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Showing posts with label Excerpt Blast. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Excerpt Blast. Show all posts

Wednesday, September 18, 2019

EXCERPT BLAST: Our Song by Lauren Runow




Take a peek inside Our Song by Lauren Runow! One-click your copy of this rockstar romance today!





Our Song by Lauren Runow
Designed by Lauren Runow
Release Date: September 10, 2019

Blurb:


After a devastating accident crushed my dreams, I ended up back in my hometown teaching kindergarten. I was trying to make the best of it. That is, until the world I had to leave behind, showed up in my classroom in the form of a five-year-old little girl. Her father living the exact life I almost had.

Adam Jacobson is known as the bad boy of rock. While he and his band tour the world, they leave a trail of mayhem. What no one knows is behind the music is a caring, straightedge man with a secret — a daughter who the world is about to discover.

When they move to my small town, their secret is blown. He needs my help to keep her out of the media, and with each exchange we grow closer. Only problem is I need to stay away from the memories he ignites, and the temptations he brings my way.

Secrets I’ve kept and thoughts of that fatal night come crashing back into my life. I have to wonder if it was more than fate that brought his little girl into my classroom.



PURCHASE HERE!



Add it to your Goodreads TBR: http://bit.ly/2MkhXcx






EXCERPT

“Thank you for going with us today,” I say after getting settled on the freeway, heading back home after having dinner together.

Cailin didn’t even make it this far before passing out.

I sneak a quick glance at Sarah and feel a pain in my chest when I meet her eyes. There’s something about her that makes my heart pound for seemingly no reason at all.

“I had so much fun. I’ve never been with just one child who’s old enough to walk on their own and actually be interested in the animals. I brought my niece a few years ago, but she was a little too young. It’s fun to be able to relax more and enjoy the animals without stressing over where everyone is or if they are taken care of.”

“Do you enjoy teaching?”

She lets out an uneasy breath, and I turn to see her expression. She’s staring out the window like she’s thinking. I touch her hand. I can feel that whatever she is thinking isn’t good. I felt it last time we had this conversation too. There’s something she’s not letting me in on.

When our fingers first meet, she flinches ever so slightly. When she doesn’t turn, I grip her harder, opening her palm and entangling my fingers with hers.

I feel the tension slowly leave her body as I run my thumb over hers.

Finally, she speaks, “It’s not like I don’t like teaching. I love it actually. It just wasn’t my first choice.”

I decide not to push her and ask what that first choice was. Obviously, it’s something she still struggles with, and who am I to bring up sore subjects from the past?

We drive in silence, hands intertwined. Like a Nightmare by Deadset Society comes on the radio, and I turn it up slightly, using the control on the steering wheel.

Out of the corner of my eye, I catch Sarah singing. “You know this song?”

“Yeah. I used to listen to My Darkest Days, so I followed them when they started the new band after Matt Walst left.”

I’m stunned to silence. I expect people to know band names and even song titles, but I don’t know many people who care enough to actually know the intricacies of band members and following those members when bands breaks up, only to create new ones.

I try to keep my eyes on the road as I also stare at her in shock.

She drops her shoulder, giving me a deadpan expression. “Why are you so surprised I know that?” My eyebrows rise, and a genuine, deep belly laugh escapes her sexy lips. “I’m not everything you see.”

A grin spreads across my face. “I can tell, and believe me, it makes me want to see more.”

Her cheeks flush, and I squeeze her hand tighter.

As we get off the freeway, Cailin wakes up, yawning as she asks, “Are we home yet?”

“Almost,” I say. “We have to take Sarah home first.”

“How come she can’t just stay with us? Have a sleepover?” Cailin whines as I hear Sarah choke on the water she was drinking.

I wink in her direction while responding. “Maybe another time, but not tonight.”

Sarah covers her mouth as she coughs harder.

When I pull into her complex, she says goodbye to Cailin as I open the door. “Stay right here, okay, sweetheart? I’m just going to make sure Sarah makes it up to her apartment.” I put on a song Cailin likes and close the door before rushing to Sarah’s side.

Sarah drops her water bottle when she sees me appear on the opposite side of the truck. After leaning down to pick it up, she fidgets with her hair, making sure it’s smooth and in place.

“You don’t have to walk me up. I’ll be fine,” she says, looking everywhere but at me.

I reach for her fingers, lacing them with mine. “I want to.”

Her eyes meet mine, and I nod my head toward her door.

“Thank you again for inviting me,” she says as we stroll in the direction of her place.

“We’ll have to plan something again soon.”

Her lips tug up to a smile. “I’d like that.”

We reach her door, and she takes out her keys, unlocking it but not pushing it open. Instead, she pauses and glances up at me, waiting for what I’m going to say.

I step closer, so our bodies are inches apart. “I’m not going to rush this.”

Her eyes widen, but she doesn’t say anything.

“I’ve been with girls I never wanted, but I’ve never been with anyone I actually wanted a future with, especially this bad. I don’t want to screw this up. I’m going to kiss you though.”

I run my fingers across the nape of her neck. Her pulse is thumping out of control. Mine feels the same way.

I slowly lean in. “Is that okay with you?”

Her lids close as she nods ever so slightly. Her scent is the first thing I notice as I take her in—cherries, vanilla, and so fucking mine.

Our mouths brush against each other as I hold her in place. Her lips parting slightly, I lick them, seeing if she’ll invite me in. When she does, I have to hold my breath and make myself not take more than she’s willing to give me right now as our first kiss.

I wasn’t kidding. I want to take this slow. I want to do this right.

It takes everything I have to pull back as I place my forehead to hers. “Slowly,” I whisper more to myself than anything else.


She nods, and I can’t help myself when I lean in again, entangling my tongue with hers and pushing her against the wall, wanting just a little more.

I pause our kiss, keeping her pressed to my body as I breathe her in one more time.

When I step back, everything I’m feeling reflects back at me, written all over her face. I take my thumb and wipe her bottom lip, needing one last touch from her.

“I’ll see you soon,” I say as I step back.

She waves goodbye as she picks up everything that she was holding that’s now on the floor. I try not to laugh that she dropped them, knowing, with a kiss like that, I might have done the same thing if something were in my hand.





Lauren Runow is the author of multiple Adult Contemporary Romance novels, some more dirty than others. When Lauren isn't writing, you'll find her listening to music, at her local CrossFit, reading, or at the baseball field with her boys. Her only vice is coffee, and she swears it makes her a better mom!

Lauren is a graduate from the Academy of Art in San Francisco and is the founder and co-owner of the community magazine she and her husband publish. She is a proud Rotarian, helps run a local non-profit kids science museum, and was awarded Woman of the Year from Congressman Garamendi. She lives in Northern California with her husband and two sons.

You can also stay in touch through the social media links below.

Sign up for her newsletter at http://eepurl.com/btD6j9

Wednesday, May 22, 2019

EXCERPT BLAST: A Really Bad Idea by Jeannine Colette







Title: A Really Bad Idea
Age Group: Adult
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Release Date: May 14, 2019


Everyone has a best friend. Mine just happens to be Dr. Christian Gallagher— the gorgeous, green-eyed heart surgeon who wants to have a baby with me.

Yes, you read that correctly.

When my mother approached me on my thirty-third birthday with a brochure for egg freezing, it was a glaring reminder that my biological clock is ticking toward its expiration date. I’ve always dreamed of being a mom and had a plan — one that was destroyed when I caught my professional hockey player husband in bed with another woman.

Despite my broken heart I still believe in love. I want the happily ever after, but I also want a child desperately and won't settle in order to make it happen.

That’s why when I decided to take my mother’s advice, Christian came up with his own plan: Let’s have a baby together.

It’s a bad idea. A really, really bad idea. And yet...I can’t stop thinking about how great it could be.

There’s just one condition. Before we have sex (oh, yes, we’re doing this the old fashioned way!) Christian is adamant we go on three dates.

Sounds easy, but it's not.I thought sex would be the hard part, but the dates are only making me fall for the man I’ve known almost my entire life.

Whoever said sex doesn't change things never went to bed with their best friend.





EXCERPT

*Copyright 2019 Jeannine Colette. All Rights Reserved.


“Meadow,” Christian calls after me.

I stop and swing around. He’s standing outside an exam room, looking like he’s about to go inside.

I walk over to him, and as I approach, he looks down at me with those kind eyes and asks, “You okay?”

“Yeah, why?”

“That comment you made before about your eggs shriveling up and dying.”

I place a hand on my forehead as I feel ten kinds of embarrassed. “Oh, yeah. I was just joking.”

“You brought it up the other day, too.”

I shake my head and lower my hand to rest it on my hip. “I think it’s my birthday coming up. You know, getting older sucks.”

A loose strand of hair falls out of my low ponytail and into my eye. He wraps a finger around it and pushes it behind my ear.

“You’ll tell me if something is worrying you, right?”

“Don’t I always?”

“No,” he answers quickly, and I curve my brows in question. “You internalize until it eats you up and you’ve made some crazy, rash decision.”

I adore him, except for his ability to know everything about me. Well, almost everything.

“Name one time,” I challenge him.

“You got married without even telling me you were engaged.”

“That’s pretty much the point of eloping.”

He looks at me from under those thick lashes and tilts his head. I know what he’s thinking. That was a tense time in our friendship. He was across the country—had been for years already—when, suddenly, I called to say I was a married woman. The distance had already put a strain on our friendship. Brock’s inability to understand how close Christian and I were only made it worse.

Christian gives a self-deprecating smile and then pauses meaningfully. “What’s on your mind?”

If you only knew …

“I’m fine. Stop fussing over me. I’m excited to meet Natasha. I didn’t know you were seeing someone.”

“I’m not. We’re just—”

“Fooling around in supply closets. I get it,” I say with a cheeky grin.

He lowers his forehead a touch and speaks as if he’s about to tell me a secret, “I wouldn’t have to sneak away in closets if you gave in to my wit and charm.”

The way he says the words makes my stomach flutter and my body tingle in response. Any other girl would think he was serious. I, on the other hand, know better. He says things like that for my ego, which he thinks is shattered even though my self-confidence is pretty well intact.

“I wasn’t aware it was being offered,” I answer jokingly.

“Then, I’m not doing a good enough job.”

“Go to work, Dr. Gallagher,” I scold and turn him around toward his office where I’m sure he’s way behind schedule.

I walk down the hall toward exam room four and grab the file that’s sitting in the holder on the door. I sneak a glance back to see Christian watching me as I walk away, pretending I’m not walking to the beat of my own biological clock.








Check out my playlist for A Really Bad Idea!





Jeannine Colette is the author of the Abandon Collection - a series of stand-alone novels featuring dynamic heroines who have to abandon their reality in order to discover themselves . . . and love along the way. Each book features a new couple, exciting new city and a rose of a different color.

A graduate of Wagner College and the New York Film Academy, Jeannine went on to become a Segment Producer for television shows on CBS and NBC. She left the television industry to focus on her children and pursue a full-time writing career. She lives in New York with her husband, the three tiny people she adores more than life itself, and a rescue pup named Wrigley.

Jeannine and her family are active supporters of The March of Dimes and Strivright The Auditory-Oral School of New York.

Website: http://jeanninecolette.com/

Wednesday, February 20, 2019

EXCERPT BLAST: Tanner by Jeannine Colette and Lauren Runow




We're celebrating the release of Tanner: A Sexton Brothers Novel by Jeannine Colette and Lauren Runow! Check out the excerpt below and one-click Tanner today and binge on the Sexton Brothers!





Title: Tanner: A Sexton Brothers Novel
Age Group: Adult
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Release Date: February 7, 2019



“A kiss was all I needed.”
“Looks like you got what you wished for.”
“Yes. About that…”

I was supposed to find a finely dressed businessman, have a one-night stand and forget about my failed relationship. Instead, I meet Tanner Sexton—a gorgeous man in street clothes, messy hair and the sexiest smile I’ve ever seen.

When my ex shows up at the bar, Tanner notices my panic and kisses me just so the prick can see. Then he takes off, leaving me breathless.

So, I do what any rational person would. I chase after him onto the subway, and embark on a wild night in New York City with a complete stranger.

No matter how much I fight it, this mysterious artist painted his soul onto my skin, and I haven’t been able to forget him. Our romance is one for the ages, but age isn’t the only thing standing in our way.







EXCERPT

“Are you okay in those?” I motion toward her shoes.

“I’m good now, but I’ll suffer in the morning.” Her lips twist with the words.

I stop and let go of her hand. Her confused expression makes me smile. When she squeals as I lift her off the ground in a cradle hold, I can’t help but let out a laugh. Her hands grip my neck, and when our eyes meet, I wink on instinct.

“I’m fine. I can walk,” she demands.

I just keep walking.

Her arms lace firmer around me as she checks over my shoulder and then looks back up at me. I might be looking forward, but I can feel her stare heating the side of my face.

“Either you’re a gentleman or a serial killer,” she says.

“Lucky for you, I’m neither.”

She groans in my arms as I carry her toward a row of townhomes. There’s a small alley between two, so I turn down it and gently place her on the ground.

Taking her hand again, I head to a stairwell on the side of the building. When we get to the bottom, I knock three times.

A small picture window on the door opens up. A man speaks from the grate, “Who is it?”

“Sapphire,” I reply.

“How many gems did you bring today?” he asks.

“There’s only one rare stone,” I say, giving the rest of the secret phrase, and add, “but I brought a pearl from the shore.”

The door opens, but the man doesn’t present himself. I look back at Harper, who has a bugged-out expression, which I should expect since I’m asking her to enter a strange building with me.

I walk inside, and she follows. We step into a small office with a couch, a desk, and a bookcase. A narrow door is open, showing a bathroom. There’s barely room for more than the three of us in here.

When the outside door is closed behind us, the man is now in full light, and he’s big. No, huge. I haven’t seen this one before. His chest is the size of a barrel, and his head nearly touches the ceiling.

He holds his palm out. “Card.”

I hand him my sepia-colored member card that has four numbers written in red. He holds the card up to a black light to confirm its authenticity.

“You okay?” I ask Harper, who is clutching her bag to her chest.

“Obviously, wherever we’re going is something very secretive and members only. I’m starting to rethink my idea to follow you. Why don’t I carry pepper spray or a machete in my purse?” Her tone is sarcastic yet serious.

She’s funny without even realizing it. I put my card back in my wallet.

“So, what now? He pulls a book from the shelf, and the wall opens?” she jokes.

“That would be cliché,” I say. “We’re going through the bathroom, obviously.”

“Seriously?”

I laugh. “I’m kidding. It’s absolutely the bookcase.”

The bouncer pulls a gold rose-shaped handle on one of the shelves, and the bookcase pulls out like a door. We walk inside to a bigger room. It’s painted black, but there’s enough light in here to give off an amber hue. Harper is tentative, but she’s still with me.

A woman is standing by a podium with a long red velvet curtain behind her. Jazz music is muffled in the background.

“Good evening, Mr. Sexton. Pleasure to see you again.”

She places a hand on one side of the thick drapery and pulls it over. Inch by inch, the curtain rises, and I keep my eyes on Harper to watch her reaction.







Catch up on the series here!




Austin

Bryce





Lauren Runow is the author of multiple Adult Contemporary Romance novels, some more dirty than others. When Lauren isn't writing, you'll find her listening to music, at her local CrossFit, reading, or at the baseball field with her boys. Her only vice is coffee, and she swears it makes her a better mom!

Lauren is a graduate from the Academy of Art in San Francisco and is the founder and co-owner of the community magazine she and her husband publish. She lives in Northern California with her husband and two sons.


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Jeannine Colette is the author of the Abandon Collection - a series of stand-alone novels featuring dynamic heroines who have to abandon their reality in order to discover themselves . . . and love along the way. Each book features a new couple, exciting new city and a rose of a different color.

A graduate of Wagner College and the New York Film Academy, Jeannine went on to become a Segment Producer for television shows on CBS and NBC. She left the television industry to focus on her children and pursue a full-time writing career. She lives in New York with her husband, the three tiny people she adores more than life itself, and a rescue pup named Wrigley.

Jeannine and her family are active supporters of The March of Dimes and Strivright The Auditory-Oral School of New York.

Website: http://jeanninecolette.com/