Saturday, November 1, 2025

New Release: Wildflowers & Whiskey

 

WILDFLOWERS & WHISKEY

Sara McClaflin

Release Date: November 1

AVAILABLE IN KINDLE UNLIMITED

The first thing you need to know about Beckett Harrington? Trouble in a three thousand dollar suit.

The next? He’s my new boss.

I run The Dutch Wall—Onyx Hotel’s most exclusive bar. My bar. My rules. I’ve kept it perfect without a Harrington anywhere near it.

Then he walked back into Vegas, and suddenly I was twenty-one again—blurting out how much I loved him, and breaking when he turned me down.

I swore I’d never make that mistake twice.

One night, too much tequila, and a wedding chapel later… Beckett Harrington isn’t just the man who rejected me. He’s my husband.

I want out. He doesn’t.

Now I work for him, wear his ring, and pretend none of it matters. But every time he’s close, the line between hating him and wanting him disappears.

But Beckett Harrington has always been a bad idea and unfortunately…I’ve never been good at saying no to those.

Grab Your Copy!

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DV46SD5Y

Meet Sara McClaflin:

Sara McClaflin, a dedicated author of romance, crafts tales that are not only heart-melting but also delve into the delicate facets of humanity. Having spent the past few years as an avid reader, Sara transitioned from writing book reviews to creating her own narratives. Her passion for romance, in all its diverse forms, shines through as she weaves stories that resonate with readers.

Residing on the vibrant west coast with her husband and beloved dog, Sara McClaflin is surrounded by the inspiration of nature and the love of her family. In her world, there is no such thing as too many books or an overfilled "want to read" list, as each story unfolds new possibilities and adventures.

To find out about Sara McClaflin’s upcoming releases and giveaways, sign up for her newsletter here

For more information on Sara McClaflin and her books visit: https://www.authorsaramcclaflin.com/

Connect with Sara McClaflin:

hello@authorsaramcclaflin.com



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Release Blitz: Elf-Ish


✨Let’s celebrate! It’s release day for ELF-ISH by @lbdunbarwrites! Grab it in KU!

 

#OneClickNow

Amazon US https://amzn.to/3ICwgby

Amazon UK https://amzn.to/4g6oTWx

Amazon AU https://amzn.to/42895N3

Amazon CA https://amzn.to/427kpsH

 

Why you need to #ONECLICK this book…

❄️She saves his life (EMT)

🎁Millionaire department store owner

❄️Holiday Dating Arrangement

🎁Only one bed

❄️Grumpy x Sunshine

🎁Opposites Attract

 

As the CEO of a major department store, I know firsthand that Christmas joy can be bought and sold just like anything else.

That's right. When it comes to the most wonderful time of the year, I’m a grinch in a penthouse.

But when a gorgeous, red-headed firefighter saves me from a heart attack with a kiss and a whispered plea, even I can’t begrudge her a simple favor - be her date at her younger brother’s holiday wedding.

Turns out, there’s nothing simple about it.

Suddenly, I’m ice skating on frozen ponds, baking cookies with her family, kissing under mistletoes, and finding a little fa-la-la in the season. I don’t even recognize myself.

Because she’s like the spirit of Christmas present, haunting my thoughts, sparking something in my cold heart, and making me crave things past-me would never have considered asking the big man in red for - a future.

Once upon a time, a scrooge like me vowed to transform. The only thing he didn’t get in the end was the girl. I’m determined that won’t happen to me.

It’s either give up my selfish ways or lose the love of a truly elf-ish woman.

+++

L.B. Dunbar is back with another Holiday Hottie certain to heat the season and be your reason to fall in love this November. The fourth book among these Chicago firefighters can be read as a complete standalone, but we’re sure you’ll want to check out the rest of the department once you finish this one.

 

#newrelease #lbdunbar #kindleunlimited #holidayhottie #holidayromance @theauthor.agency

 



 

Book Blitz: The Bridge

 

The Bridge
Shanna Hatfield
Publication date: October 7th 2025
Genres: Adult, Holiday, Women’s Fiction

One Bridge. Five Strangers. A Christmas Eve That Changes Everything.

On a bridge suspended above the Willamette River, five lives collide for a journey through hope and hardship in a suspenseful, heartwarming tale of courage, connection, and the magic of second chances.

Sergeant Archer Raines has worked every holiday all year for one reason: to finally spend Christmas with his wife. But when a desperate man threatens to jump from Portland’s St. Johns Bridge, Archer’s expert negotiation skills are required to defuse the situation.

Rosalee, a high-powered accountant and mom-to-be, only meant to swing by home for a forgotten phone and client file. Then her car is caught in the chaos on the bridge, she unexpectedly goes into labor, and her carefully planned world begins to unravel amidst the unfolding drama.

Exhausted nurse Nova just wants to make it home for Christmas after too many night shifts. When the pileup halts traffic and Rosalee’s baby is on the way, Nova puts her own plans on hold to help a stranger in need.

Carter, the owner of a busy tow truck business, regrets taking the call to clear the multi-car collision off the bridge. He’d intended to spend the day tackling last-minute holiday errands. Instead, he’s praying the lunatic pointing a gun at him doesn’t pull the trigger.

Fresh out of college and anxious to kick-start his career, Ian’s running late when his car won’t start the morning of his big interview. His rideshare driver turns out to be a captivating girl with a penchant for aggressive driving that narrowly saves them from being part of the wreck on the bridge, sending Ian on an unexpected path of his own.

The Bridge is the perfect uplifting holiday read and a story of how one frozen moment can thaw even the loneliest of hearts.

Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes & Noble / Apple Books / Kobo

EXCERPT:

He’d just stepped outside when he saw a vehicle roaring up the street. The rideshare logo was clearly visible in the passenger-side corner of the windshield. He hoped the maniac driving the small SUV wouldn’t kill him in a fiery crash before they even made it out of the neighborhood.

He lifted a hand as he stepped out to the curb, and the SUV came to a precise stop beside him. All he had to do was open the door and slide into the back seat.

“You’re the dude heading to Magra? Ian Alexander?” the driver asked, giving him a glimpse over her shoulder.

Ian nodded, then cleared his throat. “Yes. I’m Ian. Do you have the address?”

“Got it right here,” she said, then blew a big pink bubble and popped her gum.

He was in the process of buckling his seat belt when she hit the gas and zipped into the street, barely slowed at the corner, and picked up speed as she headed toward the highway.

Ian prayed he’d survive the trip and wouldn’t be so rattled by the experience he’d mess up his interview. He drew in a long breath and inhaled a fragrance reminiscent of spiced cider and warm fires. He didn’t see an air freshener hanging up and wondered if it was just the driver. If so, she smelled amazing.

Head in the game.

Now was not the time to check out a girl. Besides, this one certainly wasn’t his type even if she appeared to be close to his age. From the quick glance she’d given him, he’d concluded she was into goth with her thick, black eyeliner and dark eye shadow, a nose ring, blood-red lipstick, and a dragon earring that encircled her entire ear. She had on fingerless gloves with leather cuffs and a black leather jacket sporting silver studs around the collar. He had no idea what color her hair might have been because it was all stuffed up under a slouchy black velvet hat.

He wondered what she’d look like if she washed her face and dressed in something less biker chic and more … feminine.

Ian almost face-palmed himself. Good grief! He was starting to sound like his parents. He didn’t care if the woman was dressed as one of Santa’s elves as long as she got him to his interview on time, preferably in one piece.

To distract himself from the fact that goth girl seemed to think she was training for the Indy 500 or perhaps to become a New York City cab driver, he rehearsed what he planned to say at the interview. When it felt as though the SUV went around a corner on two wheels, Ian latched onto the handle above the door and held on for dear life. What kind of crazy person was about to get him killed?

“Ever think about becoming a race car driver?” he asked as she barely slowed at a stop sign and took a right onto the highway.

She glanced back at him and smirked. “Only every other day. Unfortunately for you, today is an even day, and I’m practicing.”

Author Bio:

USA Today Bestselling Author Shanna Hatfield writes sweet romances rich with relatable characters, small town settings that feel like home, humor, and hope.

Her historical westerns have been described as “reminiscent of the era captured by Bonanza and The Virginian” while her contemporary works have been called “laugh-out-loud funny, and a little heart-pumping sexy without being explicit in any way.”

When this farm girl isn’t writing or indulging in rich, decadent chocolate, Shanna hangs out with her husband, lovingly known as Captain Cavedweller. She also experiments with recipes, snaps photos of her adorable nephew, and caters to the whims of a cranky cat named Drooley.

To learn more about Shanna or the books she writes, visit her website http://shannahatfield.com or find out more about her here: linktr.ee/ShannaHatfield

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GIVEAWAY!

The Bridge Blitz


Book Blitz : Behind The Mirror

 

Behind the Mirror
Bridget Budd
Publication date: July 1st 2025
Genres: Contemporary, Women’s Fiction

Behind the Mirror is a powerful, character-driven novel about emotional healing, generational trauma, and the courage it takes to stop performing and start living your truth.

Sometimes, the hardest person to face is the one behind the mirror…

Julie Sloan was shaped by abandonment early in life—left behind by the people who were supposed to love her first. In the absence of emotional safety, she became what the world rewarded: high-achieving, self-sacrificing, and always performing. Through four marriages, she searched for stability while suppressing her deepest fears—that she was unworthy of lasting love, and too broken to be fully seen.

But when her fourth marriage nearly collapsed, something shifted. It wasn’t betrayal that broke her—it was the quiet realization that she had never truly lived for herself.

What followed was a reckoning: with her past, with the roles she had played to survive, and with the parts of herself she had long silenced.

Now, years later, a Pulitzer Prize–winning journalist named Laura wants to profile Julie’s nonprofit work—an organization devoted to helping women heal from emotional wounds. But what begins as a success story takes a deeper turn as Julie reveals the story behind the story—the one she’s never shared publicly. The one about how she abandoned herself first.

For readers drawn to novels about inner child work, identity, and spiritual awakening, this deeply personal journey will leave you both broken open and quietly restored.

Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes & Noble / Audible / IngramSpark

EXCERPT:

Julie Sloan had everything she thought she wanted—success, love, stability—but beneath the perfection was an exhaustion she couldn’t name. In this scene from Behind the Mirror, she begins to see the quiet cost of performing her way through life.

I had and have everything I had dreamed of. This gorgeous house, an indoor pool, a home gym, a massage room, and a state-of-the-art kitchen. Plus, I drive a super-fun and sporty Porsche 718 Boxster in Carmine Red … Nothing beats the top down on the glorious sunny days we have here.

But I was perpetually unhappy and had no idea why.

Did you notice that all those things I listed as being everything I dreamed of were external? None of them reflected satisfaction from the inside out. I was living from the outside in. Even as recently as ten years ago, I was stuck in that familiar pattern of thinking that I wasn’t worthy whenever someone did something kind for me.

… I was perpetually chasing the next goal, the next fix, the next thing that might finally make me feel whole. What I couldn’t see then was that the exhaustion I felt wasn’t from doing too much—it was from being someone I wasn’t.

I had mastered the art of performing for love, of polishing every rough edge until there was no “me” left underneath. The burnout wasn’t from my schedule; it was from the story I kept trying to live up to.

It’s strange, really, how easy it is to confuse performing with being alive. But when the performance ends—when the lights go down and the applause fades—what’s left is silence. And in that silence, I finally started to hear something truer than all the noise: myself.

Author Bio:

Bridget Budd is the author of Behind the Mirror, a debut novel that blends literary storytelling with therapeutic insight.

After more than twenty-five years in corporate sales, she stepped away to explore the emotional patterns beneath her success—and the cost of always holding it together.

Her work lives at the intersection of fiction and healing, drawing from her background in trauma-informed coaching, somatics, and holistic health. Bridget writes and speaks about identity, self-worth, and the shift from performing to presence.

Often described as “fiction with emotional teeth,” her stories are crafted for deep feelers, recovering perfectionists, and anyone quietly exhausted from chasing “enough.”

She divides her time between Marco Island, Florida, and Marvin, North Carolina, with her husband and two opinionated dogs.

Website / Instagram


GIVEAWAY!

Behind the Mirror Blitz


Book Blitz: The Ordinary Bruja

 

The Ordinary Bruja: Marisol’s Story
Johanny Ortega
(Las Cerradoras, #1)
Publication date: November 1st 2025
Genres: Adult, Horror, Magical Realism, Psychological

The Ordinary Bruja is a haunting and heartfelt coming-of-age novel wrapped in Dominican magical realism and psychological horror.

Marisol Espinal doesn’t believe she’s special. Not when she’s back in her small Ohio hometown, working as a barista, haunted by grief and the girls who once made her life hell. But when mirrors flicker with strange words, cigar smoke curls where no one is smoking, and voices whisper from Hallowthorn Hill, she realizes something darker has always been watching.

The Espinal family magic was buried generations ago-forced into silence by Salvador, the ancestor who bound their power for himself. Now his ghost feeds on fear and doubt, and Marisol is his next target. To survive, she must reclaim her heritage, unearth the truth hidden in her mother’s journal, and face the hill that has been waiting for her all along.

Atmospheric and emotionally charged, The Ordinary Bruja blends generational trauma, identity reclamation, and queer love with a creeping sense of dread. Perfect for fans of The Inheritance of Orquídea Divina and Mexican Gothic, this novel asks: What does it cost to embrace every part of yourself-even the parts the world taught you to bury?

Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes & Noble / iBooks / Kobo

“Ten months since she had dropped out and came home, to the place she promised herself she’d never return to. She was bad at keeping promises. That was for sure.”

PRAISE for The Ordinary Bruja

“There is spirituality, magic, ghosts, there is plenty of love, there is loss; and above all there is familia, both genetic and of choice.”

“…An impactful horror story that blew me away.”

“This book . . . pushed me to confront my own assumptions about history.”

“You can absolutely feel the anguish Marisol feels at the loss of her mother.”

“I absolutely enjoyed “The Ordinary Bruja”. It was a perfect mix between horror (with a slight humor – thank you early Marisol and her “nope” moments + Kia) and a story that shows you that you need to find your own way, even if everything is pushing you down.”


Author Bio:

Johanny Ortega is a Dominican American author who writes across genres—blending psychological horror, literary fiction, magical realism, and thrillers that punch you right in the gut. Whether writing about haunted hills, generational trauma, or the quiet unraveling of everyday life, her stories center marginalized voices, morally complex women, and the messy truth about survival.

She is the founder of Have a Cup of Johanny, a creative platform where she blogs, podcasts, and advocates for inclusive storytelling. Her award-winning middle-grade and adult fiction has resonated with readers who crave depth, grit, and emotional honesty.

When she’s not writing, she’s raising kids in a blended military family, reading books that wreck her soul in the best way, and saying what others are afraid to.

Website / Goodreads / TikTok / Instagram


GIVEAWAY!

The Ordinary Bruja Blitz


Cover Reveal: The Valentines Lines

 

 


Cupid trades arrows for scones in a magical screwball comedy


Romantic Comedy, Humor Novel, Light Fantasy

Tropes: Valentine’s Day romance, Small Town Romance Slow Burn Romance, Found Family, Forbidden Romance, Meddling Family

Publisher: Making Hay Press

Date Published: 12-09-2025




“The Valentine Lines” reimagines Cupid—aka Bart McGee—as an underdog ditching the corporate grind of Mt. Olympus, Inc., for small-town life in quaint Mineral Point, Wisconsin. When Bart launches a matchmaking business and falls in love with a local baker, chaos ensues as his meddling Olympus relatives crash the scene. It’s packed with snappy banter, slapstick escapades, mythological mishaps, and thoughtful explorations of love, trust, and self-discovery.


It’s a modern “Bell, Book, and Candle.” A light, literary escape for readers craving whimsy with emotional resonance.

 

No sex, politics, foul language. Manuscript winner/finalist in CIBA (humor) and Southwest Writers.

 

About the Author

 

 TK Sheffield, MA, writes stories to laugh and escape, including new a romcom "The Valentine Lines," and "Nellie’s Island," a children’s horse story set in Mackinac Island. Sheffield also writes funny cozy mysteries, "The Devil Wears Prada" meets a Wisconsin supper club, which have earned an IBPA Humor medal, a Claymore, and an IPPY. She’s on the Wisconsin Writers Association’s board, host of the Wispresso Café, an author talk show, and a member of Blackbird Writers, Sisters in Crime, and SCBWI.


Contact Links

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Facebook

Blog

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Preorder Link

On Sale for Preorders for just $0.99

Amazon


RABT Book Tours & PR

Book Blitz : Mastering Medicare

 




Nonfiction



Mastering Medicare: 65 Things Everyone Should Know Before Age 65 is the no-nonsense survival guide to Medicare—written by a nationally recognized healthcare leader with over three decades of frontline experience.

Every day, about 11,000 Americans turn 65 and enter Medicare—most of them confused, unprepared, and unaware of costly traps that can drain their retirement savings. From missed deadlines and surprise bills to myths about what Medicare covers, the system is filled with pitfalls that even doctors struggle to understand.

Dr. Lance Coss wrote this book to make Medicare clear, practical, and mistake-proof. With 65 bite-sized lessons, real stories, and plain-English explanations, he reveals the myths, mistakes, misunderstandings, and miscalculations that cost people money—and shows you how to avoid them.

Instead of dense government jargon, you’ll find humor, clarity, and insider insights that put you back in control of your healthcare choices.

Whether you’re approaching 65, already enrolled, or helping a loved one navigate Medicare, this book will give you the confidence, knowledge, and tools to make smarter decisions and keep more money in your pocket.


✅ Key Takeaways & Benefits (Amazon Bullet Features)

● ✔ Avoid costly mistakes – Learn the 65 most common traps that derail retirees, from missed enrollment deadlines to assuming the wrong benefits.

● ✔ Know what Medicare really covers – Get clear explanations about hospital, doctor, prescription, dental, vision, and long-term care benefits.

● ✔ Plan with confidence – Compare plan options, costs, and coverage to choose the right Medicare plan for your lifestyle and health needs.

● ✔ Save money on healthcare – Discover strategies to minimize out-of-pocket costs, penalties, and billing surprises.

● ✔ Empower caregivers & families – A must-have guide for adult children helping parents navigate Medicare decisions.

● ✔ Learn from an insider – Written by Dr. Lance Coss, a nationally recognized healthcare executive with 30+ years of Medicare expertise.

● ✔ Easy, practical, and engaging – Bite-sized lessons with real stories and humor make complex rules simple and memorable.

 


👉 Perfect for: Adults ages 60–70 preparing for Medicare, caregivers helping loved ones, and early planners who want to avoid confusion before retirement.

Mastering Medicare is more than a book—it’s your roadmap to clarity, confidence, and control over one of the most important decisions of your retirement years.

 


About the Author

Dr. Lance Coss is a nationally recognized healthcare executive, Medicare expert, and award-winning author with more than 30 years of experience navigating the U.S. healthcare system. With a Doctorate in Healthcare Administration, a Master’s in Human Genetics, and a Master’s in Educational Psychology, he brings a unique blend of science, policy, and human behavior to his work.

As Executive Director of a national Medicare program, Dr. Coss leads nearly 600 professionals who manage appeals, beneficiary complaints, and quality-of-care reviews for hundreds of thousands of Americans every year. His leadership ensures patient rights are protected, timely care is delivered, and improper payments are reduced—safeguarding both beneficiaries and the Medicare Trust Fund.

Recognized as one of the Top 10 Most Admired Leaders of 2025 and a two-time recipient of CMS’s National Special Service Award, Dr. Coss is a trusted voice in healthcare reform, patient advocacy, and program accountability.

Through his Mastering Medicare platform—including his YouTube series and bestselling book Mastering Medicare: 65 Things Everyone Should Know Before Age 65—he helps people cut through the confusion and avoid costly mistakes. Whether guiding readers through enrollment pitfalls or helping caregivers support loved ones, Dr. Coss empowers people with the knowledge they need to make smarter, more confident healthcare decisions.

When not immersed in healthcare policy, Lance writes biotech thrillers inspired by his genetics background, or enjoys ranch life outside Tulsa with his partner, nine dogs, three mini pigs, and a lively flock of chickens.


Contact Links

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RABT Book Tours & PR

Release Blitz: Two for Holding

 

Title:  Two for Holding

Series: Minor Penalties, Book One

Author: S.B. Barnes

Cover Artist: Tuisku Hiltunen

Publisher:  NineStar Press

Release Date: 10/28/2025

Heat Level: 3 - Some Sex

Pairing: Male/Male

Length: 280

Genre: Contemporary, gay, athletes, coming out, enemies/rivals to lovers, in the closet, slow burn/UST, San Francisco, sports/ice hockey, self-esteem issues, “practice with me” trope, anxiety attacks

Add to Goodreads


Description

Tom Crowler has been captain of the San Francisco Sea Lions for a decade of failures. With no cups or trophies to show for his time in the NHL, Tom retreated into himself a long time ago, and that’s exactly where he intends to stay until he retires. But when he catches the new team superstar, Jaxon Grant, in a compromising position, Tom finds it impossible to continue hiding his deepest secret behind a bland, pleasant mask.

Jax is everything Tom isn’t: loud, flashy, the winner of multiple NHL Awards, and—oh, yeah—gay enough to get traded to San Francisco because of a potential PR scandal with his old team. At first, he thinks Tom catching him means the next trade, the next rejection for being just a little too much for other people to take. When it turns out the two of them have more in common than talent on the ice, though, Jax finds himself drawn in by pulling Tom out.

As animosity gives way to a partnership neither of them saw coming, Tom and Jax are left facing new challenges. Will Jax’s impulsive nature put Tom’s deeply valued privacy at risk? Or will Tom’s reticence force Jax into pretending to be someone he isn’t? And if they can’t even figure each other out, how can they save a struggling NHL team from bad coaching and internal division?

Excerpt

Two for Holding
S.B. Barnes © 2025
All Rights Reserved

Prologue

Kayleigh: Hi everyone, I’m Kayleigh, your San Francisco Sea Lions media gal, and I’m here in the Sea Lions’ home base, Cyberian Arena, with the team’s newest addition, Jaxon Grant! Jax, how does it feel to be on the West Coast?

Jaxon: Um, good, yeah. Different. Less humid than in Philly.

Kayleigh: [leans in toward the camera] So, Jax—I can call you Jax, right?

Jaxon: Yeah, of course.

Kayleigh: Your trade came as a bit of a surprise, and so close to preseason. Can you tell us what brought you here?

Jaxon: [laughs] Uh. Good question. Honestly, if I could answer it, I might not be here.

Top comments:

sealions4lyfe: I know we had an offensive gap but…this guy? Really? He’s good, but does that make up for his personality?

Jefferson Howard: In my day, hockey players played hockey instead of dyeing their hair and buying designer watches.

(Video posted in The Rookery, the direct-to-consumer streaming service of the San Francisco Sea Lions and all associated teams, on 09/18/2024)

*

Joining a new team was always nerve-wracking.

The last time Jax had to do it, he’d been drafted third overall by the Philadelphia Magpies and had already gone through development and rookie camps. He’d earned his place. At the time, he was also eighteen and making more money playing hockey than his parents’ house had cost. He might have been slightly overconfident.

Now, Jax knew he was exactly the right amount of confident. He had six years in the NHL under his belt as well as the Calder his rookie year and an Art Ross two years ago. Any team would be lucky to have him.

As he walked into the San Francisco Sea Lions’ locker room for the first time at the tail end of training camp, he kept his shoulders back and his chin up, projecting all the confidence he could muster. No one had seen his trade coming, least of all Jax, and he’d missed all the team bonding events to start the season, but he was used to coming in as the underdog. He could make this work for him. He would make this work for him.

With that in mind, he strolled up to Tom Crowler, team captain, absolute beast on the ice and averaging comfortably over a point per game for the last decade. “Hi. Nice to meet you. Tom, right? I’m Jax, I’ll be—”

“I know who you are,” Crowler said.

“Um. Okay. So—”

“They’re probably going to give you an A. Phil can tell you what you need to know about your responsibilities.” Crowler waved vaguely in the direction of Phil “East” Easton, the only other person who’d been on the team as long as him.

Then, Crowler got up and walked out of the locker room.

Jax stared at his retreating back. Had he said something wrong? Accidentally worn a Magpies jersey out of habit? He looked down at himself. No, there was the stupid Sea Lions logo, a stylized swirl of lines only vaguely reminiscent of a real animal.

“Don’t worry about it.” A man roughly twice as broad as most humans came up to Jax and slapped him on the back, hard enough he had to brace for impact. “Captain’s always like that.”

“Seriously?”

“I’d been on the team for a month before he talked to me. I wasn’t even sure he knew my name.” The man smiled toothily. “Chris, by the way. Chris Calabrese. But everyone calls me Breezy.”

Right, a junior defenseman who’d gotten more and more minutes toward the end of last season and a lot of buzz in the press.

“Nice to meet you,” Jax said.

“You too, man. Excited to have you. We need some more young guys around here, you know? It’s just me and the rookies.” Breezy nodded over at two other guys in his corner of the locker room, both staring down at their phones.

Did no one in this locker room talk to one another? Chat?

“Sounds awesome,” Jax said weakly. Then he rallied. He’d make it work here. He would make himself integral to the team so he wouldn’t have the rug pulled out from under him with another goddamn trade. “What do y’all do for fun?”

Breezy made an odd face as if no one had ever spoken the word “fun” in the locker room before. “We don’t really do much as a team. But, hey, we should totally change it up!”

They absolutely should. They would be spending the next seven to ten months sharing a locker room and a charter plane and a team bus. What did they do, sit quietly next to one another, not talking? Jax wouldn’t survive for ten minutes, let alone eighty-two hockey games.

Breezy could definitely see his trepidation. “Here, come meet East. He’ll tell you everything you need to know.”

Twice now, someone had referred him to Easton for guidance, though he wasn’t the captain of this team. As Breezy led him across the locker room, Jax peeked out through the door. On the fresh, empty ice, Crowler drew circles around and around, all by himself, skating faster and faster as he went.

He was so good. Why was he so alone?

Purchase

NineStar Press | Books2Read

Meet the Author

S. B. Barnes attended college in the Hudson Valley, studying English Language and Literature and Anthropology (although unlike her characters, her time there was not interrupted by crime-solving). She grew up split between the USA and Germany, attending university in both countries before eventually settling in Germany. Today, she works as a teacher and lives with her husband and two cats in an apartment with too little shelf space. Fiction has always been one of her greatest loves, as a reader, as a teacher, and as a writer. While S.B. has been writing for most of her life, this is her first foray into publishing her work.

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Book Blitz: Hooking Up With A Rockstar

 

Hooking Up With a Rockstar
Kitt Henley
Publication date: October 28th 2025
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance

An opposites-attract friends-to-lovers romance featuring a charming, swoon-worthy rockstar hero who falls first, a fiercely independent club-manager heroine, a hometown show, a secret song, and one very compromising position.

I told him it was just a hookup. I don’t think he bought it.

JUNE: Anthony’s always been a wild good time, but even before his band got famous, I knew better than to let myself bask in the glow of that 1,000-watt smile.

He makes me feel things I don’t ever want to feel. For anyone.

So when his band went on tour halfway across the world, forgetting him was the goal, but his postcards from the road didn’t make it any easier.

And now he’s back. Playing my club, looking every inch the rock god, and reminding me what it feels like to be with him.

Under him.

But I have a club to run, a boss breathing down my neck, and no room for distractions. This is my chance to prove myself, and unlike my mother, I’m not about to let some guy derail my life.

Three nights.
That’s all I have to survive without letting my guard down.
Without losing myself.
Without wanting him.


Soulmates: Two bands. Three shows. Four happily ever afters.
Hooking Up With a Rockstar is a complete romance novella with no cliffhanger. This story can be enjoyed as a standalone or read as the second book in the Soulmates interwoven rockstar romance series.

Goodreads / Amazon

EXCERPT:

“How are you doing on your part of the list so far?” I ask, situating myself on the barstool directly across from June.

“Doing good.” Her eyelashes flutter a little. She’s working hard to keep her attention on the bottles she’s probably pretending to count, but her eyes keep darting in my direction. “Everything’s ready to go for ticketing and admission, and the staff are all confirmed for tonight.”

“OK, fabulous. Sounds like the perfect time for the two of us to grab a bite to eat.”

“Oh. Thanks, but I’ll get something later.” She angles her body away even further.

She’s adorable.

June’s making me work for it, that’s for sure. She’s a tough nut to crack, so I wasn’t expecting her to toss her panties at me or anything, but I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t hoping she’d be a little more receptive. But that’s OK. We’ve got three whole days together, and this time I’m playing the long game.

“My treat.” I slide over one stool and inch myself back into her line of sight. “How about a quick sandwich?”

“Oh, I don’t know…” She finally turns to face me, looking skeptical.

“Come on, Chicago,” I tease, lowering my voice. “What. Are you afraid I’m gonna put the moves on you?”

She rolls her eyes. “I freaking know you will.”

“No. This is a professional lunch outing.”

“Uh-huh. Sure it is.” She shakes her head, smiling. “Yeah, all right. But just a quick bite.”

“Absolutely.”

She reaches for her coat and we step outside. I swear it’s even colder than it was this morning, and it takes my eyes a minute to adjust to the bright sun after spending all day in the club.

“We could grab barbecue sandwiches at that place around the corner,” June says.

“Actually, I heard there’s this great place a couple of blocks down. Follow me.”

The truth is I know exactly where we’re headed. It’s the diner where June and I used to go sometimes after closing up the bar.

The first time she asked if I wanted to get a bite to eat after work, I thought she was asking me out on a real date. We were sitting at that diner, facing each other across the table, when she first started telling me about all the different bands she was into. Eclectic stuff. She could appreciate things in the music that most people never even notice. That was when I realized she was someone special.

As we make our way down the sidewalk, I can’t help but feel giddy. It’s good to be walking through the city side by side with June again.

We round the corner and I slow down as we approach the restaurant.

“Oh, I see what you did here,” she says. “A trip down memory lane, huh? I recall being promised a quick sandwich.”

“But if you’ll remember, June, the service here is incredibly speedy,” I reassure her with a wink, and she rolls her eyes.

We score our usual cozy table by the window and put our sandwich orders in right away to speed things up.

June leans toward me, resting both hands at the edge of the table and giving me a little scowl as the server pours us each a cup of coffee.

“I can’t believe you brought me back here,” she says, shaking her head. “You’re hilarious. You know that?”

“It’s one of the things you love most about me.” I grin.

“That’s debatable.” She’s giving me one of those feisty June expressions that I’ve missed so much.

“Well, you guys sure have been getting around this past year.”

“Oh, you’ve been paying attention?” I wink.

“I did receive thirty-eight postcards.” She gives me a sideways glare, and my heart does a flip-flop. She actually read my cards.

“Ahh, but who’s counting?” I tease.

“Right.” She nods slowly, but her cheeks flush pink.

I pause, taking a deep breath to steady myself. “You know, I’ve been doing a lot of thinking this past year.”

“Yeah? About what?” She takes a sip of her coffee.

“About us, actually,” I say softly.

That must’ve caught her off guard because those dark eyes lock right on mine, and her cheeks flush a deep shade of pink.

“Oh.”

“Sorry. Is that weird?”

“No, I mean, it’s fine,” she says, dropping her voice a little. “It’s just—I’m worried we got our wires crossed somewhere.”

“What do you mean?”

“Last year—when we hooked up—I didn’t mean for it to be anything more than one night.” She’s watching my eyes closely now.

“Yeah, I was wondering about that,” I say.

“I know. I really fucked that up. I should have been clear about what I was looking for from the start. That wasn’t fair to you.”

I shrug. “Nah, you’re OK. We didn’t make any promises that night.”

She gives me a little smile. “Well, thanks for saying that. But I shouldn’t have ghosted you. We’ve been friends a long time, and you deserve better.”

“OK. But I get it. It was intense, what happened between us.”

She stops mid-sip, almost choking on her coffee. “Err, umm—hmm? What do you mean?”

“The two of us. We’re something else together. I know you felt it too.”

“Oh, I don’t know…” Her pupils dilate and her lips part a bit, the way they do when she’s turned on.

“It wasn’t just a hookup, June.” I let my tone drop down low, just the way she likes it. “No matter what you want to tell yourself.”

“Um, no, I’m pretty sure that’s what it was,” she tries, but her voice is breathless, and her hands are trembling. “Just…a hookup.”

“If you say so, Chicago,” I tease, giving her a wide smile.

Author Bio:

Kitt Henley writes short, spicy contemporary romance with relatable characters, a touch of humor, and tons of heart. Never one to make it through a good romance (or cookie commercial) with dry eyes, Kitt's heartstrings are easy to pull on. When she played in rock bands and crunched numbers in the Seattle tech world, those waterworks weren't an asset, but after a friend suggested she try writing romance, everything clicked into place. From the moment she sat down to write her first novel, she knew she'd found her calling.

When she's not wrangling words in her tiny bedroom office, Kitt loves to spend time with her high school best friend (a.k.a. her rockstar husband) and their two ridiculously funny boys. She's still holding out hope for that family band someday, but in the meantime she'll happily settle for camping trips, board games, long walks with friends, and watching lots and lots of thrillers.

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Book Tour: Unholy

 

 Book Tour

Unholy

Heart’s True Desire Series: Book Three

By

Kathryn Amurra

 

About the Book:

Genres: Paranormal Romance / Vampire Romance

Publisher: Wild Rose Press

Publication Date: October 20, 2025

 

In her last semester of college, Beth D’Angelo has one goal—to get her thermodynamics experiment to work so she can graduate. But everything changes when she nearly runs over a mysterious stranger with her car—a man whose hauntingly handsome face fills her with an inexplicable sense of dread. Suddenly, her failed experiment becomes the least of her worries. Strong, alluring, and centuries-old, Thomas Callahan is a vampire whose powers are as dangerous as his secrets. After Beth nearly runs him over, her sweet nature and innate fear of him become an irresistible challenge—to corrupt her innocence. As they spend more time together, Beth’s fear dissipates and becomes something Thomas finds himself craving more than blood. Knowing it is only a matter of time before she discovers what he truly is, and with two hunters on his trail seeking vengeance, Thomas must decide if loving Beth is worth risking both their lives.

 

 

Purchase Links:

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Excerpt:


As she stood there, looking up at Thomas, his magnificent appearance struck her again. A bit taller than her five feet four inches, he was easily six feet tall. His dark hair was on the long side of clean-cut, and the cold wind had made it just messy enough to look incredibly sexy. His nose was straight and perfectly placed on his strong, masculine face, and his eyes were a beautiful dark brown. Perhaps it was his dark lashes and eyebrows, or perhaps something else, but Beth couldn’t help feeling that there was something ominous behind those eyes. It was almost as if his eyes held a warning, even while his mouth invited her to draw closer.

 Before Beth realized she was staring at Thomas’ mouth, his lips parted and he spoke again. “Well, I don’t mean to brag, but damsels in distress are my specialty.”

Blinking free of her trance, she shook her head. “Well, I’m not a damsel. In distress, I mean. I don’t need your help.”

He pressed his lips together and nodded slowly. “I understand. In that case, perhaps you can help me instead.”

“Me help you? With what?”

He smiled smugly again. “I’m thirsty.” He paused, almost long enough to allow her to speak, before continuing. “Come have a drink with me.”

She could feel her eyes grow wide with shock even as she told herself to act casual.

“I’m not a big drinker.” At least her voice sounded calm, even if her hands were fidgeting inside her coat pockets.

“Coffee then?”

“I don’t drink coffee after four o’clock. It would keep me awake all night.” She realized as the words left her mouth how much like an old lady she sounded. Lin was right—she may as well have told the guy that she had to get home to soak her dentures.

Though her responses should have completely put him off from pursuing any further interaction, Thomas simply replied, “Then how about some chamomile tea? I’ve read that’ll help calm your nerves and get you in the right mindset for bed.”

The way the man said “bed” sent Beth’s heart racing, and she couldn’t help but wonder if the innuendo was intentional.

“Maybe some other time,” she managed to utter.

He took a step closer to her, and her breath caught.

“I will remember you said that.”

 

What Readers Are Saying:

“Ms. Amurra brings deep, interesting characters that she developed them so well from the beginning of the book and throughout the story. Even the vampire was realistic, and Ms. Amurra created such a unique story line that I was intrigued and captivated until the very end.” –Kelly Barr

 

“I’m not a fan of vampires. With that being said. After reading the first two pages I was hooked.” –Jean

 

About the Author:

Kathryn Amurra is the author of sweet and sensual love stories. Her debut series, Soothsayer's Path, is a historical romance series of standalone books set in Ancient Rome around 115 CE. Her new series, Heart’s True Desire, is a paranormal romance series of standalone books published through The Wild Rose Press. Kathryn has been making up stories for as long as she can remember and writing since grade school. Against the advice of her 12th grade English teacher, she studied Mechanical Engineering in college, then worked as an Engineer for a few years. After finding and marrying her own hero, she and her hubby went to law school together. They currently live in North Carolina with their three girls.

 

Contact Links:

Email - kathrynamurra@gmail.com

Website: https://www.kathrynamurra.com

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/kathrynamurra/

X – https://x.com/AmurraKathryn

Goodreads - https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/20280375.Kathryn_Amurra

BookBub - https://www.bookbub.com/authors/kathryn-amurra

 

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