Join authors Shirley Jump, Susan Meier, Jackie Braun and Barbara Wallace on their Virtual Book Tour for The Billionaire’s Matchmaker, presented by Goddess Fish Promotions, from October 28 – November 22, 2013. Please leave a message or question for the authors to let them know you stopped by. The authors will award a $25 Amazon GC to one randomly drawn commenter during the tour, please be sure to leave your email address with your comment. You can follow the rest of the tour here, the more stops you visit, the better your odds of winning.
The Billionaire’s MatchmakerBy Shirley Jump, Susan Meier, Jackie Braun and Barbara WallacePublisher: Entangled IndulgenceRelease Date: October 14, 2013Genre: Contemporary RomanceLength: 272 PagesASIN: B00FCQQ24KAdd to Goodreads
About the book:Can a feisty four-legged matchmaker help four best friends find the romance of their dreams?Driving Mr. Wrong Home by Shirley Jump: When a handsome man from Gabby’s past agrees to a cross-country road trip, her master plan to re-launch her art career quickly morphs into an unexpected, romantic reunion.The Sheriff’s Secret by Susan Meier: Marney’s 9-1-1 emergency help arrives in the form of a rugged, blue-eyed cop. Now she has the perfect bodyguard to keep her safe during those dark, steamy nights…Love Unleashed by Jackie Braun: The last thing Mia wants is a relationship…yet the headstrong florist can’t keep her hands off her sexy-as-sin ex-boyfriend. Will she open her heart before he leaves town for good?Love in the Shadows by Barbara Wallace: Jenny is a woman on a mission – she’ll even resort to dognapping to make her point! But can she teach a reclusive, emotionally-wounded tycoon that love heals all thing?Buy Links: Amazon │Barnes & Noble │All Romance eBooks
EXCERPT
FROM LOVE IN THE SHADOWS
BY BARBARA WALLACE:
“Would
you like my driver to take you home so you wouldn’t have to travel alone?”
She
told herself it was relief, not disappointment, falling heavy in her stomach.
“I wouldn’t want to put you to any trouble.”
“You’re
not putting me to any trouble, and my driver does what he’s told. Besides, it’s
the least I can do. It was nice to be able…to have the company.”
“I
enjoyed it, too.” She wondered what he was originally going to say before
changing his words. “Plus you got a dog out of the bargain.”
“So I did.” Again, she caught the flash of a
smile in the dark.
“Thank
you for bringing Charlie back.”
“Thank
you for not pressing charges.”
“I
wouldn’t have anyway. You made some valid points this afternoon. I’ll see to it
Charlie gets more attention.”
“He’d
like that,” she replied with a smile.
A
thick silence settled between them. Jenny wished she could see Nick’s face. She
swore she could feel his gaze searching hers. His eyes zeroing in on her lips.
Why else would her mouth run dry?
“Jenny…”
“You
really should install some outside lighting,” she said, swallowing hard. “I can
barely see my hand in front of my face.”
She
didn’t need to see to feel his body come closer. The air around her hummed with
his presence. “That so? I can see just fine.” His voice was rough, intimate.
“That’s
because you like the dark,” she told him.
“Who
says I like it?”
“Oh,
I don’t know, maybe the fact you’re out here without a flashlight or the fact
you insisted on meeting in a dark room this afternoon.’ She tipped her face
upward. “Why did you act all mysterious today? Were you trying to frighten me?”
She
figured he might dodge the question; she didn’t count on his hand reaching out
to caress her jaw. “You have such pale skin,” he murmured. “I bet in the
moonlight, it would glow silver.”
“I—I—I
wouldn’t know.” Jenny suddenly couldn’t think. The seductive growl in Nick’s
voice should frighten her. She was alone in the woods with a man whose wealth
and power allowed him to take and do whatever he wanted. The realization should
not send a thrill shooting through her body. But it did, and that scared her.
His feathery touch left her trembling. Had her wanting more. Dear God, if he
were to close the gap between them, she would…
She
would…
She
gasped as his arm reached out and yanked her close. Her flashlight and leash
tumbled to the ground. Knocked off balance, she had little choice but to grip
the front of his jacket with her free hand, fingers twisting in the worsted
wool. She felt his erection against her hip. Instead of setting off warning
bells, the knowledge he was aroused fueled her own arousal. The hunger unfolded
from a place deep in her soul, as though the lessons from five years ago never
happened. She was once again wanton, needy.
“So
long,” she heard him whisper. He might as well have been reading her mind. When
his lips brushed hers, she sighed and allowed him access. His tongue swept into
her mouth without warning. Jenny moaned. He tasted of mint and coffee. She
clutched his jacket tighter, pulling close, her hips seeking friction. In the
back of her mind, she knew this was a mistake, but the voice of reason couldn’t
be heard above the rush of blood in her ears. Unable to stop herself, she
mewled and clung to him as his hands slid down her back, cupped her bottom.
From
far off, she heard a dog barking. Lulu. Charlie. Their baying reached where
common sense couldn’t and she came back to earth. What was she thinking? She
broke free of Nick’s grasp.
“I—I—”
Unable
to form words, she turned her attention to fumbling for Lulu’s leash. If it was
any consolation, Nick appeared to be as dazed as she was. The minute she pushed
away, he’d stepped to the edge of the path. He stood there now, silently
watching her while Charlie weaved around his legs. Jenny could hear his ragged
breath mixing with hers.
What
had she been thinking? For years she’d managed to behave herself, to keep the
needy, desperate side of her personality in check, and now here she was,
practically climbing up a stranger in the woods. She couldn’t get off the
property fast enough. Finally, she located the end of Lulu’s leash. Forget
getting a ride from his driver. Calling him would take too long.
Grabbing
the leash as well as her flashlight, she stood up. Her legs were still shaking,
and she had to hold her arm out to steady herself. This caused the light’s arc to
swing wide. The beam shone straight at Nick.
For
the first time, Jenny saw the face of the man she’d so wantonly kissed.
AUTHOR Bios
and Links:
ABOUT SHIRLEY JUMP
New
York Times and USA Today bestselling author Shirley Jump spends her days
writing romance and women’s fiction to feed her shoe addiction and avoid
cleaning the toilets. She cleverly finds writing time by feeding her kids junk
food, allowing them to dress in the clothes they find on the floor and
encouraging the dogs to double as vacuum cleaners. Look for her Sweet and
Savory Romance series, including the USA Today bestselling book, THE BRIDE WORE
CHOCOLATE, on Amazon and Nook, and the debut of her Sweetheart Club series for
Berkley, starting with THE SWEETHEART BARGAIN in September 2013. Visit her
website at www.shirleyjump.com or read recipes and life adventures at
www.shirleyjump.blogspot.com.
BOOK TITLE: “Driving Mr. Wrong Home”
in THE BILLIONAIRE’S MATCHMAKER, Indulgence
www.shirleyjump.com
www.eating-my-words.com (blog)
About
Jackie Braun
Jackie
Braun is the author of more than 30 contemporary romance novels. She is a three-time RITA Award finalist, a
four-time National Readers’ Choice Award finalist and was nominated for Series
Storyteller of the Year by RT Book Club in 2008. She lives in Michigan with her
husband, their two sons and a former shelter dog named Pip.
Anthology
name and my title: The Billionaire’s Matchmaker/Love Unleashed.
Twitter:
https://twitter.com/Jackie_Braun
Website:
www.jackiebraun.com
Blogging
2 Tuesdays each month on The Chocolate Box: www.chocolateboxwriters.com
About Susan Meier
In 2013 Susan Meier
lived one of her career-long dreams. Her book, THE TYCOON’S SECRET DAUGHER was
a finalist for RWA’s highest honor, the Rita! The same year NANNY FOR THE MILLIONAIRE’S
TWINS was a Book Buyer’s Best Award finalist and National Reader’s Choice
finalist.
Susan is the author
of over 50 books for Harlequin and Silhouette, Entangled Indulgence and one of
Guideposts' Grace Chapel Inn series books, THE KINDNESS OF STRANGERS.
One of eleven kids,
Susan never lacks for entertainment or amusement from her over thirty nieces
and nephews. Her family’s Wednesday Morning Breakfasts are the highlight of her
summer. And with lots of her nieces and nephews now in their twenties, wedding
season is in full swing!
Susan lives in west
central Pennsylvania with her husband, son and two crazy cats.
THE SHERIFF’S SECRET
in the THE BILLIONAIRE’S MATCHMAKER anthology for Entangled Indulgence
Connect with Susan at
susanmeier.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/susan.meier.54
Twitter: @susanmeier1
About
Barbara Wallace
Barbara
Wallace has been a life-long romantic and daydreamer so it’s not surprising she
decided to become a writer at age eight.
However, it wasn’t until a co-worker handed her a romance novel that she
knew where her stories belonged. Her
first Harlequin Romance debuted in November 2010.
Barbara
loves writing sweet, smart, ‘it-could-happen-to-you’ style romances. She lives in Massachusetts with her other
loves – her husband, their teenage son, and three very spoiled pets (as if
there could be any other kind). She also
loves hearing from readers.
You
can find her at her website (www.barbarawallace.com),
on Twitter (@BarbaraTWallace) and on Facebook.
Thank you for hosting
ReplyDeleteGood morning and thank you for having us here today! Waving from Michigan. :-)
ReplyDeletereally enjoyed this excerpt. Sounds like a fascinating story.
ReplyDeleteOne of my biggest pet peeves is dialogue that's either too stuffy, or too short and unrealistic. Do you guys have any tips for keeping dialogue flowing and realistic??
ReplyDeleteandralynn7 AT gmail DOT com
Hey Mom Jane and Audra Lyn - thanks for stopping by. Andra - I had to admit that's one of my pet peeves too. Along with characters that speak in long expository paragraphs.
ReplyDeleteI often say my dialogue aloud when writing. Hearing sentences aloud helps me keep the dialogue natural. It also helps me to establish a character's tone of voice in my head. Does he/she have an accent, or gravelly voice, etc. That way I can "hear" the dialogue as the character would say it. Otherwise, I risk the dialogue sounding more like me than them. Make sense?
Congrats to the authors on the new release! Thanks for sharing :)
ReplyDeleteThanks for the excerpt and the chance to win!
ReplyDeleteSounds like an amazing read!!
natasha_donohoo_8 at hotmail dot com
Thanks for sharing the excerpt and the giveaway. Sounds like a great set of stories. Wishing everyone a wonderful and magical holiday season. evamillien at gmail dot com
ReplyDeleteThe excerpt is such a tease. Good job. Deb P
ReplyDeleter.d1@myfairpoint.net
Did you have communication with each other as you wrote or did you all work independently, with no collaboration?
ReplyDeletecatherinelee100 at gmail dot com
Sounds fantastic.
ReplyDeletemarypres(AT)gmail(DOT)com
What....what....what happen next!!! I wanna know!!!
ReplyDeleteSounds great and sweet story, looking forward to read it :)
filiafantasy at gmail dot com
I love romances with super rich men! Anything can happen! Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeletemestith at gmail dot com