Nancy Lee Badger's Blog, page 42

Nancy Lee Badger Presents: Author Josie Riviera

Josie Riviera stopped by to share some interesting insights into her latest novel, Seeking Patience, which was released August 2nd. Take it away, Josie!
Exploring the fascinating culture of the Romany. (Gypsies)
“Gadje Gadjensa, Rom Romensa.”This is a Romany (Gypsy) saying that means “Gadje with Gadje, Rom with Rom.”
So what is a gadje? A gadje in the Romany language means “not one of us.” Many Rom prefer to not allow outsiders (us) into their lives. It’s no coincidence that in my hours, days, and months of researching the Romany for Seeking Patience, little information was available. Odd, because the Rom have lived in many places throughout the world for centuries. They’re a widely-traveled people. Yet there is little written history regarding their origins, although recent evidence points to an emigration from India 1500 years ago.
I believe the reason there is little information available is because the Rom simply prefer it that way. They are a proud people who keep to themselves. And they are nomads, forever on the move, traveling by horse and wagon in caravans. 

It is no secret that the Rom have suffered persecution, prejudice, exclusion, and discrimination for centuries. The “Gypsy” stereotype includes a criminal, fortune-teller, blacksmith, thief, and musician, a dark-complexioned, shadowy figure. But why do so many of us harbor this unfair prejudice? Perhaps because of the Rom’s nomadic existence, lack of a solid religious belief, and exotic clothes and lifestyle. Their dialect is distinct and related to Sanskrit. Their tradition is oral, for they didn’t have the luxury of building libraries.

One belief shared by all Rom is cleanliness. Mahrime means unclean or polluted. To avoid mahrime, clothes covering the top half of their body are washed separately from clothes on the bottom. Certain parts of the female body are considered unclean, and doctors are sometimes avoided because they deal with illness. And, a Rom can become polluted by being too close to a gadje.

Blurb for SEEKING PATIENCE:
Do people prove their worth by strength, or by character?

Half-Romany, half-English lord, he lives a perilous Gypsy life … until a sweet English rose saves his life, and perhaps his soul. Widowed by a cruel husband, she's given up all hope of love. Brought together in peril, they dare to reach for a brighter future together.

Luca Boldor, Romany leader, lives a nomad’s life in Regency England with his Gypsy caravan. Believing his noble father abandoned him at birth, he refuses to acknowledge his English blood, or live a settled life. But when a vicious attack by a rival leaves him bleeding on an English lady's doorstep, he has no choice but to accept her help. Her gentle faith stirs his heart in a way he has long denied.

Lady Patience Blakwell, widowed countess, lives in near poverty. Her husband's heir uses threats to keep her from demanding her rightful inheritance. With a few faithful servants, she exists quietly in the country, only her faith keeping her strong … until the day a bold, handsome Gypsy collapses in her hall. He's unlike any man she's ever known, and she'll confront any subterfuge to keep him safe.

But when a secret from Lady Patience's past emerges, Luca must face his own past, or lose her and all hope of love. Will this strong man humble himself to open his heart for his lady?

Travel back to Regency England for this sweet, inspirational romance—get your copy of Seeking Patience today!

Here are the buy links for SEEKING PATIENCE:
Amazon      Itunes/Apple
Nook       Kobo
Josie Riviera on a camel
More About the Author
Best-selling author Josie Riviera writes Historical, Inspirational, and Sweet Romances. She lives in the Charlotte, NC, area with her wonderfully supportive husband.They share their empty nest with an adorable Shih Tzu who constantly needs grooming and an old house forever needing renovations.
Sign up for her blog and subscribe to her newsletter on her website to receive a FREE EBOOK: josieriviera.wordpress.com and “Like” her Author Facebook Page 
Also Connect with her here:Facebook     Twitter     Instagram    Pinterest

Blog Tour and Giveaway has BEGUN!

I am a guest on the blog 'The Creatively Green Writer at Home Mom' as I kick off my Bewitching Blog Tour promoting my latest releaseSPARK, Clan of Dragons Book #1
Please stop by to read up on my article MEN IN KILTS and enter my Scottish Blanket & goodies Giveaway! Find it all right HERE
*I will be appearing on several blogs over the next two weeks, all with a chance to win a great prize package

And the Winner is...

A 'Stew Pot', ButterSCOTCH candy,Purple Jelly Beans, and a Celtic Bookmark*Continental USA only. Other will win Nancy's backlist ebooks 
You may enter using one or all of these methods 
(You NEVER have to do them all!)



Amazon         AmazonCanada    
AmazonUK     AmazonAUS     


And add me to your Goodreads Bookshelf    
a Rafflecopter giveaway

SPARK Clan of Dragons Book#1 is Out!

August 4th is a spiritually powerful day for anything 'purple' which is why I choose it as the day to release the 1st book in my new series, Clan of Dragons. 

To celebrate all month, I will have various GIVEAWAYS going on and the first is below. 

I will post Scottish words on my Facebook Author Page HERE all Day August 4th, asking that you repeat it in a comment. While there, will you please 'LIKE' my page?

Another comment I am looking for is the answer to "Where in the book might you find this black dragon icon?"

i will post more questions, but you can also have a chance to win by signing-up for my newsletter or tweeting about the giveaway. Easy Peasy! 

Want to win a Great Prize? Enter before midnight EST August 7th and you could win my Scottish Goodies.
No purchase necessary, but I would love you to purchase my new ebook.


Buy Links:
Amazon         AmazonCanada    
AmazonUK     AmazonAUS     
And add me to your Goodreads Bookshelf    




A 'Stew Pot', ButterSCOTCH candy,Purple Jelly Beans, and a Celtic Bookmark*Continental USA only. Other will win Nancy's backlist ebooks 
You may enter using one or all of these methods 
(You NEVER have to do them all!)
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Christmas in July Giveaway has Ended!

My purple-kilted Father Christmas (along with the kind folks at Rafflecopter.com) has announced the winners of my


CHRISTMAS IN JULY Scottish Prize Spectacular 
Giveaway!


SPARK is the first book in the Clan of Dragons series and is now available for pre-order, and will be released early next month, followed by SMOKE and SMOLDER (do you see a theme?) My dragons are sexy, magnificent, and ...lonely. My humans are ancient Scots doing their best to survive on Scotland's Isle of Skye.

Amazon    Amazon CanAmazon UK    Amazon Aus
*Add me to your 'WANT TO READ' Library on GOODREADS

Don't forget to sign-up for my Christmas in July Scottish PRIZE SPECTACULAR! No purchase necessary. Until SPARK is available for purchase, you might want to check out all the books on my Amazon Author Page

CHECK OUT THESE PRIZES!
Prize #1 Secret Lives of Elves & Faeries print bookPrize #2 My Honorable Highlander print book
Prize #3 'Nessie' Loch Ness Dragon Soda Can Cozy & Candy
Prize #4 My Banished Highlander print book
Prize #5 My Dark Highlander print bookPrize #6 My Hunted Highlander print bookPrize #7 A Charlie Brown Christmas LP Album 
(plus surprises!)
**any winners without a Continental USA address will receive a selection of Nancy's ebook backlist**


a Rafflecopter giveaway

Christmas in July GIVEAWAY

As a way to celebrate summer AND the upcoming release of my latest book (now available for pre-order) I am giving away a variety of prizes as my way to thank my readers. 

Although it is hot as Hades here in the southern United States, my purple-kilted Father Christmas is here to announce it is time for...




CHRISTMAS IN JULY!

The gifts range from print books to a family-favorite LP Album. The first three winners must be those receiving my Newsletter. 
(sign-up HERE to up your chances!)
The next several prizes will be available to anyone who clicks and chooses which way they wish to enter. Leave a comment, visit my Facebook Author Page, follow me on Twitter, etc. I will never share your contact info, but I will add your name to my Newsletter list, so you might as well sign-up first and have a greater chance to WIN one of SEVEN PRIZES!

SPARK is the first book in the Clan of Dragons series and is now available for pre-order, and will be released early next month, followed by SMOKE and SMOLDER (do you see a theme?) My dragons are sexy, magnificent, and ...lonely. My humans are ancient Scots doing their best to survive on Scotland's Isle of Skye.

Amazon    Amazon CanAmazon UK    Amazon Aus
*Add me to your 'WANT TO READ' Library on GOODREADS

Don't forget to sign-up for my Christmas in July Scottish PRIZE SPECTACULAR! No purchase necessary. Until SPARK is available for purchase, you might want to check out all the books on my Amazon Author Page

CHECK OUT THESE PRIZES!
Prize #1 Secret Lives of Elves & Faeries print bookPrize #2 My Honorable Highlander print book
Prize #3 'Nessie' Loch Ness Dragon Soda Can Cozy & Candy
Prize #4 My Banished Highlander print book
Prize #5 My Dark Highlander print bookPrize #6 My Hunted Highlander print bookPrize #7 A Charlie Brown Christmas LP Album 
(plus surprises!)
**any winners without a Continental USA address will receive a selection of Nancy's ebook backlist**

a Rafflecopter giveaway

SPARK: Cover Reveal & Pre-Order

SPARK is the first book in my Clan of Dragonsseries. My readers will let their imagination take them to the paranormal world where dragons live within the very real Black Cuillin Hills on the island off the Scottish coast called Skye. Using a harsh yet beautiful location gives my characters the perfect setting for dealing with humans, pirates, and even a nasty wild boar. I should mention that my love of horses played a major role in inserting them into the story. 

The next book in the series is SMOKE and will soon also be available for pre-order. It will be followed by SMOLDER , giving my readers more characters, more intimate scenes of romantic love and of course, more pirates and wild beasts.
Here is an excerpt from SPARK, Book #1, Clan of Dragons:


CHAPTER 1   Evan stared into the heavens while a gust of bitter wind ruffled the scales along his tail. The morning sun was making its way slowly upward, forcing the stars to disappear, while a heavy fog hid the earth, far below his perch. A heaviness filled his scale-covered chest, as well, because the news hurt. The future of their kind was in jeopardy.    Days earlier, Cliona had died. When in the form of a red doe, a human hunter had brought her down with his deadly arrow, ending Dougal’s chance at happiness. Dougal and Cliona were lovers, and his oldest brother had only recently realized that she carried their unborn dragon offspring.    Two lives lost.    Two very important lives.   Cliona was the last breeding female of their kind, and their offspring would have meant that the dragon clan of the Scottish island of Skye would endure.   From a peak somewhere above Evan, Dougal roared. The deep mournful howl reminded him of rolling thunder, which was probably what villagers would assume caused the sound. Evan and his remaining brothers hid from humans in the stony perches of Skye’s Black Cuillin Hills. They lived in caves beneath the sharp peaks that rose west of the Scottish Highlands surrounded by the sea, and across the narrow channel of the bay. The hills were home for more years than Evan could recall.    Their numbers had dwindled due to the weather, accidents, and the occasional hunter. To his knowledge, no humans knew they shared this area of Skye, but they crossed paths when in their other forms.   The freedom to shape-shift into forest animals meant a lot to his brothers. Dougal enjoyed shifting into a red stag, and running free though the trees and meadows. Wynn was partial to wolves, whose numbers had decreased as steadily as their dragon clan. Their environment was changing too fast, and dragons faced an uneasy future. “We be on the brink of extinction.”   As Dougal landed beside him, his talons scraped along the bare rock surface, and the mountain shook. Large pebbles rained down on their middle brother, Wynn, who growled but did not move from his lower perch. Dougal sighed, and Evan kept silent. Letting his brother talk first was safer. Dougal’s eyes glowed like angry flames, as red as his scales. His mood was as black as the wings he slowly folded over his back. Dougal’s newfound hatred toward humans was teetering on all-out war. Evan didn’t feel he was in the wrong, but talking with his brother while Dougal was in pain was dangerous.   SPARK is now available for pre-order exclusively from:
Amazon    Amazon Can    Amazon UK     Amazon Aus
*and if you want something you can read TODAY, 
download this 4-author Boxed Set
WHEN LOVE CONQUERS TIME,

Amazon Amazon Can      AmazonUK Amazon AU  

Independence Day

In America, the 4th of July is our country's official Independence Day. We love to celebrate with barbecues, parades, and fireworks. 

In order for my family to get together, travel is required. How have we gotten so separated? This is a vast country, and circumstances have sent us in various directions, hundreds of miles apart. 

Will you get together with family or friends to celebrate the birth of our nation that occurred in 1776, only 240 years ago? (We are a very young country!)

Happy Father's Day

Some people think Father's Day is a celebration of fathers, but it means different things to different people. At this writing, I am lucky my father is with us (he turned 91 years old at the beginning of this month).

Writers are naturally curious, so I did some research. The holiday was started in the United States in the early twentieth century. Although you might think it is the same as our Mother’s Day holiday, it is not as popular as Mother's Day. More research found that Father’s Day only became official in 1972. Mother’s Day started in 1914. I am not sure why it took so long to recognize dads…the real dads, whether biological or those who have taken in step kids or adopted children, but they all count.
I was out of the house by the time Father’s Day started back in '72, and I hope I did not ignore the concept. (Dad, did I send you a card at least?) I have always loved my dad, and appreciated him the best I could...well I did present him with two grandsons. Robert & Eric Badger Don’t forget your father on Father’s Day. Nancy Lee Badger Proud daughter of Robert Beegle  Amazon         AmazonUK  
Amazon CAN    Amazon AUS  

Ria Cantrell Presents: Celtic Peril

Ria Cantrell stopped by to share her latest release. CELTIC PERIL is a historical time travel romance set in Scotland.
In 1387, the peace of the Highlands is shattered when the young English King, Richard of Bordeaux announces that he will be touring the Northern Territories in what is known as the Great Gyration. All young maidens of marriageable age must be presented to him. Richard is seeking a bride to forge an alliance between England and Scotland. Sir Andrew and Lady Bronwyn Brandham have been requested to entertain the English king and his retinue during the last harvest. Sir Drew's daughter, Jenna, refuses all suitors; especially the likes of the English king. In a willful show of disobedience, Jenna Brandham flees to the Highlands and seeks refuge among her uncles and grandfather of the Clan MacCollum. Her absence puts her family in grave danger of disobeying the king's request. They are desperate to keep the peace and to not anger the Royal guest. 
Morag, the healer and chatelaine of the Clan MacCollum knows of a ruse to appease the unpredictable king, but it would mean traveling ahead in time to bring Kiera Campbell back in Jenna's place as a decoy. Kiera agrees to go back in time to help her old friend and to seek forgiveness from the past for her beloved husband, Derek.

Tom Callum has just landed a spot with a prestigious road show called Celtic Storm as the lead singer and front man. When he reaches Scotland to visit his cousin Kiera, he is drawn to seek his heritage and uncover the mysteries of his past. He is fascinated with a painting of a girl who lived more than six hundred years ago. Something about her tugs at his long forgotten memory. Little does he know that he will soon be plunged into a world of intrigue, deception and peril. The past and present collide in an adventure that brings danger at every turn. Only love will give Tom the strength he needs to thwart an attempt on King Richard's life. Tom must save the reputation of the Clan MacCollum and the Brandhams. How can he succeed without destroying what has already been written in history? Will Tom be able to survive his leap into the past? Will he be able to survive his return to the present, only to leave his heart behind?

Amazon USA    Amazon UK

Amazon CAN     Amazon AUS

More About the Author Ria grew up in the suburbs of Long Island, New York. Her family has promoted her love for the arts, especially music. She learned to read music at a very early age and started singing at the age of four. Ria has enjoyed some very exciting endeavors in the past including competing as a figure skater, dancing professionally as a belly dancer and singing as a classically trained vocalist with auditioned chorales. She also enjoys working as a soloist.
Ria began writing at a very young age and even had some of her early poems published in local literary magazines. Frequently, she would be seen carrying notebooks to scribble many of her stories and poems. With a love of the past, Ria was fascinated with Medieval and Renaissance history and found herself drawn to participate with a reenactment group, The Society for Creative Anachronism, which re-creates the Middle Ages. Since fostering her love of all things medieval, Ria’s stories soon became flavored with Medieval and Renaissance themes.
Ria is a hopeless romantic. She married the love of her life after a long-distance courtship, spanning two continents. She now lives in the sunny tropical paradise of Southwest Florida with her English rock-star husband. The two share their love for music and writing. They perform together locally and they collaborate on writing endeavors. Her husband’s first full length novel, Reflections of Love, is being released simultaneously as Morag’s Tears. 
Connect with her HERE

You can also find Ria Cantrell
(and me!) 
in the Time Travel Boxed SetWHEN LOVE CONQUERS TIME
Amazon USA
Amazon UK
Amazon CAN
Amazon AUS