Breaking Hearts
by Melissa Shirley
GENRE: Contemporary
Romance
BLURB:
Can tragedies have a
happy ending in Storybook Lake?
Every town has one—a
mean girl, hell-bent on taking down everything in her path—and Danielle Ranier
played the role to a tee. She broke up Storybook Lake’s most beloved couple and
to save herself from a lifetime of lectures on morality, she hopped on the
first plane out of town. Six years, one child, and a big secret later, she’s
back, fleeing from her abusive husband, who isn’t quite willing to set her
free. Now on trial for a murder she didn’t commit, Simon Hunter, the only man
she’s ever loved is offering her a lifetime of love and security. If she could
only reveal the secrets long-held inside her, a family that never was might
finally come together . . .
Excerpt:
How it all started.
Since the moment I first noticed
boys in fifth grade, Simon Hunter was the boy I saw myself growing old with. He
had the best smile, the most expressive honey-colored eyes, and a way with
people that made an entire town love him. Even when he didn’t know it, he was
everything to me. Any minute I could sneak into his presence was a minute I
savored and cherished.
When we got around to the business
of being adults, our schedules seldom coordinated, but we spent most Fridays
together. I’d skipped out on the last three, wanting him to see what it would
be like without me. I wanted him to miss me with a desperate passion.
The missing only happened on my end,
and I had the phone log to prove it. As it went to voice mail, I glared at my
phone and left my tenth message…a pitiful,
I-miss-you-please-call-me-and-let-me-know-you’re-okay kind of message. Since
high school, he’d been my reason for waking up in the morning, the hero in the
dreams I had every night, and the focus of all the moments in between. And damn
it. Friday was our day.
After a quick makeup check, I left
my apartment, the one we’d planned to share up until a few months ago when he
started making all those trips to LA with Gatlin. I kicked the jealousy away
with the toe of my shoe against a rock on the sidewalk.
For three full blocks, I took my
frustration out on chunks of concrete until I strolled past the bakery. It took
every ounce of my will not to press my nose against the window to see if he’d
decided to loiter inside while his sister worked, or if he’d just run in to get
some free pastries. His car was parked out front, so I leaned against it for a
few minutes, waiting…remembering the first time he kissed me…the way his hand
cupped the side of my face, the brush of his lips so softly over mine. Had we
been sixteen? Seventeen? It was a lifetime ago.
AUTHOR BIO:
As an author, Melissa Shirley believes in fairytales, happily ever after, and destiny. Born and raised in Illinois, and a mother of eight, she lives with her husband and three youngest children in a quiet town in the southern part of the state where she spends her time writing and watching her children grow into the people she has always dreamed.
Buy Links:
Amazon ~ iTunes ~ Google Play ~ Kobo ~ B&N
Head Over Heels
by Crystal B. Bright
GENRE: Contemporary
Romance
BLURB:
Sometimes it takes hurt to open your heart…,
At twenty-two, Thane Wells is the highest-paid
pitcher in Major League Baseball—and he owes it all to his adoptive Mama,
“Queen” Elizabeth Sommerville, a wise, beautiful, entrepreneurial
African-American woman who always encouraged him and his two white brothers to
reach for the stars…the woman Thane still talks to daily. He never dreamed
their most recent conversation would be their last. With his beloved supporter
suddenly gone, Thane is grief-stricken, shaken, and vulnerable—especially to a
woman like Kari Meyers.
Kari’s had her eye on Thane for a while, but
strictly for business. As a junior sports agent, she’s hungry to sign him,
especially when she hears his current agent will be retiring soon. When she
finally locates Thane, she’s shocked to discover he’s attending his mother’s
funeral—and he’s shocked to find Kari in his hotel room. Assuming she’s an
escort is just the beginning of their misunderstandings. But one thing that’s
clear is their mutual attraction. As a single mom with an NBA ex, Kari has a
rule against dating athletes. Yet as circumstances bring the two closer
together, they just might find they’re on the same team, heart and soul…
Excerpt:
“Hey!”
She
turned, hoping to see Thane calling for her. Instead, she saw the other
businessman who had been sitting with Alec Fogel. Out of curiosity, she waited
as he walked up to her.
“Do
I know you?” Kari asked as she held on to the strap of her purse.
“No.
And I don’t know you, but I’d like to.” The statuesque older man ran his hand
over his silver hair. “My name is Frank Milliner. I’m the owner of the Winning Edge
Agency. I heard what you said in there to Thane Wells. What agency do you work
at now?”
Kari
regarded him for a moment before speaking. “I don’t. I was hoping to sign him
up as my client.”
“Wait.
You don’t work at an agency? How did you even know about him?”
Great.
Another man who probably underestimated her passion for sports and her drive
for a career. She would have to correct that perception right now.
“I could use someone like you in my company.
I’m assuming you’ve finished school.” Frank crossed his arms over his chest as
he studied her.
“Just
graduated.”
He
laughed and shook his head. “Yes, you are exactly what I need for my business.
We should talk.” He tried to guide her back into the hotel.
Kari
stayed cemented to the cracked walkway. “I’m not exactly welcome back in there.
Can we meet somewhere else?”
Frank
smiled. “Of course.”
Although
she’d missed one opportunity, she hoped this one would turn out to be a winner.
That didn’t mean she would be giving up on Thane Wells. He wouldn’t be the one
who got away.
AUTHOR BIO:
Crystal Bright graduated with a B.A. from Old Dominion
University with a major in Creative Writing, a minor in Communications, and an
emphasis on Public Relations. She earned her M.A. from Seton Hill University in
Writing Popular Fiction. She is a member of Romance Writers of America and
Chesapeake Romance Writers. For more information about Crystal and her writing,
please visit her website at CrystalBrightWriter.com. Follow her on twitter:twitter.com/CrystalBBright.
Buy Links:
Amazon ~ iTunes
~ Google
Play ~ Kobo
~ B&N
Giveaway:
A digital copy of both books
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