New Release! A Haunting for Christmas #holidaypnr #paranormalromance #ghost #haunting

 

Will a ghost bring them together for the holidays?

Ava has called the police countless times to report hearing footsteps in her home but an intruder is never found. When she again calls for help, her police officer brother-in-law finally shows up to check out the situation.

Jared promised he would look out for Ava after his brother died, but he’s been avoiding her for months, too fearful of betraying his brother's memory as his feelings for her have grown into something more than friendship. When he hears the emergency dispatch, he knows it's up to him to help her.

Jared promises Ava he will get to the bottom of the mysterious footsteps. But can he help her without revealing he's fallen in love with her?

*This is a short, sweet romance with a matchmaking ghost. Trigger warnings include grief over the death of a loved one.

Amazon

Cover Wars ~ Loving Boone #pnr #shifterlove #bookcover

I'm excited to announce that my paranormal romance, Loving Boone, is up for Author Shout's Cover Wars this week! 

I would LOVE if you would take a moment and vote. As described in the rules, you can vote once a day, within a 24-hour period all week long.

I don't like to pick favorites among my books, since I really do love them all for different reasons, but Loving Boone holds a special place in my heart. 

The cover was designed by one of my great friends at Red Fist Fiction. And the story itself is one that means so much to me. It's sweet, passionate, powerful, dark but filled with hope.

Thanks for voting!

A little bit about Loving Boone:

Beth-Ann Miller returns to her Tennessee mountain home to find chaos erupting between her survivalist family and their shape-shifting neighbors. Her father is convinced the were-cougar clan is responsible for the murders occurring in their area and interrogates one of the shifters, Boone Evans, her childhood sweetheart. When Boone declares several members of his shifter family have gone missing including his little brother, Beth-Ann suspects someone else is behind both the murders and abductions.

Boone never expected to see Beth-Ann again. When she frees him from her father's cabin and promises to help find his brother, Boone doesn't plan on rekindling their passionate love affair or facing the pain of past mistakes. Nor does he plan on coming face to face with the man responsible for altering his family's life forever.

With men hunting the were-cougars, can Beth-Ann and Boone risk all to have a future together? Or is loving Boone too high a price to pay?

VOTE HERE

Ice Princess #Excerpt #FantasyRomance #FairytaleRomance

Ice magic and a passion that burns...

Princess Lily is determined to save her kingdom from the evil influence of the sorcerer in their midst. When she makes a stand, he curses her beloved to turn into a dragon and casts a spell that seals her in a block of ice where she sleeps for all eternity.

Eternity arrives earlier than expected when Rick Stamos tears down a wall to the tavern he's renovating. He never expects to find a woman encased in ice hidden in his basement. After melting the ice, he's more surprised when the woman wakes and claims he is her beloved.

Did the spell that kept Lily frozen for so long also curse Rick? Is he really her beloved or a stranger with the same face?

Excerpt:

He stretched his right arm toward the ice, his fingers splayed wide. He forced his tense muscles to relax, closed his eyes and concentrated on the warmth deep within. A flame flickered there, light in color, hidden deep inside him. Once he located the flame, he stoked it, encouraging it to grow, expand, fueled by his desire to bring the heat to surface. The fire sparked and lengthened, grew until the warmth spread to his chest. 

He focused the heat to travel through his arm to his right hand where his fingers spread open.

He placed his hand on the ice, closed his eyes and concentrated on heating his hand until he felt the solid block beneath his fingers soften. The ice melted beneath his touch. He blinked his eyes to watch the solid turn to liquid.

“Hey,” Pete said, smiling. “That fire-breathing stuff comes in handy sometimes.”

“Shut up.” Rick forced his concentration back to the heat he controlled with his hands. It was a trick he had discovered when he was a teenager. He’d accidentally burned down the shed in their backyard because Rick’s temper flared when he found out that Pete had ‘borrowed’ his bike and returned it with two flat tires.

Since then, he tried to keep his power under wraps, but on occasion and with no one other than Pete or Steph around, Rick tested it. It was like a muscle. To keep it under control, he had to use it from time to time, to maintain his discipline so it wouldn’t flare to the surface without warning one day.

It would be more than embarrassing if he burned someone’s car on the highway if they cut him off. Road rage sent to a whole new level with a guy who could spark flame from his fingertips.

It took some time to melt the ice. There was an entire casket full, but after a while the clothing on the woman’s body became visible.

She wore a long white, velvet gown trimmed with lace and satin. Her hands were folded over her chest with a single rose clasped between her bejeweled fingers. She was elegantly dressed as a woman of nobility and placed with great care before her body was in some way submerged in water and frozen.

Rick wondered if she was someone of importance. A woman lost within the pages of history and time.

The ice near her head melted away revealing a face of rare beauty. Perfect, pale skin with red-rose colored lips. Her midnight black hair cascaded in waves around her face and shoulders, dampened by the melting ice. Matching black eyelashes swept down over her cheeks.

Rick wished he’d known the color of her eyes. As he stared at the woman, a humming began in his blood, a strange sense of familiarity itched in his brain.

Had he seen this woman before?

It was obviously not possible. Perhaps he’d seen a woman with her likeness somewhere. An actress on television or a movie. Or someone in the tabloids.

Pete whistled with appreciation from his elbow.

“I have to admit,” Pete said. “She’s hot for a dead girl.”

Rick rolled his eyes.

“What?” Pete said as if seeing his brother’s reaction. “You don’t think?”

“No,” Rick said. “I admit it. She’s beautiful.”

“More than beautiful. She’s exquisite. Like a porcelain doll. And the way she’s posed in the block of ice.” Pete paused and leaned over her for a closer look. “She reminds me of someone.”

“You, too?” Relief swamped Rick. He wasn’t the only one with this nagging sense of familiarity. “She reminds me of someone, too, but I just can’t place her face.”

“Snow White.”

“What?”

“You know,” Pete sighed. “The fairy tale. Snow White and those dwarfs. Or maybe Sleeping Beauty. I get those two mixed up. There’s a lot of comatose gals in fairy tales.”

“That’s not what I meant,” Rick said, shaking his head. “I meant a real person. Not some imaginary fairy tale girl.”

“Maybe she’s not so imaginary.” Pete waved his head. “Maybe one of us should kiss her.”

“What?”

“Kiss her to break the spell.”

“You’re insane.”

“You never know.”

“Yeah, you’re right. You never know anything. Ever.”

Rick continued to stare at the woman as the ice melted into puddles of water on the stone floor. He eased back the heat in his hands and then folded his arms across his chest.

“I wonder who she was.”

“A princess. Maybe a queen.”

Rick glanced at Pete with a raised eyebrow.

“Well, she must be someone important. Look at the way she’s dressed.” An exact echo of Rick’s earlier thoughts.

Rick bent over the woman, taking in her beauty once more and the deep suspicion he knew her. His gaze swept over her face and form, then fell to the rose. It was a rose in full bloom. Not wilted with age, neglect or natural decay. A rose with full, blood-red petals on a stem laced with sharp thorns.

How could a flower remain in such perfect condition in these types of circumstances?The whole situation seemed incredulous. If Rick hadn’t known better, he’d say this whole thing had been set up as some prank.

He pried the rose away from her cold fingers, taking the flower in his hands to inspect more closely.

“I guess she could be nobility,” Rick said. “But she—”

A gasp stopped him from speaking. The sound came from the woman.

Both Rick and his brother stumbled back a few feet, stopping to stare at the now breathing woman on the remaining block of cracked and melting ice.

“Did she?”

“Yeah, I think.”

Rick tilted his head, staring at the woman’s ample bosom rising and falling with each breath.

Then her black eyelashes flickered across her cheeks, sweeping up to reveal the greenest eyes Rick had ever seen on another human being. They were a deep, vibrant emerald color that appeared almost inhuman and yet so beautiful he couldn’t compare them to anything else.

The woman blinked and took another deep, gasping breath.

The rose fell, forgotten from his fingertips as Rick returned to the woman’s side and knelt beside her.

As soon as her gaze met his, she smiled. Her lips curved and her face brightened with love and warmth and radiance. An electric shock zipped through his arms and legs, settling deep in his chest. Rick knew at that moment he was lost.

“Ashford.” The woman’s voice was like a song of spring. Light, full of hope, happiness and renewal. “You found me.”

AMAZON

Kindle Unlimited Reads #SecondChance #Romance #BookFair

Looking for a Second Chance Romance?

If you like your second chances combined with paranormal, fantasy, sci-fi or contemporary, 

you'll find a book to fall in love with again and again!

Go to BookFair

Royal Masquerade by Carly Carson ~Sweeter Than Chocolate: Valentine's Day Anthology Author Spotlight Interview @Carly_Carson #contemporaryromance #spicyromreads #secondchanceromance

Blurb:

Alessandra is forced to adopt a name that isn’t really hers, when she returns to Austria to claim an inheritance…that isn’t really hers. She’s certain that her Romany grandmother left her the property nestled in the foothills of the Alps.
Raul, heir to the Stirling dukedom, is determined to unmask Alessandra’s masquerade. He knows she’s lying. More importantly, he needs the same property she’s claiming, and he’s sure that his need is more desperate than hers. Because the duke is not all he seems, either.
This battle will be fiercely waged.
Not in a court of law.
But in the hearts of Alessandra and her fairy-tale duke.

  

Where can readers find Royal Masquerade?

Available exclusively in the Sweeter Than Chocolate: Valentine's Day Anthology

Grab your copy today!
Available to read FREE in Kindle Unlimited!

Amazon US: https://amzn.to/2QjJk7X

Universal Link: http://mybook.to/STC

Sweeter than chocolate and hotter than your heart’s desire. 

Celebrate the day of love with sixteen sweet and spicy stories from some of your favorite USA Today and Amazon Bestselling Authors. Brimming with love, passion, and angst, this anthology will satisfy your sweet tooth, set your heart on fire, and leave you yearning for more. 

So tear into your favorite box of Valentine’s Day chocolates, pour a glass of wine, and start reading for some decadent, melt-in-your-mouth Valentine-themed romances.

Author Interview

Hello and welcome, readers! We have Carly Carson here with us today. Carly, Thanks for visiting us.
Thanks for having me.

How long have you been a writer and how did you come to writing? 
I’ve been writing all my life. My cousin and I used to exchange stories we made up via snail mail. I started professional writing when I won an entry in a Harlequin Round Robin writing contest. They asked if I had any submissions anywhere in their office. Sadly, I did not. But I was hooked!

Tell us about your title featured in: Sweeter Than Chocolate: Valentine's Day Anthology.
My title, Royal Masquerade, is part of my series about British dukes.

Blurb: A kingdom of the heart is hard to hold onto…

Alessandra adopts a name that isn't really hers, when she returns to Austria to claim an inheritance...that isn't really hers. She must claim her Romany grandmother’s property, which is all that’s left of her family and her childhood.

Raul, heir to the Stirling dukedom, must unmask Alessandra's masquerade. Because he needs the same property she's claiming, and his need is more desperate. Because the duke is not all he seems, either. 

The battle will be fiercely waged. 
Not in a court of law.
But in the hearts of Alessandra and her fairy-tale duke.

How did you come up with the storyline? 
I had already started a series about British dukes. I’ve always been interested in marginalized people, and how they retain their cultures, so I knew I wanted to incorporate the Romany people, which required me to move the story to Europe. Then I love to ski, so I thought it would be fun to include a bit of that sport. And voila! Royal Masquerade was born.

What inspires you to write? 
I’m inspired by my love of romance. I want everyone to have a happily ever after, which I can at least achieve in my books, if not in real life!

What is your favorite genre to read? 
I read most every romance genre, but my favorites are contemporary, military, and romantic suspense. 

What would you say is the one thing you are most passionate about outside of writing? 
Of course, the number one thing is my family. But who wouldn’t say that? I do love to travel, whether it’s hopping in the car for a day trip to an unknown destination, or a carefully planned holiday someplace exotic. I have to be busy on my vacations, preferring to see all the sights, rather than relaxing on a sunny beach. I’m truly passionate about seeking out gorgeous scenery, and wildlife.

When you are not writing, what do you like to do? 
I love to read, of course. I love many sports like all paddle sports, skiing, exercise classes, swimming, etc. I’m a big board game enthusiast. I love traveling and entertaining, and being with friends and family.

Tell us about your other books.
Duke of Devonwood is the first in my series of books about British dukes. Sparks fly as Miranda plots to gain control of her inheritance from a modern day Duke who tries his best to resist her wiles.

Let’s see. If you like military romance, I have Taken by a Navy SEAL: A Navy SEAL follows the rules. A desperate American woman, his accidental captive, must break them.

If you like billionaires, I’ve written a few books in that genre, including Seduced by the Billionaire: To save her sister, a sexy businesswoman accepts a mysterious, high-paying job with a hot business tycoon. But he thinks he’s hired a new mistress. 

Also in the contemporary genre, I have several shorter novels/novellas with a touch of paranormal which are known as the Love Charm series. A group of young women friends are each, in turn, gifted by a fortuneteller with a silver bean to use in a love charm. Can each of them find what she seeks, even if the right choice is well hidden?

Where can readers find you?
Website: https://www.carlycarson.com/
Newsletter: https://landing.mailerlite.com/webforms/landing/i6p3y6
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/carly.carson
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Carly-Carson/e/B004ARV2EW/
Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/carly-carson
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/2853943.Carly_Carson
Twitter: http://twitter.com/Carly_Carson

About the Author: 
Carly is a contemporary romance author, who will never marry into the British nobility, as she is already happily married to Traveling Man. But there’s nothing wrong with a little fantasy in one’s life, right? She has three children, who provide a daily dose of reality, even though they are almost perfect (just ask them!) Carly loves hearing from her readers.

Perfect Stranger by Roxy Matthews ~Sweeter Than Chocolate: Valentine's Day Anthology Author Spotlight Interview @AuthorRoxy #contemporaryromance #secondchance #spicyromreads

Blurb:

Learning to live after loss hasn’t been easy for Pam Mason. So when her best friend sets her up with a ‘New Year, New You’ adventure, Pam isn’t convinced it’s what she needs.
That is until a perfect stranger’s indifference sparks a flame inside her, one that tears down her defenses and melts his chilled heart. 
Together they can build happy memories, if only they can get past their volatile one.

  

Where can readers find Perfect Stranger?

Available exclusively in the Sweeter Than Chocolate: Valentine's Day Anthology

Grab your 99cent pre-order copy!

Amazon US: https://amzn.to/2QjJk7X

Universal Link: http://mybook.to/STC

Sweeter than chocolate and hotter than your heart’s desire. 

Celebrate the day of love with sixteen sweet and spicy stories from some of your favorite USA Today and Amazon Bestselling Authors. Brimming with love, passion, and angst, this anthology will satisfy your sweet tooth, set your heart on fire, and leave you yearning for more. 

So tear into your favorite box of Valentine’s Day chocolates, pour a glass of wine, and start reading for some decadent, melt-in-your-mouth Valentine-themed romances.

Author Interview

Hello and welcome, readers! We have Roxy Matthews here with us today. Roxy, thanks for visiting us.
Thank you for having me. 

How long have you been a writer and how did you come to writing?
Of course, I grew with an intoxicating desire for books, as most authors do. Not only did I live through reading the stories, but in penning my own. I was close to ten when I started work on my first book. Of course, back then it was just a bunch of lined paper folded in half, but it meant so much to me to sit in that open pavilion on a wooden picnic table, a pencil in one hand, an eraser in the other, my imagination on fire. But, sadly, it fizzled away until I was in my early twenties, when I finally sat down once more, this time with a notebook and pen, never to let that fire be doused again. 

Tell us about your title featured in: Sweeter Than Chocolate: Valentine's Day Anthology.
Perfect Stranger is a story of two troubled souls, who after just one volatile meeting change each other’s lives. Pam Mason, tortured by the death of her husband, had forgotten how to live. With the help of her best friend, Pam is set on a ‘New Year, New You’ path that leads her to Doctor Thorpe’s couch and his lack of compassion. Michael Thorpe, traumatized from being dragged through the mud by his ex, was about to lose his standing in the medical field until Pam Mason tears him a new one. With forces beyond their control at work, the two find their way through their pasts to a future that promises beautiful memories.

How did you come up with the storyline?
In all honesty, it started as a RomCom, with three blind dates and was meant to revolve around those dates with Doctor Thorpe being the final one. 
Enter ‘Knight in Shining Armor’. Perfect, right?
Nope, because Pam was not on board with her terrible dates being aired out to the public, and Michael Thorpe was not playing nice. So, my plans had to change because both had issues they needed to work through and refused to follow with my comedic approach.

What inspires you to write?
This question always befuddles me because I don’t actually need to be inspired to write. I just do it. Daily. You know when you have something running through your head over and over and over, that you just have to get it out? That’s how writing is for me. Everyday my mind is going, and in all that noise of work, life, bills, and stress, voices come through. Voices that refuse to quiet, stories that demand my attention, unwilling to budge until I put those words to keys. 

What is your favorite genre to read?
I absolutely love Dark Fantasy and Romantic Suspense, give me some good Horror, Psychological or otherwise, and I am popcorn deep, my toes hidden under a blanket from the ghosties. 

What would you say is the one thing you are most passionate about outside of writing?
Easy one, my babies and grandbabies. Just those darn smiles from any of them is enough to melt my heart and turn me to goo.

When you are not writing, what do you like to do?
Bahaha. What? You mean there’s time to do anything other than work and write? I seriously need to watch a webinar on this one. 

Tell us about your other books.
Well, I have nine other pieces and considering I love to cross genre and genre hop, they are a mix. I have one short story collection which is more macabre, titled ‘From the Depths’. A novelette, ‘Hypno-Planticus’ of Sci/Fi origin, another Sci/Fi mixed with Fantasy is my novella, ‘Holiday Resistance’.  My Romantic Suspense endeavor is a five-book series, Pale Bay Treasures. And to finish, a Dark Fantasy three-book series I am currently working on. The first installment, Fame Nor Fortune is live, it’s sequel Dead Nor Alive is currently underway.

Where can readers find you?
Plenty of places actually, which I’ll list below, but a google search of my penname, Roxy Matthews, will find plenty of resources throughout my career. 
Here are just a few…
https://www.amazon.com/-/e/B0741VZ4V4
https://bluebaloo79.wixsite.com/roxymatthewsauthor
https://www.facebook.com/YouWillLoveMyBooks
https://twitter.com/AuthorRoxy
https://www.amazon.com/Roxy-Matthews/e/B0741VZ4V4/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/roxy-matthews-a5849a114/
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/17060600.Roxy_Matthews
http://roxymatthews.allauthor.com/
https://www.bookbub.com/profile/roxy-matthews

About the Author: 
Roxy Matthews, a member of the Silverleaf Writers Guild, is a multi-genre, self-published author of full length novels, novellas, and short story collections. In 2018 she was named one of Canada's Best Writers of the Year by Polar Expressions Publishing.
Her work has been featured in Suspense Magazine and several anthologies, including ‘The Way Through’ by Polar Expressions Publishing, The Charmed Writers Flash Fiction Anthology 2019, and Naughty Night's Press' Sweeter Than Chocolate: Valentine's Day Anthology.