Valentine's Week Special Offer: Spotlight on Valentine's Day Brides

This week, enjoy four seasonal romances in the Brides of Noelle series for less than the price of a peppermint mocha! 

Today, we'll take a closer look at two Valentine's Day brides.

JOLIE by E.E. Burke 
On sale for 99 cents this week only!

A chance meeting and the gift of a Valentine’s card bring together a jaded madam and a blind peddler, whose love challenges a mining town to change the rules.

 Can love be blind?

Jolie LaFemme has been a working girl at La Maison for four long years. She’s jaded, distrustful and blind to the possibility of love. As far as she's concerned, being the madam at a parlor house is the best she can hope for. 

Hank Donavan arrives in Noelle with a plan to ensure his sister's financial security, and regain his pride. He’s offered a chance to invest in the town’s richest silver mine...if he can find a wife. Who would marry a blind man when there are plenty of hale and hearty men to go around?

Here's an excerpt:

Someone knocked on the front door.

“I’ll get that,” Jolie called out. She paused to check her hair in the mirror, and smoothed down wayward strands.  Yikes, she needed another treatment to bring out the auburn, and she was pale as a corpse. She bit her lips and pinched her cheeks—that didn’t really help—then grimaced at her reflection before she turned away. Hopefully, it was no one important. The regulars knew better than to call before noon.

If it did happen to be a customer, she’d call down one of the other girls to entertain him. That was one advantage of being the madam, not having to work upstairs in order to make a living. One of the worst parts of being in the business was putting up with men that were, in a word, repulsive.

Jolie opened the door and sucked in a gasp.

The least repulsive man she’d ever seen stood on the front porch. Arresting blue eyes framed with dark lashes; rich brown hair, clean and shiny and just long enough to tempt a woman’s fingers to comb through it; smooth-shaven face with strong lines, yet too classic to be called rugged. He wore a clean, pressed suit—which put him in a minority in the rough mining town—and held a battered case with leather straps. Next to him sat a huge brindle-colored dog.

A smile tugged at Jolie’s lips. She hadn’t seen a dog that large since she’d bid goodbye to her beloved childhood pet, Soldier. For a heartbeat, she couldn’t decide whether the man or the dog was a more welcome sight.

“Good afternoon.” The man’s rich baritone sent shivers down Jolie’s spine. His gaze appeared to be trained on a spot a bit to the right, as if he were looking over her shoulder. She glanced back to see if Angelique stood behind her. No, no one else there.

“It’s not quite after noon,” she pointed out.

“Is this La Maison?” He appeared uncertain.

Could he not read the sign? She’d paid dearly to have a new one painted and had even asked the French-speaking artist to create an image of a chateau. The idiot had painted a hat. Chapeau, he’d proclaimed proudly. It would’ve cost much to repaint it. Maybe that’s what had confused this man.

“Yes, this is La Maison. May I ask your business?”

“Yes, ma’am…or is it Miss?”

“Neither, its Jolie.”

His remarkable blue eyes shifted to her face and narrowed in a way that suggested he was evaluating her features. “As in très jolie?”

Ah, a smooth-talker, or he was having a joke at her expense. Either way, she didn’t appreciate it. “No, just Jolie.”

“Pleased to meet you. I’m Hank Donovan, but just Hank will do. May I come in, Jolie?”

“Yes, of course, just Hank.”

His lips twisted in amusement. How nice to know he could take a joke, as well as deliver one. Too many men were sadly lacking in humor and she’d borne the bruises to prove it.

She moved out of the way so Hank could enter. Business was business, after all. She didn’t turn down a chance to make money and neither did the other girls, especially when a customer looked as nice as this one.

Above is an inspiration board I created for Jolie. This is how I see Hank's smile. No wonder Jolie fell for him! I hope you'll check out their story. 

JOLIE by E.E. Burke 

On sale for 99 cents this week only!

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OPHELIA by Kit Morgan
On sale for 99 cents this week only!

Clint Jones came to Noelle for one purpose and one purpose only. Get in, assess the town, and get out. Then he'd report to his superiors at Wells Fargo and Company to let them know if Noelle was respectable and prosperous enough to open a branch there. 

But what Clint found was anything but respectable! 

Toss in a violet-eyed beauty that takes his breath away, a mayor and a preacher he thinks are consorting with the worst sorts of evil, and the fun begins. Enjoy this hilarious romp as only Kit Morgan can deliver. Sweet, clean and wholesome romance at its very best!

Here's an excerpt:

After filling the pitcher, he went back to his room, washed his face and shaved. He wanted to look his best when he met Mayor Hardt. No doubt the man had already dealt with an opportunist or two. He didn’t want to look too shabby, but he didn’t want to come across as just another slick conman either. The poor fellow would have enough of those to deal with. He went to the window, opened it and prepared to toss out the wash water.

“Oh!”

Clint looked to his left. “Oh,” he echoed. Not easy, considering his breath caught in his throat. Leaning out the window next door, also emptying out a basin, was the most angelic creature he’d ever seen. Raven curls framed her face, accentuating her alabaster complexion. But it was her eyes that captured him – wide open, a vibrant violet against her creamy skin – the most unusual color he’d ever seen. “Hello,” he finally managed.

“Hello,” she said shyly. “Are you … a guest?”

“Yes, I am,” he said, thankful his voice didn’t crack. “You?”

“Yes, I’m a guest. But not of the saloon, I mean.”

He smiled. She was adorable. Her voice was delicate and young. She was pure innocence in a blue dress. “No?”

She blushed. “My friend lives here. I’m her guest.”

His brow knit. Who lived in a saloon? “She lives here?” Maybe Seamus did keep whores after all.

She swallowed. “Y-yes,” she squeaked as the washbasin in her hands tilted, dumping its contents.

“Dangblast it!” a gruff voice bellowed from below. “Watch what you’re doing!”

“Oh, I’m so sorry, sir,” she called down.

A heavily bearded – and heavily drenched – man shook a fist at her and grumbled before stalking away.

“Oh dear,” she said. “I didn’t make a friend of him, did I?”

“I should say not,” Clint said. He leaned farther out the window, dumping his own washbowl in the process.

“Ack!” came a screech from below. “Who did that?”

“I apologize,” Clint called down as his pretty neighbor gasped, then giggled. “I’m afraid I didn’t see you there.”

The man below looked up at him, at the woman, swore under his breath and stomped off.

“Oh dear,” the angel said. “Neither one of us is making a very good impression.”

“Not on those below us, anyway. I’m Clint Jones.”

She blushed. “Hello. I’m Miss Ophelia Rathbone.”

“A pleasure to meet you, Miss Rathbone. You hang out of windows often?”

Here is Kit's inspiration board for Ophelia. Working together on these two Valentine's stories was so much fun!

I hope you'll have fun reading them! 

OPHELIA by Kit Morgan

On sale for 99 cents this week only!

💖💖💖

Also on sale this week: Norah, A St. Patrick's Day Bride by Amanda McIntyre and Robyn, A Christmas Bride by Jacqui Nelson. Pick up all four delightful romances for a sweet deal, only 99 cents each.

We're running a contest this week for four free eBooks from E.E. Burke, Kit Morgan, Jacqui Nelson & Amanda McIntyre, and a $20 gift card. 

Five winners will be drawn on Monday, February 18.

Leave a comment to be entered (and don't forget to leave your email we we can reach you).

What was one of your favorite Valentine's Day gifts, or one you'd like to receive?