The End Zone by LJ McAlister

 

Kiss in the Dark – The End Zone
LJ McAlister
Publication date: October 24th 2023
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance

One Moment. One Plan.
A Love that Changes Everything.

Abigail Stevens

There was a time when Hunter Collins dominated my every dream.

Now, he is an all-star Quarterback and the bad boy of the NFL.

He may have been my first kiss, but that’s in the past.
I’m no longer the small-town invisible girl I once was.

I’m a successful journalist,
and Hunter Collins is the next name on my list, nothing more.

He’s cocky, indifferent, arrogant, and utterly irresistible.
I can’t seem to get him off my mind, or out of my panties!

Am I really in danger of falling for Hunter all over again?

Or will I learn the hard way that memories are always better than the real thing?

Hunter Collins

I thought I was invisible. Indestructible.

I was the man everyone wanted to be.

Star NFL Quarterback.

Every Woman’s Fantasy.

A Billionaire with the world at my feet.

Until an injury knocked me down.

I may be struggling, but I’m Hunter Collin.

I make my own destiny.
And a short escape to my small hometown is just what I need.

What I hadn’t planned for was Abigail Stevens.

She may be a reporter, but she’s hot, whip-smart,
and now that she’s burst into my life, I can’t get her off my mind.

Meanwhile, my injury has left me with more questions than answers
And I can’t shake the feeling that there is something important I need to remember.

As painful as it is, maybe I should let her go – for both our sakes.

Kiss in the Dark: The End Zone is a steamy, contemporary, small-town, football romance. It should be read following the prequel Kiss in the Dark: The Kickoff.

Goodreads / Amazon

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EXCERPT:

“What the hell was that?” I demand, my blood boiling. “Making a big scene over that guy in front of everyone?”

“I wanted to protect you,” he says, but my adrenaline is too high for me to accept it.

“I can handle myself, thank you!” My voice reverberates down the hallway, booming enough to make Hunter wince and look around.

“Abby, calm down.”

Ah, the magic words. Just what every woman wants to hear when she’s upset—a man’s reminder not to let her emotions show.

“Don’t tell me to calm down!” I shout, hoping to hell somebody hears.

Hunter scans the hallway again, then grabs me by the arm and pulls me to a door beside the entrance to the hall. It’s a coatroom, and a pimple-faced attendant looks up from his seat, shocked at the two of us barging in.

“Beat it,” Hunter tells the kid, who complies without a word.

The door shuts, and I wrench myself free of Hunter’s grasp yet again. “What the hell do you think you’re doing?” I growl, squaring off against him.

“We can’t fight like this in public,” he counters, his voice every bit as hard as mine. “I’m not going to let you ruin this event for those kids.”

“Me?” I clamp my teeth together to keep from calling him every name in the book. “Last time I checked, you were the one who went all alpha male in there and threw a guy out.”

“His hands were all over you,” Hunter shoots back, the color in his face rising.

“Maybe, but what does that have to do with you?”

“Everything!” He looms very close, and the musky scent of sandalwood that always clings to his skin floods over me. “Abby,” he says in a tight whisper. “You have no idea what it does to me to see someone else touching you like that.”

“You’re jealous,” I spit. “So what if I am?” Suddenly his hands are on me, crushing me against his massive body. “Jesus God,look at you,” he says, feasting his eyes on me. “How could I not be?”

His mouth dips down for mine, ready to crush our lips together, and I turn my head just in time. Partly to avoid igniting whatever memories a kiss might spark but also to keep from giving him the satisfaction of winning the prize of my mouth through sheer dominance.

But all my turning away does is offer him my neck, and he finds it readily, ravaging the crook above my collarbone with greedy kisses. The stubborn fire in my chest flares. No matter how determined I am to resist him, the primal effect he has on my body is undeniable.

Author Bio:

Cary, North Carolina is where my journey began, and it's been quite the adventure so far. I've carved out a niche for myself as an Indie Author, specializing in the world of Contemporary Romance. These days, you'll find me nestled in a cozy town just outside the bustling streets of NYC, where I've turned my dream of being a full-time author into a beautiful reality.

When I'm not immersed in the world of writing, you'll often catch me embracing the great outdoors. Ultra trail running has become my favorite pastime allowing me to clear my mind and recharge my creative energy. And speaking of passion, I'm an unapologetic New York Giants Fan – Sundays are sacred in our household, dedicated to the thrilling spectacle of NFL football.

I share this incredible journey with my high school sweetheart, my anchor in life's unpredictable seas. Together, we've built a loving family, blessed with two wonderful sons and a beautiful daughter. This is my story, one that continues to unfold with every word I write and every page I turn. Thank you for being a part of it.

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How Snowball Stole Christmas by Kristen McKanagh

 

How Snowball Stole Christmas
Kristen McKanagh
(Snowball, #3)
Publication date: September 27th 2022
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Holiday

It’s Christmas time at the Weber Haus mountainside inn, where the official greeter, watcher, and matchmaker of the hotel’s resident humans is an adorably mischievous bundle of feline fluff named Snowball. Snowball takes her job very seriously –even if it means being a little more naughty than nice –and she’s ready to celebrate her third holiday season by making the purrrrfect match.

Most cats have nine lives, but Snowball is one of the very few with two jobs. Officially, she’s the Weber Haus inn’s greeter. Unofficially, she’s the town matchmaker. Her track record is the cat’s pajamas—until she meets her owner’s grinchy brother, Peter Diemer. Peter hopes to move the family bookstore to a busy location downtown—but someone else has outbid him for the last storefront.

Christmas is the ideal season for Lara Wolfe to fulfill her dream of expanding her home business into a real shop. Too bad someone is posting negative comments on the town forum. What kind of Grinch objects to a toy store?

Snowball is sure these two are a perfect match. They already have so much in common—books are a kind of toy, right? Now all they need to add to the mix is love, and Snowball has just the shenanigans up her furry sleeve to deliver a sweet romance in time to make the season merry and bright . . .

“Purrresistibly heartwarming.”
–Modern Cat on The Twelve Days of Snowball

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SNEAK PEEK:

Snowball finds a new couple who need her help falling in love…

A second car pulling to a stop, headlights flashing across the ceiling, is new. Did Peter bring someone home with him?

Do I care enough to go look?

With a sigh I drop to the ground and pad silently across the carpeted floor to leap to the windowsill facing the street. Peter lives in what he calls a townhome. As far as I can tell, this is just a bunch of homes all squished together with a tiny garden in the back. Hardly a patch. I can hear people on the other sides of the walls, but I can’t get into the other units. People are weird.

This is an interesting development though…

Someone is parked in front of the unit next door. Until a few days ago no one lived there that I’ve been able to tell. Until Christmas lights went up. I can see the side of Peter’s dark head turned slightly toward me as he’s looking over at what appears to be a woman buried up to her waist in the trunk of the car parked there.

What’s interesting isn’t her…it’s him. The fact that he’s bothering to look. Peter doesn’t bother with anyone these days.

My, my, my.

Visions of happy humans falling in love dance in my head.

After all, I have a gift for matchmaking. Those silly creatures just can’t see happiness staring them in the face until I show the way. And Peter, despite being a bit of a grump lately is one of the good ones. He deserves happiness.

Since he’s moved back home, he seems sort of… I don’t know. Restless. What Peter needs is to fall in love and settle down. That would fix everything.

He takes a step off the porch and my ears prick and my whiskers twitch in anticipation.

Except, instead of going over to nicely introduce himself, he stomps in her direction. I frown. What is he doing?

“Hey!” He doesn’t shout it, but with his low voice, it’s close enough.

With a screech to wake the ghosts of Christmas past, the woman jerks up, banging her head into the top of the trunk with enough force that I can hear it through the window.

Hand to her chest, she scrambles away from Peter, her expression a picture of fright.

Good job, Peter. I give a little kitty huff. He’s going to mess everything up before I can even get them started.

Author Bio:

Romance author Kristen McKanagh writes sweet contemporary romance & Amish romance. She loves plots that warm the soul, feisty heroines with sass, heroes with heart, a dash of snark, and oodles of HEAs! Other titles include wife, mother, Star Wars geek, ex-competitive skydiver, spreadsheet lover, eMBA, organizational guru, Texan, Aggie, and chocoholic.

Kristen attempted to find a practical career related to her favorite pastime by earning a degree in English Rhetoric (Technical Writing) and an MBA. However, she swiftly discovered that writing without imagination is not nearly as fun as writing with it.

Kristen currently resides in Austin, Texas, with her own swoon-worthy hero, their amazing kids, who are growing up way too fast, and 2 adorable fur babies.

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Christmas in Glowing Springs by T.J. Amberson

Christmas in Glowing Springs
T.J. Amberson
Publication date: September 24 2022
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance

Avery Walsh is a romantic at heart, but her demanding career as a big-city attorney means she doesn’t have time for love. Dane Livingston is a small-town boy who has had his share of heartbreak, and so he vowed never to love again. When a Christmastime snowstorm leaves Avery stranded in Dane’s charming village of Glowing Springs, Avery and Dane team up to save the village’s beloved Huckleberry Inn. With Christmas Day approaching, will Dane and Avery be able to save the inn . . . and dare to take a chance on love?

A sweet (clean) romance told in 3rd-person, dual POV

Goodreads / Amazon

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SNEAK PEEK:

Up ahead of her, unaware of Avery’s presence, Dane was chopping wood. His lumberjack-style coat and forest green sweatshirt were draped over one of the woodshed’s fence posts, leaving his chiseled torso covered in nothing but a fitted t-shirt as he worked. Every rippling muscle in Dane’s neck, chest, arms, and back were on display as he skillfully and steadily swung the axe. His broad chest was rising and falling with exertion, his heavy breaths were visible against the cold, and a hint of sweat lined his forehead.

Avery started feeling a little lightheaded as a shock-like sensation coursed down her spine. Intense heat filled her body, momentarily displacing the cold. She swallowed hard, still barely able to move or breathe.

This was most definitely not the way to get over her attraction to Dane Livingston.

Dane stopped what he was doing, used his teeth to pull the working gloves off his hands, and wiped his brow with his forearm. He turned his head slightly, doing a double take when he caught sight of Avery staring at him. His eyes got big, and he spun so he was facing her directly.

“Avery,” he barked.

“Um, hello,” Avery said, her words coming out squeaky. She was suddenly grateful for the freezing temperature, since it made it appear as though her cheeks were only red from the cold. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to sneak up on you, but I didn’t want to startle you while you were using the axe.”

Dane was still breathing hard from exertion as his brows snapped together. “What are you doing out here?”

Avery started clenching and unclenching her hands into fists at her sides, trying to get some feeling back into them. “I’m finished in the kitchen, so I wanted to ask what else I can do to help.”

Dane glanced down at Avery’s hands, and then his steely stare returned to her face. He exhaled an exasperated-sounding breath. Brow furrowed, he dropped his axe and gloves, strode fast over to the fence, and snatched up his coat. He stomped through the snow toward Avery.

“You shouldn’t be out here without a coat,” he growled.

Avery didn’t have a chance to reply before Dane stopped right in front of her and draped his big, heavy coat over her shoulders. His touch instantly caused her respirations to catch, and she went completely still. He seemed to pause, too, with his strong, sturdy hands resting upon her shoulders. For another moment, neither of them moved. Avery started feeling the intense heat that was radiating from Dane’s body, despite the cold, and her own body started quivering in response. Slowly, she raised her eyes. He met her gaze through the falling snow. Her heart pounded feverishly as she watched him search her gaze with his.

Author Bio:

TJ Amberson hails from the Pacific Northwest, where she lives with her husband and nutty cocker spaniel. When she's not writing, TJ might be found pretending to know how to garden, riding her bike, playing the piano, enjoying a hot chocolate, or scouring the Internet for cheap plane tickets. She adores all things cozy, seasonal, and holiday-themed; she cheers for happily-ever-afters; and she believes there's no such thing as too much seasonal decor. With a love of multiple genres, TJ writes sweet romance and romantic comedies for adults and advanced teen readers, and clean fantasy adventures for teen and advanced tween readers.

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