NEW RELEASE - Too Many Reasons, A Spotlight Series Novel by Kristen Strassel

Kristen Strassel is one of my fav NA authors. Toss contemporary romance with some paranormal and add a dash of rock-n-roll is her usual recipe for an amazing book. This year she is releasing two new stories. Today she releases the second book which happens to be a full length novel in The Spotlight series, a collection of stand alone books that all feature a contestant from the Spotlight Talent Competition. 

Abby Gauthier is close to getting everything she's worked so hard for. The band she manages, Sinister Riot, has been offered a major record contract. But it comes with a catch: the band must add Eli Jamison, winner of the talent show The Spotlight, to the lineup. 

Devon Sinclair is the singer of Sinister Riot, and he's Abby's best friend. She's in love with him, but fears she'll lose him if she makes the first move. Devon thinks adding Eli to the band is dangerous, and he's right. Eli's interested in more than just making an album. He wants to take control of the band, and he wants to get to know Abby better. A lot better. When tensions between Devon and Eli threaten to destroy Sinister Riot, Abby must act on her true feelings or lose everything she's ever wanted. 

EXCERPT

“That’s why I think you should just start a label, Abby. We wouldn’t have to deal with this sneaky bullshit.” After Devon strained the macaroni and stirred everything together, he sprinkled hot sauce over it and handed me a bowl.

“Someday, maybe that will happen. But I’ve got to go work for the big guys, too, so I know what I’m doing.” I hadn’t realized how hungry I was. Maybe it wasn’t so bad that Devon came back with me after all. “But I’m not going to get any job if I fail that test and don’t graduate.”

Devon put his bowl down on the counter. “Shit. With everything that happened, I forgot all about that.” Yeah, right. I was familiar with his work. He smiled sheepishly. “Do you still want me to go?”

Fuck. “No. You can stay.” I hated myself for giving in, again. He’d probably be able to figure out another place to sleep, but that sucked. It was almost midnight.

He squeezed my shoulder on his way back to the bedroom. “You’re the best.”

I was an idiot. “I know.”

“What can I do to help you study?” he asked. “Is there a quiz or anything?”

“Yeah.” He took my bowl and went back to the kitchen, then came back to my bedroom with a pot cover and big spoon. I brought up the app on my tablet, and handed over to him. It was going to be impossible to concentrate over the noise of the party, but I didn’t have a choice.

Devon scanned the screen, looking for the right question to start with. He asked me the questions like he always did, in his best cheesy game show host voice. “What was the cause of the Vietnam War?”

Man, I wasn’t prepared for this test. “America wanted to keep it from falling into a communist state.”

“I’ll accept that. Who was the disagreement with?”

Easy. “The Soviet Union.”

“Yes! Those Commie bastards. Vietnam was formerly a territory of what country?”

“China?” They had something to do with this.

“I’m sorry, Miss Gauthier, but your answer is wrong. So very wrong.” He hit the spoon against the pot cover, the gong echoing through the room. I’d never not find it hysterical. “Please rephrase your answer with the correct information.”

Now all I could think about was that contract laying on my nightstand. “Give me a hint.”

“New Orleans was also a settlement of this country.” Devon pretended to look at a watch. “Time is running out for your answer.”

“France!”

“Very good. You do realize, Miss Gauthier, those who don’t learn from history are doomed to repeat it?” It was a lesson I was all too familiar with.

Finally I got everything right, and Devon was satisfied I was ready for the test. Of course, none of that would matter if I slept through it. “You need to get to sleep.”

“Yeah, about that.” There was no telling Mallory to quiet down. “Are you still staying?”

Devon ran his tongue over his lip ring and looked toward my curtains, the little lights twinkling and swaying in the breeze coming in through the window. He slid down under the blanket, and motioned for me to join him. “Are you sure it’s all right for me to stay?”

I snuggled against him. Every reason I should tell him to go rattled inside my head. “Yeah.”

“Soon, we’re not going to have to worry about any of this.” He started playing with my hair, lulling me to sleep. “We’re going to get everything we want.”

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NEW RELEASE - The Trouble With Bree by Kristen Strassel

Kristen Strassel is one of my fav NA authors. Toss contemporary romance with some paranormal and add a dash of rock-n-roll is her usual recipe for an amazing book. This year she is releasing two new stories. The first is a novella about a young mother who is lucky to find the right guy releases TODAY!

The trouble with Bree is... 

Bree Farrell is ready to turn her life around. A twenty-one-year-old mother of two, she's not sure where to start. She could use a little help, but her string of horrible ex-boyfriends keep setting her back. First step: she's swearing off men forever. Or at least until she gets back on her feet. 

Josh Maxwell got a second chance at life, and now he wants to help kids who are in the same situation he was in. His new job as the coordinator at a preschool for underprivileged kids is the perfect place to do that. 

On paper, the school policy for staff not to get involved with the families of the students makes perfect sense. But when Bree meets the new coordinator of her son's school, she and Josh learn that some rules are made to be broken, no matter what the consequences.

EXCERPT

Josh accepted the paperwork but put it aside without looking at it. He smiled so easily, I didn’t think much of it when it was meant for Landon, but now it was all for me, and it was dangerous. My heart stuttered a couple times, confused by all the messages in my brain that were telling me it’s never gonna happen.

“Our goal at Head Start is to get kids ready to learn. We evaluate each student to make sure they’re in the best group and get them prepared to start school. We’ll have kids from a lot of different backgrounds, and they’ll all have different strengths, but the cool thing is they’ll usually work together and make each other better.”

“I like that approach. Do you teach at all?” He’d be great at it.

Josh shook his head. “No. I coordinate the programs and make sure they all go according to plan.”

“With a room full of four-year-olds?” I asked. “You must be new at this.”

“I am.” Josh laughed, running his hand through his hair and leaning forward, his voice hushed. “Don’t tell Landon this is my first time.”

I looked back at the boys and bit my lip. “I can’t make any promises.”

“I guess I’ll have to stay in your good graces.” Josh raised an eyebrow. “Do you have any other kids?”

“Oh God, no.” That sounded really bad. I laughed. “I didn’t mean it like that. But my hands are full with two.”

Everyone I knew who had two kids agreed with my theory. After the first baby, there was this euphoria. I made a human being inside my body. I managed to keep him alive for almost a year at that point. It was an invincible feeling. If I could do that, I could do anything, right? Including have another baby. But the level of difficulty when I added another child to the mix multiplied exponentially. And the finesse I needed to handle it didn’t come right away.

Josh nodded. “I get it.”

“Do you have any kids?” He wasn’t wearing a wedding ring, but then of course, neither was I.

He shook his head. “Just the sixty that will be here.”

“You look fantastic for having so many kids.” I giggled. Crap. I went from zero to flirt without even thinking about it.

“So do you.” My eyes widened, and he backpedaled. “I mean, for having two.”

“Thanks.” My cheeks flushed, and I looked back at the boys.

“Do you have any questions, Ms. Farrell?” Thankfully Josh was wrapping this up before we got ourselves in trouble.

“You can call me Bree.” I don’t think anyone had called me Ms. Farrell before. I thought about his question before I answered. I didn’t want to miss anything important and put Landon behind because I thought the school coordinator was hot. I had no idea how old he was. He didn’t seem that much older than me, yet his shit was so much more together than mine.

I wanted to know what made him tick.

 “I do have a question, but it’s not about Landon. I’m starting school this semester, too, and I was wondering, how did you decide you wanted to do this?”

“That’s a great question, Bree.” Josh’s eyes lit up. “Maybe I could tell you about it over dinner?”

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