Book Blitz with Excerpt + Teaser + Giveaway: Bad Decisions & Back Roads by Zoe Forward @XpressoTours

Bad Decisions & Back Roads by Zoe Forward

Series: Southern Veterinary #2

Publication date: August 3rd, 2026

Synopsis:

The problem with bad decisions is you never stop wanting them.

I used to be the rebellious girl from the wrong side of the fenceline. He was the local hellraiser nobody could tame. While our families carried on a feud older than indoor plumbing, we fell for each other.

Then my vicious father found out. To save Timothy's life, I broke his heart and disappeared.

Now over a decade later, I'm back as a large-animal veterinarian, working at his brother's clinic and treating everything from prize dairy cows to Timothy's homicidal llama. Avoiding him should be easy.

It isn't.

He's a single dad running two businesses, still infuriatingly irresistible, and determined to make me pay for every year he spent hating me.

The problem? I never stopped loving him. But if he learns why I really left, I could lose him forever.

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A small helpless laugh escaped me. "Do you know where I can find spray whipped cream?"

His eyebrows lifted beneath the bit of hair hanging over his forehead.

I narrowed my eyes. "Please tell me that your brain did not just put whipped cream on my body."

He looked almost offended. "Well," he drawled, "it hadn't..."

His slow grin spread. "But now that you mention it..." His gaze dipped, wicked amusement flashing in his eyes. "Question is, was your brain generous enough to imagine some on me too, or am I doing all the work here?"

A startled choke-laugh burst out of me as I dragged my eyes down his body, taking in the dark t-shirt tucked into jeans that hung a little low. I'd already checked out the backside and confirmed it still looked just as good as when he walked away the other day after agreeing to buy a tractor.

He leaned casually on his cart. "For the record," he added, "I'm picturing collarbone Maybe wrist. Then I'd go... lower... to areas that might enjoy some attention." His gaze dropped to my chest. "Then it depends on how wild we're getting."

That sent me over the edge laughing. The image of him standing in a grocery aisle naked and covered in whipped cream looing deeply inconvenienced by it was the funniest thing I'd thought all week.

"So, what do you really need whipped cream for?" he asked.

I swallowed my last snort of laughter. "Obviously, I need to keep my fridge stocked in case you randomly swing by. You'll have to bring your own sprinkles, if you can get them away from your dad."

His mouth twitched. His eyes went bright with trouble.

USA Today bestselling author ZOE FORWARD is a parent, wife, veterinarian, and unapologetic chocolate lover. She writes spicy paranormal and contemporary romances that blend action, adventure, humor and a touch of magic.

Zoe lives in the South with a lively menagerie of four-legged beasts and two slightly wild kids.

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Book Blitz with Excerpt + Giveaway: The Case of the Red Flame by Lila Fogle @XpressoTours

The Case of the Red Flame by Lila Fogle

Series: Tristan Beaufort Humorous Mysteries #1

Publication date: August 1st, 2026

Synopsis:

Lucy is an apathetic young woman who is hired to assist eccentric private detective Tristan Beaufort, a man whose wildness, endless optimism, and occasional naivete seem at odds with his chosen career. Her job is to keep a written account of his cases, to play the Watson to his Holmes.

They are hired by a woman who suspects her wife, Professor Jennifer Darvis, is having an affair. What begins as a simple investigation of adultery soon spirals into a case of conspiracy, arson, and murder.

Professor Darvis is a delusionally self-assured academic whose writings regarding the existence of a shadowy organization known only as The Quadrette have failed to find an audience outside of her students, for whom she has made her book assigned reading. However, an FBI agent shows up on her doorstep, insisting that her theories have spawned a series of murders, and requesting her help in preventing further deaths.

Soon, Tristan and Lucy find themselves unravelling a plot surrounding Darvis which seems as though it could not exist, despite the evidence they encounter at every turn. Their adventures will bring them up against the police, the enigmatic FBI Agent, and the leader of The Quadrette herself.

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Darvis was never one to be ordered around. If she wasn't thirsty before, she sure as hell was now. It was the kind of all-consuming thirst that only room temperature grapefruit flavored vodka could satisfy, with its sharp, acidic, yet pleasing palette, made all the more accessible by its warm temperature. Darvis would be damned if she let Agent Cooking Wine tell her what she could and couldn't do.

"Agent Cooking Wine," Darvis said, as she poured herself a highball full of vodka. "That's quite a mouthful, we'll need to think of a way to shorten it."

"Agent Mirin is short enough."

"C. Dub." Darvis gulped from the glass. "I think that's what I'll call you from now on. Agent C. Dub."

"That's the same number of syllables."

"It's much shorter." Darvis looked on the fool with pity. "But then I suppose that's why I'm a tenured professor, and you're a step up from mall cop."

"Please, professor, this is very serious business," Agent Mirin pleaded. "I am begging you to treat it as such."

Darvis sighed. "Very well, what is all this ruckus about?"

Agent Mirin was visibly relieved at Darvis' attempt to take the case seriously.

"You wrote a book a few years ago--"

"Ah yes!" Darvis exclaimed, kicking back in her chair. "My award-winning expose on the mathematical webwork which holds us in the spider's clutch." She furrowed her brow, and looked at Agent Mirin with concern. "I suppose I've made the higher-ups at the FBI nervous."

"No, ma'am." Agent Mirin grew ever more frustrated. "We are here because someone has taken your book too seriously, and is on a crime spree inspired by your writing. We've had two bodies turn up already, each linked undeniably to your book. The madman shows no sign of stopping, and the direction would like your help in catching him. Otherwise, I'm afraid the carnage will continue."

LILA FOGLE lives in Connecticut where she writes humour.

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Book Blitz with Excerpt + Teasers + Giveaway: You Had Me at Meow by Gracie James @XpressoTours

You Had Me at Meow by Gracie James

Publication date: July 7th, 2026

Synopsis:

Some girls get fairy godmothers. Abby Thompson gets a talking cat with a British accent and absolutely zero chill.

After her latest blind date--arranged by her loving (but relentless) mother--ends in a concussion, a wine-soaked dress, and enough humiliation to power Manhattan, Abby decides she's done with dating. Forever.

Too bad her cat, Mr. Whiskers, has other ideas. And he's suddenly sharing them. Out loud.

"Honestly, Abby, your taste in men is almost as concerning as your taste in sweaters."

His mission? Fix her train-wreck love life and help her land her dream job. His qualifications? None. He's a cat. His methods? Questionable at best.

But somewhere between the disastrous first dates, ruthless office politics, and the unexpectedly charming veterinarian who might actually be worth shaving her legs for, Abby starts to wonder...

Is Mr. Whiskers a miracle? Or a catastrophe with whiskers?

Either way, her opinionated feline isn't backing down. And if Abby wants her dream life, she might have to trust the one life coach she never asked for. Her cat.

You Had Me at Meow is a sweet, laugh-out-loud romantic comedy about finding your voice, risking your heart, and one very determined cat who refuses to let his human settle for anything less than purr-fection.

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Before I even reach the fridge, Mr. Whiskers has settled into his favorite spot on the couch while I gather the essentials of a proper pity party: a pint of mint chocolate chip, my largest spoon, and one of Dottie's cosmic brownies. Ahhh, perfect.

Curling up next to my furry little roommate, I pull our softest blanket over my legs and queue up one of our favorite movies. Maybe watching someone else's embarrassing moments will make me feel better about my own.

As the opening credits roll, I crumble Dottie's brownie over my ice cream, letting out a contented sigh. At least dessert never disappoints.

"Why can't I find love in the movies, huh, buddy?" I ask, running my fingers through his soft fur. "You know, the kind where tripping in front of your dream guy leads to true love instead of a concussion."

Mr. Whiskers blinks up at me, his eyes reflecting the TV's flickering light.

"I mean, look at tonight," I continue, digging into my brownie-ice-cream creation and regretting nothing. Well... except maybe going out in the first place. "Mom sets me up with someone who's supposedly perfect for me, and he turns out to be a complete jerk. And then when I finally meet a genuinely nice guy, he's my cat's veterinarian and he's already taken."

I scratch under Mr. Whiskers' chin, earning a faint purr.

"Maybe I should just give up on dating altogether," I muse. "I mean, who needs romance when I have you, anyway? We could be two crazy cat ladies together. Well, one crazy cat lady and one crazy cat, but you know what I mean. No more terrible blind dates, no more falling head over heels, literally, for the wrong guys. Just us, some yummy snacks, and the sweet escape of a good movie night. What do you think, huh, buddy? Sound good?"

"Darling, that sounds like the best idea I've heard all night."

GRACIE JAMES lives in the Pacific Northwest with her husband and their sweet rescue cat, Pinky, and absolutely loves the rain. When she's not writing swoony, laugh-out-loud rom-coms sprinkled with a touch of magic, she's usually hiking up a mountain or eating chocolate like it's a personality trait. Her creative peak occurs somewhere between "I should go to bed" and "well, it's basically morning now," and she considers sunrise more of a suggestion than a deadline.

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