Forever We Dream

Forever We Dream by Mark Workman

Publication date: March 19th 2025
Genres: Coming of Age, Young Adult

Three voices, one dream, and a chance to uncover the truth.

It’s 1978, and the glittering disco craze is sweeping across America. Identical conjoined triplets Elliana, Bellamona, and Gabriella have one shared dream: finding their mother, who vanished without a trace years ago. Singing is their only solace, and now they have a chance to take that passion to the national stage.

When they’re invited to compete in Your Shooting Star, a famous music competition, the teenage sisters see it as their chance to reunite with the woman they can’t remember but long to know. But stepping into the spotlight means facing their greatest fears. As the underdogs fight to stay in the contest, they must brave ruthless rival Twyla-Violet, a former child model determined to claim the coveted title at any cost.

While the four-round competition heats up, secrets, lies, and conspiracies threaten to tear their world apart. Can the triplets stand strong and use the power of television to reconnect with their past? Or will their dream shatter under the pressure of fame?

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EXCERPT:

Carla gawked at the triplets, shocked by their wrecked makeup. “What have you done?”

Katherine stepped over to them. “Carla, I’ll take care of the girls.” She took in their disturbed faces. “Did Twyla-Violet do something to you again?”

Mona sniffed back her tears. “It doesn’t matter anymore.”

“Sixty seconds,” Carla announced behind them.

Katherine pulled the girls around her. “Don’t let that bully beat you. There’s no time to fix your makeup. You must turn this crisis into a tactical advantage. I want you to think of the one thing you want more than anything else and imagine how you’d feel if you couldn’t have it.”

Papilio stared up at her, six amber irises adrift in the pain-stained red sclera of their eyes.

“That’s how we feel now,” Mona muttered as another black tear dripped from her chin and soiled more of their white blouse.

“So put those painful emotions into every word you sing and note you play. Understand, Papilio?”

Appearing almost catatonic, the triplets nodded slowly.

Carla pointed at the stage. “Ten seconds!”

Gently, Katherine brushed a black tear from Mona’s soft jawline with the back of her fingers. “And don’t forget to sing the lyrics from a girl’s perspective. Make them personal.” She stepped back and gestured for Papilio to go.

“Thanks for everything,” Mona said as if it would be the last time they ever saw the coach they had come to admire.

An aching feeling in the pit of Mona’s stomach told her something awful was about to happen. She sensed the judges sharpening their axes, anticipating the metallic taste of blood, ready to exact their punishment on Papilio for being naive enough to think three homely zeros were good enough to become America’s Teen Shooting Star. Their wacko mother didn’t even want them—why would anyone else?

As the dimmed lights increased in intensity, Papilio joined hands, put their right feet forward, and marched onstage while being careful not to trip in their tall platform heels. Halfway there, Gabby lost her concentration. Her ankle twisted sideways, and she nearly fell before Mona, anchored by Ellie, pulled Gabby’s arm and helped her recover, preventing an embarrassing human avalanche.

Despite the triplets’ messy state, the crowd behind Twyla-Violet’s cheering section applauded loudly. The Empress fan club, still decked out in violet band T-shirts, filled the front row as if they were permanently cemented to the seats. Their jaws dropped when they saw Papilio’s sloppy makeup and ruined costume. The hecklers were so shocked by their disheveled appearance, they forgot to snicker.

Papilio’s die-hard fan from their school’s math club stood in the middle of the row behind the jeerers. She held a sign that read Go Papilio! Her metal braces glinted as she jumped up and down, black pigtails bouncing, cheering for the band. Two other calculators with her screamed even louder.

Papiliomania was becoming contagious.

Author Bio:

Mark Workman toured the world as a road manager and lighting designer with many famous rock bands for 33 years. After leaving the music business in 2015, he worked at a major drug and alcohol treatment center in Malibu, California, for four years, where he earned his certification as a drug and alcohol counselor. Mark now spends his time reading, writing, and traveling. He grew up in Petersburg, Virginia, has lived in Greater Los Angeles for most of his adult life, and currently resides in the Las Vegas area. His estrangement from his late father since the age of six, along with his love for the music of the Bee Gees and 70s nostalgia, greatly inspired his debut novel, Forever We Dream.

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Undoubtedly Reckless

Undoubtedly Reckless by Constance Kersaint

(#2, Rebel by Night)
Published by: Evernight Publishing
Publication date: March 19th 2025
Genres: Adult, Historical, Romance

Constance Kersaint invites you back into the scandalous world of the Darewoods, of danger and intrigue, as Roland Darewood does the unthinkable–he falls in love with a duke’s governess.

He is all she should avoid.

For years, Sabina Kembrooke had been careful. She hid herself from those who would harm her, or worse, but one act of compassion may ruin her forever. After years of hiding in a duke’s home, the man she rescued comes crashing into her life again. Roland is too dangerous a temptation but, despite her powerful response, she must not give in.

She’s not who she seems to be.

Roland has returned from years at sea to take his place as viscount and head of his dysfunctional household. Sabina’s respectable demeanor hides a secret that would utterly destroy her, but he must uncover her secrets if he is to keep her safe. The danger Sabina tried to hide from may have found her again. Can she trust him? Can he save her?

Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes & Noble / Apple Books

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EXCERPT:

Rooftop Follies

“Every year I post a letter,” Sabina offered Roland. “I can be declared dead after ten years of silence so I post a letter every year to prove that I am alive. That way my stepfather cannot take control of my father’s affairs, which includes my inheritance.”

“I can help you, Sabina,” Roland said quietly.

“You have my gratitude, but this is my responsibility. I have borne it for ten years, there are only a few months left before I am twenty-five. Then I will contact my lawyers and finish this.”

They finished their coffee just as the tavern became louder and drunker.

“Time to go,” Roland said, pushing back.

Neither of them rushed to seek a cab, enjoying the brisk walk through an oddly snowless December night. Abruptly, Sabina stopped, her head cocked.

“Oh, listen to that,” Sabina said.

“Don’t tell me you’re interested in some second-rate musician presenting a third-rate opera?” Roland asked.

“It’s not a third-rate opera, it’s your opera,” Sabina smiled. “Rinaldo.” Roland groaned.

“God save me from French epics. A few minutes and then we must be off. I think I smell snow in the air. Mustn’t get caught in bad weather,” Roland warned.

“Music is never a waste of time,” Sabina said. “And you actually smell horse droppings but I’ll allow you your delusions.” They moved closer to the soulful violin just as a surprisingly good soprano launched into, “Lascia ch’io pianga.”

“That violinist is quite good,” Sabina whispered to Roland. “The soprano is drowning him out. If only they had a whole symphony. Once I heard the Chevalier De St. George conduct in Paris and I was never the same. Come with me,” Sabina said abruptly and grabbed Roland’s hand.

Roland let himself be led through some foul alleys and up some slippery steps, then through a building. Then, they exited a door onto a roof. She could pick up the thread of the music again, clear and sweet. Roland followed his lady to the edge of the roof and watched her take in the song as the notes floated upward into the fetid night air.

“Why up here?” Roland asked her.

“The music rises and up here, you can feel like you’re alone above the clouds, carried away by waves of heaven.” Sabina tilted her head to the notes.

“Have you been to the theater since you’ve been in town?” he asked.

“Oh, no, the duke is not a music lover, so we do not attend, which is a shame. A good orchestra raging into a symphony is my weakness,” Sabina said. The music made her foolish

Sabina could not understand the words but she felt the music. It did things to her, made her feel things that were unwise.

But it was after dark in London and no one could tell her what to do. Sabina turned and looked up at Roland’s face. He was not a handsome man but he had always been so attractive to her, from that stubborn jaw to the thoughtful eyes that looked at her searchingly.

“Would you be terribly affronted if I kissed you?” she asked.

“You didn’t ask the time before.” He grinned, reaching for her.

“Are you going to make me apologize?” Sabina responded, enjoying his hands on her. She loved his hands. He could repair her windows, handle a gun, guide a horse, hold her steady.

“No, I beg you to do it again.”

“I’m not very good at it,” Sabina warned, placing her hands on his chest.

“Well, then I think you should get some practice.” Roland bent his head down to her lips. “I humbly offer myself as a test subject.”

Sabina went up on her toes to meet his lips and smiled as they kissed. This was so right, possibly the only thing in her life that was good and hers. She opened her lips and touched her tongue to his lips, letting herself into his mouth with a delight that bordered on joy.

She heard his breathing and remembered to breathe herself as she explored the ways they could kiss. Her arms found their way around his neck and he had backed her to a stone block that she had not seen before on the roof.

It wasn’t enough. Sabina couldn’t help the frustrated noise that came from her and she slid a hand down to cup the erection bulging the front of his breeches.

“Lord, Sabina, have mercy, woman.” Roland broke away from her to gasp.

“I need you,” she breathed heavily. “I need this.”

“I’m not going to take you on a bloody roof,” Roland said, then pulled her in for another drugging kiss.

“Then I’ll take you.”

Author Bio:

Winner of the Literary Titan Gold Book Award

Hello fellow readers! I'm Constance, I write, read, and chase kids (my own). Come read with me!

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Exiles on Earth

Exiles on Earth by Bea Tama

(Outcasts of Oloria, #1)
Publication date: May 16th 2025
Genres: Adult, Paranormal, Romance

Stranded alien. Fierce farmer. One blown-up barn.

Ellen’s barely keeping her family farm afloat, clinging to dreams of what it could be—with a little luck and a lot of hard work. What she doesn’t need is a spaceship crashing onto her land, or the massive scaled alien who steps out of the wreckage. Now the barn she wanted to convert to a bed and breakfast is shattered all over the lawn, and this huge scaly dude is to blame.

Elia is a space-faring clone, bred for loyalty and survival. He fought for the chance to enter the prestigious Mating Games, only to be exiled for a crime he didn’t commit. Now, stranded on an uncharted world, he and his crew are at the mercy of an infuriated human female with fire in her eyes and no warriors of her own to protect her.

She is not fragile. But she is vulnerable. And something deep in Elia wants her. All he has to do is rebuild what he destroyed and guard her land and her dreams as fiercely as if they were his own.

But Ellen isn’t looking for a mate. And Elia is running out of time to prove that she should.

🔥 A sizzling sci-fi romance featuring a caring, exiled alien, a determined human heroine, and slow-burn tension that will leave you breathless. Perfect for fans of aliens on earth, forced proximity, and fierce heroines who refuse to back down. 🔥

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Author Bio:

Hi! I’m Bea Tama. Well, kind of. This is one of my few pen names; where I write about love falling from the stars, Becky Tama writes romantasy and fae adventures. Our other pen name is a USA Today Bestselling Author, but we don’t let that go to our heads.

I live in the UK not that far from Bristol, where Exiles on Earth is set, and secretly I dream of setting up an agri-business alongside writing about gorgeous aliens coming to help me with it.

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Sam Squared

Sam Squared by Cindy Dorminy

Publication date: March 17th 2025

Genres: Contemporary, Romance, Young Adult

Falling in love should be easy as Pi.

Seventeen-year-old Samantha Baughman has one month to raise her GPA, or she can kiss her coveted Auburn basketball scholarship goodbye. Her only hope lies with her high school’s resident bad boy—and closet genius—Samuel King.

The last thing Samuel wants is to get tangled in anyone else’s problems. But when he gets caught helping another student cheat, his teacher offers him a get-out-of-jail-free card. With a one-way ticket to boarding school as his only other option, Samuel reluctantly agrees to tutor Samantha… with one stipulation. They have to keep their arrangement on the down-low. No one can know about their study sessions, especially Samantha’s overprotective brother, who has already warned Samuel to stay away from his sister.

As the “Sams” spend more time together, their playful banter turns into genuine attraction, including one extra-credit-worthy kiss. But Samantha’s brother’s threats send Samuel backpedaling so fast that he denies their encounter ever happened. Now, it’s game on for Samantha to get him to confess. She may need his help to pass her classes, but he’s the one who needs schooling in matters of the heart.

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EXCERPT:

Samantha 

I take out my cell phone and send a quick text before class starts.

Me: Hey, Mule. Need your opinion. In private, please.

His chuckle resonates through the classroom, signaling to me he got my message. My phone vibrates with an incoming text.

Mule: Is this about sec?

Not sure what he means. Auburn is an SEC team, but there is no reason he would ask about that. I suck in a breath. Maybe he means sex. Heat rushes up my neck as I text back.

Me: NO!! Will you meet me at the Green Hills Library after school?

Mule: What’s it worth to you?

Pondering my reply, I take a peek around to see him mouth, Well? He is infuriating, and I can’t believe I’m going through with this.

Me: I won’t tell anyone you cried when Nemo’s mom died.

Mule: You wouldn’t.

While I relive that moment, I bite my lip to keep from laughing. He was a blubbering idiot throughout that entire movie after the first scene. It’s my word against his, but he knows it’s all true.

Me: Try me.

Author Bio:

Cindy Dorminy writes about love when it’s least expected. Quirky dialogue and sassy, southern heroines are a must in her romances. When she’s not in her she-shed working on her next novel, she enjoys walking her dog, gardening, and weightlifting. She shares her house with her musician husband, an awesome daughter, and a miniature dachshund who would eat all the food if he could figure out how to open the refrigerator. She resides in Nashville, TN, where live music can be heard everywhere, even at the grocery store.

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The Fallen Guardian

The Fallen Guardian by Dawn Chartier

Publication date: March 14th 2025

Genres: Adult, Paranormal, Romance

*When Darkness Tempts the Divine*

Gracyn James has made vengeance her life’s mission. Haunted by the brutal murder of her family, she survives on the streets with The Inciters, a vigilante group that delivers justice to society’s worst. But her ultimate goal remains elusive: finding her father and uncovering why he destroyed her world. When a deadly encounter with the seductive and powerful Angel of Death, leaves her faction annihilated, she’s forced into an uneasy alliance.

Lucien Ward, a fallen Guardian with a shadowed past, is on a mission of his own. Stripped of his former glory, he hunts for the truth behind his family’s downfall while fulfilling his grim duties as the Angel of Death. Gracyn’s fiery spirit—and an uncontrollable power she doesn’t yet understand—may be the key to his redemption. Or, she could bring about the end of both their worlds.

In a battle where loyalties blur and fate twists cruelly, can they uncover the truth before their intertwined destinies ignite chaos?

Goodreads / Amazon

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EXCERPT:

She took a moment to really see him before stepping inside. He had a face she’d etch in her mind forever. Rumors about the Angel of Death were wildly inaccurate. No one described him as painfully beautiful. Probably no one left alive to give a firsthand account. He didn’t appear the radiant or Greek god she’d imagined. Nor did he have wings. The Inciters had been wrong about that too. Maybe he wasn’t one of those kinds of Seraphs. His build was that of a fighter. A fighter who’d been through hell and back.

He tilted his head, watching her watch him. Her pulse hitched, but that didn’t stop her from memorizing every detail. Silver-blond hair half pulled back, revealing a prominent hard jaw with a slight scar comparable to the scar her father had.

But those hypnotizing, glowing, golden eyes hid something she couldn’t read. They weren’t angelic. More devilish, if you asked her. Kind of animalistic. Like he would hunt her down and eat her alive if she tried to escape his prison.

“Inside,” he ordered with that whisky-smooth, oh-so-sure voice. He’d turned colder since they’d arrived.

“Wait!” She couldn’t accept this was it. They were supposed to barter. Did he lie?

“Get in,” he ordered.

“I thought we were going to talk. I’ll help you and you’ll help me. That’s what you said.” She’d never forget the face of the Seraph who killed her friends. Poor Collin would never get to become an Inciter like he’d dreamed about. She’d only joined to find her father.

“Inside,” he said sterner. “There’s something I must do first. Move.”

She faced the cell and sighed. “How long will I be in here? When are you coming back?”

A steel urinal-toilet combo hung in one corner, with a white sheet-covered cot against the wall. Was this her new normal? Her new life? The realization of never finding the answers she’d been seeking all this time hit hard, unless the Seraph kept his word.

The wall behind her swooshed closed between them. She spun around and banged on the glass door. “No!” Her reflection stared back at her. “Let me out!” Was he still there, watching her? She frowned and hit the door. Her mouth felt like cotton, and the pressure inside her head was splitting her skull in half. “Can I at least get something for my headache?”

No reply.

This moment was like sealing her fate of never having a real home or family ever again. Her adoptive parents were the closest thing she’d ever had, but she still never felt like she fit in no matter how much love they showed her. She was different. She knew it. They knew it.

Now she was ripped away from ever finding out why her dad had done what he did. Ripped away from her best friend, Drake, too. She’d allowed herself to love him like a brother, even though she knew being with the Inciters was only temporary too. So, where did that leave her? Alone? A prisoner? No, this wasn’t her fate.

She dug her fingernails into her palms. How was she going to escape? She had to make a plan to get out of this. Tell him what she knew in small bites. See if he would search as he’d said. Though she doubted he would. She banged again. Tears welled, and she blinked them back. Don’t let him see you weak. Do not cry. Do not cry.

Even though her heart bled for the slain Inciters and Collin, she had to focus on what to say to get what she wanted, but focusing only forced the image of a bloody Collin on the ground. She swallowed. He’d been through so much and hadn’t deserved to die. He’d reminded her of her little sister before she’d died. Her gaze blurred. She shook her head, refusing to cry.

“Crying is for pussies,” Collin had said once after they’d found him shortly after his stepdad beat the crap out of him. She’d caught the glassiness in his eyes, but he never ever cried. I’ll be strong like you, Collin. “I’m sorry I couldn’t protect you either. The Seraph will pay,” she whispered.

Why had she fallen asleep at the warehouse? Sure, she was sick, but she shouldn’t have ever listened to him. She’d trusted the others to keep him safe, but they weren’t strong enough.

Luckily, Drake had gone to his godmother’s or she might’ve lost him too. He’d be devastated when he found Collin and the others. He’d blame himself. A tear slipped, and she slapped it dry. He was probably searching for her now, but would he even know where to look? He never once mentioned where the Seraphs were. Dammit. She was screwed.

Author Bio:

Dawn Chartier is a contemporary and paranormal romance author known for crafting emotionally resonant stories with compelling characters and vivid worlds. With a background in construction, Dawn brings a keen eye for detail to her writing, creating immersive settings that captivate readers. She has published several romance novels, earning praise for her ability to blend heartfelt romance with suspense and supernatural elements. Dawn lives in the South with her family, where she finds inspiration in the lush landscapes and unique culture of her surroundings. When she’s not writing, she enjoys exploring local cuisine, chilling on the beach and diving into a great book.

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Love, Lies, and Celtic Knots: A Small Town Romance Anthology

Love, Lies, and Celtic Knots: A Small Town Romance Anthology

Annie Carlisle, C.A. Miconi, Delta James, Irene Lawless

(Pelican Point, #1)

Publication date: March 14th 2025

Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance

Welcome to Celtic Knot Winery, where the lush vineyards are ripe with secrets, and love is as rich and complex as the finest vintage.

In Love, Lies, and Celtic Knots, four intertwined romance stories unfold against the enchanting backdrop of rolling hills and grapevines. Each tale weaves its own unique tapestry of passion, betrayal, and heartwarming redemption, proving that amidst the beauty of the vineyard, anything is possible.

Pour a glass and lose yourself in Love, Lies, and Celtic Knots, where every story uncorks a new journey of the heart. Amidst secrets and seduction, these tales remind us that love is the most intoxicating wine of all.

Included in the anthology:
Love’s Hidden Knot by Annie Carlisle
Love Undercover by Irene Lawless
Love Me, Love Me Knot by CA Miconi
Love’s Twisted Knot by Delta James

👉 Enemies to Lovers
👉 Billionaire
👉 Alphahole
👉 Grumpy/Sunshine
👉 Second Chance
👉 One Night Stand
👉 Love Against All Odds

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EXCERPT:

“Good morning,” they say in unison.

“He’s here.” Brennen says in a panic, his face draining of color. “I’ll go greet him.”

“That’s my cue to leave.” Sophie waves to us as she leaves through the fermentation room door.

“Wait…” I frown up at Brennen. “Shouldn’t Sophie be here for this? She is the winemaker after all.”

Brennen scoffs. “No. Sophia refuses to be part of this because she didn’t make the wine. I think her exact words were that she wouldn’t serve this swill to pigs.”

I roll my eyes – that sounds exactly like Sophie. The girl is great and all, but she is the epitome of an elitist wine snob. But that is why we hired her.

As the actual winery owner, Brennen has taken the reins of our family business and spent years trying to fix what our father did to our family name, not to mention creating a rift between my two brothers with me playing referee.

As the attorney for both, I’m able to keep one business separate from the other — Brennen’s winery and Ryan’s conglomerate. If Brennen ever found out that I was working for Ryan too, he’d disown me just like he has Ryan. Fortunately, he doesn’t know. Thank god for client confidentiality laws.

“He’s been crazy all morning,” Isabella says under her breath.

We can hear as Brennen and the critic enter the front doors, “Here we go.” I say out loud.

I stand beside Brennen, offering a professional smile as the critic approaches. But the moment Mr. Dawson looks up, his eyes meet mine, and the color drains from my face.

No. It can’t be.

No.

No.

No.

His mouth opens in shock, too, his gaze flicking over me as if trying to process what he’s seeing. My heart stutters in my chest, my pulse thundering in my ears.

It’s him.

The man from last night. The one I left sleeping in that hotel room this morning. The man whose name I never got because we agreed there was no reason for names. But I know every inch of his body. And he knows mine.

Mr. Dawson—the world-renowned wine critic Miles Dawson—is my one-night stand.

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Review : Cold Case Murder Mystery

Cold Case Murder Mystery by Nicole Helm

Hudson Sibling Solutions #7

Genre: Romantic Suspense, Harlequin, Romance, suspense,

Goodreads: Click

Pages: 224

Published:  February 25, 2025

He’s retired from the protector business, but a dangerous discovery changes everything

Rancher Zeke Daniels left his secret agent career—and his doomed romance with Brooke Campbell—in the past. Until the forensic anthropologist stumbles across Bent County’s sinister secret…and attracts a stalker in the process. Brooke refuses to quit the job. And there’s no way in hell Zeke will leave her unprotected. But as his professionalism is challenged by their lingering feelings, his determination to protect remains steadfast—from the stalker, the danger and the violent serial killer using the caves as his burial ground…

Brooke is a forensic anthropologist who's looking into a case that not only is supposed to be a cold case but might be connected to current bodies. Unwilling to give the shot away to someone else she looks into it with the help of Zeke Daniels a former secret agent who is now on a mission to help protect her she has picked up a stalker. Together they will find the stalker and figure out who is behind the murders.

This is a pretty good book I pretty much devoured it in one day. I just really enjoyed the book and following along as things played out when it came to being stalked and getting closer to figuring out who might be behind this. and it was a pretty good mystery suspense novel I really enjoyed it. I'm also just finding out that this is a part of the series so I'm going to have to look for the previous books because I really enjoyed this one and have high hopes for the previous ones as well as any future books that come up I'll have to keep an eye out.