Sarah Ballance's Blog, page 25

#Roadrip 3: Nine Days & 5,000 Miles…More Pictures from the Road

If you’ve missed a mile or two, you can catch up on the highlights here, or see pics from the first leg of our journey here. Today we’ll kick things off with the bridge over the Mississippi as we cross from Wisconsin into Minnesota. (This bridge…ermagerd.)

Crossing the Mississippi. For what it’s worth, they are working on that bridge. ::cringe::

You’re on the Minnesota side looking over the Mississippi River toward Wisconsin. That bridge is the one you were just on.

I love this because it looks like the windmill and tree are poking through the roof. Look closely and you’ll see there are two barns.

This guy his his bicycle strapped to his back. It stuck straight out, making this a bad angle, but the speed limit was 80. Things happened fast. LOL.

There are approximately eleventy billion wind turbines in Minnesota, and considering how (surprisingly) windy is it there, I’d say they’re in a good place.

Beautiful, rolling Minnesota

And this is South Dakota. We LOVED South Dakota.

South Dakota

Headed west into a South Dakota sunset

I have a thing for sky-scapes, LOL. (South Dakota)

South Dakota had one of these tee pees at every rest stop we passed.

The sinking South Dakota sun

My youngest found this “horsey” when we stopped for gas.

That’s it for today! Next time we’re off the road and doing the tourist thing at Mount Rushmore. Then we’ll ride 100 year old rail cars behind an old steam engine to check out some Black Hills mining camps, and then it’s off to the Badlands. I hope to see you back!

All Entangled Eve Halloween Hop #Giveaway (Oct 18-31, INT)

Welcome to ALL ENTANGLED EVE! This blog hop features dozens of Entangled Publishing authors, so be sure to hop for your chance at truly fantastic treats. You’ll find the list of participants here…but wait! Before you go there, take a look at what’s up for grabs here.

Giveaway

I’m giving away a $13 gift card to Amazon or Barnes & Noble, winner’s choice. To enter, all you have to do is leave a comment. (You do not need to publicly post your email address as long as you leave it in the comment form, but please do make sure there’s contact info so I can find you if you win!)

Though you are not required to do so, I’d greatly appreciate it if you’d consider following my blog (the box is in the upper left sidebar), liking me on Facebook, following me on Twitter, or checking out one of my new releases featured below. Also, don’t forget to check out my other giveaways by clicking the image in the sidebar…and of course my brand new releases from Entangled Publishing!

Ruby Hill – only 99 cents!

One reunion. One ghost. One night that will change everything…

From her earliest memories, Ashley Pearce has been drawn to Ruby Hill Lunatic Asylum, and she’s not the only one. Decades after the abandoned hospital ended its institutional reign of torture and neglect, something lurks in the shadows. Since she’s a paranormal investigator, it’s Ashley’s job to find out what.

Crime scene expert Corbin Malone doesn’t believe in ghosts. A born skeptic, he has no interest in entertaining the hype surrounding the mysterious deaths at Ruby Hill, but he won’t turn his back while more women die. He agrees to an overnight investigation, never expecting his first encounter would be with the woman he pushed away a year ago. But when he discovers Ashley is a target, he learns his greatest fear isn’t living with his own demons, but losing her for good.

Find it @ Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | iTunes | Goodreads

HER WICKED SIN (A Sins of Salem Novel)

SALEM, MA 1692

On a moonless night, he rides into the winter forest on his beast as black as midnight….

Dashing stranger, Henry Dunham, comes to Salem on a mysterious errand, but is thrown from his horse in the dead of night and rescued by the local Puritan midwife, Lydia Colson.

Haunted by her past, Lydia is running from her own dark secrets, avoiding intrusive questions by pretending her dead husband is simply…away. But when she and Henry are caught in a compromising situation, one punishable by Puritan law, he saves her from scandal by claiming to be her errant spouse…and claiming her bed.

Forced to fake a marriage, Lydia and Henry find their passion overwhelming and their vows a little too real. As their lies become truths, a witch hunt closes in on Lydia, threatening not only their burgeoning love, but her life.

Find it @ Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | iTunes | Goodreads

After you enter my giveaway, click here to head back to All Entangled Eve!

Kaylin McFarren: What is Erotic Romantic Suspense? ($100 #Giveaway)

Please welcome author Kaylin McFarren with the following guest post, then stick around for a peek at her new release as well as giveaway details.

Kaylin McFarren: What is Erotic Romantic Suspense?

When trying to define true erotica, I’ve learned it’s nearly impossible to come up with an accurate or complete answer. This genre flows like a river, branching out into suspense, mystery, fantasy, science fiction and paranormal along the way. For some, erotica is a genre of its own. It’s not necessarily filled with explicit sex, although it might be laced with sexual imagery and language. And like romance, it quite often depends on sexual tension. In addition, it’s far removed from pornography, since the story within the book canstand alone despite sexual overtones. Erotica can also feature a vast range of explicitness, types of sex and even how frequent it appears on paper. As a result, publishers and division such as Ellora’s Cave and Brava utilize a ranking or rating system to better prepare readers for what’s waiting under the covers.

So is all this necessary in a romantic suspense novel? Like R-rated movies that includeracy bedroom scenes to draw mature audiences, authors often slip one into their novels as a way to consummate a marriage or resolve an over-heated relationship. However, unlike pure romances, erotica doesn’t use poetic euphemisms. The story is laced with sexual imagery and language. True intimacy considered taboo in romance can be a feature, and the novel are be charged with sexual tension. But the real question becomes aresexual actsneeded to move stories along? Of course not, although they can definitely add spice to a story and a good portion of the general audience believes they enhance their reading. Some readers even skip through pages to find the hot, steamy scenesin a book, so the interest is definitely there. But in my opinion, they need to pertain to the story – they need to demonstrate a character’s strengths or miserable failings. That’s why Buried Threads is erotic as well as romantic suspense. All of these elements have been brought together to develop complicated characters, desperate to solve a dilemma and to differentiate between love and lust.

Buried Threads

Rachel’s mouth sagged. “You mean you’re really a monk? But how’s that possible? You’re not even wearing a robe, and your hair…”

He simply smiled.

 A disturbing prophecy sends a treasure hunting duo on an urgent race to rescue a country in Kaylin McFarren’s heart pounding new novel,  Buried Threads. Full of erotic suspense and wild adventures, this is one trip that readers will never forget!

Rachel Lyons and Chase Cohen work together as the successful owners of a treasure hunting company. But a seemingly simply assignment – to track down a priceless gem that is believed to buried in a shipwreck deep within the Sea of Japan – takes a starling, and dangerous, turn.

Faced with a monk’s dark prophecy that a natural disaster will soon strike Japan, killing millions, Rachel and Chase must embark on the mission of a lifetime in order to uncover the three cursed samurai swords that can avert the catastrophe.

Chaos ensues as their adventure takes them from shark infested waters and creepy caves to haunted hidden tombs and a confrontation with Yakuza gang members.

Time is running out as the prophecy’s day of reckoning draws near. Will Rachel and Chase succeed before disaster strikes?

Purchase your copy at AMAZON (coming October 22!)
About the Author

Kaylin McFarren is a California native who has enjoyed traveling around the world. She previously worked as director for a fine art gallery, where she helped foster the careers of various artists before feeling the urge to satisfy her won creative impulses.

Since launching her writing career, McFarren has earned more than a dozen literary awards in addition to a finalist spot in the 2008 RWA Golden Heart Contest. A member of RWA, Rose City Romance Writers, and Willamette Writers, she also lends her participation and support to various charitable and educational organizations in the Pacific Northwest.

McFarren currently lives with her husband in Oregon. They have three children and two grandchildren.

Her latest book is Buried Threads (Book 2 of the Threads series).

Visit her website at www.kaylinmcfarren.com.

Connect & Socialize with Kaylin!

TWITTER  | FACEBOOK | GOODREADS

Book Trailer

Giveaway

Pump Up Your Book and Kaylin McFarren are giving away a $100 Amazon Gift Card/Paypal Cash!

Terms & Conditions:

By entering the giveaway, you are confirming you are at least 18 years old.
One winner will be chosen via Rafflecopter to receive one Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash.
This giveaway begins October 7 and ends December 31.
Winners will be contacted via email on Monday, January 3, 2013.
Winner has 48 hours to reply.
Only U.S. citizens can win the Kindle Fire.

Good luck everyone!

ENTER TO WIN!

Follow the Tour!

Sarah Ballance: 13 Shocking Reasons People were Actually Committed to Lunatic Asylums

If you think you’ve seen this before, you may be right. This was widely distributed as part of my RUBY HILL release tour with Entangled Publishing and Bewitching Book Tours. But this is so crazy, I totally recommend you just read it again.

13 Shocking Reasons Real People were Committed to Lunatic Asylums

If you thought you had to get your crazy on to land in a place like Ruby Hill, you’d better think again. The following list of reasons folks were locked up for “treatment” between 1864 and 1889 at the RUBY HILL-esque yet very real Trans-Alleghany Lunatic Asylum is absolutely true. (My commentary, however, may be prone to exaggeration.)

Bad Whiskey – I don’t know if this guy drank bad whiskey, sold bad whiskey, or manufactured bad whiskey, but you’ve got to feel for anyone forced to sober up a lunatic asylum. I’m pretty sure that type of residence is exactly where I’d most need whiskey, bad or otherwise.
Drospy – I admit I had to look this one up. It’s the old word for edema, which is what happens when you carry excess fluid.  Basically this means if you’ve ever taken off your socks to find they’ve left dents in your legs, you could have been committed. Now THAT is lunacy.
Fighting Fire – Not setting them, but fighting them. Apparently firefighting in the 1800s wasn’t always considered the heroic profession we know it as today. And someone at the admissions desk is a pyromaniac.
Menstrual Deranged – What does that mean, exactly? Aside the menstrual part – we get that. Monthly, even. But deranged? We probably don’t want to know, but what do you want to bet a man came up with that one?
Masturbation for 30 Years – Erm, okay. But why THIS GUY and not EVERY OTHER GUY ON THE PLANET? I’m just sayin’….
Suppressed Masturbation – So what we’ve just learned is there is clearly a target zone for this particular activity—somewhere between once and 30 years’ worth. Good luck with that, boys.
Ill Treatment by Husband – Okay, so he’s a jerk so they lock HER up? I bet a man thought of that one, too. (I’m gaining a whole new appreciation for my fabulous husband, who—in over 16 years of marriage—has not once sent me to an asylum.)
Seduction and Disappointment – I’m not sure who was seduced in this scenario and who was disappointed, but apparently this was not the time to oversell oneself.  (No wonder that one guy just stuck to masturbation for 30 years.)
Scarlatina (Scarlet Fever) – You there, with the contagious disease. Into the criminally over-crowded asylum. Yep, that’ll fix you. That will fix all of you. Muahahaha.
Medicine to Prevent Conception – To be fair, all forms of contraception were made illegal in the United States in 1873, so this was at least technically a crime. By the 1880s, though, there was a handy-dandy sausage casing device (yes, that would be animal intestine) alternative. Might have been worth a shot because…
Dissipation of Nerves – There’s nothing to indicate the dissipation of nerves was in any way related to conception rates, but my husband and I have six children (one of whom was conceived after I was surgically sterilized) and I’m telling you, asylum people. YOU CAN’T HAVE IT BOTH WAYS. It a classic inverse proportion, and if you don’t believe me just ask all those people who see me with six kids and immediately assume I’m crazy.  But I digress.
Carbonic Acid Gas – I’m not sure of the particulars here, but just so y’all know, this is a byproduct of breathing. BREATHING WAS A CRIME.
Novel Reading – ERMAGERD, YOU GUYS. First we can’t breathe, and now they take away our novels! But fear not, for RUBY HILL is not a novel, but a novella. Which can only mean READING RUBY HILL WILL KEEP YOU OUT OF AN INSANE ASYLUM!

Okay, so my logic might be a bit flawed, LOL, but I’m going to distract you quickly so you won’t notice. J Here’s a related little historical twist that blew my mind. In September, Entangled Scandalous released my historical romance, HER WICKED SIN, which is set during the Salem Witch Trials. Back then, the Salem in question was actually Salem Village, which has since been renamed Danvers. Danvers is home to the Danvers State Lunatic Asylum (reportedly one of the most haunted places in the world, and they turned it into APARTMENTS, y’all!), which sits on Hawthorne Hill, the very site of the gallows where the Salem witches were hanged. Nice little coincidence, right? But it gets better. Back in 2011—long before I’d given any thought to writing about the Salem Witch Trials or a haunted lunatic asylum—I had out there a little novella about a haunted house. Its name? HAWTHORNE.

Mind. Blown.

Now that you’ve been properly wooed (yes-I-said-wooed), are you ready to dive into the dust, abandonment, terror—and yes, romance—of an abandoned mental institution? (Come on—you’ve got to see how the romance fits in there, right?) If so, I hope you’ll consider a dark, dangerous trek (or, you know, just click over) to your favorite e-tailer for the scoop on RUBY HILL!

Find it @ Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | iTunes | Goodreads

Ruby Hill

One reunion. One ghost. One night that will change everything…

From her earliest memories, Ashley Pearce has been drawn to Ruby Hill Lunatic Asylum, and she’s not the only one. Decades after the abandoned hospital ended its institutional reign of torture and neglect, something lurks in the shadows. Since she’s a paranormal investigator, it’s Ashley’s job to find out what.

Crime scene expert Corbin Malone doesn’t believe in ghosts. A born skeptic, he has no interest in entertaining the hype surrounding the mysterious deaths at Ruby Hill, but he won’t turn his back while more women die. He agrees to an overnight investigation, never expecting his first encounter would be with the woman he pushed away a year ago. But when he discovers Ashley is a target, he learns his greatest fear isn’t living with his own demons, but losing her for good.

Find it @ Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | iTunes | Goodreads

Review Snippets

“Dark and mysterious with just a touch of romance.”  – Readheaded Bookworm viaGoodreads

“Ballance gives us lovely, spooky writing – the kind where the sentences feel good in your mouth while they send shivers down your spine … Ballance does a pitch perfect job of crafting a horror story in Ruby Hill. ” – Tori MacAllister

“Ruby Hill is a truly chilling account of ghost hunting at an asylum after dark.” –Sapphyria’s Book Reviews

“Ruby Hill by Sarah Ballance was deliciously creepy. I loved every spooky minute of it.” - Becky on Books … and Quilts

Sarah Ballance: Crazy Puritan Sex (It Happened. A LOT.)

This first appeared as a 9/23 guest blog at Jenna Jaxon’s Journal.

It’s no secret the colonial Puritans had a rather unique way of thinking—that whole witch hysteria thing ascertains as much—but crazy sex? It can’t be! Well, that’s what I thought before I started researching my new historical romance, HER WICKED SIN. I was WRONG, you guys. So, so wrong! Underneath those dull, unflattering outfits they were as crazy as the rest of us (and in some cases, far crazier than most). Here’s the proof.

20-40% of Puritan Brides were Pregnant before the Wedding

The exact number depends on who you ask, but let’s think about this. The chance of getting pregnant during a given month is relatively small—about 25%, even while actively trying to conceive. The fact that 20-40% of these young brides were with child on their wedding day means there was a LOT of premarital sex happening. And just HOW it happened…well, read on.

It’s all the Man’s Fault

Puritans expected awesome sex to rock the marital bed—so much so that a lack of fulfillment was considered grounds for divorce. A cheating man was most often charged with fornication, the punishment for which was commonly a public flogging. Women, however, were charged with adultery and could be put to death. (For the same crime. Asshats.) Anyway, when a woman strayed some of the blame fell to her husband. In one such documented case, the husband was found guilty of “exposing his wife to such temptations” due to his extended absence. The cheaters were whipped and jailed, while the husband had to pay his wife’s fines and sit in the stockade.

They had Orgies…Incestuous Ones

Group sex was a crime to begin with, but this one has Jerry Springer written all over it. In a documented case, one woman and four men hit the bump and grind together. Two of the men got it going and another resisted a bit, leaving the lovely lady to go at it with her own brother. I’m not sure what the resistor was doing—probably taking notes since he’s the one who told on them—but he goes down with rest of them as part of this infamous tryst. They were all whipped, by the way, except the voyeur. He was merely found “faulty” for witnessing the event.

Good—er, Bad—Native Lovin’

Every now and then some of the Goodwives extended rather generously of themselves to the Natives. Some were caught, and some were caught repeatedly. One wife was found to have enjoyed “dalliance diverse tymes” with a Native, who was later determined to have been seduced by the wicked woman. Another wife was fined and whipped—not the same Native, by the way—while he walked away with nothing more than a new notch in his tent pole.

Gettin’ Down on the Farm

When one finds oneself lacking in virginal young ladies, willing family members, or naughty Natives, there’s relief to be found in the barnyard…or so thought a 16 year old servant boy, who was caught servicing a mare. And a cow, two goats, a number of sheep, and two calves. And what really got these folks in a tizzy—not that buggary wasn’t a horrific crime in itself—was the fact not all of these animals were willing females. And it gets even better! This young man also had his way with a turkey. A turkey…on Thanksgiving Day.

But that’s not the most shocking buggary story stemming from the Puritan and Pilgrim colonists. George Spencer was an ugly, balding servant with one glass eye. He was also suspected of fornicating with animals—a fact some considered validated when a sow gave birth to a one-eyed piglet. Naturally this proved one-eyed George was dear ol’ dad, and he was subsequently executed for “fathering” the faulty bacon.

In a similar case, Thomas Hogg (you can’t make this stuff up) spent several months in prison for frequent rolls in the hay with his four-legged friends. When a sow gave birth to two deformed piglets, the immediate outcry was that they resembled Hogg himself. However, Hogg never confessed to fathering these poor ugly piglets and the required two witnesses never came forward, so Hogg didn’t face charges for that particular crime.

Clearly these tales speak for a few—many Puritans, I’m sure, were as droll as school kids have been led to believe—but if nothing else, this goes to show they lusted. (Lusted like fiends, some of them!) But not all Puritan lust was felonious.  My new historical romance, HER WICKED SIN, looks at the other side of desire—one where passion ignites, lies are perpetuated, scandal ensures…and lives are changed.

And all without a turkey in sight.

HER WICKED SIN (Sins of Salem #1) – Entangled Scandalous

SALEM, MA 1692

On a moonless night, he rides into the winter forest on his beast as black as midnight….

Dashing stranger, Henry Dunham, comes to Salem on a mysterious errand, but is thrown from his horse in the dead of night and rescued by the local Puritan midwife, Lydia Colson.

Haunted by her past, Lydia is running from her own dark secrets, avoiding intrusive questions by pretending her dead husband is simply…away. But when she and Henry are caught in a compromising situation, one punishable by Puritan law, he saves her from scandal by claiming to be her errant spouse…and claiming her bed.

Forced to fake a marriage, Lydia and Henry find their passion overwhelming and their vows a little too real. As their lies become truths, a witch hunt closes in on Lydia, threatening not only their burgeoning love, but her life.

Find it @ Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | iTunes | Goodreads

Her Wicked Sin | Excerpt

“Willard, you beast.” A round of profanity followed the utterance. Though the stranger’s words were foul, they offered for his equine companion both comfort and reassurance. Their soothing cadence eased the alarm from the horse’s eyes, leading his ears to relax from their pinned state.

Lydia found herself enchanted by the man’s tones and by his obvious affection for the horse.

He shifted in the leaves, still facing away, and he had yet to acknowledge her. She should flee. She had freed him from his quandary, and his voice tinged itself not with pain, but with humor. She would feel no remorse for moving past, yet her feet did not budge.

If she remained silent, would he not know her there? No, eventually he would wonder what held the reins aloft. She watched, waiting for that moment. Through the profound darkness, she noticed his hair was a nutty brown and longer than that of a Puritan man, though its richness showed no trace of the powder worn by many wealthy travelers. He was a study of contrasts, this man. For all of his finery, he seemed to shun the ways of society, and his roguish nature appealed to those innermost desires she had thought long lost. Her husband, as he were, had ruined her womanhood.

This stranger, in the most insignificant ways, had roused it.

Find it @ Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | iTunes | Goodreads

About Sarah Ballance

Sarah and her husband of what he calls “many long, long years” live on the mid-Atlantic coast with their six young children, all of whom are perfectly adorable when they’re asleep. She never dreamed of becoming an author, but as a homeschooling mom, she often jokes she writes fiction because if she wants anyone to listen to her, she has to make them up. (As it turns out, her characters aren’t much better than the kids). When not buried under piles of laundry, she may be found adrift in the Atlantic (preferably on a boat) or seeking that ever-elusive perfect writing spot where not even the kids can find her.

She loves creating unforgettable stories while putting her characters through an unkind amount of torture—a hobby that has nothing to do with living with six children. (Really.) Though she adores nail-biting mystery and edge-of-your-seat thrillers, Sarah writes in many genres including contemporary and ghostly supernatural romance. Her ever-growing roster of releases may be found at http://sarahballance.com

Learn more @ Website | Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

 

Sarah Ballance: Crazy Puritan Sex (It Happened. A LOT.) $50 #Giveaway

This first appeared as a 9/23 guest blog at Jenna Jaxon’s Journal.

It’s no secret the colonial Puritans had a rather unique way of thinking—that whole witch hysteria thing ascertains as much—but crazy sex? It can’t be! Well, that’s what I thought before I started researching my new historical romance, HER WICKED SIN. I was WRONG, you guys. So, so wrong! Underneath those dull, unflattering outfits they were as crazy as the rest of us (and in some cases, far crazier than most). Here’s the proof.

20-40% of Puritan Brides were Pregnant before the Wedding

The exact number depends on who you ask, but let’s think about this. The chance of getting pregnant during a given month is relatively small—about 25%, even while actively trying to conceive. The fact that 20-40% of these young brides were with child on their wedding day means there was a LOT of premarital sex happening. And just HOW it happened…well, read on.

It’s all the Man’s Fault

Puritans expected awesome sex to rock the marital bed—so much so that a lack of fulfillment was considered grounds for divorce. A cheating man was most often charged with fornication, the punishment for which was commonly a public flogging. Women, however, were charged with adultery and could be put to death. (For the same crime. Asshats.) Anyway, when a woman strayed some of the blame fell to her husband. In one such documented case, the husband was found guilty of “exposing his wife to such temptations” due to his extended absence. The cheaters were whipped and jailed, while the husband had to pay his wife’s fines and sit in the stockade.

They had Orgies…Incestuous Ones

Group sex was a crime to begin with, but this one has Jerry Springer written all over it. In a documented case, one woman and four men hit the bump and grind together. Two of the men got it going and another resisted a bit, leaving the lovely lady to go at it with her own brother. I’m not sure what the resistor was doing—probably taking notes since he’s the one who told on them—but he goes down with rest of them as part of this infamous tryst. They were all whipped, by the way, except the voyeur. He was merely found “faulty” for witnessing the event.

Good—er, Bad—Native Lovin’

Every now and then some of the Goodwives extended rather generously of themselves to the Natives. Some were caught, and some were caught repeatedly. One wife was found to have enjoyed “dalliance diverse tymes” with a Native, who was later determined to have been seduced by the wicked woman. Another wife was fined and whipped—not the same Native, by the way—while he walked away with nothing more than a new notch in his tent pole.

Gettin’ Down on the Farm

When one finds oneself lacking in virginal young ladies, willing family members, or naughty Natives, there’s relief to be found in the barnyard…or so thought a 16 year old servant boy, who was caught servicing a mare. And a cow, two goats, a number of sheep, and two calves. And what really got these folks in a tizzy—not that buggary wasn’t a horrific crime in itself—was the fact not all of these animals were willing females. And it gets even better! This young man also had his way with a turkey. A turkey…on Thanksgiving Day.

But that’s not the most shocking buggary story stemming from the Puritan and Pilgrim colonists. George Spencer was an ugly, balding servant with one glass eye. He was also suspected of fornicating with animals—a fact some considered validated when a sow gave birth to a one-eyed piglet. Naturally this proved one-eyed George was dear ol’ dad, and he was subsequently executed for “fathering” the faulty bacon.

In a similar case, Thomas Hogg (you can’t make this stuff up) spent several months in prison for frequent rolls in the hay with his four-legged friends. When a sow gave birth to two deformed piglets, the immediate outcry was that they resembled Hogg himself. However, Hogg never confessed to fathering these poor ugly piglets and the required two witnesses never came forward, so Hogg didn’t face charges for that particular crime.

Clearly these tales speak for a few—many Puritans, I’m sure, were as droll as school kids have been led to believe—but if nothing else, this goes to show they lusted. (Lusted like fiends, some of them!) But not all Puritan lust was felonious.  My new historical romance, HER WICKED SIN, looks at the other side of desire—one where passion ignites, lies are perpetuated, scandal ensures…and lives are changed.

And all without a turkey in sight.

Click here to learn how to enter my $50 gift card giveaway!

HER WICKED SIN (Sins of Salem #1) – Entangled Scandalous

SALEM, MA 1692

On a moonless night, he rides into the winter forest on his beast as black as midnight….

Dashing stranger, Henry Dunham, comes to Salem on a mysterious errand, but is thrown from his horse in the dead of night and rescued by the local Puritan midwife, Lydia Colson.

Haunted by her past, Lydia is running from her own dark secrets, avoiding intrusive questions by pretending her dead husband is simply…away. But when she and Henry are caught in a compromising situation, one punishable by Puritan law, he saves her from scandal by claiming to be her errant spouse…and claiming her bed.

Forced to fake a marriage, Lydia and Henry find their passion overwhelming and their vows a little too real. As their lies become truths, a witch hunt closes in on Lydia, threatening not only their burgeoning love, but her life.

Find it @ Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | iTunes | Goodreads

Her Wicked Sin | Excerpt

“Willard, you beast.” A round of profanity followed the utterance. Though the stranger’s words were foul, they offered for his equine companion both comfort and reassurance. Their soothing cadence eased the alarm from the horse’s eyes, leading his ears to relax from their pinned state.

Lydia found herself enchanted by the man’s tones and by his obvious affection for the horse.

He shifted in the leaves, still facing away, and he had yet to acknowledge her. She should flee. She had freed him from his quandary, and his voice tinged itself not with pain, but with humor. She would feel no remorse for moving past, yet her feet did not budge.

If she remained silent, would he not know her there? No, eventually he would wonder what held the reins aloft. She watched, waiting for that moment. Through the profound darkness, she noticed his hair was a nutty brown and longer than that of a Puritan man, though its richness showed no trace of the powder worn by many wealthy travelers. He was a study of contrasts, this man. For all of his finery, he seemed to shun the ways of society, and his roguish nature appealed to those innermost desires she had thought long lost. Her husband, as he were, had ruined her womanhood.

This stranger, in the most insignificant ways, had roused it.

Find it @ Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | iTunes | Goodreads

About Sarah Ballance

Sarah and her husband of what he calls “many long, long years” live on the mid-Atlantic coast with their six young children, all of whom are perfectly adorable when they’re asleep. She never dreamed of becoming an author, but as a homeschooling mom, she often jokes she writes fiction because if she wants anyone to listen to her, she has to make them up. (As it turns out, her characters aren’t much better than the kids). When not buried under piles of laundry, she may be found adrift in the Atlantic (preferably on a boat) or seeking that ever-elusive perfect writing spot where not even the kids can find her.

She loves creating unforgettable stories while putting her characters through an unkind amount of torture—a hobby that has nothing to do with living with six children. (Really.) Though she adores nail-biting mystery and edge-of-your-seat thrillers, Sarah writes in many genres including contemporary and ghostly supernatural romance. Her ever-growing roster of releases may be found at http://sarahballance.com

Learn more @ Website | Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

 

Catherine Hemmerling: Pursuing the Dream (#Giveaway)

Please welcome author Catherine Hemmerling, who is here with her new historical romance from Entangled Scandalous.

Catherine Hemmerling: Pursuing the Dream

So, I was 41 when my first book was published. My family will tell you that I was creating stories from pretty much the time could comprehend language, all through my childhood, teens, young adult years, and so on. So why did it take so long to get published? Well, life got in the way initially. That whole working for a living thing sure does eat into your creative writing time, don’t you think? Besides, my day job WAS writing. Technical writing. After a full day of that, my creativity was fairly sucked dry.

The other issue was what I was writing. I originally tried a semi-biographical story for young adults. I had a particularly rocky childhood and I firmly believed if I wrote a story about living through such a childhood, it might help others going through the same thing. I found, however, that writing my story was too depressing and I could never get through a chapter without have to stop and begin consuming many quarts of ice cream. Therefore, I came to the conclusion that fiction was more my thing.

But I will still in the YA frame of mind. And ghost stories. I really liked the idea of writing a YA, uplifting, ghost is the hero, novel. I had a whole outline and title for this one. But still, I couldn’t seem to finish the story. It was so frustrating that I stopped trying for a while. For a long while.

Then one day, after reading yet another historical romance novel, I was hit with an idea. THE idea. A series of books about extraordinary young women in a day and age that I felt could embrace special females even when it was against the norm. Funny, charming, unique women who helped people who couldn’t help themselves. Once I had the idea, it wouldn’t go away.

I began dreaming about it and then researching the time period in question during my lunch hour. Then creating character outlines during my breaks, in the bathroom, while cooking dinner. Then I sat down and started to write and I couldn’t stop. And I didn’t stop until I had three books completed, and forth started, and a fifth just waiting in the wings.

It was a complete shock when an agent asked to represent me and truly a dream come true when a publisher picked up the series. It was 40-some years in the making … but an author was born. It can happen to you too. Never give up on your dreams.

Romancing His English Rose

Rose Warren and Simon Trumbull may have been betrothed since birth, but that doesn’t mean they have to like each other. Rose is sure the notorious playboy Simon will never willingly settle down, and Simon, well… he agrees. Never one to be forced into anything, he’d rather drink and gamble with his mates than spend time with the bookish, bespectacled Rose.

When the two are thrown together to investigate a potential poisoning mystery, neither expects the sparks that fly. Simon discovers that Rose is, in face, a brilliant sleuth and – even better – hides a delectable body beneath her flowing skirts. Suddenly, falling into bed may be the best idea either has heard, but can Simon convince Rose his romancing is forever?

Find it @ Amazon

Excerpt

“Ah, yes…” Simon said haltingly, unable to believe that Lady Lancaster had suggested he dance with Rose. Usually when he poured on his charm, the older ladies did everything in their power to keep the young impressionable girls away from him. Of course, he was engaged to Rose, so perhaps that accounted for the woman’s unusual decision.

Turning to Rose, Simon saw that she too was surprised by the dowager’s recommendation. She also appeared displeased by it. Most young ladies fawned over him and when he asked one to dance, they would practically swoon with delight. But Rose seemed almost disgusted by the idea.

Pride pricked, Simon came to a decision. This dance would be the best Rose had ever experienced—one she would never forget.

Pulling himself up straight and tall, Simon adopted the most sincere mien he could and asked, “Rose, may I have this dance?”

Rose nodded and accepted Simon’s arm and together they walked to the dance floor.

Soon they were moving gracefully around the ballroom floor…in complete silence. Rose was gazing absently over Simon’s shoulder and Simon was trying in vain to come up with something witty and interesting to say.

While deciding to impress Rose enough for her to never again regret having to dance with him, Simon took a moment to get a better look at his betrothed. Something was different about her tonight, but he just couldn’t put his finger on what.

Find it @ Amazon

About Catherine Hemmerling

Catherine Hemmerling has been a technical writer in the software industry for nearly twenty years and has published many user manuals and technical documentation in that time. She has always had a love of writing fiction but has never pursued publication in that genre until now.

Hopefully it is the beginning of a long new journey with Lady Lancaster and the Garden Society girls. Certainly historical romance (especially the scandalous kind) is more fun than writing technical documents!

This author happily resides in Tehachapi, California (near Bakersfield – home of her Alma-mater!) with her family.

Catherine writes for Entangled Publishing’s Scandalous historical line and is thrilled to be part of their family of writers!

Learn more @ Website | Twitter | Facebook 

Giveaway

Catherine is offering a $25 gift card to one lucky reader, so head on over to the rafflecopter to enter to win that great prize!

Spooktacular #Giveaway Hop (Oct 15-31 INT)

Welcome to the 4th Annual Spooktacular Giveaway Hop hosted by I am a Reader Not a Writer! This is a huge, huge hop with over 350 participants, and because every prize is worth at least $10 there’s more than $3,500 in prizes up for grabs. (ERMAGERD!) Want to know what’s up for grabs here? Let’s get started!

Giveaway

I’m giving away a $13 gift card to Amazon or Barnes & Noble, winner’s choice. To enter, all you have to do is leave a comment. (You do not need to publicly post your email address as long as you leave it in the comment form, but please do make sure there’s contact info so I can find you if you win!)

Though you are not required to do so, I’d greatly appreciate it if you’d consider following my blog (the box is in the upper left sidebar), liking me on Facebook, following me on Twitter, or checking out one of my new releases featured below. Also, don’t forget to check out my other giveaways by clicking the image in the sidebar.

Ruby Hill – only 99 cents!

One reunion. One ghost. One night that will change everything…

From her earliest memories, Ashley Pearce has been drawn to Ruby Hill Lunatic Asylum, and she’s not the only one. Decades after the abandoned hospital ended its institutional reign of torture and neglect, something lurks in the shadows. Since she’s a paranormal investigator, it’s Ashley’s job to find out what.

Crime scene expert Corbin Malone doesn’t believe in ghosts. A born skeptic, he has no interest in entertaining the hype surrounding the mysterious deaths at Ruby Hill, but he won’t turn his back while more women die. He agrees to an overnight investigation, never expecting his first encounter would be with the woman he pushed away a year ago. But when he discovers Ashley is a target, he learns his greatest fear isn’t living with his own demons, but losing her for good.

Find it @ Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | iTunes | Goodreads

HER WICKED SIN (A Sins of Salem Novel)

SALEM, MA 1692

On a moonless night, he rides into the winter forest on his beast as black as midnight….

Dashing stranger, Henry Dunham, comes to Salem on a mysterious errand, but is thrown from his horse in the dead of night and rescued by the local Puritan midwife, Lydia Colson.

Haunted by her past, Lydia is running from her own dark secrets, avoiding intrusive questions by pretending her dead husband is simply…away. But when she and Henry are caught in a compromising situation, one punishable by Puritan law, he saves her from scandal by claiming to be her errant spouse…and claiming her bed.

Forced to fake a marriage, Lydia and Henry find their passion overwhelming and their vows a little too real. As their lies become truths, a witch hunt closes in on Lydia, threatening not only their burgeoning love, but her life.

Find it @ Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | iTunes | Goodreads

Don’t forget to check more than 350+ other blogs in this hop! Click here to see the list, and have a Deliciously Spooktacular Halloween!

Lucky 13 Trick or Treat Blog Hop #Giveaway

Welcome to the Lucky 13 Trick or Treat Blog Hop! This hop features a bag of tricks and a bag of treats, and it just so happens I have one of each. I’m also sharing one of my favorite recipes (it’s both a treat AND a trick around our house…muahhahaa!) so keep reading for lots of goodies, including a gift card giveaway!

There are two categories of books for this giveaway. Tricks include paranormal, science fiction, BDSM, and suspense. Treats are composed of sweet romance, inspirations, contemporary, or historical.

Here’s my Trick…

RUBY HILL

One reunion. One ghost. One night that will change everything…

From her earliest memories, Ashley Pearce has been drawn to Ruby Hill Lunatic Asylum, and she’s not the only one. Decades after the abandoned hospital ended its institutional reign of torture and neglect, something lurks in the shadows. Since she’s a paranormal investigator, it’s Ashley’s job to find out what.

Crime scene expert Corbin Malone doesn’t believe in ghosts. A born skeptic, he has no interest in entertaining the hype surrounding the mysterious deaths at Ruby Hill, but he won’t turn his back while more women die. He agrees to an overnight investigation, never expecting his first encounter would be with the woman he pushed away a year ago. But when he discovers Ashley is a target, he learns his greatest fear isn’t living with his own demons, but losing her for good.

Find it @ Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | iTunes | Goodreads

…And my Treat

HER WICKED SIN (A Sins of Salem Novel)

SALEM, MA 1692

On a moonless night, he rides into the winter forest on his beast as black as midnight….

Dashing stranger, Henry Dunham, comes to Salem on a mysterious errand, but is thrown from his horse in the dead of night and rescued by the local Puritan midwife, Lydia Colson.

Haunted by her past, Lydia is running from her own dark secrets, avoiding intrusive questions by pretending her dead husband is simply…away. But when she and Henry are caught in a compromising situation, one punishable by Puritan law, he saves her from scandal by claiming to be her errant spouse…and claiming her bed.

Forced to fake a marriage, Lydia and Henry find their passion overwhelming and their vows a little too real. As their lies become truths, a witch hunt closes in on Lydia, threatening not only their burgeoning love, but her life.

Find it @ Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | iTunes | Goodreads

Spicy Cajun Stuffed Jalapenos

These are an absolute favorite around our house. Some of the kids won’t touch them, and a couple of us love them no matter how hot they are. But whether you eat them or not, the entertainment value is out of this world. Why? Because I make them so some are hotter than others, and there’s no way to tell which ones are on fire until the person who ate it starts turning red and screaming for water. See? FUNNY! These are really easy, though, and if you’re not a fan of hot stuff or torturing your loved ones, you can make these mild and they’re still delicious.

Ingredients:

16 large jalapeno peppers
8 oz cream cheese at room temperature
2 cups finely shredded cheddar cheese
1-2 tablespoons of cajun seasoning
1 pound bacon, cooked partway
toothpicks

Directions:

Wash the jalapenos and halve them longways. This is the part where you can decide whether you’re going to make them TRICKS or TREATS: remove the seeds. If you take out all the seeds and the white membrane, they’ll be relatively mild. If you don’t do such a thorough job, some of them will be blistering hot. (Note: Use gloves if you have sensitive skin or plan to rub your eyes anytime in the next 2-3 days…these suckers can BURN.)
Cover a large baking pan with aluminum foil (not required, but helps with cleanup).
In a mixer, combine the cream cheese and shredded cheddar. Add cajun seasoning to taste. (The more you add, the hotter it’ll be.) Mix well.
Use a butter knife to fill the jalapenos with the cheese mixture. Place the filled jalapenos on the baking sheet.
Place a short length of half-cooked bacon on each jalapeno. (I normally tear my bacon so it’s the same length as the pepper). Stab with a toothpick to secure.
Place in a 350-degree oven for 25-30 minutes or until bacon is crisp and peppers soften.
Eat, enjoy, and laugh when someone gets a hot one.

Now, while you’re enjoying those, if you’d like to scare up a prize or two be sure to visit the other stops on the hop, which you can find by clicking here.

Lucky 13 Giveaway

To enter the tour-wide giveaway, click here.

To enter to win a $13 gift card to Amazon or Barnes & Noble, simply leave a comment and let me know which one of my books most appeals to you: the TRICK (Ruby Hill) or the TREAT (Her Wicked Sin). I would also greatly appreciate if you’d consider following my blog (the box is in the upper left sidebar), liking me on Facebook, or following me on Twitter, but all you really have to do is leave a comment. (And let me know who wants some of those jalapenos!)

#Roadtrip 2: More Photos from our 5,000 Mile Family Vacation

As promised, here are more pictures from our cross-country road trip. Last time I showed you the highlights. Today, I’m going back to the beginning. These pics won’t have the wow factor of the highlights reel, but I think they’re all pretty cool for one reason or another.

Maryland

Pennsylvania

Ohio

Illinois near Chicago

Distant Chicago skyline

YOU GUYS. This McDonald’s drive thru was IN THE MIDDLE OF THE INTERSTATE. Between north- and southbound lanes. Seriously. (Just ahead is one of 11,000 toll booths in the Chicago area.)

This looks to be part of the Chicago L train commuter system.

This picture amuses me because there’s an airplane situated over the sign for O’Hare International Airport.

Here’s another view of Illinois…and surprisingly just a few miles north of Chicago.

Illinois, just north of Chicago and very near the Wisconsin line.

Welcome to Wisconsin, where people are very creative when it comes to hauling lumber. (I don’t mind showing you this because this guy partially blocked out his own license plate, lol.)

This is more like it! A Wisconsin dairy farm. (I don’t know if it’s actually a dairy farm, but let’s go with that anyway).

I didn’t expect rock formations in Wisconsin!

Cattle grazing in Wisconsin. (Let’s assume they, too, belong to a dairy farm, lol).

Because you cannot go to Wisconsin and NOT take a picture of a cheese sign.

Sweeping views of Wisconsin

That’s it for today, folks! Next time we’ll cross the Mississippi into Minnesota. (Y’all just wait until you see the condition of that bridge…ERMAGERD.)