There is something that sparks when opposites collide. Whether they see something they are looking for or that they are without...the chemistry can be off the charts!

Opposites force you outside your comfort zone. They make you try things that you would never have done in a million years- say rock climbing, a 5 K or adopting a pet. 

You want to please them. You don't want to look like a sissy or a wuss. It's exciting to spend time with them and well... let's just leave the sex to your imagination. :)

This spark is what I love about Lori Sizemore's latest release, Exactly Like You. Her two main characters are opposites who are brought together by the mysterious Mr. Heart. However, it's up to the couple to find that middle ground and to see the true love in front of them.

Blurb:
An invitation to Cupid’s Café will change your life.

Former social worker Roxie Fisher believes she’s cursed to never find happiness and an invitation to Cupid’s Café isn’t going to change her situation. All the same, against her better judgment, she gives it a try. What else does she have to lose?

After the death of his wife, accountant-turned-firefighter Aidan Craig, can’t stop taking ridiculous risks and never turns down a dare. So an invitation to Cupid’s Café is an offer he can’t refuse. What he doesn’t expect is to meet the social worker who helped him through the darkest days of his life. Now she’s the one struggling, and he’s compelled to help.

The two experience an immediate attraction, but Aidan swore to never become involved in another relationship, and Roxie can’t imagine daredevil Aidan being interested in a boring, cat-rescuer like her.

Can Roxie find the simple joy of taking a risk? Is Aidan willing to risk his heart? Or will they both lose out on a chance at true love?


EXCERPT:
Dropping his hands, because he was playing with fire now, he took her by the shoulders and pushed her back gently so he could look into her face. Her pupils were huge, filled with desire.

“I’m not sorry I did that.” He rested his forehead on hers. “I want you.”

She tilted her head down and placed a kiss on his neck. “I want you, too.”

“I’m just pretty sure it’s a bad idea.” He pulled away to study her, releasing her from his grasp. He didn’t want to hurt her.

“Yeah, totally. Same.” She nodded as if to reinforce her words.

Abruptly, she stood up and walked to the edge of the camp, her arms crossed in front of her. After a minute, she put her hands behind her and hooked her bra back together. The flash of skin he glimpsed only inflamed him further.

He had to get hold of himself. They’d been here a day. Not even a whole day, and he was already all over her. That wasn’t why he’d brought her here, and he needed to get a grip on himself. “Let’s get some sleep.”

“Sure. I’m tired.” She turned back to face him. Were her cheeks red? He couldn’t tell in the moonlight and she was too far from the fire now.

“Yeah, and we’ve got a long day ahead of us tomorrow.”

“Right.” She headed to the tent at a brisk pace. Aidan watched her go with a sigh. He’d upset her. Her short responses made it clear he’d hurt her feelings, which he’d never intended. And damn, but he wanted to touch her. 

Welcome to Cupid's Café, a place where missed connections meet. How the invitations find them, no one knows…except for the mysterious owner, Mr. Heart.

This multi-author series focuses on protagonists struggling with real-life issues that often get swept under the rug. With Cupid’s Café, these issues find representation in the characters struggling to conquer their own problems while trying to carve a future for themselves.

From cops to artists, or social workers to photographers, Mr. Heart ensures these lost souls who believe themselves undeserving of love reconnect with their fated match.
​
Each couple embarks on their journey at Cupid’s Cafe, but the rest is up to them: whether damage wins or they find true love in the end.
 
READ THEM ALL
Painting for Keeps (Cupid's Cafe #1) by Landra Graf
Exactly Like You (Cupid's Cafe #2) by Lori Sizemore
Captured Memories (Cupid's Cafe #3) by Katherine McIntyre
True Colors (Cupid's Cafe #4) by Landra Graf
 

About the Author:
Lori Sizemore writes sexy and snarky romance. She adores all things story and geeks out about craft books, writing classes, and how-to blog posts daily.

When she’s not writing, she’s spending time with her family, playing video games, or crocheting. Sometimes all three at once, as she’s a master multi-tasker.
​
She loves to read a good book, in any genre, but her favorite is romance. Find her online blogging or on social media through her website, lorisizemore.com.
 
FB Author Page: https://www.facebook.com/lorisizemoreauthor/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/lorisizemore
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/author/lorisizemore
Blog: http://lorisizemore.com/
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/loriwrites
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/lori_sizemore/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/loriwrites
 

I have four younger sisters. Yes, you read that correctly. There are eight years between us and it was sometimes the best of times growing up and sometimes the worst. 

I remember those good times very fondly. I didn't really need girlfriends because I always had my sisters. We would tell stories each night in bed or would share our days. 

But those times when we would fight... Let's just say that they are memorable too. You can't love someone without having squabbles and that includes family. 

It's one of the things I loved about Vanessa Garden's Submerged Sun series. She gets how sisters act. She knows that they would do things just to tick each other off, but eventually they are all the other has. 

You can find out for yourself in her upcoming release, Impulse.

Blurb:
In a glittering underwater world, where danger lurks behind beauty and power, seventeen-year-old Miranda Sun must decide between her freedom and the love her heart ultimately yearns for.

When Miranda Sun returns to Marin on the eve of her eighteenth birthday, this time of her own free will, she quickly learns that her worst fears have been realized. The glittering underwater city is not as she had left it, nor too is Marko, the young king who has dominated her thoughts and heart for the last twelve months.

To make matters worse, Miranda has not made the journey to Marin alone, and now must contend with not only Marko’s evil brother Damir, but more surprisingly her sister Lauren who has an agenda of her own.
​
With Marko’s power beginning to wane, and with cracks beginning to show in the domed Utopian city, and veiled danger lurking everywhere, she quickly learns that in this dazzling city full of beautiful people she can trust no one but herself.
 

About the Author:
A bookseller and Young Adult author, Vanessa loves nothing more than immersing herself in the exciting world of books. When she is not sharing her favorite reads with customers, or mentally casting actors to play the characters in her next novel, she enjoys hanging out with those she loves most.
 
Instagram: @vanessawriter27
Twitter: @vanessagarden27
 

Finding love is sometimes unexpected. I never thought to look twice at my husband. In fact, I was a little frightened of him. He intimidated me. He was a parent of one of my students. No-No number one. But once we took a moment to talk, we found how much we connected. 

Grea Warner tells the tale of another unexpected love story. Maya never thought she'd have a relationship again. But we can't always know what fate has in store for us.

If you love stories filled with emotion and love, Every Mile a Memory is a perfect read for you!

Available in Ebook and Print- Grab Your Own Copy Now!
​
BLURB:
A chance encounter leads to a road never imagined and the possibility of dreams coming true.

Going on tour with a band was never on Maya Shriver’s radar. But then neither was being a widow in her mid-thirties. And finding happiness again? Well, that was out of the question.

When danger erupts, Maya is abruptly thrown together with Hawk Brannigan—a country singer’s right-hand man. And she finds out that, once again, life can change in an instant. Suddenly, Maya is not only in a new career but she’s also allowing herself to love again.

As Maya begins to unpack her grief and move on, a misunderstanding from the past may cause the couple to travel in different directions. 

Excerpt:
“Finn? What? What’s going on?” she answered and then gave him a chance to actually respond. “What! What? Are you okay?” She shot up from her seated position on the sofa.

​Her disposition instantly got my attention. I put my laptop down and repeated her query.

“What?”

“Yeah,” she said into the phone and took a big breath before repeating again, “Yeah. You’re sure?” She pressed the phone tighter to her cheek and, after listening again, talked in a way that I knew she was having trouble hearing. “Hawk?” She looked at me, now standing, too, and then listened some more. “Uh-huh. She’s right here.” Her eyes appeared a little bigger that time before she said, “Okay. Hold on.”

When she pulled the phone away from her face, I asked again, knowing there was definitely a cause for concern, “What?”

“There was an incident,” she said slowly. “Hawk got Finn out of the way, but in the process, Hawk was hurt.”

Oh. My. God. It was happening all over again. Jeff…Hawk…

“Is he dead?” I hardly heard my own words. They came out in a horrified whisper.

About the Author:
There really wasn’t any other path. Grea Warner knew from a young age that she wanted to write.  She was born to write.  First it was in diaries with little metal keys and in written tales that she slipped to friends in study hall.  School newspapers, a college television drama, and the soap opera world were next. After producing and writing a local show, she decided to delve into the world of the novelist. When her fingers aren’t tapping out her latest book filled with angst and romance, Grea can be found hiking the trails or jamming to her favorite country artists on the radio.
​
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/grea.warner.7
Twitter:@grea_warner
GoodReads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/17230140.Grea_Warner
BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/grea-warner
Website: greawarner.com

Friends to lovers or opposites attract? Which is your love story?

I am a friends to lovers but there is somethings amazing about opposites. When you have someone who compliments you by being the strength where you are weak and you being the thing they are missing. 

Roxie and Aidan are not alike. She's a shy, quiet type and he's the center of a cyclone. But together they are perfect.

Blurb:
​An invitation to Cupid’s Café will change your life.

Former social worker Roxie Fisher believes she’s cursed to never find happiness and an invitation to Cupid’s Café isn’t going to change her situation. All the same, against her better judgment, she gives it a try. What else does she have to lose?

After the death of his wife, accountant-turned-firefighter Aidan Craig, can’t stop taking ridiculous risks and never turns down a dare. So an invitation to Cupid’s Café is an offer he can’t refuse. What he doesn’t expect is to meet the social worker who helped him through the darkest days of his life. Now she’s the one struggling, and he’s compelled to help.

The two experience an immediate attraction, but Aidan swore to never become involved in another relationship, and Roxie can’t imagine daredevil Aidan being interested in a boring, cat-rescuer like her.

Can Roxie find the simple joy of taking a risk? Is Aidan willing to risk his heart? Or will they both lose out on a chance at true love?
 

Be Sure to Grab them All!!

​Welcome to Cupid's Café, a place where missed connections meet. How the invitations find them, no one knows…except for the mysterious owner, Mr. Heart.

This multi-author series focuses on protagonists struggling with real-life issues that often get swept under the rug. With Cupid’s Café, these issues find representation in the characters struggling to conquer their own problems while trying to carve a future for themselves.

From cops to artists, or social workers to photographers, Mr. Heart ensures these lost souls who believe themselves undeserving of love reconnect with their fated match.

Each couple embarks on their journey at Cupid’s Cafe, but the rest is up to them: whether damage wins or they find true love in the end.
 
READ THEM ALL
Painting for Keeps (Cupid's Cafe #1) by Landra Graf
Exactly Like You (Cupid's Cafe #2) by Lori Sizemore
Captured Memories (Cupid's Cafe #3) by Katherine McIntyre
True Colors (Cupid's Cafe #4) by Landra Graf

About the Author:
Lori Sizemore writes sexy and snarky romance. She adores all things story and geeks out about craft books, writing classes, and how-to blog posts daily.

When she’s not writing, she’s spending time with her family, playing video games, or crocheting. Sometimes all three at once, as she’s a master multi-tasker.
​
She loves to read a good book, in any genre, but her favorite is romance. Find her online blogging or on social media through her website, lorisizemore.com.
 
FB Author Page: https://www.facebook.com/lorisizemoreauthor/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/lorisizemore
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/author/lorisizemore
Blog: http://lorisizemore.com/
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/loriwrites
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/lori_sizemore/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/loriwrites
 

Two flawed individuals who find love, sums up Painting for Keeps, a new release at Inkspell Publishing. 

If you are a perfect person, raise your hand. No hands go up, because we are all flawed in some ways. Depression is a big part of who I am. I didn't understand how much until I was finally ready to recognize it. When you are trying to hide the daily issues, you can be blind to what is really going on. 

Author Landra Graf tells a heartwarming tale of a man who is dealing with his own issues and a woman who feels like she has no value. Together they are able to support each other and find that they are perfect together.

Blurb:
An invitation to Cupid’s Café will change your life.

Agatha Kakos is one brownie bite away from losing her dinner when an invitation to Cupid’s Café shows up on her doorstep. Fighting bulimia and her mother’s constant verbal abuse has never been easy. An offer to meet a secret admirer is more a morale booster, if anything.

Following a break-in and the destruction of his paintings, starving artist Murphy O’Shea finds himself at wits end. Not only does he need to prepare ten more paintings, but in the midst of another manic/depressive episode, the challenge seems impossible. He’s got two months or he’ll have to cancel his first show. The Cupid’s Café invite offers him a chance to find his muse. He doesn’t expect it to be the woman he’s mirrored every previous painting on, nor does he plan on being able to offer Aggie the help she needs.

Aggie finds saving grace by renting an apartment from Murph in exchange for posing for paintings. She’s fully invested in the man, his art, and exploring the sexual attraction between them. But Murph sees Aggie as his savior, the only one keeping his disorder from becoming worse. When both are faced with their worst fears, the only solution is for them to be apart. It’s going to take them saving themselves before a future together is possible.
Can they find a way to conquer their inner demons or will they succumb to the idea they aren’t worth a happily ever after?

Excerpt:
Moisture welled in her eyes and she heard Murph’s chair squeak as the legs slid sharply against the linoleum floor. Before she could object, or even answer his question, he hauled her to her feet and wrapped her in a hug. The way their bodies aligned, in some perfect way, like two puzzle pieces joining together, hit her straight in the chest and a knot formed there.

This hug touched her emotional center more than the first one. She could easily blame it on all the memories she’d stirred, coupled with this display of affection. Jordan had heard her cry about her family before and always told her to forget them, live in the now with him. Murph did the opposite.

“They were assholes, and I know it hurts. But this hug is a good memory. One you can draw on when the bad ones surface, which they always do even when we don’t want them. I’m not leaving you.”

She squeezed him back, loving how his muscled parts fit against her soft ones. She was incredibly softer than him, but it worked. He held her tighter and smelled of pine and paint, a refreshing scent. When they finally pulled apart, more like their upper halves loosening the hold on one another, he kept his arms and hands entangled with hers. They’d shared something, a common respect for both of them being a bit damaged, a bit not-quite-right.

They locked eyes and for a moment, Aggie believed he’d kiss her. She wanted him to. Just once, to know what the experience of kissing someone who got her was like.

Instead, he said, “Let me paint you.”

Welcome to Cupid's Café, a place where missed connections meet. How the invitations find them, no one knows…except for the mysterious owner, Mr. Heart.

This multi-author series focuses on protagonists struggling with real-life issues that often get swept under the rug. With Cupid’s Café, these issues find representation in the characters struggling to conquer their own problems while trying to carve a future for themselves.

From cops to artists, or social workers to photographers, Mr. Heart ensures these lost souls who believe themselves undeserving of love reconnect with their fated match.
​
Each couple embarks on their journey at Cupid’s Cafe, but the rest is up to them: whether damage wins or they find true love in the end.
 
READ THEM ALL
Painting for Keeps (Cupid's Cafe #1) by Landra Graf
Exactly Like You (Cupid's Cafe #2) by Lori Sizemore
Captured Memories (Cupid's Cafe #3) by Katherine McIntyre
True Colors (Cupid's Cafe #4) by Landra Graf
 

About the Author:
Landra Graf consumes at least one book a day, and has always been a sucker for stories where true love conquers all. She believes in the power of the written word, and the joy such words can bring. In between spending time with her family and having book adventures, she writes romance with the goal of giving everyone, fictional or not, their own happily ever after.
​
Website: https://landragraf.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/landra.graf/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/LandraGraf
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/landragraf/
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Landra-Graf/e/B00IESJED4/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1?qid=1440641120&sr=8-1
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7847192.Landra_Graf
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/landragraf/
 
 

Blurb
Five hundred years from now, the necessity of population control and a preference for male children has resulted in a shortage of women. Down from the Appalachian Mountains, comes Tory White, an unusually tall and muscular young woman. Unable to read, she is deceived into signing a lifelong contract as a concubine. Entirely unsuitable for the position, she soon finds herself slotted for the ‘beds,’ where few girls live beyond a month. Yet, her honest and forthright manner charms the head of security into saving her and sets her upon a path in which she becomes the ‘heart’ of the world and the savior of man’s future.
 
Excerpt 
 
As Tory entered the dreary grey building, she asked the man guarding the door where she could find Miss Dunbery. He pointed to the first door down the dark hall.
She knocked on the door and waited until she heard someone call out ‘enter’. She had barely passed through the door when a young woman seated at a desk, with a weird black beehive hairdo, screamed upon sight of her. That wasn’t the first time it had happened since she’d come down the mountain, but she thought it damn rude, and wished city people had better manners.
“I was told to see a Miss Dunbery. Would that be you?” She hoped it wasn’t. The girl didn’t look old enough to be in charge of nothing. But her narrow face was pinched, and her body tensed, like Mrs. Mayfair would get every year when she planned the canning schedule, so Tory wasn’t sure.
The woman shook her head, giving Tory a moment of relief. Then she ruined it by saying, “Jack must be on the bottle again, hiring the likes of this.” Frantically patting her beehive, she stood up and her eyes widened in horror, as she had to look up a good foot to meet Tory’s eyes. “Dear God, what a disaster.” She stormed from the room and then stopped. “Well, come along! I haven’t got all day.”
Miss Dunbery showed Tory to her assigned bed. It was the third bunk on a rack, only two feet beneath the ceiling. The mattress looked to be only five-feet long and two-feet wide.
“You’re kidding right?” Tory asked the prune-faced young woman.
“That’s your assigned bed. It’s not my fault if you don’t fit it. And I hope you have your own clothes, because I’ve nothing in giant size.”
“I’ve got my own clothes,” Tory snapped. “And I’ll find my own place to sleep.”
The woman laughed with scorn. “You think any of the band or security is going to take you on?”
Tory was ready to take her on. “Don’t worry about me. I can take care of myself.” She pulled the blanket from the bed. Noticing she had no pillow, but all the other beds had one, except for the first bed, which had two, she reached down, took one of the two, and headed outside.
“Where are you going?” Miss Dunbery demanded. She followed behind Tory, yapping at her heels like a shrill mouse-dog. “There’s a curfew you know. You have to be in your bed at curfew or I’ll report you and then you’ll be in trouble.”
Tory turned and yelled. “Don’t have to wait ‘til curfew. Report me now, because there is no way I’m sleeping in that bed.”
“You don’t have a choice in this matter!”
“You’re right, I don’t, because it’s not possible for me to get in that bed.”
“Is there a problem?” Link Taylor asked, suddenly appearing beside her.
“This new girl is the problem,” Miss Dunbery said in a less shrill voice, all the while patting her silly beehive. “She hasn’t been here five minutes, and she thinks that she’s too good to sleep in the dorm rooms. Her! As if she’ll receive offers to sleep elsewhere.”
Taylor turned to Tory to hear her side of the story.
“The bed isn’t going to work for me. I’m too big. So, I’ll just sleep outside somewhere.”
“No,” Taylor replied with a stern tone. He took her arm and escorted her into the dorm room. “Which is her bed?”
When he saw where Miss Dunbery intended her to sleep, he remained quiet for several minutes.
At first, Tory thought he was angry, for his body was tense and he turned his face to the wall. But then as his shoulders jerked up and down, she realized he was laughing. Laughing!
“If you think it’s so damn funny, why don’t you climb up there and show me how it’s done,” Tory suggested.
Miss Dunbery’s gasp of horror alerted her to the possibility that maybe Mr. Taylor was an important man, and she’d just made a dangerous enemy.
Her comment stopped his laughter and he nailed her with a very impressive ‘don’t give me any shit’ glare. She thought it more frightening than even her Pa’s.
“Forgive my rudeness,” she said and bowed her head.
She sensed by his silence that her apology had surprised him. Daring a peek, she was relieved he wasn’t glaring at her anymore.
 
 
 
 
LINKS 
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About the Author
Liza O’Connor
Liza O’Connor lives in Denville, NJ with her dog Jess. They hike in fabulous woods every day, rain or shine, sleet or snow. Having an adventurous nature, she learned to fly small Cessnas in NJ, hang-glide in New Zealand, kayak in Pennsylvania, ski in New York, scuba dive with great white sharks in Australia, dig up dinosaur bones in Montana, sky dive in Indiana, and raft a class four river in Tasmania. She’s an avid gardener, amateur photographer, and dabbler in watercolors and graphic arts. Yet through her entire life, her first love has and always will be writing novels.
 
FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT
LIZA O'CONNOR
Investigate these sites:
Liza’s Multiverse Blog
Liza's Blog and Website   Facebook   Twitter
All the Many Books Liza has written
Over 50 books for your reading pleasure
Contemporary
Historical
Paranormal
Sci-Fi
***
Romance
Sleuths
Suspense
Humor
Feel Good Novels
***
Books range from young adult to mature audiences.
I write them as my characters want them to be written.
 

Romance books have one big criteria- it must end in a happily ever after or a happily for now. But there is a lot of variety in romance books. The story can take place in outer space or between two men, The story can feature characters who are older than dirt or who love to dig up bodies. 

A big favorite for many readers is an emotional story. One that tugs at your heart, makes you cry or leaves you breathless. 

Grea Warner's books are ones you won't be able to put down. The characters are "Real" but also emotionally charged. 

Readers fall into love with the characters and are pulled along with their love story.

Her latest release features those moments you won't be able to forget!

Blurb:
A chance encounter leads to a road never imagined and the possibility of dreams coming true.

Going on tour with a band was never on Maya Shriver’s radar. But then neither was being a widow in her mid-thirties. And finding happiness again? Well, that was out of the question.

When danger erupts, Maya is abruptly thrown together with Hawk Brannigan—a country singer’s right-hand man. And she finds out that, once again, life can change in an instant. Suddenly, Maya is not only in a new career but she’s also allowing herself to love again.
​
As Maya begins to unpack her grief and move on, a misunderstanding from the past may cause the couple to travel in different directions. 

About the Author:
There really wasn’t any other path. Grea Warner knew from a young age that she wanted to write.  She was born to write.  First it was in diaries with little metal keys and in written tales that she slipped to friends in study hall.  School newspapers, a college television drama, and the soap opera world were next. After producing and writing a local show, she decided to delve into the world of the novelist. When her fingers aren’t tapping out her latest book filled with angst and romance, Grea can be found hiking the trails or jamming to her favorite country artists on the radio.
​
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/grea.warner.7
Twitter:@grea_warner
GoodReads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/17230140.Grea_Warner
BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/grea-warner
Website: greawarner.com

Recently there was a story on CBS Sunday morning about mermaids. The story described how people today are working as mermaids and tries to account for our fascination with them. But you don't have to be a mermaid to fall in love with Captivate about a woman who finds that there is an underwater world she's never seen before. In this glittering world, she'll find romance, love and danger. And hopefully an happily ever after!

BLURB:
In a glittering underwater world, where danger lurks behind beauty and power, seventeen-year-old Miranda Sun must decide between her freedom and the love her heart ultimately yearns for.

While taking a midnight swim in the ocean, Miranda Sun is pulled beneath the surface only to awaken in a glittering underwater city where she is being held captive by an arrogant young king, Marko.

Marko wishes to marry Miranda in order to save his crown from falling into the hands of his sinister brother, Damir, who resides in the dark recesses of the city’s underworld.

But Miranda is desperate to return home and right things with her sister. In order to escape, she spends her captivity concocting elaborate escape plans and forms an alliance with eighteen-year-old Robbie, Marko’s personal guard, in hope of securing her freedom.

Miranda fights the pull of the glittering, beautiful undersea kingdom, her blossoming feelings for the smoldering king and the deep friendship with Robbie. But danger lurks under the glittering water. Miranda quickly discovers that even underwater, people have secrets….dangerous secrets which could cost her all she holds dear.
 
EXCERPT:
“Okay. No cheating,” I said, surprising myself, and swam over to her side. “Ready, set—”

Just like old times, Lauren dived in before I said “Go!”

I followed, my body spearing through the cold, dark water like a fish. It felt amazing — all tingling skin and thundering heart.

But after kicking my legs to propel myself forward, something wrapped around my ankle.
I shrieked and tried to kick it away, but in one swift motion I was yanked under.

A muffled, underwater scream escaped my mouth—inside my head it sounded like an animal roar—and with it precious oxygen flew overhead in a flurry of bubbles.

Black water clouded my eyes.

My arms sought the surface, my body thrashed, desperate, until my leg was released and I kicked my way upwards. As my head broke the surface, I sucked in a lungful of air, a thousand butterflies of hope exploding inside my chest.

But then what felt like two hands gripped my biceps and dragged me down again.

Everything closed in on me. The need for air was agonizing, the pressure inside my head and lungs was at bursting point.

I opened my mouth to cry out, “Lauren!”, even though I expected more seawater to spew in, but to my surprise a mouth closed over mine. I screamed then pressed my lips shut. Prickly stubble grazed my lips and chin. My body bucked, my legs and arms jerked out in all directions, but it was futile—like a herring flapping against the belly of a shark.

The man gripped the back of my head, pried open my mouth with lips like ice, and breathed air into my oxygen starved lungs.

I resisted at first and tried to fuse my mouth shut, my teeth scraping against his, but then my will to survive kicked in and I drew on this stranger’s air with all the desperation and dependency of a newborn child sucking in its first breath.

Something bitter, tasting like chemicals, invaded my mouth.
​
Then the blackness came.

About the Author:
A bookseller and Young Adult author, Vanessa loves nothing more than immersing herself in the exciting world of books. When she is not sharing her favorite reads with customers, or mentally casting actors to play the characters in her next novel, she enjoys hanging out with those she loves most.
​
Instagram: @vanessawriter27 Twitter: @vanessagarden27

If you are like me, you love when you find a series or author you love. Cupid's Cafe is a new shared world which features four books set in the same town. Each couple finds love because of Mr. Heart who seems to know who is your perfect mate and sets about to make it happen. 

The first book: Painting for Keeps will be released next month but you can pre-order your copy today!!

Blurb:
An invitation to Cupid’s Café will change your life.

Agatha Kakos is one brownie bite away from losing her dinner when an invitation to Cupid’s Café shows up on her doorstep. Fighting bulimia and her mother’s constant verbal abuse has never been easy. An offer to meet a secret admirer is more a morale booster, if anything.

Following a break-in and the destruction of his paintings, starving artist Murphy O’Shea finds himself at wits end. Not only does he need to prepare ten more paintings, but in the midst of another manic/depressive episode, the challenge seems impossible. He’s got two months or he’ll have to cancel his first show. The Cupid’s Café invite offers him a chance to find his muse. He doesn’t expect it to be the woman he’s mirrored every previous painting on, nor does he plan on being able to offer Aggie the help she needs.

Aggie finds saving grace by renting an apartment from Murph in exchange for posing for paintings. She’s fully invested in the man, his art, and exploring the sexual attraction between them. But Murph sees Aggie as his savior, the only one keeping his disorder from becoming worse. When both are faced with their worst fears, the only solution is for them to be apart. It’s going to take them saving themselves before a future together is possible.

​Can they find a way to conquer their inner demons or will they succumb to the idea they aren’t worth a happily ever after?

About the Author:
Landra Graf consumes at least one book a day, and has always been a sucker for stories where true love conquers all. She believes in the power of the written word, and the joy such words can bring. In between spending time with her family and having book adventures, she writes romance with the goal of giving everyone, fictional or not, their own happily ever after.
​
Website: https://landragraf.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/landra.graf/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/LandraGraf
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/landragraf/
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Landra-Graf/e/B00IESJED4/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1?qid=1440641120&sr=8-1
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7847192.Landra_Graf
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/landragraf/

​A Warning from someone who knows...
“We all like to believe we are masters of our fate. However, usually it isn’t true. Somewhere, a person exists, sometimes completely unknown to you, whose slightest action impacts your life.”

Blurb
Billionaire David Ross has created a sanctuary for an alien species that superficially resembles Earth’s black panther. This race is superior in both strength and longevity to humans. David’s plan is to seed a new world with the offspring of these aliens and selected humans. Contrary to the covenants of the project, he sends a special young woman named Jesse to the island against her will. Her arrival changes more than he planned.
 
 
Excerpt 
She listened to the boat roar away, and soon the dock filled with people. Two young men, one black as night with shiny straight black hair, and the other dark brown with a kinky afro, stared down at her. The black one did not smile, and he looked upset over her paralyzed state.
He stroked her face and then left without speaking. The other young man presented her with the happiest smile she had ever seen. “I am glad you are here, Jesse. I hope you will forgive us as to how you came to be here. You are most welcome into our family. Seeing you, even in this sad state, gives me great happiness.”
Jesse sensed there were others waiting to welcome her as well, but Carmella shooed them away and instructed the happy young man, whose name was Mike, and another older man, named Kyle, to carry her stretcher into the house.
They carried her upstairs and entered a room that looked to be a nursery, but Carmella stopped them before they could move her off the stretcher.
“Maybe she should stay in Katspaw’s room,” Carmella said.
Mike frowned. “Kat’s in heat… Besides, her job is to watch the children.”
“But she did not come willingly! We cannot risk her harming the children,” Carmella whispered.
“Mother, Jesse would never harm the children,” Mike objected. “She may wish to harm David the next time he shows up, but she’s a good person. She would never hurt the children.”
Carmella sighed and looked at the silent black man with silky hair who had entered the room behind her. “It is your decision, Mechal.”
Mechal walked over to Jesse, knelt beside her and stroked her brown hair while he studied her pretty face. He looked up at his brother. “You’re sure?”
Mike smiled. “Completely certain. She will be a wonderful nanny for the children.” He knelt on the other side of her and caressed her arm. “She is kind and loving, tolerant, but not a pushover. The children could not ask for a better nanny.” He smiled at her with great affection.
The intense admiration Jesse received from the two young men did not frighten her. It was impossible to fear anyone with Mike’s bright happy smile, and while the darker Mechal did not smile, something about him made her trust and like him instantly. He seemed to have strength and wisdom far beyond his years. It was almost as if he were the leader of the family.
“You will stay here in the nursery,” Mechal explained, as his hand stroked her hair. “You will be responsible for the caring of the younger children. They can be very trying at times, but they are the future of our world and must be protected and loved above all else. Do you understand? We are welcoming you into this family and entrusting to you that which we treasure most.”
She sensed his sincerity and concern. Why hadn’t David just told her she was to be a nanny? She loved children.
Mechal sighed. “I am greatly displeased that David has sent you against your will. It was not right, and he should not have done it. However, it is done, and cannot be undone. You must start from here, anew, with no anger or rancor against your family. Will you try?”
Jesse wanted to assure him she would, but no matter how much she tried, she could not speak.
“She holds no anger against us,” Mike said. “She will try to learn our ways.”
 
AMAZON 
D2D
 
 
 
About the Author
   Liza lives in Denville, NJ with her dog Jess. Having an adventurous nature, she learned to fly small Cessnas in NJ, hang-glide in New Zealand, kayak in Pennsylvania, ski in New York, scuba dive with great white sharks in Australia, dig up dinosaur bones in Montana, sky dive in Indiana, and raft a class four river in Tasmania. She’s an avid gardener, amateur photographer, and dabbler in watercolors and graphic arts. Yet through her entire life, her first love has and always will be writing novels. She loves to create interesting characters, set them loose, and scribe what happens in a myriad of genres.
 
FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT
 
LIZA O'CONNOR’S MANY BOOKS
 
Investigate these sites:
 
Liza's Blog and Website   Facebook   Twitter
 
Multiverse Blog
 
 

In the second of the shifter series, Aliens Among Us, Ms. O'Connor delves into the complicated relationships among this unique group. Each person in the group has been selected for their genetics, which sets in motion some drama.

Jesse is an amazing woman who doesn't let things get her down for long. She's open to changes and almost seems perfect. No matter that she is put in a challenging situation, she is able to find the positives and creates an important link between the aliens and humans. 

This book is sure to entertain fans of shifter romances. The uniqueness of the alien race provides a new twist on a favorite romance genre. You will be unable to put the book down as you seek to find out what happens to Jesse.

Relationships are filled with ups and downs but when you add working with your partner, you can mess up a good relationship. Or you can make it spectacular.

I met my husband at work. He was a parent of one of my students. I emailed him the newsletter each week and he would grumble back to me about this or that. Eventually, I found his joking and silliness endearing and we decided to date. But not before my co-workers became upset. 

Luckily for me, my story has a happy ending. But not everyone is as lucky. Do you know of a work relationship? Did it work out or not?

Rita Arens latest romance features a young woman who dates the boss' son. Now that is sure to go over big, right?  See for yourself!

Blurb:
What happens when you're not ready for the power you desire?

Instead of heading to college, eighteen-year-old Meg lucks into a temporary position as personal secretary to Helen Cleaves, CEO of Aethon Power & Light. When Helen's charming son turns his romantic attention toward Meg, she finds herself pulled along on Parker’s rule-bending quest for power within Aethon -- and her own struggle to determine the woman she will become.

Revisit the Greek myth of the sun god, Helios, and his son Phaeton -- only this time Helios is Helen, the fiery-haired chief executive of Aethon Power & Light in Chicago and Phaeton is Parker, her hot-headed son and only heir.

THE BIRTHRIGHT OF PARKER CLEAVES offers for mythology what Marissa Meyer’s CINDER did for young adult fairy tales – a nostalgic plot, a powerful love interest and a fresh twist. 
 
EXCERPT:
Helen leans in, her necklaces clinking softly. I can smell her perfume wafting up from between the layers of silk around her shoulders. “I stopped by to see if you’re clear on your duties while I’m gone, dear.” She rests her hand on my desk, and it looks old, way older than her face, as though she’s aging from the ground up.

I swivel to see her adjusting her thick leather belt. It looks soft enough to fold in half length-wise. “Pretty sure—Parker is filling in for you, so I manage his calendar and affairs just like I do for you until you return, right?” Don’t leave. I don’t want you to leave me. Too.
​
“That’s right. It could be more challenging than you think.” Helen stands back, removing her hand from my inspection as if she can see what I am thinking. “He can be more challenging.”

“Oh?” I slide my feet back into the flats under my desk. “Parker?”

“I’m well aware of my son’s interest in you, Meg. I’ve told him again and again he needs to keep the office business, but he tends to lack boundaries.” She looks right at me, and I start to squirm. “I do worry you’ll buy into Parker’s image of himself. It’s happened with others before, but you’re made of different stuff, I think. Always remember there’s a difference between liking someone and liking the way they make you feel about yourself.”

About the Author:

Rita Arens is the author of THE BIRTHRIGHT OF PARKER CLEAVES and THE OBVIOUS GAME and the editor of SLEEP IS FOR THE WEAK. For more information, visit www.ritaarens.com.
​
Author Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ritaarensauthor/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/ritaarens
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/1371209.Rita_Arens
Amazon author page: https://www.amazon.com/Rita-Arens/e/B002KRLEHE/ref=dp_byline_cont_book_1
Pinterest for Parker Cleaves: https://www.pinterest.com/ritajarens/the-birthright-of-parker-cleaves/
 

Indulge Me
(Wanna Be Bad – Book 1 – Erotic Contemporary)
 
by Tina Donahue

Blurb:
 
Nothing forbidden…nothing held back.
 
Lissa prefers reading to cutting loose, but is willing to do whatever it takes to get the juiciest assignments for her job at a major travel magazine. Her chance finally arrives. She’s set to experience a posh Caribbean resort, a dream article and review except for one huge problem. It’s the anything goes theme week where nudity is expected and lusty hook-ups make threesomes look downright tame. Holy Hell. What has she gotten herself into?
 
Precisely what resort owner Jon Thorne thinks. Tall, dark, and luscious, he fears the randy male guests will eat her alive, resulting in a lousy review. His only option is to serve as her guide for every decadent delight from nude body painting to Dom’s Den where submission and punishment rule. Unless she wants to call the whole thing off…
 
And lose her chance with him, plus give up this gig? Dream on. Tempted beyond anything she’s known, she matches his passion and then some, surprising him during a sexy adventure like no other. 

BUY LINKS

EVERNIGHT BOOKS: https://www.evernightpublishing.com/indulge-me-by-tina-donahue
AMAZON: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07VZVSBY7/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=tina+donahue+indulge+me&qid=1564686223&s=books&sr=1-1
SMASHWORDS: https://bit.ly/2T5cGad
NOOK: https://bit.ly/2LSgISo
KOBO: https://bit.ly/2GHuNOq
​

Excerpt:
 
“The writer from the travel magazine is here.”

“Send him in.”

“Ah … okay.”

Her hesitation surprised him.

His door opened.

Shelby entered first, model tall and slender, dressed in a light green sheath that complemented her long, blonde hair. Her pretty face could have graced a teen magazine, the faint freckles splashed across her nose and cheeks adding to her youthful appearance.
She stepped aside.

A young woman stood behind her, her hair shoulder-length and partially pulled back. Several tresses hung free from her ponytail. The chestnut color proved rich, a contradiction to her pale complexion.

While her clothing…

Her loose-fitting beige pants and long-sleeved white top weren’t on par with the “anything goes” theme week, but the extensive material didn’t completely hide her curves.

He dragged his gaze back up to her glasses. They gave her an intelligent and serious vibe that also didn’t belong on this island.

She regarded the tan marble and gold trimming in here, graceful eyebrows arching.

The opulence was more than he preferred but impressed the partners. Confused as to why she’d followed Shelby inside, he glanced at her and mouthed, “who is she?”

She mouthed, “The writer.”

No way. He’d expected a guy. In fact, he needed an uber-extroverted one for a great review during the anything goes week, which got down and dirty fast. Not a woman who dressed like a librarian attending a spiritual retreat.

As a rule, he never judged. Taking a second look, he was surprised to find her pretty, her brown or hazel eyes and pouty mouth holding promise as to the possible fire smoldering inside. Possible being the operative word. She hadn’t breezed into here confident and ready for sin. Not a good sign for her enjoying the intimate events at the resort.

Shelby cleared her throat. “Lissa, this is Jon Thorne, the owner. Jon, this is Lissa Nelms, the writer from Exploration magazine.”

Lissa regarded the plush leather chairs, sofa, and his massive desk, then met his gaze.

Her cheeks pinked up, as they hadn’t earlier, lips parting, surprise or wonder flooding her features.

He wasn’t certain why her reaction to him was so intense … except it looked genuine. Maybe. Ever since Mackenzie had put one over on him, after the years they’d spent together, he couldn’t be sure about anything. Remembering his manners, he stood.

After taking him in from top to bottom, Lissa returned to his mouth, then his eyes. “Good afternoon.”

Her voice was surprisingly throaty. Sexy as hell.

His face and chest heated, a first during a business meeting or with any woman. Even those who’d been attracted to him hadn’t shown the same awe she did. Flattering, sure, but still… “Hi.” He rounded his desk and offered his hand.

She gripped it firmly, her fingers softer than a rose petal, her fragrance subtly sweet, gold flecks in her hazel eyes.

Nice. He stroked her thumb.

Her face flamed.

​Time to stop touching her.

About Tina:
 
Tina is an Amazon and international bestselling novelist who writes romance for every taste – ‘heat with heart’ – for traditional publishers and indie. Booklist, Publisher’s Weekly, Romantic Times and numerous online sites have praised her work. Three of her erotic novels were Readers' Choice Award winners. Another three were named finalists in the EPIC competition. One of her erotic contemporary romances was chosen Book of the Year at the French review site Blue Moon reviews. The Golden Nib Award at Miz Love Loves Books was created specifically for one of her erotic romances. Two of her titles received an Award of Merit in the RWA Holt Medallion competition. Another two won second place in the NEC RWA contest (different years). Tina is featured in the Novel & Short Story Writer’s Market. Before penning romances, she worked at a major Hollywood production company in Story Direction.
 
FB Fanpage: https://www.facebook.com/DonahueTina1/
Email: tinadonahuebooks@gmail.com
Website/Blog: http://tinadonahuebooks.blogspot.com/
Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/tina-donahue
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tinadonahuebooks/  
Goodreads: http://bit.ly/1wFmIu6
Twitter: https://twitter.com/tinadonahue
Facebook: http://on.fb.me/1Dl8DHy
Triberr: http://bit.ly/1CE2ec7
Pinterest: http://bit.ly/1yFLeMx
Amazon author page: http://amzn.to/1ChWFkO
My page at TRR: http://bit.ly/1vb7eEc
Kensington Author Page: http://www.kensingtonbooks.com/author.aspx/24772
Sweet ‘n Sexy Divas: http://bit.ly/1ChWN3K
Romance Books 4 US: http://bit.ly/1JPtfeS
​

What if you were given the choice between living above the ocean with your sister or living as a queen under the sea? Which would you choose? Would it make a difference if there was danger involved?

Miranda must decide which she truly wants in this amazing story of young love and royal responsibilities.

BLURB:
In a glittering underwater world, where danger lurks behind beauty and power, seventeen-year-old Miranda Sun must decide between her freedom and the love her heart ultimately yearns for.

While taking a midnight swim in the ocean, Miranda Sun is pulled beneath the surface only to awaken in a glittering underwater city where she is being held captive by an arrogant young king, Marko.

Marko wishes to marry Miranda in order to save his crown from falling into the hands of his sinister brother, Damir, who resides in the dark recesses of the city’s underworld.

But Miranda is desperate to return home and right things with her sister. In order to escape, she spends her captivity concocting elaborate escape plans and forms an alliance with eighteen-year-old Robbie, Marko’s personal guard, in hope of securing her freedom.
​
Miranda fights the pull of the glittering, beautiful undersea kingdom, her blossoming feelings for the smoldering king and the deep friendship with Robbie. But danger lurks under the glittering water. Miranda quickly discovers that even underwater, people have secrets….dangerous secrets which could cost her all she holds dear.
 

About the Author:
A bookseller and Young Adult author, Vanessa loves nothing more than immersing herself in the exciting world of books. When she is not sharing her favorite reads with customers, or mentally casting actors to play the characters in her next novel, she enjoys hanging out with those she loves most.

Instagram: @vanessawriter27 Twitter: @vanessagarden27

Disney has created a hit with the Lion King remake. Featuring live animals and CGI to retell the story, the movie was #1 at the box office this weekend. You can listen to my review live on WHMI on Monday morning at 8:40 or you can read my review on my Review Page. 

With all the live action remakes, is there one you liked or would like to see done?