Dear Cupid ... Can you deliver ... ?

Hey readers! Valentine's day is coming up and I hope you all get what you want. We, here at Valentine Pets & Kisses, have started a new tradition. The "Dear Cupid" letter. This entire week, we'll be sharing letters from our 14-author boxed set. Here's Jenna Hart from Valentine Hound Dog. All she wants is for Larry, a firefighter scarred by burns, to see himself as a real hero.

The second letter is from Greenly Kendrick. All she wants is to get through the day without embarrassing herself!

Please enjoy these and twelve other stories in our 14-author boxed set, Valentine Pets & Kisses, this Valentine's Day!

It's stinkin' cute! I know.

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ONLY 99c for 14 All-New Sweet Romances!

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The Crazy Girl's Handbook by DelSheree Gladden

Today, I'm sharing an excerpt from one of the novellas in the Valentine Pets & Kisses Boxed Set...

The Crazy Girl's Handbook by DelSheree Gladden

Spending the weekend babysitting her two nephews and a puppy was supposed to be fun. Sweating to death at a baseball game while getting gum in her hair, soda down her shirt, and an ice cream pedicure wasn't part of the deal. Neither was finding out the best guy she'd ever missed a blind date with had witnessed it all. Longest. Weekend. Ever. 

Excerpt

We looked both ways before crossing the street. Both boys held my hand and Thor stayed right at my heel with the leash wrapped around my wrist. 

The second we set foot on the sidewalk on the opposite side of the street, the boys took off and Thor made a valiant attempt at following them. Problem was, his leash was still looped around my wrist so I could hold the boys’ hands more easily. So when he lunged forward to follow, I didn’t have any control of the leash to stop him from taking me down. 

Pain blossomed in more than one spot as my elbows and palms hit the cement and my head whacked into the decorative stone edging that lined the grass. Thor yelped as my dead weight kept him from getting any farther, then doubled back to see what was wrong and stomped all over me at least three times before settling on my head.

By the time my senses cleared, I was so tangled in leash and puppy I couldn’t even figure out where to start. My head and arms throbbing didn’t help at all.

“Thor, get off,” a firm voice said. I thought I wanted to die when I got gum in my hair, or soda ice down my shirt, or an ice cream pedicure. Those were nothing compared to having to be rescued from an over-enthusiastic puppy by Roman Carpenter while covered in dirt, grass, and blood.

It was a miracle I didn’t give up right then and just start crying. I loved my nephews, but I was never going to be able to show my face in this neighborhood again. The heavy weight of the squirming—and rather large—puppy was finally removed from my face. 

I heard Roman ask one of the boys to hold the leash, but I kept my eyes closed out of pure shame. Not until a pair of hands pressed against my face did I even dare to breathe. Even then, it was a gasp at the urgency behind the touch.

“Greenly, are you okay?” Roman demanded. The hint of worry in his voice forced me to peel my eyelids apart. I peeked up at him through half-opened eyes and was startled not to find him laughing at me again. There was real, honest fear in his expression and it left me speechless. “Are you okay?” he repeated. 

Breathe, Greenly. “Yeah, uh huh. Yep.” He just stared at me for a moment. Probably because I sounded ridiculous.

“Are you sure?” he asked. I tried to sit up in order to prove I was just fine. The sting of putting my hands on the ground made me hiss and I felt a little woozy when I tried to move.

“Whoa, whoa,” Roman said, which made me feel a little like a horse. “Don’t move. Let me help you.”

Great, just great. I tried again to sit up on my own. “Really, I’m fine.”

“No, you’re not,” Roman said as his arms slid beneath my arms and legs. I experienced an irrational moment of panic, not because the idea of Roman carrying me off somewhere was frightening, but because being this close to him would expose everything about me I hadn’t already managed to bare. He lifted me easily and my breath caught as he adjusted his arms and I felt momentarily unsupported. Then his grip rolled me against his chest, to a place of absolute security. I don’t think I took a single breath as he walked up to the house.


About the Author

DelSheree Gladden was one of those shy, quiet kids who spent more time reading than talking. Literally. She didn't speak a single word for the first three months of preschool, but she had already taught herself to read. Her fascination with reading led to many hours spent in the library and bookstores, and eventually to writing.

She wrote her first novel when she was sixteen years old, but spent ten years rewriting and perfecting it before having it published.

Native to New Mexico, DelSheree and her husband spent several years in Colorado for college and work before moving back home to be near family again. Their two children love having their seventeen cousins close by. When not writing, you can find DelSheree reading, painting, sewing and trying not to get bitten by small children in her work as a dental hygienist.

The Crazy Girl's Handbook is EXCLUSIVE to Valentine Pets & Kisses, so pre-order Valentine Pets & Kisses for 99c today and be the first of your friends to read The Crazy Girl's Handbook by Delsheree Gladden

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ONLY 99c for 14 All-New Sweet Romances! You're Invited to the Valentine Pets & Kisses Countdown Launch Party! [Jan 1 - Feb 2] Chat with the authors and win great prizes! Come join the Fun.

Get Ahead With Valentine Pets & Kisses

Valentine's Day is all about the joy of love and romance, and who doesn't like hearts and flowers? Get a jump on that special day by pre-ordering your copy of the Valentine Pets & Kisses Boxed Set brought to you by a fourteen talented romance writers. 

At the special price of $0.99, you have more reason than one to celebrate because this is a limited time offer. Order your copy of Valentine Pets & Kisses today! Release date is Tuesday, February 2, 2016, which is just around the corner!

BLURB
Candy and canines. Flowers and felines. Celebrate this Valentine's Day with your sweethearts of the human and fuzzy varieties! 

Nothing is more heart-warming than kisses from the pet who adores you and the man who loves you, so snuggle up with VALENTINE PETS & KISSES -- an anthology of fourteen sweet romances from USA Today bestselling and award-winning authors -- and strike the perfect mood for moonlit walks and candlelight dinners with your pet and sweetheart.

Valentine Hound Dog  - Rachelle Ayala 
Fashion icon Jenna Hart, along with her basset hound puppy, tries to convince a burned former fireman that beauty is never skin deep and love's arrow strikes not only the beautiful, but the bold. 

The Crazy Girl’s Handbook - DelSheree Gladden 
Spending the weekend babysitting her two nephews and a puppy was supposed to be fun. Sweating to death at a baseball game while getting gum in her hair, soda down her shirt, and an ice cream pedicure wasn't part of the deal. Neither was finding out the best guy she'd ever missed a blind date with had witnessed it all. Longest. Weekend. Ever.  
                     
The Vet's Valentine Gift - J.L. Campbell 
Matthias Laing has snagged the woman of his dreams, but his job as a vet keeps getting him into trouble. The situation is past complicated because of the growing assortment of animals in Toni's house and to top it all, the conflict between Matthias and her ex-husband. Can Matthias and Toni's budding romance survive their challenges and if it doesn't, will Jade, her precocious five-year-old find a way to play Cupid and fix things by Valentine's Day? 

Her Perfect Catch - K.L. Brady 
Nerdy, struggling sports writer Melanie Vincent needs a miracle when her dream of running a nationally recognized blog hits a snag due to low readership. After Mel is gifted a pair of Super Bowl tickets for years of faithful dog sitting, she has a chance encounter with her favorite football player that leads to the inside scoop on the biggest story of her career...and maybe the love of a lifetime. 

Inflamed - Jade Kerrion

Debra Martinez doesn’t believe in happy endings, until Sean Orr, Havre de Grace’s newest firefighter, shows her and her son, Aidan, a new and beautiful kind of “normal.” But the happiness can’t last—not for Sean who is on the run from his own past. 

Remember When - Hope Welsh 
Laura and Brent really tried to make their marriage work, but in the end, it just wasn't meant to be. Or was it? When they meet to discuss joint custody of their Akita, they discover they have much more to talk about other than the dog. 

Your Biggest Fan? - Sydney Aaliyah Michelle 
 Noah Patrick, NFL bad boy, has sworn off women, who only seem to want him for his fame and his money. Callie James is such a big Noah Patrick fan, she named her energetic Chihuahua after the man of her dreams. When they find themselves hiding out in the same Brooklyn Brownstone, a crazy blizzard, a never-ending supply of spaghetti, and a dog with identity issues bring them together even though they both have secrets that would tear them apart. 

The Feline Fix - Caroline Bell Foster 
Meeting Police Constable Callum Forde on the worse day of her life, makes cat lover and scientist Wendy Wilde question all that she values, her cat’s loyalty and the role science plays in love.

Trembling Hearts - Suzette Riddick 
Recluse Jason Carr is living in rural Virginia after an accident leaves him physically scarred. While taking a stroll and minding his business, the spunky Lezlie Sharpe literally crashes into his life, stealing the heart of his beloved pooch, Trooper. Now, forced to share living quarters, will Lezlie capture Jason’s heart too? 

Valentino, Be Mine - Tina D.C. Hayes 
Kaylee Rose is thrilled when a neighbor moving out of the country asks if she'll consider taking in her teacup Yorkie, Valentino, but there are a few strings attached. When she finds out a man she can't stand is the other caretaker, she's forced to deal with the arrogant jerk until they decide who gets the pampered pooch permanently . . . or risk losing the dog to a heartbreaking fate. 

Lost and Found - Jeanne Bannon 
Lexie is so distraught after long-time boyfriend, Josh, dumps her, she takes a leave of absence from her teaching job. Josh leaves behind the puppy he bought for her just before things fell apart even though she’s not a dog person. Lexie contemplates giving it away but decides keep the little mischief-maker and get her some training.  

While at puppy obedience school, Lexie meets Tommy, the happy-go-lucky type she could give her heart to if only she was ready. But Lexie gives Tommy the brush off and they lose touch. However, a series of events, some unfortunate, bring them together again. 

Surviving San Francisco - Susan Oloier 
When 23-year-old Leah Newland accepts a job in San Francisco and runs away from her small-town Illinois life, she expects things to change for the better. What she doesn’t expect is to lose her job, adopt a cat she hit with her car, and fall for a sexy and seemingly unavailable veterinarian. Suddenly, going back to the Midwest seems better than surviving San Francisco.                                                   

19 Ivy Lane - Aubrey Wynne 
Eloise Kolby steps off the bus and greets Hollywood with high expectations and a smile. Two months later, she’s broke, hungry and rethinking her dream. An offer to house sit provides her with too much time alone, an adopted family of kittens and a sexy postman waiting at her gate. 

Victor Burnham can’t stop thinking of the beautiful, mysterious woman who just moved into his hometown. She meets him each day at the mailbox, waiting for a letter.  
When the envelope finally arrives, they both must face decisions that could make their dreams come true or jeopardize their relationship forever.   

Three Plus Three - Cindy Flores Martinez 
Two years after losing her husband, a grieving widow, Violet, and their beloved bichon frise visit their favorite place the day before Valentine's Day. While they are there, Violet meets a handsome widower who makes her feel alive again. 

Don't delay. Download your copy today!

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