Karen Docter's Blog, page 182
June 18, 2017
Congratulations Week 06-05-17 & 06-12-17 Blog Giveaway Winners!
CONGRATULATIONS WEEK
06-05-17 & 06-12-17
BLOG GIVEAWAY WINNERS!!
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Karen’s Killer Book Bench with Leeann Betts…
**SPECIAL GIVEAWAY**: Leeann will give away an ebook or print (U.S. ONLY) copy of HIDDEN ASSETS to one reader who comments on her **Author Peek”” and Book Bench blogs, answering the following question: What kinds of deadlines do you give yourself? Thanks, Leeann, for sharing your book with us!
WINNER: KATHLEEN BYLSMA !
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Karen’s Killer Fixin’s with Elaine Raco Chase ETAL…
**SPECIAL GIVEAWAY**: An ebook copy of COCKTAILS FOR TEN box set to TEN READERS who comment on this Karen’s Killer Fixin’s blog. Thanks E.G. Fox, Elaine Raco Chase, Donna Fasano, Ashley Fontainne, Dee Dee Covas, Diane Nelson, Lorne Oliver, Michael Cody, Ashley Goss, Angie Dokos, for sharing your box set with us!
WINNERS: KATHLEEN BYLSMA, BN100, YVONNE CRUZ, EILEEN AW & HELEN RODIN DRAKE !
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**SPECIAL GIVEAWAY**: Charlene will give away an ebook copy of LOVE’S RACE TO THE FUTURE to two readers who comment on her Killer Fixin’s blog. Thanks, Charlene, for sharing your book with us!
WINNERS: BN100 & HELEN RODIN DRAKE!!
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**SPECIAL GIVEAWAY**: 6 DAYS LEFT!!! There is still time to win an Audio Book Set of IRRESISTIBLY YOURS (Oxford #1), I WISH YOU WERE MINE (Oxford #2) and SOMEONE LIKE YOU (Oxford #3).
ENTER HERE: http://www.karendocter.com/karens-killer-book-bench-i-knew-you-were-trouble-oxford-4-by-lauren-layne.html
~~~
SUMMER FUN SALE!!!
SALE ENDS MONDAY JUNE 19, 2017!!
Karen/K.L. Docter has slashed prices 50% on her contemporary Romance, COP ON HER DOORSTEP (ONLY $1.99).
Blurb: In the six years since her husband was killed by S.W.A.T., Carrie Padilla has spent long hours at work, rebuilding a life for herself and her son. The little time she has at home is spent keeping her eight-year-old son out of trouble, but he is all too eager to try to be the man in the house. When a handsome cop shows up on her doorstep, her errant son in tow, Carrie’s heart stutters. The sexy Italian cop sets off all kinds of bells in her system, and she knows there’s only one thing she can do to save what is left of her family, her husband’s memory, and her heart…avoid her new neighbor at all costs.
S.W.A.T. officer Jake Stefani already lost one little boy to gang violence, the dead boy’s older brother is missing, and Jake’s not about to let the same thing happen to a neighbor’s son. He drags the youngster home only to discover much more than a passing interest in the boy’s beautiful, but wary, mother. Forced to take a leave of absence after a bust goes awry, Jake can think of nothing better to occupy his time than to keep Carrie and her son safe, and locate the missing teen who holds the key to taking the gang off the streets, once and for all.
But Jake doesn’t count on his stubborn, intriguing neighbor distracting him from his job, or the passion that flares between them. He doesn’t expect her amazing son to steal a piece of his heart. Jake is ready to risk everything for Carrie, body and soul. But it’s not all up to him. If their new love is to survive, Carrie will need to be strong enough to see the man’s beating heart behind the badge, to look beyond the pain of her past, and decide that loving again is worth the risk.
(Stand Alone Novel)
Amazon: http://goo.gl/bUHNMu
B&N: http://goo.gl/6uoZTd
Kobo: http://goo.gl/fd92aB
Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/550634
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/26183834-cop-on-her-doorstep
Karen/K.L. Docter has slashed prices 50% on her romantic suspense, KILLING SECRETS, Thorne’s Thorns Book 1 (ONLY $2.99) for almost 400 pages of secrets, twists, and the “kind of killer we see on the TV show CRIMINAL MINDS”! (RT Book Reviews)
Blurb: Some secrets are better left dead.
Rachel James’ ex-husband is released from prison determined to reclaim her and her little girl — the child is his key to controlling the James fortune. Frightened, Rachel flees to Denver with the child who hasn’t uttered a word since her daddy went to prison.
Contractor Patrick Thorne wants nothing to do with another of his parents’ charity cases. He failed his own wife so abysmally she took her own life as well as his unborn son’s. After two years, it’s time to concentrate on the bid he’s won and the saboteur trying to destroy his construction firm.
There is no room for trust in either of their hearts. But trust is all that will untangle the secrets that dominate their lives, free a little girl of her silent prison, and save them all from a serial killer who stands too close.
Amazon: http://goo.gl/b241cp
B&N: http://goo.gl/wsqVxB
Kobo: http://goo.gl/KM563U
iTunes: http://goo.gl/pg58wN
HAPPY READING!
~~~
All giveaway winners chosen by random.org from reader comments with the exception of Rafflecopter giveaways which are determined and announced offsite by publisher/authors. Thank you!
June 15, 2017
Karen’s Killer Fixin’s **Author Special** with LOVE’S RACE TO THE FUTURE (A Time Travel Novel) Author Charlene Raddon #recipe ~ Pine Nut Chicken
Karen’s Killer Fixin’s
**AUTHOR SPECIAL**
with CHARLENE RADDON!
Welcome to my Friday bonus feature called Karen’s Killer Fixin’s **Author Special**!! Today, in lieu of one of my own recipes, I’m going to introduce you to a new author who will share one of her favorite recipes. Not only will you and I occasionally learn how to make something new and delicious, but we’ll get a chance to check out some wonderful authors. Introducing author, CHARLENE RADDON and her favorite recipe for PINE NUT CHICKEN!
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LOVE’S RACE TO THE FUTURE
A Time Travel Novel
BY CHARLENE RADDON
BLURB
Sierra West has a murder to investigate. One that comes with a mine, a Native American fetish, and a hole.
A hole to 1878.
The mine’s owner, Gidry Tyrell, helps Sierra and her brother settle into Tyrell Town, Idaho, a ghost town in 2017, but thriving in 1878. Gidry is on a murder investigation of his own. Can Sierra and her brother help him find who murdered his brother, without becoming victims themselves?
Will they all live to help save the orphans who survived a smallpox epidemic only to fall into the clutches of a cruel child abuser?
LOVE’S RACE TO THE FUTURE
A Time Travel Novel
BY CHARLENE RADDON
Excerpt #1
Brother and sister stared at each other.
Trevor laughed. “You’re shitting us, right?”
Gidry Tyrell’s face took on the sober mien of a Baptist preacher. He looked insulted. “I am most certainly not. My brother, Rowley, made the first strike here in October of 1876. There were no buildings before that.”
Sierra threw up her hands. “Whoa, whoa, whoa. Back up. 1876?”
“Yes. That is the year.” He looked at her as if she’d said she’d come from the moon. “You are aware of that, aren’t you?”
“Are you freaking scamming me?” she all but screamed at him. “It’s 2017, Mr. Tyrell. Two-thousand and seventeen, not 1876.”
He jerked as if she’d belted him in the stomach. As it had once before, his gaze drifted over her tee-shirt and jeans, then Trevor’s baggy shorts and tee-shirt. “Who are you people?”
Excerpt #2
She rummaged through her backpack, found her wallet, and withdrew her driver’s license. “Here, Gidry. This proves who I am.”
He took the license. “Born May 15, 1993, Pocatello, Idaho. Where did you get this? I’ve never seen anything like it before. And I’ve lived in Idaho for three years and never heard of Pocatello.”
“It’s southeast of Boise. Are you convinced?”
“A license. For what, if I may ask?”
Sierra chose her words carefully to avoid confusion and more questions. “To operate a vehicle. You know, like a wagon or a stagecoach.”
A frown creased his forehead. “You must be licensed to drive a wagon in your world?”
“Yes, sort of.”
“Did someone paint your image on the license?”
“Uh, no. It’s a photograph.”
“Oh.” He nodded. “A tinted one.”
He handed the license back. “Trevor, do you have one of those?”
Silently, Trevor fished out his license and handed it to him.
Gidry studied it, turning it over and over in his hands. “What are these made of? It’s the best job of photograph tinting I’ve ever seen.” He returned the license, shaking his head. “Damn. Forgive my crass language, Miss West, but you must admit you are asking me to believe something … well, quite unbelievable.”
“It’s no easier for us to believe we have somehow time-traveled to the past, Mr. Tyrell.”
“Time travel? You believe you have gone back in time? What an outrageous notion.”
“Is it?”
Meet Author Charlene Raddon…
Charlene Raddon likes to claim that her fiction career began in the third grade when she told her class she’d had a nonexistent baby sister killed by a black widow spider. Her first serious attempt at writing came in 1980 when a vivid dream drove her to drag out a typewriter and begin writing. She’s been writing ever since. She grew up certain she’d been born in the wrong era and truly belonged in the Old West. Her genre is, of course, historical romance set in the American West. At present, she has five books, originally published in paperback by Kensington Books, two anthologies and a novella available on Amazon. Now an indie author, Charlene is busy on her next novel. She also designs book covers and other graphic materials for authors, specializing in Western, at http://silversagebookcovers.com.
~~~
Links to Charlene’s website, blog, books, etc.
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0711QM6Q9
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CharleneRaddon/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/craddon
Google +: https://plus.google.com/s/charlene%20raddon/top
YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=charlene+raddon
Amazon Author Page:
https://www.amazon.com/Charlene-Raddon/e/B000APG1P8/ref=ntt_dp_epwbk_0
I hope you enjoy the recipe Charlene is sharing today on Karen’s Killer Fixin’s. Happy Eating!
Karen
P.S. We’re at 318 recipes and counting with this posting. Hope you find some recipes you like. If this is your first visit, please check out past blogs for more Killer Fixin’s. In the right hand column menu, you can even look up past recipes by type. i.e. Desserts, Breads, Beef, Chicken, Soups, Author Specials, etc.
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PINE NUT CHICKEN
[Makes 2 servings]
2 chicken breasts, either whole or in bits
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1/2 cup sour cream
1/4 cup pine nuts (roasted or plain but roasted is best)
Paprika
Rice or cooked noodles
Brown chicken, cut into preferred size. Place in casserole dish. Mix soup and sour cream, pour over chicken. Sprinkle pine nuts on top and lightly sprinkle paprika over all. Cook at 350 degrees for 1/2 hour until done and serve with rice or noodles.
~~~
**SPECIAL GIVEAWAY**: Charlene will give away an ebook copy of LOVE’S RACE TO THE FUTURE to two readers who comment on her Killer Fixin’s blog. Thanks, Charlene, for sharing your book with us!
Don’t miss the chance to read this book!
June 14, 2017
Karen’s Killer Book Bench: Somebody Like You & Nearest Thing to Heaven (Maverick Junction Books 1 & 2) by Lynnette Austin
KAREN’S KILLER BOOK BENCH: Welcome to Karen’s Killer Book Bench where readers can discover talented new authors and take a peek inside their wonderful books. This is not an age-filtered site so all book peeks are PG-13 or better. Come back and visit often. Happy reading!
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SOMEBODY LIKE YOU
Maverick Junction Book 1
BY LYNNETTE AUSTIN
Blurb
WHEN A COWBOY MEETS AN HEIRESS…
Cash Hardeman thinks he’ll have all the time in the world to find the right woman…until he discovers he might lose the family ranch if he’s not married by his 30th birthday. So when Boston beauty Annelise blows into town on her Harley, Cash can’t help wondering if she’s the sexy, leather-clad answer to all his problems.
Giving her bodyguards and the paparazzi the slip, heiress Annelise Montjoy comes to Maverick Junction on a mission to help her ailing grandfather. But keeping her identity hidden in the small Texas town is harder than she expected—especially around a tempting cowboy like Cash. He’s the kind of man who makes her want to spill all her secrets. Soon Annelise starts to wonder if she’s finally found the man who can love her for herself rather than her money. But will the secrets they both keep ruin their plans to ride off into the sunset together?
SOMEBODY LIKE YOU
Maverick Junction Book 1
BY LYNNETTE AUSTIN
Excerpt
“You’ve got to be kidding me.”
Annelise Montjoy motored her Harley along what appeared to be the town’s main street. This was Maverick Junction?
A blue Cadillac, surely old enough to be in a museum, was parked nose-in to the curb. An incredibly ugly dog sat in the front seat.
Thank God, this, the final destination of her cross-country trip from Boston, was temporary. It looked like the kind of place you ran away from, not toward. If luck was on her side, she’d be out of here in a couple weeks at the most.
And then a store door opened and her breath caught. Go, Texas! Look at that cowboy. So different from any of the men in her life. So…intriguing. She slowed to nearly a standstill and watched as he swiped an arm across his forehead, then dumped a grocery bag in the backseat of the old Caddy.
Cracking open a bottle of water, he turned his head in her direction. Her breath hitched as his gaze ran lazily over her, her bike. Then he snagged a Styrofoam cup from inside his car and filled it before setting it on the blistering pavement for the dog waiting patiently beside him.
Leaning against the faded fender, he thumbed back his battered Stetson and chugged the rest of the water. Twisting the cap back on, he tossed the bottle into the recycling bin beside the grocer’s door.
Annelise pulled her bike into a parking space across the street, deliberately turning her back on the stranger. While his clothes might have been stereotypical cowboy—worn jeans, a faded T-shirt, cowboy boots, and hat—he took everything from simmer to boiling point. The jeans hugged long legs, while the shirt stretched taut across his muscled chest. There was something very alluring about him and that surprised her. He wasn’t the kind of man she was usually drawn to.
He shouldn’t appeal to her.
He did.
Not so much as a breeze stirred. The flag on the post office hung limp, and the cheerful red, white, and blue balloons someone had hung outside a beauty salon drooped listlessly.
Unable to stop herself, she peeked in the bike’s rearview mirror. Cowboy was bent over, talking to the dog. Quite a view, but she wasn’t here to admire a fine jean-clad butt. She needed something cold to drink and something light to eat. Then she’d go in search of Dottie Willis and the apartment she’d rented over the Internet. Maverick Junction, Texas. Annelise wished she was driving through, wished she could view it as simply a spot on the map where she’d stopped for lunch one summer day.
Well, she’d just have to work fast.
NEAREST THING TO HEAVEN
Maverick Junction Book 2
BY LYNNETTE AUSTIN
Blurb
The cowboy and the city girl
Sophie London hates Texas. The longhorns freak her out and the wide-open spaces are more unnerving than a Chicago alleyway at night. But Sophie wouldn’t miss her cousin’s wedding for the world—even if it means returning to Maverick Junction . . . and to the dangerously irresistible Ty Rawlins.
A single father of rambunctious triplet boys, Ty knows trouble when he sees it—and Sophie’s got it written all over her. Yet he’s never been able to stop thinking about her, after their one brief meeting. Maybe fate is giving him a second chance. But if Ty wants Sophie to swap her stilettos for cowgirl boots, they’ll each have to face the past—together.
Meet Author Lynnette Austin.
..
Lynnette Austin, a recovering middle school teacher, loves long rides with the top down and the music cranked up, the Gulf of Mexico when a storm is brewing, chocolate frozen custard, anything by Blake Shelton, Chris Young, and Thomas Rhett, and sitting in her local coffee shop reading and enjoying an iced coffee. She and her husband divide their time between Southwest Florida’s beaches and Georgia’s Blue Ridge Mountains. Having grown up in a small town, that’s where her heart takes her—to those quirky small towns where everybody knows everybody…and all their business, for better or worse. Writing for Grand Central and Sourcebooks, she’s published twelve novels and is at work on a new series.
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Links to Lynnettes’s website, blog, books, etc.
SOMEBODY LIKE YOU
Link to Follow Tour:
http://tastybooktours.com/tours-master/somebody-like-you-nearest-thing-to-you-lynette-austin
Goodreads Link:
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/16076089-somebody-like-you
Goodreads Series Link:
https://www.goodreads.com/series/112834-maverick-junction
Buy Links: AMAZON | B & N | GOOGLE | ITUNES | KOBO
NEAREST THING TO HEAVEN
Goodreads Link:
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/16131461-nearest-thing-to-heaven
Goodreads Series Link:
https://www.goodreads.com/series/112834-maverick-junction
Buy Links: AMAZON | B & N | GOOGLE | ITUNES | KOBO
Author Links:
WEBSITE | FACEBOOK | TWITTER | GOODREADS
~~~
Thanks, Lynnette, for sharing your book with us!
Don’t miss the chance to read this book!
June 13, 2017
Karen’s Killer Book Bench: Cop On Her Doorstep, True Love In Uniform Book 1 by Karen Docter **50% off SUMMER SALE** LAST CHANCE!
COP ON HER DOORSTEP
True Love In Uniform, Book 1
By KAREN DOCTER
50% Off ~ Only $1.99 Ends June 20th
Get your copy of COP ON HER DOORSTEP, True Love in Uniform Book 1, a contemporary romance by Karen Docter.
Blurb: In the six years since her husband was killed by S.W.A.T., Carrie Padilla has spent long hours at work, rebuilding a life for herself and her son. The little time she has at home is spent keeping her eight-year-old son out of trouble, but he is all too eager to try to be the man in the house. When a handsome cop shows up on her doorstep, her errant son in tow, Carrie’s heart stutters. The sexy Italian cop sets off all kinds of bells in her system, and she knows there’s only one thing she can do to save what is left of her family, her husband’s memory, and her heart…avoid her new neighbor at all costs.
S.W.A.T. officer Jake Stefani already lost one little boy to gang violence, the dead boy’s older brother is missing, and Jake’s not about to let the same thing happen to a neighbor’s son. He drags the youngster home only to discover much more than a passing interest in the boy’s beautiful, but wary, mother. Forced to take a leave of absence after a bust goes awry, Jake can think of nothing better to occupy his time than to keep Carrie and her son safe, and locate the missing teen who holds the key to taking the gang off the streets, once and for all.
But Jake doesn’t count on his stubborn, intriguing neighbor distracting him from his job, or the passion that flares between them. He doesn’t expect her amazing son to steal a piece of his heart. Jake is ready to risk everything for Carrie, body and soul. But it’s not all up to him. If their new love is to survive, Carrie will need to be strong enough to see the man’s beating heart behind the badge, to look beyond the pain of her past, and decide that loving again is worth the risk.
*All of Karen/K.L. Docter’s novels are stand alone stories with guaranteed happy endings. No cliffhangers.
COP ON HER DOORSTEP
True Love In Uniform, Book 1
By KAREN DOCTER
Excerpt
Carrie Padilla wished she could crawl back into bed. Maybe, under it. Any day that included a cop on her doorstep didn’t promise to be a good one. A policeman appearing at the crack of dawn spelled disaster. There must be some mistake.
The hope prompted her to peek through the peephole a second time to examine the identification she’d demanded. Her heart racing, she sucked in one short, shaky breath of air. Then another, longer one. Her head spun with the effort, so she had to settle her forehead against the door.
She couldn’t chance a one-on-one confrontation with a uniform again. Not this close. She may have beaten the impulse to fall apart every time a siren sounded in the distance or a police car appeared in her rearview mirror, but did she dare test herself with closer contact?
“If you’d like to call the station, Sergeant Grenich will vouch for me.” The voice was deep, authoritative, impossible to ignore.
Opening the door wouldn’t be her first choice. Then, neither would it be second or third. But Officer Jake Stefani wanted to speak with her and she didn’t have an excuse for turning him away. At least, no valid excuse.
Her fingers fumbled with the safety chain as she glanced down at her sweaty exercise gear. Sports bra, covered by the sleeveless Colorado Rockies T-shirt her husband bought her before he died. Her old running shorts, a tad less loose thanks to her recent make-up-for-the-loneliness, chocolate-peanut butter ice cream splurges. Running shoes with low-cut athletic socks.
She wore less to the local swimming pool, so why did she suddenly feel so naked? She was afraid it was due to more emotional reasons than physical ones. The problem was she didn’t have the nerve to ask the man outside to wait until she was better able to cope. He wasn’t likely to wait forever.
Unable to avoid the inevitable any longer, she threw open the door while one trembling hand tucked tendrils of damp, auburn hair back into her ponytail. Disconcerted to find herself nose to chest with the policeman, she stepped backward, her desire to bolt suddenly stronger. At only a few inches over five feet, she’d experienced her share of “tiny attacks” in the past, but never with this kind of intensity.
Amazingly enough, the uniform didn’t cause the problem. The man behind it did. Although he couldn’t quite lay claim to six feet, his crisp, dark blue shirt clung to a broad chest, his trousers molded to muscular legs. He didn’t have the brawny physique of a body builder though, more the sleek, leashed power of a man trained in martial arts. Good heavens, but his biceps looked strong. Rock hard.
Something distinctly feminine within her quickened. Were arms like those capable of tenderness? A woman would feel safe there, secure, if she wasn’t crushed to death first.
Chasing the unruly notion away, she gazed elsewhere. The dark shading of the man’s square jaw suggested a beard needing two close shaves a day. His full lower lip was sensuous and bound to cause heartache, if a woman weren’t tripped up first by the mischievous bump of a slightly crooked nose. She blinked when she reached the kindest, warmest brown eyes she’d ever seen. They were the same rich shade as Swiss chocolate. Soft. Mouthwateringly tempting.
Wow. Too bad she was on a no-man diet.
Meet Author Karen Docter…
Bestselling Author Karen Docter writes contemporary romance. When she feels the need to feed the dark side, she writes intense suspense thrillers as K.L. Docter. She’s an award-winning author, a four-time Romance Writers of America® Golden Heart® finalist, and won the coveted Kiss of Death Romance Writers Daphne du Maurier Award Category (Series) Romantic Mystery Unpublished division.
~~~
Links to Karen/K.L.’s website, blog, books, etc.
Amazon: http://goo.gl/bUHNMu
B&N: http://goo.gl/6uoZTd
Kobo: http://goo.gl/fd92aB
Smashwords:
https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/550634
Goodreads:
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/26183834-cop-on-her-doorstep
Website/Blog: http://www.karendocter.com
Twitter: @KarenDocter
Karen Docter FB:
h
ttps://www.facebook.com/KarenDocterAuthor/
K.L. Docter FB:
https://www.facebook.com/kldocter/
Goodreads: https://goo.gl/bsswDd
~~~
DON’T MISS OUT ON
A MEGA SPRING BUNDLE OF MYSTERIES & THRILLERS & MORE!!
FINAL WEEK TO ENTER ~ GIVEAWAY ENDS JUNE 19TH
~
Follow Me On Amazon & BookBub
For a Chance to Win!!
I’ve teamed up with over 100 fantastic mysteries and thrillers authors to give away a huge collection of novels, alongside 12 bookstore gift cards, PLUS a Kindle Fire or Nook Tablet to the Grand Prize winner!
You can win my novel KILLING SECRETS, Thorne’s Thorns Book 1, plus books from authors like MAGGIE SHAYNE, J.T. ELLISON, REBECCA FORSTER and VICKI HINZE.
Enter the giveaway by clicking here: bit.ly/inspy-mys-azbb-may17
Good luck, and enjoy!
KAREN
June 12, 2017
Karen’s Killer Book Bench: I Knew You Were Trouble (Oxford #4) by Lauren Layne
KAREN’S KILLER BOOK BENCH: Welcome to Karen’s Killer Book Bench where readers can discover talented new authors and take a peek inside their wonderful books. This is not an age-filtered site so all book peeks are PG-13 or better. Come back and visit often. Happy reading!
~~
I KNEW YOU WERE TROUBLE
Oxford #4
BY LAUREN LAYNE
Blurb
New York City’s hottest bachelors are stirring up trouble in this fun, flirty Oxford Novel, as a love triangle forces a feisty beauty to choose between winning back Mr. Right or giving in to Mr. Wrong.
Taylor Carr has it all—a sleek job in advertising, a stunning Manhattan apartment, and the perfect man to share it with: Bradley Calloway. Even after Bradley dumps her for a co-worker on move-in day, Taylor isn’t worried. She’ll get her man eventually. In the meantime, she needs a new roommate. Enter Nick Ballantine, career bartender, freelance writer—and longtime pain in Taylor’s ass. Sexy in a permanent five-o’clock-shadow kind of way, Nick knows how to push Taylor’s buttons, as if he could see right through to the real her.
Nick’s always trying to fix people, and nobody could use a good fixing more than Taylor. Sure, she’s gorgeous, with mesmerizing silver eyes, but it’s her vulnerability that kills him. Now that they’re shacking up together, the chemistry is out of control. Soon they’re putting every part of their two-bedroom apartment to good use. Then Taylor’s ex comes crawling back to her, and Nick figures she’ll jump at the chance to go back to her old life—unless he fights for the best thing that ever happened to him.
I KNEW YOU WERE TROUBLE
Oxford #4
BY LAUREN LAYNE
Excerpt
Bradley froze when he saw her, and she was pretty sure she saw the urge to turn and run flicker across his face.
Again she felt a stab of disappointment. In him. And in herself for apparently having misread him. She’d thought he was better than this.
Bradley’s eyes moved between her and Nick, and though he didn’t look all that surprised at seeing them bickering, his gaze grew hard as he saw Nick’s hand on Taylor’s face.
Nick, naturally, took his sweet time removing it, and she resisted the urge to kick his shin.
“Morning, Bradley,” Taylor said, pleased that her voice sounded calm and friendly. As well it should. She’d had plenty of practice over the better part of a year pretending that she and Bradley were nothing more than colleagues.
Other than a few close friends who knew they were dating, they’d done a mostly decent job of hiding their romantic relationship from coworkers. Better than she and Nick had done hiding their antagonistic one.
“Hey, Taylor. Nick,” Bradley said.
He entered the room and reached for a coffee mug, turning his attention toward the other man. “Didn’t realize you’d taken on another assignment. What for?”
“Not sure,” Nick said, checking his watch. “Have a meeting with Cassidy in a few to find out.”
“Here’s hoping it’s an offsite gig that takes you far, far away. Maybe he needs someone to cover Siberian winters,” Taylor said to Nick, even as she watched Bradley out of the corner of her eye.
“Don’t need to travel to find severe winter. It doesn’t get any chillier than right here,” Nick retorted, waving his hand over her head in a storm cloud gesture.
She shoved his hand aside, her attention still on Bradley, who was determinedly avoiding her gaze.
Coward.
It was going to be darn hard to get him to see reason when he wouldn’t even make eye contact.
Nick, ever too perceptive for his own good, noticed the tension and gave a quick look between her and Bradley, his gaze turning speculative.
She shot him a warning look that clearly said, Don’t.
He shot an answering smile that clearly said, Watch me.
“Bradley, don’t suppose you’re in the market for a roommate?” Nick asked, his voice deceptively casual.
Bradley’s head snapped up, and finally, finally his blue gaze collided with Taylor’s. Dammit. Why did he have to be so beautiful? He was like a mischievous angel, all twinkling blue eyes, dimples, a sexy cleft in his chin, dark blond wavy hair . . .
“What?” he asked Nick distractedly, still looking at Taylor.
“Taylor here wants to share her original crown molding with someone.”
Bradley winced, and Taylor felt a little surge of gratitude toward Nick. He couldn’t have known it, but it was the perfect jab. She and Bradley were both into prewar architecture—had eaten up the broker’s description of all the building’s original elements.
Taylor should be sharing that crown molding with Bradley. And he damn well knew it.
His eyes met hers in silent misery—an apology that she wasn’t quite ready to accept. Heck, she wasn’t even ready to acknowledge it, because she had no intention of being dumped. Not by him, not by any man.
Taylor ignored the guilt written all over Bradley’s face as she held his gaze. “Yes, it seems I unexpectedly have a free bedroom and more rent than I can afford. If either of you knows anyone looking for a roommate . . .”
Bradley’s handsome face twisted regretfully, and he set his coffee aside, taking a step toward her, apparently forgetting—or not caring—that Nick was still in the room.
“Taylor. Damn it. I told you—”
“Actually, I do,” Nick said, interrupting.
Taylor forced her gaze away from Bradley’s pleading face toward Nick’s smug one. “You know someone who needs a roommate?”
“Yup.” He crossed his arms and watched her.
She made an impatient gesture with her hand. “Who? It can’t be one of your ex-girlfriends—I don’t want to inadvertently hear any gross details about you. And not one of your frat-boy guy friends—my living room isn’t cut out for Call of Duty.”
“Yeah, because that’s all I do all day.”
She rolled her eyes. “Okay, for real, who is it?”
His grin was slow, sly, and the very definition of trouble. “Me.”
Meet Author Lauren Layne.
..
Lauren Layne is the New York Times bestselling author of over a dozen romantic comedies.
A former e-commerce and web marketing manager from Seattle, Lauren relocated to New York City in 2011 to pursue a full-time writing career.
She lives in midtown Manhattan with her high-school sweetheart, where she writes smart romantic comedies with just enough sexy-times to make your mother blush. In LL’s ideal world, every stiletto-wearing, Kate Spade wielding woman would carry a Kindle stocked with Lauren Layne books.
~ ~~
Links to Lauren’s website, blog, books, etc.
Link to Follow Release Blast:
http://tastybooktours.com/tours-master/2017/3/29/knew-trouble-rb-lauren-layne
Goodreads Link:
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/31306110-i-knew-you-were-trouble
Goodreads Series Link:
https://www.goodreads.com/series/149063-oxford
Buy Links: AMAZON | B & N | GOOGLE | ITUNES | KOBO
Author Links: WEBSITE | FACEBOOK | TWITTER | GOODREADS
~~~
Thanks, Lauren, for sharing your book with us!
Don’t miss the chance to read this book!
June 11, 2017
**Author Peek** Interview with Chicki Brown, BORN TO BE WILD (The Lake Series Book One)
**Author Peek** Interview with CHICKI BROWN
BORN TO BE WILD
INTRODUCING…Chicki Brown.
Before we get started talking about your writing, tell us a little about yourself, where you’re from, what you do for a living (if you’re not a full – time writer) what hobbies you have, etc. Whatever you’d like to share to introduce yourself.
My name is Chicki Brown. Really, folks. That’s not a pseudonym. My father said when I was born I had feet like a chicken. I’ve been stuck with it ever since I was two days’ old. J
I’m a small town Jersey girl who graduated from the same high school my father attended. Since 1994, I’ve lived in Atlanta, Georgia, the Jewel of the South.
I’m married with two grown daughters and five grandchildren. My love of reading was passed down from my mother, and I’ve always been a voracious reader. It wasn’t until 2000 that I started writing seriously. My first book was published in 2010. Other than reading, my other passion is music. I’m considering becoming a contestant on the new music game show, Shazam!
Being a full-time novelist is my dream, and I love every minute of it.
1. What’s your favorite part of the writing process?
Besides the actual creation of the story, I love doing the research into my character’s professions, their location, and other details. Even though I write fiction, I use real settings and with each book I learn so much.
While I was writing my last series, which was six books, I had to research fitness trainers, endometrial cancer, Las Vegas, public school media specialist, Nigeria, vigilante groups, Doctors Without Borders, sex addiction, sex therapists, South Bronx and the Upper West Side, New York, chief of surgery, starting a fashion line, MRSA, medical internship/residency, voice coach, Paris, France, urology, neighborhood health centers, autism in adults, and more.
The problem with enjoying the research is that it’s so easy for me to get lost in all the fascinating details when I should be writing. I have to limit my research time.
June 8, 2017
Karen’s Killer Fixin’s **Author Special** with COCKTAILS FOR TEN by Elaine Raco Chase ETAL #recipes ~ The Alcrest Gastropub Signature Honey-Lime Vinaigrette & Geneva’s Ambrosia
Karen’s Killer Fixin’s
**AUTHOR SPECIAL**
with ELAINE RACO CHASE ETAL!
Welcome to my Friday bonus feature called Karen’s Killer Fixin’s **Author Special**!! Today, in lieu of one of my own recipes, I’m going to introduce you to a new author who will share one of her favorite recipes. Not only will you and I occasionally learn how to make something new and delicious, but we’ll get a chance to check out some wonderful authors. Introducing author, ELAINE RACO CHASE and two co-authors’ recipes for THE ALCREST GASTROPUB SIGNATURE HONEY-LIME VINAIGRETTE and GENEVA’S AMBROSIA!
~~~
COCKTAILS FOR TEN
Kindle edition By E.G. Fox, Elaine Raco Chase, Donna Fasano, Ashley Fontainne, Dee Dee Covas, Diane Nelson, Lorne Oliver, Michael Cody, Ashley Goss, Angie Dokos.
BLURB
It’s 5 o’clock somewhere!
Wait – Time doesn’t matter…Just open this book – we’re serving
Cocktails for Ten
Let your reading palate tingle with romantic encounters or be heightened by thrilling mystery and suspense or become tantalized by something surprising and totally unique!
That’s our goal in serving up these ten full-length novels by USA Today and International Best Selling Authors.
~~~
USA Today Best Selling author Donna Fasano’s FOLLOWING HIS HEART – “Fasano delivers tender honesty and sweet sexiness in this beach read.” Publishers Weekly
DONNA FASANO:
Blog: DonnaFasano.com
Facebook: https://Facebook.com/DonnaFasanoAuthor
Twitter: https://Twitter.com/DonnaFaz
Pinterest: https://Pinterest.com/DonnaFaz
Sign up for her newsletter: http://mad.ly/signups/110899/join
~~~
Ashley Fontainne’s SUICIDE LAKE is a “thrilling mystery with a hint of romance.”
ASHLEY FONTAINNE:
Website: http://www.ashleyfontainne.com – Sign up for Ashley’s newsletter and receive a free ebook!
Twitter: https://twitter.com/ashleyfontainne
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ashley.fontainne
Movie site: http://www.foreseenmovie.com
~~~
Elaine Raco Chase’s DANGEROUS PLACES was Romantic Times’ Top Hot pick for romantic suspense “twists, turns, a few laughs and sex.”
ELAINE RACO CHASE:
Website: www.elaineracochase.com
Twitter: @ElaineRaco
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/elaine.r.chase
Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/elaineracochase/
~~~
E.G. Fox’s Award-winning LUCKY DAWG MEETS LUCKY LUCY is a romantic comedy that’s been called: “the X-Files with a little sex.”
E.G. FOX:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/@Author_EGFox
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/EGFOXReads/
Linked In: http://www.linkedin.com/in/edwardgfox
Amazon: http://amzn.to/2cnpSWH
~~~
Dee Dee Covas’ DANDELION SOUL “a love story with a twist of fate.”
DEEDEE COVAS:
Facebook: facebook@DandelionSoulBook.com
Twitter @DeeDeeCovas
Website: www.dandelionsoulbook.com
~~~
Diane Nelson’s POINTS ON A CURVE “she’s got wingspan, he’s got the nose for news. Together it’s a match made on and off the court.”
DIANE NELSON:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DianeNelsonAuthor
~~~
Lorne Oliver’s THE CISTERN “a non-stop read – hang on to your sanity.”
LORNE OLIVER:
Lorneoliver.blogspot.ca
Facebook.com/oliverauthor
And @LorneOliver on Twitter
~~~
Ashley Goss’ SEXUAL DESIRES – “raw sexual interaction and deep emotion.”
ASHLEY GOSS: Ever since she was a teenager, Ashley Goss has had a blazing passion for writing. She started creating poems and quickly progressed to short stories.
Website: www.authorashleygoss.com
Facebook: /authorashleygoss
Twitter: @Authorashleyg
~~~
Michael Cody’s WHERE POWER RESIDES “action packed roller coaster of a read.”
MICHAEL CODY:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/michael.cody.923
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Mikecodyauthor
~~~
Angie Dokos’ MACKENZIE’S DISTRACTION “can Mackenzie let go of her past & embrace a chance for happiness with Trevor?”
ANGIE DOKOS: Although not my usual genre, “Mackenzie’s Distraction” was an interesting, exciting read. I loved the message instilled in this book that sometimes a tragic, negative …
Website: www.angiedokos.com
Blog: www.angiedokos.wordpress.com
Twitter: www.twitter.com/angiedokos
Instagram: www.instagram.com/angiedokos
Facebook: www.facebook.com/angiedokosauthor
~~~
Links to COCKTAILS FOR TEN:
Amazon US: http://a.co/37XLYjP
Amazon UK: http://amzn.eu/fSGORHe
Amazon Canada: http://a.co/iC1BSlB
Amazon Australia:
https://www.amazon.com.au/Cocktails-Ten-E-G-Fox-ebook/dp/B07223MYW5/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1494242236&sr=8-1&keywords=cocktails+for+ten
Kobo:
https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/cocktails-for-ten
iTunes:
https://itunes.apple.com/…/b…/cocktails-for-ten/id1233549572
I hope you enjoy the recipe Elaine, Lorne and Donna are sharing today on Karen’s Killer Fixin’s. Happy Eating!
Karen
P.S. We’re at 316 recipes and counting with this posting. Hope you find some recipes you like. If this is your first visit, please check out past blogs for more Killer Fixin’s. In the right hand column menu, you can even look up past recipes by type. i.e. Desserts, Breads, Beef, Chicken, Soups, Author Specials, etc.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
THE ALCREST GASTROPUB SIGNATURE HONEY-LIME VINAIGRETTE
[From Canadian Author & Real Chef, Lorne Oliver]
This is the vinaigrette Spencer learned when he was in culinary school and he fell in love with it. He has kept it with him and adopted it as the signature vinaigrette for the restaurant. It’s simple, easy, and tasty.
3 limes, zested and juiced
1 tbsp honey
1 tbsp Dijon mustard
Canola oil
Salt and pepper
Method
Put the lime juice and zest, honey, and mustard into a large bowl. Place the bowl onto a towel so that it won’t move. Using a whisk, slowly whisk in some oil. Just a little at first, maybe a tablespoon or two. As the oil and lime juice emulsifies you can add oil a little more quickly as you whisk it in. Oil should be almost 3 times the amount of lime juice
Season with the salt and pepper. Taste and add more honey if needed.
This is a basic vinaigrette. You can use the same recipe, but switch up the acid and the flavoring to make different tastes.
GENEVA’S AMBROSIA
[From USA Today Bestselling author, Donna Fasano…who loves to bake and makes sure at least one character does too!]
[[Serves 8-10]]
1 (8 ounce) container whipped topping
2 cups shredded coconut
1/2 cup walnut pieces
1 (8 ounce) can fruit cocktail, drained
1 (8 ounce) can pineapple tidbits, drained
1 (11 ounce) can mandarin orange slices, drained
2 cups mini marshmallows
1 (10 ounce) jar maraschino cherries, drained and halved
In a large bowl, gently mix together all ingredients until well-combined. Stir gently; orange slices are delicate. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving. Can be made a day ahead.
~~~
**SPECIAL GIVEAWAY**: An ebook copy of COCKTAILS FOR TEN box set to TEN READERS who comment on this Karen’s Killer Fixin’s blog. Thanks E.G. Fox, Elaine Raco Chase, Donna Fasano, Ashley Fontainne, Dee Dee Covas, Diane Nelson, Lorne Oliver, Michael Cody, Ashley Goss, Angie Dokos, for sharing your box set with us!
Don’t miss the chance to read these books!
June 7, 2017
Karen’s Killer Book Bench: From Duke Till Dawn: The London Underground by Eva Leigh
KAREN’S KILLER BOOK BENCH: Welcome to Karen’s Killer Book Bench where readers can discover talented new authors and take a peek inside their wonderful books. This is not an age-filtered site so all book peeks are PG-13 or better. Come back and visit often. Happy reading!
~~
FROM DUKE TILL DAWN
The London Underground
BY EVA LEIGH
Blurb
Eva Leigh launches a seductive new series that sizzles with the dark secrets of London’s underworld…
Years ago, the Duke of Greyland gave his heart—and a princely sum of money—to a charming, destitute widow with unparalleled beauty. But after one passionate night, she slipped from his bed and vanished without a trace. And just when he’s given up hope of ever seeing her again, Greyland finds her managing a gaming hell. He’s desperate to have her… until he discovers everything about his long-lost lover was a lie.
In truth, Cassandra Blake grew up on the streets, picking pockets to survive. Greyland was a mark—to be fleeced and forgotten—but her feelings for the duke became all too real. Once he learns of her deception, however, the heat in his eyes turns to ice. When her business partner absconds with the gaming hell proceeds—leaving unsavory investors out for blood—Cassandra must beg the man she betrayed for help.
Greyland wants compensation, too, and he’ll assist her under one condition: she doesn’t leave his sight until her debts are paid. But it’s not long before the real Cassandra—the smart, streetwise criminal—is stealing his heart all over again.
FROM DUKE TILL DAWN
The London Underground
BY EVA LEIGH
Excerpt
London, England
1817
A woman laughed, and Alexander Lewis, Duke of Greyland felt the sound like a gunshot to his chest.
It was a very pleasant laugh, low and musical rather than shrill and forced, yet it sounded like The Lost Queen’s laugh. Alex could not resist the urge to glance over his shoulder as he left the Eagle chophouse. He’d fancifully taken to calling her The Lost Queen, though she was most assuredly a mortal woman. Had she somehow appeared on a busy London street at dusk? The last time he’d seen her had been two years ago, in the spa town of Cheltenham, in his bed, asleep and naked.
The owner of the laugh turned out to be a completely different woman—brunette rather than blonde, petite and round rather than lithe and willowy. She caught Alex staring and raised her eyebrows. He bowed gravely in response, then continued toward the curb.
Night came on in indigo waves, but the shops spilled golden light in radiant patches onto the street.
The hardworking citizens of London continued to toil as the upper echelons began their evening revelries. Crowds thronged the sidewalk, while wagons, carriages, and people on horseback crammed the streets. A handful of pedestrians recognized Alex and politely curtsied or tipped their hats, murmuring, “Good evening, Your Grace.” Though he was in no mood for politeness, responsibility and virtue were his constant companions—had been his whole life—and so rather than snapping, “Go to the devil, damn you!” he merely nodded in greeting.
He’d done his duty. He’d been seen in public, rather than disappearing into the cavernous chambers of his Mayfair mansion, where he could lick his wounds in peace.
The trouble with being a duke was that he always had to do his duty. “You are the pinnacle of British Society,” his father had often said to him. “The world looks to you for guidance. So you must lead by example. Be their True North.”
This evening, before dining, Alex had taken a very conspicuous turn up and down Bond Street, making certain that he was seen by many consequential—and loose-lipped— figures in the ton. Word would soon spread that the Duke of Greyland was not holed up, sulking in seclusion. His honor as one of Society’s bulwarks would not be felled by something as insignificant as his failed marriage suit to Lady Emmeline Birks. The Dukes of Greyland had stood strong against Roundheads, Jacobites, and countless other threats against Britain. One girl barely out of the schoolroom could hardly damage Alex’s ducal armor.
But that armor had been dented by The Lost Queen. Far deeper than he would have expected.
Standing on the curb, he signaled for his carriage, which pulled out of the mews. He tugged on his spotless gloves as he waited and adjusted the brim of his black beaver hat to make certain it sat properly on his head. “Always maintain a faultless appearance,” his father had reminded him again and again. “The slightest bit of disorder in your dress can lead to rampant speculation about the stability of your affairs. This, we cannot tolerate. The nation demands nothing less than perfection.”
Alex’s father had been dead for ten years, but that didn’t keep the serious, sober man’s voice from his mind. It was part of him now—his role as one of the most powerful men in England and the responsibilities that role carried with it. Not once did he ever let frivolities distract him from his duties.
Except for one time . . .
Forcing the thought from his mind, Alex looked impatiently for his carriage. Just as the vehicle pulled up, however, two men appeared and grabbed his arms on each side.
Alex stiffened—he did not care for being touched without giving someone express permission to do so. People on the street also did not normally seize each other. Was it a robbery? A kidnapping attempt? His hands curled instinctively into fists, ready to give his accosters a beating.
“What’s this?” one of the younger men exclaimed with mock horror. “Have I grabbed hold of a thundercloud?”
“Don’t know about you,” the other man said drily, “but I seem to have attached myself to an enormous bar of iron. How else to explain its inflexibility?” He tried to shake Alex, to little avail. When he wanted to be, Alex was absolutely immovable.
Alex’s fingers loosened. He tugged his arms free and growled, “That’s enough, you donkeys.”
Thomas Powell, the Earl of Langdon and heir to the Duke of Northfield, grinned, a flash of white in his slightly unshaven face. “Come now, Greyland,” he chided. A hint of an Irish accent made his voice musical, evidence of Langdon’s early years spent in his mother’s native County Kerry. “Is that any way to speak to your oldest and dearest friends?”
“I’ll let you know when they get here.” Alex scowled at Langdon, then at Christopher Ellingsworth, who only smirked in response.
Alex took a step toward his carriage, but Ellingsworth deftly moved to block his path, displaying the speed and skill that had served him well when he’d fought on the Peninsula.
“Where are you running off to with such indecorous haste?” Ellingsworth pressed. He held up a finger. “Ah, never tell me. You’re running back to the shelter of your Mayfair cave, to growl and brood like some big black bear in a cravat.”
“You know nothing,” Alex returned, despite the fact that Ellingsworth had outlined his exact plans for the rest of the night.
Ellingsworth looked at Langdon with exaggerated pity. “Poor chap. The young Lady Emmeline has utterly shattered his heart.”
Alex shouldered past Ellingsworth, only to have Langdon move to stand in his way.
“My heart is not shattered because of Lady Emmeline,” Alex snapped. At least that much was the truth.
“But why shouldn’t your heart be strewn in pieces throughout Regent’s Park?” Langdon mused. “You courted the young lady for several months, and you told Ellingsworth and I that you’d already received her father’s grateful acceptance of a marriage offer.”
“She never agreed to anything,” Alex said flatly.
“A modest girl, that Lady Emmeline.” Ellingsworth nodded with approval. “She wouldn’t have said yes right away. They never do. Nothing to be alarmed by.”
“How would you know?” Alex’s voice was edged. Ellingsworth had little experience with offering for ladies’ hands, committed as he was to a life of reckless pleasure.
Langdon added, “It’d be unseemly for an earl’s daughter to eagerly snap up a marriage proposal the moment it was offered.”
Alex scowled. Despite the fact that, at thirty-eight, he was sixteen years her senior, they would suit well as a wedded couple. Lady Emmeline had been perfectly trained in the responsibilities of an aristocratic wife. Though he wished she stated her own opinion rather than constantly agreeing with him, there were worse faults one could find in a prospective bride.
They could marry at Christmas, eight months from now. It would be a small but elegant wedding, followed by a lavish breakfast and a wedding journey in the Lake District. And then, if everything went well, in less than a year, Alex and Lady Emmeline might welcome their first child—hopefully a boy so the line would be secure. It would’ve been precisely the sort of match Alex’s father would have approved, considering Lady Emmeline’s faultless background and her spotless reputation.
“Look at him now, mooning away,” Langdon sighed, smugly thwarting Alex’s attempts to step around him. “He looks poorly.”
It would be bad form to knock his friend to the ground. Damn the social niceties that dictated a man couldn’t punch another without repercussions.
“Perhaps he should be bled,” Ellingsworth suggested with his habitual smirk. It was his constant companion since returning from the War, as if he refused to take anything seriously.
“I am perfectly well.” Alex looked back and forth between these two rogues whom he called friends. “No need to call for a quack.”
“He’s already had an amputation,” Langdon noted, raising a brow as he always did. “One prospective bride—gone.” He made a sawing motion at his ankle, as if cutting the shackles of matrimony.
Alex glanced down at his own lower leg, as if he could see the invisible links that might have bound him to Lady Emmeline. He’d come so close to becoming a married man and sharing the rest of his life with one woman—the faultless duke his father had bred him to be. It hardly mattered that Alex felt nothing for the gel other than a sense of distant respect. She would have made a fine duchess.
“We were at White’s yesterday when we heard about what happened,” Langdon said with disapproval. “Didn’t even tell your two closest friends that Lady Emmeline had run off with a cavalry officer. No, we had to hear it from Lord Ruthven, of all people.”
Meet Author Eva Leigh. ..
Eva Leigh is the pen name of a RITA® Award-nominated romance author who writes novels chock-full of smart women and sexy men. She enjoys baking, Tweeting about boots, and listening to music from the ’80s. Eva and her husband live in Southern California.
Tasty Q&A with Eva Leigh
Describe yourself in five words or less. Feminist who believes in HEA.
Can you tell us a little about your book? Alexander Lewis, the Duke of Greyland, met a beautiful, destitute widow and lost his heart to her—but she disappeared. Two years later, the duke finds Cassandra again as she manages a gaming hell. Alex is prepared to offer Cassandra everything, even his name, until he discovers a gut-wrenching truth. Cassandra is not a genteel widow. She’s a confidence artist, targeting aristocratic men with her swindles. Heartbroken and furious, Alex wants nothing to do with her. Fate steps in when Cassandra’s business partner vanishes with the profits from the gaming hell, leaving Cassandra at the mercy of dangerous people. In desperation, Cassandra turns to Alex for help. Delving into London’s underworld, they form an uneasy partnership as they track down her partner. Yet the passion they’d shared two years ago is nothing compared to their desire now. Can Alex protect himself, or will Cassandra once again steal his heart?
How did you come up with the concept and the characters for the story? As with my Wicked Quills of London series, I enjoy having characters that aren’t necessarily part of Regency High Society. I’m fascinated by confidence artists—their methods, their motivations—and thought it would be exciting to see what would happen when England’s most morally upright duke falls for a morally ambiguous woman.
What did you enjoy most about writing this book? Exploring the other, shadier side of Regency London was a lot of fun. That time period is so rich with possibility, with so many people of many different walks of life all living in one place. I also really enjoyed having Alex learn to lighten up a little and free his wild side. Nothing like a buttoned-up guy who loosens the reins of his control. (It turns out Alex likes talking dirty!)
What do you like to do when you aren’t writing? Baking is one of my favorite things to do, because, unlike writing, you finish with a tangible result. Plus, you make something delicious. I read, of course, and spend too much time on the internet. When I’m feeling industrious, I crochet little soft toys called amigurumi and give them to friends.
A la Twitter style, please describe your book in 140 characters or less. Uptight duke. Beautiful con artist. Trouble and sexytimes ahead.
Tell us all about your main characters—who are they? What makes them tick? Most importantly, what one thing would they need to have with them if stranded on a desert isle?
Karen’s Killer Book Bench: The Professor and the Bird by Roberta Franklin
KAREN’S KILLER BOOK BENCH: Welcome to Karen’s Killer Book Bench where readers can discover talented new authors and take a peek inside their wonderful books. This is not an age-filtered site so all book peeks are PG-13 or better. Come back and visit often. Happy reading!
~~
THE PROFESSOR AND THE BIRD
BY ROBERTA FRANKLIN
Blurb
Love between two different worlds, two different generations.
Professor Nikos Angelopoulos is working with his Greek-Turkish team at a dig in Turkey when one day a young motorcyclist gets stranded: Sally from Ireland, fresh and charming and a bit flirty. Very soon the Professor finds out that, despite her temperament, she’s still very innocent and gullible, and he seems to develop fatherly feelings towards her, protecting her from the clear intentions of the young men at the camp.
Then she just happens to dig up a fragment of clay with an old Assyrian inscription in Hittite on it, and Nikos finds out that this inscription is the oldest one found so far in an Indo-European language. While celebrating their great find, Sally and Nikos discover their feelings for each other despite their age difference – but at the same time, an American millionaire turns up who wants to buy the clay fragment for his collection; and, although Nikos tells him it is a national treasure and not for sale, he won’t take no for an answer. He tries to convince Nikos to sell it to him, and when that plan fails he calls in his gunmen…
Amid their ever-growing passion for each other, Nikos and Sally now have got to face a dangerous and violent gang of artifact thieves together with their brave international team of archaeologists and workers. Who will win the showdown at Kanesh camp – and will this unusual relationship between a scientist of sixty and a young adventuress of not yet thirty stand the test of time?
THE PROFESSOR AND THE BIRD
BY ROBERTA FRANKLIN
Excerpt
Nikos and Sally make love in their hotel room:
So they’d done their duty – and so they were free again, to do whatever they wanted! And what should they be wanting now but…? They sat down on the couch and started kissing most passionately; and at some point, though completely wrapped up in his arms and his charms and his love, Sally remembered something. She smiled at him and whispered in his ear: “I’ve got a surprise for you!” She got up, and he looked after her, a bit puzzled, and already eager to continue their kissing game – but when she reappeared two minutes later, he was even more eager to do so: she’d taken off all her clothes, and wrapped herself up in those diaphanous cloths they’d found at the bazaar that morning… And oooh, how sexy she looked! His eyes were almost popping out of his head when he told her: “Come here, my princess!”
“At your command, my prince!” she curtseyed to him, smiling roguishly, and sat down again beside him; and he gently moved his hands over her body and whispered lovingly: “My dear little red-haired, blue-eyed princess…” Even in the relatively dim light of the floor lamp it was plain to see that she was wearing neither a bra nor a slip, and her most intimate parts were accentuated rather than hidden by those thin, shiny veils; and so again he had to loosen up his tie before his hand ventured underneath the cloth that was supposed to be a kind of ‘skirt’ – and she spread her legs most willingly in order to enjoy his skilful caresses…
Not long after that, the cloths and Nikos’ clothes lay scattered on the floor, and the two lovers were lying on the bed, caressing each other and moving their bodies rhythmically, with their lustful groans going along with the rhythm; enjoying their victory, their carefreeness, their peace and quiet – and most of all, of course, their love…
Meet Author Roberta Franklin. ..
Roberta Franklin, who was born in Germany in 1973 and studied History and English Literature in Munich, has been living in Greece since 1998. She has worked in various fields – as a journalist, as Social Hostess on a cruise ship, as an insurance agent – and during the past years she has been working as a freelance translator and a teacher of foreign languages. But her true passion has always been writing, and her favorite genre has always been romantic fiction.
~~~
Links to Roberta’s website, blog, books, etc.
Social Media Links:
Website: https://romanceloversite.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profi le.php?id=100010058405962
Twitter: https://twitter.com/R_B_Frankl in
Goodreads:
https://www.goodreads.com/book /show/32446552-the-professor- and-the-bird
Buy Links:
Amazon (Paperback): http://amzn.to/2qUsdgK
Amazon (Kindle): http://amzn.to/2pW0Yiz
Olympia Publishers:
https://olympiapublishers.com/ books/the-professor-and-the-bi rd/
Book Unleashed Link:
http://bookunleashed.com/books /the-professor-and-the-bird/
~~~
Thanks, Roberta, for sharing your book with us!
Don’t miss the chance to read this book!
**SPECIAL GIVEAWAY** Date: June 7 – 20, 2017 Prize: Tour wide, 1 winner: $20 Amazon Gift Card
Contest Link:
http://www.rafflecopter.com/ra fl/display/5ddfc19f87/?
June 6, 2017
Karen’s Killer Book Bench: Hidden Assets by Leeann Betts
KAREN’S KILLER BOOK BENCH: Welcome to Karen’s Killer Book Bench where readers can discover talented new authors and take a peek inside their wonderful books. This is not an age-filtered site so all book peeks are PG-13 or better. Come back and visit often. Happy reading!
~~
HIDDEN ASSETS
BY LEEANN BETTS
Blurb
Carly Turnquist, forensic accountant, responds to a call from her friend, Anne, who is in the middle of a nasty divorce, and travels to Wyoming to help find assets Anne thinks her husband has stolen. But the mystery begins before Carly even arrives when she sees a man thrown off a train. Except there’s no body. Husband Mike uncovers an illegal scam in a computer program he has been asked to upgrade, and then Anne is arrested for her ex’s murder. Can Carly figure out what’s going on, and why a strange couple is digging in Anne’s basement? Or will she disappear along with the artwork, coins, and money?
SELF-IMPOSED DEADLINES
By Leeann Betts
There is something intimidating about deadlines. When you first sign that contract or make that agreement to have your book in your publisher’s hands six months from now, that seems like a long time. Sure, you can take a week off and celebrate. And another week to do some research. Then one of the kids gets the mumps. And another.
And before you know it, it’s April 2nd and your book is due April 25th.
What do you do? Panic!
But what about if you’re not under an official contract? You don’t have a publisher breathing down your neck, waiting for your book. You have all the time in the world, right?
No. You don’t.
If you are a writer, then you must write. And if you’re a writer, you must be writing for someone other than yourself. At the very least, as a Christian writer, you are writing for God. And even if He is the only One who ever sees what you’re writing, He has an expectation that at some point, you’ll be ready to move on to the next project.
Failing to set a finish date sets you up to fail.
So even if you’re not under someone else’s deadline, you should be under one of your own.
How can you stick to that date?
Make up some business cards with the cover on it and the release date.
Tell other people.
Spread the news on social media.
Write it on a calendar in ink.
Keep a picture of the cover in front of you with the release date written on it.
Schedule time to accomplish the work by the date you say.
What happens when life gets in the way?
You might need to put aside something else in your life so you can meet your personal deadline. That’s right.
Get up 30 minutes earlier.
Go to bed 30 minutes later.
Skip your lunch hour and write.
Skip television one or two or three nights a week.
Take your laptop when you go to an appointment and work while you’re waiting.
Tell your family what your goal is, and ask them to help you meet that goal
Self-Imposed deadlines might not be about finishing a book. Maybe you’ve spent way too much time on research but you can’t tear yourself away. So set a deadline. Two more days and then you’re done. You might be pleasantly surprised at how much you get done in the next two days.
Maybe you’re spending too much time re-writing. Face it–ten years is too long. One year is probably too long. Repeat after me: it will never be perfect.
And that’s because you are learning as you go. You will continue to learn. You want to put out the best product possible, but not getting the book done isn’t going to help anybody. Let it go. Or pay someone else to re-write for you.
What kinds of deadlines do you give yourself? Leave a comment to be entered into a drawing for a free copy of Hidden Assets, ebook or print (US only).
Meet Author Leeann Betts. ..
Leeann Betts writes contemporary suspense, while her real-life persona, Donna Schlachter, pens historical suspense. She has released five titles in her cozy mystery series, By the Numbers, with Hidden Assets releasing the end of June. In addition, Leeann has written a devotional for accountants, bookkeepers, and financial folk, Counting the Days, and with her real-life persona, Donna Schlachter, has published a book on writing, Nuggets of Writing Gold, a compilation of essays, articles, and exercises on the craft. She publishes a free quarterly newsletter that includes a book review and articles on writing and books of interest to readers and writers. You can subscribe at www.LeeannBetts.com or follow Leeann at www.AllBettsAreOff.wordpress.com All books are available on Amazon.com in digital and print.
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Links to Leeann’s website, blog, books, etc.
Website: www.LeeannBetts.com
Blog: www.AllBettsAreOff.wordpress.com
Facebook: http://bit.ly/1pQSOqV
Twitter: http://bit.ly/1qmqvB6
Books: http://amzn.to/2dHfgCE
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**SPECIAL GIVEAWAY**: Leeann will give away an ebook or print (U.S. ONLY) copy of HIDDEN ASSETS to one reader who comments on her **Author Peek”” and Book Bench blogs, answering the following question: What kinds of deadlines do you give yourself? Thanks, Leeann, for sharing your book with us!
Don’t miss the chance to read this book!
