Friday reading

Posted on May 8, 2020 Written by Leave a Comment
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With bestselling author Gae-Lynn Woods

To help break readers’ sense of #covisolation in these strange times, BestSelling Reads authors are reading selections from their books on Tuesday evenings on Facebook Live.

Here is the latest: Gae-Lynn Woods reads from the Cass Elliot Companion Mystery, A Case of Sour Grapes.

Join us Tuesday evenings on Facebook Live for more live readings by your favorite bestselling authors.

Follow BestSelling Reads on Facebook to get advance notice and reminders about coming readings and other events.

A Case of Sour Grapes

A Case of Sour Grapes - mystery by Gae-Lynn Woods

Wine, women, and song. What could possibly go wrong?

Meet Maxine Leverman, lover of expensive shoes, beautiful handbags, and her lingerie wearing ex-husband’s hush money. When she pleads her way into a job at family run Lost and Found Investigations, Maxine’s only goal is to gain the concealed carry license and PI skills she needs to find the man who attacked her, and then kill him. (Or maybe just put him in jail, that decision can wait.)

But when she secretly takes a missing husband case on her first day at the agency, she stumbles into a high-stakes game of blackmail and murder. Maxine must unravel the links between a forgotten folk punk band, an international drug cartel, and the tangled history of the missing husband to keep the women in his life alive.

Fans of the early Stephanie Plum novels and Stuart Woods’ Holly Barker series will love Maxine’s tenacity, grit, and lust for life.

Get it on 

Gae-Lynn Woods

is a Texan who has traveled the world, lived overseas, and come back home. She and her husband, British jazz guitarist Martyn Popey, share a ranch in East Texas with a herd of Black Angus cattle, one very cranky donkey, and The Dude, a rescue kitty with attitude.

Gae-Lynn writes the Cass Elliot Crime Series. When she’s not playing the roadie, tending to cows, fixing fences, or digging post holes, Gae-Lynn is working on the next Cass Elliot novel and the next Companion Novel featuring Maxine Leverman, Cass’ best friend, who makes her debut in AVENGERS OF BLOOD.

Gae-Lynn can be found:

Facebook   |   Twitter   |   Google+   |   Goodreads   |   LinkedIn   |    Website   |    Blog

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For the Win

Posted on April 30, 2020 Written by
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An exciting excerpt from the upcoming new romance by the bestselling author

Raine Thomas

It didn’t take long to get to their destination. Will had given the driver an address a few blocks from his house. It was a safety measure his father had suggested years ago when Will first started living on his own. There had been several times when the advice had saved his ass, especially once he started getting more well-known.

They pulled up to the curb in front of the dark dwelling belonging to the incorrect address. “Nice neighborhood,” the driver observed as he entered their arrival into his app.

Will finished entering a tip amount in the app on his own phone, knowing he’d likely forget otherwise. “Yeah, it’s quiet,” he said as he reached for his door handle. “Thanks for the ride.”

“Hey, wait…can I get your autograph?”

Although Will wanted nothing more than to get out of the car and into the crisp December air, he obliged the driver by signing a couple of greasy napkins that looked as though they were the source of the cheeseburger smell. He signed one for the driver and one, he was told, for the driver’s son, then made his escape.

He focused on his phone and pretended to get absorbed in responding to a text on his way up the driveway. As soon as the car pulled away and turned out of sight, Will put the phone in his pants pocket and walked along the silent suburban streets to his house.

The driver had been right about the neighborhood, he idly thought as he rounded the bend towards home. The houses were all well-tended and there was little crime in the area. In the months he’d been renting there, he hadn’t met a single unfriendly neighbor. It also suited him being a short drive from the ballfield and convenient to Denver nightlife. Although he doubted he’d be there much longer since his contract was up and his agent was close to finalizing a deal with Atlanta, the neighborhood had served him well.

His head throbbed dully with every step he took, telling him he was sobering up. He longed for a bottle of water. A frigid wind had him picking up the pace and burying his hands in the pockets of his Berluti suede bomber jacket. He sure as hell wouldn’t miss the Denver winters, he mused as he finally headed up the path to his front door and fished his keys out of his pocket.

Photo by Zachary Keimig on Unsplash

He’d forgotten to leave the porch light on, so he struggled with finding the right key on his heavily shadowed front porch. The cold night air quickly numbed his fingers. He dropped the keys with a jarring clang.

Cursing, he shifted to look for them. His foot connected with them, sending them skittering under one of the two porch chairs. He cursed again, more loudly this time, and bent to retrieve them. He couldn’t see a damn thing under the chair.

Having an a-ha moment, he pulled out his phone and triggered the flashlight. He turned the light towards the chair and caught the glint of light off metal.

Then the shadows in the second chair moved.

He jerked back into a standing position and braced himself for a possible assault. His heart throttled into overdrive.

“Who’s there?” he demanded.

Jesus, Campbell, he thought. Could you sound any more like a fucking horror movie cliché?

Forcing his hand to remain steady, he aimed the phone towards the second chair. His racing heart calmed as fear eased into confusion. There was a small, shivering lump sitting on the chair…a lump with two long braids and wide, glistening eyes staring right at him.

A little girl.

Why the hell was there a little girl on his front porch?

For the Win

Determination.

It’s what gets Jasmine Li out of bed every morning. She’s determined to overcome the injury that has derailed her career in ballet, the only love she’s ever known. She can’t afford to allow a baseball player to distract her, no matter how hot and persistent he might be.

Commitment.

Will Campbell defines the word. It’s what makes him a successful pitcher and it’s helping him learn how to be a single dad to a little girl with plenty of trust issues. Just his luck, the one person his daughter—and his heart—finally respond to is a stubborn, sexy ballerina with plans that don’t involve relationships or children.

But Will didn’t become the best closer in the majors by giving up. He knows what he wants and what his daughter needs, and he’s going to get it. Jasmine Li has met her match … and he’s playing for the win.

For the Win will be published in the summer of 2020.

Raine Thomas

Raine Thomas is the award-winning author of bestselling Young Adult and New Adult fiction. Known for character-driven stories that inspire the imagination, Raine has signed with multiple award-winning producer Chase Chenowith of Back Fence Productions to bring her popular Daughters of Saraqael trilogy to the big screen.

She’s a proud indie author who is living the dream. When she isn’t writing or glued to e-mail or social networking sites, Raine can usually be found vacationing with her husband and daughter on one of Florida’s beautiful beaches or crossing the border to visit with her Canadian friends and relatives.

Get to know Raine on her

And follow her on Twitter @Raine_Thomas.

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#StayHome author reading

Posted on April 27, 2020 Written by
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It’s still important to stay home and stay six feet away from others as much as possible to control the transmission of the novel coronavirus.

To help break up the feeling of covisolation, BestSelling Reads authors continue the live readings from their books. Last week, Scott Bury read from his first published novel, the historical fantasy The Bones of the Earth.

The Bones of the Earth

The Dark Age, eastern Europe: the earth has decided to rid itself of humanity with earthquakes, volcanoes and new plagues. Civilizations, even the mighty Roman Empire, crumble under the pressure of barbarian waves that are fleeing worse terrors.

Rejected by his own people, pursued by a dragon, young Javor heads for Constantinople, the centre of civilization, looking for answers to the puzzle of his great-grandfather’s dagger and the murder of his family.

On the ancient, crumbling Roman highway across haunted, deserted Dacia, Javor rescues the beautiful Danisa from a human sacrifice. He cannot help falling in love with her. But Danisa has her own plans, and when she is kidnapped again, Javor has to wonder: what is the connection between his dagger, his lover and his enemies?

For the duration of the Covid-19 crisis, you can buy it on sale at Amazon.

Or download it for free from

Scott Bury

can’t stay in one genre. After a 20-year career in journalism, he turned to writing fiction. “Sam, the Strawb Part,” a children’s story, came out in 2011, with all the proceeds going to an autism charity. Next was a paranormal short story for grown-ups, “Dark Clouds.”

The Bones of the Earth, a historical fantasy, came out in 2012. It was followed in 2013 with One Shade of Red, an erotic romance.

He has several mysteries and thrillers, including Torn Roots, Palm Trees & Snowflakes and Wildfire.

Scott’s articles have been published in newspapers and magazines in Canada, the US, UK and Australia.

He has two mighty sons, two pesky cats and a loving wife who puts up with a lot. He lives in Ottawa, Ontario.

Learn more about Scott on his:

Website   |   Blog    |  Facebook    |   Twitter

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Repelling the Shark: Date Shark book 5

Posted on April 23, 2020 Written by
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An excerpt from the upcoming contemporary romance from the USA Today bestselling author

DelSheree Gladden

“Look,” Katheryn said, “I’m happy to hang out with you any time, but I’m out for the kid parties and group picnics and whatever else involves sticky toddler hands and holding babies for hours on end.”

Leo huffed, understanding more than what she was saying. He was in no rush to settle down, but he’d been honest with Katheryn that it was something he wanted eventually. She didn’t. That had always been fine, because they both knew they weren’t anything more than friends in the long term. Her refusal to attend baby Moira’s first birthday party signaled and end to their friendship.

Katheryn had ordered her drink and muffin by the time Leo came out of his thoughts. He stepped up to the counter as she moved along to collect her iced coffee further down.

“Hey, Leo. You want your regular, or what? You’re holding up the line.”

He scowled at her, but there was no heat behind it. “Hey, Piper. Yeah, the usual.”

Her chuckle lifted his mood a little. He couldn’t remember exactly when she’d started working at the coffee shop, but it had been at least a few years and he always enjoyed her banter. She seemed at home in the shop and always knew just how to handle each customer.

“You and Legs,” Piper said, tilting her head toward Katheryn, “time to part ways, if you ask me.”

“I didn’t,” Leo said with a snort.

She winked. “Yeah, but you were going to.”

Chuckling, he shrugged before handing over his credit card. Leo wouldn’t call Piper a friend, seeing as he knew almost nothing about her outside the realm of the coffee shop, but he’d asked her opinion on women more than once. She’d never been wrong before, and he knew she’d assessed the demise of his relationship with Katheryn just as expertly.

Repelling the Shark

Leo Bailey is the only one in his circle of friends whose involvement with the date shark business has yet to see him tied down to marriage and family. Even if thoughts of one day creep into his mind occasionally, he’s not ready to give up the casual relationships or be expected to devote what little free time he has outside of the hospital to handling family emergencies.

When Piper Moretti witnesses the death of another friends-with-benefits situation between her favorite customer and the woman she refers to as Legs, she doesn’t think much of it. It isn’t the first of his relationships she’d seen fizzle, and she has a long list of more pressing responsibilities and stressors to occupy her mind. Friends, and the strings that go with them, are at the bottom of her priority list.

A date shark client who tops the list of bizarre behavior Leo has seen while helping out with the business drags Piper into the chaos and into Leo’s life. Neither one wants more than a simple, no-stress friendship. Secrets and surprises force them to admit neither one is nearly as in control as they think they are. Helping each other means getting involved, making promises, and opening themselves up to the hurt and hope they’re both terrified to face.

Coming to an e-tailer near you in July 2020. Watch for the announcement on BestSelling Reads and DelSheree Gladden’s website.

DelSheree Gladden

DelSheree Gladden

was one of those shy, quiet kids who spent more time reading than talking. Literally. She didn’t speak a single word for the first three months of preschool, but she had already taught herself to read. Her fascination with reading led to many hours spent in the library and bookstores, and eventually to writing.

She wrote her first novel when she was sixteen years old, but spent ten years rewriting and perfecting it before having it published.

Native to New Mexico, DelSheree and her husband spent several years in Colorado for college and work before moving back home to be near family again. Their two children love having their seventeen cousins close by.

When not writing, you can find DelSheree reading, painting and sewing.

Check out her latest books, get updates and sneak peeks of new projects at

And find her on social media

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BestSellers read: J.L. Oakley

Posted on April 20, 2020 Written by
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We’re continuing our live reading events by your favorite bestselling authors on Tuesdays.

Last Tuesday, award-winning author Janet Oakley read from her Pacific Northwest historical romance, Mist-Chi Mas. You can see the replay below.

We will continue to read to you, our wonderful audience, every week on Facebook Live. You can find events on our Facebook page, and stay up to date by following our events.

Coming up: Scott Bury, April 21, 8:00 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time.

About Mist-Chi-Mas

In Mist-chi-mas, everyone is bound to something.

Jeannie Naughton never intended to run away from her troubles, but in 1860, a woman’s reputation is everything. A scandal not of her own making forces her to flee England for an island in the Pacific Northwest, a territory jointly occupied by British and American military forces. At English Camp, Jeannie meets American Jonas Breed. Breed was once a captive and slave — a mistchimas — of the Haida, and still retains close ties to the Coast Salish Indians.

But the inhabitants of the island mistrust Breed for his friendship with the tribes. When one of Breed’s friends is murdered, he is quickly accused of a gruesome retaliation. Jeannie knows he’s innocent, and plans to go away with him, legitimizing their passionate affair with a marriage. But when she receives word that Breed has been killed in a fight, Jeannie’s world falls apart. Although she carries Jonas Breed’s child, she feels she has no choice but to accept a proposal from another man.

Twenty years later, Jeannie finds reason to believe that Breed may still be alive. She must embark on a journey to uncover the truth, unaware that she is stirring up an old and dangerous struggle for power and revenge…

J.L. Oakley

writes award-winning historical fiction that spans the mid-19th century to WW II. Her characters come from all walks of life, but all stand up for something in their own time and place.

Her books have been recognized with a 2013 Bellingham Mayor’s Arts Award, the 2013 Chanticleer Grand Prize, the 2014 First Place Chaucer Award, 2015 WILLA Silver Award and the 2016 Goethe Grand Prise.

When not writing, Janet demonstrates 19th century folkways, including churning some pretty mean butter.

Visit her on her:

And follow her on Twitter @JlOakley13.

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Great new reading for you

Posted on April 16, 2020 Written by
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The good news is: all the BestSelling Reads authors have avoided covid-19 so far.

The better news is that there are more excellent books for you to read. Here are the latest releases by our members, as well as some soon-to-be-released titles.

D.G. Torrens

The bestselling author of Amelia’s Story released is Book 3 in her Hamilton/Sharma multicultural romance-mystery series, Unforseen.

THE TIES THAT BIND US ARE THE ONES THAT CAN BREAK US…

Jessica Hamilton is 25-years-old and born into a strict, white, Christian family. One that does not believe in interracial relationships under any circumstances. She meets Ajay Sharma at work, an associate director for Lansdale and Down Communications. There is only one problem – he is a Hindu. Jessica and Ajay fall irrevocably and irreparably in love with one another. A perfect love they have to conceal from all those around them for fear of reprisal from their unforgiving families, families that are imprisoned by their own cultural constraints. They are both faced with unimaginable and unforeseeable obstacles that leads Jessica to a near fatal accident, one that changes their lives forever. Jessica has no memory of the events that led to her tragic accident or why she was alone at ridge point on that fateful night. Will Ajay find justice for Jessica? Will Jessica’s memory return and reveal the truth?

Find it on Amazon.

Alan McDermott

The bestselling author of the Tom Gray and Eva Driscoll series has just released Motive, his first British Crime novel.

He isn’t about to disappoint the fans who want more Tom Gray, though. Gray Genesis, the prequel and origin story, is slated for release on June 4.

Motive

Drummed out of the army, Ryan Anderson is looking for a new career. When the opportunity to work for a Manchester gangland figure arises, he jumps at the chance.

Retired DCI James Knight is arrested for a murder he swears he didn’t commit.

Scott Davison is recovering from a traumatic incident when Kelly Stone walks into his life. Is it a chance meeting, or is she part of the past Scott is trying to escape?

Karen Harper has killed before, and she’s planning to kill again…and again.

Their lives are entwined, and it’s up to Detective Inspector John Latimer to unravel the threads before it becomes personal.

Get it from

Gray Genesis

Afghanistan. As the war on terror intensifies, Taliban leader Abdul al-Hussain has plans to turn the tide in his favour. His objective: a US virologist named Miriam Dagher. She’s about to pay a visit to the land of her birth, and al-Hussain has her in his sights.

Out to stop al-Hussain is Sergeant Tom Gray, SAS veteran and leader of 8 Troop. His team are tasked with disrupting Taliban operations, snatching high-profile targets and wreaking havoc on enemy supply lines. Their missions are routine, until the Taliban unleashes a new breed of warrior.

Gray Genesis is a prequel to the million-selling Tom Gray series, a familiar blend of intrigue, camaraderie and explosive action.

Pre-order Gray Genesis from

Toby Neal

Wired Ghost, the 11th Paradise Crime thriller, comes out on April 30.

Paradise is drowning in lava.

What would you do to survive during a volcanic eruption?

Security specialists Sophie and Jake take a job to rescue a teen girl shacked up with a dangerous meth cooker on the Big Island, and their wilderness destination turns out to be in the path of the biggest eruption Hawaii has seen in decades. Soon, they’re embroiled in a natural disaster too hot for anyone to handle.

Trapped underground in a lava tube, engulfed by darkness and heat, they struggle to outrun a deadly force that consumes everything in its path.

Pre-order it on Amazon.

Scott Bury

Vanessa Storm is back! Dead Man Lying returns the FBI Special Agent to Hana on Maui’s rain-soaked coast.

She knows when you’re lying …FBI Special Agent Vanessa Storm is back on Maui to catch a killer.

With lush rain forests, black sand beaches, and a laid-back lifestyle, Maui offers the perfect retirement location for once-famous country singer Steven Sangster … until he ends up dead.

As the killer, or killers, strike again and again, FBI Special Agent Vanessa Storm must untangle the lies spun by the singer’s associates, friends, family — and the singer himself before the music dies.

Dead Man Lying will be out in July 2020.

J.L. Oakley

The multi-award-winning author of historical fiction has been busy. Her work appeared in Whatcom Writes, an anthology published by the Bellingham Public Library. This year, all entries are inspired by Eowyn Ivey’s book, To the Bright Edge of the World. Her entry was about the Japanese-American artillery unit that rescued 5,000 Ukrainian Jews on a death march from Dachau in 1945.

Janet’s new book, The Quisling Factor, about the Norwegian resistance to Nazi occupation in the Second World War, will be coming out in July.

If you haven’t read it yet, take a look at her first book about the Norwegian resistance, The Jossing Affair.

Raine Thomas

The bestselling author of the Estilorian fantasy series, the House of Archer rock’n’roll romance series, For Every and Meant For Her aims to release her new MLB romance, For the Win, in July.

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