Exclusive Excerpt and Giveaway ~The de Valery Code by Darcy Burke

Thanks for stopping by as FBL hosts The deValery Code Book Tour. From August 17th to August 31st,  Darcy Burke starts off her new trilogy (Regency Treasure Hunters), The deValery Code. She stops by today to share a sneak peek of what you can expect.  There is a TOUR WIDE Rafflecopter Giveaway for a Grand prize giveaway of a travel toiletry bag from Thirty-One filled with goodies. Scroll down below for the list of the blog stops and your chance to enter to win!

The de Valery Code by Darcy Burke

Genre: Regency Historical Romance

Series: Regency Treasure Hunters, Book 1

ISBN: 9781939713247

Publisher: Darcy Burke

Publish Date: August 18, 2014

Amazon Paperpack  Kindle US Kindle UK 

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Miss Margery Derrington and her dear aunts are in dire straits. Their discovery of a rare medieval manuscript will hopefully stave off their creditors—if it’s worth what they hope. Margery reluctantly allies with a reclusive scholar to use the book to pursue a treasure that could exceed her expectations. Amidst danger, secrets, and an insatiable attraction, is Margery gambling just her financial future . . . or her heart?

Academic Rhys Bowen can’t believe he has his hands on the elusive de Valery text. Solving its hidden code and unearthing its legendary treasure would establish him as one of Britain’s leading antiquarians, finally casting him out of his brilliant late father’s shadow. But when a centuries-old organization convinces Rhys of the perils of disturbing the past, he must choose between his conscience…and the captivating woman he’s sworn to help.

This is from a fun series of events in which Margery and Rhys keep meeting in the hallway between their rooms. It’s inspired by the scene in Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom where Indy and Willie keep meeting in the hall as they fight their attraction to one another. In this part of the scene, Rhys and Margery have independently decided to look for a book in their absent host’s office, but end up joining forces.

Margery opened the door and nearly stumbled, as Mr. Bowen was doing the same.

His lips curled into a disarming smile. “Again?”

Her pulse quickened and the heat she’d felt after his kiss raced through her. “So it seems. Where are you going this time?”

“To get a book.”

“From the library?” She nodded. “That’s where I was going.”

They moved toward the staircase in unison. Though several inches separated them, she felt his proximity. He’d removed his coat, but still wore his waistcoat. He was still “dressed,” but some women would be horrified. Margery was not. In fact, she was disappointed he was wearing so much. It was that which horrified her.

When they reached the base of the stairs, she hesitated. He did the same.

“Do you think his office might be this way?” She gestured to the right, opposite where they would go to return to the library.

He stroked his jaw, which had darkened at this late hour with the onset of his beard. “It might be.”

“Do you think it would be open?”

“There’s only one way to know for sure.” He turned and led the way.

She stifled a smile as she followed him down a short corridor. They tried two rooms, but they weren’t his study. The last door, however, proved successful.

“Aha!” His tone implied he might’ve found the treasure they sought. His half-smile was charming and did completely inappropriate things to her belly.

The office was very masculine, with a pair of bookshelves and a large mahogany desk. Mr. Bowen went immediately to the desk and sat behind it.

“What are you doing?” she asked.

“Looking for the book.” He peered up at her. “Or are we still trying to disguise that’s what we’re doing?”

She suddenly felt ashamed. They had no right invading this man’s privacy.

Mr. Bowen’s brow gathered and he abruptly stood. “I’m afraid I’ve changed my mind. I’m as desperate as you to study his book, but I can’t bring myself to be rude.”

She retreated to the door. “Nor can I.”

He joined her and they exchanged what had to be mutually appreciative looks before trudging back up the stairs. Outside their rooms, Margery faced him, lacing her fingers together in front of her waist. “Good night then. Again.”

“Yes, good night.” He inclined his head, then went to his room.

Darcy Burke wrote her first book at age 11, a happily ever after about a swan addicted to magic and the female swan who loved him, with exceedingly poor illustrations. Darcy writes hot, action-packed historical and sexy, emotional contemporary romance.

A native Oregonian, Darcy lives on the edge of wine country with her devoted husband, their two great kids, and two Bengal cats. In her “spare” time Darcy is a serial volunteer enrolled in a 12-step program where one learns to say “no,” but she keeps having to start over. She’s also a fair-weather runner, and her happy places are Disneyland and Labor Day weekend at the Gorge. Visit Darcy online at http://www.darcyburke.com.

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Grand prize: a travel toiletry bag from Thirty-one filled with goodies

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Follow the Tour

August 17

Rookie Romance (Excerpt/Interview)

http://rookieromance.blogspot.co.uk/

August 18

Romance Reader Girl (Excerpt)

http://romancereadergirl.com/

August 19

For The Love of Bookends (Excerpt, Review)

http://loveofbookends.blogspot.com

August 20

Books Like Breathing (Review)

http://bookslikebreathing.blogspot.com

August 21

SOS Aloha (Excerpt)

http://sosaloha.blogspot.com

Books-n-Kisses (Excerpt)

http://www.books-n-kisses.com

August 22

Romancing Rakes For The Love of Romance (Excerpt)

http://romancingrakes4theluvofromance.blogspot.com/

August 23

The Lusty Literate (Excerpt)

http://thelustyliterate.com/

Historical Romance Lover (Interview)

http://historicalromancelover.blogspot.com/

August 24

Underneath The Covers Blog (Excerpt)

http://underneaththecoversblog.com/

August 25

TBQ’s Book Palace

http://www.tbqsbookpalace.com/

August 26

What I’m Reading (Excerpt/Review)

http://sillymelody.blogspot.com

August 28

Romantic Historical Reviews (Spotlight/Review)

http://www.romantichistoricalreviews.com/

August 29

Adria’s Book Reviews (Interview/Review)

http://adriasromancereviews.blogspot.com

Forever Book Lover (Excerpt)

http://foreverbklover.blogspot.com/

August 31

Eskimo Princess Book Review (Excerpt)

http://eskimoprincess.blogspot.com/

The Reading Wench (Interview/Review)

http://thereadingwench.blogspot.com/

Book Tour~ Guest Post and Giveaway ~ WHATEVER IT TAKES by Dixie Lee Brown

Welcome to my post on Whatever it Takes by Dixie Lee Brown.  There is a Tour Wide Giveaway, so follow the entire tour and leave a comment for your chance to win at each of the tour stops
 Link to Follow Tour.

Whatever it Takes

Trust No One # 4

By: Dixie Lee Brown

Releasing August 12^th, 2014

Avon: Impulse

 Goodreads

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Assassin Alex Morgan will do anything to save an innocent life - especially if it means rescuing a child from a hell like the one she endured.

But going undercover as husband and wife, with none other than the disarmingly sexy Detective Nate Sanders, may be a little more togetherness than she can handle. She’s used to working alone, and no man is going to change that - not even a man who makes her heart pound and her defenses crumble with just a touch

Nate has dodged more than a few bullets over the years, but fighting his attraction for Alex may be the bullet that does him in. Still, Nate’s determined to help her find the missing kid. There’s no doubt in his mind that they’re walking straight into danger, but Nate’s willing to face anything if it means protecting Alex. She might have been on her own once, but Nate has one more mission: to stay by her side - forever. 

Want to be an Author? — 5 Things I Wish I’d Known…

Hi everyone! I’m excited to be here today and share a little teaser for my new book, WHATEVER IT TAKES, 4th in the Trust No One series.


I’ve wanted to be a writer since I was in grade school, an ambition I set aside for many years. For those who don’t already know, writing is a huge undertaking and an emotional roller coaster ride. It’s a journey best not embarked upon until you know what you’re getting into. Here are 5 things I wish I’d known:

v They didn’t teach us about punctuation and grammar in school for nothing, and those spelling bees weren’t only for fun. That’s right. Authors are expected to write grammatically correct, punctuate in all the right places, and, at least, know how to run Spell Check in Word. It’s been a few years since I was in school, so much of this information had to be relearned. Sadly, I still struggle with those darn commas!

v Writing is hard work! It consumes me 24 hours a day for months while I’m writing that story, but even then I’m not finished. Now begins the editing process which takes me through the manuscript once, twice, ten times (if you’re obsessive like me) just to get it in good enough shape to hand off to a critique partner for his/her comments. When I get that final draft in hand—the one that is as good as I can possibly make it—I’m ready to decide which publishing route to take.

v At this point, I can choose to find an agent, submit to publishers on my own, or self-publish. I always knew I wanted to follow the more traditional method, so I submitted to agents. Here’s what I learned. Some agents care about people, even new authors—some don’t. At final count, about 100 rejection notices came in. Most were form letters; two or three were personal e-mails or letters; one lady called to tell me I’d never make it as a writer. But I only needed one acceptance letter. Thank you, Dawn Dowdle!

v Writing is only half the job…and it’s the easy half! Once the book is written and published, it has to sell before I make a dime. Whether or not the publisher helps with the marketing of the book,they will expect me to do my part. This means creating and maintaining a professional looking webpage, having a Facebook presence, learning the strange world that is Twitter, Pinterest, and any of the social media that will help to spread the news about my book. It means throwing virtual release parties, having book signings wherever and whenever I can, as well as including some amount for marketing in my budget. Be forewarned—this is a time consuming chore!

v Reviews are essential to getting that book noticed and read. Every author hopes for good ones. When the first book in this series came out, I waited excitedly for those first reviews to roll in. It was a foregone conclusion that even if not everyone loved my novel, aka my baby, my constant companion for the better part of a year, they would at least recognize the time, effort and love that had gone into its creation. Well…not so much! Most of the reviews were wonderful, but much like the one acceptance letter from the agent that made the rest of my year, one not-so-good review felt like the end of the world. Had I known how those first reviews would affect me, I probably still wouldn’t have been prepared, but now, with some perspective and growth as an author, I’ve learned to read reviews differently—to ferret out the constructive criticism, understand the reviewer’s frustration, and toughen up.

There are many more things to learn, and I’m still working on most of them. I’m pretty sure it’s an on-going process. As soon as I think I’ve learned it all, something new comes along. The important thing is to be open to new ideas and keep learning.

Thanks for stopping by. I hope you’ll enjoy the book!

DIXIE LEE BROWN lives and writes in Central Oregon, inspired by what she believes is the most gorgeous scenery anywhere. She resides with two dogs and a cat, who make sure she never takes herself too seriously. When she’s not writing, she enjoys reading, movies, and trips to the beach.

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Tour~ Excerpt and Giveaway~ A Highlander’s Obsession by Vonnie Davis

Welcome to the blog tour for Highlander's Obsession by Vonnie Davis. It will run from August 11th to August 29th. Thanks so much for stopping by. Follow the Tour for your chance at the tour wide giveaway.

A Highlander’s Obsession:

Highlander’s Beloved Trilogy, Book 1

By: Vonnie Davis

Releasing August 19th, 2014

Loveswept

Goodreads

Amazon    B & N

In the vein of Jennifer Ashley’s Shifters Unbound series and Shelly Laurenston’s Pride Stories, Vonnie Davis introduces two wandering souls who discover that true love needs no words in this explosive, fantastical novel.

Two wandering souls discover that true love needs no words in this explosive, fantastical novel from Vonnie Davis.

Somehow able to telepathically communicate with animals, Paisley Munro has found meaning in her so-called gifts by working as a veterinary assistant. But while traveling to Scotland for a relative’s funeral, Paisley fears that she really has lost her mind. Out in the highlands, she hears distinctly human thoughts coming from a wild bear. Terrified and desperate, she returns to the lodge and collapses in the powerful arms of its owner, a mysterious man with whom she shares a simmering attraction.

Creighton Matheson and his fellow shape-shifters have been roaming this land freely for centuries. Now Paisley may inherit his home, putting his kind in grave danger. His mistrust only deepens when he realizes she can read his mind. Yet he cannot deny that this tantalizing woman makes him burn with desire—and hunger for the prospect of a tender love. Now Creighton must decide which would hurt more: revealing the truth or losing Paisley forever.

“You are?” She shouldn’t allow Creighton to kiss her. What about Alex, her fiancé? Yet she wanted his kiss. Right this moment, she’d never felt closer to anyone than she did to this Scot. It was as if he wove a spell around her, a sensual, sheltered spell.

“Aye, lassie, I am.” He slipped off her glasses and laid them on the table beside him. “I’m going to kiss ye well and good.” Warm lips pressed against her temple. “And when I’m through”—his lips rubbed across her cheek—“it will be me ye dream of tonight, not yer fiancé.” His hold tightened on her and his lips forged a trail to her ear, drawing her earlobe into his mouth. “Aye, it’ll be me ye yearn fer.”

Her eyes fluttered shut on a sigh.

His teeth grazed her jawline.

Her mouth opened in response, and a moan escaped.

“That’s it, leannan. Feel what I’m doing to ye. Let yer body respond.” Tiny kisses, featherlight, rained over her face while his arms held her to him. “We are like thirst and water, ye and I. Thirst and water.”

Her fingers curled and uncurled in his sweater . . . faster. When would his lips touch hers? 

He was making her desire his kiss, making her need it like she needed her next breath.

Suddenly, his gentle sweeps across her cheeks stopped and he pulled away. His fingers closed into fists in her hair, drawing her head back. “Look at me.” The command in his voice directed chills of submission across her flesh.

When her eyes opened, his dark head lowered, slowly, ever so slowly. Her insides twisted into knots of passion. Desire singed the most delightful places and her nipples hardened to painful points. When would he kiss her? When?

Finally. At last. Warm, soft lips covered hers. Covered and took control.

Oh. My. God.

Vonnie Davis, who studied English at Penn State, likens herself to a croissant: crusty, wrinkled, flaky—and best served with strong coffee. After a career as a technical writer, she’s spending her retirement playing fairy godmother to her characters, giving them their happily-ever-afters. Six fantastic, talented kids call her “Grandma” and brighten her world in so many ways. She lives in Southern Virginia with her husband, author Calvin Davis.

Author Links

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Excerpt & Giveaway~ I Adored a Lord by Katharine Ashe

From July 28th to August 22nd, author Katharine Ashe will be blog hopping to celebrate her new release, I Adored a Lord.  There is a Tour Wide Giveaway for Three Winners to receive a Digital Copy of I MARRIED A DUKE by Katharine Ashe. So follow the entire tour and leave a comment for your chance to win at each of the tour stops:  Link to Follow Tour

I Adored a Lord

A Prince Catchers Novel

By: Katharine Ashe

Releasing July 29^th, 2014

Avon Romance

 Goodreads

Amazon  B & N  iBook

She’s intended for his brother. He’s destined for adventure. Then a dangerous mystery throws them together, and all they want is each other.

All that clever, passionate Ravenna Caulfield wants is to stay far away from high society’s mean girls.

All that handsome, heroic Lord Vitor Courtenay wants is to dash from dangerous adventure to adventure.

Now, snowbound in a castle with a bevy of the ton’s scheming maidens all competing for a prince’s hand in marriage, Ravenna’s worst nightmare has come true. Now, playing babysitter to a spoiled prince and his potential brides, Vitor is champing at the bit to be gone.

When a stolen kiss in a stable leads to a corpse in a suit of armor, a canine kidnapping, and any number of scandalous liaisons, Ravenna and Vitor find themselves wrapped in a mystery they’re perfectly paired to solve. But as for the mysteries of love and sex, Vitor’s not about to let Ravenna escape until he’s gotten what he desires…

Award-winning, best-selling author KATHARINE ASHE writes intensely lush historical romance, including How To Be a Proper Lady, among Amazon's 10 Best Books of 2012 in Romance, and eight other acclaimed novels set in the era of the British Empire. With the publication of her debut novel in 2010, she earned a spot among the American Library Association's "New Stars of Historical Romance." She was a nominee for the 2013 Library of Virginia Literary Award in Fiction, and in 2011 she won the coveted Reviewers' Choice Award for Best Historical Romantic Adventure. Katharine is also a finalist for the 2014 RITA® Award, the highest honor in the romance fiction industry, for How To Marry A Highlander.

She lives in the wonderfully warm Southeast with her beloved husband, son, dog, and a garden she likes to call romantic rather than unkempt. A professor of European History at Duke University, Katharine writes fiction because she thinks modern readers deserve high adventure and breathtaking sensuality too. For more about her books, please visit her at www.KatharineAshe.com.

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Tour~ Review & Giveaway~Taken by Tuesday by Catherine Bybee

               

I am excited to be part of  Catherine's latest Blog Tour, Taken by Tuesday. Today Catherine is visiting us with her latest release in the Weekday Bride Series.   

Catherine will be offering a giveaway on this tour, scroll down to see more information. Stop by the other blogs on the tour to enter to win.... Good Luck!

TAKEN BY TUESDAY

The Weekday Bride Series, Book Five

Montlake Romance, Contemporary

August 12, 2014, First Edition

Paperback & Kindle

Amazon  B & N  BAM   Book Depository

JUDY GARDNER:

College graduate Judy stands ready to conquer the world…if she can find a job. Hoping to transition from aspiring architect to famous architect as quickly as possible, the dark-haired beauty moves to LA, staying in the home of her celebrity brother, Michael Wolfe. But it’s hard for Judy to focus on work when the sexy bodyguard she fell for last summer keeps showing up in her life and leaving her breathless.

RICK EVANS:

With his hard body, green eyes, and easy smile, Rick could have any woman he wants. But the Marine-turned-bodyguard only has eyes for Judy and her spitfire attitude. When a faceless villain attacks Judy, Rick will stop at nothing to protect the woman who opened his heart from the monster hunting her.

PRAISE FOR TAKEN BY TUESDAY

“Readers will fall in love with Rick, who is the ultimate book boyfriend with his good looks and bad-ass attitude.”  –RT BOOK REVIEWS, TOP PICK!, 4 ½ STARS

Each book is better than the last one. Taken by Tuesday is cute and sexy and then takes a quick turn to suspense.  I couldn't put this book down, but I never could put any of Catherine's books down for too long.  The plot is refreshing but deals with current events.  Catherine Bybee leads us into a new experience ~ cyber stalking. When a simple internet game played to let off steam bring out Vengeance.

Has social media/internet gaming gone too far? Great lesson learned topic on how much of your personal life and personal information you share on the internet. 

Rick's life depended on saving her.. can he reach her in time. He loved her from afar, being with her was being without her. But when he was wrongly accused of causing her harm, can he be the Hero that she needs, Will risking it all be enough for him to finally share his feelings?

For those new to Catherine's series, this can be a standalone, but for me the complete series is a must read!  I gooble up any book Catherine writes, be it her brawny Highlander/Time Travel, her compelling Contemporary Romances or her sexy Shape Shifters.  She never lets you down!

New York Times & USA Today bestselling author Catherine Bybee was raised in Washington State, but after graduating high school, she moved to Southern California in hopes of becoming a movie star. After growing bored with waiting tables, she returned to school and became a registered nurse, spending most of her career in urban emergency rooms. She now writes full-time and has penned the Weekday Brides Series and the Not Quite Series. Bybee lives with her husband and two teenage sons in Southern California.  

Website  Email Catherine's Blog Twitter

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The Weekday Brides Series:

Release Tour ~ Excerpt and Giveaway ~ Red, White, and Screwed by Holly Bush

Hello Fans! Thanks for stopping by, perfecting timing.  FBL is welcomes Holly Bush who is celebrating her latest release, Red, White & Screwed.

Holly is hosting a Tour Wide Giveaway for a $25.00 Amazon or B&N Gift Card. Follow the Tour.

Red, White & Screwed

By: Holly Bush

Releasing July 17^th, 2014

Goodreads

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Political strategist Glenda Nelson is having a meltdown. Her handpicked, very married Congressional candidate was just caught climbing out of the window of the Sleepytown Motel, and her philandering ex-husband seems to have the most to gain from the colossal scandal that follows. As Glenda attempts to salvage the campaign in a hotly contested race, conservative and liberal pundits pounce on the story to further their own agendas.

Glenda’s love life is nonexistent to say the least, that is, until she meets handsome artist Chris Goodrich. Chris’s easy-going, carefree outlook on life couldn’t be more different than the 90-mph crazy train that is Glenda’s, but the more time she spends with him, the more she craves his calming presence, his sexy smile, and his steamy embraces. Is Chris worth taking a chance on?

Between the pressure of full-blown spin control mode, rapidly declining job security, refereeing two teenagers, caring for aging parents, and spending hours on her therapist’s couch trying to get past her ex’s crushing betrayal, Glenda finds love and makes the long trek back to happy.

The doors of the Mansville High School were covered with posters ranging from “Just Say No To Drugs” to a square dance being held Friday night after the football game. After getting directions to the art rooms, I ran down the hallway and burst through the door. The student art gala included a speaker. I smiled at Christopher Goodwich, straightened my skirt and hair, and found a seat. Sylvia was glaring at me.

“Art is about beauty,” Goodwich was saying. “But beauty is speculative. What is beautiful to you and what is beautiful to the student beside you may be two different things.”

I settled into one of those seats with the desk attached. My rear end was not cooperating and hung out either one side or the other. Goodwich was a good speaker and I listened intently.  He was patient with the kids, and Sylvia’s art teacher was batting her lashes and giggling.

Goodwich would never go for her type, I thought to myself. The overt artsy-craftsy, caftans-are-still-in-style, kind of a woman. And her hair was long. Why doesn’t someone tell women over forty to cut their hair? What kind of woman would Goodwich go for? Meg did say he wasn’t gay. Everyone was clapping. I stood up enthusiastically and took with me the desk still attached to my rump. Sylvia pulled at the seat, and markers went flying. Christopher Goodwich was heading my way.

“It’s nice to see you again, Glenda.” Goodwich looked at the desk stuck to my hips. “Can I help?”

The desk plopped off my ass with a thump, and I ran a hand through my hair. “Chris! What a surprise.”

Sylvia was looking from one of us to the other.

“Is this your daughter?” He smiled at Sylvia. “She’s a terrific artist. You should be very proud.”

Sylvia giggled. Did he have this effect on all women, regardless of age?

“Thank you. She’s a great kid and so is her brother Frank. I didn’t know you were speaking here. What brought you to the high school today?”

“Mary, Mrs. Elfson-King,” he nodded to the mu-mu clad woman at the front of the room, “was in college with me. We’ve kept in touch over the years on and off. I let her know I was coming out this way, and she asked me to speak to her class.” He turned his full attention on me. “I’m glad she did.”

I batted my eyelashes and giggled. “I am, too.”

I stood there moony-eyed, and he wasn’t moving a muscle either. Just staring at me with those big, green eyes and smiling. One of the great things God did for women is to make us appreciate age-appropriate beauty. Today’s movie stars are nice-looking but remind me of my son and his friends. And that makes them cute, like a baby laughing or little girls in Christmas dresses.

The sexiest men of the stage are the ones I’ve grown up with. Brad Pitt and Johnny Depp were hot in Thelma & Louise and What’s Eating Gilbert Grape. They’re still hot today. The laugh lines, the way a face and a body changes with time, makes them as sexy at fifty as when they were twenty.

Unfortunately, I think God only gifted women with this hormone. Men, as a general rule of thumb, do not see wrinkles as sexy.

“You’re very beautiful, Glenda,” Chris said. “I’d like to paint you.”

I had a bizarre vision of myself in a seventeenth-century portrait, plump, stretched out naked on a couch holding a bunch of grapes in one hand with a sheet winding through my legs and over one breast. I could feel my face turn red.

Holly Bush writes historical romance set on the American Prairie, in Victorian England and recently released her first Contemporary Romance. Her books are described as emotional, with heartfelt, sexy romance. She makes her home with her husband in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania.  Connect with Holly at www.hollybushbooks.com and on Twitter @hollybushbooks and on Facebook at Holly Bush.

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