Starla Kaye's Blog, page 10

M J Flournoy with Little Lies

I’m welcoming M. J. Flournoy to my blog today with her novella LITTLE LIES.

 

BLURB – Little Lies

A novella of sensual contemporary romance with hot, steamy love scenes, not quite erotica. Dr. Sara Chandler is on a mission and Zack St. Cloud is her target. He owes her and she is determined to collect. The good doctor makes a plan to ensnare former Olympian Zack St. Cloud and collect the debt owed her, but didn’t count on the sizzling chemistry between them trapping her in her own web. This is a secret baby plot.

BUY LINK:   Amazon

EXCERPT – Little Lies

                  “You are certifiable. You realize that, don’t you?”

“Thanks for the vote of support.” Dr. Sara Chandler studied the shade of electric blue polish on her toenails. Her fingers tightened on the card in her hands. She couldn’t let doubts weaken her resolve. This was a one shot deal. If she wavered now, all would be lost. She leaned closer to the window gazing down at the sparkling water of the Roseville Inn’s Olympic sized pool three floors below.

“You’re really going through with this hair-brained scheme?” Dr. Carol Lester took a drag on her ever present cigarette.

Sara moved the cell phone away from her ear and mimed pounding it against the tabletop before she returned it to her ear. She so didn’t need Carol’s lecture at this point. Her chain-smoking friend had helped her come up with the plan, now look who was getting cold feet.

Sara pushed away thoughts of her friend sabotaging her health. She couldn’t think about losing another loved one, not now. She had to focus, to keep herself in character. It wasn’t like she hadn’t tried repeatedly to persuade her friend and partner to give up the cigarettes.

“How hard can it be to crash a twenty-five year high school reunion?” Sara fingered the white embossed card that had invited her deceased husband to join his class for their reunion. Her fingers traced over the familiar letters, as she read his name. This one’s is for you, babe.

Still there was a tiny niggling doubt at the back of her mind that he wouldn’t approve. Sara squared her shoulders, she’d come too far to turn back now. The debt owed would be collected.

“Sara, I went along with your cockeyed scheme when you came up with it, because I didn’t think you’d go through with it.” Carol’s words burned through the fog that had temporally cloud Sara’s thoughts. “But this is going too far.”

“Look, I’m bushed. A three-hour flight and a two hour drive, after several hours in ICU with a patient, has worn me out.” Sara massaged the back of her neck where tension tied her muscles into knots. “I have a few more things to unpack, then I’m hitting the pool.”

Her friend’s breath hissed through the phone. If smoke could travel through wireless she’d be stifling in it right now. How a pediatric immuno specialist could be a chain smoker baffled Sara.

“Call me the minute he gets there, I won’t rest until you do.”

“Carol.” Sara paced to the closet, thumbed through the clothes she’d hung. “Don’t be such a mother hen. It’s too late now, I’m already here and I’m going through with my plan.” She pulled out the little red dress and hung it on the closet door.

“Well, you’ve added this last little twist, and I’m sure it’s not legal.”

“Hush, dear.” Sara sank into the overstuffed chair beside the window and flexed her toes, admiring the way the early morning sun reflected off the blue polish. “Little lies, just sweet little lies. No harm done.”

“Yeah, right,” Carol answered. “Call me. I want to know e-v-e-r-y-t-h-i-n-g!”

“Play by play, I promise.” Sara tucked her cell in the pocket of her tote. I can live my little lies, no one else will ever know.

AUTHOR BIO

MJ Flournoy is the pseudonym of Melba Moon. She is a graduate of LaGrange College with a degree in History. She also holds a Master’s degree in Learning Disabilities. MJ is a member of Romance Writers of America and a Past President of Kiss of Death , the Mystery and Suspense Chapter of RWA. MJ is a two time winner of the Maggie Award of Excellence. Writing as Melba Moon she has published short Southern fiction, one of which, is about a runaway child and the private investigator sent to bring her home and is featured in the Best Selling anthology, Finding Love’s Magic. MJ is a retired Special Education teacher and lives in LaGrange, Georgia with her husband. They have two children and two granddaughters. When she isn’t writing, MJ enjoys reading, container gardening, travel and cooking.

AUTHOR LINK:  Website

 

OTHER TITLES

A MATTER OF TRUST

Genre: Romantic Suspense with paranormal elements

BUY LINK:  Amazon

TRAILER

 

The post M J Flournoy with Little Lies appeared first on Starla Kaye.

Spotlight: Leigh Ellwood and Holiday Bliss

Shifting Into Holiday Mode

Thank you for joining me today, and thanks to Starla for hosting me.

I enjoy the final two months of the year for a number of reasons. One of them, however, isn’t for extra time to write despite NaNoWriMo. Around this time I’m surrounded by people and have my attentions elsewhere. We tend to travel more in the late fall and winter because of the holidays. My daughter is still young enough to appreciate the magic of the season without complaining about the cold. Me, I get to drink hot tea and read a lot of books.

As much as I enjoy cool weather, fall festivals, sitting by the fireplace and holiday eating (oof), I don’t write much about winter. Prior to Holiday Bliss (more on that in a minute) I had only two winter-themed shorts published. It could be the Florida girl in me, I can’t say.

When I was approached to contribute to a Christmas/Winter themed box set last year, though, I jumped at the chance. I had wanted to write a follow up to two paranormal stories in my Love is Bliss series. Here, shifters live among humans on the Jersey Shore as kind of an open secret and deal with life’s problems as anybody would…except shifters here have some rules when it comes to relationships. When I sat down to write Holiday Bliss, I wanted to focus on an older heroine from the first two stories, a widow who isn’t exactly looking for love but finds something in a handsome, younger handyman.

Sheila is a live by the rules panther shifter. She likes to keep up appearances and wants to help townsfolk for Christmas post-Hurricane Sandy. Jonah’s family is as prestigious among panthers, but he feels he deserves everything the other shifters have, including a companion. He just happens to want Sheila, and intends to make her holidays bright.

Holiday Bliss is available in eBook. It was part of Hot Holidays Treats last year, but has been revised for re-release. If you’re looking for an unconventional paranormal romance for the winter, hope you’ll try it.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

About Holiday Bliss

Two years after super storm Sandy ripped up the Eastern seaboard, panther shifter Sheila Houlihan has finally rebuilt her home in the shore town of Bliss, New Jersey. She looks forward to her first Christmas there, if only Jonah will finish with the interior painting.

Jonah, however, is interested in being more than Sheila’s handyman. He doesn’t care about the difference in their ages, and with Sheila soon to become an empty nester he knows she’ll want some company to keep her warm this winter.

It’s only a matter of getting Sheila to see that age is only a number.

Buy:  ARe   ~   AMZ  ~   BN  ~   KOBO   ~   ITUNES   ~   SMASH

EXCERPT (R) – Holiday Bliss

Jonah paused a moment to study the family photos stacked atop a dresser in the guest room, which held the only bathroom Sheila would let them use. Sheila had a tweener son, staying with a friend until the paint job was completed, and a young married daughter who lived in New York City. He recognized a few people in some group photos—mainly panthers from various circles—and at the bottom of the stack rested an older wedding shot. Sheila hadn’t aged much since the day it was taken, and Jonah thought she looked beautiful in her long white gown, standing next to the former head of the Houlihan family.

Jeez, guy, get a grip. In his head he sounded like such a girl.

He did his business and washed his hands, then checked himself in the mirror. A bit of paint had splattered in his hair, but he’d cut out the clump if it didn’t come out with some shampoo later. Nothing in his teeth, a quick side-check of his torso to tuck in his gut for a model-like pose, and he started back downstairs.

Another set of photos, these tucked halfway under a pile of books on a coffee table, caught his eye first. Jonah knew he shouldn’t snoop, but with Sheila in the backyard playing hostess to that loud-mouthed wolf lady he figured it wouldn’t hurt to peek. Pictures fascinated him, and he often wondered why many of the panther families around Bliss never snapped shots of relatives in animal form. Grant joked once that a panther could barely manipulate a camera. He chuckled at the memory.

He rubbed away a flake of marigold paint from his fingertips and cut the book stack in half. He lifted the last two, set them aside, and tugged a corner of photographic paper. The gilt logo of a photography studio shone and it took him a moment to process that Sheila had gone in on one of those boudoir packages. The picture appeared recent—Sheila posed provocatively in a spaghetti-strapped red nightgown slit up one side. She reclined on a curved plush settee with the red silk dripping over one side to expose a shapely, smooth leg.

Damn. The woman looked good. Of course, she’d been made up and her hair teased out to make it appear fuller, but Jonah could tell it wasn’t an old picture. Underneath that, the stack of photographs were progressively racier—the outfits shrank and the setting changed from a bordello-style lounge to a lush bed.

Jonah’s pulse quickened a bit as he shuffled the snapshots before replacing them. His cock stiffened and he reached with his free hand to shift it for comfort. How long since he had sex? He couldn’t remember, and seeing any woman with a come-hither expression helped matters none. Why did Sheila pose for these, he wondered. Maybe she intended for them to be a gift to a suitor, but according to local gossip the widowed she-panther wasn’t attached to anybody, and hadn’t been since her husband died.

He knew some women did the boudoir thing for self-esteem, but couldn’t think that Sheila needed that kind of boost. She was a brassy broad—his mother’s words, anyway. It wasn’t like he could ask her, either.

He wished a woman would give him such pictures. When he did date, he ended up with the demure type. She-panthers in particular weren’t willing to put out if they knew they weren’t going to be mated to you. Since Jonah’s family lacked the status of the Houlihans, it reduced the number of prospects. He tried dating fully human women, too, but many of them knew about his panther and only wanted the thrill of being with a shifter—as though he had supernatural sexual powers. He’d lost count of the times he had to explain to a woman that fucking her wouldn’t give her his supernatural abilities, or make her immortal.

Lost in thought, he looked down to see he was stroking himself. It felt good. Damn. He missed having a woman’s lips wrapped around his cock. Warm and tight and wet, pulling with enough suction to get him to come. Then he’d wait a short while and he’d be hard again, ready to lay back and have her ride his cock, bouncing up and down so that her tits swayed and shook. He’d reach up to pinch those thick, pink nipples and watch her moan.

The drawstring keeping his work pants secured loosened now, and Jonah’s hand slipped under his briefs and took hold of his balls. They ached for satisfaction and he rolled them over his fingers for a few seconds before he snaked upward to rub his shaft. The soft skin pulled easily despite the lack of lubrication, but he kept working on his cock and encouraging the tingle of a growing orgasm.

He closed his eyes and pictured Sheila—a sexy cougar in panther’s guise—naked and bent, pressed against the wall with her ass pushed back. He’d seen her around in a swimsuit on the beach, and the differences in their ages didn’t matter to him. Her body certainly defied her years, for she looked fitter and toner than any of the bikini babes trotting along the shore in the peak of summer. Winter meant coverage, though with the recent warm days it called merely for light jackets, but it didn’t stop Jonah from fantasizing about Sheila’s exposed pussy, wet and waiting for him.

“What are you doing?” cried a high-pitched voice.

Jonah’s heart exploded, right at the same time he came in his pants. He hadn’t intended to finish right here, but move to the bathroom and squirt the evidence in the toilet. He definitely didn’t expect to open his eyes and find a very shocked, and clothed, Sheila gawking at him from the open doorway.

Her gaze panned his body, and Jonah looked down at the fist covered by his stained pants. Yeah, it would be a challenge coming up with an excuse for this.

“I asked a question, Jonah,” she said. “What are you doing in my study fondling yourself? I am paying you to wrap your hand around a paintbrush, not your dick.”

“Sorry,” he muttered, and released his sticky cock. He brought up a shining trail of cum with him and Sheila groaned at the mess. Without another word he dashed into the bathroom to clean himself.

“We’re almost done with the front room,” he called out, and felt silly if she wasn’t standing there listening. “We’ll start on the hallways next.”

“I was hoping to have the whole house finished today, but I see that’s not going to happen. Just get back down to work. I’m sure Grant’s not happy carrying the whole…ah, load.”

“Yes, ma’am.” Fuck, he felt like he was ten years old. He wet a few squares of tissue paper and scrubbed his cock, used the toilet, then flushed everything away. After washing up and straightening his appearance, he loped into the study to find Sheila gone.

In the upstairs hallway, he caught a glimpse of her reflection in the full length mirror of her bedroom. She paced slightly with her hand covering her mouth. Even so, he could tell she was smiling.

 

ABOUT LEIGH

Leigh Ellwood writes romance and erotica. She enjoys reading and binge watching 70s-80s British TV. She is active on Twitter and invites you to drop her a line at @LeighEllwood.

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http://www.leighellwood.com

http://leighwantsfood.blogspot.com

The post Spotlight: Leigh Ellwood and Holiday Bliss appeared first on Starla Kaye.

John Anthony and The Journey of Joseph Winter

I am welcoming John Anthony to my blog today with his heartwarming holiday story, THE JOURNEY OF JOSEPH WINTER.

BLURB – The Journey of Joseph Winter

A Christmas fairy tale for all ages!

The Journey of Joseph Winter is a heartwarming holiday story in the tradition of It’s a Wonderful Life and A Miracle on 34th Street.

Joseph Winter is a good and gentle man, but he carries with him the pain and regret of a childhood mistake.

When a package mysteriously arrives on his doorstep, he is invited on a trek that defies logic.

Traveling far from his quaint home in St. Paul into the snowy landscapes of the Arctic, the journey takes him in search of the one man who may be able to help him find peace—Santa Claus.

BUY LINKS:   Amazon paperback     Amazon Kindle

The Kindle edition will be available for $0.99 between 11/23/15 and 11/29/15.

The Kindle edition is also available in the Kindle Unlimited program, as well as being available for a “free borrow” if you are a member of Amazon Prime.

By joining my mailing list/newsletter, readers are automatically entered to win one of ten (10) signed and personalized paperback copies of The Journey of Joseph Winter. Winners will be notified via e-mail in late December 2015.

 

Let’s start with a brief author interview…

How did you come up with your title? The book was originally written as a short story for my family back in 2002, right after my first nephew was born. I bound it myself—horribly, mind you…I’m not very good at crafts—and gave a copy to each of them as a Christmas gift. At the time, it was written in first person as a diary, and it was simply entitled, The Journal of Joseph Winter, with Joseph detailing his journey in his own words.

When I came back to the story in 2013 and decided to expand on the idea, it was clear the first person narrative wasn’t going to work in the expanded form, so using “Journal” in the title didn’t fit—but “Journey” did. And it gave potential readers an idea of the scope. And I liked the sound of it!

What was your favorite scene in this book? If I had to choose, I’d say the dinner scene with Max in the dining car. You begin to see Joseph changing, and how much of Max he truly admires. It was a nice little scene to write. I found myself transported into that train car with them both, sitting at the table and witnessing this wonderful interaction. It was really magical writing that.

What in particular made you write this book? As I discuss in the Author’s Message at the end of the book, I wanted to capture the magic of the large family Christmases from my youth. The adults would share stories of the old days, and you could tell that it made them incredibly happy to relive those moments, and remember those that were no longer with us. That’s what I wanted to capture.

Do you have a favorite character and why? It’s probably no surprise that I felt the strongest connection with Max. Most people I have heard from have the same reaction. All the characters are me, in some way, so it’s hard to pick a favorite. But Max is the one I couldn’t get out of my head during the creative process while expanding the story.

You might be surprised to know that Max didn’t exist in the first draft. He grew out of the expanded story. I think he’s the one who, deep down in my soul, pulled me back to the story and told me it wasn’t finished.

What are you currently working on for your next book? Novel number two is well underway, and I’m expecting it to be complete in Spring 2016. I’ll be ready to discuss more about it soon, but for now I’ll just say this—I grew up in the 70’s, and I would love to be able to go back and visit that time through the eyes of a child. The innocence of childhood, and those moments in our lives that help to shape us into the adults we become—those are powerful things.

Just sign up for my newsletter to get updates on the progress, and to keep in touch. I love hearing from readers who have enjoyed my stories.

And thank you so much for taking time to talk today!

 

EXCERPT – The Journey of Joseph Winter

Christmas Eve, 1974

Heavy snowflakes left streaks of white hanging in the cold air, like streamers from a holiday parade. The Christmas snow the weathermen had predicted all week held them good on their promise.

The gray sky was visible through the stark trees as Geraldine looked out the front window at the cars pulling into the driveway.

“They’re here, sweetie,” her husband said. Tom walked up behind her and put his hands on her shoulders, then rested his cheek against the side of her head. “It’s going to be perfect. Don’t worry.”

Geraldine turned her head to look at him. He still had that glowing smile she’d fallen in love with so many years ago. Her uneasiness faded, and the warmth of his love spread through her.

“I’ve missed him, Tom,” she said.

He looked into her eyes. “Have I told you lately how much I love you?”

“Every day.” She raised her hands to her cheeks; he could still make her blush. “How you can still make me feel like a schoolgirl, I’ll never know.”

“It’s one of my many gifts.” Tom leaned in and kissed her forehead, and she rested her head on his chest as they watched the scene outside.

Their grandchildren spilled out of the backseats of three cars like colored jellybeans pouring out of a jar. Arms stuffed into heavy winter coats flailed about as the children tried to balance themselves in the strong wind and slippery snow. Footsteps from tiny booted feet punched dark holes in the snow as the children ran up the sidewalk to the front door.

The doorbell rang.

Tom went to the door as Geraldine walked over to the mantel and retrieved a small leather-bound journal from its resting place.

“I miss you, Joey,” she said softly, and squeezed the book to her chest.

The house erupted with the sounds of little voices as she walked to greet her guests.

“Grampa! Gramma! Merry Christmas!” The little ones ran to Geraldine’s arms as she appeared in the foyer, their wet shoes squeaking on the hardwood floors.

“Kids, remember to take your boots off first,” Jennifer said. “I’m sorry, Mom. You know how kids are.”

“It’s all right, honey. It’s just a little snow.” Geraldine held the children close and gave each one their own hug.

The family had grown over the years, which was very apparent when they were all together in one place at the same time. Their house fairly burst at its seams.

Her three daughters now had husbands and children of their own. Adam was the oldest of the grandchildren at ten, followed by the girls: Lacie, Maggie, Rachel, Harper, and baby Savana, ranging in age from eight to just barely a year.

The house felt full of life. And crowded.

Jennifer, her eldest daughter, came over and gave Geraldine a hug. “Merry Christmas, Mom,” she said. “Are you okay? You look a little distracted.”

“I’m fine, honey. I’ve just been busy making sure everything will be ready for dinner.”

“Hi, Mom. Merry Christmas!” Heather knelt down to help her children out of their winter gear.

“Merry Christmas, honey,” Geraldine said, her heart filled with love for her girls. “And you too, Angela.”

“Thanks, Mom. You too.” Angela, the youngest, flashed her a smile as she unbundled the baby.

Tom exchanged quick greetings with his sons-in-law, then ruffled Adam’s hair as he ran past. “All of the rooms are made up,” he said. “Why don’t you all go ahead and get settled. We’ll finish getting dinner ready.”

Like the calm after a storm, they were gone, up the stairs and unpacking in their bedrooms. Wet shoes, mittens, scarves, and jackets were scattered in the foyer, like remnants of a blustery Minnesota blizzard.

Geraldine stood in the living room archway, lost in her memories and the sound of the wind as it blew past the front door. It whistled like a train leaving its station. Her eyes twinkled.

With the weak daylight now all but gone, the multicolored lights on the tree were much more vivid, casting a gentle rainbow over the room.

She walked to the mantel and put the book back in its place.

“This is it,” she said softly to herself. “This is the year.”

 

AUTHOR BIO – John Anthony

John Anthony was born and raised in West Saint Paul, Minnesota. He grew up being tortured by three younger sisters, who have grown to be three of his best friends. They have given him three brothers-in-law, five beautiful nieces, and two incredible nephews.

He is a licensed massage therapist with his own practice in Saint Paul, and lives with his partner of five years in West Saint Paul.

The Journey of Joseph Winter is his first published work.

AUTHOR LINKS:   Facebook     Twitter     Website

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Stacy Juba with Fooling Around with Cinderella

Today I’m welcoming Stacy Juba to my blog with her sweet romance FOOLING AROUND WITH CINDERELLA, Storybook Valley #1.

BLURB – Fooling Around with Cinderella

What happens when the glass slippers pinch Cinderella’s toes? When Jaine Andersen proposes a new marketing role to the local amusement park, general manager Dylan Callahan charms her into filling Cinderella’s glass slippers for the summer. Her reign transforms Jaine’s ordinary life into chaos that would bewilder a fairy godmother. Secretly dating her bad boy boss, running wedding errands for her ungrateful sisters, and defending herself from the park’s resident villain means Jaine needs lots more than a comfy pair of shoes to restore order in her kingdom. First in the Storybook Valley series, a blend of sweet romance, chick lit, and fairy tale fun.

BUY LINKS:  Amazon     Barnes & Noble     Google Play     Kobo    iBooks     Smashwords

CHARACTER INTERVIEW – Jaine Andersen

Can you tell the readers a little about yourself?

My name is Jaine Andersen and I’m the new marketing coordinator at the Storybook Valley theme park. I’m also the TEMPORARY Cinderella, just filling in for a few months as they’ve been getting some flaky Cinderellas lately. Did I mention it was just temporary? I also have two sisters, Bree and Shauna, who like to think of me as their errand girl.

What are a couple of random thoughts about yourself that will surprise the readers?

I wear flip flops when I get a break during my Cinderella shifts. Once I signed Cinderella on a credit card receipt, instead of my real name.

What makes you blush?

Being around Dylan Callahan, my boss at Storybook Valley.

What upset your ordinary world and brought you into contact with each other?

I sent a blind resume to the Storybook Valley theme park, and Dylan, the new general manager and grandson of the owners, invited me for an interview. He offered me a marketing job a few months down the line, but asked if I could help out as Cinderella for the rest of the summer.

What was your immediate reaction to each other?

We were attracted to each other right from the beginning. It wasn’t long before there was a stolen kiss. . .

Who took the first step in heating things up between you?

It was kind of simultaneous. We kissed and then said that can’t happen again, since he is my boss and we both have a few things to prove to Dylan’s family. But the decision to cool things down didn’t last long – Dylan made the first move then. Okay, I’m blushing. . .

Would you rather be caught in a wild moment of passion or tied down and taken?

I can’t tell you that! I’m the Cinderella for a fairy tale theme park!

What is the kinkiest sexual thing you’ve ever done?

Again, I’m Cinderella! Don’t let Dylan’s grandmother, Lois, hear you asking me these questions – she will freak out!

 

EXCERPT – Fooling Around with Cinderella

Dylan scrutinized Jaine, arms folded across his royal blue shirt with the Storybook Valley logo stamped over the left in white block letters. “Do you wear contacts?”

“I have plenty of media contacts. Wait. Did you say wear contacts? You mean instead of these?” Jaine fingered the earpiece of her gold-rimmed glasses.

“Right. Contact lenses.”

She gave a nervous chuckle. “I scheduled a consultation in college, but was too squeamish to insert the lens. I was more comfortable in glasses.”

Was she really justifying her vision enhancement choices to her prospective new boss? Maybe he intended to discuss medical benefits. Or did he think she looked nerdy? What was the saying? Guys don’t make passes at girls who wear glasses? Not that she wanted him to make a pass even if he was hot.

“How blind are you without glasses?” Dylan persisted.

“You wouldn’t want to drive with me.”

“How about if you’re walking around a building? Are you in danger of hurting yourself?”

This interview had taken the Mad Hatter Freeway from Fairy Tale Land into Wonderland where nothing made a damn bit of sense. Did this guy have a glasses fetish, like those weirdoes with shoe fetishes?

“I should be okay. I take them off for special occasions.” In fact, Jaine’s older sister Bree, who was getting married in August, remarked just last week, “You are losing the glasses for my wedding pictures, right?”

What the hell. She’d be a good sport and hope Dylan would be so grateful to pick the brain of a real, flesh and blood, bespectacled person that he would appoint her marketing director. Jaine removed her glasses and the fine details of her surroundings fuzzed. She nodded toward the framed print hanging on a side wall, the picture a wash of symbols and colors. “I can tell that’s a park map, but the words and images smear together.”

And that was myopia in a nutshell. Jaine adjusted her glasses back into place so she could see his reaction. Dylan examined her with such intensity that a blush stained her cheeks. She patted her blonde French braid, in case stray strands were straggling out.

“Here’s the situation,” Dylan said. “I took over the general manager position a few months ago. I’m evaluating possible changes and researching how other theme parks run. My grandfather and father have worked with a marketing firm for years to create our brochures, billboards, print, and radio ads.”

Jaine’s shoulders caved, imperceptible to him, but it felt as if her whole body was sinking.

No fairy tale job ending for her.

 

AUTHOR BIO – Stacy Juba

Stacy Juba got engaged at Epcot Theme Park and spent part of her honeymoon at Disneyland Paris, where she ate a burger, went on fast rides, and threw up on the train ride to the hotel. In addition to working on her new Storybook Valley chick lit/sweet romance series, Stacy has written books about ice hockey, teen psychics, U.S. flag etiquette for kids, and determined women sleuths. She has had a novel ranked as #5 in the Nook Store and #30 on the Amazon Kindle Paid List. Stacy is also the founder of the Glass Slipper Sisters, a group of authors with Cinderella-themed romance novels. When she’s not visiting theme parks with her family, (avoiding rides that spin and exotic hamburgers) or writing about them, Stacy helps authors to strengthen their manuscripts through her Crossroads Editing Service. She is currently writing the next book in the Storybook Valley Series, Prancing Around With Sleeping Beauty.

 

AUTHOR LINKS:  Website & Blog     Glass Slipper Sisters Facebook Group     Facebook     Twitter     Goodreads     Amazon

The post Stacy Juba with Fooling Around with Cinderella appeared first on Starla Kaye.

Ann Raina with The Secretary’s Bodyguard

I am pleased to welcome back Ann Raina with her first book in a new series, THE SECRETARY’S BODYGUARD.

BLURB – The Secretary’s Bodyguard

Ethan Mahoney loves his wife dearly and arranges for her to accompany him on his assignment as bodyguard of the Secretary of State to Colombia. The journey ends in a fiasco that leaves the secretary and his entourage stranded in the Colombian woods with terrorists on their heels, not knowing if they will survive and find their way back to civilization.

BUY LINK:  Extasy Books

Before we get more into the story, let’s take a moment to talk to Jazmin and Ethan from The Secretary’s Bodyguard.

Can you tell the readers a little about yourself?

Jazmin: I was born in Colombia, but my parents moved with me to Washington, D.C. I worked as a police officer when I met with this…

Ethan: Don’t say something wrong. I saw you first in that snug police uniform and knew instantly I should ask you out.

Jazmin: No, the first thing you said was ‘You can’t get through here’ with that totally down-to-business-voice. You tried to shy me off though I was on duty!

Ethan: It wasn’t your business and I was just being polite to tell you.

Jazmin: Anyway, when your boss had cleared the situation you did ask me out.

Ethan (sighing): And you made an entrance I’ll never forget—that dress, that smile…

Jazmin: I remember that you knocked the chair over and blamed it on the wind.

Ethan: It was windy.

Jazmin: Yep, almost a storm.

And that was the beginning of your relationship?

Ethan: I knew she was the right woman. She’s just…adorable. Lovely. The best wife any man could have.

Jazmin: You were the butt of jokes for a week because you couldn’t stop babbling about me to your friends.

Ethan: I’m still telling everyone about you.

Jazmin: Oh, come on! Stop that macho grin!

Ethan: I’m not macho!

Jazmin (laughing): No, you were born with a ramrod as a spine and just turned out to be a bodyguard.

What are a couple of random thoughts about yourself that will surprise the readers?

Ethan: We’re an old-fashioned couple. She does what I say.

Jazmin: You wish. No, really, I don’t think that old-fashioned nails it. I’m a working woman, I can take care of myself. And I proved it more than once.

Ethan: And you almost caused me a heart attack!

Jazmin: That was just because you didn’t trust in my abilities!

Ethan: Sorry, but when my wife moves out of safety to face a killer I’m a tad nervous!

Jazmin (soothing): It worked out. I’m fine. We won. That’s what counts, right?

What makes you blush?

Ethan: I never blush!!

Jazmin: I do. If Ethan leaves his non-telling, always low-key expression mode and kisses me full throttle in front of strangers. That’s…

Ethan (quietly): Love.

What do you think about “love and romance”?

Ethan: It’s essential in life. I put the love for my wife above everything. Period.

Jazmin: He truly means it. And I’d lie if I said anything against it. He’s a tiger when it comes to protecting me. He’d turn the world—and he has—to make sure that I’m safe. That’s the greatest love ever known. And romance? Well, I guess, it comes with it. The quiet moment after the danger’s over…precious.

Who took the first step in heating things up between you?

Jazmin: Aw, that would’ve been me. Ethan was just too polite and too…

Ethan: I’d have made my step, don’t you worry.

Jazmin: I knew what my captain wanted. I could read in his eyes from the beginning. And since he’s been the right man in everything, I made the step and invited him.

Ethan: You call this an invitation? Princess, you took me without holding back.

Jazmin: Not more than you wanted to give.

Ethan (clears his throat): I—

Jazmin (distinct glance): You lose the argument.

Would you rather be caught in a wild moment of passion or tied down and taken?

Ethan: A bedroom question? Really? That’s really not—

Jazmin: Yes to both. He’s a tiger. In all ways.

Okay, so what is the kinkiest sexual thing you’ve ever done?

Ethan (exchanging glances with Jazmin): Sex in the Jacuzzi?

Jazmin: You tied-up in the hotel room?

Ethan: Not going into detail.

Jazmin: No, don’t want to shock anyone. And, captain, you just blushed!!

Who made the first compromise in your relationship?

Jazmin: I did. I quit working for the police in D.C. because Ethan was always on edge when I went to work. He’s working as a bodyguard for the Secretary of State. I wouldn’t want him to be distracted. He shouldn’t worry about me when on duty.

Ethan: I’m glad she quit. She’s right—I was always nervous, though I know she’s good. It’s just the way I am. I want her to be out of harm’s way. Well, at least I try to be ahead of her when she’s risking her life.

Jazmin (very quietly): I did what I had to do. It doesn’t mean that I like it.

Ethan (bends to kiss her): I love you, princess. Always.

Thanks for that…insight.

EXCERPT – The Secretary’s Bodyguard

The job of a bodyguard isn’t easy —

 

Jazmin winced. “You were shot! Oh, my god!” She took his face in both hands. “Captain, this isn’t nothing. Come, sit down on the bed. Let me have a look at it.”

“Jaz, it’s all right. The medic already stitched me up. Nothing—”

“If you say nothing to worry about one more time, I’ll give you something to worry about.”

Ethan smiled. “Okay, do what you have to do.” She directed him to the bed and he lay down slowly. He was exhausted suddenly, and Jazmin’s warm hands were consoling. He melted on the warm covers and his eyes closed all by themselves.

Jazmin carefully undid the gauze and scrutinized the wound and how the medic had dealt with it. “It’s a long scratch, but thin. Burnt at the edges. Six stitches.” She scolded him “That’s more than nothing, definitely.”

“Long distance rifle shot,” he murmured.

“The secretary?”

“He’s okay. Walter and Ryan were with him.”

“And the others?”

Ethan took a deep breath, recalling the moment of the attack. “Bodyguards okay, some passers-by and reporters might’ve been hit. I saw one person down. Walter sent me to the medic after we had Nolan safe in his room, and then when I returned, he told me he doesn’t need me tonight.” He opened his eyes again to watch Jazmin apply salve to the wound before she wound the bandage around once more. “What’s that for?”

“Old home remedy, made by Mamá. It’ll keep the itching away and help so the skin doesn’t tighten.”

“Thank you.”

She kissed him gently on the lips. “Always.”

“Don’t gimme that look, princess. You knew what kind of job I do when we met.”

“I’m not complaining. It’s just…I do worry, you know. That’s my job as your wife, and I’m determined to do it properly.”

“I’m fine.”

She slipped off the bed to help him out of his shoes, pants and socks. “Shall I order room service? Want anything?”

Ethan found it hard to form words. His brain had jumped to stand-by mode. “Something light, maybe. A salad?”

“Move up into the bed, captain, you might slip out any moment.”

Ethan pulled up his legs and she covered him. He felt her hand in his hair, and the soft caressing was all he needed to relax and let go.

 

AUTHOR BIO – Ann Raina

Ann Raina lives in Germany with horse and cats. Riding and writing are her favorite hobbies (not every time in that order). For eXtasy Books she has written eight books, and two more with the wonderful couple Ethan and Jazmin are waiting in line. Her main interest is to show characters and their development under difficult circumstances and never forget that in every drama there are comical moments and fun. For further information turn to www.annraina.com. For contact write to annraina@yahoo.com.

The post Ann Raina with The Secretary’s Bodyguard appeared first on Starla Kaye.

Carol Preflatish with Mountain of Deception

I am happy to welcome Carol Preflatish to my blog with her book MOUNTAIN OF DECEPTION.

BLURB – Mountain of Deception

Tessa Cooper, having taken a year long sabbatical from teaching English at a university in order to write a mystery novel, winds up living in the mountains of Tennessee. The last thing on her mind is falling in love. Then she meets the man building the garage behind her cabin. Sexy Silas Newberry is a man with many secrets, and Tessa is determined to find out what they are. But when things start going in the wrong direction, can Silas keep her safe without revealing his biggest secret of all?

BUY LINKS:  Amazon     Amazon UK     Barnes & Noble     CreateSpace    Smashwords

 

INTERVIEW WITH THE AUTHOR- Carol Preflatish

I want to thank Starla for hosting me here today. I love visiting new places and get to know new readers.

What can you share with the readers about yourself, maybe something fun that they wouldn’t guess?

I’m a huge NFL football fan. I rarely miss a game on Sunday’s. My family and friends know not to bother me during the games.

How do you come up with a story line?

I keep my eyes and ears open. I get a lot of ideas from current events that I see in the news. For my current book, I read an article about the arrest of a group of poachers in the Tennessee mountains and I took that idea and ran with it.

Are you an outliner, a write by the seat of your pants author, or a combination?

I’m a little of both. I start out with an idea and start making notes. My outline is not a normal type of outline. It’s more of a paraphrasing of the story. From that, I start writing by the seat of my pants.

What are you currently working on for your next book?

I’m currently working on a police procedural mystery series. Book one is almost finished and I have a few chapters finished on the next two books. This is something different for me to write because it’s not a romance, but just a regular mystery.

What was your favorite scene in this book?

I think my favorite scene in “Mountain of Deception” is the one where the hero is trying to save the heroine from a burning building. He succeeds, but not without her being injured.

What in particular made you write this book?

I knew I wanted to write a book that takes place in the Smoky Mountains and when I read that article about the poaching ring, it all came together.

 

AUTHOR BIO – Carol Preflatish

Carol Preflatish’s interest in writing began in high school when she worked as a reporter, photographer, and sport’s editor for the school newspaper. Publications include several romantic suspense novels, two non-fiction books, and a planned police procedural mystery series. An avid photographer, she has had many photos published in her local newspaper, as well as in Golf Journal, the official publication of the United States Golf Association. Carol is a member of the Sisters in Crime organization and Kentuckiana Authors. She lives in southern Indiana and shares a log cabin with her husband and two cats in what seems like an enchanted forest with a menagerie of wildlife constantly visiting.

AUTHOR LINKS:  Website     Facebook     Twitter

 

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Spotlight: Mary Marvella with Protecting Melissa

I’m pleased to have Mary Marvella on my blog today with PROTECTING MELISSA. This is the second book in The Protecting Romance Series.

Before we get to the specifics of this book, Mary has some thoughts to share on why she wrote this book.

People ask writers where they get their ideas and why they write certain books. If you asked me why I wrote Protective Instincts, the book before Protecting Melissa, I’d tell you the characters spoke to me and insisted I write their story. I did and had to do rewrites because my style was too flowery and more historical than contemporary. The story was contemporary, so I worked on my style and made changes. I sent it out over and over again until I decided that the editors weren’t really reading the book. After all, how could they reject my wonderful story? What has this to do with Protecting Melissa? I’m getting there. I decided to change the characters’ names and the town and the beginning and send it to the same publishers. Piece of cake!

It wasn’t a piece of cake! I gave the old hero a new name and the old heroine one, too. I did searches and swapped the names. I didn’t see the new characters as people, just the old characters with new names. Okay, I changed the ages, too, just in case the editors had files on stories they had rejected. At that point Gabe, the new hero, balked. He announced he was his own person and gave me his history and conflict to prove it. I wrote what he said, because who am I to ignore a character who talks to me? Melissa, the new heroine, spoke up and let me know her story was entirely different from the old heroine’s. For those of you whose characters talk to you, that’s huge. Ignore them at your own peril! They can make other characters mutiny and leave a writer in trouble.

Each story has a teacher, a parent with a student in her class, a Mustang, and a heroine in peril. Both heroines resist the attraction to the hero for different reasons. Beyond that I had to write a new story almost from scratch! Oh, and scenes I cut from the first story fit perfectly in Protecting Melissa.

I write steamy Woman’s Fiction, Paranormal Romance, and Romantic Suspense.

I like to think of a situation and figure who would have the biggest problem in that situation. I toss the characters most likely to have a conflict in that situation and with each other into that situation and watch what happens.

NOTE FROM STARLA KAYE: I loved reading Mary’s reasoning for writing this particular story and how her characters rebelled. Needless to say, I’ve been there in that position as well. Non-writers don’t understand the problems authors have sometimes with working with characters, who are actually more like real people than fictional ones. Readers, we aren’t crazy…not really.

 

BLURB – Protecting Melissa

Melissa isn’t looking for a man in her life. Not after her husband’s murder revealed he swindled local businessmen and slept with half the married women in town. She wants to forget the past, forget about men for now, and focus on teacher.

When Gabe comes to school to learn why his son is staying after school and missing football practice, Melissa is reminded that youthful crushes die hard, and hers hasn’t died at all. Gabe still ignites feels the old spark. She’s torn. Her professional ethics warn her away from her student’s father, while her heart draws her closer.

Meanwhile, Melissa doesn’t know that her husband’s killer is still after his stolen money—and is sure she’ll know where it is. One night, returning to her car after a high school basketball game, Melissa finds all of her tires slashed and realizes her husband was not only a crook and cheat, but that he’s left her in serious danger.

Luckily, Gabe is available to give her a ride home that night. Melissa’s racing mind is put at ease by his presence, which only makes her feel more confused about him. Though she doesn’t ever want to depend on a man again, she’s glad for his strong shoulder to lean on for a few minutes. The rest of him isn’t bad, either.

Gabe isn’t looking for anyone either, not since his wife’s death. But as a former member of an elite military organization, he knows four slashed tires mean more than a high school prank, and his protective urge kicks in. He remembers when Melissa was just a kid following him around—but she’s no kid any more. He finds himself wanting more from her than he should.

As menace grows around Melissa and Gabe their relationship deepens, despite their efforts to fight it. Gabe can’t just walk away now, because his instincts tell him she’s in more danger than she realizes. And he’s right.

BUY LINK:     Amazon

AUTHOR BIO – Mary Marvella

I’m a story-holic.  Yep, I have loved to read since the first grade. I have been a storyteller for as long as I can remember.  The stories I made up for the other children and the details I created for their “play like” or “let’s pretend” games. Sometimes the details were so real they scared me

I taught language arts for 15 years, perfect for my BA in English.  My M.Ed in Counseling served me well during my years as a school counselor and as a teacher later.

Now I tutor, teach writers, and edit. My inner English teacher loves the editing part. My daughter doesn’t read my books (something about TMI.)

Editing for other authors allows me to contribute to preparing great stories for publication. Keeping an author’s voice, rhythm, and style intact is important.

Writers shouldn’t be able to tell where my suggestions begin, because I use their words.

I have self-published 5 novels and 2 novellas and have 3 novels with publishers and short stories in 5 anthologies.

 

AUTHOR LINKS:  Website     Amazon Author Page     Goodreads     Facebook     Facebook Author Page     Twitter

Facebook-A Romance Caper     Website-Pink Fuzzy Slippers Authors

 

The post Spotlight: Mary Marvella with Protecting Melissa appeared first on Starla Kaye.

Kayden Claremont with Timeless Passion

I am delighted to have Kayden Claremont on my blog today with TIMELESS PASSION. The title alone explains the story of two people from different times and places struggling to find love. This is a New Adult, Scottish, Time Travel from The Wild Rose Press.

BLURB – Timeless Passion

Museum director Tasha Banner needs a miracle. Without a great deal of luck and even more money, the pioneer museum will close. But when they demonstrate Hogmanay, a Scottish New Year’s tradition, a tall, dark, and yummy stranger walks through the door. Have the faeries sent her a miracle wrapped around the man of her dreams or will altering time bring disaster to them all?

Blacksmith Dougal MacBride walks into his home after a long day and finds strangers celebrating Hogmanay when it’s just days before Christmas. Confused beyond belief and incredibly aroused by the curvaceous bundle in front of his hearth, he is torn between the need to return to his time or remain in the present with the woman who may be his soul mate.

BUY LINKS:  Amazon     Kobo     Barnes & Noble     ARe     iBooks     The Wild Rose Press     Goodreads

EXCERPT – Timeless Passion

She motioned for him to stand by the table like the others. Defiantly he remained by the door. “Welcome to my home on New Year’s Eve.” “Are ye daft woman? We’ve not even had Christmas yet.” Dougal didn’t know what they were doing pretending today was New Year’s Eve, but he’d have none of it. All he wanted was his sup and his bed. He turned and opened the door. “Be gone with ye. And take yer friends with ye.”

When she took a step closer to him, he saw the storm brewing in her eyes. “I’m Mrs. MacBride, a Scottish woman in the village and we are celebrating Hogmanay, a Scottish New Year’s tradition.”

“I know what Hogmanay is.” Dougal leaned into her. Her scent was one of sweet baking and spicy woman. He’d never been so instantly attracted to a woman before, but he had to keep his wits about him. “I also know yer not Mrs. MacBride and, with that accent, ye’re not Scottish either. Now be gone with ye.”

The brazen woman raised her hand to stop the others from leaving. Anger flared in her eyes, turning them a thunderous gray. She clutched his elbow, and her heat rushed up his arm and through his chest, causing his breath to catch. The pot of stew in his hand swayed and its lid crashed to the floor.

“How dare you order me out of here!”

Dougal brushed her hand from his arm. “How dare ye be here!”

 

AUTHOR BIO – Kayden Claremont

Kayden loves sexy, well-crafted stories of lust and love. Her sensuous style drives the characters in lustful romps. When she is not crafting erotic romantic stories, she can be found crocheting or making jewelry.

Kayden is a member of Romance Writers of America, Toronto Romance Writers, and Writing Community of Durham Region.

She hopes you enjoy her other books, Hell’s Bounty, Timeless Passion, and her soon to be released Red Hot all published by The Wild Rose Press.

Kayden loves to hear from her readers. You can contact her on Facebook or at her website: www.KaydenClaremont.com

AUTHOR LINKS:  Website     Blog     Twitter     FaceBook

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Spotlight: Andrea R. Cooper with Fairy Trouble

Today I am welcoming Andrea R. Cooper to my blog with Fairy Trouble, part of MODERN MAGIC: A Quartet of Fractured Fairy Tales.

Some thoughts from Andrea Cooper…

Growing up, I always liked the story of Cinderella. How she worked hard and yet remained nice despite her situation. When my publisher put out a call for fairy-tale re-tellings, I wanted to do Cinderella. But there have been lots of remakes of this classic fairytale, my favorite so far is Drew Barrymore’s Ever After.

However, I wanted a different angle. Something that hadn’t been thought of before and Cindy came to my mind. But she had no interest in meeting a prince or marrying or a silly ball. Then I thought, what if the fairy godmother was a novice and had to pretend to be Cindy at the ball. And from there, Fairy Trouble was created.

INTERVIEW with Esmeralda and Ryan from Fairy Trouble

Can you tell the readers a little about yourself?

Esmeralda: I’m a fairy or rather Fairy-Godmother, or I will be if I pass my initiation test and get Cindy to the ball.

What upset your ordinary world and brought you into contact with each other?

Ryan: I was carrying a tray of breakfast foods for the homeless when I ran into Esmeralda. She looked lost and a bit of frosting clung to her blue hair. Her wings and fairy costume looked amazing.

What do each of the lead characters think about “love and romance”?

Esmeralda: We don’t have love or romance in the Fairy realm. Everyone has a job to do from having fairy babies to shaking dewdrops off grass and plants. I think love is something humans made up, but we fairy godmother’s go along with it because that’s our job.

Who took the first step in heating things up between you?

Esmeralda: When I took my human form, I was amazed that Ryan holding my hand and dancing with me sent tingles through me. No other human had that effect on me.

I was the one who asked Ryan to kiss me…my first human kiss.

What is the kinkiest sexual thing you’ve ever done?

Ryan: Does kissing a fairy godmother count?

Who made the first compromise in your relationship?

Ryan: Esmeralda did. She sacrificed her magic, her wings, even immortality to give us a chance.

 

EXCERPT – Fairy Trouble

After paying for their coffee with the help of her magic wand, she settled in the seat across from him outside and took a tentative sip of the caramel macchiato drink she’d picked. One of her favorite things about being disguised as a human was that she could actually savor real food and drink. The bittersweet taste mingled on her tongue, and she closed her eyes in pure bliss.

“Wow, maybe I should’ve ordered what you did rather than black coffee.”

Her eyes snapped open. “What? Oh, no, I-I’ve just really been craving one of these.” For a very long time. “So what happened at the bank?”

“I applied for a loan. The bakery’s going to fold if I don’t do something.” He ran his fingers through his blond-streaked brown hair. “I just … I can’t fail. And the bank refused me, because my dad owns most of the shares. I need to get him to back off or buy him out.”

“What about a fundraiser? Something fun that would bring in families. A carnival!” She’d love to try cotton candy and ride on a roller coaster. “Have it outside of town and draw in people from nearby towns and Pittsburgh. Maybe do catering gigs as well?”

“Those are excellent ideas, thank you.” He reached across the table and took her hand in his, gently squeezing it.

Her insides tingled, and she felt like even her toes were buzzing. What was going on?

“Enough about me. What about you?”

“Me?” she squeaked.

“Sure. What do you do for a living? What’s your passion?”

“Uh … Well, I’m sort of a teacher or counselor, I guess.” Those were the closest human occupations she could come up with that sort of tied in with fairy godmothering. She needed to get his focus off her. “Helping people is my passion. Have you always wanted to be a baker?”

A sadness filled his eyes, and he eased back in the chair. The loss of his hand on hers made her wish she hadn’t asked.

“Yes. It was something my late moth—adoptive mother, Janice, and me did together.”

He took a sip of coffee. “We’d think up ways to change a recipe and make it better. Every Sunday we’d have a dessert somewhere, and she and I would try to figure out the ingredients. My brother and Dad never cared much; they just wanted to eat the food. But it was like a secret language me and Mom shared. I think Dad gave me a year to make the bakery work only out of respect for her. He’s never even stepped through the door.”

“You should talk with him. Convince him to give you more time.”

He shook his head. “I feel like this whole year, he’s been waiting for me to fail. I have to prove him wrong.”

“And you will.” She wished she could wave her magic wand and help Ryan. But she doubted he’d accept the charity of her magic, even though he gave away so much to others. A church bell peeled twice.

“Thank you for listening,” Ryan said with a genuine grin that hinted at a dimple in his left cheek, and Esmeralda’s heart thumped against her chest. “I can’t believe we’ve talked for hours. I’d love to take you to lunch at a place near here. It’s the least I can do for sharing my problems with you.”

Her stomach growled at the sound of food. “Sure, I’ve not eaten since this morning.”

A couple with a young child strolled past them, and Esmeralda’s heart lurched. She loved the clean, sweet smell of newborn babies.

“Great.” He leaned back in the coffee shop’s metal chair. “Italian or Thai?”

She closed her eyes, remembering the scents of each. It was like asking which kind of flower she liked better. They were all unique. “Thai. I’ve always wanted to try it.” Her hand flew to her mouth. Fairy sprinkles, he must think her strange.

“Oh?” He raised an eyebrow, but his smile was still there and his green eyes twinkled. “Allow me to be your guide then.”

BUY LINK: Amazon

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR – Andrea R. Cooper

Andrea R. Cooper writes fantasy, paranormal, historical and romantic suspense.

Her favorite childhood memories revolved around creating vibrant characters for her friends, and then acting out their adventures. Inside her fantasy worlds of darkened forests, dragon-filled glades, and iced islands, nothing was banned. From the ethereal Elvin to the most maligned Vampires, all were welcome in her fictional realities, a stark contrast to her home, where the magical and mythical was forbidden.

AUTHOR LINKS:   Website     Facebook     Twitter     Pinterest

The post Spotlight: Andrea R. Cooper with Fairy Trouble appeared first on Starla Kaye.

Spotlight: Stockholm Diaries, Melanie

Today I am welcoming author Rebecca Hunter to my blog with her new release, STOCKHOLM DIARIES, MELANIE.

BLURB – Stockholm Diaries, Melanie

Long summer days in the Stockholm archipelago

A young American biographer looking for answers

And the sizzling Swedish man she finds instead…

In the next book in the Stockholm Diaries series!

Biographer Melanie has spent her life in the shadow of a single question: Why did her father abandon her? When he unexpectedly dies and leaves her his cabin in the Stockholm archipelago, Melanie heads straight for Sweden, looking for answers. But island life isn’t what she expects, and neither is her new neighbor, Henrik. Together they try to piece together the story that both tangles their lives together and pulls them apart.

BUY LINK:   Amazon

EXCERPT –Stockholm Diaries, Melanie

… She unzipped the top pocket of her suitcase and pulled out an envelope stuffed with papers and a lone key. Mel jiggled the key, and the white door swung open to her new summer home.

Timber—that was the word that came to mind when she stepped into the cabin. The walls were bare panels, and what little furniture her father had was also carved in thick, rough wood. A small kitchen table and two chairs. An old day-bed, with white pillows that shone against the worn wooden frame. The large room even smelled of it—not freshly cut, but the aged smell of wood that had been shut inside for years.

The only things that suggested that this place was a home and not just some sort of interactive museum display were the bookshelves, incongruously messy, overstuffed with an assortment of every shape and color of book imaginable. And across the room was the other sign of life: two plastic-covered holes where the windows should have been.

What the hell?

The executor didn’t say anything about the cabin needing repairs. And while she usually considered herself pretty handy, Mel had to admit that installing windows in a climate known for heavy rainfall wasn’t in her current repertoire.

Oh well. She’d worry about that later, preferably before it rained. Right now, it was time to chase away the dregs of jet lag along with the sticky layer of sweat and dirt so she could think.

Mel rolled her suitcase over to the daybed, just under the plastic-covered hole in the wall. She shuffled through neatly rolled t-shirts and socks, her laptop and toiletries until she found what she was looking for: her bathing suit. It was an old, stretched out blob in faded greens, but after searching through a string of stores for a new one back in Boston, she had decided that this green mess was still her best option. How often would she really need a bathing suit in Sweden? And why did stores only stock bikinis for anyone under size 16 these days? She would probably need to treasure the baggy green one-piece.

No one will see me here anyway, she thought as she lifted her shirt over her head. It clung to her body, and she wondered idly if the cabin had a washing machine. Not likely.

She peeled the rest of her clothes off and grabbed her bathing suit when a sound made her freeze, halfway back to standing position. Footsteps. Close by, maybe on the stairs of her deck—someone was here. And she was naked. Had she lock the door? Of course not. Why would she lock her door in the middle of nowhere? The footsteps came closer.

Bathing suit. She fumbled with the top opening of the suit and then shoved her foot in, pulling up at the same time.

Rrrrrrip.

She felt the old material give way as her foot pressed into the seat.

Shit.

She looked down, assessing the damage. Where the chest and the butt should have fit were now two, great, gaping holes, held together only by the side seams. Seriously, what were the chances? Shit. She had made lists and planned and did everything she could to make sure she had what she needed for island life. She had lugged it all across the Atlantic, all the way up the dirt trail…

The footsteps. They stopped. Mel’s heart pounded hard as she stared at the flaps of material hanging off the suit.

Get dressed, Mel. Anything.

Her dirty shirt lay in a heap on the floor. But as she lifted her foot back out of the suit, the plastic that covered the hole in the wall in front of her was suddenly loose. Then it was gone. And it certainly felt chilly now.

What she saw on the other side of the hole made her gulp again. Her brain finally kicked into gear: hot man, dressed in jeans and a white t-shirt, holding something. A hammer. His other hand, frozen half way down his body, held the corner of the plastic.

INTERVIEW WITH THE AUTHOR- Rebecca Hunter

How long have you wanted to be a romance writer? When did you decide to write a book?

I’ve wanted to write a book for just about as long as I can remember. Back in college, I took creative writing classes and even wrote what I planned to be the first chapter of my first novel. The idea was solid (and I still might write that book one day!), but the results were… mediocre. At this point, I decided I wasn’t good enough and quit. In my early 20s. Ugh.

Fast forward more than a few years. The idea of writing a book still wouldn’t leave me alone. And I still wasn’t “good enough” because… duh, I wasn’t trying. So for an upcoming birthday, I decided that my present to myself would be a novel—my own novel. It could be terrible, but the idea was going to nag me until I just gave it a try. I decided write a mystery, because genre fiction is “easier,” right? Ha.

Well, that mess is still brewing on my hard drive, but out of the jumble came a new idea: Stockholm Diaries, stories about North Americans in Stockholm (where I was living at the time) falling in love. Ever since, I’ve been reading and writing romance!

What inspired you to write this story?

 My husband is Swedish, and we have lived in Sweden twice. Both times, I met women from around the world with interesting, unique stories about meeting Swedish men and moving to Sweden. These stories involved chance meetings, uncertain risks and sacrifice, all in the name of love. The whole Stockholm Diaries series is a kind of tribute to all these stories.

How did you fit your writing into the rest of your life?

 I’m married with two elementary-age kids, and I work part-time as an freelance editor of academic books and articles. But writing fiction is both hobby and work for me. The career side of it is certainly work—I’ve never set foot into the business world before this—and writing can be hard work as well. But writing is also my hobby in the sense that I use my spare time to read and write. I’m not crafty, I don’t follow the news or blogs too closely and I’m a mediocre cook at best. I only watch TV/movies as a way to spend time with my husband and kids. Instead of all these activities, I’d rather write.

Were you involved in a writer’s group?

Early in 2015, I became a member of the San Francisco chapter of Romance Writers of America, and I have learned so much from the members and the speakers. It’s a great community.

Who gave you feedback as you worked through writing the book?

Oh, my—I got a lot of help! Once upon a time, I was an English teacher, and I have a lot of English major friends who give me feedback and various kinds of help. I have a wonderful writing partner, K.D. Hazzard, and she and I talk each other through the story-writing process and give each other developmental editor feedback. My sister is always my first reader, followed by a string of Beta readers who help me fine-tune the story and characters. Finally, friend and fellow RWA member Ella Swift went over the manuscript with a fine-tooth comb.

Did you have a market in mind when you started writing the book?

The first book in this series, Stockholm Diaries, Caroline, is as much about Stockholm and about Caroline’s own adventure as it is about the romance. In other words, it follows more of the New Adult romance model. For Melanie’s story, I wanted to try straight contemporary romance and create a compelling storyline that weaves the romance plot more intricately together with the external plot.

Instead of a market, when I started, I had two books in mind: I love Jude Deveraux’s, A Knight in Shining Armor. Even though the female character reads a little dated, Deveraux blends humor and romance and plot so that the events seem to unfold naturally—I wanted to see if I could do that. The second book I had in mind was A.S. Byatt’s Possession. It’s a 1990 Booker Prize winner about two literary scholars/ adversaries who uncover a love affair between the two writers they study. What Stockholm Diaries, Melanie is definitely romance—not Booker Prize material!—but the seed for this book was planted back in college when I read Byatt’s book.

 

AUTHOR BIO – Rebecca Hunter

Rebecca is a writer, editor and translator who has always loved to read and travel. Though she earned a Bachelor’s in English and a Master’s in English Education, most of what she learned about writing romance has come from other sources.

Rebecca has, over the years, called many places home, including Michigan, where she grew up, New York City, San Francisco, and, of course, Stockholm, Sweden. After their most recent move from Sweden back to the San Francisco Bay Area, she and her husband assured each other they’ll never move again. Well, probably not.

To sign up for news, sneak peaks and free stories, go to Rebecca’s website at http://www.rebeccahunterwriter.com.

AUTHOR LINKS:   Facebook     Google+

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