The HBS Author's Spotlight SHOWCASES Joan Reeves' New Book: The Key To Kristina .
Joan is a NY Times & USA Today best-selling author of Contemporary Romance.
THE KEY TO KRISTINA
Author: Joan Reeves
AVAILABLE
Amazon
Her father never gave her anything but a hard time—until he died and left Kristina a key. But a key to what?
A suspicious death. An inheritance. A mysterious ally. A shifty lawyer. A mystery. A key and a clue. A romance. A Quest that may be the adventure of a lifetime. None of that is what Kristina Rivera expects when she arrives for her appointment with a Houston lawyer. She thinks she's there to gather her father's possessions because he's probably been sent to jail again.
Instead, she meets Wyatt Morgan who’s also there at the lawyer’s request. She’s stunned when Morgan introduces himself as the Executor of her father’s estate. Shocked by this revelation, Kristina is grief-stricken, confused, and angry. Her father didn't have two nickels to rub together. Why would he write a will? Life has taught Kristina to initially distrust everyone and every situation, and this situation is beyond her comprehension.
With the aid of Wyatt Morgan, a man whose business seems to be fighting lost causes, Kristina undertakes The Quest, designed by her father, to find his hidden treasure. More than her legacy will be revealed, and danger stalks her every mile of her journey as she tries to discover what The Key To Kristina means.
Excerpt from The Key To Kristina
Chapter 1
What on earth was she doing here?
She was so far out of her comfort zone she might as well be on Mars. Kristina Rivera looked around the elegant law office which offered a stunning panoramic view of downtown Houston and the pewter-colored sky that portended rain. She’d expected the Gulf coast to be sunny and warm even though it was late September, but, like much of Texas, the weather was often unpredictable.
She shouldn’t have come.
She’d told herself that as she’d driven away from the crappy house trailer she called home in a dry, windy West Texas county. Her toes curled in her old athletic shoes as she fought the compulsion to run back to the parking garage, jump in her car, and race for home.
Her hands twisted the frayed straps of her backpack. She sneaked a quick glance downward to make sure no trace of grime from the oil changes she’d done yesterday rimmed her short fingernails or stained her skin. Despite the work gloves she always wore, grease seemed to find its way onto her hands. She loved what she did, but the downside of being an auto mechanic was that you were always dirty at the end of the day.
Kristina couldn’t help but compare her work-worn hands to the receptionist’s perfect hands. Everything about the blonde behind the desk looked pampered and perfect. The woman’s hands, with beautifully manicured nails, looked as if they’d never lifted anything heavier than the cell phone the woman was using. Her long blond hair curled around the woman’s shoulders, and she wore one of those form-fitting dresses Kristina had seen only on television. The better to accentuate the blonde’s perfectly crafted body—probably the result of a daily workout in a gym, not the daily workout of twelve-hour days Kristina logged as often as she could just to keep a roof over her head and some ramen noodles in the kitchen cupboard.
In her worn denim jacket and jeans, wrinkled long-sleeved yellow shirt, and a cheap cross-body purse, Kristina knew she looked little better than the homeless people she’d seen on the street near the parking garage. She stared at her backpack while she waited for the woman to finish her phone call. Even her backpack was old. She’d had it forever. In fact, a two-inch round red button that proclaimed Seniors Rule was still pinned to one of the zippered pockets. How pathetic was that?
Like the button adorning her old backpack, she was an nachronism—stuck in time as surely as if she’d been a tiny prehistoric fly in a block of amber. Irritated with herself and with the woman who continued to ignore her, she rapped her knuckles on the desktop. “Excuse me. I’m Kristina Rivera. I have a ten o’clock appointment with Mr. Tennant.”
Author Genre: Romance, Chick Lit, Nonfiction
Website: Joan Reeves
Author's Blog: Joan Reeves - Sling Words
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E-Mail: Joan@JoanReeves.com
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Author Description: Joan Reeves is a New York Times and a USA Today bestselling author of Contemporary Romance. Her novels have been published in a half dozen languages, and her ebooks are available at most ebook sellers with audio book and print editions also available.
When not writing romance--or nonfiction to share what she has learned in life--Joan divides her time between the hustle and bustle of Houston and a house in the Texas Hill Country. At their country house, Joan and her hero, her husband, sit on the porch at night, look up at the star-studded sky, and listen to the coyotes howl.
Joan lives the philosophy that is the premise of all of her romance novels: "It's never too late to live happily ever after."
Author's Book List
Liam's Wild Irish Rose - A Moment in Time Book 4
Maura O'Reilly doesn't want a relationship--she just wants Liam Harper. But Liam wants more than sex. Just the thought of being tied to one man makes her anxious. She tries to resist him--she really does, but every time she sees him, her resolve and good intentions melted away. How can she cut him loose?
Of all the women in the world, Liam Harper had to fall for the one who seems to have no interest in him. At least no interest outside of the bedroom. A lot of men would think that was the perfect relationship--hot sex with a beautiful woman who had no interest in a relationship.
Unfortunately, Liam wasn't one of those men. He wanted Maura, and he wanted more than sex. He wanted all of her. Could he have the luck of the Irish on St. Patrick's Day and finally get Maura to commit to him?
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Second Chance Bride - All Brides Are Beautiful Book 2
He was the only man she wanted—and the one man she could never have.
She left town at eighteen, wanting to leave behind all the pain and heartbreak. She reinvented herself as wealthy, successful Constance Quinn. The only problem is there's no room for love or relationships in her rigidly controlled existence. Now older and wiser and having made peace with her stepdaughter, she's determined to find the part of herself that got lost in her transformation.
"A blonde with curves in all the right places." That's what Alex Martinez thinks when he meets Constance. When they touch, something hot and urgent passes between them. Their attraction is mutual. Their desire is palpable.
Although Constance cannot resist a kiss from Alex, she knows she's playing with fire because he might discover her secret.
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April Fool Bride - All Brides Are Beautiful Book 1
Is it a marriage of convenience or something more?
Oil heiress Madeline Quinn needs a husband by the time she turns twenty-five in order to claim her full inheritance. Mad Maddie, as the tabloids christened her, has learned the hard way that men only see dollar signs when they look at her.
Maddie decides a marriage of convenience is the only answer. She turns to the one man in the world she can trust, her housekeeper’s son who always treated her like a little sister when they were growing up—until one disastrous night when she acted impetuously.
Jake Becker hasn’t seen Maddie since the night she tried to seduce him. Why should he help the woman who changed the course of his life? Simple. Revenge.
Or is it something else? Something that sizzles like steam heat between Maddie and Jake that neither can resist!?
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Dead Heat - Outlaw Ridge, Texas Book 2
She ran to the only man who had the skills to save her.
Sabrina Snow knew she was going to get herself killed if she didn’t get help. Someone was after her, and he wasn't going to stop. She ran to the only man she trusted...the only man who had the skills to save her. Too bad he probably hated her.
But she owed him the truth even though she'd wanted to keep the knowledge from him. What if she were killed? John needed to know where to look. If he'd hated her before, what would he feel once he learned the depth of her deception?
Navy SEAL John Galloway doesn't trust Sabrina. She lies for a living so how can he? So what's he supposed to do when she shows up in the last place he ever expected to see her?
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Blame It On Chocolate - A Moment in Time Romance Book 3
In this funny short story romance, A Moment in Time is all it takes for Love to be Revealed.
Chloe Elliot was the good girl. She’d never been a hell-raiser. Never gotten drunk, used drugs, smoked pot, or slept around. She didn’t even curse! Since her dad was the son of a minister and the oft-elected mayor, and her mom was the elementary school principal, she'd had no choice but to live a life above reproach. Truthfully, it really hadn’t been that difficult.
Until Hunter Cole returned to his home town.
That was the beginning of Chloe's fall from good girl status. There was just something about the man that addled her brain and created havoc in her body.
Hunter Cole reckoned he had the best of all possible worlds. He'd played for the NFL, and even though two back surgeries had ended that career, he was lucky enough to follow in his dad's footsteps and work the family ranch and also follow his granddad's path and be the sheriff in his west Texas town. Life was perfect.
Until he dropped by the library to say hello to his best friend's little sister.
Chloe wasn't so little any more. In fact, just looking at her made his common sense evaporate. She affected him like no other woman--and he'd had women throwing themselves at him since he was a high school quarterback! If he made a move on her, her brother would nail his hide to the wall. There was only one thing he could do, but did he really want to do that? The thought of it made his bachelor heart shudder with alarm.
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LuvU4Ever - A Moment in Time Romance Book 1
A Moment in Time is all it takes for Love to be revealed.
LuvU4Ever. That's what was engraved on the gold heart David gave Noelle when he proposed. David and Noelle have been married 10 years.
He promised to love her forever? So what happened?
"I told you to never call me at home."
Can nine little words destroy love?
This year as Christmas approaches, Noelle faces the biggest decision of her life. Will she choose payback? Will she choose love? Or will she just walk away?
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KOBO Store
iTunes Store
Last Christmas - Small Town Texas Romance Book 1
Have you ever had your heart broken and didn't know why it happened? Then this romance novella about love at first sight, heartbreak, revenge, redemption, and second chances is for you!
Last Christmas Annabelle gave Rick her heart. He stomped on it. This Christmas, Rick's going to pay!
A year ago, Annabelle fell in love at first sight with a mysterious stranger. After a week of unforgettable passion, he walked out of her life. A year of heartache, accompanied by the dirty tricks life can serve up, finds Annabelle back in her hometown, determined to forget the man who still haunts her dreams.
Who should walk into her grandmother’s Christmas party? Why the man who seduced her, lied to her, and betrayed her! He has a new name and a new identity, but his effect on her is as old as time.
Rick Lassiter wants to woo Annabelle back to him. Unfortunately, he has two big problems: he can't explain the past and the sweet-tempered, passionate woman he fell in love with has a will as strong as his and a desire to make him pay for breaking her heart.
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Heat Lightning - Outlaw Ridge, Texas Book 1
Secrets, lies, passion. What Tessa doesn't remember may mean the death of her.
Her husband found her, claimed her, rescued her. David’s touch makes Tessa throb. Desire flashes between them like heat lightning on a summer night. Her body knows David, but when she looks at him, he is a stranger to her. Not a flicker of memory is left of him or their life together since she awakened from a coma.
Amnesia has left her with nothing but questions. Who is she? Why does David seem to hate her even as he pulls her into his arms? What is he hiding? How can she trust him when her gut says, Trust no one?
As her love for David grows, so does her feeling of foreboding--as if something awful is watching and waiting.
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Amazon
Cinderella Blue - San Antone Two-Step Book 2
Love means never having to say, "You're under arrest."
Detective Andrea Luft--Andie to her friends--loves to say those three little words. Especially to bad guys who SO deserve it. Andie is undercover to catch the thief stealing designer wedding gowns from San Antonio bridal boutiques. She's about to make an arrest when Detective Bruce Benton barges onto the scene. The suspect escapes, and, as a reward for this screw-up, Benton and Andie are paired together as partners to close the case.
These two commitment-phobic cops have nothing in common except their tendency to annoy each other–unless you count the desire sizzling between them. But a cop romance just isn't in the cards for them. At a cop shop, a workplace romance can cause you to make careless mistakes that can be hazardous to your health--and your career!
Too bad because Benton realizes feisty, smart-mouthed Andie is the woman he's been waiting for. He just doesn't know how to convince her of that.
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Nobody's Cinderella - San Antone Two-Step Book 1
She wished on a star. Uh oh! She should have been careful what she wished for!
Review for this sexy romantic comedy: "I love Ms. Reeves' heroines. There is a little bit of them in all of us and that endears them to us even more. Just enough conflict, steam, misunderstandings, and humor."
Darcy Benton is the oldest cliche in the world—a woman in love with her boss. Other than that, she's no-nonsense, practical, mature, and sober. She's just the kind of woman Chase Whitaker wants as head of accounting for his company. She's definitely not the kind of woman he wants in his bed.
Enter Darcy's meddling, matchmaking best friend who has a plan to transform Darcy into a hottie designed to attract Chase's interest. All it takes? A couple of little lies. And that pesky wish on a star.
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Little Book of Sunshine - For Readers and Writers
All of us experience defeat and rejection at some point no matter how hard we persevere or how hard we work. Sure, we know there are no bargains at the counter of success, but we still don't expect the struggle to be so darn hard.
How do you keep going when everything seems to conspire to kick you in the teeth? How do you persist when you feel little validation for your efforts?
Often, there comes a point in the struggle when you just need a little help from outside yourself to lift you up and keep you going.
If the black clouds of dejection are hovering, and it's raining on your parade, then let the Little Book of Sunshine: For Readers and Writers put a smile on your face, boost your motivation, and give you the encouragement to continue on your journey to success.
This small book is not just encouragement for women or for writers. This is encouragement for men too--for all readers who love books and like tidbits about authors.
Drop negativity like the bad habit it is. Make optimism your attitude of choice. What are you waiting for? The only thing you have to lose is the bad attitude that's holding you back.
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SCENTS and SENSUALITY
A science nerd desperate for a date to her snooty cousin's wedding. A man desperate to put an end to his matchmaking mom's schemes. Let the games begin!
Perfumer Amanda Whitfield no longer sees the science geek when she looks in her mirror - thanks to the makeover her best friend gave her - but inside she still feels like that geeky girl. She knows all about the Science of Sex Appeal, in a purely intellectual way, but when it comes to a practical application of the knowledge, as in Romance and Sex, Amanda draws a blank.
Desperate for a date to her cousin's wedding, Amanda, follows her best friend's advice to portray an empty-headed hottie whose bra size is a bigger number than her IQ. She'll do whatever it takes to get a date for her cousin's wedding because there's no way she'll go without a man on her arm.
Enter a matchmaking mom with a son to marry off.
Computer genius Harrison Kincaid is fed up with his mother's crazy schemes. He's determined to teach her a lesson, but, first, he must deal with her latest prospect, Amanda Whitfield. He hatches a plan to ensure that Amanda will kick him to the curb.
Surprise! When Amanda and Harrison meet, desire crackles like electricity between them. They each had an agenda. They both lied. What will happen when the masquerade is revealed. Will the truth set them free to love or rip them apart?
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OLD ENOUGH TO KNOW BETTER - The Good, The Bad, The Girly Book 1
Stormy's life has been as turbulent as her name. She doesn't want another man complicating her life. Not even sexy Sean Butler, but Sean has a plan to win Stormy's heart. His plan? Whatever it takes!
Review for this Romantic Comedy: "This is truly a feel-good book. ... Sean is wonderful and sexy and Stormy is aptly named. She is complicated and emotional and needs to feel the love and lust of a good man."
Stormy Clarkson is haunted by mistakes that taught her to be wary of men who wanted her for her face and her body, but not for herself.
Sean Butler has been after Stormy for months, but she's resisted every advance. He scares her because of the way he makes her feel. Determined never to risk her heart, she denies her desire for Sean.
Sean, once an interrogator for the U.S. Army, knows a lie when he hears one, and that's all he hears in Stormy's icy refusals. He's smart enough to know that the only way to deal with a control freak like Stormy is to make her lose control.
The beautiful blonde had better be on her guard because Sean has a plan to do just that. In this sexy romantic comedy, he's prepared to do whatever it takes to win Stormy's heart.
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Romeo and Judy Anne - Texas One Night Stands Book 2
With eccentric small town characters, a bratty niece, an overbearing school board president, and the temptation of a secret lover, Judy Anne has all she can do to keep her passion from turning into the biggest scandal little Clayton Bend, Texas, has ever seen.
Can good girls ever win? High school principal Judy Anne Palmer doesn't think so. She was always a good girl who never did an impulsive, rebellious thing. Ever. And look where it got her! Stuck in a life she hates!
One night in Dallas, she meets a man and decides to indulge in a liberating night of passion--liberating her from the stigma of being the oldest living virgin north of the Rio Grande. After all, she'll never see her one-night Romeo again.
Unfortunately, the night doesn't turn out exactly the way she planned, and her one-night Romeo isn't exactly one-night stand material.
When Roman Carlisle turns up in her hometown as a new teacher on her faculty, Judy Anne knows that she's in big trouble. Can she resist the desire that burns between them? Can one night of sex and passion be enough?
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Just One Look
Seduction and sex can be pretty funny when both sides play dirty!
I loved this book! If you haven't read JUST ONE LOOK, you're missing out on a great story. It's humorous, sexy to the max, and just plain entertaining. ~ Amazon Reviewer
What would you do if the gynecologist subbing for your regular doctor turned out to be your old high school crush? Successful psychologist Dr. Jennifer Monroe does what any normal, well-adjusted woman would do. She makes an excuse to send the doctor and nurse from the room, dives into her clothes, and flees!
Unfortunately, her running away makes conscientious Dr. Matt Penrose conclude she has some kind of sexual hangup. For her health, he's determined to refer her to another doctor, but she refuses to take his calls. He's determined to talk to her so he can suggest counseling for what he thinks are emotional problems.
Jennifer plans to never see him again. Dallas is a big city. What are the odds that she'll ever run into him? Even money when Fate lends a hand.
When Jennifer and Matt meet at a charity gala, he earnestly urges her to seek professional help. Jennifer is incensed that he thinks she's some frigid old maid--and that he doesn't remember her. All the old high school resentment floods back, fueling her determination to teach him a lesson he won't soon forget. You know what they say about payback!
Kids play doctor, but these doctors play seduction games, and they're playing for keeps. Will Matt recognize Jennifer? Will Jennifer lure him into her bed? This payback is smoking hot!
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JANE I'm-Still-Single JONES
A billionaire, a movie star, a secret crush. A Gilligan's Island re-run? No, just your typical high school reunion!
What could be worse for a former high school beauty queen, who never landed the only man she ever loved, than attending her 10-year high school reunion alone? Not much, according to textile designer Jane Louise Jones as she prepares to endure the weekend in her hometown, just south of nowhere in the rolling hills of Louisiana.
To make matters worse, Morgan Sherwood, the town boy-wonder who made good in a big way, arrives with his entourage in a stretch limo, and he's not a geeky kid any more. He's six feet of tanned, rippling muscles, and he plans to focus his high-powered brain and every seductive charm he possesses on the lovely Miss Jones.
With a former classmate intent on claiming the billionaire as husband number four, a Hollywood starlet who shows up to party with Morgan, and an old boyfriend intent on stealing Jane's affection, Morgan has more obstacles than he'd expected.
Throw in her grandmother and the rest of the blue-haired, matchmaking women of the Vernon Ladies Bridge Club, lots of southern charm, a ten-year old betrayal, and plenty of humor for a heartwarming—and heart throbbing—sexy romantic comedy that will leave you with a smile.
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Still The One
Burke Winslow needed a wife. But he didn't have his ex, Ally, in mind for the position.
Burke Winslow stands at the altar, ready to marry his business partner in a marriage of convenience. The minister solemnly asks: "If anyone here knows why this man and this woman shouldn't be joined in holy matrimony, let him speak now or forever hold his peace."
A rain-soaked, bedraggled Ally Fletcher limps down the aisle and shouts, "Stop the wedding!"
What follows is a funny, sexy romp that proves when there's love, passion never dies, it just smolders away until you toss some gasoline on it. Burke and Ally provide that gasoline when they find themselves locked in a marriage of--inconvenience.
His cagey grandfather pulls Burke's strings, and her equally cagey grandmother manipulates Ally. Toss in a pretend boyfriend for Ally, and Burke's scorned business partner left at the altar to make for complete chaos.
Can Burke and Ally stop fighting long enough to peel away the layers of the past and discover the truth about their love and passion? Will the truth free them or put them asunder?
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The Trouble With Love - Texas One Night Stands Book 1
Hang on to your Stetson as the fun and games begin in a sexy romantic comedy hotter than a bowl of Texas chili!
By-the-book Deputy Susannah Quinn has all she can do to resist rule-breaking FBI Special Agent D. E. Hogan.
To catch a thief, Susannah and Hogan pose as husband and wife and go undercover. Unfortunately, Susannah and Hogan have already been undercover—in a bed in a Houston hotel where they first met.
For her part, Susannah wishes her lapse in judgment would take a flying leap and land on Jupiter. Hogan, on the other hand, wants to get the contrary deputy into his bed, but the complications caused by family—his and hers—pretty much guarantee that's never going to happen.
Throw in an over-the-hill Romeo and his lady love, a middle-aged mom determined to have her own love affair, and the charm of a small Texas town, and you get a story with heart, soul, and passion—lots of passion.
Can Susannah and Hogan, two mismatched lovers doing everything in their power to avoid falling in love, catch a thief and recover stolen jewels? The clock is ticking. They have only seven days—and nights—to complete their assignment and resist the sweet siren call of desire.
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Post Created by: James Moushon
Mystery Author, Industry blogger and Author Advocate
James is the author of the following blogs:
HBS Author’s Spotlight
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James, thank you. I'm very appreciative of your support.
ReplyDeleteJames...how lovely to see this spotlight on Joan Reeves, an excellent writer!
ReplyDeleteWonderful spotlight, James. I see a few Joan Reeves titles to add to my collection.
ReplyDeleteLove your books, Joan! I have my copy of this one!
ReplyDeleteJames, you are so kind to other authors, which also benefits readers.
ReplyDeleteJoan, you know I love your writing. I don't know how I missed the sunshine book but I'll get it now.