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Spotlight Rum and Raindrops by Jean Oram

Saturday, February 22, 2014


Synopsis

One nature guide. One accidental forest fire. And one steamy investigator hot on her tail.

Jen Kulak's good at running from her problems, so when she finds her best friend and boyfriend in bed together she burns rubber, never looking back. When Jen finds the quirky town of Blueberry Springs, she finally feels as though she's found a place she can call home, settle in, and get to know herself. With help from her boss, she rediscovers her love of nature and begins giving wilderness tours, which would be perfect if it weren’t for the fact that she may have accidentally just burned down the forest she depends upon for her fledgling business. And it would figure that Rob Raine, the man of her dreams, also happens to be the fire investigator hot on the case.

Can Jen find the strength to fight the accusations that could cost her everything? Or will she run again, ignoring the sparks that fly between her and Rob, and torching her chances at a happily ever after?

Find out in this small town contemporary romance, the third standalone book in the Blueberry Springs series.

The full Blueberry Springs series: 
Champagne and Lemon Drops (Free) 
Whiskey and Gumdrops ($0.99 this weekend only) 
Rum and Raindrops ($1.99 this weekend only)

Excerpt 

Rob bent over, digging in the cabinet under the sink for Lord only knew what. Jen stood with her back against the shower door, admiring his firm ass. All that hiking through forests had certainly guaranteed a very nice view for her at the moment. She kind of hoped his you-know-what didn’t fall out of his boxers with all that bending over and digging around. Although she wouldn’t mind if it did. But if something did pop out of his shorts to give her the ol’ eyeball she was pretty sure with all this alcohol partying its way through her bloodstream and causing her synapses to misfire, she wouldn’t be able to handle seeing his you-know-what dance on out without the temptation to…never mind. 
Eyes up front. Clean, pure thoughts. White bunnies. Unicorns. Rainbows. 
Definitely stop staring at his nice buttocks. 
They may have assaulted people together tonight, but he was still hands off. 
God, she wished he could be hands-on. 
But she didn’t think the courts would take kindly to her sleeping with the investigator. Even if his job was done. He could still be called in to testify. Testify what a hottie she was with her clothes off. 
Wow. This alcohol…it must have been the Sex on the Beach shots. Infused with something hormonal because she really wanted to reach up his short’s leg and…and do a lot more than wait to see if she’d become a passive participant in a game of boxer-short-peek-a-boo. 
Oh, man. She needed to lock down her brain. And maybe cuff herself to the toilet while she was at it. Hmmm. Cuffs… 
No. No. No. 
Unicorns. Bunnies. Rainbows. Definitely not bunnies and unicorns doing it on a rainbow. 
She just about leapt into the shower to spray herself down with cold water when Rob turned, flashing her nothing but thigh above his tan line, breaking an ice pack from a first aid kit. Jesus. He would have made a good doctor. Those capable hands breaking the inner bag, giving the ice pack a vigorous shake, and now bringing her closer so he could gently apply it. What if she fainted? She could faint right now. Just sort of collapse into his arms. Let him catch her. Maybe he could nurse her back to health without any clothes on. 
"What did you do?" Amusement caused a lilt in his voice as he held the pack against the goose egg on her forehead. 
"I tackled Cody into the wall when the bouncer came to his rescue. I may have underestimated the physics involved in taking someone down." 
He laughed, tipping his head back to let the rich sound swell over her like fresh rain. 
She brushed the ice pack away, feeling the chill slipping too deep. She took the wet cloth off the vanity and dabbed at Rob’s lower lip. That bouncer had a hell of a swing. 
Rob leaned against the vanity, straddling her between his legs, bringing them eye to eye. He rested a warm hand on her waist, the heat of his grip traveling through her tank top, surrounding her in warmth, protection, and maybe…maybe something else she dared not think about. 
She let out a low chuckle. Who would have thought a bar brawl would break the final layer of ice between them? Let him draw her in closer. Their eyes met, holding conversations she couldn’t figure out. The timing, it was still off, wasn’t it? Behind their desire, they were both holding back, afraid. Unable. 
She sighed, resisting the urge to brush her chest against Rob in longing. He brushed away her hand with the cloth, pulling her closer. He pulled out her ponytail, running his fingers through her hair to isolate the purple streak. "Why purple?" 
She shrugged. "Why not?" 
"I like it," he said, wrapping it around his finger. He gave a gentle tug, pulling her face closer to his. 
Gray eyes. Warm. Flecks of blue. Hope. 
His lips hovered against hers. Not a kiss, but much more than a breath check. She closed her eyes and rested a hand against his cheek, enjoying the moment of being close. Breathing each other in. Not having to progress to anything. Just being. Knowing someone was there. 
She pushed her lips a fraction closer, kissing him softly. 
This. 
This was what she had been missing. What she had wanted all along. 
His lips explored hers. Warm and moist. Welcoming. 
A real kiss. 
A rock your world, weaken the knees kiss. 
A kiss for which all future kisses would be measured against. She collapsed into his warmth, the comfort of his body penetrating every wall she’d erected over the years. 
So simple. So innocent. And yet so much understanding gently flowing between them. 
A tentative, soft connection that ran deep. 
She slowly opened her eyes, leaning back. 
No future kisses would match its intimacy, tenderness, and trust. 
And she wanted more. 
They pulled together again, her hands running through his soft, short hair as she kissed him gently, telling his soul she could be patient. His arms encircled her waist, rubbed her back, brought her closer, joined their body heat. 
She placed a hand on his chest, arching away, breathless. Inside she was disheveled, everything out of place. She wanted too much. Too much of what she couldn't have. 





Jean Oram loves to read and has worked as a librarian--a job that is a serious contender for the best job ever as duties include buying thousands of new books with someone else's money! She also loves the great outdoors and has worked as a beekeeper as well as a ski instructor in Alberta, Canada. She loves to travel and people watch and now puts her experiences to the page with her zany characters. You can often find her outside playing with her kids and the family dog or else in front of her computer dreaming up new ways to put her heroines in tough situations. 

She loves to connect on Twitter (@jeanoram) and share lots of great, free romance on her blog (www.jeanoram.com) as well as on Facebook (www.facebook.com/jeanoramauthor). She lives with her family and a multitude of pets out in the country.

Jean's first novel, Champagne and Lemon Drops (FREE!) starts off the Blueberry Springs series. She will be holding a reader appreciation sale this weekend where you can get all three books in the Blueberry Springs series for the price of one! You can get in on that sale on all your favourite online book selling sites.

Champagne And Lemon Drops Purchase Links

Kobo 

Whiskey And Gumdrops purchase Links



Spotlight The Bad Wolf by Michelle Clay

Thursday, February 20, 2014
Title: The Bad Wolf
Author: Michelle Clay
Series: A Pack Novel
Genre: Ya Paranormal Romance
Publisher: Crushing Hearts and Black Butterflies
Release Date Dec 4, 2014
Blurb/Synopsis :

The town has a secret…

After her parents divorce, Chloe moves from a comfortable life in Fort Collins to a smaller town with her mom. Back home, she was a popular cheerleader and track star. However, at the new school she just doesn't fit in at all. Everyone is secretive and pretty much ignores her. Everyone that is, except “the pack”, a group of kids that always hang out together and can sometimes be downright mean. Her one and only friend, Jenna, is an even bigger outcast than she is. Jenna dabbles in witchcraft and claims to be able to open Chloe’s eyes to the hidden world around them and that includes the creatures lurking in the dark. The only thing Chloe is interested in “eyeing” is Jenna’s older cousin, Ryan, who also happens to be a werewolf.

When a classmate goes missing, the entire town forms a search party. Everything is turned upside down by fear and hatred as the town begins a manhunt. The girls fear the kidnapper isn't a man, or even human for that matter. Chloe has just begun to develop feelings for Ryan when his troubled past and recent friction with the victim comes to light. Can Chloe help prove his innocence or will she lose her first love?


Even as a child, Michelle wasn't afraid of the things that went bump in the night. In fact, the thought of a world where werewolves roamed and Dracula reigned king may seem like a dream to most, but was exciting to Michelle. Instead of turning on a light for comfort, she reveled in the dark, imagining the lives of what was out there roaming the night and frightening those who didn't truly appreciate how interesting the supernatural really were.

Nowadays, her visions continuously take shape as she brings life to the worlds she has imagined since childhood. The wild imaginings that often got Michelle out of, or more often into, trouble as a young girl have informed and enriched her storytelling as an adult, bringing a fresh new voice to the young adult and paranormal romance genre


Places to find Michelle

Twitter: @ChellesyClay
Website

All Book Links 
YA novel: 

Adult Novels: 

Spotlight Awakening Foster Kelly by Cara Rosalie Olsen

Tuesday, February 18, 2014
Title: Awakening Foster Kelly
Author: Cara Rosalie Olsen
Genre: YA Fantasy Romance
Publisher: Self Published
Release Date: June 26 2013

If only a pile of wayward curls and the inability to stay on her feet were seventeen year-old Foster Kelly’s most pressing concerns. Unfortunately, stubborn hair and clumsiness are just the tip of it. At the age of five when Foster is told, “You don’t belong here,” it was only a mistake, but the result is one broken heart. These four carelessly spoken words have shaped and shadowed Foster, and now—a senior at Shorecliffs High-school—she seeks the wallflower’s existence, denying herself the most casual of friendships, much too afraid that someone will see what she believes is certain: she does not belong anywhere—or with anyone.

This reality would continue to suit her just fine; however . . . Love has a long-standing history of undoing broken hearts.

Like a comet, an unexpected arrival knocks Foster out of the crowded, starry sky, sending her directly into the limelight. Exposed and afraid, she will attempt to regain anonymity; but it isn’t so easy now that someone is watching. He pursues this shy enigma, confronting Foster’s deepest fears head-on, and in the process falls wholly and completely in love with her. But there is something he is not saying . . . a secret capable of certain ruin. Either he will break her heart once and for all, or he will heal it.


In the end, though, it is Foster who must decide if she is worth mending.


CARA ROSALIE OLSEN resides in sunny Southern California, where she lives with her very patient husband, Michael, and their spoiled pooch, Annabella. A product of a relatively normal childhood - whatever that means - Olsen recalls "Life had this relentlessly boorish way of reminding me I was wonky and unapproved. Regardless of status or gene pool, there is nothing simple or easy about growing up. Life doesn't play favorites or carry biases; it's the pits for everyone. But rather than constantly falling into the pit, often I chose to climb down willingly, lining the bottom with a soft place to land. That place is where I became a reader, and today, a writer." 
Throughout high school Olsen struggled with subjects Math and Science, but excelled at the arts, written and performed, often finding a kindred spirit in those teaching Creative Writing and English Literature. What began with an ardency for language soon developed into a burgeoning desire to create. This yearning took shape in the form of poetry and short story fiction, both of which have been featured in print and online publications. Olsen's debut novel, Awakening Foster Kelly is the result of a four-year project born on a whim and sustained by its characters' tenacity and their refusal to give the author a minute to herself. "In the beginning, getting them to talk was like trying to light a wet match. So, we had several long, sometimes combative conversations. I told them that unless they started holding up their end of the deal, I would have no choice but to fill in the blanks with whatever scraps came to mind. It wasn't very long before I started showing up to find that everyone was already seated and waiting for me. We talked. I drank coffee. It was bliss." 

These days Olsen considers herself incredibly blessed to be able to do what she loves most. However . . . if she wasn’t a full-time writer, she would have liked to join the cast of Saturday Night Live, or, taken over as CEO of Willy Wonka’s Chocolate Factory. 

For more information, please visit CaraRosalieOlsen.com & AwakeningFosterKelly.com


Places to find Cara


Places to find Awakening Foster Kelly
Amazon
Goodreads 



Review February Lover by Rebecca Royce

Monday, February 17, 2014
Title: February Lover
Author: Rebecca Royce
Series: Calendar Men (#2) {A Multi Authored Series}
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Publisher:  Decadent Publishing
Release Date: February 2014
Editions/Formats Will Be Available In:  eBook & Print
Blurb/Synopsis:
Aidan Roux fled New Orleans fifteen years ago, leaving behind a woman he loved. Planning to keep it light because he has no intentions of sticking around, he’s caught off guard by his mother’s health crisis. Forced to stay, he challenges Stacey to be his lover for February with no expectations of anything else.
Stacey never stopped wanting Aidan, but she’s not a girl anymore and she meets his proposition with one of her own. A hero, just back from Afghanistan, he’s the perfect guy for her calendar contest. If he wants her in his bed, he’ll pose for her camera.
Stacey and Aidan seem made for each other—but old hurts cannot be forgotten and love isn’t always enough…


Giveaway Testing Fate by Belinda Boring Blog Tour Kickoff


Title: Testing Fate
Author: Belinda Boring
Series: The Mystic Wolves (#3)
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Publisher: Blushing Heart Press
Release Date: Mar 2013
Edition/Formats Available In: eBook & Print
Blurb/Synopsis:
Nothing burns as bright as the flames of the refiner’s fire.
Moments after hearing the Council sentence her enemy to life imprisonment for attempted murder and illegal use of magic, Darcy is whisked away by the Fates—accused of tampering with destiny. The cherished dream she shared with Mason has been called into question, placing doubt about whether they are actually true mates. To resolve it, a price must be paid—the Heart or Death—a grueling series of tests designed to reveal a person’s worth.
The stakes are high and Darcy finds herself facing the unknown in conditions that leave her more vulnerable than she’s ever been. Separated from Mason and her Pack, with Devlin as her only companion, she is pushed to her very limits. She must succeed—or lose everything.
Will she crumble under the pressure or emerge stronger for testing fate?


Blake and Amber's Special Valentine Delivery by MaryLynn Bast

Friday, February 14, 2014
Title: Blake and Amber’s Special Valentine Delivery
Author:  MaryLynn Bast
Series: Heart of a Wolf Series (Companion Novella)
Genre: New Adult, Paranormal Romance
Publisher: Werewolf Tails Publishing
Release Date: February 14, 2014
Edition: Kindle
Source: Purchase


Amber is headstrong as ever and refuses to remain at home just because it’s expected of her. Traveling has been her life and the pull to hit the road is strong.
This time when Blake goes off to work, he is on a serious mission. He is fighting to save the lives of werewolf children who are being ripped from their families, their lives in danger.
Neither Blake nor Amber realize they may end up having to fight to save their own family…



Giveaway & Top Ten Divided Loyalties by Lia Davis

Title: Divided Loyalties
Author: Lia Davis
Series: Ashwood Falls  (#4)
Genre: Paranormal Romance/Shapeshifters
Publisher: Fated Desires Publishing, LLC
Release Date: Dec 14 2013
Edition: Kindle
Source: Purchase


Trained to hunt rogues and protect the human race from the threat of shifters, Christa Baker is beginning to rethink her career choice. Especially when her niece and nephew—who she’s raised on her own—end up in the crossfire. Now she’s looking for a way out and disappear off Shield’s radar for good. She never thought her out would be a gorgeous wolf who kidnaps her after raiding Shield HQ.
Hayden Raines has always followed the rules. As the Ashwood Fall wolf Marshal, he has to set the example for those working under him. When he sets his sights on the beautiful human hunter things go downhill, fast. Fate has a funny way of turning things inside out—because the woman he kidnaps, the enemy he might need to protect his family from, just happens to be his mate.

Warning: Contains one woman on a path she’s not ready for, a man who thought things would be different, and a heated exchange that turns out to be the best thing ever.