The Matchmaker Club by Kayley Wood (Spotlight, excerpt, review, and GIVEAWAY) GFT

The Matchmaker Club

by 

Kayley Wood

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GENRE: Romantic Comedy/Chick lit

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BLURB:

How do you loosen up a rigid, brooding billionaire with a broken heart? Nothing a game of Spin the Bottle, a skinny dipping dare, and poison ivy couldn't fix!

This feel-good rom-com is quickly becoming another fan favorite in the hilarious and sweet Club Series.

"I couldn’t put the book down. The story was great." - Jillian – 5 Stars

"OH THE FEELS! A great read!" - littleboodamommy - 5 Stars

"If you like heartwarming romantic comedies then you’ll definitely enjoy this book!" - Amanda Beaumont - 5 Stars

"There are several moments that will leave you giggling, and even more that will leave you sighing in content. You cannot go wrong when you click a book in this series." -Des - 5 Stars

Hilarious. Sweet. Sassy.

It is an indisputable fact that Reed women are not marriage material.

The great-granddaughter of a famous burlesque dancer, the granddaughter of an ex-hippie, and the daughter of an eccentric artist, Taylor quickly learns the heartbreaking lesson of her family curse after her first love ends in rejection.

Apparently, Reed women are not girlfriend material either.

Nestled in a small town in Maine, Cedar Gardens is the worn-down estate which the Reed women call home. But there’s one catch: It doesn’t belong to them. Almost seventy years ago, Mortimer J. Freeman bought the place for his long-lost love, Marlena Reed. Now, his great-grandson—and heir to billions—Lucas Freeman is in town with an agenda: to quietly reclaim the estate and Mortimer’s old love letters to Marlena while avoiding a family scandal. But Taylor’s grandmother has another plan: to play matchmaker with Taylor and Lucas before all three Reed women are kicked out of the only home they have ever known.

The problem? Taylor can’t stand the brooding billionaire, who doesn’t understand the gravity of a triple dog dare or the fun of blowing bubbles in your milk. Responsibility, reliability, and routine are Lucas’s mantra. That is, until the fiery Taylor schemes up a hilarious to-do list to break him out of his habitual shell and, in the process, turns his world upside down.

But falling in love wasn’t part of any of their plans.

Does Cedar Gardens have enough magic to bring Taylor and Lucas together, or will the Reed family curse win out in the end?

THE MATCHMAKER CLUB is the heartwarming, yet hilarious third installment in the Club Series. A New Adult Romantic Comedy full of lol moments, lovable characters, strong female bonds, and gives all the feels!

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EXCERPT

“If anyone’s out there, I got a gun and I ain’t afraid to use it!” my grandmother called out.

Lucas must’ve turned three shades of white under the moonlight, his eyes wide as saucers. I held both hands over my mouth to stifle a giggle. The only gun my grandmother had was a BB gun to scare away rodents… and Austin.

“I’m coming out now,” my grandmother warned.

Lucas gripped my arm and pulled me behind him. I almost died laughing right there and then. He was trying to protect me.

The shed light went on, and I grabbed Lucas and yanked him to the ground with me. There were a few clanking sounds, and Lucas pulled me into his arms. I felt myself snuggle closer against his chest. His heart was beating fast.

“It’s okay,” I whispered, and he held me a little tighter.

The last time I was this close to a man was my summer with Austin. I had forgotten how much I missed that warmth.

“What is it?” Lainey called from the house.

“Probably a raccoon trying to get to the birdseed,” my grandmother said before she flipped the shed light off.

When the porch light went out as well, his arms were still around me, and I didn’t want to move.

His mouth went to my ear, sending chills rippling across my skin. “Is it safe to go?”

“Yeah.”

His arms dropped to his sides, and I stood up. “This way.”

Amazon

 

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AUTHOR Bio and Links:

Kayley has three simple rules in life:

1. Surround yourself with some incredible, kick-ass women you call friends.

2. Don't worry about failure or mistakes. It's how you respond to them that makes all the difference.

3. An appletini is never complete without two cherries.

Links:

Website

FB

GR

BB

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GIVEAWAY

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The tour dates can be found here




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My review:

4.25 out of 5 stars

The Match-maker Club by Kayley Wood is part of the ‘Club’ series and chronicles the adventures of Taylor Reed as she fights to keep her family home safe from Lucas Freeman, who has been sent to quietly reclaim it. The complex relationship between the two families is based on secrets and different philosophies, but they soon discover they might find a middle ground if they try hard enough.

This lighthearted contemporary romance has its serious undertones but overall, it is a lovely feel-good tale that celebrates following one’s heart. I love the secondary characters and spent quite a bit of time giggling, particularly when it turned out that the honey butter served in a pastry had a little something extra that made dessert particularly memorable.

The strong females in the Reed family are inspiring and vivid characters and it was wonderful to see how Taylor finds a way to reach Lucas through her games, lists, and playlists. The poignant elements supplied by the experiences of previous generations as well as Taylor’s history nicely contrast with the episodes of lightheartedness, and the matchmaker letters give additional insight to some of the characters. There are a couple of awkward elements, including a foray into a different point of view for a single scene and a song on a playlist that is anachronistic, but the overall story is uplifting and entertaining.

I loved the transformation of Lucas’ character and I salute the author for creating characters who are so real that I am rooting for them to continue to overcome the odds and enjoy their compromise. This is a fun and entertaining story that is easily read as a stand-alone tale, but I definitely am curious about the other books in the series.

A copy of this story was provided to me for review.

Yours Truly by K.J. Pierce (VBB, excerpt, and GIVEAWAY) GFT

Yours Truly

by K.J. Pierce

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GENRE: Chick Lit/Romantic Comedy

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BLURB:

Izzie Greene never wanted the limelight. As a caterer for Poe, the top-rated U.S. TV show, she had background player down pat. Her main focus was to spoil the cast and crew and fantasize about her celebrity crush, Scotsman Cardwell Bennett, while navigating the daily chaos.

Izzie’s professional life takes a sharp left turn when her ex-boyfriend unexpectedly arrives on set. Her personal life spirals into Hell when she runs afoul of an unethical paparazzo. Thrust into the public eye, her notoriety is fueled by equal measures of constant scrutiny, speculation, and half-truths. Her rumored romance with Cardwell further stokes the flames.

Held captive by the media, accident-prone Izzie struggles to keep her privacy, secrets, and sanity intact—not to mention her sense of humor. With help from her best friend Delly, her temperamental cat Edgar, and unexpected backup, Izzie might withstand the onslaught. And survive the season.

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EXCERPT:

“You’re my best friend. You’re supposed to love me.” My bottom lip jutted out, quivering.

“And you’re an incredible baker.” Her voice rose smugly over my protestations. “Cardwell B. loves your chocolate and cranberry scones.”

“That’s rich.” I snorted my disbelief. “If Ritchie doesn’t think I’m good enough, then Cardwell’s sure not going to.”

“Don’t be stupid. Cardwell is nothing like Ritchie. He’s a nice guy.”

“Riiiiiight.” Nice guy didn’t translate to much in my dictionary. Ritchie had been nice, too...once upon a time.

Delly ignored my sarcasm. “No joke, Izz. He cornered me yesterday while everyone scrambled for that stupid bird, raving about those damn scones.” She shoved a fistful of tissues into my hands. “I know you’re upset, but get your shit together.”

I teared up again and motioned to the clothes- covered futon. “I was trying.”

“Feeling sorry for yourself isn’t trying.” Delly sat next to me and threw her arm around my shoulder. “Let’s finish packing. Then we’ll have girls’ night. Tomorrow morning, we’ll work the gig then head to the shop, and you’re prepping scones to bake first thing on Monday morning. They’ll be freshly made. Hot and steamy. Butter will drip off those scones.”

“Only you could make food sound like porn.” I sniffled and wiped my nose.

“Would porn with Cardwell really be bad?” She jabbed at my bare feet with the toe of her boot, forcing me to tuck them out of harm’s way.

I shot her a death glare.

“What?” Delly pulled her innocent face. “At least he can act.”

Purchase Links

The Wild Rose Press Website

Amazon

Universal Amazon link

BookStrand.com

Kobo.com

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AUTHOR Bio and Links:

K.J. Pierce is a jack of all trades. Her interests are varied enough to make this a requirement for a happy existence. Her main goal in life is to understand the human condition, which she explores through various mediums, including fiction, creative nonfiction, and scriptwriting. She sometimes succumbs to itchy-feet syndrome, a holdover from her Army Brat days. As a result, she can sometimes be found bouncing from locale to locale. She earned a BA in English Literature/Creative Writing from Agnes Scott College and a MLitt in The Gothic Imagination from the University of Stirling, Scotland. She puts them to good use by crafting stories that run the gamut in terms of genres, but which always include an exploration of the societal misfit and the darkness which pervades all facets of life, even in the most comic of circumstances.

K.J. currently lives on the east coast of Central Florida with her cat Dorian Gray, who lives up to his name by striving to be the states most prolific lizard serial killer. Yours Truly is her first novel.

Website/Social Media Links

Website/Blog

Facebook Author Page

Twitter: @MisfitKJPierce

Amazon Author Page

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GIVEAWAY
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The tour dates can be found here

I Should Have Said Yes by J B Glazer (VBT, guest post, excerpt, and GIVEAWAY) GFT

It is my pleasure to share a guest post from author J.B. Glazer, who answers my question...

ELF: What do you think is the strongest attraction about the genre(s) you like to write in?

JBG: I like to write the kind of books that I read. While I enjoy a variety of genres, Chick Lit and Contemporary Romance are my favorites. As an eternal optimist, I love writing uplifting books. We are all too often inundated with news of tragedies. I’m a big believer in Happily Ever After. Real life is hard enough, so I like books that offer an escape from reality and give women hope that happiness is attainable. I guess I figure, why not live the fairy tale once in a while?

My latest novel, I Should Have Said Yes, is Chick Lit by technical definition, but I really like to think of it as a Romance. The book follows serial dater Tara Winters on her journey to finding Mr. Right. Tara is a successful interior designer, Master’s student, blogger, jewelry maker, and bona fide dating expert. While she has a constant stream of suitors, none are what she considers husband material. From dating websites to set ups, Tara has tried it all. She meets plenty of outrageous men along the way, from guys who can’t handle their alcohol, to dealing with body hair and mommy issues. At least it gives her plenty of fodder for her blog! In a short time she amasses a huge following and is seen as the quintessential singleton. But all she really wants is to settle down. So love is definitely a key theme of the book.

One of the reasons I like to write about love is because it’s powerful, mysterious, and universal. While it’s difficult to put the significance of its meaning into words, it can be summed up with a simple icon such as a heart, cupid, x, or kiss. And though times may have changed, the fact that we are all searching for love has not. It’s the work of movies, songs, poems and of course, books. Some people fall in love easily, while others spend a lifetime looking for that one perfect someone. While the goal may be the same, we all have a different journey. I love exploring these journeys. In my first novel, Out in the Open, my protagonist Lexi is nursing a broken-heart and is scared to let love in. In I Should Have Said Yes, all Tara wants is to meet the One. She’s just having a hard time finding him and has to kiss a lot of frogs before she meets her prince. Two sisters, two very different paths to finding love. But in the end they both find happiness. Because I think that’s what love is all about. It’s not finding someone who makes you happy. We are all in control of that and I think it needs to come from within first. It’s about finding someone to share your happiness with.

And that is the key reason why I write: it makes me happy, and in turn, I like making others happy. I guess it’s my way of sharing. J I seriously get an endorphin rush after I have a breakthrough or finish a chapter. Some people get that rush from exercise, mine comes from creativity. (Kind of wish the working out thing did it for me). Anyway, I agree with the sentiment that happiness is contagious. And it can start with something as simple as a smile. As I said, I’m an eternal optimist, so I’ll end with a quote that I think is perfect during this season of giving. “Happiness adds and multiples as we divide it with others.”
– A. Nielsen


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I Should Have Said Yes

by J B Glazer

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GENRE: Chick Lit

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BLURB:

Blogger extraordinaire Tara Winters has always regretted saying no to D. J. Parker. She vowed never to repeat her mistake, and her “yes” dating pact was born. After meeting countless Mr. Wrongs, she’s seriously considering her friend Andy’s drunken marriage proposal. Then Andy meets Natalie, and Tara finds herself competing for his affection. She must decide if it’s love—or a game to win. After each outrageous date Tara shares advice with her followers, but embracing “no” just may be her key to happiness.


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EXCERPT

The soft opening of the Gallerie, a restaurant that my firm helped design, was a success. I also met an adorable chef while I was there. OK, he’s technically not a chef yet, but he’s studying to become one. Right now he’s the bartender, and I almost let that dissuade me from giving him a chance. Not that there’s anything wrong with that, but I’m at the point where I want to be with someone who has high aspirations, which he does. He made me a delicious drink, so that’s also a bonus in my book. If you check out the Gallerie, which you should, ask for the T. W. Twist! I just made it up, but I think it has a nice ring to it, don’t you? I’ll have to talk to them about that. Anyway, something I’ve discovered is that I’m attracted to guys who are creative—they don’t call it the culinary arts for nothing. I’m more of a freethinker, so I don’t mesh well with analytical types. And I like a guy who sets a goal for himself and goes for it. That’s an admirable quality and says something about his character. We haven’t gone out yet, so I’ve probably already jinxed myself. But I’m excited about seeing him again and would’ve said yes on my own accord, not because of some pact. More to come. Ciao for now!

Amazon link

Only $.99 during the tour!


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AUTHOR Bio and Links:



J B Glazer developed a love of writing at a young age. She followed that passion to the University of Illinois, where she graduated summa cum laude from the College of Communications. She pursued a career in advertising, a field that provided an outlet to express her creativity. In addition to being a marketer, she’s a wife, mom, blogger, chauffer, referee, short-order cook, maid, chocoholic, shopaholic, and multitasker extraordinaire. I Should Have Said Yes is her second novel. Visit www.jbglazer.com for random musings and other inspiration. You can also connect with J B in most of the usual places.

Facebook
Twitter @JBGlazer
Authorjbglazer@gmail.com

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Flight Risk by Barbara Valentin (VBT, guest post, excerpt, and GIVEAWAY) GFT

I am happy to have a guest post by author Barbara Valentin, who answers my question...

ELF:  What was the most difficult thing to overcome on your path to becoming a published author and how did you conquer it?

BV:  Me. The most difficult thing to overcome was me. As driven as I was to get published, I am a Grade A certified procrastinator. Granted, with a full-time job and a family to support, there are plenty of things I can prioritize over plunking my butt in front of my laptop and demanding absolute silence.

Thankfully, my guys would have none of it.

Whenever they saw me folding laundry or pulling out ingredients for dinner, they’d ask, “Shouldn’t you be writing?” or “Hey, why aren’t you writing?” Worked like a charm. Some of the time.

Even when all of the day job and familial obstacles didn’t exist, I still had to force myself write – even though I love it…even though I would shrivel up and die if someone was foolish enough to come along and tell me I couldn’t do it anymore.

The biggest incentive I had to finish my first manuscript was a pitch appointment I had requested with an agent at conference I was planning on attending (hosted by a local RWA chapter). Knowing the agent would only be interested in completed (although not necessarily polished) manuscripts, I did my level best to have it in the best shape possible by that date.

I also put a no-fail back-up plan in place. To make sure I wouldn’t slack off or lose my nerve, I got myself a critique partner. A fellow member of my RWA chapter, he and I committed to meet every other week, critiquing each other’s newly written chapters as we went along.

Finally, as a back-up to my back-up plan, I promised myself something really, really special once I typed, “The End.” For me, that translated into a day off of work, breakfast out with my hubs and a shopping spree at my favorite clothing store. For you, it can be anything you like - jewelry, a mani-pedi, a week in the Caymans...

Four books later, procrastination and me are still best buds. I’m not proud to admit I wrote some of my best passages at two in the morning whilst in the middle of an “I’m-not-gonna-make-my-deadline” cram session. Then there were the nights I foolishly chose sleep over writing. I’d invariably wake with a start in the wee hours, my head full of snappy-as-hell bits of dialogue or, more often than not, the perfect “out” for the dead end I had written myself into before I drifted off. And I’d have to drag myself out of bed so I could jot it down before it vanished from my conscience mind.

No, I may not be setting a great example for my kids. I burn my maternal candle at both ends, serve (and eat) way more junk food than I care to admit, and am a slave to caffeine. Is it any wonder my wait-til-the-last minute ways have rubbed off on my boys (Sunday night homework panic attacks ring a bell?)? 

But don’t worry. Whenever I see them watching TV or playing video games, I ask, “Shouldn’t you be doing your homework?” or “Hey, why aren’t you doing your homework?” Works like a charm. Most of the time.

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Flight Risk

by Barbara Valentin

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GENRE: Romantic Comedy/Chick Lit

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BLURB:


When Aubrey Thomas, a phobic travel writer, must chose between jumping to what she considers certain death from a skydiving static line or sinking even deeper into debt in the unemployment line, she scrambles to find someone—anyone!—who can help her overcome her debilitating fear of heights. Enter John Trelawney, a charming window washer who thinks nothing of dangling by a cable fifty stories up and claims he can cure her. Everything about John makes Aubrey nervous... including the way her heart kicks into overdrive whenever he's around. But, at the end of her rope, she takes him up on his offer. Can he really help her get over her fear of heights? Or will Aubrey find herself free falling...possibly even in love with him?

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EXCERPT

"So, what's the game plan?" Aubrey asked, still deciding if she had the nerve to follow her best friend’s advice.

What you need is a one-nighter. With a really hot stranger.

John turned to face her, those caramel-colored eyes smoldering in the streetlamp glow. After looking at her a good long while, he said, "You're coming upstairs. With me."

Right.

But all she could do was grip the steering wheel even harder and avert her gaze to the car parked directly in front of hers.

Damn that Teddy.

Everything her best friend had said earlier was spot on…and Aubrey knew it.

While she was still deciding if she had the nerve to go through with it, she felt John reach over and slide his warm, strong hand behind her neck, rubbing it ever so gently.

Her pulse quickening, she drew a deep breath and squirmed, "John, I—"

Before she could finish, he withdrew it. "I understand. Be careful going home. I'll call you first thing, all right?"

There was no mistaking the disappointment in his voice. All she could do was give him a quick nod.

Then she saw him reach for his door handle. "Thanks for the ri—"

"Ya know what? Yes."

He stopped and looked at her. "Yes?"

Turning, she locked her eyes onto his. "Yes, I want to come upstairs with you. But, again, no—"

John reached behind her, grabbed her bag, and scraped out, "No relationship. Got it."

    

Buy Links:

Amazon 
Nook

Smashwords

Kobo

iBooks

Flight Risk will be $0.99 during the tour.

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AUTHOR Bio and Links:

Author of the bestselling Assignment: Romance series, Barbara was named "Indie Star of 2015" by Publishers Weekly. A member of Romance Writers of America, she looks forward to the day when her to-do list includes "Send Oprah a thank you note" and "Accept Godiva's request to be a taste-tester."

Social Media Links:

Website

Facebook

Twitter

Amazon

GoodReads

Google+

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GIVEAWAY


a Rafflecopter giveaway

The tour dates can be found here

The Evans Trilogy series: Set Me Free, Open My Eyes, and Bring Me Back by Jennifer Collin (VNBtM, guest post, excerpt and GIVEAWAY) GFT

I have the pleasure of having a guest post from author Jennifer Collin.  She answers...

-->

What would be your dream place to visit and why?

Like many Australians, I’m reasonably well-travelled. There must be something about being stuck down here at the bottom of the earth that drives us to get on a plane and see the world. The characters in my Evans Trilogy have this is wanderlust as well. Book One, Set Me Free, opens with Charlotte returning from a jaunt to Italy, where, like I did many years ago, she walked the hiking trail along the Cinque Terra. Book Two, Open My Eyes, begins in Kyoto, Japan, another place I’ve visited that has stayed with me. And finally, half of the action in Book Three, Bring Me Back, takes place in New Zealand. My husband and I went to New Zealand on our honeymoon and we often daydream about relocating there.

I’ve ticked many places of my bucket list and most of them met my expectations. In addition to the above, some of my favorite places in the world include Ireland (just all of it), the Scottish Highlands, London, Copenhagen, Berlin, Amsterdam, Krakow (Poland), Prague, Tokyo and Hanoi (Vietnam).

I’ve had misadventures in Paris, where I was accosted beneath the Eiffel Tower by a man who wanted to take me back to his apartment, slip me into some silk trousers, and take photos of me with poking my bottom up in the air. Eww! There was also the time my friend and I were stumbling back to our hut in a northern Thai rice paddy field when two men in full military gear suddenly appeared out of nowhere to watch the spectacle of the drunk westerners. “Did you see that!” we stage-whispered to each other, giggling manically and completely oblivious to the danger we were in.

There are many places I still want to go. I want to see a white Christmas in Canada and pound the pavement in New York. I want to see the west coast of the USA and some of the big landmarks, like Yellowstone National Park and the Grand Canyon. I want to go to Chile, and Brazil and Argentina. I want to see the craziness that is Mumbai (India) and waltz through the Winter Palace in St Petersburg (Russia). I want to see the Terracotta Army in Xian, China and the futuristic cities of Beijing and Shanghai. And I want to take my kids on safari somewhere in Africa and to the Great Pyramids in Egypt.

The world is such a big, beautiful place with so much to see, I’m not sure there is any one dream place for me. I want to see it all. But if I could check out for a few months to go anywhere I wanted to immerse myself in a novel, I dream of overlooking either the lush, green, rolling hills of Ireland in summer, or the snow-capped Remarkables in Queenstown, New Zealand, with a fire warming my back and a cat purring on my lap. Ahh…         

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Evans Trilogy

by Jennifer Collin

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GENRE:  Chick Lit

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BLURBS:

Book 1: Set me free

Disastrous love life aside, Charlotte Evans is rather content with her life. Her quaint little art gallery is plodding along nicely, and her sister Emily’s artistic career is about to take off, thanks to her tireless promotion. She even gets to see her best friend every day and drink his delicious coffee in the café next door.
But when dastardly property developer Craig Carmichael comes along, threatening to demolish her gallery and take everything away, Charlotte has an unexpected fight on her hands. Not only is she battling to stop Craig’s development, she’s also struggling against the mysterious magnetic pull that has her on a collision course with Craig himself.
Craig Carmichael is fighting the Battle for Boundary Street on more than one front. The tenants of the building he wants to knock down are mounting a strong case against him and in a hot-headed moment he put his career on the line for a project that is threatening to fail. If the project doesn’t succeed he will lose everything, but for some reason he’s having trouble maintaining his focus.
As their worlds begin to unravel around them, anyone could win. It’s what they might lose that has Charlotte and Craig wondering what it is they really want.

Book 2: Open My Eyes

Everything happens for a reason, they say. And sometimes the reason is you're stupid and make bad decisions. Sleeping with her sister's best friend is one of the dumbest things soon-to-be divorcee Emily Evans has ever done. But she's determined to put it behind her and move on. She's walked away from her cheating husband, managed to make a new friend, and found herself a real job and somewhere to live so she doesn't have to couch-surf any more. Everything should be falling into place but for one problem – there are some mistakes from which you can't move on.

Meanwhile, Ben Cameron is getting on with his life. After all, it's the only thing to do once your heart has been stomped on by the woman of your dreams. Expanding his business and getting cosy with the girl next door are proving welcome distractions. He's even happy to babysit his nephew, as long as he can to hand him back when he's done! And thankfully, Emily Evans, the woman with the heavy boots, is avoiding him like the plague.


But Emily can't avoid him forever, and when she drops a bombshell that turns Ben's world upside-down, suddenly, getting on with his life takes on a whole new meaning.

Book 3: Bring Me Back

Andy Evans is on the move. For six long, lonely years, he’s been running from his past, leaving his family and his life as a drug-addicted rock star far behind. His latest move takes him to the sleepy seaside town of Oamaru, New Zealand, to sell cigar-box guitars to tourists. The only running he’ll need to do will be training for the half-marathon in nearby Dunedin. But when Andy sets eyes on Steampunk HQ, Oamaru's main tourist attraction, he realises his days of running might not be over, especially if a certain Steampunk fan from his past catches up with him.

Annie Martin is on the cusp of great success. Her career as a Steampunk academic is about to take off, as long as she can convince one disagreeable, New Zealand-based Professor to sign up to the anthology she’s putting together. Thankfully, Annie is a master at maintaining her poise and few people, no matter how nasty, can rattle her. Not any more. In fact, it’d been a good six years since anyone had gotten under her skin, after her best friend’s brother had vanished into thin air.

When Annie finds her future career on a collision course with her secret past, Andy Evans is the last person she expects to find tangled up in the mess. With a vengeful drug-dealer or two hot on his heels, and a vindictive academic determined to ruin her credibility, can Annie bring Andy back to his family before it’s too late? Annie and Andy are used to being alone, but if they don’t work together, there’ll be much more at stake than her livelihood and his sobriety.

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EXCERPTS

Book 1 Set me free

‘You know I’m going to fight you in this development, don’t you?’

‘I do.’ 

They walked in silence until they rounded the corner into her street and crossed the road in front of her building.

Charlotte stopped. ‘You lied to me,’ she accused, finally seeking out his eyes.

‘No I didn’t. Not technically. I failed to tell you something, but I didn’t lie.’ Was he teasing her?

‘Same thing,’ she snapped. ‘I don’t like liars. And I’m not very fond of people who are out to ruin my life,’ she added.

‘I’m not going to ruin your life,’ he said, not looking away, holding her with his dark brown gaze.

‘Well that means that you are because you’re a liar.’

He chuckled softly and gently. ‘Your argument is not sound.’

Charlotte withheld a grin. He was right. She sounded like a petulant child. She decided not to bite back.

‘I’m going in now,’ she said. ‘Thanks for seeing me home, I guess.’

He shrugged. She paused, and her gaze fell on his lips. When the corners of his mouth started to turn, so did she, on her heel, to stomp up the stairs to her apartment.

‘Goodnight, Charlotte,’ he called.

Throwing him one final glare, she closed her door on him and made a beeline for the shower to wash away the sinful desire threatening her good judgment.  

Amazon buy link

Book 2 Open My Eyes

Excerpt

They walked back to the car, side by side, a little closer this time. It felt normal, like it used to be between them.  Comfortable and safe.  She reached for his arm and wrapped her fingers around his bicep, feeling his muscles twitch beneath her touch.  She rested her head against his shoulder.  He reached around her and pulled her closer, kissing the top of her head, sending a shower of tingles down her spine and all the way to her toes. Keeping her eyes on those toes, she soaked up his warmth.

When he pulled up outside her new home, he asked, ‘So, do you want to book in that shopping trip then?’

Emily didn’t want to get out of the car. She wanted to stay there with him. It was so quiet and peaceful and toasty. It felt like home.

Emily closed her eyes. She could hear the hum of the car engine, the faint sounds of the radio not quite turned all the way down. Another car drove past. And there was Ben’s breathing. The slow intake of air and the whisper of his exhalation.

There had been other days, other times like this, late last year after she split from Geoff, when Ben was the centre of her universe. Back then he was always there, when she didn’t even realise she needed him. Even before she split from Geoff he’d been there, always there to make her laugh, keep her company when she was lonely, amuse her when she was bored. Ben had always been there, but she hadn’t seen him until it was too late.

She could see him now.

Amazon buy link

Book 3 Bring Me Back

Excerpt 

‘You’ll be able to play that one day if you keep practising,’ David told him when he set the guitar down.

‘Do you think so?’

‘I do.’

‘I think my mum’s here,’ Genjii said, looking towards the door that led to the shopfront.

‘Is she? I didn’t hear the bell.’

‘She came in while you were playing.’

Guitar case in hand, Genjii led David through to the front of the shop. On the other side of the door, he stopped unexpectedly, and David crashed into him.

‘I guess it’s not your mum,’ David murmured, taking in the woman staring at the row of cigar box guitars on the wall. Another Steampunk freak, come to check out Oamaru’s famous HQ. David’s heart began to pick up speed. A handful of them had wandered in since he’d been in the shop and they’d put him on edge every time.

From behind at least, this one wore her Steampunk well; the corset cinching her waist rounded her hips nicely. Her long skirts brushed the floor. Unlike the others, who’d always seemed uncomfortable in their costumes, this one looked like she belonged in Victorian England. This one stirred memories of the Steampunk freak he’d left in his past, the one he didn’t want to see again. He shook his head and reminded himself the probability was low. Six months. He was only here for six months.

Then the woman turned around.

David’s heart stopped. His heart, which hammered constantly these days, even when he wasn’t running or remembering, just stopped beating. The rumble of his thoughts, the white noise he was never able to clear, fell into silence.

The woman froze, staring at him, brow gradually puckering. David knew he was staring back, but he was unable to tear his eyes away. It felt like minutes passed, but it must have been only seconds, before she stepped towards him.

‘Andy?’ she said. It came out in a gasp. Her chest rose and fell in short bursts, and the colour drained from her face. She swallowed. ‘Is it you?’

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AUTHOR Bio and Links:

Jennifer Collin writes quirky, and sometimes gritty, love stories about ordinary people dealing with what life throws at them.

She lives in Brisbane, Australia, with her husband, two noisy children and a cantankerous cat.

She used to party, but now her idea of a good time is an uninterrupted sleep. These days, her characters do her partying for her, and she doesn't necessarily let them sleep.

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