Thursday teaser: Imperfect Harmony

Posted on April 11, 2019 Written by
Share

House of Archer Series book 1

By Raine Thomas

Archer’s smile faded when Trey opened the door and carried in a large vase full of red roses. He knew Lily found red roses incredibly clichéd, so he figured they couldn’t be for her.

“What’s that?” he asked as Trey placed the roses on the dressing room vanity.

“A delivery for Miss Lily.”

“What?”

Archer didn’t pause for a moment to consider Lily’s privacy. He strode over to the elaborate arrangement and yanked the card off the plastic stick. It read, “Here’s to launching your career, Montgomery. I love you and I hope you’ll say yes. XOXO, Wingerson.”

By the time Archer read the rather girly XOXO sign-off, his upper lip was curled in disdain. It was all he could do to jam the card back on the stick rather than tossing it into the trash.

He hadn’t considered the fact that Johnathan might do something romantic for Lily. What was up with using their last names in his message? It had to be some kind of inside joke or pet name. Archer didn’t like how that made him feel…like an outsider on the fringe of Lily’s life.

And what did Johnathan mean about Lily saying yes? Yes to what?

The unanswered question gave his already foul mood another punch to the face. Trey paused before going back out the door. He cleared his throat as if uncertain whether to speak. Archer waved at him to spit it out.

“Mr. Donovan asked when you intend to return to your green room, sir.”

Archer figured Christopher wanted to rehash the performance problems they’d had that evening. Not wanting to deal with it, he gave Trey a shrug. “Let him know I’ll get there once I’ve seen Lily.”

“Yes, sir.”

Trey gave him and the flowers a knowing look before stepping back out of the room. Archer followed his gaze to the roses and felt irrational anger building in his gut. He shook his head at himself and resumed his pacing. Why did the flowers piss him off so much?

You know why, he thought.

He knew it made him selfish, but he wanted Lily’s attention focused on him, damn it. He wasn’t prepared for serious competition for her affection. It hadn’t ever been an issue before. Encountering it now was throwing off his game.

He had to do something to get her attention, and he had to do it now.

The sound of laughter and voices reached him from the other side of the door. His heart started beating faster and he turned towards the door as it swung open. At least ten different greetings ran through his mind as he tried to decide what to say to Lily.

She walked in and her entire face brightened when she spotted him. All of the greetings faded from his thoughts. In their place rose a demanding need he’d never felt before, especially for Lily.

He met her halfway into the room and, as naturally as if they’d done it a hundred times, he pulled her against him and captured her mouth in a passionate kiss.

Imperfect Harmony

A rock band. A reality show. The opportunity of a lifetime.

As the front man for The Void, lead singer Dane Archer has yet to achieve the success he craves. He hopes that will change when he’s approached about filming a reality show called House of Archer. All he and the band have to do is get some juicy footage while on their upcoming tour.

The problem? Archer’s life is a snoozefest. His parents are happily married, he’s never done drugs or gotten arrested, and he doesn’t get into fights with his band mates. He knows the show will fizzle and die before it ever hits the air, taking his dreams of worldwide fame along with it.

Unless…

If Archer can convince his best friend Lily to be on the show, he’s sure they’ll get all the compelling footage they need. Her life is filled with drama. Hell, she’s practically a reality show in her own right.

Archer’s willing to do whatever it takes to get Lily on board, even if it means charming her into being more than just friends. But when he finds himself falling for her, his seemingly simple plan gets complicated. Soon the line between reality and Reality TV begins to blur, leaving him wondering if achieving his dreams is worth all it might cost him.

Book Links

The fourth book in the House of Archer series will be out soon. Sign up for book notifications on Raine’s website or follow her on Amazon to be the first to hear of Beautiful Finale’s availability.

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 through:

Share
Filed Under: Teaser Thursday Tagged: , , , , , , , ,

Thursday teaser: Finding You

Posted on March 14, 2019 Written by
Share

This week’s teaser is from the romantic suspense novel

By D.G. Torrens

Noah Ainsworth’s need for solitude was warranted. His regular headaches and the steel plate in his cranium served as a reminder.

Noah had acquired a vast empire over the last decade and at just 29-years-old, he was in his prime. His security was profoundly tight and his tech team kept his empire safe from hackers. Luke was a genius who headed up the tech team. He was a computer wizard and often head hunted by other firms. Nevertheless, Ainsworth Global Communications treated Luke and his team very well and their loyalty to the company was affirmed. After coming off the phone to Imperial Home, Noah instructed Luke to find out everything he could about Eden Marshall. He never allowed anyone to enter his home without learning about them first. No matter how captivating they were. He liked to know every detail about them. He was security conscious bordering on obsession. Noah had every reason to be after his near-fatal accident several years back. Although, he was fully aware of Imperial Home’s impeccable reputation and long, affluent client list. That did not account for the staff that flowed through its doors. It was not long before Luke produced a short file on Eden Marshall.

“That’s everything we could find, Mr Ainsworth,” advised Luke handing over the file.

Noah took the file from Luke’s hand and Luke left the room without a word. Noah spun around in his chair to face the window and began to read.

About Finding You

Eden Marshall catches the eye of the wealthy and mysterious bachelor, Noah Ainsworth. Noah has been hiding away in his ivory tower for far too long. He decides it’s time to start living again. Eden Marshall is his motivation – captivated by her, he begins to trust in love again. Until a dark secret from his past threatens all that he loves…

Find it on Amazon.

D.G. Torrens

is a mother/writer/blogger who has a dream to inspire as many people as possible through her story. To show those with little hope that dreams can come true.

Born in England, passionate about writing, D.G. Torrens is married with a daughter. Her first book, Amelia’s Story, has inspired people all over the world. Amelia’s Destiny, book #2 is the sequel and is followed by Amelia The Mother book #3 in this awe-inspiring trilogy. A memoir that remains with D.G.’s readers long after they have put the book down …

D.G is a prolific writer. In 2013, her works were recognized by BBC Radio WM, where she has given several live interviews in the BBC studios in Birmingham, UK. Thereafter, D.G. became a regular Headline Reviewer for the radio show for the next 12 months.

Visit her:

Share
Filed Under: Blog, Teaser Thursday Tagged: , , , , , , ,

Romance teaser: Marco

Posted on February 28, 2019 Written by
Share

We wrap up Romance Month 2019 with a tense sample from the brand new romantic comedy

By Sydney Landon

Have I been harboring some type of secret crush on Marco?  Who hasn’t?  Everything about him screams carnal and erotic.  Everything.  His eyes.  His smile.  His arrogance.  But the crush stops now.  

Minka is right; there is no world where he will ever be my Prince Charming.  I am the girl who writes about the things I’ve always longed to find, but unless heartache is one of my future goals, I need to keep my guard up and my panties in place.  Whether I want to admit it, he’s dangerous to my health, and it has nothing to do with his job and everything to do with my reaction to him.  

He’s gotten to me.  Dammit, how did I let this happen?  There’s no disputing the fact that he’s hot.  That’s the understatement of the century.  But even more than that, he’s smart, funny, and so damned loyal to his family.  

Even though there’s nothing about his way of life that I approve of, the way they all have each other’s backs is admirable.  

He has mine as well, and I’m nothing to him.  I am neither Moretti nor Gavino.  I’m an outsider.  

I’ve joked about honor among thieves, but in his case, there is truth there.  I sense the strict code within him.  

Maybe it’s my hormones talking, but I sense so much more to him than what he shows the world.  Says every woman who has ever thought she could change a man. He’s mafia.  I can’t be my mother.  I cannot fall for a man who is married to the family. 

As I attempt to hide my panic from Minka, one thought keeps swirling in my head: God help me if he ever finds out I have feelings for him.  

About Marco

My name is Marco Moretti and I’m the son of the Moretti Crime Family boss. He’s also my father and a bit of an asshole, but we all have problems, don’t we?

I’ve always loved women of all shapes and sizes and they’ve loved me in return. Sometimes a bit too much, but a stalker or two keeps things interesting. My position within “the family” has been the most important thing to me, until fate—and food poisoning—brought Nina Gavino into my life.

I’ve finally found the woman that I can’t live without, and she wants nothing to do with me. My usual charm has gotten me nowhere. And if she ever finds out that I killed her stepfather and stepbrother, I’m afraid nothing short of a miracle, will make the beautiful spitfire, give me a chance to prove that there is more to me than the job she holds so much contempt for.

Get it from Amazon, iBooks, Barnes & Noble or Kobo.

Sydney Landon

is the New York Times and USA Today best selling author of:  Weekends Required, Not Planning on You, Fall For Me, Fighting For You, Betting on You, No Denying You, Always Loving You, Pierced and Fractured.  Sydney is currently working on the next book in the Danvers’ Series as well as the Pierced Series.

When she isn’t writing, Sydney enjoys reading, swimming and the beach.

She lives with her family in Greenville, South Carolina.

amazon

Get to know more about Sydney:

Website    |    Amazon Author page    |    Barnes & Noble    |    Kobo    |    Google Play    |    iBooks

Share
Filed Under: Teaser Thursday Tagged: , , , , , , , , ,

The end of romance

Posted on February 25, 2019 Written by
Share

Romance Month, that is

It’s hard to believe we’ve already reached the end of February. It’s a short month that somehow manages to feel like the longest of the year, yet slip through our fingers like late afternoon sunlight through vertical blinds.

Much of the world seems to have been afflicted with stay-indoors weather this month. Snow, wind, freezing rain—it doesn’t look like anyone has escaped, no matter where they live.

On the other hand, it’s been a good month for cozying up, with a good friend or a good book, or even both at once. (Add in cheery fire and a glass or two of red wine and I’m there.)

Romance isn’t going anywhere

Whatever you may think about the romance genre, it’s big. In the U.S. alone in 2017, readers bought some 21.5 million romance books, a close second behind suspense-thrillers at 21.8 million. Year after year, romance account for a fifth of all adult fiction sales.

Romance Month 2019 was good to BestSelling Reads authors and readers. We’ve sampled some sweet and some spicy scenes from DelSheree Gladden and Gae-Lynn Woods, M.L. Doyle, Scott Bury, Raine Thomas and Samreen Ahsan.

Other member authors told us about how romance fits into their books, often in ways readers don’t expect—but that they delight in. Like Alan McDermott, Toby Neal, Caleb Pirtle III and Corinne O’Flynn.

Now it’s ending, but don’t worry—there’s still lots of great stuff to look forward to from your favorite BestSelling Reads authors.

April is going to be mystery-thriller month, and we’ll be featuring some writing that puts you on a roller coaster. In June and July, we’ll showcase our best beach and dockside reading for you. And the fall will bring—what else?—horror, science-fiction and fantasy. And we’re going to end the year with some reading you’ll be proud to give as gifts.

What’s your favorite reading genre?

Your answers will help us make sure we continue to bring you the kind of books you love, while surprising you with authors who know how to break the boundaries. Just click on the form in the right-hand column.

Share
Filed Under: Blog, Monday Musings Tagged: , , , , ,

Romance teaser: Kado notices Cass

Posted on February 21, 2019 Written by
Share

This week’s Teaser for Romance Month on BestSelling Reads features a sparking, smoking scene from

The Devil of Light

By Gae-Lynn Woods

Tom Kado drank in Detective Cass Elliot’s fluid movements as she wove between the desks to get to the squad room’s door, and wondered what was wrong with him. He crossed the empty room to the coffee bar and poured himself a cup.

She was gorgeous. Stunning, actually. And a bright intelligence brought light to those strangely colored eyes. They were such a deep blue they looked purple. When Cass had stood from her desk, he’d realized that they were almost the same height.

Kado shook his head and scolded himself as he strode toward the evidence room. God knew he was in no shape to handle a relationship and in reality, he didn’t even want one. Caroline had only been dead a year. Barely a year. Kado’s nostrils still flared at the phantom scent of death that had oozed from her pores as cancer had eaten her alive. He still saw her in crowds and had to stop himself from calling out to her, had to endure the rush of hope every time he spotted a petite woman with shiny, straight black hair. She was slowly leaving him, occupying his dreams less frequently these days. But he couldn’t stand the thought of losing her completely, of not loving her. Of violating her memory by noticing other women.

Unlocking the evidence room door, Kado tried to push Cass from his mind. Cass Elliot is a colleague, somebody you work with, pure and simple, he told himself as he settled behind his computer and typed in a password. Besides, a woman with those looks probably has men waiting in line. She’s out of your league and, he reminded himself, you’re not in the game anyway.

About The Devil of Light

A BIZARRE MURDER

When young Detective Cass Elliot responds to a 911 call at the home of a prominent businessman, she finds him violently murdered in the barnyard with his battered wife unconscious near the tool that killed him. Still raw from her own unsolved attack six years ago, Cass is stunned when confronted with graphic photographs scattered across their kitchen floor that lead to a shadowy sect called The Church of the True Believer.

A COVERT WEB OF LIES AND EXPLOITATION

Cass and her partner Mitch Stone delve into a cunning world of blackmail and violence – and find a cult concealed for nearly a century beneath the genteel, small town façade of Arcadia in East Texas. Their investigation triggers a brutal response from powerful men who will protect their identities at any cost. They unleash a ruthless killer whose actions create a media frenzy and destroy the fabric of trust within the police department.

A PERVASIVE EVIL

Cass and Mitch circle closer to the cult’s few members, following a slim lead into a night lit by fire. A night that begins with a blood ritual and ends with Cass holding a man’s life – or death – in her hands and struggling to walk the fine line between vengeance and justice.

Meet the author

mystery author Gae-Lynn Woods

Gae-Lynn Woods is a Texan mystery writer 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.

Visit Gae-Lynn’s

BestSelling Reads page   |   Amazon author page   |   Facebook   |   Twitter   |   Google+   |   Goodreads   |   LinkedIn   |    Website   |    Blog

Share
Filed Under: Blog, Teaser Thursday Tagged: , , , , , , , , ,

BSR Romance Month: What’s so great about romance, anyway?

Posted on February 18, 2019 Written by
Share

Romance is the biggest genre in publishing by a long shot. It’s as if the reading world just cannot get enough stories about love, longing, heartache, soaring joy, crushing sorrow and all the big emotions of romance.

But why? What is it about this big, yet ephemeral thing called romance? What pulls so many people from all around the world, to this genre over and over again?

BestSelling Reads asks some of its members: what’ so great about romance? And what’s wrong with it?

Mary Doyle

Author of military mysteries and urban fantasies with a strong romance current, says “The best thing about romance writing is that the fans of the genre are loyal, ravenous fans who gobble up books one after another.

“The worst thing about romance writing is that the fans know the genre so well, that if you fall back on well-known and boring tropes, they will call you on it and not in a good way. Romance fans are demanding and loyal and deserve the best a writer can create for them.”

Visit her BestSelling Reads author page.

Alan McDermott

Author of bestselling action-thrillers, says “The best thing about romance is that you can base it on your own life. You can’t always do that with action thrillers.”

Visit his BestSelling Reads author page.

Raine Thomas

Author of several series of books in which love and romance is the leading theme, mixed with sports, music or fantasy, knows a thing or two about romance.

“The best thing about romance, especially in today’s world, is it focuses on the most positive and uplifting aspects of life,” she says.

Visit her BestSelling Reads author page.

Corinne O’Flynn

Author of bestselling mysteries as well as urban and paranormal fantasies, is a strong defender of the romance genre.

“The best thing about romance is the ability it has to raise hope (with all the feels!) in just about anyone,” she says.

Visit her BestSelling Reads author page.

Samreen Ahsan

Author of bestselling and award-winning paranormal and romance novels, says “The best thing about writing romance genre is that your readers easily fall in love with your characters and wish those characters to be a part of their lives, like having a book boyfriend from your romance novel.

Visit her BestSelling Reads author page.

Scott Bury

Author of erotic romances, mysteries and fantasy, says “The bad thing about romance is that some authors—none of the members of BestSelling Reads, mind you—think that the literary rules of the romance genre is an excuse to be less than original.

“The great thing about romance is that a really good romance speaks to the most important questions in everyone’s life: who do you love and what does that make you do?”

Visit his BestSelling Reads author page.

DelSheree Gladden

This prolific author of mysteries, romance, fantasy and comedy—and some books that mix them all—says “The best thing about romance is that is reminds you of the importance of connecting with people on a deeper level.”

Visit her BestSelling Reads author page.

Toby Neal

The author of two bestselling mystery-thriller series plus a series of family romances says “The best thing about romance is that, no matter what happens, there’s a happy ending.”

Visit her BestSelling Reads author page.

Gae-Lynn Woods

The author of some dark mysteries, as well as a very funny mystery with love and relationships at the core, believes in romance. “The best thing about romance is when flawed people living flawed lives find that happiness does not depend on perfection.”

Visit her BestSelling Reads author page.

Caleb Pirtle III

Multiple award-winning and bestselling author of over 50 book, Caleb Pritle III sums it up.

“Romance is what you hope to find. Love is when you find it.”

Visit his BestSelling Reads author page.

Why do you read romance?

Do you like to read romance? Or do you avoid it like … a bad romance? Tell us why in the Comments and you’ll be entered in a draw for a free book from one of our members!

Share
Filed Under: Blog, Monday Musings Tagged: , , ,
Next Page »