NEW RELEASE for MARCI BOUDREAUX

Book 4 in the Stonehill Romance series is now available. These sweet romances may be read out of order, so get your copy today! And remember - In Stonehill, every heart deserves a second chance.

There is nothing Jessica wants more than to be like everyone else, but between her Down Syndrome and her colorful family, “average” isn’t part of her vocabulary. This year when she blows out eleven candles on her homemade vegan cake she makes the same wish she’s made for as many birthdays as she can remember: she wants a mother.

Jessica’s father Phil has worked his entire life to create a more stable childhood for his daughter than he had. But a supportive mother, a recently returned father, rainbow pancakes, and princesses can’t heal the dark void left in Phil’s heart which he won’t even admit is there.

When Mallory's mother’s life unexpectedly turns upside down, Mallory realizes her dreams come second to her heart, and she leaves her dream job in a big city to return home set on helping her fiercely independent mother recover. After forming a unique bond with Jessica—and a friendship with Jessica’s hot father—Mallory finds that in coming back to Stonehill she might just have found a way to make all of her dreams come true.

But as their families start pushing Phil and Mallory together, old insecurities and Phil’s worst fears threaten to break up the happy trio and catch Jessica in the emotional crossfire.

Amazon Buy Link

As a teen, Marci Boudreaux skipped over young adult books and jumped right into the world of romance novels. She's never left. Marci lives with her husband, two kiddos, and their numerous pets. Until recently, she was a freelance writer appearing monthly in a variety of local magazines. She now focuses on writing and her work as a content editor.

Romance is her preferred reading and writing genre because nothing feels better than falling in love with someone new and her husband doesn't like when she does that in real life.

Learn more about Marci Boudreaux on her website and blog. Stay connected on Facebook and Twitter.

OOH LA LA, MES AMIS

I am excited to announce my five Naughty Ladies of Nice books are now available in a box set from Toque & Dagger Publishing.

INTRODUCING

Treat yourself to a mini vacation on the French Riviera with five fun-packed books where intrigue, romance, and Haute cuisine collide to create erotic adventure.

FRENCH TART Book 1
Bon Appétit...Satisfy all your cravings at cooking school.
Determined to prove herself and shed her party girl image, Donatienne Dubois pins her hope on the exclusive cooking school in Nice, France. One by one her expectations are shattered by a foul-mouthed parrot, a bogus Michelin chef, and a headmistress with a heart of tungsten steel. Donni’s lifesaver is a bad boy too hot not to handle.

Mark Anderson is incognito and hating every moment. To pose as a student while keeping tabs on a rich wild child is his version of hell, until he partners with the dish of Crème Brulée good enough to eat.

Class takes on a whole new meaning as Doni and Mark heat up the kitchen when they discover honey has better uses than sweetening tea.

FRENCH DELIGHTS Book 2
Fantasy blooms in a garden of wicked delight.
Science is Paul’s life. Close to a major breakthrough, all he wants is to be left alone with his trees and not be forced to entertain a corporate suit. That is until the suit arrives in a sexy sundress. Now all Paul can think about is experimenting on her, not his orchard.

Lisette is less than thrilled about spending a month at a moldering chateau on the French Riviera with only some dried up old scientist for company. However the hot man in dirty jeans tending his scraggly trees proves more of a garden fantasy than the nerd in a lab coat.

Sex and science create a volatile formula resulting in total delight.

FRENCH TWIST Book 3
Spies and lies bring a deadly twist to the City of Lights.
Interpol agent Claudette D’Laquois is trapped in the hellhole of life and unable to trust anyone. Desperate to regain control, she flees to the safety of her uncle’s rundown chateau on the French Riviera. But Claudette soon learns the countryside has its own dangers when she finds herself alone with a sexy foreigner.

Uptight accountant Donald Hobbs ditches numbers for dirt to oversee his friend’s orchard for three weeks. His well deserved vacation is perfect until a seductive mademoiselle drags him into a dangerous world of intrigue and erotic fantasy.

Illegal drugs and Russian mobsters take a back seat to a lethal night of sinful pleasure for Claudette and Don.

FRENCH KISS Book 4
Who needs safe and boring when you can play with a pirate on the French Riviera?

Burned-out author Rachel Conklin sparks her creativity on the French Riviera as a fishing boat cook. Things are smooth sailing until she’s thrown overboard into a storm-tossed sea. Rachel awakens to find herself staring into the eyes of a sexy pirate-looking hunk who changes the course of her life forever.

Dr. Henri Bernier is an analytical man with a quiet life and a job he loves. The last thing he expects to find when he anchors his treasured fishing boat in the sheltered harbor of a small island is an accidental mermaid washed ashore. He soon learns his perfect life leaves much to be desired.

Will desire save them or drown them in a perfect storm from their pasts?

FRENCH TICKLER Book 5
Lace and handcuffs...tools of the trade.
New Yorker Samantha Bradley has a fun, sexy career designing ladies lingerie. Now that her business is on the rise, she treats herself to a well deserved break on the French Riviera where the women are glamorous and the men are gorgeous. After a few days Sam is eager to sample more than just the local cuisine.

Cisco Bernier is France's key criminal prosecutor, but his courtroom charm falls flat outside the hallowed halls of justice. From family relationships to romantic trysts, his success rate is abysmal until a chance encounter with a sensuous young American businesswoman spins his staid world out of control.

Sam and Cisco sizzle together, but any future is threatened when their pasts collide. Her mob-connected father and his deceitful mother resurface and drag them into a corrupt world of lies and danger.

BUY LINKS
Amazon - ARe - Barnes & Noble - Kobo - Smashwords

Happy Reading!

Sloane

HURRAH for VONNIE HUGHES

COMING HOME is a Regency historical originally published in hardcover by Robert Hale Ltd. This wonderful book is now released as an e-book.

In the aftermath of a vicious rape, Juliana Colebrook shuns all men apart from the injured soldiers she nurses. Orphaned and alone, she desperately wants to leave Portugal for the protection of her relatives in England. However, there is still one man who invokes her admiration: Brigade-Major Colwyn Hetherington, with his self-deprecating sense of humour and innate sense of duty.

So when Colwyn is offered a dream job managing a large estate in Wiltshire, Juliana asks him to escort her back to England. But Colwyn has troubles of his own and when he is forced to reveal the nature of his woes to a stunned Juliana, everything changes. Mired in danger, who can Juliana trust? And what of Colwyn’s warning that families bring only trouble?

When Brigade-Major Colly Hetherington meets Miss Juliana Colebrook, he gives her a black eye. After the Battle of the Douro on the Iberian Peninsula he is severely wounded and only semi-conscious, but he is still coherent enough to know that he is behaving just as his father had predicted when he threw Colly out of the family home five years previously. Colly cannot be trusted around women.

Miss Colebrook, however, sees in Colly a wealth of kindness and a willingness to assume responsibility. She observes that he cares about the soldiers serving under him. If only…

Buy Links Amazon - Waterstones

Vonnie Hughes is a multi-published author in both Regency books and contemporary suspense. She loves the intricacies of the social rules of the Regency period and the far-ranging consequences of the Napoleonic Code. And with suspense she has free rein to explore forensic matters and the strong convolutions of the human mind. Like many writers, some days she hates the whole process, but somehow she just cannot let it go.

Vonnie was born in New Zealand, but she and her husband now live happily in Australia. If you visit Hamilton Gardens in New Zealand be sure to stroll through the Japanese Garden. These is a bronze plaque engraved with a haiku describing the peacefulness of that environment. The poem was written by Vonnie.

Learn more about Vonnie Hughes on her website and blog. Stay connected on Facebook and Goodreads.

Life is too Short NOT to Enjoy the Sweet Things

by Sharon Ledwith

In my book, Legend of the Timekeepers—the prequel to The Last Timekeepers series—my 14-year-old protagonist Lilith is faced with the reality that Atlantis is on the brink of being destroyed, and her family must evacuate their home immediately.

While many of us look back on our lives and think—where the heck did the time go?—it doesn’t take a catastrophe like Lilith and her father had to endure to make us realize that life is indeed short, and we’d better be grateful for what we have in the present. The following recipe will make you appreciate the sweet things in your life, and is great to prepare on those cherished afternoons of baking with a loved one.

Maple Madness Butter Tarts

Tart Shells
2 cups (500 mL) all-purpose flour
1 tsp. (5 mL) salt
¾ cup (175 mL) all-vegetable shortening, well chilled (we use CRISCO® Golden All-Vegetable Shortening)
4-8 tbsp. (60-120 mL) ice cold water

Blend flour and salt in medium mixing bowl. Cut ½-inch (1.5 cm) cubes of chilled shortening into flour mixture using a pastry blender or two knives until mixture resembles coarse crumbs with pea-sized pieces remaining.

Sprinkle 4 tbsp. (60 mL) of the ice cold water over the flour mixture. Using a fork, stir and draw flour from bottom of bowl to the top; press chunks down to bottom of bowl with fork. Add more water by the tablespoon, mixing until dough holds together.

Divide dough into two balls. Flatten balls into ½-inch (1.5 cm) thick disks, wrap in plastic wrap and chill for 30 minutes or up to 2 days.

Place ball of dough on lightly floured work surface. With floured rolling pin, roll out thinly from center outward. Cut out 6 rounds with 4” (10 cm) cutter. Repeat with second ball of dough. Fit rounds into 12 medium-sized muffin cups.

Filling
½ cup (125 mL) packed brown sugar
¼ cup (60 mL) pure maple syrup
¼ cup (60 mL) corn syrup
¼ cup (60 mL) all-vegetable shortening
1 egg, slightly beaten
1 tsp (5 mL) vanilla extract
½ tsp (2 mL) salt
¾ cup of raisin or pecans (if desired)

Preheat oven to 425°F (220°C)

Combine all filling ingredients except raisins (or pecans); mix well.
Evenly divide raisins (or pecans) into pastry shells.

Fill cups ⅔ full with syrup mixture.

Bake on bottom shelf for 12 to 15 minutes or just until set. DO NOT OVERBAKE. Cool completely before removing from the pan.

Makes 12 Maple Madness butter tarts.

Now, while you’re waiting for your butter tarts to cool, why not partake in an afternoon of cozying up on the couch with a good book? Ready for a trip to Atlantis?

There is no moving forward without first going back.

Lilith was a young girl with dreams and a family before the final destruction of Atlantis shattered those dreams and tore her family apart. Now refugees, Lilith and her father make their home in the Black Land. This strange, new country has no place in Lilith’s heart until a beloved high priestess introduces Lilith to her life purpose—to be a Timekeeper and keep time safe.

Summoned through the seventh arch of Atlantis by the Children of the Law of One, Lilith and her newfound friends are sent into Atlantis’s past, and given a task that will ultimately test their courage and try their faith in each other. Can the Timekeepers stop the dark magus Belial before he changes the seers’ prophecy? If they fail, then their future and the earth’s fate will be altered forever.


To read an excerpt from Legend of the Timekeepers or purchase a copy, please click a vendor's name
Mirror World Publishing - Amazon US - Amazon CA

If you haven’t already read Sharon Ledwith's novel, The Last Timekeepers and the Arch of Atlantis, here’s the blurb…

When 13-year-old Amanda Sault and her annoying classmates are caught in a food fight at school, they're given a choice: suspension or yard duty. The decision is a no-brainer. Their two-week crash course in landscaping leads to the discovery of a weathered stone arch in the overgrown back yard. The arch isn't a forgotten lawn ornament but an ancient time portal from the lost continent of Atlantis.

Chosen by an Atlantean Magus to be Timekeepers--legendary time travelers sworn to keep history safe from the evil Belial--Amanda and her classmates are sent on an adventure of a lifetime. Can they find the young Robin Hood and his merry band of teens? If they don't, then history itself may be turned upside down.

To read more of the Arch of Atlantis or purchase a copy, please click a vendor's name
Mirror World Publishing - Amazon US - Amazon CA

BONUS: Download the free PDF short story The Terrible, Mighty Crystal HERE.

Check out The Last Timekeepers series Facebook Page.

Sharon Ledwith is the author of the middle-grade/YA time travel series, THE LAST TIMEKEEPERS, available through Mirror World Publishing, and is represented by Walden House (Books & Stuff) for her teen psychic series, MYSTERIOUS TALES FROM FAIRY FALLS. When not writing, researching, or revising, she enjoys reading, exercising, anything arcane, and an occasional dram of scotch. Sharon lives a serene, yet busy life in a southern tourist region of Ontario, Canada, with her hubby, one spoiled yellow Labrador and a moody calico cat.

Learn more about Sharon Ledwith on her website and blog. Stay connected on Facebook and Twitter, Google+, and Goodreads. Look up her Amazon Author page for a list of current books.

For a Good Time, Read Sam Cheever

All the wit and talent of USA Today best-selling author Sam Cheever shines throughout her latest paranormal romance. Book one of Sam's new series is a must read.

Astra Q Phelps is on the side of the good guys in the war between good and evil. Unfortunately for her, the bad guys have been making inroads on her soul. And when a particularly dark and sexy dark worlder fixes his heated gaze on Astra, the lighter side of her nature quickly finds itself kicked to the curb by her slut-monkey side. But Astra doesn't have time to deal with her love life. She's in the middle of a war between two dark factions...a war that just might mean the end of the human population...and it seems the fate of the world rests uneasily on her shoulders. It's a lot of pressure to put on one feisty halfling...but Astra Q Phelps is definitely...erm...certainly...ahh...possibly up to the challenge.

EXCERPT:
Dialle dropped his head to kiss me before I could bolt away. Despite my discomfort at kissing Dialle in front of Emo, my heart took up the beat that was playing itself out in my lower regions. Heat, sharp and molten ran through my body at the touch of his lips and I closed my eyes and leaned into him before I realized what I was doing. When I opened my eyes a moment later we were standing in Dialle’s chambers and Emo wasn’t.

I also became aware that Dialle had climbed up my shirt and was making himself very familiar with the geography of a part of my body that is not considered a public access area by the Astra Q. Phelps dating committee of one (that’s me). I cursed and pushed his hands away just as the door crashed back against the wall and spat Gerch at us.

“My Prince. I’m sorry to…interrupt…” I glared at him and saw just the tiniest tipping up of one side of his wide, craggy lips. “But the king has requested your presence in his rooms.”

I grinned. Saved again. Dialle cursed. “Tell him to go to Heaven.”

Gerch’s lips twitched but, soldier-like, he managed to hold the smile in check. “My Prince, do you think that’s wise?”

Dialle’s answering glare very nearly succeeded in banishing his Captain’s smile into the shadows, never to be seen again. Gerch lowered his head and body in the tiniest bow. “As you wish.” But he didn’t leave the room.

Dialle cursed again and paced away from me. I found his response to his father’s summons singularly interesting. Despite my extreme weariness I couldn’t help the spark of interest that gave me new energy. It might be fun to meet Dialle the First if he could make my Dialle so deliciously nervous and pissed off.

After a minute Dialle’s gaze shot toward the waiting Gerch and he sighed. “Oh hell! All right, Gerch. Wait outside the door for a minute while Astra and I finish our…business.”

Yikes! That so wasn’t what I had in mind. My eyes went round and my mouth opened to argue but I didn’t get the chance. Dialle was on me like bristle hairs on an elephant before I could say, diddley squat.

My traitorous body melted against him almost as soon as his lips met mine. My world suddenly became a small bubble of musky heat and shared air that caused my limbs to tighten with need even as they turned to warm, flexible rubber.

Dialle’s eyes, blue again, burned into me as he pulled those incredibly soft lips from mine and trailed his hot, red tongue across my lips. I gasped. I could have sworn the touch sizzled against my tender, swollen lips. “I’m damned.” I said on a need-charged sigh.

BUY LINKS:
Amazon.com - Amazon.ca - Amazon.uk - All Romance eBooks - Barnes & Noble - Kobo - iBookstore - Website page

Sam Cheever is a USA Today best-selling author who writes romantic paranormal/fantasy and mystery/suspense, creating stories that celebrate the joy of love in all its forms. Known for writing great characters, snappy dialogue, and unique and exhilarating stories, Sam is the award-winning author of 50+ books and has been writing for over a decade under several noms de plume.

If you haven't already connected, Sam would love it if you Liked/Followed her wherever you enjoy hanging out online. Here are her online haunts:
Newsletter - Website - Amazon Author Page - Facebook - Twitter - Pinterest - Tsu

No Fudging on Romance

by Sara Daniel

It’s February, the month when romantics, conformists, and panicked spouses all converge on florists and chocolate shops. If you live in the northern two-thirds of the northern hemisphere, by all means, buy your loved one some flowers. (Nothing’s going to grow in my tundra of a front yard any time soon!) However, for a personal touch, step away from the candy aisle and pick up the kitchen spatula to make that special someone a pan of homemade fudge.

February Fudge

7 oz marshmallow creme
1½ cups sugar
⅔ cup evaporated milk
¼ cup butter
¼ tsp. salt
2 cups milk chocolate chips
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 tsp. vanilla

Combine marshmallow creme, sugar, evaporated milk, butter and salt in a saucepan. Stirring constantly, bring to a full rolling boil over medium heat. Boil for 5 minutes, still stirring constantly. Remove from heat.

Add both kinds of chocolate chips and stir until chips are melted and mixture is smooth. Stir in vanilla.

Pour in foil-lined 8X8 pan. Chill until firm, roughly 2 hours. Makes 2½ pounds.

From the basic recipe, you can add caramel, pecans, peanut butter and more, depending on your loved one’s preference. Using a cookie cookies, you can even cut the fudge into hearts or pour it into heart-shaped bread or muffin/cookie tins while it is still warm. Make your fudge as unique as you are to delight your significant other and infuse decadent sweetness into your love life.

Here's a little from my fun release that shows how much I loved playing with the Brothers Grimm. Hope you like it.

Before Armina Keer can have the baby she dreams of, she needs her estranged husband Ian to sign their divorce papers. Putting everything on the line for a second chance, Ian must convince her their love is worth saving, and Armina must decide if love is worth sacrificing her dreams.

Ian Keer might not deserve a second chance with his wife, but he’s not going to give up one either, not with the immediate flaming attraction still between them. While her uncles’ antics wreak havoc on life at The Inn, he offers her the ultimate gamble: Spend the night with him, and afterwards he’ll sign the papers if she still wants to leave.

With everything riding on one night together, Ian must convince her that their love is strong enough the second time around, and Armina must decide if love is worth sacrificing her dreams.

“You hate me,” Ian whispered, feeling more nauseous than if he’d ingested a prosthetic eyeball. How could she not hate him when she believed their personal relationship had meant less to him than an employment issue?

Armina gazed beyond his left shoulder. “I don’t hate you. I’ve never hated you. When we got married, I understood you had a strong work ethic combined with an unusual drive to succeed and a consuming passion for the Inn. I knew I’d come in second to this place.”

He opened his mouth, wanting to argue, but couldn’t. If she’d made him choose, he wouldn’t have picked her.

I thought I was okay with it,” she continued. “After all, I loved the Inn, too, and wanted you to realize your vision for it. Turns out I wasn’t okay. I didn’t realize how distant second place actually was.” She shrugged her slim shoulders. “Live and learn, right?”

Not right. He wanted to take back the lesson and teach her about real love instead. “You never should have had to settle for second place. With me or with anyone else. No one has the right to ask that of you.”

"Agreed.” Her voice came out stronger, her shoulders squared, and she looked him directly in the eye. “Now you understand why I want a divorce.”

Amazon - Barnes & Noble - All Romance ebooks - Decadent Publishing - iBooks



Sara Daniel writes what she loves to read—irresistible romance, from sweet to erotic and everything in between. She battles a serious NASCAR addiction, was once a landlord of two uninvited squirrels, and loses her car keys several times a day.

Learn more about Sara on her website and blog. Subscribe to Sara’s newsletter.

Stay connected on Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest.

February is Also for Paranormal Romance

by Leigh Goff

Sixteen-year-old Sophie Goodchild, the half-witch main character from my YA fantasy romance, Disenchanted is here to answer the following February This or That questions.

Chocolates or Flowers?
My Aunt Janie, an herbalist witch who owns a shop called Scents and Scentsabilities, has infused a deep appreciation for plant magic into my head and heart, but she also makes a mean enchanted chocolate confection to help me keep secrets and it melts on my tongue in the most delicious way. I’m torn on this question, but if I have to choose, I choose flowers because they really communicate so much more sentiment than chocolate, and they come in handy when you want to concoct magical products like Tulips to Kiss Stick and Forever First Love Lip Balm.

Going out or staying in?
Staying in. Hands down. When you are dating a guy as hot as mine, you want to spend as much alone time together as possible. His name is Alexavier. He’s American, but went to school in London, so he has a dreamy British accent. He’s tall, dark-haired, and a bad boy at heart. Did I mention he’s forbidden? Oh yeah. *Swoon*

Fancy restaurant or pizza/burger joint?
I’m going with fancy restaurant on this one. Witches own most of the pizza/burger/sandwich shops in Wethersfield, and sometimes, they add enchanted ingredients like Parisian basil to their Witch Wraps to keep customers coming back. I’ll take mine without Parisian basil, thank you very much!

Action flick or romantic comedy?
Alexavier really prefers action flicks because he is all about action. He never shies away from a fight. He even goes out in thunderstorms looking for trouble. That’s how we met. Me, I prefer watching zombie flicks with my pal, Callum. My friend, Macey thinks there is a love triangle going on with Alexavier, Callum, and me, but as sweet as Callum is, my heart belongs to Alexavier.

Nightclub or ballroom?
Ballroom. And only because of the weird dreams I’ve been having lately where I find myself wearing seventeenth century gowns and dancing to harpsichord music with a well-dressed gentleman who looks a lot like Alexavier. I think my witch ancestor is trying to tell me something…

Coffee or cocktails?
Coffee. I’m too young to drink cocktails and with the sleepless nights I’ve been having thanks to a witchy ghost from the past, caffeine is exactly what I need to wake up and keep me out of trouble. Good thing I have my mom’s diamond bloodcharm to enhance my magic, just in case trouble finds me and I’m not caffeinated.

Candy or Fresh Fruit?
Fresh fruit if they happen to be chocolate covered strawberries. Here's my favorite recipe from Food.com:

Wickedly Delicious Chocolate Covered Strawberries

Photo by Ambro

2 pints strawberries, with stems if possible
1 ½ cups semi-sweet chocolate chips (or milk chocolate chips)
2 tbsp. corn syrup
6 tbsp. butter

Wash strawberries and pat dry. Place on paper towels until they reach room temperature.

Melt chocolate chips, corn syrup, and butter in a double boiler, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and dip each strawberry into chocolate, coating ⅔ of strawberry. Allow excess chocolate to drip off into pan.

Place stem side down on waxed paper covered baking pan or cookie sheet. Refrigerate until set, about 15-20 minutes.

Yields approximately 28 strawberries.

This excerpt from Disenchanted gives you more insight to Sophie and her inner feelings. I hope you enjoy it.

He grinned his seductive grin, letting me glimpse his dangerous streak. Most likely a family trait and I had to make sure I didn’t forget it was there. He did seem different from them, not as affected from the poison running through their veins.

“I’m curious about you.”

My heart pleaded with my head to ignore the doubts and questions, to be in the moment and believe it was possible. “I love my garden, but this is what I like the most about Wethersfield. Right here. Where the star-crossed lovers are buried. Their story...well, it’s an interesting one.”

His lips pursed. He drew back, dejected. “Their story? Their story is a tragedy. One of many in the Mather family history.”

“The end is tragic, but it’s still a love story and this tree...” I raised my hand, admiring its lushness. “It’s a symbol of their forbidden love. Centuries with no berries and now look at it.” The mulberry swayed with the breeze as if it were dancing. The branches flaunted multitudes of pale, red berry clusters that had begun to ripen for the first time. I liked to think the tree was finally done mourning, but I had no idea why it picked this year of all its three hundred plus years.

“You sound like you believe in happy endings.”

“I want to. Don’t you?” He was kind of young to be tainted, I thought. My mind drifted to the possibility he had been jilted by a beautiful duchess during his time in London.

“Like I said, I come from a long line of tragedy in my family.”

I bit my lip for a second. He was right about that. For as long as we knew his family, they had been dropping dead, and usually in the prime of their lives, except for the really mean ones like the reverend, and his father and Zeke. “You know you have to fight for your own happy ending. You have to will it to happen.”

His eyes held mine, leaving me breathless again. I struggled to think straight.
“I’d bet you’re good at willing things to happen.”

A tendril of sable hair tickled my cheek. I brushed it away. “I’m good at making mistakes. Lots of mistakes.”

His eyebrows furrowed with disbelief. “You make it rain flower petals, yet you wallow in self-pity?”

He was aware I created the storm of blossoms. Crud. Of course, he was. There was no good explanation for it. My stomach sank. “I...uh...uh.”

He grinned, not fazed at all by what I could do. “How would you feel about having me as a friend, Sophie?”

My heart fluttered when he said my name, but I glanced at him curiously, not understanding what he was offering. “I choose my friends carefully.” I thought back to my dream last night. I wasn’t afraid of him, but how could I trust him?

He grimaced from my pause. His threw his hands out in front of him. “Look, I know you hate my family. And we haven’t exactly gotten along swimmingly, but I was thinking, it might be easier for both of us if we could find some middle ground.”

Incredulity colored my tone. “You want to be friends?”

“Why not?” he replied.

I shook my head. “Surprisingly weird.”

“Me?”

“Your suggestion.”

“It’s not weird at all.” He extended his hand to me as if he were serious. “Shake on it.”

My heart yearned for his touch, but it wrestled against the logic from my head. “I can’t.” I glanced around, knowing that since the Wethersfield Witch Trials, minus the rare exceptions, witches were forbidden to enter into any kind of a relationship with ordinaries, especially the Mathers. “This is crazy. Our families are enemies and...and I hate you.” My lips tingled from the devil’s bit, confirming what I already felt. It was a lie. I didn’t hate him at all. In fact, I feared it was the opposite. “Tell me what you really want from me.” I subtly pointed my finger in his direction.

“Verum,” I whispered in a hushed voice, attempting to cast a truth spell on him. The magic trickled out. I watched for a change in his focus, but as I watched him, a heart shape carved into the bark of the mulberry’s tree trunk behind him. My eyes popped. I closed my mouth, still staring at the engraving. “Wha?” I uttered in disbelief. Mishaps were guaranteed when I was near him.

“What do I want from you?” he repeated back to me, unaware of my fail.

I averted my eyes, feeling ridiculous.

“I want you to be you. You’ve got everyone thinking you’re thoroughly ordinary when you’re the farthest thing from it.”

I peered up at his beautiful face from beneath my lashes. Did he see through me? Did he really know what I was? “What would your father think about you wanting to be my friend?”

“It’s no one’s business but ours.”

“Ours? Like you and me together?” My brow crinkled. “A secret friendship?” I tried to ignore my quickening pulse. Everything in me wanted to believe him. My head railed against the idea. I would be breaking rules and there would be consequences.

He stepped closer. “I think we’re both good at keeping secrets. Why not one more?”

I swallowed hard. “You seem to have everything, including a terror for a brother who’s got your back. Why do you need a friend?”

“Everyone needs a friend.”

He held his hand out, wanting me to shake it while his eyes held me tight. In that moment, dizziness crept in and an overwhelming feeling of falling from a cliff followed. The intensity of it scared me. I put my hand up in a stop motion and pressed my other hand to my stomach, hoping the plummeting sensation would pass. I backed away. My head and heart tore away at each other. “I can’t do this.”

His face bore a forlorn expression. “You’re right. I’m playing with fire, a bad habit of mine. This was stupid of me. I’m sorry.”

Curiosity creased in my brow. “What do you mean ‘playing with fire’?”

His eyes, holding tight to his secret, burned through me. “I mean you. I’m pretending I can control something that’s out of my control. I can’t be around you without getting burned, yet I’m completely drawn to you.” He parted his soft lips. “Like a moth to the flame.”

Buy Links:
Mirror World Publishing - Amazon

Leigh Goff loves writing young adult fiction with elements of magic and romance because it's also what she liked to read. Born and raised on the East Coast, she now lives in Maryland where she enjoys the area's great history and culture.

Leigh is a graduate of the University of Maryland, University College and a member of the Maryland Writers' Association and Romance Writers of America. She is also an approved artist with the Maryland State Arts Council. Her debut novel, Disenchanted, was inspired by the Wethersfield witches of Connecticut and was released by Mirror World Publishing. Leigh is currently working on her next novel, The Witch's Ring which is set in Annapolis.

Learn more about Leigh Goff on her website and blog. Stay connected on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and Goodreads.

Don't Wait for Cupid - Create Your Own Romance

Valentine Day Candlelight Dinner for Two
by Sunny Lane

Someone started a rumor that men are turned on by snazzy clothing. What do you think? We ladies know how we love our jeans and sneakers, but occasionally we are moxie enough to pull out the slinky short dress and wow our fellows. A strappy pair of "love me" spike heels and a sparkly purse complete the outfit. How does it make YOU feel?

Perhaps more important than how HE feels is how dressing up changes our attitudes, and romance starts in the mind, right? A flickering candle on the table can turn even a meatloaf into a dinner date. February is the month to stay in and light a fire; which fire you decide to light is totally up to you. Viva la Valentine's Day with short dresses, perfume, and candlelight. Oh, and chocolates, of course.

So this Valentine’s Day go all out to create the perfect dinner, I suggest you set the table with three to ten tea lights in pretty glass containers. Nothing spells romance like flickering candlelight. Be sure to use a crisp tablecloth with sparkling silverware. Wine and water glasses should also grace your table. Sparkling water works great if you’re not a wine drinker. Be sure to include red or white napkins tied with red ribbon. A small bouquet of fresh flowers in the center of the table adds an elegant touch. Another larger bouquet on the buffet or coffee table-somewhere in the room adds a little more romance. An apple thing (anything) baking in the oven. Men love the fragrance of baking. Probably so do you.

Appetizer
Start your evening with Fresh Strawberries arranged in a crystal bowl and sprinkled with sugar or confectioner’s sugar accompanied by a glass of white wine, preferably the sparking kind. Don’t forget the napkins and a dish for the stems.

Dinner
Steak (switch to red wine)
Baked potato served with sour cream and bacon chips.
Hearts of lettuce salad with balsamic vinegar dressing
Chunked French Bread
Baked apple for dessert (Recipe Below)
Small chocolates (hopefully he brought them) served with cutting board and a super choice cheese.

Baked Apples

Photo by Stuart Mile

One apple per person
1 tsp. butter per apple
Sprinkle of cinnamon per apple
Tiny dash of nutmeg per apple
Cap full of vanilla per apple
Generous scoop of vanilla ice cream per apple
Whipped cream optional

Core a nice sized apple and place in a micro-safe dish, one, two, four, or however many are waiting impatiently for you to serve. Add the next three ingredients.

Cook on high, covered, for 3 to 5 minutes, check for softness. Do not overcook. Ideally the apple should retain an apple shape, but be soft enough for the fork to easily cut.

To serve, top warm apples with a generous scoop of vanilla ice cream. A single squirt of whipped cream is optional.

Enjoy the dessert while you have successfully cleansed your home of anything but the lingering fragrance of apples. A wonderful aroma!

Now that you have everything prepared for a perfect evening, take time for yourself and enjoy my latest erotic romance collection.

Serena Briolette is a young housewife with two children. Check out her adventures and her fertile imagination. Who doesn't love a cowboy?

Serena Briolette makes a conscious decision to recapture a sensual portion of her inner self she worries has become dormant. An exciting temptation greets her almost instantly and she delights in flirting with the possibilities. Follow Serena through three adventures as she uses her vivid imagination to keep a smile on her pretty face. Does the cop really need a body like that to do his job? Who doesn't love a cowboy? Certainly not Serena. Naughty or nice? You decide.

EXCERPT
“When did you become so timid? You were once party girl personified.” Memories flashed of dancing cheek to cheek with a tall exceedingly male body whispering compliments, his arms wrapped possessively around her. Had his lips nibbled her ear and trailed kisses across her face and lips? His muscular legs had pressed firmly against hers, and heat flashed as she became conscious of his need. They swayed sensuously against each other to the slow dance tune. She shuddered with the remembered exquisite pleasure of opening her mouth to him as they held the pose, their eyes locked in the crowded dance hall.

Serena nodded and walked to the closet door where she threw the cocktail dress over her head. It slithered and settled, leaving her with half her breasts exposed and most of her legs. The reflection in the mirror now presented someone only slightly familiar—five-feet-five, a well-rounded woman all on display. Nothing shamed her. Her charms were all there for the world to admire, and the total package was not unattractive. Would it do the job?

Brushing her hair backwards, she slid sparkling, dangling earrings to her ears. Nodding her head slightly she watched the light tease and play across the crystals with each of her movements. She shook her shoulders, and her dress lit up like the fireworks on the Fourth of July.

Stockings! She had forgotten her stockings.

She examined her legs, well-tanned and taut from routine exercise classes she attended faithfully. No stockings, she decided. Reaching down, she caressed her bare legs as she peeked over her shoulder at herself in the mirror. “

“My.” The word slipped out involuntarily as she viewed the brief skirt that covered almost nothing, certainly not her modesty.

“Oh, my.” Would she go out in public in such a daring outfit?

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Sunny Lane is as free-spirited as butterflies in summer. She is an author who ventures to walk on the risqué side of life.

Sunny is a Gemini and has many loves that include Traditional Regency as Emma and Cozy Mysteries as Janis. She lives with her patient hubby at the edge of town on a few acres in beautiful Western NY.

Stay connected with Sunny Lane and her devilish teases on Facebook.

To read books from Sunny's other personalities please click a name:
Emma Lane for Regency - Janis Lane for mysteries.

Coming February 9, 2016

The finest in Victorian era erotic
Sophie’s Voice

from acclaimed author  
Helen Hardt

Lady Sophie MacIntyre has the voice of an angel, but due to her timid nature, no one ever hears it. After losing a bet to her conniving sister, Sophie auditions for the new musicale at the Regal Theatre run by handsome actor Zachary Newland. Though distracted by Zach’s elegant masculinity and her own nerves, she sings well and earns a role in the production.

Zach is a confirmed bachelor, and his taste in women leans toward the glamorous and uninhibited…until he meets the demure Sophie. Her delicate soprano and understated beauty captivate him. She responds to his inappropriate kiss, but quickly dismisses the heat between them. She’s a lady of the peerage, after all, and not one to associate with a rake like him.

Zach, however, is not so easily dissuaded. He gets what he wants, and he intends to help Sophie find her true voice…in more ways than one.

PRE-ORDER LINKS:
Kindle - Amazon Print - B&N Print - iBooks - Kobo - Google Play - Books-A-Million

Helen Hardt is an attorney and stay-at-home mom turned award-winning romance author and freelance fiction editor. She writes contemporary, historical, paranormal, and erotic romance from her home in Colorado. She’s a mother, a black belt in Taekwondo, a grammar geek, an avid fan of opera and football (as long as her older son and younger son are performing/playing, respectively), and a lover of Ben and Jerry’s ice cream.

Learn more about Helen Hardt and her work on her website and author's blog. Stay in touch on Facebook, Twitter, and Goodreads Author page.