Yesterday, 3 months after Book 2 in the Royal Romance series released, Book 3 was published. I'm beyond excited to share the story of Norse Prince Erik and Jessica with you. The Prince's Surprise Bride dear to my heart, partly because Jessica is German and loves animals, and partly because Prince Erik - inspired by Alexander Skarsgård - totally stole my heart.

Here are the buy links:
Amazon - http://amzn.to/2jrG46W
Kobo - http://bit.ly/2jrAUaS
Google Play - http://bit.ly/2kB3pVn
Barnes & Noble - http://bit.ly/2kH96Aw
Apple iBooks - http://apple.co/2k5FQnR
Smashwords - http://bit.ly/2jK6i5y

Read on for an exclusive excerpt from the book!

​“And here I am,” Erik interrupted, “with a woman who has me wrapped around her finger, who is everything I never knew I wanted and needed. About as far away from half-assed as I could get.”
He smiled slowly at her, his eyes lighting up, and Jessica found herself responding with a smile of her own. Trying to make light of the whole issue, she said, “I’m pretty sure my ass is more full than half.”
Erik chuckled and laid a hand on her knee. “I don’t share this side of me much. But never hesitate to ask me anything you might want to know. I’m well aware that we haven’t had enough time to get to know each other, and I’d never want you to walk into something without knowing about it.”
Her heart swelled. “The same goes for you,” she replied. “If there’s anything you want to ask me, do so.”
He squeezed her knee before his hand slid slightly higher, his thumb stroking over her thigh through the khakis.
“Hands on the road, driver,” she half-joked, not because she thought he’d drive unsafely but because a simple touch filled her with too much yearning.
With a chuckle, Erik removed his hand, and they drove on. He took a turn to the left from the highway onto a smaller, bumpy country road meandering through hills, meadows and more hills.
“I’m not a virgin,” Jessica said softly, wanting to get the matter on the table before they went a step further. “And I have no idea how to handle the press or behave at a banquet for 500 guests all richer than rich.”
His hand squeezed her knee once before he gripped the wheel again. “I don’t care. I care about you. Like me with all the royal burdens, you’re a package deal. I know you have a past, and I want to learn about it, but it won’t change what I feel for you.”
He slid his gaze to hers before concentrating on the road. “Maybe it’s too early to say this, maybe I’m making a fool of myself, but… I’m head over heels in love with you, Jessica. I want all of you, no matter what baggage you might be carrying with you.”
This time, Jessica reached out to touch him. She brushed her hand over his thigh.
“Then let’s work at getting to know each other better, shall we?”
“With pleasure.”
The way his voice grew deeper and lingered on the word ‘pleasure’ made her shiver in anticipation.
“Shoot me some questions while drinking in the scenery,” he offered.
And that’s exactly what she did, until they rounded a bend on top of a hill, and the view took her breath away.
Nestled between dense forest in a wide valley glittered a vast lake, so blue it looked like a child’s painting.
“Oh my gosh, please tell me this is our destination,” Jessica whispered in awe as soon as she had got her voice back.
“It sure is.”
Erik’s eyes shone as blue as the lake when he smiled at her. “We call it the Endless Lake because it seems to go on and on before it joins the ocean at one point. My family owns a log cabin at its shore, and the property around it belongs to a national park.”
Jessica sat forward, bracing herself against the glove compartment to not miss a single sight when Erik eased the Land Rover onto a beaten track off the road and approached the enormous gem of a lake.
They got out, took a dozen photos and walked for a bit before Erik pointed out a dock with a simple wooden boat looking a lot like a canoe.
“Climb aboard. Your chauffeur is also your captain today.”
“You’ve got to be kidding me.” Jessica’s eyes widened. “You’re going to row me around the lake?”
With a cheerful nod, Erik went down to the water, telling her how long and deep the lake was and what animals lived in as well as around it.
Wow, Jessica thought to herself, this day keeps getting better and better.

​Genre: Romance/contemporary women’s
Release Date: 23 October 2016
Publisher: Choc Lit UK
 
When destiny calls, you need to pick up …
On the surface, Kristi Danielson has it all. She’s lifestyle coach to the rich and famous, has a bestselling book to her name and is described by her fans as “the veritable Queen of how to lead a fulfilling life”.

But the harsh truth is that Kristi has never practiced what she preaches. Her home life is a mess, her relationship with artist boyfriend, Tom, not much better – and now she has to redeem herself before all is lost.
At her wit’s end, Kristi is driven to seek out the help of Patrick Blakeslee, a tarot card reader and psychic medium, in an attempt to make sense of the mounting panic she’s feeling.

But Patrick’s visits have an unexpected effect on Kristi, leaving her with more questions than answers – and a life-changing decision to make.
​
BUY LINK
http://smarturl.it/ALittleLuckALotFate
 
 
EXCERPT
I’m the middle child, sandwiched between my eldest brother, Luke, and the baby of the family, Drew. My mother had three brothers and so, as the only two daughters in two generations, we were always in the minority. That rather tends to shape the way you look at things and there are only two ways it can go. Either you are the one whose voice is seldom heard above the sea of testosterone around you, or you make yours the loudest voice of them all. You become the organiser; the one who leads – in short, my brothers accepted that I was in charge. Maybe it was because I had inherited the bossy gene, if such a thing exists. But, from a tender age, what I lacked in practical knowledge, I made up for with sheer common sense and the dubious ability to be believable.
I say dubious, because I learnt that I had the power to organise and control what went on around me. I was a natural. What surprised me was the fact that people around me loved being told what to do. They sought my advice, opening up to me and looking for guidance at every step of the way. As a teenager I felt I had a heady power and it gave me a sense of confidence. At the time I didn’t understand that it was something to be treated with respect and a healthy dose of reality. People simply lapped-up what I told them and that, I suppose, was the blessing that has become a curse. When people are unsure about what to do next they look around for someone strong to advise them. In their desperation they are grateful and comforted and the person delivering the advice? Well, it’s addictive and each little success elevates you in their eyes, as well as in your own.
The truth is that I am supremely confident when it comes to organising other people’s lives. I’m extremely proud of the fact that I can inspire others and encourage them to develop their full potential. When it comes to my own life, it’s held together with the emotional equivalent of string and Blu-tack. Simply put, I’m a fraud.
Money and fame go hand-in-hand and there isn’t a chat show worth mentioning that hasn’t featured me at some point in the last few years. My name constantly crops up around the world and even in countries like the US, Japan, and Sweden, it’s instantly recognisable. Grab Life and Run With It is in its fourth season in the UK and I’ve just signed a contract for a further six episodes. My fan club is full of hopeful people, eager to share each of their milestones on Twitter, as they follow my celebrated Twelve Steps to Finding YOU plan.
To the world it appears I have all of the trappings of success. The harsh reality is that I spend my time trying to cover the tracks of a life that has no balance. All I have is my work – there is nothing else.
​

​Bristol-born Linn B Halton lives on the edge of the small market town of Cinderford, in the Forest of Dean, in the UK.
"I'm a hopeless romantic, self-confessed chocaholic, and lover of strong coffee. For me, life is about family, friends, writing ... and house renovation! Oh, and the occasional glass of White Grenache..."
An Amazon UK Top 100 best-selling author with A Cottage in the Country in November 2015, Under The Stars also became a best-seller in November 2016. Linn's novels have been short-listed in the UK's Festival of Romance and the eFestival of Words Book Awards. Linn won the 2013 UK Festival of Romance: Innovation in Romantic Fiction award.
Linn writes chick lit, women's contemporary fiction and psychic romance for Choc Lit, Harper Impulse and Endeavour Press.
 
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LinnBHaltonAuthor/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/LinnBHalton
Goodreads Author Page: http://ow.ly/pv6N306918g
Website: http://linnbhalton.co.uk/
Pinterest: https://uk.pinterest.com/linnbhalton/
​

​Genre: Psychological Thriller
Release Date: 7th January 2017
Series: Dark Minds #4
Publisher: Topsails Charter
Following an almighty row, Gillian stands up to her abusive boyfriend. The consequences are horrendous and far-reaching.
Terrified, she flees her home, seeking anonymity abroad while coming to terms with the outcome of her actions.
In Portugal, Gillian meets Harry, a yachtsman. Needing crew for his Atlantic Ocean-crossing she applies for the job. Half-way into the journey, after confessing to her crime, Harry offers her refuge on an uninhabited island in the Caribbean which he says he owns.
Confused and depressed, Gillian imagines this is the answer to her problems. She needs time to lie low and consider her options; confront the authorities or live in obscurity? Harry is offering the perfect hiding place…or is he?
When things start going horribly wrong, she asks herself if she is alone on the island. But maybe the biggest question of all is why she gets the gut feeling Harry wants to keep her there at all costs?What happens when she says … no.
 
BUY LINKS!
AMAZON UK
AMAZON US
​

Faith is a British author dividing her time between Hampshire, England & Cyprus. Since 2005 she turned her hobby of writing into a career. During childhood, she dreamed of writing novels which readers would love, & spent many hours writing short stories which she read to her sisters. Born in Manchester & educated in Singapore, Malaya & Hampshire, England. Amazon Top #14 author rank for mystery, #27 mystery, thriller & suspense, #55 literature & fiction #5 bestselling author on Nook Books. Faith's books have made the Kindle Top 100 Paid List numerous times.
​
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FaithMortimer.Author/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/FaithMortimer
Goodreads Author Page: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/2967303.Faith_Mortimer
Google+ https://plus.google.com/u/0/105949740968880690288
Website: www.faithmortimerauthor.com
​

Discover the art of flying in a windtunnel.

While these tunnel jockies aren’t
my future SkyRyders
who typically fight wars in the sky.
They certainly have skills SkyRyders need to learn.
These are true artists/entertainers of the current century
Yes, Wind Tunnels actually exist. I didn’t make them up.
In fact, it’s a sport with competition and fans galore.

Today I want to share three YouTube videos of
the art of wind tunneling.

https://youtu.be/HP116SppYEk
https://youtu.be/QcweBmX7dKo
https://youtu.be/AggXA3qj_Qo
 
Knowing how to play in a wind tunnel is one of the key differences between Alisha and normal SkyRyders.
 
When Alisha lived in Flatland, which had NO wind whatsoever, she and her wealthy friends would go to the mall where there was a wind tunnel. They thought flying in a wind tunnel was great fun.
 
For my future SkyRyers, when flying a catcher, there is no sensation of wind rushing at all, just a faint back breeze. So when a SkyRyder feels wind rushing upward, it means they are actually falling to their death.
Thus, explaining why wind tunnels turn out to terrify most SkyRyders. 
​

Scavenger Falters
By
Liza O’Connor
 
Alisha Kane, the Corps’ best flyer, is promoted to colonel, in charge of teaching the Corp’s SkyRyders her extraordinary flying maneuvers. The man she loves, Logan, continues to place the Corps first and insists they both remain focused on their work. For Alisha, this means ferreting out the best flyers in a Corps that has systematically forced great flyers into mediocrity. Logan focuses on learning Alisha’s flying techniques so that he can become the hero the East Coast desperately needs. The result includes fractured ribs and broken hearts, but through it all they never relinquish their love of the Corps.
 
 
EXCERPT
 
Alisha looked at her watch. She hadn’t eaten her lunch, and her stomach was grumbling, but she wanted to see how the colonel was doing in the wind tunnel. So with Benjamin in tow, she postponed her need for food to check up on Logan.
She found him much too comfortable floating about the wind tunnel. She slipped on a flight suit. Benjamin seemed quite happy to stand at the window of the door as she entered and flew up beside her colonel, placing a mic unit on his ear.
“Is it safe to have two flyers in at once?” Logan asked.
“If they are in control. At the mall, we’d go in seven at a time and do donuts.”
Colonel Logan smiled. “I’m afraid to ask what a donut is.”
“You trust me?”
“Absolutely.”
“Then just do what I tell you.” She allowed her body to rise up and then settle down on top of his body.
“Alisha…” Logan objected, clearly not trusting her anywhere close to his claim of ‘absolutely’.
“Relax and let me drive the colonel mobile.” Gently, she reached out and grabbed his arms. When Logan ceded control to her, she moved him to the right and then the left.
“This doesn’t feel like it should be called a donut.”
Alisha giggled. “Quiet. You get me tickled, and we’ll both take a dunk. I’m taking this big ship out for a test ride, first. I won’t do a donut unless I’m sure I can pull us out.”
“That’s comforting to know.”
She found her giant colonel boat quite easy to maneuver. He was pliable with the gentlest of touch. She soared him all the way up to the top of the tunnel and then spiraled down in a gentle curve around the tubular walled tunnel. She dipped left and then right as she slowly stepped them up the middle. “Just stay as loose as you are now,” she advised as she pulled him up and over, landing them almost where they began. “Now that’s a donut.”
“Is it possible for you to cede control back to me?” he asked. “I’d like to try that myself.”
Alisha relaxed her body. “I’m all yours, Colonel.” A moment later they began a roll, but on the upside, it dipped to one side and they began a spiral roll down. Alisha’s grip tightened, but she couldn’t budge his arm. It was about as malleable as a block of steel. “Relax, Colonel, I’ve got you,” she said, hoping that was going to be true. If not, they were going to have a painful bump in about three seconds.
She felt his muscles relax and she pulled his right arm up just a fraction and the spiral stopped. “It’s all about little adjustments. No big moves.” She pulled them back up to mid-point. “Now try again,” she insisted and relaxed her grip.
On the second try, he got it. “See how easy it is? Try climbing to the top and spiraling down.” Again, he maneuvered it beautifully. She swung off his back and grabbed his hands so they were laid out face-to-face. “Having any fun?”
“Well, certainly more since you joined me.”
On a wild impulse, she moved in and gently placed a kiss on his mouth. Instantly, he lost his balance and crashed to the floor. She dived down and hit the emergency shut off and floated down next to him as the wind died to nothing. “Colonel, I’m sorry.” She ran her hands over him, checking for injuries. As she worked up his leg, he gripped her hands.
“It’s all right, Alisha. Nothing’s broken. But what the hell were you thinking?”
 
SALES LINKS
The SkyRyder’s Series, Book 2
Scavenger Falters
AMAZON
 
The SkyRyder’s Series, Book 1
Scavenger’s Mission
AMAZON
​

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.
 
OTHER BOOKS BY LIZA O’CONNOR
​
SCIENCE FICTION
The Multiverse Series
Sci-Fi Soap Opera with humor, romance, and science
The Gods of Probabilities
Surviving Outbound
Surviving Terranue
Surviving Sojourn
 
 
Artificial Intelligence Series
Sci-Fi/Romance
Public Secrets
Birth of Adam
 
The SkyRyders Series
Sci-Fi Romance
Scavenger’s Mission
Scavenger Falters
 Scavenger Vanishes-coming 2017
 
Click here For ALL Novels by Liza
 
Social Networks 
Facebook    Facebook Author Page   Twitter  Multiverse Blog
​

Second Chances
 
A Love Anthology
Five Sweet Romances
 
By
E.A. West
Pravina Maharaj
Patricia Kiyono
Kathy Bosman
Leenna Naidoo

 
Blurb:
 
When a couple falls in love, sometimes their relationship doesn’t work out and they part ways. One day they may meet up again. The sparks fly. The hurtful memories rise to the surface. Is it possible for them to heal the rift between them and start all over again? Can they have a second chance at love? Or is it too late? Find out in this feel-good anthology of five unique, sweet romances. All proceeds go to charity: HIC Children's Home, Newcastle, South Africa.
​

Separate Story Blurbs, Taglines and Author Info:
 
E.A. West
Escaping the Past
 
When Felicia Coronado’s soon-to-be ex-husband kidnaps her daughter on a remote mountain road, she must rely on the assistance of a group of soldiers in the area for a training exercise. She’s stunned to discover the soldier in charge is the high school sweetheart she never thought she would see again. Lieutenant Mark Benson never stopped loving Felicia, even after she dumped him before their senior prom. Now, six years later, he learns the truth behind why she left him. Can he forgive her for the past and give her a chance for the future once her divorce is final, or will he help find her missing daughter and leave Felicia behind?
 
Tagline: True love never dies, but can it overcome mistakes of the past?
 
Writer of: Author of sweet and inspirational romance.
 
 
Pravina Maharaj
Giovanni’s Christmas Bride
 
Italian billionaire Giovanni Ferruccio had sworn never to forgive Brennan Shaw for breaking off their engagement and marrying his cousin Anthony.
 
Five years later, when fate delivers a widowed Brennan and her young son Luca to Giovanni's door, he is determined to discover the reason for Brennan's betrayal. But after one too many kisses under the mistletoe, Giovanni realises he can’t let go off Brennan and wants to make her his Christmas bride.
 
Tagline: Mistletoe Magic. Two Passionate Hearts. A Christmas Wedding to Remember.
 
Writer of: Passionate, contemporary romances.
 
 
Patricia Kiyono
Flowers for Maddy
 
Maddy Benning’s life has been full of missed opportunities. She’s had to settle for commuting to local colleges rather than attending the school she and her high school boyfriend had chosen, and spend all her time either working or taking care of her mother. She’s resigned herself to a life void of excitement and love. Meeting Jake again opens new hurts—but can it lead to new joys?
 
Jake Warner gave up his teaching position to return to his Lake Michigan hometown and care for his father. But it looks like the job is more than he can handle on his own. While looking for appropriate care, he runs into a girl from his past. Years ago, their parting had been painful. But was there more to the story than he’d realized?
 
Tagline: Sometimes the roadblocks in your life aren’t as high as they seem.
 
Writer of: Patricia Kiyono writes both contemporary and historical sweet romance. She likes to incorporate the lakeside setting of her West Michigan home in her contemporary works.
 
 
Kathy Bosman
His Treasure
 
Bridget is the new chairlady for the Treasure Hunter’s Club, a hobby she’s taken up to fill the loneliness after breaking up with her boyfriend Dale. The magic has left her life too, or so it seems, because the magic matchmaking photo album told her Dale was the right man for her. So when her ex-boyfriend walks into the club meeting, she’s barely able to make her speech. Dale can’t believe he’s in the same room as the woman who broke his heart and made him lose interest in dating. Being together for a night might be too painful to bear.
 
Tagline: What Treasure from the past will Dale find?
 
Writer of: Sweet contemporary and fantasy romances and occasionally other genres like fantasy or women’s fiction.
 
 
Leenna Naidoo
Three Million’s a Crowd
 
Munro Calliston needs to win a few million. Vivian Francis needs to win back Munro. The TV reality show Treasure Seekers seems the perfect route to a win-win situation...But can two so very wrongs ever make things right?
 
Tagline: 3 Million eyes, 2 desperate hearts, 1 second chance.
 
Writer of: Leenna usually writes contemporary suspense with a dash of fantasy and romance. She also dabbles in science-fiction & fantasy, and blogs at www.leennanaidoo.wordpress.com
​

Story Excerpts:
 
Escaping the Past
by EA West
 
Rain poured from the dark clouds, making the winding mountain road slick. Felicia Coronado’s hands tightened on the steering wheel as she fought back panic. Ramon’s truck hugged the rear bumper of her car. Speeding up didn’t increase the distance between them; it only made the car harder to control. She glanced in the rearview mirror, meeting her five-year-old daughter’s frightened brown eyes.
“Mama, why is Papa chasing us?” Raquel’s quivering voice sent an arrow straight through Felicia’s heart. Her daughter had already endured far too much fear in her young life.
“I don’t know, mi hija.” Yes, you do! He wants to kill you and take your daughter to Venezuela for who knows what horrible reasons. She would never let that happen. No matter what it took, she would protect her daughter from Ramon’s cruelty.
Felicia slowed to round a curve, and Ramon fell back. Her relief was short-lived as the road straightened again. She glanced back in time to see his pickup truck shoot forward.
“Hold on, Raquel!”
She barely had time to brace herself before the truck connected with the back of her car. Raquel screamed as the car lurched forward, but Felicia couldn’t reassure her. She had all she could do to keep the car on the road. Ramon rammed the back of her car again, sending it sliding across the wet pavement. A huge tree loomed ahead. She fought the wheel, but it was no use. The car slammed into the tree, crushing the right front corner. A second impact from behind smacked her head against the steering wheel, and blackness crept into the edges of her vision.
“Mama!” Raquel’s shrill voice penetrated the fog in Felicia’s mind.
Before her sluggish thoughts could form into any kind of reassurance, Ramon had wrenched open Raquel’s door and was pulling the girl out of her booster seat. Felicia tried to protest, but Raquel’s screams drowned out anything she said. Adrenaline rushed through her veins, and she forced her way out of the car as Ramon carried her daughter away.
“Ramon! Let her go!” Felicia shouted into the storm. “You have no right to take her from me!”
He turned his cold eyes on her. “This child is my daughter. I have every right to take her.”
“You’re breaking the restraining order! Give Raquel back to me or you’ll face more charges.”
Ramon laughed, his expression full of hate. “Stupid woman. You think a piece of paper and empty threats will stop me from taking my daughter with me? You are a bigger fool than I thought.” He picked up his pace as he headed for the woods.
“Ramon!” Felicia’s scream didn’t stop him, and she watched helplessly as he disappeared into the forest with her daughter in his arms.
 
 
Giovanni’s Christmas Bride
by Pravina Maharaj
 
She looked up, stunned to see the man she’d never thought to face again. Not after five bitter years.
Giovanni Ferruccio. Italian billionaire, philanthropist and jet-setting playboy.
At thirty-five, Giovanni was one of the most eligible bachelors in New York. Brennan had followed his life and career through the media. She knew he was never short of female company—often seen with actresses, models, and wealthy heiresses.
As Giovanni’s dark gaze locked with hers, Brennan forgot to breathe. Her mind flew to ten years ago when they’d first met. She’d been a twenty-year-old waitress, paying her way through college. Giovanni had been twenty-five with a steely determination to succeed in the world of business. He’d just launched his first Information Technology Company and was in the process of expanding his business when they’d met.
Brennan’s life changed forever when Giovanni had stepped into the café where she worked. It was five days before Christmas on a snowy Saturday afternoon. Giovanni had insisted she sit with him while he had a coffee and pumpkin pie with fresh whipped cream. Her boss at the café was shocked when Giovanni laid down a bundle of notes.
“I’m buying more than your food and drink. I’m also buying the company of your pretty waitress,” Giovanni had told the man, with an air of arrogance.
If it were any other customer, Brennan would have been incensed by such audacious behaviour but immediately there was something about Giovanni that tugged at her. It was more than his darkly handsome features or his Italian accent. She’d served many handsome men at the upmarket Manhattan café, but none had made her pulse race.
Intrigued by the stranger, Brennan agreed to sit down with him, and thereafter Giovanni began visiting the café often, always paying a small fortune for Brennan to sit with him. Their encounters fed the gossip mill of the restaurant staff and had the female staff mooning over Giovanni’s sex appeal.
Soon Giovanni began seeing Brennan away from the café. Brennan suddenly in a relationship with Giovanni discovered she was helplessly in love. She graduated from college and Giovanni was blazing his way through the business world. Then one Christmas Eve, Giovanni stunned her by proposing. It had been the happiest moment of Brennan’s life. But her happiness was short-lived because ten months later she broke off their engagement. Her world had come crashing down around her ears. Giovanni was left gutted by their breakup and Brennan’s heart broke into a million tiny pieces.
“Brennan Shaw,” Giovanni said, the deep timbre of his voice sending a shiver down Brennan’s spine and jerking her back to the present.
“Welcome to my home,” he added, sounding anything but welcoming.
“I didn’t know you lived here.” Brennan dragged her gaze away from Giovanni’s face. Luca stared at his mother with wide, dark eyes, sensing the tension in the room.
Giovanni entered the room, his gaze never wavering from Brennan.
She bit her lip self-consciously. She knew she looked a mess. Her usually lustrous honey-blond hair hung limp and damp, her woollen dress smudged with mud was molded to her thin frame, and her face lined with exhaustion.
Drawing breath, Brennan met Giovanni’s obsidian gaze. “Please, can I use your phone? I’d like to call a taxi,” she said, grateful that her voice was steady.
“I insist you stay the night,” Giovanni said like the spider might have said to the fly.
Brennan gritted her teeth. “Thank you but I’d rather go home.”
“It’s not a night to be out with a child,” Giovanni pointed out, glancing at Luca.
Brennan wanted to scream with frustration. How could fate be so cruel to deliver her on the doorstep of the man who hated her most?
 
 
Flowers For Maddy
by Patricia Kiyono
 
Jake nearly stumbled. He’d just been thinking about needing someone who’d understand, and now Maddy was here, going through the same struggles. Someone had been listening.
She turned her soft gaze to him. “What about you? I heard you and your choirs have been winning all sorts of awards. I even saw you and your group perform on one of the morning news shows.” She frowned. “Is your school on break now, or did you retire already?”
“I resigned. Dad’s got health problems, and someone had to take care of him, now that both Mom and Sarah are gone. In fact, he’s in Rest Haven, too.”
Those expressive eyes glistened. “I’m so sorry, Jake. That had to be so hard, losing half your family in an instant.”
He nodded. “Dad hasn’t been the same since then. I didn’t realize until I came back how much it affected him. It’s like he has no will to live and sees no reason to care for anyone, including himself.”
“I’m so sorry. Your dad was always such a strong man.”
“Yes. I used to hate that about him. Now I miss that strength.”
She opened her mouth, and Jake expected she would say something about her mother, but she clamped her mouth shut and nodded. He decided to change the subject away from parents. “How’s Jeff?”
She frowned then, and he wondered why the question would bother her. “Jeff died eighteen years ago,” she told him.
He stopped in his tracks. “I-I’m so sorry. What happened?”
“Cancer. We were going through fertility tests when they found it. He was gone two months later.”
“Maddy, I’m so sorry.” She’d been a widow all this time?
She nodded her acceptance of his sympathy, and they continued their walk. “Thanks. It was rough, but he made me promise I’d get my degree. He knew how much I’d wanted to go, and he made that possible.”
Jake digested that. “I always thought you’d changed your mind and didn’t want to go to school.”
“Never! I cried for days each time mom told me I hadn’t been accepted.”
“Each time? How many schools did you apply to?”
“U of M, Eastern, and MSU, as well as several private schools. Actually, I was accepted at a few of them, but I couldn’t get any financial help, so I couldn’t afford it. That’s why I went to Community College, and then commuted to Grand Valley.”
He walked in silence for a few moments. What she said didn’t match with his memory of events, but he wasn’t about to argue. “Why didn’t you tell me about any of this?”
Her eyes narrowed. “I did. I wrote to you.”
“I never got any letters from you.”
“Never? I wrote almost every day. Mom said we couldn’t afford that much postage, so I’d put a week’s worth of letters in an envelope. I wrote for weeks before I finally gave up. “
He ran his free hand through his hair. “I swear I never got those letters. If I had, I would have called you. I could have transferred or taken some time off until we could find a place to go together.”
She pursed her lips together. Did she doubt his sincerity? “I guess it doesn’t matter now. We can’t change what happened, and eventually we both got what we wanted.”
Maybe you did. I settled, and my poor wife knew it.
 
 
His Treasure
by Kathy Bosman
 
Since Bridget had told him it was over, he’d turned into some kind of Cookie Monster with women. He chewed them and spat them out within weeks of their first date. Could it be something to do with the gnawing feeling of being not good enough? If Bridget didn’t want him, there must be something intrinsically wrong with him. They’d grown so close in a space of a few months, and then she’d told him “enough.” Her reasons still didn’t make sense. He’d bared his soul to the woman, but she didn’t seem to care.
Swallowing a sudden lump in his throat, he closed his eyes for a moment, feeling the tension release out of his clenched fists and jaw. He needed to forget her. He’d always been outgoing, had plenty of friends, been rather popular. Some quiet, studious, poetry-obsessed college student shouldn’t destroy his self-esteem so easily. Nope, she wouldn’t. He’d forget about her. He wouldn’t give her the joy of making him miserable.
“Why did you think I’d help you, though?” he couldn’t help asking Ebon. “You know I don’t talk much nowadays.”
 “You’re still a chick magnet despite often acting like a forty-year old with six kids and no time for fun.”
He pursed his lips. He didn’t want to be a chick magnet anymore. Why did he have to be born with such good genetics—broad shoulders, tall, good hair, flat abs, “sparkling blue eyes” as the girls would say, and a charming, dimpled smile?
For once, he wished he could be like Ebon, plain and ordinary, medium-height, skinny arms, bit of a paunch, ash-brown hair. He looked at his friend and punched him in the arm.
“Hey, why did you wear that stupid golf shirt again?”
Ebon picked up speed and glared at the traffic in his way. “You don’t look any better in that stupid white T-shirt. What, you think you’re Adonis or something?”
Dale laughed and his mood picked up as Ebon joined him in cackling.
They soon arrived outside a chapel which seemed to be teeming with life. Several women had gathered by the entrance, all young and hip-looking with their skinny jeans, sleeked hair, and shiny lipstick. He sighed inwardly. Maybe this wasn’t such a good idea, after all.
“Too many chicks,” he muttered, but Ebon didn’t hear him. Instead, he headed for the entrance with a confident stride. The guy had suddenly grown in boldness. He’d hide behind Ebon, then.
He desperately tried to spot some male company in the crowd, but nothing. Maybe the guys were inside. How to weave through the crowd of girls? He saw a path and headed straight for it, for once not caring about introducing Ebon to everyone as he usually did. Once inside, he could breathe again and sucked in several calming breaths while looking for a place to sit. He found seating near the back. If Ebon complained, he’d say it was to get a good vantage point to see all the women. The plastic seat wasn’t too comfortable and the buzz from the doorway made his heart-rate climb again, especially seeing that buzz heading inside. He tried to take in the traditional décor of the chapel and imagine he lived in medieval times and had chosen to be a monk. A smile filled his face at the thought. His thirst for adventure wouldn’t make him a good monk, though. But the thought calmed him. Phew, he really had developed a dislike for girls.
The swarm came down the aisle and hovered around, giggling over their seat choices. One of the bees headed for the front and fiddled with the projector set-up. Fuzzy, dark-brown curls at the back of her head caught his eye and his palms grew sweaty. She looked a lot like Bridget. Great. Now the leader of the club was a Bridget look-a-like. Turning around, she scanned the room with all seriousness.
He blinked.
No-o-o!
 

Three Million’s A Crowd
by Leenna Naidoo
 
Before the reunion of Team Academia was complete, another car hurried down the drive and into the car park. Munro took a deep breath and steeled himself. This was Vivian, he knew. The car door took almost a minute to open, Munro imagining Vivian frantically searching for something she’d deemed vital and had forgotten. Or was she losing her nerve and on the verge of thumping the chauffeur on the back and screaming at him to, “Drive! Just drive!” He held his breath. She’d done that before, and Vivian was nothing if not predictable emotionally.
The door opened too fast, swung back alarmingly, and was pushed back again. She was still curvy, her skin that natural olive, looking respectable in her glasses as she stepped out in Capri cargoes, a cotton shirt, and hiking boots. Then she stumbled as a familiar backpack tumbled out behind her. She stuck her head back in the car, and emerged a few moments later with a shawl, closed the door, opened it, then slammed it shut again. She looked nervously around as the car pulled away, before hefting the backpack onto her shoulders, balancing precariously as she did so.
Munro breathed in, not realising he’d been holding his breath, then shook his head. That Woman hadn’t changed a bit. His grin was pure wickedness. He wouldn’t have to create any drama, it still followed her around like a dog on a leash. All he would have to do was drag her along and make sure they were always in the Top Three. He glanced at the other four teams and the sixth team’s lone member – a dumpy man with veldskoene boots who looked liked a miner. He could do it, he had to.
I’d only just arrived and my nerves were shot. Where was Munro? Already breaking out in a sweat, I walked along the burning beige walk towards the odd-shaped tower of Maropeng’s entrance. I’d never visited this museum and discovery centre celebrating palaeontology and astronomy. All the other contestants were standing in the shade of the entrance, making their faces hard to distinguish. I should have worn my sunglasses.
And there he stood, feet apart, arms crossed with his sun-bleached, tousled hair making it appear like he’d just left the beach. He’d always made me feel safe and protected before—my rock in a crazy, unpredictable world. He’d been the one who’d always caught me when I fell, the one person in the world who’d thought I’d been more than enough for him, who’d loved me just as I’d been, though I’d known I was far from perfect ‘cos everyone else told me so.
I couldn’t breathe. My stomach lurched and crashed like an alien trying to birth itself. I gulped in air as I met his smile and brilliant eyes with their hostile expression.
Who was I kidding? I had absolutely zero chance of winning Munro back, not after what I’d done. So why had he agreed to Audrey’s suggestion, even welcomed it?
“You made it,” he said. “No change of mind?”
I cleared my dry throat and tried to unwind my hands from my shawl. “No, of course not.” My voice was a croak. I cleared my throat again. “How are you?”
“Never better.” His eyes were as feral as his grin though his voice was as smooth as ever.
My stomach heaved. I couldn’t figure out if it was fear, lust, or nerves. I dropped my bag and ran off to the ladies, certain my breakfast wasn’t going to make it to the starting line.
 
 
Buy Link:
 
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Second-Chances-Anthology-Patricia-Kiyono-ebook/dp/B01N41EZBH
 
Social Media Links:
 
Website: https://secondchanceslove.wordpress.com
Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/secondchancesloveanthology/
​

***HUGE Romance Book Giveaway PLUS $50 Amazon eGift Card***

Celebrate the New Year with this awesome Multi-author Romance Book Giveaway with over 30 books! THREE Grand Prizes. Fabulous Books. Amazing Authors, PLUS a $50 Amazon eGift Card! An irresistible collection of contemporary, historical, sweet, spicy, suspense, and more.

Click this link to enter the GIVEAWAY:    
http://www.shannynleah.com/free-books-and-giveaways.php

You could win a copy of my 1st Royal Romance "The Prince's Special Bride" too if you're lucky.

​Genre: CONTEMPORARY ROMANCE
Release Date: 1st February 2017
​
A vacation on the shores of the Egyptian Red Sea was Veronica Blake’s long lasting dream.
But dreams turn into nightmares. Controlling boyfriend Peter complains and embarrasses her frequently in front of everybody from the start. A trip to the ancient sites turns into a disaster. But the salvation comes in the form of the mysterious Nicholas, a blue-eyed man she remembers from the hotel.
Deep in the Sahara desert Veronica encounters a totally different way of life. She desperately seeks the truth about everything that happened. Alone and afraid of her new written future she finds consolation with Nicholas, the only man she’s left to trust.
Will she ever accept the truth she seeks, the whole truth and nothing but the truth? Will she be able to find a way back to the life she was forced to leave behind?
 
BUY LINKS
https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B01NAQ25FR
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01NAQ25FR
​

June was born in June and she always loved the moon.
 
She studied economics, and quickly realised she hated it. She started to write in high school and was criticised by her teacher. Stubborn as she is, that didn't stop her. Under different pen names, she had stories published in magazines, and then went on to publish three books.
 
After having two children, and learning that her second child has autism, she married their father and carried on working. Work and family life left her with little free time. But the desire to write didn't die. When life somehow sorted itself out, she decided to write a novel in English…
 
For what happened then, re-read the second paragraph, third sentence...
 
Facebook: www.facebook.com/JMoonbridge
Twitter: https://twitter.com/JMoonbridge
Goodreads Author Page: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/13887820.June_Moonbridge
Google+   https://plus.google.com/u/0/+JuneMoonbridgedreams
LinkedIn:   https://si.linkedin.com/in/jmoonbridge
Blog: www.junemoonbridge.com
​

‘Past events can be changed but one must be careful of how one does it because it’ll impact on the rest of one’s life.’—Dáire Quin, Modify your Destiny if you Must, 2003

No one saw Julie’s car leave the road, no one saw her crash into the watery ditch, no one saw the gnarled tree branch pierce through the window screen and impale her to her seat.
No one heard her screams.
Yet, this was the beginning of Julie’s life.

Julie Compton, is a forty-something woman, striving for success in a male dominated business world. She thinks she’s made it. She thinks she has it all. Trouble is, her destiny has been travelling in the wrong direction and Julie is now forced to relive her life by occupying people’s bodies from her past in a time-travel, paranormal adventure.

For readers who enjoyed books like 'The Time Traveler's Wife' and 'The Lovely Bones'.
 
Universal link: http://bookShow.me/B01N2QW3VX
 
UK link: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Wide-Awake-Asleep-where-expect-ebook/dp/B01N2QW3VX/ref=sr_1_7?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1481118398&sr=1-7&keywords=louise+wise
 
America link: https://www.amazon.com/Wide-Awake-Asleep-where-expect-ebook/dp/B01N2QW3VX/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1481118460&sr=8-4&keywords=louise+wise
​

Excerpt from WIDE AWAKE ASLEEP – a paranormal, time travel romance.
 
Disorientated, I looked around at my surroundings. I had the strange feeling that I wasn’t here at all. I thought I heard a voice, and I cocked my head, but it was carried away on a gust of wind. The feeling of hands touching my body subsided and I was left in this paradox universe where I was me inside someone else’s body.
I looked down at myself and the first thing I saw was a plaid skirt, and thick tights, which sagged at the knees and ankles.
My heart began to beat in horror. No, no. Please, God, no.
My hands touched the stained cardigan over my large droopy breasts. Up further to my face…
My hands recoiled.
I felt a moustache!
I gasped in horror. I was ‘Auntie’ Iris Grimshaw!
It was bad enough being goofy Sarah Marshall, but now I had a moustache! And a bloody monobrow!
Iris began to walk, and I felt a sharp pain in my hip. I slowed, but the pain persisted. It shot down my left leg every time my foot touched the ground. No wonder the old sod was grouchy.
​

​Bio:
Louise Wise is a British author. She lives in the Midlands with her husband and four sons, and works as a pharmacy technician.

Her debut novel is the acclaimed sci-fi romance EDEN, which was followed by its sequel HUNTED in 2013.
 
Her other works include A PROPER CHARLIE (romantic comedy), OH NO, I’VE FALLEN IN LOVE! (dark, comedy romance), and SCRUFFY TRAINERS (a collection of short stories). She has written numerous short stories for women’s magazines including Women’s Own and Take a Break.
 
Her latest novel, WIDE AWAKE ASLEEP, is out December 16th 2016 and available for pre-order. In this novel, she has mixed time travel and romance with her on-going theme of isolation and loneliness.
 
Links:
 
Website: http://louisewise.website
Email:
Books: http://amzn.to/1Ne7KX0