Lily Bly's Blog, page 2
March 27, 2019
LOST HORIZON by Michelle Hercules #coverreveal #giveaway #XpressoTours #fantasy #romance #ya
Lost Horizon(Oz in Space, #1)by Michelle Hercules-coming June 10, 2019-
A magical planet torn apart by war. A defiant space pilot cadet determined to save the ones she loves. The adventure of a lifetime.
Oz like you have never seen before.
Space Academy prodigy Dorothy Hanson doesn’t have time for love nonsense. She has one goal, complete the mission her parents started before their untimely death.
When a cosmic disturbance hits the Kansas Space Station, Dorothy seizes that opportunity to go on her first space voyage. She didn’t expect to be sucked into a vortex nor land on a strange planet ravaged by war.
Stranded, she must embark on a perilous mission to the Land of Oz, the only nation that possesses the technology to send her home. Three strangers join Dorothy in her quest, all carrying reasons of their own for reaching Emerald City. A man without memories marked with a strange symbol on his face. A cyborg with a chip on his shoulder and a mysterious past. And a scarred hellioncat plagued by nightmares in the dark.
Dorothy doesn’t know if she can trust them, but as their journey progresses, their bond becomes stronger and Dorothy's feelings evolve from suspicion to caring too much. Torn between contradicting emotions, she must find the strength to fight the evil forces that stack up against them along the way. Surviving the trip on the yellow road is priority number one, but can she survive losing her heart?
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A little more about Michelle Hercules…
USA Today bestselling author Michelle Hercules always knew creative arts were her calling but not in a million years did she think she would write a novel. With a background in fashion design she thought she would follow that path. But one day, out of the blue, she had an idea for a book. One page turned into ten pages, ten pages turned into a hundred, and before she knew, her first book, The Prophecy of Arcadia, was born.
Michelle Hercules resides in The Netherlands with her husband and daughter. She is currently working on the Legends of Gattica series.
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March 26, 2019
Interview with Julie Howard, author of SPIRITED QUEST (a Deerbourne Inn novella) #paranormal #romance #prn #wrpbks #ghosts
Thanks for visiting with me on The Daisy, Julie!
Let’s learn more about you and your new book for The Deerbourne Inn series, SPIRITED QUEST
How did the idea for this book occur to you?This is always the most difficult question to answer. I have no idea where my ideas come from. I think the idea is actually many ideas that string together so quickly I’m not even aware of how it all happened. I knew there would be a ghost…and almost immediately after that, the entire plot came to mind. There would be a young blogger who writes about ghosts. Her aunt would be a no-nonsense type of woman who’d had a string of bad luck. And the ghost – well, I really loved this character. Of course, all three characters would come together to solve a mystery.
What’s your favorite scene in the book and why?
There are only a few scenes between the blogger and the ghost, and they all have a similar theme: which person really belongs to the ghostly world. I liked the idea of the ghost’s own world being more real to her than anything that came afterward.
What drives you to write?
I love stories and storytelling. They fill my mind all the time. I’m one of those people who drive down the street and make up stories about passengers in the cars next to me. I’m fascinated by the news and what drives people to do the crazy things they do. I’m also a big reader and reading great stories has always made me want to tell stories of my own.
Do you have an established writing routine, or do you write as inspiration happens?
I write almost every morning. I leave the house and usually join the commute traffic, crazy since I’m just heading to the coffee shop to write. But I love the feeling of heading out with a mission to accomplish. This gears me up mentally for the task ahead.
Would you describe yourself as an introvert or extrovert?
I’m very much an introvert. I was the kid in school who read a book walking down the corridor or in the bus. These days, I mostly do my reading in the evenings, but I still have the introvert’s need for a fair amount of alone time to recharge. Crowds overwhelm me and I’d rather go on a hike than attend a concert. Quiet, easygoing activities are more my style.
What is the single best piece of LIFE advice you have ever received?
I love this question because it fits right in with my ghost story! The single best advice I ever received came from my grandmother (my mother’s mother), who I never met. I woke one night with a question in my mind and in my heart. All of a sudden, I felt she was there in the room with me (astonishing since I had no reason whatsoever to think of her, and I hadn’t thought of her in years). She answered immediately: Do what you want to do. Never give up.
She was the perfect person to offer this advice. She’d survived a WWII prison camp and raised ten children. She knew something about never giving up.
Describe your perfect vacation.
I love traveling to other countries, especially ones so much different than ours. My perfect vacation would therefore be to a place where language, culture, religion, cuisine, history and terrain are all different to what I’m used to. I’m more into exploration types of vacations – we don’t hang out on beaches much. We tour a lot of historical sites and museums.
Do you prefer entertainment streaming, such as with Netflix or Hulu, or live feed, such as with cable or satellite television?
I haven’t watched live feed since football season ended. I’m a Netflix and Amazon Prime watcher.
Readers’ experiences and intake with a book vary. If you could ensure that a reader took away a certain element, be that a theme or moral or something else from your book, what would it be?
Anytime’s a good time to start over. “Good enough” is never good enough.
What can we expect from you in the future?
Thanks for joining me today, Julie. Best of luck with Spirited Quest!A little more about Julie Howard…I’m finishing the third and last book in my Wild Crime mystery series. The series follows a young abused woman who wants to kill her husband, and then he ends up dead. Crime and Paradise is the first book, followed by Crime Time Two. The third book is titled simply Wild Crime.
I also have started another mystery series, and can’t wait to really dig in later this summer.
Julie Howard is the author of Crime and Paradise and Crime Times Two. She is a former journalist and editor who has covered topics ranging from crime to cowboy poetry. Learn more at http://www.juliemhoward.com
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Spirited Questby Julie Howard-available now-
She’s chasing a ghost, but who is chasing her?
Paige Norman believes in a tangible, explainable world. When her ghost-hunting niece comes for a visit, she tries not to scoff. But someone, or something, is stirring up trouble at the Deerbourne Inn and her niece, Jillian, is at the center of the mystery.
Paige is certain the handsome Aussie photographer is behind the unexplained disturbances, and she warns her niece to stay clear. Meanwhile, Jillian gets to know the otherworldly Lady of the Deerbourne, who foretells an encounter with "two men." Then the pranks turn dangerous. Has her niece attracted a stalker or has she conjured an evil presence? Can the culprit be the man who has captured her heart?
Spirited Quest Excerpt:
He nodded a friendly greeting to her, his gaze grazing past to include others on the porch. “G’day, ma’am. G’day all.”
An Australian. Her heart skipped a beat. Oh, to be twenty-five, even thirty-five, again. His gaze settled on her niece, and as always happened to men where this girl was concerned, his jaw slackened, then tightened.
Next to her, Jillian grew still, lifting wide blue eyes to the newcomer. The moment passed. He was through the front door and into the lobby, and the door closed behind him.
“You’re in for some nice company this week,” Paige commented with a smile.
A frown flickered across her niece’s face. “I’ve seen him before.”
“You’ve met?”
“Not exactly. He appeared to me in a dream.” Jillian’s blue eyes were troubled as she gazed at the Inn’s front door. She lifted one hand and rubbed the back of her head, then gave a shiver. “There was blood and I was afraid.”
Spirited Quest (Deerbourne Inn)
By Julie Howard
also available through iTunes // Barnes & NobleAdditional titles by Julie Howard
**This blog uses affiliate links for many of the products featured. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
March 25, 2019
WHERE SLEEPING LIES LIE by M. Naidoo #romance #suspense #giveaway #bookblast
Where Sleeping Lies Lieby M. Naidoo-available now-
“Two men... two worlds... one desperate promise...”
If Anna had only known how the simple push of a button would turn her life upside down, she would never have pressed ‘Play.’
Just 22 seconds into the recording she’s hit by the realization that, if the voice in the thick German accent is right, she has been living with an unthinkable lie for the past thirty years. There is only one way to find out: Follow the instruction left by a dead person and head back to Germany, to a life Anna has next to no conscious memory of.
To her surprise, she finds an unexpected ally in Peter, an old childhood friend whose law degree and language skills prove to be more than useful. Besides, he has the most gorgeous blue eyes and the uncanny ability to push Anna's buttons without the slightest effort. At every turn, their search for answers is littered with more lies and revelations.
Anna must ultimately decide whether even the noblest of ends, truly justify the means and whether some secrets should better stay buried.
“Mystery, history, and a twist at every turn. Brilliant characters and prolific storytelling... irresistible!”WIN$15 Amazon or Barnes & Noble gift card Rafflecopter drawing ending March 27, 2019a Rafflecopter giveaway
WHERE SLEEPING LIES LIE Excerpt:
"Happy now?"
"I'll tell you in a minute." Peter grabbed a cookie and took a slow and careful bite. Like a wine connoisseur would taste a sip of rare, expensive wine, he chewed slowly, eyes closed, a pondering frown on his forehead. Anna waited for the verdict, patiently, while everything in her wanted to pick up a sofa cushion and smack his smug face. She had never been a physical person, but somehow he brought out that side of her. God, could he be any more obnoxious?
"And?" He just had to make her ask, hadn't he?
"Not quite…." He grinned. "But the closest any cookie has ever come. Martha would be proud."
Before she could stop herself, reflex took over, and the sofa cushion landed on the back of Peter's head. Bam!
"Ouch! That hurt!" He rubbed his head and looked at her more in surprise than pain.
"Good." Anna crossed her arms in front of her chest, jaw clenched, eyes shooting off invisible darts.
"Okay, guess I deserved that. Sorry, I'm not usually this…" He was looking for the right word.
"Chauvinistic?" Anna jumped in.
"No. Good one, but not quite." He looked up at the ceiling, still pondering.
"Obnoxious?"
"Wow. Don't hold back now."
"Irritatingly annoying?" Anna offered.
"I was going to say delightfully charming," he paused before adding, "or failing at it. Anyway, is that how you treat a friend that's doing you a favor?"
Now it was her turn to apologize. "Sorry." She reached out and offered her hand, "Truce?"
Peter took it, but instead of shaking it he held on and pulled her onto the sofa next to him. "Are we gonna do this or what?"
Where Sleeping Lies Lie
By M Naidoo
A little more about M. Naidoo…
M.Naidoo lives in Northern California with her husband, two daughters, and three dogs. Born and raised in Germany, she was able to draw on a wealth of memories and passed down stories for Where Sleeping Lies Lie.
When she is not in front of her computer, pounding out story lines and characters, she enjoys reading, movies, spending time with her family, and long walks on the beach - her proverbial 'happy place'. M's love for the shore line and ocean shine through in the vivid descriptions of the coast in her debut novel The Pelican.
"Juggling my life as a writer and a full-time 'real' job has its challenges. I don't get to spend half as much time as I'd like doing what I love, and there are never enough hours in the day. Still, I feel extremely lucky to be following my passion, and I am enjoying every minute of it. Getting here has been one heck of a ride!"
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March 24, 2019
Interview with Jana Richards, author of CHILD OF MINE (The Masonville Series, #1) #contemporary #romance #familylife
Thanks for visiting with me on The Daisy, Jana! Let’s learn a little more about you and Child of Mine, book one in The Masonville Series.
How did the idea for this book occur to you?I love small town romances. I envisioned a scandal that would cause a sensation in a small town, something that my heroine would want to conceal. And what could be a bigger scandal than a baby fathered not by Lauren’s husband, but her husband’s brother. Fight your way out of that one, Lauren!
Is this book part of a series? If so, what can we expect in the future?
Yes, CHILD OF MINE is book one of my Masonville series. I envision four books in the series set in the small fictional town of Masonville, North Dakota. In each book, the characters have a trauma or deep hurt they must overcome in order to accept and give love. There’s a lot of stuff going on under the surface in small towns!
What’s your favorite scene in the book and why?
I have a lot of favorite scenes in this book, but my most favorite favorite is the scene where Lauren stands up and tells the truth about her baby, and about her feelings for Cole. I want to cheer for her for being so brave!
What’s your favorite quote about writing or by an author? Why is it your favorite?
I love the quote (attributed to several famous writers) that says writing is easy; all you have to do is open a vein and bleed all over the page. I’m paraphrasing, but man, some days writing feels exactly like that!
What drives you to write?
At this point, I can’t not write. A few years ago, I serious considered giving writing up, but I couldn’t do it. I guess it’s something that’s totally wired inside me now. I have to tell stories.
Who is your favorite character in this book?
That’s a tough one. I guess I’d have to say Cole is my favorite character because he’s such a good person. I don’t mean he’s perfect, because he’s not, but he’s a decent man with a lot of integrity and honesty. He treats his mother with respect, even though she’s never made any secret of the fact that Cole’s brother was her favorite. And he’s steadfast in the love he shows to Lauren. Even when she was married to his brother and he couldn’t be more than her friend. And even now when she’s carrying his baby but wants the world to believe it’s his brother’s child. The man has the patience of a saint! But only to a point. He eventually reaches his breaking point, with spectacular results.
How did you choose your characters’ names?
It probably sounds ridiculous, but these characters’ names just came to me. Lauren and Cole felt like the perfect names for them from the moment I first conceived this story.
It doesn’t always happen that way. I often have to dig hard for the perfect name. Sometimes a name needs to match the time period in which they were born. A character born in 1920 likely wouldn’t have a modern sounding name like Devon or Ryan. Sometimes I’ll want a character’s name to reflect their ethnic background. I knew I wanted Renata in CHILL OUT to have a Portuguese heritage and when I researched female Portuguese names, Renata was the one I liked best. When I was writing HOME FIRES, Erik’s family were second generation Swedish immigrants to Canada, so I wanted the Gustafsons to have first names appropriate to that culture. But for the life of me, I couldn’t come up with a name I liked for Erik’s brother. Finally, my editor came up with Anders and a light bulb went off in my head. It was perfect!
Sometimes I have to keep trying different names until I have that Goldilocks moment and everything feels just right. My female character in FIRST AND AGAIN went through at least three name changes until Bridget finally won me over!
What is the single best piece of WRITING advice you have ever received?
Finish what you start. Once I finally managed to get to The End, things started to happen for my writing. I learned that no matter how messy a first draft might be, I could eventually clean it up to make a coherent, readable story. And once I finished one book, then two, and more, I grew in confidence. I know now that when I get to the inevitable point in writing a book when everything seems hopeless and I’m never going to finish, I don’t need to panic. I can do it. I’ve finished before and I can do it again.
Readers’ experiences and intake with a book vary. If you could ensure that a reader took away a certain element, be that a theme or moral or something else from your book, what would it be?
First and foremost, I want readers to be entertained. I want them to have a good time reading any of my books. Secondly, I want them to feel something. I want their emotions to be engaged when they read this book. I want them to feel Lauren’s worry about her reputation and Cole’s fear that she’ll never feel the same way about him that he feels about her. And with this book in particular, and the Masonville series as a whole, I want readers to come away believing that second chances in love and life are always possible.
What can we expect from you in the future?
Thanks for joining me today, Jana. Best of luck with Child of Mine !A little more about Jana Richards…I am currently hard at work on book two in the series, which I’ve tentatively titled “A Better Man”. This is Garrett’s story. Garrett is Lauren’s brother, and I’ve partnered him with Blair, who moves to Masonville to work at the veterinary clinic. She’s also purchased her grandfather’s farm just outside of town, which happens to be down the road from Garrett’s parents’ farm, where he’s currently living. Garrett and Blair have a history that goes back to their teenage years when Blair spent summers on her grandparents’ farm. But a lot of water has flowed under the bridge since then. Both of them bear scars from their past, both physical and emotional. Somehow they have to get past those scars to find each other.
When Jana Richards read her first romance novel, she immediately knew two things: she had to commit the stories running through her head to paper, and they had to end with a happily ever after. She also knew she’d found what she was meant to do. Since then she’s never met a romance genre she didn’t like. She writes contemporary romance, romantic suspense, and historical romance set in World War Two, in lengths ranging from short story to full length novel. Just for fun, she throws in generous helpings of humor, and the occasional dash of the paranormal. Her paranormal romantic suspense “Seeing Things” was a 2008 EPPIE finalist.
In her life away from writing, Jana is an accountant/admin assistant, a mother to two grown daughters, and a wife to her husband Warren. She enjoys golf, yoga, movies, concerts, travel and reading, not necessarily in that order. She and her husband live in Winnipeg, Canada with an elderly Pug/Terrier named cross Lou. She loves to hear from readers and can be reached through her website at www.janarichards.com
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Child of Mine (The Masonville Series #1)by Jana Richards-available now-
Is Lauren’s love for Cole stronger than her fear of scandal in her hometown?
Lauren didn't intend to sleep with her brother-in-law Cole on the day of her husband's funeral. But now that she is pregnant, she's not sorry. Cole's given her a baby, a long-wished-for miracle. He's been her friend forever, though she never told him or anyone else how unhappy her marriage to his cheating brother was. And she's afraid to tell the small town that considered her husband a hero that the baby isn't his.
Cole's been in love with Lauren since he was sixteen. It kills him that everyone believes the baby is his dead brother's. All he wants is to claim the baby, and Lauren, as his own. Though she marries him, will Lauren's heart ever be his?
Lauren must tell the truth or risk losing Cole. Is her newly-discovered love for him greater than her fear of scandal in her hometown?
Child of Mine Excerpt:
“Merry Christmas, Cole.”
He tugged on her wrist, bringing her closer. “Come here. You can help me open it.”
She sat on his lap once more, and he put his arms around her, holding her securely. Lauren removed the ribbon and tore open the paper to reveal the back of a picture frame. She held it against her pregnant belly for a minute, not turning it over.
“Remember about a week ago I had an ultrasound at the hospital in Bismarck?”
“Yeah, of course. I wanted to be there, but I had an emergency. You told me everything was progressing normally.”
“That’s right, it is. But the ultrasound was also able to determine the sex of the baby. Do you want to know? Or would you rather be surprised?”
Cole’s heart nearly stopped, and for a moment he was too choked with emotion to speak. He stared at the picture frame in her hands.
“I want to know.”
“Okay.”
She turned the frame over. It was a black-and white ultrasound picture, the baby lying suspended inside Lauren’s womb. It wasn’t clear to him from this picture whether he was looking at a boy or a girl.
Lauren removed her hand, revealing the part of the picture frame she’d been covering. ‘Daddy’s Little Girl’ was stenciled into the pewter.
“A girl,” he breathed. Tears stung his eyes. “We’re having a girl.”
“Yes. Are you happy it’s a girl?”
“Lauren.” He tightened his hold on her, burying his face against her sweet-smelling neck. “I couldn’t be happier. We’re having a girl!”
She laughed and wound her arm around his neck. They held each other, and Cole savored the moment. He and Lauren were having a baby girl. It was a wonderful miracle.
Daddy’s little girl.
Was that the reason she’d wanted to tell him the news in private? Because she didn’t want anyone else to see the picture frame and realize he was the baby’s father?
He hated himself for having doubts and ruining this moment of joy. But no matter how much he loved Lauren, he’d always second guess her motives, always wonder about her feelings.
A feeling of loneliness settled on his heart. Maybe he’d always feel alone in this marriage.
Child of Mine (The Masonville Series Book 1)
By Jana Richards
also available through
Amazon CA // Amazon UKAmazon AU // Amazon DEBarnes & Noble // iTunes Kobo CA // Kobo US // Google PlayAdditional titles by Jana Richards
**This blog uses affiliate links for many of the products featured. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
TOUGH PROSPECT (BUFFALO STEAMPUNK ADVENTURES, #6) by Laura Strickland #steampunk #scifi #romance #wrpbks
Tough Prospect (Buffalo Steampunk Adventures, #6)by Laura Strickland-available now-
She’s his one weakness…can he buy her love?
Mitch Carter's a hard man. He's clawed his way up from Buffalo's gutter through a combination of ruthlessness and stark loyalty to become the King of Prospect Avenue. But when he sees lovely Tessa Verdun, a crack appears in his tough veneer. He wants her for his wife even if making it happen requires coercion, dirty dealing, and a touch of blackmail.
Mitch is the last man Tessa would choose to wed, but he's forced her into marriage, even though she's ready to give her heart to another man. Now he tries to win her with lavish gifts and watches her with veiled passion in his eyes. But when everyone else turns against Tessa, it's Mitch who's there offering strength. And when vying factions in the city place Tessa in danger, it's Mitch for whom she longs, though loving such a man is certainly a tough prospect.
watch the series trailerTough Prospect Excerpt:
“No, Tessa.” He sat up straight and clasped his hands together. “We’re going to get to the bottom of this, have it out.”
“Have what out?”
“Don’t play dumb, you’re not dumb. I’m talking about how you act toward me, how you feel toward me.”
She gave a hard laugh. “I should think that would be obvious.”
Yeah, it was. Real obvious. But it couldn’t go on much longer before Mitch snapped.
He said, trying to sound patient, “We’ve been married two weeks. You’re gonna have to reconcile yourself to it.”
“Am I?”
“Well yeah. We live in the same house. We should be sharing a bed. What’s it going to take?”
Tessa bared her teeth in a grimace. Tears filled her eyes. “It will never happen.”
“What?”
“The deal was I should marry you. Only that.”
For an instant, Mitch felt totally helpless, a condition he didn’t tolerate well. Indeed, he’d worked hard since his days back in the orphanage to guarantee he’d never feel that way again.
And now here came this woman with her hands on his heartstrings, hating him.
“But…” he began.
She leaned forward in her chair and lowered her voice even though no one else in the house could hear. “I know what you are, Mitch Carter. A tough. A brute, a lowlife. You may have blackmailed me into marriage. That doesn’t mean I’m ever going to like it.”
Tough Prospect: A Buffalo Steampunk Adventure (Buffalo Steampunk Adventures Book 6)
By Laura Strickland
also available through Amazon CA // Amazon UK Kobo // Barnes & Noble New to the Buffalo Steampunk Adventures? Here’s book one.
A little about Laura Strickland…
Multi-published and multi award-winning author, Laura Strickland writes stories that span several Romance genres. Her Scottish Romances have been compared to Diana Gabaldon’s Outlander and her American Historicals echo the work of authors such as Susan Wiggs and Kristin Hannah. Her award-winning Buffalo Steampunk series has broken new ground both for its setting and its portrayal of automaton characters pursuing their rights.
Laura also cares deeply about animal adoption and supports several local rescue organizations. If you visit her on Facebook, you will see numerous posts promoting pets in search of homes. Her last three dogs have been rescues, two of them seniors. Her latest release, Loyal and True (Hearts of Caledonia Book One) is in fact dedicated to her pets past and present.
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Additional titles by Laura Strickland
**This blog uses affiliate links for many of the products featured. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
March 23, 2019
Risky Choices #7WeekStory #Week2 #TwitterVerseExpanded
This story began as a collaborative #SevenDayStory on Twitter in March 2019. It has now been expanded to a #7WeekStory.
Risky ChoicesGreg and Violet's marriage is over, but it's not what you think. It's never what you think in this exciting story of mob bosses, syrup recipes, and ship set sail for the Orient.
Read Chapter One…Chapter Two“Well done, Violet,” Big Tony’s voice boomed.
Vi’s heels echoed as she crossed the warehouse floor, their sharp clack bouncing off the pre-fab steel walls. Her eyes darted nervously from side to side, sizing up the dozen or so armed henchmen that made up Big Tony’s personal bodyguards. So many guns. High powered rifles with obscenely phallic magazines in the hands of men who may as well have been machines themselves.
In the center of the warehouse, surrounded by crates and stacks of empty pallets, sat Big Tony, lounging in a cushy leather chair. A plume of blue smoke danced in the still air above his head. With a pair of sausage fingers, Tony pulled a fat stogie out of his mouth and smiled.
“I knew the day I hired you,” Tony said, waving the cigar at her, “you would be instrumental in helping me weed out the weak in my organization.”
Vi pointed to a slim, black briefcase on the ground next to the chair.
“Is that my money?” She asked with a nod.
Tony reached down beside him and gave the case a gentle pat.
“One million, perfectly laundered dollars,” he replied. “Just as we agreed.”
“I’m impressed that you kept your word-“ Vi began.
The sound of a dozen slides loading bullets into chambers surrounded her.
Vi glared at Big Tony and shook her head.
“What the hell is this? I gave you Greg,” Vi snarled, taking a step forward, “as well as the contract with the Maple Gang and turned my back on a legitimate career. In fact, now that I think about it, I’ve given you everything I have to give.”
Big Tony stood up.
“Violet,” he cooed walking towards her, “you didn’t think I was gonna pay some two-bit ambulance chaser a million bucks for setting up a hit, did you? I could have had one of my boys take care of your backstabbing husband for free.”
Vi stopped in her tracks. “What? But I thought-”
“You thought wrong, girlie,” Tony said. “All I really needed was that contract. A nice, legal connection to Maple Foods Inc , and now that the ink is dry, I can dispose of you. There is no room in my organization for DA rats.”
“I never ratted you out Tony,” Vi muttered.
Tony casually reached into his long coat and produced a Glock. With an emotionless face, he aimed the gun at Vi.
“Yeah, but you might be tempted,” he fired back.
Violet stood her ground. “I’m the one who has been taking all the risk laundering your dirty money! Why would I throw myself under the bus and snitch to the DA?”
Big Tony threw his head back and let out a belly laugh.
“Bitch, you still think this is about laundering money?” he said. “You’re gonna die because I can’t risk you shooting your damn mouth off about the heroin!”
The blood drained from Vi's face. Her knees began to wobble as she thought back over the last four months. The cargo manifests that kept disappearing, the sudden need for new construction at the docks and all those weird trips Tony had sent Greg on… she gasped. Greg knew. He knew all along.
“Starting to make sense now, Violet?” Tony asked.
“How does the Maple Gang fit into all this?” Vi said through clenched teeth. “Mabel Swan won’t tolerate you using her business as a front for a heroin operation. Are you willing to piss her off?”
“The Sara Rosa secret formula is heroin,” Tony replied. “it’s amazing what science can do nowadays. Sara figured out how to cook it down and purify it so pure, that in its crystal form it looks like glass. Ten times more potent than traditional smack, which means we can sell it one part heroin to twenty parts filler and still offer the best high in north America.”
Vi shook her head. “You’re insane. Why are you telling me all this?”
Big Tony shrugged is shoulders. “Why not? You’re gonna die anyway.”
As Tony leveled the gun at Vi, a million thoughts ran through her brain. She thought about Greg and how much she loved him. Even when she was plotting his death, Vi's heart ached with longing. He was her first love. The only one who believed she could get through law school. The only one who wanted to put a ring on her finger.
The only one that knew enough to take Big Tony Russo down.
Out of the blackened corners of the warehouse, a series of hollow popping sounds rang out, followed by the telltale hissing of releasing gas. Quickly the warehouse was filled with thick, blinding fumes. Big Tony’s men began hacking and choking.
“What the fuc- “ Tony shouted, covering his face with the sleeve of his coat. “I’m gonna kill you bitch,”
Big Tony squeezed the trigger over and over, firing blindly into the sea of white gas. As the last round exited his gun, Tony felt a pair of hands on his shoulder.
“We gotta get outa here, boss,”
Tony nodded, allowing his loyal henchman to herd him out the back door to his awaiting car.
Did Vi survive? Will Big Tony Russo ever be stopped?Visit The Daisy again next week to read Chris Rogers’ chapter…
(Better yet, get the link delivered straight to your inbox .)
About this week’s author
Molly Neely is a life long reader of everything from history and theology, to politics and vampires. Her debut novel, The Sand Dweller will be published by Black Opal Books. She has a wide range of tastes including classic films and pretty much anything with bacon in it. When she’s not putting in a forty hour work week with the number one retailer in the world, Molly is reading, writing, taking in a Jean Harlow movie, or preparing for the impending zombie apocalypse. She lives in the heart of the San Joaquin Valley, Fresno California, with her husband, Lyle and their Whippet, Devo.
Here’s what she has to say about the Twitter #WritingCommunity:
Click here to see Molly’s #vss365 tweetsMy #sevendaystory & #vss365 journey began about 6 months ago. I stumbled into this diverse and ridiculously talented group of people by pure accident. Meeting these talented folks, connecting with other writers and being able to hone my craft right along side them has been a blessing. The ideas seem to flow easier, and collaborating on small projects like the seven day story, a huge help. The quality of my writing has improved, and I am surrounded by people who support me. The #writingcommunity is strong, diverse, and full of fantastic stories… waiting to be told!
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You can find Molly’s works through Black Opal Books, Cloaked Press, and Celenic Earth Publications.
March 21, 2019
Interview with Jo A. Hiestand, author of PHOTO SHOOT #mystery #McLarenMysteries #series #Scotland
Thanks for joining me on The Daisy, Jo.
Let’s learn a little more about you and your new book PHOTO SHOOT, a McLaren Mystery.
How did the idea for this book occur to you?Who are your favorite characters in this book?Photo Shoot was a backward-inspired book, which means the title suggested itself before I thought of the storyline. I liked the double meaning of the title, so I wrapped my story around it: the victim was a photographer on a photo shoot outing when she was shot and killed. I needed another McLaren mystery book set in Scotland so I could offer it for sale at the Scottish Highland Games events I attend. What’s more Scottish than one of the lochs gracing the countryside? If the murder was to be there, I thought it would be interesting to have the body found in a rowboat floating on the water. Then I wondered why she’d be shot while she was taking photos, so the victim had to be a professional photographer. Who would kill her and why? So, I worked backward from the title and the story emerged. Usually I think of the story first, as in the rest of the McLaren mysteries, or a British custom is the catalyst for the plot.
How did you choose your characters’ names?I have two of them. The first is McLaren. It’s always McLaren! He’s my protagonist. I love his tenacity to bring justice to the victim’s family and friends. He’s a tough ex-cop, he’s moody, smart as a tack and he’s always just a little bit in love. I like the grandfather, Neill, also. He’s the epitome of the auld Highland Scot, clinging to the old way of the clan and beliefs and form of life. He’s as Scottish as haggis. And if you think his character is bogus or passé, he isn’t. There are still people like him in Scotland. I developed him with the help of a 100% Scot friend, who assures me that type of person is still around.
What’s your favorite scene in the book and why?Again, a bit of help from my Scottish friend. He advised me on the grandfather’s name. Neill is an old Scottish name, and since the character reeked Auld Scotland, Neill was a perfect fit. For the others, once I had the characters’ ages set, I looked online at popular British names via decade. I chose names that were popular in the years of their births. Neill’s son (McLaren’s unclde) is named Brandon, which is a bit more up to date, denoting his comparative youth. I chose the name Donal for the member of Parliament because Donal is such a classic Scottish name and the surname Skord is of course Scottish. It seemed an upstanding name for a SMP. The name for his wife, Victoria, is a tongue in cheek choice. Victoria sounds very Victorian-era, so you’d expect her to be straight-laced and traditional. She’s the opposite: a very independent, outspoken woman. The murder victim, Fiona MacDonald Lennox, seemed to call for a Scottish name, since she made her living photographing the country’s land- and seascapes. Adding MacDonald as her maiden name invokes ties to the country’s history (Flora MacDonald helped Bonnie Prince Charlie escape capture). Lennox suggested itself not only because it’s a Scottish surname but also because it has a mental link, at least for me, to Lennox china, which is so beautiful and fragile. So is Fiona Lennox, so I hoped the name enforced the character’s personality. McLaren’s friend, police detective Jamie Kydd, isn’t in the book per se, although he does appear in the others. Jamie’s mentioned frequently. I chose his name Jamie because it’s a familiar, friendly-sounding name, suggesting someone who’s easy going, not particularly bothered by much, finding the ease and joy of life. Kydd is a common name in Derbyshire, where he lives and works. And of course my protagonist, Michael McLaren… I wanted a Scottish surname and I chose McLaren because I really like the sound of the name. Michael just fit as a first name, I think!
When did you begin your writer’s journey?I have a few favorite scenes. One of them is Chapter Two, when McLaren arrives at his grandfather’s house in Scotland. They sit in front of the fire while the grandfather tells McLaren why he’s wanted there. I like the description of the room and I like the first mention of the cold case murder. The room is warm and cozy and family oriented, so the mention of murder is quite jarring in such an atmosphere. I also like McLaren’s search through the storm for his grandfather.
What are your hopes and dreams for your writing future?I grew up reading Dumas, Twain, duMaurier, Dickens and the Brontës. I loved the atmosphere of those books. Add the Basil Rathbone-Nigel Bruce movies and the moods of 1940s/50s movies like Brief Encounter, Night Must Fall, and The Thirty-Nine Steps, and I knew I wanted to write mysteries, and the books had to be set in Britain. That was a must even though I knew only what I’d seen in the movies and read in the novels. But the British pull was tenacious. Three years ago I discovered that I have literally centuries and centuries of English, Scottish and Welsh ancestry. Do genes mean anything?
This was all well and good, but I needed to immerse myself in the British countryside and villages for my books. I needed the ‘feel’ of the locations. England beckoned and I accepted.
I bee-lined to Derbyshire, feeling it was the ‘home’ of my books. Derbyshire also bestowed the essential English police contacts and transformed me into an Anglophile. The bond was made stronger when a retired Detective-Superintendent of C.I.D. and a working Detective-Sergeant agreed to read my manuscripts for police procedure accuracy and to provide investigation techniques. With everything more or less in place, I took a deep breath and wrote my first novel, A Staged Murder.
Do you write under any other pen names in other genres?I’d like to keep going on the McLaren mysteries until I run out of ideas or they no longer sell. I’d also love for either the McLaren mysteries or the Peak District mysteries to become a series on television. Each book in the Peak District mysteries uses a British tradition as the core of its plot, so I think that’s very visual—the village, the villagers, the custom being performed… I can imagine the fun a production could make of that. I think the McLaren books would also make great TV viewing because cold cases are, on the whole, very interesting, and watching McLaren solve them would be fascinating.
What kind of music do you listen to?I write as Jessie McAlan for The Linn House Mysteries. It’s an amateur sleuth series featuring Rona Murrary. She runs a bakery and events center from her Victorian house in Klim, Missouri. Her ex-husband, Johnny, helps her investigate the murders that happen to fall into her lap. I think the series is a bit different from many in that Rona and Johnny are in their 50s, so the books might appeal more to an older age group. The only reason I use Jessie McAlan instead of my real name is that I don’t want people buying a Linn House, thinking it’s one of my two British mysteries, and be disappointed that it isn’t McLaren or the other…and vice versa.
What is the single best piece of WRITING advice you have ever received?I love folk music, American and British. I love bluegrass and early music from the medieval, Tudor, Jacobean and Baroque periods. I also like Dixieland and classical: Beethoven, Grieg, Mendelssohn, Liszt…
What’s your favorite quote about writing or by an author? Why is it your favorite?My friend, thriller author Shirley Kennett, read my first mystery novel, A Staged Murder. As I’d originally written it, the two main characters were two male police officers, and I told the story third-person POV. Shirley read the manuscript, and gave me three great pieces of advice: change one of the male officers to a female, give her a female friend to whom she could confide in, and tell the story first person through her eyes. I followed her suggestions and I was astonished at how the story came alive. The first publisher I submitted it to offered me a contract.
It’s from the astronomer/cosmologist Carl Sagan. He said about a book, “…you’re inside the mind of another person, maybe someone dead for thousands of years. Across the millennia, an author is speaking clearly and silently inside your head, directly to you. Writing is perhaps the greatest of human inventions, binding together people who never knew each other.” I’ve never heard it put that way. It’s very visual and profound.
Thanks for joining me today, Jo. I love the depth in your interview!Best of luck with Photo Shoot!A little more about Jo A. Hiestand…Thanks for including me in your blog today, Lily. I’ve enjoyed this! Jo
Jo A. Hiestand can usually be found at her computer, which is good, since she writes three mystery series. It seems a natural progression from her job as a graphic artist—crafting word images instead of creating graphics. Between the two computer stints, she lived in Britain for her semi-pro folk singing career and became friends with several English police detectives. The latter relationship was not a consequence of the former calling, however, but all these UK aspects find their way into her books.
Jo is the founding president of the Greater St Louis Chapter of Sisters in Crime. In 2001 she graduated with a BA degree in English and departmental honors from Webster University. When not tapping on the keyboard, Jo enjoys reading, baking, and photography. She lives in the St Louis area with her cat, Tennyson, and way too many kilts.
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Photo Shootby Jo A. Hiestand-available now-
The body of a woman in a rowboat, a kidnapper’s deadline, and the threat of a loved one’s death plunge McLaren into an investigation as deep and dark as Scotland’s lochs.
Michael McLaren returns home from working a cold case in Cumbria to learn that he’s missed his uncle’s wedding in Scotland. Angry and fearful that his absence has re-opened the family rift just as it’s healed, he drives to the ancestral home, hoping his appearance and explanation will be accepted. He’s more than welcomed. His uncle asks him to investigate the murder of his first fiancée.Fiona Lennox was found in a rowboat on a Scottish loch, shot to death during a late night photo shoot. Why would she rent a boat after dark? Did she take it out to photograph the moonlight on the water? She could’ve done, being a professional photographer, but she was also a proponent of civic and environmental causes, which she documented with her camera. Did someone linked to one of her crusades kill her, or was the motive personal?As McLaren uncovers layers of Fiona’s life and the reason for her nocturnal outing, he and his family are targets of intensifying attacks. But it’s not until he races against a kidnapper’s deadline and the threat of a loved one’s death that he realizes who killed Fiona—implications that are as deep and dark as the Scottish loch.
Collect #GameOn clues each week, unscramble, and enter to win an Amazon gift card. This month’s theme is #ThingsJoMarchSays.
PHOTO SHOOT Excerpt:
The car tires seemed to barely touch the Balvaig bridge. He had no need to try to distinguish the scrub and tufted grass lying in the darkness beyond his car window. It was the beginning of the Brae of Balquhidder, a wild land caged in by hills to the north and west of Loch Voil and its companion, Loch Doine.
He slowed as he entered the village. The beams from the car’s headlight panned across the first building as he turned to park near the foot of the hill. He knew where the path began; he’d climbed the hill last year. Then, he’d been a sightseer taking in the sights. Now he had no need to see the sights; he was rushing against time.
He grabbed his torch from the glove box, flicked it on, and burst out of the car. He turned up the collar of his jacket and flicked the torchlight around, trying to locate the trailhead. It was then that he saw the Morgan roadster. It was parked several yards down, closer to the bed-and-breakfast. It could’ve been a guest of the establishment, but he knew it was Neill’s car even though he’d never seen it. The clan crest decal was plastered to the car’s window and bonnet. At least Neill had arrived safely. Now to find him… McLaren jammed his key into his pocket and raced up the hill.
Water runoff coursed over the stones and soil, throwing back the light from his torch. His shoe came down on a slick patch of moss and he nearly fell. He righted himself and grabbed onto branches and boulders as he pulled himself upward, calling his grandfather’s name. A pine bough bounced as he gripped it, and showered him with its collected raindrops. He shook his head and panned the light along both sides of the trail.
He continued his climb. The trees opened up farther up the trail and the ground was nearly a sea of mud and dead leaves. No footprints testified to the older man’s hike. Perhaps he’d kept to the stones or the edge of the trail where the moss and pine needles gave better traction. He flicked the light into the woods again, wondering if Neill had fallen, but he saw no one.
He paused near the summit, and called his grandfather’s name. His breath scratched his throat and exhaled in white puffs that quickly dissipated in the wind. The air held the odors of sodden leaves, pine, and wet stone but brought no sound to him other than the rain striking the ground and the rustle of the trees. Some other day, some other occasion, he would’ve stopped to enjoy it, but this was not the time. He trudged ahead.
As he neared the summit, a flash of lightning pulled the clan monument out of the darkness, silhouetting it against the night sky. He nearly jumped, for he had no idea how far he’d hiked. A second flash seemed to prod him up the last few yards, and he stepped onto the hilltop.
He swung the torch beam over the ground as he walked around the area. He cupped his hands around his mouth and yelled again for his grandfather. A sound answered. McLaren stood still, trying to hear above the thunder and wind.
Photo Shoot (The McLaren Mysteries Book 9)
By Jo A Hiestand
Paperback available through Barnes & Noble // AmazonEbook available onKindle // Nook // Kobo // WalmartNew to The McLaren Mysteries? Here’s book one, available in ebook, paperback, & audiobook!
Additional titles by Jo A. Hiestand
**This blog uses affiliate links for many of the products featured. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
CASSIDY by Ebony Olson (Hotel Series, #2) #blitz #adult #contemporary #romance #XpressoTours
Cassidy (Hotel Series, #2)by Ebony Olson-releases today, March 22-There is no better remedy for a broken heart than a holiday with your sisters. Holly Claire arrives in Hawaii determined to forget Benjamin Henderson. Fate wants her to forget him too. In her first six hours, Holly runs into the same delicious man no less than three times. When she literally runs into him, Sean Cassidy becomes determined to make it more. What harm could a holiday fling do?
Cassidy (Hotel Series Book 2)
By Ebony Olson
Xpresso Tours Blitz-wide Giveaway (INTL) - $15 Amazon gift card - Enter through Rafflecoptera Rafflecopter giveaway
A little more about Ebony Olson…
Ebony lives in Sydney, Australia, with her husband, daughter, and six cats. She loves to read fantasy, thrillers, and paranormal romance, spending most of her free time with her nose in a book or writing.
Having always possessed an over-active imagination she spent her younger years regaling friends with fantastic stories, holding her audience captive with the passion and suspense of her characters plights.
Now in adulthood, she has numerous published works and shows no signs of stopping her imagination from spreading across as many pages as it can find.
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Additional titles by Ebony Olson
**This blog uses affiliate links for many of the products featured. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
Interview with Laney Kaye, author of LINE #erotic #romance #paranormal #prn #wrpbks
Thanks for visiting with me on The Daisy, Laney! Let’s learn a little more about you and LINE, book two in The Lure of the Mer series! LINE releases Monday, March 25! When did you begin your writer’s journey?
What’s your favorite scene in the book and why?The dinosaurs and I used to sit on rocks together, carving our stories into the stone.
Yes, I know that people weren’t actually around WITH the dinosaurs, but it was a LONG time ago, and why spoil a good story with the facts…hey, maybe that should be my motto?
What drives you nuts?I can’t actually claim a favorite scene in any of my books, as what I love one day, I’m likely to loathe the next! However, I often have favorite lines. What I’d be REALLY interested in knowing, though, is reader’s favorite scenes. Feel free to hit me up on any of my social media platforms, or the email link on my website.
Tell us how you came to choose the cover elements for LINE.Hahaha….the need to get dressed at some stage of the day! I get up at 6am, but at 11 I’m usually still in pajamas and still promising myself that ‘first cup of coffee’ I’m too easily sidetracked by the need to ‘quickly fix’ something, or perhaps inspiration has hit, or social media has gone nuts. It’s not until someone knocks on the door that I guiltily startle up and realize that I’m, um, possibly not ‘acceptable’!
How did you choose your characters’ names?I’m the most inartistic person alive (ask my wonderful private cover designer, Anne at Black Bird Covers…I can’t even pick a color! She literally has to send me mock after mock, as I’m incapable of ‘imagining’ the elements together.) But the covers for this series were actually easy…I mean, hot mermen, the descendants of Poseidon, and tropical reefs – how easily does all that come together?
What kind of music do you listen to?So hard! I’ve found a few times I’ve used the same names in different books – they often start out as placeholders, but become entrenched. I admit to using all of my critique partner’s names, and have been known to scroll Twitter feeds. I’ve even run ‘leave me a review and you’re in the next book’ promotions, because I really do draw a mental blank on names!
Would you describe yourself as an introvert or extrovert?I tend to listen to the same thing over and over, often depending on what I’m writing. At the moment, it’s Dolly Parton, because she’s upbeat and I can play it LOUD.
Neil Diamond was in for a while, there…but so was Meatloaf, Queen, Dire Straits, and Adele was HUGE for ages. Betty Who was stuck on ‘I l Love You Always Forever’ for six months, while I was writing one particular young adult book.
Because I’m hard of hearing, I’m sure my neighbors get to enjoy my musical taste ;-)
Do you write under any other pen names in other genres?SO introverted, I even have the camera on my laptop covered…and nearly died when my agent wanted to Skype, rather than email!
Describe your perfect vacation.I do. Laney Kaye is usually reserved for ‘hot’ titles, whether they are fantasy or contemporary. I also write award-winning Young Adult and Women’s Fiction under my real name.
What can we expect from you in the future?I’m lucky in that I get to take my perfect vacation(s) frequently. Living in Australia, we have access to amazing landscapes and pristine beaches. My youngest daughter and I love to pack the car (she’s fifteen, so I mean PACK that car! How many suitcases can one kid need?) and head off road-tripping across the country. More often than not, we’ll end up in a little seaside town, and spend the week beachcombing and writing in tiny cafes with good coffee. And totally spamming my Instagram and Twitter feeds with photos to make you jealous!
Thanks for joining me today, Laney. It was an absolute pleasure! Best of luck with LINE & its release on Monday, March 25!Other than LINE, I have three new books scheduled for release over the next couple of months.
Books one and two, HAWAIIAN HURRICANE and HAWAIIAN TABOO are part of The Spirit of Ohana Cruise Ship hot contemporary romance series. Remember The Love Boat TV series? Well, add ALL the steamy stuff, some hot guys and feisty women!
Book three is one of my favorite stories, and a deviation from what I usually write under this pseudonym…MALICIOUS DESIRE is a gritty outback noir, delving into victim shaming and a taboo love story.
Check out the blurbs on my website!
A little more about Laney Kaye…
A professional counselor, I mess with heads by day and imaginations by night. Living in the wilds of Australia...okay, not so much the wilds, as in a country town...my property is inhabited by a generous mix of bitey, stingy, poisonous, and furry varieties of Australian wildlife, as evidenced by my twitter feed.
Writing steamy contemporary and slightly-supernatural romance as Laney, under my "real" name I also pen women's fiction, adult contemporary, and young adult titles.
I'd love to get to know you—and I keep crazy hours, so I'm often available to chat!
To be added to my contact list for sneak peeks, promotions and specials, click on any of the links (or, y'know, try all of them, because I suck at this technology stuff!)
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Line (The Lure of the Mer, #2)by Laney Kaye-available March 25-
Loving her the way he wanted to would break the Mer law and cost his immortality.
But not loving her could cost both his heart and his soul…
Burned by a controlling relationship, professional fundraiser Krissy Bourke is determined to seize every opportunity her barely-even-vanilla relationship with her ex denied her. When a hot-as-hell lifeguard enters the picture, sparking her stifled lust, she's more than ready. Then he suggests his Thor-like cousin join them, and it seems her fantasy of defying all the taboos will finally be realized. Yet, her new lover is hiding something…Erik Okeanós is a member of an elite group of Australian lifeguards who hide a secret; they are the last of the Mer. Their numbers are dwindling, so Mer law forbids sex with humans unless another Mer joins them. He's shared women for over two-hundred years, and this pretty little human is no different. So why is he suddenly yearning for something more? Something that comes with too high a price…his immortality.
Collect #GameOn clues each week, unscramble, and enter to win an Amazon gift card. This month’s theme is #ThingsJoMarchSays.
LINE Excerpt:
He stretched beside her, lying on his hip and elbow, and reached to brush back the lock of hair that had fallen across her face. “You have amazing eyes.”
A giggle bubbled in her throat. Sure, her eyes were a decent feature, but really, predictable much? She put a hand across his face. “Uh-huh. And what color are they?”
His teeth flashed, toothpaste-ad-perfect. “Deep blush pink, almost tawny. Huge areola surrounding perfect tips, which are, hopefully, puckering even tighter as we speak. Begging for this—” His tongue slashed across her palm.
Fuuuuck. He was disarming. Not that she had any intention of putting up a fight.
The lifeguard’s voice dropped lower. “And it seems they’d be the perfect handful.”
“My eyes?”
“Wait, you think I’m cracking on to you with a totally lame compliment about your eyes? Wow.” He smacked a palm against his chest, a waft of coconut oil rippling across her senses. “Wounded. Give a guy a little credit. Iyiiss is an ancient Atlantean word. Means nipples. By extension, can mean breasts.”
She rubbed a hand across her forehead, trying to keep up with his teasing. “You speak Atlantean?” That wasn’t a thing, was it? Why the hell couldn’t she think straight?
He touched a finger to her lips, then traced the slight indent in her chin, grazing a trail down her throat before skimming, feather-light, along her clavicle. She only had to breathe and his wrist would brush her breast.
“Of course I do,” he said. “Atlantean’s the language of love.”
She recoiled. “I’d have been more interested if it was the language of lust.”
His fingers trailed lower, and his palm warmed the crescent of her breast. “Oh, I’m also fluent in Lustavanian.”
“You’re claiming to be good with your mouth?” She tried to find her breath as he leaned closer.
His lips found the sweet spot below her ear, the place that made her quiver as he murmured throatily, “I prefer to let the consumer be the judge.”
“The consumer or the consumed?”
“Or is that consumee?” His lips moved against her neck, the tension palpable as she strove to pretend their innuendo wasn’t entirely erotic.
“I always thought that was a French soup.”
“A hot, wet foreplay to the main course. Three of my favorite things.”
Okay, so she was the only one making any pretense, this guy was clearly all-in. She winced at the raucous caw of gulls overhead. Hopefully, they didn’t signal the arrival of the evening fish-and-chip brigade on the beach, because she wasn’t about to move away from a man who just might know how to finger all the buttons she wanted pushed.
“But should we debate language skills, or focus on…oral skills?” His teeth nipped her earlobe at the precise second his fingers found her aching nipple. Sparks arced through her, and she gasped, flexing to shove her breast more firmly into his hand.
His shadowed jaw igniting a trail of pinpricks, he tracked kisses across her breast, smoothing his hand down her ribcage as he exposed her nipple. He breathed against it, even warmer than the balmy caress of the tropical air. “Fuck,” he muttered as the tight nub blossomed. “I have to have that.” He paused a microsecond, as if to give her a chance to object, then his tongue flicked across her sensitive flesh.
Line (The Lure of the Mer Book 2)
By Laney Kaye
also available through Barnes & Noble // BookstrandGoogle Play // Kobo
Did you miss HOOK, book one of The Lure of the Mer series? Click on the cover to find it on Amazon, or read Lily’s short review of it here.
Additional titles by Laney Kaye
**This blog uses affiliate links for many of the products featured. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
March 20, 2019
CHEROKEE SUMMER by Susan Antony #YA #romance #wholesome #NativeAmericanLit
Cherokee Summerby Susan Antony-available now-
When two people’s lives mirror each other, how can they not be together?
When Ace leaves home to spend the summer in Cherokee, North Carolina the last thing she expects to find is a boyfriend—until she meets Cherokee Tribe member John Spears. As Ace and John's friendship blossoms, they find their life experiences mirror each other and they fall in love. Despite hurdles thrown by well-meaning family members and jealous frenemies, the star-crossed lovers remain committed to their mutual belief that the universe has drawn them together. However, when Ace sends John a strange text and then suddenly disappears, the two must rely on their trust in each other to save both their lives and their love.
Collect #GameOn clues each week, unscramble, and enter to win an Amazon gift card. This month’s theme is #ThingsJoMarchSays.
CHEROKEE SUMMER Excerpt:
“Hold still,” she says. “You’ve got jelly on your lip.” She leans over and wipes it away with the pad of her thumb.
Her blue eyes capture mine and everything around me blurs. The only thing in focus is the two of us.
She wets her lips and her eyelids drop to half-mast, exposing her blue-tinted eyelashes. I’m one-hundred percent sure I’ve never wanted to kiss any girl as much as I want to kiss her right now.
I brush her hair to the side and stroke her neck. Then I press my lips to hers. Her breathing stops momentarily, but then she opens her mouth, inviting me in. I grip on to a handful of grass to hold myself back, then let go almost as quickly. It’s no use. I want her close. I want to feel her skin against mine. My hands roam her perfect body. She makes little groaning noises into my mouth. “You are the best thing that’s happened to me,” I whisper.
“I’m the lucky one,” she whispers back.
My heart smiles.
Just then, a raindrop hits the back of my head— then another and another.
Damn it.
I tear myself away from her and stare at the sky. A large drop plops between my eyes and rolls down the side of my nose. I wipe it away, and a rumble of thunder sounds in the distance. The drops fall quicker and grow larger. In the blink of an eye, both of us are nearly soaked.
We hop to our feet, stumbling over each other, laughing. I gather up the blanket, take Ace’s hand, and we run into the asi.
The sun hasn’t budged. It’s still shining hard on the earth. We sit in the doorway, my arm around her shoulder, watching the world’s largest sun-shower. Even the rain can’t ruin a day when she’s around.
Cherokee Summer
By Susan Antony
also available through Barnes & Noble // iTunesKobo // Google PlayScribd // HooplaA little more about Susan Antony…
Susan Antony is an IT by day, hip-shaker and writer by night, artist whenever possible, and an internet addict. She lives in the sunny south with her teenage son and two Cairn Terriers. Cherokee Summer placed first in the Missouri Romance Writers of America "Gateway to the Best" contest.
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**This blog uses affiliate links for many of the products featured. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
