RWC: The Tigers Tale

Title: The Tiger’s Tale

Series: The Undercover Cats Series

Author: Kelle Z. Riley

Genre: Cozy Mystery with Romantic Elements

Publisher: Curtis Brown Unlimited

Length: 350 Pages

Release Date: January 15, 2019

Is she hitting her stride? Or going nowhere fast?

Fresh from a successful undercover operation, scientist/spy-in-training Bree Watson should feel on top of the world. Instead, the ground is shifting under her feet. When her handler abandons her to follow a lead with his sexy ex-partner, Bree must choose between a normal life, or proving her worth as a spy. Not an easy choice, when she factors in:

A police detective’s amorous intentions

Her handler’s mixed signals

A teaching post at a university filled with intrigue 

A dead administrator with a sordid past

A timid tiger and her tenacious trainer—both being framed for murder

Combined with fanatic football fans, beatnik poets, an orphaned monkey, a demanding boss, quirky colleagues, and her angry cat, the result may be a recipe for disaster.

Can she take the heat? Or will she get burned?

EXCERPT 

“How—” James paused and rubbed his forehead, wincing as his fingers dug into the inflamed sinus area. Across his desk, Bree sat, notebook in hand, looking at him with an expectant gaze. “How on earth do you get involved in these things? You’re like the angel of death, finding murder wherever you go.” He mentally kicked himself for the accusatory tone in his voice.

“I thought you weren’t supposed to assume it was murder until after a thorough examination of the evidence.” Bree lightened the mood with a wink and a smile.

James grunted. “A man is found dead in his office with claw marks on his chest and a dented skull. I’m pretty sure that wasn’t an accident.”

“You do know Lucky isn’t responsible, don’t you?”

“The tiger?” That’s what she was worried about? She and a student were found with the body and her first thought was for the tiger? “I doubt malice aforethought is part of a tiger’s attack plan, if that’s what you mean. Even so, we’ll probably have to put the cub down.” He reached across the desk and covered Bree’s hand with his own. “I’m sorry. For both you and Ning.”

Bree gripped his hand with her free one, tightening her fingers in a demand for his attention. “No, you won’t have to put her down. Lucky is incapable of producing those claw marks.”

“I know you think the girl had her under control, but the scratches are consistent with—”

“With something else. James.”

Shit. After listening to Bree’s explanation, his hopes for a quick resolution to the case disappeared faster than witnesses at a mugging. James pulled his hand from Bree’s grip and opened a steno pad. “Things are not always what they appear to be,” he murmured as he scribbled.

Website

Author Bio: 

Kelle Z. Riley, writer, speaker, global traveler, Ph.D. chemist and martial artist weaves bits of her real life into the Undercover Cat Series books. The series features a scientist-turned-sleuth who juggles mystery, romance and the search for a perfect cupcake recipe.

By day Kelle is a full time chemist working in water treatment with multiple U.S. patents. At night she turns into an author whose accolades include finals in the RWA Golden Heart and numerous chapter contests. More information on her workshops can be found on her website.

Rafflecopter Giveaway

RWC: Distant Memory

Title: Distant Memory

Author: Colleen Myers

Genre: Sci-Fi/Fantasy Romance

Series: Solum

Release Date: November 13, 2018

Format: Digital eBook

ISBN: TBD

Synopsis:

19 year old Elizabeth Camden survived it all, the experiments, the escape, the retaliation. But it never ends does it?

Available at:  Amazon

Add Distant Memory  to your GOODREADS TBR pile!

About Colleen:

Colleen S. Myers was raised in a large catholic family in the outskirts of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania where she grew up on Harlequin teen romances and stories from her mother’s days as a paramedic. She went on to attend Allegheny College majoring in Biology and English.

After college, Colleen spent a year in service in the Americorp giving back to the community at a local Pittsburgh Women Infants and Children Clinic (WICC) before attending Kirksville College of Osteopathic Medicine on a military scholarship.

Upon completing medical school, Colleen attended residency at Andrews Air Force Base in Maryland and was on base in Washington, DC during 9/11. She earned three meritorious service awards from the military. After serving seven years of active duty, she promptly landed a position at the VA to provide fellow veterans with optimum medical care. Still an avid fan of romances into adulthood, her love of the genre inspired her to hone her craft as a writer, focusing on contemporary romance and science fiction. Her background in medicine and the military provides an inspiring layer of creative realism to her stories and characters.

Her first book, Must Remember, the first book in the Solum series, is published by Champagne Press. The sequel, Can’t Forget, coming in June 2016, is the recipient of the 2015 RWA New England Readers Award.

Colleen currently resides in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania with her husband and son, and spends her spare time writing. She is also working on a new contemporary romance.

Connect with Colleen: Website  |  Twitter  |  Facebook  |  Goodreads | Pinterest | Instagram

Rafflecopter Giveaway

RWC: Make Me Fall

Title:  Make Me Fall

Author: Sara Rider

Release Date: September 24, 2018

Publisher: Self-published

Series: Books & Brews #2

Genres: Contemporary Romance

Page Count: 226

Synopsis:

After losing her job, her home, and her friends in her divorce, Nora Pitts is determined not to make the same mistakes when she starts over in the small town of Shadow Creek, Washington. No more toiling away in the lab at the expense of her social life, and definitely no more men. Ever.  But making friends in her thirties is so much harder than she anticipated. And when it comes to her gorgeous yet obnoxious neighbor, it’s a whole lot easier to make enemies.

Eli Hardin doesn’t have a lot of sympathy for his uptight neighbor, until he overhears her so-called new friends making fun of her un-datable status. Suddenly he finds himself volunteering for a date with a woman who’s been leaving angry hate-notes in his mailbox, and in way over his head. Because all it takes is one disastrous date with Nora for Eli to fall hard.

But falling for Eli isn’t something Nora’s ready for—not when he’s her complete opposite, and especially not when he turns out to be the best friend she’s made in Shadow Creek. But as her attraction and her feelings for Eli grow hotter, resisting him might just lead to heartbreak anyway.  

Find out more at: Amazon | iBooks | B&N | Kobo

MAKE ME FALL Excerpt

Copyright © 2018 Sara Rider

Eli marked off twenty-six and three-quarter inches as precisely as he could and lifted the blade of the circular saw.

“Oh my God, I soooo wasn’t kidding,” one of the women next door said loudly. “Nora really does need to get laid.”

His shoulders tensed. This wasn’t the first time he’d overheard the women loudly shit-talking his neighbor behind her back. He had no idea why she hung out with them.

“Maybe you should set her up with someone,” another woman added.

The other two laughed. “Can you imagine Nora on a date? She’s so uptight and frigid. Who would want to date her? No lay is worth that kind of torture. Can’t you just picture her busting out her bottle of sanitizer before the poor sap tries to hold her hand?”

His jaw tensed and he felt the last of his patience snap like an icicle in his warm hands. He sliced the saw through the wood, threw his protective glasses onto the ground, and marched over to the waist-high chain link fence. “I’d do it.”

All three women turned to look at him like he was a space alien who’d just beamed down to earth. The one who’d been talking the most leaned forward in her seat. “What did you just say?”

“You heard me. I’d go out with her.”

“You can’t be serious.”

The more this woman pushed, the more he wanted to put her in her place. No, Nora was not the kind of woman he would normally ask out—mainly because she was one of the few who didn’t seem to fall for his charm. In fact, he was pretty sure she didn’t think he had any charm whatsoever, but she was attractive and smart enough to read a book every month. That alone made her more dateable than half the population in this town. “Sure as hell am.”

The woman leaned forward, smiling at him like he was freshly caught prey in her snare. “If you’re looking for a date, I could show you a much better time.”

He shrugged, keeping his fake smile on his face. “No thanks. Backstabbing and mean isn’t my type.”

He probably enjoyed the shocked look on the woman’s face a little too much, but it was seriously fucking rude to trash-talk the hostess while sitting on her porch and eating her canapés.

The screen door slid open right at that moment. Nora walked out with a plate of decadent-looking mini-chocolate cakes that made his mouth water on sight. Her eyes darted from her friends to him and back again. “Um, what’s going on?”

He rested his hands against the old chain-link fence. “What’s going on is that your so-called friends are talking trash about your love life behind your back and don’t seem to think you can get a date. So I volunteered.”

“You what?”

“Volunteered. You and me. Tomorrow night at seven. I’ll drive.”

She slammed the cake tray onto the coffee table and set her hands on her hips. She looked around, like she couldn’t decide where to focus her anger. Of course she settled on him. “Who says I’d want to go out with you?”

He raised his eyebrow, liking the way she got flustered around him a little too much. “Got better plans?”

Even at the distance between them, he could see her suck in a breath. Her mouth hardened into a flat line, but she didn’t say no.

“Tomorrow. Seven. Dinner. Oh, and consider making new friends who aren’t so damn mean. These ladies don’t deserve any of those amazing-looking cakes.” He grabbed his plank of wood and headed into the house, wondering what the hell he’d just gotten himself into.  

About Sara Rider:

Sara Rider writes contemporary romance full of heart, heat, and happily ever after. She lives in British Columbia with her husband and daughters. She spends far too much time in public libraries and never leaves the home without her e-reader stuffed in her purse.

Follow:  Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads | Newsletter | Amazon | BookBub | Pinterest

Enter to win a $25 Amazon Gift Card and six digital copies of REAL KIND OF LOVE!

Rafflecopter

RWC: The Duke I Tempted

 About THE DUKE I TEMPTED

Having overcome financial ruin and redeemed his family name to become the most legendary investor in London, the Duke of Westmead needs to secure his holdings by producing an heir. Which means he must find a wife who won’t discover his secret craving to spend his nights on his knees—or make demands on his long scarred-over heart.

Poppy Cavendish is not that type of woman. An ambitious self-taught botanist designing the garden ballroom in which Westmead plans to woo a bride, Poppy has struggled against convention all her life to secure her hard-won independence. She wants the capital to expand her exotic nursery business—not a husband.

But there is something so compelling about Westmead, with his starchy bearing and impossibly kind eyes—that when an accidental scandal makes marriage to the duke the only means to save her nursery, Poppy worries she wants more than the title he is offering. The arrangement is meant to be just business. A greenhouse for an heir. But Poppy yearns to unravel her husband’s secrets—and to tempt the duke to risk his heart.

Available Now!

Order this title at these online retailers:

Amazon  | B&N  |  iBooks |  Kobo | Google Books

Add THE DUKE I TEMPTED to your TBR pile on Goodreads!

Read and exclusive excerpt from THE DUKE I TEMPTED:

Poppy sat at a round table in the corner, surrounded by piles of drawings. She still wore her gardening clothes, and her eyes were heavy lidded. She looked intense and flushed and disheveled.

Beautiful.

No. He must stop doing that. Must chasten his reactions to her.

Hardworking. She looked tired from her labors.

He cleared his throat. “Poppy. You’re still awake.”

She looked up at him with a guilty expression. “Your Grace. Yes. And it seems I have invaded your study — I’m so sorry. The others were playing whist in the library and I thought to finish my work in the quiet. I’m just finishing — I’ll leave you.”

“Never mind. Stay. Please. Show me what it is you’re sketching.”

She hesitated. He felt her eyes linger on his face, like she was trying to discern something about him. No doubt, her downcast expression had something to do with his invasion of her bedchamber the previous evening. He needed to address that. No woman who’d been raised in Grove Vale would be ignorant of the stories about his father. He could not have her think that he expected similar liberties of her. He had taken far too many as it was.

“Poppy, last night — I hope I didn’t alarm you. I apologize for intruding. I would not normally disturb a lady’s privacy, and I hope I gave no offense. I was concerned. You seemed quite distressed.”

Her face flickered. “It was only a nightmare,” she said finally. “I shan’t disturb you again.”

“I was not disturbed,” he said quickly.

She smiled. “When I awoke this morning I wondered if I had dreamt you.”

“No,” he said, drinking in her languid eyes.

She reached up and touched his face above his cheekbone. “No,” she agreed. “Here you are. Real indeed.”

Damn him, but he caught her hand and dragged it down to his lips and placed a kiss inside her palm.

Her mouth parted. Perhaps in shock. Perhaps in something closer to the feeling surging behind his sternum, overriding his judgment, his propriety, his will to be the kind of person he had spent a decade refashioning himself into.

“Forgive me. I am not myself tonight,” he forced himself to say, releasing her. He looked into her green eyes and told her the truth of it: “You should leave me.”

He meant it.

And yet.

And yet.

He hoped she wouldn’t listen.

Author Bio:

Scarlett Peckham fell in love with romance novels as a child, sneaking paperbacks from the stash in her grandmother's closet. By the time she came of age she had exhausted her library's supply and begun to dream of writing one of her own. 

Scarlett studied English at Columbia University and built a career in communications, but in her free hours always returned to her earliest obsession: those delicious, big-hearted books you devour in the dark and can never bear to put down. Her steamy historical romances about alpha heroines have been finalists for the Golden Heart® Award four times. Her debut book, THE DUKE I TEMPTED, will be out July 31, 2018.

Scarlett splits her time between London and Los Angeles. When not reading or writing romance she enjoys pretending to know about wine, discussing The Real Housewives, and cooking enormous pots of soup.

Scarlett is represented by Sarah Younger at the Nancy Yost Literary Agency, and spends far too much time on Instagram and Twitter.

Connect with Scarlett:  Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads | Instagram | Newsletter | Amazon

CELEBRATE THE RELEASE WITH THE GIVEAWAY!

Grand Prize: $50 Amazon Gift Card

Rafflecopter

RWC: The Gambler Wages her Baron

Title: The Gambler Wages Her Baron
Series: Craven House
Author: Christina McKnight
Genre: Historical Romance, Regency
Release Date: June 26, 2018

WAGERS GO AWRY

Payton Samuels has always known she wants more out of life than being the youngest daughter of the ton’s most disreputable family. While her siblings are content to bet their future happiness on marriage, Payton learned early on from her mother that love is fleeting and leads only to disappointment. She’s got a different plan: she’ll work as a governess for Baron Ashford’s children, but only long enough to win her fortune at one of his infamous masked gaming parties. When she loses big, Payton sees her chance at an independent life go up in flames—until Lord Ashford surprises her by paying her debts.

WHEN LOVE IS IN THE CARDS.

Since the tragic death of his wife, Damon Kinder, Lord Ashford, has been a man made of ice. His determination to never be hurt by love again runs so deep that he can’t even connect with his children. When they quickly take to Payton, he thinks he’s found a solution: she’ll give them the affection and support he can’t. As he spends more time around Payton, his heart begins to defrost, and he can’t stop thinking about the captivating governess.

But every seasoned gambler knows that eventually, luck runs out. Can two souls so burned by past loves forge a new future together?

Available at: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | iBooks

More from the Craven House series:

The Thief Steals Her Earl – JUST 99CENTS!!

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | iBooks

The Mistress Enchants Her Marquis

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | iBooks

The Madam Catches Her Duke

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | iBooks

Author Bio:
USA TODAY Bestselling Author Christina McKnight writes emotional and intricate Regency Romance with rebellious women and maverick heroes. 

Her books combine romance and mystery, exploring themes of redemption and forgiveness. When not writing she enjoys coffee, wine, traveling the world, and watching television.

You can visit her online at the following places: Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads | Amazon

RWC: Living With Her One-Night Stand

 Author: Noelle Adams

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Release Date: April 24, 2018

Publisher: Noelle Adams

Series: The Loft

Format: Digital eBook / Print

Digital ISBN: B079QBFN82

Print ISBN: 9781386003724

Synopsis:

Jill has never been good at taking risks, but she spends one hot night with a sexy stranger, knowing she'll never see him again. Then Lucas shows up the next morning as her new roommate. He was supposed to be a one-night stand, but now he'll be living in the empty room in her shared apartment for the next six months.

Jill needs stability and a long-term relationship, and she knows Lucas can never give her those things. He's looking for a life free of commitments or obligations. She knows he's wrong for her. She shouldn't want him for more than one night.

But she lives with him. He's around all the time--with his sexy smile and his hard body and the soft heart he pretends not to have. Not wanting him isn't really an option.

Excerpt:

Copyright © 2018 Living With Her One-Night Stand

Noelle Adams

On Monday morning, Jill overslept.

She set her alarm for seven, but it was seven thirty-five when she finally woke up. As soon as she registered the time, she flew out of bed and ran to the bathroom.

She hated being late. As much as it annoyed her when other people were late, she hated it even more when it was her.

She took a three-minute shower, grabbed an outfit that wouldn’t take any effort to pull together—a knee-length A-line dress in a vintage print—and snatched a handful of jewelry that might possibly work with it. She’d barely gotten her shoes on before she was rushing into the kitchen to get some coffee.

Michelle was at the counter with her laptop as she always was, eating cereal and working. But what surprised Jill was finding that Lucas was up too.

He didn’t have to work. He didn’t have a schedule. He could still be in bed.

But there he was, sitting at the counter with a cup of coffee, putzing on his phone. Wearing nothing but a pair of old sweatpants. His hair was mussed, he needed to shave, and he wasn’t wearing a shirt.

So the first thing Jill saw as she came into the kitchen was a whole lot of gorgeous male back and shoulders and arms.

She didn’t need to see that this morning.

She dumped her pile of jewelry on the counter as she poured herself a cup of coffee.

“Morning,” Lucas said, sounding friendly and casual.

What was he even doing up this early?

And why did he have to sound so awake? Awake and masculine. Awake and masculine and sexy.

First thing on a Monday morning.

She did her best to suppress a snarl.

“You’re running late,” Michelle said, without looking up from her laptop. “Did you oversleep?”

“I don’t want to talk about it.” Jill was trying to drink her coffee and put on her earnings, bracelets, necklace, and rings at the same time.

Lucas was watching her with laid-back interest in his green eyes.

She tried not to snarl at him again.

His eyebrows went up slightly, and she realized she must not have done a good job at the suppression.

She turned her back to him, reaching into the cupboard for a breakfast bar. She preferred to eat cereal, but she didn’t have time this morning. She kept her back to Lucas as she gulped down more of her coffee.

“You missed a button.”

She stiffened, glancing over her shoulder to verify that Lucas had been talking to her. “What?”

“You missed a button.” He gestured toward her dress. “You want me to get it?”

“I can get it,” she gritted out, contorting her arms until she could feel which button on the back of her dress was undone. Discovering it, she stretched her shoulders painfully so she could button it.

When she glanced back over at Lucas, she saw that his mouth was tilted up slightly.

He was laughing at her. Silently but definitely laughing.

She didn’t try to hide her snarl this time.

He didn’t have to be up and dressed and at work by eight in the morning. He didn’t have to sit there in her kitchen, looking smug and gorgeous and amused and irresistibly rumpled when she could barely pull it together.

What kind of malicious turn of fate had made him her roommate at all?

When she’d managed her button, she poured more coffee into her cup and took it with her, grabbing her bag on her way out as she left.

She did remember to mumble out a “See you later,” before she closed the door.

It was just the first Monday morning of Lucas living in her apartment.

It was going to be a long six months.

🔗 Add to Goodreads

🔗 Amazon ... 🔗 Barnes and Noble

🔗 Kobo ... 🔗 iBooks

About Noelle Adams:

Noelle handwrote her first romance novel in a spiral-bound notebook when she was twelve, and she hasn’t stopped writing since. She has lived in eight different states and currently resides in Virginia, where she reads any book she can get her hands on and offers tribute to a very spoiled cocker spaniel.

She loves travel, art, history, and ice cream. After spending far too many years of her life in graduate school, she has decided to reorient her priorities and focus on writing contemporary romances.

🔗 Wesite ... 🔗 Twitter ... 🔗 Bookbub

Rafflecopter