Monday, January 1, 2024

πŸŽ…πŸŽ„7th Day of Christmas Author SpotlightπŸŽ„πŸŽ…: Annabelle Jacobs



Annabelle Jacobs

Annabelle Jacobs lives in the South West of England with three rowdy children, and two cats. An avid reader of fantasy herself for many years, Annabelle now spends her days writing her own stories. They're usually either fantasy or paranormal fiction, because she loves building worlds filled with magical creatures, and creating stories full of action and adventure. Her characters may have a tough time of it—fighting enemies and adversity—but they always find love in the end. 


FACEBOOK  /  TWITTER  /  FB FRIEND
WEBSITE  /  NEWSLETTER  /  iTUNES
AUDIBLE  /  INSTAGRAM  /  FB GROUP
AUDIOBOOKS  /  CHIRP  /  TANTOR
BOOKBUB  /  AMAZON  /  GOODREADS
EMAIL: ajacobsfiction@gmail.com





Not Just for Christmas
Summary:
Ben has Christmas, cats, and mistletoe on his side…. Jason doesn’t stand a chance

For Ben Slater, moving back to Bristol means being closer to his family, living with his best mate, and volunteering at the local animal shelter. But there’s also Jason, his best mate’s eldest brother. Ben’s had a crush on Jason for as long as he can remember, but the eleven-year age gap has always seemed insurmountable.

Jason Armitage works as a vet at his uncle’s practice. He owns a cute cottage on the outskirts of the city, and a loving dog. The one thing missing is someone to share it all with. His brother’s best friend seems a bad choice, but Jason can’t help taking a second look. Ben’s changed a lot since Jason last saw him; both in appearance and attitude. Gone is the shy young boy, replaced with a confident, twenty-four-year-old man.

In the run up to Christmas, the festive period gives Ben the ideal opportunity to show Jason what he has to offer. But concerns for his brother’s feelings hold Jason back. If they have any chance of making this work, Ben must convince Jason that he’s old enough to know what he wants, and Jason needs to believe that a relationship with his brother’s best friend won’t ruin their friendship.






Claiming Rys
Summary:
Dark Forest Pack #1
All that time apart and yet the pull between them is as strong as ever…

Rys
Ten years ago Gabriel Mason betrayed me in the worst way. He made me question my instincts because I’d trusted him with a bone-deep certainty, and for that I will never forgive him.
Seeing him again after all this time sparks memories I thought I’d buried so far down they’d never surface. He’s as beautiful as I remember, but I’m older and wiser now, and I refuse to make the same mistakes again.

Gabriel
Rys Calder, wolf shifter and the biggest regret of my life. I loved him, and yet I didn’t share with him the one thing that eventually became our undoing. I broke his trust and I’ve carried that guilt for years. I knew seeing him again would hurt, but no matter how many times I’d imagined it, being on the receiving end of his cold stares and indifference hurt more than I’d anticipated.

Thrown together again with a killer on the loose, will the past continue to haunt them, or can they move past it and claim the future that fate always had in store for them?

Claiming Rys is an MM paranormal romance with second chances, fated mates, pining, angry alphas, and feisty ex-hunters.





Escape
Summary:

Rebellion #1
This isn’t the life Cole dreamt of, but what choice does he have?

With his twenty-third birthday behind him, Cole Moreton now faces the shifter compatibility test which will decide his future. Testing positive means joining a pack and eventually taking the bite. Unfortunately, with enviable skills in self-defence and hand-to-hand combat, the kind of packs interested in him aren’t any he’d want to join.

Logan has been a member of the McKillan pack for most of his life. Pack is family and loyalty is everything, but when the shifter government turns out to be no better than the oppressive humans before them, he questions everything.

Right from their first meeting, Logan knows that a life with the McKillan pack isn’t right for Cole, but with his alpha taking a keen interest in Cole’s skills, Logan’s hands are tied. Mutual attraction builds between them, but acting on it is futile—helping Cole will put their lives at risk and an end to any future they could’ve had.





All Hallows' Eve
Summary:

Will a centuries-old broken heart ruin the promise of new love?

Dominic Ashworth is descended from a long line of witches, although the family practice of witchcraft died out generations ago. Forever connected to a dark history, the house he grew up in remained in the Ashworth family for generations until his estranged father sold it.

On a mission to check out the new owners, Dominic runs into Caleb Jones and gives the gorgeous man his phone number—but getting a date should be the last thing on Dominic’s agenda.

Caleb and his best friend, Zach Briceworth, are oblivious to the heartache and magic tied to the foundations of their new home. When strange things start to happen, the truth emerges and surprises them both, especially as everything revolves around Caleb’s new love interest.





Magic & Mistletoe
Summary:

Christmas is Harry’s favourite time of the year, but it looks like he’ll be spending it alone. When it comes to the men he fancies, his luck is non-existent. Harry’s nerves always get the better of him—especially when he tries to talk to Andrew, the hot guy downstairs.

Everything changes when Harry meets a mysterious girl in the woods who professes to be a witch. He dismisses her claims, but when odd things start happening to him, he has to reconsider.

Andrew was attracted to Harry from the start, but their awkward encounters put him off. All goes well until Harry opens his mouth—and ruins it with his stupidity and silly comments. When Harry suddenly becomes more relaxed and they have a proper conversation, Andrew realises his first impression was wrong. As the days count down to December 25, they get swept up in the Christmas spirit and their relationship moves faster than either expected.

A little winter magic might have been the push they needed, but Harry worries that when it wears off, he’ll no longer be the man Andrew wants.




Not Just for Christmas

Claiming Rys


All Hallows Eve

Magic & Mistletoe


πŸŽ…πŸŽ„Monday Morning's MenuπŸŽ„πŸŽ…: Operation Destiny by Sarah Hadley Brook



Summary:

Living on Snow Hope Island has its perks: it’s beautiful, the community is like a family, and if you’re an elf but find the North Pole too busy, it’s the ideal place. Still, Noel is lonely. He loves running Frosty’s Diner and he has a cat, but he wants more.

When Charlie Claus shows up on the island, Noel is instantly attracted to him. The more time Noel spends with him, the more he falls for Charlie. Would Charlie ever give up his life and move to the island permanently?

Same universe as Operation Toy Rescue and Operation Reindeer Rescue but can be read as a standalone.



When I first read Operation Toy Rescue 5 years ago I absolutely loved it! When I discovered there had been a follow-up, Operation Reindeer Rescue I was ecstatic, gobbled it up, and loved it as well.  Then about a week ago I stumbled across yet another one set in the universe of Snow Hope Island and neighboring North Pole, to say my heart's pitter patter picked up would be a bit OTT but I was definitely excited.

With Noel and Charlie we get to see how the blending of contemporary and fantasy is what makes this universe something special.  There is just the right tinge of normalcy and Christmas magic to satisfy both sides of the holiday coin.  Their romantic journey in this holiday short is deliciously delightful.  I don't know if the author has plans for future tales from Snow Hope Island and the North Pole but I do know that I'll be keeping an eye out next holiday season because finding these surprises really brightened up my holiday reading time.

RATING:



By the time the dinner rush was over, bone-tired. Gus stayed a little later than usual to help but Noel sent him home at eight when the last guest was heading out. He knew Gus’s wife was waiting for him -- they’d just married a few months ago and were still in that adorable honeymoon stage. Not that Noel was jealous about that. Not really. Perhaps a little. Maybe.

He was just starting to clean the grill when the bell rang again and without looking up, he knew it was Charlie. The air crackled and his heart thrummed in his ears as he pivoted slowly and found a snow-covered Charlie, still standing in the doorway, awkwardly hopping from one foot to the other.

Heat spread through him slowly, warming him from the inside out until he felt as if he were wrapped in a cozy fleece blanket. Pure happiness filled him and he wasn’t sure he’d ever experienced it like that before.

Their eyes locked for a moment and his chest tightened. Was Charlie feeling it too? Noel swallowed hard and mentally chided himself for briefly forgetting how to speak. Until Charlie let out a quiet chuckle and broke the moment.

Noel waved him in with a smile. “Hey, Charlie. I was really hoping you’d stop by. What can I get you?”

“Am I too late?” He stayed near the door, as if to leave if needed.

“No!” he answered, a little too loudly. “I mean, no, we don’t close for another hour. Come in and get warm.”

He stomped off the snow and came closer. “I meant to get in here earlier, but got busy working again and lost track of time. I do that a lot.”

Noel grabbed a towel and wiped down the counter, gesturing to a stool. “Well, no worries. I’ll fix you up with something warm -- whatever you’re in the mood for.” He bit back a grin at the way Charlie’s cheeks pinked up. Interesting ...

Charlie slipped his coat off and laid it across a stool and stood awkwardly at the bar, his eyes sweeping the empty diner. “Not too busy today?”

Noel braced his hands on the counter and leaned in close, noting a pale pink blush spread across Charlie’s face. He smelled like vanilla and mint and Noel wanted to breathe deep, but figured he might weird Charlie out, so he fought the urge. “It was busy earlier, but this time of year most of the islanders are off to bed early because they’re all up at the crack of dawn.”

Charlie met his gaze. “So am I messing up your schedule coming in late?”

“Like I said, you’re not late. And even if you were, as long as someone’s here, you’re always welcome.” His gaze fell to Charlie’s pink lips and then to his throat as Charlie swallowed hard. Noel smiled as he brought his eyes back to Charlie’s. “Especially if it’s me here,” he whispered and tried not to chuckle when Charlie’s blush deepened. God, the guy was adorable -- and so fun to flirt with.

Charlie chewed his lower lip as he slid onto a stool. “I’d hoped you would still be here,” he admitted softly as he met Noel’s gaze.

Noel’s heart leapt in his chest, but he tamped down the excitement. “Admit it, you just want me for my ham and Swiss sandwiches,” he teased, winking at him.

Charlie surprised him by flirting right back. “Who doesn’t want a man that can handle a griddle the way you do?” He asked coyly as he leaned his forearms on the counter.

Noel grinned. A confident Charlie was an even sexier Charlie. He leaned across the counter until they were only a few inches apart. “How can my griddle and I serve you?”



Sunday Short Stack

Monday Mystical Magic

Monday Morning Menu



Author Bio:
Sarah Hadley Brook lives smack-dab in the middle of the Heartland and is the mother of two wonderful young men, as well as two cats. During the day, she works in the nonprofit world, but reserves evenings for her hobby-turned-passion of writing, letting the characters she conjures in her mind take the lead and show her where the story will go. When not working or writing, she can be found reading, working on dollhouses, trying her hand at new recipes, or watching old movies and musicals. In her ideal world, Christmas would come at least twice a year, Rock Hudson and Doris Day would have costarred in more than three movies, and chocolate would be a daily necessity. She dreams of traveling to Scotland some day and visiting the places her ancestors lived. Sarah believes in “Happily Ever After” and strives to ensure her characters find their own happiness in love and life.


FACEBOOK  /  TWITTER  /  FB FRIEND
WEBSITE  /  iTUNES /  JMS BOOKS
KOBO  /  GOOGLE PLAY  /  INSTAGRAM
PINTEREST  /  SMASHWORDS  /  B&N
BOOKBUB  /  AMAZON  /  GOODREADS



Operation Destiny
AMAZON US  /  AMAZON UK  /  B&N
KOBO  /  iTUNES  /  JMS BOOKS

Operation Toy Rescue
B&N  /  KOBO  /  GOOGLE PLAY

Operation Reindeer Rescue
B&N  /  KOBO  /  GOOGLE PLAY


πŸŽ…πŸŽ„πŸŽ­Week at a GlanceπŸŽ­πŸŽ„πŸŽ…: 12/25/23 - 12/31/23




























Sunday, December 31, 2023

πŸŽ…πŸŽ„6th Day of Christmas Author SpotlightπŸŽ„πŸŽ…: Clare London



Clare London
Clare London took her pen name from the city where she lives, loves, and writes. A lone, brave female in a frenetic, testosterone-fuelled family home, she juggles her writing with her other day job as an accountant.

She’s written in many genres and across many settings, with award-winning novels and short stories published both online and in print. She says she likes variety in her writing while friends say she’s just fickle, but as long as both theories spawn good fiction, she’s happy. Most of her work features male/male romance and drama with a healthy serving of physical passion, as she enjoys both reading and writing about strong, sympathetic, and sexy characters.

Clare currently has several novels sulking at that tricky chapter-three stage and plenty of other projects in mind… she just has to find out where she left them in that frenetic, testosterone-fuelled family home.

Clare loves to hear from readers, and you can contact her on all her social media.


EMAIL: clarelondon11@yahoo.co.uk




Santa No. 5
Summary:

No one looks good in a borrowed Santa suit. Especially in a police line-up.

Jacob Carter is struggling as the new sergeant of the village police station. There’s been a rash of Christmas gift thefts, his staff are bemused by his bossy city ways and, in return, he’s having trouble adapting to their more relaxed approach to community policing. Let alone the fact that everyone seems happy to get involved in everyone else’s diverse and often controversial lives.

He’s having even more trouble believing Nick Hollybush is a heartless criminal, despite the result of a bizarre line-up, and all the practical evidence mounting up. Especially with Nick’s sparkling eyes, the shy smile in Jacob’s direction, and their obvious chemistry.

How on earth is Jacob going to juggle the duties of a copper against the romantic desires of an ordinary man—and still keep the village’s Christmas celebrations safe?

Author Note: this story was originally included in the limited edition charity anthology "Kind Hearts at Christmas".





His Gift
Summary:
Steven Macklin wakes up in a ditch one morning in foul, wet weather with no idea where he is or how he came to be there. Seriously injured, he struggles across bleak heathland to find shelter. The only house he finds is weather-beaten and deserted, although he's too sensible a guy to fall for the cliche of a haunted mansion.

Isn't he?

When he collapses and is taken in by the handsome Eliot, Steven finds himself in a very disturbing situation -- and in the bed of this strange, possessive man.





Just Like in the Movies
Summary:
All Bailey wants is to be a good negotiator, and to impress his boss and teacher, the legendary Drew Fletcher. He admires Fletcher for his skills in the field, but that doesn’t stop him admiring the man for other, more romantic reasons as well. In a tense hostage situation, it’s pretty unlikely Bailey’s usual, rash behaviour will cover him in glory, but in his dreams, it’s all going to happen just like in the movies.

When he finally acts to protect his boss, it doesn’t go the way he hopes -- or does it? Will Bailey get to play the hero and get the guy of his dreams?





The Accidental Baker
Summary:

The Accidental Baker #1
Donnie Watson's baking disasters are legendary, but this Easter, his mismatched chocolate eggs bring accidental but astonishing results to four downhearted gay men. The chocolate sweets spill onto the pavement of a small parade of local shops—and go on a matchmaking tour like no other! From a bankrupt and betrayed baker, to a homeless but hopeful man, to a conceited bar owner in need of a reality check, and finally to the hapless but caring Donnie himself.

After all, Love means you can have chocolate too!





Bite Nite by Clare London
Summary:
Creatures of the Night and Santa’s Christmas duties don’t mix. Every myth and bedtime story tells you so. But on Christmas Eve, when the Elves walked off the job over pension rights, it was time for me—Irwin, the only vampire on Santa’s payroll, despite recent diversity initiatives—and my trusty team to help out.

Just deliver a few parcels, Santa asked me. Just help out on your local patch. Just for one night. Armed with my reluctance to face all that human sentimentality, and accompanied by a wise-cracking werewolf and an unruly fairy with a taste for vodka, I did my best. Honest.

But we were heading for disaster until I came face-to-face with cute babysitter Benny. It’s Santa’s Number One Rule—no fraternising with the clients. But Benny somehow managed to upset my appetite, inflame my libido, and restore my faith in the Christmas spirit, with one cheeky smile and a tasty body piercing. It’s Christmas, and the show must go on!




Santa No. 5

His Gift
B&N  /  KOBO  /  GOOGLE PLAY

Just Like in the Movies
KOBO  /  iTUNES  /  GOOGLE PLAY
B&N  /  WEBSITE  /  JMS BOOKS

The Accidental Baker

Bite Night


πŸŽ…πŸŽ„Sunday's Sport StatsπŸŽ„πŸŽ…: Sparkle by RJ Scott & VL Locey



Summary:

LA Storm #1.5
Being in love with a Hollywood star isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. Neither is planning a secret holiday wedding to said box-office hero. There’s the press and paparazzi to outfox, the wedding planner to please, and the catering to sort out. All of that while juggling a crushing hockey schedule and dealing with the world’s most annoying neighbor. But despite the setbacks, worries, and flight plans for family, I’ve never been surer of anything in my life.

Marrying Finn Kerrigan is everything



This free short really only mentions Christmas in passing but in my heart that is all that's needed for a Xmas labellingπŸ˜‰.  Frankly, I can't think of a better story that is most likely my final read of 2023.  Sparkle is a short and sweet continuation of Script, the first entry in LA Storm which is the latest branch of the Scott & Locey Hockey Tree.  I say "continuation" because lets face it, the characters of their hockey universe have a tendency to keep popping up here and there for a variety of reasons. 

Sparkle will leave you smiling, shedding a few happy tears, and even a couple of bursts of laughter.  Honestly, this free short is jam packed to the rafters with emotions in levels that one doesn't often find in a short of this size. Such a delicious surprise holiday treat.

RATING:



Some days it was just better to stay in bed, right? 

Well, what happened when you were still in bed but the day was already running out of control? Where did a man go to get away from the ultimate madness of a Christmas wedding when the sanctity of his bedroom had been breached? I’d thought of hiding under the bed but the space was too small for a hockey player. 

“No way, I would not go with buying your veggies for your veggie platters from some chain store,” I heard Rottie telling my fiancΓ©, his carton-a-day gravelly voice clawing through the pillow I’d placed over my head. “Listen, Finn, for serious, my guru knows a thing or two about this. Organic locally grown is the only way to go. I mean… move over Cameron,” the rocker said then shoved me to the edge of the bed so he could wiggle his scrawny ass between me and Finn. I said many bad words under my pillow. “Right, so what you want to do is keep everything that goes into your body clean, without fungicides, pesticides, or regicides.” 

Okay, someone had to step in here. I could hear Finn typing away on his notebook. I flung the pillow aside. Rottie, who had been working an 80’ s Scottish hairband look for the past few months and my adorable Finn both glanced my way, Finn leaning to see me around the rocker wearing a bright pink and blue kilt, a bandolier filled with various tubes of fruit lip balms instead of bullets— because hey you never knew when your lips would need balm— and tiny ballet slippers smiled at me. That smile of his could wipe away most anything. Sadly, it didn’t have the power to eliminate a rock star. 

“Okay, before you fill your wedding folder with everything that this cumquat says,” I jerked a thumb at my neighbor who snickered then crossed his ankles, “Regicides are not something that you spray on a pepper plant. A regicide is when you kill a king.” 

Finn sighed, deleted, and then handed me his notebook, blue eyes glowing with excitement. To say that Finn was into our upcoming nuptials would be the understatement of all time. Finn had dove into setting things up with his usual love of all things life. Which was amazing and adorable, but man sometimes it was exhausting. Why I had agreed to get married on our short Christmas break from hockey spoke to how totally in love I was with the man. Most hockey players got married off-season. I simply could not wait that long to claim him as my husband, and vice versa, so yeah here we were having a discussion with a singer resting in our bed at six in the freaking morning. 

“Oh right, well, most of them words that end in cide are never good. Homicide, genocide, fungicide, amigocide.” 

“I… what?” I pushed up to sit and stare at Rottie. 

“You know when you kill your friend. Amigocide.” He flipped back his Dee Snider locks then gave me the look that screamed he was busting my balls and knew it. 

“That is not the right… never mind.” I nudged Rottie over and asked the most important question of the new day. “How did you get into my house?” 

“Oh, I knocked. Finn let me in.” Rottie smiled down at me. 

Finn nodded. 

“Huh, I wasn’t expecting such a normal means of entry. I thought maybe you would have parachuted out of a helicopter then came down the chimney,” I tossed out. 

“Nah, the chimney schtick is in two weeks,” Rottie replied then took a sip of coffee from my favorite mug. I was really going to have to talk to Finn about being so kind to our neighbors. Yeah, I was feeling my Scrooge this morning, big time. Bah and humbug. 

“Do not try to get down our chimney,” I barked and got a gruff chuckle from the man wedged between me and Finn. 

“Rottie, where does your guru say to get our veggies?” Finn asked as he took his notebook back and opened it, using a spare pillow as a sort of fluffy stand. 

“I buy all my stuff from the San Pedro Street Community Garden. Such an amazing place, lots of small plots rented by local folks, but they also have several plots that they use for growing the goodies that they then sell. Oh, and they have bee hives too! Everything is organic and totally without any funky nasties that rot your testes.” 

Finn’s bright blue peepers widened. “Holy shit, do vegetables from the store rot your balls?!” 

Rottie shrugged a lean shoulder covered with various tattoos. “My guru says that you should only eat things that will make your sperm happy. That’s why I went totally vegan last month. And now I’m coming bucketfuls. I’m a god-damn sexual Velociraptor.” 

“It’s a T-Rex,” I sighed out. 

“Big lizard, pointy teeth, the point is that I now produce twice the amount of semen I did before and my balls are even more manly. Want to see?” 

We both yelled no but he flipped up his kilt anyway. 

“Go home, Rottie,” I barked, eyes squeezed shut. “And leave my mug this time.” 

“Right, off I go. I have tantric drum lessons at seven followed by a photo shoot to lock down the new album cover.” He handed me my mug, stood then walked to the end of the bed, jumped down, bowed deeply, and meandered out of the bedroom door. 



Saturday's Series Spotlight
Harrisburg Raptors
Part 1  /  Part 2  /  Part 3  /  Part 4

Owatonna U
Part 1  /  Part 2

Arizona Raptors
Part 1  /  Part 2

Boston Rebels
Part 1  /  Part 2

Hockey Universe
Xmas Edition

Road to the Stanley Cup Edition

Father's Day Edition

Chestorford Coyotes

LA Storm


πŸ’πŸ‘¨‍❤️‍πŸ‘¨πŸ’πŸ’–πŸ‘¬πŸ’–πŸ’πŸ‘¨‍❤️‍πŸ’‹‍πŸ‘¨πŸ’




RJ Scott
Writing love stories with a happy ever after – cowboys, heroes, family, hockey, single dads, bodyguards

USA Today bestselling author RJ Scott has written over one hundred romance books. Emotional stories of complicated characters, cowboys, single dads, hockey players, millionaires, princes, bodyguards, Navy SEALs, soldiers, doctors, paramedics, firefighters, cops, and the men who get mixed up in their lives, always with a happy ever after.

She lives just outside London and spends every waking minute she isn’t with family either reading or writing. The last time she had a week’s break from writing, she didn’t like it one little bit, and she has yet to meet a box of chocolates she couldn’t defeat.




VL Locey
V.L. Locey loves worn jeans, yoga, belly laughs, walking, reading and writing lusty tales, Greek mythology, the New York Rangers, comic books, and coffee.
(Not necessarily in that order.)

She shares her life with her husband, her daughter, one dog, two cats, a flock of assorted domestic fowl, and two Jersey steers.

When not writing spicy romances, she enjoys spending her day with her menagerie in the rolling hills of Pennsylvania with a cup of fresh java in hand.



RJ Scott
FACEBOOK  /  TWITTER  /  WEBSITE
NEWSLETTER  /  CHIRP  /  INSTAGRAM
AUDIOBOOKS  /  B&N  /  GOOGLE PLAY
AUDIBLE  /  FB GROUP  /  PINTEREST  /  TUMBLR
BOOKBUB  /  KOBO  /  SMASHWORDS
iTUNES  /  AMAZON  /  GOODREADS
EMAIL: rj@rjscott.co.uk

VL Locey
FACEBOOK  /  TWITTER  /  WEBSITE
BOOKBUB  /  B&N  /  INSTAGRAM  /  AUDIBLE
iTUNES  /  AMAZON  /  GOODREADS
EMAIL: vicki@vllocey.com



Sparkle #1.5

Harrisburg Railers Series
B&N  /  iTUNES  /  CHIRP

Owatonna U Series
B&N  /  iTUNES  /  SMASHWORDS
KOBO  /  WEBSITE  /  GOODREADS TBR

Arizona Raptors Series
B&N  /  iTUNES  /  SMASHWORDS
KOBO  /  WEBSITE  /  GOODREADS TBR

Boston Rebels Series
B&N  /  iTUNES  /  SMASHWORDS
KOBO  /  WEBSITE  /  GOODREADS TBR

Chestorford Coyotes Series

LA Storm Series