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A Scottish Regency Romance Novella. To Tempt a Highland Duke Widowed Lady Flora Grafton must be dreaming…Dougray Firth, the Duke of Monreith, the man who’d once pledged his heart to her and then stood by and allowed her to marry another, has just proposed to her. While her head screams for her to say yes, her heart is more guarded. Why, after eight years, this sudden interest? When she learns the truth… can she trust Dougray to love her enough this time? Read an excerpt at the author's site! Amazon | Add to Goodreads Meet the Author Waving from Hawkes Bay, New Zealand. USA Today bestselling author, Bronwen Evans grew up loving books. She writes both historical and contemporary sexy romances for the modern woman who likes intelligent, spirited heroines, and compassionate alpha heroes. Evans is a three-time winner of the RomCon Readers’ Crown and has been nominated for an RT Reviewers’ Choice Award. She lives in Hawkes Bay, New Zealand with her dogs Brandy and Duke. You can keep up with Bronwen’s news by visiting her website: bronwenevans.com and get a FREE book by signing up to her newsletter . Join her on Facebook and Twitter Genre: Scottish Historical Romance Type: Novella

"Sweet, funny and full of heart!" — Amazon Review Montana Match Thanksgiving in Montana Is about family—and love! Thanksgiving is the perfect time for Fiona Harrison to turn her life around. And she is sure finding a suitable husband will please her newfound family in Montana. When a dating app sends her every dud in town, handsome bartender Simon Clarke offers to be her matchmaker. If only Simon fit her criteria… Learning the truth about the twinkle-eyed charmer could change everything—but for better or worse? The Blackwell Sisters Book 1: Montana Welcome by Melinda Curtis Book 2: Montana Wishes by Amy Vastine Book 3: Montana Dreams by Anna J. Stewart Book 4: Montana Match by Carol Ross Book 5: Montana Wedding by Cari Lynn Webb Goodreads | Amazon | B&N | Harlequin Print | BAM IndieBound | Walmart | Apple Books | Google Play | Kobo Enjoy an Excerpt from Montana Match Fiona groaned. “Now I have to go back to dating.” That moment, Simon recognized later, was his undoing. Specifically, that sound, the heart-wrenching sound of Fiona’s sadness, weariness and despair. It dug right into him and precipitated his final descent into foolishness. That, and the idea of watching her continue to waste time on these mismatched “matches” via her bogus family-influenced profile. What if she grew so tired of the process that she gave up and settled on someone? He couldn’t handle it if she ended up with some guy even weirder than Drew or as domineering as Gary. If she was going to go through with this husband search, she deserved one worthy of her. He needed to make sure of that. “No, Fiona, you don’t.” “Unfortunately, I do,” she countered. “You don’t even like this internet dating stuff.” Fiona gazed quickly and impatiently skyward before focusing back on him. “That’s not exactly news, Simon. I’ve already told you I don’t. On paper, however, it should work.” She executed a theatrical air punch and forced a smile, and added, “It will work. Trying to stay optimistic here, but it’s getting difficult. I’m beginning to think I’m the problem.” “You are most definitely not the problem.” “Yeah? Well, so far... Never mind, I hate being negative. Ugh. Did you hear that? I just did it again. I’m usually not a negative person, but since I’ve moved to Montana things have not worked out like I thought they would and...” Her eyes widened as if surprised by her comment. “You know what? You don’t need to hear this. I’ll figure it out. I always do.” “Maybe I can help.” “That is highly unlikely.” “Neg-a-tive,” he crooned in a singsong voice. “We’re not doing negative anymore, remember?” “Right.” Twitching and extra cute, her mouth barely resisted a smile. “I have a dating proposition for you.” “Very funny,” she returned drily. “I’m not talking about me,” he said. Just gathering the words felt painful, but he forged on, “Shut down your dating profile, and I’ll find you a guy.” Her eyebrows darted up as her mouth opened and then snapped shut, leaving an expression that reflected the pure bizarreness of the suggestion. “You are going to find me a guy?” “I know a lot of people around here.” Ned and Val knew even more. He would enlist their advice, he decided, growing more encouraged by his suggestion. “Let me be your matchmaker.” “Why would you do that?” “Because I care about you. I can’t stand to see you on these dates, disappointed over and over again.” If that gave away more of his feelings than was wise, he didn’t care. When she didn’t answer, he posed it another way. “How is my setting you up with a guy I think you’ll like, and who I think is worthy of you, any different than your family helping you fill out your profile to attract a certain type of guy?” “Are you saying that you think you can do a better job of finding me a potential husband than my own family?” “Well, I know you and I know the guys. So...” He shrugged one shoulder dramatically. “What do you have to lose? I’ll be leaving in a few weeks anyway. If it doesn’t work, you reactivate your profile and go back to doing it your way.” Excerpt Copyright © Carol Ross. Shared with permission for the blog tour. The Author USA Today bestselling author Carol Ross grew up in small town America right between the Pacific Ocean and the Cascade Mountains, in a place where you can go deep sea fishing in the morning and then hit the ski slopes the same afternoon. The daughter of what is now known as free range parents, she developed a love of the outdoors at a very early age. As a writer, Carol loves to breathe the life she has lived into the characters she creates, grateful for the “research material” that every questionable decision, adrenaline-charged misstep, and near-death experience has provided. Learn more at carolrossauthor.com Connect on Goodreads | Facebook | Twitter | Pinterest | BookBub Genre: Contemporary Romance Type: Novel Release Date: November 1, 2020 Series: The Blackwell Sisters, Book 4 Content Note: 2 Hearts View our rating system One winner will receive a $25 Amazon e-Gift Card and an e-book of Montana Match and one winner will receive an e-book of Montana Match Open internationally. By entering the giveaway, you are confirming you are at least 18 years old. Void where prohibited by law. This giveaway ends November 6, 2020. This giveaway is sponsored by the author and hosted by Prism Book Tours. Good luck everyone! Thank you for visiting and reading! Feel inspired? Want others to experience the book magic? We hope you'll support this author by sharing with your friends. Have you read the book? Let us know your thoughts!

Congratulations to Rachel Miles, author of Reckless in Red , winner of the October 2020 Readers' Choice Cover Contest! Thank you to all those who participated and voted. Vote in the new contest .

Meet the Thompsons of Locust Street, an unconventional family taking Philadelphia high society by storm… The Bachelor's Bride 1868 Elspeth Thompson is the middle daughter in a family with tightly held secrets. While she loves her family, she longs to break out from their overprotective hold, to find herself, to be noticed for who she is rather than as chaperone to her beautiful younger sister, Kirsty, or underling to her elder sister, Muireall. A chance meeting under scandalous circumstances offers her the opportunity to be seen for herself, but the repercussions could lead to the downfall of her family. Confirmed bachelor Alexander Pendergast enjoys his position as the right-hand man of one of the most influential and powerful politicians in Philadelphia. Heir to the largest textile mill on the east coast, Alexander is handsome, charming, and the ultimate catch on high society’s matrimonial market. But he has no interest in settling down with a pampered debutante. He doubts the perfect woman for him actually exists…until he meets Elspeth Thompson. But the Thompsons and Pendergasts move in different circles, and Elspeth has no desire to be judged and found wanting by Philadelphia’s first families. Though she tries to resist Alexander’s charms, when he comes to her family’s rescue, she knows there’s more to him than she’d first thought. But Alexander realizes that his ambitions may have placed Elspeth and her family in grave danger. With an unseen enemy determined to uncover the Thompson family’s secrets, Alexander grapples with secrets of his own, secrets that could cost him the only woman he’s ever truly cared about. When Elspeth finds herself in terrible danger, can she muster the inner strength of her ancestors to save herself and her family and find the courage to meet love head on? Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Add to Goodreads Meet the Author “Love always has something to say. Sometimes it shouts from the highest hill, and sometimes it whispers so softly one must listen closely to hear. Do not turn away. It is a rare and precious commodity. Treasure it.” The Gentrys of Paradise Holly Bush’s historical romances are set during the turbulent and transformative years of the late 1800’s. The first two books in her newest series, The Gentrys of Paradise, released in the spring of 2017 and began with the novella Into the Evermore where readers meet Virginia horse breeders, Eleanor and Beauregard Gentry. The following books feature their children, Adam, Matthew, and Olivia. For the Brave is Matthew’s story and is the first full length book of the series. Olivia’s book, For This Moment, released in the spring of 2018. The final book, For Her Honor, is now available. The Crawford Family Series following the fortunes of the three Boston born Crawford sisters and includes Train Station Bride , Contract to Wed , Her Safe Harbor , and companion novella, The Maid’s Quarters . Cross the Ocean and Charming the Duke are both British set Victorian romances. Fan favorites stand-alone historical romance novels include Romancing Olive and Reconstructing Jackson . Holly’s books are described as ‘emotional, with heartfelt, sexy romance.’ She also writes General Fiction under the name of Hollis Bush. Holly makes her home with her husband, one happy Labrador Retriever, and a clever Jack Russell rescued from the pound, and two difficult cats in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. Connect with Holly at www.hollybushbooks.com , on Twitter @hollybushbooks, and on Facebook at Holly Bush. Follow Holly on her Amazon author page to receive new release updates and on BookBub to check out her reviews and get sale information. Genre: Historical Romance Publication Date: November 17, 2020 Series: The Thompsons of Locust Street, Book One Type: Novel During the book blast, the author is giving away a $50 Amazon Gift Card! To enter, please use the Gleam form below. The giveaway is open to US residents only and ends on November 16, 2020. You must be 18 or older to enter. Void where prohibited by law. This giveaway is sponsored and hosted by the author and Historical Fiction Virtual Book Tours. Thank you for visiting and reading! Feel inspired? Want others to experience the book magic? We hope you'll support this author by sharing with your friends using one of the easy share buttons at the end of this post.

“There's action, adventure, drama, danger, suspense, twist and turns, enemies, survival, surprises, mystery and secrets, frustrations, anger and pain. All these will keep you turning the pages with intrigue and passion.” — Amazon Review A Perfect Storm Sgt. Windflower is back, untangling another swirling mystery, this one bringing the meth crisis and biker gangs to the quiet Newfoundland town of Grand Bank, feeling the sting of their deadly tentacles reaching all the way from Las Vegas. He's working with his familiar crew of RCMP characters – but wait, are some of the faces changing? New challenges for Jones, an unknown side of Smithson reveals itself, and what ever happened to Tizzard? In the midst of putting the pieces of the puzzle together, Windflower and his beloved Sheila also find themselves navigating sorrows and surprises on the family front. Come back to Grand Bank for more fun, food and cool, clean, Canadian crime fiction with Sgt. Windflower Mysteries… Amazon Kindle | Paperback | Goodreads In the author's words . . . Q&A with Mike Martin Books & Benches: We're here with Canadian author Mike Martin, and the latest book in his Sgt. Windflower Mystery series. We're coming a little late to this party (nine books), and we have to say they all sound great! While we're checking out the series from start to finish, let's hear a few words from the author . . . Does writing energize or exhaust you? Writing is an act of creation so it definitely energizes me. When I am in the writing zone I connect to the creative current that is flowing through all of us, all of creation. The characters come to me and tell me their stories. All I have to do is to write them down. But when I have finished a book or a project I am exhausted and need a complete break from writing to energize me. Please tell us a little something extra about A Perfect Storm . Sgt Windflower is back, untangling another swirling mystery, this one bringing the meth crisis and biker gangs to the quiet Newfoundland town of Grand Bank, feeling the sting of their deadly tentacles reaching all the way from Las Vegas. He's working with his familiar crew of RCMP characters – but wait, are some of the faces changing? New challenges for Jones, an unknown side of Smithson reveals itself, and what ever happened to Tizzard? In the midst of putting the pieces of the puzzle together, Windflower and his beloved Sheila also find themselves navigating sorrows and surprises on the family front. Do you try more to be original or to deliver to readers what they want? I write for the sake of writing but I do respect the readers of the Sgt. Windflower Mystery series. In that, I would never have gratuitous violence or sexual conduct. I will not even use bad language because the readers have come to expect that. But I will also try and write original content that is true to me, the series and the light mystery genre. Do you think someone could be a writer if they don’t feel emotions strongly? No, and I could stop there. You could be a commercial or business writer because that comes from your head. But all great creative writing and all fiction comes from the heart. Books & Benches: Well, said! "The author beautifully balances the action with the family drama. Moreover, the author puts in philosophical quotations from famous people, and also adds snippets of cultures and cuisines in the dialogues that made this book memorable." — Rajiv's Reviews Enjoy an Excerpt from A Perfect Storm Chapter One Eddie Tizzard passed his card over the sensor and pushed the door open. He flicked on the light. “Holy jumpins,” he said when he saw what was on the bed in his hotel room— thousands of dollars strewn around like confetti. When he looked closer, he saw something else. There, right in the middle of the bed, was a very red, very large bloodstain. His first instinct was to run. But his years as an RCMP officer got the best of him, and he had another look around. Soon the source of the blood became obvious. It was a man in a suit lying face down in the bathroom with a visible hole in the back of his head. Tizzard should have trusted his first instinct because when he did decide to leave the room, he walked directly into the path of who he would later find out was the head of hotel security. He was remembering all of this as he sat in a holding cell with a dozen other men in the Las Vegas jail. Tizzard had gone to Vegas for private detective training, having decided on a new career path after leaving the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, or the Mounties. Technically, he was on leave for the rest of the year, but he doubted he’d ever return to his old job. He’d applied for and received his firearms license, but he wanted a certificate to put on the walls of his new office, that is when he got an office. That seemed very far away right now, about as far as he could get from his home in Newfoundland on the eastern tip of Canada. He’d watched enough police shows on TV to know that he could make one phone call. But nobody had said when he could do that. The duty officer kind of smirked when he pushed him into the lock-up with his dozen new friends and told him, “Yeah, yeah, coming right up.” Tizzard was confused but tried to look like he fit in with his fellow cell mates. They, in turn, looked like they were measuring his clothes to see if they might be a fit. As long as they don’t find out that I used to be a cop, I’ll be OK, thought Tizzard as he backed up as far as he could into a corner. It seemed like he had waited forever, but as several of his new friends came in for a closer look, he heard his name called, “Tizzard, Tizzard.” “That’s me,” he said and pushed by the two large men who had got the closest. The duty cop opened the door, and Tizzard walked along the hallway to an interview room. He was pushed inside, and the door clicked shut behind him. It was a small, windowless room with a camera in the ceiling, a mirror on the wall, a single chair on one side of a table, and two on the other. Tizzard knew the drill and took a seat on the one-chair side. Then he waited, again. Feels like home, he thought. Just not my home. On the other side of the continent Mayor Sheila Hillier was wrapping up her town council meeting and was on her way to meet Moira Stoodley who was babysitting her daughter, Amelia Louise. The meeting had been made unpleasant by a couple of contentious issues, including whether the older buildings in the downtown core of Grand Bank should be modernized or restored to maintain their historic character. But Sheila also realized that most of the tension was really about who would replace her as mayor in the election only a couple of weeks away. Jacqueline Wilson was Sheila’s preference, but there was another candidate, Phil Bennett, who was leading the anti-tax faction of council. Every meeting, Bennett would try to disrupt things to show how influential he thought he could be, but Sheila would have none of it and would put him back in line. Bennett’s behaviour in itself was more than enough reason for her to want to leave, she thought. Sheila had decided to go back to school part-time, eventually do an MBA once she had cleared up her scholastic records and completed the course load for an old degree program she had started several years earlier. Politics had never really been her thing, even though she was very good at it. She had only taken the mayor’s job to try to improve the town’s economy. And she had succeeded, mostly. The Town of Grand Bank’s fish plant was now operating on a regular basis with a quota for crab and the sea urchins considered a delicacy in Japan and China. The town also had a recycling factory and a solar panel fabrication plant. Half of the town’s people wanted to not just preserve the past but to live in it. The other half wanted to blow it all up and start over. They had no use for the old and wanted everything to be modern, like the way it was in St. John’s or even nearby Marystown. It seemed there was no middle ground for the residents of Grand Bank, yet Sheila was sure you could have the best of both worlds. Getting others to agree with her, though, seemed impossible. Sheila gathered up her things and drove to the Mug-Up, which was known through much of the province to be the best little café there was in Grand Bank. That it was the only café in Grand Bank was usually not mentioned. Sheila had owned the place years ago but gave it up after a horrific car accident left her with a slight limp and no desire to stand all day. Moira and her husband, Herb, had taken it over, and it was there that she found Amelia Louise sitting at a table with her Poppy Herb. “Mama, mama,” she shrieked as Sheila’s heart melted. “Ook, ook.” “I think she’s got talent,” said Herb Stoodley. Sheila examined the crayon scrawls on the paper and murmured her approval. “It’s so nice,” she said. “Is it Lady, your doggie?” she asked, making a leap of faith based on the fact that there was one small circle on top of a large mass of scratches. Amelia Louise smiled and nodded her head up and down emphatically. She had always been able to somehow say no, but now the 20-month-old toddler was happy to signify yes with a grand gesture. “Well, thank you,” said Sheila. “And thank you, Herb. And here’s Moira, too. Thank you, Moira, for looking after her.” “It’s our pleasure,” said Moira, wiping her hands on her apron. “I was just finishing off some baking.” “Em,” said Amelia Louise. “Ook, ook,” “I can see,” said Moira. “Has Poppy Herb been nice to you?” “She’s like our baby, too,” said Herb. “It’s easy to be nice to her. ‘Those that do teach young babes, do it with gentle means and easy tasks.’” “Okay, my soon-to-be-famous artist, let’s go,” said Sheila as she put on Amelia Louise’s jacket. Once outside again, Sheila noticed the November air had lost any tinge of summer warmth, and the wind was picking up, making it a bit of an adventure to walk the short distance to their house. Sheila tried to carry her daughter, but Amelia Louise was determined to walk on her own, while examining every leaf that blew their way. When they got home, Molly the cat watched them carefully as they came up the walkway. The dog, Lady, was more directly affectionate and showed how much she had missed them both by almost knocking them over in the hall. The only one missing from the happy family was Sheila’s husband and the father of Amelia Louise, Sergeant Winston Windflower of the RCMP Grand Bank Detachment. He was at work, but Sheila expected to hear from him soon because his stomach would be rumbling any minute now, and he’d want to know what was on for dinner. Excerpt Copyright © Mike Martin. Shared with permission for blog tour. Enjoy more excerpts from this series > The Author Mike Martin was born in St. John’s, NL on the east coast of Canada and now lives and works in Ottawa, Ontario. He is a long-time freelance writer and his articles and essays have appeared in newspapers, magazines and online across Canada as well as in the United States and New Zealand. He is the author of Change the Things You Can: Dealing with Difficult People and has written a number of short stories that have been published in various publications across North America. The Walker on the Cape was his first full fiction book and the premiere of the Sgt. Windflower Mystery Series. Other books in the series include The Body on the T, Beneath the Surface, A Twist of Fortune, and A Long Ways from Home, followed by A Tangled Web, which was shortlisted for the 2017 Bony Blithe Light Mystery Award as the best light mystery of the year, and Darkest Before the Dawn, which won the 2018 Bony Blithe Light Mystery Award. Fire, Fog and Water was the eighth in the series. He has also published Christmas in Newfoundland: Memories and Mysteries, a Sgt. Windflower Book of Christmas past and present. He is Past Chair of the Board of Crime Writers of Canada, a national organization promoting Canadian crime and mystery writers and a member of the Newfoundland Writing Guild and Ottawa Independent Writers. A Perfect Storm is the latest book in the Sgt. Windflower Mystery series. Learn more at sgtwindflowermysteries.com . Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads Book: A Perfect Storm by Mike Martin Genre: Mystery Series: Sgt. Windflower Mystery series Publisher: Ottawa Press and Publishing Type: Novel Note from Author: A Perfect Storm is rated sweet. But it does have three great love story lines. Sgt. Windflower and his beautiful wife and partner, Sheila Hillier. His daughter Amelia Louise and one more budding romance that may or may not be revealed before the end of the book. Thank you for visiting and reading! Feel inspired? Want others to experience the book magic? We hope you'll support this author by sharing with your friends. Have you read the book? Let us know your thoughts!

“This thrilling novel is rich in descriptions of the vast, snowy, and deadly wilderness of Alaska; it ably captures the type of person who chases gold.” — Foreword Reviews The Ancestor A man wakes up in present-day Alaskan wilderness with no idea who he is, nothing on him save an empty journal with the date 1898 and a mirror. He sees another man hunting nearby, astounded that they look exactly alike. After following this other man home, he witnesses a wife and child that brings forth a rush of memories of his own wife and child, except he’s certain they do not exist in modern times—but from his life in the late 1800s. After recalling his name is Wyatt, he worms his way into his doppelganger Travis Barlow’s life. Memories become unearthed the more time he spends, making him believe that he’d been frozen after coming to Alaska during the Gold Rush and that Travis is his great-great grandson. Wyatt is certain gold still exists in the area and finding it with Travis will ingratiate himself to the family, especially with Travis’s wife Callie, once Wyatt falls in love. This turns into a dangerous obsession affecting the Barlows and everyone in their small town, since Wyatt can’t be tamed until he also discovers the meaning of why he was able to be preserved on ice for over a century. A meditation on love lost and unfulfilled dreams, The Ancestor is a thrilling page-turner in present day Alaska and a historical adventure about the perilous Gold Rush expeditions where prospectors left behind their lives for the promise of hope and a better future. The question remains whether it was all worth the sacrifice…. Amazon | More options at Down and Out Books Enjoy an Excerpt from The Ancestor One eye open, the other frozen shut. He knows what an eye is, but that other “I” remains a mystery. Mind scooped out and left in ice. Words are hunted, slowly return. Blue sky, that’s what he sees. The sun twinkling like a diamond. Tundra, there’s another recalled word. Packed snow on all sides as if the world succumbed to white. The air a powerful whistle. A breeze blows, not a friend but a penance. It passes right through and chills to the core, this enemy wind. Limbs atrophied, no idea when they last moved. Boil of a sun thaws and prickles. Tiny spiders swinging from leg hairs, biting into flesh. He cries out but there is no sound. For it feels like he hasn’t spoken in centuries. Back of throat tastes of metal. Blood trapped in phlegm. A cough sends a splatter of red against the stark land, a streak in the form of a smile. When was the last time he ate? His stomach growls in agony, a good sign. Organs working, or at least attempting to work. His one eye scans to the left and the right, no sign of anyone, not even an animal. No chance for a savior or sustenance. He gums his jaw, the first inkling of movement. Aware of his scraggily beard coated in frost. Crystals spiral from his chin, collect in his lap. Now he sees his hands, luckily in gloves except they are a thin brown leather, rather useless. Bones crack as he maneuvers to remove the gloves. Fingers tremble once hit with fresh air and numbness subsides. Massages his legs, gets the blood flowing, an injection of life. The spiders accelerate and then relent, toes wiggle, and he sits up. Around his neck rests a notebook and a fountain pen, the tip crusted in flakes. He feels an object in a front pocket and pulls out a silver compact mirror, the back embroidered with floral patterns, ladylike. This is not my mirror, he decides, but then has a more important realization. Who am I? With trembling hands, he brings the mirror up to his face for a glance. The reflection of a stranger. All beard save for some features that emerge. A bulbous but authoritative nose, green eye flecked with gold, a mane of dark hair cascading to his shoulders. Handsome in a grizzled way. Shades of a bear in the roundness of his cheeks and a wolf in his stare. “I am…,” his lips try to say, but there is no answer. Often one can wake from a dream and the dream seems real for a moment, but a sense of self never vanishes. Whoever he was has been long gone, unlikely to return anytime soon. At least while he remains freezing in the wilderness. I must make it out of here. It’s relieving that he thinks of himself as an “I”. Whoever he is, he is someone. A mother birthed and fed him from her breast. A father taught him.…taught him what exactly? Survival skills? How to hunt? If he had a father worth his while, he’d know how to do this. And then, a caterwauling from the depths of his soul, a fawn-in-distress call that plants a trap for curious predators. He knows this sound well, meaning he’s lured prey before. His daddy schooled him like a good man should. The waiting game. Another call erupts, a coyote’s howl this time. He can recognize the difference. Then it comes to him that he needs to know what to do should an animal appear. He pats down his pockets, no weapon but his fists. And then, the clinking of sharp nails against the ice sheet. A majestic wolf, eyes like the sky, shimmering coat the color of clouds. Its charcoal nose twitches; the blood he hacked up in plain sight. He and the wolf lock into a dueling stare, neither wanting to be the first to flinch. A vision of death with baring teeth, or the start of his new life if victorious. The wolf doesn’t give him a chance to contemplate, lunging with a mouth full of saliva. He catches it in a brutal embrace and becomes knocked off his heels, slamming his back against the hard ground. They skitter down a slick snowcap, snapping at one another like angry lovers. The wolf is relentless, a worthy opponent, a test of wills. He gets the beast in a headlock, trying to crack its neck, but the wolf is too slippery. Breath fumes from other kills circle into his nostrils—this wolf has never lost a battle before. Blood splashes, no clue which of them has been wounded. They spin in the snow like a tornado. He makes a fist, jams it in the wolf’s mouth. Teeth marks scrape against his knuckles as he rams his fist farther down the wolf’s throat. The wolf heaves, chokes, attempting to chew off his hand but its strategy is futile. It has only come across other animals, never a human mind that can think steps ahead. Now he attempts a headlock again with his left arm, squeezing off circulation. The wolf lets out a whimper that reverberates through his wrist. They lock into a dueling stare again, except this time he does not see the many kills of the wolf through its gaze. He visualizes its sadness, its inevitable end. And then, the sound of a heavy branch snapping, the wolf’s neck broken, his blood-soaked fist removed from the back of its throat. Its dead tongue lolling out of its mouth against the icy bed. He pets its beautiful coat, this formidable foe, now a present wrapped with a bow. Delectable to quench his all-consuming hunger. He needs the clearest block of ice he can find. Using the wolf’s teeth to carve a fine translucent round piece, he creates a magnifying glass. He rubs the dirt away and keeps rubbing until enough moisture flecks off. There’s a bed of whittled grass at the slope he and wolf ended up in, and he holds the ice over the dry grass, propping it against two logs until a brilliant rainbow prism shoots through and ignites a fire. He rips off all the breakable branches he can locate to stoke the flames. While it continues to spread, he procures a rock to blunt out the wolf’s teeth, then uses them for the painstaking task of skinning the fur. He does it carefully so a semblance of a coat remains, which he dips into a nearby brook to wash away any lingering blood and sinew. The sun has mostly dipped behind the mountains and he wears the wolf’s coat to mask the chill, then roasts its carcass over the roaring fire, breaking off legs and gnawing while the true flesh still cooks. The meat is a godsend to his empty stomach and also an immediate poison that his body rejects by throwing up. But he sucks on some ice and the queasiness diminishes. By the time it’s fully cooked, darkness reigns and he feels more like a shell than anyone has before. Except with each chew, this lessens and soon he becomes human again. But the loneliness isn’t as easy to fight off. There are souls that feel lonely, he assumes, but at least they have themselves for company. They can rely on memories to help them through cold nights. He searches his mind for a wisp of the past, any nugget, wading through a never-ending sea. The horizon seemingly attainable, but with every stroke just as far away. He’d cry but the tears are frozen in his ducts, and his one eye still sealed shut. When enough of the wolf has been eaten so his belly distends like a newly pregnant woman, he feeds the fire with more broken limbs and curls up to its warmth, his only confident in this harsh wilderness, possibly his only companion forever—a lifetime of attempting to be caressed by flames and nothing more. He wraps himself tightly in the wolf’s fur, hoping that when he wakes again he’ll know who he is. The nightmare vanished along with the sun rising like a bride’s pretty little hand on his grizzled cheek. In the author's words . . . Q&A with Lee Matthew Goldberg Does writing energize or exhaust you? It definitely energizes me. My brain needs to be working on a book or something feels off. Sometimes though in the thick of a novel it can be exhausting, so it’s about learning a life balance that works for me. What inspired The Ancestor ? I was listening to a song called “The Ancestor” by the band Darlingside where the first line is “Go on bury me.” I thought of this man buried on ice in the Alaskan wilderness and what would happen if he had been frozen for over a century. As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up? I’ve always wanted to be a writer so I’m doing exactly what I’ve wanted to. I used to write stories about my dog getting into wacky adventures so it’s always been a dream of mine to do this as a career. The Author Lee Matthew Goldberg is the author of the novels THE DESIRE CARD, THE MENTOR, and SLOW DOWN. He has been published in multiple languages and nominated for the 2018 Prix du Polar. The second book in the Desire Card series, PREY NO MORE, is forthcoming, along with his Alaskan Gold Rush novel THE ANCESTOR. He is the editor-in-chief and co-founder of Fringe, dedicated to publishing fiction that’s outside-of-the-box. His pilots and screenplays have been finalists in Script Pipeline, Book Pipeline, Stage 32, We Screenplay, the New York Screenplay, Screencraft, and the Hollywood Screenplay contests. After graduating with an MFA from the New School, his writing has also appeared in the anthology DIRTY BOULEVARD, The Millions, Cagibi, The Montreal Review, The Adirondack Review, The New Plains Review, Underwood Press, Monologging and others. He is the co-curator of The Guerrilla Lit Reading Series and lives in New York City. Follow him at leematthewgoldberg.com . Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads Genre: Thriller / Mystery Publisher: All Due Respect Type: Novel Content Note: PG-13/Steamy Thank you for visiting and reading! Feel inspired? Want others to experience the book magic? We hope you'll support this author by sharing with your friends. Have you read the book? Let us know your thoughts!

"This is the first book that I have read by Laurie Winter and it was so well written and a really great read and I look forward to reading more books from this author." — Goodreads Review This Christmas A beautiful story of loss and new love, set in a snow-capped mountain ski resort town. Celia Batista waited a long time for all three of her sons to be together for Christmas. But after one of her identical twins disappears without a trace, Celia must rely on Police Captain Luke Veldkamp for help. Despite Luke’s accusations that her other twin son is involved with organized crime, she falls for the handsome, Stetson wearing cop. Luke Veldkamp is facing his first Christmas after the loss of his wife, working nonstop to avoid the holidays and his grief. His daughter, who’d moved home to care for her mom before her passing, pushes him to face his pain. Luke pushes back, telling her to return to college and regain her own life. If his own strife isn’t enough, the mission to locate the missing son of his beautiful neighbor grows more personal than any other case. While Luke and Celia fight to keep their families from falling apart, they find comfort and strength in one another. And when love blooms between their children, Luke and Celia’s own relationship takes root and grows. But Celia is used to living on her own terms, and loving a man who has isolated his heart is a risk too great. Now, Luke must either confront his emotions or face a life without the woman he’s come to love. Kindle | Paperback | Add to Goodreads Enjoy an Excerpt from This Christmas Celia bit her tongue, knowing how strongly Luke disliked Kenna’s interest in welding and art. But Kenna was at an age when she had her entire life spread out before her. She could take chances, and someday soon, she’d fly. “She’s a good daughter. You’re right, though, about her not being with you forever. I come home to an empty house after school, and sometimes, the quiet is more unnerving than when I’d walk into a house full of fighting boys.” “I’m fine with being alone.” Luke’s blue eyes darkened, turning the color of the sky at twilight. I don’t believe you for a second. “You say that now because you’re not.” She reached across the table and covered his hand. “Like it or not, our kids are adults.” Luke straightened in the booth. “How did they grow up so fast?” “I really don’t know.” “I was deployed to Iraq when Kenna was born. When I saw her for the first time at four months old, I couldn’t get over how little she was.” A frosty mug of beer was set before Luke. He lifted it to his lips and took a long drink. “I decided to not reenlist. I wanted to be around to protect her. And now, she’s the one taking care of me.” Excerpt Copyright © Laurie Winter. Shared with permission for blog tour. Kindle | Paperback | Add to Goodreads Follow the tour for more excerpts and reviews. Meet the Author Laurie Winter's head has always been full of stories. Then a dream gave her the inspiration to put her thought into written words, sharing a part of her heart and soul. Now, she creates authentic characters who overcome the odds and find true love. She lives in Wisconsin with her husband, daughter, and rescue dog. Learn more at lauriewinter.com Follow and connect: Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Goodreads | BookBub Series: Contemporary Romance/Holiday Series: The North Star Series, Book 1 Release Date: October 20, 2020 Type: Novel Content Rating: 3 Hearts View our rating system Tour Giveaway One winner will receive a Loqi Reusable Shopping Bag with birds design, Soy Wax Candle - Snowflake and a $25 Amazon gift card (US only). Must be 18 years or older to enter. Void where prohibited by law. Giveaway ends October 28, 2020. This giveaway is sponsored by the author for a blog tour organized by Prism Book Tours. ENTER HERE Thank you for visiting and reading! Feel inspired? Want others to experience the book magic? We hope you'll support this author by sharing with your friends. Have you read the book? Let us know your thoughts!

"Filled with suspense and intrigue, it is a fast-paced action-packed story that will entertain everyone who has a penchant for tales with super-normal protagonists fighting super-normal villains." — Reader's Favorite Cross Waves She can kill with a thought. Gifted with an explosive psychic talent, Geneva Ericksen can’t risk letting Rolf Jorgensen in her life. If she does, she might accidentally kill him. But when Rolf’s sister goes missing, Geneva and her extraordinary abilities may be his only hope to find her. He’s hiding a deadly secret. Rolf‘s not about to let Geneva slip away from him, even if it means protecting her from his dark gift. As Rolf and Geneva trail his sister, they soon uncover a life-threatening plot: someone is attempting to profit from stealing and trapping their power in crystals. To outsmart the enemy, it will take all their combined strength. But can they trust each other enough to survive? Kindle | Paperback | B&N | Kobo | Apple Books | Add to Goodreads In the author's words . . . I’m not gonna lie. Cross Waves was not an easy book to write. It took me four years of editing and rewrites, working with some fantastic developmental and copy editors, to produce this book. My favorite part of the story is a character by the name of Caleb Stone who makes his appearance, seemingly out of nowhere, in the last third of the book. He’s such a fascinating character, a “creature of nighttime dreams and smoke and mirrors, a shadow of a man, more figment of imagination than flesh and blood.” I’ve had more than one advance reader tell me they can’t wait to read Caleb and Julia’s story, which will be the focus of book three in the series. Hope you enjoy the book! — Amanda Uhl “As the story progresses, the tension builds and my heart was pounding in anticipation. I read it in one sitting. That's how good this book really is...one of the best romances I have read in a long while.” — Goodreads Reviewer Enjoy an Excerpt from Cross Waves “I’m tracing Julia now. If I don’t open my eyes in ten minutes, wake me up.” He narrowed his eyes and frowned, but she’d already closed her own, so his look was wasted. What the hell did she mean, wake her up? Didn’t she wake up on her own? His heartbeat jig-jogged around in a mad beat. He glanced at the clock on the radio and began counting. Sixty seconds. What did she see? His talent lurched forward inside him, and he gritted his teeth. He focused on the road ahead to keep his power contained. Eight miles later, he stopped at a red light, eyeing the clock again. She’d been under seven minutes now. He tapped his fingers on the wheel, glancing at her still form while he waited for the light to change. Eight minutes. Shouldn’t she be waking up? Did she even breathe? The light changed, and he moved forward. Nine minutes. “Enough.” He poked her side. “Geneva, wake up.” Her body lay still as a corpse. Adrenaline drove a spike through his heart. He stomped on the brakes and veered off the road, then jammed the vehicle in park. He leaned across the seats and shook her shoulder, hard. She didn’t stir. “Geneva, wake up. Now.” No reaction. His heart did a wild dance, and power broke loose from its chain, rising toward the surface of his mind. He unsnapped his seatbelt, gripped her shoulders, and focused on her mind, searching for a hole in her defenses. He found one and blasted through it. A thousand twinkling lights sparkled and stunned his senses. They rotated through her mind in quick succession: deep oranges, vibrant reds, soft yellows. Her heartbeat drummed in time with the steady glow of the lights. She gasped for oxygen. “Let go.” He took control of her mind, forcing air into her starved lungs. She gasped, the sound scraping his insides raw. A sharp ache pounded his temple. Inside her mind, the lights dimmed. Her power shifted, some part of her brain recognizing the intrusion as she came to consciousness. The dark colors took on shades of gray. “Rolf?” His heart leaped in his chest. “It’s about time. What the hell happened to you?” He clutched her shoulders and pulled her toward him. “My God.” Geneva jerked in his arms, probably stunned he held her. But he couldn’t let go. Not yet. Not until he knew she was safe. She cleared her throat. “There were so many colors.” Her voice sounded weak…shell-shocked. “I couldn’t make them stop. They kept coming at me, over and over. I tried to dilute them, but…I got lost. I couldn’t figure out how to resurface.” Fear thickened his throat. He pulled her closer. He clenched his jaw and tried to keep his worry and anger inside, but they wouldn’t be contained. “Don’t you ever do that to me again.” “Mmmfh.” Geneva twisted in his arms. “Let me go.” She managed to lift her head from where he’d smashed it into his shoulder. “What’s the matter with you? Why are you shouting?” Rolf loosened his grip but did not let go. Energy surged and writhed toward her light, a mad bid for freedom. Heat exploded through his body, and he tilted her chin until their eyes met. “You could have died.” Excerpt Copyright © Amanda Uhl. Shared/posted with permission. Kindle | Paperback | B&N | Kobo | Apple Books | Add to Goodreads Note: Audiobook is coming soon — narrated by the author. Meet the Author Amanda Uhl has always had a fascination with the mystical. Having drawn her first breath in a century home rumored to be haunted, you might say she was "born" into it. After a brief stint in college as a paid psychic, Amanda graduated with a bachelor of fine arts in theatre and a master's degree in marketing. Over the past twenty years, she has worked as an admissions representative and graphic designer, owned her own freelance writing company, and managed communications for several Fortune 500 companies, most recently specializing in cyber security. Amanda is an avid reader and writes fast-paced, paranormal romantic suspense and humorous contemporary romance from her home in Cleveland, Ohio. When she's not reading or writing, you can find Amanda with her husband and three children, gathering beach glass on the Lake Erie shoreline or biking in Cuyahoga Valley National Park. Learn more at amandauhl.com Follow and connect: Facebook | Instagram | Twitter Series: Romance with Paranormal Elements Series: The Mind Hackers Series, Book 2 Release Date: October 19, 2020 Type: Novel Content Rating: 4 Hearts and some violence View our rating system One lucky person will win a $10 Amazon Gift Card and e-book edition of Cross Waves ! Enter using the form below. Earn a bonus entry by commenting on this post and telling us what you like about reading romance and/or paranormal books. Entrants must be 18 years or older to enter. Void where prohibited by law. Giveaway ends October 31, 2020. The winner will be randomly drawn on Nov 2, 2020. This giveaway is sponsored by the author. Thank you for visiting and reading! Feel inspired? Want others to experience the book magic? We hope you'll support this author by sharing with your friends. Have you read the book? Let us know your thoughts!

"This book was an emotional rollercoaster in all the best ways! It had me hooked from the first sentence and didn't let me go until it was over." — Books I Love Her Accidental Highlander Husband Marian Fletcher Blackley, Duchess of Endsmere, is on the run from the English Crown for killing her abusive husband...no matter that it was self-defense. She has only one safe place to go--the MacKinlay clan in Scotland, where her sister is the laird's wife. War Chief Cameron MacKinlay has vowed never to marry after witnessing his widowed mother's grief. He has his lands and his clan, and that's enough for a good life. When one day a sprite of a lass comes running out of the forest with hounds nipping at her heels and an English bounty hunter not far behind, he feels compelled to save her by claiming the disheveled duchess is his wife. But he certainly didn't intend to marry her for real! And now he'll do anything to protect her... Amazon | Apple Books | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | Add to Goodreads In the author's words . . . Q&A with Allison B. Hanson Please, tell as a little about what makes Cameron and Mari tick. Mari is the heroine and she’s just killed her husband—a duke—in an act of self-defense and is on the run. From Scotland originally she flees England to go to the clan her sister married into. The MacKinlays. Cameron MacKinlay is the war chief and cousin to the laird. He’s been promised into a marriage to form an alliance with another clan. But when Mari comes running out of the woods with dogs and trackers on her tail, Cameron claims her as his wife to protect her. After surviving life with an abusive husband the last thing she wants is another husband. Cam didn’t want to marry anyone, but now that he is he will protect her at all costs. Mari is strong, despite her tiny physique. She’s been through a lot and has faced it with grace and compassion. Cam is this huge warrior who could take down three men at a time, but his real strength lies in his ability to be tender and kind. What type of hero do you like best? My hero, Cameron, has been described as a cinnamon roll hero. Firm on the outside and soft and sweet on the inside. While the alpha male hero is okay sometimes, I prefer someone who’s sweet and respectful, while also able to strike down his enemies with a sword. A perfect example is when Cam is able to wash off the blood from battle and then scoop up one of the laird’s sons to play. What appeals to you most about historical Scottish romance? Her Accidental Highlander Husband is my first step into the historical realm. I have twenty contemporary books published in different genres. I wasn’t sure how I would like writing historical. There’s a lot of pressure to get the history right. And while you need to know what happens, you can’t throw every historical nugget into your story or it will pull readers from the focus which is your characters. But the thing I especially like about making the shift is the ability to be disconnected. In modern-day life we’re all connected by a wireless tether. Someone can’t really be out of touch. Yes, we contrive the broken phone or the dead battery to create distance, but in reality we wouldn’t go days or weeks without being available. However, in the 1600s that wasn’t the case. So you have the ability to add that to the tension. Someone can be blindsided, because there was no way for them to have known something. And if someone didn’t want to see you anymore, it was an easy thing to disappear. What does literary success look like to you? Why? Since I hadn’t planned to become an author, every step of the process has been surreal. When my first book came out, I only hoped that someone I didn’t know would buy it. If a stranger liked my book, I’d feel like it was real. Now, I enjoy reading the reviews or meeting readers at events. When someone tells me they cried, or stayed up all night, that feels like success. To know I’ve touched someone like that. And it’s even better because it’s a stranger. Books & Benches: Cameron and Mari sound like people we want to meet! Thank you so much for giving us a deeper look into who they are. "Allison B. Hanson delivers a great love story in Her Accidental Highlander Husband . Marian and Cam are frantically thrust together, but show tremendous courage and character to support each other so wonderfully. “There is no such thing as accident; it is fate misnamed.” Consider me an instant fan." — The Reading Cafe Meet the Author One very early morning, Allison B. Hanson woke up with a conversation going on in her head. It wasn’t so much a dream as being forced awake by her imagination. Unable to go back to sleep, she gave in, went to the computer, and began writing. Years later it still hasn’t stopped. Allison lives near Hershey, Pennsylvania. Her contemporary romances include paranormal, sci-fi, fantasy, and mystery suspense. She enjoys candy immensely, as well as long motorcycle rides, running and reading. Learn more at allisonbhanson.wordpress.com . Watch an interview with the author here . She would love to hear from you. Click here to leave a message. Sign up here for her newsletter to be informed about new releases as well a deleted scenes and pre-release excerpts. Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads Genre: Historical Romance/Scottish Publication Date: September 28, 2020 Publisher: Entangled Amara Series: Clan MacKinlay, Book One Type: Novel Content Note: 5 Hearts View our rating system During the blog tour, the author is giving away a $10 Amazon Gift Card! To enter, please use the Gleam form below. The giveaway is open to US residents only and ends on October 16, 2020. You must be 18 or older to enter. Void where prohibited by law. This giveaway is sponsored and hosted by the author and Historical Fiction Virtual Book Tours. Thank you for visiting and reading! Feel inspired? Want others to experience the book magic? We hope you'll support this author by sharing with your friends using one of the easy share buttons at the end of this post.

Fans of Mary Jo Putney and Sabrina Jeffries will fall for this delightful story of a high-spirited lady determined to marry for love—but betrothed to a tempting spy whose work has put them both their hearts…and their lives…on the line. Misleading a Duke Finishing school failed to turn them into proper society ladies. Now these four friends vow to remain single until they find suitors worthy of their love and devotion… Betrothed to a man she has barely met, Lady Faith Landon calls upon her three best friends—the self-proclaimed Wallflowers of West Lane—to help uncover the secrets of her mysterious fiancé. Her suspicions are aroused when she learns that he has recently returned from France. Is he a traitor to his country? The truth is quite the opposite. Nicholas Ellsworth, Duke of Breckenridge, is a secret agent for the English Crown who has just completed a risky mission to infiltrate Napoleon’s spy network. After his adventures, Nicholas craves the peace and quiet of the country and settling into domestic bliss with his bride. Until he discovers Faith’s deceptive investigation. How can he wed a woman who doesn’t trust him? But a powerful spark has ignited between Nicholas and Faith that could bring about a change of heart. Faith seizes her second chance to prove to Nicholas that they are a true love match but his past catches up with them when three French spies come to exact revenge. Surviving rather than wooing has become the order of the day. Amazon | Apple | Kobo | Nook | Kensington | Add to Goodreads In the author's words . . . Q&A with A.S. Fenichel Books & Benches: We're thrilled to welcome A.S. Fenichel to Books & Benches so we can get a little more behind-the-scenes info about Misleading A Duke . The title tells us so much, yet keeps us guessing, and by golly we want to know more! Let's hear from the author . . . What excites you about writing? I love to write. That’s not to say that it doesn’t take it out of me from time to time. There is nothing as satisfying to me as sitting down in front of a blank scream and having a story come to life. Imagine, there’s nothing and then lives, lands, houses, and a plot. And, it all comes from a wisp of thought, a cry on the wind. To me it’s a miracle. I feel very blessed to be able to tell a good story. What makes Misleading A Duke special to you, or different from what you've written before? Misleading A Duke has one of the strongest heroines I’ve ever written. The interesting thing is, you might not have seen that in Faith when you met her in The Earl Not Taken . Even she always thought of her friend Poppy as the brave one. However, when things get dicey and her fiancé’s espionage past comes back to haunt him, Faith is the super hero she needs to be. Do you try more to be original or to deliver to readers what they want? I write the stories that come to me. I hope that readers will want to read them and so far so good. I do not write to trend or go out searching for something that’s never been done before, though I hope the way I tell a story is original. Since I’m writing romance, the reader can count on a happily ever after, but I hope the telling is unique. I can only be me and write the stories as I see them in my head. The appeal is totally up to the wonderful readers. Do you think someone could be a writer if they don’t feel emotions strongly? What an interesting question. I don’t really know. I’m not sure I believe there are people who don’t feel emotions. I know there are people who hide or bury their emotions, but they still feel them. Writing might be a great outlet for someone who doesn’t show what’s happening on the inside in real life. I’m not sure a sociopath would write a good book, or at least the book would have an unusual perspective. Speaking for myself, I’m pretty emotional. I cry at a good commercial. However, I’m not sure that’s a prerequisite to being a good writer. If someone has a story to tell and that story is beating away strong enough that you’re willing to sit in front of a computer for a few months or longer to get it out, you probably have the ability to write a book. Maybe tenacity is more prerequisite than emotion. ;) Will you give us a little scoop on what's coming next? I’m currently working on The Wallflowers of West Lane book 3, Capturing The Earl . This books draws readers into the life of orphan, Mercy Heath as she has to watch while the only man who’s ever interested her attempts to court her best friend Aurora. Since Mercy has no title or money and Wesley is an Earl, she has no hope of winning him. She knows she’s not worthy of such a man. (B&B Note: Book 3 releases January 26, 2021) Books & Benches: This sounds like an utterly delightful series, and we expect a lot of readers are going to agree and cozy up with the new book this fall. Thank you for sharing a bit more about you and Misleading the Duke with our readers. Enjoy an Excerpt from Misleading a Duke “Are you determined to be alone, or might I join you, Your Grace?” Faith called from only a few feet behind him. He must be losing his training for her to have sneaked up behind him without notice. “Is there something you wanted, Lady Faith?” She stepped closer. Several curls had freed themselves of her elaborate coif and called out to Nick to touch them. “It is a lovely garden.” She glanced around and smiled. “Yes. Geb has taken bits from all his travels and placed them in his home and this garden. I think it brings him comfort.” Faith’s golden eyes filled with sorrow. “Do you think Mr. Arafa is lonely here in England?” “It is never easy to live amongst a people not your own.” Nick considered all the time he’d spent in France, Spain, and Portugal and how much he’d missed the rainy days in England and people who understood his humor. “The Wallflowers are very fond of Mr. Arafa. We have not entertained much, but I will see that he is added to our invitation list. Perhaps a circle of good friends will make him feel more at home.” She’d placed her index finger on her chin while she considered how best to help Geb. Adorable. He needed to be free of this woman. “You didn’t say what it was you wanted, Lady Faith.” Frowning, she walked forward and down the path. “Must I have a reason to walk in the garden with my fiancé?” Leaving her to her own devices and returning to the house flitted through his mind, but it would cause gossip and he was curious about her reason for seeking him out. “We are hardly the perfect picture of an engaged couple.” “No. That is true. I wanted to apologize for any undue strain I may have caused you by trying to find out what kind of character you have.” “Is that your apology, or shall I wait for more?” he said when she didn’t elaborate. She stopped and puffed up her chest. Her cheeks were red and fire flashed in her eyes. “Why must you be so difficult? Even when I’m trying to be nice, you find fault. The entire situation was mostly your doing. If you had been open and honest, that would have been an end to our query and none of the rest would have been necessary.” Even more beautiful when she was in a temper, he longed to pull her into his arms and taste those alluring lips. He was certain just one tug would topple all those curls from the pins that held her hair in place and he could find out if they were as soft as they appeared. It was maddening. “I hardly see how it was my fault. You and your friends spied on me and involved Geb, which is unforgivable.” As soft and lovely as she was, a hard edge caught in her voice. “I suppose, then, you will not accept my apology. I see. Well, in that case, I’ll leave you to your solitude.” She turned to walk away and stopped, eyes narrowed into the darkness beyond the gardens, which were surrounded by tall evergreens. Following her gaze, Nick saw nothing, though the hair on the back of his neck rose. “What is it?” “I felt eyes on me, as if someone was watching.” She shivered and continued straining to see in the shadows. “I’m sure you are imagining things.” He dismissed her worry. That hateful glance fell on him before she plastered false serenity on her face. “Perhaps.” He preferred the disdain to the untruthful agreement. Why he should care when he wanted nothing to do with her, he didn’t know. “Shall I escort you back inside, Lady Faith?” “You are too kind, Your Grace, but I can manage the journey on my own.” With a curt nod, she stormed away from him toward the house. Unable to look away, he admired the gentle sway of her hips until she climbed the veranda steps and went inside. Lord, how he longed to hold those hips and slide his hands up to that slim waist, and so much more. He shook away the wayward thoughts before he embarrassed himself with his desires. One thing was certain, Faith Landon would be his undoing. Excerpt Copyright © A.S. Fenichel. Shared with permission for blog tour. Meet the Author A.S. Fenichel gave up a successful career in New York City to follow her husband to Texas and pursue her lifelong dream of being a professional writer. She’s never looked back. A.S. adores writing stories filled with love, passion, desire, magic and maybe a little mayhem tossed in for good measure. Books have always been her perfect escape and she still relishes diving into one and staying up all night to finish a good story. Multi-published in historical, paranormal, erotic and contemporary romance, A.S. is the author of the several series, including Forever Brides, Everton Domestic Society, Wallflowers of West Lane and more. Strong, empowered heroines from Regency London to modern-day New Orleans are what really excites A.S., and that’s what you’ll find in all her books. A Jersey Girl at heart, she now makes her home in Southern Missouri with her real-life hero, her wonderful husband. When not reading or writing, she enjoys cooking, travel, history, puttering in her garden and spoiling her fussy cat. Learn more at asfenichel.com . Blog | Twitter | Facebook Genre: Historical Romance/Regency Publisher: Kensington/Lyrical Press Type: Novel Content Note: 5 Hearts (steamy, but not super steamy) View our rating system Thank you for visiting and reading! Feel inspired? Want others to experience the book magic? We hope you'll support this author by sharing with your friends. Have you read the book? Let us know your thoughts!

"You’ll find a likable, believable couple, an adorable kid, and the magic called love that ties them all together. Take a chance, pick this one up, and discover this part of Last Stand, Texas for yourself." — Keeper Booksh elf A Family for Christmas He never thought he’d have a real family Christmas… For the past eight years, Bill Smith has been unable to set down roots. But he never forgot the magical night he spent with an auburn-haired beauty in Last Stand, Texas. When she finally tracked him down, he was more than happy to donate a kidney to AJ, the son he never knew he had. But now that AJ is better, Bill wants more time with him and his mother. He wants a family. Annie Burleson can’t help but be grateful to this almost-stranger for saving AJ’s life. Still, she’s a little wary. AJ has already been through so much—what if Bill leaves again? And with Christmas in full swing, it’s difficult to discern which emotions are festive and which are forever. As Annie and Bill’s lives collide, their mutual love for AJ makes this more than a marriage of convenience. But is it enough to give them the family Christmas they all deserve? Amazon | Nook | Apple Books | Kobo | Google Play | Add to Goodreads Enjoy an Excerpt from A Family for Christmas That night after the fishing expedition, Bill found himself lying awake, staring at the ceiling and thinking about the boy’s request for a brother. It was a natural thing for a child to ask about, but he himself had managed to push all thoughts of sex with Annie deep to the back of his mind. Now that he allowed the idea to bloom in his head, the memories of their one time together, all those years ago, came flooding through him. This time he let himself remember everything: the silk of her skin, the scent of her hair, the plaintive sounds she made as he touched her. The way she had moved beneath him, welcomed him inside her. The more he let himself remember, the worse his body ached. Then Lucky began to snore, two beds away, and Bill knew all possibility of sleep was gone. He stood up and took his jeans from the chair beside the bed, pulled them on, and put on his boots and jacket. Then he quietly made his way to the door. Outside, the Texas sky was black and clear and lit with a million stars. The land rolled, dark and mysterious, for more miles than he could see. Up on the ridge, a coyote began to sing, the eerie notes quivering as they echoed against the barn. He shivered. He knew how that coyote felt. He’d been alone for a good part of his life. But now he had the chance for something different. He had a son. And next Saturday he’d have a wife, too, if in name only. Is that what he wanted? Excerpt Copyright © Nola Cross. Shared with permission for blog tour. All rights reserved. Meet the Author Nola Cross began writing before she even started school and won her first writing contest at the age of nine. It’s always been her dream to be an author, and in recent years she’s been blessed to be living that dream. Her stories focus on emotion, spirit, and true love, stories she hopes her readers will relate to and want to read more than once. Small town America is her favorite fictional setting. Nola lives with her husband and youngest son in a comfortable old fixer-upper in the foothills of the Cascade Mountains, in southwest Washington state. She loves to connect on social media with readers, authors and other friendly folks. Connect with the Author: nolacross.com | Facebook | Twitter Series: Contemporary Western Romance Series: The Burlesons of Texas, book 2 Publisher: Tule Publishing Release Date: October 8, 2020 Type: Novel Content Rating: 5 Hearts View our rating system Nola Cross will be awarding a $10 Amazon/BN GC to five randomly drawn winners via Rafflecopter during the tour. Must be 18 years or older to enter. Void where prohibited by law. This giveaway is sponsored by the author and organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Thank you for visiting and reading! Feel inspired? Want others to experience the book magic? We hope you'll support this author by sharing with your friends. Have you read the book? Let us know your thoughts!

"This might be one of the best American Civil War novels that I have read. Richard Buxton writes with passion for his subject and his characters, bringing both to life with detailed research and superb writing skill." — Amazon Review The Copper Road Shire is far from home, his old life in Victorian England a fading memory. He’s battled through war-torn America to keep a cherished promise to his childhood companion. Now she’s pushing him away, while the war won’t let him go. Fighting for the Union, Shire must survive the brutal campaign for Atlanta and try to imagine a future without her. Clara is free from her husband but not from his ghost. After a violent end to an abusive marriage, she struggles to keep her home in the Tennessee hills as the war steals away its treasures and its people. Tod, a captured Rebel, escapes in Pennsylvania. His encounters on the long road back to his regiment cast the Civil War in a different light. He begins to question his will to fight. Three young lives become wrapped in the Rebels’ desperate need for copper. Friendships, loyalty and love will be tested beyond breaking point. Shire has new promises to keep. The Copper Road is the second novel from award winning writer Richard Buxton. Book one of Shire’s Union, Whirligig , was shortlisted for the Rubery International Book Award. Amazon US | Amazon UK | Paperback In the author's words . . . Q&A with Richard Buxton Books & Benches: It is a pleasure to welcome Richard Buxton to Books & Benches to share his newest release, The Copper Road . From what we've read, readers are enthralled with the level of detail in the book, especially because they feel they are right there in the midst of everything with the characters. Let's go behind-the-scenes with the author to learn more about The Copper Road . . . Will you tell us a little about Shire and Clara, and what makes them tick? Shire and Clara carry through the Shire’s Union series. Both are English, but steadily transforming into 19th century Americans. They were childhood sweethearts, but Clara is from wealth and privilege while Shire is not. Shire was once a homeboy with no particular desire for adventure. But he kept a promise and trailed Clara to America to rescue her from a doomed future. That done, in The Copper Road he is struggling to survive in the Union Army. He’s very much in love with Clara, but doubts that she’ll ever truly feel the same way. The war is turning him into a hardened soldier. Above all Shire is loyal but has to choose between his fellow soldiers and Clara. Clara came to America to marry, but also to escape what she saw a predictable and safe life in England. She wants to make her own decisions, plot her own course. Her actions in The Copper Road are driven by her desperate need to recover after a brutal and cruel marriage. She loves Shire, but can’t quite see past the little boy she bossed around when they were children. Tod Carter is based on a real historical captain in the 20th Tennessee who escaped while being transferred between Union prisons. We follow his odyssey from Pennsylvania back to Georgia. Tod wants to get back to his regiment, but what he sees in the old Union, and the people he encounters on his journey, begin to make him doubt his will to fight. What makes The Copper Road special or unique to you? Can you give us a little story behind the story? The Copper Road still exists today. If you head to the Ocoee Whitewater Center in Polk County, TN, you can still walk a stretch. Most of the road is now underwater after dams were built on the Ocoee River early in the 20th century. I was looking for a home for Clara, my female protagonist, and didn’t want a stereotypical ‘Gone with the Wind’ plantation, and it had to be somewhere in the south-east corner of Tennessee as the great battles for Chattanooga formed part of my first novel, Whirligig . While researching, I discovered the Copper Road which was built in the 1840s to take wagonloads of supplies into the hills and to the new copper mines at the wonderfully named Ducktown. Smelted copper was hauled back out. It was a two-day trip for the muleskinners to the railhead. I became entranced by old tales of the road, Appalachian folk law that told of moonshine and murder. There was also a dark civil war history. Here was somewhere remote and lawless, a great setting for me to mix history with my imagination. I visited from England several times and wrote short short-stories about the road to help me understand the history. When it came to my second novel, I wanted to explore it still more. The adventures of my three main characters become entwined with the armies’ need for copper, so the title works to describe the road they are on metaphorically as well as physically. Do you remember the moment when you first considered yourself a writer? When I was in my mid-forties, my father passed away. He left me a little money, enough for me to take timeout from my IT career and study for a masters in creative writing at Chichester University. I wanted to write novels but crafting short stories was a great way to learn. My tales tended to fit in with my interest in America and the civil war. A theme emerged. My stories would typically be set after the war, often a long time after, and explored the war’s long shadow on people’s lives. Sadly, that shadow reaches right up to today. One story was born out of a day’s visit to Perryville, KY. It was set in the present day and, through the perspective of a young female student brought up in the town, tried to illustrate how the events of the terrible battle fought there in 1862 had left the town’s psyche forever scarred. I called the story Battle Town (available on Amazon). I submitted the story to the Exeter Story Prize. Several months later I was shocked to be announced as the winner and invited onto the prizegiving stage. To have been picked out of several hundred stories by the judges made me realize I could entertain people with my writing. In the following months I also won the Bedford International Writing Prize and the Nivalis Short Story Award, but walking off that stage in Exeter was the moment I first considered myself a writer. Which scene or chapter in the book is your favorite? Why? My favorite chapter is one where Tod has recently returned to his regiment in Georgia. He’s sorting the supplies as he’s the quartermaster. It’s spring and the fighting has yet to start up after the winter. Nearby, his woeful assistant Waddell sits carving a walking stick. As a writer you’re often looking to achieve a number of things in a single scene. In this one there’s a certain ‘before the storm’ feeling. The Union Army sits just over the blossom covered Rocky Face Ridge in the distance. The nearby regimental camp of the 20th Tennessee has been made into a sort of cozy soldier village through the winter. There’s a pleasant mix of inner and outer world. Tod is trying to assess how he feels to be back in the army and reminiscing on his adventurous route home including a romantic riverboat encounter with Clara. Something has changed in him but he’s not yet quite worked out what. The heart of the chapter is the introduction of Waddell as a new character through Tod’s eyes. Tod examines a batch of walking sticks that Waddell has made. Waddell does little else. They are all carved so darkly, full of swamp creatures and death. Waddell isn’t much cheerier himself. I love my cojoined description of Waddell and his sticks. I love the overall balance of the chapter. I felt more there than in any other chapter. At the end, the guns sound from the ridge. What is your favorite motivational phrase? Progress not perfection. This sounds like it could have been said to me from some wise uncle when I was twelve, but it actually came from a New Zealand work colleague about ten years ago. It speaks to me in all sorts of ways and not only about writing. It seems to say that if you can leave the day better than you found it, then that’s not half-bad. It takes away the pressure of making something 100% perfect and instead allows you to make things better by degrees. That really fits with my approach to writing. The Copper Road went through seven full drafts as did its predecessor, Whirligig , and in some full drafts a given chapter might get multiple passes, each one hopefully leaving it better than before. I love creating but enjoy editing and improving just as much. Layering in the emotion, sharpening the description, tightening the dialogue. You can’t get it all right first time. The down side is that with a progress not perfection approach it’s sometimes hard to know when you’re done, but then that’s not so different to real life. It’s a continuum. Just head off in the right direction and try to make it better. Books & Benches: Congratulations, Richard, on the series, and thank you for sharing with us some fascinating insights into the history behind The Copper Road . The Author Richard lives with his family in the South Downs, Sussex, England. He completed an MA in Creative Writing at Chichester University in 2014. He has an abiding relationship with America, having studied at Syracuse University, New York State, in the late eighties. His short stories have won the Exeter Story Prize, the Bedford International Writing Competition and the Nivalis Short Story Award. Richard’s first novel, Whirligig , was published in 2017 and shortlisted for the Rubery International Book Award. To learn more about Richard’s writing visit richardbuxton.net . You can also follow Richard on Facebook and Twitter . Genre: Historical Fiction Ocoee Publishing Series: Shire’s Union #2 Type: Novel Content Note: Depictions of war Richard Buxton is giving away 2 copies of Copper Road ! By entering the giveaway, you are confirming you are at least 18 years old. Void where prohibited by law. Ends October 19, 2020. This giveaway is sponsored by the author and hosted by Historical Fiction Virtual Book Tours. Good luck everyone!