The Reluctant Bride (+ Giveaway)

 

The Reluctant Bride
By Monica Murphy
Published by: Dangerous Press
Publication date: April 19th, 2022
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance

Everyone’s for sale, including me. One moment I’m the forgotten daughter of one of the most wealthy families in the country, and the next I’m the blushing bride in an arranged marriage. My fate is sealed in my wedded union with a complete stranger.

In public, Perry Constantine is the life of the party. Easygoing. Adored. In private, he’s brooding. Dark. Angry. But so am I. It’s a contest of wills to see who will break in the bedroom first, and while I try to remain strong, I find myself craving the very man I swore to hate.

My husband.

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—

EXCERPT:

“Good morning,” I say as I take a step back from my mother’s embrace. Can’t linger too long or Winny will say something snide and rude.

He doesn’t say a word beyond a nod of acknowledgement at my arrival. His expression is stern, yet impassive. I never know what he’s thinking, and it’s disconcerting. I’ve learned from that though, and do my damnedest to wear the same expression when I’m dealing with Halcyon business for Win.

Or when I’m trying to get out of a sticky situation with a woman. That happens more often than I care to admit.

“Have a seat, darling,” Mother says, indicating the chair on the other side of Winston. I do as she says, settling into the leather chair that’s more comfortable than the one I sit in at my desk every damn day. “How was your weekend?”

I can’t tell her it was full of debauchery that included too much alcohol and too many women, but I avoid the paparazzi at the more popular clubs to keep it under wraps.

Instead I smile at her and say, “It was fine.”

Winston snorts. I’m sure he knows what I was up to. Wonder if he misses it. If I had his hot wife to come home to every evening, I wouldn’t miss that lifestyle at all.

“That’s nice.” Mother smiles, revealing straight white teeth that nearly blind me. Looks like someone just visited the dentist. “I hear you’ve been given new projects at Halcyon.”

I chance a look at Winston but he’s not paying attention to us. Too busy tapping away on his phone.

“I have.” I try to tamp down my excitement before my brother calls me out for behaving like a hyperactive puppy. “I’m handling all the angry calls that come into the office.”

Mother frowns. “Angry calls?”

I nod. “We piss off a lot of people in this city. There’s a lot of damage control going on. And not always of the—violent variety.”

The knowing look on her face is obvious. She’s just as ruthless as Winston. Swear to God that’s where he got it from, not Dad. Clearing his throat, Winston sits up straight, resting his arms on top of the table.

“Enough with the pleasantries. Let’s get down to business.”

“Winston,” Mother murmurs.

I frown at the both of them. “What exactly is this business we’re discussing this early in the morning anyway?”

Mother clears her throat as well, glancing over at Winston before she turns her attention on me. “It has to do with…you.”

I frown. “What about me?”

“Perry, darling. You’re not getting any younger.” Her expression is dour, as if she’s discussing something that displeases her. “It’s time for you to settle down.”

I snort. So does Winston.

“I’m only twenty-four,” I remind her. “Winston didn’t marry until he was forty.”

“Thirty-nine,” he corrects.

“Whatever,” I say to him, returning my attention to our mother. “There’s no one I want to settle down with anyway, so I can’t.”

“Ah, but you can.” Her smile is serene. “I’ve found someone for you, Perry. And you’re going to absolutely adore her.”

Wait a minute.

Back the fuck up

Meet the Author: Monica Murphy

New York Times, USA Today and international bestselling author. A believer in kissing. A believer of love.

I also write contemporary romance as USA Today bestselling author Karen Erickson.

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Thanks so much for stopping by today. Don't you think arranged marriages make for intriguing stories?

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Casting Her Crush

I’m always delighted to share new releases with you and it’s especially fun if there’s insight into the book’s beginning or the author’s writing process.

Today it’s my pleasure to welcome author M.C. Vaughan to Thoughts in Progress to talk about her recent release, CASTING HER CRUSH, the fourth installment in her The Charm City Hearts series.

Casting Her Crush

By M.C. Vaughan

Charm City Hearts (Book 4) installments may be read independently

Release Date: 5/10/21

Publisher: Champagne Book Group

Length: 91k / 347 pages

Genre:  Contemporary Romance, New Adult

Romance with a co-worker is a terrible idea…unless he was the star of your teenaged fantasies.

As a teenager, MELINDA COLE underwent life-saving heart surgery. Ever since, the hyper-efficient stage manager has no patience for wasting time. She devotes herself to what matters most—her friends, her parents, and her job. Once upon a time, her boyfriend had a spot on that list. Then he broke up with her out of nowhere. So now? She's diving deep into her work at Baltimore's cutting-edge theater company, with an eye on becoming a director by next season.

MAX CAMERON spent his teen years as the heartthrob star of the number one family sitcom in the U.S. But now, years after his wild child lifestyle ended, he'd be lucky to score a spot on bad reality television. To reinvigorate his career, Max and his cameraman buddy have cooked up an idea they hope will turn viral. At the height of his popularity, he’d visited his number one fan as part of the Grant-a-Wish program. Dropping in on her today would be ratings gold.

Melinda has zero idea why Max Cameron, star of her teenage fantasies, has crashed her theater’s auditions. Or why he’s bearing flowers, a cameraman, and his trademark platinum smile. Before she can ask, the theater's producer sees a stunt casting opportunity. Her boss cuts her a deal—if Melinda convinces Max to take the lead and coaches him to a Bard-worthy performance, then a directorship is hers. Challenge accepted, but she must keep her crush on lock. No one would take her seriously again if she fell for the leading man.

CASTING HER CRUSH can be found at the following links:

Amazon:  https://amzn.to/3gSxI9T

Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/casting-her-crush-mc-vaughan/1139389057?ean=2940164596590

Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/casting-her-crush

Apple Books: https://books.apple.com/us/book/casting-her-crush/id1565625812

Champagne Book Group: http://champagnebooks.com/store/coming-soon/880-casting-her-crush-9781771553537.html

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/57922764-casting-her-crush

BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/books/casting-her-crush-by-m-c-vaughan

Now join me in giving a warm welcome to M.C. who joins us for a little insight into her book. Welcome, M.C.

How the book and series came to be, a little about me, and a little about the series:

Aside from my college years, I’ve lived in Baltimore since I was born. This quirky city has inspired tons of television and movies, but zero romance novels that I could find. It’s the perfect backdrop for romance—small town feel, bustling downtown, a vibrant arts community, a picturesque waterfront, money-soaked families that have been a part of Baltimore society since the founding of the city. Thus, the Charm City Hearts series was born.

My romances are always inspired by a meet-cute that pops into my head that makes me giggle. For Casting Her Crush, I asked myself… What if you found yourself working with the celebrity you had a giant crush on as a teenager? And what if acting on that crush could land you in hot water, professionally? Why would a nationally famous teen heartthrob find himself in Baltimore as an adult? Answering those questions was a ton of fun, and eventually spun itself into a novel.

Did the pandemic affect your writing/publishing?

The pandemic had a huge impact on my writing. Our worlds changed on a dime. One day we were going to offices, school, sports, activities, and then… We weren’t. All members of my family were home, hunkering down to combat a virus or questing for hand sanitizer and toilet paper. Adhering to a writing became increasingly difficult. Even if I wasn’t suddenly fielding dozens of school emails and providing tech support to my family, the grind of constant worry made it tough to get into the right headspace for romance.

For my sanity, though, I needed to find a way to control something. So, every morning before the rest of my crew stirred, I’d crawl out of bed to sit with my fantasy world. Soon, Casting Her Crush became my happy, pandemic-less escape. My characters went to their favorite restaurants, traveled, performed in a theater, held hands (and more! wink). This productivity didn’t happen overnight, and I ended up requesting a three-month extension from my publisher. Graciously, they agreed. I’m so happy they did, because it allowed me the chance to tell Melinda’s and Max’s story with the all the swoony heart it deserves.

M.C., thanks for sharing this understanding of how your book came about. I’m glad you were able to tell the story of Melinda and Max.

Meet the Author: M.C. Vaughan

M.C. Vaughan is a Baltimore-based author of contemporary romance riddled with humor and local flavor. So, if you want to giggle throughout your sexy stories, welcome! You’ll root for her characters as they fall for their perfect people...and simultaneously want to throttle them for being big dummies about love.

She grew up in a house crowded with family, friends, books, music, and the occasional ghost. After graduating from Georgetown University with a degree in English literature (and an unofficial major in student- run theatre), she worked in sports marketing, higher education, toy production, and software development.

Currently, she lives in Maryland with her husband and three delightful kids.

For more on the author and her writing, you can connect with her on the following links:

Website: https://mcvaughan.blogspot.com/

Series Webpage: https://mcvaughan.blogspot.com/p/books.html

Twitter:  @MC_Vaughan

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

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mc_vaughan/

Thank so much for stopping by today. Be sure to keep a check back later this month when I share my thoughts on this fascinating story.

In my early 20s I was a huge fan of a very popular soap opera and had the good fortune to meet one of the handsome leading actors. We passed each other in a hallway, spoke for a few minutes, took a photo of him and the next week I was sneezing my head off like he had been. LOL Now, have you ever been able to meet the heart throb of your teenage (or older) fantasies?

Jagger: Steele Shadows Investigations (+ Giveaway)

Jagger: Steele Shadows Investigations
by Amanda McKinney
* Publication date: June 18th, 2020
* Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance

Secrets, lies, deceit… A former Navy SEAL turned homicide detective has met his match in this new *standalone* addition to the number #1 Bestselling Steele Shadows Series…

He found her covered in blood.
She promises she’s innocent.
The question is… Can he trust her?

Feared just as much on the streets as at a crime scene, Homicide Detective Max Jagger has dedicated his life to one thing—speaking for the dead. Everyone and everything else be damned, including his own demons. During one of the most oppressive heat waves to hit the small, southern town of Berry Springs, the former Navy SEAL is called to a scene where a real estate heiress is found standing over a dead body, holding the murder weapon. The local cops immediately dub it a slam-dunk case, but if Jagg has learned anything from his days running special ops, it’s that nothing is as it seems… including this suspect.

Despite her name, Sunny Harper is as beguiling as a fallen angel. Clever, cunning, completely unwilling to cooperate, and, perhaps his least favorite quality—mind-numbingly intoxicating. When evidence from the scene suggests an accomplice, Jagg begins to believe that Sunny is both innocent and in danger, despite the towns’ uproar to lock her up. Torn between his growing feelings for his suspect, he takes Sunny to a secluded lake house where he discovers there’s much more behind those enchanting green eyes… including secrets that could take them both under.

With his career on the line and the clock ticking, Jagg must decide if he can trust Sunny… before they both get burned.

Goodreads / Amazon

Author Bio:
Amanda McKinney is the #1 bestselling and multi-award-winning author of more than ten steamy romantic suspense and mystery novels. She wrote her debut novel, LETHAL LEGACY, in 2017 after walking away from her career to become a writer and stay-at-home mom. Set in small, southern towns, Amanda’s books are page-turning murder mysteries packed with steamy romance.

Her books include the HOT new bestselling series, STEELE SHADOWS SECURITY, the multi-award-winning BERRY SPRINGS series and BLACK ROSE MYSTERIES.

Text AMANDABOOKS to 66866 to receive Amanda’s newsletter and get the latest on new releases, promos, and freebies!

Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Instagram / Bookbub

Thanks so much for stopping by today. Doesn't this one sound like it will tug on your heart strings while keeping you on the edge of your seat in suspense?

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Martimus by Seelie Kay

While I normally don't post on Saturdays this intriguing book came into my box yesterday and I wanted to share it with you.

Martimus

Feisty Lawyers Series (Book 5)

by Seelie Kay

About Martimus:  Martimus. An underwater habitat dedicated to pharmaceutical research. Martimus. A facility that staffs its vessel with inmate labor. Martimus. The place where inmates visit and never return. Agent Cate Creighton is in love. Unfortunately, as the Agency honeypot, she is knee-deep in an assignment that tests the bounds of her new relationship. 

It seems eight socialites have gone missing, all wealthy twenty-somethings with influential parents. No one seems to care until a former vice president’s daughter disappears. When the vice-president shares a tale of false arrest, a broken promise of deportation, an illegal diversion into a private prison, and an alleged trip to an unwater habitat called Martimus, Cate and her colleagues must find a way to follow the same path. In other words, they must enter the right prison, meet the right fixer, wind up on Martimus, and hopefully return in one piece. And it looks like Cate is the perfect bait. 

That doesn’t sit well with Cate’s lover, former U.S. Navy Seal Warren Hazelton. He intends to protect her until death ‘til do they part. Fortunately, another possibility appears, in the form of an MISix agent who has interfered in one too many Agency operations. Tillie Henderson owes them and they are all too willing to serve her up on a plate.

 It’s race against time as the Agency attempts to lure their adversary out of hiding and into their somewhat ambiguous trap. Maybe then Cate can finally focus on love.  

Release Date: May 29, 2019  
Publisher: Extasy Books  
Romantic Suspense, Contemporary Romance, four flames  
Buy links: Publisher: https://www.extasybooks.com/978-1-4874-2862-4-martimus/ Amazon: coming June 1 Barnes and Noble: Coming June 1 Kobo: Coming June 1
 

 

Excerpt from Martimus:  

Tom cocked an eyebrow. “Warren, you’re a former Navy Seal. Isn’t there some sort of limit on the amount of time you can spend under the sea before it starts to seriously impair your health?” Warren frowned. “Usually two weeks. After that, the lack of exposure to the sun and the constant high pressure oxygenated environment would begin to take a toll. There’s also a psychological impact. Think sensory deprivation. Your senses are out of whack because you’ve been dumped into a soundproof sponge. There is no normal sensory stimulation. No sunlight, no sound… Even taste and smell become compromised. Coming back to the real world would be an adjustment. “In addition, those underwater stations are small. People are right on top of each other. Things we take for granted, like privacy, hot showers, home cooked meals, are in short supply. That can create anxiety, depression, and stress. No way he served that sentence consecutively. He had to take a break in between.” Warren gazed at Tom. “That environment is more hostile than a prison. You may not be in danger from other inmates, but you are putting your life at risk. Three months sounds like way too much time to be stuck underwater though, especially if you’re not leaving the station for deep sea diving on a regular basis. They must be breaking up the time somehow, otherwise they’d have a pretty tough situation on their hands. A lot of contract workers would be headed to a rubber room. It would be extremely difficult to survive a month, much less three, down there.” “Could they be treating the inmates like guinea pigs?” Hope asked. “Testing their limits? Tracking actual survival rates?” Warren sighed. “Possibly. It’s not like they have to answer to anyone. They are located in international waters. No country in particular has legal oversight. I imagine they could be doing anything they want without recourse. Unfortunately, when the prospect of a reduced sentence is dangled in front of some people, they grab it, damn the consequences. If one or two inmates suffer some sort of harm or die along the way, they chalk it up to collateral damage.” “And who’s going to know?” Cate shook her head. “Someone dies, they probably flush them down a chute into the deep sea and they become shark chum. No evidence left behind.” Hope cringed. “God, that’s kind of evil. But that still doesn’t answer our original question. Where the hell is Fuzzy? Has he already served out his sentence? Has he been released, and if he has, where the hell is he? He’s the one we need to find. He could have a lot of the answers.” “That lack of governmental oversight is troubling,” Tom said. “If Cassie McIntyre is down there, I can’t believe the CIA isn’t all over it. At least, our government should be doing a welfare check through the Red Cross or something.” Warren grimaced. “Unless no one knows she is down there. Think about it. They are on the bottom of the ocean, more than two miles under the sea. It’s not like you can just go down there and knock on the door. Any regular monitoring would be impossible.” Cate nodded. “And we haven’t been able to confirm that she embarked on the same path as Fuzzy. All we’ve got are suspicions. Right now, she’s missing. We need to sit down with her family and get more information. And we need to find other prisoners who contracted with Martimus. “Otherwise, we’ve got nothing.”
 

About Seelie Kay: 

Seelie Kay is a nom de plume for a writer, editor, and author with more than 30 years of experience in law, journalism, marketing, and public relations. When she writes about love and lust in the legal world, something kinky is bound to happen! In possession of a wicked pen and an overly inquisitive mind, Ms. Kay is the author of multiple works of fiction, including the Kinky Briefs series, the Feisty Lawyers series, The Garage Dweller, A Touchdown to Remember, The President’s Wife, The White House Wedding, and The President’s Daughter.  

When not spinning her kinky tales, Ms. Kay ghostwrites nonfiction for lawyers and other professionals. She resides in a bucolic exurb outside Milwaukee, Wisconsin, where she shares a home with her son and enjoys opera, gourmet cooking, organic gardening, and an occasional bottle of red wine. Ms. Kay is an MS warrior and ruthlessly battles the disease on a daily basis. Her message to those diagnosed with MS: Never give up. You define MS, it does not define you!  

Seelie's Author links: www.seeliekay.com www.seeliekay.blogspot.com Twitter: @SeelieKay https://twitter.com/SeelieKay Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/seelie.kay.77 Amazon author page: https://www.amazon.com/Seelie-Kay/e/B074RDRWNZ/
 

Prior Books: http://www.extasybooks.com/kinky-briefs/ http://www.extasybooks.com/kinky-briefs-too/ http://www.extasybooks.com/kinky-briefs-thrice/ http://www.extasybooks.com/978-1-4874-1734-5-kinky-briefs-quatro/ http://www.extasybooks.com/978-1-4874-2023-9-kinky-briefs-cinque/ http://www.extasybooks.com/the-garage-dweller/ http://www.extasybooks.com/978-1-4874-1504-4-a-touchdown-to-remember/ http://www.extasybooks.com/978-1-4874-1795-6-the-presidents-wife/ http://www.extasybooks.com/978-1-4874-2263-9-snatching-diana/ http://www.extasybooks.com/978-1-4874-2032-1-the-presidents-daughter https://www.extasybooks.com/978-1-4874-2291-2-infamy/ https://www.extasybooks.com/978-1-4874-2349-0-seizing-hope/ https://www.extasybooks.com/978-1-4874-2538-8-cult/ https://www.extasybooks.com/978-1-4874-2658-3-hope/ https://www.extasybooks.com/978-1-4874-2796-2-the-white-house-wedding/

An Interview with Seelie Kay:  

Q. Why do you write romance?  
Because I am fascinated by the games people play to find and secure a lasting relationship, which is not always love. There’s the chase, the courtship, the falling, the surrender. That’s what I try to capture in my stories.  

Q. Do you prefer a certain type of romantic hero?  
I adore smart, dashing gentlemen who aren’t afraid to live on the edge. They can be a bad boy, a billionaire, a prince, or a secret agent. That hint of danger just hooks me! However, I they have to be paired with strong, independent women who aren’t afraid to fight for what they want, even love.  

Q. Why did you write “Martimus?” 
This is the final book in the series, so I needed a way to tie up a lot of loose ends. That meant the Feisty Lawyers needed a compelling story to accomplish that. Something in space was beyond the realm of believability, but something at the bottom of the ocean? The possibilities were endless. I went in all sorts of directions at first, but ultimately made Martimus a key step in a much broader journey. The bottom of the ocean is an unforgiving environment. Survival is never guaranteed. Divert a few socialites there to serve out a prison sentence, make then disappear, and you’ve got what I hope is an exciting story! As a former lawyer, I also developed an interest in private prisons. These are institutions that are governed by a different set of rules and not all institutions follow the same rules. In some cases, the private prison an inmate winds up in can mean the difference between survival and death. In addition, there have been several cases of prosecutors and judges who received a financial incentive to divert inmates to private prison. Some were so incentivized that people innocent of the crimes with which they where charged have been convicted just so the prosecutor or judge could get their kickback. It is an industry that requires serious regulation and monitoring. 

Q. How does your former profession as a lawyer impact your writing?  
My friends say I am obsessed with justice and I guess that’s true. After 30 years, the law and the legal world are so firmly embedded in my brain that I can’t flush them out. That has become the lens through which I view the world and that naturally guides my characters and plots. Injustice infuriates me, but it also leads me to great stories!

Thanks everyone for stopping by today. Hope you're having a safe and happy weekend. What are your thoughts on an underwater prison?