Casey Dawes's Blog, page 21
November 1, 2013
Blog Tour: Daring to Wish, Contemporary Romance
DARING TO WISH
Contemporary Romance
By Tracey Rogers
On Sale Now
Published by Beachwalk Press, Inc.
Blurb
What happens when you dare to wish?
In an effort to regain her independence and break out of her shell, shy Eve Ward writes a daring wish list of all the things she wants to do before her thirtieth birthday. It’s a good thing the list is for her eyes only, because some of the items are pretty risqué.
Adrenaline junkie Lucas Riley becomes Eve’s “victim” in a kiss-a-stranger dare, and she thinks he’s perfect for her one-night-with-a-stranger wish.
With Eve, Lucas thinks he’s found the distraction he needs before he has to say goodbye to his bad boy image. When he finds Eve’s sexy wish list, he can’t keep himself from giving into temptation and sneaking a peek, and wish number eight is impossible for him to resist. Being good can wait.
Eve is thrilled when, out of the blue, Lucas offers to take her skydiving. Her sexy stranger has helped her tick so many wishes off her secret list. Her confidence has grown and now she’s having fun both in and out of the bedroom. It seems too good to be true…is it? She can’t shake the niggling suspicion that something’s not quite right.
Content Warning: contains dizzying heights and sensual sex.
Buy Links
| Excerpt
“Wait.”
Eve froze mid-turn, halted by his husky command and the tingle radiating from his hand lightly grasping her wrist. She met his gaze and realized how wrong she’d been. He was a million miles away from being uncomplicated. The startling blue of his eyes revealed depths Eve could only imagine drowning in.
“Did you say…nice?” He leaned closer. “I would say that was a lot better than nice. I’m sure if we tried again we could manage spectacular. Don’t you agree?” he drawled.
Maybe nice had been the wrong word to choose Eve relented as she noted his husky tone. It was infinitely better than nice. Try amazing! Her breath hitched as she thought of his kiss again.
Knowing he enjoyed it too sent a surge of pleasure through her that settled deep within her belly. Obviously she could do some things right.
If she intended to fulfill her wishes she was going to have to find some confidence from somewhere—and fast! At the moment her confidence seemed to be firmly in the area of her knickers.
Running and hiding now seemed out of the question. Maybe confidence practice would be the lesser of two evils? She paused before turning to face Mr. Hotness for confidence lesson one.
“Hmm…” She pretended to consider. “Maybe you’re right. However, as this was a dare I’m afraid it was a one time opportunity,” she added with mock apology. “So I guess we’ll never know.”
“You kissed me for a dare?” His brow arched.
Eve nodded. “Uh-huh. My dare was to kiss a stranger.”
“A dare, huh? I feel so…so violated.” He clutched his free hand to his chest in feigned hurt, although his eyes brimmed with humor and a smile tugged at the corner of his delicious mouth.
“Don’t be offended. I did actually choose you,” she blurted before forgetting her cool, calm, and confident aim.
“So you really thought you could violate me then run?”
“That was my plan, yes,” she said with a confidence she didn’t quite feel, especially as she was distracted by the thumb lightly stroking her wrist.
“And I didn’t even try to play hard to get. Guess you got lucky.”
“Or maybe you did,” she countered without thought, mortified as a blush warmed her cheeks at his responding grin.
He grinned, releasing her hand. “Tell me. Do you like to be dared?”
Her eyes widened at the loaded question. “I…I find a challenge hard to resist.”
“Damn good thing I’m a challenge.”
My Thoughts
As a writer, it’s very difficult to suspend my disbelief when I’m reading a novel. My editing mind looks for typos, plot problems, and flat characters.
But not in Daring to Wish. Within a few pages I was engaged with the characters, rooting for them and flicking my Kindle to see what happened next. Several times I thought the plot was going in one direction and the author took me to a very unexpected place, to my delight.
Now that I’ve read it, I’m looking at my underwear in a whole new way!
This is a fun book and I thoroughly recommend it!
Link to Follow Tour: http://tastybooktours.blogspot.com/2013/06/now-booking-tasty-review-tour-for_27.html
Author Info
A devourer of books from an early age, I spent much of my childhood stepping into wardrobes, searching for that magical snowy world where conversing with animals would be expected. When I wasn’t searching for those worlds, I wrote about them instead. My first step into the world of romance was when I stole sneak peeks into my nana’s books. I’m still in that world and refuse to leave.
I live in Staffordshire, UK, with my husband and three wonderful children. An avid reader and writer of romance, I strongly believe that words make the world go around.
Email me at traceyrogersaut@gmail.com.
Connect with Nikki: Twitter | Facebook | Website
October 28, 2013
Blog Tour: Finding the Right Girl, Contemporary Romance
FINDING THE RIGHT GIRL
By Violet Duke
Blurb
From the New York Times & USA Today bestselling author who brought you the Nice Girl to Love trilogy, comes A Nice GUY to Love spin-off…
Brian Sullivan has been in love twice in his lifetime. He lost his first love to early-onset Huntington’s, and he lost the other more recently…to his brother. And somehow, his heart has managed to heal itself after both. Amazingly, without therapy. That doesn’t mean he hasn’t gotten a bit more cautious, however. Lately, Brian’s been thinking that maybe his brother’s now retired nothing-but-flings rule isn’t such a bad idea after all. Unfortunately, as the unofficial nice guy poster boy, Brian isn’t exactly versed in the fine art of flings. So he looks to the outrageously ‘unique,’ inexplicably enigmatic, provokingly button-pushing Tessa Daniels for a crash course.
There’s absolutely no way he’s falling in love with this one…right?
Tessa has no idea what she was thinking telling Brian that she was some sort of fling expert. She’s never been flung before and she sure as heck doesn’t know where or how to begin flinging a guy like Brian. It was a temporary lapse in sanity—no doubt because of the can’t-help-but-fall-for-him brain fuzz that hits her whenever he’s around. Not only does the man have her being more herself than she’s ever been in her life, but he’s the only person she knows who seems to have as many demons and skeletons in the closet as she does. What’s more, he’s got her thinking of the one thing she stopped letting herself even hope for years ago.
A happily ever after.
Pre-Buy Links
Excerpt
“Babe, we have to stop. You’re hurting and your emotions have gone through the wringer tonight. I can’t take advantage of you like that.”
“Then don’t,” she replied simply, wrapping her arms around his neck. “Let me take advantage of you.”
Jerking back to put some head-clearing distance between them was about as painful as ripping off his own skin. “Why don’t we just hang out tonight? We can sit and talk more about those dickheads we ran into tonight if it’ll help, or we could just watch a movie…anything you want to do.”
He quickly snatched her wandering hands as they traveled down his lats and started tugging at the hem of his t-shirt. “Anything except that,” he groaned. “Work with me here, woman.” Raggedly, he put his forehead against hers and counted to ten to try and find the tattered remains of his restraint.
The thought almost made him laugh. Who was he kidding? He had no restraint when it came to Tessa. By the fifth second, his lips had already found their way back to hers.
And goddammit if her whole body didn’t just tremble right there in his arms.
She was just so mind-wreckingly responsive. As usual, without even trying, she was driving him batshit crazy.
Tapping into a reserve even he didn’t know he had, he broke off the kiss and took another step away from her. Then he watched in sad disbelief as her expression became completely shuttered a half an instant later—closing him out behind the walls of a now ten-story castle and a moat filled with fire-breathing piranhas.
The lightning quick response time of her defenses was a punch to his gut. What the hell happened in her past?
“Look Brian, if you don’t want to, you can just tell me you know. I’m a big girl; you don’t have to make excuses to let me down easy—”
He gave her a look that said he wondered about her IQ before grabbing her hand and dragging it over the zipper of his jeans. “Does that feel like I don’t want to?”
Her eyes widened, and her grip closed tight around him.
Bourbon soaked shards of glass went hissing down his throat. “For chrissakes, stop.” The blood supply in his brain was dipping down to a dangerous low.
And the damn temptress was clearly all torn up about it. He glared at the smile she was biting back. “I’m glad you find this so amusing.”
“It’s not amusement, it’s relief. Here I was thinking it was just me getting affected with my perpetually wet panties around you and all.”
A seriously pained groan escaped him then. “To preserve my sanity—and your panties—don’t use the word wet in any more sentences tonight.”
She sighed. “I don’t know why you’re making such a big deal out of this. You heard Troy earlier this evening. Being the ‘good girl’ was never my thing.” She brushed up against the hardening ridge tenting his jeans to drive home her point.
With a muttered curse, he clamped one arm around her waist and tangled his free hand in her hair. “Sweetheart, this thing between us is a big deal,” he said roughly, tugging gently on her hair and nearly losing it when she arched her back in response. Her fitted tee was so paper-frickin’-thin. One sharp yank was all it’d take to rip it right down the middle.
Jesus Christ, he needed to find some control.
“Tessa, when, and yes I said when we have sex, I’ll make damn sure that every single second of it seeps into your bones, burns into your memory, and turns into a relentless craving that makes you forget all the assholes from your past,” he ran his lips along the thrumming pulse at her throat, “and if I’m really lucky, it’ll also help ruin you for all other men completely.”
Link to Follow Tour: http://tastybooktours.blogspot.com/2013/09/now-booking-release-day-blast-for.html
Author Info
National bestselling author Violet Duke is a former professor of English Education who is ecstatic to now be on the other side of the page writing wickedly fun contemporary romance novels. Besides writing and feeding her book-a-day reading addiction, she can often be found tackling reno projects with her power tools and trying pretty much anything without reading the directions first, or cooking ‘special edition’ dishes that laugh in the face of recipes. Violet lives in Hawai’i with her two cute kids and similarly adorable husband.
Connect with Violet: Facebook| Twitter | Goodreads | Website
October 8, 2013
Blog Tour: Winter Swans–Paranormal Romance
WINTER SWANS:
Book 3 of the Nymph Series
Paranormal Romance
By Danica Winters
On Sale October 7, 2013
978-1-440-565489
Published by Crimson Romance (F+W Media)
Blurb for the Paranormal Romance, Winter Swans
A curse that forbids her to love…A child that he must accept… And a battle that could get them killed…
After the death of his troubled ex-wife, the professional poker player, Chance Landon, finds out he is the father of a strange girl who carries even stranger secrets.
Swan-shifting nymph, Harper Cygnini, is a driven by the need to succeed in her professional life. When she meets Chance and his daughter, it becomes only too clear that there are things missing in her life—feelings and needs laid dormant after the mistakes of her past.
When Chance makes a choice that puts them all in danger, Harper must choose between her job and her heart. Chance may be the gambler, but should she risk making the same mistakes and pinning her hopes on a future that may cost Chance his life and his daughter—or is that one bet she is unwilling to take?
Buy Links
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | iBookstore
My Thoughts
This is the third of the paranormal romance Nymph series, and it’s as delightful and unusual as the first two books. Danica Winters weaves the paranormal world effortlessly with the “normal” world. The characters, Chance and Harper, are believable in their struggle to be as human as possible while acknowledging the challenges that their race imposes on them.
Not only is the book rich in romance, it provides enough action to keep you glued to the pages. If you like paranormal romance, take a “chance” on this series.
Author Info
Danica Winters is a bestselling author of a variety of romance, including paranormal romance, who is known for writing award-winning books that grip readers with their ability to drive emotion through suspense and often a touch of magic. When she’s not working, she can be found in the wilds of Montana testing her patience while she tries to understand the allure of various crafts (quilting, pottery, and painting are not her thing). She always believes the cup is neither half full nor half empty, but it better be filled with wine.
Connect with Danica:
October 3, 2013
Blog Tour: Accidental Cowgirl, Contemporary Romance
ACCIDENTAL COWGIRL
By Maggie McGinnis
On Sale October 8, 2013
ISBN: 978-0-345-54875-7
Published by Loveswept
Blurb
In her Loveswept debut, Maggie McGinnis tells the tale of a city girl who’s running on fumes—and the cowboy who shows her all the good things she’s been missing.
After being betrayed by her con man ex-fiancé, Kyla Bennett nurses a broken heart. But Kyla’s friends have other ideas and when they whisk her off to Whisper Creek, a dude ranch staffed by cowboys so hot they dim the Montana sunset, all Kyla wants to do is hide under a quilt. Then in rides Decker Driscoll. He’s hauling about as much emotional baggage as Kyla, but when he stands close by, both of them want to stay close—and begin to succumb to an undeniable attraction.
After experiencing personal tragedy, Decker never thought he’d see Big Sky country again. But now that his family’s Whisper Creek property is in deep with a Vegas gambler, Decker’s back for the summer—and spending all his time running from “cowgirls” who come to the dude ranch to score some dudes. Then he meets Kyla, a kindred spirit who brings on a stampede of protective feelings . . . and a powerful hankering to sear her with a new brand of love.
Buy Links
Amazon
| Barnes & Noble | iBookstore | Google Play | Kobo | Other retailers
Guest Post: Lost
Thanks so much for hosting me today! I’m so excited to be here!
A few years ago I spent a week in New York City at the Romance Writers of America’s National conference. I’d been there once in high school, but the country-bumpkin that is me had never ventured back. To say I was awed would be an understatement. To say I was constantly lost would also be an understatement. I can track my way through a forest better than I could navigate Times Square, which is saying something, since I’m also pretty useless at tracking.
Feeling lost isn’t all that comfortable, even when you’re an adult. Is there a car made without GPS these days? I mean, who still relies on old-fashioned maps, or directions scrawled on take-out napkins from the glove compartment? Do gas station attendants even give directions anymore? Or do they just find the GPS coordinates for you?
My heroine, Kyla, is just about as lost as a gal can get. She’s lost her job, her fiancé-that-wasn’t, and her entire life savings. She’s tortured by memories and guilt, and she’s convinced her man-radar is completely defective. She needs to be turned inside-out and shaken so she can make a fresh start, and her best friends figure a dude ranch getaway will be just the thing.
They’re totally right, of course. Once they get her to Montana and she gets a peek at big skies, green meadows, and, well, hot hot cowboys, things start looking up. And when Decker starts cracking her shell, suddenly she’s not so lost anymore. In fact, she realizes she’s right where she needs to be.
How about you? Were you ever a “fish out of water?” Move to a new place and feel lost? What helped you through it? Leave a comment below!
Link to Follow Tour: http://tastybooktours.blogspot.com/2013/07/now-booking-tasty-virtual-book-tour-for_6627.html
My Thoughts
I really enjoyed this book. Of course, having it set in my home state of Montana didn’t hurt! I was immediately drawn into the characters and was rooting for them. Years ago I was a city girl who moved to Montana, so I could relate to all of Kyla’s fears and mishaps. Maggie McGinnis captured the love of land that all Montanans have. I recommend this book as a light and emotionally satisfying read.
Author Info
Maggie McGinnis is the author of Driving Without a License, which was a finalist for Romance Writers of America’s Golden Heart award. A former high school English teacher, an accomplished musician, and a certified black belt, she lives in New England with her family.
Connect with Maggie: Facebook | Twitter | Website
Rafflecopter Giveaway
September 26, 2013
Blog Tour: Give In to Me
Book Three in The Night Series
By: Sidda Lee Tate
Beachwalk Press
Released September 16th, 2013
Blurb
The attraction between Jennica and Scott is undeniable, but will her past show up to ruin it all?
After years of being gone, Scott Sims has returned to his hometown. Life is good. He likes his new job, has reconnected with his sister, and even met a “friend with benefits” at the local bar. He does his best to ignore the flurry of rumors—none of them true—about where he’s been and who he’s become.
Jennica Moss’s last relationship ended badly, leaving her guarded and untrusting. She’s new in town, but the local gossips have kept her informed about almost everything. The latest hot topic—Scott Sims, the area’s most promising star, the guy who threw his football career away and disappeared for years.
When Scott and Jennica meet, emotions run high. Scott can’t resist the urge to get to know her. But Jennica’s past threatens to come between them, and Scott can’t seem to shake his present. When he broke things off with his last fling, she didn’t take it well, and she keeps showing up at the most inopportune moments, making his time with Jennica strained.
Now one, or both, of their lives may be at risk, and Jennica must face the consequences of giving in to her heart and falling in love with Scott.
Content Warning: strong language and graphic sex
Buy Links
Amazon
| Barnes & Noble | Beachwalk Press
Excerpt
“Friend of yours?” Scott cut his eyes at her, a single brow raised as they stepped on the sidewalk in front of the Italian restaurant, heading in the direction of her parents’ house.
Jennica shook her head even though he was a few steps in front of her and wouldn’t see. He walked fast, still hanging on to her hand. He’d punched Troy right in the face. Taken up for her, something no one had ever done. Her heart swelled with appreciation, followed by an anxious panic racing through her veins. In a matter of minutes they would be at her childhood home. There hadn’t been much time with him…not what she needed.
My Thoughts on This Contemporary Romance
I enjoyed this short (65 pages) contemporary romance story. The relationship between Scott and Jennica can barely get off the ground without running into issues delivered by the “friends with benefits” and ex-fiancé. The characters and story are pleasant and the happy ending hard-won.
Author Info
Sidda Lee Tate has spent most of her life creating stories. Writing is one of her great loves. Whether her words make readers cry, laugh, or down-right hot, she is proud to take people on a journey with her characters. Sidda lives in a small town in Arkansas with her husband and son.
Author Links
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6562022.Sidda_Lee_Tate
Publisher: http://beachwalkpress.com/sidda-lee-tate/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/siddalee.tate.7
Twitter: https://twitter.com/siddaleewrites
September 24, 2013
Blog Tour: Adam’s Apple by Liv Morris
Adam Kingsley reigns as the young prince of Manhattan. Everything he touches turns to gold, making him the envy of Wall Street. Women swoon at his feet, money falls out of his pockets, and his killer good looks are as wicked as sin. A dangerous trifecta.
What more could a thirty-two-year-old man wish for? Maybe that his life never changes and his past stays far away? Sounds reasonable, but life seldom is.
Kathryn Delcour is a beautiful and alluring socialite with unique erotic tastes. When she suddenly appears on the New York City social scene, Adam finds her too tempting to resist. He has to have her, but she is warned to stay away from him and his player ways. She tries her hardest to keep him at arm’s length, but Kathryn’s arms may not be strong enough to hold Adam at bay.
Hidden secrets, Kathryn’s passion for an ancient sexual practice, and a former business partner wanting to inflict a deadly revenge set the scene for a wild ride as Adam tells the story in his own words.
Links
Buy Links
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Smashwords
Link to Follow the Tour
http://tastybooktours.blogspot.com/2013/07/now-booking-tasty-virtual-book-tour-for_7.html
Playlist for Adam’s Apple
http://grooveshark.com/playlist/Adam+s+Apple/88118839
Adam’s Apple Book Trailer
Author Info
Liv Morris resides in Manhattan with her husband of twenty-eight years. After relocating eleven times during her husband’s corporate career, she qualifies as a professional mover. Learning to bloom where she’s planted, Liv brings her moving and life experiences to her writing.
A native of the beautiful Ozark Mountains of southern Missouri, Liv feels blessed to have a supportive and close family. Her three grown daughters are scattered across the country, but thankfully call home on a regular basis.
She received a B.S. in Communication from the University of Maryland. Liv has published five short story series, Love in the City. Two of her short stories have landed on Amazon’s top best sellers list in Contemporary Romance. Her novel, Adam’s Apple, was released in Summer 2013.
Author Links
Website: www.livmorris.com
Twitter: @Living_Write
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/livingwrite
September 17, 2013
Book Tour: Sisters in Love
Sisters in Love
By: Melissa Foster
Blurb
Danica Snow has always been the smart, practical, and appropriate sister. As a therapist, she prides herself on making reasonable, conservative choices, even if a bit boring, and as part of the Big Sister Program, she has little time for anything more in her life.
Blake Carter is a player. He never gets bored of conquering women, and with his sexy good looks and successful lifestyle, he has no trouble finding willing participants. When his friend and business partner dies in a tragic accident, he suddenly, desperately, wants to change his ways. The problem is, he doesn’t know how to stop doing what he does best.
When Blake walks into Danica’s office, the attraction between them is white hot, but Danica isn’t the type to give into the heat and risk her career. Danica’s desire sets her on a path of self-discovery, where she begins to question every decision she’s ever made. Just this once, Danica wants to indulge in the pleasures of life she’s been so willingly ignoring, but with her Little Sister in turmoil and her biological sister’s promiscuousness weighing heavily on her heart, she isn’t sure it’s the right time to set her desires free.
SISTERS IN LOVE is a light, uplifting work of women’s fiction and will resonate with readers who enjoy emotional journeys of the heart with strong heroines and sexy, lovable heroes. Readers of books by Jane Porter and Beth Kendrick will enjoy Danica and Blake’s story.
Link for Excerpt:
http://www.melissafoster.com/content/sisters-love-excerpt
Buy Links
| My Thoughts
As I read Sisters in Love, I thought “Damn! I wish I’d written this book.” Although it took a little while to get into the characters, when I did I became engaged with their problems and wanted them to work it all out. The therapeutic sessions were thought-provoking.
I did have problems at times with a therapist who is flirting close to the line of acceptable behavior. Most of the time I was able to suspend my disbelief, but every once in a while, it crossed the line for me.
The writing is excellent, putting you in the story and keeping you there. It was a fast read and I was engaged to the end. I’d recommend the book.
Link to Follow Blog Tour:
http://tastybooktours.blogspot.com/2013/08/now-booking-tasty-reveiw-tour-for.html
About the Author
“Melissa Foster is a wonderful connector of readers and books, a friend of authors, and a tireless 
advocate for women. She is the real deal”– Bestselling Author Jennie Shortridge.
“What sets Melissa Foster apart are her compelling characters who you care about… desperately. This is psychological suspense at its most chilling. I dare you to read the first chapter and not be hooked.” International bestseller, M.J. Rose.
Melissa Foster is an award-winning, International bestselling author. Her books have been recommended by USA Today’s book blog, Hagerstown Magazine, The Patriot, and several other print venues. She is the founder of the Women’s Nest, a social and support community for women, the World Literary Café. When she’s not writing, Melissa helps authors navigate the publishing industry through her author training programs on Fostering Success. Melissa is also a community builder for the Alliance for Independent Authors. She has been published in Calgary’s Child Magazine, the Huffington Post, and Women Business Owners magazine.
Author’s Links
Website: www.MelissaFoster.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/MelissaFosterAuthor
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/3023973.Melissa_Foster
Twitter: @Melissa_Foster
Fostering Success: http://www.fostering-success.com/
Women’s Nest: http://thewomensnest.com/
World Literary Café: http://www.worldliterarycafe.com/
September 11, 2013
The Bodice Rips on Page 25 (Part 23)
The Bodice Rips on Page 25 (Part 23)
The Bodice Rips on Page 25 is a tongue-in-cheek contemporary and regency romance in a draft state. Warning! The ending of this story about love will not be revealed!
To start at the beginning, click here.
***
Jane browsed the catalog as she waited for Michael Saturday morning. She loved the Turners with their sweeping storms, reminding her of pouring rain and lightning storms bending the cornfields in Iowa. The storms had been a comfort to her, because she was safe with her family. No one else could bother them.
She could avoid difficult conversations.
“Penny?” Michael’s voice interrupted her musings.
“Hello, Michael.” She smiled at him and held out her hand, resisting the urge to kiss him on the cheek.
He looked disappointed, but took her hand. “Where to?” he asked.
“I think the Turners.”
“I thought you were the ‘play it safe’ girl. Turner is anything but safe.”
She took off in the direction of the gallery. “I’ve changed.” she said over her shoulder.
“So I see.” Michael strode to cover the distance between them.
As they wandered through nineteenth century British art, Michael asked, “What prompted you to come to England?”
“It was a desperate attempt to avoid going back to Iowa.”
“Is Iowa that bad?”
“Only if you have to go back to your home town with your tail between your legs,” she said. “I got an opportunity to apply for a grant and I took it. Most insane thing I’ve ever done.”
“Other than moving from Iowa to New York City.”
Jane stopped to stare at a huge painting of a dark-haired woman in a red floor-length outfit. “Can you imagine posing for something like this? I can’t imagine standing in that position for hours.”
“Maybe that explains the grimace.”
Jane laughed. She’d forgotten how witty Michael could be.
“Lunch?” Michael said as she was about to ask the same thing.
A dull headache was beginning, a combination of over-stimulation and dread of the conversation she knew they had to have.
She managed to delay until they had their lunch in front of them.
“So tell me,” Michael asked. “Why did it take you two and a half months to call me? I could have shown you all of London and gotten you into some very swank parties. I know we didn’t part well in New York, but still…”
Jane looked down at her plate. Here it was.
“The easy answer is that I had to finish my book,” she said.
“And the not-so-easy answer?”
She twisted her napkin. “I like you, Michael.”
“But?”
She looked at him. “Not that way. I didn’t know how to tell you in New York. Our lives are different.”
“They don’t have to be,” Michael said.
Jane laughed. “I’m an Iowa farm girl and you’re a Member of Parliament. I don’t think it’s going to work out really well.”
“Farm girl? I thought you were a writer.”
“I am. But these last few weeks in the Cotswold’s have taught me that I’m a country girl at heart.”
“And now that you don’t have to go home as a failure?”
She shook her head. “I still haven’t heard about the book, but I know in my heart it’s a good one. And that’s good enough for me to feel right about going home.” She put the napkin back on the table. “Who knows? Maybe I’ll find a strong farmer and raise big strapping sons.” She smiled at Michael. “I’m sorry.”
“Nothing to be sorry about. I enjoy you, too. If I’m every in Iowa, I’ll depend on you to show me around. Maybe we can count cows, or something.”
Her smile deepened. “I’d like that.”
To be continued…
September 2, 2013
Writing Romantic Suspense — Anticipation
Much as I love my California Romance series, I enjoy a short project that I can complete quickly, especially if that project is a story out of the norm of what I write.
Chasing the Tumbleweed was a project like that. I wrote it in three weeks in a chilly Montana December, using the remembered heat of the Nevada high desert to keep me warm. Because it’s a romantic suspense, I was able to change up the type of writing I was doing.
It was harder to write in some ways, because I had to maintain the tension without going too over the top. I also didn’t want to have an ending which was too predictable. Many of my readers have assured me I managed to pull that off.
We traveled through Nevada again this past summer. As always, I was on the lookout for ideas. This is what’s tumbling around in my brain for the next short story, based on things that I really saw this summer.
A billboard on Route 80: “Help us find Patrick Carnes“ with a picture of a nice old man. (Please keep Patrick and his family in your prayers as he’s been missing quite a while now.)
An “everything” building off Route 80, with a bar, store, gas, post office, etc. A Fed-Ex driver, a young blond woman from Winnemucca, who mentioned she drives over 500 miles a day.
Cute guys on motorcycles.
What would you do with this combination? I’d love to hear your ideas in the comments.
If you want to be notified when this book comes out, as well as my Christmas short story, be sure to sign up for “Stories About Love” to the right.
I’m grateful for the chance to be a featured author on Books To Go Now. Be sure to stop by and see the great variety of titles they have available!
August 29, 2013
H.O.W. and the Spirit of Love
Long ago, before judgement ruled the world, there was love. Our hearts remember it and we seek out the stories of people giving a helping hand to each other. Stories like Debbie Macomber’s 16 Lighthouse Road
from the Cedar Cove series, Robyn Carr’s Virgin River
series, Sheryll Woods Chesapeake Shores series, including Harbor Lights
and a new author to me, RaeAnne Thayne, who writes books like Willowleaf Lane
.
While these books have good and bad people, sometimes horrific events, and decisions that must be made, many of the people are trying to give a helping hand.
That is the spirit of H.O.W. — Helping One Woman.
I first became aware of this organization when my friend Patti (the inspiration for Elizabeth in California Wine
) started a H.O.W. Chapter in Oakhurst, CA. I went to one of the first gatherings.
The concept is simple. Each month a group of women gather for dinner and companionship. They add $10 to a fishbowl (or more), and the monies are given to a woman in need who was chosen by the group the month before. No judgement about how the woman got in the position. Only love and a helping hand.
Need to be inspired? Read one story from this heart-lifting organization from their local paper and rediscover the power of love.
