Jan Scarbrough's Blog, page 16
July 24, 2014
My book Secrets is part of the Sweet, But Sexy boxed set
How was she going to keep her secret?
It had been with her like a living thing for twenty-one years.
My novella Secrets was The Romance Studio’s 2011 CAPA Award Nominee for excellence in romantic fiction. The book was special to me, because as I wrote it, I reflected on my sometimes turbulant relationship with my mother. It’s a “sweet” romance, just as my mother would have liked.
I’m glad it is included in the Turquoise Morning Press boxed set along with some other fine writers.
You can find Sweet, But Sexy at your normal ebook outlets.
Reviews of Secrets
“Ms. Scarbrough has become one of my favorite authors. I am automatically drawn to anything with her name on it.”
“Ms. Scarbrough has a way of involving sensuality without going in-depth so that younger readers cannot enjoy the book.”
“Well plotted, emotional and humorous in places, edgy, heart-warming. A book to curl up beside a fire with a cup of tea in easy reach.”
“Lost love and redemption are strong drives in the human psyche and Ms. Scarborough delivers masterfully. Buy this book; you won’t be disappointed.”
“This sweet romance speaks to those who fear, those who hide truths and those who have lost hope and yet somehow hope to find it. Jan Scarbrough rewards with romance and redemption and her next endeavor is eagerly awaited.”
“Ms. Scarbrough knows how to tell a story and she takes her readers on a thrilling roller coaster ride as they turn the pages.”
July 17, 2014
Sweet, But Sexy: Sweet Contemporary Romance Boxed Set
Turquoise Morning Press presents eight sweet contemporary romance stories that will convince you that sweet, can still be sexy! We’ve selected stories from some of our most popular romance authors to showcase in this set – stories that will take you from the beach to Christmas, from small town to big city, from keeping secrets to building dreams.
After all, sweet and sexy romance comes in all shapes and sizes, right?
Price: Promotional Price, $0.99 (limited time); Retail $5.99 (October, 2014)
Format: Digital only (no print)
Promotional Dates:
Saturday, July 19th – Saturday Smash-Up
Sunday, July 20th – Saturday July 27th – Contest
Wednesday, July 30th – Daily Special
July 15, 2014
Winner of TMP Best Selling Series for 2013
I’m so happy to be part of the Ladies of Legend team!
AMAZON TOP 100 BESTSELLER
ROMANCE, CONTEMPORARY ROMANCE, ANTHOLOGIES/COLLECTIONS
LOVE in a Small Town, Ladies of Legend Boxed Set
Nine bestselling and popular romance novellas/novels in the Ladies of Legend series of books.
WELCOME TO LEGEND, TN — Where romance lives next door.
Nestled in the foothills of the Smoky Mountains, the city of Legend boasts of small town pride and southern elegance. Porches are still for sitting and troubles for one family affect the entire community. Authors Jan Scarbrough, Magdalena Scott, Janet Eaves and Maddie James masterfully weave tales of women from different backgrounds who find home, and their hearts, in this small mountain town.
Come on in! The sweet tea is on the porch and the cookies are in the oven. Sit for a spell and enjoy the follow stories.
July 3, 2014
Writing Heart to Heart
An animal communicator, sometimes also called a pet psychic, is a person who has the gift and/or the skill to communicate telepathically with all other species. Several years ago, I took a “how to” workshop from a local animal communicator. I was terrible at speaking with pets, but fascinated. Never fear! A writer can do anything she wants simply by becoming that character she creates in a book. So when I chose my heroine for Heart to Heart, I gave her the ability to talk and listen to animals.
And if you think I made up the part about Ms. Addie’s cats, I didn’t. I found it right there on the Internet—a news article about cats receiving $250,000 and a house in a will. Facts, they say, are stranger than fiction.
For this novella, I consulted two books: The Language of Animals by Carol Gurney and The Language of Miracles by Amelia Kinkade. I also received a reading from a local animal communicator, Fredricka Chambers, about my dog. She provided accurate, helpful information, which I acted on and the issues were resolved.
I also suspended my disbelief—which is an essential ingredient for any kind of storytelling.
June 19, 2014
The Indian Tycoon’s Marriage Deal
Meet my friend Adite Banerjie, author of a new book from Harlequin.
Set in India, The Indian Tycoon’s Marriage Deal is a contemporary romance with a difference. This is what DearAuthor.com says about the book: “If you’re looking for an unusual contemporary that is really well grounded in its context… you’ll enjoy it.”
Blurb
Dancing with the enemy
Krish Dev needs to find a bride—and quick! With a marriage arranged by his father looming, Krish finds the key to his freedom in Maya Shome, but is this dazzling beauty really all she seems…?
Maya has only one thing in mind: revenge. But when the host of the most exclusive high society party asks her to dance what is meant to be an innocent tango leads to an engagement to Krish—her enemy’s son!
Arranging their own marriage could work to their advantage…if they can resist mixing business with pleasure!
Excerpt
‘This marriage would be strictly in name only. Or the deal is off.’
Krish laughed. The sound waves reverberated inside her, making her feel all warm and fuzzy.
‘You mean leave sex out of it?’
Krish’s dark eyes seemed to pick out her body vibrations even before she could.
‘Are you absolutely sure about that?’
Maya seethed. She wished she could wipe that all-knowing look off his face. If only she didn’t feel this strong surge of attraction for him—but that was her secret to keep…just one of many.
‘I’m sure you can find a discreet way of taking care of that side of things for yourself.’
He clicked his tongue in mock disapproval. ‘You haven’t been paying attention, jaaneman.’
Maya was back to worrying her lower lip and Krish leaned across the table to run a finger across her mouth.
‘I’ve told you before that I’m a one-woman guy. And I don’t share what’s mine.’
Her lips tingled at his touch even as his words held out a deep, velvety promise that made her breath catch.
Breathe, Maya, breathe!
She pulled away and stuttered, ‘I…I mean it…No sex or the deal is off.’
About Adite Banerjie
Adite Banerjie is a screenwriter and published author. Growing up in a home with a filmmaker dad who worked in the world’s largest film industry (yes, Bollywood!) and a voracious reader for a mom, it was inevitable she would fall in love with both films and books.
She turned to fiction writing after a fulfilling and exciting career as a business journalist. When she penned her first romantic short story, she won the Harlequin India Passions Aspiring Authors Contest (2012). Her debut title, The Indian Tycoon’s Marriage Deal, based on the winning short story, was released in December 2013 in India. The e-book is available internationally (from June 2014). Her second title (Trouble Has a New Name) releases in India in July 2014.
Adite lives in New Delhi, India, with her writer husband.
Connect with Adite here
Facebook: https://facebook.com/AditeBanerjieWriter
Website: http://aditebanerjie.com
Twitter: @adite
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1...
June 12, 2014
Saddle Horse Press, my self-publishing identity
Years ago I was published by Kensington. An agent and many rejection letters later, I stumbled upon the brand-new world of ebook publishing. Thanks to Resplendence Publishing and later Turquoise Morning Press, I was able to republish some of those books rejected by Harlequin. I finished half-finished projects. I wrote and wrote. And I grew as a writer.
By the time traditionally published authors were discovering ebooks, I’d been there for several years. But it wasn’t simply ebooks that were so thrilling to these multi-published authors—it was the idea of self-publishing.
Other authors, who like me had faced rejection, were making names for themselves by self-publishing their books. They were making money too. A brave new world had come to the publishing of novels.
Edward W. Robertson, in his recent blog “Self-Publishing’s Share of the Kindle Market by Genre,” looked at what percentage of Kindle ebook sales self-publishers represent by genre—romance, mystery/thriller/suspense, science fiction, and fantasy. He found that romance had 40% percentage of the entire Kindle market.
Last fall when I received the rights back to a book then called A Man of Her Own, I decided it was time for me to jump into self-publishing. It’s not as easy as it seems. First of all, you need an editor and you need a cover designer. I had both—my writing pals Karen and Kim. Then you need someone who can and will format your books into all the formats—Kindle, Nook, iTunes, Kobo, etc. I found that person right in my own house—my husband Bill.
Saddle Horse Press was born so I can publish my own books. I have published two: Betting on Love and a group of Medieval novellas called Freely Given. Coming later this year will be the re-edit of My Lord Raven and down the road a new series called Bluegrass and Bourbon.
I’m excited about the possibilities of writing new books and publishing them myself.
June 8, 2014
Heart to Heart: Return to Legend
When Jeremy’s aunt gives him a second chance, he must decide if he believes in the unbelievable and the pet psychic who teaches him about faith…and love.Jeremy Hamilton’s company is cash-strapped and his personal life is a mess. Inheriting the bulk of Ms. Addie Bynum’s wealth is a godsend, but moving to the small town of Legend, Tennessee, to get that money is a big pain. Ms. Addie has given Jeremy a second chance under certain conditions. Will he take that chance?
Marty Fields is a pet psychic. She’s spent a lifetime explaining animal communication to skeptic citizens of her small town. Only Ms. Addie understands her gift. Keeping Ms. Addie’s six cats after the old lady’s death is the least Marty can do. Yet, she’s put her life on hold. Will the grandnephew’s arrival upset the rhythm of her comfortable existence?
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Learn more about the Ladies of Legend series.
Excerpt
The law office of Graham Winchester
Downtown, Legend, Tennessee
“I don’t understand.” Jeremy Hamilton scooted forward in the leather guest chair. He frowned at the well-dressed lawyer seated behind a mahogany executive desk. “Are you saying I don’t get the money right away?”
“I’m saying the money is tied up in a trust,” Graham Winchester replied. He too sat forward in his high-back swivel chair. “Ms. Addie placed certain conditions on the money and her other assets.”
Jeremy knew the man facing him was a famous novelist with two bestselling books, who had left his New York City law career for a wife and family in Legend. Not the smartest move, in Jeremy’s mind, but then again, to each his own.
Live and let live had been Jeremy’s motto for years. That was until his dad passed, and he inherited the business, an information technology contracting agency. Today Hamilton Staffing was in trouble. Big time. And no matter what Jeremy did, the economy conspired against him. The recent letter from this lawyer was a godsend. His great-aunt’s money would pump needed cash into his cash-strapped company.
Winchester sat back and rested his elbows on the arms of his executive chair, steepling his fingers thoughtfully at his tight lips. He swiveled back and forth slowly, his gaze resting on Jeremy as if sizing him up. Jeremy wished he was back home in Louisville, Kentucky, or on a sandy Hawaiian beach, anywhere but this stuffy, uncomfortable office. Winchester’s stare annoyed him. Jeremy’s body temperature rose in response.
“But I need that money now,” he said a little too sharply. “I need it to make my payroll.”
It was hard to admit he was in one helluva fix. He only had two months’ worth of capital left. Several large companies had failed to pay him, and so he couldn’t provide the salaries promised to his contractors. Without an immediate influx of cash, he’d go under.
“I understand you were not close to Ms. Addie.”
Winchester’s question had little to do with the issue at hand. Jeremy stiffened. “I barely knew her. My parents left Legend when I was a baby. We would visit occasionally, but after my grandparents died when I was fourteen, we never came again.”
And then his father lost his job, and apparently, his mom couldn’t handle the change. She deserted them once the money dried up, leaving Jeremy to be raised by his dad. He frowned at the memory. At the hurt and anger, the unfairness of it all. At the disloyalty of women. All women.
The irony of it all was his dad had started his own company and became more successful and wealthy than before the divorce.
Jeremy was proud of his dad and what he’d accomplished. Now it was up to him to continue that success. To keep Hamilton Staffing going. People depended upon him. Technical people who’d lost their jobs because of the rotten economy had found work and hope through his company. He couldn’t let them down, any more than he could let the memory of his father down.
“You are Ms. Addie’s only living relative,” Winchester stated. “Although she’s left the bulk of her estate to you, she’s bequeathed certain items to others and given money to her favorite animal rescue charities.”
“Is that why I don’t get the inheritance right away?”
“No.” Winchester shook his head. “That part of the trust has nothing to do with what you will inherit.”
Jeremy let out a frustrated sigh. “Then tell me. Don’t beat around the bush.”
Winchester sat forward and placed his hands on the desktop. “You receive the bulk of the estate when, and only when, her six cats pass.”
“What?”
“Ms. Addie had six cats. They will live in her house at the expense of the trust until each one passes because of natural causes, or if their guardian decides for health reasons, as Ms. Addie put it, they should be sent across Rainbow Bridge.”
“What?” Jeremy couldn’t believe what he was hearing. “That’s crazy.”
“You didn’t know Ms. Addie. She was a bit eccentric.”
Jeremy rolled his eyes. “You think? What’s this Rainbow Bridge thing?”
“The way I understand it is that pet lovers like to quote a poem called ‘Rainbow Bridge’ as being the place where their pets go after they die to wait for their owners.”
“That is nuts.”
Winchester shrugged. “Not to people like Ms. Addie.”
The cat thing was too much. Too stupid for words. “I suppose I can’t send them across this bridge myself.”
The lawyer grinned. “You’re right. Ms. Addie was concerned enough about that to appoint a guardian to look after the cats’ best interests. The guardian, a Miss Martha Fields, who happens to be my second cousin, lives with the cats.”
“You’re kidding? Someone lives with the cats?”
“Ms. Addie gave Marty permission to live on the third story of the house so she’d be closer to them.”
Jeremy’s neck was stiff, and his head pounded. He’d driven five hours to Legend this morning just to have his hopes dashed by this crazy old woman’s cats?
Unbelievable.
Winchester pushed his chair back from the desk, and cocked his head. “When Ms. Addie’s health took a turn for the worse sick six months ago, she asked me to find out about you.”
Jeremy glared at the lawyer. “You were snooping on me?”
“Let’s just say, I did a little research. Nothing the Internet couldn’t facilitate.”
“So?” This was going from bad to worse.
“I learned you’re single, recently out of a long-term relationship.”
Jeremy’s body tensed.
“I also learned about your financial difficulties,” Winchester continued. “I found out that you work most of the time.”
“So? There’s a law against hard work?”
Winchester ignored the sarcasm. “After I told Ms. Addie, she expressed her desire that you, as she put it, ‘stop and smell the roses.’”
“What does that mean?” Jeremy asked, squinting in anger.
“Ms. Addie added another clause to her trust, stating if you move into her house in Legend for a month and live there so her cats will come to accept you, then the money, except what is actually needed to take care of the cats, can be released to you.”
Jeremy stood up and paced back and forth in front of the desk. His blood boiled. This was the most preposterous thing he’d ever heard. “Let me get this straight. I have to live in her house for a month?”
“Yes.”
“And Ms. Addie was in her right mind?”
“Sharp as a tack.”
“How do you know the cats will accept me?” Jeremy quizzed. “Can you read their minds?”
“No,” Winchester said. His voice was as bland as his expression. “But Marty does.”
“Huh?” Jeremy stopped and faced the lawyer.
“Marty Fields talks to them.”
Heart pounding, Jeremy stared in disbelief. “What?” His one word question ended on a piercing high note.
“Marty Fields talks to the cats,” Winchester repeated. “Like Dr. Doolittle. She’s an animal communicator.”
June 2, 2014
The Friends’ Blog Tour
I was asked by my friend Joan Reeves to join a “friends” blog tour.
Joan is a multi-published author in print and a bestselling ebook author of contemporary romance. Her sassy, sexy romance novels have the premise that “it’s never too late to live happily ever after.” You can visit her blog at http://SlingWords.blogspot.com.
With A Little Help From My Friends
I asked three of my author friends to join the blog tour. On June 9 please drop by their websites and visit them.
1) Magdalena Scott lives in small town, USA, and writes sweet romance in a small town setting. She is a contributing author to the bestselling Love in a Small Town boxed set, and most of her currently published works are in the Ladies of Legend, Tennessee series. Visit her blog at http://www.magdalenascott.blogspot.com/
2) Multi-published, JC Wardon is the author of the Mystic Waters Books. As a lover of the paranormal romance, the psychological thriller, and the suspense of dangerous plots, all woven into one, JC creates stories that will curl your toes, and make your heart pound. Her Cavanaugh Sisters Trilogy kicks off a thirteen-book series rollercoaster ride that will leave you captivated.
Due to the time constraints of meeting publication deadlines, JC does not currently have a blog, but you can check out all her current and upcoming releases at: http://jcwardon.com/library
3) Amazon Best Selling Author for both the Ladies of Legend series, and the Unforgettable Heroes Boxed set, Janet Eaves spends a great deal of her life in her writer’s cave, though she also has an ever-changing family to care for. Her newest release, Crossroads, is a Ladies of Legend: Return to Legend Novella.
Feel free to stop by Janet’s Facebook pages anytime: https://www.facebook.com/janeteavesauthorpage/ (and like if you feel so inclined)
#amwriting
1) What am I working on?
I am working on a new book for my Bluegrass Reunion series from Resplendence Publishing. This one is called Kentucky Bluebloods and is set on a thoroughbred breeding farm.
2) How does my work differ from others of its genre?
I write “romances from the heart.” Delving into why the hero and heroine do what they do, hopefully, gives a deeper emotional intensity to my stories.
3) Why do I write what I do?
A reader of romance, I enjoy writing it. I like to explore the emotions of the characters, and I like to see what happens to them at the end of the book. I like happily ever after endings.
4) How does my writing process work?
It takes a while for a story to gel. I will fill out a worksheet of goals, motivations, and conflicts. I will explore backstory. I’ll brainstorm with my writing pal. I’ll read books for research, if needed. Then I’ll write the book a scene or chapter at a time, trying to let the story come to me as I write.
May 29, 2014
Guest blogger—Karen Rose Smith
Caprice De Luca, home stager extraordinaire, loves her big Italian family—parents, two sisters, brother and Nana. She likes to cook, wears vintage fashion and is a retro music fan. But most of all, she is an animal lover.
There’s a lot of me in Caprice. But never more so than when she’s taking care of stray animals and finding them homes. Thirteen years ago on a snowy week before Christmas day, I brought home a very sick black kitten from a friend’s family farm. Ebbie and I bonded irrevocably those first nights when I stayed up with her, applying acupressure to her sinuses so she could breathe. She’s been my constant companion ever since, more like a sister than a pet. When we brought her half-sister London home to live with us a few months later, my husband and I thought two cats were enough!
Then two summers ago, we found Zoie Joy in a bush in our backyard. The temperature was 100 degrees. She was dehydrated, starved and needed love and care. She weighed 1½ pounds. She’s the baby of the house and lives up to her middle name every day. Because I worried her mom was out in that big world without care, we began leaving food in feral feeders. That brought a sweet yellow tabby to our door who needed love, care, and medical assistance. Lance was only with us a short while, but he wrapped himself around our hearts and gave us an appreciation for living each day to its fullest.
Animals are part of what I write because they’re a huge part of my life. I care for them, but they care for me too. Their unconditional love and affection brightens my days and brings comfort when arthritis pain keeps me awake at night.
After writing romance for over twenty years, I’m enjoying branching out into mystery where I can delve into everyone’s relationships as well as create an intriguing puzzle. Including my love of animals into my storylines invests my heart in an integral way that I believe brings a core honesty to my novels. In STAGED TO DEATH, the first Caprice De Luca mystery, you will meet her long haired calico cat Sophia and Dylan—a stray part Shiztu and part Pomeranian who is adopted by Caprice’s best friend. Two yellow tabby kittens also make an appearance. In DEADLY DÉCOR—book 2, Caprice takes in a pregnant stray cocker spaniel. In book 3, GILT BY ASSOCIATION—February 2015—you’ll meet Lady, a cocker who becomes Caprice’s sidekick, as well as Valentine—a gray tabby kitten she finds on a cold winter night in her backyard.
I love to hear about animal rescue stories. You can share them with me anytime on my Facebook page KarenRoseSmithBooks, on Twitter @karenrosesmith or through email at my websites www.karenrosesmithmysteries.com and www.karenrosesmith.com.
May 13, 2014
Brody: The Long Road Home
The Montana McKenna’sChampion bull rider Brody Caldera returns home after his stepfather’s accident only to discover things have changed big time.
When rancher James McKenna is critically injured in a riding accident, his wife calls his daughter and stepson home for a family meeting. Ironically, home is just where stepson Brody Caldera wants to be. He’s taking stock of his life—past, present, and future. Can the champion bull rider turn his life around and make up for his past mistake?
Single mom Stephanie Chambers hopes to keep her daughter away from man who deserted them years ago. But the spunky ten-year-old is enamored by the famous cowboy, and Stef’s best intentions are side-tracked from day one. She’s made a life for herself and her daughter, but Brody’s return challenges what she knows about herself and that life she’s created.
Excerpt
Two o’clock a.m.
Chicago, Illinois
He was home.
Brody Caldera’s heart quickened as he turned the key to the door of his high rise apartment on North Sheridan Road. When she helped him pick it out soon after they met two years ago, she had loved the apartment’s “million dollar view” of Lake Michigan. The location was trendy and close to downtown and her job at an up-and-coming ad agency. The apartment was “to-die for,” and she said she’d be very happy living there between Brody’s “business” trips.
Yeah, Lori Ann was spoiled, all right. He gave her anything and everything she wanted. But why not? He could afford it, and what else did he have to spend his money on but the woman he loved. . Since the day he met her at a promotional event for the Professional Bull Riders, he’d been head-over-heels in love with her. And she with him. They were a perfect match for each other. There was just something right about them together. And one day they’d get married and make beautiful blond babies together. Maybe soon.
Even after all this time, he adored her. Still bought her clothes and jewelry. Still had hot sex with her. That’s why he’d caught an early plane home. He wanted to surprise her this morning and kiss her awake.
His adrenalin surged just like it did when he was about to climb down on the back of a seventeen-hundred-pound bull. Brody slowly turned the doorknob, so he wouldn’t make noise and wake Lori Ann. She wasn’t expecting him.
What the hell? Every light in the place was on. He blinked his eyes against the glare off the bank of windows that faced the lake.
Cocking his head to the side, Brody stood at the threshold and surveyed the strange sight in the fashionable, black-and-white living room Lori Ann had decorated. It didn’t look like their peaceful living space. It looked like a scene from a college frat party. Not that he would know firsthand, of course. He’d never gone to college and never been to a frat party, but he had a good imagination.
Furniture was shoved back against the walls. Empty glasses and plates littered the glass tabletops. Cigarette butts filled several ashtrays. He’d never had an ashtray in the apartment in his whole time living there.
Lori Ann didn’t smoke. And folks didn’t smoke in Montana where he came from. He’d learned his lesson the hard way. He’d tried it once out behind the barn. His stepfather had caught him and tanned his hide. His mom had given him the “what for” too. Told him smoking interfered with drawing in the clean mountain air. It made riding and roping harder work with lungs full of crap. They were right.
Tightening his jaw, Brody took a step inside, dropped his duffle bag by the entrance, and shut the door behind him. He turned slowly, absorbing the dead silence of the place and drawing in a pungent scent of skunk.
He’d smelled it before on the streets of Chicago as he biked. He’d smelled it on sidewalks in the Loop and on the “L.”
Brody walked over to the glass coffee table and looked down at the ashtrays that weren’t filled with cigarette butts, but paper-wrapped joints.
Someone had been smoking marijuana.
So that explained it. Lori Ann had been acting strange for six months. He’d overlooked red flags because he had wanted to. But now he couldn’t. The tightening of his gut told him he’d been a fool.
A damn fool.
A pair of man’s leather, wingtip shoes kicked off by the black leather sofa told him the same thing.
Brody strode toward his bedroom, the one he shared with Lori Ann, and turned on the light switch beside the door. The overhead chandelier illuminated the king-size bed beneath it.
Looked like some other man had been enjoying the fruits of his labor.
The spectacle rocked him. Brody planted his legs wide for balance, anger rolling through the length of his slim, muscular body.
So this is what betrayal feels like.
