What better way to celebrate the dog days of summer than with a small-town romance series filled with heat and suspense? Welcome to Pine Point, where secrets abound. I’ve always loved writing about the quirky wonderfulness of small towns, probably because I grew up in one. They’re charming, often picturesque, and filled with characters who know, love, hate, and have all kinds of juicy gossip about each other – some that goes back generations! So yes, Pine Point is one of those towns.

This series was originally published by Samhain Publishing from 2009-2016 but has found a new home with Entangled Publishing and will be officially releasing tomorrow! (Though you can pre-order all the titles now).  In addition to shiny new covers, each book has updated content, especially Summer’s Song, which has a whole new beginning: a sneak peek at Summer as a child, a pre-teen, and an angsty adolescent. I loved writing it and can’t wait for readers to see it!

In Summer’s Song, our heroine comes home to Pine Point after 10 long years away. She doesn’t have plans to stay, but that changes once she meets a local hunky handyman. But like almost every main character I seem to create, these two have secrets waiting for them. Each title in the Pine Point series is on sale from now through August 27 for only $0.99, so you can treat yourself to this entire collection for less than $4.00! Even better, I’ve joined with 7 other Entangled authors to create a Hot August Nights giveaway, and I’ll hope you check out the webpage below for more information about that.

Enjoy this excerpt of Summer’s Song, and enjoy the rest of your summer!

Summer’s Song

Summer Thompson doesn’t remember the night her brother died, and she certainly doesn’t want to go back to Pine Point and face any memories that might be awoken there. But ten years after leaving her small hometown, she’s back to settle her estranged father’s estate and be rid of the half-renovated mansion she’s inherited. What she doesn’t expect is to find the house occupied by a hunky handyman reluctant to talk about his past.

Damian Knight has been helping his mother and sister hide from a brutal stalker, but now the peace and carefully guarded safety they’ve found in Pine Point is in danger. The refuge they live in is about to be sold out from under them by the lovely but haunted Summer, a woman who quickly finds her way through Damian’s defenses and steals his heart.

But in a small town full of powerful secrets, the past won’t remain buried. Summer has to face her memories and could lose the man she loves, and maybe even her life.

Each book in the Pine Point series is a standalone story that can be enjoyed in any order:
Book #1: Summer’s Song
Book #2: Winter Wonder
Book #3: Spring Secrets
Book #4: Autumn Allure

Summer’s Song Excerpt:

“Hey, you can’t go up there.” A strong hand grabbed her elbow.

Summer turned with a start. “Why not?”

“Not safe yet.” He motioned to the steps, and when she looked closer, she saw a missing riser that gaped like a placid crocodile, ready to snatch up her unsuspecting foot.

“Oh.” She smiled an apology at Mac’s assistant.

He was tall, with light brown hair and deep blue eyes, and his broad, shirtless chest shone with sweat. Muscular biceps, no doubt made strong from summer labor, twitched as he reached for an itch between his shoulder blades. Summer swallowed and tried to chase away a crazy urge to scratch the spot for him.

“I’m Summer Thompson, by the way.” She reached out a hand in greeting. “The—ah—the new owner of this place.”

He studied her with a serious expression. “So I guessed. Damian Knight.”

The one who’s renting the farmhouse. “Listen, I…” She meant to talk to him about that, but she couldn’t quite process the words as his blue eyes locked with hers. He hadn’t yet dropped her hand, which she didn’t mind in the least. Strong. Warm. Sending electricity straight through her.

“Summer!”

Mac’s hand on her shoulder broke her reverie. Summer turned and plastered on a smile she hoped looked normal. “Hi, Mac.”

“Shit. Can’t believe you’re here.” He shook his head and grinned, and she glimpsed the chipped front teeth she remembered from high school.

“Well, I wanted to see the house. I just…” She faltered. “I just found out about it.”

“I know. Your father wanted it to be a surprise for you. Sorry about your loss, by the way.” He looked over his shoulder. “He did a great thing, buying this place. Wish he could have seen it finished.”

She wasn’t sure it was a great thing at all, and still didn’t understand why her father had saddled her with it, but she kept her mouth shut. Maybe someone else would find beauty in it. Maybe someone else would want the story that came with owning such an estate.

Mac gestured around the yard. “We’re working on the roof today, obviously. Got another day or so before it’s done. There’s some interior work to do after that. And don’t use these front steps, okay? We still gotta replace a few.”

She nodded. “It looks…” Like nothing I would ever want to live in? Like the biggest mistake my father could have made? She wasn’t sure what to say.

“It’s a helluva lotta work,” Mac interrupted her thoughts. “But your father paid us through Labor Day, and we’ll probably finish most of the major structural work by then. ’Course, I don’t know what your plans are. If you’re gonna sell it as is, or…” He stopped and waited for her to finish the sentence. She didn’t.

“Can I see the inside?” she asked instead. She wanted an idea of the mess she was dealing with. But her doubt grew as she looked around. The needed repairs seemed overwhelming, and those were just the ones she could see.

“Sure.” Mac glanced at his watch and turned to Damian. “You’re leaving early today, right?”

“Yeah.” But Damian didn’t move. Instead he ran one hand through his hair and sent a cloud of sawdust flying. A grin touched his eyes and, for a brief second, Summer saw her own reflection in his gaze. She looked small and dark, a little girl floating on the blue of his iris. He smiled, and in the sunlight, the blue deepened until she felt like she was falling inside it, floating, forgetting who and where she was. Something jumped in her stomach, and her palms tingled. Knights in Pine Point? There hadn’t been any for as long as she could remember.

Don’t fall for the guy whose heart you have to break tomorrow.

Buy Links:
Entangled Store: https://entangledpublishing.com/summer-s-song.html
Amazon: https://bit.ly/SummersSongAmazon
Apple: https://bit.ly/SummerSongApple
B&N: https://bit.ly/SummersSongNook

The Giveaway

Hot August Nights Giveaway Link: https://entangledauthors.myforeverhea.com/

About the Author

Allie Boniface is the USA Today best-selling author of over a dozen novels, including the Cocktail Cruise, Hometown Heroes, and Pine Point series. Her books are most often set in small towns and feature emotional romance with relatable characters you’ll know and love.

A graduate of the University of Rochester and Case Western Reserve University, Allie is a full-time high school English teacher in the beautiful Hudson Valley of New York. When she isn’t teaching or writing, she and her husband love to travel.

Take some time to browse around Allie’s website, check out new and upcoming releases, and sign up for her newsletter. You can join Allie’s All-Stars too, an exclusive readers’ group on Facebook where fans and friends chat about life, characters and story ideas, and have exclusive access to prizes, giveaways, and early sales!

Author Links:
Website: www.allieboniface.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/AuthorAllieBoniface
Allie’s All-Stars: https://www.facebook.com/groups/AllieBonifaceAllStars/
Twitter: @AllieBoniface1
Newsletter Sign-up: https://bit.ly/AlliesNews

I’m not just talking dogs here, and I’m not just talking dudes. I want to talk about all creatures big or small that fall into the pet category. And that’s for every man, woman and child out there.

I love writing animals into books. I think they’re wonderful and comforting and familiar. Sometimes even nostalgic.

One of my favorites I’ve ever written is Voldemort the cat in No Place Like Home.

Amazon – https://goo.gl/GIyFb7
B&N – https://goo.gl/wcV6C3
Smashwords – https://goo.gl/jRKlEW
Kobo – https://goo.gl/0dVBvO
Itunes – https://goo.gl/VhAjtS
Print Amazon – https://goo.gl/Py49Jo
Print Createspace – https://goo.gl/wynedM
Website – https://www.jenniferkacey.com/books/cominghome/no-place-like-home.html

I got to throw “the Dark Lord” jokes in the book and “meow” for conversation and picture how warm and cuddly he is with a tiny character named Addison.

One of my favorite animals I’ve ever had was named Oscar. Also a cat. He had some of the most beautiful striped markings I’ve ever seen. And he used to stand on the counter and meow at me until I stood in front of him so he could hug me. He was an awesome cat!

Currently I have a 60-gallon freshwater fish tank with around 40 fish in it. Some of them glow under black light, and we also have a 14” sucker fish who is…..hmm……..9 years old.

So I want to hear about your pets! 4 legged or two, furr or feathers, cluck or bark! What do you have now, what do you love, what would you LOVE to have??

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

**GIVEAWAY – US ONLY** – Just look at all the awesomeness you could win!! So tell me the story of your favorite animal!!

I’ll pick a winner on Monday the 21st!! 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 Divas– Amazon Page

Facebook – Facebook Author Page – Twitter – Goodreads – Pinterest

For those who don’t know, Adriana Kraft is the pen name under which my husband and I write erotic romance, among other things. Baby boomers ourselves, we often feature characters in their 40s, 50s, and even 60s and beyond. If that’s not what trips your trigger, this book isn’t for you – but, with any luck, all of us will reach these ages eventually, and we hope our readers do so with vim, vigor, and yes, a vibrant and active sex life. We like to think some of our characters can light the way.

Zachary Cullen is just such a character. Here are some snippets about him from our heroine’s point of view:

Not for the first time, Josie wondered why the highly successful fifty-something entrepreneur invested so much time and money trying to find the next Broadway star…

Lost in her own thoughts, Josie startled at the gravelly sound of Zach’s deep voice. It was that slow, strong drawl that had appealed to her since the first time they’d met. That, and his burning eyes that seemed capable of peering into her soul…

She had to admit his broad shoulders and tapered hips triggered her own lusty imagination. Damn. She hated the fact that she had difficulty ignoring his manliness, and he never even looked at her as a woman. Apparently, he only saw her as a conduit for helping his protégés advance their careers.

A Woman for Zachary

Meghan’s Playhouse, Book Two
Four Flames: Explicit sex, MF, FF; Ménage, FFM, FMF
Erotic Romance: 26,000 words
Extasy Books: August 4, 2017

BUY LINKS: https://www.extasybooks.com/a-woman-for-zachary/

It’s New York! Broadway beckons, but Meg has more fun keeping an erotic triangle going with her current flame, Zach Cullen, and her drama coach, Josie Patrice.

Zachary Cullen has ignored Josette Patrice’s overtures for years, but she agrees to take on his latest protégé-slash-arm-candy Meghan Keenan in her off-Broadway workshop theater. Though the girl has incredible talent, Josie would stake her reputation on that little thing being a switch-hitter, like herself, and she doesn’t want Zach to be duped. Josie sets out to seduce Meg and expose her for what she is, but all bets are off when Meg turns the tables on Josie to hook her up with Zach.

EXCERPT

Josie was shaking her head back and forth before Zach finished speaking. “That’s not enough.”

Zach closed the distance between the two of them.

She pressed her back against the wall, and he placed his palms against it, framing her head. She licked her lips.

What was he doing? She’d imagined him being this close countless times, but not in this way. Not in anger. Not struggling with his sense of fairness over sharing another woman. She kept her arms locked at her sides.

“That’s exactly what Meg said. What is enough? Do we draw lots for her?”

Josie shook her head.

“Maybe I can have her even days of the month and you odd days.”

“That might work.” Josie could hardly breathe. Zach’s male scent was overpowering. She’d agree to almost anything, if he just stayed where he was. She should be afraid of him, but she wasn’t. This was a man she’d known for a decade. He might be very angry, even deeply pained, but he wouldn’t hurt her—at least not physically.

“It works for parking cars in the winter. It’s a beginning, I guess.” His eyes darkened with a passion she couldn’t decipher. She watched his eyes shut and re-open.

And then his mouth was crushing against hers. She tried to breathe through her nostrils. His muffled groans filled her mouth. Tentatively, she lifted her hands to his shoulders. It was as if he was in a trance. She sighed and pulled him closer. Maybe she was, too.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Winner of the 2014 Bisexual Book Award for erotic fiction, author Adriana Kraft is a married couple writing Sizzling Romantic Suspense and Erotic Romance for Two, Three, or More.

One man, one woman, danger and intrigue – always a happy ending, but oh, what a ride! Readers can count on our Romantic Suspense line for “warmth, blazing hot sex, and well-developed characters” (Romance Junkies Reviews) as our hero and heroine battle outer threats and inner demons to stay alive and fall in love.

A man, a woman (or two), or another man, threesomes, foursomes, what’s your fantasy? We write our Erotic Romance stories to entertain, of course, but most of all we write them because we believe in happy endings for all who fall in love, whatever their gender, sexual orientation or numerical combination. Here you’ll find multiple partners, three-way, four-way and more, swing lifestyle, lesbian, bisexual, ménage and polyamory, in both contemporary and paranormal settings: “scorching hot…refreshing…something to read when you want straight up hotness” (Long and Short Reviews)

Together we have published more than forty romance novels and novellas to outstanding reviews. We love hearing from readers at adrianakraft99@yahoo.com, and here is our website:

When It’s Time to Heat Things Up https://adrianakraft.com

SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS:

Blog: https://www.adrianakraft.com/blog
FaceBook Page https://www.facebook.com/pages/Adriana-Kraft/182846025133440
Twitter https://twitter.com/AdrianaKraft
GoodReads https://www.goodreads.com/author/list/1578571.Adriana_Kraft
Newsletter https://eepurl.com/uRvCr
Amazon Author Page https://www.amazon.com/author/adrianakraft
Google+ https://plus.google.com/102791537641895264573/posts

It Takes a Cat Burglar is now $0.99 permanently. That’s right, the price drop is here to stay. It’s available now at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, iBooks, Google Play, and Kobo.

It Takes a Cat Burglar: A Thief in Love Suspense Romance
By Cailin Briste

Buy Now: https://books2read.com/cat-burglar
Add it on Goodreads.

When Darcelle Lebeau throws off the invisible chains that keep her bound to her family, she discovers a new vocation. Tempted to enter the illegal playground of a man she nicknames Matou, she becomes a cat burglar in training. Deeply ensnared with each task he entices her to fulfill, she fails to discover his identity and true intentions.

Sebastian St. Croix, a wealthy businessman, has a dark side. He’s a thief, a cat burglar who steals art and historical objects. For one year, he trains Darcelle to become his assistant, remaining incognito, observing her from afar. His admiration grows along with his desire for her with every phase-one challenge she completes. Phase two will test the limits of his control. Hands-on personal training? Yes. Sex? No. With his sister’s happiness at stake, nothing, not even the tempting Darcelle Lebeau, can interfere with accomplishing the biggest break-in of his career.

Excerpt:

DARCELLE STEELED HERSELF before entering the study. She’d been shocked to discover her own clothes laid out for her. This stranger had insinuated himself deep into her life, and she was determined to find out why.

He was seated at a large desk, hands behind his head, long legs stretched before him, and feet propped on the desktop. Arrogant man. Before her strides brought her to stand across from him, he pointed at a chair positioned at an angle to the desk. It was straight in line with his gaze, so he could study her at his ease.

“Sit there.” He returned his hands to the back of his head.

Darcelle ignored the command, stopping at the edge of the desk. “Who are you?”

A glimmer of heat flashed. “If you want your questions answered, you will sit. Do not defy me. There will be consequences.”

Unmoved by the threat, she pressed her lips in a tight line and narrowed her eyes. If it was a battle of wills he wanted, she’d be happy to oblige.

He stared pointedly at her. “Do you want answers?”

She balled her hands into fists. He had her. Without looking at him, she sat.

“Good girl.”

She shot her gaze up to him. Gods. I’d like to wipe that smirk from your face. Or kiss it away. What the hell was wrong with her? She should look out for herself not sink deeper under his thrall.

He abruptly dropped his feet to the floor and sat forward, his gaze aimed so sharply at her that she jerked back.

“There’s a price for my services. It’s time for you to pay.”

Buy Now: https://books2read.com/cat-burglar

About Cailin

Cailin has been writing fiction for six years and non-fiction for two decades. Her non-fiction work has been published in magazines and in a non-fiction anthology. She’s a member of Romance Writers of America, the RWA Fantasy, Futuristic and Paranormal Chapter, and the RWA Passionate Ink Chapter.

Cailin likes to flip convention on its head, creating a universe in which each planet is a study in different what ifs. What would happen to alpha men on a matriarchal planet? How would society handle it if girls born on their new planet developed empathic senses?

She is currently writing the third book in her Sons of Tallav sci-fi erotic romance series. Shane: Marshal of Tallav and Maon: Marshal of Tallav were released in 2016 by Loose Id. Educated by the Master, a Sons of Tallav novella, will be released in October in the Cosmic Love Cabaret anthology.

For information about Cailin’s new releases, sale prices, and giveaways, sign up for her newsletter.

Social Media Links:

Website https://cailinbriste.com/
Blog https://cailinbriste.com/category/all-posts/ 
Street Team https://cailinbriste.com/cailins-street-team/
Twitter https://twitter.com/CailinBriste
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/cailinbriste/
Google+ https://plus.google.com/u/0/102592935378667862505
Pinterest https://www.pinterest.com/cailinbriste/
Goodreads https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7413817.Cailin_Briste
Bookbub Author Page https://www.bookbub.com/authors/cailin-briste
Amazon Author Page https://www.amazon.com/Cailin-Briste/e/B00GSX9QVW

At the beginning of August, it seems like there’s a lot of summer left. An entire month of hot, sleepy days of summer. (At least in my corner of the globe!) Yet the stores try to remind us that it’s not too long until Autumn with back to school sales and Halloween displays.

Instead of worrying about the future, let’s take a moment to stop. Just breathe. Smell that sea air as the wind whips it around your face. Listen to the ocean waves as they crest against the shore. Feel the sand beneath your feet, a gentle massage that might be a bit too hot against your soles.

I’m very lucky that I live here in New Jersey – yes, I said New Jersey. I know my state gets a bad reputation, but there are many things I love about my home, and being so close to the beach is one of them.

There’s nothing more restorative to the soul than taking a moment to stare at the horizon, knowing that the world goes beyond what you can see. I like to step on the boardwalk and just watch the ocean and just be. I get some of my best ideas while watching the water.

So I wrote not one, but two stories about the beach. One, a short story, you can read for free on my webpage! https://ccbridges.net/shore.html

In The Shorehouse:

Vince invites his two best friends to his family’s house down the shore for Memorial Day weekend, with plans to set the two of them up.

However, thanks to some magic cookies and honesty, he finds out that three is sometimes better than two.

Note: This story is mmf

One of the nicest things about living here is being able to go to the beach in the fall and winter, after the heavy tourist season dies down. It’s during this season that I set my novella “Love in the Time of Hurricanes” which is my love letter to the Jersey shore.

The night Nick Henderson storms into Martelli’s Pizzeria, he’s just looking for something to eat. Along with dinner, he finds Lou Martelli—pizza cook extraordinaire and Jersey Shore native. Nick is renting a Shore house for the winter while taking classes at the local community college as he devises a way to escape the accounting major his father chose for him.

When Lou offers to show Nick around, heat flares between them as they realize they have more in common than domineering families. But it’s not all fun and games on the boardwalk. Hurricane Sandy blows ashore, changing the place Nick was starting to think of as home. His peace is shattered, and it will take everything he has to keep his relationship with Lou from being torn apart by the storm brewing around them.

States of Love: Stories of romance that span every corner of the United States.

Buy Links:
Dreamspinner: https://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/books/love-in-the-time-of-hurricanes-by-cc-bridges-8262-b
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Love-Time-Hurricanes-States-Book-ebook/dp/B06WP7DXXX/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1487819184&sr=8-1&keywords=love+in+the+time+of+hurricanes
Barnes and Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/love-in-the-time-of-hurricanes-cc-bridges/1125793547?ean=2940157413507
Books a Million: https://www.booksamillion.com/p/Love-Time-Hurricanes/CC-Bridges/Q767430428?id=6878192726616

About the Author

CC Bridges is a mild-mannered librarian by day, but by night she writes about worlds of adventure and romance. When she’s not busy solving puzzles in an escape room, she can be found diving into comics or binge-watching superhero movies. She writes surrounded by books, spare computing equipment, a fluffy dog, and a long-suffering husband in the state of New Jersey.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ccbridgeswriter
Twitter: https://twitter.com/ccbridgeswriter
Blog: https://blog.ccbridges.net/
Website: https://www.ccbridges.net

UPDATE: The winner is…Toni Whitmire!

* * * * *

Do you love reunion stories? I do. Especially when the couple faces great odds to get back together. It could be family issues, different backgrounds, or the infamous “We were on a break!” line that Ross kept spouting on Friends, much to Rachel’s chagrin (until the very end). But whatever it is, when two people that have allowed their soul to trust another human being on the deepest level find the courage and the strength to make their way back to that original realization despite genuinely tough times – I’m a mess. A happy, story-fulfilled, blubbering mess.

And with that, I introduce you to Dare and Abby from Real Deep, the second book of my REAL MEN series. These two have been through a lot! Abby’s from Money (with a capital M), Dare isn’t. Yet he’s the only one who’s ever ‘seen’ her. And for his part, no one’s ever been there for Dare before, either. So in the backstory, when they break up, it’s a tragedy.

But there’s something about being stuck on a practically deserted tropical island that strips away the rest and brings out only the gold…

If you like reunion stories, I’m betting you’ll want to take the journey with Dare and Abby, two of my very favourite characters.

And as an added benefit, Real Deep is another exciting installment of the Real Men series. This series introduces readers to the brotherhood of a group of men who have bonded through serving as army reservists in various location. They’re connect to the fictional town of Jack’s Bay in northern Ontario as well as the fictional town of Golden, British Columbia.

Today, I’m giving away one copy of Real Deep to a randomly chosen commenter below! All you need to do is:
Follow me on Amazon and…take your pick of: signing up for my newsletter or following me on the social media of your choice.  Let me know in the comments what you chose. Giveaway ends on Sunday at midnight, so let all your friends know!

See you August 7th, folks! And I should have more information about a new, special, summer of 2017 release!

Real Deep

Real Men #2

Deserted tropical island, hunky male models. Sole female photographer. Everything is on track for Abby Haines to please her sleazy boss and win the make-or-break photography contest of the year so she can prove herself to the wealthy parents who’ve disowned her, keep the career she loves, and oh yeah. Eat.

That is, until the past love of her life shows up. The scumbag.

Part-time solider and handyman extraordinaire Dare Logan gets things done. But life just ratcheted up a few degrees for the guy from the wrong side of the track. If he doesn’t kowtow to the creepy shoot director, he can’t save his fledgling renovation business and take care of his mom and sister. And now he’s got to deal with Abby—the woman who broke his heart, proving that what he could provide for her wasn’t enough. Super.

But when they’re sent on a dangerous trek across the island and fate plays with their deeply-entrenched principles and worse, their hearts, choices will have to be made, and the stakes are no longer simple.

Amazon
Kobo, B&N, Nook, iBooks, Inkterra & Other Retailers

Real Men

A new, small town military romance series. Featuring full-length stories and meet-cutes.
Read the entire series to fall in love with the men of Jack’s Bay!

About Susan

Susan Saxx writes sexy, unexpected, heartwarming romances. Her REAL MEN series focuses on a band of Canadian military reservists and the strong women they fall in love with. Meet the cowboy, the ex-hockey player and more at her website, and join her mailing list for exclusive teaser stories and release updates!

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The Lake District in the north of England has inspired some of the most romantic poetry and literature in the world. It’s no wonder William Wordsworth – one of the most famous poets of the Romantic era – made the Lake District his home, calling it “the loveliest spot that man hath ever found.”

Courtesy of Pixabay

The shining lakes, the green mountains, and the dramatic changes in weather in the Lake District make the perfect backdrop for a romance novel. The heroine of my novel Felicity at the Cross Hotel has travelled to the Lake District from her home in Norfolk – a part of England that’s renowned for being completely flat. Here is Fliss’s first sight of the spectacular view looking down on my fictional lake, Emmswater:

“The jagged mountains of the Lake District rose and fell in great dark peaks on the skyline, their sides flecked with splashes of bright, mossy green. Soft fields crept down into the valley, dotted with the fluffy white forms of sheep, and lying at the centre of it all was the gleaming lake.

Fliss took in a deep breath, letting the fresh air fill her lungs.  ‘What a magical place,’ she said to the man standing next to her. ‘ And look, the sun’s come out.’ She held up a hand to the pale sky. ‘Where I come from is so flat. I’m starting to get vertigo here, but in a really good way. Like being on the roller-coaster at Great Yarmouth fun fair.’”

Some people find living in mountains claustrophobic, but my heroine is trying to escape the stresses of working in her father’s business, and instead of feeling hemmed in she finds the mountains exhilarating. I wanted to capture this feeling of wild escape when she looks down on the wonderful landscape.

The setting of the Lake District is also a novelists’ dream because of the dramatic actions the landscape can inspire. The beauty of the scenery can become threatening, as swiftly as the clouds that roll in from over the mountains. Patrick Cross, the hero of my novel, is grieving the death of his friend, who died because of an act of recklessness while diving the still, green waters of the lake. There have been many deaths in the mountains and lakes of Cumbria, and I’ve used the symbolism of the landscape to reflect the contrast between the beauty and the danger.

It’s a shame that nowadays some parts of the Lake District are inundated with tourists, and the roads in summer are very often clogged. But it’s only in recent times that the Lakes have become a tourist destination, and there are many quieter areas that have remained unchanged for centuries. Alone in this magnificent landscape, away from the traffic, you can’t help but feel a part of a long, long history of the soil that stretches back thousands of years.

Lots of people have fallen in love in this wonderful setting, but there are some exceptions. Bill Clinton was famously moved to propose to Hillary for the first time by the shores of Ennerdale Water, but she turned him down. Obviously there are some people who remain unmoved by the romance of the Lakes!

Ennerdale Water, scene of Bill Clinton’s proposal. Attribution: Trevor Harris, via Wikimedia Commons

Will love blossom for Patrick Cross and Felicity Everdene, the hero and heroine of my novel? Here is the blurb to Felicity at the Cross Hotel:

A quaint hotel in the Lake District. The Cross Hotel is the perfect getaway. Or is it?

Felicity Everdene needs a break from the family business. Driving through the Lake District to the Cross Hotel, past the shining lake and the mountains, everything seems perfect. But Felicity soon discovers all is not well at the Cross Hotel …

Patrick Cross left the village of Emmside years ago never intending to return, but his father has left him the family’s hotel in his will, and now he’s forced to come back. With a missing barmaid, a grumpy chef, and the hotel losing money, the arrival of Felicity Everdene from the notorious Everdene family only adds to Patrick’s troubles.

With so much to overcome, can Felicity and Patrick bring happiness to the Cross Hotel … and find happiness for themselves?

Amazon universal buy link for Felicity at the Cross Hotel: https://mybook.to/FelicityCH

About the Author

Helena Fairfax is a British author who was born in Uganda and came to England as a child. She’s grown used to the cold now which is just as well, since these days she lives in an old Victorian mill town in the north of England, right next door to the windswept Yorkshire moors. Helena walks this romantic landscape every day with her rescue dog, finding it the perfect place to dream up her heroes and her happy endings. Subscribers to Helena’s newsletter receive news of free stuff, competitions with prizes, gossip, and links to cool websites she’s been looking at when she should have been writing.

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