Always Reading: 2025

Wednesday, December 31, 2025

Release Blitz: Artemis by D. Williams

Title: Artemis

Series: MorningStar MC, New Orleans Chapter Book Eight

Author: D. Williams

Genre: MC Romance

Release Date: December 31, 2025

Prodigy and Legacy are two massive words to live up to. Growing up in the club was never as simple for me as it was for the other kids. They all knew that they’d one day have a role to play. They would always belong.

I was special.

The surprise child my parents never thought they could have—my father’s little miracle. I inherited my parents’ gifts and then some. I can hit a perfect C7 note and a target from over three hundred meters with an arrow.

With a rifle? I’m even deadlier.

For all the talent and achievements in my short life, the only thing I haven’t been able to target is love. It keeps slipping through my fingers, which is ironic when the only man I want has never fumbled a football in his life.

When we both end up on the Summer Olympic circuit, where our opponents are being picked off, our paths cross by necessity. But the feelings we’ve both been hiding seem to take center stage as we work to keep our teams breathing.

I'm a retired 45-year-old Puerto Rican wife and mother of 3 plus 1 bonus daughter. Originally from NYC, now living a quiet life in the south suburbs of Chicago. I enjoy reading and writing romance and erotic fiction. I'm addicted to coffee, sci-fi, and all things Marvel and Harry Potter.

I was a teen mom with a whole world of statistics against me. Every time I was told I couldn't do something, I did it, took pictures, and smiled with my son on my hip for everyone who ever doubted me.

Now, after finding the love of my life in my thirties, we married in the great 2020 pandemic, which shall not be named. We have a house full of teenagers who don't need mommy anymore, and the hubs is a traveling ER nurse, SO I have found myself with a lot of downtime.

After years of having this story taking space in my head, I decided to share it with the world. Gotta say, this writing gig is HARD. But with some time and grace, I'll get it right.

HOSTED BY:

My Favorite Series in 2025

Favorite Series of the year are:

(These are not in any particular order)

1. Bering Sea Crabbers series by Jessica Buss

2. Moose Village series by Kelly Elliott

3. Cold Justice- The Negotiators series by Toni Anderson

4. Of Mine series by Alexis Grace

5. Blushing series by Laura Pavlov

Happy Reading!!
Melissa

Previous posts:
2024

Important Announcement

Happy New Year!!

In the New Year, I plan to slow down. My planner for 2026, where I keep my promos, is smaller than this year's. What does that mean?

1. The number of promos per day will be cut down. Probably 10-14 a day instead of 20+. You can still email me and ask if I will promote your book. Even if I do not sign up for the promo, I will still include them in my New Release weekly post.

2. The number of ARCs I read will be cut dramatically. I want to work on getting my TBR pile down some. lol. Not sure if that can happen, since there are so many good books out there. I love reading Romance books, but I want to get back to reading Mystery/Thriller books.

3. Every Kindle Unlimited/Kobo Plus book I read, I plan to read one book I already own.

Happy Reading!
Melissa

Monday, December 29, 2025

Teaser and Giveaway: The Legacy of a Lie by Ron Elcombe

Contemporary Fiction

Date Published: January 15, 2026

Publisher: Windy Ridge Publishing

The Legacy of a Lie unravels a web of family secrets when the past resurfaces, threatening everything its keepers tried to protect. At its center is Maarit McDonough Malone, a brilliant yet flawed budding opera singer whose scandalous choices ripple across generations.

Her daughters—Kay, a celebrated mezzo-soprano, and Anna, a self-doubting composer—must confront the emotional fallout of their mother’s long-buried lies. Alongside them are a young, truth-seeking journalist, a lawyer, and a priest, all carrying the weight of secrets they are professionally and morally bound to keep.

Set in the haunting beauty of Minnesota’s river bluffs and Lake Superior’s North Shore, this is a story of legacy and redemption—of truth breaking through the cracks of deception and healing in the wake of generations of silence.

Excerpt

She turned the radio off as she pulled into the drive-through at the Coffee Stop. The attendant, too perky for the morning hour, wished her a great day and passed a medium coffee with cream but no sugar through the window. Only two meetings were scheduled for the day: the first with her boss at 11:00 a.m. and a division meeting at 1:00. With any luck, she’d escape the office early.

Instead of turning north to I–94 and Saint Paul, the car pulled out of the Coffee-Stop driveway onto the main street and turned south toward Red Wing. Maarit was surprised at the easy merge into the lighter-than-usual highway traffic.

“Why is the sun in my eyes today?” Maarit muttered. “It wasn’t yesterday.” Within a few minutes, where she expected stop lights, stop signs were spaced apart at irregular intervals. Long stretches of unfamiliar road stretched to the horizon. She looked at her watch and frowned. She should have been at work twenty minutes ago. The highway transitioned into a street with no curb or shoulder, then evolved into a narrow gravel road. She tried to turn around, but the car slid off the narrow shoulder into a ditch.

Confusion became fear. The front bumper hit an orange snow fence. The car shuddered. Forward motion ceased. Engine warning lights glowed red throughout the vehicle. Fear became panic. She tried to yell for help, but only a faint whisper escaped her lips. Her head throbbed. Everything blurred. Then, everything went dark as she lost consciousness.

About the Author

Ron Elcombe is a professor emeritus at Winona State University (MN), where he taught various advertising and mass communication courses for 25 years. His eclectic career encompasses teaching instrumental music, as well as sales and marketing roles for multiple companies. He has been published in the Lake Country Journal and several professional academic journals and has attended seminars on fiction writing at the Iowa Summer Writers Festival. "The Legacy of a Lie" is the first book in a three-novel series. He resides in Rochester, Minnesota, with his wife, Sharon, and enjoys summers on the golf course and at the family cabin in northern Minnesota.

Contact Links

Purchase Link

Saturday, December 27, 2025

Book Review: Pine for Me by Swati M.H.

I have chosen Pine for Me by Swati M.H to review.

I received an ARC copy of the e-book for an honest review of this book.

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Here is a brief description from Goodreads:

He’s my Hollywood heartthrob ex-husband.
My hot new neighbor.
And, thanks to one reckless night, my soon-to-be baby daddy.

Patton Pierce has a knack for showing up when I least expect him—my street, my salon, my martial arts studio. Even my dreams.

Sure, I’ve pined for him over the past seven years, but if he thinks his low-slung gray sweatpants, backward cap, and infuriating grin will make me forget our past, then he’s in for a rude awakening.

But then my sister’s bachelorette party happens, and I have one too many drinks. One ridiculous dare later, and I find myself “kissing the boy I used to love”.

One kiss leads to one incredible night.
And one night leads to two very pink lines.

Patton says he wants me back, that nothing would make him happier than to have this baby with me. But I’ve heard those words before.
He chose Hollywood over me before, and he’ll choose it over me again.

Still, with him taking care of my every craving—both in and out of the bedroom—it’s getting harder not to fall for him.
The question will he be there to catch me this time?

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This is my favorite book out of all three of them. The way that Patton does not give up on what he wants is so many emotions!!

CAWFILE: 10.0

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I give this book 5 out of 5 stars.

Recommend this book? Yes! Author? Yes!

Book Review: Pitch for Me by Swati M.H.

I have chosen Pitch for Me by Swati M.H to review.

I received an ARC copy of the e-book for an honest review of this book.

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Here is a brief description from Goodreads:

I had a one-night stand with a gorgeous stranger, believing I’d never see him again. Except who did he turn out to be? Troy Winters, starting pitcher for the MLB and the hottest single dad to grace the planet.

What’s worse, he’s now my son’s new baseball coach.

In my defense, Troy and I had agreed to exchange fake names and occupations that fateful night in a seedy Colorado bar. One perfect night of no strings and a quick escape from my busy single mom life. . . Right?

Fast forward to a re-meet-cute that had me diving under a chair, an injury that sidelined him for a year, and now Troy is coaching my son’s team while he recovers.

His smoldering golden-hued gaze makes one thing clear: he’s not letting me disappear again.

But after a highly publicized divorce from a narcissistic pro-golfer, I’m done with the spotlight and athletes. No matter how cute their rear end looks in a uniform.

Yet Troy is relentless. Between his bond with my boy, his tenderness for his daughter, and our scorching chemistry, my walls are crumbling.

So I offer a compromise: a friends-with-benefits situation while he recovers. Once he returns to the MLB, we’ll go back to being just friends.

Simple enough, right?

Except, the more time I spend wrapped in his arms, the less simple everything becomes.

Now, with the MLB calling him back, I have a choice to make: stick to our deal and protect my heart or risk everything for the spotlight I’d vowed to avoid.

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Sweet adorable book! Absolutely loved this book. Love the cats! They are lol!!

CAWFILE: 9.57

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I give this book 5 out of 5 stars.

Recommend this book? Yes! Author? Yes!

Book Review: Pretend for Me by Swati M.H.

I have chosen Pretend for Me by Swati M.H to review.

I received an ARC copy of the e-book for an honest review of this book.

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Here is a brief description from Goodreads:

I botched a broody billionaire’s haircut, and what did he ask from me in repayment?
That I become his fake fiancée!

In my defense, my new migraine meds had packed quite the drowsy punch that morning. One minute I was trimming his GQ-worthy locks, and the next, I'd given him a side shave that would make a Marine jealous.

Fast forward through a ticked-off Dev Menon storming out of my salon, threatening legal action, and I’m thinking the day couldn’t get worse.

Except, it does . . .

Dev returns hours later with a wild proposition: “Marry me. Temporarily.”

Turns out his mother’s dying wish is to see him get hitched, and I’m the lucky girl who owes him a debt. The catch? I also have to move in with him to really sell the ruse.

Soon enough, I’m realizing my career isn’t the only thing on the line with my hot-as-Hades fiancé. My heart is, too.

So, I counter with a wilder proposition: a purely physical relationship with three simple rules. No kissing, no sleepovers, and definitely no falling in love.

Except, the more time I spend with him, the harder it becomes to stick to my rules. Dev’s charm, his skilled hands, and his enormous . . . heart are testing my resolve. Even my traitorous cat is smitten.

Did I get more than I bargained for, or am I about to lose this very hairy game of pretend?

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This is the first book in the Haircuts and Heartthrobs series. Oh boy!! Towards the end, emotional

I can’t wait to read the next book in this series.

CAWFILE: 9.71

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I give this book 5 out of 5 stars.

Recommend this book? Yes! Author? Yes!

Teaser and Giveaway: Jo McCauley Prouty

A Chronicle of a Remarkable Retriever

Memoir/Love, Black Lab, Dog

Date Published: 02-14-2023

The decision to get a dog becomes a journey from high expectations through the reality of care giving and the fun of companionship to enduring love and finally loss. Dog lovers will see themselves and remember their beloved canine friends. They will wish they had known Tasha as they read about this quirky dog and her love of family and fun. Readers can applaud the transforming power of love.

Excerpt

Typically, I put mulch down in the spring, but I also use mulch to prepare for winter. However, not all mulch is equal when it comes to dogs.

I am the queen of mulch. I used it abundantly to discourage weeds and hold moisture in the soil, and to protect roots during winter. I had a preference for cocoa bean mulch, which had a delectable aroma. A neighbor at our previous home came out one day while I was spreading it and said, “Oh, I thought you were baking brownies.” That’s how good it smells!

I had been thoughtless. The cocoa bean is just as toxic for dogs as chocolate. Mulch covered the flower beds in the backyard where Tasha played. “Tasha,” I lectured, “you are not to touch this mulch under any circumstance. Never, never, never touch the mulch.”

You’re overreacting, Mom.

I’m not sure how she interpreted “mulch,” but not only did she never touch the mulch, she never put a paw in any flower bed or touch even a petunia or marigold. She kept me company when I worked in the yard, and much later, I found it difficult to garden without my furry assistant.

About the Author

Jo McCauley Prouty spent her formative years in West Virginia and Virginia, where she attended the College of William and Mary. She is a former educator and now applies her nurturing skills to flower gardening and entertaining her grandchildren. She resides in Minnesota with her orange tabby, Cooper. Her work has appeared in "The Journal of The Braxton Historical Society" and the "Journal of Opinions, Ideas and Essays."

Contact Links

Website

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Purchase Links

https://mybook.to/TheLoveofaDog

Amazon

Author Site