A Convenient Risk by Sara R. Turnquist - Book Tour and Giveaway

About the Book



He never imagined her heart would be so hard to reach.

Forced into a marriage of convenience after her husband dies, Amanda Haynes is determined she will never love again. Not that it bothers Brandon Miller. He needs her husband’s cattle. She needs financial stability and long-term support for her son and herself. But she never expected to care so much about the running of the ranch. Or the rancher.

Butting heads over the decisions of the ranch, adding to her frustration and grief at her loss. Her wellbeing is soon threatened as their lives become entangled with Billy the Kid and his gang. What has she gotten herself into? What kind of man has she married? Is there any way out?

Excerpt

“Are you unwell?” Brandon moved toward her.

She stepped back, bumping into the counter. “No. I am well enough.” Amanda pulled her hands around her back.

Was she frightened of him? He halted his progress, and she seemed to breathe easier.

He opened his mouth, but the right words wouldn’t come. Floundering for a moment, he closed his lips and swallowed past a lump in his throat.

Couldn’t he just reach out and take her in his arms? Wouldn’t that make everything better? But that was not the answer.

She bit at her lip, but held his eyes. “I…was just looking for something to eat.”

Brandon nodded. She had missed dinner. “Are you better?”

Nodding, her face turned in the direction of the floor. Her hair fell in waves to both sides of her face. Did she not usually gather it in a braid for bed? His face warmed at the realization that he knew something so intimate about her. At length, he spoke into the silence, “I was worried.”

She met his gaze again. Was that moisture in her eyes? Had he made her upset?

Brandon took a step forward. “Please.” He held out his hands. “I know we haven’t always had the best of understanding between us. But I wish…” Pausing, he looked off to the side. Then secured her eyes again. “Tell me what’s wrong?”

Amanda appeared as if she were ready to climb on top of the counter to escape him somehow, but after some moments, her shoulders relaxed. And then a tear fell. 

He held his breath, praying she would speak.

About the Author

Sara is originally from Middle Tennessee. After a short stint in Memphis, where she earned a degree in Biology and began a career as both a Zoo Educator and a Sleep Technician, she then followed a dream to work for a large zoo in Orlando, FL as an Educator. Once she and her husband started their family, they moved back to Middle Tennessee where they currently reside. Sara and her husband now enjoy a full life with their three beautiful and very active children. She enjoys many creative outlets – singing, piano, drawing, drama, and organizing anything. And even though she has enjoyed her career as a Zoo Educator, Sara's great love of the written word continued to draw her to write. She has always been an avid reader and, for many years, has been what she terms a “closet writer”. Her travels and love of history have served to inspire her to write clean Historical Romance. Sara has made several trips to the Czech Republic. Her time among the Czech people and the landscapes of the country inspired her and greatly influenced her work on her debut novel, The Lady Bornekova, set in Hradec Kralove, Czech Republic. Sara is also the author of The General’s Wife, Off to War, Hope in Cripple Creek, and A Convenient Risk and a member of ACFW.

Author Links:

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Giveaway

One randomly chosen winner via rafflecopter will win a $50 Amazon/BN.com gift card.

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He Takes the Cake by J. Lynn Rowan - Book Blast and Giveaway

About the Book

Life is good for Tess Gardiner: Her Savannah, Georgia, bakery and cafe is thriving. She’s earned Master Pastry Chef status from the American Culinary Federation. And she’s attending a regional culinary convention in Charleston, where she’s been invited to sit on a small business panel discussion. The opportunity to tout her success will, hopefully, lead to bigger and better things in her professional life. As for her personal life? The relative contentedness she’s enjoyed for years receives a sudden jolt when she comes face to face with Tyler Brinks, the ex-boyfriend she summarily dismissed from her life eight years ago.

Tyler’s success as a highly-trained chef has launched him into the stratosphere. He already owns one ridiculously successful restaurant, and he’s aggressively working on plans for a second. But he’s never quite gotten over Tess, and he’s never really been sure what actually went wrong between them. So when a pastry and baking competition is announced for the week following the culinary convention in Charleston, Ty jumps at the chance to tempt Tess with the challenge of being his partner, giving him the perfect opportunity to remind her how good they once were together.

As the competition heats up in the kitchen, it soon becomes clear to Tess that Ty has more than cream puffs and cupcakes on his mind. And she can’t deny that her feelings for Ty never truly cooled, but have been simmering all these years, despite the way their relationship ended. Now Ty’s attention has her wondering—is this just the path to final closure? Or could this be a second chance at true love?

Excerpt

Ty comes to a stop a couple paces away and settles his hands on his hips. “Hey, Tess. Long time, no see.”

“Yeah, well . . .”

That’s got to be the lamest opener ever. I clear my throat, relieved that my voice is working at all, and muster up my pride.

But before I can come up with a real comment, Ty says, “I saw you listed on the small business panel discussion. Must be exciting.”

“This from a featured presenter.” Squaring my shoulders, I tilt my head slightly and jerk my chin at him. “You always walk around in your chef’s coat?”

“Only when I’m hoping to run into my ex-girlfriends at culinary conventions.”

The teasing note in his deep voice has my eyes narrowing. “Tyler—”

He holds up his hands, palms out, and chuckles. “Geez, I’m kidding. Calm down, Contessa.”

“Do. Not. Call. Me. That.” I grind the words out from between my teeth.

“Wow. Still touchy, are we?” He crosses his arms again and tips his head back while he surveys me. We don’t have a big difference between us in height, but whenever he does that, it makes me feel about five inches tall. “I was actually prepping for a demonstration, and was just taking a little break.”

Irritation slides through me, both at Ty as well as myself. I shouldn’t be letting the old hurts bubble up like this. I haven’t seen him in eight years. Even if we parted on the worst terms possible, he deserves the benefit of the doubt, as a fellow culinary professional if nothing else.

“Sorry.” I make a show of folding up the pamphlet, forgotten until now, and sliding it into my bag. The move allows me to break eye contact and re-center myself. By the time I look up again, Ty’s smirk is back in place. Hoisting my bag into a more secure position on my shoulder, I fold my arms in a mirror of his posture. “You’ve probably got a busy few days ahead. Odds of us running into each other again are slim, so . . .”

A knowing light flashes in his eyes, even as he offers a handshake. Against my better judgment and with only the barest hesitation, I accept.

Fires start popping up all along my nerves the instant our palms touch. By the time I realize my mistake, it’s too late to pull away.

Ty gives my hand a gentle squeeze. “Maybe I’ll see you around.”

He releases me, takes a couple steps backward, and gives me a wink before turning to walk away. I stand there, my hand still hanging in the air like a limp fish.

Maybe I’ll see you around?

Coming from Ty, that’s not a possibility.

It’s a promise.

About the Author

J. Lynn Rowan started writing stories as a small child, usually starring her favorite cartoon characters. Most of her work through middle and high school was filled with typical teenage angst and melodrama, and usually mirrored the books she loved to read. But eventually she found her own author’s voice and decided to seriously pursue a writing career.

Historical fiction remains J. Lynn’s “first love”, but she has enjoyed the journey to becoming an author of romance and chick lit. She is a member of Romance Writers of America, the Central New York Romance Writers, and the Historical Novel Society. She is also a teacher who tries to instill a love of learning, reading, and writing in her students.

When she’s not writing, J. Lynn enjoys travelling, gardening poorly but enthusiastically, studying various topics in American history for her own expertise, and channeling Julia Child every time she steps into the kitchen.

A native of Oswego, NY, she now lives in Charlotte, NC, with her own Romantic Hero of a husband and their little rainbow, affectionately known as Babycakes.

Author Links:

Website / Email / Facebook / Twitter / Pinterest / YouTube / Goodreads / Amazon

BETTER THAN CHOCOLATE PURCHASE LINKS:

Amazon / Barnes & Noble

WHEN IN ROME PURCHASE LINKS:

Amazon / Barnes & Noble

THE ONE I’M WITH PURCHASE LINK:

Amazon

Giveaway

J. Lynn Rowan will be awarding a $20 Amazon/BN GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.

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Broken Spire by Sue Perkins - Book Blitz and Giveaway

About the Book


Ash's silvery purple hair sets her apart from her peers and at the magic college of Spires a few senior maeven consider her magic to be alien and unsuccessfully try to expel her. Ash feels a compulsive attraction tempting her to enter the broken North Spire. She believes this off limits ruin holds the answer to her origins, but is not willing to take the chance of expulsion from Spires.

Orm, Ash's equally talented classmate, is determined to support the girl he considers his soulmate, and promises to help her find out the secrets of the North Spire when they reach the end of their third year.

At the end of the first year, Ash nervously waits to see if she will be allowed to continue at Spires, or will she be sent home in disgrace.

Excerpt

A young woman stood in the doorway with a Spires cloak over her arm. Ash could tell by her clothes the woman did not come from a farming community. Her dress frills on the light material floating in the air movement from the corridor, would have been considered unnecessary by Tulia.

"Oh." The newcomer paused for effect. "I thought I would have a room to myself."

"It's cozier when there are more of us," Rupe told her. "I'm Rupe, this is Ash."

"Charmed, I'm sure. My name is Ceku Atania Beland. You may call me Ceku. I wonder where the servant is with my bags." The young lady entered the room and looked around. "I think I'll take this bed."

Ceku seated herself daintily on the bed nearest the door and placed her cloak beside her. Ash hoped their new roommate wasn't as stuck up as she appeared. Maybe offering some help to the other girl would make her more friendly.

"Hilso said we were to leave the bed by the door for the second year student."

"Nonsense. This is the best bed. I shall sleep here."

"Move."

All three of them jumped at the brusque command. A tall dark haired girl stood in the doorway glaring at Ceku.

"I shall do no such thing. Do you know who I am?"

"Yes, I do. You're a first year student and any other rank you hold outside Spires doesn't count here. Now move yourself and get your bags. They're still sitting in the courtyard."

"The servants will no doubt bring them when they have time." Ceku still didn't move from the bed.

"I'm Uma, your second year roomie." The girl introduced herself to Ash and Rupe then turned to face Ceku and muttered something under her breath.


Ash barely managed to suppress her laughter when the stuck up young woman slid off the bed and landed on the floor. The surprise still showed on her face as she slid across to the vacant bed on the other side of the room and her cloak followed obediently behind her.

About the Author

Sue Perkins grew up in Devon, England and emigrated to New Zealand with her family. Sue and her husband now live at the top of New Zealand’s South Island. Her interests include writing, reading, genealogy and aqua jogging.

Sue’s book genres include romance, fantasy romance, young adult fantasy and middle grade fantasy. Her first romance book was released in May 2007, quickly followed by a fantasy trilogy. She now has many books published in all the genres. Her aim for the future is to write a full-length epic fantasy novel. The outline is complete, and Sue is hoping to find time to finish the first draft by the end of 2017. Meanwhile she carries on with her current fantasy series - Rak Shoma, a blend of magic and fantasy.

Author Links:

Website / Blog / Facebook / Twitter / Email

Purchase Link:

http://www.desertbreezepublishing.com/rak-shoma-book-one-broken-spires/

Giveaway
Sue Perkins will be awarding a $25 Amazon/BN GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.

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