FELICITY'S FORTUNE by Author Kara O'Neal **New Release**

It's my great pleasure to welcome friend and author, Kara O'Neal, to Notes From a Romantic's Heart. Today, we'll be sharing a peek at her latest release, Felicity's Fortune, Book 2 in her Gamblers & Gunslingers series.

A Note From Kara....

I could hardly wait for the second book in my Gamblers and Gunslingers series – FELICITY’S FORTUNE – to release!

When we visited St. Joseph, Missouri, we had to stop at Jesse James’ house. While I was walking through those rooms, I wondered about his wife.

She’d set up a house, cooked meals, raised children…and her husband was an outlaw. She knew what he was, and that surprised me. Of course, who knew how she felt about his choices, and I’m sure it was hard to leave him since she loved him.

But I thought…what if she hadn’t known? What if a woman had married a man who was an outlaw, and she discovered it…

And turned him in.

So…FELICITY’S FORTUNE was born.

I had to give her a mighty hero, and so Butch Wilder grew in my mind’s eye. And he’s a good one. He had to be a little sinful, though, but he’s got a big, big, big heart!

I loved writing this story. Felicity’s daughters are the cutest little things.

I also enjoyed sending Felicity to Hell’s Half Acre, because God bless Texas, but that place was scary. It belonged in a book.

You know, that’s the best thing about being an author. You get to put cool places, events and people in your books.

I hope y’all enjoy Felicity and Butch’s story as much as I did! Happy reading!

Felicity Capwell Archer had no idea she'd married a thief and a killer. And even though she's the one who turns him in, people still think she helped her former husband steal and is now hiding the money. To protect herself from the repercussions and attacks, she hires Butch Wilder. Gambler. Gunslinger. And a giant who hides a heart of gold.

Butch Wilder grew up on the streets of New Orleans, learning how to fight, how to gamble and how to use a Colt .45 with deadly precision. When Felicity begs him to protect her family, she's too damned pretty and too intriguing to turn down. Determined to avoid any emotional attachments and to keep it purely professional, Butch takes the job. But he finds himself sitting down to nice meals, walking her children to school and being part of a family for the first time.

Only by finding and returning the stolen loot can Felicity and her daughters ever truly be safe. Following clues she deciphers from her former husband’s letters, Felicity and Butch travel to the outlaw-infested Hell's Half Acre. It's madness, but Butch will do anything to protect Felicity. Even if it means his life.

Available exclusively on Kindle Unlimited

When Butch reached Rickman’s office, he tried to see through the windows to the inside, but the grimy panes allowed for nothing. Cautious but unafraid, he walked in without hesitation.

But when he found who had come calling, he about swallowed his tongue. He stopped short, his hand on the knob, his mind devoid of all thought.

“Are you Mr. Wilder?”

Her honey voice poured through him, grabbing hold of his senses.

She cleared her throat. “I’m sorry to interrupt your work, sir, but I’m looking for Mr. Butch Wilder. Are you he?”

Snap out of it, man! Butch blinked then cleared his throat. “Uh, yeah. Yes. I’m Butch Wilder.” He shut the door.

She looked him over.

He steeled himself against the fear he might see in her eyes due to his size, but when her gaze touched his face, what he found was desperation. Confused and a little nervous, he wrapped his thumbs around his suspenders.

“Do you know who I am?”

Would it upset her if he did? But he couldn’t lie to her. Somehow she’d know if he did. “Yes.”

She twitched her lips as if frustrated by her infamy. He couldn’t blame her.

After letting out a slow exhale, she said, “My home, and by that I really refer to my children, my housekeeper and myself, has been under attack since my former husband was arrested and tried.”

So…she had gotten divorced. Or was it an annulment? He stayed quiet, not knowing what she wanted or if he was allowed to respond.

“We need constant protection until this is settled.” She waved a hand in the air. “Until either the…the hanging or…” She paused, and her gaze went distant.

He narrowed his eyes slightly. What bothered her? The event she hadn’t mentioned or the hanging?

She shook her head. “I apologize. The last weeks have been rather harrowing.”

He could imagine. From the arrest, to the trial, to now…

A portion of what she’d said registered in his mind. “I’m sorry, ma’am. But why are you here? You mentioned…protection?” Hell. Was she going to ask him to…

“Yes. The sheriff’s office can’t provide anyone, so he suggested I hire you.”

Butch’s mind whirled with the implications.

“I will pay you well, plus meals, because I would prefer it if you moved into my home. People come at all times of the day and night. I’m fearful of what has occurred in my absence for the last few hours.” She pressed two fingers to her temple and rubbed. “Not that I can do anything about it,” she muttered. She let out a weary exhale.

While she struggled with exhaustion, he tried to make sense of what she was offering. It was ridiculous. Him? Butch Wilder? Protect her? And her family?

Hell. That was damned laughable.

5 Stars!

This second book in Kara O'Neal's Gamblers & Gunslingers series was even better than the first book. And, that's saying something since the first, Katie's Gamble, was so delightful.

I'm a sucker for western historical romance. Add in a gruff, slightly imperfect hero, children, and a touch of suspense, and I'm hooked.

Kara O'Neal has created another strong heroine who is willing to do whatever is necessary to protect those she loves, even if that means seeking the help of a stranger to guard her two daughters, her housekeeper, and herself. Butch, the somewhat reluctant hero, does what every good hero does, he steps up and puts his life on the line to assure the safety of his charges.

The scenes with the rough-around-edges gambler/gunslinger, Butch, and Felicity's young daughters were absolutely adorable. The slow-burn development of the relationship between Felicity and Butch are what all good romances are made of, guaranteeing the reader what we all want... the happily-ever-after.

Award-winning author, Kara O’Neal is a teacher and lives in Texas with her husband and three children She write stories with strong family ties, lots of romance and guaranteed happy endings!

Kara's Website ~ Blog ~ Facebook ~ Twitter ~ Pinterest

Amazon Author Page ~ B&N Author Page ~ BookBub ~ Goodreads

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Thanks to Kara for stopping by, and for the readers who've come to enjoy a look at her book. Come back soon for more great authors, good books, and maybe even a giveaway or two!

Nancy

FOOLISHLY YOURS (Last Chance Beach Romance) by Author Joan Reeves

Happy Book Birthday to Author Joan Reeves and her second book in the multi-author Last Chance Beach Romance series, Foolishly Yours.

Last Chance Beach Police Officer Samantha Ruiz doesn’t date unsuitable men, and the blue-eyed, blond-haired surfer who takes her breath away is the poster boy for unsuitable. She’s always been careful not to become romantically entangled with unsuitable men who won’t measure up to the standards set by her over-achieving parents. So why is she so attracted to beach bum Grayson Crawford?

Find Foolishly Yours on Amazon

Samantha studied her reflection in Granny’s dining room mirror. According to her white grandmother, Sam’s green eyes came from her grandfather’s West African ancestry—Cape Verde to be specific. Her smarts came from both her over-achieving parents, but lately she’d begun to wonder if she had any brains at all. If she were as smart as she thought, she wouldn’t allow herself to be in the same room as Grayson Crawford.

His reflection appeared in the mirror. Her heart pounded. He moved close. His rippling muscles and bronzed skin drew her like a stupid moth to a hot flame. He pressed against her back. She sighed with pleasure at his touch and remained still rather than rejecting him. He wrapped his arms around her and leaned down. His breath against her ear was warm. “Change your mind?”

His body was tightly pressed to hers, and she could tell he hadn’t changed his mind. He was everything she disdained. An unemployed slacker…a dreamer who was keeping secrets from her. Now his hands stroked her arms, raising goose bumps. With a gentle hand, he turned her in his arms. His caressing hands settled on her shoulders.

She’d told him she was not interested, but his touch makes a liar of her. He tilted her chin upward, and his mouth descended.

Oh, dear. She realized she’d passed the point of no return days ago.

Joan Reeves—Keeping Romance Alive…One Sexy Book at a Time—is a NY Times and USA Today bestselling author of Contemporary Romance. All of her stories have the same premise: “It’s never too late to live happily ever after.”

Since Joan discovered the joy of storytelling—she was five at the time and her brothers were her captive audience—she’s been deluged by story ideas from her over-active imagination. Her only regret is that she’ll never live long enough to write and publish all of the stories.

Fortunately, she’s married to her very own happily-ever-after hero who has learned over the years to fend for himself if he’s hungry, needs clean clothes, needs to know where something is, and she’s on deadline. The heroes she writes represent his compassionate, patient, and loving qualities. (Note from Joan: He told me to add sexy to that description, but I told him no, even though he’s right about the sexy part.)

Joan and her husband divide their time between a book-cluttered home in Houston and a quiet book-cluttered house at the foot of the Texas Hill Country where they sit on the porch at night, look up at the star-studded sky, and listen to the coyotes howl.

Sign up for Joan’s Free Newsletter today so you’ll be the first to know about new books, bargain books, and giveaways. When you confirm your subscription, you’ll receive a download link for a free romance ebook.

Website ~ SlingWords Blog ~ Amazon Author Page ~ BookBub ~ Facebook ~ Twitter

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You can find all the books in the Last Chance Beach Romance series on Amazon

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Thank you so much for stopping by today. Please come back all week for more authors and great books!

Nancy

TO ENTICE A SPY by Author Diane Scott Lewis **Book Blast** **GIVEAWAY**

Notes From a Romantic’s Heart is pleased to welcome author Diane Scott Lewis to the blog. Today we’re featuring her book, To Entice A Spy. You can find all the stops on Diane’s tour at Goddess Fish Promotions. Don’t forget to enter the Rafflecopter giveaway for you chance to win a $20 gift card. The entry form can be found at the bottom of this post.

GENRE: Historical Romantic Suspense

In 1794, Widowed Countess Eseld Trehearne seeks revenge for the brutal death of her female companion during a Paris riot. On her return to England, Eseld delves into espionage to defeat the French rebels.

Baron Robert Penhale, Eseld’s childhood love, rejoins the Secret Services after his wife’s death. He’s determined to protect England from the revolution terrorizing France.

A ruthless French spy fights for the common man while disguised as an English aristocrat. He’s intent on revenge against those who oppose him.

With the spy stalking them and Robert in fear for Eseld's life, the fate of the couple verges on disaster.

Amazon ~ B&N (Nook) ~ Book Depository ~ Target

Pierre entered the Blue Anchor tavern. At a table in the far corner, he sat and ordered a small beer. He reached into his greatcoat pocket and pulled out the letter he’d just picked up from the General Post Office. Crackling it open in the dim candlelight, he started to read the coded letter.

Men laughed and talked in the low-ceiling taproom, puffing on pipes. The word, “revolution,” popped up now and then. Had their arguments been for or against?

The nerve of the English to care about his country’s events, but the murder of useless royalty across the Channel had made George III fear for his crown. Now Britain, along with Austria, attacked France to demand the status quo.

A pretty wench in apron and cap sauntered up to his table.

“You promised to visit me. I’m that earnest to run my fingers through your hair blacker than coal, an’ gaze into them blue eyes. Handsome devil.”

“Not now, I’ll come back later tonight. I’m busy.”

Pierre was anxious to finish his note and turned from her. Another chit he dallied with. He heard her walk off in a huff.

He hunched down and snickered.

The note confirmed that a woman, a spoiled aristocrat, was in town to interfere with him.

“How delightful,” he muttered under his breath. Could that be the recent arrival, Countess Trehearne?

He crunched the paper in his fingers as if to rip apart anyone who impeded his operation. This woman, the delectable Eseld, would be easy to fool, and dispose of, if necessary.

Diane Parkinson (Diane Scott Lewis) grew up near San Francisco, joined the Navy at nineteen, married in Greece and raised two sons in Puerto Rico, California, and Guam. She's a member of the Historical Novel Society and wrote book reviews for their magazine. She’s always loved travel and history and has had several historical novels published. Her most recent is the Oyster War Novel set in the 1950s: Ghost Point.

Her spy novella, To Entice a Spy, set in England during the French Revolution—two former lovers chase a ruthless spy; will love rekindle as murder stalks them?—will be released on October 11, 2021.

Diane lives with her husband and one naughty dog in western Pennsylvania.

Diane's Website ~ Amazon Author Page ~ BookBub

Facebook ~ Goodreads ~ Twitter ~ Instagram

Diane Scott Lewis will be awarding a $20 Amazon or B/N GC to a randomly drawn winner via Rafflecopter during the tour.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Thank you for stopping by. Notes From a Romantic's Heart will be on a short va-ca from Wednesday, October 13th through Thursday, October 21st, but will be back again on October 22nd with more great guests.

Stay healthy, happy, and well read.
Nancy

UNEXPECTED CONNECTION by Author Sue Jaskula *Book Blast* *Giveaway*

Notes From a Romantic’s Heart is pleased to welcome author Sue Jaskula to the blog. Today we’re featuring her romantic suspense, Unexpected Connection, from The Wild Rose Press. You can find all the stops on Sue’s tour at Goddess Fish Promotions. Don’t forget to enter the giveaway. The entry form can be found at the bottom of this post.

GENRE: Contemporary Romantic Suspense

Confident and resilient homicide detective Jennifer Scott is instinctively suspicious when her best friend's life is disrupted by the arrival of an unbeknownst twin sister. When a murder coincides with her appearance, the mysterious twin becomes the prime suspect.

Adding confusion to Jen's organized life is another unexpected intrusion, her handsome and sophisticated new partner, Detective Luke O'Connor. As mischievous as he is charming, chemistry between the two intensifies, threatening Jen's reputation and testing her limitations.

As the murder investigation unfolds, the detectives are forced to back-burner their heated connection while they race against time to figure out what other long-lost family members may be involved, how they're connected to the twins and why they've surfaced now.

eBook Links: Amazon ~ B&N (Nook) ~ Chapters/Indigo

Print Links: Bookshop ~ Target

His reply was also hushed, but other officers snuck curious glances our way. “Well, you are full of yourself, Detective Scott. I wasn’t hitting on you, I merely shook your hand and re-introduced myself, trying to make the situation between us comfortable since we will be working together. As your new partner, it’s my job to have your back, so to speak, so you have no choice but to have me in your personal space. I also don’t date cops and I would appreciate it if you would keep the “your type” comments to yourself since you know nothing about me, due in part to the fact that you can’t see two feet past your own ego that tells you every good-looking dude who walks by your blonde-haired, blue-eyed, pretty face must want to get into your pants.”

My career has spanned many years in a mix of criminal and civil law and hospital surgical administrative work. Along with my work and life experience, I hold a Bachelor of Arts Degree in English and a Creative Writing Certificate both from McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario.

I am thrilled to have had the opportunity to take early retirement and pursue a career in writing, a pursuit I have entered into with energy and enthusiasm. I am currently a registered member of Toronto Romance Writers and Crime Writers of Canada.

My husband and I share our home in Grimsby, Ontario, with our youngest daughter, her boyfriend, our dog and two cats. But I spend a great deal of time at our cottage in Kincardine, Ontario near my daughter, son-in-law and first grandson. On these shores of Lake Huron, with some of the best walking trails in the country, my imagination soars and my best stories come to life.

Sue's Website ~ Facebook ~ Twitter ~ Instagram ~ Goodreads

Sue Jaskula will be awarding a $20 Amazon or B/N GC to a randomly drawn winner via Rafflecopter during the tour.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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It's been my pleasure hosting Sue for today's stop on her tour. Please come back again next week for more authors, books, and giveaways.

Nancy

Love, Death, and the Art of Cooking by Author Linda Griffin

Notes From a Romantic’s Heart is pleased to welcome Author Linda Griffin to the blog today. Her new release, Love, Death, and the Art of Cooking is from The Wild Rose Press. We thought we’d start by asking Linda a few quick questions.

Inquiring (Nosey) Minds Want to Know

Is your book based on real-life experience or a figment of your imagination?

The story is entirely fictional with two exceptions--a few incidents at the zoo really happened, and I borrowed Alyssa's comment about a stranger at the Aurora Ballroom from my sister.


If you couldn't be a writer, what would you be?

Very envious of every writer in the world! I enjoyed being a librarian too, though.

Is the setting for your book real?

The story is set in Carroll City, as was Guilty Knowledge. It's my fictional version of San Diego, with its fine weather and world-famous zoo. Reid's neighborhood of Crown Ridge is loosely based on Hillcrest.

About the Book

Software engineer Reid Lucas loves to cook and has a history of falling in love with married women. When he leaves his complicated past in Chicago for a job in California, he runs into trouble and must call a virtual stranger to bail him out of jail.

Alyssa Knight, a tough street cop waiting for a church annulment from her passive-aggressive husband, is the roommate of the woman Reid calls for help, and she reluctantly provides bail for Reid.

He falls for her immediately, and cooking for her is an act of love. She just wants to be friends, but they keep ending up in bed together. When his boss is murdered, Reid is a suspect—or is he the intended target?

Love, Death and the Art of Cooking Purchase Links

Enjoy an Excerpt

Alyssa was patting down a suspect, checking for weapons, a task that called for her full attention, but she was a little distracted. Last night’s events had seemed natural at the time, but now she couldn’t imagine what she had been thinking. She had taken an enormous leap of faith—or else she had taken leave of her senses.

At first sight she had dismissed Reid as harmless, not sexy, not her type, but he had been a surprisingly physical presence as he escorted Paul out of the apartment. Nothing had changed, but maybe he was a little less harmless than she had thought, a little more interesting? He did have very nice eyes, even if they reminded her of a cocker spaniel’s, and he was a fabulous cook.

She had images of him now that she didn’t want to have, sense memories, as her actor friends would say. His body was not as soft as she had expected. He was pretty fit compared to the skinhead slob she was frisking and other guys she had been seeing all day. She had wanted to direct him and then hadn’t needed to. The way he touched her had made her feel soft and warm, as if her flesh was melting under his hands.

She tugged the suspect’s right hand behind him and snapped on the cuff. She remembered Reid’s mouth on hers. There was more tenderness in his kisses than she would have expected him to show this soon, if ever. Could he honestly feel that…for her?

Meet the Author

I retired from the San Diego Public Library to spend more time on my writing. My stories have been published in numerous journals, including Eclectica, Thema, The Binnacle, and Nassau Literary Review.

Love, Death, and the Art of Cooking is my fourth romantic suspense novel from The Wild Rose Press, following Seventeen Days (2018), The Rebound Effect (2019), and Guilty Knowledge (2020). In addition to the three R’s—reading, writing, and research—I enjoy Scrabble, movies, visiting museums and galleries, and travel.

Linda's Website ~ Facebook ~ Twitter ~ Pinterest (there are recipes!)

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It’s been my pleasure hosting Linda today. Please come back again tomorrow and Thursday for more authors, books, and even a giveaway.

Nancy

A PRIDE OF BROTHERS: AIDEN by Author Peggy Jaeger **COVER REVEAL**

Notes From a Romantic’s Heart is thrilled to be able to take part in the COVER REVEAL for friend and author Peggy Jaeger’s upcoming release, A Pride of Brothers: Aiden, Book 2 in the series from The Wild Rose Press.

 

About the Book

Lexi Buckley wants answers about her younger sister's death. The police have labeled it a suicide, but Lexi doesn't believe it. Stymied in her investigation, she doesn't know where to turn next. After a chance encounter with a private investigator, she thinks her prayers have been answered.

Aiden Keane has never been an answer to a prayer before, but he agrees to help Lexi. A quirky combo of brains and beauty, the pixie blonde makes him feel things no professional ever should for a client.

When their investigation puts Lexi's life in jeopardy, her safety becomes his number one priority. The hard part is not falling for her.

 

Read an Excerpt

Were you close with your sister?” Aiden asked.

Not the way we should have been. Not at the end.

“We had a sizable age difference between us. Almost ten years. I was the big sis. The oldest.” Her lips trembled when she pulled them into a sad line. Rolling her eyes she added, “The bossy one, according to her. She was the baby and took full advantage of her status from the moment she realized it.”

“And rightly so.” The corners of his eyes crinkled. “I’m the youngest of my brothers and I’ll can tell you with one hundred percent honesty, my oldest brother is the bossiest one of us. I think it comes with birth order. Although he takes his so called right uber-seriously. Especially at work.”

This time her grin was steadier.  “What kind of business do you all own together?”

“We a run a private security company.”

“Security?”

“Personal bodyguards, if a client needs protection from something. Background checks for employers. Mostly we do investigations.”

“What, like private eyes? Like on television?”

He laughed. “Nothing so glamorous. The fast cars and hot babes are all fantasy. It’s a lot of boring research, computer work, and surveillance, but yeah, you could say I’m a private eye.”

Lexi’s entire mood turned on his words. The sorrow flew, the hurt dissolved. Even her nervous trivia-speak went dormant. She sat bolt upright, her knees bumping against the tabletop when she shifted. Excitement shot from her system as she turned her body, placed a hand across his forearm and declared, “Oh, my God. You’re the answer to my prayers.”

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Since this is a “Cover Reveal” the post wouldn’t be complete with a chance to reconstruct a jigsaw puzzle of the stunning cover.

35Aiden: A Pride of Brothers

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While you’re waiting to read A Pride of Brothers: Aiden, you’ll want to check out Book 1 ~ A Pride of Brothers: Rick. You can find it on Your Favorite Platform in both digital and print.

 Meet the Author

Peggy Jaeger is a contemporary romance writer who writes Romantic Comedies about strong women, the families who support them, and the men who can’t live without them. If she can make you cry on one page and bring you out of tears rolling with laughter the next, she’s done her job as a writer!

Family and food play huge roles in Peggy’s stories because she believes there is nothing that holds a family structure together like sharing a meal…or two…or ten. Dotted with humor and characters that are as real as they are loving, she brings all topics of daily life into her stories: life, death, sibling rivalry, illness and the desire for everyone to find their own happily ever after. Growing up the only child of divorced parents she longed for sisters, brothers and a family that vowed to stick together no matter what came their way. Through her books, she’s created the families she wanted as that lonely child.

When she’s not writing Peggy is usually painting, crafting, scrapbooking or decoupaging old steamer trunks she finds at rummage stores and garage sales.

As a lifelong diarist, she caught the blogging bug early on, and you can visit her website where she blogs daily about life, writing, and stuff that makes her go "What??!"

Peggy's Website/Blog ~ Facebook ~ Twitter ~ Instagram

Pinterest ~ Triberr ~ Author's Database ~  BookBub ~ LinkedIn

Goodreads ~ Amazon Author Page ~ YouTube

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As always, it’s been a pleasure hosting Peggy for a sneak peek at the second book in this exciting series. Come back all week for more books, authors, and giveaways!

Nancy

NUMBERS GAME by Authors Liz Crowe & Desiree Holt

Today, we welcome the writing due of Liz Crowe and Desiree Holt to Notes From a Romantic’s Heart. They’re going to share their new release Numbers Game from The Wild Rose Press. They’re also answering some really fun questions!

 

Inquiring Minds Want to Know

Is your book based on real-life experience or a figment of your imagination?

Desiree: Oh, definitely a figment of my imagination, but my years both attending and working at universities played into this.

If you could trade places with one of the characters from your book, who would it be and why?

Desiree: Olivia, of course. I want her second chance romance with a sexy, sexy coach.  I also wanted to be a sports reporter and actually was for a while so a little mixing of real life and fantasy here.

Is the setting for your book real? If so, have you been there? If it’s fictitious, is there somewhere real that you’ve used as a model?

Liz: The setting for Numbers Game is fictional but based on what I’d call an amalgam of locations in the Midwest (the Big Ten Conference specifically). It has an Ann Arbor feel to it as it’s about a Michigan college town located close to a bigger city, but it’s also on a nice lake, sort of like Madison, Wisconsin. And I also think, at least for me, that it has a bit of a small-town/big-city feel to it, a little like State College, Pennsylvania, or even Evanston, Illinois. I lived in Ann Arbor for over 20 years and Desiree attended the U of M so we definitely wanted to give the (fictional) town of Avon, Michigan, home to Lakeview University a real-feel and I think we accomplished it. It helps that I’ve visited pretty much every Big Ten campus, thanks to my daughter who played soccer for Michigan State.

If you could trade lives with any other writer, living or dead, who would it be and why?

Desiree: Dell Shannon, because suspense and police procedurals are my first love and she created the world of procedurals. She enjoyed such success in her writing but also great admiration from all sources. She had such a skill with words that I envy to this day.

What has been the most unusual experience you’ve had that you have written into a book?

Liz: I wouldn’t call this unusual necessarily but it was fun. My three kids went to Pioneer High School, which is literally across the street, diagonally from Michigan’s football stadium, a.k.a. The Big House. When my youngest was a senior, her prom was held in one of the big alumni event spaces there, and they got to take photos down on the field, which is super cool since that stadium is a “bowl” set into the ground. You don’t realize how huge it is from the street level. You have to go inside it to get a feel for the 100k + seats. While I am not a Michigan fan per se, I do respect the athletes and coaches who work hard to bring success to that program and so standing on the big “Block M” in the middle of the field gave me a fair bit of inspiration for Coach Hatcher, whose POV I wrote in Numbers Game.

 

I also got to meet both John and Jim Harbaugh (Michigan’s head coach and his older brother who is a Pioneer High graduate) when we had a Hall of Fame Dinner and fundraiser for them at the school. I snagged a football signed by them both to give to Desiree who is a huge Michigan fan—kind of by way of bribing her into writing a football romance with me. I’m glad it worked!

Do you like to read in the genre in which you write? Or, are you adventurous?

Desiree: I think I’m stuck in the genre I write but I still feel adventurous. I’ve tried several other genres but suspense is really my addiction. But I do like it in all subjects. I love sports mysteries and sports romantic suspense. And when I create my heroes, no matter what their current profession, I always imagine the sports heroes that I’ve followed for years. Probably my ideal hero (grin!) is: a former college football player, maybe a quarterback, who was also a Navy SEAL and is my own version of Superman!

 

About the Book

Former NFL player and coach Duncan "Hatch" Hatcher fumbled his career and marriage. Now divorced and ready to tackle his future, he has an opportunity to redeem himself as coach of his college alma mater's football team. But how can he can turn the team's losing streak around and keep the secret of his downfall buried when the school agrees to a documentary that will allow a lovely journalist to dig her way into his past...and into his heart?

Olivia Grant's ex-husband almost wrecked her journalism career while he definitely did a number on her self-esteem. The documentary on Duncan Hatcher is the perfect way to rebuild both. As a freshman in college, she'd had a crush on the senior football hero, but he hadn't known she existed. She never expects the sparks that fly between them as they work on the project nor the struggles they must face if they both want to win.

Get Numbers Game On Your Favorite Platform

Find Numbers Game on BookBub

 

Read an Excerpt

Hatch winced at the memory of how goofy he must have sounded to the lovely woman he was going to be having a fair bit of contact with this season. Olivia Grant was, without a doubt, beautiful, not to mention sexy as hell. She was a natural reporter, putting him at ease, even in the face of his high-school-ish reaction to her at first. But dear Lord, the crap he’d said? That shit about her being “better than she thought” at the race? And “looking for a foot in the door”? He’d sounded about as slick as the grandpas he’d been named for.

He groaned and pressed his forehead to the leather blotter on his new desk. After his divorce, he’d made a point not to notice women, something that was a bit of a self-imposed penalty. But there was no not noticing Olivia. Her soft, dark blonde hair that kept dropping over one of her deep green eyes as she’d look down at her notes, then back up at him. That smile, and those full, barely lip-sticked lips. And there was no denying she had a body that would be hard to shake out of his brain. Scott had told him she used to play soccer here, a few years behind him as an undergrad. How he’d not known her… Granted, he hadn’t been a big partier then, kept mostly to himself and his close group of friends and, as always, focused on the game.

But damn. He’d missed out on something then, without a doubt. He felt his face flush red and his entire body begin to react in ways that didn’t really serve him well as a fully grown man, with plenty of experience under his belt, so to speak.

Thankfully, she’d left before he could embarrass himself any more.

Home. Shower. Beer. Stare at a string of old movies on the giant television screen. Anything to get the lovely Olivia Grant and all her many attributes out of his head. She was, after all, the media. And everyone knew how he felt about the media.

It was get-a-grip time—on all parts of himself.

This was his chance at redemption. The opportunity was a godsend, considering the sorry state he’d left his life in on the west coast, and he didn’t intend to do anything to screw it up. He couldn’t afford to get distracted by a single thing. But how the hell was he going to do that when Olivia Grant might prove to be the biggest distraction of all?

 

Meet the Authors 

Liz Crowe is a Kentucky native and graduate of the University of Louisville living in Central Illinois. She's spent her time as a three-continent expat trailing spouse, mom of three, real estate agent, brewery owner and bar manager, and is currently a social media consultant and humane society development director, in addition to being an award-winning author.

With stories set in the not-so-common worlds of breweries, on the soccer pitch, inside fictional television stations and successful real estate offices, and even in exotic locales like Istanbul, Turkey, her books are compelling and told with a fresh voice. The Liz Crowe backlist has something for any reader seeking complex storylines with humor and complete casts of characters that will delight, at times frustrate, and always linger in the imagination long after the book is finished.

Liz's Website ~ Facebook ~ Twitter ~ Instagram ~ Newsletter Sign Up 

Amazon Author Page ~ BookBub ~ Goodreads

USA Today best-selling and award-winning author Desiree Holt writes everything from romantic suspense and contemporary on a variety of heat levels up to erotic, a genre in which she is the oldest living author.

She has been referred to by USA Today as the Nora Roberts of erotic romance, and is a winner of the EPIC E-Book Award, the Holt Medallion and a Romantic Times Reviewers Choice nominee.

She has been featured on CBS Sunday Morning and in The Village Voice, The Daily Beast, USA Today, The (London) Daily Mail, The New Delhi Times and numerous other national and international publications.

Desiree's Website ~ Blog ~ Facebook ~ Twitter ~ Instagram ~ Newsletter Sign Up

Amazon Author Page ~ BookBub ~ Goodreads

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Thanks to both Liz and Desiree for stopping by today. We've got one more guest this week, so please come back tomorrow. Until then, stay happy, stay healthy, stay well read.

Nancy