UPDATE: The winner is…Beth!
*~*~*

Make Cain this Weekend’s Book Boyfriend!

For a chance to win your choice of one of these Cowboys
on the Edge stories, answer me this!

Yellowstone or Longmire?

(Click on a cover if you’d like to learn more!)

Don’t know what you’re missing in this cowboy series? Read an excerpt…

Snippet from Cain’s Law…

Cain Whitfield wasn’t the sort of man who put much stock in premonitions or any “sixth sense.” But the moment he’d first spotted the shy brunette through the window of the Prickly Pear Motel, he’d known trouble had arrived in Caldera.

His gaze had snagged on her ill-fitting clothing and her wildly curling hair. Not unusual, his noticing a stranger arriving in his little town, but the minute his dick twitched, he should’ve heeded the warning.

Yeah, he sure could pick ’em. Just like his ex, only Susan hadn’t burned down a cabin. She’d left his place cleaner than she’d managed to keep it the entire six months they’d been together. Hell, the woman hadn’t even left him a can of beans in the pantry when she’d walked out on their marriage. On a Monday. After he’d left for work. Via a note taped to the kitchen counter because she couldn’t put that into a U-Haul trailer.

Staring at the fire that lit the Texas night sky, he shook his head. The strobing lights of police and fire vehicles were no competition for the furious blaze. No simple kitchen fire or leaf pile run amok.

It was going to be a long night.

UPDATE: The winners are…Colleen, Miki, bn100, Jennifer Beyer, Debra Guyette, and Stacey Kinzebach!
*~*~*

It’s Monday, a holiday (so kids are home), and it’s the beginning of a week of bad weather. The 8-year-old slept over with me last night and told me to turn off my alarms because she wanted to sleep in. Wish I could sleep in!!!!

Thought I’d take a moment to remind you about the pre-orders I have up. No, I don’t have big old blurbs to tell you about the last two because I haven’t written them yet, and I never know what the story is about until I’m midway through. I know that sounds crazy, but that’s what works for me.

Both of the first two books are EROTIC romance, so be warned! No Tender Mercy comes out on March 22nd! It’s the sequel to Her Sanctuary. If you love Texas and vampires, you’re in for a sexy ride! Dark Seduction, which releases on April 19th, is the sequel to Dark Legacy and is a story I’m republishing. It’s a full-length novel, very sexy, smutty, involves a police investigation, and is full of twists and turns involving vampires and demons. I love the story. It’s my third favorite thing I ever wrote.

These next two are part of a series you should be very familiar with by now! Hot SEAL, Wild Thing releases May 24th! The authors in this series are using song titles as our theme this time around. Of course, I jumped on one of my old favorites. All I know about my hero is that he’s living his life as wild and freely as he can. If you have any ideas why that is, I’d love to hear them! 🙂

If you read my latest bounty hunter story, Eli, then you’ve met Gabriel. And I gave you a huge hint about his possible love interest, so be sure to pre-order so you read their adventure! It releases on June 28th—my birthday!

Contest

For a chance to win your choice of a download from my ginormous backlist, let me know if you plan to read any of these stories! Also, if you want to gripe at me to write a story you’ve been waiting for, let me know! I’ll choose two commenters!

Open Contests

1. Diana Cosby: Valentine’s Day – Birds & Animal’s Love Liam MacGruder! (Contest) — This one ends soon! Win a pretty mug!
2. Story Cubes: Tell me a story… (Contest) — Win an Amazon gift card!
3. Cheryl St. John: My Character’s Clothing Choices (and what it says about her!) FREE in KU! — Get your FREE small-town romance!
4. A Reminder! A Puzzle! And a Contest! Oh, my! — Win an Amazon gift card!
5. January George: The Way Back Home (Contest & Excerpt) — Win an Amazon gift card!

We all have dreams. Some are easier to achieve than others. Finding a new apartment. Getting a different job. Owning your own home. Moving to a warmer climate. Getting your degree. Becoming an author. Becoming a movie star. Becoming a millionaire.

Many of these things are completely within our control. Many are not. Life circumstances affect the resources available to us when we go for our dream.

I was raised by a father in a time when most dads were not the primary caregiver and the sole financial provider. This gave me a different perspective than that of friends who had two parents to share the responsibilities. We moved often which gave me the experiences of seeing the differences and similarities of regional towns and communities. We lived in the North, South, East and West. One of my most important and defining lessons learned is that not all families are blood-related.

As a writer, I am drawn to the characters whose life arc maybe wasn’t traditional (in truth, the white picket fence is not as common or as perfect as we think). Life is messy and hard, and fraught with challenges. It is also full of hope, joy, and passions.

I write romantic suspense. Not world-saving drama like James Bond or Mission Impossible, but certainly world-altering for my characters. Characters who have been challenged by day-to-day existence and find a partner willing to share the journey when perhaps they’d given up hope. Characters who are not defined by where they came from but by the principles they hold as true. Everything isn’t always easy and there is often a price to be paid and dangers to be overcome.

I believe that you should never give up! It is never too late to go for your dream. I spent many years learning and practicing my craft while working, raising a family, and caring for others. Dreams can come true when we’re willing to work for them and keep believing. Don’t give up.

A Better Man, my upcoming release due out early April is the story of JackDaniels Vaughn a man who started his life on the wrong side of the tracks and Breezy Richards who was disowned by her family for not living up to their standards. When a stalker threatens Breezy’s life she’s forced to trust someone else. Falling in love may be the complication that costs them both their lives.

This will be my fifth book in the Aspen Gold Series. Although all books in the series are standalone you might also enjoy my others as friends tend to stop in for a visit.

A Better Man

About the Author

Romantic Suspense Writer, Never Give Up-er, First Wives Club-er, Lifelong Dream Achiever & Mom

Bernadette Jones writes romantic suspense and mystery novels. Her books are filled with strong heroes and heroines who are looking for an equal partner in their search for answers, justice and love. The love is everlasting, the romance steamy and the suspense will keep you on the edge of your seat. With a personal belief in the power of the chosen family her characters are bound to their circle of friends regardless of the cost or danger and most often a book of their own!

After a career in corporate writing and living all over the country, she’s decided to settle down and put pen to paper doing what she loves. Living the dream in her NYC apartment with her canine companion, she’s bringing her stories and characters to life.

If you’re interested in learning more and being the first to hear about new releases, visit her website at BernadetteJones.com.

Getting the word out to new readers is difficult in the indie market. One of the best places for you and other readers to keep up with new releases is to follow me on BookBub, a reader’s site for new books. I would greatly appreciate it if you would follow me and if you enjoy my books leave a review (it doesn’t have to be long). https://www.bookbub.com/profile/bernadette-jones

Please sign up for my newsletter to keep up with contests, ARC requests and much more! https://www.bernadettejones.com/newsletters

Many, many thanks to Delilah Devlin for all she does to help other authors!

I am, which is why I became a canine handler for search and rescue. Is it my day job? No. It’s actually all volunteer. But I love what I do and I love working with my dogs. So much in fact that I even decided to write a romance novel involving k-9 search and rescue.

Jager is my first SAR dog. He is also a rescue from a local shelter. This dog taught me so much. Not just about training but also about myself, and how to handle myself. Lessons that I even apply to my author life. Like having a Positive Mental Attitude. One of the biggest components that can actually affect survival rates.

My second dog, Drogon, is from a breeder and his specialty is human remains. Talk about working dog blood lines, I don’t think this dog ever sleeps. And he never gets tired. This boy is the one I have to watch to keep him from working himself to death. But boy is he methodical. Like he would make an EXCELLENT copywriter/proofreader.

Bringing these two into my book, Called Into Action, was a lot of fun. I wanted to make the story more authentic to what SAR actually is, something that I always found upsetting when reading SAR novels in the past. Of course, because both of my dogs have interesting stories, I blended them together into a dog named Havoc (no joke, both my dogs cause tons of havoc inside my house and Havoc’s antics are taken from real-life incidents).

Speaking of real-life incidents that I pulled from, Jager used to be a jump alert dog, which means when he found his person, he would run back to me and jump on me as an alert. Imagine a 60 lb. pitbull tank running full speed and leaping into the air. Yup, you got it. Clipped by knees and down I went. Face first. Thank God, this was during training. His alert is different now to say the least.

These two dogs, and all the dogs I have worked with on calls and during trainings, are so inspiring. They love what they do, and they do it for their toy or food reward. That is their payday. I hope these dogs continue to inspire people, continue to show people not to discount shelter dogs, and to let people know there is hope out there.

By the way, did you know SAR teams always need volunteer hiders to help train their dogs? If that sounds interesting, reach out to your local SAR team and offer to hide for a dog. Always tons of fun.

Excerpt from Called Into Action…

Jay glanced sideways at the dog as the truck bounced over the gravel road. His markings were beautiful, and if it was possible, the damned thing had soulful eyes full of blame Jay couldn’t bear to look at. “Face the front.”

If the dog would have howled or yipped in reply, Jay would have been impressed. As it was, Havoc only drooled in response. On the seat. Of his personal truck. Jay winced and sighed. Cleaning the car was one more thing to add to his day. His mood matched the impending rainstorm about to break overhead. It had been a long time since he’d had a canine companion. A companion of any kind, if he was honest.

For a minute today, when he’d first put his arms around Penelope, he’d felt something. A shock. A vibration. A tingling, at least. It had been a while. Too long since he’d had such close contact with another woman. Try as he might, he couldn’t help but notice the way she molded into him. Like God had created her just for him.

He rolled his eyes at such romantic notions.

Okay, maybe he needed a night out. Some female attention. He went through his mental contact list and came up bone dry. There was a joke in there somewhere, but after the day he’d had, he didn’t have the heart to look for it.

“Dick move to put your owner in jail. On the bright side, you’re not going to have to put up with me much longer.” The German Shepherd looked at Jay before dropping to his belly, head laying on Jay’s lap. He gave Havoc a rub between his ears, running his fingers through the dog’s well-groomed coat. Penelope took care of the dog. A couple of shed strands floated in the air in front of him. Remarkably, Havoc didn’t smell much like smoke, but more the clean fresh scent of some shampoo. He was one of the most beautiful creatures Jay had ever seen with his exquisite markings—reddish brown and black and tan that blended to create stunning fur.

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Called-into-Action-Paris-Wynters-ebook/dp/B08L827SQM
Barnes and Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/called-into-action-paris-wynters/1139906354
Apple: https://books.apple.com/us/book/called-into-action/id1535950909
Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Paris_Wynters_Called_into_Action?id=sUkDEAAAQBAJ

UPDATE: The winner is…Beverly Blank!
*~*~*

So, far there are six stories in my Montana Bounty Hunters: Dead Horse, MT, series. Eli releases sometime after midnight tonight! And there will be more stories. Gabe is already in the works, and you’ll see a short scene featuring my hero and heroine at the end of Eli. How many more stories depends on you! If you still love the hunters, I’ll write them! See below a little of the inspiration for my little town…

 

 Amazon link to Montana Bounty Hunters: Dead Horse, MT

The next story, Gabriel, is already up for pre-order at Amazon…

I’ve had fun building this “world”—my little Montana town called Dead Horse, named after a dead horse that the town’s founders were left as a warning not to stay. That bit was a little autobiographical, because when I bought a house in a rural subdivision in Texas, the house had been empty and unsold for a while. When I walked through the house with the realtor, the next door neighbor tried to talk me out of buying it. I think he didn’t like the idea of having a neighbor next to him, so he invented some wild tales about the house and the property. When we were ready to move in, we had a little “gift” left on our walkway—a large, dead deer that someone had shot. The carcass was just left to rot and stink, and there was evidence it had been dragged there. So, there you go. Southern hospitality—or Texas hospitality. That neighbor poisoned a cat of mine, too…

In the Dead Horse series, there’s a story inside the story about how the town was named and how the hunters became a part of the town’s history. It all goes back to the first book, Cage. All along the way, I’ve introduced the characters who “people” the little town. My favorite is Nadine, the ornery waitress at the Dead Horse Walk-in Diner. (She has some funny scenes in Eli!). The town’s shops all feature that “dead” theme in their names. It’s fun and makes me smile whenever I play in Dead Horse, writing a new story.

I hope you’ve followed along, because I have more in store for Dead Horse—not just the hunters, but the townsfolk, too. I hope you’ll pick up your copy of my latest installment, Eli, or that you’re going back to pick up previous stories to catch up. I promise, they’re all fun, filled with action, sexy times, and people as real as I can write them.

Contest

I’ve run this contest before, and some of you have contributed place names!

I’ve named some of the businesses in the town: Dead Horse Walk-in Diner, Dead Easy Saloon, Dead Center Guns & Pawn, Dead Heat & Air, Dead as a Doornail Hardware (which is now closed, due to the arrest of its owner, so I suppose I need a new hardware store!), Dead End Cemetery, Deadly Delights (the bakery), Dead Horse Realty, Dem Bones Package Store, Ride or Die Body and Repair, Ride or Die Gas Station, and the Drop-Dead Gorgeous Salon. I added a street name in Eli—Casket Lane.

My challenge to you is to name a new business or street. We can have competing businesses, so you can name another hair salon or barbershop, or whatever. I’ve only named one street, so the sky’s the limit! Have fun!

Play for a chance to win a $5 Amazon gift card!

My name is Kennedi Darling, and I write contemporary suspenseful MC Romance. I live in sunny Arizona with my husband of 14 years, our two boys, ages nine and five years, and our eleven-year-old dog named Roxie. In my day-to-day life, I spend my days as a full-time stay-at-home mom to my boys, as well as a full-time caregiver to my one-year-old niece. My nights are a different story. I use the little free time I have, to research, plot, and write the stories I love so dearly.

My journey into becoming a published author started in July of 2020, although my love of writing began in my youth. Creative writing was something that always fueled my soul. There’s something peaceful and utterly amazing about having the ability to bring something to life with one’s mind.

When I first decided to start this series, it began as a dream that wouldn’t let up. Piece by piece it came together, the characters slipping details to me like love notes written in class. It seemed to fill every moment of my day and consume my dreams until, finally, I had the whole picture. I remember I kept a notebook with me at all times because I never knew when someone new would pop up and say hello. This amazing world filled with characters, what they looked like, their pasts, their heartache, their strengths, and everything they’d need to succeed was there before me.

Then, I had all these puzzle pieces and two characters screaming at me to tell their story. They told me it was theirs that needed to be told first. It was theirs that was needed to start this series. So, that’s what I did.

Honestly, when I sat down to do this big scary thing, my husband thought I was nuts. “You’re going to do what now?” he said to me. “A book, like for other people to read?” I understood his confusion. Never in our sixteen years together had I ever mentioned wanting to write a book and now, all of a sudden, I was embarking on this journey I dove into headfirst. Well, I set out to write something that I thought people would love and relate to and be able to feel with every fiber of their being, and I hope I’ve done just that.

If you’ve ever read the MC romance genre before, you’ve probably heard of the SAA (sergeant at arms) position and what it entails. For those that haven’t, the SAA’s job is to maintain the safety and security of the club. That includes the safety of the members, their families, and all their property. The first novel in the series features a decorated former Army Ranger who now holds the SAA seat at the officer’s table for the Tattered Souls MC.

Follow Dagger’s journey along an emotional rollercoaster, battling a loss he wasn’t prepared for, treading water in a sea of misconception, and finally getting his hard-earned HEA. This book of trials, heartache, and undying love will leave you with a book hangover of epic proportions, but don’t worry; more is to come from the TSMC.

Dagger

Sienna:
I promised him forever, only one mistake became never.
My body was no longer my lover’s temple, but a madman’s canvas.
Instead of quivering with pleasure, I shuddered in pain.
Now I’m back, a shell of a woman with a shattered mind and a tattered soul.
There’s no way Dagger would see me for the woman I was.
And the loneliness is going to kill me.

Dagger:
I promised her forever, only one call became never.
Dreams of the future were no longer peaceful, but shattered by nightmares.
The woman who held the key to my soul was gone, though I never moved on.
Now she’s back, though tattered and broken.
She’ll never believe she still owns my heart.
But I’m determined to avenge her.

Dagger is the first book in the Tattered Souls MC. This story includes a HEA, no cliffhanger, and no cheating.

Adult Content Warning: This book contains explicit language, sexual scenes, and violence.

**Trigger Warnings**
This book contains instances of past torture, the recounting of past mental and physical abuse, as well as an instance of suicidal thoughts and a stopped attempt. If any of these subjects affect you negatively, this book may not be suitable for you.

Book Link:
Dagger (Tattered Souls MC: Book 1) is available on KU and on Amazon here: https://mybook.to/DaggerTSMC

Where to find Kennedi

My Links
Facebook Author Page: facebook.com/kennedidarlingauthor
Join my reader group here: ( I’m less socially awkward here…most of the time): https://www.facebook.com/groups/kennedidarlingsdolls
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/21583118.Kennedi_Darling
BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/kennedi-darling
AllAuthor: https://allauthor.com/author/kennedidarling/
Instagram: instagram.com/kennedidarlingauthor
Twitter: twitter.com/KennediDarling

Do you love MC romance? If so, be sure to check out author Kennedi Darling’s new series, Tattered Souls MC! Book 1, Dagger, is now FREE in Kindle Unlimited, and Arrow is coming very, very soon! Be sure to pre-order it now! And, I know it’s puzzle day, but I’ll be back here with one tomorrow! 🙂 ~DD

Arrow, Tattered Souls, Book #2

Calista:

Living fast-paced days of endless work and finding pleasure in one-night stands was how I enjoyed my life. At twenty-eight, my career as a psychiatrist was fulfilling, and I had too much to accomplish to allow myself to be distracted by foolish things like relationships and love. But the night I walked into his bar threatened to break my resolve.

He was everything I shouldn’t want and everything I secretly craved. The most potent addiction I couldn’t get enough of, no matter how hard I tried.

Arrow:

As President of the Tattered Souls MC, life had a way of speeding by.

Forty had crept up on my door, and between the military and my club, I’d never expended the energy it took to find my queen. Until the night she came into my bar. Gorgeous, feisty, and smart as a whip, she didn’t let me get away with anything. Despite her determination to keep me at arm’s length, I was a man used to getting what I wanted.

So, when fate intervened, it was my chance to make her mine. Now, I had to find a way to keep her safe from the dangers that haunted us both long enough to claim her as my own.

**Arrow is the second book in the Tattered Souls MC. It features an Age Gap, a heroine with a disdain for bikers, and a hero who will do everything it takes to change her mind.

This story includes a HEA, no cliffhangers, and no cheating. It is recommended that the series be read in order as there are continuing elements that follow the club from book to book, however, each couples’ story is completed within the pages of its own book.

Coming February 8th! Pre-order now!

And in case you missed the first book! It’s FREE in KU!

Dagger, Tattered Souls, Book #1

Sienna:
I promised him forever, only one mistake became never.
My body was no longer my lover’s temple, but a madman’s canvas.
Instead of quivering with pleasure, I shuddered in pain.
Now I’m back, a shell of a woman with a shattered mind and a tattered soul.
There’s no way Dagger would see me for the woman I was.
And the loneliness is going to kill me.

Dagger:
I promised her forever, only one call became never.
Dreams of the future were no longer peaceful, but shattered by nightmares.
The woman who held the key to my soul was gone, though I never moved on.
Now she’s back, though tattered and broken.
She’ll never believe she still owns my heart.
But I’m determined to avenge her.

Dagger is the first book in the Tattered Souls MC. This story includes a HEA, no cliffhanger, and no cheating.

Adult Content Warning: This book contains explicit language, sexual scenes, and violence.

**Trigger Warnings**
This book contains instances of past torture, the recounting of past mental and physical abuse, as well as an instance of suicidal thoughts and a stopped attempt. If any of these subjects affect you negatively, this book may not be suitable for you.

Get your copy here!