Blog Tour + Character Interview & Giveaway: All the Pretty Poses by M. Leighton

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Welcome to today’s stop on the All the Pretty Poses blog tour! We have an interview with Reese Spencer, the hero in All the Pretty Poses, and a fantastic giveaway for you all to enter!

All the Pretty Poses by M. Leighton

Title: All the Pretty Poses
Author: M. Leighton
Series: Pretty #2 (full reading order below)
Release Date: January 24th 2014
Age Group: NA/Adult
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Tour organized by: WordSmith Publicity & AToMR Tours
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He never wanted to be a hero…until she needed him to be.

Strength…

It took Kennedy Moore years to put her life back together after Reese Spencer shattered it.  But she did.  Now, years later, strong and independent, she is in pursuit of a single dream—to dance with the Altman American Dance Theater.  Unfortunately, Kennedy is learning that a girl from nowhere with no money and no contacts might never be able to reach her goal.

That is, until Reese reappears, offering a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that Kennedy just can’t refuse.  In exchange for working on his yacht for a few short weeks, he’ll get her an audition with the famous dance troupe.  All Kennedy has to do is keep her head down, work hard and resist Reese.  That sounds easy enough, right?

Weakness…

Reese doesn’t want to make it easy for Kennedy.  Seeing her again has started a fire in his blood—an unwelcome one.  It took him years to forget about her before, so this time he has a plan.  It’s simple:  Get Kennedy on his yacht, seduce her, get her out of his system, move on with his life.  That sounds easy enough, right?

But the one thing Reese didn’t plan for was Kennedy herself—a girl so strong yet so broken, she makes him want to rescue her, to take care of her.  To save her.  Even if he has to save her from himself.

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Character Interview: Reese Spencer from All the Pretty Poses

Relationships are new territory for you. What do you like the most about being in a relationship?

I feel closer to Kennedy than I do anyone else in my life.  Than I ever have.  I think I got a taste of that one summer fourteen years ago, but I didn’t realize how important it was, how much I needed it.  But now, now that I’ve had it, I can’t ever imagine my life without her in it.

I start my day with her. We talk about how we slept, what we dreamed of, what kind of plans we have for the day.  It sounds simple enough, but when you don’t have someone to share those small things with, life is just…empty.

I end my day with her, too.  We talk about our worries and our hopes, we make plans for the next day or the weekend. Or the next ten years.  Sometimes we sit on the couch, in the quiet, only our hands touching, and I feel more relaxed and happy than I’ve ever felt in my life.  She brings peace to my soul.

Kennedy…what are your first thoughts when I say her name?

Love.  Grace.  Forgiveness.  Mine.

How did you feel after the first time you saw Kennedy dance in your club?

*hisses through teeth*  Turned on, of course, but even now I can remember being just…furious that other men were watching her.  Even then, I think I felt like she was mine and I never wanted her to be anybody else’s.  I’ll share anything I have, all that I own, but not Kennedy. Never her.  She’s the person that matters most to me, the one I’m most afraid of losing.

What is one thing you would do differently if you could?

I would never have left all those years ago. I would’ve found a way to take Kennedy away and keep her safe and happy every day of those fourteen years. They were wasted.  I hate to even think back on my time away from her.

What are you the most afraid of?

Losing her. Always of losing her.  When I have nightmares, that’s what they’re about. It’s the only thing that truly scares me.

If you could have one wish come true, what would it be?

That I could take away all the hurt she suffered for the first half of her life.  I mean, I’ll make damn sure the rest of her life is better than she could ever have imagined, but there’s nothing I can do about the past.  If I could change one thing, have one wish, that’s what I’d wish for.  To take away all her pain.

What is something about you we might be surprised to know?

I had insomnia until the first time that I stayed the night with Kennedy in the stateroom beside mine.  Since then, except for the restless nights I spent while we were apart, I haven’t suffered from it once. Not once.

What do you love the most about Kennedy?

That she loves me.  I could name off enough things that I love about her to fill a book, but that’s the first that comes to mind.  I would give up everything I have, everything I am before I would ever risk doing something to make her stop loving me.  I couldn’t live with that, I couldn’t live without her love.  I think it would destroy something integral to life inside me.  It’s what I want most out of every day—to love her and be loved by her–and she gives it to me.  Like a gift.

Reading Order: Pretty series

All The Pretty Lies by M. Leighton All the Pretty Poses by M. Leighton All Things Pretty by M. Leighton

#1 ~ All the Pretty Lies: EbookPaperbackGoodreads
#2 ~ All the Pretty Poses: EbookPaperbackGoodreads
#3 ~ All Things Pretty: Goodreads (Sept. 30, 2014)

about the author

M. LeightonNew York Times and USA Today Bestselling Author, M. Leighton, is a native of Ohio. She relocated to the warmer climates of the South, where she can be near the water all summer and miss the snow all winter. Possessed of an overactive imagination from early in her childhood, Michelle finally found an acceptable outlet for her fantastical visions: literary fiction. Having written over a dozen novels, these days Michelle enjoys letting her mind wander to more romantic settings with sexy Southern guys, much like the one she married and the ones you’ll find in her latest books. When her thoughts aren’t roaming in that direction, she’ll be riding wild horses, skiing the slopes of Aspen or scuba diving with a hot rock star, all without leaving the cozy comfort of her office.

About Michelle:  I love coffee and chocolate, even more so when they are combined.  I’m convinced that one day they could be the basis for world peace.  I also love the color red and am seriously considering dying my hair.

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Book Blitz + Author Interview & Giveaway: Quintessentially Q by Pepper Winters

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Quintessentially Q by Pepper Winters

Quintessentially Q by Pepper Winters
Series: Monsters in the Dark #2 (full reading order below)
Publication date: December 15th 2013
Genres: Contemporary, New Adult, Romance Add to Goodreads

“All my life, I battled with the knowledge I was twisted… fucked up to want something so deliciously dark—wrong on so many levels. But then slave fifty-eight entered my world. Hissing, fighting, with a core of iron, she showed me an existence where two wrongs make a right.”

Tess is Q’s completely. Q is Tess’s irrevocably. But now, they must learn the boundaries of their unconventional relationship, while Tess seeks vengeance on the men who sold her. Q made a blood-oath to deliver their corpses at Tess’s feet, and that’s just what he’ll do.

He may be a monster, but he’s Tess’s monster..

Buy Links:
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Teaser

Goddammit, she said I scarred her soul… would she let me scar her skin? Tess stood in front of me. Her toned legs splayed, hands on her hips. So proud and regal in her own body. I couldn’t tear my eyes away. My mouth went dry as the beast inside prowled and hurled itself against the cage, trying so hard to get at her. To rip her. Ravage her.

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Author Interview: Pepper Winters

Would you tell something to us about your book?

Tears of Tess is my debut and I like to think it’s a story about redemption and finding the perfect other, even if fate sometimes seems to have a sick way of bringing you together. Tess is a very strong heroine, and Q, well I don’t know how to describe Q. He’s delicious, he’s dark, he isn’t quite human in his desires.

How did you come up with the story?

Tess came to me very strongly. I just went along with the ride. I didn’t really come up with it. Q evolved from a horrid anti-hero with no redeeming qualities to someone who is deserving of a women like Tess. I like to think they belong together.

When did you start writing?

I started writing Tess in July 2013, but I started writing a bunch of other stories which completely sucked four years ago. I can still remember the moment I woke up one morning and turned to hubby and said, I’m going to write a book. It was random, but I’m so glad I chased my dream.

Who or what inspires you?

Everything inspires me. Travel. Food. Music. Watching people. I have a notepad with me at all times and jot things down. I’ve just come back from a trip away in Thailand and I came away with a perfect story line for a new book I’m working on called Last Shadow.

Which is your favourite book series or book?Why?

I don’t really have a favourite as I have such diverse tastes. But I would probably have to say my favourite writer would be Laini Taylor and her series Daughter of Smoke and Bone. Her writing is gorgeous.

Which is your favorite movie?

Princess bride is an all time love, and I also really like classics like Jurassic Park and Matrix. Plus rom coms of course.

What advice would you give to someone who wants to publish a book?

Write and write and write some more. Don’t publish your first draft. Get critique partners. Hire an editor. Never scrimp on your cover.

What kind of music do you like?

All depends on the scene I’m writing. Sometimes depressing to get into the headspace of my character, sometime passionate, sometimes upbeat. I go with the flow J

Did you ever want to be a mystical creature?

Yes. I would love to have wings so I could fly and no longer have to pay for airplanes to go on holiday J

How and when did you decide that you’d like to publish your book?

I wrote Tess knowing I would publish it. I started the first draft on the 2 July 2013 and pressed publish on the 28th August 2013. I was only able to do that from spending years learning my craft and working 14 hour days to get it done. Not to mention a super supportive husband

Do you have a message for my blog’s followers?

Just a message of huge thanks for liking my work, for sharing my words, for the messages, and love they send my way. I love each and everyone of them and I’m honoured to share some space on their kindles and bookshelves.

Monsters

Reading Order: Monsters in the Dark series

Tears of Tess by Pepper Winters Quintessentially Q by Pepper Winters Twisted Together by Pepper Winters

#1 ~ Tears of Tess: Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads
#2 ~ Quintessentially Q: Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads
#3 ~ Twisted Together: Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads

about the author

Pepper WintersWriter, reader, sometimes wife. An avid devourer of sexy romance and angsty New Adult. Nothing beats lolling in a bubble bath with her array of book boyfriends. Her two titles: Tears of Tess and Broken Chance are coming soon.

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one (1) ebook copy of Quintessentially Q

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A signed copy of Quintessentially Q (Open internationally)

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Exclusive Excerpt: Rome by Jay Crownover

The MARKED MEN are coming back on January 7, 2014, so get ready for the ride of your life with ROME (MARKED MEN #3) by the fabulous Jay Crownover.

You’ve met inked-up bad boy RULE (Marked Men #1) and have been swept away by the lyrical JET (Marked Men #2).  Now, get ready to be riveted by Rule’s older brother ROME.

Rome returns to Denver after serving his country and leaving a part of his soul, along with his blood, behind on the sands of the battlefield.  When he meets Cora, sparks fly and all bets are off in this steamy, heart wrenching love story. Can two souls who have their own dark past survive the explosion of them coming together. Find out in ROME on January 7th.

Be sure to join us on January 2nd when we are part of the Jay Crownover’s Rome Book Tour.

Rome by jay Crownover

Title: Rome (Marked Men #3) 
Author:  Jay Crownover
Genre: New Adult
Publication Date: January 7, 2013
Publisher: William Morrow an imprint of HarperCollins Publishing
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Cora Lewis is a whole lot of fun, and she knows how to keep her tattooed bad boy friends in line. But all that flash and sass hide the fact that she’s never gotten over the way her first love broke her heart. Now she has a plan to make sure that never happens again: She’s only going to fall in love with someone perfect.

Rome Archer is as far from perfect as a man can be. He’s stubborn and rigid, he’s bossy and has come back from his final tour of duty fundamentally broken. Rome’s used to filling a role: big brother, doting son, super soldier; and now none of these fit anymore. Now he’s just a man trying to figure out what to do with the rest of his life while keeping the demons of war and loss at bay. He would have been glad to suffer it alone, until Cora comes sweeping into his life and becomes the only color on his bleak horizon.

Perfect isn’t in the cards for these two, but imperfect might just last forever . . .

Pre- Order Links
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The Marked Men series

Rule by Jay Crownover

Title: Rule (A Marked Men Novel #1)
Author:  Jay Crownover
Genre: New Adult
Publication Date:  May 7, 2013
Publisher: William Morrow an imprint of HarperCollins
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Opposites in every way . . . except the one that matters

Shaw Landon loved Rule Archer from the moment she laid eyes on him. Rule is everything a straight–A pre-med student like Shaw shouldn’t want–and the only person she’s never tried to please. She isn’t afraid of his scary piercings and tattoos or his wild attitude. Though she knows that Rule is wrong for her, her heart just won’t listen.

To a rebel like Rule Archer, Shaw Landon is a stuck-up, perfect princess-and his dead twin brother’s girl. She lives by other people’s rules; he makes his own. He doesn’t have time for a good girl like Shaw-even if she’s the only one who can see the person he truly is.

But a short skirt, too many birthday cocktails, and spilled secrets lead to a night neither can forget. Now, Shaw and Rule have to figure out how a girl like her and a guy like him are supposed to be together without destroying their love . . . or each other

Purchase Links
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Jet by Jay Crownover

Title: Jet (A Marked Men Novel #2)
Author:  Jay Crownover
Genre: New Adult
Publication Date:  May 28, 2013
Publisher: William Morrow an imprint of HarperCollins
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With his tight leather pants and a sharp edge that makes him dangerous, Jet Keller is every girl’s rock and roll fantasy. But Ayden Cross is done walking on the wild side with bad boys. She doesn’t want to give in to the heat she sees in Jet’s dark, haunted eyes. She’s afraid of getting burned from the sparks of their spontaneous combustion, even as his touch sets her on fire.

Jet can’t resist the Southern Belle with mile-long legs in cowboy boots who defies his every expectation. Yet the closer he feels to Ayden, the less he seems to know her. While he’s tempted to get under her skin and undo her in every way, he knows firsthand what happens to two people with very different ideas about relationships.

Will the blaze burn into an enduring love. . . or will it consume their dreams and turn them to ashes?

Purchase Links
Amazon • Amazon UK • Amazon CA • Barnes & Noble • Kobo • iTunes

about the author

Jay CrownoverI’m supposed to share interesting details about myself so that my readers get to know me so here we go in no particular order: I’m an natural redhead even though I haven’t seen my real hair color in years, I’m a big fan of tattoos and have a half sleeve on either arm and various other pieces all over the place, I’ve been in the bar industry since I was in college and it has always offered interesting insight into how men and women interact with each other, I have 3 dogs that are all crazy, I live in Colorado and love the snow, I love music and in all reality wish I could be a rock star not a writer or a bartender but I have zero talent so there is that.

I love to write, love to read and all I’m interested in is a good story with interesting characters that make the reader feel something.

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Embrace Launch Tour + Author Interview & Giveaway: Ruined by Jus Accardo

Nov RDL Tour

Ruined by Jus Accardo

Ruined by Jus Accardo
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Hell is looking for a way to break loose…

Jax lost the genetic lottery. Descended from Cain, the world’s first murderer, he’s plagued by a curse that demands violence in exchange for his happiness. He left everything behind, including the girl he loved, but thriving on the pain of others is lonely… And it’s killing him.

After a series of heartbreaking losses, Samantha put rubber to pavement and headed for college as fast as her clunker could carry her. But she can’t outrun her problems. When an attack at school drives her back home, she’s thrown into the path of a past—and a guy—she’s been trying to forget.

Sam strains Jax’s control over his darkness, but running isn’t an option this time. Someone—or, something—followed her home from school: a ruthless monster with a twisted plan centuries in the making. Forced together to survive, and fighting an attraction that could destroy them both, Jax and Sam must stop a killer bent on revenge.

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Today’s stop on the Embrace Launch Tour features RUINED by Jus Accardo. And luckily I got to have an interview with Jus!

Author Interview: Jus Accardo

How did you come up with the idea for Ruined?

I actually got the idea after having a long conversation with a friend about sibling rivalry. I approached my editor with the concept, aimed for Entangled’s new (at the time) imprint, Covet. But when I submitted the sample chapters, she felt the characters sounded too young. I set the idea aside and moved on. It was almost a year later, when she came back to me, remembering the plot, and asked me to write it for the NA line.

What was the most difficult part of writing Ruined?

I think if I had to pick, I’d have to say writing in duel POV. I fell so hard for Jax’s POV that it was hard to swap sometimes. I found myself mapping all the scenes through his eyes, but unfortunately the story just didn’t work that way. I think he’ll need to have a short along the way. Something that’s all his…. Hmm…

The cover looks AWESOME! Did you have any part in how it was made?

I actually didn’t. They usually ask us for ideas, and I usually have a ton, but with RUINED, I had nothing at all! My only requirement was hot guy 😉 I think they did good.

If you could have any superpower, what would it be?

I think I’d like to either be able to talk to animals (I’d love to know what my Akita is thinkging…) or be able to teleport as I’m terrified to fly.

Three reasons why people should read Ruined?

Jax, Jax, Jax.

*Ahem*

Seriously. Ruined is badass, original (at least, I think 😉 ), and it has twins. Hot twins. Need there be any other reason than that?

So there you have it! Obviously, Ruined is a must read. 😉 Thank you Jus Accardo for the wonderful interview!

about the author

Jus AccardoJUS ACCARDO spent her childhood reading and learning to cook. Determined to follow in her grandfather’s footsteps as a chef, she applied and was accepted to the Culinary Institute of America. At the last minute, she realized her path lay with fiction, not food, and passed on the spot to pursue writing. Jus is the bestselling author the popular Denazen series from Entangled publishing and is currently working on the first book in a new adult series due out summer 2013. A native New Yorker, she lives in the middle of nowhere with her husband, three dogs, and sometimes guard bear, Oswald.

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About Embrace:

EMBRACE…endless possibilities.  A new adult imprint from Entangled, launching November 11th! You can follow them and get more information about future titles @EPEmbrace or their Facebook.

Definitely, Maybe in Love by Ophelia LondonDefinitely, Maybe in Love by Ophelia London

Spring Honeycutt wants two things: to ace her sustainable living thesis and to save the environment. Both seem hopelessly unobtainable until her college professor suggests that with a new angle, her paper could be published. Spring swears she’ll do whatever it takes to ensure that happens.

“Whatever it takes,” however, means forming a partnership with the very hot, very privileged, very conceited Henry Knightly.

Henry is Spring’s only hope at publication, but he’s also the über-rich son of a land developer and cash-strapped Spring’s polar opposite. Too bad she can’t help being attracted to the way he pushes her buttons, both politically and physically. As they work on her thesis, Spring finds there’s more to Henry than his old money and argyle sweaters…but can she drop the loud-and-proud act long enough to let him in? Suddenly, choosing between what she wants and what she needs puts Spring at odds with everything she believes in.

Definitely, Maybe in Love is a modern take on Pride and Prejudice that proves true love is worth risking a little pride.

Trouble Comes Knocking by Mary DuncansonTrouble Comes Knocking by Mary Duncanson

It’s hard not to answer when trouble comes knocking.

A girl who can’t forget… 

Twenty-two-year-old Lucy Carver is like Sherlock Holmes in ballet flats, but her eidetic memory is more albatross than asset, and something she usually keeps hidden. When she notices that something’s amiss at her dead-end job, she jumps at the chance to finally use her ability for good. That is, until, a man is murdered, and she becomes the target of the killer.

A detective on his first case…

Detective Eli Reyes is overbearing, pompous, way too hot for Lucy’s own good, and seems as determined to ruin her relationship with her boyfriend, John, as finding the murderer. He brings Lucy in on the case, thinking she can help him get to the truth, only to cut her loose when he realizes he’s gotten far more than he ever bargained for.

A past that won’t go away… 

When memories from her childhood invade her present, Lucy discovers a mystery bigger than she could have imagined. With the killer still after her, and Eli nowhere to be found, she takes things into her own hands, determined to expose the truth no matter what—before trouble comes knocking…again.

Hushed by Kelley YorkHushed by Kelley York

He’s loved her. Killed for her. Yet he may not be able to save her.

Eighteen-year-old Archer couldn’t protect his best friend, Vivian, from what happened when they were kids. Since then, he’s never stopped trying to shelter her from everything else. It doesn’t matter that Vivian only uses him when skipping from one toxic relationship to another. Archer is always there, reeled in and tossed out, waiting to be noticed.Then Evan Bishop breezes into town with a warm smile and calming touch, and Archer can’t deny his attraction to him. Evan is the only person who keeps him around without a single string attached. And the harder Archer falls for Evan, the more he sees Vivian for the manipulative hot-mess she really is.But Viv has her hooks in deep, and once she finds out Archer’s dark secret, she threatens to expose the truth if she doesn’t get what she wants. And what she wants is for him to end his relationship with Evan…permanently.

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Sylvain Reynard Novel Announcement

Sylvain Reynard (author of the Gabriel’s Inferno series) has a new novel coming out! Here is SR’s announcement (which you can read on his blog as well, which I linked at the bottom of the post).

Dear Everyone,

Back in September, I wrote a post in which I mentioned my next novel. I’m pleased to be able to give you more information now.

My next novel is the first in a new series, and it will be entitled The Raven.  With this novel, I’m asking you to pack your bags and travel with me to the city of Florence. The Gabriel Series showed you the city during the day.  This time, I’ll show you Florence’s underworld, which is ruled by creatures of the night …

Here’s the formal announcement:

From the New York Times bestselling author of the Gabriel Series comes a dark, sensual tale of romance in a city shrouded in mystery…

Raven Wood spends her days at Florence’s Uffizi Gallery restoring fine works of Renaissance art.  But an innocent walk home after an evening with friends changes her life forever. When she intervenes in the senseless beating of a homeless man, his attackers turn on her, dragging her into an alley.  Raven is only semi-conscious when their assault is interrupted by a cacophony of growls followed by her attacker’s screams.  Mercifully, she blacks out, but not before catching a glimpse of a shadowy figure who whispers to her …

Cassita vulneratus.

When Raven awakes, she is inexplicably changed.  She returns to the Uffizi, but no one recognizes her and more disturbingly, she discovers that she’s been absent an entire week.  With no recollection of the events leading up to her disappearance, Raven also learns that her absence coincides with one of the largest robberies in Uffizi history – the theft of a set of priceless Botticelli illustrations. When the baffled police force identifies her as its prime suspect, Raven is desperate to clear her name. She seeks out one of Florence’s wealthiest and elusive men in an attempt to uncover the truth about her disappearance.   Their encounter leads Raven to a dark underworld whose inhabitants kill to keep their secrets …

As I mentioned in my September post, readers of Gabriel’s Redemption will be able to read an excerpt from The Raven at the end of both the paperback and e-book editions.

But what I didn’t mention was that one of the characters of The Raven appears in Gabriel’s Redemption.  Can you identify him or her? I welcome your guesses in the comments below and on social media.

I would be remiss if I didn’t mention that there’s a connection between The Gabriel Series and my new series – a connection that is more than simply me, or the city of Florence, or the Uffizi Gallery. If you’ve read the cover copy above carefully, probably you’re beginning to guess the answer. But I’ll be explicit and state that we won’t be saying goodbye to the Professor and Julianne at the end of Gabriel’s Redemption. Look for them to have cameo appearances in The Raven as well …

While I don’t have a release date for The Raven yet, I hope to have one soon. This novel marks my transition from a contemporary love story to a paranormal one. I hope you’ll join me on this journey and that if you have friends and family who enjoy paranormal novels, you’ll help me share the news with them.

As we approach the December 3rd release date of Gabriel’s Redemption in North America, my American publisher has listed a giveaway of the novel on Goodreads.  US entrants can enter the contest  here.

And if you’d like to read a new excerpt from Gabriel’s Redemption and enter another contest, you can do so here at Romance Times.

Finally, I want to wish everyone who is celebrating Thanksgiving this week a very happy holiday. I have much to be thankful for and in particular, I’m thankful for you, my readers.

All the best and thank you for your continued support,

SR

www.sylvainreynard.com