Monthly Archives: November 2022

Author Spotlight, WOTR Event

#WOTR23 #AttendingAuthor #Spotlight – Kate Hawthorne

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Kate Hawthorne

Tell us your name and then a bit about yourself.

My name is Kate Hawthorne and I write steamy and angsty gay romance. I also write spicy sapphic romance as Nikki Markham. I’m southern California born and raised, but I’ve been living in Kentucky for the past three years. I have a doting husband, a wild six year old, and a lazy senior Jack Russell. I love coffee, wine, funyuns, and dark chocolate, though not at the same time.

When you are writing a book, which is harder? The first book in the series or the others after it?

All my series really standalone, so it’s not like I’m trying to carry one specific couple through more than one book…but that said, the latter books are ALWAYS harder because it’s more people and more events to keep track of!

When writing a series how do you keep things fresh, for both your readers and also yourself?

I like to twist tropes, but not subvert them. Even if I’m recycling tropes sometimes (which, there’s only. so many) I try to come at them from different backstories and new angles so the stories don’t read similar to anything I’ve done before. I think that each character and couple are different from the ones who’ve come before them, so their stories will be different too.

Writing can be an emotionally draining and stressful pursuit. Any tips for aspiring writers?

It’s all about finding a balance. You can’t write all the time. You can’t be on social media all the time. You can’t outline all the time. It’s a lot of trial and error to find out what works best for you and your schedule. Some people have 4 hours a day to write, some people have 30 minutes. The best advice I can give is don’t compare YOUR process or progress to anyone else. Make sure it serves you and go from there.

On a typical day, how much time do you spend writing?

At least 2 hours, sometimes more. I try to get at least a chapter down before lunch but it doesn’t always work out.

Do you have a favorite character that you have written? If so, who? And what makes them so special.

Rhys St. George from my Two Truths and a Lie series is my favorite. He has the most amazing redemption arc across the three books in that series. Rhys goes from being the villainous ex-boyfriend to the controlling older brother to FINALLY the man who deserves some of his own happiness. He’s based on my very best friend who was very much flawed and perfect all at once, and I’ve infused Rhys with all of that energy too. Rhys is calculating and manipulative, but he doesn’t do anything that won’t benefit the people he loves, even if they don’t see it at first. He is the most selfless character I’ve ever written.

If any of your books were to be made into a movie, who are the celebrities that would star in it? What book and who?

I COULD NEVER CHOOSE. This is so horribly unfair. I plead the fifth.

What is your definition of success?

Honestly, as long as I out earn what it cost me to produce a book, I’m happy. My definition of success is based much more around the impact I have on other people’s lives. When readers reach out to thank me for the topics I cover in my stories or the kind of representation I put on the page, that means just as much to me as meeting my bottom line.

Do you have anything you want to share that didn’t fit on one of these questions?

I have novellas available for free on my website:
http://www.katehawthornebooks.com/freebies

They all tie into existing books, but can also be fun standalone reads.

What are your social links?

Newsletter – http://www.katehawthornebooks.com/extra
Facebook – http://facebook.com/katehawthornebooks
Facebook Group – http://facebook.com/groups/hawthornesharem
Twitter – http://twitter.com/katewriteswords
Insta – http://instagram.com/kate.hawthorne
Tiktok – http://tiktok.com/@katehawthornebooks
Amazon – http://author.to/katehawthorne

What are your buy links? (Provide links to your Amazon/iBook’s/Koko/etc Author Home Page if you have quite a few. Also include audible links if applicable.)

Website – http://www.katehawthornebooks.com
Amazon – http://author.to/katehawthorne

Want tickets to Writers on the River #2023?

They are available starting November 4th at Writersontheriver.com

$45 VIP sell out quickly – 12-1 VIP hour, 1-4 General Admission time. You get a filled VIP bag and admission to the after party is included.

$25 Early Access – 12-1 VIP house, 1-4 General Admission time. You also get a filled VIP bag but NO admission to the after party.

$10 General Admission – 1-4 General Admission time. You can purchase a bag but it is not filled with VIP swag. There is no admission to the after party included.

$35 After party – 7-11 After Party with food and cash bar. Dj with a photobooth is also included in the fun.

Uncategorized

#Series – The Broadway Series by Allie York

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The Broadway Series is relaunching with new titles and gorgeous new covers! Allie York brings you five steamy, suspenseful romance reads with everything from single parents and secret admirers, to surprise babies and more – all in one heartwarming series.

Chance

Business owner and aspiring novelist, Jovie, doesn’t have time or energy for romance until it crashes into her in the form of a poodle and its sexy British owner, Ewan.

Change

Thirteen years ago, Lydia let her son’s father walk away without knowing the truth. Now, Jacob is back and he’s fighting for their family while she battles her heart.

Chase

Down on her luck, Harriet packs a bag and hops on a bus, traveling across the to the one friend she knows she can turn to. With a failed engagement, a sick mother and a party-boy brother, most of Brigg’s life is a blur. Until he sees her.

Choose

Single mom, Cori, believes that men only bring misery to her life. Then, she meets Griffin, a single father who had no idea he was a dad until social services dropped a five year old girl in his lap.

Cherish

Meredith isn’t looking for someone to save, especially when she’s trying to save herself and the new life growing inside her, but something about Beck pulls her in.

Tropes:

Chance: Single Dad, Romantic Suspense

Change: Surprise Baby, Secret Baby, Student/Teacher, Single Parent, Second Chance

Chase: Secret Admirer

Choose: Single Mom, Single Dad, Romantic Suspense

Cherish: May/December Romance, Accidental Pregnancy, Secret Baby

Goodreads

Amazon

Allie is a mom and dog groomer by day. At night she is posted at her laptop writing or reading in a cozy corner. She has a soft spot for gooey romance, over-creamed coffee, and anything cute and furry.

You can visit on Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/authorallieyork/

Or keep up with her books on Good Reads:

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/15726793.Allie_York

Website:

https://www.ayorkwrites.com/

Author Spotlight, WOTR Event

#WOTR23 #AttendingAuthor #Spotlight- Jen Talty

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Jen Talty

Jen Talty

Tell us your name and then a bit about yourself.

Jen Talty. I write Contemporary Romance, Romantic Suspense, and I’ve also written a couple of Paranormal Novellas. I love heroes who are a bit broken and rough around the edges. Heroines who are strong but also have a vulnerable side. I love to use settings and often write about places I’ve been or have lived. Two of my go-to locations are Lake George and South Flordia. The latter is my current residense. I’m a mom of three and I started writing when my kids were playing hockey. With three in travel I spent a lot of time in rinks while my kids trained. Now that I’m an empty nester, I much prefer writing pool side. It’s a bit warmer. My oldest daughter is in medical school. My middle boy just got married and my youngest son is engaged. I have five fur grandbabies. Outside of writing I enjoy boating, pickleball, and walking with my husband.

When you are writing a book, which is harder? The first book in the series or the others after it?

Oh. That’s a good question! They all have their challenges. The first one is hard because I have to create the world. I have to find all the people. Understand how they fit. Am I writing a family? What are their dynamics? Where do they all live? How do they interact with the townspeople. More importantly, how much of this do I need to feed the reader in the beginning or even in that first book. I spend a lot of time developing the world before I even start developing the story. But the second book is hard because I have to remember the details of what went into the first book. What secondary characters did I use and how did I use them? What townspeople and how did I describe them? What businesses? What where the details of the story? It gets even tricker with books three, four, and so on because I might be drawing on characters I haven’t used in a couple of books and I need to know the details. So, in order to keep track of those things I keep what is called a bible for the series. In this I track important details about each story. So, I guess my answer is they are all equally hard.

When writing a series how do you keep things fresh, for both your readers and also yourself?

I rely on my gut. If it feels like I’ve done it before, then I stand up and walk away from my computer. I go for a walk. I call a friend and talk it out. I read. Or I watch television. Anything to clear my mind so I can go back to it with a different perspective. But I also make sure I plot the series. I know before I start book one what each book is going to be about.

Writing can be an emotionally draining and stressful pursuit. Any tips for aspiring writers?

It’s a job. Yes. Pieces of you will bleed onto the page. But it’s still your job and you have to treat it that way.

On a typical day, how much time do you spend writing?

I work every day. If I’m not writing, I’m doing something else related to my job as a writer, so it’s hard to say. In general I work a 40-60 hour work week. The majority of that time is spent writing when I’m on deadline.

Do you have a favorite character that you have written? If so, who? And what makes them so special.

I always the character I’m writing right now. But truthfully, my first hero I every wrote: Jared Blake from IN TWO WEEKS. I think because I spent so much time with him and his heroine and on that book.

If any of your books were to be made into a movie, who are the celebrities that would star in it? What book and who?

That would be like asking me which is my favorite child! LOL. Too many too choose from. But Okay. I’ll play. Let’s do Legacy of Lies. It’s a Romantic Suspense Novel. It’s a bit twisted. I’d want Emma Stone and Miles Teller to play hero and Heroine. I’d want Edward Norton to play the bad guy!

What is your definition of success?

Readers reading my books. Readings talking about my books. It’s always about the readers. Without them, I just don’t exist.

 What are your social links?

Bookbub
https://www.bookbub.com/authors/jen-talty

FACEBOOK- the Talty Crew
https://www.facebook.com/groups/191706547909047/

GOODREADS
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/2899568.Jen_Talty

INSTAGRAM
https://instagram.com/jen_talty

TWITTER
https:/twitter.com/jentalty

Facebook personal
https://www.facebook.com/JenTaltyRomanceAuthor

Facebook Author
https://www.facebook.com/AuthorJenTalty/

Pinterest
https://www.pinterest.com/jentalty/

Newsletter signup
https://dl.bookfunnel.com/od3icplesg

What are your buy links? (Provide links to your Amazon/iBook’s/Koko/etc Author Home Page if you have quite a few. Also include audible links if applicable.)

https://amazon.com/author/jentalty
https://www.kobo.com/us/en/search?query=jen+talty
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/jen%20talty
https://jentalty.com

Want tickets to Writers on the River #2023?

They are available starting November 4th at Writersontheriver.com

$45 VIP sell out quickly – 12-1 VIP hour, 1-4 General Admission time. You get a filled VIP bag and admission to the after party is included.

$25 Early Access – 12-1 VIP house, 1-4 General Admission time. You also get a filled VIP bag but NO admission to the after party.

$10 General Admission – 1-4 General Admission time. You can purchase a bag but it is not filled with VIP swag. There is no admission to the after party included.

$35 After party – 7-11 After Party with food and cash bar. Dj with a photobooth is also included in the fun.

New Release

#NewRelease – Kiss You Back by Mel Walker

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Popular girl, Kennedy Myers made one mistake in high school – she chose the wrong boy. If only her nerdy friend, Elijah Stevenson would have told her how he felt, maybe things could have been different. Ten years later, the Spring Hills High School reunion gives them a chance to face their regrets. Will they get a second chance, or will it be just another missed connection? Readers who enjoy swoony reads will love Kiss You Back by Mel Walker, a second chance, friends-to-lovers, small town romance.

Read Now!

Love Doesn’t Come with an Expiration Date Kennedy Myers was the queen of Spring Hills High School: beauty pageant champ, head cheerleader, and the most popular girl in school. She only made one mistake—she said yes to the wrong boy. Elijah Stevenson was the resident nerd at Spring Hills High. Convention said he should have never been friends with someone like Kennedy Myers. He hid in the shadows and avoided the spotlight, which was where she thrived. Not wanting to risk their friendship, Elijah watched as she ran off with the boy he knew wouldn’t love her the way he did. The Spring Hills Ten-Year High School reunion gives them both an opportunity to revisit the point in their life which they both hold with regret. Will the reunion allow them a second chance or will it be just another missed connection?

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Excerpt

Copyright 2022 Mel Walker

I climb off the bike and begin to walk with it toward the edge of the water when movement to my right causes me to turn. It’s a person, and I nearly jump. “Kennedy?” He stares at me with a surprised look that must match mine. “Elijah? What…” I don’t complete the sentence. Words aren’t necessary. We both know why. My eyes scan over his shoulder to his rental car from this afternoon, backed into the woods and camouflaged by the trees. On the ground in front of it is a blanket, a bottle of beer, a half-eaten sandwich, and a book. Of course, a book. “I don’t want to disturb you…” I mutter, feeling like an intruder. There are a thousand hidden roads outside of town, but only one both Elijah and I claim, and I had to decide to visit this one the same night he returned to town. What could this mean? He hops to his feet, striding toward me. He’s changed outfits, now sporting a comfortable aqua polo shirt and khaki shorts. He’s barefoot, his sandals placed to the side of the blanket. His hazel eyes lock on me, and I feel like I’m in a tractor beam of a spaceship, unable to move. He reaches me in three long strides, a look of determination in his body but vulnerability in his voice. “Please. Stay.” I have no defense for his words. Before I take another breath, he slips his hands into mine and doesn’t move. He stares at me like I’m a dream—as if I’m a prize. No one has looked at me like that in years. Surely this close, he must see the broken pieces in front of him. “I thought the sunset would be the most beautiful thing I hoped to see this evening.” He squeezes my hand slightly. “Once again, you’ve proven me wrong.” He leans in, and a woodsy and citrus scent from a recent shower fill my nostrils. His words are so different, so daring from the quiet boy years ago, yet the look remains the same. He’s finally able to enunciate the words he’s always held back from me. I close my eyes and prepare, hoping he’ll reward me in our own special way. His warm lips land on the tip of my nose. “Kiss you.” His voice catches as the words stretch to fill the silence. I sway on my heels, his gentle pull the only thing keeping me from falling. My eyes open, no longer surprised to find his gaze locked on me, examining me. This is no longer the boy who backs down, who walks away. His gaze lowers to my lips, which part with a soft exhale. We are too close for the shadows to hide him mouthing the words oh my god. Help us both. I’m not sure how exactly we fell into this deadly greeting, but nothing in the world gets my heart beating like this. Every single time. I feel like I’m on a tightrope walking a thin cable while a storm whips around us. Every single time, I expect to fall. Every single time I nearly do. I end this torture by pressing my lips to the tip of his nose. I linger longer than I ever have before, only the burn in my calves causing me to lower. The bottom of my lower lip brushes against the top of his upper one. A spark races through my body, and another audible sigh escapes my mouth. “Kiss… you back.” I avoid his gaze, landing on his Adam’s apple as he takes a long gulp. “Like minds,” he says and juts his chin toward his blanket. I follow him, our hands still intertwined as one. Mason’s Trail was Elijah’s go-to spot back in high school. At least twice a week, he’d hide out here away from the world. The first time he brought me here was junior year. Getting to know Elijah is a process. It takes a long while to earn his trust and for him to lower his barriers, but once he does, you have a permanent place in his fortress. We’ve only been here together maybe a dozen times in the final two years of high school, but I always think of this place as our place, not his, not mine. “I was out for a ride, and the bike just turned down the road,” I say as we slip down to a large red-and-black plaid blanket. My visit to the women’s center is just another secret I keep from him. He tilts his head in my direction, a sexy half smirk on his beautiful face. “Did you come for the sunset or me?

About Mel Walker

Mel Walker has been writing fiction most of his adult life. Specializing in Short Stories and Contemporary fiction and Romance Novels. A native New Yorker and life-long frustrated NY Mets fan. He loves to write about ordinary people placed in difficult situations, especially as it relates to their closest relationships. Mel Walker is a rare bird, the male romance author. Specializing in heartfelt small town romance, he enjoys telling compelling romances with all the feels. A native New Yorkers and life-long frustrated NY Mets fan, he enjoys long walks, bike rides and taking in the energy of the city.

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Mafia

#WOTR23 #Mafia #audio #RomanticSuspense – Tangled in Texas books 1-3 by Alison Bliss

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Tangled in Texas

Rules of Protection, Book 1- 
It’s rule breaker Emily Foster’s birthday, and like everyone at The Jungle Room, she just wants to get some action. Unfortunately, she stumbles on the wrong kind, witnessing a mob hit. To protect her, she’s entered into the Witness Protection Program with by-the-book Special Agent Jake Ward as her chaperone.

When the location of their safe house is compromised, Jake stashes Emily deep in the Texas backwoods. The city-girl might be safe from the Mafia, but she has to contend with a psychotic rooster, a narcoleptic dog, crazy cowboys, and the danger of losing her heart to the one man she can’t have.

Jake’s as hot as he is infuriating, and she can’t help but push all his buttons to loosen him up. Their mutual, sizzling sexual attraction poses a dilemma: Jake’s determined to keep her safe and out of the wrong hands; she’s determined to get into the right ones—his.

Each book in the Tangled in Texas series is a standalone, full-length story that can be enjoyed out of order.

Playing with Fire, Book 2-

Nothing ignites a fire like the perfect match…

Anna Weber is every inch the proper librarian–old-fashioned, conservatively dressed right down to her tightly clipped flaming red hair. She’s just moved to a small Texas town, and is determined to spend time with her friend before she has to disappear. Relationships aren’t easy for her. She knows too well what it means to be burned. And the last thing she ever wants to do is fall in love…

Especially not with a fireman who’s hot enough to set the entire state of Texas on fire.

Cowboy can’t resist the fiery little librarian, and he’s determined to make her his. Beneath that prim-and-proper exterior is a woman he very much wants to know–if she’d let him. She’ll test his patience. His control. Hell, his very sanity. And for the first time, Cowboy wonders if he’s found the one fire he can’t control…

Law of Attraction, Book 3-

For single mom Bobbie Jo Weston, finding a husband is not on her to-do list. She’s focused on turning a run-down chicken farm into a Bed & Breakfast. She agrees to let a friend’s nephew stay with her in exchange for his handyman skills, but she wasn’t counting on the super sexy Seth Landry being that guy.

Seth has a special skill-set, all right, but it has nothing to do with hammering nails. As a retired member of The Resistance—an elite group of ex-military soldiers—his dark, unsettling past haunts him. He needs a place to lay low, and an out-of-the-way B&B is nothing short of perfect. The blonde beauty doesn’t trust men, and he doesn’t plan on sticking around long enough to change her mind.

The closer they get, the more they can’t seem to keep their hands off each other. And while Bobbie holds on to her fear of watching another man walk out of their lives, Seth’s mere presence has put them all in jeopardy. The only way to ever be free of his dangerous past is for him to accept one last mission…

Goodreads

Amazon

Review by Twinsie Angie

Book 1 –

I received this book from the author for an honest review.
Two author friends, who go by the name Elizabeth Hayley, tagged me on Facebook about possibly reading their friends new book. Hey, I love those ladies and their books crack me up so if THEY are in love with someone then I will love them too, Right?? I reached out to the author and asked for an advanced copy. OMG am I glad I did. I was laughing soooo hard at some many different lines in the book. I was even texting my friend/blogger/bestie Melinda with lines saying “you have gotta read this book”……
So this story begins with our main character at the bar with her besties Gina and Dale celebrating her birthday. She sees a hottie checking her out but decides against it. She strolls to the bathroom when said hottie finds her annnnd is not so hot….more slimey gross. Well she tries to shake him but he won’t take the hint so a Southern Gentleman plays the part of her “boyfriend” to make slime ball take the hint. Well another situation arises and Mr. Southern Gentleman needs her help again so she ends up lip locking him AGAIN!!!! Well Gina and Dale dare our girl to follow Mr. Southern Gentleman down the hallway to jump his bones but instead she sees slime ball getting killed. Well she runs and gets attacked by Jake, the Southern Gentleman but escapes him. She goes to the police station to report the murder but GASP Mr. Southern Gentleman appears and GASP he is a FEDERAL AGENT!!!!
SOOO Jake and our newly named Emily go into the Witness Protection to help take down Slime Balls killer. Well the chemistry between the two is awesome and she pretty much pouts and offers a no strings attached night but dang it if the bad guys don’t find them. So Jake and Emily go off radar. Jake is hiding Emily without the FBI’s approval. He takes her in to Deliverance country to hide out with his family. They are supposed to be boyfriend/girlfriend…… Which is news to Emily because they fight NONSTOP!!! Which makes the book insanely funny and fullllllll of sexual tension.
So while hiding out Emily and Jake fight over her jealousy of his ex, his jealousy of her flirting, her not being able to be domestic at all, him being overly alpha at every turn of the second hand on your watch, her only thinking about herself, him not taking her feelings into consideration, and on and on and on!! Now sometimes when I read a book like this I am like “seriously, enough already” but not once in this entire novel did I feel bored with them. I was in love with the characters and the story. I was shocked at how fast I flew through this book. I was so busy reading that when I hit 45% I was stunned and then next thing I knew I was at 88%. I mean WHERE DID IT GO!!! The story was just flying by and I wanted to know what would happened but I didn’t want the story to end.
The epilogue made me really happy and laught a lot. The epilogue had everything about the story you wanted to know…like about the boys, the ex, Junior, Henry and Floss and the rest of the town you have come to love.
The story has so many twist and turns. It is soo full of sexual innuendo and sexual chemistry. I yelled at both characters while also yelling with them at the other person. I have to tell you I CANNOT wait for more from this author and this series.

Book 2-

I received this book from the author for an honest review.
OK SO I freaking love this author. Her books crack me up. Her characters are loveable and at the same time you wanna smack them or kick them for being total jacka$$es. Now this is book 2 of the series but you don’t have to have read book 1 to understand but if you missed book 1, you will soooo wanna read it after reading this one.
We met Cowboy in book 1 when he was giving Jake a hard time about Emily. We loved his charm and flirty ways so I was really excited to finally get his book. He is suuuuch a “love ‘em and leave ‘em” guy that we can’t believe he has eyes for the uptight librarian. I mean I love Anna but she is a total shy, nerdy girl that everyone sees but doesn’t really see. Well Anna has had eyes for Cowboy for EVER but knew he never SAW her. When he does see her, she is floored and thinks he is looking for a notch on his bet. When she turns him does, he is FLOORED. Cowboy gets what he wants UNTIL Anna.
Anna is hiding in plain sight from Cowboy but also from her dark past. She won’t be in town for long but wanted to connect with her friend Bobbie Jo. Cowboy and Anna begin a dance of will they or wont they. Cowboy is all about claiming her but then freaks out about her innocents. Anna is all about keeping her guard but then Cowboy kisses her and BOOM forgets her hatred of him…..some seriously funny scenes are when she is yelling at him using “big words”…..
I loved these characters and I love the twists and turns regarding who is stalking Anna. I am really excited about who I think the next book will be abut. I really hope its Bobbie Jo because she really needs her own HEA after all that “germy” has done to her.

Book 3-

I received this book from the publisher via NetGalley for an honest review.

GUUURL!! Bobbie Jo you know I was not your friend in Book 1 right?? You know I was plotting with Emily to have some disfiguring accident happen or that you would get run over by Flossy’s tractor?? Something bad would happen!! THEN, like Emily, I warmed to you and saw the real you…not the superficial one that everyone else sees. The more I read about you and being a single mom, the more I felt bad for being so awful to you. I have been PATIENTLY waiting for this book….for your book because if ANYONE needs an HEA, it is YOU!!

Bobbie Jo has had a DRY SPELL…..no play since her little accident with her sperm donors little gift was received. So, she has finally decided to give a one night stand a try. When she spies a tall glass of water she is hopeful he can help her out buuuut as usual Jeremy screws that up or did he???? After yet another confrontation Bobbie Jo and said tall glass of water start to get hot and heavy and he walks away?? WHU??????

Bobbie is like PFFT with men and that is when her life changes forever….ya see Mr. Tall Glass of Water happens to turn up at her door and is her new Guest Boarder at her house…yes friends que to intense sexual chemistry!! Oh yeah Mr. Tall Glass of Water just happens to be Bobbie Jo’s boss’ nephews, Seth. Seems Seth needs to settle for a few weeks and clear his head.

Seth is like WTF when he sees Bobbie. He is then super confused when he is thinking his summer of clearing BOTH his brain will include a little bed hopping with Bobbie when he little Boy, Austin, comes home. Seth kinda freaks but sees how the 2 adore each other. Plus Austin us a super cool little kid!!!

So Bobbie and Seth have come to an “understanding” of no sex because she is his boss wile he is doing repairs on her farm…friends we ALL know that is so not gonna last. THE CHEMSITRY is crazy and then when he think they WILL…cock blocked …then we think they might and again more tension. Lets just say when they finally do…its was on like Donkey Kong!!

Now as we are beginning to see hearts growing and love forming, Seth’s past comes back and causes trouble as does Bobbie Jo’s sperm donor. This causes all kinds of complications for the two. They are so confused over what to do and what to say at times that that further causes issues.
So my favorite part of the book is when Seth gives Bobbie Jo a certain code word. Now I cant tell you the code word because when they pick the code words it was hilarious as hell but when he uses it……Lump in my throat friends….huge lump.

I have got to say, I loved this story. I loved seeing everyone together again and the epilogue was THE ABSOLUTE BEST EVER!!! It ties everything together for all the characters in the series.

Alison Bliss is a best-selling, award-winning author of humorous, contemporary romances. A born and raised Texan, she currently resides in the Midwest with her husband and her two kids. The youngest of five girls, she has never turned down a challenge or been called by the right name. Alison believes the best way to know if someone is your soul mate is by canoeing with them because if you both make it back alive, it’s obviously meant to be. She enjoys writing fun, steamy love stories with heart, heat, and laughter. Something she calls, “Romance…with a sense of humor.”

Author Spotlight, WOTR Event

#WOTR23 #AttendingAuthor #Spotlight – Jamie K. Schmidt

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Jamie K. Schmidt

Tell us your name and then a bit about yourself.

Hi! I’m Jamie K. Schmidt. I’m a three time USA Today bestselling author. I write steamy paranormal and contemporary romances. In the past year, I’ve lost 143 lbs from weight loss surgery and it’s been a crazy long road. I wrote a non fiction book about the experience called Losing It.

When you are writing a book, which is harder? The first book in the series or the others after it?

The others after it. I always forget names and little details, so I have to keep detailed notes on the books and the characters.

When writing a series how do you keep things fresh, for both your readers and also yourself?

I write two or more books at a time so if I get stuck on one, I’ll work on the other.

Writing can be an emotionally draining and stressful pursuit. Any tips for aspiring writers?

Find like minded writers, either online or in person. Spend some time chatting on zoom or going away for a weekend together to plot, write, and just connect.

On a typical day, how much time do you spend writing?

An hour or so, sometimes more.

Do you have a favorite character that you have written? If so, who? And what makes them so special.

My favorite character I’ve written is in my upcoming release A Cowboy for Merry. Merry Grayson is one of the wild Grayson sisters and she’s one of the first women to ride a bucking bronc in her rodeo division.

If any of your books were to be made into a movie, who are the celebrities that would star in it? What book and who?

In A Cowboy for Merry, Simon would be played by Karl Urban. And Merry would be played by Kylie Rogers.

What is your definition of success?

Making the New York Times bestseller list someday.

 What are your social links?

https://www.tiktok.com/@jamiekschmidt, https://www.instagram.com/jamiekswriter/

What are your buy links? (Provide links to your Amazon/iBook’s/Koko/etc Author Home Page if you have quite a few. Also include audible links if applicable.)

Want tickets to Writers on the River #2023?

They are available starting November 4th at Writersontheriver.com

$45 VIP sell out quickly – 12-1 VIP hour, 1-4 General Admission time. You get a filled VIP bag and admission to the after party is included.

$25 Early Access – 12-1 VIP house, 1-4 General Admission time. You also get a filled VIP bag but NO admission to the after party.

$10 General Admission – 1-4 General Admission time. You can purchase a bag but it is not filled with VIP swag. There is no admission to the after party included.

$35 After party – 7-11 After Party with food and cash bar. Dj with a photobooth is also included in the fun.

Uncategorized

#WOTR23 #RomanticSuspense #SeriesStarter – Being Nobody, Witness Series Book 1 by H. D’Agostino

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Being Nobody (Witness, #1)

Samantha Connelly has been on the run since she was seven years old. Forced into Witness Protection after her father saw something he shouldn’t has caused her to learn to blend in. She’s moved, changed her name, and her appearance more times than she can count over the last nineteen years all along wondering if it will ever end. Her handler, Kevin, along with her parents have assured her that it won’t be forever, but as the years tick by she’s slowly given up hope that she’ll ever be normal.

Now at 26, Sam has moved to Chicago and is working at the Rusty Nail as a bartender calling herself Mallory. Her father passed away two years before leaving her to finish what he started…put away the ‘bad guys’. Living on the run in hiding has been harder than she ever imagined, and finding love has always been out of the question. Who would want to be with someone they couldn’t be honest with? She’s resigned herself to being alone, until… Brian walks in.

Brian Sellers is everything Sam has been trying to avoid her entire life. He’s clad in leather and torn jeans, donning several tattoos… all-in-all a bad boy. When their eyes connect one evening, everything she’s ever told herself falls to the wayside as an indescribable draw pulls her to him. He’s sexy and domineering, and something about him reminds her of a boy she used to know.

The more time she spends with Brian, the more she wants him, but…Brian is not everything he seems to be. When Sam happens to see the tat on his wrist, the same tat that her father saw all those years ago, she realizes she’s flirting with the enemy. Brian has no idea that he’s hanging out with the one girl his boss wants dead.

Can Sam hide her identity from the first man she’s had real feelings for? What will Brian do when he finds out who she really is? Can love really conquer all?

Being Nobody is the first book in The Witness series.


Goodreads

Amazon

I was lucky to beta read this for the author and offer an honest review.

I fell in love with this author reading her Shattered Series. I love that dynamics she builds with her characters. I love that she can weave a story and get you completely and utterly hooked and then *BOOM* lowers the bomb and leaves you screaming at her….yup that is what I did! I emailed her and was all shouty capsing her about this book!! I will say that she DID give me a spoiler for the next book because I MAY or MAY NOT(not denying or confirming) have threatened her with bodily injury!! LOL

So this book is a new venture for our author. She is stepping outside of her comfort zone and is writing a new series/genera. I will even say that the sex was a little bit hotter in this book too!!! *wink* Mallory aka Sam is hiding from the drug dealers who her dad testified against. The family went into the Witness Protection until the bad guys could be found. Well our Mallory has lived several lives and has had multiple personalities because the bad guys keep catching up with her family. Well her new cover is Mallory, bar tender in a locals only kinda bar. Well a hottie biker strolls in and Mallory is allll for the one night stands. She fell in love once and due to her family and their predicament, she had to leave this love of her life. Sooo no attachments, just sex is her motto. Well our hottie biker is kinda involved in bad stuff. Mallory learns that he is involved with THE BAD GUYS she is running from……yikes!!!

Our girls is freaking out. If she tells the Witness people, she will be jet setted off to another life in less than 24 hours. But she is starting to fall for our tall, dark, drink of water biker with a heart of gold. Brian is everything you could want in a boyfriend…well except for working for drug dealers that is!! LOL

The story is so solid and woven together then when we the reader start to put the pieces together it is to late….The author drops the boom and leaves us SCREAMING!!!!!

I will say, if you like a little spicy/naught fun, some suspense, hot biker, sassy female character, then this is a jackpot for you the reader!! But be warned, you will be SCREAMING at the author and you may or may not *wink* want to email her with death threats too

Heather D’Agostino is an avid reader turned Bestselling Author of the Contemporary Romance Series The Broken Series, The Shattered Series, The Second Chances Series, The Cook Brothers Series, and Romantic Suspense series The Witness Series.

She attended the University of North Carolina at Charlotte where she received a Bachelor’s of Arts in Elementary Education with a minor in Mathematics.

She currently lives in Central New York with her husband, two children, two dogs, and three cats. When she’s not writing she can usually be found at the dance studio, soccer field, or one of the many other places that she plays ‘Supermom’.

WOTR Event

#WOTR23 #EventBlogger #EventBlog – Twinsie JoJo AKA JM Walker, Author and Attending Author

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Tell us your name and then a bit about yourself.

Jo-Anna Walker or J.M. Walker or Twinsie Jo – I’ve been with Twinsie Talk, gosh, for a long time. Our 10 year anniversary is coming up, so maybe just short of that? I can’t remember but I do know that I joined the blog before I became an author myself. I’m the only Canadian out of all of us, I write, read, have a day job, have 2 cats and an amazing hubby and I’m left handed – because us lefties have to always throw that in there somehow.

How long have you been blogging?

10 years? Maybe a few months short of that. Angie invited me to join pretty early on, so it’s definitely been a while!

What are your favorite genres?

Romance of course buuuuut I’m now currently obsessed with true crime books and psychological thrillers

Who are some of your favorite authors?

Lily White (although I haven’t read her words in a while), Andi Jaxon for her delicious MM stuff, Lucinda Berry and so many more

Do you prefer to read standalones or series?
Novellas or long books?

Honestly, I’ll read anything. My reading is so limited right now, that I’ll take whatever words that aren’t my own, whenever I can get them

On a typical day, how much time do you spend reading?

Not enough! But I started dedicating Fridays as my reading days. So far it’s kind of working I think but I did finish reading 2 books this week that I started forever ago, so I feel super productive

Do you have a favorite character written? If so, who? And what makes them so special.

Not really but if I had to answer, the first one to come to mind is Joseph from Joseph Fallen by Lily White/M.S. Willis – This man is messed up. Only book to ever give me nightmares

Do you have anything you want to share that didn’t fit on one of these questions?

Thank you!

What are your social links?

https://linktr.ee/authorjmwalker

Want tickets to Writers on the River #2023?

They are available starting November 4th at Writersontheriver.com

$45 VIP sell out quickly – 12-1 VIP hour, 1-4 General Admission time. You get a filled VIP bag and admission to the after party is included.

$25 Early Access – 12-1 VIP house, 1-4 General Admission time. You also get a filled VIP bag but NO admission to the after party.

$10 General Admission – 1-4 General Admission time. You can purchase a bag but it is not filled with VIP swag. There is no admission to the after party included.

$35 After party – 7-11 After Party with food and cash bar. Dj with a photobooth is also included in the fun.

MC, Twinsie of the Day

#WOTR23 #BoxSet #MC #TwinsieForTheDayPam- Steel MC Montana Charter Box Set Books 1-5 by Michel Prince and Wren McCabe

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Steel MC Montana Charter: Books 1-5

Hop on for the ride. But watch out, love may be around the next curve.

The Steel MC Montana Charter has captured fans since the first fateful night when Josh “Red” Luke found a woman dying on the side of the road in Roadkill. Since then the men of the Steel MC started a charter in Turnabout Creek, Montana and every is going along for the ride.

Books Lil’ Mama, Preacher Girl, Lil’ Bit and Free have followed, each with a rescue of a woman by a man of Steel only to learn they may be the one who really needed the saving.

When Red returned to his home town, he found it on the verge of extinction. With the help of friends ready to head out of town too, they revitalize the town and rescue victims of domestic violence. At times even finding the woman they were meant to have in their life. Join the ride of your life with the men of Steel.

***Possible Triggers for assault victims***

Goodreads

Review by Pam

4****
Steel Cut MC Montana Box Set 1-5
Great MC Series, Tissues Needed!

I am so happy that this box set was put together. I love reading a series all together. I have to say, I am a little in love with all these big bad bikers. Baldy and Hollywood are my favorites. You will need tissues when reading this book. I laughed, I gasped, and I cried. So many emotions. Each one of these girls have been through some kind of trauma. Roadkill is almost killed. Lil’ Mama has been abused, Preacher Girl was part of a cult, Lil’ Bit has major problems, and Free escaped from an abusive ex. The Steel MC’s are all about saving women from traumatic situations. I can not wait for more from this series. From a New Fan… Pam James.

Michel Prince is an author who graduated with a bachelor degree in History and Political Science. Michel writes young adult and adult paranormal romance as well as contemporary romance.

With characters yelling “It’s my turn damn it!!!” She tries to explain to them that alas, she can only type a hundred and twenty words a minute and they will have wait their turn. She knows eventually they find their way out of her head and to her fingertips and she looks forward to sharing them with you.

When Michel can suppress the voices in her head she can be found at a scouting event or cheering for her son in a variety of sports. She would like to thank her family for always being in her corner and especially her husband for supporting her every dream and never letting her give up.

Michel is a member of RWA Pro and Midwest Fiction Writers. In 2013 she was awarded Elite Status with Rebel Ink Press. She lives in the Twin Cities with her husband, son, and cat.

Wren grew up in the Northern part of the USA. She enjoys spending time with family, curling up with a good book, coloring in her adult books and driving motorcycles, big trucks and fast cars to relieve stress after a busy week.

Born in a large family she is all about family values and morals.

Wren’s friends and family will agree she is never far from a pen and paper as she finds so many things in the world peak her interest and can inspire an entire story.

WOTR Event

#WOTR23 #EventBlogger #HostBlog – Twinsie Kelly

Leave a comment

Tell us your name and then a bit about yourself.

Kelly

How long have you been blogging?

8 years with Twinsie Talk but about 10 years total.

What are your favorite genres?

I’ll give most stories a shot. I enjoy reading a good rom com, fantasy, and Sci-fi. However, my absolute favorites are of the paranormal variety. The more twisted the story, the better!

Who are some of your favorite authors?

Ava Cuvay, Sophie Stern/L.C. Mortimer, Miranda Lynn, A.J. Renee, R.K. Gleason, Bella Roccaforte, C.L. Zelle, and on and on and on….

Do you prefer to read standalones or series?
Novellas or long books?

I prefer a great standalone, long or short. However, I love a great series if it isn’t more than about 5 books. By then, I feel like I need a change of scenery.

On a typical day, how much time do you spend reading?

I try to spend at least an hour an evening reading.

Do you have a favorite character written? If so, who? And what makes them so special.

Lately, I have been on a cyborg kick. I am currently Alpha reading a book by Ava Cuvay and the main female character is a cyborg named Betty. This book is set in the future and Betty is a librarian that dresses similarly to a classy pin-up. Oh, and let’s not forget how badass she is. I mean, I want to be Betty. This character has been through a crazy past. She has definitely lived a colorful life, but all she wants is to move on and treat others as she would like to be treated. Even being a cyborg, Betty is just another human trying to come out of this crazy life on top. You guys are gonna love this one!

Do you have anything you want to share that didn’t fit on one of these questions?

I am engaged to an amazing man and couldn’t be happier! I’m also a hot mess of a mom that loves dropping the f-bomb and am mostly inappropriate with the sense of humor of a teenage boy. I am proud to say that my two sons come by their sarcasm naturally, LOL! The book community is incredible. I love meeting authors and bonding with other readers over our favorites. I have made some great friendships over the years with authors and readers alike and wouldn’t trade them for the world

 What are your social links?

.https://www.facebook.com/kelly.hawkinssolomon/

Want tickets to Writers on the River #2023?

They are available starting November 4th at Writersontheriver.com

$45 VIP sell out quickly – 12-1 VIP hour, 1-4 General Admission time. You get a filled VIP bag and admission to the after party is included.

$25 Early Access – 12-1 VIP house, 1-4 General Admission time. You also get a filled VIP bag but NO admission to the after party.

$10 General Admission – 1-4 General Admission time. You can purchase a bag but it is not filled with VIP swag. There is no admission to the after party included.

$35 After party – 7-11 After Party with food and cash bar. Dj with a photobooth is also included in the fun.