Excerpt, Giveaways, Guest Blog

Guest Blog featuring Lisa Zajkowski’s Soul Reader w/a rafflecopter giveaway! #paranormalromance #guestblog #debutauthor

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Soul Reader

by Lisa Zajkowski 

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GENRE: Paranormal Romance

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BLURB:

When skeptic Marvin meets artistic Natalie in a coffee shop on a cold October morning, the two fall fast in love, but nothing is ever as easy as it feels.

Natalie believes that a divine something is guiding her life for her greater good, and it seems to be true. She lands her dream job and she and Marvin marry at a beachside castle. However, the ease and flow of their lives start to change. At the same time that Natalie becomes pregnant, Marvin experiences strange symptoms and visits his doctor.

When faced with a diagnosis that changes everything and odd dreams of the child that hasn’t yet been born, will Marvin let go of his skepticism or will he miss out on a lifetime with his loving family?

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Excerpt Two:

Marvin heads into his oversized master bath to start the shower. He is sensitive when it comes to nature, so he has a top of the line water purification system that allows him to use the ocean water in his home. It siphons water from the ocean, removes the salt and impurities, and leaves him with the smoothest, cleanest water in town. He is hopeful that the city will one day take advantage of such a resourceful product, but he isn’t surprised that they haven’t. The water is silky and hot as it rains down on his body. His showerhead is automated with voice command, so he can tell it if he wants jet stream, raindrops, massage or pulsating. Marvin’s home may be more modest than most in the area, but he never held back on the luxuries of things he liked. He turns the steam feature on as he shuts the water off and grabs his towel. He loves standing in the steam, with it smelling the way only steam in a clean shower can smell. He has always been very in touch with his senses and felt them all deeply: touch, taste, smell, hearing, vision, and the unspoken sixth sense. He is unconsciously aware of his intuition because his analytical mind has yet to bring it forth; however, it will happen when the timing is right. He steps out of his steamy fortress, his hair awry, and drapes his towel over the shower door. As he steps in front of the mirror, admiring his sculpted body, he wonders if Talie might be up, if she was even awake.

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Figuring out What to Eat

Why is it so hard to figure out what to eat?  I know that I’m not the only person who has a problem with this.  It’s so hard for me to decide what I want to eat for lunch or dinner.  Breakfast is pretty easy because it’s been frozen waffles or those frozen croissant sandwiches with my protein shake.  Sometimes toast is a nice alternative, but to be honest, I’m getting burnt-out on all the above. Also, taking something for lunch when I work in a fast-paced seems to be a challenge.  I used to meal prep and that worked great because I ate the same thing for about nine months. Now I can’t stand what I used to eat, which was chicken that I slow-cooked in Worcestershire sauce with other seasonings (I would stir in mayonnaise on the day of my meal) with red potatoes as a side dish.  Before that nine month stint it was something else and so on. Now I’m lucky if I can get down a peanut butter sandwich which I switched to a Fluffer-nutter because the peanut butter got old very quickly. I would still meal prep, but I’ve hit a wall and have no idea what to even prep. And dinner, omg, it goes along like this… Me: “What do you want?”  Spouse: “I don’t know, what do you want?” Me: “I don’t know because I’m not really craving anything?”….. and so it goes. I know my meal is not reliant on anyone else, but it does help if my spouse has a craving because that way I’ll just eat that. I feel like the foods I used to eat really don’t fulfill me in the capacity in which they used to. My go to cook up a box of pasta (I keep it fresh by alternating the pasta shape) and keep that in the fridge for the week.  It’s quick and easy because I just heat up my portion of pasta in the microwave and dump cold sauce onto it and bang, my meal is served. Even the take-out restaurants don’t have the same oomf that they used to. I think the answer must be to get a private chef and have meals prepared for me daily. However, that is not going to happen until I sell many more books or until I get a movie deal. So, in the interim, I am struggling with this. Perhaps I’ll just go back to the frozen food meals that I would pop in the microwave, but I have a feeling that their pizazz has been lost as well.  My best friend recently gave me a cookbook for runners and I did make a meal from it. The pulled pork was pretty delicious, but it’s crazy how much it costs to make just one dish. Then there’s a recipe for these awesome muffins that she says is a must, yet again the ingredients list and cost seem to outweigh my desire to make them when I can just by them from my grocery store. I think my answer to my struggle lies within this paragraph and it is, to meal prep because that is where I had the most success and consistency with food. I am hopeful to add variety so I get different nutrients and don’t get burnt out within the next nine months.  If burnout happens, I’m afraid that eventually I won’t want to eat anything but bread. 

AUTHOR Bio and Links:

Lisa M. Zajkowski has an exhilaration for life while exploring all areas from the ethereal to the ordinary, and she appreciates learning something from every aspect. Her main theme in life is fun, as she indulges in laughter and looks for the positive in every situation. She also thrives on pushing the boundaries of the body while enduring in the sport of Triathlon, having completed a Half Ironman. However, it’s her first love of running that brings her an immense sense of liberation and connectedness with the beauty of the world. Lisa loves connecting with people, and being a massage therapist allows her to do this as she enjoys helping people facilitate healing within their innate body systems. She is comforted in the softer side of life while cuddling with her dogs and cat, and desires to own a horse ranch. Lisa revels in the freedom of being fluid in her writing, taking pleasure in all genres of authoring. She is currently working on Drama, Sci-Fi, and Horror novels. 

http://lisazajkowski.com/

https://www.amazon.com/Soul-Reader-Lisa-Zajkowski/dp/1733593934/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1556567737&sr=8-1-fkmrnull

 

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GIVEAWAY INFORMATION and RAFFLECOPTER CODE

One randomly chosen winner via rafflecopter will win a $50 Amazon/BN.com gift card.

a Rafflecopter giveaway ”

 

New Release, Release Day, Reviews

Happy Book Birthday to Holidate (Dating #3) by Monica Murphy! @MsMonicaMurphy #contemporaryromance #holidayromance

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“Absolute Christmas magic. If Hallmark doesn’t make this movie I may go on Christmas movie strike!” #1 New York Times bestselling author Rachel Van Dyken

Holidate, an all-new standalone contemporary holiday romance by New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Monica Murphy is LIVE!

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Candice Gaines loves Christmas. Not only does she bask in the twinkling lights, sing Christmas carols and go crazy with the decorations, she’s also in the giving spirit, donating much of her time and wealth to various charities in the local area.

Charlie Sullivan despises Christmas. Though it keeps his family afloat, considering they own Sullivan Family Christmas Tree Farm, the main provider for Christmas trees on the Monterey peninsula. He’d much rather work among the trees versus have to deal with people.

But Charlie’s parents are taking on more philanthropic projects—and as their oldest child, they want him to be their official public representative. He just has to play nice and convince everyone he’s not a total holiday hater.

When Charlie’s mom asks Candice to accompany him to a variety of holiday parties and events, she reluctantly agrees. She thinks Charlie is a big ol’ Grinch, but is determined to change his mindset and help him spread Christmas cheer. Charlie finds Candice too chatty, too sweet, too much. Do people like her really exist?

Why yes, yes they do. The more time they spend together—along with a few kisses under the mistletoe—the more they start to like each other. Hopefully Charlie can convince Candice he doesn’t have a heart that’s two sizes too small before the ball drops on New Year’s Eve.

A stand-alone, contemporary romance.

 

Well, folks, this is my first-holiday book to review this season.  And it was a good one to read.  Ask anyone and I’m not big on Christmas anymore except for my son.  It’s a long story and I don’t really want to get into right now.  I used to love the holiday season, just like Candice, just not anymore.  What really set this apart for me is that it was centered around a Christmas tree farm.  While most people would find this funny, I don’t typically read holiday-themed books.  I’m not a Grinch, just don’t get into it at all.  I admit that I don’t watch the Hallmark Channel either.

Candice has been popping up in the other books so I was excited to finally get her story.  I just love her.  Period.  She could have come off as a spoiled little rich girl but she is the complete opposite of that.  She has a heart of gold and will do anything for anybody.  Christmas is her favorite holiday but she kinda hides behind it because of a loss that happened to her when she was young.  I understand why she does it but what I don’t understand is why her family didn’t pick up on it.  And don’t say that Jared should of because he didn’t spend too much time around the family anyway.

Charlie was actually hilarious to me.  Lumberjack cool, semi socially awkward but underneath all of that, he really is a good person.  He just likes to be alone.  Coming from a big, noisy family and having a lot of responsibility for the family business, it made sense that he would come off as a Grinch.  I never saw him like that.  I saw him as a man that didn’t like getting pushed into situations that he found uncomfortable.  His mother had good intentions but in the end, she really messed up and it almost cost Candice and Charlie their relationship.

I loved the slow burn of their romance.  In fact, this book is kisses only and that’s the way it should be.  Candice and Charlie have a bunch of relationship baggage to deal with before they can admit that they actually like each other.  Their romance is built on friendship first and kisses later.  At times, I thought it would never happen.  Ms. Murphy lets you know that it is coming but I can be impatient, as usual.  The payoff, in the end, is perfect.

The secondary character that stood out for me was Stella.  Oh my, she’s a feisty one.  I can’t wait to see if Ms. Murphy has a book up her sleeve for her.  It would be a hoot and a half for me.  And I’m dying for a Gingerbread Latte.  I fell out of favor years ago with Pumpkin Spice but Gingerbread…yes, please.  I can’t wait until its on the menu at Starbucks.

Of all of the books to date in the series, this is my favorite.  Candice and Charlie had from the start.  I loved watching them dance around each other, pushing each other out of their own comfort zone and then finding that middle ground.  If I had one complaint, I wish there had been an epilogue.  The ending was too abrupt for me and I felt it was unfinished.  Otherwise, I can’t wait to see them in the other books.

This is such a great series from Ms. Murphy.  One of my all-time favorites and I would highly recommend it to anyone and everyone.

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Download your copy today!

Amazon: https://amzn.to/2noeL4X

Amazon Worldwide: mybook.to/HolidateMMAU

Apple Books: http://bit.ly/HolidateMMAB

Nook: http://bit.ly/HolidateMMBN

Kobo: http://bit.ly/HolidateMMKo

Add to GoodReads: http://bit.ly/2nWWVGu

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Meet Monica:

Monica Murphy is the New York Times, USA Today and #1 international bestselling author of the One Week Girlfriend series, the Billionaire Bachelors and The Rules series. Her books have been translated in almost a dozen languages and has sold over one million copies worldwide. She is both self-published and published by Random House/Bantam and HarperCollins/Avon. She writes new adult, young adult and contemporary romance.

She is a wife and a mother of three who lives in central California on fourteen acres in the middle of nowhere along with their one dog and too many cats. A self-confessed workaholic, when she’s not writing, she’s reading or hanging out with her husband and kids. She’s a firm believer in happy endings, though she will admit to putting her characters through angst-filled moments before they finally get that hard won HEA.

Connect with Monica:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MonicaMurphyauthor/
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5934418.Monica_Murphy
Amazon: http://amzn.to/1YUl0Vm
Website: http://monicamurphyauthor.com
Newsletter: http://bit.ly/IW5U0y

New Release, Release Day, Reviews, Teaser Excerpts

Happy Book Birthday to Awk-Weird (Ice Knights #2) by Avery Flynn @Danichez75 @entangledpub @AveryFlynn #contemporaryromance #newrelease

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There’s more to me than just being awk-weird. I own my own flower shop, have some great friends, and I have my eye on adopting the most adorable kitten. But sadly, hot guys don’t tend to be blown away by my trivia-spouting, dorky self.
 
So, when a Thor-lookalike who happens to be a professional hockey player hits on me at my bestie’s wedding rehearsal party … You better believe I climbed that tree like a cat. And the face that it happened not once, not twice, but three times? Yeah, that’s pretty much a once-in-a-lifetime experience for a woman like me. 
 
There’s zero chance I’ll end up ever seeing him again…right? 
 
Until the pregnancy test comes up positive. What happens next?
 
Oh my God, I wish I knew…
 
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What can I say?  Ms. Flynn had me at one of my favorite tropes…accidental pregnancy.  Why do I love it?  Because with Ms. Flynn’s pen in hand, I knew that it was going to be hilarious.  She didn’t disappoint with Tess and Cole.  What’s not to love about a night of wild sex with a Thor lookalike and then find out you are pregnant with his baby?  I know, I know.  It’s a trope that is used too much by some authors, but Tess and Cole make it believable.
Tess is a nerd.  Yes, a trivia spouting, flower shop owner, book-loving nerd.  When she is nervous, the trivia spouting is her defense mechanism.  She reminded me of Cliff from Cheers but not near as annoying.  LOL!  Cole, on the other hand, stress bakes before a game and loves his routine.  Like obsessed with his routine.  Its almost like he can’t function without it.  I found that completely endearing.  Hockey players are extremely routine-oriented and lord love a duck, they are superstitious.  So watching him with all of his weirdness (to some) was completely natural for me.  I used to work for the Dallas Stars Hockey Club for years so I get it.  Plus, when these two get into moving the Big Foot painting around, I was rolling with laughter.  Not to mention, Tess explaining that there is a sub-genre of books written with Big Foot.  Oh my…
What sets this book apart from the others that I have read in regards to the Hartigans and Ice Knights are Cole and Tess.  Frankie and Lucy are my favorite couple from these two series but Cole and Tess apart from even Frankie and Lucy are the completely normal OCD, awkwardness not just towards their lives but towards each other.  Neither one has ever had a stable, healthy relationship with anyone.  Tess with her mother leaving her with relatives and the on/off romantic relationship that Cole has had with the coach’s daughter.  Man, was I glad that wrapped up.  I grew very tired of reading about it and to be honest, I don’t like that girl at all.  Something about her grated on me.  So I glad when Cole finally figured out his feelings for her and his growing feelings for Tess.
This book is hilarious but also surprisingly emotional.  Tess and Cole have a lot to go through to get to a HEA.  Both come from families that either didn’t support them or were extremely distant in their love.  Tess was still having to deal with a slumlord of an uncle in regards to her apartment and flower shop.  Cole and his constant moving as a child don’t help either.  Hence, the routines for him.  His teammates give me grief for him but they also love him, too.  Watching Fallon and Zach kick ass is always a joy for me.  Plus, there is a kitten named Kahn that is a hoot.
I can always count on Ms. Flynn to bring the heat but she also digs deep into her characters that bring the authentic that would seem far fetched in another author’s head.  You care about them, laugh with them, swoon and cry for them in the end.  They are like a part of your family and you miss them when you close the book.  Tess and Cole found a piece of my heart that I can never get back and I don’t want to.  Bravo, Ms. Flynn.

 

 






USA Today and Wall Street Journal bestselling romance author Avery Flynn has three slightly-wild children, loves a hockey-addicted husband and is desperately hoping someone invents the coffee IV drip. Avery was a reader before she was a writer and hopes to always be both. She loves to write about smartass alpha heroes who are great with a quip and relatable heroines who are feisty, fierce and fantastic.
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