NUMBERS GAME by Desiree Holt and Liz Crowe

04 Tuesday May 2021

Posted by Judith Sterling in Uncategorized

Tags

award-winning author, contemporary romance, Desiree Holt, Judith Sterling, Liz Crowe, Numbers Game, second chance romance, sports romance, The Wild Rose Press, USA Today bestselling author

I’m excited to welcome two sister Roses (published by The Wild Rose Press), Desiree Holt and Liz Crowe! We’re spotlighting their new release, Numbers Game, and Liz is here to talk about the co-writing conundrum. Take it away, Liz!

Desiree has always been one of my writing heroes. She’s the sort of established, successful author who never begrudges a newbie question or need for advice. I’ve known her since we both were writing for Decadent Publishing and got to meet her when she visited Ann Arbor for a football game.

We also share a love of sports, and have been known to go off on a tangent or two talking about college football and basketball. When I helped raise money for my kids’ high school athletic fund by inviting the Harbaugh brothers to speak at a dinner, I made sure to get a signed commemorative football and send it to her.

When I got the wild idea that we should write a sports-themed romance together, I wasn’t sure that she’d want to do it, but luckily for me she jumped at the opportunity. Given that we are both busy, it took us about a year to get our thoughts coalesced around the novel that is now NUMBERS GAME, available from Wild Rose Press. We wrote in a literal back and forth—she wrote our heroine’s perspective and I wrote the hero’s. We ran into a few issues, mainly with names which took a bit to sort out but once we did, we managed to write it between us over the course of about six months.

I learned so much writing with her, which is always my goal as an author—to learn, grow, and get better with every book and every editor and every publisher I work with. I hope you enjoy reading our second chance romance NUMBERS GAME as much as we enjoyed writing it!

A little more about Numbers Game:

Former pro football player and coach Duncan “Hatch” Hatcher fumbled his career and marriage. Now divorced and ready to tackle his future, he has an opportunity to redeem himself as coach of his college alma mater’s football team. But how can he can turn the team’s losing streak around and keep the secret of his downfall buried when the school agrees to a documentary that will allow a lovely journalist to dig her way into his past…and into his heart?

Olivia Grant’s ex-husband almost wrecked her journalism career while he definitely did a number on her self-esteem. The documentary on Duncan Hatcher is the perfect way to rebuild both. As a freshman in college, she’d had a crush on the senior football hero, but he hadn’t known she existed. She never expects the sparks that fly between them as they work on the project nor the struggles they must face if they both want to win.

A peek between the pages:

Hatch winced at the memory of how goofy he must have sounded to the lovely woman he was going to be having a fair bit of contact with this season. Olivia Grant was, without a doubt, beautiful, not to mention sexy as hell. She was a natural reporter, putting him at ease, even in the face of his high-school-ish reaction to her at first. But dear Lord, the crap he’d said? That shit about her being “better than she thought” at the race? And “looking for a foot in the door”? He’d sounded about as slick as the grandpas he’d been named for.

He groaned and pressed his forehead to the leather blotter on his new desk. After his divorce, he’d made a point not to notice women, something that was a bit of a self-imposed penalty. But there was no not noticing Olivia. Her soft, dark blonde hair that kept dropping over one of her deep green eyes as she’d look down at her notes, then back up at him. That smile, and those full, barely lip-sticked lips. And there was no denying she had a body that would be hard to shake out of his brain. Scott had told him she used to play soccer here, a few years behind him as an undergrad. How he’d not known her… Granted, he hadn’t been a big partier then, kept mostly to himself and his close group of friends and, as always, focused on the game.

But damn. He’d missed out on something then, without a doubt. He felt his face flush red and his entire body begin to react in ways that didn’t really serve him well as a fully grown man, with plenty of experience under his belt, so to speak.

Thankfully, she’d left before he could embarrass himself any more.

Home. Shower. Beer. Stare at a string of old movies on the giant television screen. Anything to get the lovely Olivia Grant and all her many attributes out of his head. She was, after all, the media. And everyone knew how he felt about the media.

It was get-a-grip time—on all parts of himself.

This was his chance at redemption. The opportunity was a godsend, considering the sorry state he’d left his life in on the west coast, and he didn’t intend to do anything to screw it up. He couldn’t afford to get distracted by a single thing. But how the hell was he going to do that when Olivia Grant might prove to be the biggest distraction of all?

Buy the book!

More about Desiree:

USA Today best-selling and award-winning author Desiree Holt writes everything from romantic suspense and contemporary on a variety of heat levels up to erotic, a genre in which she is the oldest living author. She has been referred to by USA Today as the Nora Roberts of erotic romance, and is a winner of the EPIC E-Book Award, the Holt Medallion and a Romantic Times Reviewers Choice nominee. She has been featured on CBS Sunday Morning and in The Village Voice, The Daily Beast, USA Today, The (London) Daily Mail, The New Delhi Times and numerous other national and international publications.

Where to find her:

Sign up for her newsletter and receive a free book!

More about Liz:

Liz Crowe is a Kentucky native and graduate of the University of Louisville living in Central Illinois. She’s spent her time as a three-continent expat trailing spouse, mom of three, real estate agent, brewery owner and bar manager, and is currently a social media consultant and humane society development director, in addition to being an award-winning author. With stories set in the not-so-common worlds of breweries, on the soccer pitch, inside fictional television stations and successful real estate offices, and even in exotic locales like Istanbul, Turkey, her books are compelling and told with a fresh voice. The Liz Crowe backlist has something for any reader seeking complex storylines with humor and complete casts of characters that will delight, at times frustrate, and always linger in the imagination long after the book is finished.

Where to find her:

Sign up for her newsletter and get a free book!

Liz, Desiree, thanks so much for joining me today. All the best to you both, and may you have great success with Numbers Game!

A RECKLESS HEART by Jennifer Wilck

06 Tuesday Apr 2021

Posted by Judith Sterling in Uncategorized

≈ 13 Comments

Tags

A Reckless Heart, beach setting, billionaire, brooding hero, celebrity crush, contemporary romance, Jennifer Wilck, Judith Sterling, new release, Scarred Hearts, The Wild Rose Press

I’m excited to welcome Jennifer Wilck, a sister Rose (published by The Wild Rose Press) today! She’s here to talk about her new release, A Reckless Heart, and celebrity crushes. Take it away, Jennifer!

Do you have a favorite celebrity? One who will make you watch whatever they star in, regardless of genre?

As a teenager, it was Tom Selleck. I’d watch him in Magnum, PI and giggle every time he showed up on screen. Considering he was the star of the show, it was frequent.

As an adult, it’s George Clooney. While I don’t giggle over him, I love watching him and listening to him. For my husband, it’s Natalie Portman. He and I have an agreement that if we ever have the opportunity to “be” with either of them, we get a free pass. 🙂 Kidding. Sort of.

And of course, there are celebrities I think of in passing and when I see them on screen I think about how much I enjoy them and whether or not they’d be good inspiration for the heroes of my books—celebrities such as Chris Evans, Chris Hemsworth, Benedict Cumberbatch (yes, we are big Marvel fans in my house).

When it comes to the inspiration for my heroines, I’m less clear. For whatever reason, I don’t typically associate the heroine I create with a celebrity who already exists.

However, that wasn’t completely the case for Meg in A Reckless Heart. I’ve joked with friends that the book is a cross between the Kardashians and Beauty & The Beast (I’ve even pitched it that way on Twitter). No, Meg is NOT one of the Kardashians. Nor is she modeled on them. However, as a former society “It-Girl,” she’s been exposed to people like that. She reaped the benefits and suffered the consequences. So when I created her, I imagined what it would be like to be in that world and suddenly thrown out of it.

I think that’s why, ultimately, I like to dream about my celebrity crushes, but when I do, I place them in much more realistic scenarios. I can’t imagine myself living in their stratosphere. Bringing them down to earth is much more manageable.

So tell me, who is your celebrity crush and why? Would you want to inhabit their world, or welcome them into yours?

A little more about A Reckless Heart:

Meg Thurgood, former society girl, took the blame for her friend and paid a steep price. Now all she wants is solitude and a chance to rebuild her life. She thinks she’s found that in an isolated house she rents from a mysterious stranger.

Simon McAlter has hidden in his house on the coast of Maine since a fire left him scarred. A successful landscape architect who conducts his business and teaches his classes remotely, he’s lost his inspiration and is trying to pretend he’s not lonely.

Simon’s new neighbor is more than he bargained for. When he learns Meg’s secret, will he retreat into the shadows or will he learn to see past the surface and trust in Meg’s love?

A peek between the pages:

“Let’s watch a horror movie.” Meg flopped on the couch and wiggled into the soft cushions.

There was a beat of silence before Simon turned away from her and poked at the logs in the fireplace, sending sparks up the chimney. “I’m not a big fan of horror movies.”

She liked horror movies because the monsters were obviously fake. You didn’t have to dig deep, to wonder about anything. It was black and white. Meg’s heart constricted. She hadn’t thought about it from Simon’s perspective. Did he consider himself a monster? Could this amazing man see himself in those movies? Her throat thickened. She wanted to run away and cry. But he’d think she ran from him. With a deep breath, she sorted through the list of her favorites in her mind and threw away several until she thought of the perfect one.

“How about Dracula?” Her voice rasped past the emotion, but she forged ahead. “The old one. It’s totally cheesy, which makes it funny. ‘I vant to suck your blood!’ ” she said with a fake accent.

“Do you?” he asked.

Returning the poker to the rack, he walked toward her, and held out his arm, wrist up. She took it in her hand. His skin was warm beneath her fingers, his pulse steady, and the hair on the other side of his arm was wiry. She stroked her thumb along the inside of his wrist. His breath stuttered. She wondered what he’d do if she kissed him. Desire flooded through her. Never mind him, what would she do?

“Next time,” she said. She was brave, but maybe not that brave, at least not yet.

Slowly, he lowered his arm to his side, but remained close enough his knees brushed hers. His skin was flushed, his eyes ablaze. Heat pulsed between them. After a moment, he stepped away, as if he wasn’t brave enough either. “Do you want popcorn?”

Buy the book:

More about Jennifer:

Jennifer started telling herself stories as a little girl when she couldn’t fall asleep at night. Pretty soon, her head was filled with these stories and the characters that populated them. Even as an adult, she thinks about the characters and stories at night before she falls asleep or walking the dog. Eventually, she started writing them down. Her favorite stories to write are those with smart, sassy, independent heroines; handsome, strong and slightly vulnerable heroes; and her stories always end with happily ever after.

In the real world, she’s the mother of two amazing daughters and wife of one of the smartest men she knows. When she’s not writing, she loves to laugh with her family and friends, is a pro at finding whatever her kids lost in plain sight, and spends way too much time closing doors that should never have been left open in the first place. She believes humor is the only way to get through the day and does not believe in sharing her chocolate.

She writes contemporary romance, some of which are mainstream and some of which involve Jewish characters. She’s published with The Wild Rose Press and all her books are available through Amazon and Barnes & Noble.

Where to find her:

Thanks so much for joining us today, Jennifer. Wishing you great success with the book! 🙂

An Interview with Debby Grahl, author of MOUNTAIN BLAZE

11 Wednesday Nov 2020

Posted by Judith Sterling in Uncategorized

≈ 7 Comments

Tags

Author Interview, contemporary romance, cozy mystery, Debby Grahl, His Magic Touch, Judith Sterling, Mountain Blaze, North Carolina, paranormal romance, The Silver Crescent, The Wild Rose Press

I’m excited to welcome another sister Rose (published by The Wild Rose Press) today. Say hello to award-winning author Debby Grahl! Her latest release is Mountain Blaze, and I’ll give you the scoop on that in a moment. But first, let’s learn more about Debby herself.

Thanks so much for joining me today, Debby! At what age did you write your first story? Around sixteen. I used to entertain my girlfriends with my stories as we walked to school.

A fun way to liven up your walk! Tell me, which genre was the first to hook you? I’ve always loved mysteries. The first manuscript I submitted was a mystery cozy. The editor at the time told me that type of book wasn’t selling. If I wanted to get published, I needed to write romance. This is a genre I also liked, so now all my books have both a mystery and romance.

What was your first published book? A paranormal romance titled The Silver Crescent. The story has romance, a mystery, a treasure hunt, and Victorian ghosts.

Sounds like an exciting read! What’s your favorite part of the writing process? Brainstorming? Research? Outlining? Writing? Editing? I enjoy both outlining and writing. Although, my outline is pretty short. I decide on location, my characters’ personalities, and plot. After that, my imagination takes over.

What are you working on now? Island Heat, which takes place on Hilton Head Island, is the sequel to Mountain Blaze.

Of all the settings you’ve used (or created!) for your books, which is your favorite and why? This would have to be New Orleans. My husband and I first went to the French Quarter in 1988 and fell in love with the city. Since I love ghosts, witches, and legends, there couldn’t be a better setting than New Orleans. Not to mention the great food, fun atmosphere, and unique people.

I’ve always wanted to go there! Speaking of things otherworldly…if you could have a conversation with anyone—dead or alive—who would it be? Agatha Christie. I’d love to hear how she comes up with her plots.

I’d love to meet her too! If you could travel to any time and place, when and where would that be? I’d have two choices: Regency England, and London during the Twenties.

Both of those would be amazing to experience firsthand! If you could step inside any book or series and live there for a week, which would you choose? Carola Dunn’s Daisy Dalrymple series. These take place in Britain during the Twenties. I’ve always wanted to be a flapper.

That would be so cool! If a fairy godmother appeared and offered you one thing—anything at all—what would you request? A thatch roofed cottage in the English Cotswolds.

Gosh, I’d want one of those too! Now, it’s time to learn some of your favorites!

Sound: laughter

Eye color: deep blue

Foreign language (whether or not you speak it!): Italian

Song: “Mony Mony,” by Tommy James and the Shondells

Book: Love Story

Movie: French Kiss

TV show: Alias Smith and Jones

Cuisine: Italian

Cookie: peanut butter

US location: New Orleans

Foreign location: England

And finally, list your preference from the following choices:

Tea or coffee? coffee

Cake or pie? pie

Halloween or Christmas? Christmas

Nancy Drew or Sherlock Holmes? Sherlock Holmes

Jane Austen or the Brontë sisters? Jane Austen

A mortal, vampire, ghost, or fae for a lover? mortal

English gent, Scottish highlander, European count, or all-American guy? English gent

I love your answers! Now, let’s learn more about your recent release, Mountain Blaze:

Disillusioned by his wife’s betrayal, rodeo star Dillon McCoy comes home to the mountains of North Carolina to lick his wounds. When he agrees to take over the family ranch, the Lazy M, he’s unaware danger waits.

Diana Thompson is having doubts about her engagement to Trent Sawyer. She agrees to leave Chapel Hill and spend Thanksgiving with her friend Jenn at the Lazy M. When Diana and Dillon meet, neither can deny their attraction, but both must resolve past relationships while fighting their growing desire.

After Dillon turns down an anonymous offer to purchase the ranch, attempts are made on his life. When a body is found, Dillon sets out to discover who wants the McCoy land enough to commit murder.

A peek between the pages:

Dillon smiled and Diana thought it the sexiest smile she’d ever seen. There was a slight cleft in his chin, and fine lines formed at the corners of his eyes. Diana inwardly groaned. The butterflies were back.

“I’d hold onto you. I wouldn’t let you fall,” he softly said.

With his slow southern accent, the words sounded like warm honey rolling off his tongue. The depth of his eyes and the sound of his voice mesmerized her.

The horses stood side by side. Her and Dillon’s legs touched. He leaned toward her, and the light aroma of wood smoke, hay, and his spicy cologne filled her nostrils. Diana knew what he was about to do but had no willpower to stop him. He cupped her cheek and their lips met.

Gentle at first, his lips glided over hers. He increased the pressure until she opened her mouth and his tongue slipped in. Diana moaned and wrapped her arms around his neck. His arms around her waist, he deepened the kiss. Before she realized what he was doing, without breaking their kiss Dillon lifted her from Flora and placed her across his lap.

Cradled in his arms, Diana clung to him, delicious sensations filling her. Her body came alive in a way that surprised her. The only thing that mattered was this man and this moment.

Flame moved, bringing her back to reality. Diana’s eyes fluttered open, and she stared into Dillon’s, deep with passion and need.

Buy the book on Amazon!

More about Debby:

Award winning author, Debby Grahl, lives on Hilton Head Island, South Carolina, with her husband, David. Besides writing, she enjoys biking, walking on the beach and a glass of wine at sunset. Her favorite places to visit are New Orleans, New York City, Captiva Island in Florida, the Cotswolds of England, and her home state of Michigan. She is a history buff who also enjoys reading murder mysteries, time travel, and, of course, romance. Visually impaired since childhood by Retinitis Pigmentosa (RP), she uses screen-reading software to research and write her books. His Magic Touch, a paranormal romance, was released by The Wild Rose Press December 5, 2018. Her latest book, Mountain Blaze, was released November 2.

Where to find her:

Website | Facebook | BookBub | Twitter | Goodreads

It’s been a pleasure having you here, Debby! Wishing you all the best with Mountain Blaze.

THE STORY BETWEEN US by Darlene Deluca

17 Thursday Sep 2020

Posted by Judith Sterling in Uncategorized

≈ 12 Comments

Tags

contemporary romance, Darlene Deluca, Judith Sterling, new release, The Story Between Us, The Wild Rose Press

Please welcome Darlene Deluca! She’s a sister Rose (published by The Wild Rose Press) with a new release that sounds like a beautiful, heartwarming read. If you like contemporary romance, check it out!

A word from Darlene:

Thanks so much for having me today, Judith!

I appreciate the opportunity to introduce you to Kristen, Reed and Dylan in The Story Between Us.

When I first started writing The Story Between Us, I had no idea it’d be releasing in the middle of a worldwide pandemic! In these crazy times who couldn’t use a little good cheer, right? It’s got all the feels! The book is a heartwarming romance that delivers a sweet and satisfying happy ending. I hope it offers a little escape from the troubles of the world.

Happy reading and best wishes to all!

Lovely to have you here, Darlene! I’m wishing you all the best with the book. Now, for all you avid readers out there, here’s a little more about it:

Her agent warned her not to get attached to a fan. But children’s book author Kristen Hanover is about to break the rules. Kristen meets a young boy who is a victim of a tragic accident and is drawn into the heartbreaking situation.

Six years ago, Reed Armstrong never imagined he’d actually become guardian of his sister’s boy. Now he is, and most days he’s not sure he’s up to the task.

When he and Dylan meet Kristen, Reed downplays his nephew’s crush on the author. But as their lives become unexpectedly intertwined, he finds himself captivated as well. Trouble is, she sells stories for a living. Does she truly care about Dylan…and Reed, or is she using them for her own career advancement?

A peek between the pages:

Reed pulled his keys out of his pocket. In the doorway, he folded his arms and leaned against the casing. “Can I ask you a question?”

Chest pounding, Kristen forced a smile. “Of course.” She took a couple of steps toward him and braced a hand against the back of the sofa.

“Is writing your only reason for being here?”

Heavy, charged air closed around her. How to answer that? Honestly, of course, but…how honestly? “Well, writing is my goal for sure. But—” She glanced around the room before looking at him again. “I’d love to ride my horse, er, Star, and spend some time with…with people I like, too.”

As he pushed off from the door, a slow grin spread across his face. “Sounds like an excellent plan.” He sauntered closer. About a foot away, he stopped. “You’re good with dinner at the main house tonight? Don’t let Dylan bully you. You decide.”

She gave a shaky laugh. That was the plan, right? She couldn’t remember for sure. Her brain was going fuzzy. “I’d love to,” she managed to say.

He leaned closer, his breath warm on her cheek. She braced herself for a friendly peck, but when her eyes fluttered shut, his lips grazed hers. Hovered there, and when she thought her legs might give out, Reed caught her arm and pulled her slightly toward him, his lips covering hers again.

Sparks exploded in her brain, and she grabbed hold of his arm. All of her senses came alive and responded to the unexpected deluge.

A long moment later, he pulled back and brushed a thumb across her cheek. “See you in about an hour.”

Kristen could only nod. As soon as the door closed behind him, she collapsed against the sofa. She ran a finger along her bottom lip. That kiss…Oh, man. The chances of her getting any writing done this weekend just dropped from unlikely to who-said-anything-about-writing?

Buy the book:

Amazon | B & N | Apple | The Wild Rose Press

More about Darlene:

Darlene Deluca writes contemporary romance and women’s fiction, and likes to explore relationships – what brings people together or keeps them apart.

Her intent is to bring to life interesting characters that readers can relate to in real-life situations that combine a little fun, plenty of drama (with perhaps a tear or two), and big helpings of friendship, love and self-discovery, and will leave readers either cheering or sighing with a satisfied smile as they turn the final page.

The Kansas City author enjoys getting lost in a good story with a glass of tea, a bit of dark chocolate and a warm, sunny beach.

Where to find her:

“A heartwarming and delightful read from start to finish!” ~ InD’tale Magazine

The Magic of Summer’s End with Kathryn Hills

26 Wednesday Aug 2020

Posted by Judith Sterling in Uncategorized

≈ 20 Comments

Tags

cocktails, contemporary romance, free book, Judith Sterling, Kathryn Hills, Last Chance Beach, recipes, romance collection, Secondhand Hearts, short stories, Summer's End

I’m thrilled to welcome my dear friend, Kathryn Hills, back to the blog today. She’s here to talk about her short story “Secondhand Hearts” and the romance collection to which it belongs: Last Chance Beach: Summer’s End. Take it away, Kathryn!

Can you feel it, something special in the air?

August offers a hint of things to come. Hot days, cool nights. Leaves greener and grasses more golden. It’s transitional. A time of changes. The perfect setting for a love story!

For me Summer’s End is magical. And unique this year, as I join forces with thirteen other romance authors to create a collection of contemporary short stories set on the island paradise of Last Chance Beach.

There’s something for every romance reader there, whether you prefer sweet or sexy, or something in between. New sparks, second chances, enemies to lovers, family dramas, secrets and hidden identities. All with one thing in common – a happy ending.

Join me, and I’ll share a bit about my contribution to this limited-time-only collection of beach-themed, summer’s end romances.

A little about “Secondhand Hearts”:

Life takes you down many winding paths. Will theirs lead to love on Last Chance Beach?

Tasked with convincing her beloved grandmother to move back to the mainland, Kat Worthington returns to Last Chance Beach. This vacation island paradise is filled with cherished memories, and the thought of relocating her loved one weighs heavy on Kat’s heart. Is the alternative to uproot her life, stay on the island, and help run Gran’s charming B&B and antique shop?

Handsome neighbor, Ben Hadley, sure hopes it is. He and his playful pup are doing their best to upend Kat’s plans. Will their efforts convince her to stay?

Or will it require some of Gran’s special island magic?

A peek between the pages:

“Look at that… Didn’t even break the pot.” Gran gave her a sassy little wink. “You’ve always been one for divine timing, Kitty.”

“Pot?”

“Yup, I knew I had a matching teapot to the set that came in yesterday.” Gran stood a little straighter and squared her chin. “Besides, I’m not alone. Ben is here.”

“Who the heck is Ben?”

“That’d be me.” A deep voice came from behind, startling Kat. Spinning with a gasp, her eyes widened when connecting with six feet plus of drop-dead gorgeous, dark-haired man. He met her stare full on without so much as a hint of humility, and he nodded a curt greeting.

“Haddie Marshall are you up to your old tricks again?” Ben brushed passed Kat. “I told you to wait and I’d look with you.”

“Well, I didn’t want you to fuss. I know you’re busy.”

“Excuse me,” Kat interrupted, not bothering to disguise the irritation in her voice. “Who are you, and why would you allow my seventy-seven-year-old grandmother to climb to the scorching top of a barn and up a ladder for a teapot?”

The man stared in silence. One dark brow cocked in obvious annoyance.

“Ben Hadley meet my first grandbaby, Kitty Worthington,” Gran announced with a proud smile.

“It’s Kat, Gran. Or Katrina,” she grumbled. “No one has called me Kitty since the fifth grade.”

“Oh, shush child, you will always be Kitty to me and Grandpa Mike.” The elderly woman’s smile fell away. She took a wobbly step forward to hand Ben the box. “Be a love and take this down for me. I think I’d better hang on extra tight to the railing after all this excitement.”

“I’ll take the box,” Kat snapped. “You help my grandmother back to the house, where we can turn on some air conditioning.”

A bit about the entire collection:

LAST CHANCE BEACH: Summer’s End, 14 all-new romantic short stories set in the island paradise where Dreams go to live again, and Wishes may come true.

The beach houses, condos, and hotels are full for Summer’s End, but there’s still time left to find love, new romances, second chances, hot alpha males, heartwarming heroes, love at first sight, romantic delight—and time left for enemies to become lovers and opposites to attract.

Throw another log on the beach bonfire and celebrate LAST CHANCE BEACH: Summer’s End, stories created especially for this romance collection by NY Times and USA Today bestselling authors and other bestselling and award-winning authors. These summer love stories will thrill the hopeful romantic in you. Some are sweet; some are sizzling! Some are humorous; some, serious. All will make you want to book a vacation to this island of legend and love.

LAST CHANCE BEACH: Summer’s End, the place where soul mates find each other and love at first sight happens all the time!

Buy the book:

Only 99 cents on Amazon!

Did I mention there’s a special add-on book?

Cocktails on Last Chance Beach is FREE!

About Kathryn Hills:

The rich history and many mysteries of New England are the perfect backdrop for most of Kathryn’s books. Winding roads lined by old stone walls, forgotten cemeteries, grand homes with shadowy pasts…all sparks for her imagination. Whether it’s a quaint seaside town or the vibrant city of Boston, it’s easy for this “hauntingly romantic” author to envision the past mingling with the present.

Taking it further—to have characters experience the past and present, opposite to “when” they belong—is the fun part. No surprise, some of Kathryn’s favorite stories involve time travel. And ghosts! Sprinkle in some magic, and you’re off on a great adventure.

When not writing, this award-winning author is researching, taking photographs, gardening, or cooking up something special in her chaotic kitchen. Kathryn shares her colonial home in the north woods with those she loves most – her wonderful husband and daughter, and three crazy dogs.

AMAZON | WEBSITE | FACEBOOK | TWITTER

Thanks so much for joining us today, Kathryn. I wish you great success with “Secondhand Hearts”!

TO HEAL A HEART by Jana Richards

22 Wednesday Jul 2020

Posted by Judith Sterling in Uncategorized

≈ 17 Comments

Tags

contemporary romance, Jana Richards, The Masonville Series, The Wild Rose Press, To Heal a Heart, wounded hero

I’m excited to welcome Jana Richards, yet another sister Rose (published by The Wild Rose Press) today! She’s here to talk about her recent release, To Heal a Heart. It’s a contemporary romance with a hero and heroine who are in pain and in need of rescue. Here’s the story:

Garrett Saunders’ world changed two years ago on a road in Afghanistan. Back home, he feels like a stranger. As he struggles to find his place in the world, he meets a horse destined for the slaughterhouse and a woman bent on rescuing the strays of the world, including him.

Blair Greyson moves to Masonville to look after her ailing grandfather and give her rescue horses a home. Right away she butts heads with a surly former Marine. Despite a rocky start, they come to an agreement: Blair will board Garrett’s rescue horse and he’ll help with repairs around her farm.

Garrett finds purpose working with Blair—and falls in love with her. But she’s hiding a secret. Can she forgive herself and accept Garrett’s love, or will she let guilt and regret continue to rule her life?

Garrett and Blair are complex characters, and Jana wants us to know five things about them:

~ They both come from families with three children. Garrett is the oldest with two younger sisters. And Blair is the youngest with two older brothers.

~ While Garrett comes from a happy family and had an idyllic childhood, Blair’s family is best described as dysfunctional. She and her brothers have found that some hurts are difficult to put behind them.

~ Something Garrett and Blair have in common: compassion and a love of animals. Garrett found he couldn’t abandon a horse to sure death. He buys Harry at an auction despite his poor condition. Blair has rescued two horses. Stormy was a racehorse who could no longer race and was about to be euthanized, and Rainbow was abandoned at a riding stable when her owner went bankrupt. Blair couldn’t let either of them suffer or die.

~ Garrett spent ten years in the Marines until a suicide bomber in Afghanistan ended his career. Now he’s trying to figure out what to do with the rest of his life.

~ Blair works as a veterinary technician, which is sort of like a nurse for animals. She’s often more comfortable in the company of animals than with people!

A peek between the pages of To Heal a Heart:

He pushed himself to his feet, disconcerted by his unsteadiness. He made a few halting steps toward the gate as Blair ran into the yard.

“I forgot my sweater,” she said, grabbing the garment from the back of a chair and slipping it on. “It’s cooler than I thought. Are you sure you don’t want to watch the fireworks with us?”

“No, I—”

His words were cut off by a loud explosion, and his only thought was that he had to protect Blair. He grabbed her and threw her to the ground, covering her body with his. He was under attack. Why was Blair in Afghanistan? How could he keep her safe?

Through the chaos and noise he heard her muffled voice beneath him. “Garrett, you’re crushing me.”

He shifted his weight slightly. “Shh. I’m sorry. You have to stay down and quiet. I can’t let them hurt you.”

She stopped struggling. “Who’s going to hurt me?”

“Can’t you hear the mortar fire? I have to protect you.”

Her hand rubbed his back in gentle circles. “It’s all right, Garrett. It’s only fireworks. It can’t hurt us. We’re safe here.”

He lifted his head and looked around. He was in Cole and Lauren’s back yard in Masonville. There were no bombs, no shelling, no Taliban. He looked down into Blair’s face, into the pity in her eyes. He rolled off her, disgusted with himself.

Disgusted and scared. He was losing his mind.

Buy the book:

Amazon.com: https://www.amazon.com/Heal-Heart-Masonville-Book-ebook/dp/B0875SLGK6

Amazon.ca: https://www.amazon.ca/Heal-Heart-Masonville-Book-ebook/dp/B0875SLGK6

Amazon.UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Heal-Heart-Masonville-Book-ebook/dp/B0875SLGK6

Amazon.de: https://www.amazon.de/Heal-Heart-Masonville-Book-ebook/dp/B0875SLGK6

Amazon.fr: https://www.amazon.fr/Heal-Heart-Masonville-Book-ebook/dp/B0875SLGK6

Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/to-heal-a-heart-jana-richards/1136868654?ean=2940162717966

iBooks: https://books.apple.com/us/book/to-heal-a-heart/id1508639914

More about Jana:

When Jana Richards read her first romance novel, she immediately knew two things: she had to commit the stories running through her head to paper, and they had to end with a happily ever after. She also knew she’d found what she was meant to do. Since then she’s never met a romance genre she didn’t like. She writes contemporary romance, romantic suspense, and historical romance set in World War Two, in lengths ranging from short story to full length novel. Just for fun, she throws in generous helpings of humor, and the occasional dash of the paranormal. Her paranormal romantic suspense “Seeing Things” was a 2008 EPPIE finalist.

In her life away from writing, Jana is an accountant/admin assistant, a mother to two grown daughters, and a wife to her husband Warren. She enjoys golf, yoga, movies, concerts, travel and reading, not necessarily in that order. She and her husband live in Winnipeg, Canada. She loves to hear from readers and can be reached through her website at www.janarichards.com

Connect with her:

Website: http://www.janarichards.com

Blog: http://janarichards.blogspot.com

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/JanaRichardsAuthor

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/JanaRichards_

Amazon Author Page: http://www.amazon.com/author/janarichards

Amazon UK Author Page: http://www.amazon.co.uk/-/e/B002DEVWWG

Newsletter Signup: http://janarichards.com/contact.html#newsletter

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/2892274Jana_Richards

Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/jana-richards

Thanks for joining me today, Jana. Best of luck with the book!

Sadira Stone’s New Release ~ LOVE, ART, AND OTHER OBSTACLES

19 Tuesday May 2020

Posted by Judith Sterling in Uncategorized

≈ 12 Comments

Tags

art world, artist, bookshop, contemporary romance, Love Art and Other Obstacles, new adult romance, Sadira Stone, steamy romance, The Book Nirvana Series, The Wild Rose Press

I’m excited to welcome sister Rose (published by The Wild Rose Press) Sadira Stone today! We’ll get a peek between the pages of her new release, Love, Art, and Other Obstacles, which is part of her Book Nirvana series. She’s also here to tell us about her inspiration for the series. Take it away, Sadira!

Until 2016, I was one of those readers—literary snobs who look down their noses at romance for the usual stupid reasons: too corny, too predictable, too fluffy. Then I read about how fun and lucrative writing erotica can be. I thought, what the heck? Let’s try.

I have never had so much fun with a writing project! My first steamy romance, Through the Red Door, nearly wrote itself, though it damn sure didn’t edit itself. Now I’m totally addicted to passionate, heartfelt stories with happy endings, both as a reader and as a writer.

Why set the series in a bookshop? Ever since I was a wee lass, I dreamed of owning one. Add to that my fascination with historical erotic art and literature, and you’ve got the Book Nirvana series, set in an indie bookshop with an extensive erotica collection behind a locked red door.

I love writing stories in which a couple’s powerful physical attraction leads them to consider a partner outside their usual M.O.—one who just might turn out to be their perfect match. That’s how it happened for my husband and me!

I wanted to set my series in a college town, so I chose Eugene, home of the University of Oregon, with its lively arts scene and rich counterculture legacy from the hippie era. It’s now my favorite Oregon town to visit!

The scoop on Love, Art, and Other Obstacles:

Rejected by her family for her bisexuality, graphic artist Margot DuPont yearns for a life with no fences, no limits, and no family ties. Between college, work at Book Nirvana, and an art competition, she barely has time for her part-time girlfriend, much less a flirtation with her competitor.

Dumped into the foster system at a young age, ceramics artist Elmer Byrne craves a big, loving family of the heart. His artist family almost fills that need, but something is missing…until Margot. But when he offers his heart, her thorny defenses shatter him.

Thrown together in an art competition that could jump-start one artist’s career, but not both, their irresistible attraction forces them to reconsider the meaning of success.

A peek inside:

“Tell you what,” he said. “How about if we have drinks and talk about anything but the competition?”

“Because…why?”

“You’re a real hard-ass, aren’t you?” He rolled his eyes. “Because I like you, Margot.”

“Why?”

He leaned so close their foreheads almost touched, a challenge simmering in his smile. “Have a drink with me and find out.”

If there was one thing she couldn’t resist, it was a challenge. On the other hand, he might not like her so much if he knew about Darcy. Let that be the test, then. Let him prove he wasn’t one of those possessive, controlling guys Darcy warned her about.

“Okay. I will.” She stepped back. “But you should know, I’m sort of seeing someone.”

His thick auburn brows contracted. “Sort of?”

“A woman.”

His nostrils flared on a deep inhalation, but he held her gaze. “Is it serious?”

“Not really.” Might as well serve up the truth, raw and ungarnished. Might as well be honest with herself too. “She lives in Berkeley. I only see her every month or two.”

Holding her gaze, he nodded. “Okay then. Thanks for telling me.” The tense lines of his mouth relaxed into a casual grin. “So, drinks?”

Well I’ll be damned.

The e-book is currently on sale for $2.99. Buy it today!

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Apple Books | Kobo | Google Play

More about Sadira:

Ever since her first kiss, Sadira’s been spinning steamy tales in her head. After leaving her teaching career in Germany, she finally tried her hand at writing one. Now she’s a happy citizen of Romancelandia, penning contemporary romance from her new home in Washington State, U.S.A. When not writing, which is seldom, she explores the Pacific Northwest with her charming husband, enjoys the local music scene, plays darts (pretty well), plays guitar (badly), and gobbles all the books.

Where to find her:

Website: http://sadirastone.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sadirastone/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/SadiraStone

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/18568049.Sadira_Stone

Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/sadira-stone

Amazon author page: https://www.amazon.com/Sadira-Stone/e/B07KWK5FBX

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/sadira0641/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sadirastone/

Author newsletter: http://eepurl.com/dKLMP2

Thanks so much for joining us today, Sadira. Best of luck with the book!

Celebrate Mothers Bookish Event ~ N. N. Light’s Book Heaven

08 Friday May 2020

Posted by Judith Sterling in Uncategorized

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

Celebrate Mothers Bookish Event, contemporary romance, e-books, Judith Sterling, literary giveaway, medieval romance series, Mother's Day, N. N. Light's Book Heaven, romance giveaway, Shadow of the Swan, The Novels of Ravenwood

In honor of Mother’s Day, I’m participating in the Celebrate Mothers Bookish Event at N. N. Light’s Book Heaven. They’re spotlighting 26 books, including one of mine: Shadow of the Swan, the third book in my medieval romance series, The Novels of Ravenwood.

You can read excerpts from my book and others here and enter to win an e-book bundle of all 26 books featured in the event.

Open internationally.

Runs May 7 – 10, 2020.

Winner will be drawn on May 18, 2020.

Enter here and good luck! And happy (early) Mother’s Day! 🙂

WHAT WAS I THINKING by Donna Simonetta

29 Wednesday Jan 2020

Posted by Judith Sterling in Uncategorized

≈ 17 Comments

Tags

A Sweeter Spot, contemporary romance, Donna Simonetta, Judith Sterling, Las Vegas, new release, Rivers Bend Trilogy, The Wild Rose Press, What Was I Thinking

A Vegas fling never leads to love…does it?

We’re about to find out in What Was I Thinking! It’s the new release from one of my dear friends, Donna Simonetta, who also happens to be a sister Rose (published by The Wile Rose Press). This is the third book in her Rivers Bend Trilogy, and I have to say, I LOVED the first one, A Sweeter Spot.

Here’s the scoop on the new story:

A wild Vegas fling isn’t the traditional Thanksgiving celebration, and Lily and Jason have been like oil and water since they met. Blaming their steamy hook-up on too many shots at the bar, they head home.

Back in the real world, Jason wonders if he’s ready to give up his crown as the Playboy King of Rivers Bend to be with just one woman. And Lily has enough on her plate right now without adding Jason Braden to the mix, even if their attraction is crazy-strong.

But life is good at throwing curveballs, and a lot can happen between Thanksgiving and Valentine’s Day. Maybe even enough to lead these two polar opposites home to each other in Rivers Bend.

A peek between the pages:

“I think about a lot of things.”

She felt him stiffen up behind her, and Jason’s tone of voice was defensive. She hadn’t meant to hurt his feelings. “I know you do; I didn’t mean anything by it. We poke at each other”—she shrugged—“it’s kind of our thing.”

His grip on her hand loosened, and then he took control of the dance, by twirling her until her back was pressed to his front, and he began to move sinuously in time to the rhythm. His breath tickled her ear, as he spoke right in it to be heard over the music. “We’ve got a thing, Moonbeam?”

Jason had ditched the tie and suit jacket after the wedding, and his body heat scorched her through his crisp white dress shirt. And man-oh-Maneschewitz, his lean, hard body felt good. Really good. The Marine might be bulked up, but Jason’s body felt like it had been made for hers, which given their mutual antagonism, seemed like proof Fate was enjoying a good laugh at her expense. Against Lily’s better judgment, her body melted into his warmth and began to move with his.

“Sure, we’ve got a thing,” she said over her shoulder, and was irritated to hear a trace of breathlessness in her voice. She cleared her throat and continued, “Like that—you calling me Moonbeam, because you know it bugs me.”

Where to buy the book:

Amazon | Apple | Barnes & Noble

More about Donna:

Donna Simonetta writes the kind of books she loves to read––contemporary romances to help you escape the real world for a little while. Writing is her third career. She toiled in the business world, and when she decided being an Account Executive wasn’t for her went back to school to get her MLS degree. Next, she worked in a school library for many years. But, Donna dreamed of being an author since she was a little girl, and began to squeeze writing into her day. After the publication of her second book, she decided to leave the library and become a full-time author. It can be a solitary job, so she loves to connect with her readers.

Donna lives in Maryland with her husband, who is her real-life romance hero. They enjoy traveling to visit far-flung family and friends, and spending time on the beach with an umbrella drink and a good book.

Where to find her:

Lovely to feature your latest release, Donna. Wishing you all the best with it!

Peggy Jaeger’s New Release ~ A PRIDE OF BROTHERS: RICK

07 Tuesday Jan 2020

Posted by Judith Sterling in Uncategorized

≈ 18 Comments

Tags

A Pride of Brothers: Rick, contemporary romance, Cooking with Kandy, guest post, Judith Sterling, New England authors, Peggy Jaeger, The Wild Rose Press, Will Cook for Love

I’m thrilled to welcome sister Rose (published by the Wild Rose Press) Peggy Jaeger back to my blog! She’s written a lovely guest post about Abigail Lane, the heroine in her upcoming release, A Pride of Brothers: Rick. Take it away, Peggy!

Lawyer Abby Laine made an appearance in my first WILL COOK FOR LOVE series book COOKING WITH KANDY. Abby is the second oldest of the Laine girls (right behind Kandy) and when we meet her in the first book she is working as a paralegal in a law firm and attending law school at night.

Abby’s backstory is a deep one. Her father left the family after multiple affairs when Abby was a child. His defection impacted her greatly because she saw what it did to her mother emotionally and to the family financially. Left with no means of support and with nothing but a high school education, Abby’s mother, Hannah, had to work 3 jobs to support herself and her 7 girls, and the family was forced to live with Hannah’s parents. Abby saw the way her mother was treated by her father – dumped and discarded – and by society – an uneducated, unskilled woman – and vowed to never allow herself to be treated so horribly by anyone. She was determined to be self sufficient and financially sound, get a good education and be successful.

Since she was the second oldest, she and Kandy were tasked with taking care of the younger girls while Hannah worked, and it instilled a great sense of family obligation in her. She loves her sisters, there is no doubt of that, but she never really got to be a kid. Assuming adult responsibilities at such a tender age left no room for friends, outside the home activates, or anything fun related.

When we meet Abby in A PRIDE OF BROTHERS: RICK she is confronted by the angry abusive husband of one of her clients in her office while Kandy is visiting. Abby stands up to him and when he threatens her, has him arrested. The fact that her sister deals with such violent people in her practice scares Kandy, and she asks her Private Investigator/Bodyguard husband to place someone in Abby’s office as protection. Abby, of course, refuses the help.

When Rick Bannerman, Josh’s partner, hears about what happened, he wants to help protect Abby. The two of them have a subtle history that ended when he walked away from her after they shared a hot kiss 4 years ago. Abby has always had a thing for Rick, but his dismissal hurt, so she has kept her distance from him, despite the fact that their families are together a great deal.

Abby has a three-legged cat, adopted from a shelter, and whom no one wanted because she wasn’t deemed “perfect.” In her cat, Abby saw a kindred spirit and it was love at first sight. Despite the hardened, take no prisoners personality Abby shows the world, she is truly a softie at heart and wants nothing more than to be loved for the person she is.

A peek between the pages:

“Right there.” She aimed her fork at him as if it were a spear. “Perfect example. You know I hate being called Abigail. I’ve lost count of the hundreds of times I’ve told you and you still do it, knowing it pisses me off. And”—she cut him off before he could speak— “your usual response is to lift your hands and say ‘and still’ when you’re called on it. Who does that? What kind of person persistently and purposefully annoys people?”

“So you’re saying I’m intentionally annoying?”

“Persistently, so. Yes. Makes the lawyer in me wonder why.”

Just the lawyer? “Any answers come to mind?”

“Plenty.”

“Care to share?”

She placed her fork down next to her plate and regarded him across the table. “You really want to hear this? Because if you know anything about me, you know I’m truthful. I don’t hold back.”

Oh, he was sure she didn’t. And wouldn’t. Her tenacity was one of the things he’d first been drawn to.

That and her fabulous ass.

“I’m a big boy,” he said with a grin. “I can take it.

She took a sip of water first, her eyes trained on him the entire time. “Okay. If you really want to hear this.”

He waved his hand for her to continue.

“I think you use your cocky, aren’t-I-simply-too-witty attitude to keep people at a distance.”

Buy the book:

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Apple Books | Books-a-Million

More about Peggy:

Peggy Jaeger is a contemporary romance writer who writes Romantic Comedies about strong women, the families who support them, and the men who can’t live without them. If she can make you cry on one page and bring you out of tears rolling with laughter the next, she’s done her job as a writer!

Family and food play huge roles in Peggy’s stories because she believes there is nothing that holds a family structure together like sharing a meal…or two…or ten. Dotted with humor and characters that are as real as they are loving, she brings all topics of daily life into her stories: life, death, sibling rivalry, illness and the desire for everyone to find their own happily ever after. Growing up the only child of divorced parents she longed for sisters, brothers and a family that vowed to stick together no matter what came their way. Through her books, she’s created the families she wanted as that lonely child.

When she’s not writing Peggy is usually painting, crafting, scrapbooking or decoupaging old steamer trunks she finds at rummage stores and garage sales.

A lifelong and avid romance reader and writer, Peggy is a member of RWA and her local New Hampshire RWA Chapter.

As a lifelong diarist, she caught the blogging bug early on, and you can visit her at peggyjaeger.com where she blogs daily about life, writing, and stuff that makes her go “What??!”