Aug 3, 2016 | August 2016, Blog, Samantha Chase, Uncategorized
** Congratulations Keri B. you are the winner of the e-book ****
You have 24 hours to comment or e-mail
Happy Reading
Waiting For Midnight by Samantha Chase is the perfect must read to kick-off your holiday reading today. It delves into emotions that most of us have experienced at least once in our lives, the ones that sneak in sometime between Halloween and New Years Eve.
Samantha has once again has let us peek into the lives of two amazing characters who must tackle a few obstacles while navigating the holidays. Even the BFF has some fantastic dialogue, gotta love the emphasis on friendships too!
Maddie is not ready to think about her New Year’s Eve plans as she’s munching away on Halloween candy. That elusive midnight tradition involving a kiss will just need to be on hold and hopefully things will work out.
When Maddie finally gets her sexy neighbor Noah’s attention, will they survive the encounter? I love that scene and found it charming and oh so real. I laughed and cried ;)!
For those that have read her backlist you know how amazing her books are and that every story has characters who push through emotional struggles. They all have tension, sexy characters and the intimacy is perfect! This bite sized treat is a dash spicier, and I loved it! Our hero has a few hurdles to overcome and it’s exciting, it was perfect for these characters and this novella!
From our first encounter with Noah I was hooked and blasted through this book. It’s a fast, flirty and a little bit spicy must read. Enjoy an early start to your holiday season dear readers!
This book is for mature readers, 18+. 
*************************************************
Check out this EXCERPT and see for yourself!
Maddie frowned and crossed her arms over her chest. Noah was big. And tall. He easily towered over her by nearly a foot and he was built like a linebacker, but she wasn’t easily intimidated. “First of all, there’s nothing wrong with my ladder. And secondly, I avoided the bad step. I need to see out here, and no one at the management office is taking me seriously. It’s been three months.” She shrugged. “I was handling it just fine until you scared me.”
“I saw you trembling from the parking lot, Maddie. Don’t bullshit me.”
Okay, fine. So heights weren’t her thing, but if Noah hadn’t shown up, she would have gotten through it and changed the bulb. Rather than respond, she continued to stand defiantly and watch him.
“Look, I highly doubt you saw any trembling,” she said, trying to sound confident, “I was doing fine. I’m annoyed that I have to be doing this when I’ve asked repeatedly for it to be taken care of.” Then she studied him for a moment. “Doesn’t it bother you? You come up these stairs to get to your apartment. Isn’t it annoying that things have been let go for so long? I mean, we pay rent – not cheap rent either – and no one maintains the property!”
“I really didn’t notice.”
She rolled her eyes. It figured. The man was up and out the door at the crack of dawn and normally came home late. A normal person would notice the lack of light or the creak of a broken step, but not Noah. Granted there were only three steps and they weren’t very large so chances were he probably skipped over them with his long legs. Unable to help herself, she snuck a glance at him and then slowly let her gaze go over him until she was looking him in the eyes.
And saw what could only be described as a smirk.
Busted!
“Well, I notice,” she said, doing her best to ignore what he was probably thinking about her for checking him out. “I had a friend here earlier and when I walked her out, it suddenly seemed like too much. I had the bulb, I had the ladder…” She shrugged. When Noah didn’t respond in any way, Maddie began to wonder if her babbling had been too much for him.
“Give me the bulb and I’ll change it,” he finally said after a long, awkward moment.
“It’s not necessary,” Maddie said, not liking the way Noah was glaring at her.
His only response was to hold his hand out.
“Fine,” she mumbled and put the bulb in his hand. Stepping back, she watched as he dropped his duffle bag on the ground – must have been at the gym – and then moved the step ladder into position. It was on the tip of her tongue to mention that maybe he should grab his own ladder since he thought hers was so flimsy, but she held her tongue.
Actually, she imagined how at Noah’s height, he almost didn’t need a ladder at all. But as she watched him, she realized the light was higher up than she thought. She had to be on the top step and even then she was stretching. Noah was on the second step and seemed to be at the perfect height.
While he was busy, Maddie let her gaze linger on him again. He was perfection. So perfect she almost sighed with appreciation. Tonight he was in his standard attire – sweatpants, a hoodie and sneakers. That’s how she knew he was at the gym. In the mornings he left in normal street clothes but every night, he came home dressed like this. She almost kicked herself for knowing these details. Watching the man through the blinds definitely put her in weird, stalker-girl territory and it wasn’t a place she was proud to be.
“Here, take this,” Noah mumbled as he handed the burned out bulb to her. Maddie took it and then took a step back.
In an instant, the porch area was flooded with light. She let out a little cheer and clapped, and for a second, it seemed like everything was fine. The next thing she heard was a loud snap, and watched in horror as the ladder seemed to crumble and Noah fell backwards onto the concrete walkway.
****************** CLOSED GIVEAWAY *******************
I’ve got ONE e-book of Waiting for Midnight up for grabs today!
(Amazon Kindle & US winner only)
For a chance to win tell me when you start talking about New Year’s Eve plans? Halloween? Thanksgiving? Christmas? or that morning?
Contest runs from 8/3/16 – 8/4/16 12 noon. The winner will be posted here.
Be sure to follow me on the blog, FB and Twitter so you don’t miss those posts!
Once winner is announced they MUST contact me with their e-mail within 24 hours or a new winner will be drawn.
Jul 23, 2016 | Blog, July 2016, Sara Humphres
Trouble Walks In by Sara Humphreys is the second book in her McGuire series and this book is packed with mystery, romance and lots of chemistry. If you are a reader who is drawn to a book by it’s cover, then this is your lucky day. I love this cover.
Ronan McGuire a NYC cop with the K-9 division and works hard to protect both the citizens of his town and his friends. Will work prevent him from finding his own happy ending? With his brothers impending nuptials will everything fall into place? A family man and a man dedicated to protecting the community is a hero we all want to be with.
Maddy Morgan was involved with a man who worked with Ronan’s brother and his death affected her deeply. It’s been a while since she’s allowed herself the chance to open up and be with aother man.
Working in NYC is supposed to be an adventure and filled with fun filled days. So when Maddy’s world takes an odd turn and women she’s acquainted with are being murdered everything changes.
Suddenly Ronan is there to help make sure she stays safe. The heart never forgets and when these two are together again will things turn out differently? With all the chaos surrounding her world, can Ronan protect her?
We desperately want these two to find their happy-ever-after and know that it’s a matter of time before they can trust each other. Two strong and bold characters will face a few obstacles before they can figure out what their story has in store for them.
Sara has once again created a world of second chances, duty and honor. The McGuire that we’ve met so far are strong and intense men who will stop at nothing to protect the woman they love.
Discover for yourself how sexy a NYC cop is, especially one with a cute furry partner. This two peppers spicy latte hot 
delight has just enough sizzle to make you tingle and a lot of action! Oh, and yes, it’s for mature readers 18+.
While this is part of a series it can be read as a standalone. I received this ARC from the publisher for a fair and honest review. I wanted to read this book before I saw the cover and am happy the publisher sent it my way. I look forward to finding out who is next in the story line-up.
Thank you Sara for a fun filled few days with me on the blog!
Check it out with this Excerpt:
CHAPTER 1
“I told you that I’d be there, and I meant it.” Maddy Morgan pressed the iPhone harder against her ear. She was attempting to block out the sounds beyond her office door while her best friend pestered her to within an inch of her life. “I’m your maid of honor, for heaven’s sake. What? You think I’m gonna bail after everything you and Gavin have been through? Hell no!”
“Okay, well, you can’t blame me for double-checking, can you?” Jordan hesitated, her voice concerned. “We’ve hardly spoken. I mean, you haven’t been home since… It’s been over a year and…”
Maddy stared out the window that overlooked the hustle and bustle of Manhattan and sucked in a deep breath, her friend’s unfinished thought hanging in the air. She nibbled her lower lip and fought the sudden, unexpected swell of emotion. It had been fifteen months since Rick died and a full year since she had been back to the town she’d always called home.
At least, she had until recently.
“I know,” Maddy said quietly.
She swallowed the lump in her throat and refused to cry. She’d cried enough at Rick’s funeral and during the weeks following. No more tears. If Rick were here, he would tell her to put on her big girl panties and get on with life.
“I’m not missing your wedding,” she said firmly. “Jeez, Jordan. You and Gavin have waited sixteen years to finally get hitched. Hell, you two would have gotten married last Christmas if it weren’t for me.”
“That’s not true,” Jordan said firmly.
“Bull.” Maddy laughed.
“Okay, well, it wasn’t the only reason.” Jordan replied. “Gavin’s parents wanted to throw us a huge Christmas wedding, and four months wouldn’t have been enough time to pull it all together. Deciding to wait a year has been a win-win. My future mother-in-law had plenty of time to do her thing, and we all had time to properly grieve for Rick. But I’m still worried about you…”
“I’m fine, Jordan, and I promise… I’m gonna be there to witness your dream coming true.”
“Okay, but—”
“No buts.”
“Yo, Maddy.” The increasingly irritating voice of Chris Drummond shot into the room as he barged in. “That blond, the Brenda chick—are you gonna to take her out to an open house this weekend, or should I? And what about those newlyweds? I know you’ve been slammed. I could take them out to see the new listings, if you want.”
“Hang on, Jordan,” Maddy said tightly.
She covered the phone with her hand and leveled an irritated gaze at her colleague. She knew that Terrence, the owner of the realty agency, had hired Drummond because he had an amazing reputation for selling and one of the best portfolios in the business, but he was a letch. A letch that thought anyone with boobs wanted him. Maddy had learned a long time ago that big talent usually meant even bigger egos.
Unfortunately, this talent was also turning out to be an asshole. She had already reported him once to Terrence for inappropriate advances on the young women in the office. Big talent or not, he was making her tired of him and his misogynistic bullshit. And lately, there had been attempts to steal her clients.
“Did you happen to notice that my door was closed?”
“Yeah.” He leaned in the doorway with his usual casual arrogance. Tall, slim, well dressed, and always perfectly coiffed, he was considered good-looking by most. But the air of entitlement he wore like a cloak was a turnoff as far as Maddy was concerned. Besides, she would never date a colleague.
“I’m on a call.”
“Right.” He jutted his thumb over his shoulder. “Anyway, should I take that Brenda chick out and, uh, show her the ropes? We could take the newlyweds, the, uh…”
“The Bartholemews,” Maddy finished for him. “No, I can handle my client list. Thank you.”
“Fine, then let me take Brenda out.”
The smarmy smile on his face gave Maddy pause. He’d been hitting on the assistants, who were savvy New Yorkers and more than capable of handling themselves, but now he was moving on to the young real estate agent. Brenda was a recent college grad from the Midwest. She was pretty, smart, and naive.
A prime target for a guy like Drummond.
“No,” Maddy said firmly. “Terrence asked me to handle her training. Thank you, and please close the door on your way out.”
His smile faded, and a hard, cold look settled in his eyes. Maddy had moved up the ranks quickly since joining Cosmopolitan Realty House, and her rise hadn’t gone unnoticed by Drummond. He hated not being number one, but she suspected that being second to a woman was a bigger insult.
“Sure thing,” he murmured.
Drummond left but neglected to shut the door. Maddy crossed the room, pausing only to tell Sharon, her assistant, to hold her other calls before she closed her door once more.
“Sorry about that, Jordan.” She caught a glimpse of her reflection in the window and grimaced before running one hand through her unruly brown curls. “I’m coming into town a week before the wedding so I can help you with whatever you need. Y’know, all that bridesmaid stuff. I mean, I’m not a real girlie girl, but it’ll be fun to hang out. And tell Gavin he better not try to horn in on our girls’ night out. It might only be the two of us, but there’s a no-boys-allowed rule in effect for that event.”
“I wouldn’t worry about that,” Jordan said through a chuckle. “All four of his brothers are coming in early as well. From what I hear, Ronan has quite the bachelor party planned. Speaking of Ronan, why don’t you two ride back to Old Brookfield together? I mean, you’re both in the city, and he is the best man.”
“Yeah, that’s not gonna happen. I’ll take my own car, thank you very much. I’m staying at the Old Brookfield Inn, and Ronan will be at his parents’ house, obviously.” Maddy’s eyes narrowed, and the smile on her face grew. “Your matchmaking scheme hasn’t worked, Jordan. But I’ll give you and Gavin an A for effort.”
“What are you talking about?” Jordan asked with feigned innocence. “When you moved to the city last year, Gavin merely suggested that Ronan should look out for you. He’s been a cop there for over a decade. Besides, I heard through the McGuire brother grapevine that you two have been going running on the weekends, so Ronan can’t be all bad.”
Nope. –That was half the problem. He was exactly the right kind of bad.
They had gone jogging in Central Park almost every weekend for the past several months, but Maddy had made it clear from the start: she wasn’t interested in dating. Not him, nor anyone else. Friends? Sure. Romance? No way.
Her heart couldn’t take another turn through the shredder. Dating a cop, just because he also happened to be one of the sexiest men God ever put on this earth, would not be a smart move.
Besides, Ronan had a reputation as a total ladies’ man.
Not that she could blame any woman for taking a ride on that handsome train. When he flashed that lopsided grin and his bluish-green eyes crinkled at the corners, it took superwoman strength for Maddy not to drop her panties. He was a combination of mischievous little boy and irresistible alpha male—a deadly pairing.
Ronan McGuire was wickedly sexy. The worst part was that he knew it.
“Well, yeah,” Maddy said quickly. She sat at her desk and spun the chair to face the window so she could see the rest of the world. Living and working in this city made her feel like a rat in a cage sometimes. “Running around, getting sweaty, and panting in the cold is not exactly dating, Jordan.”
“Sweaty and panting sounds promising,” Jordan teased.
Maddy’s face flushed. “That’s not what I meant.” She quickly added, “I was talking about Bowser.”
“Sure,” her friend said slowly. “Sure you were.”
“You know Ronan doesn’t go anywhere without that dog. Speaking of which, are you prepared to have a drooling animal at your wedding?”
“Oh fine, change the subject.” Jordan sighed. “Any chance I can talk you into coming for Thanksgiving?”
“Sorry, babe. I’m slammed.”
“Then how about staying for Christmas? The wedding is on the twenty-third. Come on. Please? The girls would love it,” she said, referring to her two adorable daughters. “You’re going to be here for a week, so what’s a couple more days? You said they were closing your office between Christmas and New Year’s anyway.”
Maddy had never been part of big family holidays, and that had been fine with her, but the pleading tone in Jordan’s voice was starting to make her rethink her decision.
“You know the holidays were never a big deal for me, Jordan. My mom hated celebrating them after my dad died, and then once she was gone, I didn’t really want to. And besides,” she added quickly, “Rick and I never even got a tree or anything. He was always working, and so was I.”
“I know, but I hate to think of you alone in that big city on Christmas. Again. It’s bad enough you wouldn’t come last year. Please think about it?”
“I’m hosting a huge New Year’s Eve party for my clients—it’s at my apartment.”
“You could leave on the twenty-sixth and still be back in plenty of time to be party ready,” Jordan persisted. “I’m sorry, but I’ll have to call bullshit on that excuse. You and I both know your assistant already has the whole shindig tied up and ready to go.”
Jordan was right. The party was a lame reason not to spend the holiday with them. Besides, it was all being catered, and the invitations had been sent. What did Maddy really have to do other than show up and schmooze? And what was here for her on Christmas? She didn’t even have a cat or a fish to feed.
Ugh. She felt more pathetic by the second.
“Okay,” Maddy said with a dramatic sigh. “I’ll think about it. Jeez, when did you become such a nudge?”
“Since I had two children and learned that being a nudge can sometimes be quite effective.”
A knock on Maddy’s door sent a flicker of irritation up her back. But when she spun around, Sharon’s tearstained face stopped her cold.
“Girl, I have to go.” A knot of dread curled in her gut. “I’ll see you in a few weeks. Give Gracie and Lilly a kiss from Aunt Maddy.”
Maddy hit End and set the phone on her desk. Her legs felt like Jell-O as she rose to her feet. Sharon was still weeping while she closed the door behind her, and before it shut, Maddy saw two of the other agents in the office crying.
“Sharon, what is it?”
“Th-they found her.”
“Who?” Maddy asked shakily, her fingertips pressing into the mahogany desk. But she knew the answer before Sharon said it.
“Lucille Bowman.” The young woman swiped at her eyes and let out a shuddering sob. “She’s dead.”
***
(Excerpt posted with permission by Sara Humphreys)
ICYMI: Blitz Day 1
ICYMI: Blitz Day 2
Happy Reading!
BIO:
Sara Humphreys is the award winning author of the Amoveo Legend series. The third book in the series, UNTAMED, won two PRISM awards–Dark Paranormal and Best of the Best. The first two novels from her Dead in the City series have been nominated for the National Readers Choice Award. Sara was also a professional actress. Some of her television credits include, A&E Biography, Guiding Light, Another World, As the World Turns and Rescue Me.
She loves writing hot heroes and heroines with moxie but above all, Sara adores a satisfying happily-ever-after. She lives in New York with Mr. H., their four amazing sons, and two adorable pups. When she’s not writing or hanging out with the men in her life, she can be found working out with Shaun T in her living room or chatting with readers on Facebook.
For a full list of Sara’s books and reading order, please visit her website.
Jul 22, 2016 | Blog, July 2016, Sara Humphreys
Brave the Heat (The McGuire Brothers Book 1) by Sara Humphreys is a contemporary romance about second chances and not giving up on your dreams. From the smoking hot revamped cover (thank you Sourcebooks!) to the fast paced story this book is a great way to spend an afternoon by the pool.
Jordan McKenna hasn’t been home in years and the reasons surrounding her sudden departure are still unclear. When she finally returns to town there are questions and more mystery.
Gavin McGuire is the Fire Chief and his job is to protect and keep people safe. A sexy firefighter who still desires the one that got away – I love it!
Gavin and Jordan are looking for a second chance and an opportunity to make things right both with their family and with each other. There are secrets they have yet to share, can she trust him after all these years when he asks for the real reason she skipped town and left him behind? Will he open up with her about what happened when he was younger? Both will need to open up and take a chance.
When Gavin falls for Jordan he be faced with the danger of his job and how it affects the ones he cares for. Our hero wants to keep everyone safe and find out who is responsible for the fires in tow. There are plenty of people in town who once wanted them apart, will they encounter the same road blocks?
I love the way that Sara has created a story and series with plenty of brothers…I smell a ton of future books dear readers. If they are half as sexy as Gavin then we are in for a treat!
Discover a great series from a must read author. While this is part of a series it can be read as a standalone. Tomorrow I’ll be featuring the second book in the series who just happens to be Gavin’s brother and a NYC cop! I love Sara’s characters and the connection they have with each other. There is a great world waiting to unfold and I hope that you dear reader will get your copy now and make the McGuires part of your reading family.
I received this book from the publisher for a fair and honest review.
******** 9 Tantalizing Tidbits about Sara Humphreys ********
1. What is a must read book and why? The Secret. It will make you look at the world differently.
2. What is one place that I should see if I visit your hometown? I live in a small town outside of NYC so I would tell you to go to NYC. lol
3. Castles or Beaches? Beaches!
4. If you had an all expenses paid trip anywhere in the world for research, where would you go? Hong Kong!
5. What is your guilty pleasure? Donuts. I love donuts.
6. What are you afraid of? Losing my family.
7. Tats or No Tats? If tats, how many and what did you choose for your first one? I have one. It’s a blue star at the base of my back. I got it when I was 36.
8. What’s your favorite TV show and why? The Walking Dead. I love apocalyptic movies and television because when you shake it out, they’re all about hope and fighting for survival.
9. Motorcycle or bicycle? I will only go on a motorcycle if Norman Reedus comes through on his offer to take me on a ride.
ICYMI: Coffee With Sara Humphreys
BIO:
Sara Humphreys is the award winning author of the Amoveo Legend series. The third book in the series, UNTAMED, won two PRISM awards–Dark Paranormal and Best of the Best. The first two novels from her Dead in the City series have been nominated for the National Readers Choice Award. Sara was also a professional actress. Some of her television credits include, A&E Biography, Guiding Light, Another World, As the World Turns and Rescue Me.
She loves writing hot heroes and heroines with moxie but above all, Sara adores a satisfying happily-ever-after. She lives in New York with Mr. H., their four amazing sons, and two adorable pups. When she’s not writing or hanging out with the men in her life, she can be found working out with Shaun T in her living room or chatting with readers on Facebook.
For a full list of Sara’s books and reading order, please visit her website.
