If You Wanna Be a Queen, Ya Gotta Think Like a Queen plus the Queens of Hearts Anthology

This steamy anthology has something for everyone in it! Check out all of the stories within by some of your favorite authors, as well as an excerpt. And Jennifer Patricia O'Keeffe is telling us a bit more about her own story. Be sure to download your own copy and leave comments and questions for the authors as you follow the tour. Best of luck entering the giveaway!

Although I’ve been toiling with writing for a few years, I’ve only recently ventured out into the publishing world. My first step into this wonderful industry was with DCL Publications’ anthology The Greatest Gift of All. I was invited to submit a story for it and wrote a romantic comedy for it called ‘We Made Snow Angels.’ I got some pretty good comments on it, which made me feel really good and encouraged.

I was then invited to join in on another anthology titled Queens of Hearts, also through DCL Publications. Immediately, I knew that I had to write something special, something funny, something with a bit of romance, and something that would honor my LGBTQ friends. I’m a proud LGBTQ ally and wanted to express my love for the community with this submission.

In keeping with the Queen theme of the anthology, I based my story ‘All I Want is to Be Happy’ on a young black man who works in a bookshop during the day and moonlights at night as a drag queen. Michael – under the guise of stage name Rayne – becomes Queen Rayne after stealing top crown from long-time ruler Madame Vivian at an annual drag competition.

After seeing how devastated Madame Vivian becomes after losing her crown, Queen Rayne begins to consider how her life will be when the day comes that she too is dethroned. In turn, as Michael, he begins to realize how lonely his life has become and decides he needs to make some major changes to find happiness.

Michael was a hilarious character to write – both in and out of drag. Michael is one of those guys whose nerves sometimes get the better of him. I think a lot of us can relate to that, and with Michael, his intentions – sometimes genuine and sometimes a bit dubious – lead him into some hilarious situations that have so far left the readers in stitches and, thankfully, wanting more.

One of my favorite things about ‘All I Want is to Be Happy’ is that I got to honor one of my favorite Queens in the world – RuPaul. There is a scene in the story where the queens gather together before their show and pray to RuPaul for guidance and support. RuPaul has taken the love and appreciation of drag queens into the hearts of new generations and has helped to bring them mainstream, with shows like RuPaul’s Drag Race. After all, no one does it better than the Drag Queen Supreme.

I’d like to extend my thanks to Books to Light Your Fire for hosting me! Thank you to the visitors and readers who have stopped by, and to DCL Publications for including me! Thank you, Goddess Fish Promotions. This is my first virtual book tour, so I hope I managed to keep you interested!

Queens of Hearts

A romance anthology unlike any other, Queens of Hearts will seduce you, romance you, make you laugh, and make you afraid with four very different stories from four different, talented authors.

‘Regina’ by Adesanya
Her name is Queen by definition, and she wears her dreads – dreads she spent half of her life growing – atop her head as her crown. Her name is Regina, and as romance sweeps through the wintry air with promises of Saint Valentine and Cupid’s mighty arrow, she finds herself entangled with a handsome man who knows all the right things to say. As a love affair blooms and romance comes into full blossom, Regina and Clive seem like a match made in Heaven. But is Regina really the woman that Clive believes her to be, or will a dark secret put an end to their cold-weathered fling?

‘All I Want is to be Happy’ by Jennifer Patricia O’Keeffe 
Michael is feeling down over his life. He works two jobs, has four roommates, can’t afford a car, and he’s as single as they come. Worse yet, after winning the crown at a local drag competition, he begins comparing himself to his nemesis – Madame Vivian, whom he stole the crown from. Now, as a popular author and a missing wallet come into his life, Michael finds himself on a series of misadventures that will either help him see the silver lining of life or drive him further into his self-despair.

‘On Bended Knee’ by Anarie Brady 
As the Greek goddess of Springtime and the queen of the underworld, Kora divides her time equally between her husband, sweet and gentle Aides, god of Hades and her dominant, Grant, a.k.a. Grannus, Celtic god of salt water and spa. This arrangement suited all three of them perfectly for years. However, when Hecate, Kora’s handmaiden and supposed best friend decides she’d make a better paramour for Aides, things could change drastically for everyone.

‘You Don’t Eat People You Love’ by Jae El Foster 
An infection is spreading throughout the town, and it has made its way to the countryside where a party of high school seniors is underway. When the infection spreads through the party in a most savage way, Bethany and Tommy must flee for their lives before they too are either eaten like their friends or they become a part of the living dead. Will sheer determination and the love that bonds their teenage romance be enough to keep them alive, or will they face a fate that is much worse than death?


Read an excerpt:

All I Want is to be Happy by Jennifer Patricia O’Keeffe

As he set his cell phone down, the store phone rang.

“Why won’t people just let me wallow in my misery?” he complained, lifting the receiver of the phone. Then, in his most chipper voice, he said, “Thank you for calling Thompson Books. My name is Michael. What reading enjoyment can I help you find today?”

“Is this the guy that was behind the counter a few minutes ago?” came the reply.

“One and the same. Just me until the boss man gets here. Who’s this?”

“This is Stevie Basil,” the voice replied and Michael felt himself go weak. What did the man want? Was he going to lodge a complaint? Michael just knew that he was about to become the latest man brought down by the Me Too Movement.

“Hi, Mr. Basil,” Michael said upon clearing his throat. He was beginning to sweat. “I’m actually reading your book right now.” More flattery, he knew, but maybe directed in a better direction.

“I was just in your store, remember?” Stevie Basil asked him. “I’m the brother on the back of the book.”

Flipping the book over, Michael looked at Stevie’s picture and acted surprised. “Why, oh, my goodness. Mr. Basil, it is you. How about that?”

Stevie took a moment to respond. “Listen,” he said, and Michael perked in his seat – his nervous smile disappearing to a nervous frown. “I think my wallet fell out of my pocket while I was there. Did you happen to see it anywhere?”

His wallet, Michael thought, shaking his head. There goes a fantasy.

He had hoped, somehow, Stevie would have found his memory of Michael so attractive that he’d wanted to call and ask for a date. His head had been stuck in the clouds – a way to advert the thought of being in trouble for flirting.

“Hang on,” he said, now feeing imposed upon. “Let me check.” He stood from his seat and peered over the counter, looking to the ground. There lay the wallet. “I don’t see it,” he replied, suddenly feeling a bit devilish. “Maybe you lost it in the street?”

Available on Amazon

About the authors:

ADESANYA:

Although born and raised in Chicago, Adesanya often draws inspiration for her writings from her Nigerian heritage. Her love for the written word developed at a young age, and today, she enjoys sharing her own stories with the world. Sometimes the tales are romantic. Sometimes they are frightening. Adesanya believes that these traits and more are what make up Life in all of its pain and glory, and no matter the genre she tackles, it is always Life that she is writing. Currently, Adesanya resides on the West Coast, USA. ‘Regina’ in Queens of Hearts is Adesanya’s first release with DCL Publications. She can be found online by following her on Twitter @theindieauthor or on her Facebook page www.facebook.com/adesanyaindieauthor.


JENNIFER PATRICIA O’KEEFFE:

Jennifer Patricia O'Keeffe is an author of romantic comedy and anything quirky. She resides in Tennessee, just outside of Nashville where she shares a home with her cats. Ms. O'Keeffe loves to make the world laugh and to find humor and love in the least likely of places. Readers may keep up with her and her writings by following @authorjpokeeffe on Twitter. She is currently working on her first full-length novel Runaway Heiress, and her short stories ‘We Made Snow Angels’ and ‘All I Want is to Be Happy’ can be found in the anthologies The Greatest Gift of All and Queens of Hearts, respectively.


ANARIE BRADY:

When not dreaming up steamy romance novels, Anarie Brady spends her time cooking delicious meals, sipping beautiful wines, and enjoying her time with her husband of over 30 years. She published her first novel, Conquest of a Fairy, in 2008 and hasn’t stopped writing since. Her novels are available at Amazon.com and BarnesandNoble.com. She’d love to hear from readers. You can find her at https://twitter.com/AnarieBrady or on Facebook, Instagram, and https://anariebrady.blog. Her recent DCL Publications releases include ‘As I Follow, So Shall I Lead’ in Kings & Queens and ‘On Bended Knee’ in Queens of Hearts.


JAE EL FOSTER:

Jae El Foster is an author with whom you question going to bed with at night, but you dare to venture beneath the sheets with him anyway. As the venture concludes, you are perhaps romanced by it, or perhaps you are frightened by it. Don’t worry because you are always satisfied by it. Despite the title or genre of the book, Jae El sets out to please you with climatic and unexpected conclusions that will make you tremble with emotion. Hop aboard the Jae El train and give it a good ride. Follow him on Twitter @jaeelbooks, ‘like’ him on Facebook at www.facebook.com/authorjaeelfoster and visit his website at www.jaeelbooks.com. ‘You Don’t Eat People You Love’ from Queens of Hearts is Jae El’s tenth release with DCL Publications.

Adesanya, Jennifer Patricia O'Keeffe, Anarie Brady, Jae El Foster will be awarding a $25 Amazon or Barnes and Noble GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

His Secret Love by Anya Summers

Welcome to the book blast for His Secret Love by Anya Summers! I have an excerpt for you from this erotic romance. Download your own copy and then follow the tour for even more. Please leave the author comments and questions and then enter the giveaway!

His Secret Love

Meghan Mallory has a plan for her life and it does not involve falling in love. She doesn’t have the time nor the inclination. She’s too busy trying to save the world. But when a freak snowstorm puts her in the path of a man she has secretly been fascinated with for years, she is forced to reconsider her stance on dating. Spencer is rude and obnoxious with his bad boy swagger but then he rescues her when she gets stranded on the side of the road, like a knight in tarnished armor, and sweeps her away to his house to ride out the blizzard.

Spencer Collins likes his life just fine, thank you very much. As the owner of the lifestyle club Cuffs & Spurs in Jackson Hole, he has a bevy of available subs who are his to command – not that any of them have held his interest in longer than he can remember. When his best friend’s sister-in-law gets herself into trouble, Spencer heads out to rescue the little brat who is in need of a firm hand. But he never expects to be forced to confront the incendiary heat that has always existed between them.

As the storm rages around them, they surrender to a passion hotter than the sun. Now that he has felt her surrender, Spencer attempts to lure Meghan into his world. But will they let go of their pasts or will they allow secrets to destroy them?

Read an excerpt:

She lowered her forehead to the steering wheel, trying not to panic.

If she couldn’t leave her car because of the storm and no one happened by, she would be forced to wait out the weather in her car and hope like hell she didn’t freeze to death. But that was better than attempting to walk in the cold and getting stuck out in the open.
Meghan spent the next two frigid hours watching her gas gauge dip toward empty. The snow had not let up, in fact it had intensified. But the idea of staying put and possibly freezing to death once her gas ran out had little appeal. There had to be someplace nearby where she could weather the storm and ride it out. A cabin where she could build a fire… something, anything was better than this. With her courage failing, she gathered up her backpack. She had water, protein bars, and trail mix, along with some other essentials including the solar blanket she had wrapped around herself for extra warmth. She folded the blanket up and shoved it inside the pack. She could do this; trudge a mile or two in a treacherous blizzard until she found a place where she could ride out the storm. Meghan reached for the keys in the ignition to shut the car off.

Thud, thud, thud, pounded against her window. She jerked and screeched at the dark figure beyond. Staring, her heart hammering in her chest, she tried to discern whether they were friend or foe—for all she knew, he was an axe murderer. Then again, even they wouldn’t be so stupid as to be out in this crud. It was definitely a he, given the size and shape of his face, not to mention the dark swath of facial hair.

The man yanked the door open. Icy wind blasted into the small confines, competing with the heat pumping out her vents.

“What the hell are you doing, little brat?” His gruff, deep masculine bass voice shattered the stillness.

That voice. The sinful, rich, deep voice slid over her skin like a whispered caress, made her think of melted decadent dark chocolate sliding over her tongue, and caused all her girly bits to stand at attention. Him? Out of all the people who lived and worked in Jackson Hole, all the tourists who flooded the streets with their rental cars, he was her rescuer?
Spencer Collins.

The man who had been a thorn in her side ever since she and her sister had moved to Jackson Hole.

“Nothing intentional, big guy, I can assure you. Storm came up a lot faster than I expected.”

She didn’t mention she tended to get distracted like an absent-minded professor when she was taking samples and measurements and collecting data to study later. Nor that she had lost track of time and had been jolted back to awareness when the first snowflakes began to fall. Total rookie mistake on her part, and she knew it. If she had left an hour prior, she would already be sequestered at Jenna’s, warm and fed. But as it was, she had made the hike too late, with the storm kicking into gear around her.

“There’s this thing called a cell phone.”

If she wasn’t frozen clear down to her bones and didn’t need him to rescue her from the prospect of freezing to death, she would have decked the man. Spencer was acting like she was an imbecile, incapable of figuring out how to survive. She would show him. She yanked her phone from her pocket, breathing a sigh of relief that the screen hadn’t magically changed to make her look like a freaking idiot. The no service message was still displayed clearly on the screen and she waved it in front of his face. “Ha, funny man. I’m not getting any service, so if you have another idea, I’m all for it.”

“Come on. Let’s get you out of here.” He held out a hand for her to take. 

“Appreciate it.” Meghan ignored the hand, shut her car off and killed the lights. She grabbed her purse and her backpack as she climbed out, bringing her body into close contact with his towering form. Rarely did Meghan ever feel short or intimidated, tending to carry the disposition of a chihuahua who thought himself an attack dog. Except with Spencer. He made her feel every lacking inch of her five-foot stature.

Buy on Amazon

About Anya Summers

Born in St. Louis, Missouri, Anya grew up listening to Cardinals baseball and reading anything she could get her hands on. She remembers her mother saying if only she would read the right type of books instead binging her way through the romance aisles at the bookstore, she’d have been a doctor. While Anya never did get that doctorate, she graduated cum laude from the University of Missouri-St. Louis with an M.A. in History.

Anya is a bestselling and award-winning author published in multiple fiction genres. She also writes urban fantasy and paranormal romance under the name Maggie Mae Gallagher. A total geek at her core, when she is not writing, she adores attending the latest comic con or spending time with her family. She currently lives in the Midwest with her two furry felines.


Visit my website here:

www.anyasummers.com

Plus, I have an Exclusive Bonus Scene from HIS SECRET LOVE available for a FREE download by subscribing to my newsletter. https://goo.gl/phM786

Website as Maggie Mae Gallagher: http://www.maggiemaegallagher.com/

Visit her on social media here:

http://www.facebook.com/AnyaSummersAuthor

Twitter: @AnyaBSummers https://twitter.com/anyabsummers?lang=en

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/15183606.Anya_Summers

Anya Summers Newsletter

Amazon Author Page https://www.amazon.com/Anya-Summers/e/B01EGTVRKC/

Bookbub https://www.bookbub.com/authors/anya-summers

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

Don’t miss these exciting titles by Anya Summers!

Dungeon Fantasy Club Series

Her Highland Master, Book 1 https://www.amazon.com/Highland-Master-Dungeon-Fantasy-Club-ebook/dp/B01E9UB8SO/

To Master and Defend, Book 2 https://www.amazon.com/Master-Defend-Dungeon-Fantasy-Club-ebook/dp/B01FNG23HI/

Two Doms for Kara, Book 3 https://www.amazon.com/Doms-Kara-Dungeon-Fantasy-Club-ebook/dp/B01GXGOAK0/

His Driven Domme, Book 4 https://www.amazon.com/Driven-Domme-Dungeon-Fantasy-Club-ebook/dp/B01IIUY8Y2

Her Country Master, Book 5 https://goo.gl/YWhLqm

Love Me, Master Me, Book 6 https://goo.gl/QlTE9u

Submit To Me, Book 7 https://goo.gl/Or8pYr

Her Wired Dom, Book 8 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01MRJY9TF/

Pleasure Island Series

Her Master & Commander, Book 1 https://www.amazon.com/Master-Commander-Pleasure-Island-Book-ebook/dp/B06Y5SVVB9/

Her Music Masters, Book 2 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0711R9D1H/

Their Shy Submissive, Book 3 https://goo.gl/ufyJLn

Her Lawful Master, Book 4 https://www.amazon.com/Lawful-Master-Pleasure-Island-Book-ebook/dp/B073SRDNNT

Her Rockstar Dom, Book 5 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B075VSGP8Q

Duets & Dominance, Book 6 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B075TG9RYC

Her Undercover Dom, Book 7 https://goo.gl/HKhVba

Ménage In Paradise, Book 8 https://goo.gl/qce2BD

Her Rodeo Masters, Book 9 https://goo.gl/HDZw6v

Cuffs & Spurs Series

His Scandalous Love https://www.amazon.com/Scandalous-Love-Cuffs-Spurs-Book-ebook/dp/B079GBB57Z

His Unexpected Love https://www.amazon.com/His-Unexpected-Love-Carter-Beginning-ebook/dp/B07C2NBGLQ

His Wicked Love https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07B661RP1

His Untamed Love https://www.amazon.com/Untamed-Love-Cuffs-Spurs-Book-ebook/dp/B07D9ZDHMH

His Tempting Love releasing October 15, 2018 https://goo.gl/MrESgd

His Seductive Love releasing November 2018

His Secret Love releasing February 22, 2019

His Cherished Love releasing April 25, 2019

The Alcyran Chronicles

Taken by the Beast https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07FYNT21L

Claimed by the Beast releasing March 22, 2019

Loved by the Beast releasing May 24, 2019

Book Links

Amazon https://goo.gl/MrESgd

Bookbub https://www.bookbub.com/books/his-tempting-love-cuffs-and-spurs-book-5-by-anya-summers

Goodreads https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/42141468-his-tempting-love

Anya Summers will be awarding a $15 Amazon or B/N GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Hungry Like the Wolf by Kyla Riley

Hungry Like the Wolf  

Almost a millennium has passed… Niall Cael had been spellbound and entrapped by his stepmother, the new queen of Scotland. Torn between craving blood to feed the vampire in him and needing a mate for the wolf inside of him- he is forever alone and despised as a monster. His entire family had been cursed, torn apart by hatred and pain on what should have been a happy new beginning –but instead, it was the end of all they knew… until he ran into her- quite literally. Holly Baines could not believe the awkward way the handsome man had come onto her right there in the large group of marathon runners. There was something about him that was different, instantly setting her blood afire and her allergies wild. The attraction was intense, but so were the sneezing and hives! His old-fashioned ways made her alpha-type personality rage for control- but when she lets down her guard, her heart yearns for the wildness between them to run free. When an unknown threat resurfaces, will it destroy everything they have built together and the tenuous mated blood bond between them?

Get it on Amazon

Currently just 99 cents!

Yes, this is my affiliate link. If you make a purchase through it, I may earn a few pennies at no additional cost to you. Thanks for supporting my websites!

About Kyla Riley

Kyla Riley is the secret pen name of an award winning, best-selling author. Dabbling in fantasy, Kyla gets to explore another world that brings her in contact with vampires, ghosts, werewolves and witchcraft. Please look around, explore and have fun as she brings you stories that will delight and set your blood pumping.

I was compensated via Fiverr for sharing this post. I only share those books that I feel will be of interest to my readers.

For Fox Sake by Susan Mac Nicol

Welcome to the book blast for For Fox Sake. Check out an excerpt from this smoking hot LGBTQ romantic suspense and please leave comments and questions for the author as you follow the tour. Plus there's a great giveaway!

For Fox Sake

Tate and Clay's newest case has all the earmarks of typical investigative work: lies, deception, collusion, and a dead body - except the body was found in Fetish Alley, and nothing that happens there is typical.

Read an excerpt:

Tate sat beneath the covers, his iPad propped up against raised knees as he scrolled down the screen. His brow furrowed as Clay climbed in next to him. “Look at this. Rick’s sent me the police report from Dixon’s case. No one could find them earlier in the station. He made a stink about it and hey, presto. Now we have it.”

Clay picked up his reading glasses from the bedside table, unfolded them, and perched them on his nose. “What am I looking at?” he enquired, peering over at the tablet.

Tate’s finger moved across the screen as he pointed out areas of interest. “The man who alerted the cops didn’t find the body himself. He saw a severed hand, and what appeared to be a costume, then called the cops.”

Clay blinked. “But Dixon wasn’t missing any hands.”

Tate nodded. “I know. Turns out it was a prop, something used in a previous production of who knows what. The place was full of old stage stuff.” He ran his finger across another area of the report. “The cops checked it out, just in case, and they were the ones who discovered the real live body.” He sniggered. “Well, not live, but you know what I mean.”

Clay did. His partner’s dark and often twisted sense of humour was entertaining even if sometimes it bordered on being downright scary.

Tate frowned. “They found Dixon in the basement, still dressed in his fox costume. He must have had his suit on underneath, because, look here.” Tate pointed to what looked like an amateur mobile phone shot. “There’s a cufflink right there.”

Clay leaned in and sure enough, there was a gold cufflink in the shape of a fox in the right shirt cuff. “Hmm,” he mused. “The report says he’d collapsed there on the spot. Then the doctor on scene confirmed it looked like a heart attack and that was it. No bloody post-mortem or anything.” He rubbed his chin thoughtfully. “He must have been boiling in his suit and the costume. I suppose it was a cold night, and it was raining, so that might explain it. I’d be interested as to why no one saw a man dressed as a fox walking down to the theatre. I mean it’s not that far from the club, but the area is populated.”

Tate nodded. “I wondered about the lack of witnesses too. Someone should have seen something. And how could the cops not find the death suspicious, even a little, when the man was wearing a fox costume over his suit?”

BUY LINKS:

Boroughs Publishing * Amazon * Smashwords * Barnes & Noble * Kobo  

I am an Amazon and Smashwords affiliate, so if you make a purchase through those links, I get to earn a few pennies at no additional cost to you. Thanks for supporting my websites!

About Susan Mac Nicol

Susan writes steamy, sexy and fun contemporary romance, some suspenseful, some gritty and dark, almost all M/M, and some stories that she hopes makes you think. She’s also Editor in Chief at Divine Magazine, an online LGBTQ e-zine, and a Charity Board trustee at The Being Me Campaign in London.

Susan attained PAN status with the Romance Writers of America with her first M/M book, Stripped Bare. She’s currently a member of The Society of Authors in the UK, and the Authors Guild in the US. She enjoys being a member of Queer Romance Ink, All Author, Book + Main Bites and the Paranormal Romance Guild.

The ‘Unofficial’ stuff

She loves going to the theatre, live music concerts (especially if it’s her man crush Adam Lambert) walks in the countryside, a good G &T, lazing away afternoons reading a good book, and watching re-runs of Silent Witness.

Her chequered past includes being mistaken for a prostitute in the city of Johannesburg, being chased by a rhino on a dusty Kenyan road, getting kicked out of a youth club for being a ‘bad influence’ (she encourages free thinking), and having an aunt who was engaged to Cliff Richard.

Website: authorsusanmacnicol.com

Facebook: Author-Susan-Mac-Nicol

Twitter: SusanMacNicol7

Instagram: susiemax77

Linkedin: susanmacnicol

Susan Mac Nicol will be awarding a copy of Feat of Clay + Damaged Goods to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Believe in Me (The Worthingtons) by Ella Quinn

Welcome to the book blast for Believe in Me, the sixth book in The Worthingtons series by Ella Quinn. Please enjoy this excerpt and leave comments and questions for the author. Then you can follow the rest of the tour for more excerpts and extra chances to win the giveaway!

Believe in Me (The Worthingtons #6)

Even the Worthington least likely to wed may find her perfect match . . .

Marriage has worked out quite nicely for her older sisters, yet Lady Augusta Vivers is certain it would end her studies in languages and geography, and stop her from travelling. But when her mother thwarts her plan to attend the only university in Europe that accepts women—in Italy—she is forced to agree to one London Season. Spending her time at parties proves an empty diversion—until she encounters the well-traveled Lord Phineas Carter-Wood. Still, Europe awaits . . .

Phineas has studied architecture all over the world, yet Augusta is his most intriguing discovery yet. How can he resist a woman who loves maps and far-off lands? But her longing for all things foreign hinders any hope of courtship. When he learns her cousins have offered a trip to Europe, he secretly arranges to join their party. For he is determined to show Augusta that a real union is a thrilling adventure of its own. And when their journey is beset by dangerous obstacles, he gets far more opportunity than he bargained for . . .

Read an excerpt:

“Italy!” Her brother’s bellow could probably be heard all over the town house and in Berkeley Square. Possibly even farther.

From her position on the sofa, Lady Augusta Vivers stifled a sigh. She refused to allow her posture to sag or disappointment to show on her countenance. She had known her campaign to be allowed to attend university was not going to be easy. Perhaps she should have started her scheme earlier. Or given her brother a hint to temper his shock.

“It is not as if Padua is some unknown place in South America or Africa,” she pointed out calmly.

“Where on earth did you come up with such an . . . idea?” Her mother paled a bit and her faint voice pierced the deadened air.

“I wish to further my studies.” Augusta fought to keep the exasperation from her tone. Why else would she want to go to university? Not only that, but traveling there and living in Italy for a time would allow her to see a little of the world she had been studying. “As educated as Miss Tallerton and Mr. Winters are, they long ago exhausted the limits of what they can teach me. Which is the reason I have been corresponding with professors in Europe and taking lessons from visiting scholars, hoping to learn more. It is no longer enough.” In fact, her thirst for knowledge had grown to the point that she needed to attend university as much as she needed food or air. “Yet it has become clear that the only way I am going to succeed is by studying with experts. For that, I must attend university.”

“But, my dear”—her mother paused for a moment as if to gather her thoughts—“do you not wish to wed?”

Of course she did. Just. Not. Now. “I do not recall anyone asking Charlie if he was forsaking marriage simply because he wished to attend Oxford.” She wished Grace’s brother, properly called the Earl of Stanwood was here. He’d be able to help. Augusta turned her gaze back to Matt. As her guardian and Earl of Worthington, he was the final decision maker. “If I were a boy you would allow me to go.”

Book Links:

Amazon US * Amazon UK *  Amazon AU *  Amazon CA *  BN * Apple Books * Kobo *  Google Play * Bookbub * Goodreads  

About Ella Quinn

USA Today bestselling author Ella Quinn's studies and other jobs have always been on the serious side. Reading historical romances, especially Regencies, were her escape. Eventually her love of historical novels led her to start writing them.

She is married to her wonderful husband of over thirty years. They have a son and two beautiful granddaughters, and a Great Dane. After living in the South Pacific, Central America, North Africa, England and Europe, she and her husband decided to make their dreams come true and are now living on a sailboat. After cruising the Caribbean and North America, she completed a transatlantic crossing from St. Martin to Southern Europe. She's currently living in Germany, happily writing while her husband is back at work, recovering from retirement.

Ella loves when readers connect with her.

Author Contact and Social Media:

Website: https://www.ellaquinnauthor.com/

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

Twitter: https://twitter.com/ellaquinnauthor

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7044274.Ella_Quinn

Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/ella-quinn

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Ella-Quinn/e/B00CAE0FSQ

Ella Quinn will be awarding a $50 gift card - Amazon or iTunes (winners choice) to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

High Sierras Series by Diane Benefiel

Welcome to the book blast for the award-winning Already Gone and Deadly Purpose, the latest installments from the High Sierras series by Diane Benefiel. Today I'm sharing an excerpt from this romantic suspense series. You can check out both of the books in the series and purchase your own copies. Please follow the tour for more excerpts from the books and multiple chances to win the giveaway. Be sure to leave Diane questions and comments along the way!

ALREADY GONE

A decade after Logan walked out on Maddy, he returns, and emotions long banked surface, then everything becomes complicated and dangerous.

Buy links:

Boroughs Publishing * Smashwords * Barnes and Noble * iTunes * Kobo * Amazon

I am an affiliate at Amazon, Smashwords, and iTunes. This just means I may earn a few pennies, at no additional cost to you, should you make a purchase through these links. Thank you for supporting my websites.

DEADLY PURPOSE

Thrown together, and neither is happy about it, Meg and Declan navigate their unwanted growing attraction as they fight to keep Meg alive.

Read an excerpt:

Meg blinked open her eyes and took a minute to focus. To gather her thoughts. The cabin. She was at her dad’s cabin. She sat up slowly, wincing as her muscles protested. She fingered the woolen blanket draped over the sleeping bag. It was the Hudson Bay blanket that had covered her bed as a child, cream colored and with its distinctive stripes. A small bottle of Tylenol and a glass of water sat on the coffee table.

She froze when she saw the man sitting in the chair, dark eyes focused on her.

Meg held his gaze for a long moment, decidedly uncomfortable to find he’d tended to her while she slept. A blanket, pain meds. It wasn’t only the odd intimacy, but the fact that she hadn’t awoken when he’d gotten that close.

She cleared her throat. “I’m sorry, I don’t remember your name.”

“Declan.”

“Right. Declan.” Unusual name, she thought, wondering if he was Irish. She glanced to the windows. Through the narrow slit in the curtains she could see the blackness of night. “What time is it?”

“After seven. You’ve been asleep over two hours.”

“Wow. Okay.” She shifted to sit up and swung her feet to the floor. “Excuse me.”

She rose slowly, and when her legs remained steady, made her way to the door tucked under the staircase. Even moving carefully every muscle in her body reminded her the battle against the flu had yet to be won.

The door opened to the bathroom, looking better maintained than she remembered. Her father’s habit had been to let things go until they absolutely had to be dealt with or risk falling apart. Minutes later she returned to the living room and found the man, Declan, she reminded herself, had placed a wide-brimmed soup mug on the coffee table, steam rising from its surface. A spoon rested beside it. He stood beside the fireplace, arms crossed in front of him. She was beginning to suspect the frown was habitual.

“What’s that?”

“Stew. Eat it.”

It smelled amazing, rich and fragrant, but she absolutely hated accepting help from anyone. “I have my own food.”

“Like what?”

The question surprised her only because she hadn’t expected him to ask. He’d been so gruff before, so adamant she didn’t belong here. Added to the blanket he must have thrown over her sleeping bag, checking to make sure she had food almost felt like he cared. And she was an idiot if she was looking for caring from a stranger.

She reached over and unzipped the side pocket of her black bag. Fishing inside, her fingers brushed the smooth leather of the holster and the cold metal of the Colt .45 pistol before wrapping around plastic packaging. She pulled out the Kind bar and zipped the bag closed, then held it up. “This.”

Shaking his head, he said, “Eat the soup.”

Buy Links:

Boroughs Publishing * Smashwords * Barnes and Noble * iTunes * Kobo * Amazon

About Diane Benefiel

National Readers’ Choice Award winner for her novel, Solitary Man, Diane Benefiel has been an avid reader all her life. She enjoys a wide range of genres, from westerns to fantasy to mysteries, but romance has always been a favorite. She writes what she loves best to read – emotional, heart-gripping romantic suspense novels. She likes writing romantic suspense because she can put the hero and heroine in all sorts of predicaments that they have to work together to overcome.

A native Southern Californian, Diane enjoys nothing better than summer. For a high school history teacher, summer means a break from teenagers, and summer allows her to spend her early mornings immersed in her current writing project. With both kids living out of the house, in addition to writing, she enjoys camping and gardening with her husband.

Diane loves hearing from her readers.

Website: dianebenefiel.com
Facebook: facebook.com/DianeBenefielRomance
Twitter: twitter.com/dianebenefiel
Instagram: diane_benefiel
Goodreads: goodreads.com/author/show/8075321.Diane_Benefiel
BookBub: bookbub.com/authors/diane-benefiel
Pinterest: diane_benefiel

Diane Benefiel will be awarding Flash Point + Dead Giveaway to 2 randomly drawn winners via rafflecopter during the tour.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Romancing Rebecca (Brass Ring Sorority) by January Bain

Welcome to the blurb blitz tour for Romancing Rebecca, a Brass Ring Sorority novel from January Bain! Today I'm sharing an excerpt from this romantic suspense for you to enjoy before you grab your own copy. Be sure to follow the tour for even more excerpts and reviews and chances to enter the giveaway.

Romancing Rebecca

Canadian romance writer Rebecca Fairfax thinks a few months living in an English castle will allow her to test out her research theories about the castle and get new material for her writing. Oh, and she’ll be able to carry out her Brass Ring Sorority sisters’ dare to kiss a duke, too. Only, the whole experience ends up changing her life in a way she could never have seen coming…

Ash Piers isn’t interested in peerage and titles. He’s a freewheeling playboy who’s adopted a hedonistic lifestyle after a disastrous love affair. He thinks the upstart Canadian is a gold-digger of the worst kind, kissing his father, the Duke of Piers, on first greeting, then getting engaged to him a moment later! But, damn, he’s attracted to the woman who’s living in his home for the summer. How’s he, a red-blooded Englishman, supposed to keep his hands off her as propriety and family demand?

But with the castle lurching from one crisis to another, Ash and Rebecca have to work together to ensure his family make it through events that threaten to tear everyone apart. And when an ancient and deadly danger looms, both Ash and Rebecca are forced to conquer all fear—physical and emotional…

Part madcap caper, part serious treasure hunting, the Brass Ringers never fail to entertain or get their way!

Read an excerpt:

“Perhaps I should carry you?” he inquired, his plummy voice tinged with concern.

“Perhaps that would be best.”

She looked into his eyes. Oh my, what a lovely shade of melting chocolate. Then she caught sight of the thief from the corners of her eyes.

“Stop him! The thief—he’s getting away.”

“I thought the matter had not been decided yet?” He raised a sardonic eyebrow, his mouth twitching. Strange, he seemed less worried about the real thief than she did.

“Your tour guide can vouch for me. He pointed the way before I gave chase. Plus, this guy”—she pointed at the slippery culprit still moving with obvious discomfort down the tunnel, holding onto the side while hopping on his one good foot—“gave the game away by announcing what was in the package. The Fabergé egg. How could he know that if I was the one to steal it?”

Hmm, those melting pools of chocolate. Are those flecks of gold? Hard to be certain in the dim light. He paid her words homage and his expression softened. “Of course, that does make a great deal of sense. Though he still might have seen you take it.”

“Duh, of course, it does.” She slipped into defensive mode. “And I did not take it—I’m not the one trying to sneak away.”

“Right you are.”

“You can let me go,” she said with reluctance. “And nab the guy.”

“Are you certain? I don’t want you falling and suing us.”

“For goodness’ sake, I’m not going to sue your ass. Though, on second thoughts, perhaps I should consider suing you for slander.”

He pulled away from her, leaving her instantly colder and bereft of the lovely sensation of being in La-La Land. She tugged off her helmet, letting her fair hair spill out over her shoulders. She fluffed it out with one hand for added emphasis.

“You wouldn’t happen to be a duke of something or other, would you?” she asked at his recoil, praying it was so. That would even make up for slugging through water and ruining her best pair of motorcycle boots.

“No, just an earl. The Earl of Craigmere to be precise. My father’s the duke, so I don’t inherit until he’s gone, which I hope is a long way off—at least most days. He can be a real ballbreaker about my life at times, though perhaps he has reason.” He ran a hand through his hair, disheveling the arrangement and only managing to look even more fetching. “Excuse my language. Ash Piers at your service. Why did you want to know if I’m a duke?”

Available on Amazon

Yes, I am an Amazon affiliate. That just means I'll earn a couple of pennies if you purchase through this link, and it won't cost you anything extra. Thanks for helping to support my websites!

About January Bain

January Bain has wished on every falling star, every blown-out birthday candle, and every coin thrown in a fountain to be a storyteller. To share the tales of high adventure, mysteries, and thrillers she has dreamed of all her life. The story you now have in your hands is the compilation of a lot of things manifesting itself for this special series. Hundreds of hours spent researching the unusual and the mundane have come together to create books that features strong women who live life to the fullest, wild adventures full of twists and unforeseen turns, and hot complicated men who aren’t afraid to take risks. She can only hope her stories will capture your imagination and heart as much as they do hers.

If you are looking for January Bain, you can find her hard at work every morning without fail in her office with two furry babies trying to prove who does a better job of guarding the doorway. And, of course, she’s married to the most romantic man!

If you wish to connect in the virtual world she is easily found on Facebook, her second home. Oh, and she loves to talk books…

Blog: http://januarybainjourney.blogspot.ca/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/JanuaryBain

Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/january.bain

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6437282.January_Bain

EmailL januarybain@xplornet.com

January Bain will be awarding a Paypal $25.00 cash payout to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.

a Rafflecopter giveaway