Love On the Line

 

Andrea takes a job building a pipeline through the mountains of West Virginia. 

Cold, mud, family drama, and an all-male crew, are only a few of the problems she encounters.

Love On the Line 1

Women At Work Series Book 1

by Kirsten Fullmer

Genre: Women’s Fiction, Coming of Age, Small Town Romance

Her dad always said A little dirt never hurt anybody. He was wrong.

Andrea’s excitement about her first job engineering a pipeline through the mountains of West Virginia turns to disaster when she faces grueling work, harsh weather, and crushing homesickness. If she can’t pull herself together and keep up, she’ll be sent home.

When she dropped out of grad school to work on the line with Grandpa Buck, her parents were disappointed, widening a bitter family divide. If she goes home now, she’ll miss the opportunity to know Buck and lose his respect as well.

There's one worker, a foreman, who might offer comfort and support, but when Andrea finally trusts him, things get even more complicated.

Fans of In Five Years, Reminders of Him, and Regretting You, are devouring Kirsten Fullmer’s imaginative, gritty, coming-of-age romance.

One-Click Love on the Line to start the uniquely engaging journey today!

 

Amazon * Bookbub * Goodreads

 Nick and Rooster’s conversation lagged as they both paused to watch Andy and Buck approach. The afternoon had grown warm, the hottest so far, and the men waved at dust and bugs that crawled and bit, making them miserable.

            Buck stopped and bobbed a nod at the two foremen. “Men.”

            “Sir,” both mumbled in reply.

Buck grunted, then headed on past the men with Andy at his heels. As she hustled pass Rooster, her eyes met his and she couldn’t help but notice the intensity there.

She tripped over a rut and ran several steps ahead to regain her balance. Stopping to readjust the stake bag on her shoulder, she waved away a sweat bee. “Go ahead, Andy, trip and fall at his feet,” she muttered under her breath.

Two steps later she lurched to a halt and dropped the bag to clutch at her underarm where something, more than likely the sweat bee, stung her with a vengeance.

Shouting curses, she danced and twisted in a circle, yanking at her safety vest and shirt and grabbing at her sports bra in an attempt the stop the burning sting. Finally, she ripped one arm out of her shirt and vest. Shoving her fingers up under the tight sweaty bra, she scooped out the bee and jumped back as its body fell to the dirt.

She stomped on the bee and kinked her neck, trying to examine her armpit area, but then she remembered where she was. She froze with one hand still up the side of her bra. Her head came up, only to find every man on the right-of-way, numbering well over thirty, staring at her in amazement.

“Need a hand?” Nick called out with a grin.

“It was a bee—” she started, then with a snort of disgust, she yanked her hand from her bra. Hefting the heavy bag, she realized her shirt and safety vest were still bunched up around one side of her neck, leaving her arm and her stomach half exposed. Three more cuss words escaped as she dropped the bag and fumbled back into her clothing, with all eyes watching her every move.

The sting continued to burn as she grabbed the stake bag and stomped past Buck, with her cheeks red and hot.

“What was that all about?” the old man asked as she passed.

Ignoring him, Andy continued up the right-of-way.

***

            Rooster smoothed his fingers down his beard trying to hide a laugh as he watched Andy and Buck retreat. Nick hooted by his side, cackling with the other hands as they regaled Andy tearing off her shirt. Rooster’s hand dropped and he frowned, wondering how bad the sting was. He’d had a sweat bee trapped in his pants once, and it was a pain he still remembered.

Love on the Line 2

Women at Work Book 2

Andy could only stare, wide-eyed, at the keys in her hand. She couldn’t move, couldn’t think. Only foremen got a company truck.

Andy is pleased to work with Grandpa Buck again, even though the long hours limit her time with Rooster. But her contentment is cut short when a serious on-the-job accident tips the scale of leadership, throwing Rooster and Andy into conflict.

Rooster must prove he is unbiased toward Andy and her work, or lose his promotion. When her parents show up, Andy has to deal with Rooster, her mother’s interference, and her own insecurities to keep the job going. If she can’t cope she’ll lose her job, and worse yet, she’ll let down Buck.

If Andy and Rooster can’t find a way to work together and complete the pipeline, their relationship is over.

Fans of In Five Years, Reminders of Him, and Regretting You, are devouring Kirsten Fullmer’s imaginative, gritty, coming-of-age pipeline books.

One-Click Love on the Line 2 to continue Andy’s exceptional journey today!

 

Amazon * Bookbub * Goodreads

 

Rooster forked a pork chop onto his plate and dug in, cutting off a big bite. He popped it in his mouth and watched Andy as he chewed.

She tried not to squirm, but he could see her discomfort. One of his brows quirked up.

Andy dished a helping of salad onto her plate, careful not to look up at him.

He cut another bite off his chop. Silence filled the room, tense and palpable, like the room was too small. Reaching for his glass, he caught her sneaking a peak at him.

After several gulps of water, he settled his glass back on the table, took his fork in one hand and his knife in the other, and waited. She was only demure when she knew she was in the wrong.

When she realized he wasn’t eating, her eyes met his. “What’s wrong?” she asked innocently. “Is the pork okay?”

“Why do you want to go to some gas station on the only night we don’t have to go to sleep at eight o-clock? You usually want to…” He intentionally let the sentence drop and waggled his eyebrows to make her blush. She was so cute when she was timid.

“We won’t need to stay late,” she backpedaled, “I was talking to Nick about it and—”

“Oh, here we go,” he interrupted. “This is about Nick isn’t it?”

She put her fork on the table. “What’s your problem with Nick?”

He shook his head. “You told him you’d invite that new coating girl, didn’t you?” He wasn’t asking, it was a statement.

Andy’s chin came up. “She happens to be the coating foreman.”

“Whatever,” he snorted, and went back to cutting his meat.

Andy grinned wickedly. “She could demand that you all address her as foreperson, you know.”

Rooster snorted at her dilutional comment.

Andy pursed her lips, knowing full well that the pipeline was still in the 1950s when it came to women’s rights. But she adjusted her train of thought and continued. “Why do you think this has anything to do with me talking to Nick?”

His chewing stopped and he gave her an oh please, look.

She cleared her throat and looked away, poking a bite of salad onto her fork. “Okay, her name may have come up.”

Rooster took another long drink of water.

“Would it kill us to be social?” Andy retorted. “We never go anywhere but work.”

 “We work eighty hours a week!”

“That’s beside the point,” she huffed, sticking the forkful of salad in her mouth.

“Is it?”

She chewed and swallowed. “You just don’t want to bother,” she said with a flounce.

“This is overcooked,” he muttered, sawing away at his pork chop. It was dry and chewy, he’d done a poor job of it.

Dinner continued in silence with both parties casting glances at the other, but neither one spoke. When they finished eating, they stood and carried their dishes to the sink. Rooster ran hot, soapy water as Andy scraped their scraps into the trash and returned to the table for the rest of the dishes.

Silence reigned, leaving only the sound of plates clinking and water running as Rooster washed and rinsed the dishes, and Andy dried. When the dishes were washed, he drained the water and watched as Andy put the last plate in the specially designed drawer. When she turned back to him, he took up the end of her dishtowel, pulling her to him. His hands circled her waist. “If you’d like me to take you out Saturday night, just say so.”

Andy didn’t meet his eye.

But Rooster knew her well, and still very much enjoyed her attitudes. He tilted her head up with an index finger under her chin. “You’re something else, you know that?”

Losing all track of thought, Andy fell under his spell. Her pupils dilated and her lips parted. She didn’t need to say anything, he knew he had her.

Leaning down, he teased kisses along her jaw, causing a moan to slip from her lips. Her arms came up to circle his neck and his kisses wandered to her cheek, then her mouth.

Eagerly, she kissed him back, deepening both the kiss and his desire. He scooped her up and carried her toward the bedroom.

Andy leaned into his shoulder, filled with anticipation. She nibbled at his neck, ran her fingers through his hair, and a dreamy smile settled over her face.

He placed her on the bed, certain that somewhere in that woman’s brain of hers, she was already wondering what she’d wear on their Saturday night date to the gas station.  

Kirsten is a writer with a love of art and design. She worked in the engineering field, taught college, and consulted free lance. Due to health problems, she retired in 2012 to travel with her husband. They live and work full time in a 40' travel trailer with their little dog Bingo. Besides writing romance novels, she enjoys selling art on Etsy and spoiling their four grandchildren.

As a writer, Kirsten's goal is to create strong female characters who face challenging, painful, and sometimes comical situations. She believes that the best way to deal with struggle, is through friendship and women helping women. She knows good stories are based on interesting and relatable characters.

 

Website * Facebook * Instagram * Bookbub * Amazon * Goodreads

Follow the tour HERE for special content and a giveaway!

Enter the Love On the Line Giveaway Here

San Quentin Exodus

 

 

What happens when a literature teacher channels her inner Nancy Drew to break an inmate out of America’s most famous prison?

San Quentin Exodus

by Bill Smoot

Genre: Historical Literary Fiction, Crime Drama

James, a still-water-runs-deep boy, struggles to navigate the rough streets of Oakland, California, in the 80s. His only friend is a pit bull he rescues from dog fighting. On the cusp of college, James commits a crime that results in a prison term of thirty to life.

Allison, a young Indiana girl obsessed with Nancy Drew novels, vows that her life’s mission will be to solve mysteries and help people. Introverted yet daring, Allison moves to Berkeley to teach prep school and volunteers as a tutor at San Quentin. She meets James when he is approaching fifty, learns his story, and after his parole denial, channels Nancy Drew to plan his improbable escape.

San Quentin Exodux is a braided novel about two people whose lives cross in a quest to reset an ill-fated life. It is a story infused with misfortune and pain, but also with hope and a fierce humanity.

 

“San Quentin Exodus, Bill Smoot’s deeply compelling novel, introduces readers to the world of prison but really to the much bigger world of his characters’ lives, inviting us to follow the trajectory of each as it unfolds with surprise and mystery, love and loss. Like all good literature, San Quentin Exodus ultimately asks us to reconsider everything we believe—or think we believe. Smoot is the consummate storyteller: restrained, wise, compassionate.”
—Lori Ostlund, author of Are You Happy?

 

Amazon * Apple * B&N * Bookbub * Goodreads

Prologue

 

Wings

In one week Allison Anderson will commit her first felony: section 4550 of the California Penal Code, helping someone escape from a state prison. Almost everyone who knows her would be stunned with disbelief. For her, it’s the ultimate realization of who she is.

One autumn evening six years ago, Allison entered San Quentin Prison as a volunteer tutor. Walking across the prison grounds, she gazed at the forty-foot walls, the spirals of razor-

wire, and the imposing guard towers. She wondered how an inmate might escape. It was her first time in a prison, and the question engaged her problem-solving mind. She did not know

that one day she would devise an escape plan. She did not know that she would put that plan into action. At the time, it was just a thought experiment, a challenge for a woman whose childhood heroine was Nancy Drew, girl sleuth.

Allison’s most vivid memory of entering the prison that evening was the birds. When she and her group rounded the hospital building and walked across the yard, she saw geese and gulls scratching the ground on the baseball field. It was mere minutes before the October sun would set, and their white feathers glowed like gold. A single goose stretched his neck, dipped his thick body, and with a push from his feet and a flapping of his great wings, he rose from the ground and glided across the field, then soared over the wall. Other geese did the same, their necks piercing the air like arrows. Sea gulls followed. The walls and guard towers were mere landmarks below them, like trees or outcroppings of rock, obstacles they cleared with ease. They didn’t need an escape plan. They had wings.

 

The First Day and the Last

They say that the two days of prison an inmate remembers most vividly are his first and his last. Everything in between is a blur. James’ first day was 30 years ago. His last—maybe—will be in one week. If Hemingway’s character could walk away from war, James can declare his separate peace from prison. It’s time to move on, regardless of what the parole board has ruled. It’s necessary. An absolute must.

For society, James is a statistic, another Black man languishing in prison, costing the state $75,000 a year. His escape—if it succeeds—will save taxpayers money. For himself, it will be his personal exodus, his promised land of another chance at life. If things go according to plan, no one will know how he did it. He will just disappear, a man become a ghost. Allison is a smart young lady, and he can’t find any flaws in her plan, but he is haunted by that old saying: If it seems too good to be true, then it probably is.

James is filled with yearning and fear. The greater danger is not that he’ll get caught and have time added to his sentence—though that’s a real possibility—but that the hope he’s allowed himself to feel will die. That’s the greater risk. The loss of hope he could not bear.

He lies in his bunk, trying to conjure up positive images. The thought of freedom makes his skin prickle. The shadows of the bars cross his body, spill onto the concrete floor. He listens to the cell block tick with sound, as if the walls are straining to breathe. He imagines a sea gull soaring on the wind.

 

Bill Smoot grew up in Maysville, Kentucky, and attended Purdue University where he was editor of the campus newspaper, The Purdue Exponent. Fired as editor by the university president, he was reinstated after protest from students and faculty. He went on to graduate school at Northwestern University, where he received a PhD in philosophy. He has taught for four decades at levels ranging from sixth grade to university students. He currently teaches courses at Mount Tamalpais College at San Quentin and the Osher Institute for Lifelong Learning at UC-Berkeley. His essays and short stories have such publications as Ninth Letter, Crab Creek Review. The Nation, Literary Review, Crab Orchard Review, Western Humanities Review, Narrative, and Salon.com. His the author of Conversations with Great Teachers and a novel, Love: A Story. Mr. Smoot currently lives in Berkeley, California, with his dog Artemis. His website is https://billsmoot.net

 

Website * Facebook * Instagram * Bluesky * Bookbub * Amazon * Goodreads

Follow the tour HERE for special content and a giveaway!

Enter the San Quentin Exodus Giveaway Here

Secret Seduction by Nikki Ash is coming August 6th

Secret Seduction by @authornikkiash is coming August 6th, but while we wait, I have a little sneak peek from Lorenzo and Vanessa’s first conversation. 

“Is this seat taken?” 

Lorenzo glances up from his phone and shakes his head.

“Still on daddy duty?” I joke, raising my hand to snag the bartender’s attention. 

We just got back from dinner, and the couples have taken off to their rooms for the night. When Dominick mentioned that it was bad luck to see the bride the night before the wedding, Kane glared and told him that it was bad luck to keep him away from his wife.

Since I wasn’t tired, I went for a walk along the beach, enjoying the fresh air, and on my way back up to my room, I spotted Lorenzo sitting at the bar and figured I should come over and say hi. Who knows? Maybe he’ll be up for a hookup tonight, and I can kick my virginity to the curb and lose my value. 

“Always,” he says, taking a sip of his drink.

“Are you always so talkative, or is it just me?” 

I quirk a brow, and he chuckles, the sound deep and masculine. 

“It’s not you. It’s me,” he says, then grimaces when he realizes what he just said. 

“Tell me how you really feel.” I wink playfully. 

When the bartender comes over, I glance at the cocktail menu and order something I’ve never ordered before. “A screaming orgasm, please.”

Lorenzo glances at me and smirks. 

“What?” I say, feigning innocence. “With all these couples, it’s the only way I’ll have one. Unless …” I trail off, and Lorenzo shakes his head. 

“Hate to burst your bubble … or leave you unsatisfied … but I don’t do hookups.” 

Well, shit. I definitely didn’t take that into consideration. 

I swallow thickly and force out a laugh as the bartender sets my drink down. 

I raise it and lock eyes with Lorenzo. “Then it looks like I’ll be pleasuring myself tonight.” I throw my drink back and get to figuring out a plan B. 

Readers: you can preorder Secret Seduction on Amazon in ebook/paperback as well as preorder the limited special edition on Nikki’s website! If you’re an influencer, the ARC interest form is still open!

#singledadromance #marriageofconvenience #darkromance #grumpysunshinetrope #romancebooks  

Slapshot Summer

 

A jilted bride.

A wrecked goalie.

An unexpected kiss that changes everything.

Slapshot Summer

A The Playmakers Series Novella

by G.K. Brady

Genre: Steamy Fake Dating Hockey Romance

A jilted bride. A wrecked goalie. An unexpected kiss that changes everything.

I came here to reset.

After a season that pushed me to my limits, I needed sun, quiet, and space—somewhere I could shut out the noise and get my head back under control.

Then Lexi Campbell sat beside me at the bar and asked for my help flirting with another guy.

I said yes because it was supposed to be fake. A distraction. Something with clear lines and no consequences. I’m good with pressure. I know how to stay focused, how to hold my ground when everything’s coming at me fast.

What I didn’t expect was how easy it felt to want her.

One kiss blows past every boundary I set. Suddenly, I’m not playing defense anymore—I’m all in, and I don’t know how to pull back. Lexi’s on a honeymoon she’s taking alone, guarding a broken heart she pretends doesn’t still hurt. I’m standing at my own crossroads, unsure where my future leads or if I’m ready to risk wanting something real again.

It was supposed to be a fling. But wanting her is the one thing I can’t seem to control.

For fans of fake dating, opposites attract, and swoony NHL players who actually like to dance, Slapshot Summer is a heartwarming romance with plenty of spice … and, of course, a guaranteed HEA.

**PLEASE NOTE: This story was originally published as Sunsets, Stick Saves, and a Honeymoon in the Love in Destiny Series. The content has not changed. If you’ve read that version, then you've read this one as well.**

 

Amazon * Bookbub * Goodreads

 

Since childhood, all sorts of stories and characters have lived in G.K. Brady’s imagination, elbowing one another for attention, so she’s finally giving them their voice on the written page.

 An award-winning writer of contemporary romance, she loves telling tales of the less-than-perfect hero or heroine who transforms with each turn of a page. She also writes historical fiction under the pen name Griffin Brady.

 G.K. is a wife and the proud mom of three grown sons. When she’s not writing, she might be reading, traveling, drinking wine, listening to music, or gardening—sometimes all at once! She currently resides in Colorado with her very patient husband.

  

Website * Facebook * X * Instagram * Pinterest * Bookbub * Amazon * Goodreads

 

Follow the tour HERE for special content and a giveaway!

Enter the Slapshot Summer Giveaway Here

Vows of Blood & Deception is out now. Here are the tropes to help you decide if you want to read this book.

 

𝑁𝑜𝑤 𝐿𝑖𝑣𝑒!

Vows of Blood & Deception is finally here!

Grab your copy and start now: https://geni.us/BloodAndDeception

She won the Goddess’s blessing. She got everything she asked for. So why does it feel like she’s lost it all?

Rose Kultavaris survived the Retterheld. She reclaimed her magic. Her title. Her place at court. But victory can be a hollow thing.

Her sister's decisions have left her life in turmoil and the crown which Prince Kyor chose over her remains firmly on his arrogant head, while the tension between them is enough to rip the sky apart.

The palace celebrates her as the gifted, yet behind gilded doors alliances shift, secrets surface, and the past refuses to stay buried. When the answers she needs lie beyond the city of Wrohelm, Rose is forced to leave its walls behind and chase the truth herself.

Old betrayals cut deeper than any blade, while new truths shatter everything she thought she knew. Rose is more alone than ever, and her power, now reclaimed, proves far more dangerous than anything else she has faced.

In a court built on lies and ambition, Rose must decide what she truly wants: vengeance, love, or something far more dangerous … freedom.

Vows of Blood and Deception is the second in a dark, spicy slow-burn enemies-to-lovers romantasy series, perfect for fans of Fourth Wing, The Serpent and the Wings of the Night, and Throne of Glass.

Flash Point

 

 

A flash of attraction, the potential for more.

Flash Point

Pinegrove FD Book 4

by Libby Kay

Genre: Small-Town Firefighter Sweet Romance

A flash of attraction, the potential for more.

Best-selling author Libby Kay’s sweet fireman romance Flash Point is a bad boy redemption story perfect for fans of B.K. Borison’s Lovelight series.

Javier “Javi” Ortiz never has trouble finding a date. The confident fireman enjoys the perks of no-strings hook-ups and his bachelor lifestyle. Yet when a certain blonde moves to Pinegrove, the idea of casual dating fizzles out. Javi is finally ready to settle down, but will he be able to charm his way into her life? Or will his reputation ruin his chance at real love?

Lola Peabody has given up on love. She doesn’t have time for men and their empty promises, especially with her hands full being a single mom and running her own photography business. Her plans do not include finding a man, even a charismatic fireman who treats her and her daughter like queens.

But Pinegrove is a small town, and the pair can’t stay away from each other. From photoshoots and romance book club to quiet walks in the woods, Lola and Javi spend more and more time together.

Could this be happily ever after? Or will their romance burn out faster than a five-alarm fire?

 

Amazon * Apple * B&N * Kobo * Bookbub * Goodreads

 

Never before had Javi held a woman in such regard, kept a woman at arm’s length as they got to know each other. While the notion would have chafed before, now it made perfect sense. He’d do whatever it took to make Lola comfortable, happy. 

Javi wasn’t certain, but the stars shone brighter as he looked up at the night sky. He liked to pretend his mamá was looking out for him, that the twinkling stars were her way of keeping in touch. 

“I love you, Mamá,” he said up into the ether as he leaned back against his deck railing. “And I think I’m falling for someone—you’d love her.”

Well, Javi really didn’t want to lie to his mamá. He wasn’t falling for Lola, he’d already fallen—hard. 

Check out the rest of the series for more smoldering sweet romance!

Find them on Amazon! 

Libby Kay lives in the city in the heart of the Midwest with her husband. When she’s not writing, Libby loves reading romance novels of any kind. Stories of people falling in love nourish her soul. Contemporary or Regency, sweet or hot, as long as there is a happily ever after—she’s in love!

When not surrounded by books, Libby can be found baking in her kitchen, binging true crime shows, or on the road with her husband, traveling as far as their bank account will allow.

Libby cohosts the Romance Roundup podcast with Liz Donatelli where they recommend romance books and interview authors, influencers, and publishers. Check it out for your weekly dose of romance!

 

Website * Facebook * Instagram * Bookbub * Amazon * Goodreads

Follow the tour HERE for special content and a giveaway!

Enter the Flash Point Giveaway Here

Vows of Blood & Deception is finally here! #Review

 

𝑁𝑜𝑤 𝐿𝑖𝑣𝑒!

Vows of Blood & Deception is finally here!

Grab your copy and start now: https://geni.us/BloodAndDeception

She won the Goddess’s blessing. She got everything she asked for. So why does it feel like she’s lost it all?

Rose Kultavaris survived the Retterheld. She reclaimed her magic. Her title. Her place at court. But victory can be a hollow thing.

Her sister's decisions have left her life in turmoil and the crown which Prince Kyor chose over her remains firmly on his arrogant head, while the tension between them is enough to rip the sky apart.

The palace celebrates her as the gifted, yet behind gilded doors alliances shift, secrets surface, and the past refuses to stay buried. When the answers she needs lie beyond the city of Wrohelm, Rose is forced to leave its walls behind and chase the truth herself.

Old betrayals cut deeper than any blade, while new truths shatter everything she thought she knew. Rose is more alone than ever, and her power, now reclaimed, proves far more dangerous than anything else she has faced.

In a court built on lies and ambition, Rose must decide what she truly wants: vengeance, love, or something far more dangerous … freedom.

Vows of Blood and Deception is the second in a dark, spicy slow-burn enemies-to-lovers romantasy series, perfect for fans of Fourth Wing, The Serpent and the Wings of the Night, and Throne of Glass.

REVIEW: 5 *

Rose, Rose, Rose. What adventure have you got yourself into this time? The Hirathean Path series is shaping up to be a lot of fun. This is book two and it’s a continuations series so you need to start with book one, Web of Vow and Vengeance, but there is also a short prequel, Veil of web and ruin. I’d recommend read the prequel after book one.

Don’t continue reading if you haven’t started this series… you’ve been warned!

So… Rose won the trial and got her status back, but the prince chose the crown! Now Rose is in her ‘new’ normal world. She has food and shelter making life a little easier, but this adventure is far from over. Rose isn’t the sort of character to just sit back and enjoy her fortune. Actually the ‘new’ normal kinda feels odd-Without struggle, there is less reward.

Rose starts to realise there’s something else at play and secrets that require her attention. With a new mission she’s ready to step back out into the world and fight for a better future.

Vow of Blood and Deception is the journey book and feels like a middle book, which it is but the are 2 more parts to this tale.

This series is great. It’s refreshing and twisty offering a deep love to the main character, Rose. Everyone is rooting for you Rose!

I’ve listened to this series on audio and I love experiencing the adventure in this way. The narrator’s are great and with it being such a long book (series), I can listen to it in the car, while doing the housework and other tasks which work better with the companion of a good book.