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Excerpt Reveal ~ Stand ~ by ~ A.L. Jackson

STAND

A Bleeding Stars Stand-Alone Novel

Coming May 22nd

“Stand is a lyrical dream of power and strength that will steal your mind, body and soul…A mind blowing 10 stars!!!” Queen Zany Book Blog

From NYT & USA Today Bestselling Author A.L. Jackson comes the next seductive, unforgettable Bleeding Stars Stand-Alone Novel…
Zachary Kennedy has never been known as a fighter, but he’ll never regret fighting for her…
I’m Zee Kennedy.
Quiet. Reserved. Predictable.
When my brother died, everyone thought I was just the good guy who stepped up to take his place in the band.
No one knew what I was hiding. The one thing I’ve been fighting for.
For seven years, I’ve never lost focus.
Not until one chance encounter with Alexis Kensington.
Now she’s become my greatest temptation.
I knew better than to touch her, but now that I’ve had a taste, I can’t get enough.
Her kiss becomes my air. Her body my salvation.
She needed a savior and somehow she became mine.
Taking her was a betrayal. But keeping her means risking everything.
One look at Alexis Kensington, and I know she’s worth the fight.
Will my past continue to keep me down or will I finally find the strength to pull myself up and Stand…

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My hands lingered on the keys, and she reached out and set her hand on top of mine.
Warmth and light.
It invaded my senses. Clouded my judgment.
My hand flipped over, palm up, and she threaded her fingers through mine. Her head angled, so soft, this girl so fucking good.
“What is it you want, Zee? What is it you can’t have?”
You.
Flames leapt into that space between us. Alive and dancing and inciting.
A siren’s call.
My tongue darted out to wet my lips, and I was shaking as I lifted our entwined hands. I brushed my knuckles along the silky flesh of her cheek. I swore I saw the trail of pink it left behind, the simplest touch affecting this girl.
She released a shuddered breath. It mingled with mine.
Our mouths were close—too close—and our noses just touched as we hovered in that space.
“I want things that will only ruin me, Alexis. But you…you make me want to wish for them anyway. Make me believe there’s a chance that maybe they could belong to me.”
Tension tethered us, this rigid band that had me rocking in indecision, every second getting closer and closer as I fought the foolish ideas that tried to take root.
Giving in would only destroy me. But none of that seemed to matter when I leaned in and brushed my lips at the corner of her mouth.
Her fucking delicious mouth.
Because fuck. I just needed a taste. Something to take with me. Something to tuck away, even when doing it felt like some kind of brutal tease.
Alexis gasped at the contact. I edged back the barest fraction, and she was panting these tiny breaths.
Breaths I was breathing.
Her eyes locked on mine. Hungry and pleading. Brimming with belief and hope.
I ran my thumb over the corner of her mouth where my lips had just been. “You are so beautiful. I’ve never met a girl quite like you.”
Something so genuine took hold of her expression. “I hardly know you…and somehow you make me feel like I am. Like when you look at me…you see the person I always hoped I’d become.”
Everything stilled at her words.
At her confession.
Because that’s what I wanted.
For this amazing girl to know the way I saw her. That in her space, I felt something different from all the bullshit I’d dealt with for all my life.
I felt like someone different. Someone better. Like the person I’d once hoped I’d become.
I clutched her stunning face in my hands, searching for resolve. For that dedication that right then somehow felt out of reach.
“Zee,” she whispered.
That was all it took for that band to snap.
My hands drove into her hair. And my mouth? My mouth was devouring hers.
Frenzied in its demand. Pleading the same way as her eyes had been pleading with me. Saying all the things I couldn’t ever say.
Our tongues tangled, and my spirit coiled. Heat spread in a flashfire of need. Lust rose in the knitted air, like this intangible greed we both were grappling for, searching for the fastest way to get to the peak.
Our hands searched and clawed and explored. We were a mess of limbs as we struggled to get closer to each other where we sat side by side on the bench.
“Zachary…Zachary,” she whimpered, grasping me by the back of the head. She crawled forward so she could straddle me.
Motherfuck.
My hands sank into her hips, and she edged up and pressed those gorgeous tits against the wild beat thundering in my chest. A groan rumbled out from somewhere in my soul.
She felt so perfect. So good.
I wanted to touch her. Explore her. Claim her.
My dick raged against its confines, all that delicious heat at the apex of her thighs grinding against my jean-covered cock.
It’d been too long. Too damned long. I was goin’ out of my mind.

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A.L. Jackson is the New York Times & USA Today Bestselling author of contemporary romance. She writes emotional, sexy, heart-filled stories about boys who usually like to be a little bit bad.
Her bestselling series include THE REGRET SERIES, CLOSER TO YOU, as well as the newest BLEEDING STARS novels. Watch for the next installment STAND, coming Spring 2017.
If she’s not writing, you can find her hanging out by the pool with her family, sipping cocktails with her friends, or of course with her nose buried in a book.
Be sure not to miss new releases and sales from A.L. Jackson – Sign up to receive her newsletter http://smarturl.it/NewsFromALJackson or text “aljackson” to 24587 to receive short but sweet updates on all the important news.

Connect with A.L.

Facebook: http://smarturl.it/ALJacksonPage
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Twitter: @aljacksonauthor
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Snapchat: @aljacksonauthor

Blog Tour & Review ~ Confessions of A Former Puck Bunny ~ by ~ Cindi Madsen

Today we have the stop for Cindi Madsen’s Confessions of a Former Puck Bunny. Check out this fantastic new romance and grab your copy today!

About Confessions of a Former Puck Bunny:

Confession #1: I used to be a puck bunny, but after a hockey player broke my heart, I gave up all things hockey. Now I’m just focused on finding a way to pass my math class so I can graduate college.

Confession #2: Ryder “Ox” Maddox’s deep, sexy voice sends fuzzy tingles through my entire body, and I’m powerless to stop it. Which is a big problem since the hot, surprisingly funny hockey player is my new math tutor.

Confession #3: I can’t stop thinking about how ripped Ryder is from all his hockey training, and how fun it’d be to cross lines with him.

Confession #4: I kissed a hockey player and I liked it.

Confession #5: If I’m not careful, I might relapse and fall for Ryder, and then I’ll be totally pucked.

Get Your Copy Today!

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Catch Up On the Series!

Getting Lucky Number Seven

Anatomy of a Player

Crazy Pucking Love

TBRreview

I loved this book for the title originally and how it was different than most of the college pro athlete and girl. Lindsay wasn’t a “nerd” or “weird girl”. She was a reformed punk bunny. She freely admitted it. So when Ryder “Ox” Maddox, hockey player extraordinaire started flirting with her, she wasn’t having it. She wasn’t that girl anymore and she wasn’t looking to go back there.  

Except Ryder isn’t your typical male college athlete, at least how books portray them. So yeah, Lindsay doesn’t want to be a puck bunny, but Ryder just might sway her to become a 1-puck bunny.  A good, NA book that defies the stereotypical college athlete/puck bunny genre. And for that I am truly appreciative!


5 stars!

About Cindi Madsen:

Cindi Madsen is a USA Today bestselling author of contemporary romance and young adult novels. She sits at her computer every chance she gets, plotting, revising, and falling in love with her characters. Sometimes it makes her a crazy person. Without it, she’d be even crazier. She has way too many shoes, but can always find a reason to buy a pretty new pair, especially if they’re sparkly, colorful, or super tall. She loves music and dancing and wishes summer lasted all year long. She lives in Colorado (where summer is most definitely NOT all year long) with her husband and three children.

You can visit Cindi at: http://www.cindimadsen.com, where you can sign up for her newsletter to get all the up-to-date information on her books.

Follow her on Twitter @cindimadsen.

Connect with Cindi:

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Release Blitz & Review ~ Dominic ~ by ~ Marie James

 

Cover Design: Essen~tail Designs

Release Date: May 11, 2017

 

Synopsis

Dominic Anderson knows exactly what he wants in life: simplicity, safety, and solidarity with his brothers. He’s vowed to spend each day living his life exactly how he chooses since the day his wife betrayed him and his four-year military career turned into twenty.

Returning home after retirement from the Marines, he’s traded the sand in the Middle East for that of the New Mexico desert, Humvees for a motorcycle, and the comradery of men in uniform for the occasional woman at his feet.

Life was perfect until Makayla “Poison” Evans, Renegade MC Princess, knocked on his door, bruises on her face, neck, and arms, and no money to pay the cab driver. Pink hair, perfect body, and a mouth that Dom yearned to teach a million lessons, Mak asks more from him than he’s conceded to a woman in decades.

She needs his help, his protection, and against his better judgment, she expects him to keep her secrets. Only her secrets are deadly, dangerous, and have the potential to start a war between two MCs.

At what point does safeguarding a woman become a betrayal to the men Dominic calls his family? More importantly, can he get back the sanctity of his home once Makayla is no longer in the picture, or will he be forever tainted by her poison?

 

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Giveaway

Signed Paperbacks of all Four Cerberus Books

 

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TBRreview

I LOVE the Cerberus MC!!! The men are gruff and alpha but they love their women with a fierceness. And they aren’t like the traditional MC; they stand up for what’s right and don’t tolerate illegal activities. Mostly. 

Mak’s story broke my heart. She’s running from the Renegades MC for her life. And she ends up on Dom’s doorstep. Dom’s not used to women on his doorstep and especially caring for one. After his ex cheated on him, he doesn’t have much use for women, love or anything of the sort. But Mak’s story and her feistiness are what break through the wall he has built around himself. 

I need to re-read this series! I love these guys and their women so MUCH! 

5 stars!

About the Author

Marie James: I’m a full-time, working mother of two boys and wife of 12 years. I’ve spent almost my entire lifetime living in central Texas, with only short stays in South Carolina, Alabama, and Florida. I’ve always wanted to write novels and just recently had the gumption to sit down and start one. My passions include reading everything under the sun and plotting out new books to write in the future.

 

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Blog Tour & Review ~ Gabe ~ by ~ Leigh James

 

GABE (Silicon Valley Billionaires, #2) by Leigh James

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Book Blurb:

His Woman. His Family. His Company.

When the going gets tough, the tough get Alpha.

Silicon Valley billionaire CEO Gabriel Betts has finally found the happiness he’s been searching for—in gorgeous, brilliant fellow billionaire Lauren Taylor, the so-called reigning queen of the biotech industry. But when Chinese healthcare mogul Li Na Zhao kidnaps Lauren’s sister in a high-stakes game of corporate espionage, the world they’ve worked so hard to protect comes crashing down. Li Na agrees to trade Hannah for Lauren’s Paragon Laboratories and her help—onsite and in person. In an attempt to keep Lauren safe, Gabe calls in his security-industry professional brothers to help get Hannah back. But when the rescue effort stumbles, Gabe must pick up the pieces to protect the woman he loves…before she makes the ultimate sacrifice.

 

 

 

TBRreview.png

First off, read Lauren first. I didn’t and wish I had. But it didn’t ruin Gabe’s story for me either. It just provides you more history and character background.

Gabe is the continuing story of the Silicon Valley Billionaires. We met Lauren first and Gabe was taken with her and now Lauren’s sister Hannah was kidnapped and held for ransom for Lauren’s help.

This reminded me of a TV drama or something with the hot times, espionage, spying and secret-keeping. I just loved it! And I can’t wait for Hannah’s story to come out! Although I will definitely need a re-read of Lauren & Gabe’s stories before I dive in.

5 stars!

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LAUREN (Silicon Valley Billionaires, #1)

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—————————-

AUTHOR INFORMATION:

Leigh James is an author of contemporary romance and romantic suspense. She is a vocal lover of strapping alpha males in movies, books and real life, which makes her three kids roll their eyes and makes her husband feel appreciated.

When she’s not writing, you can usually find her reading or watching Outlander, Game of Thrones, and Vikings (see penchant for alpha males, above). She has a degree in journalism from the University of New Hampshire, which is good for deadlines and word counts, and a law degree from Suffolk University with a Concentration in High Technology Law, which is helpful when writing about sexy tech billionaires with legal woes.

For more information about Leigh, please visit her website, “Like” Leigh on Facebook and follow her on Twitter, Instagram and Goodreads. Join Leigh’s newsletter to be the first to hear about upcoming releases. She’s loves hearing from her readers. Email her directly at leighjames@leighjamesbooks.com.

AUTHOR LINKS:

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InkSlinger Blogger Final

Release Blitz ~ Solo ~ by ~ Lauren E. Rico

Title: Solo
Series: Symphony Hall #1
Author: Lauren E. Rico
Genre: New Adult Romance
Release Date: May 8, 2017
Publisher: Entangled Publishing

When graduate student Katherine Brenner walked into my class, I couldn’t stand her — all perfect skin and big, blue eyes — just like the woman who broke my heart.
If it wasn’t for that blizzard, if her car hadn’t broken down outside my house, if she hadn’t looked amazing by the firelight, I never would have kissed her. No matter how hard I try, every excuse I make not to see her comes up flat.
I can’t stop thinking of her lips. Or the way her curves fit perfectly in my hands. There’s a million reasons why this won’t work. I’m her professor. It’s against university policy.
And if this gets out, I could lose everything.

        “Oh, my God,” she gasps softly, pulling the parka all the way out and holding it up so that it hangs its entire length.
        Katherine’s face tightens with growing alarm.
“Hey!” I say, my voice full of soft concern. “What’s wrong? Don’t you like it? I can return it.”
        “What?” she asks, looking confused for a moment. “Oh, no, I love it. It’s just that I – it’s so nice, is all. And I know this store,” she gestures toward the logo on the lid of the glossy black box that the coat came in, “It’s expensive. I can’t really afford to pay you back or anything,” she mumbles, looking down at the floor as she speaks.
          “It’s a gift,” I remind her. “A gift. That’s it. No strings attached. Honestly, it’s just that I hate that goddam hoodie you keep wearing!” I chuckle, standing up and taking the coat from her. I hold it up and open for her.
        “Here, try it on.”
        Reluctantly, she turns around and slips her arms into each sleeve as I hold them up for her. Her eyes are drawn downward as I squat and fasten the zipper at the bottom, following all the way upward as I pull the zipper closed, until our eyes lock. I reach around behind her and pull the faux-fur trimmed hood up, then I stand back so I can survey her with a critical eye.
        “Well?” she asks with the most naively sexy smile I’ve ever seen.
        “Well, I think you should only ever wear this color,” I say, my voice suddenly husky.
        When my lips find hers, they are soft and tentative. When she doesn’t push me away, they become more confident. I’m taller than her by a good six inches and she tips her face up, causing the blue hood to slip back off her head. And then my hands are in her hair and holding the sides of her face, pulling her into me. She doesn’t resist.
My lips are still connected to hers when I reach between us to unzip the coat, pushing it off her shoulders so that it hits the floor with a soft puff.
        I’m walking her back towards her bed, but she doesn’t seem to notice as her hands tug at my shirt, trying to free it from the waistband of my pants. When she succeeds, I hold my arms up and help her to pull the garments over my head. They join the coat on the floor. My pants follow close behind.
        “Wait,” she says, pulling back for a second.
        “What? What’s wrong?” I ask between ragged breaths.
        She gives me a mischievous smile before clapping her hands twice. As soon as she does, the lights go out, leaving us with only the glow of the moon to see one another by. I chuckle and shake my head, pulling her in close again.
        “Oh, Christ, I want you, Katherine,” I murmur against her neck as I kiss the hollow that attaches to her shoulder.
        “Then what are you waiting for?” she rasps.
        Nothing. Absolutely nothing. I have no intention of waiting a single second longer to be with this woman.
Lauren Rico was going to be principal French horn of the New York Philharmonic. That was HER plan, anyway. The New York Philharmonic had no idea of her intentions, and that’s probably a good thing, since she wasn’t an especially good French horn player!
Lauren was, however, an exceptionally good classical music radio host. Calling herself a “Classical Music Reanimator,” she has made a career of demystify classical music for her audiences by taking it off a dusty old pedestal and putting it into a modern context. 
It’s only been over the last couple of years that Lauren has discovered a passion for writing, which she’s managed to combine with her love and knowledge of the classical music world. That’s when she had the realization that she had something special with this story of love and obsession and music.
You can hear Lauren Rico on SiriusXM’s Symphony Hall Channel; on WSHU-FM in the New York metro; WSMR in Tampa/Sarasota, FL; WDAV in Charlotte, NC and KMFA in Austin, TX
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Cover Reveal ~ Steady ~ by ~ Anna Brooks

Title: Steady
Series: A Pleasant Valley Novel
Author: Anna Brooks
Genre: (Erotic) Romantic Suspense
Release Date: July 27, 2017
Erik Anderson is paying for his mistakes and enduring every bit of pain that comes his way. After all, if it weren’t for him, the girl who gave him more than he deserved would still be alive. Even if he were to be put out of his misery, he’d never see her again. Considering angels go to heaven and sinners go to hell, Erik’s going to burn.

Polly Madison has never had it easy. She wouldn’t even know what that looked like. Young and naive, she learned the hard way how vindictive some men can truly be. She’s fought her whole life for stability and control, both of which she refuses to give up ever again since she’s older and wiser now.

When Polly and Erik run into each other in the most clichéd way possible, it shouldn’t have meant anything.

In his arms, Polly felt safer than she ever has before.

Lost in her eyes, Erik sees a future he’d given up on.

They try to fight it. Try to deny something neither is prepared for. But when his own insecurities put her in harm’s way, Erik knows protecting Polly’s life is more important than continuing to wreck his.


Anna began writing when she thought the world would want to hear her sick lyrics through song. Since then, she’s realized her childhood dream wasn’t so far-fetched, just misguided. Now she writes romance with real emotions and happy endings. If Anna isn’t writing or reading, she can be found by a space heater painting her nails and drinking a ridiculous amount of Diet Dr Pepper. She also likes to hang out with her husband and two boys. If it wasn’t for them, she wouldn’t ever leave the house. Anna was born in Wisconsin but now lives in the Evergreen State. 


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Release Blitz ~ Make Me Crazy ~ by ~ Adele Hart

 

Title: Make Me Crazy
Author: Adele Hart
Genre: Steamy Romance
Release Date: May 11, 2017

 

Sexy pilot. Uptight, overworked city girl. Stranded on a deserted island together. Oh, there’s going to be some serious hanky and a whole lot of panky…

Twenty-four-year-old junior magazine editor, Paige Stanwood, is screwed. She has exactly five hours to get to her sister’s wedding on a private Caribbean island, but she’s missed the last ferry. So, she does what any good maid of honor would do—she charters a float plane to get her there. Little does she know that the world’s sexiest (and most obnoxious) pilot will be taking her. And I mean taking her…

Thirty-seven-year-old pilot, Mac Gamble, avoids drama at all costs, so he almost says no when a crazy, young woman in a ridiculous peach ball gown begs him to fly her to her sister’s wedding. He has no idea he’s about to spend a week stranded with her on a deserted island, and that by the end of it, he’s never going to want to let her go.

Caution: Adele Hart specializes in quickies with a heart-on. All insta-love, all HEA’s, all the time. The dirtier, the better. Think of this as your afternoon delight… your guilty pleasure… bonbons for your brain. You get the idea. Now if you’re in the mood for something to tickle your lady bits, click here.
Adele Hart is a stay-at-home mom who secretly writes sexy stories whenever she gets a chance. After reading hundreds of romances, she decided to skip all the angst and ugliness, and just get to the good stuff. You know, the part that makes you say, ‘Oh my!’ 

So if you’re like Adele, and you want to indulge your guilty pleasures with naughty but nice, fast and fun stories about super hot, practically perfect men and the sweet women who love them, then you’ve come to the right place. 

ADELE’S GUARANTEE TO YOU:

You’ll have that loving feeling from start to happy finish. Nothing ugly, no BDSM, no cheating bastards, just fun, flirty, dirty goodness. 
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Cover Reveal ~ Pure Hearts ~ by ~ Jeannine Allison

Title: Pure Hearts
Author: Jeannine Allison
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Release Date: June 22, 2017

She gave me her kidney. I gave her my heart…
Nicholas Blake learned a long time ago that nobody does anything for free. He’s felt the pain of lies and manipulations enough times to know that people only look out for themselves, and that all good deeds come with a price. So when he wakes up from a near deadly car accident and finds out a stranger is offering to donate her kidney, he’s immediately suspicious of her intentions.
What he doesn’t expect is Iris Chamberlain, a beautiful woman with a big smile and an even bigger heart, claiming she just wants to help. The more time Nick spends with Iris, the more he starts to believe in what he always thought was impossible: a pure heart.

But betrayal leaves a bitter mark. Will Nick be able to let go of his past and let Iris in? And will Iris be able to show him what it truly means to have a pure heart?

STOP BY JEANNINE’S FACEBOOK PAGE TO
ENTER THE $20 AMAZON GIFT CARD GIVEAWAY
>> CLICK HERE <<
Jeannine Allison is an author of contemporary and New Adult romance. After waffling between many degrees in college, she finally graduated with a BA in English Literature from Arizona State University.
She loves writing and reading — obviously 🙂 — but when she’s not she enjoys playing with her two dogs, obsessing over new makeup, drinking coffee, googling new tattoos, and pretty much anything else that allows her to wear yoga pants and a sweatshirt 😉
She is a big fan of being exactly who you are. Her favorite stories to write are about characters finding and loving who they are.

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Release Blitz ~ Bad Things ~ by ~ Emily Goodwin

Title: Bad Things
Series: Love is Messy Duet #1
Author: Emily Goodwin
Genre: New Adult Romance
Release Date: May 11, 2017

They say it’s better to have loved and lost than to never have loved at all. I think that’s total bullshit. No one wants to be a loser in the Game of Love. Trust me, I know. With a lying fiancee and a canceled wedding, I’ve lost big time.

And that loss turned me bitter, so hell bent on vengeance that I almost let it destroy everything. Determined never to go down that dark path again, I’ve sworn off romance. Work became my priority, my safe place, the one constant in my life that wouldn’t tempt me.

Until I took on a project I normally wouldn’t, and it introduced me to someone I never would have talked to before. No matter how hard I try, my professionalism slips away the more we work together, and I know it’s a disaster in the making.

Bad things happen when I open my guarded heart. But when I look at her, bad things are all I want to do.

Emily Goodwin is the New York Times and USA Today Bestselling author of over a dozen of romantic titles. Emily writes the kind of books she likes to read, and is a sucker for a swoon-worthy bad boy and happily ever afters. 

 

She lives in the midwest with her husband and two daughters. When she’s not writing, you can find her riding her horses, hiking, reading, or drinking wine with friends. 

 


 

Emily is represented by Julie Gwinn of the Seymour Agency. 

 

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Promo Tour ~ Midlife Margaritas

Midlife Margaritas: Stories from Women Who Made It to the Other Side of 40 and Rocked It
Authors: (Compiled by Hembree) Shannon Hembree, Jen McGinnis, Bree Luck, Sarah Weitzenkorn, Dionne Williams, Anne Karrick Scott Deetsch, Heather Von St. James, Barbara Fleck, Elizabeth Pendleton, Emily Cooke, Bernadette Jasmine, Vanessa Velez, Laura K. Bedingfield, Beckie Cassidy, Sarah Freeman Knight, Jennifer Porter, Rosanne Nelson, Brooke Schmidt
Genre: Nonfiction/Anthology/Autobiography
Release Date: May 8, 2017
Midlife Margaritas is a collection of essays by a diverse group of women sharing their heartwarming and hilarious stories of what it’s like to conquer forty in today’s world and live to tell the tale. They are the stories of women rising up after unimaginable loss, of overcoming impossible odds, and of finding humor in the everyday challenges we all face.

These touching essays reveal the true strength, beauty, and heart of women. They show us ordinary women doing extraordinary things. And, above all, they remind us to have fun.

Inspiring and encouraging, Midlife Margaritas is the fun companion you never knew you needed at this time of your life. Reading it is like being wrapped in a warm embrace from a beloved girlfriend…who is trying not to spill the margarita in her hand.

1. On Returning to Work (or Trying to) after Raising Kids: White House Easter Bunny Costumes, Tongue Rings, and Résumés, OH MY! by Shannon Hembree

2. On Love and Loss and Loving Again: Rediscovering Joy After the Love of My Life Died by Jen McGinnis
3. On Taking the Path Less Traveled: How I Joined the Circus, Went to Prison, and Arm Wrestled My Way to a Joyful Life by Bree Luck

4. On Becoming a Caregiver for a Parent: Being Thankful for What Is Left, Not Lamenting What Is Lost by Sarah Weitzenkorn

5. On Rockin’ the Single Life: Why Sipping Lemonade on the Beach Is Always Better Than Plunging Lemons out of the Toilet by Dionne Williams
6. On Depression at Forty: Finding Solutions When You Can’t Wish It Away or Wait It Away by Anne Karrick Scott Deetsch

7. On Hope: Turning a Death Sentence into a Life Well Lived by Heather Von St. James

8. On Motherhood: Taking the Long View from Under the Big Top by Barbara Fleck

9. On Growing Up Black and White in America: How I Learned to Live My Life Boldly in My Own Unique Way by Elizabeth Pendleton

10. On Surviving Breast Cancer: How the Boobs You Love and the Football You Don’t All Come Together in the End by Emily Cooke

11. On Finding Your Inner Warrior: How I Left a World of Abuse and Alcoholism Behind and Built a New Life as the Mother of a Beautiful Boy with Special Needs by Bernadette Jasmine
12. On Marriage: Redefining Happily Ever After by Vanessa Velez

13. On Strength: Uncovering My Innate Power, Barf by Barf and Poke by Poke by Laura K. Bedingfield
14. On Balancing a Career and Kids: Finding Perfection in Not Being Perfect by Beckie Cassidy

15. On How It’s Never Too Late to Face Your Fears: Even If It Requires Alcohol, Pills, or Prayer by Sarah Freeman Knight
16. On Spirituality: How a Preacher’s Daughter Rediscovered and Redefined Faith by Jennifer Porter
17. On Confidence: Don’t Ask, Just Do by Rosanne Nelson

18. On the Loss of a Parent: How I Grieved, Coped, and Learned to Live Differently After My Father Died by Brooke Schmidt
19. On Friendship: Bonjour, Dear Diary by Shannon Hembree
SHANNON HEMBREE

Shannon Hembree is a professional writer and editor for a government relations and public affairs firm in Washington, DC. She embraces the idea of living fearlessly…unless the situation involves heights, spiders, snakes, public speaking, or anything else that crosses the boundary for sane living.

JEN MCGINNIS

Jen McGinnis is a physical therapist and co-owner of an outpatient physical-therapy office. She is married to a great guy, and they have a fun, fabulous little boy. They live on a tropical island in the middle of the Pacific Ocean and wake up most days to sunshine and warm breezes.


BREE LUCK

Bree Luck is a mother, theater director, and amateur arm wrestler. She is always looking near and far for the next big adventure.


SARAH WEITZENKORN

Sarah Weitzenkorn is a stay-at-home mom of two children. In addition to liking piña coladas and getting caught in the rain, she loves girls’ weekends, mindless celebrity gossip, and oatmeal creme pies.


DIONNE WILLIAMS

Dionne Williams is a nonprofit project manager extraordinaire. Her coworkers tell her she has the biggest, brightest smile in the office, which could be because she tries to stay positive and lives life one day at a time. In this crazy world, she simply laughs a little, lives a little, and embraces whatever adventure comes her way. It’s all about the journey.


ANNE KARRICK SCOTT DEETSCH

Anne Karrick Scott Deetsch is a full-time stay-at-home mother with four children, a husband, a dog, and several fish. She cooks with abandon and embraces her disorganized life.


HEATHER VON ST. JAMES

Heather Von St. James is a courageous mother, wife, and survivor of mesothelioma. She has made it her mission to help other mesothelioma victims around the globe and can be found sharing her story and her message of hope at http://www.mesothelioma.com/heather/survivor/#intro.


BARBARA FLECK

Barbara Fleck is a mom of two, who recently stopped using her fancy science degree to pursue a less stressful job as a substitute teacher…an illusion that lasted until the first indoor recess. She continues to substitute because she enjoys interacting with people her own mental age—and because she spends less money if she is at school all day.


ELIZABETH PENDLETON

Elizabeth Pendleton is a working mother of a three-year-old wild child. No, it’s not her grandchild. She’s realizing that like it or not, her body has no choice but to keep up with the physical prowess of her budding track star/parkour extraordinaire and that any memory loss is OBVIOUSLY due to sleep deprivation (which her sister failed to really warn her about before motherhood).


EMILY COOKE

Emily Cooke is a currently single, mother of two who earns her living as a benefits professional in Washington, DC. She finds humor in almost everything, loves to embarrass her kids, and is willing to make you laugh at her own expense. She is always up for an adventure and though she usually gets lost, has fun anyway. You can find her on Twitter at @MLEC03.


BERNADETTE JASMINE

Bernadette Jasmine is a rockin’ career woman who has been to the dark side and come out on top. She embraces the surprises life throws at her with her happy (and slightly crazy) clan of family and friends by her side.


VANESSA VELEZ

Vanessa Velez is a policy consultant raising two children with the man of her dreams. She has no regrets about her reimagined happily ever after and instead enjoys quiet evenings at home in her very own Irish pub.


LAURA K. BEDINGFIELD

Laura K. Bedingfield maintains her strength by writing, practicing yoga, scoring baseball games for her sons, driving a mean carpool, and dominating during family game night. You can find her on Twitter at @LKBHerakovich and on her blog at https://jtandtheob.com/.


BECKIE CASSIDY

Beckie Cassidy is a full-time working mom who is finding balance amid the goldfish (crackers and otherwise), karate lessons, and doggie day care. After spending twenty years trying to figure out what she wanted to be when she grew up, she gave up and now spends her days telling college students what they should be when they grow up.


SARAH FREEMAN KNIGHT

Sarah Freeman Knight is a professional writer living in Atlanta. She is married to a fabulous husband and is the mother of two amazing and courageous girls. You can find her on Twitter at @sarahsknight.


JENNIFER PORTER

Jennifer Porter is a communications professional, wordmonger, political junkie, and chocoholic whose favorite question has always been…“Why?” You can find her on Twitter at @jpgore



ROSANNE NELSON

Rosanne Nelson is a leadership-development consultant by day and a mother of two confident little girls by night. She enjoys telling her husband about the twentysomething version of herself and remains grateful the Internet was not around during those years. You can find her on Twitter at @rosanne_nelson1.


BROOKE SCHMIDT

Brooke Schmidt, freelance editor and writer and part-time activities director, lives with her engineer husband, two kids, and two rescue dogs in the ’burbs of Atlanta. Her life goals include educating parents about the link between kids’ diets and their behavior and actually finishing a book club book someday (otherwise it’s just wine club). You can find her on Twitter at @BrookeBBlogs.
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