BELIEVER Harlequin Series Winter Blog Tour Promo Post: Opening His Holiday Heart by Renee Ryan

With a little boy’s help, can he let go of painful memories? Casey Evans wants no part in the holidays, which is a major problem for Mayor Sutton Wentworth. Sutton has her heart set on their town winning a national Christmas contest, and Casey’s refusal to decorate his coffee shop could ruin everything. Thankfully, her precious son has worked his charms on Casey. But can one little boy—and his mother—change the mind of the local grinch?

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“You didn’t have to offer to help Toby. I would have figured something out. Somehow, I would have--”

“I know, Sutton. You always figure something out. It’s what you do.” The words sounded more like a criticism than a compliment.

She tried not to flinch. “Still,” she persisted, “I’m grateful and I owe you.”

They were nearly the same words she’d said to her father barely an hour ago. By the look on Casey’s face, they didn’t sit any better with him than they had with Beau Fowler.

In fact, Casey just stood there, his face going blank. “You don’t owe me anything, Sutton. Got it?” He leaned in a little closer, held her stare a beat too long. “Not one single solitary thing.”

She’d insulted him. She heard it in his voice. Saw it in the way his shoulders tensed up. “I didn’t mean to imply—”

“Sure you did. Although, I’m not surprised.” He set his jaw and pulled back from her. “You aren’t exactly gifted at accepting help from others.”

Now he’d insulted her. “Look, Casey. If you want to back out, do it now, while I have time to find someone else—”

He let out a stab of laughter. “Oh no. Uh-uh. Don’t throw your doubts back on me.”

“I wasn’t. I was simply saying there’s still time to change your mind.”

“Let’s get a few things straight, shall we? First, I never offer to do anything I don’t want to do. Second, I made a promise to a little boy and I never back out on a promise. Not. Ever. My word is solid. Golden. Unaffected by time, distance or a change in circumstances.”

Sutton sensed they weren’t talking about Toby or the Soap Box Derby anymore. Casey’s tone was too fierce, his expression too intense, his words too pointed. She thought about asking him to clarify, but he was still talking.

“And finally, I like Toby. He’s a great kid. I also like building cars. I’m good at it. Your son and I are going to have a lot of fun. It’s really that simple, Sutton. Don’t make this more complicated than it needs to be.”

He was right. About all of it. She was overthinking the situation. A character trait that had served her well as an attorney. But in this instance, she’d gone too far and now she felt ridiculous and defensive. Should she apologize? Maybe lighten the mood?

Definitely the latter. “Well, I guess you told me.”

“I guess I did.” He cracked a smile, the boyish one that included the infamous head tilt, and just like that the tension between them was replaced by something far more potent. “So?” he asked, eyebrows lifted. “Are we heading inside now?”

“We are.”

He opened the door. She followed him into a gorgeous foyer, unable to keep the awe off her face.

About Renee Ryan:

Renee Ryan grew up in a Florida beach town outside Jacksonville, FL. Armed with a degree in Economics and Religion from Florida State University, she explored various career opportunities, including stints at a Florida theme park and a modeling agency. She currently lives in Savannah, Georgia with her husband and a large, fluffy cat many have mistaken for a small bear. Renee can be contacted through her website at www.reneeryan.com

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BELIEVER Harlequin Series Winter Blog Tour Promo Post: Nursing Her Amish Neighbor by Marta Perry

Healing his physical wounds is just the beginning… Seeking a break from her nursing duties, Miriam Stoltzfus returns home to Lost Creek—and encounters her most difficult patient yet. Her childhood neighbor, Matthew King, is suffering after an accident left him injured and his younger brother dead. But he doesn’t want anyone’s help. Can Miriam guide him through his grief to prove he’s still the strong, confident man she remembers?

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“It takes time to come back from lying in bed,” Miriam said, as if she knew his thoughts. “I’ve heard a therapist say a week of exercise for every day in bed.” She’d moved closer, and as he tried again, she put her hand on the middle of his back, pressing.

He could feel how much easier that made it to pull up. And he could also feel the shape of her palm and the warmth of her skin through the thin cotton of his nightshirt. He looked at her, feeling that awareness move between them.

“Here, let me help.” Betsy charged in, inserting herself between him and Miriam.

Jealous? He couldn’t be sure.

“That’s right.” Miriam, unruffled, moved Betsy’s hand slightly. “Good. Now don’t push. Just use your hand for a little extra support. We want his muscles to work but not strain.”

“Yah, I see. I can feel it.” Betsy sounded pleased, her antagonism slipping away.

With the two of them behind him, he couldn’t see either of their faces. But he didn’t like the idea of them ganging up on him.

“Betsy, do we have any lemonade?”

“I don’t think so. Do you want some? I can make it.” All her eagerness to please him rushed back.

“We could all use some after we finish here, ain’t so? Why don’t you make a pitcher?”

“Right away.” She hurried off.

“Don’t worry about it.” Miriam seemed amused. “She’s still your willing servant.”

“That wasn’t the idea,” he said stiffly, his temper flaring that she could read him so easily. “In case you haven’t noticed, it makes her happy to do things for me.”

“I noticed.” She looped the handles back up over the bar and pulled down a pair of stretchy bands. “As long as she’s helping you to get stronger, I don’t object.”

“Stronger.” He almost spat out the word. “Stronger for what? None of this is going to do any good. It’s useless. I can’t be the person I was.”

She seemed unaffected by his anger. “We’ll never know that if you don’t try, will we?”

He glared at her for a long moment as

He glared at her for a long moment as a thought formed in his mind. He turned it over, looking at it from all angles. Would it work?

“I’ll tell you what,” he said. “I’ll make a deal with you.”

“What kind of a deal?” Miriam’s expression was cautious.

“I promise to do everything you say…to try my hardest…for a month. If I’m not much better by then, you agree to quit.”

Miriam stood very still, considering before she spoke. “I can’t speak for Tim. Just for myself.”

“Yah. Just for yourself.”

“Who’s going to decide whether or not you’re much better?” she said. “You?”

His jaw hardened. She wasn’t going to make this easy.

“No,” he said abruptly. “How about… Betsy?”

Her lips twitched. “Don’t you think Betsy has her own reasons for wanting to be rid of me?”

He raised one eyebrow, a gesture that used to attract the girls. “If you’re really making progress, you’ll have won her over by then. What’s wrong? Don’t you have any confidence in your work?”

She seemed to wince at that. After a long moment, she nodded. “All right. It’s a deal.”

About MARTA PERRY:

Photo Credit: martaperry.com

Marta Perry realized she wanted to be a writer at age eight, when she read her first Nancy Drew novel. A lifetime spent in rural Pennsylvania and her own Pennsylvania Dutch roots led Marta to the books she writes now about the Amish. When she’s not writing, Marta is active in the life of her church and enjoys traveling and spending time with her three children and six beautiful grandchildren. Visit her online at www.martaperry.com.

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BELIEVER Harlequin Series Winter Blog Tour Promo Post: Her Christmas Dilemma by Brenda Minton

Searching for a safe haven and a new beginning. Returning home for the holidays after an unexpected pregnancy, Clara Fisher needs a fresh start. And working as a housekeeper for Tucker Church and his teenage niece is the first step. Clara still has hard choices to make, but Tucker might be just the person to help her forget her fears. Could the path to her new future also lead to love?

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“I’ll take the job,” she said, as if they’d been dis­cussing the job.

“I’m sorry?”

“Have you hired someone?” She glanced at her watch. “In the past fifteen minutes?”

“No, I haven’t. I…” He didn’t know what to say. This woman had secrets. She had a brokenness that scared the daylights out of him.

But she made his niece smile. For that matter, she made him smile.

“If you’d rather find someone else, I understand. I’m obviously not experienced. I’ve already admitted that I can’t cook and I’m also only here temporarily, but I could fill the spot until you find someone more suit­able.”

“What made you change your mind?” he asked, glad that his niece had wandered ahead to talk to a friend.

She shrugged a shoulder and glanced around. “A lot of reasons. Shay needs someone who understands what she’s going through. I do know how much it hurts to feel abandoned by the people who should care the most. Also, I feel the need to do more than sit by myself in Nan’s boat shop. Plus, Nan fired me this morning.”

“She fired you?” He couldn’t help but chuckle.

“Yeah, she did.” Her eyes briefly twinkled. “She said I’m in her way. She likes her solitary time. She doesn’t mind my help, but she doesn’t want me to become a fixture in her shop.”

“Shay is a challenge,” he warned.

If she worked for him, could he remain impartial, not getting involved, not caring what her story might be? He doubted it. But he had to do what Shay’s par­ents hadn’t done: he had to put his niece first. For some reason, he thought this woman might be the right thing for Shay. For the time being.

“I need a challenge.” She smiled.

“I get weekly calls from the school. I think she thinks if she’s bad enough, her parents will ride to the rescue. They won’t.”

“I’m sorry about that. Parents aren’t always what we need them to be. Sometimes they can’t be, sometimes they choose not to be.”

It made him angry to think about his sister and brother-in-law, the choices they’d made putting them first and Shay last. Could this woman put Shay first? “She needs people who will support her but not allow her to get away with the trouble she’s causing.”

“I can be that person,” she assured him with a subtle lift of her chin. “Give me a week. If it doesn’t work out, I’ll go back to boats.”

He grinned. “I guess we can give it a one-week trial. Can you be at the house tomorrow at six?”

“So early?”

“Second thoughts?” he asked.

“Only for a moment,” she admitted. Then they were next in line to get plates, so they spoke no more on the subject.

Tucker was generally an optimistic person, but he knew that letting Clara into his home—and his life—was going to bring an array of problems.

First and foremost, he liked her. He liked her a lot. And that was a big problem.

About BRENDA MINTON:

Brenda Minton lives in the Ozarks. She's a wife, mom to three, foster mom to five and grandma to a princess. Life is chaotic but she enjoys every minute of it with her family and a few too many dogs. When not writing she's drinking coffee on the patio, wrangling kids or escaping for an evening out with her husband. Visit her online at www.brendaminton.net

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DREAMER Harlequin Series Winter Blog Tour Promo Post: Falling for the Baldasseri Prince by Rebecca Winters

Two feuding families…one redeeming love. Vet Francesca has started a new life in the Baldasseri’s kingdom. But she’s hiding a sensational secret—she’s really a Visconti princess! And the Viscontis have been feuding with the Baldasseris for generations… When handsome Prince Vincenzo Baldasseri brings his dog in for treatment, there is a powerful connection between them from the get-go! Dare Francesca reveal the truth? And is their love strong enough to overcome all their obstacles?

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Much as he’d wanted to take her to a res­taurant, he didn’t want to create publicity until the news of his broken engagement had circulated and died down. For now, this kind of excursion would have to do. Despite say­ing goodbye to Karl, he couldn’t remember the last time he’d been this relaxed and happy. She’d made all the difference.

Once he’d driven her to the apartment com­plex, he shut off the engine and turned to her. “I want to thank you for helping me get through this day.”

“To be honest, it helped me too,” came her unexpected response without looking at him. “I find I’m attached to all my patients, espe­cially ones that look like my last dog. Karl headed the list. Daniel says I need to toughen up, but I have a feeling there’s no cure for it.”

Every word out of her mouth enchanted him. He had to see her again. “Since you told me Daniel asked you to watch some videos on the Biosphere Reserve, I thought you might  be interested in meeting the biologist who used to work with Dr. Zenger. The conserva­tion board is meeting Tuesday evening at the information center here in Zernez. The chief ranger of the park will be speaking.”

“I would absolutely love it!” she exclaimed without hesitation. “I was envious when Dan­iel told me Dr. Zenger helped take care of some of the animals up there. What time does this meeting start and I’ll drive over.”

“Seven o’clock. The information center consists of three buildings. The meeting will take place in the Planta-Wildenberg castle. I’ll look for you there.”

“Thank you so much for giving me the op­portunity, and for the dinner.” She started to get out of the car.

“It was my pleasure. See you there.”

He waited until he could see she was safely inside her apartment, then he left for home with a new excitement. Only three more days before he saw her again.

About the Author

Rebecca Winters lives in Salt Lake City, Utah. With canyons and high alpine meadows full of wildflowers, she never runs out of places to explore. They, plus her favourite vacation spots in Europe, often end up as backgrounds for her romance novels because writing is her passion, along with her family and church. Rebecca loves to hear from m readers. If you wish to e-mail her, please visit her website at: https://rebeccawinters.net.

INVESTIGATOR Harlequin Series Fall Blog Tour Promo Post: Mountain Fugitive by Lynette Eason

Their search for a fugitive makes them both targets.

Out horseback riding, Dr. Katherine Gilroy accidentally stumbles into a deadly shoot-out and comes to US marshal Dominic O’Ryan’s aid. Now with Dominic injured and under her care, she’s determined to help him find her brother—the fugitive he believes murdered his partner. While Katherine’s sure her brother isn’t guilty, someone’s dead set on killing her and Dominic…and finding the truth is their one shot at survival.

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Heart pounding a rapid beat, Katherine pulled Hot­shot to a stop between the men and the direction the bullets had come from, praying the person wouldn’t shoot the horse. She slid from the saddle, leaving the reins trailing the ground, then snagged the first-aid kit from the saddlebag. US marshals according to the vests the men wore. 

Looked like their prisoner or fugitive had turned the tables on them. Which meant the person was either gone now that he’d taken care of the threat—or she was now a target because she planned to try to help the men. A quick scan of the area didn’t reveal any­thing unusual or worrisome, but the trees could easily be hiding the sniper. 

Still using the horse as a shield, she hurried to the man closest to her. The bullet had hit him just above his left ear and he’d landed on his side. His brown, sight­less eyes stared up at her and she knew he was beyond help. She checked his pulse anyway and got what she expected. Nothing. 

She closed the dead man’s eyes then turned her at­tention to the other one. A pulse. She focused on his head. A gash just below his hairline bled freely. A low groan rumbled from him and Katherine placed a hand on his shoulder. “Don’t move,” she said. 

He blinked and she caught a glimpse of sapphire-blue eyes. He let out another groan. “Carl…” 

“Just stay still and let me look at your head.” 

“I’m fine.” He rolled to his side and he squinted up at her. “Who’re you?” 

“I’m Dr. Katherine Gilroy so I think I’m the better judge of whether or not you’re fine. You have a head wound which means possible concussion.” She reached for him. “What’s your name?”

He pushed her hand away. “Dominic O’Ryan. A branch caught me. Knocked me loopy for a few sec­onds, but not out. We were running from the shooter.” His eyes sharpened. “He’s still out there.” His hand went to his right hip, gripping the empty holster next to the badge on his belt. A star within a circle.

“Where’s my gun? Where’s Carl? My partner, Carl Manning. We need to get out of here.” 

“I’m sorry,” Katherine said, her voice soft. “He didn’t make it.” 

He froze. Then horror sent his eyes wide—and searching. They found the man behind her and Domi­nic shuddered. “No. No, no, no. Carl! Carl!” He army crawled to his partner and sucked in a gasping breath, cupped Carl’s face and felt for a pulse. 

Katherine didn’t bother to tell him she’d already done the same—or what he’d find. After a few seconds, he let out a low cry then sucked in another deep breath and composed his features. The intense moment has lasted only a few seconds, but Katherine knew he was com­partmentalizing, stuffing his emotions into a place he could hold them and deal with them later. 

She knew because she’d often done the same thing. Still did on occasion. 

In spite of that, his grief was palpable, and Kather­ine’s heart thudded with sympathy for him. She moved back to give him some privacy, her eyes sweeping the hills around them once more. Again, she saw nothing, but the hairs on the back of her neck were standing straight up. Hotshot had done well, standing still, being a buffer between them and a possible sniper, but Kath­erine’s nerves were twitching—much like when she’d worked with the police department. “I think we need to find some better cover.” 

As if to prove her point, another crack sounded, and Hotshot reared. His whinnying scream echoed around them. Then he bolted for home. Katherine grabbed the first-aid kit with one hand and pulled Dominic to his feet with the other. “Run!”

About the Author

Lynette Eason lives in Simpsonville, SC with her husband and two children. She is an award-winning, best-selling author who spends her days writing when she's not traveling around the country teaching at writing conferences. Lynette enjoys visits to the mountains, hanging out with family and brainstorming stories with her fellow writers. You can visit Lynette's website to find out more at www.lynetteeason.com or like her Facebook page at www.facebook.com/lynette.eason

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BELIEVER Harlequin Series Fall Blog Tour Promo Post: An Unexpected Amish Harvest by Carrie Lighte

She’s struggling to forgive…

But it’s the only way to heal her heart.

When Susannah Peachy returns to her grandfather’s potato farm to help out after her grandmother’s injured, she’s not ready to face her ex-beau. But with Peter Lambright pitching in to harvest her grandfather’s crop, she can’t avoid him. For his family’s sake, Peter can’t tell Susannah why he had to leave her. But sharing his secret could make all the difference for their future…

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When Susannah stayed in New Hope last summer, she had quickly formed a close friendship with Dorcas Troyer. The two young, single women had enjoyed each other’s company again when Susannah returned to New Hope for a week at Christmastime, and they’d written to each other frequently throughout the last year.

In fact, Dorcas was the only person that Susannah had confided in when Peter asked to be her suitor the previous summer…and the only person Susannah had told about their breakup last January. She still remembered teardrops splashing onto the stationery as she wrote,

Peter wouldn’t give me any reason for ending our courtship, other than to say he doesn’t think we’re compatible, after all. But I know it’s because I’ve gained so much weight since last summer.

Her friend had written back,

I’ve known Peter for years and I can’t believe your weight is such an issue for him. Are you sure that’s why he broke up with you? Could it be that he just finds it too difficult to carry on a long-distance courtship?

Susannah highly doubted that. After she’d left New Hope the first time, Peter’s biweekly letters had been filled with proclamations of his affection for her. The couple had called each other at their respective phone shanties at three o’clock every other Sunday. Even after two hours of talking, they’d never run out of things to share and laugh about. And although they had only been able to sneak off for an hour with each other when Susannah came to New Hope last Christmas, they’d agreed their time alone together was the best part of the holiday.

That’s why it was so confusing that four days after she got home, Peter called and said he had decided to end their courtship. The change in his attitude was so abrupt it made Susannah feel as if he was an utter stranger. As if someone else had been pretending to be him on the phone and in his letters. Had been pretending to fall in love with her the way she’d been falling in love with him.

“Why?” she had cried, as bewildered as she was devastated. “I don’t understand.”

“We’re just not a gut match.”

“But why aren’t we a gut match? What has changed all of a sudden?”

“I’m sorry to hurt your feelings like this, Susannah, but I don’t want to discuss it further. Please accept my decision.”

Afterward, she went over it and over it in her mind, trying to figure out what could have possibly changed to make Peter end their relationship. The only thing she could come up with was that once he’d seen her again, he was no longer drawn to her because of how much heavier she’d gotten. Maybe that was why he’d held his tongue about his reason; he hadn’t wanted to hurt her feelings by telling her the truth. But whether he said it aloud or not, she’d been crushed to discover that Peter valued how she looked more than who she was. That he was rejecting her because of her weight gain.

Likewise, in the following months she was disappointed when certain other men accepted her because of her appearance. During the past spring and summer, she’d had no fewer than four bachelors in Dover ask to court her. Susannah would have felt honored, if it hadn’t been for the fact that they’d all known her for at least ten years and they’d never expressed an interest in her until she was slender.  

About the Author

Carrie Lighte enjoys traveling to Amish communities across the United States and she hopes to visit a few in Canada soon, too. When she isn't writing, reading or researching, she likes to hike, kayak and spend time at the beach. 

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BELIEVER Harlequin Series Summer Blog Tour Promo Post: Building a Surprise Family by Anna J. Stewart

An instant family…is life-changing!

Pregnant construction supervisor Jo Bertoletti doesn’t need anyone’s help…or another heartbreak. So she’s putting handsome, kindhearted firefighter Ozzy Lakeman firmly into the friend zone. After all, she’s just passing through Butterfly Harbor, and her life is too complicated for a summer romance. But Ozzy feels an immediate connection. Can he convince the woman of his dreams to take a chance on building a forever family with him?

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The truck’s engine suddenly went silent. Ozzy walked over to greet the driver. “That is a thing of beauty,” he said as the door opened and the driver dropped to the ground in front of him.

Every thought he had disappeared straight out of his head.

Tall, curvy, and with sun-streaked blond hair knotted into a messy pile on top of her head, Butterfly Harbor’s latest arrival faced Ozzy with a wide, welcoming smile on her round face. Beneath the barely-there sunlight of the May morning, her skin seemed to glis­ten in the chilly air. She had light brown eyes, almost amber with flecks of gold that spar­kled when she smiled. She wore snug jeans that accentuated everything a man like him enjoyed, sneakers that looked as if they’d been worn into the ground, and a snug short-sleeved turquoise T-shirt that displayed a sur­prisingly round stomach.

The new foreman was a woman?

A pregnant forewoman?

“Didn’t realize there’d be a welcoming committee.” The woman closed the truck door and stepped up to him. “I know I wasn’t expected until next week, but I wanted to get a jump on settling in. I’m Jo Bertoletti. You are not Mayor Hamilton.” She gestured to Ozzy’s T-shirt with the BHFD logo on the front peeking out of his jacket.

“Ah, no, ma’am.” Ozzy shook her offered hand. Her skin felt rough and calloused, prov­ing she was someone who was used to getting her hands dirty. Beneath that observation, a dull buzz shifted through his system. “I’m Ozzy Lakeman. I was in the diner when you drove down Monarch Lane. Just thought I’d come up and be the first to see what was happening here.” His own smile widened as something oddly definitive dinged. “I guess that makes me the welcoming committee.”

“I appreciate that, Ozzy Lakeman of the BHFD.” She beamed at him before her ex­pression shifted into a knowing one. “Judg­ing by the look on your face, I’m betting you weren’t expecting someone…like me.”

“I…uh.” There had to be a way to answer that without sounding like a complete sexist or jerk. “Like you?”

Jo snickered. “Don’t worry, Ozzy. Not the first time I’ve seen that reaction when I ar­rive on a site. And it’s not because of the lit­tle bun I’m baking in here. Bun in the oven. That’s such a weird phrase. Although come to think about it, I have spent my fair share of time waiting for my sourdough starter to develop.”

Ozzy could only nod. His ears were buzzing and his heart did an odd little skip and jolted in a manner he’d never felt anytime he’d swiped right.

 

About the Author

USA Today and national bestselling author Anna J. Stewart can't remember a time she didn't have a book in her hands or a story in her head. Early obsessions with Star Wars, Star Trek, and Wonder Woman set her on the path to creating sweet to sexy pulse-pounding romances for her independent heroines. Anna lives in Northern California where she deals with a serious Supernatural addiction and an overly affectionate cat named Snickers.

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BELIEVER Harlequin Series Summer Blog Tour Promo Post: The Marine’s Mission by Deb Kastner

This marine doesn't want anyone's help

…until an unlikely match changes his life.

Wounded ex-marine Aaron Jamison always follows orders—and the assignment to take on a service dog is just that. Still, trainer Ruby Winslow is definitely barking up the wrong tree when she insists a beauty-parlor poodle is his perfect match. But Ruby and her clever canine are determined to melt the heart of this battle-hardened marine. And they'll teach him an unforgettable new trick—love.

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“You should probably know I don’t want to be here.”

Those were the first words United States Marine Corps Sergeant Aaron Jamison blurted out to the ginger-haired woman who’d just approached him, welcoming him with a pretty smile and an enormous, dorky-looking black standard poodle standing at her side, both with curious gazes. As far as Aaron was concerned, her choice in froufrou dogs obviously said a lot about her, kind of like the movie stars who carried tiny pups around in their purses to show off to everyone.

This was the breed of dog she’d chosen to own, and she was supposed to be an expert? She was going to be his service-dog trainer, put him through the program, and his first impression was she was probably as fluff brained as her dog, not someone he wanted to be in charge of him. He’d been told to meet up with Ruby Winslow, his new contact at A New Leash on Love, and since she was standing out here in front of the building, waiting for him, he assumed this was she.

In general, he didn’t say much, and yet this time the moment he had stepped out of his truck, he’d put his foot in his mouth.

Two feet, even.

He’d blabbed exactly what had crossed his mind, and it wasn’t the greatest beginning for either of them.

Neither did it bode well for him when she immediately stopped in her tracks fast enough to make the dust cloud around her cowboy boots, sparks snapping in her light blue eyes as her gaze narrowed on him and her smile wavered. The black poodle stopped with her and stared up at her, curious as to her sudden halt.

He’d rented a truck from Denver International Airport to drive into the Rocky Mountains up to the small town of Whispering Pines, where Winslow’s Woodlands and the military service-dog program were located. The whole time he’d been thinking about how much he was going to hate the next four weeks and how he would rather be anywhere but here.

Every second was bound to be painful, both physically and mentally.

But in hindsight, he probably shouldn’t have said as much aloud, at least not until after they’d been formally introduced.

Ruby looked as if she were about to reply to his rude comment, but then she pinched her lips together, took a deep breath and apparently thought better of it.

“I just thought you should know,” Aaron continued, attempting to wind his way out of the knot he’d just firmly tied around his neck, “that although I have been given orders to show up and complete this program, I’m not exactly a willing participant here.”

He was a straight shooter, both literally as a sniper in Afghanistan and figuratively in the way he lived his life in and out of the marine corps. He didn’t say much, but when he did, he meant whatever words crossed his lips.

That said, he didn’t want to start a war with Ruby this early on in his new mission, even if what he spoke was the truth. He wasn’t here because he wanted to be. He didn’t even really want a service dog, although he wasn’t completely opposed to a tough-looking canine companion—a German shepherd, maybe, or a Belgian Malinois.

Not that what he wanted had ever once played into the situation. It didn’t. Not from the beginning. But that didn’t stop him from feeling angry and frustrated just thinking about having to endure the Veterans Administration’s direct orders. Of all the veterans they could have selected for the program… 

About the Author

~Love Courageously~

Award-winning author Deb Kastner writes stories of faith, family, and community in a small-town western setting.  Deb’s books contain sigh-worthy heroes and strong heroines facing obstacles that draw them closer to each other and the Lord. She lives in Colorado with her husband. She is blessed with three grown daughters and two grandchildren. She enjoys spoiling her grandkids, movies, music, reading, musical theater, and exploring Colorado on horseback.

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DREAMER Harlequin Series Summer Blog Tour Promo Post: In the Key of Family by Makenna Lee

Big-city free spirit meets small-town cop. And a symphony begins…

A homestay in Oak Hollow is Alexandra Roth’s final excursion before settling in to her big-city career. Officer Luke Walker, her not-so-welcoming host, isn’t sure about the "crunchy" music therapist. Yet his recently orphaned nephew with autism instantly grooves to the beat of Alex’s drum. Together, this trio really strikes a chord. But is love enough to keep Alex from returning to her solo act?

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Alexandra Roth stumbled back when the Acorn Café door fired open, and a tall cowboy rushed out with a large bag of ice over one shoulder and a twelve-pack of beer under the other. He sidestepped just in time to avoid sending her sprawling onto the hot sidewalk, and his obsidian eyes sprang wide.

“Pardon me, ma’am. So sorry.”

“It’s…okay.” She barely managed to squeak the words out past her surprise and a flare of attraction.

Were all the Oak Hollow residents this polite? And this smoking hot? She adjusted the guitar case over one shoulder, pulled out her cell phone and snapped a photo of him walking away. The his­toric town square created the perfect backdrop to frame his powerful form. Tight maroon T-shirt over bulging muscles, worn jeans, hat, boots and enough swagger to get a girl’s motor revving. A genuine cowboy in the flesh. Not something she often saw back home in Manhattan.

He paused, and she thought she’d been caught taking his picture, but after a few beats he continued across the street to a black truck. Attempting to look nonchalant, she leaned her large rolling suitcase against a post and sat on top. Her movie-star sun­glasses were the perfect concealment for stealthy observation. The cowboy handled his purchases like they weighed nothing, but his flexing muscles told a different story as he put them on the tailgate and leaned in to drag over a cooler. Ice cascaded and chimed like musical notes over the glass bottles.

Alex didn’t want to take her eyes off him long enough to dig out her sketch pad, so she’d have to use her memory and the one photo to paint his image. A hot breeze fluttered her billowy sleeves, and she wished for some of his ice to cool her heated skin. Beer wasn’t her drink of choice, but putting a cold amber bottle to her lips sounded pretty good about now. Maybe she’d run into him again, and they could share a drink, or a meal, or…

The star of her developing fantasy slammed his tailgate. His eyes were hidden in the shade of his cowboy hat, but the wide grin he shot her way was as clear as Waterford Crystal, and she knew she’d been caught staring. Rather than looking away in embarrassment, she returned his smile. He gripped the brim of his hat in a sort of cowboy salute, then climbed into the cab and started the engine. It wasn’t the first time she’d been caught observing someone whose likeness she wished to capture with paint.

Once he’d driven down Main Street, Alex stud­ied the covert photo on her phone, only feeling a smidge guilty about taking it without permission. But you couldn’t see his face, which was unfortu­nate because it had been a really nice face—all an­gles and strong lines, tan skin and a bit of dark, sexy stubble. It would be the first watercolor painting she’d work on once she got settled. If she didn’t melt in this oppressive Texas summer heat. She gathered her long mass of auburn hair, twisted it into a messy bun and secured it with two paintbrushes from the front pocket of her guitar case.

About the Author

Makenna Lee is an award-winning romance author living in the Texas Hill Country with her real-life hero and their two children. Her oldest son has Down syndrome and taught her to appreciate the little things, and he inspired one of her novels. As a child, she played in the woods, looked for fairies under toadstools, and daydreamed. Her writing journey began when she mentioned all her story ideas, and her husband asked why she wasn’t writing them down. The next day she bought a laptop, started her first book, and knew she’d found her passion. Now, Makenna is often drinking coffee while writing, reading, or plotting a new story. Her wish is to write books that touch your heart, making you feel, think, and dream. She enjoys renaissance festivals, nature photography, studying herbal medicine, and usually listens to Celtic music while writing. She writes for Harlequin and Entangled Publishing and believes everyone deserves a happy ending.

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DREAMER Harlequin Series Summer Blog Tour Promo Post: Awakened by the CEO's Kiss by Therese Beharrie

Friendship is all she can offer…

…but he makes her want so much more!

The incredibly attractive man on Brooke Jansen’s doorstep is definitely not the new housekeeper she’s expecting. CEO Tyler Murphy is filling in temporarily, yet within days he’s turned Brooke’s carefully curated life upside down! Suddenly she’s living—and feeling—again. But her connection with Tyler is dangerous, exciting, and strangely familiar… After losing everything once already, can Brooke risk her damaged heart again? 

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For the second time in his life Tyler Murphy was staring at the most beautiful woman he had ever seen.

The first time had been five years ago, at a coffee shop around the corner from the hospi­tal. He had been visiting his sister, who’d just given birth to his nephew, and he had been deal­ing with some…stuff. Mainly the fact that his mother, who had passed away months before that, wouldn’t get to meet her first grandchild. The woman who had prized family so much wouldn’t get to see hers expand.

He’d needed some space from the hospital. And there had been Brooke. Standing at the counter, staring at the menu with a dazed look on her face.

He thought about that day a lot. The days after, too—that week they’d spent together. The sad­ness that had lurked in her eyes even when she was smiling. How often she would trail off when she spoke, as if she had forgotten what she was saying. She would always beam at him after, es­pecially if he prompted her, and he’d put it down as one of her quirks.

Those memories were all he had of her. Her first name—only her first name—and his memories. It hadn’t mattered then. He had known she was the type of person who picked up litter when she saw it on the street. Who allowed elderly people ahead of her in a queue. She hoped for a world where people were kinder, less self-centred. She didn’t like intolerance, and she had told him about the times she’d stepped in when she’d witnessed it.

But her name and his memories hadn’t been enough for him to find her. He’d discovered that at the end of the week when she’d disappeared. They hadn’t shared any information about where they lived, who their families were. They hadn’t even exchanged contact details. It was as if they’d purposely avoided it. As if she had purposely avoided it.

He might have thought it dramatic if he hadn’t been staring at her now, waiting for her to rec­ognise him.

He got nothing.

‘You’re not Tia Murphy,’ she said, her voice a frustratingly adorable lilt of confusion.

‘No, I’m Tyler Murphy.’ Which you already know. But I guess if we’re playing this game… ‘I’ll be helping you out for the next—'

He didn’t get the chance to continue. Brooke let out a cry as her body bumped against the door. Seconds later, the door opened wider. He didn’t catch what flew past them, but he knew it was some kind of animal.

‘No!’ she shouted. ‘Mochi, you come back here right now!’

She ran down the three steps that led to the front lawn, before bolting towards what Tyler could now see was a dog. He didn’t think she’d expected to chase after a dog. Or maybe she had; he wasn’t proficient in what kind of clothes peo­ple who required housekeepers wore.

Sure, technically, he could be one of those peo­ple, but his mother would have killed him. If he’d got a housekeeper now, she’d probably become undead for the sole purpose of killing him.

And, since he wasn’t ‘one of those people,’ for all he knew Brooke’s silky nightgown and flip-flops were standard attire.

Watching her running after a dog in that out­fit lightened some of the tension he felt, but it couldn’t eradicate it completely. In fact, it com­plicated things. In the days they’d spent together, he hadn’t once seen this much of her. Now he could add the strength of her arms, the width of her thighs, to what he’d been missing.

Get it together, Murphy.

 

About the Author

Being an author has always been Therese's dream. It was only when the corporate world loomed during her final year at university that she realised how soon she wanted that dream to become a reality. She got serious about her writing, and now writes books she wants to see in the world featuring people who look like her. When she's not writing, she's spending time with her husband and dogs in Cape Town, South Africa. She admits this is a perfect life, and is grateful for it.

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