Victoria Adams's Blog, page 56

The kind of man my elderly grandmother would've called a dapper sort - Weekend Writing Warriors #8Sunday

Link back to WWW - www.wewriwa.com
From my soon to be released contemporary romance - Red Tulip



The subway ride was mind-numbing as usual. Everyday people traveling home from work, lost in their thoughts and problems. A few women glanced at the tulip with a curious gaze. The brilliance of the red petals was eye-catching. Smiles briefly crept across the other passenger's lips. A twinkling of joy in an otherwise drab existence.I gripped the overhanging strap and swayed with the rolling of the car. He'd been a pleasure to behold. The kind of man my elderly grandmother would've called a dapper sort. I never actually knew what she meant by that, but the vision of him in his dark suit, bowler hat and silver tipped cane, clarified the definition.


Darcy O'Calahann, a junior gardener from a small mid-western town, is trying to make her way in the big city.Shamus McRae is a wealthy bachelor with a mysterious family past.Are Darcy's eyes playing tricks on her? Is she losing her mind? Or is there really a Red Tulip tying her and Shamus together?
Rest of the month's highlights on Victoria's Pages of Romance 20 – author spotlight – Beverly Hoffman – Cradled Dreams21 – author spotlight – Melissa Keir – Crash and Burn from Crashing Into Love boxed set22 – Book Hooks - #MFRWhooks23 – author spotlight – Ashlyn Chase – The Cupcake Coven24 – Friday Snippets  #Friday Snippets25 – My Sexy Saturday - #MySexySaturday26 – Weekend Writing Warriors - #8sunday27 – author spotlight – Barbara Lamplugh – Secrets of the Pomegranate28 – author spotlight – D'Ann Lindun – Falling Hard from Crashing Into Love boxed set29 – Book Hooks - #MFRWhooks30 – author spotlight – M.J. Moon - The Girl With the Twirl 31 – Friday Snippets  #Friday Snippets
 

Seven sentences from the soon to be released Red Tulip on My Sexy Saturday #MySexySaturday #Saturday7 #MSS101

From the soon to be released - Red Tulip



What would it be like to be with a man like that? For those few moments in his presence, I was unable to think. My breath caught in my lungs. My palms were slick with beads of sweat. I shook my head, opened my eyes, and tugged the ever-present hair tie off my wrist. "Get over yourself, Darcy. A man like that wants a super model who can slink around on eight-inch heels. Not someone who digs in the dirt all day."
Darcy O'Calahann, a junior gardener from a small mid-western town, is trying to make her way in the big city.
Shamus McRae is a wealthy bachelor with a mysterious family past.Are Darcy's eyes playing tricks on her? Is she losing her mind? Or is there really a Red Tulip tying her and Shamus together?
Rest of the month's highlights on Victoria's Pages of Romance
19 – Weekend Writing Warriors - #8sunday 20 – author spotlight – Beverly Hoffman – Cradled Dreams 21 – author spotlight – Melissa Keir – Crash and Burn from Crashing Into Love boxed set 22 – Book Hooks - #MFRWhooks 23 – author spotlight – Ashlyn Chase – The Cupcake Coven 24 – Friday Snippets  #Friday Snippets 25 – My Sexy Saturday - #MySexySaturday 26 – Weekend Writing Warriors - #8sunday 27 – author spotlight – Barbara Lamplugh – Secrets of the Pomegranate 28 – author spotlight – D'Ann Lindun – Falling Hard from Crashing Into Love boxed set 29 – Book Hooks - #MFRWhooks 30 – author spotlight – M.J. Moon - The Girl With the Twirl 31 – Friday Snippets  #Friday Snippets  

Chapter 1 from soon to be released Red Tulip on Friday Snippets #Friday Snippets

From the soon to be released - Red Tulip - chapter 1



"When was the last time you were offered the gift of a red tulip?"I turned to see who spoke while I wondered if he was addressing me. A man sat on a park bench, dressed in a dark suit, with a bowler hat, holding a cane and his head bowed. I shifted to continue along the path when his face lifted and I found myself gaping at two glowing green eyes."When was the last time you were offered the gift of a red tulip?"I blinked, trying to look away from those mesmerising orbs. "Uh, never. I mean, no one has ever offered me a tulip.""A red tulip.""Okay, no one has ever offered me a red tulip." Uneasiness slithered through me. "Nice chatting with you." Smiling, I scurried down the path leading away from the park bench and towards the gardener's shed. With Jacobs being sick today, I had to hurry to get the last of the flower beds cleaned and prepared for spring plantings. The past winter had been bitter. It seemed tree branches and mouse damage wreaked havoc on every one of the one hundred and sixteen different flowerbeds.I slipped my key into the lock, opened the shed door, stepped inside and shut it behind me. Closing my eyes, I allowed myself a moment to indulge in the beauty of his eyes. Emerald green. As brilliant as the gems locked among the diamonds at Tiffany's. Not that I shop there. Couldn't possibly afford anything on a junior gardener's salary, but I do fantasize when wandering the aisles.What would it be like to be with a man like that? For those few moments in his presence, I was unable to think. My breath caught in my lungs. My palms were slick with beads of sweat. I shook my head, opened my eyes, and tugged the ever-present hair tie off my wrist. "Get over yourself, Darcy. A man like that wants a super model who can slink around on eight-inch heels. Not someone who digs in the dirt all day."I pulled my hair up into a ponytail and tucked it through the back hole in my baseball cap. After grabbing a rake and my favourite trowel, I loaded them and a pair of snippers and clippers onto the back of the gardener's cart, opened the big door, then drove out into the bright spring sunshine. Hopping out of the cart, I then turned and hoisted a bag of duck feed into the cart, closed and locked both shed doors.The buds on the trees had begun to swell. A sure sign spring was at hand. I inhaled deep, slipped onto the driver's seat and turned in the direction of the duck pond. Joy lifted my heart as I drove towards my favourite part of the day: duck feeding.This time of the year, the drakes courted the ducks. Not like in my life where the drake, namely Justin, was off courting Sabrina rather than me. Okay, so Sabrina had a sexy job as a TV weather girl. But I'm betting those eyelashes, fingernails and boobs aren't original packaging.I stood by the side of the pond, tossing handfuls of feed into the shallow water. I laughed as the ducks and geese waddled over, scavenging for food.Movement to my left caught my attention. A large, old car, a Rolls Royce I think, parked at the edge of the lot. The front door opened and a chauffeur exited. Cool. I wonder which celebrity is getting married today?Although not in full flower, the early spring gardens did make a striking backdrop for wedding photos or model shoots. A tingle shot from my belly to my toes when hestepped out of the car. I turned my head, pretending to focus on the ducks, but I watched as he exited the car, strolled down the grass, sat on the nearest bench and smiled.Oh, good heavens. Is he following me? Like a stalker? I gave myself a little shake. Don't be stupid. He probably just wants to watch me feed the ducks.I struggled not to glance back and meet the emerald green gaze. I had a job to do. Brushing my hands against my work pants, I returned to the cart and proceeded with my day.Twelve flowerbeds cleaned. I was tired, but proud. Tomorrow, Jacobs and I could begin the planting, and soon the gardens would be alive with blooms. As I reached the gardener's shed, I checked to see if, maybe, the Rolls was nearby. Or, possibly the man with the emerald gaze sat on a nearby bench. Both the parking lot and bench were deserted. No one but the ducks and me were in the park at this time of the day.Sighing, I inserted the key into the lock for the big door and drove the cart inside. A splash of colour on the wooden bench made me gasp. I jumped out of the cart and picked up the note resting beside the flower."I offer the gift of a red tulip."

 



Rest of the month's highlights on Victoria's Pages of Romance18 – My Sexy Saturday - #MySexySaturday19 – Weekend Writing Warriors - #8sunday20 – author spotlight – Beverly Hoffman – Cradled Dreams21 – author spotlight – Melissa Keir – Crash and Burn from Crashing Into Love boxed set22 – Book Hooks - #MFRWhooks23 – Thursday 13 - #Thursday13 possible Ashlynn24 – Friday Snippets  #Friday Snippets25 – My Sexy Saturday - #MySexySaturday26 – Weekend Writing Warriors - #8sunday27 – author spotlight – Barbara Lamplugh – Secrets of the Pomegranate28 – author spotlight – D'Ann Lindun – Falling Hard from Crashing Into Love boxed set29 – Book Hooks - #MFRWhooks30 – author spotlight – M.J. Moon - The Girl With the Twirl 31 – Friday Snippets  #Friday Snippets

Fabulous Guest Post by Lois Winston - Rules? Who Needs Rules?

Rules? Who Needs Rules?
Once upon a time there were very strict “rules” to writing genre fiction. Certain plots, characters, settings, language, etc. were allowed; others were huge no-no’s. For example, when I first started writing romance, no romance editor would consider an athlete hero. Then Susan Elizabeth Phillips came along and had huge success with her football heroes. Rachel Gibson followed with her hockey-playing heroes, and all of a sudden it was okay to have athlete heroes. A rule is only a rule until someone has a breakout success after breaking that rule. Fiction is loaded with rule breakers who were once rejected but have since gone on to have great success.
I started out writing romance. Several years ago, at the suggestion of my agent, I switched to writing a cozy mystery series, The Anastasia Pollack Crafting Mysteries. The cozy mystery genre began with Agatha Christie’s Miss Marple books. As the genre grew, publishers took their cue from Dame Agatha, setting up rules for the genre: no graphic violence, no foul language, no killing of children or animals, no romance, and positively no sex. The books also needed to be set in a small town or village where everyone knew everyone else. Think Jessica Fletcher in Cabot Cove, Maine.
However, as the genre inched toward the dawn of the twenty-first century, many authors began bending some of these rules. Spurred on by the success of both Janet Evanovich’s Stephanie Plum series (considered a caper, not a cozy) and the popularity of chick lit in the late 90’s, mystery authors began putting a modern day spin to the cozy, moving their female sleuths to the city and allowing them a love interest. Thus was born a new genre—the amateur sleuth.
Because I’m a Jersey girl, the traditional cozy tropes weren’t going to work for me. I’m a city girl (although currently exiled to the suburbs.) I don’t do quaint little towns in the middle of Maine or Vermont. I also believe in tailoring dialogue to the character. My Mafia loan shark isn’t going to say, “Gosh darn it!” His language is going to be more colorful—or off-color. My heroine’s teenage sons might occasionally use a word their mother would rather they didn’t. Boys will be boys, and I want my characters to be as real as possible.
And then there’s the romance. I’ve dumped a lot on my poor heroine. The series opens in Book One, Assault With a Deadly Glue Gun , with Anastasia learning her recently deceased husband had a longstanding affair with Lady Luck. He’s left her in debt up the wazoo and a loan shark demanding repayment of his sizeable debt. She’s also stuck with her annoying and belligerent communist mother-in-law. And all this before she stumbles over her first dead body and is compelled to turn amateur sleuth to prove her innocence.
With all that going on in her life, I had to give Anastasia something to make life worth living, didn’t I? Enter photojournalist (and possible spy) Zachary Barnes. Anastasia rents the apartment above her garage, which she had been using as a studio, to him. From the very beginning their hormones start tap dancing around each other.

I’ve recently released A Stitch to Die For , Book Five in the Anastasia Pollack Crafting Mystery series. Each book has seen the relationship between Anastasia and Zack progress. I’m still closing the bedroom door because I don’t want to alienate my core readership, but as the series continues and times and tastes change, you never know what may happen next.
A Stitch to Die ForEver since her husband died and left her in debt equal to the gross national product of Uzbekistan, magazine crafts editor and reluctant amateur sleuth Anastasia Pollack has stumbled across one dead body after another—but always in work-related settings. When a killer targets the elderly nasty neighbor who lives across the street from her, murder strikes too close to home. Couple that with a series of unsettling events days before Halloween, and Anastasia begins to wonder if someone is sending her a deadly message.
A Stitch to Die For is available in paperback and as an ebook.  


Buy LinksPaperback http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1940795303/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=1940795303&linkCode=as2&tag=loiswins-20&linkId=LBEMP6U7TVMCBQMT
Kindle http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B010M9U5Q2/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B010M9U5Q2&linkCode=as2&tag=loiswins-20&linkId=ZRX4XIA2N5VX6ARK
Nook http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/a-stitch-to-die-for-lois-winston/1122259040?ean=2940150965928
iTuneshttps://itunes.apple.com/us/book/a-stitch-to-die-for/id1014678389?mt=11
Kobohttps://store.kobobooks.com/en-US/ebook/a-stitch-to-die-for
Google Playhttps://play.google.com/store/books/details/Lois_Winston_A_Stitch_to_Die_For?id=XZEbCgAAQBAJ&hl=en
BioUSA Today bestselling and award-winning author Lois Winston writes mystery, romance, romantic suspense, chick lit, women’s fiction, children’s chapter books, and non-fiction under her own name and her Emma Carlyle pen name. Kirkus Reviews dubbed her critically acclaimed Anastasia Pollack Crafting Mystery series, “North Jersey’s more mature answer to Stephanie Plum.” In addition, Lois is an award-winning craft and needlework designer who often draws much of her source material for both her characters and plots from her experiences in the crafts industry. Visit Lois/Emma at www.loiswinston.com and Anastasia at the Killer Crafts & Crafty Killers blog, www.anastasiapollack.blogspot.com. Follow everyone on Tsu at www.tsu.co/loiswinston, on Pinterest at www.pinterest.com/anasleuth, and onTwitter @anasleuth. Sign up for her newsletter at https://www.MyAuthorBiz.com/ENewsletter.php?acct=LW2467152513






Rest of the month's highlights on Victoria's Pages of Romance 17 – Book Boyfriends Café  #HotForFriday18 – My Sexy Saturday - #MySexySaturday19 – Weekend Writing Warriors - #8sunday20 – author spotlight – Beverly Hoffman – Cradled Dreams21 – author spotlight – Melissa Keir – Crash and Burn from Crashing Into Love boxed set22 – Book Hooks - #MFRWhooks23 – Thursday 13 - #Thursday1324 – Book Boyfriends Café  #HotForFriday25 – My Sexy Saturday - #MySexySaturday26 – Weekend Writing Warriors - #8sunday27 – author spotlight – Barbara Lamplugh – Secrets of the Pomegranate28 – author spotlight – D'Ann Lindun – Falling Hard from Crashing Into Love boxed set29 – Book Hooks - #MFRWhooks30 – author spotlight – M.J. Moon - The Girl With the Twirl 31 – Book Boyfriends Café  #HotForFriday

Darcy's reaction to the mysterious stranger - Red Tulip - on Book Hooks #MFRWhooks #MFRWAuthor

From the soon to be released contemporary romance with a mystery twist - Red Tulip

Scene set - A mysterious stranger has asked junior gardener Darcy -

"When was the last time you were offered the gift of a red tulip?"






Smiling, I scurried down the path leading away from the park bench and towards the gardener's shed. With Jacobs being sick today, I had to hurry to get the last of the flower beds cleaned and prepared for spring plantings. The past winter had been bitter. It seemed tree branches and mouse damage wreaked havoc on every one of the one hundred and sixteen different flowerbeds.I slipped my key into the lock, opened the shed door, stepped inside and shut it behind me. Closing my eyes, I allowed myself a moment to indulge in the beauty of his eyes - emerald green. As brilliant as the gems locked among the diamonds at Tiffany's. Not that I shop there.


Darcy O'Calahann, a junior gardener from a small mid-western town trying to make her way in the big city.Shamus McRae is a wealthy bachelor with a mysterious family past.Are Darcy's eyes playing tricks on her? Is she losing her mind? Or is there really a Red Tulip tying her and Shamus together?
Rest of the month's highlights on Victoria's Pages of Romance 16 – author spotlight – Lois Winston – A Stitch to Die For - An Anastasia Pollack Crafting Mystery, Book 517 – Friday Snippets  #Friday Snippets18 – My Sexy Saturday - #MySexySaturday19 – Weekend Writing Warriors - #8sunday20 – author spotlight – Beverly Hoffman – Cradled Dreams21 – author spotlight – Melissa Keir – Crash and Burn from Crashing Into Love boxed set22 – Book Hooks - #MFRWhooks23 – Thursday 13 - #Thursday1324 – Friday Snippets  #Friday Snippets25 – My Sexy Saturday - #MySexySaturday26 – Weekend Writing Warriors - #8sunday27 – author spotlight – Barbara Lamplugh – Secrets of the Pomegranate28 – author spotlight – D'Ann Lindun – Falling Hard from Crashing Into Love boxed set29 – Book Hooks - #MFRWhooks30 – author spotlight – M.J. Moon - The Girl With the Twirl 31 – Friday Snippets  #Friday Snippets 

Spotlight on Deb Julienne's A Splash of Romance from the Crashing Into Love box set

Lost meets Romancing the Stone--action adventure, a dash of mystery, and romance to die for.
Seven planes lift off…seven planes crash…seven stories of struggle, passion and love in the barren Canadian Wilderness, the coast of England, or the steamy heat of a tropical island. Romance hangs in the balance between survival and death. 


A Splash of Romance by Deb Julienne Who knew a plane crash would lead to romance? Hannah Parks is a trauma nurse on her way to a symposium at the Sister Kenny Rehabilitation Institute. She just started her bucket list and a plane crash definitely isn't on it.  Oliver Lawson's divorce is final and he's looking to start over. A tropical island, a gorgeous woman. Romance is one thing, getting there as a result of a crash landing...who knew? 
EXCERPT:Hannah turned toward Tony who moved in beside her as he bent over the woman with the tourniquet around her upper thigh.“Well?” Tony asked as he continued to look at the wound while waited for an update from her.“She’s in labor, contractions are too strong for Braxton Hicks, and she’s still unconscious.”The pregnant woman moaned once then went silent again.Hannah moved to Tony’s side. “What do we have here?”Within seconds the pilot and co-pilot joined them.A moment of quick orders from the doctor had each man holding a flashlight on the injured leg. Tony asked for the crazy glue and the pilot and co-pilot exchanged surprised glances.Hannah handed it to him.With the proper tools now at hand, they had the vein closed and the wound sutured. Tony applied it to seal the exterior wound as well then chuckled at the mocking looks from the men. “Amazing how the medicinal use of crazy glue can come in handy in an emergency.”The co-pilot wobbled, his knees buckled. Thank goodness the pilot caught him before he hit the ground.Hannah moved beside him at once. She looked up at the captain. “What’s his name?”“Oliver. Oliver Lawson.”Hannah lightly slapped Oliver’s cheeks. “Oliver. Wake up.”A crack of lightning gave her the first hint at the problem. Blood covered his face. She cleaned him up as best she could. The wound was hidden just above the hairline.He moaned and reached for his head.She grabbed his hand before he could contaminate the area she’d cleaned. “Hold his hands down.” She sprayed the affected area with a local aesthetic numbing spray then gave him two shots to numb the area. By the time he came to the wound was stitched and his head was bandaged.“Is he going to be okay?” the captain asked.“Yes, he must have he hit his head during the landing. Not bad, but head wounds tend to bleed profusely.”“Is that all?”“It’s just an educated guess, but I suspect he has a minor concussion. I’ll have the doctor look at him when he’s done with the woman in labor.The co-pilot blinked, opened his eyes and tried to sit up. He rolled to his side and vomited then flopped back to the ground. He lifted a hand to his head and winced. “Ouch.”“Easy does it.” Hannah lowered his hand to his side. “You have a nasty bump there.”“What happened?” Oliver’s head lolled side to side.The pilot spoke up. “Glad to have you back. You scared me there for a bit.”“Derek? What’s going on?” Oliver turned his head. Looked up, blinking multiple times. His eyes closed and he went still.Hannah grabbed her handy dandy flashlight to check his pupils. He had beautiful steel blue eyes. “Concussion seems likely. We’ll need to keep him awake for the next twenty-four hours. Help me sit him up.”Hannah and Derek soon had Oliver leaning against a palm tree. The winds gusted. There was a sound overhead then the rustle of the fronds as a coconut dropped right between Oliver’s thighs.“Crikey! Almost lost my dingaling and boys to a coconut,” Oliver said.Hannah couldn’t have stopped the chuckle that escaped if she tried. His Australian accent was more decadent than a box of chocolate covered pecan pralines straight from New Orleans.

AMAZON US
AMAZON UK
Print Copy

About Deb JulienneWhile some say truth is stranger than fiction, Deb Julienne’s experience runs more along the lines of a slap-stick comedy; when life tosses you lemons the only thing to do is to turn it into Limoncello. Deb’s dream of being published came true with the release of her first book, SEX, LIES, AND BEAUTY AIDS, a romantic comedy, in March of 2014. As a longtime member of both Romance Writers of America (RWA) and her local RWA Chapter, the Sacramento Valley Roses, she fills the hours she’s not writing romantic comedy and romantic suspense with her day job at a Silicon Valley Corporation and playing in the kitchen concocting her award-winning jams, jellies, preserves, and sauces (with alcohol of course). She resides in her own little bit of heaven in the Sierra Tahoe National Forest Basin, with her husband of 33 years, their three sons and one daughter, and two very precious grandkids.
Find Deb at:Website:http://www.debjulienne.comFacebook:https://www.facebook.com/pages/Deb-Julienne/752399544824095?ref=hlTwitter:@debjuliennePinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/debjulienne
 Rest of the month's highlights on Victoria's Pages of Romance
15 – Book Hooks - #MFRWhooks16 – author spotlight – Lois Winston – A Stitch to Die For - An Anastasia Pollack Crafting Mystery, Book 517 – Book Boyfriends Café  #HotForFriday18 – My Sexy Saturday - #MySexySaturday19 – Weekend Writing Warriors - #8sunday20 – author spotlight – Beverly Hoffman – Cradled Dreams21 – author spotlight – Melissa Keir – Crash and Burn from Crashing Into Love boxed set22 – Book Hooks - #MFRWhooks23 – Thursday 13 - #Thursday1324 – Book Boyfriends Café  #HotForFriday25 – My Sexy Saturday - #MySexySaturday26 – Weekend Writing Warriors - #8sunday27 – author spotlight – Barbara Lamplugh – Secrets of the Pomegranate28 – author spotlight – D'Ann Lindun – Falling Hard from Crashing Into Love boxed set29 – Book Hooks - #MFRWhooks30 – author spotlight – M.J. Moon - The Girl With the Twirl 31 – Book Boyfriends Café  #HotForFriday

Spotlight on Eleanor Smythe and her latest - The Other Side of Town

THE OTHER SIDE OF TOWN BY ELEANOR SMYTHE

Maureen and Karina had been friends since childhood. However, due to betrayal and grief their lives have taken on very different paths. The Other Side of Town tells the story of the two families, brought together by tragedy.Maureen marries John Evans and they soon have their fair share of misfortune. An accident at work impacts on their lives, forcing them to sell their home and move into social housing and a completely different lifestyle. Maureen soon has to find work with a multinational IT company called Millbrooks. Tragedy soon finds them again and their life is consumed with grief while trying to find justice. Amidst all this, Maureen befriends a woman called Judith and although she has a chequered past, Judith brings a sense of humour and friendship into their lives. Karina marries Rupert Millbrook, whose family span generations and are so influential that the town is named after them. Karina soon discovers that once you marry a Millbrook, you marry the family and its history. Karina soon becomes Managing Director of Millbrook's IT and Maureen’s boss. However, Karina’s life is not without its own difficulties and she soon finds herself struggling with her teenage children and the issues they bring. Rupert has his own problems. A criminal investigation, lead by Inspector Hennessy who is on a special assignment from London, reveals links between Rupert's business deals and a known international criminal, Yakov Volkov.
BUY LINKS Amazon.com Amazon UK
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Eleanor Smythe was born in the east end of London. Raised a family to secondary school level and then went on to obtain a degree in Occupational Therapy. Although she worked in various medical settings her greatest passion in her career was working with clients in the community, where she claims real life takes place. Recently retired and now living in Portugal Eleanor has more time to pursue her love of writing. She has always been intrigued by the way in which people’s lives have twists and turns and how individuals cope with life's challenges. Her stories attempt to embrace the emotional turmoils of life, bringing her characters to life by showing humour, tragedy, conflict and betrayal; emotions that many of us face daily.  
eleanorsmythe.blogspot.comtwitter: Eleanor Smythe @authoreleanor1FB.  Eleanor Smythe www.facebook.com/authoreleanorsmythe
GIVEAWAYThe prize in the giveaway is a hard backed notebook

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Rest of the month's highlights on Victoria's Pages of Romance14 – author spotlight – Deb Julienne – A Splash of Romance from Crashing Into Love boxed set15 – Book Hooks - #MFRWhooks16 – author spotlight – Lois Winston – A Stitch to Die For - An Anastasia Pollack Crafting Mystery, Book 517 – Friday Snippets  #Friday Snippets18 – My Sexy Saturday - #MySexySaturday19 – Weekend Writing Warriors - #8sunday20 – author spotlight – Beverly Hoffman – Cradled Dreams21 – author spotlight – Melissa Keir – Crash and Burn from Crashing Into Love boxed set22 – Book Hooks - #MFRWhooks23 – Thursday 13 - #Thursday1324 – Friday Snippets  #Friday Snippets25 – My Sexy Saturday - #MySexySaturday26 – Weekend Writing Warriors - #8sunday27 – author spotlight – Barbara Lamplugh – Secrets of the Pomegranate28 – author spotlight – D'Ann Lindun – Falling Hard from Crashing Into Love boxed set29 – Book Hooks - #MFRWhooks30 – author spotlight – M.J. Moon - The Girl With the Twirl 31 – Friday Snippets  #Friday Snippets

From Red Tulip - A bit of mystery for Darcy on Weekend Writing Warriors #8Sunday

Link to WWW
Scene Set - Junior gardener, Darcy, has just finished her day and returns to the locked gardening shed.



Sighing, I inserted the key into the lock for the big door and drove the cart inside. A splash of colour on the wooden bench made me gasp. I jumped out of the cart and picked up the note resting beside the flower."I offer the gift of a red tulip."My fingers trembled as I picked up the tulip. How did it get there? Did he put it there?Glancing around the shed, everything seemed normal.

Soon to be released - Red Tulip - Darcy O'Calahann, a junior gardener from a small mid-western town trying to make her way in the big city.Shamus McRae is a wealthy bachelor with a mysterious family past.Are Darcy's eyes playing tricks on her? Is she losing her mind? Or is there really a Red Tulip tying her and Shamus together?





Rest of the month's highlights on Victoria's Pages of Romance13 – author spotlight – Eleanor Smythe – The Other Side of Town14 – author spotlight – Deb Julienne – A Splash of Romance from Crashing Into Love boxed set15 – Friday Snippets  #Friday Snippets16 – author spotlight – Lois Winston – A Stitch to Die For - An Anastasia Pollack Crafting Mystery, Book 517 – Friday Snippets  #Friday Snippets18 – My Sexy Saturday - #MySexySaturday19 – Weekend Writing Warriors - #8sunday20 – author spotlight – Beverly Hoffman – Cradled Dreams21 – author spotlight – Melissa Keir – Crash and Burn from Crashing Into Love boxed set22 – Book Hooks - #MFRWhooks23 – Thursday 13 - #Thursday1324 – Friday Snippets  #Friday Snippets25 – My Sexy Saturday - #MySexySaturday26 – Weekend Writing Warriors - #8sunday27 – author spotlight – Barbara Lamplugh – Secrets of the Pomegranate28 – author spotlight – D'Ann Lindun – Falling Hard from Crashing Into Love boxed set29 – Book Hooks - #MFRWhooks30 – author spotlight – M.J. Moon - The Girl With the Twirl 31 – Friday Snippets  #Friday Snippets

The mystery begins for Darcy from Red Tulip on My Sexy Saturday #MySexySaturday #Saturday7 #MSS100

First off---
This week's 7 is from my about to be released contemporary romance - Red Tulip.

Scene set - Darcy has just finished her day's chores as a junior gardener at a large public park.



Sighing, I inserted the key into the lock for the big door and drove the cart inside. A splash of colour on the wooden bench made me gasp. I jumped out of the cart and picked up the note resting beside the flower."I offer the gift of a red tulip."My fingers trembled as I picked up the tulip. How did it get there? Did he put it there?





Rest of the month's highlights on Victoria's Pages of Romance12 – Weekend Writing Warriors - #8sunday13 – author spotlight – Eleanor Smythe – The Other Side of Town14 – author spotlight – Deb Julienne – A Splash of Romance from Crashing Into Love boxed set15 – Friday Snippets  #Friday Snippets16 – author spotlight – Lois Winston – A Stitch to Die For - An Anastasia Pollack Crafting Mystery, Book 517 – Friday Snippets  #Friday Snippets18 – My Sexy Saturday - #MySexySaturday19 – Weekend Writing Warriors - #8sunday20 – author spotlight – Beverly Hoffman – Cradled Dreams21 – author spotlight – Melissa Keir – Crash and Burn from Crashing Into Love boxed set22 – Book Hooks - #MFRWhooks23 – Thursday 13 - #Thursday1324 – Friday Snippets  #Friday Snippets25 – My Sexy Saturday - #MySexySaturday26 – Weekend Writing Warriors - #8sunday27 – author spotlight – Barbara Lamplugh – Secrets of the Pomegranate28 – author spotlight – D'Ann Lindun – Falling Hard from Crashing Into Love boxed set29 – Book Hooks - #MFRWhooks30 – author spotlight – M.J. Moon - The Girl With the Twirl 31 – Friday Snippets  #Friday Snippets

On Friday Snippets - From to about to be released - Red Tulip - a contemporary romance with a twist of mystery #FridaySnippets

Red Tulip is the first book in a series called - Romantic Flashes. It is a collection of flash fiction episodes that were worked into romances. Each week prompts were given and the challenge was to write them into the story for that week. Each "chapter" could only be 500-1,000 words. This is the first chapter and the opening line was the prompt that inspired the whole book.



©Victoria Adams 2015


"When was the last time you were offered the gift of a red tulip?"  I turned to see who spoke while I wondered if he was addressing me. A man sat on a park bench, dressed in a dark suit, with a bowler hat, holding a cane and his head bowed. I shifted to continue along the path when his face lifted and I found myself gaping at two glowing green eyes."When was the last time you were offered the gift of a red tulip?"  I blinked, trying to look away from those mesmerising orbs. "Uh, never. I mean, no one has ever offered me a tulip.""A red tulip." "Okay, no one has ever offered me a red tulip." Uneasiness slithered through me. "Nice chatting with you." Smiling, I scurried down the path leading away from the park bench and towards the gardener's shed. With Jacobs being sick today, I had to hurry to get the last of the flower beds cleaned and prepared for spring plantings. The past winter had been bitter. It seemed tree branches and mouse damage wreaked havoc on every one of the one hundred and sixteen different flowerbeds.I slipped my key into the lock, opened the shed door, stepped inside and shut it behind me. Closing my eyes, I allowed myself a moment to indulge in the beauty of his eyes. Emerald green. As brilliant as the gems locked among the diamonds at Tiffany's. Not that I shop there. Couldn't possibly afford anything on a junior gardener's salary, but I do fantasize when wandering the aisles.What would it be like to be with a man like that? For those few moments in his presence, I was unable to think. My breath caught in my lungs. My palms were slick with beads of sweat. I shook my head, opened my eyes, and tugged the ever-present hair tie off my wrist. "Get over yourself, Darcy. A man like that wants a super model who can slink around on eight-inch heels. Not someone who digs in the dirt all day."I pulled my hair up into a ponytail and tucked it through the back hole in my baseball cap. After grabbing a rake and my favourite trowel, I loaded them and a pair of snippers and clippers onto the back of the gardener's cart, opened the big door, then drove out into the bright spring sunshine. Hopping out of the cart, I then turned and hoisted a bag of duck feed into the cart, closed and locked both shed doors.The buds on the trees had begun to swell. A sure sign spring was at hand. I inhaled deep, slipped onto the driver's seat and turned in the direction of the duck pond. Joy lifted my heart as I drove towards my favourite part of the day: duck feeding.This time of the year, the drakes courted the ducks. Not like in my life where the drake, namely Justin, was off courting Sabrina rather than me. Okay, so Sabrina had a sexy job as a TV weather girl. But I'm betting those eyelashes, fingernails and boobs aren't original packaging.I stood by the side of the pond, tossing handfuls of feed into the shallow water. I laughed as the ducks and geese waddled over, scavenging for food.Movement to my left caught my attention. 

Blurb -


Darcy O'Calahann, a junior gardener from a small mid-western town, is trying to make her way in the big city.Shamus McRae is a wealthy bachelor with a mysterious family past.Are Darcy's eyes playing tricks on her? Is she losing her mind? Or is there really a Red Tulip tying her and Shamus together?


Rest of the month's highlights on Victoria's Pages of Romance11 – My Sexy Saturday - #MySexySaturday12 – Weekend Writing Warriors - #8sunday13 – author spotlight – Eleanor Smythe – The Other Side of Town14 – author spotlight – Deb Julienne – A Splash of Romance from Crashing Into Love boxed set15 – Friday Snippets  #Friday Snippets16 – author spotlight – Lois Winston – A Stitch to Die For - An Anastasia Pollack Crafting Mystery, Book 517 – Friday Snippets  #Friday Snippets18 – My Sexy Saturday - #MySexySaturday19 – Weekend Writing Warriors - #8sunday20 – author spotlight – Beverly Hoffman – Cradled Dreams21 – author spotlight – Melissa Keir – Crash and Burn from Crashing Into Love boxed set22 – Book Hooks - #MFRWhooks23 – Thursday 13 - #Thursday1324 – Friday Snippets  #Friday Snippets25 – My Sexy Saturday - #MySexySaturday26 – Weekend Writing Warriors - #8sunday27 – author spotlight – Barbara Lamplugh – Secrets of the Pomegranate28 – author spotlight – D'Ann Lindun – Falling Hard from Crashing Into Love boxed set29 – Book Hooks - #MFRWhooks30 – author spotlight – M.J. Moon - The Girl With the Twirl 31 – Friday Snippets  #Friday Snippets