Linda Nightingale's Blog, page 23
August 26, 2019
Riding Hard by J.L. Sheppard
J.L. Sheppard has agreed to share somethings about herself in the following interview. Then read about Riding Hard and her backlist!
What is your greatest temptation:
In men: Crewcuts.
In food: Bread and PASTA!
In clothes: Shoes.
What is your greatest weakness (example: buying shoes)? Giving into my four-year-old’s puppy dog eyes.
If you could have any kind of car, what would it be? Mustang Cobra.
Your dream home – mountains or ocean? Ocean.
What inspired you to become a writer? I’ve always had a love for reading. For as long as I can remember, I’ve wanted to write.
Do you have a daily writing routine? If so, please share. I do not. As a mom of two boys—one is four, the other is one—I squeeze it in whenever I get the chance.
What is your favorite book? The Will, Kristen Ashley. I swear I’ve read it twenty times.
What is your favorite movie? The Incredibles. (LOL. It’s true!)
Who is your favorite historical figure? Don’t have one.
In your books, who is your favorite hero and please introduce him? I love all my heroes, but I have to say my favorite is Thomas “Cuss” Layne from Running Hot, Hell Ryders MC #2, not only because he drives a bike and a Cobra but because he fell in love with a girl and never forgot her.
Who is your favorite heroine and please introduce her? In my books, Alyssa “Allie” Holden from Running Wild, Hell Ryders MC #1, is my favorite heroine. In the beginning of the book, she’s fragile because of what she’s been through, but she overcomes it and finds the love she knows she deserves.
What do you have out now? Excerpt, blurb, book trailers
Riding Hard, Hell Ryders MC #4
Biker Dave “Dodge” Roth has never cared about his bad luck with women. He has other things to worry about—paying off debt his ex accumulated and most importantly, raising his three-year-old son, Cullen. When a new neighbor moves in, his boy makes it impossible to ignore her. Hard to miss, she’s beautiful, smart, sexy, perfect.
After her last failed relationship, kindergarten teacher Alexa “Lex” Millen has decided to do without men. She’s bought her first home in a small town in California and remodeled it to her liking. Naturally, she’s managed to move across the street from the world’s biggest jerk. His son’s adorable, but he won’t mind his own business. If only her engines didn’t rev every time he came around.
Excerpt #1
“Fine. I’ll go with you.”
Going was her best option. When he took her home, she’d tell him why she’d avoided him and why the two of them getting together was a bad idea. Of course, that’d only work if he didn’t kiss her. So her plan—she had to keep him away.
He hesitated for a moment then released her.
“I have to say bye.”
She spun and made it half way around when his fingers gripped her wrist. He tugged, turning her to him again.
“You hear what I said before, Lex, or are you deaf?”
She clenched her jaw and fisted her free hand. Then the anger burning inside her spilled. “For an entire month, I sat in my beautiful house alone. That is, in between the times I got house visits from you being a jerk. I’m very angry with you for ruining the first fun night I’ve had since moving here.”
Her face flushed with each word. That heat crept down her neck and chest. “I’ve agreed to leave with you, but I’m not happy about it. I’m not anyone you can boss or control. I were you, I’d tread very carefully because quite frankly, I’ve had it with your insults, your cursing, your caveman tactics. Bottom line…”
She shoved a pointed finger in his face. “I’ve had it with you.”
A muscle in his jaw twitched. He grabbed her wrist, pulled her hand away from his face, and squeezed. “I could control you, babe, you’d be sitting on my face.”
BACKLIST:
Hell Ryders MC Series
Running Wild, Hell Ryders MC #1
She runs from her perfect life to his—a life of bikers who play and ride by their own rules.
As hard as it is, he keeps his distance. When she kisses him, all bets are off.
Running Hot, Hell Ryders MC #2
She’s never forgotten the boy who saved her.
He’s never wanted anything—but her.
Riding Blind, Hell Ryders MC #3
He never loved—not until she walked into his life. But then she was gone, and he was lost.
Faced with an impossible choice, she leaves, but leaving him destroys her.
Elemental Sisters Series
Demon King’s Desire, Elemental Sisters #1
He’s living in hell dreaming of a woman he’s never met.
Burdened by Desire, Elemental Sisters #2
She couldn’t give him what he needed, and so he’d never have her, claim her, mate her…
Fated Immortals Series
Awaiting Fate, Fated Immortals #1
He lived in a hell where his mate was just within reach yet untouchable.
Fate Forgotten, Fated Immortals #2
A demon enchanted with a witch…
New releases anytime soon? Riding Hard, Hell Ryders MC #4
Where can eager fans find you?
Website: https://www.jlsheppard.com
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/J-L-Sheppard/e/B00CXDFEIK
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6894176.J_L_Sheppard
BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/j-l-sheppard
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JLSheppardAuthor
Twitter: https://twitter.com/JL_Sheppard
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jl_sheppard/
Riding
Hard
Hell
Ryders MC
Book
Four
J.L.
Sheppard
Genre: Contemporary Romance, MC
Romance Biker Romance
Publisher: The Wild Rose Press
Date of Publication: August 19,
2019
ISBN: 978-1-5092-2575-0 Paperback
978-1-5092-2576-7 Digital
ASIN: B07TZJZ6TF
Number of pages: 380
Word Count: 93073
Cover Artist: Diana Carlile
Tagline: What’s luck got to do
with it?
Book Description:
Biker Dave “Dodge” Roth
has never cared about his bad luck with women. He has other things to worry
about—paying off debt his ex accumulated and most importantly, raising his
three-year-old son, Cullen. When a new neighbor moves in, his boy makes it
impossible to ignore her. Hard to miss, she’s beautiful, smart, sexy, perfect.
After her last failed
relationship, kindergarten teacher Alexa “Lex” Millen has decided to
do without men. She’s bought her first home in a small town in California and
remodeled it to her liking. Naturally, she’s managed to move across the street
from the world’s biggest jerk. His son’s adorable, but he won’t mind his own
business. If only her engines didn’t rev every time he came around.
Excerpt
“Fine. I’ll go
with you.”
Going was her
best option. When he took her home, she’d tell him why she’d avoided him and
why the two of them getting together was a bad idea. Of course, that’d only
work if he didn’t kiss her. So her plan—she had to keep him away.
He hesitated for
a moment then released her.
“I have to say
bye.”
She spun and
made it half way around when his fingers gripped her wrist. He tugged, turning
her to him again.
“You hear what I
said before, Lex, or are you deaf?”
She clenched her
jaw and fisted her free hand. Then the anger burning inside her spilled. “For
an entire month, I sat in my beautiful house alone. That is, in between the
times I got house visits from you being a jerk. I’m very angry with you for
ruining the first fun night I’ve had since moving here.”
Her face flushed
with each word. That heat crept down her neck and chest. “I’ve agreed to leave
with you, but I’m not happy about it. I’m not anyone you can boss or control. I
were you, I’d tread very carefully because quite frankly, I’ve had it with your
insults, your cursing, your caveman tactics. Bottom line…”
She shoved a
pointed finger in his face. “I’ve had it with you.”
A muscle in his
jaw twitched. He grabbed her wrist, pulled her hand away from his face, and
squeezed. “I could control you, babe, you’d be sitting on my face.”
BUY LINKS:
Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/riding-hard-7
Google: https://play.google.com/store/books/details/J_L_Sheppard_Riding_Hard?id=kt6oDwAAQBAJ
Paperback:
https://www.amazon.com/Riding-Hard-Hell-Ryders-MC/dp/1509225757/
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/riding-hard-j-l-sheppard/1132395638
About
the Author:
J.L. Sheppard was born and raised
in South Florida where she still lives with her husband and sons.
As a child, her greatest
aspiration was to become a writer. She read often, kept a journal, and wrote
countless poems. She attended Florida International University and graduated in
2008 with a Bachelors in Communications. During her senior year, she interned
at NBC Miami, WTVJ. Following the internship, she was hired and worked in the
News Department for three years.
It wasn’t until 2011 that she set
her heart and mind into writing her first completed novel, Demon King’s Desire,
which was first published in January 2013.
Website:
https://www.jlsheppard.com
Amazon: https://amzn.to/2Suw3cl
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6894176.J_L_Sheppard
BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/j-l-sheppard
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JLSheppardAuthor
Twitter: https://twitter.com/JL_Sheppard
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jl_sheppard/
https://widget-prime.rafflecopter.com/launch.js
For More Chances to Win and more fun, follow the author on her tour:
August 26 Jazzy Book Reviews
http://bookreviewsbyjasmine.blogspot.com/
August 27 Sapphyria’s Books
https://saphsbooks.blogspot.com/
August 27 Books 4 Book Nerds
https://booknerdbooks.wordpress.com
August 28 Stormy Vixen’s Book Reviews (review)
https://stormyvixen.blogspot.com
http://stormyvixen.booklikes.com/
August 28 JB’s Bookworms with Brandy Mulder (Interview)
https://jbbookworms.blogspot.com
September 2 MJ’s Book Blog and Reviews
https://mjbookblogandreviews.blogspot.com/
September 2 Momma Says: To Read or Not to Read
http://mommasaystoreadornottoread.blogspot.com/
August 22, 2019
Alice, a Memoir by Alice Gilmore
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Alice will be awarding a $50 gift card via Rafflecopter. Scroll to the bottom for the code.
INTERVIEW with Alice. Very interesting. Read on.
Can you describe your dream home?
Somewhere with a superb view that included mountains and sea and townscape and countryside. Inside, room for my family to have private places of their own and for me to have a writing space that commanded that view. And a spacious garden that someone else takes care of, not me. I came pretty close to it in the house in the book that I say was in the Coachella Valley (only to disguise it).
If we were to come to your house for a meal, what would you give us to eat?
An excellent pate or foie gras (if you aren’t against the production of foie gras): fillet steaks or omelettes fines herbes to follow with masses of salad made with my own ‘heavy duty’ dressing; blackberry and apple pie or crumble with a large dollop of clotted cream for dessert; cheeses ad lib. Excellent white and red wine (I favour Australian shiraz or Rioja for red; Meursault for white if I’m feeling expansive or Macon or New Zealand if sensible)
Tell us about the absolute BEST fan letter you have received.
I haven’t received any yet. This is my first book. But I used to tell my children stories about Foxy the Magic Horse who took them on adventures all over the world. A four-year-old friend of my daughter came up to me and put a tiny hand in mine and asked me to tell her a Foxy story because my daughter had told her one. I nearly burst into tears, not only because of this child’s faith in me but because I realized how much my own children were enjoying them. The child said in conclusion, ‘Not too scary, please.’ And I knew that I had succeeded with my own beyond my dreams if this had been passed on
Say your publisher has offered to fly you anywhere in the world to do research on an upcoming book, where would you most likely want to go?
A vast game park in Africa. The Serengeti perhaps.
Who designed the book cover for the book you are touring?
Myself and Jane Tatam of Amolibros, mostly Jane.
Alice, a Memoir
by Alice Gilmore
GENRE: Non-fiction
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
BLURB:
Few, if anyone, could have had a life like Alice Gilmore. It was almost unbelievable yet carried on under the cover of a respectable middle-class existence.
You might strongly disapprove of what she did, but Alice was determined. She overcame insurmountable obstacles to keep the love she longed for.
Her single-minded fight to live out her love makes a gripping, riveting story that one eminent literary person called ‘staggeringly readable’. It is shocking. Her methods will upset some, but are you with her or against her? Your decision.
This is no misery memoir. It’s a story told with joy, wit and fervour – the astonishing story of the overwhelming love Alice Gilmour was determined to live out.
[image error]Excerpt:
I am going to tell you our story, my darlings. It is really only for you three and one other (you know who) but I can’t help hoping that the world will read it, which is why I shall probably publish it. But not for some years. When you’re fully grown up and have flown the nest. God knows what they will make of it, the world I mean, whoever they are, but I am not suggesting that any rules or taboos should be changed by our story, or new rules made. Leave all that alone. Our story, perhaps I should say my story, just is. You could tritely call it the exception that proves the rule. Perhaps that is just what it is: unique. I doubt that but it is certainly extraordinary. I have carefully chosen those words. Any old event of yawning banality is called ‘amazing’, ‘fantastic’, ‘unbelievable’, ‘fabulous’ in our current jargon. Whatever else people may call my story it is certainly extraordinary.
It is, above all, a love story, an all-consuming love story, though I have never felt consumed by love, rather continually renewed. But isn’t that what love should do to you? Consume you and renew you constantly like the phoenix. And it brought with it another constant emotion: fear. And pain. The fear of pain. The fear of the pain of losing it, this wonderful state. The word love doesn’t fully express what I/we felt. Another word that is more or less totally debased.
AUTHOR Bio and Links:
If you want to know about my life and background read this book. I can scarcely add to what I have written about myself in there. I earnestly hope that the rest of my life is too uneventful to even consider writing anything else, I am no novelist. The life I have described was full enough and rich enough for me. God knows what I would come out with if I had to invent. If you find you need a good chef I shall consider anything not too energetic – which rules out most jobs in the kitchen.
https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/100110001-alice-gilmore
https://www.facebook.com/alice.gilmore.92775
Tweets by AlicetheWife1
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/alice-a-memoir-alice-gilmore/1131732791
https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/940716
https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/alice-a-memoir
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
GIVEAWAY INFORMATION and RAFFLECOPTER CODE
One randomly chosen winner via rafflecopter will win a $50 Amazon/BN.com gift card.
AUTHOR Bio and Links:
If you want to know about my life and background read this book. I can scarcely add to what I have written about myself in there. I earnestly hope that the rest of my life is too uneventful to even consider writing anything else, I am no novelist. The life I have described was full enough and rich enough for me. God knows what I would come out with if I had to invent. If you find you need a good chef I shall consider anything not too energetic – which rules out most jobs in the kitchen.
https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/100110001-alice-gilmore
https://www.facebook.com/alice.gilmore.92775
Tweets by AlicetheWife1
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/alice-a-memoir-alice-gilmore/1131732791
https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/940716
https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/alice-a-memoir
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
GIVEAWAY INFORMATION and RAFFLECOPTER CODE
One randomly chosen winner via rafflecopter will win a $50 Amazon/BN.com gift card.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
https://widget-prime.rafflecopter.com/launch.js
August 18, 2019
Crowd Pleaser by Lisabet Sarai – FREE!!!
New Release!
Crowd Pleaser: Sexy Shorts
By Lisabet Sarai
Erotica and erotic romance anthology
Five flames
33,000 words
Exclusive to Smashwords
FREE!
Includes a 50% discount coupon for Hot Brides in Vegas: Vegas Babes Book 1
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Blurb
Savor these luscious tales of lust and love from the outrageous imagination of Lisabet Sarai. A Nebraska tornado provides the opportunity for a long-married couple to indulge their kinky tendencies. A workaholic professor learns to pay attention to her carnal desires. Two virile young baristas turn a lawyer’s fantasies into vivid reality. Ten erotic gems–pleasure guaranteed!
Buy Link (Free!)
Smashwords – https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/954307
Goodreads – https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/47827304-crowd-pleaser
Excerpt
From “Beefeater”
“You know what I want.” I can barely get the words out between gasps. Phil’s got my blouse unbuttoned and is diligently sucking my nipple, with the expected effect. He stops briefly to swirl his tongue in a deft circle around the aching nub, then nips at the tip. I moan as my clit jumps in sympathy.
Encouraged, he fastens his mouth on mine while he sneaks his hand up my thigh. I’m sopping and dying for him to touch me, but I slap his hand away.
“No way! You’re not getting into my knickers until you agree.”
“Oh, come on, Moe. You know I can’t do it.”
“Of course you can. If you want to. If you want me, want me enough.”
He bends to my breasts for another long, delicious suckle. He’s trying to soften me up. I mustn’t let him know how much success he’s having.
“Really, I can’t. It’s like—sacrilege.” There’s genuine distress on his face, but it might just be the result of frustrated lust. “Those uniforms were designed by Queen Victoria, for Christ’s sake.”
I snuggle up to him with a sweet smile. “I know. That’s part of what makes it so hot. The centuries of tradition. Don’t you think that it would be hot, Phil?” I stroke his swollen cock through his jeans and give him a wet kiss with lots of tongue. It’s hardly possible, but I actually feel him become bigger and harder. “It’s not like this is just for me. I know you’ll enjoy it.”
“Yeah, but if Geoff catches me, I’m finished. A halberd through the heart! You know how he is about the Warders.”
“He won’t, I promise. We’ll be extra careful. We’ll do it when he’s on duty.”
“And what about my mum?”
“Doesn’t she play bridge a couple of nights a week?”
“On Tuesdays and Thursdays, most weeks.”
“So all you need to do is figure out the next Tuesday or Thursday night that Geoff’s on the watch.” I find the bulb of his cock and pinch it through the denim. He yelps. “Should be easy for a smart guy like you.”
August 14, 2019
Loved by the Beast by Anya Summers
This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Anya Summers will be awarding a $15 Amazon or B/N GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.
Anna has plans for her life. This fall, she will be heading off to medical school, well on her way to becoming a doctor. But first, she and her besties head to Ireland to celebrate.
Nowhere did her future plans even include serious dating, let alone becoming mated to a man who can turn into a freaking beast with wings. Nor did she reckon with being sucked through a portal onto another planet while on her way home from a great night out.
Yet from the very first time her new mate touches her, Anna wonders if this could be the real deal – as in: the big L. The only problem is, her mate says his kind do not love; they protect, they pleasure, and they provide. Can Anna really kiss goodbye to all her plans for the future, and agree to spend the rest of her existence without love?
Publisher’s Note: This steamy paranormal romance, while the third in the Alcyran Chronicles series, can be read and enjoyed as a standalone.
Read an Excerpt
D’Vorak launched himself off the rooftop, took to the air, and sniffed the wind. He soared like a ghostly specter, blending in with the night. On the streets below, the people never glanced up as he glided above. Perhaps that was why they didn’t know their world was dying. They were too involved with what was right in front of them to view the larger picture.
Working with Rhiannon was risky. He understood the perils of trusting the Clovis wench. However, she had promised that if he succeeded in this task, she would sever his people’s ties with the Clovis. That must happen before the truth of the Gūla was discovered—the truth they had kept hidden, the weapons they had forged.
All he had to do was find the three women and take them to his planet. Three particular women whom Rhiannon indicated were descended from the original line of Clovis. Earth had been the home world for the Clovis before they discovered the wormhole to Destruna, another realm, another world where they weren’t persecuted and fled this one. The ancient lore of the Gūla described the first arrival of the Clovis on Destruna. At that time, the tribes had been primitive, living in thatch huts. It was the Clovis who taught them to build, to write, to read.
It was during that time, the true wealth of the Gūla was discovered. Warlords seized the mines filled with lunar crystals. When put together, they glowed, and were a power source unlike anything else on Destruna.
And from that power source they had created weapons capable of bringing down a Dráo, and protecting their realm. But the weapons created were too potent if they fell into the wrong hands. He shuddered at the thought of the Clovis with them. Queen Mona was already a power hungry wench with immense resources; she didn’t need more at her disposal.
His nose caught a whiff of sweetness on the breeze. The potency and flavor reminded him of dragonsbane wine. Being surrounded by the foreign stench, his beast wanted to roll around in the familiar scent.
About the Author:
Born in St. Louis, Missouri, Anya grew up listening to Cardinals baseball and reading anything she could get her hands on. She remembers her mother saying if only she would read the right type of books instead binging her way through the romance aisles at the bookstore, she’d have been a doctor. While Anya never did get that doctorate, she graduated cum laude from the University of Missouri-St. Louis with an M.A. in History.
Anya is a bestselling and award-winning author published in multiple fiction genres. She also writes urban fantasy, paranormal romance, and contemporary romance under the name Maggie Mae Gallagher. (http://www.maggiemaegallagher.com/) A total geek at her core, when she is not writing, she adores attending the latest comic con or spending time with her family. She currently lives in the Midwest with her two furry felines.
Website: http://www.anyasummers.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/AnyaSummersAuthor
Twitter: https://twitter.com/anyabsummers
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/15183606.Anya_Summers
Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/Anya-Summers/e/B01EGTVRKC/
Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/anya-summers
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/anyasummersauthor/
Newsletter: https://anyasummers.com/newsletter/
Don’t miss these exciting titles by Anya Summers!
Dungeon Fantasy Club Series
Her Highland Master, Book 1 https://www.amazon.com/Highland-Master-Dungeon-Fantasy-Club-ebook/dp/B01E9UB8SO/
To Master and Defend, Book 2 https://www.amazon.com/Master-Defend-Dungeon-Fantasy-Club-ebook/dp/B01FNG23HI/
Two Doms for Kara, Book 3 https://www.amazon.com/Doms-Kara-Dungeon-Fantasy-Club-ebook/dp/B01GXGOAK0/
His Driven Domme, Book 4 https://www.amazon.com/Driven-Domme-Dungeon-Fantasy-Club-ebook/dp/B01IIUY8Y2
Her Country Master, Book 5 https://goo.gl/YWhLqm
Love Me, Master Me, Book 6 https://goo.gl/QlTE9u
Submit To Me, Book 7 https://goo.gl/Or8pYr
Her Wired Dom, Book 8 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01MRJY9TF/
Pleasure Island Series
Her Master & Commander, Book 1 https://www.amazon.com/Master-Commander-Pleasure-
Island-Book-ebook/dp/B06Y5SVVB9/
Her Music Masters, Book 2 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0711R9D1H/
Their Shy Submissive, Book 3 https://goo.gl/ufyJLn
Her Lawful Master, Book 4 https://www.amazon.com/Lawful-Master-Pleasure-Island-Book-ebook/dp/B073SRDNNT
Her Rockstar Dom, Book 5 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B075VSGP8Q
Duets & Dominance, Book 6 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B075TG9RYC
Her Undercover Dom, Book 7 https://goo.gl/HKhVba
Ménage In Paradise, Book 8 https://goo.gl/qce2BD
Her Rodeo Masters, Book 9 https://goo.gl/HDZw6v
Cuffs & Spurs Series
His Scandalous Love https://www.amazon.com/Scandalous-Love-Cuffs-Spurs-Book-ebook/dp/B079GBB57Z
His Unexpected Love https://www.amazon.com/His-Unexpected-Love-Carter-Beginning-ebook/dp/B07C2NBGLQ
His Wicked Love https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07B661RP1
His Untamed Love https://www.amazon.com/Untamed-Love-Cuffs-Spurs-Book-ebook/dp/B07D9ZDHMH
His Tempting Love https://www.amazon.com/Tempting-Love-Cuffs-Spurs-Book-ebook/dp/B07HYT1GVQ
His Seductive Love https://www.amazon.com/Seductive-Love-Cuffs-Spurs-Book-ebook/dp/B07KXP3MMF
His Secret Love https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07NKN5Y2S
His Cherished Love https://www.amazon.com/Cherished-Love-Cuffs-Spurs-Book-ebook/dp/B07SBDTVMV
The Alcyran Chronicles
Taken by the Beast https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07FYNT21L
Claimed by the Beast https://www.amazon.com/Claimed-Beast-Alcyran-Chronicles-Book-ebook/dp/B07Q3HNP26/
Loved by the Beast https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07W3QFLJW/ref=sr_1_1
a Rafflecopter giveaway
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August 13, 2019
Soul Reader by Lisa Zajkowski
[image error]One randomly chosen winner via rafflecopter will win a $50 Amazon/BN.com gift card!!
GENRE: Paranormal Romance
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
BLURB:
When skeptic Marvin meets artistic Natalie in a coffee shop on a cold October morning, the two fall fast in love, but nothing is ever as easy as it feels.
Natalie believes that a divine something is guiding her life for her greater good, and it seems to be true. She lands her dream job and she and Marvin marry at a beachside castle. However, the ease and flow of their lives start to change. At the same time that Natalie becomes pregnant, Marvin experiences strange symptoms and visits his doctor.
When faced with a diagnosis that changes everything and odd dreams of the child that hasn’t yet been born, will Marvin let go of his skepticism or will he miss out on a lifetime with his loving family?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Excerpt:
They walk through the archway and the dancing roses appear to be just what Talie said it would be. The roses grow in such a fashion that they dance with the breeze and the aroma in the garden is what love would smell like if there were such a scent associated with it. There are thousands of vibrant colored roses up and down in rows and they do [image error]not look like typical rose bushes. The stems of the roses are different, stronger, and able to uphold the bud. Almost any color that can be thought of is here, including purple, red, blue, yellow, rainbow, black, turquoise, white, pink, orange, two and three tone colors, and a bright red-orange sparkling rose. “Who owns this place?” Marvin asks. “There’s a plaque with the owner’s name on it over here,” Talie says leading the way. The memorial reads: Jonathan Rutherford and Ellen Campanilli Rutherford established “Roses of the Garden” in 1913. “Wow,” Marvin says, “They must have some secret formula regarding horticulture because I’ve never seen such roses!”
AUTHOR Bio and Links:
Lisa M. Zajkowski has an exhilaration for life while exploring all areas from the ethereal to the ordinary, and she appreciates learning something from every aspect. Her main theme in life is fun, as she indulges in laughter and looks for the positive in every situation. She also thrives on pushing the boundaries of the body while enduring in the sport of Triathlon, having completed a Half Ironman. However, it’s her first love of running that brings her an immense sense of liberation and connectedness with the beauty of the world. Lisa loves connecting with people, and being a massage therapist allows her to do this as she enjoys helping people facilitate healing within their innate body systems. She is comforted in the softer side of life while cuddling with her dogs and cat, and desires to own a horse ranch. Lisa revels in the freedom of being fluid in her writing, taking pleasure in all genres of authoring. She is currently working on Drama, Sci-Fi, and Horror novels.
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GIVEAWAY INFORMATION and RAFFLECOPTER CODE
One randomly chosen winner via rafflecopter will win a $50 Amazon/BN.com gift card.
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August 9, 2019
The Road to Reality by Dianne Burnett
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Dianne will be awarding one lucky winner a $50 Gift Card.
GENRE: Non-fiction
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BLURB:
Get ready to laugh. Get ready to cry. Get ready for a whirlwind of an adventure. Settle in for a powerful, poignant story of inner strength and courage-and get a fascinating, behind-the-scenes look at the making of Survivor, the world’s most popular reality show.
Spinning their mutual love of exotic adventure into gold, Dianne Burnett and her former husband, TV producer Mark Burnett, co-created Eco-Challenge, an expedition-length racing event televised on Discovery Channel that catapulted them into the arena of reality TV and set the stage for Survivor-a modern-day Robinson Crusoe with a million-dollar prize. But Dianne and Mark’s fairytale marriage did not survive their Hollywood success . . . she found herself left behind, her contributions unrecognized. She lost her partner in life and began to lose her identity. In that experience, she found an opportunity to grow.
A fascinating, fast-paced, heart-warming “page-turner,” The Road to Reality takes readers on a roller-coaster ride-complete with a zesty romance, as well as the ups and downs of going for your dreams-while it imparts the lessons learned as Dianne discovers what really matters in life is something beyond fortune and fame.
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Excerpt
Dianne Burnett: What I learned writing The Road to Reality
I couldn’t be quiet anymore. That would have been the polite thing to do; zipping it was the societally-preferred course of action. Just smile and take it. For years I did just that.
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We do, after all, have two wonderful sons. I didn’t want them to feel torn in what was happening between me and my husband, Mark Burnett. I smiled at dinner parties, showing up with guy friends, explaining my husband was “on location” with Survivor or attending another awards dinner in New York. I explained to the boys that Daddy had a new clubhouse where they could play and where he could work.
The impact of an absent husband no longer living at home, however, sent my world into new orbit. I went from “Does not compute” to the realization I had to find my own path again. The one I’d been on before I met Mark—who, like me, came from a modest background, but who took me gallivanting around the world–the handsome Brit with whom I had a synergy and shared a belief that we were unstoppable. And we were.
We had no background in doing what we were doing, no fancy degrees, no connections. We had nothing but sheer will, and the willingness to research, put together proposals and run through our pitches again and again. But we did it—first with Eco-Challenge, the world’s premiere endurance-adventure race. And then with the idea for a TV show, that was a modern-day Robin Crusoe story. I gave the name to the program that would catapult reality TV into new directions. “Survivor.” And my handsome hubby finessed the concept, developed it, and pitched it.
Nobody bit. Ever single network gave it a red light. But Mark kept honing his pitches and I kept coaching him and encouraging him—“Honey, I know it will fly!”
And it did.
But winning at the lottery machine of life destroyed our marriage. Nobody preps you for success, for the way your credit cards suddenly don’t have limits, and you cause a sensation walking into a room. We went from “aspiring” to “golden” in six months time. And after another year, the union that had defined me for over a decade was seriously unraveling.
The truth is I didn’t know my marriage was effectively over until radio host Howard Stern announced it to the 18-34 male listening demographic. As calls came flooding in from friends asking if Mark and I were divorcing I took it calmly, still believing we’d get back together, that our trial separation wasn’t permanent. But then, as another year, then another went by, with Mark and I both dating other people, I understood that I had to get back on my own road. I didn’t want to be defined by my relationships any more. I wanted to have my own life again.
It wasn’t easy. At first, I felt like Chevy Chase in Vacation, caught on the roundabout, trying to forge my own way, trying to find my road again. I could see where I wanted to be but I wasn’t yet there. Writing this book proved to be the ideal exit.
I began writing it when I realized that I couldn’t get to where I was going until I understood where I’d been. So I went back and traveled my past, back to Commack, Long Island and the talent shows we put on at the swimming pools, back when I dreamed of entering showbiz. I relived my life discovering a tale of making one own way, with a love story at the heart, and a lot of adventure in between.
I understood finally that it wasn’t the destination that mattered, it’s the journey. And as I wrote the last words of The Road to Reality on a balmy, palm-breezy evening in the Gothic Quarter in Barcelona, I turned off the computer, walked into the night and felt like at last I’d found my road again.
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[image error] AUTHOR Bio and Links:
Dianne Burnett is an author, producer, and actor of stage and screen. She is also a philanthropist and entrepreneur. Dianne and her ex-husband, Mark Burnett, joined their creative forces to invent Eco-Challenge, the impetus for Survivor, which kickstarted America’s reality-television show craze and went on to become the longest-running and most lucrative reality TV series of all time.
Following the success of Survivor, Dianne produced and acted in the stage play Beyond Therapy at the Santa Monica Playhouse, served as Executive Producer of the indie film Jam (which won Best Narrative Feature at the Santa Fe Film Festival), and acted in Everybody Loves Raymond. In memory of her mother, Joan, who lost her battle with esophageal cancer in 2010, Dianne formed Joan Valentine—A Foundation for Natural Cures, a nonprofit organization that serves as a resource for those seeking alternatives to traditional medicine.
She also recently launched a multimedia platform and social network: called theotherside.com, it explores alternative views on everything from relationships to health. Formerly of New York, Dianne now lives in Malibu, California, with her family.
LINKS
https://www.facebook.com/TheRoadToReality/
Buy Links:
Amazon https://www.amazon.com/Road-Reality-Journey-Real-Life-Survivor/dp/1401941001
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GIVEAWAY INFORMATION and RAFFLECOPTER CODE
One randomly chosen winner via rafflecopter will win a $50 Amazon/BN.com gift card.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
https://widget-prime.rafflecopter.com/launch.js
August 7, 2019
How Many Times Have I Shown You My Book Video??!
Here it is again…in the event anyone missed it. I’m so delighted with this trailer originally done by author Nicole Adams in 2015, and redone by Opal Campbell this year for the re-release of Sinners’ Opera by The Wild Rose Press.
August 6, 2019
YAY! Final Galley In!
Yesterday, I returned my Final Galley OK to The Wild Rose Press for Sinners’ Opera. That means that the next step is a release date! WHOOP! I’m looking forward to seeing the Book of my Heart in print. 
August 5, 2019
The Angel and the Seal by Petie McCarty
This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Petie McCarty will be awarding a $10 Amazon or B/N GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour as well as 3 ebook copies of No Cowboys No Angels, Book 2 in the series. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.
The Angel and the SEAL . . . a cozy mystery with romantic suspense from the Mystery Angel Romances series. An angel hidden in every book waiting for you to figure out who . . .
Navy SEAL Sean MacKay’s teammate is murdered after stealing a deadly nerve-gas formula from Syrian terrorists. Naval Intelligence believes MacKay’s teammate was a traitor and shipped the stolen formula to his sister in the states for safekeeping. MacKay is given orders to find the sister before the terrorists do and to retrieve the stolen formula at all costs.
Foreclosure looms for Cory Rigatero as she fights to keep her rustic resort near Mt. St. Helens afloat after her brother deserted her to join the SEAL Teams. Cory’s whole world dives into a tailspin when Sean MacKay shows up at her resort with the news of her brother’s death and the wild suspicion her brother may have sent her traitorous classified documents. No way will Cory trust MacKay — the man who once seduced her and then vanished into the night without a trace.
Read an Excerpt
Mac had almost made it back to his cabin when he heard Garth’s frantic bark again. The sound hadn’t come from the lake, and Garth wasn’t out hunting night critters as Mac had earlier suspected. This bark echoed from the area near the barn.
“Garth!” Mac hollered into the night.
Two harsh barks burst in rapid succession from the dog. A long, piercing howl swiftly followed.
Worried the dog might be in trouble, Mac sprinted for the barn, surprised to find all the doors shut. He heaved one of the large double doors open, and Garth bounded out, almost knocking him over.
Mac stepped into the darkness of the barn and called out, “Vern? You in here?”
Nothing.
He squatted down to Garth’s level and suffered a couple face licks. “How did you get shut up in the barn?” He ruffled the dog’s ears and noted the big canine appeared slightly unsteady on his feet. “You okay, boy?”
Garth wagged his tail, and Mac led him out into the moonlight for a better look. A scream ripped through the night air and stopped them both.
Cory!
Mac hauled ass for the main house with Garth huffing hard alongside, already winded and laboring to stay on Mac’s heels. Something had happened to the big dog, but he couldn’t worry about that now.
The two tore through the border of the side garden. Mac spied the kitchen door to the main house standing wide open and raced that direction.
A second scream sliced through the air. This one sounded closer to the front of the house, and Mac changed course to race in that direction. Garth stayed straight and bounded through the open kitchen door as Mac cleared the front corner on the house.
He stumbled when he caught sight of a man in dark clothes and a black hoodie half-carrying, half-dragging Cory down the front steps with a knife to her throat. Mac skidded silently into the rhododendron bushes lining the porch. The assailant hissed over his shoulder to someone behind him.
Okay. Two tangos.
About the Author:
Petie spent a large part of her career working at Walt Disney World—”The Most Magical Place on Earth”—where she enjoyed working in the land of fairy tales by day and creating her own romantic fairy tales by night, including her new series, The Cinderella Romances. She eventually said good-bye to her “day” job to write her stories full-time. These days Petie spends her time writing sequels to her regency time-travel series, Lords in Time, and her cozy-mystery-with-romantic-suspense series, the Mystery Angel Romances.
Petie shares her home on the Cumberland Plateau in Tennessee with her horticulturist husband and an opinionated Nanday conure named Sassy who made a cameo appearance in No Angels for Christmas.
http://www.petiemccarty.com
https://www.facebook.com/petie.mccarty
https://twitter.com/authorpetie
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6094579.Petie_McCarty
https://www.bookbub.com/authors/petie-mccarty
http://www.amazon.com/author/petiemccarty
Buy Link: https://www.amazon.com/Angel-SEAL-Mystery-Romances-Book-ebook/dp/B07RYV7RXR
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August 4, 2019
Let Me Introduce Author Maxine Douglas
I’d like to introduce you to Maxine and her lovely character Elizabeth. Maxine is the author of the book Elizabeth. Take it away, Maxine.
Chance to win
a $10 Gift Card! Rafflecopter code to follow.
What is your greatest temptation:
Oh boy!
In men: Not that I’m looking, but kind, loyal, a gentleman, and a whiz in the kitchen.
In food: I LOVE cheesecake!
In clothes: comfy and casual
What is your greatest weakness (example: buying shoes)? Eating out more than I used to.
If you could have any kind of car, what would it be? Hmmm…practical would be a Kia Sorento.
Your dream home – mountains or ocean? A nice condo on the Gulf in Galveston, TX
What inspired you to become a writer? A friend of mine’s sister became published and I figured if she could do it so could I. She is now an agent.
Do you have a daily writing routine? If so, please share. I’m character and muse driven. If I force a story it’s basically crap. My late husband could always tell when I wrote a book fast, and he would tell me exactly what he thought of it. When things are aligned, I will sit down and write and until “they” stop “talking” to me. It’s their story and they tell it to me the way they want to. I know it sounds crazy…LOL
What is your favorite book? Wicked, Outlander series, Game of Thrones series. Basically anything that moves me to laugh, cry, and feel the love.
What is your favorite movie? This is a tough one as I have several. I think my first love was Oklahoma followed by White Christmas.
Who is your favorite historical figure? Elizabeth Woodville aka Queen Elizabeth
In your books, who is your favorite hero and please introduce him? This is like asking who your favorite child is. They are all my favorites.
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Who is your favorite heroine and please introduce her? LOL same as my favorite hero.
What do you have out now? Excerpt, blurb, book trailers
Elizabeth
Widows of Blessings Valley, Book 1
American Western Historical Romance Series
Blurb:
A mining accident has killed several miners in Blessings Valley. Some of the widows are struggling through their grief to answer a widow’s question. With Wilhelmina “Willa” Alexander’s guidance, they just might each learn to live again.
Two people scarred by life. She carries the scars on her heart. He carries the scars on his body. Can they find peace, healing, and love together?
Excerpt:[image error]
ELIZABETH KNEW Willa only wanted to help her. But she didn’t want her, or anyone’s, help or sympathy or pity. She only wanted her Steven back; while her heart protested he was forever gone and not coming back, her head kept telling her this was her new reality—life as a widow. Eventually, her heart might believe her head, but not today, or tomorrow, or ever, as far as she was concerned.
“Willa, I’m sorry if I have offended you in any way.” Elizabeth took her friend’s hand in hers, giving it a light squeeze before letting go. “It’s just that—well, I don’t—why is it so hard for me to express myself? I can’t seem to find the right words anymore, not since…”
“Let’s sit on the porch a while before you go home,” Willa suggested, guiding her up the steps and over to the end of the porch where a swing and small round table sat.
Elizabeth settled down on the porch swing, fighting the tears threatening to overtake her once again. They seemed to come at the most unexpected times, especially when she felt she was at her strongest. Like a summer thunderstorm, there they would be—unexpected and furious. As long as she was alone, she’d let them fall, but she would not allow herself to give in to them in front of anyone. Nor would she give in to the pity in the eyes of people who watched her struggle not to let them fall. She wouldn’t allow it! She had to be strong for both herself and Steven.
Willa sat down beside her, and Elizabeth fought the urge to put her head on Willa’s shoulder and let the tears come. What good would it do anyone? Not one bit, that’s what! She’d keep telling herself that until it was true.
US: https://amzn.to/32Dg4gN / UK: https://amzn.to/2Y2o3QU
Goodreads: https://bit.ly/2Z1bBCe / BookBub: https://bit.ly/2XY83o1
Newsletter: https://bit.ly/2YdQsUo
New releases anytime soon?
I am working on Vera, the second in the Widows of Blessings Valley series. I hope to have it ready by the end of the year.
Where can eager fans find you?
Goodreads / Author Blog / Newsletter / Facebook / Twitter / Mailing List Signup / BookBub
Bio:
[image error]Maxine Douglas writes in many genres and has found a love for the western historical romance. A Wisconsin native, Maxine resides in Chickasha. While Maxine may miss her family and friends in the north, she loves the mild winters Oklahoma has to offer. She has four grown children, two granddaughters, and a German Shorthair Pointer. And many friends she now considers her OK family.
Maxine’s western along the Chisholm Trail, The Marshal’s Bride, was a 2017 International Digital Award Finalist in the Western Historical-Short category.
Maxine is a current member of Romance Writers of America, Wisconsin Romance Writers of America, Oklahoma Writers Federation, Inc. and its affiliate Oklahoma Romance Writers Guild, Inc.
MAXINE WILL BE AWARDING A $10 GIFT CARD via Rafflecopter!
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