Thoughts in Progress

Monday, July 10, 2017

The Perfect Recipe for Love and Friendship {+ Giveaway}

I’m delighted to be a part of the Release Week Blitz fun for author Shirley Jump’s THE PERFECT RECIPE FOR LOVE AND FRIENDSHIP.

This delightful book is the first installment in her new O’Bannon Sisters series. Check out the post below and enter to win one of 15 print copies of THE PERFECT RECIPE FOR LOVE AND FRIENDSHIP being given away during this blitz. You can also find out the protagonist’s favorite recipes below.

◊ Title: THE PERFECT RECIPE FOR LOVE AND FRIENDSHIP

◊ Author: Shirley Jump

◊ Series: O’Bannon Sisters, #1

◊ On Sale: July 11, 2017

◊ Publisher: Forever

◊ Trade Paperback: $14.99 USD

◊ eBook: $6.99 USD

Add to Goodreads

The first book in New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Shirley Jump's new series featuring the O'Bannon sisters.

Bridget O'Bannon is ready for a do-over. After years of pretending she had a happy marriage and denying that she missed the friends and family she'd left behind, she's headed home to restart her life.

But working alongside her family every day at their bakery isn't as easy as whipping up her favorite chocolate peanut butter cake. Her mother won't give her a moment's peace, and her sister Abby is keeping secrets of her own. And there doesn't seem to be enough frosting in the world to smooth over the cracks forming between them.

Bridget can see the recipe for a happy life—including the possibility of a new romance—written out before her, but first she and her family will need to lay bare their secrets and rediscover the most elusive ingredients of all: forgiveness, laughter, and love.

BUY THE BOOK HERE

Top 5 List

Now here are the top 5 favorite recipes of Bridget O'Bannon, the protagonist, and why she likes them so.

◊ Peanut Butter Chocolate Pie

◊ White Cake with Buttercream Frosting

◊ Candy bars

◊ Double Chocolate Brownies

◊ Cupcakes

And why—because those are my favorites, LOL, and if I’m going to write about them, then I’m going to write about ones I love! Plus, Bridget loves the cakes and things that she and her sisters create at the bakery.

Author Shirley Jump Credit Studio 33 Photography

When she's not writing books, New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Shirley Jump competes in triathlons, mostly because all that training lets her justify mid-day naps and a second slice of chocolate cake. She's published more than 60 books in 24 languages, although she's too geographically challenged to find any of those countries on a map.

FOLLOW FOREVER ONLINE

This giveaway is for one of 15 print copies of THE PERFECT RECIPE FOR LOVE AND FRIENDSHIP. To enter, just click on the Rafflecopter widget below and follow the instructions.

Thanks for stopping by today. Hope the new design (with no wine glass) is a bit better on the eyes. 😊 Do you have a favorite recipe you like to enjoy while reading?

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Saturday, July 8, 2017

New Look

😀Here's a new look. Let me know what you think. If you know of blog themes you think will look good here, let me know.

I still have some work to do with the sidebar, please bear with me.

Thanks!

Friday, July 7, 2017

Sorry For The Images

I'm sorry for the 3rd party images that apparently WILL NOT GO AWAY.

Since my images are being held hostage by Photobucket, I asked them to delete my account. That was supposed to be done on July 4, but at this writing Thursday evening, July 6th, it hadn't been done yet.

So I've been slowly deleting the files I had stored there. But that process will take awhile since I've been using Photobucket since 2010. I used it to host the books I featured each month by authors who visited. The crazy thing is, I deleted those images off the blog each month. But something is still connected to Photobucket.

I've even turned all my folders into private from public hopefully that would help. Nothing seems to. I don't have a clue how to get rid of these awful 3rd party images other than agree to pay $59.99 a month to Photobucket. I think I'd rather not.

I plan to be back blogging next week as I have numerous posts scheduled. I hope by then I've found a way to clear this mess up. Thank you for your patience with this issue.

Monday, July 3, 2017

Primrose Lane {+ Giveaway}

{NOTE: I'm sorry if you're still seeing the 3rd party images. From what I've read Photobucket is basically holding my images hostage until I upgrade to their highest membership. I refuse to do that so I have deleted my Photobucket account. It's supposed to take effect July 4th. In the meantime, I'm so sorry for this inconvenience but please be sure to check out the post below.}

I’m delighted to be participating in the Blog Tour for PRIMROSE LANE by Debbie Mason.

PRIMROSE LANE is the third installment in the author’s Harmony Harbor series. You can enter to win one of 15 print copies of PRIMROSE LANE being given away during this tour. Please see the end of the post for more giveaway details.

◊ Title: PRIMROSE LANE

◊ Author: Debbie Mason

◊ Series: Harmony Harbor, #3

◊ On Sale: June 27, 2017

◊ Publisher: Forever

◊ Mass Market: $7.99 USD

◊ eBook: $5.99 USD

Add to Goodreads

Olivia Davenport has finally gotten her life back together. She's left her painful past behind, started over in a new town, and become Harmony Harbor's most sought-after event planner. But her past catches up to her when Olivia learns that she's now guardian of her ex's young daughter. With her world spinning, Olivia must reconcile her old life with her new one. And she doesn't have time for her new next door neighbor, no matter how handsome he is.

Olivia may act like she's got everything under control, but Dr. Finn Gallagher knows a person in over her head when he sees one. He'd really like to be the shoulder she leans on, but Olivia makes it clear she doesn't want his help. Since he's returned to town, his waiting room has been full of single women feigning illness. Yet the one woman he's interested in is avoiding him. But with a little help from some matchmaking widows and a precocious little girl, Finn might just win Olivia over.

BONUS: The eBook edition includes a complete novel from BookShots Flames, THE MCCULLAGH INN IN MAINE by Jen McLaughlin!

BUY THE BOOK HERE

THE HARMONY HARBOR SERIES

MISTLETOE COTTAGE, #1

CHRISTMAS WITH AN ANGEL, #1.5

STARLIGHT BRIDGE, #2

PRIMROSE LANE, #3

Series Page on Goodreads

Here is the PRIMROSE LANE Playlist. You can listen to it HERE.

1. Rachel Platten—Stand by You

2. Thomas Rhett—Die a Happy Man

3. Bruno Mars—Marry You

4. DNCE—Cake By The Ocean

5. Lukas Graham—7 Years

6. Train—Marry Me

7. Chuck Wicks—Always

8. Savage Garden—Truly Madly Deeply

9. Ronan Keating—When You Say Nothing At All

10. Lonestar—Amazed

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Author Debbie Mason CREDIT Debbie Mazzura

Debbie Mason is the USA Today bestselling author of the Christmas, Colorado series. Her books have been praised for their "likable characters, clever dialogue, and juicy plots" (RT Book Reviews). When she isn't writing or reading, Debbie enjoys spending time with her very own real-life hero, their four wonderful children, two adorable grandbabies, and a yappy Yorkie named Bella.

FOLLOW FOREVER ONLINE

Thanks for stopping by today and again I’m sorry about the images. Wouldn’t you love to visit or live in Harmony Harbor?

GIVEAWAY DETAILS:

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Sunday, July 2, 2017

Dirty by R.L. Kenderson {+ Giveaway}

{NOTE: I'm sorry if you're still seeing the 3rd party images. If this is still happening tomorrow, I guess I have no choice but to remove all my images. From what I've read Photobucket is basically holding my images hostage until I upgrade to their highest membership. I refuse to do that. I'm open to any other suggestions on how to resolve this issue. In the meantime, I'm so sorry for this inconvenience but please be sure to check out the post below.}

Dirty
R.L. Kenderson
Publication date: July 1st 2017
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance

He’s a player. She’s too smart to let him in her pants. Until a night of drunken sex has her kicking herself and vowing she’ll never let it happen again. Or will she?
After returning home due to her father’s illness, Elise Phillips reunites with her college friends, including Luke Long. Luke was a player back then, and Elise had always prided herself on not being another notch on his bedpost.
Luke is still gorgeous though, and he knows it. And he checks all her boxes—intelligent and sexy with muscles and a hard body.
Following a night of beer and shots, her resistance runs out, and he finally does check her box. And Elise knows that it can never happen again.
Luke had always thought of Elise as the pretty girl that was friends with his roommate’s girlfriend, but now she’s all grown up. When their night of passion rocks Luke’s world he realizes he must have her again.
The two enter a friends-with-benefits relationship with the agreement that they’re just going to have fun. The only thing is, with mutual friends involved, they have to hide their indiscretion.
But what harm can come from a dirty little secret?
Dirty is the first contemporary romance from paranormal romance author R.L. Kenderson. If you like laughing out loud, sexy book boyfriends, playful couples, and dirty, dirty sex, then you’ll love this fun contemporary romance.
Get your copy of Dirty and start falling in love today!

Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes & Noble / iBooks / Kobo

—

EXCERPT:

Elise sat in her office on Monday morning, going over her schedule. As a speech therapist, she saw all different kinds of patients—from young children to adults, from those who had had traumatic brain injuries to those who had had strokes. But one of the nice things was that she saw her patients routinely. She really got to know them and could find out the best way to help because everyone was different, and what might work with one patient might not work with the next.
She was just finishing up some notes and had about fifteen minutes before her first patient arrived when her phone buzzed.
Unknown number: How was the rest of your weekend?
Elise frowned.
Elise: Who is this?
Unknown number: Sex God, giver of orgasms.
Elise rolled her eyes, laughed, and added the number to her Contacts.
Elise: Charlie Hunnam, you know who I am?
Luke: Ha-ha. You know this is Luke.
Elise: Oh, I do, huh?
Luke: Who else made you come multiple times this weekend?
She considered pretending like he wasn’t the only one she’d slept with just to tease him but went a different route instead.
Elise: Maybe I was faking it.
Luke: Bwahahahaha!
Elise frowned again.
Elise: What’s so funny about that?
Luke: Baby, there is *no way* you were faking it.
Elise: Maybe I’m that good of an actress.
Luke: Nobody’s that good. You might have pretended with other guys, but I know you didn’t with me. You can moan and throw your head back like a good actress would, but there is no faking the way your face flushed as you climaxed or the way you scrunched up your nose right before you came or how you were so wet that it coated your thighs. And there is definitely no faking the way your pussy milked my fucking cock like it was holding on for dear life. Nobody is that good.
Elise looked around her empty office, as if someone might see his text message. It was absurd because there was no one in the room, much less someone looking over her shoulder. Even though she was alone, her face flushed from his words, and she was squirming in her chair because, now, she was thoroughly aroused. At work, of all places.
Elise: I’m not sleeping with you again.
Luke: Ha-ha-ha. I don’t recall asking you.
Well, damn.
She’d just been put in her place. Just because he’d turned her on didn’t mean that he had meant to do it on purpose. And it didn’t mean he wanted to do anything about it.
Elise: You’re right. How did you get my number, btw?
Luke: I asked Sean. I told him I needed to get ahold of you because you left something behind on Friday.
He added a bikini emoji, which she took to stand for the underwear she’d lost at his house. Her face got warm again, but she ignored the missing panties situation.
If he didn’t want to sleep with her again, why had he texted her?
Elise: What did you need then?
Luke: Nothing.
Luke: I just wanted to see how you were doing after Friday night/Saturday morning?
Aw, that was kind of sweet of him.
Elise: I’m fine.
Luke: You don’t hate me?
Elise: No. I was just as much responsible as you were. I don’t blame you.
Elise: Plus, I went to church on Sunday and cleansed my soul.
Luke: Ha-ha. Good to know.
“Elise?”
She looked up to see her coworker Lora standing in her doorway. She quickly set her phone facedown on her desk. Lora wasn’t her boss—she was another speech therapist—but Elise was still new, and she didn’t want anyone to think she was slacking off when she should be working.
“Yes?”
“Your eight a.m. is here,” Lora said with a smile.
“Okay, thank you.”
Lora turned and walked away, and Elise picked up her phone. Luke had texted her while she wasn’t looking.
Luke: I’ll be sure to dirty it again.
She forgot what they’d been talking about. And, while she should be telling him she had to go, she was too curious not to ask. Thankfully, she still had seven minutes before it was actually eight o’clock.
Elise: Dirty what?
Luke: Your soul.
Luke: Oh, I have to run. Duty calls.
Wait! Elise thought.
Elise: Wait. I thought you didn’t want to sleep with me again?
Luke: When did I ever say that?
Luke: Now, I really gotta go, babe. We’ll finish this later.
Elise waited, but there were no more texts. Yes, he said he had to go, but that was before he left her with such an opened ended question. How could he leave her hanging like that?
She shouldn’t care because when she’d said she wasn’t sleeping with him again, she’d meant it. Yet she wanted him to text her again.
She sent a quick reply, threw her phone in her purse, and grabbed her first patient’s folder before heading for the waiting room. She loved her career and usually lost herself in her work.
But, today, she couldn’t help wondering if she wasn’t in just a fair bit of trouble where Luke was concerned.
—-
Luke finished up his last report before signing off the computer. It had been a long day at work. He was tired, and he couldn’t wait to go home. He knew he wasn’t original in his pain, but he hated Mondays. Sundays were worse, but thankfully, he hadn’t worked the day before.
He packed up his things and got ready to leave for the rest of the afternoon. He shut his locker door and headed for the parking lot. As he walked, he pulled out his phone.
After texting back and forth that morning with Elise, he’d been so busy that he didn’t have time to check it all day. Not even at lunch, which had consisted of standing in the break room, shoveling as much food into his mouth as he could in less than ten minutes.
He was beat and hungry, but as soon as he pulled out his phone and saw what Elise had texted him after he had to go this morning, it made him smile.
Elise: Just like a man to start something and not finish it.
He hadn’t meant to start anything this a.m. when he sent her the first message. In fact, he hadn’t even meant to flirt. It’d just happened. When he was young, his mother repeatedly told him that he was a natural-born flirt, and he often thought she was onto something there. Besides, flirting was just flirting. It didn’t mean anything was going to go beyond that.
Luke: Ouch. My poor manly pride is ruined.
He didn’t think she’d reply right away, but she must be near her phone because, a minute later, his phone beeped.
Elise: “Ladies, if a man says he will fix it, he will. There’s no need to remind him every six months about it.”
If the meme fits…
He threw his head back and laughed.
Luke: Now, I’m offended for the whole male population.
Elise: Hey, there are a ton of those out there, so it must be true.
Luke got in his SUV but had to reply before he drove off.
Luke: You might think we’re lazy, but we’re actually smart. It’s called strategy, baby. If we pretend not to be able to do something, we know you women will get frustrated and do it for us.
Elise: I knew it! My college boyfriend was the worst when it came to doing the laundry. He even shrank my favorite sweater. I finally told him to stop and let me do it. I always suspected it was a ploy.
Luke remembered the guy Elise had dated in college. What a tool.
Luke: What a dick.
Elise: What can you do? Men suck.
Luke: We don’t suck; we lick. You’re the one who sucks.
As far as replies went, he knew it was pretty cheesy and immature, but he couldn’t resist. He’d been thinking about how Elise had sucked all weekend, and he couldn’t get it off his mind.
Elise: Real smooth, Lucas.
Luke: Had to be done.
Luke: Off work now. Have to drive home. Talk later?
Luke sat and stared at his phone, actually worried she’d say no.
Elise: Sure. Later.
Luke threw his phone on the passenger seat and shifted into drive, all the while grinning from ear to ear. He couldn’t wait to see what she would have to say next.

Author Bio:
R.L. Kenderson is two best friends writing under one name. Renae has always loved reading and in third grade wrote her first poem where she learned she might have a knack for this writing thing. Lara remembers sneaking her grandmother’s Harlequin novels when she was probably too young to be reading them, and since then she knew she wanted to write her own.
When they met in college, they bonded over their love of reading and the TV show Charmed. What really spiced up their friendship was when Lara introduced Renae to romance novels. When they discovered their first vampire romance, they knew there would always be a special place in their hearts for paranormal romance. After being unable to find certain storylines and characteristics they wanted to read about in the hundreds of books they consumed, they decided to write their own.
They both live in the Minneapolis/St. Paul area where they’re a sonographer/stay-at-home mom/wife and pharmacist/mother by day and a sexy author by night. You can find them at http://www.rlkenderson.com, Facebook, Instagram, Tumblr, Twitter, and Goodreads. Or you can email them at rlkenderson@rlkenderson.com. They always love hearing from their readers.