Last-Minute #Christmas Gifts You Can Deliver in Seconds: #KidLit and #Romance

Whoops! With Christmas only a few days away, maybe you realize you need an extra gift or two. Did you know you can purchase a Kindle book for someone and have it delivered on Christmas? You can do this even if you don't have a Kindle. If they don't have a Kindle, they can read the book on the Kindle app. They can also exchange it for something else of equal value.

May I suggest Coffee and Crushes atthe Cat Café: A Furrever Friends Sweet Romance for your cat-loving and romance-loving friends? 😸

     Kari doesn't have time for love when she's opening her new cat café. But when a sexy master baker walks in, how can she resist?

Amazon provides instructions for purchasing and sending a Kindle book as a gift: 

Note: In order to gift a Kindle book title, you will need a valid 1-Click payment method for your account. You can set this up by going to Manage Your Content and Devices, selecting the Settings tab, and then clicking Edit Payment Method below Digital Payment Settings.

To purchase a Kindle book as a gift:

1. From the Kindle Store in your desktop browser, select the book you want to purchase as a gift.Note: Free books, books on pre-order, and subscriptions cannot be gifted at this time.
2. On the product detail page, click the Buy for others button.
3. Enter the personal email address of your gift recipient.Tip: If you are unsure of the email address for your recipient, you can select Email the gift to me before placing your order. This allows you to forward the gift email or print and personally deliver it to your recipient. The gift recipient can enter the Gift Claim Code from the email, after logging in to their Amazon account.
4. Enter a delivery date and an optional gift message.
5. Click Place your order to finish your gift purchase using your Amazon 1-Click payment method.

Learn more at "Purchase a Kindle Book as a Gift."

Get Coffee and Crushes at the Cat Café or any Kris Bock title here.

Check out the Chris Eboch middle grade novels here.

Kittens and Kisses at the Cat Café - A Sweet #Romance Pre-order and Excerpt #MFRWhooks

He’s loved her forever. She still sees him as the neighbor kid. Can five desperate kittens bring them together?

Kittens and Kisses at the Cat Café: A Furrever Friends Sweet Romance, Book 2 is now available for preorder!

Marley is a baker at the new Furrever Friends Cat Café, which is still trying to find its footing. Her nine-year-old son, Brian, desperately wants a kitten, but they can’t have pets where they live. Who has the time to date? Just as well that she’s protected her heart since the father of her child disappeared.

Adam has loved Marley since he was 13, and she was his best friend’s free-spirited older sister. Back then, he fantasized about rescuing her from bandits or dragons. Now he’s 24, and the five-year age gap isn’t so serious. He wants nothing more than to become a family with Marley and her son. But will she ever see him as a man?

When someone leaves a box of week-old kittens at the café, Adam jumps at the chance to be a hero. But herding kittens might be tougher than fighting dragons, especially when two of them fail to thrive. Can Adam, Marley, and Brian save the kittens and find a future together?

If you enjoy tropes such as best friend’s sibling / sibling’s best friend, friends to lovers, first love, unrequited love, and older women with younger men, check out Kittens and Kisses at the Cat Café. You'll also find rescue cats with plenty of personality and their own ideas about what love is.

Excerpt: Chapter 1

Adam let himself into the Furrever Friends Cat Café at 6:30 in the morning. He had half an hour until the café opened, an hour until he had to head to his job. It made sense to come to the café early, when his best friend, Kari, wouldn’t need her office. When he wouldn’t have the evening distractions of café employees, and customers playing with cats.

That’s why he arrived so early. It had nothing to do with Marley, singing a folk song in the kitchen as she started the day’s baking.

If you couldn’t lie to yourself, who could you lie to?

He paused in the hallway that led between the cat room on the right and the kitchen on the left. The interior windows on the right offered a view into the cat room. Cats sprawled on the padded benches and chairs or peeked out of hammocks and cat tower boxes. He smiled at the sight.

He turned to the left and paused at the counter where they served food and drinks. In the kitchen behind the serving area, Marley kneaded dough. She didn’t look up. She must not have heard him come in.

Should he announce his presence? At this point, he’d likely startle her by saying something. He forced his feet to move down the hall to the office. He wasn’t there to gawk. He had to figure out their Internet problem.

He indulged himself by leaving the office door open so he could still hear Marley sing. That wasn’t creepy, right? She sang even when she knew people were listening, sometimes. He recognized her current song, “Big Rock Candy Mountain,” as one she sang to her son.

She had an amazing voice. She’d taken lessons, back when they were all kids. Well, when he and Kari were kids, and Marley was a teenager, the beautiful, free-spirited, kind older girl who treated him like a little brother. Despite their five-year age difference, he’d never seen her as a sister. At first, he’d been in awe of her. Later … that was another matter.

This is a blog hop! Visit all the Book Hooks from #MFRWHooks – You might find your next great read!

Kris Bock writes novels of romance, mystery, and suspense. Her Furrever Friends Sweet Romance series features the employees and customers at a cat café. Watch as they fall in love with each other and with shelter cats. The series begins with Coffee and Crushes at the Cat Café.

Kris also writes romantic suspense set in the Southwestern U.S. If you love Mary Stewart or Barbara Michaels, try Kris Bock’s stories of treasure hunting, archaeology, and intrigue in the Southwest.

Learn more at www.krisbock.com or visit her Amazon page. Sign up for the Kris Bock newsletter for announcements of new books, sales, and more.

Plumbing Problems at Christmas? A #holiday #romance from @VickiBatman

Well, stuff happens. Plumbing problems come when we least expect them. I know I’ve been there, and I’m betting many of you have as well.

So why write plumbing into a holiday story? Like most writers, I’ve been asked where I get ideas. The idea to write about a Mr. Maintenance Man and a librarian hit me. I needed some catastrophe to bring them together, and voila! Plumbing.

I’ve also been asked if some of the things I’ve written about have happened in real life. And yes, they have. In “Holiday Disaster,” I write about a lost contact. When I was a single girl, this really did happen to me, except the maintenance man was in no way like my hero. No tool belt either.

Throughout my life, I’ve experienced plumbing problems. For example, the sewer backed up in my basement the day after a wedding reception held at my house. The plumber, my real-life hero, Roger, climbed on the roof to snake the drain through the vent. I’ve had pipes freeze, and again, Roger fixed everything. I’ve had potato peelings back up in the sink, and yes, Roger rescued me.

This past summer, Handsome and I traveled to Tuscany and stayed in an old farmhouse. A huge thunderstorm blew in and stayed for a whole day, which was great for reading and stitching. Then the power went out. Okay, not so bad. I had packed a book light. However, then the truth revealed itself—no electricity equaled no plumbing because the septic pump was … powered by electricity.

So yes, real life can provide fodder for books.

Here’s a bit about “Holiday Disaster”:

Hopes and wishes and holiday kisses...Sommerville holidays.

Days before Christmas, a librarian experiences plumbing issues and visits from Mr. Maintenance Man, who isn’t nearly as jolly as Santa Claus.

Merry Christmas to me. Not really.

Wrapping my hands around the older-than-time plumbing underneath my bathroom sink, I yanked, hoping-praying-hoping the darn thing would loosen, and all would be saved. But no. Nada. Too darn tight.

Obviously, somebody more muscular than me was required to strong-arm the pipe free. My shoulders hunched with helpless feelings. I should have closed the drain stopper to prevent my contact from swirling merrily away after it popped out of my eye and flew in the sink.

Feeling helpless sucks big time, and I hate it.

Not a great way to kick off the holiday season.

I should have paid more attention when Dad donned his Mr. Fix-it hat and repaired stuff in the family homestead. Maybe I would have learned something valuable, something resembling Plumbing 101. But like most little girls, playtime was ten times more fun than hanging with Dad and repairing broken stuff.

What to do. What to do. Nothing I could do. I declared “surrender” and called the condo’s emergency number. Mr. Maintenance Man told me he was on his way. I hoped he wasn’t humoring me. Lying—my number one enemy.

Vicki Batman has sold many romantic comedy works to magazines, several publishers, and most recently, three romantic comedy mysteries. Along the way, she has picked up some awards and bestsellers. Avid Jazzerciser. Handbag lover. Mahjong player. Yoga practitioner. Movie fan. Book devourer. Chocaholic. Best Mom ever. And adores Handsome Hubby. Most days begin with her hands set to the keyboard and thinking, "What if??"

Find Vicki Batman at:

Website: http://vickibatman.blogspot.com/p/more-about-me.html/

Blog: http://www.vickibatman.blogspot.com/ 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Vicki-Batman-sassy-writer-of-sexy-and-funny-fiction-133506590074451/ 

Twitter: https://twitter.com/VickiBatman/   

Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/vickibatman/   

Author Central: https://www.amazon.com/author/vickibatman/   

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4814608.Vicki_Batman/

Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/vicki-batman/

Instagram: vickilbatman     

I hope your holidays are disaster-free 

and may your days be Merry & Bright!

#Romance and #Suspense Free! The Mad Monk’s Treasure

The Mad Monk’s Treasure

by Kris Bock

Free until 12/2!

Genre: Romantic Suspense

Book heat level: PG (no explicit sex or swearing, action scenes with mild violence)

Praise for The Mad Monk’s Treasure:

“The action never stopped .... It was adventure and romance at its best.”

“Great balance of history, romance, and adventure. Smart romance with an ‘Indiana Jones’ feel. Well-written with an attention to detail that allowed me to picture exactly in my head how a scene looked and played out.”

“I couldn’t put this book down. You’ll love it.”

Get it here: Kris Bock at Amazon

Excerpt:

   What better way to spend the summer, than hunting for buried treasure?

   Erin shook her head. Who would’ve thought that she, the quiet, studious girl who’d spent her entire adult life in academia in one way or another, would be planning such an adventure?

   She checked that the front door was locked, a habit left over from living in bigger cities, grabbed her bike helmet, and went out the back.

   Erin wheeled the bike around the front of her house and mounted. At the corner, she paused and looked both ways. The long frontage road was dangerously narrow, with a cement wall on one side and a ditch on the other. Fortunately, traffic was normally light, and at this time of day the road lay empty. Erin pushed off, still grinning from her find. She rode on the right side, by the ditch, instead of facing traffic, because it was just too frightening to ride alongside the wall when a car passed.

   She’d gone a block when she heard the hum of a car engine as it pulled out from a side street behind her. She rode along the very edge of the pavement, even though the car would have plenty of room to pass her without oncoming traffic.

   Erin glanced over her shoulder. The black SUV 20 feet behind her hadn’t bothered to pull out into the road at all. Jerk. When would drivers learn to share the road with bicyclists? Erin pulled onto the two-foot wide gravel strip between the pavement and the ditch. She couldn’t stop without risking a skid, but she slowed so the SUV could pass.

   The engine roared. Erin glanced back again.

   Black metal bore down on her. Her heart lurched and the bike wobbled. This guy was crazy! She whipped her gaze forward, rose up in the seat, and pumped the pedals with all her power, skimming along inches from the ditch. He was just trying to scare her. She’d get his license plate and—

   She felt the bumper hit her back tire. The bike seemed to leap into the air, and she went flying. The dried mud and weeds of the ditch seemed to rise up to meet her.

   She didn’t even have time to scream.

The Mad Monk’s Treasure, a fun romp through the Southwest, is free on Kindle until December 2. Check it out, and if you like it, please leave a review (and maybe try some of my other books too).

Kris Bock writes novels of suspense and romance with outdoor adventures and Southwestern landscapes.  The Mad Monk’s Treasure follows the hunt for a long-lost treasure in the New Mexico desert. In The Dead Man’s Treasure, estranged relatives compete to reach a buried treasure by following a series of complex clues. In The Skeleton Canyon Treasure, sparks fly when reader favorites Camie and Tiger help a mysterious man track down his missing uncle. Each book stands alone with a couple who reaches their happy ending.

Read excerpts at www.krisbock.com or visit her Amazon page. Sign up for the Kris Bock newsletter for announcements of new books, sales, and more.

Espresso Brownie #Recipe from Coffee and Crushes at the Cat Café: A Sweet #Romance by @Kris_Bock #MRFWhooks

Coffee and Crushes at the Cat Café is set at a café with its own bakery, so of course we have recipes! 

In the book, Kari is opening a cat café with an in-house bakery. When a master baker shows up, Kari thinks he might be perfect for her sister, Marley. But Kari's heart has other plans. Here's a quick excerpt with the sisters. (Brian is Marley's nine-year-old son.)

Kari unwrapped an espresso brownie.

“Ahem.” Marley tapped the plate. “These are for paying customers.”

“Put it on my tab.” Kari took a bite. “I skipped breakfast.”

“Then this will really calm you down.” Marley shrugged and took one for herself.

“When I met Colin, I thought he might be good for you,” Kari said. “At first, I was thinking about a fun romance. As I got to know him …”

“You fell for him yourself.”

“No. Well, yes. But I meant I still thought you two should be together, only something more serious. I want you to be happy.”

“I want to be happy,” Marley said. “I am happy. More now than I have been in ages. I have a job I love. My son is getting more independent and turning into a cool human being. I have a loving sister and mother. I have a great new friend. What more could I ask for?”

Kari brushed brownie crumbs from her lips. “A partner?”

“Sure, that would be nice, but I’ve gotten along without one for this long. If the right guy shows up, and it works with Brian in my life, I won’t turn him away. But I don’t need a man.”

“Of course you don’t. No one does. Still.”

“Still, they do round out a life nicely, if you get the right one.” Marley took a bite of her brownie, chewed, and licked her lips. “Does this mean you’re going after Colin?”

Get this sweet romance on Amazon, or free with Kindle Unlimited.

And Here's the Recipe:

Easy Espresso Brownies

1 cup salted butter, softened

2 cups granulated sugar

4 eggs

1/3 cup espresso powder, such as DeLallo

1 ½ cups all purpose flour

1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1 cup chocolate chips, optional

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a 9x13 baking pan with parchment paper.
• Cream the butter and the sugar. Blend in the eggs.
• Mix in the espresso powder. Blend in the flour and cocoa powder.
• Stir in the chocolate chips if you want extra chocolate. (I never don't want extra chocolate.)
• Pour the batter in the baking pan.
• Bake for 30-40 minutes. Test with a toothpick or knife. Remember that these will set more after you pull them out. If you like gooey brownies, stick to the shorter end of the baking time.

Do you have a favorite recipe for muffins, scones, cookies, or other baked goods? What would you serve at your cat café?

Kris Bock writes novels of romance, mystery, and suspense. Her Furrever Friends Sweet Romance series features the employees and customers at a cat café. Watch as they fall in love with each other and shelter cats.

Kris also writes romantic suspense set in the Southwestern U.S. If you love Mary Stewart or Barbara Michaels, try Kris Bock’s stories of treasure hunting, archaeology, and intrigue in the Southwest. Sign up for Kris Bock’s newsletter for announcements of new books, sales, and more. Visit the Kris Bock website or Kris Bock’s Amazon page.

Bedeviled: Romantic Suspense by @madisonmichael_ FREE November 7-10

Bedeviled

The Beguiling Bachelors, Book 3

By Madison Michael

♥♥♥ ~ Free November 7th - November 10th Only ~ ♥♥♥

About Bedeviled:

If You Build Your Love on Lies, You Better Run Faster than the Truth

Newly appointed Finance Director, Charlotte Roche escaped dangers lurking in Boston by moving to Chicago. A new name, a new beginning - all built on lies. Believing she is safe, Charlotte drops her guard and sets her sights on her ruggedly handsome and wildly sexy running partner, Alexander Gaines. Can she advance their relationship from the track to the bedroom and still maintain her charade? or will Alex's probing questions pierce her carefully rehearsed story?

Alex, with unrevealed secrets of his own, struggles to hold the irresistible Charlotte at arm’s length. But when Charlotte sustains a suspicious injury, Alex seizes the opportunity to cuddle up to the sassy beauty. Does he dare risk his reputation, his fortune, his friends, and his heart by letting her get close?

How can they build a bond with deceit on both sides? With exposure imminent, their freshly forged relationship is in jeopardy and so are their lives. Can their love survive or are they bedeviled? 

Join Alex and Charlotte, in this steamy romance, the third in the five-star rated Beguiling Bachelor series. The suspense builds as the characters you’ve met and loved in “Bedazzled” and “Beholden” help tackle the maze of half-truths and cover-ups threatening the lovers.

ASIN: B06WLQL2FT Genre: Steamy Romantic Suspense Amazon Buy Link: https://amzn.to/321d24H

Excerpt from Bedeviled:

Keeping his mind on the topic always took all of Alex’s effort anyway. When Charlotte sat hip-to-hip with him as she had today, he felt the heat of her skin, saw the long length of thigh exposed in front of him, heard her heavy post-run breathing until he was in sensory overload. She smelled so good, not stinky and sweaty like he must. She smelled classy and expensive with all those clean, floral scents. She smelled like a woman he could trust.

More like a woman I want to trust.

Thinking back, Alex recognized that she had been hiding something all along. When he wasn’t lost in a sensual fog, he was able to zero in on where the conversations lagged, when she got testy with his probing or tried to change the subject. It had something to do with her life in Boston before she moved to Chicago and it was something that had been going on for a while. She was practiced at her excuses by the time she used them on him. She was making too many trips back East for ‘Harvard stuff.’ She had met Regan Howe through this same ‘Harvard stuff’ yet Regan went back to her alma mater only once or twice a year, if that.

Oh yeah, Charlotte is definitely up to something and I intend to find out what. I have been patient long enough.

Sitting waiting now for Charlotte to arrive at Starbucks, Alex promised himself that he would get to the bottom of this or walk away.

Since she had declined his offer of a ride, Alex currently sat at a shady outside table enjoying the last of summer, waiting for her to walk over and speculating on her possible secrets. He was planning his subtle interrogation during the few minutes Charlotte would need to make her way across the park,

Stubborn. She should have just accepted the ride.

You driving over or walking?” she had asked him, once they caught their breath.

“I have the car if you want a ride?” When she hesitated, he tried tempting her. “I have the new car.”

Alex was the proud owner of a brand new Mercedes AMG. The sleek, luxury sports car suited him despite most people’s image of him as logical, conservative and staid. The need for speed was actually deep in his blood. “You will love it, tight on the curves, fast and quiet. She purrs,” he had bragged.

Charlotte hesitated on his last remark and Alex had been sure she would accept. “The new car, huh?” she sounded intrigued. “I am excited to see it at last, Alex. You have certainly been talking about it long enough.”

“I need to walk off this tight hamstring, so I’ll have to pass this time,” she had replied reluctantly. “Meet you there in five.” Of course, Charlotte had been Charlotte, and that included being unpredictable.

Charlotte, leaving Alex standing there, had taken off across the park without a backward glance. Alex stood dumbfounded a moment, watching her slow jog-walk toward the trail across the grassy lawns of Lincoln Park. She was heading directly toward their usual post-run Starbucks and if he didn’t get moving, she would be there first.

Still he stood, willing her to look back and flash him that smile that changed her whole face. She didn’t, of course, and Alex was left standing there, admiring her lithe figure and the smooth bunch and release of her muscles in those tiny running shorts as she moved into the distance. Reminding himself to close his gaping mouth, Alex jogged to the parking lot, trading an extra moment of admiring a beautiful woman for a few short moments admiring his beautiful new car.

Arriving at the coffee shop several minutes before Charlotte, Alex was forced to cool his heels. He spent the time piecing together anything he could think of to uncover Charlotte’s deep, dark, secret. Admittedly, he needed the ten-minute head start away from her to give his overheated blood a little cooling time too. He kept envisioning the two of them in that sweet ride, sitting close with their sweat-slicked bodies. The image had intensified the jolts of.electricity already coursing through his veins from running beside her scantily clothed body.

Too bad she turned me down. One of these days we will be in tight quarters, all alone, and I will make my move. I have resisted too long already.

About Madison Michael: Madison Michael is an indie publisher, blogger and the author of the Beguiling Bachelor Series as well as the novella Desire & Dessert, from her sizzling B&B Billionaire Bachelor series.

A Chicago native and hopeless romantic, Maddy was raised on Chicago culture, fairy tales, great literature and swashbuckling movies. Maddy employs that history, writing steamy contemporary romance novels set against the sumptuous backdrop of Chicago’s elite society.

After receiving a BA in Journalism from the University of Illinois and an MBA from Loyola University of Chicago, Madison abandoned her writing to find her way in the corporate business world. Daughter of a librarian, it was inevitable that she would return to the world of books.

Maddy writes from high above Chicago where she can stare at its gorgeous skyline or the shores of Lake Michigan surrounded by feline assistants. When she is not writing,, Maddy can be found lost in a book, fighting for the rights of the mentally iil or dining on Chicago’s famous cuisine. Hot dogs and pizza, anyone?

Social Links: Website: http://madisonmichael.net/
Maddy's Romance Madness: https://www.madisonmichael.net/maddys-romance-madness/
Maddy's Blog: https://www.madisonmichael.net/maddys-blog/
Facebook: http://facebook.com/madisonmichaelromance
Twitter: http://twitter.com/madisonmichael_
Amazon Author Page: amazon.com/Madison-Michael/e/B01EVUGG6G/ref=dp_byline_cont_ebooks_1
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/madisonmichaelromance
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/madisonmichaelromance/

Sweet, Swoon-Worthy #Romance plus #Recipes and Cats

Sweet, Swoon-Worthy Romance

Small towns and big cities, rock stars and Billionaires, Christmas stories ... all in KU, if that helps you. This group promo is for books that are “clean,” with a sweet, mild heat level. Get these books fast! This promotion ends November 8.

In other news ... 

I'm writing a series about a cat café. But I don't have cats. Huh?

I love cats. I have known cats and enjoyed them in small doses. But tragically, I am very allergic to cats, so I cannot let one keep me as a servant. (I'm getting allergy shots, so maybe that will change in the future.)

Instead, my husband and I keep ferrets. They are similar to cats in some ways. When they play, they are as rambunctious as kittens. Like adult cats, they sleep most of the time.

So I will write about a cat cafe, which gives me a chance to look at lots of pictures and videos of adorable cats and kittens. 😻

Since I’m doing a series set at a café, so of course I mention amazing baked goods! In case you missed it here, this recipe for Cookie Dough Brownies is included at the back of Coffee and Crushes at the Cat Café. I add a from-scratch brownie recipe there, but here's the quicker version, just in time for holiday parties and cookie exchanges!

And my recipe for Cookie Dough Cupcakes is on this blog. A chocolate chip cupcake with a ball of chocolate chip cookie dough in the center, and cookie dough frosting. 😲

For a video that inspired a chapter of Coffee and Crushes at the Cat Café, watch "Easy Cat Moonlight scenery drawing with Oil Pastels - step by step" on YouTube. It makes art look easy!

Coffee and Crushes at the Cat Café: A Furrever Friends Sweet #Romance #MFRWAuthor

What do you do when you meet the guy of your dreams? Set him up with your sister, of course.

Kari doesn't have time for love when she's opening her new cat café. Renovating an old restaurant, hiring employees, fighting with the health inspector – oh, and welcoming 16 shelter cats – keeps her plenty busy. She's doing this for the cats, the community, and most of all her family. The café will give her sister, Marley, a job worthy of her baking skills.

Then a tattooed military vet wanders in claiming to be a master baker himself. The café doesn't need another baker, but maybe Marley needs a man. Surely she'll fall for a guy this sweet, this sexy, this tasty.

Colin has other ideas. It's Kari who makes him want to pour on the sugar and turn up the heat. But he's spent the last two years recovering from physical and psychological wounds. Is he really ready for a relationship? He's not even sure he should commit to Samson, the fluffy marshmallow of a cat who steals his heart.

Get this sweet romance on Amazon, or free with Kindle Unlimited.

Excerpt: Chapter 1

Kari studied the muscular, tattooed man with the shaved head. Yummy. Not her type, but still, she could see why some women liked bad boys. “You don’t look like a barista.” Whoops, had she said that out loud?

One corner of his mouth twitched. “You don’t look like a business owner.”

Fair enough. Growing her hair out had not, as she’d hoped, helped her look older than her 24 years, and no matter how tall she stood, she couldn’t reach above five feet two inches. All right, technically five feet one and a half inches.

She smiled. “I guess we’re even.”

He glanced around the empty room. Kari followed his gaze. Was he wondering if they would actually get the cat café open in a few weeks? At the moment, they had no furniture, no decor, and no cats. This man had wandered in through the doors that were propped open to let the paint fumes escape. He wasn’t the first person to take interest in the Help Wanted sign in the window, but he was one of the few men, and the oldest. She guessed his age at early thirties, though possibly hard living had added a few years.

His presence made the large room feels smaller. Kari took refuge in professionalism. After all, however she might look, she was in fact a business owner now. “Do you have a resume?”

He turned back to her and his piercing gaze almost knocked her back a step.

“I’m going to be upfront with you,” he said.

She swallowed. “I’d appreciate that.”

“My resume doesn’t reflect my current interests. I did four years in the Army. Then I signed on with a private security firm in the Mid East. Did that for four years before I was injured last year. Almost two years ago now, I guess.”

Kari did some math in her head, partly to distract herself from his golden-brown eyes. Assume he’d entered the military right out of high school. That made four years plus four plus two. That would make him younger than she’d thought, less than thirty. Eight years in the Middle East would also explain his tough, weathered look.

“I spent the time since then focused on healing. Physical therapy, counseling.” His eyes narrowed slightly, as if ready to judge her response.

“That’s good.” It would be rude to ask about his injuries, not to mention against labor laws if this was going to be a job interview. “I hope you’re …” It was probably too much to expect better from a recovery that took over a year of physical therapy and counseling. “… improved.”

He nodded, and his shoulders dropped half an inch. She hadn’t realized until then that he might be nervous about this conversation as well.

Kari smiled warmly. “So now you think making coffee sounds good? Or is it the cats that appeal to you?”

He returned her smile, and her knees went weak. He was not her type. She liked intellectual, career-focused men. She had never understood women who raved over a man in uniform. Not that he was in uniform now. She glanced down at his faded jeans and tried not to let her gaze linger on the snug black T-shirt as she looked up again. Now he looked like he should be jumping on a motorcycle without a helmet, not looking for work in a café that featured adoptable cats. Soldier or biker, he wasn’t her type – but she could see the appeal.

A clatter came from the kitchen, where her sister was organizing the supplies. On the other hand, this man might be Marley’s type. After all, Marley had gotten pregnant at eighteen from a tattooed soldier on leave. She’d hardly dated since, but if her ex hadn’t turned her off of the type permanently, she might find this one appealing. But was he a nice guy or a jerk?

“Both, actually.”

It took Kari a moment to realize he was responding to her question about coffee or cats.

Get this sweet romance on Amazon, or free with Kindle Unlimited.

Visit all the Book Hooks from #MFRWHooks - You might find your next great read!

About Kris Bock

Kris Bock writes novels of romance, mystery, and suspense. Her Furrever Friends Sweet Romance series features the employees and customers at a cat café. Watch as they fall in love with each other and shelter cats.

Kris also writes romantic suspense set in the Southwestern U.S. If you love Mary Stewart or Barbara Michaels, try Kris Bock’s stories of treasure hunting, archaeology, and intrigue in the Southwest. Sign up for Kris Bock’s newsletter for announcements of new books, sales, and more.

Read excerpts at www.krisbock.com or visit her Amazon page. Sign up for the Kris Bock newsletter for announcements of new books, sales, and more.