Mimi Barbour's Blog: Believe!, page 28

Come and meet Lorrie Farrelly - A woman of Muder, Mystery & Mayhem #eNovAaw @lorriewrites

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Lorrie Farrelly
A Navy brat and graduate of the University of California, Santa Cruz, LORRIE FARRELLY is proud to be a Fightin' Banana Slug. Following graduate school at Northwestern University, she began a career in education that included teaching art to 4th graders, drama to 8th graders, and finally, math to high school students.
She's a three-time winner on "Jeopardy!" She has shepherded wide-eyed foreign exchange students along Hollywood Blvd, and has happily curried and shoveled as a ranch hand at Disneyland's Circle D Ranch. And always, she writes.
Lorrie has won a Presidential Commendation for Excellence in Teaching Mathematics. She's been a Renaissance nominee for Teacher of the Year and a finalist for the Orange Rose Award in romantic fiction. Her novels have been awarded Readers' Favorite 5-Stars. TIMELAPSE and TERMS OF SURRENDER are winning MEDALISTS in the 2014 READERS' FAVORITE INTERNATIONAL BOOK AWARDS. Lorrie and her family live in Southern California.

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There’s nothing like a little murder, mystery, and mayhem to start a book off right! Today I’d like to share the Top Five of my favorite fictitious women to whom MM&M is all in a day’s work:
NYPSD LT. Eve Dallas
Created by the remarkably gifted Nora Roberts (writing as J. D. Robb), Dallas is the finest of New York’s finest – or anywhere else’s finest for that matter, on-planet or off. Smart, honest, wry, tenacious, ferocious, but at times, achingly vulnerable, she is a natural leader and a bulldog of a cop. Eve’s world is gripping and fascinating; set in the near future, the In Death series combines nail-biting suspense, gritty police drama, a crack crime-fighting team’s loyalty and camaraderie, and sizzling romance. Even up to her sealed leather boots in gore, Eve keeps readers coming back for more!
NYPSD Detective Delia Peabody
Originally Eve Dallas’ aide and protégé, over the course of the In Death series Peabody becomes Eve’s partner and devoted friend. Smart, compassionate but tough, insightful, and much better at connecting with people than is Eve, Peabody is often “good cop” to Eve’s “bad cop.” A better team could hardly be imagined. Peabody also provides a welcome bit of whimsy and relatability, but the minute a cocky murder suspect thinks she’s a gullible pushover, she slams the cell door. Hard.
FBI Agent Lacey Sherlock
Author Catherine Coulter’s smart, sexy, savvy Sherlock is the law-enforcement partner and passionate wife of fellow FBI Agent Dillon Savitch, a tough, country-music-loving computer genius. In the FBI Series, they take on some seemingly impossible cases – cases that might have come straight from the X Files. No matter how bizarre and deadly the circumstances, Sherlock keeps her head, her focus, her toughness, and her compassion.
P.I. Mary Jo “Mojo” Sheepshanks
In Deadly Gamble and Deadly Deceptions, author Linda Lael Miller gives lucky readers the wise-cracking, inventive, my-life-is-a-mess P.I. Mojo Sheepshanks. Living over Bad-Ass Bert’s Biker Saloon, Mojo discovers the dearly departed have as many secrets as the living, and they either need her help, or they want her dead. Equipped with her Damn Fool’s Guide to Lucid Dreaming, Mojo’s ready to take on whatever comes at her – from either side of the grave.
Blair Mallory
The delightful creation of author Linda Howard in Drop Dead Gorgeous and To Die For, Blair, who owns and runs the Great Bods fitness gym, is a Southern belle through and through. She’s also tough-minded, hilariously sarcastic, entitled, persistent, courageous, and completely logical in the most illogical way possible. Her significant other, police Detective Wyatt Bloodsworth, finds she is as tough to tame as an entire mob of crooks. When Blair sets out to investigate an attempted murder case – her own attempted murder – neither the cops nor the villains will be safe for long.
To my mind, with these five compelling women characters, mystery, murder, and mayhem were never better!

Dangerousby Lorrie Farrelly
Dangerously burned-out, ex-LA cop Cam Starrett imagines his new job in a small, central California town will be a haven from the tragedy, grief, and anger that have shattered his heart. His battered soul cries out for peace and quiet and merciful boredom.

Instead - during his very first day in the new town - he fires a gun, delivers an unusual baby, and hauls a passionate young woman into his embrace for a kiss of pure, scorching hunger. Shaken, he's left stunned, perplexed, extremely hot and bothered - but not one bit bored.

Despite her training as a school guidance counselor, Meredith Hayden secretly admits that people - especially men - baffle her. Confused and embarrassed by her reckless abandon in the arms of dangerous-looking Cam Starrett, she resolves to keep him at a distance, tempting and torturing them both all the more.

But when they uncover an escalating pattern of bigotry and violence that threatens the lives of everyone in the community, Cam and Merry face an ordeal that will test not only the limits of their courage and trust, but also the true depth of their passion.
DANGEROUS has been awarded READERS' FAVORITE 5 STARS.

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The Guardian's Angelby Lorrie Farrelly
When nobody knows what to do with a troubled, damaged kid, it's time to call Elizabeth Driscoll. A wary, vulnerable, unusually intuitive young woman, Libby has a knack for helping children that others have given up on.

Certainly nobody knows what to do with Tommy Madden, least of all his fiercely devoted guardian, Seattle Police Detective J.D. McCammon. McCammon believes the autistic little boy witnessed a double murder: his mother and his father, the city's District Attorney. J.D. is determined to help and protect Tommy at all costs, and somehow, find a way to communicate with him.

When Tommy's life is threatened by the corrupt organization that killed his parents, J.D. and Libby take him on a desperate and dangerous flight to safety. They must place their trust in one another to escape a relentless evil that threatens not only their lives, but that of the child they've both come to love.

On the run, Libby and J.D. are tested to the limits of their courage and resolve. They discover an intimate and mystifying bond that will either drive them apart, or become their greatest source of strength and passion.

THE GUARDIAN'S ANGEL has been awarded READERS' FAVORITE 5 STARS.

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Meet the rest of the #eNovAaW
Women of Murder, Mystery & Mayhem
L.A. Lewandowski
What happens when a Jersey girl falls in love with the Florida sunshine? Lois's life changed when she made sultry Tampa her home. It might have been the subtropical heat that forced the stories out of her head and into the books she writes. The southern migration has allowed her to pursue her passions; cooking for family and friends, growing orchids, and learning tennis. Her food blog, the Culture and Cuisine Club, continues to push the envelope of dinner club creativity. She's obsessed with art in all forms, and her interests are the entrées that fill her books with a fillip of sexy seasoning to spice things up. On most weekends she can be found enjoying the perfect cocktail with close friends.

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Born To Die ~ The Montauk Murdersby L.A. LewandoswkiAmazon US ~ Amazon UK ~ Amazon AU ~ Amazon CA
A Gourmet Demise ~ Murder in South Tampaby L.A. LewandoswkiAmazon US ~ Amazon UK ~ Amazon AU ~ Amazon CA

Julie Frayn
Julie Frayn pens award-winning novels and short stories that pack a punch. And a few stabs. She has published three novels and two short, short story collections. Her work has won two gold medals in the 2013 Authorsdb cover contest, and the Books and Pals 2014 Readers’ Choice award for women’s fiction.
A bean counter by day, Julie revels in the written word. When she is not working or writing, she spends as much time as possible with her two children (grown adults, really), while they still think she’s cool.

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Mazie Babyby Julie FraynAmazon US ~ Amazon UK ~ Amazon AU ~ Amazon CABarnes & Noble ~ Kobo ~ iTunes ~ Smashwords
It Isn't Cheating If He's Deadby Julie FraynAmazon US ~ Amazon UK ~ Amazon AU ~ Amazon CABarnes & Noble ~ Kobo ~ iTunes ~ Smashwords

Jerri Hines
Colleen Connally is a pen name of Jerri Hines. Under Colleen Connally, she has written a historical romance series, Secret Lives, which is riddled with romantic suspense. The Secret Lives consists of Seductive Secrets, Broken Legacy and Seductive Lies. Fragmented, Book One of Boston’s Crime of Passion, marks Ms Connally’s first contemporary suspense thriller.   One can find other historical series under Jerri Hines, including Winds of Betrayal and Tides of Charleston. Coming soon, she will release a Civil War saga, Southern Legacy, beginning with Belle of Charleston. She is also a supporter of The One Fund, a charity supporting the victims of the Boston Marathon Bombing, and Alzheimer’s Association.

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Fragmentedby Collen ConnallyAmazon US ~ Amazon UK ~ Amazon AU ~ Amazon CABarnes & Noble ~ iTunes ~ Smashwords
The Heavens Shall Fallby Jerri HinesAmazon US ~ Amazon UK ~ Amazon AU ~ Amazon CABarnes & Noble ~ Kobo ~ iTunes ~ Smashwords

Mimi Barbour
Author, Mimi Barbour, has five romance series at this time. The Vicarage Bench, a Spirit-travel, Time-travel Series / Angels with Attitude Series – Angels Love Romance / The Vegas Series—fast-paced, thrilling and loved by readers / Elvis Series—make an Elvis Song a book, and her latest suspense series with gritty characters, constant conflicts and emotional highs and lows sharing humor on every page, The Undercover FBI series.“Mimi says - I’ve taken early retirement on Vancouver Island to spend my days and many nights, hovering over my computer and spinning the stories that have been vying for my attention over the years.My husband is supportive, drags me out to feed me and plans occasional forays into the outside world. I have a son who makes me happy I was born a woman so I could be his mom, and a niece whose family adds to my full cup of happiness.

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Special Agent Francescaby Mimi BarbourAmazon US ~ Amazon UK ~ Amazon AU ~ Amazon CABarnes & Noble ~ Kobo ~ iTunes ~ Smashwords
Special Agent Finneganby Mimi BarbourAmazon US ~ Amazon UK ~ Amazon AU ~ Amazon CABarnes & Noble ~ Kobo ~ iTunes


So what or who is #eNovAaW?
eNovel Authors at Work is a group of indie authors who believe in paying it forward…

We are dedicated to helping one another to understand the challenges facing writers in the digital universe.

Everything we discover will find its way into these pages, to help authors and readers alike to navigate the ever-changing world of books.

Our goal is all about THE BOOK. We help each other to get our books noticed and expand our audiences. Indie Publishing is constantly changing, and we do our best stay informed.

Our members can participate in individual and group promotions.

Whether an author has published one book or ten, success requires diligence, dedication, and focus. We don’t know all the answers, but we are learning who to ask, who to listen to, and how best to use the tools available to sell BOOKS.

While we respect an author’s choice in what he or she writes, we do not promote erotica, gratuitous sex, or violence.

Right here is where you can subscribe to our newsletter (at the top of the sidebar on any page). eNovel Authors will only land in your mailbox when a good book is free 99 cents or a special deal . Now and again we’ll tell you about a new release, a blog hop, or a book we discovered that made us laugh or cry or dream.


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Italian Christmas Proposal - The cover is....well...fabulous comes to mind! @HelenScotttaylo

Italian Christmas Proposal by Helen Scott Taylor Series: Sweet Italian Christmas, #1Genre: Sweet Contemporary Romance/Holiday RomanceRelease Date: September 29, 2014


Travel to Italy this Christmas and fall in love...

First in a Christmas trilogy set in Naples and the Amalfi coast 

Desperate to forget her controlling ex fiancé and have a fresh start, Claire goes to Italy to write about how the Italians celebrate Christmas. Leo has his own troubled past to overcome, but when he rescues Claire from the rain and takes her home to meet his daughter, the magical Italian Christmas offers them both a second chance at happiness.



Leo paused and rested a hand on a pockmarked block of stone in the doorway of a building that had once been a family home. "It's frightening to imagine what it must have been like when the volcano erupted."

Claire's gaze rose to the looming presence of the sleeping volcano silhouetted against the blue sky. The Romans who'd lived here must have thought their way of life was permanent, but Vesuvius had swept away everything they knew and destroyed a thriving port city and the surrounding towns in a matter of hours. It was a sobering thought.

Leo squeezed her shoulder and leaned closer. "Don't be sad. It happened a long time ago."

She lifted a hand and touched his fingers. Here, where the echoes of the past whispered around them, reality felt fluid, unfixed. Anything seemed possible. If life could be swept away so easily, she should grab what she wanted while she could. She'd been raised to be ultra cautious and obey the rules. Jonathan had tried to keep her on that track, but so far that had only made her miserable.

She turned in the enclosed space and rested her palms on Leo's chest, feeling the steady beat of his heart.

"Why do you still wear a wedding ring, Leo?"

"It protects me."

He must have women come on to him all the time because of his looks and his money. "I don't expect anything from you." She didn't want him to think she was just interested in what she could get out of him.

She trailed her fingertips along his jaw, the slight roughness sending streaks of sensation up her arm.

His fingers slid into her hair and she turned her face up to him. His breath brushed her lips, then the warm press of his mouth made her eyelids fall as she lost herself in the kiss.

If she could have one wish this Christmas, it would be to swap her troubled life for this enchanted existence with Leo.


Book 1: Italian Christmas Proposal
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Buy the other books in the Sweet Italian Christmas series!
Book 2: Italian Christmas Baby
Release Date: October 5, 2014Amazon US ~ Amazon UK ~ Amazon CA ~ Amazon AU
Emily has everything ready for the birth of her baby—the only thing left to do is tell the father! 
It was love at first sight for Emily when she met gorgeous Italian businessman, Savino Marin. She was sure he felt the same, until he walked away from her without a backward glance. But he left something behind and eight months later Emily decides she must tell him she's pregnant before his baby is born. She prays he'll want to be a father to his child, but she has no intention of renewing their relationship. He broke her heart once and she won't let him close enough to cause her pain again. But Savino knows exactly what he wants, and he's used to getting his own way.

Coming Soon!
Book 3: Italian Christmas WeddingRelease Date: Mid-November

One phone call and the threat that has hung over Gina Marin's head for six years becomes reality. Her mafia ex is out of prison and on the hunt for her. She has to get out of Naples for a few weeks, and gorgeous Seth Trevathan offers her sanctuary at his farm.

Gina entrances Seth. She is beautiful, vivacious and totally not his type. He's a country boy, ex-military, and used to getting his hands dirty. A fashionable, high-maintenance girlfriend is the last thing he wants. But he soon realizes Gina is not who he thought, and he's in danger of losing his heart.

Helen Scott Taylor's first novel, The Magic Knot, won the American Title contest in 2008, was a Golden Heart® finalist, and was chosen as one of Booklist's top ten romances of 2009. Since then, she has published other novels, novellas, and short stories in both the UK and USA. Her published works have been finalists in a number of contests including the Holt Medallion, the Lories, the Prism Contest, the Write Touch Award and the Maggies.

Helen lives in South West England near Plymouth in Devon between the windswept expanse of Dartmoor and the rocky Atlantic coast. As well as her wonderful long-suffering husband, she shares her home with a Westie and an aristocratic chocolate-shaded-silver-burmilla cat who rules the household with a velvet paw. She believes that deep within everyone there's a little magic. www.helenscotttaylor.com


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#Thunderclap or #HeadTalker – which one works best?

Heck I don’t know!!! What I do know is that it seems as if more of these social media strategies sneak up on us every day. I keep thinking I know what’s going on out there but… I’m not so sure anymore. 
I'll tell you what I do know, and if you have more information to share, please add it in the comments. 
I've started working on some projects with a fantastic book tour group called Book Partners in Crime (watch for a blog about them in the future) and part of what they offer in some of their tours is to be signed up with both Thunderclap and HeadTalker. So that was my first inkling about this new trend. Being that I’m open to trying new things (more like jump in head first before any vetting) I ticked the boxes and then thought - maybe I should do some homework.   This is what I found. Thunderclap expects you to have 100 people sign up on your behalf with their Twitter, Facebook or Tumblr links. (you can sign for one or all three.) When asked to click their approval, some folks were a bit leery to give this site access to their information. I checked into it and it's not like that. All Thunderclap does is send this one post on your behalf and they need your okay. That is their policy.     
On their FAQ’s page it says:
Wait, but why does the authorization message say you need access to my friends list?

The permissions granted to us by Twitter and Facebook include some that we have no intention of using, which includes access to your friends list. We only post a single message to your account in support of your chosen campaign. We only store a token that is given to us by the social networks over a secure connection. We do not see your password, nor do we store it in our system.  I kinda believe them because their success depends on this being true. Right?? When you sign in with your own twitter or Facebook, it's kinda cool. The numbers on the side will shift and one will be added. Once there are 100 people, on the set date, Thunderclap sends out all of the tweets, facebook posts and tumblr  at once. And the hope is that other friends will share and retweet.   They do not charge for a Thunderclap at the level authors wish to use it but there is a premium account for larger companies. Plus, it’s very simple to use.
  
 Now for HeadTalker!  They’re not as demanding. All they need for your campaign to be successful is 50 people to sign on. They’ve also added LinkedIn to this site as well as Facebook, Twitter and Tumblr. Same as Thunderclap, there is no cost involved and it’s simple to set up.
     
The only problem I've run across is getting enough friends to help you in time for the big day. If by any chance you exceed the 100 or 50 necessary  supporters –  the more you do get the better!! But… if you don’t have the required number of people sign on, then your blast doesn’t happen.  
So keeping that in mind, and not wanting your old buddy Mimi to miss out on her big push for her newest release, Special Agent Finnegan , if you feel you’d like to help...??
Here are the links to my two campaigns:
Thunderclap: http://thndr.it/1umwQ04
HeadTalker: https://headtalker.com/campaigns/special-agent-finnegan/
 
Such blatant manipulation is sinful……I’m so ashamed!!
  

My guest today deserves a standing ovation - published over 100 books!! @RebeccaYork43

Destination Wedding by Rebecca York Series: Decorah SecurityGenre: Paranormal Romantic SuspenseRelease Date: November 7, 2014


After a billionaire’s daughter, Camille Norland, is kidnapped by a Russian mobster bent on matrimony, Decorah Security agent Nick Cassidy is her best hope of rescue.  Nick’s never admitted his feelings for Camille. Now he’s desperate to save her before the wedding night. But can they escape from Victor Zanov’s heavily fortified island paradise?



“This is our chance for freedom. Nick Cassidy’s not on duty today.”

Camille Norland spun toward her younger sister, Eden, noting the hopeful look in her blue eyes. She was talking about one of the bodyguards their father had hired to keep the family safe. He’d been on the estate for six months—the worst six months of Camille’s twenty-five years.

The guy was brutally handsome with a hard body that would send any woman’s blood pressure shooting up. His lips looked hard, but she suspected that they would soften when they came down on hers. I mean, if you were going to pick a man for a romantic fling, he was it. She couldn't help being attracted to him. And she knew for sure it was mutual, because of the way his gaze would flick quickly away when she caught him looking at her.

But working for Samuel Norland apparently meant that he wouldn't get involved with Camille. It also meant he was an unbending son of a bitch. A stickler for procedure. If he thought it wasn't safe to do something, you didn't get to do it. You didn't get to go swimming in the ocean. Or go into town for shopping or to a restaurant for lunch. You stayed on the Norland estate where you were bored out of your skull.

“Dad’s birthday is coming up next month,” Eden said, curling a strand of blond hair around her finger the way she did when she was trying to get her way. “I want to buy him something he’ll really like.”

Camille countered with a practical suggestion. “We can shop the Internet.”

Eden gave her a pained look. “If you want to be a good little duby and stay home looking at a computer screen, be my guest. But I’m going to a real mall with real merchandise. Bobby will take me.”

Camille sighed. Maybe the best thing to do was go along to keep her little sister from doing anything too outrageous.

Or really, what she should do was call Nick Cassidy.

Bobby Cunningham, blond, surfer cute, and eager to please, was new on the job, and Nick would tell him to keep them home. But then Eden would call Camille a squealer and give her the ice-cold treatment for weeks, which would make life even more unbearable.

Eden had already grabbed her purse. “We’ll be back before anybody knows.” For good measure, she added, “What’s the point of having gonzo bucks if you can’t have any fun?”

Camille nodded, thinking the lack of fun part was more true for her little sister than it was for herself. Eden had been born with a heart defect that had been repaired. But she’d never been in robust health, and Dad kept her protected like a piece of fine china wrapped in layers of tissue.

Plus, when Camille had been little, things had been more normal. She’d gone to some good private schools, then spent four glorious years away from home at Florida State, living the life of a regular college student. Well almost regular, until Mom had died, kicking dad into over protective mode.

Eden interrupted her thoughts. “I want to stop at that new jewelry store and look at gold chains. One of those thick ones would look great on Dad.”

 “And he’d probably like one of the books on the New York Times nonfiction list,” Camille added, thinking he’d prefer reading material to jewelry, but there was no harm in getting both.

Still she felt a twinge of guilt as they climbed into the back of the Lincoln Town Car and headed for the iron gates that closed off the Norland estate from the rest of Longboat Key. Turning right, they headed for the mall.

“Relax,” Eden said as she reached into the refrigerator at the side of the passenger compartment and pulled out a Coke.

Camille crossed her long legs and leaned back in the plush leather seat, taking in her sister’s impish face, hoping they could keep the trip short.

Looking toward the front of the car, she saw Bobby dividing his attention between the road ahead and the rearview mirror.

“Anything wrong?”

“No,” he answered. “Just being cautious.”

She couldn't help thinking about Nick again. If you were going to leave the estate, he’d be better protection than Bobby. Only, with Nick, they wouldn't be here at all.

The mall parking lot was crowded, and Bobby wouldn't drop them off at the door. Instead he drove up and down the rows and finally found a space half a block from the entrance.

A few seconds after they got out, a van pulled up in the lane behind them. Then another one materialized in front, blocking them in.

Bobby drew his gun and spun around, as four tough-looking guys converged on them. One slammed him to the ground.

Another shoved Eden aside. And a third reached for Camille. Before she had time to scream, something cold and wet came down over her face, and her vision instantly went wonky. As she slipped to the blacktop, two of the men grabbed her and dragged her away.

oOo
Nick Cassidy got the emergency call when he was already on his way back to the Norland estate. He’d had the day off, and he’d thought he’d relax at a shooting range.

After an hour of practice with his Sig, where he’d topped his previous score, he’d gone to lunch at a little deli overlooking one of Florida’s million lakes. As he ate a pastrami sandwich on the shaded patio, he thought about asking Frank Decorah for a change of assignment.

The Norland job would have been a good one—if he and Camille hadn't set off sexual sparks when they were together, an unfortunate situation when you had to keep your emotions under control. And then there was the other daughter—Eden. She and Camille looked a lot alike, but the only thing he felt for her was annoyance that she was constantly bending rules and testing limits.

When his phone rang, he pressed the talk button on the steering wheel.

“Thank Christ I got you.”

“What?” Nick demanded, instantly on the alert.

“Camille is missing.”

“From the estate?”

Nick could hear Bobby gulp. “No. Eden asked me to take them shopping—to the mall.”

“You’re still there?”

“Yeah, with Eden.”

Nick wanted to order them home, but he needed Bobby to show him where the attack had happened.

“If you haven’t gotten her into the freaking car and locked the doors, do it,” Nick bit out as he pulled into the parking lot of a strip mall and made a U- turn. He didn't waste the energy telling Bobby what a stupid shit he’d been. He simply sped toward the shopping center, asking for details as he drove.

“Do we call the cops?” Bobby asked.

“According to our instructions, that’s up to Norland,” Nick answered.

oOo
Camille drifted in a comforting dream. She clung to it because she instinctively knew that if she allowed herself to wake, she wouldn't be able to cope with her current reality.

Sinking deeper into sleep, she snuggled more tightly into a man’s powerful arms and knew that it was Nick Cassidy holding her. She didn't open her eyes and look at him, but she caught the familiar citrus scent of his aftershave and felt the well-toned muscles of his hard body.

“Finally,” she whispered. “You finally came to me. What changed your mind?”

“I had to,” he answered in a thick voice.

She snuggled closer, pleased by the desperation she heard.

“We both know this is wrong,” he said. “I work for your father. I can’t be intimate with his daughter.”

The rough way he said the word “intimate” sent a hot chill skittering over her skin.

“If you weren't working for my father, we never would have met—and been attracted to each other.”

He made a sound of acknowledgment deep in his chest, a sound she took for surrender.

“It’s okay. You know it’s what we both want.”

She cupped her hands around the back of his head, bringing his lips to hers, wordlessly telling him that they belonged together. The brush of her mouth against his was like the completion of an electric circuit, the power flowing from him to her as he took command, his mouth ravaging hers in an act of pure passion. She opened for him, welcoming the invasion of his tongue, the touch of his hands as they stroked and caressed her. Finally, after all these months of circling each other like dancers in a stylized ritual, he was going to make love with her.

She rolled to her back, giving him access to her body, waiting for one of his hands to claim her breasts and the other to slide downward into the hot core of her. For a charged moment, he hovered over her.

Then to her utter disappointment, he pulled away. When she reached for him, she grabbed only cool air, and she knew he had never really been there at all.

She wanted to sob out his name, but she understood that calling to him in this place would be dangerous.


Included in the Ten Brides for Ten Heroes anthology, which is no longer available, Destination Wedding is being released for the first time as its own.

Amazon 

"A New York Times, USA Today, and Publishers Weekly best-selling and award-winning author, Rebecca has written over 145 books and novellas. In 2011 she became the dozenth author to receive the Romance Writers of America Centennial Award for having written 100 romantic novels. Her Killing Moon was a launch title for Berkley’s Sensation imprint in June 2003. Five more books in the series have followed.

Rebecca has authored or co-authored over 65 romantic thrillers, many for Harlequin Intrigue’s very popular 43 Light Street series, set in Baltimore, and many with paranormal elements.

Her many awards include two Rita finalist books. She has two Career Achievement awards from Romantic Times: for Series Romantic Suspense and for Series Romantic Mystery. And her Peregrine Connection series won a Lifetime Achievement Award for Romantic Suspense Series."


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Kiss me Santa by @PatriceWilton - A must read for the holiday!! #tenbrides

Kiss Me Santa by Patrice Wilton Genre: Contemporary Romance/Holiday RomanceRelease Date: September 18. 2014


Widowed teacher, Cindy Harris, takes her son to meet Santa at the mall, but instead of jolly Saint Nick, they get grumpy Brad Williams. He’d stepped into the red suit to help out his brother, not promise the impossible, like deliver a daddy by Christmas. Brad is the new real estate agent Cindy hired to sell her family home, and sparks fly between them. Will the magic of Christmas open their hearts, and offer the best gift of all: love?



CHAPTER ONE

“Oh, look, Tyler. There’s Santa. See all the kids lined up? Wouldn't you like your picture taken with him?”Cindy Harris held her five-year-old son’s hand, his chubby little fingers sticky from the candy cane set alongside his hot chocolate a few minutes ago. Tyler’s enjoyment of the sweet peppermint was worth a temporary sugar high, but between that and the chaos of the mall, his mood bordered on testy.Quaker Bridge Mall was crowded, as expected the first week of December. The beautifully decorated tree--and the winter wonderland that housed Santa and his helpers-- had been up since Thanksgiving, but this was the first time she’d brought Tyler shopping. “Wow. Is that really Santa?” he asked. “How did he get here? Where are the reindeers? Can I feed them?” He looked up at her, excitement shining in his eyes.“I think he left the reindeers in the North Pole,” Cindy said, automatically playing along. “They’re resting up for the long journey ahead.”“But how did he get here?” Tyler questioned. “Can he fly like Superman?” He jumped up and down. “I want a Superman costume so I can fly around all over the place. I could fly up to Heaven and see Daddy.”Cindy swallowed a lump in her throat. “That’s a real long way to fly, honey. Even Superman would have trouble with that one.”“What about Santa? I bet he could zoom through the sky and get there in no time.” He yanked at her hand.She laughed. “Why don’t we get in line and then you can ask him?” Her plan was to get Tyler’s picture with Santa Claus, then grab dinner and finish shopping–home by eight, so they could unwind from a long week.“Okay.” He ran the extra few steps while she followed more slowly, wondering what this fascination with his daddy was all about. Only three-and-a-half when his father had been killed by a drunk driver fifteen months ago, she’d kept David alive for Tyler through pictures and stories. His grandparents also were happy to answer any questions that Tyler had about the father he’d lost--their much loved son.Still, it seemed lately that Tyler wouldn't let the subject go.Although her grief had marginally lessoned, she still clearly remembered trying to make it through the holidays last year without her husband at her side. The pretense had been unbearable. Smiling, pretending everything was all right, when inside she was dying and knew that nothing would ever be the same again.Cindy put her hand on her son’s shoulder as they stood in line with the other thirty or forty excited children and their parents. She smiled at a few of the mothers and glanced with a touch of envy as fathers played with their kids and lifted them high upon their shoulders so they could see Santa and his little helpers.Elves happily chatted with the children in line, creating excitement and a make-believe-world.Cindy lived in a make-believe-world, a daily pretense that everything was fine. That bubble was the only protection she had from the heart-breaking reality that Tyler’s dad, her beloved husband would never see his child grow up, or marry, or become a father himself. Would the pain ever go away completely?They inched closer to Santa. “So what do you want this year?” she asked her son, knowing that he had every toy a child could imagine, and then some. His grandparents and aunts loved nothing better than buying him stuff. It was as if filling up his bedroom with hundreds of “things” could distract him from the hundreds of nights without his daddy’s hugs and kisses.“I want uh...uh...a pony. And riding lessons. And boots.”She’d taken him for some riding lessons this past summer, and though he’d enjoyed it the cost was too prohibitive to do on a regular basis. “We've talked about that, sweetheart. It’s something we can do as a special treat. Like hot chocolate and a candy cane, it’s fine in small doses.” And better suited to her tight budget.“I want a pony.” He kicked at the ground, scuffing his new sneakers.“Honey, don’t do that.” She frowned. As a teacher, she expected good behavior, with or without reward, and discipline hadn't been necessary until lately. Tyler’s disposition used to be sweet as they come. “We’ll be seeing Santa in a few minutes. Won’t that be fun?”“I’m telling him I want a pony for Christmas,” he stated, glancing at her before turning back to Santa. “He’ll get me one. Just wait and see.”“We don’t have room for a pony. How about a new hockey stick?” Cindy kept her tone light. Even if she wasn't squeezing pennies, a horse--big or little, wouldn't be on her shopping list. They were going to sell their family home. Downsize to a townhouse, not a farmyard.His jaw set. “I want Daddy to come back. He can be my present.”Cindy bit her lip and fought back a sting of tears. She knew Tyler was upset because some mean kids had teased him at school. He was angry and frustrated, not understanding why he had to be different. Why had his father been taken away? he’d asked her more than once. She wished she had had answers, instead of only empty words of comfort.“Tyler, I wish it were that simple.”  She hadn't even dated anybody in the year and a half since David passed away. It felt too soon, and she had yet to meet a guy that held a candle to the one she’d lost.The line grew smaller and they could now see Santa. Cindy thought he was a pathetic looking Santa, to be sure. He was too thin, for one thing. Couldn't he have stuffed himself with a pillow or something? His hat was askew, and his face, even behind the big white beard, looked far too youthful. Guy was probably only in his thirties or so. Although small compared to some, surely this New Jersey mall could afford the picture-perfect Santa for all the youngsters that climbed in his lap each day. This one didn't fit the bill. Not at all.She pinched her nose, feeling a slight headache coming on. The shopping, the pretense, and the whole holiday spirit was suddenly too hard to handle and Cindy felt as grumpy as Tyler. Hum-bug with the whole holiday thing! If she had her way, Christmas would be cancelled this year and for many more to come.Carols played merrily throughout the mall, and the window shops were decorated festively. Fake snow was heaped around Santa’s chair, as well as big, pretty presents under the giant tree. Yet, all the Santas and all the glitter in the world couldn't make hers, or her son’s, holiday bright.“Merry Christmas,” Santa boomed, beckoning Tyler. “Come tell Santa what you want for Christmas.”Tyler held on to her hand a little tighter. “Do I have to go, Mommy? Do I?”“Well, we did wait twenty minutes. Just speak to him for a second. I’ll be right beside you.” One good picture for the mantle and they could hit the food court.“Okay, Mom.” His eyes brightened. “Maybe he can bring me what I want most in the world!”Sadly, she smiled. “Ask for a toboggan sled. Wouldn't that be a nice thing for the two of us? We have several big hills right behind our place.”Tyler stepped forward and when he got in front of Santa, he spoke in a quiet, hesitant voice. “I want a new daddy. Can you get me one? Please?”Santa glanced from her son’s face to Cindy’s, and she felt her cheeks grow warm. He gave a big false laugh, and patted his bony knee. “Come. Sit. Think about a great new toy. I came all the way from the North Pole to give you something special.”“I don’t want a toy. Just a daddy.” Tyler lifted his eyes and looked at Santa. “He’s in Heaven. Is that near the North Pole?”Cindy blinked back tears, and put a hand to her mouth. Her poor, poor son. She was tempted to pick Tyler up, and run away from Santa and the crowds. Instead, she stood frozen. Desperate for Santa to say something, and make everything right.He shifted his weight, and looked from one unhappy face to the other. “It’s a thousand miles away, at least.”Tyler seemed to consider this. “That’s far, but if you’re really Santa and I’m a good boy, can’t I have anything I want? Anything at all?”“That’s what I do best. Deliver presents to kids all over the world. Not the bad ones though. Only good children get presents, right? So, what’s it going to be? I bet you have a big list. Trucks, a Wie game, an I-Pad?”“I want my daddy to leave Heaven and come back home.”Santa shot Cindy another glance from beneath bushy white eyebrows. “Well, you see, I don’t exactly bring daddies back. That’s out of my jurisdiction. I make toys. That’s my business. So you tell me what kind of toy you want, and I’ll make sure you get it. Deal?”“No deal.” Tyler’s body stiffened. “I have ‘nuf toys. All I want is a real live pony, or my daddy.”Cindy stepped in, hoping to avoid a melt-down. “Tyler. What about that sled we talked about?”“A sled is a great present. Or how about an electric car? Very cool.” Santa shook his head. “No ponies or daddies, I’m afraid.”Tyler reached out and pulled hard on Santa’s beard. It came off in his hand, surprising Cindy, Santa and Tyler. Her son’s cheeks turned red. “You’re not Santa. You’re a fake. I hate you!”Santa grabbed his beard and stuck it back on. “And you’re a little ... a little...”“Boy,” Cindy finished for him. Had he just about cussed at her son? This Santa needed to grow some real whiskers and get some training. Temples pounding, she took Tyler by the arm. “Let’s go, honey.”Tyler started to sob, liquid drops of sadness running down his flushed cheeks. “I want a daddy. And you won’t give me one,’” he shouted at Santa. “I hate you, I hate you. You’re a big meanie.”“Listen kid,” Santa said, leaning forward. “You just can’t pull on Santa’s beard and expect presents. Especially ones they can’t deliver. Doesn't happen.”Tyler’s tears broke Cindy’s heart, and his temper the last of her patience. It was easier to blame Santa than the sugar high, or the cruel fate that had robbed them of their family.Cindy shot Santa a withering look. “He’s right. You are a big meanie. The boy wants his father, and he should have him.” With that, she grabbed Tyler’s hand and stomped off.



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Patrice Wilton knew from the age of twelve that she wanted to write books that would take the reader to faraway places. As a voracious reader, she gobbled up books, and her imagination soared. She was born in Vancouver, Canada, and had a great need to see the world that she had read about.
Patrice became a flight attendant for seventeen years and traveled the world. At the age of forty she sat down to write her first book—in longhand! Her interests include tennis, golf, and writing stories for women of all ages.

She is the proud mother of two, has four lovely grand-daughters, and a wonderful man at her side. They live in West Palm Beach, Florida, where he teaches her golf, and she teaches him patience.

Her best selling books are the Candy Bar series, the Serendipity Falls series, and her returning war hero series. She joined a group of talented, NY Times and USA Today best selling authors and released a ten book box set--TEN BRIDES FOR TEN HEROES, followed by TEN CHRISTMAS BRIDES.


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We did it!!! TEN CHRISTMAS BRIDES #USAToday #Best-seller #TenBrides

 

 Oh yes we did!
Our book “Ten Christmas Brides” hit the USA Today’s list this week at #67. That’s out of 150 books.
We’re we excited???
Oh yeah!! Crazy, mind-blowing, brain popping ecstatic!
As you know, I have been promoting the book and it's authors now for some time. I didn’t go into any details of how much work it took to get us anywhere near this level of success. But trust me when I say, we all went above and beyond, and it paid off. Now we celebrate.
So, thank you my friends, for caring and hanging in there with me. As you know the book is available on all the venues. And according to the rave reviews, the fans are loving their holiday treat of 10 novels full of Christmas romance.   only 99 cents
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**As an added gift for our readers, we also published another free recipe book called the Ten Christmas Bride's  Favorite Christmas Cookies
Please go and get your free copy now and enjoy our special recipes with your family this season!
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Another harsh lesson learned! #Amazon #Suspense

  Either I’m going crazy, (quite possible) Amazon's rules aren't clear or I didn't read them closely enough, (again - probable).
On Oct. 24th I decided to put my new book, Special Agent Finnegan, on pre-order after I'm made the corrections from my first editor and the proof-reader.  I wanted the release date to be Oct 30th. I knew it still had the content editor to go and my own final read but I had a full manuscript, formatted and almost ready. So I went ahead and I set the book up. When I did so, it said that I needed to publish a full manuscript ten days before the release date. Oh!! Would they let me go ahead? What the heck, I decided to try and they accepted my release date for 5 days later. Great!
If they would have refused - no biggie! I’d have release it on the actual date of Oct 30th and forgone the pre-orders. But they didn’t.
Quite satisfied with the situation, I went ahead and started promoting the book and meanwhile, got the final draft back from the last editor and of course, she had some structural changes for me to make. None were drastic, but most of her suggestions would tighten the story and make it better.
Then as I tend to do, I read through the last version on my kindle and found the soft spots that stuck out to me. It’s amazing the areas I never noticed before that are so much more visible while reading on the e-reader. I went ahead and made those changes. Plus a few small spelling mistakes that had gotten past everyone else - including me. Finally, yesterday, a full two days before release, I tried to upload the last copy.
No can do!!
Amazon shut off access to the book and is holding it hostage until it’s released. Which means that everyone who ordered the earlier version won’t get the cleanest copy.  My stomach dropped when I realized that this was happening. Did I miss the rule where it said they wouldn’t allow any updates until after the book was released? I went back to check and it did say that one must upload the final version10 days before release day. I took that to mean, not a few chapters or a bogus book but one formatted with the full content, copyright, title page, dedication, etc. If they would have warned me that once I hit the save and publish button I would have no other opportunity to go back in, I would never have submitted.
So my friends, another lesson I have learned through trial and error that I’m passing on to you.
Do notupload a pre-order book on Amazon within 10 days of the release date unless it is the FINAL draft.
BTW, I also uploaded the book on Kobo the same day and I was able to reload the newest version yesterday…. Hummmm!! One might ask - why? Not me though. I just file away this mistake along with the multitude I’ve already committed and rack it up as – another lesson learned!!*****  If any of you were some of the ones who ordered the book as a pre-order, please let me know and I'll be sure and send you the latest version.  ***   Buy through Amazon after release Oct 30th!!  

A COWBOY FOR CHRISTMAS by @TheAnnieJones #tenbrides Santas can come in all male forms - even cowboys!!

  

A COWBOY FOR CHRISTMAS




The very first actual major road I traveled in life was Route 66, California to Oklahoma. So it has always held a special place in my heart. When looking for a setting for a Romance series, where better than this place I had always loved?

And being an Oklahoma girl, and an OSU Cowboy to the core, a cowboy as a hero? No brainer. (The decision, not the hero!) Always a soft touch for a kid, and a kid with a pony was even better. Finally we needed a little Christmas and everything was set.

These were the seeds for A Cowboy for Christmas . The most romantic setting, the most romance time of year, how could romance not blossom?

I loved bringing these characters to life and watching them find each other and fall in love despite the odds against them.

This is just one of a fabulous collection of Christmas romances in Ten Christmas Brides. Wonderful Christmas romances from ten amazing authors that will put you in the perfect holiday mood. Don't miss out on this great way to celebrate the season.  




 
  Ten Christmas Brides

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Military, romance and a Christmas wedding by Usa Today author Helen Scott Taylor #tenbrides @HellenScotttaylo

 
 
 
Ever since I started writing the Army Doctor's Baby Series, books that blend medical, military and romantic storylines, I've had a scenario in mind where the hero and heroine are taken to prison in a war zone.
 


When it came time to write about the Army Pediatrician, Major Blair MacKenzie, who spends his time in dangerous parts of the world treating children in refugee camps, I knew he was the army hero most likely to be taken prisoner.
 
To make life more difficult for him, the woman he loves is taken with him, so he's trying to protect her as well as find a way to escape.
 
But not to fear, I promise you this story ends happily with a Christmas wedding in the Scottish Highlands!
 


USA Today Bestselling author Helen Scott Taylor's first novel, The Magic Knot, won the American Title contest in 2008, was a Golden Heart® finalist, and was chosen as one of Booklist's top ten romances of 2009. Since then, she has published other novels, novellas, and short stories in both the UK and USA.

Helen lives in South West England near Plymouth in Devon between the windswept expanse of Dartmoor and the rocky Atlantic coast. As well as her wonderful long-suffering husband, she shares her home with a Westie and an aristocratic chocolate-shaded-silver-burmilla cat who rules the household with a velvet paw. She believes that deep within everyone there's a little magic.
 
Connect with Helen here.
 www.helenscotttaylor.com
https://www.facebook.com/helenscotttaylor
https://www.facebook.com/HelenScottTaylorAuthor?ref=hl
https://twitter.com/helenscotttaylo
 

 The Army Doctor's Honeymoon Baby is only one of the ten books brought together for this incredible box collection.
Get your copy now.
 


 
  Ten Christmas Brides

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AN ALMOST PERFECT CHRISTMAS by #tenbrides Donna Fasano – A tribute to sad times for real people! @donnafaz

        When I read this post, I have to admit to tears welling. I, too, have a beautiful friend who lost her young son close to this season and it's a heart-wrenching glimpse of hell for anyone who's had a similar experience. As much as I love her, I couldn't even begin to imagine - didn't want to - still don't. In the same way as Donna's friend has continued to live her life, so has mine. Therefore, I'll think of her as I read this wonderful story....    

If you read the reviews that have been left on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Goodreads for AN ALMOSTPERFECT CHRISTMAS, you will see that many readers recommend clutching a box of tissues as you read. Why, you might ask, would an author choose to write a sad holiday story? I’m happy to explain.
 
One of my very best friends lost her daughter on May 3, 2003. It was an unimaginably tragic event that no parent should ever have to face. But some do. I won’t describe the hellish grief my friend has experienced and continues to experience; however, if you have a child you love and cherish, well… details of the despair aren’t necessary.
 
I have been there for my friend as much as possible through her years of agony. I cry with her and console her as best I can. I also laugh with her while recalling wonderful memories. My friend will never forget her beloved daughter, and I intend to spend the rest of my live remembering right along with her.
 
Fate has stolen “perfect” from my friend. No event, no matter how special, will ever be perfect for her. There will be no perfect holidays, no perfect outings, no perfect anything. That’s just how it is for parents who have lost a precious child. Even so, I have watched my friend continue to live her life, boldly and courageously. She enjoys each moment as much as she possibly can. She has taken “almost perfect” and created some good times. (A personal note to her: I love you, Karen, and I am so proud to call you my sister-friend.) Surviving tragedy and living life with as much happiness and hope possible is why I wrote AN ALMOST PERFECT CHRISTMAS . 
 
 
An Almost Perfect Christmas is only one of the ten books brought together for this incredible box collection. Get your copy now.
 


 
 
 Ten Christmas Brides

only 99cents  Collection available at:


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