Author: Melanie Harlow
Release Date: March 12, 2018

Melanie Harlow likes her martinis dry, her heels high, and her history with the naughty bits left in. When she’s not writing or reading, she gets her kicks from TV series like VEEP, Game of Thrones, House of Cards, and Homeland. She occasionally runs three miles, but only so she can have more gin and steak.

Melanie is the author of the HAPPY CRAZY LOVE series, the FRENCHED series, and the sexy historical SPEAK EASY duet, set in the 1920s. She lifts her glass to romance readers and writers from her home near Detroit, MI, where she lives with her husband, two daughters, and pet rabbit.

Author:   Kindle Alexander

Oh my goodness, be still my heart!

Keep reading to see the full Love Note!

 

Austin Grainger sat with his legs kicked up, his booted feet crossed at the ankle, perched on the porch banister as he watched Kitt work his beloved quarter horse, Hooch, in the corral a few hundred feet away. A cold snap in mid-February had Austin huddled inside his Carthartt jacket. The dark Stetson cowboy hat Kitt had given him for Christmas rested snuggly on his head. The crisp breeze was all but forgotten, much like the latest script he had promised to read that now rested untouched in his lap. He stared openly, lost in Kitt’s world, acting like the man he was – a man deeply in love. On impulse, he flipped the pages back until he found a clean piece of paper. He’d never written a love letter before, but tomorrow was Valentine’s Day and he needed to try to convey the depth of emotion pouring through him.

My Love,

Here’s my most sincere attempt at a love letter.

From the first moment I saw you, you changed my life forever. Everything inside me had to have you and nothing has changed after all this time. It’s not only the small fortune I’ve spent supplying you with Andrew Christian underwear, but also in the fact I’m lazing here on this porch – our porch – with the cold winter breeze blowing, all because I can’t seem to keep my eyes off you.

You’re everything to me, Kitt. You carry my heart and hold my soul. Even now, as you have your head bent forward talking quietly to Hooch, all bundled up from head to toe, all I can think about is how I want you to whisper those loving words in my ear. How I want you to gently put your hands on me. Just like Hooch, I wait for you to turn your attention my way. I always have.

I can’t imagine my life without you. Just your touch sets my world right. Every time I see your silly, crooked grin, my heart still skips a beat. I love you, Kitt. I love everything about you and I pray every day nothing ever takes me away from you. I want us growing old together. You and me, right here on this land, forever. I never want to know a day without you.

I think I took this for granted and I shouldn’t have. Be my Valentine? And I’m claiming my right to be your Valentine for the rest of our lives.

All my love,

Austin

The sounds of booted steps crossing the porch had Austin looking up, surprised to see Kitt coming toward him. Austin smiled, letting the top pages of the clipboard fall over his letter. Kitt’s eyes were on him as he pulled his battered work gloves off and tucked them in his pockets. That was when Austin noticed the bulge in Kitt’s Wranglers. All that hot, cowboy strut was coming straight for him.

 

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Best Selling Author Kindle Alexander is an innovative writer, and a genre-crosser who writes classic fantasy, romance, suspense, and erotica in both the male/male and male/female genres. It’s always a surprise to see what’s coming next!
I live in the suburbs of Dallas where it’s true, the only thing bigger than an over active imagination, may be women’s hair!
Usually, I try for funny. Humor is a major part of my life – I love to laugh, and it seems to be the thing I do in most situations – regardless of the situation, but jokes are a tricky deal… I don’t want to offend anyone and jokes tend to offend. So instead I’m going to tell you about Kindle.
I tragically lost my sixteen year old daughter to a drunk driver. She had just been at home, it was early in the night and I heard the accident happen. I’ll never forget that moment. The sirens were immediate and something inside me just knew. I left my house, drove straight to the accident on nothing more than instinct. I got to be there when my little girl died – weirdly, I consider that a true gift from above. She didn’t have to be alone.
That time in my life was terrible. It’s everything you think it would be times about a billion. I love that kid. I loved being her mother and I loved watching her grow into this incredibly beautiful person, both inside and out. She was such a gift to me. To have it all ripped away so suddenly broke me.
Her name was Kindle. Honest to goodness – it was her name and she died a few weeks before Amazon released their brand new Kindle ereader. She had no idea it was coming out and she would have finally gotten her name on something! Try finding a ruler with the name Kindle on it.. It never happened.
Through the course of that crippling event I was lucky enough to begin to write with a dear friend in the fan fiction world of Facebook. She got me through those dark days with her unwavering support and friendship. There wasn’t a time she wasn’t there for me. Sometimes together and sometimes by myself, we built a world where Kindle lives and stands for peace, love and harmony. It’s its own kind of support group. I know without question I wouldn’t be here today without her.
Find out more by visiting www.kindlealexander.com or email me at kindle@kindlealexander.com

 

Title:  Down to My Soul (Soul Series Book #2)

Author:   Kennedy Ryan
Release Date:  March 31, 2016

RHYSON

She doesn’t wear my ring. We never stood before a preacher. The only vows exchanged were between our bodies; between our souls. But she was mine and I was hers until I ruined it. I have to believe that every day, every step, every breath brings me closer to making things right.  To making her mine again.

KAI

I’ve seen promises broken.  I know love makes no guarantees. But things were different for Rhys and me, until he lied, and I walked away. Only there’s a chain between our hearts that I can’t break. Even if I forgive him, a shadow from my past hangs over us; over this love that reaches all the way down to my soul.

Title: My Soul to Keep (Soul Series Book #1)

Author: Kennedy Ryan
Genre: Contemporary Romance

In my Soul Series, music is almost as much a character as Rhyson Gray and Kai Pearson, the hero and heroine. Music has always played a vital role in my personal life. I was in the band from elementary school until college. Symphony, marching band – you name it. I was in it. And I sang in groups and on various projects my whole life. At one point I thought I might pursue it professionally. But I had never written about it. That changed last year when I wrote My Soul to Keep, book 1 of the Soul Series. My passion for and experience with music influenced the way I told the story in subtle ways. For example, using musical terms to describe emotions or situations.

 

I think the most crucial role music plays in this series is how it defines Rhyson and Kai individually, and how it connects them as friends and then as lovers. Rhyson was a piano prodigy, playing Beethoven by three years old and on stages all over the world by the time he was 11. Music was his passion, but also his job. He walked away when he was 16, from his career as a pianist and from his overbearing parents. He returned to it years later, establishing his own brand in the mainstream and became famous on his own terms. He loves music more than anything. For Kai, who comes from a small Georgia town, she has danced and sung all her life. It has been an escape and it has been her dream. A dream she delayed when her mom was diagnosed with ALS. When her best friend heads out to Los Angeles to pursue his big break, she stays behind in her small town for another five years taking care of her mother. Ironically, it’s one of Rhyson’s songs, Lost, that gets her through that tough season. She never imagined she would meet one of the most gifted musicians of her generation, much less that they would become friends. Much less that they would become lovers. Much less that they would become everything to one another. This excerpt gives a tiny glimpse into how music bonds them from the very beginning.

            “Look, I may not have been lining up for your autograph or anything last night like everybody else, but I do love your music. I’m a fan.”

            “Sure you are.”

            “I am.” A grin as wide and sweet as licorice spreads across her lips.

            “Okay, fangirl. What’s your favorite song?”

            “Not the one you think.”

            “How do you know what I think?”

            “You probably think it’s one you won a Grammy for or one of the ones that went platinum, but it’s not. It wasn’t even a radio release.”

            “All right, hit me with it. What’s your favorite?”

            “Number nine on your first album.”

            I couldn’t have heard her right. No one says number nine. It’s one of the most personal songs I ever wrote. So personal and so mine that no one ever gets it. The producer at the time called it a self-indulgent choice, but I insisted we include it.

            “‘Lost’?” I ask, just to make sure. “‘Lost’ is your favorite song?”

            She clears her throat before speaking.

            “‘I’ve lost my way. I stumbled into the woods, but can’t see the forest for the trees. How did I get here? Where am I going?’”

            The first line of “Lost.”

            “Why is that your favorite?”

            “I fell asleep to that song for months when I was taking care of my mom. There I was, still living in a tiny Georgia town and working at Glory Bee, my mom’s diner. Making biscuits before sun up, dancing only when I could squeeze it in, and taking care of Mama in her final days. It was overwhelming and it all had to be done, but it was nothing I had ever planned to do. That song was how I felt. I loved it because I was so lost.”

            She lowers her head, blinking fast and pursing her lips. I don’t think she means for it to, but her voice falls to a whisper.

            “Because sometimes I still am.”

            As much as she lights up a room, dancing, laughing from time to time, I’m beginning to see that just beneath the surface of Kai, there is as much shadow as there is shine. I don’t know if it’s because of her mother’s recent death and the long illness that came before, or if it’s more than that, but I connect to it. As someone who had to battle my parents in open court for my freedom and survival, I understand shadow. I could step into it with her, or I could pull her out.

            “My favorite line of that song is the last one,” I say.

            She lifts her eyes to mine, and we build a smile together.

            “‘Now I see the light,’” we quote at the same time.

            I roll up my sleeve, baring my forearm to show her the ink there. She traces the line from the song, creating mayhem on my skin under her fingers.

            “Believe it or not, that’s my favorite from the album too. No one else has ever…well, no one ever says that’s their favorite.”

Her fingers drop away from my arm, and her eyes drop away from my face. I screw up my nerve to say what needs to be said before she walks away from me.

Author:   Christine Brae

Release Date:  January 22, 2016

Genre:  Contemporary Romance

It started out so simply. Anna runs away to Thailand, drags her best friend Dante with her and spends a few weeks away, taking on other people’s problems while getting away from her own. She meets the enigmatic Jude Grayson, and for as long as it’s clear to both of them that it ends when they leave, she thinks she’s got the perfect fling planned out.Or does she?

Anna returns home to find that her life is no longer the way it once was, and that she can’t stop thinking about him. She learns through tragedy that nothing she’s ever believed in has turned out to be true. The worst part? The people she loved were keeping a secret from her. And that no matter what she does, no matter how hard she fights against it, every path she takes keeps leading her back to Jude.

This is a story about love, found in a faraway place by two very unlikely people. It is also a story about friendship and loyalty and fighting for what you have despite the illogical mystery of fate. And with the struggle between morality and guilt, faith and acceptance, there comes a learning that even the best-laid plans are powerless against the alignment of the universe.

From the beaches of Thailand to the streets of New York, three friends, Anna, Dante, and Jude will learn the hard way that once providence steps in, there is nothing in the world that can change what is truly meant to be.

The door? Was that what I had just heard? Instinctively, I reached my arm out to feel for her, but I found myself alone in the middle of the bed. I jerked up in surprise and looked around the room. There were two dirty wine glasses and an empty bottle of wine on the floor. The covers were hanging off the side of the bed, and the pillows were neatly piled on top of one another occupying the space where she had slept.

“Anna!” I yelled. No. She couldn’t have left me. Why did she leave?

Frantically, I sprang out of bed and pulled my jeans on. I didn’t care that all I had on was a t-shirt as I ran out the door and flew down the five flights of stairs to the main entrance. My feet felt numb against the freshly fallen snow, but I felt no pain. I had to find her. I ran down the sidewalk until I spotted her walking on the opposite side of the road, head down, shoulders hunched, one hand holding her hat onto her head.

“Anna! Anna, wait!” I shouted at the top of my lungs.

She stopped when she saw that it was me. I ran across the road as fast as my frozen feet would take me. The neighborhood was slowly waking up, people were just about to start their day.

And as we faced each other, I knew that I would live out my days with her. I wanted to touch her but didn’t want to scare her off any further. The snow began to fall lightly. Dance with me, I wanted to say. Who cares if the rain has frozen into snow? The music in our hearts will warm it right up.

“Where are your shoes?” she asked, one hand still on her head, the other in her coat pocket. The morning wind was biting; it stuck to the skin, sharp little pins all over your body.

“It doesn’t matter. Why did you leave? Why are you leaving me?” I tried to form the words in my mouth while trying to stop my teeth from chattering.

Your favorite part of the story?

I have so many favorite parts, but I think I love the Epilogue the most.

Hardest part to write?

Sex scenes. Always. They’re all the same words, actions, movements. The trick is to make the reader fill it, disengage their brain from their heart. And it’s so difficult to do that.

Where there any alternate endings you considered? (Explain further)

Yes, but if I tell you I’d have to kill you!

I will release them after the book is out.

 

Fast Talk:

Craziest fan story? My fans are not crazy. In fact, I wished they were sometimes.

Hidden talent? I can tell you everyone’s extension number at the office.

3 things you never leave home without? Claudelie face spray, wallet, glasses

How much are you willing to fight for love? All the way, until something blatantly slaps you in the face and says that it’s time to stop.

Finish the sentence: Love is… worth holding on to when you find it.

 

Title:   His Kind of Trouble (Beauty and the Brit Series Book #2)

Author:   Terri L. Austin

Release Date:   November 3, 2015

Genre:  Contemporary Romance

Monica Campbell may have a history as a wild child, but she’s changed her ways. She’s respectable, responsible-and, most importantly, she’s sworn off bad boys. That is, until Callum Hughes roars back into her life with his sexy British accent and killer smile.Cal remembers every steamy moment he shared with Monica, but he barely recognizes the straight-laced woman she’s become. Determined to lure Monica into letting go of her inhibitions, Cal will use every trick he knows to fire her blood and tempt her body…reminding her
just how good it can feel to be bad-and his.

Title:  His Every Need (Beauty and the Brit Series Book #1)

Author:   Terri L. Austin

Genre:  Contemporary Romance

“Tell me what you want, Allie. Tell me what you want me to do.”
She was breathing hard, panting. “Touch me,” she whispered.
“Where?” His voice was rough.
“Everywhere.”

Allie Campbell is determined to take care of her family, no matter the cost. But when her father loses their home to British tycoon Trevor Blake, Allie finds herself forced to plead for more time to pay off the loan…and if she has to use her own body as collateral, then so be it.

Trevor isn’t moved by Allie’s story. But when Allie impulsively offers to do anything to keep the house, he’s intrigued enough to raise the stakes: for the next two months, she must cater to his every need, no matter how depraved. To his amazement, she agrees.

Allie has no intention of enjoying her time with the arrogant, domineering Brit, but it doesn’t take long before he’s got her aching for his touch-and he’ll do whatever it takes to make her beg…

Title:  To Be His (Beauty and the Brit Series Book #1.5)

Author:  Terri L. Austin

Genre:  Contemporary Romance

A companion novella to the RT Reviewer’s Choice Nominee His Every Need, told from the hero’s POV

I didn’t amass an empire without taking risks, but I’m not a complete arse. So yes, when I offered to trade Allie Campbell three months as my mistress for her family home, it was a joke. Only thing is, she wasn’t laughing…and she bloody well took me up on it.

Well, all right then; I could play that game. I figured I’d take her on, we’d have some fun, and in three months, she’d walk away with her family intact and I could get back to what I do best: making money.

But I’d made one mistake along the way. I stupidly assumed that after having her, I could walk away. I was wrong. I don’t know how long this feeling-this consuming need-will last, but I’m not ready to let her go.

Not now. Not yet. Maybe not ever.

Title:  His to Keep (Beauty and the Brit Series Book #3)

Author:   Terri L. Austin

Release Date:   March 1, 2016

Genre:  Contemporary Romance

Iain wasn’t just rough around the edges-he was uncivilized, despite all the elegant trappings and expensive suits. And Brynn wanted more of it. She wanted Iain in full-on barbarian mode.
She wanted to be taken.

Filthy rich British bad boy Iain Chapman made a name for himself as a ruthless businessman, but if he can secure an investment from Vegas powerhouse Trevor Blake, Iain could take his business to the next level. Solution? Hire beautifully timid corporate trainer-and Trevor’s sister-in-law-Brynn Campbell and seduce his way to success.

Brynn’s everything Iain is not: kind, delicate, decent. But she’s also got a taste for something a little beastly, and it doesn’t take long for Iain to break through her every inhibition. Brynn was supposed to be his pawn, but as Iain gets closer to his goal, he begins to realize he’s not ready to let her go, not now, not ever-even if it costs him everything.

Beauty and the Brit:
His Every Need
To Be His (companion novella)
His Kind of Trouble
His to Keep

Releasing Your Inner Wild Child

 

My name is Monica Campbell and I’m a reformed wild child. Growing up in Vegas, trouble was easy to find and hard to resist. But these days, I’m a responsible job-holding, tax-paying, tooth-flossing citizen. I don’t dance on tables or sneak off to dive bars. I even had that unfortunate tattoo permanently removed. I’ve changed my ways for good. Most importantly, I’ve sworn off bad boys. I’ve had my fair share of them, believe me, and men who look like trouble usually are. Now I only date serious men with life goals and steady paychecks.

But then Calum Hughes roared into town with his hot British accent and even hotter body. We shared a moment five years ago, a moment I’ve never gotten over. So what’s a girl to do? I’ve tried to steer clear of him, but he’s …amazing. Wait, did I say amazing? I meant persistent. The man won’t leave me alone. Why does he have to be so charming? I can’t quite figure him out, and trust me, I don’t want to. I’m on the wagon where bad boys are concerned, and that especially includes Cal.

As long as I stay out of his orbit, I can focus on my work and not his lopsided grin or his rock hard abs. But he doesn’t play fair. The more I try to avoid him, the more he comes around, asking me to go play and tempting me to return to my wild child ways. That’s not going to happen, do you hear me? I’m over men like Cal. Been there. Done that. And I had that fugly tat to prove it. I’m not reverting back to bad habits.

Yet every time he kisses me or speaks with that deep, scratchy voice, I want to lose myself in him. He makes me miss the uninhibited side of myself. I thought I’d closed that chapter of my life for real this time, but Cal…, maybe I could let a little bit of my wild side poke through. That wouldn’t be so bad, right? After all, it’s not like Cal’s sticking around for good. He never stays in one place for long. He’s a professional drifter.

The question is, can I give in just a tiny bit, and still keep my heart intact? They say there’s a first time for everything.

Monica’s Tips for Releasing Your Inner Wild Child (Without Getting Arrested)

1. Wear sexy lingerie. You never know when that bad boy might decide to peek under your blouse, and you do notwant to be caught in white cotton.

2. Know when to give into temptation. Sometimes, when a man looks that delicious, you can sin all night and make a fresh start in the morning. Kind of like a diet. A sexdiet.

3. Drive your man’s car as fast as possible—he won’t like it. Don’t let this dissuade you. After all, it’s not your Mustang on the line, now is it?

4. Get over that fear of public sex. You don’t have to be a complete exhibitionist, but the thrill of almostgetting caught adds to the fun.

5. Go ahead and dance on the table. Wild Child motto: no regrets!

6. Be careful with your heart. When you start having feelings, it gets real. So don’t, I repeat, don’t fall in love, no matter how tempting he is. Trust me on this one.

Author:   Natalie D. Richards

Release Date:   October 6, 2015

Genre:   Contemporary Romance

                  “Emmie?”

                  My name lands somewhere between a hiccup and a sob, and my feet stall out on the sidewalk in front of my house. I adjust my grip on the phone, hoping I misheard her tone. This doesn’t sound like Chelsea. This voice is breathless.

                  Frightened.

                  “I’m here,” I say. “What’s up? You don’t sound right.”

                  “I’m not.” She takes a shuddery breath.

                  My shirt’s sticking to my back and cicadas are click-buzzing the end of another blistering day, but I go cold. Something’s wrong.

                  Wrong, wrong, wrong.

                  “It’s my dad, Emmie,” she says. I can tell she’s crying.

                  I grab my chest. It’s too tight. Burning. “What happened?”

                  Her words all tumble out on top of one another, interrupted by shaky breaths. I try to pick out pieces that make sense. “He’s hurt—bleeding—we’re behind the ambulance and I can’t—he’s not—someone attacked him.”

                  I start climbing the porch steps, because she’ll need me. I’m her best friend, so I should be there. I need to change clothes and go. “You’re on the way to the hospital, right? They’ll help him there.”

                  Another sharp breath. “I don’t know if they can. He’s so bad. So bad.”

                  My heart clenches. “Where are you?”

                  “We’re almost there. Joel’s with me.”

                  “Okay, good. I’m coming,” I say, crossing my porch and hauling my front door open. “Let me just call Mom. I’ll borrow the car.”

                  Chelsea’s still crying when I storm down the hallway toward my bedroom.

                  “Emmie, I can’t find Deacon…”

                  “Your brother never answers his phone,” I say, pushing open my door. “I’ll run by the docks first and—”

                  “No. No, he was there. He was at the house.”

                  Chelsea makes a strangled sound, and I notice the liquid-thick heat in my bedroom. The kind of heat that tells me the air conditioner is broken. Or my window is open.

                  My gaze drags to my fluttering white curtains, to the dark smudge on the windowsill.

                  Chelsea’s voice goes low and raspy. “He ran, Emmie. God, he was there with Dad. He was in the house, but he ran.”

                  I swivel with an invisible fist lodged in my throat. My bathroom door is open, a red-black smudge beneath the knob.

                  My mouth goes dry, my pulse thumping slower than it should. Then I see the blood on the floor by my sink, and my heart tumbles end over end.

                  “We’re here. I’ll call soon,” Chelsea says and hangs up.

                  I see him, his back to my tub and his dark head bowed on one bent knee. Oh God.

                  He’s covered in blood. It’s on his legs, his hands. Dripping onto my white tile floor. He looks up, and my heart goes strangely steady.

                  I take a breath that tastes like purpose. “Deacon?”

Top 5 things you couldn’t live without (aside from the necessities of course)

 

There’s nothing better than lists! Okay, so my please-don’t-leave-me-on-my-island-without-these-things things would have to be:

1. And no ordinary chapstick will do. I’m a huge fan of vanilla mint Eos and Jack Black lip balms with sunscreen. I usually like mint flavors, because they burn and trick me into thinking they’re healing my poor dry lips.
2. This is such a first world thing to say, but I really do treasure my pricey, frilly coffee. I don’t have Starbucks every day, but after a few days without, I’m always itchy to get my hands on a tall peppermint mocha. (Iced mocha in the summer)
3. A sound machine or fan to sleep with. I have wretched, ridiculous insomnia. I swear, in order for me to sleep, the tide has to be right and the moon in a certain position. It’s ridiculous. And I need background noise. Silence feels way too loud to me. It’s like I can hear the blood (or maybe that’s the stress!) rushing around behind my ears.
4. My Snuggie. Mock me if you will (I’d mock me—heck, I DO mock me) but I live in Ohio, yo! It gets cold writing in the middle of winter and I need a really ridiculous backwards robe with arms that’s long enough to cover my feet. Yeah. Snuggie. I’m owning it.
5. The CH foods. Namely, Chocolate, Cheese, and Chipotle. What? Chipotle is a restaurant, not a food? Whatever, I want my steak burrito bowl and that’s a fact.

Title:  The Pledge (College Bound Series Book #1)

Author:   Laura Ward & Christine Manzari

Release Date:   July 27, 2015

Genre:   Contemporary Romance, New Adult

Taren needs a do-over. She’s decided the best way to put the high school bullies behind her is to pledge a Taylor-Swift-lip-syncing, beer-guzzling, sorority. Sisterhood helps Taren find the acceptance she’s always craved, but not the love she needs.

Alec wants freedom. To escape his father’s iron fist and unrealistic expectations, he pledges a campus acrobatics club where he finds that drugs and alcohol aren’t the only ways to get high. His addiction to danger helps him gain his independence, but it comes at a heavy price.

 

When the two cross paths, Alec fears his undeniable attraction to the party girl just might threaten everything he’s worked so hard to earn. Taren hasn’t forgotten that Alec humiliated her back in high school, but she also can’t deny the chemistry they share.

 

Alec and Taren have nothing in common, but fate is bound and determined to bring them together. They know falling in love is a risk, and yet it’s too hard to ignore. When their worlds clash and they both end up suffering, will they fight to stay together? Or are some pledges too hard to keep?

Laura’s and Christine’s Favorite Quotes from The Pledge

 

“Taren’s hands worshipped my body. Her lips followed the path of her fingers to brand every part she touched. The heat spreading through me was a slow burn; the kind that snuck up on you. The kind where you didn’t know you were in trouble until it was too late and you were lost in a blazing inferno.”

We love this quote because the road to Taren and Alec’s physical relationship was a long one. Once the two finally found themselves able to be together, their chemistry was hot!

“We’ve both made pledges that are important to us and the things we believe in, but this time, my pledge is for you.”

This quote is the essence of our book. Two very different characters pledge themselves to different worlds, but through growth, are able to realize their most important pledge is to one another.

 

“He pulled me close, and as he kissed me in the moonlight, my soul felt like it was lodged in my throat. My heart beat erratically because with every part of me, I was sure. I know it. I love him. I love Alec Hart.”

We loved this quote because early on in the book Taren insists that she hates Alec Hart because of how he humiliated her in high school. But, as we all know, there’s a thin line between love and hate. As Taren and Alec get to know and trust one another, she discovers that not only does she like Alec, she loves him with all of her heart.

“I want you to know that you will always be my yes. I promise that no matter how life might try to tear us apart, no matter how tangled things get, I will always come back to you.”

The concept of the red string of fate is one of our favorite surprises for readers of The Pledge. This quote hints to the theme that no matter how different Alec and Taren are, they’re bound by fate. When things go wrong, their connection is strong enough to withstand the problems and they come out stronger.

“Second chances don’t change the past. They just prove we can learn from our mistakes. I’m not the same guy I was in high school. I’m going to prove that to you.”

Another theme of this book is starting fresh and getting a second chance to do things right. This quote is a perfect one to highlight that theme.

“With her body pressed up against mine, we danced in the flickering light of hundreds of candles on a night of second chances.”

We like this quote because this is the perfect way for Taren and Alec to get a second chance at the night that created so much pain for both of them.

“A tear rolled down my face as emotion overwhelmed me. I wasn’t just another body. He saw me. The real me.”

Isn’t this what each of us wants more than anything else? To be seen for who we really are? Taren was bullied and ignored for most of her young life, so when she realizes Alec sees all of her, she can’t contain her emotion.

Title:  Laguna Nights (Laguna Nights Series Book #1)

Author:   Kaira Rouda

Release Date:   July 14, 2015

Genre:   Contemporary Romance, Adult

Madison Alcott left her Laguna Beach childhood in the past as soon as she could, never imagining she’d be forced to return. Caring for her ill mother and holding down a high-pressure position at the best resort in town, Madison’s life is as good as it could ever be in Laguna Beach. And blissfully, nobody knows her as Holly anymore, the name she used on television. Everything changes when her high school boyfriend appears in the lobby. He was the reason she’d left Laguna in the first place when he humiliated her on national television.Josh Welsh’s star has been dimming ever since he shot to fame as the high school heartthrob on the reality TV series Laguna Nights. Hoping to reignite his career, he agreed to host a travel show, with the first episode shooting in his old hometown of Laguna Beach. Of all the negative scenarios associated with filming in Laguna, Josh hadn’t calculated a run-in with Madison, or that the same deep connection he felt for her in high school would still be there.Madison and Josh’s reality TV relationship exploded years ago but when the new series forces them together, they must face Laguna Nights past and present.

Kaira’s Favorite Quotes from Laguna Nights

“What are you doing here?” she asked, ignoring his attempt at a handshake, her beautiful blue eyes darkened, glaring. She was making him nervous.

     “Just coming home to Laguna,” he said.

Josh pulled her toward him, pressing their bodies together by wrapping his strong arms around her back. “Whatever you need to do, I’ll wait. We can go wherever you want.”

Memories of their first kiss all those years ago came flooding back into Josh’s mind. Fisherman’s Cove was a secluded beach, the perfect make-out spot, with cave like pockets. He felt the sun on his back, her body beneath him, the waves crashing on shore.

All he wanted to do was wrap his arms around her, pull her tight and kiss her deeply. He didn’t have all the answers, but it didn’t matter as long as they were in this together. He took a deep breath and pulled her hands together, touching his lips to her fingers. “I’m not sure what they’re thinking, not exactly. But I do know if we stick together, they can’t hurt us. Not again,” Josh said.

 

Author:   Josie Lohr

Release Date:   April 5, 2015

Genre:   Contemporary Romance

Grayson Sutton loves teaching…and she’s good at it. She’s one of those teachers who throws every ounce of heart and passion into working with kids—and her students love her for it.

When Grayson hears about a position at a new charter school opening in Chicago, she knows she has to apply for her dream job—even though it’s over one thousand miles away from the small Georgia town she calls home with her longtime boyfriend Reid. After all, Reid has plans for Grayson’s future…and they don’t include teaching, especially not in Chicago.

When her offer letter arrives on a day with special significance for the couple, Grayson decides to compromise and move to Chicago with the understanding that it’s only temporary. But once there, she meets Emmett, the handsome owner of the school, and the chemistry between them complicates everything.

As Grayson makes a new life for herself in Chicago, she finds herself in the middle of a tug of war between her heart and home. Reid isn’t going to let go of Grayson without a fight…but neither will Emmett.

Title:  Laguna Nights (Laguna Nights Series Book #1)

Author:   Kaira Rouda

Release Date:   July 14, 2015

Genre:   Contemporary Romance, Adult

Madison Alcott left her Laguna Beach childhood in the past as soon as she could, never imagining she’d be forced to return. Caring for her ill mother and holding down a high-pressure position at the best resort in town, Madison’s life is as good as it could ever be in Laguna Beach. And blissfully, nobody knows her as Holly anymore, the name she used on television. Everything changes when her high school boyfriend appears in the lobby. He was the reason she’d left Laguna in the first place when he humiliated her on national television.Josh Welsh’s star has been dimming ever since he shot to fame as the high school heartthrob on the reality TV series Laguna Nights. Hoping to reignite his career, he agreed to host a travel show, with the first episode shooting in his old hometown of Laguna Beach. Of all the negative scenarios associated with filming in Laguna, Josh hadn’t calculated a run-in with Madison, or that the same deep connection he felt for her in high school would still be there.Madison and Josh’s reality TV relationship exploded years ago but when the new series forces them together, they must face Laguna Nights past and present.

The story behind Laguna Nights and the new Laguna Beach Series

By Kaira Rouda

 

Whether you were a fan of the MTV Reality TV Show Laguna Beach: The Real Orange County and its spinoff, The Hills, or not, you’ve probably heard about the shows. These lightly-scripted, trail-blazing reality shows focused on the lives of real life high school students, juniors and seniors, at Laguna Beach High School.

The series aired three seasons, beginning in 2006, but it changed life in my town forever. Many of my friends blame the show for the crushing onslaught of tourism. Other locals still won’t forgive the school system for allowing MTV access to the kids and found it exploitative. The original contract had approved filming on the high school campus, but was renegotiated to exclude high school scenes.

I’m relatively new to Laguna Beach, but my family and I love it here. My sons are now graduates of Laguna Beach High School – and the ceremony is the same as it was in the show, as are many things about the town and its high school kids. At my favorite hair salon, my friend and stylist had just gotten married. She showed me the gorgeous photos and I said, “Those should be in a magazine.”

That’s when the rest of the salon customers and staff started laughing at me and one kind soul explained by handing me US Weekly where her wedding had a four-page spread. Another handed me a People magazine, and there it was again. Well, yes, Ashley’s wedding had been in magazines, lots of them, as she’d married Jason Wahler of reality tv show fame, specifically Laguna Beach.

A big fan of the show herself, of course, Ashley encouraged me to write a series about what happens to kids after that type of instant stardom. She had a lot of insight, of course, but my stories are completely from my imagination. So Madison and Josh’s story is ten years after their fame on the television show. Josh was the bad boy, and Madison – called Holly on the air – was left heartbroken, for all the world to see, and re-watch with the series on demand. Madison has run as far away from celebrity as she could, while Josh is still trying to catch it again.

Laguna Nights does share many of the same settings that made the television show so much fun to watch. There’s the hot tub scene at a house in Three Arch Bay, a private, gated community in South Laguna.

When Josh and Madison find themselves back at Fisherman’s Cove shooting a scene, I based that scene on an incredibly beautiful beach used often in the production, and one that even was the setting of my son’s music video. It’s a gorgeous spot.

Madison’s hotel is called the Mondrian in the story, but is based on the famous Montage Resort in Laguna Beach. Their dinners in town are at a charming bistro on Forest Avenue, a place much like Alessa…

I’m so lucky to call Laguna Beach home and I’m excited to share a little bit about this special place through my new series. Fun fact: the cover photo of Laguna Nights is a photo by my son, Trace. He took it at the beach in Laguna one night. It really is that magical here.

Happy reading!