Tag Archives: Second Chance Romance

#NewRelease – Coming Home @AuthorPaigeW #Romance #MilitaryRomance #SecretBaby

Posted on by

pw-coming-home-3

Publisher: Siren Publishing
Length: 38,500
Heat Level: Scorching

When Bowen finds out the love of his life is marrying his brother, he hauls his ass across country to stop the wedding. The last thing he expected was a pint-sized little girl running down the aisle calling him daddy. One look in her eyes and he knows that Caitlin is his. With the wedding off, Bowen demands time to get to know his daughter and has no intention of ever letting Lorelei go again.

As a web of lies makes itself known, Lorelei and Bowen realize they still love each other as much as they did before. Barely able to keep their hands off one another, is it any wonder they decide on a quick engagement, hoping for happily-ever-after this time?

Bowen isn’t backing down this time, he’s making Lorelei his in every way that counts.

Excerpt

Bowen looked at the clock on the dash as he entered his hometown city limits. The wedding was about to start, and he was going to be late. He’d wanted to get at least cleaned up a little before showing up. His hand rasped against the whiskers on his chin. It had been two days since he’d last shaved. The T-shirt he wore was wrinkled and probably smelled since he hadn’t done laundry in over a week.

He’d woken two days ago, realizing he couldn’t let her go through with it. The logical part of his brain said he should stay gone, let Dex and Lorelei go on with their lives, have their happily-ever-after. But then those damn emotions, the ones he always shoved down deep, had reared their head, demanding that he do something before he lost the woman he loved forever.

For two months he’d stayed faithful to Lorelei, hoping she was doing the same. Then he’d talked to Dex and heard the happiness in  his brother’s voice. He’d joked and said Dex must have met a woman. His brother had dealt the killing blow that he’d been spending time with Lorelei and that he still loved her. Bowen had gone out that night and gotten shitfaced. It had been oh so tempting to tell his commanding officers to fuck off and go AWOL just to be with Lorelei again, beg her to wait for him. Giving her the freedom to be with someone else had been the dumbest thing he’d ever done.

When Dex had told him of his engagement to Lorelei, Bowen had decided he wouldn’t return home when his service was up. He’d gotten out of the Marine Corps months ago and had hit the road. He’d bought a truck and just traveled from one town to another, losing himself in a different woman a night. It hadn’t worked though. When he closed his eyes, it was still Lorelei’s face he saw, her body he felt pressed against his. He’d often wake and think he smelled her perfume in the air. Knowing she was about to say vows, to bind herself to his brother forever, had left him shaken but determined.

They’d had only one night together, but he’d known there was something between them. There was a connection he’d never felt with another woman and knew he never would. Lorelei was it for him. If he couldn’t have her, if she denied him, he didn’t know what he’d do. Probably hit the road again. He didn’t think he could stand to see her with Dex all the time, sit back and watch them have kids. The envy and jealousy would eat him alive.

He whipped into a parking space in front of the small church and jumped out of the truck, slamming his door and practically running toward the double doors, his dog tags jangling against his chest. Even though he was finished with the Corps, he wasn’t quite ready to let go. The dog tags were part of who he was. He burst through the entrance, and his heart nearly seized as he saw Lorelei at the front in her ivory dress, her hands clasped in his brother’s. He started down the aisle, and their attention focused on him. When he didn’t slide into a seat, he saw the nervousness in his brother’s eyes. The bastard had a right to be nervous, trying to steal his woman.

A small spot of pink began hurtling toward him, a child he hadn’t noticed, her sable curls bouncing with each step. He froze, not knowing what to expect. Did Dex and Lorelei already have a child together? His brother had never mentioned a daughter.

“Daddy!” the child cried, throwing herself at him. His reflexes being better than most people’s, he easily caught her, pulling her into his arms.

There were murmurs in the church as everyone stared at him. Almost as if they knew something he didn’t. As he studied her face, he realized he was staring at a miniature version of himself. His heart kicked, and the world narrowed. He had a daughter? Why hadn’t Lorelei said something? Why hadn’t his brother? Their deception cut him to the quick. He returned his gaze to the couple at the front of the church.

“I object to this wedding.”

The murmurs grew to a dull roar as everyone had something to say at once. He heard the different voices, everyone expressing their outrage and shock over his interruption. Lorelei looked scared, her eyes wide with fright as her gaze darted from him to their daughter and back again. She damn well had a right to be scared, keeping something like this from him! Because of her omission, he’d missed years of his daughter’s life. If she’d only told him, he’d have returned to her, taken leave and asked her to marry him. He’d have done the right thing by her.

“Bowen,” Lorelei said softly. “I can explain.”

“Oh, you will, sweetheart. But first, you’re going to change out of that dress.”

His daughter patted his cheek. “Daddy, why’d you take so long to come see me?”

He mustered a smile for her. “I’m sorry, honey. I’m here now, though, and Daddy isn’t going anywhere.”

Pre-Order for August 30th Release

 

 

SPOTLIGHT: Cardboard Hero

Posted on by

SM_Cardboard_XL
Title: Cardboard Hero
Author: Shelby Morgen
BIN: 08069-02605
Word Count: 36101K
Page Count: 116
Price: $4.99
Release Date: 06/03/2017
Editor: Martha Punches
Copy Edit: Pat Sager
Cover Artist: Bryan Keller
Genre(s): Action Adventure & Suspense, Guilty Pleasures (Contemporary), New Releases, Romance
Theme(s): 2nd Chance Romance

ABOUT THE BOOK:

Victoria Townsen’s falling in love with her hero. She’s just not sure which one.

Ewan MacKenzie is a dangerous man. He’s in control of almost every situation — except the woman who haunts his fantasies. He’s perfect. The embodiment of every fantasy Tory’s ever written. There’s only one slight problem. Tory’s always written sweet romances. Her publisher wants something spicier. Tory’s just discovered her perfect lover’s not anatomically correct! That’s a problem she should be able to solve. With a little help.

Then there’s Evan. Her modern day hero. Her protector. How can Tory possibly expect him to understand she’s already in love — with the hero on the cover art he posed for more than a decade ago?

Buy the Book

EXCERPT:

“Victoria Rose Townsend! Open this door!”
The noise was enough to wake the dead. “Use your key, goddamn it. That’s why I gave you the fucking thing.”
“Tory? Tory?” The door rattled open. Slightly less alarmed, the voice lost its screech. “Are you all right, Tory? I’ve been trying to reach you all morning!”
Tory fought her way to consciousness, trying to remember where she was and how she’d gotten there. Bed. She was in bed. And she wasn’t alone. She forced her eyes open. At least she hadn’t been alone. She brushed her hand over the satin sheets next to her. Warm. They still held the warmth of his body heat.
She smiled to herself. He’d been here. He’d really been here. She wasn’t imagining the heat. Not this time. He must have stayed with her for hours while she slept. And she had slept. For the first time in days, maybe weeks, she felt rested.
“You’re in bed?” The screech was back, angry this time instead of concerned. “At one o’clock in the afternoon you’re still in bed? Victoria, are you ill? You better be ill because if you’re not, I’m going to kill you!”
Tory couldn’t think of any safe way to answer that one. She felt wonderful, not ill. Unless you counted mental illness. Some people might think spending the night with her fictional hero was a little less than sane. “I was up late.”
“I’ve been trying to call you since nine. Nine! Four hours! I suppose you’ve turned off all the ringers. The kitchen stinks to high heaven. You burnt the coffee again.”
An angry denial formed on Tory’s lips, but she choked back her defense. Maybe she shouldn’t let Elaine know she wasn’t the one who’d turned off the phones. That would inevitably lead to the question of just who had turned them off.
“You found me, Elaine. I’m alive. What do you want?” Good. That came out with just the right amount of angst to sound like her normal morning self. Tory found herself beginning to get into the spirit of the role.
“Want? What do I want? Do you know what day it is? Do you have any clue what’s happening in the rest of the world today?”
Tory blinked slowly, trying to sort out the pieces as Elaine began wrenching open the drapes. When had he turned off the ringers on the phones? And closed all the drapes? How could a fantasy man do that, anyway? She could barely manage the damn sticking traverse rods herself and she was flesh and blood.
“Victoria, are you even listening to me?”
Tory turned her attention back to Elaine, who was now standing beside the bed, having tied the bed curtains open. “No. I’m sleeping. I was sleeping. Until you decided to dictate my schedule to me. Now I gotta pee.”
Elaine sighed dramatically. “Victoria Townsend, today is February 14th. Valentine’s Day. You have a book signing in exactly one hour and forty-five minutes. You have known about this book signing for months. You promised me you wouldn’t forget about this book signing. There will be thirteen other authors there. There are supposed to be a total of fourteen. Valentine’s Day. Fourteen authors on February 14th. I am the only one of fourteen agents who had to come find her author to get her out of bed for this book signing. I am probably the only agent in the world who has to come haul her author out of bed to remember a goddamned romance book signing on Valentine’s Day! Your hair isn’t done. Your nails look like you’ve been chewing on them again. And I’m willing to bet you have nothing ready to wear. I’m going to kill you. I’m going to fire myself. I’m going to…”
Tory realized immediately what had stopped Elaine’s tirade. She’d rolled out from under the covers, intent on hitting the shower, without realizing that somehow she’d ended up in bed quite naked. She felt the blush start up her cheeks. “Sorry. I’ll get myself together as fast as I can.”
“You’ve lost weight, Tory. A lot of weight.”
Tory paused in front of the hall-tree mirror. She took a moment to inspect herself, surprised and pleased with what she saw. “I have, haven’t I? I look pretty good for an old broad.”
“You look pretty good for a woman of any age. I just wish I thought it was from dieting and exercising. You’re just not eating, are you?”
“I eat!” she insisted as she took refuge in the bathroom.
“You’re living on coffee again.”
“What? Can’t hear you. Water running.”