The Christmas Bride by Christy McKee - Book Tour - Book Review - Giveaway - Enter Daily!

Hi, lovelies!!  It gives me great pleasure today to host Christy McKee and her new book, “The Christmas Bride,” here on FAB!!  For other stops on her Goddess Fish Promotions Book Tour, please click on the banner above or any of the images in this post.

Be sure to make it to the end of this post to enter to win a $25 Amazon OR Barnes and Noble Gift Card!!  Also, come back daily to interact with Christy and to increase your chances of winning!!

Thanks for stopping by!!  Wishing you all lots of good luck in this fabulous giveaway!!

The Christmas Bride

by Christy McKee

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

GENRE:   Second Chance Holiday Romance

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

BOOK BLURB:

She’s ruled by her emotions. He’s determined to prove his feelings are real. Is snow-covered Vermont a perfect place for a second chance at forever?

Emma Kimball is struggling to keep tradition alive. Drowning in debt from her late mother’s medical bills, she escapes to spend December in her childhood’s beloved small-town inn. And the last complication she needs is for her handsome ex to crash her wintery wonderland.

Dr. Jake Cutter almost has it all. Nine years after their painful breakup, he’s bent on chasing a Yuletide miracle to win back the woman he loves. So even knowing that she’s skittish to reconnect, he's willing to do the work to thaw her heart.

Scared she'll wreck her future and end up with someone just like her overly controlling father, a wary Emma resists the allure of her old flame’s attempts to reconcile. But as Jake worries about once again messing up the best thing ever, he refuses to stop hoping he's been good enough to earn a kiss underneath the mistletoe.

Can an unexpected holiday reunion turn out to be the greatest gift of all?

The Christmas Bride is a heartwarming contemporary romance. If you like complex characters, idyllic seasonal settings, and jingle-bell charm, then you’ll adore Christy McKee’s tale of forgiveness and fate.

Buy The Christmas Bride to unwrap happily ever after today!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

EXCERPT TWO:

It seemed odd he would abandon his dream so easily. “You dreamed of going to California and being a surgeon since you were ten. Did you stay long enough to give it a chance?”

Curious over the turn his life had taken, she took a swallow of her cabernet and wondered what brought about the change of heart. “All those beautiful California girls…did one of them break your heart?”

“No. Heart’s still intact. Why?” He pinned her with a hot, slow smile. “Want it back?”

“Of course not.” She tamped on the involuntary sizzle zinging through her body. His sexy smile never failed to get her stirred up. “We’re different people now.” She took a healthy gulp of her soda, hoping it would calm the mad churning in her stomach.

“All grown up, aren’t we? So, tell me.” He gave her a questioning look. “Did you stay in social work?”

“Yes.”  I’m at Fordham Hospital in Manhattan, and I love my job.” Come on, Emma. Wasn’t that tone in your voice a tad defensive? Just because Jake is a medical doctor doesn’t mean your job is any less important than his. It’s not a competition. But, she wasn’t about to admit her job was only part-time, paid a meager salary, and could no longer afford to keep it.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

MY BOOK REVIEW:

A wonderful Christmas time story!!

This book is a charming, heartwarming, romantic holiday read filled with engaging characters and second chance story lines.

I enjoyed the main characters, especially Emma.  She is likable and relatable.  I think other readers will be able to easily connect with her fun, sweet, honest, and warm demeanor.

I enjoyed the relationship between Emma and Jake.  The fun, flirty banter between these two was entertaining and lead to many LOL moments!!

There are some predictable scenes.  However, there are still a few unexpected twists and turns that you won’t see coming!!

This book is not listed as part of a book series and therefore can be read as a standalone book.

All in all, I enjoyed reading this book and would recommend it!!  I think all holiday romance readers and second chance story fans will like this book too!!  So, add it to your TBR List and get to reading – you won’t be disappointed!!

**Disclaimer: I received a complimentary copy of this book and have voluntarily provided an honest, and unbiased review in accordance with FTC regulations**

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

AUTHOR BIO & LINKS:

People always ask me why I became a writer. I think a writer was always inside me. When I was ten, I started a neighborhood newspaper with a kid's printing press my parents got for my birthday. It was my first gig as a news reporter. After college, as a broadcast major, I was primed and ready for TV news, which satisfied me for a few years, but it wasn't enough.

Sometimes what you are looking for is right in front of you, but you're so busy trying to find yourself you walk right past it. Growing up, I devoured historicals, but contemporary romance became my sweet spot when I started writing. Second chance romances and enemies to lovers are my favorite tropes.

I live with my husband and black Lab, Brody, in coastal North Carolina. We love to go to the beach in all seasons. Brody delights in chasing waves, and our three little grandchildren enjoy shell collecting. I love movies, reading, and exploring seaside villages and am always up for a travel adventure.

Several years later, during a summer break from Stephens College, I was hired as an intern at The Associated Press–a real prize for a broadcast major. Yes, I was in the big leagues now and though I warned myself to keep my "creativity" under wraps– some things you just can't control. This time I got into really hot water by mis-quoting a source. What I'd done was simply re-arrange a few words in a direct quote to make it flow better. Evidently my "re-arranging" altered the source's meaning and he was furious and out for blood; someone's head had to roll. The red-faced bureau chief fired me on the spot, muttering something about me trying my hand at fiction. Lesson finally learned: don't screw with the facts!

After working in TV news for a few years, I moved into commercial production, then freelance writing. Fewer and fewer facts and more creativity. Finally, I was on to something; working my way towards fiction where I could whip up my own batch of facts and no one could call me out.

Four years ticked by and I finally landed—where I should have started, years ago—on the green square clearly marked "fiction writer." What was I thinking all those years? Now, with my feet firmly planted—we are NOT moving again—I'm a full time writer of contemporary romance. With the support of my family and my two office assistants—Gracie, a black Lab and Lambeau, a yellow Lab named after Lambeau Field, home of the Green Bay Packers—I spend my days in a world of my own creation where the only facts that matter are the ones I invent. Hopefully, my readers will enjoy my stories as much as I love writing them!

Come visit me at www.christymckee.com

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

BOOK BUY LINKS:

Amazon US Kindle eBook:

https://amzn.to/3C8OEmp

Amazon US Paperback:

https://amzn.to/3vm6wX9

Amazon CA Kindle eBook:

https://www.amazon.ca/Christmas-Bride-Christy-McKee-ebook/dp/B0BJV15XD2

Amazon CA Paperback:

https://www.amazon.ca/Christmas-Bride-Christy-McKee/dp/195722858X

Kobo US eBook:

https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/the-christmas-bride-17

Kobo CA eBook:

https://www.kobo.com/ca/en/ebook/the-christmas-bride-17

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

GIVEAWAY INFO:

Christy will be awarding a $25 Amazon OR Barnes and Noble Gift Card (Winner’s Choice!!!) to a randomly drawn winner via Rafflecopter during the tour.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

**This post contains affiliate links and if clicked and a purchase is made, I may receive a small commission to help support this blog.  This does not cost you anything, it just helps pay for all those fabulous community outreach projects and awesome giveaways on here**

This contest is sponsored by a third party. Fabulous and Brunette is a registered host of Goddess Fish Promotions.  Prizes are given away by the sponsors and not Fabulous and Brunette. The featured author and Goddess Fish Promotions are solely responsible for the giveaway prize.

Who Says You Can't Go Home? by Andria Henry - Book Tour - Guest Post - Giveaway - Enter Daily!

Hi, lovelies!!  It gives me great pleasure today to host Andria Henry and her new book, “Who Says You Can't Go Home?” here on FAB!!  For other stops on her Goddess Fish Promotions Book Tour, please click on the banner above or any of the images in this post.

Be sure to make it to the end of this post to enter to win a $25 Amazon OR Barnes and Noble Gift Card!!  Also, come back daily to interact with Andria and to increase your chances of winning!!

Thanks for stopping by!!  Wishing you all lots of good luck in this fabulous giveaway!!

Who Says You Can't Go Home?

Camden Lake Series

Book One

by Andria Henry

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

GENRE:  Contemporary Romance

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

BLURB:

When Toronto party girl Kylie is fired from her perfect job, she's forced to do the one thing she never wanted to do: go home. Returning to her sleepy hometown is her definition of failure. She drags herself back to the lakeside town of Camden with her tail between her legs, and she'll do whatever it takes to get back to the big city.

When Derek runs a routine traffic stop on a speeder, the one person he never expects to see in Camden again is Kylie. In fact, he barely recognizes her. She doesn't look like the quiet, sweet girl he had a crush on in high school.

Kylie's brother offers her a job back in the city if she can prove she’s changed her ways. She finds the perfect opportunity, but it means working with Derek to save the town’s waterfront. Can she look past their feud and get the job done?

Can she avoid falling in love with him and complicating her plans to return to the big city?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

EXCERPT THREE:

Derek had arranged to meet with Kylie the next day. She had asked for a few days to make some phone calls, and they were meant to meet at the café that morning. His stomach roiled thinking about how completely immature he’d been the night before.

He was off duty and found himself unsure of how to dress. Normally he would have just thrown on jeans, whatever plain T-shirt was at the front of the drawer, and a long sleeve plaid shirt over top. When he checked his outfit in the mirror, everything looked so country.

It wasn’t like he was going to show up in a three-piece suit, but he didn’t want to feel like a bumpkin talking with her. Everyone else in their group of conspirators was either working or had family obligations, so it was only going to be the two of them. Plus, he should probably try to make a good impression and start over. In the end, he went with jeans and a tee, but threw on a navy blue knit sweater over top.

“Whoa,” Cate said when he came down the stairs to find her and Charlie sitting at the kitchen table. “Why are you so dressed up?”

“Meeting,” Derek mumbled and stalked over to the coffee maker.

“Uh huh.” Her eyebrow rose.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

GUEST POST:

Four Ways to Deal with Rejection as a Writer

Rejection in life is hard. Rejection in publishing is inevitable.

Even the best of the best of New York Times bestselling authors knows the sting of rejection. In fact, Stephen King tells in his book On Writing about a long nail he stuck into the wall above his typewriter at the beginning of his career. Every time he received yet another rejection letter, he would push it on to the nail with the rest and let it fuel his determination to keep writing.

Of course, knowing that rejection happens to every writer is one thing, but dealing with that punch in the gut when it comes your way is entirely another.

So, from my own experience, I give you: Four Ways to Deal with Rejection as a Writer (or just a human really)

1.)   Let go of the illusion of control. Once you’ve written a story and put it out in the world you have relinquished control of it. You can’t control how anyone else will receive it, interpret it, or feel about it. It’s out of your hands. The only thing you can control is that next story, so keep writing.

2.)   You are not your work. As writers, we put our heart and soul into our artform. It’s really easy to feel like a rejection of our work is a personal attack. But we have to keep reminding ourselves that one book or one story is not even our whole career, let along our whole selves. So, when that rejection comes, take some time to do something you love that is not writing. Give your heart a chance to remember that you also love painting, or dancing, or roller skating, or that you’re a killer board game player, or that you make the best chocolate chip cookies. There are so many more aspects of YOU. And YOU aren’t going to let this rejection keep you down for long.

3.)   Celebrate the process. You know what I did with my very first rejection letter? I posted about in on social media, I told all my friends, I gave it pride of place on the giant white board that hangs above my desk. You know why? I was PROUD. That was my first real proof that I was doing the work. I not only wrote a book, but I polished it and put it out into the world. Did you know that most of all books ever written are never even finished? Celebrate each victory as it comes; they are all important!

4.)   Never stop learning. Sometimes, our skills just aren’t there yet and that’s okay. Sometimes we have this amazing idea and this grand plan for the most epic of stories, but our skills in writing craft just don’t match up with that vision. Yet. So, we need to approach our writing careers as perpetual students. Take courses, read craft books, find supportive writing groups. Be open to feedback and different opinions, and you’ll find your skills growing until you’re ready to bring that big idea to life.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

AUTHOR BIO:

Andria Henry is the author of adult sweet romance and romantic comedy, as well as young adult and middle grade science fiction and fantasy. She firmly believes that coffee is a food group, the holiday season starts on November 1st, and that stories are our most important resource. She lives with her husband, kids, and furkids in Hamilton, Ontario.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

CONNECT WITH ANDRIA:

Website:

https://www.andriahenry.ca

Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/andriahenryauthor

Twitter:

https://twitter.com/andriaontherun

Pinterest:

https://www.pinterest.ca/andriaontherun

Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/andriaontherun

Goodreads Author Page:

https://www.goodreads.com/andriaontherun

Goodreads Book Page:

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/61069031-who-says-you-can-t-go-home

Amazon Author Page:

https://amzn.to/3R7AXJs

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

BOOK BUY LINKS:

Amazon US Kindle eBook:

https://amzn.to/3AnOPZ3

Amazon US Paperback:

https://amzn.to/3dUATOW

Amazon CA Kindle eBook:

https://www.amazon.ca/Who-Says-You-Cant-Home-ebook/dp/B09ZSRHP2D

Amazon CA Paperback:

https://www.amazon.ca/Who-Says-You-Cant-Home/dp/1957228660

Barnes and Noble NOOK eBook:

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/who-says-you-cant-go-home-andria-henry/1141450053

Kobo US eBook:

https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/who-says-you-can-t-go-home-1

Kobo CA eBook:

https://www.kobo.com/ca/en/ebook/who-says-you-can-t-go-home-1

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

GIVEAWAY INFO:

Andria will be awarding a $25 Amazon OR Barnes and Noble Gift Card (Winner’s Choice!!!) to a randomly drawn winner via Rafflecopter during the tour.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

**This post contains affiliate links and if clicked and a purchase is made, I may receive a small commission to help support this blog.  This does not cost you anything, it just helps pay for all those fabulous community outreach projects and awesome giveaways on here**

This contest is sponsored by a third party. Fabulous and Brunette is a registered host of Goddess Fish Promotions.  Prizes are given away by the sponsors and not Fabulous and Brunette. The featured author and Goddess Fish Promotions are solely responsible for the giveaway prize.

Ruby Red by D. L. Croisette - Book Tour - Guest Post - Giveaway - Enter Daily!

Hey, lovelies!!  It gives me great pleasure today to host D. L. Croisette and her new book, “Ruby Red,” here on FAB!!  For other stops on her Goddess Fish Promotions Book Tour, please click on the banner above or any of the images in this post.

Be sure to make it to the end of this post to enter to win a $25 Amazon OR Barnes and Noble Gift Card!!  Also, come back daily to interact with D. L. Croisette and to increase your chances of winning!!

Thanks for stopping by!!  Wishing you all lots of good luck in this fabulous giveaway!!

Ruby Red

by D. L. Croisette

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

GENRE:   Contemporary Romance

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

BLURB:

One night stands only need apply.

Ali Stinson is having a bad day. Her afternoon tryst was interrupted (before they got to the good part) to discover her investment manager ran away with all her money. Now she has to keep up appearances with her high society friends, find a dress for an upcoming charity event, and not fall in love with Sam, the cute bartender, who insists on helping her. Thing is, she’s 90% sure she doesn’t want help. Adulting is hard.

Looking for work, not love.

Sam Freemont is having a strange day. He was in the middle of the best kiss of his life when his boss walked in and halted the fun, which is not helping with the low profile he’s trying to maintain. Now he can’t get Ali off his mind or out of his dreams. Good thing she’s a regular at the swanky resort he just started working at. Gives him time to find a way back to her lips. Or better yet, into her heart.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

EXCERPT THREE:

Did Sam really just say she was the most beautiful woman in the world?

Despite her deplorable situation, Ali couldn’t help but smile. This man did have a way with words. His texts over the past few days always found a way to make things a little better.

Also, talking to him helped. A lightness she’d missed for a long time expanded in her chest. It hadn’t been an easy decision to tell someone and lay her problems before him, yet the confession came naturally. When she’d bumped into him at the café, relief at seeing him there had rushed in.

Kate walking in had frozen her, like a deer in headlights. As her senses returned, Ali’s first instinct was to run. Even though she didn’t stop to acknowledge the gesture, Ali assumed Sam wouldn’t refuse her plea for help.

His kindness, his open heartedness made it easy for her to tell him the details of her circumstances. He hadn’t judged her or laughed at her. Rather, he accepted her for what she was. Plus, there was his offer to help.

This guy was too good to be true.

There had to be some catch she wasn’t seeing. Or maybe she should stop holding Sam to the low standards of the other men in her life and try accepting him for who he was. She decided to trust him.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

GUEST POST:

5 Reasons Ruby Red is the Romance for You

My new a riches-to-rags, hidden identity, slow burn contemporary romance might just be your next favorite read. I’ve got five reasons you should give it a try.

1.) Turning a Dare into A Dream Come True

No, this isn’t the theme of my book, it’s the theme of my writing career. Storytelling has always been my thing. But it wasn’t until a friend dared me to write a romance that I took it seriously. My friend insisted I could write a more romantic story than the one she was currently reading. I went home that night and wrote the first three chapters of Ruby Red – A Romance. They are still the same three chapters in the book today. Two months later, I had the first draft finished.

2.) A reversal of themes

My friend in the story above was tired of reading stories about alpha male men and the selfless, caring woman who fall in love with them. So I wrote her a story about an alpha female and the selfless, caring man who fell in love with her. I added an additional twist by kicking the story off with a fast infatuation and flipping it quickly into a slow, smoldering romance.

3.) Bold, Dynamic Females only need apply

Ali Stinson insisted I write her story and that I write it well. She’s not your typical leading lady. Yes, she’s stubborn. Yes, she gets things done. Yes, she does it her way. But she is also compassionate, charitable, and gracious. Her past helped create the shield she wields, but her vivacious spirit is the reason she overcomes her hurts. In other words, she’s real, flawed and vulnerable. 

4.) Nice guys do finish last… and that’s a good thing

When trying to find the right love interest for Ali, I needed someone who could even out her rough edges, have the strength to fight for her and the stamina to keep up with the powerhouse. Sam turned into the Beta Hero readers didn’t know they needed. He’s a fan favorite, who stands by his woman, takes the time to figure out what she wants and gives her the space she needs. Oh, and he’s quite dreamy. Duh.

5.) Emotions are us

Ruby Red is packed with drama, contains a few laughs and has plenty of passion through its slow burn romance. At the heart of this story is… well, heart. It is a character driven story grounded in realistic emotions, with each character learning to overcome their hurts, with the support of the other. My beta readers and reviewers all agree, Ali and Sam’s emotional attachments and love for each other is the true draw to the story.

One more thing…

Did I mention I don’t play by the rules? This is more of a fun fact. I was looking for inspiration for my bold character and found this lipstick called “Love Is On” and that was once a possible title for Ali and Sam’s romance. It changed when I need a symbol of Ali’s resilience and, being a bit of a fashion bug, I took my favorite color, Ruby Red, for inspiration. The name stuck.

If you decide to give Ali and Sam’s love story a try, I hope you find a new book boyfriend, experience all the feels and cheer for my bold, courageous main characters.

P.S. Got a beta hero to recommend I read? DM me. I’m always looking for recommendations to add to my TBR.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

AUTHOR BIO:

D. L. Croisette is a storyteller. She had characters in her head before she had words in her mouth. Now she spins them into romantic stories full of drama and heart. Collector of international friends, avid traveller and always up for a new adventure, she snaps photos to remember each escapade, and peppers the best experiences into her stories. Ruby Red is her debut romance novel, and she’s probably at an outdoor café right now, dreaming up a bold new heroine to stir up trouble.

Drop by www.dlcroisette.com for a romantic quote, behind-the-scene goodies or to say hi.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

CONNECT WITH D. L. CROISETTE:

Website/Blog:

https://www.dlcroisette.com

Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/dlcroisette

Twitter:

https://twitter.com/dlcroisette

Pinterest:

https://www.pinterest.com/dlcroisette

TikTok:

https://www.tiktok.com/@dlcroisette

LinkedIn:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/dlcroisette

Goodreads Author Page:

https://goodreads.com/author/show/19932120.D_L_Croisette

Goodreads Book Page:

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/61004800-ruby-red---a-romance

Amazon Author Page:

https://amzn.to/3JSN5ve

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

BOOK BUY LINKS:

Amazon US Kindle eBook:

https://amzn.to/3w3v7R4

Amazon CA Kindle eBook:

https://www.amazon.ca/Ruby-Red-D-L-Croisette-ebook/dp/B09Z9W5BPH

Kobo US eBook:

https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/ruby-red-18

Kobo CA eBook:

https://www.kobo.com/ca/en/ebook/ruby-red-18

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

GIVEAWAY INFO:

D. L. Croisette will be awarding a $25 Amazon OR Barnes and Noble Gift Card (Winner’s Choice!!!) to a randomly drawn winner via Rafflecopter during the tour.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

**This post contains affiliate links and if clicked and a purchase is made, I may receive a small commission to help support this blog.  This does not cost you anything, it just helps pay for all those fabulous community outreach projects and awesome giveaways on here**

This contest is sponsored by a third party. Fabulous and Brunette is a registered host of Goddess Fish Promotions.  Prizes are given away by the sponsors and not Fabulous and Brunette. The featured author and Goddess Fish Promotions are solely responsible for the giveaway prize.

Skate Cute by Melissa J. Roche - Book Tour - Book Sale - Guest Post - Giveaway - Enter Daily!

Hey, lovelies!!  It gives me great pleasure today to host Melissa J. Roche and her new book, “Skate Cute,” here on FAB!!  For other stops on her Goddess Fish Promotions Book Tour, please click on the banner above or any of the images in this post.

Be sure to make it to the end of this post to enter to win a $25 Amazon OR Barnes and Noble Gift Card OR a Digital Copy of the Featured Book!!  That’s right – there will be TWO lucky winners!!  See below for more details.

Also, come back daily to interact with Melissa and to increase your chances of winning!!

This eBook is on SALE for ONLY $0.99 during the book tour.  See below for more details.

Thanks for stopping by!!  Wishing you all lots of good luck in this fabulous giveaway!!

Skate Cute

A Sacreola Sweethearts Novel

Book One

by Melissa J. Roche

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

GENRE:  Contemporary Romance

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

BLURB:

Kriss heads home to her small prairie town with 98% of an astrophysics PhD, a load of memories she’d rather not think about, and a survival plan: skate and graduate. Her plan doesn’t include the attention of a familiar admirer from the nearby fire station, one with an impressive physique, a hidden singing talent, and a smile dazzling enough to sweep her off her skates. Before she knows it, she’s falling for him—hard.

Chase has settled into the rhythms of his small-town firefighter routine, but he remembers Kriss from high school: the starry-eyed skater girl on her way out the door of his life. Now she’s back, just as gorgeous as ever, spinning around the next-door rink without a care in the world. Or so he thinks, until Kriss is targeted with mysterious acts of vandalism designed to derail her dreams. Can he help Kriss find the courage to stand up under the attacks and trust herself to love again?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

EXCERPT ONE:

He rounded the first corner at the far end of the field and snuck a glance back toward the rink just in time to watch Kriss’s long ponytail sail out behind her helmet with another tight spin. That one must not have gone quite as planned, because she stumbled a little and lurched sideways. But she recovered gracefully enough with a quick laugh a moment later, as if she enjoyed the thrill of almost wiping out on the concrete.

Yup. Gotta fall to get better. His ass knew as well as anyone else’s, after too many falls on that very same rink, shuffling his own inline skates and hockey stick around one of the goals in his spare time.

Too much of his spare time. But he wasn’t so bad on wheels himself, these days—MVP on the fire department’s informal team, crushing the police department’s lousy attempts at rivalry in the yearly Battle of the Badges tournament.

His high school self would die a thousand deaths before admitting it, but young Chase had taken up street hockey for a very… specific reason. Kriss had been just as badass on her skates all those years ago as a senior at Sacreola High, three years ahead of him. Hot, smart, and senior—and totally out of his league.

She had graduated and moved on without giving him so much as a second glance. But his newfound love for skating had stuck around long enough to turn him into a decent hockey player on the side. No harm done.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

GUEST POST:

Science or Fiction? How Passion Brought My Career Full Circle

Ten-year-old me lay on my back on my water bed staring up at the speckled drop ceiling and dreaming of galaxies far, far away. Someday, I promised, I’ll learn as much about the stars as I possibly can.

What I really wanted was to take my lightsaber to a cantina somewhere and ride off into the double sunset, but, not seeing any such options and being a practical-minded girl, I chose the next best thing: a career as an astrophysicist. Nobody told me I couldn’t, so I went for it.

My passion for astronomy carried me through college and grad school, launching me along research paths toward a bright future. I blithely walked through doors I didn’t realize weren’t open for others, or hadn’t even existed decades before. I wasn’t blind to the challenges of life as a female scientist, but neither did I pay them much mind unless they got in my way.

What I did ignore, however, was that tiny voice inside my head. The one that hadn’t forgotten the original inspiration behind my academic frenzy. The one telling me to put away my targeting computer and focus on my feelings, study the curious urge that had catapulted me on the science track to begin with.

When I finally stopped to listen to that voice, I recognized it—the storyteller inside me.

I have always loved stories. As a child, my bookcases were packed with adventures (again, a treasure trove I didn’t realize wasn’t available to everyone), and my next imaginative journey was always just a few shelves away. My hunger for story is what brought me to the brink of my life decision in the first place, that fateful moment on my bed when I swung toward science without a second thought… forgetting that it was the fiction that had brought me there.

And now I come to the bittersweet moment in my current tale. The moment when my science research future fell through, and I landed, hard, on what was left of my career. Science ditched me, and it sucked. The academic train rattled on without a backward glance, dropping a PhD out the back window as a consolation prize, leaving this newly minted “doctor” in the dust.

But all was not lost. Along came Fiction, chuckling a little at my misfortune, picking me up and dusting me off and taking me home again. Home to a little moisture farm in the desert, where it all began.

You can write again, Fiction promised, and set about showing me how. And so I took my doctorate in one hand and my imagination in the other, and schemed and scribbled my way back into the world of science fiction.

How did I end up writing a contemporary small-town sweet romance? That’s a story for another day. But if you peek between the pages of Skate Cute, you might just find another whimsical astronomer girl chasing her imagination and her dreams, wherever they may take her.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

AUTHOR BIO:

Melissa received her first pair of black-and-hot-pink inline skates in fourth grade, a couple of years before she swore her life to the study of the stars (in a fit of sci-fi inspired passion). Two decades later, she has acquired several larger pairs of skates and an astronomy PhD, both of which tend to slip out from under her at the most inopportune moments. She enjoys skating and singing at the neighborhood rink in her small town in Colorado, where she lives with her husband, two boys, and a cozy lap cat. Only one of which is allowed to read her writing over her shoulder.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

CONNECT WITH MELISSA:

Website:

https://writerchickphd.com

Website:

https://melissajroche.com

Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/writerchickphd

Twitter:

https://twitter.com/writerchickphd

Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/writerchickphd

YouTube:

https://www.youtube.com/c/stargirlskates

TikTok:

https://www.tiktok.com/@skatersings

BookBub Book Page:

https://www.bookbub.com/books/skate-cute-by-melissa-j-roche

Goodreads Author Page:

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/22414583.Melissa_J_Roche

Goodreads Book Page:

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/61061961-skate-cute

Amazon Author Page:

https://amzn.to/3zEK3HN

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

BOOK BUY LINKS & BOOK SALE INFO:

**The Skate Cute eBook is on SALE for ONLY $0.99 during the book tour!!!**

Amazon US Kindle eBook:

https://amzn.to/3PGO57Y

Amazon CA Kindle eBook:

https://www.amazon.ca/Skate-Cute-Melissa-J-Roche-ebook/dp/B09X6GH1LN

Barnes and Noble NOOK eBook:

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/skate-cute-melissa-j-roche/1141323914

Google Play eBook:

https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Melissa_J_Roche_Skate_Cute?id=KgZ2EAAAQBAJ

Kobo US eBook:

https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/skate-cute

Kobo CA eBook:

https://www.kobo.com/ca/en/ebook/skate-cute

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

GIVEAWAY INFO:

Melissa will be awarding a $25 Amazon OR Barnes and Noble Gift Card (Winner’s Choice) to ONE lucky winner.  Plus, a SECOND lucky winner will receive a digital copy of the featured book, “Skate Cute.” Therefore, there will be TWO total prize winners randomly selected via Rafflecopter during the tour.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

**This post contains affiliate links and if clicked and a purchase is made, I may receive a small commission to help support this blog.  This does not cost you anything, it just helps pay for all those fabulous community outreach projects and awesome giveaways on here**

This contest is sponsored by a third party. Fabulous and Brunette is a registered host of Goddess Fish Promotions.  Prizes are given away by the sponsors and not Fabulous and Brunette. The featured author and Goddess Fish Promotions are solely responsible for the giveaway prize.

Sweetwater Promise by January Bain - Blurb Blitz - Giveaway - Enter Daily!

Hi, lovelies!!  It gives me great pleasure today to host January Bain and her exciting new book, “Sweetwater Promise,” here on FAB!!  For other stops on her Goddess Fish Promotions Book Tour, please click on the banner above or any of the images in this post.

Be sure to make it to the end of this post to enter to win a $35 Amazon OR Barnes and Noble Gift Card!!!  Also, come back daily to interact with January and to increase your chances of winning!!

Thanks for stopping by!!  Wishing you lots of luck in this fabulous giveaway!!

Sweetwater Promise

by January Bain

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

GENRE: Sweet Romance

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

BLURB:

Follow your heart to Sweetwater

Daisey Winslow loves her small town of Sweetwater, but wonders how she’d fare living and working in a big city. Just as she’s decided to take a job in New York, along comes Deputy Sheriff Jack Samson.

Her polar opposite, Jack left the mean streets to return to Sweetwater’s peace and quiet, ready to find that special someone and raise a family, and the more time Daisey spends with him, the calmer her itchy feet get and the duller the big-city lights shine.

When she comes across the diary of her seven-times-great grandmother, reading her poignant words with the simple message, follow your heart, make Daisey question her decisions.

But Daisey’s not quite ready to give up on her dreams before she’s even started living them, however…what if the dashing lawman can fill her head—and her heart—with different, closer-to-home desires? Ones they can share?

Readers of Jenny Hale, Carolyn Brown, and Susan Mallery will love this fun, flirty, poignant, and feel-good small-town romance.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

EXCERPT THREE:

Rose gave a sigh of pleasure. “Ah, that’s our new deputy sheriff, Jack Samson. Just arrived yesterday. Don’t you love a handsome lawman in a fancy hat?”

“Yeah.” I forced myself to turn away from the mouth-watering, outstanding view and focus on Cousin Rose. “Spill.”

She’s always in the loop. Everyone came to the Prairie Rose Café, thanks to the welcoming smile and warm greeting of the proprietor. Her food—the best in North Dakota. Her chicken and dumplings are amazing, and don’t get me started on her world-famous cinnamon apple raisin pie. My only defense against being as wide as I am tall is running. Though I do have an admirable petite shape, sort of Jessica Rabbitesque in the right light.

“He’s single and worked for the NYPD. Can you believe it?” Rose shook her head with feigned surprise. “And he chose to come back to Sweetwater. Fancy that, eh?” She gave me a smug smile like she’d just placed her Ace of Hearts on a winning poker hand.

“Huh. Very odd choice.” I wouldn’t let her trump it. “Samson. Old family name. He related to any of them?”

Rose nodded. “Yup. All of them. Came over on the Mayflower, like us. His parents moved to New York when he was five or six, so he wasn’t with us long and it was before either of us were born.”

Deputy Sheriff Samson not only wears a hat well, he’s one of our own. I can only hope he’s prepared to share all that big city expertise.

The deputy had stopped and was helping Tim, who was struggling with the oversized banner. Even from across the street it was obvious that Jack Samson was in prime condition. Made me want to head to the gym for a complete workout. I’m a bit too much of a fan of Rose’s apple pie and my personal favorite, rum-soaked-raisin oatmeal cookies. I’d already packed a few dozen for the wagon train trip. No point in taking chances.

“He’s a bit old for you,” Rose pointed out, arching a well-groomed brow at me. “Mid-thirties, I think. The scuttlebutt is he’s come home to Sweetwater to settle down with no intention of leaving. Unlike you.”

More movement out of the picture window caught my attention. A familiar black and white cat shot out of the narrow gap between the Barnes & Sons Hardware and Alice’s Flower Shoppe. Five-year-old Luke Barnes bounded out next, short legs pumping, his blond hair standing straight on end in the newest rage. Knowing both ends of Main Street were already blocked off to traffic due to the Ferris wheel perched at one end and the music stage on the other kept my heart rate from accelerating. Besides, Luke was always trying to corral Bandit, the aptly named one-year-old feline who was forever on the lam.

The new guy let go of his end of the banner he’d been helping Tim with and it slumped to the street in a colorful heap. He jumped to the little boy’s aid, dashing after the runaway feline and nabbing the tiny creature in a few broad steps. Then he leaned down and handed over the squirming furry body to the young boy, making sure Luke had a good grip on his constant buddy before letting go. Hmm. Good reflexes too. Didn’t even lose his awesome hat in the proceedings.

The deputy patted the boy on the head, then headed back and finished helping Tim secure the banner. Paragraph two: A diner at the Prairie Rose Café witnessed an incident in the street this fine July morning and reports the newly arrived Deputy Sheriff Samson rescued Luke Barnes’s cat, Bandit. Little does he know that it’s a daily occurrence and he’d best invest in a ladder forthwith.

If I was a romance author, oh my, what I couldn’t do with the new hero. I laid my hand over my heart, imagining the juicy adjectives I could so easily spill out onto the page. Triple sigh. Words like dashing, scintillating, powerful, alpha…

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

AUTHOR BIO:

January Bain loves being a storyteller. To share the tales of high adventure, mysteries, and full-blown thrillers she has dreamed of all her life since she taught herself to read as a child. The story you now have in your hands is a very special novel that comes from the heart. She hopes 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 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 her furry baby, Ling Ling. And, of course, she’s married to the most romantic man! Who once famously remarked to her inquiry about buying fresh flowers for their home every week, “Give me one good reason why not?” Leaving her speechless and knocking her head against the proverbial wall for being so darn foolish. She loves flowers.

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

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

CONNECT WITH JANUARY:

Blog:

http://januarybainjourney.blogspot.ca

Email:

januarybain@xplornet.com

Facebook Fan Page – Manitoba Tea & Tarot Mysteries:

https://www.facebook.com/CozyCharms

Facebook Personal Page:

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

Twitter:

https://twitter.com/JanuaryBain

Totally Bound Author Page:

https://www.totallybound.com/author/january-bain

BookBub Author Page:

https://www.bookbub.com/authors/january-bain

Goodreads Author Page:

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

Goodreads Book Page:

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/61043897-sweetwater-promise

Amazon Author Page:

https://amzn.to/2NaPYub

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

BOOK BUY LINKS:

Amazon US Kindle eBook:

https://amzn.to/3MTFsEE

Amazon CA Kindle eBook:

https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B09ZKD5TBQ

Barnes and Noble NOOK eBook:

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/sweetwater-promise-january-bain/1141431532

Champagne Books eBook:

https://champagnebooks.com/store/home/966-sweetwater-promise-9781957228235.html

Kobo US eBook:

https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/sweetwater-promise

Kobo CA eBook:

https://www.kobo.com/ca/en/ebook/sweetwater-promise

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

GIVEAWAY INFO:

January will be awarding a $35 Amazon OR Barnes and Noble Gift Card (Winner’s Choice!!!) to a randomly drawn winner via Rafflecopter during the tour.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

**This post contains affiliate links and if clicked and a purchase is made, I may receive a small commission to help support this blog.  This does not cost you anything, it just helps pay for all those fabulous community outreach projects and awesome giveaways on here**

This contest is sponsored by a third party. Fabulous and Brunette is a registered host of Goddess Fish Promotions.  Prizes are given away by the sponsors and not Fabulous and Brunette. The featured author and Goddess Fish Promotions are solely responsible for the giveaway prize.