Julie Elizabeth Powell's Blog, page 17
December 22, 2017
Time
How many of us do that - properly? As an author (and a person, ha), my days are divided into multiple directions and all that 'life' stuff has to take priority so that time for writing can be extremely difficult to find.
Many would say that writing should take priority, and in an ideal world, yes, wouldn't that be great? And yet, meals have to be cooked, laundry has to be done - cleaning, too...grr. There's shopping and gardening and and and... Family, of course, has an important place - all taking precious time away from writing.
I have a calendar with a different saying each month, December's is about keeping life simple and forgetting what we cannot control; I do try.
It has been a difficult year for many reasons, so writing hasn't been at the forefront, although, I did manage to finish my new fantasy novel called, Maisie. It's had some great feedback, but don't we always want more?
Maisie myBook.to/Maisie
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3...
As an independent author, it is becoming more and more difficult to get my work noticed, e.g. Amazon take off reviews and is seemingly determined to stop those not from traditional publishing houses. I've read about some of the reasons, which all boil down to the fact that independent authors are a threat to the establishment.
I don't think there's much we can do except keep looking forward and hoping we'll get a fair crack eventually. I just love writing, so I couldn't stop altogether.
2018 is a year I hope to finish three collections of stories, plus moving onto a novel I started some while ago as well as finishing the fourth missive in my Weird series.
Reading is essential for an author, in my opinion, and I do love sinking into a good story. I've managed to find a number in the last year - some better than others. Fantasy seems to be my favourite genre, although, I don't mind trying most. I'll never want to read erotica - can't see its worth - but prefer stories that have great writing and have engaging subjects, those that make me think.
Here are just a few authors that I would recommend for fantasy, drama, thrillers and darkness:
Lucretia Stanhope - https://www.goodreads.com/author/show...
Charissa Dufour - https://www.goodreads.com/author/show...
C. Greenwood - https://www.goodreads.com/author/show...
Sarah A. Denzil - https://www.goodreads.com/author/show... Also known as Sarah Dalton - https://www.goodreads.com/author/show...
Annie Douglass Lima - https://www.goodreads.com/author/show...
Maria Savva - https://www.goodreads.com/author/show...
Darcia Helle - https://www.goodreads.com/author/show...
Jason McIntyre - https://www.goodreads.com/author/show...
Michael Radcliffe - https://www.goodreads.com/author/show...
Well, that's it from me this year. Christmas is looming and there's so much left to do; maybe even squeezing in some writing!
Whatever you celebrate as this time of year, I wish you joy, happiness, great health and wealth.
SNOW IN JULY by Kim Iverson Headlee
SNOW IN JULY
by Kim Iverson Headlee
Official genre of book : Medieval Paranormal Romance
From the award-winning pen of Kim Iverson Headlee comes the exciting, poignant love story of a distressed damsel who wields a fierce fireplace poker and the smoking hot knight she must save from himself.
Sir Robert Alain de Bellencombre has been granted what every man wants: a rich English estate in exchange for his valiant service at the Battle of Hastings. To claim this reward, the Norman knight must wed the estate's Saxon heiress. Most men would leap at such an opportunity, but for Alain, who broke his vow to his dying mother by failing to protect his youngest brother in battle, it means facing more easily broken vows. But when rumors of rampant thievery, dangerous beasts, and sorcery plaguing a neighboring estate reach his ears, nothing will make him shirk duty to king and country when people's lives stand at risk. He assumes the guise of a squire to scout the land, its problems, and its lady.
Lady Kendra of Edgarburh has been granted what no woman wants: a forced marriage to an enemy who may be kith or kin to the man who murdered her beloved brother. Compounding her anguish is her failure to awaken the miraculous healing gift bequeathed by their late mother in time to save his life. Although with his dying breath, he made her promise to seek happiness above all, Kendra vows that she shall find neither comfort nor love in the arms of a Norman…unless it snows in July.
Alain is smitten by Lady Kendra from the first moment of their meeting; Kendra feels the forbidden allure of the handsome and courtly Norman "squire." But a growing evil overshadows everyone, invoking dark forces and ensnaring Kendra in a plot to overthrow the king Alain is oath-bound to serve. Kendra and Alain face a battle unlike any other as their honor, their love, their lives, and even their very souls lie in the balance.
Alain’s friendship with Sir Ruaud, his polished manners and speech, fighting skills, and scars—it made less sense than ever that he could be a squire. “Who are you, really?” she whispered.
His back stiffened, and he released her hand to give her a curious look. Finally, he smiled. “A complete fool.”
She arched an eyebrow. “Hardly that, if you possessed the wit to locate me. I mean, you must be a knight. Don’t bother to deny it. There can be no other reasonable explanation.”
He regarded her for a long moment. “Yes. I am a knight.”
“But why the disguise?” She recoiled as an unpleasant thought returned. “Sir Robert didn’t send you to test my virtue, did he?”
“Mon Dieu, no! Never once did that cross his mind.”
She felt her brow wrinkle. “How can you be so certain?”
“I have known Sir Robert my entire life.” His smile turned enigmatic. “He would never resort to such a ploy.”
“But he would send you and Sir Ruaud ahead to look me over, is that it?” Her ire rose on the wings of indignation. “To determine whether I am a worthy match for his lordship?” His smile inverted to dread. “Hah. I am right.”
Denying him a chance to reply, she shot to her feet. Her instinct suggested escaping into the maze, but fear of becoming lost in the mist pushed her toward the tower’s door. The bolt’s heaviness prevented her from locking him out, so she concentrated on making best speed. Pounding footsteps warned her of Alain’s pursuit.
He caught her wrist while she was still on the stairs, but she yanked it free and continued up. On the landing outside the upper chamber, she had to pause for air. He joined her before she could escape.
“Please, my lady,” he said between breaths. “Let me explain.”
“What’s to explain? Sir Robert sent you to scout me out, and you agreed. You Normans are a despicable lot. Every last, stinking one of you! I thought I had met one who wasn’t.” She blinked hard to fight off the welling tears. “I was wrong.”
Kim Headlee lives on a farm in southwestern Virginia with her family, cats, goats, Great Pyrenees goat guards, and assorted wildlife. People and creatures come and go, but the cave and the 250-year-old house ruins—the latter having been occupied as recently as the mid-twentieth century—seem to be sticking around for a while yet. She has been an award-winning novelist since 1999 (Dawnflight, Simon & Schuster) and has been studying the Arthurian Legends and literature for nigh on half a century.
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RAINBOWS IN THE MOONLIGHT by Ryan Jo Summers
RAINBOWS IN THE MOONLIGHT
by Ryan Jo Summers
Genre: Christian Romance
Koda Jacobs urgently needs a nanny. Right now.
Fresh from prison, Dalton Clayton needs a job—and just about anything will do.
Divine Intervention steps in and tosses Koda and Dalton together. Koda struggles with the conflicts of her impulsive decision to leave her babies with an unknown, convicted felon. That just can't be wise, can it? But she can't help but see how quickly the children bonded to him and trust him. Or the reassuring sense that this is just right.
Meanwhile, Dalton stumbles through the spills and thrills of two young children, and his growing interest in their mother. A chance meeting brings him back to his estranged family as well.
Over time mutual attraction forms between Koda and Dalton as the bond between Dalton and the children deepens. A sweet, southern romance full of forgiveness, second chances, and fun kids.
“Guess what I got today at work?,” Koda said. “My winter raffle prize.”
“It’s springtime.”
She shrugged. “It’s late in coming.” She explained about the heirloom casting. “I have the brochure inside. Apparently the idea is to have the family members do something like join hands or somehow get into a position while the artist makes a plaster cast. Once it’s dried and detailed, the end result is a permanent item. I guess people do baby’s feet and hands, joined hands for families, paw prints, whatever is important to each family. One of our doctors went there with her husband for their anniversary and had their joined hands finished in bronze. That’s how the company got involved with the raffle. I had thought to do the kid’s hands somehow. So I need to call and get a sitting scheduled for the kids.”
“And you, Mommy,” Ruthie declared, having run up while Koda was describing the casting. “You gotta sit with us and be casted.”
“Yes, probably. Certainly. Though I had originally thought of just you two.”
“What about Dalton?” Terry asked as the puppy danced between his feet.
Koda and Dalton exchanged startled looks.
“You said family. He’s family.”
Pink touched his cheeks as his surprised, embarrassed look met hers. Koda wondered if she was blushing as much as he was. Hopefully not.
“Well, Terry, guys.” She faltered, scrambling for something to say. “Family in this sense is usually . . .”
“Saved for mommies and daddies and kids,” Dalton supplied. “Blood family.”
Ruthie wrinkled up her nose and Terry tilted his head, watching the puppy chew his shoe. “But you’re here every day, doing things with us. We spent Sunday with your blood family. Don’t that make you family too?”
Koda felt tears pricking her eyes at her son’s assessment of family. She wanted to hug him. Dalton beat her to it.
“Come here, Buddy.” He knelt down, beckoning both to his side. “You too, Cricket. Now look, family is the people you came from, that you’re a part of.”
“You’re part of us.”
He smiled at Ruthie’s words, and Koda put her fist to her mouth to keep from crying. The tenderness of the scene rocked her like only those three could do. Her children’s honesty and innocence left her weak. Dalton’s gentleness left her breathless.
“You’re right. I’m a part of you, both of you, but I am not family. That’s your mama and your grandmama. Just like my mama and daddy and sisters are my family. And Carlos and the boys become our family when Carlos married my sister and they had the boys. That’s how you make a family.”
Terry and Ruthie stared at each other. Ruthie grabbed Dalton’s hand and shook it. “You can marry Mommy and then be our family for real.”
A sob escaped Koda and Dalton glanced up at her, puzzlement in his eyes.
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Ryan Jo Summers is a North Carolina writer who pens romances with a twist. They may contain any number of elements: Christian, humor, mystery, paranormal, sweet, shape-shifting, or time travel. Her dad is a songwriter and his aunt wrote poetry so writing must be in the family genes.
She makes her home in a century-old mountain cottage, with a menagerie of adopted pets. In her spare time, she likes to gather with family and friends, paint ceramics or canvas, potter in the yard, bird-watching, or read, play chess, Mahjongg or work word-find puzzles. She might take her dog and head deep into the forests and rivers near her home to plot the next big scene or story. Like her dad's aunt, she writes poetry as a means to cope with life's pains.
She collects lighthouses, shells, driftwood, and anything to remind her of the shore.
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December 21, 2017
VELVET & VOWS by Stacy Eaton
VELVET & VOWS
The Celebration Township, book 13
by Stacy Eaton
Genre: Contemporary Romance - Holiday
The epic finale of the Celebration Series is finally here. Celebrate Christmas once again with the couple that started it all: Casey Lowe and Thad Wagner.
Velvet & Vows starts out twenty days before the wedding and there is a lot to be done. With wedding showers, bachelor and bachelorette parties, the final dress fittings, holiday preparations and the last of the details for the ceremony and reception, Celebration is crackling with energy—but it’s not all good.
With a few misunderstandings, many secrets and a serial arsonist running rampant in the town, the days leading up to the wedding are far more stressful than Casey and Thad ever planned for it to be. It will take the entire town to tell this story as we pass from one leading character to another.
Prepare yourself for this one-of-a-kind novel that will bring insight into every character you’ve fallen in love with during the series, and even a few characters you’ve never heard from first hand.
The sound of Thad’s heartbeat thrummed steadily under my ear and begged me to stay in bed forever—or at least a few more hours—but we both had to get ready for work.
I sighed heavily, and he tightened his arm around my back. “Only a few more weeks and we will be away from here—just you and me—enjoying ten days of bliss on the beach.”
I tilted my head back and gazed into his handsome face. I couldn’t believe that Thad and I were getting married in three weeks. It had been basically a year since we’d met and he’d saved me from my psychotic ex. I had reflected back on that night many times over the last eleven months and was thankful that Thad was so perceptive and followed his gut on so many things.
“I can’t believe it’s almost here,” I replied and squeezed his torso. “Three more weeks and you will officially be mine—forever.”
“Yep, I’ll officially be Mr. Thaddeus Lowe.”
“You’re not taking my name,” I teased.
He kissed the top of my head. “At home I will, but you know at work I have to stay Officer Wagner.”
“I thought it was going to be Sergeant Wagner soon.”
He smirked and tapped my nose. “You weren’t supposed to know about that.” He paused, “Let me guess: Missy told you?”
“No.” I shook my head and pushed off his chest to sit up. He grabbed my arm and pulled me back down.
“You aren’t getting away from me that easily.” He shifted and rolled me over to my back, laying his leg over mine so he could use his weight to hold me down. “Who told you? It had to be Missy.”
“No.” I grinned and then pushed my leg to the side so it slipped up the inside of his, my thigh coming in contact with his groin. He moaned as he clamped his eyes shut. “It wasn’t Missy,” I whispered seductively.
While he was a little distracted, I shifted and hustled out of the bed while he tried to drag me back. “No, get back here.”
I laughed. “I have to get to work, and so do you,” I told him when he managed to pull me back to the bed with his arms around my waist.
“I’ll let you go, but you have to tell me who told you. It was supposed to be a surprise.”
“It was a surprise.” I leaned forward and kissed him before I pushed on his shoulders to get away. “It would have been a better surprise if you had told me and not your sister.”
Thad’s hands dropped as he gave me an odd look. “Corrine? How the hell did she know?”
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Stacy Eaton is a USA Today Best Selling author and began her writing career in October of 2010. Stacy took an early retirement from law enforcement after over fifteen years of service in 2016, with her last three years in investigations and crime scene investigation to write full time.
Stacy resides in southeastern Pennsylvania with her husband, who works in law enforcement, and her teen daughter who is working toward her second degree black belt in Tae Kwon Do and on the choral and cheerleading squads at school. She also has a son who is currently serving in the United States Navy.
Stacy is very involved in Domestic Violence Awareness and served on the Board of Directors for her local Domestic Violence Center for three years.
Be sure to visit her website for updates and more information on her books.
Sign up for all the latest information on Stacy’s Newsletter!
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December 9, 2017
SIRENS & SCALES
SIRENS & SCALES
Genre: Urban Fantasy and Paranormal Romance
From the darkest skies to the deepest seas, dive into a breathtaking collision of mermaids, dragons, sirens, and more in SIRENS & SCALES, a unique Urban Fantasy and Paranormal Romance Collection!
Your travels through these stories of dazzling ocean tides and the dizzying reaches of the heavens will leave you breathless. Join dragon shifters and mer-creatures for an experience of salty seafaring adventures and magnificent airborne enterprises where sky meets sea, love meets its match, and imagination has no end.
With 26 full-length stories of enchanting fiction, you’ll learn the secrets of Atlantis, soar to uncharted peaks, and discover creatures of wing and fin and those who love them.
Ready to set sail and catch the tide before your chance for adventure is lost forever? Then order this collection of BRAND NEW and EXCLUSIVE material from your favorite USA Today and award-winning authors before it’s gone for good!
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A Clash of Fire by Natalie G. Owens and Zee Monodee
Take a family rivalry like Romeo & Juliet’s …
Add a liberal sprinkle of conflict à la Pride & Prejudice …
Breathe in some life & fire …
By Water's Edge by Kelly Anne Blount
Kidnapped from the sea by a fierce dragon, Aria must help her fellow mermaids escape before it’s too late.
Caught in the Current by Pauline Creedon
Mermaids can be cruel creatures. Bailey has always known and kept his head down to go with the flow. Today he’s not.
Dragon Wings by Konstanz Silverbow
The world against dragons. One girl against the world.
Dragonmount by Jennifer M. Eaton
Things can’t get any worse than being snatched by a dragon, until Anna is dropped into a bloodthirsty battle for the Draconic crown.
Frozen Ashes and Smoldering Shards by Midnight Voss and Ivy Quinn
Save the eggs, save the world.
Kiss of Frost by Graceley Knox
Fighting to save a family of dragons from evil mages? Easy.
Landlocked by C.S. Moore
If asked, Mari would have guessed that the most powerful force on the planet was a nuclear bomb. She was about to discover that the top spot was actually held by two things, love, and blood…
Mermaid Adrift by Jennifer Laslie
When disaster strikes, Meriya must decide whether to stay on land or return to the sea.
Moonstone Prophecy by Carly Fall
When an astrological event opens up the seams of the universe, paranormal entities swarm the town of Saint’s Grove, some for noble reasons, others with evil intent.
Of Blood and Ashes by Kyoko M
What would you do if you had a hunt a giant killer dragon in the haunted woods of The Suicide Forest?
Paradise of Shadows and Devotion by Gaja J. Kos
Hunted for her present. Haunted by her past.
Pillars of the Deep by Harper Alexander
The tide has come in. And it’s come to collect.
Returning by A.L. Knorr
Mira is a mermaid on a mission.
Sirena by Mindy Ruiz
Evil is in the Heart of the Ocean.
Slayer In Lace by D.D. Miers & Jessica Soucy
Proper. Polite. Utterly ruthless.
Spark by Natasha S. Brown
Myths come alive in the Shapeshifter Sagas.
Stolen by the Sea Lord by Starla Night
Their love is forbidden. But only she can save his race.
Stones of Dracontias by N.D. Jones
A life without love, forbidden or not, is a life unlived…
Tainted Siren by Isra Sravenheart
Tainted by Death, Cursed by Life!
The Lady Prefers Dragons by Katalina Leon
Wish Stones book 2
Doesn’t every girl dream of having two protective dragons of her own?
The Mermaid's Escape by Kellie McAllen
Four shipwrecked divers, one mermaid princess who longs for the freedom to choose – or not.
The Mermaid’s Puppet by Cate Farren
Mermaids versus dragons.
The Pirate’s Siren by Bethany Wicker
She belongs to two races—and both of them want her dead.
Waves and Secrets by B. Kristin McMichael
Wanting out of the Merworld is impossible, but that doesn’t stop two friends from trying.
Serial Killer Princess by RJ Blain
A magical romantic comedy (with a body count)
GRAY'S PROMISE by Anni Fife
GRAY'S PROMISE
A King Security Novel, Book 2
by Anni Fife
Zoey Morgan seems to have it all as a successful surgeon in Boston. However, perfection lies only on the surface. Plagued by nightmares and amnesia from a tragedy that ripped her family from her fourteen years ago, she finds the courage to reach out to the only man who can make her feel safe. She’s buried the memory of their love, but her heart—and her body—responds to the ex-marine in ways that are all too familiar.
Grayson “Gray” Walker’s heart shattered when Zoey chose another man over him. Since then, he’s built an impenetrable wall around his emotions. But from the moment she implodes back into his life, her vulnerability breaches his defenses. His skills as an elite member of the King Security team cannot shield him from the devastation of learning he might have left Zoey high and dry when she needed him most. Now, Gray must navigate the tripwire of helping her heal while protecting himself from being hurt again.
As the embers of their potent love reignite, an old threat awakens, leading to greater danger than ever before.
A jealousy that destroys everything in its path…a love that refuses to die.
Gray’s hands balled into fists. He wanted to punch the walls. “Take me to her. Now!”
“You need to control yourself, Mr. Walker.”
Rage joined the sick fear churning inside him and he glared at the doctor. She didn’t flinch. Her face held no judgment, but her steady gaze also gave no quarter. Gray found it anchored him, offering him no alternative but to deal with the reality slamming into him. The rigidity in his body eased. Doctor Wells nodded slightly, and in a cool, precise voice, continued. “Given Miss Morgan’s concussion and the yet unidentified drug in her system, we would prefer not to administer any more sedatives.”
Ping!
The doors opened and they stepped out. She led them down another corridor and stopped outside a numbered ward. “Mr. Walker—”
“It’s Gray.”
“Okay, Gray.” She clasped her hands in front of her. “Zoey is extremely agitated. To calm her, you need to find the calmness within yourself.” Her probing stare insisted on a response.
He nodded sharply.
“She’s on the edge of hysteria and in danger of hurting herself. If you cannot calm her, we will be forced to sedate her for her own safety.”
Zoey!
Gray’s heart hammered wildly. He closed his eyes, and for the first time since he’d raced into the ED, let her image surface.
His beautiful red butterfly. Mercurial and brilliant. Her dark-copper hair alight with so many fiery streaks, he was constantly amazed it didn’t singe his skin. The curly length was unexpectedly soft, so goddamn sexy when it slipped like satin through his fingers. But as much as he loved her hair, it was her eyes that endlessly beguiled him. Tapered like a cat, they were vivid-green with a golden ring around her pupil. A fascinating combination of sex-kitten and innocent, and such an integral part of her expressive nature. There were times he thought they were too large for her heart-shaped face, but then she’d laugh and they’d turn that intense jewel-like green. Wicked. Infectious. Or she’d whimper with desire, and the golden ring would leak into the green. Hot and slumberous. Untamed.
“Gray?”
He opened his eyes, forcing Zoey’s image back into darkness. “Take me to her.” He met the doctor’s unblinking scrutiny. “Please.”
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"I was sucked in from the very first words…what I loved about this book—the unexpected expectations.” 5 Stars by Bookgasms Book Blog
“GRAY’S PROMISE by Anni Fife sizzles with passions that boil over from both the past and the present as two souls devastated by history and lies will learn that even time cannot dull the truth of their chemistry together. Tense, dark and like a kaleidoscope of evil machinations, this romantic suspense will keep readers on the edge of their seats!” 5 Stars by Tometender Book Blog
ON SALE FOR ONLY 99 CENTS FROM DEC 1-14
From an exciting new author, a Steamy Romantic Suspense.
Red-hot sex. Searing betrayal. A passionate and elusive love...
Chased by her criminal kingpin father, Katya Dalca runs to New Orleans and straight into the arms of Luke Hunter. Sucked into the carnal world of the French Quarter, she succumbs to Luke's potent sexuality. He not only steals her breath, he steals her heart and the only leverage she has against her father. She is left with no choice except to pick up the pieces and rebuild her life alone.
Undercover DEA agent Luke Hunter thought his newest assignment--recover a stolen flash drive to gain the trust of the Russian mob--was like any other. But his target brings him to his knees, and after one taste of her intoxicating beauty, he's in too deep. Doing his job means walking away, leaving his heart behind with nothing but a promise to reunite. It's a promise he can't keep.
When Katya's past reaches out and her world unravels, her only hope is the one man she is most vulnerable to--Luke.
Anni Fife is an exciting new contemporary romance author who has already made an indelible mark in the popular genre of steamy romantic suspense. Her debut novel, Luke’s Redemption, has been acclaimed by critics and readers and was a Finalist in the 2017 RONE Awards. Anni says she credits Kristen Ashley as her guiding inspiration, and strives to make her characters equally as heart-wrenching and unforgettable. She is currently working on Eva’s Peace (King Security Book 3).
Last year, Anni closed the door on a successful career in television production to fulfill her lifelong passion, writing. In the space of a month, she shut her business, packed up her city life, and moved to a small seaside village. When she’s not writing, she can be found on the beach searching for pansy shells, or drinking red wine and gabbing with her gal posse.
If you want to know when Anni’s next book is releasing and be first to get regular updates and BONUS TREATS, visit her website and sign up to join her POSSE.
Anni is published by The Wild Rose Press, and is a member of Romance Writers of America (RWA).
MIRACLE ON AISLE TWO by Beth Carter
MIRACLE ON AISLE TWO
by Beth Carter
Genre: Sweet Contemporary Holiday Romance
Fired two weeks before Christmas, distraught single mom Madison wonders how she’ll afford to pay for her young daughter’s Christmas gifts and still keep a roof over their heads. Sleigh bells and twinkling lights are the last thing on her mind—until a handsome stranger intervenes.
Successful architect Adam Donovan dives into his work by renovating an elaborate hotel after his wife leaves him. He barely notices it’s Christmastime until he overhears a young mother’s tearful plea. Stepping in makes Adam feel like Old Saint Nick himself.
Will Madison and Adam find holiday joy—and possibly love—after discovering Adam’s secret or will it tear them apart?
Two weeks before Christmas, Madison rushed to work excited about her office Christmas party. In the passenger seat sat her favorite go-to holiday recipe, chocolate-covered cashew clusters. All ten of her co-workers at the dental clinic loved her homemade candy and insisted she bring the same treat year after year.
At a stop light, Madison checked her sparkly red lipstick. She loved the holidays—and parties. This is going to be one of those perfect days. I can feel it.
After she parked, Madison frowned as she glanced around the almost-empty lot, plus the dental office appeared dark. That’s weird. I wonder if this is some sort of surprise party where everyone is hiding inside and had to park elsewhere. If so, I missed the memo.
Madison drove to the corner of the lot just in case, parked, and lifted her container of chocolate cashews. As she stepped over a pot hole, a gold bell atop Santa’s red stocking cap jingled. Usually, the sound made her happy and festive. But today, something was off.
As she approached the steps, she squinted when she spotted a handwritten note on the front door.
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After being a bank vice president and a hospital public relations director, Beth Carter shed her suits, heels, and waved good-bye to corporate America to pen novels and children’s picture books.
Winner of the 2017 RAVEN Award, 2015 RONE Award, and named Best Debut Author in 2015, Carter writes rollercoaster romance and women’s fiction.
Her debut, THURSDAYS AT COCONUTS, received two coveted awards. The author received Favorite Contemporary runner-up in 2017 for her contemporary romance SLEEPING WITH ELVIS. Carter has a Christmas novelette, SANTA BABY in an eight-author collection, SIZZLE IN THE SNOW. Her first novella is MIRACLE ON AISLE TWO.
Carter’s four children’s picture books include SOUR POWER, WHAT DO YOU WANT TO BE?, THE MISSING KEY, AND SANTA’S SECRET.
Additionally, the author has several short stories and poems published in five anthologies. Her six-word memoirs appear in numerous collections alongside famous writers and celebrities. Beth Carter was born and raised in the Midwest. She and her husband divide their time between Missouri and Florida.
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December 8, 2017
LOVE GARAGE by Liz Crowe
LOVE GARAGE
The Love Brothers, Book 1
by Liz Crowe
Genre: Contemporary Family Saga Romantic Comedy
MESSAGE FROM LIZ: This series is chock full of humor and heat … and REAL LIFE. It truly is not a typical, fantasy, fairy-tale romance but to me, that makes the HEAs that much sweeter. Please do NOT go into any Liz Crowe reading experience seeking billionaires, rescue-able heroines or cookie-cutter characters. These books are not for everyone but if you really groove on realistic situations, people behaving badly at times, and being redeemed by the love of family, friends, and spouses this IS the series for you!
Tired of Cookie Cutter Fiction?
Meet The Love Brothers!
WARNING: Do NOT read if you prefer your romance predictable and/or conventional.
Love Garage is open for business! In Book 1 of this compelling family saga-style romance series meet the Love family and see how oldest brother Antony deals with getting his girlfriend stolen by the baby brother Aiden. Hint: Not very well.
Set in horse country near Lexington, Kentucky, The Love Brothers Series is a saga of family devotion that runs as wide and deep as the Ohio River--except on Sundays when brothers Antony, Kieran, Dominic and Aiden work out their frustrations on the basketball court, Love brother style.
The Love Brothers: A family saga with humor, heat and heart...Not to mention beer, bourbon and basketball.
Meet the family:
Antony: The Big Brother
Kieran: The Athlete
Dominic: The Bad Boy
Aiden: The Baby
Angelique: The Sister
Rosalee drank a huge glass of water and lingered at the window, letting the night breeze cool her face, recalling the knowing arched eyebrow Paul’s mother had shot her when she’d dropped Jeffrey off. The concept that her own mother-in-law wanted her to be with Antony boggled her mind—well, okay, her former mother-in-law, she supposed.
What a mess.
“Well, that sounded like fun.”
She yelped in surprise, knocking the glass into the sink with a crash. Aiden walked in wearing nothing but a pair of sweat pants, sleepy eyed, hair tousled, as tempting and edible as she’d imagined. Anger mingled with mortification when the realization that he’d heard them just now slammed into her psyche.
“Jesus, Aiden. I’m sorry. I didn’t know you were…I mean…shit.”
He grinned, making her knees wobbly. “Obviously.” He pointed into the sink. “We’d better take care of this.”
As he did that, he moved with a sort of quick efficiency in keeping with his trim body.
His trim…young body.
Rosalee bit her lip, wrestling her new-found, inner cougar slut back into its cage.
“Thanks,” she said under her breath, not trusting her voice.
He winked, drank his own water and walked past her. Before he made it to the hallway, he turned, then to her alarm and horror, put his lips so close to her ear she smelled his toothpaste. “Glad you convinced him. He needed that.”
He took her hand and pressed something into it. It had to be her heated imagination because he would never brush her cheek with a kiss. He headed down the hallway, went into a room and shut the door, leaving her clutching the torn halves of her bra.
COACH LOVE (book 2)
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Formula-Free Fiction Guarantee!
It's time for Kieran's story....
WARNING: Do NOT read if you prefer your romance predictable and/or conventional.
Over the course of a few tumultuous months, middle son and peacemaker, Kieran Love is plunged back into life at the center of the family, where he must cope with one self-destructive brother, one ill-timed reconnection to an old flame and a series of bad choices that land him in more trouble than he’d ever known existed.
COACH LOVE, book 2 of The Love Brothers, a family saga of sibling loyalty that runs as deep and wide as the Ohio River...at least until Sunday, when Antony, Kieran, Dominic and Aiden work out their frustrations at the weekly Love brother pick-up basketball game.
The Love Brothers: A family saga with humor, heat and heart...Not to mention beer, bourbon and basketball.
LOVE BREWING (book 3)
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WARNING: Do NOT read this book....
....if you're looking for a sweet, fairy-tale romance.
Every family has one: the black sheep, the problem child, the prodigal.
Dominic Sean Love could teach all of those guys a lesson or two and really should come with his own warning label.
Stuck in the middle of a boisterous group of siblings, he’s given “acting out” a new meaning from the day he drew his first breath. When he shows up at his on-again, off-again girlfriend's farm, she's inclined to shoot first and ask questions later. She doesn't. And their lives entwine once more, for good, bad and ugly.
LOVE BREWING, book 3 of The Love Brothers, a critically acclaimed family saga with humor, heat and heart...Not to mention beer, bourbon and basketball.
FAMILY LOVE (book 4)
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Not Just Another "Mother Daughter Story..."
The Love Family Women Have Their Say
You've met the Love brothers....now it's time for Mama Love and her only daughter to tell their story.
A wealthy horse farmer’s rebellious daughter meets a sultry stable hand...but the result is far from the average tale of forbidden romance.
The epic saga of one family’s turbulent beginning is entwined with the challenge of a mother’s relationship with her youngest child, the longed for only daughter, Angelique. But a secret Lindsay Halloran Love has kept for years could rip the tight-knit clan apart for good.
When novelist Aiden Love publishes his parents’ story he has no idea the trauma it will cause. This mash up of New Adult Romance and Women's Fiction will satisfy your craving for the REAL "backstory" with a twist that is guaranteed to leave you, and the entire Love Family, breathless with shock.
SAFE LOVE (novella)
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The Oldest Love Brother Has a Secret
One He Really Needs To Share...
Family therapist and recent divorcee Margot Hamilton is dropped into the close-knit Love family by necessity but fate has a real design twist in mind. With her heart and mind closed to anything resembling an emotional connection, Margot is shocked to discover something about Antony the very first time they meet--something she tries, and fails, to resist.
SAFE LOVE, The Love Brothers novella is a tale of love's realistic complications within the saga of family devotion that runs as wide and deep as the Ohio River--except on Sundays when brothers Antony, Kieran, Dominic and Aiden work out their frustrations on the basketball court, Love brother style.
Warning: NOT for the faint of heart. But then again it's a "Liz Crowe book!"
Amazon best-selling author, mom of three, Realtor, beer blogger, brewery marketing expert, and soccer fan, Liz Crowe is a Kentucky native and graduate of the University of Louisville currently living in Ann Arbor. She has decades of experience in sales and fund raising, plus an eight-year stint as a three-continent, ex-pat trailing spouse.
Her early forays into the publishing world led to a groundbreaking fiction subgenre, “Romance for Real Life,” which has gained thousands of fans and followers interested less in the “HEA” and more in the “WHA” (“What Happens After?”).
With stories set in the not-so-common worlds of breweries, on the soccer pitch, in successful real estate offices and at times in exotic locales like Istanbul, Turkey, her books are unique and told with a fresh voice. The Liz Crowe backlist has something for any reader seeking complex storylines with humor and complete casts of characters that will delight, frustrate and linger in the imagination long after the book is finished.
Don’t ever ask her for anything “like a Budweiser” or risk bodily injury.
December 6, 2017
Romance Between The Pages presents...
Ever wondered about the personalities behind your favorite books? Victoria Danann's new podcast with Riley J. Ford has an incredible lineup of authors booked through the spring. No question is out of bounds. Check it out!
THIS WEEK'S BEST SELLING AUTHOR...
C.M. Stunich!
C.M. Stunich is a self-admitted bibliophile with a love for exotic teas and a whole host of characters who live full time inside the strange, swirling vortex of her thoughts. Some folks might call this crazy, but Caitlin Morgan doesn't mind – especially considering she has to write biographies in the third person. Oh, and half the host of characters in her head are searing hot bad boys with dirty mouths and skillful hands (among other things). If being crazy means hanging out with them everyday, C.M. has decided to have herself committed.
She hates tapioca pudding, loves to binge on cheesy horror movies, and is a slave to many cats. When she's not vacuuming fur off of her couch, C.M. can be found with her nose buried in a book or her eyes glued to a computer screen. She's the author of over thirty novels – romance, new adult, fantasy, and young adult included. Please, come and join her inside her crazy. There's a heck of a lot to do there.
Oh, and Caitlin loves to chat (incessantly), so feel free to e-mail her, send her a Facebook message, or put up smoke signals. She's already looking forward to it.
December 5, 2017
GRAY'S PROMISE by Anni Fife
GRAY'S PROMISE
A King Security Novel, Book 2
by Anni Fife
Zoey Morgan seems to have it all as a successful surgeon in Boston. However, perfection lies only on the surface. Plagued by nightmares and amnesia from a tragedy that ripped her family from her fourteen years ago, she finds the courage to reach out to the only man who can make her feel safe. She’s buried the memory of their love, but her heart—and her body—responds to the ex-marine in ways that are all too familiar.
Grayson “Gray” Walker’s heart shattered when Zoey chose another man over him. Since then, he’s built an impenetrable wall around his emotions. But from the moment she implodes back into his life, her vulnerability breaches his defenses. His skills as an elite member of the King Security team cannot shield him from the devastation of learning he might have left Zoey high and dry when she needed him most. Now, Gray must navigate the tripwire of helping her heal while protecting himself from being hurt again.
As the embers of their potent love reignite, an old threat awakens, leading to greater danger than ever before.
A jealousy that destroys everything in its path…a love that refuses to die.
Gray!
He was behind the reception desk, leaning over a computer screen, and discussing something with the receptionist. He glanced up to check who was exiting the elevator. I had no doubt he knew me immediately because his brows snapped together, recognition clear on his face. His eyes tracked me as I approached.
“Good morning, may I help you?”
I tore my gaze from Gray’s to stare at the receptionist. He was slim, dark-eyed, and so perfectly groomed he looked like he’d been airbrushed for a GQ cover. His brow arched, waiting for my response. I ignored him and looked back at Gray, who remained frozen. Like a still-life, one arm resting on the back of the receptionist’s chair, the other bracing himself on the desk. Only now, his face was blank. My stomach tried to launch into my chest. Blank! I didn’t know how else to describe it. Dear God, please let my face be blank too. But I knew it wasn’t.
Gray!
My heart raced. It was a cliché but it was true. I could feel it pumping in my chest. Gray was even more handsome than I remembered. His dark hair was short, but not military short. It was sleekly styled, like his clothing. Practical, but his jeans were definitely designer. He was more built than I remembered, the power in his body clearly defined by the silky black T-shirt hugging his torso. He’d always been confident; now it was something else. Something that lifted the hair all over my body. But my heart didn’t care. It beat wildly. Recognizing him. Wanting him.
But his face was blank.
“Hello-oo! Do you have an appointment?”
“Cool it, Blake, she’s here for Gray.”
It was the hunk who looked like Thor that spoke. But like Gray, I paid him no heed. I was locked in a silent battle of wills with Grayson Walker. And I was losing.
Shit. I should have made an appointment.
I sucked in a long breath. One-one-thousand, two-one-thousand, three-one-thousand…ever so slowly, I breathed out, never breaking eye contact with him. My heartbeat settled. Yes. I could do this; I was a master at control.
Acid trickled up my throat as he pushed away from the desk and straightened to his full height. His fixed gaze never left mine. My hands curled, fingernails digging into my palms. I always remembered his eyes more blue than gray. Gentle and glinting with wicked humor. Not anymore. Now they were slate. Cold and lethal, like the scalpels I used to cut through human tissue.
“How did you know where to find me?”
No greeting? No “lovely to see you, Zoey”?
“Gerald,” I croaked.
I swallowed hard, pushing down the pain. My voice was normally husky and low-pitched. Gray used to say it was sultry. I loved that, especially since the huskiness was a result of baby colic. I was a chronic crier as a baby and developed nodules, which in turn created calluses on my vocal cords. So sultry sounded nice, sexy.
I didn’t sound sultry now.
My skin goosed as I watched his lips set into a hard line. His mouth was one of the thousand things I loved about him. His upper lip a perfect cupid’s bow. His lower one, full and sensual with a marked indent. I used to tease him that he had the mouth of a porn star. And he did. God! The indescribable pleasure—
“…do you want?”
What did he say? As usual, I’d let the past smother the present. “I’m sorry—”
“What are you doing here, Zoey?” he repeated, clearly impatient.
Yes, what was I doing here?
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ON SALE FOR ONLY 99 CENTS FROM DEC 1-14
From an exciting new author, a Steamy Romantic Suspense.
Red-hot sex. Searing betrayal. A passionate and elusive love...
Chased by her criminal kingpin father, Katya Dalca runs to New Orleans and straight into the arms of Luke Hunter. Sucked into the carnal world of the French Quarter, she succumbs to Luke's potent sexuality. He not only steals her breath, he steals her heart and the only leverage she has against her father. She is left with no choice except to pick up the pieces and rebuild her life alone.
Undercover DEA agent Luke Hunter thought his newest assignment--recover a stolen flash drive to gain the trust of the Russian mob--was like any other. But his target brings him to his knees, and after one taste of her intoxicating beauty, he's in too deep. Doing his job means walking away, leaving his heart behind with nothing but a promise to reunite. It's a promise he can't keep.
When Katya's past reaches out and her world unravels, her only hope is the one man she is most vulnerable to--Luke.
Anni Fife is an exciting new contemporary romance author who has already made an indelible mark in the popular genre of steamy romantic suspense. Her debut novel, Luke’s Redemption, has been acclaimed by critics and readers and was a Finalist in the 2017 RONE Awards. Anni says she credits Kristen Ashley as her guiding inspiration, and strives to make her characters equally as heart-wrenching and unforgettable. She is currently working on Eva’s Peace (King Security Book 3).
Last year, Anni closed the door on a successful career in television production to fulfill her lifelong passion, writing. In the space of a month, she shut her business, packed up her city life, and moved to a small seaside village. When she’s not writing, she can be found on the beach searching for pansy shells, or drinking red wine and gabbing with her gal posse.
If you want to know when Anni’s next book is releasing and be first to get regular updates and BONUS TREATS, visit her website and sign up to join her POSSE.
Anni is published by The Wild Rose Press, and is a member of Romance Writers of America (RWA).
