Turnaround (6 page)

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Authors: Cassandra Carr

Tags: #Red Hot Valentine, #Holiday, #Valentine's Day, #romance, #contemporary romance

BOOK: Turnaround
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Author’s Note:

 

I
hope you enjoy the Red Hot Valentine collection of short stories. As writers,
we often wonder about the impact our stories have on readers. One of the only
concrete manifestations of this is reviews, and if you enjoyed our stories,
we’d very much appreciate you taking the time to leave a review – even a few
sentences! – on Amazon, Goodreads, etc.

We
thought this was a fun concept – sexy stories revolving around Valentine’s Day
– how can there be anything bad about that, especially when paired with hot hot
hot covers. But the over-arching motive is that we are writers who have a
driving need to tell stories of people’s lives. We have to write. Writing gives
us a freedom we find nowhere else and we’re humbled when readers take their
time and spend their money to be (hopefully) entertained or touched by
something we’ve written.

 

Sincerely,

Cassandra
Carr

 

Quarterback
Sneak by Desiree Holt

 

Stacy
Halligan has spent her adult life focusing on her career, choosing men with far
less care than she does her professional path. That’s probably the reason all
of her relationships end in disaster. Now she’s senior editor of the magazine
where she works and she was so sure this latest hunk would be the one. When he
dumps her, just before Valentine’s Day, who does she complain to, as always,
but her next door neighbor and friend, backup quarterback Max Sullivan. She
sees Max as her best friend. Comfortable. Easy to be with.

Max doesn’t mind hanging out with Stacy but in the three years they’ve lived
next door to each other he’s hoped for a lot more. Now he sees his opening.
When he offers to put on a blitz leading up to Valentine’s Day to make the guy
jealous, he has an ulterior motive. He wants to show her he’s the one she
should pick, because he wants Stacy for himself. His campaign includes,
chocolate, flowers, little gifts and hopefully, really hot sex. Because he’d
been dying forever to get her into his bed and keep her there.

Will
this work? He only has until Valentine’s Day to find out.

 

http://www.desireeholt.com/

 

* * * * *

 

If
You Dare by Aliyah Burke

 

When two
people lost in their careers are thrown together, can passion kindle lost souls
and ignite the flames of love?

Justin
Kapp is on an Alaskan cruise when he meets a woman that gives the vacation an
entirely new outlook. From the very beginning he knew she was something
special. Something more.

Kathryn
Maynard, a top divorce attorney in Virginia Beach, accepts a dare that puts her
on an Alaskan cruise and rail package. She would rather be anywhere but here,
however the arrival of an intense man, changes that. Changes her.

 

When
reunited in Virginia and Justin wants more than she's willing to allow herself
to give. After he leaves, she realizes what is the most important. Will she
take the chance and dare her heart to love?

 

http://www.aliyah-burke.com/books/index.htm

 

* * * * *

 

Redneck
Romeo by Randi Alexander

 

When
Genevieve Riley sneaks onto the O’Bannon Ranch to return a stolen heirloom, the
boy she’d fallen in love with as a teenager, Nick O’Bannon, catches her before
she can slip away. The problem is, he’s now a big, rugged cowboy, and those
feelings from a decade ago resurface. She can’t concentrate on anything but
picking up where they left off.

 

Nick
can’t believe what his dogs cornered. Beautiful ‘Jellybean’ Riley, all grown up
and sexier than sin. He never knew what tore her from his life when they were
teens, just as their relationship was starting. With the heat radiating between
them, he knows he can seduce her, but can he make her stay this time?

 

http://randialexander.com/preview/red-hot-valentine-redneck-romeo/

 

* * * * *

 

Tastes
Like Chocolate by Graylin Rane

 

Viviana's
heartbreak and betrayal by her ex-fiance' is poured into her sculpting. While
working on a statue of pure milk chocolate, she finds herself talking to the
man emerging about her hopes, dreams, and desires. Sprinkling gold dust over
his stunning finished form makes his body glitter as he comes to life taking
her into his arms. Their passion ignites a side of her she'd given up on, can
they survive the jealousy of her former flame to find love?

 

http://www.graylinfox.com/rhv-tastes-like-chocolate/

 

* * * * *

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sweet
Indulgence by Shyla Colt

 

This
sexy short will help make your Valentine’s day sizzle.

 

Born
on February 14th, Chastity Roberts has never taken stock in the holiday for
lovers. But this year Cupid has a little something special up his sleeve. Out
on the town with her best friend, she runs into the green-eyed male who keeps
her panties wet and her thoughts dirty at work.

 

Eli
Cole is a man who turns heads. But the only woman he has eyes for is Chastity.
After six months of hiding his affection to allow her to settle into her new
role, he’s ready to indulge in the sweetness only her body can offer.

 

http://www.shylacolt.com/books/

 

* * * * *

 

Sweet
Sizzle by Jodi Redford

 

Valentine’s
Day—the bane of Rory Sinclair’s existence. Hard to forgive the one holiday responsible
for the single most moronic decision of her life. If it was up to her, she’d
skip anything to do with cupid, but with her business partner home sick with
the flu, she’s stuck delivering a bunch of cookie bouquets to a local
firehouse. Who knows, maybe she’ll cure her Valentine’s Day neurosis and heat
up the mattress with a hunky firefighter. Her plan of donning some edible
undies and getting her freak on goes up in flames though the instant she steps
through the doors of Station 5 and spots Bennet Jackson—the man responsible for
her decade long Valentine’s Day boycott.

 

No matter
how hard he’s tried, Ben has never gotten over the innocent girl he foolishly
let slip between his fingers. When Rory unexpectedly crashes back into his
world, he figures it’s his only shot at righting the wrongs of his past and
getting her back in his bed and his life. For good. Unfortunately, she has
other plans. Ones that don’t include him. He’s well aware that she has every
reason to despise him, but if there’s one thing he’s up for, it’s a challenge.
Because there’s no way in hell he’s losing the woman of his dreams again. And
this time he’s prepared to pull out every dirty, sexy, and hotter-than-sin
trick to convince her to stay.

http://www.jodiredford.com/More_Books.html

 

* * * * *

 

Turnaround
by Cassandra Carr

Becca
and James don't date. Both are in their thirties and neither has found anyone
they feel is potential spouse material. Becca attends a "We Hate
Valentine's Day" party at a local bar where James is bartending. He knows
from the first day they meet that Becca is someone special, but Becca's more
cautious. James sets out to prove to Becca there really are happy-ever-afters.

 

http://www.booksbycassandracarr.com

 

 

* * * * *

 

The
Bet by Ty Langston

 

Meet
Chris Knight, lead singer of the international Rock Band, Knight’s Armor. He’s
successful, rich and is in deeply in love with his girlfriend, Gabrielle.
Gabrielle is a music columnist for Rockline Magazine. Her love of everything
music pales in comparsion to the love she has for her boyfriend, Chris
Knight.What happens when two people love each other so much, but decide to
change the rules? The dice is cast, a bet is made, how much will things change
between them? Or will it end things for good?

 

http://www.tylangston.com

 

* * * * *

 

A
Kiss From a Rose by Michel Prince

 

Jenna
Turner wasn’t looking for anything but a quick bite to eat when she met the
sexy peace officer Marcus Peterson. While Jenna has always been singularly focused
on her next big promotion at work, suddenly she’s distracted by alluring texts
from Marcus.

 

His
evocative words and her naughty responses invoke emotions neither seem ready
for, and luckily, neither have room in their busy lives to follow through on
all their sexting.

 

Can
two career driven people find the time to take their relationship to the next
level? Or will careers and the pressure to achieve goals cause the end to a
budding love?

 

http://www.michelprincebooks.com/

 

* * * * *

 

Falling
for Cupid by Christin Lovell

 

Cupid
Valentine, a.k.a. Coop, is the worst divorce attorney in the entire Northeast.
Ninety-eight percent of his clients reconcile before the gavel hits the block.
He's dedicated his life to love; yet he's never experienced it for
himself...until Daisy.
Plus size Daisy and her best friend, Brad, made a pact when they were younger:
if they weren't married by thirty, they'd marry each other. Two years later,
they've learned that love has many forms, and a passionate love is needed to
have a fulfilling relationship.
The pair confounds Coop. His job has always been to repair relationships, but
what happens when he suddenly finds himself rooting for the opposite of all he
stands for? He does what any smart cupid would do and flies away. But you can
only escape Cupid's arrow for so long, even if you happen to be Cupid.
http://christinlovell.com/

 

* * * * *

True
Love’s Fire by Sable Hunter

 

While
vacationing at a cabin in the Ozarks, Scott Walker - Austin neurobiologist,
gets snowed-in and has to be rescued by local, Lia Houston. She brings him
food, helps him fix his heat and tries to get his car on the road. A monster
storm has paralyzed the mountain and as she’s trying to chain his car to her
truck, a huge ice-covered limb falls, crushing the front of her pick-up and
almost flattening Scott. If she hadn’t moved fast, he’d be a memory – but the
brave action on her part comes with a price, she’s injured and stuck with Mr.
Know-It-All until the weather abates. Scott doesn’t believe in love, much less
love at First Sight. So when he meets Lia, he welcomes the attraction, but
fights the tenderness with every breath in his body. Join Sable Hunter as she
chronicles their journey from lust to love with a lot of fireworks in between.
They meet at the dawn of the New Year, and by Valentine’s Day the fires of True
Love are burning bright.

 

http://www.sablehunter.com/

 

About
the Author:

 

Cassandra
Carr is a multi-award winning erotic romance writer with Ellora's Cave,
Sybarite Seductions/Twenty or Less Press, Decadent Publishing, Siren
Publishing, and Loose Id. She lives in Western New York with her husband,
Inspiration, and her daughter, Too Cute for Words. When not writing she enjoys
watching hockey and hanging out online. 

For
more information about Cassandra, check out her website at 
http://www.
booksbycassandracarr.com
, "like" her Facebook fan page at 
http://www.facebook.com/
AuthorCassandraCarr
 or
follow her on Twitter at 
http://www.twitter.com/
Cassandra_Carr
.

 

 

Praise
for Cassandra Carr:

 

~
Should’ve
Known Better (Storm Series, Book 1)~

“…a
good contemporary romance read and perfect for a day of reading. Should've Known
Better has you cheering the team as well as their [Sebastian and Sarah’s]
relationship. I can't wait to read more about each of these players and how
they discover love.”

~Night
Owl Reviews

 

“Cassandra
Carr never disappoints. Having read several of her books, she is a must read
author and one we highly recommend and Should've Known Better fits right in
there…. I seriously hope that Cassandra Carr writes more books based with this
hockey team. I love a good hockey story with romance mixed in and as she is
such a talented writer it would be a pleasure to read more…. I loved the
characters and storyline so much that I finished it quickly just absorbing
everything.”

~Illustrious
Illusions

 

 

“5
stars! Cassandra Carr scores again…! Carr writes an absorbing contemporary
romance that grips you from the beginning and does not let you go. … The
romantic tension between Sarah and Sebastian is electrifying. With its lively
storytelling and loveable characters, Should’ve Known Better is an entertaining
story that readers will be glad they picked up.”

~Jeep
Diva

 

~
Talk
to Me~

“Ms.
Carr wove the sexual tension and interludes so seamlessly into the story that
they were not just delicious but also necessary.… Readers will easily relate to
the theme and be cheering the characters on as they discover love in a place
neither thought they would.”

~The
Romance Reviews

 

~
Collision
(Buckin’ Bull Riders, Book 2)~

“I
was hooked into this story from the beginning and didn't want to put it down.…
This book engaged my emotions throughout as I wanted to laugh, cry, and even
got mad at the characters. ”

~The
Romance Studio

 

~
Momentum
(Buckin’ Bull Riders, Book 3)~

“I
absolutely love this series and this book is a great addition to it, even
though I couldn’t figure out how Ms. Carr was going to make me fall in love
with an Italian cowboy, she not only did but did it well.”

~Night
Owl Reviews

 

~
Master
Class~

“The
writing was fresh and fun and I couldn’t have asked for anything more. … It was
a story that was perfectly written and perfectly told.”

~Guilty
Pleasures Book Reviews

 

 

 

~
See
the Light~

“I
became emotionally invested through the author’s eyes as I read page after
page, cheering for the happy ending that I so desperately wanted.”

~The
Jeep Diva

 

~
Service
Ace (Close Contact
 
anthology
)~

“Fun
short and sexy sports tale, with some sports lingo but mostly all the hot
intensity. Cassandra Carr never seems to disappoint
me!”     

~For
the Love of Reading

 

~
Loaded
Question~

“Ms.
Carr did a phenomenal job of bringing these characters to life in a very short
story and giving the reader a heat level that is scorching while never
compromising the plot or message of the story.”

~Sizzling
Hot Book Reviews

 

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