B.L. Blair's Blog, page 49

Sunday Quote

Thought I'd lighten it up a little this month. For March, the Sunday Quotes will be funny or sarcastic depending on your sense of humor. I hope you enjoy them. :)

As an author, this one certainly hits close to home.

I have started working on the next Leah Norwood mystery, ...

I have started working on the next Leah Norwood mystery, but I'm having trouble deciding on a title. I thought it might be fun to see what you liked best. Let me know what you think by taking the poll.

Vote for the title of the next Leah Norwood Mystery.
Dead in a PickupDead in a ShedDead in a DuplexPoll Maker

Hope you have a great day!

Take Me As I Am by Charmaine Ross - Win a free eBook!

BLURB:Forget the whole billionaire tycoon thing: Kate Moore is a billionaire’s daughter, and she knows first-hand that they’re not all romance novel worthy. Her father is brilliant, inflexible, and brutal – and nothing she’s ever done has been good enough for him. Her one chance to take over the massive Moore’s Hotel Corporation is restoring the run-down Burnham Beeches in beautiful Sassafras to its former glory. To that end, she hires David Wright, a talented landscaper with an unparalleled eye for beauty and an unparalleled talent for distracting her from her goal.
David really needs this job. He needs the contract, the Moore’s name on his portfolio, and the money to pay for his ailing father’s health. Everything he’s worked for is now within his grasp, and he’s going to reach for it with both hands. What he doesn’t need is the diversion, or the temptation, presented by his new boss.
Neither David nor Kate are free to follow their own desires, but they’re powerless to fight their growing attraction. But they come from very different places; perceptions will have to crash, misconceptions will have to collapse, and they will have to face their own personal challenges before they find their space to meet in the middle.
Excerpt:She rested the side of her head on the doorframe and yawned. Her eyes half closed as she watched him and he was caught in a lasting gaze that made his stomach clench. She was all soft and luscious and a sexy woman beneath that bristly exterior.
‘David?’
He hadn’t realised he’d been standing here, staring at her. ‘I want to talk to you about tomorrow’s plans. I need to make an early start. I want you to tell me if you don’t like something. I like to be up-front.’ He stepped towards her. One small step. So close he felt her body warmth reaching for him.
‘So do I.’ Her voice was so soft. So gentle it seemed as though it caressed him.
He shouldn’t be standing here so close to her because that would mean he had no control over what his body wanted and he couldn’t let that happen. The reasons. Remember them. His mind searched desperately. The first one. It was …
But when he breathed in, her scent was in the air. It was sweet and feminine and warm and set his blood on fire so that it raced through his veins screaming with an unquenchable need. He couldn’t move, was hypnotised beyond physical ability.
‘If there’s anything you think of I can do …’ Like take her in his arms and kiss her. Just a little kiss. A taste. The slightest of touches. Lips to lips.
‘I’ll tell you.’ Kate’s gaze dropped to his mouth and flicked back to his eyes. A quick movement, but one he didn’t miss.
Feminine perfume stirred in a slight breeze. He almost groaned out loud. He needed to keep space between them. She was off-limits. Beyond touch. He needed to keep himself in line. Reaching to the depths of his most steadfast will he stepped back.
Available on Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Take-Me-As-I-Am-ebook/dp/B01AL792E6
Guest Post: Writing supporting charactersI like to write supporting characters, but they can’t just be plonked into a story without a reason. In Take Me As I Am, David has a supportive brother who he can bounce ideas off, and who watches him carefully and says thing to David he really doesn’t know he’s doing – like, ‘Did you know you can’t keep your eyes off your boss.’
Kate also has a best friend she’s known since school. This friend can say anything the Kate that other people wouldn’t dare. She ruffles Kate up, but also completely understands her. But both characters are there to totally support my main characters. She says things like, ‘Wow. Who’s the hunk outside in the heat stripping off his t-shirt?’ And, ‘Wow. He’s got a six pack.’
They are also really good for tormenting your hero. Call them adversaries, villain or the boy that teased your heroine in childhood, secondary characters flesh out your hero. The protagonist pushes buttons not-one else can, puts obstacles in your heroes path. They help propel the story forward, build your plot to the black moment and gives your hero something to work against to bring out their better sides.
As a mean supporting character, I gave Kate a super horrible, controlling father. Basically she had to overcome a childhood of brainwashing to find the strength in herself to take what she wants from life, otherwise she’ll suffer a life-time of regret. And she’ll lose David forever. Her father pushes all of her buttons to thrust her into making a decision. She has to choose her father and a lifetime of subservience or David for a lifetime of love.
When you get into the writing, if you want secondary characters to play bigger roles, you can flesh them out. This is particularly helpful if you have a trilogy in mind. A second book can be about your hero’s best friends and his road to find the love of his life. Or it could be about the sister to your heroine. A cousin. A workmate. A friend. A business associate. In fact, it can be just about anyone.
My tips for writing supporting characters:·         They can act as a sounding board to your hero’s problems, next acts·         They can assist your hero – emotionally, physically·         They can advance the plot – make them think, bring in a key piece of knowledge, have a skill·         They can give insight into your hero – they have known them since forever·         They help to make your character face their problems head-on – a brother would make his brother/sister come to that distant cousins wedding for the sake of their parents·         They flesh out your primary character – they know their girlfriend likes cappuccino instead of a latte, or they’re messy or have OCD traits·         If they don’t have a purpose – cut them
I like to use secondary characters to add authenticity to a scene. The waitress in a café, the nurse at a hospital. They fill out scenes and scenarios to be more real. You wouldn’t have an empty airport. People would wait in line at the supermarket. I find it helps if I imagine myself in that scene, yes, even if a werewolf was nipping at my heels and then I know what and who might be around me. Like the super-hot sheriff who saves my life from the jaws of said werewolf. Sigh!
I hope you like my introspection about secondary characters!
Thank you so much for having me here and I hope you’ve enjoyed reading a bit about me. As a thank you to your readers I’m offering two free fun and flirty novellas on my web site when you subscribe to my very sporadic email. I also have free sample chapters on my web site. It’s worth a look @ www.charmaineross.com.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:My first foray into romance was as a fourteen year old where I fell hopelessly and eternally in love with my hero as only a teenager can. Instead of watching movies and staying up late, I would go to bed at eight thirty and continue my very romantic, very safe, love affair. Since then, I have fallen in love with many heroes, some less safe than what my teenage brain could possibly imagine. After earning a Fine Art’s Degree, a Diploma of Secondary Education and a Diploma of Marketing, I worked as a Graphic Designer in various advertising agencies as well as in-house marketing roles and am currently involved with digital marketing and everything web in my current position. But I always return to writing. Although I have travelled, I always return to my home town of Melbourne and live with my husband, two children and two cats in the ferny-greens of the Dandenongs. If I'm not working on my latest romance and falling in love with yet another hero, you’ll find me reading, watching and basically indulging in my addiction to any story on any media type I can get my fingers on.
Website: www.charmaineross.comTwitter: www.twitter.com/CharmaineRossAuFacebook: www.facebook.com/charmaine.ross.01Pinterest: www.pinterest.com/charmaineatt/Contact information: charmaineross44@gmail.com
Charmaine will be awarding a copy of the e-book Take Me As I Am (international) to three randomly drawn winners via rafflecopter during the tour.
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Tour Stops and Dates:Follow the tour for more chances to win!
February 29: Christine YoungMarch 1: Erin Cawood/Beyond my writing space - review onlyMarch 2: Romance Novel GiveawaysMarch 3: Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!March 4: Louise Lyndon Romance Author Hear Me RoarMarch 7: Where the Story Comes FirstMarch 8: Lisa Haselton's Reviews and InterviewsMarch 9: T's StuffMarch 10: Urban Girl ReaderMarch 11: Wendi Zwaduk ~ Romance to Make Your Heart RaceMarch 14: Book BlingMarch 15: Rachel Brimble RomanceMarch 16: EskieMama Reads - review onlyMarch 17: Full Moon DreamingMarch 18: The Pen and Muse Book ReviewsMarch 21: Independent AuthorsMarch 22: Buried Under Romance – promoMarch 23: Dena Garson-Real... Hot... RomanceMarch 24: Laurie's Thoughts and ReviewsMarch 25: It's Raining Books

Sexy Bad Boys by Bella Love-Wins

Contemporary RomanceDate Published: March 1, 2016



Meet some bad boys who are sexy, broody and ready to step up for their women...
Sexy Bad Boys is a hot bundle including two complete series and no cliffhangers with book boyfriends who will make you swoon. Prepare for steamy alpha romance and happy ever afters ahead.
Over Seventeen Dollars worth of books for only 99 cents and available only for a limited time.
Guaranteed to leave your heart racing. Panties optional.

This bundle includes:
The Complete Cabin Heat Series by Bella Love-Wins (never before offered in a bundle, and includes Cabin Heat, Cabin Fever, Cabin Glow and Cabin Fire).
The Complete Disguise Series by Bella Love-Wins and Bella Wild (Disguise, Reveal, Release)
BONUS: Get a sneak peek at The Bet: A Billionaire Bad Boy Romance, coming in early April, 2016 or sooner.



About the Author
Bella loves writing steamy, high-action romance stories about firefighters, billionaires, shifters, and alpha males who know what they want and aren't afraid of laying claim to the women who catch their interest. She loves a happy ever after ending. Bella enjoys reading, hiking the countryside, and traveling to destinations unspoiled by commercial tourism, like Las Vegas. :)Like so many characters in her novels, she gets a kick out of action, romance and unexpected love connections that take your breath away. For the next while, you'll find her plotting and writing about her latest stories on her Macbook.
Contact Links
WebsiteFacebookTwitter
Purchase LinkAmazon

GiveawayKindle Fire ($49 value plus US shipping, or $75 Gift card if winner is international )
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Monday Excerpt - Convince Me (Holton Series #1)

Blurb:Anna is afraid of love, but Steven changes everything.
Anna West just wants to start over in a new town far away from her past. The only child of a mixed race couple, Anna learned about the ugly side of human behavior at an early age.  After watching her abusive father mistreat her mother, Anna knows that love is not for her.
Steven Carson has always known what he wanted, and from the moment he saw her, he wanted Anna.  Steven is ready for love.  He is ready to settle down, start a family, and he knows Anna is the one for him.  Now all he has to do is convince her.
Come visit Holton, Texas to see if Steven can convince Anna to take a chance on love. Convince Me is the first book in the Holton Series but may be read as a standalone novel.
Excerpt:Steven seemed to fill the room, and Anna couldn’t look away. Every time she tried, her eyes returned to him. He was dressed similar to the first time she had seen him, but this time the suit was gray. It was neatly pressed, and the white shirt was starched. Once again, the tie seemed out of place. This one was a dove gray color and matched the suit well, but it contained a large picture of a giraffe. Anna was fascinated by the fact that a man who appeared so conservative and serious would wear such an item. She realized she was staring at it when she heard Steven chuckle.
“Hideous, isn’t it?” he said with a smile, picking up the tie and looking at it. “Victoria gave it to me, so I have to wear it.”
“Who’s Victoria?” Anna tried to stop herself from asking, but her curiosity got the better of her. She knew Steven wasn’t married, but he said the name Victoria with such affection that she had to ask. She wasn’t sure she really wanted to know the answer.
“My sister.”
Relief flooded through her at his simple statement. Why she was so relieved? She wasn’t interested in Steven herself. Was she? No, that couldn’t be it. Anna wasn’t looking for a relationship. She shook off the feeling.
“She has interesting taste. Did she give you the multi-colored one too?” she asked.
Steven laughed. “Yes. Tori is always trying to update my sedate image. She thinks I’m far too conservative. Since I refuse to let her take me shopping, she buys me these crazy ties. The worst part is I think she would really be offended if I didn’t wear them, and even though she lives over a thousand miles away, she would know if I didn’t.”
“Where does she live?” Anna asked.
“In Los Angeles,” Steven replied. “But she and Julie are best friends, and no matter how far away she is, Tori always know what’s going on.”
“So, you wear the ties,” Anna stated, intrigued by this aspect of his character. It would be interesting to see how much he would do for his sister. Anna, who had no siblings, found it charming that he could care so much.
Steven smiled sheepishly and nodded. “Yeah, I wear the ties.”
Available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, iBooks, Kobo, Smashwords, and Google.

Sunday Quote

Thought I'd lighten it up a little this month. For March, the Sunday Quotes will be funny or sarcastic depending on your sense of humor. I hope you enjoy them. :)

Monthly Giveaway - Free eCopy of Dead in a Park

Monthly Giveaway
This month's giveaway is an eCopy of Dead in a Park: Leah Norwood Mystery #2. You may enter each day, but please note that entering the giveaway will also register you to receive my quarterly newsletter. You may unsubscribe at any time.


When Leah Norwood finds the body of Donald Collins in the city park, she doesn’t know he is a distant relative. Young Donnie was a jewel thief and a career criminal. Hidden in the lining of his suit jacket was an exact replica of a ring that has been in Leah’s family for over a hundred years. After her home is burglarized, the sexy chief of police is convinced the ruby ring has something to do with the murder.

Leah wants to find out what happened to Donnie, but why would someone kill for a hundred year old ring? She discovers a connection between Donnie and the drug-dealing Cantono family, between the Cantono family and a jewelry appraiser, and between the jewelry appraiser and one of her own employees. Chief Griggs might be onto something. All clues lead back to the family ring.

Leah loves a good mystery. Can she find the killer before the killer strikes again?

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Dark Secrets of the Past by Evelyne Sants

Marion, a carefree and rebellious young girl, will discover her childhood, her parents, her entire life has been built on lies.
She will somehow try to rebuild her past, as heavy and painful as it is, in order to move forward and find the child she gave up for adoption before leaving for India for seven years in hopes of forgetting.
While there, she will meet extraordinary people, such as Shilpa, Nazma, Paoli, who will take her on a beautiful and difficult adventure across this country and culture that she barely knows. Unfortunately, the suffering caused by her child's absence will never disappear.
Upon returning home, her only thought will be to find her child. In her quest for the truth, she will take every risk, discovering a terrifying secret. She will put her life in danger while confronting a terrible revenge.
Will she live up to the incredible journey that awaits her? There's only one solution – face the past in order to better understand the present, understand the present to better live the future.
Available on Amazon.
Excerpt:
Helen looked at her daughter with heartache. There was no denying it. Marion had indeed become a beautiful young woman. Her eyes sparkling, her skin smooth, a flawless complexion, life bursting out of a perfect body, all the energy and vitality of her seventeen years was translated in her every movement.“Mom! Say something! Please! If you're so afraid of him, I'll tell him. I can't take this anymore. Anyway, there won't be a problem for getting home after the party. Lucy and her parents are going. I'll go with them and I'll sleep over at Lucy's. There is no reason for dad to be against it.”Helen understood perfectly well why her daughter wanted so badly to go to the party. Her rebellion was understandable. But she also knew that what her daughter considered the unreasonable whims of a tired and bitter man, were in fact a little more complicated than that.Helen had become small and muted over the years. The light in her deep, troubling eyes had gone out long ago. The woman who had loved to laugh, filling the room with joy, was now trapped in walls of silence, weighed down with a burden she would never get rid of.“Marion, believe me, I understand your frustration. But you know how your father is. It's only going to cause a fight if you insist.”“You're afraid of him, Mom! You've always been afraid, haven't you? Good God! He's your husband! You've got to be able to stand up to him for once. It's as if you owe him your life or something. It's unbelievable!”But that was exactly the problem. Perhaps Helen didn't owe him her life, but she felt she owed him nonetheless. She had made a mistake and she would always have to make up for it. She could not stand up to him or even annoy him.“Fine! Looking at your worried and anxious face, I'll take care of it myself!”Marion stormed off to her room, determined to not give in this time. She left her mother alone with her thoughts and her sadness, to not be able to stand up for the daughter she loved and offer her a happier and easier life.
Later that evening, as usual, Marion heard her father come in. She ran down the stairs to speak with him before he sprawled out on the living room couch, falling asleep for the night.He was so predictable and the opportunities to talk with him were so rare. His presence in the house was felt solely when he exercised an overbearing authority. He never showed Marion any affection, never an “I love you, Marion, my little girl.”John hung up his old gray overcoat on the hall-stand in the entrance way. In fact, the worn-out topcoat was the only thing he took off when he came into the house. Most of the time he did not even bother to undress before passing out on the couch.“Dad...?” Marion hesitated.“Hey, you're still up? It's late. You should be in bed.”Marion did not back down. She stood in front of him, watching him, wondering what he did when he was out so late, why he came home drunk every night. He reeked of alcohol. She could smell it from across the room. He was no longer a man. He was an empty soul, a distant gaze, the lines in his face carved out by suffering and bad living, a complete waste of a life.“I know, Dad. I was waiting up for you. I wanted to ask you something.”Marion felt intimidated by this man who always had an imposing and powerful air about him.“Yes? What is it? I'm tired. I'm going lie down.”John turned his back on his daughter, as usual, as always, to go stretch out on the living room couch.“Dad, I'd like to go to a party in town on Saturday night and...”John stood up furiously, glaring threateningly into Marion's eyes.“No way! You hear me?”“But Dad! I'm going to be eighteen years old. I'm no longer a child and I need to experience all the things the world has to offer at my age.”“Oh really? Going out to a party all dressed up like a whore, that's what you need to experience?”Helen had gotten up. Of course she hadn't been able to sleep. Worried about her daughter, she stood quietly against the living room door.“How can you call me a whore? You don't even trust your own daughter, and you want to know why? Because you've done nothing but drink all these years, forgetting I even exist. You don't know me at all!”John's temper snapped at the insult from Marion who was now sobbing. Lunging out, he slapped her so hard she fell to the floor.Shocked, Marion did not get up, holding her head between her hands. She did not understand what was happening. Of all the things he had done in the past, he had never hit her before.All of a sudden John's eyes were no longer empty. Filled with hatred and rage, he raised a trembling hand above Marion, ready to hit again, if it had not been for Helen who stepped in to face him.How dare she defy him? She who had never stood up to him. She who owed him everything. Consumed with rage, he forgot Marion. But this small insignificant woman, she was going to pay for all the years of torment and silence.Helen saw in her husband's eyes all the hatred he felt for her and all the bitterness. But no matter what, she had to protect her daughter. Marion would not pay for the mistakes of the past.
From the Author:Poetry was my first discovery and my first passion. Putting words together that, in theory, did not go together, giving them breath, a new life, was a revelation for me. Yet despite this, my imagination tormented my mind. The desire to go further, to be able to create characters, to give them a destiny, emotions, an imaginary reality, illuminated my literary path.
Thus, “Dark Secrets of the Past” was born, a book which made me tremble many times while writing.
Carried away by this momentum, I could not return to my poems. This experience gave me the certainty that what I truly want to do is write passionate stories in order to share them with readers.
I hope this book carries and transports you as far as it did me while I was writing it.
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/evelyne.sants/Twitter: https://twitter.com/EvelyneSants7

Wicked Bad Boys by Bella Love-Wins Kindle Fire Giveaway

Contemporary RomanceDate Published: March 1, 2016


These bad boys are wicked, sexy and oh so misunderstood...
Meet the dark and dangerous bad boy book boyfriends who are alpha to the core with secretive pasts. This is a super-hot bundle of complete romantic suspense stories, with no cliffhangers and the kindle-melting happy ever afters you love.
Over TWENTY-FIVE DOLLARS worth of books for only 99 cents and available only for a limited time.
Guaranteed to leave you breathless and begging for more!

This bundle includes:
The Billionaire's Empire Complete Series by Bella Love-Wins
Wild Flames Series (Burnt, Torched and Blaze) by Bella Love-Wins
Bonus just for you - Rocked Complete Series by  Bella Love-Wins & Bella Wild

About the Author
Bella loves writing steamy, high-action romance stories about firefighters, billionaires, shifters, and alpha males who know what they want and aren't afraid of laying claim to the women who catch their interest. She loves a happy ever after ending. Bella enjoys reading, hiking the countryside, and traveling to destinations unspoiled by commercial tourism, like Las Vegas. :)Like so many characters in her novels, she gets a kick out of action, romance and unexpected love connections that take your breath away. For the next while, you'll find her plotting and writing about her latest stories on her Macbook.
Contact Links
WebsiteFacebookTwitter
Purchase Links
Amazon

GiveawayKindle Fire ($49 value plus US shipping, or $75 Gift card if winner is international )
a Rafflecopter giveaway