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Through August 31, WET HEAT will be on sale for ONLY 99 cents in my bookstore.
Just input the code: wsaugust to receive the discount at checkout!
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Wet Heat

It was supposed to be a month in a cottage by the lake in Maine. For Peyton Gerard it was time to recover from not one but three disastrous breakups and try to find her muse again. A successful romance novelist needed to believe in romance to write about it believably, and Peyton had lost her faith in it.

For Dixon “Dix” Amendola it was supposed to be time to rehab his injured thigh from a SEALs mission that fell apart, to mourn the two team members who were killed and to deal with his guilt. Learning the mission had been compromised did nothing to ease the burden of blame he carried.

The problem: the cottage had been rented to both of them by accident.

Put two stubborn people in close quarters—a hot SEAL and an appealing author, add in moonlit nights by the lake, and suddenly they don’t mind sharing. But then reality intrudes, Dix returns to lead a repeat of the mission and all Peyton can do is pray it will be successful and that when he returns, he’ll come back to her.

Excerpt from Wet Heat…

He rounded a curve in the dirt road just as his GPS announced, “Your destination is on the left.” The outside of the place was exactly as he’d seen it in the photo online. The boat Eileen had told him about was already tied up at the little, short dock. The soft breeze drifting in through his open window carried the fresh scents and sounds of the area, instantly soothing him.

What was jarring was the car parked on the so-called grass next to the cottage. What the fuck? He hoped it wasn’t a nosy neighbor just waiting to give him an eager welcome. Socializing wasn’t on his to-do list. He pulled in next to the vehicle and grumpily opened the door and got out. He was just looking around to see where the owner of the car might be when the side door opened and a woman popped out.

Okay, maybe woman was too mild a term. She looked like a miniature lush goddess. If he’d been the least bit interested in female companionship, he’d think maybe his day was looking up. This one couldn’t be more than five foot five, with hair in a rich shade of red framing a heart-shaped face. Her hair bounced around her head in wild curls, in time, he noticed with her breasts that bounced beneath her T-shirt. The strap of a cross-body purse lay in the valley between those breasts, emphasizing their roundness. Shorts accentuated nicely rounded hips, and when she turned to pull the door shut tightly behind her, he got a view of an ass his hands itched to cup.

Whoa there, mister. This is a no-sex time out. Reconditioning, not relaxation. Maybe he should tell that to his cock that suddenly wanted to make its own appearance and deliver a greeting. It was sending him a very painful message which took all his famous discipline to control.

“Are you the housekeeper?” He didn’t even know if Eileen had told him there’d be one, but who else would be here, and with a key?

“Housekeeper?” She stared at him. “Not quite. Who are you?”

He took a moment to note that her face was free of makeup, and he doubted it needed any to enhance it. Emerald-green eyes peered out from beneath lashes thicker than any manufacturer could produce. Her cheeks held a faint rosy tinge and a smattering of freckles. And that mouth—

Yup. Good thing he was on a no-sex diet. He had one goal to accomplish here, and he couldn’t afford to be distracted.

“I’m the tenant. I rented this place for the next month.”

“No. Wrong answer.” She shook her head vehemently. “You must be in the wrong place. I rented this place for the next month.”

A little bubble of anger tried to work its way up through his system. He did not need this. He wanted to get settled in, go for a run, take a swim, and contemplate his future.

“I’m sorry. You must have gotten the address wrong.” He stepped forward, figuring if he crowded her space, she’d retreat. She was nearly a foot shorter than he was.

“Address wrong?” she repeated. Then she held up the ring with two keys on it, jingling it in front of him. “Then exactly how would I have these keys?”

“Don’t know and don’t care. You have to leave.” He glared at her. “Now.”

She stared at him for a long moment then shocked him by breaking into laughter.

“Does that work for you often?” she asked, grinning. “I mean, that whole alpha thing? Get out? Be gone?” She burst into laughter again.

Dix ground his teeth together. What the hell was going on here?

“We have to get this straightened out. Right now.”

“Fine by me.” The woman tugged a cell phone out of her pocket and scrolled through the numbers.

Dix held his own cell up. “I’ll call the rental agent myself,” he told her.

She frowned. “You don’t trust me?”

“There’s obviously some mix-up, and I want to hear the answer for myself. We’ll get the agent to settle it, and then you can just pack up and get out of here.”

“Fine. Then you can just get in your truck and head on out of here.”

Ready for the next great Hot SEAL story? I love writing in this series, and I know that, if you try one, you’ll want to read them all! The latest release is Cynthia D’Alba’s Hot SEAL, Confirmed Bachelor! Get your copy today, and then sit back and enjoy!  All Hot SEAL, Wedding Edition book links are below!

Hot SEAL, Confirmed Bachelor

When a Navy SEAL runs into an obstacle, he climbs over it, under it, around it, or destroys it. So what if it’s a woman?

Master Chief Benjamin Blackwell has it all. Adventure, good looks, skills, and women. His life is perfect and he has no intention of changing a thing. Until her.

Holly Maxwell is a sexy woman unlike anyone he’s met before. A widow for ten years, she’s happy with her life even with the trials of raising a pre-teen daughter, and being the only girl in a nosy, boisterous family of Coronado cops.

But what makes her so inexplicable to this Navy SEAL is her total lack of interest in him.

More Hot SEALS on the way! Order/Pre-order now!

Hot SEAL, Bachelor Party by Elle James
Available Now!
Amazon: http://bit.ly/BPHSBPAMZ
iBooks: http://bit.ly/BPHSBPAPPLE
Nook: http://bit.ly/BPHSBPNOOK
Kobo: http://bit.ly/BPHSBPKOBO

Hot SEAL, Decoy Bride by Delilah Devlin
Available Now!
Amazon: https://amzn.to/36Ks291
APPLE: https://books.apple.com/us/book/id1497210586
Nook: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/hot-seal-decoy-bride-delilah-devlin/1136286286
Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/hot-seal-decoy-bride

Hot SEAL, Runaway Bride by Cat Johnson
Available Now!
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Hot-SEAL-Runaway-Bride-Romantic-ebook/dp/B07XB3J3QJ/
Apple: https://books.apple.com/us/book/hot-seal-runaway-bride/id1462469622
B&N: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/hot-seal-runaway-bride-cat-johnson/1132250756?ean=2940161402375
Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/hot-seal-runaway-bride

Hot SEAL, Cold Feet by Becca Jameson
Available Now!
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B084D76SXM/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i31
Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/hot-seal-cold-feet
Nook: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/hot-seal-cold-feet-becca-jameson/1136295939?ean=2940163059751
iBooks: https://books.apple.com/us/book/hot-seal-cold-feet/id1497397358

Hot SEAL, Best Man by Parker Kincade
Available Now!
Amazon: https://amzn.to/2uTjL5m
Apple: https://smarturl.it/HSBMAPPLE
Nook: https://smarturl.it/HSBMBN
Kobo: https://smarturl.it/HSBMKOBO

Hot SEAL, Confirmed Bachelor by Cynthia D’Alba
Available Now!
Amazon: https://amzn.to/37L3U7B
KOBO: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/hot-seal-confirmed-bachelor
books2read.com: https://books2read.com/u/bpOKgk (THIS ONE LINKS TO ALL OF THEM)
Nook: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w?ean=2940163031887
Apple: https://books.apple.com/us/book/hot-seal-confirmed-bachelor/id1497356729

Hot SEAL, Taking the Plunge by Teresa Reasor
Amazon: https://amzn.to/3b0zv7i
Apple: https://apple.co/2UiSZxV
Kobo: http://bit.ly/2UgX0TR
Nook: http://bit.ly/2RPwteo

Hot SEAL, Undercover Groom by MaryAnn Jordan
Amazon: https://smarturl.it/MaJGroomSSAmazon
Apple: https://smarturl.it/MaJGroomSSApple
Kobo: https://smarturl.it/MaJGroomSSKobo
Nook: https://smarturl.it/MaJGroomSSNook

UPDATE: The winner is…Becky Steinkamp!
*~*~*

Let’s Hunt Some Easter Eggs!

I bet when you read the title, you thought this…

And you would be right in most situations, but not when it comes to reading! Did you know some authors love to hide Easter Eggs for their readers to find…just like the Easter Bunny hid for you growing up!

Easter Eggs are little tidbits that the author may weave into the story for their friends and/or readers to find.

For example, in Texas Two Step © 2012 (my first book) is this statement… “My address is 1974 George Avenue.” Means nothing, right? To my friends, they laughed. We graduated from Hot Springs High School in 1974. My boyfriend’s name was…George!

Another example from Texas Twist (© 2014)…: The Milholens and Rowes from church. The town librarian, Susie Wilson, who was talking animatedly with Frank White, the town butcher.” My friends from church are real. That’s Sandy and Teresa. Susie Wilson is a friend. Just dropped their names for fun!

In my Dallas Debutants Trilogy, the parents of the twins are Robin and Sam… yep. A real couple.

In my latest book Hot SEAL, Confirmed Bachelor, the heroine is named Holly Maxwell. Holly is a reader I met at a convention and I couldn’t get her name out of my head. It was so perfect for the book I was working on. She was kind enough to say…Sure! Use my name. AFTER that, I found out that she is, in fact, the daughter-in-law of historical romance author, Cathy Maxwell. HA! So now her readers can look for her DIL’s name in another author’s book!

Have you ever found an Easter Egg as a reader? I have. In Nancy Martin’s Blackbird Sisters Mysteries (mutual friend’s name) and in Christine Dodd’s book (her dog). I’m pretty sure I’ve snuck Delilah’s real name into a book!!

Did you know about Easter Eggs? Which ones have you found?

Leave comment to be in the running for a custom, personalize SEALs in Paradise tote bag!

Want to read more about my latest release Hot SEAL, Confirmed Bachelor? Everything you need to know is https://cynthiadalba.com/project/hot-seal-confirmed-bachelor/  including an excerpt!

Confirmed Bachelor

BUT here’s a quick and EXCLUSIVE excerpt you won’t find anywhere else….

As he had with the truck door, Ben slammed the house door the second she stood in his foyer. He pushed her against the door and caught her mouth in a long kiss involving lips, tongue, and teeth.

She moaned into his mouth and leaned in to take the kiss deeper.

His hands slid down her arms until his hands rested at her waist. She shivered in response to his touch. Her feet reflexively slid further apart. When she shivered, he moved his hands to her rear and cupped her, pulling her against his rigid cock.

After hours of lusting after this man, she was finally going to get to touch what she’d only been able to admire from afar. She ran her hands under his T-shirt, her fingers gliding over the dips and valleys that formed his hard, muscular chest. Oh man. Everything was so firm, including the bulge in his shorts pressing into her abdomen.

Eager for more, she shoved his shirt up. “Off,” she said, after pulling her mouth from his.

He grinned and jerked the shirt up and off, tossing it to the floor. “We had a deal.”

“In a minute.” She let her gaze roam over his pecs and defined six-pack, followed by her fingers, followed by her tongue, and finally her lips. Kissing his chest was like pressing her lips against warm granite, except she would have sworn his heat penetrated her body and pooled between her thighs.

His thick fingers stabbed into her hair, holding her against him. Beneath her lips, his heart pounded violent and rapid. She was relieved to find him as into this as she was.

After she licked his nipple, he swept her off her feet and carried her down a hall to his bedroom.

“Speak now if you don’t want to be fucked ten ways to Sunday,” he said, his voice rough and strained.

She nuzzled her nose into his neck, then licked a line up to his ear. “Ten ways? Wow. That sounds like fun.”

Where to find me!
https://cynthiadalba.com/newsletter-sign-up/ https://www.bookbub.com/profile/cynthia-d-alba
https://www.amazon.com/Cynthia-DAlba/e/B0067UOSH8
https://www.facebook.com/cynthia.dalba
https://www.instagram.com/cynthiadalba

UPDATE: The winner is…flchen1!
*~*~*

Just a quick note before we play!

Next Tuesday, I have a new release—the first in the Montana Bounty Hunters: Dead Horse, MT series! If you loved my hunters in Bear Lodge, with their intrepid/accident-prone warrior-leader Reaper, I think you’re going to love Cage, too! Be sure to pre-order your copy!

A former SEAL and MMA fighter, and now, newly minted bounty hunter, has to hunt down his first skip…his ex-wife.

Pre-order here!

Puzzle-Contest!

Solve the puzzle then tell me if your favorite hobby is anything like mine for a chance to win a $5 Amazon gift card!

~~Romance with a sparkling twist~~
~~author and lunch lady—what a combination~~

When I first self-published I needed some short tag line thingie to represent my writing. At that time, I wrote fantasy romance, filling my tales with a number of fey races, coming from an assortment of different worlds. These books formed the bedrock of my Keltic Multiverse.

So, I needed my one-liner to reflect that. I started with “romance with a twist”. Good. Okay. But just wasn’t “it”. I polled a few writer friends, and they told me since I love sparkles so much, that needed to be included. The sparkling twist was born. Romance with a sparkling twist suited me and the stories I love to tell.

Then somewhere along the line, the second statement came into existence. I can’t really remember how or why. But it also speaks to me of who I am—both in the regular world and in my writerly guise. Author and lunch lady—a simple enough description of what I do and who I am. But just those words, written like that, sound and look like a boring social media job listing. Although my life may actually be a little boring, I don’t need to advertise it! Isn’t it amazing what just adding “what a combination” does for my boring life?

It’s a combination that works well for me. For the time being. One never knows when a change-up might happen.

For instance, I no longer write strictly speculative romance. I’ve been staying down to earth and in a reasonably normal world with contemporary romance like Fortunate Cookie, a part of a multi-author series. Cookie releases in a couple of weeks, and now I’m busy planning my next Aspen Gold Series book.

For this next book, I’m also going back to my comfortable fantasy roots and bringing the Keltic Multiverse to a modern-day Colorado tourist town. This new book will definitely be romance with a sparkling twist!

Until that book is done, enjoy Cookie or any of the Aspen Gold Series books. And hey, the first six are available to read for FREE on Kindle Unlimited. Can’t beat that!

 Cookie

This woman. Wearing frosting. And nothing else…

Cookie Lamont owns a successful cupcake shop in Spencer’s trendy tourist center. Life would be perfect if not for the escalating unwanted attention from a self-important town trustee. She has everything she needs—and a man is the last thing on her mind.

Until he walks into her shop.

Treehouse builder and TV personality Anthony Burnham returns to Spencer and finds focus building cabins for a new camp. His passion for treehouses is rekindled as a sweet, sexy new love blooms.

But the past haunts his steps and threatens his growing relationship with the alluring baker.

Excerpt from Fortunate Cookie…

Coffee order hovering on his lips, Tony rose and, drawn like a moth to flame, moved toward the counter. A young woman had bent behind the clear display case, placing cupcakes in precise rows on a colorful tray. “Uh, excuse me?”

“Yikes.” She jerked and stuck her thumb into the thick, creamy white icing on a dark cupcake. “Well, shi— shoot.”

“I’m sorry, didn’t mean to startle you. I, uh…” Words failed him when she straightened and looked at him with wide, chocolate-brown eyes. Dark hair, tucked up in a messy bun, highlighted her fair complexion. The contrast was a study in perfection. She lifted her hand as if to brush back a stray hair but stared instead at her frosting covered finger.

He had the insane desire to pull that finger into his mouth and lick off every bit of sweetness.

Seeming to pull herself together, she pasted on a perfect customer service smile and reached for a towel. “Hi, welcome to Cookie’s Coffee & Cakes. What can I get for you?”

He couldn’t look away. Her soft gaze held him in thrall. He wanted nothing, nothing but… “Coffee.”

Her pasted-on smile softened to a true grin. “Plain or fancy?”

Regaining some semblance of composure, Tony gave his order in a well-practiced manner.

She turned without comment and started his drink. He hadn’t specified a size, so was filled with relief when she grabbed the largest cup. Rooted in place, he watched her economical movements. When she placed the coffee on the counter, he pointed to the ruined cupcake. “Since I caused that, I’ll take the cupcake, too.”

“Oh, don’t worry about it. One of the tribulations of baking. It’s not the first time I’ve worn frosting. It won’t be the last.”

The suddenness of the vision filling his brain made him draw a sharp breath. This woman. Wearing frosting. And nothing else. He gave his head a quick shake but couldn’t shake the thought from his brain—or his uncomfortably interested body. He cleared his throat. “Still, in this case, I’d love that cupcake for breakfast.”

*~*~*

Fortunate Cookie (Aspen Gold Series Book Eleven) will be available August 25^th at your favorite booksellers. Until then, check out the Aspen Gold Series at www.aspengoldseries.com or follow us on Facebook  www.facebook.com/aspengoldseries

*lizzie’s Official Bio

*lizzie starr always made up games and stories to keep her company. So, a cunning witch lived in Grampa’s weather research station and was only held at bay by waving a certain weed. An ancient road grader morphed into a boat carrying wild adventurers to islands filled with fierce lions and dangerous cannibals, which really looked a lot like sheep. When her 6th-grade teacher read to the class, *lizzie discovered the knights of old, Hobbits, and traveling through space and time. Her first written tales delved into fantasy worlds, and she passed many literature classes by handing in stories instead of essays.

Even though she’d turned up her nose at her mother’s love stories, long night shifts at a nursing home drew her to the facility’s library. There she discovered that romance made tales of fantasy and science fiction more delightful, and the focus of her writing expanded.

Filled with fantasy, love, and romance with a sparkling twist, the stories of her imagination swirl their way into the mundane world and into her reader’s hearts.

When *lizzie must return to a more routine life, she’s *the Lunch Lady* at a private school. Author and lunch lady~~what a combination!

www.lizziestarr.com
www.facebook.com/authorlizziestarr
https://twitter.com/lizziestarr
https://www.amazon.com/*lizzie-starr/e/B003F33Y0W
https://www.instagram.com/lizistarr/

As a writer, you’re only as good as your editing.

Misspellings, misuse of homonyms, and horrible punctuation will ruin even the greatest stories, and yet, there are times when our brains simply can’t figure out how to fix what’s so obviously wrong.

Take me, for instance. Back in 2005, I’m about seven months pregnant in the summertime in San Antonio, Texas.

For those who’ve never had the experience of walking around in the 100+ degree heat while in your last trimester of pregnancy, consider yourselves blessed. That along with my pregnancy brain in full force, it was truly amazing I never forgot to put pants on every day.

One of the writing organizations I belonged to at the time was the Association of Health Care Journalists. Back when people posted to message boards and Yahoo loops, I posted a response to a question from a fellow member that went out to everyone in the organization.

For whatever reason, I had to use the word “subtle” in my response. I couldn’t tell you what the question was or why I needed to use that particular word, but that day, I could not spell it. And when I said I couldn’t spell it, I mean, just that.

I tried. S..u…t?

Wait. That’s not right. S…u…t..t..l..e?

Shaking my head, I took a deep breath and tried again.

S…u…t…

And again.

S…u…(exhale)…t? Dammit!

I closed my eyes and attempted to let my fingers sail across the keyboard, hoping that part of my (pregnant) brain would kick in and spell the word subconsciously.

Nope. That didn’t work.

Spellcheck?

Nope, it kept correcting to settle, scuttle, or shuttle.

After spending a good ten minutes on this one word, I said screw it and sent it out into the professional writing world, knowing I’d misspelled it. My brain and body were simply too tired to care, but I knew I’d hear from someone.

And I did.

Within a few hours, I got a private message stating, “By the way, it’s subtle.”

That’s right! There’s a B in the middle of it.

I could’ve been totally annoyed, but whatever. One stinking mistake didn’t make me a failure. I emailed back, explaining I tried for ten minutes to spell the word and my pregnancy brain simply wouldn’t have it.

The response I received couldn’t have been scripted. She wrote, “Really? I’m the editor for *Fit Pregnancy Magazine. We’re doing a survey on pregnancy brain. Are you having a boy or girl?”

I wrote back, telling her we were having a girl and decided I might as well bite the bullet and pitch her a short story for their “How I told him” page.

And she bought it.

These are the kinds of real situations I make sure to include in my stories. Whether I’m writing about a family who lives in the Texas Hill Country, a woman who’s navigating her life after running out of her wedding, or a group of doctors and nurses re-inventing themselves in Montana, those real, insane, imperfect events have to be my favorites. It makes true escapism so worth it and if I may say, my wonderfully flawed characters are waiting to sweep you off to their imaginary worlds.

How’s that for some subtle self-promo?

Check out Patricia on social media and her website (that’s getting a facelift right now).
www.patriciawfischer.com
FB: www.facebook.com/PatriciaWFWriter
Twitter: www.twitter.com/Pawf1067
IG: www.instagram.com/PatriciaWFischerauthor
Pinterest: www.pinterest.com/PatriciaWF
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Patricia-W.-Fischer/e/B00A7DWSH8?ref=dbs_mng_calw_a_1
Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/patricia-w-fischer

UPDATE: The winner is…Mary Preston!
*~*~*

It wasn’t until recently I realized I was always a writer. I grew up as an only child in rural Indiana. I have always been curious, which fed my active imagination. It served me well as I was growing up, making otherwise mundane chores exciting.

I was writing stories before I fell in love with reading. That came much later. I had a stutter, so for years, I tied reading to the dreaded moments in class when we had to read aloud.

Then one day, my parents told me my pony was lonely. He was the only pony on a farm full of Thoroughbreds and Quarter Horses (plus one wayward Donkey named Jethro). They thought it would be a good idea to read to him. So I did, and without the stress of a class full of people listening, the stutter mattered less.

I haven’t stopped reading since I fell in love with it. As I got older, especially in law school, when I didn’t have the time to read, I would collect books and spend my breaks devouring everything I could. Anytime my stress level was high or I struggled with something in everyday life, reading was an escape. Writing was cathartic.

I took a gap year between graduating college and going to law school. I continued to work in a legal department for corporate compliance and spent any downtime writing my first complete story as my dad continued to encourage me to publish. What he didn’t know is that I had been looking for an agent or publisher. I have a stack of rejections to prove it. I had always written for me. I had no idea what it meant to publish a book or if I should.

It became obvious in law school that the career I had always thought I wanted wasn’t going to make me happy. Remember that fear I had of reading aloud? Totally forgotten as I would be in class, writing the sequel to the story I had written the year before. Getting called on was an annoyance that interrupted my writing. Around this time, I got my first e-reader and started to read Indie authors. It was life-changing.

As I left law school, it was like diving into unknown waters and life threw me a few curveballs. I met my future husband during my final year of law school. Then my dad got sick. When he died, my muse went with him. Grief is fickle, at a time when I needed a story to get lost in, I couldn’t find the words to create one. I was raw, and reading helped me cope.

Very slowly, the muse returned. Almost cautiously, like she was unsure if I was ready. I attended my first book convention and standing in line, waiting to meet Penny Reid, it hit me full force that I wanted to be on the other side of the table. I went to two more book conventions that year and would self-publish my first book that fall.

When my muse came back, she was stronger and more resilient. The doubts and fears were gone. Suddenly, it didn’t seem so scary to share the worlds I create. Loss had created a new perspective, and I jumped in headfirst to the unknown.

August 8th will be the third anniversary of publishing my debut book, When You Were Mine. It took almost two years, but the sequel, Mine For Now, released this June. I have met so many amazing people along the way. I know that I still have a lot to learn, mistakes to make, books to write, incredible books to read, and readers to meet, and I’m looking forward to it all.

Contest

For a chance to win a $10 Amazon gift card comment, let me know what you love about reading.

My Links:
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Cindy-Tanner/e/B0746RHQ9N
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thecindytanner/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/authorcindytanner/
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/CindyTannerAuthor
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Website: https://www.cindytanner.com