write for many years to come.
Evelyn is obsessed with assertive and confident men who will stop at nothing to get their woman. Her stories are filled with love, passion, and humor.
She currently lives in Washington, DC with her husband and two daughters.
Melina’s rule-following good girl ways doesn’t stop bad boy, good time seeking Zane from looking her way. With her dreams on the line and his easy charm in the way, will they be able to make it work without risking it all? Readers will fall in love with this workplace romance from Kim Bailey. The Holiday Springs Resort series is here and LOVE ON THE ROCKS is now live!
Only on Amazon + Read for FREE on Kindle Unlimited
“I knew he was into you!” Avery shouted. “I frickin’ told you so!”
“It’s only one date, Av.” One date and a huge pile of regret just waiting to happen. “Besides, he hasn’t confirmed the caterer yet. There won’t be a date if he doesn’t make good on his promise.”
“What. Ever. I have no doubt he’ll come through.” She pushed one of the shots of Jägermeister she’d ordered toward me, encouraging me to down it.
“God, I love being right.” She beamed at me as the liquor burned its way down my throat. “I told you he had a thing for you…I bet it’s a really big thing, too.” She smirked. “I bet it’s huge.”
If Olivia and Lucie were my teammates, Avery was our MVP. Best friends since we were five, she was like another sister to me. But like all siblings, sometimes I really didn’t like her much.
“I’ve got something huge for you over here, sweetheart,” one of the mountain men called.
“If that were true, you wouldn’t need to advertise it,” Avery called back, not missing a beat.
And sometimes, I really, really loved her.
“It’s one date,” I repeated, watching the burly guy try to hide his embarrassment at being schooled by a tiny blue-eyed blonde.
“But who knows where one date will lead. I mean, you two have already kissed.”
“Twice.”
She froze with her drink halfway to her mouth, both her eyes and lips round.
“He kissed me again this morning,” I confided.
As much as I loved and trusted Avery, I hadn’t planned on telling her this part—her current reaction being the main reason why. But the booze had loosened my tongue and a few of my inhibitions.
“Please close your mouth before big-dick guy offers you something to put in it,” I begged. “Zane kissing me is not that exciting. Or that simple.”
Liar. Liar. Liar.
“What’s complicated about it?” Her face screwed up in disbelief, the tint of pink in her cheeks upping her adorable factor. No wonder all the men stared; my best friend was a living doll. “Deny it all you want, Meli, but I know you like him.”
I swallowed back half my beer as I wrestled with that notion. She was right, of course; I did like him. But liking Zane magic-lips Wilder was never the issue.
“We work together, and he’s the resort owner’s nephew. What if it ends badly, or worse, what if my boss finds out?”
“Didn’t your boss meet her husband at the resort?”
I took another deep swig of beer and avoided answering her question.
But Avery kept on rolling. “In fact,” she mused, her head tilting to the side like a fascinated kitten. “Didn’t you mention he was her boss at the time? Call me crazy, but I think that’s fraternizing-101.”
Only on Amazon + Read for FREE on Kindle Unlimited
About Kim
Kim Bailey is a born procrastinator and sarcasm junkie who gets her motivation from coffee and
good books. She enjoys lively conversations, usually with imaginary people, and can often be
found daydreaming at work.
Most of all, she loves writing about love.
Her romance stories range from small-town contemporaries to action-packed suspense but always have a high heat level. She writes strong-willed women, broody alpha males, deep family bonds, and fiercely passionate lovers.
Kim proudly became a USA Today Best-Selling Author with her contribution to Wanted: An
Outlaw Anthology. This charity anthology raised over $5000 for St. Jude Children’s Research
Nestled deep in the mountains of Pennsylvania, Holiday Springs Resort promises to bring the heat this winter!
Join Forever Write PR and seven amazing authors as they take to the slopes on the adventure of a lifetime and find their happily ever afters.
From hot bartenders to brooding exes, Holiday Springs Resort is the place to be. Each story features a brand new couple and a fun trope to love from our amazing line up of authors including: second chance romance and best friend’s sibling to jilted brides and friends to lovers. Your holiday wonderland won’t be complete without a widower, office, and enemies to lovers romance.
We’ve got a remarkable line of up must-read romance authors including, A.M. Williams, Julie Archer, Kim Bailey, Moni Boyce, S.E. Rose, Stacey Lewis, and B. Ivy Woods.
This series and all promotional events are brought to you by Forever Write PR – Forever your source for all your writing needs. https://www.facebook.com/ForeverWritePR/
For Sophie, crushing on her best friend’s brother was old news, and Max never stopped thinking about what could be even though his sister’s best friend was off-limits. When they find themselves at a destination wedding, does their first kiss end up being their last? Readers will devour this best friend’s sibling romance from Julie Archer. The Holiday Springs Resort series open for the holidays and DEAL BREAKER is now live!
A fall destination wedding with friends to break up the monotony of adulting? Yes, please!
It all sounded like fairy-tale bliss until Sophie remembered her best friend’s brother was going to be a groomsman. She’d been in love with Max since high school. Autumn had deemed Sophie’s crush on her brother as “gross” and vetoed any further talk about it – ever. Would it be wrong for a girl to hope for a little fun with the hottest guy in the bridal party?
When a little too much booze and a game of truth or dare the night before the big wedding has Sophie planting a giant kiss on Max’s lips – and him running as fast as he could to barf after – she’s certain the two of them don’t stand a chance.
Sophie was off-limits for Max but that didn’t stop him from fantasizing about her. While his word was normally his vow, his attraction wouldn’t be denied.
For years, Max had dreamt of how their first kiss might be. Although he had imagined it countless ways, never did he picture it being alcohol-fuelled. His stomach lurched and he rushed to the bathroom to puke his guts out. What should’ve been an incredible greeting became yet another embarrassing experience.
Now not only did Max have a massive hangover to deal with, he had to figure out a way to undo the mess he’d made with the one girl he ever really wanted.
Was their first kiss their last or can Max convince Sophie it shouldn’t be a deal-breaker?
Escape to the romantic paradise of Holiday Springs and warm up with your next happily ever after.
Autumn’s voice chimed from the depths of my bag. “Soph? Sophie? Are you still there?”
I scrabbled to retrieve the phone. “Yes, sorry. Did you hear that? It’s totally unheard of for him to offer me an early finish.”
She laughed. “You should have taken it. We could have had coffee, and you could give me tips for my date.”
I echoed her laughter. I was the last person she should be taking dating advice from. “Now, where were we?”
“Travel plans for the wedding. You, me, Jodie.”
And Max, I added silently. Ugh. Why was I thinking about him now?
“Max has to be there early, for the rehearsal dinner or something, otherwise he’d drive us.”
I drifted off into a fantasy of spending several hours in a confined space with Max Coady, watching him drive, the muscles in his forearms working as he took control of the wheel, breathing in his aftershave…reluctantly I shook myself back to the present. Seriously, I had to get this crush under control. Maybe I’d meet someone at the wedding who would sweep me off my feet. I sighed.
Who was I kidding?
Unrequited love was a bitch.
Of course, I couldn’t tell Autumn this. Not since she’d decided at the age of fourteen that I couldn’t ever—EVER—date her brother. I’d had to keep my fantasies under control since then. Maybe that was one of the reasons I hadn’t managed to find a serious boyfriend. Because no one ever compared to Max.
“Soph? Where are you?” Autumn’s voice broke into my reverie. “I asked what time you want to meet on Friday. It’s going to take us around an hour and a half to get there.”
“Ha, longer if Jodie’s in charge of directions.” I half giggled, half grimaced. I’d been on enough road trips with Jodie to know we needed to add at least another half an hour onto our trip time. She had an uncanny knack of getting close to a place, but not actually to it. There had been plenty of times we’d driven past where we were meant to be simply because she couldn’t work out how to get us there. “Do we have a map?”
“Didn’t you get the ton of information Brianna sent with the invite? I reckon there’s a map in there with directions from every state in the US!” Autumn laughed.
I thought back to the day the invitation pack had plopped onto my doormat. Thicker than a college acceptance pack, it contained every single piece of information about the day. Not to mention a few pictures of throwbacks to the proposal, engagement party, and bachelor and bachelorette parties. Apart from finding out the date, I’d shoved the rest of it in a drawer in my kitchenette. I was still finding glittery horseshoes in my apartment weeks after the damn invite had been delivered.
“Well, good. Because with Jodie driving, we’ll probably need them!”
Julie Archer is the author of contemporary romance featuring rock stars, small towns, a healthy dose of angst, some steamy times, and always a happy ever after!
When not writing, she can usually be found binge-watching teen drama series on Netflix, or supporting Spurs (the English Premier League football team, not the American basketball team!) from my armchair, and running around after her two feline children, Corey and Elsa.
Nestled deep in the mountains of Pennsylvania, Holiday Springs Resort promises to bring the heat this winter!
Join Forever Write PR and seven amazing authors as they take to the slopes on the adventure of a lifetime and find their happily ever afters.
From hot bartenders to brooding exes, Holiday Springs Resort is the place to be. Each story features a brand new couple and a fun trope to love from our amazing line up of authors including second chance romance and best friend’s sibling to jilted brides and friends to lovers. Your holiday wonderland won’t be complete without a widower, office, and enemies to lovers romance.
We’ve got a remarkable line of up must-read romance authors including, A.M. Williams, Julie Archer, Kim Bailey, Moni Boyce, S.E. Rose, Stacey Lewis, and B. Ivy Woods.
This series and all promotional events are brought to you by Forever Write PR – Forever your source for all your writing needs. https://www.facebook.com/ForeverWritePR/
There are many rules to follow as your mom’s guest at the company holiday party.
Rule one – do not, under any circumstances, find the new boss so attractive.
Rule two – definitely do not undress him with your eyes.
Rule three – if he slips you his phone number, throw it away. I repeat, throw it away. Who cares if just one look into his blue eyes makes you want to drag him underneath the nearest mistletoe?
Rule four – when you show up at his house the next day, do not let him kiss you. Your lips are meant to say good-bye.
Rule five – at no point should you let him take off your clothes like he’s unwrapping his sexy Christmas gift. And moaning will only make it worse.
Rule six – rule six is a bonus rule, so pay attention. Forget rules one through five.
A Boston native, wife, mother, and wine enthusiast. If she’s not writing, thinking about writing, you will find her with a book in her hands. While a new publisher, she’s been writing for years, and she will continue to write for many years to come.
Evelyn is obsessed with assertive and confident men who will stop at nothing to get their woman. Her stories are filled with love, passion, and humor.
She currently lives in Washington, DC with her husband and two daughters.
Clarissa Kae is a preeminent voice whose professional career began as a freelance editor in 2007. She’s the former president of her local California Writers Club after spending several years as the Critique Director.
Dave Franco for Everett Ashley
Mila Kunis for Scarlett Deflin/Ashley
Chris Evans for David Nash (antagonist)
