Brenda Whiteside's Blog, page 80

LUNATIC PRESENT by Lida Sideris

FEARLESS FRIDAY You're going to love this post, readers. Welcome to the blog, Lida. Sometimes I feel like I’m onboard a pirate ship in the middle of a vast, restless ocean, surrounded by strangers of questionable character. I’m stuck…unless I want to dive over the side into dark, bottomless waters hiding hungry creatures with long, sharp teeth and a passion for blood. I’m talking about my day job as the director of a legal non-profit. Most of my days are harmless; all are action-packed. I work with over 600 lawyers and judges. I run different programs that sometimes bring out the complicated, the unpredictable, and once in a while, the unstable in the community I’m rarely alone in my suite. Other attorneys populate the building, leaving me with numerous capable hands and minds to help when needed. Except for this one day. My assistant was out, and so it seemed was everyone else in my section of the building. It was late morning, a lovely day in Southern California. Life was good. I sat in my office, reviewing paperwork, when the door to my suite opened. I stepped out to the desk usually occupied by staff. A gentleman in his sixties stood before me, wearing a suit and tie, carrying a file in one hand. I took him for a lawyer or possibly a prospective client. Life was still good. I asked if he needed help. He replied, “I’m here just for the day, from Pebble Beach.” Pebble Beach is a posh community just southwest of San Francisco. He captured my attention with that tidbit. He appeared legitimate. “I need to file for arbitration.” “I’d be happy to help.” He moved closer and dropped his file on the desk. He emptied his pockets. Keys, pens, and a bottle of medication tumbled out. The rest of his words were a blur. He mumbled something about his criminal case, his unjust imprisonment, how his attorney was in cahoots with the DA and how they wouldn’t get away with it. I started to feel nervous. “I need to move my car.” He raced out the door. Without his keys. And up the stairs to the second floor…where there was no parking lot. I moved toward the door, but he was back before I could exit. “Why aren’t you helping me?” His next words spilled out in one stream. “Are you in cahoots with them too?” For a moment, I saw myself as a headline in the morning news. Mild mannered non–profit director found… and I got angry. “You need to leave.” “I’m not going anywhere. You don’t know who you’re dealing with. I’m the godson of JFK. I dated Hillary during the Whitewater scandal, I…” Okay, so at least one screw was loose. I wanted him out. In my novel, my heroine works for a boss who lays down the law, Marshall Law that is, (his name is Marshall), about unseating difficult people. Marshall suggests having a lunatic present when involved in a potentially sticky situation or, if no lunatic is handy, to act like one yourself. I squared my shoulders, stood tall, pointed to the door, and in my best Darth Vader voice, I boomed. “Out!” I could have chased a Grizzly Bear in high heels at that moment. The guy grabbed his belongings and turned to say something, but I maintained my stance. He left. I never thought I’d take advice from a fictional character in my own novel. Little did I know. Blurb: Watch out Southern California! There's a new entertainment attorney in town and she's got game. Only problem is, it’s not the one she should be playing. Corrie Locke belongs behind a desk, not behind a Glock. She should be taking VIP calls, not nosing around a questionable suicide. Instead, she's hot on the trail of a murderer.
Luckily, she's the daughter of a late, great private eye and she's inherited his love of sleuthing…and illegal weaponry. It doesn't help matters that her gene for caution is a recessive one. Corrie finds herself in the center of a murder case, unearthing suspects in shocking places. With a cold-blooded killer on the loose, Corrie will have to up her game, or die trying.Biography: Like her heroine, Corrie Locke, Lida Sideris worked as an entertainment attorney for a film studio. Unlike her heroine, she did not get blackmailed into investigating the suspicious death of a co-worker. Lida resides in the northern tip of Southern California with her family, their rescue shepherds, and a flock of uppity chickens. She was one of two national recipients of the Helen McCloy/Mystery Writers of America scholarship for mystery writing. Links:               WEBSITE:   http://www.lidasideris.com/              BLOG:     http://www.lidasideris.com/blog/              FACEBOOK:  https://www.facebook.com/lidasideris              TWITTER: @lidasideris               Goodreads:    http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/26139837-murder-and-other-unnatural-disasters?from_search=true&search_version=service
Purchase Links          AMAZON          NOOK          iTUNES     THE WILD ROSE PRESSA Book Excerpt:I veered out of the parking lot and bounced onto the cavity-ridden dirt road. The mystery car appeared out of nowhere from beneath the tall pines, eclipsed by the darkness. Now it raced away somewhere ahead.“Why didn’t we hear it start?” I asked James.“It’s a hybrid.”“We’re in a car chase with a Prius?” A car chase with a Porsche or Ferrari was respectable, but with a battery operated car? All bragging rights vanished.I shifted into warp speed and surged downhill. Seconds later, we faced the hybrid’s rear bumper. The spot for the license plate sat empty.“He’s not getting away,” I said.The hybrid turned and launched up a hill, kicking up pebbles and a dusty haze. It fish-tailed and I nearly nipped it in the rear. I executed a sharp left and ran over something large. And lumpy.“Stop,” James said.I skidded to a halt, a cloud of dirt trapped in my headlights. The Prius escaped through an open gate and onto La Paz. My eyes cut to the rearview mirror. My tail-lights illuminated the road behind us in an eerie red glow. As I surveyed the scene, not a trace of saliva remained in my mouth. 

#LivingCheap and Living Fun

TRIPPIN' THURSDAY

In everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose...in our latest season, with only a vague plan and a touch of creativity, we're off on another adventure. Half of this twosome is retired; my half will probably never know what that means. I promise to share. Yard art at the RV Park
I like to give pointers on living cheap…living cheap and having fun. Recycling has taken on a broader meaning in recent years. Stores specializing in used items are springing up everywhere. They’re getting really classy, too. Have you been to Goodwill lately? Sure not the same stores I rummaged through as a teen. There’s a St. Vincent in Payson More in the rose gardenthat is really upscale. There are three lovely wood cabins around a little courtyard. One cabin is two stories and filled with house wares, including furniture. They have it laid out beautifully. I think if I were to set up house from scratch, I’d hit the used stores first.
There are a few ladies in the RV Park that have gotten into glass art. Big Time. They’ve collected so much used glass, they could open their own glass shop. They make frequent trips to yard sales and stores like Goodwill. They make beautiful yard art—everything from angels to birdbaths to pieces of decoration.
My birdfeederI don’t have time for a hobby since writing takes up my days, but I decided to try my hand at making a glass work of art. I wanted to make a bird feeder. I had a couple of pieces of glass, and a trip into town with Patty and Vickie got me the rest. For a couple of bucks, I now have a gorgeous birdfeeder.
So today’s tip…think used before new and save a bundle.
Trippin’ to California was this last week’s trip. My son’s in-laws rented a beach house and we were invited to spend a few days. What Running on the beach with Sadia great time lazing on the beach, walking to the pier, and breaking bread with a crazy bunch of people.
Money tip on this trip: buy as little gasoline in California as possible. Making sand angels

OH SO WICKED by Rebel Miller

WICKED WEDNESDAY Please welcome my guest, Rebel Miller, to Wicked Wednesday. And please read all the way and enter her drawing! Don't you just love a chance to win?! How about a wicked adversary?!In Awakening and Promising, the first two books in my futuristic New Adult romance trilogy, Gabriel Minister and Maxim Noble play terribly sinister roles, but neither of them is who I would choose as my wicked adversary. Aside from the protagonist, Kira Metallurgist, the character who I absolutely adored writing into being is Layla Sovereign, leader of the Realm. Why? Throughout the trilogy, readers get the sense that there’s something hidden behind Layla’s words, that something is off, just not right. She is as enigmatic and calculating as she is delicate and soft-spoken. Layla, or the Corona as her elite position is called, manipulates Kira, other people and situations like chess pieces, driving her own agenda forward. Frustratingly, we just don’t know what her agenda is! At least not yet! The truth is, as a ruler over numerous worlds, the Corona bears the heavy weight of many secrets, so it’s no wonder she keeps her cards close to her chest. But does that burden justify her playing with people’s lives? Promising: Book Two of Kira’s Story PROMISING, the riveting follow-up to AWAKENING by Rebel Miller. Faced with diverging loyalties — between those she loves and her responsibility to the Realm — Kira has to make heartrending and strategic decisions that threaten to jeopardize her future. As her connection to Tai deepens and turmoil in the Realm builds, so does Gannon’s frustration at being unable to call Kira his own. Worlds at War ... A Heart in Conflict While the Realm stands defiant amidst rising unrest, Kira is thrust into a role that puts her at the forefront of her system’s governance and law, supporting a landmark position. Following a devastating turn of events, she turns to Tai for a shoulder to lean on after making a painful choice to ensure Gannon fulfils the role he was meant for. As she becomes a reluctant - yet inspiring - voice for her caste, Kira learns about one of the Realm’s most well-kept secrets and how far leadership will go to prevent it from being revealed. What she doesn’t know is how much the decisions of her past have the power to bring enemies into her path, threatening to destroy everyone she holds close to her heart. This novel is for mature audiences (18+) and includes committed relationships with multiple partners. Available Now Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Promising-Book-Kiras-Story-Realm-ebook/dp/B01BHA9CCI/ref=sr_1_4?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1454625656&sr=1-4&keywords=rebel+miller AMAZONiBooks: https://itunes.apple.com/ca/book/promising/id1080537190?mt=11 iBooksKobo: https://store.kobobooks.com/en-ca/ebook/promising-1 KOBOGiveaway Enter to win an eBook version of Promising: Book Two of Kira’s Story, a Rebel Miller Books tote and magnet, and a signed poster. a Rafflecopter giveaway Tweets Worlds at War…A Heart in Conflict. Kira’s Story continues. #romance #newadult #TheRealmSeries http://bit.ly/rebelmiller The Hunger Games meets the Crossfire Series in Promising. #romance #newadult #TheRealmSeries http://bit.ly/rebelmiller
Excerpt “How is it that with all our system’s technology I can’t make love to you from thousands of light years away?”
I snorted, but my lips tilted up at the corners nevertheless. “I’m sure the Protectorate has some sort of virtual reality device that could be refashioned just for that purpose,” I offered, rearranging the wool blanket on my lap.
I was curled up in bed, facing my monitor and resting against a pile of pillows. It had become a familiar position over the last few weeks, one from which I would relay the day’s activities during my nightly call with Gannon. Well, it was a nightly call for me. The sun had already risen where Gannon lived, on Dignitas One.
Suddenly, Gannon seemed to be deep in concentration. “No, on second thought, there’s no technology that could ever measure up to the real thing.” He grinned.
I smiled, heat rising to my cheeks.
“There’s the smile I was looking for,” Gannon said, leaning closer to his monitor, and so closer to me.
He was sitting in his office. He had been holding our calls from there more frequently over the last month. From what I could see, his office was a large, well-lit space. A wall of floor-to-ceiling glass ran its expanse directly behind him. Through it, I could see citizens of every caste striding by in obvious haste to get things done, more than likely at Gannon’s bidding. During these nighttime conversations with Gannon, and within the intimate surroundings of my bedroom, it was easy to forget who he was and his status. As chancellor, he surely had, every day, a checklist as long as my arm, filled with tasks.
I frowned as I noted the time. “I should let you go,” I said, sitting up.
“Why?”
I glanced pointedly behind him, fiddling with the thin strap of my top. “Your office looks incredibly busy.”
He blinked then swiveled in his chair to look at the steady stream of people behind him.
“Oh, my support always look like that,” he said, mischief glittering in his clear blue eyes as he turned back to me. “They think it’ll prevent me asking them to do anything else.” He winked, and I laughed, loving his cheekiness.

#99c #AmazonKindle A Special for Book One in the Series

MUSE MONDAY
This is just too good of a deal, and I had to spread the word once again before it's over. There are only a couple of more weeks to get in on the sale.

The Art of Love and Murder is the first book in the series and the eBook version is an Amazon Encore exclusive. Amazon dropped the price yesterday from $3.99 to $.99. This is a limited time offer so if you haven't read it, what a great time to add it to your reader. This is the story of Lacy Dahl who is searching out information on her birth parents. What she finds is secrets, threats, and murder that will have you turning the pages.

Amazon Buy Link


Blurb:

Lacy Dahl never questioned her past until the deaths of her adoptive parents and her husband. A husband who wasn't what he seemed. Her research uncovers secrets about the mother she never knew; secrets that dispute the identity of her father and threaten her life.
Sheriff Chance Meadowlark is still haunted by the murder of his wife and the revenge he unleashed in the name of justice. When he meets Lacy he is determined not to become involved, but their pasts may make that impossible. As they move closer to the truth, saving Lacy may be his only salvation.
Lacy begins to think the present is more important than her past...until Chance's connection to her mother and a murder spin her deeper into danger and further from love. Will the truth destroy Lacy and Chance or will it be the answer that frees them?

Each book in the series can stand on its own and if you read out of sequence, you won't be lost. BUT books one and three are more closely tied together. Lacy is searching for more about her father. In A Legacy of Love and Murder , she and her daughter August travel to Austria to do just that. This is August's book and not only does she meet an Austrian James Bond, but she's tangling with Neo-Nazis. It's dangerous and could be the death of both her and her mother.

Blurb:

In Austria to meet her great-grandfather and explore his castle estate filled with priceless art, August Myer arrives to find he’s died suspiciously. As one of the heirs, her life is in danger, turning this fairytale Alpine adventure into a nightmare of unexplained accidents, neo-Nazi threats, and murder.
Inspector Tobias Wolf splits his time between his profession and fighting the spread of neo-Nazism. But when the beautiful, intriguing American crosses his path during a murder investigation, ensuring her safety challenges his priorities…and his heart.
When August learns the handsome inspector’s involvement with a major female Nazi is more than he’s admitted, and the death of her great-grandfather is somehow connected, she takes the investigation into her own hands. The outcome could be the death of both of them.
A Legacy of Love and Murder releases worldwide on March 30th. You can order the paperback version right now, but if you're an eBook reader you can pre-order and receive your book on or before March 30.

Paperback Buy Link
Pre-order eBook from Amazon



That's the big news. But don't forget about book two, Southwest of Love and Murder . Phoebe is Lacy's best friend and a murder-mystery writer. Someone is bringing her books to life!

Amazon Buy Link

Blurb:


Mystery writer, Phoebe Anderson, owes her success to killing her first husband on paper seventeen years earlier. Now, someone has actually done it. When she decides to take a few days away on the ranch of her best friend’s brother-in-law, she doesn’t expect romance to find her...or murder to follow her.
Mason Meadowlark is happy with his wild cowboy ways, avoiding love since the death of his baby and the end of his marriage twenty years ago. When Phoebe shows up, he fights to control his emotions, but soon wonders if she just might be worth the risk of opening his heart again.
With an obsessed fan close on her heels, Phoebe is thrown into her own murder mystery…and the next target on his list is Mason.

KEEP ON TRIPPIN' AND KRAUT

TRIPPIN' THURSDAY

In everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose...in our latest season, with only a vague plan and a touch of creativity, we're off on another adventure. Half of this twosome is retired; my half will probably never know what that means. I promise to share.
Germany trippin' daysWhen I renamed Thursday to Trippin’ Thursday, I thought I might get at least one funny comment from some reader. After all, trippin’ used to have quite a connotation. But then you’d have to be a child of the sixties like me to remember. We spent some of those years in Germany. I fell in love with the country and German food. I've come up with a recipe for pork and sauerkraut that is close to what we had in Southern Bavaria. If you don't like Americanized canned kraut, give my recipe a try. It's a world apart. Recipe is at the end of the post.
So back to trippin'...Nowadays, my trippin’ has a different connotation. Trippin' on Daddy's bday cakeI make several trips around the RV park every day trying to walk off those pounds I seemed to have picked up when I wasn't looking. Hubby and I try to take a trip now and then. A few times a month, I venture out on trips to Prescott, Phoenix, and Paulden.
Trippin' back in timeIt’s been four weeks since I’ve posted to Trippin’ Thursday. It's been a good month...or like we might have said way back when...it's been a trip, man. We've had birthday parties which are always a trip. We took a trip to the old west at Rawhide.

The latest book I'm writing is a trip, too. Until now, only unlikable Trippin' on the Rawhide traincharacters have met their demise. Or characters we haven't met are murdered before the book begins. In the book I am writing, book four in the series, I murder off a character that I like. That was hard. What a trip!

A Legacy of Love and Murder, book three, is out there for pre-order. It will be released worldwide on March 30. This book takes us to Austria. Now that's a trip. And the recipe below, although German, could be considered a bit Austrian. The German and Austrian cultures and cuisine are similar.

Trippin' in the woods in Tonto BasinEnjoy the recipe. And Keep On Trippin'!   









TRIPPIN' KRAUT
Ingredients:
One head fresh cabbage
2-4 pork ribs (these are the thick ones with some fat on them, although you could use a rack of spareribs)
Cummin
Celery Seed
Dill Weed
White Vinegar

I use a pressure cooker. I think you could use a slow cooker too.
Directions:
Slice up cabbage and fill cooker 2/3 full. Mix 1/2 cup white vinegar and 1/2 cup water. (If you use a whole head of cabbage you might add another 1/3 cup water if the head is big. But liquid does not  have to cover it.) Pour nearly all of the vinegar/water mixture over cabbage. Liberally sprinkle with cummin and dill weed. Be much less liberal with celery seed. Pour the rest of the liquid over it to carefully wash some of the seasoning down into the cabbage but not all of it. Place pork on top. I cook in the pressure cooker for 30 minutes. If you use a slow cooker, I would guess 6 hours on high, but you'll know your cooker better than I do. Sorry I don't measure seasonings. I just douse with quite bit. Enjoy!     

Stormy Weather and Tempestuous Lives by Dara Franklyn

MUSE MONDAY Please welcome Dara to Muse Monday!  Visiting family in New Jersey after Hurricane Sandy finished its destructive path in 2012, I still saw the devastation that remained.  Live wires were dangling in the road a month after the storm!
The memory of what I saw stuck with me.  And, that became the backdrop for the creation of Celia. What would it be like for people living at the Jersey shore whose livelihood relied on tourists visiting their charming seaside town?
While writing Celia, I found Sandy colored the experience, heightening the jeopardy and characters’ lives.
In 2015, Celia was published. Shortly afterward while I was attending a conference in New York City, I met a woman who had survived Sandy, but was still dealing with the aftermath. Government agencies were not supportive of the people who had lost their homes and livelihoods.  The most recent “Storm of the Century” to land in New Jersey hit in January, 2016.  Blizzards, record snowfall and road closings ensued. 
Some people cannot catch a break!  Book Blurb: CeliaLiving at the Jersey Shore and running her family’s gift shop, Celia Costa spends her time creating pottery.  She’s a romantic who has given up on love.  Then Max, a photographer and location scout for an upscale magazine, arrives and everything changes.  Can their new relationship survive the hurricane that destroys the Jersey Shore?
Excerpt: CeliaReaching for his card, Celia dialed his number.  Suddenly, as the phone rang, her palms were clammy, her mouth parched, and her pulse broke new speed records.On the third ring, his warm, mellow voice answered.“Hello, this is Max, how can I help you?” Max answered in a rehearsed voice.“Hi, Max. This is Celia, you know Celia from Sea Drift,” Celia said, her voice strained.Max’s response came through very clearly, changing tone… “Hello, Celia. Of course I know who you are. I’m so happy to hear from you. What can I do for you?” He paused on “for you” in a way that made Celia’s knees turn to jelly.What could he do for her?
Be sure to look for my next book, Angie's Secret, to be published by the end of April.  The protagonist is Angie Costa, Celia's mom, who has her own adventure and relationship.  Buy link: CeliaAvailable only on my website: DaraFranklyn.comWith a Secure link, available in print or pdf.

#99c #AmazonKindle #FridayFiction A Special for Series Book One

Happy Saturday. I don't normally post on Saturday, but with an upcoming series book to be released and one of the series on sale, I had to spread the good news.

The Art of Love and Murder is the first book in the series and the eBook version is an Amazon Encore exclusive. Amazon dropped the price yesterday from $3.99 to $.99. This is a limited time offer so if you haven't read it, what a great time to add it to your reader. This is the story of Lacy Dahl who is searching out information on her birth parents. What she finds is secrets, threats, and murder that will have you turning the pages.

Amazon Buy Link

Each book in the series can stand on its own and if you read out of sequence, you won't be lost. BUT books one and three are more closely tied together. Lacy is searching for more about her father. In A Legacy of Love and Murder , she and her daughter August travel to Austria to do just that. This is August's book and not only does she meet an Austrian James Bond, but she's tangling with Neo-Nazis. It's dangerous and could be the death of both her and her mother.


A Legacy of Love and Murder releases worldwide on March 30th. You can order the paperback version right now, but if you're an eBook reader that date will be your first chance.

Paperback Buy Link



That's the big news. But don't forget about book two, Southwest of Love and Murder . Phoebe is Lacy's best friend and a murder-mystery writer. Someone is bringing her books to life!

Amazon Buy Link

VAMPIRES AND ROMANCE...AND I'M OKAY by R.E. Mullins

WICKED WEDNESDAY

What's more wicked than vampires? Romance vampires! Please welcome my guest, R.E. Mullins. Enjoy!
 
Thank you, Brenda for allowing me to come on your blog today
But before we get to me shamelessly plugging my upcoming book, I’ve been asked me to say something about writing romance. Well, one of the first things I learned was that, all too frequently, admitting I wrote romance books often resulted in me stoutly defending the genre.
Yes, it happens repeatedly. After discovering I’m a romance/vampire/paranormal writer, it no longer surprises me to see a hint of censure on their faces. It’s as if I’ve suddenly disclosed something sordid about myself. Though most try to hide it, their expressions reveal their distaste as they ask the inevitable question. “Romance? Really?”
It makes me wonder when vampire/romance became the most menial of all book genres.
Yet even those who know and love me have cornered me to demand, “Why are you wasting your talents on fluffy romance books about vampires?” and “You’re too smart and talented to be writing what you do. I just know you’ve got the next ‘Great American Novel’ somewhere inside you.”
When faced with such condemnation, I get this mental image. I’m sitting in a crowded support-style meeting, surrounded by other romance authors.
We open our session with the pledge which, I believe, our moderator’s, Wreck It Ralph-loving, daughter must have composed. “I write romance and that is good. It provides a service that’s not understood. Contemporary, Western, historical, paranormal, et al. Love is universal, it touches us all.
When they get to me, I stand, and say, “Hello. My name is Robin and I write vampire romance.” “Hello Robin,” the group solemnly intones as I sit back down.
“Robin, why don’t you share something with us?” The moderator smiles radiantly as she motions for me to join her. “Tell us why you write in the romance genre.”
This is unexpected and does not make me happy. Feeling trapped, I slowly rise, and reluctantly move to the podium.
I hesitate, for a long drawn out minute, and then start by saying, “I write because…well, it’s a like a food craving. You know what I mean? There are stories bubbling around inside me, and I can’t stop until I get them out.” With that admission, I look up. I’m hopeful that I’ll see someone among the sea of faces that can relate. There are several nods of encouragement, and it helps me to continue in a stronger voice, “Sure I’ve had my share of hardships, and I’ve overcome a lot of them. I’ve dealt with being broke, body image, psycho co-workers, divorce, and being a single mother. But I don’t want to write about my life. I’ve lived my life. Instead I want the fantasy.” I stop for a moment, and try to gather my thoughts. “So what if I never receive critical acclaim for writing about falling in love or vampires or witches…I’m okay with that. All I want is for my books to give both me and the reader a fun-filled avenue of escape. I consider fluffy romance books like theMy heart feels lodged in my throat, and I swallow, “So I guess what I’m really trying to say is—I write what I like to read. I want to chuckle, be taken away like Calgon, and made to feel good. And if that happens for one of my readers? Then I’ve succeeded, I’ve achieved my goal, and I’m happy.”
So write on fellow romance writers. Write on.
I’m so excited to give you a sneak peek into my latest novel, A VAMPIRE TO BE RECKONED WITH. This is the third installment in the Blautsaugers of Amber Heights series. It can be read as a standalone but starting from the beginning might increase your enjoyment.

A VAMPIRE TO BE RECKONED WITH has its International release on March 23, 2016. However, you can enter the Goodreads Giveaway now to win one of ten, autographed copies.
Back cover:Vampire Metta Blautsauger is known as the family airhead and she works hard to keep up the façade. It’s the perfect cover as she goes from dispensing her own brand of justice as a vigilante to an agent for Orcus, the Nosferatu shadow agency.
Captured, tortured, and left for dead, she is forced to leave both the agency and Lucas O’Cuinn, the mentor she’s grown to love.
For the last century she’s struggled with regret and boredom. Then her life is given new meaning when four mortal ministers ask her help in stopping a human trafficking ring. If Orcus discovers her unsanctioned involvement, they will brand her as a rogue. The penalty is death. It’s only a matter of time before Lucas arrives—stake in hand.
Lucas O’Cuinn has waited ninety-eight years for Metta’s return and he’s run out of patience. It’s time she remembers she belongs to him.Excerpt:It was him. After a hiatus of ninety-eight years and giving up hope, he now stood a few feet behind her, having apparently appeared out of nowhere. Her heart stalled, she wheezed from shock, and stared into a face she’d never thought to see again.The wretched witch had been right and her blast from the past had arrived.The sight of her old field master set off a myriad of emotions, brutally ripping through her defenses. She stumbled through the mental minefield and each misstep sent more explosions surging through her. Hell, she’d rather face Mateo Osvaldo and his entire Toltec army than her former Orcus Master, Lucas O’Cuinn.One errant thought kept circling back through the jumble. Why couldn’t this meeting have happened when she wasn’t looking like a drowned rat—make that a frozen, drowned rat.“Metta,” he said her name softly, almost caressingly.She refused to acknowledge the split second of elation the sight of him gave her. Instead she took refuge in anger as it chased at the heels of joy, clinging to the bitter resentment the long years had taught her. Of course, where he was concerned such conflicted feelings were nothing new. Their relationship had been a constant push-pull series of emotional knots.In his larger-than-life way, he’d been both her hero and enemy.Damn him. What was he doing there?“Lucas O’Cuinn,” any effort to sound tough was ruined by her chattering teeth. She hoped he didn’t see the wave of hurt, guilt, and fear crushing in on her with all the raw energy and destructive force of a collapsing dam.His eyes flashed when she’d said his name, and the sound of it hung in the air between them. When he finally spoke, however, he sounded maddeningly calm—his nod so genial they might have been nothing more than chance acquaintances passing in the park.“I go by Luke Quinn now.” He shrugged off her questioning look, “it’s simpler. More in keeping with the times.”Run, her mind shouted when his gaze narrowed, his expression shifting into one that didn’t bode well for her. But it was too late to flee. The little bit of good sense she had left was extinguished by emotional flood waters, and the rampaging waves ruthlessly obliterated each coherent thought in its path.Maybe that’s why she suddenly dropped her hands to her sides in a defeated manner. Pure instinct took over when he got within striking range, and she drove her fist into his gut, surprising them both. He grunted as air shot out of his lungs, doubling his body over as he tried to catch his breath.Her natural predisposition rushed into play, insisting she take advantage of his forward momentum and bent over posture. Almost by rote, she thrust her shoulder into his chest, at the same time grabbing his extended arm. Her knees bent forward as she seamlessly rolled him up and off her hip.Much like that first time, his feet left the ground, and he went flying.Her self-congratulatory sneer slackened into shock when he landed on his feet.
Enter the Goodreads Giveaway today through release day 3/23/16 at: bit.ly/21o8IHbOr pre-order from:The Wild Rose Press:  bit.ly/1XKBBLjAmazon: amzn.to/1p0WEh4Barnes & Noble Online Nook Books: bit.ly/1Pu7cxDKobo: bit.ly/1oFbQ3DKeep up with the author on her blog and FB page.Blog: remullins.blogspot.comFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/REMullinsauthor/

REAL LIFE FEAR by Judith Ashley

FEARLESS FRIDAY Please welcome Judith Ashley to Fearless Friday. Judith has spine tingling experience to add to her novels.
By the time you read this, I will be starting the first draft of the seventh book in The Sacred Women’s Circle series. Sophialike the first book Lily starts with a scenario taken from my own professional life.
Taking three children into protective custody in my role as a child protective service worker, I really did have a mother charge me with a butcher knife and she found me ten years later with similar threats.
When I first heard her threatening message on my answering machine, the terror of her original attempt on my life paralyzed me. I had a full blown PTSD attack. For years if I had this twitchy feeling along my spine I would get up and check doors and windows even though I knew they were locked and I had had security screen doors installed as well as bars on the basement windows.
Re-experiencing the terror and even a nightmare or two (which is part of what PTSD is) as I wrote Lily gave me visceral experiences to draw upon as I wrote those scenes.Fast forward to 2016 and Sophia. The first chapter in this book will mirror another incident in my professional life.
It was a summer evening and I was asked to make sure an elderly man was okay. I found his home, made my way down an overgrown winding path to the lower level of the house where Mr. Z lived because the upper floors were uninhabitable. I knocked and a much younger man, who appeared to be living there, answered.
After introducing myself and explaining that Aging Services was concerned about Mr. Z and had asked me to check on him this evening, I spent almost an hour visiting with the men, talking about the various services Mr. Z might find helpful. My hope was to ferret out what was going on. My senses were telling me something was wrong, but both men assured me everything was fine.
Influenced by the younger man, Mr. Z refused every suggestion.
My heart pounded as I started back up the path to the street because the younger man was following me. Feigning concern for my welfare, he insisted on accompanying me. As we approached the darkest, most overgrown section, he reached out to “help me”. His earlier suggestive remarks, remarks I’d ignored, were repeated.
Hypervigilant, my awareness of everything around me magnified, including the distance to the street and safety.
Links:Website: http://judithashleyromance.comBlog: http://judithashley.blogspot.comTwitter: @JudithAshley19Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/1JudithAshle... are available through Windtree Press (http://windtreepress.com) and major e-retailers.

VICTIMS READING ABOUT VICTIMS by Rolynn Anderson

MUSE MONDAY I'm very happy to welcome Rolynn Anderson to my blog. I've read her books and I know you'll enjoy her post. One of the books I recently published, FEAR LAND, is centered on the many shades of post traumatic stress suffered by people of all ages and walks of life.  My concern about the malady intensified as I dug deeper into the research, so I decided to give a dollar of my profit on each paperback to a brain research foundation.  I’m considering a dollar donation per book to victims of crime with my seventh novel, CEZANNE’S GHOST, coming out later in the year.  That idea started me thinking about the readership of suspense, mystery and thriller novels. Do victims of crime read books in my genre? After their traumatizing experiences, do readers who once enjoyed books in my genre, switch to tamer stories in, say, the contemporary or inspirational categories?  Eventually, given the time/distance to grieve and heal, do victims return to my genre? Are most of the readers in my genre men and women who have never been victims of crime? While you ponder these questions, consider FAINT, my last book in the boutique funeral planner suspense series:
FAINT The Funeral Planner Suspense Series - Book 3By Award-winning Author, Rolynn Anderson Their dead clients refuse to rest in peace. How did small-town boutique funeral planning morph into crime-solving?  Ask freelance embalmer Trudy Solomon, or Pete McDonald, a blind, forensic investigator.  They’re unearthing mysteries of the deceased for their pregnant boss, Jan Keller, while her journalist husband, Roman, is benched by a ten million dollar defamation suit. A dead client goes missing, and investigating his disappearance forces Trudy and Pete to confront their fiercely independent styles.  When danger stalks them, will they blend brains, brawn and belief in one another to solve crimes and save themselves?
Excerpt from FAINT by Rolynn Anderson:
Guilt consumed her, its toxic waves crashing against her conscience, until she felt hollowed out. Brainless. Thoughtless. But she cried for the loss, an act which gave her hope. To cry for something meant she’d retained a remnant of what was right. If I cry harder, I’ll show everyone I’m a good person. Good person? Ha!  I criticize my own parents. My interest in cadavers is so intense I keep it a secret. And what I did to Theo? I tell anyone and I’ll not only lose my license, I might go to jail. Her throat burned, the pounding in her head intensified, and she felt drained from crying. Trudy opened her eyes to the brown of Pete’s. Thank God, you’re here, she wanted to say, but the thing in her throat wouldn’t let her. Someone grabbed her hand. Bella. ‘Bella Coola,’ Roman had nicknamed his grandmother. She was a cool woman, a friend.
Would they be here if they knew my secrets? http://amzn.com/B0180LJBRI https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/592110 http://rolynnanderson.com/ http://www.amazon.com/author/rolynnanderson