Blog Tour & Giveaway: Loving Her Enemy by Sharon C. Cooper!

Excerpt!

   Ohmigod. Ohmigod. Ohmigod.

   Running as if her ass was on fire, Halayna took the steps two at a time and burst into her bedroom suite, slamming the door behind her. Struggling to get air into her lungs, she paced the length of the room a couple of times before collapsing face first onto the king size bed.

   What the heck had just happened?

   One minute, she and Sloane were talking, laughing, and eating, and in the next minute, they were hugged up together kissing.

   “Oh my God!” Halayna groaned into the mattress as the full weight of what they’d done hit her. He was her best friend’s brother. A man who was so far out of her league, it was laughable. Yet, he had kissed her, and it hadn’t been just any kiss, but a kiss that had her questioning her sanity.

   Sloane kissed me… and I liked it… a lot.

   Oh man, she more than liked it. She wanted a repeat. A repeat of his full, demanding mouth taking what he wanted from her. A repeat of the way he held her close to his big, hard, muscular body, and she wanted a repeat of how good it felt being held in his strong, unyielding arms.

   For those few minutes, with their tongues tangling, all Halayna’s thoughts and worries had fallen away, and in their place had been a peace she hadn’t felt in months or maybe even years. Sloane had somehow made her feel more cherished than she’d ever felt by a man. Which was saying a lot since she’d been engaged to be married and supposedly crazy in love with Owen.

   She snorted at the thought. Talk about her picker being off when it came to choosing men. It was a good thing her relationship with Owen had imploded. Marrying him would’ve been a huge mistake because kissing and being with him had felt nothing like what she had just experienced.

   Kissing Sloane had felt like a dream. Like something straight out of a sexy fairy tale, an X-rated fairy tale. But this wasn’t a fantasy. His kiss and the way he’d held her had been very real. She still felt his lips covering hers and the taste of him lingered on her tongue.

   How was that possible when it had been just one kiss? One soul-stirring, passionate kiss.

   It was clear she and Owen hadn’t had a strong connection. Not like what she had felt a short while ago with Sloane, and that realization had her shook. She almost married a man she was sure she’d been in love with. Yet, she never felt the intense desire and passion swirling inside of her. Never felt that I-can’t-live-without-you vibe.

   How was that even possible?

   Halayna flipped onto her back, and as her heart rate slowly went back to normal, she stared at the ceiling, her mind reeling at these new realizations. The most shocking one was Sloane wanting her to agree to a marriage of convenience… with him.

   She shook her head. Sloane Davidson, the wealthiest man she’d ever known, had asked her to marry him. He wanted her to be his fake wife. No, not fake. Just convenient. Wait. Not convenient. He wanted a marriage of convenience. But what the hell did that even mean?

A billionaire businessman. 

A heartbroken, unemployed chemist. 

A marriage agreement that can benefit them both.

Billionaire businessman Sloane Davidson needs a wife—fast. And although Halayna Tanaka is ten years younger than him, and an enticing temptation he managed to resist years ago, she’s perfect for the role. But she thinks he’s some gold-plated scumbag and wants nothing to do with him.

After a devastating string of bad luck, Halayna is struggling to stay afloat in a world that keeps knocking her down. So when Sloane, her best friend’s brother, offers a marriage of convenience as a solution to both their problems, she’s tempted. The thing is she can’t stand him. He may be the sexiest man on the planet, but he’s also arrogant, infuriating, and overbearing. She shouldn’t want him. Shouldn’t even give him the time of day. Yet, her body ignites with desire whenever he’s around.

Is selling out to a billionaire worth it? Especially if he tempts her beyond her control. Or is this marriage of convenience the path to the love she always dreamed of?

Check it out on Goodreads!

Buy your copy from Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Kobo, Apple Books or Smashwords

Author bio:

USA Today bestselling author Sharon C. Cooper loves anything involving romance with a happily-ever-after, whether in books, movies, or real life. She writes contemporary romance, romantic suspense, as well as romantic comedy. She enjoys rainy days, carpet picnics, and family game night. Her stories have won numerous awards, including The Rochelle Alers Best Series award for her Atlanta’s Finest Series (2022) and The Beverly Jenkins Author of the Year award (2021). When she isn’t writing, Sharon loves hanging out with her amazing husband, doing volunteer work, or reading a good book (a romance of course). To read more about Sharon and her novels, or to sign up to be notified of her latest releases, visit www.sharoncooper.net

Website
Facebook
Goodreads
Newsletter

Giveaway!

Book Blitz & Giveaway: Love and Other Cures for the Recently Undead by H.J. Ramsay

Excerpt!

   CeCe opens her mouth to ask for a ride, but by the time she gets the words out, Savannah is already jumping into the van. Her aunt pulls away from the curb.

   Derrick looks toward the van and then at CeCe. He smiles. It’s probably meant to be charming, but she finds nothing about him appealing.

   He steps toward her.

   Why did she insist on walking home? If her dad was here, she’d already be in his car. Now she has to find a way around Derrick. Or maybe she doesn’t. She could wait him out. He’ll have to leave eventually.

   CeCe turns back to the school. Just as she’s about to reach for the door, it swings open and Olivia slithers out. They’re so close that CeCe can see every strand of Olivia’s bangs—and something underneath. A scar? Does that mean Olivia isn’t a Survivor? She’ll have to think about that later. Not now.

   Olivia inches to the side. The moment she’s out of the way, CeCe lunges for the handle, but it shuts before she can grab it. She yanks. It doesn’t budge. The damn thing’s on auto-lock.

   CeCe presses her forehead against the locked door. Did Olivia do that on purpose? Knowing it would leave her trapped out here? She senses Olivia’s stare crawling over her—and Derrick’s.

   She can’t deal with this. Can’t deal with them. Her hand clamps around the latch, unable to move. She just wants to go home.

   “Hi again,” she hears Derrick say from behind her.

   She groans. “Are you going to be here every day?”

   “Ah, she speaks. I wasn’t sure if, you know, there was something wrong with your voice.”

   “I speak,” she snaps as she turns, half expecting to see Olivia standing beside him, but she’s already down the stairs, heading toward the same rumbling truck. At least that’s one problem solved.

CeCe Campbell wakes on the asphalt of a mall parking lot with two missing years and a body that no longer feels like her own. Infected with the Kill Virus on her 18th birthday, she’s among the first to be cured.

Rehabilitation teaches CeCe how to walk, how to speak, how to exist in a world rebuilding itself, but it cannot return what she lost. Her mother is dead. Her brother is missing. And the last memory before the dark is a bite she cannot escape.

When CeCe unexpectedly meets Derrick—the boy who infected her—she’s torn between anger and a strange, undeniable connection. Derrick doesn’t remember what he did. CeCe does, and the truth of that moment is something he’ll never get. Not when he already took everything from her.

But if there’s to be life after the cure, CeCe will have to unwind the past, face what happened the night that bound them together, and decide if love and forgiveness can heal wounds deeper than the ones left by the undead.

Love and Other Cures for the Recently Undead is a haunting post-apocalyptic love story about guilt, survival, and choosing connection in a world where nothing can be undone.

Check it out on Goodreads!

Buy your copy from Amazon

Author bio:

HJ Ramsay holds an MFA in Creative Writing and is an award-winning author. She is the Editor-in-Chief of Gold Man Review, a West Coast literary journal, and has a background in Psychology and Criminal Justice with dual bachelor’s degrees. Passionate about storytelling that explores the human experience, she crafts narratives that blend emotion, imagination, and depth. When she’s not writing or editing, she enjoys diving into the worlds of speculative fiction and literary fiction alike.

 

Website

Facebook

Goodreads

Giveaway!

Love and Other Cures for the Recently Undead Blitz

Book Blitz & Giveaway: Jingle Bells, Wedding Vows [Hollow Reign 03] by Paula Dombrowiak!

Excerpt!

   In sleep, she looks almost angelic.

   Which would be a lot more convincing if I didn’t have the pleasure of knowing she’s a complete and utter menace in sequins and red lipstick who has spent the last couple of weeks driving me insane. The star of the Christmas show who argues with me about every note I wrote for her number. The woman who loves to push my buttons like no one I’ve ever met before.

   Mara Delaney.

   Fuck, fuck, fuck.

   Do not tell me I did what I think I did.

   My stomach drops as I lift the edge of the sheet and look down. Finding myself still in my boxers should be reassuring, but the relief is fleeting, swallowed almost immediately by a deeper sense of dread.

   I turn my head toward Mara. The sheet has slipped just enough to expose the curve of her bare shoulder. I pinch the edge of the sheet to lift it.

   Please don’t let her be naked. Please don’t let her be naked.

   Fuck, she’s naked.

   I don’t remember how I got here. Last night is a haze of disconnected pieces, and everything that matters is missing.

   I ease out of bed with the stealth of a military operative trying not to set off a bomb. My shirt is draped over a velvet armchair, and I pull it on before anything else because I need at least one layer of dignity between me and whatever the hell happened last night. One of my Vans sits near the bathroom door. I shove my foot into it and search for the other, getting a good look at Mara’s apartment in the process.

   I run a hand through my hair and pull it back to stare at it before my brain catches up to what I’m seeing.

   There’s a gold band on my ring finger. Not the kind that comes out of a gumball machine.

   What the actual fuck?

   My gaze snaps to Mara.

   I lean over the bed to see Mara’s hand curled loosely around the sheet, dark red polish chipped at the edges.

   The ring on her finger matches mine.

   This has to be a joke. Some elaborate, deeply unfunny prank, and when I find Casey, I’m going to kill him slowly, because somehow he’s responsible.

   There’s a marriage certificate on the nightstand next to my phone.

He’s the uptight rockstar directing the music for my burlesque Christmas show, and driving the grumpy maestro to throw his sheet music is my favorite hobby.

Then we wake up married, and he can’t remember a single thing about our night together.

Theo Mercer is an arrogant control freak in rolled-up sleeves and glasses who thinks he can tame my headlining act. But on my stage, I call the shots. Beneath the falling stage snow, the friction between us is hot enough to burn the theater down.

When our accidental Vegas wedding explodes across the tabloids, Theo swallows his pride and drops to one knee to propose a holiday charade: play blissfully wedded—which means moving my insufferable new husband into my cramped studio apartment.

Forced proximity beneath the mistletoe turns our backstage feud into breathless passion, and behind closed doors, our fake marriage starts to feel dangerously real.

Except our vows have an expiration date. When the tinsel comes down on New Year’s, Theo has to leave.

He swears he’s coming back.

But I stopped believing in Christmas miracles a long time ago, after a string of men who never kept their word. If I let down my walls only to get burned by my fake husband… I won’t survive the fall.

Check it out on Goodreads!

Buy your copy here

Author bio:

Paula Dombrowiak grew up in the suburbs of Chicago, Illinois but currently lives in Arizona. She is the author of Blood and Bone, her first adult romance novel which combines her love of music and imperfect relationships. Paula is a lifelong music junkie, whose wardrobe consists of band T-shirts and leggings which are perpetually covered in pet hair. She is a sucker for a redeemable villain, bad boys, and the tragically flawed. Music inspires her storytelling.

For more ways to learn about Paula and her books, check out her website: @www.pauladombrowiak.com

Website

Facebook Page

Facebook Group

Goodreads

Newsletter

Giveaway!

Jingle Bells, Wedding Vows Blitz

Book Blitz & Giveaway: Look What You Made Me Do by Summer Atkinson!

Excerpt!

   I had forgotten how charming Old Port could be or had never noticed it amidst all my drama. Not the people, but the place itself. The centuries-worn stone walls that somehow still stood in the woods. The sound of the ocean in the distance. All the quiet comforts of a hometown and its nostalgic beauty that haunts you long after you’ve left.

   I watched from the sidelines as the people I once considered peers repeated the same old circular paths, not noticing the furrows they were making in the process. I’d been one of them once, and I wanted to warn them but couldn’t find the words. Not that they would have listened.

   There is something about those born on the coast. Those who grow up knowing the closest path to walk to the ocean and who do not know the feel of fresh air without the taste of salt that lingers in its wake. For them, summer is endless, if not in season, then in mentality.

   Every day contained possibility, promising to be the one that wouldn’t end. That would change everything. That would make up for the threat of winter hanging in the storm clouds on a humid afternoon. I heard it in the lingering laughter and casual conversation of Old Port’s residents and thought that this easy enjoyment of the ordinary was possible for me too. But I also saw how those same people became too entangled in their comfortable lives, familiar relationships, and unquestioned world views to be willing, or perhaps even able, to consider what might be possible beyond the sheltered confines of Old Port.

   So even as I began to appreciate the pleasure of simple enjoyments, I also felt the stir of what was possible for me in life, and I didn’t want to be lulled into complacency.

How far would you go to break a cycle before it breaks you?

Margot is no stranger to suffering. Such darkness feels familiar when you have a violent drunk for a dad and a single mom working multiple jobs just to stay afloat. But Margot yearns for more than these bleak circumstances.

When she falls for the golden boy of her small New England town, she thinks he will be her escape. But she is unprepared for how ugly twisted love can become. Breaking free isn’t easy, but unconditional friendship and untainted love spark a defiant hope that cannot be dimmed.

As the line between love and abuse blurs, Margot must face the stories she’s told herself about who she is and who she is becoming.

Check it out on Goodreads!

Buy your copy from Amazon

Author bio:

Summer Atkinson grew up in Connecticut and now lives in beautiful Colorado with her husband, Jackson, their dog, Bilbo Waggins, and cats Mr. Whiskers and Mosey. She has a bachelor’s degree in neuroscience and a master’s degree in public health, which she uses in her day job as a life science consultant. Her professional career has been particularly devoted to women’s health and reproductive justice. When not writing, she can often be found in the mountains, either hiking, backpacking, or snowboarding. Passionate about travel and the great outdoors, she catalogs her adventures on a travel blog and Instagram titled Out There Travels. Connect with Summer online via @summeratkinsonbooks on socials.

Website

Facebook

Goodreads

Giveaway!

Look What You Made Me Do Blitz

Release Day Blitz: Breached [Stonewall 03] by J.L. Drake!

From the bestselling author of the Broken Trilogy and Dark Water Series comes Breached— the explosive finale to the Stonewall Trilogy, where brotherhood is forged in blood, loyalty is tested, and no one escapes the cost of war.

Agent Paul thought he understood sacrifice.

He was wrong.

One second.

That's all it takes for everything to change.

With ears still ringing, Paul is forced to confront one unbearable truth: the people he swore to protect are paying the price for a war that was never meant to reach them. Now they all must face the aftermath of his choices.

The deaths.

The carnage.

The pain.

Nicole spent her career documenting wars that belonged in someone else's world.

Until now.

Now the lines between truth and deception have never been more dangerous. Yet the greatest betrayal may not come from the enemy closing in—but from the man she thought she knew.

Bruno is done playing defense.

After years of watching his empire crumble, he's learned exactly where to strike. He isn't waiting for Blackstone to cross the border.

For Blackstone, this isn't just another mission. It's the fight for everything they've built—and everyone they love.

Because the war isn't raging south of the border.

It's coming home.

Check it out on Goodreads!

Buy your copy from Amazon

Author bio:

J.L. Drake is a bestselling author of contemporary romance and romantic suspense, known for her dark, gripping books with brooding heroes and passionate lovers. Her “World of Mayhem” offers interconnected series enjoyed individually. Originally from Nova Scotia, she now lives in Southern California. For more, visit her website.

Website

Facebook

Facebook Group

Goodreads

Newsletter

Book Blitz & Giveaway: The Academy War by Sean Scarborough!

Excerpt!

Aryna

   “Look, Aryna,” my mom said, setting down the lopsided chocolate cake she’d clearly stayed up late making—complete with uneven frosting and slightly smudged Happy 18th Birthday written in shaky pink letters—her cheerfulness seemed forced.

   “Let’s try to make today as fun as we can,” she said.

   I love my mom, I really do, but sometimes she drives me absolutely crazy.

   “Honey, I’m not upset you were out with your friends last night. I just wanted to know where you were.”

   “Disappointed, then,” I said, unable to keep the snark out of my voice.

   “Aryna!” She gave me that look, the one that said I was pushing boundaries we both knew I shouldn’t cross.

   Mom walked around our tiny dining table, probably to avoid saying something she’d regret. She worked two jobs while Dad pulled night shifts, and they could barely make ends meet despite doing everything they could for me. I knew that.

   Knowing they were doing their best didn’t mean it didn’t hurt.

   All my hard work, school, science fair wins- everything my parents had always told me they were proud of yet it had come with the same quiet disappointment. They were always proud. They just weren’t always there.

   I remembered the state championship for English literature, my best subject. I had stood at the front of the auditorium, looking out at the crowd while the other students’ names appeared on handmade signs. Their parents cheered, waved, and called their names.

   I scanned the room anyway.

   Just hoping I’d see Mom and Dad.

   A smile. A wave. Anything that said, We’re here. We’re proud of you!

   The last question was asked. “Who wrote The Divine Comedy”

   Easy. I hit the button “Dante Alighieri,” one of my favorites.

   Then I won first place.

   I should have been excited, and I was. But there was a sadness underneath it, knowing I was experiencing it alone.

   When it was over, I put the trophy in my backpack and went home.

   It wasn’t that they were bad parents. They weren’t. They were busy. They were always cheering for me when they had the time—late at night, early in the morning, whenever our schedules happened to line up.

   Just not in the moments when I wanted them there most.

   Our apartment was so cramped, the dining room table took up most of the kitchen-dining room combo, leaving barely enough space to walk around it. On nights like this, with tension thick in the air, it felt even smaller. I could feel the frustration steaming from me.

   I looked down at the table. The chocolate cake sat in front of me, eighteen candles flickering in the dim light of our cramped apartment kitchen. Mom’s face glowed with pride across the table, her tired eyes momentarily free of worry lines. Dad stood beside her, his arm draped around her shoulders, a rare moment of peace between them. Arguments about money were what I normally heard.

   “Make a wish, Aryna,” Mom said.

   I closed my eyes, feeling oddly self-conscious. Eighteen. A legal adult as of today, I felt no different than yesterday. What did one wish for when standing at the threshold of adulthood? College acceptance letters had already come and gone—mostly rejections with two waitlists. My part-time job barely covered gas money.

   I wish for something extraordinary to happen, I thought, surprising myself with the childish desire. Something to make me special.

   I leaned forward to blow out the candles.

Three colleges, three hearts, one prophesy that will either save magic or destroy it.

On their eighteenth birthdays, three strangers are ripped from ordinary life and thrust into a hidden world that has shaped history for centuries.

Aryna awakens a rare, volatile magic that doesn’t just channel power — it absorbs and reshapes it. At the Mage War College, her dangerous gift sets her apart and draws the secret attention of those with their own agendas.

Paul is claimed by an ancient vampire bloodline and forced into brutal trials where dominance means survival. As his humanity slips away, he realizes he’s being forged into a weapon for a war older than he knows.

Dean Blackthorn, an orphan desperate to belong, bonds with a powerful Stormwing dragon in trials where most recruits die. For the first time, he has a place — and a destiny tied to coming conflict.

Separated across rival academies, each believes they are training to protect their own kind. But when a devastating attack shatters the illusion of safety, a darker truth emerges:

They are not just students. They are pieces in a game controlled by an ancient power now awakening — and the fate of magic, monsters, and humanity may rest on who learns to control it first.

Check it out on Goodreads!

Buy your copy from Amazon, Barnes and Noble or Kobo

Author bio:

Sean Scarborough is the author of The Academy War, a young adult/new adult urban paranormal fantasy that blends magic, dragon riders, vampires, and unforgettable adventure. Although this is his debut novel, storytelling has been a passion of his for years.

Inspired by a love of immersive fantasy and the belief that books can transport readers beyond the ordinary, Sean set out to create a world that feels as real as the one we live in—a place readers can return to whenever they need an escape.

The Academy War was written through both the best and most challenging seasons of Sean’s life. Throughout that journey, writing became more than a creative outlet; it became a way to build a world filled with hope, courage, friendship, and wonder.

Sean writes from the heart, believing every character carries a purpose. Some become a source of hope, others a promise, a reminder, or a heartbreaking loss—but each one is meant to leave a lasting impression. Every scene and adventure was created with the hope that readers would become fully immersed in the story and feel connected to the people and places within it.

Seeing this world come to life and finally sharing it with readers is a dream Sean has held for years.

He hopes The Academy War is more than just a book—that it becomes a place readers can get lost in, return to again and again, and carry with them long after they turn the final page.

Website

Facebook

Newsletter

Giveaway!

The Academy War Blitz

Book Blitz & Giveaway: Family is Family [Blue Spruce Hills 02] by E.D. Hackett!

Excerpt!

   Until Reid announced his unhappiness three years ago, Violet Reads had been our dream. Well, kind of. I had wanted to be the supportive wife who thirsted for personality beyond motherhood, so I’d let his dream morph into our married identity.

   The small bookstore had been brewing in Reid’s mind since our honeymoon in Paris. An English professor by day but a writer at heart, he wanted to give back to the community of Blue Spruce Hills, Pennsylvania, by creating a place where people could dive into knowledge, escape from their busy lives, and be present in literary magic. At the time, it had sounded so romantic.

   But that was years ago, before Covid and our divorce changed everything. Before the courts decided that I had to alternate his dream and our family every other week. He couldn’t buy me out, and I certainly wasn’t going to give my share away. Plus, it allowed me to keep tabs on the four girls when I was living in the studio above the shop; another court concession.

   Violet Reads was a constant reminder of what could have been: a lost dream of a classroom with fourteen six-year-olds eager to learn.

   Just like our marriage, we split the business like a custody agreement. If we weren’t with the kids, we were managing the bookstore or Reid was working part-time at the college, and Friday was switch day. That was the only day Reid and I crossed physical paths. A quick run-down of the week resembled a board meeting rather than two people who once loved one another and shared the same bed.

   We both knew the store wasn’t thriving. It was another notch, reminding me of our imploding lives.

She’s living the dream, but it’s not her own. Can this devoted divorcee pave her own path despite her irresponsible ex?

Violet McFadden is a helper at heart. Tired from co-parenting four teenage girls and co-owning a bookstore with their disorganized father, this dedicated forty-five-year-old can’t seem to get five minutes to herself. And she’s worried when her rent skyrockets, fearing their struggling business is doomed.

An upcoming Thanksgiving 5k road race may temporarily save the store, but the conscientious shopkeeper knows deep down that she’d rather be teaching children than managing the shop. As time marches on, an unexpected snowstorm, urgent teenage fires, and her own overprotective motherly drive keep her firmly rooted in the past.

Will Violet keep only her former spouse’s dream alive, or will she choose herself and her true calling?

Family is Family is a heart-warming standalone piece of the multi-author women’s fiction Blue Spruce Hills Novella Series. If you enjoy characters who are never too old to start over, complex families, and tight-knit communities, then you’ll adore E.D. Hackett’s charming story.

Buy Family is Family to rekindle soul-inspiring goals today!

Check it out on Goodreads!

Buy your copy from Amazon

Author bio:

E.D. Hackett is an only child who always wanted a sister. You'll find themes of sisters and mother-daughter relationships in almost all her novels, where she concocts complex relationships wrapped in forgiveness. Edy lives in New England, where the beaches, lobsters, and quirky cafes are characters of their own.

She has two children (three if you count the dog), and in her spare time, she dreams about living in Ireland.

Edy is an Enneagram Two (The Helper) or maybe a 5 (The Investigator) and is growing a book coaching side hustle (The Story Keeper Book Coach) to help aspiring authors navigate the indie publishing world.

Website

Facebook

Goodreads

Newsletter

Giveaway!

Family is Family Blitz