#EggcerptExchange for The Heist by Adriana Kraft #MFRWAuthor #RomanticSuspense

A heist? A murder? It’s villain’s choice.

A special-order art theft? Tedious, but seamless – until small town museum director Kara Daniels calls in the experts. Furious her favorite trio of priceless impressionist paintings has been stolen from its traveling exhibit on her watch, Kara is determined to save not only the paintings, but her future in the art world. She’ll stop at nothing to entrap the thief.

Ted Springs knows the underbelly of the criminal world a little closer than he might like—but he’s turned it to good advantage, first as a police officer, and now as detective for the Upper Midwest Arts Council. His job? To guarantee the security of the valuable paintings in the Council’s traveling exhibits.

Heat sizzles when Ted and Kara collide—can they work together, before it’s too late?

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EXCERPT

Holding her breath, Kara examined the three paintings with great care. Exhaling, she used an eyepiece to study the artist signature, the composition of the work, and the layers of paint. She did her best to ignore the short, wiry man hovering about.

He’d introduced himself merely as Henri. That probably wasn’t his name. His heavily accented English suggested Eastern European roots. It was unlikely he was a resident of Thun. Ted had handled the introductions, following up on previous telephone calls to arrange the meeting and making clear that as representatives of the Art Council, they were only interested in retrieving the paintings. There would be no questions about how the works had come to be in Henri’s possession. Both men had been surprisingly gracious. If she didn’t know better, she would never guess that one was a detective and the other part of the criminal element.

Henri hardly projected the stereotypical image of the criminal she’d developed over the years. There were no threatening postures or words. She doubted he was armed. Neither was Ted. But the little man was extremely cautious. He’d only spoken of the paintings in cryptic terms, as if he were concerned she or Ted might be wired. Since they’d come to Henri’s hotel room, he should be confident about its security. Although the man looked harmless enough, the possibility of back-up loomed large. Ted had warned her not to say more than she had to and that they would likely be watched by others.

Trying to set aside the oddities of their meeting, Kara focused on her task. The paintings were good—excellent, actually. When Henri had first pulled the cloths off them, her heart had fluttered. They were as stunning as they had been when she’d first seen them at the museum.

REVIEWS

Five stars at Goodreads: “The sex is hot and I loved the phone sex scenes. Never did I expect the ending. It was brilliant. The Heist is a winner!” Sheila G.

Five stars at Amazon: “From the start, the perspective of Kara, the museum’s director and the thieves are cleverly interwoven…  rich in detail…   held my interest and kept me reading forward.” Gaele  “Very hot…engaging, entertaining, funny and serious, well written and extremely enjoyable to read.” Donna H.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Adriana Kraft is a married couple writing Sizzling Romantic Suspense and Erotic Romance for Two, Three, or More. Whether readers open our romantic suspense or our erotic romance, they can expect characters they care about, hot sex scenes, and a compelling story. Our suspense stories deliver one man, one woman, danger and intrigue. Our erotic romance is edgier and nearly always includes ménage or polyamory, sometimes with two women and a man, sometimes with two (or more) couples.

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.

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 Timeto Heat Things Up

SOCIAL MEDIA

Blog: http://www.adrianakraft.com/blog

FaceBook Page http://www.facebook.com/pages/Adriana-Kraft/182846025133440

Twitter http://twitter.com/AdrianaKraft

GoodReads http://www.goodreads.com/author/list/1578571.Adriana_Kraft

Newsletter http://eepurl.com/uRvCr

Pinterest http://www.pinterest.com/adrianakraft5/boards/

Google+ https://plus.google.com/102791537641895264573/posts

BookBub https://www.bookbub.com/authors/adriana-kraft

#EggcerptExchange One Night in Havana in the City Nights #eroticromance series from #Tirgearr Publishing

Author Kathleen Rowland picked the setting of Cuba for a reason. She wanted to trap her proud Cuban professor there. He survives because of his flamboyant personality and opportunistic nature. Cuba is a fascinating mid-century time warp. The 1950s cars still run due to amazing mechanics.  No matter how hardworking, Cubans exist under strict communistic rules such as the inability to move from one section of the country to another. Without free-enterprise they can’t make much money.  If they do leave, they can only bring ten thousand dollars with them, but this would be a huge amount of money for most Cubans. Big business such as cigar manufacture is government-run.

One Night in Havana—blurb:

A desperate competition and sizzling attraction leads to dangerous desire.

New York Marine biologist Veronica “Roni” Keane is attending the Havana Bay Conference in Cuba. Tomorrow only one grant will be awarded which will provide the winner with professional recognition, resources for a project, and living expenses for two years. She hopes to continue her deceased father’s work, but smooth operator, Carlos Montoya, has won many grants in the past.

Carlos, a freelancer for the Havana Port Authority, works to help protect Havana’s reputation as a bastion of safety. As international travelers flock to the island, attracted by its 1950’s time-warp and colonial architecture, the drug business is running rampant, particularly on Roni’s cruise ship. Something’s not right, and when her scuba tanks are tampered with, Carlos brings in the military police to investigate. For her safety, he keeps her close, but he craves her body.

Their attraction leads to a fun night with a bit of kink. But Roni finds herself in more trouble than she bargained for when the criminals blame her for alerting the military police and come looking for her. Can Roni trust Carlos to protect her? Will she stay in Havana if Carlos wins the coveted grant, or kiss her lover goodbye?

Excerpt—Chapter One

“Why, Veronica Keane.” A voice heavy with a Spanish accent drawled from behind her. “A dive bar?” A taunting tsk. “What do we have? A slumming New Yorker?”

She stiffened and closed her eyes. She knew that voice and its owner, Dr. Carlos Montoya, a finalist like her, competing for the same damn grant at the biggest Cephalopoda conference of the decade. Her heart pitter-pattered against her ribs. To turn toward him would intimate distress, or worse yet, weakness. She wouldn’t fail to win this grant, not when she was a final contender. “I like this funky little place.” Sia Macario Café, smack in the center of Havana, allowed her to observe locals and their daily lives.

“You need to eat with all the mojitos you’ve downed.” The big tease wasn’t counting. This was her first drink, but his rumbling, sexy timbre hinted at all kinds of dark, hot promises. She’d rubbed shoulders with the Cuban scientist all week. This splendid specimen of Latin male brought on a physical ache that punched low.

A flare-up stirred fear. For her own good, she needed to resist. “I ordered camarones enchiladas.” By now she knew the menu on the chalkboard by heart. She tipped her head back to whiff grilled shrimp soon to arrive in sofrito sauce with fried sweet plantains.

“The flan is good. Just like my abuela makes.”

“I bet. Your grandmother would be happy to hear that,” she said, knowing he brought out the best in most people. Two days ago he'd invited her and a handful of others scuba diving. The chance to ogle him had been one of the perks. He’d worn nothing but swim trunks, his bare chest on display. Every glistening muscle was finely etched. Not a drop of fat on him. Since he’d not given her the time of day, she’d checked him out without him noticing.

The hard-bodied host had led the way toward habitats of soft-bodied creatures. To find where invertebrates lived was never an easy task. Octopuses squeezed into narrow passages of coral for protection and gave females a place to keep their eggs. She’d discovered the remains of a few meals nearby. Octopuses scattered rocks and shells to help them hide.

 This grant meant so much to her and no doubt to him as well. Veronica mindlessly toyed with the gold necklace around her neck, but anxiety crackled through her brain. Unlike this man of action, she lacked the flamboyant personality necessary to talk people into things. Carlos had that ability. He'd made friends with judges on board while she’d conversed with an older woman about a box of scones made with Cuban vanilla cream.

That day the wind had picked up to a gale force, and this woman named Bela with Lucille Ball red hair needed help walking to her home. The half mile down the seaside promenade, The Malecón, had provided her with time to practice her Spanish. Turned out Bela was Carlos’s grandmother. She’d worked as a maid when the Castro government came to power. When private homes were nationalized, titles were handed over to the dwelling occupants. Bela owned a crumbling home in the respected Verdado district and rented out rooms.

What Veronica detested about Carlos was his abnormal level of talent for schmoozing. Not that he wasn't charismatic; he drew her like a powerful magnet with emotions hard to untangle. Why was a self-assured woman who ran her own life thinking about a man who commanded everyone around him?

Find all buy links here

Book Buyers Best finalist Kathleen Rowland is devoted to giving her readers fast-paced, high-stakes suspense with an erotic love story sure to melt their hearts.  Her latest release is One Night in Havana, #34 in the City Nights erotic romance series.

Kathleen also has a steamy romantic suspense series with Tirgearr Publishing, Deadly Alliance is followed by Unholy Alliance. Keep an icy drink handy while reading these sizzling stories.

Kathleen used to write computer programs but now writes novels.   She grew up in Iowa where she caught lightning bugs, ran barefoot, and raced her sailboat on Lake Okoboji.  Now she wears flip-flops and sails with her husband, Gerry, on Newport Harbor but wishes there were lightning bugs in California.

Kathleen exists happily with her witty CPA husband, Gerry, in their 70’s poolside retreat in Southern California where she adores time spent with visiting grandchildren, dogs, one bunny, and noisy neighbors.  While proud of their five children who’ve flown the coop, she appreciates the luxury of time to write.  If you’d enjoy news, sign up for Kathleen’s newsletter at http://www.kathleenrowland.com/.

GoodReads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/786656.Kathleen_Rowland

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Kathleen-Rowland/e/B007RYMF7S/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/rowlandkathleen

Blogs: https://kathleenrowland.wordpress.com/ and http://www.kathleenrowland.blogspot.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/romanticsuspense.kathleenrowland/

Tirgearr Publishing: http://www.tirgearrpublishing.com/authors/Rowland_Kathleen/one-night-in-havana.htm

#EggcerptExchange - Lies and Solace By #Romance author Jana Richards

Genre: Contemporary Romance, small town romance

Keywords: contemporary romance, small town romance, mystery, touch of paranormal, murder

ISBN: Ebook ISBN 978-0-9952791-0-0

Length: Novel

Release Date: March 14, 2018

Cover Artist: Angela Waters

Love at Solace Lake series

Love is worth the risk…

When their grandfather dies, the Lindquist sisters, Harper, Scarlet and Maggie, inherit the northern Minnesota fishing lodge that had been in their family for three generations. The inheritance is bittersweet. They were raised at the lodge by their grandparents. The natural beauty of the place hasn’t changed, but the building itself is crumbling and desperately in need of repair. The lodge also reminds them of what they lost. Twenty-two years previously, their parents died there in what was ruled a murder/suicide.

 As the sisters struggle to breathe new life into the failing lodge, old fears and questions rise to the surface even as new love presents itself. Why did their father murder their mother? What truths did their grandparents keep from them? The sisters must fight to keep the wounds of the past from putting their futures, and their fledgling relationships, in jeopardy.

Lies and Solace:

She can’t live with one more lie. He can’t tell the truth.

Harper Lindquist is convinced she’s found the answer to her financial prayers. Unless she pours cash into crumbling Solace Lake Lodge, she’ll lose her family’s legacy. Her would-be savior arrives in the middle of a Minnesota blizzard and she’s determined to prove to her reluctant, and trapped, financier the lodge is a sound investment. But Harper isn’t completely honest with him. And she has no idea the lake is hiding secrets of its own.

Ethan James is a liar, but his money is very real. He isn’t convinced a broken-down inn is a smart investment opportunity. But the more he understands Harper’s dreams and desires, the more he wants to be the man to make them come true. The trauma in both their pasts means neither can fully trust the other. They must find the courage to love, to trust, and to accept, or yesterday’s sorrows will keep them apart.

Pre-order Now

Excerpt

She’d just placed the last dish on the drain board when Ethan entered the kitchen, his hair still damp from his shower. He’d shaved with the razor she’d found for him and was wearing his own clothes again. Once more the elegant, well-dressed businessman. The chasm grew between them even as he stood in her kitchen. She was stupid to believe there could ever be anything aside from business between them.

She lifted her chin, determined not to let her façade slip. “I’ve gathered all my estimates and drawings and put them in a bag so you can take them with you.”

“I appreciate that.”

They walked together to the front door, and Harper lifted his beautiful overcoat from the coat tree. It still held the scent of his after-shave, and she had to resist the urge to raise it to her nose and breathe it in. Instead, she held it out to him with a forced smile. “Have a safe trip back to Minneapolis, Ethan.”

“Thanks.” He took the coat from her and slipped it on. “I want to thank you for your hospitality.”

“It was my pleasure.”

So formal. But it was the only way she could get through the next few minutes.

He picked up the cloth bag with all her information on the renovation project. “Goodbye, Harper. I’ll be in touch soon.”

“Goodbye.” She shook his outstretched hand briefly.

He opened the front door and headed toward his truck. Harper grabbed a sweater from the coat tree and stood in the open doorway watching him leave, not quite able to shut the door on him despite the biting cold.

Halfway to the truck, Ethan stopped. For a second, he stood completely still, his head bowed. Then he dropped the bag, turned on his heel, and walked back to her, his steps full of purpose.

“Did you forget something?”

“Yeah.”

He pulled her into his arms, his mouth descending on hers with an urgency that set her blood on fire. She moaned as she molded herself against him, her arms winding around his neck, her fingers tangling in his damp hair. He swept her mouth with his tongue, demanding a response. She gave herself over to his kiss, loving the sweet taste of his mouth, the clean smell of his skin, the solid feel of his body.

All too soon he broke the kiss. He grasped her shoulders and pushed away from her, breathing hard. She searched his face for answers.

“I have to go,” he said. “I’ll call you soon.”

She nodded, unable to speak. He released her and walked back to his truck. No longer sheltered in his arms, the bitter cold swept through her. She pulled her sweater more securely around her shoulders.

Harper watched Ethan pull out of the driveway, her heart racing. When she could no longer see his truck, she closed the front door and leaned against it. The taste of him remained on her tongue and she could still smell his clean scent. Excitement and fear danced up and down her spine, fighting a duel inside her to decide which one ruled supreme.

Fear won. In one way or another, everyone she’d ever cared about had left her. She couldn’t bear for Ethan to be one more person on that list.

When Jana Richards read her first romance novel, she immediately knew two things: she had to commit the stories running through her head to paper, and they had to end with a happily ever after. She also knew she’d found what she was meant to do. Since then she’s never met a romance genre she didn’t like. She writes contemporary romance, romantic suspense, and historical romance set in World War Two, in lengths ranging from short story to full length novel. Just for fun, she throws in generous helpings of humor, and the occasional dash of the paranormal. Her paranormal romantic suspense “Seeing Things” was a 2008 EPPIE finalist.

In her life away from writing, Jana is an accountant/admin assistant, a mother to two grown daughters, and a wife to her husband Warren. She enjoys golf, yoga, movies, concerts, travel and reading, not necessarily in that order. She and her husband live in Winnipeg, Canada with their Pug/Terrier cross Lou and several unnamed goldfish. She loves to hear from readers and can be reached through her website at www.janarichards.com

Social Media Links:

Website: http://www.janarichards.com

Blog: http://janarichards.blogspot.com

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/JanaRichardsAuthor

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/JanaRichards_

Amazon Author Page: http://www.amazon.com/author/janarichards

Amazon UK Author Page: http://www.amazon.co.uk/-/e/B002DEVWWG

Newsletter Signup: http://janarichards.com/contact.html#newsletter

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/2892274Jana_Richards

Google+ Profile: https://plus.google.com/100820406211390323245

#EggcerptExchange for IT Exec’s Baby by #MFRWauthor Tina Gayle

Today's guest is Tina Gayle, sharing her romance IT Exec’s Baby!

Brie Sullivan has a new baby girl and there are a million things to do, but Brie doesn’t have the energy to keep up. Why? She’s still grieving for her husband and suffering from baby blues, but she won’t let that stop her. She’s come up with the answer—find a new husband to be the father of her kids.

Jason Clark has been doing everything he can to help Brie. He loves her but can he accept her proposal of marriage knowing she’s not thinking clearly about the future?

Comments from Reviews for IT Exec’s Baby (2nd book of the Executive Wives Club series)

“IT Exec’s Baby is almost a love story in reverse. The marriage comes first, then the sex, and finally the love – at least from Brie's point of view. It is tender and poignant at times, and full of strong descriptive passages.”

“What I love about series books. Every book gives you more about the characters that you've fallen in love with during the first book.”

“IT Exec’s Baby is a riveting story of a woman with numerous problems.”

Excerpt:

With the warmth of the sun beating down on her head and the sound of her children’s laughter ringing in her ears, Brie spread her arms and spun in a circle.

She raised her voice and called to her kids as she walked to the railing of the upper deck. “You better find a good hiding place because ready or not here I come.”

With Isabella down for a nap, Brie drew in a deep breath, enjoying the fresh air and the freedom from being stuck inside the house. The kids had convinced her to play with them outside. She loved the easy game of hide-and-go-seek. Glancing over the rail, she scanned the backyard, searching for Ethan’s and Allison’s young forms.

A giggle sounded from below the deck.

Brie stepped down a few stairs to search the patio below. Still unable to catch a glimpse of her children, she continued down the staircase, listening for sounds that might give her a clue to their whereabouts.

Not seeing either one of them, she hugged the back wall and silently slipped to the corner of the house that had concrete steps, which led to the front yard.

Determined to catch one of her kids heading for home-base, Brie refrained from peeking around the corner. The squeak of a tennis shoe alerted her to someone’s arrival.

Ready to grab them the minute they rounded the corner, Brie stayed out of sight. A shadow fell across the patio, and Allison’s young form raced past.

Jumping out to grab her, Brie touched her daughter’s shoulder.

Allison’s wail of surprise vibrated off the bottom of the deck and pierced through Brie’s brain. Undeterred by the noise, she caught her daughter’s arm and spun her around.

“I got you.”

“No,” Allison screamed again.

Read the 1st chapter at http://www.tinagayle.net/BirthChpt.html

Purchase At Amazon

Pick up Tina’s Free Read at  http://www.tinagayle.net/

Tina Gayle grew up a dreamer and loved to escape into the world of books.

After years of working in the business world doing a variety of jobs, she decided to try her hand at writing and hope to incorporate the joy of being a woman into her books.

Married thirty years, she and her husband love to travel and play golf.  She can’t wait to do more of both.

Read the first chapter of any of her books by visiting her website.

Find Tina Gayle everywhere

Home - www.tinagayle.net

Blog - www.tinagayle.blogspot.com

Twitter - https://twitter.com/#!/AuthorTinaGayle

Goodread - http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/1641826.Tina_Gayle

Facebook - http://www.facebook.com/tina.gayle

Oney, My Escape from Slavery - #EggcerptExchange with @DianaLRubino

My guest today is Diana Rubino, sharing a story close to her heart. Doesn't it sound great?

ONEY, MY ESCAPE FROM SLAVERY

by Diana Rubino and Piper Huguley

Oney’s Story…

Teenaged Oney Judge was Martha Washington’s ‘favorite servant.’ Oney and Martha both longed for freedom, but in very different ways. Martha hated being confined to the president’s house, forced to entertain politicians and foreign diplomats. Oney hated being someone else’s property, forced to do labor and wait on her owners day and night.

After President Washington served one term as president, he wrote his farewell speech. He and Martha started packing for their retirement at Mount Vernon, but it was not meant to be. He was elected again—unanimously. He did not want to serve another term, but gave in under pressure.

Martha had no say in it whatsoever. But as she hosted her tea parties and levees, she became close friends with several forward-thinking women, such as Abigail Adams and Judith Murray, feminists of the time. Their radical ideas rubbed off on Martha—education and job training for women to be self-supporting instead of depending on husbands. By the end of George’s term, she experienced a steep character arc. She even changed her attitude toward slavery. When Oney escaped at age 20, at the end of George’s final term, Martha was very resentful: “She was more like a child to me than a servant.” The Washingtons knew that she’d escaped to Portsmouth, New Hampshire and made several attempts to recapture her. But in a sudden act of lenience, Martha gave up on Oney and let her remain free. During her husband’s presidency, Martha complained, “I am more like a state prisoner”, so perhaps she put herself in Oney’s place and realized she deserved liberty, too.

As our first First Lady, Martha Washington evolved from a grandmotherly wife and homebody to an outspoken champion of women’s rights. She provided freedom for her slaves at her death.

While living in Portsmouth, Oney married a sailor, Jack Staines, and had three children. She outlived her husband and children, and lived her remaining free life in Greenland, New Hampshire. Somewhat of a local celebrity, she lived in poverty, but the locals supported her and she took in sewing to supplement her meager income. She declared in an 1847 interview, “I am free now and choose to remain so.”

An Excerpt from ONEY, MY ESCAPE FROM SLAVERY

The hour finally came—while they ate dinner.

Nothing heavied my heart—not remorse, not guilt, not sadness upon fleeing my master and mistress. Raw thirst for freedom overcame all that. I walked straight past the Washingtons and out that door. When I shut it, I left them—and my forced bondage— behind me.

I tore through the muddy streets in pouring rain. Gasping for breath, soaked to the skin, my heart slamming in terror, I glanced behind me, again and again. No one pursued me—yet. I dreaded and expected pounding footsteps, a clap on my shoulder. But, I asked myself, who would chase me through the driving rain? No, it is not possible, I affirmed—they didn’t even know I’d left the kitchen.

At the Jones house I slowed and caught my breath. When Absalom opened the door, I staggered inside, laughing, sobbing, gulping for dear life.

I spent the night pacing the attic room, hands clasped. “I beg of you, dear God, walk beside me on this journey. See me through this safe. Don’t let them capture me. I only want to be your servant, no one else’s.”

As daybreak nudged away the darkness, I fell to my knees, weary with fatigue. “Thank you, dear God, for ending my final night of bondage.”

Serendipity at Work

In May 2014, popular romance author Brenda Novak had her annual auction for diabetes—authors donate books, critiques, etc., and people bid on them, similar to Ebay. I donated one of my other books, and I also donated a free manuscript critique. An author named Piper Huguley won the critique auction, but the auction ended and I never heard from her. I thought oh, well, she doesn’t want it after all. About 3 months later, she wrote me and sent me her story, A CHAMPION’S HEART, to critique. It’s a romance about an African American girl, set in rural Georgia in the 1910s. Very moving and powerful story. I loved it. It was published in 2016 by Liliaceae Publishers.

getBook.at/AChampionsHeart

I’d been wanting to find an African American author to go over my Oney novel, but never looked for anyone. I thought of asking one of my grade school classmates, but just didn’t get to it...well, one day I decided to ask Piper.

Right after I asked her, she wrote back and said she’d be happy to help. Then I went on Facebook and saw that Piper just posted that her mother passed away that morning. So I sent her a message of condolence. Then she wrote this back to me:

And I appreciate your kind comments about my mother. You see, I see your request as “heaven sent” for I think I told you about how my mother told me about Oney. I know that she would want me to work on anything, do anything to forward that story. So, even in the midst of a difficult time, I look forward to helping you—something I really didn’t expect after you had helped me so much. Thank you for that.

I don’t remember her telling me that her mother told her about Oney. I’ve heard so many stories about people who pass away, and send ‘signs’ etc. to their loved ones, this was just too strange to be coincidence. Piper helped me a great deal with Oney’s story and became my co-author. We dedicated the book to her mother.

Purchase ONEY

About Diana and Piper:

Diana writes about folks who shook things up. Her passion for history and travel has taken her to every locale of her stories, set in Medieval and Renaissance England, Egypt, the Mediterranean, colonial Virginia, New England, and New York. Her urban fantasy romance FAKIN’ IT won a Top Pick award from Romantic Times. She is a member of Romance Writers of America, the Richard III Society and the Aaron Burr Association. When not writing, she runs CostPro, Inc., an engineering business, with her husband Chris. In her spare time, Diana bicycles, golfs, plays her piano and devours books of any genre. She spends as much time as possible just livin’ the dream on her beloved Cape Cod.

Piper Huguley is a two-time Golden Heart ®finalist and is the author of the “Home to Milford College” series. The series follows the building of a college from its founding in 1866. Book #1 in the series, The Preacher’s Promise was named a top ten Historical Romance in Publisher’s Weekly by the esteemed historical romance author, Beverly Jenkins and received Honorable Mention in the Writer’s Digest Contest of Self-Published e-books in 2015. Her new series “Born to Win Men” starts with A Champion’s Heart as Book #1. A Champion’s Heart was named by Sarah MacLean of The Washington Post as a best romance novel selection for December 2016. She blogs about the history behind her novels at http://piperhuguley.com. She lives in Atlanta, Georgia with her husband and son.

Connect with Diana and Piper:

www.dianarubino.com

https://www.facebook.com/DianaRubinoAuthor/

Twitter: @DianaLRubino

www.piperhuguley.com

https://www.facebook.com/piper.huguley

Twitter: @PiperHuguley

#EggcerptExchange - the Tempered series by Pamela S Thibodeaux @psthib

Five Facts about the Tempered series set in Bandera, TX:

Bandera, Texas is known as the “Cowboy Capital of the World.”

People from all over the world travel to Bandera and stay at dude/guest ranches to experience Texas.

Bandera is Spanish for “banner” or “flag”

St. Stanislaus Catholic Church in Bandera is the 2nd oldest Polish church in the United States.

Although I visited Bandera as a child with my grandparents, I did not return to that area until 2001 for a book signing. However, since 2010, I have lived and worked at the Silver Spur guest ranch in Bandera, Texas for months at a time.

Tempered Series Bundle:

Now all 4 titles in the Tempered Series by Pamela S Thibodeaux are combined into a single book along with a bonus short story and a sneak peek into #5 in the series Tempered Truth (coming sometime in the near future)! 

Available at Amazon, B&N and Smashwords

Excerpts:

Tempered Hearts:

For the first time, Craig noticed how tired she looked and felt a tug of remorse. “I’ll tend him for you,” he offered. “Maria will show you to your room.”

She shook her head. “That’s okay, he won’t let you.”

“Nonsense,” he argued, stepping off the porch and heading toward the trailer. “Never met a horse I couldn’t handle.”

Tamera rolled her eyes. “Arrogant jerk,” she muttered under her breath, then blushed when the Senior Craig Harris chuckled. “Wait,” she called, as Craig reached for the door. “Please, just let me get him,” she insisted, grabbing his hand. Craig grinned at her obvious concern, a smug, lazy smile that made her stomach knot with tension.

“You afraid for me, little one?” he inquired in a soft, husky tone.

 Tamera looked into his teasing eyes and ground her teeth in frustration. He was as conceited as he was arrogant! “I couldn’t care less if you got your skull kicked in. Probably do you some good,” she bit out, pushing him away from the trailer. “My only concern is that he’ll hurt himself while doing you the favor.”

Available at Amazon, B&N & Smashwords

Also in Print: Amazon, B&N, CreateSpace

Tempered Dreams

“I’m Katrina. I’ll be your...” her voice trailed off as she gazed into the sparkling eyes of Dr. Scott Hensley.

Scott grinned, surprised and pleased to have finally run into her. He’d often wondered and prayed that he would. “You’ll be my what?”

   His eyes shone with mischief, his voice lowered to a husky tone. Trina flushed. Everything about his presence made her nerves hum. “Waitress,” she managed on a suddenly dry throat.

“How’ve you been?”

She smiled. “Okay, busy. May I get you something?”

“Bourbon and water. Alternate that with a coke. Oh, in case I forget,” he stopped her hasty retreat with a wink. “Two’s my limit.” Katrina laughed. The silky, tinkling sound made Scott think of wind chimes.

“You don’t seem like the type to forget anything,” she remarked.

Know it, Sweetheart, he thought as she walked away, the subtle sway of hips crowding his mind.

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Tempered Fire

Craig paused at the barn entrance. “I wonder what he wants,” he muttered. It hadn’t set well with him that the boy didn’t introduce himself the day he brought Amber home from school, nor had he made a point to do so since. And it irritated him royally that Amber walked around singing some long-forgotten Carpenter’s song about a guy with ‘gold dust in his hair and golden starlight in his eyes of blue.’ She used to hate that song, always said it was corny.

He hated it now.

“He probably wants the same thing you wanted at his age,” Tamera teased, seeing his eyes darken and jaw harden.

“That’s not funny, Temper. When I was his age I had a truckload of responsibility on my shoulders. I didn’t have time to court a girl without the thought of meeting her parents.”

“Court?” Tamera laughed, rolling her eyes. “Is that what you call it?” she shook her head. “I swear, sometimes I think you were born in the wrong century.”

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Tempered Joy

Ace clapped his hands together and blew on his fingertips for warmth. “One more time,” he implored his father. “One more time then we’ll call it quits.”

Craig nodded. “Okay Ace. That old bull is getting tired, so is this one.”

Ace grinned. “Old my foot, you love it and you know it. Makes you think of your younger days.”

Craig grunted. “My younger days were not spent chasing bulls.”

Ace laughed. “No? Chasing what then?”

“Never you mind,” his father replied with a grin while the ranch hands penned the bull in the chute.

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Lori’s Redemption:

Rafe Judson made his way to the arena with a smile on his lips, a song in his heart, and the same old limp in his stride. An ex-bull-rider, he still loved everything about the rodeo…the scents—the hay, the horseflesh, the sweat—the excitement, the crowds. As a minister, he didn’t enjoy the accidents or the deaths. He could do without a lot of the language, too.

Remember where you came from old boy.

The thought brought with it a quick stab of conviction.

I remember, Lord.

Wasn’t so long ago he'd cussed and caroused along with the other cowboys. But all that changed with the accident that ended his career as a champion rodeo rider, but opened a whole new world to him, a world filled with faith and optimism.

Far cry from the cynical, bitter cowboy he once was.

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Author bio: Award-winning author, Pamela S. Thibodeaux is the Co-Founder and a lifetime member of Bayou Writers Group in Lake Charles, Louisiana. Multi-published in romantic fiction as well as creative non-fiction, her writing has been tagged as, “Inspirational with an Edge!” ™ and reviewed as “steamier and grittier than the typical Christian novel without decreasing the message.” Sign up for Pam’s Newsletter and get a FREE short story! http://bit.ly/psthibnewsletter

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