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!

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.

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.

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!!!!

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!

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

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

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.”

“But what are we doing, Shane?” she stopped moving and pulled out of his embrace. “What is this?”

Shane’s eyes remained steady as his hand tucked that stupid strand of her hair that just didn’t want to stay put behind her ear.

“What do you want it to be?” he said softly. Dangerously.

“We’re no good together,” she repeated, shaking her head. “At least not as a couple.”

“Agreed.”

Her chin rose up at his quick response. Okay, he didn’t have to be so agreeable on the subject.

“But we’re good in bed and the connection we had,” he leaned closer and damned if those shivers didn’t roll over her skin again. “The connection that we still have is a hell of a lot more than most couples ever find.” His finger traced the tattoo behind her ear. “You’ve been starving for it princess and I’m not ashamed to say after last Friday night, you’re all I can think about.”

Ike’s band finished their song and as the crowd erupted once more into cheers, Bobbi took a moment to collect her thoughts.

“So you want us to have a sexual relationship.”

Shane’s eyebrows shot up. “Don’t you?”

“Yes,” she answered without thinking. “But…” No! No fucking way would she survive a relationship with Shane Gallagher. Any kind of relationship. If the man wanted to walk his dog with her every other night—even that sort of relationship wouldn’t end well for her.

He shook his head and stepped away, a grin on his face and yet, his eyes were much too intense. “There are no buts, Bobbi. I’m laying it on the line. I have no problem letting you use me for sex.”

“What? I’m not,” she sputtered, suddenly angry. “I don’t want to use you for sex.”

Shane’s grin devastated her and his gaze lingered so long on her breasts that her fingers crept upward, covering the hardened peaks as she blew out a long breath.

“Don’t you? Because I sure as hell want you.” His nostrils flared and his eyes narrowed. “I want you every way that I can have you.” He shrugged. “But we keep it physical. We’re good together that way, so why not take advantage of it? You know, while we’re both available?”

God, she wished he would move away from her. She couldn’t think with him this close. “Let me get this straight. You want us to have sex.”
“Yep.”

“Whenever we feel the need to have sex.”

“Sounds good to me.”

“Because we’re good at it.”

He nodded. “Damn good at it.”

“Sex with no strings.”

“No strings, sounds good.” He grinned again and she had to look away. “Stringless sex.”

“And you think we can do this. That our past won’t…that we won’t…end up hurting each other or…”

“I can do it, princess,” Shane said softly, so softly she barely heard him. “If you can, you know where I am.”

Shane dropped one more scorching hot kiss onto her mouth and left her alone in the shadows, staring at the back of his head as he disappeared into the crowded dance floor.

For the longest time Bobbi stared at the remnant of his shadow until he was lost to her. With shaking fingers she ran her hand through her hair and shuddered.

What the hell had just happened?

Wow, this couple has so much going on and were a total blast to write! You can read more about Collide HERE!

Just an update! To celebrate the fact that the NHL finally got it together and we are now enjoying hockey, I’ve got OFFSIDE free at the following vendors!

ITUNES
AMAZON
KOBO
ALL ROMANCE EBOOKS

Book 2, COLLIDE is now up at these major retailers:

ITUNES
AMAZON
KOBO
BARNES & NOBLE

If you haven’t signed up for my newsletter please do so! I’ll be sharing exclusive excerpts from THE SUMMER HE CAME HOME, as well as contest news soon! Get ready for my Bad Boys coming in April, 2013!