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

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.

Dani Wade Is in the House!

This is release week for my twin sis, romance author Dani Wade. Woot! Woot! Her latest release, BENEATH THE SURFACE, went live yesterday. And today, Dani is here to talk about the wonderful world of twins and how she used our experiences to make the twin sisters in Beneath the Surface richer, deeper characters. You can grab your copy of Beneath the Surface this week for only 99 cents. And be sure to leave a comment for a chance to win a copy of the novella that started it all, Dani's Snow Bound!

And now, welcome Dani!

~ ~ ~ * ~ ~ ~

As authors, we get asked all the time where our ideas come from and are they based on real things or people in our own lives. In the case of my new release, Beneath the Surface, the answer is yes.

In an ordinary world, identical twins can seem mysterious—these rare Doppelgangers who've been bonded together since before birth. Two halves of a whole. But to me—there's little that’s mysterious about twins, because I am one. It's the natural order of my world, an everyday occurrence. If you’re new to her blog, you might not realize that Ella and I are identical twin sisters. We’ve grown up together, both married, both had children, both become authors. All of it seems perfectly normal, but there have been a few occasions where the out of the ordinary occurred.

The first I remember was in our early teens. Ella went in for a medical procedure that required contrast dye and had an allergic reaction to it. I sat unknowing in the waiting room, completely oblivious—then I started to shake. It was summertime. I wasn't cold. Not until later did I find out she had been shaking too.

There've been times the “incidents” have been stronger than others. As we grow older, we sometimes know when the other person is sick or sad. The most intense occurrence was a time when Ella was coming out of anesthesia—one touch and I thought I'd pass out. The nurse simply asked, “Are you two twins?” and led me to a chair.

Over time, the idea of this psychic connection grew until it became this in my writer’s mind:

Beneath the Surface, Small Town Secrets Book 1

Too many secrets…

Hidden in a quiet town along the Tennessee border, a secret gathering exists where the privileged fulfill their darkest desires. One of their members initiates a desperate act designed to bring home his lifelong obsession: Emma Hartwell.

A past not forgotten…

Drawn back to her hometown by the psychic connection with her twin sister, Emma must fight the stubborn silence of those around her in her quest to find her missing sister. Colin McIntyre hopes to make up for his past mistakes with Emma by helping her, but his own ties to the Gathering might be exposed along the way.

Time is running out…

Exposure could be dangerous for his family, along with himself and Emma. Can they fight the secrets and lies to rescue Emma’s sister… and their own chance at life-long love?

So tell me something special about your siblings today! One commenter will win a copy of Snow Bound, a Small Town Secrets novella.

~ ~ ~ * ~ ~ ~

And don't forget to grab your copy of Beneath the Surface to read more about Emma, Amy, Colin, and the secrets of Cadence, Tennessee.