Casey Dawes's Blog, page 13

Stories About Love - Real people, real problems, real love....

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Published on January 19, 2017 10:35

January 12, 2017

Diverse People and Places in Montana

The first time I moved to Montana, I was a naive 20-something originally from the east coast. I’d grown up on early “westerns,” and thought Tonto and Mingo were cool. At seven, I had decided I was either going to be a cowboy or an Indian when I grew up.

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Little Big Horn National Monument Obelisk

So I moved ever westward, finally to Billings, where I had a one-year gig teaching in a college. One of the first opportunities I had was to invite young Native Americans into the classroom to talk on a particular day. I was all over it.

My students hated it.

Although I’d grown up with the tension between blacks and whites in the inner cities, it never occurred to me that racial tension would exist elsewhere. With seven reservations within the state, there are ample opportunities for cultural differences and arguments to arise. And, like the conflict with which I was already familiar, stereotypes and repeated phrases often took the place of real communication and truth.

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Memorial at the Little Big Horn National Monument

The college stint was followed by three years actually living on a reservation. Did my perspective change? Of course. Everything on our life’s path affects our perspective, in my experience.

Montana is an ever-changing place that never loses sight of what it is — high granite mountains west, rolling plains to the east. As I drove the country to see my family most summers, I learned there was solitude, spirit, good people, bad, and everything in between. When I was younger, the battlefield near the Little Big Horn was known as Custer Battlefield National Monument and was dominated a huge white obelisk.

When I took my kids there a few decades letter, the place had been renamed to Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument, and the native peoples were part of the experience.

[image error]The place reverberates with the spirits of those in the past. Drive past the main site and you can see wild ponies dotting the fields. The enormity of the landscape matches the big sky.

In the summer the tourists come. Other seasons, visitors are sparse, like the number of people in Montana.

That’s why it was the perfect place to begin my story, Love on the Wind, a romance between a native man and a white woman.

Stories About Love - Real people, real problems, real love....

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Published on January 12, 2017 00:27

January 9, 2017

Guest Post: Kat Martin Talks about Into the Firestorm

[image error] Into the Firestorm

by Kat Martin

Release Date: January 31, 2017

At Brodie Operations Security Service, Inc., following your instincts is company policy …

Cassidy—Luke Brodie had heard the name before, some novice bounty hunter working Seattle, catching tricky skips with more success than a newcomer should expect. But the dark curls, sparkly top, and impressive cleavage were not what Brodie had pictured.

Emma Cassidy is tough and smart and sexy as hell. She’s also popping up a step ahead of him every time he’s close to the capture he wants most … and there’s no room for learning on the trail of this monster.

Emma has idolized Luke Brodie, the bounty hunter who can bring anyone in. The big man in the soft shoes, with a face like a fallen angel and a reputation for breaking hearts. Watching him in action is intoxicating. But her fight with Rudy Vance is fiercely personal. If he gets too close, Brodie will find out just how ferocious she can be …

From Kat Martin … Just the Right Match
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Kat Martin

Finding the right match for the hero and heroine is one of the toughest and most exciting parts of writing a novel. The hero of INTO THE FIRESTORM is Luke Brodie, one of my strongest, toughest, sexiest heroes.

Luke, a former special forces soldier, is a bounty hunter who works at Brodie Operations Security Services, BOSS, Inc., in Seattle. A fat $600,000 is the 20% bail enforcement fee he’ll collect if he brings in international criminal, Rudy Vance. Luke is a womanizer par excellence and a dedicated bachelor. But he is also a complex man, one who has given up the idea of having a normal life.

Fortunately, Emma Cassidy showed up, a strong woman in her own right, a fighter, a lady determined to achieve the goal she has set for herself—bringing a murderer to justice, a criminal who is threatening her family.

Emma is also hunting Vance. It’s been almost a year since she arrived at her sister’s home to find the housekeeper murdered and her young niece the victim of Vance’s sick assault.

Emma is determined to find Vance and make him pay. And no one—not even the infamous Luke Brodie—is going to stop her.

I loved that Emma was just as determined as Luke, perhaps more so. I liked that Luke came to admire her. Though Emma is nowhere near his equal in skill and physical strength, she is smart, and she has learned to handle herself well enough to keep up with him.

The attraction between them was magnetic from the start. Add to that, the sexual heat both are fighting to control is a battle they are sure to lose.

Finding the right woman for Luke was fun, and of course setting them off on a dangerous, desperate adventure added to the mix.

I hope you enjoy INTO THE FIRESTORM and if you haven’t read INTO THE FURY and INTO THE WHIRLWIND, the first two BOSS Inc. novels, you’ll give them a try.

Till next time, all best and happy reading. Kat

Buy Links

Amazon | Barnes & Noble Nook | iTunes | Kobo

Read an excerpt of Love on the Wind by clicking here.

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Published on January 09, 2017 00:31

December 15, 2016

Love on the Wind: Christmas Romance Free for a Limited Time

[image error]Love on the Wind will be FREE on Amazon from Dec. 15 through Dec. 19, 2016. Get your copy of this short Christmas romance by clicking here!

All Becky wanted to do when she was growing up was to get out of Hardin, Montana, a small town with a conservative bent close to the Battle of the Little Big Horn National Monument. Now that she has a job at a large oil refinery in Billings, she realizes it doesn’t suit her either. But what’s a girl with a high school diploma to do?

A chance meeting with Travis, a Native American, on a windy hill at the monument, makes her aware there’s more chance at romance than she’d ever imagined. At the same time, she knows her grandparent’s viewpoints don’t include interracial romance as a possibility.

As they grow through closer through the fall holidays, can Travis and Becky find a way to acceptance and love through the miracle of Christmas?

Also, new this season …

Christmas Wishes

Visions of sugarplums are so overdone – this year, invite love to dance in your head. These eight couples know just how to put the merry in mistletoe antics:

Tangled Vines: Kyle Davis’s tragic past has put the brakes on Christmas celebrations at his Australian ranch . . . until he arrives for some peace and quiet only to find caretaker Jordan Hastings in his shower. Jordan is trying to get her career as a winemaker back on track by bringing the neglected grapes on the property to life. Kyle is hard to resist, but falling for a man who controls her employment is not in her plans. Yet the more time they spend together, the more open they become to taking another risk on living and loving.
Sweet Montana Christmas: Leaving behind her stifling Texas roots, Sue Anne Devereaux is busy getting a chocolate shop in Montana off the ground. The one big distraction: security guard Zach Crippen, who can’t wait to finish his penance at Missoula’s tiny airport, where he was banished after he made a huge career mistake. A casual fling – no strings attached – would be fine with him. Will their dreams cost them a chance at a future together, or will the holiday spirit help foster a lasting love?
Lights, Latkes, and Love: Non-profit CEO David Shay can’t get enough of the December festivities. As manager of a large retail store, Hannah Jenkins, on the other hand, turns into a jaded Scrooge every year on Black Friday. Can a nice Jewish boy – with the help of some Christmas lights, a little girl, and a latke party – teach Hannah the true meaning of the season and guarantee them both a New Year’s Eve kiss to remember?
Christmas Dinner: Amanda dreads returning home single for Christmas, but the only available man to play escort is Tate Ryan, her co-anchor and professional rival. When he agrees, much to her surprise, they both see a different side of each other under the mistletoe.
His Hawaiian Christmas: Humbug in Hawaii? When Clara O’Fallen gets a promotion to paradise, she can’t help feeling homesick for her Wisconsin winters, complete with real snow, family traditions, and Christmas festivities. But smiling surfer Kai Schmitt might just show this Scrooge how to hang loose and catch the spirit of the season – the aloha spirit!
Nickolai’s Noel: A chance meeting and a snowy ice storm bring together an unlikely pair – Russian hockey player Nickolai Glaznov and artisan quilt maker Noel Verden – on the most enchanting day of the year. A special connection flares between them despite his lack of roots and her overly involved family. But when the ice melts, will the magic disappear too?
Christmas Clash: Candace Ellison is determined to stop the city council’s convention center project from demolishing her new flower shop. Unfortunately, that means she’ll have to cooperate with annoying Luke Carrigan, whose family pub is also on the chopping block. Will this Christmas bring miracles or the destruction of everything these old rivals love?
Her Secret Santa: Neighbors and co-workers at Morgan Confectioners, Rebecca Sinclair and Ben Redding have been best friends since grad school. When their feelings turn more than friendly, will they be able to get past their fear of ruining their friendship? A holiday gift exchange might just bring the best present of all – Christmas love.

Available for Pre-Order — Under $1!

Stories About Love - Real people, real problems, real love....

Montana Christmas Magic

Injured in a tragic car crash at Christmas time, tennis pro Logan Collins retreats to his uncle’s ranch in wintry Phillipsburg, Montana, only to find his Uncle Willy in the hospital with terminal cancer. When Willy dies a few days later, Logan discovers the old man put plans in motion that might just change his life … as long as he’s willing to upend everything he’s been doing for the last decade … and put some chocolates in his uncle’s casket just in case there aren’t any in heaven.

Montana-born aspiring artist and temporary chocolatier, Julie Thompson isn’t surprised by their favorite customer’s odd request. Curiosity about the good-looking New Yorker who made the request, entices her to bring the chocolates to the funeral personally.

Soon Logan finds himself with a ranch, a dog, a horse, and a woman who brings light into his dark life. He never wanted any of it. Julie’s roots are in the vast plains and big skies where her family lives. Nowhere else is home. Can he persuade her Christmas in New York is just as inspiring?

Or will Willy’s plot prevail?

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | iTunes | Kobo

Stories About Love - Real people, real problems, real love....

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Published on December 15, 2016 00:09

December 8, 2016

Cover Reveal: Montana Christmas Magic!

[image error]Injured in a tragic car crash at Christmas time, tennis pro Logan Collins retreats to his uncle’s ranch in wintry Phillipsburg, Montana, only to find his Uncle Willy in the hospital with terminal cancer. When Willy dies a few days later, Logan discovers the old man put plans in motion that might just change his life … as long as he’s willing to upend everything he’s been doing for the last decade … and put some chocolates in his uncle’s casket just in case there aren’t any in heaven.

Or will Willy’s plot prevail?

Available for pre-order!

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | iTunes | Kobo

For a preview, click here.

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Published on December 08, 2016 00:43

January 14, 2016

Romance Bundle Number 5!

Between November and January, Crimson Romance is offering my books in five new romance bundles! That’s in addition to California Dreaming, a romance anthology that contains the first four books of the California Romance series. It’s an embarrassment of riches! And a lucky break for you, my readers, as all of these romance bundles are priced below $1!!

Spotlight on Love, Romance Bundle Cover On Monday, January 4, they released, Spotlight on Love, featuring my Hollywood-themed book, California Wine. This is a great opportunity to rejoin Mandy, the somewhat talkative caterer you met in California Homecoming. She’s got a secret though–her bi-polar mother. Discover how Mandy comes to terms with the Hollywood life that she believes affected her mother, as well as try out some of the other great Crimson authors.

“Ms. Dawes has a soft approach to this touching romance. There is compassion and patience shown for wounded souls getting a chance at true love . . . the topic of mental disorders and counseling was deftly written and added an additional dynamic to the heroine.” —Julie Caicco, InDTale Magazine, 4 stars

Once upon a time, I wanted to be an actress–one who sings. My piano teacher said I was the only student she had who sang through her lessons. Throughout junior high and high school, I was involved in drama, often, to my dismay, landing in the role of stage manager instead of leading lady. This trend continued through college. In graduate school, I gave in. My Masters Degree in Theater from the University of Michigan is in directing.

But the stage continued to entice me–teaching drama at the University in Billings, junior high plays in Browning, Montana, and small community plays in E. Glacier Pk. (population less than 400). I worked in summer stock in Massachusetts and tried out in New York, only to discover the cattle call nature of try-outs was not for me.

I’ve retired my theater shoes, but it was great fun to write about the personalities that dot both the stage and the screen. Here’s an excerpt from California Thyme.

The only thing that kept Mandy going was the job. Sally engaged her by teaching her subtle tricks of the trade. Even when Mandy messed up, Sally encouraged her.

The woman was a saint.

She’d run out of patience when George Stubbins decided to throw his pot belly around.

“There’s no breakfast,” George complained.

“You’re late,” Mandy replied.

“Sally doesn’t cook enough. She thinks all the actors are dieting. Well I’m not. I need food to do this job.”

Mandy looked pointedly at George’s girth, the size of which proved his non-dieting statement. “Sally’s the best in the business. She cooks plenty.”

“Don’t get uppity with me,” he said.

“Who me? I wouldn’t dream of it.”

He changed his tactic. He put a hand on her arm and gave her what she was sure he imagined was his most charming smile. “C’mon now. I’m sure you can rustle up something for your good friend here. You’re a good cook.” He leaned in closer, his breath smelling of the coffee he’d swilled moments before. “A good looking cook, too.”

“Take your hand off me.”

After rubbing his thumb on his arm, he complied.

She gestured to a bagel in the middle of the platter without a cream cheese or butter packet in sight. “That’s what’s left. If you’re still hungry, I’m sure you can find something at the Whale City Bakery.”

She turned away.

“You’re just like your mother,” he said.

Spinning back she glared at him. “You don’t know Lola.”

He laughed, but there was no mirth in it. “Yes, I do. Next time you talk to her, ask her.”

He took a step closer to Mandy. “I knew her quite well.” He smirked at her, then ambled toward the lonely bagel.

Mandy watched him go, a pitcher trembling in her hand.

Romance Bundles

Enjoy the chance over the next few months to pick up these bundles and explore many new authors. After digging deep for gifts this season, it will be fun to while away the hours with fun romances for pennies. Happy 2016!!

California Dreaming, 4 contemporary romance bundle, cover These romance bundles include:

California Dreaming (with California Sunset, California Wine, California Homecoming, & California Thyme)

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Crimson Romance | Google Play | iTunes

Romance in Color (with California Sunrise)

Holiday Fling (with California Wine)

Spotlight on Romance (with California Thyme)

Personal Politics (with California Sunrise)

Get them while they last! They’re only available for a little while.

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Published on January 14, 2016 00:17

December 28, 2015

Awash in Romance Bundles

Cover for Holiday Fling, Romance Bundle Today’s release is another anthology, Holiday Fling, featuring my best-selling book, California Wine, a Crimson Romance #11 best all time selling books as of November 2014. This is a great opportunity to meet Elizabeth Ladina and her handsome Italian winemaker as well as try out some of the other great Crimson authors.

Join us for the Holiday Fling Facebook Party, where you can chat with us individually and win prizes! It’s Dec. 29 from 3-9 Eastern Time. Learn more at the Holiday Fling Event Link.

“So very romantic. The wine! The sexy Italian! The struggle to make pasta from scratch is real! Great job Casey!” ~ Gwendolyn Culver

I love writing secondary characters, but like many authors, I have to take care they don’t hijack the heroine’s tale. I loved the woman who teaches Elizabeth to make ravioli in California Wine. I could picture her bustling around her kitchen, just the way a good friend’s mothers and aunts used to do when I was growing up in New Jersey. Inspired by a book I found in Sausolito, California, the Lost Ravioli Recipes of Hoboken, I had a lot of fun creating this scene, and hope you enjoy reading it as well.

The woman’s home was one of the small Victorians that gave Los Gatos its charm. Elizabeth arrived with minutes to spare. Seconds after she knocked, the door flew open and a short woman in a full-length apron jerked the door open.

“Good. Respectful. In. In.” The woman turned and walked down the hallway to the back of the house.

Elizabeth closed the door behind her and followed the woman into a kitchen that looked like it hadn’t been upgraded since 1970s avocado green. “I’m Elizabeth,” she said as she placed her bag on a small table next to a gold rotary phone.

“Call me Nana. Everyone does. Got your apron?”

“Right here. Elizabeth pulled on the garment she’d brought with her. Ravioli experiments over the last months had taught her respect for the mess flour could make.

Nana handed her a sack of flour. “Make a flour volcano.”

Elizabeth looked at the sack. “Volcano.”

“You know, volcano…like school…science. Boom…volcano!”

Suddenly, Elizabeth realized what the woman meant. She looked around for measuring cups.

“What you want? Pour out the flour. Make a volcano!”

“Measuring cups?”

The woman threw up her hands, grabbed the sack and dumped out a mound of flour. She shaped a cone in the top of the mound. “Measure with your eyes. Cups! Now add eggs. Two.” She looked at Elizabeth with suspicion. “You know how to crack egg?”

Romance Bundles

California Dreaming, 4 contemporary romance bundle, cover These romance bundles include:

California Dreaming (with California Sunset, California Wine, California Homecoming, & California Thyme)

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Crimson Romance | Google Play | iTunes

Romance in Color (with California Sunrise)

Holiday Fling (with California Wine)

Spotlight on Romance (with California Thyme)

Personal Politics (with California Sunrise)

Get them while they last! They’re only available for a little while.

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Published on December 28, 2015 00:17

December 14, 2015

Chocolate + Firetruck = Christmas Romance

Sweet Montana Christmas, contemporary romance, cover One of the questions authors get frequently asked is … “Where do you get your ideas?” It’s not a question only aspiring authors ask–it comes from curious readers. They want to know what sparked the idea–anything in real life? If they did the same thing, could they find their true love?

When we were first dating, my DH and I wrote some books on a few winery regions in California. One of my favorite interview questions was to ask a winemaker about the story behind their first or favorite bottle of wine. These were fascinating stories, ranging from one man invading his father’s wine cellar as a boy, to a spectacular meal and bottle of wine in France. I learned to appreciate the “story behind the bottle.”

My stories don’t come all wrapped up in a pretty bow–at least most of the time. I just keep observing, learning new things, and listening to other people. Add in a dose of what’s going on in the news and spice it up with what I’ve learned throughout my life, and the idea comes together.

I belong to an organization called Missoula Businesswomen’s Network (If you’re in the neighborhood, I’d love to see you at the Symposium on January 30, 2016.) In October 2014, we had our fall social at the airport. Chris Jensen, the director, along with a security officer/firefighter/EMT (ah … man in uniform) gave us a tour of the airport. I was impressed with the knowledge and responsibility these men had, as well as their gleaming green firetruck!

They said one of their jobs was to help people find lost cars. (I used to travel a lot, and I know how easy it is to forget where you park your car–especially in a big lot like Newark.) Hmmm. Perfect opportunity for boy meets girl. So I had my hero.

It took a while to come up with my heroine. One of my fellow writers makes chocolate in a local sweet shop. The more I pondered, the more I realized that a lady chocolatier would be a wonderful Christmas heroine.

Now all I had to do was give them problems to solve, and solutions that made it impossible for them to be together. Piece of cake–or chocolate!

Sweet Montana Christmas is available today. I encourage you to pick up a bottle of Zinfandel, some dark chocolate, and a copy for your e-reader. Put your feet up and come to Missoula. It’s a really nice place to be at Christmas.

Load Up Your e-reader for the Holidays!

Holiday Fling, Contemporary Romance, cover My books will be in four new bundles coming out over the next month or so. Yep! Four! These bundles are available for a limited time and are generally under a dollar. It’s a great chance to read one of my books at a low price and discover many other authors at the same time. So load up your reader now, and enjoy the time once the holiday craziness has settled down.

Read about the bundles by going to the Coming Soon page.

Don’t forget two bundles are already out, including the first four books in the California Romance series.

Happy shopping!

P.S. Don’t forget to do something for those who don’t enjoy our first-world blessings. Even a few dollars in the red bucket helps make the holidays brighter for someone.

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Published on December 14, 2015 00:59

December 1, 2015

Snow for Christmas Romance

Ice on brush, Montana Christmas romance Winter has hit Montana with a vengeance. It is cold here … really cold. There’s a patch of ice on a bush outside my living room window that’s been about the same size for about four days now. Every morning hoarfrost limes the bushes and lower tree branches across the river, creating a cold winter landscape. The deer who wander through the yard are looking for any food they can find.

It could be bleak. And sometimes it feels that way. But it is also beautiful when the sun reflects off the ice, making it glisten against the few inches of snow on the ground.

It’s the season when nature does a last bunch of gathering before winter forces them to rest, spending what little energy they have to get enough food to sustain themselves. For humans, once the craziness of the holiday season passes, it can be a time of reflection, as we, in the northern hemisphere at least, wait for our southernmost friends to return the daylight.

In the meantime, Sweet Montana Christmas, Christmas romance, contemporary romance, cover we fill the time with stories. Christmas stories often involve snow and sleigh bells, a gift from our Victorian relatives who elevated Christmas from its humble story to a time of traditions that have stuck with us for over a century. The echos of winter solstice and the Roman holiday of Saturnalia surround the candles, Yule log, and other Christmas practices.

Palm trees wrapped in Christmas lights? Although I lived in California for a while, I was never a big fan. Neither is Sue Anne Devereaux, the heroine in my latest book, Sweet Montana Christmas. Maybe snow is a requirement for Christmas romance.

“It’s really wonderful to be here where there’s real seasons,” Sue Anne said. “Every year, my dad and I would watch White Christmas. A Christmas without snow is so-o-o depressing. Red and green don’t look right.”

“Not a big fan of lights on palm trees?” he asked.

“They’re fine for some people, but it doesn’t work for me.” She cocked her head. “It probably doesn’t work well for you, either, since you’re from Iowa. But if you got a job in one of those big California airports, you’d be stuck with it.”

“Maybe it’ll be Orlando. Mickey and I could become best buds.” Was she angling for a discussion about his future again? Maybe a conversation about Disney would divert her.

“Orlando is fun for a visit, but permanently?” She wrinkled her nose. “Not for me. Nope. Ever since I came to Montana to look at colleges, I’ve felt like I’ve come home. I don’t know what it is, but it feels like my roots were established here before I was born. It’s weird.”

“I can’t say I know what you mean.” A place had never grabbed hold of him, not in the way she was describing. He’d thought Denver would grow on him over time; he preferred the stark Rockies to the rolling hills of his home state. How would he feel about someplace like LA?

It didn’t matter. A job was a job.

He really wanted to get off this topic of conversation. Maybe he could distract her with something …

“How’s that Christmas list coming? I mean, if I’m going to find all the items, I’ll need some time.”

“I won’t make it too hard,” she said with a smile that slid into his psyche.

Enjoy the season! No matter where you live!