Audiobook Review: The Final Score by Jaci Burton

The Final Score
(Play-by-Play Series, Bk #13)
Jaci Burton
Narrated by Tatiana Sokolov

Blurb: 
Nathan Riley is ready to follow in the footsteps of his famous football player father. He's been drafted as quarterback for his dad's former team, and his future is bright. When his friend Mia Cassidy moves to the same city, their years-long friendship suddenly sparks hot, reminding him of the one night they had together in college that he can never forget.

Like Nathan, Mia is from a sports dynasty family and embarking on an incredible new career - as founder of her own sports management company. Her friendship with Nathan means everything to her, and tossing sex into the mix again could jeopardize it. But the chemistry between them has always sizzled, and it isn't long before Mia realizes she wants more with Nathan than just late-night talks and pizza.

Passion has a funny way of changing the rules, and soon Nathan and Mia discover that to win it all, they'll have to make an unexpected play for love.

Available for purchase at 

Amazon Paperback | Audible | Kindle | Nook | B&N

Viviana's Review: 

I liked it. I had higher hopes for it, especially with the Cassidy family being included. I LOVE the Cassidy family! Each of  their stories have been really good! I did love that both the hero and heroine are from Football Dynasty! This is also part of the story.... how both Nathan and Mia are trying to make it on their own, and not have others think they are riding on their father's fame.  

This is a friends to lovers story and we get to see them as friends, which is great. They have a very easy going relationship and its obvious they treasure each other as friends.

I did love that we get to see what the Cassidy boys and their ladies have been up to. Reconnecting with them is like meeting up with friends after not seeing each other for a while! 

Why I didn't Love it? I think this could have easily been a novella. There is a lot of repetition both in internal monologue and conversations among friends, but mostly internal monologue. I mean how many times can you state your reasons why you can't or why they shouldn't!! Jeez. It caused several eye rolling moments.  If you remove all of these, you'd have a really good novella/story.

Then there is the matter of the 'struggle' or the 'cause' between the couple and its something that will make you say "Really? Seriously?" and then the make up... too easy and way to quick. 

Narrators: 

Tatiana Sokolov does a good job with this series. I still believe that the series would benefit from having a male narrator, as part of the narration (two narrators (duet or dual)). 

Overall, this was a good read and with likable characters and steamy scenes. I'm hoping we get to see Mia and Nathan later in the series to catch up with them. 

Rating: 3.Stars - I LIKED IT!

Disclaimer:
I received a complimentary copy of this book from Penguin in exchange for an honest review. This review is my own opinion and not a paid review.

Ode To Audio Celebration & Giveaway

Love audiobooks? Us too! Six incredible authors have come together to celebrate audiobooks with an Ode to Audio week – and there’s a chance to win every day! There’s so many prizes - a chance to win one of the six audiobooks, plus a month membership from audiobooks.com, and a three month audible.com subscription! Find out more about the six audiobooks and enter to win below!

Enter to win the Ode to Audio giveaways here: http://smarturl.it/OdeToAudio

 

LIVE WIRE by Cristin Harber

Narrated by Jeffrey Kafer

Titan Group is expanding. New recruits mean Jared Westin has potential new hires to scrutinize. What he didn’t expect was his very pregnant wife Sugar to finagle her way onto the surveillance team as the prospects were assessed.

Her involvement in the simple observation goes dangerously wrong. She and best friend Lexi Black stumble into a problem with Russian mobsters. Sugar is forced to draw on her old ATF tricks, but weeks from her due date, she has no choice but to team up with Bishop O’Kane, a potential-new recruit and Parker Black, Lexi’s hacker husband, who must go undercover.

This is special ops novella is packed with high-stakes crime and intrigue, a baby story for Boss Man, and two steamy romances for two of Titan’s favorite couples.

I really enjoyed this story and made me want to go back to the beginning of the series! 

You can find my full review here!

Listen to an audio sample or pick up your copy of the LIVE WIRE audiobook here!

Available to purchase at 

         

Connect with Cristin Harber

Website | Newsletter | Facebook | Team Titan Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

 

HOT PURSUIT by Lynn Raye Harris
Narrated by Aiden Snow

He was the last man in the world she wanted to see. But he might be the only one who could save her.
Ten years ago, Matt Girard did something he shouldn't have. When sweet Evangeline Baker offered him her virginity, he took it. Then he left town and he's never looked back.

Until now. His future as a black ops soldier with the Hostile Operations Team is in jeopardy, and he's come home for a few days before going back to face the consequences of a mission gone wrong.

Matt still makes Evie's heart pound, but she wants nothing to do with him. She's had enough of men who lie and promise things they don't deliver. But when her sister goes missing and her ex-boyfriend turns up dead, she's in need of Matt's special military skills.

With time running out, Matt will put everything on the line to protect Evie and find her sister. Even if it means sacrificing all he's worked for with HOT. Sometimes, the reward is worth the price. Especially when it's the one woman he can't forget.

Listen to an audio sample or pick up your copy of the HOT PURSUIT audiobook here!

Connect with Lynn Raye Harris:

Website | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter

 

GONE TO DUST by Liliana Hart
Narrated by Jonathan Todd Ross & Devra Woodward 

The Gravediggers aren't exactly what they seem. They're the most elite of the world's fighting forces - and all they have in common is that they've been betrayed by the countries they've died for. Because they are dead. To their countries, their militaries, and their families.
Sometimes the dead do rise....

Miller Darling is one of the most popular romance novelists of her time. Not bad for a woman who doesn't believe in romance. She's as logical as they come, and she doesn't believe in happily ever afters. What she does believe in is family, so when her brother disappears, she doesn't think twice about packing her bag and her laptop and heading out to find him.

Elias Cole lived and breathed the life of a Navy SEAL. Now he's "dead" and his hero's honor tarnished. The only thing keeping him sane are the men who are like him - The Gravediggers - and the woman who makes his head spin. He's never met anyone like Miller Darling. Her smart mouth and quick wit keep him on his toes, and damned if he doesn't find that appealing.

When Miller receives a package from the brother who abandoned her asking for help, it's clear she's in over her head with the mess he's gotten himself into. She needs a professional, and Elias is just the man for the job. Only her brother is a former SEAL - the man who left his team to die - and Elias is more interested in vengeance than saving his life.

Listen to an audio sample or pick up your copy of the GONE TO DUST audiobook here!

Connect with Liliana Hart:

Website | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter

 

ENEMY MINE by Megan Mitcham
Narrated by Jeffrey Kafer

Born in the blood of Sierra Leone's Civil War, enslaved, then sold to the US as an orphan, Base Branch operative Sloan Harris is emotionally dead and driven by vengeance. With no soul to give, her body becomes the bargaining chip to infiltrate a warlord's inner circle. The man called the Devil killed her family and helped destroy a region.

As son of the warlord, Baine Kendrick will happily use Sloan's body if it expedites his father's demise. Yet, he is wholly unprepared for the possessive and protective emotions she provokes. Maybe it's the flashes of memory...two forgotten children drawing in the dirt beneath the boabab tree...but he fears there is more at stake than his life.

In the Devil's den with Baine by her side, Sloan braves certain death and discovers a spirit for living.

Listen to an audio sample or pick up your copy of the ENEMY MINE audiobook here!

Connect with Megan Mitcham:

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INKED EXPRESSIONS by Carrie Ann Ryan
Narrated by Gregory Salinas

The Montgomery Ink Series from NYT Bestselling Author Carrie Ann Ryan continues with the brother who keeps his secret and the one woman he shouldn’t want.

The Montgomery Ink Series from NYT Bestselling Author Carrie Ann Ryan continues with the brother who keeps his secret and the one woman he shouldn’t want.

Everly Law married the love of her life and on the eve of giving birth to their twins, lost him in a tragic accident. Now she’s a single mother working overtime at her bookstore trying to make sure her boys have the life they deserve. Her life is busy enough without her adding dating a Montgomery. As past secrets come to light, she’ll need Storm more than ever—even if she doesn’t realize it.

Storm Montgomery has spent his life atoning for sins that only few know he’s committed. When he lost his best friend, he promised his widow that he’d always be there for her—even when she wanted nothing to do with him. But when a single touch ignites passions they’ve both buried deep inside, he’ll have to remember exactly who is in his arms and that taking chances might be far more dangerous than they bargained for.

Listen to an audio sample or pick up your copy of the INKED EXPRESSIONS audiobook here!

Connect with Carrie Ann Ryan:

Website | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter

 

A SEAL'S OATH by Cora Seton
Narrated by Eric G. Dove

Navy SEAL Boone Rudman and his friends want to create a sustainable community that can be replicated anywhere in the world. But they need land, so when Martin Fulsom, leader of the Fulsom Foundation, offers them Westfield, a ranch in Montana, they agree to Fulsom's condition that they document their progress on a reality television show.

Building the community will be hard enough, but Boone's got another problem. Fulsom expects families to make up the population of the new town. Now Boone's got to find a wife fast, before he loses his funding and his dream. So when he arrives at Westfield to find it already occupied by the startlingly beautiful, strangely attired Riley Eaton, he wonders if fate itself has provided him with an answer.

Riley Eaton is done with traffic jams and 24/7 workweeks. She loves Jane Austen's novels, and she knows she's not the only woman longing for a simpler, more beautiful life. When she discovers her friends are in the same frame of mind, she throws caution to the wind and invites them to Westfield, the ranch her uncle inherited long ago but has never lived in. Equipped with a key and a standing invitation to stay there whenever she likes, she gathers her friends, drives to Chance Creek, and gives up all things 21st century in order to open a Jane Austen-style bed-and-breakfast. She knows her absentee uncle will be thrilled with a new stream of income, and Westfield is perfect for Regency living, with its wide lawns, extensive gardens, and large ballroom. But when sexy, stubborn Boone shows up with plans to build a hyper-modern sustainable community on the ranch, it's clear her Regency paradise is over before it even began.

Now Boone has 30 days to marry Riley or lose the ranch to developers, and Riley has three weeks to prepare for the bed-and-breakfast's first guests or face bankruptcy. Can they overcome their prejudices to help each other? Or will their pride destroy both their futures?

Listen to an audio sample or pick up your copy of the A SEAL'S OATH audiobook here!

Connect with Cora Seton:

Website | Facebook | Twitter

Audiobook Review: Live Wire by Cristin Harber

Live Wire
(Titan Series, #6.6)
By Cristin Harber
Narrated by Jeffrey Kafer

Blurb: 
Titan Group is expanding. New recruits mean Jared Westin has potential new hires to scrutinize. What he didn't expect was his very pregnant wife Sugar to finagle her way onto the surveillance team as the prospects were assessed.

Her involvement in the simple observation goes dangerously wrong. She and best friend Lexi Black stumble into a problem with Russian mobsters. Sugar is forced to draw on her old ATF tricks, but weeks from her due date, she has no choice but to team up with Bishop O'Kane, a potential new recruit ,and Parker Black, Lexi's hacker husband, who must go undercover.

This is special ops novella is packed with high-stakes crime and intrigue, a baby story for Boss Man, and two steamy romances for two of Titan’s favorite couples!

Purchase your copy at 

         

Viviana's Review:
This was my first book by Cristin Harber and I enjoyed it! LIVE WIRE is a novella that involves characters from previous books in the TITAN Series and I'll admit that I was a tad bit concerned that I'd be lost, however, that wasn't the case. The author does a good job of providing the background details (i.e. who is who to whom, role in the TITANS, etc.) so if you happen to pick this up before reading the previous books in the series, you'll be fine. 

LIVE WIRE has interesting characters that readers will enjoy. The story also has action that keeps the plot moving forward and at a good pace. I also really liked that the women in the story are strong and independent. Bonus that the men know their women are strong and independent and do not try overpower them. Don't get me wrong, they were Alpha men but they knew didn't waste time trying to dominate the women. On the contrary, they were supportive.


Narrator Review: 
I've had Jeffrey on my "Narrator I want to listen to" for a while and I'm glad I had this opportunity! He does a great job of providing each characters with their own unique voices and tones. He also does an awesome job with the female voices. Definitely will be looking at other books narrated by Jeffrey to my list of TBR pile! 

Overall, this was a quick, sexy read with funny moments. Readers will enjoy the story line and listeners will also enjoy the narrator's performance! 

Rating: 3.5 Stars - I Really Liked It!

Disclaimer:
I received a complimentary copy of this book from InkSlinger PR in exchange for an honest review. This review is my own opinion and not a paid review.

Blog Tour: Family Man by Heidi Cullinan

Family Man

by Heidi Cullinan , Marie Sexton

Blurb:

Sometimes family chooses you.

At forty, Vincent “Vinnie” Fierro is still afraid to admit he might be gay—even to himself. It’ll be a problem for his big, fat Italian family. Still, after three failed marriages, it’s getting harder to ignore what he really wants.

Vinnie attempts some self-exploration in Chicago’s Boystown bars, far from anyone who knows him. Naturally, he runs smack into someone from the neighborhood.

Between working two jobs, going to school, taking care of his grandmother, and dealing with his mother’s ongoing substance abuse, Trey Giles has little time for fun, let alone dating someone who swears he’s straight. Yet after one night of dancing cheek-to-cheek, Trey agrees to let Vinnie court him and see if he truly belongs on this side of the fence—though Trey intends to keep his virginity intact.

It seems like a solid plan, but nothing is simple when family is involved. When Vinnie’s family finds out about their relationship, the situation is sticky enough, but when Trey’s mother goes critical, Vinnie and Trey must decide whose happiness is most important—their families’ or their own.

This book was co-written with Marie Sexton.

Available for purchase at 

 Kindle │Amazon Paperback │Nook │B&N Paperback│Kobo │ iTunes

Excerpt

I was just turning to head back to our table when I spotted him: dark hair, dark skin, sitting on the barstool looking so out of place, I wondered how I hadn’t seen him before.

“Vinnie?” I yelled, moving around the barflies in between us to get to him. “Vincent Fierro, is that you?”

What a stupid fucking question. Of course it was him. And when he turned to me, the blood drained from his face like I was the goddamn ghost of Christmas past. “Trey,” he said. “What are you doing here?”

Well, at least we were tied on the stupid-question front. There wasn’t an empty stool next to him, so I angled myself into the narrow space between him and the bar. “I’ve never seen you here before.”

“It’s my first time.”

“I didn’t realize you were gay.”

All the color that had left his cheeks came back with a vengeance. The glare he turned on me would have made me back up, if I’d had anywhere to go. “I’m not.”

I laughed. What the hell else could I do? “Oh yeah? Let me guess. You wandered in here by mistake, saw all the guys practically having sex on the dance floor, and thought you’d just pull up a seat for the hell of it, right? ’Cause that’s what all the straight guys do.”

He clenched his jaw, turning away from me, and I felt a twinge of guilt for having goaded him. Tough guy like him, big Catholic family—it couldn’t be as easy for him as it had been for me. My Gram had barely batted an eye when I’d come out to her, and that had been six years ago.

“It’s cool, Vinnie,” I said. “I get it.”

He seemed uncertain, and I did my best to be reassuring. “Let me buy you a drink.”

He winced, glancing around the bar like he was searching for an escape hatch. “I don’t think I’m staying.”

Christ, offer to buy a guy a drink, and he’s ready to bolt. He probably assumed I was trying to get in his pants. Of course, I’d been in that position a billion times myself, so I didn’t take it personally. “You don’t have to go. I’ll leave you alone—”

“No!” I had a feeling the word had escaped without him meaning for it to. He looked like he regretted it. I wasn’t sure what to say. I wasn’t sure if assuring him that I wasn’t cruising was what he wanted to hear or not.

He took a deep breath and blew it out. “I didn’t mean because of you,” he said at last. “I just mean, I really hate this scene. What the hell kind of music is this anyway?”

“Club music.”

“I keep wondering if this goddamn song will ever end. It’s been going on for at least an hour.”

I laughed. “No, it hasn’t. This is some club mashup of ‘Umbrella’ and ‘Single Ladies.’ That last song was something by Lady Gaga. The one before I think was—”

“You mean these are real songs?”

I laughed. “What else would they be?”

He rolled his eyes. “I thought it was a techno loop clubs played when they couldn’t afford to hire a real DJ. Or a band. I didn’t realize people actually listened to this shit.” He shook his head, rubbing his forehead with his fingers. “Fuck, I’m old.”

The music wasn’t exactly my speed either, although I’d long since grown immune to it. “What kind of music do you like?” I asked.

“Jazz. Swing. Real music. Three notes by Coltrane and this crap would back off in shame.”

His answer gave me an idea that was too good to pass up. “Come on. Let’s get out of here.”

The look he gave me was almost like panic, and I smiled. “I don’t mean, ‘your place or mine?’ I just mean, let’s go someplace better.”

He immediately relaxed. “Where?”

“Trust me.”

I took a minute to pull out my phone and send a text to Tara. Leaving. Be safe.

Her WTF? came back to me in record time—I’d never left the club with anybody before—but I ignored it.

I led him out of the hot, loud club into the cool night air. The sidewalks were still wet, but the rain had stopped. The only part of the music we could hear from outside was the thumping bass. My ears were ringing. “You mind walking?” I felt like my voice was way too loud.

“I don’t mind.”

We rounded the corner and went a few blocks. “You know where you’re going?” he asked as we walked.

“Of course. I’ve never been in this club before, but I’ve heard about it.”

We reached our destination. No thumping bass here. I opened the door, and smooth jazz flowed out around us, wrapping us up, drawing us in.

Inside, the lights were low—no bright lights or flashing strobes. A few couples were dancing. A lone black man sat on a stool in the corner, playing a sax. The music was sultry, loud enough to be heard, but not so loud you couldn’t hear the person four inches away from you.

I glanced over at Vinnie, and he smiled. His smile was cute. Sort of smartass and self-deprecating at the same time—like he was daring the world to take him seriously. It made him seem years younger.

“Better,” he said.

We found a table near the dance floor, and the waiter didn’t bat an eye when I only ordered a Coke. Vinnie ordered a vodka tonic, and then we sat there, not knowing what to say. When I realized he would wait until doomsday before breaking the ice, I fished around until I found something that felt safe to talk about. “Sorry about the idiots in the restaurant the other day. I made them tip Marcie well.”

It was a little astounding how much this subject relaxed him, and I can’t say I minded the look of approval I got either. “They didn’t seem like your usuals.” His tone hinted heavily that I generally had more taste.

“Group project,” I explained.

He made a face and shook his head. “They’re still doing that shit? I figured they’d quit once they saw what a mess it was.”

“Are you kidding? A week’s worth of group project is that much less shit for professors to grade. Plus they get to say they’re teaching us team building and crap like that.”

Vinnie rolled his eyes. “Whatever. Well, you have my condolences.”

He tipped his glass toward mine, and I met him in a toast. We drank, our gazes tangled in a moment of camaraderie. I didn’t want it to end, so I gave him another conversation prompt. “What is it you do? I know you don’t work for the restaurant anymore, because they’re always carrying on about how ‘If Vinnie was here, this wouldn’t have happened.’”

He raised a dubious eyebrow into his hairline. “That I didn’t know. This recent, this carrying on?”

I tried to think. “Yeah, I think so. Last week was the last time it came up.”

He grimaced. “They’re likely getting ready to gang up on me again to come back. Thanks for the intel.”

“But what is it you do now?”

“Plumbing.” He took a drink. “I work for my uncle up in Northbrook. Parino Brothers Plumbing.” I tried not to be shocked, but I must have failed because he laughed and waggled both eyebrows. “Hey, somebody’s got to unclog the toilets.”

“But do you like that?” I pressed. It was a little rude, but I knew he’d gone to not just college but graduate school, that he had an MBA and used to do accounting for his family’s restaurants. Now he fished out drains?

He shrugged. “It’s okay. Pay’s good, and I get out and about.” He gave me a sideways smile that made my stomach turn over. “Haven’t you heard my family gossiping about how I’m the one who can’t settle down on anything?”

I had. Vince always had a new job, and he’d been married three times, unless I’d missed an ex-wife in there. “Whatever makes you happy, I guess.”

This comment made his smile die, and he became focused on turning his drink casually in his hand. “Not sure about that. Do my best, though.” Clearing his throat, he set his glass down. “What about you? You’re in school, right? What for?”

“English major. I originally wanted to be pre-law, but at the rate I’m having to go, I’ll be ninety when I get out. I thought about getting an education endorsement, though my advisor is trying to talk me into political science.” I shrugged and twirled the straw in my Coke. “Right now I’ll be happy to get far enough into a degree to be able to graduate. I’m tired of school.”

Vinnie frowned at me. “How old are you, if you don’t mind my asking?”

“Twenty-five. And yes, I know it’s a long time to be in school.”

To my surprise, Vinnie only nodded. “You’re taking care of your grandmother and mother, though, and you work full-time, right?”

“More than. I have two jobs. Barista at Full Moon, the coffee shop up on Racine just north of the interstate, and waiter at The Rose.” I was ready for the look of disdain he gave me for working at his competitor, and I had to bite back a smile. “Hey, we can’t all be born into the Fierro clan.”

“Have you ever applied at Emilio’s, though?”

“When I was looking, there wasn’t an opening. Plus, I hate to be rude, but the tips are higher at The Rose. All those lovely tourists coming out of the Loop, grateful to get a table.”

“The food’s terrible. They only survive because that bastard has city councilors in his pocket.” He ironed out his scowl and held up a hand in surrender. “But you’re right. The tips have to be killer.”

“If it helps, the chef’s an ass. Mostly because I won’t blow him in the back room, I’m pretty sure.” Too late I realized I’d accidentally shined a spotlight on the elephant in the middle of our table. I winced. Vinnie slouched and took a heavy hit from his drink. He wouldn’t look me in the eye anymore, and it made me sad.

This time, though, it was Vinnie who brought us back into conversation. “So you come up here a lot?”

“To Boystown? Not often if I can help it. Don’t get me wrong. It’s a great neighborhood, but mostly I see the bars, which I could do without.” This got me the eyebrow again, and another one of those sexy little smiles. “What?” I demanded, trying to tamp down the butterflies that smile unleashed in my belly.

“You’re young. You’re cute. Yet you could do without going to bars full of guys wanting to hook up with you?”

He thought I was cute? My butterflies went crazy, and I focused all my attention on my drink. “I feel like I should tell you something.” I concentrated on spearing my thin red cocktail straw through one of the round ice cubes in my Coke, debating how to tell him I was a virgin. “I don’t have sex.”

“What? Not ever?”

I glanced up at him, trying not to be bothered by the amused disbelief in his eyes. “I just mean, I don’t sleep with guys on the first date.”

His laughter died fast. “This isn’t a date.”

He said it like a threat, as if he had to set the record straight—and I do mean straight—and I laughed. His protests actually took a great deal of pressure off me. “All the more reason I won’t sleep with you tonight.”

I was glad when he smiled again. “Deal,” he said.

It was strange how freeing that word was.

I’d learned over the years to be so careful about my interactions with men, lest they misunderstand my intentions, but it wasn’t as if I was opposed to sex or to fooling around. I wasn’t immune to the calling of my own hormones. I woke up horny like any healthy male. The problem was that with most guys, the line between flirting and fucking was razor thin. But Vince wasn’t most guys. He wasn’t some stranger I’d barely met. I’d known him for most of my life. I knew I could trust him.

Suddenly, I felt I could throw caution to the wind. Having the boundaries firmly in place and a partner I trusted opened up the playing field considerably.

I reached over and put my hand on his thigh, and he raised one eyebrow questioningly at me. “No sex,” I said, “but that doesn’t mean we can’t flirt, right?”

He stared hard at me for a long second, like I was some bridge he couldn’t decide if he wanted to jump off of. Eventually he said, his voice low and rough, “I guess not.”

My heart went into overdrive. It made me bold. It was a new feeling for me, and I embraced it. I had nothing to lose.

I moved into his lap, straddling his thighs so I could face him. His hands were on my legs, but it wasn’t as if he was touching me on purpose. It was more like that was the safest place he could find to put them. His guards were back up in full. “This doesn’t feel like flirting.”

“Then what does it feel like?”

“Like you’re coming on to me.” He said the words like an accusation.

“Aren’t they the same thing?” He didn’t move as I undid the top button on his shirt. “We already said no sex.” I undid the next one. “Relax.” There wasn’t much hair on his chest. Just smooth, dark skin, and I caressed it with my fingertips. I traced his collarbone. I put my arms around his neck and leaned closer to kiss his cheek, which was stubbly, and then the side of his neck. “God, you smell good.” It was a spicy scent—some kind of aftershave—mixed with the clean, soapy smell of his hair. I kissed him again, below his ear, and I heard his breath catch in his throat.

He clenched his hands. His fingers dug into my thighs. “Trey—”

I knew he was going to tell me to stop, and I cut him off, leaning back a bit so I could look in his eyes. “Dance with me.”

About the Author

Heidi Cullinan has always loved a good love story, provided it has a happy ending. She enjoys writing across many genres but loves above all to write happy, romantic endings for LGBT characters because there just aren't enough of those stories out there. When Heidi isn't writing, she enjoys cooking, reading, knitting, listening to music, and watching television with her husband and ten-year-old daughter. Heidi also volunteers frequently for her state's LGBT rights group, One Iowa, and is proud to be from the first midwestern state to legalize same-sex marriage. 

You can find Heidi here: 

                          

Second Chances A Romance Writers of America® Collection

So happy and excited to have author Brandi Willis Schreiber with us today! 

Her story "The Family Tree" is part of the SECOND CHANCES RWA Collection!  Brandi is sharing with us why Second Chance Romances are so special!

Think about this for a second: How many of us have gotten everything in life right on the first try? Experienced ever-after with our first loves? Modeled perfect marriages or relationships? Never made a mistake or lived without loss, disappointment, failure, or the heartbreakingly unexpected that waylays the best of our plans and intentions? Not too many. And it’s this failure, either through circumstance or fault, that makes many of us believe we’ll never get it right again. And so we never try.

To me, second chance romances are so special because they are where hope, grace, and gratitude live, where the possibility of a second, REAL love - the one that truly fulfills us for the rest of our lives - abides. Second chance romances provide hope that love will eventually come again and be exactly what we need.  They provide grace for us to believe that we are worthy of that love (because we are). And they allow us to experience and express the gratitude that this love brings to others after we’ve learned from the messiness, mistakes, and heartbreak of life.

I love second chance romances because the stories speak to me as a human being like no other story can. I’ve known heartbreak, loss, failure, and extreme mess-ups, and second chance romances remind me that if I allow myself to believe, to be vulnerable, and to try again, anything is possible. Even love. ESPECIALLY love.

Thank you Brandi for hanging out with us today! 

Learn more about Brandi and the collection below! 

​

About The Author

Brandi Willis Schreiber has imagined romance stories her entire life in her head but only recently started writing them down.  A graduate of Texas Tech University, she has an M.A. in English literature, and uses her love for nature, travel, poetry, and everything beautiful to fuel her fiction, which will always have a happy ending. Her work has appeared in All Things Dickinson:  An Encyclopedia of Emily Dickinson’s World, The Texas Review, Red River Review, and elsewhere.

This is her first published romance short story, however, and for that she’s over the moon.  Brandi lives with her husband, rescue dog, and other wild creatures in her beloved West Texas.

Connect with her at 

Website | Twitter | Facebook

Second Chances
A Romance Writers of America® Collection

Do you believe in second chances?

Romance Writers of America brings together seventeen of today's hottest authors in an anthology of never-before-published tales that reveal true love always deserves a happy ending.

Follow New York Times best-selling authors J. Kenner and Christina Lauren back to reader-favorite worlds.

New York Times bestseller Alyssa Day sprinkles djinn magic in her humorous paranormal romance, while Rachel Hauck brings the enchantment of the holidays in her New Year’s Eve contemporary love story.

And Liliana Hart delivers thrills and adventure in her characters’ search for the impossible.

With characters who find love through tough situations, in an elegant 1800s ballroom, with an old friend who shows up when least expected, at a tender age when cliques and homework get in the way relationships, or after a random encounter in an unlikely setting, Second Chances delivers romance to strike every reader’s fancy.

Plus tales from:
Marilyn Brant
Kerri Carpenter
CiCi Coughlin
Cassandra Dean
Tina Ferraro
Renee Luke
Ariella Moon
Brandi Willis Schreiber
Lizzie Shane
Sharon Sobel
Damon Suede
Tara Wyatt

Available for Pre-Order at

         

On sale for a special pre-order price of $3.99

Release Date 

September 12, 2017

Release Day Blitz: Deathtrap by Dannika Dark

The wait is over!! DEATHTRAP, the third installment of the

Crossbreed Series by Dannika Dark is now available!

Deathtrap

(Crossbreed Series, Bk #3)

By Dannika Dark

Blurb

You might be done with the past, but the past isn’t done with you.

For Raven Black, hunting criminals is second nature. So is denial. It’s not easy moving forward with one foot stuck in the past. But a new case offers her a much-needed distraction when Keystone accepts their toughest assignment yet—to track down an elusive criminal who’s selling children on the black market.

Their investigation leads them deep into the underbelly of the Breed world, a place both treacherous and enticing. With no room for mistakes, Raven makes a tough decision to lock the door to her past before it interferes with her job. The only trouble? Christian holds the key.

The stakes are high, and a shocking twist turns everything on its head. Will they catch this criminal before more lives are lost? Find out in the latest edge-of-your-seat installment of the Crossbreed series.

Available for purchase at 

Amazon (Paperback) | Kindle | Audible |  Tantor | iTunes | B&N | Nook |  Kobo

Snippet

The weight of him was sublime and familiar, as if we were right back in that motel room in Washington. I’d tried to forget about the blood sharing, but sometimes I thought about the taste of him—the sweet, decadent, enigmatic flavor of Christian Poe.

Keystone

(Crossbreed Series Book 1)

Grab your copy at  

               

   

Purchase at Amazon | Audible | Tantor 

Ravenheart

(Crossbreed Series, Bk #2)

Available purchase at 

         

   

Purchase at Amazon | Audible | Tantor 

About the Author

Dannika Dark is the USA Today Bestselling Author of Urban Fantasy Romance and Paranormal Romance. Her books have sold more than 1 million copies worldwide, and she is a 2016 Audie Awards finalist. 

Dannika was born on a military base in the U.S. and spent her youth traveling abroad. She developed an interest writing poetry and song lyrics early on, eventually gravitating toward a job that involved writing procedural training documentation. In her spare time, she wrote novels before she decided to pursue a career in publishing.

In addition to writing about supernatural worlds, Dannika is passionate about graphic design and creates all her own covers and series art. When not writing, she enjoys indie music, movies, reading, Tex-Mex, strawberry daiquiris, heaps of chocolate, and unleashing her dark side.

All of her published books to date are written in the same universe and contain material suitable for adults only.

"For me, writing is all about blending genres to break out of the confines of predictability, but it's what I love to do." ~ Danni

You can find Dannika at 

              

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