To celebrate the release of the third Barker Triplet book, CONCEAL, I’ve got OFFSIDE for free for a limited time only. If you haven’t yet tried this contemporary romance series, now’s your chance! (read an exclusive excerpt by clicking the title)

When hockey phenom Billie-Jo Barker returns home and decides to play in the local Friday night hockey league, all hell breaks loose. Not because Billie’s talent is in question, but because Billie is a woman. And though these are modern times, some of the local guys still have a problem letting a girl into their ‘men’s club.’

Soon, Billie is at the center of a small town battle of the sexes, with everyone choosing sides. Her sisters. The townsfolk. Her friends. And yet, the only person whose opinion she cares about doesn’t seem to care much at all. Logan Forest, the man who broke her heart when she was eighteen and the man she now shares the bench with every Friday night.

She’s got a lot to prove and though Billie Jo Barker scores on the ice, will this girl ever score with the man of her dreams?

You can find OFFSIDE FREE at the following places:

AMAZON US
KOBO
ITUNES

Please note BARNES & NOBLE has it listed for 99 cents. (I’m unable to price it for free there, sorry!)

Hey guys! CONCEAL will be up for sale before you know it and in celebration, COLLIDE is now reduced to 99 cents for a limited time only! If you haven’t yet read Bobbi and Shane’s book, now’s your chance to scoop it up for less than a buck!

A second chance never looked so good…

Bobbi-Jo Barker has been in love with the wrong man for years. A man who doesn’t fit into the perfect, controlled life she’s created.A man who,once, not only broke her heart but nearly destroyed her. So the fact that he’s back in town shouldn’t matter because he’s all wrong for her, or so she thinks…

Shane Gallagher, prodigal son and all around hellion, has returned to the small town of New Waterford not only to mend fences, but to get his life back together. What he doesn’t count on are the feelings he still has for the one woman who can break him—the one who still holds his heart—the one woman who is totally wrong for him.

And yet, as Bobbi and Shane are thrown together and begin to navigate a life with each other in it, neither can deny the attraction they feel, or the emotions that come with it—the good and the bad. And so the question becomes… can these two damaged souls survive a second chance at love?

Read on for a steamy excerpt:

He could smell her, and that male part of him, that caveman fucking Tarzan part of him erupted, and it took everything he had not to grab her hips and pull her down. He wanted to lick her into a frenzy. Watch her come. Watch her writhe beneath him and take him deep. He wanted all of that.

And yet, he wanted more.

“I thought,” he began hoarsely but then her fingers were on his mouth and he was silenced.

I thought we weren’t gonna do this.

“Don’t think, Shane.” Bobbi slid into the tub beside him. She grabbed the beer out of his hand and took a long, slow, drink.

He watched her throat move—slowly, seductively—as she drank. And of course his thoughts went south. They went way south and it sure as hell wasn’t a bottle he envisioned those luscious lips wrapped around.

She set the bottle on the ledge and moved closer, the steam from the hot tub forming a cloud of mist around them but Shane inched away, suddenly unsure and even though his dick was as hard as a rock, he needed to—

Bobbi frowned. “You’re thinking.”

“No shit,” he muttered, putting another few inches between them.

“I told you I didn’t want you to think.”

You can get COLLIDE for 99 cents at the following vendors:

AMAZON US
AMAZON UK
ITUNES
KOBO
BARNES & NOBLE

WINNERS OF THE SIGNED ARCS ARE:

KELLY MUELLER,

Please email your snail mail to me and I’ll get the ARC’s out to you this week!

Thanks to everyone for the awesome comments. They were wonderful to read!!!!

Jules

Happy Hump Day!

Today I came home to a lovely package waiting for me on the porch and because I love you all, I’m going to host a contest for your chance to win a signed ADVANCED READER COPY of book 2 in The Bad Boys of Crystal Lake, THE CHRISTMAS HE LOVED HER.

All he wants this Christmas is her.

In the small town of Crystal Lake, Christmas is a time for sledding, hot chocolate, and cozying up to the fire with those you love. For Jake Edwards, it’s also time to come home and face his past. He thought there would never be anything harder than losing his brother. Turns out there is: falling in love with his brother’s widow, Raine.

Ever since they were little, Jesse was the Edwards brother who was always there for her, and Jake was the one who knew just how to push her buttons. Raine can’t imagine a life without them, which is why it was doubly decimating when Jake left town after his brother’s sudden death. Now he’s back and she doesn’t know whether to be mad or thrilled. Maybe both. Maybe it will be the perfect chance for both of them to finally find happiness again.

If you’d like to read a hot steamy excerpt click HERE now! (and you’re welcome!)

So, contest deets! I’ll make them easy, with a few ways to double your chances of winning!

1. If you haven’t signed up for my newsletter, please do so now. I’ll be sending out deets there as well and you’ll double your chances of winning! You can do so, by clicking on the CONTACT tab above!

2. Leave a comment here at the blog. Tell me either: Your Favorite Christmas memory OR Your favorite Christmas prezzie from your better half!

That’s it! Easy Peasy!

I have 2 copies available to mail out and will keep this contest open until this Sunday, Mother’s Day! Sound good? WOOT! So excited for you all to read Jake’s book!

Happy Monday all! I’m fast at work on two projects and one of them is CONCEAL. BOOK 3 in my Barker Triplets series. I’ve looked forward to writing Betty’s book, minutes after I finished Bobbi’s! It’s cool that I’ll be able to share it with you soon. I’d had a lot of email from readers, eager to get their hands on Betty’s story. Most of them don’t like her much and I think they’re curious about why she’s such a hard lady to like.

Anyhoo, I thought I’d share a little sneak peek and to let you know that the cover copy is finally up on the website. You can read that and the first chapter by clicking HERE.

Before I give you a little bit of what I”m working on, I thought I’d share my inspiration for the yummy, heartbreaker, Beau Simon.

What think you?

NOW? A little taste of CONCEAL

Beau Simon had managed to do what no one else had ever done—not even the ghosts from her past had made her feel like less than nothing.

But he couldn’t know.

No.

He could never know what he’d cost her. That was something she would keep buried as long as she had to. Because when men knew such things it gave them power. And Betty had learned long ago never to give a man power over her. No matter what.

It’s what she did.

It’s how she survived the mess that was her life.

Hey Guys! Hope you’re all well! I thought I would share a small snippet of what I’m working on these days. I sold a YA back in the fall and it’s time to hand it in to my editor. I’m in the homestretch and well, this has been an emotional and hard book to write fora lot of reasons. But man, when you get to the finish line it’s so worth it!

Back to Good is about two teenagers who’ve had some pretty heavy stuff happen to both of them. Monroe, my heroine is spending the summer with her grandmother in Louisiana. She meets a guy and the two of them end up helping each other deal with their the stuff going on in their lives.

These are my inspirations for the main characters!

Nathan Everets:

Monroe Blackwell:

And here’s a little peek into the two of them,

“It doesn’t matter what I say or think, Monroe. The truth is, Trevor is laid up in a hospital because of me. He might never wake up because of me. It sucks and I can’t change a fucking thing and it’s not fair. It’s not fair because I’m sitting in a car on a hot summer night with a beautiful girl. I’m feeling things I shouldn’t be feeling because I don’t deserve them.”

He swore again. “And I feel guilty because I’m glad I’m here with you. I feel…”

He looked at me and my heart melted a little more when I saw moisture in the corners of his eyes. I undid my seatbelt and moved closer, my eyes not leaving his. My heart felt like it was gonna beat right out of my chest, it roared in my ears, heavy and strong and…

Alive.

I reached for him, my palm on his cheek and my heart turned over when he leaned into me. He closed his eyes and I gently wiped away the single tear that fell.

“What are you feeling?” I asked so softly I barely heard myself and at first I thought that maybe they had only echoed inside my head.

His hands moved into my hair and I couldn’t move if I wanted to. When my eyes focused, I gazed into his. I saw the pain that lay there. The anguish and the sorrow. But I saw something else.

“Do you have to ask?” he said hoarsely.

Hey everyone! Today, book 1 in my Bad Boys of Crystal Lake series, releases! THE SUMMER HE CAME HOME is now available everywhere!!!!

Click on the book title to read an exclusive excerpt, and if you haven’t already, please sign up for my newsletter by clicking on the contact page above, and you’ll be able to read an excerpt I’m only sending to my subscribers!

I’ll be all over the place this month and here is a list of the places and dates for my blog tour!

April 3 Under The Covers Book Blog
April 4 Casablanca Blog
April 5 Night Owl Reviews
April 8 Booklovin Mamas
April 10 Book Chick City
April 11 Manga Maniac Cafe
April 15 Coffee Time Romance & More
April 17 Sia McKye’s Thoughts Over Coffee
April 18 Fresh Fiction
April 20 Romance at Random
April 23 Cocktails and Books
April 24 Reading Between the Wines
April 26 My Book Addiction and More
April 29 Book Girl of Mur-y-Castell
April 30 The Reading Cafe

Read on for a sneak peek at THE SUMMER HE CAME HOME…

“Mom is he here yet?” Michael’s excited whisper penetrated Maggie’s early morning fog. It was Wednesday morning, just after five A.M. and she stifled a yawn as she took a sip from her second cup of coffee.
“He said five-fifteen sweetie. I’m sure he’ll be here soon.”
She glanced out the window into the dark. Whispers of fog crept along the road, ribbons of smoke that shimmered from the streetlight down the way. Cain was taking Michael fishing as promised and apparently, the best time happened to be at this god forsaken hour.
She’d been surprised when Cain had called Tuesday evening to remind her he’d be by at the crack of dawn to take Michael out on the lake. It was another shot for her son to try the whole fishing thing since Sunday afternoon had been a bust—they’d caught nothing. Obviously the man had meant what he’d said. Maggie had secretly hoped he was just being polite.
She’d wanted to say no, but couldn’t come up with a reason good enough to do so. She wasn’t about to ruin what would be a memorable day for her son because Cain Black made her uncomfortable. That was her problem to deal with.
Besides, he’d be leaving Crystal Lake soon enough, and with his departure the enigmatic complication that was Cain Black would be gone.
Twin beams of light cut through the dark and Michael jumped up and down. “He’s here!”
Her son clutched his pole and Maggie tugged the edges of her robe together, suddenly conscious of the fact she was still in her jammies. The plain cotton robe fell to just above her knee, and lord knows it covered more than her bikini did, but still.
Her hair was piled loosely, on top of her head. She tucked an errant strand behind her ear and shuffled nervously, her bare feet cold on the worn hardwood.
A soft knock at the door startled her, which was ridiculous considering she knew he was out there. With a dry mouth she carefully unlocked three heavy duty deadbolts and was able to jump out of the way before Michael yanked it open.
Cain’s eyes found hers immediately and that familiar feeling—the one she’d grown to resent—hit her in the belly. It twisted and electrified her insides in such a way that it was hard to breathe. Heat crept along her skin, cajoling goosebumps from her flesh as the early morning air slithered across her bare legs.
“Morning, Maggie.” His voice was low, warm, and her name rolled off his lips in an easy drawl.
He was dressed in an old pair of jeans and a white t-shirt with The Stones logo emblazoned onto the front. It was as faded and worn as his jeans, which fit every inch of his long legs like a glove.
His jaw was shadowed with day old scruff and he smiled, a lazy lift to his mouth, as he ran his fingers through the mess of hair atop his head. The edges of his shirt lifted exposing a large expanse of his toned, lower belly and of course her eyes went there. To that delicious, male ‘cut’ that only served to emphasize his hips and abs.
Did he practice that maneuver? Was there anywhere else to look?
She dragged her eyes away and cleared her throat. His warm brown eyes were hooded and he looked like he’d rolled out of bed minutes earlier. His smile widened even more and her lips tightened in reaction. Cain Black was working it…

You can find The Summer He Came Home at the following places!

AMAZON US
AMAZON UK
AMAZON CANADA
ITUNES
BARNES & NOBLE
THE BOOK DEPOSITORY
CHAPTERS/INDIGO
BOOKS A MILLION
WALMART

Remember to stop by and see what’s happening as all sorts of stuff will hit this month!!!!

I’m so excited that The Summer He Came Home is nearly ready to be sold in bookstores everywhere! I loved this book. I loved everything about it and I’m feeling a little giddy at the thought that you all will be able to read Cain and Maggie’s love story! I thought I would treat you all to a brand new, never seen before excerpt, to help whet your appetite for book 1 in my Bad Boys of Crystal Lake series!

Sometimes the best place to find love is right back where you started…

Falling asleep in a different bed every night has made it easy for Cain Black to forget his past. It’s been ten years since he packed his guitar and left Crystal Lake to chase his dreams. Now tragedy has forced him home again. And though Cain relishes the freedom of the road, one stolen moment with Maggie O’Rourke makes him wonder if he’s missing out on something bigger than fame.

For Maggie—single mother and newly settled in Crystal Lake—love is a luxury she just can’t afford. Sure, she appreciates the tall, dark and handsome looks of prodigal son Cain Black. But how long can she expect the notorious hellion to stay?

The last thing either of them wants is something complicated. But sometimes love has its own plans…

EXCERPT:

“I hope you didn’t go to any trouble.”

She shook her head, “no, not at all,” and glanced away. “I didn’t really have time to do much.” She shrugged. “Don’t worry about it.”

He was there, inches from her, his crisp, male scent teasing her nostrils as he took another step closer. He hesitated but she kept her gaze lowered and moved aside. “I’m tired myself, so…”

“We’ll do this again, okay?” His voice was gentle, cajoling, and for some reason that pissed her off.

She remained silent, but nodded.

An awkward moment passed and then Cain walked through the door and was down her front steps faster than a wino grabbing for liquor money.

He ran to his SUV and yanked the door open, grabbing for his cell again as he did so. He looked up, as if it were an afterthought, and crooked his head. “I’ll be in touch.” His phone was buzzing in loud rapid bursts and he hopped into the truck before she even had time to answer.

Maggie closed the door, not sure what the hell had just happened. A shiver rolled over her arms and she wrapped them around her midsection, squeezing what bit of warmth she could before heading to the kitchen. She was suddenly cold, which was odd considering the temp was still in the high seventies.

The slow tick tock of the clock cut grated on her nerves, she glanced up at it and frowned. It was so…ominous. A sliver of sadness rippled through her and she angrily shoved it aside. What was the point? And why did she care so much?

She sighed and crossed to the small table that had been set for three and stared down at the place settings. What an idiot. She’d even folded purple coloured napkins into hats.

On the counter beside the dessert that had long cooled stood a bottle of white wine—an impulse purchase. She considered pouring herself a glass, but carefully corked it instead and then cleared the dishes before tossing her now limp salad into the trash.

Her appetite was long gone.

She turned out the light and stood in the early evening shadows, lost in the silence that was her life.

*****

Poor Maggie! I hope you enjoyed this small little snippet! To read a ‘hotter’ excerpt please click HERE!

ALSO, if you read my previous blog post I’ve got a chance for you to win book 2 in this series, THE CHRISTMAS HE LOVED HER, coming in October 2013!

Hey all! Exciting news to share! In less than two weeks THE SUMMER HE CAME HOME will be ready to buy/download for your reading pleasure! And to celebrate I’m going to run a pre-order contest for a chance to win book 2 in this series, THE CHRISTMAS HE LOVED HER, (I’ll send the winner a signed copy of the paperback as well as a digital copy in whatever format they desire!)

I’m so excited about this series, and this first book, THE SUMMER HE CAME HOME! BOOKLIST says: “The start to Stone’s new series is realistic and edgy, with a largeworld perspective as well as warm characters and an appealing small-town feeling. And bad-boy Cain will appeal to new and veteran romance readers, including those who enjoy novels by Cathie Linz and Susan Elizabeth Phillips.”

PUBLISHER’S WEEKLY named, THE SUMMER HE CAME HOME as one of their top ten picks of Spring 2013 and gives it a STARRED review saying, “In this captivating and hopeful yarn, readers will eagerly turn the pages of this well-wrought and satisfying romance.”

(click on the titles to read exclusive excerpts!)

Sometimes the best place to find love is right back where you started…

Falling asleep in a different bed every night has made it easy for Cain Black to forget his past. It’s been ten years since he packed his guitar and left Crystal Lake to chase his dreams. Now tragedy has forced him home again. And though Cain relishes the freedom of the road, one stolen moment with Maggie O’Rourke makes him wonder if he’s missing out on something bigger than fame.

For Maggie—single mother and newly settled in Crystal Lake—love is a luxury she just can’t afford. Sure, she appreciates the tall, dark and handsome looks of prodigal son Cain Black. But how long can she expect the notorious hellion to stay?

The last thing either of them wants is something complicated. But sometimes love has its own plans…

Here’s a peek at the cover for Bad Boys #2, THE CHRISTMAS HE LOVED HER (coming October 1, 2013)

So, all you have to do is send me proof of your pre-order from any vendor and/or sign up for my newsletter and I will award FIVE winners, free copies of Book 2!!! (You’ll have that much more of a chance to win!)

You may email your proof to: juliana@julianastone.com and I’ll announced the winners on release day, Tuesday April 2nd!!!!!

AMAZON US
AMAZON UK
AMAZON CAD
ITUNES
BARNES & NOBLE
INDIGO/CHAPTERS
BAM
INDIE BOUND
THE BOOK DEPOSITORY
WALMART

I want to share something cool with you all! I’m releasing a new book tomorrow (maybe as early as later tonight depending) under the pen name, Julie Bale. Why the pen you might ask? Well, a couple reasons. One, the book is a new sub genre of romance known as NEW ADULT and since I already write paranormal romance, contemporary romance, and young adult romance I thought it might muddy the waters a bit.

Secondly, when I started writing this book it was more of an experiment to see if I liked writing this genre and I wasn’t sure if it was something I’d continue.What did I find out? I LOVE WRITING THIS GENRE and will definitely continue! Here’s a sneak peek…

THE STILLNESS OF YOU:

“Ben Lancaster had just tattooed himself onto my soul and the thing about tattoos? They’re painful to remove.”–Georgia King.

Georgia King is trying to survive after spiraling into a darkness that nearly took her life. In therapy with her college dreams on hold,she’s trying to get healthy. Trying to still the craziness inside her. She has no room for someone like Ben Lancaster,and if he was smart he’d stay away. Because everyone knows Georgia is bad news–she ruins people–and if Ben isn’t careful, he’ll be next in line.

Ben Lancaster is a young, hot shot hockey player on his way to the top. Newly signed to the Philadelphia Flyers, he’s living the dream. The girls. The money. The fame. He thought he had everything he wanted until he met Georgia. Suddenly he wants more–he wants her. He’ll do whatever it takes to get her and Ben Lancaster always gets what he wants.

But the girl who’s different from anyone he’s ever known is hiding secrets. And as the dog days of summer pass, only time will tell if Georgia’s secrets can be healed. Or if her bruised soul is strong enough to resist Ben Lancaster…

Excerpt:

The grass was soft beneath my bare toes and the colors I’d seen from inside popped. Grass. Flowers. Earth.

Raising my head to the gray sky with my eyes closed, I stood there, letting the gentle wash roll over me and slide down my body. I still felt heavy but the rain was somehow light. It was warm and the sound of it in my ear was calming.

Several long moments passed and with each of them I felt the tension lessen. The heaviness evaporated like raindrops on heated blacktop.

I glanced toward the trees. I saw their branches bend toward me, beckoning me, and slowly walked toward them until I disappeared inside their embrace. The rain still fell, cleansing the earth, maybe cleansing my soul and by the time I cleared the forest my body was humming something fierce.

I was in hyper mode and I swear I could hear the grass growing, the ants beneath their shadow, scurrying through the puddles…the blood rushing through my veins, the frantic beat of my heart.
I rubbed moisture from my eyes—was it tears or rain? And it was then that I saw him.

Ben stared at me from across the yard. He was shirtless, hands shoved into the front of his jeans and rain soaked hair a mad mess that clung to his face and neck. He was far enough away that I couldn’t see his features clearly, but I felt him.

I felt him as if he was pressed against me. As if he was inside me.

Time did that funny stop-watch thing. It slowed down and froze.

The grass stopped growing. The ants stopped moving. I think my heart even stopped beating.

But the rain still fell. It slid over my hot skin like a frantic caress and I groaned, so incredibly confused and turned on. I was chasing that shooting star that held him so far above me and right now, in this moment, I would do anything to catch it.

I held my breath because something was about to change.

Ben ran a hand through his hair, pushed it off his face.

A heartbeat passed—then he stepped off the deck.

And everything changed.

This book had to be written. I couldn’t think of anything else until I had it finished and I’m so glad that I can share it with everyone soon! To find out more details on availability, contests (there is a book blog blitz on today, deets on facebook and you can win a copy!) and excerpts you can find my alter ego at the following places:

JulieBale.com
Twitter
Goodreads
Facebook

Hey Guys, I just wanted you all to know it’s the last 3 days to grab OFFSIDE for free (other than Barnes & Noble where it’s 99 cents!) before it goes back to its regular price!

AMAZON
AMAZON UK
ITUNES
KOBO
BARNES & NOBLE

To celebrate, I thought I would share a new snippet from OFFSIDE!

Logan finished his beer, pushed the empty bottle toward Duke, and reached into the front pocket of his jeans for his keys

The owner of The Grill looked grumpy as hell and his attitude was even worse. Rumor had it, he and his wife were on the outs and that talk was from a few days ago. Duke grabbed the empty bottle and glared at him. “You want another?”

It was obvious he and the wife were still out of sorts.

“I don’t have all night, Forest.”

Logan shook his head and rolled his shoulders. It had been a long day—truthfully, a long week—and he was ready to call it a night. His teammates were downing jugs of beer but he wasn’t in the mood to celebrate. Not really.

His break-up with Sabrina hadn’t gone well and it had bugged him all week.
He ran fingers along his jaw, keys jangling in his free hand. That was an understatement. The woman had gone into full blown cry mode and he felt like an absolute shit. She’d used the L word and even now it made him wince. But what the hell? He’d never promised her love. He’d never promised her anything except a good time. No fault. No foul.

But still…

He shook his head. “Nah, I should head home.”

And he would have too, except Shane Gallagher strode into The Grill with none other than Billie-Jo Barker on his heels. They had his instant attention, but then again, they had the attention of the entire bar. Gallagher the ex-con and Billie the upstart woman who was on the tongue of every gossip king and queen in New Waterford.

Shane put his hand to her back and prodded her forward toward the bar. Toward Logan and Duke. Toward the entire team of Angry Pirates. Toward Dearling who looked like an ass-hat with chicken-wing sauce all over his face and his mouth open so wide he’d catch flies for sure. Jason Danvers however, grinned slowly and leaned back in his chair.

Logan didn’t much care for the calculated, predatorily look on Danver’s face. He didn’t much care for Shane’s hand on Billie’s back either, which was something he didn’t want to think about.

“Are you staying or leaving?” Duke asked one more time.

“I’ll take another,” he answered without thinking.

“Huh.”