Tina Gayle's Blog, page 14

Blonde Demolition an #EggcerptExchange By Chris Redding

blurb  Blonde Demolition
Blonde Demolition  YOU JUST CAN'T HIDE FROM THE PAST...

Mallory Sage lives in a small, idyllic town where nothing ever happens. Just the kind of life she has always wanted. No one, not even her fellow volunteer firefighters, knows about her past life as an agent for Homeland Security.

Former partner and lover, Trey McCrane, comes back into Mallory's life. He believes they made a great team once, and that they can do so again. Besides, they don't have much choice. Paul Stanley, a twisted killer and their old nemesis, is back. 

Framed for a bombing and drawn together by necessity, Mallory and Trey go on the run and must learn to trust each other again―if they hope to survive. But Mallory has been hiding another secret, one that could destroy their relationship. And time is running out.
 



- excerpt –
Mall shoppers milled about, though the place wasn't crowded. The smell of grease wafted up her nose.
            Greg Villa walked into the food court as if he owned the place. His trench coat on a warm day sent up red flags for Mallory. He must be armed and not afraid to use it in a crowded mall.
            Her adrenaline rushed through her body. Maybe meeting here had been a miscalculation. She was armed, with no intention of letting anyone know that.
Her heart skipped a few beats.
            Trey tailed his boss as the man walked through the center of the tables. When he reached the end, he whirled. Trey smiled at him.
            Mallory stood next to Greg. She said, "Shall we sit?"
            Greg licked his lips and looked around.
No easy exit, though they didn't want to box him in. He'd be desperate.
            "Let's talk," Greg said.
            "Sit and we're all ears," Trey said.
            Greg found a chair and sat. His eyes never scanned the crowd. Mallory sat against the wall, her gaze going back and forth, and wondered if he'd brought backup.
            No one seemed to take notice of them.
            Trey had his back to the crowd with his face to his boss. "We know about your organized crime connection. We're just wondering how you got hooked up with Paul Stanley."
            "He's never been linked with the mob," Mallory put in. She knew the case as well as Trey. She might be a little rusty, but Trey had made no progress since she'd been gone. The case had been cold for five years.
            "Paul Stanley?" Greg chuckled. "You can't make a connection because there isn't one. And that organized crime thing isn't true."
            "Yeah, right," Mallory said.
            "Can't believe everything you read," said Greg.
- Purchase links
http://amzn.com/B0065KM0D



- Author short bio -
Chris Redding lives in New Jersey with her husband, two kids, one dog and one show rabbit.  She graduated from Penn State with a degree in Journalism and is still a diehard Nittany Lions fan.  Her books are filled with romance, suspense and thrills. 


Email: chrisreddingauthor@gmail.com
Website: www.chrisreddingauthor.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/253606058045505
Twitter: www.twitter.com/chrisredding
Google Plus: https://plus.google.com/101743269602364199911/posts
- answer to character's questions (these can either be for a main character or the author)
(Author) Use what you like.
 
 
1. Nickname: I’ve been called CPR lady because I helped run a training center for 7 years.
2. Job: ghostwriter, but I also teach CPR.
3. Level of schooling, or self-taught: BA in Journalism with a minor in English from The Pennsylvania State University
4. Favorite type of pet One without hair, but DH doesn’t like reptiles so we have a dog.
5. Favorite place to visit The beach
Thanks for doing the exchange with me,
Tina

Raging Sea: Reckonings by Kim Iverson Headlee #free #EggcerptExchange #Fantasy

BOOK INFORMATION
TITLE – Raging Sea: Reckonings
SERIES – The Dragon’s Dove Chronicles, book 3.1
AUTHOR – Kim Iverson Headlee
GENRE – Epic Historical Fantasy
PUBLICATION DATE – 11/23/2015
LENGTH (Pages/# Words) – 104 pages/20K words
PUBLISHER – Pendragon Cove Press
COVER ARTIST – Natasha Brown


 
Raging Sea: Reckonings =can= be read standalone, but the reader will be better informed if s/he has read Dawnflight (book 1; Kindle worldwide link http://getBook.at/Dawnflight_2ed_by_KIH_Kindle) and particularly Morning’s Journey (book 2; Kindle worldwide link http://getBook.at/Mornings_Journey_by_KIH_Kindle) first.
 
SYNOPSIS
 
Those who aspire to greatness must first learn servanthood.
 
Stripped of kin, clan, country, and even his identity for having failed the most important woman in his life and her infant son, Angusel begins the arduous task of rebuilding his life and reclaiming his honor. The path he treads is fraught with uncomfortable revelations, unexpected reconciliations… and unavoidable reckonings.
 
BUY LINK S
 
AMAZON WORLDWIDE LINK: http://getBook.at/Raging_Sea_Reckonings_by_KIH_Kindle
(Kindle Unlimited only)
 


 
EXCERPT  (PG-13)
 
Gull gave Angusel a measuring stare, glanced at the skies—which had remained calm, and the temperature was behaving itself for once—and reached a decision. “Elian, the wood can keep. Our wee lion cub needs a woman. So do I, truth be told.” He picked up his sword.
 
Over Angusel’s embarrassed, “What!” soared Elian’s hearty laughter. “I suppose you know just the place,” said the centurion with a grin.
 
“Of course. Don’t you?” Gull shot back. When he got no response, he continued, “How long has it been for ye, auld boar?”
 
Elian’s grin soured. He pivoted on his wooden leg and stomped inside the cottage. Without looking back he said, “None of your cac-licking business. Take him, then. Just don’t be all day about it.” The words faded with distance until the last few were almost inaudible.
 


 
AUTHOR BIO
 
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 1st edition, Sonnet Books, Simon & Schuster) and has been studying the Arthurian Legends for nigh on half a century.
 
AUTHOR FOLLOW LINKS
AMAZON AUTHOR PAGE (Worldwide link) – http://Author.to/Kim_Headlee_Amazon_page
WEBSITE – http://www.kimheadlee.com
BLOG – http://kimiversonheadlee.blogspot.com
FACEBOOK – https://www.facebook.com/KimIversonHeadlee
TWITTER – https://twitter.com/KimHeadlee
GOOGLE+ – https://plus.google.com/+KimHeadlee
PINTEREST – http://www.pinterest.com/kimheadlee/
GOODREADS – http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/845537.Kim_Headlee
NEWSLETTER – http://eepurl.com/boiQ0z
TRIBERR PROFILE – http://triberr.com/KimHeadlee
ARTHURVERSE TRIBERR TRIBE – http://triberr.com/pages/tribe-overview.php?tid=61110
YOUTUBE CHANNEL – http://www.youtube.com/user/gyanhumara
 
 Thanks Kim for letting us know about your free read,


Tina

The Visionary by @psthib Pamela S. Thibodeaux #EggcerptExchange #Romance

Taylor Forrestier (pronounced Foresjay) The Visionary

1. Nickname: Tay (short for Taylor)
2. Job: My twin brother, Trevor and I own T&T Enterprises and we specialize in Interior Design ; Landscape Artist/Architecture.
3. Level of schooling, or self-taught: Although my twin brother and I attended Ivy League schools and obtained degrees in Architecture and Landscape Architecture as well as Urban Planning and Design, God has gifted me with the ability to ‘see’ what a home should look like when the project is complete – whether it is remodeling, restoration or building from the ground up.
4. Currently residing in... Lake Charles, Louisiana.
5. Significant other: Equipped with oodles and oodles of charm and charisma by the case, Alex Broussard started out as our client but became my husband/significant other.
 
Blurb: A visionary is someone who sees into the future Taylor Forrestier sees into the past but only as it pertains to her work. Hailed by her peers as “a visionary with an instinct for beauty and an eye for the unique” Taylor is undoubtedly a brilliant architect and gifted designer. But she and twin brother Trevor, share more than a successful business. The two share a childhood wrought with lies and deceit and the kind of abuse that’s disturbingly prevalent in today’s society.  Can the love of God and the awesome healing power of His grace and mercy free the twins from their past and open their hearts to the good plan and the future He has for their lives?
Excerpt: “Thank you for taking such good care of me.”
“I’m not through yet,” he mumbled, then slid off the couch and swung her up in his arms.
Fear snuck in, darkening her eyes. She stiffened and opened her mouth to protest. He brushed his lips over hers and silenced her objections.
“I just want to hold you,” he whispered and laid his forehead against hers. “That’s all. I promise,” he added, unable to camouflage the need in his voice.
***
He’d offered her another step to relinquish her fear and trust him. Triumph lit his expressive eyes when she wrapped her arm around his neck, smiled, and whispered, “Okay,” then snuggled her face against his shoulder and let him carry her to the bedroom.
With exquisite tenderness, he laid her on the bed, crawled up beside her, and took her in his arms. Taylor felt the strength of his need in the heat and tensed against the hardness of his body. He eased his grip and propped up on one elbow beside her. His eyes pleaded for grace when he stroked the hair off her face and said in a soft, husky voice, “Please don’t be afraid of me; please trust me. I will never force or even persuade you to give more than you’re ready to.”
They gazed at each other for a long, tender moment. She cupped his cheek in her hand, brushed her thumb over his mouth, then curled her fingers in his hair and urged his head down to fasten her lips to his. A low moan escaped his throat, yet he held himself taut.
Taylor ran her hand over his shoulder and back in a soft caress then wrapped her arms around his waist. “Hold me, Alex, I trust you.”
The emotions reflected in his tone caressed her heart when he thanked her in that beautiful velvety-rough voice. He rolled onto his back, pulled the covers over her, and held her while she slept.
 
Purchase Links:
Paperback: http://amzn.to/1uROE2o
Kindle http://amzn.to/1s23QYv
B&N Print: http://bit.ly/1h9Yhlw
Nook http://bit.ly/1CyPt1c
Smashwords http://bit.ly/167J9So
 
Author bio: Award-winning author, Pamela S. Thibodeaux is the Co-Founder and a lifetime member of Bayou Writers Group in Lake Charles, Louisiana. Multi-published in romantic fiction as well as creative non-fiction, her writing has been tagged as, “Inspirational with an Edge!” ™ and reviewed as “steamier and grittier than the typical Christian novel without decreasing the message.”
 


 
Links:
Website address: http://www.pamelathibodeaux.com  
Blog: http://pamswildroseblog.blogspot.com
Face Book: http://facebook.com/pamelasthibodeaux
Twitter: http://twitter.com/psthib @psthib
Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/pamelasthibodea/
 

Lyn O'Farrell #EggcerptExchange -- Worth the Risk

Eggcerpt Exchange 2016 – Linda McLaughlin

Book: Worth The Risk by Lyn O’Farrell, contemporary romanceWorth The Risk blurb:
Children's librarian Amanda Lloyd values privacy above all else. Three years ago her wedding ended in disaster when her groom was arrested at the altar and the story of the 'Embezzler's Bride' appeared in the supermarket tabloids. The experience has left her determined to avoid being caught in the public eye again. Until she meets a sexy single dad with a scandalous past…
Ex-racer Mitch Delaney is a public figure whose life has been plastered across the tabloids more than once. But he believes that anything worth doing is worth a risk. After the death of his ex-wife, he moved to Southern California to take care of his son Josh. He doesn't need the complication of a woman in his life, especially since Josh's grandparents have filed suit for custody. But Josh is on the hunt for a new mother and he has his heart set on Miss Amanda, and Mitch can't fault his son's taste.
Against her better judgment, Amanda finds herself falling for both of the Delaney men. When she agrees to accompany Mitch to a high-profile movie premiere, they draw the attention of the tabloids. Overnight Amanda’s private affair becomes very public indeed, threatening her job and Mitch’s custody suit. She’s waited twenty-eight years for the right man. But will happiness come at too high a price?
(Golden Heart Finalist, previously published as Private Affair, Kensington Precious Gem #121)
Eggcerpt:
The town was lovely, with tall palm trees and a sandy crescent of beach ringing the glistening bay. It was a picture perfect day as they strolled along the waterfront to one of her favorite seafood restaurants.
After a delicious lunch of fresh swordfish they walked the town, stopping at all the tourist spots. They hiked up to the botanical gardens, visited the Casino where haunting echoes of the Big Band era seemed still alive, and went on the Glass Bottom boat.
“Let’s take a walk on the beach,” Mitch suggested as they stepped onto the pier.
They shed their shoes and socks, enjoying the feel of the warm sand on their toes. Amanda breathed deeply of the sea air and sighed in contentment.
“It’s been such a nice day, I hate to go home,” Mitch observed.
“You just don’t want to get back in the plane,” she teased.
“On the contrary, I can’t wait to take off over that drop-off gorge. I hope it doesn’t leave Josh fatherless.”
“You don’t have any confidence in me.”
“I haven’t booked passage on the boat, have I? You can’t get rid of me that easily.”
He gave her a look that told her the man loved a touch of danger. Her plan had backfired. Instead of discouraging him, he seemed even more interested. That should bother her, but somehow it didn’t.
“I’ve really enjoyed this.” He gestured at the town. “It’s like another world.”
She nodded in agreement. “That’s the reason I enjoy flying over here. It’s so easy to forget about the stress of daily life.”
He slipped his arm around her shoulders. “What kind of pressure are you going back to at the library?”
The pressure is right here. She was constantly fighting her attraction to this man. “Nothing really,” she remarked casually. “We’re getting ready for Halloween and I’ve got to get a costume together. I’m supposed to be Sleeping Beauty.”
“Oh? That has possibilities.” He leaned closer so his lips brushed her temple. His throaty voice whispered in her ear, “You’ll need a prince to kiss you awake, you know. I’ll be happy to volunteer for the job.”
Amanda’s breath quickened as she stared into his darkened eyes. He wouldn’t. Not here, on a public beach, in front of everyone.
He would.
She felt her knees weaken as his mouth descended. Her mind told her to pull away but her body had no desire to back out of his embrace. His kiss was as light and tender as an ocean breeze, but her reaction was anything but cool. Her pulse pounded and her heart jumped erratically.
It’s just a kiss, she told herself. But even as they pulled apart she felt a burning desire, an aching need, to feel his arms around her.
Buy links: Available from Amazon Kindle http://amzn.com/B006LFIRGC   Apple: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/worth-the-risk/id563112816?mt=11&uo=4 Barnes and Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/c/lyn-ofarrell Kobo: http://store.kobobooks.com/en-US/ebook/worth-the-risk-7  Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/236077
Worth The Risk is also part of the Hearts and Heroes boxed set. 
Lyn O’Farrell’s Interview of Amanda Lloyd
Tell us about your job.I’m a children’s librarian at Santa Elena Public Library and I love it!
What is your favorite type of pet?I love dogs. My current companion is a miniature Dachshund named Willie who loves untying my guests’s shoe laces.
Name a favorite place to visit.I love to hop over to Avalon on Santa Catalina every chance I get. It’s such a little town.
What is your worst fear or nightmare?Being publicly shamed… again.
What is your secret desire or fantasy?I’d love to have children some day. But first I have to find the right man to help me make that possible.
For Amanda to get her secret desire, she’s going to have to get over her fear of being in the public eye.
Author bio:
Lyn O'Farrell is the writing team of Anne Farrell and Linda McLaughlin. Their romance novel, Private Affair, was a finalist in RWA's prestigious Golden Heart contest and was first published in paperback by Kensington Precious Gems. Anne and Linda live in sunny Southern California, the inspiration for the fictional town of Santa Elena.
You can find the authors online at: Anne Farrell’s website: http://annefarrellwriter.com/ Linda McLaughlin http://lindalyndi.com Blog: http://lindalyndi.com/reading-room-blog/ Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/LindaMcLaughlinAuthor Twitter: @Lyndi Lamont https://twitter.com/LyndiLamont
Thanks Lyndi, doing the exchange,

Tina

Jacquie Biggar Twilight's Encore an #EggcerptExchange #Read

Today, I'm hosting Jacquie Biggar for the #Eggcerpt Exchange










Twilight’s Encore by Jacquie Biggar




 

Genre: Romantic Suspense

Pages: 202

Buy link: http://www.amazon.com/Twilights-Encore-Wounded-Hearts-Book-ebook/dp/B010HBAFZ6/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1452903072&sr=1-1&keywords=twilight%27s+encore

 

Answer to character questions:

 

Job- Restoration of old buildings. Why build new when there’s so much more character in the old.

Currently residing in- Tidal Falls, Washington. Born and raised here, can’t imagine being anywhere else. Even if my family drive me nuts half the time!

Favorite type of pet- I would have normally said dog, man’s best friend, right? But I recently came across this kitten and we’ve sorta clicked.

Significant other- There’s only ever been one girl for me, Katy Fowler. It just took a lot of years to figure ourselves out!

Worst fear or nightmare- The thought of never seeing Katy again, hands down. Without her, life’s not worth livin’, you know?

  




Blurb:

 

One man's betrayal will seal another's fate. 
Ty Garrett fell in love with Katy Fowler from the moment they'd met. When her father’s betrayal yank the young couple apart, Ty becomes bitter. 
After a decade away, Katy returns to Tidal Falls with plans to get married in her family's theatre. But she hadn't expected to run into Ty Garrett, the boy she'd never forgotten. 
When unseen forces endanger their lives, can Ty save Katy and win back her love, or is it too late for these two star-crossed lovers? 

 

 

Excerpt:

 

Ty muffled a groan. Katy’s crooning just about did him in right there. He wasn’t sure how Tiger held out, because if she used those words on him in that husky, sexy tone… he wrenched open the back door and dumped the groceries on the floor. A long, deep sigh later he closed the door, placed his hands on Katy’s waist and gently moved her aside.

“Here, I’ll get her.” He climbed into the four-by-four and scooped the recalcitrant kitten into his hand. “Hey there, Tiger, good job protecting the truck. Come say hi to the pretty lady, and no scratching.”

He nuzzled his nose into its soft, furry neck and then passed her down to Katy’s waiting hands, their fingers tangling for a too brief moment.

“Hello, beautiful. What are you doing with this guy, huh?” She burrowed her face right into the same spot he had and everything inside him tightened painfully. She was killing him here.

“You find that hard to believe, right?” he grumbled.

She glanced up, her mossy green eyes soft with affection. “What?”

His fingers wrapped around the steering wheel before he did what he craved. Bury his hands in that silken waterfall of hair, drag her close, and see if her neck was half as soft as the cat’s. “That anyone would want to stay with me of their own volition?”

Katy frowned. “What are you talking about? I was teasing, Ty. Don’t make this into something it’s not.”

Words to live by.

 

 

Author Bio:

 

Jacquie lives in paradise along the west coast of Canada with her family. She loves reading, writing, and flower gardening. Jacquie swears she can't function without coffee, preferably at the beach with her sweetheart.

 

 Web Site:

http://jacqbiggar.com

 

 Amazon author page:

http://amazon.com/author/jacquiebiggar

 

Bookbub author page:

https://www.bookbub.com/authors/jacquie-biggar

 

 Book Trailer
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R6y-V51jehI&list=PL3ECPA6obGvKHzuxY-6TcTD2PSCW9b-JF&feature=player_embedded


Thanks Jacquie for stopping by and doing the Eggcerpt Exchange,


Tina




 

Mary J. Schiller - HomeTown Heartache #EggcerptExchange

Today, I'm happy to be hosting Mary J. Schiller.








Blurb ~

Nash is trying to make a name for himself in the art world…

But when he meets a realtor to buy a gallery, he is stunned to find Chloe sitting at the table with the man. He has never stopped thinking about her since she disappeared from his life without a trace. Is it too late to win back her love?

Chloe has finally found a way to leave her past behind her…

But her heart leaps out of her chest when she sees Nash. How can he be here? Now…after all this time? On the surface, she pulls herself back together. But underneath she feels she is about to shatter. After remaking herself, how can she deal with being faced with Nash and the life she knew before?

If this chance meeting doesn’t rip Chloe and Nash apart, he will.

Little do they know, someone has been lurking in the shadows, manipulating them all along. If he has his way, the two will never be reunited. Even if he has to take one of them out to ensure it.



Character  Interview
Nash Nabry

 Job- I’m an artist and I just finished building my own studio.
Level of schooling, or self-taught- I attended the New York School of Art.
Birthplace- I was born in New York City, but was raised in Cold Springs, New York.
 Currently residing in a tiny apartment in New York, but planning to move into roomier quarters over my gallery.
 Favorite type of pet- I always wanted a dog. A retriever, to be specific. But my mom is allergic to them.




Excerpt ~

 

I watched from my bedroom window, peering through the branches of the huge oak tree growing at the corner of the front of the house. A large moving van backed slowly up the long, rambling gravel driveway. I held my breath, and repeated in a low whisper, “Please have a boy my age. Please have a boy my age.”

 

When the truck finally came to a stop, and the door of the cab opened, a cowboy hat appeared on someone about my size and I whooped with glee, pounding down the stairs and out the back door, slamming the screen door as I hollered over my shoulder, “They have a boy! They have a boy!”

 

My mom called after me as she iced a chocolate cake. “Nash Steven Nabry, you get back here this instant. The last thing they need is you underfoot.”

 

But I ignored her, running pell-mell to the truck, kicking up rock behind me. Even now I can recall the scratch of my tennis shoes as I made a sliding stop in front of her, scattering gravel left and right, and the way the rock dust filled my throat and nostrils as much as my indignation. “You’re a girl,” I spat.

 

“Nash!” my mother’s appalled voice yelled from several yards behind me. I still don’t understand how she could always hear every impolite word I spoke, yet not hear me when I called up the stairs asking her where the cereal was. Then Chloe’s father came around the back end of the truck, and the grownups introduced themselves while I stared at Chloe and Chloe stared at me like this was a showdown at the O.K. Corral, which was fitting considering her outfit. Looking back, my mind automatically added the dramatic, high-pitched, whistling notes from the theme song to The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly, a Clint Eastwood movie my brother, Ed, liked to watch. Chloe rubbed a fist in her eye, which probably was irritated by the chalky, drifting dust I raised from the gravel, squinting the other eye in the bright sunshine as she glared at me.

 

Links ~

Amazon:http://www.amazon.com/dp/B01AHIS2TK?ref_=pe_2427780_160035660

 

Author Bio ~

MJ is a lunch lady in the heart of Central Illinois. My gosh! Can you get more folksy than that? She met her husband at the University of Missouri-Columbia and now she has a nineteen-year-old (how did that happen?) and seventeen year old triplets! She loves to read, karaoke (where she can pretend she is a rock star) and spends WAY too much time on Facebook. She grew up in St. Louis and still has family there.

Website: www.mjschillerauthor.blogspot.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/MJ-Schiller-Romance-Author/286382241460365?ref=hl

Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/mjschiller/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/mjschiller

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/M.J.-Schiller/e/B009JOQFQQ/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_1

 

Thanks MJ for stopping by,Tina

An #EggcerptExchange by @DianaLRubino From Here to 14th Street #historicalromance

answers to character's questions Vita Caputo McGlory, the heroine of FROM HERE TO FOURTEENTH STREET


Job – I started out as a sweatshop worker sewing ‘shirtwaistes’ (blouses), and now I’m a committeewoman, with a view to being New York City’s first female mayor.

Level of schooling – I left school at 16 to go to work in a lampshade factory.
Birthplace – Sassano, Italy, near Naples.
Currently residing in...Greenwich Village, in a brownstone on East 14th Street.
Favorite Pet – They’re all favorites, two mongrel pups, Charlie and Shirley, two cats Romeo and Juliet, and assorted goldfish whose names we can’t keep up with!
Favorite place to visit – Coney Island, to sit on the beach, frolic in the ocean, eat those delicious hot dogs and fried dough, and stroll the boardwalk!
Significant other – My husband Tom McGlory, who stuck with me as we overcame astronomical odds to stay together.
Most important goal – To see my three children become successful, respectable citizens. Doing all right so far—my daughter Assunta (Susan) owns a clothing store, my son Virgilio (Billy) writes Broadway musicals and my youngest Teresa (Tessie) wants to be a baby doctor.
Worst fear or nightmare – That the stock market will crash again or some other disaster will plunge us back into poverty.

Favorite food – My homemade lasagna with my grandmother’s sauce recipe (it’s a secret)
Wealthy, poor, or somewhere in between? – We’re finally members of the solid middle class.
Secret desire or fantasy – To sing in one of my son’s musicals.
What would you do if you won the lottery? – Buy my own airplane and give the rest to charity.


- blurb –
 
It's 1894 on New York's Lower East Side. Irish cop Tom McGlory and Italian immigrant Vita Caputo fall in love despite their different upbringings. Vita goes from sweatshop laborer to respected bank clerk to reformer, helping elect a mayor to beat the Tammany machine. While Tom works undercover to help Ted Roosevelt purge police corruption, Vita's father arranges a marriage between her and a man she despises. As Vita and Tom work together against time and prejudice to clear her brother and father of a murder they didn't commit, they know their love can survive poverty, hatred, and corruption. Vita is based on my great grandmother, who left third grade to become a self-made businesswoman and politician, wife and mother.
 
 
- excerpt -
As Vita gathered her soap and towel, Madame Branchard tapped on her door. "You have a gentleman caller, Vita. A policeman."
"Tom?" His name lingered on her lips as she repeated it. She dropped her things and crossed the room.
"No, hon, not him. Another policeman. Theodore something, I think he said."
No. There can't be anything wrong. "Thanks," she whispered,  nudging Madame Branchard aside. She descended the steps, gripping the banister to support her wobbly legs. Stay calm! she warned herself. But of course it was no use; staying calm just wasn't her nature.
“Theodore something” stood before the closed parlor door. He’s a policeman? She looked him up and down with curious intent. Tall and hefty, a bold pink shirt peeking out of a buttoned waistcoat and fitted jacket, he looked way out of place against the dainty patterned wallpaper.
He removed his hat. "Miss Caputo." He strained to keep his voice soft as he held out a piece of paper. “I’m police commissioner Theodore Roosevelt.”
"Yes?" Her voice shook.
"I have a summons for you, Miss Caputo." He held it out to her. But she stood rooted to that spot.
He stepped closer and she took it from him, unfolding it with icy fingers. Why would she be served with a summons? Was someone arresting her now for something she didn't do?
A shot of anger tore through her at this system, at everything she wanted to change. It eclipsed her fear, making her blood boil. She flipped it open and saw the word "Summons" in fancy script at the top. Her eyes widened with each sentence as she read. “I can’t believe what I’m seeing.”
I hereby order Miss Vita Caputo to enter into holy matrimony with Mr. Thomas McGlory immediately following service of this summons.
Signed and witnessed, it looked very official. She looked up at Theodore. He flashed her a toothy smile.
"He's pazzo, he's just nuts!" She read it again and again, laughing, her eyes filled with tears of relief and happiness.
“Deeee-lightful, isn’t it, Miss Caputo?” The door opened and he stepped aside. There stood Tom in the doorway. Teddy Roosevelt cuffed him on the chin and vanished.
"I would have arrested you, but I was afraid you would resist." He gave her a playful grin.
She leapt forward and embraced him with every bit of strength she had left, crushing the paper between them.
"You are just crazy!" was all she could think to say. Still dizzy from the shock, the fright, and the anger that blanketed it all, she juggled a new jumble of titillating emotions.
"You're the one who should be crazy, crazy enough to marry me, that is."
All her doubts vanished at that instant. “Oh, yes, together we are stronger than any force that would dare keep us apart.” 
In a guarded tone she asked, "You don't mean tonight, do you?" Jadwiga's one-word suggestion flashed through her mind. “Elope.” She wondered if the two of them had planned a slick coup. Was a priest in the parlor waiting to officiate?
He laughed, a halo around his head from the lamp’s glow. "Any night you want. Tonight, tomorrow, next week, just don't make me wait too long."
"How long were you sitting in there?"
"A few hours. I figured you were with your family. Your landlady was nice enough to let me wait. I told her I wanted to surprise you, and I think she figured out what it was. So she didn't interfere. Teddy there, who considerately left us alone, is our commish, and the jokester on the force. He'd have to be, to have gone along with this!"
They went into the parlor and she closed the door, quivering in naughty delight. As she sat on the sofa, he dropped to one knee. He slid his hand into his pocket and brought out a sparkling ring, took her hand and slipped it onto the third finger of her left hand. “Vita, will you marry me?”
“Oh, Tom…” She held it at arm's length, turning her hand this way and that. It glittered in the lamp’s glow.
She would have eloped with him at this minute if he’d asked. If a priest stood in this room, they would have been married by now. She threw her arms around his neck, dizzy with happiness, dizzily in love. “Of course I’ll marry you! Tonight, tomorrow, whenever you want! Oh, how I love you!” 
He sat beside her and she pulled the pins from her bun. Her hair tumbled to her waist, and he stroked it lovingly as she nestled against his chest. Their lips met and parted. Her mind raced . . . we need to set a date!
 
- Purchase links
 
 
The Wild Rose Press
 
Amazon Kindle
 
Amazon Paperback
 
- author bio –
 
My passion for history and travel has taken me to every locale of my stories, set in Medieval and Renaissance England, Egypt, the Mediterranean, colonial Virginia, New England, and New York. My urban fantasy romance, FAKIN’ IT, won a Top Pick award from Romantic Times. I’m a member of Romance Writers of America, the Richard III Society and the Aaron Burr Association. I live on Cape Cod with my husband Chris. In my spare time, I bicycle, golf, play my piano and devour books of any genre.
 
 
- author links
Visit me at www.dianarubino.com,
www.DianaRubinoAuthor.blogspot.com, https://www.facebook.com/DianaRubinoAuthor,
and on Twitter @DianaLRubino.

-

Kathryn Blake - Lessons in Love #EggcerptExchange #Romance

Tagline:
She knew she was flawed. He thought she was trainable. One of them was wrong.
 
Short Blurb:
 
Pam Weston didn't have many choices as far as employment went. Her prison sentence saw to that. With limited secretarial skills, and an even more limited budget, she never considered herself executive material. So, when she was ordered to report to the CEO of her company as his new personal assistant, she fully expected to be checking out the "Help Wanted" section of the paper before the day was over.
 
Robert Peterson knew his management style was not HR approved, but he believed in using the stick as well as the carrot. Employing the tenets of domestic discipline, he helped mold his personal assistants into confident women who recognized their own self-worth. Even so, his unorthodox methods were only one of the reasons many considered the position of his assistant to be a revolving door. To Rob's mind, Pamela Weston was perfect for his purposes, though given her past, he expected convincing her to agree to his program would be a challenge.
 


Excerpt:
After Mr. Peterson insists she let his driver take her home, Pam realizes her boss knows a lot more about her and her past than she realized.
 
None of this made sense. "Did you know HR was sending me to work for you, sir?"
"Yes. Truth be known, I requested you."
Her breath caught in her throat. "Why?"
"Why not? You're a hard worker, and I had a long talk with the prison warden as well as your counselor and their staff psychologist, all of whom were quite protective of you. More than they would be for just anyone, which told me a lot."
"Did you know I'd still be in the office tonight, sir? Were you setting me up to fail, Mr. Peterson?"
"Not precisely. However, I was giving you an opportunity to do what comes naturally. I was advised you tended to overwork and lose track of time when left to your own devices, and Krista mentioned needing to insist you stop for lunch. From what I've seen of your work, you're bright and curious, so I figured you would delve into the Hemley file once you started. Since I ordered you to have Caroline's notes transcribed by morning, I predicted you would stay until you completed my request, after you sated your own curiosity. Was I wrong?"
"No, sir," she admitted. Unnerved by how easily he had read her, Pam sat back on the seat and considered everything he said before finally adding, "I don’t like leaving things unfinished."
 
Buy Links:
 
Blushing Books
http://www.blushingbooks.com/index.php?l=product_detail&p=3697
 
 
Amazon-USA
http://www.amazon.com/Lessons-Love-Kathryn-R-Blake-ebook/dp/B01B43XL8O
 
Bio:
 
Lessons in Love is Kathryn R. Blake's sixth novel with Blushing Books, and fifth spanking romance where Domestic Discipline is primary to the plot.  Although Kathryn is relatively new to the spanking romance market, she is not new to stories where the hero spanks the heroine.  In fact, most of her novels have some sort of spanking in them.  However, even in Kathryn's novels where the hero firmly believes in using spanking as a deterrent, he has no desire to cause the heroine injury and takes no delight in hurting the woman of his heart.  In fact, sometimes he finds it extremely difficult to follow through on his threats or promises.
To date, all of her heroes are dominant, alpha males who are extremely protective of the women they love.  However, part of that protectiveness includes the need for a certain amount of control.  They do not suffer defiance or disobedience lightly. Even so, these men aren't infallible, and they do make mistakes, but love and respect will always triumph in the end.
Kathryn has been a member of RWA since the early 1980s and has joined several local and special interest chapters. Besides writing, Kathryn enjoys traveling, reading, attending the theatre, and is a passionate lover of animals, so much so that in 2015 a stray cat adopted her. The stray now sleeps in Kathryn's bed.  She has also recently taken up the expensive hobby of making and selling jewelry.
Her personal website, www.kathrynrblake.com, is filled with photos and links to information about her many interests as well as peppered with quizzes, contests, games and lots of other fun things to do and she loves to hear from her readers, so she has an e-mail link at the bottom of every page.
 
Social Links:
 
Facebook Page: http://www.facebook.com/KRBlake.page
Facebook Profile: http://www.facebook.com/KRBlake.profile
Twitter: http://twitter.com/KRBwrites
Blog: http://krbnaughtythoughts.blogspot.com
Website: http://www.kathrynrblake.com
 
Questions:
 
What is your favorite type of pet?
I'm definitely a dog person, but I love all animals, even the house mice I trapped and kept in plastic cages with toys and wheels. I let them all free this past fall on a golf course filled with lots of yummy things for them to eat, and hide in as well as lots of fresh water. Though I suspect they were most likely caught and killed by other animals, they weren't really pets. They remained afraid of me even after a year of feeding and talking to them. Now, we have the stray cat that adopted us, which was another reason I had to free the mice. She took exceptional interest to their nocturnal activities. Skeezix is more of a pet, but she's still not a cuddler. She allows me to hold her on my lap for a while, then insists on getting down. All my doggies loved to cuddle on my lap. Sigh.
 
What is your favorite place to visit?
London, hands down. We used to go every year, and our last two visits were for eight week stays. I kept journals of our activities, which is hard since it meant I was up until late trying to recapture all the things we did. I never finished the last one, though I have the pictures, I still need to put together the narrative. Each day has something listed, but not all the pictures we took. If anyone is interested, they can find links to both my travellogs on my blog, or visit the latest one at: http://hassuitcase.blogspot.com/
 
What can you tell us about your significant other?
We met during my community theatre auditions for The Sound of Music back in the early 70s. I did get the role of the baroness. I was supposed to be a worldly woman of thirty-five, though in truth I was a naïve twenty-year-old. He didn't vote for me to get the role because he thought I was too old for the part. Amazing I still agreed to marry him, isn't it?

Thanks Kathryn for stopping by,
Tina
 

The #EggcerptExchange JEM by Michelle Abott #romance

Today with the Eggcerpt Exchange, I'm hosting Author Michelle Abbott. She writes new adult romance. She currently has four books published.






JEM
Two injured, stubborn souls meet unexpectedly. Will they save each other from their demons or have they been too damaged for too long to see past the pain?

Growing up, all Jem knew was hatred and the pain from his father's fists. Taunted by the kids at school, he was alone, until a girl with carrot coloured hair sat next to him.

She smiled.
She listened.
She cared.

She was his angel, and he knew he’d love her forever. But Jem’s father hurts him in a way he never expected by taking him away from her.

Now eighteen, scarred inside and out, Jem trusts no one and has worked hard to ensure he'll never be helpless again. But then he runs into his angel. The only problem is she doesn’t recognize him. Jem needs her to remember him, to show him that their time together meant to her what it did to him. For once in his life he wants to have mattered to someone, to her.

Devon is attracted to the muscular, tattooed, pierced hottie standing by the pub quiz machine. That is, until he punches a guy clean across the bar for daring to touch him. She’s had her fill of violent men and intends to avoid this one at all costs.
Eggcerpt from JEM
I pull back the duvet and try to make as few movements as possible as I crawl in beside her and let the warmth from her body and the duvet envelop me. Her red hair is splayed across my pillow. I reach out and stroke my fingers through the silken strands. My pillowcase isn’t getting washed again. It can smell of her forever so that whenever I lay my head on it, I can pretend she’s with me. Maybe it will be okay to move a little closer. I’m right on the edge of the mattress. If I fall out of bed I’ll wake her. I scoot closer to her, close my eyes and inhale. She smells of roses. Maybe I should get her some flowers. I picture myself holding a bunch of red roses and chuckle to myself. Nah, I’m not the suave type. Maybe I’ll get a rose tattoo to remind me of her scent.
Buy Links:
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00U65KU22
http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00U65KU22
http://www.amazon.com.au/gp/product/B00U65KU22
 
Interview with Jem
1.  Job?
I work at an amusement arcade, fixing the machines when they go wrong, handing out change and that kind of thing. It pays my bills, it’s local and the hours suit me.
 
2. Currently residing in...?
Hemsby in Norfolk. I’ve got a trailer right by the sea. There’s nothing like walking along the beach every morning. It keeps me calm.
 
3. Level of schooling, or self-taught?
I had to quit school when I was small because my asshole of a father moved us all at the last minute after someone reported him to social services for child cruelty. He never enrolled me in another school. I taught myself all I need to know.
 
4. Favorite food?
Don’t have one. I eat to live, I don’t live to eat.
 
5. Most important goal?
To get Devon to remember me and love me again. To take care of her and show her that I never forgot her and never stopped loving her.
 


Michelle Abbott lives in the UK and hates describing herself in 3rd person.

She  loves to write new adult romance about heroes who begin as the underdog and are protective of their girl.

She's an avid reader of romance, is addicted to coffee and loves wine and chocolate, so yeah, not the most healthy eating and drinking habits :-) She spends way too much time online when she should be writing. She collects teddy bears and occasionally knits a couple of rows on a sweater she started years ago, which she may eventually finish in time to wear for her funeral :-)
Website http://www.michelleabbott.com/
Twitter   https://twitter.com/michelleabbott4
Facebook  https://www.facebook.com/MichelleAbbottRomanceAuthor
Goodreads  https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7034278.Michelle_Abbott
 
 Thanks Michelle for stopping by,


Tina
 
 
 

#EggcerptExchange To Seduce and Omega by @KryssieFortune

Meet Titus – the Soon to be Alpha of the Rock Prowler Pack.
#Eggcerpt Exchange
“You want something, Sammy? An interview for your school magazine? Well… I suppose it couldn’t hurt.”
Sammy giggled and opened up his writing book. “So, T. what’s your nickname.”
Titus: “Never had one. Not unless T. counts. You started something the first time you called me that. Now the whole pack uses it.”
Sammy blushed. “It suits you. But I said Big T. first what with you being so big and all. Anyway. Where did you go to school?”
Titus: “I planned to head to earth and do some serious study”—he shook his head—“but things went so far south it never happened. Some witch kidnapped my true-mate and I spent almost a century trying to free her.” The wolf’s shoulders slumped as he stared into the distance. After a deep breath, he added. “Not that she wants anything to do with me or the pack. I guess you can say I graduated from the school of Hard Knocks.”
Too young to understand the pain that that inflicted on Titus, Sammy shook his head. “Girls suck.”
Titus: “Only when you’re a cub. Give it a few years and you might say different. My best dream was to bond with my true-mate but she wouldn’t even look at me. Now I don’t have any dreams left.”
Sammy carefully wrote Titus’s word in his notebook. “What would you do if you won the lottery?”
Titus: I don’t waste my time on something like that.” He growled softly. “I never won anything and I can’t see my luck changing now. No, don’t write that bit down. Let’s just say I’m not hurting financially and I don’t play because I don’t need the money.”
Sammy broke off to sharpen his pencil. “And what’s your favorite food?”
Titus: Nothing tastes good anymore except whisky. No, don’t write that down either. Just put that I don’t have much appetite. I hunt and I eat whatever I can find. That’s it, Sammy. Interview over.” He stood and beckoned a group of cubs over. “Come on, time for your tracking lesson. Give me a two minute head start, and if you find me, I’ll shout the lot of you an ice-cream.”
 
 
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Blurb
The Rock Prowler alpha condemns Viola for her inability to shift. Forced into poverty and isolation, she ekes out a meager existence as a healer. As the pack omega with a crippled knee, she’s forbidden to mate. Her first heat beckons, but no wolf will dare to bed her.

Titus, a wolf rejected by his true mate, overflows with violence and anger. The Lykae King sends him to take over the Rock Prowler pack. He condemns Viola for wanting payment before she treats her patients and threatens to bring in a new pack healer. With her crippled knee and no other income, she’d starve.

She-wolves from families who disagree with the alpha have vanished. When Titus investigates, the alpha’s allies imprison both him and Viola. To escape, he must seduce Viola—the she-wolf he insulted and reviled. If that’s not bad enough, she despises him for his seeming allegiance to the alpha. As he gets to know her, she steals his heart, but after all that’s happened, how can she accept him when even his fated mate refused him? 
Buy links
 
Amazon US
http://amzn.to/1PvpwmU
Amazon UK
http://amzn.to/20mjzAE
Amazon au
http://amzn.to/20mjzAE
All romance books
http://bit.ly/1K4WAGu
Kobo
http://bit.ly/1OPRA57
 
 
Excerpt
The Rock Prowler land called to Titus as nothing had since Jilly waltzed out of his life. Well, maybe Viola did, but he was practically engaged to Fleur—a woman he hadn’t met yet. Sometimes he wondered what had gone on in Jilly’s head. He deserved better than the cold shoulder she’d shown him. Hell, a farewell note would have been good after everything he’d given up to protect her. The occasional smile in his direction would have been better, though.
Once she’d left him, nothing had mattered. Hard as he’d tried to move on, anger and guilt boiled inside him. The only time he’d felt whole was when he’d kissed Viola, but even that brief pleasure left him racked with guilt. After the Fates bound him to Jilly, he shouldn’t lust after any other woman. He’d never been fickle before.
In return for his new wife handing him the Rock Prowler Pack on a plate, he’d give her position and power, but not his heart. That had shattered when Jilly left.
Once Titus sobered up from his year-and-a-half-long binge, King Caleb offered him a chance of a new life. Titus just needed to swallow what little pride Jilly had left him and wed the alpha’s daughter. As long as she could stand to be in the same room as him, it wouldn’t be that bad—but he’d have to get that selfish healer out of his head first.
A cart ambled down the track toward him, then pulled up at his side. The driver tipped back his hat. “Are you the wolf that found my Tansy?”
Titus wondered why the driver hadn’t flashed straight to her side. If it had been Titus’s mate lying in Viola’ hut, nothing would have kept him away, but this wolf arrived by horse and cart. Poor Tansy deserved better.
Titus bottled his anger and nodded. “I found her huddled in a murder thorn, half-conscious and whimpering in pain. I took her to your pack’s healer.”
The driver leaned closer and lowered his voice. “I’m glad she had enough sense to take refuge there. After today, I won’t let her out of my sight again in a hurry.”
Titus scowled. “Someone shot an arrow into her leg and left her to bleed out. Have you made any enemies lately?”
After an anxious glance over his shoulder, the driver gave Titus an appraising look. “I’m saying nothing, but you should watch your back while you’re on Rock Prowler territory. A wise man would hurry on to wherever he was headed and avoid the town.”
The driver’s fear hung around him in a sour-smelling miasma. Something was seriously wrong with this pack. After seeing the neglected buildings and badly farmed land, Titus knew this was somewhere he could make a difference, and he was glad King Caleb had sent him.
 
About Kryssie Fortune
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Kryssie’s imagination runs wild. She loves dragons, sensual Fae, and sensual vampires. Show her a dominant Lykae male and her toes curl. Feel free to visit her website or check out her blog. She can also be found on Facebook or Twitter.
Author  links
Website
http://kryssiefortune.wix.com/kryssie
 
Blog
http://kryssiefortune.blogspot.co.uk
 
Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/Kryssie-Fortune-Author-Page-267100286738528/
 
Twitter
https://twitter.com/KryssieFortune
Thanks Kryssie for stopping by,Tina