Author Guest Post: The Fixer (Games People Play #1) by HelenKay Dimon

The Fixer by HelenKay Dimon

Release: December 27th, 2016
Romance Subgenre: Romantic Suspense, Contemporary Romance
Series: Games People Play #1

He’s known only as Wren. A wealthy, dangerously secretive man, he specializes in making problems disappear. A professional fixer, Wren hides a dark past, but his privacy is shattered when Emery Finn seeks him out—and what she wants from him is very personal.

Some people disappear against their will. Emery’s job is to find them and bring closure. Wren is the only person who can help solve Emery’s own personal mystery: the long-ago disappearance of her cousin. Just tracking down the sexy, brooding Wren is difficult enough. Resisting her body’s response to him will prove completely impossible.

Anonymity is essential to Wren’s success, yet drawn by Emery’s loyalty and sensuality, he’s pulled out of the shadows. But her digging is getting noticed by the wrong people. And as the clues start to point to someone terrifyingly close, Wren will have to put his haunted past aside to protect the woman he loves.

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Author Guest Post

I'm excited to have author HelenKay Dimon on the blog today to discuss her new book, The Fixer. Thanks for sharing, HelenKay!

I love romantic suspense. For a long time I’ve been writing the law enforcement/undercover agent/black ops type. The books are fast-paced and high stakes. Basically, there’s a lot of shooting and explosions. These books mix my love of the romance genre with my love for action movies. My plan is to continue writing those types of books…but that’s NOT what the Games People Play series is about.

This new series, which starts with THE FIXER, is not about saving the world or even really about stopping bad guys. It’s much more personal and character-driven. The books center on people with difficult pasts whose backgrounds intersect in some way. At the heart of each book is a cold case. The heroes in the books are a bit mysterious and all share a connection, having met and been friends since their early twenties. The heroines are smart and determined and not even slightly impressed with grumpy, demanding men. But together these men and women maneuver their way through blinding attraction and painful situations on their way to their happy endings.

The inspiration for the heroine in THE FIXER – Emery Finn – came from the real-life Doe Network, an organization dedicated to giving “the nameless back their names and return the missing to their families.” These amazing volunteers comb through information and conduct research in an attempt to find matches between unidentified and missing people. They provide closure and much needed exposure to cases. Emery is driven to work at a fictional version of this organization because her cousin disappeared right off the street when they were teenagers. As a result, Emery has spent her life trying to find answers and track down information about her cousin. Emery is running out of leads but finds a clue that leads her to a mysterious millionaire known only as Wren.

Wren is a powerful fixer in Washington, D.C. People know his name but few know him. He actually moves around the city under a pseudonym…and he is totally intrigued by Emery and her determination to track him down and demand information. She isn’t afraid of him. If anything, she thinks his need for secrecy is a bit over-the-top, but she does need his help to find answers…and it turns out he needs her, too.

They should be an odd couple but their desperate histories – and big-time attraction to each other – bring them together. The result is at times funny, sexy, angsty and a little bit dangerous. I hope you’ll give it a try and that you love Emery and Wren as much as I do.

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About HelenKay Dimon

HelenKay Dimon spent the years before becoming a romance author as a...divorce attorney. Not the usual transition, she knows. Good news is she now writes full time and is much happier. She has sold over forty novels and novellas to numerous publishers, including HarperCollins, Kensington, Harlequin, Penguin Random House, Riptide and Carina Press. Her nationally bestselling and award-winning books have been showcased in numerous venues and her books have twice been named "Red-Hot Reads" and excerpted in Cosmopolitan magazine. She is on the Board of Directors of the Romance Writers of America and teaches fiction writing at UC San Diego and MiraCosta College. You can learn more at her website: www.HelenKaydimon.com

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The Protector (Sons of Texas #2) by Donna Grant

The Protector by Donna Grant

Release: January 3rd, 2017
Romance Subgenre: Contemporary Romance, Romantic Suspense
Series: Sons of Texas

The second book in New York Times bestselling author, Donna’s Grant’s thrilling Sons of Texas series!

When his aunt and uncle are murdered and his father has been kidnapped, bad boy Marine Force Recon captain, Cullen Loughman teams up with the one woman who turns his world upside down.

Everything’s hotter in Texas…

When Marine Force Recon captain Cullen Loughman learns that his father’s been kidnapped, he will do whatever it takes to find him. In order to achieve his mission, Cullen will need to team up with the best of the best?someone who just happens to be the most stunning woman he’s ever laid eyes on…

This isn’t the first rodeo for ex-Air Force pilot Mia Carter. Still, Cullen’s bad-boy good looks and charm are distracting her from duty. . .and it appears that the feeling is mutual.

As Mia and Cullen make their descent into a dark, dangerous world, their attraction reaches the boiling point. But is their desire worth the risk when a ruthless enemy is waiting in the wings?or will their Lone Star love conquer all in The Protector?

The Protector “…combines danger and desire in an intoxicating mix.” (Publishers Weekly, starred review).

Don’t miss these other books in the series:
Book #1: The Hero
Book #3: The Legend

Buy on Amazon

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Curated Soundtrack

After reading and reviewing The Hero, Donna Grant's first Sons of Texas novel, I couldn't wait to get my hands on book two. Luckily, The Protector was set to release just a month later. Even luckier for, I received an ARC via NetGalley! So of course, I dove right in and began Mia and Cullen's story.

In some ways I'm glad to not be doing a full review of this book, because it would be really, really hard to do without spoilers. The larger story arc regarding Orrin (Cullen's father) progressed significantly, but readers were still left with a ton of unanswered questions when The Protector finished. Even though I'm not doing a full review, I still wanted to somehow commit this book to memory and capture it's essence. A curated soundtrack fits the bill! So for The Protector I put together a playlist that fits in with the mood and ever-present conflict of the book. The Protector is action packed from the very first page; both Mia and Cullen are in constant peril. There is almost no "down-time", it's go, go, go. Even as Mia and Cullen are getting to know one another (inside the bedroom and out :)) there is danger lurking close by. I hope I captured the feel of this book even a little bit in the playlist below!

What did you think of The Protector?
Are there any songs that remind you of Cullen, Mia and their HEA?

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About Donna Grant

New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Donna Grant has been praised for her "totally addictive" and "unique and sensual" stories. Her latest acclaimed series, Dark Kings, features a thrilling combination of dragons, Fae, and immortal Highlanders who are dark, dangerous, and irresistible. She lives with her two children and an assortment of animals in Texas.

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Author Guest Post: Unexpected by KG Fletcher

Unexpected by KG Fletcher

Release: December 12th, 2016
Romance Subgenre: Romantic Suspense

Recently jilted Josephine Davis wasn’t looking for love…. A chance encounter along the sweltering highway with Atlanta’s own millionaire bachelor changed all that. Devastatingly handsome and full of unexpected talents, William Prescott Harrington, III shows beautiful Josie a life that she could have only dreamed of; his excessive wealth and generosity eventually threatening her very existence. Two star-crossed lovers from polar opposite sides of Atlanta navigate their way through a maze of greed and jealousy desperate for only one thing – each other.

Her heart made a wish. Will her dream become reality or will the nightmare destroy them all?

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Author Guest Post

I'm excited to have author KG Flecthcer on the blog today to discuss her new book, Unexpected. Thanks for sharing, KG!

“My love affair with a fast car & how it inspired my debut romantic suspense novel, UNEXPECTED”

Atlanta, GA is the setting of my debut novel, UNEXPECTED, released on 12-12-16. If you’ve ever been to HOT-lanta, you know it can get pretty steamy!

The idea for this story came to me in a very peculiar way. Three years ago I was working for corporate America in a shiny high rise in a wealthy area of Atlanta known as “Buckhead.” I was going through a rough transition in my life trying to figure things out and my six mile commute to work took me forty-five minutes in horrendous bumper-to-bumper traffic.

Fun times.

I’m a very timely person and there was a two week period where I would pass a certain “on ramp” every morning around the same time a black Porsche would whiz by. I LOVE fast cars, so of course, I noticed. It happened every morning for two straight weeks – same time, same black Porsche.

After the third or fourth day, I started anticipating this car passing me, ogling at the beauty of it. I was driving a thirteen year old white mini-van at the time – of course I ogled! I actually started to look forward to my commute and every morning, when this fantastic car would pass, I would often wonder who was behind the tinted windows. I started to day dream about who the driver was, what kind of job, house, family they had. Before you know it, I had a complete story in my head that eventually turned into my debut novel, UNEXPECTED.

Alas, my two week love affair with the black Porsche came to an end and I never saw that particular car again. When I do see a Porsche on the road, I smile and remember the brief encounter that inspired me all those mornings long ago.

I can’t wait for you to meet William Prescott Harrington, III – Atlanta’s very own millionaire bachelor. He’s tall, dark, handsome and a force to be reckoned with in the world-wide real estate market. Devoted to his family, his youthful dreams are set aside in his early twenties because of the unexpected death of his father. As the only son and heir to the family business and fortune, he accepts his responsibilities in life which include a rather nice side effect of extreme wealth and privilege.

Josephine Davis is a feisty, freelance accountant determined to move forward with her life after being left at the altar on her wedding day. Her tumultuous relationship with her ex-fiancé is finally over and she’s trying to move on in the fast lane of the city and make it on her own. She is devoted to her elderly mother and younger sister, never knowing her father who walked out on them when she was only four years old.

Two star crossed lovers from opposite sides of the tracks meet unexpectedly on a hot September day along a busy Atlanta highway. Driving a sleek, black Porsche, Will accidently cuts Josie off causing her to swerve and hit a giant pothole. He stops to help her change a flat tire and their attraction is immediate.

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About KG Fletcher

KG Fletcher is the author of the romantic suspense novel, Unexpected released in December, 2016. She is an active member of RWA and the Georgia Romance Writers Association. She was a singer/songwriter in Nashville, TN and a recipient of the “Airplay International Award” for “Best New Artist” showcasing original songs at The Bluebird Café. She earned her BFA in theater at Valdosta State College and has traveled the world professionally as a singer/actress. She currently gets to play rock star as a backup singer in the National Tour, “Remember When Rock Was Young – a Tribute to Elton John.” (www.almosteltonjohn.com)

KG lives in Atlanta, GA with her husband Ladd and their three gorgeous sons. She is a hopeless romantic continuing her work on her original cabaret act called, “Love” to help promote her romance novels.

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Author Guest Post: Meet Me Halfway (The Off Field Series #2) by Kim Carmondy

Author Guest Post: Fighting for Phoebe by Jennifer Ann

Excerpt: The Devil's Daughter (Hidden Sins #1) by Katee Robert

The Devil's Daughter by Katee Robert
Release: January 24th, 2017
Type: Romantic Suspense
Series: Hidden Sins #1

FBI agent, Eden Collins is going home... to catch a killer. Fans of Audey Harte’s It Takes One and Kendra Elliott's Bone Secrets series, will devour The Devil’s Daughter, the fast-paced and suspenseful first book, in the Hidden Sins series by NYT and USA Today Bestselling Author Katee Robert.

Growing up in a small town isn’t easy, especially when you’re the daughter of a local cult leader. Ten years ago, Eden Collins left Clear Springs, Montana, and never once looked back. But when the bodies of murdered young women surface, their corpses violated and marked with tattoos worn by her mother’s followers, Eden, now an FBI agent, can’t turn a blind eye. To catch the killer, she’s going to have to return to the fold.

Sheriff Zach Owens isn’t comfortable putting Eden in danger, even if she is an elite agent. And he certainly wasn’t expecting to be so attracted to her. As calm and cool as she appears, he knows this can’t be a happy homecoming. Zach wants to protect her—from her mother, the cult, and the evil that lurks behind its locked gates. But Eden is his only key to the tight-lipped group, and she may just be closer to the killer than either one of them suspects…

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Excerpt

“Martha.”

Her mother’s eyes lit up and she half pushed to her feet. “Eden. I admit, when Abram told me you were back in town, I could hardly believe it.” “I’m not back.”

Her smile dimmed, and Eden called herself an idiot ten times over for wanting to do something to bring it back. Manipulation, that’s all it is. Martha motioned to the cups in front of her. “I got your favorite.”

There was nothing else to do but take the empty seat and get this over with. She took a sip—sweet with lots of cream—and didn’t bother to tell Martha she’d switched over to drinking her coffee black a few years back. It would serve no purpose, and her entire goal was to get out of here with the least conversation possible.

“It’s been a long time.”

She shifted, not sure how to take the searching look her mother was giving her, as if she was trying to memorize Eden’s features—or, possibly, was comparing them to the ones she’d had ten years ago. What was there to say? I hated the life you created and forced me into, so I left. You won’t change, and neither will I. This will never be what you want it to be. She couldn’t force the words past her closed throat, so she took another drink of coffee.

Martha hesitated, and then mirrored the motion. “A lot is different from when you were last home.”

Not nearly enough, she’d wager. But if her mother was offering information, she’d be a fool not to get everything she could from Martha. “Oh?”

“Our community has grown. It’s flourishing.” She gave a small self-deprecating smile. “But, then, you didn’t come back to talk about Elysia. How have you been?”

Over the years, she received phone calls from Abram, demanding information at odd times in that quiet terrifying way of his. He never asked more than a few questions, and she never offered more than strictly necessary for those forced check-ins—whatever it took to get him off her back. She didn’t want to now, either. “I’m still working for the government.” Safe enough to admit, since her mother already knew about it.
Sure enough, Martha’s lips thinned. “The FBI.”

“Using the skills I learned from you.” She knew better, but she couldn’t help the dig. “I’m sure I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

Of course she didn’t. Because Elysia most certainly wasn’t a cult. Right. She didn’t roll her eyes, but it was a near thing. “You might like to pretend otherwise, but I know for a fact that Elysia has been on the FBI watch lists for years, so you’re not fooling everyone.”

“Eden Magdalene, you might be a woman grown, but that doesn’t mean you can take that tone of voice with me.”

Or speak too many truths, apparently. Eden stared at her coffee cup, suddenly exhausted. “I don’t suppose you know anything about a photograph showing up in my email yesterday?” It had all the hallmarks of one taken for an official police investigation, but that didn’t explain how it had found her. She’d had a friend in the tech department try to trace it, but it had been routed through several IP addresses before disappearing into the Internet-ether. Call her paranoid, but her first instinct was that her mother had something to do with it. How was the question, though.

Martha cocked her head to the side, frowning. “I’m not sure what you’re speaking of.”

Of course she wasn’t, though Eden was at a loss to decide if that was truth or because she didn’t want to admit to somehow being the leak in a murder investigation. She sighed. “What am I doing here, Martha? You know very well we couldn’t sit in the same room without going for each other’s throats when I was eighteen, and it would seem nothing’s changed since then.”

“I want what I’ve always wanted, baby. I want you to come home.”

There’s no home for me to come to, not now. Not ever. No matter how much I wish that wasn’t true. She cleared her throat. “I—” Think. Think fast. A hard no would just have Martha digging in her heels, and she wasn’t sure yet if Zach would change his mind. “I’ll think about it.” The lie rolled off her tongue with the ease of long practice. She wasn’t going back. She’d set herself on fire before she willingly walked through the gates of Elysia and put herself under her mother’s control again. The only reason she was here was to make sure no other girls turned up dead.
“It would mean so much.” Martha’s smile brightened, and a traitorous part of Eden brightened in response. It was how it always was with her mother. She rarely had to take the stern role when she could manipulate much more effectively with a soft word and a particular look. And when that wouldn’t work? Well, she wasn’t above getting her hands dirty, either.

Did you do it? Did you see that girl killed?

Eden couldn’t ask. The sheriff had already refused her help, and she’d have to be a special kind of stupid to go investigating on her own. There was nothing she could do without the power of the law on her side. If she tried…

Well, if she tried, there were plenty of unmarked graves in Elysia. What was one more?

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About Katee Robert

New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling author Katee Robert learned to tell her stories at her grandpa’s knee. She found romance novels at age twelve and it changed her life. When not writing sexy contemporary and speculative fiction romance novels, she spends her time playing imaginary games with her wee ones, driving her husband batty with what-if questions, and planning for the inevitable zombie apocalypse.

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Love For All Seasons: Four Inspirational Historical Romance Novellas by Stacy Henrie

Love For All Seasons

Release: November 9th, 2016
Romance Subgenre: Historical Romance, Inspirational Romance

If you like the inspirational historical romances of Deanne Gist and Lauraine Snelling, you’ll love USA Today bestselling author Stacy Henrie! With four novellas—one for each season of the year—you’ll find a heartwarming collection of couples from a simpler time in America who discover the redeeming powers of faith and love.

A Long Winter Kiss
As Samantha and Rex’s childhood friendship matured into young love, they promised their hearts to one another, even as Rex headed off to war. But their hope for a bright future was shattered when Rex succumbed to his belief that the horrors of war had made him a man no woman could love. Now he has returned, and Samantha must help Rex see that he still has much to give—and much more to gain—by replacing fear with faith and opening himself to love.

An Unlikely Spring Courtship
Tempest worked hard to secure her independence as a woman running her own mercantile, so when Bram has the audacity to open a competing shop in a town with only enough room for one, Tempest is driven to despair. And then to retaliation. But when tragedy strikes their community and threatens everything they both hold dear, will they be able to recognize that what they share is far more important than what separates them?

A Summer for Love
Loralee’s life has changed dramatically in the eight years since she’s last seen the resort town of Bayocean, but one thing that has never changed is her feelings for Wyatt, a man she promised to meet at the resort on a specific day if they were both still unattached. When Wyatt appears on that date, as hopeful and uncertain as Loralee, the two must see if an old and abiding love has outlasted the changes wrought by time—and begin to build a new life together.

Romance in Autumn
Phoebe and James grew up together but apart in the same beautiful mansion, he as the son of the owners, she as the daughter of a servant. In the years since Phoebe’s fortunes have changed dramatically, and she carries the dream of one day owning the mansion that is still close to her heart. Until James—now a deeply compelling man—delivers the bad news that securing the purchase will be all but impossible. As Phoebe reluctantly relinquishes her dream, she will also look deep into her soul to learn that a true home might exist in her budding love for James.

Buy Love for All Seasons: Four Inspirational Historical Romance Novellas on Amazon

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Theme Songs

Does anyone else just adore a good anthology? They are so satisfying and the HEA’s just make such an impact when they are lined up in quick succession. When I heard that Stacy Henrie was releasing an anthology in November I quickly added it to my Goodreads list. I knew I had to pick up this book! Henrie’s work has been pivotal to me as a romance reader. Her book Hope at Dawnintroduced me to inspirational, historical romance and opened up an entirely new sub-genre to my romance reading tastes. I found Hope at Dawn and the entire Love & War series at Christmastime last year and I’ve been an avid inspirational historical reader ever since.

Love For All Seasons is an anthology in which there are four stories (one for each season). They are all inspirational and historical, but the time periods and characters in each story are not linked at all. I’ve chosen a historically accurate song, or work, for each of Henrie’s seasonal novellas.

A Long Winter's Kiss
Set in post-Civil War Michigan in 1861, A Long Winter’s Kiss is the story of Samantha and Rex. This second-chance romance takes place primarily over the Christmas season and involves some Christmas cheer and gift delivery. For A Long Winter’s Kiss, I’ve chosen the song “We Wish You a Merry Christmas” because it’s specifically mentioned at one point in the story.






“We Wish You a Merry Christmas" from An English Folk Christmas











An Unlikely Spring Courtship
This novella was SO GOOD guys! Set in 1867 Idaho, Tempest and Bram’s story was funny, and cute and altogether very charming. These two are both mercantile owners and they are duking it out in business full tilt. However, they just can’t help but fall in love with each other’s ingenuity and work ethic. An Unlikely Spring Courtship is a bit of opposites attract romance in terms of personalities so that hooked me right from the beginning. I chose Carmen’s "Bizet" for this novella since Bram took Tempest to the opera at one point. "Bizet" was a popular opera post-Civil War and there were several companies that toured the US via the railroad system performing works (such as "Bizet"). You can read more about opera in America after the civil war here.






“Bizet: Carmen"












A Summer for Love
Oh, Lorealee and Wyatt! Also a second-chance romance A Summer for Love is set in Oregon in 1922. Loralee is a singer and Wyatt owns a successful logging company, but they knew each other and fell in love years earlier when Loralee was a servant at a resort in which Wyatt was staying. Break out the tissues for this one, it’s certainly an emotional endeavor! For A Summer of Love I’ve chosen Marion Harris’ “Look for the Silver Lining”. Marion Harris was a popular singer in the early 1920’s and this song is something that Loralee would have, perhaps, sung as she toured the US and Europe.






“Look for the Silver Lining" by Marion Harris












Romance in Autumn
Yet another second-chance romance (are you sensing a theme) Romance in Autumn is Phoebe and James’ story. This novella is set in Rhode Island in 1905. A bit like A Summer for Love, Phoebe used to be a servant for James’ family. Now, years later, she is attempting to make a life for her mother and herself by buying the home in which they once lived and served. For Romance in Autumn, I chose a waltz. Waltzes were immensely popular in the late 1800s for big, ballroom parties (like James’ family would have held). As such, I’ve chosen “Die Schönbrunner” a waltz by Joseph Lanner. Lanner was an Austrian composer whose work helped propel the Viennese waltz to popularity in America (along with Johann Strauss). More information on Waltzes in the early 1900s can be found here.






“Die Schönbrunner” by Joseph Lanner

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About Stacy Henrie

USA Today bestselling author Stacy Henrie is the author of western romances and the Of Love and War series, which includes Hope at Dawn, a 2015 RITA Award finalist for excellence in romance. She was born and raised in the West, where she currently resides with her family. She enjoys reading, road trips, interior decorating, chocolate, and most of all, laughing with her husband and kids. You can learn more about Stacy and her books by visiting her website at stacyhenrie.com.

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