Category Archives: Pre-Release Tour

Pre-Order/Release Tour: Crossover by Chelsea Camaron & Ryan Michele

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Title: Crossover
Series: Prequel: Devil’s Due MC & Vipers Creed MC
Author: Chelsea Camaron & Ryan Michele
Genre: MC Romance
Release Date: October 25, 2016

Two motorcycle clubs, two different reasons for being, and one lifestyle find each other together.

 – Devil’s Due MC –
Respect is earned, never freely given.
Our road is a path for justice. Nomads always on the open highway, we follow the trail, no matter where it leads, everyone be damned.

– Vipers Creed MC –
Respect is hard earned.
Live by the creed, die by the creed. If you aren’t with us, you’re against us. If you step into our world, your balls better be big and your cock even bigger.
Brothers, bikes, and bitches collide. Respect is everything.

When two clubs cross over into each other’s worlds, only madness, mayhem, vengeance, and heat can possibly ensue.

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USA Today bestselling author Chelsea Camaron is a small town Carolina girl with a big imagination. She’s a wife and mom, chasing her dreams. She writes contemporary romance, erotic suspense, and psychological thrillers. She loves to write about blue-collar men who have real problems with a fictional twist. From mechanics to bikers to oil riggers to smokejumpers, bar owners, and beyond she loves a strong hero who works hard and plays harder.




Ryan Michele found her passion in making fictional characters come to life. She loves being in an imaginative world where anything is possible and has a knack for special twists readers don’t see coming.
She writes MC, Contemporary, Erotic, Paranormal, New Adult, Inspirational, and many more romances. And whether it’s bikers, wolf shifters, mafia, or beyond, Ryan spends her time making sure her heroes are strong and her heroines match them at every turn.
When she isn’t writing, Ryan is a mom and wife living in rural Illinois and reading by her pond in the warm sun.






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Pre-Release Tour: Temporarily Insane by Vicki Batman

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Temporarily Insane
by Vicki Batman
Series: Hattie Cooks Mystery, #2
Genre: Romantic Comedy Mystery
Publisher:  The Wild Rose Press
Release Date: September 16, 2016

 

 

No man. Bad job. And Murder. Hattie Cooks is still searching for her dream job and one might be available…in the Big Apple, far from friends, family, and Allan Wellborn, the man who still makes her heart race. In the meantime, she finds temporary employment at an accounting firm where two auditor friends turn up dead.

Detective Allan Wellborn dropped Hattie for Blonde Bimbo who, coincidentally, is employed at NLB where fishy things are taking place. When Allan interviews Hattie, he must determine why all signs point to her as a suspect.

Can Hattie discover why Allan dumped her and who is murdering auditors before death strikes again?

 

 

Trixie had some nerve.
“Stop it, Hattie!”
Her reprimand, the one which had shot a stabbing pain to my right eye, sounded terribly out of character, like she had little patience for me. Ordinarily, she was the nicest person I knew, didn’t have a mean bone in her body. The kind who rescued animals, picked up trash at Sommerville Park, and prepared food for the elderly.
Not today. I narrowed my eyes and crossed my arms across my chest in a school girl flaunt.
Trixie tilted forward in her desk chair, her bosom almost resting on her desk. “This nonsense has to end. Your moan sounded like an obscure breed of a bizarre…untamed…wounded animal.” She returned to an upright and seated position and in tiny increments, rotated her chair from side-to-side, waiting for me to say something not stupid.
In truth, Trixie had pounded the nail on the head. I had nothing to add. My whole life had turned into an obscure, bizarre, bad reflection of itself, thus wounding me to my core. I sighed and pouted an if only.
Don’t go there.
My funsister friend owned the employment agency Jobs Inc., and on occasion, she’d happily assisted me in finding temporary work since my dream job had been flushed down the proverbial toilet a few months back, thus soiling my picture perfect life. For this newest assignment she’d located, I’d be employed as an administrative assistant for the managing partner at Northside, Lancaster, and Brookside, Certified Public Accountants, headquartered in my hometown of Sommerville.
At first, she’d sounded oh-so pleasant when we began our yak about the opportunity. “Think accounting,” she’d teased, followed by a small chuckle.
Her laugh had spoken volumes of Encyclopedia Britannica proportions.

 

 

 

 

Amazon best-selling and award-winning author, Vicki Batman, has sold many romantic comedy works to the True magazines, several publishers, and most recently, a romantic comedy mystery to The Wild Rose Press. She is a member of Romance Writers of America, Sisters in Crime, and several writing groups. An avid Jazzerciser. Handbag lover. Mahjong player. Yoga practitioner. Movie fan. Book devourer. Cat fancier. Best Mom ever. And adores Handsome Hubby. Most days begin with her hands set to the keyboard and thinking “What if??”

 

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Pre-Release Blitz: Picked Fresh by Posy Roberts

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Title: Picked Fresh
Series: Naked Organics #2
Author: Posy Roberts 
Genre: M/M Romance
Publisher: Labyrinth Bound Press
Hudson Oliva loves stability. He was a throwaway teen before finding Kaleidoscope Gardens, but has since thrived at the commune. When Jude Garrity moves in, life gets even better, but Hudson still craves more. He knows he has to be satisfied with their exclusive status being temporary and that Jude will eventually navigate his full sexual awakening with their other housemates.

Hudson has a journey of his own to make. It might only require going home to settle his grandmother’s estate, but he plans to use his time away to figure out how to temper his feelings for Jude and bury his jealousy once and for all. But when Jude joins him on his trip, Hudson falls even deeper in love, especially after Jude stands by his side when he finally confronts his mother for rejecting him.

However, it’s not all hearts and flowers while they travel. They’re over two thousand miles from home when Hudson learns a ruthless corporate farm threatens the commune they both love. In order to save their way of life, Hudson must ask his mother for help. And if he wants a chance at a stable future with Jude, he has to tell him the truth about his feelings, no matter if it ruins the harmony he’s tried so hard to preserve.

 


Jude shifted in his seat and stared at Hudson. Hudson couldn’t take his eyes off the road, but the desire to turn toward Jude and mirror him was overwhelming. “What was your first impression of me when I met you at the farmers market?”

“Should I be diplomatic or honest?”

“Honest.”

Hudson ran that day over in his mind. It was crystal clear, still, even though it had been more than nine months ago. Jude had meandered from stand to stand. He initially stood out from the crowd because of what he was wearing: a bright blue, almost turquoise wool coat over a black turtleneck and tight black jeans. In the blur of quilted plaid flannel and fleece hoodies in various shades of drab, olive, and Carhartt, Jude was all Hudson could see.

“I couldn’t keep my eyes off you. You were… stunning.” He shook his head. “I don’t know another word for it. I was talking to some customer about how we raised our chickens, and when I saw you, I stopped midsentence. I stared, felt like a dirty old man because you looked so young, and when I turned back to the woman to carry on our conversation, I had no idea what we’d been talking about. Literally none. It was like looking at you sucked the words out of my throat and the thoughts right out of my head.”

Jude chuckled. “Seriously? Was it the coat?”

“It made you stand out, but no, it wasn’t the coat. It was everything about you. Your broad shoulders and your hair and your eyes and your fucking lips.”

“You like my lips?” Jude pulled his rose-flavored lip stuff out of his front pocket and made a show of smearing it across the bottom one. Then he rubbed his lips together and licked them, all while staring at Hudson with soft bedroom eyes.

The bus vibrated, a jagged noise piercing Hudson’s ears as he drove too far to the right, edging his tires onto the rumble strip. “¡Coño!” He maneuvered back into the center of his lane.

Jude laughed. Hudson’s heart thundered against his rib cage.

“You’re evil,” Hudson said. “Evil, I tell you!”

“Maybe.” Jude bit at his bottom lip.

“Stop. Stop tempting me with your fucking gorgeous mouth. I can’t have you doing that shit while I’m driving.”

“Okay.” Jude smirked but kept his tongue and teeth from doing anything else. He put away those hazel sex-eyes too. “So, how did you see this trip going down?”

“Just like that?” Hudson was incredulous.

“What?”

“You can just turn it on and off like a switch?”

“With you, sure.”

“Well, I can’t.” Hudson gestured to his crotch, where his dick was obvious, thick, and quickly moving on its way to fully hard, even though Jude had stopped the licking and the biting.

“Want me to touch you?” Jude’s voice was breathy as he slid his warm palm up Hudson’s inner thigh. He thumbed over the head of Hudson’s cock, and Hudson got harder. Jude played with just the head, moving back and forth, his touch light and delicious.

“Want me to drive off the road?” Hudson managed not to sound choked off.

“No.” Jude pulled his hand away and smiled like the devil. “I want you to drive. And I want you to tell me about what you want to do on this trip besides the obvious. And for the record, turning it off doesn’t happen like a switch. Turning me on with one look, easy!”

“You’re dangerous.”

“Damn right I am.”
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Interested in reading how Hudson ended up living at Kaleidoscope Gardens? Read Naked Origins—Hudson for free. This is not a romance, but for those who want to dig a little deeper, this story covers much of Hudson’s history that is hinted at in Picked Fresh. Visit https://posyroberts.com/2016/02/02/free-read-naked-origins/ to read the summary and download it.
Title: Farm Fresh
Series: Naked Organics #1
Author: Posy Roberts 
Genre: M/M Romance
Publisher: Labyrinth Bound Press 
Posy Roberts writes about the realistic struggles of men looking for love. Whether her characters are family men, drag queens, or lonely men searching for connections, they all find a home in her stories.

Posy is a Jill of all trades and master of the drill and paintbrush. She’s married to a partner who makes sure she doesn’t forget to eat or sleep during her writing frenzies. Her daughter, a budding author and cinematographer, helps her come up with character names. For fun, Posy enjoys crafting, hiking, and singing spontaneously about the mundane, just to make regular life more interesting.

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Pre-Release Blitz: Copula Chronicles by Venessa Kimball

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Series: The Copula Chronicles 
Titles: Origin, Descend, Ascend & Legacy
Author: Venessa Kimball writing as V. Angelika
Genre: New Adult, Urban Fantasy
Release Date: June 24, 2016
“An origin is supposed to be the beginning of everything, but I fear it’s the end…for me… for all of us. My name is Jesca Sera, my reality has been pierced and it is with absolute certainty that nothing will ever be the same in our world again. “ ~ Jesca 

Jesca’s life is full of averages; average childhood, average family, average part-time job with her best friend while she attends college close to home. Life is predictable, controlled, consistent, just the way she likes it, until the odds of averages turns against her and the oddity that that has remained dormant within her can no longer be contained.
Under the surface, Jesca’s strong-hold with reality is slowly slipping away. The seemingly harmless nightmares of her youth have turned sinister with ill intention and a realness meant to provoke true terror. The minor trick of the eye revealing a shadow or glimmer of light becomes vivid hallucinations intent on terrorizing her. Her fear reaches extremes when her professor’s presence coincides with her losing touch with reality, leaving Jesca questioning his stalking motives or influence on her shifting sanity. Confronting him is the only answer, and when she does, she is faced with an inconceivable explanation as to why her life is turning upside down; her role as a keeper of our world to save humanity from a potentially unstoppably apocalyptic catastrophe. Upon learning her purpose, Jesca is thrust into a new world of guardianship where training to use her new found abilities is the life-blood of survival for her and the tribe of guardians. 
About: The Copula Chronicles, Origin, is a roller coaster ride straight into an unreality – speculative, yet plausible. It’s intent on spinning you around in the alternate history of origins of the new world Jesca has been thrust into, theories of genetic engineering and architects of a device meant to create travel within space and time through the cosmos. Make no mistake, your reality will be turned upside down with the techno-thriller plausibilities of what our world and its inhabitants could possess within. When all is said and done, you will find yourself planted in a new reality of weighty urban fantasy with profound thought-provoking conspiracies of the spiritual and scientific link to our existence and what our world may become now that Jesca’s new reality has been set into motion. Strap in for the ride. 

*Each of the books in the Copula Chronicles series are new versions of the Piercing the Fold series, which is no longer in distribution. New content has been added to the Copula Chronicles.*

*18+ due to some explicit language and sexual content*
“A descendant of the architect that pierced my reality, leaving me and the others the responsibiity to inherit the earth then save it from those we never fathomed existed among us. My name is Jesca Sera, my reality has been pierced and it is with absolute certainty that nothing will ever be the same in our world again.” ~ Jesca 
The uncovered corruption and conspiracy upon our world paired with the impending catastrophic event honed in on our galaxy threatening invasion and evolution of our world lies in the hands of Jesca and the other guardians that have inherited the earth. The corruption of our world is spreading like wildfire, the between allies and enemies are being blurred, and Jesca’s growing attraction to the two men fighting for her heart could leave her vulnerable. Jesca and her fellow guardians’ fortitude is further pressed when their battle for earth takes them to the far reaches of Japan’s Aokigahara Forest, where the mysticism it covets brings weighted supernatural challenges they could never have anticipated. The predestined links she and the guardians share will either keep them safe or send them into a tailspin of sacrifices that may leave one if not all of them threatened.
About: The Copula Chronicles, Descend, pulls you deeper into the inherited reality Jesca and her new found clan of guardians are forced to surrender to in order to attempt salvation for humanity. The reality of genetic manipulation, ancient myths and theories, and the immediate threat of extra-terrestrial abduction and invasion are revealed in this second installment of the Copula Chronicles. Edge of your seat techno-thrilling conspiracies paired with dramatic mystery, suspense, and sacrifices are fulfilled in this spiraling global cataclysm Jesca and the guardians are faced with at every turn.

*Each of the books in the Copula Chronicles series are new versions of the Piercing the Fold series, which is no longer in distribution. New content has been added to the Copula Chronicles.*

*18+ due to some explicit language and sexual content*
“With the breach of our world by those intent on invading it, a veil has been opened, giving way to the evolution we needed to stop. Now, I must ascend this veil that has released boundless evil into our world. This inheritance I posses is the key to a legacy bestowed to me; one that I have not yet discovered. My name is Jesca Sera. My reality has been pierced and it is with absolute certainty that nothing will ever be the same in our world again.” ~ Jesca 

With the guardians attempt to stop the global invasion and apocalyptic evolution of the earth, two of the men in Jesca’s life have made the ultimate sacrifice in a daring attempt to save her from near death and keep the veil, a celestial barrier meant to separate our universe from all others, from remaining open. The fate of Ezra and Nate is dismal unless Jesca, Xander, and the other guardians can find a way to get them back, while destroying the evil that has seeped into our world, and sealing the ethereal veil between our universe and the evil that lie beyond it. As Jesca ascends beyond the veil, malignant illusions meant to turn allies against one another are at every turn in this parallel universe. One truth among the illusions is bestowed to Jesca; the celestial inheritance from her ancestors along with the prophecies of what is to come of the guardians and earth. 

About: The Copula Chronicles, Ascend, takes you beyond the veil of our world and into one beholding the supernatural, spiritual, psychological and techno-thrilling futurism in terrifyingly perfect harmony.

*Each of the books in the Copula Chronicles series are new versions of the Piercing the Fold series, which is no longer in distribution. New content has been added to the Copula Chronicles.*
*18+ due to some explicit language and sexual content*
“I have returned to an evolved earth. A place I no longer recognize. A self I no longer recognize. My name is Jesca Sera. My reality has been pierced and it is with absolute certainty that nothing will ever be the same in our world again. One thing is certain. I hold the blueprint of our salvation.” ~ Jesca 

With Jesca’s return from beyond the veil with Xander, Nate, and Ezra, they are ushered into our evolved world having advanced years since their departure. 

The earth’s remaining populous that survived the galactic intersection, the following climatic shifts, and the rigorous genetic manipulation has been stunted by the very beings Jesca and the others encountered beyond the veil. Humankind is being invaded, occupied, and destroyed under their invisible reign. The beings intent? To possess our world and stop Jesca and the other guardians from fulfilling the legacy that could save us all. We are left to hit the ground running upon their return as Jesca brings home new found knowledge of her ancient bloodline and the supernal legacy that has linked her family, the guardians, and the two men she has been torn between throughout her journey. With only Jesca’s visions of what this ancient legacy holds for them, the guardians are depending on the divining glimpses of her ancestry to put them on the path leading to salvation. 

The question is, will the stakes be too high and the risk to great for Jesca and the guardians to fulfill their destiny? 
About: The Copula Chronicles, Legacy, is the final installment in this edge-of-your-seat urban fantasy, science fiction fused series and Kimball holds nothing back in her arsenal of spine-tingling, mind-boggling, thought-provoking,mystery-seeking, and heart-pounding content. 
*Each of the books in the Copula Chronicles series are new versions of the Piercing the Fold series, which is no longer in distribution. New content has been added to the Copula Chronicles.*

*18+ due to some explicit language and sexual content*
Having always been passionate about the written word, Venessa Kimball embarked on writing what would become her debut novel, Piercing the Fold: a young adult urban fantasy series in 2010, with a 2012 release with Crushing Hearts Black Butterfly Publishing. She has also written the Teen contemporary romance series, the Evan series. Venessa also writes New Adult and Adult romance under the pen name V. Angelika. When Venessa is not writing, she is keeping active with her husband and three children, chauffeuring said children to extracurricular activities, catching a movie with her hubby, and staying up way too late reading.

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Pre-Release Blitz: One Last Song by Kristi Cramer

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One Last Song
Kristi Cramer
Releases February 29, 2016
 
************
The Boys of Syracuse, Kansas is a series of 
standalone novels featuring characters 
connected to the town of Syracuse, Kansas. 
Most notably a family of cattle ranchers whose 
ties to the land go back to the 1880s. Good, 
old-fashioned cowboys. No anti-heroes and no
graphic sex, though there is brief graphic 
violence and intense, suspenseful situations.
 
 
 
One Last Song
(The Boys of Syracuse, Kansas Book 3)
 
In a bold operation that leaves the tiny town of Syracuse reeling, Kylie and Jax are kidnapped. Getting nabbed for human trafficking would be bad enough, but their captors have an additional agenda.
Singing is her ticket out.
Kylie Thomas works at the diner, but she dreams of becoming a star. She sings from her heart, capturing the attention of everyone in town. She knows someday she’ll perform in concert halls around the world.
Being her best friend isn’t enough.
Jax Belamy has loved Kylie since he was fifteen, but she won’t take him seriously. He’s had to settle for being a friend, taking advantage of any opportunity she gives him to get close…even if it means stepping out of his comfort zone.
Will their song end before it begins?
When a talent scout approaches them after a karaoke contest, Kylie hopes this will be her big break. Something doesn’t feel right to Jax, but he ignores his instincts to please his friend. What happens in the next twenty-four hours is not on any playlist.
One Last Song is Book 3 of The Boys of Syracuse, Kansas, a series of standalone suspense novels featuring characters connected to the town of Syracuse, Kansas. (Please note: While One Last Song can stand alone, several characters from earlier books recur and brief mention is made of their stories. As a result, readers may enjoy reading the series in order.)
200 pages
 

 

Last Shot at Justice 
(The Boys of Syracuse, 

Kansas Book 1)

 

 

 

Denver Detective Mitzi Reardon doesn’t know
what she did to anger her boss, but he is
gunning for her. Literally. Now a prostitute is 
dead, and she is the prime suspect with the law 
hot on her heels. With nowhere to run and no 
one to trust, Mitzi’s only hope lies in the 
hands of a sexy stranger. 
 
Blue Thomas is new in town. Denver’s 
bright lights and big city bustle are 250 miles
and a world away from his family’s cattle ranch
in Kansas, and he is out of his element. He came
to find work and save the ranch from foreclosure,
but on a rainy night a desperate woman finds
him. Back home, he would never let anyone—
especially a woman—face danger alone. Without
fully understanding what he is in for, Blue
pledges his help, whether she wants it or not. 
As a trap closes around them, Mitzi must
abandon her usual strategy of careful planning
and situation management, instead relying on 
quick thinking and a bold, head-on approach that
may just get her—and Blue—killed. Before the
last bullet flies, Blue will find out just how far he
is willing to go to live up to his old-school ideals
of gallant chivalry. 
This book was previously released as Blinding
Justice. There were no plot changes. If you read
Blinding Justice you do not need to purchase this
title. The Boys of Syracuse, Kansas, is a series
of standalone novels featuring characters
connected to the town of Syracuse, Kansas.
237 Pages

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
Last Second Chance 
(The Boys of Syracuse, Kansas Book 2)
 

 

An ex-con’s search for a new start leads to a 
chance at a life and a love he never expected.
But the life he left behind won’t stay quietly in his past. 
Reach for a Better Future 
Tim Reardon made a real mess of his life, and
spent the last five years paying for it in a federal
penitentiary. Thanks to his sister, he has a
chance to work on a ranch in a small town where
no one knows his history and he can start over
Even his heart likes his prospects in Syracuse, Kansas. 
Release the Past
All Janie Thomas ever wanted was to live a
simple life as a veterinarian, taking care of her
daughter and the pets and livestock in 
Syracuse. She had enough drama after giving
birth at seventeen. Kylie’s father, Cody Buford
couldn’t be bothered with a kid and ran off to the 
big city, leaving her to raise their child alone. 
Janie hasn’t risked her heart since. 
 
Brace for a Reckoning 
Now Cody is back, asking for Janie’s 
forgiveness, but is she ready to give it? On top 
of that, the brooding, sexy new ranch hand out 
at the Lazy J is bringing up emotions she 
thought she had put to rest long ago. Tim thinks 
he might just be able to leave his past behind 
him and put his life together. There’s just one 
problem. His past is hell-bent on finding him. 
Last Second Chance is Book 2 of The Boys of 
Syracuse, Kansas, a series of standalone novels
featuring characters connected to the town of 
Syracuse, Kansas.
286 Pages

 

 

 
 
 

Kristi doesn’t know how she got old enough to say she’s been writing for three and a half decades. She has always considered herself a writer, although she has worn a lot of hats in the course of her work history–from cashier at the movies and car wash, all the way to insurance underwriter. After leaving Portland, Oregon for life in a smaller town, she tried on a few more hats before she met her husband, started a trucking company, and ultimately left the office to drive over the road with him. On the road, she rediscovered her love for writing, and knuckled down to complete her first self published novel, a romantic suspense: Knight Before Dawn.

 

 





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Pre-Release Blitz: Encore Worthy by R.C. Martin

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Title: Encore Worthy
Series: Mountains and Men prequel novella
Author: R.C. Martin
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Release Date: January 28, 2016
He was arrogant. 
He was beautiful. 
He was to be her one night fix.
She was gorgeous. 
She was haunted.
She was to be his temporary muse. 
Millicent Valentine isn’t looking for much when she walks into The Brew Cycle for a night out with friends. She isn’t after love. Why risk the heartache when one night of unbridled passion will do the trick? Any handsome, willing male will do just fine. When she is introduced to the lead singer of Mountains & Men, she can’t seem to take her eyes off of him. He’s an arrogant little shit—but it’s only one night, right?
Sage McCoy is always on the prowl, knowing he can get just about any girl in the room after a night on stage. When he’s introduced to Millie, there is no doubt in his mind that he has to have her. But when he gets her alone, she makes his heart sing and he’s convinced one night will never do.
When morning dawns, the knowledge that comes with the sun has Millicent kicking Sage to the curb—but he knows what he wants and he’s ready for the chase. 
His one night stand is worthy of an encore.

Sage

I hear Henley and Carter before I even make it to the front door. I let myself in without knocking and see the two of them running around, their little bare feet clapping against the hardwood floor as they squeal with excitement. I can’t tell if Maestro is chasing them or if they’re chasing Maestro, but they all look happy. They don’t even notice me as I walk inside and find my way to the kitchen. Pepper is standing with her back to me, leaning against the counter as she watches them.
“You really should get them a dog,” I tell her before pressing a kiss on top of her head.
She jumps and then turns around to smack me playfully in the middle of my chest. “God, Sage, don’t sneak up on me like that!” She wraps her arms around me and I return her embrace before she pulls away. “And no. They don’t need a dog. They have Maestro.”
“Maestro is my dog,” I say with a chuckle, looking over at my black, french bulldog as he slides across the floor.
“And therein lies the beauty. He visits, they play, and then you take him home and take care of him. The last thing I need is someone else to take care of.”
“Can’t argue with you there.” It’s then that Maestro hears my voice. His head pops up and he barks once before he comes racing toward me. Henley and Carter follow and then catch on to who he’s after when they see me.
“Uncle Sage!” cries Henley.
“Unka Sage!” mimics Carter. At two, he’s still struggling to get his l’s out. Even I have to admit, it’s pretty damn cute.
I drop to my knees to greet all three of them. “Hey, guys, what’s happenin’?”
Henley speaks first, giving me the rundown of just about everything that his four-year-old brain can remember since I last saw him yesterday afternoon. I pet Maestro absentmindedly as I listen. It’s not hard to admit, my nephews are a couple of my favorite people.
“Where’s Sophia?” I ask them.
Carter’s eyes grow big  as he brings a finger to his mouth and shushes me. “Aunt Wose has Sophia.”
Pepper chuckles from behind me and I look up at her with a grin. “She’s in the living room. Good luck prying Sophia away from her.”
I give her my best oh, please expression as I stand and head into the next room. Pepper has done a damn fine job of making their house extra homey, and the living room is everyone’s favorite place to chill. Rosy is being swallowed by one of their big, over-stuffed, brown armchairs. She’s got a textbook open in her lap and Sophia is nestled in her arms. Guessing by the small smile that lights her face, I’d say she’s not getting very much studying done. She looks up when she hears me approach.
“Hey, big bro. When did you get here?” she asks before puckering her lips.
I lean down and she kisses my cheek. “Just got here,” I murmur, admiring my niece. She’s sleeping, as if she knows the raucous her brothers are making is her reality and there’s nothing she can do about it.  Rosy sniffs and I jerk my head back to look at her.
“You smell like a bar. And sex. And—” She sniffs once more. “Vanilla.”
“How the fuck do you know what sex smells like?” I ask, scowling at her.
She returns my scowl with one of her own before she smacks her little hand against the top of my head. “Language, Sage!”
“Answer my question, Rosemary.”
She rolls her eyes, which makes me think of Millie, and then she speaks. “I’ve smelled it on you and the guys enough to know, dummy.”
I look into her eyes for a moment, searching for the reassurance that that’s the only reason she knows. I nod when I’m sure she’s telling the truth.
“You’re such a hypocrite.”
“Wrong. I’m the guy any douche has to get through before he’s allowed between my sister’s legs.”
She groans, lifting Sophia away from her and towards me. “You’re the biggest pain in my a-s-s. Here. Take your niece.” Before I can reach for her, Rosy changes her mind, hugs Sophia close, kisses her cheek, and whispers, “You’re so screwed, baby girl. With your dad, and your brothers, and your uncle—you’ll never get laid. Don’t worry, though. You’ve got me, too.” She kisses Sophia’s soft, chubby cheek once more. “And ignore the smell. Uncle Sage is the best, I promise.”
I playfully rub my knuckles against the top of Rosy’s head  and she ducks away from me before I gently scoop Sophia into my arms and make my way to the couch. Pepper catches my eye as she enters the room and shakes her head in disbelief. I chuckle, amused that she’s surprised.
The three of us are pretty close, always have been. Granted, it didn’t always look that way, what with all our bickering and arguing growing up, but we wouldn’t trade each other for anything. That said, Rosy and I have always been really tight. Besides the fact that we’re closer in age, Pepper was out of the house and married by the time I was sixteen. Pep is the sensible, wise, motherly one—she’s our rock; but Rosy is my best friend, and I hers.
That is, when I’m not trying to keep guys out of her pants.
It’s a fucking hard job to do, but someone’s got to do it.
“So, who was the unlucky lady who had the misfortune of waking up after being ditched by the likes of you?” Rosy asks as I stretch out on the couch with Sophia.
I let out a long sigh, gazing down at the sweet little girl bundled in pink against my chest, and then mentally replay my morning. I remember the way it felt to hold Millie in my arms; how she wrapped herself around me when I kissed her; the sound of my name on her lips…
I’m yanked from my thoughts when I look down and see Pepper pulling my shoes from my feet. “I can only imagine where these things have been; they do not need to be on my couch,” she tells me before she sits and drops my feet into her lap. “Also, judging by the look on your face, Rosemary’s question requires an answer. What groupie has your head so foggy the afternoon after?”
“Not a groupie, sis. Not even close.” I free another sigh, propping my head against the back of the couch. “God—she was amazing. I have to see her again.”
“What?” gasps Rosy, tossing her textbook onto the floor as she curls her legs up underneath her. “Now I’ve got to know! What’s her name? What does she look like? Did you get her number? Are you going to call her? You hardly ever call!” She gasps again, cutting me off before I can even utter a single syllable. “Is she why you didn’t answer Pepper’s call? Were you still with her when you told Pep you were busy? Is that why you still smell like last night in the middle of the afternoon?”
“Jesus, Rosy—take a breath!”
Pepper pinches my ankle and I jerk my foot out of reach with a frown. “Language,” she mutters.
“Sorry,” I grumble.
“Do you not remember how long it took me to get Henley to stop saying s-h-i-t every other minute? That was totally your fault.”
I chuckle and she smacks my leg. “Alright, alright, stop with the abuse.”
“Stop stalling!” Rosy insists. “I want to know about this girl. She came to your show, right? Is she going to be at the next one? Can I meet her?”
I sit silently as I stare at her, a blank expression on my face, waiting for her to stop. “Are you done?” She gestures with her hand that she’s zipping her mouth closed, and I wait another second before I continue. “Her name is Millicent.”

 

I’m a born and bred Coloradan. While I now reside in Virginia, the land of the Rocky Mountains is where I’ve left a piece of my heart and where my characters come to life. When I’m not writing I’m reading; when I’m not reading I’m writing…you know how it goes! I also enjoy cooking, baking, crocheting, and jigsaw puzzles. Basically, I’m an old soul with a young heart, nonchalantly waiting for my prince to come.


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