Tuesday 30 June 2020

Marauder by Bella Di Corte


Marauder
Bella Di Corte
(Gangsters of New York, #2)
Publication date: August 7th 2020
Genres: Adult, Romance, Suspense
He stole my heart out of revenge.
There was one thing I always thought was mine to give: my heart.
I never imagined a marauder would steal it out of vengeance—vengeance that had nothing to do with me. His greatest enemy happened to be the man in love with me, and somehow I became nothing but a pawn. I was no damsel in distress, though. More like an archer, ready to battle.
And my target? The marauder himself.
Cashel “Cash” Kelly.
Kelly might have been as gorgeous as he was ruthless, but he had no idea what I’d do to steal it back. Or better yet, get even.
She was determined to keep what was mine.
They say hearts can’t be stolen unless they’re willing to be. Tell that to the man everyone on the streets called “the marauder.”
Me.
Because by the time I was through, Keely Ryan’s heart would be mine. And my enemy’s? As good as broken. Trouble was, the archer was precise with her aim, and her arrow was pointed at my heart.


Author Bio:
Bella Di Corte has been writing romance for seven years, even longer if you count the stories in her head that were never written down, but she didn’t realize how much she enjoyed writing alphas until recently. Tough guys who walk the line between irredeemable and savable, and the strong women who force them to feel, inspire her to keep putting words to the page.
Apart from writing, Bella loves to spend time with her husband, daughter, and family. She also loves to read, listen to music, cook meals that were passed down to her, and take photographs. She mostly takes pictures of her family (when they let her) and her three dogs.
Bella grew up in New Orleans, a place she considers a creative playground.
She loves to connect with readers, so don’t hesitate to email her at belladicorte@gmail.com if you’d like to reach out.

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Tuesday 23 June 2020

Parker by Giulia Lagomarsino

Parker
Giulia Lagomarsino
(Reed Security, #25)
Publication date: July 3rd 2020
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance

Parker
I’ve been disgraced. I have nothing left to my name after being dishonorably discharged from the military. But I was falsely accused. It doesn’t matter though. It would take a Presidential pardon for me to get my life back, and I don’t see that happening anytime soon. But then Knight walked into my life and offered me a chance at redemption. I don’t want to believe that it could be true, but I’m ready to go along for the ride and see what happens. That’s how I met her. She threw me through a window, but that won’t stop me from seeing her again.

Blake
You know that phrase ‘I’ve gotten myself into a pickle’? Well, this is a huge pickle. I thought I knew what I was doing when I ran, but this is so much more involved than I ever imagined. I didn’t think someone else would show up at the senator’s house where I was digging up information. I also didn’t expect him to be so hot or to follow me. And I really didn’t expect him to attack me. But I know how to defend myself, so I’m not too worried about it. Now I just have to stay hidden until I can figure out what’s going on. But nothing in my life seems to be going as planned lately. I guess I shouldn’t be surprised when he shows up yet again.

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Author Bio:

I'm a stay at home mom that loves to read. Some of my favorite titles are Pride and Prejudice, Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings, and Horatio Hornblower. I started writing when I was trying to come up with suggestions on ways I could help bring in some extra money. I came up with the idea that I could donate plasma because you could earn an extra $500/month. My husband responded with, "No. Find something else. Write a blog. Write a book." I didn't think I had anything to share on blog that a thousand other mothers hadn't already thought of. I decided to take his challenge seriously and sat down to write my first book, Jack. I was surprised at how much I enjoyed writing. From there, the stories continued to flow and I haven't been able to stop. I hope my readers enjoy my books as much as I enjoy writing them. Between reading, writing, and taking care of three small kids, my days are quite full.

Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter / Instagram / Bookbub / Newsletter


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Monday 22 June 2020

The Legend of Akikumo by Dani Hoots


The Legend of Akikumo
by Dani Hoots
Genre: YA Japanese Fantasy
Release Date: September 15th 2020
FoxTales Press

Summary:

Ketsueki would give anything to find out why her mentor Akikumo, the last wolf in Japan, abandoned her. He left her with other kitsune at the Inari Shrine, but she doesn’t fit in. And now the other kitsune are bullying her and saying Akikumo is dead.

After causing trouble for the hundredth time, the Inari, instead of punishing her, has given Ketsueki a task: she must find out what happened to Akikumo. She quickly agrees, not realizing the delinquent son of the shrine’s head priest must accompany her.

Will Ketsueki be able to make peace with a human? Or will her years of resentment make this partnership impossible?

Pre-order for only $0.99 now until July 5th, regularly $5.99!
https://books2read.com/u/mqvdle 

About the Author
Dani Hoots is a science fiction, fantasy, romance, and young adult author who loves anything with a story. She has a B.S. in Anthropology, a Masters of Urban and Environmental Planning, a Certificate in Novel Writing from Arizona State University, and a BS in Herbal Science from Bastyr University.

Currently she is working on a YA urban fantasy series called Daughter of Hades, a YA urban fantasy series called The Wonderland Chronicles, a historic fantasy vampire series called A World of Vampires, and a YA sci-fi series called Sanshlian Series. She has also started up an indie publishing company called FoxTales Press. She also works with Anthill Studios in creating comics through Antik Comics.

Her hobbies include reading, watching anime, cooking, studying different languages, wire walking, hula hoop, and working with plants. She is also an herbalist and sells her concoctions on FoxCraft Apothecary. She lives in Phoenix with her husband and visits Seattle often.


Friday 19 June 2020

The Promise Kept by Maggie Mae Gallagher


The Promise Kept
Maggie Mae Gallagher
(Echo Springs, #2)
Publication date: August 19th 2020
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance
Cybil Roe gave her heart away thirteen years ago only to have it wind up shattered. With painstaking determination, she has rebuilt her life into something to be proud of today. Yet all her future plans are upended when the only man she has ever loved returns to Echo Springs. Nor does it help that he seems bound and determined to draw her back into his life. Cybil vows to stay away from him, no matter what seeing him all the time does to her resolve.
Miles Keaton wiped the dust of his hometown off his shoes years ago, never expecting that life would lead him back to the place where he had begun. Coming home to Echo Springs, to Cybil, to start a new law practice and a new life is a risk he never thought he’d take. She hates him – with good reason. Years ago, he walked away when she needed him the most. But now is he back, and intends to argue the case of his life, one more important than any he has debated in a courtroom, because she is the one woman he cannot live without.
Can Miles convince Cybil to take a second chance on him, or will a secret she has kept all these years destroy any future they might have?


Author Bio:
Born in St. Louis, Missouri, Maggie grew up listening to Cardinals baseball and reading anything she could get her hands on. She remembers her mother saying if only she would read the right type of books instead binging her way through the romance aisles at the bookstore, she’d have been a doctor. While Maggie never did get that doctorate, she graduated cum laude from the University of Missouri-St. Louis with an M.A. in History.
Maggie is a bestselling and award-winning author published in multiple fiction genres. She also writes erotic romance under the name Anya Summers. A total geek at her core, when she is not writing, she adores attending the latest comic con or spending time with her family. She currently lives in the United States Midwest with her two furry felines.

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Wednesday 17 June 2020

The Christmas Spirit by Alexandrea Weis


The Christmas Spirit
Alexandrea Weis
Published by: Rosewind Books
Publication date: October 27th 2020
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance
SOMETIMES IT TAKES ONE BROKEN HEART TO HEAL ANOTHER.
Courtney Winston is a writer on a deadline. Eager to finish her book and get over a recent break-up, she ditches Christmas with her family and retreats to a secluded cabin in the mountains.
Appliances rarely work, and cell service is spotty, but Courtney senses there is more to her rustic rental—something dark and haunting.
Then Peter, the attractive Stone Mountain Lodge owner, and a meddling cook, Mrs. Finn, keep coming around, shattering her peace and offering advice on how to fix her heavy heart.
Courtney grows closer to Peter, but Mrs. Finn warns her of his troubled past. Undaunted, Courtney sets out to win him over. But being with the brooding stranger may end up costing her more than she ever imagined.


Author Bio:
Alexandrea Weis, RN-CS, PhD, is a multi-award-winning author, screenwriter, advanced practice registered nurse, and historian who was born and raised in the French Quarter of New Orleans. Having grown up in the motion picture industry as the daughter of a director, she learned to tell stories from a different perspective. Infusing the rich tapestry of her hometown into her novels, she believes that creating vivid characters makes a story moving and memorable.
Weis writes romance, mystery, suspense, thrillers, supernatural, and young adult fiction and has sold approximately one million books. She lives with her husband and pets in New Orleans where she is a permitted/certified wildlife rehabber with the Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries and rescues orphaned and injured animals.
She is a member of both the International Thriller Writers Association and the Horror Writers Association. www.AlexandreaWeis.com

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Monday 15 June 2020

The Monsters Within by Kody Boye


The Monsters Within
Kody Boye
Publication date: June 15th 2020
Genres: Horror, Mystery, New Adult, Romance
Not all monsters can be seen.
When Dean McAllen wins a writing fellowship that offers him the chance to escape his abusive homelife, he boards the first plane out of Utah and prepares for a life free of dysfunction.
Not long after arriving in the small town halfway across the country, he meets Brad Michelson. Kind, sweet, and caring, the fellow artist is everything Dean could ever want in a man. He’s also Dean’s first true shot at love.

But what Dean doesn’t know is that Brad harbors a darkness inside of him—and though Brad has struggled to hold it back his entire life, Dean will soon find that the monsters that dwell within Brad’s conscience are real, and out to destroy them both.
EXCERPT:
We drove along a dark road that night. Flanked by cars that slowly but surely fell behind, I watched the vehicles traveling alongside us disappear as we advanced out of the city limits and onto the lost stretches taken only by farmers and their equipment. Beside me, Brad drove with the window down, one arm braced along the frame, his free hand around the wheel. He drove without a care in the world, humming softly to Top 100 on the radio; and I, left only to observe, watched the fields before us extend forever into the distance.
“This is nice,” Brad said, tossing his fringe away from his eyes, “isn’t it?”
“Yeah,” I replied. “It is.”
His hair—which was lengthier on the top but shorn along the sides of his head—blew haphazardly in the wind, creating the impression that we were two kids doing nothing more than enjoying the world for what it was. He was twenty-one, I eighteen, fresh and new and completely and utterly enamored. I tried my hardest not to watch him out of my peripheral, but found myself doing that regardless.
Remember, remember, the code to remember, I thought. Straight men get a pass because their love doesn’t last.
Of course it didn’t. That was why it was stupid for me to even consider that this was anything more than just a casual outing. Besides—if anyone was going to make the first move, if they even were, it would be him.
Which wasn’t going to happen.
I drew in a long breath of the cool night air and smiled as the scent of grass and wildflowers entered my nose.
“They have much of this up in Utah?” Brad asked.
“I lived at the edge of Salt Lake,” I replied, “so it was mostly lots of flatland, mostly farms.”
“There’s a lot of that here. But this—this is absolutely beautiful.” Brad smiled as he turned his high beams on. “Do you see?”
The world bloomed before me. Wild, untamed, uninhibited—the grass extended on both sides of the road and was marked only by the separation of land with wooden fences and wire. Flowers dotted the area at various intervals, creating the impression that this place, though encroached upon by humanity, was untouched. It was utterly magical, in a sense—and, in a way, haunting.
So far out, there were no lights to be seen; and with no traffic behind us, it was dark as it could.
Normally, I wasn’t afraid of the night. Something, however, gave me cause for concern.
But what was it?
Was it the belief that we would simply pull over alongside the road and stop? Was it the fact that we could get stranded out here and not be found for hours? What, exactly, was it?
I brushed the thought off as I considered it and cleared my throat as Brad continued to drive.
“Something up?” he asked.
“I… just realized that I haven’t asked you about your art.”
“Oh. That.” Brad laughed. “No need to worry. It’s not like we’ve exchanged notes or anything like that.”
“Still,” I said. “I’d like to see some of it sometime.”
“My phone’s in the back seat if you want to reach back and grab it.”
“You have it on your phone?”
“All my stuff’s digital, and the files are in the cloud. Go ahead—grab it.”
I twisted around, quickly located his phone, then loosened the seatbelt around my waist before leaning back and clawing at his phone.
“What’s your PIN?” I asked, lowering my head and tilting the phone at an angle to avoid blindsiding him.
“0434,” he replied.
I started typing the numbers in.
Brad inhaled.
I looked up.
He asked, “What the hell is that?”
And I paled.
Hovering alongside the road was what I at first assumed to be the rear lights of a car. The only problem was: they were too small to be from a car, and lower to the ground. And worst yet, they were moving.
“What in the world…” I started to say.
Brad pressed his foot down on the accelerator.
The headlights shifted.
A brief glimpse of fur could be seen.
Then whatever it was lunged for the car.
Brad jerked the wheel.
We swerved to the left.
He corrected.
We centered along the middle of the lane.
“What the fuck was that?” I asked.
“I don’t know,” Brad replied, “I—”
He paused.
“What?” I asked, turning my head to face him. “Brad, why are you—”
“Look behind us,” he said.
I did.
And saw that the red lights were moving—directly behind us.
“It’s just the light reflecting off its eyes,” I said as Brad slowly began to accelerate the car. “Slow down, Brad. Everything’s going to be fine.”
“It’s chasing us,” he said. “It’s fucking chasing us.”
“Yeah it is. But we’re going to outrun it. We—”
Brad increased his speed.
The car continued to accelerate.
The lights—or, more aptly, eyes—continued to pursue.
But what was even more haunting was that they weren’t slowing down.
No.
They were speeding up.
A low, trembling breath escaped me; and Brad, seemingly aware of this, pressed his foot even harder on the accelerator. Even as the car began to pick up speed, and the wind whipped through the open window, the figure kept pace—and I, so enraptured by its presence, could only watch as it continued to pick up speed.
“It’s following,” I said. “It’s following us, Brad.”
“It’s fucking chasing us!” the man yelled. “The goddamn thing is fucking chasing us!”
“Go faster! Faster!”
“I’m trying!” Brad screamed. “I’m fucking trying, Dean!”
I twisted my head back toward the window.
Saw that it was moving toward my side of the vehicle.
Saw that it was attempting to come up alongside us.
Brad, hysterically laughing—or, I should say, crying—at this point, refused to turn his gaze to the side as the figure continued to pick up speed.
“Faster!” I said. “FASTER!”
He slammed his foot on the accelerator.
We went sailing forward.
The speedometer passed sixty…
Seventy…
Eighty…
Ninety.
When we coasted one-hundred, I thought for sure that he was going to lose control and crash. But somehow, someway, he didn’t. He was able to maintain control of the vehicle.
“We’re coming up on a curve,” I said. “Brad! Brad!”
“I see it!” he cried. “I see the damn thing!”
“Slow down!”
“We can’t!”
“Why?”
“It—”
I refused to turn my head, but apparently, he could still see it, because he continued to accelerate to a speed we shouldn’t have been going regardless of whatever was chasing us.
We came along the curve.
He began to slow.
Then, suddenly, he lost control.
Somehow, we didn’t flip. Instead, we began to spin at an alarming rate: once, twice, a third time, then a fourth. When the fifth and sixth revolutions took place, I opened my eyes, and saw a flash of red before them.
“Brad!” I cried. “Brad!”
Something grabbed me.
I screamed.
He screamed.
The car spun three more times, then came to a stop.
Head spinning, stomach lurching, I opened my eyes to find that there was absolutely nothing to be seen.
Whatever was chasing us was gone.
“Buh… Brad?” I asked, trembling. “Are you all right?”
“I’m okay,” he said. “I’m… I’m fine.”
“What the hell just happened?”
“I don’t know, Dean. I… I don’t know.”


Author Bio:
Though he was born and raised in Southeastern Idaho, Kody Boye has lived in the state of Texas since 2010. His first short story, [A] Prom Queen's Revenge, was published at the age of fourteen. He has since gone on to publish numerous works of fiction, including the young-adult novels When They Came, The Beautiful Ones, The Midnight Spell and ALT CONTROL ENTER, as well as fiction for adults. He currently lives and writes in the Rio Grande Valley of South Texas.

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Saturday 13 June 2020

The Longing of Lone Wolves by Lana Pecherczyk


The Longing of Lone Wolves
Lana Pecherczyk
(Fae Guardians, #1)
Publication date: June 8th 2020
Genres: Adult, Fantasy, Romance
He bargained with her to break his curse. She stole his heart instead.
Rush is a Fae Guardian, a wolf-shifter whose enhanced abilities have made him a ruthless protector of Elphyne. His job is to protect the realm from the human enemy, and to ensure the sins of the past never come to pass again lest magic die forever. But one night of weakness resulted in a curse worse than death – exile. He now spends his lonely time longing to be part of the living, once again protecting them from monsters… until one washes up on the shores of his lake.
Clarke is human. She’s beautiful, feisty, and fierce. She’s also the only person who can see him, speak to him, and touch him.
If he hands her over to the Order, she’s his ticket to having his curse removed. The more he learns about this human enemy, the more he realizes she’s not the monster he’s been trained to believe. In fact, she’s capable of inciting passion he’d never dreamed possible again, but Clarke has a message from the past… sins are already repeating. This time, if they don’t stop the coming evil, it won’t just be magic that dies. It will be everything.
The Witcher meets Beauty and the Beast in this gripping, epic fantasy featuring steamy romance, a dash of time travel, a band of brothers, shifters, fae protectors and their strong willed women from our time. If you love your books full of page turning action, intrigue, and romantic tension then this book is for you. For fans of Kristen Ashley’s Fantastical series or Sarah J Maas’s adult fantasy romance.
EXCERPT:
As Clarke wended down rocky terrain, the snow melted and revealed fresh dirt and abundant nature. The more they descended, the grumpier she got. Something shifted inside when she saw how the world had changed because of the way she’d lived her old life. Death had been on one side of the mountain and life on the other. Even though she’d had a part, she didn’t want to be lumped in with humans who’d intentionally destroyed the world.
The fae’s words came back to her. We dont choose the rules of life, but if we dont follow them, were destined for nothing.”
“You know,” she said as she dodged a divot in the path. “We’ve been walking for hours and you still haven’t told me your name.”
She was also tired, itchy, and hungry.
The fae nudged her between the shoulder blades. She almost lost her footing.
He may have a giant sword, scary mother-fucking teeth, and a powerful body she was sure could snap her in two, but her instinct just wasn’t feeling the fear. He had the ability to control her words and her actions, yet he’d only just used the power. She rounded on him.
“Take these off me,” she demanded. “Free me.”
He looked down his nose and flicked his gaze to the restraints. Her breath stuck in her throat and, for a moment, she thought her instincts needed a serious talking to. But then he moved toward her. Fast.
With a speed that left her breathless, and a flick of his powerful hand, his bone knife sliced through her restraints. Clarke’s fists dropped to her sides.
He leaned forward, his menacing presence only inches from her face. And then he sniffed, nostrils flaring as he trailed his nose along her cheek, jaw and neck. Where he stayed. Hot air puffed out as he exhaled, and goosebumps erupted over her flesh. The tattoo under his eye flared, casting an eerie blue glow as he bared sharp teeth and bit the air, snapping with an audible click.
Clarke squeaked. A tremble of fear skated up her spine.
He raised a brow. “It matters not if you are free. You will not run.”
“And why not? Because you’ll compel me to stay?”
“Because, woman,” he growled, mouth curving into a wild, wicked grin, “I am the reason for those goosebumps on your skin. I am the reason children have nightmares, and in there”—he pointed into the shadowed woods only a few hundred feet away—“there are far worse things than nightmares. I am the reason you will live to breathe another day.”
“So I need a monster to fight a monster, is that it?”
Stupid woman. Stop provoking the beast.
His eyes narrowed and held her gaze.
An unearthly howl came from deep within the woods. At least, Clarke thought it was a howl. It could be any manner of creature in this foreign place. His pet wolf stiffened and raised his hackles.
Watching the woods, the fae stilled in a way that was wholly inhuman. He reached for his sword. Fingers locked tight around the hilt. Knuckles whitened. His ears pricked up straight.
Leaves rustled and trees whispered that night was falling. Then the tension left his shoulders and he let go of the sword. He tossed a self-righteous look at her, and then swaggered away, continuing toward the very forest that had caused him concern only moments before.
Goddamn it. She wanted to stomp her feet.
Smug, smug bastard.
She should leave just to spite him. But where would she go? To the human city that brutalized fae and animals through a barbed wire ceiling? The one the source of her dread came from? No thanks. She had to face facts. She was in a strange place and on her own. There were dangers out there in the night, and her gut said to go with the fae. He had the upper hand.
She hurried to catch up, for she knew something he didn’t. She could make friends with nightmares. She’d had practice.


Author Bio:
Lana Pecherczyk is an author from Western Australia. She makes a mean chocolate cake and is a fan of 'pro-caffeinating.' She writes kick-ass, action-packed, sometimes funny romance in all sorts of sub-genres - Paranormal, Fantasy, Superhero, Sci-fi and a dash of Contemporary. Basically, if it's got swoony men, strong women and page turning action, then she'll write it. She also wins love by daylight, fights evil by moonlight.

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Vanwest the Past



Dystopian, Science Fiction, Time Travel
Date Published: May 2020

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VanWest The Past is the first book in the VanWest series, about an Enforcer who lives in a dystopian Earth of the year 3000 and works for an authoritarian ruler called the Universal Council. Tasked with travelling through time to stop a renegade sect, that seeks to change Earth’s past, he comes to learn about his dark origins and his unique ability.

Falling in love with the daughter of its leader, Mad Newton, he returns to the present to face a difficult choice, whether or not to save her. And be part of the New Beginning.


Coming Soon


In Van West The Present, he must confront his past, taking him on a new mission to Mars that brings him face-to-face with the man who created him. To be released soon.







About the Author

Kenneth Thomas is a British author from Windsor, home of Windsor Castle. He used to live in Los Angeles where he worked for BBC News and MGM Studios, but is currently living and working in the Netherlands.

He is currently writing book 2 and 3 of the VanWest Series (The Past, The Present and The Future).


Contact Links


Purchase Links
Read FREE With Kindle Unlimited


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Friday 12 June 2020

Animal Instincts



Urban Fantasy, Urban Fiction
Published: March 2020
Publisher: Hostile Slurz Publishing

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Animal Instincts: The Urban Jungle is a collection of creative stories based on the lives of animals in an urban underworld jungle. The stories are focused around a family of outlaw rabbits who are fixtures in the criminal activities taking place in the jungle while trying to maintain a balanced life and family structure. Deceit and mistrust lead the rabbits down a dark rabbit hole of revenge and murder.

There are no happily-ever-after’s in these stories. Join the Jackson rabbits as they navigate their way through the urban jungle using their Animal Instincts.




About the Author

S.L. Jackson, an Urban Fantasy Author, from Inkster, MI, who now resides in metro-Detroit first entered the publishing scene in 2019 with the novella ‘Animal Instincts: The Urban Jungle’. He is an auto worker, a community activist skilled in the art of urban jungle survival, a podcaster, and a former entertainer and entertainment education provider. You can always find him reading, watching, and listening to interviews, helping others achieve their goals, and busying with anything that challenges his creativity. “Writing is my way to escape,” Jackson says.

Even though his first novella ‘Animal Instincts: The Urban Jungle’ is considered an Urban Fantasy he prefers not to place himself in a box and stunt the growth of his creativity by limiting himself to one genre. He is the creator of the hashtag #respecturbanauthors. He has been nominated for several awards that include Feathered Quill Awards, Ippy/Elit Awards, Top Shelf Magazine Awards, and Top Shelf Book Cover Awards. His podcast “The Connected Experience” is a cultural and lifestyle show.

Jackson is currently working on a comic book and cartoon series for ‘Animal Instincts: The Urban Jungle’. His plans also include more books, awards, and his books placed in libraries across the world. “Animal Instincts: The Urban Jungle” has won the GOLD MEDAL award for “Short Story Fiction” at the 2020 eLit Book awards.


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Walk the Dog by Isabel Jolie


Walk the Dog
Isabel Jolie
Publication date: June 8th 2020
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance
A steamy, fun single dad stand-alone romance set in New York City and New Orleans.
Delilah Daniels
Temporary. That’s my life in New York. Eventually, I’ll have to move back home to New Orleans. In the meantime, I’m all about enjoying these years.
Against my better judgment, I agree to dogsit for my friend. As I feared, it does not go well. As a matter of fact, it goes so poorly we end up at the vet- the dog’s fault, not mine.
On the bright side, Dr. Herriot could star in his own veterinary reality TV show, if there is such a thing. The man is sex in scrubs.
Mason Herriot might just become the highlight of my year. As it turns out, not only is he single, but he also needs some fun in his overworked life. And fun? That I can do.
Mason Herriot
My daughter is my world. The fledgling veterinary practice is my career and my passion. As a single dad, I couldn’t balance both without help from others. Some days, it doesn’t feel like I’m balancing anything at all.
Delilah Daniels walks into the clinic on one of those days. My partners are out with the flu, and I, once again, am stuck at work.
I can’t even explain why I ask her out. It’s spontaneous. There’s an energy to her. A zest for life. And there’s something about how she cares for her friend’s dog.
We aim for casual. I may be a single dad, but I’m not blind. Delilah packs some curves and it proves hard to keep those dates family-friendly.
In a nanosecond, casual loses all appeal. We can make this work. If I can convince Delilah her home’s no longer in the Big Easy…
EXCERPT:
Less than two steps into the great room, I halt. On every single wall, pieces of paper are taped. For a minute, I’m unsure, but no, it’s most definitely children’s art. Some of the paper bears the marks of age, faded colors, and dust. Those are mostly comprised of lines and scribbles. Some of the fresher papers include torn-out pages from coloring books, carefully drawn in the lines. A few are colorful paintings in the abstract. Handprints and footprints. Others landscape and animal drawings. Many cat and dog line sketches. I point at the paintings and grin. “Do your kid owners send you artwork?”
He slips both hands into his front pockets and closes one eye, as if he’s thinking about my question. “Kid owners? You mean my patients’ owners?”
“Yeah.” There’s a ton of art here. He must have been collecting these for years.
“No. My daughter is a budding artist. These are all hers.”
Jesus, Mother, Mary, and Angels. I did not expect that. A single dad. I’ve never done that before. Dated a parent. People with kids usually seem so different.
His shoe taps mine. “You can close your mouth.”
“Oh, no, I ah—”
“I should’ve said something yesterday, but I didn’t really know how to bring it up. I haven’t dated, or tried to date, since she was born. If it’s an issue for you, we can just be friends. Really. I’ve got a great vegetarian lasagna in the oven and a huge kale salad, so I hope you’ll still stay for dinner. An adult dinner without a child at the table is a rarity for me.”
As he’s talking, I twist around, studying all the art, wishing my brain would catch up. This is fine. What does it matter if he has a daughter? I’ll probably never meet her. I mean, isn’t that kind of a rule among single parents? You don’t introduce dates until you’re serious? And I’m gonna be moving. I don’t do serious. But wait…
“Are you single?”
He exhales, and it sounds like a mixture of a laugh and relief. “Yes. Never been married, actually. Kara lives with me. Her mom’s in a band and isn’t around. Or…she hasn’t been.” He calls as he heads to a hall at the end of the room, “Can I get you something to drink? Wine? Water?”
“Wine, please.” Yes, this situation calls for alcoholic reinforcement.


Author Bio:
Isabel Jolie, or Izzy to her friends, is an Amazon bestselling indie author with an unquenchable thirst for a good, sexy love story. Izzy's heart pumps faster for stories with strong heroines, down-to-earth realism, and an unexpected twist.
When she's not writing or reading, she can often be found with a glass of wine in hand relaxing with her husband, daughters, and good friends lakeside.
Izzy fills her Instagram feed with funnies, inspirational "brain candy", and anything that meshes with her mood of the day. #mood.

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