LISTEN to Your Kindle Book

Want to listen to your Kindle book? Check out this terrific option:

Get Alexa to Read Your Kindle Books

Go ahead and give it a try. When you start doing the dishes tonight, listen to Sapphire: Book 1 Ladies of the Night Series read by Alexa.

Kindle Books Sapphire

Gabriella Shaw, Code Name: Sapphire

Sapphire is hired to seduce and capture the leader of a lucrative international human trafficking enterprise. The epitome of the mastermind’s targeted women, Sapphire is the consummate bait. Unfortunately for the evil man, Sapphire is as deadly as she is beautiful. Paired with former Col. Jase Malone, the two agents enter the Caligula Club to trap their prey. The club is the salacious playground for the rich, famous and deviant, and the conduit to the human trafficking horror. The only thing more challenging than the mastermind to the fiercely independent Sapphire is her commanding partner. The sparks fly as Sapphire and Malone fight to capture the criminally insane mastermind while their fierce personal attraction threatens to bring them both—and the mission—crashing down.

And while you are feasting on the two sexy Special Agents, check out this great Box Set by my ABB pals:

Unforgettable Loyalty

Is there anything more important in a relationship than loyalty from the one you love…knowing that person will always be there for you?

My book in the box set is:

Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door

Knockin On Heaven's Door

She’s a go-it-alone detective. He’s a psychiatrist and FBI profiler. A serial killer brings them together. In more ways than one.

Tyra Stone is the lead major crimes detective in the city’s busy police department. Beautiful, brash, and a declared loner, cooperation isn’t part of her vocabulary. Deacon Walsh has more degrees than any one man should. A former Special Ops physician, psychiatrist, and now FBI profiler, the stunning black agent has spent a year tracking the serial killer of four Colorado girls. When the trail goes cold, a brutal murder of an Albuquerque girl with all the marks of his victims convinces Deacon his killer is responsible.

Five Inexpensive Ways to Celebrate Spring (Plus Bonus #6)

The first day of Spring was March 20th. Many of us are experiencing Spring-like weather, and Spring is definitely “in the air.” Here are some fun ideas to help you celebrate:

Spring

  1. Enjoy a simple picnic in the park.
  2. Clean out your closet and donate your clothes to a woman’s shelter.
  3. Commit to eating healthy.
  4. Start a veggie garden in your yard, a pot container, or a neighborhood shared garden.
  5. Peruse old cookbooks for a favorite fresh salad. Plan your veggie garden around the new salad recipes.
  6. Find a comfortable outdoor space to read, spread out a blanket, and enjoy your favorite romance read. 🙂

1-800-IRELAND, my sweet Irish romance, is FREE with Newsletter signup.

 

1800 Ireland

Have you visited the main page of Authors’ Billboard? You can find a slew of books on sale and New Releases.

 

Release Day!

The Puck Bunny – a hockey rom-com by Stephanie Queen

PLUS A BONUS HOCKEY ROMANCE!

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from the Some Girls Like It Cold series

What made me so self-conscious?

It was my name. Not Sara–my last name–Bellagamba. (I knew you’d understand.)

When I was young I couldn’t say it right and when I tried, the kids made fun of me.

Handy Hint: explaining the meaning of your name–Bellagamba means beautiful leg in Italian–to a bunch of five-year-olds won’t stop their teasing. In fact, I think it’s like some kind of trigger for escalation.

And I’m pretty sure if I didn’t run, they would have stoned me for being crazy. (only slightly exaggerating)

Fast forward

to my current post college career and nothing much has changed. I’m still self conscious and still have a tendency to say ridiculous things at inopportune moments.

Except now I’m working for the Boston Brawlers NHL organization, my dream job–because I’m a massive hockey fan and a particular fan of one player–Quinn James.

The Brawlers just signed him and I almost passed out with excitement over the unexpected news.

I won’t lie–I want him. (Yes, that way.) Bad.

Fat chance of that happening

Even if I weren’t so self conscious, I’m not in his league. He dates starlets and models and was last seen with a princess on his arm…

Quinn

Why did I sign a deal with the Boston Brawlers?

I was a f**ing NHL super star in L.A.. My life was perfectly scripted with fame, fortune and all kinds of women throwing themselves at me.

But a hushed up incident with a certain princess caused me to miss seeing my dad on his death bed. Now my family is pissed at me. And I need to deal with them–and the loss of my dad.

So I signed with the Brawlers, moved from L.A. to come back east and return to my roots.

Between hockey and dealing with the need to square things with my family and get real about relationships, I have plenty to concentrate on.

So why do I find Sara, the awkward little puck bunny and big f-ing distraction, so irresistible?

Why do I let Sara Bellagamba of all people, sidetrack me from what’s most important in my life, family and hockey?

The Puck Bunny, a Boston Brawlers Hockey Spin-off, is the first in the Some Girls Like It Cold Series, a funny and poignant romp where the awkward girl gets her dream guy against all the odds, scoring big for her team which includes every secret Puck Bunny everywhere. And the dream guy gets the deeply satisfying life with the dream girl he never knew he desperately wanted. HEA Ending! (duh!)

(Warning: language and sex for a mature audience.)

GET IT NOW WITH A BONUS!

*********Early Bird Bonus!*********

When you buy it or read on Kindle Unlimited, you get a link to a FREE BONUS BOOK, Hockey Heartthrob by Kat Obie.

You need to get the book by 3/31, because after that, the bonus disappears.

In the meantime, check out the blurb for Hockey Heartthrob. ⬇️⬇️⬇️

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Hockey Heartthrob

Second chances don’t happen every day. I was too focused on trying to break through with my hockey career to really make a move on Nastia Schmetinova when we were at the U together. Imagine my surprise when I learned that she was going to ref our Saint Patrick’s Day game.

I couldn’t make the same mistake twice. I had to give it a shot.

Hopefully I didn’t wait too long to make a move and I won’t sacrifice team unity by following my heart. But I can’t ignore my feelings for her.

Hockey Heartthrob is a second chance romance filled with sexy hockey players who give it their all when it comes to romance. Grab the fifth novella in the Loving the Puckers Series which makes you go “Awww.”

*****READ NOW*****

Book or Movie, which do you prefer #writingcommunity #inspiration #mgtab

Photo by Quang Nguyen Vinh on Pexels.com

I came up with this post after watching an excellent short series on Amazon Prime last night- Daisy Jones & the Six.

Based on the New York Times best-selling novel, Daisy Jones & the Six follows the story of a 1970s band fronted by two feuding yet charismatic lead singers, Daisy Jones and Billy Dunne. Set to the soundtrack of original music, this is the story of how this iconic band imploded at the height of its powers.

Starring Riley KeoughSam ClaflinCamila Morrone

I’ve seen many reviews on the novel created by Taylor Jenkins Reid and wasn’t sure if I would enjoy the interview format the story is done in, though all the bloggers raved about the story.

Then I saw the series on Prime and decided to give it a shot, Wow! This is a stark portrayal of seventies rock & roll where sex, drugs, and music is the name of the game. But more than that, it’s a deep dive into two damaged (or broken, as Billy tells Daisy) souls and a desperate attempt to outpace the demons of their past.

Watching the movie made me want to read the book, but I worry now that I have a firm vision of the characters, will the novel live up to the series?

NATIONAL AND NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER
WINNER OF THE 2019 GOODREADS CHOICE AWARD FOR HISTORICAL FICTION
NEW YORK TIMES EDITORS’ CHOICE

Another series I’ve gotten into is Will Trent. It’s on Tuesday evenings on a variety of channels and is must-watch TV.

From Rotten Tomatoes

Based on Karin Slaughter’s bestselling books, the series follows Special Agent Will Trent of the Georgia Bureau of Investigations. As a child, Trent was abandoned and was forced to endure a harsh coming-of-age in Atlanta’s overwhelmed foster care system. Now that he is in a position to make a difference, Trent is determined to use his unique point of view to make sure no one is abandoned like he was. His personal motivation and background contribute to Will Trent having the highest clearance rate in the GBI.

Starring: Ramón RodríguezErika ChristensenIantha RichardsonJake McLaughlinSonja Sohn

Once again, I’ve watched the series before reading the books and now question whether I want to take a chance on changing/ruining my experience by picking up the novels.

Have you had the same issue with stories you’ve watched or read?

To finish this post, I have to mention a couple of examples where the novel definitely won out over the movies.

First is Dan Brown’s The Da Vinci Code. While the story left me questioning everything I thought I knew about religion, the movie lacked the depth and breadth to accomplish the brilliance of that plotline, though the character portrayal is excellent. Maybe if it had been longer?

A murder in Paris’ Louvre Museum and cryptic clues in some of Leonardo da Vinci’s most famous paintings lead to the discovery of a religious mystery. For 2,000 years a secret society closely guards information that — should it come to light — could rock the very foundations of Christianity.

Top cast ; Tom Hanks · Robert Langdon ; Audrey Tautou · Sophie Neveu ; Jean Reno · Captain Bezu Fache ; Ian McKellen · Sir Leigh Teabing ; Paul Bettany · Silas.

#1 Worldwide Bestseller—More Than 81 Million Copies Sold

And finally, a childhood favorite that still makes me cry: Black Beauty by Anna Sewell.

From Wikipedia

It was composed in the last years of her life, during which she was bedridden and seriously ill.[1] The novel became an immediate best-seller, with Sewell dying just five months after its publication, but having lived long enough to see her only novel become a success. With fifty million copies sold, Black Beauty is one of the best-selling books of all time.

As a young horse, Black Beauty is well-loved and happy. But when his owner is forced to sell him, his life changes drastically. He has many new owners–some of them cruel and some of them kind. All he needs is someone to love him again…
Whether pulling an elegant carriage or a ramshackle cab, Black Beauty tries to live as best he can. This is his amazing story, told as only he could tell it.

“If they strain me up tight, why, let ’em look out! I can’t bear it, and I won’t.”
― Anna Sewell , Black Beauty

What do you think, movies or novels? As long as we are inspired by what we see and read, I don’t think there is a right or wrong to this question.