Sarah Cass's Blog: Sarah's StoryLines, page 13

Heroes are my Weakness by Susan Elizabeth Phillips

| Amazon | BN | Kobo | iTunes | Blurb New York Times bestselling author Susan Elizabeth Phillips is back with a delightful novel filled with her sassy wit and dazzling charm The dead of winter. An isolated island off the coast of Maine. A man. A woman. A sinister house looming over the sea … He’s a reclusive writer whose macabre imagination creates chilling horror novels. She’s a down-on-her-luck actress reduced to staging kids’ puppet shows. He knows a dozen ways to kill with his bare hands. She knows a dozen ways to kill with laughs. But she’s not laughing now. When she was a teenager, he terrified her. Now they’re trapped together on a snowy island off the coast of Maine. Is he the villain she remembers or has he changed? Her head says no. Her heart says yes. It’s going to be a long, hot winter. Link to Follow Tour: http://www.tastybooktours.com/2014/06... Goodreads Link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1... *~* Author Info Susan Elizabeth Phillips soars onto the New York Times bestseller list with every new publication. She’s the only four-time recipient of the Romance Writers of America’s prestigious Favorite Book of the Year Award. Susan delights fans by touching hearts as well as funny bones with her wonderfully whimsical and modern fairy tales. A resident of the Chicago suburbs, she is also a wife, and mother of two grown sons. Author Links Website:  http://susanelizabethphillips.com/ Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/SusanElizabe... Twitter:  https://twitter.com/sepauthor Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show...  Giveaway  a Rafflecopter giveaway *~* EXCERPT Annie didn’t usually talk to her suitcase, but she wasn’t exactly herself these days. The high beams of her headlights could barely penetrate the dark, swirling chaos of the winter blizzard, and the windshield wipers on her ancient Kia were no match for the wrath of the storm that had hit the island. “It’s only a little snow,” she told the oversize red suitcase wedged into the passenger seat. “Just because it feels like the end of the world doesn’t mean it is.” You know I hate the cold, her suitcase replied, in the annoying whine of a child who preferred making a point by stamping her foot. How could you bring me to this awful place? Because Annie had run out of options. An icy blast rocked the car, and the branches of the old fir trees hovering over the unpaved road whipped like witches’ hair. Annie decided that anybody who believed in hell as a fiery furnace had it all wrong. Hell was this bleak, hostile winter island. You’ve never heard of Miami Beach? Crumpet, the spoiled princess in the suitcase retorted. Instead you had to haul us off to a deserted island in the middle of the North Atlantic where we’ll probably get eaten by polar bears! The gears ground as the Kia struggled up the narrow, slippery island road. Annie’s head ached, her ribs hurt from coughing, and the simple act of craning her neck to peer through a clear spot on the windshield made her dizzy. She was alone in the world with only the imaginary voices of her ventriloquist dummies anchoring her to reality. As sick as she was, she didn’t miss the irony. She conjured up the more calming voice of Crumpet’s counterpart, the practical Dilly, who was tucked away in the matching red suitcase in the backseat. We’re not the middle of the Atlantic, sensible Dilly said. We’re on an island ten miles off the New England coast, and the last I heard, Maine doesn’t have polar bears. Besides, Peregrine Island isn’t deserted. It might as well be. If Crumpet had been on Annie’s arm, she would have shot her small nose up in the air. People barely survive here in the middle of the summer let alone winter. I bet they eat their dead for food. The car fishtailed ever so slightly. Annie corrected the skid, gripping the wheel more tightly through her gloves. The heater barely worked, but she’d begun to perspire under her jacket. You mustn’t keep complaining, Crumpet, Dilly admonished her peevish counterpart. Peregrine Island is a popular summer resort. It’s not summer! Crumpet countered. It’s the first week of February, we just drove off a car ferry that made me seasick, and there can’t be more than fifty people left here. Fifty stupid people! You know Annie had no choice but to come here, Dilly said. Because she’s a big failure, an unpleasant male voice sneered. Leo had a bad habit of uttering Annie’s deepest fears, and it was inevitable that he’d intrude into her thoughts. He was her least favorite puppet, but every story needed a villain. Very unkind, Leo, Dilly said. Even if it is true. The petulant Crumpet continued to complain. You’re the heroine, Dilly, so everything always turns out fine for you. But not for the rest of us. Not ever. We’re doomed! Doomed, I say! We’re forever¾ Annie’s cough cut off the internal histrionics of her puppet. Sooner or later her body would heal from the lingering aftereffects of pneumonia¾at least she hoped so¾but what about the rest of her? She’d lost faith in herself, lost the sense that, at thirty-three, her best days still lay ahead. She was physically weak, emotionally empty, and more than a little terrified, hardly the best state for someone forced to spend the next two months on an isolated Maine island. That’s only sixty days, Dilly attempted to point out. Besides, Annie, you don’t have anywhere else to go. And there it was. The ugly truth. Annie had nowhere else to go. Nothing else to do but search for the legacy her mother might or might not have left her. The Kia hit a snow-packed rut, and the seat belt seized up. The pressure on Annie’s chest made her cough again. If only she could have stayed in the village for the night, but the Island Inn was closed until May. Not that she could have afforded it anyway. The car barely crested the hill. She had years of practice transporting her puppets through every kind of weather to perform all over the state, but even a decent snow driver had limited control on a road like this, especially in her Kia. There was a reason the residents of Peregrine Island drove pickups. Take it slow, another male voice advised from the suitcase in the back. Slow and steady wins the race. Peter, her hero puppet¾her knight in shining armor¾was a voice of encouragement, unlike her former actor-boyfriend-slash-lover, who’d only encouraged himself. Annie brought the car to a full stop then started her slow descent. Halfway down, it happened. The apparition came from nowhere. A man clad in black flew across the bottom of the road on a midnight horse. She’d always had a vivid imagination¾witness her internal conversations with her puppets¾and she thought she was imagining this. But the vision was real. Horse and rider racing through the snow, the man leaning low over the horse’s mane streaming. They were demon creatures, a nightmare horse and lunatic man galloping into the storm’s fury. They disappeared as quickly as they’d appeared, but her foot automatically hit the brake, and the car began to slide. It skidded across the road and,with a sickening lurch, came to a stop in the snow-filled ditch. You’re such a loser, Leo the villain sneered. Tears of exhaustion filled her eyes. Her hands shook. Were the man and horse indeed real or had she conjured them? She needed to focus. She put the car into reverse and attempted to rock it out, but the tires only spun deeper. Her head fell against the back of the seat. If she stayed here long enough, someone would find her. But when? Only the cottage and the main house lay at the end of this road. She tried to think. Her single contact on the island was the man who took care of the main house and the cottage, but she’d only had an e-mail address to let him know she was arriving and ask him to turn on the cottage’s utilities. Even if she had his phone number¾Will Shaw¾that was his name¾she doubted she could get cell reception out here.  Leo never spoke in an ordinary voice. He only sneered. Annie grabbed a tissue from a crumpled pack, but instead of thinking about her dilemma, she thought about the horse and rider. What kind of a crazy took an animal out in this weather? She squeezed her eyes shut and fought a wave of nausea. If only she could curl up and go to sleep. Would it be so terrible to admit that life had gotten the best of her? Stop it right now, sensible Dilly said. Annie’s head pounded. She had to find Shaw and get him to pull out the car. Never mind Shaw, Peter the hero declared. I’ll do it myself. Buy Peter¾like her ex-boyfriend¾was only good in a fictional crisis. The cottage was about a mile away, an easy distance for a healthy person in decent weather. But the weather was horrible, and nothing about her was healthy. Give up, Leo sneered. You know you want to. Stop being such a douche, Leo. This voice came from Scamp, Dilly’s best friend and Annie’s alter ego. Even though Scamp was responsible for many of the scrapes the puppets got into¾scrapes heroine Dilly and hero Peter had to sort out¾Annie loved her courage and big heart. Pull yourself together, Scamp ordered. Get out of the car. Annie wanted to tell her to go to hell, but what was the point? She pushed her flyaway hair inside the collar of her quilted jacket and zipped it. Her knit gloves had a hole in the thumb, and the door handle was icy against her exposed skin. She made herself open it. The cold slapped her in the face and stole her breath. She had to force her legs out. Her beat-up brown suede city boots sank into the snow, and her jeans were no match for the weather. Ducking her head into the wind, she made her way to the rear of the car to get her heavy coat, only to see that the trunk was wedged so tightly into the hillside that she couldn’t open it. Why should she be surprised? Nothing had gone her way in so long that she’d forgotten what good fortune felt like. She returned to the driver’s side. Her puppets should be safe in the car overnight, but what if they weren’t? She needed them. They were all she had left, and if she lost them, she might disappear altogether. Pathetic, Leo sneered. She wanted to rip him apart. Babe… You need me more than I need you, he reminded her. Without me, you don’t have a show. She shut him out. Breathing hard, she pulled the suitcases from the car, retrieved her keys, snapped off the headlights, and closed the door. She was immediately plunged into thick, swirling darkness. Panic clawed at her chest. I will rescue you! Peter declared. Annie gripped the suitcase handles tighter, trying not to let her panic paralyze her. I can’t see anything! Crumpet squealed. I hate the dark! Annie had no handy flashlight app on her ancient cell phone, but she did have… She set a suitcase in the snow and dug in her pocket for her car keys and the small LED light attached to the ring. She hadn’t tried to use the light in months, and she didn’t know if it still worked. With her heart in her throat, she turned it on. A sliver of bright blue light cut a tiny path through the snow, a path so narrow she could easily wander off the road. Get a grip, Scamp ordered. Give up, Leo sneered. Annie took her first steps into the snow. The wind cut through her thin jacket and tore at her hair, whipping the curly strands onto her face. Snow slapped the back of her neck, and she started to cough. Pain compressed her ribs, and the suitcases banged against her legs. Much too soon, she had to set them down to rest her arms. She hunched into her jacket collar, trying to protect her lungs from the icy air. Her fingers burned from the cold, and as she moved forward again, she called on her puppets’ imaginary voices to keep her company. Crumpet: If you drop me and ruin my sparkly lavender dress, I’ll sue. Peter: I’m the bravest! The strongest! I’ll help you. Leo: (sneering) Do you know how to do anything right? Dilly: Don’t listen to Leo. Keep moving. We’ll get there. And Scamp, her useless alter ego: A woman carrying a suitcase walks into a bar… Icy tears weighed down her eyelashes, blurring what vision she had. Wind caught the suitcases, threatening to snatch them away. They were too big, too heavy. Pulling her arms from their sockets. Stupid to have brought them with her. Stupid, stupid, stupid. But she couldn’t leave her puppets. Each step felt like a mile, and she’d never been so cold. Here she’d thought her luck had begun to change, all because she’d been able to catch the car ferry over from the mainland. It only ran sporadically, unlike the converted lobster boat that provided the island with weekly service. But the farther the ferry traveled from the Maine coastline, the worse the storm had become. She trudged on, dragging one foot through the snow after the other, arms screaming, lungs burning as she tried not to succumb to another coughing fit. Why hadn’t she put her warm down coat in the car instead of locking it in the trunk? Why hadn’t she done so many things? Find a stable occupation. Be more circumspect with her money. Date decent men. So much time had passed since she’d been on the island. The road used to stop at the turnoff that led to the cottage and to Harp House. But what if she missed it? Who knew what might have changed since then? She stumbled and fell to her knees. The keys slipped from her hand and the light went out. She grabbed one of the suitcases for support. She was frozen. Burning up. She gasped for air and frantically felt around in the snow. If she lost her light… Her fingers were so numb she nearly missed it. When she finally had the flashlight back in her grasp, she turned it on and saw the stand of trees that had always marked the road’s end. She moved the beam to the right, where it fell on the big granite boulder at the turnoff. She hoisted herself back to her feet, lifted the suitcases, and stumbled through the drifts. Her temporary relief at having found the turnoff faded. Centuries of harsh Maine weather had stripped this terrain of all but the hardiest of spruce, and without a windbreak, the blasts roaring in from the ocean caught the suitcases like spinnakers. She managed to turn her back to the wind’s force without losing either one. She sank one foot and then another, struggling through the tall snowdrifts, dragging the suitcases, and fighting the urge to lie down and let the cold do what it wanted with her. She’d bowed so far into the wind that she nearly missed it. Only as the corner of a suitcase bumped against a low snow-shrouded stone wall did she realize that she’d reached Moonraker Cottage. The small, gray-shingled house was nothing more than an amorphous shape beneath the snow. No shoveled pathway, no welcoming lights. The last time she’d been here, the door had been painted cranberry red, but now it was a cold, periwinkle blue. An unnatural mound of snow under the front window covered a pair of old wooden lobster traps, a nod to the house’s origins as a fisherman’s cottage. She hauled herself through the drifts to the door and set the suitcases down. She fumbled with the key in the lock only to remember that island people seldom locked up. The door blew open. She dragged the suitcases inside and, with the last of her strength, wrestled it shut again. The air wheezed in her lungs. She collapsed on the closest suitcase, her gasps for breath more like sobs. Eventually she grew conscious of the musty smell of the icy room. Pressing her nose to her sleeve, she fumbled for the light switch. Nothing happened. Either the caretaker hadn’t gotten her e-mail asking him to have the generator working and the small furnace fired up or he’d ignored it. Every frozen part of her throbbed. She dropped her snow-crusted gloves on the small canvas rug that lay just inside the door but didn’t bother to shake the snow from the wild tangle of her hair. Her jeans were frozen to her legs, but she’d have to pull off her boots to remove them, and she was too cold to do that. But no matter how miserable she was, she had to get her puppets out of their snow-caked suitcases. She located one of the assorted flashlights her mother always kept near the door. Before school and library budgets were slashed, her puppets had provided a steadier livelihood than her failed acting career or her part-time jobs walking dogs and serving drinks at Coffee, Coffee. Shaking with cold, she cursed the caretaker, who apparently had no qualms about riding a horse through a storm but couldn’t summon the effort to do his real job. It had to have been Shaw riding the horse. No one else lived at this end of the island during the winter. She unzipped the suitcases and pulled out the five dummies. Leaving them in their protective plastic bags, she stowed them temporarily on the sofa, then, flashlight in hand, stumbled across the frigid wood floor. The interior of Moonraker Cottage bore no resemblance to anyone’s idea of a traditional New England fishing cottage. Instead her mother’s eccentric stamp was everywhere¾from a creepy bowl of small animal skulls to a silver-gilded Louis XIV chest bearing the words pile driver that Mariah had spray-painted across it in black graffiti. Annie preferred a cozier space, but during Mariah’s glory days, when she’d inspired fashion designers and a generation of young artists, both this cottage and her mother’s Manhattan apartment had been featured in upscale decorating magazines. Those days had ended years ago when Mariah had fallen out of favor in Manhattan’s increasingly younger artistic circles. Wealthy New Yorkers had begun asking others for help compiling their private art collections, and Mariah had been forced to sell off her valuables to support her lifestyle. By the time she’d gotten sick, everything was gone. Everything except something in this cottage¾something that was supposed to be Annie’s mysterious “legacy.” “It’s at the cottage. You’ll have… Plenty of money…” Mariah had said those words in the final hours before she’d died, a period in which she’d been barely lucid. There isn’t any legacy, Leo sneered. Your mother exaggerated everything. Maybe if Annie had spent more time on the island she’d know whether Mariah had been telling the truth, but she’d hated it here and hadn’t been back since her twenty-second birthday, eleven years ago. She shone the flashlight around her mother’s bedroom. A life-size mounted photograph of an elaborately carved Italian wooden headboard served as the actual headboard for the double bed. A pair of wall hangings made of boiled wool and what looked like remnants from a hardware store hung next to the closet door. The closet still smelled of her mother’s signature fragrance, a little-known Japanese men’s cologne that had cost a fortune to import. As Annie breathed in the scent, she wished she could feel the grief a daughter should experience following the loss of a parent only five weeks earlier, but she merely felt depleted. She waited until she’d located Mariah’s old scarlet woolen cloak and a pair of heavy socks before she got rid of her own clothes. After she’d piled every blanket she could find on her mother’s bed, she climbed under the musty sheets, turned out the flashlight, and went to sleep.

Sunday Snippets 46 – Masked Hearts

Welcome back to the Weekend Writing Warriors! I’m back with my travelling wild west show story, Masked Hearts. John & Carl continue to try to help Minnie…but old hurts stand in the way for most of them: “Stick with your own kind, Minnie. Roy may not be a bastard like Rawlins, but he won’t take care of you, either.” Carl moved closer. “Got it?” “My own kind? I have none of my own kind,” She wrinkled her nose and got in his face. “You’re Cheyenne; I’m nothing like you.” “We’re all you have.” *Creative editing used this week to fit in the 8. *~* If you want more of these wonderfully damaged pair…pick up a copy! | Amazon | SCP | BN | ARe |  Minnie Woodward lives a lie. After barely surviving the Bear River Massacre she’s lived in the white world of her guardian Mister Rawlins, her life debt keeping her tied there. The last thing she needs is Roy’s attempts to gain her favor. Her fate’s sealed. She’s never believed in hope, and not even Roy can make her start. Roy Ornum saves Minnie every night in the traveling Wild West show. The job he took to break his gambling habit brought him a new addiction – her. He knows she doesn’t want to be rescued, but maybe he does. She’s the key to a past he lost, one he wants to find again. As the two grow closer old wounds are reopened and their burgeoning trust is shattered. When lives hang in the balance of their choices they’ll need to work together. Otherwise everything will be lost before hope can be found. *~* Head back on over to the Weekend Writing Warriors to read many more wonderful offerings!

Cover Reveal – Missing by Jessica Wilde

Cover Reveal TITLE: MISSING (The Brannock Siblings #3) AUTHOR: Jessica Wilde RELEASE DATE: SEPT 21ST GOODREADS LINK: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2...   SYNOPSIS: There are two things in this life that Gus Brannock truly loves; his family and his job. His family is growing and he wants what his brother and sister have before the job he’s worked so hard for takes its toll. The woman he’s got his eye on, however, isn’t interested in being with a man who risks his life every day. When the unexpected friendship with the sassy red head he used to hate turns into something Gus just doesn’t want to live without, he will do whatever it takes to have her. The hazards of his job as a detective for missing children may end up proving to be too much, but there’s a reason Aiden was brought into his life and nothing will stand in his way to keep her there. Aiden Murphy used to hate the handsome jerk next door until a surprising discovery spun her world in another direction. Her life of devotion to her sister and niece has been her biggest strength with the exception of her art. That is, until Gus turns out to be the one thing that has been missing from that life all along. Aiden must decide if the unknown is worth the risk of loving the dedicated detective or if being pulled into his world is more than she can handle. When Gus becomes the only way for her to keep the people she loves most safe, will she understand why he treasures her untried strength or will she let her fear of the unknown decide for her? For readers 18+ due to strong language and sexual situations. Other Books In this series: Leverage (The Brannock Siblings #1)   Add to Goodreads: Synopsis: Adventure. That’s all Aislinn ‘Ash’ Brannock wanted in her life. Her dad and two brothers – all cops – got to see it all, but their over-protectiveness made her feel like she had been locked away in a tower with three fire breathing dragons watching her every move. Yes, it was that bad. The only silver lining? Lucas Shade. Her brothers’ best friend growing up, and apparently the only man she will ever love because let’s face it, none of the others even come close. After an unfortunate mistake lands her back in her father’s home, her world is turned upside down and Lucas is there in a tightly wrapped package of serious with a big red bow on top. Life just got interesting, but it comes with a price, one she never wanted to pay. Detective Lucas Shade never had a real family, but the Brannocks took him in as one of their own and he never took it for granted. Ash was a big reason for why he stuck around, but in order to save himself the beating of a lifetime from her two older brothers, he kept his feelings for her hidden. When the case he has been working on for months takes a turn, Ash could become the leverage the bad guys have been waiting for, but keeping her invisible may destroy everything Lucas has worked so hard for. Good thing Ash is the only person he would give up everything to protect. Buy The Book: Amazon : B&N: Apple: Kobo: Conned (The Brannock Siblings #2)         Add to Goodreads: Synopsis:   Conall Brannock takes his job seriously. He doesn’t get attached, he doesn’t ask questions, and he protects his family at all costs. Nothing will change that. Not even the sweet, green eyed witness that just burst into his life and shifted his world. He has one job to do; protect Emily until she can testify. He can’t let his interest in her get in the way, but the more he finds out about her, the more he can’t help but wonder how the beautiful broken girl got into this mess in the first place. And the longer he takes to learn the truth, the deeper he falls for her. Emily Dawson has a job to do. Stay off the grid, testify, and hopefully get her brother back. He’s all she has left of the family she struggled so hard to hold together and she would do anything to keep him safe. Even if it means she has put herself in harm’s way or that she has conned everyone into believing she saw something she didn’t. She knows where her loyalties lie, but her stoic yet gentle protector and his crazy family makes her question everything she once knew. Loyalty can be one sided. Family isn’t always blood. And honesty can destroy everything she has come to love.   Buy The Book:   Amazon: B&N: Apple: Kobo:   About The Author:   I live in Morgan Utah with my husband, daughter, and dog, Kolo. I write as often as my active daughter will let me and my husband has the patience of a saint. I find inspiration from dreams, people I meet, and life experiences. When I write, I usually end up drinking one too many cans of Peace Tea, eating three too many Fruit by the Foot fruit snacks, and accidently kicking my pup and best buddy, Kolo, too many times since he loves to sleep under my desk at my feet.
I started writing as a teen, but my fear of the unknown won out every time and I threw everything out. After becoming a mother and deciding to stay at home to raise my beautiful little girl, I tried again when I couldn’t stop thinking of ideas. I loved every minute, every hour of sleep lost, and every character that came to life in my mind.
It’s strange, but my favorite moments are when I have writer’s block because I can turn to my husband and find inspiration through him by just doing what we do best together. Talking, laughing, and just being in love. He doesn’t like to read, but he never stops encouraging me to keep going.
Writing has become an important part of my life and every book has a special place in my heart. Stalk The Author:   AMAZON: Twitter: Facebook: Goodreads:

The Cinderella Theorem by Kristee Ravan – Grand Finale Blitz

A themed book tour through Prism Book Tours. It’s the tour Grand Finale forThe Cinderella TheoremBy Kristee Ravan Did you enjoy this logical fairy tale journey? If you missed any posts, go back and check them out now! Be sure to enter the giveaway as well!! Launch with Excerpt (click on the link to read the full excerpt) “Right. Well,” she took a breath. “To begin, I should say that your father is not dead.” “But, he is dead. You told me that he died–that the train he was on hit a cow.”[i] “No, Sweetie.” She patted my knee. “He’s not dead. He is alive and he’s coming to dinner.” “I don’t understand. The train wrecked, the cow died, Dad died. You showed me the news story.” Mom sighed. (Why is she sighing? Did she think that I would automatically understand? Did I miss the Lily, your dad is not dead memo?) “There was a train wreck, a cow did die. And it was on the news. But your father was not on the train.” [i] If I seem a little slow to understand what my mom is telling me, keep in mind that fifteen years of believing my dad is dead is greater than 3 minutes of hearing he is alive. (15 > 3.) Kelly P’s Blog – Inspiration for The Cinderella Theorem Once upon a time, in a library far, far away, I discovered the fairy tale shelf. I remember it was in a sunny area. The books were smaller than normal and were a part of a set. I checked them out over and over again. I’m sure my seven-year-old self had heard or had all these fairy tales read to her before, but this was the first time, I was able to read them for myself. This began a life-long love for fairy tales… Coffee Books & Art – Anatomy of a Good Bad Guy Confession: I love to write Levi, the evil villain in The Cinderella Theorem. He’s to develop, he makes Lily (and everyone else) squirm and lose their cool, plus he’s greasy. Let’s explore the qualities that make up a good bad guy… The Wonderings of One Person – Interview Is there a singular character that really touched your heart and why? Lily has to make a couple of choices to be brave in the story. One of those is when she decides that she’d rather face facts and get to know her (previously believed dead) father than hold on to the nice, neat “story” of what she believed happened. I’m not always best at making hard choices, or being willing to do what is hard, so that aspect of Lily inspired me. Bookworm Lisa – A Book About Math? Really?? I need to let you in on a little secret. There’s math in my book. Probably an above average amount. It’s not a math book, but there is way more math in it than you would find in a regular book. And while I don’t think I’m BFFs with math, I do think I’m friendly with math. Which is interesting because there was a time in my life that math and I were not friendly at all… Shannon’s Blog – Review “I liked the first-person writing style of The Cinderella Theorem; I thought Lily had a good voice. The characters were quirky and likable, and the ideas and world itself were delightful. The Cinderella Theorem is an enjoyable book, a fun play on the old fairy tales. Recommended.” Simplistic Reviews – Promo Skye Malone’s Blog – Fairy Tales You Aren’t Reading — But Should (Part One) In my book, The Cinderella Theorem, a lot of the fairy tale world’s usual subjects show up: Cinderella, the Gingerbread Man, Sleeping Beauty. But I also got to shed some light on some of the rarer tales around, like the Erlking… Wonderous Reviews – Interview What is your favorite thing about writing a book partly set in a fairy-tale world? Thinking up things like Marvelous Midas Creme—magical ice cream made by King Midas. From one carton, everyone will magically have whatever flavor is their favorite in their bowl. Creating the structure for HEA (The Office of Happily Ever After Affairs) was a lot of fun too! Mythical Books – Why I Heart Beauty and the Beast Everyone’s got a favorite fairy tale and mine is Beauty and the Beast. There are a lot of reasons this tale could be my favorite, but the truth is there’s only one reason that it is my favorite… Rockin’ Book Reviews – Interview 2. This not only has a mathematical twist but a comical twist to the Cinderella theme? Will this become a series? If so, what type of theme will follow? If not, what will be your next project? I am working on a sequel called Calculating Christmas. It will be a Christmas theme as Lily and her friends try to save Christmas. I also know what the third book will be about, but haven’t really planned it yet. Sarah’s StoryLines – The Shocking Truth About Fairy Tales They start with once upon a time and end with everyone living happily ever after and in between those two things there is singing, talking woodland animals and a good deal of magic. Everyone knows that’s how fairy tales go. But do we really know these tales? Katy’s Krazy Books – Review “I absolutely loved The Cinderella Theorem!! It was amazing. I thought it was so cool how Lily grew as a character and learned all these different lessons. The footnotes that the author added at the bottom of the pages were so great and helpful.” Letters from Annie (Douglass) Lima – Review “This is definitely the most unique fantasy novel I’ve read in a long time (and I read a lot of fantasy)! I love the main character and the way she views the world in terms of math.” My Devotional Thoughts – Interview What kind of research (if any) do you do for your books? Because math and fairy tales are so important in these books, I try to keep them in my mind by following blogs about fairy tales and math. I also read books about math and fairy tales. (Women in Mathematics and The Witch Must Die are what I’m working through now.) I’ve found that I’m faster at writing if I don’t stop to research in the moment, so I’ve started jotting down post-it notes of things to look up later. I’ve got some math friends that I ask questions of when needed. My friend, Kelly, helped me think of a math poster to be in Lily’s bedroom. I also use the internet quite a bit. The Written Adventure – A Deleted Scene Mom hadn’t mentioned what I was supposed to wear for the interview, but then again, Mom hadn’t mentioned the interview either. There were a lot of things going unmentioned in the Sparrow family these days. Like my dad isn’t really dead, like I’m a princess, like I’m having a ball in my honor. So in the grand scheme of things unmentioned by my mother, what was one reporter, showing up unannounced, knocking on my bedroom door… Tween 2 Teen Book Reviews – Review “I expected it to be okay, but it far surpassed my expectations. I picked it up and couldn’t stop! I was laughing out loud the entire time!… This book was SO much fun! I honestly loved every minute of it. The romance was fleeting, but promised more. I can’t wait for the next book!” Mel’s Shelves – Review “I thoroughly enjoyed this book and am looking forward to reading more! I felt that I learned more about both fairytales and math while reading it so I feel smarter now than I was before I started. The ending was great and left me wanting more, so I was glad to get a sneak peek into the next book, Calculating Christmas (which is hopefully coming soon). If you or someone you know loves math, this book is a no brainer! If you don’t enjoy math, you will still find plenty about it to love, so give it a chance!!” My Life, Loves and Passion – Review “This is a very interesting spin on fairy tales. I did truly enjoy the story. It was fun to think how I would feel as a teenager in this situation. She uses math to rationalize life. For a 15 year old girl I did not find her annoying. Most of the time the female character can be whinny and boy crazy. Lily was not like that and I was glad for a change of pace. A great fun read.” Katie’s Clean Book Collection – Review “I’m not into math, but I love fairy tales. I passed my math classes, but it’s not my favorite subject, and I wasn’t sure how a story about fairy tales could possibly tie into math. But it worked! I thought it was very creative and the story was even written in a math book-type of format–little side notes and footnotes. It was interesting to see the way a logical girl could come to accept a fantasy world–almost like right brain meets left brain.” Book Briefs – Review “The Cinderella Theorem overall was a really great read. I had a few small issues with the book early, but they were minor things and I am so glad that I didn’t let them get in the way of enjoying the story, because this was a book that just kept getting better and better. I loved the concept of the story and the main character, Lily was a delight.” Deal Sharing Aunt – Review “What I liked the most is that the author had me laughing. A lot. I can not wait until the next book comes out and I read more about these characters!” A Backwards Story – From The Fireland Flame From the Fireland Flame, the daily newspaper of EG Smythe’s Salty Fire Land:Tybalt’s Tales, Gossip from all the Genres August 19th has finally arrived! The day we’ve all been waiting for, Fireland! Princess Lily turns 15 today and finds out that she’s really a princess. How will our secret Protector respond? Coffee, Books and Me – What’s in a Name? Even though no one ever spells it correctly, I love my first name: Kristee. It’s unique and special and though a Google search will reveal that there are other Kristees in the world. I personally have never met one, and I know there’s no one else named “Kristee Ravan” (Kudos to my husband for giving me a unique last name, that no one ever spells correctly either…). So when I began creating Lily’s world, I wanted to be intentional with the names of the people and places. Here’s the inside scoop on what some the names mean. I Am A Reader – Fairy Tales You Aren’t Reading, But Should, Part 2 Snow White and Rose Red First of all, this is not the Snow White who hangs with the seven dwarves. This Snow White and her sister, Rose Red, were named for rosebushes that grew in front of their cottage, where the girls and their mother lived a happy life in the woods. (The dad’s dead.) Dividing by Zero – Review “The characters are well developed (and fun!), the plot is entertaining and very creative, the writing flows well, the dialogue is natural sounding and true to the character who’s speaking, and it’s overall just a good, fun read. I was also geekily excited that Lily shares information about Pi Day (March 14th – 3/14 – because pi is 3.14159… get it?) I’m looking very much forward to The Lily Sparrow Chronicles Book 2: Calculating Christmas…” Calling for Reviewers! We’re looking for reviewers! You don’t need a blog to sign up, but you do need to at least post a review on Amazon. Other sites (blog, Goodreads, etc.) are also appreciated. Reviews must be completed by the end of November. To sign up, please fill out this form. The Cinderella Theorem(The Lily Sparrow Chronicles #1)by Kristee RavanYA Urban FantasyPaperback, 367 pagesMarch 17th 2014 Fairy tales are naturally non-mathematical. That is a fact, and fifteen-year-old Lily Sparrow loves factual, mathematical logic. So when her mother confesses that Lily’s deceased father is (a) not dead, (b) coming to dinner, and (c) the ruler of a fairy tale kingdom accessible through the upstairs bathtub, Lily clings to her math to help her make sense of this new double life (1 life in the real world + 1 secret life in the fairy tale world = a double life). Even though it’s not mathematical, Lily finds herself being pulled into a mystery involving an unhappy Cinderella, a greasy sycophant called Levi, and a slew of vanishing fairy tale characters. Racing against the clock, with a sound mathematical plan, Lily attempts to save her fairy tale friends while proving that normality = happiness. Amazon Kristee Ravan lives in Oklahoma with her husband, daughter, and pet fish, Val (short for Valentine). She wanted to be many things as she grew up including a general, an artist, and an architect. But she never bothered to say, “I want to be a writer when I grow up.” She was always writing stories and thought of herself as a writer anyway. She sent her first story to a publisher in the sixth grade. (It was rejected – in a nice way.) When she is not making up stories in her head, she enjoys reading, juggling, green smoothies, playing dollhouse with her daughter, and hearing from her fans. You can contact Kristee at the facebook page for her Lily Sparrow books: The Lily Sparrow Chronicles. Website – Goodreads – Facebook – Amazon Tour-Wide Giveaway 5 copies of The Cinderella Theorem (print for US winners, ebook for international winners)Ends August 31st a Rafflecopter giveaway

Cover Reveal: Shattered Innocents by Alexis Noelle

HTML – Shattered Innocence by Alexis Noelle Cover Reveal   Forced to pay for college on her own, Jessica Evans tried everything she could think of. No matter how many jobs she picked up, she never made enough money. Then she was introduced to the world of depravity and scandal that she currently resides in. Damon Shaw has just been assigned to take over the day-to-day operations of the escort service where he’s has working for almost five years. He immediately bumps heads with the sexy and stubborn Jessica. Damon is determined to show Jessica who is in control and make her follow his every instruction. When the two get together, sparks begin to fly. Jessica and Damon will challenge and enrage each other at every turn. The sting of words and the temptation of seduction are ever present between them. Damon is not at all what he seems. When all hell breaks loose, will Damon and Jessica make it or will she send him packing   Pre-Order Links: Amazon Goodreads a Rafflecopter giveaway     I love reading romance books! I feel like being able to lose yourself in a book in one of the more exciting aspects. The books I love to read and write will be ones that make you feel for the characters. You should have an opinion on every character in a book. Whether you love them, hate them, or think they are up to something.  I live in Philadelphia Pennsylvania with my husband, two kids, and two dogs. On top of starting a writing career I am a full time student, and a full time mom. I love spending time with my kids, although I have to hide the computer from them when I am writing! I love being active and being able to do any activity outdoors.  I have always thought as an author the most important critic is your reader, so I would love to hear from you. If you read the book and loved it or hated it, tell me. As long as it is in a constructive way I will always answer and interact with you. I want fans to feel free to tell me what they want for the characters in the story and what they want to see happen. website https://www.facebook.com/AlexisNoelle... twitter username _alexisnoelle_ Synopsis: Forced to pay for college on her own, Jessica Evans tried everything she could think of. No matter how many jobs she picked up, she never made enough money. Then she was introduced to the world of depravity and scandal that she currently resides in. Damon Shaw has just been assigned to take over the day-to-day operations of the escort service where he’s has working for almost five years. He immediately bumps heads with the sexy and stubborn Jessica. Damon is determined to show Jessica who is in control and make her follow his every instruction. When the two get together, sparks begin to fly. Jessica and Damon will challenge and enrage each other at every turn. The sting of words and the temptation of seduction are ever present between them. Damon is not at all what he seems. When all hell breaks loose, will Damon and Jessica make it or will she send him packing Pre-Order Links: http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00MQIZ... TBR: Goodreads About the Author: I love reading romance books! I feel like being able to lose yourself in a book in one of the more exciting aspects. The books I love to read and write will be ones that make you feel for the characters. You should have an opinion on every character in a book. Whether you love them, hate them, or think they are up to something. I live in Philadelphia Pennsylvania with my husband, two kids, and two dogs. On top of starting a writing career I am a full time student, and a full time mom. I love spending time with my kids, although I have to hide the computer from them when I am writing! I love being active and being able to do any activity outdoors. I have always thought as an author the most important critic is your reader, so I would love to hear from you. If you read the book and loved it or hated it, tell me. As long as it is in a constructive way I will always answer and interact with you. I want fans to feel free to tell me what they want for the characters in the story and what they want to see happen. website https://www.facebook.com/AlexisNoelle... twitter username _alexisnoelle_

Sunday Snippets 45 – Masked Hearts

Welcome back to the Weekend Writing Warriors! I’m back with my travelling wild west show story, Masked Hearts. The confrontation with the Cheyenne continues. In her current state, Minnie finds it easy to hold onto her anger. But perhaps John & Carl are trying to help…: “You can’t even show friendship to your own kind, but you look at a white man like that? I thought you hated white men,” Carl folded his arms across his chest. “I do,” She did, but Roy had just proved he wasn’t white–not fully; not that she could reveal his secret to them. “Rawlins offered him your contract for a few games. Are you trying to make it so he’ll do that?” John picked apple pieces off her head, tossing it aside. “Because it would be no better with him, you know that.” “I don’t want that,” Minnie didn’t look away from Carl’s glare. *Creative editing used this week to fit in the 8. *~* If you want more of these wonderfully damaged pair…pick up a copy! | Amazon | SCP | BN | ARe |  Minnie Woodward lives a lie. After barely surviving the Bear River Massacre she’s lived in the white world of her guardian Mister Rawlins, her life debt keeping her tied there. The last thing she needs is Roy’s attempts to gain her favor. Her fate’s sealed. She’s never believed in hope, and not even Roy can make her start. Roy Ornum saves Minnie every night in the traveling Wild West show. The job he took to break his gambling habit brought him a new addiction – her. He knows she doesn’t want to be rescued, but maybe he does. She’s the key to a past he lost, one he wants to find again. As the two grow closer old wounds are reopened and their burgeoning trust is shattered. When lives hang in the balance of their choices they’ll need to work together. Otherwise everything will be lost before hope can be found. *~* Head back on over to the Weekend Writing Warriors to read many more wonderful offerings!

Jaded by Michelle Bellon

To what lengths will a man go for the woman he loves? Reed Dartmouth will learn the answer to those questions time and time again throughout his relationship with Jade Montgomery. When he first meets her as a young, gentle boy the heartache from losing his mother only a year before is still fresh and painful. Jade is different from anyone else he’s ever met; tough, sassy, and even a bit cruel. But she’s also the same as he is: she knows what it’s like to lose a parent. Their friendship begins and a bond like no other is formed. Time passes and Reed learns that not only are Jade’s parents dead, they were murdered and she’s made an oath to one day bring them justice. No matter the price. As they grow older their love evolves but for Jade, old habits die hard and she can’t stop hurting those she loves the most. Even in the midst of searching for her parents’ killers, passion ignites and jealousy burns as Jade tests Reed’s devotion for her. Will she push him too far? Buy on Amazon *~* Reed chuckled in unison with Justine as she retold her version of their many shared Driver’s Ed mishaps. “I remember it a little differently than that, but then again, that was nearly ten years ago. I guess my version could be a little sketchy.” Her laughter faded and her eyes crinkled at the corners as her expression grew whimsical. “Wow, ten years. Has it really been that long?” “About that, yeah, but I’m glad you gave me a ring while you were in town so that we could meet up like this. It’s been nice.” Her finger trailed delicately around the rim of her beer. “Of course I did. I’ve always wondered what you’ve been up to all these years. We never really talked again after…that night.” He stiffened. Avoiding eye contact, she stared at her drink as if it had all the answers. “Remember that Reed?” “Yep.” His answer was brief as nostalgic memories resurfaced. Those years had been tucked away, purposefully. Justine’s body language changed and he knew she was likely contemplating whether to push the conversation or just let it go. Knowing females, and boy did he, as he was raised by many of them, he had no doubt that she’d just have to push it. “All those years I kept wondering what she had that I didn’t. Then one day I realized that I’d go crazy trying to answer that question, so I chose to just let it go. But right now, sitting here with you, I realize that I still want to know the answer.” Finally, she raised her gaze to meet his. He could see by the way her jaw set and her fingers trembled, that it took everything she had. He hated to be put in this position, to dredge up old ghosts from the past. He’d do it just to settle the score and hopefully it would ease her pain. He sighed. “It wasn’t that you lacked anything at all Justine. You were… you are, beautiful, elegant, funny, kind, and quite simply a good person. There should never be a comparison drawn between you and Jade. It just isn’t fair. She came into my life before you and along the way, she asked me to make a promise to her. I kept that promise, even to my own detriment. I’m sorry that you got caught in the middle of that. I never meant to hurt you. You always did mean a lot to me.” A sad smile haunted her features and it made him sick to his stomach to know she wasn’t sad for herself. She was sad for him. She reached out and put a gentle hand over his. “Please tell me, Reed, that after all this time you aren’t still keeping that promise to her. She’s been gone for as long as I have. Promises can be a brutal sentence to carry out.” He snickered. “You have no idea.” He swigged the last of his beer, placed a light kiss on her cheek, and said goodnight. If there was one thing Reed knew in the depths of his soul, it was what it meant to make a promise. *~*   About the author: Michelle Bellon lives in the Pacific Northwest with her husband and their four children. She drinks ungodly amounts of coffee and has an addiction to chapstick. She works at a surgery center as a registered nurse and in her spare time writes novels. She writes in the genres of romance suspense, young adult, women’s fiction, and literary fiction. She has won three literary awards. Website | Facebook | Facebook Author Page | LinkedIn *********************************************** Check out Michelle’s Other Books  

Review: First Impression by Author Pauline Creeden

Four & A Half Stars First Impression has the rare distinction of impressing me. The blurb had me really curious, and the cover is fabulous…but I’ve been let down before and caught in the “typical” YA stream of consciousness that forms a book. This one did have a little romance. It had some mystery. It had ghosts (done well). It had a frickin’ owl, people. An OWL. Not just any owl, and AWESOME owl. Chira was totally relatable for me.  She’s picked on, but has one really good friend. People don’t hate her, but she has a stigma around her because of an early rumor (the root of which is exposed during the book). We meet Ben early on and he’s not-surprisingly a mystery. The one thing Chira notices about him is that he wears colored contacts – to make his eyes brown. Her curiosity over that finds room. Of course, Ben is smokin’. There’s not the instant “OMG, I must have him and all else dies.” Chira is attracted, and makes some attempts at flirting, but her life goes on, and her BFF drags her along for the ride on this mission to check out the old abandoned, and haunted, schoolhouse is when things start to take a turn. The mystery kicks off, and the revelations start to fly. I can’t go into it too much without divulging some serious spoilers into the story. All I’ll say is Pauline handles the lore, the mystery, and the high-paced action really well. Once I got to 33% I couldn’t stop and ended up staying up until about 3AM in order to finish. I couldn’t put it down until I knew what was going on. Did I guess? I made lots of guesses, but the author threw in plenty of surprises for me. What’s better is she set off a surprise twist on the relationship front that leaves me wondering what will happen in book 2.  One mystery is resolved, but I have so many more questions and hope there’s plans for more ASAP. And anytime a book leaves me wanting more, it’s a win. I want more of Chira and Ben, and the rest of the (surviving) characters! *~* Join us July 21 – August 29 as we celebrate Pauline Creeden’s books Part Steampunk, part Fantasy, all Romance… When a crippled young lord rescues a girl falling from a tree, it reveals a secret about himself and his mother’s side of the family that could put him at the center of a war with beings he thought only existed in fairy tales. Tristan Gareth Smyth lived his entire life stuck at home at Waverly Park and left behind while his Grandfather makes trips to London, all because of his blasted wheelchair. Then an American heiress falls in his lap, literally, and he must find a way to keep her at a distance to protect not only his secret, but everyone around him from an assassin sent to kill him. Buy on Amazon   Darkness can be overcome… Terminally ill Lynette Lamb is forced to reunite her wayward son and grandson. Her options are as limited as her strength and mobility. Through a fateful series of events, the rejoined pair will leave Earth to become part of a colony orbiting a new planet. Sam Austin and his wife mourn the loss of their only child and decide to make a fresh start at the space station. The same ship holds the one who will fulfill the dark planet’s prophecy, but a demonic force boards to stop the vessel. The demon’s obedient but unwilling servant is sent on a suicide mission to keep the ship from reaching its destination. Buy on Amazon   Chira Kelly thought she didn’t need anyone…until she met Ben. Because of one ugly rumor, Chira lives as an outcast at her school. Which is fine with her, because she works better alone. Always has, always will. And at least she has her one and only true friend, Tasha. When Tasha insists that they join a group to visit a possibly haunted abandoned old schoolhouse, she’s wary, but joins her friend. Because of that decision, their lives are in jeopardy as a malevolent spirit targets the group. Tragedies and accidents pick them off one by one, and Chira finds herself drawn to the one person who can see the truth. But can he protect her? *A Young Adult Paranormal Romance – Urban Fantasy with a blend of Mystery*   Buy on Amazon   Left Behind for the Hunger Games generation In a heart-racing thriller described as Falling Skies meet The Walking Dead, Jennie struggles to find a safe place for what’s left of her family. But it seems as though there is no place sacred, no place secure. First the aliens attacked the sun, making it dimmer, weaker, and half what it used to be. Then they attacked the water supply, killing one-third of Earth’s population with a bitter contaminate. And when they unleash a new terror on humankind, the victims will wish for death, but will not find it… When the world shatters to pieces around her, will Jennie find the strength she needs to keep going?   Buy on Amazon   Pauline Creeden Pauline Creeden is a horse trainer from Virginia, but writing is her therapy. In her fiction, she creates worlds that are both familiar and strange, often pulling the veil between dimensions. She becomes the main character in each of her stories, and because she has ADD, she will get bored if she pretends to be one person for too long. Follow Pauline Creeden: Website | Facebook | Twitter Follow the Book Tour Sign up for Pauline Creeden‘s newsletter you’ll find out when the serial comes out and on the day of release it’s FREE! http://eepurl.com/Oe2Fn Enter to win one of three swag packs. Open to US only. Fill out the form to

Author Dixie Lee Brown Talks Character Lists

First, I want to thank Sarah’s StoryLines for inviting me here today and for helping to introduce my new release. More about that later. Right now I want to talk about… Things to Include on a Character List… I have to admit I’d never used a character list until my amazing agent, Dawn Dowdle with Blue Ridge Literary Agency, required one for each manuscript. Now, I don’t know how I’d survive without one! Character lists are designed to help you remember what you’ve said and done in the first half of your book, or the first three books in a series, so that your characters continue to have the same color eyes, hair, and not age ten years in six months. Here are a few things I like to keep track of on mine: The driver’s license info—name (include full name and nickname if applicable), age, height, weight (maybe not in so many words), hair color, eye color, wears glasses or contacts Character roles in the story—is she Uncle Alvin’s twin brother’s stepsister? Is he the CEO of Floyd’s Storage Inc.? Or was it CFO? How long have they been there? And if you mentioned what they were doing before they got their current job, trust me, you’ll want to note it on your character list. Transportation—what kind of car does your character drive? Note the year, the color, and any other information you learn about it and mention the first time it appears…like what size engine it has or how many people it seats. That could be helpful later on when you try to transport six people in a car that only holds two. Dress—does your character wear Armani suits and ties or jeans and sexy, tight T-shirts? Cowboy boots? If your hero wears a baseball cap, it probably has a sports team emblem. What’s his team? Does your heroine prefer two inch heels? Or four inch? What colors do they look best in? Everyone dresses a little different. Guns—my genre is romantic suspense, so my characters carry guns. Each character has a preference, and the gun I put in his hand in the first book of the series better carry through to the last. On a related issue, that gunshot wound my character suffered in the last book…it needs to be on the same arm, leg, or shoulder in the next book. That’s one I didn’t write down, and now I have to go back and search for the answer. The character list has saved my bacon, and my time, over and over again. I’m always coming up with new things to add to the list. Many times I learn things the hard way! What about you? What’s on your character list? *~* | Amazon | BN | Kobo | iTunes | Blurb  Assassin Alex Morgan will do anything to save an innocent life – especially if it means rescuing a child from a hell like the one she endured. But going undercover as husband and wife, with none other than the disarmingly sexy Detective Nate Sanders, may be a little more togetherness than she can handle. She’s used to working alone, and no man is going to change that – not even a man who makes her heart pound and her defenses crumble with just a touch Nate has dodged more than a few bullets over the years, but fighting his attraction for Alex may be the bullet that does him in. Still, Nate’s determined to help her find the missing kid. There’s no doubt in his mind that they’re walking straight into danger, but Nate’s willing to face anything if it means protecting Alex. She might have been on her own once, but Nate has one more mission: to stay by her side – forever. Link to Follow Tour:  http://www.tastybooktours.com/2014/07... Goodreads Link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2... *~* Author Info DIXIE LEE BROWN lives and writes in Central Oregon, inspired by what she believes is the most gorgeous scenery anywhere. She resides with two dogs and a cat, who make sure she never takes herself too seriously. When she’s not writing, she enjoys reading, movies, and trips to the beach. Author Links Website:http://www.dixiebrown.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Dixie-... Twitter: https://twitter.com/DixieLeeBrown Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show...    Rafflecopter Giveaway (Print copy of another installment in Dixie Lee Brown’s Trust No One series, IF YOU ONLY KNEW—where you get to meet Alex and Nate for the first time!) a Rafflecopter giveaway

Sunday Snippets 44 – Masked Hearts

Welcome back to the Weekend Writing Warriors! I’m back with my travelling wild west show story, Masked Hearts. The apple has been shot from her head, and Minnie storms back to the wagons to clean up, embarrassed and properly chastised. Before she can reach the safety of her small cabin in the show wagon, the two Cheyenne, John and Carl, confront her. John speaks first: “Are you crazy?” All she wanted to do was collapse, but she never backed down from a fight–most especially a fight with one of the Cheyenne, “No.” “What makes you think you’re so special?” Carl snarled and yanked her back down the steps. “Why would you show any affection for a white man? Much less where all could see—especially Rawlins?” “It wasn’t affection,” she hissed. It hadn’t been, had it? *Creative editing used this week to fit in the 8. *~* If you want more of these wonderfully damaged pair…pick up a copy! | Amazon | SCP | BN | ARe |  Minnie Woodward lives a lie. After barely surviving the Bear River Massacre she’s lived in the white world of her guardian Mister Rawlins, her life debt keeping her tied there. The last thing she needs is Roy’s attempts to gain her favor. Her fate’s sealed. She’s never believed in hope, and not even Roy can make her start. Roy Ornum saves Minnie every night in the traveling Wild West show. The job he took to break his gambling habit brought him a new addiction – her. He knows she doesn’t want to be rescued, but maybe he does. She’s the key to a past he lost, one he wants to find again. As the two grow closer old wounds are reopened and their burgeoning trust is shattered. When lives hang in the balance of their choices they’ll need to work together. Otherwise everything will be lost before hope can be found. *~* Head back on over to the Weekend Writing Warriors to read many more wonderful offerings!