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Flash Fiction! - Romance Writers Weekly - #lovechatwrite

9/19/2023

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​First off, I’d like to wish my mom a very happy 79th birthday! You are amazing and I love you. 😊

This week on the blog hop, we’re doing Flash Fiction – always a favourite. This week, we have to write 500 words or less using “house,” “umbrella,” and “ice cream.”

I’ve decided to write a bonus scene for my upcoming release, Too Good for Words. In Chapter 21, Penta and Cash attend a Pride Day picnic with the Silverberries at a local park, and this would continue where that chapter leaves off.
***
Penta protested as Cash pulled her to her feet. “I am not getting a tattoo.” She found his sexy and loved to trace them with her fingers—and her tongue—but was certain one would look ridiculous on her.  What about the kids? Delilah had already been hinting she wanted one and she was only fourteen. What kind of example would it be?

“It’s only temporary.” Cash cupped her elbow and licked a rivulet of ice cream that had escaped from her cone off her wrist. “Mmmm. That’s delicious. I want more.”

She didn’t think he was talking about the icy treat. Her entire body shivered at the swipe of his warm tongue and goosebumps rippled on her flushed cheeks. She struggled to corral her straggling thoughts. “How long do they last?”

Cash tickled the inside of her wrist with the tip of his tongue and then released her. “I don’t know. Probably a couple weeks, depending where you put it. Come on.” He strode down the hill and she followed reluctantly.

“I don’t think we have time for this.” She ate the last of her ice cream and detoured to a garbage can to toss in her napkin. “It’s going to rain and I didn’t bring an umbrella. We should go back to my house.”

Cash tilted his ruddy head to look at the sky and then raised a skeptical eyebrow. “There are four clouds and none of them look like rain. Nice try.”

He stopped in front of a canvas tent. The inside walls were covered in images depicting all the designs available. Two middle-aged men hovered protectively over not-quite teenage girl as a woman with short blonde hair drew a rainbow on the girl’s forearm with a fine ink pen.

A stir of interest replaced Penta’s concern. If these parents thought it was okay for their daughter... “You promise it will wash off?”

“I promise.” Cash looked at her with a smile hidden in his eyes, the one she was sure only she could see. “Penta Unleashed, remember? Be a bad girl and get a tattoo.”

She straightened her spine and made her decision. “What would I get?”

“What do you want it to say about you?” He lifted his hand, the one with the phoenix tattoo across the back. “Make it meaningful, even if it only is temporary.”

Just like us, Penta thought with a sudden stab of sorrow. The tattoo wouldn't last, just like her relationship with Cash. Just like us.

***
Now hop to Leslie Hachtel and see what flash fiction she's come up with!​

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Too Good for Words releases in just a few weeks, on October 12. You can preorder it here in ebook or paperback!

Also, for the month of September only, 
Loving Between the Lines (Book Two) is FREE.

And of course 
Secrets Under the Covers (Book One) is always FREE! That means you can get the entire series for only $10.99…but only for September.

Amazon US Series Page             Kobo Series Page             B&N Series Page           Apple Series Page
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Bound to Morocco
Available here

Abandoned and alone, Lady Shera has been kidnapped and placed on a ship bound for Morocco to serve in the Sultan’s harem. Now, she must find a way back to England. She gets assistance from an unlikely source: the man who kidnapped her. When their partnership turns to love, the two must face constant danger to endure. But will they ever be free?

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Lights! Camera! Action! - Romance Writers Weekly - #lovechatwrite

9/12/2023

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The topic this week on the Romance Writers Weekly Blog Hop…

If one of your books could be made into a movie, which one would you pick and what actors would you like to play your characters?

I think No Life But This would make a great movie. It is set in an amazing location (the Azores), the characters do interesting activities (snorkeling with wild dolphins, bike riding into volcanic craters, paragliding, horseback riding), there are plenty of sexy scenes, and of course there is a wonderful happily-ever-after.

Amanda Seyfriend would make a wonderful Abigail. She has the waif-like, ethereal fragility I picture for my fish-out-of-water heroine. And Jeffrey Dean Morgan has that slightly rough-edged handsomeness that would be perfect for Santos. Of course, the characters in the book are younger than these actors, but hey – that’s what movie magic is for, right?
 
Now hop over to PG Forte and discover which of her books she's chosen to make into a movie!


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LOVING BETWEEN THE LINES is
FREE THE MONTH OF SEPTEMBER ONLY


A one-night stand neither will forget.
She wanted a final fling before choosing science to make her a single mom. He needed an escape from the regret grinding him into dust. Her baby isn’t his…but maybe family is more than DNA.

Download today!

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For years, Scout Patterson has tried to run from the mistakes in her past. Now, she's coming home--to face the ghosts she's never laid to rest, and the love she thought she'd lost forever.

Memories of the girl he loved and lost, and dreams of what his life would be like, if he could only find her again  are the only things that have gotten Nick Greco through the past twenty years.

Will Scout’s return lead to the second chance they’re both hoping for? Or will the evil which already nearly destroyed them once, triumph yet again?
 
Now available for Preorder
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Double Take Redo - Romance Writers Weekly - #lovechatwrite

8/29/2023

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We only own about a dozen movies, so you know I like it if I can hold the DVD in my hand!
​I can’t believe this is the last week of August! I took last week off the hop as we were away camping, enjoying some of the remaining days of summer. One day it was so cold we could see our breath, the next we were swimming in the lake. Crazy!

This week’s topic is an interesting one…

If you could see one movie again for the first time, what would it be and why?
I have to admit, I’m a really picky movie viewer. I find it much harder to forgive poor storytelling and awkward acting in a movie than in a book. Maybe it has something to do with my years in television broadcasting. I simply find it harder to achieve that suspension of disbelief that is necessary to get into the story. Usually I prefer watching a movie I’ve seen and liked before than trying a new one.

I think the movie I’d like to “see again for the first time” is My Big Fat Greek Wedding. I absolutely love this movie, but the problem with rewatching a comedy is that you see all the jokes coming, so they lose some of their punch. I remember sitting in the movie theatre crying with laughter the first time I saw it, and I would love to experience that hilarity again.

What about you? What movie would you choose to see again? Let me know below, then hop over to PG Forte to discover her choice!

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PREORDER TODAY!
​
After more than two decades as a stay-at-home mom, Penta Potter’s life is at a crossroads, her future stretching emptily ahead. When her youngest son vandalizes a local motorcycle mechanic’s garage, confronting the forbidding yet compelling owner sparks deliciously wicked longings.
 
Since his release from prison twelve years ago, Cash Rylance keeps his head down and his nose clean. He has no business aching for a fiercely protective, sweet-lipped, divorced mother of four. If he promises to keep his hands to himself, maybe she will help him be the dad his estranged daughter deserves.
 
A fake relationship between these two restless hearts seems the perfect route to take…until their improbable plan detours toward a totally different destination.

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NOW AVAILABLE FOR PRE-ORDER

Turns out you CAN go home again. Only sometimes, it’s murder.
 
For years, Scout Patterson has tried to run from the mistakes in her past.  Now, she's coming home--to face the ghosts she's never laid to rest, and the love she thought she'd lost forever.  Reawakening that love would be a dream come true.  Unfortunately, love is not the only emotion that can last forever.
​
Memories and dreams are the only things that have gotten Nick Greco through the past twenty years.  Memories of the girl he loved and lost, and dreams of what his life would be like, if he could only find her again.   And if he can bring himself to believe that anything she tells him is true.
 
Can the star-crossed lovers put aside the hurt and distrust they still harbor toward each other?  Or will the evil which already nearly destroyed them once, triumph yet again?
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I'm Outta Here! - Romance Writers Weekly - #lovechatwrite

8/15/2023

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It ​is possible to overcome a bad first impression (most romance novels are examples of just that, LOL!) but sometimes it spells the end of a new relationship. This week on the Blog Hop, we’ve been asked:

What is one article of clothing that someone could wear that would make you walk out on a date with them?

For me, it would be a t-shirt with expletives or an extremist political rant. I am fine with swearing when emotions are heated and everyone is entitled to their personal views. But I wouldn’t want to spend an evening having it shoved in my face because it is emblazoned across their chest. 
Mind you, I probably wouldn’t walk out on the date. I’m not the kind of person that would make a scene like that. But I’m pretty sure it would be our last one!

What about you? What would put an end to a date before it began?

Then hop over to 
PG Forte to see what would send her running in the opposite direction!

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TOO GOOD FOR WORDS

Ride hard or stay home…

A phony friendship between an ex-con biker haunted by his past and a suburban mom with an uncertain future shifts gears with startling consequences. 

💜Blue-collar, ex-convict, tattooed, motorcycle rider hero (48 y/o)
💜Overprotective, divorced, single parent heroine (44 y/o)
💜Fake relationship
💜Bad boy/good girl
💜Opposites attract
💜Estranged child/parent
💜Steamy, open door, slow burn

​PREORDER NOW!

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REDEMPTION
A Fallen Angels Paranormal Romance Collection
 
​Once esteemed immortals find themselves banished from the heavenly realm and condemned to a life on Earth amongst the mortals.  Will they find a new appreciation for humanity and choose this life over the one they were created for?
 
This limited-edition collection is only available through August 31st. Grab it now before it disappears.
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A Year in Provence - Romance Writers Weekly - #lovechatwrite

8/8/2023

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​Our question this week…

If you could live anywhere in the world for a year, where would it be?

There are so many fascinating places on the earth, a fact brought home to me earlier this year during our trip across Canada. And there are so, so many I haven’t yet seen. But if I were to limit my choice to places I have been, I would choose the south of France.
We went there in June 2017 and lived for a few days in a small walled village called Vallabregues, just outside of Avignon. We rented a car and drove all over the area – to Nimes and Gordes and Arles and Saint-Remy-de-Provence and all the way to the Mediterranean.

What amazed me most was how many ancient constructions are still in daily use. We passed by a Roman amphitheatres that had just hosted a rock concert and walked across the Pont-du-Gard, a more than 2000 year old Roman aqueduct. Castles of all shapes and sizes are used as event venues and bridges that are hundreds of years old carry modern traffic.
I would love to have more time to explore the area and soak in the atmosphere. Being a resident, not a visitor, would be a whole new experience.

What about you? Is there somewhere you would like to live for a year? Let me know, and then hop over to see where Leslie Hachtel would love to live!

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Would you like to read an advanced copy of Too Good for Words? All you have to do is post a review on your favourite retailer and book review site on release day, October 12th!

If you want more information, click here to email me!


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A serial killer in her small town in Florida has Detective Liza Boone challenged. Luckily, FBI agent Nash Corelli is on medical leave and living across the street. Together they must find the killer. But he cannot help her with the nightmares about her sister’s assault.  When Liza is terrorized, can Nash stop the threat? Can he protect the woman he has come to love?
 
Get it today!
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Sun Salutations - Romance Writers Weekly - #lovechatwrite

7/30/2023

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Though I consider myself a sunrise person, I don't see too many dawns. I took this shot several years ago on a Mexican vacation. We got up extra early to watch the sun rise over the Caribbean Sea.
​Are you sunrise, daylight, twilight, or nighttime? Why?
That’s the question we’ve been set this week on the blog hop.

I live in a part of the world where the amount of daylight differs dramatically from summer to winter. On the longest day of the year, the sun rises around 4:30am and sets around 9:45pm. On the shortest day, it is around 8:30am and 3:45pm. That's a ten hour difference!

I am explaining this because I want to qualify my choice. I consider myself a sunrise person, because I am most alert from about 6am to 11am. That’s when I do the majority of my writing (now that I don't have to go to an outside job). In the afternoon I get administrative tasks done that don’t require too much creative brainpower. But I in no way get up at sunrise during the summer!
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My energy level dips sharply around 8pm, and I rarely stay up past midnight. The problem is, I never sleep in no matter how late I stay up, so I never catch up on that sleep. I am definitely not the kind of author who writes all through the night and then heads to their day job.
What about you? When do you feel like your best self? Let me know below then hop over to PG Forte!

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Preorder the final book in the Silverberry Seduction Seasoned Romance Series now!

After more than two decades as a stay-at-home mom, Penta Potter’s life is at a crossroads, her future stretching emptily ahead. When her youngest son vandalizes a local motorcycle mechanic’s garage, confronting the forbidding yet compelling owner sparks deliciously wicked longings.
 
Since his release from prison twelve years ago, Cash Rylance keeps his head down and his nose clean. He has no business aching for a fiercely protective, sweet-lipped, divorced mother of four. If he promises to keep his hands to himself, maybe she will help him be the dad his estranged daughter deserves.
 
A fake relationship between these two restless hearts seems the perfect route to take…until their improbable plan detours toward a totally different destination.

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Let's Get Naughty 2!

If you think it's too soon to get on Santa's naughty list...think again. It's time for Let's Get Naughty, Volume 2!

Cancel your plans and spend this holiday season with 26 romance authors who have teamed up to bring you a delicious holiday treat.

You helped make Let's Get Naughty #1 a USA Today bestseller and we'd love your support taking this collection even further!  Pre-order #2 today for 99 cents. Available on all reading platforms.
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Not Your Gramma's Wallpaper - Romance Writers Weekly - #lovechatwrite

7/25/2023

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An image of my laptop desktop image (I had fun writing that sentence)
​This week is another sneak peek into an author's life. We’ve been asked to share what our computer or cellphone wallpaper is.

On my cellphone, I change the wallpaper regularly, but for a couple years now it has always been one or another of our grandbabies. Since I don’t share photos of them on the internet, I can’t show you here, but trust me, they are super cute!

On the other hand, my laptop wallpaper hasn’t changed for a very long time. In 2017, my mom, dad, Mr. C., and I went to Europe and visited Belgium (where my mom is from) and France. For part of the trip we stayed in a small village called Vallebrègues near Avignon. We loved wandering the tiny, winding streets, and I fell in love with the doors there. On our return home, I made a poster of the doors and sent copies to our hosts as a thank you. That poster is still my laptop screensaver.
I may have to do something similar with shots from our trip across Canada. I don't have enough of one theme, but I took lots of sunsets, lighthouses, waterfalls, and old forts. If I do, I’ll share it with you here.

Now, be sure to hop over to Jenna da Sie and continue your Tuesday journey.

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Preorder TOO GOOD FOR WORDS today!
(Book Five in the Silverberry Seduction Seasoned Romance Series. Can be read as a standalone)
(Penta 44, Cash 48)
 
Ride hard or stay home…
A phony friendship between an ex-con biker haunted by his past and a suburban mom with an uncertain future shifts gears with startling consequences. 
​
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You Did What? - Romance Writers Weekly - #lovechatwrite

7/18/2023

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I'm second from the right in this photo. Jigging is one way we river fish for salmon, which requires standing up to my waist in freezing cold water.
​This week on the blog hop, we’ve been challenged to share the most out-of-character thing we’ve ever done.

I really had to think about this one. In fact, I had to ask my husband for help, LOL!

I’m not a particularly adventurous person at the best of times, so doing something “out of character” is not going to be anything to mind boggling. But two things came to mind – finally.

I really get into live events. I’ve been known to heckle referees or umpires and shout instructions at players. At concerts, I prefer to be on the floor so I can dance, and I have to sit in a seat I’m the annoying person with their hands in the air most of the time.
Also, I’ve become a semi-serious fisherman. When I was a kid, if my parents made we go fishing with them, I would burrow down in the bottom of the boat with a book and a rarely held a fishing rod. Nowadays, if we’re trout fishing in a boat, I still often hold a book in my free hand, but when we are river fishing for salmon, I will brave icy waters and wear oh-so-stylish hip waders in order to hook my dinner.

What about you? What have you done that is out of character? Let me know below, then hop over to Leslie Hachtel.


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Ride hard or stay home…
A phony friendship between an ex-con biker haunted by his past and a suburban mom with an uncertain future shifts gears with startling consequences.
 
After more than two decades as a stay-at-home mom, Penta Potter’s life is at a crossroads, her future stretching emptily ahead. When her youngest son vandalizes a local motorcycle mechanic’s garage, confronting the forbidding yet compelling owner sparks deliciously wicked longings.
 
Since his release from prison twelve years ago, Cash Rylance keeps his head down and his nose clean. He has no business aching for a fiercely protective, sweet-lipped, divorced mother of four. If he promises to keep his hands to himself, maybe she will help him be the dad his estranged daughter deserves.
 
A fake relationship between these two restless hearts seems the perfect route to take…until their improbable plan detours toward a totally different destination.

Coming October 12 - preorder today!

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Set in the exotic and dangerous world of Sultan Moulay, woven in intrigue, three English women have been kidnapped and sent to his harem. This is Book #1:
“Bound to Morocco”

Abandoned and alone, Lady Shera must find a way back to England. She gets assistance from an unlikely source: the man who kidnapped her. When their partnership turns to love, the two must face constant danger to endure. But will they ever be free?

Add this your TBR pile here
 

 
 
​
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Making Memories - Romance Writers Weekly - #lovechatwrite

7/11/2023

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I love the scent of a campfire. We've made so many good memories while camping!
​I’m just back from an amazing six-week adventure! My husband and I drove across Canada from our home in British Columbia all the way to Nova Scotia, then returned home via the northern continental states. We have so many great memories…and photos! Many, many photos. If you want to see them, please follow me on Instagram or Facebook. Now it’s time to get back in the usual working groove. I think I remember how to do this…

This week on the Romance Writers Weekly Blog Hop…

Name your three favourite smells. Why are they your favourite? What is it they evoke, or what memories do they trigger?
Scent can be incredibly evocative, and what we associate with them is very personal. For example, the smell of burnt sugar may not be attractive to some, but for me it is the smell of Christmas. My mom makes pies often. One holiday, a pie overflowed as it baked and when we stepped into her house we were overwhelmed with the sweet caramel scent. It might have been a mess to clean up, but it smelled delicious!

I generally detest the smell of cigarette smoke. But the scent of wine-dipped cigars reminds me of childhood. My dad used to smoke them – and a pipe, as well – and I still love the aroma.

One scent that is sure to bring back memories is damp earth and mothballs. I know, sounds horrible, doesn’t it? But my grandparents had a cellar with a dirt floor and my grandmother used mothballs to protect the linens and clothes she stored down there. It will forever remind me of the good times I had there as a child and an adult.

What about you? What scents trigger memories for you? Then continue your hop with PG Forte!

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Guess what? The final book in the Silverberry Seduction Seasoned Romance Series is now available to preorder!!
 
💜Blue-collar, ex-convict, tattooed, motorcycle rider hero (48 y/o)
💜Overprotective, divorced, single parent heroine (44 y/o)
💜Fake relationship
💜Bad boy/good girl
💜Opposites attract
💜Estranged child/parent
💜Steamy, open door, slow burn

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Let's Get Naughty 2

 A Limited Edition  Romance Anthology ​

If you think it's too soon to get on Santa's naughty list...think again. It's time for volume 2!
 
Cancel your plans and spend this holiday season with 26 romance authors who have teamed up to bring you a delicious holiday treat.
 
Releases October 23, 2023. Available for pre-order now–only .99 cents!!
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Which TV Character Am I? - Romance Writers Weekly - #lovechatwrite

5/23/2023

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Since we became empty nesters, we eat many meals in front of the TV. I figure this is okay for our relationship as we are spending a lot of time together anyway! This week on the Blog Hop, we're talking favourite programs.

​If you could live in any sitcom on TV past or present, which one would it be? Why? What character would you be?

Our habit at lunch is to stream a favourite sitcom. We’ve watched Cheers, Frasier, Brooklyn 99, Parks and Rec, and How I Met Your Mother (some of them more than once). It’s amazing how well these hold up over the years. I think it’s because they focus on relationships, not current events. We all have the same challenges to deal with, no matter what era we lived in.
Right now, we are re-watching Friends. There’s a reason this show was such a huge phenomenon. We still laugh and giggle every episode. And while I can see myself as a character in each of the sitcoms I mentioned earlier, the one I really relate to is Monica.
While she’s a little more over-the-top than I am (to great comedic effect) we share many similarities. I am definitely organized, a hard worker, and have a competitive streak. Our cleaning habits may not match (I am a neat person but there is often a layer of dust on things) but we both like Chandler the best of all the guys.

Friends has such a great cast. Each of them has weaknesses and strengths, and they can all drive each other crazy. But at the foundation of it all is a sense of love and trust and acceptance that makes me just a teensy bit jealous I didn’t have the same experience in real life.

Be sure to hop over to PG Forte to see what sitcom character she would be!

And just a quick note to say this will be my last blog post for several weeks. My husband and I are going on a bucket list adventure! We’ll be driving across Canada between now and mid-July, so I’ll be taking a break from blogging. If you want to come along on my travels, be sure to follow me on Facebook and Instagram, as I’ll be posting there as we go. See you in six weeks!

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The final book in the Silverberry Seduction Seasoned Romance Series  is Now Available for Pre Order!

After more than two decades as a stay-at-home mom, Penta Potter’s life is at a crossroads, her future stretching emptily ahead. When her youngest son vandalizes a local motorcycle mechanic’s garage, confronting the forbidding yet compelling owner sparks deliciously wicked longings.

Since his release from prison twelve years ago, Cash Rylance keeps his head down and his nose clean. He has no business aching for a fiercely protective, sweet-lipped, divorced mother of four. If he promises to keep his hands to himself, maybe she will help him be the dad his estranged daughter deserves.

​A fake relationship between these two restless hearts seems the perfect route to take…until their improbable plan detours toward a totally different destination.

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Redemption
A Fallen Angels Paranormal Romance Collection
 
Perfection is impossible, even for this collection of angels.
​
Once esteemed immortals find themselves banished from the heavenly realm and condemned to a life on Earth amongst the mortals, unless they find a way back through the veil. Before they can find redemption they must first learn how to navigate their new life.
 
Will they find a new appreciation for humanity and choose this life over the one they were created for?
 
Grab this limited edition collection now before it disappears beyond the veil.
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    • SILVERBERRY SEDUCTION Seasoned Romance Series
    • TIMELESS Seasoned Romance Collection
    • Bendixon Sisters Series
    • Standalone Reads
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