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Wednesday, May 31, 2023

Smarty Pants

 




We are so excited to share that Smarty Pants by Marika Ray is available NOW in 𝗔𝘂𝗱𝗶𝗼𝗯𝗼𝗼𝗸!


🎧 Narrated by Pippa Jayne & Julian Durant

The first time I met her, she was running away from her own wedding.

The second time I met her, she tried to get me fired from my job.

The third time? I had to haul her drunk self off the bar before she completed her amateur—and hot as hell—striptease.

She’s messy, chaos in human form, and not at all who she claims to be. Everything I’ve worked so hard for depends on her not screwing things up for me. I should run, not walk, away from her, but all I want to do is strip her layers until I get to the…heart—yeah, that’s what I was going to say—of who she really is.

I may be smart, but love might be the most clever of us all.

#SmartyPantsAudioBlast #Audiobook #NowLive #MarikaRayAuthor #SmartyPants #TantorMedia #SBRMedia #ListenNow #PippaJayneNarrator #JulianDurantNarrator

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Tuesday, May 30, 2023

Beyond the Book: This is Too Hard!

If you had to have a theme song what song would you pick, why? 

For me, this is a topic that’s hard to nail down. I don’t think there’s one song that’s been my theme. People change as time moves along, and their priorities change too. I thought of all the great music I’ve heard during my life time. I was just starting to like something besides children’s songs when Peter Paul and Mary came on the scene. I was simply blown away by their sound and their message. 

Next I started listening to beach music. Oh my! Even now I can listen to the Beach Boys, and I want to either dance or sing along with them. I taught some of their music to both my granddaughter and grandson. We’d drive down the road singing along with The Beach Boys. If they didn’t raise your spirits and make you happy I don’t know what would. 

I also enjoyed the Doors. Remember Light My Fire anyone? From the perspective of adulthood, the Doors are a bit controversial, but to be fair they alway were. 

I could go on forever, but it wasn’t only Pop/Rock that I liked. I was a tremendous Johnny Cash fan. In fact, not long ago I treated myself to a Johnny Cash album that was posted on YouTube. If my grandchildren hadn’t grown up I’d teach them some Johnny Cash music. Johnny sold 90 million records and ten platinum albums, which is more than the Beatles sold in the same time period. (1969) Johnny seemed like a regular guy, someone you might know, and I think that’s why people loved him. 

There is, however, one musical genre that’s had a major impact on my entire life, and that’s Southern Gospel. I always attended church regularly, and I was inspired by the music that I heard. It tells of sacrifice, love, mercy, and hope. I’ll Fly Away is one of my favorites, and so is Beulah Land, Amazing Grace, The Old Rugged Cross, and too many others to list. I like them better than most modern Christian music, but some of it is good too. I love In Christ Alone.

I guess I finally answered the question. Sounds like songs of faith might be my theme. Do you have a theme? I’d love to hear about it.


Until I'm safe in Your Arms

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This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Jenna Jaxon will be awarding a $10 Amazon/BN GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour, Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

Can a wager to find a wife turn into a true love match?

Entered into a wager that he can wed within a week, Captain Alex Bancroft pursues the first pretty woman he meets: Miss Emma Washer. Their courtship proceeds at a furious pace, including a dalliance that might ruin them both. Before it can, Alex proposes and is stunned when Emma agrees to marry him. Alex desperately tries to keep word of the wager from his new wife, not knowing Emma has secrets of her own to keep.

As passion erupts between the newly wed pair, the circumstances of Emma’s past threaten to tear them asunder. Alex’s regiment is directed to sail to a place Emma dares not go.

She refuses to accompany him, leaving Alex with a devastating choice: leave England to fulfil duty to Queen and country or stay and revel in his newfound love for his wife?

Read an Excerpt

He led her to the French windows and, with a strange little flutter in her stomach, Emma followed him outside onto the veranda.

The night air was soft and warm with a slight breeze that brought the faint scent of roses wafting from the nearby garden. Oil lamps suspended from the ceiling of the veranda at perfect intervals provided a gentle glow while still allowing for a shadowy, romantic atmosphere. The perfect setting to further her acquaintance with the captain.

They slowed to a stop halfway between the lamps, in enough shadow that Emma need not fear Captain Bancroft could see her face. Her cheeks were already hot from the knowledge of what she intended to do. Turning to gaze out over the manicured lawn, Emma released her grip on his arm and leaned against the railing. “It’s such a lovely night, isn’t it?”

“The loveliest one I’ve ever seen.”

The strange timbre of his voice made her jerk her head toward him. He wasn’t looking out at the darkened vista she’d been peering at. His gaze rested squarely on her.

Emma’s heart beat so hard against her breast she feared he could hear it. But she couldn’t dwell on that. This was the chance she’d hoped for. She swayed toward him, tilting her head back so she looked directly into his eyes. “Shall we make it even better, Captain?”

Seeming much darker than their normal blue, his eyes widened, then his head lowered until his lips rested against her ear. “Are you merely flirting with me, Miss Washer, or was that an honest invitation to a kiss?”

About the Author:
Jenna Jaxon is a best-selling author of historical romance, writing in a variety of time periods because she believes that passion is timeless. She has been reading and writing historical romance since she was a teenager. A romantic herself, Jenna has always loved a dark side to the genre, a twist, suspense, a surprise. She tries to incorporate all these elements into her own stories.

She lives in Virginia with her family and a small menagerie of pets--including Olive, an almost silent cat, Earl Grey, a very curious bunny, and a Shar-pei mix named Frenchie.

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Cuffed

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Title: Cuffed
Series: Boys of Bishop Mountain Book 2
Author: Lexxi James
Genre: Contemporary Military Romance
Release Date: May 19, 2023





★★★★★ Amazon Review - “𝙀𝙓𝘾𝙀𝙇𝙇𝙀𝙉𝙏 𝙎𝙐𝙎𝙋𝙀𝙉𝙎𝙀 𝙁𝙄𝙇𝙇𝙀𝘿 𝙍𝙊𝙈𝘼𝙉𝘾𝙀 🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤”

★★★★★ Amazon Review - “....𝙘𝙤𝙣𝙩𝙚𝙢𝙥𝙤𝙧𝙖𝙧𝙮, 𝙢𝙞𝙡𝙡𝙞𝙤𝙣𝙖𝙞𝙧𝙚 𝙧𝙤𝙢𝙖𝙣𝙘𝙚 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙞𝙣𝙘𝙧𝙚𝙙𝙞𝙗𝙡𝙚 𝙘𝙝𝙖𝙧𝙖𝙘𝙩𝙚𝙧𝙨 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙨𝙩𝙤𝙧𝙮𝙡𝙞𝙣𝙚. 𝙄 𝙚𝙨𝙥𝙚𝙘𝙞𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙮 𝙡𝙤𝙫𝙚𝙙 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙞𝙣𝙩𝙧𝙞𝙜𝙪𝙚, 𝙪𝙣𝙥𝙧𝙚𝙙𝙞𝙘𝙩𝙖𝙗𝙞𝙡𝙞𝙩𝙮, 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙚𝙨𝙨, 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙨𝙩𝙚𝙖𝙢.”

★★★★★ Petra-Book Lover - “𝙈𝙪𝙨𝙩 𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙙 𝙨𝙚𝙧𝙞𝙚𝙨!!!! 𝙄𝙛 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙡𝙤𝙫𝙚 𝙞𝙣𝙩𝙧𝙞𝙜𝙪𝙚, 𝙡𝙤𝙫𝙚, 𝙡𝙖𝙪𝙜𝙝𝙩𝙚𝙧 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙣 𝙖 𝙛𝙚𝙬 𝙩𝙚𝙖𝙧𝙨, 𝙮𝙤𝙪'𝙡𝙡 𝙡𝙤𝙫𝙚 𝙞𝙩!”

Hannah
The second I saw him walk through that door, I knew he was trouble.
Men like him always are.
The dark hair.
The smoldering stubble.
Those piercing gray eyes that might as well be a flame thrower between women's legs.
Oh, and the fact that he's in a gentlemen's club.
What am I doing here, you ask?
It's my job to be here.
No, not that job.
My job is to put away bad guys, like the elusive mob hitman I've been tracking for months who's now somewhere in this very club.
You see, I'm a woman on a mission,
And this is a raid.

Zac
For heaven's sake, I was hosting my brother's bachelor party,
Is that a crime?
(Seriously, asking for a friend.)

I mean, considering my brother is about to walk down the aisle,
I'm just doing my best man duties.
And sure, technically, it's a gentlemen's club…
A private, exclusive, highly coveted one where everyone is supposed to be protected and completely anonymous.
Oh, and did I mention that it's six-figure stupid expensive?
Whatever.
At least there's one silver lining to this cluster of a night...
Agent Hannah Evans.
Even as she slides the cuffs around my wrists,
And her fiery eyes meet mine,
It's clear we both know the truth:
My name isn't James Smith.
My attorney will have me free in under an hour.
And that kiss…
The one I couldn't help stealing…
Won't be our last.

Cuffed is a steamy contemporary romance and can be read as a stand-alone in the Boys of Bishop Mountain series.










As a USA Today Bestselling author, Lexxi James has hit the top 50 bestseller lists on Amazon, Apple Books, and Barnes & Noble, with books sold in over 26 countries. Best known for seductive romantic suspense, she loves matching smoking hot heroes with their soul mates. Her signature style is witty banter, high heat, and a whole lot of heart.

She proudly calls the Midwest home where she lives with the man of her dreams and the sweetest daughter in the universe. Her pastimes include reading, loading up on unhealthy quantities of caffeine, and binging Netflix and reality TV. She’s a sucker for kids selling cookies and pretty much anything on Etsy.


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Thursday, May 25, 2023

Excellence Through Mental Strength




                                      Excellence through Mental Strength

by Lionel Baugh

 

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GENRE:   Self-help / personal development

 

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BLURB:

 

Have you ever felt like your weaknesses were holding you back from opportunities in life? Or feared you don't have the skill set to tackle new experiences? Perhaps you've even worried about just not being as naturally talented as the people around you?

Excellence Through Mental Strength will not only dispel your concerns but will also teach you how to reframe your perception of self. You're already more capable than you realize, and this step-by-step guide will show you how to recognize the true power of your strengths-so you can 'make the shift' into a growth mindset and take back control of your future.

Never let your perceived 'weakness' into the driver's seat of your life again. Bolster your mental strengths instead and pave the road you want to travel with grounded confidence in who you are, where you're going, and what you bring to the table.

 

 

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EXCERPT:

 

How you manage your attention is at the heart of mental strength. Like everything you learn, your ability to do so improves with practice. Imagine the following: Katrina was having a lively conversation with friends at the office. She wanted to buy a new car. One of her friends, Charles, always opinionated, made a strongly worded recommendation: ‘Katrina, based on your profile and personality, there’s only one car for you—A VW Golf!’ On the way home, a curious thing happened. Generally uninterested in cars, Katrina began to notice VW Golf ’s in the traffic. The traffic was slow. It was as if all the other vehicles were just vehicles. Cars, vans, SUVs blurred into a mass of noisy movement. This was the mass migration of rush-hour. However, VW Golfs kept showing up, on her left, in front, just a little to the right, in her rear-view mirror. Gray ones, blue ones, old models, new ones. The traffic steadily seemed to become a river full of 25 VW Golfs. She even noticed one parked at a strip mall, another getting its gas refilled. As she arrived at her driveway, she noticed that even her next door neighbor had a VW Golf. Previously, it had been just a ‘car’. She took this as an omen and bought one the next Saturday. ; Katrina was amazed by what happened because she’s not aware of how the brain works. The brain is largely a giant filtering machine. It maintains focus by eliminating what you don’t want to notice so you can focus on what you do. If this wasn’t so, we’d live in a state of perpetual confusion. 


 

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AUTHOR Bio and Links:

 

Lionel Baugh Born: 5/25/53 in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Nationality: British/US Citizen Education: Trinity College, Dublin University Lives in: Solis, Uruguay Speak: Both English and Spanish, without preference. I’m an executive coach. In 2009, I completed a long career in financial services and made a life changing and comprehensive career shift. My banking career had a lot of diversity to it. I enjoyed assignments in New York, Lima, Manila, Hong Kong, Oslo, San Antonio-Texas, and Miami. Professionally that took me through commercial banking to capital markets and eventually to wealth management. In 2008, I left Merrill Lynch, and by early 2009, I was certified as a business coach. This opened up a whole new world, unleashing a passionate desire to help people grow and a fascination with what works in life. As my coaching career advanced, I moved from business coaching to executive coaching, where most of my existing practice lies. The fundamental difference is that executive coaching focuses more on 143 behavior and mindset than on entrepreneurialism. Behavior and mindset are where my passion lies. (Having said that, most entrepreneurial success is also about mindset, but you do spend time on things like the marketing strategy and the cash-flow forecast.) I became a sponge for learning and have obtained certifications in Emotional Intelligence and in the Red2Blue mindset model. I have read too many books to number or list, and the subjects range from psychology to therapy to emotional intelligence, agility, and self-awareness to mindfulness, stoicism, and more recently, anything I can learn about performance under pressure. My ‘why’ is sustained by a strong belief that everyone has excellence in them. I’m curious to discover each person’s unique ‘hidden genius’. I’m very motivated to help identify that excellence, polish it, and display it to the world in all its splendor. I have clients throughout the Americas and the UK whom I coach via Zoom. I also do frequent webinars and in-person workshops.

 

Amazon buy link: https://www.amazon.com/Excellence-through-Mental-Strength-Lionel/dp/B0BY4CR8LY/

 

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GIVEAWAY INFORMATION


Lionel Baugh will be awarding a $20 Amazon or Barnes and Noble GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.


a Rafflecopter giveaway




Wednesday, May 24, 2023

Opal

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Title: Opal
Series: GEM Series, Book 1
Author: Freya Barker
Release: May 22, 2023
Genre: Romantic Suspense


GEM: A PRIVATELY-FUNDED ORGANIZATION OPERATING INDEPENDENTLY IN THE SEARCH FOR—AND THE RESCUE AND RECOVERY OF—MISSING AND EXPLOITED CHILDREN. ALTHOUGH, AT TIMES WORKING IN CONJUNCTION WITH LAW ENFORCEMENT, GEM AIMS TO ENSURE THE VICTIMS RECEIVE JUSTICE…BY WHATEVER MEANS NECESSARY.
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GEM Operator Opal; multifaceted, versatile, a chameleon.

She hides in plain sight, adapts, and infiltrates.

When Opal goes undercover in a youth center several teenagers have disappeared from, she’s shocked to find a ghost of her own traumatic past at the helm. However, her worry for the missing kids is greater than her concern being recognized and she risks her own safety to discover the truth.

To complicate matters, a familiar FBI agent shows up conducting his own investigation and almost blows the whistle on her. It takes some doing to convince him to join forces with her but as it turns out, they work well together.

In the course of uncovering an organized group of child molesters, they find themselves falling—for each other.





★★★★★ Goodreads Review - “This book was beyond my expectations…….A book filled with heart pounding action, intense suspense and mysterious secrets, all while weaved into a charming love story.”
★★★★★ Mindy Lou’s Book Review - “This series starter was so good!!”
★★★★★ Goodreads Review - “What a great way to kick off a new series. I absolutely loved this book.”




Pearl - releasing August 25, 2023
Onyx - releasing November 6, 2023


USA Today bestselling author Freya Barker loves writing about ordinary people with extraordinary stories.

With forty-plus books already published, she continues to create characters who are perhaps less than perfect, each struggling to find their own slice of happy.
Recipient of the ReadFREE.ly 2019 Best Book We've Read All Year Award for "Covering Ollie, the 2015 RomCon “Reader’s Choice” Award for Best First Book, “Slim To None”, Finalist for the 2017 Kindle Book Award with “From Dust”, and Finalist for the 2020 Kindle Book Award with “When Hope Ends”, Freya spins story after story with an endless supply of bruised and dented characters, vying for attention!


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