​#RomanticIdea
 
With the beautiful weather outside, what better time is there to be outdoors?
So why not go to the park and take a picnic?
Spread a blanket out on the ground, talk, eat and enjoy. By spending quality with the ones we love, we grow closer and form a stronger bond.
 

​ Stormy
by Tina Gayle
 
A widower, a divorcee, co-workers, lovers... a future together... marriage?
Consoling each other for years over each other’s misfortune, Karen and Daniel turn a friendship into a weekend of unbridled red-hot passion.  The heat between them leads to thoughts of a future together.  That is…
Until children, an ex-husband, an unexpected heart attack, a conniving trophy-wife, guilt and personal choices come between them.  Will the heat of their passion, let them break from the past and move into the future?

Excerpt:
 
“Damn it, Daniel, if I find you with a young chickadee like I did my ex-husband,” she growled as she trudged up the staircase. “I might be tempted to...”   
Her gaze immediately fell on the empty king-size bed. Exasperated by her inability to find him, she quickly scanned the entire room...desk area, open closet, bathroom... the door closed. Light glowed through the seam between the floor and the bottom edge. “Daniel, if you’re in the bathroom come out this minute.”
The entrance opened, and he stood in the doorway.
Problem, he wore only a towel.
Awe, shit... she didn’t need to see his bare chest covered in crisp dark hair, the sculptured muscles of his arms and shoulders, developed pecs, and thick thighs.
Damn, how was she supposed to resist such temptation?
Desire added to the anxiety she’d already experienced on her drive here, lit her anger. “Why the hell didn’t you answer your phone? I’ve been calling and texting you for the last two hours.”
A confused frown passed over his handsome face. Instead of responding, he stepped to the bedside table. He lifted his cell phone and clicked a few buttons.
Unable to contain her impatience, Karen stalked forward.
He glanced up when she grew closer and showed her the phone. “I don’t understand it. I don’t show receiving any messages or calls. The signals must have gotten lost because of the storm.”
She’d suspected as much. Still, she refused to let him off the hook because he could’ve contacted her before he left town. “You should’ve called me. But no...”
Having endured his inability to communicate for months now, she stabbed her finger through the air at him. “You never call. You always expect me to phone you. Well, I’ve had it.”
The distance closed between them and she stood inches from him. Her fingertip tapped his chest. Static electricity sparked between them and her fist unfolded. She stumbled backward.
“Whoa.” Daniel caught her around the waist with one hand and held her close. His phone landed on the bed before he circled his other arm around her. His strong grip held her steady and didn’t allow her to step away. “You’re right. I guess I’m just use to...”
“Don’t say it. I’ve heard it too many times. Sharon might have resented the interruptions, but I’m not her. I’m never in any type of meeting that you could possibly disrupt.” Karen spread her hands over his chest and worked to maintain a smidgen of distance. Nevertheless, with him so near, his warmth surrounding her in a seductive cocoon, she had to fight the urge to melt against him.
“Yes, but if I called you whenever I wanted we’d never get off the phone.” The husky tone of his voice pulled her gaze upward.
Spying the silly grin on his face, she shook her head. “Don’t play with me, Daniel. I was worried that something bad might’ve happened to you.”
He cupped the back of her neck and guided her head to his shoulder. “You worry too much. Nothing’s going to happen to an old dog like me.”
 
Now available at  Amazon
www.amazon.com/dp/B00N8797R4
​

Author Bio:
 
Tina Gayle grew up a dreamer and loved to escape into the world of books.
After years of working in the business world doing a variety of jobs, she decided to try her hand at writing. Her books touch the heart and show the true joy of being a woman.
 
Read the first chapter of any of her books by visiting her website.
 
​
Find Tina Gayle everywhere
 
Home - www.tinagayle.net
Blog - www.tinagayle.blogspot.com
Twitter - https://twitter.com/#!/AuthorTinaGayle
Facebook - http://www.facebook.com/tina.gayle
Amazon Author Page http://www.amazon.com/Tina-Gayle/e/B002BM9GR8
​

I'm thrilled to welcome Diane Saxon to my blog and share her hot new release, Barbara's Redemption.
​
​Blurb:
 
Black Hawk pilot Captain Barbara Lynn Perry is running scared. Witness to an event too horrible to think about and too dangerous to talk of, she finds herself alienated from a world she has always had faith in.
With her Special Forces brother missing, she has only one other person to turn to. When her friend Flynn Swann isn’t available, Barbara is left with no choice but to trust the man Flynn sends to save her.
Psychiatrist Dominic Salter’s information from her superior officer’s file is that Barbara has gone rogue. Despite the damning evidence, every instinct tells him he’s dealing with an honorable woman, one who single-handedly saved Flynn from torture and a sure death. Dominic’s challenge is to delve his way beneath her tough, defensive attitude and coax the truth from a woman who’s too frightened to reveal her dark secret.
In his brand new facility containing a state of the art Dreampsych Transcender he’s experimenting with, a machine far beyond a simulator, Dominic has to gain the trust and confidence of Barbara while he resists the hard pull of attraction to this kick-ass woman.
Betrayed by a member of his staff, events take a sinister turn, and the pressure is on in a fight against time for Dominic to persuade Barbara to put her trust in him and reveal the truth before matters are taken out of his hands.
 
 
Pre-Order Links & Order Links
Amazon UK | Amazon.Com |  https://store.kobobooks.com/en-us/ebook/barbara-s-redemption   | iTunes
 
Excerpt
When he skimmed his identification card across the glossy surface of his desk, she leaned forward and shot her hand out to stop it from flying off the edge.
She studied the card. If it was to be believed, and she had no reason to doubt it.
“Retired Army Major?” She cast him a quick glance and then looked back down. Now working for some government department of psychology. Interesting load of initials after his name, but she hadn’t a clue what most of them meant. She understood the one for medical doctorate, and it appeared he was a professor.
Another fleeting look at the cardigan and glasses coaxed a smile from her. Of course he was. It would explain a lot. She studied the initials again. It seemed he’d qualified as a psychiatrist too. Not surprising he had a few silver hairs. Why was it silver hair gave men such attractive sophistication?
He must have spent most of his life studying to gain all the qualifications listed after his name. A nice name, a good strong name. Dominic Salter.
She flipped his ID back across the desk to him. “Great picture.”
His hair had been shorn close to his head, typical army, unlike the man in front of her whose hair flopped in attractive abundance around his angular face. He was a good-looking man, his smoky eyes surrounded with thick sooty lashes the main feature of his face, but the swath of hair gave him a bad-boy look in direct opposition to the impression he presented with his half-moon glasses, smart shirt and tie, and professor cardigan. A veritable contradiction and the yummiest professor she’d ever seen.
It must be the stress and lack of sleep. She needed far more than one night to catch up.
She couldn’t remember the last time she’d felt the slide of lust, but the man behind the desk had little vibrations of interest sparking her nerve ends. Totally inappropriate under the circumstances.
He raised one eyebrow and made her aware her study of him was a little too intense. “So, we’ll do this officially, as it’ll all be on record. Could you please tell me your name?”
She pulled her legs in and jerked upright. She wasn’t yet ready to get down to the official. The uncomfortable curl in her stomach made her want to avoid anything official. Instead she gave him a broad smile. “Betty Boop.”
One black eyebrow raised as he pursed his mouth. It was a nice mouth, a good mouth. An extraordinarily kissable mouth. She almost shook her head in disbelief. There was no way she should allow herself thoughts along those lines about a man who’d volunteered himself, because of Flynn, to help her. It must be an overload of adrenaline still in her system allowing her brain to fantasize inappropriately.
“Perhaps the name you were born with, not your stage name.”

Deadly Alliance, romantic suspense
Finbar Donahue, former Army Ranger, walked on the wild side in Iraq, but now he lives in the shadows. After his evasive partner, Les, was shot in a random drive-by, Finn discovers cash is siphoned monthly. He fights to keep his investment company afloat. When the late partner’s girlfriend, Amy Kintyre, applies for his bookkeeping job, Finn suspects she knows about his company drain and hires her.
Amy needs a nine-to-five with free evenings and weekends to get her fashion design business back on track. She unearths Les’ s secret bank account and alerts Finn. Freezing of the money laundering account sets off havoc within an Irish gang. Amy witnesses a gang fight between a brutal ISIS fundraising organization and the Irish. Desperate to escape a stalker’s crosshairs, she seeks refuge with Finn. As danger heats up, sparks fly hotter.
Interview—Finn and Amy
Let’s interview the hero of Deadly Alliance,  Finbar Donahue.
1. Nickname:  Finn. My full name is Finbar Michael Donahue.
2. Job: I own my own investment company, but who’s the chickenshit stealing money from me?  My goal is to find the thief.
3. Level of schooling:  B.A. in finance, former Army Ranger. That was when I targeted a known enemy.  Believe me, it’s harder now.
I’ve got a few questions for the heroine, Amy Kintyre.

1. What’s your dream job? I want to get my sportswear design business back on track.  A few days ago a buyer phoned me and gave me an opportunity to present my line.  I need a nine-to-five with evenings and weekends off to sew mockups. 
2. Is that why you applied for Finbar Donahue’s bookkeeping job?  Yes, but I have a huge problem.   Last night I found a sketchy bank account belonging to my late boyfriend, Les.  He and Finn were partners.
3. Would you enjoy working for Finn?  No, but there aren’t many job openings in Lake Arrowhead.

 
Short excerpt-- Amy’s first day working for Finn
Hours later, Finn straightened his spine as he listened to his new bookkeeper order Rosenberg around with the authority of an Army lieutenant. She spoke with confidence from her chair and waited for answers with intensity. Somehow she came across larger than her delicate self.
“Brad,” his pretty war buddy said, “I’ll need your password to access activity-to-date.” Her attitude wasn’t for show. Her curiosity propelled her to the depths of the drain. Heaven help those who lurked there.
“Sure thing.” Brad blew out a breath and scribbled his password on a sticky note. Handing it to her, he bent to her level.
She said, “I apologize for causing chaos.”
“No apology necessary.” Brad asked, “What are you working on?”
Jumping in, Finn said, “Comparisons, Rosenberg, that’s what she’s working on.” Unholy as she’d undoubtedly turn out to be, at the moment they were forged in combat. “Give her your full support.”
“Absolutely. Consider me your scaffold,” Rosenberg said, accepting his fate. “Excuse me, won’t you? I’m running payroll.”
Finn liked his head accountant. He was solid. Dependable. Not creative, but his easy-going manner was soothing. “Payroll. You’re a masochist.”
Amy smiled, and her crystal-green gaze sought his. She found his comment amusing. Her professional attire included a gray satin blouse tucked into a herringbone skirt. When she moved, her layered, dark-blonde hair settled into a sleek flip over her shoulders.
Amy’s bending and reaching, as she took control of her four-by-four cubicle, was damn compelling. She found a rhythm with a handy notepad beside her computer. Using Brad’s password, she turned sideways to open files. Attractive summed up her symmetrical profile and creamy complexion.
For a long while, getting hot and heavy had not been on his mind. Her envelope gave him concrete evidence to bring to the sheriff and eased his tension. As she brushed tresses off her face, he wanted to nibble on her ear.
Amy packed her lithe frame with succulent curves. He enjoyed observing her ample bust which required high-performance support. He’d like to see those globes running free. He’d never considered her as dating material. Timing was off. When she started dating Les, he was hooking up with Miss California. Now it was too late. She worked for him. Hands off. Finn liked women—lots of women, all women, in all shapes and sizes and ethnicities as long as they met the enthusiasm requirement. He hadn’t tested this, but she was off-limits for another reason. He didn’t intend to put her through another relationship leading to nowhere.
Finn kept things loose. A woman in his bed but not in his life was what he often said. There hadn’t been that either.  Why was she looking at him like that?
 
Purchase links for Deadly Alliance:
Amazon UK
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Deadly-Alliance-Kathleen-Rowland-ebook/dp/B019EE5OP8/
Nook:
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/deadly-alliance-kathleen-rowland/1123141145?ean=2940152523393
Amazon US
http://www.amazon.com/Deadly-Alliance-Kathleen-Rowland-ebook/dp/B019EE5OP8/
Goodreads:
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/28225810-deadly-alliance?from_search=true&search_version=service

Bio and Links—Kathleen Rowland
Book Buyers Best finalist Kathleen Rowland is devoted to giving her readers fast-paced, high-stakes suspense with a sizzling love story sure to melt their hearts.  Kathleen used to write computer programs but now writes novels.   She grew up in Iowa where she caught lightning bugs, ran barefoot, and raced her sailboat on Lake Okoboji.  Now she wears flip-flops and sails with her husband, Gerry, on Newport Harbor but wishes there were lightning bugs in California.
Kathleen exists happily with her witty CPA husband, Gerry, in their 70’s poolside retreat in Southern California where she adores time spent with visiting grandchildren, dogs, one bunny, and noisy neighbors.  While proud of their five children who’ve flown the coop, she appreciates the luxury of time to write while listening to demanding character voices in her head.
http://www.kathleenrowland.com/
https://twitter.com/rowlandkathleen
https://kathleenrowland.wordpress.com/
https://www.facebook.com/kathleen.rowland.50
http://www.amazon.com/Kathleen-Rowland/e/B007RYMF7S/ref=sr_tc_2_0?qid=1462406582&sr=1-2-ent
 ​