Book Blitz + #Giveaway: Confessions of a Wedding Planner by Michelle Jo Quinn @MichelleJoQuinn @XpressoTours

Confessions of a Wedding Planner
Michelle Jo Quinn
(Bliss #1)
Publication date: July 26th 2016
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance

He may be the best man, but he’s the worst man for her…

Wedding planner, Veronica Soto-Stewart believes everyone deserves a fairy tale–even her ex-boyfriend. Unable to refuse his request, and with the help of Bliss Events motley crew, she finds herself creating the most magical event for the perfect couple.

But nothing is ever perfect…

And not all happy ever afters can be planned…

Levi Laurent can’t believe his luck. Thanks to his best friend’s wedding, he finally has a shot at the woman he’s always wanted–Veronica. From San Francisco to Paris, and back, he pulls out all the stops, so she knows where she really belongs–with him. But Veronica wants nothing to do with the rich, sexy, irresistible playboy.

Can Levi convince Veronica that her perfect happily ever after is closer than she ever realized?

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—

EXCERPT:

I couldn’t make myself comfortable. As I continued to shrug, he clasped my shoulders tighter. If I leaned against my car, his hips would press against me. I sagged in defeat and avoided direct contact with his eyes. This was worse than him thinking we could be friends.

“Since you’re big, bad boss of this whole operation, what’s going on with the bachelor party?” The man wriggled his eyebrows at me when I looked up. It was such a laughable action.
Levi was the ultimate bachelor…and rebel. He kept his hair long, rarely shaved, and often dressed in button up shirts with the first three buttons undone and sleeves rolled up, showing off his constant tan. He exuded bad-to-the-bone. And he loved it.
No doubt he had particular ideas on what Jake’s bachelor party should be like. I had more than enough of a fight to deal with, why would I add a few more in the way of silicon-filled strippers?
“What bachelor party? I’m not in charge of that. I’ve never planned one, and don’t intend to start. It’s your job as the best man to figure it out.” I poked my finger at his chest. Hard, warm chest, with a steady fluttering from his heart.
“Is it?” He took my hand in his and flattened my palm on his chest, halting my ministrations. I stared at my fingertips touching his exposed skin. “Maybe you and I can get together soon, just us, and you can give me ideas.” A number of salacious scenes flashed in my mind. I gulped, realizing my mistake, but the heat had ebbed up my neck and cheeks.
Drawing back my hand, I replied, “If you need help, you can call Chase.” I spun around to the back of my car, reached in and took out a card from my purse, ignoring the blush on my cheeks and hoping he would, too. The hand that was squeezing my shoulder smoothed its way down to the small of my back when I faced him again. I tried not to focus on the sudden, pleasant warmth in my belly. This was Levi, Casanova of the Bay area…and beyond!
He took the proffered card. “She’s the expert on all things…naughty.” Chase would kill me if she found out I gave him her number. “I have to go.”
He removed his hand from my back and held my door open for me. As I settled in my seat, he stuck his head in my car and surprised me with a swift kiss on my cheek, rendering me speechless with how pleasant it felt. Levi had never been this close to me before. I’d never allowed it.
After shutting the door closed for me, he leaned his arms over the opened window and cocked his head to one side. Playfulness washed over his face. “Veronica, you may not like me, but whether you like it or not, I will be around whenever Jake asks me to be there. So you’ll have to get used to us being together…a lot.” It felt like he was trying to say more, but I simply nodded my head, and started the car. I waited for him to back away, before I sped off. I was flustered enough to accidentally run over the guy.

Author Bio:
Michelle’s love for writing blossomed when her father gave her a diary, but instead of recounting her daily life, she wrote stories of fictional people. Like most of her characters, she believes in Happily Ever After. Naturally, she finds harmony in writing romance. She enjoys creating stories that make readers laugh, cry and fall in love. 

An unabashed, self-proclaimed foodie, Michelle loves to try new food whenever she travels. She once had triple crème Brie and duck rillette for lunch on top of Grouse Mountain. 

She lives in Ontario, Canada with her husband, two kids and a pup named Scarlet. 

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Blog Tour + #Giveaway: Moonburner by Claire Luana @clairedeluana @chapterxchapter

Moonburner by Claire Luana

Release Date: June 14, 2016
Publisher: Soul Fire Press

When 17-year old Kai is exposed as a female sorceress—a moonburner, she knows the punishment is death. Despite the odds against her, Kai escapes her fate and undertakes a harrowing journey to a land where moonburners are revered and trained as warriors.

But the moonburner citadel is not the place of refuge and learning that Kai imagined. The ongoing war against the male sorcerers, or sunburners, has led the citadel leadership down a dark path that could spell the end of all magic. Armed with a secret from her past and a handsome but dangerous ally in the sunburner prince, Kai may be the only one able to prevent the destruction of her people.

Goodreads

Purchase Links:

BAM | Chapters | Indies | Amazon 

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Excerpt:

He stood before the small basin of water, resting on a rickety table on the other side of the cabin and unwrapped their daughter. She was so beautiful. Even red and wrinkled, he could tell she had her mother’s fine hands, delicate but strong. She had his square jawbone. He wondered whether she would be as stubborn as he was in his youth. But he was delaying.

He plunged her into the water and held her there, his own heart hammering in his chest like a wild beast desperate to be set free. He began counting. Ten. She flailed under the water, her tiny limbs no match for his strong calloused hands. Thirty. At sixty, he could let her up. And try to save her. Fifty. Relief and hope began to well in him.

And then a bright white light exploded from his daughter. He stumbled back, throwing an arm over his eyes. She illuminated the cabin, shining silver light into cobwebbed corners and dusty crevices.

After a few seconds, the light died and his daughter was herself again. Tiny, pink, floating on top of the water peacefully. He and Hanae locked eyes. She had turned over and was half sitting up on her cot. The look of helpless horror on her face was mirrored on his own.

“I knew she would be,” Hanae said softly. “A moonburner. And a strong one.”

Interview with Claire Luana

What inspired you to write Moonburner?

My inspiration for Moonburner was loosely based on China's One Child policy, which led to generations of Chinese families choosing to have boys over girls. It made me think: what would happen in a world where families didn't want girls because those girls had some magical ability that was forbidden? This led to the premise of Moonburner, where Kai, the main character, is born into a land where magic is forbidden to women, and she is forced to masquerade as a boy to hide her powers. This inspiration is also why I set Moonburner in a world with more of a medieval Asian influence, rather than the typical European fantasy world readers are used to.

When or at what age did you know you wanted to be a writer?

I wrote a lot as a kid and teenager, but then gave in to practicality and pursued a law degree. I didn’t pick creative writing back up until two years ago, when my husband and I were on our honeymoon. We talked a lot about what we would do for a living if we could pick any job in the world. I realized that I would choose to be a fiction writer. And you don’t get there without trying! So I started writing.

What is the earliest age you remember reading your first book?

I read a lot starting from a very a young age. I don’t have a specific memory, but I do remember as a kid that my mom had to put a limit on my library book haul each week: only as many books as I could carry.

What genre of books do you enjoy reading?

I have always loved reading fantasy. Reading is a release and an escape for me, and so I gravitate towards books filled with magic and wonder.

What is your favorite book?

It’s SO hard to pick just one! Right now, I think it might be Daughter of Smoke and Bone, by Laini Taylor. The book was so unusual and inspired, beautiful and sinister too. It really stayed with me. It was one of those that you didn’t want to end.

You know I think we all have a favorite author. Who is your favorite author and why?

Brandon Sanderson. I consistently love everything he writes, and I am so impressed by anyone who can write such epic fantasy. As a writer, I’ve struggled with figuring out how to weave multiple plot threads together to form a cohesive whole, and he does it over the span of hundreds and hundreds of pages and multiple books. It’s really inspiring.

If you could travel back in time here on earth to any place or time. Where would you go and why?

Probably waaay back to when we were all hunters and gatherers. In my free time, I spend a lot of time outdoors, hiking and camping. There is something transcendent about our relationship with nature, and I like the idea of sitting on the side of a pristine mountain and looking up at the Milky Way in a perfectly dark sky.

When writing a book do you find that writing comes easy for you or is it a difficult task?

It depends on the day! I find writing easy but editing to be difficult. When I know what is going to happen next, the words flow fast and furious. But when I have to sit back and ponder whether my characters have sufficient depth, whether the novel’s pacing is off, or whether my themes come through, I second guess myself a lot. I hope that gets easier with practice.  

Do you have any little fuzzy friends? Like a dog or a cat? Or any pets?

Yes! I have two fur-babies, a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel named Guinness, and a Brittany Spaniel named Jameson.

What is your "to die for", favorite food/foods to eat?

Fresh berries. And chocolate.

Do you have any advice for anyone that would like to be an author?

Take a long term viewpoint and approach. We are an instant gratification society, and it's easy to get discouraged when you don't see instant results or success. But if you are truly want to be a writer, keep at it. Learn how to do it better. There is no special sauce, only hard work. So do the work, and little by little, you'll get there.

Claire Luana grew up in Edmonds, Washington, reading everything she could get her hands on and writing every chance she could get. Eventually, adulthood won out and she turned her writing talents to more scholarly pursuits, graduating from University of Washington School of Law and going to work as a commercial litigation attorney at a mid-sized law firm.

While continuing to practice law, Claire decided to return to her roots and try her hand once again at creative writing. Her first novel, Moonburner, will be published in 2016 with Soul Fire Press, an imprint of Christopher Matthews Publishing. She is currently working on the sequel, Sunburner. In her (little) remaining spare time, she loves to hike, travel, run, play with her two dogs, and of course, fall into a good book.

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Giveaway Information:  Contest ends August 5, 2016

·        One (1) winner will receive a copy of Moonburner, a free e-copy of Burning Fate, the prequel to Moonburner (only available in electronic form), and a $50 Amazon gift card (INT)

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Book Blitz + #Giveaway: Crow by Alexa Kim @XpressoTours

Crow
Alexa Kim
(Life Tree – Master Trooper #2)
Publication date: July 25th 2016
Genres: Adult, Romance, Science Fiction

Crow has a lot on his plate as the new head of Sector A. Young and inexperienced as he is in his leading role, he still has to prove himself as a capable Alpha. Especially Strike is challenging him for rank.

Yet Crow is adamant about asserting his position, because only as Alpha can he finally have what has been out of his reach for so long – Leslie, a doctor and former head of Life Tree’s INBREED program.

Unfortunately for him, Leslie herself doesn’t make it any easier. Three years his senior, she still regards him as the young Trooper who qualified for INBREED. In her book, that’s two reasons not to let him into her bed.

When Strike catches on to Crow’s weakness and abducts Leslie, both men are out for blood…

Leslie is traumatized. In the blink of an eye, her world was turned upside down. She has gone from being a self-confident woman and head of INBREED to being property of a Trooper.

Although she likes Crow and feels drawn to him already, she simply cannot forgive him for trying to make her submit only so he can strengthen his position as Alpha and leader. Moreover, there is this secret she keeps… the reason she left Earth. If Crow were to find out, he would certainly cast her aside – a bitter experience Leslie has been through before. No, she’d rather ignore her feelings…

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Sequel to:

—

EXCERPT:

– Crow –

“You enjoyed tonight,” I start, trying to get back the comfortable mood, but it’s not really working.
“Yes. I’m glad Larona lives here now.” Leslie’s eyes shine vividly for the first time since I’ve laid claim to her.
“You feel comfortable in her presence.”
“I do,” Leslie admits guilelessly while we take the remnants of our dinner back to the kitchen. “Larona and I get along well. She’s my friend.”
I feel another stab of jealousy, and then I regrettably say something absolutely moronic, “You’d rather spend time with her than with me.” Leslie turns around and looks at me with a frown that makes me want to bite my tongue off. You idiot. You bloody idiot!
“Well, Larona isn’t smothering me with a compulsive need for control!”
Her words shatter my self-control. A haze of abstruse thoughts clouds my mind, courtesy of my eight percent non-human DNA. Leslie is still challenging my authority. She’s mine, and I know what’s best for her… but she doesn’t take me seriously. She doesn’t admit my claim on her! I have to get her under control! She has to submit! With those thoughts running riot in my mind, adrenaline gets pumped into my blood, putting me into a mood that’s a mixture of aggression and arousal.
Of course, Leslie notices – the ostentatious tent in my pants is hard to miss. However, this time, she’s not afraid. Instead, she seems rather peeved… and aroused, which I’m able to tell from her scent. A part of my heightened emotions is profoundly satisfied by that development – at least physically, there are no issues in our compatibility.
Still, Leslie tries being obstinate. She crosses her arms in front of her chest. Her eyes are ablaze, and her brown hair falls in loose waves down to her shoulders. I notice every detail about her… and her stubbornness only makes me want her even more! Right now!
Leslie is wearing one of her white bodysuits that hardly conceals any of her feminine curves… neither the dip of her waist, nor her long legs, nor her shapely behind. Every inch of her body is sending me a clear message, yet I doubt she’s even aware of it.
“You want to grab me and throw me onto the bed again so you can proof something to yourself?” Her voice is flippant and just a bit husky.
I decide to play along. “There’s no need for that.”
“Great,” she retorts, but now there’s a hint of uncertainty in her voice. “Good night, then.”
Leslie turns to leave, but I’m not letting her off that easy. She hasn’t gone two steps when I grab her from behind, wrapping her in my arms. “I don’t need a bed to show you who you belong to… the kitchen will suffice.”

Author Bio:
Alexa Kim is a German author of hot sci-fi and fantasy romance books, usually with a dark touch. She used to be a regular with trade publishers for over ten years before she decided to try and make her own way as an indie author under the pen name Alexa Kim. In 2014, she hit it off with her MASTER TROOPER series, and she’s since been in Germany’s Amazon bestselling list on a regular basis. 

When she’s not writing, she’s either indulging her hobby—singing—or spending time with a book and her two cats. 

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Book Blitz + #Giveaway: Daemoneum by Laney McMann @LaneyMcMann @XpressoTours

Daemoneum
Laney McMann
(The Primordial Principles #2)
Publication date: July 22nd 2016
Genres: Urban Fantasy, Young Adult

Boulder, Colorado is too quiet, and no one needs to remind Cole Spires how unnatural that is.

In the aftermath of Dracon’s death, the Daemoneum have gone into hiding. Every known Hive has been shut down and evacuated, and for the first time in Cole’s memory, the Brotherhood, Kinship, and all common houses across the country and abroad are considering lockdown. Leygates are being systematically closed around the world, and the Primordial are waiting …

In the bunker underneath the Brotherhood, Kade Sparrow is as safe as she can possibly be, or that’s the idea, but no one can explain how her Astrum necklace found its way into her bedroom. There were no footprints, no traces of breaking and entering, no evidence of any kind that someone had infiltrated the Brotherhood common house. Yet the necklace still sat on her night stand, wound in a perfect circle of gold, the tiny star glinting on its chain. And the only person who could have put it there … is dead.

In the second installment of The Primordial Principles, strange occurrences are happening across the globe. Relationships will be tested, old players will become new, foes will turn into allies, and an unlikely adversary will force Cole and Kade to go on the run.

As the fallen rise, the Primordial must unite as one.

Or all could be lost.

Goodreads / Amazon

Sequel to:

—

SNEAK A PEEK AT DAEMONEUM:

“Promise me something?” Cole whispered against her mouth, his hand gripping hers tighter.

“Anything.”
“Don’t let go.” His free hand whipped to the side, and a geyser of pure red energy erupted from the ground at their feet. The sound rushed in Kade’s ears like hurricane force winds, and her free arm immediately went around Cole’s waist, holding his body tight against hers. “Close your eyes.”
She did, and he kissed her again, hard. His warm lips parted her own, his tongue found hers, and Kade yielded to him completely, their bodies molding together. The swirling gush of energy consumed them in a spinning crackle of deafening electricity.
Kade’s body lifted from the ground, and spun, pressed against Cole’s, and he never stopped kissing her, only pulled her closer, tighter, as they disappeared from the field, from Colorado, from everything she knew.

Author Bio:
Laney McMann is the author of The Fire Born Novels, The Primordial Principles, and The CrossWorld Chronicles (coming soon) 

The product of very creative parents and the most imaginative grandmother ever, she has an untapped passion for the supernatural and all things magical. Her voracious appetite for reading fantasy started really young ~ and so did her love of words. 

She writes young adult dark urban fantasy novels mixed with a spike of romance, a hint of history, a dash of mythology, and lots of paranormal. 

On the non-writing side of life, Laney is a former classical dancer, music snob, chef, and a right-brained thinker to a fault. When she's not dreaming up new dead ends to torture herself with, she spends her time running and playing her music way too loud. 

Laney is published by J. Taylor Publishing and formerly by Booktrope Publishing. 

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Excerpt Tour + #Giveaway: Passionate Pursuit by Tina Donahue @tinadonahue @GoddessFish

Passionate Pursuit

by Tina Donahue

GENRE: Erotic Historical Romance

BLURB:

Andalucía Spain, 1489: Innocent Beatriz is desperate to escape the threat of a miserable marriage to a cruel Marquis. Forced into the betrothal by her ruthless merchant papá, her only hope is to conceal her identity and become a servant in a nearby castle—a life drastically different from her comfortable upbringing.

Tomás doesn’t know what to make of his well-spoken new servant girl. Her beauty and charm captivates the military hero; her mysterious nature intrigues him. And the desire she ignites burns brighter with each glance, as does his longing to claim her for his own.

Beatriz can’t resist Tomás’ passion nor deny the heat of her own. But neither the lush countryside nor the walls of the opulent Moorish castle can entirely protect her—and if he were to discover her secret, she could be torn away from him forever. Yet how can she sustain his love if she’s living a lie?

EXCERPT:

He gestured. “Read.”

She did, flawlessly, her skill as great as his, a nobleman. Or her father’s, the baker.

Tomás had never met one educated in anything other than making bread, cakes, and such, along with having the most elementary knowledge of reading and mathematics to operate a business.

However, since he’d spent most of his days battling Moors, his understanding of those who lived in the villages was limited, even the ones he now owned. In years past, the only time he’d stepped foot in those places was after the Moors had raided them. With the destruction he and his soldiers had faced, there hadn’t been time to get to know the people.

He wouldn’t make the same mistake with Beatriz.

Her lashes cast shadows on her cheeks from the candlelight, the glow adding a touch of gold to her complexion. Her lips caressed the words she read, the movement bewitching, beckoning him to taste her mouth.

He resisted.

She turned the page. Her hands were lovely and quite pale, despite the work she did here. She bore no healed burns from hot pans in her father’s bakeshop, nor had washing pots there left her skin red and raw. Tending a feeble mother hadn’t harmed her beauty, either.

With Beatriz here, her mamá had no one to care for her, unless another relative handled the task or Beatriz paid someone. Given her reading skills, she should have gone to one of the large cities, rather than staying in the countryside. In a more populated area, she might have found work as a tutor for a prosperous family, earning far more.

He might never have met her.

She was here now, tending to him, reading a story they both loved, sitting close. He touched her arm.

She stopped reading.

He smiled softly, unable to help himself, his soul and heart bared to her. Although she was one of the loveliest women he’d ever known, he liked her as a person, enjoying her voice and laugh, how she looked at him with wonder and desire, no different than his passion for her.

He cupped her face. The book slipped from her grasp and hit the floor. He brushed his mouth over hers. She inhaled sharply, her hand on his chest.

He slanted his mouth over hers and parted her lips with his tongue, entering her, tasting sweet moisture, reveling in the clean, fresh flavor. The finest food had never been better. He had to have more and angled his mouth for greater penetration, his tongue probing deeper.

Beatriz suckled him.

They tried to get closer to each other, their chair legs scraping the floor. Tomás cupped her breast. She moaned around his tongue and wreathed her arm over his shoulder. Her tunic and gown were frustrating barriers, her erect nipple covered by too much cloth. He ran his thumb over the tightened tip, wanting the garments off, her bared to him.

His kiss grew heated and uncontrolled.

AUTHOR BIO:

Tina is an Amazon and international bestselling novelist in erotic, paranormal, contemporary, and historical romance for traditional publishers and indie. Booklist, Publisher’s Weekly, Romantic Times and numerous online sites have praised her work. Three of her erotic novels (Freeing the Beast, Come and Get Your Love, and Wicked Takeover) were Readers' Choice Award winners. Another three (Adored, Lush Velvet Nights, and Deep, Dark, Delicious) were named finalists in the EPIC competition. Sensual Stranger, her erotic contemporary romance, was chosen Book of the Year at the French review site Blue Moon reviews. The Golden Nib Award at Miz Love Loves Books was created specifically for her erotic romance Lush Velvet Nights. Two of her titles (The Yearning and Deep, Dark, Delicious) received an Award of Merit in the RWA Holt Medallion competition. Take Me Away and Adored both won second place in the NEC RWA contest (different years). Tina is featured in the Novel & Short Story Writer’s Market. Before penning romances, she worked at a major Hollywood production company in Story Direction.

FB Fan Page ~ Email ~ Blog  ~ Goodreads ~ Twitter

Facebook ~ Triberr ~ Pinterest ~ Amazon ~ TRR ~ EC

Samhain ~ Sweet ‘n Sexy Divas ~ Romance Books 4 US

BUY LINKS:

Amazon ~ Amazon CA ~ BN ~ Kobo ~ Books a Million

Penguin-Random House Canada ~ Fantastic Fiction

Giveaway:

5 ebooks from the author’s backlist 
 

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Book Blitz + #Giveaway: Aria & Ethan by Kad Rayan @yaboundtourspr

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Cover Reveal: Hollywood Demon by Jenny Schwartz @Jenny_Schwartz @XpressoTours

Hollywood Demon
Jenny Schwartz
(The Collegium, #6)
Publication date: August 27th 2016
Genres: New Adult, Paranormal, Romance

Feel the Earth move!

A camera can’t steal your soul—but a demon can! Mark Yarren suspects a demon has found a way around the spell his great-grandfather cast to prevent demons sucking souls through the camera’s lens. Digital photography dangerously omits the silver wash that was photography’s century-old defence against Hell.

Mark is Hollywood royalty, descended from the early Hollywood stars: the studio bosses and directors, the producers and actresses. Now he lives alone in his palatial Beverly Hills estate.

Well, not quite alone.

Clancy Ramirez is back! She’s tried life in New York, in Iceland, and in Hawaii, but she missed California. She missed the grumbling roar of the San Andreas Fault with its leagues-deep molten geology. Clancy is a geomage and she can make the earth shake—or grow still. But California isn’t her territory. She has no place intruding or tapping its energy.

But a demon shackled for a century is breaking free, and Collegium rules, old heartaches and strained family loyalties will break, too.

The Big One is coming.

Goodreads / Amazon

Author Bio:
Jenny's current obsession is the Collegium series. Shifters and dragons, magic and chaos, Jenny's never quite sure where her writing day is going to take her, but she knows it'll be a thrill-ride! 

With a writing record that includes steampunk, sweet romance, coastal romance, mysteries and science fiction, it's obvious Jenny writes almost as widely as she reads - almost! Like all authors, she started as an avid reader. The one thing she insists on is a happy ending. 

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PROMO Blitz: After the Fire by Mary J. Williams @maryjwilliams05 @RABTBookTours

Contemporary Romance

Date Published: June 22, 2016

A STAND-ALONE NOVEL

In his lifetime, Gaige Benson has dreamed of only two things. Playing football and Violet Reed.

WELCOME TO THE NFL

The Seattle Knights have the hottest players in the game. On and off the field.

Second Chances. First Love.

Gaige Benson is the NFL's golden boy. He's done it all. Won every award. Except that elusive Super Bowl ring. This year he is hanging up his cleats and he plans on going out a winner.

Even a golden boy has secrets. Will Gaige's past be the one thing that derails his future?

Violet Reed almost lost it all. Her sight, her dreams of becoming a doctor, and the only man she ever loved. A miracle saved the first two. Sixteen years later she is getting her second chance at love.

Secrets kept them apart. Will the truth separate them forever?

Get your copy of the stand-alone sports romance readers are calling an emotional, page-turning thrill-ride.

Each book in the series is a stand alone novel. Other books in this series are:

After the Rain

Amazon

After All These Years

Amazon

EXCERPT

PROLOGUE

SHE HAD ONCE asked him if he believed in a higher power.

God? Buddha? Fairies dancing around a blazing fire late at night? Something. Anything bigger than us.

Gaige Benson hadn't known what to say. Not then. But as he stood in the empty open-air stadium—the stars lighting the evening sky—he knew the answer.

Football was his religion. The field he played on and the building surrounding it, his cathedral. If a higher power had a hand in it, then his answer was yes.

He believed.

Walking to the center of the field, Gaige took it all in. He found football at the age of thirteen. A boy who saw his future mapped out. Working in a factory. Drinking away his salary. Divorce. Doling out child support without maintaining a relationship with his children. A weekend father, who half the time didn't bother to show up.

The first time Gaige picked up a football, he felt a connection. The first time he threw it, it wobbled with the grace of a drunk leaving his favorite watering hole on a Saturday night. But it didn't matter. He threw the ball again. And again. Until he taught himself to make it spin in a perfect spiral.

At the time, Gaige didn't know his talent could be useful. Where he came from, Brooklyn kids didn't dream of bigger or better. Most of them didn't dream at all. Gaige was no different.

One day he was passing a playground when a football landed at his feet. The boys on the field yelled for him to toss it back. Without thinking, Gaige sent it sailing, a perfect strike. Then kept walking. He was wary of the man who ran after him. Strangers were the enemy—according to his father. They either wanted money or accused you of something you hadn't done.

Gaige took everything his father said with a big grain of salt. Don Benson didn't have a dime to his name. Why would anyone expect to get money from him? And if a man accused his father of something, chances were he was guilty.

But Gaige was a cautious boy. He fought when necessary and ran when he had no choice. The man trying to get his attention was big. His dark complexion didn't worry Gaige. In his experience, a man was either good or bad. The color of his skin had nothing to do with it.

It turned out that this man wasn't simply good. He was the best thing that ever happened to Gaige.

Terrance Aldridge coached the local Pop Warner football team. A boy with an arm like Gaige's shouldn't let his talent go to waste. Gaige listened. Play football? On a field? With other boys? Was such a thing possible? He didn't know if it were a scam—nor did he care. If there were the slightest chance, he would take it.

The only obstacle was getting a parent's permission. Terrance gave him the papers to be signed, telling Gaige to have his folks call him if they had any questions. Gaige didn't laugh aloud, but he wanted to. His mother never asked questions. Unless they were directed at his father. Wynona Benson hadn't made a move in fifteen years unless she received permission first.

His father was another matter. His word was law. Don Benson could do no wrong. If he drank too much and staggered home two days late, it was his right. If he backhanded his wife—just because—whose business was it? He earned the money. He made the rules. End of discussion.

Gaige hadn't asked his father because he knew what the answer would be. No! Not because he thought there was anything wrong with football. He watched it every Sunday—after laying down a bet that he never won. No, he wouldn't let Gaige play because he was a mean bastard who wanted everyone to be as miserable as he was.

Gaige got around it easily enough. He forged his father's signature. It wasn't the first time and it wouldn't be the last. There was no reason to think anyone would find out. His parents didn't care how he spent his days as long as the police didn't come knocking on the door.

He could steal. Lie. Cheat. Hell, his father wouldn't bat an eye at murder. Do what you want as long as you don't get caught. The mantra at the Benson house. 

Gaige had no intention of his father finding out. He tried out for the team and made it. The money for equipment was another matter. Gaige didn't steal. Or cheat. Lying was a necessary evil. He would have done almost anything to play but it looked like his first and only dream would die before it had a chance.

Luckily, Terrance was able to dip into a discretionary fund to help boys like Gaige. It rankled to take charity. Especially when the other boys on the team had families to pay their way.

"Don't let it stop you, Gaige," Terrance told him. "Remember. And one day, when you have the means, pay it forward, son."

Twenty-five years later, Gaige hadn't forgotten that kindness and generosity. When he saw someone in need, he did something about it. Over the years, the Gaige Benson Foundation paid out millions of dollars to charities and individuals. He had filled the board with people he trusted and could count on to distribute the funds judiciously and without prejudice. The first man he had recruited was the man to whom Gaige owed everything—Terrance Aldridge. Friend. Father figure. Teacher.

"Hey, Gaige." Logan Price called out from high in the stands. "You coming? The guys are waiting to go to dinner."

"Five minutes."

Closing his eyes, Gaige breathed in the air. February in Texas. Tomorrow he would play in his first—and last Super Bowl. Win or lose, he was hanging up his cleats. He was thirty-eight years old. He had more money than he would ever need. He had won every award from Rookie of the Year to league MVP—four times.

This season he put everything on the line to get here—including the possibility that he had lost the only woman he had ever loved.

Gaige Benson was known for his razor-sharp focus. Any distractions off the field were left there as soon as the first whistle blew. It wouldn't be any different tomorrow. Nothing would get in the way.

His gaze drifted to the section where she would be sitting. If she showed up. Gaige planned on going out a winner. But what about the day after? Or the day after that? His future stretched out in front of him. He had plans in place. There were hundreds of options for him to consider.

Do you believe in a higher power?

Her voice and that question had haunted Gaige for almost sixteen years. If there were a God, he prayed the woman he loved would find it in her heart to forgive him. He had a lot of years left. He didn't want to spend them alone.

In his lifetime, Gaige Benson had dreamt of only two things. Playing football. And loving Violet Reed.

Mary J. Williams is an author from Washington State who went to school in a small town on the Columbia River. She loves writing, reading, and football.  She always wanted to write a novel and she always knew it would be a romance novel. But it wasn’t until her favorite football team lost the Super Bowl on the last play with an interception, that this dream began to come to fruition. She was so depressed that she tuned out all the media. Without television, internet, or newspapers, she had nothing else to do, so she sat down and started writing. Her first romance series, Harper Falls contains four books. Mary has released two new series in 2016, Hollywood Legends and One Pass Away (which combines her love of football with her love of romance).

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