Margery Scott's Blog, page 5

Spotlight: Twenty-Eight and a Half Wishes by Denise Grover Swank

Welcome to another Spotlight Saturday. Each week, I spotlight a book I’m reading at the moment.

 

 


 
Title:    Twenty-Eight and a Half Wishes (a Rose Gardner Mystery)

Author:  Denise Grover Swank

Genre:  Mystery

 

 

 

Description:

“It all started when I saw myself dead.”

For Rose Gardner, working at the DMV on a Friday afternoon is bad, even before she sees a vision of herself dead. She’s had plenty of visions, usually boring ones like someone’s toilet’s overflowed, but she’s never seen one of herself before. When her overbearing momma winds up murdered on her sofa instead, two things are certain: There isn’t enough hydrogen peroxide in the state of Arkansas to get that stain out, and Rose is the prime suspect.

Rose realizes she’s wasted twenty-four years of living and makes a list on the back of a Wal-Mart receipt: twenty-eight things she wants to accomplish before her vision comes true. She’s well on her way with the help of her next door neighbor Joe, who has no trouble teaching Rose the rules of drinking, but won’t help with number fifteen– do more with a man. Joe’s new to town, but it doesn’t take a vision for Rose to realize he’s got plenty secrets of his own.

Somebody thinks Rose has something they want and they’ll do anything to get it. Her house is broken into, someone else she knows is murdered, and suddenly, dying a virgin in the Fenton County jail isn’t her biggest worry after all.

FREE: Amazon (free)      Barnes&Noble     iTunes

The post Spotlight: Twenty-Eight and a Half Wishes by Denise Grover Swank appeared first on Margery Scott.

Vicki Batman and her *scientific* fruitcake poll

Please help me give a big holiday welcome to Vicki Batman, author of The Great Fruitcake Bake-Off.

Thanks for visiting, Vicki. The blog is yours. Take it away1

The very best holiday dessert is…

 

Fruitcake! It contains colorful and sugary cherries, pineapples, and citrus rind. Nuts. Spices and enough batter to hold the confection together.

So why do people hate it? Why do some love it?

I did a *scientific* poll of friends and family and received these answers:

Likes the fruit.

I LOVE fruitcake! Love all the ingredients, the texture, and because it reminds me of my mom.

I am one of those people who does like fruitcake, especially homemade ones.  Not so crazy about the store-bought kind, though.  They tend to be too gummy.  But a good fruitcake with lots of fruit and big pieces of nuts, yum!

I don’t like the fruit in it. It’s weird. I love the nuts, but not the fruit.

The taste. It’s bad. *shivers*

Sadly, I can’t get specific – I only remember having a bite of what I thought should be a tasty treat and having a hard time chewing and swallowing and refusing to try again – I was an adult.

I think it tasted like rotten fruit!! Gag me with a spoon!

The only one I like is from Corsicana (I think that’s the fruitcake capital!). The others are too hard and the fruit isn’t real. Overall taste is bad.

I don’t like the fruit. It’s like hard jelly. 

In a perfect fruitcake world, I like it because it’s fruit and cake and nuts and alcohol and, if you’re lucky, chocolate.  What’s not to like?  A bite of fruitcake with a cup of hot tea after shopping on a REALLY cold winter day would perfectly hit the spot. In Texas climate reality, it is too, too, too - too dense, too gooey, too sticky, too chewy, too sugarsugarsugary, and toooo much.  It wears me out.

 

Hate them. They remind me of an aunt who I disliked immensely. She used to make them.

 

If I am going to incur the calories in any cake, it better be something that tastes really good. Fruitcake need not apply. Taste and texture

 

ha, ha.  I have never liked dried fruit.

DISLIKE fruitcake. Everything about it. Smell, texture, taste. And especially the density. I like my cake fluffy and light. Don’t much like carrot cake either.

 

I admit I’ve never tried it but the way it looks just turns me off.

I like a good fruitcake which is moist and has lots of fruit and rum in it.  Hard + dry = door stop.

I don’t like the way it tastes. 

I strongly dislike fruitcake – I don’t like all that stuff in it – green cherries, nuts – yuck!

 

The consensus from the naysayers seems to be they don’t like the fruit and the gummy cake I don’t know where those people went shopping, but the cake I grew up with isn’t like this at all.

So…I wrote “The Great Fruitcake Bake-off” because I do like fruitcake (and saying the word makes everyone giggle). It’s especially tasty when dipped in chocolate, but then, anything with chocolate tastes great (except for bacon. No-no-no. Amend to all meat and veggies).

So if you are interested in a little fruitcake fun and romance, try “The Great Fruitcake Bake-off”, available at: http://bit.ly/HXeo7h

Find me—Vicki!—at: http://vickibatman.blogspot.com

Happy Holidays!

 

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Guest author: Allison Knight talks about “Betrayed Bride”

I’m happy to have author Allison Knight on my blog today. Welcome, Allison. Please tell us a little about yourself.

I began my career like many other authors when I read a book I didn’t like. My children scoffed when I announced I was going to write a book, but, after lots of rewrites and the support of the world’s greatest husband, I garnered a three book contract for my first historical romances. And from a big New York publisher at that.

Today, with my husband’s continued support and to the delight of my children, I write the genres I love to read, musing about my writing life on my own blog or as a guest blogger and eagerly praising the growing digital market and the convenience of an e-reader. In fact many nights, my husband and I spend the time in our recliners, listening to music and reading from our readers.

My first contemporary romance for Champagne Books, “Betrayed Bride” was released earlier this year. This kind of plot happens when a writer ends up in the hospital and wants to recall some of the sounds and commotion that go with a lengthy hospital stay. This writer will use just about anything to assist in plot development, from people watching to cooking disasters.

I’m glad to hear you found your hospital stay beneficial. Now, the blog is yours. Take it away!

I never dreamed I would one day be a novelist. Maybe a dancer, a singer, a movie star, all the kinds of things kids my age dreamed of becoming. As I grew older, I knew I wanted to teach and I wanted to teach what I loved – cooking and baking. But it didn’t stop there. I wanted to know what chemical reactions occurred when you cooked food. So I became a teacher with degrees in Chemistry and Home Economics. If I planned to write anything, it would have been a cookbook.

But teaching and raising a family is hard work, and to relax, I read. My reading choice was anything historical. When historical romances hit the shelves, I began to devour those books. I could forget all the trouble I might be having with a particular student, or one of my own children and descend into a world of make believe where I just knew I’d get a happy ever after ending.

But one of the books I read really bothered me. I stuck with it to the end, because the plot was decent, in fact a little different, but the writing was stilted, the characters poorly developed and toward the end of the book, several of those characters disappeared. I sat holding that book and thought to myself, “I bet I could do a better job.”

Several weeks later, as I drove the 150 miles to my parents’ home for the weekend, my husband asleep in the seat beside me, I heard a news broadcast naming a city in South Carolina as a sister city to a town in my home state of Indiana because they shared the same name. For years, I had known that my grandparent’s farm had been a stop in the underground railroad before and during the Civil War. At that moment a plot for a historical romance using those facts magically surfaced. I played with the idea over the weekend and when we got home, I pulled out my electric typewriter – there were no home computers back then – a package of paper and declared a corner in the dining room mine so I could write.

My daughter wanted to know what I was doing and I told her I was going to write a book. Of course, at fifteen, my daughter knew her teacher-mother couldn’t possibly do something like that so she laughed and said, “Yeh, Mom. When cows fly.”

Two years later I came home from school one afternoon to find a stuffed cow with added wings, hanging from the moving blades of our family room ceiling fan. I had just sold the first book I wrote to a publisher that had rejected that same manuscript the year before. It seemed “Cows could fly.”

The kid who wanted to be a dancer, or a movie star, even a singer is a published author. But guess what? It takes the same amount of dedication and discipline to be an author as any one of the other professions I considered as a child. Now, I proudly proclaim, yes, I’m a published author and I write romance novels so women just like me can escape into a world of make believe and forget their work or troubles for a bit.

I really enjoy hearing how authors began, and isn’t it strange how things turn out? Please tell us about your latest book.

Allison’s debut contemporary romance, Betrayed Bride, is available now.

In the hospital they keep calling her Sam and telling her she’s married to Alex Porter but she doesn’t know this Alex. Then she discovers she’s lost more than a year of her life and Alex can’t, or won’t, tell her what happened. He refuses to let her see or talk to her father and there is also something very important about Samantha, she can’t remember.

Alex Porter can’t explain how Sam was either pushed or jumped from a moving car traveling away from him, or why Sam’s memory disappeared but he’s sure her father played a role. All he can do is offer support as she recovers and wait for her to come to him as she had before the accident, hoping against hope, Sam’s father has not ruined his marriage and driven away the woman he is starting to love.

Betrayed Bride is available now from Champagne Books and from Amazon.

You can learn more about Allison and her books by email at allisonknight@mchsi.com and by visiting her website

and her blog. You can also follow her on Facebook.

Thanks so much for visiting today, Allison. Best of luck with Betrayed Bride.

The post Guest author: Allison Knight talks about “Betrayed Bride” appeared first on Margery Scott.

Spotlight: Black Mountain by D’Ann Lindun

 

 

Title: Black Mountain: Shiloh’s Song and Mending Fences

Author: D’Ann Lindun

Genre: Contemporary romance

 

 

 

 

Description:

Shiloh’s Song

All Shiloh Jamieson wants is a chance to make it in the country music business. Unfortunately, her mother—a bitter failure in the biz—stands in Shiloh’s way. So does Shiloh’s own fear of what she might have to do to succeed—sleeping her way around Nashville—is not an option.

Country music superstar Dillon Travers left Nashville’s bright lights and fame for Black Mountain, Colorado, craving peace, solitude and to run his rescue horse ranch. His wife’s death has left him disillusioned with the career he once loved.

Can a sassy newcomer and a jaded veteran each find their way together when one desperately wants what the other needs to forget?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Mending Fences

Starla Jamieson owns a successful bar, and it’s enough for her. She’s never wanted a child of her own because between helping raise her younger brothers and a dozen half-sisters, Starla’s parented plenty. To avoid the motherhood trap, she walked away from the only man she ever wanted. But nobody else has ever been able to fill Trevor Lee’s boots.

Trevor Lee has never forgiven Starla for the lie she told him. He’s also never stopped loving her. His head tells him she’s not the right woman for him because he wants a traditional family… and that’s just not Starla. But his heart can’t forget her.

When the unexpected consequences of a night of passion forces them to examine their past, they have to decide whether to forgive and forget …or to let love slip away again.

Buy: Amazon

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Guest post: Christine Warner and her latest release, Bachelor’s Special

I’m so happy to welcome my friend and fellow Entangled Publishing author Christine Warner to my blog today. Christine’s latest book, Bachelor’s Special, is available now.

Welcome, Christine. Thanks for taking the time to visit today. The blog is yours!

One of the most fulfilling moments I have as a writer happens about a week after I finish writing a story. I like to sit down with my newly completed book and slowly read through my words and let everything I’ve written sink in. The most memorable scenes make me smile and I can’t wait to share them with readers, wondering if they will smile as they read them too.

When I finished Bachelor’s Special there were so many scenes that I enjoyed writing, but more importantly ones I couldn’t wait to sit down and revisit.

There’s the scene in the kitchen when Jill attempts to teach Chet a lesson but her plan backfires. Let’s just say food can become a major aphrodisiac and fan the flames to an already sparked attraction. I get goose bumps thinking about Chet’s words to Jill— “I’m attracted to you, and after that zipper-popping kiss, I’m going to assume the feeling’s mutual.”

I also enjoyed revisiting several smaller scenes that showed Chet and Jill working through their attraction with communication and how that communication played into their forming a friendship. Simple scenes like the one where Chet had a bad day at work and arrived home to whisk Jill out for a burger. I loved their easy conversation as Chet teased Jill and helped her expand her food horizons by trying a burger out of the norm.

And of course I always love those first impressions—almost entirely based on looks only—but as time goes on they uncover the layers. I like that Chet was more entranced with Jill’s lips and voice as he tells us here in his thoughts:

He’d forced himself to listen as her perfect red lipsticked mouth enunciated each syllable in her throaty, sex-phone-operator voice.

Not to be outdone, Jill’s first impression of Chet:

Dressed to perfection in a black suit—his tie slightly askew—this man’s penetrating dark eyes would melt ice cream stored in a deep freeze.

I don’t know if I can pick a #1 favorite scene, but this one ranks right up there. Chet isn’t supposed to be home so Jill is relaxing in the pool on a floating raft and who should appear? You guessed it—Chet. Let’s just say they made the water bubble and boil.  Here’s an excerpt with a little snippet from both of their point of views:

Her body hummed as his smile wavered. Although he wore sunglasses, she’d bet her last dollar his gaze swept across her chest, lingering on the betrayal of her pert nipples pushing against the fabric of her suit.

Until this moment, shyness had never been a trait she possessed. Air stalled in her lungs, her palms grew sweaty, and she itched to cover herself with a towel. Even though her replica vintage swimsuit hid more than most sets of women’s underwear, she felt too exposed. She turned to the side slightly and folded her legs up. Not that it helped, but it made her feel a bit less exposed.

Chet slid his feet from his sandals, brushing a hand through his hair. The heat from the sun wasn’t the only thing scorching her skin. She trickled several droplets of water over her arms, but she couldn’t drag her focus from his toned flesh.

Jill soaked in his ripped abs and the obvious package of goodies covered by his brown swimsuit—the same sexy brown as his hair. Damn, did a man have a right to fill out a pair of swimming trunks like that? Flecks of hair, just enough to give him a manly appeal, covered the etched muscles of his long, tan legs. She licked her lips, hoping she could still speak. “Do you want some privacy?” Yes, say yes. She needed an excuse to make an escape without coming off like someone desperate to be making an exit.

…

Hell no, he didn’t want privacy. Through the shield of his sunglasses, he inspected her body from the tips of her pink-painted toenails to the top of her brightly flowered swimming cap. Did people still actually wear those things? “No, you look co mfortable. Stay and enjoy the day.”

“Oh…are you sure?”

“Sure.”

Amazed at his own ability to talk without his tongue hitting the cement, Chet turned to throw his towel and sunglasses on a nearby lounge chair. Damn. The red and white polka-dot halter-style suit featured a tight bodice, but her slender hips and shapely thighs hiding beneath a matching skirt grabbed his attention until all oxygen left his blood. Even showing less skin than the average girl on the beach, she far exceeded sexy and alluring.

Get a grip, Castle. She’s off limits, no matter how delectable.

He turned and stepped onto the diving board. He bounced along the surface as he made his way over the water. When he looked at Jill’s bathing cap covering her head, he held back his grin. The neon rubber flowers reminded him of something his

grandmother would’ve worn, but there the similarity ended. Everything beneath that cap was far from making him think of Grandma.

Okay, from a writer’s perspective I shared a favorite moment in finishing a book. As a reader, what is the best part for you after you’ve read that last page? Do you relive the story in your mind for days, think of the characters and their conversations, or wonder what they are doing now? Or something more? Please share 

BLURB:

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.

Chet Castle 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…

BUY LINKS:

Barnes & Noble

Amazon

Kobo

iTunes

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.

Website: http://christine-warner.com/

Twitter under @ChristinesWords: https://twitter.com/#!/ChristinesWords

Facebook page : http://www.facebook.com/pages/Christine-Warner/143430882396013

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5763713.Christine_Warner

Thanks for visiting, Christine. Best of luck with Bachelor’s Special.

The post Guest post: Christine Warner and her latest release, Bachelor’s Special appeared first on Margery Scott.

Love Historicals – launch day

It’s launch day for Love Historicals, a brand new website (www.lovehistoricals.com) featuring thirteen authors who have a passion for writing the past. Here you’ll find romances from almost every time period in history, from the arenas of ancient Rome to the ballrooms of Regency England, from the barren Scottish Highlands to the raw and untamed American West.

We have lots planned for the future, so please stop by and check it out. Browse the gorgeous new website and see what your favorite authors are up to, or find a new author to love. Like our page on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.

To thank you for stopping by and commenting on our blog, we’re having a giveaway.

                                   Thirteen lucky readers will receive a digital copy of one of our books

                                   One lucky reader will win a digital book from all thirteen authors

The fourteen winners will be announced here and on our Facebook page on December 7, 2013.

Each author has her own page on the site. On my page, you’ll find my two full-length romances as well as the Morgans of Rocky Ridge trilogy and a free short-short story.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Each of the authors have their own page where you can browse their titles and learn about them: Sydney Jane Baily, Heather Boyd, Gina Danna, Claire Delacroix, Bronwen Evans, Jill Hughey, Catherine Kean, Anna Markland, Nancy Morse, Laurel O’Donnell, Margery Scott, Lana Williams and Cynthia Woolf. Just click on one of the e-retailer links if you see something you like.

I’d love to hear what you think of the new site, so please leave a comment.

The post Love Historicals – launch day appeared first on Margery Scott.

Natalie Damschroder, “A Kiss of Revenge” and a giveaway

I’m thrilled to welcome fellow Entangled Ignite author Natalie Damschroder to my blog today. The blog is yours, Natalie. Take it away!

Thank you so much, Margery, for hosting me today!

This week is the release of my 15th published novel, A Kiss of Revenge. And let me tell you, this book has had a long journey to publication! It started as an action-adventure with a very unusual romance, was contracted by two publishers (both of whom closed before they really opened), and had at least three major revisions (cutting characters and subplots and really focusing the story) before Entangled Ignite picked it up. We kicked up the romance even more, but the book is still a bit unusual in that the hero doesn’t have a point of view.

Don’t get me wrong, you’ll get puh-lenty of Griff, and there will be no doubt what he wants and why. He plays a major role in Reese’s quest for vengeance. But that quest stays in Reese’s viewpoint all the way. I think it provides a different level of tension that makes Reese’s difficult choices more relatable.

Much like A Kiss of Revenge has evolved over time, so has my approach to POV, and so has the industry’s. Romances used to be completely in the heroine’s point of view all the time. When authors started delving into the minds and hearts of their heroes, readers embraced the concept with extreme love. Then came chick lit and a surge of young adult, and suddenly, first-person point of view was the rage.

I confess, I started out a “traditionalist.” My first nine books were half hero, half heroine. Then I wrote A Kiss of Revenge. After that, I wrote Fight or Flight, which also doesn’t have the hero’s point of view (he might be working with the bad guys!!!) but it does have the daughter’s, with a secondary romance.

Somewhere along the line, I started writing a book that couldn’t be written in anything but first person. I’d never done that before, and I didn’t even like to read it much. (I’ve since adapted, though don’t hand me a book written in present tense—I find those very difficult to get into!) But every author has a book (or many) that has to be told a certain way. The Color of Courage is a superhero story where the superheroes are regular people with regular problems (like getting dumped and struggling to pay the rent) as well as their extraordinary challenges. And you know what? I had so much fun writing that book!

It’s still the only one I’ve done in first person. But I have others with a single point of view that are almost like being in first person, and some that are back to the traditional hero/heroine balance (like February’s romantic adventure, Hearts Under Siege. That balance is still my top choice, though I continue to enjoy exploring stories they way they decide they need to be told.

So what do you like best? First or third person, one point of view, two, or many? Leave a comment, and don’t forget to enter the giveaway!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

About the Book

Marriage is completely over-rated, especially after Reese Templeton’s quadratic failure. She’d rather settle down to a solitary life of owning a bakery—after she tracks down the man responsible for her husband’s death and making her a human Taser full of enough electricity to short out a city block or send a man into cardiac arrest with just one kiss.

But alluring P.I. Griffin Chase is stirring up those feelings of need again. Only this time, her desire to be in his arms has nothing to do with her fear of loneliness and everything to do with the current charging through her body every time he looks at her…touches her.

Griffin hasn’t remained at Reese’s side just because of the spark that has nothing to do with her super-human talents. He’s willing to compromise his rock-solid principles so she can find closure. But before they can move on, he must help her catch her late husband’s killer, staying on track before she has a chance to exact her revenge. Because leading Reese to jail in handcuffs may just break his heart for the final time.

A Kiss of Revenge

by Natalie J. Damschroder

Romantic Adventure/Romantic Suspense

Entangled Ignite, 2013

ISBN 13: 9781622662067

Purchase From:

Amazon

Barnes and Noble

Kobo

iBooks/iTunes

Diesel eBooks

Goodreads

About the Author

I grew up in Massachusetts, and love the New England Patriots more than anything. (Except my family. And writing and reading. And popcorn.) When I’m not writing romantic adventure for Carina Press and paranormal romance for Entangled Publishing, I do freelance editing and work part time as a chiropractic assistant. My husband and I have two daughters I’ve dubbed “the anti-teenagers,” one of whom is also a novelist. (The other one prefers math. Smart kid. Practical.) You can learn more about me and my books at www.nataliedamschroder.com.

The post Natalie Damschroder, “A Kiss of Revenge” and a giveaway appeared first on Margery Scott.

“On with the Show” with Linda Carroll-Bradd

Please help me welcome Linda Carroll-Bradd to my blog today.

Thanks for visiting, Linda. First, can you tell us a little about yourself?

As a young girl, I was often found lying on my bed reading about fascinating characters having exciting adventures in places far away and in other time periods. In later years, I read and then started writing romances and achieved my first publication–a confession magazine story. Married with 4 adult children and 2 granddaughters, I now am a fulltime freelance editor and author of heartwarming contemporary and historical stories with a touch of humor from my home in the southern California mountains.

Linda, you sound like me, although I was a lot older before I started writing. Coming home is something we can all identify with, so take it away!

One of the themes explored in my Thanksgiving-themed novella, On With The Show, is that of coming home. To me, this is a theme that can occur at different stages in an individual’s life, each with separate circumstances. So many variations are possible, and each has the potential for adding tension and drama to the story line.

In this sweet romance, I created a character who left behind her small Texas hometown for the big city life in Houston to pursue college and then her career in fashion design. Years spent establishing her name and style have left Franzi Mueller with little time for a social life. She understood the sacrifice the first couple of years after college but six years of only the occasional night spent in a man’s company are starting to wear on her. Seems like everyone around her is having more fun than she is. On top of that, she’s become too aware of supplier difficulties, tighter deadlines, and a particular new, more enthusiastic designer who has her eye on Franzi’s job.

For the past decade, Franzi has sequestered herself on the family’s sheep farm during her week-long visit. Her excuse is the need to assist her mother and aunt with the preparations for the musical show the ladies perform at the local veterans’ hospital on the holiday. But she’s really avoiding Dietz Reinhardt, the high school boyfriend she left behind. Part of her is rampantly curious about him, but the other part doesn’t want to confront what his life may have become…without her. Up to this point, she’s avoided seeing him, even if she’s not really proud of that fact.

One aspect of coming home, even if for a weekend, is that you have to adjust to other people’s schedules and submit yourself, and subsequently, your life, to scrutiny. On the train ride to central Texas, Franzi anticipates the rest and relaxation she normally enjoys on the farm. And what a haven of peace the land and animals mean to her. Freedom Valley is where her family has lived for decades, generations, and will always be her true home. When she’s there, this is the greatest place on earth.

Franzi is used to living on her own (well, sharing an apartment with a roommate), making decisions worth hundreds of thousands of dollars, tracking trends emerging from the fashion centers around the globe. She’s used to being in control. This trip, Franzi’s preferences aren’t of prime importance. Her mother has jumped into the role of matchmaker and pushes Franzi and Dietz together at every opportunity.

Also, when you go back to the family home, you go back to being under your parents’ roof. Either in your old room or on the fold-out couch in the den, you are in the same place where all your young dreams were wished and imagined. You can’t help but reflect on how similar or different those dreams might be. You also are put face-to-face with your personal history and your parents’ expectations—whether they are the type of parents who voice these expectations or not.

A tough element of coming home is the question rolling around in her mind: was leaving this small town a mistake? Do my professional achievements outweigh what I may have gained personally? Because she’d started the trip disgruntled with her career, she immediately spots all the good aspects of life in Freedom Valley.

Exploring this theme pits the character against herself in that she questions where she is in life and has to take a hard look at her choices. At six years into a career, is she at the place where she’d thought she’d be after year three? Friends from high school are married and starting families. Will that happen for her? At some point in our lives, we all grapple with the act of coming home and I hope I’ve provided a relatable face to this universal situation.

Here’s a peek at the story:

Every Thanksgiving, Franzi Mueller returns to her hometown, Freedom Valley, to help with a musical show put on at the veteran’s hospital. After a decade of living in Houston, Franzi starts feeling nostalgic for the sense of community of her small Texas town. Too bad Mama has decided to play matchmaker and keeps pushing together Franzi and her ex-high school beau, Dietz Reinhardt. Local hardware store owner Dietz can see that her big city clothing designer job has worn Franzi down and he’s doing what he can to ease her load. Circumstances throw them together at every turn, and every glance and each touch ignites the old sparks. Can Franzi find what her creative spirit needs in Freedom Valley? Is time running out on this second chance for Dietz to win over her heart?

 

 

 

An excerpt from the book

“Closing in five minutes.”

That deep voice she remembered so well. A quick glance told her not much had changed in the store’s decor. A little bit of everything and not much of anything. She forced a smile and strode to the wooden counter on the platform that stood half a foot higher than the floor. The man who’d spoken had his back to the door, a broad back that stretched the black t-shirt imprinted with Reinhardt’s Hardware, family owned since 1854. A fact the Reinhardt family was immensely proud of, but the crux of the reason she and Dietz had gone their separate ways. “Hello, Dietz.”

“Franziska Mueller…to what do I owe this pleasure?”

The smile on his lips didn’t reach his blue eyes. A fact she knew was totally her fault. “I just came in on the westbound train for my Thanksgiving visit and nobody was there to meet me. Erich Bruno happened by and he was driving me out to the ranch when he had to respond to a call.” Again, she sounded pathetic. Inside her coat pockets, both hands drew into fists. God, facing him one-on-one was harder than she’d thought it would be. “Can I use your phone?”

“Pay phone’s outside the door.”

Her body tightened. “What is with this town and pay phones?” She paced a couple steps and back. “Normally, I’d use my cell but the battery needs charging. I don’t have coins for a call.” Could she sound any more unprepared for life?

“So, you’re askin’ for a favor?” A black eyebrow arched over crystal blue eyes and he leaned an elbow on the counter. “Is that what I’m hearing?”

ON WITH THE SHOW is available here:

Amazon

All Romance

Barnes & Noble

You can learn more about Linda and her books here:

Website

Blog

Twitter

Facebook

Goodreads

Anyone leaving a comment on Margery’s blog today will be entered into a drawing for a copy of On With The Show, your choice of format.

Thanks so much for spending this time with me, Linda. Best of luck with ON WITH THE SHOW!

The post “On with the Show” with Linda Carroll-Bradd appeared first on Margery Scott.

Spotlight: To Sin with a Viking by Michelle Willingham

 

 

Title: To Sin with a Viking

Author: Michelle Willingham

Genre: Historical romance

 

 

 

 

Description:

PLAYING WITH FIRE!

Caragh Ó Brannon defended herself bravely when the enemy landed—only, now she finds herself alone with one very angry Viking….

Styr Hardrata sailed to Ireland intending to trade, never expecting to find himself held captive in chains by a beautiful Irish maiden.

The fiercely handsome warrior both terrifies and allures Caragh, but he is forbidden territory. He is the enemy…and he is married. Yet Styr harbors a secret that just might set them both free….

Forbidden Vikings

Resist them if you can!

Buy links:

     Amazon     Barnes&Noble     iBooks     Kobo

Right now, A Wish to Build a Dream on, a time travel novella by Michelle Willingham is FREE!! on Amazon, Kobo, B&N and iBooks. Get your copy now!

The post Spotlight: To Sin with a Viking by Michelle Willingham appeared first on Margery Scott.

Guest post – Joanne Myers

Please help me welcome author Joanne Myers to my blog today. Joanne is the author of Wicked Intentions, a collection of short stories.

Welcome, Joanne. First, can you tell us a little about yourself?

I hail from the famous Hocking Hills region of southeastern Ohio. I have worked in the blue-collar industry most of my life. Besides having several novels under my belt, I also canvas paint.

When not busy with hobbies or working outside the home, I spend time with relatives, my dogs Jasmine and Scooter, and volunteer my time within the community. I am a member of the Hocking Hills Arts and Craftsmen Association, The Hocking County Historical Society and Museum, and the Hocking Hills Regional Welcome Center. I believe in family values and following your dreams.

It sounds like you’re a busy woman, Joanne. I’m so glad you found time to join me today. Now, the blog is yours. Take it away!

NEVER GIVE UP

For as long as I can remember, I have had an artistic flair-whether that be for writing, painting, sewing or drawing. I recall as a child how much I enjoyed drawing. The writing came later. My seventh grade English teacher was Mrs. Henderson-a young mother and wife. She gave us a writing assignment and after gifting me with an A+ told me I should consider writing as a career. She meant as a journalist. I did not take her advice and become a journalist (one of my many misgivings). My mind went toward other things as many young girls dream of-a husband, home, and family of my own. I put my love for writing and painting on hold for years. I unfortunately married a man who like my mother never encouraged me to be artistic. It was not until my children were grown and I no longer had a husband, that I went back to my first love-art. I got a late start, but always encouraged my children and others to partake of artistic endeavors. I now have six books under contract with two publishing houses. So my words to you all, is that no matter what road you choose, never forget your passion, and always keep it close to heart. Don’t let anyone or anything stop you from enjoying your natural talents. You might need to put art on a temporary hold, but never give up.

WICKED INTENTIONS (includes):

BLOOD TIES- word count 15, 902

After the mysterious disappearance of twenty-six-year-old wife and mother Lisa Smalley, her twin, Attorney Audra Roper, begins having dark and disturbing visions of Lisa’s disappearance. Trying to survive while looking for Lisa, Audra’s life becomes a roller coaster of risks, heartbreak, and intrigue.

THE HAUNTING OF BARB MARIE- word count 9,845

Even as a child, Barb Marie saw dead people. This took an unhealthy toll on her throughout her childhood and young adulthood.

SUMMER WIND-word count 13,039

When twenty-nine-year-old Ginger discovers the old mansion Summer Wind, she is mysteriously drawn to it. Immediately, the hauntings have a negative and profound effect on the family.

THE TRUTH BEHIND THE LIES-laying the Norfolk ghost to rest

Solving the brutal murder of American born Ruthie Geil becomes a gauntlet of attacks and more murders for Federal Police Inspector Ian Christian. Between the victim’s family, ex-lovers, and ghostly occurrences on Norfolk Island, the killer is closer than anyone realizes.

THE LEGEND OF LAKE MANOR-word count 8,297

For the young psychic Cassandra Lopez, coming to the infamous and haunted mansion Lake Manor, was more like a mission.

THE APARTMENT-word count 5,188

When young newlyweds Bill and Gayle move into their new apartment, their lives are plagued with sightings of evil ghosts that threaten their marriage and lives.

DARK VISIONS-word count 5,170

When Carrie Reynolds starts having nightmares on her twenty-sixth birthday, she believes her “dark visions” can solve the twenty-year-old disappearance of her father.

Buy links for Wicked Intentions:

Melange Books

Lulu

Amazon

To learn more about Joanne and her books, visit her website, her blog and her profile on Smashwords.

The post Guest post – Joanne Myers appeared first on Margery Scott.