MOONSTRUCK AT MARDI GRAS by Aurora Paige – Featured New Release

MOONSTRUCK AT MARDI GRAS

Holidates Series Book 16

Aurora Paige

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Juliana

Who knew a dating app would match me up with my long-time crush–my big brother’s best friend?

After my best friend bailed on me for my birthday trip to Mardi Gras, I was stuck with two options–go alone or find someone to accompany me using the Holidates app. Lo and behold, I find myself on vacation with the man who’s been the star of more than one of my naughty fantasies–Easton Hawthorne.

That sinful smile, those soulful brown eyes, that delicious dark scruff. For as long as I can remember, Easton has been completely off-limits.

But not anymore. Not after we’ve shared more than just the most epic kiss and an unforgettable night in the same bed.

But when life brings us both back to reality–with our pasts hellbent on keeping us apart–will Easton and I be strong enough to be more than just a holiday fling?

Easton

Who knew Juliana Delarosa, my best friend’s little sister, was the one I’ve been searching for?

She’s been under my nose this whole time. Hell, she even sold me Girl Scout cookies when we were kids!

Gone is the chubby-cheeked little girl with pigtails and braces. In her place is a curvy, classy, and compassionate woman who knows exactly what she’s looking for. Don’t even get me started on what those dimples do to me!

We made a deal–take a fun trip as nothing but friends. No kissing, no touching, and definitely no sharing a bed.

But when we broke that promise, all hell would break loose, too.

Who knew I’d be moonstruck at Mardi Gras?

Buy Now! Amazon

ABOUT AURORA

Aurora Paige is a healthcare professional by day and a Filipina-American writer of steamy contemporary romance with sassy heroines and sexy heroes at night. Each Aurora Paige story delivers a variety of Curvy Heroines, Multicultural relationships, Alpha Heroes, Steamy Heat, and a Guaranteed Happily Ever After.

Website: www.aurorapaige.com

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FULL EXPOSURE by Thien-Kim Lam — Happy Book Birthday!

FULL EXPOSURE

Thien-Kim Lam

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In FULL EXPOSURE, Thien-Kim serves up a piping hot dish of a romance featuring a boudoir photographer and an aspiring filmmaker finding love in the middle of Mardi Gras—can a Big Easy fling become the real thing?!

Boudoir photographer Josie Parks never ever takes a vacation. But when a client cancels a New Orleans shoot at the last minute, she decides to fly out from her Washington, D.C., studio anyway. Maybe the trip will reawaken her recently stagnant muse. After all, it’s Mardi Gras season…

Spencer Pham has come home after twelve soul-sucking years in corporate hell to pursue his passion: making a docu-film on his family’s history as the first Vietnamese Mardi Gras krewe. The last thing he expects is getting whacked in the head by a beautiful woman trying to snag some parade beads.

Over some beignets and coffee, Spencer and Josie connect over their artistic pursuits. He offers to show her the real New Orleans, if she’ll help him with the camerawork for his film. Despite Josie’s type-A personality clashing with Spencer’s laissez-faire attitude, they seem to make a great team, and soon, the good times are rolling both on and off camera. But Josie has a life in D.C., and they both have big dreams they’re chasing. When this Big Easy fling starts feeling awfully serious, can they find a way to choose between personal and professional passion?

Buy links:

Amazon Harper Collins Barnes & Noble Bookshop

ABOUT THIEN-KIM

Thien-Kim is also the founder of Bawdy Bookworms, a subscription box that pairs sexy romances with erotic toys. She’s been featured on Jezebel, Bustle, Entertainment Weekly, and Oprah Daily.

Social links:

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REVIEW

To follow.

THE WIND’S ECHOING EMBRACE by Erin Pirani–Featured New Release

THE WIND’S ECHOING EMBRACE

Erin Pirani

SYNOPSIS

The secrets of his past may hinder the future…

A year has passed since the attempt on Ali Raza’s life. He has managed to put everything behind him and live anew in wedded bliss with his wife, Charmaine Radcliff. Unfortunately, the peace in their lives is derailed when Ali is summoned to India to solve the assassination attempt of a respected official. Ali agrees that Charmaine accompany him, with the exception that she remains undercover. When alarming details from his past emerge, they are both at risk.

Lies, betrayal, and dangerous games…

When the intrepid seamstress Charmaine embarks on the adventure of a lifetime with her husband, her enthusiasm attracts the interest of a high-ranking British officer and her marriage is placed in jeopardy. Ali and Charmaine face a multitude of challenges, from interfering family members and dangerous attractions to an unidentified villain. Can their love see them through these betrayals,or will fears from the past endanger them both?

From the charming grandeur of England to untamed India, The Wind’s Echoing Embrace is a whirlwind journey of devotion and the power of love.

Purchase Links:

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EXCERPT

The food, spices, and incense whirled around her. It gave Charmaine some comfort. And little by little, she pulled her handkerchief away from her nose and tucked it into the suit’s breast pocket.

The men who were not bartering stopped and greeted her with an odd stare. Women draped in bright full-length clothing murmured behind their hands.

The activity pulled her in so many different directions that she could not think straight. She turned to speak to her husband but found him in a much-contrasted demeanor from his usual self. Since receiving the telegram from his superior, Ali’s behavior had altered. He now appeared guarded.

To the people around her, she must have seemed as if she were a foreign creature. Yet Ali still walked alongside her as any dutiful gentleman would. On the other hand, Charmaine saw him in another light. Stern, straight-laced—the conduct typical of a military officer. So different, so unlike the man she had grown to love over the last year. An uneasy feeling sprouted in the pit of her stomach. Now she was the stranger in a strange land.

ABOUT ERIN

Erin Pirani is an up and coming author who writes historical romances set in the Edwardian, Victorian, Medieval, and Fantasy Eras. She likes to sprinkle humor into her stories to alleviate the tension. Erin finally had her dream come true in the fall of 2017 her debut novella Carried by the Eastern Wind was published by a small press. She has then taken the self-publishing route with the release of her latest title The Wind’s Echoing Embrace.

Her love of reading stemmed from a journalist father while her creative abilities were fostered by her artist mother from her childhood in Northwestern Minnesota.

She currently lives with an adventurous husband and two rambunctious daughters in North Carolina. Their constant moves fuel the inspiration for Erin’s stories.

SECRET KISSES by Aurora Paige – Featured New Release

SECRET KISSES

Midnight Kisses Series

Aurora Paige

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Stella

Did that just happen? Did Jaxson Mitchell really kiss me with his girlfriend in the other room?

I’d crushed hard on Jaxson for as long as I could remember. But my older brother had made it perfectly clear his best friend was off limits.

Childhood crushes were just a phase…or so I thought until that New Year’s Eve kiss. Now all of those familiar feelings were back.

Jaxson

I knew Stella was untouchable, but I made my move all the same.

It was risky, knowing friendships could be lost, and a family bond might be broken. Yet, kissing her was all I thought about from the minute I laid eyes on her at that party.

So, when the clock struck midnight, I knew it was my chance.

It was a new year, and I had a resolution I planned to keep. I just hoped Stella felt the same.

Available today: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09G14XB2R/

Midnight Kisses Series

This year, make the ultimate resolution to fall in love with the sexiest book boyfriends around.

Midnight kisses, parties in the city, cozy cabins, and all the taboo sexiness you can handle.

Strap on your slippers, and get cozy, cause these men are coming to you.

Series Page: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09KMBGDHH

ABOUT AURORA

Website: www.aurorapaige.com

Newsletter: www.aurorapaige.com/newsletter-sign-up

Facebook: www.facebook.com/xoaurorapaige

Smitten Squad FB group: https://www.Facebook.com/groups/thesmittensquad/

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Twitter: www.twitter.com/xoaurorapaige

TikTok: www.tiktok.com/@xoaurorapaige

Goodreads: www.goodreads.com/author/show/20700755.Aurora_Paige

BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/aurora-paige

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Aurora-Paige/e/B08M91XPXB

AAPI SPOTLIGHT – HAPPY ENDINGS by Thien-Kim Lam

HAPPY ENDINGS

by

Thien-Kim Lam

With her debut novel, Thien-Kim Lam serves up a sexy second-chance romance about exes with unfinished business. When working together reignites their passion, will these former flames sizzle or get burned all over again?

Trixie Nguyen is determined to make her sex toy business a success, proving to her traditional Vietnamese parents that she can succeed in a nontraditional career. She’s made a fresh start in Washington DC, and her first pop-up event is going well—until she runs into the ex who dumped her. With a Post-it note.

The last person Andre Walker expected to see in his soul food restaurant was the woman he left behind in New Orleans. Their chemistry is still scorching, but he’s desperately trying to save his family restaurant from gentrifying developers. The solution? Partnering with his ex to turn Mama Hazel’s into a vibrator pop-up shop for hungry and horny clients.

Thanks to their steamy truce, both businesses start to sizzle and their red-hot desire soon reignites deeper feelings. But when Trixie receives an incredible career opportunity, will pride ruin their second chance at happiness?

Buy links:

Amazon Harper Collins Barnes & Noble Indiebound Bookshop

A promising #ownvoices debut with a multicultural pairing, an admirable female lead, sex positivity, fierce female friendship, strong family ties, and loads of glorious food, Happy Endings is exactly my jam.

I love that there are more and more Asian-American authors writing romance and I’m ecstatic that we are creating main characters who positively represent our heritage and who celebrate the joy of loving freely. It’s wonderful to read books with characters, backgrounds, and situations I can relate to.

Ms. Lam’s debut excites me because she’s fearless in giving her Vietnamese-American female lead a job selling sex toys thereby confronting the issue of the hyper-sexualization of the Asian female in popular media head-on. Trixie’s pride in her accomplishments and her ambition in furthering her career no matter the obstacles delighted me.

For me, this is very much Trixie’s story–her quest for success, her difficult relationship with her very traditional parents, her friendship with the Boss Babes were all fascinating to me. Her romance with Andre only takes second place. I do understand the attraction between them and the intimate scenes were really hot but, in my opinion, Andre needed to be more, to do more to deserve Trixie. His characterization was the weakest aspect of the book for me.

Overall, I enjoyed this book and I’m looking forward to reading more of Ms. Lam’s Boss Babes.

Thien-Kim Lam writes stories about Vietnamese characters who smash stereotypes and find their happy endings. A recovering Type-Asian, she guzzles cà phê sữa đá, makes art, and bakes her feelings to stay sane. Thien-Kim is also the founder of Bawdy Bookworms, a subscription box that pairs sexy romances with erotic toys. She’s been featured on NPR, BBC America, and NBC.

Thien-Kim brings over 20 years’ experience as a sex educator and sex toy expert into a steamy second-chance romance in her debut, Happy Endings. Selected as the winner of Avon’s 2019 open call for unagented Own Voices submissions, this romantic comedy is filled with heart; it is a story of honoring each person’s culture in an interracial relationship, sex positivity, and exploring non-traditional ambitions even when they terrify you.

“Happy Endings is my love letter to all Asian women,” says Thien-Kim. “We live in a society that fetishizes us, but Trixie explores her sexuality on her own terms and wants to help the women in her life do the same. She may stumble a bit, especially when love is on the line, but she’s got her Boss Babes by her side. Just like how I have my Boss Babes in my corner.”

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SNIPPET SUNDAY: Miss Universe

Filipinas are widely considered to be among the most beautiful women in the world. Two of the last five Miss Universe titleholders have come from the Philippines: Pia Wurtzbach in 2015 and Catriona Gray in 2018. Both are products of interracial romance between a foreigner and a Filipina –Pia’s father is German while Catriona’s is Australian.

In my series Carpe Diem Chronicles, I celebrate the harmonious melding of multiple cultures in my main characters. The American Ryan brothers have an Italian mother and an Irish father. Krista’s father is American, Maddie’s is French, Angela’s is Singaporean. All pairings created beautiful offspring.

Of the three female leads, Maddie is the one most often complimented for her physical attractiveness. She worked as a model before she obtained her college degree. In three of my books, Aidan compares her to Miss Universe.

Boracay Vows

She sashayed onto the plane and waved to the pilots like she’s Miss Universe. Then she held out her hand to me as if I should be honored she acknowledged my presence at all.”

Singapore Fling

The woman who approached him was, in a word, breathtaking. Not just any other beauty queen, but Miss Universe-caliber.

Tall and slender, she was both Filipina and Caucasian. Blond-highlighted, honey-colored hair was artfully arranged on top of her head, her sunglasses forming a black crown in the center of the thick mass. Smooth earth-toned skin—miles of it on display, thanks to her skimpy halter top and jean shorts—was luminous, even inside the poorly lit plane. Her eyes sparkled with good humor and a hint of appreciation as she followed his progress to a standing position.”

Global City Tryst

“We have many beautiful ladies here in the Philippines. They can all win Miss Universe,” the other guy boasted.

Aidan’s lips twitched. He’d thought the same when he first met Madeleine. Her irresistible beauty was the reason he’d made time in his packed schedule. She ticked all his boxes.”

Of course Aidan doesn’t fall in love until he has gotten to know Maddie better. But that initial spark of attraction was necessary to ignite their sizzling romance.

Photo note: based on my photo face-swapped with a model using Face App.

GLOBAL CITY TRYST Is Live!

My latest book Global City Tryst, a Carpe Diem Chronicles novelette, is now live!

This prequel to Singapore Fling is special to me because it’s the only work I was able to complete in 2020. While the pandemic didn’t affect me physically, it stifled my creativity severely. At the same time, the Romance writing world was in turmoil. With the additional responsibility of supervising my son’s virtual learning, my mental health suffered. The inspiration well dried out and all my progress on my ongoing project Samui Heat, Angela and Craig’s story, came to a full stop.

Thankfully, all was not lost. When an author-friend of mine invited me to participate in an anthology she was coordinating, I readily accepted. The theme of a contemporary romance set in a high-rise building lit a spark of inspiration within me. I already had the makings of this story. I already know the characters inside and out. I had sprinkled scenes all over Singapore Fling about Maddie and Aidan’s sexy weekend after they left Boracay.

When we were together at my condo in Makati, we …”

… subsisted on sex and kisses.”

It still took me a couple of weeks to flesh it out, but I managed to write a fun and sexy story detailing how Maddie and Aidan’s romance really started.

The Big City Heat anthology was published in October 2020 and sold well enough to be listed as no. 1 bestseller in a couple of categories and enabled us to donate to the Equal Justice Initiative. Now, the rights have been returned to me and I can re-release as a stand alone story.

I’m excited for y’all to read this (long) short story. It explains so much why Maddie and Aidan’s relationship progressed so quickly in Singapore Fling.

Check it out from these stores:

Universal Link Amazon Kobo Nook Google Play

I hope you’ll also review it on Goodreads or wherever you purchased it. Thank you!

SIMMER DOWN by Sarah Smith – Featured New Release

SIMMER DOWN

by

Sarah Smith

In this finger-licking good rom-com, two is the perfect number of cooks in the kitchen.

Nikki DiMarco knew life wouldn’t be all sunshine and coconuts when she quit her dream job to help her mom serve up mouthwatering Filipino dishes to hungry beach goers, but she didn’t expect the Maui food truck scene to be so eat-or-be-eaten—or the competition to be so smoking hot.

But Tiva’s Filipina Kusina has faced bigger road bumps than the arrival of Callum James. Nikki doesn’t care how delectable the British food truck owner is—he rudely set up shop next to her coveted beach parking spot. He’s stealing her customers and fanning the flames of a public feud that makes her see sparks.

The solution? Let the upcoming Maui Food Festival decide their fate. Winner keeps the spot. Loser pounds sand. But the longer their rivalry simmers, the more Nikki starts to see a different side of Callum … a sweet, protective side. Is she brave enough to call a truce? Or will trusting Callum with her heart mean jumping from the frying pan into the fire?

Buy Links:

Penguin Random House Amazon Barnes & Noble Kobo Google Play Indiebound Books A Million Bookshop.org

Any time I see myself in the book I’m reading, I give it high marks. Every time I cry while reading a book, I give it top ratings. Whenever a book promotes the Filipino culture, I only had positive things to say about it. Simmer Down, with its part-Filipina heroine, her tight-knit bond with her parents, its multicultural romance, and its proud celebration of Filipino food, gets my enthusiastic rave. A perfectly-fitting read during the Filipino American History Month this October.

Sarah Smith is a copywriter-turned-author who wants to make the world a lovelier place, one kissing story at a time. Her love of romance began when she was eight and she discovered her auntie’s stash of romance novels. She’s been hooked ever since. When she’s not writing, you can find her hiking, eating chocolate, and perfecting her lumpia recipe. She lives in Bend, Oregon, with her husband and adorable cat Salem.

Social Media Links:

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Some of the dishes served in Nikki’s food truck Tiva’s Filipina Kusina are found in Boracay Vows.

Pancit and lumpia are mentioned multiple times in Simmer Down.

Chicken adobo is a prize-winning dish in Simmer Down.

NEW YORK ENGAGEMENT Recipe – Soda Bread

Who isn’t baking these days? I certainly am. One of my creations is soda bread. I mentioned it in New York Engagement on Chapter Nine where Krista had a family meal with the Ryans at their pub in Hell’s Kitchen. In the book, they served brown soda bread to go with Guinness caldereta, longganisa coddle, and chicken lechon. As the only flour I have at home was all-purpose white and I wanted it for breakfast and tea, I followed this Irish-American version with whiskey-soaked cranberries from seriouseats.com. The Ryans are Irish-Americans after all.

Ingredients:
1 cup dried cranberries (or raisins or currants)
1/2 cup Irish whiskey (or hot water)
4 cups bread flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons honey
1 1/2 cups buttermilk

Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit (~190 degrees Celsius) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Combine the cranberries and whiskey (or hot water). Cover and set aside to rehydrate for at least 30 minutes.

2. In a medium mixing bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, and salt. Cut the butter into slices, then work it into the dry ingredients with your fingertips until it is fully incorporated. Add the honey, buttermilk, and the cranberries and soaking liquid mixture. Stir with a wooden spoon until all the liquid is absorbed.

3. Flour your work surface lightly and turn out the dough. Gently bring it together without kneading so as not to overwork it. Form the dough into a 6-8 inch disk about 1 1/2 – 1 3/4 inches high and place it on your prepared baking sheet. Using a sharp knife, make four cuts all the way through to create eight triangles.

4. Bake for 50-60 minutes, until the bread is nicely browned, and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool on a rack. If you like a softer crust, cover the bread with a clean kitchen towel as it cools.

5. Serve plain or, as I do, with cream cheese and your favorite beverage. Mine is coffee with Baileys.

New York Engagement is available in eBook and paperback from major online retailers. Signed paperback can be purchased from this website.

SINGAPORE FLING Lone Star Lit Book Blog Tour

SINGAPORE FLING is on a book blog tour with Lone Star Literary Life from November 12 to 21. Get to know more about me and Singapore Fling through special features like Maddie’s Top Five List, an Author Interview, my thoughts about traveling through books, a favorite recipe, and a Scrapbook Page. There will also be book reviews and fantastic giveaways.

Here’s the schedule (Bold links are published posts):

11/12/19 	Top Five 		The Clueless Gent
11/12/19 	Bonus Post 		Hall Ways Blog
11/13/19 	Review 			Forgotten Winds
11/14/19 	Author Interview 	Chapter Break Book Blog
11/15/19 	Guest Post 		All the Ups and Downs
11/16/19 	Review 			Missus Gonzo
11/17/19 	Review 			Reading by Moonlight
11/18/19 	Scrapbook Page 		That's What She's Reading
11/19/19 	Review 			StoreyBook Reviews
11/20/19 	Guest Post 		The Page Unbound
11/21/19 	Review 			The Book Review

Check out these giveaways!

1ST PRIZE (US only)
Kindle Fire 7 + Signed Copy of Singapore Fling
2ND PRIZE (US only)
Signed copies of Boracay Vows and Singapore Fling + charm bracelet
3RD PRIZE (US only)
A signed copy of Singapore Fling + spice paste packets (Hainanese Chicken Rice and Laksa)
4TH PRIZE (international)
eBooks of all three books in the Carpe Diem Chronicles series

NOVEMBER 12-22, 2019