Wednesday, June 30, 2021

Flag On The Play Blog Tour

 

Carson Ward goes from star Quarterback to single dad the second his ex drops a newborn off on his doorstep, he needs help, and luckily for him, his best friend’s sister, Abby Lauder is ready to rise to the challenge. But can the two go from secret crushes to dirty diapers and late-night feedings without ruining the walls that have been built or will they realize that love is worth the risk? Readers will swoon for this Best Friend's Sibling romance featuring a sexy doorstep dad. Fall in love with your next book boyfriend with Flag on the Play by Kay Gordon, the next book in the Single Dad’s Romance series.

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Carson Ward’s life might seem glamorous but he’s a simple guy. He loves football, his family, and spending time with his friends. His biggest flaw might just be the fact that he has a secret crush on his best friend’s little sister and has for years.

Abby Lauder is a free spirit and loves seeing life through the lens of her camera. As the photographer for a professional football team, she’s used to being just one of the guys. Whether she’s taking pictures of nature or pictures of football players, she never fails to catch the perfect image. So what if her camera lingers on her brother’s best friend a bit longer than others?

When Carson's ex-girlfriend drops a newborn baby off on his doorstep, he’s caught completely unaware. He never dreamed that he would go from star quarterback to a single dad in an instant. Luckily, he has help from those around him- including Abby. But, taking care of a newborn baby isn’t easy and it’ll require the quarterback and the photographer to spend even more time together. 

Amidst the diaper changes and late night feedings, hiding their feelings from each other will be harder than they think. Besides, their relationship is taboo in far too many ways for things to really go anywhere between them…right? 

Or maybe Carson and Abby will realize that sometimes love is worth the risk.

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Excerpt 

Copyright 2021 Kay Gordon

Silence fell over us as we headed out of the locker room and to the tunnel. I was running through a list of things I needed to get from the grocery store when I heard the unmistakable click of a camera.
Normally that sound gave me a bit of a fight or flight reaction. After years of being in the media spotlight, I still wasn’t as used to it as some might assume. It was a necessary evil with my occupation, though, and I did my best to ignore them completely.
Inside the stadium, though, the sound gave me a different type of reaction. When I glanced over, my eyes landed on where a big professional camera was pointed right in our direction. The person behind the camera, however, was what grabbed my attention.
Abby was easily the most beautiful woman I’d ever seen. Her shiny, light-brown hair fell halfway down her back and looked so damn soft. She had eyes that were such a light brown color that they almost appeared gold. She didn’t usually wear makeup and didn’t need to. Her natural beauty was enough.
She was also tiny. She couldn’t have been an inch over five-four with a curvy body that matched her small stature well. She caught eyes of people wherever we were and it irritated me more than it should’ve. Despite her small appearance, Abby had a big personality. She laughed all the time and made friends with everyone she met.
You’d think after working with her for more than two years and knowing her for almost six, I’d be over my infatuation with her, but it never seemed to go away. Not really. I was good at ignoring and pretending, though.
Because I had to. Trevor made it clear to everyone when she started working as the Wildcats official team photographer that his little sister was off-limits.
It sucked.
“Hey, Abs.” I offered her a bright smile, pushing back my attraction to her. “Make sure you pick the best ones of me and the worst ones of this troll to use, okay?”
Trevor let out a bark of laughter and used one hand to shove me back as he approached his little sister. “She would never do me dirty like that, would you, short stuff?”
“You know better than to ask that question,” she replied with a snort as she lowered her camera and ducked away from her brother, who was probably about to give her a noogie of some kind. “I pick only the ugliest of your ugly face.”
“Don’t make me call Mom,” he warned, laughter in his voice. “She won’t take well to you hurting her baby boy’s feelings.”
Abby rolled her eyes. “The sad thing is that you’re right.”
It was weird to see the two of them together and to think that they were related in anyway. Other than the color of their hair, Abby and Trevor looked nothing alike and the contrast between their overall appearance was almost laughable.
Watching them together always made me miss my own little sister. Parker and I were close but while I was in Denver playing football, she was in Sacramento and working for a pro-hockey team. We were close and always had been, so it sucked that we didn’t get to see each other more. The little brat was happy, though, and that was all that mattered.
“Exactly.” Trevor flashed his sister a smug smile before jerking his chin towards her. “What are these pictures for?”
She shrugged and glanced down at the camera she was holding. “Everyone wants to see what the Wildcats are doing to prepare for the season, so I’m snapping a little bit of everything.”
“Are you ready for another season?” I asked as I adjusted the duffel bag on my shoulder.
Abby nodded and a bright smile crossed her face, making her even more beautiful.
“I enjoy the traveling, but I get more time to explore than you guys do.” She glanced behind her when we heard others coming down the tunnel. “Let me go snap some photos of these guys. See you both later?”
“See you at home,” Trevor confirmed with a nod and I just smiled at her.
“See you later, Abby.”

About Kay Gordon

Kay Gordon is a married, mother of two living near the west coast. She spends her days teaching young, impressionable minds in public school and evenings typing away furiously once her children are in bed. She loves to take her characters on a journey, making that happy ending even better!

Her favorite genre to read is Contemporary Romance but won’t hesitate to try anything with promise. One of her favorite past times is to read the book and then go see the movie while forcing her husband to listen to her point out all of the differences in real time. She’s still not over what Harry did to the Elder Wand in DH2.

When she's not teaching or writing, Kay loves to spend time with her family and friends, although she doesn’t ever say no to a good nap. She’s an avid lover of hockey and can be seen cheering for her beloved Nashville Predators- no matter how much they frustrate her.

Kay always welcomes feedback and comments (or even just a healthy argument about why Backstreet Boys are better than *Nsync) so please don't hesitate to reach out!

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About the Single Dad’s Romance Series

Seven single dads, all from different walks of life and doing the best they can to raise their children - are ready to make you fall in love. 

From the celebrity dad just trying to protect the ones he loves from the spotlight...to the silver fox who's out to prove it's never too late to have a family of your own - this single dads collection guarantees to bring you a whole lot of love and of course, a happily ever after. 

Look no further, your next book boyfriend is here!

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Tuesday, June 22, 2021

A Distant Grave Review

Author: Sarah Stewart Taylor
Series: Maggie D'arch #2
Genre: Suspense 
Publisher: Minotaur Books
Release Date: June 22, 2021
Order Link: Amazon

My Rating: 4 Puzzled Hearts
Special thanks to Minotaur Books for an arc of this book. 

In the follow up to the critically acclaimed The Mountains Wild, Detective Maggie D'arcy tackles another intricate case that bridges Long Island and Ireland.

Review:
Det. Maggie D'arcy is planning a two week vacation to Ireland with daughter Lilly to visit boyfriend Conor when she catches a murder case in Long Island. An Irish National (later identified as Gabriel Traecy) is shot on the beach leading to a mysterious, convoluted case that will have Maggie working with Garda Detectives in Ireland during her vacation. The deeper the investigation goes, the more frustrated they become.  While readers are privy to Gabriel's point of view through snippets of past episodes in his life, Maggie is left with random tidbits of information to try to piece together.  When the investigation draws her into the bullseye of a killer, Maggie finds herself trying to juggle both her professional and personal life in a complex, highly entertaining story.  The clock is ticking and time is running out for Maggie in both her professional and personal lives.  If she can't solve the case soon, she may not have a job to go home to.

A Distant Grave is a complex, highly atmospheric story delivered through lyrical prose that intricately weaves several plot lines together leading to an explosive ending.  Taylor's characterizations lend an air of authenticity to a cast from two cultures, two countries with detailed characters who keep you guessing.  She excels at setting an ominous tone through setting, characters and multiple plots driving the pace forward with increasing speed and urgency.    While plot lines and characters can seem murky at times, Taylor spins and pulls all threads together by the end.  A Distant Grave is a well-written, intimate story that links past, present and future together in a story that fans of mystery and suspense will enjoy.  It's a fantastic follow-up to book one which I highly recommend.  

Synopsis: 
Long Island homicide detective Maggie D'arcy and her teenage daughter, Lilly, are still recovering from the events of last fall when a strange new case demands Maggie's attention. The body of an unidentified Irish national turns up in a wealthy Long Island beach community and with little to go on but the scars on his back, Maggie once again teams up with Garda detectives in Ireland to find out who the man was and what he was doing on Long Island. As the strands of the mystery lead Maggie to a quiet village in rural County Clare and back to her home turf, they also lead her in range of a dangerous and determined killer who will do anything to keep the victim's story hidden forever.

With the lyrical prose, deeply drawn characters, and atmospheric setting that made The Mountains Wild one of 2020's most anticipated summer reads, Sarah Stewart Taylor delivers another gripping mystery novel about family, survival, and the meaning of home.

Sarah Stewart Taylor grew up on Long Island and was educated at Middlebury College and Trinity College, Dublin. She lives with her husband and three children on a farm in Vermont where they raise sheep and blueberries.

Sarah is the author of THE MOUNTAINS WILD, an atmospheric thriller about a Long Island homicide detective named Maggie D'Arcy who returns to Ireland twenty-three years after the unsolved disappearance of her beloved cousin Erin in the Wicklow Mountains. When a young woman disappears and new evidence from Erin’s case is found, Maggie will have to uncover the truth about the Irish man she's never stopped loving and, in order to help Irish police save the missing woman, the truth about who Erin was and what happened to her.


A DISTANT GRAVE, the second Maggie D'arcy mystery, will be out on June 22, 2021. Maggie and her teenage daughter, Lilly, are still recovering from the events of last fall when a strange new case demands Maggie's attention. The body of an unidentified Irish national turns up in a wealthy Long Island beach community and with little to go on but the scars on his back, Maggie once again teams up with Garda detectives in Ireland to find out who the man was and what he was doing on Long Island. The strands of the mystery take Maggie to a quiet village in rural County Clare that's full of secrets and introduce her to the world of humanitarian aid workers half a world away. And as she gets closer to the truth about the murder, what she learns leads her back to her home turf and into range of a dangerous and determined killer who will do anything to keep the victim's story hidden forever.

Sarah is also the author of the Sweeney St. George mystery series, about an art historian who studies funerary art, "the art of death," from Minotaur Books. The first book in the series, O’ Artful Death, was nominated for an Agatha Award for Best First Novel.

Her non-fiction has been published in The Washington Post, The Boston Globe, and many other publications.

http://www.sarahstewarttaylor.com/