Thursday, March 19, 2026

Birdsong Trilogy by Nina Lane

 



Series: Birdsong Trilogy
Author: Nina Lane
Genre: Contemporary Forbidden Romance
Tropes: Age Gap, Teacher/Student
Father's Best Friend
Cover Design: Najla Qamber



SPARROW & HAWKE

He shouldn’t touch her.

Nell Fairchild knows how to survive. How to stay quiet, stay invisible, keep the worst parts of herself hidden. She’s good at it.

She’s not good at Darius Hawke.

Her father’s oldest friend. A war photographer with a dangerous past, a talent for disappearing, and eyes that see far too much.

Darius knows better than to want Nell. She’s too young, too vulnerable, and completely off-limits. He’s spent a lifetime navigating war zones, captivity, and the darkest corners of human nature. The last thing he should do is drag his best friend’s daughter into his shadows.

But some lines were made to be crossed.

And when Darius takes a temporary teaching job at Nell’s high school, staying away isn’t an option. She’s everywhere — too close, too tempting, too determined to draw him out of the darkness. And the more he resists, the hotter the tension between them burns.

If they give in, there’s no coming back.

*****

Sparrow & Hawke is a slow-burn, high-heat romance filled with forbidden desire, forced proximity, and a love so wrong it might ruin them both.





PURCHASE LINKS

AMAZON US / UK / CA / AU




FEATHER & FLAME

He walked away to save her. From himself.

Four years ago, Darius Hawke left his mark on Nell Fairchild — and she’s never been the same. He didn’t just change her. He ruined her for anything safer, anything lesser, anything that doesn’t burn.

Then he decided she deserves better than what he is.

She hasn’t forgiven him.

Now Darius is back, and one look is all it takes to bring everything roaring to life again.

He still wants her. He never stopped.

When the violence of Darius’s past comes for them both, the heat between them goes from impossible to incendiary. But the most terrifying thing isn’t the danger closing in.

It’s what they’ll destroy to stay together.

*****

Feather & Flame is a scorching second-chance romance of both reckoning and desire between two people who are finally out of reasons to stop.

Note: This is the second book in the Birdsong trilogy, to be read after Sparrow & Hawke (Book 1).





PURCHASE LINKS

AMAZON US / UK / CA / AU




WISHES & WINGS

Everyone is telling Nell that Darius Hawke is dead.

Everyone is lying.

She knows it the way she knows her own heartbeat. His absence doesn’t feel like a loss. It feels like a locked door.

Nell knows how to open locked doors.

What she finds on the other side is worse than a disappearance. Darius has been keeping secrets — about his past, his choices, the life he kept carefully separate from everything they built together. The man she finds may not be the man she thought she knew.

She still wants him back. She can’t reason her way out of that.

To reach him, she’ll have to trust a man who frightens her in ways Darius never did. Wade into darkness she can’t walk back from. And decide, when the truth finally surfaces, what she’s willing to forgive.

Some loves are worth setting the world on fire.

*****

Wishes & Wings is the explosive conclusion to the Birdsong Trilogy — a gripping, obsessive romance of danger, devotion, and a love tested until there’s nothing left but the truth.

Note: This is the final book in the Birdsong trilogy, to be read after Sparrow & Hawke (Book 1) and Feather & Flame (Book 2).





PURCHASE LINKS

AMAZON US / UK / CA / AU






AUTHOR BIO


Though she was born and raised in California, Nina Lane now lives in Wisconsin where the winters are freezing and the cheese is exceptional. Mom to two teenagers and a neurotic dog, she lives in two worlds—one world of laundry, driving, horses, Girl Scouts, and football, and the other of epic romances between hot alpha heroes and the women who bring them to their knees. Nina only cooks when she can’t avoid it (i.e., there are no frozen pizzas left), binge-watches serial TV whenever she can get control of the remote, and checks in about the weather daily with her meteorologist husband. She’s a fan of popcorn, actual print magazines, French Roast coffee, working out, and trying new things...especially if it’s food.


AUTHOR LINKS



GOD'S SURPRISING WAY

 



This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. S. Jeyran Main will be awarding a $10 Amazon/BN gift card to a randomly drawn winner. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.



God's Surprising Way: The Path to Lasting Joy, Healing, and Love guides readers into the upside-down kingdom of God, where human expectations are consistently overturned. In this transformative journey, the humble are exalted, the last are lifted, and true greatness is found through servanthood, surrender, and sacrificial love. Through Scripture, theological insights, and historical reflections-from Augustine and Luther to Bonhoeffer and Nouwen-readers discover how God's surprising ways cultivate lasting joy, deep healing, and authentic love.

Each chapter explores a distinct paradox of the gospel, demonstrating how humility, generosity, and obedience can transform relationships, communities, and personal faith. Practical reflections and prompts invite readers to integrate these principles into daily life-choosing forgiveness over resentment, service over recognition, and trust over control.

With accessible scholarship, devotional insight, and concrete application, this book reveals the practical power of God's reversals. It challenges conventional assumptions about success, power, and happiness, inviting believers to live counterculturally in alignment with Christ's teachings. God's Surprising Way is both an invitation and a roadmap: to encounter God's transformative presence, embody the values of the Kingdom, and experience joy, healing, and love that endure.


Read an Excerpt

Christianity begins with surprise! From the moment the Word became flesh, God has been showing us that His ways are not our ways. He made incarnate the Savior, not in a palace but in a stable. He was welcomed by shepherds first, the lowly, marginalized outcasts of society (Luke 2:8–12). Jesus continued to reverse our expectations throughout his life. He taught everyone that the last would be first, and the first last (Matthew 20:16), that the meek would inherit the earth (Matthew 5:5), and that greatness was about servanthood, not privilege or authority (Matthew 20:26–27). Everywhere he went, the crowds were astonished—they were forced to recalibrate their understanding of power, privilege, and God’s blessing.

This reversibility, what some have called the upside-down kingdom, is key to understanding the surprising way of God. Where we see strength, control, and recognition, He delights in lifting the humble, exalting the meek, and blessing the poor in spirit. This is what Augustine means when he observes, “In the wisdom of God, they are overturned, and what seemed to be less is more weighty than it seemed in the world” (Augustine 1998, 54). This is often the counterfactual logic of the kingdom: surrender as a means of power, weakness as a source of strength, and service as a path to greatness.

The scriptures are replete with examples of reversibility. Joseph is sold into slavery by his brothers, and ultimately rules nations and saves them from famine (Genesis 50:20). David, the youngest and least regarded son of Jesse, becomes the greatest king of Israel (1 Samuel 16:11–13). The disciples, though zealously devoted to Jesus, have to learn that glory comes through humility, self-denial, and love for others (Mark 10:42–45). Jesus Himself modelled the supreme example; the Son of God, made majesty incarnate, suffers and dies, allowing defeat to become eternal victory.

Inviting us into the upside-down kingdom is more than a theological concept; it also shapes how we perceive our lives today. Our human assumptions—about success, happiness, and significance—are misguided. While learning to honour God’s surprising way, we see that consideration for a fleeting bit of favour from others gives way to joy, that surrender to God’s will yields health, and that loving others sacrificially through humble service changes relationships.

The upside-down kingdom is an invitation to see the world through God’s eyes—a way to fulfill what Jesus says; a way where “the last are first,” the “lowly are received” and “the hidden thing of love and service” is of eternal weight. The Paradox of Joy, Healing, and Love

In the upside-down kingdom, joy, healing, and love often appear to be contrary to human expectations. True joy is not the product of achievement, recognition, or comfort; healing is not always immediate; and love is rarely transactional. Instead, the Christian life invites believers into a paradox: the more we surrender, serve, and humble ourselves, the more these blessings flow into our lives.

About the Author:



Jeyran Main has spent years immersed in the world of books as an editor and publisher. She is the author of The Radical Realism of Jesus: A Framework for Living in the 21st Century and serves as Editor-in-Chief of Living in the Light of the Cross magazine. Through her platform, HeavenlyHarmonyHub.com, she provides resources that encourage thoughtful engagement with faith. Guided by a passion for seeking truth, Jeyran explores how God’s counterintuitive Kingdom wisdom overturns human expectations and invites readers into a life marked by joy, healing, generosity, and love.

https://jeyranmain.com/gods-surprising-way/

 Giveaway:  https://kingsumo.com/g/1xqlvym/gods-surprising-way

The Tendy by Xavier Neal

 




 --🖤-- NEW RELEASE --🖤--

The Tendy

Opposites-Attract, Off-limits, OWYM, Hockey Romance

Dalvegan Dragons Book 4

By Xavier Neal

Goodreads: 




1-Click on Amazon 

US | UK | CA | AU



From USA TODAY BESTSELLING author Xavier Neal comes a laugh-out-loud, off-limits, hockey romance!


Always a groomsmen...never a groom.

And yet, when I finally do meet the woman of my dreams - who just so happens to be older than me - it turns out, she's completely off-limits.


And, of course, secretly dating my coach's younger sister is the type of penalty that could completely end my career.

I guess you could say this season won't be easy.

Especially for me, the tendy.



TROPES:

Secret Romance

Opposites-Attract

Age-Gap (OWYM)

Cinnamon Role Hero

He Falls First




Start the series Here




For more about Xavier Neal and her books:

HERE


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Nerdy Girl Nell

 

Nerdy Girl Nell
Lindsey Gray
(Nerdy Girl Novels, #2)
Publication date: March 17th 2026
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance, Sports

Nell De Lacy loves small things like story time, a well-stocked bookshelf, and evenings with friends. Relearning how to date after grief was supposed to be the hardest thing.

Enter professional wrestler Chance Robicheaux. Towering, tender, and utterly relentless about keeping her safe. The two become friends first, spending nights learning each other’s quirks. Between hospital rooms and poker nights, the two find something electric and real.

Nell’s life suddenly fractures with a violent assault, a cache of stolen images, and a blackmailer who won’t be denied. As the threat tightens and the press draws near, Nell’s voice, literally and figuratively, fails her at the worst possible time.

With the De Lacy family company’s December board vote approaching, Nell faces a critical challenge that threatens to upend her life. The outcome of the vote carries the risk of awarding a coveted contract to the wrong people, forcing Nell to balance family loyalty, legal danger, and a secret that could change everything.

Nell and Chance’s is a story about rebuilding, of finding courage in therapy and friendship, and discovering there’s strength in asking for help. Nell’s fight becomes Chance’s fight, and soon they choose to fight evil together. Will justice arrive before the quiet she loves is gone forever?

Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes & Noble / Kobo / iBooks

EXCERPT:

“This honey pot just got a whole lot sweeter.” Chance Robicheaux licked his lips and tossed in a few plastic chips. The cards in his hand were the best he’d held the entire night.
He peered around the table of friends as they partook in their newly minted Wednesday poker night. Rob Breyer, Chance’s closest friend and wrestling tag team partner, concentrated on his hand. Rob’s girlfriend, Emma MacLean, rolled her eyes at Chance’s comment, then winked at him when she glanced his way. The dealer and his new sidekick, Seamus De Lacy, took a sip of his drink while the rest of the players made their decisions.
Chance’s eyes landed on the last member of the table; he bit the inside of his cheek to keep himself from moaning. Emma’s roommate, Nell De Lacy, stared at him with a slight look of awe mixed with determination, which he found fucking irresistible. The woman had driven him mad since their first meeting over a bowl of potato salad to his crotch. No matter what the situation, one glimpse of Nell, her auburn hair in those cute as hell space buns and perfectly pouty lips, had him hard in three seconds flat.
“I fold.” Rob placed his cards on the table and slumped in his chair.
“I’ve got nothing.” Emma tossed in her cards, then slid her arm around Rob’s shoulders. “This isn’t our night.”
Chance lifted his eyes to Nell’s. “What about you, Nell?”
The corner of Nell’s lips that Chance spent hours fantasizing about curled upward. “I’ll see you.” She tossed in enough to match Chance’s bet. “And I’ll raise you.” She counted out the rest of her chips and placed them in the pot.
Chance could tell she was confident about the hand she possessed. She had her tells as much as anyone else did. The smirk she wielded always made him pull out of the game. Not tonight, though. She’d gone all in, but he’d go a bit more.
“All right.” He determined the required chips to call but decided to raise to find out what she had to offer.
“You can’t do that!” Her confidence turned to anger.
“I sure can. I’m willing to make a deal if you think your hand is still as worthy as it was a moment ago.” Chance’s heart thumped in his chest while he stared her down, praying she would give in.
“What kind of deal?” she asked.
Chance grabbed the pad of paper and pen beside him and wrote down what he wanted. He slid it to her.
She picked it up and read his chicken scratch. “This…” The words clogged her throat as heat moved up to color her face.
“You place that in the pot. I win; you deliver. You win; you can rip it up.”
Nell opened and closed her mouth, then pressed her plump lips in a firm line. She pushed the slip across the table. “I call. Show me what you’ve got.”
Chance peered into her brilliant emerald eyes as he laid each card down one by one. Her face paled. “Royal flush.”
“Damn,” she murmured, and she laid her cards down face up.
“Full House. Not bad, but not good enough tonight.” Chance licked his lips in anticipation of his winnings.
Emma glanced between the two. “What did he win?”
Nell placed her palms on the table, her cheeks tinged pink. “A kiss.”

Author Bio:

Lindsey Gray is a writer, an over-thinker, and a chronic list-maker, but her passion for writing stories you'll love always tops the list. Her author journey began in 2010 with the publication of her first novel, and she has spent the last decade creating worlds for readers to play in. In addition to her own work, Gray utilizes her skills formatting novels for other authors and hosts the weekly show, Gray Matters, on TMV Cafe Internet Radio. She lives and writes fueled by iced tea, her handsome hubby, and the beautiful chaos of mothering her children.

Website / Goodreads / Facebook / X / Instagram / Threads / TikTok / BlueSky / StoryGraph


GIVEAWAY!

Nerdy Girl Nell Blitz


Wednesday, March 18, 2026

LAUGHING THROUGH THE STORM

 

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Jane Rogers will be awarding a $10 Amazon/BN gift card to a randomly drawn winner. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.



Diagnosed with epilepsy at 13, Jane's life took a wild turn full of seizures, specialists, and some seriously strange hospital adventures. But instead of letting it break her, she learned to laugh—at the chaos, the cringe, and even the curveballs. Laughing Through the Storm is a hilariously honest memoir about finding resilience, ridiculousness, and unexpected joy in the middle of life's messiest moments.

Read an Excerpt

It was a frosty January morning in 1981 when I decided to make my dramatic debut in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island. As the latest addition to the family line-up, I was a calm and easy-going baby, quietly lulling everyone into a false sense of security. Classic me— always setting up for a twist.

My dad worked for the Health of Animals, a branch of the Canadian federal government, as a veterinarian in Prince Edward Island. They were responsible for the control, prevention and eradication of certain animal diseases. As the district veterinarian for the entire province, he had responsibilities for the health and well-being of all livestock, from pigs and cows to chickens. His days were a mix of travelling to farms to test animals for serious diseases like tuberculosis and rabies; visiting auction houses to ensure only healthy animals were sold; attending meat-packing plants to collect samples; and making safety diagnoses to ensure that animals entering the food chain were safe for human consumption.

When I was two, my parents decided to move us to Riverview, New Brunswick, a town that became the stage for my happiest childhood memories. We lived on Hamilton Court, a little slice of suburban heaven with one particularly glorious feature: hills. Our backyard sloped gently, but our neighbours’ yards were even steeper, perfect for sledding. Every winter, kids from all over the neighbourhood would arrive armed with sleds, ready to turn those snowy slopes into the ultimate playground. We would shriek with laughter as we careened down the hill and tumbled into a snowbank. Gravity may have been our accomplice in the winter, but in the summer, it was the architect of our joy. My friends and I would roll down those same hills, giggling uncontrollably, dizzy from both the spinning and the laughter.

About the Author:


Jane Rogers is an accidental expert in epilepsy, diagnosed at 13 and living with it ever since. She's spent over three decades navigating seizures, side effects, and hospital adventures with grit, sarcasm, and a solid sense of humor. Laughing Through the Storm is her first book—a tribute to resilience, ridiculous moments, and finding light in the darkest places.

She lives in Ottawa with her supportive husband, Pascal, and their two mischievous chihuahuas, Junior and Bailey.

Fun Fact: Jane once had a seizure during a comedy show— and still insists the comedian owes her one.

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/laughingthroughthestorm
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jane.rogers.339999

Giveaway: https://kingsumo.com/g/36q0gj1/laughing-through-the-storm-tellwell 

WITNESS IN THE SHADOWS by Blaire Morgan

 

Witness in the Shadows by Blaire Morgan Banner

WITNESS IN THE SHADOWS

by Blaire Morgan

March 16, 2026 Book Blast

Synopsis:

Witness in the Shadows by Blaire Morgan

Kyndall Family Suspense

 

In this gripping romantic suspense set in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina, danger closes in and trust may be the only way to survive.

A woman tormented by her past.

For eight years, FBI Agent Alexa Kyndall relentlessly pursued justice, leaving no room for the guilty to escape. In Witness in the Shadows, her dedication draws her into a deadly hunt for a serial killer—and into the path of the most unexpected criminal of her career.

A man willing to do whatever it takes to save her.

When a child witnesses a brutal slaying, Alexa’s life becomes intertwined with Craig Pierson’s, a man with his own haunted past. They join forces, only to discover they must put everything on the line in a pulse-pounding struggle to protect and survive.

A killer closing in.

As the shadows deepen and danger tightens its grip, Alexa and Craig must risk everything to survive.

Book Details:

Genre: Romantic Suspense
Published by: Blaire Morgan Books
Publication Date: March 16, 2026
Number of Pages: 255
Series: Kyndall Family Suspense Series, Book 1
Book Links: Amazon | Kindle | Goodreads | BookBub

 

Author Bio:

Blaire Morgan

Blaire Morgan is a pseudonymous American author blending danger, emotion, and high-stakes storytelling into gripping romantic suspense. She lives wherever the next adventure takes her—usually somewhere with a lot of trees, or a place that exists only in her imagination.

Catch Up With Blaire Morgan:

www.blairemorgan.com
Amazon Author Profile
BookBub - @blairemorganbooks1

 

Tour Participants:

Click through the other tour stops for can’t-miss spotlights, book features, author info, and more ways to discover WITNESS IN THE SHADOWS by Blaire Morgan.

Click here to view the Tour Schedule

 

 

In The Shadows Of Suspense: Giveaway

This giveaway is hosted by Partners in Crime Tours for Blaire Morgan. See the widget for entry terms and conditions. Void where prohibited.
WITNESS IN THE SHADOWS by Blaire Morgan | Gift Card

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It Worked For Me by Jeff Burgess

 

It Worked For Me by Jeff Burgess Banner

IT WORKED FOR ME

by Jeff Burgess

March 16 - April 24, 2026 Virtual Book Tour

Synopsis:

It Worked For Me by Jeff Burgess

What if one conversation could change your entire life?

In 1979, Jeff Burgess was a 22-year-old college dropout drifting through life in a haze of beer, weed, and dead-end jobs. He was the "town clown" with an undeniable work ethic but no clear direction. Then, on a lazy Sunday afternoon, his father called him home for a talk that would shake him to his core: "You have a gift, and I cannot allow you to waste it anymore. It’s time to get your shit together."

From that moment, everything changed. Armed with a relentless drive, a knack for problem-solving, and a newfound determination to make something of himself, Jeff set out to prove his father right. Within two years, he skyrocketed from warehouse worker to Vice President of Sales at a booming tech company. By the time he retired, he had built a global business supplying surveillance video recording appliances to both the most iconic and the secure sites in the world.

It Worked for Me is the inspiring, no-nonsense story of how an underachiever transformed into an industry leader—one who thrived not by playing it safe, but by embracing risk, trusting his gut, and always finding a way forward.

If you've ever felt stuck, uncertain, or like success was just out of reach, this book will show you how to seize your own turning point.

Are you ready to take charge of your future? Pick up a copy today!

All proceeds for It Worked for Me will go directly to the Wounded Warrior Project.


Praise for It Worked For Me:

"It Worked for Me by Jeff Burgess is a powerful, down-to-earth story about turning life around through hard work and determination. Burgess shares how one tough conversation with his father pushed him to change his path from a drifting 22-year-old to the head of a $100-million company. His writing is straightforward, honest, and full of real lessons about perseverance, courage, and believing in yourself. What makes it even better is that all proceeds go to the Wounded Warrior Project. This is an inspiring read for anyone who feels stuck and needs a reminder that success is always possible."
~ 5-star Library Thing review

"Candid, humorous … He emphasizes the importance of common sense and learning from others. And his integrity is front and center."
~ 5-star review, Audiofile

"This was an interesting account of Jeff Burgess and his incredible journey. He has good advice and anedotes to back it up. Having the author as the narrator adds a special flavor to the audio book. In the very sad parts, it sounds like he gets choked-up, and as a listener, I held back a tear, too. Overall it was a good book."
~ 5-star review, Netgalley

It Worked for Me Trailer:

Book Details:

Genre: Personal Memoir, Business Memoir, Life Lessons
Published by: Munn Avenue Press
Publication Date: April 1, 2025
Number of Pages: 335
ISBN: 9781960299666 (ISBN10: 1960299662)
Book Links: Amazon | KindleUnlimited | Barnes & Noble | BookShop.org | Booksamillion | Goodreads

Read an excerpt from It Worked For Me:

May 1979

In 1979, I was living in a two-bedroom apartment in my hometown of Skokie, IL with my best friend Gary. I was 22 years old, a few months removed from my sophomore year at Illinois State University--and I say `removed’ literally, since the Dean of Students had strongly pointed out that school wasn’t the best choice for me. Gary and I both had “floater jobs” which basically covered our monthly rent, weed, beer, and food, in that order. The landlord would likely say the rent and weed could be in a reverse order. Basically, I seemed to be following a destiny first noted in my 8th-grade yearbook from Oakview Junior High, where I was dubbed “town clown.” My mom was horrified. Me? I took it as a badge of honor, one that kept wearing through high school and my short stint in college.

It was a typical September Sunday. Gary and I were laying around, recovering from hangovers and planning our next adventure. Around four o’clock, the phone rang. It was my Dad.

“Hey, Jeff, are you busy?”

“Well, a little. Hanging out.”

“I really need to speak with you. Can you come over?”

I was at that age when I didn’t really have anything against my parents. I’d see them for birthdays and holidays and when I wanted to conduct a secret withdrawal from the packed meat freezer they kept in their basement, but I didn’t see the need to spend any time with them. “Is it important?”

His answer was firm. “It’s important enough that I’m asking you to come over—now.”

That was good enough for me. I quickly jumped into the shower to wash off the after-aroma of the previous night’s parties. As the hot water rushed down, my mind began spinning with scenarios. What did he want to talk about? Abruptly it dawned on me that maybe he was going to tell me he was dying. My mind always moved at a mile a minute, and all of a sudden it came to a screeching halt.

Why else would he need to talk to me? My dad was an ordinary man--52-years old, husband, father of four, CEO of an Envelope Company, recovering alcoholic, and my hero. He really was my rock, and more than made up for my distracted mother. How would I survive without him? We always shared this unspoken bond of my inheriting his OCD gene. And while he never appreciated that I was that town clown and high school fuck-up, he admired my work ethic. When I did put my mind to something, I took it to completion, whether it was shoveling neighbor’s sidewalks in those Chicago winters or moving their lawns in the summer. Even as an eight-year-old. And if I had suddenly kicked the bucket at age 20, that would have been the story of my life—a human oxymoron who had a great work ethic yet couldn’t keep a job.

He hugged me when I came through the door and told my mom to let us be. We went upstairs to my parents’ bedroom, which was decorated with a complete Brady Bunch-era motif: matching avocado and orange bedspread and curtains, beige shag carpeting, large imitation Picasso paintings on the walls. We sat together on the bench seat at the bottom of the bed, connected at the hip. He started to put his arm around my shoulder, and almost instantly I began to cry. “Dad, please don’t die on me!” I began to sob.

Startled, he jumped to his feet, then put his hands on my shoulders. “Listen to me! That’s not what this is about. I’m not dying! But now that you mention it, you are killing me.” I started to say something, but he quickly interrupted, “Seriously, I need you to listen to me.”

He started speaking to me, but it was more of a sermon. The tone in his voice was unlike anything I had heard from him before. I had never heard him in such an authoritative voice. I could already tell that I had either upset or disappointed him, but just did not know how or why. I quickly learned. “You are wasting your life,” he said. “You have always had an outstanding work ethic, he told me, along with an incredible quick wit, which I was just throwing away by being a smart ass, just looking for the laugh. “If you were ever able to use that wit in a more “think on your feet” manner instead of just being a comedian, you could have great value to some company one day.” He looked at me directly in the eye. “I didn’t send you to college to be a fuck-up. You have a gift, and I cannot allow you to waste it. You need to get your collective shit together.”

I was stunned, and very upset. Not so much about what he said, but because I knew it was dead-on.

My mind jumped back to a moment two summers before, when I was working in his company warehouse. The combination of my 17-year-old male hormones and the highly Latina warehouse staff were just too much for me to overcome, and I devoted far more time to chasing skirts than my responsibilities. He sat me down then, too, but instead of giving me a sermon, he fired me. I know that conversation was painful for both him to say and me to hear as well. It wasn’t so much that I embarrassed him as the boss’s son getting canned, but what hurt me most was that I had let him down. Here I was, letting him down again. What most upset me was knowing that he was not proud of me.

I drove back to the apartment. The aroma of cannabis greeted my arrival. Gary passed me the loaded a pipe as I entered, saying something to the extent of “you look like you need one.” But what I needed is what I had just received. My dad was my hero, and I had been confronted with the fact that I was failing him. And really, I had also been confronted with the fact that I was failing myself. “No thanks,” I said to Gary, echoing the words my dad had just said to me, “I really need to start getting my shit together.”

The very next day, I started searching the Help Wanted section in the Chicago Tribune. Some company called Tek Aids two towns over was looking for a warehouse worker. I had never heard of them, but I knew I wanted that job. I’m not sure why, but the ad called out to me. Maybe I just wanted a job quickly so I could get back into my dad’s good favor. For the interview, I put my best foot forward, wearing the blue blazer my mother bought me for high school graduation and borrowing a paisley tie I had bought Dad for Father’s Day.

They were a family business about five years old that had set themselves up as a computer peripherals distributor. They sold printers, monitors, and bins full of internal parts. Jud, the founder and CEO, gave me a tour of the 15,000sf facility. I could tell he had great pride in his operation, and I was impressed that he knew every employee on a first-name basis.

The warehouse was sloppy and seemed a little disorganized. I knew I could fix that. What surprised me is that they also had a tech area in the warehouse, run by a guy wearing thick lenses a lab coast – he looked like mad scientist. They were building student tech systems for community colleges, based upon Ohio Scientific’s Challenger 1P single-processor computer systems. “A warehouse and tech?” I said to Jud, without reply.

I did find it interesting that he was already introducing me, and after the tour, we went into his wife Lorrayne’s office and they both told be the job responsibilities. I was trying not to jump the gun, but it sure seemed like I was already hired. And I was really hoping they would, and I knew I was looking into a crystal ball and seeing my future. Perhaps I was willing it to happen by confidently adding “I look forward to hearing from you sometime tomorrow.” She gave me a strange look, perhaps due to my presumptuousness. “The blazer and tie won’t be necessary when you come back,” she said. At that point, I knew the job would be mine. I was already reorganizing the sloppy warehouse in my head.

I started two days later. Two years later, I was promoted to Vice President of Sales. Twenty years and three days after my Dad’s sermon, I founded my own IT server-building company, morphing into the video surveillance recording market in 2009. By the time of my retirement on my 66th birthday on July 21, 2023, I had built a company that is the world’s largest supplier of purpose-built surveillance video recording appliances, with over a quarter-million devices recording the video surveillance from over four million cameras in 91 countries around the globe. And all at the most secure sites or coolest companies in the world.

Here's the story of how that happened.

***

Excerpt from It Worked For Me by Jeff Burgess. Copyright 2026 by Jeff Burgess. Reproduced with permission from Jeff Burgess. All rights reserved.

 

 

Author Bio:

Jeff Burgess

From outhouse to penthouse.... He’s that guy who started in the embryonic stages of the computer industry way back in 1979 as a non-college graduate warehouse manager, selling his way to the top as the CEO of his own $100M company.

He never cared for the arrogance of the term "rainmaker," since he always thought "mercenary" sounded cooler, especially while selling hundreds of millions of dollars of high-end computer technology to the largest companies and government entities in the world!

His story is about all those bumps and bruises along the way, and the lessons learned honing his uncanny ability to turn opportunities into successes.

Catch Up With Jeff Burgess:

JeffBurgessAuthor.com
Amazon Author Profile
Goodreads
Instagram - @itworkedformebook
X - @WorkedForMeBook
Facebook - @itworkedforme

 

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Tuesday, March 17, 2026

Hot Axe by May Archer

 



Title: Hot Axe
Series: Axford Brothers #2
Author: May Archer
Genres: Contemporary Gay Romance/Small Town
Tropes: Best Friends to Lovers, Firefighter
Opposites Attract, Size Difference, Forced Proximity
Hurt/Comfort, Bisexual Awakening, Found Family
Release Date: March 17, 2026


BLURB

Falling in love with my straight best friend? Tragically inevitable.
Telling him? Completely out of the question.

Everyone in Winsome knows Robbie and I are a matched set. A package deal. Ames and Robbie, Robbie and Ames.

He’s the calm to my chaos. The sun shining through my rain cloud. The guy who convinced me to be a firefighter. The man who’s known every single thing about me since we were thirteen…

Except for the teeny, tiny, inconsequential fact that I’ve been in love with him for years.

I planned to take this secret to the grave. Robbie’s straight. He’s engaged. And I’m finally–finally–ready to move on.

But one uncontrollable blaze, one daring rescue, one inconvenient injury, and one heavily-medicated, wildly inappropriate love confession later, my plan’s up in flames.

Suddenly helpful, perfect, shirtless Robbie is bathing me, dressing me, and nursing me back to health. And if being around my gorgeous bestie 24/7 wasn’t torture enough, it seems I’m not the only one having unplatonic thoughts.

But there’s no way I’m letting myself fall into the fantasy again. Because if I let myself believe this is real and it isn’t, it won’t just break my heart… it’ll break us.

And I refuse to risk our friendship, no matter how tempting the man’s hot axe might be.






PURCHASE LINKS

AMAZON US / UK / CA / AU

Free in Kindle Unlimited

ALSO AVAILABLE







ALSO AVAILABLE


AMAZON US / UK / CA / AU

Free in Kindle Unlimited

ALSO AVAILABLE







COMING SOON


Releasing February 16

AMAZON US / UK / CA / AU






AUTHOR BIO

May is an M/M author who lives in Boston. She spends her days raising three incredibly sarcastic children, alternating eating Jax and Tostitos, planning beach vacations, avoiding the gym, reading M/M romance, and occasionally writing it.


AUTHOR LINKS




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