Flirting With Fifty

It’s a pleasure to tell you about New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Jane Porter’s dazzling and sexy later-in-life romance, FLIRTING WITH FIFTY (Berkley Mass Market Paperback Original; On Sale May 24, 2022).

FLIRTING WITH FIFTY is about a woman who leaps out of her comfort zone and takes a chance on love; perfect for fans of Jennifer Weiner, Jill Shalvis, and Lexi Blake.

Chicago Tribune writes, “Porter writes with genuine warmth and quiet grace about the everyday problems all women face.”

FLIRTING WITH FIFTY

by Jane Porter

Berkley Mass Market Paperback Original

May 24, 2022

Romance - Later In Life

Paige Newsom is finally at a place in her life where she’s comfortable. She loves her job as a college professor in Southern California, lives close enough to her mother to visit her regularly, and has three daughters who are flourishing in their own careers. Paige has no plans to upend her life again after her divorce eight years ago, but she’s about to embark on a new adventure: co-teaching a course that includes a three-week international field study.

          Paige can think of a dozen reasons why she shouldn’t go, one being a dazzling Australian biologist who will be teaching alongside her. Professor Jack King is charismatic, a world traveler, and more like Indiana Jones than Indiana Jones, all of which unsettles Paige, who prides herself on being immune to any man’s charms. She isn’t looking for love, and it turns out, neither is he. But as the two co-professors lead the rigorous program together, first on campus, then in beautiful Tanzania, their biggest challenge will be working closely together while resisting the undeniable chemistry they feel when they’re with each other.

Meet the Author – Jane Porter

Photo @ Courtney Lindberg

Jane Porter, the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of 70 romances, holds an MA in Writing from the University of San Francisco and has been a finalist for the prestigious RITA award six times, winning in 2014 for Take Me, Cowboy.

In 2008, Jane’s popular novel, Flirting With Forty, was made into a Lifetime movie starring Heather Locklear, and in 2021 two of her novels were turned into holiday movies for the new GAC Family channel.

Jane lives in sunny California with her surfer husband, three sons, and three dogs.

Thanks so much for stopping by today. Taking on a new adventure can be a challenge at any age. Do you think good things can happen when we least expect them?

Sunday at the Sunflower Inn

It is always a delight to share the news of a new release by author Jodi Thomas. Today the fourth installment in her Honey Creek series, SUNDAY AT THE SUNFLOWER INN, is released.

Sunday at the Sunflower Inn

By Jodi Thomas

Series: A Honey Creek Novel, Book 4

Publisher: ‎ Zebra (April 26, 2022)

Language: ‎ English

Paperback: ‎ 320 pages

ISBN-10: ‎ 1420151371

ISBN-13: ‎ 978-1420151374

I couldn’t agree more with this description from Amazon, “A slice of Americana delivered with her characteristic warmth, endearing characters, and authentic Texan flair, the fourth Honey Creek novel by New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Jodi Thomas brings a sense of nostalgia to the town as some its older residents set out on a quest to realize dreams they long ago gave up on. Soon it seems the idea of chasing second chances is contagious as the rest of Honey Creek joins their journey…”

          Jessica Ann McKenzie — “Jam” to everyone in Honey Creek — has fulfilled her dream of owning the best restaurant for miles around. Serving candlelit dinners to every couple in town on Valentine’s Day is a reminder of another dream, one she’s just about given up on. Until, that very night, Sergeant Tucson Smith clambers out of the muddy river and onto her land, bringing the promise of something they’ve both been searching for.
          When McCoy Mason crashes on Interstate 45, he doesn’t just bust up his Mustang, his leg, and his relationship. He also loses his prospects of a job and apartment in Houston. Honey Creek, home to his estranged grandfather, offers a temporary respite, a place to recover before moving on again. After all, what permanent use could a town so picture-perfect have for a man like him?
          At sixty-seven, Charles H. Winston III lives by order and routine. One of his most cherished rituals is a regular lunch date with three lovely ladies at the Honey Creek Café, including the very proper Miss Lilly Lambert. But it’s not too late to surprise the whole town—or himself—by seizing a chance for a once-in-a-lifetime adventure. And there’s no better season than spring, when the warm breeze blowing in from the Brazos River brings fresh hope and second chances to those who need them most . . .
 
"[Jodi Thomas] captures the charm of a small Texas town as its residents discover love...Thomas illuminates the ways ordinary lives can be transformed by the simple kindness of others."— Publishers Weekly

Doesn’t this sound like the perfect summer read? You can’t help but enjoy a story that has such lovable characters.

Now for those of you who aren’t familiar with Jodi, here’s a bit of background on her.

With millions of books in print, Jodi Thomas is both a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of over 50 novels and countless short story collections. Her stories travel through the past and present days of Texas and draw readers from around the world.

In July 2006, Jodi was the 11th writer to be inducted into the Romance Writers of America Hall of Fame. With five RITA’s to her credit, along with National Readers’ Choice Awards and Booksellers’ Best Awards, Thomas has proven her skill as a master storyteller.

Honored in 2002 as a Distinguished Alumni by Texas Tech University in Lubbock, Texas, Thomas also served as Writer in Residence at West Texas A&M University in Canyon, Texas.

When not working on a novel or inspiring students to pursue a writing career, Thomas enjoys traveling, renovating a historic home, and “checking on” two grown sons and four grandchildren.

For more information on Jodi and her writing, visit her website at www.jodithomas.com

Thanks so much for stopping by today. Do you enjoy books where you get more than one “main” character to fall in love with?

Mermaid of New York (+ Giveaway)

 

Mermaid of New York
By Jincey Lumpkin
(Mermaid of Venice, #3)
Publication date: February 7th, 2022
Genres: Adult, Fantasy, Romance

Mermaid Gia Acquaviva’s thrilling adventures continue. She must travel to New York to fight a battle in the public arena with the powerful media moguls, Royce and Bronwyn Langley. Her casino empire is under attack, threatened by her Greek relatives. Meanwhile, Gia is paired up with a rising movie starlette to create the perceptions a tabloid romance tabloids. With tensions rising, will Gia survive after burning every bridge to get what she wants?

Fans of Killing Eve and Big Little Lies will love Mermaid of New York, a sexy psychological thriller with lush fantasy elements. The chic mystery of Patricia Highsmith’s The Talented Mr. Ripley with a juicy splash of the lavish lifestyle in E. L. James’s 50 Shades series. This is not the Little Mermaid you grew up with. Gia’s out for blood.

Mermaid of New York is the third installment of the Mermaid of Venice series, 6 novels about Gia Acquaviva.

Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes & Noble / Kobo

—

EXCERPT:

“Park Avenue? Four bedrooms? No. I told you six bedrooms at a minimum. I need a room for my daughter and space for my security staff. I do not care what the price is. Find me the biggest, safest apartment in Manhattan.”

Gia hung up and slipped the phone in her bag, pulling her hat lower on her head.

As Gia waited to board her plane, her thoughts were occupied with her journey to New York—and her ensuing custody battle for Serena. Gia didn’t notice that the other plane inside the hangar bore a familiar name: Bisset. Bisset Industries to be specific.

It wasn’t until she saw a face from the past descending the airsteps of the other plane that she snapped out of her rumination.

“Bonjour, Gia,” the man said.

“Florent, is that you?” Shocked, Gia’s mouth dropped open.

Her security guards closed in around her, forming a protective circle, but she gave them the signal to back off.

“Gia,” Florent winked, “you have not aged a day.” He lightly tugged on the neck of his cashmere turtleneck to let in a bit of fresh air. It was much too early to wear any kind of sweater, let alone cash- mere, but Florent had his reasons for the choice of wardrobe—and they had nothing to do with fashion.

Gia was dumbfounded, confused. She never thought she’d see him again—much less witness him stepping off of a jet emblazoned with his last name.

As he edged closer to her, she took a step backward. “It’s all right,” he cooed. “I heard about everything that happened to you in Sicily. I am just happy that I was able to help you.”

“Help me?” Gia shook her head, trying to process everything. “I do not understand. What do you mean?”

“We share a common friend… Awa Diop.”

“Awa? How do you know Awa? I am sorry, but this is all coming as quite a shock to me.”

On the other side of the hangar, Gia’s pilot radioed to the flight attendant that the jet was ready to depart for Teterboro airport. The flight attendant then approached Gia’s security team to begin the boarding protocol. The head of security murmured into an earpiece, relaying that Gia would be ready to board the plane shortly.

Florent continued speaking. “Awa asked me to help coordinate smuggling you out of that psychopath’s compound.”

“Why would you do that?” Gia demanded.

“We are old friends, aren’t we?” Florent’s eyes narrowed, and inside them, Gia could see her own reflection. The corners of her mouth turned down.

“I do not think that we are.” She felt tingling in her chest and a gnawing sense of anxiety. “I… I left you in St. Moritz.”

“Indeed, you did. You left me in the snow all alone.” He approached her, leaning close to her ear, whispering to her. “But I lived.” He yanked his turtleneck down, revealing a thick diagonal scar that ran from the bottom left of his chin to his right shoulder. “You tried to kill me, Gia, but I lived.”

Meet the Author: Jincey Lumpkin

JINCEY LUMPKIN is a writer and creative director in Luxury Beauty. She is the author of the Mermaid of Venice fantasy thriller series. Recognized as a thought leader on women and culture, Jincey has written more than 50 columns for the Huffington Post and Playboy. She headlined Sex Week at Harvard and gave an infamous TEDx talk, “Are Robots the Future of Sex?” She has been profiled by Dateline NBC, Vice, and GQ, among others. Out Magazine listed her in its "OUT 100", naming her as one of the world's most influential LGBTQ+ people, alongside celebrities like Laverne Cox and Ricky Martin.

Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter / Instagram / Newsletter

Thanks so much for stopping by today during Jincey's visit. Doesn't that excerpt make you wonder what happened and what will happen next?

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The Cruiser (+ Giveaway)

 

The Cruiser
By Rowan Rossler
(The Hustlers Trilogy, #1)
Publication date: March 7th, 2022
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance

Morgan de Rohan-Chabot is Monaco’s most notorious yacht designer. A maverick playboy with a reputation for leaving a trail of broken hearts in his wake. Young, talented, not to mention sexy AF, he’s also got a boatload of attitude.

In other words, he’s my perfect public relations challenge. So what if he’s trouble with a capital T? I’m a pro. Vandana Hillman: The Queen of Luxury PR. My life’s just blown up, I need a distraction, and Morgan wants me to join him on the glittering shores of Monaco to help him land a conservative Saudi Prince as a client.

Ten days. In, out. No biggie, right?

What could possibly go wrong?

Goodreads / Amazon

Here's an excerpt for your reading pleasure.

Morgan POV

 I wake up slowly, dopey from the wine. I’m crusted with come, the skin on my back lashed and sore from the rake of her nails. Buttery fingers of light streak across the room, and I’m guessing it’s close to five p.m. Hard to say. I also don’t want to know. Dream worlds should go on forever, not be tied to time. If Vandana wasn’t curled up beside me in the deep, endless sleep that follows godless fucking, I’m certain she’d agree.

I bury my nose, take a deep inhale of her hair spread along the pillow. It smells like her, but also like us. Despite the punishing abuse, my cock stirs to life again. Oh, where to start? It’s tricky rating sex. So many factors play into it, like all the atmospheric elements of an evening that turn an ordinary bottle of wine into the finest vintage.

But this… Her…

I had a sense of what it would be like, but I never imagined this. My mind can’t even compute a number. There is no scale on which to judge. We created our own scale.

The duvet rises and falls innocently with her breathing and I smile, remembering her at the end—soaked and cursing, crumbling in my arms. A woman’s pleasure is an elusive thing, and a man can go mad in pursuit of it. But there was no shame between us. No guessing. As expected, she is a woman who knows what she wants and is unafraid to tell me.

A woman who gives as good as she gets.

Round two, that debauched damage, the heights she took me to… Whatever it is that’s clogging up my throat knows.

I am totally, one hundred percent screwed.

Leaving the bed is an act of treason, although I imagine Vandana will be out for a while. With utmost care, I disentangle myself from the sheet and tiptoe to the bathroom. I knew all along the pearls were a front. Vandana is a raw, blazing diamond and this afternoon, I was her craftsman. Sculpting brightness and fire, my tongue coaxing a sparkle from deep within her quivering flesh. God, she enjoyed that. Her moan turning into a cry of sweet surrender, the bashing of the bed frame against the wall, every part of her uncoiling.

I really need to stop thinking about her.

          It’s impossible to piss with an erection.

Meet the Author: Rowan Rossler

An award-winning storyteller whipping up contemporary romance tales.

Every writer sprinkles their own brand of DNA magic into stories and my ingredients are: glamorous destinations, brilliant, sexy minds, and juicy plots with just the right amount of spice stirred in to kick things up a notch.
If you like all of the above, it might be love at first bite!

Vancouver, Canada is my current home, although I consider myself a citizen of the world. Sharp-dressed men make my day, calla lilies are my favourite flower, and if you ever come to visit, there’s always champagne on ice.

Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter / Instagram / TikTok

Thanks for stopping by today. Does Morgan de Rohan-Chabot remind you of anyone?

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