Tag Archives: second chances

Release Blitz: Adjoining Rooms by Alex Winter

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Adjoining Rooms | Alex Winters

Adjoining Rooms BANNER

Release Date: March 4th, 2023

Publisher: JMS Books, LLC

Heat Rating: 4 flames

Length: 18,694 words

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Blurb

One knock could change their lives forever…

Knox Townsend can hardly believe it when he walks into Playgroundz Café Store #57 to find his old high school crush, Trevor Channing, working the cash register. Once upon a time, the two had shared a smoldering, passionate, once in a lifetime kiss while their prom dates were passed out and… never spoke of it again.

Suddenly, Knox is Trevor’s boss and back in tiny Seaside, Florida for the next week to convert his cold brew coffee machines to the upgraded model. But suddenly, the only thing Knox really wants to upgrade are his feelings for Trevor, long simmering but suddenly reignited. This time, Knox hopes, for good!

Trevor hasn’t seen Knox in four years, ever since he left town right after graduation without so much as a backward glance, let alone anything as civil as a goodbye. Suddenly he is Trevor’s boss, in town for a whole week to oversee his franchise café’s equipment upgrades and staying at the same hotel where they’d shared their first, and only, kiss: the Seaside Inn.

What Knox doesn’t know is that one of the front desk clerks is his regular customer at Playgroundz Café’ and, for a few free gift cards and extra soy whip on his daily latte, Trevor has just checked into the room next door to Knox’s. The room with the adjoining doors he plans to keep unlocked all week, just in case!

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Excerpt

Knox slid close, if only to breathe in Trevor’s vaguely innocent scent and feel the heat wafting from his lean, tempting body. “You know what I have in mind, tease.”

“Listen, let’s not rush things,” Trevor chuckled wryly, enjoying his time in the cat bird seat. “I mean, you’re here all week, right?”

They stood halfway between the sushi bar and the hotel lobby, Trevor’s Jeep—at least, Knox assumed it was his Jeep, owing to the half dozen Playgroundz Café stickers littering the bumper—the only car left in the otherwise empty parking lot. “Fine, sure, if you’re playing hard to get or whatever, I get it, but you’ve still had, like, three carafes of sake, so…why not stay the night and drive in tomorrow when you’re good and sober, you know?”

“Hmmm, tempting,” Trevor teased, digging his hands in the front pockets of his faded salmon cargo shorts while gently drifting from foot to foot in the empty parking lot. “Even if I’ve only had two carafes and I could probably, maybe, kinda drive tonight.”

“Why risk it, old pal?” Knox murmured, clutching a handful of Trevor’s casual sea foam T-shirt in his grip and tugging him toward the stairwell that led to his room on the second floor. “Besides, second chances, right?”

Trevor rolled his eyes even as he followed dutifully. “Good thing the old Seaside Inn still has two queen size beds in every room,” he muttered, still playing coy even as Knox found it harder and harder to walk with every step toward the possibility of another dreamy kiss with his first, and most powerful, boy crush.

“Jesus, Trev, when did you become such a prude?”

“Hmmmmm, not sure,” Trevor mused as he drifted up the steps a pace or two in front of Knox. “Maybe the day you left town without a second glance, let alone another word. Probably then, Knox, is when I became such a prude.”

Trevor stood on the second-floor landing, turning slightly to make room for Knox. They stood, face to face, nearly the same height, and Trevor’s full lips, glossy and thick, aglow beneath the dim light just above. “This feels weird, right?”

Knox snorted, dragging the old school hotel room keychain from his pocket, the key dangling from the vaguely Christmas tree shaped plastic that still had the room number printed under the faded Seaside Inn logo: 224.

“Which part?” He drifted down the hallway toward his room, the air warm and soft on their skin as Knox slowly followed. “Me showing up in your café this morning? Me being your boss? Me being in town? Me drinking too much sake? Or, oh yeah, me staying in the same hotel where we first, you know…”

They were at his door now. Knox’s heart was pounding, his palms sweaty and hands trembling as he struggled to slither the key into the lock. It finally stumbled in, but they didn’t, the door only partly open as Knox felt Trevor still had more to say before finally coming inside.

“Kissed?” Trevor finished for him. “You can say it, you know? It happened, right? It wasn’t just a dream of mine?”

Knox nodded, voice soft and low to match his confessional gaze. “It happened, Trevor. I wanted it to happen. Wanted it to happen since that first time I saw you in homeroom.” He drifted closer, so close, on the empty walkway. Trevor was leaning back against the wrought iron railing across from the half-open door, as if waiting for something. Knox wasn’t sure what. Maybe even Trevor wasn’t sure what. Both of them, it seemed, were grasping at straws, cocky in ways neither of them truly felt, and shy in others. It felt like starting over, and Knox was as nervous as he’d ever been.

“Phew, okay, because…we never talked about it, you know?”

“I’m tired of talking about it,” Knox grunted, inching closer as he put a hand on either side of Trevor’s along the weathered upstairs railing.

Trevor swallowed. Hard. And loud. Loud enough for Knox to hear. “Me too,” he squeaked, involuntarily licking his lips. “So, what are we gonna do about it?”

Knox leaned gently in, winked and gave Trevor a soft, smooth, aborted kiss. With another wink he stepped back and reached for the doorknob. “Come inside, Trev, and find out.”

Alex Winter

About the Author

Alex Winters is the pseudonym of a busy restaurant manager whose curious young staff would love nothing more than to follow him around the dining room reading his steamiest, most romantic passages aloud!

When not writing romantic holiday stories of various heat levels, he enjoys long walks with his wife, scary movies and smooth jazz. Visit him at www.awintersromance.com to see what stories are brewing up next!

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Release Blitz: Starboard by Ava Olsen

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Starboard | Ava Olsen

Voyagers #2

Starboard BANNER

Release Date: March 21th, 2023

Cover Artist: Angela Haddon

Heat Rating: 4 flames

Length: 262 pages

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Blurb

Dylan Aylmer is a Hollywood actor struggling to make a comeback.

Falling in love with his ghostwriter wasn’t part of the script.

Dylan: I’ve lived my adult life under the Hollywood spotlight, but no one really sees who I am. I’ve gone down the dark path of drinking my anxiety away, along with my career, but now I’m searching for the light again. My struggle to stay sober has me releasing long held secrets.

A contract to publish my autobiography means laying everything in the open. When I meet Max, my ghostwriter, I’m not sure how our collaboration is going to work. He’s a university professor from New York with more degrees than I can count and I’m a guy from West Texas that barely finished college. And he may be my ghostwriter, but Max is anything but invisible.

Intimate confessions lead to heightened emotions and an unexpected love that fills up all my empty places. I don’t know what the future holds, but I want Max to be a part of it.

I’m done hiding in plain sight. It’s time for this star to finally shine.

Max: I’m an established university professor and a celebrity ghostwriter. Why ghostwriting? Because it pays. And I need the money. My ex-husband likes to threaten me with legal battles over custody of our daughter and while he has family reserves, I don’t.

So I take a summer ghostwriting contract, a celebrity tell-all. I expect to meet another self-absorbed actor, but Dylan Aylmer doesn’t fit any pre-conceived mold. His eyes are so haunted that I can’t look away and now I’m curious to unlock all his secrets.

What I find is not only a man trying to mend his broken soul but a beautiful person that is so much more than outward appearances. I swore I’d never be vulnerable to heartache again, but Dylan has me breaking all my steadfast rules.

Am I chasing a shooting star, soon to be gone, or is our love the kind that shines forever?

Starboard ON

Excerpt

“My part in this book deal is supposed to be kept confidential. There’s a reason it’s called ghostwriting. I hope to hell that reporter didn’t get my photo.”

The worst-case scenarios ran through my mind, but I forced myself to remain calm. We arrived at the gate and after we provided our ID, we were escorted to a private waiting area. At least in this section, there were two security staff on standby. Neither of us were in the mood for small talk and sat quietly until Warren entered the room a few minutes later.

“I had security escort that guy out of the airport. It’s all under control.”

“Are you sure about that? Did he get any photos?” I asked, concerned that my anonymity was no more.

“He didn’t, Max. And we’ve done our best to ensure your name is kept out of the press. That’s part of the reason why you’re working on a yacht in the middle of the Mediterranean instead of downtown New York. But Dylan is still a celebrity, and he gets attention, and yes there is always the possibility of news leaking. You’ve done this kind of work before, so why the concern now?”

“Usually everything is done virtually.”

“The in-person request was my idea,” Dylan replied. “Mainly because of the timing with my film and for other privacy reasons.”

“I agreed to the contract. It’s just that I have a thirteen-year-old daughter.” I ran an agitated hand through my hair. “You see where I’m going with this.”

“I do, but again, there’s no reason to be worried,” Warren replied. “It was one reporter and he got nothing.”

“If my ex-husband sees my name or my daughter’s in the tabloid news, he’ll flip out.”

“Husband?” Dylan asked with a raised brow.

“Ex. Is there a problem?” I said, turning in my seat to face him. Dylan better not have any issue with my sexuality, or I would walk out of the airport right now, contract be damned.

“Nope,” he shook his head and smirked at me. “Just nosy.”

I let out a surprised laugh, despite my growing anxiety.

“An honest answer from someone in show biz.” I placed my hand on my chest. “I’m honored.”

Dylan’s smirk faded as quick as it came, and I could sense the shift in his mood. “I can tell that you really don’t want to do this, and I won’t blame you if you want to back out. You have priorities you need to consider.”

The look of resignation on Dylan’s face touched something in me. That was highly unusual. My ex often accused me of being unfeeling because I didn’t let my emotions get involved in certain decisions, and maybe he was right. I tended to be more rational and analytical. So why this man, a stranger, should spark my empathy was beyond my comprehension.

“I’m going to hit the head before we board. Thanks for seeing us off, Warren.” Dylan shook his hand and walked away, leaving a vacuum of sorts. Like he’d taken all the oxygen along with him.

Warren motioned to the exit. “Time for me to get going. And stop worrying, Max. Focus on the book. That’s the priority.” He paused and shook his head. “Look, I won’t bullshit you. There’ve been many times when I wanted to kick Dylan’s reckless butt to the curb. But he’s worked hard for a fresh start. He’s got a new movie role. And the book. I want to ensure both succeed, and Dylan along with it.”

“I’ll do my best,” I responded as Warren nodded and walked away.

Part of me wished I’d never have to work with Dylan, but the bigger part of me called me a liar. I didn’t even know the man and yet I was intensely curious about him, and that right there made the writer in me stand at attention. There was more to Dylan Aylmer than a model pretty face and a salacious past.

It was those sad, hypnotic eyes. He’d cast a strange kind of spell on me, and I was determined to find out why.

Ava Olsen logo

About the Author

Ava Olsen writes steamy and dreamy contemporary romances filled with heart-warming characters, cheeky banter and swoony moments.

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Release Blitz: Prowl by Cara Dee

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Prowl | Cara Dee

The Game #12

Prowl HEADER

Release Date: March 28th, 2023

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Blurb

The vacation is over for the four men you met in Apex Predator, and now it’s time for Ty and Walker to be on the prowl to secure their happily ever afters.

 What do you do when you come home from a vacation that changed your life?

Walker McKenna was finally back with his husband and beloved submissive, Macklin. They had their work cut out for them, and they were ready. Walker had spent four years trying to get over the love of his life, and it just wasn’t happening. He couldn’t go back to that life-sucking void of an existence.

But that didn’t mean his new path was paved with roses and unwavering confidence. When the ghosts of past hurt and insecurities grabbed hold of both men, Walker had to go on a hunt once more—and this time was different. This time, he found support in a new friend. A man with a fresh take on life, devilish charm, and a mission of his own.

Ty Madison returned home to DC and the blizzard of the year. He had one goal. To make Lane his—permanently. Ty couldn’t just write off the insane week they’d shared down south as a vacation fling. They belonged together.

But before he went after the young man, who had his reasons for avoiding attachments at all costs, they had a storm to weather, and Ty found himself alone in his house with Walker. A man with insight, incredible charisma, and troubles of his own.

Maybe some missions were best executed as a team.

***

The Game Series is a BDSM series where romance meets the reality of kink. Sometimes we fall for someone we don’t match with, sometimes vanilla business gets in the way of kinky pleasure, and sometimes we have to compromise and push ourselves to overcome trauma and insecurities. No matter what, one thing is certain. This is not a perfect world—and maybe that’s why the happily ever after feels so good.

Prowl-teaser

Excerpt

Walker McKenna

“Let’s not buy Macklin’s false confidence either,” Ty murmured. “We’re coming for them.”

A shudder ran through me, and I nodded once.

“I’m gonna give Macklin the day to think things over,” I decided. “If he doesn’t fess up about what’s wrong, I’ll show him tomorrow.”

“It’s a plan.” He kissed my cheek, and when he backed away again, the devil seeped into his eyes. “You grew up in the South, so you must’ve seen your share of snakes in your day.”

My eyebrows flew up. “Uh, sure. Yeah.”

“Well, plenty of them have their ways of attracting prey…”

Okay, he had my attention. “I’m listenin’.”

He smirked. “It’s time to drop some bait for the boys and see what sticks.”

Macklin McKenna

Walker grinned faintly and adjusted his cuff links. “You’re going to make this as difficult for me as you can, aren’t you?”

I smiled innocently and shrugged. “You can’t blame me for wanting you close when everything’s so unsettled.”

Sympathy bled into his expression, and he closed the distance between us and kissed my forehead. “How can I ease your worries?”

His question was genuine, so I didn’t respond with a joke. I didn’t tell him to make my home his for the next month either. That was what I wanted, not necessarily what I needed. Or we needed.

I peered up at him and kissed his chin. “You’re already doing it. I’m just being neurotic.”

Since we’d split up, I’d run in the opposite direction of rules and boundaries. But with him, I craved them. I missed the framework of a relationship.

Something was missing.

Ty Madison

“You okay, darlin’?”

Lane fired a quick smirk, but it was too forced. “Don’t ask me that.” A beat later, his eyes welled up, and he looked away again.

I didn’t know what to fucking do. I didn’t understand why this had to be so difficult. It pained me to see him torture himself that way—and it fucked with my head because he didn’t strike me as someone who put himself down for kicks. He was so strong and confident in other ventures in his life.

Had someone pushed him to close himself off? Had he been hurt? Had someone he’d loved shown too little patience about his mental health issues?

Back in my day, these conditions hadn’t had names. And I wasn’t that old. I just thought…while we had a ways to go in the awareness department, we’d still made incredible strides in the past ten, fifteen years. ADHD wasn’t a rare disorder nobody had heard of anymore.

“Get over here, Lane.” I took another swig of my coffee before I set it down on the desk.

He shuffled closer with reluctance rolling off him. I didn’t care. The second he was within reach, I grabbed him by his shirt and hauled him in for a tight hug. I finally got my arms around him good and proper, and I pressed my lips to the side of his head.

He sniffled and hugged my midsection loosely.

Lane Sawyer

“Ty and I aren’t a thing.” I furrowed my brow. “We hooked up in Florida. That’s all. And now that Macklin is back with Walker, our dynamic will change a little bit. We’re each other’s secondary, I guess you can say.”

We hooked up in Florida. That’s all.

Listen to my bullshit.

No need to mention that Ty invaded my dreams at night and made me wake up in a whole bondage setup of grief and longing.

Also no need to mention that I had no choice in the matter. Ty still didn’t know I’d once dated his daughter.

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About The Author

cara

I’m often awkwardly silent or, if the topic interests me, a chronic rambler. In other words, I can discuss writing forever and ever. Fiction, in particular. The love story—while a huge draw and constantly present—is secondary for me, because there’s so much more to writing romance fiction than just making two (or more) people fall in love and have hot sex.

There’s a world to build, characters to develop, interests to create, and a topic or two to research thoroughly.

Every book is a challenge for me, an opportunity to learn something new, and a puzzle to piece together. I want my characters to come to life, and the only way I know to do that is to give them substance—passions, history, goals, quirks, and strong opinions—and to let them evolve.

I want my men and women to be relatable. That means allowing room for everyday problems and, for lack of a better word, flaws. My characters will never be perfect.

Wait…this was supposed to be about me, not my writing.

I’m a writey person who loves to write. Always wanderlusting, twitterpating, kinking, cooking, baking, and geeking. There’s time for hockey and family, too. But mostly, I just love to write.

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https://www.caradeewrites.com/cdwlandingpage

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