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Happy New Year! Man 2020 is finally over. I hope everyone had a wonderful and safe holiday season. It’s January so that means new month new IWSG blog post. To finish off the year, last month I posted about how well I did or didn’t hit the goals I’d set for myself.

I’m ready to hopefully set myself up for some success this year, but not only have goals, but making *loose* plans to execute them. So let’s get into what I hope to accomplish in 2021




Yes, I know I have this each year, and so far it’s always been a fail. But the difference is I have accountability in 2021. The Wordmakers group that I’m part of is collectively reading the Zoe York Romance Your Brand and Romance Your Plan books. Honestly it’s the first time I’ve looked forward to a group project.

Together we will work through her suggestions and help each other build not only a marketable series but also construct a plan in which to execute getting it out and finding new readers. This goes along with my want to be more consistent and deliberate with how I market my stories.



Love on Madison Island is the first time I’ve actually planned to have a series. Sure my first couple of books turned into accidental series (meaning I wrote the first one with the intent on it being a one and done yet others were born) but this time around I know these books will be connected. So publishing with intent will mean how I market them *see above plan* and how I write them.

I’m a pantser so planning, not my strong suit, but I’m finding ways that work for me that don’t overwhelm. I know in advance I have to leave bread crumbs for the other books that will be coming so I’m not worrying about it later on if it connects properly. Publishing these books with intent means having an overall plan and being strategic. It’s a little nerve wracking and sure I still think all will fail, but I’m committed to giving it the old college try.



My Desert Rose series is that accidental one I mentioned but to date those 3 books have been my best sellers out of all my indie titles. Especially my f/f ones. I’ve never done a box set before, but my good friend Coralie Moss has made the suggestion to me a few times, so that is a project I plan to tackle this year.



Those are the main things I want to accomplish in 2021. But I do have additional goals if I want to pretend to be an overachiever. If I hit these, I’ll consider it icing on the cake, especially with me finally having a month where I make at least $1000 in sales. I was excited when I made my first $100 month which sadly didn’t happen until 2019 with the release of Being Hospitable. Fingers and toes crossed that my goal #1 helps me attain this feat of wonder. LOL



That’s it for me. Do you have goals for 2021? Share them in the comments so I can cheer you on!

Until next time

~Meka



The Insecure Writer’s Support Group is a home for writers in all stages; from unpublished to bestsellers. Our goal is to offer assistance and guidance. We want to help writers overcome their insecurities, and by offering encouragement we are creating a community of support.

The awesome co-hosts for the January 6 posting of the IWSG are ,,,, and

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Holy moly it’s December. 2020 has been the longest damn year. I missed the last two months posting because time is a mess and genuinely didn’t realize it was the beginning of the month until middle of the day. I made a point to not miss this one, set a reminder and everything.��

I’ve been doing the look back/look ahead posts as one, but decided I wanted to break it up this year because I wanted to have a 100% fresh start in Jan. 2020 because let’s face it, 2020 was/is a shit show. And breaking up the posts allows me more room to discuss my wins/losses for this year and I can (hopefully) delve into a more solid outlook for 2021.

What were my goals for this year?

As you can see I kept them simple, because that’s how I roll. I need to not have too much pressure on myself, but at the same time hold myself accountable. It’s a tricky balance.��

Goal 1: Establish a marketing plan FAILED��

I’m not a planner and I’m even worse at marketing. Not only did I fail to make a plan, I basically failed at any real marketing. Sure I’d throw up some graphics on social media occasionally, but it was haphazard at best. No forethought or expectations of success. I did the same as I’ve always done and as a result got out of it what I put into it.��

Goal 2: Publish 2 indie titles SUCCEEDED

��While the year has been a mess, I managed to be productive thanks to the support of my regular squad and the addition of the Wordmakers group I joined in May. In October I published . It was the next book in the Desert Rose Hook-ups series. Just last Friday (11/27) I published a novella I had no idea I would write, but thanks to the Wordmakers and the 20k in 5 days challenge the idea was born to put out my first holiday story. It was my fastest turn around to date finishing draft one in 3 weeks. I actually had a third story also published. A short that was part of an anthology for charity.����

Goal 3: Establish writing days/hours SUCCEEDED

��As mentioned before, in May I joined the 20K in 5 days challenged started by Tasha L. Harrison. The group morphed into what is now and it has been excellent for my accountability. There are Zoom write-ins Monday-Friday. So now I know that at 11am (est) I am showing up to work. I may not always work on a book project, but I still show up and get stuff done. It’s how I’ve managed to write three short stories, a novella, one full and working on a second full. I don’t know if I would have been as productive as I have since May without the group.

Goal 4: Submit to a publisher SUCCEEDED

The stories weren’t fulls or even novellas, but shorts. However the goal was still met. I submitted two shorts to the same publisher, but for two different anthologies they will be releasing in 2021. I’ve heard back on one, but not the other. I’d had plans to submit the series I’m working on to a publisher, but by the time I got to the end of draft one for the first book I made the decision to keep it indie. I would love to have the relief in costs for editing and covers, but I wasn’t sure the trade off of giving up control was worth it. That doesn’t mean I won’t sub again, just not with the upcoming three books I have planned.

So that’s it. I think I had a decent year despite the world burning around us. All big strides happened after May but I learned that having daily accountability is something I thrive under. I still do baby steps and handle things in my way, but I’m getting it done little by little.��

Another big accomplishment for the year that wasn’t even an original goal was I had my first audiobook produced. That was a big step in my indie career. I’m still in the hole cost wise LOL so I don’t see myself doing another one anytime soon, but it’s all a part of the process.

Anyway that’s it for me. I’ll be looking ahead to my plans for 2021 and hope to make more strides in the coming months.

I wish you and yours a safe and happy holiday season. See you next year.

Until next time

~Meka

is a home for writers in all stages; from unpublished to bestsellers. Our goal is to offer assistance and guidance. We want to help writers overcome their insecurities, and by offering encouragement we are creating a community of support.
The awesome co-hosts for the December 2 posting of the IWSG are��, , , , and !

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It’s October. Two more months until the longest year ever comes to an end. I’m so ready for it! Until then, it’s time for a new post. Like most months, I struggled with what to write about. It really isn’t easy to keep coming up with topics.��

Because it’s on my mind, I’m gonna chat a bit about marketing.��

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Good gravy, the time is flying, but seemingly blending all into one day all at the same time. Anyway, happy September. A new month means a new .

The Insecure Writer’s Support Group is a home for writers in all stages; from unpublished to bestsellers. Our goal is to offer assistance and guidance. We want to help writers overcome their insecurities, and by offering encouragement we are creating a community of support.
The awesome co-hosts for the September 2 posting of the IWSG are , ,, , , and !

It’s August. Time has like no meaning and all the days seem to run together these days. I’ve been wrapped up in the ever changing back to school plans for my kids and totally forgot it was IWSG blog hop day. But luckily I remembered early enough in the day to whip up a post.

Holy moly, it’s July. I took last month off because I just couldn’t get it together. So much was (and still is) going on that I had a hard time focusing and even pretending I was in a good head space. However, I’m trying this month to put something out. This group is all about sharing our insecurities, successes, and failures so I’m gonna just put it out there. Warning now, this might become a rambling mess.
We are halfway through the most shittiest shows of shit show years. At this point I’m almost scared to ask what else could go wrong, because the answer is a lot!
So what will this all be about? Mostly a check in on what I’ve done and not done so far with half the year gone.
What I’ve not done is…well a lot. LOL I’d thought I’d have put out or at least finished more projects by now, but nope. I’ve published one book so far this year, in May which by the way time works these days seems like a freaking lifetime ago rather than just over a month ago.
And yes, I know that putting out a book is an accomplishment. But with the way I’ve been lately what I focus on is that I put out a novella, that took me way too freaking long to write because I can’t concentrate for shit. However, as my Squad likes to break out the pom-poms and cheer me on when I get down in the dumps, on the upside I have written 34k new words also since May.
That amazing feat was accomplished because I joined a challenge led by Tasha L. Harrison called 20kin5Days where you do just what you think, attempt to write twenty thousand words in five short days. Did I complete the challenge? Yes. Do I think the words will need major editing? Also yes. And am I finished with the story? No. Even though I set myself a deadline of June 30 to complete the first draft, it didn’t happen. The fact that I missed it bums me out, but I’m going to try and keep going and get it completed.
While June had me an emotional, stressed out mess due to everything that was and is still taking place with the senseless murders of Black people. The protests. The ongoing pandemic. It also ended up being my best month ever as an author. My first book released in 2014, then I didn’t put another book out until after joining this group in 2017. At most I’d sell maybe 10-15 books a month. When I released Being Hospitable, my first f/f story that spiked to 50+ in October, but quickly dwindled down. I don’t sell a lot of books, however this happened:

It was an unreal day and one I probably won’t have again, but still seeing my little book climb the ranks when I’m always in like the hundreds of thousands ranking for any and all of my titles was great. Of course the drop happened as expected, but screenshots are forever. LOL That unbelievable event happened because my little book was mentioned by a book reviewer I follow, but had no idea she 1) knew I existed and 2) actually read my books. I follow a lot of reviewers because I enjoy their content though I don’t reach out to peddle my wares.
Overall, I feel like I’m barely treading water. I have joined an anthology for the first time, so writing the short for that will at least get me something else published this year. Otherwise the chances are looking slim. It’s for charity which is why I joined.

The publisher’s proceeds from will be donated in their entirety to the NAACP Legal Defense Fund. Please note that Love Me Always is not affiliated with or endorsed by the NAACP.
If you aren't into reading romance, but still want to donate, please consider donating directly to the .
Okay, I guess that’s it for now. Hopefully in August I can say I actually finished my current WIP and if I do, I’ll be once again entering query land.
I hope everyone is safe, and healthy. Be kind to each, wash your hands and wear your masks.
Until next time~Meka
is a home for writers in all stages; from unpublished to bestsellers. Our goal is to offer assistance and guidance. We want to help writers overcome their insecurities, and by offering encouragement we are creating a community of support.

The awesome co-hosts for the July 1 posting of the IWSG are��, , , , and !

It’s June and honestly time is blurring together. And with the world at so much unrest, it’s been a trying and emotional time. I participate in one other blog hop, and I couldn’t pull it together for that one. It’s still a struggle, but going to attempt to make something coherent for .So, I had to keep it simple because that’s really all I can handle these days. At the height of it all, I had to take a social media break because it was too much to handle. Scrolling my timeline whether on Twitter or Facebook more times than not tears would be involved.
Self-care is talked about a lot and it was never needed for me more than during all of this so I had to find a way to look for the simple everyday joys. It was the only way if I was going to attempt to be productive and not sink into a black hole of despair. This post will probably be a lot of what you already know, but at times like this, it’s good to have a reminder.
What it means to find the simple joys? Take pleasure in the little things.
Find some distractions.
I’m a mom so my kids giving me hugs and kisses lift my mood. Simply being silly with them is a great distraction. If you have pets, they are amazing for cuddles, or playing with them. They take your mind off things and that’s something you need. When things are really weighing you down, distractions are amazing.
Get lost in something you enjoy.
If you’ve been around my blog, you know I’m into baths and wine. I have a whole Books, Booze, and Bubbles review thing I do. Not everyone drinks, so the wine could be out, but there is cooking, sewing, reading, etc. Something else to focus your attention on. Baths are my happy place. I’m the only female in my house currently since my daughter lives in NY right now. My time in the tub is the only time they all know to not bother mom, including the mister. I got Animal Crossing for Mother’s Day and that has been a great escape.
Be kind to yourself.
Creating in times like these isn’t always easy. Don’t be any harder on yourself because of that. Now this is advice that is easier to say than follow because I’m always hard on myself. Keeping productive, especially as an indie, is important. But honestly sometimes you just have to say fuck it. Relaxing and doing nothing is okay. Yes we need to produce, but sometimes it’s not possible. Let those days be the do nothing days. Binge watch something, go for walks, read. Whatever works, but just don’t push yourself when you’re not feeling in the mood.
That’s it. That’s all I can think for the day. Be kind to yourself and others.
Until next time~Meka

Happy Tuesday! I hope you all had a wonderful weekend. I'm here today to help spread the word about a "new" book. I say it that way because this is a re-release of a title which is out today.



Can we just take a minute to appreciate his sexy cover?!


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Contractor Michael Zorn is one of the leading men on the successful home improvement show Handymen. He is also revered for an act of bravery he’d rather forget. The press may hound him, but all he really wants is to help couples realize their home renovation dreams.

One of these couples is Emily Daniels and her fiancé, Trent. When Emily inherits an old home in Toronto’s Little Italy, she sees it as the perfect location for her small business. The house needs a lot of work, but her appearance on the Handymen show means Michael and his contractor brothers will help her renovate at a reasonable cost.

When Michael and Emily meet, their chemistry is intense. Emily wants to stay true to Trent, but her fiancé has done nothing but disappoint her. Michael recognizes Trent for what he is—a cheater. And it isn’t long before he breaks Emily’s heart.

At first, Michael only intends to comfort Emily, but their friendship soon flares into passion. Unfortunately, Michael has secrets and wounds of his own, ones he has never trusted to another. Emily is determined to break down his walls, but can she trust her heart to a man who can’t trust himself?



Buy Now��������
Excerpt:
Emily threw herself at him and wrapped her arms around his torso, cutting off his words and his breath. Only when he hugged her back did he realize how hard she was quivering.She wasn’t just crying about the old photos.“It’s okay, Em. Let it out, sweetheart.”The collar of his shirt grew wet but he didn’t care. Wardrobe had tons of shirts. Besides, she felt good in his arms, all soft and warm. He rubbed her shoulders and the back of her waist, exploring and familiarizing himself with her luscious body. He breathed, drinking in her scent. His nasal cavities had never known such bliss. It was like that first clear breath after a long period of congestion. His fingers were pretty happy too, enjoying the give of her body. It was all he could do not to slide them down, cup her sweet ass and pull her up against him.Just not while she was crying over another man.She lingered in his arms and he did nothing to push her away. In fact, it surprised him how badly he wanted to keep her there, so much so that when Emily finally extricated herself, he wanted to pull her back into his embrace. Instead, he wiped her cheeks clean of the remaining tears.“The makeup ladies are going to kill me for making you cry.”It might have been his imagination, but her tears made her eyes appear even greener. In fact, her entire face seemed a riot of tempting color. Each shade called to him. The crushed roses in her cheeks. Her strawberry lips, so plump and moist. Even the doeskin brown of her freckles fascinated him to no end. He wanted to count them, to kiss and mark them all.Kissing her made a whole lot of sense right now. Kissing her senseless seemed even better.Emily’s eyes widened. Her lips parted in invitation. Michael paused, knowing it was wrong, even though every raised hair on his arms told him it was right.As he debated with himself for a split second, she brushed her lips against his. It was quick and soft, hunger masquerading as something platonic. Even though a spectator might have called it a friendly kiss, he knew the truth. As brief as it may have been, he felt her yield to him, even if just a little.From the startled look in her eyes, Emily knew it too.She took a step back. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have done that.”“You’re right. I should have been the one to do it.�� Michael licked his lips. “Your lips really do taste like strawberries.��About the author:
Rosanna Leo writes contemporary and paranormal romance. She is the First Place Winner of the 2018 Northern Hearts Contest (Contemporary Romance) for A Good Man.

From Toronto, Canada, Rosanna occupies a house in the suburbs with her husband and their two sons, and spends most of her time being tolerated by their cat Sweetie.

When not writing, Rosanna works for her local library, where she is busy laying the groundwork to become a library ghost one day.

Where to find her:
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Happy Friday folks! Hope you're all doing well and looking forward to a somewhat relaxing weekend. It's been a while since I've done one of these. And I do me a while, like since January. But in my defense book reviews aren't my main goal so, yeah...Anyway let's get to the fun shall we.

The wine:��I didn't actually go out shopping for this wine. I mean in the current climate I'm not out shopping much at all. However I still would like my wine, so enter wine subscriptions to the rescue! This wine was part of my second shipment and can I just say how lucky I was when I saw it. A "fancy" French wine to go with a book that takes place partly in a French restaurant.

had just the right amount of sweetness for me. Not overt, but subtle. Extremely pleasing to my palate. Just a little fruity, and not too dry. It is one I'd happily buy again.

The bath bomb: I've had this one since December. The family and I spent the holidays in Arizona with my in-laws and while out shopping I stumbled across this boutique bath shop. Which incidentally also sports a French (sounding) name. The snicker-doodle scented bomb from smelled great in solid form but sadly once it dispersed in the water the smell went away. To me, the whole point of having something that smells so good when I buy it is to keep that full experience while I'm having my bath and this was a bit of a let down. I have a few others from this shop, so hopefully those fair better.

Now, the book:

��Lumi Santana is a chef with the gift of synesthesia—she can perceive a person’s emotions just by tasting their cooking. Despite being raised by a single mother who taught her that dreams and true love were silly fairy tales, she decides to take a chance and puts her heart and savings into opening a fusion restaurant in Inwood, Manhattan. The restaurant offers a mix of the Dominican cuisine she grew up with and other world cuisines that have been a source of culinary inspiration to her.

When Lumi’s eclectic venture fails, she is forced to take a position as a sous chef at a staid, traditional French restaurant in midtown owned by Julien Dax, a celebrated chef known for his acid tongue as well as his brilliant smile. Lumi and Julien don’t get along in the kitchen--to say Lumi is irritated by Julien’s smug attitude is an understatement, and she secretly vows never to taste his cooking. Little does she know that her resolve doesn’t stand a chance against Julien’s culinary prowess.

As Julien produces one delectable dish after another, each one tempting Lumi with its overwhelming aromas and gorgeous presentations, she can no longer resist and samples one of his creations. She isn’t prepared for the feelings that follow as she’s overcome with intense emotions. She begins to crave his cooking throughout the day, which throws a curveball in her plan to save up enough money and move on as soon as possible. Plus, there’s also the matter of Esme, Julien’s receptionist who seems to always be near and watching. As the attraction between Lumi and Julien simmers, Lumi experiences a tragedy that not only complicates her professional plans, but her love life as well...

Clever, witty, and romantic, A Taste of Sage is sure to delight and entertain readers until the very last page.



***My Review***4.5 Stars
A Taste of Sage is the debut novel for Yaffa Santos. This was a different kind of read for me because it wasn't 100% straight contemporary, there is a tiny bit of magical elements which was a fun twist.

The title tells you this is a foodie romance and another neat twist was the inclusion of the recipes Lumi cooks throughout the story. Now for the meat of things...

Lumi is Dominican and has a real love for food. When she talks about the creation and the experimentation with flavors you can feel her passion. She is in her element. I loved her joy and enthusiasm. Losing her restaurant took a little of that from her which was understandable. On the flip side there's Julien. I don't want to say he didn't have the same passion, but his wasn't as pure. He was more about the status and the prestige and he was that stereotypical "nightmare" chef. Basically he and Lumi were oil and water.

I fully admit I can be hard on characters sometimes. They make or break a book for me. I don't see myself as them, but more I relate to them as people I'd want to hang out with or not. Me and Lumi...we'd chill. She'd make some good food. We could laugh talk and discuss the best wines and bath bombs because she is a woman after my own heart when it came to that. LOL Julien...eh let's just say he's that friend of my husband that I tolerate, but if he missed coming to the cookout I wouldn't be sad.

All jokes aside the story had its moments. Being able to see Julien through Lumi's eyes, especially in relation to her gift of tasting emotions through foods is what saved him for me. Because yeah...at times I struggled. Overall this was a great debut novel. Great food talked about. Diverse characters. And simply a fun fresh take. I'm looking forward to Yaffa's next book for sure.



Where to buy
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Happy Tuesday folks. I hope you had a great weekend. I’m taking part in another blog tour, this time for new author Lily Michaels. Lily’s debut book, A Granted Wish, released in November and now she’s back with a new series: Improbable Bonds.I had the pleasure of reading the first two books, so let’s get to the reviews.
Erik's adolescent crush becomes a very adult relationship at his high school reunion.
Seeing his former bullies starstruck is definitely on Erik Stevens' agenda for his high school reunion. Hooking up with someone is not. He has resolved to end the meaningless sex that has dotted his life, even though it fed his need to dominate. Now he is looking for a man—a submissive—for a relationship that will last forever.
But Erik hasn't counted on Kyle.
For ten years, Kyle Lincke has cursed his repressed sexuality that, in high school, kept him from acting on his crush...Erik. As soon as he receives Erik's RSVPed 'yes' to the reunion, Kyle begins working up the courage to finally act on his desires, difficult for him to do following a disastrous break-up.
But six weeks of exploration into BDSM and small steps toward a deeper relationship are thrown into jeopardy when Erik's fame threatens their bond—and Kyle's fragile psyche.

5 STARS
Unlikely Reunion starts off with a bang-ing LOL I started reading this book while at the orthodontist and I had to stop. It wasn’t exactly the type of thing one should read in public. Kyle and Erik have an intense connection from the start. They come face-to-face with each other at their ten year high school reunion, and by face-to-face, I mean Kyle walks up and plants one hell of a kiss on Erik the moment he lays eyes on him.
From there they embark on a whirlwind romance. Erik, the skinny geeky theatre kid who was bullied for being who he was and Kyle the popular student class president. Kids who moved in different clichés while in high school, both harboring secret crushes on the other.
Ten years later, they still traveled in different circles with Kyle being the quiet reserved type and Erik all into the glitz and glamour of fame. While they may have been opposites in some regards, they had a lot more in common than either realized until they started sharing their feelings. The mutual respect and admiration each guy had for the other made you just love them both.
The story is low angst, high heat, and explores the BDSM lifestyle with care and respect. I also love the clear consent that was present at every step of the way. If you want a sweet story with adorable characters and satisfying HEA then you’ll enjoy Unlikely Reunion.
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Almost two decades of boxing couldn’t prepare Clayton for the biggest fight of his life—one that put love on the line.
Boxing had been Clayton James�� life for nearly twenty years, but the threat of a serious injury if he continued to fight forced him into retirement. Refusing to be down for the count, he carried his love of the sport into a new career as the owner of a gym. But low membership and a tightly stretched bank account mean he’s faced with closing his doors—or taking one more match to save his business.
The bullying that Tyler Kirk thought he’d left behind in high school not only managed to carry over into college but also seemed worse. Being older than the average student because of the years he’d taken off to rehabilitate his sister after the accident that robbed them of their parents didn’t lessen the attacks he faced. His chance to find peace was in the meaty hands of the finely chiseled and sexy-as-hell owner of the gym he hoped could give him self-defense training.
Neither man expected the adversarial start of their relationship to melt into something that quenched Clayton’s long-neglected need and one that Tyler wasn’t even aware he had. Nor could they prepare for the intense sexual chemistry that flowed between them to quickly morph their training schedule into a hot and heavy hookup routine.
But the risks of Clayton’s final match are amplified when it’s no longer simply his health and well-being on the line but also the love of a good man and the promise of family.
5 STARS
Unlikely Match starts off a little tamer than the first book of this series. Clayton and Tyler have some issues to overcome before the steam starts. To say these two didn’t get along would be an understatement. Tyler walked into Clayton’s gym with the biggest chip on his shoulder. I have to admit it took me more time to warm up to him than it took Clayton. LOL
This story is an enemies(ish) to lovers tale. Tyler hasn’t had the easiest life being bullied in high school and it carried over to college. He shoulders a lot of responsibility by also being the caretaker for his younger sister. I understood his struggle, but I still had issues with his attitude. Clayton had issues of his own retiring from boxing and trying to keep his gym afloat.
Once Tyler let go of that chip and Clayton got over his reservations due to their age difference, the two found a way to click. Lily has a way of flipping those stereotypical expectations during her character’s exploration of BDSM. By that I mean, she takes the one a person might see as more “alpha�� but gives them the softer, more submissive side while letting the “geeky�� one flex their inner Dom muscles. ��
If you’re a fan of age gap, enemies-to-lovers romances with low angst, and high steam and a precocious little girl that has a knack for stating the obvious then you’ll enjoy Unlikely Match.
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A medical professional by day and writer by night, Lily is a huge believer in love being available for everyone. Her novels always include an over the top happily ever after for her characters.
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$10 Amazon gift card��
Follow the tour for special content and a giveaway!��