ARABESQUE

 

M G da Mota

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

GENRE:  historical psychological drama

 

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BLURB:

 

A woman living alone in a coastal Sussex town in 1998 plants a copper beech sapling at 3 a.m. on a dark, cold night. Why?

 

A ballet dancer in 1960s East Germany is oppressed, longs for escaping with his little daughter but not his wife. Why? Will he make it?

 

In 2022 Karsten von Stein, widower and principal of the Royal Ballet, with two young children, meets Ivone Benjamim, a Portuguese, newly-arrived principal dancer. They discover a magical chemistry when dancing and soon it transfers to their private lives.

 

Against the background of ballet and its dancers, a woman called Grace tells her story from a rehab centre. Obsessive, delusional she begins believing Ivone robbed her of the man of her dreams—Karsten. And then a skeleton is found in a garden...What connects all these people and their stories?

 

You’ll be the audience facing the stage of this balletic novel.

 

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Excerpt:

 

Prologue

Southeast England, late November 1998

 

She looks out of the window. Dark night. Black but clear. Twinkling dots punctuate the raven velvet of the sky. Stars shimmer cold and icy. Their light slightly wavering. She knows it is the Earth’s atmosphere. But that’s neither here nor there. It doesn’t matter a jot. Not at this moment anyway.

 

Darkness is the important thing. No moon. New moon. Why do people refer to a new moon when there is no moon or when one cannot see the moon from our revolving, ever turning blue dot? The moon is still up there in the sky. It’s just that at some point during its orbit its farther side from us is facing the sun. So the side facing us is dark and we can’t see it. As simple as that.

 

Tonight is new moon. An ideal night. She opens the window quietly and glances at the houses to her right first, then to her left. Like hers they are all immersed in silent darkness. People sleep. She looks at the luminous hands of her alarm clock on the side table. The shorter hand points at the number three, or close to it, and the long hand at somewhere between ten and fifteen. Probably around 3:12 in the morning. Her house stands almost but not quite alone on top of the hill. To her right, looking from her bedroom window that faces the back garden, there are two houses. The one closest to hers is empty.

 

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

AUTHOR Bio and Links:

 

 

M G da Mota is Margarida Mota-Bull’s pen name for fiction. She is a Portuguese-British novelist with a love for classical music, ballet and opera. Under her real name she also writes reviews of live concerts, CDs, DVDs and books for two classical music magazines on the web: MusicWeb International and Seen and Heard International. She is a member of the UK Society of Authors, speaks four languages and lives in Sussex with her husband. Her website, called flowingprose.com, contains photos and information.

 

 

Website: https://www.flowingprose.com/

 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/m.g.da.mota

 

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/margarida-mota-bull/

 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mgdamota/

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Rekindled Flame

 

Rekindled Flame
Ella Braeme
(Burning Hearts, #1)
Publication date: September 3rd 2025
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance

He swore to protect his town—but guarding his heart is the real challenge.

Volunteer firefighter Shawn Miller thought he had his life figured out in small-town Elken Grove. His print shop pays the bills while his real passion—fighting fires—keeps him connected to the community he loves.

Then his new Captain walks through the station doors: Rebecca “Becks” Schwartz, the woman who walked out of his life nine years ago. Now she’s his superior officer, and someone in the department is determined to drive her away—or worse.

As danger closes in, Shawn must balance protecting Becks with respecting her authority. But when sparks fly hotter than ever between them, he realizes some flames aren’t meant to be extinguished—they’re meant to be stoked.

Get REKINDLED FLAME today and feel the heat of this slow-burn second chance romance!

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—

EXCERPT:

“There’s something else you should know before you leave.”

Something in the chief’s tone made Shawn sink back into his chair. “Sir?”

“The new captain is a woman,” Washington said carefully, clearly bracing for resistance. “Rebecca Schwartz from the Charlotte Fire Department. Goes by Becks, according to her application. She’ll be arriving Thursday next week for an informal meet-and-greet at Mr. Jones & Husband, then coming by on Saturday to meet the volunteers during training before officially starting on Monday.”

Shawn nodded, unfazed by the gender revelation. “A female captain? That’s fine by—“

But the words died in his throat as the full name registered. The folder slipped from his suddenly numb fingers, papers spilling across the floor. Rebecca Schwartz. The name echoed in his head like the aftershock of an explosion.

“Rebecca Schwartz?” he repeated, his voice sounding distant to his own ears.

Washington’s eyebrows rose slightly at Shawn’s reaction. “You know her?”

Know her? Shawn almost laughed at the absurdity of the question. He’d known her as Becca back then—sweet-faced but determined Becca with her infectious laugh and fierce ambition. He’d known the curve of her smile and the scent of her skin. Known her dreams and fears. Known the sound of her voice first thing in the morning and the last thing at night.

Until he hadn’t.

“We trained together,” he said finally, the understatement of the decade. “At the North Carolina Fire Academy. When I knew her, she went by Becca, not Becks.”

Washington frowned, clearly surprised by this information. “I didn’t connect the dots when reviewing your files.” He leaned forward, suddenly concerned. “Is this going to be a problem?”

Shawn bent to gather the scattered papers, grateful for the chance to hide his expression. Memories he’d buried years ago resurfaced in vivid detail—Becca’s fierce determination during training exercises, her infectious laugh during rare moments of downtime, the devastating fury in her eyes the last time they’d spoken.

“I never want to see your face again, Miller. Keep six feet away from me for the rest of our lives.”

He straightened, clutching the reassembled folder, his knuckles white against the manila paper. “No, sir. No problem at all.”

Author Bio:

Ella Braeme writes steamy small-town romance where protective heroes and the women who capture their hearts find love in the mountains and marshlands of Georgia. Whether her characters are running toward danger or running from their past, they always find their way to happily-ever-after. When she's not dreaming up new ways for couples to fall headlong into danger (and love), she's in her garden, supervised by a dog who firmly believes digging holes helps the flowers grow. Her quick, satisfying reads deliver the perfect escape, whether you're sneaking in a chapter during lunch or staying up way too late to reach that happily-ever-after.

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—

Songs, Sails & Silly Dating Schemes

 

Songs, Sails & Silly Dating Schemes
Cindy Kehagiaras
(A Love In Destiny Romance)
Publication date: September 2nd 2025
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance

Shay Lazar was a childhood TV star and a 1990s “It Girl,” but left the spotlight to raise her two kids and be the supportive partner to “America’s Sweetheart,” Jack Cole…for almost thirty years. Now she wants back into the Hollywood Machine at fifty-two but the producer for show she wants to do called her Jack’s “Doormat”. Now she’s reassessing her life by hiding at her aunt’s house in Destiny, Florida, after a very publicized and possibly a career-ending incident.

Drew Slater wants to be left alone. The former ‘One-Hit-Wonder’ will never play his song again. He’s pretending his life is settled, but when a star falls out of the sky and onto his boat, he knows a hurricane is coming, and her name is Shay Lazar.

Songs, Sails & Silly Dating Schemes is a steamy over-40 romance set in the magical town of Destiny with Yacht Rock vibes and a Fake Dating Trope gone right with a stunning Hollywood Ending. SS&SDS is the fourth book in the Destiny Romance Series.

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EXCERPT:

He drove straight out onto the runway of the small airport, then came to a stop next to another police cruiser with its lights off, a big black Lincoln Navigator sat at the base of an impressive private jet. The stairs were down and the light inside glowed behind the sheen of the early morning mist. A peach illumination in the distance reminded me how much I hated sunrises these days.

I used to love them. Seeing a sunrise meant I’d spent an entire night with friends and lovers talking and partying all the way to the next day. It meant I was living, really living. Not waisting too much time asleep but being awake and free to create music and memories. That was long ago. Three lifetimes ago. Now it meant I couldn’t sleep. That the memories kept me awake. That I was still living and forced to be a functioning human. I was surviving enough for my daughter and her insistence that I stay in her life, when she wasn’t mad at me. And the music, always the music, but other people’s music. Not mine, never mine. “Alright.” Kurt met me at the top of the stairs. “Now, this is strictly confidential. I’ve had explicit instructions to deny any goings on here for the safety of the passenger,” he stated gravely.

“What in the hell are you talking about?”

He used to work for Bernie and Sandy when they lived at BernSand full time. But they let his crew go when they left on their cruise and Kurt wasn’t too happy about it. I wasn’t sure why he was involved with this mystery person or who was paying him.

Kurt turned his bulky body sideways and placed his hands on his hips. My view of a heap on the floor in the middle isle of the plane was still slightly obscured by his massiveness. I pushed past him to get a better look. I’d seen women passed out on the floor before, maybe too many times to have any strong emotions about it. I only wanted to know who it was that was so important that the police needed my sorry ass in the middle of the night.

“I’m not sure how many of these she took,” The airplane captain in his white uniform held out a prescription bottle to me on the far side to the body. I didn’t take it. I needed to see who the woman was.

I knelt at her bare feet. She wore ivory silk pants and matching blouse, almost like pajamas making her look ethereal in the way she lay on her side like a Botticelli painting. Her dark hair lay across her face. I heard a gasp from Stewie when I brushed the hair way from her face. The bandage across her forehead and large yellow and purple bruise on her swollen cheek almost made her unidentifiable, except for the dark beauty mark next to her right eye, long luscious lashes, and full pink lips.

I looked back at Kurt. “This is Shay Lazar.”

Author Bio:

"The Perpetual," my over 40-second chance romance, has won the coveted "Stiletto Award" by Contemporary Romance Writers in the Mid-length Contemporary Romance category.

BIO: My writing journey began after my 50th birthday, and the pandemic lockdown allowed me to write. Some of my stories have haunted my dreams for decades. When the characters shouted day and night, I knew I had to write about them. These days I love to read and write stories about second chances with GenX characters in over 40, later in life, and mature steamy romances.

My previous lives have been in advertising, fashion, and small business owner. I've made it my life’s ambition to push through the challenges of dyslexia to consume novels, poetry, and articles and tell my stories.

A proud native Californian, I live in Hermosa Beach, CA, with my husband of 17 years, two beautiful kids, and two spunky-rescue kitties.

Please find me on all social media platforms.

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—

Shaman

 

 

Two people are brought together by a force they never saw coming . . .

Shaman

A Talisman Series Standalone

by Tam DeRudder Jackson

Genre: Paranormal Romance, Romantasy

A druid straddles the line between light and darkness . . .

Renleigh Rogan keeps to herself in her remote Montana cabin, tending her plants and honing her protection spells. Only occasionally does she indulge her shape-shifting abilities… Called to Scotland in the middle of the night to help heal a rogue warrior, her first instinct is to ignore the summons, but danger lies in disobeying a powerful goddess.

A rogue is caught in a celestial tug-o-war . . .

Jamie Lennox gave up the warrior community long ago, voluntarily fighting in the Morrigan’s rogue army. Cocky, and one of the most accomplished swordsman in the community, he’s the perfect weapon for taking the warriors the Morrigan covets most. Yet when he loses a pivotal battle, she turns on him, leaving him injured and lost in a no-man’s land between good and evil, a place no warrior or rogue can exist for long. Luckily for him, a beautiful druid has come to his rescue, even if she’s saving him against her will.

Two people are brought together by a force they never saw coming . . .

The fact Jaime Lennox looks like a fallen angel has nothing to do with Renleigh’s decision to come to his aid. His sexy come-ons do not intrigue her either—not even a little bit. Nor does the mysterious past he hides. While the two of them spar inside an enchanted cottage in the Highlands, overhead, a celestial storm is brewing, one that will require each of them to decide what truly matters—their beliefs about themselves and each other or the truth that will set their love free.

 

⚔️enemies to lovers
💕fated mates
🐉shape-shifting FMC
🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿set in the Scottish Highlands
♥️stand alone HEA

 

“Jackson works this admittedly familiar supernatural romance/urban fantasy terrain (readers of J.R. Ward’s Black Dagger Brotherhood series, for instance, will feel right at home) with winning energy, a good ear for dialogue, and a sharp sense of pacing.” Kirkus Reviews for Rogue

 

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Tam DeRudder Jackson's love of all things Celtic led her to write the Talisman Series. Steeped in Celtic mythology, these steamy, fated mates, paranormal romance adventures are set in the mountains of Tam’s native Montana and the Highlands of Scotland. Rogue, the most recent book in the series, was named a best romance of 2022 by the Independent Book Review.

An avid fan of rock music, Tam never misses a chance to see a live show, especially if it’s Shinedown, one of her favorite bands. Her love of rock music inspired her contemporary rock star Balefire Series, a sexy fun ride following the lives and loves of the members of a fictional mega-band. Readers of this series consistently give the books five-star reviews.

Tam earned her BA in English from Montana State University and her M.Ed. in literacy from Lesley University. After a short teaching stint in Bath, England, she settled in the wilds of Wyoming where she taught adolescents all about the Celts and a bit about writing before she stepped out of the classroom to pursue her writing career full time.

When she’s not writing, you can find her working her way through her mountainous TBR piles, alpine skiing, or traveling to some new place on her ever-expanding bucket list. To stay up to date on her adventures, connect with Tam on her website www.tamderudderjackson where you can subscribe to her newsletter.

 

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Isolated by A.K. Evans

 

Title: Isolated

Series: Harper Security Ops #21

Author: A.K. Evans

Genre: Romantic Suspense

Tropes: Friends to Lovers/Opposites Attract

Slow Burn

Release Date: September 2, 2025

BLURB

Iris Gibson loves her life.

She adores her family, has great friends, and is devoted to her job. Though she hasn’t found the one yet, Iris is confident her guy is out there. She’s been fortunate in every other area of her life.

But that’s when things change.

Private investigator Landen Fox has seen his fair share of puzzling and heartbreaking cases. But he never expected the one bright spot he could always count on in his day would wind up in his office with a dark cloud hanging over her.

Landen can’t help but feel for the cheerful woman who seems to have lost it all in the blink of an eye. When the people most important to Iris turn on her, leaving her feeling more isolated than ever, Landen vows to figure out who’s out to sabotage her.

And in the process of uncovering Iris’s history, the pair form a connection neither of them saw coming.

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AUTHOR BIO

A.K. Evans is a contemporary romance author of over forty published novels. While she enjoys writing a good romantic suspense novel, Andrea’s favorite books to write have been her extreme sports romances. That might have something to do with the fact that she, along with her husband and two sons, can’t get enough of extreme sports. 

Before becoming a writer, Andrea did a brief stint in the insurance and financial services industry and managed her husband’s performance automotive business. That love of extreme sports? She used to drive race cars! 

When Andrea isn’t writing, she can be found homeschooling her two sons, doing yoga, snowboarding, reading, or traveling with her family. She and her husband are currently taking road trips throughout the country to visit all 50 states with their boys.

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Pretty Desperate by Lacey Black

 

Title: Pretty Desperate

Series: Pine Village #6

Author: Lacey Black

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Tropes: Small Town/Friends to Lovers

Fake Relationship/Surprise Pregnancy

Release Date: September 2, 2025

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Jillian

They say when one door closes another one opens, right? When the door closed on my marriage, I was fortunate to follow a new dream. One that led me to opening my own bakery in downtown Pine Village. It hasn’t been easy, especially in the offseason, but I make it work. I’m content. Happy.

Then Kameron Markley showed up on my doorstep, begging me to be his fake girlfriend.

It seems like such a simple plan, especially when we’re both getting something out of it. Unfortunately, it doesn’t take long before lines are blurred and crossed, and suddenly, the relationship doesn’t feel so fake after all.

Kameron

For the last decade, I’ve poured my heart and soul into my restaurant, turning a small-town space into a top steak house. The building beside mine has been sitting for as long as I can remember, and the owner is finally ready to sell. The only problem is, she thinks it needs to go to a family man. Suddenly, I’m desperate.

That’s when I come up with the wild idea to find a fake girlfriend.

Jillian Kirby fits the bill to a T, and with a little negotiation, we’re able to work out a deal where we both come out ahead. What I wasn’t expecting was it being so easy to be around her. Suddenly, the lie we’re telling does feel like it’s so right. I want it to be real.

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AUTHOR BIO

USA Today Bestselling Author Lacey Black is a Midwestern girl with a passion for reading, writing, and shopping. She carries her e-reader with her everywhere she goes so she never misses an opportunity to read a few pages. Always looking for a happily ever after, Lacey is passionate about contemporary romance novels and enjoys it further when you mix in a little suspense. She resides in a small town in Illinois with her husband, two children, and three rowdy chickens.

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