B.L. Blair's Blog, page 28

Vacation

I think I’ve mentioned I love to travel. I usually take one or two vacations a year. Last year, my big trip was to Iceland. It was a lot of fun and the people were incredibly kind. This year, we are staying in the U.S.
One of my goals is to see as many of the national parks, monuments, and memorials as possible. I will soon be going to Rapid City, South Dakota. We will be staying in Rapid City and then venturing out in all directions each day. There will be a lot of driving, but we are going to see a lot. We are going to visit Mt. Rushmore, Devil’s Tower, the Badlands National Park, Wine Cave National Park, Theodore Roosevelt National Park, and Jewell Cave National Monument as well as several state parks and site.

I’m really looking forward to this trip. I think it’s going to be fun!

Jersey Diner by Lisa Diane Kastner - $50, a $25 and a $10 Amazon or Barnes and Noble GC

BLURB:Lauren has a dead end job as a waitress at the Oaklyn Diner. She becomes ecstatic when the diner is chosen to be the focal point of an upcoming movie, *Jersey Diner,* starring Jonathan Pearce. When filming ends she moves to California to start a new life with him. Lauren quickly discovers that all that she thought was real and true are in question.
Excerpt:“Here’s a copy of the script, read through it and then go over the scenes with the girl.”
“I can try. I never acted so I don’t know how much of a help I’ll be.”
He plopped it into my arms. The script weighed more than a stacked tray.
“This isn’t about acting. It’s about realism. That’s why we need your help. You’re a real waitress and this one just doesn’t get it.” He smirked. “If I could get ten cents for every time one of these actresses thought they could feel their way through a part. I’d be a zillionaire. Then give me a dime for every time they were wrong. Oh. I’d be …” He stopped. “Start reading.”
I had opened the cover and started flipping through the pages.
“Good. I knew you’d be the right person for the job. We’ll pay you for your time. You can be our ‘Resident Expert on Serving.’ Ya know, like a martial arts expert.”
“Fun.”
On Sale for $0.99!Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Jersey-Diner-Say-Youre-Only/dp/0997778806/ref=sr_1_3?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1490138826&sr=1-3
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:Lisa is a former correspondent for the Philadelphia Theatre Review and Features Editor for the Picolata Review, her short stories have appeared in magazines and journals such as StraightJackets Magazine and HESA Inprint. In 2007 Kastner was featured in the Fresh Lines @ Fresh Nine, a public reading hosted by Gross McCleaf Art Gallery.
She founded Running Wild Writers and is the former president of Pennwriters, Inc. (www.pennwriters.com). She received her MFA in Creative Writing from Fairfield University, her MBA from Pennsylvania State and her BS from Drexel University (She’s definitely full of it). Her novel THE KEEPER OF LOST THINGS was shortlisted in the fiction category of the William Faulkner Words and Wisdom Award and her memoir BREATHE was a semi-finalist in the nonfiction category of the same award.
Lisa presented at a TEDx in Seattle on The Power of Connecting. And presented at the Association of Writers and Writing Programs (AWP) on the “You Sent Us What?” panel.Born and raised in Camden, New Jersey The Redness migrated to Philadelphia in her twenties and eventually transported to Los Angeles, California with her partner-in-crime and ever-talented husband. They nurture two felonious felines who anxiously encourage and engage in little sparks of anarchy.
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/fieryredoneTwitter: @lisadkastnerInstagram: 60shadesofredWebsite: www.lisadianekastner.com
Q&A:What is your favorite genre to read?Cross genre, fantasy, literary fiction, mysteries, thrillers, memoir … I pretty much read everything.
Who is your favorite author to read?Only one? Well, that’s not fair. All time favorites – Junot Diaz, Angela Carter, Carolyn Turgeon, Da Chen, Tom Perrotta, Hannah Tinti, J.M. Coetzee, F. Scott Fitzgerald and a ton more.
What is your favorite movie?Again, only one? Yeesh. I’m not good at following rules. J Fight Club, Princess Bride, The Grand Budapest Hotel, Keanu, The Fisher King and a ton more.
Do you have any favorite quotes?“Be your own kind of beautiful”“If not now, when?” Incubus“Be humble in your confidence, yet courageous in your character,” Melanie Koulouris"To all the girls that think you're fat because you're not a size zero, you're the beautiful one, it's society who's ugly." Marilyn Monroe
Do you listen to music when you're writing?Nope. If I listen to music when I’m writing then I end up writing the music lyrics. Kind of annoying.
Do you have any phobias?Not really. I don’t like chicken feet, does that count?
Lisa Diane Kastner will be awarding a $50, a $25 and a $10 Amazon or Barnes and Noble GC. Enter now:

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May 1: Christine Young
May 2: Fabulous and Brunette
May 3: Romance Author Hear Me Roar
May 4: Lisa Haselton's Reviews and Interviews
May 5: Hearts and Scribbles - promo
May 5: BooksChatter
May 8: Sharing Links and Wisdom
May 9: EskieMama and Dragon Lady Reads
May 11: Read Your Writes Book Reviews
May 12: Books, Dreams,Life
May 15: Laura's Interests - review only
May 16: Booklove - review only
May 17: Independent Authors
May 18: Laurie's Thoughts and Reviews
May 19: The Avid Reader
May 22: It's All About the Romance
May 23: Straight From the Library
May 24: Long and Short Reviews
May 25: Notes From a Romantic's Heart
May 26: Harlie's Books

Matchmaker Abduction by Donna McDonald

Blurb:True love is said to defy time, but can it survive space, aliens, and being abducted? Angus MacNamara and Erin O’Shea are about to find out.
The big blue planet that most call Earth desperately needs matchmakers. There is only one small—okay, BIG—problem. No one wants the alien dating service job. No one. The original matchmakers are dead, and much worse, their DNA is no longer viable for cloning.
Solution? Go back in time to some of Earth’s other—thankfully slower spinning—versions, and retrieve the alternates of the one couple in any universe who seems able to do the job.
Far easier said than done though, especially when the alternates are anything but a loving couple, and both are none too pleased to be thrown into the future.
What does oil and water create? Salad dressing or a real mess of aliens, humans, and matchmaking fun!
Excerpt:“Are they that invested in having long lives?” Angus asked.“I believe they are. Their population is a lot smaller than you might imagine. Bad aliens attacked Universe 1 some 500 years ago and they brought with them a sickness that wiped out two-thirds of all the people on the planet. So now they take very good care of themselves and any children they have. And apparently, they take care of where we come from too. No universe connected to the Earth is allowed to end because no one quite knows what that kind of change will bring. Agent Black, and those like him, police the balance on behalf of some group they refer to as the Guardians. They do their policing work through the same machine the aliens use to come and go. I get the impression the aliens don’t know about how the agents are using it. That’s one of just many secrets here in this strange place.”“Ya must know that all that sounds like some big story yar spinning.”Erin nodded. “I well know it. It sounds like one to my own ears, even after living it for a while.”She drifted off in her storytelling and Angus let it happen. His mind was on overload anyway.They ate in silence while he thought hard about why they were being treated well when it was clear from Toorg outside the door that they were prisoners. Instinct, combined with the guard’s massive size, sent a clear message that Toorg wasn’t going to let them do anything they weren’t allowed to do.Someone Toorg’s size could easily enforce anything he needed to. Angus was no small man himself, and in his youth had made extra money tossing drunken buggers out of Paddy’s. All pondering the size and girth of their guard brought him was the clear thought that Erin had taken the proper course in playing along.“So what have ya been doing with yerself while I was cooking in the box?”Erin shrugged and continued eating. Finally, she rested her fork. She dreaded the explosion her revelation would cause, but she couldn’t handle lying to Angus the way she did to everyone else. “I’ve been matchmaking,” she finally said.Angus’s fork froze halfway to his mouth. He stared at her and blinked.She rolled her eyes over his reaction. “Do ya really think I would fecking make that up just to see that stunned look on yer face? And don’t be getting pissy at me for being the messenger either. Eat yer food and take it in, because every word is the fecking truth. That’s what they brought us here for, Angus. The old matchmakers who used to do the work are both dead.”Perhaps he’d get angry later. For the moment, surprise had rendered him mute. Angus let the fork with the food on it find his mouth, but he tasted nothing. He even lifted another bite and chewed that too. Then he sat the fork down. He’d honestly thought Nate had been telling him a tall tale.“Who the feck are ya matching up?” Angus asked tightly, trying not to yell the question. Erin’s glare said she knew him too well. She knew what was under that irritated tone.“I’m matching up shirtless, muscled aliens with troubled women this group is exploiting. The women’s stories are dire and every single one of them would be dead if they hadn’t put themselves in this fecking program. Instead of fixing the real problems of the women, these power mad peckerheads are bartering them to aliens as brides. This bunch has woven quite the story about how wonderful being abducted is, so the women in the program are mostly jubilant. I don’t understand any of it.”“Are the aliens all like Toorg and Berg? I can’t imagine having a conversation with someone who answers in the same sentence over and over.”Erin snorted. “Those two are more eloquent than they appear. Toorg has an emotional range as wide as yers. Berg doesn’t bother with much inflection, but then he seems to have a few more sentences in his vocabulary.”“Erin… I’ve seen ya resist a helping hand to carry a load of peat to yer fire. If ya think they’re doing something wrong, why are ya helping them?” Angus asked, going back to his food.“Because I’m not sure this isn’t all normal here,” Erin explained, spreading her hands. “Plus those girls are so green about men.” She thought of sad Prudence. “Well, most of them are green. There is the occasional one who’s just here because life has dealt very poorly with her.”“And I can see yar attached to those already,” Angus concluded, seeing determination in her eyes. “Ya never were neutral about yer customers, Erin.”“No, I wasn’t, because I actually gave a shit about who they ended up with… unlike some I know. If it hadn’t been for me, ya would have matched yer own daughter with that married pervert from Dublin. The ghost of Mary MacNamara would have come back for me if I’d let ya do that to her first born girl.”Angus grunted. She had a point about that one, but she didn’t have to keep rubbing his nose in his worst mistake. “He wasn’t all that bad as a person. He just wasn’t right for my Lorrie.”“He was already married to another, Angus. It doesn’t get much worse than that for someone of yer religion, now does it? The Dubliner wanted a young girl to play with until he’d ruined her. Not all fecking men are as good as ya. I’ll not be having matched those kind up on my conscience. Brighid strike me dead if I ever start going that way.”Angus nodded solemnly. He’d forgotten about the Dubliner being married. It had happened years ago.“Had I ever thanked ya for finding Joshua for her? The lad has made her very happy over the years. They were the first to get with a babe. I remember he was over the moon with joy about it, and the same with the babes that followed.”Erin snorted. “Thanked me? No. Ya never thanked me for anything I did to help, Angus. All ya ever did was accuse me of meddling in yer important affairs.”“Have I always been a contrary bastard to ya?” Angus asked, wincing when he realized he’d opened himself to be flayed with her answer. Erin surprised him by ducking her head.“No,” she said. “At times, I thought ya were the kindest man ever to walk the Earth in any universe, but…”Angus blinked hard as he took the last bite of his strangely filling dinner. He set down his fork for good. “What am I hearing at the end there? But… but what?”Erin lifted her chin. “I’ve been thinking about this a lot because everyone here has memories of the ones like us who’ve now died. The Angus here died of old age, which apparently no one can fight forever—cooking box or not. His Erin died within the week that followed of nothing they could identify. It’s assumed she died from grieving his loss. Our other selves weren’t just matchmakers. They were the perfect match. They were legendary lovers that inspired those in this universe to find love themselves.”
Purchase LinksiBooks  http://bit.ly/ibooks-aik1Nook  http://bit.ly/nook-aik1Kobo  http://bit.ly/kobo-aik1Google  http://bit.ly/goog-aik1Amazon US   http://bit.ly/amz-aik1Amazon UK  http://bit.ly/amzuk-aik1Amazon CA  http://bit.ly/amzca-aik1Amazon AU  http://bit.ly/amzau-aik1
About the Author:Donna McDonald published her first romance novel in March of 2011. Forty plus novels later, she admits to living her own happily ever after as a full time author. Her work spans several genres, such as contemporary romance, paranormal, and science fiction. Humor is the most common element across all her writing. Addicted to making readers laugh, she includes a good dose of romantic comedy in every book.
Website:  www.donnamcdonaldauthor.comFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/donnamcdonaldauthor2Twitter:  https://twitter.com/scifiwoman13Blog:  http://donnamcdonaldauthor.com/blog/Pinterest:  https://www.pinterest.com/donnamcdonald13/Goodreads: http://bit.ly/donnagoodreads

Dead in a Dumpster - only $0.99

The kindle edition of the first book in my Leah Norwood Mysteries series, Dead in a Dumpster, is on sale for $0.99. This is the last day!
Blurb:When Leah Norwood finds the body of Isabel Meeks in the dumpster behind her store, she can’t believe the police consider her a suspect. Sure, she didn’t liked Isabel, but then again, neither did anyone else. Isabel had a condescending attitude and a bad reputation. As manager of the antique store, Patina, she had made a lot of enemies.
There is Patina’s assistant manager, the handsome and charming Trent. Isabel was blackmailing him. There is Patina’s owner, the aloof and influential Anthony Thorpe.  Isabel was smuggling drugs through his store. And there is the entire drug dealing Cantono family. Isabel had lost a box containing heroin from one of their shipments. That is just to name a few and didn’t even include the stranger who was seen arguing with Isabel just hours before her death.
The police have too many suspects and too many soft alibis. Leah needs to prove to the sexy new chief of police that she had nothing to do with Isabel’s death.
Leah loves a good mystery. Can she find the killer before the police charge her with murder?
Amazon:http://www.amazon.com/Dead-Dumpster-Leah-Norwood-Mystery-ebook/dp/B00MZC65YGApple:https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/dead-in-a-dumpster/id912503351?mt=11B&N:http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/dead-in-a-dumpster-b-l-blair/1120206352?ean=2940046124279Kobohttps://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/dead-in-a-dumpsterSmashwords:https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/469615
Excerpt:“So you found the victim about seven fifty?” asked the baby-faced young cop about twenty minutes later.Why was everyone so young? The name on his badge read Keith Cisneros. I have always been a little nervous around police officers. I’m not sure why. Other than the occasional speeding ticket, I don’t break any laws. Maybe it’s the uniform or just the authority figure mystique. However, I couldn’t be nervous around Keith. First, he was just too young. Second, I didn’t have any nerves left. I was too wet, too cold, and too miserable. And third, I knew Keith. Not well, but well enough to not find him intimidating. He had been the star quarterback on the local high school football team a few years back. His girlfriend at the time had come into my shop quite often, and wherever Susan went, Keith was not far behind. I don’t know what happened to Susan. I haven’t seen her since she went away to college, but Keith had stayed in Reed Hill. He had attended community college and then did whatever it was one did to become a police officer.We were standing by the dumpster and trying not to look at Isabel. I don’t think Keith had ever seen a dead body either because the look on his face made me think he wanted to follow in my footsteps – scream, run into the nearest building, and lose his lunch. But the kid was made of sterner stuff. My estimation of him rose as he held his ground and questioned me.“What were you doing out here?” he asked. Okay, so my estimation of him fell a little. I glanced at the trash bags sitting at our feet and tried to keep my voice even as I answered.“I was taking out the trash.” I don’t think I succeeded as he looked at the trash and then flushed. Now I felt bad, like I had kicked a puppy.“So did you…”“Cisneros.” A deep, smoky voice cut through the night. Both of us jumped and then turned toward the voice. Keith’s car was parked nearby, and his front lights were illuminating the vicinity around the dumpster. With the lights from the nearby stores, it was a well-lit area. From the shadows, a figure emerged. If I had any nerves left, I might have been a little anxious. The man walking toward us moved like a stalking panther. Smooth, long strides that ate up the space.He was breathtaking. Not gorgeous or handsome but there was a power about him that drew the eye. He wasn’t exceptionally tall, standing about five eleven, but his shoulders were broad and his hips narrow. There wasn’t an ounce of fat on his lean, hard body. Dark hair cut short in a military style, covered his head. His face was attractive in a timeless way. Chiseled and clean-shaven but with just a hint of a five o’clock shadow. He had a small indentation on the right side of his mouth that was trying very hard to be a dimple. It was as if he was willing it not to appear with the strength of his personality alone. He had intense green eyes that swept over me briefly before settling on Keith. He was dressed casually in blue jeans, a dark t-shirt, and a navy sports coat. He had to be freezing, but it certainly didn’t show.He looked familiar, but I knew we had never met. I would have remembered him. He wasn’t the type of man you would ever forget. I searched my brain for a name to go with the face but came up empty. He stopped between us and turned to Keith. “What have we got?”The kid stood straighter. I guess the man was his supervisor. Although he didn’t look much older than I did, his physical presence alone commanded authority. Keith answered quickly while consulting his notes. “Victim identified as Isabel Meeks. Gunshot wound to the chest, close range.”The man looked at Isabel still sitting where I found her. He leaned closer. “Looks like a Glock 9mm.”I was impressed. He was able to identify the type of gun by looking at the body. I owned a Glock and also knew what type of bullet hole it made, but I would have never been able to tell by looking at Isabel. Keith nodded and then looked back at his notes. “She was found about seven fifty p.m. by Ms. Norwood.”Keith pointed to me, and the man turned his eyes to mine. His gaze swept down my body and back up. He then dismissed me without a second glance before turning back to the rookie. “Has the ME been called?”Now, I know that I am not the most attractive person in the world. I am what most people would call average. Average height, average weight, average looks, but being dismissed so completely really pissed me off. I was cold, wet, tired, and quite frankly, still a little queasy. And it had been a really bad day. The two men were in deep conversation about the medical examiner when I interrupted.“Can I leave now?”Both of them turned toward me. Keith seemed a little surprised that I was still there. I guess he had forgotten about me. The other man just seemed irritated that I had interrupted him.“You found the body?” he asked and then continued when I nodded, “We’ll need to ask you some questions.”Keith had been asking me questions. My nerves were shot and my temper short. I am not usually such a bitch, but I had enough of standing out in the freezing rain. I probably shouldn’t have mouthed off to a police officer, but I figured my day couldn’t get any worse. I summoned up my inner diva, gave him my most haughty look, and asked in a snooty tone. “And you are?”He stared at me a minute, his eyes hard and unyielding. He raised his eyebrows just a notch, pulled out a badge, and held it toward me. “Chief of Police Alexander Griggs.”Well, damn, my day just got worse.

Smile

At Home With Andre by Kathleen Duhamel - $25 Amazon or B&N GC

BLURB:New York public relations consultant and self-proclaimed control freak Katie McDowell may have made the biggest career mistake of her life. She’s agreed to temporarily leave her beloved Manhattan to manage the company’s struggling New Orleans office, knowing her biggest client is television chef Andre Thibodeaux, whose massive masculine presence makes her feel hotter than the onset of menopause.
Finding her way in a funky new city and earning the trust of her employees is tough enough without annoying hot flashes, night sweats and ugly mood swings, not to mention the lingering memory of one steamy night she shared with the big man she thinks she can’t have.
Sexy, smart, and successful, Chef Andre has everything a man could want except the right woman, and he’s determined to learn why Katie rejected him. To convince her to stay in Louisiana, he’ll need to find a way to make her fall in love-with him, as well as the vibrant southern city he calls home.
EXCERPT:“Lovely, don’t ya think?”
My New Orleans real estate agent pushes open the heavy front door of a first-floor unit in the Garden District, sighing with appreciation as the two of us walk through the apartment’s graceful foyer into a spacious living area with floor-to-ceiling windows and a gleaming hardwood floor. Violet Samuels runs one ring-adorned hand along the antique marble fireplace mantel as if she’s stroking a cat, while describing the premises in glowing detail.
“This buildin’ dates back to before the Civil War,” she gushes. “It was converted into executive rentals a few years ago. All the wood trim, ceiling medallions and windows are original. You don’t see nothin’ like this anymore.”
Miz Violet, as she refers to herself, guides me through the open kitchen, where I’m relieved to see new appliances and upgraded lighting, past a couple of small bedrooms and into the master. Its focal point is a pair of graceful, arched windows overlooking the tree-lined street.
She turns to me and says, “Lotta character, and it comes furnished. Is this gonna work for you, hon?”
How would I know? The furniture is in good condition, but it’s too traditional for my taste. I prefer a clean, minimalist design. However, if this apartment was located in Manhattan, where I lived until a few days ago, it would be a rare find, a steal at three times the rent she quoted me. Instead, it’s in Naw Leens, in the state of Loozie Anna, where it’s unnaturally warm in January and the natives speak a language that only barely resembles English in its structure.
Available on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/At-Home-Andre-Deep-Novella-ebook/dp/B071D5PQTM
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:Kathleen Duhamel is the author of Deep Blue, Deeper, and At Home With Andre. She wrote and illustrated her first short story at the age of eight, and has been a writer for most of her life. Her love of the written word continued throughout her varied career as a newspaper journalist and editor, public relations executive, freelance travel writer and owner/operator of two small businesses. A native of Texas, she spent most of her adult life in Colorado before relocating to Virginia in 2014, where she lives with her husband, a standard poodle and geriatric cat. She is a lifelong devotee of rock and soul music, contemporary art and pop culture.
http://www.kathleenduhamel.com/https://www.facebook.com/kathleen.duhamelhttps://twitter.com/KathleenDuhamelhttps://www.amazon.com/Kathleen-Duhamel/e/B013JATRME
GIVEAWAY:Kathleen will be awarding a $25 Amazon or B/N GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.
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Follow the tour for more chances to win:May 2: Harlie's Books - reviewMay 3: Rogue's Angels
May 4: BooksChatter
May 5: Casey M's Corner
May 8: Read Your Writes Book Reviews
May 9: Booklover Sue
May 9: Buried Under Romance
May 10: Hearts and Scribbles
May 10: T's Stuff
May 11: Sharing Links and Wisdom
May 11: Booklove - review
May 12: Long and Short Reviews

April Giveway - last day to enter!

Each month I host an giveaway on my website. Only two more days to enter! This month is a $10 Amazon gift card. You can enter below or on my website: http://www.blblair.com/giveaway.html. You can also sign up for my mailing list, which sometimes include special giveaways, on my website: http://www.blblair.com/contact.html.

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RABT Book Tours 5th Anniversary Giveaway

 
RABT Book Tours is Officially 5 Years Old! 

We are celebrating by offering our Biggest Discount to Authors + a Reader Giveaway!
Book Your Tour by May 6th and Receive 50% Off any Tour by using the Discount: Code RABT50 ! Tours can take place anytime between June - September!
Blitzes are 20% Off All Summer Long!Any Blitz Booked and Taking Place between May-September! Use Code: SummerBlitz

You can find out more about our services, read testimonials, and see current tours at our website www.readingaddictionvbt.com




Are you an Author who has a FREE novel this Summer or a novel on Kindle Unlimited? 
We are running a Mega Blast Promotion for Free and KU reads this June! 
This Blitz will take place June 7th and your novel will need to be free at that time. 
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Silence Fallen by Patricia Briggs

I absolutely love the Mercedes Thompson series by Patricia Briggs. Her newest book is Silence Fallen. I enjoyed this book as well. There has been a lot of talk (i.e. complaints) about one aspect of the book. I'll just say it didn't bother me at all. I wasn't shocked or did I figure it out. It may have been because I had read a lot of the reviews already, but just saying, it wasn't a big deal for me.
Silence Fallen was a good book - not my favorite in the series but still good. I didn't like the fact that Mercy and Adam were apart so much in this book, but the storyline was interesting and the action fast-paced.
If you haven't read any in the series, you need to start at the beginning. And if you like fantasy, this is the series for you. All the books can be found on at any book retailer. Below is the link to Amazon. Enjoy!
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B06XHKT23H?ref=series_rw_dp_labf

Spicing Things Up – Mill Pond #4 by Judi Lynn

BLURB:Tyne Newsome promised to help Daphne Ferris pick up the pieces if her professor boyfriend dumped her. Tyne is a hottie chef with no intentions of committing to anyone. He has big plans for his future. Daphne owns a stained glass shop and spends most evenings eating dinner with her parents. She prefers safety and solitude, but Tyne keeps bumping her out of her usual routines. He's not someone she can ignore. And soon, they find that they complement each other so well, they're both pushed to places they've never been before.
Excerpt:Miriam looked Tyne up and down. “So what’s the deal? Why are you pestering Daphne? Because if you’ve tagged her for sloppy seconds, I’ll tar and feather you and drive you out of town.”
A warrior. He grinned. He liked this woman more and more. “What are you, her protector?”
“Yes.” She crossed her arms. “The professor hurt her enough. I’m warning you off.”
“You’ve got it wrong. I don’t have to chase women. They chase me. I’m pestering Daphne because she’s a friend. I think the professor’s a dick, and I don’t want her to retreat back into her shell since he dumped her.”
Miriam’s eyes went wide. He doubted too many people surprised her, but he must have.
“So, you’re playing the Good Samaritan?”
“I don’t make a habit of it. And I’m not all that patient, but I thought I’d give it a shot.”
He watched Miriam’s right eyebrow rise. He knew that look. He was the recipient of it many times. “Are you a teacher?”
“That obvious? High school English. But don’t think I hide behind books. I intend to rattle Daphne’s cage, too. I don’t care if I end up single, living with cats, and talking to myself, but she will. She took a step. I want her to keep going.”
“So do I.”
Miriam nodded. “Good, then I don’t have to threaten you or hire someone to hurt you. You do your thing, and I’ll do mine, and hopefully, we’ll move Daphne in the right direction.”
Buy Links:BN: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/spicing-things-up-judi-lynn/1124014623Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Spicing-Things-Up-Judi-Lynn/dp/1516101367/ref=sr_1_1Kensington: http://www.kensingtonbooks.com/book.aspx/34332
Q&A:Thanks to Judi. I enjoyed learning more about her, and I hope all of you do as well.
First of all, thanks so much for hosting me on your blog! I read one of your posts about what you’re reading, and we have similar tastes.
What is your favorite genre to read? I’m eclectic. I skip around between genres. I noticed that you love Ilona Andrews and Patricia Briggs, and so do I. Every once in a while, I read Neil Gaiman. Before I wrote my first romance, I read Catherine Bybee and I really enjoy her writing and voice. For Regency romance, I love Julia Donner’s Friendship series. My true love is mystery, though. I was happy to see that you listed new mystery writers on your blog, because I tend to read Agatha Christie, Elizabeth George, and Martha Grimes. I was a huge Nancy Pickard fan for years. My editor said that if I’d like to try my hand at a mystery, he’d look at it, so I’m working on one now. It’s time I find some newer mystery writers.
Who is your favorite author to read?Boy, that’s hard! If I could only choose one, it would have to be Elizabeth George. I think she’s brilliant. Her mysteries are character-driven with more of a literary feel. If I want to read a book that makes me feel good, I’d have to pick Sarah Addison Allen. Her writing reminds me of an early Alice Hoffman—lyrical and magical. And if I just want kick-ass fun, I reach for Ilona Andrews and Patricia Briggs.
What is your favorite movie?Okay, I get teased for this, but my favorite movie is The Thirteenth Warrior with Antonio Banderas. He gets kidnapped as a Viking to fight an evil “fire worm.” I have a thing for Greek and Roman myths and Norse myths, and this movie is just about a perfect combination of strong characters facing great odds for me. But it’s almost a toss-up with the six-part mini-series of Pride and Prejudice on TV. I loved everything about that.
Do you have any favorite quotes?My daughters used to say “Pull up your big girl panties and get to it.” Pretty motivational