Aloha to Tee O'Fallon and LOCK 'N' LOAD - Federal K-9 Book 1

 

Crack CIA analyst Trista Gold is a whiz with the computer, but not so much with people. She hides behind her job, analyzing Top Secret code and making recommendations on national security. She doesn’t need a man in her life. But she will, very soon...

CIA K-9 officer Sgt. Matt Connors suspects that beneath Trista’s uptight appearance, there’s a sexy woman itching to cut loose. But he doesn’t dare act on his attraction. He’s a loner and always will be. Keeping away from Trista is a must-do directive. Until he doesn’t have a choice...

During a routine assignment, Trista stumbles across a cryptic exchange. She doesn’t think much of it...until someone tries to murder her—twice. Both times, Matt had been there to save her. But now she has to hide. And her new bodyguard, Matt, and his K-9 are the only hope she has against the powerful forces that want her dead.

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Tee O'Fallon has been a federal agent for twenty-two years, giving her hands-on experience in the field of law enforcement that she combines with her love of romantic suspense. Tee's job affords her the unique opportunity to work with the heroic and sexy men in law enforcement on a daily basis. For Tee, research is the easy part!

Besides reading and writing, Tee loves cooking, gardening, chocolate, lychee martinis, and her Belgian sheepdog.

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Tee offers an except from LOCK 'N' LOAD:

She shut her eyes, squeezing them tightly, willing the flood of fury shooting through her to calm. Somehow, she knew he was right, but he’d just sent her entire world tilting on its axis and she couldn’t handle it.

Letting out a soft breath, she covered her mouth with her hand. The rage and fury seething within her fled like air from a popped balloon. Then, to her horror, tears pricked her eyes. Before she could stop it, she was gulping down air, but it didn’t help.

“Are you—” Matt halted in mid-sentence. “Oh, no.” He began shaking his head. “Hell, no. Don’t you dare cry on me.”

She couldn’t help it. The tears began to fall and she couldn’t stop them. The next thing she knew, Matt uttered a groan and his arms were around her, pulling her against his chest.

Intending to shove him away from her, she clenched her fists, but then his hands were on her back, making gentle, soothing motions and it felt too good to move. She clutched at his damp shirt, digging her fingers into his flesh through the soft fabric.

“Shh,” he whispered, his lips grazing the top of her head, then her temples. “Everything will work out okay. I’m sure of it.”

Still holding fast to his shirt, she took a series of short breaths, trying to rein in her meltdown. She hoped he was right, but at the moment, it didn’t matter. Until further notice, the one thing that meant more in the world to her than anything else had been cruelly taken from her.

“I’m sorry, Tris. I didn’t mean for this to happen.”

He pulled away enough that she could look up at his face. It was only then that she noticed the tiny gold flecks floating in the midst of his deep brown eyes.

When her mouth opened, his gaze dipped and he bent his head. His lips brushed hers, softly at first, then with more pressure. Without realizing she was doing it at first, she kissed him back.

With a groan, he sifted his fingers through her hair, covering her mouth with his. His lips were warm and soft, his touch gentle. Using light pressure, he urged her lips open with his tongue.

Biting back a soft cry, she opened her mouth. The instant his tongue tangled with hers, her body trembled with need and she clutched at him tighter. Cupping her nape, he deepened the kiss, angling her head, massaging her neck with long, strong fingers. His taste on her tongue was so new, she couldn’t find the words to describe it. It was hot and wonderful, stirring up a fiery, passion-fueled craving she’d never experienced before.

His hand skated across her back, leaving a trail of delicious tingles on her skin, and still, his tongue sought hers again and again. An unfamiliar ache started low in her belly, uncurling, blooming into something she did understand. Desire.

The hunger in her belly spread lower, hotter, until something inside her snapped, unleashed like a wild animal sensing freedom for the first time.

Aloha to Tammy L. Bailey and A MISTRESS FOR PENNDRAKE - Blog Tour

 

The Marquess of Wesley is out for blood. For a year, Lord Wesley has tried to undo the devastation his father left to Penndrake, their ancestral home, only to discover the man gambled it away right before his death. Now Wesley is being blackmailed by the new owner into marrying a woman he’s never met in order to get it back. But his intentions are less than honorable…

At one and twenty, Miss Kate Holden intends to become a governess, having sworn off all men years ago. However, her plans are halted when she receives a daunting letter from her cousin about a Lord Wesley. Ignorant of the name, and the devilish marquess that wears it all too well, she nearly ends up compromised. Refusing to fall prey to Wesley’s skillful seduction, Kate decides to turn things around on the rake. But the high-stakes game between them soon leads to her losing the last thing she expected…her heart.

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A wife, mother, and Army/USAF veteran, Tammy began writing when the shows and movies she watched didn't end the way she wanted them to end. Whether it's historical or contemporary, for her, there must always be a happy ending.

When she's not writing, she's spending time with her husband and two boys near Cleveland, Ohio. Without their sacrifice and understanding, she believes she would have never been able to pursue her passion of writing or her accomplishment of becoming a published author.

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Tammy offers an excerpt from A MISTRESS FOR PENNDRAKE ...


Time had barely passed before she was torn awake by another dream. She screamed and then felt a masculine hand pressed hard over her mouth. Panic knotted her stomach and caused her heart to slam into her chest. She grasped the man’s fingers and writhed her body against a half-naked form when the familiar voice of Lord Wesley caused her to freeze in place.

“Be still, Miss Holden,” he warned. “I’m fairly certain you do not wish to wake up as my wife.”

Unsure how he came to be in her room or why, she clamped her teeth into his calloused flesh. He yanked his hand away and swallowed a few curse words, squinting into the dimness to examine the damage.

“By God, woman!” he hissed.

“Kate, are you all right in there? I heard a scream.”

Kate opened her mouth to answer when Lord Wesley clasped her bare arms to bring her close enough to hear him. “Tell your young cousin you’re fine. That…you just saw a mouse.”

Despite the dizzying circumstances, Kate leaned forward and whispered against his throat, “But I’m not afraid of mice.”

The door handle rattled, and she drew up against him. Did she think her petite form could block his muscular one?

“I’m fine, Lilly. I just…saw a mouse,” Kate croaked.

“But you aren’t afraid of mice.”

Kate clicked her tongue and then sent him a sidelong glance. “It was a very…large mouse.”

“Oh,” came the quiet voice on the other side of the door. “Well, as long as you’re all right.”

They waited a moment before hearing soft footfalls move away from the door.

“Now, you will tell me, Miss Holden, why you felt compelled to scream my name?”

Kate straightened, balking at his words. “I did no such thing,” she said. Inches away, his gaze, molten and reflective, slid across her barely clad form. Fire swirled from her belly to her face as a chilled wisp of air rubbed against her veiled breast.

“Why are you here?” she asked, reaching for a blanket to cover herself.

He sat up and bent his head toward the floor, using the quiet moment to rake the hand she’d injured down the length of his face. He exhaled and then turned back to her, his features chiseled into impatient lines.

She let out a quick breath at his nearness and the way the light from a nearby candle licked over the corded muscles of his chest and abdomen.

“Do you deny calling my name, Miss Holden?”

She shook her head. “What? Why on earth would I do such a thing?”

“Exactly, and yet I was thrust awake to my name on your lips. Not once, but twice.”

Kate started to deny his words when the vivid images of her dream broke through her memory. She saw Arthur laughing and Lord Wesley watching as she tried to save herself from two fire-breathing dragons. In the middle of the battle she knew she couldn’t win, she tried to yell, only to hear nothing but silence. She waited for someone to help her, waiting until she propelled herself up and awake.

“Miss Holden?”

Kate winced, more so from the episode she’d caused than his emphatic tone. “I had…a bad dream, that is all.”

“I thought you were hurt…or dying,” he said, his tone angry and void of empathy, as if the whole reason she was at Penndrake was her fault.

Kate didn’t know what to think. He’d shown himself to her room to save her from an unknown death and appeared out of sorts that he’d found her well.

“If it makes you feel any better, I was crushed by two fierce creatures, much like the ones on the crest in your study. I suppose out of desperation, I may have attempted to call your name.”

He cocked one dark eyebrow at her. “At last, a confession,” he murmured. “So, did I rescue you again, Miss Holden, this time from fire instead of rain?”

She shrugged. “No. While I awaited my death, you stood there, devouring some piece of forbidden fruit like a ravished street urchin.”

He chuckled. “How brave you must have been.”

She didn’t answer him for a long moment, contented to have them affable toward each other.

“I suppose, then, I am more gallant in real life than in

your dreams?” he teased her.

She shook her head. “How is it that you have found a way to wreak havoc when I’m both asleep and awake?” she asked.

He smiled and tugged the blanket higher to her chin. He leaned closer, and she held her breath, waiting for him to kiss her, to pull the blanket away and caress every place the air touched.

Instead, he bent his mouth to her ear. “Miss Holden,” he said, his voice deep and husky, “you do not realize what truth you speak, for the both of us.” But before she could ask him to explain what he meant, he stood and glanced down at her.

“You can’t possibly know the restraint I have shown regarding you,” he breathed, ragged and hoarse. “Soon,” he added and turned toward the door.

Aloha to Lindsay Emory and THE ROYAL RUNAWAY - Cover Reveal for the Royal Wedding

I am a fan of Lindsay Emory's Sorority Sister Mystery Series.  She called out to her friends to post the cover reveal for THE ROYAL RUNAWAY on this day as we celebrate the Royal Wedding.  How could I not oblige?!?

Princess Theodora Isabella Victoria of Drieden of the Royal House Laurent is so over this princess thing.

After her fiancé jilted her on their wedding day, she’s finally back home after spending four months in exile—aka it’s back to press conferences, public appearances, and putting on a show for the Driedish nation as the perfect princess they expect her to be. But Thea’s sick of duty. After all, that’s what got her into this mess in the first place.

So when she sneaks out of the palace and meets a sexy Scot named Nick in a local bar, she relishes the chance to be a normal woman for a change. But just as she thinks she’s found her Prince Charming for the night, he reveals his intentions are less than honorable: he’s the brother of her former fiancé, a British spy, and he’s not above blackmail. As Thea reluctantly joins forces with Nick to find out what happened the day her fiancé disappeared, together they discover a secret that could destroy a centuries-old monarchy and change life as they know it.

Funny, fast-paced, and full of more twists and turns than the castle Thea lives in, The Royal Runaway is a fresh romantic comedy that will leave you cheering for the modern-day royal who chucks the rulebook aside to create her own happily-ever-after.

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As a Texan and recovering sorority girl, Lindsay Emory has strong opinions on "real" football (soccer, duh), wine (bubbles, please), and wearing white after Labor Day (just don't). Lindsay writes books with mystery and romance featuring cranky heroes and the sassy heroines who drive them crazy. She lives on the North Texas plains with two big dogs and her own cranky hero, drinking gimlets and raising two STEM warrior princesses.

Learn more about Lindsay and her books at lindsayemory.com.

Check out Lindsay in her jewels for the wedding watch party at this link. 

I am giving away "Royal" swag to one randomly selected commenter.  To enter the giveaway,

1.  Leave a comment about your favorite Royal (British or not) ... or your favorite "Royal" story (real or fictional) ... or your favorite "Royal" wedding (dress, hat, etc).  Anything goes on Royal Wedding Day!

2.  Comments are open through Thursday, May 31, 10 pm in Baltimore.

3.  I'll post the winner on Friday, June 1.

Mahalo,

Kim in Baltimore

Aloha Spirit in Charm City

Aloha to Tina Gabrielle and HOW TO TEMPT AN EARL (The Raven Club Book 1)

London society is cruel for a young woman whose father is an avid gambler. Miss Grace Ashton is not one to stand idly by while her family becomes destitute. Donning a mask, she slips into the night and attends the infamous Raven Club to confront the proprietor. But nothing prepares her for the sinfully attractive and wealthy Ian Swift.

Ian is intrigued when Grace walks into his gambling club but refuses her offer of a few jewels to pay her father’s large debts. Unbeknownst to anyone, Ian has inherited the Earldom of Castleton, and he must reluctantly take his place in Society. But Ian’s manners as a gentleman have suffered. He needs a tutor, and he knows the exquisite lady standing before him is the answer.

But soon tutoring turns to flirting, which unfortunately lands both of them in...marriage?

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Tina Gabrielle, an Amazon best-selling author, is an attorney and former mechanical engineer whose love of reading for pleasure helped her get through years of academia. She often picked up a romance and let her fantasies of knights in shining armor and lords and ladies carry her away. She is the author of adventurous Regency historical romances: A Spy Unmasked, At The Spy’s Pleasure, In The Barrister’s Bed, In The Barrister’s Chambers, Lady Of Scandal, and A Perfect Scandal from Entangled Publishing and Kensington Books. Tina’s books have been Barnes & Noble top picks, and her first book, Lady Of Scandal, was nominated as best first historical romance by Romantic Times Book Reviews. Tina loves to hear from readers. Please visit her website to join her newsletter and enter her free monthly contests & giveaways, tinagabrielle.com.

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Aloha to National Park Week!

www.npca.org

Today kicks off National Park Week ... celebrating our Natural Treasures! 

April 21: National Junior Ranger Day
Junior Rangers can earn badges and certificates by learning about the park they’re in, taking part in activities, and engaging with park rangers. Junior Rangers are typically between the ages of 5 and 13, but people of all ages are welcome to participate. Learn more about the Junior Ranger Program by clicking here.

April 22: Earth Day
Ever since the very first one in 1970, Earth Day keeps getting bigger and bigger. Earth Day Network expects more than a billion people worldwide will take part this year. Nearly all our national parks have special activities and events planned.

April 29: National Park Rx Day
Every year, the last Sunday of National Park Week is designated National Park Rx Day – a day that encourages the growing movement of prescribing visits to parks, public lands, and nature to improve and maintain human health.

What's your favorite National Park?  Mine is Hawaii Volcanoes National Park on the Big Island of Hawaii - check out links on my travel blog here, here, here, here, here, and here.

One randomly selected commenter wins swag.  Comments are open through Monday, April 30, 10 pm in Baltimore.  I'll post the winner on Tuesday, May 1.

Mahalo,

Kim in Baltimore

Aloha Spirit in Charm City

Aloha to Cathy Maxwell and A MATCH MADE IN BED (Spinster Heiresses Book 2)

The sun has finally peeked out here in Maryland.  Let's join this heiress in hijinks, as this cover suggests, with A MATCH MADE IN BED, Book 2 in the Spinster Heiresses series ...

Once upon a time there were three young ladies who, despite their fortunes, had been on the marriage mart a bit too long. They were known as “the Spinster Heiresses” . . .

Miss Cassandra Howell is too tall, too bookish, and too smart—but she does have money and a father who wants a grand title for her. Cassandra hasn’t felt a desire to marry until she meets the sinfully handsome Duke of Camberly, who captures her imagination . . . until Soren York, Earl of Dewsberry and her family’s sworn enemy, steps in the way.

The Holwells ruined Soren’s family, and he’s lived on the knife’s edge trying to resurrect their fortunes . . . until he considers marrying the Holwell Heiress. Not only would her dowry give him the funds he needs, he has secretly had an eye on the independent-minded bluestocking since they both first realized the differences between men and women.

She likes to read; he has no patience for books. She knows little of sex; he is a man of the world and willing to school her. Her family destroyed his; his offer of marriage may be her only salvation.

Now Cassandra and Soren must learn to love each other for who they are, not what they are—and the lessons are becoming an exercise in absolute pleasure.

I love this photo of Cathy because she is laughing!

Bestselling novelist Cathy Maxwell embraces her writing romance as a way to express her belief that "loving well is the greatest adventure of all," and to explore her fascination with the Regency period.

Born in Olathe, Kansas, Cathy once called Virginia home, noting she is "a Virginian by choice, but a Kansan by nature." She is now learning how to be a Texan and feels like Austin is the perfect place for her to hone her cowboy skills. She worked in television news and spent six years in the Navy, including a stint in the Pentagon. She is a member of Romance Writers of America and a frequent speaker at writers' conferences, libraries and special events. You can always reach Cathy at cathymaxwell.com.

I am giving away a "Spring is Here" swag pack to one randomly selected commenter.  To enter the giveaway,

1.  Leave a comment about your bed - what makes it comfy? Mine is comfy because it always has a purring cat ready to cuddle.

2.  Comments are open through Monday, April 30, 10 pm in Baltimore.

3.  I'll post the winner on Tuesday, May 1.

Mahalo,

Kim in Baltimore

Aloha Spirit in Charm City

Book 1 in the series 

Aloha Eva Gates and BY BOOK OR BY CROOK (Lighthouse Library Mystery Book 1) - Book Review

Get bound up in murder in the first Lighthouse Library mystery!

For ten years Lucy has enjoyed her job poring over rare tomes of literature for the Harvard Library, but she has not enjoyed the demands of her family’s social whorl or her sort-of-engagement to the staid son of her father’s law partner. But when her ten-year relationship implodes, Lucy realizes that the plot of her life is in need of a serious rewrite.

Calling on her aunt Ellen, Lucy hopes that a little fun in the Outer Banks sun—and some confections from her cousin Josie’s bakery—will help clear her head. But her retreat quickly turns into an unexpected opportunity when Aunt Ellen gets her involved in the lighthouse library tucked away on Bodie Island.

Lucy is thrilled to land a librarian job in her favorite place in the world. But when a priceless first edition Jane Austen novel is stolen and the chair of the library board is murdered, Lucy suddenly finds herself ensnared in a real-life mystery—and she’s not so sure there’s going to be a happy ending....

Key Biscayne Lighthouse

Books are lighthouses erected in the great sea of time. ~E.P. Whipple

Lucy escapes her parents' expectations, and an unwanted marriage proposal, by fleeing from Boston to Nags Head, North Carolina.  She finds solace in the Outer Banks, where she spent her childhood summers visiting her maternal aunt and female cousin who is more like a sister.  Lucy's getaway turns into an opportunity for a new direction - she is offered a job in the town's library that is housed in the historic lighthouse.  The icing on the cake - she can live in the "cozy" apartment in the upper echelon of the lighthouse.

Just as Lucy settles into her new job and new abode, she faces push back from some board members and some town folk who see her as an outsider.  Soon they see her as a bad luck charm when the library board president is murdered and one volume of the Jane Austen exhibition is stolen.  Lucy finds her blue blood backbone to face the criticisms and accusations while investigating both the murder and theft.  

BY BOOK OR BY CROOK is a typical cozy mystery - an amateur sleuth, quirky characters, a red herring, and a satisfying ending.  What sets this cozy mystery apart is the setting - what's not to love about a library in a lighthouse?  Add the excitement of the Jane Austen exhibition, an enthusiastic book club, and Josie's bakery treats for an entertaining escape for the reader (and Lucy) to the sandy shores of the Outer Banks.

I also read BOOKED FOR TROUBLE (Book 2). I am currently reading READING UP A STORM (Book 3).  I look forward to THE SPOOK IN THE STACKS (Book 4), coming in June.

Coast Guard Lighthouse near Diamond Head

I am giving away swag to one randomly selected commenter.  To enter the giveaway, 

1. Leave a comment about lighthouses - do you have a favorite?  Mine, of course, is the Coast Guard Lighthouse at the foot of Diamond Head.

2. Comments are open through Monday, April 30, 10 pm in Baltimore. 

3. I'll post the winner on Tuesday, May 1.

Mahalo,

Kim in Baltimore

Aloha Spirit in Charm City