Victoria Adams's Blog, page 18

A Brave Creation Done Effortlessly For Good Humoured Intellectuals #otherwords

On the 3rd Thursday of the month I've decided to post something different. I belong to a writer's group. Not an online one - one with real humans, meeting in a real room - interacting with each other!  Sometimes I can make the meetings - other times - I'm in belly dance class. Each month there is a challenge, which can be addressed either as fiction or non-fiction. I use the challenges, whether I make it to the meeting or not, as a writing exercise. So on the 3rd Thursday of the month, I'll post the literary results of my tackling the challenge. The challenge for this essay was - Write 26 lines - each starting with the next letter of the alphabet. Must start with  - After one cup
A Brave Creation Done Effortlessly For Good Humoured Intellectuals
After one cupBeer. Ahem, after one cup of beerCan't find my pants. Plants. Can't find my plants.Damn.Ever had one of those days?Funny, to me it seems to be every day.Got plans. Then things go to…Hell in a hand basket.Intellectually indecisive.Just joking.Kinda have fun mucking about with this.Laugh if you want. It'll make….Me feel good.Nice warm fuzzies inside.Oh, how I wish there were fewer letters in our alphabet. Pencils. Does anybody really use them anymore??Quintessentially - the least interesting question.Really. The least interesting question.So, I bet you're wondering where I'm going with this.Truth be told – so am I.Unless genius strikes soon – I may be deep in alphabetical soup.Very funny. Very tired. Never use very in a sentence.Why am I subjecting you to all this?X marks the spot.You still don't understand.Zut alors – neither do I.

word count - 157Zut Alors - means - darn in French.


What’s up and coming on Victoria’s Pages of Romance19 – Friday Snippets  #FridaySnippets20 – author spotlight - Crazy Lady Authors Padded Palace Giveaway21 – blog available until September22 – author spotlight - Tracy Ellen - Acadia's Revenge23 – author spotlight - Melissa Foster – Chased by Love 24 – Book Hooks - #MFRWhooks25 - Thursday Thoughts  - #ThursThoughts26 - Friday Snippets  #FridaySnippets27 – author spotlight - Iris Wynne - The Missing Mah Jongg Player28 – blog available until September29 – author spotlight - Liz Pelzer – No More Birthdays 30 – author spotlight – Jenna Jaxon – Heart of Desire31 – Book Hooks - #MFRWhooks

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Chelsea and Hunter's very first almost date. A Guy and A Girl on Book Hooks #MFRWhooks #MFRWAuthor

From my NA contemporary hockey romance - A Guy and A Girl. Chelsea and Hunter's very first almost date.



Once Chelsea arrived at the campus, she climbed the steep steps of the library. When she entered, the aroma of old books and the atmosphere of hushed concentration greeted her, warming her to her very soul. From the sleepy look on Hunter's face, no doubt the atmosphere affected him in a non-academic way. A smile formed on her mouth as a shiver of delight flowed through her. "Hey you." She dropped her pad and pencil on the table opposite him. "Don't you be looking like you're falling asleep.""I think I need some caffeine." He yawned. "Caffeine and sugar."


 



Blurb
Lies, deceits and secrets - not a good way to begin a relationship.After an ugly past forced Hunter Connolly to escape to Europe, the talented hockey player is back in North America and determined to land a position with a professional team. But he can’t hide from his past forever, especially when his beautiful classmate, Chelsea, forces him to reexamine his life. Soon, hockey is not his first priority anymore.Chelsea Henderson is a bright co-ed working towards her dream of being a professional dancer. She forms a unique friendship with one of her father’s newest recruits and would love nothing more than to take it to the next level. However, there’s just one small problem. He doesn’t know she’s his coach’s daughter.Amid the deceptions, danger lurks closer than they could ever imagine. Will fate contrive to rip the young lovers apart? Or will Hunter and Chelsea have their shot at love?Amazon EcopyPrint Copy
One line quote of what people are saying about A Guy and A Girl By the end of this book I had tears running down my cheeks.




What’s up and coming on Victoria’s Pages of Romance 18 – Thursday Thoughts  - #ThursThoughts19 – Friday Snippets  #FridaySnippets20 – author spotlight - Crazy Lady Authors Padded Palace Giveaway21 – blog available until September22 – author spotlight - Tracy Ellen - Acadia's Revenge23 – author spotlight - Melissa Foster – Chased by Love 24 – Book Hooks - #MFRWhooks25 - Thursday Thoughts  - #ThursThoughts26 - Friday Snippets  #FridaySnippets27 – author spotlight - Iris Wynne - The Missing Mah Jongg Player28 – blog available until September29 – author spotlight - Liz Pelzer – No More Birthdays 30 – author spotlight – Jenna Jaxon – Heart of Desire31 – Book Hooks - #MFRWhooks
If you see a date that is available and would like to post on that day - leave a comment with your email and I'll get back to you ASAP.

Spotlight on Alone by SM Ford #inspirational #romance #suspense

ALONEby SM Ford Genre Inspirational Romantic Suspense Ready for adventure in the snowy Colorado mountains, Cecelia Gage is thrilled to be employed as the live-in housekeeper for her favorite bestselling author. The twenty-five-year old doesn’t count on Mark Andrews being so prickly, nor becoming part of the small town gossip centering on the celebrity. Neither does she expect to become involved in Andrews family drama and a relationship with Simon Lindley, Mark’s oh so good-looking best friend. And certainly, Cecelia has no idea she’ll be mixed up in a murder investigation because of this job.

Will Cecelia’s faith in God get her through all the trouble that lies ahead?

Prologue

I know I should go to bed. But how can I? Instead I want to cry or scream or have some feminine fit to protest the reality of this evening and have someone sympathize with me or hold my hand or hold me in their arms . . . But I’m alone. Alone, as I’m afraid I’ll be the rest of my life. And there is no one to call. Simon is out of town and Mark . . . Mark is in jail.

Remembering the town’s small police station with its two cramped cells, I shudder. Each stark chamber is only six by eight feet. The bed, a concrete shelf covered by a thin plastic mattress. No chairs. In the corner behind a half wall are a lidless toilet and a miniature sink. The cells are only meant to be temporary holding tanks for drunks or lawbreakers of minor crimes. Not for an accused murderer. Not for Mark!

The clock strikes the hour: two in the morning. I’m pacing again. I force myself to stop. With a shaking hand I push an escaped strand of hair out of my eyes. The room is as cold as the snow falling outside. Maybe a cup of hot chocolate would help. I can’t go to sleep the way I am and I don’t know how to pray anymore.

I switch off the living room lamps and make my way to the kitchen. I’d forgotten what a disaster it is. The stove’s center island is littered with dirty coffee cups, a pile of limp tea bags on a saucer, crumpled napkins, spoons resting in untidy brown circles on the shiny surface. Mark had been hospitable to the men who’d taken him away. Fighting tears, I put the lid back on the instant coffee and screw it down tight.

I throw away the garbage, load the dishwasher, and put coffee and tea back in the cupboard. The dishrag is cold and soggy in the bottom of the sink. I rinse it with warm water and go to work on the stains on the cream-colored counter top. Maybe the harder I scrub, the better I’ll be able to block out the images in my mind of the body in its pool of blood in the study . . . and of Mark put in handcuffs and marched out to the waiting police car.

Amazon ✯ B&N ✯ iTunes ✯ Kobo ✯ Smashwords ✯ Goodreads SM Ford writes inspirational fiction for adults, although teens may find the stories of interest, too.

When she was 13 she got hooked on Mary Stewart's romantic suspense books, although she has been a reader as long as she can remember, and is an eclectic reader. Inspirational authors she enjoys include: Francine Rivers, Bodie Thoene, Dee Henderson, Jan Karon, and many more.

SM Ford is a Pacific Northwest gal, but has also lived in the midwest (Colorado and Kansas) and on the east coast (New Jersey). She and her husband have two daughters and two sons-in-law and three grandsons. She can't figure out how she got to be old enough for all that, however.

She loves assisting other writers on their journeys.

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What’s up and coming on Victoria’s Pages of Romance17 – Book Hooks - #MFRWhooks18 – Thursday Thoughts  - #ThursThoughts19 – Friday Snippets  #FridaySnippets20 – blog available until September21 – blog available until September22 – author spotlight -  23 – author spotlight - Melissa Foster – Chased by Love 24 – Book Hooks - #MFRWhooks25 - Thursday Thoughts  - #ThursThoughts26 - Friday Snippets  #FridaySnippets27 – blog available until September28 – blog available until September29 – author spotlight -  30 – author spotlight -  31 – Book Hooks - #MFRWhooks
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The Untold Stories of Neverland by K.R. Thompson #fairytale #fantasy

THE UNTOLD STORIES OF NEVERLANDby K.R. ThompsonGenre:Fairytale/Fantasy
Content Warning: Suitable for ages 13 and up. This is a darker series, showing how the characters in Neverland came to be. This isn’t your Disney variety of Neverland, it is more like the television series Once Upon a Time.


Neverland has always been their sanctuary—until now.

Magic is dying in Neverland--and so are the pixies. Only one is brave enough to search the human world for someone to believe. Tink finds a desolate boy flying in the night, peering in windows, searching for the life he once knew. But can she convince him to abandon his quest and save Neverland?

Discover the untold story of the boy destined to become Peter Pan.

***This is a short story depicting Pan's arrival in Neverland. As Peter is a main character, his adventures continue on throughout the rest of the series.***


THE TINY PIXIE flew over the dark rooftops to the crumbling tower in the center of the town. Zipping to the top, she chose her usual spot and greeted the gargoyle perched on the edge of the roof. Taking one final look to make sure she had the best view, she plopped down on the tip of the monster’s nose and settled in to watch the boy fly from house to house.

Back and forth, from one window to the next he flew, staying at each only long enough to peer through the panes of glass…searching…

At least he was taking his task seriously, she decided, watching him raise up on his toes in an effort to gain a better look inside one darkened, upstairs room. Some guardians were lazy, but this one was not, which was just as well, she noted, as the small, shadowy figure of a child exited through the window and joined him. A few seconds later, the two flew off into the night sky. The children of humans could be a handful—the ghosts of them even more so, especially when they realized they were no longer among the living. It only made sense to appoint another child to deal with their sorrow and accompany their spirits to the other side.

The source of her attention currently gone, the pixie idly kicked into the open air. Small bits of dust sprinkled each time her feet touched the open mouth of the monster she’d been making a seat of. She glanced down, noticing his bottom teeth now sparkled like gold in the moonlight, giving him an even more ferocious look.

The poor thing looked dreadful, with long curling teeth and bulging eyes—nothing at all like her own pretty, golden self. She gave him a bright smile. Likely, that was the only kindness ever given the monster forever stuck up here on the edge of this roof, so she reached down and gave his hard cheek an affectionate pat before turning her attention back to the sprawling town below. After all, she hadn’t come to save this monster. She’d come for the boy and soon he would need her—but not nearly as much as she needed him.

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Sitting in the dark corners of the print shop, Archie Jameson dreams of adventure, never imagining it will find him.

A twist of fate lands him beneath unfamiliar stars with a small pixie to guide his way. What new adventures lie in Neverland?

Discover the untold story of the man destined to become Captain Hook.


AN ETERNITY PASSED before Big Ben tolled five bells. They were heavenly peals to Archibald Jameson, who began to wonder if time had somehow gotten stuck or if the gigantic clock across the square was broken. Stretching out his long legs, he stood up from the desk and scooted around the corner, taking care not to bump the towering mountain of paper at the edge. Naturally, it was the largest stack in the entire room—the work that he had yet to finish. If he was even a fraction as meticulous a man as his father—the very man who left him the shop—he would have stayed, locked the front door, and remained into the wee hours to finish the work, however long it should take.

But he was not his father, and he had no intention of pretending to be so. While he was very good at running the print shop, it wasn’t something he enjoyed. It was only what he must do to ensure his survival. Remaining any longer than necessary just wasn’t going to happen as far as Archie was concerned. His inheritance should have been a blessing since he was the youngest of four sons. Without the steady work the shop provided, he might as well have lived out on the street, begging for what scraps could be found. To him, the feel of the paper and smell of ink felt like a prison where he was trapped day in and out. His only release came in daydreams. As he pondered another life or another world, the work piled up before him. He spent hours upon hours each day, dreaming of adventure, of places and people that always made those in his life seem dull in comparison. Those daydreams made his life bearable.

But even the daydreams wouldn’t hold him there once Big Ben chimed its fifth peal. He never stayed a second longer than required.

He blew out lamps and turned over the sign in the window, then pulled on his frayed, black frock. He took one last glance around, then slapped on his hat and stepped outside. Chilly air greeted him as he pulled the door shut, listening to the muted sounds of the doorbell. He turned the key in the lock and jiggled the knob.

Odd, he thought. The tinkling sounds he heard earlier sounded nothing at all like the brass bell on the frame of that door. Odd, indeed. Perhaps it was the remnants of his latest daydream, for the door had never sounded that way before. Still pondering the bell, he turned and rammed directly into a young boy, who let out an audible oof, as he landed on the side of the street.

“I do beg your pardon,” Archie said, offering both his apologies and his hand to help the boy up. The lad flashed a smile, showing a unique set of small, pearly white teeth, before he took Archie’s proffered hand and replied, “Quite alright.” Without waiting for Archie to say anything more, the boy took off, disappearing around the bend.

Hunching over against the cold wind that sent leaves dancing about his legs, Archie shoved his hands deep into his pockets, and made his way down the bricked street, no longer in the rush he was in moments before.

“Mary, I don’t see how we can afford to keep her.” The booming voice was startling. Archie glanced up at a window, which was open in spite of the chill. “Let’s see, two pounds nineteen…”

“George, dear…”

“Now, Mary, hold on a moment. I have the tally right here. Do you think we might try it for half a year on say, five five three? Only half the year, mind you. Oh, drat, I forgot to figure in colic.”

The voice of the man and his wife argued back and forth as Archibald stood, rooted in place, wondering at their strange conversation. As this was his normal route home, he walked by No. 27 every evening. He half-hoped this financial dispute might possibly involve their dog. If it did, he would be more than willing to step up and offer to solve their financial dilemma. He lived alone and the thought of the trim Newfoundland he had seen carrying in bottles of milk from the front steps bolstered his spirits.

The talk of colic, however, kept him from knocking on the front door.

“Shall we say one pound? Yes, that is what I’ll put down. But what of mumps? I’ve heard that can be quite taxing. I daresay that should be twenty shillings there. Don’t give me that look, Mary.”

It was at this point a sharp cry of an infant pierced their conversation and Archibald was quite certain that Nana the Newfoundland was most assuredly not the topic of money, colic, mumps, and their current distraught state. He shook his head, wondering about the sanity of the Darlings in No. 27 as the silhouette of a woman he presumed to be Mary shut the window and the voices muted.

Poor Nana, Archibald thought, to be stuck with people such as that.

He didn’t even want to think about the child whose fate rested on the odds of her contracting whooping-cough and so he openly wished the inhabitants of No. 27 would not be so lucky as to have any additional offspring. He voiced exactly that, and in that same instant, heard that funny peal of bells again. This time it sounded suspiciously like laughter.

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Thespa, queen of the water sprites, has brought her own Lost Ones to Neverland. As the mermaids and mermen arrive, the magic returns once more to the Never Sea.

But with these newest inhabitants, something darker and more dangerous than the crocodile lies beneath the surface.

Discover the untold story of the one destined to become the sea witch of Neverland.


THESPA, QUEEN OF the water sprites, and ruler of all the Never Sea, returned to the human world with a profound sense of dread. As the leader of the watery half of Neverland, not much worried her.

At least, it hadn’t until the humans began forgetting about magic and the sprites began dying.

This trip back to the human world wasn’t one she had made out of choice—necessity brought her here. She’d come to find someone to believe in her, possibly several someones, depending upon how successful her quest proved to be. Then, she’d bring them back with her as a sort of insurance so she’d never have to come to this wretched place again.

Fish won’t do, she decided, staring at the wide-set eyes of one particularly ugly pufferfish. She stood on a wide piece of coral, deep beneath the waves of this warm human ocean, and looked around. More unintelligent fish, crabs, and other sea creatures milled about, none looking particularly pleased or excited to see her. The only ones who showed any interest in her at all were the ones who stopped just long enough to see if she was a small, sparkly bit of food.

This could take forever. Her wings dipped down in dejection. I wonder how long it took the pixie to find that flying Peter-boy?

One of the golden pixies, Tink, had been the first to bring someone to Neverland. When that proved successful, she’d brought a handful more. Her Lost Ones, the pixie had named them. They were, Tink explained, the ones the human world wouldn’t miss.

Thespa crinkled her nose in disgust. As a creature of the sea, she didn’t care for humans. Though they resembled water sprites and had legs to walk about on, they lacked a graceful set of wings that could take them through both water and air. And they most certainly didn’t have any magic. Humans were meant to be above the sea, not below it. Still, the idea of taking someone or something to Neverland that wouldn’t be missed did appeal to Thespa. She sighed, wondering again how long it took Tink to find her Lost Ones.

She started to fly from her perch and try a new place when something stopped her. Literally.

Thespa looked down and scowled, kicking the errant strand of seaweed that had twisted itself around her foot. The bit of green plant gave way at her vicious kick, but left a long green streak of slime down the length of her leg as a parting gift. This, of course, did absolutely nothing to improve her mood.

She was so aggravated that something extremely important had escaped her notice—the gaping jaws of an eel headed directly at her. Her anger disappeared in a fleeting second, but it was too late to move.

Then, a hand wrapped around her an instant before the monster’s teeth snapped.

Nonplussed at missing its small, sparkly appetizer, the eel swam off in search of another easy, unsuspecting meal.

Once the hand opened, Thespa let out an uneasy breath and looked up into a pair of wide, silver eyes, framed by long locks of blond hair.

At first, she thought she’d been saved by a human, but then she spotted his long tail and realized he was as much a creature of the sea as she—and he was exactly who she’d been searching for.

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Memories are fading as the pirates forget the life they once knew. Only one has managed to remember his life before Pan whisked him away to Neverland--and he's determined to find a way to escape in spite of Hook's need for revenge.

Seeking a way to restore the memories of the Jolig Roger's crew, Jack crosses paths with a mermaid searching for her own answers to Neverland's secrets.

Discover the untold story of the Lost Boy who was destined to grow up and the mermaid who will steal his heart.


It was doubtful the mermaid who had saved him the day before was going to be there to guide him again today, but the unexpected thought of her made him want to peer into the water in hopes of seeing her beautiful face.

He shook his head. It wouldn’t do to get preoccupied with her now. He glanced over his shoulder and spotted a crooked wooden sign hung precariously on one jutting rock at his left. Shallows. Ye be warned, it told him. Each time the pirates had a mishap, they’d gone to making some sort of sign to warn others in the crew. Being as the pirates were a suspicious sort, there were such signs scattered across the island. Jack had seen many of them. Some of them were legitimate, while others were a matter of opinion. Once he’d seen a sign at the bottom of a tree, an arrow pointed up at the branches where a honeybee’s nest sat.

No worth it. Ye be warned. The maker of that particular sign had been Bob Murphy, who had fallen out of said tree and suffered a broken finger.

The thought of Murphy made Jack turn his attention back to Patch and Beetles. In a few more strokes, they would be at the shore, and were clear of all signs of the rocks. The taller boy seemed lost in thought, oblivious to everything around him. Beetles, on the other hand, was staring directly at Jack. “The one Pan brought isn’t right,” he said finally.

The boy startled Jack so badly he nearly dropped an oar. “Beg your pardon?”

“The mother Pan brought today. She isn’t right,” the boy said again. He crossed his arms and hugged his middle, as if he had suddenly gotten cold. “I remember my mother…” He stopped and glanced over at Patch. “…and he does too. Our mothers didn’t look like her.” His gaze locked onto Jack’s. Knowledge and understanding gleamed in his eyes. “We remember who we were when he found us. We know why Neverlings don’t grow up.”

Patch’s voice cut in, quiet yet accusing. “And we know why you did.”

Amazon-kindle ✯ Amazon-paperback ✯ Goodreads K.R. Thompson writes paranormal stories with a bite and fairytales with a twist. An avid reader and firm believer in the magic of books, she spends her nights either reading an adventure or writing one.

She still watches for evidence of Bigfoot in the mud of Wolf Creek.​​ Be the first to know about new releases! Join my VIP mailing list for the latest in my stories, exclusive excerpts, giveaways, contests, and more!

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What’s up and coming on Victoria’s Pages of Romance16 – author spotlight -  17 – Book Hooks - #MFRWhooks18 – Thursday Thoughts  - #ThursThoughts19 – Friday Snippets  #FridaySnippets20 – blog available until September21 – blog available until September22 – author spotlight -  23 – author spotlight - Melissa Foster – Chased by Love 24 – Book Hooks - #MFRWhooks25 - Thursday Thoughts  - #ThursThoughts26 - Friday Snippets  #FridaySnippets27 – blog available until September28 – blog available until September29 – author spotlight -  30 – author spotlight -  31 – Book Hooks - #MFRWhooks
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Friendly Fire- a Seth and Ava Mystery (Book 3) by Claudia Hall Christian #romance #mystery

FRIENDLY FIREa Seth and Ava Mystery (Book 3) byClaudia Hall Christian Genre: romantic suspense mystery
Friendly Fire begins with a phone call in the middle of the night. Seth’s father figure and personal Lucifer is acting crazy. A day later, Seth learns that his mother wants him to find something that his biological father left at Fitzsimmons Army Hospital.

Standing in the lobby of the place that had restored him after two tours through the blood and muck of tunnels of Vietnam, Seth is drawn into a mystery that will take him through the meltdown of Reactor Four at Chernobyl to meet Russian Olympic marksmen and discover that a familiar demon is covering its tracks.

In the end, Seth learns the most important kind of friendly fire from a man who had suffered horrific trauma and a woman who’d lived through the worst life can dish out.

If you like Seth O’Malley, Friendly Fire is the book for you.

Friendly Fire is filled with memorable characters, romance, and intrigue readers have come to expect from Claudia Hall Christian. Friendly Fire is the third in the Seth and Ava Mystery series.

“Dad?”

Seth felt a small hand touch his shoulder. Curled up on his right side, Seth opened his eyes and saw no one. Sleep tugged at him, and he closed his eyes again.

“Dad? It’s Lizzie.”

Seth sat up in bed. Lizzie was his eldest daughter, from his crazy first marriage. She reentered Seth’s life when she was six months pregnant with her stepfather’s child. Seth blinked. Even in the dim light, he could tell that she was well. He smiled at her.

“What?” Lizzie asked.

“In this light . . .,” Seth said. “You look like my mother.”

“Is that a good thing?” Lizzie asked. Self-conscious, she tucked a piece of perfectly coifed blond hair behind her ear.

“A very good thing,” Seth said. He realized he was naked. “I’m sorry, Lizzie. Would you mind . . .”

Lizzie nodded and turned around. Seth went to the closet and pulled on jeans.

“Okay,” Seth said.

He pulled a white undershirt over his head. She helped him get the shirt over his bandaged arm.

“What’s going on?” Seth asked.

“It’s Julie Ann,” Lizzie said. Tears appeared in her eyes.

“What’s Julie Ann?” Seth asked about his second daughter from his crazy first marriage.

Julie Ann was on active duty with the US Marine Corps. Seth grabbed a collared shirt. With Lizzie’s help, he put it on over the T-shirt.

“Her team was overcome by the Taliban,” Lizzie said. “They’ve taken heavy casualties. She’s been injured. According to the phone call, she’s expected to reach Kabul by nightfall. She’ll be evacuated to Germany.”

“Did they say how bad it was?” Seth asked as he threaded a belt through the loops in his jeans.

“They don’t know,” Lizzie said. “Bad, I guess. I tried to look it up online but . . .”

“Who called you?” Seth asked.

“Oh, Dad, I don’t know,” Lizzie said. “I can never keep track of that stuff — some military something or another — and when he told me about Jules, I . . . He said that he couldn’t find you, so he called me. Schmidty and I took the first plane to Denver to be here to tell you in person. The man said it would be a miracle if Julie Ann survived. I thought you’d want to go there.”

Lizzie came to him, and he put his arms around her. Over her shoulder, he tried to work it out. He felt moisture from her tears through his shirt.

“Where’s your husband?” Seth asked. “Where’s Schmidty?”

“He had some business with that R and B guy,” Lizzie said. “He dropped me off here so we could have some time alone.”

Lizzie looked at him with hurt eyes.

“Don’t you want to share this with me?” Lizzie asked. “Julie Ann . . .”

Lizzie’s eyes traveled over Seth’s face.

“What is it?” Lizzie asked. Her soft, sad voice shifted to steel. “What did I do?”

“Nothing,” Seth said, with a shake of his head.

“Dad?” Lizzie asked.

“Julie Ann isn’t in Afghanistan,” Seth said. “I talked to her last weekend. She’s learning to fly UAVs at a base in North Dakota. Grand Rapids, I think, but she wasn’t able to tell me.”

“Why didn’t she tell me?” Lizzie asked.

“It’s classified,” Seth said.

“What the fuck is going on?” Lizzie asked, and then she gasped. “They wanted to know where you were!”


✯✯✯✯✯Love! Love! Love!By angelhwk68 Verified PurchaseOnce again Claudia Hall Christian has kept me enthralled from page one. Family, love, mystery and a great ride! Seth has some surprises and revelations. Wow! As always I will wait patiently for the next one!

✯✯✯✯✯Heartwarming story weaved into a fast paced suspenseBy Anna Denton Verified PurchaseThis story is a mystery interwoven around a heartfelt family saga. Beautifully crafted with fast paced drama, keeps you turning the pages. The only negative was that I ran out of book to read.

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The Tax Assassin ✯ The Carving Knife
Claudia Hall Christian is a consummate storyteller. Whether she’s writing the long running Denver Cereal or a short blurb for her neighborhood newsletter, she tells heartwarming stories that leaves people longing for more. These skills make writing traditional serial fiction — long-form stories that are published as they are written — a natural for Claudia. Her lifelong writing goal is to write a serial fiction set in every state in the United States. So far, she’s brought her brand of addictive, heartwarming fiction to Fort Worth, Texas, in the Queen of Cool, to Denver for the Denver Cereal, and now to Boston for Suffer a Witch. Last year, Claudia released the first of the Jornada del Muerto novellas set in Santa Fe.

A prolific author, Claudia also writes the Amazon bestselling the Alex the Fey thrillers, as well as the Seth and Ava Mysteries. She currently has 22 published works. In order to keep up with her storytelling capacity, she co-founded a publishing house, Cook Street Publishing, with a group of friends.

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What’s up and coming on Victoria’s Pages of Romance 14 – blog available until September15 – author spotlight -  16 – author spotlight -  17 – Book Hooks - #MFRWhooks18 – Thursday Thoughts  - #ThursThoughts19 – Friday Snippets  #FridaySnippets20 – blog available until September21 – blog available until September22 – author spotlight -  23 – author spotlight - Melissa Foster – Chased by Love 24 – Book Hooks - #MFRWhooks25 - Thursday Thoughts  - #ThursThoughts26 - Friday Snippets  #FridaySnippets27 – blog available until September28 – blog available until September29 – author spotlight -  30 – author spotlight -  31 – Book Hooks - #MFRWhooks
If you see a date that is available and would like to post on that day - leave a comment with your email and I'll get back to you ASAP.

Robert waits for the other shoe to drop #NA #contemporary #romance

Scene set - Julie's having a bad day. She needs to vent.



In the warmth and light of the kitchen, Julie removed her raincoat, hung it up and tossed the keys on the counter. "I unpacked your stuff from my suitcase. It's on your bed. There's some pizza in the fridge. Come to my room when you're ready." She turned and scooted upstairs.Robert followed, passing her closed door and entering his room. Knocking the pile of clothes off the bed, he changed in to a dry sweatshirt and jeans and left everything else in a lump in the centre of the floor. Back in the kitchen, while the pizza heated, he scoured the fridge for a cold beer, but had to settle for a Coke. When he'd eaten, he sat staring at the table. He didn't want to go upstairs and confront Julie. He couldn't figure out what he could have possibly done wrong. He rubbed his face. Man up, dude, and get this over with. With a big sigh, he headed to Julie's room.Julie sat on her window ledge watching the rain stream down the glass. "Come hold me, please."Robert settled next to her, wrapped an arm around her shoulders and waited for the other shoe to drop. Silence filled the room. He bit back asking what the problem was. He'd let her explain it.Her shoulders shook as she sniffed. With teary eyes, she glanced at him. "Why didn't they accept me at the dance audition? You said, the others said I was good. Well I'm not. I suck." She turned, threw her arm over his shoulder and buried her face in his chest.Yes! It's not something I did. He squeezed her tighter. "I think ya dance great."She knocked her forehead on his sweatshirt. "You don't know anything about dance. You made me do it. I hate you for it.""I'm sorry.""It's all your fault.""I'm sorry." What the hell else am I supposed to say?Between sniffles, Julie said, "I feel so alive when I'm lost in my dancing. Why didn't they take me? You said they would." Her sobs quieted while Robert held her. Her breathing slowed. She'd fallen asleep in his arms.







Is the love of a girl from wealthy Westland and a street punk from the slums of the Shore strong enough to surpass all that life will throw at them and forge a life together? Is Julie willing to sacrifice her childhood dream of becoming a professional dancer for the man she loves? Is Robert willing to lay down his ties to the gang in order to hold onto his new found love?
Sacrifices must be made, but will they be enough?
 Amazon



What’s up and coming on Victoria’s Pages of Romance13 – author spotlight – Claudia Hall Christian  - Friendly Fire14 – blog available until September15 – author spotlight - K.R. Thompson by The Untold Stories of Neverland 16 – author spotlight -  17 – Book Hooks - #MFRWhooks18 – Thursday Thoughts  - #ThursThoughts19 – Friday Snippets  #FridaySnippets20 – blog available until September21 – blog available until September22 – author spotlight -  23 – author spotlight - Melissa Foster – Chased by Love 24 – Book Hooks - #MFRWhooks25 - Thursday Thoughts  - #ThursThoughts26 - Friday Snippets  #FridaySnippets27 – blog available until September28 – blog available until September29 – author spotlight -  30 – author spotlight -  31 – Book Hooks - #MFRWhooks
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No thoughts on this week's My thoughts - Just pictures to promote calmness #mythoughts

On Thursdays I open my blog - to myself. My thoughts. My ramblings. My whatever.


I have no thoughts this week. Been running in 10 different directions - so I am just going to post pictures that bring me joy and calmness.






I didn't take the last picture and I do not remember where I got it. Apologies to the photographer.



What’s up and coming on Victoria’s Pages of Romance12 – Friday Snippets  #FridaySnippets13 – author spotlight – Claudia Hall Christian  - Friendly Fire14 – blog available until September15 – author spotlight - K.R. Thompson by The Untold Stories of Neverland 16 – author spotlight -  17 – Book Hooks - #MFRWhooks18 – Thursday Thoughts  - #ThursThoughts19 – Friday Snippets  #FridaySnippets20 – blog available until September21 – blog available until September22 – author spotlight -  23 – author spotlight - Melissa Foster – Chased by Love 24 – Book Hooks - #MFRWhooks25 - Thursday Thoughts  - #ThursThoughts26 - Friday Snippets  #FridaySnippets27 – blog available until September28 – blog available until September29 – author spotlight -  30 – author spotlight -  31 – Book Hooks - #MFRWhooks
If you see a date that is available and would like to post on that day - leave a comment with your email and I'll get back to you ASAP.

So you jumped into bed with a stranger? From Circles Interlocked on this week's Book Hooks #MFRWAuthor #MFRWhooks

From adult contemporary - Circles Interlocked -Robert is not having a good morning



"She's back ten minutes, and you fall into bed with...with... her." Corina's voice was edged with the contempt."I knew I shoulda kept my stupid mouth shut. I thought she was you." Confused defense was Robert's tone of voice. "It was an accident. Come on, who the hell else would be in the bed?""So you jumped into bed with a stranger?"







Circles Interlocked - Having been betrayed by the man she assumed she was destined to be with forever; Julie Anderson slapped Robert Holiday in an angry ending to their brief love affair. Heartbroken that her love affair didn't end with the fairy tale Happily Ever After, Julie leaves town to pursue her dream of being a dancer. As fate has a curious sense of humor, eight years later, they wake up in bed together. Now it is up to love to fix what time cannot mend.Amazon Print 







What’s up and coming on Victoria’s Pages of Romance11 – Thursday Thoughts  - #ThursThoughts12 – Friday Snippets  #FridaySnippets13 – author spotlight – Claudia Hall Christian  - Friendly Fire14 – blog available until September15 – author spotlight - K.R. Thompson by The Untold Stories of Neverland 16 – author spotlight -  17 – Book Hooks - #MFRWhooks18 – Thursday Thoughts  - #ThursThoughts19 – Friday Snippets  #FridaySnippets20 – blog available until September21 – blog available until September22 – author spotlight -  23 – author spotlight - Melissa Foster – Chased by Love 24 – Book Hooks - #MFRWhooks25 - Thursday Thoughts  - #ThursThoughts26 - Friday Snippets  #FridaySnippets27 – blog available until September28 – blog available until September29 – author spotlight -  30 – author spotlight -  31 – Book Hooks - #MFRWhooks
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Book 4 of the Brodie Saga - The Absolution of Catherine Brodie by Grace Harper #romance #suspense

THE ABSOLUTION OFCATHERINE BRODIE Book 4 of the Brodie Saga by Grace Harper Cover Designer:The Graphics ShedGenre: Romantic Suspense
“Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today . . .”

Erin Brodie is engaged to record label owner, Alexander Devlin and they are to be married in one week’s time. They have to get through seven days of wedding preparation and then their happily ever after is sealed.

However, Stacey Chambers has been given a day pass for the nuptials. Jude North is contemplating defecting from Red&Black’s to Quinn’s record label. Then there’s Quinn, who manages to smash apart Erin’s legacy in one day.

Everyone returns to gather for the wedding. Tom and Mickey come back to protect the happy couple. Tara, Seb and Louise are determined to get them down the aisle.

It’s time Catherine Brodie became Mrs Devlin, will she make it?

The final book in the Brodie Saga

Prologue from The Disappearance of Catherine Brodie

Patrick ChambersJuly, Ten Years AgoBrighton

Patrick panicked quietly in the corner of the waiting area. He was going out of his mind with worry, the hearing had been taking so long. His father had been in the meeting room for four hours and no one had left or entered during that time. His mother’s nerves were so fraught she couldn’t leave the house. His sister preferred to be at the courthouse to hear the outcome of the public case against the hospital. He wanted to be there for his dad to hear the news. Each minute that passed caused his heart to constrict, the beginnings of a headache formed behind his eyes. The hospital board needed to decide his father’s fate, but Patrick believed his father wasn’t to blame. He didn’t do what they were accusing him of, he didn’t kill that boy.

The constant activity in the hospital corridor irritated him, people rushing back and forth to their offices, carrying files and folders. Several people smiled as they passed, he didn’t acknowledge them. Some of the blurred bodies tried to talk to him, but he ignored them. He didn’t care that they wanted to offer support, but he couldn’t hear them. The screaming noises in his head drowned out any words spoken.

He had his back to the door to the conference room when it opened and he spun around. He knocked a young girl off balance in his hurry to get to his father. Patrick grabbed her shoulders to steady her and stalked off in the direction of the open doors. His father stumbled out through the conference room door, his face was ashen, and his eyes glazed over as he clung to the metal frame. He found his balance and strode along the corridor with purpose, ignoring Patrick’s questions about what had happened.

Patrick and his father descended in the elevator in silence, they were not alone. All the passengers squashed in to get to the floor they needed. Patrick kept his eyes on his dad who ended up on the opposite side of the small box elevator. He didn’t let him out of his sight as his father bolted as soon as the door opened. Patrick chased him down the corridor and out into the sunshine, his father advanced around the building towards the car park, ignoring his pleas to stop. Finally, Patrick’s father came to a stop at his car, and he stood there squinting, blinking rapidly.

“What did they say, dad? What’s happening?” Patrick asked frantically. He circled around his father’s body to stand in front of him, and they were eye to eye. He had aged mentally ten years in the last six months, he wished he was still the foolish, naive nineteen-year-old he was six months ago. Patrick may have equalled his dad’s height, but he was no match in stature. Patrick was skinny and awkward and his father was tall, broad and foreboding. At this moment, his youthful features had aged, with his shoulders sagging in defeat. Patrick placed his hands on his dad’s shoulders and gave him a little shake. He lifted his head, looked him straight in the eyes and told him what they said.

The news shocked Patrick, genuinely stunned, he had an unpleasant taste in his mouth, his family would never be the same again and there was only one person to blame.

Amazon ✯ Goodreads
The Disappearance of Catherine Brodie ✯ The Recovery of Catherine Brodie ✯ The Survivial of Catherine Brodie
Grace Harper is a British author who loves to write about strong women and the friends and lovers who make them stronger. She adores writing steamy scenes of first encounters and there is always a little twist along the way.

When Grace is not writing, she can be found mooching about in stationery stores, dreaming up tattoo designs or teasing her friends until everyone is in fits of giggles. Grace might have a Maltesers addiction but is not ready to stand up and own that just yet.

Goodreads ✯ Twitter ✯ Facebook (group) ✯ Website ✯ Facebook ✯ Instagram ✯ Amazon a Rafflecopter giveaway MoB Promotions



What’s up and coming on Victoria’s Pages of Romance10 – Book Hooks - #MFRWhooks11 – Thursday Thoughts  - #ThursThoughts12 – Friday Snippets  #FridaySnippets13 – blog available until September14 – blog available until September15 – author spotlight -  16 – author spotlight -  17 – Book Hooks - #MFRWhooks18 – Thursday Thoughts  - #ThursThoughts19 – Friday Snippets  #FridaySnippets20 – blog available until September21 – blog available until September22 – author spotlight -  23 – author spotlight - Melissa Foster – Chased by Love 24 – Book Hooks - #MFRWhooks25 - Thursday Thoughts  - #ThursThoughts26 - Friday Snippets  #FridaySnippets27 – blog available until September28 – blog available until September29 – author spotlight -  30 – author spotlight -  31 – Book Hooks - #MFRWhooks
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What if you were trapped between two cultures? The Lost Girl by Liz Harris #historical, #romantic fiction

THE LOST GIRL BY LIZ HARRIS
What if you were trapped between two cultures?
Life is tough in 1870s Wyoming. But it’s tougher still when you’re a girl who looks Chinese but speaks like an American.
Orphaned as a baby and taken in by an American family, Charity Walker knows this only too well.  The mounting tensions between the new Chinese immigrants and the locals in the mining town of Carter see her shunned by both communities.
When Charity’s one friend, Joe, leaves town, she finds herself isolated. However, in his absence, a new friendship with the only other Chinese girl in Carter makes her feel like she finally belongs somewhere.
But, for a lost girl like Charity, finding a place to call home was never going to be that easy …
Genre: Historical Romantic FictionHeart of the West: Book 3Release Date: 8th August 2016Publisher: Choc LitBUY LINKS AMAZON UK AMAZON US
ABOUT LIZ HARRIS
Liz Harris lives south of Oxford. Her debut novel was THE ROAD BACK (US Coffee Time & Romance Book of 2012), followed by A BARGAIN STRUCK (shortlisted for the RoNA Historical 2013), EVIE UNDERCOVER, THE ART OF DECEPTION and A WESTERN HEART. All of her novels, which are published by Choc Lit, have been shortlisted in their categories in the Festival of Romantic Fiction. In addition, Liz has had several short stories published in anthologies. Her interests are theatre, travelling, reading, cinema and cryptic crosswords. FACEBOOK TWITTER WEBSITE GOODREADS


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What’s up and coming on Victoria’s Pages of Romance9 – author spotlight - Grace Harper – The Absolution of Catherine Brodie 10 – Book Hooks - #MFRWhooks11 – Thursday Thoughts  - #ThursThoughts12 – Friday Snippets  #FridaySnippets13 – author spotlight – Claudia Hall Christian  - Friendly Fire14 – blog available until September15 – author spotlight -  16 – author spotlight -  17 – Book Hooks - #MFRWhooks18 – Thursday Thoughts  - #ThursThoughts19 – Friday Snippets  #FridaySnippets20 – blog available until September21 – blog available until September22 – author spotlight -  23 – author spotlight - Melissa Foster – Chased by Love 24 – Book Hooks - #MFRWhooks25 - Thursday Thoughts  - #ThursThoughts26 - Friday Snippets  #FridaySnippets27 – blog available until September28 – blog available until September29 – author spotlight -  30 – author spotlight -  31 – Book Hooks - #MFRWhooks
If you see a date that is available and would like to post on that day - leave a comment with your email and I'll get back to you ASAP.