Book Title: Till Death Us Do Part
Author: Cristina Slough
Genre: Military Romantic Suspense
Standalone Novel
Release Date: December 29, 2015
Publisher: Limitless Publishing
​
Synopsis: The fateful day Mimi Marcus has dreaded begins with a phone call...
 
The wife of a U.S. Marine, Mimi spent countless nights worried that her husband Joel would fall in the line of duty. He had fought valiantly and served his country with honor. That’s exactly what they tell her when they deliver the news—Joel was taken by the enemy in Afghanistan. Her husband is dead. In desperate need of closure, Mimi travels to the one place Joel still has ties—The Marcus Ranch in Texas, inherited by his handsome younger brother Austin.
 
New beginnings are only an illusion...
 
The closer Mimi grows to the Marcus family, the more she considers it home. But when suspicions of Joel’s past surface, Austin refuses to disclose family secrets—even to his brother’s widow. It’s only by accident she uncovers evidence of Joel’s tainted past. Devastated by his lies and betrayal, she slowly opens up to Austin, and together they unfold layers of pain and grief.
 
Mimi is sure she’ll never love again, but is Austin the man to prove her wrong? Then the unthinkable happens…
 
Just as Mimi finds new hope in a future with Austin, Joel returns home from war. Enraged, traumatized, and teetering on the edge of insanity, Joel confesses to a history of deception, revealing yet another secret—this one too terrible to forgive.
 
In an awful twist of fate, Joel proves marriage vows are made to be honored.
No matter what.

Purchase links:
Amazon US: http://amzn.to/1I8kkmM
Amazon UK: http://amzn.to/1ScVckq
Paperback Amazon: http://amzn.to/1YJrCu3
 
Meet the author: Cristina Slough: Novelist, movie addict, and animal lover, Cristina Slough is the author of: Till Death Us Do Part, her debut novel.
 
Cristina has always been a bookworm, rarely seen without a pen and paper in her hand, she loves delving into a literacy fictional world of her own. 
 
At the age of 11, her junior school teacher told her mother that she would be wasting her life if she didn’t become an author. Throughout her teenage years and beyond, her parents spurred her on to keep writing. She later began a career in commercial real estate, working in London’s West End, a corporate bubble where she was unable to fuel her passion to write.
 
It was on her Californian honeymoon in 2012 that the bug to write was becoming increasingly difficult to ignore. After visiting Yosemite National Park she was inspired by the natural beauty of the land that surrounded her. Holding a special place in her heart, Yosemite would later be written into her debut novel.
 
She finally gave up the ‘big smoke’ when her son, Lucas, was born in October 2013.
 
When Lucas was a newborn, Cristina was told to sleep when the baby sleeps. She never could. There was a calling inside her to write. After getting to grips with her new role as a mother, she began working a psychological thriller, but she couldn’t fully connect to the characters she created. She ditched the manuscript and started Till Death Us Do Part(Limitless Publishing, 2015). 
 
Cristina is married to Adam, who runs a successful business; together they share their Bedfordshire home with their son, crazy white German Shepherd and three spoiled cats. They can be found trekking through woodlands, or around the many shops Cristina loves to explore. As a family, they love to travel frequently, the United States being a firm favourite.
 
Limitless Publishing: http://www.limitlesspublishing.net/authors/cristina-slough/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/cristina_slough
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cristinasloughauthor
​

I sat down with the lovely and talented Christine Hartmann to discuss her new romantic suspense, Wild Within. You'll want to add it to your TBR pile asap!

When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer?
I’ve always loved reading and writing. But it wasn’t until someone asked me, “What would you do with your time if you won the lottery?” that I realized I needed to reprioritize my life to include time for serious writing.

How long does it take you to write a book?
That depends on the book. My first book, a memoir, went through many iterations over a few years. I wrote the first draft of Wild Within over one summer.

What is your work schedule like when you're writing?
I have a full-time job, so I mostly write on the weekends. I can go for a full day without a problem. I have a standing desk, so I don’t get too tired. But I do need to take breaks—go to the kitchen to refill my water bottle, throw a load of laundry in the machine, sit on the floor and pet the dog.

What would you say is your interesting writing quirk?
I love editing. I don’t think everyone likes it. But I love squeezing out the last prepositional phrase when I have the time.

Where do you get your information or ideas for your books?
I try to stick close to home, pumping my family and friends for information about the topics in which they’re expert. My husband, Ron Strickland, is a long-distance hiker and the founder of one of America’s national scenic trails. He was the hiking expert for Wild Within. I ran to him all the time with questions, “What’s it like to hike on snow?” “What kind of food do hikers hate?” “What do hikers do when their feet hurt?” But some of the information in Wild Within is also what I absorbed from living with him.

When did you write your first book and how old were you?
I was in my mid-40s when my memoir, So Far Away: A Daughter’s Memoir of Life, Loss, and Love was published.

What do you like to do when you're not writing?
I love bike riding and swimming, and I’ve just started running. I hope to do that carefully enough to avoid injury. It’s freeing to cover miles that I normally would only see behind the wheel of a car.

What does your family think of your writing?
Everyone’s been incredibly supportive.

What was one of the most surprising things you learned in creating your books?
That I learn so much about myself in the process.

How many books have you written? Which is your favorite?
Two. They’re completely different. The memoir is about my end of life journeys with my parents. The other, Wild Within, is romantic suspense. I like them both. But it was easier and more fun to write Wild Within, that’s for sure!

Do you have any suggestions to help others become a better writer? If so, what are they?
Read books on how to edit. My personal favorite is Writing Tools by Roy Peter Clark.

Do you hear from your readers much? What kinds of things do they say?
I heard from a lot of So Far Away readers about how much my story impacted them and helped them through events in their own lives. Wild Within’s just came out—I look forward to hearing what people think!

What do you think makes a good story?
An engaging plot, realistic dialogue, characters with believable interactions.

As a child, what did you want to do when you grew up?
If you’d asked me when I was nine, I would have said, “psychiatrist, because they help people.” But I think it was really because the word sounded mysterious.

Do you have any advice for other writers?
Make time for writing if it’s important to you. I used to think I didn’t have time because I had a busy full-time job.

Where are you from?
I was born in the mid-west but grew up in Delaware.

What inspired you to write this book?
In many ways, my husband. He’s both romantic and wild. The last line of the book is really all about him.

Is there a message in this book that you want your readers to grasp?
A lot of it’s probably summed up in Wild Within’s last chapter. That you make your own life what it is. You can’t wait around for the perfect moment or opportunity.

What book are you reading now?
Between You and Me: Confessions of a Comma Queen. Told you I like editing!

​BLURB:
Wild Within, Book One of the Wild at Heart Series
 
A year after a family tragedy, Grace Mori embarks on the journey of a lifetime…
 
Two thousand, six hundred miles of blistering heat, wilderness, and soul searching—that’s what Grace signed up for when she decided to hike the Pacific Crest Trail. It’s not a voyage for beginners, but with no husband and her family still recovering from her bother’s death, Grace is more alone than ever.
 
This trail meant something to her brother, and she’ll hike it in his memory, but she can’t do it alone. So with her brother’s gear and a small group, Grace takes the most important first steps of her life.
 
Grace finds something more than peace and magic on the trail…
 
When her first day of hiking ends in heat stroke, Grace is rescued by a handsome, red-haired hiker who calls himself Lone Star. Grace has an immediate connection with him, and their brief encounter leaves her fearing her soul mate has slipped through her fingers. Although he vows to keep in touch, Grace doubts she’ll ever see him again.
 
When fears become reality, the only people Grace can rely on may be killers...
 
Grace is surprised to find notes left at supply posts along the trail. Lone Star’s eloquent letters keep Grace going, clinging to the hope she’ll find him—and happiness—at the end of her journey. But as the trail becomes more perilous, menace grows within the group. And when Lone Star’s letters mysteriously stop coming, Grace fears the worst.
 
As tensions flare and a killer emerges, Grace must battle to survive…and reunite with the man she’s sure is her future.
 
BIO:
Christine Hartmann grew up in Ohio and Delaware and loves traveling to exotic, romantic settings. After a college semester in Kathmandu, her first three “real” jobs were all in northern Japan, where she lived for almost 10 years. She currently splits her career between her daytime occupation (improving the quality of veterans’ nursing home care) and her nights/weekend avocation (writing both fiction and non-fiction books). Her husband Ron Strickland is a well-known long-distance hiker, trail guide writer, and the founder of the 1,200-mile Pacific Northwest National Scenic Trail. Christine loves reading, pilates, bicycling, snorkeling, and health foods that taste like they’re bad for you. You will often find her at a keyboard, a German shepherd at her side, and Ron whispering sweet edits over her shoulder.

Hyperlink to Amazon:
http://amzn.to/1RU12Js
Book trailers:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ht0rgga2z-M
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kq-GpiheW_I
Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/christine.w.hartmann
Twitter:
https://twitter.com/chartmannbooks 
Website:
http://chartmannbooks.com/ 
Goodreads:
https://www.goodreads.com/chartmannbooks

Sweet on You by Marianne Rice
Series: The Wilde Sisters #1
Release Date: January 26, 2016
Publisher: Limitless Publishing
Cover Designer: TOJ Publishing Services
​
SYNOPSIS: An extravagant cake design brings small town baker Trent Kipson to fame…
 
After gaining social media exposure of his culinary art, Trent’s cake design goes viral. Soon he’s contacted by the Cooking Network to host a new show in California. It’s the opportunity of a lifetime for the owner of a modest shop in Portland, Maine, and the financial freedom the network offers could be the answer to all of his monetary problems.
 
Fitness instructor Rayne Wilde wants the life every small-town girl dreams of…
 
Rayne wishes for a future full of romance and the pitter-patter of little feet. She wants it all, including a white picket fence and a dog named Spot—which is exactly why she refuses to sleep with Trent, the sexy man who attends her Zumba classes. After a series of dead-end relationships, this time she really is in love. Trent is special, and the fear of letting him slip through her fingers keeps her advances at bay.
 
Life is waiting—all it takes is a leap of faith...
 
As their friendship grows and skeletons creep out of their closets, their relationship is put to the test. Stakes get higher, and the spark between them burns hotter than ever before.
 
Can they handle the heat when life-changing secrets are exposed, or will the fear of being burned send them on two different paths?

I am super excited to share with you Anneka Ever's newest release, Hearts Race, Book 2 in the Burns Class of Love Series. It sounds like an awesome read!

BLURB:  

When it comes to adventure, she’s stop and he’s go. When it comes to romance, he’s yes and she’s no.

Can billionaire Dylan Delaney overcome his adrenaline addiction with life coach Greta Larsen’s help before he loses his technology empire? Can she move past the death of her husband to find love again?

When Greta finds herself attracted to her very rich, very handsome new client, she sees it as a betrayal of her late husband. Despite her feelings of guilt, she can’t walk away from Dylan, especially when she learns he harbors his own grief.

His secret sorrow is the key to Dylan’s love of danger. Greta is determined to unlock his mysterious past so he’ll stop courting death. What she doesn’t count on is the passion she frees.

Dylan’s never met a woman who could slow him down. Until now. Greta teaches him to be mindful of the moment, but soon his every moment is filled with thoughts of her. Has he replaced one addiction with another?

Hearts Race is the follow-up story to Riverswept and the second book in the Burns Class of Love series. The story returns readers to the small town of Burns, Virginia and also introduces them to the Blue Ridge Mountains around Charlottesville, Virginia.

http://www.annekaever.com/books.html

Here's a little teaser to start your week off right: 

She glanced at the pool and saw the top of Dylan’s dark head as he cut through the water. “Why am I here?”
Ben snapped shut the laptop and turned to watch his friend swim. “In theory, to help Dylan overcome his problems so he won’t lose his company. In practice…well, that’s another matter.”
Her throat tightened. “This is a waste of my time.”
“You’re getting paid well.”
“I want to earn it.” She heard the irritation in her voice. Ben must have too because he peered at her with alarm.
“I’ll talk with him and see if I can get him to take this more seriously.”
She nodded and looked back at the pool. Dylan had climbed out of the water. He wore red swim trunks, modest but not baggy. He ran his hand down his chest and skimmed the water from his skin, dispersing droplets that looked like sunlit diamonds. He had the build of a natural athlete, not overly muscular but firm. When he turned to grab a towel, she saw scars crisscrossing his back, telling the tale of his many mishaps. After he dried off, he padded barefoot to the pavilion and grabbed a bottle of cold water.
He chugged it all and then swiped his mouth with the back of his arm. He smiled at her. “Did you come down here to chew me out?”
She felt her face grow warm. “Why didn’t you meet me like we agreed you would do?”
He looked at Ben who just shrugged and opened his laptop again. Dylan sighed and lifted his head to the ceiling. A fan stirred the air above them. Greta saw goosebumps pop up on his arms and she felt the urge to run her fingertips over his skin. Her fingers twitched.

​Shutting off the ignition, Sam dabbed her lips with tinted Chapstick and hopped out of her truck. Loud country music bellowed from the right side of the duplex. Something about tequila and clothes falling off. Not exactly the song she wanted to make her entrance with.
Her knocking didn’t stop the music or bring anyone to the door, so she turned the doorknob and let herself in, following the music, or rather the voice of the slightly off-key man singing along to the country song. Spotting the radio, Sam turned it down slightly and cleared her throat.
“Hello?”
The singing stopped and a man emerged from around the corner. He paused midstride and stared. Mr. Tucker was not the bald, over-weight, wrinkled man she’d expected. It had been years since she felt any type of attraction toward a man. And this one, with dark coffee eyes and Patrick Dempsey dimples covered in a light scruff, did unfamiliar and unwanted things to her body.
“Did it hurt?”
“Did what hurt?” she asked, confused.
“When you fell out of heaven?”
Sam raised an eyebrow and chewed on the inside of her cheek, unsure of how exactly to answer. “It was a pretty big fall, but I made the landing.”
The man tipped his head back and laughed. “So what brings a pretty little lady around this grungy old worksite?”
Great. Already being talked down to. “We had an appointment.”
“We did?” He took off his ball cap and ran his arm across his forehead. “I’m pretty sure I’d remember setting up a date with you.”
“Mr. Tucker, I’m—”
“Cole. Mr. Tucker is my dad.” He turned his baseball cap around and put it on backward, giving him a boyish charm.
“Yes. Sorry. Cole, I’m Sam. You left a message on my phone to meet you here at nine.”
Cole looped his thumbs in the front of a pair of jeans that were worn and torn but fit him like a glove, and rocked back on his heels, studying her from head to toe and back again. She knew what he was thinking and wanted to ward off any doubt in her abilities. “I assure you, Mr. Tucker, that I am highly qualified. Probably more so than anyone else you have working on site. I’ve been doing electrical work since I was twelve—”
“Which was what, last year?”
“I may be petite, but I can carry my own.” Sam placed her hands on her hips and didn’t look away from his piercing stare. “I’ve been wiring homes for over fifteen years, I can fix any plumbing problem you throw my way, I can lift more than I weigh and know my way around any power tool you have. I understand your reluctance to hire someone like me … someone as little as me, but since your family name is so reputable in town, I assume you’re not the type to discriminate against women; so if you want to hire me on a trial basis, I would not object.” She folded her arms across her chest and cocked her head. He had a good ten inches on her, probably a foot, but she didn’t feel threatened.
The man squinted down at her and rubbed a hand across his jaw. “Okay, short stuff—”
“Sam.”
“Okay, Sam. We’ll give it a try. I have two more windows to put in upstairs and could use a hand. You ready to work?”
Sam looked at her watch and bit her lip. “I’ll give you an hour of free labor and then time to think about your decision.” She walked to the stairs and took two at a time, waiting for her new boss at the top. He looked reluctant but gestured to the back bedroom where she gave him the best hour of her life.