Quite a few years ago, I had a stalker. This was a guy who I had dated. When I broke up with him, he became determined and would call (landline) and not hang up. If I talked to him, he'd threaten my family. Once he followed me when I got off work and would jump out of his car at stoplights and try to get into mine. Frankly, it was terrifying. I can't imagine a worse feeling. When author Evan Purcell wrote about a woman who was being followed, it triggered my own fears. But it happens. Women (and men) are targeted. People don't take no for an answer. 

In FOLLOWED BY FEAR, Sydney is trying to start over after the death of her husband. She's moved away and only wants to move on. But someone is stalking her. Thank goodness, she has a hot police officer who can protect her. (I did contact the police and they reached out to the person and spoke with him, letting him know about the consequences if he didn't stop.) FOLLOWED BY FEAR is a gripping story with romance and danger. It's a great read! And out now!

blurb:
A city girl needs the help of a small-town sheriff to stop her stalker.

Harper’s Bend is the perfect small town, especially on Halloween. Filled with friendly locals and rural traditions, Sydney views this place as her only chance to take back her life and flee from the mysterious stalker who’s been after her since the death of her husband.

She didn’t expect the danger to follow her, and she definitely didn’t expect to develop such an instant connection to local sheriff, Preston Blacker. He’s standoffish, and treats her more like a problem to solve than an actual person. There’s a reason for his distance, though, and Sydney realizes that she’s not the only one struggling with a dark past.

As the stalker’s efforts escalate, Sydney and Preston must work together to find out who is following them. But can they keep their emotions in check long enough to save themselves?

Followed by Fear is a romantic suspense story where the heroine finds protection in the arms of a complicated hero while surrounded by the holiday trappings of rural New Mexico. It’s perfect for fans of the high-stakes thrills of Cassie Miles and the quirky small towns of Maddie Day.
 
EXCERPT
As the truck’s motor rumbled to life and led them into the cornfield, Sydney held on to the side of the truck. Her knuckles were white. So was her complexion. “You know,” she said, “this is a very perverse thing to do to a girl with a stalker.”

Preston gestured toward a scarecrow that was reaching out to them. “See, I disagree,” he said. “I think fake scares help us process the real ones.”

The two girls sitting next to them screamed in unison as a zombie ran out of the field, waving his green arms around like a cartoon character.

“See that guy?” Preston continued. “You know he isn’t really going to eat your flesh.” He waved at the zombie. “Good job, Ernie! Nice makeup.”

The zombie, apparently named Ernie, stopped running and gave Preston a big thumbs-up.

Sydney laughed and eased her death grip on the side of the truck. “You really do know everybody in this town, don’t you?”

“Even the undead,” Preston answered.

They rode deeper into the field. Three zombies, two scarecrows, and one laughing witch-woman later, the truck entered a clearing that had been decorated to look like an abandoned nuclear site. They passed big, rusted cans with oozing, glow-in-the-dark toxic waste.

Sydney leaned over the side of the truck to see what was inside the cans. She wanted to know how they were glowing. When her face got a little too close to the can, a neon green zombie popped out and screamed at her.

Sydney jumped back, falling into Preston’s arms. She was speechless for a second. Then she started laughing harder than she’d laughed in months.

“It feels good, right?” Preston asked.
​
She wiped the tears from her eyes. “It does. Who knew?”

​About the Author:
Evan Purcell is an English and creative writing teacher who has worked everywhere from Bhutan to Zanzibar. He has helped over 200 students in developing countries publish their first stories and poems. He’s the creator of the podcast series I Hate Your Face as well as the screenwriter for an upcoming horror film. He also writes romance and YA novels.
You can read more about his writing at evanpurcellromance.com or on Facebook at EvanPurcellWriter

I was not what you would call a "good girl". I enjoyed hanging out with the guys and liked kissing them even more. But like bad girls everywhere, the right man tamed me. 

And for Tess Browning, the bad girl of The Trading Heartbeats Trilogy, she finds that man in TRUSTING LOVE.

TRUSTING LOVE is the first of a new trilogy for best selling and award winning author Julie Navickas. It's filled with the same emotional connections and humor as her first trilogy. TRUSTING LOVE releases in ebook, paperback and hardcover on Jan 16th, so don't miss out!
 
Blurb:
What does a s’more, a tent, and a campfire have in common? For Ryan Prescott, it’s a typical weekend camping trip. But for Tess Browning… it’s a recipe for the truth.

Tess Browning earned the nickname Little Vixen for a reason. And she has no incentive to play by the rules anymore. Because why bother? All it ever did was trap her in a loveless marriage. Tossing faithfulness out the window, the only thing she is committed to now is her new code: keeping it fun, flirty, and deliciously sultry.

That is, until Ryan Prescott walks in and charms his way into her heart with a leather tool belt strapped around his waist. He’s sexy, smart, and as emotionally damaged as they come. And Ryan seemingly wants nothing more than to have Tess pick up the pieces of his broken heart.

But there’s one thing he doesn’t know about her.

When the details of Ryan’s past heartache come to light, Tess digs her hot pink heels into the ground and will stop at nothing to hide her past indiscretions from the man who stole her heart. Because if there’s one thing Ryan won’t tolerate—it’s dishonesty.

Will Tess manage to keep the truth hidden? Or, will the secrets of a lifetime shatter her one true chance at love?
​
Best-selling and award-winning author Julie Navickas brings back fan favorite, Tess Browning for her own shot at love. Readers of the Trading Heartbeats trilogy will recognize the flawed heroine but may not recognize the woman she’s become. After all, no one is above redemption. Fans of Lynn Painter’s Mr. Wrong Number and Katie Cotugno’s Birds of California will find a swoon-worthy and engaging romance in TRUSTING LOVE.
​

About the Author:
Julie Navickas is a best-selling and award-winning, nationally recognized contemporary romance novelist, known for her keen ability to tell heart-wrenching, second-chance love stories through relatable characters with humility, humor, and heroism. She is also an award-winning university instructor in the School of Communication at Illinois State University. Julie earned master’s degrees in both organizational communication and English studies with an emphasis in book history, as well as a bachelor’s degree in public relations, graduating cum laude from Illinois State University. She is a mom of three and has been happily married to her high school sweetheart for twelve years.
​
Website: https://authorjulienavickas.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorJulieNavickas
Twitter: https://twitter.com/JulieNavickas
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/julienavickas/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/julienavickas/
Tik Tok: https://www.tiktok.com/@julienavickas
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCNUW07fs9AmSRN2o-yAjISg
Email: j[email protected]  
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/134518278-julie-navickas
BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/julie-navickas
 

Have you ever had one of those days?? You know the kind... everything goes wrong, you're emotionally overwrought, and everyone seems to look at you funny?? Is it just ME?? Today has been one of those days. But while I didn't run, I did consider hiding out in my pillow fort for the day. 

One of the characters in Author Jennifer Raines' latest release- LELA'S CHOICE, is missing. She's the teenage niece of Lela who has run away from home. While her day wasn't as crazy as mine was (or even the last two weeks), she had valid reasons. Additionally, she didn't want her father to find her but that's not stopping Lela. She will do anything to protect her niece, even if it's traveling to Malta. 

LELA'S CHOICE is a fun read that showcases a strong female heroine and the older male hero who may or may not be searching for the girl for her father. A mystery is afoot!!

Now available in E-book and paperback, LELA'S CHOICE is a delightful read for anyone looking to escape life's challenges or just escape... 

Blurb:
Missing in Malta--A Risk Worth Taking?

Lela Vella has been a dutiful daughter and aunt for the past decade. But her plan to wean her father and orphaned niece off their dependence on her is scuttled when her niece and boyfriend flee Sydney for Malta. Lela suspects her autocratic father of provoking the flight. Lela’s desperate to reach the teenager before her father’s ultimatums blow another generation apart.

Widowed, Australian international child-protection lawyer, Hamish McGregor accepts Giovanni Vella’s request to remain in Malta after a conference to search for Vella’s missing granddaughter. Hamish’s formidable reputation is built on putting the needs of the child first. He doubled down on his work after the revenge murder of his pregnant wife by a client’s husband, vowing never to get close enough to another woman for her to be a target.

Lela doesn’t expect her father’s henchman to beat her to Malta. Hamish doesn’t expect the girl’s doting aunt to see him as an enemy.

Reluctant partners, they navigate false leads and unexpected attraction. Can Lela balance her family’s demands with her love for Hamish? Can Hamish accept living life is all about taking risks?

Award winning author Jennifer Raines’ stories combine a love of romance with contemporary conflicts. Her writing is both relevant and heart-warming. Each story is a journey across the world. Jennifer likes to think her readers get occasional hints of the deep passion of a Nora Roberts or the unshakeable loyalty of a Grace Burrowes where love conquers loneliness, distrust and fear.

EXCERPT:
Lela surrendered to the dark comfort of the bucket seat. Briefly she closed her eyes, before gazing out the window, trying to get a sense of the island, a sense of a city steeped in history. Hot, parched, and that was a surprise to someone who came from one of the driest and hottest continents on earth.

“Have you been to Malta before?”

​“Never.” Except for a few brief business trips to Asia, Lela hadn’t been out of Australia in nearly a decade.

“Even with the family connections?”

“My parents moved to Australia shortly after their marriage. We have no close family here.” It was easier to stare out the window; she really was too tired to think. The muddle of exhaustion was her best explanation for her reaction to the man beside her. Years spent controlling her impulses, training herself to think of consequences before action, yet one look at him had shaken her more than she would have believed possible.

Fatigue, an abnormal situation, bone-crushing worry … and fatigue.

Hamish MacGregor was just a man.

She’d trained herself to deal with men.

A pity the confined space in the car enhanced the subtle scent of his aftershave, its spiciness tugging at her senses—its base note absurdly reassuring.

“How was the flight?”

“Long.”

“You must have moved to be here so fast.”

She gave him an A for perseverance. “The first available flight.”

He nodded. “A lot of time to think.”

“Is there a point to this conversation?” Lela made the mistake of meeting his gaze. Deep pools, deep enough to find your soul. Fatigue, she recited her mantra, blaming it for her uncharacteristic flight of fancy.

“People chasing runaways often focus on a single fear, the catalyst for the flight. What’s your theory?”

​

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Australian Jennifer Raines writes contemporary romances set mainly, but not exclusively, in Australia – think Malta, Finland, New Zealand or ? A dreamer and an optimist, her stories are a delicious cocktail of mutual respect, passion and loyalty because she still believes in happy-ever-afters.

Jennifer fell in love with romance as a teenager. Starting with historical romance. Everything in the school library and then a personal treasured collection of Georgette Heyer, hard copies, paperbacks and ebooks. Comfort food, she calls them, like vegemite toast, for those times when she feels low. Her library of comfort food has grown over the years but Georgette Heyer was an early star, under the blankets after lights out using a torch.

Jennifer is a member of Romance Writers of Australia. Three times a finalist in the Emerald competition, including in 2017 (Common Cause, renamed Lela’s Choice), 2018 (Taylor’s Law) and 2022 (Quinn, by design). She’s a member of Romance Writers of New Zealand (RWNZ), winning the Pacific Hearts competition twice, including in 2019 with Grace Under Fire, the sequel to Taylor’s Law. She’s also a member of Romance Writers of America and has been a finalist in chapter competitions in 2019, 2020 and 2021 (Taylor’s Law). Jennifer won the contemporary romance section in the 2020 Orange Rose Contest for Planting Hope and was second overall. Jennifer values competitions for the constructive, honest, not always comfortable feedback they provide. In 2023 Taylor’s Law placed second in the RWNZ Koru Awards for Best First Book.

Jennifer loves those days when words flow and the joy of writing makes the hard slog worthwhile. She’s always made up stories about strangers in the street, in a café or strolling through an airport terminal; finding inspiration in snippets of conversations, news items and the sheer puzzle of human interactions.

Jennifer lives in inner-city Sydney, Australia, with the requisite number of partners (1) and animals (2). Her desk overlooks a park which nourishes her soul when she raises her head from her keyboard. She gets some of her best ideas during long yin yoga poses or walking – anywhere. While Jennifer adores historical romance, she chose to write contemporary because she thought (wrongly) it needed less research while she was holding down a full-time job.

You can find out more about Jennifer and her writing at https://jenniferrainesauthor.com or via https://www.facebook.com/jenniferrainesauthor
Or https://www.instagram.com/romanceauthorjen/