The Honeymooner (+Giveaway)

The Honeymooner
Melanie Summers
(Paradise Bay #1)
Publication date: August 7th 2018
Genres: Adult, Comedy, Romance

ABSOLUTELY LOVED IT! The Honeymooner is a must read…I didn’t want this book to end. Get it today and start laughing. ~ Jilleen, SeasideBooknook.com
A must read! More than 5 stars! Melanie Summers could write a menu and I’d read it… I love her stories, they are all heart and soul. All I can say is I want to move to Paradise Bay! ~Lori Zenobia, Goodreads Reviewer
From bestselling author Melanie Summers comes the wickedly funny, ridiculously romantic spinoff of her highly-acclaimed Crown Jewels Series…

          Twenty-eight-year-old workaholic Libby Dewitt lives by the motto ‘if you fail to plan, you plan to fail.’ She’s finally about to start her dream life with her steady-as-a-rock fiancé, Richard Tomy. Together, they’re the perfect power couple—right down to the fact that he’s agreed to use their honeymoon to help further her career in mergers and acquisitions. But ten minutes before the wedding, her dreams dissolve via text message.
          Devastated and humiliated, Libby escapes to Paradise Bay alone. She’s got two goals for her trip: to devise a plan to get Richard back and to convince resort owner Harrison Banks to sell his property to her company. Unfortunately, when she arrives, she discovers that tall, dark, and built, Harrison is not about to make anything easy for her.
          Instead, he derails her plans while at the same time, bringing out a side of Libby she’s kept carefully tucked away—a carefree, adrenaline junkie. After a few days together, Harrison’s got her wondering if the life she always wanted was meant for some other girl. Suddenly, Libby must decide which version of herself she wants to be.
          Will she go back to her comfortable, safe life, or risk everything to be with the only man who’s ever made her feel truly alive?

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EXCERPT:

“Oh my God…did we…?” I press the sheet to me again, gripping it so tightly, my knuckles turn white.
“You don’t remember? It was amazing. The earth moved. And you—you were loud enough that we probably cleared out the entire resort.” He grins at me, then rolls off the bed and starts across the room, giving me a view of his muscly back and behind. Those are some seriously tight shorts.
No, Libby! Do not focus on his taut buttocks! You are not that kind of girl. “I’m very sorry, but I’m afraid I don’t remember any of it.”
“None of it?” he asks.
When I shake my head, he says, “That’s a real crime because it was the best night you’ve ever had. You told me as much right after round three.” Opening the mini-fridge, he grabs a bottle of water and takes off the lid. “At least I have it all on video.”
“What?!” My pulse speeds up, and I suddenly feel both hot and dizzy. What have I turned into? Some kind of hussy? Or worse—my mother?
“I didn’t think it was a good idea, but you were pretty insistent.” He shrugs, then crosses the room and holds the bottle of water out to me.
I take it cautiously, then shrink back from him a bit. Why would a man this hot do whatever predictable, boring old Libby Dewitt said to do?
In an instant, it all makes perfect sense. My heart sinks and I let out a loud groan. “You’re a gigolo, aren’t you?”
“What?”
“Listen, I don’t know what I told you last night, but I can’t afford to pay you. I’m a little low on cash at the—”
“I’m not a gigolo.”
“Then why would you…?” I don’t really know how to put this. Why would someone as hot as you sleep with a very plain Jane like me?
“Why would I what?” He folds his arms across his broad chest.
My words come out rushed. “Sleep with someone like me.”
“Are you kidding right now?” he asks, raising one eyebrow.
“No, I’m afraid not.” I shake my head, then wince because my brain is pounding and because I really don’t want to hear his answer. I’ve had enough rejection for one weekend. Before he can say anything, I take a wild stab at it. “Now I get it, you’re one of those guys with extremely low standards. The type who’ll sleep with anything with a pulse.” I gasp again. “Oh my God. I probably have an STD by now, don’t I?”
“Ouch,” he says, rubbing at his chest. “You’re pretty mean when you’re sober.”
“Sorry. I don’t mean to insult you. I’m honestly just very confused.” I sigh and close my eyes for a second, unable to stand the look of hurt in his strikingly brilliant hazel eyes. “Maybe it would be best if you just left. I’m really not myself at the moment.”
“Okay, but it might make more sense if you left.”
“Why?” I ask, opening my eyes again.
“This is my room.”

Author Bio:
Melanie Summers also writes steamy romance as MJ Summers.

Melanie made a name for herself with her debut novel, Break in Two, a contemporary romance that cracked the Top 10 Paid on Amazon in both the UK and Canada, and the top 50 Paid in the USA. Her highly acclaimed Full Hearts Series was picked up by both Piatkus Entice (a division of Hachette UK) and HarperCollins Canada. Her first three books have been translated into Czech and Slovak by EuroMedia. Since 2013, she has written and published three novellas, and eight novels (of which seven have been published). She has sold over a quarter of a million books around the globe.

In her previous life (i.e. before having children), Melanie got her Bachelor of Science from the University of Alberta, then went on to work in the soul-sucking customer service industry for a large cellular network provider that shall remain nameless (unless you write her personally - then she'll dish). On her days off, she took courses and studied to become a Chartered Mediator. That designation landed her a job at the R.C.M.P. as the Alternative Dispute Resolution Coordinator for 'K' Division. Having had enough of mediating arguments between gun-toting police officers, she decided it was much safer to have children so she could continue her study of conflict in a weapon-free environment (and one which doesn't require makeup and/or nylons).

Melanie resides in Edmonton with her husband, three young children, and their adorable but neurotic one-eyed dog. When she's not writing novels, Melanie loves reading (obviously), snuggling up on the couch with her family for movie night (which would not be complete without lots of popcorn and milkshakes), and long walks in the woods near her house. She also spends a lot more time thinking about doing yoga than actually doing yoga, which is why most of her photos are taken 'from above'. She also loves shutting down restaurants with her girlfriends. Well, not literally shutting them down, like calling the health inspector or something--more like just staying until they turn the lights off.

She is represented by Suzanne Brandreth of The Cooke Agency International.

Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter

Thanks so much for stopping by today. Do you always have to plan out your day or just go with whatever happens?

GIVEAWAY!
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I Can Finally Tell You

Happy April Fool’s Day. Hope you don’t have any bad jokes played on you today. I will say this post IS NOT an April Fool’s joke. It seems unreal to me, but it’s true.

I have been working on a special project for well over a year with only a few people online knowing what I’ve been up to. Because of this project, I haven’t posted as often as I used to, I haven’t been reading or listening to books as much, well I just haven’t been online as much (even to answer emails. Several months ago, I said I’d get back into the swing of things soon and I’d let you know what I’ve been up to.

Well, today is that day. I can finally share with you what I’ve been doing. A part of me is extreme excited to tell you about it and the other part is reluctant to say anything. My news is like a single raindrop in an ocean of things going on in the world today.

The thing that has keep me busy and my mind occupied for so long and continues to do so to an extent --- I’ve been helping a friend write a book about his life and career. The book is entitled IT’S ALL ABOUT THE PEOPLE. It has taken months of interviews, compiling stories and over 200 photographs, drafts, and rewrites to get to the final product. It was published locally in early March and just this past week went live online.

Before I tell you more about the book and the man it’s about, I want to just say – authors are unbelievable (and I don’t consider myself an author by the way). As a journalist for many years, I know writing can be difficult at times. From blogging for several years, I’ve learned a bit more about what authors go through when writing. But having said that, I never really realized just how much work goes into writing a book, getting it ready to publish and even after it’s published. I can’t even begin to image the real work involved because most authors are creating characters, settings, worlds, relationships, adventures, etc. I compiled a story from interviews about true events. I didn’t have to create anything. So, I’m in awe of all authors now more so than ever.

Being in awe of all authors, I want to say a very special THANKS to author Elizabeth Spann Craig for her help. She was extremely helpful in many aspects of my journey, especially in understanding about ISBNs and self-publishing on Amazon. Be sure to drop by her blog, you’ll find lots of wonderful tips and information. Thanks, so much Elizabeth, you were a tremendous help.

Now let me share a bit about the man behind IT’S ALL ABOUT THE PEOPLE. His name is Gary W. McConnell and one of his motivations for wanting his story told is why I readily agreed to write it despite my insecurities in my ability to make the book a reality. He wants to encourage and show students in small towns that they can accomplish much more beyond their surroundings if they work at it.

I’ve known Gary all my life. Our parents knew each other. He was sheriff during many of the years I worked as a journalist, so I’ve also dealt with him in a professional capacity and covered many of the events he talks about in the book.

Deputy Gary McConnell (left) and his dad, Sheriff John Frank McConnell

To give you a short version of his story, Gary grew up in a small town, went off to college and came home to help his Dad (who had a stroke losing use of his right arm) when he was elected sheriff on the ticket of cleaning up moonshine in the county. Gary served as a deputy until his Dad died suddenly of a heart attack and he was then sworn in that same evening to fill his Dad’s term as sheriff. He went on to be elected the youngest sheriff ever in the State of Georgia and served the people for more than two decades.

Sheriff McConnell with murderer Samuel Tony West

He dealt with the various issues a sheriff deals with along with murders that drew national and international attention. The murder of an elderly woman and the brutal beating of her elderly sister made him ponder his career. Sometime after that he was asked by newly-elected Governor Zell Miller to serve as Director of the Georgia Emergency Management Agency (GEMA) and he accepted.

During his 12 years as GEMA Director, Gary led the agency during numerous major natural disasters, oversaw the State of Georgia’s involvement in the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta, directed the cleanup of a crematory malpractice, and helped implement numerous new programs for the state. After GEMA he worked with the Stimson Center and then in a private security and emergency management consulting position with the Innovative Emergency Management (IEM) out of North Carolina, where he still consults from time to time.

Speaking before the United State Senate

This short version doesn’t come close to explaining what Gary has accomplished (or some of the funny events he encountered), but with any luck shows you the motivation he hopes to inspire with his story. He’s a man with a good heart. I’m not saying he’s perfect and he’d be the first one to tell you he’s not. However, he has a great love and concern for the people of the small county we both grew up in and for people in general. He’s one of those few that when something needs to be done, he finds a way to do it while others are trying to get committees together to study how it should be done.

It has been a fun and even enlightening experience for me to write his story. I’m delighted to share that story with you and hope you’ll check it out. The book is available as an eBook on Amazon, as well as print on demand. It’s also on Barnes and Noble as a print on demand (at a cheaper price). In addition, we have print copies Gary is signing and I’m mailing out.

Here’s a brief synopsis of the book:

Growing up on a farm in rural Georgia, I never dreamed I would one day be testifying before the U.S. Senate encouraging the creation of Homeland Security. Along the way I was fortunate to help my Dad in his mission to eradicate moonshine in our county and then follow in his footsteps when I was elected the youngest sheriff in the state upon his death. During my years as sheriff I handled numerous murders that gained international attention and even believe to have had an encounter with Patty Hearst during her time with the Symbionese Liberation Army.

          Leaving the office of sheriff, I led the Georgia Emergency Management Agency during numerous major natural disasters, oversaw the State of Georgia’s involvement in the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta and directed the cleanup of a crematory malpractice.

          I’ve had the opportunity to meet with American Presidents, state leaders, and international officials on the issues of terrorism and disasters – natural and manmade. The funny, the sad, and the proud moments of my career have given me a great appreciation for the people around me.

Thanks for stopping by today and reading my ramblings, I know it’s much longer than my usual posts. I hope to be back online more soon but I’m still working on several projects associated with the book (setting up a website, putting a book trailer together, getting the book into audio format, designing book swag and such). So, it may still be awhile before I’m back full time as I’m learning about all these things as I go. Any suggestions on these areas is greatly appreciated.

Do you know someone like Gary that takes charge when things need to get done? I’ll end by saying he reminds me a bit of Buford Pusser without all the violence.

The Goodbye Café

With Spring officially beginning this month, I can’t help but look to books that make me think sun, fun and intrigue. Today, I’ve got just such a book to tell you about – THE GOODBYE CAFÉ by Mariah Stewart.

THE GOODBYE CAFÉ

The Hudson Sisters series, Book 3

On sale March 26, 2019

Trade Paperback • Price: $16.00 • ISBN: 9781501145124

eBook • Price: $7.99 • ISBN: 9781501145162

California girl Allie Hudson Monroe can’t wait for the day when the renovations on the Sugarhouse Theater are complete so she can finally collect the inheritance from her father and leave Pennsylvania. After all, her life and her fourteen-year-old daughter are in Los Angeles.

          But Allie’s divorce left her tottering on the edge of bankruptcy, so to keep up on payments for her house and her daughter’s private school tuition, Allie packed up and flew out east. But fate has a curve-ball or two to toss in Allie’s direction—she just doesn’t know it yet.

          She hadn’t anticipated how her life would change after reuniting with her estranged sister, Des, or meeting her previously unknown half-sister, Cara. And she’d certainly never expected to find small-town living charming. But the biggest surprise was that her long-forgotten artistry would save the day when the theater’s renovation fund dried up.

          With opening day upon the sisters, Allie’s free to go. But for the first time in her life, she feels like the woman she was always meant to be. Will she return to the West Coast and resume her previous life, or will the love of “this amazing, endearing family of women” (Robyn Carr, #1 New York Times bestselling author) be enough to draw her back to the place where the Hudson roots grow so deep?

Here’s an excerpt to entice you even more.

Allie swung her bag over her shoulder, preparing to start her descent, thinking how much her life had changed since she’d arrived in Hidden Falls. There were days when she felt like a different person from the one who’d boarded the plane at LAX and flown to Scranton, Pennsylvania, rented a car, and driven to this tiny nowhere town. At first she’d hated it. Now she was growing accustomed to the slow pace and the fact that everyone in town knew who she was and where she came from simply by virtue of her being Barney Hudson’s niece.

She dropped one leg over the side, singing softly to herself, “Don’t look down, girl, just don’t look down. Everything’s okay as long as you don’t look down,” when she did exactly that.

She bristled at the sight of the man who stood at the foot of the scaffold staring straight up.

“What are you doing here?”

“I was looking for Des. I stopped over at the house but no one answered.” His arms were crossed over his chest, and instead of wearing his usual chief of police uniform, Ben Haldeman—the very bane of Allie’s existence, the gigantic thorn in her side—was dressed in cutoff jeans and a light blue tank top, flip-flops on his feet. He didn’t bother to smile at her—why pretend he liked her any more than she liked him?—but he didn’t blink when she stared down at him, either.

“I’ll let her know when I see her.”

“Then I’ll just leave this little guy here and you can take him home with you. How ’bout I just tie his leash up to the scaffold?”

“What little . . .” Allie leaned over the side of the platform, just far enough to make her head spin and her stomach flip. She pulled back, but not before she saw the little black dog on the red leash that Ben was tying to the bottom rung. “Wait, where’d that dog come from? You can’t leave it here.”

“Found him out on the highway running loose. Tell Des to give me a call.” Ben patted the dog on the head and turned toward the door.

“Wait. Ben. No, don’t . . .”

He waved as he walked away. “Have a nice day.”

With a deep sigh of exasperation, Allie sat back on the platform.

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

Author Mariah Stewart

Mariah Stewart is the award-winning New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling author of numerous novels and several novellas and short stories. 

A native of Hightstown, New Jersey, she lives with her husband and two rambunctious rescue dogs amid the rolling hills of Chester County, Pennsylvania, where she savors country life and tends her gardens while she works on her next novel.

For more on Mariah and her writing, visit her website at MariahStewart.com, like her on Facebook at Facebook.com/AuthorMariahStewart, and follow her on Instagram @Mariah_Stewart_Books.

Thanks for stopping by today. Doesn’t that cover make it think of summer fun and fascinating adventures?

Tasting the Apple (+Giveaway)

If a story blends fact and fiction together seamlessly, then it makes me want to do research and find out more about that person or place that was real. That author has drawn me into their book completely.

That's the case of Author Sherilyn Decter's new series, The Bootleggers' Chronicles.

When you hear the word Prohibition, images of Flappers, gangsters and jazz. But there was also a lot of mystery in the Roaring 20s. Today we get a chance to see how the ghost of a policeman (based on a real person) helps a widow deal with criminal elements.

Sherilyn is visiting today to share her latest release, TASTING THE APPLE, the second installment in her Bootleggers’ Chronicles. She also has an exciting giveaway she’s hosting for the tour. Be sure to check it out at the end of the post.

A young widow on the edge. A policeman back from the dead. Together, can they take down the city’s most notorious bootlegger?

          Philadelphia, 1925. With a son to raise and boarders to feed, Maggie Barnes is at her wit’s end. But when a criminal element infiltrates the police force, the single mother puts her cares aside to help. As she tries to dig up dirt on bootlegger mastermind Mickey Duffey, Maggie realizes she can’t take on the case alone…

          Inspector Frank Geyer used to patrol the streets of Philadelphia before Maggie was born. As he attempts to clean up crime from beyond the grave, the spirit uses his Victorian sensibilities to fight back against lawbreakers. But with corruption throughout the police force, can the phantom informant save his city and Maggie’s livelihood?

          With the roof leaking and the lawlessness spiraling, Maggie and Frank have one chance to take down a criminal and prevent the unthinkable…

Check out TASTING THE APPLE on Amazon.

Those readers that aren’t familiar with the author, here’s some background information on her.

The Roaring Twenties and Prohibition were a fantasy land, coming right after the horrors and social upheaval of World War I. Even a century later, it all seems so exotic.

Author Sherilyn Decter

Women got the vote, started working outside the home, and (horrors!) smoked and drank in public places. They even went on unchaperoned dates (gasp)! Corsets were thrown into the back of the closets, and shoes were discovered to be an addictive fashion accessory after hemlines started to rise. And thanks to Prohibition, suddenly it was fashionable to break the law. The music was made in America- ragtime, delta blues, and of course jazz. Cocktails were created to hide the taste of the bathtub gin. Flappers were dancing, beads and fringes flying. Fedoras were tipped. And everyone was riding around in automobiles (aka struggle buggies and I leave it to your imagination why- wink.)

Bootleggers’ Chronicles grew out of that fascination. Writing as Sherilyn Decter, I will eventually have a series of historical crime fiction novels dealing with the bootleggers, gangsters, flappers, and general lawlessness that defined Prohibition. The Bootlegger blog rose out of all the research that I’ve been doing about this incredible era.

Growing up on the prairies and living next to the ocean, I am a creature of endless horizons. Writing allows me to discover what’s just over the next one. My husband and I have three amazing daughters, a spoiled grandson, and two bad dogs.

Sherilyn Decter is enthralled with the flashing flappers and dangerous bootleggers from the Roaring Twenties and Prohibition. Through meticulous research, that lawless era is brought to life. Living in a century-old house, maybe the creaking pipes whisper stories in her ear.

To get the inside skinny on the Bootlegger’s Chronicles, you can reach Sherilyn at the following links:

WEBSITE          FACEBOOK      PINTEREST

GIVEAWAY

Author Sherilyn Decter is giving away an autographed paperback copy of TASTING THE APPLE and INNOCENCE LOST. Click on the Rafflecopter widget below and follow the instruction to enter. If you can’t see the widget, just click HERE.

Thanks for stopping by today. Be sure to comment on the post and enter to win your copy of this intriguing tale. Do you enjoy books that combine fact and fiction? If so, why and if not, why?

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My Lovely Wife

It’s a pleasure today to tell you about an exciting new book hitting book stores today – MY LOVELY WIFE by Samantha Downing (Berkley Hardcover; March 26).

Think Dexter meets Mr. and Mrs. Smith in this highly-anticipated debut thriller, about a couple who’ve found a new way to break up the monotony of married life: murder.

MY LOVELY WIFE took shape after Downing heard about a married couple who kidnapped and held a young woman captive for years. The wife, abused by her husband, was forced into helping. Downing thought: Women never do this to other women.

But what if they did?

Enter Millicent, a real estate agent living with her husband and two children in a gilded suburb of Central Florida. When Millicent and her husband commit their first murder, it’s accidental. But they are surprised to discover how the shared secret injects new life into their relationship. By the time the second woman goes missing, nothing is accidental.

But among the biggest twists is one Downing pulls on her readers: they can’t help but root for the killer couple at the story’s core.

MY LOVELY WIFE has earned praise from Harlan Coben, Liv Constantine (The Last Mrs. Parrish), Jane Corry (My Husband’s Wife), Nick Petrie, Meg Gardiner, and more.

For those who aren’t familiar with Downing, here’s a bit of background on her.

Author Samantha Downing

Samantha Downing currently lives in New Orleans, where she is furiously typing away on her next standalone book.

MY LOVELY WIFE is her first novel.

Thanks for stopping by today. Doesn’t this sound like a fascinating and chilling book at the same time?

A Dangerous Collaboration

I’m a day late but still delighted to tell you about author Deanna Raybourn’s latest Veronica Speedwell mystery, A DANGEROUS COLLABORATION, that was released yesterday, Tuesday, March 12^th.

Described as “a ruthlessly intelligent heroine” by NPR, Veronica Speedwell is one of those characters that you enjoy getting to know better and better. The previous book in the series, A TREACHEROUS CURSE, has been nominated for the Edgar Award for Best Novel.

A lepidopterist by trade, Veronica has been up to much more than chasing after rare specimens of butterflies. Continuing on after the exhilarating adventures of A Curious Beginning, A Perilous Undertaking, and A Treacherous Curse (which was named by Suspense Magazine as one it’s best historical mysteries of 2018!), it’s difficult to imagine how the spunky and spirited Victorian-era sleuth could find herself caught up in even more thrilling and dangerous exploits.

Brimming with Raybourn’s trademark clever plot construction that readers have come to love, in addition to provocative storytelling and the smoldering chemistry between Veronica and Stoker, A DANGEROUS COLLABORATION is another great example of why readers keep picking up and continue to come back to this phenomenal series.

Here’s a brief synopsis to entice you even more.

After chasing down clues leading to her mysterious past, having quite literally run off to join a traveling circus, solving a murder mystery at a ladies-only social club, and an unraveling an ancient Egyptian curse, Veronica always goes back to her true love:  the butterflies. But as colorful and unfettered as the butterflies she collects, Veronica can't resist the allure of an exotic mystery—particularly one involving her enigmatic, frequently uncouth, yet ruggedly handsome colleague Stoker.

          Veronica is whisked off to a remote island off the tip of Cornwall when Stoker’s brother, Tiberius, calls in a favor. On the pretext of wanting a companion to accompany him to Lord Malcolm Romilly’s house party, Tiberius persuades Veronica to pose as his fiancée—much to Stoker's chagrin. But upon arriving, it becomes clear that the party is not as innocent as it had seemed. Every invited guest has a connection to Romilly’s wife, Rosamund, who disappeared on her wedding day three years ago, and a dramatic dinner proves she is very much on her husband’s mind.

          As spectral figures, ghostly music, and mysterious threats begin to plague the partygoers, Veronica enlists Stoker's help to discover the host's true motivations. And as they investigate, it becomes clear that there are numerous mysteries surrounding the Romilly estate, and every person present has a motive to kill Rosamund.

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

Author Deanna Raybourn

Deanna Raybourn is the author of the award-winning, New York Times bestselling Lady Julia Grey series, currently in development for television, as well as the Veronica Speedwell Mysteries and several standalone novels.

Visit her online at www.deannaraybourn.com, on Facebook at DeannaRaybournAuthor, and on Twitter @deannaraybourn.

Thanks for stopping by today. Have you read any of the Veronica Speedwell Mysteries? Have you ever thought about becoming a lepidopterist (a person who studies or collects butterflies and moths)?