Brenda Whiteside's Blog, page 45
February 18, 2020
Wicked Mother Nature by Dee S. Knight #WickedWednesday #ghost
WICKED WEDNESDAY
Please join me in welcoming back one of my favorite and frequent guests, Dee S. Knight. Wicked comes in all forms and Dee has a fun take on wicked today with an exciting true life adventure.
Instead of focusing on a wicked person or even a character, I'd like to tell you about wicked Mother Nature. She'll pull a fast one and there everyone is, made humble by snow or rain, ice or heat. There is an old commercial that famously intoned, "It's not nice to fool Mother Nature!" Well, it's not nice for her to fool us, either.
Back in our trucking days, we had to drive through some truly wicked weather. I remember once in Montana, realizing the highway I was driving on was covered in black ice. Snow storms were common. We outran a dust storm in Texas once, and lost our air conditioning in horrendous heat and humidity. Through it all, we had to keep going to deliver the freight.
But once, coming into Chicago, we heard about a storm approaching from the west. The snow was a late one, and sure to be wet and heavy. It was early morning and still dark. Hubby was driving the stretch on I-80, just as Illinois meets Indiana. An accident and detour held us up for nearly an hour, and before we knew it, the storm caught up with us while we were driving the Indiana Turnpike.
I woke up as it turned light, and crawled out of the sleeper. "Look at that idiot," I said. "That trucker thinks he can park in the ramp to the service center. And look at those guys, just parking on the shoulder. What's going on?"
"A storm came in from the west. What I didn't know is, another storm came up from the south. And we're right in the middle of the mess."
Ahead, I could see the toll booth that marked the end of the Indiana toll road. A couple of miles past that, we would be on the Ohio Turnpike. Best thing about the turnpikes? They always kept the roads clear. Sure, they cost money, but it was worth it. Right?
We slowly came to a stop, about six trucks back from paying the toll. And then… We were stopped for sure. Word came back that Ohio had closed its road. What??That was why those "idiots" had been stopped and parked strangely at the service center.
While the two storms met up and churned everything around us, we sat in a row of trucks, in the cab of ours. On the second day, they "let" us pay our toll and move to the snow-drifted area between the two turnpikes. We sat while it snowed. We sat while the storm ended and the sun shone through gray clouds. We sat day and we sat night. We sat there in no man's land for three days and four nights. It felt biblical.
A restaurant about a mile away (walk to the fence separating the toll road from the rest of the road, climb said fence, climb an embankment to the road and go another three-quarters of a mile, all through deep snow) was snowed in, so the waitress and cook who couldn't make it home had a bunch of truckers for customers. For three days. I'll bet they were thrilled.
Finally, through more flurries, Ohio opened its toll road—single lanes in each direction. After a day's drive that normally took three or four hours, we passed into Pennsylvania. Say glory! There was next to no snow! The real kicker? Had we stayed on the Indiana toll road instead of moving through, they would have let us off for free. Any trucks stuck on the turnpike did not have to pay the toll to get off. So we had to pay both Indiana and Ohio and that's no small amount of money! Thank you, Mother Nature!
I featured some wild foggy weather in my paranormal erotic romance, Passionate Destiny. The unexpected—and unexplained—freaky fog meant the hero, Aaron, had to stay at the heroine's house that night. Oh, darn.
Please join me in welcoming back one of my favorite and frequent guests, Dee S. Knight. Wicked comes in all forms and Dee has a fun take on wicked today with an exciting true life adventure.Instead of focusing on a wicked person or even a character, I'd like to tell you about wicked Mother Nature. She'll pull a fast one and there everyone is, made humble by snow or rain, ice or heat. There is an old commercial that famously intoned, "It's not nice to fool Mother Nature!" Well, it's not nice for her to fool us, either.
Back in our trucking days, we had to drive through some truly wicked weather. I remember once in Montana, realizing the highway I was driving on was covered in black ice. Snow storms were common. We outran a dust storm in Texas once, and lost our air conditioning in horrendous heat and humidity. Through it all, we had to keep going to deliver the freight.
But once, coming into Chicago, we heard about a storm approaching from the west. The snow was a late one, and sure to be wet and heavy. It was early morning and still dark. Hubby was driving the stretch on I-80, just as Illinois meets Indiana. An accident and detour held us up for nearly an hour, and before we knew it, the storm caught up with us while we were driving the Indiana Turnpike.
I woke up as it turned light, and crawled out of the sleeper. "Look at that idiot," I said. "That trucker thinks he can park in the ramp to the service center. And look at those guys, just parking on the shoulder. What's going on?"
"A storm came in from the west. What I didn't know is, another storm came up from the south. And we're right in the middle of the mess."
Ahead, I could see the toll booth that marked the end of the Indiana toll road. A couple of miles past that, we would be on the Ohio Turnpike. Best thing about the turnpikes? They always kept the roads clear. Sure, they cost money, but it was worth it. Right?
We slowly came to a stop, about six trucks back from paying the toll. And then… We were stopped for sure. Word came back that Ohio had closed its road. What??That was why those "idiots" had been stopped and parked strangely at the service center.
While the two storms met up and churned everything around us, we sat in a row of trucks, in the cab of ours. On the second day, they "let" us pay our toll and move to the snow-drifted area between the two turnpikes. We sat while it snowed. We sat while the storm ended and the sun shone through gray clouds. We sat day and we sat night. We sat there in no man's land for three days and four nights. It felt biblical.
A restaurant about a mile away (walk to the fence separating the toll road from the rest of the road, climb said fence, climb an embankment to the road and go another three-quarters of a mile, all through deep snow) was snowed in, so the waitress and cook who couldn't make it home had a bunch of truckers for customers. For three days. I'll bet they were thrilled.
Finally, through more flurries, Ohio opened its toll road—single lanes in each direction. After a day's drive that normally took three or four hours, we passed into Pennsylvania. Say glory! There was next to no snow! The real kicker? Had we stayed on the Indiana toll road instead of moving through, they would have let us off for free. Any trucks stuck on the turnpike did not have to pay the toll to get off. So we had to pay both Indiana and Ohio and that's no small amount of money! Thank you, Mother Nature!
I featured some wild foggy weather in my paranormal erotic romance, Passionate Destiny. The unexpected—and unexplained—freaky fog meant the hero, Aaron, had to stay at the heroine's house that night. Oh, darn.
Wicked Mother Nature by Dee S. Knight #WickedWedmesdau #ghost
WICKED WEDNESDAY
Please join me in welcoming back one of my favorite and frequent guests, Dee S. Knight. Wicked comes in all forms and Dee has a fun take on wicked today with an exciting true life adventure.
Instead of focusing on a wicked person or even a character, I'd like to tell you about wicked Mother Nature. She'll pull a fast one and there everyone is, made humble by snow or rain, ice or heat. There is an old commercial that famously intoned, "It's not nice to fool Mother Nature!" Well, it's not nice for her to fool us, either.
Back in our trucking days, we had to drive through some truly wicked weather. I remember once in Montana, realizing the highway I was driving on was covered in black ice. Snow storms were common. We outran a dust storm in Texas once, and lost our air conditioning in horrendous heat and humidity. Through it all, we had to keep going to deliver the freight.
But once, coming into Chicago, we heard about a storm approaching from the west. The snow was a late one, and sure to be wet and heavy. It was early morning and still dark. Hubby was driving the stretch on I-80, just as Illinois meets Indiana. An accident and detour held us up for nearly an hour, and before we knew it, the storm caught up with us while we were driving the Indiana Turnpike.
I woke up as it turned light, and crawled out of the sleeper. "Look at that idiot," I said. "That trucker thinks he can park in the ramp to the service center. And look at those guys, just parking on the shoulder. What's going on?"
"A storm came in from the west. What I didn't know is, another storm came up from the south. And we're right in the middle of the mess."
Ahead, I could see the toll booth that marked the end of the Indiana toll road. A couple of miles past that, we would be on the Ohio Turnpike. Best thing about the turnpikes? They always kept the roads clear. Sure, they cost money, but it was worth it. Right?
We slowly came to a stop, about six trucks back from paying the toll. And then… We were stopped for sure. Word came back that Ohio had closed its road. What??That was why those "idiots" had been stopped and parked strangely at the service center.
While the two storms met up and churned everything around us, we sat in a row of trucks, in the cab of ours. On the second day, they "let" us pay our toll and move to the snow-drifted area between the two turnpikes. We sat while it snowed. We sat while the storm ended and the sun shone through gray clouds. We sat day and we sat night. We sat there in no man's land for three days and four nights. It felt biblical.
A restaurant about a mile away (walk to the fence separating the toll road from the rest of the road, climb said fence, climb an embankment to the road and go another three-quarters of a mile, all through deep snow) was snowed in, so the waitress and cook who couldn't make it home had a bunch of truckers for customers. For three days. I'll bet they were thrilled.
Finally, through more flurries, Ohio opened its toll road—single lanes in each direction. After a day's drive that normally took three or four hours, we passed into Pennsylvania. Say glory! There was next to no snow! The real kicker? Had we stayed on the Indiana toll road instead of moving through, they would have let us off for free. Any trucks stuck on the turnpike did not have to pay the toll to get off. So we had to pay both Indiana and Ohio and that's no small amount of money! Thank you, Mother Nature!
I featured some wild foggy weather in my paranormal erotic romance, Passionate Destiny. The unexpected—and unexplained—freaky fog meant the hero, Aaron, had to stay at the heroine's house that night. Oh, darn.
Please join me in welcoming back one of my favorite and frequent guests, Dee S. Knight. Wicked comes in all forms and Dee has a fun take on wicked today with an exciting true life adventure.Instead of focusing on a wicked person or even a character, I'd like to tell you about wicked Mother Nature. She'll pull a fast one and there everyone is, made humble by snow or rain, ice or heat. There is an old commercial that famously intoned, "It's not nice to fool Mother Nature!" Well, it's not nice for her to fool us, either.
Back in our trucking days, we had to drive through some truly wicked weather. I remember once in Montana, realizing the highway I was driving on was covered in black ice. Snow storms were common. We outran a dust storm in Texas once, and lost our air conditioning in horrendous heat and humidity. Through it all, we had to keep going to deliver the freight.
But once, coming into Chicago, we heard about a storm approaching from the west. The snow was a late one, and sure to be wet and heavy. It was early morning and still dark. Hubby was driving the stretch on I-80, just as Illinois meets Indiana. An accident and detour held us up for nearly an hour, and before we knew it, the storm caught up with us while we were driving the Indiana Turnpike.
I woke up as it turned light, and crawled out of the sleeper. "Look at that idiot," I said. "That trucker thinks he can park in the ramp to the service center. And look at those guys, just parking on the shoulder. What's going on?"
"A storm came in from the west. What I didn't know is, another storm came up from the south. And we're right in the middle of the mess."
Ahead, I could see the toll booth that marked the end of the Indiana toll road. A couple of miles past that, we would be on the Ohio Turnpike. Best thing about the turnpikes? They always kept the roads clear. Sure, they cost money, but it was worth it. Right?
We slowly came to a stop, about six trucks back from paying the toll. And then… We were stopped for sure. Word came back that Ohio had closed its road. What??That was why those "idiots" had been stopped and parked strangely at the service center.
While the two storms met up and churned everything around us, we sat in a row of trucks, in the cab of ours. On the second day, they "let" us pay our toll and move to the snow-drifted area between the two turnpikes. We sat while it snowed. We sat while the storm ended and the sun shone through gray clouds. We sat day and we sat night. We sat there in no man's land for three days and four nights. It felt biblical.
A restaurant about a mile away (walk to the fence separating the toll road from the rest of the road, climb said fence, climb an embankment to the road and go another three-quarters of a mile, all through deep snow) was snowed in, so the waitress and cook who couldn't make it home had a bunch of truckers for customers. For three days. I'll bet they were thrilled.
Finally, through more flurries, Ohio opened its toll road—single lanes in each direction. After a day's drive that normally took three or four hours, we passed into Pennsylvania. Say glory! There was next to no snow! The real kicker? Had we stayed on the Indiana toll road instead of moving through, they would have let us off for free. Any trucks stuck on the turnpike did not have to pay the toll to get off. So we had to pay both Indiana and Ohio and that's no small amount of money! Thank you, Mother Nature!
I featured some wild foggy weather in my paranormal erotic romance, Passionate Destiny. The unexpected—and unexplained—freaky fog meant the hero, Aaron, had to stay at the heroine's house that night. Oh, darn.
February 16, 2020
New Book, #Charity, #Sale, #Free Audio Codes
MUSE MONDAYIt's not often I check in on Muse Monday. I usually reserve this column for my guests. But with an open slot and all I have going on right now, a short post from me is appropriate.
An old hotel in Joshua...haunted?I wrapped up book one in my new series, with a working title of Magpie, A Joshua Arizona Novel. Now I wait. I'm looking a larger publisher or self-publisher. In the meantime, book two in the series is forming with a working title of Harlan, A Joshua Arizona Novel. FDW has advised me these are not exciting enough titles. I'm taking his advice under consideration (especially since they don't excite me either).
The charity driven anthology is out and doing great. Be sure to order your copy or copies of Australia Burning. My contribution, Pinochle, is in volume one.
Amazon Buy Link Click Here
I have a book on sale right now, too.
A Legacy of Love and Murder
, eBook, is on sale right now for $1.99. You have until the 20th to secure a copy. On February 21,
The Power of Love and Murder
will be on sale for $1.99 until March 5. Mark your calendar.
Amazon Buy Link Click Here
AND I still have both US and UK FREE CODES for my audio books. You really need to contact me soon because they won't last forever. email me brenda@brendawhiteside.com.
Okay, back to writing. Happy February!
To listen to a sample of my audio books: Click Here for Audible Page
An old hotel in Joshua...haunted?I wrapped up book one in my new series, with a working title of Magpie, A Joshua Arizona Novel. Now I wait. I'm looking a larger publisher or self-publisher. In the meantime, book two in the series is forming with a working title of Harlan, A Joshua Arizona Novel. FDW has advised me these are not exciting enough titles. I'm taking his advice under consideration (especially since they don't excite me either).The charity driven anthology is out and doing great. Be sure to order your copy or copies of Australia Burning. My contribution, Pinochle, is in volume one.
Amazon Buy Link Click Here
I have a book on sale right now, too.
A Legacy of Love and Murder
, eBook, is on sale right now for $1.99. You have until the 20th to secure a copy. On February 21,
The Power of Love and Murder
will be on sale for $1.99 until March 5. Mark your calendar.Amazon Buy Link Click Here
AND I still have both US and UK FREE CODES for my audio books. You really need to contact me soon because they won't last forever. email me brenda@brendawhiteside.com.
Okay, back to writing. Happy February!
To listen to a sample of my audio books: Click Here for Audible Page
February 7, 2020
#FearlessFriday is about #AustraliaBurns
FEARLESS FRIDAYMy heart goes out to the people, the animals, and the beautiful country of Australia. There are so many stories of fearlessness coming from this devastating tragedy.
I am honored to be part of a three book anthology dedicated to the ongoing battle caused from the fire. My story appears in the first volume. All proceeds are going to charity to help Australia regain their footing. These books are a compilation of donated short stories from The Wild Rose Press Authors. They are as varied as the authors. We hope you'll buy the books to help Australia and get yourself some fun reading with your donation.
AMAZON BUY LINKS FOR VOLUME ONE:
eBOOK
PRINT
AMAZON BUY LINKS FOR VOLUME TWO:
eBOOK
PRINT
AMAZON BUY LINK FOR VOLUME THREE (print book not yet on Amazon)
eBOOK
If you'd like to order the print books directly from The Wild Rose Press to donate more to charity, click here: THE WILD ROSE PRESS
I am honored to be part of a three book anthology dedicated to the ongoing battle caused from the fire. My story appears in the first volume. All proceeds are going to charity to help Australia regain their footing. These books are a compilation of donated short stories from The Wild Rose Press Authors. They are as varied as the authors. We hope you'll buy the books to help Australia and get yourself some fun reading with your donation.
AMAZON BUY LINKS FOR VOLUME ONE:eBOOK
AMAZON BUY LINKS FOR VOLUME TWO:eBOOK
AMAZON BUY LINK FOR VOLUME THREE (print book not yet on Amazon)eBOOK
If you'd like to order the print books directly from The Wild Rose Press to donate more to charity, click here: THE WILD ROSE PRESSFebruary 4, 2020
We All Love a Little Wicked by Barb Caffrey #WickedWednesday #Elf
WICKED WEDNESDAYPlease welcome Barb Caffrey to Wicked Wednesday because we all love a little wicked.
Sometimes, we all like to be wicked.Really. We do.
The thing is, we don't necessarily like to admit to it. Not when we're out paying bills, or being responsible, or making sure the kids in our lives get their teeth brushed.
When my late husband and I worked on the Elfy duology together (at that time one book; now, it's AN ELFY ON THE LOOSE and A LITTLE ELFY IN BIG TROUBLE), we knew that everyone loved a villain. But we weren't sure at first what to do in order to get that villain across.
Enter Dennis the Dark Elf Priest. (Soon shortened to Dennis, the Dark Elf, as writing "Dark Elf Priest" all the time became too much for us to bear.) Dennis was a nasty cuss who hated anyone who wasn't a Dark Elf, but was masquerading as a human priest in order to stir up as much trouble as he could. (If you're thinking, "That Dennis really is a menace," you're right. I even said so at one point in the book!) He planned on sacrificing at least one Elfy (a race of short magicians, none above four feet two inches tall) at Beltaine, otherwise known as May Day, because he wanted power. And he didn't care about any repercussions – for example, the fact that most humans know nothing about magic, and would be upset to find out about it, after he'd killed someone in cold blood in front of them at a major church festival, didn't even enter his mind.
Our hero, Bruno the Elfy, is in love with Sarah, a mostly human teenager. He is good all through, but as a teen himself, he doesn't particularly realize it.
I'm sure you can tell where this is going, but I'll spell it out: in A LITTLE ELFY IN BIG TROUBLE, Dennis's aim is to capture Sarah. Because she has power, and is partly of the Elfy race. And if he sacrifices her, he'll gain more for himself.
But in the interim, he's got another Elfy to sacrifice. And that person is Bruno's teacher Roberto the Wise. The only other person Bruno cares deeply about…and the person who took Bruno's place at the sacrificial table by way of a ruse.
First, here's a blurb for you telling you what A LITTLE ELFY IN BIG TROUBLE is about:
Bruno the Elfy has lived through much since he was sent to Northern California. And while he's freed himself from enslavement, his Elfy mentor has been taken by an evil Dark Elf—and his mostly-human fiancée, Sarah, is also at risk.Can young love, desperation, and great unexpected power win out despite it all?
I hope this will whet your interest! But in case you want more right now, how about an excerpt? (Dennis has to be wicked enough for any three others, so hopefully he's a good choice for Wicked Wednesday!)
## Excerpt follows ##"Now is the day of reckoning," Dennis said briskly, rubbing his hands over the top of the sacrificial table. It looked to be rough-hewn marble. An auric stench permeated it, which made Bruno wonder just what—or who—Dennis had sacrificed recently. Bruno offered up a prayer for the unknown innocent's soul just in case.
"What day of reckoning, Dark Elf?" Sarah retorted. "All I see is you, my father—Daddy, how could you do this?—and some of your buddies causing trouble."
"The Elfy presence on Earth will be eradicated," Dennis growled. "Starting with this—" he pointed to Roberto "—then we'll get to you. And maybe we'll even kill your mother. How's that for 'what day of reckoning?'" he finished silkily.
"You'll never get away with this," Sarah said, tears coursing down her cheeks.
"Not only will I get away with it," Dennis corrected her, "I have some of my people out searching for your Elfy boyfriend. When we get him, our work will be complete."
"You'll never find him," Sarah said. "And Daddy, I hate you! I repudiate you!"
Thomas turned away from Sarah with a smug, self-satisfied smile on his face. Bruno had never hated anyone more than he hated Thomas in that instant. That hatred kept him from thinking much about Dennis's statement, which was probably just as well.
He was already scared enough as it was.
Links for A LITTLE ELFY IN BIG TROUBLE:Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B018B4699WBarnes and Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/a-little-elfy-in-big-trouble-barb-caffrey/1123003283
Three sample chapters are available at my publisher, Twilight Times Books: http://www.twilighttimesbooks.com/ElfyinBigTrouble_ch1.html
And a few links for me!My blog: https://elfyverse.wordpress.comFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/barb.caffrey.1Twitter: https://twitter.com/BarbCaffrey
January 31, 2020
Reading and #Reviews (Gallant, Patterson with Allen, Eaton)
I'm a writer, but I'm also a reader. Each month, I'll share with you what I'm reading and some reviews. My available time to read is limited because I write, but I love to curl up with a book or an eReader at night for the last hour of my day.
I tend to read what I write, but not exclusively. I’m currently reading two books. The Little Book of Sloth Philosophy (a fun way to teach myself to relax) and Second Wind by Alison Henderson, a romantic suspense. I also read crime and law novels, WWII historicals, mysteries, and some main stream character driven novels.
Here are some of the books I've read recently or in the not too distant past. Maybe you'll discover a new book or author!
Lethal Memory by Jannine GallantRomantic Suspense“Will a cure for humanity be the death of her?”
Book two of the Counterstrike Novel series is sure to delight fans of Ms. Gallant. As always, she weaves great suspense with romance and this time throws in the tough subject of dementia. Riley is a biology professor with amnesia. Locked away in her mind could be a cure for dementia. Her knowledge nearly gets her killed before the Counterstrike team rescues her. While her passion grows with one of the rescuers, her fight to regain her memory is coupled with the race to recover her cure and save her grandfather.
AMAZON BUY LINK
Juror #3 by James Patterson with Nancy AllenCrime/Mystery“A young attorney is defending her client in a racially charged felony case -- but in a town of old money and hidden secrets, her first trial may be her last in this #1 New York Times bestselling legal thriller.”
Actually two books in one, Juror #3 is the first of the stories. The new lawyer in town does a fine job of defending her clients in spite of the strikes against her. This is an easy read, but does not have the hard-hitting plots of James Patterson of the past. I’ve found this true of the books he co-authors.
AMAZON BUY LINK
Booked 4 Murder by J.C. EatonCozy Mystery“Sophie “Phee” Kimball is not a cop. She’s a divorced, middle-aged mom who works as an account clerk for the police department in a small city in Minnesota. But her retired mother, Harriet Plunkett, is convinced Phee is the only one who can solve the mystery of a cursed book.”
This Cozy Mystery is just that. You’ll chuckle as you read and roll your eyes in all the places Phee is probably rolling her eyes. I’m originally from Phoenix and my mom lived in Sun City for years, so reading this mystery was even more fun for me. Since this is the first in the series, I know Phee must continue her sleuthing, and I’m going to have to follow her in her adventures.
AMAZON BUY LINK
January 23, 2020
Tips and Myths #ThursdayThoughts #SaveMoney
I doubt anyone is opposed to saving money. I have a file where I stick money-saving tips when I run across something I read or a friend shares. Here are some of the ones sitting in my file that caught my attention. I'll share!Don’t order movie tickets on line. You’ll pay a fee. Found this out the hard way!
Window cleaner is equal parts vinegar and water with a couple of dabs of dish washing liquid. I haven't tried this...I kind of avoid washing windows if I can get FDW to do it.
Get an on line account for the grocery store you shop and get updates on sales. You can load your This is a must. So easy. Really saves the money.
grocery store loyalty card with coupons that will be taken off your bill at the register. The following websites look good, but I haven't actually tried them. If you have, or do, I'd love to hear what you think:
On sites such as Raise.com, people offer unwanted gift cards below face value.
Get a list of discounts for seniors at dozens of restaurants, retail stores, and other places on the site TheSeniorList.com.
On line retailers offer discount codes. Check RetailMeNot.com before you finalize a purchase.
Check out your state’s possibilities for saving on property tax. Some offer a discount for over 65 or for widows. For real. My mom gets a widow's discount on her property taxes.
Get retroactive refunds. Most stores will refund you the difference when something you’ve bought goes on sale soon after. I've heard this, but I haven't tried it.
Good luck saving money!
1.
January 19, 2020
What does “Romantic Suspense” mean to you? by J. Arlene Culiner
MUSE MONDAYI'm so happy to welcome back J. Arlene to Muse Monday. And she's talking about a genre near and dear to my heart, Romantic Suspense. Enjoy!
Hello again, Brenda. Thank you very much for inviting me back to your blog. Today, I’d like to talk a bit about falling in love and my January 15th Romantic Suspense release, The Turkish Affair. Let’s start with those two words: Romantic Suspense. Don’t they conjure up stalkers, a serial killer or two, car chases, shoot-outs, terrorists, a gun-packing super heroine, and an impossibly handsome hero? Well…I must admit I prefer reality, even when it comes to romance. If I were in danger, could I really count on the sudden appearance of some gorgeous, sexy, very hot secret agent who instantly puts a villain out of commission? Of course I couldn’t. And, I’m certain that if I were being threatened by a madman, I’d be so wrought up, I wouldn’t have the energy — or the leisure — to get to know someone I’m attracted to, or to succumb to love’s powerful magic.
Which is why I decided to write a different sort of romantic suspense. There’s certainly menace, but it’s psychological. There has been a murder, but it happens off stage, without graphic description, car chases, or screaming sirens. My setting is exotic — the archaeological site of Karakuyu in an unstable part of Turkey — so we can’t really feel too comfortable. And we can’t count on the police either, for corruption is rampant in this part of the world.
My heroine, Anne Pierson, is running from a scandal in her past, and her attraction to archaeologist Renaud Townsend, threatens not only her peace of mind, but her way of life. Renaud, intelligent, gentle, has no wish to settle, for his passion is archaeology: “discovering the world from the ground down.” However, theft and murder draw them both into the mystery, and into emotions they are unable to control.
The Turkish Affair: another look at romantic suspense.
BlurbLove and Danger at the ancient Hittite site of Karakuyu
Priceless artifacts are disappearing from the ancient Hittite site of Karakuyu in Turkey, and the site director has vanished. Called in to solve the mystery, archaeologist Renaud Townsend is hindered by both his inability to speak the language and the knowledge that the local police are corrupt. His attraction to translator Anne Pierson is immediate, although he is troubled by her refusal to talk about the past and her fear of public scandal. But when murder enters the picture, both Anne and Renaud realize that the risk of falling in love is not the only danger.
Excerpt
A delicious breeze tickled the air, and the little boat rocked gently. A fine line appeared between his brows, and his blue eyes were, once again, serious. “I need your help.”She stared. “My help? With what? Translating?”“No. With something else. I have to find out who is behind the thefts at Karakuyu.”The feeling of dread returned, but she forced herself to sound casual. “How could I possibly help
you with that?”“I don’t know.” He sighed. “I suppose I just don’t want to feel that I’m alone in this.”What could she say to that? Tell him she was the last person he should team up with? That long ago, she’d escaped arrest by the skin of her teeth? If she did so, this splendid moment would be over. The silver-foil glimmer of romance would be tarnished forever. He’d row back to shore, drive back to Gülkale, get rid of her as quickly as possible.“Anne?” He reached out to caress her bare arm. “Come back from wherever you are.”“You know nothing about me,” she said jaggedly.“Nothing,” he agreed.She swallowed. “I could be involved in the thefts for all you know. Why ask for my help? Why choose me?”He smiled faintly. “A good question. I suppose, quite simply, I need—or want—to trust you.”She felt utterly miserable. Why was life always like this? Wanting someone and not being able to have them? Wanting trust, but seeing it snatched away before it came close?“Okay, then.” His voice was surprisingly tender. “If I promise not to probe into secrets, do I have
the right to ask one question?”She nodded with resignation.“Can I trust you?”The answer to that was simple enough. “Yes. Of course you can.”His returning smile was radiant. “Good.”She stared helplessly at the strong, angular features highlighted by the merciless sun. “That’s crazy. You’re willing to take my word for it? I could be lying.”He leaned forward, cupped her chin in his hand, and met her gaze evenly. “No way. Not with a face as expressive as yours.”
Author Bio
Writer, photographer, social critical artist, musician, and occasional actress, J. Arlene Culiner, was born in New York and raised in Toronto. She has crossed much of Europe on foot, has lived in a Hungarian mud house, a Bavarian castle, a Turkish cave-dwelling, on a Dutch canal, and in a haunted house on the English moors. She now resides in a 400-year-old former inn in a French village of no interest and, much to local dismay, protects all creatures, especially spiders and snakes. She particularly enjoys incorporating into short stories, mysteries, narrative non-fiction, and romances, her experiences in out-of-the-way communities, and her conversations with strange characters.
Links
Web site: http://www.j-arleneculiner.comBlog: http://j-arleneculiner.over-blog.comTrailer: http://j-arleneculiner.com/page-2-book4-turkish4-video.htmlStorytelling Podcast: https://soundcloud.com/j-arlene-culiner
Amazon Author pagehttps://www.amazon.com/author/jarlene...Bookbub https://www.bookbub.com/authors/j-arlene-culinerAmazon https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08...The Wild Rose Press https://www.thewildrosepress.com/authors/j-arlene-culinerBarnes & Noble : https://tinyurl.com/yx2lyg6vTwitter: https://twitter.com/JArleneCuliner/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jarlene.culiner/Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7158064.J_Arlene_CulinerPinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/jarleneculiner/
January 16, 2020
Diving In—Impulsive Bravery has its Downside By Joan Leotta #CivilWar #FearlessFriday
FEARLESS FRIDAY
What an amazing and talented guest I have today. Joan Leotta is a writer and story performer. She plans to relaunch her historical fiction series in June 2020 and is presently launching a new performance piece--Louisa May Alcott, Civil War Nurse.Contact her at joanleotta@atmc.net
Some might say the time I overcame greatest fear was when I entered the training ring with a two-year old bull in Spain. The finca (Bull farm) owner asked my friend and me if we would like to help him test his two-year old bulls to assess their willingness to fight in the ring in Madrid.The finca owner held the cape with me. I recall the chute opening and a large horned monster rushing toward us. I heard the man whisper, “arriba” and in synch with him I pulled up my end of the cape. I felt the bull thunder under the cape between us. “Corre” the man shouted, and I ran behind a sideboard and so did he. When the bull turned around, we were gone. This bull had made the grade. Everyone congratulated me, but truthfully, I felt more stupid than brave.
My next act of impulsive bravery came with more preparation, but not enough. I had a great idea. I could turn my 12 k short story about a young girl who worked in WWII DC into a novella—40,000 words. Research showed that romance publishers seemed best suited to this tale of espionage, assimilation into America, and young love.
I sent out my story as a sample and a query letter—to three publishers. Desert Breeze (now out of business) responded in the affirmative—very affirmative. They wanted this story, set in along with three others! A very short deadline was set for the first book and then I was to produce a book a year after that for four years. New to the field, I had no idea how much energy I would need to spend to expand my small platform into one large enough to sell the books I was writing. Writing that first book was easy. Editing was hard work, but I had a good editor and a fabulous cover artist assigned to me by the publisher.
By the time I felt I could handle the E-book marketing, I learned all four were going into print. I opted to focus my efforts there and formulated a marketing plan which personal circumstances shredded. As I was reformulating my plan last year, Desert Breeze (DB)closed its doors. I joined the group of authors who were working together to help market our books.DB gave me my rights, and for a small fee, the cover art. I plan to now gather up the courage to try a new-to-me venture—self-publishing the first three in the series as an e-book trilogy.This time, however, I am going to add proper research into formatting and into marketing to my action list. I’ve set summer 2020 as my launch. To bolster that launch I’m writing a new historical fiction performance piece, performing Louisa May Alcott as a Civil War nurse (something I have already researched and performed). Look first, then leap is now my motto. And, oh yes, I will not be stepping into the bull ring any time soon.If you want to support my efforts, please check out my blog, “What Editors Want You to Know”, Like my Facebook page Joan Leotta, Author and Storyteller, and email me at joanleotta@atmc.net if you are interested in inviting Louisa May to your venue to speak about her time as a civil war nurse and about her writing.
January 14, 2020
Wickedly Cool Research by Talia Logan #WickedWednesday #romance
WICKED WEDNESDAYWhat a wickedly fun post I have today from guest Talia Logan. Read on and enjoy!
In my younger days, I did some wickedly cool stuff in the name of research for my books. I got up at 4 a.m. one morning to head to the St. Marys River in St. Marys, Georgia, to board a commercial shrimp boat for the day. One of my characters was a shrimper, and I wanted the whole experience.Yeah. I spent most of the ride in the cabin, seasick.
Then I spent a weekend in a house full of Navy SEALs in Pensacola, Florida—not as wicked as it sounds, trust me—but interesting, to say the least. But one of them who’d become a friend of mine via ICQ (one of the first chat rooms when the internet was just a baby) talked me into skydiving. So a couple of weeks later, I met him in the Georgia countryside where I watched a 30-minute video on the inherent dangers of skydiving, got myself all suited up in a black jumpsuit, and we boarded a small plane to head into the blue skies. When we hit 13,000 feet, my SEAL friend opened the door of the plane and disappeared. The tandem master hooked himself to my back, pushed me to the opening, and pushed again.
The next thing I knew, I was plummeting toward Earth at 120 miles an hour. I’ve lived in the southeast most of my life and been through a dozen hurricanes, and the wind ripping at my face felt like I was in the middle of a Category 3 storm. All I remember is screaming at the top of my lungs, which I could feel, but couldn’t hear, with the roar of the wind in my ears.
After about sixty seconds, he pulled the cord, and the chute opened, jerking us up (which divers will tell you isn’t what really happens, but that’s what it feels like) and we drifted through the air at a leisurely, calming pace, peering at the landscape.
And I started to get airsick (kind of goes along with the seasick thing. Are you seeing a pattern here?)
“Are you going to be sick?” he asked.
“Uh, maybe?” I answered.
He shoved a barf bag in my face. “Here. So it won’t splatter on me.”
Nice guy.
I never did puke, but the one thing that’s always stayed with me about the experience is the intense silence up there. There were no sounds of planes, traffic, or even birds chirping. The only noise was an occasional rustle of the parachute in the breeze. It was the most incredible thing I’ve “never” heard. And I’ll never forget it. In fact, twenty-five years later, I’ve started considering a re-do. But we’ll see.
The moral of this tale? I wanted to share that experience with readers, and Deadly Chance was spawned. The heroine does make a tandem jump with the hero.
And she screams.
Blurb:
Photographer Tempest Raines is devastated when her adult son is snatched by Russian rebels. With her own deeply buried secrets, in her desperation to rescue him, she turns to Navy SEAL Chance Adams who reluctantly agrees to help her. But how much will she be willing to give of herself, and the truth, to save her son?Because even if they all survive the mission, when Chance learns about her past, Tempest might be better off dead. Excerpt: Chance shoved away from the chair and went to the bedroom, tapping lightly on the door. “Tempest?”He tried the handle, and the door opened. No answer, but the bathroom door sat slightly ajar. He went over and heard water running. He knocked and raised his voice. “Tempest!”“Go away.” Her voice streamed through the sound of the shower.He pushed open the door and stepped into the steamy room. “Tempest.”Her voice tight, she said, “Get out of my bathroom, Commander. Now.”“No. We’re going to talk.” He grabbed the curtain and scraped it across the rod.She shrieked and reached up to pull it back.He kept his hand on the bar, kicked off his shoes, and climbed into the tub. Water splashed over him, drenching his clothes. He ran his hands down her sides, then slipped his arms around her back and pulled her closer. “You already took a shower.”She shoved at his chest.He kept his grip, sliding his hands along her slick, soaped body. Water cascaded over her, her hair drooped against her shoulders in wet bunches. He leaned near her ear, resisting the urge to nibble, as the continuous stream pelted his head. “I’m sorry. It just surprised me. I don’t believe you would do that.” The tension slinked from her muscles.She shifted her hands on his chest, but no longer pushed. “You need to go. Please.”He didn’t move. “We still have a lot to do.”“In the shower?”He pressed against her. “I’m comfortable here.”She bunched up a bit of his shirt in her hand and squeezed out water from the material. “Your clothes are soaking wet.”He slid his hand to her shoulder, then behind her neck. His lips close to her ear, he whispered, “Then I guess I’ll have to walk around here naked until they dry.”She slapped at his chest, forcing him away. “You are an insufferable jackass. Get out of my tub.” She reached behind her and turned off the water.He let his hands slide off her body, but took his time, lingering on her hips. “I’ve had a lot of insults hurled at me, but I don’t believe anyone has ever called me an insufferable jackass.”A growl spurted from her, and she yanked a towel from the rack, wrapping it around her curves. Without comment, she climbed over the edge of the tub and tromped into her bedroom.
Bio: Talia Logan is the pen name for an award-winning author of thrillers, but Talia writes romance. Her alter ego isn’t a secret, but she does want to keep her genres separate.In her stories you’ll find heartbreak and joy, maybe a little intrigue, and always a happy ending. She writes from the porch of a Chesapeake Bay-front home, where the seagulls caw by day, the waves crash by night, and the moon casts a sultry glow over the dark waters.Okay, maybe that’s fiction, but she can dream.
www.talialogan.com
talialoganromance@gmail.com
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