What are readers saying about 40 AND (SO OVER) FIXING IT?
What are readers saying about 40 AND (SO OVER) FIXING IT? Let’s see!
"Their story is funny, emotional and steamy. I have to mention that I fell in love with Carter's son Thad immediately. I am loving the silver foxes and can't wait for more Black Wolf's Bluff stories." - Linda, GR reviewer
"40 and (so over) Fixing It is the 3rd book in the series, a wonderfully emotional romance featuring a grumpy hero with a goey soft center; a sassy, strong-willed heroine yearning for family - and a heartbreakingly endearing little boy ready to open his heart to new people. Add in a possessive peacock, old friends and a charming little town, and you've got the perfect story to while away an evening. Just make sure you clear your calendar first, because you won't want to put this book down! The HEA had me tearing up and I can't wait to see what happens next in Black Wolf's Bluff." - Silke, GR reviewer
"A great second chance at love read with steam, some surprises, humour and amazing characters. I loved their banter and tension that didn’t include over the top drama…..handled everything with maturity and clarity, like true adults." -Di, GR reviewer
Grab your copy today!
Carter's Dating Disasters Take #1 🤣
Here's a sneak peek into the first chapter of 40 and (So Over) Fixing It to quench your thirst....
Carter's Dating Disasters Take #1 🤣
Carter Deveraux was going to kill his sister. No more blind dates, no more harassing him till he agreed. He wouldn’t have to put up with Emma’s pestering because she wouldn’t be around to pester him anymore. He would make sure of it.
“Carter?”
The woman standing beside his table had to be at least half his age. Maybe more, given he was fifty and she didn’t look like she was out of her teens. That might just be the clothes, though; the barely knee-length plaid skirt she wore was more suited to a Catholic schoolgirl than a dinner at a restaurant listed in the top ten of New York City. Come to think of it, so was the tight white button-down. And God almighty, she was wearing knee socks.
Thank God he hadn’t taken her to the Prime—Linc would never let him hear the end of this.
He belatedly realized he was still sitting and came to his feet. “Chloe?” Was that the name Emma had given him? Or maybe it was Zoey? All the women she’d set him up with were starting to run together at this point, which probably meant he should take a long, long break from dating.
As he pulled out the woman’s chair, trying hard not to stare down the deep vee of her open shirt, he amended that thought. A permanent break would be best, at least if it was Emma engineering the dates.
“Zoey.” She smiled up at him, her lips a soft pink that reminded him of his cousin’s youngest daughter. He tried hard to shake that thought as he returned to his seat.
“I apologize, Zoey. It’s nice to meet you.”
Their waiter came by with the bottle of Screaming Eagle Sauvignon Blanc he’d ordered before Zoey arrived, and Carter resisted the urge to card his own date to verify her age.
And he’d thought having a ten-year-old son made him feel old. He couldn’t resist rubbing a hand over the beard that covered his jaw—a beard that was more white than dark blond these days—as he stared down at the menu. Emma had to have set him up with Zoey just to mess with him. This wasn’t about making up for Carter being alone while Thad was with his mother for the weekend. This was about Emma fucking with her older brother, and when he finally escaped this nightmare of a date, he was going straight to wherever his sister was and strangling her.
After they ordered, Carter poured Zoey a glass of the wine, sticking to water himself. “Where did you say you knew Emma from?” His sister seemed to know everyone and made friends as easily as other people breathed.
Zoey fingered a strand of her silky blonde hair, which he had to admit was eye-catching as it fell over her shoulders. “We met at Zen.”
Of course they had. Emma’s favorite bar, right around the corner from her apartment. Sometimes he thought she spent more time there than she did at home. Of course, she didn’t cook, so Zen’s above-average kitchen made meals convenient. And everyone loved her there. Literally the entire bar lit up when she came in.
That was his sister for you. Life of the party—and the source of trouble, always.
“Oh. When was that?”
“Last week.”
As Zoey told the story of meeting a group of friends at the bar, then striking up a conversation with Emma over martinis, he resisted the urge to lecture her on the dangers of trusting people in the city, particularly on dates. He wasn’t her parent, after all.
Not that she seemed bothered by their age difference. She was currently fingering her wineglass as she stared up at him adoringly. That look had him shifting uncomfortably in his seat.
“So…you’re a daddy.”
He narrowed his eyes. “I’m a father, yes.”
She traced the soft curve of her glass, the long pink tip of her fingernail matching that baby-pink lipstick. “Do you believe in corporal punishment?”
He choked on the swallow of water he’d taken just to give himself something to do with his hands. “Do I what?”
She glanced up at him from beneath unnaturally long lashes that framed soft, innocent-looking blue eyes. “You know…spanking.”
His lips tightened. He really was going to strangle Emma. “No. No, I don’t spank my boy.”
“Boy?” Zoey straightened in her seat, the flirtatious facade falling away in favor of a confused pout. “You have boys?”
“I have a son.” Surely Emma had told her. Oh, not details about Thaddeus, of course, but that he had a child.
She tilted her head, and a lock of golden hair curved over one side of her face. “But have you ever wanted a baby girl?”
“Sure, maybe.” Although he was getting a bit old for that. His ex, Rachel, hadn’t wanted children until her career had been well-established. She’d also been ten years younger than him. Bringing home a newborn was a totally different thing at thirty than at forty. He was definitely feeling his age with Thad rapidly approaching his teen years.
At least his son hadn’t decided he was too old to cuddle with his old man yet.
“How about now?”
His gaze jerked from the cut-crystal glass he held to the woman across the table from him. What the hell was she talking about? “Now?”
“Yeah.” She smiled, the flirtatious curve of her lips dotted perfectly in the center with a drop of her wine. He watched in horrified fascination as her tongue sneaked out and swiped up the last lingering bit. “Now. There are plenty of baby girls available if you just…look around.”
Baby girl.
Daddy.
Baby girl.
Daddy.
Spanking.
“No.” The word shot from his mouth with zero finesse. “No, definitely not now. Not—”
Zoey’s flirtatious look shattered, laughter taking over. “I’m sorry, I can’t—”
He couldn’t stop staring as Zoey leaned back in her chair, clutching her stomach as if it ached as she laughed and laughed. Each time the sound eased off, she’d take another look at him and off she went again. He was beginning to get irritated when she finally caught her breath enough to explain.
“I’m sorry, Carter.” Chuckles bubbled up, interrupting her words. “I thought I could do this, but I just can’t keep it together. The look on your face…”
More laughter. What was wrong with his face?
And then he remembered.
“She put you up to this, didn’t she?” he asked sourly. He’d even considered the idea earlier. The Catholic schoolgirl outfit—and that’s definitely what it was, he could see now—had tipped him off, but he’d never considered Zoey being in on it.
And thank God she was. Saved him from some very awkward conversation after the baby-girl comment.
He ran a hand down his face, scrubbing hard. Now that he thought about it, strangling might be too good for Emma.
When he looked again, Zoey was still struggling to control her amusement. Her laughter made him feel about the same age as Methuselah.
“She did put me up to it,” Zoey confirmed. Her bright smile dimmed a bit as she watched him. “You don’t mind, do you?”
His chuckle was still a bit reluctant. “You, I don’t mind. Emma…”
“She’s in for it later, I gather?”
“Definitely.” From the corner of his eye he noticed their waiter approaching with full plates of food and sighed, releasing his pent-up irritation at his sister—for now. “But that doesn’t mean we can’t enjoy dinner.”
And they did. When Zoey dropped the flirtatious facade, he found a pleasant young woman—still far too young for him at twenty-four—who was easy to talk to and spend time with. She told him how she’d met Emma during a “munch” her BDSM group was having at Zen, how Emma had overheard a bit of conversation and introduced herself. Which didn’t surprise him at all. And the sense of fun he got from Zoey told him exactly why she’d agreed to this blind date.
“Besides”—Zoey shrugged as they lingered a bit, waiting for dessert—“you never know when an older guy is going to be interested in someone a bit younger.”
“I don’t think it’s difficult to find an older man who’ll go for a younger woman.” That seemed to be the preferred scenario with too many men he knew.
“But not you, huh?”
“My son is nearly half your age, Zoey,” he told her.
Her laughter said she didn’t take offense. “Well, I’m sorry to hear that.”
After dinner, he hailed a taxi in the early evening rush of traffic, settled Zoey inside, and prepaid the fare before giving her a wave as she drove away, all the while thinking about how many times in the past year he’d sent a woman home in a taxi, either after dinner or after something else. He wasn’t celibate and he had no objections to a little fun, but women didn’t stay overnight on the rare occasions Thad was with his mother and Carter found someone he was interested in. After this, though, he felt like a moratorium on dating was a necessity to cleanse his palate.
A daddy?
As he waited at the corner for the light to change, he snatched his phone from his back pocket, then crossed the street with the crowd, beginning the ten-block walk to his penthouse. His temples tightened with a headache as he clicked on his sister’s name and waited. Emma picked up just as he came to the next cross street.
She was already laughing.
“I guess you thought that was funny.”
“I don’t even have to hear your version of what happened to know it was damn hilarious,” Emma said, her laughter nearly choking her. She always reminded him of sunshine, which allowed her to get away with far more little-sister shit than he would like to admit. Today, though, he’d forgotten his sunglasses and wasn’t in the mood.
“Putting Zoey in that position wasn’t funny.”
Emma’s laughter didn’t dim the least bit. “She was in on the whole thing. How’d you like the outfit, by the way?”
He growled.
Emma snickered. “Lighten up, Daddy.”
“If you’d like I can come over there and show you what corporal punishment is all about.”
“Don’t think so,” Emma sing-songed. “Even our daddy couldn’t get away with that.”
Not that he’d tried much. Emma was a force of nature, bowling all of them over. When she got her head wrapped around an idea, there was no shaking it. Unfortunately his dating life was the idea she’d wrapped around, and she wasn’t letting loose.
He had to stop appeasing her.
“Tell me you didn’t have a little fun,” she said. “You could be at home in that New York loft, looking out on a bustling city with silence behind you. With Thad at his mom’s…”
“It’s quiet. I know.” He sighed, releasing his irritation with his breath. “I actually do like quiet every once in a while.”
“You’d wallow in it if I let you.”
“At least next week I’ll be gone and you won’t be able to throw any new prospects at me.” He and Thad were headed to the Tennessee mountains to see JD and his new fiancée. Apparently the mansion was surrounded by woods that would be perfect for Thad to get out and explore. Even if the idea of woods gave Carter hives. Talk about quiet. He definitely wasn’t a woods kind of guy. He wasn’t sure why JD seemed to enjoy it so much. Or Lincoln, who thrived on the adrenaline of his constantly packed Manhattan restaurant.
Guess sex could adle any man’s brains.
“Watch it or I’ll follow you down there,” Emma warned.
He shut up and let her babble on about meeting Zoey, which led to various other topics in a stream of consciousness he could barely follow. Yes, he was definitely looking forward to getting away next week. He loved his family, but their mission to make sure he was happy since his divorce was getting a little too intrusive.
Especially Emma. Maybe he’d get lucky and his cell phone wouldn’t get reception at JD’s place.
Emma was winding down about the time he reached the door to his building. “I’m about to hit the elevator, Sis. I’ll have to catch you later.”
“You better. I plan to get all the juicy tidbits from Zoey in the meantime. Bye!”
Carter groaned. Of course she would. And every last moment would be dissected until she found just the right pieces to rib him about.
Great.
When was he leaving?
40 AND (SO OVER) FIXING IT releases on July 12th! Don't forget to preorder your copy!
The Hottest Cover on the Planet 🔥🔥🔥🔥
Your Next Silver Fox Is Almost Here!
Carter and Erin are on their way! Isn’t this the hottest cover you’ve ever seen? Photographer Eric Battershell took this image, and I have been salivating over it for almost a year. I cannot tell you how happy I am to finally share it with you!
40 AND (SO OVER) FIXING IT will be here June 28th, but you can preorder now to have that puppy land in your e-reader the minute it’s live. Don’t miss it!
40 AND (SO OVER) FIXING IT
Welcome to Black Wolf’s Bluff, where turning forty doesn’t mean your life is over. It might just mean the next unexpected encounter could lead to explosive fireworks—in and out of the bedroom.
He’s sworn off dating.
Carter Deveraux is looking forward to a quiet week in Black Wolf’s Bluff with his ten-year-old son and his best friend. Definitely no dating, especially after his last disastrous effort. But he never expected their vacation to start with a cute blonde nearly running them off the road. And he certainly never expected his son—and himself—to be captivated by the sassy contractor once they meet in person.
She’s sworn off him.
Erin Jenkins is the responsible one, the woman who holds her family and her professional projects together. But something is definitely itching under her skin, tempting her in a different direction, and that itching is aggravated by the appearance of her boss’s best friend in Black Wolf’s Bluff. His son, Thad, is cute and curious. Too bad his sexy-as-hell dad is an arrogant jackass.
Sparks fly whenever they’re in the same room together. Carter might try to deny their chemistry, but Erin fears they have far too much to ever control. Can the heat that flares between them lead somewhere special before they end up going down in flames?
Don’t miss this grumpy single dad meeting his match in an independent woman with a not-so-hidden inner smartass.
I’m currently working on fleshing out PHOENIX FALLING—Risk and Sun are giving me no end of trouble, let me tell you! 😂 Risk did give me her song recently, though. It’s an older one, maybe something you aren’t familiar with, but I think it will give you a lot of insight into her character. Want to check it out? The song is “The Silence Remains” by 3 Doors Down.
I’m knee-deep in stories right now, but I’m excited that one, at least, is so close to being in your hands! And there are many more to come. In the meantime, happy reading!
~ Ella
Audiobook News!
DESIRE ME is here!
No, not in ebook. That's been around for a while. But audio... I don't know if any of us were ready for this.
Jason Clarke and Stella Hunter have continued their phenomenal work on the Southern Nights: Enigma series. They bring Saint and Rae to life in a way that has sent chills up my spine every time I listen. Not to mention making the “hot” in Enigma even hotter! If you love audiobooks, even if you haven't heard the rest of the Southern Nights series, you've got to grab this one.
How about a sample?
What are early listeners saying about DESIRE ME?
A lot! Here’s just a sample from Twitter users:
“This is so good — one helluva ride!”
“Only a few chapters in and I'm hooked! Amazing work from Stella Hunter & Jason Clarke.”
“Have plenty of water with this one.”
“I love Ella Sheridan’s writing. She has some of the best romantic suspense books in the biz.”
“More Stella and Jason? Yes please!”
Don’t wait! Grab your copy at your fave audiobook retailer:
I recently spent a week with my critique partner, Gina L Maxwell, talking writing and actually writing at her home with her fantastic clowder of kitties and her super-affectionate boxer, Nova, who couldn't seem to stay out of my lap.
But I didn't just spend the week cuddling Nova. I also spent it working on the very next Silver Foxes of Black Wolf’s Bluff book, now titled 40 AND (SO OVER) FIXING IT. Erin and Carter are sparking off each other like you would not believe. I hope to have this book finished by the end of this month and out to you in June. Then it's time to dig into some serious progress on PHOENIX FALLING. I'm also right now in the process of working out the next story arc for Assassins and Nix's team backstory.
One of the most frequently asked questions I get about Assassins is whether or not Levi and Abby’s storyline will continue. I'm happy to say that you won't lose the original brothers in the continuing arc. Much in the vein of J. R. Ward and similar authors, I intend to include storylines from the brothers as well as the ongoing stories about the new team in each new novel. Will we see Levi and Abby get married? Have that baby they didn't realize they wanted until it was no longer a possibility? Well, you'll have to read to find out the details, but I can assure you there will be details. (insert evil author laughter here)
Lastly, I have something exciting to share!
I’ve joined forces with Romance Devoured and thirteen other Bestselling Romance Authors to bring you an amazing giveaway! The best part? EVERYONE WINS!
Everyone who enters will automatically receive all 14 books free! And one lucky winner will also get a $25 Amazon gift card. How cool is that? Almost like a gift from your favorite romance hero!
But it won't last forever, so RUN, don't walk!
Click here to enter -> https://promos.romancedevoured.com/lnk/scg-ella-sheridan
That's all the news for now. Keep an eye out for next month's newsletter and release information for FIXING IT. Sneak peeks of PHOENIX FALLING. Details about the next hero and heroine in Assassins (and maybe even a book title if it will finally come to me!). There's so much to look forward to this year. In the meantime, happy reading!
~ Ella
Start your year off with the next silver fox!
40 AND (NO LONGER) FIGHTING IT is coming in just three weeks! Have you pre-ordered yet? You don’t want to miss this fun and sexy story for Claire and Lincoln. I haven’t had this much fun writing a book in such a long time. And the food… Sometimes I think I gained five pounds just reading about all the wonderful things Claire made in her bakery, Gimme Sugar.
If you haven’t seen it yet, here’s the cover for FIGHTING IT, and a little excerpt just for y’all. Enjoy!
JD bypassed Lily’s wide front porch and headed directly for an open side gate leading to the backyard, stopping to chat at the various clumps of people gathered around, introducing Linc to too many individuals to keep track of. The backyard was generous for a neighborhood like this one, right in town, but Lily had utilized every bit of space for chairs and picnic blankets and small tables. A tent had been erected that covered the side farthest from the gate, and Linc could see a couple of long tables laden with covered dishes. The smell of barbecue permeated the air, and he began to think maybe JD had been telling more truth than his taste bud–challenged judgments knew when he’d said the meat would be good.
“Lily!” JD raised a hand along with his voice. His fiancée stood near a massive grill, a red plastic cup in her hand and a smile on her face that turned brilliant when she saw JD. She waved him over, Linc trailing along. Surrounding her was a group of women and one man at the grill who he assumed was Clayton of the barbecue fame. Linc’s glance slid across the faces, not really taking in details, until it came to rest on the woman directly next to Lily. Her warm brown skin glowed under the bright sun, her dark curls bouncing in the faint breeze. But it was the mahogany eyes fixed on his face that locked him in. He knew those eyes. He hadn’t seen them in years, but he could never forget the last moment they’d stared up at him, betrayal shining bright.
Linc’s steps slowed, dread rising. “You said Lily’s baker friend was named Claire?” he asked JD.
“Yeah.”
“Claire what?” he managed to get out.
“What?” JD stopped, turned to him.
He broke eye contact with the woman, forced his gaze to his friend. “Claire what? What’s her last name?”
JD’s eyes narrowed. “Why?”
“What is it?”
“Claire Taylor. Why? Do you know her?”
Claire Taylor. In Black Wolf’s Bluff, Tennessee. The last place he’d ever expect her to be. Yes, he’d lost track of her, but how in hell had she ended up here?
JD’s stare demanded an answer.
“Oh yeah, I know her.”
JD looked like he was about to say something, but he was forestalled when Lily appeared in front of them, two women in tow. And one of them was Claire.
“Linc, let me introduce you to my two best friends,” she said. “Erin is your general contractor, and this is—”
“Claire,” he choked out, unable to find the inimitable charm he was famous for. “Hello again.”
***
40 AND (NO LONGER) FIGHTING IT releases on January 24th, so make sure it’s on your e-reader the minute it comes out!
I’ve also got another little goodie for everyone who enjoyed GRIFFIN UNDONE. Book 2 of the Archai Warriors series, PHOENIX FALLING, will release on November 28, 2023. But you don’t have to wait because it’s also now on pre-order. You don’t want to forget it’s coming, so pre-order your copy today. It’s a long wait, but it’s going to be so worth it when you read Risk and Sun’s story.
Sun and Risk are coming November 28th.
The Archai — and their prince — are about to fall.
Sun and Risk are coming November 28th.
The Archai — and their prince — are about to fall.
The Silver Foxes Are Here!
The brand-new series I promised is now LIVE! The Silver Foxes of Black Wolf’s Bluff is an over-forty, later in life romance series featuring heroes and heroines forty and above. Book 1 releases today!
40 AND (TIRED OF) FAKING IT
Welcome to Black Wolf’s Bluff, where turning forty doesn’t mean your life is over. It might just mean the spark that can light up everything is right around the corner.
She’s turning forty.
Lily Easton’s series of lackluster boyfriends ended three years ago with the ex from hell—self-absorbed, thoughtless, and seriously bad in bed. After she dumped him, he told everyone in their small town she was the horrible lover. Being made the dating-pool pariah allowed her to focus on her goal of becoming the first female mayor of Black Wolf’s Bluff, but with that accomplished, the arrival of Lily’s fortieth birthday is a stark reminder of everything she’s still lacking: love, commitment, and some seriously intense orgasms.
He's here to do a job.
John David Lane walked away from Black Wolf’s Bluff thirty years ago, determined to find his own success and leave behind the family who hated him. Now he’s back, but not to stay. He plans to turn the family estate he has inherited into a high-end resort, the kind that would completely transform this backwoods town. To succeed, he’ll need the help of the “lady mayor,” but he didn’t count on the desire for something far more personal with Lily than political negotiations.
Dive into an all-new small-town romance that proves falling in love isn’t impossible after forty — and neither are seriously intense orgasms!
You can grab your copy of 40 AND (TIRED OF) FAKING IT right now at the retailers below!
Right now you can even get the sale price of $2.99, good through June 1st.
And keep an eye out for book 2, coming later this summer!
Sneak Peak at 40 and (Tired of) Faking It!
I told you I was writing an all-new series, and here it is!
I can't wait for you to meet the Silver Foxes of Black Wolf's Bluff This is a contemporary romance series featuring mature characters in the small-town setting of Black Wolf's Bluff. Book one, 40 AND (TIRED OF) FAKING IT, is John David and Lily's story.
40 AND (TIRED OF) FAKING IT is available for preorder at your favorite ebook retailers. It's currently priced at $2.99, but the price will be going up on release day, (May 31!) so reserve your copy today!
Who knew life after forty could get more exciting than the sparklers atop her decadent dark chocolate birthday cake?
A series of lackluster boyfriends led Lily to the ultimate ex. Not only was he terrible in bed, but he told everyone in their small town that it was her fault. Struggling to be seen as successful as the first female mayor is hard enough, but the juicy rumors only give the patriarchy a good reason to keep her in her place.
She’s turning forty, and tired of pretending that her ho-hum life isn’t lacking the important things: love, commitment, and some seriously intense orgasms.
Finding success away from the family who’d hated him consumed John David’s life. He’s back in Black Wolf’s Bluff, but not to stay. He’ll use his skills as a real estate developer to transform the family estate that held his most hated memories into a high-end resort, the kind that would raise the profile of this backwoods town. He’ll need the help of the “lady mayor,” but in return, maybe he can teach her about more than five-star resorts and lavish lifestyles.
He needs to remember he’s here to do a job, then get back to his real life, which doesn’t include lessons in small-town hospitality, quirky residents, or local politics…and definitely doesn’t include seriously intense orgasms with the “lady mayor” who’s nothing like he expected.
Welcome to Black Wolf’s Bluff, where turning forty doesn’t mean your life is over. It might just mean the spark that can light up everything is right around the corner.