Sarah Ballance's Blog, page 32

Tiffany Allee: Don’t Bite the Bridesmaid (Entangled Covet) GC #Giveaway

Today it’s an honor to welcome fellow Entangled author Tiffany Allee, whose latest release has lines forming at cruise terminals all over the world. Wanna know why? Read on!

Welcome, Tiffany! This book sounds delicious. What can you tell us about it?

Thanks so much! Don’t Bite the Bridesmaid is a lighthearted paranormal romance story about a woman who invites cajoles her neighbor to go on a cruise with her as her date, not knowing he is a vampire. Hijinks ensue.

A vampire on a cruise ship. What could go wrong? No, really, what’s your favorite uh-oh moment?

Well, without spoiling too much, let’s just say there’s a fun moment where the heroine, Alice, catches the hero, Noah, drinking from a shampoo bottle that is pretty entertaining.

OMG, I literally laughed. Shampoo, I wonder, or something more enticing inside? (Someone clone me so I can tackle this TBR list. Please.) Readers are absolutely loving this book. Which review snippet has wowed you the most?

Oh there have been SO many. I’m actually overwhelmed by the amazing response. Here’s one I really liked because it hit on what I was going for with the story:

“Don’t Bite the Bridesmaid is a fantastically fun read that will appeal to a wide range of people. Even if you aren’t into paranormal romances, you should pick this one up – the fact that Noah is a vampire isn’t really a big plot point, it’s truly a relationship story.” –BookTrib

Oh, my yes. Excellent quote! And speaking of those, let’s have some fun with Don’t Bite the Bridesmaid. What’s the first sentence?

When the door opened, Alice Shepard suddenly wished she’d had five appletinis.

Okay, Alice. You’re going to have to share those. I can’t even see what’s behind the door and I’m wishing for one, too. Great hook, Tiffany! How about a brief excerpt?

Here’s one of my favorites between Alice and Noah.

“You’re right. We aren’t right for each other.”

Anger flashed through her, fanning her desire in a most annoying way. The greatest defense is a good offense. “We’re not. In fact, I can’t think of anyone less suitable for me.”

“Oh?” He quirked an eyebrow at her and she ignored it. How could he look so scrumptious and be so annoying at the same time?

“No. Besides, I’m not looking to be tied down.”

A feral grin blossomed on his face. “Don’t worry, Miss Shepard, if I tied you down I’d be sure to untie you in the morning.”

Erm, SOLD. Thank you. LOL. Which scene would you most like to experience for yourself? From whose POV?

Oh goodness, there’s a scene with lasagna…err, you know what, never mind. Moving right along…*blush*

Now I want a cruise, an appletini, and lasagna. (I guess the vampire can help burn those calories? LOL.) Before we take a closer look at the book, can you tell us what you’re working on now?  

I just finished second round edits for a paranormal romantic suspense coming from Entangled Suspense in October called Temptation by Fire.  I’m so excited about this book. It’s a bit darker in content than Don’t Bite the Bridesmaid, but it still has fun moments, and the hero is…well, I find him quite memorable. I think readers will, too.

…And now she’s teasing me with darkness. Oy. Okay, readers, prepare to be sucked in. This looks DIVINE.

Don’t Bite the Bridesmaid

A Sons of Kane Novel by  Tiffany Allee

Genre: Paranormal Romance
Publisher: Entangled Publishing
Date of Publication: 5/27/13
ISBN: 9781622668045
ASIN: B00CNTSVZM
Number of pages: 209
Word Count: Appx 64k
Cover Artist: Fiona Jayde
Find it @ Amazon | BN | Itunes | Kobo

Book Description:

Alice Shepard needs one thing: a date for her sister’s wedding. And not just any date. A hunk who will make her fiancé rue the day he left her for her best friend. Her drop-dead gorgeous neighbor fits the bill—even if he is a bit quirky and never comes out during the day—and Alice has downed just enough appletinis to ask him. But she makes it quite clear that there will be no funny business.

Spending a week on a cruise ship full of humans while sleeping close to his sexy next-door neighbor sounds like a helluva bad idea to vampire Noah Thorpe. But his friends need time to get him out of a shotgun wedding—a vampire bonding that will tie his fate to a female vampire he’s never met. And Alice’s offer comes at just the right time.

What could possibly go wrong?

Find it @ Amazon | BN | Itunes | Kobo

Don’t Bite the Bridesmaid | Excerpt

“That sounded like it hurt,” he said, kneeling in front of her and taking her foot into his hand.

“It’s fine. I’m just a klutz.” Her toe throbbed slightly, calling her a liar with every beat of her pulse.

He grinned at her red toe. “You didn’t seem like a klutz on the volleyball court today. I think you were trying to hide your blush. No doubt, terribly perverse thoughts about me were flying through your head.”

She gaped at him.

“Your toe is fine,” he announced, but he didn’t release her foot. He looked up and met her eyes, and the intensity of his gaze swept over her. Desire hit her like a bag of bricks, a swift blow that robbed her of her breath and made her whole body ache.

“I was thinking no such things,” she said, wishing her breathlessness didn’t give her away.

“Liar.”

“We aren’t right for each other. And what happened last night isn’t happening again.” It wasn’t. It couldn’t. There was no way she’d be able to stop things again like she did the night before. Not if he kept looking at her like that. And he was a vampire, just like Olivia. And she’d run off after swearing to love her brother forever. What would stop Noah from doing the same? Vampires weren’t normal people. She had to remember that.

“You’re right. We aren’t right for each other.”

Anger flashed through her, fanning her desire in a most annoying way. The greatest defense is a good offense. “We’re not. In fact, I can’t think of anyone less suitable for me.”

“Oh?” He quirked an eyebrow at her and she ignored it. How could he look so scrumptious and be so annoying at the same time?

“No. Besides, I’m not looking to be tied down.”

A feral grin blossomed on his face. “Don’t worry, Miss Shepard, if I tied you down I’d be sure to untie you in the morning.

Find it @ Amazon | BN | Itunes | Kobo

Tiffany Allee

CPA-turned-romance-author Tiffany Allee used to battle spreadsheets in Corporate America, and now concentrates on her characters’ battles to find love. Raised in small-town Colorado, Tiffany currently lives in Phoenix, AZ, by way of Chicago and Denver. She is happily married to a secret romantic who tolerates her crazy mutterings.

She writes about ass-kicking heroines and the strong heroes who love them. Her work includes the suspense-driven From the Files of the Otherworlder Enforcement Agency series which revolves around a group of paranormal cops solving crimes and finding love, and Don’t Bite the Bridesmaid, a lighthearted paranormal romance (Entangled Publishing).

Find her @ Facebook | Twitter | Website | Blog

Giveaway

Enter to win a $10 Amazon gift card by clicking HERE. Thank you all so much for being here, and thanks for reading along. Tiffany, it’s been a pleasure. Also, my drink is … where? Erm, okay. Maybe later.

Louise Rose-Innes: Mozambique – The Perfect Destination for a Romance

Please welcome author Louise Rose-Innes, who will hereafter find me stowing away in her luggage because she knows of places like this.

MOZAMBIQUE – THE PERFECT DESTINATION FOR A ROMANCE

Not many people know about the islands off the coast of Mozambique. Perhaps it’s got something to do with its location (east of the southern African continent) or its history of civil war, but now, in peace times, Mozambique is emerging as one of the best African destinations for beach holidays.

Long, palm-fringed beaches with sand so fine that it squeaks underfoot, remarkable deltas, shady mangrove forests and freshwater lagoons; tropical islands surrounded by turquoise waters, where iridescent fish swim amongst pristine coral. This is the coastline and islands of Mozambique.

 

There are two archipelagos off the coast of Mozambique: Bazaruto Archipelago and Quirimbas Archipelago. My novel, THE NEW YEAR RESOLUTION, is set on Medjumbe, part of the Quirimbas Archipelago. Situated north of the town of Pemba, the Quirimbas Archipelago consists of about 12 major islands and 20 smaller, coralline outcrops. Most of these are isolated and largely unexplored. Medjumbe is one of the few islands that have been turned into luxury island resorts. Still, getting there is difficult. You have to fly from Pemba or sail by yacht in waters often frequented by pirates.

It’s a destination only a privileged few can afford – and so it makes the perfect setting for THE NEW YEAR RESOLUTION.

A BIT ABOUT THE NEW YEAR RESOLUTION

Last year, divorcee Nicole had only one New Year’s Resolution – to have a date for this New Years Eve – but with no strings attached.  One thing she knows for sure is that she isn’t ready for anything more complicated than a casual date.

So when eco-tycoon and international jetsetter, Ryan Jackson begs her to accompany him to a tropical island for a week, in order to impress his benefactor, Nicole categorically refuses. He’s way too hot and she’s way too vulnerable. Not a good idea.

Yet Ryan won’t take no for an answer.  It’s for a good cause. She would only have to pretend to be his lover. It’s a luxury island resort with all expenses paid. How can she refuse?

Under the tropical sun, things heat up and their pretence goes out the window. Nicole gets cold feet. She’s not ready for this kind of affair. It’s doubtful she ever will be.

But have they come too far? Distancing herself from Ryan will cause him to lose the funding he so desperately needs for his eco-project, but staying with him means she’ll lose something far more valuable… her heart.  And that’s a risk Nicole is simply not willing to take.

The New Year Resolution is available on Amazon.com and Amazon.co.uk.

EXCERPT FROM THE NEW YEAR RESOLUTION

“Do you want to dance?” asked Ryan suddenly, as Nicole leant back in her chair, a small smile playing on her lips. She looked serenely beautiful, with her blonde hair piled up in a loose bun with tendrils falling around her face. For the first time he noticed the elegant line of her neck and shoulders, and the smoothness of her honey-coloured skin, adorned with a simple diamante necklace. He really couldn’t have found a more suitable date if he’d hand-picked her himself. She oozed elegance and intelligence. Now all he had to do was convince Vincent that she was around to stay and hopefully the mining magnet would agree to finance his latest project.

“Sure.”

Ryan saw Vincent smile approvingly as he led Nicole onto the dance floor. The band was playing popular cover versions, easy to dance to. Ryan liked music but he wasn’t a natural dancer. Like most men he lacked rhythm, but in this instance he was willing to make an exception. Whatever it took to secure the deal….

Nicole danced in a manner that was both enticing and admirable. She moved almost instinctively, oblivious to what other people thought of her. Ryan could see she was enjoying herself and he was glad. If this deal went through he owed her – big time.

As she sang along to the track, her cheeks flushed and her pale blue eyes sparkling with delight, Ryan felt a twinge of guilt. Vincent was right. She was a nice girl. He wondered how she’d react when he told her this was it, that he wouldn’t be seeing her again.

Nicole caught his eye and smiled. “I love this song. It reminds me of my university days in Cape Town.”

As she twirled around in front of him, Ryan caught the floral whiff of Allure, by Chanel.  It suited her. He fought the urge to move closer. Her enjoyment was contagious. For a brief moment he wished he could relax and live in the moment like she was doing, but this project was too important. It would be too easy to grab her hand, whirl her around the dance floor and laugh along with her, but that would be dangerous. It could lead to complications.

So he reined himself in and smiled politely, watching her lose herself in the music.

The New Year Resolution is available on Amazon.com and Amazon.co.uk.

 

LOUISE ROSE-INNES 

Romance Novelist @LouiseRoseInnes

Author @ LouiseRoseInnes.com

Blogmeistress @ MarketingforRomanceWriters.com

 

 

 

10 Unforgettable Review Quotes for “Yours Affectionately, Jane Austen” by Sally Smith O’Rourke ($25 #Giveaway)

Sally Smith O’Rourke: 10 Favorite Quotes from Reviewers of “Yours Affectionately, Jane Austen”

Laura Harness of Calico Critic:

What a concept! I loved the magical, misty quality. I encourage you to dive through the mist into Yours Affectionately, Jane Austen.

Joceline Bury of Jane Austen’s Regency World:

O’Rourke creates a world that defies cynicism and demands suspension of disbelief ~ even in this age of doubt and hyper-realism. Sheer escapism at its best.

Clever, charming and affectionate ~ is the real Mr. Darcy unmasked?

Janet Taylor of More Agreeably Engaged:

Yours Affectionately, Jane Austen is a touching and lovely fantasy. I will not be forgetting this book any time soon as I was profoundly moved.

Amy on Amazon:

Sally’s gift for beautiful details and descriptions makes the reader feel as though they stepped through time and are observers of the story as it unfolds.

Ann Channon ~ Manager Jane Austen’s House Museum

Yours Affectionately, Jane Austen is imaginative and very different. Your ideas are new and fresh and endearing. Well done!

Amie McCracken on her blog:

I got to envision Austen’s world so vividly, watching her drink tea and practice her piano forte. I felt I was sitting by the fire listening to Aunt Jane telling a story.

I’m very excited that I got to review this book when I did because this year is the 200th anniversary of Pride and Prejudice. I will be rereading Jane’s book in honor of that and I highly recommend Sally’s book as well.

Anna Horner of Diary of an Eccentric:

Yours Affectionately, Jane Austen is a sweet love story about new beginnings, magical adventures and cherishing the moments, however brief they might be, you’ve had with the people who’ve changed your life. It’s about not losing who you are amidst societal constraints.

Debbie Massman:

I find myself in the story, standing across the room from everyone and watching the story unfold before me. I am not the reader who is holding the book; I am a guest who have been warmly invited into the story, to enjoy it up close without ever being noticed by its characters.

Geri on Amazon:

Thank you for sharing your talent with us/me and I encourage all to read this wonderful time travel Jane Austen and Fitz story.

Chrissy Wolfe at Every Free Chance:

I really did enjoy this book. I thought it was creative, different and very enjoyable.

A word from Sally Smith O’Rourke:

I love that the book makes some people feel like they are a part of the story and get to watch it up close and personal.

On the whole bad reviews don’t bother me. Of course you want people to like what you’ve done but it isn’t possible to please everyone and no matter what you write there will be people who don’t like it and they are certainly entitled to their opinion. Truth is that I was happy with the book and I do write for myself, not other people. And even when it’s a bad review some good comes out of it. At the end of an uncomplimentary review recently was this paragraph:

Aside from all this, the writing is actually very good. The author has a talent for vivid description and paints a beautiful scene wherever she takes us. The characters of Eliza and Fitz were likeable and spunky at times. Even Jane Austen seemed like a perfectly lovely version of our beloved author. The dialogue is well done and even witty.

I am always a bit surprised when people really like it but it is certainly fun when it happens.

The audio book with Kendra Hoffman wonderful narration is now available at Audible.com, Amazon and iTunes

Trade paperback available at Amazon and eBooks available pretty much everywhere. (Buy links are provided below).

Tour Schedule

Yours Affectionately, Jane Austen

Was Mr. Darcy real? Is time travel really possible? For pragmatic Manhattan artist Eliza Knight the answer to both questions is absolutely, Yes! And Fitzwilliam Darcy of Pemberley Farms, Virginia is the reason why!

His tale of love and romance in Regency England leaves Eliza in no doubt that Fitz Darcy is the embodiment of Jane Austen’s legendary hero. And she’s falling in love with him. But can the man who loved the inimitable Jane Austen ever love average, ordinary Eliza Knight?

Eliza’s doubts grow, perhaps out of proportion, when things start to happen in the quiet hamlet of Chawton, England; events that could change everything. Will the beloved author become the wedge that divides Fitz and Eliza or the tie that binds them?

Praise for Yours Affectionately, Jane Austen

O’Rourke creates a world that defies cynicism and demands suspension of disbelief – even in this age of doubt and hyper-realism. Sheer escapism at its best. Clever, charming and affectionate. ~Jocelyn Bury

…the reader must tenaciously read on rather than put the book down to satisfy their hunger for the story to resolve, which it does in characteristically Jane Austen fashion. ~Erin Murdock

In Yours Affectionately, Jane Austen, author Sally Smith O’Rourke creates a compelling story that investigates what and who might have inspired Jane Austen. While the story line is certainly far-fetched, it is a truly unique idea, one that captivated this reader until the very last page. ~Meg Massey

Purchase
Amazon * Barnes & Noble * Smashwords

Audio Book Excerpt

Get the audio book:

Amazon.com

Author Sally Smith O’Rourke

Sally Smith O’Rourke is a surgical scrub nurse at the City of Hope national cancer research hospital in Duarte, California and resides in the near-by Victorian village of Monrovia.

With her late husband, author Michael O’Rourke (aka F.M. O’Rourke) Smith O’Rourke owned and operated a medical advertising company where she used her diverse talents to produce and co-write teaching films and videos. Working not only with major medical and surgical manufacturing companies but also network television. These endeavors ultimately led to a collaboration on two feature films (direct to video) and three published novels.

The wife and husband writing team of Sally Smith and Michael O’Rourke, being long-time fans of Jane Austen, wrote The Man Who Loved Jane Austen released by Kensington Books in 2006. Kensington followed that very successful effort with The Maidenstone Lighthouse in 2007 and Christmas at Sea Pines Cottage in 2009, both also collaborative projects by Smith and O’Rourke. Published after her partner and spouse’s untimely death in 2001, the publisher chose not to use the names Michael O’Rourke and Sally Smith (as the manuscripts were presented), releasing all three books under Sally Smith O’Rourke.

Yours Affectionately, Jane Austen is Sally Smith O’Rourke’s first solo novel.

Website * Blog * Facebook * Twitter



Tour Giveaway

$25 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash
Ends 6/27/13 - Click here to enter the Rafflecopter giveaway

Release Day: Christine Warner’s “Bachelor’s Special” (Entangled Indulgence)

What should a woman do when sparks fly in the kitchen?  Ignite the fire!  Especially if it’s a man as sexy as businessman ChetCastle creating the friction. :)

Author Christine Warner has created a recipe for romance that’s spicy hot in her debut novel Bachelor’s Special that you don’t want to miss!  And her blog tour is just around the corner, running June 10th through July 5th, 2013.

A bit about Bachelor’s Special

Jill Adgate wants three things from life: a successful catering business, a family, and the love of an exceptional man. What she has is no job, a mounting pile of bills, and her outspoken best friend—who sets her up on a blind date with the man who inadvertently ruined Jill’s life.

ChetCastle is a businessman who has everything, except the ability to trust. Burned by a money-hungry fiancée, he refuses to get involved in any relationship that has a shelf life longer than a head of lettuce.

Intrigued by her ambition—and determined to get her in bed—Chet offers Jill the chance of a lifetime: work as his live-in chef and he’ll help her get her catering business off the ground. When sparks fly in the kitchen, Jill realizes what’s cooking is a recipe for disaster…

BACHELOR’S SPECIAL (Entangled Indulgence) Buy Links

Barnes & Noble | Amazon | Kobo

Excerpt from Bachelor’s Special

Laughter swelled Chet’s chest. He stopped short when he looked into Jill’s upturned face, enjoying the fact he could inspect her so closely and she didn’t know. Blinded by the soup, she was at his mercy.

Thick, yellowish-orange liquid covered her skin, hiding the sprinkle of fine freckles dotting her nose. Black eyelashes spiked from the moisture, and her parted lips revealed the whiteness of her teeth. The apron she wore reminded him of something a housewife would wear on a fifties sitcom. Undeniably cute and damn sexy. All she needed was a set of pearls.

She’d be the type of girl he’d bring home to his mother.

Hold up, Castle! You don’t play the girlfriend game. His blood raced as her tongue darted out and she licked her lips again. The twinge of his groin reminded him once more that a fling with the lovely Jill would be on his list, but nothing more.

Still holding her wrists, he leaned forward and flicked his tongue out to taste the drop of soup forming on the tip of her chin.

Jill’s body went quiet at his touch. The pulse beating against the soft skin of her inner wrist burst forward at a quick tempo. Her button-down shirt pulled with each quick breath she took.

“Damn, you’re right. Tastes great.” A salty quality mingled with the rich flavor of the soup. A dash of Jill mixed in to add a more potent flavor.

“I told you I’m an awesome cook.” Her husky voice lowered further.

“I particularly like your presentation.” He matched her tone, his heartbeat erratic.

She tried to step back, but her butt connected with the counter. If she took a half step forward she’d be pushed against his chest. Not that he minded.

“Let me loose. I’d like to wipe my eyes.” A giggle slipped past her lips.

“Not yet. I’m not sure you’ve learned your lesson.”

“I guarantee you I have.”

Her struggled swallow caught his attention. “Nervous?”

Jill shook her head as if trying to clear away the thick soup. “Never.”

He laughed. “I’m going to have more soup.”

“Can’t, it’s all on my…” She stiffened in his arms and a soft sigh, almost a whimper, caught in her throat.

His attraction grew tenfold. He lowered his head, brushing her lips with his own before pulling back. His heart pounded against his chest, bongo drums in a heady rhythm. This situation had escalated into a major turn on.

Ready for another taste?

BACHELOR’S SPECIAL (Entangled Indulgence) Buy Links

Barnes & Noble | Amazon | Kobo

A bit about Christine

Christine Warner is living her dream in Michigan along with her husband, three children, one laptop and a much loved assortment of furry friends.

Besides laughing and a good round of humor, she enjoys spending time with her family, cooking, reading, writing but no arithmitic.  A confessed people watcher, she finds inspiration for her stories in everyday activities.  She loves to read and write about strong heroes and determined, sometimes sassy, heroines.

A girl gone wild, at least where social media is concerned, she enjoys meeting other avid readers and writers on facebook, twitter and her website.

Find her @ Website | @ChristinesWords | Facebook | Goodreads

BACHELOR’S SPECIAL (Entangled Indulgence) Buy Links

Barnes & Noble | Amazon | Kobo

 

 

 

 

Barbara Bretton: The Stunning Inspiration Behind the Crosse Harbor Time Travel Trilogy

A guest blog from author Barbara Bretton

“Where do you get your ideas?”

That has to be the #1 question asked of writers.

The #1 answer, however, can vary.

Sometimes we shrug our shoulders and say, “I don’t know.”

Sometimes we offer up a sheepish smile and mumble, “Everywhere.”

Neither answer tells you what you want to know but that’s the problem with the truth. Ideas are everywhere and they’re as elusive as Mr. Right. (Or even Mr. Almost Right.) Bits and pieces of overheard conversations, a newspaper article, the whisper of a song floating from an open car window on a sunny day. One or all of those things could trigger that mysterious thing called inspiration and set the writing process in motion.

But that’s not how my Crosse Harbor Time Travel Trilogy came about. I know exactly when and where and how the idea first flashed across my mind.

When we first moved across the Hudson River from New York to bucolic central New Jersey years ago, the first thing we noticed was the fact that every evening after supper, a flotilla of hot-air balloons drifted gently over our neighborhood. Now I’m a native New Yorker, born and bred, and I’d pretty much thought I’d seen it all but there was nothing in my experience that matched the wonder and romance of watching those incredibly beautiful (and amazingly fragile) balloons sail across the sky, occasionally punctuating the birdsong with the sound of their propane tanks fueling the fire that keeps them aloft.

We grew accustomed to seeing spotters tearing down country roads, trying to guess exactly where the balloon would come down. Sometimes we even joined them in the race to outpace the quickly-dropping vehicle.

My parents made the migration to New Jersey a few years after we did and settled happily into a townhouse about a half-mile from where we lived. They’d enjoyed watching the hot-air balloons sail over our house but nothing prepared them for the day one came sailing toward their porch!

“We were just about to eat supper,” my mother told me later on, “and suddenly your father yelled ‘We’re going to die!’ and went running down the stairs to the front door. I thought he’d lost his mind until I looked out the sliding doors and saw the gondola of a giant hot-air balloon dangling in front of my eyes!”

She ran downstairs after my father, just in time to see the gondola come to a bouncing landing on top of her neighbor’s car while the absolutely gigantic striped balloon began to rapidly deflate.

Within minutes the parking lot was filled with neighbors. They helped the pilot and passengers out of the basket and watched, fascinated, as the spotters arrived to finish deflating the balloon and gather it up for its next adventure.

My parents gained a great story to pass on at the next family gathering but their writer-daughter (me!) gained a whole lot more.

A beautiful crimson hot-air balloon. The history-rich central New Jersey countryside. A woman who earns her living working with the threads of the past. A man who has everything this world can offer but the woman he’d loved and lost. Now take those two lovers and spin them back two centuries. Add a Revolutionary War hero. Mix in a Patriot spy ring and some real danger and I couldn’t get to my computer fast enough.

When I wrote SOMEWHERE IN TIME I had no idea that it would be the first book in a trilogy. To my delight, readers enjoyed Emilie and Zane’s reignited romance and fell head-over-heels in love with the Patriot hero, Andrew McVie and demanded that he be given a story of his own. My publisher came to me with a deal for two more books and I was off and running. Andrew McVie went forward in time in TOMORROW AND ALWAYS and found Shannon Whitney the love of his life. The two of them — and their wayward psychic librarian friend Dakota Wylie — go back to Revolutionary War New Jersey in DESTINY’S CHILD, where Dakota meets her match in Patrick Devlin, the most hated man in town. Of course, nothing is exactly as it seems and Patrick–well, why should I ruin the story? I hope you’ll read it and fall in love with Patrick yourself.

All three books are available in digital form right now. In fact, SOMEWHERE IN TIME is free for the taking at most e-retail outlets.

Even better news: SOMEWHERE IN TIME will also be available in audiobook format by July 4th with the other titles following a few weeks later. If you want to be notified when they’re available, drop me a note through my website with “audio” in the subject header and I’ll do the rest.

Thanks so much for stopping by and a big thank-you to Sarah for giving me this space to share my story.

Somewhere in Time

Crosse Harbor Time Travel Trilogy: Book One
Genre: Time Travel/Romance
Publisher: Free Spirit Press
ISBN: 9781301712953
ASIN: B008ELA6VK
Page count: 300-320
Word count: Approx. 80,000
Book Trailer: http://youtu.be/tI8lHp9aSD4

Book Description:

Historian Emilie Crosse dreamed of a love that would last forever

Who knew she’d have to sail across two centuries to find it?

When her ex-husband Zane Grey Rutledge showed up at her door with a Revolutionary War uniform that was part of his grandmother’s estate, neither one suspected that their lives were about to change in ways they couldn’t possibly imagine.

Swept back in time to 1776 where a nation is struggling to be born, Emilie finds herself torn between two men: Zane, her ex who still holds the key to her heart, and Andrew McVie, the Patriot hero of her long-ago dreams . . . .

Reviewers Choice Award – Best Historical Time Travel

–Romantic Times

Amazon               BN             Smashwords

Tomorrow and Always

Crosse Harbor Time Travel Trilogy: Book Two
Barbara Bretton
Genre: Time Travel/Romance
Publisher: Free Spirit Press
ISBN: 9781301018895
ASIN: B008ELGJ0M
Page count: 300-320
Word count: Approx. 80,000

Book Description:

Timeless Lovers . . .

Different Worlds

Shannon Whitney didn’t believe she had a future until Andrew McVie crash-lands his time-traveling hot-air balloon in her backyard one summer afternoon and changes her life forever.

He is a Revolutionary War patriot

She is an independent modern woman

Their paths should never have crossed but apparently fate has other plans.

Amazon               BN             Smashwords

Destiny’s Child

Crosse Harbor Time Travel Trilogy: Book Three
Barbara Bretton
Genre: Time Travel/Romance
Publisher: Free Spirit Press
ISBN: 9781301054299
ASIN: B008ELGLGY
Page count: 300-320
Word count: Approx. 80,000

Book Description:

It’s not every day a woman goes traveling through time

Dakota Wylie is a wisecracking, unemployed, overweight psychic librarian from Princeton

Patrick Devane is an angry, hard-headed spy with a six-year-old daughter who hears voices

The only thing they have in common is New Jersey

But when Dakota leaps from the basket of a hot air balloon to help his crying child, little does she know that she’s leaping into history . . . and love.

Amazon               BN             Smashwords

Praise for the Crosse Harbor Time Travel Trilogy

“SOMEWHERE IN TIME sweeps readers away into a marvelous world where love is timeless and dreams come true. Combine this ingenious plot . . . with humor and sensuality and you have a great read.” –Romantic Times

SOMEWHERE IN TIME – Reviewers Choice Winner – Best Historical Time Travel

TOMORROW & ALWAYS – “Bretton is a monumental talent who targets her audience with intelligence and inspiration.” –Affaire de Coeur

“[TOMORROW & ALWAYS] is an entertaining story.” –Booklist

DESTINY’S CHILD – “Wonderful wit, a feisty heroine, a gifted child, and great glimpses of friends from the past combine to make magic!” – Romantic Times

Praise for USA Today Bestselling Author Barbara Bretton

“A monumental talent.” –Affaire de Coeur

“Very few romance writers create characters as well-developed as Bretton’s. Her books pull you in and don’t let you leave until the last word is read.” –Booklist (starred review)

“One of today’s best women’s fiction authors.” –The Romance Reader

“Barbara Bretton is a master at touching readers’ hearts.” –Romance Reviews Today

Barbara Bretton: About the Author

Barbara Bretton is the USA Today bestselling, award-winning author of more than 40 books. She currently has over ten million copies in print around the world. Her works have been translated into twelve languages in over twenty countries.

Barbara has been featured in articles in The New York Times, USA Today, Wall Street Journal, Romantic Times, Cleveland Plain Dealer, Herald News, Home News, Somerset Gazette, among others, and has been interviewed by Independent Network News Television, appeared on the Susan Stamberg Show on NPR, and been featured in an interview with Charles Osgood of WCBS, among others.

Her awards include both Reviewer’s Choice and Career Achievement Awards from Romantic Times; Gold and Silver certificates from Affaire de Coeur; the RWA Region 1 Golden Leaf; and several sales awards from Bookrak. Ms. Bretton was included in a recent edition of Contemporary Authors.

Barbara loves to spend as much time as possible in Maine with her husband, walking the rocky beaches and dreaming up plots for upcoming books.

WEB: www.barbarabretton.com
FACEBOOK:  www.facebook.com/barbarabretton
TWITTER:  www.twitter.com/barbarabretton
GOODREADS:  www.goodreads.com/Barbara_Bretton
RAVELRY:  www.ravelry.com/wickedsplitty

Evertaster: Buttersmiths’ Gold Book Blast ($50 #Giveaway)

The Buttersmiths’ Gold

BATTLES. BLUEBERRIES. BOVINES.

TORBJORN AND STORFJELL’S HISTORY UNFOLDS IN AN EPIC EVERTASTER NOVELLA.

Everyone knows the most coveted treasure of the Viking Age was blueberry muffins. Blueberry muffins so succulent that if you sniffed just a whiff, you’d want a whole bite. If you bit a bite, you’d want a batch; if you snatched a batch, you’d stop at nothing short of going to war just to claim them all.

Young Torbjorn Trofastsonn comes from the clan that makes them. He’s a Viking through and through – he’s thirteen winters old, larger than most respectable rocks, and most of all, a Buttersmith. That’s what he thinks anyway, until a charismatic merchant makes Torbjorn question his place among the muffin-makers. When Torbjorn lets the secret of his clan’s muffin recipe slip, he calls doom and destruction down upon his peaceful village and forces his brother Storfjell and his clansmen to do the one thing they are ill-prepared to do: battle for their lives.

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About The Buttersmiths’ Gold

The Buttersmiths’ Gold is a spin off novella in the Evertaster series that tells the story of two Viking brothers and their adventurous past. The Evertaster series (Book #1 released June 14, 2012) is about Guster Johnsonville, who goes searching for a legendary taste rumored to be the most delicious in all of history. Along the way he meets a slew of mysterious characters, including two Viking brothers Torbjorn and Storfjell. The Buttersmiths’ Gold is their story. 124 pages. By Adam Glendon Sidwell. Published by Future House Publishing.

Evertaster, Book #1:

A legendary taste. Sought after for centuries. Shrouded in secrecy.

When eleven-year-old Guster Johnsonville rejects his mother’s casserole for the umpteenth time, she takes him into the city of New Orleans to find him something to eat. There, in a dark, abandoned corner of the city they meet a dying pastry maker. In his last breath he entrusts them with a secret: an ancient recipe that makes the most delicious taste the world will ever know — a taste that will change the fate of humanity forever.

Forced to flee by a cult of murderous chefs, the Johnsonvilles embark on a perilous journey to ancient ruins, faraway jungles and forgotten caves. Along the way they discover the truth: Guster is an Evertaster — a kid so picky that nothing but the legendary taste itself will save him from starvation. With the sinister chefs hot on Guster’s heels and the chefs’ reign of terror spreading, Guster and his family must find the legendary taste before it’s too late.

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Book Trailer

Author Adam Sidwell

In between books, Adam Glendon Sidwell uses the power of computers to make monsters, robots and zombies come to life for blockbuster movies such as Pirates of the Caribbean, King Kong, Transformers and Tron. After spending countless hours in front of a keyboard meticulously adjusting tentacles, calibrating hydraulics, and brushing monkey fur, he is delighted at the prospect of modifying his creations with the flick of a few deftly placed adjectives. He’s been eating food since age 7, so feels very qualified to write this book. He once showed a famous movie star where the bathroom was. Adam currently lives in Los Angeles, where he can’t wait to fall into the sea.

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BookBlast Giveaway

$50 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash

Ends 6/30/13 - Click here to enter the Rafflecopter giveaway

Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code or Paypal Cash. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. Giveaway was organized by Kathy from I Am A Reader, Not A Writer http://iamareader.com and sponsored by the participating author. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW. Prize value $50 US.

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Amanda Tru Talks Yesterday Series (Gift Card #Giveaway / Christian Romantic Suspense)

Please welcome author Amanda Tru, who is here to talk about the two books in her Yesterday Series!

Welcome, Amanda! I love the look of these books. Can you introduce readers to your series?

Yesterday is a Christian Time Travel Romance.  There are currently 3 books in the series, with more on the way.  Yesterday and The Locket are the first two.  The story itself is very unique with plenty of twists and turns.  Seemingly meaningless details are later shown to have great significance.  It is both a romance and a story of a young woman figuring out who she is as God reveals His love and purpose in her life.  Here is a little teaser for Book 1:

Her yesterday was five years ago. What will her tomorrow bring?

When Hannah Kraeger saves a family injured in a car accident, she has no idea she has changed events in the past. Waking the next morning, Hannah discovers her yesterday was really five years ago.

Each trip Hannah takes through time changes the timeline and her own life. With help from DR. Seth McAllister, Hannah must unravel the mystery of why she time travels and who she actually is before the strange ability costs her future, the man she loves, and even her life.

Yesterday is a thrilling Christian Romantic Suspense filled with unexpected twists, mystery, and romance.

That plot sounds amazing. I just can’t imagine how you kept all those threads straight–I’m incredibly impressed. What inspired you to write time travel?

I write what I like to read.  I love a good time travel story, but you don’t see many with Christian themes.  I am always drawn to the storylines that are different or surprising in some way.  I got the idea for this series when I was trying to figure out a story I could write as a birthday gift for my sister.  She likes the paranormal element in books, so I originally created this story with her tastes in mind.  While driving home one day, the idea suddenly struck me:  what if someone got in the car in one time, and when she reached her destination, she was in another time.  And that’s where Hannah’s story began.

What a great story behind the story! What might readers be surprised to learn about the plot or characters?

Readers would probably never guess that I didn’t have the whole story planned out when I started writing it.  Originally it was a short story that ended after Chapter 2 (minus the cliff-hanger, of course). When a few people read my story, though, they wanted more.  They liked the characters and wanted to know what happened next.  But I didn’t have a clue what happened next, and that drove me crazy. Then I came up with the idea for Books 1 and 2.  But I didn’t anticipate continuing the series.  When I was almost done with The Locket, I had a thought:  what if I did continue the series, what would happen?  But I didn’t know what would happen next, and that drove me crazy.  So now I have very detailed plans for a six book series (with an optional 7th and 8th book).  Someone told me she didn’t think I should ever end the series.  That’s not going to happen.  And no, it will not drive me crazy!

LOL! I have to say I’m absolutely fascinated by your responses. Let’s dig in a little. What’s the first sentence?

Red flashed against the bright white of the snow.

I can think of a couple alternatives there and none are good. Intriguing start! What’s your favorite line in the book?

Maybe the very last one.  But I’m a bit biased.  It took me so long and so much work to get to that line at the end of The Locket; it was so fulfilling to finally arrive there.  That final sentence also carries extra special meaning for me because it marked the success of actually finishing something I had always dreamed of doing.

Oh, yes. That last line is swoon-worthy for so many reasons, lol. How about a brief excerpt?

Red flashed against the bright white of the snow.

I slammed on the brakes. The SUV skidded toward the guardrail.

My heart seemed to stop. I couldn’t breathe. My body felt suspended as the mountainous terrain whirled across my vision. I braced for impact. Unexpectedly, the vehicle lurched as the tires found traction and came to a sudden stop

I sucked in air. My eyes frantically searched the heavy snowfall.

What had I seen?

Was it human?

Had I hit something?

Yikes! That’s breathtaking. Which scene of Yesterday or The Locket was most difficult for you to write? Why?

The beginning was by far the most difficult.  I lost track of how many times I rewrote the first chapter.  In my opinion, the two most important parts of a book are the beginning and the end.  I wanted the beginning to really grab the readers’ attention, but since it was such a dramatic scene, I needed to immediately develop Hannah’s character and make her emotions seem very real.  It’s very fast paced, so there needed to be enough detail for the scene to be pictured in the mind, but not too much that it would be cumbersome.  If you don’t have a great beginning, someone won’t want to keep reading.  If you don’t have a great ending, the reader won’t be satisfied enough to remember your book well.  It took a lot of effort to make the beginning of Yesterday great.

Excellent thoughts, and I certainly have a new appreciation for authors who recognize those points.   Which scene would you most like to experience for yourself? From whose POV?

For the most part, I am very thankful that I am NOT Hannah!  I like my drama in books, not real life!  Much of what happens to Hannah is scary, dangerous, or just unnerving, and I wouldn’t want to experience her life for myself at all!  However, if I had to choose one, the scene in The Locket where Hannah finds herself at the research facility, holds a great fascination for me.  I don’t want to give too much away because the scene holds such a surprise that the reader only figures out later, but writing the part where Hannah is guided by the mysterious lady and then given specific instructions, was a lot of fun.  I would want to experience the scene from the point of view of the mysterious guide.  After all, wouldn’t that be kind of freakishly awesome to meet a certain someone like that?!!!

Ooooh! Anyone else want to see that scene right now? I figured, LOL! What inspired the titles of Yesterday and The Locket?

Yesterday seemed to just fit since, when Hannah first time traveled, what was yesterday for her was five years ago for everyone else.  Initially, I thought to call it “Only Yesterday,” but then I decided to drop the “Only.”  The title for The Locket was much more difficult.  I finally chose it because the origin of Hannah’s locket was that answer to the mystery of why and how Hannah time traveled, which is what Book 2 is about.

Brilliant! Before we take a closer look at your books, can you give us a glimpse at what you’re working on now? 

I have a long list of books in my “To Be Written” pile.  I have so many ideas in just about every genre, I don’t know that my lifetime will ever be long enough to turn them all into books but I’ll do my best!  I just published a romantic suspense novella entitled, The Assumption of Guilt.  Now I’m currently working on Book 4 in the Yesterday series.  It’s called, The Choice.  However, probably the book I’m most looking forward to in my pile is a historical romance set in the Great Depression.  There’s always so much to write and so little time!

Agreed on that point, LOL! You sound like an author to follow, and we can start right here. Thanks so much for joining us today, Amanda! You’ve given some awesome background and glimpses of your books. This series is on my TBR list for sure!

Tour Schedule

Yesterday

Her yesterday was five years ago. What will her tomorrow bring?

When HANNAH KRAEGER saves a family injured in a car accident, she has no idea she has changed events in the past. Waking the next morning, Hannah discovers her yesterday was really five years ago.

Each trip Hannah takes through time changes the timeline and her own life. With help from DR. SETH MCALLISTER, Hannah must unravel the mystery of why she time travels and who she actually is before the strange ability costs her future, the man she loves, and even her life.

YESTERDAY is a thrilling Christian Romantic Suspense filled with unexpected twists, mystery, and romance.

Amazon
The Locket

Hannah suddenly finds that she has time travelled once again, but this time is different. After helping save a woman’s life, Hannah discovers that she has completely altered the timeline and thrown her very existence into jeopardy.

Facing life-threatening effects upon returning to her own time, Hannah is then given a death sentence: if she time travels again, she will die. Now, Hannah must solve the clues to her own identity and find a way to save her own life before she is once again sent spiraling through time.

Will her mother’s locket hold the key to both her past and her future? Has she just found the love of her life only to lose him? Could God have a plan for Hannah amidst the chaos?

Amazon

Excerpt

Rounding the corner of the hallway to the medical offices, I stopped mid-stride.

“What’s wrong?” Seth asked, concerned.

I pointed. “The medical offices should be right there.”

Instead of a hallway that opened up to a reception area surrounded by doctors’ offices, I was pointing to a solid wall.

I turned around in a full circle. I had an awful sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach as I began to notice other differences. The paint on the walls looked dingy, the tile old, and the pictures on the wall cheap.

“Seth, none of this is right,” I mumbled, nervously fingering Mom’s locket clasped around my neck.

The feeling of dread was rapidly transforming into panic. Nothing was as it should be.

Then I knew.

My mind swirled with everything that had just happened. My eyes swung to Seth’s confused gaze and locked. In that instant, I knew two things. The man I loved, loved me back. And, wherever, whenever I was, he had come with me.

Author Amanda Tru

Although I loved my job as an elementary school teacher, I am now very blessed to be mommy to three adorable little boys and living my dream of being an author.

I have a vivid imagination and have always been easily entertained by the stories in my head. Fortunately, I also love to paint those pictures with words. I like writing a wide variety of genres, and my current book list includes everything from a Christian time travel / romance series, to an action-packed suspense, to a romance involving a woman who likes to anonymously play matchmaker.

Although I enjoy historical, Christian, paranormal, suspense, and everything in between, my books all have one thing in common–I love to surprise my readers with the unexpected. I currently have 7 books available for kindle, nook, and paperback.

My family and I live in a small Idaho town where the number of cows outnumbers the number of people.

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Top 10 Reasons “Moonlit” by Jadie Jones is a Must Read ($25 #Giveaway)

Jadie Jones: Moonlit is a Must-Read. Here’s Why.

1. Tanzy Hightower – she’s a smart, strong, savvy girl who won’t wait for someone to swoop in and save her.

2. The mystery element – Moonlit is written in first person present. The reader experiences all of Tanzy’s emotions as she discovers her identity and path.

3. Instincts – instincts fascinate me. What would humans be capable of if we didn’t train out so many of our instincts early on? What would happen if those instincts made an unexpected return appearance?

4. Imagery – this book started as snapshots of scenes that were very visual in my head. I did my best to paint the picture exactly as I saw it.

5. Horses – there’s something about horses, a natural magic, that brings a little fairy dust to any story. Tanzy is a true equestrian, so experiencing horses through her eyes is a unique perspective.

6. Lucas – Tall, dark, and totally smitten with Tanzy. I am not going to lie – I have a total character crush on Lucas.

7. The moment in the alley – I can’t say much about this part without spoiling it, but it was my favorite scene to write. It’s dark, twisted, shocking, violent, and when I wrote it I got goosebumps.

8. Layers – I like to explore the gray area, the good in evil and the evil in good. In Tanzy’s world, nothing is black and white.

9. Time travel – Tanzy visits her first life, which happened a thousand years ago. The one-sided relationship she has with her first self is complex, to put it mildly.

10. The story continues – Moonlit is the first book in a trilogy. Tanzy’s journey from here experiences tremendous highs and devastating lows. I can’t wait to share them with you.

Moonlit

Eighteen-year-old Tanzy Hightower knows horses, has grown up with them on Wildwood Farm. She also knows not to venture beyond the trees that line the pasture. Things happen out there that can’t be explained. Or undone. Worse, no one but she and the horses can see what lurks in the shadows of the woods.

When a moonlit ride turns into a terrifying chase, Tanzy is left to question everything, from the freak accident that killed her father to the very blood in her veins. Broken and confused, she turns to Lucas, a scarred, beautiful stranger, and to Vanessa, a charming new friend who has everything Tanzy doesn’t.

But why do they seem to know more about her than she knows herself?

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Praise

“Virginia’s trees look like they’re burning. Most of them blaze crimson or gold, but some still have a chokehold on their green. I wish they’d give it up already. Leaves are more beautiful when they’re dying.”

And so Moonlit begins. From here the story rolls from one twist to another with many vivid characters whose motives are hard to predict. I found myself being suspicious of everyone, wanting to tell Tanzy to be very careful. The deeper I fell into the plot, the more questions kept rising to the surface. But not to worry, all of my questions were answered. Appropriate for all ages, if you love paranormal fantasy mixed with suspense, mystery and other-worldly romance, you’ll love this novel!

~Author Julie Ford

Prologue

The first anniversary of my father’s death was even harder on my mother. Back then, I thought she was haunted most by what she didn’t know. I refused to blame her when she raged above me on our staircase that night, drunk and sad and angry. When she made me promise I’d never ride again. When she hurled a half-full bottle of vodka at my face and it exploded on the wooden stairs at my feet. I hadn’t tried to get out of the way. She had just missed.

I wanted to tell her that knowledge was no solace, that what you know can burn inside you until there’s nothing left but guilt and ash. I also wanted to protect her from losing the only piece of him she had left. So I didn’t say a word.

Author Jadie Jones

Georgia native Jadie Jones first began working for a horse farm at twelve years old, her love of horses matched only by her love of books. She went on to acquire a B.A. in equine business management, and worked for competitive horse farms along the east coast. The need to write followed wherever she went.

She currently coaches a hunt seat equitation team that competes in the Interscholastic Equestrian Association, and lives with her family in the foothills of north Georgia. When she’s not working on the next installment of the Moonlit series, she is either in the saddle or exploring the great outdoors with her daughter. Moonlit is her first book.

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Dianne Hartsock: Tragedy and the Happily Ever After (Without Aiden Tour and $10 GC #Giveaway)

Dianne Hartsock: Tragedy and the Happily Ever After

Tris’s parents are dead and his sister paralyzed in a car accident Tris is blamed for. Right from the start WITHOUT AIDEN plunges us into Tragedy. Here’s a young man, barely twenty-one years old, who is grieving for his parents, taking care of his dying sister, and looked at with suspicion by the people of his town. But worse than any of that, the lover who should have stood by his side, finds him as equally guilty as everyone else does and can’t forgive him.

To me, having characters face a real life crisis instantly captures my attention. Not that I like to see characters suffer. Far from it! But finding that instant connection with one, that sympathetic cord, will ensure I’ll continue reading the story. Now I have a vested interest in what happens to this character.

I find that this connection drives the story forward. There seems to be a sense of urgency in this type of story that isn’t apparent in other romances. The hero already has a strike against him. How is he going to win through to the end?

And can he have a happy ending? That’s always my concern. I become emotionally wrapped up in the tragic hero. I want him to be happy, darn it! I’ll read furiously, searching for those moments where we catch a glimpse of a smile, hear a soft laugh, feel a gentle touch. They’re few and far between. Don’t want to miss them!

When I set out to write my own tragic hero story, I took the gloves off, poor boy. I stripped him bare, vulnerable, ripe for sympathy. We had to work for his smiles. Kind words were few, until he began to find allies, first in his sister’s caregiver, then from the man willing to give him a job despite the censure of the town.

Tris’s smiles come from Aiden’s softening glances toward him, the gentle words he says, an intimate touch. These moments of tenderness from Aiden are usually done unconsciously, out of old habits, but they give us the hope that maybe he still cares for Tris. And we need that hope to keep going just as much as Tris does.

It’s not until the very end, when the issue of the car accident is resolved, that Tris finds the forgiveness he needs and walks with joy into the arms of his happily ever after. To me, tragedy in a story only makes the rewards at the end that much sweeter.

Thanks for stopping in and I hope your happy endings are in sight and are as sweet as you’re imagining!

Without Aiden | Blurb

Is a gift of love enough to open Aiden’s heart and let Tris back in?

After the car accident that killed his parents and left his sister paralyzed, Tris is left with nothing. His family is destroyed. His reputation is shot. And all he has is the guilt of knowing it was all his fault. People in town know he’d been drinking that night, and know he should never have gotten behind the wheel. And even Aiden, the man he thought he’d be with forever, blames him too much to stay.

But Tris can’t let him just disappear. After months of loneliness and isolation, Tris brings Aiden a gift on his birthday, a hawk he’s carved from a chunk of wood they’d found in the forest during an afternoon of love. A small chink seems to open in Aiden’s heart, the first sign of forgiveness. With renewed hope, Tris takes a job renovating one of the older homes in town and tries to rebuild his life. But the townspeople have long memories, and when his sister’s condition worsens, forgiveness—and Aiden—seem to slip even further out of reach…

Without Aiden | Excerpt

Pulling a scrap of paper from a pocket, he studied the address he’d scribbled down, then swung a leg over his bike and pedaled away from Aiden’s home. The crisp spring air cooled his face and threaded fingers through his short hair, creating pleasant tingles down his neck. He pumped harder and raced along the side streets, ignoring the blare of a car horn as he made a quick left turn. He slowed in a quiet neighborhood and coasted to a halt at the end of the cul-de-sac.

Settling on the cushioned seat, he enjoyed the view while he caught his breath. A man he guessed to be in his early forties, shirtless now that the sun was warming, lifted cinder blocks from the back of an old flatbed truck. Most of the blocks were in a neat stack on the ground, and the man’s muscular back glistened with sweat as he picked up another one.

His arms bulged and Tris coughed to get his attention, then almost fell off his bike as the man swiveled toward him. Dark curls adorned his chiseled chest and abdomen and disappeared into the faded jeans snug on his hips. Tris smiled inwardly. The delicious body screamed ‘lady’s man’ from head to toe. What did Aiden say? Oh yeah, the gorgeous ones were always straight.

Still amused, Tris walked his bike up the cracked driveway and parked it by the detached garage. He approached the man in the yard and held out his hand, admiring the stranger’s attractive face and brown curls. “Good morning, Mr. Thompson. I’m Tris Price. We spoke on the phone earlier?”

The man’s keen hazel eyes swept over him, and Tris raised a brow. Tris’s father had designed and built furniture, and Tris was fit from years of lifting slabs of oak and cherry wood onto the bench to be cut into desired lengths. Though he couldn’t boast muscles like this six-foot hunk in front of him, he could handle anything the man might need. He stayed cool under the close inspection and tried not to let his amusement show in his eyes.

The man finally shook his hand. “Call me Andrew. Done any renovating before?”

“No, sir, but I’ve built furniture with my father and know my way around a piece of wood.”

“A ‘Price’ roll top desk came with the house. Solid oak. Superb workmanship.”

Heat rose in Tris’s face. “Thank you, sir. Dad would have appreciated that.”

Compassion stirred in the hazel eyes watching him. “I heard about the accident. I’m sorry. It can’t be easy.”

“No, sir.” Tris chewed a lip, not sure how they’d strayed onto the topic. “About the job…”

Andrew’s assessing gaze swept him again and Tris was conscious of his best jeans and sweater. “You’ll need to change… I have to pick up another load of bricks. Can you be back at three this afternoon?”

Tris let out a breath he’d been holding for three months. No one had wanted to buy Price Furniture from the son who’d caused the master craftsman’s death, no matter his skill level. No one would hire him for work. “You won’t be disappointed,” he said, unable to control the tremor in his voice.

One of the sexiest smiles he’d ever seen lifted the corner of Andrew’s mouth. “We’ll see,” he murmured and pulled another brick from the back of the truck, dismissing Tris. Tris watched him a minute, wondering if he’d just fallen in love. Then he shook his head, laughing at his folly as he collected his bike.

Dianne Hartsock

After growing up in California and spending the first ten years of marriage in Colorado, Dianne now live in the beautiful Willamette Valley of Oregon with her incredibly patient husband, who puts up with the endless hours she spends hunched over the keyboard letting her characters play.

She says Oregon’s raindrops are the perfect setting in which to write. There’s something about being cooped up in the house while it pours rain outside, a fire crackles on the hearth inside, and a cup of hot coffee warms her hands which kindles her imagination.

Currently, Dianne works as a floral designer in a locally-owned gift shop. Which is the perfect job for her. When not writing, she can express herself through the rich colors and textures of flowers and foliage.

Find Dianne @ Amazon | ARe Books | Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

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Dianne will be awarding a $10 All Romance Ebooks Gift Card to a randomly drawn commenter during the tour. The more stops on which you comment the greater your chance to win, so be sure to follow the tour by !

Charmaine Gordon Talks “The Catch”

Today it’s an honor to welcome back Charmaine Gordon, who has really gone above and beyond with her interview. She’s settled in and embraced us in a warm conversation about her book THE CATCH, so I hope you’ll join us for a while. Welcome, Charmaine!

Hi Sarah, I’m pleased to visit with you today and to have the opportunity to talk about The Catch, my latest and sixth release with Vanilla Heart. Yippee!

Right off the bat-page one introduces the hero Tom Donnelly aka The Catch who has fallen down every rung of the ladder he climbed and now has to climb back up. Do we know people who like Tom in real life? There’s a good chance we all do to some degree.

Next comes the heroine, Joanne McKenna Friedman, beautiful on the outside, damaged on the inside when as a sixteen year old  runaway alone in Chicago she met  a man and trusted him. . .

Everyone has secrets, some small and some ugly. We never know until they’re revealed. Personally I can relate to this. Can you?

The Catch is a multilayered story of love, family, friends, evil, corruption of the law, and prejudice. I never leave out humor because laughter can help you through the worst of times.

First line of The Catch:

The woman in his bed sat up and shoved him hard, “Time’s up, handsome.”

Favorite line—Tom and Joanne kiss the first time. She holds him tight and finally he pulls away.

“Are you trying me on for size? If so, I hope I fit.”

A nor’easter is about to hit the Chicago area. Tom, a good guy living in Old Town just north of mid-town Chicago, stops at Joanne’s apartment. She lives in his neighborhood. They are not friends yet. She suspects he’s still in love with her boss, Charlie Costigan Kahn.

Excerpt:

She shouted, “You’re just worming your way back into her life, Thomas Donnelly. I’ve known men just like you.”

At the door he spun around to face her. “You know nothing about me. Charlie and I were kids, seventeen when we loved each other for maybe a week. She was the first girl who said no to me. Me, the big man on campus. My life fell in the toilet and now I’m doing my damndest to be a friend. That‘s all, case closed. Call me when you get over yourself. You need batteries, candles, water, food.” He slammed the door. “And get a better lock.” He turned back. “And where’s your doorman?”

“Attrition. They let him go. Damn.”

Since you’ve asked, I must answer. The most difficult scene to write in The Catch is when Shelley Costigan goes into premature labor at Haven up on a trail with her friend and patient, Jerry Kahn who is a paraplegic, the result of an accident. With no access to cell phone  communication and Jerry in a wheelchair, Shelley’s in trouble. By chance, Tom and Joanne decided to travel north where the beach at Lake Michigan near Haven makes a great outing. They stop at Haven, hear a commotion way up on the path in the woods and run. Joanne takes charge and delivers Shelley’s twins while Tom races to call 911.

So why was the scene so difficult? It had to be accurate, make sense, and the fact that I had personal knowledge of many deliveries, some easy, some so difficult, unwanted memories flooded back.

Oh yes, the scene I’d like to experience over and over again but not in real life. On stage or in a movie, definitely. There’s a serious bad guy in The Catch; the man who damaged Joanne after making promises never to be kept. She’s a lawyer and he’s threatened to ruin her career if she doesn’t clear his name. Always carrying her Lady Smith, she walks to her apartment and hears his voice after eight years. I won’t reveal more but she has courage to defend herself from imminent danger. I do love a strong heroine, don’t you? I’m from a different generation where women didn’t speak up quickly and expected men to take care of them. Fortunately my daughter is strong and speaks her mind. I’ve learned from her.

Names come to me. The Catch flashed before my eyes when I thought about Tom Donnelly and later Joanne McKenna Friedman became The Catch. They are both special with strong abilities and character.

I’ve just finished a short story titled Instant Grand Dad about two seniors who meet by chance at the Jersey Shore. Romance blossoms in spite of conflicts. This is a new demographic for me. Already I’m halfway through another delicious tale of seniors. After all, we’re old but not dead.

Again, thanks Sarah. It’s been a pleasure being your guest today. I look forward to meeting your fans.

Find THE CATCH @ Smashwords | Amazon Kindle | Amazon Paperback | B&N ebook and print

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5-Star Amazon review of THE CATCH from reader Terry L. Blankenship (click here for full review)

The Catch This is a wonderfully told love story for anyone mid-teen and above. The characters are well written and the plot well planned. Story events were easy to follow. The author did a good job of keeping my interest and pulled me into the story, making me want to care what happened to the characters. Ms Gordon made me laugh at different points in the story, which surprised me as I didn’t expect to find laughable places in a love story but she pulls them off well. This is not the first book I’ve read by this author and she has done it again. Congratulations on a well written story, Charmaine!