Cover & Excerpt Reveal
Emerald Springs Legacy Book Four
Meet Daniel, the fourth of five unforgettable characters in the Emerald Springs Legacy.Daniel Whitman has a plan to turn the family resort into an exclusive eco-friendly resort, but his family thinks the timing is wrong. Undaunted, he heads off to Australia to investigate an award-winning spa. He’s immediately attracted to marketing manager Rochelle Harris but pushes it aside to concentrate on business.
After growing up with a mother who frittered away every penny her father earned, Rochelle’s only goal is to become financially secure without relying on anyone. Her innovative ideas put her resort at the top of its field, and she doesn’t need a sexy, attractive American distracting her from her plans.
The more time they spend together, the more the attraction grows. Then a disaster back home has consequences even Daniel’s not prepared for. Rochelle is left to pick up the pieces of her shattered dreams. Can either of them start their lives over or will circumstances beyond their control force them both to take a risk and trust again?
Life in the small town of Emerald Springs, Washington, is anything but slow and peaceful. An old feud between former business partners Whitman and Sanders keeps competition on a high burner, fueling resentment, renewing rivalries…and love. Now someone is trying to bring down Emerald Tea Farm, and it’s up to both families to protect their future while still wrangling over the past.
Excerpts & More on the series
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Content/Theme(s): Resorts, Int'l, Suspense, Multi-author series
Release Date: May 5, 2014
Publisher: Crimson Romance
Daniel’s Decision Purchase links:Daniel’s Decision Excerpt:
“This reminds me of home,” Daniel whispered beside her. She’d been so lost in her thoughts, she’d almost forgotten he was with her. His words held a world of feeling. He continued to surprise her. There was more to Daniel Whitman than merely being a resort owner. He was a man who was connected to his home in a way she could never understand. Living at Kulang was the longest time she’d spent in one house after her father died.
“What about it is similar?”
“We have a lake in the middle of my resort that is almost a mirror image of this one. I’ve never found the peace and harmony I find sitting beside it anywhere, except here. I could just sit for hours and forget my troubles.”
“I feel the same; there’s something so peaceful about sitting by the lake.”
“My mom and I used to have lots of conversations by the lake. I shared so many secrets with her and the lake.”
“She sounds like a great mother. I would like to meet her one day.” Rochelle could hear the wistfulness and bitterness in her voice. What would it be like to have a mother who didn’t rip you off when the first opportunity arose? A mother who nurtured and cared for you, more than she cared about what the next deal of a card from a croupier could mean for her future. A mother who didn’t drive her husband to an early grave with her gambling habit.
“You can’t,” he whispered the words. As he lifted his head to look at the stars she thought she glimpsed the sheen of tears in his eyes. Yes, there was so much more to Daniel than she first assumed.
He cleared his throat and lowered his head to look back at the lake. “She would’ve liked to have met you too. You both would’ve gotten on well. And she would have loved this resort. I wish I could’ve shared it with her.”
“I’m sorry,” Rochelle said quietly. He spoke of her with such reverence and love. She reached out and laid her hand over his. “How long ago did she pass away?”
“Five years ago. She had breast cancer. She beat it once, but the second time it sunk its claws in deeper, and there was nothing we could do for her.”
She wanted to reach up and touch his cheek. Soothe the lines of despair the moonlight highlighted.
“Cancer is awful.” Her words sounded hollow, and she wished she could take them back.
“It is, but no matter how much pain she was in, she always had time for me. She always knew when things were getting to me. She’d take me by the hand and say, ‘Walk with me.’ Even if I didn’t want to say anything, she managed to pry it out of me. Usually when we were sitting by the lake.” He gave a chuckle. “Even now I’m saying things I’ve never told anyone. My brothers don’t know how often mom and I would walk to the lake. Maybe there’s power in water after all.”
Rochelle felt honored that he chose to share something so special with her. A person he’d met only a few hours ago. “It could be the water making you feel closer to her spirit. Do you still sit by the lake when you need to think?”
Moments passed and she didn’t think he was going to answer. She risked a glance at him and saw pain and sadness in his face as he sat gazing at the water. He seemed so far away, even though he was sitting right beside her. She ached to touch him. To let him know that he wasn’t alone.
As if sensing her scrutiny, he turned to her. “I don’t go to the lake anymore. It hurts too much,” he finished on a whisper.
Before she could talk herself out of it, she leaned forward and laid a soft kiss on his lips. They were firm and inviting and the urge to deepen the kiss was strong. Reluctantly she pulled away. “I’m sorry for bringing you to our lake.”
Rochelle started to move to her right, but Daniel reached out and gently held her head in both his hands.
“You have no reason to be sorry. I’m glad you brought me here.”
In the moonlight, she saw his lips curl into a small smile. “And I hope you won’t be mad at me when I do this.”
…
…
“What are you doing, Daniel?”
His hand went to rub his right shoulder, stretching his T-shirt tight across his chest. “I find that I’m in need of a shoulder rub.”
Rochelle clenched her hands. “Well we could make an appointment for you to receive a massage tomorrow. I can make sure you have our best masseuse.”
“That won’t do at all.” “Why not? Most guests would be delighted to be given that opportunity.” “Ahh but I’m not your typical guest, and besides, I believe the best masseuse here at
Kulang is standing right in front of me.” He reached out and trailed a finger down her cheek. “Please, Rochelle.”
His gentle touch frazzled her brain and all sensible and rational thought went out the window. “Okay.”
Before she had time to snatch back the word, Daniel had taken a couple of steps back, pulling his t-shirt off. His hand went to the buckle of his belt.
“Wait,” she all but yelled the word to him. “What?” “I’m giving you a shoulder rub not a full massage; you can keep your jeans on.” Rochelle didn’t trust the glint of mischief lighting the depths of his eyes. “Is that right?” His hands went to work on his belt. “I think I’ll be more comfortable without my jeans on.”
She could argue the point. Or she could walk out and leave him without laying a finger on him. Instead, she turned around and walked to where the towels were neatly folded on the warming shelves.
I can do this. I can do this. She chanted in her mind. It wasn’t as if she’d never massaged a man before. She’d massaged plenty and good looking ones, too. But this was Daniel. A man she found herself extremely attracted to. She’d never been attracted to a client before.
“Are you going to give that towel to me?”
She whirled around, making sure she kept her gaze on his face. All the while thinking: Don’t look down. Don’t look down. “Here you go,” she said holding out the towel. “Why don’t you lie down and I’ll get the oils ready.”
She brushed past him and went over to the table that had an array of oils lined up. She poured some base oil into a bowl then added some neroli, cedarwood and lavender. She swirled the bowl to mix the oils.
“What is the blend you’re using?” Daniel asked.
“It’s a ‘stress-buster’ blend. The shoulders are an area which hold a lot of the body’s stresses. This blend, combined with the massage, will help release the tension, and you should feel lighter in spirit.”
Rochelle placed the bowl on the small table tucked underneath the massage bed. She flexed her fingers to loosen them and rolled her head, in her own attempt to relax her tight neck muscles.
“Are you ready?” “More ready than you’ll ever know, Chelle.” Choosing to ignore the double meaning of Daniel’s words, Rochelle reached for the
bowl and poured a small amount into her hands, rubbing them to warm the oil. She laid her hands in the middle of his shoulder blades, resting them there for a
moment. Her fingers tingled at the point of contact with Daniel’s skin. It was going to be a form of slow torture. She lifted her hands and poured some more oil in her palms and then went back to smoothing her hands lightly across his shoulders.
Breathing deeply and closing her eyes, she increased the pressure of her fingers letting her training guide her. Massaging Daniel was everything she imagined it would be and more. His muscles loosened beneath her fingers.
“I was right.” Daniel spoke softly, breaking the trance she’d found herself in. Rochelle opened her eyes and looked down. Daniel had twisted his head to look over his shoulder at her.
“How so?”
“You are the best masseuse.” Before she could react, he sat up, swinging his legs over the table. He placed his hands on either side of her face and took possession of her lips. It was a soft, gentle touch. Her body yearned for something more. Something more intense. Something she hadn’t ever experienced in the arms of her previous lovers.
She went to put her arms around his neck when a loud Latin tune filled the room. The sound was so foreign she pulled out of his embrace putting space between them. A groan erupted from Daniel.
~~~~~~
Daniel’s Decision Purchase links:
Nichole Flockton's contact information can be found at the bottom of the post.
by Monica Tillery
Emerald Springs Legacy Book One
Meet Adam, the first of five unforgettable characters in the Emerald Springs Legacy.
Oldest son Adam Whitman never planned to take his place at the helm of the family business, and he’s living the life he always wanted. When his father asks him to come home to consider his options, he reluctantly leaves his high-powered job in Los Angeles and heads to Emerald Springs, determined to help his father make the transition to retirement and quickly get back to his own life. What he didn’t count on was the pull of the one person he’d left behind to chase his dreams.
Getting over Adam was the hardest thing Zoe Miller ever had to do, and she’s in no hurry to do it again. She’s focused on her new life running Emerald Springs’s finest bakery, and she’s finally put the heartache of losing Adam behind her. When he rolls back into town, she knows it would be wiser to keep her distance from her high school sweetheart, but some things are easier said than done. A broken heart would be more devastating the second time around, but can she resist the lure of the man he’s become?
Now everything Adam took for granted is suddenly threatened, and he’s caught between his newly awakened attachment to Emerald Springs and the career he built with his hands. He wants it all—the girl, the farm, the corner office—but first Zoe has to find it her heart to give him a second chance at all.
Adam’s Ambition Purchase links:
Adam’s Ambition Excerpt:
The door opened behind her, and she turned, expecting Courtney. Her expectant look changed to confusion as Adam stood in her doorway, filling the space. She tried for a casual, unsurprised response, but her heart was pounding so hard in her chest, she wanted to hold it in with her hand.
“Hey,” she squeaked out. This was ridiculous. How many times had she assured herself that she was good and well over him?
“Zoe,” he said, his voice low, deep, and sexy. He crossed the room, his eyes never leaving hers as he walked, confident and with purpose. He stopped in front of her, close enough that she could smell his soap and feel heat radiating from his body. He was so close, too close. “I’m going to kiss you, right now, unless you tell me to stop.”
He tipped her face up to his, giving her a moment to decline if she was going to. What was happening? She should say no, she knew it, but the words wouldn’t come. She didn’t want them to. This was what she’d been missing: all the feelings she’d tucked away and ignored, all the longing she’d denied. It was all here, and his hands on her face brought everything rushing back. He was so serious, but as he lowered his face to hers, a smile spread across his lips. An answering smile crossed her face; she was going to enjoy this. Adam’s lips met hers, and fireworks exploded in her head. She returned his kiss and breathed in his familiar but enticing scent as her arms circled his waist and pulled him closer. Without breaking contact, he maneuvered her until her back was to the stainless steel worktable, then picked her up by the waist and set her down gently. The extra height the table gave her made it easier to pull him closer and let her hands wander. Her lips opened beneath his, and he deepened the kiss, his tongue warm and sweet as he explored her. His dark hair was soft under her fingers; she luxuriated in the silky feel of it as his lips and tongue worked their magic on her. Memories, thoughts, and longing zinged through her mind as she gave herself over to the moment. His hands splayed against her back, their warmth sinking through the thin fabric of her t-shirt.
Adam pulled back, though she wasn’t ready for the kiss to end. She allowed herself to move forward with him, wishing for another moment of connection. Her eyelids fluttered open, reluctantly, to see him staring down at her with a look of pure masculine satisfaction. The haze of attraction cleared, and her hands flew to her mouth, her eyes wide. What happened to her determination to keep him at arm’s length?
“What was that?” she asked, breathless.
“That was amazing.” He cupped her face in his hands and laid another soft, sweet kiss on her lips. “I was going to apologize for surprising you, but honestly, I’m not sorry. Not even a little.” He grinned down at her and took her hands in his, holding them lightly as she processed his words.
~~~~~~
Adam’s Ambition Purchase links:
Find Monica Tillery at:
Twitter: @monicatillery
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by Holley Trent
Emerald Springs Legacy Book Two
Meet Colleen, the second of five unforgettable characters in the Emerald Springs Legacy.
Colleen Sanders watched her father Joe fritter away the family farm for twenty years. Now that she’s in charge of Split Acres operations, she plans to turn the outfit around, with or without his help. Unfortunately, with the farm finances in a mess and an unusual uptick of suspicious disasters to contend with, her savings aren’t enough to keep the business afloat.
So she marries a stranger to get it.
Colleen’s Choice Purchase links:
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“And my custodian signed off on it, you said?” Colleen brought the paper up to her eyes and squinted at the scrawled signature. Alan … something-or-other.
Finally, she gave the man more than just her peripheral vision. She stared at him dead-on, expecting him to flinch and blanch like all the others did, but he lifted a hand in greeting and grinned.
Her jaw fell open, and she was stunned momentarily by the blue of his eyes, his chiseled jaw, his dark hair—deliciously unkempt and tickling the top of his collar—and the strong forearms her eyes skimmed down to as he twirled a ratchet wrench between long, tanned fingers.
A stranger, and if she had to guess, her father was to blame for him being there. Why did he agree to let her come home and do the job if he wasn’t going to get out of the way to let her do it?
She closed her mouth and swallowed, turning her attention back to Bart. “Have a seat. I’ll go cut you a check.”
Bart shrugged, shuffled across the worn carpet, and plopped into one of the vinyl chairs near the door.
“Alan,” she said, spinning on her boot heel and striding toward the hall. “Why don’t you join me in my office and tell me about the work while I run this check through QuickBooks?”
“Yes, certainly, Colleen.”
She stumbled a bit over her own feet, glad that no one, beyond the corporate sheltie lounging brazenly in the middle of the hall, could see it. She stepped over the dog and concentrated on her breathing as she approached her office.
Dear lord, he had an accent.
Get a grip, woman.
By the time she plopped her butt in her desk chair and punched her computer monitor button, her supposed custodian joined her in the office, and the blush inching up her neck had receded.
“Close the door, please.”
He gave her a speculative look but put his hand on the doorknob and pushed.
She ducked her head behind her computer monitor, clicking her mouse blindly at nothing in particular. She couldn’t see straight for some reason, and she didn’t think it was low blood sugar.
Gorgeous man. Too bad she’d have to fire him.
~~~~~~
Colleen’s Choice Purchase links:
Find Holley Trent at:
www.HolleyTrent.com
Twitter: @HolleyTrent
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by Elley Arden
Emerald Springs Legacy Book Three
Meet Chad, the third of five unforgettable characters in the Emerald Springs Legacy.
Chad Whitman loves his family, but he’s not entirely sure he shares their responsible, deliberate outlook on life. Where’s the excitement and passion in that?
After being unfairly fired from her dream job, Jen Chavez picks up her worst nightmare in the parking lot - a rich guy, whom she thought was just another pretty face. She has no intention of turning out like her mother, latching on to wealthy men for self-worth and survival, so she bolts. Too bad the pretty face with the hefty bankroll tracks her down. She doesn’t need a man. She needs a job. She has no idea what to do when he offers both.
Hiring Jen as a consultant to help him launch a microbrewery has its drawbacks. Chad has a reputation for messing around with the wrong women, and his family is watching his every move. As days pass, his desire to open a top-notch microbrewery is matched only by his desire for Jen. Can he overcome her raging independence and mistrust of men to prove to her this microbrewery could be dream enough for both of them?
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Chad’s Chance Excerpt:
There. A faded wooden sign showed Emerald Eats on the right side of the street. Of course, to make her even more uncomfortable, she was going to have to parallel park with diners gawking at her from the front window. If she were in the city, she’d drive to the nearest parking garage and pay extra for her lack of parking prowess, but that wasn’t going to help her in Emerald Springs.
She bit her lip, edged her Hyundai alongside a red pickup truck, and shifted into reverse. I hate this. I hate this. I hate this. She was going to have to cut it hard to fit between the pickup and the mail truck, which was slightly over the line into her space. She prayed as she did, hoping she’d judged it right, wishing the people in the window weren’t so damn interested in her.
Scraaaaaaaape!
The unmistakable sound of her right front fender against the left back bumper of the pickup prompted her to stomp hard on the brake pedal.
Heat rushed her throat and fanned over her face. Shit. Shit. Shit. Now what? No one was in the truck she’d hit, but she couldn’t drive away and find a bigger spot before she found the owner because the diner gawkers would think she was a hit-and-run. She was going to have to try parking here again. And worse, after she parked, she was going to have to walk into that diner and breathe the same judgmental air as the open-mouthed people watching her.
This did not bode well for the whole working in a small town thing.
Three nerve-fraying tries later, Jen managed to get into the spot without hitting anything else but the curb. She sat in the car, staring at the black scrape on the pickup’s bumper, knowing her car hadn’t fared any better—with the way things were going, probably much worse.
Great. Now she’d be driving around with proof of her incompetence on display because her deductible was $500, and at the moment, she could barely afford gas.
Any thoughts she had of turning her back on the paychecks Chad was offering scattered on her next exhale. Get it over with, her brain said because it knew her well enough to know if she didn’t confront the uncomfortable situation quickly, she’d feel worse and start looking for any reason to bail.
With her head held high, Jen walked into the diner and didn’t once turn to look at the people sitting in the front window. Instead, she spoke to the woman behind the counter. “Do you have a pen and paper? I scraped the car in front of me and I’d like to leave my name and number on the windshield.”
That was how they handled things in the city.
The similar-aged woman gave Jen a snotty nod. “I do, but you should tell the owner yourself. Mr. Whitman owns the truck.”
Of course he did.
Jen gave a self-deprecating laugh.
“Hey, you made it.” The rich, warm voice hit her from behind.
She turned—slowly. As if she didn’t already have enough ambivalence about being here, now she had to fess up to property damage.
Might as well get it over with. “I hit your truck.”
Chad looked over her shoulder out the front window and laughed. “No, you hit my father’s truck.”
~~~~~~
Chad’s Chance Purchase links:
Find Elley Arden at:
www.ElleyArden.com
Twitter: @elleywrites
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Elley Arden on Cover Reveals
Ashley’s Allegiance
by Robyn Neeley
Emerald Springs Legacy Book Five
Meet Ashley, the fifth of five unforgettable characters in the Emerald Springs Legacy.
The last six months have been nothing short of exciting for the Whitmans and Sanders. Adam, Chad and Daniel Whitman have all begun to carve out their niche in the family dynasty. Now it’s Ashley Whitman’s turn. She’s ready to step up with her marketing ideas, talent, and drive to prove she has just as much to contribute to the family tea legacy as her successful cousins.
Deputy sheriff Jacob Sanders is closing in on who is responsible for the suspicious activities plaguing Emerald Springs Farm and Split Acres. When a questionable encounter outside the local bar forces him to tag along to San Diego and play bodyguard to Ashley Whitman, any other man would jump at the chance to be in close quarters with the beautiful, blonde Whitman. Too bad they hate each other. Forced to spend time together, they discover their mutual dislike might be something else entirely. But can a Whitman and Sanders really be happy together?
Robyn Neeley Amazon author page
Robyn Neeley on Cover Reveals
Other titles by Nicole Flockton:
Phoebe | Her Ring | Dawn | |
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www.NicoleFlockton.com
Twitter.com: @NicoleFlockton
Nicole Flockton Facebook page
Nicole Flockton Goodreads author page
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More Nicole Flockton on Cover Reveals
Be on the lookout for Nicole Flockton's upcoming releases: Obsidian Heart coming July 2014 and Bound by His Desire coming late 2014
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