Nancy Lee Badger's Blog, page 48

Nancy Lee Badger Interviews Author Angela Quarles

Angela Quarles stopped by to share intimate details about her life and her latest book. Must Love Chainmail is a time travel romance and was released on July 12, 2015. Please tell my readers a little bit about your book.
Angela - It’s a medieval time travel romance that throws a modern woman who likes to have everything planned out into the middle of Madog’s Rebellion of 1294 in Wales. The first quarter of the book takes place in Castell y Bere, a now-ruined former Welsh castle. The hero is half-Norman half-Welsh and is a bit bitter, but is really a sweetheart. I enjoy writing in this subgenre because I feel like my two major strengths are my modern voice and my love of history, so I’m able to have at least one character bringing that modern voice and perspective to explore and reveal the past through that character’s eyes. It’s not the only subgenre I write. I’ve published a steampunk romance, and my current project is more mainstream. I also have a historical mystery that I might be putting out soon. My first publication was actually a contemporary paranormal geek romance
Nancy - When did you start writing toward publication? 
Angela - I would say I really started working with that in mind in early 2010. I’d written 2 books by then and some Jane Austen fan fiction, but it wasn’t until that second book came out of me, that I thought I had something to pursue publication with. That book ended up being by debut novel release, Must Love Breeches.
Nancy - Having achieved your goal to be a published author, what is the most rewarding thing?    
Angela - Interacting with readers and hearing them talk about which books they loved and why. Especially when they get the themes and what I was trying to convey. Hearing I kept someone up all night? Gold!

Nancy - Please Share three fun facts about you that most people don’t know. 
1) I rebuilt a carburetor once in my old ’67 Karmann Ghia2) I drove a car in a former President’s motorcade (I won’t say which one)3) I once knitted a whole sweater for a college crush and I never gave it to him
Nancy - What’s next for you?
Angela - I’m about to start drafting Must Love Kilts, which will be book 3 in my Must Love Time Travel series
BOOK BLURB   Trapped in the wrong time, she needs a knight in shining armor, but this damsel in distress might be the real savior.
A damsel in distress...
With a day planner attached to her hip, the last thing Katy Tolson wants is a romance that threatens her well-ordered life. She's set to marry the safe--but bland--guy, but something's not quite...right. A careless wish thrusts her through time into medieval Wales and into the arms of...
A knight in somewhat shining armor...
Sir Robert Beucol, half-Norman and half-Welsh, lives with the shame of his father's treason and vows to reclaim his family's holdings and thereby his honor. To prove himself to his king, he must be more Norman than a full-blooded Norman. What better way to show loyalty than to fight his mother's people? He has no desire to be sidetracked by the mysterious wench with pink toenails, peculiar habits, and passion smoldering behind her cool, collected exterior.
A rebellion that challenges both...
The Welsh uprising fits perfectly into Robert’s plans. Katy’s on the other hand? That’s a no. As they embark on a perilous journey through the heart of Wales, each passionate encounter pulls them closer together, but farther from their goals. When everything they value is at stake, can they save each other and their love?
ExcerptExcerpt from Chapter 3 – Meets the heroKaty slowly closed her eyes, let the cool ground soak into her hands and butt, let the uncomfortable pebbles make themselves known. She counted to three and opened her eyes.Intact castle wall? Still there.A frantic fluttering whipped through her chest and choked her throat. “No, no, no!”Her whole body shaking, she pushed up on a nearby rock and stood. She tugged on her coat’s zipper and yanked it up to her neck. She gazed at the castle.No freaking way. Intact castle walls soared skyward, not stumpy, crumbling stone courses pockmarked with bird’s nests and tufts of grass. She whipped around. No deck steps arching over the once-ruined entrance.She shoved her hand into her coat pocket. Dread curdled in her stomach.Shit. No case.Oh God. The case worked. The case transported her back in time. Just like it had with Isabelle. Sweat bloomed on her skin in the chilly air, overheating her in her winter coat.But she hadn’t made a wish. Had she? Then her whispered words of a moment ago came back to her: What should I do, Isabelle? I wish I knew why I’m not as happy as I should be.Shit. Shit. Shit. She spun around and raked her gaze along the hillside. This crazy-ass, zapped-back-in-time thing could all be fixed with a quick wish. But...she dared not move. Getting turned around and missing it because she was searching in the wrong spot would suck. Big time.She scrutinized the ravine, keeping her breathing steady. If she didn’t panic, everything would be okay. Just a little blip she could laugh about—to herself—later, and get a spike of adrenaline thinking of her narrow escape. Yep. Mm-hmm. The guy line securing the thin veneer of her control strained and creaked.Okay. She’d come along that path, and had, oh God, made that wish on the stupid case. Smooth, Katy. Then the queasiness. And a gust of wind. She’d started sliding down the incline and...flung out her stupid-ass hands. With the case probably sailing away.So, with the right hand doing the flinging... She charged up the hill and inched along its edge, on the lookout for a shiny glint of silver.An odd, pounding noise sounded behind her, and the ground vibrated slightly. What could...? Oh God, no. She wheeled around, her pulse beating frantically, and yep, the hugest, scariest war horse she’d ever seen galloped straight for her. She assumed it was a war horse, well, because it was so...large, and it had...Jiminy Cricket, it had chainmail on it. And, of course, some guy on its back, with chainmail and some kind of tunic, as well as a clothes-iron-shaped shield and friggin’ sword.Her muscles tightened, shivered, and she almost—swear to God—peed herself.She scrambled down the ravine. Find the case. Find the case. And the scary man on horse would be gone. She slipped and landed on her ass, sliding the rest of the way, her hands scraping and stinging on the rocks.The horse stopped above her, snorting loudly. She scowled over her shoulder—was she about to get skewered? Cuz she’d want to know. Not that she could do much against a muscle-bound, medieval guy bent on running her through with a sword. Or worse. Except find that case. She had maybe twelve feet of distance on him.He lifted his helmet free with two mail-clad hands, the clang of metal against metal loud, and let it fall to suspend from a chain at his belt. Helmet removal was a good sign, wasn’t it? At least it wasn’t sword removal. The early afternoon sun shone from behind him. She couldn’t see his face. Gibberish popped from the dark shape. Coupled with his arm pointing away from the castle. Er, what the hell kind of language was that?Fear and a bit of oh-shit-what’s-happening slithering through her, she rose and faced him. “What?” Peering right and left with only her eyes, she searched for the stupid case. Her only salvation.He cocked his head and spouted more nonsense. Slower, sure, but still nonsense. She edged back and continued to search the ground, pebbles clicking against rock as her shoes scattered them downhill.More gibberish, but it grew closer. She looked up. He’d dismounted and was stomping down the hill. Oh, hell no.She sprinted along the ravine, praying she’d see her case but knowing she probably wouldn’t. Blood pounded in her ears, as jarring as her frantic footfalls along the hard ground. She sucked in short gasps of air as his steps drew closer. C’mon, all those gym sessions had to count for something.A strong arm clamped around her waist, yanked her back against a solid wall of chainmail-covered man, and lifted. She slid down his body until his forearm nudged the underside of her breasts. She instantly stilled, breathing still panicked, because she’d read enough romance novels, and damned if she’d be one of those annoying heroines who got all feisty unprovoked. Pissing off someone who hadn’t yet hurt her would be epically stupid.He inhaled sharply. Melodic, darkly-rich words vibrated from his chest to fill her ear, his warm breath sending chills across her skin. She could hear the question in them, but not knowing what he so softly demanded, she remained frozen.She’d need any ally she could get, because yeah, she’d gone and wished herself back in time. All because she’d second-guessed her plans.He grunted and marched up the hill, easily carrying her against him. At the top, he whistled and...his horse came to him. Of course. Then he draped her in front of a saddle like none she’d ever seen, jumped on, and galloped across the rocky terrain. But not before she saw her case, winking in the sun as they passed.“Hey— Wait! Shit.”Oh, crap, this was not comfortable. She clamped her jaw tight, afraid she’d bite her tongue with all the jouncing. Brief flashes of scenery and activity stuttered by. Flash—a white flower between two rocks. Flash—a cluster of colorfully clothed people. Flash—a woman with two children, one on her hip. Flash—a man driving a donkey laden with baskets. And all, all of them, hurrying. Hurrying in the same direction, into the castle. Behind its walls. That couldn’t be good.
How can my readers buy your book?Readers can go to my book page HERE 
Check out my book trailer HERE  
Buy Links…
Amazon    ARe     Kobo  Barnes and Noble   Apple  
MORE ABOUT THE AUTHOR 
Angela Quarles is a geek girl romance writer whose works includes Must Love Breeches, a time travel romance, and Beer & Groping in Las Vegas, a geek romantic comedy in novelette form. She has a B.A. in Anthropology and International Studies with a minor in German from Emory University, and a Masters in Heritage Preservation from Georgia State University. She currently resides in a historic house in the beautiful and quirky town of Mobile, AL. You can find more information about Angela Quarles here:WEBSITE    BLOG    Twitter Facebook    Goodreads    Pinterest  Amazon Author Page 

Nancy Lee Badger Interviews Author Mary Martinez

Mary Martinez stopped by to talk about her new book, Illusion (book 4 The Beckett Series). It is a romantic suspense and was released on June 16, 2015. Please tell my readers a little bit about your book.  
Mary- Illusion is the fourth book of my Beckett series. In my series, each book is one of the sibling’s stories. It started with Tyler in Disappear , Jessica in Innocent , Christine in Quiet , and Reagan in Illusion . Coming in the future are the last two siblings Matt in Profit and Glenna in Abandoned. And there is thought that once done, I’ll have a Beckett Christmas book with seven novellas. I know there are only six siblings, but I intend to have the first story be of the Elders. All the kids in the family refer to their parents as the Elders.
Here is a blurb and link for Illusion :Special Agent Reagan Beckett left Brooklyn for San Francisco ten years ago—and on bad terms with her family. When the World Banking Association (WBA), one of the biggest worldwide financial institutions, is targeted by domestic terrorists, Reagan is called to join the team with two others in New York City. Now she would be home for an extended visit.
Special Agent Paco Luis Perez has heard of the legendary Tyler Beckett and looks forward to working with the man on the assignment in New York. However, when he reads Beckett’s dossier on his flight from D.C., he discovers the Beckett he expected to meet isn’t Tyler.
NYPD Detective Spencer Alexander Williams III, a member of the gang terrorist task force, reluctantly agrees to consult on the domestic terrorist case as the local liaison. He has never liked working with a team; he finds more out on his own. But they need his uncanny knack to anticipate the gang’s movements.
As soon as she receives information on the assignment, Reagan researches her new partners. But does she know enough to literally trust these men with her life?
Nancy- Describe the genre of this particular title, and is it the only genre you write in?  
Mary- The Beckett Series is romantic suspense. This genre is one of my favorites. And that is the biggest reason I write in this genre. But do I only write this? Nope. I have written romance, women fictions, and currently I’m working on a middle grade called History Mysteries. If you’d like to see my other books please visit my Website 
Nancy- What is your writing routine like?
Mary- I have a routine? I work full-time at the day job. I have a VERY active family, not to mention we have season tickets to PAC 12 UTE football, women’s Basketball, and RedRocks Gymnastics. We have 11 grandkids, most are in some kind of sport. So my routine goes something like this: I work every day, I have an hour commute each way, I come home and cook dinner (or create dinner, depending on my mood) then I look at email and drop to veg in front of the TV. The weekends I blog and promote, and if I’m VERY lucky I have a few minutes to write. Every other month my critique partner and I have a full eight hour writing day at a local coffee shop or library, etc. Once a year we do a two night writing retreat. There’s my routine.
Nancy- 11 grandkids? Yikes! I, too, try to write at a retreat. Having achieved your goal to be a published author, what is the most rewarding thing?   Mary- When a reviewer say’s something like “…the story is surprisingly well written. It's a fast paced and gripping read. The characters are well developed and you like some and dislike others.” If I know someone liked my book, then my hard work has paid off.
Nancy- Reviews are like found gold for an author (Readers: if you like a book, leave reviews!) Will you share some encouraging words for authors still struggling for that first contract? 
Mary- This is going to sound off the wall, but my suggestion would be to join a local in person book club. One that has NO authors, all readers. You’d be surprised at what you’ll learn. What you think readers want, isn’t correct.
Nancy- sound advice, I belong to a monthly book club and we read all genres of romance. Their opinions are unique. Please Share three fun facts about you that most people don’t know. 1) I love cooking.2) I just got through sanding and painting my kitchen cabinets.3) I’m adopted and I’ve said my entire life, “I’m adopted I can be what I want, so I’m Irish.” I did the DNA and I’m Irish!
Nancy- Awesome! How can my readers buy your book?
Mary- Readers can go to the publisher’s HOME PAGE 


Buy Links….Kindle   Amazon     Barnes and Noble 
Check out my book trailer HERE 
VIDEO BIO 

Mary has a Trivia Contest going on through the end of August – winner receives The first four (signed) books of the Beckett Series. Check for details at Mary’s Garden Enter HERE  
You can find more information about Mary Martinez here:
WEBSITE      BLOG       Twitter  
Facebook       Goodreads 
AmazonAuthor Page   LinkedIn      YouTubeChannel 
Google+       Pinterest 

Nancy Lee Badger Interviews Author Cecilia Dominic

Cecilia Dominic dropped by to talk about her life, and her latest book.  Eros Element is a steampunk and will be released on August 25.
Cecilia - Thank you so much for having me, Nancy! I’m excited to be back on your blog. Since I’ve been here before, I’ll answer different questions. For those who want to know more about when I started writing toward publication and broke in, my first interview with Nancy is HERE
Nancy- Please tell my readers a little bit about your book.  
Cecilia-  Eros Element is the story of a young woman, Iris McTavish, who wants to be an archaeologist and who gets her chance in an unexpected way. Her famous archaeologist father has died in France, but very few people outside her household know. She is biding her time telling people because she’ll likely have to marry once the news gets out, and she’s not interested in marriage, especially not to the odious nobleman who’s pursuing her. When her father is invited to go along as an archaeologist on a mysterious mission, she takes his place. She doesn’t anticipate her secret being found out or that she’ll fall for quirky professor Edward Bailey on their travels.
My high-concept line is that it’s The DaVinci Code meets Big Bang Theory. As I mentioned, Edward is quirky because he lives his life according to the scientific principles of order and predictability in order to minimize anxiety after having had his heart broken. Going on a quest to find the mysterious Eros Element is not part of that formula, but he has to in order to save his research funding. Iris doesn’t fit, either, and it was fun to write how they come together.
Nancy- Describe the genre of this particular title, and is it the only genre you write in? 
Cecilia - Eros Element is steampunk, which is a subgenre of science fiction and is traditionally set in Victorian times and carries steam and often clockwork technology beyond where it faded in favor of gas and electricity. The genre also tackles social issues, but not in an in-your-face kind of way.
I also write urban fantasy and new adult contemporary. My Lycanthropy Files series, which combines medical thriller and urban fantasy, is now fully out electronically, and the third will be coming out in paper in November. In the series, I explore what would happen if lycanthropy – werewolfism, for those who are not familiar with the term – was a genetic disorder, but the cure isn’t fully medical.
My new adult contemporary novel A Perfect Man – as you can tell from the title, it’s definitely fiction – was released in May. It’s about students in a writing program who learn that real life is, indeed, stranger than fiction, especially when it comes to romance.
Nancy- Do you have any rejection stories to share?
Cecilia - Oh, wow, I have so many. I’m not agented and would like to be, so I continue to send out manuscripts. Alas, there’s no magic that happens when you sell that means every one of your books will then magically be appealing to all industry professionals. Darnit.
I have a spreadsheet that I’ve kept of book submissions to agents and publishers since I seriously started querying in 2008. I just looked, and my last entry was on line 142. I’m actually a submission slacker because I’ll send out a bunch of queries, get rejections, and then pout for 6-12 months. Sometimes I’ll put reasons for rejections in the spreadsheet, and I found an entry from one of my first rejections that is a good reminder for why you ALWAYS check the agency website no matter what Writer’s Market says. The reason for that early rejection – agent dead. Whoops.
Nancy- What is your writing routine like?
Cecilia - I wish I could say I rise at 5:00 every morning alert and ready to sit at the keyboard and pound out a couple thousand of words before breakfast. What typically happens is more like:
6:45 alarm goes off, snoozed6:54 alarm goes off, snoozed7:00 sunrise alarm goes off, I have to get out of bed to stop the effing thing from beeping7:01 look at sleeping husband, ponder going back to bed7:02 stumble into kitchen for coffee7:03 let cats out of their respective sleeping rooms, feed mine7:04 look for coffee7:05 damnit, where did I put the coffee?7:10 finally find coffee7:11-7:30ish do morning pages (free-writing) to wake up brain7:30ish pull out laptop, open Scrivener7:35 put brain-damaged gray cat on couch7:40 pet cat because she’s pawing at me7:45 throw ball for other cat to fetch7:50 put brain-damaged cat back on couch after she jumped off, then forgot what she jumped off to do, throw ball again for other cat7:50-8:15 repeat cat petting and ball throwing while trying to drink coffee and write
As you can see, there’s not much of a routine. I also write in the evenings sometimes and on weekends, whenever I can. It’s hard to write at the office because there’s always something else demanding my attention, so I like coffee shops if I’m not writing at home.
Nancy- What sort of promo do you do? Do you have help?
Cecilia - Remember how I told you I was going to figure out marketing in July? Ummm, not so much. While I do have some support from Samhain, as with most authors, it’s pretty much up to me. I have a Facebook author page, and I enjoy Twitter, mostly for the interaction. I’m currently working on figuring out what parts of promotion I enjoy. I’ve found that I like making graphics like I’ve been for my Lycanthropy Files sales. For example, here’s the one I’m using this week while my third book is on sale for 99 cents:
I’ve always loved to draw and paint, so I suspect making the graphics allows me to use that neglected visually creative side.
What I really love is to speak to writing groups. I apply my psychological expertise on things like procrastination and sleep to writing and the writing life, and so far I’ve gotten positive feedback. I’ll be in Birmingham speaking on procrastination tomorrow (August 22) to the Southern Magic chapter of RWA.
Nancy- Having achieved your goal to be a published author, what is the most rewarding thing?
Cecilia - I’m not supposed to say the money, am I? Just kidding – I like getting some financial reward for doing something I love, and it helps me support my writing habit and do fun things like go to conferences. I’m still only about breaking even, but that’s okay. The best part is interacting with readers who really love my books and series, and they come up with great ideas about my worlds and characters that I haven’t thought of. It’s so fun that these imaginary people in my head are as real to other people as they are to me.
Nancy- Will you share some encouraging words for authors still struggling for that first contract? 
Cecilia- First, make sure the agent you’re pitching hasn’t passed away.Second, don’t wait six to twelve months between batches of queries.Third, whatever happens, always grow in your craft. Can’t get that first book accepted? Write another one. Each book is a learning experience.Fourth, embrace feedback, even the negative kind, but try to surround yourself with people who are constructive, not destructive.
Nancy- Please Share three fun facts about you that most people don’t know.  1) I’m an introvert. People see my day job (psychologist) and the fact I love talking to people and assume I’m an extravert. Nope.2) My red hair comes from my Belgian side. No Irish blood here (but I’d be okay with it if there was).3) I can sleep anytime anywhere.
Nancy- What’s next for you?
Cecilia- I am still working on the Aether Psychics series. The second one, Light Fantastique, will be out on December 15th. I’m currently working on a series prequel I can self-publish, and then I’m going to jump into the third book, title pending… Okay, I haven’t a freaking clue what it’s going to be called. I’ve had so much fun researching these books! I love history. Currently I’m listening to a Great Course on the Civil War, and I just checked out a book on Freud from the library. Both will be really important for the third Aether Psychics book.
BOOK BLURB   If love is the ivy, secrets are the poison.
After enduring heartbreak at the hands of a dishonest woman, Edward Bailey lives according to scientific principles of structure and predictability. Just the thought of stepping outside his strict routine raises his anxiety.
Adding to his discomfort is Iris McTavish, who appears at his school’s faculty meeting in place of her world-famous archeologist father. Worse, the two of them are to pose as Grand Tourists while they search for an element that will help harness the power of aether.
Iris jumps at the opportunity to prove her worth as a scholar—and avoid an unwanted marriage proposal—while hiding the truth of her father’s whereabouts. If her secret gets out, the house of McTavish will fall into ruin.
Quite unexpectedly, Edward and Iris discover a growing attraction as their journey takes them to Paris and Rome, where betrayal, blackmail and outright theft threaten to destroy what could be a revolutionary discovery—and break their hearts.
Warning: Allergen alert! This book was produced in a facility that handles copious amounts of wine, tea and baked goods. May contain one or more of the following: a spirited heroine, a quirky hero, clever banter, interesting facts both made-up and historical, and lots of secrets. It is, however, gluten free.
Excerpt- For a brief excerpt, check out THIS LINK
Nancy- How can my readers buy your book? It is already available for preorder from all online retailers in paper and electronic formats.Readers can go to the publisher’s HOME PAGE
Buy Links….
Amazon    Barnes and Noble
Google Books    Kobo
MORE ABOUT THE AUTHOR Cecilia Dominic wrote her first story when she was two years old and has always had a much more interesting life inside her head than outside of it. She became a clinical psychologist because she's fascinated by people and their stories, but she couldn't stop writing fiction. The first draft of her dissertation, while not fiction, was still criticized by her major professor for being written in too entertaining a style. She made it through graduate school and got her PhD, started her own practice, and by day, she helps people cure their insomnia without using medication. By night, she blogs about wine and writes fiction she hopes will keep her readers turning the pages all night. Yes, she recognizes the conflict of interest between her two careers, so she writes and blogs under a pen name.  She lives in Atlanta, Georgia with one husband and two cats, which, she's been told, is a good number of each. She also enjoys putting her psychological expertise to good use helping other authors through her Characters on the Couch blog post series.
You can find more information about *Cecilia Dominic* here: Web Page    Wine Blog     FacebookTwitter     Goodreads    PinterestInstagram    Amazon Author Page

I’d also like to invite your readers to join me for a Facebook party on release day, which will feature guest authors and prizes. The link for that is: HERE

Me on an Australian Blog? Aye, Mate!

Last November, another writer suggested I try to land a spot on the Australian Romance Readers Association Blog, which she highly recommended.

My Scottish-themed books sell well in Australia, so I gave it a try. I had just released My Dark Highlander November 1st, and had SHIVER: a White Mountains Thriller coming out December 1st. I was also working on bringing out My Honorable Highlander as an audio book with Audible in January.

When the contact person at ARRA got back to me rather quickly, she stated they were booked through mid-August. Well, I was also working on the final book in my Kilted Athletes Through Time series. Would I be done and published by then?

I decided I could make it work, which is another great attribute of being a self-published or Indie Author. So I grabbed the August 16, 2015 spot.

Their organization asked for an article...a story from my perspective, which can then explain how I came to write my book. My Hunted Highlander is my 6th Scottish time travel book and was released June 16th. Inspiration came my way through my volunteer work, which is why the article is titled
Inspiration Wrapped in Plaid
Please check out the article HERE
I would love to hear what you think!
Nancy Lee Badger

Nancy Lee Badger Interviews Author Sharleen Scott

Sharleen Scott stopped by to share intimate details of her life, and the release of her latest book.
Tangles is contemporary fiction and was released May 14, 2015. Please tell my readers a little bit about your book.
Sharleen - The original idea for the book was to share our experiences while caring for my mother-in-law who was stricken with Alzheimer’s disease. I began by journaling but soon realized just talking about it wasn’t working for me. I needed to show the realities of living with the disease and that required a fictional framework. So I tapped into my romantic-suspense writer arsenal and created a family to play it out. Along the way, Tangles became a multifaceted love story, mystery, and family drama.
Nancy- Describe the genre of this particular title, and is it the only genre you write in?
Sharleen - Tangles is my first foray into contemporary fiction. I also write a romantic suspense series including Caught in Cross Seas and Caught in the Spin . A third book in the series will be released in 2016.   Nancy- When did you start writing toward publication?
Sharleen - I started writing seriously eleven years ago when a story idea wouldn’t leave me alone.  I settled in with a yellow pad and started scribbling, but before I finished, another story idea grabbed be. At this point I ditched the yellow pad and moved to the computer, bought some writing books, and began to learn the craft. My first attempt went into a desk drawer where it will stay. The second attempt, Caught in Cross Seas , was published in May 2014.
Nancy- What is your writing routine like?
Sharleen - I don’t know that I have an actual routine. I have a day job so I fit my writing in wherever and whenever I can. I do have a writing process though. I usually have Word files for each book and I add to them as ideas occur to me, things like character profiles, location/setting information, and plot/scene ideas. When all of that has jelled and the scenes begin to play in my head like a movie, it’s time to sit at the computer and write the first draft.   Nancy- Having achieved your goal to be a published author, what is the most rewarding thing?
Sharleen - I get a real kick out of knowing people are reading my stories.     Nancy- Please Share three fun facts about you that most people don’t know. 1) I love homemade macaroni and cheese.2) We have two shelter cats, Snarky and LuLu. 3) I can spend hours researching my family’s genealogy.
Nancy- What’s next for you?
Sharleen - The third book in the Caught series will be released in 2016.
Book Blurb for TangledCan tragedy mend a wounded family?While faced with the challenge of his mother’s escalating Alzheimer’s disease, Logan McKinnon discovers secret journals that leave him questioning everything he knows about his family. With no one left to ask, Logan must find a man mentioned in the journals to discover a truth he may not want to know.
Buy Links….
Amazon    Amazon Print
Nook    Apple    Kobo

More About the AuthorRomantic-suspense author Sharleen Scott is taking a brief detour from her CAUGHT series with the release of Tangles, a novel dedicated to her mother-in-law who succumbed to Alzheimer’s disease. Sharleen lives in the foothills of the Cascade Mountains in the beautiful Pacific Northwest with her husband, Brett, two college kids, and two spoiled cats.




You can find more information about Sharleen Scott here:
WEBSITE    Facebook    
Amazon Author Page

Nancy Lee Badger Interviews Author Sharlene Scott

Sharleen Scott stopped by to share intimate details of her life, and the release of her latest book.
Tangles is contemporary fiction and was released May 14, 2015. Please tell my readers a little bit about your book.
Sharleen - The original idea for the book was to share our experiences while caring for my mother-in-law who was stricken with Alzheimer’s disease. I began by journaling but soon realized just talking about it wasn’t working for me. I needed to show the realities of living with the disease and that required a fictional framework. So I tapped into my romantic-suspense writer arsenal and created a family to play it out. Along the way, Tangles became a multifaceted love story, mystery, and family drama.
Nancy- Describe the genre of this particular title, and is it the only genre you write in?
Sharleen - Tangles is my first foray into contemporary fiction. I also write a romantic suspense series including Caught in Cross Seas and Caught in the Spin . A third book in the series will be released in 2016.   Nancy- When did you start writing toward publication?
Sharleen - I started writing seriously eleven years ago when a story idea wouldn’t leave me alone.  I settled in with a yellow pad and started scribbling, but before I finished, another story idea grabbed be. At this point I ditched the yellow pad and moved to the computer, bought some writing books, and began to learn the craft. My first attempt went into a desk drawer where it will stay. The second attempt, Caught in Cross Seas , was published in May 2014.
Nancy- What is your writing routine like?
Sharleen - I don’t know that I have an actual routine. I have a day job so I fit my writing in wherever and whenever I can. I do have a writing process though. I usually have Word files for each book and I add to them as ideas occur to me, things like character profiles, location/setting information, and plot/scene ideas. When all of that has jelled and the scenes begin to play in my head like a movie, it’s time to sit at the computer and write the first draft.   Nancy- Having achieved your goal to be a published author, what is the most rewarding thing?
Sharleen - I get a real kick out of knowing people are reading my stories.     Nancy- Please Share three fun facts about you that most people don’t know. 1) I love homemade macaroni and cheese.2) We have two shelter cats, Snarky and LuLu. 3) I can spend hours researching my family’s genealogy.
Nancy- What’s next for you?
Sharleen - The third book in the Caught series will be released in 2016.
Book Blurb for TangledCan tragedy mend a wounded family?While faced with the challenge of his mother’s escalating Alzheimer’s disease, Logan McKinnon discovers secret journals that leave him questioning everything he knows about his family. With no one left to ask, Logan must find a man mentioned in the journals to discover a truth he may not want to know.
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More About the AuthorRomantic-suspense author Sharleen Scott is taking a brief detour from her CAUGHT series with the release of Tangles, a novel dedicated to her mother-in-law who succumbed to Alzheimer’s disease. Sharleen lives in the foothills of the Cascade Mountains in the beautiful Pacific Northwest with her husband, Brett, two college kids, and two spoiled cats.




You can find more information about Sharleen Scott here:
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Nancy Lee Badger Interviews Author Brenda B Taylor

Author Brenda B. Taylor stopped by to share intimate details of her life and to talk about her latest book. 

A Highland Pearl  is a Scottish historical romance, December 2014. Please tell my readers a little bit about your book.
Brenda- A young widow, who is also a healer in her 16th century Scottish Highland village, is summoned to the castle to care for the chief’s battle wound. She saves the laird’s life, but becomes entangled in a web of intrigue and mystery within the castle walls. Someone tries to force her to leave Clan Munro. After accusations of practicing witchcraft, her home being destroyed, and her neighbors turning against her, Maidie considers returning to Clan Cameron, the clan of her birth. However, her heart is torn when she falls in love with Andrew Munro. Circumstances leave her no choice, but to take her son back to her father.
Nancy- Why have you become a published author?
Brenda- Writing historical fiction has been a life-long dream, because I enjoy making up stuff. I wrote my first story about a horse in the third grade, but put writing aside to pursue a career in public school teaching and administration. After retirement, I took to the keyboard to ply my hand at writing a novel. Learning the process was not easy, and my only regret is I didn’t begin sooner.
Nancy- What is your writing routine like?
Brenda- The first thing each morning is my writing time, and I try to write every day. Sometimes I will work in the afternoon, but not often. My mind is fresher and the thoughts come easier after my first cup of coffee. Often times, I have gone to bed at night thinking about an unclear storyline and wake in the morning with an answer to the path the story should take. 8)What sort of promo do you do? Do you have help?
Nancy- Having achieved your goal to be a published author, what is the most rewarding thing?
Brenda- My books are self-published, and I have enjoyed learning the process, although at times I felt very frustrated when things didn’t go as planned. I tried traditional publishing for awhile, but decided I didn’t have enough life left to pursue that path for very long.
Nancy- Will you share some encouraging words for authors still struggling for that first contract?
Brenda- My advice to authors still struggling for that first contract is to hold fast to your dream. Avenues are open to authors now that haven’t been open in the past, so keep trying and by all means keep writing.
Please Share three fun facts about you that most people don’t know. 1) After retirement I took up playing the piano again, and now play the organ for our church.2) I have made three fantastic trips to Scotland and last summer attended a Clan Munro gathering with 350 Munros from around the world.3) There are twenty-six first cousins in my family on my mother’s side, which is also the Monroe side. So the American Monroes are well and strong.
What’s next for you?
Brenda- The second book in the Highland Treasuresseries is in the editing process at present and hopefully, will be published this year.
BOOK BLURB A sweet romance blossoms amidst feuding and war. With her reputation at stake after being accused of practicing witchcraft and hated as a member of a rival clan, Maidie considers leaving Clan Munro and returning to the home of her birth in Clan Cameron. Fierce battles, a tragic encounter, and a handsome clan chief compel her to make crucial decisions in this haunting romance set in the 16th century Highlands of Scotland.
ExcerptThe sun’s rays streamed through the window and across the bed with a warm glowing light when Andrew opened his eyes. Someone messed with his hair. He could feel warm water running along his scalp. His head lay propped on two towel-covered pillows. An angel dressed in a linen blouse with sleeves rolled up past the elbow stood over him. Maybe he had died and gone to heaven. The angel ran her fingers through the strands of his hair and rubbed his scalp. The white skin of her wet arms glistened with droplets of water while the damp cloth of the blouse clung to round breasts, and a smell of roses penetrated the air around her. He was in heaven for sure. What would such an angel be called? He reached for the slender arm crossing his face. “Ach! You’re awake,” bright blue eyes smiled into his.“How can a mon sleep with an angel scrubbing his hair?” Light encircled the angel’s golden tresses that were tied back with a kertch of Munro colors. Her face shone with a health rosy glow. White teeth glinted between the pink lips that smiled at him.“Have I died and gone to heaven? Surely heaven can be no finer than this moment.” Water dripped from the wet arm to his bare chest. She quickly jerked her arm away and wiped his chest with a towel.“Nae, M’Laird. You’re in bed at Fàrdach Castle recovering from a battle wound.” Her voice sounded like tinkling bells. Aye, now he remembered the skirmish with the Camerons and MacKenzies. The vermin were stealing cattle from his tenants, and he took a band of men to put a stop to their reiving. One large warrior who wore the Cameron colors slashed at him with an ax. He remembered no more. 
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MORE ABOUT THE AUTHOR The desire to write historical fiction has long been a passion with Brenda B. Taylor. Since elementary school, she has written stories in her spare time. Brenda earned three degrees: a BSE from Henderson State University, Arkadelphia, Arkansas; a MEd from Sam Houston State University, Huntsville, Texas; and an EdD from Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas; then worked as a teacher and administrator in the Texas Public School system. Only after retirement could she fulfill the dream of publication.
Brenda and her husband make their home in beautiful East Texas where they enjoy spending time with family and friends, traveling, and working in Bethabara Faith Ministry, Inc. She crafts stories about the extraordinary lives of ordinary people in her favorite place overlooking bird feeders, bird houses, and a variety of blooming trees and flowers. She sincerely thanks all who purchase and read her books. Her desire is that the message in each book will touch the heart of the reader as it did hers in the writing.
You can find more information about Brenda here:
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Release Day! IGNITE: a White Mountains Thriller

My book is out!


IGNITE is the 2nd book in my White Mountain Thrillers collection. This is a romantic suspense with a contemporary flavor, and follows the people in the fictional town of Fairfield, New Hampshire. 

The Story:
Josie Miller senses that fellow paramedic-firefighter, Pete Thayer, is hiding something behind his sketchy history. He has a reputation for one-night stands in the small town of Fairfield, New Hampshire. He doesn’t look at her that way, but Joe finds she is falling for him.
They respond to accident calls, medical emergencies, and fast-moving forest fires amid sparks of another kind. Outside influences come in to play, and Pete is accused of murder. After he professes his innocence, and their relationship ignites, her brothers intervene. A suicide note, a fight, stolen moments of love, and a desire to listen to their hearts, lead these two heroes toward a climax filled with tension, pain, bloodshed, and atonement.
I have used my EMT, Firefighter, and 9-1-1 background to create this story. please check it out!

Buy Links are HERE

Nancy Lee Badger Interviews Author J Hughey

Author J. Hughey stopped by to talk about her book Rhyolite Drifts: Yellowblown™ Book Two. It is a New Adult contemporary romance and was released on May 5, 2015. Please tell my readers a little bit about your book.
J Hughey- Rhyolite Drifts is the second book in my Yellowblown™ series in which the Yellowstone caldera erupts, causing a major interruption in the life of Violet Perch, a college sophomore enjoying the perfect semester. In book one, Eruption, she was rooming with her best friend, Mia, and finally hooking up with her freshman crush, Hotness, also known as Boone Ramer, who is everything she ever imagined and more. Then, blammo, a major part of the western U.S. is flattened, volcanic ash starts filtering down all over North American, and school is eventually closed. She and Boone get a few more weeks together in her hometown of Sycamore Springs, Indiana, but, despite his parents discouraging the trip, he realizes he has to go find his family. Violet is understandably bummed out about the separation that she thinks he intends to make permanent. And with the human race possibly facing extinction, it may not be entirely up to him, anyway.
Nancy- Wow! Tell us more!
J Hughey- In Rhyolite Drifts, Mia and her gangster little brother appear on Violet’s doorstep. We get to know them and a whole cast of small town characters as Violet and her family work to survive in a world that is slowly devolving back to one of raw survival. Of course, the gut-churning question that Violet does a great job of hiding from everyone else: will Boone come back? He’s gone silent. She doesn’t know if that is by choice or because communications are so spotty, or if he’s dead…. Should she wait, or should she get on with her life in whatever way she can?
Nancy- Describe the genre of this particular title. 
J Hughey- Oh, the genre, the genre. The Yellowblown™ series is an unexpected mix of New Adult contemporary soft-apocalyptic romance. (No zombies.) What do some of those terms mean? New Adult means the main characters are in the college-transitioning-to-adulthood phase, and soft-apocalyptic…well, a reviewer put it very well by saying that despite this global catastrophe the story is not in “shades of never-ending gray.” The characters are still leading interesting lives—and trying to plan for their futures—beneath an umbrella of impending doom. Violet and Boone’s growing romance is a steady thread throughout, but the story involves many people and how they cope—or don’t cope—in these very odd circumstances.
Nancy- Is it the only genre you write in?
J Hughey- I also write historical romance in my Evolution Series – Charlemagne’s Heroes, set in the 800s in Europe. So, a little different than the volcano thing, but I love historicals. It’s still my favorite genre to read.
Nancy- What is your writing routine like?
J Hughey- Most of the time, I write at my kitchen table, or I sit on the front porch when weather permits. In either spot, I have a nice view of our landscaping and the woods—we live in the sticks in Pennsylvania—so I can sort of stare into the greenery and think. I also prefer quiet, quiet, quiet. Any other words in the background, either in music or something on TV, jumbles up my brain. Even instrumental music is too mood-setting for me. Gotta stay in the zone! I’m very musical, but the whole concept of a song list for a particular book or tone is absolutely anathema to me.
Nancy- What sort of promo do you do? Do you have help?
J Hughey- I am a one-person operation and, like most authors, what I want to do is WRITE, so I really struggle with balancing my productive time with finding the right promotions. I like BTS eMag, so I try to be consistently active with them. I’ll run specials on some email lists like eReader News Today and Fussy Librarian. I’m in the middle of trying a review “service,” and I love visiting blogs like this. I also have my own blog and newsletter. Like most authors, I don’t have the luxury of writing as a full-time job, so sometimes it all just feels overwhelming. At those moments, I try to do a few mundane tasks, then get back to a story, because the writing work gets me out of that nervous-stress frame of mind.
Please Share three fun facts about you that most people don’t know. 1) I take voice lessons and sing classical soprano pieces.2) I was Franklin County Apple Queen sometime around 1984.3) My college degree is in geology, hence the volcano books.
What’s next for you?
J Hughey- Right now I have three projects vying for attention in my head. They are Yellowblown™ Book Three, a historical romance that will introduce the next generation of my Evolution Series, and a new concept that has me reading Bullfinch’s mythology book. All of these are in the outlining, character-building stage while I’ve been taking care of some other business with earlier books.
Rhyolite Drifts BOOK BLURB Abandoned by Hotness. Held hostage by the Yellowstone eruption, I’m stuck at home instead of loving life at college.
Sanity is restored when my college roommate arrives, but I’m still trapped in my hometown with a bunch of people just trying to survive. Some of them are surprisingly interesting, like the HAM radio opera singer lady. Or the pop star who crushes on me while waiting for an air filter for his tour bus.
Unfortunately there’s also my roommate’s gangster little brother who pushes Grandma to her conservative edge, and the local entrepreneurs determined to capitalize on hard times. They tick me off.
Despite all this I’m determined to find a path to the fabled land of Adulthood even if my heart is broken and all the roads are ash covered.And where the heck did that Nebraskan cattle rancher go, anyway?

Rhyolite Drifts EXCERPTMia hardly stirred until the next morning. I was staring at her when her eyes finally fluttered open. My face made the memory of yesterday’s arrival click immediately into place. “Where’s Tony?” she asked.“He slept on the couch. I think Sara might move in here so he can have her room.”Mia blinked at me. “I can sleep on the couch,” she said. She started to sit up as if she had to go there now.“Naw. Mom doesn’t want to do that. She’s already given up her dining room and the garage, and has her in-laws living here, and says the kitchen looks like a Girl Scout campsite. She’s kind of adamant the living room is going to stay a living room.”Mia flopped back down on the pillow. “Well, I guess she’s the boss.”“Oh yeah.”She reached up to touch a Hunger Games poster on the wall above the bed, a throwback to high school I didn’t even notice was there anymore. “Where’s Hotness sleeping these days?”Past. “He left.”That crappy tidbit got her to sit up for real, her striking blue eyes pinning me. “When?”“A few weeks ago. Around your birthday, actually. Why didn’t you text me back?” I definitely did not want to talk about the Nebraskan, even with my best friend.She looked out the window at the tangled pattern of leafless tree branches not much different than they’d be any other November in spite of the ash drifting above us, high in the atmosphere. The geology department head had called it rhyolite ash because of the mineral makeup. “My mom stole my phone. She traded it for a dime of crack, which, by the by, is a lot less crack than it used to be.” Mia traced the top of the white headboard with her black polished fingernail. “What do you guys use for money out here?”“Well, money most of the time, though I don’t know if my dad is getting paid much anymore. Dentists aren’t exactly buying equipment and supplies like crazy. People bring us stuff sometimes ’cuz we have a spring in front of our house with good water.”“No kidding,” Mia said. “Free water.”“And my mom bought enough stuff to see us through the end of the world. Wait ’til you see her inventory. It’s like walking through a discount mart. I guess if they can keep paying the electric bill and the mortgage, we’ll be okay.” I tugged at the hem of my pajama pants. “How long were you on the road?”She shrugged her thin shoulders. “Ten days or so.” “What was it like? Out there, I mean. I haven’t been any farther than Gardenburg since they closed college.”She shrugged again, though a pained hardness to her jaw negated the carefree attitude. “It’s weird. Some of the gas stations were out of gas, and you mostly have to show some special card to get diesel. A truck driver gave us a ride to Cincinnati. Then we hitched and walked. You know, did what we had to do.”I thought she might be about to cry again, but she bottled up. “How did you find a truck driver?”“Gram tricked us.” At my confused expression, she sighed. “She set it up with a guy from our church, promised we were all going, then said goodbye in the parking lot. I feel like I left her in a concentration camp. She knew what she was doing. Knew I’d be so busy convincing Tony to go I’d leave her behind. I’m never going to speak to that old bitch again.”I wasn’t sure if she meant this in the angry way or literally, as in ‘I’m never going to see that old bitch to speak to her again.’ “Tony didn’t want to leave Camden?”“Tony was working his way up the ladder from dealing drugs in the cafeteria at school to getting shot on the street corner. His favorite phrase right now is ‘bust a cap,’ and he’s too dumb to even realize he’s five years behind the lingo. He thinks he’s all that while the older guys, the guys higher on the ladder, laugh at him. I had to get him out of there. Things were getting out of hand.” She frowned. “I didn’t want to leave Gram though.”“Our land line still works most of the time. You could call her.”“Maybe. I need to get another cell. Even something old that can still be activated. Or one of those burner phones.”“Dad might have an old phone lying around.”She leaned forward to peer in the mug on the nightstand, then picked up the cold, coagulated hot chocolate and gulped it down. “Hey, you’re probably starving. Let’s go downstairs for breakfast.”Tony sprawled on the couch in the living room, still wearing the jeans loose enough to show the top of his boxer shorts, with the bottom of each leg caked in mud where they had dragged, presumably picking up dirt from Cincinnati to here. His long, skinny bare feet were propped up on the coffee table. He’d been staring at the blank TV, but now glared at Mia as she sat down next to him. Colossal fake diamonds gleamed dully from each of his lobes, and I wondered why his mom hadn’t stolen them out of his ears.“You need to wash up and change your clothes,” Mia said.“Why? Some hot girl be comin’ out the woods?”“Knock it off. We’re in someone else’s house. Get cleaned up.”He scowled. “I don’t have any privacy here. Baby sister walked through before the sun was even up,” he said, jerking his chin toward me. “What the hell?”“Mom’s gonna rearrange things so you have a room,” I said.“Why was Sara up so early?” Mia asked.“She has school three days a week,” I said. Mia’s eyes lit up hopefully. “Forget it,” Tony growled. “This bro not going to a bum-freakin’ hick school.”

Rhyolite Drifts Buy Links…. Amazon Barnes and Noble Kobo iTunes 
MORE ABOUT THE AUTHOR J. Hughey knows what a girl wants. Independence. One or two no-matter-what-happens friends. A smokin’ hot romance. A basic understanding of geological concepts. Huh? Okay, maybe not every girl is into geology, but J. Hughey is, and in the Yellowblown™ series she combines her passion for a timeless love story with her interest in geeky stuff to help Violet Perch get a life, despite an ongoing global catastrophe.
J. Hughey also writes historical romance as Jill Hughey. She lives in Pennsylvania with her husband and two teenage sons and works part-time as a business administrator. For pure enjoyment, she takes voice lessons and performs locally as a classical soprano. You can find more information about Jill Hughey here:

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Nancy Lee Badger Interviews Author Irene Vartanoff

Author Irene Vartanoff stopped by to share a few intimate details of her life and her latest book. 
Captive of the Cattle Baron is a sweet ranch romance and was released on June 16, 2015.Please tell my readers a little bit about your book.  
Irene- Captive of the Cattle Baronis an update on the old school romances we used to read years ago, in which the hero is rich and domineering and takes the law into his hands. Rancher Baron Selkirk abducts Addie Jelleff—convinced he's saving her from a sordid drug situation. Addie objects, but he won't listen. As they get to know each other on his isolated ranch, we soon see behind his bossy facade to his personal frustrations. He acts in a high-handed manner with Addie but he has his reasons. The major twist is that Addie is a modern woman who isn't intimidated by Baron's attempts to control her. She gives as good as she gets, and she won't let their growing attraction rule her. She's a genuinely strong heroine, which of course only adds to Baron's frustrations—and her own, as their feelings grow.    Nancy- Describe the genre of this particular title. 
Irene - This is a sweet romance, which most people define as being about attraction and character rather than being hot and heavy about sex. My characters do have a very strong sexual attraction, but they are surprised and confused by it and they tend to pull back from intense moments. Addie thinks a lot about how she responds to Baron. In direct contrast, Baron acts on his impulses without examining his feelings, and that leads to trouble between them. Sweet romances usually either do not include the hero and heroine making love, or don't show any details. I like leaving some things to the reader's imagination.
Nancy- Is this the only genre you write in?
Irene- I also write superhero adventure ( T emporary Superheroine  came out in March, 2015 and the sequel will be published this fall) and women's fiction, and I'm working on novels in several other women-oriented subgenres as well. I'm all over the map for now.
Nancy- When did you start writing toward publication?
Irene - I started trying to sell stories to the comic books as a teenager, and I sold my first stories to DC Comics when I was just out of college. Writing novels was the next step, but it was a rocky road of trying to find my voice in a sea of romances that often featured overly macho heroes I did not like. After writing a bunch of romance graphic novellas for the online comics publisher MyRomanceStory.com, I tried writing novels again. I found the wonderful online support of NaNoWriMo.org, the National Novel Writing Month nonprofit that helps people write 50,000 words in November through the "We're all in this together!" system. I wrote my second novel during the Kiwi Writers (of New Zealand) Southern Cross Challenge, a June version of writing 50,000 words in a month—and for that challenge, I wrote 105,000 words! By the time November rolled around again, I was very confident that I could write novels after all.    
Nancy- Why have you become a published author?
Irene - One major reason to become a published author is to raise my hand and say "This is me. I was here. I lived." If we don't strive to make something unique of our lives, we are the poorer. If we have talent, we have a responsibility to explore it and use it. When I was finding it so difficult to complete novels, I tried to deny my writing talent. It didn't work. The urge to tell stories was always there. I simply had to grow into the confidence to tell my stories the way I believe they should be told. All of my novels explore serious themes, but I prefer a light touch about some dark topics. That's why Captive of the Cattle Baron, despite being an abduction story, has a lot of humor in it, too.
Another, more practical reason to publish, or in my case self-publish, is to push myself to bring each story up to an acceptable level of professionalism, and then to let it go to find its audience. Between the first draft of my first novel and the final draft, I must have done fifteen to twenty revision passes, maybe more. At some point I had to decide—or let others decide—that I had achieved a viable story. I've been very gratified by the positive responses from readers so far. People like my strong heroines. I find that totally cool.
Nancy- Do you have any rejection stories to share?
Irene- Captive of the Cattle Baronhas won several writing contests, although some judges haven't liked the abduction scenario. The editor from a major publishing house who judged one contest finalists' entries actually went off on me in a very unprofessional manner. Naturally, I was expecting that since I'd ranked as a finalist in the contest, this editor would write something nice about the pages she'd read. Instead, she hated my story so much that she mocked a particular scene. In her opinion my secondary characters were corny, silly, and unbelievable. And more. She actually was nasty about it. Her harshly negative opinion set me back for a bit, but on balance I decided I was okay with it. I'd written a story that had induced a passionate reaction, and other readers liked that scene very much, and she'd obviously been having a very bad day. I doubt I'll ever submit a story directly to her, but no big deal. We have to shake off rejections.  
Nancy- Will you share some encouraging words for authors still struggling for that first contract? 
Irene - Respect yourself. You are the person with the talent, with the stories, with the human capital that publishers need. They can't write your stories; only you can. Don't give away your work, don't give it away for peanuts, and don't ever sign any contract you don't understand. Write the stories you believe in, even if they don't seem to be the stories other people tell you are commercial. Life is too short to waste time stifling yourself.    
Please Share three fun facts about you that most people don’t know 1) I have two chainsaws and I know how to use them.2) I used to work with Stan Lee. (Yeah, that guy.)3) I adore opera.
Nancy- What’s next for you?
Irene - My immediate goal is to get all my backlog of manuscripts published. Interspersed will be sequels that carry characters to their logical happy end points or tell the stories of interesting secondary characters. I have lots of ideas for stories, some of them "answer songs," if you've ever heard that expression. What I mean is that I've read too many romances that made me angry because the hero got away with bullying the heroine, and I want to write stories in which the woman takes back her power. Captive of the Cattle Baron is one of them, and there will be more. 
BOOK BLURB   Abducted by rancher Baron Selkirk—okay, it was an accident, but now he won't let her go—former TV child star turned horse whisperer Addie Jelleff wants to return to Jackson Hole, Wyoming, to defend her actor pal in court. Baron and his vast, isolated ranch appeal to Addie as a respite from the media circus, but he's awfully domineering and she can't possibly give in to their growing attraction while she's virtually his prisoner, can she?
Baron wants Addie to open up about her mysterious past and her commitment to another man. Why won't she give in to Baron, when every time they touch, they catch fire? It's a battle of wills—with neither one backing down.
Excerpt “I told you to stay away from my stable today,” he said in a gravelly tone from behind her.She smelled horses on him, and smoke. Leather. Manly smells.  “I’m not at the stable,” she said, still watching the stallion.He ignored the technicality. “I specifically ordered you not to come back here today.”She finally glanced at him. “You ordered? You’re acting like a prison warden.”“You’re a guest, but you were sick. Or so you claim,” he said, eyeing her with open suspicion.She curbed her impatience. “Haven’t you ever taken even one pill that made you loopy against your will?”“No. Never.” His glare was uncompromising. “I don’t do drugs and I don’t allow them on this ranch.”“I don’t do drugs either,” she said. She glared back at him.“Why are you here at the corral?” Baron demanded.“I’m training your stallion, getting him used to humans.”He frowned. “You went inside the fence?”“I wouldn’t do that without permission.”“Why should I give you permission?”She blew out an exasperated breath. “Because I’m a horse trainer.”“Pull the other one.” He looked her over, missing none of her female assets, making her want to squirm from his slow, appreciative inventory. “You’re far too beautiful.”“You’re kidding.”“What are you? A dancer at the casino? A swim instructor at the hotel?”“Why would you think that?” She cocked her head at him.“You have an air about you. Poise,” he said, his hands resting on his belt as he looked her over.“That’s an astute observation,” she replied, impressed in spite of herself. Although she wasn’t about to tell him about her show biz past, somehow he’d made a connection. “Why is my appearance relevant to my ability to train a horse?”“The only horse trainers I’ve ever met were wizened old things. You don’t look like a horse trainer to me,” he said.“I can’t possibly be a horse trainer because I don’t look the part?” She started laughing. “What’s so funny?”“I don’t look the part.” She couldn’t stop the gales of laughter.“You’ve been out in the hot sun far too long. Miss Betty told you to rest. I’m taking you back to the house.” He took hold of her upper arm and began to march her toward the ranch house.“Stop,” she said, sobering up. She pulled against his strong grip. He immediately released her, but now they were face to face, almost touching. Their breaths mingled and then slowed. She stared into his chestnut eyes, seeking something, she didn’t know what. His gaze was equally intent. He answered her without words, and then he looked at her lips. She stopped breathing. He leaned in a few more inches and pressed his mouth against hers.  Buy Links….Amazon ebookAmazon PRINT
MORE ABOUT THE AUTHOR Bio  Award-winning author Irene Vartanoff started reading romances and comic books as a teenager. Emilie Loring romances and Superman comics led to the serious stuff, Gothic novels and Lois Lane comics—and romance comics. Writing comic books and working on staff at Marvel Comics and DC Comics absorbed her early career years, aspects of which are gently spoofed in her superhero adventure novel, Temporary Superheroine. Editing for major publishers of romance Harlequin, Bantam, and Berkley inspired her next career shift to writing novels. Captive of the Cattle Baron is her first sweet contemporary romance.

You can find more information about Irene Vartanoff here: WEBSITE   Twitter Facebook    AmazonAuthor Page