Tag Archives: New Release

Release Day!

Posted on by — Leave a reply

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

PLUS A BONUS HOCKEY ROMANCE!

image

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. ⬇️⬇️⬇️

image

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*****

A Character Study- #NewRelease #NARomance @jacqbiggar

Posted on by — Leave a reply

Character Study- Renée

A blogging friend of mine likes to do an introduction to her characters before the release of her books, so I thought I’d do one today.

Image by Shahid Shafiq from Pixabay

Renée Thomas is the most serious and oldest at twenty-one. Her sister, Izzy- Elizabeth Mae Thomas- is two and a half years younger. She’s the moody, intense one of the family. Last, but not least, is their brother Benjamin. At nearly twelve years younger than Renée, Ben is the baby they love to spoil.

As children, Renée and Izzy did everything together, climbing trees, biking, sharing clothes, and secrets. But the night of Renée’s high school graduation and Izzy’s sixteenth birthday, that changed.

Renée is betrayed by her long-time boyfriend, Simon, her sister suddenly hates her guts, and she witnesses her father’s suicide.

Unable to handle the terrible chain of events, Renée leaves town, heading to California and her accepted application to UC Berkeley.

Two years later it’s Renée’s mom who is gone and she is forced to return to face her demons.

Two years later

The town looks the same as when I left for college. The Welcome to Smuggler’s Cove, pop. 7562, sign bows with the weight of the old town’s worries on its aged wooden frame. God, I’m glad I escaped.

My second-hand SUV chugs up the hill and over the bridge. Chinook, the river named after the salmon who travel hundreds of miles to spawn in its muddy brown water, gurgles over the rocks far below. Giant rubber tubes in a rainbow of colors filled with laughing teens dot the surface. I’d joined them many times to get away from the oppression at home.

Image by Brigitte Werner from Pixabay

Home.

It’s been nearly two years since I left and would’ve been longer if I had my choice. Hard on the heels of guilt come the ever-ready tears. Fact is, while I soaked up the west coast sunshine and campus life, my little sister had taken over the reins of the house, getting my brother to school, paying the bills, and caring for Mom.

This is the story of two sisters torn apart by unspeakable horror and brought together by tragedy. Can family ties overcome the pain of betrayal?

Letting Go: The Defiant Sisters- Book 1

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0B3R41NWF

International: https://books2read.com/Letting-Go-Defiant-Sisters

TBR: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/61269995-letting-go–the-defiant-sisters-book-1

Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/books/letting-go-the-defiant-sisters-book1-the-defiant-sisters-duet-by-jacquie-biggar

A coming-of-age novel about the pain of misconceptions and learning from them.

 When life gives you lemons…

Izzy

Mom is barely in the grave and the prodigal child is here to pick the bones clean.

I don’t want her here. My sister’s defection is a wound that won’t heal and her return simply rubs at the scabs covering my heart.

I’ve managed just fine without her. She can go back to her fancy college and forget about us- that’s what she does best anyway.

If only I didn’t need her help. Or miss her so much.

Renée

The day my dad committed suicide I ran. I’ve been running ever since.

Going home is supposed to be the answer. Instead, it makes me question every thoughtless decision I’ve made.

My sister hates me. My little brother barely knows me. And Simon… is engaged.

None of it matters- or so I tell myself. I’m here to make amends and face a past haunted by regret.

As long as I can convince myself to stay.

Letting Go is a young adult romance dealing with tragedy, restitution, and love in all its aspects. The story relates to sensitive topics that may be triggering for some readers.

Loyalty: When it’s both Unforgettable and Romantic

Posted on by — Leave a reply
The Newest Unforgettable Romance Collection

Today is Release Day! The TWENTY-SEVENTH collection of Unforgettable Romances by The Authors’ Billboard is available now. Take a sneak peek at the NINE romantic suspense novels included in this dynamic set by some of your favorite USA Today, New York Times, and award-winning ladies.

Mimi Barbour:

Agent Jennie hates only one man. The same guy who comes back into her and her daughter’s life and rips it apart. How can she allow him the power… how can she not?

Left by the boy she loves, alone, pregnant, and terrified, she survives with help from her beloved Baba – grandmother – from the old county.

Her daughter, Lisa, grows up searching for the man her mother refuses to discuss. Unwilling to stop, she finally gets her wish. White Supremacists, botched undercover operations, and an out-of-control rapist overwhelm them: How the hell can things get worse?
Except… they do.

Susanne Matthews:

Jacob and Lilith join forces to end a sociopath’s killing spree and find the missing children.

Everyone has secrets. FBI cult specialist Lilith Munroe joins forces with former cult member Jacob Andrews to stop a monster on a killing-kidnapping spree. When Lilith’s greatest fears materialize, can Jacob set aside his own rage to save the woman he’s come to love?

Rebecca York

Was Sara Delaney a murder suspect or a would-be victim?

Alex Shane’s special assignment plunged him and Sara Delaney into a vortex of murder and deception. Or were they playing for opposite teams?

Mona Risk:

The spirited princess didn’t look for trouble, but it had found her. Again.

A murder at Harvard in the co-ed student building has all the students scared. Who will be the next victim? Is there anyone the incognito princess can trust?

Taylor Lee:

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.

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. Unfortunately, in addition to being brilliant, Deacon is also charming. And to Tyra Stone’s dismay, as accomplished a lover as he is an agent.

Nancy Radke:

They always kill the bodyguard first. Can he stay alive long enough to protect her?

The Golden Legacy inheritance is expected to make Keely a very rich woman. Hired by her father as a bodyguard, Tripp Richards finds himself the new target as he tries to keep her alive. To complicate matters, an old man appears who claims to be her real father. Which man is really Keely’s father and who is trying to kill her?

J. L. Campbell:

Is Corra an innocent victim or does she deserve payback?

While on vacation, Corra Bingham almost drowns during what appears to be a random attack. The policeman who saves her appoints himself as her bodyguard, but when the attempts on her life continue, Phillip Denham wonders what she’s involved in and how to prevent her from ending up on a slab in the morgue.

Dani Haviland:

Brought together by their love of vintage motorcycles, Luke and Holly have more than an out-of-tune carburetor to deal with. The town’s leggy crime boss, Tanya, wants revenge for being spurned.

The prodigal son returns to his old job at a repair shop and finds himself attracted to Holly, the new bookkeeper. She’s attractive, deaf, a whiz at anything mechanical, and also the target of Tanya, the new crook in town. Can Luke and his new friend Benji run interference between the feuding females?

Tamara Ferguson

Will a Second Chance be enough?

Growing up together in Crystal Rock, Wisconsin, Ashley Mitchum and Brian O’Neill have been at odds for years. Conniving and sometimes cruel when she doesn’t get her way, Ashley is someone Brian doesn’t want to feel attracted to. The dynamic of their relationship suddenly changes when they share a haunting kiss just before Ashley leaves for college and Brian enters the army. Ten years later, the two are fatefully reunited in Crystal Rock. Will unveiling their families’ dark secrets heal two wounded hearts?

Unforgettable Loyalty: Craving and Devotion

Only 99cents for NINE stories or FREE with Kindle Unlimited

Enchanted by Vikings #RachelleAyala @Mimisgang1 #mgtab

Posted on by — Leave a reply

 

Everywhere I turn there’s a new movie, television series, video game, heavy metal bands, even costume-partygoers celebrating this ancient culture that hailed from the icy regions of Northern Europe.

Why are modern men and women of the twenty-first century so enchanted by Vikings? Perhaps it is a yearning to return to what we believe to be a simpler life, one that was in touch with nature and the elements of raw survival. Or it’s the fascination of muscled and bearded men who were too wild to be tamed. Or the glory of a warlike society, where valor, honor, and bravery were highly regarded. Possibly, it’s their reputation for brutality and slaughter and the fear they engendered on their raids. Although to be fair, the Romans, Assyrians, Mongols, Iroquois, British and all other human groups were no less brutal. Or it could be the love affair we have with their gods and goddesses and the stories they told that have been passed down to us. Their antics, their cavorting, their origin stories, and their views concerning fate and the afterlife and the finality of Ragnarok.

The Norsemen did not call themselves Vikings, and a lot of the stories have become romanticized as time went by. They get made and remade into operas, movies, novels, symphonies, plays, and video games, and the characters are invented and changed. Even a Norseman’s appearance has been creatively embellished. For example, they didn’t wear horned helmets as they were commonly depicted, and we don’t truly know how they wore their hair and beards, or whether they were as heavily tattooed as movies and popular culture now depict them. From Wagner to Marvel, everyone has their own appropriation of Norse culture, mythology, legends, and stories.

For me, I like the Norse mythology–from the world tree to the serpent surrounding the world, and stories of the various gods, goddesses, giants, dwarves, and other creatures in their pantheon. The stories and myths vary with the teller, and indeed the gods take on shapes of birds, totem animals, or even other gods as they scheme and plot for either power or entertainment. The Norse were also fatalistic, believing in norns who have woven the strands of their lives before they were born. The fatalism extended to Ragnarok, the end of the world or at least the end of most of their prominent gods. No one could stop what was foretold. It happened exactly as predicted. It was a horrible ending, and yet, some minor characters survived, but nothing is recorded or survived to our day. What happened after Ragnarok will always remain a mystery or even better, we’re free to invent our own endings or new beginnings.

I did just that with Red Hexed: Ruby where a modern-day woman in San Francisco comes face to face with a Viking in search of a berserker sword. She’s drawn into his quest to stop Ragnarok when he asks her to impersonate Hella, the goddess of death. Along the way, they get tangled up with Odin, Loki, Freya, Hella, and Surt while a shapeshifting horsefly turned cockatoo leads or misleads them while inadvertently playing matchmaker. [Check it out for 99c release week special].