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Desiree Holt: Happy Birthday to me with a lot of gifts for you (Giveaway)
Thursday, June 29th, 2017

Today is my birthday. Yup, today I am 81 years young. And you now what keeps me young? Writing my books and “talking” to you, my readers. Now, I’m not giving away 81 books today (pause to giggle) but I will give away three titles which I’ll post at the end.

I’m really celebrating today, because June 27 was release day for Where Danger Hides. I love all my books but this one is extra special. I wrote it while still living in Texas (as I did with so many of my books). The hero is part Comanche. I lived near Fredericksburg, the center so long ago of Comanche settlement in that area. My husband and I drove to Fredericksburg to do some research at the museum there and (gasp!) you’ll never believe it but a man walked in to give something to the museum who look EXACTLY like my hero, Noah Cantrell. My husband had to promise I wasn’t crazy when I asked if we could take him for coffee. The soul of Noah was born out of that conversation.

I had lived in Tampa before moving to Texas, so I tried to give a flavor of the city by having my heroine live there. But when she goes to Texas, she is seduced by the nature and raw beauty of the state, just as I was.

Where Danger Hides is a revised and revitalized edition of the earlier release, and I am so much happier with this one. Not only that, my publisher, Totally Bound, liked it so much they asked me to develop a series from it, so this is Book One in Corporate Heat. Books 2-4 are currently in development.

Here is a taste of the book below. I hope you’ll all help me celebrate my birthday by taking home a copy. And if you leave a comment, you might win a choice of an ebook from my backlist.

Where Danger Hides

Corporate Heat Book One

Taylor Scott thought she had it all—a good life and a great job. No relationship? No problem. But her world is turned upside down when the father she never knew she had first refuses to acknowledge her, then makes her the sole heir to the major conglomerate he owned. It’s the last thing she wants, but circumstances leave her no choice. She steps into a world of corporate greed and treachery where no one is what they seem.

And the only person to guide her through the treacherous waters? The man with whom she had the hottest one-night stand ever, Noah Cantrell. Noah isn’t what he seemed at first, either, but now he’s the only one Taylor can trust.

As danger stalks her at every turn, she must rely on him for everything. The man who makes her scream with pleasure is the only one who can tell her where the danger hides.

Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/where-danger-hides-4
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Where-Danger-Hides-Corporate-Heat-ebook/dp/B0716YXRD5/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1495833969&sr=1-1&keywords=Where+Danger+Hides
B&N: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/hide-and-seek-desiree-holt/1125531148?ean=9781516103676#productInfoTabsTotally Bound: https://www.totallybound.com/index.php?route=search%2Fget%2Fresults&q=Where+Danger+Hides

Excerpt

Leaning back in her chair she closed her eyes and as always these days, unbidden, the image of The Man danced across her brain. She rubbed her eyes, trying to erase the images that were always there no matter how she wished them away. That night had been at once the most erotic and embarrassing night of her life. At least she’d broken out of her shell with a stranger, someone she didn’t have to see again. You want to see him again, though. Quit kidding yourself. You want all those things he did to you, made you do. Maybe even more. That’s why you can’t stop thinking about them. About him.

A commotion in the reception area broke her train of thought and drew her attention. She heard the voice of Sheila, the receptionist, raised in protest over something and the angrier male voice overriding her.

“You can’t go in there,” Sheila was saying as the door to Taylor’s office flew open.

“I’m in. Miss Scott can throw me out if she wants to.”

There he was, standing in front of her.

Him, The Man.

She blinked hard, thinking for a moment she’d conjured up his image. But when she opened her eyes again he was still there. Alive. In her office. In full alpha mode. The man she’d never expected to see again. The man who’d taken her far beyond the boundaries set by her inhibitions and beckoned to her in her dreams each night.

He was even more impressive than she remembered, his presence filling her office and surrounding her. His custom suit and silk dress shirt—were they his uniform?—were window dressing for the barely leashed panther beneath the fabric of civilized clothing. Expensive hand tooled leather boots on his feet. His hair tied back with a leather thong as before. His face still an unreadable mask. The sense of controlled power still there. A man larger than life. The panther was caged today but just barely. This might be her office but he was definitely the person in charge.

Even as embarrassment and anger warred within her, her nipples hardened, her breasts tingled and her panties dampened with moisture. She felt every bit of blood drain from her face and drop to her feet. Waves of hot and cold rolled through her and she was sure all the air had been sucked from her lungs. Gripping the arms of her desk chair for support she licked her lips, trying to moisten them.

Quick, lithe movements brought him to the front of her desk where he stood facing her, his face set, dark eyes probing hers. Eyes that for a brief second held a knowing look.

“Miss Scott?” Sheila’s worried voice cut through her fog. “Shall I call one of the partners?”

Taylor managed to find a functioning part of her brain. “No, thanks, Sheila. It’s all right.”

“Would you like me to send someone in to carry your boxes for you? Walk you down to the garage?” Sheila wasn’t quite ready to let go.

Taylor forced a smile. “No, I can manage. Thanks for your concern. And for all your good wishes today.”

Sheila gave her a last worried look before she closed the door.

His eyes burned into Taylor’s, mesmerizing her as they’d done that night in San Antonio.

What is he doing here?

As if he’d heard her, he reached into his inside jacket pocket, extracted a card from a small leather case and dropped it on top of the folder. She picked it up with fingers that trembled and stared at it.

Noah Cantrell, Vice President of Security, Arroyo Corporation

Her father’s company.

Oh, hell!

*~*~*

Check me out at:
www.desireeholt.comwww.facebook.com/authordesireeholt
@desireeholt

Happy Birthday to Me! (Giveaway)
Wednesday, June 28th, 2017

This giveaway is now ended! Thanks to everyone who dropped by to help me celebrate by birthday!

* * * * *

My Facebook is blowing up already this morning with good wishes. Thank you, all! How does one celebrate her own birthday in a public way? I’d look foolish singing “Happy Birthday” to me, so instead, I’ll keep this easy…

I’ll give away the gifts. For everyone who posts a birthday wish below, I’ll give away a free shorty. All you have to do is post your wish (and thank you very much in advance!), post your short story preference (link below to the page), and leave your email address in the comments. Happy Birthday from me to you!

Choose a story from this page!
(All excerpt “Invite Me In”)

Psst! And how about giving me a gift? See the “Follow My Blog” on the left? Sign up!

 

Charlotte O’Shay: What is it about weddings? (Contest)
Sunday, June 25th, 2017

What is it about weddings?

Since June is the traditional month for weddings and because I have two daughters’ weddings within six, yes six! months of each other, I’ve got weddings, if not marriage on the brain.

Besides one of the perks of being a romance author is spending quality time challenging my characters on their ride to happily ever after and a wedding is usually a high point on that journey. Weddings feature heavily in my 3 book City of Dreams series, in fact all 3 standalone stories flow from the wedding that takes place in the first book.

To me, a wedding day is the top of the rollercoaster. After the tick, tick, tick to the top of the coaster, after the anticipation of a life together during the engagement, the getting to know you and the planning, comes that moment.

Now that couple, the bride and the groom are at the pinnacle of the coaster and right then they see the world of possibility before them. The whole exciting, messy, wondrous, scary, exhilarating ride of married life is right there to behold.

And then boom you’re married and the ride has begun. As long married woman I can say the rollercoaster ride is fast. The bumps are unexpected and the lulls can be sweet.

So here it is. On your wedding day, get in the front seat of life with your love, don’t stop holding hands, keep your eyes open and enjoy the ride.

Do you believe in happily ever after? I do.

Do I believe in love at first sight? Not so much. Lust at first sight? Yep.

That instant of connection or spark of something special that leads to love? Absolutely.

How about you? Are you a hopeless romantic? What’s your favorite movie about love?

Are you a Love Actually person? When Harry met Sally? What about Beauty and the Beast? The Terminator? (Don’t laugh, that’s mine.) Or does the whole topic make you queasy?

Let me know in the comments and I will gift a random commenter (US only) with a paperback of my debut spicy contemporary The Marriage Ultimatum published by the Wild Rose Press.

The Marriage Ultimatum

Dead-end job? Dreary apartment? Disastrous love life? Check, check, and check. Toddler who makes it all worthwhile? Absolutely. Juggling work, college, and the care of young Alex was never Sabrina’s plan.
But Sabrina’s dreams are bigger than any curve ball life can throw at her. Her top priority is keeping her small family together, no matter what the cost.

Vladimir Grigory doesn’t believe in dreams. He earned his position at the top of New York’s corporate ladder with his own sweat. His empire is his baby, and he’ll destroy anyone who threatens it. Even the sexy employee who challenges him on every level. When the New York tabloids and the world call him the baby daddy of Sabrina’s son, Vlad believes Sabrina is part of a plot to expose the secrets of his past. He threatens to destroy her future. But since Sabrina has secrets of her own, she has no choice but to agree to Vlad’s marriage ultimatum.

Buy Links: AMAZON | THE WILD ROSE PRESS | BARNES & NOBLE | KOBO BOOKS

Website: Charlotte O’Shay on the web
Facebook: Charlotte O’Shay Facebook
@charlotte_oshay Twitter
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Heather Long: What a Cowgirl Wants (Giveaway)
Thursday, June 22nd, 2017

You always see these posts about cowboys and what they want. Lemme tell you, I’ve been in Texas for years and cowgirls have their needs, too. Cowgirls aren’t just those girls and women who ride horses day in and day out. They live in big cities. They live in suburbia. They live in small towns. They live around big animals—cows and horses. They have cats or dogs, or both. They’re single. They’re married. They have families. They drive a mini or a big truck, they can change their tires or use an Uber. They’re independent, their strong, and they know who they are and what they want.

Cowgirls have always been, and always will be—pioneers. They didn’t need anyone to tell them they were the equal of a man, because they did their share of the work. They can load the shotgun, take out the feed, and bring home the bacon. They do it all with the same deliberate drive they handle everything else: needs must.

That’s right, if it needs doing, she gets it done whether it’s hiring the right person or learning how to do it herself.

So what do these remarkable women want?

  1. She wants the job done, she appreciates hard work and respects those around her who are just as willing as she is to roll up their sleeves and get to it.
  2. She uses big words, little words, real words, and slang. She doesn’t need you to play dictionary or tell her that what she just said didn’t include a real word—if you got the gist, then you understood her.
  3. She wants to eat in peace. She likes her food spicy, with lots of flavor. Burning the roof off her mouth may not be the goal so don’t scoff if she goes for the mild or the medium salsa.
  4. She wants respect. She’s usually skilled at her job, and doesn’t need you to tell her how to do it unless you’re actually training her for a brand new position. In which case, talk to her like she’s an adult and not your sweetie.
  5. She knows her own value, and if she says bless your heart, she knows yours too.
  6. She likes fried foods, she likes salads, she likes fancy coffees, and a good old fashioned glass of lemonade. Don’t mess with her BBQ though, because like jerky—BBQ is its own food group.
  7. She wants a guy who knows all of this, and encourages her to be her while welcoming her as a partner and acts as a partner in return.
  8. She wants you to know, she has her own opinions. When she wants yours, she’ll ask for it.

Julia Heller, my heroine in Semper Fi Cowboy, is a cowgirl through and through. She knows what she wants, and she knows how to get the job done. When Tanner Wilks returns to Durango Point, he’s going to have his hands full and he’s just the guy to appreciate what Jules has to offer…if he can prove that to her.

Grab your copy on June 26th! Don’t miss the Goodreads giveaway going on right now!

Goodreads giveaway link: https://www.goodreads.com/giveaway/show/241344-semper-fi-cowboy

Lone Star Leathernecks
 Semper Fi Cowboy

A Leatherneck by any other name can still kick ass, which is just what retired United States Marine Corps Captain Tanner Wilks plans to do when he returns to his Texas family ranch to care for his ailing father. And nothing will stop him from achieving his mission—not even a lithe, brown-eyed town veterinarian who seems hell-bent on driving him wild.

Captain Tanner Wilks, honorably discharged from the U.S. Marine Corps, returns home to find his father struggling after his latest heart attack. Worse yet, Julia Heller—the sexy new girl in town that he once spent a hot night with—is the resident veterinarian who’s made a home for herself at Round Top ranch, and doesn’t seem to be in a rush to repeat their time together.

It falls on Tanner’s shoulders to take on the ranch and keep an eye on his father before he falls victim to another heart attack. But Julia doesn’t appreciate Tanner coming in or pursuing her. Even if he’s hot as hell and can make her quiver with just a look. Ousting her may give Tanner the leverage he needs to corral his father, but first he has to wrestle with his own heart.

https://books2read.com/Semper-Fi-Cowboy

About Heather Long

USA Today bestselling author, Heather Long, likes long walks in the park, science fiction, superheroes, Marines, and men who aren’t douche bags. Her books are filled with heroes and heroines tangled in romance as hot as Texas summertime.

From paranormal historical westerns to contemporary military romance, Heather might switch genres, but one thing is true in all of her stories—her characters drive the books. When she’s not wrangling her menagerie of animals, she devotes her time to family and friends she considers family.

She believes if you like your heroes so real you could lick the grit off their chest, and your heroines so likable, you’re sure you’ve been friends with women just like them, you’ll enjoy her worlds as much as she does.

Heather is best known for her 18-book paranormal romance series Wolves of Willow Bend, which begins:
Prequel: Wolf at Law
1: Wolf Bite
2: Caged Wolf
3: Wolf Claim
3.5: Wolf Next Door
4: Rogue Wolf
5: Bayou Wolf
6: Untamed Wolf

Heather’s other fantasy romance series include the paranormal westerns Fevered Hearts starting with Marshal of Hel Dorado, Black Hill Wolves, which starts with What a Wolf Wants, Witches of Mane Street, Mongrels, and the upcoming Bravo Team WOLF series.

Her contemporary romance series include: Always a Marine, Going Royal, Elite Warriors, The Love Thieves, beginning with Catch Me and Lone Star Leathernecks, beginning with Semper Fi Cowboy.

Heather is well-represented in fantasy with her her superhero series Boomers, a sci-fi western called Space Cowboy Survival Guide, an urban fantasy series called the Chance Monroe Adventures, and a stand-alone ghost novel titled Haunt Me.

Contact Details:

Website: https://www.heatherlong.net
Email: heather@heatherlong.net
Bookbub:  https://www.bookbub.com/profile/heather-long
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Heather-Long/e/B002BMBCUC/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HeatherLongAuthor
Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/HVLong
Newsletter: https://eepurl.com/iKxQ5

Excerpt of Semper Fi Cowboy by Heather Long…

Whoever the group was they had talent, and as Tanner studied the newcomers, he focused on a woman who slid over to the bar and drained a glass of water while the musicians found their rhythm. A minute later, she glided back onto the dance floor.

For the next three songs, she traded partners. The woman could move. Tall, long-legged, and beautifully curved, she also had a gorgeous face, from her generous mouth—which pulled into an easy smile—to her sweet, dark eyes. Dark hair clung to her cheeks, and her sleeveless white top gave Tanner a good look at her toned arms.

He didn’t know her. She didn’t even ring a familiar bell, but she sure as hell looked fun. When she waved off a fourth man swooping in for a dance and headed to the bar, Tanner enjoyed the light, strutting cadence to her walk. Someone had taken her spot, so she sidled up to the bar next to him.

Fanning her face with one hand, she gave him a cool, quick grin, then waved at Sully. The bartender slid a glass of water over to her. “You ready for a glass of wine yet, darlin’?”

“In a bit.” She took a long drink of the water. The slender column of her throat convulsed with each swallow, and a fresh wave of lust crashed through Tanner. Damn, what he wouldn’t give to trade places with the glass.

“Put her wine on my tab, Sully,” Tanner called. The number of dance partners and lack of a ring gave him hope she was free. Nothing ventured, nothing gained.

“No, thank you,” the country goddess declined in a smooth, polite tone. “I’ll take care of my own drinks.”

Sully hid a smirk, but he had other customers.

“No need to be testy, ma’am.” He lifted his beer. “Just offering to buy you a drink.”

“Not being testy at all.” She turned sideways and gave him a once-over. “And you didn’t offer—you just decided to do it, sir.” The cool dismissal didn’t possess an ounce of malice or disrespect. “I simply like to pay my own way, and I never accept offers from strangers.”

“Hard to make an acquaintance if you don’t.” Though he couldn’t fault her. Even the women in his unit or those he’d met on assignment at various bases around the world maintained a sense of control over their environment, both in what they would tolerate from others and what they would accept. “My apologies for overstepping. I’m Tanner, by the way.”

Offering his hand, he waited as she took a beat before wiping her palm against her jeans and then accepting the handshake. “My friends call me Jules.”

“Jules.” Was it short for Julianna? Or Julie? Something else entirely? He liked the sound of it. Maybe it was the beer mellowing him out. Maybe it was being home. Or maybe it was simply watching her, but he wanted to spend some time with Miss Jules.

“Is it all right if I call you Jules?”

“I said my friends call me Jules, you can call me ma’am.” She chuckled, then drained her glass of water and started watching the band. They’d switched to a slow song. Shaking her head, she lifted the hair from the back of her neck. From her flushed cheeks to the gleam in her dark eyes, she was stunning.

“I’d be happy to call you ma’am.” The sentence worked, and Jules returned her attention to him and her eyebrows raised.

“Tell me, ma’am, may I have the next dance?”

Jennifer Kacey: Fantasies A-Z (Huge Giveaway!)
Friday, June 16th, 2017

So… About a year and a half ago I decided to write a serial release about a married couple finding and exploring kink together. Finding themselves. Finding each other again for the first time which can be soooooo scary.

The journey of Zeke and Aslan was born with Aslan’s Stranger. Now 9 stories later I’ve written the last story which is Aslan’s Fear. I have loved this couple and everything they have learned and how they’ve grown and how incredibly brave they both have been to find exactly who they’re meant to be. And sharing it with their spouse has been soooo much harder to write than I expected it to be.

They aren’t starting with a clean slate and no expectations.

Instead they’ve had a decade to “BE” with each other and all which that entails.

And writing their happily ever after has been one of the most rewarding writing experiences I’ve ever had. I balled writing the last book. Balled every time I re-read it for editing. It’ll be up in just a little bit but before then here are all the books in my rainbow glory!!! Had that planned from the beginning too just because it makes me soooo happy to look at it!

Here’s links to all of them in case you need a bit of a dose of dirty today….or tomorrow….or the next day. 😛

These are stories in a serial release all featuring Aslan and Zeke. A married couple looking for more and finding it in the arms of each other. There will be nine stories total, with one being released every couple months. Short kinky stories meant to tantalize and excite you. May you fall in love with love and everything that word means to your fantasies…

Aslan’s Stranger
Zeke’s Pitstop
Aslan’s Desire
Zeke’s Surprise
Aslan’s Fetish
Zeke’s Meeting
Aslan’s Evening
Zeke’s Demons
Aslan’s Fear – Coming soon!!!

Giveaway

Let’s have a giveaway with an AWESOME bag of goodies for one lucky poster! Two print books and lots and lots of other swag and kinky goodies! Plus a cup and a coozie and a pretty purple BED bag to hold it all!

**GIVEAWAY – US ONLY** – Just look at all the awesomeness you could win!! So tell me why YOU read romance! Why do you like it? What draws you in? What gives you the shivers and brings you back for more??

I’ll pick a winner on Monday the 19th!! Good Luck!! PS –It’s always great to leave your email address in your comment so I can contact you! Hate not being able to give winners their goodies!!

Decadently Yours,
Jennifer Kacey

About the Author

Jennifer Kacey is a writer, mother, and business owner living with her miniman in Texas. She sings in the shower, plays piano in her dreams, and has to have a different color of nail polish every week. The best advice she’s ever been given? Find the real you and never settle for anything less.

Website Newsletter The Decadent DivasAmazon Page
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Blue Collar: A Boys Behaving Badly Anthology is here! (Contest)
Tuesday, June 13th, 2017

That big sexy book filled with steamy, blue collar heroes is here! And at just $0.99 (that’s just $0.06 per story!), you can’t go wrong. Indulge yourself!

All my author-contributor-friends and myself can’t wait for you to dive in. It is truly a labor of love. I chose all the stories and did the final polish. My very good friend at Lustre Editing did the line edits. My sister, Elle James,  created this incredible cover! All the authors are thrilled and are getting the word out! We’ll be blogging about our inspiration for our stories on my Collections website over the next couple of weeks. There will be snippets from the book and PRIZES! So, be sure to check us out. Maybe you’ll want to subscribe to that site so you don’t miss a thing!

On Thursday, we’re hosting a release party on Facebook! There will be tons of prizes, lots of fun, and you can meet the authors!

And something you can do? Tell a friend. Share the news. And if you have the time and inclination, write a review. We’d all be forever grateful! In the meantime, enjoy the 16 stories inside this lush volume of erotic short stories! Bon appétit!

Blue Collar

Get your copy here!
Kindle | Nook | iBooks | Google Play

When it comes to love…Blue Collar is better!

It’s time to set aside those sexy billionaires and enjoy stories about the everyday, even sexier bad boys you meet in real life. They may have dirty hands and wear tool belts and jeans instead of Rolex watches, but they’re earthy alpha males unafraid to get down and dirty when face to face with a woman in need–whatever her need may be!

Just a few of the titillating stories inside…

In “Elevation” by Megan Mitcham, an always-in-control policewoman trapped in an elevator shaft gets a sexy rescue from the handsome repairman. A lonely woman drives a thousand miles to meet an oil field roughneck ready for a long night of laying pipe in Mia Hopkins’ “We Drill Deep While Others Sleep”. Jennifer Kacey shows the lengths to which an enterprising gal will go to get the owner of an oil change shop to check her fluids in “The Boss”. And those are just a few of the sexy stories inside this collection about the everyday hero next door.

These are men who’ve built their powerful muscles from hard work rather than inside any gym, and they sure know how to use their hard-earned skills to pleasure a woman…

 Table of Contents

We Drill Deep While Others Sleep by Mia Hopkins – After a thousand mile drive, a lonely lady meets her oil field roughneck for a long night of laying pipe

Elevation by Megan Mitcham – A policewoman stuck a hundred feet up an elevator shaft eagerly welcomes the rescue from a hunky repairman

Upside Down Love by Adele Downs – When a handsome construction worker rescues her after an accident, a divorcee discovers that falling in love at middle age is easier than riding a bicycle

Plays with Fire by Elle James – In an attempt to seduce a younger firefighter, a sexy widow gets a lesson in burning desires by the firefighter’s badass partner

Roadside Assistance by N.J. Walters – When a woman’s car breaks down, she gets a little “roadside assistance” from her ex

Cabin Fever by Kris Norris – After successfully avoiding a confrontation during her unit’s team-building retreat at her ex-fiancé’s inn, a police detective’s luck runs out

Shear Passion by Belinda LaPage – Among sweat, backaches and an insatiable lust, an itinerant shearer and a farmer’s daughter hatch an unlikely romance in the rustic beauty of a remote Australian woolshed

Traffic Stop by Kalissa Wayne – When a councilwoman gets stopped on a deserted country road, she gets a lesson in proper procedure by the sheriff

Special Delivery by Susan Saxx – When a former socialite’s life splinters apart on New Year’s Eve, it takes a machinist to show her that blue collar love is better

The Boss by Jennifer Kacey –The owner of an oil change shop gets a customer willing to do anything for him to check her fluids after hours

Challenge Met by Layla Chase – Following a long absence from a small Texas town, ex-soldier turned farrier accepts the flirtatious challenge of a wealthy rancher’s spoiled daughter

In the Heat of the Moment by M. Marie – When one of her detectives steps out of line, a police lieutenant wastes no time reminding him why she’s the commanding officer in their precinct

Renovating the Heart by Robie Madison – A sledgehammer-wielding divorcée finds her heart repaired by a contractor she hires to renovate an old family cabin

Full of the Wild Life by Tray Ellis – When her surveyor boyfriend returns from the Alaskan wilderness, a woman considers his proposal one more time

Bountiful Lust by Delilah Devlin – After bucking her trainer’s orders during a takedown, a female bounty hunter proves she’s ready for the job

Mr. Big by Sukie Chapin – Stranded on the roadside, a struggling grad student, who is also a part-time sex-toy peddler, finds there’s more to her hot mechanic than bulging biceps and mad skills under the hood

Contest

Rogues

Win a free copy of Rogues: A Boys Behaving Badly Anthology #1! All you have to do is tell me which of the stories listed in the Table of Contents above you’re dying to read!

Elizabeth Harmon: My  Favorite Guilty Pleasures (Contest)
Monday, June 12th, 2017

 

Even though it’s been years since I was a kid in school, it’s permanently ingrained in my brain that the words “summer” and “vacation” must go together. Sometimes that means traveling on an actual vacation, but it also means taking things a little slower and savoring a few guilty pleasures.

With a book deadline in mid-July, this year, that’s not as easy as I’d like. But with summer finally here, it seems like a perfect time to share a few of my summertime guilty pleasures and find out a few of yours.

  1. Afternoon beach breaks– Back when my kids took swimming lessons at the lake in our community, a 4:00 p.m. class meant the water was much warmer than it was at 9:00 a.m. For me, it was the perfect way to wind down the day. Years later, I still find a late afternoon beach break a great way to decompress.
  2. Carnival food– For my husband, summer isn’t complete without at least one funnel cake (also known as elephant ears in some parts of the country). For me, it’s cheese fries from the little ice cream place in our town, or a soft-serve chocolate/vanilla swirl ice cream cone. There’s nothing natural in either one, and we won’t even discuss the calories, but both taste great on a summer night.
  3. Staying up late– My internal clock runs a little later in the summertime, and I just naturally stay up later. Which leads to cravings for soft serve ice cream. And popcorn—made in a pot on top of the stove, not in the microwave.
  4. Reading– As an author, I’ll argue that this should never be a guilty pleasure, but in the summer, I’m less apt to read books to learn something–whether it’s writing craft non-fiction, or a romance that reflects a hot trend, just to see what all the fuss is about. Nope. In the summer, give me escapist reads, comfort reads, and reads outside my genre. Preferably those I can take to the beach.
  5. Binge-watching– Again, this is perfect for late nights, especially when it’s too hot to do anything but stay inside with the AC cranked. Past summer binges have included Lost, Breaking Bad and UnREAL, a series set behind the scenes of a Bachelor-style reality show.

Not only was UnREAL a blast to watch, but it was also confirmed that  my book Turning It On, which is also set behind the scenes of a reality show, had the details right!

Want to see for yourself?  Win a digital copy of Turning It On by sharing one of your summertime guilty pleasures!

Turning It On

Go behind the scenes of a reality TV show, where what happens off-camera is even more outrageous than what happens on.

When book editor Hannah becomes a reluctant contestant on Last Fling, TVs sexiest reality show, she starts to question everything—including the man she’s loved half her life.  When her fickle fiance falls for a scheming starlet, Hannah enlists the show’s male stripper villain, Vlad the Bad, to help her win him back. But when the reality show villain is revealed to be a real-life hero, Hannah discovers that true love can blossom in the middle of the most unreal place of all.

Happy summer, and happy reading!  Elizabeth

About the author

Contemporary romance author Elizabeth Harmon loves to read and write romances with a dash of different. She is the author of the Red Hot Russians sports romance series. Her debut novel Pairing Off is a 2016 RITA® Award Finalist.

Website: https://www.romancewriter-girl.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/elizabethharmonauthor?ref=hl
Twitter: https://twitter.com/romanzwrter_grl

Her latest book, Heating It Up: A Red Hot Russians Novella is an Antarctica-set small town romance and was released in Feb. 2017.