The Scot’s Bride, Halloween, Blogiversary {+ Giveaway}

Today is a busy day here at Thoughts in Progress as we take part in the Release Day Blitz for author Paula Quinn’s THE SCOT’S BRIDE and celebrate Halloween and a Blogiversary.

To celebrate her new release, Paula is sharing an excerpt from her delight new installment in the Highland Heirs series. You can also enter to win one of ten (10) print copies of THE SCOT’S BRIDE being given away tour-wide.

◊ Title: The Scot’s Bride

◊ Author: Paula Quinn

◊ On Sale: October 31, 2017

◊ Series: Highland Heirs, #6

◊ Publisher: Forever

◊ Format: Mass Market Paperback

◊ Price: $7.99 USD

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AN IRRESISTIBLE SCOUNDREL

Highlander Patrick MacGregor likes his life just the way it is. Fighting for his coin, enjoying a woman's charms, and bearing no responsibility at all? Aye, that's the life for him. That is, until Patrick sees her-a raven-haired beauty with eyes as dark as midnight. Patrick swore never to fall in love. Not even with a lass as wild as he...especially when she's from a rival clan.

AN UNDENIABLE DESIRE

Charlotte Cunningham knows Patrick is trouble the moment she sets eyes on him. Her only goal is to escape the possibility of marriage. Any marriage. But as the summer days turn into sultry nights, enticing her beyond reason, Charlie is forced to choose between the freedom she craves and the reckless rogue she can't forget.

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Now here’s an excerpt from the book for your reading pleasure.

Charlie caught the subtle shift of his gaze toward her when she glared at him, doing her best to keep her eyes above his chin and ignoring his long, sculpted physique and broad shoulders. Was he speaking to her or her captor?

Dunbar laughed at his offer. “You don’t even carry a sword.” He looked him over. “Or even a place to hide one.”

It was true. Charlie hadn’t noticed it before. Patrick Campbell spoke like a Highlander and had dressed like one when she’d first seen him at Blind Jack’s yet he carried no obvious weapons.

“I dinna’ need one,” he claimed, his amiable smile changing slightly into something more ominous.

Charlie knew it was true. He had fought Hamish with no weapons other than his fists. What kind of Highlander didn’t carry a sword? The kind who doesn’t need one.

Campbell moved closer to her and the eight men behind her. His gait was wrought with ease and confidence while her brothers and her father remained still.

“I’ll kill you for this, Campbell,” Duff swore.

“That’s doubtful,” Campbell tossed back without turning around. Instead, he looked at Charlie, now only a few inches away, standing between him and her captor.

If there wasn’t a blade to her throat, she would have taken a moment to admire him and all his hard angles.

“Untie me,” he said to Dunbar, “and I’ll fight them all with no help or risk of injury to ye or yer men.” He lifted his bound wrists up, close to Charlie’s face and the dagger at her throat. “The Duke of Argyll will hear of how ye aided his nephew.”

Dunbar seemed to think it over for a moment and then moved the dagger away from her neck to possibly cut Campbell loose. But instead of waiting to be free, the Highlander moved in a blur of speed snatching the dagger from Dunbar’s hand. In one fluid movement that Charlie almost missed by blinking, Campbell, still bound and clutching the hilt in his fingers, lifted his arms and then brought them back down to capture Dunbar’s head between his forearms, and Charlie’s head between his thick upperarms.

An instant turned into an eternity while he pulled Dunbar closer, wedging Charlie up against his chest. Time slowed as she looked up and he tiled his head to meet her gaze. She stared into his summer-glade eyes—ringed by lashes that were that long—and the evidence of Hamish’s wrath on his lip. His current wounds and an older one which had broken his nose saved him from being pretty. His mouth crooked ever so slightly—just enough to flash his dimple and completely befuddle her. A rascal. That’s what he was. He was helping her. But why? Before she had to ponder it further, the instant was over.

He hauled Archie Dunbar an inch closer and knocked him out with a clean blow, forehead to forehead. He moved quickly and lifted his arms to release Dunbar from his hold then gave him a powerful kick in the guts to topple him over.

“Run!” He pushed Charlie behind him and faced the rest of the Dunbars alone.

Duff reached them at the same time and an instant before the stunned expressions on the faces of Dunbar’s men wore off and they rushed forward.

“Give me your hands!” Charlie commanded, tugging on Campbell’s sleeve. When he obeyed, she cut him loose using her black blade.

The fool took a moment to smile at her before she tucked the dagger back under her skirts.

Hendry finally joined the fight but Charlie couldn’t take her eyes off Mr. Campbell in the melee.

Author Paula Quinn

New York Times bestselling author Paula Quinn lives in New York with her three beautiful children, three over-protective chihuahuas, and a loud umbrella cockatoo. She loves to read romance and science fiction and has been writing since she was eleven. She loves all things medieval, but it is her love for Scotland that pulls at her heartstrings.

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Halloween

Today throughout the United States youngster, and more and more adults, are celebrating Halloween. Many will dress up in costumes of all shapes and descriptions seeking treats. I don’t think of Halloween as something bad, but a way for the kid in all of us to shine.

For the first in my adult life, I plan on dressing up for work. I’ve worn a witch hat before, but no costume. This year I’m going with the hat, cape, mask, black nails and lips, and some lights for my hair. We’ll see how it goes. I think it will be fun.

Blogiversary

Today is also a special day for me. Halloween of 2009 I posted my first blog post for Thoughts in Progress. It’s been fun and exciting ever since.

I have ‘meet’ so many wonderful people through blogging. I can’t say THANK YOU enough for all the support y’all have given me. The past six months I’ve not been online as much as normal and I’ve not been blogging as much. I’ve gone to work full time outside the house and started a couple of projects in addition to that so I’m still learning how to do more with my spare time. I want to say an extra special THANK YOU for your support during my lack of post. Y’all are WONDERFUL!!

Thanks so much for stopping by today. I hope you’ll check out Paula’s new release. Are you dressing up for Halloween? If so, what was your costume?

Dreaming of a White Wolf Christmas {+ Giveaway}

I’m always delighted to showcase a new release by author Terry Spear. Her latest book is DREAMING OF A WHITE WOLF CHRISTMAS, and the first installment in a new series.

To celebrate the release Terry is sharing an excerpt for your reading pleasure and you have a chance to enter her tour-wide giveaway for a copy of A Very Jaguar Christmas.

◊ Title: Dreaming of a White Wolf Christmas

◊ Author: Terry Spear

◊ Series: White Wolf, #1

◊ Pub Date: October 3, 2017

May all your Christmas wolves be bright…

Romance writer Candice Mayfair never missed a deadline in her life—until the playful bite of a werewolf puppy accidentally turns her into an Arctic wolf shifter. Talk about a life-changing event! Candice is at the end of her rope with the unpredictable shifting, a strong desire to howl, and the need to vacuum constantly to keep the shedding fur under control.

          Enter werewolf private investigator Owen Nottingham. Owen has a new mission: convince the pretty she-wolf she needs to join his pack in time for Christmas…and be his mate. It’s the only way he can think of to keep her safe…

USA Today bestselling author Terry Spear has written over sixty paranormal and medieval Highland romances. In 2008, Heart of the Wolf was named a Publishers Weekly Best Book of the Year.

A retired officer of the U.S. Army Reserves, Terry also creates award-winning teddy bears that have found homes all over the world. She lives in Spring, Texas with two Havanese puppies.

Find Terry Online:

Website: http://www.terryspear.com/

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

Twitter: @TerrySpear

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/421434.Terry_Spear

To Buy: https://terrylspear.wordpress.com/werewolves/

Now an excerpt from Dreaming of a White Wolf Christmas for your reading pleasure.

Candice had been writing for two days straight, working on her publisher’s book deadline, when she wrote the ending, smiled, and set the book aside. She would start proofing it tomorrow after she’d given her brain a break. Now she’d do what she always did when she finished a book or reached a good stopping point in one. Clean house. Check her backlog of emails. Pick up some more groceries. And take a run on the wolf side.

She finished vacuuming and dusting, swearing every window must let in all the outdoors, and then started a batch of gingerbread cookie cutouts to celebrate the Christmas holiday season and finishing another book. While they were baking, she finally settled down to check her emails. Fan mail always came first, and one from her website got her attention right off. She opened it and read:

Hello, I’m Owen Nottingham, private investigator for White River Investigations, White River Falls, Minnesota. My client, Strom Hart, hired me to locate you. Your parents, John and Cynthia Hart, left you an inheritance, and you need to see the lawyer about it so you can claim it. I need to verify that

you are the right woman first. Is there any way we could meet and get this taken care of so you can collect your inheritance? Strom Hart will be the one to receive it by the end of the month otherwise. His assistant, Jim Winchester, said Mr. Hart is your uncle.

Candice reread the message, not believing her eyes, tears filling them. She quickly looked at the date of the message. Two days ago! She knew she shouldn’t have neglected her emails, but when she was into a story, she couldn’t break away.

She ground her teeth, raised her fingers to respond, and heard a knocking at her door. No one came here. Never. Ever. Not even salesmen.

She glanced at her phases-of-the moon calendar. The waxing gibbous was just beginning. She should be fine. Just to be on the safe side, in case the person at the door was trouble, she pulled a can of mace from her desk drawer and headed for the door. She peered through the peephole. Waiting at the door was a handsome black-haired man with rugged features and intense blue eyes. He was dressed in a black suit, a red shirt, and a dark-purple tie covered in red, purple, and gold Christmas balls. She raised her brows.

“I’m Owen Nottingham,” he said to the door, holding up his PI license and driver’s license. He couldn’t know that she was watching him, so he must have hoped she was there, observing him. “I tried getting ahold of you through the contact form on your website about your inheritance. Your contact form might not be working, so I had to locate you in person.”

So this was the man who had sent the message. Was he for real? He had to be. He wouldn’t have come all this way to see her if he wasn’t. But how had he found her?

Candice opened the door, the bells jingling on her Christmas wreath, and the man glanced down at the can of mace in her hand. He smiled, his gaze holding hers with such intensity that it was as though he could see clear through to her soul. “Really, just a PI doing my job.”

A chilly breeze carried his scent to her. Wolf scent. All at once, she felt so light-headed that she grabbed the door to keep herself upright and dropped the can of mace on the tile floor. It clattered, but she couldn’t have reached for it if her life depended on it.

Oh. My. God.

This couldn’t be real. He couldn’t be real. No wonder he’d been talking to the door. He must have heard her footfalls as she’d approached.

He took a deep breath at the same time, and when he smelled her scent, his eyes widened in surprise. His hand shot out to grab her arm and steady her. For a minute, she tried to control her breathing and her heart rate, neither of which she could steady. She felt like she was going to pass out.

“Hell, you’re the wolf I saw across the White River, aren’t you?”

Her jaw dropped, and her knees buckled. He swept her up in his arms and she wanted to object, but he slammed the door behind him with his hip and carried her into the house. He was the wolf she’d seen across the river that day on the camping trip in Minnesota two years ago, sipping from the water? She still remembered it like it was yesterday. Him looking up and seeing her staring at him while she’d believed she was hallucinating.

Until the next night, and then she knew she hadn’t been dreaming at all.

Enter to win a copy of A Very Jaguar Christmas by Terry Spear. Thanks for stopping by. Aren’t those blue eyes something?

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Release Party {+ Giveaway}

Happy book birthday to the Ivy Granger Psychic Detective Box Set! We're celebrating with cupcakes, a special release week 99 cent sale, and a giveaway.

Ivy Granger Psychic Detective Box Set (Books 1-3, Bonus Prequel) by E.J. Stevens

Ivy Granger Psychic Detective box set includes Books 1-3 and Bonus Prequel short story.

Enter an award-winning urban fantasy world where monsters roam the streets and things aren't always what they seem. Demons, ghosts, vampires, and necromancers—Ivy dodges the city's deadliest villains while solving its darkest cases. Will she save the day or die trying?

FROSTBITE (Bonus Prequel: Ivy Granger #0.5)

Everyone knows that there's no such thing as ghosts, but when a client claims that her house is being haunted, Ivy tries to keep her mind open and her weapons handy. If her psychic gifts and recent cases have taught her anything, it's that you're better off arming yourself for the unexpected.

Anything is possible in Harborsmouth.

SHADOW SIGHT (Ivy Granger #1)

Ivy Granger's second sight is finally giving her life purpose. Ivy and her best friend Jinx may not be raking in the dough, but their psychic detective agency pays the bills—most of the time. Their only worry is the boredom of a slow day and the occasional crazy client—until a demon walks through their door.

Demons are never a good sign.

GHOST LIGHT (Ivy Granger #2)

Ivy Granger is back, gathering clues in the darkest shadows of downtown Harborsmouth. With the lives of multiple clients on the line, she's in a race against time. Ivy finally has a lead to the whereabouts of the one person who can help her control her wisp abilities, but will she put the needs of her clients above her own?

If Ivy doesn't find a solution soon, she could wind up a ghost herself.

BURNING BRIGHT (Ivy Granger #3)

Things are not going well at the offices of Private Eye. Jinx is having demon problems, the city is overrun with pyromaniacal imps, and Ivy's wisp powers are burning out of control, attracting the attention of both the Seelie and Unseelie courts. It's the worst possible time for the Green Lady to call in a favor, but Ivy's bound by her deal with the glaistig. Too bad there's no wiggle room in faerie bargains.

Ivy must rid the city of imps, keep Jinx from murdering her one solid link to Hell, and fulfill her bargain with the Green Lady—with sidhe assassins hot on her tail.

Just another day's work for Ivy Granger, psychic detective.

"I absolutely love this series!"
-My Urban Fantasies

"Highly recommended to adult urban fantasy fans."
-Rabid Reads

"The Ivy Granger series is fantastic!"
-Book Bite Reviews

The Ivy Granger Psychic Detective series is known for heart-pounding action, quirky characters, and supernatural horrors. Take a trip to Harborsmouth where you'll encounter bloodsucking vampires, psychotic faeries, sarcastic gargoyles, temperamental witches, and our favorite snarky, kick-butt heroine.

Add to Goodreads.
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Release Date: October 24, 2019

Order Now For 99 Cents

Amazon | Amazon UK | Kobo | Barnes and Noble | iTunes

Regular Price: $9.99
Special Release Party Price: $0.99

Includes:
•  FROSTBITE
•  SHADOW SIGHT
•  GHOST LIGHT
•  BURNING BRIGHT

This box set is already a steal at $9.99, but if you order now, you can grab the Ivy Granger Box Set for just 99 cents! Spread the word. Tell your friends. This is a great way to dive into this award-winning urban fantasy series.

Ivy Granger Box Set Release Party Giveaway

We are giving away an Ivy Granger Prize Pack, including a $5 Amazon Gift Card and a collectible Passport to the Supernatural World of Ivy Granger signed by the author.

To enter, please use the Rafflecopter form below. This giveaway is international. Giveaway ends October 30th midnight EST.


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Whine With Cheese {+ Giveaway}

Whine with Cheese
Brooke E. Wayne
(Vineyard Pleasures Series, #1)
Publication date: July 10th 2017
Genres: Adult, Comedy, Romance

Swirl a hot mess, a savvy vintner, and a meathead ex into a chaotic adventure and indulge in a taste of humor when a sensual journey of self-discovery collides with true love.
Twenty-five-year-old Max Novaline just had her heart ripped out by her meathead ex-boyfriend, Bart Moore. Determined to bounce back, she heads to Napa Valley’s Angel of the Vine Winery, maker of her favorite Moscato, to scout out tours for work and—let’s be honest—catch a glimpse of the owner’s drool-worthy son, Chase L’Angevin, as seen on YouTube.
Chase, who likes a pin-up girl with a sexy derrière, starts to pour on the charm the moment he meets Max. When their first date rolls into a long, romantic weekend, their chemistry ignites faster than a matchstick in hell.
But after their second date is interrupted by Chase’s work-related obligations, Max bides her time wine tasting awaiting his return, which is no biggie, until a drunk tourist catapults her into a whirlwind of chaos, that dumps her right back into the clutches of her manipulative ex.
Not only that, determined to reconcile with Max, Chase keeps sneaking around, insisting they had a hotter connection, only to come off looking like a stalker with only one thing on his mind—his own ax to grind.
Even more adventures arise when Max has to deal with what she wants and what she has. Not only does she need to do major damage control with the entire L’Angevin family thanks to Bart’s shady deeds, but she also has to convince Chase she’s worth a second chance despite her antics having practically snuffed out their flame.
WHINE WITH CHEESE (Vineyard Pleasures Series, #1) is about a young woman discovering her full potential while falling in love one sweet wine tasting at a time.
***This novel is a classy, passionate, sexy, funny, feel good CONTEMPORARY ROMANCE – ROMANTIC COMEDY full of twists and turns that will have you laughing out loud from start to finish. Grab a bottle of Moscato, kick up your feet, and enjoy the ride.***
(Heat Level: Sensual but Closed-Door)
Although a standalone as Vineyard Pleasures Book 1, Max’s bestie, Blanca Grazia, will have you belly-laughing with her own crazy romance in Love the Wine You’re With, (Vineyard Pleasures Series, Book 2), Coming November 1, 2017.

Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes & Noble / Kobo

—

EXCERPT:

Max
She couldn’t tell if she was nervous or excited. The sensations felt the same. Her heart raced, her stomach tingled, and her unabashed thoughts ran wild.
I’m not a rebound kind of girl. I’m just not. Right?
Chase pulled up on a vintage Honda CB 750 motorcycle, kicking up gravel and brandishing a huge smile. Max tried to avoid staring at his sculptured chest defined by his tight, black t-shirt, as a tinge of guilt rose up in her unexpectedly.
I have every right to spend the day with this guy. I’m single now, and we’re just wine tasting.
But the instinctive habit of loyalty to Bart flared up in her like acid indigestion.
“Good morning, beautiful. Let’s get this day started. I’ve got bread baking in the oven. Hop on.”
Again with the beautiful? He actually thinks I’m beautiful.
“You bake?”
“I do.”
Oh, good lord.
Max’s giddiness curled the corners of his lips as he handed her a helmet and tilted the bike to the side. She slung her leg over and perched herself above him, looping her long purse strap across her back and fastening the helmet onto her head as a shock of exhilaration rose up in her at the thought that he was already between her thighs.
She had never experienced such hospitality before from a man—a gorgeous, bread-baking, sensitive, ponytail-wearing kind of man—and it rallied her nerves with feelings of unworthiness.
“I can’t believe I’m doing this,” she muttered.
“What do you mean?”
“Oh, nothing.”
It’s just wine tasting. Tasting … wine. That’s all.
She slipped her hands around his waist, reeling from the feel of his ripped abs against her palms. She even leaned in to breathe in the skin on the back of his neck. Her eyes rolled back in her head for a split second as she resisted the urge to plant a kiss on the exposed patch of skin behind his ear.

Author Bio:
BROOKE E. WAYNE is a Contemporary Romantic Comedy novelist who lives the RomCom dream in California. She is married to a South Philly, Eagles-obsessed Italian who she met online before it was cool. They have two young daughters who flood their happily-ever-after lives with girly giggles and immeasurable love.
When she is not dribbling sticky sweet/sensual romance with a lighthearted, witty twist all over the pages of a RomCom manuscript, she teaches English Language Arts.

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Secrets Hidden in the Glass {+ Giveaway}

It’s always a delight to welcome bestselling author Cate Beauman back to Thoughts in Progress. Cate joins us today with her 12^th full length novel and her first stand-alone title, SECRETS HIDDEN IN THE GLASS. Plus, she has a great giveaway.

Her multi award-winning Bodyguards of L.A. County series has over 500,000 copies sold and a 4.4 rating with 8000+ reviews.

You can buy her new release now at the following links!

Amazon.com | Amazon.ca | Amazon.uk | Amazon.au | Kobo | Nook | iBooks

          Stained glass artist Callie Davis is in desperate need of a vacation. Burnt out and on the edge of a nervous breakdown, she’s fleeing the pressures of her career and is taking refuge on Massachusetts’ tiny Carter Island. Callie yearns for long, lazy days and pretty walks on the beach—blessed solitude and an escape from the complications of her life. Then she bumps into gorgeous Nate Carter and everything changes.

          Sheriff Nathan Carter couldn’t be happier now that the height of the summer season has finally come and gone. After four endless months, tourists have packed their bags and headed for the mainland. The quiet days of autumn are about to befall the town—the way Nate and his fellow Sandersonians like it best.

          But nothing ends up quite the way Nate expects when he meets the beautiful blonde with the big blue eyes. Callie’s pretty smiles hide secrets—deep, dark mysteries that could cost them both their lives if they continue digging into the past and cross a killer’s path.

Join me in welcoming Cate as she shares the inspiration behind SECRETS HIDDEN IN THE GLASS. Welcome, Cate.

I always find the process of writing fascinating—imagining words and thoughts into subsistence that had once only existed in my head. Oftentimes, the undertaking is daunting. Months of research, careful plotting, planning, character development, and revising go into every page. There are many moments of doubt and worry. On occasion, there’s even a triumph or two. But finally, you type The End and you realize you’ve created a miracle of sorts—a story to share with your eager readers who are always waiting for what’s next.

I had such fun telling Nate and Callie’s adventure. There was something extra enjoyable about bringing Sanderson, Massachusetts to life—the fictitious, tiny town on the equally made-up Carter Island. Imagine dreaming up a beachy setting that gets to be exactly what you want it to be. Add a group of intriguing (and on occasion quirky) characters. Throw plenty of steamy romance and several sprinkles of mystery and suspense into the mix and you’ve got yourself one heck of a good time.

I hope you’ll enjoy Secrets Hidden In The Glass as much as I enjoyed telling it.

Read an excerpt from Secrets Hidden In The Glass:

     They started walking again, and a wave rushed up, washing over their feet.

     Callie gasped and stepped farther away. “Oh, my God, that’s cold.”

     Like ice water, but Nate shrugged. “It’s not so bad.”

     She looked at him as if he were crazy. “It’s freezing.”

     “It usually is for most mainlanders—blood’s too thin.”

     She stopped in her tracks and pushed her sunglasses onto her head, rewarding him with a look at her big baby blues. “Are you suggesting that mainlanders are wimps?”

     “I’m not trying to hurt your feelings or anything…” He shrugged again, struggling not to smile. “But you’re the one who can’t get your feet wet.”

     She splashed her foot in the surf as the next wave started receding.

     He chuckled, thrilled that Callie seemed willing to play. “That’s not showing me much.”

     She walked closer to the water, adding both feet this time.

     He came up next to her and took her hand, pulling her toward the actual Atlantic. “In up to your knees for three good waves.”

     She hesitated.

     He sent her a wry smile. “See? Wimp.”

     She grinned. “All right. Three good waves.”

     “You’re on.” He walked out with her, clenching his jaw against the bone-numbing cold, fighting the urge to swear.

     She gasped, then squealed as the first wave rushed past their calves.

     “We’ll count that as one,” he yelled over the pounding water, still walking farther out with her. “And here comes the next.” He braced himself, gripping her hand tighter as the current came in with a powerful rush and nailed them thigh-level.

     Callie screamed as she laughed and made a move to head to shore.

     He laughed too, pulling her back and bringing her closer to him. “Where do you think you’re going?”

     “It’s too cold,” she screeched.

     “I don’t think so, mainlander.” He hooked his arm around her midsection and held her in front of him as the next wave came in and sent a steamroll of water crashing into their waists.

      She screamed again, gripping his forearm as if her life depended on it, and threw her head back on a long peel of laughter.

      He let loose his own deep belly laugh, loving the way she sounded—that he could smell her flowery shampoo as she rested her body against his. That they were having fun.

      “Nate,” she fought to say. “Let’s get out of here.”

      He took her hand and they ran as best they could toward shore.

      She stumbled as they made their way to the ankle-deep water. “Cramp. My toes are cramping.”

      He moved to take her weight and carried her more than walked with her to the loose, warm sand free from the surf. “Bend your foot forward until it passes,” he said, slightly out of breath.

       She did as he told her.

      “Better?”

       She nodded her head as her teeth chattered and goosebumps puckered her skin.

       “Works every time.”

       “Your toes cramp too?”

       “Hell, yeah. That water’s like an ice bath. I never go in without a wetsuit.”

       Her eyes went huge as she gaped at him. “What are you talking about? What happened to your thick, native Sandersonian blood?”

       He chuckled, enjoying the gorgeous woman who’d forgotten she was shy. “My blood’s probably right on par with yours. I just wanted to get you out there.”

        She laughed and swatted at him. “That’s a dirty trick.”

        “Maybe.”

Did you enjoy the excerpt?  You can read the first chapter on my website, www.catebeauman.com, or you can finish the whole book with the links below!

Amazon.com | Amazon.ca | Amazon.uk | Amazon.au | Kobo | Nook | iBooks

The Unofficial Secrets Hidden In The Glass Soundtrack

I love music! I can’t imagine a world without catchy tunes playing, especially when I’m writing. Music is inspiration. Melodies, beats, and the mood of each song help me portray emotions and feelings as I tell a story. It’s a rare day when I don’t have my headphones in place, bopping my head, while my fingers race across the keyboard. You can listen to the “soundtrack” for each book on my website www.catebeauman.com.

The soundtrack, of sorts, for Secrets Hidden In The Glass:

·        And Then You by Greg Laswell

·        Still Falling For You by Ellie Goulding

·        Beautiful Soul by Jesse McCartney

·        Cold Water by Major Lazer ft. Justin Bieber

·        Starving by Hailee Steinfeld ft. Zedd

·        Close by Nick Jonas ft. Tove Lo

·        Magic by Colbie Caillat

·        Until the Last Falling Star by Matthew Perryman Jones

·        I Can’t Breathe by Bea Miller

·        I won’t Let You Go by James Morrison

Author Cate Beauman

International bestselling author Cate Beauman is known for her full-length, action-packed romantic suspense series, The Bodyguards of L.A. County. Her novels have been nominated for the National Excellence in Romance Fiction Award, National Indie Excellence Award, Golden Quill Award, Writers Touch Award, Aspen Gold Award, Heart of Excellence Award, and have been named Readers Favorite Five Star books.

In 2017 FINDING LYLA was chosen as the Booksellers Best Award Winner, the Maggie Award For Excellence, and received the Holt Medallion Award. REAGAN'S REDEMPTION and ANSWERS FOR JULIE were selected as rare co-winners of the Aspen Gold Award in 2016. JUSTICE FOR ABBY received the 2015 Readers' Favorite International Book Award Gold Medal, while SAVING SOPHIE took the Silver Medal. SAVING SOPHIE was also selected as the 2015 Readers Crown Award winner for Romantic Suspense and FALLING FOR SARAH received the silver medal for the 2014 Readers' Favorite Awards.

Cate makes her home in North Carolina with her husband, two boys, and their St. Bernards, Bear and Jack.

DO YOU LIKE FREE EBOOKS?

SIGN UP FOR CATE’S NEWSLETTER TO BE NOTIFIED OF OFFERS

AND NEW RELEASE INFORMATION

http://www.catebeauman.com/getmyfreebooks

For a limited time: new subscribers will receive a free copy of Morgan’s Hunter and Falling For Sarah, books one and two in the Bodyguards of L.A. County Series!

Follow Cate

Amazon Author Page

http://www.amazon.com/Cate-Beauman/e/B00A05KHVM/

BookBub

https://www.bookbub.com/authors/cate-beauman

Goodreads

https://www.goodreads.com/catebeauman

Social links:

Twitter: @CateBeauman

www.catebeauman.com

www.facebook.com/CateBeauman

www.instagram.com/cate_beauman_author

This giveaway is for five (5) $10 Amazon Gift Cards. For your chance to win, just click on the Rafflecopter widget below and follow the instructions.

Thanks for stopping by today as Cate shares her new release, SECRETS HIDDEN IN THE GLASS. Doesn’t that title make you wonder what and how something could be hidden in glass or maybe why it’s hidden there?

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Seven Days of Us

I’m delighted to be a part of the blog tour for author Francesca Hornak’s newest release, SEVEN DAYS OF US.

◊ Hardcover: 368 pages

◊ Publisher: Berkley (October 17, 2017)

◊ Language: English

◊ ISBN-10: 045148875X

◊ ISBN-13: 978-0451488756

A week is a long time to spend with your family.

Now imagine being quarantined with them over the entire Christmas holiday.

That is the hilarious premise behind Francesca Hornak’s bright, wryly-observed debut novel, SEVEN DAYS OF US. This Is Where I Leave You meets “Love Actually” in a contemporary family drama about a dysfunctional British family, which was snapped up by Berkley’s newest Executive Editor with a substantial pre-empt. And internally at Penguin Random House, everyone is buzzing about this incredible book and fresh new voice.

Francesca Hornak drew inspiration for this situational dramedy from a friend who, after treating the Ebola virus abroad, was forced into a month-long quarantine upon her return home. In SEVEN DAYS OF US, we meet the Birch family as they re-enter each other’s orbits after years of fractured contact.

Eldest daughter Olivia, a doctor, has just returned from treating a life-threatening virus in Africa and must spend Christmas in quarantine. Her family, forced into lockdown with her, decides to spend the week in their crumbling and isolated country manor, Weyfield Hall. Under one roof for the first time in years, each arrives carrying secrets and simmering resentments.

We learn about each member of the Birch family and the secrets they keep through Hornak’s robust writing style and talented storytelling, compelling us to empathize with each character as the novel progresses.  In residence with Olivia are her unabashedly frivolous younger sister Phoebe, fixated on her upcoming wedding; father Andrew, sequestered in his study writing scathing restaurant reviews and longing for his glory days as a war correspondent; and sweet bumbling matriarch Emma, who’s hiding a secret that will turn the whole family upside down.

But when a shocking, unexpected visitor arrives, the family’s pressurized state will boil over, spilling problems—and possibly the deadly virus—outside the gates of Weyfield Hall.

Alternating between each family member’s point of view, SEVEN DAYS OF US is both a sharp-edged wink at difficult family holidays, and a character-driven look at the real failures, fumbles, and false starts that define family.

Like in Jade Chang’s The Wangs vs. the World, Cynthia D’Aprix Sweeney’s The Nest, and Emma Straub’s The Vacationers, the hilarious, touching, and poignant idiosyncrasies of the Birch family manage to feel universal. Anyone who loves their family—in small doses—will relate to the inner thoughts of each character.  You can’t choose your family, but as the Birch family will discover, that might be the luckiest thing of all.

You can purchase SEVEN DAYS WITH US by clicking on this LINK.

Francesca Hornak is a journalist and writer, whose work has appeared in newspapers and magazines including The Sunday Times, The Guardian, Elle, Marie Claire, Cosmopolitan and Red. She is the author of two nonfiction books, History of the World in 100 Modern Objects: Middle Class Stuff (and Nonsense) and Worry with Mother: 101 Neuroses for the Modern Mama.

Visit Francesca online @FrancescaHornak and follow the author on Twitter.

Thanks for stopping by today. What would you do if you had to be in quarantine for any length of time with your family or a group?