Indie Pen PR Presents: Beards & Babies by Heather Lauren; #ReleaseBlitz, #NowAvailable, #OutNow, #TBR, #Live

I haven’t seen Soren Mathews in ten years, but he draws me right back under his spell. We spend one stormy night together living out our teenage fantasies and in the morning, he’s gone again, leaving me to think about him and the secret I’m keeping. 

Readers who enjoy romance with childhood crushes and one night stands will love Beards & Babies by Heather Lauren, a steamy, small town, brother’s best friend, beach romance.

#heatherlaurenbooks #beardsandbabies #candycanekey #manofthemonthclub #manofthemonthclubnovella #contemporaryromance #brothersbestfriend #surprisebaby #childhoodcrush #smalltownromance #mustread #steamyromance #goodreads #kindleunlimited 

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The bare naked buns of my brother's best friend greet me in Florida.
I haven’t seen Soren Mathews since the most embarrassing night of my life. Now ten years older, he’s all grizzly man. With a sexy beard and new scars, he draws me right back under his spell.
For one night the storm keeps us under the same roof and we finally live out all our teenage fantasies and secret desires. But the sea calls him the next morning and he's gone.
I try to move forward with a new life in Candy Cane Key, but I can't stop thinking about him. I can't seem to eat and all I want to do is sleep. I'm restless and lost until he comes back and by then we’ve both got secrets we’ve been keeping.

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Excerpt:

The place is quiet and never fails to bring a strong since of comfort every time I walk through the doors. I kick out of my shoes and wet sweater and make my way for the master shower. The house is huge and technically has four master bedrooms and three smaller bedrooms. My family bought it back in the nineties with their best friends and our two families have been vacationing here ever since.
Bonnie and Carl Mathews and of course, Soren.
A man who haunts my wet dreams to this very fucking day but couldn’t be more off limits. After a terribly embarrassing incident when I was eighteen, I’ve avoided my childhood crush completely.
Until right this second.
I think a squeak comes out of my mouth or maybe its a moan. Either way my feet are firmly fused to the floor as I stare shocked and honestly in awe of the gorgeous man in front of me.
“Robin!” He shouts in obvious surprise.
Suddenly I regret avoiding this moment for so long. Seeing him. Not just his amazing body. Holy hell the man was chiseled. No, seeing him instantly feels like a balm to my ever spiraling anxiety. After a fast sweep down where my eyeballs absolutely do not belong, I lock eyes with his deep brown ones.
“Hey.” I say like an idiot. It’s just so good to see him.
I nervous laugh but turn around quickly, closing the door behind me.
Oh holy hell Bateman.
That man is cut. Muscles on every inch of him. Decorated in black ink and he has the sexy v thing I thought only existed in magazines.
And that cock! Is it normal to swoon over a man’s cock. No, but I’m the weird girl I don’t really do normal. I melt against the back of the bathroom door sighing with a heavy breath at the thought of that monster. Its thick and long and it looks so soft and inviting. His body has changed so much since I last saw him, and I imagine what the black details look like on his hips. Does the tribal ink span his thighs? His ass?
As I’m daydreaming against the door, soaked to the bone and starting to feel the chill, I’m startled by the water turning off. It hasn’t been more than a minute…right?
I push off the door and hurry down the hall to my room. The lights are all on and I’m surprised to find a bag already on the bed. Walking in I see the Star Wars pins I got him the Christmas before we stopped talking. The sight makes me smile and I wonder again why his bags in here. This is my room. It’s always my room.
“Hey sorry, I wasn’t expecting you.”
“You don’t need to be. I’m sorry for barging in, I couldn’t hear the shower over the pelting rain.” I say pointing up at the ceiling trying my best to look at his face as he stands in the doorway, a crisp white towel hanging lose on his hips. Tattoo covered hips.
“I’ll just grab my bag.”
“Ok.” I say, but the question burns and after fifteen years why hold back anything.
“Did you want to sleep in here?”

Copyright 2023 Heather Lauren

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About Heather Lauren:

Heather is a Polly Pocket-size mom of three with a burly hubby and hairy husky. They live in sunny Arizona where she writes steamy contemporary romance and romantic comedies. Her books feature beefy cinnamon roll heroes (often bearded), dirty talking alphas, and adorkable, strong heroines full of sass. Each one guarantees, good laughs and epic Happily Ever Afters.

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Indie Pen PR Presents: Son Of A Peach by Claire Hastings; #ReleaseBlitz, #NowAvailable, #OutNow, #TBR, #Live

Peaches, Beaches, and a whole lot of misunderstanding...this hero has his work cut out for him! The local chocolatier is his exact opposite and someone he should stay away from, but he can’t. There’s no harm in a little fling, right?

 Readers who enjoy instalove and fun in the sun romance will love Son of a Peach by Claire Hastings, a steamy, small town, opposites attract, grumpy/sunshine romance.

#ClaireHastings #SonofaPeach #CandyCaneKey #ManOfTheMonthClub #ContemporaryRomance #GrumpySunshineRomance #MustRead #SteamyRomance #OppositesAttract #SmallTownRomance #Goodreads #KindleUnlimited #NewRelease #IPPR #IndiePenPR

Peaches are my life.
I’m talking about the sweet, fuzzy fruit that represents my home state of Georgia—not the emoji that most people use for a different peach. If you know what I mean...
When there’s the chance to show off my peaches at a Christmas-themed island for the Peach on the Beach festival, it’s a no-brainer.
Then I arrive in Candy Cane Key.
Turns out, they aren’t celebrating my favorite fruit. Nope. This event is about that other type of peach.
To make matters worse, I can’t stop thinking about the event organizer, the local chocolatier—Tizzy. And that’s exactly what she’s worked my insides into.
The strawberry blonde wild child is my exact opposite in every way. Someone I know I should stay away from. Yet, I can’t.
There’s no harm in a little fling, right?

Son of a Peach is an opposites attract, insta-love, fun in the sun novella about an uptight horticulturist and a happy-go-lucky chocolatier with a guaranteed HEA.

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Excerpt:

“See, not so hard.”
Maybe this isn’t, but my dick…
“It’s not dirt,” I say, repeating the motions, “but I can see how this would be fun.”
“Dirt is not more fun than chocolate.”
I stop dead, chocolate fork held in midair, Oreo precariously perched on it. She cannot be serious. Then again, of course this free spirit of a woman would think that.
“Dirt is basis for all life. From dirt you came and to dirt you shall return,” I paraphrase. I can practically hear the preacher back home from Hickory Hills Baptist rolling his eyes for getting that piece of scripture wrong. The meaning is still there though.
“Maybe, but…chocolate gives life meaning,” she counters.
“Does it though?”
Dipping her finger into the bowl, she scoops out some of the melted goodness before running her finger along her lips, then sucks all the chocolate off. My dick surges and I swallow hard, wishing that were me she was licking.
Fuck, I need to get it together…
“It does. Besides, doing this with dirt is less fun.”
I don’t have time to ask, “doing what.” Tizzy’s too quick with the spatula, flicking it at me, sending chocolate flying. It’s warm as it hits my skin, catching me off guard. I scoff, unable to believe she just did that. Well, two can play this game.
Grabbing the fork, I mimic her movements, splattering chocolate across her face. Tizzy gasps, her smile wide. She clearly was not expecting me to retaliate. I laugh, enjoying her reaction and the playful fight that ensues. Back and forth we go, each one flinging bits of chocolate at each other. I can’t remember the last time I did anything like this. Certainly not with food. Mud, maybe. Mud fights were plentiful as children. Anton and I never passed up a chance to enjoy a good puddle. But it’s been years since we did that. Since I really let loose and played. And then I met Tizzy.
It’s time to up the ante though, the little splatter from the kitchen instruments no longer having the same effect. So I do what any man would do. I go big.
I dip my whole hand into the chocolate bowl, scooping up as much as I can. I hear Tizzy's breath hitch, like she knows what’s coming. She doesn’t move though, the impish look on her face turning even more devilish the closer I get to her. I’ve wanted to lick this chocolate off her since the moment she spread it on her lips. Time to create my chance.
Only, physics has a different idea.
Stepping forward to close the distance between us, I slip. My legs wobble underneath me and I lunge forward, trying to keep my balance, and fall into Tizzy. The momentum sends us backward into the counter, which thankfully stops us from hitting the ground.
A second later, both of us trying to catch our breath, I pull back slightly, noticing the placement of my chocolate-covered hand.
Smack-dab on Tizzy’s boob.

Copyright 2023 Claire Hastings

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About Claire Hastings:

Claire Hastings is a walking, talking awkward moment. She loves Diet Coke, gummi bears, the beach, and books (obvs). When not reading she can usually be found hanging with friends at a soccer match or grabbing food (although she probably still has a book in her purse). She and her husband live in Atlanta.

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Indie Pen PR Presents: Enemies In Earnest by Willow Sanders; #ReleaseBlitz, #NowAvailable, #OutNow, #TBR, #Live

Acacia has hated Edwin ever since ‘the incident’ four years ago, but when stormy weather threatens both their businesses, they realize a farewell to arms may be the best way to avoid a dangerous summer. Readers who love the Man of the Month Club will devour Enemies in Earnest by Willow Sanders, a steamy, small town, forced proximity, enemies-to-lovers romance.

#WillowSanders #EnemiesInEarnest #CandyCaneKey #ManOfTheMonthClub #ContemporaryRomance #MustRead #SteamyRomance #EnemiesToLoversRomance #BeachRomance #SmallTownRomance #ForcedProximityRomance #Goodreads #KindleUnlimited #IPPR #IndiePenPR #NewRelease

Acacia Ashley has one love: the written word. Specifically the rich, earthy, prose of Mr. Ernest Hemingway. Her love for Hemingway goes so deep that she opened a bar in his honor. Every year in July she plays host to Hemingway Days in Candy Cane Key, and every year she has to stay on guard in case Edwin Wheeler decides once again to find a way to ruin the solemnity of the occasion.

Edwin Wheeler doesn't care about books or old men, but the sea? The sea is where he spends his days in search of the almighty dollar. But when he grows bored of plying tourists with fruity drinks, he’s often found needling the resident bookworm, Acacia. She's hated him ever since the incident four years ago. Why does getting a rise out of her give him a bit of a rise as well?

When the bell tolls signaling approaching stormy weather that threatens both of their businesses, the pair realizes a farewell to arms may be the best way to avoid a dangerous summer.

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Excerpt:

It was much easier to ruminate over one’s nemesis when he wasn’t ten feet away. The other problem? The way he doted on and cared for his mother was literally catnip. Lady Kitty catnip, not like, for Six- toed Joe. The second his mom shivered, he was there with her cardigan. She coughed, he had her water at the ready. He repeated what MariJo’s nephew and niece said, but louder and in the direction of her good ear, without making it obvious he did it for her benefit.  How could someone who was such an asshole be so sweetly attentive to his mother? It didn’t compute.

“What if we served a buffet of Hemingway-inspired appetizers?” Asher asked, his bushy eyebrows the only thing I could make out over the clipboard he referenced.

“Now wouldn’t that be a hoot?” Edwin flipped a fifty onto the counter. “I’m sure no one in the history of Hemingway-inspired bars, restaurants, parties, or events has ever thought to offer a little canape dipped in literary puns.”

Asher lifted an eyebrow in his direction as if to ask me is he for real? Unfortunately, yes, he was. The two of us had a War and Peace length conversation in silent eye rolls and quirks of lip before Asher heaved a dramatic sigh and placed his clipboard on the counter.

“I believe it was the great Oscar Wilde who said sarcasm is the lowest form of wit.”

 Edwin nabbed a cherry from my garnish center, shrugging in Asher’s direction. God, he was ridiculous. He never took his eyes off me, even though the shrug was directed at Asher. Did he want me to chastise him for stealing a cherry? Because of the list of things I could chastise the man over, being a cherry stealer was low on the list.

“What can I do for you Edwin?”

I tried to be as subtle as I could, affixing the plastic top to the tray of garnish. It was a place of business after all. Sanitation was important. Certainly, no one wanted his grubby, work-roughened fingers anywhere near their drinks.

“Now there’s a statement heavy with possibility.”

Edwin Wheeler did not get to do funny things to my nervous system. No ma’am. The way his voice went soft and gravely did not affect the steady, reliable thrum of my pulse. And his tipped lip or the mischievous glint in his eyes did not make my face feel hot. I’d rather succumb to food poisoning from bad fish than have him be the reason I felt flushed and a little woozy.

“Did your mom call up your cousin and ask him to come for a playdate? That was so considerate of her. This way you have someone who is obligated to tolerate your company every day while your boat’s boo-boos get all patched up.”

At that moment, the sexy version of Santa Claus, also known as Edwin’s cousin, took a seat next to him at the bar and regarded me.

“How’s that champagne coming along?” he asked his cousin.

“This here’s Klaus.” Edwin cocked his head.

“Bottle or glasses?” I asked, ignoring the flirty challenge in Edwin’s eyes. “The bottle is probably the better choice as you’ll get four glasses out of it for thirty dollars versus four glasses of champagne at nine fifty a piece which would be thirty-eight, before tax.”

Edwin’s eyes flit to the fifty he had sitting in front of him and back up to look at me. Though that didn’t really answer the question. Regardless of which he chose, the fifty covered it and then some.

He didn’t get to win. It was my bar. If I were a petty person, I’d pour four glasses and charge him the per-glass rate. If he wanted to play Mr. Unaffected, James Dean cool, and answer me in smirks and eyebrow lifts instead of words, fine. I’d show him.

Copyright 2023 Willow Sanders

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About Willow Sanders:

A marketer by day, and author by night, Willow Sanders is a best-selling author of sweet with heat Contemporary Romance and Romantic Suspense. She loves to write spunky, take no shit women, and understanding men with a strong side of sarcasm and an extra helping of BDE. When not writing you can find her torn between her loyalty to the Fighting Illini and her husband’s loyalty to Michigan State, bemoaning traffic, feeding her caffeine addiction, and trying to find the connection between her and the Gilmore Girls–because she is certain she is a long-lost family member.

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Indie Pen PR Presents: Gingerbread Man by Karla Doyle; #ReleaseBlitz, #NowAvailable, #OutNow, #TBR, #Live

Honey Golding is the sweetest little thing Cal has ever laid eyes on. His much-younger new employee is off-limits, but his sweet tooth might overrule his common sense… and his willpower. 

Readers who love a side of laughter with their romance will enjoy Gingerbread Man by Karla Doyle, a steamy, small town, grumpy/sunshine, boss/employee, age gap romance.

A town that celebrates Christmas year-round is the perfect place for a newly divorced, six-foot-four ginger-haired baker to open his new business, The Ginger Bread Man. Too bad he doesn’t share the community’s love of everything ho-ho-ho. Fake it until you make it, right? Or hire someone who has enough holiday spirit that nobody notices your lack thereof. Enter Honey Golding, the sweetest little thing Cal has ever laid eyes on. His much-younger new employee is off-limits, but his sweet tooth might overrule his common sense… and his willpower.

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Excerpt:

“Your hours say you're open until six,” the brunette says when I unlock and open the door. “So I thought I had plenty of time to catch you.”
“I close when everything’s sold.”
Little Miss Sunshine doesn’t flinch at my grumpy tone. She just stares up at me with the prettiest green eyes I’ve ever seen. “You don’t have anything left to sell? By quarter after four?”
“No.” An apology would be appropriate here, I know. Not my style. Hence why I need a customer service elf. “Come by in the morning if you don’t want to be disappointed.” Shit, even I can do better than that. I huff a miserable-sounding sigh. “I tell you what—I’ll put something aside for you, and you can pick it up whenever you get here. The door will probably be locked, but I’ll wait for you. Best I can do. So. What were you hoping to get today?”
“A job.” No tapping on the glass this time. She pushes past me to reach in and pull my makeshift sign from the inside of the window, then hands it to me. “This job. You won’t find anyone better. What time should I be here tomorrow?”
I grunt a laugh. Even smile a little. She’s spunky, confident, and yeah, very easy on the eyes. Too easy, considering she’s gotta be in her early-twenties, and I’m knocking on forty’s door. My attraction is irrelevant. She’s applying for a job, not a date.
Right now, she’s my top candidate, simply because of her personality. But this is my business, and despite feeling like the stupidest man alive for being blindsided back in Cali, I’m not foolish enough to hire anyone on impulse. Not even the irresistible brunette.
“Got a resume?” I hook a nod toward the cash counter. “I’ll add it to the pile and look it over later.” When she’s not standing in my personal space, looking and smelling like a sweet treat I could sink into. My second head doesn’t get to do the hiring.
She breaks eye contact only long enough to pull a sheet of sunshiny-yellow paper from her bag.
Despite my comment about reviewing it later, I scan the page after she hands it to me. “No bakery experience,” I say, pointing out the only fault I find.
Her genuine smile doesn’t waver, not even for a moment. “Don’t worry. I’ll have your buns and baguettes figured out in no time.”
If she knew how much my baguette liked the sound of that, she’d snatch her application from my hand and never come back. “I’ll be in touch—” I glance at the paper again, as if I didn’t already have her name and number committed to memory. “Ms. Golding.”
“It’s Miss, and call me Honey.”
Another grunted laugh slips out. “Hoping to sweeten me up so I give you the job, Miss Golding?”
“I always put Honora on formal or professional documents, but everyone in town calls me Honey.”
Shit. I’ve got big feet and an even bigger mouth to shove them in.
She raises one eyebrow over eyes the color of moss and shiny as sea glass. “Don’t worry, boss, I’m not offended. What time should I be here in the morning?”
“I haven’t offered you the job.” A smile forces its way past my resting grump face as I accept the hand she extended, awareness rising to riotous levels throughout my body the instant we make skin-to-skin contact.
“You will,” she says, holding my hand and my gaze. “I’m exactly what you need.”
She’s right. I know it with every cell of my being. Trouble is, I think she’s exactly what I need in more ways than I can have her.

Copyright 2023 Karla Doyle

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About Karla Doyle:

After studying fashion design in college, Karla worked in the clothing industry for over two decades. In 2011, she caught the writing bug, received a scholarship to attend the Romance Writers of America conference in New York City, and hasn’t looked back.

A small-town girl with some big-city experience, Karla resides in Southwestern Ontario, Canada, with her husband and two young-adult kids. When she’s not writing the sexy stories swirling around in her head, you can find her spending time with family, playing online Scrabble, or cuddled up with a romance novel and her beloved pets.

Karla loves interacting with readers. Connect with her online or send her an email. She’d love to hear from you!

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Indie Pen PR Presents: Tidal Ides by Layne Daniels; #ReleaseBlitz, #NowAvailable, #OutNow, #TBR, #Live

When the new theater director wants to shake up the routine, Candy Cane Key's mayor has some issues to take up with her. Readers who love Jessa Kane and Jamie Schlosser will enjoy Tidal Ides by Layne Daniels, a steamy, small town, enemies-to-lovers, beach romance..

#LayneDaniels #TidalIdes #CandyCaneKey #ManOfTheMonthClub #ContemporaryRomance 

#MustRead #SteamyRomance #EnemiestoLoversRomance #BeachRomance #SmallTownRomance #Goodreads #KindleUnlimited #NowAvailable #NewRelease #IPPR #IndiePenPR

My job as mayor of the most Christmasy town South of the North Pole comes with enough perks to overlook the headaches of municipal leadership. Most of the time. The new owner of Candy Cane Key’s Community Playhouse is putting that theory to the test.

Austie Norman, with her holly berry red lips and evergreen eyes, fits in perfectly. If I ignore the way she’s messing with tradition and making changes. And if I ignore the way she blazes past tradition and brings fresh energy to town. Definitely if I ignore the way she makes my heart trip over itself every time we argue about her plans to produce an adaptation of Shakespeare’s Ides of March. We can’t do Shakespeare when we’re meant to be doing Seuss. This is Candy Cane Key and people have certain expectations when they come here.

I can ignore all of that to fall in love. I just need to find a way to make Austie ignore all the ways I drive her crazy so she falls in love with me, too.

The MAN OF THE MONTH CLUB is a steamy small-town collection featuring a new hottie (or two!) every month. In 2023, escape to Candy Cane Key, Florida, and celebrate ALL the holidays with your favorite group of romance authors and their delicious men. Can’t wait to see you there!

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About Layne Daniels:

Layne is a USA Today Bestselling Author, a long time reader of steamy romance, and began writing her own stories in December of 2020. Her favorite books to read are about Daddy Doms, strong alpha men who fall in love with fierce women, and sex positive living. When she’s not writing, she’s wrangling her family of jocks into some semblance of chill, running a business, getting ALL the tattoos, and living her love-at-first-sight fairytale with Mr. Mine.

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Indie Pen PR Presents: Another One Bites The Dust by Katie Rae; #ReleaseBlitz, #NowAvailable, #OutNow, #TBR, #Live

It should be the happiest time in Audrey’s life, but from the moment she and Gabe land in Candy Cane Key, nothing seems to go as planned. Readers who love a side of laughter with their romance will enjoy Another One Bites the Dust by Katie Rae, a steamy, small town, everything goes wrong romantic comedy.

#KatieRae #AnotherOneBitestheDust #CandyCaneKey #ManOfTheMonthClub #ContemporaryRomance 

#RomCom #RomanticComedy#MustRead 

#SteamyRomance #BeachRomance 

#SmallTownRomance #EverythingGoesWrongRomance #Goodreads #KindleUnlimited #NowAvailable 

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Gabe and Audrey are BACK!

It should have been the happiest time in Audrey's life
With the man she loved by her side

But from the moment they landed in Candy Cane Key,
Nothing seemed to go as planned.

"Please don't tell me there are mosquitos on the beach, Gabe!"

Audrey is navigating a whole new terrain
And when things get too much for her to handle
She's left wondering if its all worth it.

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About Katie Rae:

Katie Rae was born in Florida where she currently lives with her husband of 19 years. She is a book obsessed beach bum that loves baseball and baking shows. She loves writing and reading to escape the craziness of daily life. Follow along as more titles are set to release. And relax--reading is what keeps us sane.

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