• Gay or MM

    Blue, a gay romance by @dpdenman #RLFblog #GayRom #MM

    Today’s featured book is Blue by your DP Denman.
    Genre Contemporary Gay Romance
    Book heat level (based on movie ratings): R
    Long before he was a successful songwriter and black-belt
    badass, Blue was a survivor.
    He escaped a program designed to cure him. Instead, it left
    him near death with nothing to rely on but the kindness of a stranger. Hostile
    and headstrong, Blue needs a calmer influence to balance his fury. Someone to
    save him from himself.
    Brady’s life was quiet and orderly until fate sent him a
    blue-eyed hurricane. Bursts of temper and flashes of despair batter his efforts
    to quiet the storm in a man he doubts he can tame, one drowning in the wreckage
    of his past.
    With a head full of lies and a body full of scars, Blue
    works to rebuild his life with the help of a man determined to prove sometimes
    trust is worth the risk.
    Blue features one
    of the most popular characters of the Saving Liam saga! Destined for greatness,
    he reveals the past that made him the scarred bad boy readers love.

    Buy Blue

    Publisher North Shore Press
    Barnes and Noble http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/blue-dp-denman/1122713321?ean=2940152373059
    ARe https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-blue-1896045-145.html
    iBooks https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/blue/id1044861408?mt=11

    About DP Denman

    Award-winning author DP Denman writes character-driven
    contemporary romance about gay men. Her stories are real and intense but
    resolve in endings that make people want to read the book again and again.
    She lives among the moss and trees of the Pacific Northwest
    with a rambunctious pair of fur babies.
    In her spare time, she is a dedicated LGBTQIA rights
    activist. To support the quest for equality, 25% of royalties from every book
    go to LGBT charities.

    DP Denman Social Media

    Blog http://dpdenmanauthor.blogspot.com
  • Historical

    The Highlander’s English Woman @RuthACasie #RLFblog #Historical

    “It pulls at my heart with its beauty and purpose. It
    represents all I hold dear in a person, if that’s possible, heart, soul and
    strength.”  Laura Reynolds, The
    Highlander’s English Woman
    I knew I found the right setting
    for my medieval ghost story when I saw a picture of Caerlaverock Castle.
    Reading Caerlaverock’s history I
    understood why the Maxwell family fought to hold it and why their enemies had
    to destroy it.
    Caerlaverock Castle is a moated
    castle on the southern coast of Scotland in the Dumfries. The unique
    equilateral triangular design and beauty of the castle, from the way it’s sited
    to its rich history, made Caerlaverock the perfect setting for my stories, The
    Maxwell Ghost and The Highlander’s English Woman.
    There were several original fortifications
    that preceded the current castle, a Roman fort on Ward Law Hill and a British
    hill fort that was used until 950.
    The earliest mention of
    Caerlaverock is the 1160s, when the lands were granted to the monks of Holm
    Cultram Abbey. Sixty years later, in 1220 the lands were granted to Sir John
    Maxwell by Alexander II of Scotland.
    The Maxwell family has owned the
    Caerlaverock Castle ever since, but not without some intrigue and adventure.
    The clan leader changed allegiances from Scotland to England several times
    which resulted in sieges, destruction and rebuilding.
    John Maxwell began construction of
    the first castle at Caerlaverock. A traditional square design with a moat and a
    north facing bridge, the building was one of the earliest stone castles built
    in Scotland. Archeologists believe that this castle was never completed when it
    was abandoned. This castle was built close to the Solway Firth. Built on clay
    the wood pilings were not able to bear the weight of the structure. In
    addition, the structure couldn’t be kept dry or comfortable. Today, the
    foundations and part of a wooden enclosure around it is all that remains.
    Work began on the new castle, six
    hundred feet south of the abandoned structure in 1260.
    Construction on the new (present)
    castle, on a solid rock outcropping and was completed in the 1270s. The castle’s
    first occupant was Herbert Maxwell, nephew of Sir John Maxwell.
    Caerlaverock was the Maxwell
    family’s stronghold from the 13th to the 17th centuries. It underwent several
    sieges over the centuries and was finally abandoned in 1640. The castle has
    been destroyed and rebuilt several times, but retained its triangular plan.
    In 1299, Maxwell forces from
    Caerlaverock Castle attached the English-held Lochmaben Castle. Edward I
    retaliated in July 1300 and attacked Caerlaverock with 87 knights and 3,000
    men. Eustace Maxwell, the clan chief repelled the English several times. In the
    end, the garrison surrendered. King Edward was astounded that only sixty men
    held his army off.
    Caerlaverock Castle remained in
    English hands until 1312 when the castle was returned to Sir Eustace Maxwell
    who pledged allegiance to the English king, Edward II. Later, Eustace switched
    his support to Robert the Bruce and the castle was unsuccessfully attacked by
    the English.
    Because of Caerlaverock’s prime
    position on the England-Scottish border and the fear it could fall into the
    hands of the English who would have a strong command of the district, Sir
    Eustace dismantled the fortress, a sacrifice rewarded by Robert the Bruce.
    In 1337 the castle was once again
    inhabited and once again the Eustace changed sides. About 1355 the castle was
    captured by the Scots.
    The Maxwells regained Caerlaverock
    after the Wars of Independence in the mid-14th century. Between 1373
    and 1410, Robert Maxwell rebuilt much of the castle. His efforts were continued
    by Robert II in the mid-15th century.
    In 1567, the Maxwells supported
    Mary, Queen of Scots and Caerlaverock was once again under siege by the English
    in 1570. The Earl of Sussex led the English forces and demolished part of the
    castle.
    In 1593, Lord John Maxwell
    repaired the castle for defense against the Johnstones of Annandale with whom
    he was feuding.
    The Wars for Independence were
    replaced by wars of religion. In 1634, religious turmoil turned against the
    Catholic Maxwells. In 1640 the Protestant Covenanter army attacked Caerlaverock
    for thirteen weeks forcing the castle to surrender. The south wall and tower
    were demolished and the castle was never repaired or reoccupied.
    The castle passed by inheritance
    to the Herries family and to the Duke of Norforlk. While currently owned by
    Lady Mary Mumford’s sister Baroness Herries, since 1946 the castle has been
    operated and managed by Historic Scotland. The castle remains the ancestral
    home of the Maxwell family.

    Buy The Highlander’s English Woman (The Stelton
    Legacy) 

    Amazon https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01LXYHNGS/
    Barnes and Noble http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-highlanders-english-woman-ruth-a-casie/1125365584?ean=2940157490539

    About Ruth A. Casie

    Ruth has always had stories in her head.  Encouraged by family and friends this
    ballroom dancing, Sudoku playing, aspiring gourmet has given way to her inner
    muse. Now, rather than write marketing and communications for corporate
    America, she writes historical fantasies about strong men and empowered women
    and how they cope with unexpected challenges. She hopes her stories become your
    favorite adventures.

    Ruth A. Casie Social Media

  • Suspense

    Meet Jazz: Sex, Scandal, and the Sheriff @KryssieFortune #suspense #RLFblog

    Welcome Jazz Stewart from Sex, Scandal, and the Sheriff, a
    new contemporary erotic suspense.

    About Sex, Scandal, and the Sheriff

    Title Sex, Scandal, and the Sheriff
    Genre Contemporary, erotic, suspense.
    Book heat level (based on movie ratings): R
    Jasmine Stewart (Jazz to her friends) falls for the blond
    stranger when he spanks and seduces her at a Washington soiree. Later, when she
    discovers her flatmate is trying to draw her into a spy ring, she goes to the
    authorities. The ensuing publicity costs her her job, her security, and her
    future. Starting over in Westhorpe Ridge is her only option.
    Sean Mathews, former SEAL and Westhorpe Ridge’s sheriff, can’t
    forget the woman he spanked when he visited Washington, but he thinks she’s a
    spy. When she turns up in Westhorpe Ridge, he tries everything to make her
    leave town. Despite their misunderstandings, though, they can’t keep their
    hands off each other.
    As Year’s Eve looms, the spy ring resurfaces. Jazz will need
    all of Sean’s SEAL prowess to survive. But because his wounded leg cost him his
    speed in the water, will it be enough?

    Introducing Jazz Stewart

    Age: 23
    Gender: Female
    Birthplace: Washington DC
    Profession: Teacher turned baker
    Ethnicity: Caucasian
    Please provide a
    physical description of yourself.
    I’m five feet six, but I’m a bit on the skinny side, mostly
    because I get wrapped up in things and forget to eat. I wear my hair long. It’s
    more dark honey than flaxen, but I’m blonde. My eyes? I don’t know. Pale blue,
    I suppose.
    Please tell us a
    little about yourself.
    I grew up in more foster homes than I have fingers. A couple
    were good, some were okay, but most weren’t good places for me. I learned early
    on how to push people away. I have a bit of temper too, but it’s more under
    control now than when I was a kid. I always hoped someone would see though my
    tough front and love me. Not that my foster families ever did.
    I trained as a teacher, but the school principle freaked
    when my flatmate tried to involve me in a spy ring. As if I’d ever betray my
    country. Then Mandy Devlin offered me a chance to open a bakery in her hotel. I
    jumped at the chance
    Who is the significant
    other in your life?
    Sean Mathews. That’s Sheriff Mathews of Westhorpe Ridge. He
    trained as Seal, but when a bullet cost him his speed in the water he came home
    and took over the role of sheriff in his home town. Of course, since he thought
    I was a spy, he didn’t like me much at first.
    How do you dress?
    Jeans and T-shirt for every day. For evenings, I have this one
    red dress. I was wearing it in Washington, at the spy soiree thingy and Sean
    loved it. Of course, like me, he was there under false pretenses.
    Are you book-smart, self-taught,
    widely-experienced?
    My education was as patchy as my home life. Changing schools
    a bazillion times made things hard. There was this one teacher, when I was
    about thirteen, who cared more about her pupils than I’d expected. She got
    through to me and taught me the value of education. I buckled down and made
    myself learn. I guess she’d the reason I trained as a teacher.
    Do you get by, live comfortably,
    live extravagantly?
    I always lived hand to mouth, but then it turns out I had
    this multi-millionaire great grandmother, but she was an evil old witch. She
    knew I existed and left me in the foster system. What sort of woman does that
    to her family? Anyway, I guess her conscience kicked in eventually. She left me
    three-quarters of million dollars. Me? With more money than I can imagine. That’s
    not all though. If me and my newfound second cousins marry within a year of her
    death, me and Abigail, get another four get four million dollars.
    Abigail’s married to a former Marine now, but he’s a bit
    scary sometimes. That said, he loves her to pieces. He and my Sean rescued her
    when mobsters kidnapped her, but that’s another story.
    I haven’t met my other second cousin yet Adam yet, but he’s
    a doctor in the Army. He’s due home at Easter. He gets the bulk of my great
    grandmother’s estate – that’s about fifteen million dollars—along with
    Montgomery Hall. Honestly, that’s too much money for me to imagine.
    Are any of your skills
    a source of pride or embarrassment, and if so, which ones and why?
    I’m a great baker. One of my best foster mums taught me, but
    then she got ill and social services moved me. Don’t tell Sean, but thanks to
    my upbringing, I can throw a mean punch. Of course, as wife of the local
    sheriff, I never would.
    What is your family like?
    I already said my great grandmother was witch. Abigail’s got
    the kindest heart but she puts herself down too much. Mandy Devlin, the woman
    who gave me a chance to start over in the bakery helped with a sort of mini
    makeover. Mandy’s and her son, Ben feel like family too. I still don’t know
    what I’ll make of Adam. He’s Sean’s best friend, but to me, he should have been
    there for Abigail more when her great grandmother and her mother started to
    gang up on. Considering the way her family treated her, I don’t how Abigail ever
    found the courage to advertise for husband.
    How well do you know your
    neighbors?
    Westhorpe Ridge is a small town with a big heart. Everybody
    is welcoming and warm, Kevin Jones excepted of course. He tried to make trouble
    between Sean and me but things worked out all right in the end.

    Buy Sex, Scandal, and the Sheriff

    Amazon www.amzn.to/2hHG1GW
    Barnes and Noble www.bit.ly/2iGigfP
    Kobo www.bit.ly/2igip8T

    Kryssie Fortune Social Media

  • Suspense

    Saving Hope by @lsfabre Russian #Thriller #Romance #RLFblog

    Welcome Liese Sherwood-Fabre, author of Saving Hope, a
    thriller with romantic elements re-release.
    Why did you write
    this book?
    This story’s inception involved two elements: a copy of
    Richard Preston’s March 9, 1998 New Yorker article “Annals of Warfare: TheBioweaponeers,” and my work in Russia. Preston’s article was about the
    country of Iran hiring unemployed scientists from the Soviet Union’s bioweapons
    program. It made me speculate on why someone would go to work for another
    country in this field. I came up with an unemployed scientist with a very sick
    daughter who saw this job as the only way to get the care the daughter needed.
    I didn’t work in the area of bioweapons or even with the military, but I did
    work in the field of healthcare and was familiar with the state of the Russian
    medical field following the fall of the Soviet Union.
    What is your favorite
    genre to read?
    Mystery/thriller—by far.
    Who is your favorite
    character from fiction (not including your own)?
    Oh, so many. Maybe Scarlet O’Hara because of her strong
    character. No one was going to stop her from getting her way—not the Yankees,
    the carpet-baggers, or even the war.
    What are you working
    on at the moment?
    I just completed a sequel to a book I wrote on Sherlock
    Holmes at 13 (he turns 14 at the end of the sequel). The first is with my
    agent. I’m now considering my next project.
    What books will we see
    from you in coming months?
    In addition to this re-release (the original publisher, Musa
    Publishing, folded and so I’m bringing it out myself), I have a book of essays
    on The Life and Times of Sherlock Holmes. It describes aspects of Victorian
    England presented in the Sherlock Holmes stories.
    I also have a short story in an anthology, Curious
    Incidents: More Improbable Adventures. The collection shares stories of
    Sherlock Holmes in alternate universes. In mine, the world is inhabited by
    vampyres, and Holmes is called in to solve a very gruesome murder of one.
    Please tell us about your latest book.

    About Saving Hope

    Genre Thriller with romantic elements
    Book heat level (based on movie ratings): PG-13
    NYT Bestseller Steve Berry described Saving Hope as “a
    tantalizing premise that toys with the most basic of emotions—a parent’s drive
    to save their child.” And Chanticleer Reviews gave it four stars. “This
    reviewer’s heart was pounding as the final pages of this book flew under her
    fingers at 2:30 in the morning.”
    In one of Siberia’s formerly closed cities, Alexandra
    Pavlova, an unemployed microbiologist, struggles to save her daughter’s life.
    When she turns to Vladimir, her oldest friend, for help, she’s drawn into
    Russia’s underworld. His business dealings with the Iranians come to the
    attention of Sergei Borisov, an FSB (formerly the KGB) agent. Alexandra finds
    herself joining forces with Sergei to stop the export of a deadly virus in a
    race to save both her daughter and the world.
    Buy Saving Hope
    This book is coming soon. Please visit the author’s website:

    Liese Sherwood-Fabre Social Media

  • Suspense

    A Year of Light and Shadows in Scotland #Romance #Mystery @helenafairfax #RLFblog

    Helena Fairfax writes contemporary romances with strong
    heroines and heroes she’s secretly in love with. Her novels have been
    shortlisted for several awards, including the Exeter Novel Prize, the Global
    Ebook Awards, the I Heart Indie Awards, and the UK’s Romantic Novelists’
    Association New Writers’ Scheme Award.
    Helena is a British author who was born in Uganda and came to England as a
    child. She’s grown used to the cold now, and these days she lives in an old
    Victorian mill town in the north of England, right next door to the windswept
    Yorkshire moors. She walks this romantic landscape every day with her rescue
    dog, finding it the perfect place to dream up her heroes and her happy endings.

    Interview with Helena Fairfax

    Why did you write
    this book?
    A couple of years ago I submitted a short story for an
    anthology of romantic suspense. The only guidelines we were given was that the
    story should be set “somewhere hot”. I normally write contemporary
    romance but as soon as I saw the call for submissions I was hit with an idea for
    a suspense that I just had to write.
    Sadly the anthology didn’t go ahead but the agent involved
    loved my story, and she suggested I expand it into a novella.
    I was more than happy to return to my hot bodyguard hero in
    the Mediterranean :) – and so that’s how Palace of Deception, the first novella
    in this present trilogy, came about. Once the novella was finished, I kept
    wondering what would happen to my Mediterranean bodyguard when he came to live
    in the heroine’s home in chilly Scotland. I had to find out – and so I wrote a
    second novella called The Scottish Diamond.
    Both novellas now form this present release – A Year of
    Light and Shadows – along with a short story that rounds off the hero and
    heroine’s year of mystery and romance.
    What is your favorite
    genre to read?
    Besides loving contemporary romance, I also read lots and
    lots of other genres – literary fiction, crime, thrillers, sci fi, even graphic
    novels. I just love to read!
    Who is your favorite
    character from fiction (not including your own)?
    Wow, that is a really, really hard question. I love
    Georgette Heyer and so I think I’ll pick one of her heroines. So many great
    ones to choose from, but I’ll plump for Kitty Charings from Cotillion. She’s
    funny and spirited and generous, and goes from scrape to scrape, and her
    long-suffering fiancé is one of my favourite heroes ever.
    What are you working
    on at the moment, and will see from you in coming months?
    I’m back to working on a contemporary romance. I have a
    novel set in a hotel in the beautiful Lake District in the north of England
    which I hope to release next year.
    Please tell us about your latest book.
    A Year of Light and Shadows
    From the heat of the Mediterranean….
    When the Princess of Montverrier goes missing, Lizzie Smith takes on the acting
    job of her life. Alone and surrounded by intrigue in the Royal Palace, she
    relies on her quiet bodyguard, Léon. But who is he really protecting?
    Lizzie…or the Princess?
    To the heart
    of Scotland…
    Home in Scotland, Lizzie begins rehearsals for Macbeth and finds danger
    stalking her through the streets of Edinburgh. She turns to her former
    bodyguard, Léon, for help…and discovers a secret he’d do anything not to
    reveal.
    A story of mystery and romance…
    The approach of Hogmanay in Edinburgh means a new year and new resolutions.
    Lizzie and Léon have put their year of danger behind them. But something is
    still troubling Léon, and Lizzie fears the worst…

    About A Year of Light and Shadows

    Genre Romantic Suspense
    Author Helena Fairfax
    Book heat level (based on movie ratings): PG

    Buy A Year of Light and Shadows

    Amazon http://mybook.to/lightandshadows
    Barnes and Noble http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/books/1124986369
    Kobo https://store.kobobooks.com/en-us/ebook/a-year-of-light-and-shadows

    Author Social Media

  • Double Feature,  Modern Western

    Hot Cowboys, Proud Heroines @maryjdressel #western #romance #RLFblog

    Mary J. McCoy-Dressel found her niche when she began writing
    in the contemporary western romance genre. More books are on the horizon. She
    dabbles in the paranormal genre and has written two time-travel romance novels,
    which are now out of print.
    She lives in Michigan, U.S.A., and is a mom to two sons and
    a new daughter-in-law. Her career was in education working with children with
    learning disabilities and Title One programs—at the elementary and middle
    school levels. She’s taught creative writing for a college leisure program.
    Besides writing, Mary enjoys photography, reading, going to
    the opera, having dinner with friends, and traveling. Her dream came true when
    she retired and became a full-time writer. Her Double Feature today highlights
    two books from the Double Dutch Ranch Series: Love at First Sight.

    About Heartbreak’s Reward, #2

    Genre Contemporary western romance
    Book heat level (based on movie ratings): R
    Rancher Jase
    Carlson doesn’t understand the ache in the hollow of his chest, since his
    ex-wife ripped his heart out. She doesn’t follow the court rules where
    his children are concerned, which makes him even more pissed off. Harboring a
    bad attitude, he wishes he wasn’t a gentleman when he comes to the aid of a
    quick-tempered, sexy blonde. He can’t allow her tight jeans and sweet smile to
    sway him, even after he’s coerced into spending time alone with her.
    Fighting the torturous battle going on within his own mind and body, he can
    either deal with it—or succumb to the woman who appears to be everything he
    didn’t know he needed.
    In an attempt to
    save her rebellious teen sister from herself—as her guardian, Brenna Page
    leaves everything behind and moves to Canyon Junction, Arizona. When she
    unexpectedly meets a hot-headed cowboy with intense blue eyes and muscles to
    die for, the first thing she wants to do is get away. Since she can’t seem to shake
    him, Brenna wonders if that same grudge-filled cowboy with an attitude is
    someone worth taking on. But still dealing with painful memories, and a sister
    who wants nothing to do with Arizona, the last thing she needs right now is a
    horse ranching cowboy interfering.
    One wrong turn.
    Two broken families. Brought together by chance and need.

    Buy Heartbreak’s Reward

    Amazon https://www.amazon.com/Heartbreaks-Reward-Double-Dutch-Ranch-ebook/dp/B00NE5MG7S
    Barnes and Noble http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/heartbreaks-reward-mary-j-mccoy-dressel/1120322073?ean=2940046263114
    Kobo https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/heartbreak-s-reward
    Apple https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/id916554055

    About Of the Cowboy’s Own Accord, #3

    Genre Contemporary western romance
    Book heat level (based on movie ratings): R
    Army Ranger Dane Carlson never means to fall in love before
    leaving for another tour of duty, but unexpectedly, he does. While deployed, he
    finds himself being sent home early to the family ranch to make a heartrending
    decision. Little does he know he isn’t the only one making decisions. His first
    priority is to rekindle the flame after losing communication with Gracelyn
    Clark. The woman who owns his heart and has since the moment their gaze
    connects. But, now nothing is the same as when they met.
    The first round of news is surprise enough, yet Gracelyn
    continues to release shocking information detrimental to their future. Can they
    make it work after so few days together seven months ago? Adjusting to many new
    things in his life isn’t easy as it is, so to pull himself back to the man he’s
    become could be the biggest test of all—in order to protect his own.
    Challenges abound even as Dane and Gracelyn come to terms
    with the decisions they’ve made. Whatever tomorrow brings, their only choice is
    acceptance—to take one day at a time and face life as it comes.

    Buy Of the Cowboy’s Own Accord

    Amazon https://www.amazon.com/Cowboys-Accord-Double-Dutch-Ranch-ebook/dp/B00ZV1U3VO
    Barnes and Noble http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/of-the-cowboys-own-accord-mary-j-mccoy-dressel/1122166347?ean=2940151759182
    Kobo https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/of-the-cowboy-s-own-accord
    Apple https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/id1008397224

    Mary J. McCoy-Dressel Social Media