Soulful Alliance

Weekenders Romance Watch

New Bayou Love Romances Release

Author: Mickie Sherwood
Genre: Mainstream Romance
Buy: Amazon | B&N | Kobo
Price: $0.99 - Last day for introductory price is September 16, 2018

Blurb:

Hounded by a childhood tragedy most of her adult life, Marcy Rayburn tucks tail and hides out in Bayou Country, forsaking a high-profile singing career and all chances of any meaningful relationships. No matter how long she’s been out of the limelight, the reclusive entertainer finds that she’s still fodder for the gossip news. Will the appearance of Jack, an unannounced interloper, cast her back into the spotlight and her heart into a tailspin?

Unceremoniously dumped by his fiancée, Jack Connolly has spent the last few years living in an alternate reality. Going down South to repair and retrieve the company’s helicopter is a pain in his rear. That pain soon has a name, and ultimately, a grip on his walled-off heart. Is he willing to revisit his old world and sacrifice his freedom to give Marcy what she needs?

Two hearts ache. But, will a soulful alliance remedy the pain or only mask the hurt?

Soulful Alliance is a sweetly sensual, relationship-based love story.



Enchanting Excerpt:
Burped, fed, and ready to play, she placed Mya on a pallet spread out in the Great Room. Marcy sat cross-legged beside her. The laptop screen stared at her like a big-eyed specter waiting to steal her thoughts. “This is hopeless.”

Writer’s block was an inevitable outcome to the looming deadline for her latest manuscript. Too many distractions pulled her in too many directions. Her lids fluttered rapidly, eyes magnetized to the cursor’s hypnotizing blink. Marcy’s descent into oblivion was a few seconds in length. However, she jerked awake in a terrorized state, relieved to see Mya napping. “Jack.” She launched upward and rocketed outside.

“Jack!” her terrified shriek rent the air. She bolted blindly, kicking herself for leaving him unattended too long. “Come, Jack!”

“Son-of-a-bitch!” A man’s voice thundered. “What?”

His yell startled Marcy. He sprinted in her direction from the other side of the helicopter. Her antennae skyrocketed. All she saw was danger blitzing her way. She cut short and made a beeline for the house.

Marcy looked over her shoulder at him. He gained on her, his head down like a sprinter off the blocks. A baseball cap obscured most of his features. However, the bush of hair around his mouth flared red—an admonition for her to beware.

Her heart pounded loud enough to rupture her eardrums. The harder she pushed, the farther away her refuge seemed to get. She tamed the hair from her eyes for another quick glance. Foreboding knotted in the pit of her stomach. He was swifter than she. That unfortunate truth bore out. A vise squeezed her upper arm.

Marcy hollered and fought for her life.

“Stop hitting me!” he commanded, flinging the arm out that held her captive.

The move bandied her about like a rag-doll. His cap hit the ground as he turned his head toward the house in the distance. His distraction was her chance.

She wanted her freedom. Nothing else would do. So, she attacked with everything she had: biting his hand, elbowing, stomping. All of her efforts failed when his arm snaked around her body, constricting her intake of breath. The more she struggled, the tighter he compressed. Her feeble attempts at extrication turned her thoughts to Mya—all alone.

“The baby’s in the house.” She cursed the fragility in her tone.

“I’m not going to hurt you, lady,” he stormed.

“But, you are.” She heaved, unable to control the panting while bent over the crook of his arm, her body gouged into his.

“I just want you to stop kicking my ass, that’s all.”

For Mya’s sake, she had no choice but to make a deal with the devil. She went limp.

“I’m going to release you to turn around. Can you do that without a fight?”

“Yes.”

He did as committed. “Turn around.”

She turned all right and took off again. Marcy zigzagged across the field to throw him off. He jetted right behind her, practically breathing down her neck. Then, the fingers he slipped through her hair grazed her scalp. His grasp thwarted her escape. He transferred his grip to her arm, spinning her around so fast her eyes locked on his white-knuckled hold.




Jack races toward love. Marcy's heart is the finish line.


Website: http://www.mickiesherwood.com/blog
Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/MickieSherwood
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/Louisiana_Lady

Templet's Tasty Tails

Weekenders Romance Watch

My brand new release is available now!

 

Author: Mickie Sherwood
Genre: Mainstream Romance
Buy: Amazon


Blurb:
Web Designer Erika Washington's contract with her childhood best friend covers all possibilities about her pregnancy. But, one unpredictable event redirects her future. As a donor-surrogate, what does one do when fate changes the plan and claims the lives of the intended parents? If you're selfless, strong-willed Erika Washington, you mount a defense to keep your baby.

Entrepreneur Booker Templet, owner of Templet's Tasty Tails, secretly agrees to help his first cousin. However, unfortunate circumstances change the course of his life. After he learns the identity of the other donor, Booker plans to be a part of his child's life. No matter what.

Will Erika and Booker battle over custody of the baby? Will their horrible loss help them find consolation in each other's arms? Or will fate intervene yet again?


Enchanting Excerpt:
"Listen to me." He caught up to her in the back yard. "Maybe I have no right to feel this way. But I feel like a lion, ferocious and protective of you."

She paced under the moss-draped shade tree. On her turnaround, Booker caressed her shoulders. When she refused to look at him, he used his thumb to lift her chin.

"You have wheedled your way into my blood, Erika." He touched his forehead to hers. "All without your knowledge."

"We've been through this, Booker." Erika resisted the pull of his male magnetism. "To you, I'm the means to an end. You want this baby."

"I do. I've already admitted that. What I've begun to dream is"—he palmed her cheeks—"you'll let me work on making this a package deal."

"That's insulting." Erika clamped her mouth shut.

Booker closed in as he made what she defined as lust to her with his eyes. The kiss started up from her chin. The moment he touched his lips to hers, incredible images sprang into Erika's mind. A blazing fire erupted within.

"We're in public." She moaned against his mouth.

"There should be no mistaking my intentions, Erika." Booker breathed the words. "I'm so into you. No pun intended."

Check out the "make believe" cast of Templet's Tasty Tails on my Pinterest board. What do you think?

Website: http://www.mickiesherwood.com/blog/posts
Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/MickieSherwood
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/Louisiana_Lady
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/mickiesherwood/templets-tasty-tails-storyboard/

Her Savage Heart

Weekenders Romance Watch

Author: Chandler Adams
Genre: Mainstream Romance
Buy: Amazon

Blurb:
Margaret knew that staying on the claim alone was not going to be easy, but she needed to stay behind and take care of the homestead while her father made the arduous trip to replenish their supplies. Margaret is forcefully abducted by a savage. Only after freeing herself and eventually helping her abductor does Margaret learn that the savage, Avonaco, had saved her from certain death. Through the course of time, Margaret and she finds herself becoming attracted to the Indian. She is willing to defy territorial law to love and be with him.


Enchanting Excerpt:
She hesitated before going back into the cabin. She had a wounded Indian in her home. She felt that she could comfortably nurse him back to health, but what was she going to do with him afterwards? Did she really want a healthy Indian in her home? She still did not know why he had tried to abduct her and, though she felt that he did not intend to kill her, she had no proof to the contrary. She realized that she may be inviting the cause of her own demise into her home.

Margaret shrugged off those thoughts and began the arduous task of getting the Indian into a bed. He would have to sleep in her father’s bed. Her room was in the loft, and there was no way she would be able to carry the Indian up the stairs to put him in her bed. The words “her bed” made her catch her breath. The thought of the Indian lying naked in her bed excited her in a way she had never felt before.

Finally, the realization struck her like a lightning bolt. She was attracted to the Indian. What a difference a few hours had made. At one point she was loading the rifle, wondering if she would be able to shoot him dead if needed. The next moment, she was fantasizing about having him in her bed, lying next to him, touching every inch of his body.



Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/chandler.adams.3701
Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/ChandlerAdams22

Change of Heart

Weekenders Romance Watch

Author: C.J. Rand
Genre: Mainstream Romance
Buy: Amazon


Blurb:
Pop star Cheyenne Roberts has a singing voice that’s earned her two platinum albums. No one knows she’s a prisoner of her former pimp, Ice Boudreaux. When her tour bus breaks down in the middle of nowhere, she flees, determined to leave her demons behind.

When Paul Sampson picks up a hitchhiker one night, it turns out to be Cheyenne. She’s suffering from withdrawal symptoms and has baggage she’s not willing to discuss. Paul doesn’t care about her past, only her future, which he envisions himself a part of.

But Ice wants his superstar back. Will Cheyenne have a chance at redemption before Ice destroys the new life she’s built? 


Enchanting Excerpt:

She held Paul’s gaze, staring into green eyes that made her think of the moss-covered bayous in Louisiana where she played as a child. With bronzed skin kissed by the sun, eyebrows as thick as caterpillars, and lips that looked perfect for kissing, he looked more like a model than a reverend. As he sat across from her in a striped blue shirt and camel slacks, he exuded confidence.  He was far from cocky, but anyone who spoke to him for more than a minute knew he was a man in charge. She wondered how any female parishioner within a hundred mile radius could focus on the sermon with this hottie in sight.

She knew she shouldn’t think of him like that. She had no business even talking to him. He was a man of God.  If he knew the vile things she’d done.  The things she’d allowed to be done to her body. The substances she’d ingested to make her forget her repugnant memories.  The abuse she’d accepted in exchange for one iota of affection. The pain and humiliation she’d been subjected to. What would he think of her then? 



Website: http://cjrand.com
Email: rand3435@yahoo.com

Christmas Crush

Weekenders Romance Watch

My new Christmas romance released today! Enjoy reading this excerpt. Then, go to Mickie's Mutterings to read the entire first chapter. Leave me a comment.

Author: Mickie Sherwood

Genre: Inspirational Romance

Buy: Amazon

Blurb:

Although Ashley Wagner feels more like Scrooge than Santa, she keeps her promise and accompanies her sister back home for a Christmas wedding. Her three-day weekend is off to a rocky start, thanks to the unexpected run-in with her womanizing ex-husband, and his very pregnant new wife. She manages to get away with her dignity intact, but later, with old wounds ripped open, the professional crisis manager ends up in the middle of her own life-altering predicament.

Then, sports journalist Craig Johnston, wheels to her rescue.

Will Ashley spend Christmas brooding over bitter memories? Or will Craig, a dynamic paraplegic, present the deserving divorcée with a gift she can't resist?

Enchanting Excerpt:
Driven to perfect his sports news piece, Craig glanced from his laptop to the telephone when it rang. In a way, he was glad for the interruption. The knot in his neck said he’d been hard at work for hours. “Yeah?”

“There are two ladies here to see you.” The female voice on the phone advised.

Since the station operated on a skeleton crew because of the holiday, the call was from the security officer in the building’s lobby. Adjusting the rolled up sleeve of his white shirt, he asked, surprised, “Visitors to the station on Christmas Eve, Donna?”

“They say it’s about this morning.”

Those words commandeered his attention. “This morning?” He slapped down the cuff of both sleeves. “I’m on my way.” Quickly, he buttoned them, pushed back from the desk, then rushed from the office. His door shut with a bang. Craig took the hallway to the elevators, almost running down a co-worker when he turned the corner.

“Hey! Where’s the fire, Craig?”

“Sorry,” was all he had time to say as he continued on his way.
The elevator seemed to take a long time to arrive. Finally, the doors opened, and he dashed to board.

Memories flooded back to him on the ride down. Craig remembered how he recognized the woman was in trouble. Her luminous eyes held a faraway look. Nevertheless, in no way did that obscure their charismatic beauty. He reminisced about the cottony soft skin of the hand he held.

The elevator bell dinged.

Abruptly, he was a bundle of nerves. Big, strong, athletic sportsman, Craig Johnston experienced something he hadn’t in years—immediate infatuation—for a stranger, no less.

Chances of a slow reveal past as the security officer beckoned in his direction. The two pivoted together. Their resemblance was so remarkable. Although one appeared slightly older, he surmised a familial relationship. The younger one failed in her attempt to hide what he assumed was pity and alarm. His wheelchair probably caused her reaction. The woman he rescued never batted an eye of surprise. To his amazement, he watched her stroll over. A majestic smile curved her luscious-looking lips.

“I’m Ashley Wagner.” She extended her hands to him. “I believe you’re the one I should thank for being so kind to me this morning.”

Taking her outstretched hands, Craig looked at her. No longer in a rush, he took time to analyze Ashley. A feeling, akin to this morning’s enchantment, zapped him. “Are you all right?”

At that point, Ashley’s action mystified him. Craig watched her close her eyes. But, she never removed her hands from his fingers.

“Ask me that question again,” she urged.

Baffled, he obliged. “Are you all right?”

“That voice.” Her eyes reopened. They seemed to shower him with a joyful gaze. “I would recognize that chivalrous rumble anywhere.” Ashley squeezed his hands as if to impart power to her gratitude. “It is you.”

B&N | Kobo

Blog: http://www.mickiesherwood.com/blog

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/MickieSherwood

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/Louisiana_Lady

Excerpts: Like Slow Sweet Molasses/ Cutie and the Cowboy Trucker/ BayouBabe99er

Friendly reminder of emotional love stories to nourish your five senses & squeeze your heart! What goes on in your kitchen?

 

Like Slow Sweet Molasses

#1 RRP Hotseller

Genre: Mainstream Interracial Romance

Heat: Sensual

Price: $4.99 Amazon/ $4.79 Coffeetime + CTR has my other RRP romances reduced

Scene:

Angela allows Chance to offer her refuge after she learns of a long hidden family secret.

 

Chance ambled into the kitchen intending to rustle up a couple of sandwiches, putting the peanut butter, jelly and bread on the table. He wasn't a great cook but held his own as far as bachelor meals were concerned. He hadn't shopped in days and offered what he had available. Mismatched plates clanked in one hand as the other secured the milk carton and two glasses. The butter knife was the final item to the party.

Continuing, he asked, "Want to talk about it?"

"Nothing to tell. I'm a b*****d baby, that's all." A crimson stain flushed upwards indicating it started from her toes.

Her admission floored him.

"My father is a b*****d who treated my mom like a rug and loved his children like a drug addict loved getting busted. I don't consider that a reflection on me." He began slapping peanut butter on slices of wheat bread using the same knife to dip the jelly.

"Not the same thing I can assure you." Watching him fix the first sandwich, she stopped him before he moved on to the next. "Nothing for me. Thanks."

He saw the little wrinkle on the bridge of her nose. "Don't eat peanut butter?"

"Can't eat peanut butter. Deathly allergic."

"Oh. How about a jelly sandwich, then?" Chance's big bite lopped his sandwich in half.

"Can't." Beating him to the punch, she explained, "You put the peanut butter knife in the jelly. Any peanut residue can send my body into anaphylactic shock."

Chance opened an overhead cabinet to remove a fresh jar of apple jelly and plopped down a clean knife for her use. Angela dug in with relish, rewarding him with a semi-smile. "All these years," she licked at the jelly on her fingers, "and I never suspected a thing."

 

 

 

Cutie and the Cowboy Trucker

#1 Bookstrand Mainstream Bestseller

Genre: Mainstream African-American Romance

Heat: Sensual

Price: $2.66

Scene:

Veronica and Mike try to wind down after a horrific event that happened in the wee hours of the morning tests her trust in him.

 

Distress entered her eyes.

"I'm sorry for dredging up sad memories. Losing your love is heart-stopping."

His chair scraped when he sat. "You say that like you've been there."

She sighed. "I have."

Veronica seemed to spend a few private moments back in time. Her look expressed deepest sympathies better than any spoken words. Tiredness etched her face as the wee hours of the morning shed its darkness. The rumble outside lassoed Mike's attention.

"That's one of my drivers coming in." Mike left the table for a look across the yard. He drank from his cup while watching the truck limp to a stop. "That doesn't look good."

Veronica joined him at the window. "All the more reason for me to get out of your hair."

"I meant it when I said you're not in the way here." He faced her now. "Don't make a drastic decision you'll regret."

"Too late," she whispered.

"Regrets about the trade, huh?"

"If only you knew."

Mike gulped the last dregs of his coffee. "I think I have a problem I need to solve."

"I'll take that." Her reach for his mug brushed his hand.

"Thanks," Mike said, his concentration glued on other matters now. He paid scant attention, absently let go of his cup, and pecked her a spontaneous good-bye on the lips. The feathery touch shocked him. "Veronica!" He was embarrassed. "I–I—"

Her eyes were as wide as saucers.

"Please forgive me. I didn't mean for that to happen. I wasn't thinking."

"Mike, it's okay. No harm done." She put distance between them.

"Here I am, trying to convince you I'm trustworthy, and I do a boneheaded thing like that."

"You aren't going to jump my bones when I turn my back, are you, Mike?"

Her question alarmed him. "Hell no!"

"Okay." Veronica snickered. "It's forgotten."

With that, Mike rushed out of the kitchen, mumbling to himself as he went. But he was long out of earshot for her to understand what he said. He beat up on himself. Twenty-four hours in Veronica's company and she had rattled the bars jailing his heart.

Mike loped on toward the garage. He was hesitant to look back, yet he was unable to fight her allure. He took the chance.

            Veronica waved. He ducked behind his truck. A hasty peek let him see she'd gotten the hint and vacated the window.

 

 

 

BayouBabe99er

5 Star B&N Reader Rating

Genre: Mainstream Interracial Romance

Heat: Sensual

Price: $2.51

Scene:

Although Sharlene appreciates Drake's help in rescuing her uncle, she tries to discourage his persistent advances.

 

...Sharlene busied herself in the kitchen putting the finishing touches on the coffee started last evening. Drake's appearance provoked her to head for the door.

"Thanks again." She flung it wide open.

"Aren't you going to offer me a cup?"

"I'm worn out, and I'm sure you are, too."

"You owe me the rest of the story, Sharlene."

"You know all I know." She kept her answers short and curt to discourage his visit.

Drake covered her hand, the one holding the door. "I really came to warn you yesterday." He eased the door to a close. "I didn't tell anyone your identity," he promised, leaning closer.

Sharlene ducked. "Business association only." The coffeepot beeped right on time. She escaped right under his nose.

Two mugs and the fixings hit the table. Sharlene used that distraction as her invitation for him to wander over to a seat. She bustled about the kitchen in an attempt to give the goose bumps that sprang up on her arms time to vanish before she joined him. She'd forgotten the warm, homey sensation that surrounded one when in the presence of someone special.

Sharlene poured the steaming hot coffee, took her seat, and sampled her creamy, sweetened brew. She eyed Drake over the rim of her cup, cognizant that he pretended indifference to her blatant observation. Her secret thoughts evaporated into thin air throughout the cozy kitchen with each hindered breath she inhaled.

 

* * * *

The very idea Drake faced a challenge to his love sobriety intensified the nagging question about his future. He had muddled through life on autopilot since the tragic deaths of his family nearly four years ago. Work was his company keeper—his sanity regulator. Looking at the gorgeous redhead on the other side of the table had him wondering if he was ready for a heart fixer. Better yet, was she ready for him?

He spooned sugar into his coffee, lounged back in his seat, and kept a daring eye on Sharlene. Sharlene returned his gaze. Her eyes shifted from his face to keep track of each sweep of his hand as the spoon clanged against his cup. The ticking seconds strengthened his resolve to pursue her affections. They sipped through a six-cup pot—slowly. Drake was satisfied to savor the quiet moment where only she existed in his world.

 

Buy: http://www.amazon.com/Mickie-Sherwood/e/B003M0W8SM