Blindsided is Coming!

Blindsided is a sweet romance that I've been holding on to since early this year. It's scheduled to be released soon ...

Something was wrong. He'd felt it for at least a week, but had been too busy wrapping up several deals to pay attention to what was now obvious.

Caroline swallowed and the delicate hollow at the base of her neck moved with each breath she took. "I'm sorry, Gordon. I can't marry you."

Her voice came at him as if from the far end of a corridor, and he was sure he’d heard wrong. "What?"

"The, uh, the time isn't right."

Her words body slammed him. He licked his lip, which seemed to take an awful long time. His jacket itched and he let out his breath, conscious of the guests shuffling behind them.

Next to him, his younger brother, Carsten, moved as if to step forward, but only laid a hand on his shoulder. Behind Caroline, her matron of honor's wide-eyed gaze swung between them.

For a few seconds, Gordon's gaze rested on Charles, Sr., Caroline's father, who seemed about to lose his breakfast. 

Gordon spread his feet and pulled his shoulders back. "And this is the time you choose to tell me?"

Caroline made a weird sound in her throat and lowered her gaze, pulling out of his grip to swipe her nose with the back of her hand, which was covered with a lace half-glove. Her action reminded him of something a little girl would do, but she wasn't a child. Caroline was a grown woman who seemed to have lost her mind in the last few minutes.

"I didn't know how to tell you," she whispered as tears leaked from the corner of one eye.

He wanted to pull her to his chest and shield her from whatever was wrong, because clearly she was hurting. But first, there was the business of their wedding. His mother had been planning this affair for the last six months, and had to be wondering what was going on.

From the corners of his eyes, he watched his mother rise. Then his father followed. They had always been a unit, or tag-team as their children called them, and supportive of their family. His sister, Janelle, frowned and then leaned toward her son, who spoke in her ear.

Gordon knew he was avoiding the issue in front of him by letting his mind wander. His gaze returned to Caroline, who gripped her bottom lip with her teeth. Her eye makeup was applied with a light hand. The purple lipstick was almost perfect, except where she'd gnawed it away, but her eyeliner was running and she looked as if she was about to faint. 
Instead, she collapsed against him, sobbing.

He held her close, fighting the sensation of someone crushing his chest in a vise. Over Caroline's head, he threw a desperate glance at Feechi—his brother’s wife and Caroline’s matron of honor.

Ingrid, Caroline's bridesmaid, stood stock-still, her eyes pulled wide.

Feechi stood directly behind Caroline at the same time his mother reached them. Taking Caroline by the shoulders, Mom turned her. "Come with me. Let's get to the bottom of this."

Shaking her head, Caroline said, "You can't."

As Gordon watched, his bride took off down the aisle, clutching the sides of her ivory dress as she ran.

The Vet's Secret Wish

Here's what's happening in Sweet Romance land. The third book in The Vet Series is in two places! The Spring Into Romance boxed set and as a single here. Get your copy of The Vet's Secret Wish today!

Across the office, Jade—my almost-fiancée's daughter—sat in a padded-wicker chair.  Her bare feet were bent at the knees and her cat, Murphy sprawled on top of them. Jade stroked his fur while speaking into his ear. Murphy mewed at Jade as if he understood what she'd said to him, and I had no doubt he did.

Ridley, the Pit Bull mix lay dozing on the tiles.

The moment my focus turned to the patient cards on the desk, Jade asked, "Doc, you busy?"

I'd never be too busy for her, so I laid down the pen and gave her my attention. "What d'you want to know?"

Jade was a powerhouse of questions and I'd learned to pay attention if I didn't want to wander onto a minefield that would blow up in my face.

"Daddy and I were talking about you and Mommy last night."

Now, I was riveted. "Yeah?"

She nodded, putting all her energy into it. "I told him about your rings and he said promises can be broken."

Here, she sighed. "I know because before now, he broke his promise to let me stay at his house a lot."

The upstanding side of my character told me to shut down this conversation now, but the part of my brain that suspected Jade's father still wanted her mother back made me ask, "So what else did he say about Toni and me?"

She stroked Murphy's forehead and made a funny face at him before frowning. "Um … he said … oh yes, a promise is a comfort to a fool."

I spun the promise ring on my finger, focusing on the pearls inset in the titanium finish. The stones were set inside one half of a heart, and Toni's ring contained the matching side. She'd given me the ring a month ago with a promise to marry me on Valentine's Day next year.

Now, I wondered if I knew what the heck I was doing to agree to that half-measure when I wanted Toni to be Mrs. Matthias Laing this minute.

So Toni wasn't as gung-ho about marriage as I was, but considering what she'd been through, and since I'd agreed to wait, I couldn't bum rush her at this point.

" … true, Doc?"

Jade's questioning tone jolted me out of my mental space. "What was that?"

"I was asking if that's true."

My blank stare gave me away, because Jade sighed and rolled her eyes. "Is it a comfort for a fool?"

"No, it's not. I've lived up to the ones I've made to you, haven't I?"

She nodded and then said. "Daddy wasn't talking about you and me."

My intense stare prodded her to continue. "He was talking about Mommy and you."

I would have asked why he was talking about Toni and me since they weren't together anymore, but that didn't serve any useful purpose so I bit my tongue. Jade's words made me uncomfortable because I suspected Dane had every intention of getting back into Toni's life.

Toni's reassurance that she had no desire for a second chance with Dane should have made me more relaxed, but it didn't, and Jade forced me to shelve my thoughts when she got up and approached the desk. She sat on the edge of one of the visitor's chairs with Murphy on her shoulder. She wrinkled her eyebrows. "So remind me what promise rings do again?"

Sucking in a lungful of air, I put a smile on my face and raised my left hand. "Next time your daddy asks, tell him your mommy gave me this ring and said she was going to marry me."

Even as the words left my mouth and though I said it in an even tone, shame crept over me. Why was I allowing Dane's snide remarks to disturb me?

He was in the past.

I was in Toni's future.

End of story.

To find out what happens next, pick up your copy of The Vet's Secret Wish. It's only $1.99

The Feline Fix in #VPK

I'm happy to have Caroline Bell Foster sharing a little of her novella, The Feline Fix! 

The Feline Fix by 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.

Excerpt

Next time? He didn’t want her going out by herself which was a bizarre thought, with not even ten full minutes in her company.  

“Make sure that you do.” He ordered, in a voice he usually reserved for delinquent yobs. 

“I’m sorry.” She said and to her horror felt the sting of tears. It had been a horrible day and had ended even worse. This was New Years, she should be happy, looking forward to the year ahead, but instead she was sat in a police car, unmarked, but still a police car, with the cutest policeman she had ever seen in her life, but he was telling her off and treating her like a criminal. This day was officially the worse day of her life. Oh what a way to end the year and start a new one, she sniffed.  “I’m sorry,” 

Callum rushed, seeing the sheen of tears. “I didn’t mean to scare you.”  

“It’s okay. You’re right,” she admitted, blinking rapidly to get rid of the tears. “I don’t usually go out at night and I didn't think. It makes sense,” she went on bravely, reaching for the door handle.

 “Thank you for the lift and Happy New Year.” She said brightly, as she scrambled out of the car.  

Callum got out looking over the roof of the car waiting for her to open her front door. Ever the protector, he watched as she fished her keys out of her bag and fumbled with the latch. She dropped the keys. 

“Need any help?”  

“No it’s okay. I’m just a clutz as you already know. Petri dish? Keys?” Wendy shrugged, putting her hands out, palms up as though they were scales. “Same thing.”  

Callum heard the wobble in her voice. She was trying so hard to be brave in front of him and he wanted to wrap her up in his arms and tell her everything would be okay.  He walked towards her. “Here,” he offered softly, taking the keys from her and smiling at the red plastic key ring shaped like an atom. “Let me.” 

He unlocked the white pvc door, similar to his and let it swing open.  

“Thanks.” She mumbled, stepping into the hallway and turning to him.  

Callum spied the small rectangular box on the wall, the green light steady, when it should have been blinking on their entry. “Why didn’t you program the alarm?” 

“The cat.” 

“The cat?” He repeated faintly.  

“Mr. Snuggles,” she explained. “He comes and goes through the cat flap and sets off the alarm when he jumps onto the kitchen counter. I’ve tried to make him stop, cats on counters is so unhygienic.” She flicked her hands around. “But he won’t stop. He never listens to me. He’s such a cat.” Then she smiled softly. “But I love him.” 

Callum could not believe what he was hearing. She lived alone at the end of a street where her garden ran parallel to a road busy with foot traffic. There was a field at the back and she didn’t use the alarm? He was incensed.  “Let me get this straight,” he said, folding his arms over his chest, unable to hide his irritation. “You have an alarm but you don't use it because of the cat?”  

“Uh uh.” She bit the corner of her lip. He was not happy.

About the Author

Caroline Bell Foster was born in Derby, England and with her family went on a six week holiday to Jamaica. She stayed for 18 years! Ever the adventurer Caroline bought her first pair of high heels in Toronto and traded her pink sunglasses for a bus ride in the Rift Valley at 18. She wrote her first short story on that bus and had it published the following year in a local newspaper. 

Caroline has always written in one form or another from a very young age. She started her first diary at age 7 and short stories and articles kept her occupied throughout her teens. Feeling the restrictions of short stories for newspapers, Caroline switched to full length novels letting her creativity flow. 

Caroline is also known as 'The Caribbean's Leading Lady of Love' as her novels Ladies' Jamaican, Caribbean Whisper's, Saffron's Choice tend to reflect her love for the Islands. Caroline's fourth novel Call Me Royal has just been released. The author now lives in Nottingham, England with her husband and two children.

The Feline Fix 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 Feline Fix by Caroline Bell Foster

Amazon US ~ B&N ~ iTunes ~ Kobo ~ Amazon UK ~ Google

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 the Details on Her Perfect Catch

Today, I'm featuring another story from the Valentine Pets & Kisses Boxed Set. I had fun reading this story which is laugh-out-loud funny in parts. 

Her Perfect Catch by 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.

Excerpt

The lobby was no less elegant than the hotel's exterior, draped in luxurious natural-colored decor with reddish accents, Italian marble, and ornate European-styled furniture placed in cozy, conversational arrangements.

The desk attendant, an older gray-haired lady with a southern twang, shifted her eyes between them. "Well, don’t you two make the cutest couple?"

"We do, don’t we?" Dylan said, wrapping his arm around Mel's shoulder, grinning as if he’d won the lottery.

With one eyebrow up, Mel glanced at his hand and then brushed it off. "Uh, no, no. We're best friends."

 "Oh, I get it. Friends with benefits." She winked.

"No, no. Just buddies." "Well, if he's not with you"—she reached between her ample bosom and pulled out a business card—“he can give me a call. I get off in an hour."

"Uh, ma'am, we'd just like to check in, please. Any additional rooms available?"

She pursed her lips and gave Mel every bit of her attitude. "Afraid not. We're all booked up until Monday. Super Bowl." Mel handed the woman her credit card, then waited for her to process it for incidentals and pass her the keycards.

“Room 315. Up the elevator to the third floor; your room is on the left at the end of the hall.” As Mel dragged her suitcase and Mack toward the elevator, his carrier handle started to cut into her finger so she swapped him for one of Dylan's bags. Then they pressed ahead through the pristine, marble lobby to catch a ride to their room.

"Mel, why do you keep doing that?" Dylan asked as they waited for the elevator to alert its arrival.

"Doing what?" "Telling everyone we're not together as if I’m a leper or something."

"If my memory serves me correctly, denying that we're a couple used to be your role. How many times have you told your potential prey that I'm your little sister?" Mel responded, giving him the side eye. "Guess you taught me well, Obi-Wan."

He grimaced as the elevator doors opened, motioned her inside, and pressed “3.”

"Listen, I've wanted to talk to you about Gizelle. She didn't cancel. I did...and there's a reason, something I didn't realize until recently."

"How many times did I tell you Gizelle was all wrong for you?"

"About a thousand, but that's not what I'm—" She let out a long exasperated sigh. "Dylan, while I just love hearing about your sexual exploits and break-ups," she said facetiously, "how about you hold that thought until after I'm out of a hot shower and into some pajamas." 

"But you don't understand. What I'm trying to say is—"

Just then the doors opened and Mel stepped off the elevator. It was too late when she heard someone yell, "Go deep!" An object collided against her temple, causing a dull aching pain to stretch across her skull and into her neck. Dylan's voice screamed, "Watch out!" before all light and sound faded and the hall went black.

About the Author

K. L. Brady is a D.C. native and grew up in Prince George's County, Maryland, the setting of her debut novel. When she hit her "tween" years, her mother packed the family and moved to Bellaire, Ohio, where she eventually graduated from Bellaire High School. She attended the University of Akron for a few semesters, where she pledged Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc., before moving back to the D.C. area.

She discovered a love for reading and writing at the age of three, by her mother's accounts. Through the years, she has maintained diaries and journals, but the journals she wrote as an adult provided the inspiration for The Bum Magnet. 

Brady is a native Washingtonian (D.C.), lifelong Washington football fan, and professed nerd-girl who loves all things Star Trek, Star Wars, Lord of the Rings, and Big Bang Theory. She's a member of Romance Writers of America, International Thriller Writers, the Maryland Writers Association, and Sisters in Crime and lives to write novels, especially those involving hilarious quirky characters looking for love. She is hard at work on her next several projects including the sequels to HER PERFECT CATCH (part of the Valentine's Pets and Kisses box set) because girls love football, too!

Her Perfect Catch is EXCLUSIVE to Valentine Pets & Kisses, so pre-order Valentine Pets & Kisses for 99c today and be the first of your friends to read Her Perfect Catch by K.L. Brady

Amazon US ~ B&N ~ iTunes ~ Kobo ~ Amazon UK ~ Google

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.

The Magic of Christmas & Romance

Thanks for dropping in. Please enjoy an excerpt from this holiday romance novella. It's a steal at $0.99. Amazon link.

Toni shot me a desperate look that made me want to reassure her everything would be okay, but I also didn’t want to disappoint her child.

"Jade," I said, "Remember I told you I was going to put something on the radio to try and find Ridley’s owner?"

She nodded, but her smile faded a little. "Did anybody come?"

"They might not have heard the announcement yet. We have to be patient."

She slid a look at her mother before facing me. "Can Ridley come home with us meantime?"

"No, hon, you know we don’t have room for a dog."

"Yes we do," Jade said, turning to eyeball Toni. "He can sleep on the back verandah."

"And what are we going to feed him?" Toni asked, passing a hand through the hair at the back of her neck.
"The same thing we eat."

She pulled Jade to her side. "Hon, we can’t just take somebody’s dog."

"But you almost killed it."

The expression on Toni’s face was priceless. Her eyes popped wide and her mouth fell open.

I banished my smile when her gaze found mine.

Toni sighed and rolled her eyes. "The dog ran in front of the car."

"Good thing we stopped because he needed a new home and we have space."

"Hon, I already told you—"

"Mommy, we can’t just leave Ridley here." Jade spun to confront me, hands on her hips. "Since this is a dog hospital, you need the space, right Dr. … "
"Laing."

Toni rubbed her forehead and closed her eyes as if arguing exhausted her.

"Maybe there’s a way I can help."

Toni’s eyes opened and she looked at me as if I had the answer to all of life’s problems. At best, what I could provide was a stop gap. "I can let you have a bag of dog chow, which should last until we find Ridley’s owner."

My solution didn’t seem to impress Toni, who stared at me as if what I said didn’t make sense.

Jade threw her fists in the air. "Yeah!"

"Not so fast," Toni said. "Could you keep the dog one more night just in case the owner turns up early tomorrow?"

Jade’s mouth drooped and she frowned at Toni. "But, Mommy—"

Toni stopped Jade's words with one tilt of the eyebrow.

"Sure," I said, "it won’t be a problem."

I hadn’t had much of a chance to say anything to Toni, but I had plenty on my mind. I hadn’t seen Toni in more years than I cared to remember and was beyond curious about her marriage, among other things. Her comment about being unable to take care of the dog hinted that she was stretched financially, but by looking at her, I couldn’t tell.

Amazon

Her clothes were tailored and even though I didn’t study that kind of thing, I knew enough—from the women I went out with—to recognize quality leather when I saw it. Her shoes and handbag came from matching leather and her work suit was cut from high-quality linen.

Our eyes met then and I hoped she wouldn’t figure out what I was thinking, but the worry in her eyes distracted me and I brought my attention back to our immediate problem.

"Let me keep Ridley tonight," I said, raising a hand to stop Jade’s protest. "Just to make sure his leg is going to be okay."

Jade looked at Toni and then back at me as if she suspected we were in cahoots. "Okay, just for tonight."

Toni shook her head and closed her eyes while I struggled not to smile. "Jade, can I talk to your mom alone for a minute?"

"Sure, I’ll go check on Ridley again and tell him bye-bye."  She gave her mother what I considered a warning look before leaving the office and closing the door.

Toni rubbed the bridge of her nose and sighed. "I don’t want her to get attached to that dog and I definitely don’t want to be responsible for any animal."

"If we don’t hear from the owners, we’ll probably have to send it to the JSPCA to see if they can find a home for it." I waited another few seconds before continuing, "Will it be that much of a bad thing for you to keep Ridley if we don’t find the owner? I mean, Jade seems to have a love affair going on already."

She shook her head. "We just can’t. What am I gonna do with Rid—the dog when I’m off at work?"

"You could—"

Holding up one hand, she said, "Don’t even go there. I just can’t."

I didn’t say anything more, but I sensed Jade wouldn’t be a pushover and all I’d been trying to tell Toni was that I could arrange for a friend of mine with a dog-sitting business to keep the dog until she found a regular schedule.

I got up and went to the other side of the desk where I called Melanie and told her we’d be keeping the dog another night. When I hung up the phone, Toni took her eyes off me.

Good. I hoped she hadn’t had her fill, because I was a long way from being satisfied with looking at her. Toni had matured into the striking woman I knew she’d become.

Amazon link.

Joy Avery's One Delicate Night

I am pleased to welcome Joy Avery to my blog. She's spreading the word on her novella, One Delicate Night. Don't you just love the cover? Feel free to enter the giveaway.

Book Title: One Delicate Night

Publication Date: 7-11-2015

Genre: Contemporary romance

Author: Joy Avery

About The Book

Can one night lead to forever?

Kassidy Monroe has spent far too many nights alone. But could she actually go through with a one-night stand? No! At least, that’s her answer until her eyes settle on him—tall, dark, and ultra-mysterious behind a black and platinum mask that makes him even more appealing. It’s lust at first sight, but how far is she willing to go with a man she’s just met?

Jaxon Prescott has always gone after what he wants. And he wants her—the sexy vixen in the feather mask. Something about her calls to him, and he’s all too willing to answer. An invitation to his hotel suite was supposed to be for a night she wouldn’t soon forget, but somehow the tables turn. He never imagines he’d be the one constantly reliving their time together.

One need. One night. One unforeseen outcome.

Raffle code: a Rafflecopter giveaway

About the Author

Joy Avery is a contemporary romance author who loves watching her imaginary friends fall in love. When not crafting her next love story, she enjoys reading, spending time with the family, playing with her two dogs, and cake decorating.

She’s the author of the novels Smoke in the Citi, His Until Sunrise (book 1 in the Indigo Falls series), Cupid’s Error-a Valentine’s novella, and His Ultimate Desire (book 2 in the Indigo Falls series).

Purchase Link

Amazon: http://bit.ly/onedelicatenight

Social Media Links

Twitter: https://twitter.com/authorjoyavery

Website: http://Www.joyavery.com

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

Tour hosted by WNL Write Now Literary www.wnlbooktours.com