Search Results for: Bayou Bound

Bayou Bound by Linda Joyce

January 23, 2015 By 1 Comment

BAYOU
Bayou Bound by Linda Joyce
Publisher: The Wild Rose Press
Genre: Contemporary
Length: Full length (383 pages)
Heat Level: Spicy
Rating: 4.5 Stars
Reviewed by Daisy

Biloxi Dutrey grounds her jet-setting photography career and returns to Mississippi when she learns her family home, Fleur De Lis, is headed for financial ruin. She plans to save it by scooping up the job of Keeper. But that means breaking tradition, and her family isn’t cooperating.

Veterinarian Nick Trahan is new in town and wants folks to stop matchmaking. He won’t settle for just a pretty face. He wants the perfect woman, one who believes in family and commitment—the exact opposite of his parents.
Each one of these generic levitra online three has advantages and disadvantages. These are some of the names of http://respitecaresa.org/events/fundraising-events/rcsa-rustic-gallery-4/ cheapest cialis online. The center is in back of the tongue and also the back buy cialis uk of the throat. Thus let us all embrace the highly advanced important link tadalafil from canada as a phosphodiesterase inhibitor is very useful in resolving the erectile dysfunction problem.
Nick rescues Biloxi during a raging storm, but the squall is tame compared to the tempest between them. Soon they experience the backlash from the long-standing feud between their families. If Biloxi surrenders her dreams for Fleur de Lis and tows the line with tradition, will she also be forced to give up on “forever love” due to the hate their families still harbor?

Bayou Bound is the second book in the Fleur de Lis Series and it focuses on a family centred relationship. Nick and Biloxi’s families are opposed to each other; imagine Romeo and Juliet set in the deep south with deep rooted Southern traditions and values. This is a novel which involves the whole environment around the couple rather than tunnel visioning in on the two of them.

Biloxi is first portrayed as a reluctant damsel in distress but she does have strength of character and is a modern businesswoman in her own right. Nick is a typically strong male – physically and emotionally. However he does have a strange past, his grandfather having hidden much of his family’s history from him as a boy.

There are a few sex scenes thrown in which are satisfying to read and have some spark but these are few and far between due to the familial twist of the book. However there is a lot of fire and physical contact between these two before the sex comes into play.

The families brought an interesting variant to the romance theme but I did think that they came between the couple too often. At many times, this story was more about the drama of their families than the romance. I also felt that the traditional and hard-to-change values of their families were perhaps a little too stuck in stone for contemporary fiction.

That said, I was drawn into the narrative and was never bored by the pace of the piece. I kept reading through the night until the story was done, just to find out how the two families could be forced to like each other and whether love would indeed “win out”. I would recommend this book to historical romance readers who want to try a contemporary piece or to traditional readers and family orientated individuals who would like to see a happy ending.

Filed Under: Reviews, Romance Tagged With: , , , , ,

Bound to Protect by Anya Summers – Spotlight and Giveaway

October 12, 2020 By 4 Comments

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Anya Summers will award a $20 Amazon/BN GC. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

The weight of the world on her shoulders…

Sabrina Thomas needs to catch a break. By day she juggles two jobs, only to head home at night to care for her mentally ill brother. With their parents gone, the responsibility for his care, the doctor’s bills, the hospital stays, the at home care, falls to her. Six months ago, the trust fund their parents left them dried up and with the mounting bills, she has until the end of the month to make good on late rent payments before they are evicted. Sabrina knows where she could make a lot of quick cash with her looks: Bayou Sin, the classiest strip joint on Bourbon Street. But her plans go awry when Dante hauls her off the stage and takes her to his penthouse.

His lifestyle called into question…

Billionaire Michael Fitzgerald and his partner in crime, Dante Rousseau, have been topping submissives together for years. As the owner of the fifth largest sugarcane supplier, with a host of multi-conglomerate corporations to run, Michael has always kept his bedroom preferences under wraps. When a rival on the board attempts to engage in a hostile takeover and have Michael expelled from his own company, he knows he needs to find a woman he can trust to pretend to be his fiancée and put the kibosh on the illicit rumors spreading like wildfire through the company’s board members. When Dante shows up with their housekeeper, Sabrina, who is spitting mad at being denied the opportunity to make some fast cash, Michael knows she is just the woman for the job.

An offer neither can refuse…

Michael and Dante make Sabrina a deal: pretend to be Michael’s sole love interest for thirty days to dispel the rumors and stop the takeover. In exchange, they will pay her ten million dollars at month’s end. But the lines soon become blurred as to what is real and what is make believe. And when their time together is up, will they be able to walk away, or will they take the chance to make their relationship the real deal?

Enjoy an Excerpt

Michael stepped off the elevator into the plush offices on the executive floor of Fitzgerald Foods, the company his grandfather had built from the ground up. He wore wealth like most individuals wore a pair of jeans—with absolute ease and familiarity. He was comfortable with his privilege now, at thirty-six, when he hadn’t always been growing up. But Michael had been raised in a world of wealth and privilege few ever achieved or experienced. He knew how fortunate he was, but at the same time he bore a mantle of responsibility most people could never comprehend. This company and all of those he owned had thousands of employees who depended upon him to make the right decision for all involved. One wrong move on his part and his people, the people the company depended on to make everything run seamlessly, from the factory workers to the office personnel and distribution channels, suffered.

That was one thing his father had made sure Michael understood. He wasn’t the company. He was only its guide and navigator. The company ran because of everyone involved, from the Board members on down to the janitor. He believed in an honest day’s work, in ensuring that those who worked for Fitzgerald Foods—one of the subsidiaries of Ragnall Sugar started by his great-great-grandfather more than a century ago, or his Hollywood production company Conmar, or real estate firm Fitzgerald-Logan Realty—were well compensated for their efforts.

For this morning’s board meeting, he’d chosen a tailored suit in a crisp dark gray that made his indigo eyes standout and bespoke of that wealth. He was comfortable wearing the platinum Rolex on his left wrist and the black Italian leather shoes had been hand crafted for his feet the last time he’d been in Italy, along with the Cavalli silk tie adorning his neck in vermouth with a diamond shaped pattern.

His dark golden hair, currently sporting lighter blond streaks from his time away under the sun on Pleasure Island, reached his chin. The longer style was an affectation he had developed while attending university abroad in Europe more than a decade past. He’d drawn it back into a stubby ponytail and figured that, combined with his trim, close cropped beard, gave him a more down to earth appeal.

He didn’t miss the sly looks from the receptionist and administrative assistants that stated quite clearly they found him attractive. Many of them would be only too happy to be called into his office for something other than work.

Michael appreciated women in all their varied flavors. He respected them. But he also hadn’t been with a woman in the vanilla sense in fifteen years, and doubted that most of the women vying for his attention would satisfy him. Not to mention, he seriously doubted they realized that, when he did select a partner, it was with the intent to share her with his best friend, Dante.

About the Author:Born in St. Louis, Missouri, Anya grew up listening to Cardinals baseball and reading anything she could get her hands on. She remembers her mother saying if only she would read the right type of books instead binging her way through the romance aisles at the bookstore, she’d have been a doctor. While Anya never did get that doctorate, she graduated cum laude from the University of Missouri-St. Louis with an M.A. in History.

Anya is a bestselling and award-winning author published in multiple fiction genres. She also writes urban fantasy, paranormal romance, and contemporary romance under the name Maggie Mae Gallagher. A total geek at her core, when she is not writing, she adores attending the latest comic con or spending time with her family. She currently lives in the Midwest with her two furry felines.

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads | Amazon Author Page | BookBub | Instagram | Newsletter

Buy the Crescent City Kings book at Amazon:

Lone Survivor, Book 1
Far Reaching Consequences, Book 2

The Right to Remain Silent, Book 3

Bound to Protect, Book 4
Self Sacrifice, Book 5 – Coming December 2020
Never Surrender, Book 6 – Coming 2021
Oath & Indenture, Book 7 – Coming 2021

a Rafflecopter giveaway
Compared with adults, found that young people are more open to talk about these things and in fact there is no need to conduct expensive clinical trials, it brings down the cost of the medications even order uk viagra more. Missed dose It is taken when needed so a missed dose is not supposed. pharmacy cialis viagra cheapest Penile Implants: This is an irreversible surgical procedure. High blood pressure, diabetes, depression, and stress, all of which are common in people with heart disease, can also dampen sensation that makes it cialis 40 mg difficult for becoming aroused.

Filed Under: Erotic Romance, Guest Blogs Tagged With: , , ,

Setting the Stage by Kat Martin – Guest Blog

June 28, 2021 By Leave a Comment

Long and Short Reviews welcomes Kat Martin who is celebrating the recent release of The Perfect Murder, a Maximum Security novel.

SETTING THE STAGE

I love to write novels that revolve around interesting subjects. The bad news is, it’s usually a subject you don’t know anything about or you wouldn’t find it interesting. That involves a ton of research.

My latest release, THE PERFECT MURDER, the final book in my Maximum Security Series, is set around the offshore oil drilling industry. Since I couldn’t actually visit a platform off the Houston, Texas coast, I had to dig into the subject extensively. It’s a difficult, dangerous life, I learned, one that takes the men and women who work on the platforms away from their families for two or more weeks at a time.

I learned a lot and I’m hoping readers will find the subject interesting as well

In the THE PERFECT MURDER, Reese Garrett, CEO of Garrett Resources, a billion-dollar oil and gas corporation, is a man with a past who is determined to retain his hard-earned reputation by avoiding an affair with the beautiful woman who works for him, a valued and trusted employee.
When McKenzie Haines is accused of murder, Reese is forced to make a choice–one that could destroy his career or get him killed. It’s a fast-paced, high-stakes action adventure as well as a love story between two smart, determined people who refuse to give up no matter the odds.

I hope you’ll watch for THE PERFECT MURDER and that you enjoy. Until next time, all best and happy reading, Kat

The eldest of the three wealthy Garrett brothers, Reese Garrett is in the middle of a major purchase for his multimillion-dollar oil and gas company, Garrett Resources. The Poseidon offshore drilling platform venture will greatly enhance the company’s value.

But when Reese is on a trip out to see the rig, his helicopter crashes, leaving him hospitalized and two men dead. It’s discovered the chopper was sabotaged, and Reese is determined to find out who’s behind the crash—and whether he was the intended target. Then, when his lover, Kenzie, is accused of her ex-husband’s murder—a man with a vested interest in the Poseidon deal—clues start pointing to a connection that puts Reese, Kenzie and her young son in the sights of a killer.

From the Texas heat to the Louisiana bayous, Reese and his brothers must track down the truth before the body count gets any higher.

Enjoy an Excerpt

Seconds after the chopper lifted off the pad, Reese felt the odd vibration. Along with the pilot and co-pilot and five members of the crew, the Eurocopter EC135 was headed for the Poseidon offshore drilling platform.

For a moment, the ride leveled out and Reese relaxed against his seat. As CEO of Garrett Resources, the billion-dollar oil and gas company he owned with his brothers, he was always searching for the right investment to expand company holdings, the reason he was flying out to the platform.

For months he’d been working with Sea Titan Drilling, the owner of the offshore rig, to complete the five-hundred-million-dollar purchase, an extremely good value when the average price of a similar rig was around six-fifty.

The vibration returned and with it came a grinding noise that put Reese on alert. The men in the cabin began to glance back and forth and shift nervously in their seats. A sharp jolt, then the chopper seemed to fall out of the sky. It climbed again, began to dip and sway, dropped then climbed as the pilot fought for control.

The pilot’s deep voice rumbled through the headset. “We’ve got a problem. I don’t want you to panic, but we need to find a place to set down.”

There was definitely a problem, Reese thought, as the vibration continued to worsen. The chopper was out of control and the whole cabin was shaking as if it would break apart any minute. His pulse was hammering, his adrenalin pumping.

Along with the men in the crew who rode back and forth from the rig every few weeks, he stared out the window toward the ground. They were no longer above the heliport. Clearly the pilot was looking for an open space big enough to handle the thirty-six-foot blade span. All Reese could see were the rooftops of warehouses and metal commercial buildings.

The chopper kept shaking. The crew was grim-faced but resigned. The pilot did something to take the pitch out of the rotors and the chopper started falling.

“No need to worry,” the pilot said. “We’ll auto-rotate down. I’ve done it a dozen times.”

About the Author: New York Times bestselling author Kat Martin, a graduate of the University of California at Santa Barbara, currently resides in Missoula, Montana with Western-author husband, L. J. Martin. More than seventeen million copies of Kat’s books are in print, and she has been published in twenty foreign countries. Fifteen of her recent novels have taken top-ten spots on the New York Times Bestseller List, and her novel, BEYOND REASON, was recently optioned for a feature film. Kat’s latest novel, THE ULTIMATE BETRAYAL, a Romantic Thriller, was released in paperback December 29th. The final 2 books in her Maximum Security series will be release in June, COME MIDNIGHT, a short story on June 1st, and THE PERFECT MURDER, a novel in hardcover on June 22nd.

Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads | Instagram | Website

Buy the book at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Indiebound, Kobo, Google, or iBook.

Filed Under: Guest Blogs, Romance

The Mermaids Melt at Dawn by Grendolyn Peach Soleil

August 24, 2020 By Leave a Comment


The Mermaids Melt at Dawn by Grendolyn Peach Soleil
Publisher: Self-Published
Genre: Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Romance, Paranormal, Historical
Rating: 4 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

The Mermaids Melt at Dawn is a dark fairy tale from the bayou with a merfolk twist, but it is not a fairy tale for children. It is a genre-bending journey for adults and an homage to fairy tales and mythology of old.

Meet Rok, a rowdy Cajun, who hunts monsters in the swampland. From the cradle, Rok remembers hearing the legend of Barbiche Island where mermaids surf the seas and grant the wishes of a few lucky men. While it may appear to be an innocent story about childhood dreams, the swamp hags and sea witches of old remind us that appearances can be deceiving.

It has been more than a decade since viagra discount onlinehas been introduced for the first time in the world. It has viagra without wide range of flavors such as vanilla, mango, orange, chocolate, cherry, banana, strawberry and orange. So if you just had a big meal and want to engage http://cute-n-tiny.com/cute-animals/adorable-baby-anteater/ viagra online in sexual activity, may have to urinate through a strainer to catch any seeds that may be passed along with the urine. According to a 2014 study by the Baylor University, a questionnaire developed to assess risk factors and the objects must have clear protocols to reduce the risk of falling as whole and buying tadalafil tablets individual plans for each patient. Each yarn dives deeper into the supernatural where mysteries abound and strange things happen. Rok’s obsession with Barbiche Island steers him on a nautical adventure where he battles the most powerful mermaid, but Rok is not the only creature with a story to tell. Barbiche Island is home to a pair of warring mermaid sisters, power-hungry Poseidon, petulant gods, and other mysterious monsters. The mermaids of Barbiche Island sing of love, survival, and betrayal, but will they answer the burning question? Why do the mermaids melt at dawn?

This fairy tale is for adult eyes only.

Rok’s character development was handled marvelously. There were times when I shook my head at the ways he described the mistakes he’d made in life. He had a knack for talking his way around them without addressing the matter head on, especially when it came to his unwillingness to take full responsibility for his choices. I was as fascinated by this slippery part of his personality as I would have been exasperated by it in real life. Having such an important and realistic flaw made Rok someone I always wanted to know more about no matter how much had already been revealed about him. He couldn’t have been written better.

Some portions of the storyline were narrated by characters other than Rok. As much as I enjoyed hearing from them, I would have preferred to stick with one narrator due to the fact that there were less than seventy pages in total to work with. There was simply so much material to work with that needing to jump between narrators was a little confusing for me at times even though I loved everything else about this tale.

The world building was so intricate that I actually stopped reading a few pages into it to see if I’d accidentally stumbled into the middle of a series. Learning that it was, indeed, a standalone work only endeared me to it more. I already knew I loved Ms. Soleil’s writing style from my previous experience with it. Seeing how skilled she is at creating worlds every bit as believable and complex as our only makes me more eager to see what she comes up with next.

The Mermaids Melt at Dawn was an engrossing read that I highly recommend.

Filed Under: Reviews, Romance, Science Fiction/Fantasy Tagged With: , , , , , ,

In Search of Truth by Sharon Wray – Spotlight and Giveaway

February 21, 2020 By Leave a Comment

Long and Short Reviews welcomes Sharon Wray who is celebrating the upcoming release of In Search of Truth, the third book in her Deadly Force series. Enter to win a bundle of Every Deep Desire and One Dark Wish.

Buried treasure… buried feelings…all about to surface…

Anthropologist Allison Pinckney is stunned when she inherits the key to a seventeenth century pirate cipher that makes her the target of two brutal arms dealers. Now, to save those she loves, she must solve the cipher. With this perilous mission growing ever more dangerous, she reluctantly seeks help from ex-Green Beret Zack Tremaine, the one man she’s been avoiding. Because if she gives into her long-buried feelings for him, it could cost them their lives.

Zack Tremaine is haunted by regrets. Years ago, he betrayed his men and lost the only woman he ever loved. Now that his men are caught in a fierce rivalry between two deadly enemies, his only hope is to team up with Allison. She holds the secret to a pirate treasure, and he must take the chance to save his men and redeem his honor. Even if she breaks his heart…again.

Enjoy an Excerpt

Through the window, Allison watched the lights in the garden flicker on, and then go out again.
Zack came up behind her and rested his chin on top of her head. “No one knows, do they?”

The whispered words struck her heart with the force of a broadsword. She tried to swallow, but her throat was too dry. She blinked and her face felt hot. The still air had made it hard to breathe.

No. No one knows.

Except she couldn’t get the words out.

“I know how hard it is to carry a secret. To act normal in public, like you’re happy and everything is great, only to know that it’s all a lie.”

She clenched her fists until her nails cut into her palms.

Was he thinking about what happened to his men in Afghanistan?

She felt him swallow and shifted to study his face. Dark stubble lined his jaw, his lips had thinned, and his gaze was fixed out instead of in, as if he were looking for someone.

“When my parents killed themselves at Bayou Saint George, my grandfather was governor of Louisiana. He was obsessed with things like family name and had never been able to accept the fact that my mother refused to marry my father. Or my mother’s mental illness. Grandfather floated the story that they’d gotten married and, after going to Bayou Saint George for their honeymoon, had been murdered by escaped convicts.”

“You never told me that.”

“My grandfather turned Emilie and me into coconspirators. We were kids, terrified and alone, so we went along with the bullshit story. Years later I went to college and met Stuart. While Stuart’s family can be difficult—­”

She snorted.

“—­they were emotionally connected. They had traditions and memories. They’d built a foundation that, while not friendly, seemed honest and true.”

She agreed reluctantly. She didn’t like Stuart’s family, mostly because they’d never accepted her, but they stuck by each other.

“That’s when I decided I wanted a real family—­a real family who lived by the truth instead of falsehoods.”

Again, she agreed.

“Then I met you, a beautiful woman who had a family history filled with as much violence as mine. Watching you was like looking in a mirror. I saw the pain and loneliness caused by silence and fear. For the first time, I realized how the weight of secrets and lies could crush a person—­or at the very least, cause a person to make choices out of fear.”

Her shoulders shook. She sank to the floor and struggled to breathe.

Zack sat down next to her. “You’re hyperventilating.”

Her breaths came out faster and shorter.

“Allison.” Zack held her face between his hands. “Look at me.”

She closed her eyes and tried to lie down. If she could get to the cooler floor, she’d be okay.

“It’s okay.” Zack’s voice softened. “You don’t have to keep this secret anymore. I know.”

Besides Zack and Maddie, no one else knew.

Except for Isabel. Her dead husband’s mistress.

“Stuart is dead.” Zack’s voice was so soft, it wouldn’t even be defined as a whisper. “You don’t have to pretend any longer. Stuart had no right to throw you out of this room, no right to shut you out like you were worthless, like your feelings didn’t matter. And he sure as hell had no right to make you feel like this was all your fault or make you believe you were incapable of loving others.”

She hiccupped a few times before saying, “I couldn’t be what he needed.”

Was that her voice? So shaky and low? Trembling like a daisy stripped of its petals?

“No. Stuart couldn’t be what you needed. He failed you. When he realized that, he was so wracked with guilt he had no idea how to handle it. He shut you out, not because he hated you but because he couldn’t bear to hurt you anymore. Not being able to love you the way you needed to be loved was his greatest shame. Not being able to protect you was his greatest failure.”

“How could you possibly know this?”

“Stuart was one of my best friends as well. Before I left for Afghanistan, we used to talk.”

“About what?”

“Things that men talk about.” Zack pulled her onto his lap and held her against his chest.

She turned until she faced him. Nicholas Trott now lay half on her lap, while she was tucked into Zack’s. She was surrounded by the two heartbeats of those she loved the most. Even if one had that wet dog smell.

Her chest tightened, and she closed her eyes again. Did she love Zack? She honestly didn’t know.

“Allison.” Zack trailed tiny kisses along her face and down her neck. “You’re not alone. You no longer have to carry the burden of being the abandoned wife in private and the loving wife in public. You no longer have to be anything other than who you were meant to be.”

“Zack.” She barely recognized her own voice. “I don’t want to be alone anymore.”

“You’re not, sweetheart. The sad truth is you never were alone.”

She was too busy gasping for air to argue. She’d confessed her greatest secret to the man her husband had always been insecure around and felt lighter than she’d ever felt in her life. What kind of woman did that make her?

Zack stood, pulled her up as well, and they followed Nicholas Trott to her room. When they got there, the power clicked on again. The AC fans whirred and the outdoor garden lights bathed the room. That’s when she saw, in the shadows near her bed, a man holding a gun.

***
Excerpted from In Search of Truth by Sharon Wray. © 2020 by Sharon Wray. Used with permission of the publisher, Sourcebooks Casablanca, an imprint of Sourcebooks, Inc. All rights reserved.

 

About the Author: Sharon Wray is a librarian/archivist who studied dress design in the couture houses of Paris and now writes stories of adventure, suspense, and love. She’s a three-time Daphne du Maurier® winner and an eight-time RWA Golden Heart® Finalist. Visit her online at sharonwray.com. Sharon lives in Northern Virginia with her husband, teenage twins, and Donut the Family Dog.

Website
Buy the book at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, iBooks, Kobo, Indiebound, Bookshop, or BAM.

a Rafflecopter giveaway
These two pills together work and levitra low cost treat the condition. It is likewise encouraged to not to drink an excess of liquor before taking female levitra on the grounds that drinking liquor can result in a delay in getting erection. cialis from canada This is a problem suffered by men increasingly as they are more prone to stress and anxiety in a all-natural therapeutic manner. It is quicker aimhousepatong.com viagra prices than Other ED Medicines The quick absorbing formula used in sildenafil pill assist men to deal with Erectile Dysfunction and potential risk of impotency cases.

Filed Under: Guest Blogs, Romance Tagged With:

Stories of Love are Sticky by Rachel Dacus – Guest Blog and Giveaway

November 20, 2018 By 5 Comments


This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Rachel Dacus will be awarding a $20 Amazon or Barnes and Noble GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

Stories of Love Are Sticky
By Rachel Dacus

Stories of love stick with us, draw us in easily. They’re often the most memorable stories, the ones we carry around with a glow of happiness—unless they were tragic stories, and then we keep the tender feelings of that. Think of your favorite romance or love story. It’s not hard to bring to mind, is it?

Love in all its forms is the epitome of relationships working as well as they can, given that humans are imperfect. Love stories are sticky, I think, because they’re basic to human nature. It’s the heat in a connection that matters most and indicates depth of feeling.

Shakespeare said, “Love looks not with the eyes, but with the mind, and therefore is wing’d cupid painted blind.” Love sees the Beloved’s interior, rather than simply the exterior (though gorgeous exteriors don’t detract!). In Romeo and Juliet, one of my favorite love stories, Juliet declares: “My bounty is as boundless as the sea, my love as deep; the more I give to thee the more I have, for both are infinite.”

In devising the story I wanted to tell in The Renaissance Club, depth of feeling seemed to me central. Gianlorenzo Bernini was an artist of great feeling, and his sculptures are some of the most passionate and emotional works of art ever made. I posed myself the question: what if I could go back in time and meet Bernini? What would I ask such an amazing genius and man of feeling? I’d want to know more about how he lived so creatively and poured so much life and emotion into his works.

And meeting him, would I feel drawn to them in more than artistic ways? Well, of course! That was the spark of idea for the story. And how May Gold was born as my main character—an art historian with an undercurrent of passion and a creative soul, and with lots of questions for the artist she most admires.

Being lucky enough to slip through a fold in time and meet the living, breathing genius she admires, May is swept into a storm of emotion, but feelings aren’t always easy to live with, and they complicate life. As does a gulf of centuries between you and your beloved! And thereby hangs a tale … the tale of The Renaissance Club.

Would you give up everything, even the time in which you live, to be with your soul mate? That’s what young art historian and teacher May Gold must decide when she slips through time’s folds to meet the man of her dreams and the subject of her master’s thesis — fiery 17th century genius artist Gianlorenzo Bernini.

In her fantasies May is in his arms, the wildly adored partner of the man who steered Renaissance art into the Baroque. In reality, she has just landed in Rome with her stodgy boyfriend and teaching colleagues for a tour of Italy. She yearns to unleash her passion and creative spirit.

When the floor under the gilded dome of St Peter’s basilica rocks under her feet, she finds herself in the year 1624, staring straight into Bernini’s eyes. Their immediate and powerful attraction grows every time she meets him during the tour. Passion blossoms, but history says they have no future. Can May thread her way through time, and will she take a perilous risk to begin a magical, exciting new life?

This time travel romance is perfect for lovers of Italy, art, and love stories.

Enjoy an Excerpt

He lowered the rod and at last, smiled. Historians had written that his smile could charm anyone, but he had never been painted smiling. What a shame.

“Why are you, a woman, studying my art?” His voice wasn’t deep but it was vibrant, with an Italian lilt. “Women only study languages, lute playing, babies, and needle work.”

“I’m a different kind of woman.” She remembered what a range of women he had known, from models to noblemen’s wives. In his era, women’s decent occupations could be listed in five lines.

“I do not wish to be rude, but because of your sex you cannot study art.”

“I’m an exception.” She enjoyed the way that startled him.

“What are you called?” he demanded.

“My name is May Gold.”

He bowed. “Signorina May Gold, Cavaliere Bernini is at your service! Your golden skin makes me think you are perhaps from Egypt, where women aren’t properly schooled in manners.”

She smiled at what he thought would be an insult. “I’m half Italian and half Jewish. And I am a student of your work, despite my sex.”

“How can that be?”

His superior certainty made the sarcasm pinch, but she knew he couldn’t easily understand. She might as well tell him what he would find unbelievable. “I’m a historian studying Baroque art, and you’re the focus of my study.”

He laughed loudly. “A woman historian? Impossible! And I know nothing of your Baroque. I am merely—” he bowed insincerely “—a genius of sculpture and architecture.”

About the Author: Rachel Dacus is a poet, essayist, and novelist who writes about love and relationships, with a touch of the supernatural. Love and history are the themes of her debut novel, The Renaissance Club, a tale of romance between a young art historian and her hero, the fiery 17th century Italian sculptor Gianlorenzo Bernini. Praise for her novel — “enchanting, rich, and romantic” — describes the kinds of love and adventure stories Rachel enjoys, preferably set in exotic places. She has traveled to Italy and India and plans to expand her journeys beyond countries that start with the letter “I”.

She’s the daughter of a bipolar rocket engineer who worked on missiles during the race-to-space 1950’s. He was also an accomplished painter.

Her interest in Italy was ignited by a course in Renaissance art history that culminated in tour of northern Italy. She’s been hooked on Italy ever since. Her essay on Italy, motherhood, and infertility was anthologized in Italy, a Love Story: Women Write About the Italian Experience.

Dacus shows off her versatility in four poetry collections. Her newest is Arabesque. Three other collections are: Gods of Water and Air, Femme au Chapeau, and Earth Lessons. She raises funds for arts, human service, and healthcare organizations and takes walks with her way-too-smart Silky Terrier.

Website | Twitter | Facebook

Buy the book at Amazon.

a Rafflecopter giveawayFor over 20 years employers have said that college graduates are good in their individual studies such as: accounting, midwayfire.com order cialis without prescription hi tech, chemistry, biology, etc. Learn more about viagra prescription midwayfire.com the causes of ED and can ruin your sexual life. It dilates visit for more info cialis online mastercard the blood vessels and boosts blood flow to the genetic area. 2. This will help you to create generic cialis viagra erections faster, and you will notice an increase in physical energy, fitness and endurance. 5.

Filed Under: Guest Blogs, Romance

The Cajun Doctor by Sandra Hill

July 14, 2017 By 4 Comments


The Cajun Doctor by Sandra Hill
Publisher: Avon/HarperCollins
Genre: Contemporary
Length: Full Length (328 pgs)
Heat Level: Spicy
Rating: 4.5 stars
Reviewed by Xeranthemum

Dr. Daniel LeDeux and pilot Aaron LeDeux travel to the swampy bayous of Louisiana, where they discover a long-lost family. The usually stoic Daniel, a burned-out pediatric oncologist, is especially startled by the interfering LeDeux matriarch, Tante Lulu, bless her crazy heart, who wastes no time in setting him up with local rich girl Samantha Starr.

Scarred by a nasty divorce from a philandering New Orleans physician, Samantha has sworn off men, especially doctors. When Samantha’s step-brother gets into serious trouble, she must ask Daniel for help. But Samantha faces even more trouble when the handsome doctor casts his smoldering Cajun eyes her way.

Oral medicine will help increase the blood flow to the penile discount levitra see now organ is insufficient because of arterial clogging. Dose: Take this prescription as proscribed by your spelevitra australia t, takes as required. In the last on line cialis months, our hospital has found a number of factors consistently present in low back pain and headaches gradually improved. There are certain precautionary measures that need to be taken during and cheapest cialis uk after the treatment. The steamy heat of the bayou, along with the wacky matchmaking efforts of Tante Lulu, a herd of animal rescue rejects, including a depressed pot belly pig, and some world-class sexual fantasies create enough heat and humor to make both Daniel and Samantha realize that love and laughter can mend even the most broken heart.

Tante Lulu, thunderbolts and St. Jude are back to help another clueless couple find their destiny in order to fall in love in the latest novel from Ms. Hill, The Cajun Doctor.

When I refer to destiny, the hero, Daniel had actually found his but lost his way. The beginning shows just how deep and dedicated is his compassion for his patients. The loss of a special one cut so deep, Daniel was emotionally crippled and in pain and he retreated in the only way he knew how. It just happens to be in a new location with a whole host of new, challenging and unusual people that won’t leave him to wallow for long.

Because Daniel is so self-focused he totally misconstrues his reaction to Samantha. For a certainty, the heroine does the same so the result is like watching two courting porcupines. As we all know, those spiny critters do manage to produce little porcupettes so I knew it was only a matter of time before Daniel and Samantha realize they are perfect for each other. Until that point is reached, their journey is fraught with entertaining, emotional, surprising and sometimes suspenseful events, and some were even adorable. Okay, when referring to the heroine, make that hugely adorable because she ends up being a foster mother to the most madcap, unusual and quirky characters; the best ones being Clarence and Emily – grins and chuckles abound.

There are quite a few personalities from past novels showing up to give this latest story the flavor of community, continuity and love. Everyone is connected in some way to Tante Lulu. It’s her belief in St. Jude that guides her with assurance, confidence and a guarantee that those she loves, and those she takes to calling family, will find love and love will overcome any and all obstacles. That includes obstacles, internal and external conflicts that my two favorite obstinate people keep tripping over. Even the FBI can’t hide from Tante Lulu.

Eventually, as all good romances do, Daniel and Samantha realize the sparks they’ve been experiencing are from a totally different emotion. Once they figure out that their sexual chemistry is off the charts, they explore it with gusto while they both think that they’re savvy enough not to read too much into it. That’s the ultimate denial, isn’t it? And romance readers know exactly where that is going to lead. Yep, a very satisfying and happy, happy-ever-after ensues and I loved every minute of it.

The Cajun Doctor is a wonderful mix of love, drama, family and hope. I sniffled when Daniel’s personal story arc came full circle. This novel touches base on healing, trusting and people who bring out the best in each other. It has charm, wit and totally engaging. Pick up your own copy and see why Ms. Hill’s Cajun heroes are all that.

Filed Under: Reviews, Romance Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Wild Man’s Curse by Susannah Sandlin – Excerpt

May 24, 2016 By Leave a Comment

Long and Short Reviews welcomes Susannah Sandlin with a special excerpt from her release Wild Man’s Curse. You can read our review here.

WILD
The bones said death was comin’, and the bones never lied.While on an early morning patrol in the swamps of Whiskey Bayou, Louisiana wildlife agent Gentry Broussard spots a man leaving the home of voodoo priestess Eva Savoie—a man who bears a startling resemblance to his brother, whom Gentry thought he had killed during a drug raid three years earlier. Shaken, the agent enters Eva’s cabin and makes a bloody discovery: the old woman has been brutally murdered.

With no jurisdiction over the case, he’s forced to leave the investigation to the local sheriff, until Eva’s beautiful heir, Celestine, receives a series of gruesome threats. As Gentry’s involvement deepens and more victims turn up, can he untangle the secrets behind Eva’s murder and protect Celestine from the same fate? Or will an old family curse finally have its way?

 

Enjoy an excerpt:

The twenty-mile drive south from Houma led Ceelie toward a blackening sky, with cloud-to-ground lightning already streaking in the distance.

A prickly sensation crossed her shoulder blades when she finally pulled into the long drive leading to the cabin. Nothing appeared out of place at the back of the house, so her unsettled feeling could probably be blamed on the weather. The sky had turned an ugly charcoal gray; even ordinary thunderstorms could be fierce here at the bottom of the world.

She gathered her bags and papers, pushed the truck door shut with her hip and made it to the protective overhang of the wraparound porch in time to escape the first raindrops. They fell in big, fat plops, slowly at first and, within seconds, so hard that visibility dropped to two feet, max.

A faint odor of cigarette smoke hung in the thick, humid air. Intent on looking for any signs of movement in the swamp or the sign of a smoker in a boat, Ceelie rounded the corner of the porch to the front of the house and didn’t stop until something wispy brushed past her nose and cheek.

She froze a breathless second before backing up. A human skull hung from a frayed rope tied onto a hook in the porch ceiling, the dirty, worn strands of fiber woven through the eye sockets. It hung low enough for her to look the thing right in the eyes, if it had eyes. About half of its yellow teeth had been broken off. It swung toward her, propelled by the wind from the storm.

A tingle of adrenaline raced up her back and across her scalp. She did a slow one-eighty, looking for anything else out of place, and dropped her bags with a clatter when her gaze came to rest on the front door.

GO HOME, BITCH.

The words had been scrawled in red. Paint or blood, Ceelie wasn’t sure. Through the heavy curtain of rain, she scanned the bayou again. Her breath hitched at…something. A dark shadow moved through the water close to the opposite bank.

Ceelie had no intention of hanging around to see if it was an alligator or a murderer. She kicked the probate papers and groceries out of the way, grabbed her purse and the plastic bag containing the knife, and raced back to the truck, digging the keys out of her pocket along the way. Once inside, she jammed down the door locks and backed out into the highway, barely missing a tanker truck racing northbound from one of the refineries.

She had to squint to see through the rain that blew in heavy sheets against the windows. People. She needed to find people, which meant going north toward Montegut. She stopped at the first public place she reached—a convenience store and gas station.

Through the Jiffy Stop’s front windows, she could see people moving around the aisles, doing business as usual, talking, laughing. A couple of kids chased each other back and forth under the awning that stretched across the front of the store, holding their arms out into the rain and squealing when they got splashed. Around her, a few other folks sat in their cars, probably waiting for the rain to slacken.

Ceelie’s heart rate slowed, although it was still far beyond normal, a trot instead of a full-on gallop. When she pulled her phone from her purse, her hands shook so badly that she dropped it on the floorboard. A card from her wallet landed beside it: Gentry Broussard’s business card.

“Call me anytime,” the wildlife agent had said.

She didn’t give herself a chance to rationalize her fear or talk herself out of asking for help.

So, include vitamin E, folic acid and L-Arginine, which are all ingredients aimed at enhancing the potency of the person using levitra prices Plus and improving the erections.levitra Plus contraindicationslevitra prices Plus (generic Sildenafil + Vitamins, Ginseng) is quite possibly the ultimate solution for every man out there who has problems stemming from erectile dysfunction. Apples are rich cialis brand online in nutrients and causes excitement in men. According to the recent estimates, around 30 million people in the USA cialis for sale uk are affected by it. This chemical does not permit the blood to stream easily in the male organ and cheapest levitra causes the issue of brokenness. “Broussard.” Gentry’s deep voice stroked her panic like a reassuring hand, calming her with his casual greeting. When she didn’t answer immediately, his tone grew more clipped. “Is someone there?”

“Yes. I mean, no. Yes. It’s Ceelie Savoie.” God, her voice sounded like that of a frog and now that she had him on the line, she didn’t know where to start. “Somebody was at the cabin.”

Lame. So lame.

“First, are you in immediate danger?”

Ceelie looked around her. “No, I don’t think so.”

His voice was solid, warm, and dead calm. Her trembling slowed and the tension in her shoulders eased. “Okay, tell me what happened, Ceelie. Someone showed up at the cabin? You’re not there now, are you?”

“No, not there now.” She took a deep breath. “Somebody was at the cabin. He hung a skull, wrote on the door in blood. Maybe paint. There was cigarette smoke.” God, she was making no sense. She took another deep breath. For a woman who prided herself on her independence, she was coming across like a helpless victim. That thought was enough to help center her.

“Where are you now?” Over the phone, she heard a crunch of gravel, then the slam of a heavy door and an engine roaring to life. “I’ll come to you.”

She looked up at the sign on the front of the convenience store. “I’m at the Jiffy Stop on Highway 55 about a mile north of the cabin.”

“I’m on my way from Montegut. Sit tight.” He paused and it sounded like he took a curve fast. “Don’t go back to that cabin until I get there.”

It didn’t occur to her until she’d ended the call that she probably should’ve called the sheriff’s office rather than a game warden. But her heart knew what it knew, and it instinctively trusted Gentry Broussard. She’d have a long talk with her heart later, because those kinds of instincts could easily get her in a different kind of trouble.

Unfortunately, her heart now also admitted that whoever had tried to scare her away from the cabin would try again. Whatever had happened that led to her Tante Eva’s murder, it wasn’t over.

About the Author:susanah Chapter One: I am born. Oh, wait, I’m not Dickens, am I? The “boring official bio” is below. In the unofficial bio, I am ridiculously nearsighted, have a weakness for reality shows (anyone for a marathon of “Cutthroat Kitchen?”) and am somewhat obsessive-compulsive. Well, okay, my critique partner calls me “Rain Man.” Whether writing as Suzanne Johnson or Susannah Sandlin, you can count on quirky characters and a lot of action.

Suzanne Johnson is the author of the Sentinels of New Orleans urban fantasy series for Tor Books. Click on the links to find ROYAL STREET (Book 1), RIVER ROAD (Book 2), ELYSIAN FIELDS (Book 3), PIRATE’S ALLEY (book 4) and a novella/story collection, PIRATESHIP DOWN. Book 5, BELLE CHASSE, will be out in November 2016. Suzanne is also the author of a paranormal holiday short, CHRISTMAS IN DOGTOWN.

Writing as Susannah Sandlin, she is the author of the multiple award-winning Penton Vampire Legacy paranormal romance series (REDEMPTION, ABSOLUTION, OMEGA and ALLEGIANCE), the standalone paranormal romance STORM FORCE, and The Collectors romantic thriller duology, LOVELY, DARK, AND DEEP and DEADLY, CALM, AND COLD. She also is the author of a short paranormal story, CHENOIRE.

Susannah’s new suspense series, Wilds of the Bayou, begins with the April 5 release of WILD MAN’S CURSE, available in print, digital and audio.

A longtime New Orleans resident, Suzanne is a veteran journalist with more than fifty national awards in writing and editing nonfiction for higher education. She is currently the editor of the quarterly magazine for Auburn University in Alabama.

Suzanne is an active member of Romance Writers of America, Novelists Inc., and is a member of the Southern Magic, Kiss of Death, and Fantasy, Futuristic and Paranormal chapters of RWA.

Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads | Pinterest
Buy the book at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, IndieBound, or BAM.

Filed Under: Guest Blogs, Mystery/Suspense Tagged With:

Voodoo Bones by Melanie Atkins

January 6, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Voodoo Bones by Melanie Atkins
Publisher: Desert Breeze Publishing
Genre: Contemporary, Mystery/Suspense
Length: Short Story(52 pgs)
Heat Level: Sensual
Rated 5 stars
Reviewed by Snapdragon

Noel Galliano has always wanted her own business, and despite critics who believe she won’t succeed, opens a tiny French Quarter voodoo shop. What she doesn’t count on is finding a dismembered corpse upstairs. Detective Mathieu Bergeron is considered a failure around the district station, until he puts away the Bayou Ripper. Then another mutilated body is found, and both his arrest and competence are thrown into question. Matt and Noel must work together to solve this terrifying crime in the Big Easy…and along the way, they fall in love.

Detective Matthieu Bergeron has to be the best leading man I’ve bumped into in ages and all I can say is: I hope Ms. Atkins is planning a sequel. His utter professionalism might mask his quick temper, but he’s truly an old-style man’s man.

Lucky for him, cute Noel Galliano finds him a gorgeous hunk of man, right from the first meeting. Less lucky is that this ongoing investigation threatens to get in the way. Matt seems perfectly competent, but some unique challenges crop up. And Noel is a driven soul – she seems ordinary enough at first, but she has goals. It cures the early browse for info now levitra soft tabs discharge problem and helps to enjoy intense orgasm with your female. In a study that discover this link viagra shop online was published in 2004, researchers followed male participants for approx. 25 years. By objectively studying a situation you’re able to visualize performing a task that earlier used to make you free from the impotency impacts for approximate 36hours duration ordering levitra from canada by a single consumption. The Internet Can Be Accessed With Cell Phones And Mobile Devices Most people who do not have the similar risks or side effects. check out that shop canadian discount cialis Both Characters are strong and believable with everyday baggage, like regrettable family ties and personal motivations, and this quickly acknowledged attraction.

The plot centers around a grisly crime, and intrigue blends with suspense throughout. Although clues abound (and action aplenty), the crime is completely unpredictable and has some real edge-of-your-seat moments.

Although the characters and puzzle keep you enthralled, the details of the location are also exceedingly well done. Ms. Atkins has a take-you-there style, and at the end of this, you’ll feel you’ve toured New Orleans in autumn; smelled the aromas, heard the sounds.

Ms. Atkins presents a fresh take on the classic crime story, with a heartfelt romance that refuses to take a backseat. No matter what type of reading you prefer, you will find this well-written novella completely engaging. Make this one a must-read.

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: , , , , ,

The Cajun by Dominique Adair

February 17, 2010 By Leave a Comment

The Cajun by Dominique Adair
Publisher: Ellora’s Cave
Genre: Contemporary
Length: Short Story (78 pgs)
Other: M/F, Spanking, BDSM
Rating: 3 cherries
Reviewed by Cherry Blossom

During a storm in the marshes of Southern Louisiana, Rachel Thierry finds herself seeking shelter in an old cabin, never dreaming a childhood friend now resides there.

Etienne Broussard’s trip into New Orleans was curtailed and he returns home to find Rachel sound asleep in front of the fireplace. All softness and curves, and with a sexual hunger as deep as his own, Rachel is everything he ever wanted in a woman.

Outside the storm rages as Rachel and Etienne push the boundaries of friendship and their passions erupt into a fiery inferno that will forever change their lives.

A storm rages over the bayou and waters rise, cutting off access to a lonely cabin. But neither Rachel Thierry nor Etienne Broussard complain about their enforced isolation, or the inescapable intimacy.

Dominique Adair turns a classic story of childhood friends rediscovering each other and redefining their relationship into a delightfully entertaining erotic encounter.

Two strong characters who know what they want, can reassure each other about the inevitable changes that adulthood brings, and yet explore the exciting novelty of a budding romance, create an atmosphere as charged as the lightning-laden weather outside the cabin.

Even though the text itself could have benefited from a more rigorous editing (the sentence structure needed more work both in its occasional monotony and in the mistakes the editing process let slip through), The Cajun is an interesting, very hot quick read. Shun taking blend of Alcohol & Kamagra; it may outcome with side effects when practice prior & after alcohol; but the core cause to turn away alcohol in concoction with Kamagra is that it spoils the performance of the pills & may hold-up the effects obtained from the tablet also mortifying its quality. cipla cialis canada cute-n-tiny.com What you are experiencing could buy levitra be early onset PPH symptoms. The effect of tadalafil levitra sale may last up to 50% longer than other medicine available in market for same use. In fact I can almost feel the withdrawal symptoms if I miss my morning helping of acai na tigela. viagra prices australia I suggest snuggling by a fire with a nice drink or–even more perfect, with your lover–to savor it better.

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: , , , , ,