Book 1 of the Polar Paired Series
Romance Enemies to Lovers Date Published: December 19, 2023 Publisher: Avoca Press
Expect the unexpected when it comes to love under the Aurora skies.
In the frosty mayhem of the Alaskan film set for Everybody Loves Polar Bears, accident-prone Macy Applegate catapults herself into a hilarious array of mishaps better suited for a blooper reel. As Macy dreams of stardom, she reluctantly works with Nick Westwood, the grumpiest and most arrogant assistant director this side of the Arctic Circle—a man who irritates her more than a stuck zipper in a sub-zero wind chill. Beneath Nick's stoic exterior lies a mysterious secret, and the only thing more challenging than Alaska's winter is these two trying to get along for longer than a commercial break. Macy is a walking disaster in matters of the heart, and Nick is fed up with shallow relationships. But fate has a penchant for mischief when Nick transforms from Macy’s nemesis to her off-screen hero, chipping away at the permafrost around her heart. Should she give this guy a chance or continue wishing on the magical aurora borealis for perfect love? In this hilarious romantic comedy, where polar bears play supporting roles and love takes center stage, Macy and Nick navigate a situation as unpredictable as Macy's on-set blunders. If you swooned through The Proposal and chuckled at The Hating Game…and if you have a soft spot for polar bears…get ready for laughter in this heartwarming tale of unexpected love! Enemies to lovers Celebrity romance Grumpy sunshine Strong woman, alpha male Forced proximity Polar bear love Snowbound Alaskan cabin Northern lights Polar plunges
Excerpt
“Taking off my clothes was no big deal? Do you know how humiliating it is for me right now after—after—God, Westwood, you saw me naked and for all I know, you could be a serial killer, plus, I’m not sure I even like you!” she blurted. How Macy got all that out in one breath after nearly drowning yesterday mystified him. At least she was honest. He’d give her that. He tried to let the sting of her not liking him slide off his back. “If it’s any consolation, I saw nothing,” he said in a low, measured tone. “I was busy trying to raise your core temperature, so you wouldn’t… you know, die of hypothermia.” “Thank you, but I’d like to know what you did in the car. The details, please.” He couldn’t believe this. “Not here. Not now. Cripes, I mean seriously—you’re turning an ant hill into Mt. Everest.” He shifted impatiently. “We’re running behind schedule.” “For the love of God. Just tell me!” Her voice rose in pitch and volume, drawing inquisitive glances from others on the set. Nick shifted his weight to the other foot, blowing out air. “All right. I stopped by to see how filming was going. When you did your Olympic dive, I got you out with a dip net. The water was too cold to dive in and rescue you, or we would’ve had two drownings.” He shrugged. “So, you basically dip-netted me like a salmon.” She forced a partial smile. “I’m surprised you didn’t bonk me on the head and gut me,” she quipped. “What makes me curious is how some random Los Angeles person would even know what a dip net is.” Nick was the one feeling gutted, like he’d done something wrong. He folded his arms in a defensive posture. “You were hypothermic when I fished you from the water, so I put you in my car to warm you up. I did what anyone would have done in that situation—removed your clothes and warmed you with my body temperature.” “Did you remove my—you know—intimates?” She spit it out like it pained her to say it. He lifted his arms and dropped them. “Why is that such a big deal? I would think you’d be happy that I helped you out. As an Alaskan, surely you can appreciate that.” He pointed at her. “I left your panties on, by the way.” “And you deserve a congressional medal of honor for that? Thank God my core temperature down there wasn’t in any danger.” She squeezed her eyes shut. “I’m beyond mortified. I wish you would have bonked me on the head and gutted me!”
About the Author LoLo Paige is an award-winning author in both romantic comedy and romantic suspense. She’s been honored with several awards, including an RWA chapter award for her romantic comedy, Hello Spain, Goodbye Heart. Irish Thunder and Everybody Loves Polar Bears are her recent rom-coms published in 2024. Her romantic suspense books have topped Amazon bestseller lists in the U.S., Canada, and Australia, and Publishers Weekly has featured her books in their Booklife section. Her second book, Alaska Inferno, was a finalist for best indie romance in the 2022 Kindle Book Review Awards. Contact Links TIKTOK @lolopaigeauthor
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Crown of Wings and Thorns
-- EXCERPT: I’d heard tales that vampires had an uncanny ability to beguile their prey. Their attractive faces and bewitching scent, partnered with their commanding voices entranced victims, making them do whatever was asked of them. He must be using the same supernatural powers to captivate me. Despite his effort, I prevailed and pushed the horrendous thought to the far recesses of my mind. “Never in peace.” He growled, his hot breath fanned the shell of my ear. “You are my enemy.” “Fine. You want to die here, right now?” I gritted the words through my teeth as I slowly released my feathers, my chest rising and falling just as fast as his. He made the mistake of pulling back just enough for his eyes to lock with mine. I pushed off with the strength of my feathers, taking him with me. His back thumped the opposite wall and I trapped him with my body and wings. Victus’s eyes grew wide, stunned. With an ear-piercing snarl, his feet tangled with mine to launch us into a wild spin, and then he pushed me against the wall with such force that all of the air was knocked from my lungs with an oomph. “I loathe your kind,” he hissed, baring his teeth. “And I despise everything about you.” I clenched my jaw. “My hatred for you is greater.” The tendrils under his eyes throbbed. We were thrown into a battle of push and shove, taking turns on who would be on top of our chaotic tumbling until we eventually stopped at the opposite end of the room, panting. With my back to the wall, he took a fistful of my hair and yanked my head to the side, exposing my neck. His hot breath and his sharp fangs grazed down my skin. I shuddered and every vein in my body seared. I wasn’t sure if it was from fear or from the heated tussle and our bodies colliding. “If you believe I’m your enemy, then bite me.” I took a chance by saying the latter. Since he found me revolting, he would likely release me. He gripped my hair tighter and snarled
GIVEAWAY! Adult Coming of Age / Romance Date Published: February 23, 2023
A #1 Amazon Bestseller, Peter Cloutier's "What We Were Making" is a must-read for those who love ocean adventures, political thrillers, romance, or coming-of-age stories!
When the lives of two expatriates intersect at the edge of civilization, opportunity, duty and deception collide. Jane is a budding ambassador of heightened motivation, insight, and curiosity. Relentless in her pursuit of justice, ethics, and the common good, her life lacks love. Enter Bill, an adrenaline-fueled waterman who lives breath to breath, wave to wave, and fish to fish. A schoolteacher by day, he embodies the island life but without partnership. When catastrophe unfolds, the two must respond to those in need while attempting to dismantle the deeper collusion around them. In the end, the only winners are those who have the resilience to stand.
FOREWORD
As my grandfather once wrote, “Courage is grace under pressure.” No quote in the literary world better encapsulates the characters, motivations, and essence of Peter Cloutier’s triumphant novel, What We Were Making than this one. Raised in the company of not only great writers but great fishermen, I learned from an early age that a writer’s relationship with character or a fisherman’s relationship with, well, fish, comes down to just that: courage. Like many of my grandfather’s great works, this novel and its delightful characters stand for something and do so with the courage to make that something count. Ultimately, fishing was Papa’s greatest escape, not in competition with his writing, but in harmony. Bill, one half of our narrator duo and an avid waterman, and Jane, a justice-seeking professional and our other narratorial half, will soon arrive at a not-so-very-different crossroads, where their priorities and values are tested. And it is not then a question of which course Bill and Jane will choose between two extremely different lives, as it never seemed to be for Papa when it came to choosing between writing and fishing, but how they will build something together and something greater than themselves. Peter’s book is a harbor for courage: courageous characters, courageous writing, courageous causes. I thank him for this tremendous homage to the worlds of land and sea, of beautiful conflicts of interest, and I hope that all readers may find the same grace, eloquence, and courage that I found in What We Were Making. —Mariel Hemingway What others have to say about Peter Cloutier's "What We Were Making":
"A masterful blend of two contrasting worlds, political and natural, Peter Cloutier's What We Were Making is a sensational and evocative journey into the lives of two lovers suffering the greatest challenge of all: meaning. With a new layer of domesticity, romanticism, policy, and reality in each chapter, it is as multidimensional as it is tragic, and a must-read in any event." - JJ Hebert, USA Today, WSJ and #1 Amazon best-selling author
"A tremendous homage to the worlds of land and sea, of beautiful conflicts of interest, and I hope that all readers may find the same grace, eloquence, and courage that I found in..." - Mariel Hemingway, Oscar-nominated actress and author, granddaughter of Nobel Prize-winning novelist Ernest Hemingway About the Author Peter is a waterman with over twenty years working in the South Pacific, Southeast Asia and Southern Africa. He has enjoyed working with countries and communities in the development of greater marine conservation and access to justice, more resilient water, sanitation and hygiene systems, and better maternal-child health and control against infectious diseases. He is married and a proud father of two children. He is disabled after suffered a traumatic brain injury while working in Afghanistan and has pledged to donate a significant portion of the revenue from his writing to charitable groups located in the countries where he has worked. Learn more about Peter and his family on social media and www.seatheworld.org.
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Title: Finn’s Fury
Series: Riot MC Biloxi #8
Author: Karen Renee
Release Date: March 19, 2024
Genre: MC Romance (can be standalone)
Cover Model: Shane MacKinnon
The night my cousin invites me to a party at the Riot MC compound, I discover a world like no other. The Riot MC clubhouse is the first place I feel safe. These bikers protect each other, but they are fierce when protecting their women.
I want their protection so bad. It is a driving, vehement need.
Finn is the one brother I avoid. We had a wild and crazy weekend together. I thought we connected. His actions say I thought wrong.
When he corners me at a party to explain those actions, everything changes. He’s still the only brother who sees me differently. He sees me as his.
The moment Finn discovers I’m being abused, he demands answers. His fury is overwhelming. When he finds out my father is behind the violence, he thinks the solution is simple.
Nothing is ever simple in my life.
He’s determined to keep me safe at any cost, but it could cost us our lives.
Karen Renee is the author of the Riot Motorcycle Club, Beta, and O-Town series of books. She once crunched Nielsen ratings data but these days she brings her imagination to life by writing books. She has wanted to be a writer since she was very young, but it's taken the last twenty plus years for her to amass enough courage and overall life experience to bring that dream to life. Some of those life experiences came from the wonderful world of advertising, banking, and local television media research. She is a proud wife and mother, and a Jacksonville native. When she's not at the soccer field or cooking, you can find her at her local library, the grocery store, in her car jamming out to some tunes, or hibernating while she writes and/or reads books.
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REWRITING GREY Alternate Cover "Bad choices make epic stories. Write one with me."Iverson Grey wasn’t supposed to be my happily ever after. He wasn’t even on my radar. I came to Copper Falls, expecting to settle my sister's estate and learn about the woman I never knew existed until I was notified of her death. Little did I know that stories about her weren't the only thing that awaited me in the small town. The first time I met the enigmatic Iverson Grey, my car broke down on the side of the road. The second time, he spilled his coffee on me, and by the third, I was letting him have his way with me behind a bar. It was only supposed to be one time, a quick summer hookup in a town I was passing through with a man I'd never see again. But a week after arriving at the Blackthorn Estate, a twist of fate reveals the home I thought was my sister's belonged to the one man I haven't been able to forget. Our chemistry is intense, all-consuming, and utterly wrong. He was my dead sister's ex—forbidden. However, the more time we're forced to spend together, the more I discover nothing is what it seems. The lines between right and wrong get blurry, and not all perfect endings are black and white. Sometimes, they're grey, and somewhere in the grey lies the truth, and when it comes out, there's no predicting the ending.
Grab Your Copy! https://mybook.to/RewritingGrey Meet L.A. Ferro:
L.A. Ferro has had a love for storytelling her entire life. For as long as she can remember she put herself to sleep plotting stories in her head. That thirst for a good tale led her to books where she became an avid reader. The unapologetically dramatic characters, steamy scenes, and happily ever afters found inside the pages of romance novels irrevocably transformed her. The world of romance ran away with her heart, and she knew her passion for love would be her craft. When she’s not trailing after one of her three crazy kids, she loves to construct messy ‘happily ever afters’ that take her readers on a journey full of angst, lust, and obsession with page-turning enchantment. Chasing her literary dreams, she hopes to captivate her readers with the stories that have lived rent-free in her mind for years. As an avid reader, dominant alpha males and feisty heroines have always stolen her heart and she is optimistic her books will bring the same amount of heart and heat that inspired her. Keep up with L.A. Ferro and subscribe to her newsletter. To learn more about L.A. Ferro & her books, visit here! For more information, visit http://www.authorlaferro.com
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Title: Lady Luck
Author: Lane O'Neil
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Tropes: He Falls First, Hurt/Comfort
Release Date: April 4, 2024
BLURB
Fortune may favor the bold, but lately, it hasn’t favored Bree Faust.
Raised in the neon-lit embrace of Fortuna Casino & Resort, Bree is a twenty-two-year-old with more than a smattering of freckles and a sense of loyalty that runs deep. When change is thrust upon her again, she finds herself at a major crossroads and is torn between embracing her legacy as Lady Luck or drawing a card for a new life filled with unknowns.
Enter Vinh Lott, a twenty-nine-year-old with a fierce protective streak and a heart scarred by fire. A reserved software engineer moonlighting at his parents’ new restaurant, Vinh is the steady rock Bree never knew she needed. When fate brings them together in the chaos of the casino, Bree faces the biggest gamble of her life—trusting Vinh to be both her anchor and safe harbor in the greatest storm she has ever faced.
As obstacles loom, from Bree’s demanding grandmother, the return of an antagonistic former friend, and the temporary nature of Vinh’s stay on the coast, their love story unfolds against the glittering backdrop of a casino resort. Will Bree and Vinh beat the odds, or will they lose it all in the grand game of love?
Lane O’Neil is a former enneagram Type 2 and current enneagram Type 9 (Cancer sign, if you must know) who loves change. You can just ask her husband—who is asked to rearrange their living room furniture every seven business weeks—to verify that statement.
Born, raised, and forever resident of Atlanta-ish, Georgia, she loves egg rolls, blankies, and her four dogs—a feisty mutt and three pitties, or “senior pitizens.”
Lane rekindled her love of reading during the tumultuous, emotional trench warfare time of her life known as the postpartum period after she had her first and only son in 2021.
That renewed spark led her to link up with indie authors as an alpha and beta reader, which eventually led to a crazy idea—one that had never once crossed her mind before.
What if she tried to write something?
Once her mortifying flashback to completing the writing portion of her SATs in 2009 was done and she took a shower to wash off the nervous sweats, she opened a document and began writing.
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Title: Scars on my Heart
Series: Willow Valley
Author: S.L. Sterling
Tropes: Single Dad, Single Mom, Friends to Lovers, small town romance, second chance at love, only one bed scene
Cover Design: Thunderstruck Cover Design
Release Date: March 28, 2024
Willow Valley had become like home to me and my two boys, Dylan and Noah. Everyone knew everyone in this small town, and they helped us heal from our devastating loss.
Once I knew my kids would be okay, I started looking for work. Bluebird Books hired me almost right away. I was to run the new kids program that Trinity was starting. That was where I met Zach and his daughter, Grace.
Zach was the new owner of the Willow Valley Inn. He’d come in to return a book his daughter had borrowed from the program. We exchanged pleasantries and that was when the computer had gone down. Zach lost his patience, and that was when our pleasant conversation turned sour. I wasn’t worried about it because I figured I’d never see him again.
I was wrong. It turns out in a small town, everyone sees everyone almost daily, if not twice a day. At the grocery store, the gas station, the elementary school and as luck would have it, the bookstore. Soon, our conversations turn pleasant again, and without even trying, I find myself drawn to him. Then he asks me out on a date.
Despite my reservations, I decided to take a chance on love again. But just when things start to look up, Zach’s ex-wife suddenly reappears, causing chaos in his life once more. Which somehow causes chaos in mine when my children begin acting out.
Leaning on one another for support, we navigate obstacles that life throws at us. As time passes I begin to wonder if another chance at love will bring us closer together or make each one of us run the other way?
“Oh my god!” I screamed, grabbing for a towel that hung on the towel rack and quickly covering myself. It was too late, though. I knew he’d seen me, just like I saw him, as he quickly grabbed for the shower curtain that I’d ripped away from covering him. We both stood there, looking at one another, our faces red, each one of us mortified in the moment. It was then I turned around, ripping my eyes from him. “I thought you were downstairs. God, Zach, I’m so embarrassed. I’m so…” I took off from the bathroom, feeling like I could die. Panicking, I raced around the room, grabbing clothes from my suitcase as my heart raced until I felt faint. I dropped my clothes to the floor and sat down on the bed, breathing hard, trying to erase what I’d just seen. I heard the bathroom door open and then felt the end of the bed dip down and a warm hand on my bare shoulder. “Zach, please, this is just all too much,” I said, my vision blurring as I looked out the window. “Hey. It’s alright. Look, I’m going to take a step back here, and I’d like you to do the same. Look at me.” I could barely turn my head, but I did, and when I met his eyes, I didn’t see someone who was embarrassed. Instead, he looked at me with the same look he’d given me ever since we met. “We are two adults. We are sharing a room. I know you didn’t think I was in there. Hell, I didn’t think you were back up here or were coming up anytime soon. So how about we both just forget what happened and try to have a good evening.” I swallowed hard. I still felt like I wanted to die, and here he was trying hard to ignore the fact that we’d seen one another in our birthday suits. “Zach, I can’t.” “You can. I know you can. Now I’m going to get dressed and leave you so you can get ready for dinner. I’ll meet you in the lobby.” He didn’t say another word. Instead, he did as he said he was going to. Once he was gone, I reached for my cell phone. I needed help, and the only one I could think of was my sister.
S.L. Sterling was born and raised in southern Ontario. She now lives in Northern Ontario Canada and is married to her best friend and soul mate and their two dogs.
An avid reader all her life, S.L. Sterling dreamt of becoming an author. She decided to give writing a try after one of her favorite authors launched a course on how to write your novel. This course gave her the push she needed to put pen to paper and her debut novel "It Was Always You" was born.
When S.L. Sterling isn't writing or plotting her next novel she can be found curled up with a cup of coffee, blanket and the newest romance novel from one of her favorite authors on her e-reader. Her favorite authors include Kendall Ryan, Vi Keeland, Penelope Ward, Lauren Blakely, Alessandra Torre and Willow Winters.
In her spare time, she enjoys camping, hiking, sunny destinations, spending quality time with family and friends and of course reading.
Title: Caution
Series: Harper Security Ops #14
Author: A.K. Evans
Genre: Military Romantic Suspense
Tropes: Bodyguard Romance/Close Proximity
Found Family
Release Date: April 2, 2024
BLURB
Like every hardworking member of Harper Security Ops, Forrest Hickman takes time away from work to relax and recharge. And he often does that while riding his snowboard on the slopes of his favorite ski resort.
He wasn’t sure anything would be better than some time alone to clear his head. That is, until he meets someone to spend his break with.
Daisy Clark is searching for a place to put down roots. And she’s doing that while she tries to get back to some semblance of a normal life. Daisy’s always been an adventure seeker—that’s what got her into this mess—and that adventure leads her to Forrest.
For two weeks, Forrest and Daisy spend time with one another forming a deep connection. And when the time is up, they go their separate ways. But neither forgets about the other.
Then Daisy’s trouble catches up with her.
And that’s when she throws caution to the wind and confides in Forrest. She just hopes that her predicament doesn’t dull the spark between them.
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COMING SOON
Releasing May 28
AUTHOR BIO
A.K. Evans is a contemporary romance author of over forty published novels. While she enjoys writing a good romantic suspense novel, Andrea’s favorite books to write have been her extreme sports romances. That might have something to do with the fact that she, along with her husband and two sons, can’t get enough of extreme sports.
Before becoming a writer, Andrea did a brief stint in the insurance and financial services industry and managed her husband’s performance automotive business. That love of extreme sports? She used to drive race cars!
When Andrea isn’t writing, she can be found homeschooling her two sons, doing yoga, snowboarding, reading, or traveling with her family. She and her husband are currently taking road trips throughout the country to visit all 50 states with their boys.
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Cursed Wolf
-- EXCERPT: “I love that brain of yours, but don’t think so much right now Emmaline.” His next kiss was softer, sweeter. The warm rumble of his voice pulled me right out of my head. “Be here with me, beautiful. Just feel.” Don’t think. Feel. The voice in my head echoed what he said. In an effort to do just that, I barely lifted my head to kiss him again. My eyelids fell closed and I poured all of my focus into feeling Tryn. The softness of his lips contrasted with the roughness of his beard. The heat of him and the breadth of his body. My hands landed on his back and went searching. When I found the hem of his T-shirt, I dipped under it. Oh, I did not expect his skin to be so soft. The muscles underneath were hard, but also moved with a fluid grace that I never wanted to stop feeling. I already knew he gave great hugs, but to feel him wrap around me skin-to-skin would be on another level. As if reading my mind, Tryn made off with his shirt when our kisses broke apart for air. When he lowered to me again, his fingers drifted under my shirt slowly, giving me every opportunity to stop him. I didn’t. I kissed him harder, molding my body to his. A strong hand lifted me a few inches from the bed, just enough to get my shirt and bra off. “Fucking perfect,” Tryn murmured along my collarbone before kissing lower. My gaze found the ceiling. Any other time, I’d be in my head again, wondering if I looked weird topless, if my chest was smaller than what he preferred. But what I was quickly figuring out? Tryn knew how to make a girl feel.
GIVEAWAY! MIKE BRAVO OPS: ZEUSMike Bravo Ops #4by Eden FinleyBlog TourRelease Date: March 28, 2024Cover Design: Cate Ashwood Designs Genre: M/M Romantic Suspense Standalone Trope: Found family SynopsisCALLIE
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