Hollie + Layne =One trip. One week. One chance meeting that they'll never forget. Two hearts. Two different places. And One event that could change it all.
This Christmas, take a stroll down Holly Lane where you'll find Hollie Reed's story of memories, friendships, a town full of holiday joy and the power of love.
J.B. Morgan resides in Oregon where she's a wife and a stay-at-home-mother of two. When she's not writing she can be found carting her kids everywhere, volunteering at their school, busy with her church calling, or reading. She loves the NY Yankees, traveling, her family and chocolate.
Two reasons that helped inspire J.B. Morgan to try her hand at writing:
1. When she was younger, she would make up hero-rescuing stories in her head, revolving around boys she had crushes on at school.
2. She missed reading about nice, normal, good men and books with a story line.
J.B. likes to write clean New Adult & Contemporary Romance stories. Her up-coming books are mostly suitable for older teen- YA readers as well as those in the New Adult/Contempt genre. She definitely knows how to write a swoon worthy leading male.
Dalton Black, a Canis lupis full of guilt and anger, never expected to find his true mate. Perhaps
already slipping into madness, he had resigned himself to the fact that he would walk the earth without
the other half of his soul. He was convinced that his sins were enough to keep the Great Luna from
giving him such a blessing. He knew it was probably better that way. His past was as dark as his name
and after three centuries of running from it, the memories were finally catching up to him. But all of
those resignations evaporated when he saw her broken and bloodied body lying on that alter. Though
the man didn’t recognize her, the wolf did. Through battle and bloodshed he was able to save
her from the evil that held her captive, but now he would need her to save him from himself. Jewel Stone was wholly unaware of the ancient bloodlines of Gypsy Healers, mates to Canis
lupis and protectors of the packs – much less that she carried that blood herself. But when a
beautiful but deadly woman showed up in her home and ripped her from her realm, she knew her life
would never be the same. Her mother, Gem, a fortune teller, had warned her that something was
coming, that her life was about to change dramatically, but like everyone else, Jewel had dismissed her
as a crazy person. Jewel was the laughing stock of her school simply because Gem was her mother. And up until
now, her life was one big disappointment after another. Instead of heeding her mother’s
warning, she hid in her books, burying herself behind knowledge, both fact and fiction. She escaped into
worlds created by others and filled her mind with facts of every kind in an effort to push away the
hurtful words that others bombarded her with. Despite all of her knowledge and all of her fantastical
stories, she never dreamed her own future would be full of adventure, danger, passion, and the
possibility of unconditional love. As she lay unconscious after her first bloody encounter in the fae
realm, her only chance of survival lay in the hands of a man scarred by his past, disfigured both
emotionally and physically, and beyond the reach of any who had tried to help him. Can two broken people, who carry the other half of each other’s souls, span the chasm
between them and restore the innocence ripped from both their lives? Will they let the promise of
healing love overcome the difference in age and experience, and the separation of species and realms?
Or will they give in to the fear and doubt that would keep them from one another for eternity?
Jewel could feel him. She didn’t know how she knew it was him, other than the warmth and
wholeness that flooded her from his nearness.
“It seems like forever since I last saw you,” Dalton’s voice penetrated the deep slumber she had fallen into.
“It can’t have been that long,” she told him and was shocked to see that in her mind’s eye he was
there standing before her. “Is this a dream?”
He chuckled and the sound sent ripples of pleasure down every nerve ending in her body. "That
was a new feeling," she thought. It was something she had read about in her many romance novels,
but not anything she had experienced firsthand―until now.
“You know it is not. We are talking through our bond.”
“But how can I see you. It’s as if you are really here before me, like I could just reach out and touch you.”
“Why don’t you?” His sultry voice dropped an octave and Jewel was pretty sure she had just
swooned for the first time.
“How?”
“Our mental bond can be used for much more than just words,” he told her.
Jewel was pretty sure that if she could blush while in a coma, then she had done just that. The
implication of his words was loud and clear.
He took a step closer to her and another until he was standing less than three feet away. He was
huge, at least a foot taller than her five-foot-four inches. She had to tilt her head back to look up at
his ruggedly handsome face. It was the first time she was seeing him, and she couldn’t understand
how one such as him could have picked her. He had dark brown hair that was messy in all the right
ways. His cool, pale blue eyes seemed to see straight into her soul, and she felt more vulnerable than
if she were naked before him. His strong jaw and high cheekbones were too hard to be considered
beautiful; he was masculine in every sense of the word. He seemed so capable as he stood there
with his shoulders back, his muscles bulging in his dark shirt and jeans. He was everything she never
thought she could have, not her, with the strawberry locks that she kept short, just below her ears
framing her face.
She was just plain Jewel, nothing nearly as glamorous as her name, and yet the male before
her claimed to be hers. She was pretty sure that it must all be something she had concocted in her
comatose state. Her reality would never be one so full of excitement and well, truth be told, utter
sexiness.
“You find me to be sexy?” he asked her as his head tilted ever so slightly to the side. His lips
quirked up in a crooked smile, and she was pretty sure that if she never tasted those lips she would
die of disappointment.
“Interesting,” he murmured.
“I thought you were going to try and give me some privacy,” she scolded.
“Yes, well that was before I realized how fascinating your thoughts would be.”
“Are you shameless?”
He laughed. “When it comes to you, apparently yes I am.”
Well, she thought, what was she supposed to say to that?
“I want to touch you,” he told her and again she was taken aback by his forwardness. The need in
his eyes was completely unmasked, and she wondered at his ability to be so open with her. Wasn’t
he afraid of rejection?
“You need me just as much as I need you; why should I be worried you will reject me?” He held his hand out to her and it took all of her limited self-control not to throw herself in his huge arms.
About Quinn Loftis
Quinn lives in beautiful NW Arkansas with her husband, 2 sons, Doberman and cat (who thinks
she is a ninja in disguise). She is beyond thankful that she has been blessed to be able to write full time
and hopes the readers know how much all of their support means to her. Some of her hobbies include
reading, exercising, crochet, and spending time with family and friends. She gives all credit of her
success to God because he gave her the creative spirit and vivid imagination it takes to write.
*please note that if you have not read the prior books in the Grey Wolves series, there might be some spoilers up ahead. The first book, Prince of Wolves, is currently free at most eBook retailers.
I am a big fan of Quinn Loftis' Grey Wolves series. Whenever one of her new books come out, I tend to drop whatever it is that I am currently reading at the moment, and start on her book right away. I have become deeply invested in the world that she's created and her characters have become like a second family to me.
In case you don't know, The Healers series is a spin-off to the Grey Wolves series. It takes place in the same world, however, we get to meet some new faces. We also get more time with Costin and Sally, who are my favorite characters in either series! By the way, I'm claiming Costin as my book boyfriend, just so you all know ;)
When we last left Peri and the gang, one of our new gypsies, Jewel, was not doing so well. Dalton was in a sense of denial and had been dealing with some deep issues. Wolf of Stone takes place soon after, Into the Fae, left off, and it had somewhat of a different vibe than Quinn's other books. Both of the main characters have some difficult issues that they are struggling with, and have experienced so much pain in their lives. Even though this book is not told in first person point of view, I really felt what Dalton was thinking and what he went through. My heart really went out to him because I felt his struggle.
As I mentioned, we get to meet some new characters in Wolf of Stone. I'm looking forward to getting to know them a little more! I love that each of Quinn's characters are so different, and often provide comic relief.
I was kind of bummed when it was over because 1) I was super invested in the story, and 2) there were three things I was dying to know. I have faith that Ms. Loftis will address these in her next Gypsy Healers book. I know I cannot wait to read it!
Title: Simply Irresistible
Series: Lucky Harbor, #1
Author: Jill Shalvis
Date Published: October 1, 2010
Publisher: Forever
Maddie Moore's whole life needs a makeover. In one fell swoop, Maddie loses her boyfriend (her decision) and her job (so not her decision). But rather than drowning her sorrows in bags of potato chips, Maddie leaves L.A. to claim the inheritance left by her free-spirited mother-a ramshackle inn nestled in the little coastal town of Lucky Harbor, Washington.
Starting over won't be easy. Yet Maddie sees the potential for a new home and a new career-if only she can convince her two half-sisters to join her in the adventure. But convincing Tara and Chloe will be difficult because the inn needs a big makeover too.
The contractor Maddie hires is a tall, dark-haired hottie whose eyes-and mouth-are making it hard for her to remember that she's sworn off men. Even harder will be Maddie's struggles to overcome the past, though she's about to discover that there's no better place to call home than Lucky Harbor.
I haven't read many Adult Contemporaries these days, but I couldn't help but notice that several of the people that I follow on Twitter or Goodreads have or are reading a book by Jill Shalvis. My curiosity got the best of me, so I picked up Simply Irresistible when I was at the library the other day. I have to say, I really enjoyed it!
This was definitely a quick, fun read. Recently, I went back to school (online), and it has been taking most of my time. However, during my evenings, I have been reading Simply Irresistible, and it has really helped me to unwind from taxing days, and put me back in my happy place. I really liked the characters- Maddie, Jax, Chloe, and even Tara! They really had me chuckling and shaking my head at times. Sometimes I got a little frustrated with Maddie, but I really think she redeemed herself in the end. Jax was wonderful, and too good to be true at times. He was just what Maddie needed though!
I am really looking forward to the next book in the Lucky Harbor series, The Sweetest Thing. I've already put a hold on it at the library!
Hi! My name is Anna. I was born and raised in California, but moved to the Southwest in June of 2013. I have a wonderful husband and three fun, adventurous kids. I almost always have a book or an e-reader in my hands, and I am constantly adding to my to-read list. I enjoy all kinds of genres, such as young adult, paranormal romance, fantasy, historical fiction/romance, and chick lit.
