The Beguiling Bachelor Series by Madison Michael (Sale spotlight) RBC ADULT titles

The Beguiling Bachelor Series

by 
Madison Michael

On SALE for a LIMITED Time

 (please check prices before purchasing)

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FREE until October 13th!

Bedazzled (Book 1)

A Chance Encounter Can Change Everything…

Keeli Larsen is second-guessing her decision to support herself as an independent jewelry designer. She has no money, no friends, but she knows she has talent. Leaving her job, she rides the elevator one last time with the sexy man from the penthouse office. That ride and a well placed hand are about to change her life.

Millionaire and hot hunk Wyatt Lyons Howe IV is trapped by generations of family loyalty and tradition until a moment in an elevator rocks his staid world. Wyatt is captivated by Keeli’s beauty and fiery spirit, choosing to pursue her and his dreams. He just needs to rid himself of a scheming fiancé, defy his family, conquer his doubts, extricate himself from his traditional life and, of course, find the elusive Keeli again.

Is she Wyatt’s ticket to freedom or is Keeli an opportunist looking for a bankroll? Unsure of her motives, but unable to stay away, Wyatt is bedazzled.

Fans of steamy romances will fall in love with this contemporary retelling of Cinderella, a smart, sexy story, set within the splendor of Chicago’s elite society.

Amazon Buy Link

Bedazzled is on Kindle Unlimited 

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Only $.99 until October 13th!

Beholden (Book 2)

She’s Lost Everything. He Has Everything…

This is no docile heroine. Meet Sloane, assertive and tough, desperate for love. Meet Randall, drowning his troubles until Sloane provides a reason to sober up. Beholden is a sexy, romantic romp set in the glamour of Chicago’s elite society.

Amazon Buy Link

Beholden is on Kindle Unlimited 

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Only $1.99 until October 13th!

Bedeviled (Book 3)

Join Alex and Charlotte, along with characters you’ve met and loved in “Bedazzled” and “Beholden”, as they tackle the maze of half-truths and cover-ups threatening the lovers.

How can they build a bond with deceit on both sides? With malevolent forces advancing, is their love Bedeviled? 

Amazon Buy Link

Bedeviled is now on Kindle Unlimited 

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Only $2.99 

Besotted (Book 4)

Time is Running Out…For Both of Them   

Join Tyler and Regan as they seek their happily ever after in the conclusion of the steamy, contemporary Beguiling Bachelor romance series.  

Amazon Buy Link



 

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About Madison:

Madison Michael traded 28 years in Fortune 500 tech and management positions for a chance to spend her days with sassy heroines, sexy, rich heroes and nothing but happy endings. Growing up the daughter of a librarian, she learned to love books, especially classics and romances, and spent winters cuddled under blankets losing herself in books.
Madison is the author of three novels in the Beguiling Bachelor series, as well as several short stories. She is a member of Romance Writers of America.
After living in the northeast, southeast and the west, Maddy returned to her Midwest roots. She lives in Evanston, IL with two feline editorial assistants and great views of Chicago’s famous skyline.

Social Links:
 
Website
Madison's Blog
Maddy's Romance Madness
Maddy's Tours and Treats
Facebook
Twitter
Amazon Author Page



 

Becoming Magic by Michelle Garren Flye (VNBtM, guest post, excerpt, and GIVEAWAY) GFT

It is my pleasure to share a guest post by author Michelle Garren Flye, who gives shares her opinion on the fact that...

Sexism Ruins Everything

by

 Michelle Garren Flye

Before I began writing romance, I tried a little of everything. Scifi, fantasy, horror, even a little Southern literature. My objective in writing was always to make things better. When my second son was born, I decided rather than by showing my readers how bad things could get, I should show them how beautiful things can be.

Over the years, my perspective on my chosen genre has morphed. I feel like romance as a genre has been twisted to mean sex. And not just sex, but sexual practices that should probably remain on the fringe of our literature, not showcased on the bestseller shelf. Anyone who thinks that Fifty Shades represents a new sexual revolution needs to pay attention to the headlines. Women are more objectified and abused than ever, and in many cases, it can be traced back to the practices that are glorified in that particular branch of romance.

The truth is, sexism ruins everything. It ruins tennis. Look at what happens on the court to the best women players versus the best men players. Sexism ruins politics and government, movies, comedy—and it’s on the brink of ruining love in general. The reason for this is pretty simple. The war between the sexes is a very real thing. But every time our side wins a battle, the other side pitches a fit.

I persist in optimistically believing I can somehow convince the world that love is a beautiful thing. That romance and sex between two consenting adults has the potential to be uplifting, and that even flirting, when done right, can be fun. I do this by creating characters I hope my readers can relate to and putting them in situations I hope my readers will aspire to. That’s where I believe my genre can make a difference.

Of course, if I wanted to, I could paint a different picture. One where one sex has finally won the war. Where one sex enslaves the other and uses them for procreation only. I’m fairly certain there would be buyers for such books. Probably more than there are for my straighter view of what romance is and can be. Because we all want our side to win the war, and love is about compromise, not winning.

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Becoming Magic

by Michelle Garren Flye

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GENRE:   contemporary romance

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BLURB:

Carole Barnes once believed she would make her own way in Hollywood, but those days are long gone, leaving behind only a dark, slimy secret that Carole has never shared with anyone. Now she hides in the bright sunshine of the Crystal Coast of North Carolina. As far away as she can get from Hollywood. But what to do when Hollywood comes knocking in the form of a sexy movie star?

Connor Wallace has everything going for him—looks, talent, a successful career—but what he really wants is to perform magic on stage. His love of magic leads him back to his mentor Walt Bryson. At first, he’s pleased when Walt suggests his assistant Carole produce a documentary of his transformation from movie star to magician. He’s worked with Carole before—but the ambitious girl who had a crush on him is gone now, leaving a beautiful, withdrawn woman.

It’s the perfect arrangement. Carole knows she can make a success of the movie and Connor wants to work with her. But as they grow closer, Connor determines to find out her secret. Can love overcome the boundaries of fear? Or will Carole’s past return to plague them both?

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EXCERPT

  

She looked around, spotting Connor almost immediately. She took a half step toward him and froze, stumbling a little, her eyes on the dark-haired man at the next table. He was the large, powerful type you got used to seeing in Hollywood. The kind who worked out at a gym first thing in the morning and then again at night. He was good-looking in a slick, well-kept way. Nothing about this man was an accident.

And nothing about his appearance should make her want to find the nearest potted plant and puke in it, but that was exactly how she felt, nonetheless. She felt hot and cold in quick fluctuations. She swallowed hard against the bile that rose in her throat and wheeled around, knocking into a waiter with a tray full of glasses as she did, sending them flying with a crystalline clatter.

The icy water erased the need to throw up, but not the need to flee. She wanted to look over her shoulder, to see if Connor had seen, but nothing mattered except getting away now. The world whirled and refocused on a narrow aisle leading her away and she followed.

Buy links:

Amazon

Barnes and Noble

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AUTHOR Bio and Links:

Michelle Garren Flye is an award-winning romance author of eleven novels and counting. Her short stories have been published by the romance anthology Foreign Affairs, Opium.com, SmokelongQuarterly.com and Flashquake.com, among others. She has served on the editorial staffs of Horror Library, Butcher Shop Quartet and Tattered Souls. Michelle has a Bachelor’s degree in Journalism and Mass Communication from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and a Master’s degree in Library and Information Science from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. She is the mother of three and lives in North Carolina.

Links:

Blog: BREATHE

Facebook

Twitter

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GIVEAWAY


a Rafflecopter giveaway


The tour dates can be found here

My Wonderful Wobbly Life by Charles Irwin (VBT, guest post, excerpt, and GIVEAWAY) GFT

Interestingly enough, I don't remember submitting this as one of my sample questions...but I am happy to share a guest post by author Charles Irwin, who answers the hypothetical question...

If I’d never heard of me would I read my book?

by
Charles Irwin 

From my professional experience, this question is unclear and is open to debate, like questions used by Zen philosophers.  

My explanation for this opinion is, that for seventeen years of my working life I was employed by the Australian Government as a patent examiner during which time it was my responsibility to read applications for patents from inventors.  The primary task was to interpret and criticise what they had written, assess its legibility and check that it met the requirements of the Patents Act.  Once those criteria were met, I would grant a  patent for the invention.  

That may appear to be quite simple, BUT each word of the application needed to be construed in the context that it was used.  Therefore, when I saw the suggested topic for this blog, my Interp & Crit mode automatically got to work and I metaphorically flinched.  I will now, if I can consciously remember how, interpret and criticise the question asked, “If I’d never heard of me would I read my book?” 

‘I’ and ‘me’ are used as grammatical correctness for the same person.  Therefore, the sentence is based on an impossibility, unless ‘I’ and ‘me’ have bad memory recall or are not acknowledging the existence of each other. (ourselves)   

How are ’I’, ‘me’ and ’my’ associated?

‘Me’ is the objective case of ‘I’ and ‘my’ is the possessive form of ‘I’, they are therefore a single being. 

“Would ‘I’ read my book?”  ‘My’ book is a book I have in my possession and belongs to ‘me’.  Why is it presumed that ‘me’ does not also wish to read my book, or maybe is unable to read? 

For clarity, I suggest that the question be rewritten thus: -

“As a reader, why would I read a book written by someone I do not know?” 

Or, “If I’d never heard of you would I read a book written by you?” 

Any book ‘I’ chose to read would need to meet the interests ‘I’ was interested in at the time.  ‘I’ could be looking for a book to entertain ‘me’, enlighten, or educate ‘me’.  Hopefully, this book, being autobiographical, will generate interest covering all three criteria and whet the reader’s appetite.

Being an engineer and patent examiner by profession, the writing produced during my career has mainly been of a technical nature, not easily interpreted or understood by lay people.  When it came to putting my story in words on paper, I wrote in the same vernacular that I speak so, hopefully, it is undemanding to read.  

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My Wonderful Wobbly Life

by Charles Irwin

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GENRE:  Memoir (Autobiography)

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BLURB:

Having survived quite a few birthdays and had some interesting experiences, I wrote them down. That's how "My Wonderful Wobbly Life" was conceived. It was nearly born in 2004, but decided to hang on until 2018 to become 'Born again' Alleluia!!!!

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EXCERPT

“When they told my mother her little Bobby had brain damage and was a cripple, can you imagine how she felt? According to her, devastated!

The way home from the hospital led to one of London’s bridges across the River Thames.  She stopped halfway across with the intention of SPLASH!!! End of story for both of us. She hesitated. The thought of a man crippled by polio, who had succeeded despite his disability and become President of America, came into her mind. She walked on thinking, if F.D. Roosevelt can succeed, so can my Bobby!

When my father arrived home that afternoon my mother was on her hands and knees scrubbing the kitchen floor, filling the bucket with her tears.

“What’s the matter Peg?”

“Oh Bert! our little Bobby’s a CRIPPLE!”

“Well Peg, even if he is, there is one thing we are not going to do. We are not going to be ashamed and hide him away. He will come everywhere with us.”

He was as good as his word. I went everywhere with them when I was young and have fantastic memories of fun times. One of my favourites was being at a dance hall, possibly the Wimbledon Palais de Dance. I could not have been older than three or four, but I distinctly remember my father dancing around the dance-floor with me standing on his feet. It made me feel so proud and grown-up and I was then content to sit and watch for the rest of the evening.  He was a real Yorkshireman, proud of me, his son. “

Buy links:
                                                           

Amazon

B&N

(NB: Please see the author's comment below regarding sale prices!)

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AUTHOR Bio and Links:

Charles was born in London U.K. in 1932. During his birth the forceps slipped, resulting in brain damage to the motor control nerves of his right side and causing total body spasticity. However, his intellect was not damaged. Throughout his life the two adversaries, controllable brain and semi-controllable body, always needed to be balanced. 

After several years of work and study he became a Chartered Production Engineer. In 1971 he emigrated to Australia and became a senior examiner in the Australian Patent office. This autobiography illustrates the rhyme: “He started to sing as he tackled the thing, That couldn’t be done - but he DID IT!” 

Charles chronicles his journey from useless to useful, with humour and joie de vie. He pays tribute to friends who only gave him help when it was asked for. At a young age he recognized his psychic abilities and, by using lessons at the end of each chapter, shares some insights with readers

Website

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GIVEAWAY

a Rafflecopter giveaway



The tour dates can be found here

Flawed by Vivian Kohlman (Spotlight, excerpt, review, and GIVEAWAY) GFT

Flawed

by Vivian Kohlman

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GENRE: Contemporary Romance

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BLURB:

That guy—the one that most girls would run away from—captured Kara’s attention and wouldn’t let it go. As expected, he turned out to be a player. So she cut him off.

But he wasn’t done with her yet. He waited until the memory of their start would have been forgotten—at least, softened a bit. Then he returned to her life, and captured her heart.

Finally blissfully happy, they fall in love and decide to make it official…until his past catches up with him and he destroys her again. But this is it…this is the last time she’ll fall for him.

And she keeps telling herself that until she almost believes it.

This book is for mature audiences.

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EXCERPT

Chapter 9

A few minutes later, I heard the door open again.

“That was quick,” I said while shuffling cards, not paying attention to Anna’s return. But it wasn’t Anna. It was Naheed…he walked around the corner, and leaned next to me, putting a hand on the back of my chair.

“You forgot your drink,” he said, setting the drink down in front of me while keeping his hand on the back of my chair, essentially enclosing me in his arms.

“Thank you.” I felt the heat emanating from him and I know my face was bright red. I couldn’t breathe. Butterflies were storming around my stomach.

“You’re welcome. Aren’t you going to even say hello? You’re acting like I’m a stranger.”

“Hello,” I said. I haven’t even looked at him yet. I was avoiding that like the plague. I knew our eyes would lock, just like they used to…and I can’t let this get out of hand.

“So, you’re engaged to Dominik. Why him?”

A slight fit of anger made me look up to Naheed; he’s still standing incredibly close to me.

“Why do you care?”

“Because…he’s not the one for you.”

“Ah, how ironic. That’s what my friends said about you.”

“Yeah, I remember.”

“And you still have a girlfriend…so, I guess things ended up the way they were supposed to.”

I got to him; he looked pissed. He was quiet for a minute…then sat in the chair next to me.

“Kara, I’m with her because you walked away. YOU WALKED AWAY from us,” he said loudly.

“What did you expect me to do?”

 Amazon link

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AUTHOR Bio and Links:

Vivian Kohlman writes romance novels based on stories of love and loss under the backdrop of Washington, DC. She grew up in Maryland just outside DC, but lived in Los Angeles on and off in her 20's before returning to the Washington, DC area to live out her adult life.

Vivian attended a private university in Washington, DC for undergraduate and graduate school, and lived a very active social life. During her teens and twenties she and her friends lived through a lot of ups and downs—these experiences have fed the stories of this series.

Currently, she loves to travel with her husband and reads or writes romance novels as often as she can. When she’s not writing, she works a fulltime job and enjoys all of the bars, restaurants, and other hot spots of the nation’s capital. Born and raised in the DC metro area, she adores the culture of the city and is passionate about highlighting the city's attributes, lifestyles, and norms—not including politics.

Links

Flawed, Book 1 of the Y&P series (Kara’s story, part 1)

Found, Book 2 of the Y&P series (Kara’s story, part 2)

Let Go, Book 3 of the Y&P series (Billi’s story)

Girls Like Me, Book 4 of the Y&P series (Ava’s story, part 1)

Guys Like You, Book 5 of the Y&P series (Ava’s story, part 2)

Website

Instagram

Facebook

Twitter

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GIVEAWAY

a Rafflecopter giveaway


The tour dates can be found here

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My review:

3.5 out of 5 stars

Flawed: The Story of Kara and Naheed, Part 1 by Vivian Kohlman is the first book in the ‘Young and Privileged of Washington, DC’ series. This contemporary new adult story centers around Kara, whose love life is complicated and angst-filled. Her relationships with the men who capture her heart seem destined for failure but she always has friends to rely upon, even if they sometimes complicate the healing of her bruised emotions. The uncanny connection she feels for a man named Naheed may be mutual but the obstacles to their relationship may be more than they can overcome.

This story gives a glimpse of a hedonistic lifestyle as Kara and her friends party enthusiastically and patronize all of the “in” restaurants, bars, and night clubs. There is plenty of angst and betrayal accompanying this high life, and one can’t help feeling sorry for her even as it becomes apparent that the men in her life adore her but don’t necessarily make wise choices…but then again, neither does she. It is important to realize that this is Part 1, meaning that there is no clear resolution at the end of the story, not even a “happy for now,” therefore this is not technically a romance. Love scenes are off-page and there is a frequent shift between present and past tense, which I found very distracting. Despite this, I was intrigued by the men in Kara’s life—some of whom seem to be real sweethearts while others were definitely not, not to mention her jet-setting ways and ability to party all night and go to work the next day. Those who enjoy angst-filled stories featuring young fashionable twenty-somethings will undoubtedly like this tale but probably should have the sequel ready and waiting to avoid frustration!

A copy of this story was provided to me for review

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When is a bargain not one? Caveat emptor...Let the buyer beware

Ok, those who know me are aware I LOVE a bargain! I get the Friday freebies from one of my local grocery stores, I enter all kinds of contests (although I haven't had the time to do as much lately as I normally do), I save coupons (which I never seem to have when I am at the store, lol), and I accrue points through different things like Bing and Swagbucks (let me know if you want a referral!). So, yesterday I was tempted into a store I have been shopping at for several decades...and actually got my first credit card umpteen years ago from them (and bought my mom a fridge!) because we had a rewards coupon. They were having a sale AND they were giving 50% off of clearance items! What a temptation to make me add more things that I don't need...but my explanation is always...I can give these bargains away for Christmas, right?



Well, there were also KitchenAid items for 40% off! Plus, they were giving $10 off a $25 purchase. Win-win, right? By my calculations, we had purchases that should add up to about $27...so, with the discounts and tax, it should have come out to about $20. (No, I'm not going to tell you which items we chose...what if I'm giving it to one of you for Christmas? I don't want you to know how little I paid for it, lol.)



So...we take our items and stand in the line that is moving at less than a snail's pace...get up to the register and get rung out for just under $30. The line was long, the single cashier was stressed, we were confused...but we paid and stepped away. Then there was the challenge to figure out what in the world had happened. Not only did we NOT get the $10 discount, we received a percentage off of each item AND we did NOT get 40% off. It took a bit of time, but we finally were able to talk to a supervisor, who couldn't understand why we didn't get the $10 off (blaming the computer and maybe the brand of items) but was willing to give that to us. So far, so good. BUT...why didn't we get the 40% off? After all, the sign said...KitchenAid Prep and Gadgets. Why? Because that sign ONLY applies to those items with the prices listed on the sign! Does that sound logical to you? My thought is that, if that's the case...it should say SELECTED items.

What do you think?

So...the point of this diatribe is...make sure you actually do the math, because you may not be getting the bargain you think you are!