Maddy Barone's Blog, page 22

Who Likes FREE Books???

Everybody likes free books, right? Check out Christa Maurice’s site. She lists free books and ARCS to be given away each week. See? Wolf’s Oath is listed right now. Check back every week for new freebies!

http://christamaurice.com/2015/08/20/arc-junction-aug-20-27/

Tuesday Teaser 8/18/15: Olivia

We have completed Part One of Daughter of the Wolf Clan!  It needs quite a bit of revising, editing, and polishing, but the bones are there.  Now we are about to embark on Part Two. I confess I haven’t gotten too far with it. The action has moved back to Kearney and I’m getting a little bogged down in the next generation. I have no idea why Victoria (Shadow and Glory’s daughter) is doing stealing the show. Oh, I know that at twenty-six she is fed up with her dad’s over protectiveness, and with her mom’s help has gone to spend the winter in Kearney looking for a husband. Poor Shadow must be beside himself to be stuck in the winter camp in the Black Hills while his baby girl (all 6 feet 1 inch and 210 pounds of her) is partying in Kearney. I think she’s angling for her own story.  No! Down, Vic!

 

But enough of that. I really am bogged down with the next generation. I started a family tree to help me keep track of who was who, but I got bogged down with that too!  I need names for the multitude of Wolfe Offspring! Help a writer out and tell me names in the comments. If you’d like to see it, here is the FAMILY TREE.

 

Some people are new to this story, so if you’d like the read the VERY UNEDITED Part One all in one spot, Daughter of the Wolf Clan Part 1  Please remember there are a ton of typos and changes in here, so please be kind and ignore them.

 

And now, here is the beginning of Part Two:

 

Part II

Fourteen Months Later

Kearney, Nebraska

 

Chapter 8

Olivia shifted her sewing basket to a more comfortable position on her hip and waited for Red Wing and Nathan to finish their quick of the Martins’ Trading Post before stepping into the store. Behind her were some of the other single women from the Plane Women’s House, but she paused in just inside to inhale the spicy scent of the Christmas potpourri Hannah Martin had sitting in bowls around the store. Olivia loved Christmas. She loved the little conspiracies of making gifts in secret to surprise her family, she loved baking and eating the Christmas goodies, and she loved having everyone she loved gathered all together in one place. Last year had been difficult, because her family hadn’t been with her. It was her first Christmas ever without her family. Her parents and brothers had stayed at the ranch, and although she loved her cousins and friends in Kearney, it hadn’t been the same. But this year everyone was coming to the den to celebrate. Christmas Day was only three weeks off, and her parents would be here on the 22nd.

“Do you mind?” groused her cousin Victoria from behind her.

“Oh, sorry.”

Olivia stepped further into the store and to the side, to let the other women enter. Red Wing nodded and gave his daughter Kendra a sharp nod. “You be good today.”

Seventeen-year-old Kendra sighed. “I’m always good, Dad.”

He smiled. “I know. Well, have fun sewing. We’ll come back before suppertime to collect you.”

Hannah Martin waved to them from behind the counter.

“Go on back to the workroom, ladies,” she called. “We’ll be getting started in a few minutes.”

Olivia led Vic, Sabrina, Sammie, and Taylor through the store to the room in the back that had been made into a workplace where the Lisa & Hannah clothing line was created. The Lupa from the den and her daughter Patia were already there, along with Lisa Madison, her daughter Emily, and her son Ray and her brother-in-law Marty. Patia and Ray were standing close together, whispering to each other. Olivia stopped for a moment, wondering how they were getting away with it. She looked around quickly. None of Patia’s brothers were here, which explained it. Uncle Taye had –amazingly—given permission for Ray and Patia to court, but normally the boys would have forced them to maintain a chaste distance. Aunt Carla didn’t seem to notice that her daughter and her beau were practically leaning on each other.

Victoria cleared her throat and pushed past Olivia. “Mart,” she purred, pushing past Olivia to saunter toward the mayor’s younger brother like a wolf stalking prey.

Marty smiled at her. “Good morning, Miss Victoria. I’m glad your parents allowed you to spend the winter here in Kearney. It’s been great getting to know you better.”

“Call me Vic,” she invited. “All my friends do.”

Olivia walked over to a long work table and put the sewing basket down. Not only was the spicy scent of Christmas potpourri in the air, she reflected, but so was love. For everyone but her. Ray was devastatingly handsome, and really nice. Marty was twenty six, only a year older than his nephew, but he made a good living. Either of them would have been an acceptable husband. If only she could forget about what had happened to her! Her earlier happy mood began to slip, and she doggedly grabbed hold of it to keep it from disappearing. She smiled at Mrs. Madison.

“I’ll do my best to help,” she said to the Mayor’s wife. “I’m not much of a seamstress, though.”

Mrs. Madison, the Lisa half of Lisa & Hannah Originals, smiled back. “We have so many orders to get out for Christmas that we’re happy to take any help. If you can press a seam or sew on a button, you’ll be a godsend. Even someone to sweep the floor and collect pins will be needed.”

“I think I can manage that.”

She turned to survey the work room. There were four long tables, each with a sewing machine on one end and a padded pressing surface on the other. Dressmaker dummies stood along the walls in various stages of undress. Bolts of fabric leaned drunkenly in corners. She hadn’t lied. She couldn’t sew, especially not on one of these fancy electric machines. When word had come to the Plane Women’s House that Lisa and Hannah were looking for last minute seasonal help, she’d decided to volunteer.

“Run along now, boys,” Lisa said sternly to her son and brother-in-law. “Marty, you mom needs you at home this morning. Her wood box is getting low. Ray, your dad is expecting you at the stables.”

Marty gave Vic one last smile before. Olivia didn’t think he was anywhere near as handsome as Ray, but she admitted that smile completely made up for it. She waited until the men had left and then gave Vic a raised brow.

“How serious are you about him?”

Victoria smirked like a cat in the cream. “More serious all the time.”

“Really? Do you think Uncle Shadow will approve?”

Vic swung out of her coat and hung it over the back of a chair. “Mom talked him into letting me come to Kearney for the winter to meet men. I’m only doing what I’m supposed to.” She made a face. “Besides, I’m twenty-six years old. How much longer do I need to wait to find a man my dad approves of? Much longer and my girl parts will forget what they’re for.”

FREE! Wolf’s Oath Is Free During August!

AFTER THE CRASH

 

When a plane crashes fifty years in the future, the survivors learn:
1. Nuclear war destroyed the world they knew.
2. Plague has reduced the female population to a pitiful few and every woman is worth her weight in gold.
3. Werewolves are more than mere legend and they want mates.

 

Wolf’s Oath Is FREE through August at most online etailers!

 

You know, I really like Connie. She was the co-pilot of the plane that jumped forward in time and crashed in 2064. She was a Marine fighter pilot in Iraq, so she’s a strong, take-charge type of woman who can handle herself in any situation. She’ll make hard choices that will benefit the survivors she believes are her responsibility, even if it’s not what she wants. And she’s not sure she wants to tie herself to this grim-faced wolf. Yeah, Des is hot, but he’s all about protecting her and she’s used to carrying her own weight.

      Although this story takes place in the middle of the series, I think you can pick it up without reading the previous books. And it’s free, so why not give it a try? 
Amazon.com
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Tuesday Teaser 8/11/15: Daughter of the Wolf Clan

Wolf’s Princess has been out for a little more than a week! Thank you so much, everyone who has left a comment or posted a review on Amazon or another retailer or GoodReads. I love reviews,  even the not happy reviews, because they help other readers decide whether or not they might like to try a book from a new-to-them author. I think a lot of readers are like me. It feels safer to buy a book from an author we know we like, or if a review gives us enough info to want to try it. I think my stories are good (I hope I don’t sound like a big-headed egotist here. I’m really not, I swear!) and people would enjoy them if they tried them.  Wolf’s Princess is selling nicely. It’s certainly not on any bestsellers lists, but the ratings I’ve seen and the reviews let me know that people are generally happy with the story. Nothing makes me giddier than to know that people enjoy reading my stories. Five years ago I hadn’t published a single thing because I was afraid no one would like my stories. Boy, am I ever glad I worked up the courage to submit Sleeping With the Wolf to Liquid Silver Books!

 

In all the excitement last week with the new release I somehow completely forgot to post the Tuesday Teaser from Daughter of the Wolf Clan. Mea Culpa! To apologize, I’m posting ALL of Chapter Seven. Because of its length, I’m attaching a link to it rather than posting all 10 pages of it here. I haven’t reviewed this, so there are probably even more boo-boos then usual. Please overlook them and enjoy! 

 

Chapter Seven

 

They had run for several hours past dawn before her dad called a rest break at a stream. Olivia waddled off to find a bit of screening brush to hide her while she peed. Being carried made her tired. Or maybe it was just the fact that she was worn out. When she emerged from her hiding place she all but tripped over her dad.

“Dad! Can’t a girl have a little privacy?”

“Not yet,” he answered quietly. “We’re not letting you out of our sight anytime soon.”

She followed him back to the others. Her brothers and Colby, in wolf form, lapped water from the stream. They looked up at her, water dripping from their muzzles, before shifting back to human.

 

Click To Continue to the next page to Read Chapter Seven

 

Wolf’s Princess Is Out!

I am so excited to announce that Wolf’s Princess is available now!

 

Wolf’s Princess

 

Rose Turner was only sixteen years old when she was flung fifty years into a post-apocalyptic future and claimed by a teenage wolf shifter. When she refused his claim, Sky Wolfe left the den and moved to Omaha, intending to return when she turned eighteen to renew his courtship. Now, eight years later, in the final installment of the After the Crash series, Rose is an old maid with a pack of wolf shifters guarding her from other men. She wants a husband and children, and since Sky has ignored her all these years she decides to find a man to love on her own.

Sky has been busy in Omaha, where women are commodities, working to change the laws that oppress them. Victory is at his fingertips when he receives word his mate is husband shopping. Can he free Omaha’s women and woo his mate? Or will he have to choose between them? Read the breathtaking conclusion to this series, in which a group of plane crash survivors learn to live in a future that is nothing like their past.
Buy It Now From the Publisher
Buy It Now From Amazon
Buy It Now From Barnes & Noble
Buy It Now From Kobo
Buy It Now From iTunes

 

 

 

Ack! August!

 

Can you believe it is August already?? I have to say this is one of my least favorite months of the year. By this time the joy of warm weather has worn off, and I’m dying for some cool air. It’s too hot to work on my knitting or crocheting or spinning (there’s something so repulsive about having a pound of wool yarn or fleece spread over my lap when it’s so freaking hot outside), and sewing a renaissance costume is out too. The yards of fabric, the heat of the iron and sewing machine… Yuck. Of course, this August will be a little nicer for me because Wolf’s Princess comes out tomorrow. One of the best things to do when the weather is hot is read. I’m going through my kindle but can’t seem to find anything I really want to read. 41 book unread on my kindle, and not a one appeals to me!! This might be because I’m DYING to read  some that aren’t out yet. For instance…

 

  The Veil by Chloe Neill

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  Magic Shifts by Ilona Andrews

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  Archangel’s Enigma by Nalini Singh

 

That’s only three books, which won’t keep me reading for an entire 30 days. I’m always looking for good reading material, but my budget tells me I can’t afford to buy every book that catches my eye. I like to rely on friends to recommend stories they enjoyed. I like historical, fantasy, science fiction, inspirational, and some Young Adult, as long as it’s a good story and there is at least an element of romance. I love Anne Bishop, Elizabeth Hunter, Grace Draven, Wen Spencer, and Sharon Lee/Steve Miller among others. Help me out. What stories or series do you recommend?

And the Winners Are …

Cassandra S. and Ellen F.!! 

 

Congrats, ladies!

 

Thank you, everyone, for your kind and encouraging comments. There is nothing like a little praise to rev up the creative juices. I’m off to work on Kit and Olivia’s story for next week’s Tuesday Teaser 

Impromptu Contest! Win an ARC of Wolf’s Princess

Rose turned her head on the pillow to look at Sky and found him looking back at her with a half-smile of smug male satisfaction. A week ago that expression would have driven her to smack him, but right at this moment she admitted he was entitled to look like that. He hadn’t given her sex; he had made love to her.

 

That is a tiny snip from Wolf’s Princess. Would you like to read the whole thing before the book comes out on Monday, August 3? Just leave a comment below. I will be drawing two winners at 7pm central time on Friday, July 31. Who wants a little reading material for the weekend?

Tuesday Teaser 7/28/15: Wolf’s Princess

Only a week until Wolf’s Princess is out! I promise to give you more of Kit and Olivia’s story, but this week  I want to tease you a little with a new snip from Sky and Rose’s story. Here Rose is in the reception room at Sky’s House, taking a little break at the bar, while the ladies are entertaining. White Horse is the bouncer on duty. Sky is away. I hope you enjoy it!

 

“Damn,” the bartender muttered, staring with disapproval at the man who had entered.

Before Rose could ask what was wrong, Dana moved off to fill customer orders. The man came right to the bar, which wasn’t surprising since Tracy couldn’t get all the drink orders herself. But instead of trying to flag the bartender down he came and stood much too close to Rose. She lifted her tray to hold like a shield in front of her and gave him one of the vague smiles she had perfected over the evening.

“Excuse me, sir,” she said, trying to wiggle her way along the wall to get away from him. There was no room for her to go anywhere because the crowd was so thick. “Pardon me.” She made her voice cold and firm. “Let me pass, please.”

“Sure,” he said. “It will only cost you a kiss, honey cakes.”

Honey cakes? Rose managed not to gape at him. “That’s not my job. I’m a waitress. Excuse me so I can go get my tray refilled.”

The man smiled at her and she had to admit it was a very attractive smile. His hair was dark blond, about shoulder length with a hint of a wave to it. Against it, the dark tan of his handsome face and the pale blue of his eyes were almost startling. Really, he was a very handsome man, and probably not more than twenty-five years old. Rose wondered how many other waitresses would have been happy to give him a kiss. But she was a married woman and she was not interested. Well, she wasn’t really married, and if she had met him in Kearney she might have liked to get to know him better.

“Excuse me,” she said with a little more force. When he spread his arms out to keep her from moving, she rotated the tray into a horizontal position. If she shoved the sharp edge into his throat he would move in a big hurry. But there was no need for such extreme actions. She gazed directly up into eyes rimmed with long, dark lashes. “My name is Rose Wolfe. My husband is Sky Wolfe.”

She waited for that to sink in, sure he would step aside as soon as he realized who she was. He moved, but not away. One step brought him close, and he pushed the tray down so it was vertical between them. He was so close that using the tray as a weapon would be impractical. If she jerked it straight up she might be able to slam it into his chin. That might do more damage than he deserved. He put both his hands on her shoulders, leaning in so she could feel his breath on her forehead. Her gaze flicked to his crotch. She could jam the corner of the tray there. That would cause severe pain and humiliation, but he would still be alive. If White Horse took action, there was no guarantee he would live to walk out the door.

Where was White Horse? Rose thought he would be here by now. Of course, there were so many people maybe he hadn’t noticed that this man had corralled her. A low growl sounded behind the man. Nope, Rose thought with an inner smile, White Horse is on the job.

It wasn’t White Horse. She looked over the man’s shoulder and saw Sky, and for the first time since they came to Omaha he looked like a wolf warrior. In spite of his short hair and perfectly fitted business suit, at this moment, Sky looked as feral and scary as Taye in his worst protective rage. His voice rumbled low in his throat as if he were speaking around gravel.

“Take your hands off my wife.”

Tuesday Teaser 7/21/15

I’m putting out the Tuesday Teaser a little earlier than usual since I’ll be out tonight, and once I’m home I’ll be busy. So, without further ado, here is poor Kit.    or  Which do you think?

 

Kit lay on the ground, the pain of his broken and shredded leg throbbing in time with the beating of his heart. Olivia, his one and true mate, was leaving him. She rejected him. She had left him while he slept, and ran to escape him when he found her. She had begged the men of her pride for his life, but hadn’t demanded to be allowed to stay with him.

Her pride would never allow him to court her now. He watched with tear blurred eyes as they hustled Olivia quickly away from him. For one moment, his mate looked over her shoulder at him, but at the direction of her elder, she turned away from him, giving him only her back. Defeated, he let his head sag to the ground and wept.

Dawn was breaking over the eastern hills when Devlin found him. In his half-cat form he didn’t heal as fast as his pride mates, but faster than his human form would heal, so the broken bone in his lower leg had only begun to knit and the slashes in his skin were barely closed. Devlin leaped the last few feet to him and crouched over him, whiskers quivering while he gave him a thorough visual examination before shifting back to human.

“Kit,” the other man said sorrowfully. “How long have you lain here?”

“Two hours. Maybe three.” The tears he’d thought he’d run out of leaked again from Kit’s eyes. “They took my mate. Her pride—her family came and took her away from me.”

Dev smothered a curse and carefully stroked a hand over Kit’s wounds and the broken leg. “How badly are you hurt?”

His leg didn’t hurt nearly as much as the burning hole in his chest. “My body will heal. My heart will not.” Kit began to shift back to human, but Devlin stopped him.

“No, you’ll heal faster in your cat form. You need to get strong again so you can go after your mate.”

“I can’t.” Despair dropped his head back to the ground. “The one she called Dad said he would kill me if he saw me.”

“So don’t let him see you,” Devlin advised. “Can you sit up?”

Kit did, wincing as newly healed skin split again. “You think I should steal her back?”

Devlin propped him up. “That didn’t work very well the first time. Do you think Olivia will accept you the second time?”

“No.” He hung his head, pain from his broken heart slicing like claws through his chest. “She said I should have courted her like a civilized human.”

“Then that’s what you should do.”

Kit clenched his teeth closed over a moan of pain when Devlin heaved him up over his shoulder. His head, hanging down Dev’s back, throbbed. “I’m not civilized or a human.”

“Then learn to be.” Devlin began walking carefully back toward their pride. “Do you want your mate or not?”

Could he learn to be what she wanted? The idea circled his mind, dodging doubt and yearning. “Yes, but I don’t know how to be human,” he confessed.

“Justin will help. He and his human mate can teach you.”

For the first time since his mate had turned her back and walked away from him a spark of hope flared. His pride mate Justin had found his mate among humans and had left the pride to live with her human family. Yes, Justin would help him. He and his human mate would teach him how to be a civilized human. Kit hated the idea of being tamed, but winning his mate was worth it.

Kit closed his eyes against the early morning sun and took a deep breath. He had to concentrate on healing so he would be strong enough to go to Justin. Kit had a mate to learn to court. He would not fail.