The Beef Game (Dayton Valley book 3) by Nikki Ashton Blurb Welcome to Dayton Valley, ranch country with a sum population of 9022. Sounds idyllic, and it is… until it isn’t Kitty I’m back to live and work in the place I called home as a kid, Dayton Valley. I hadn’t realized how much I’d missed it, or the people. One person in particular—Jefferson Delaney. He was hot at fifteen, but now at forty-eight, damn he’s matured well. I don’t think my lady parts will ever get over our reunion. Let’s just say we wasted no time in getting to know each other again. Having sex with your high school boyfriend after thirty years apart isn’t too forward, right? Jefferson When I was fifteen there was a girl who rocked my world. She left and I got over it. Now she’s back and boy did she grow up—curves to die for and lips for sin. As she’s planning my son’s wedding, I know I should keep it professional. Sometimes though, you’ve just gotta go with your gut, and when a woman needs some special kind of attention, it really doesn’t matter how swift the reunion! Distracting your son’s wedding planner with an orgasm isn’t wrong, right? Dayton Valley… where the men are hard, and the women are horny Links to Nikki's books: https://linktr.ee/nikkiashtonbooks Meet the Author Nikki lives in Cheshire with her husband, two dogs, and lovely mother-in-law who supplies her with endless cups of tea. She writes contemporary and romantic comedy romances and hopes that she puts a smile on her reader's faces and a sigh in their heart. Nikki is grateful for the wide variety of strange and wonderful people in her life, otherwise, she'd never know what to write about! She always takes a keen interest in family and friends, finding out their innermost secrets in readiness for her next book. www. - http://www.nikkiashtonbooks.co.uk/ Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/NikkiAshtonBooks Twitter - https://twitter.com/NikkerAsh Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/nikkiashtonauthor/ Pinterest - https://uk.pinterest.com/davnikash/
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Today we are celebrating the release of the newest romantic suspense title from New York Times Bestselling Author Toni Anderson! COLD AS ICE is a Cold Justice - The Negotiators novel and it is available now. Add the book to Goodreads and follow Toni for exclusive updates.
Check out the purchase links for the book below.PURCHASE NOWAmazon | Apple | Nook | Kobo | GooglePlay
COLD AS ICE by Toni AndersonA Romantic Suspense | Available Now Add it to Goodreads Book Blurb:"A terrific, twisting romantic thriller that will keep you guessing until the end! Don't miss this one!" ~#1 NYT Bestselling Author Barbara Freethy. When Darby O'Roarke wakes up in a strange house with a dead man - with no memory of what happened - she knows who she has to call: FBI Supervisory Special Agent Eban Winters...the man she fell for, and who rejected her, last summer. A negotiator isn't supposed to get involved with kidnap victims, and Eban has been trying to avoid the temptation that is Darby O'Roarke ever since they met. One frantic phone call has him racing to Alaska to uncover the truth, but he faces stubborn opposition from the local police, and a growing media frenzy. Getting Darby released from jail and keeping her safe is his first priority. When another woman is brutally slain, evidence emerges that suggests Darby is being framed, and that the culprit is a vicious serial killer who has eluded the FBI for more than a decade...and, now, the killer has Darby in their sights.
PURCHASE NOWAmazon | Apple | Nook | Kobo | GooglePlayExcerptShe did not regret what she’d done last summer. She’d kill that monster again to save herself, Quentin and Haley. Her mind flashed to the image of martin from earlier that morning, and bile rose in her throat. That crime had not been committed in the heat of the moment. It has been cold and calculated.
She thought about the short conversation with Eban on the phone that morning and his insistence that she didn’t talk to the cops without a lawyer. He’d sounded serious and a little bit desperate. Presumably, he believed a lawyer could help. She didn’t think Eban would do anything except try to uncover the truth, but what if she was the killer? How would she live with herself then?
The detective caught her watching and turned away to switch on the recording equipment in the corner of the room. She calmly stated everyone’s names for the record. That brought Darby’s situation sharply into focus. The only person in the room facing potentially life-changing consequences from this interview was her.
Elliot put his hand on her shoulder and gave her a squeeze of reassurance.
It was a silent message of support, but she wondered if he genuinely believed in her innocence, especially now he knew the whole story. Sure, he’d fight for her, if only to protect his success rate and billable hours, but did he care she might actually be innocent?
The death of her naivety and growing cynicism were products of her recent life experiences. She longed to be the old Darby who saw the world as wide open for adventure and exploration without the inherent danger. Since her kidnap, her world had shrunk to her work studies, her friends, Eban, and her immediate surroundings.
Her outlook had become purely defensive.
She wanted her hope back. Her optimism. She wanted her freedom. It was an epiphany that might have come at exactly the wrong moment in her life.
The clock on the wall ticked and Darby felt the inexorable passage of time with each quiet click. What happened if she wasn’t released? As in, ever…
She understood his concerns even though she knew he was mistaken as to why she was attracted to him. Maybe he’d been right at the beginning. She’d been a mess. Too raw to make important decisions. But lately her attraction was all about the man himself. His dark liquid eyes, his quiet strength, his voice, his unending support…
Well, maybe unending wasn’t quite accurate under the circumstances.
Eban was a good man who’d always kept her at arm’s length—except that one brief moment long ago when he’d kissed her back.
The world had lost a great scientist, a good man, because of her. She was a monster. She was a murderer. Locking her up made perfect sense. Protect other innocent people from her level of psychosis.
How could she live with what she’d done?
She squeezed her eyes closed. She’d killed a man. A man who had always been kind and friendly toward her. A man she’d laughed and danced with and had once contemplated kissing.
She held her hands out in front of her and stared at them in disbelief. How could she have done it? Killed someone in cold blood and managed to freak herself so badly she’d blocked the memory from her mind?
If felt as if an alien had inhabited her body and wiped her memories. Was this insanity? Was she genuinely mentally ill? All those hours of therapy. All the “progress” nothing but wishful thinking.
She stared into the distance. She had survived Indonesia. She had no idea how she would survive this.
Despite the stress of the day and everything that had happened over the last two days, she wasn’t tired. Her body was strung tight from being alone with Eban. Her mind abuzz with possibilities.
Last night they’d both been too tense to think about anything except decompressing and staying safe. Now all she could think about was the fact Eban seemed open to the two of them moving beyond friends, something she’d craved for so long.
-------------------------AUTHOR INFORMATION:
Toni Anderson writes award-winning, bestselling, FBI Romantic Thrillers. She is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author, RITA® finalist, science nerd, professional tourist, dog lover, gardener, mom. Anderson's books have won the Readers' Choice Award, Aspen Gold, National Excellence in Romance Fiction, Book Buyers' Best. Originally from a small town in Shropshire, England, Toni studied Marine Biology at University of Liverpool (B.Sc.) and University of St. Andrews (Ph.D.) with the intention she'd never be far from the ocean. Well, that plan backfired and she ended up in the Canadian prairies with her biology professor husband, two kids, a rescue dog, and a laid-back leopard gecko. Toni started writing while pregnant with her first child and never stopped. Her greatest achievements are mastering the Tokyo subway, climbing Ben Lomond, snorkeling the Great Barrier Reef, and surviving fifteen Winnipeg winters (fingers crossed). She loves to travel for research purposes and was lucky enough to visit the Strategic Information and Operations Center inside FBI Headquarters in Washington, D.C. in 2016. She also got to shove another (police) car off the road during pursuit training at the Writer’s Police Academy. Basically she has way too much fun! For more information about Toni and her books, please visit her website: https://www. FIND TONI ANDERSON:Website | Facebook | Twitter | Newsletter | Instagram | Goodreads
Title: Love Reimagined
Series: HeartFelt #2
Author: Alina Lane
Genre: Contemporary Small Town Romance
Release Date: September 23, 2021
BLURB
As a committed bachelor, I never met a challenge I couldn’t talk myself into.
Show up at my best friend’s author signing in a dress? You bet. Besides, I look good.
An impulsive engagement to the love of my life? Great decision until I found her in bed with a tourist.
Open up my heart again? True love deserves your best—okay, you can stop right there. The closest I’ve come is last year’s one-night stand—Olivia, you’re the only exception I’d ever make.
Until my next rock-climbing programs are short one instructor, and guess who fate delivers to my group?
Seems our friends are desperate to play matchmaker—the least I can do is agree to pretend she’s already taken. You know, by me.
That is until I feel the first chink in my bachelor armor. It’s stupid, but…I’m tempted. Even though opening our hearts means opening our pasts, and I can tell Olivia’s got secrets of her own.
I always knew my next dare might be the one that broke me, but when the facts come out, one thing is for sure: what hurts the most aren’t the truths we tell, but the secrets we keep.
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AUTHOR BIO
Alina Lane writes swoony, steamy, romance that combines all three to capture you from page one and keep you hooked long past the happily ever after.
A pocket sized powerhouse, Alina lives with her personal Hunky Hero and two children in Arizona. Slathering on sunscreen and living life to its fullest she enjoys hiking, camping, fishing and rock climbing in her desert backyard.
When not hard at work on your next literary escape, you can find Alina embracing her bad-assery on Call of Duty, binge reading or shopping for nail dip sets to compliment her book covers.
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Sinless. Stunning. Damaged. Tempting. The Deceit of a Devil, the passion-filled and emotional conclusion to The Taste of an Enemy Duet from Holly Renee is available now! Allie Taylor had been the girl I hated for as long as I could remember. And now she loathed me just as much. It didn’t matter that I betrayed her to save her. Completely devastated and infuriated by my dishonesty, she had no intentions of ever trusting me again. Her trust was shattered, her hate raging on with each second. She would never look at me the same again. Our past was full of pain and lies that could never be forgotten. I knew what I did was irreparable, but I refused to let her walk away without another chance. I should have left things in the past. I didn’t. I couldn’t. I won’t. I needed her. Even if it cost me everything.
Download your copy today! Start the duet with The Taste of an Enemy! Excerpt from The Taste of an Enemy, Book One “What?” I chuckled as I slipped on my socks and shoes.“Nothing.” She shrugged her shoulders. “I’m just impressed, is all.” I chuckled and Beck shoved his sister’s chair, almost making her fall. “That’s my friend, asshole. You don’t get to be impressed.” “No. She’s right.” Josie was still staring at me too. “I really expected you to have the smallest dick.” “I feel like I should be offended.” I leaned back in my chair. “It’s your personality.” Allie shrugged. “You know, cocky guy, small dick. Showy car, small dick.” “Okay, Allie.” I pressed my elbows into my knees and looked across the fire at her. “Truth or dare?” She stared at me, and I had a feeling that no matter what she picked she wouldn’t do it. “Truth.” I let my gaze slide to Eli before it went back to her. I shouldn’t have even called her name. I should just ask her something stupid and move on, but my heart raced in my chest, and I didn’t hesitate with what I asked her next. “When was the last time that you were truly turned on? I mean really and truly, couldn’t-think-about-anything-else turned on?” A few people snickered, but I didn’t look away from her. She didn’t pull her gaze away from me either as she answered, but I knew her answer was a lie the moment it left her mouth. “When Eli kissed me.” “Carson, truth or dare?” “Truth.” “When was the last time you were really and truly turned on? And I mean to the point that you actually considered kissing the girl?” “Oh shit.” That came from Olly, but no one said anything to stop us. “Just about any time I’m with you, but if you’re looking for a specific moment, the night the cops walked in while I was going down on you.” Laughter rang out around us, but neither of us was deterred. “Allie, truth or dare?” “Truth.” There was no hesitation in her eyes. She wasn’t scared of what I had to say. “Do you actually like Eli, or are you just pissed off at me?” “This is the exact reason people think you have a small dick.” She crossed her arms. “You assume that everything anyone does it about you when it isn’t. I actually like Eli, for your information.” She tucked a blonde curl behind her ear. “Carson, truth or dare?” “This is about to get messy,” Josie whispered to Beck, but I heard her. She was right. It probably was. “Dare.” I cocked my head to the side and looked at her. “I dare you to stop being such an asshole and just tell us what the hell your problem is.” “My problem?” I rubbed at my jaw. “Currently my problem is you. You haven’t barely spoken to me in days, you’ve been avoiding me like the plague at community service, and now…” “Now what?” She was angry. “Now I have to sit here and watch you with him.” I pointed at Eli, and he had the nerve to fucking smirk at me. “I haven’t spoken to you because the last time we spoke, you made it very clear where we stood. I’ve been avoiding you because I don’t want to deal with you, and you’re going to have to continue to watch me with him because I like him. And it’s the oddest thing, but he likes me too.” “Truth or dare?” “I’m done playing this stupid game.” She pushed out of her seat, and I knew that Eli was about to follow her. “Truth or dare, Allie? It’s not that hard.” She spun back around to face me, and I could see the anger in her eyes. “Fine. Dare.” She held out her arms because she thought by ending the truths, she was going to end this argument between us. “I dare you to kiss me.” “That’s not happening.” Eli had the balls to say that out loud to me, and it took everything inside me not to close the space between us and finish what we had started last weekend. “The last time I checked, you weren’t Allie’s boyfriend, and you don’t speak for her.” I looked back to Allie, and she was staring at me. “Allie can either kiss me or she can drink.” I lifted the bottle of liquor and shook it between us. “You kissing me changes nothing.” She shook her head. “Then it won’t hurt.” I shrugged my shoulders and tried to act like I didn’t care one way or another, even though I didn’t know what would happen if she walked away from me now. “If you’re so into Eli and kissing me won’t change anything, then what are you so scared of?”
About Holly I’m Holly Renee, a small-town east Tennessee girl who is obsessed with all things romance. I love bringing flawed, sassy, and real characters to life in a way that makes you feel like you’ve been best friends with them for years. No two Holly Renee books are the same, but if you love real, relatable, fun female characters and swoon-worthy heroes, I’m your girl.
When I’m not writing or reading, you can find me momming so hard, being disgustingly in love with my husband, or chilling in the middle of a lake with my sunglasses and a float. #lakelife I have a 2-year-old adorable little man who is as wild and sweet as they come and a baby girl on the way. Connect with Holly Facebook: https://bit.ly/3Cfk6xt Amazon: https://amzn.to/2VxNPkE Instagram: https://bit.ly/2Vn6kIh Join Holly’s Facebook reader group Hollywood: https://bit.ly/37kgiNb To stay up to date with Holly join her mailing list: https://bit.ly/3jm5a83 Website: https://www.authorhollyrenee.com Walk on the Wilder Side
Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes & Noble / iBooks / Kobo / Google Play -- EXCERPT: Connor paces back and forth a few times along the side of the boat, then slaps a hand on his thigh. ”I have an idea.” “What’s that?” “My mom’s got this new business. One of those sell-out-of-your home things. Beauty stuff, like body wash and perfume and shit. She does these girls’ night parties. Women love them. My mom can’t keep up with all the requests. I bet that would work for your boat. And my mom coordinates the food and wine and everything. You could redeem yourself without having to personally kiss a lot of ass. They do the party, you just supply the location.” Huh. I don’t hate the idea. “You’d still have to buy TP,” he says, always practical. “And not forget the bug wipes.” “I can totally handle that much. Jesus, that sounds like a fucking dream. I’m all over that.” “The only thing is, my mom broke her foot, so I don’t know about the whole boat thing.” “Well, shit,” I say. “How’d she do that?” “Stepped off the curb wrong in town, twisted it in the storm grate.” I wince. “That sucks.” “Yeah. But she said she was maybe going to ask Rachel to help her out, so I guess Rachel could do it.” You know the buzzer sound that signals the end of, well, anything? That’s the sound that just zapped through my brain. “Wait, Rachel’s home?” I try to make it sound like, “The Ducks have the early game?” or “You up for grabbing a pizza and a couple of beers?” but it still comes out sounding more like my sixteen-year-old self than I’d like. Luckily Connor doesn’t pick up on the fact that I just insta-reverted to my teenage years. “Yeah. Some shit hit the fan for her and she’s regrouping.” Rachel is Connor’s younger sister. Her hair is long and thick and not-quite-black. Her skin is a warm, light brown. She has dark brown eyes and a mouth that, in recent years, has made me think about blow jobs. Okay, who am I kidding? Her mouth has made me think about blow jobs for way longer than I want to admit. My life plan, since late high school, has been to avoid Rachel Perez at all costs, because that lip—her whole mouth, in fact—no, make that everything about her, inside and out—feels like a clear and present danger. However, because life is what happens when you’re busy making plans, Rachel is everywhere. She saw me last month when Len Dix taunted me in Oscar’s Saloon & Grill and I punched his lights out. She doesn’t even live here; she just happened to be in town from the East Coast to visit her mother. They were taking a family ski trip for her mom’s birthday. And now she is, possibly, the only thing standing between me and a simple solution to my business problem. “Do you really think Gabe would kick you out of the family business?” Connor asks. Right. In corner one, we have the threat to my sanity from Rachel Perez. And in corner two, we have the threat to my livelihood and family life from Gabe Wilder.
GIVEAWAY!
Title: Cocky Counsel
A Cocky Hero Club Novel
Author: Samantha Baca
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Release Date: September 26, 2021
Vi Keeland and Penelope Ward are excited to bring you the Cocky Hero Club: original works from various authors inspired by Keeland and Ward's New York Times bestselling Cocky Bastard series.
BLURB
I’m rarely a man who mixes business with pleasure but when I find myself hypnotized by a beautiful woman at the nightclub, I make the time to enjoy the finer things in life. Like having a quickie in the linen closet. Fast forward two weeks when that same magnificent woman shows up to my office, ready to work for my law firm as our new attorney.
Everything inside me screams I should step back and forget the girl that I haven’t been able to get out of my head, but it’s nearly impossible when she’s working in the office directly across from me. Her professional attitude and sexy attire do nothing to keep the inappropriate thoughts out of my head. But when a sexual harassment lawsuit from a former employee falls into my lap, I’m forced to walk away or risk losing everything I’ve worked so hard for.
Lust isn’t anything to worry about. It’s love you have to watch out for. It’ll bite you in the ass at the least opportune time.
Cocky Counsel is an instalove/office romance inspired by Stuck-Up Suit.
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Samantha lives in the southwest with her husband and two small children after abandoning her childhood dream of living in a cabin in Colorado when she found that she couldn’t afford to live there and was deathly allergic to the woods. When she’s not writing she’s usually spouting off sarcastic remarks while drinking wine out of a coffee mug to look like a functional adult while chasing down her toddlers. She enjoys spending time with her family, watching reruns of Friends, and the 24/7 flow of coffee that can be found in her veins. Be sure to follow her on social media for updates on what she’s working on.
COCKY HERO CLUB
Title: Wicked Wingman
A Cocky Hero Club Novel
Author: Sage Spelling
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Release Date: September 26, 2021
Vi Keeland and Penelope Ward are excited to bring you the Cocky Hero Club: original works from various authors inspired by Keeland and Ward's New York Times bestselling Cocky Bastard series.
BLURB
Summer
I’m a workaholic and proud of it. I’ve accomplished everything on my ten-year plan, except getting married before turning thirty. The problem is, I don’t believe in romance or true love anymore—but my biological clock is screaming at me. I probably shouldn’t have accepted an arranged marriage proposal, but I did, and I boarded a plane to Argentina to meet my future husband. Fate, however, had other plans. When we experienced engine trouble and had an emergency landing in Rio de Janeiro, I didn’t think things could get worse. But then I bumped into Naseem Kakos, the man who broke my heart and shattered my faith in love twelve years ago.
Naseem
Life is too damn short. In a blink of an eye, things change, or worse, tragically end—because tomorrow isn’t guaranteed. I spend my days and nights jet-setting around the world looking for my next adventure, yet when I randomly bumped into the overconfident, prideful, and absolutely gorgeous Summer Seba, I was forced to face my inner demons and the hollow shell my life had become without her in it.
But would my declaration of love be enough to keep her in my arms and stop her from marrying a stranger? Or would she deny me if I couldn’t defeat my fears of my own mortality?
Wicked Wingman is a second chance romance inspired by Playboy Pilot.
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Sage Spelling’s love affair with romance started when she was a child and her mother told tall tales of faraway worlds filled with magic, mystery and happy endings. Whatever hardship the characters suffered, in the end they were granted a happily ever after. It was guaranteed and she knew her investment in the characters and the story was going to be rewarded. Growing up in a strict Chaldean Catholic family, she found freedom in-between the pages of a novel. While she read, she wasn’t confined to her family’s rules and principles. She could be anyone . . . anywhere. Sage is a Potter-head, Supernatural fanatic, BDB Harlot, a Fashionista and a believer in love at first sight.
COCKY HERO CLUB
Today we are celebrating the release of MAVERICK by Brenda Rothert. This is a contemporary, hockey romance title and the first book in the Sin City Saints series.
You can purchase your copy now.
Purchase MAVERICK Here:Amazon | Nook | Kobo | Apple | GooglePlay
MAVERICK by Brenda Rothert
Available Now | Sin City Saints, #1Purchase MAVERICK Here:Amazon | Nook | Kobo | Apple | GooglePlay
Book Blurb:
The Vegas heat just kicked up a notch with the arrival of ice hockey’s newest expansion team – the Sin City Saints.
Maverick Hagen’s fall from grace was more like a crash landing. His record-breaking career ended after a fight with an opponent over a woman left him with a broken leg, or so the pundits thought. Returning to the sport he loves as the captain of the league’s new expansion team, the Sin City Saints, his lucrative contract comes with just one rule—no romantic distractions. Gia Ford also makes her living playing a game—poker. The rounder has hit her stride in Vegas, quietly building her bank account one casino at a time. She’s got a score to settle, and nothing will get in her way—not even the sexy hockey player who’s willing to lose money just to see her in action. Maverick attracts attention, upsetting Gia’s under-the-radar game. Maverick and Gia can’t afford to give in to their magnetic attraction, with his career rebounding and her winnings growing. But the hotter their chemistry burns, the harder it is to deny. So will they or won’t they? In Vegas, there’s only one way to settle it—a bet, of course.
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--------------ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Brenda Rothert is an Illinois native who was a print journalist for nine years. She made the jump from fact to fiction in 2013 and never looked back. From new adult to steamy contemporary romance, Brenda creates fresh characters in every story she tells. She’s a lover of Diet Coke, chocolate, lazy weekends and happily ever afters.
AUTHOR LINKS:Website | Facebook | Twitter | Pinterest | Wattpad | Amazon
Wishes & Dreams Series
Paranormal Romance Date Published: 03-04-2021 Veterinarian Troy Shelton has no idea what he's letting himself in for when he rescues a friend's cat from the shelter after a dog attack. The friendly but demanding calico soon has Troy and his pregnant collie wrapped around her furry paw. But strange things begin happening in Troy's home when he’s away, and he could almost think someone else was living there besides him. Torn and hurting, Katerina appreciates Troy's gentle care. She also appreciates his strong form and handsome face as much as the way he cuddles her. She's trapped in her cat form until her wounds heal, but once she's well again she finds herself oddly reluctant to resume her human form and life away from Troy. But someone else is interested in Troy, and that someone else has already tried to kill Cat once. Excerpt: Troy paused, standing stock still, watching in amazement as Cherie greeted Katerina with the enthusiasm of an old friend, her whole hind end wagging along with her plumed tail. “Well, I’ll be darned.” Katerina leaned down to pet the collie’s head. Cherie took advantage of the moment, and swiped at Katerina’s cheek with her tongue. Oh, yuck! She’d swear Cherie was grinning at her. She was so going to get that dog. “That’s amazing,” Troy told her. “I never saw Cherie take to someone so quickly.” Katerina hid a smile, fondling the collie. “She knows an animal person when she sees one, don’t you, Cherie?” Jacinth seemed to be having spasms in the background, and as Troy turned away to unlatch the door of the horse trailer, Katerina crossed her eyes and stuck her tongue out at the unrepentant Djinn. Benny came bouncing up to them, wide-eyed with excitement. “Hi, Miss Kat,” he said respectfully. He then stood staring at her until she sighed, leaning down close to the boy's ear. “Stop that,” she whispered. “Or I’ll sharpen my claws on your pool raft next time I’m at your house.” His eyes rounded, impressed at the awesomeness of the threat. “Would you really?” Katerina ruffled his hair. “No, but you have to be good and keep my secret, okay?” “Yeah, I know. I won’t tell anyone, Miss Kat. I promise.” “There’s a good boy. Now, Troy’s got the ramp down, why don’t you go help get Ladybug out of the trailer?” “Oh, yeah!” He ran off. A small hand slipped into Katerina’s. Surprised, she looked down to see Molly at her side. “Well, hi, sweetie,” she said. “I like you,” Molly announced, the innocent blue eyes solemn as she gazed at Katerina. “Umm... thank you.” Katerina looked at the little girl helplessly. She’d never had anything to do with children before, except in her cat form. And then she’d never had to do anything but let them pet her, and purr. “Up?” Molly lifted chubby little arms. “Sure.” She bent down, and the arms wound themselves around her neck, and a somewhat wet kiss was placed on her cheek as she straightened, the little girl carefully balanced on one hip. “Shall we go see them put Firefly and Ladybug in their new home?” “Uh-huh. I’m going to ride Ladybug.” “Are you? How nice. Not today, I hope.” “No. She’s too little,” Molly informed her. “I have to wait til she grows up.” About the Author Allie McCormack is a disabled U.S. military veteran, now pursuing her life-long dream of being a writer. Allie has traveled quite a bit and lived many places all over the U.S., as well as a year in Cairo, Egypt as an exchange student, and a year in Saudi Arabia under contract to a hospital in Riyadh. Allie now lives in wine country in beautiful southern California with her family and two rescue cats. Allie says: "A writer is who and what I am... a romance writer. I write what I know, and what I know is romance. Dozens of story lines and literally hundreds of characters live and breathe within the not-so-narrow confines of my imagination, and it is my joy and privilege to bring them to life, to share them with others by writing their stories." Contact Links Purchase Links Mistle Text: ‘Twas the Text Before Christmas …
-- EXCERPT: “My boss needs a personal shopper for Christmas, and I’ve already told him I know the very best one in Manhattan.” Toni gives me an open-mouthed smile, clearly expecting me to jump up and down. “Your boss. As in Archibald Snooty Pants the Forty-Second?” I ask, pursing my lips. She opens her mouth, but I cut her off with one finger in the air. “You complain about the man all the time.” “It’s not like he’s a horrible person, he’s just a one trick pony—all work and no play. Plus, it’s not like you’ll have to work side-by-side with him or anything. You probably won’t even have to see him.” “I’m not a personal shopper,” I tell her. “Unless his family and friends want ramen noodles or discount t-shirts from the guy who sells them out of his trunk in front of my apartment building, I would have no idea what to buy.” “Yeah, well, Archie doesn’t know that.” She pumps her eyebrows up and down like a comedian. “Toni, you told me the guy was a rich stuck-up preppy from the Hamptons. While I would love nothing more than to make some extra money, I don’t have the foggiest notion how to shop for rich people.” “So watch some holiday episodes of Real Housewives and see what they buy each other. He’ll tell you how much to spend on each person. Come on, Holl, it’s not brain surgery. It’s shopping. You know how to shop. And you need the money.” “What if he hates me?” I despise feeling so pathetic, but I’m totally out of my league here. “Then he hates you. So what? Believe me when I tell you, Archibald Harrington only thinks about work. You can’t take anything he says personally.” Dread slams into me like a wrecking ball. “How much do you think I can make?” “Enough to pay for Christmas and at least the next three months of Faith’s preschool tuition. How can you pass that up?” The answer is, I can’t. And if it means working for a cranky billionaire, then Toni is right. I’ll do whatever I have to do in order to take care of Faith. I just can’t guarantee I’ll like it. “Fine,” I tell her. “How many gifts am I supposed to buy?” “He’ll need all of his family gifts, which include his godfather’s family. He’s spending Christmas with them in Newport. He wants you to cover his business gifts, as well. The VIPs are starred, meaning those particular gifts need to be extra-amazing. I’ve also made you a list of everything that I want, so I don’t wind up with another Monte Blanc pen. I’ve already sold three of those suckers on eBay and I only get a fraction of what they’re worth.” “I don’t even know what a Monte Blanc pen is.” My chest tightens like I’m not getting enough oxygen. She hands me a piece of paper. “This is a list of websites to check out. You can order everything and have it delivered here.” “Why can’t I just have everything sent to his office? What am I going to do with it?” After taking a healthy swig of white zinfandel, Toni says, “You’re going to wrap everything up and make it look like Santa himself cracked the whip on the gift-wrapping elves. Once you have everything purchased and ready, I’ll send a car to pick the gifts up.” “You’ll send a car, will you?” I tease. “Yeah, well, I can do those fancy things in the name of my boss.” “How am I going to pay for everything?” I ask. “I have about two hundred dollars of credit left on my card. I don’t think that’s going to cut it.” Toni opens her purse and hands me a shiny black credit card. “There’s no limit, so if you don’t mind doing a little jail time, you could have a lot of fun.” “No limit? I can’t imagine such a thing.” I fantasize about what damage I could do with plastic like this. Not only could I pay for Faith’s school for the rest of the year, but I could also get my mom into one of those nursing homes that has a hair salon and restaurant. I could upgrade to a two-bedroom apartment so Faith doesn’t have to sleep in the closet anymore, and I could even splurge and buy myself some real leather gloves. “You’re imagining, aren’t you?” Toni jolts me out of my daydream. “I most certainly am. The first thing I’d do is buy Faith whatever winter coat she wanted and then I’d take her out to a nice restaurant.” Toni rolls her eyes. “If you’re going down for a crime, you’ve got to think bigger.” I stare at the card for a second, then look back up at Toni. “How can you stand working for someone who has so much? Don’t you just want to steal cash out of his wallet once in a while?” I don’t really have the heart of a felon, I’m just tired of always being broke. “The nice thing about Archie is that even though he has the personality of a killer shark, he’s generous. He has a Friday lunch catered for his staff every week, and he makes sure to float us enough extras that none of us are tempted to steal from him. He’s a good businessman.” “Even though he’s a stuck-up preppy?” I ask for clarification. “Exactly.” I look at the list of stores she thinks I should shop at—Tiffany’s, Saks Fifth Avenue, Harrods, The House of Bijan … “What’s my budget?” She hands me another piece of paper. The handwriting isn’t hers, so I’m guessing it’s Archie’s. “He wants me to spend four thousand dollars on his mother?!” “Yup. He wants her to have two gifts. One of them needs to be the main. The other can be fancy ass chocolates or something.” “Right, but probably not gas station chocolates.” “Quit stressing, Holls, you’ve got this.” I don’t know why, but for the life of me I can’t see this ending well…
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