Ann Everett's Blog, page 9
August 2, 2018
Discover #TroubleInBliss with @RebeccaAires #Fantasy #PNR #Contemporary #Fiction #Romance
Author bio:
Rebecca Airies has always loved to read. Futuristic, the classics, mystery, horror and of course romance from sweet to extra spicy–the genre doesn’t matter as long as the stories capture her interest and take her on an adventure. She soon discovered a love for writing and characters just waiting to tell their stories. Since that time, writing has become an obsession.
Rebecca lives in Abilene, Texas. She loves the outdoors, growing things, and working on crafts when she’s not lost in the worlds of her characters.
Author’s Social Media links
Website: http://www.rebeccaairies.net
Twitter: https://twitter.com/RebeccaAiries
Facebook Page: http://www.facebook.com/RebeccaAiriesAuthor
Google+: https://plus.google.com/u/0/115909284303775689058/posts
RHAcafe FBpage: http://www.facebook.com/redhotauthorscafe?ref=hl
Blog: http://rebeccaslair.blogspot.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/profile/view?id=178329508
Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/rebeccaairies/
My New Release Newsletter: http://eepurl.com/bRE0V9
After years away, Violet Collins returned to her hometown of Alden Glen. An Aelfir with an affinity for gems, she’s ready to start rebuilding her life. When she meets hunky Theron McDonal, she thinks things might be getting on the right track.
Theron McDonal, an ex-Hunter with a metal affinity, came to Alden Glen to help stop the forces threatening the town. Strange disappearances, attacks, it adds up to danger for the townspeople. But he discovers a little piece of bliss among the chaos. Violet’s gorgeous, welcoming, and the attraction between them is hot enough to burn down the town.
When danger comes to Alden Glen, they’ll have to uncover a longheld, secret grudge or the town could be torn apart. Can they survive and claim a future together?
EXCERPT:
Heat Level PG13
“I want to say I’m sorry and offer you an explanation. My reaction had nothing to do with you or your invitation. Honestly, I didn’t think I had anything to offer anyone, not even a lunch.” Theron grimaced. With the threat of his life ending in meer days or weeks, there hadn’t been much hope. “I’m Theron McDonal. I’m new in town and I’d like to take you to lunch.”
She frowned and tilted her head to the side. “You didn’t think you had anything to offer. That means something’s changed. Don’t think I missed that you said you wanted to say you’re sorry, but didn’t actually say it.”
A bright green shirt molded to the gentle curves of her breasts. Light blue jeans encased long legs. Would they be toned and sleek like her arms were?
“Something’s changed. I am sorry. I shouldn’t have been that blunt, but hell, I hadn’t even talked about what was going on with me with the men I work with, although I think some of them noticed.” He took a step forward. Specifics could wait. If something came of this lunch, then he’d try to make her understand.
She stared at him. “You were hiding it from them. Since it’s something you hiding from your friends, it’s probably personal. I don’t expect you to give me details. Tell me what’s changed so much that you want to have lunch with me. Why should I believe that you won’t go all blunt and rude while we’re eating?”
“Everything’s changed. Now, I know there’s hope and I can build a future. Second, I can’t offer you anything you’d probably believe after the way I acted, but you could consider letting me take you out as a way for me to make it up to you. You pick the place and I’ll buy the meal.” He smiled. At least, she hadn’t blown him off.
She was a gorgeous woman. It was the vibrancy in her that drew him though. Was she always that way? Her eyes sparkled and she almost hummed with energy, as if willing to take on anything.
She grinned. “You do know how to make a woman curious. I can’t ask any questions about it because that would be prying. You can take me to lunch. There’s a nice restaurant in town. It’s one frequented by the locals when they want to get out.”
“Great. Did you want to meet me there or can I give you a ride?” He asked.
“I’ll meet you there. Let me give you the address. It shouldn’t take me more than ten minutes to get there. There’s one stop I have to make. I said I’d do it now, but it’s just a drop off. I won’t keep you
waiting.” She gave a nod. She pulled a notepad from her purse and scribbled an address on a piece of paper.
He took it and watched as she left. Her hips swayed back and forth in a seductive rhythm. What would that round ass feel like pressed up against him?
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Trouble-Bliss-Rebecca-Airies-ebook/dp/B07DZNK9QZ/
Au
https://www.amazon.com.au/Trouble-Bliss-Rebecca-Airies-ebook/dp/B07DZNK9QZ/
Uk
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Trouble-Bliss-Rebecca-Airies-ebook/dp/B07DZNK9QZ/
Ca
https://www.amazon.ca/Trouble-Bliss-Rebecca-Airies-ebook/dp/B07DZNK9QZ/
Barnes and noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/trouble-in-bliss-rebecca-airies/1128953265
Kobo
https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/trouble-in-bliss
Books 2 Read universal
books2read.com/u/mYoAxd
Apple
https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/trouble-in-bliss/id1403114111?mt=11&ign-mpt=uo%3D4
Google Play
https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Rebecca_Airies_Trouble_In_Bliss?id=CrNhDwAAQBAJ
Google+
July 27, 2018
Blood and Water
I’m a hybrid author. My debut novel, Monsoon Season, was traditionally published along with A Long Thaw, which I later rereleased on my own. Finding Charlie, was chosen for publication by Kindle Scout in 2015 and was recently made into an audio book. I released my fourth book, Blood & Water, in 2018.
I write family sagas with overlapping characters, so there should be some familiar faces. The stories in these books exist on their own and can be read in any order, independently from each other. I don’t write sequels, but because all of my characters live in the same world, there’s an opportunity to revisit the past.
Tucson, Arizona is a place for runaways. Everyone came from somewhere else and has a story about what they left behind.
Delilah arrives on her brother’s doorstep with a secret. She hasn’t seen him in five years. He ran away from their family long ago for reasons no one talks about and she still doesn’t understand. The stress of raising his teenage daughter alone sometimes makes David envious of his deliberately childless friends, Tim and Sara, but they’re runaways too, harboring secrets of their own. Blood & Water tells their stories and traces the deep connections between this unlikely group of friends.
This novel is about family, in its various manifestations: the one you’re born into, the one you choose and the one you create.
Now, for Katie’s Five selected questions.
If there was one person, real, fiction or fantasy, you could spend time with, who would it be and why?
My friend Debbie who lives on the east coast and I never see. We’ve known each other forever and she makes me laugh harder than anyone I know.
Ann: Good friends are just the best. Time passes, but once you get together, it’s like things take up right where they left off!
Name the last three books you read.
Saints For All Occasions, by J Courtney Sullivan
A House Among the Trees, by Julia Glass
The Baggage Carousel, by David Olner
Ann: I’ve not read any of those. I’ll have to check them out.
Do you have a secret? Something you’ve never told anyone…just answer yes or no.
Yes.
Ann: The record holds. I’ve never had anyone answer “no” to this question!!
What is your favorite book and why?
I have so many favorites, but Celeste Ng’s Everything I Never Told You is one of them. I love stories about dysfunctional families, which is such a redundant phrase. Ng’s book is a beautiful exploration of family dynamics and the struggle to know and be known in spite of miscommunication, secrets and silence.
Ann: You write family sagas so it stands to reason you would love books in that same category. I write romance, so that’s what I love the most!
Do you belong to a critique group?
I have an online critique group that I’ve been part of for several years. I’ve had to drop out a bit from time to time when my life gets hectic, but I always go back. It’s great to get feedback on whatever I’m working on at the moment, but it’s even more helpful to have the support of people who “get” me and know the shorthand of being a writer. Writing can be such a solitary endeavor and it’s important to find that sense of community.
Ann: This is one of my top five suggestions to new writers. Always join a critique group. Without honest feedback, we can never become better writers.
Facebook- https://www.facebook.com/katiewritesfiction/
Twitter- https://twitter.com/katieorourke78
Goodreads- https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5806453.Katie_O_Rourke
July 24, 2018
The Locksmith and Spot Painting
Jo Ullah’s debut novel – The Locksmith – was a Kindle Scout winner, and is currently available as an ebook on Amazon.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07977CZZ4
Jude doesn’t like secrets, they breed poison, but she knows her husband is hiding something from her. To uncover the truth she flees with her three young children to stay with her mysterious mother-in-law, Audra. Through Audra, Jude believes she can uncover the truth that will heal them all. Only Audra has secrets of her own and will stop at nothing to keep them.
Jo Ullah is a writer and mixed media artist. She grew up in rural Dorset, England, on a farm where she spent her time exploring the undergrowth and learning about all the animals, both domesticated and wild. She loved stories from an early age, but being dyslexic she found reading and writing difficult. Her mother read to her, and invented stories to tell her. As her mother had a strong taste for all things supernatural these ideas were transferred into Jo’s earliest writing and continue as a strong thread through her imagination today.
Visit her website – http://www.joullah.com – to see some of her artwork and latest novel available.
Or follow her on twitter – @joullah https://twitter.com/joullah
July 20, 2018
Not Too Old for Love!
My Five on Friday guest today is Mr. Peter Perrin. His book, Grace’s Turmoil, is certainly timely.
Lately, movies and television shows are beginning to feature more stories with older characters. Grace and Frankie, Game of Thrones, Blue Bloods, Book Club, Mamma Mia, just to name a few. In the last two books I’ve written, although the stories revolve around characters in their twenties, I’ve thrown in a romantic fifty-something couple. The book I’m currently writing will have the same. I think it’s important to show romance and love have no expiration date!
If you’re a fan of Dancing With the Stars…remember Tommy Chong from 2014? Holy Moly, I thought he was super sexy…and he was 76!!!
Be sure and check out Peter’s book, Grace’s Turmoil, and follow him on social media.
Divorced and emotionally damaged, artist Grace Stollery wants nothing more than to spend her semi-retirement painting and let time heal her emotional scars. But when dashing widower Alfred Nobel moves into her retirement village he turns her life upside down and her heart inside out by awakening feelings she wants to keep dormant. Alfred quickly sets out to woo Grace and slowly she warms to him. But the village’s resident femme fatale wants him for herself. Will she succeed in driving a wedge between Alfred and Grace?
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B078GBQY4D/
https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B078GBQY4D/
http://www.devinedestinies.com/grace-s-turmoil/
FIVE ON FRIDAY
What is one of your favorite quotes?
Youth passes, but with luck immaturity can last a lifetime.
Ann: That’s funny—but true. As we get older, if we don’t “think young” then life leaves us behind!
Do you read horoscopes?
I read them when I am putting together a profile and interview of each of the main characters in my novels. They help me settle on consistent attributes and strengths/weaknesses for my hero/heroine and look for potential conflict.
Ann: That’s a good idea! I’ve never done that but might give it a try.
Name three of your pet peeves.
Inappropriate use of mobile phones (cellphones), litter, lack of respect.
Ann: Those are three good ones. I have so many, it would be hard to narrow this list to three!
Do you belong to a critique group?
Yes. RomCritters is a great critique group for romance writers.
Ann: Honestly, I don’t know how writers make it without a critique group! They are so helpful and usually willing to give honest feedback which is something every writer needs!
Name three things you always have with you.
Debit card, mobile phone (cellphone), asthma inhaler.
Ann: How did we ever live without cellphones? If I forget mine when I leave the house, it’s like I’ve left my security blanket! And…who carries cash anymore? Not me. As for the inhaler…that’s something you need more than the phone!!
Peter Perrin writes sweet, seasoned romances involving larger-than-life mature characters who will make you rethink your views on older people in a positive way. His characters are mature in age but not necessarily in their behavior. They may not be in the first flush of youth but that doesn’t stop some of them acting like hormonal teenagers.
Peter was born in Romford, in the county of Essex, near London, England. For the last twenty years he has lived with his wife of forty years in a quiet suburb of Swindon, in the county of Wiltshire, in England. He is a father and grandfather.
He is a former member of The Royal Air Force who has served in the UK, and in Madagascar, Singapore and Aden—which nowadays is part of Yemen. Post RAF he worked for a year in Saudi Arabia.
After almost fifteen-years’ service in The Royal Air Force Peter worked in Engineering, Quality Control, and Procurement Management, not to mention myriad smaller jobs in between those careers.
Now retired Peter’s interests are Writing, Carp Fishing, and (despite being in his early seventies) PlayStation games.
His favorite quote is “Youth passes, but with luck, immaturity can last a lifetime.”
Website: https://peterperrin.blog
Blog: https://peterperrin.blog
Twitter: https://twitter.com/peterperrin44
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PeterPerrin44/
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.co.uk/peterperrin/
Goodreads Author Page: https://www.goodreads.com/PeterPerrin
Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/-/e/B078J3NVHW
July 19, 2018
Western Romance Anthology~Featuring Nine Award-Winning Authors
Adventure! Mystery! Romance! Nine award-winning and bestselling authors present sweet western historical stories to ignite your imagination and feed your passion for reading. Let us sweep you away from your daily cares and entertain you with our sigh-worthy novellas set between 1865 and 1900. What a line-up we have for you! UNDER A MULBERRY MOON is a bargain!
Buy Link Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07DF3G465
Worth the Wait by Patricia PacJac Carroll
Chapter 1
June 1866
Charlie Ransom stared at the miserable piece of land he’d bought. The barren grass was nothing like the lush green of the farm he’d grown up on in Ohio. The war had brought a hard end to the farm. With him and his brothers gone, his father couldn’t make the tax payments. Charlie had come home to two graves and little else and never did hear from his brothers.
He’d left Ohio and finally made it to Texas and to Sundown Ranch. He stared at his new home, a caved in soddy hut that would have to be repaired before she came. What was he thinking when he ordered a mail-order bride? Sundown Ranch wasn’t fit for man or beast much less a woman.
So, he didn’t know anything about Texas. At least, he knew a thing or two about horses, or the grizzled old codger at the livery in Fort Worth would have sold him a bloated windbag. He kept a wary watch over the land. An old habit he couldn’t shake from the four years he’d spent in the war.
Charlie swung his leg to rest over the saddle horn, dug in his pocket, and reread her last letter. She was coming this week. He’d tried to postpone her arrival and had sent her a letter telling her to wait. Apparently, Ruby Lee Baker intended to come anyway. That’s what he got for ordering a Texas woman.
He wasn’t sure why he had the desperate longing to have a wife and children. Maybe it was all the death he’d seen, the lonely hill where his parents were buried, or his still missing brothers. Whatever the case, he longed to have someone at his side and children running in and out of his house. Charlie rubbed his bearded jaw. Basically, he wanted to experience time with the living.
A fly routed his thinking and took his attention from scanning the land. For spring, the day warmed like summer in Ohio, but this was Texas, and he wasn’t all too sure what to expect. He patted his Morgan stallion on the neck. “Well Biscuit, looks like we got our work cut out for us.”
Disgusted with the rundown ranch, Charlie dismounted and walked his horse to the remnants of the corral on the side of the hut.
“I thought maybe you weren’t coming.”
Startled, he looked up. How had he missed her? Lucky for him the war was over and she wasn’t a Johnny Reb, or he’d be needing a grave. The woman must have come out of the soddy, but mostly, he noticed the rifle angling down her arm to her legs.
She raised the gun level with his chest. “Charlie Ransom?”
He nodded, tearing his gaze from the gun to her face. “Ruby?” She wasn’t bad looking. He certainly could have done worse.
She smiled. “I told you I was coming. I stopped in Duston, and they told me how to get to here.” She waved a hand at the hut and corral. “Hope you didn’t pay much. Soddy can be fixed, but it’s going to take some doing.”
“I’d hoped to have it ready before you came. Wrote to tell you to wait—”
“I’ve been waiting all my life to be married. Grant’s army couldn’t have stopped me.” She stared at him. “You haven’t changed your mind?”
He shook his head but wondered why no one had asked to marry her before. What was wrong with her? He’d already bought a broken-down ranch. Stood to reason, she had her own set of problems. For one thing, she appeared to be headstrong.
Seeing her discomfort, he tied his horse and went toward her but stopped short, giving her room to get used to him. Besides, he’d not had a chance to have a bath in weeks. And there was that rifle. “I haven’t changed my mind. Have you?”
She lowered the gun and shortened the distance between them. “No. I’m not afraid of work.”
He doubted she was afraid of anything. “We can clean up, go into town, and get married. … Unless you’re not sure.”
Ruby blushed. “I’m sure … but I don’t want to marry you until you can say that you love me. Looking at you, I think you bought me like you did this ranch. My mama married out of need. Married a lowdown skunk that never cared for her or us eight kids. Not me. I’ll stay here on the ranch. We can be partners. I’ll sleep in the soddy. You can camp outside. Later you can sleep in the barn after we build it. It’s the first thing we need to do.”
Downright, bossy woman. Right now, he was too tired in body and spirit to argue with her. He sure couldn’t say he loved her. Not yet. Maybe not ever. But she did seem willing to work. “All right, Ruby Lee Baker. Partners for now.… Is there any water on this place?”
She eyed him warily. “You bought the ranch and didn’t even know if it had water?” She shook her head and pointed south of the hut. “A nice creek runs back of the soddy. Has a perfect place to dam it and make a pond, too. … You sure are a greenhorn. Suppose you don’t know nothing about cattle either.”
Charlie stared at her and was sure that it was going to take some time for him to tell her he loved her. If ever. “I’m a fast learner and hard worker. I know the North is starving for beef, and I heard that stray cattle roamed all over Texas. I’ll make it work.”
Ruby grinned at him. “That’s why I’m here. Your letters told me a lot about you. You’re worth waiting for.”
He took off his hat and raked a hand through his hair. “By the way, I ordered a load of lumber. I’m going to build us a proper house. Animals can wait for the barn.”
She shrugged. “I guess you’re the partner with the money. We can build a lean-to for the horses. And when we go into town, we’ll get you a proper hat.”
Hat? What was wrong with his hat? Persnickety woman. Then again, he hated to tell her he only had one horse. She’d probably have some kind of bossy comment about that, too.
She pointed to the back. “My horse is tied up back of the hut. She’s a sturdy mustang. We can round up wild horses too.”
“I suppose you can break horses and round up cattle. Anything you can’t do?” The idea of loving her was getting further and further from his possibilities.
Her bottom lip trembled. Only for a quick second, but he saw it. He reached out to her. “Ruby, I’m sorry. I’m just tired.”
She sat down on the step. “I can work hard. Figure out how to do just about anything. Anything but get someone to love me.” She looked down and cried softly.
He closed his eyes. Now he’d done it. He walked to her and gently put a hand on her shoulder. “Look, I’m sure once we get to know one another, the love will come. You’re pretty. Smart. What’s not to love?”
She shook her head. “No. They all say I’m too bossy. You’ll come to hate me just like every other man that has ever taken an interest in me.”
He twisted one of her golden curls on his finger. “Come on, now. Who else is going to teach this Yankee boy how to be a Texan?”
She pulled her hair from him. “That is impossible.” Standing, she faced him, her grin returning. “Can’t teach anyone how to be Texan. Either you got what it takes, or you don’t.”
He did like her grin. “Let’s get dinner started. That is if you can cook?”
Walking past him, she went to what looked like the remnants of an old, outdoor fireplace. “I’ll cook. You gather the chips while I get things ready.”
He looked around. “There’s hardly any trees, where do you get wood?”
With a sly grin, she pointed out to the prairie. “Since we don’t have an abundance of trees, we use buffalo and cow chips for fuel. … Cow plops.”
He had a lot to learn about this wild Texas country. He looked at Ruby as she went about cleaning out the old fireplace. Maybe he hadn’t made a mistake with her.
* * *
Ruby dusted off the hearth and pulled out weeds and broken rock that had fallen in. She’d brought along flour, bacon, and some utensils. She hoped her wayward Yankee had thought to bring some staples. Wasn’t as if he’d come back with a rabbit for stew.
She gazed at the hut and the land. It would make a good ranch. Charlie was right. Unbranded cattle roamed freely across the range. All they had to do was catch, brand, and drive them north. She’d probably have to teach him how to do that, too.
Curious, and looking for supplies, she went to his horse and opened the saddlebags. She found a can of beans. Clothing. His shaving kit. A picture. Feeling guilty, she hurriedly stuffed his things back in the bag. She wondered about the picture. His family? In his letters, he’d said they were all dead.
She snorted. She’d left her family because they were stifling the life out of her. Not that it was their fault, but with seven brothers and sisters, and she in the higher end of the middle, there just wasn’t much time, food, or clothes left.
Looking out at the wide-open land allowed her to breathe free and easy. Yes, she’d have to work hard. She reckoned Charlie wasn’t a slacker. He had dreams and ideas on how to make a successful ranch. She could have done worse.
A gunshot echoed in the distance. Couldn’t be Charlie. He was afoot and couldn’t have gone far. Comanche? Outlaw? A desperate rebel killing a Yankee for revenge? Her heart pounded. She should have never sent him out by himself.
She bolted from the hearth and grabbed the rifle. “Charlie!”
Footsteps crunched from behind her. She whirled, gun ready.
Charlie grinned at her. “Scared you, didn’t I?”
She forced her jagged breathing to slow. “That’s not funny. You could have been shot.”
“I found a few, chips. Heard a gunshot and was worried about you.”
Her heart sped up. Did he really mean he cared about her? “I was worried about you. There’s Indians and outlaws roaming this land.”
He patted the handgun at his side, and then his eyes hardened. “I spent four, long years learning how to survive. You don’t have to worry about me.”
Taken aback by the swift change in him, she took the chips from his arms and started a fire in the pit. “I’ll have dinner soon. I took the can of beans from your saddle. Hope you don’t mind.”
He stood with his back to her. Even with his shirt on, she could see that his muscles were tense, his posture stiff and unbending. For the longest time, he didn’t answer. Slowly, he turned and stared, but she wasn’t at all sure he was seeing her.
One of her brothers had come home from the war with the same haunted look. But Ray’s expression never changed. Always angry. Always haunted. He sat on the porch all day. Sometimes shouting. Other times screaming as if his guts were on fire. Or maybe he was remembering when they took off his leg.
She glanced at Charlie. Was he a man she even wanted to marry? His letters had sounded so pleasant. Could he claim his dream? Or would the nightmare of war claim him?
She finished making the food into a decent meal. “Dinner’s ready. I don’t have any dishes.”
He turned his gaze on her. His face blank. After a few minutes, he nodded. “In my bedroll. Only one plate. We’ll have to share.”
She went to him, reached up, and pushed on his shoulders. “You sit here. I’ll get it. I’ll serve you dinner.”
He didn’t respond but slid down on the rock.
Her heart sinking, she ran to his horse and untied the bedroll. What had she gotten herself into? Charlie Ransom seemed as crippled as her one-legged brother.
Patricia PacJac Carroll~ I am a writer, Christian first, and blessed beyond my imagination. I live in the Dallas-Ft Worth area of Texas with my wonderful treasure of a husband, my spoiled dog, Jacs, and my awesome son, Josh. Did I say I was blessed? The PacJac is from my initials and my husbands. I wouldn’t be able to write if it weren’t for him. I love adventure and the open road. The stories of the western era have always been a favorite of mine. I enjoy writing, and my goal is to write stories readers will enjoy.
For more information, please contact
Web site: http://www.pacjaccarroll.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PatriciaPacJacCarrollAuthor?ref=hl
Twitter: https://twitter.com/PacJac
Amazon page:https://www.amazon.com/Patricia-PacJac-Carroll/e/B008R9JCN2/
**Sign up Author Patricia PacJac Carroll Newsletter > http://eepurl.com/bpPmbP
July 17, 2018
Freedom Isn’t Always Free
The President’s Wife
by Seelie Kay
https://www.amazon.com/Presidents-Wife-Seelie-Kay-ebook/dp/B07FM4S9L8/
Seelie will be giving away an ebook of The Garage Dweller to three lucky winners drawn via Rafflecopter. Please use the Rafflecopter below to enter. Remember there is a chance every day to enter to win. You may find all the tour locations here.
About The President’s Wife: 
What happens when one of your best friends, the First Lady of the newly democratic Republic of Lodatia, appears to be an imposter? If you’re criminal defense attorney Julianna Constant, you pursue the truth like a rabid dog, then wage a battle to save your friend’s life.
When criminal defense attorney Julianna Constant travels to Washington, D.C. to join her former college roommate, Marella de la Aerelli, in celebrating her husband’s election as the first president of the newly democratic Republic of Lodatia, she is met with an unpleasant surprise. Her friend of almost 30 years not only looks unwell, she is cold and distant. After Julianna becomes convinced the woman is really an imposter, she attempts to expose the faux Marella by using a secret only she, Marella, and the sitting U.S. President share. In the process, Julianna helps to uncover an international conspiracy to seize control of the new country, using the president’s wife as a pawn in a dangerous and potentially deadly game. Will Marella be rescued before a coup takes place? Or will she become collateral damage in one tiny nation’s fight to be free?
BUY LINKS:
Publisher
Amazon: coming soon
Barnes & Noble: coming soon
Excerpt:
The state dinner at the White House was in full swing. Waiters were busy delivering food and pouring wine, as guests ate and chatted with others seated at their tables.
Julianna picked at her dinner, some sort of beef dish with quirky vegetables, and continued to study Lodatian President Georges and Mrs. Marella de la Aerelli, as they chatted quietly with the U.S. president and his wife. Marella barely looked up from her plate, and conversation with her hosts appeared to be minimal. God, that is so not the Marella I know. She hasn’t even acknowledged me and I sent her an email informing her that I would be here.
Julianna set her fork down on her plate and nudged her husband, Little River, Wisconsin Police Chief David Manders. “Something’s wrong.” Julianna whispered. “Marella looks wrong. Maybe she’s just tired after the campaign, but she looks sick. Too thin and too pale. And she isn’t smiling. Marella is always smiling, even when she feels like shit. And she hasn’t even looked at me. Why is she ignoring me? Something is not right. I can feel it.”
David looked at his wife and tried to hide his smile. “Jules, you find a conspiracy behind every door these days,” he said quietly. He looked around to ensure that the other four couples seated at their table were otherwise engaged. “I vote for tired, no, make that exhausted. My God, five months ago, she was a farm wife in Lodatia, now she’s been thrust into the international spotlight as the wife of the President. That would exhaust anyone. I know if you ran for president, it would have a negative impact on me.”
Julianna smirked. “If I became President, sir, it would have a negative impact on both of us.”
David sighed and ran a hand through his short, silver hair. His piercing blue eyes gazed at his wife, his fondness apparent. “Well, instead of jumping to conclusions, let’s wait until the reception at the Lodatian Embassy. There are a lot of rules and protocols for visiting dignitaries. Maybe it just isn’t appropriate to buddy up to an old friend at a state dinner. Once you get up close and personal with Marella, you can get a better fix on things. That woman has been through the wringer, what with that opposition group trying to assassinate her husband not once, but twice. I imagine the stress of clinging to Lodatia’s newly formed democratic government is a kind of like hanging on to a cliff, knowing that if you fall, there will be no net to catch you. Cut her some slack and do not tell her she looks awful.”
About Seelie Kay:
Seelie Kay writes about lawyers in love, with a dash of kink.
Writing under a nom de plume, the former lawyer and journalist draws her stories from more than 30 years in the legal world. Seelie’s wicked pen has resulted in nine works of fiction, including the Kinky Briefs series, The Garage Dweller, A Touchdown to Remember, and The President’s Wife, as well as the romance anthology, Pieces of Us.
When not spinning her kinky tales, Seelie ghostwrites nonfiction for lawyers and other professionals. Currently she resides in a bucolic exurb outside Milwaukee, WI, where she shares a home with her son and enjoys opera, the Green Bay Packers, gourmet cooking, organic gardening, and an occasional bottle of red wine.
Seelie is an MS warrior and ruthlessly battles the disease on a daily basis. Her message to those diagnosed with MS: Never give up. You define MS, it does not define you!
Seelie can be reached at www.seeliekay.com, www.seeliekay.blogspot.com, Twitter or Facebook.
Author links:
www.seeliekay.com
www.seeliekay.blogspot.com
Twitter: @SeelieKay https://twitter.com/SeelieKay
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/seelie.kay.77
Amazon author page: https://www.amazon.com/Seelie-Kay/e/B074RDRWNZ/ref=sr_tc_2_0?qid=1517848564&sr=1-2-ent
July 13, 2018
Murder, Romance, and Five on Friday
Sheagan O’Hare got more than she bargained for when her newly inherited detective agency lands its first case; a missing person, embezzlement, and murder. Sheagan’s out to prove she can hang with the pro’s, despite the constant reminder of her amateur status from an annoyingly attractive FBI agent, Colin ‘Mac’ MacEvine, who’s forced himself into her life.
How does she feel when an old high school friend hopes to ignite a new romance?
Will she be able to discover if detective work and love can mingle before someone gets hurt?
Buy Links:
Amazon UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Gumshoe-Girl-Andi-Ramos-ebook/dp/B07CMZVJ9Zi
Amazon US: https://www.amazon.com/Gumshoe-Girl-Andi-Ramos-ebook/dp/B07CMZVJ9Z
Apple: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/gumeshoe-girl/id1376902448
Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/820388
Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/gumeshoe-girl
Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/gumeshoe-girl-andi-ramos/1128555736
Andi Ramos is a debut author from central Massachusetts where she lives with her family, goat, and Boston Terriers. Her love for reading grew into a passion for writing. She dabbled with pen and paper for a long time and eventually stopped pushing her amusements aside and started developing those stories into novels. One of her favorite things to do is to hop into her motorhome with her family and write while traveling down the road as they journey to various destinations.
Website: http://www.andiramos.com
Blog: http://www.andiramos.com/blog
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/andiramosauthor
Twitter: https://twitter.com/andiramosauthor
Five on Friday
Name the three most recent movies you’ve watched.
I LOVE old movies! I just watched the Philadelphia Story the other day, my favorite non-love scene in any movie is with Cary Grant and Jimmy Stewart, I love how they play off of each other in that scene. So then imagine my surprise when High Society was on just a few days after that, I was eating it up! While I like Bing Crosby in the role, I think Cary Grant wins over, his charm is just intoxicating. I like newer movies too. My third and most recent watched was Jumanji. Let me preface this by I wasn’t a fan of the first one and that is why it took me so long to see this one. Really, the only reason I watched it was because it had my boyfriend Dwayne Johnson in it. I was pleasantly surprised on how good the Rock looked in this movie, I mean how good the movie was. They did a great job with updating the film and bringing something new and fun to the screen.
Ann: Okay, I challenge you to watch the scene between Daniel Day Lewis and Madeleine Stowe in The Last of the Mohicans (1992) where she asks him, “What are you looking at?” And he replies…”You, ma’am. I’m looking at you.” HOLY SMOKES!! It’s my favorite non-contact love scene of all time! And, I actually loved the first Jumanji and liked the second one, too!
Do you laugh at your own jokes?
I do!! My kids think I’m nuts (well, they think I’m nuts anyway) but, my laugh it unique. It’s a blend of a wheeze (which I blame on my asthma), chortle, and a snort. When we are out with friends, they all bet on who can make me laugh first, it’s bad when I win the bet on myself!
Ann: I say beware of those who can’t laugh at their own jokes or at themselves!
What’s the best advice you ever got?
I heard this at an RWA workshop and it stuck with me: It’s okay to write crap- you can fix it later. That is what editing is for. Before I understood this, I would stare at the blank page just trying to formulate the words in the most perfect sentence or waiting for my muse to kick my butt into high gear. If I didn’t get it right I would erase and start again. I wasted more time trying to start and get it perfect. Now, pair “It’s okay to write crap” with JK Rowling’s quote, “The muse works for you. You don’t write at her beck and call—you train her to show up when you’re writing,” and you’ve really got something to kick your muse in high gear even if it’s crap on the page- you can fix it and make it brilliant later!
Ann: I totally agree. I think most new writers suffer with the perfection problem.
Name the last three books you read.
Kari Lemor- Wild Card Undercover- Romantic Suspense-I was captured from the start and didn’t let go until the very satisfying end. Meg is charming and courageous and Chris is everything we want our white knight to be.
Damon Suede- Verbalize- Amazing industry book. If you have ever heard Damon speak it is very much like that, a whirlwind of fantastic information that leaves you exhausted. When you finish you need to catch your breath and try to remember all the knowledge you just dumped into your brain!
Kemberlee Shortland- One Night in Dublin- Romantic Contemporary- Whoo-hoo sexy romp through a woman’s desire to be loved body and soul. I wanted to keep the main character for myself!
Ann: I’m always interested in the answer to this question. It’s a good way to find new books!!
What is one of your favorite quotes?
Here is another quote that has inspired me for years, not by a writer, but a legend in hockey. The Great One, Wayne Gretzky’s quote: “You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take.” I never realized how much I lived my life in fear until I adopted that quote as my mantra for trying something new, or something I might be nervous about. It’s the kick in the pants I need.
Ann: I love that quote!! Words to live by.
July 6, 2018
Slyvie Grayson’s Khandarken Rising Book Series
Major Dante Regiment must find a way to protect Beth, as the Emperor is not the only one causing chaos in Khandarken
The Emperor has been defeated. New countries have arisen from the ashes of the old Empire. The citizens swear they will never need to fight again.
Bethlehem Farmer is helping her brother Abram run Farmer Holdings in south Khandarken after their father died in the final battles. But when Abram takes a trip with Uncle Jade into the northern territory and disappears without a trace, suddenly things are not what they seem and no one can be trusted.
Major Dante Regiment is sent by his father, the General of Khandarken, to find out what the situation is at Farmer Holdings. What he sees shakes him to the core and fuels his grim determination to protect Bethlehem at all cost.
***Ms. Grayson has created a fascinating new world with a lot of the same old problems. Sci fi and fantasy rolled into one with a sure hand and enormous imagination.
Author of many contemporary romantic suspense novels, and the sci fi/ fantasy series, The Last War, Sylvie Grayson loves to write about suspense, romance and murder, all about strong women who meet with dangerous odds, stories of tension and attraction.
She has lived most of her life in Canada, in spots ranging from Vancouver Island on the west coast to the North Peace River country and the Kootenays in the beautiful interior of British Columbia. She spent a year in Japan. She has been an English language instructor, a nightclub manager, an auto shop bookkeeper and a lawyer. She lives in southern British Columbia with her husband on a small piece of land near the Pacific Ocean.
Sylvie loves to hear from her readers. You can reach her at:
email: sylviegraysonauthor@gmail.com
website: http://www.sylviegrayson.com where you can sign up for her newsletter.
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sylvie.grayson
Twitter: https://twitter.com/SylvieGrayson
Pinterest: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00NCCESMO
Amazon author page – https://www.amazon.com/author/sylviegrayson
Barnes and Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/sylvie+grayson?_requestid=873902
Free Book: http://bit.ly/FreebookfromSylvieGrayson
Sylvie’s Five on Friday Questions
If there was one person, real, fiction or fantasy, you could spend time with, who would it be and why?
I would choose a character in my book, Khandarken Rising, Paulo Regiment. He is now General of the Khandarken military, a stern man with an iron will and deep physical wounds from the last battles in the War that still cause his skin to pull and his mouth to curl. But he was there at the beginning, when Emperor Aqatain began to lose his grip on the populace and rebellion fomented everywhere. Regiment found himself in the position of choosing sides, turning against the Empire and helping the rebels win that slow and painful war. During the battle, he lost his wife and tried to keep his growing sons out of the conflict. What does he know that I don’t? One day I’ll have to write his story.
Ann: Wow, my answer is so shallow compared to yours. I’d also choose a character from one of my books…only because he’s hot!!
What is one strong memory that has stuck with you since childhood and why?
When I was thirteen, we lived in northern British Columbia. I had just walked my sister to the bus stop and was heading home alone, when two timber wolves leaped the snowbank at the side of the road. They stopped and stared at me. I thought I was a goner. So I raised my arms above my head and yelled as I ran at them. They leaped down the bank, across the road and into the bush on the other side.
Ann: I’ve always heard animals are more afraid of us than we are of them. Lucky for you, that was the case!
Name the last three books you read.
Cryptonomicon, by Neal Stephenson- a stunning novel that I’ve read twice.
To All Appearances a Lady, by Marilyn Bowering, a story of Chinese immigration to Canada and the aftermath, very insightful.
Forty Years in Canada, by Sam Steele. I’ve read this book twice as well, it tells the history of settlement in the west, from Ontario to British Columbia through the eyes of the North West Mounted Police.
Ann: Kudos to you. I never read anything twice…or watch a movie a second time!
One of your favorite quotes.
I love quotes and have a long list of favorites on my website, http://www.sylviegrayson.com, that I have gathered over time. They make me laugh, they make me think. Hard to pick a favorite but these are pretty good—
“The difference between stupidity and genius is that genius has its limits”- Albert Einstein
“Outside of a dog, a book is a man’s best friend. Inside of a dog, it’s too dark to read- Groucho Marx
Ann: I love both of those.
Name the most recent movie you’ve watched.
La La Land, with Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling. I know everyone loved it but I found it just a bit blah. The dancing wasn’t great, the story a bit sad but nothing unusual. Sorry, you did ask me!
Ann: Yes, it got high praise, but I have no desire to see it. Maybe it comes from watching so many musicals when I was a kid. Now, I’d rather watch something with lots of action.
June 29, 2018
I Must be Dreaming
Today, I welcome Susan Palmquist to Five on Friday. She writes in different genres and under two different names. Check out her website and books at the links below.
How difficult could it be to take care of your five-year-old niece? Rob Conners thinks it’s going to be a breeze, but when Mollie gets gum in her hair there’s only one thing to do—head to the nearest hair salon.
Jenna Hopkins had one crush in high school and that was Rob Conners. She can’t believe he walked into her salon a decade later. The only course of action is to play it cool and pretend she never had fantasies about him.
However, despite the passing of ten years, the crush is still there and now it seems the attraction might be mutual. Can these two former classmates find love and happiness or are they both just dreaming?
http://www.vanessadevereaux.com
Writing site http://www.thiswriterslife.com
Susan’s contact e-mail: susanpalm2010@gmail.com
FIVE ON FRIDAY
What’s the best advice you ever got?
It was from my paternal grandfather who told me to always be myself and say what I thought was right. He added that if I did that not everyone would like me but they’d respect me so it was my choice if I preferred to be liked or respected.
Ann: I always thought once I became a grandmother I’d be able to offer some wise advice like your grandfather. So far…not so much!
What is your favorite TV show of all times and why?
Breaking Bad because it has all the ingredients that makes a show compelling. Top notch performances from everyone in the show. Fantastic directing. And last but not least, brilliant writing. The show ended with me wanting more which is a rarity. I think I’m now of an age that I won’t live long enough to see another masterpiece like this come along again.
Ann: That show is on my to-watch list. One of these days I’ll binge it on Netflix!
A genie grants you three wishes. What would they be?
I think I’d only need one and that would be to time travel back in time with the knowledge I now have about everything that’s happened in my life and I’d change things for the better.
Ann: Oh…I don’t know, Susan. You know if you change one thing in the past, it changes lots of other things in the future. Time travel is tricky, and I’m a scaredy cat!
What would you choose as your mascot/avatar/spirit animal?
Without a doubt, a bear. I still have two teddy bears from childhood and bears or should I say, bear shifters, have been great for my career.
Ann: I have a regular response to this. I’m Texan, so I’d be an Armadillo!
What is the loveliest thing you have ever seen?
Seeing my soulmate for the very first time.
Ann: Awe…that’s sweet—and romantic. My soulmate, even though I’ve had him since high school and still love him like crazy…wouldn’t have made the top three for this question!
June 28, 2018
Mary Marvella
Widow and former teacher, Tess, has been so wrapped up in her role as a single mother, she’s forgotten how it feels to be desirable. But when she attends her 2o-year class reunion and reconnects with old classmate, Drew, things begin to change.
Once known as a loner, after high school, Drew became an adrenaline junkie. First in the military and now as an undercover cop. His love of danger has never allowed him to think about starting a family. And he likes it that way—until he sees Tess again.
Tess needs stability.
Drew needs Tess.
Will they be able to make it work, or will the dangers they face keep them apart?
Mary Marvella has been a storyteller for as long as she can remember. The arrival of the book mobile was as exciting as hearing the music of the ice cream truck.
Retired from teaching classic works of the masters, Mary plays let’s pretend with her characters. She presents editing workshops, edits, coaches writers, and tutors one-on-one
Mary has published novels, novellas, and short stories. Her genres include paranormal romance, romantic suspense, women’s fiction, and sweet romance.
Georgia raised, she writes stories with a Southern flair.
Amazon http://amzn.to/29g2nKW
https://www.amazon.com/Cost-Deception-Protective-Book-ebook/dp/B076FLTTHB/
Goodreads: https://goodreads.com/author/show/4909455.Mary_Marvella
website: http://www.MaryMarvella.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mmbarfield
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Mary-Marvella-Author/121044561311561
Twitter: https://twitter.com/mmarvellab
http://pinkfuzzyslippersauthors.wordpress.com
https://www.facebook.com/ARomanceCape
