Harmony Kent's Blog, page 130
July 26, 2016
Griff Montgomery, Quarterback
Hi everyone! Today, I am hosting author Jean C Joachim and her contemporary romance novel, Griff Montgomery, Quarterback. He wanted a wife. She never wanted to get married. Not exactly a match made in heaven, or are they? Well, I guess you’ll have to read the book to find out!
For Jean’s other tour stops, please click on the banner above 
Jean will be awarding a $25 Amazon or B/N GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.
Two people, two tragedies, two deep, devastating secrets…. Griff Montgomery is the headline-making, heart-breaking star quarterback of the Kings – a 6’4”, 33 year old womanizer. Lauren Farraday is a beautiful young interior designer, bitterly scarred by divorce, whose life is falling apart. Though they violently oppose one another in court over her beloved pug (she thinks he’s arrogant and conceited, and he thinks she’s a bitch on wheels), something happens….
These are the bare bones of this sizzling romance, riddled with passion — the first in a brand new series that’ll tantalize football fans and have readers glued to every page and on the edge of their seats!
Griff looks like a super hero with his tousled, mahogany hair, dazzling smile, dark, sexy eyes, and a body that does something indescribable to a tight pair of jeans. Though Lauren’s sworn off men forever, one look sends shivers down her spine, making her feel lonelier than ever before. Her lustrous, long hair, sparkling green eyes, and nonstop curves make his fingers tingle at the thought of touching her. How do they deal with their cataclysmic attraction? Will they be able to drop their protective facades – his to camouflage his grief over his sister and her family, for whom he was a surrogate father, moving 3000 miles away…. And hers’ to shield her from the incalculable loss of her husband and hoped for child?
For Griff, the thought of falling in love is as foreign as toe shoes and a tutu. For Lauren, it’s like putting on cleats and a helmet and running 50 yards…. Can they, will they, risk it?
Excerpt:
“Even better.” Carla licked her lips. “I’ll bet she has no idea you’re having sexual fantasies about her.”
“I’m not. It was an accident,” he hissed.
“Sure, sure. Keep telling yourself that. Wonder what she’d think if she knew?”
“Don’t, Carla. Please don’t. I’m begging you.” Griff reached for her arm, but she shook him off.
Buddy faced the quarterback. “What the hell did you do?”
“You don’t wanna know.”
“Oh no. You didn’t?” His eyebrows rose.
Griff nodded. “Guilty.”
“Whoa, stand back, Tony. There’s gonna be some fireworks in a minute.” Buddy pushed Hastings to the wall.
“You wouldn’t be lying, now, would ya?” Carla asked, directing her stare at Buddy.
“See for yourself.” He gestured to the brunette at the corner table.
“Lauren!” Carla cupped her hands and yelled.
Lauren stood up, turning to face them.
“You Lauren?”
“Please, please, Carla. I’m sorry, so sorry,” Griff whispered. “Don’t do this.”
About the Author:
Jean Joachim, wife and mother of two sons, is owned by a rescued pug, named Homer. She’d been writing non-fiction for what seemed like forever until she got up the nerve to try fiction. It was love. Now she spends her days in New York City in the company of her characters, with a cup of tea and a secret stash of black licorice.
Jean Joachim is a best-selling romance fiction author, with books hitting the Amazon Top 100 list since 2012. She writes mostly contemporary romance, which includes sports romance and romantic suspense.
Book links:
Amazon (ebook) http://www.amazon.com/Griff-Montgomery-Quarterback-First-Book-ebook/dp/B014RQ9RXI/
Amazon (paperback) http://www.amazon.com/Griff-Montgomery-First-Ten-1/dp/1517486696
Amazon (audio) http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01C6CASBU
Audible (audio) http://www.audible.com/pd/Fiction/Griff-Montgomery-Quarterback-Audiobook/B01C6CBFSA/
Barnes & Noble http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/griff-montgomery-quarterback-jean-joachim/1121169106
iTunes/Apple https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/id1037359895
iTunes/Apple (audio) – https://geo.itunes.apple.com/us/audiobook/griff-montgomery-quarterback/id1088056444
Kobo https://store.kobobooks.com/en-us/ebook/griff-montgomery-quarterback-2
Smashwords https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/575684
Author links:
Website – http://www.jeanjoachimbooks.com
Fb: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Jean-Joachim-Author/221092234568929
Amazon author page: Amazon author page: http://www.amazon.com/Jean-C.-Joachim/e/B001ITRQKY/
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/334810.Jean_C_Joachim
Googleplus: https://plus.google.com/u/0/111423777977819826895/
by 
July 24, 2016
Monday Musings Part Nine: The Teaching of Trees
The Teaching of Trees
Have you ever studied a tree? Ever thought about the fact that its underground roots mirror its sky-reaching canopy? Without digging deep beneath the mud and embracing the utter blackness, it could never thrive and soak up the sun or sway in the breeze.
The mighty Oak wasn’t always mighty; it didn’t start out that way. Today’s great tree is just the nut that fell and held its ground. Life is tenacious. Where there’s a way, there’s a will.
Young trees survive by making use of their vulnerability … they bend in even the fiercest of winds. Thin as they are, they’re flexible. They take what they have and use it to best advantage. Until, eventually, they grow into their full girth, and stand tall, broad, and strong.
In our modern and busy lives, we all too often live in our heads. We’re literally up in the clouds. Sooner or later, living this way, we’ll trip over our feet. While it’s good to look up and ahead, we also need to keep one eye on what’s right beneath us. On what’s right here, right now. Being grounded is essential to being able to reach for the sky.
Our search for happiness doesn’t have to take us away from our lives right now. It’s in the simple things of our lives that we find true contentment. Right here, buried in the dirt. Even on the cloudiest of days, we still have sunlight, and the blue sky is still there, it’s just obscured for the time being. And, just like the tree, we can still find succour and nourishment from all that surrounds us.
The only way we can love another is to first love ourselves. The only way we can live in a happy and contented world is to first make that world for ourselves. The only way that tiny acorn can become the mighty Oak is to first let the mud and muck surround it, suck it under, and protect it. Beneath the earth, the acorn has a safe environment in which it can split apart, and only then does it begin to grow and transform.
Life is not easy. Neither is change. Especially not when that change is within us. Neither is it impossible; it’s a long way from that. The key is to keep ourselves grounded. But, how do we do that?
Quiet reflection at the end of each day can enrich the soil of your life and allow you to grow and reach for the sky. To sit and think, non-judgementally, about your day and your responses, actions, and reactions, is to see where you helped yourself and where you hindered. Remember, don’t judge it. Don’t put more dust on your mirror. Just look at the reflection. Notice what you like and what you don’t.
See the weeds that threaten your acorn and thin them out. Give your Oak the space it needs to grow.
In the wise words of Zen:
‘The Earth says much to those who listen.’
If you’ve missed my previous Monday Musings, you can find the links here: http://www.harmonykent.co.uk/category/monday-musings/
by
July 20, 2016
Stare Him Down
Hello everyone! Welcome to my place. Come on in and make yourself comfy … well, um, as much as you can when you have to stare this hunk down, lol. Gotta say, I love the book cover on Riley Murphy’s Contemporary Erotic Romance, Stare Him Down. Please help me give a warm welcome to author Riley Murphy!
Riley will be awarding a $50 Amazon or B/N GC to a randomly drawn winner via Rafflecopter during the tour. To find her other tour stops and have more chances to win, please click on the banner above
This is Michaela and James’ story…
When he agreed to walk away from the lifestyle for her, he never expected she’d subversively push him back into it. Until she did…
After tragedy stole the only man James Barrington looked up to, his perfect and orderly life hit a brick wall. One minute he was the right-hand man to the owner of the company, and in the next he was the boss fighting to stop a hostile takeover the only way he knew how. He needed to marry his late mentor’s over-protected daughter, Michaela Donavan, and stay married to her until the threat to the company was averted.
While they were together, James had no intention of disrespecting his in-name-only wife by remaining entrenched in the lifestyle. For the time being he was prepared to walk away from his Dom-like pursuits. He had to. Michaela was the opposite of everything he embodied. She was soft, where he was hard. Gentle, when he favored rough. She was refined and elegant. The epitome of a virtuous woman, and he wasn’t going to do anything to change that. Circumstances may have forced them to enter into a marriage of convenience in order to keep her father’s legacy alive, but the moment that legacy was secured they’d both be free to go their separate ways.
Michaela knew this may be her only opportunity to finally get the one man she has always fantasized about. She’s spent years studying him. Idolizing him. Wanting him in a way she wanted no other. And now? Well, her father always told her to seize whatever good came out of the bad, and Michaela was ready to do just that. Heartbroken over what happened, and faced with the task of saving the company, she sees James’ sensible offer as the perfect solution. A way to achieve two things she desired most at one time. James may consider this a marriage of convenience, but she’s determined to covertly change his mind on the matter.
One submissive tease at a time.
Maybe if James had been a different man he wouldn’t have noticed her subtle actions. Maybe if he was any other guy he could have overlooked them. Truth be told, he might have had a fighting chance if each “accidental” midnight encounter didn’t fire his blood and call to the Dom in him to come out and master this beautiful woman.
He couldn’t do that. This was Michaela Donavan. The innocent vanilla who had no idea what her sultry actions were doing to a seasoned Dom like him. This was no time to let desire get in the way. He had to maintain control and stay focused in order to save the company. Surely, once this happened he’d able to put aside the wickedly dirty thoughts her unintentional actions inspired in him before it was too late and he acted on them.
Michaela wasn’t going to give up. But with the prospect of their arrangement coming to an end before she succeeded to re-Dom him in her direction, she knew what she had to do.
She had to go submissive on him.
TOP
Excerpt:
She closed her eyes and softly banged her head against the door. If she didn’t get the romantic ball rolling with him soon, her every chance with him could disappear. She hated having to throw Logan in the ring every time to get a reaction from James, but damn, how else could she…?
Suddenly another idea came to her.
She opened her eyes and looked down at the package. Did she dare?
The sounds of James moving around in the room next door cemented her decision. Absolutely. She’d do it.
In fact, by the time she’d washed up, unpacked the box of toys, and had given them a thorough going over, she’d convinced herself that James had really left her with no choice in the matter.
*
James got into bed and was determined to push thoughts of his in-name-only wife out of his mind. He was ready to count imaginary sheep, pennies, bouncing balls, real balls—damn—a picture of himself stationed quite happily between Michaela’s legs as he slammed into her over and over materialized—no.
“Think sheep. Count sheep. Sheep, sheep, sheep,” he whispered. Hoping to use this power of suggestion technique to his advantage. And it was working. He was slowly drifting off to sleep watching the…mechanical sheep? He tried to sink deeper into oblivion by overlooking the gears and metal parts that made the robotic animals leap effortlessly across the starlit landscape in his mind until…
He opened his eyes and stared at the ceiling. Why was he dreaming about mechanical—?
“Oooh…”
That soft moan woke him right up, and when he snapped into a sitting position he knew why he’d been dreaming about machines. Mickey had opened her package and if he didn’t miss his guess, that was a Hitachi humming away.
About the Author:
Riley Murphy writes sexy, humorous, and emotional romance, happy ending guaranteed. An optimist, she believes life is amazing, people are complicated, but in a good way, and we should never stop learning. Riley currently calls Florida home with her gorgeous husband. She has two phenomenal kids, one adorable-to-the-max grandchild, and a very bossy pooch.
When Riley’s not working she enjoys reading, oil painting, and getting to the Sunday crossword before anyone else does, so she can fill-in all the easy answers first, and pull the smart card with the family.
Things Riley loves:
Writing books
Connecting with readers
Doing giveaways for her readers
Things Riley Hates:
Laundry. Seriously. She’d rather slam her fingers in a car door than do the dreaded bleach load.
A few of Riley’s favorite reviewer quotes:
If you love intellectual mind candy, read Ms. Murphy’s work!
Creative, profound and soul searing scenes abound…
One wonders if Ms. Riley is in the sex therapy and marriage counseling business as a day job. The D/s part of this story is Fabulous.
If Riley wasn’t an author she’d be an international spy with top-level security so she could have a peek at Area 51 and decide for herself if those green guys are for real. Failing that, she’d likely go with chicken sexer.
You can visit Riley website at:
www.AuthorRileyMurphy.com or on twitter here: https://twitter.com/Riley__Murphy or Facebook here: https://www.facebook.com/riley.murphy.9469 or on Goodreads here: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5764709.Riley_Murphy
by
July 19, 2016
Midnight Serenade
Hello everyone! It gives me pleasure today to host author Alli Sinclair and her Women’s Fiction novel, Midnight Serenade. Alli will be awarding a digital copy of Midnight Serenade to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. For her other tour stops, and more chances to win, please click on the banner above
On the sultry streets of Buenos Aires, the daughter of a world class tango diva searches for answers about the mother who abandoned her—and uncovers decades of lies and deception…
After twenty years of wondering why her mother chose the tango over her, Dani McKenna finally travels to Argentina. What was it about this beautiful, mysterious land that enticed one woman away from her own child—and broke another’s heart? As a journalist, Dani may have the opportunity to find out. And an enigmatic tango dancer may hold the key to her quest—if she can break down his defensive walls.
Carlos Escudero had been Dani’s mother’s protégé. Tragedy ended his career and he refuses to be interviewed. But he will give Dani some insights, on one condition: she must agree to his tango lessons. As the two begin the intricate dance of passion, Dani’s quiet, logical world is exchanged for one of music, motion—and mystery. For the clues to a tango legend’s murder may lead Dani to the truth about the past and its impact on her family—and free her to move toward a future she can claim as her own at last…
Excerpt:
She narrowed her eyes at the ancient lift cage. No matter how many times she chastised herself, Dani found it impossible to enter one of these boxes without being slammed by the memory of the last fiery argument between her parents. No child wants to witness such venom, especially from her own flesh and blood. She planted her foot on the marble steps, even though her mind tried to convince her that dashing out the door, sight unseen, was the best option. Perhaps it would be better if she knew nothing about Iris, as the truth had the potential to rip Dani’s heart out. As much as she tried to deny it, though, the stars had aligned and Dani’s arrival in Argentina offered the perfect chance to build her career and heal old wounds—or make them deeper.
About the Author:
Since taking her first steps, Alli Sinclair discovered her love for dance in musical theatre, ballet, baton twirling, and rhythmic gymnastics. For more than two decades she performed on stage, winning many national competitions. Alli has also trained in traditional dances, such as Russian, Irish, and Spanish (flamenco). The cultural aspects of dance inspired Alli to travel the world to experience dances in their native environment. Her travels ultimately led her to Argentina, where she fell in love with tango and the seeds for The Dance Card Series were sown. Alli’s stories combine a love of dance, history, and culture, taking readers on a journey to exotic destinations filled with romance and mystery.
https://allisinclairauthor.wordpress.com/
https://twitter.com/allisinclair
https://www.facebook.com/AlliSinclairAuthor/
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7791056.Alli_Sinclair
Buy the book:
https://www.amazon.com/s/?field-keywords=9781601838926
https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/midnight-serenade/id1087055141?mt=11
https://play.google.com/store/search?q=9781601838926&c=books
https://store.kobobooks.com/en-us/ebook/midnight-serenade
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/midnight-serenade-alli-sinclair/1122857386?ean=9781601838926
by
July 18, 2016
Swept Away
Hello everyone! I hope you’re all having a good July so far. Today, please give a warm welcome to author Kristina Mathews with her Contemporary Romance Novel, Swept Away! Kristina will be awarding a digital copy of Swept Away to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. For her other tour stops, please click on the banner above, which will take you to Kristina’s tour page over at Goddess Fish
Carson Swift may look exactly like his twin brother Cody, but they’re as different as tie dye and camouflage. Reliable, responsible, and usually the designated driver, Carson is also over being his brother’s keeper, but suddenly his plans to break free are complicated by the woman they fish out of Hidden Creek . . .
Lily Price is not your typical damsel in distress. Infidelity, infertility, and downsizing provide a triple threat to her ego, but falling into the swollen river nearly ends her life. If not for the handsome stranger—make that two handsome strangers—she might not have had a chance at having a baby by any means necessary . . .
As Carson helps Lily overcome her fear of the river, she helps him save his rafting business from going under. She also saves him from abandoning all that is important to him in order to get a taste of freedom. Together they find that love is the ultimate adventure.
Excerpt:She struggled briefly, mumbling something, as he wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her against his chest. The buzz of adrenaline flooded his system, blocking out the cold, the current, and everything but the need to keep her head above water and bring her to shore. He kicked hard to propel them away from the strongest part of the current. Working with the flow of the river and not against it was crucial in getting them both out alive.
About the Author:
Kristina Mathews doesn’t remember a time when she didn’t have a book in her hand. Or in her head. But it wasn’t until she turned forty that she confessed the reason the laundry never made it out of the dryer was because she was busy writing. While she resigned from teaching with the arrival of her second son, she’s remained an educator in some form. As a volunteer, parent club member or para educator, she finds the most satisfaction working with emergent and developing readers, helping foster confidence and a lifelong love of books. Kristina lives in Northern California with her husband of more than twenty years, two sons and a black lab. A veteran road tripper, amateur renovator and sports fanatic. She hopes to one day travel all 3,073 miles of Highway 50 from Sacramento, CA to Ocean City, MD, replace her carpet with hardwood floors and serve as a “Ball Dudette” for the San Francisco Giants.
http://kristinamathews.com/2013/11/03/whats-new/
https://twitter.com/KristinaMathews
https://www.facebook.com/kristinamathewsauthor
Buy the book:
https://www.amazon.com/s/?field-keywords=9781601839220
https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/swept-away/id1086438788?mt=11
https://play.google.com/store/search?q=9781601839220&c=books
https://store.kobobooks.com/en-us/ebook/swept-away-40
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/swept-away-kristina-mathews/1122885218
by
July 17, 2016
Monday Musings Part Eight: The Jewel in the Mud
Jewel in the Mud
Bad things happen. It’s part of life, no matter how much we might resist it. Like you, I don’t want the hard stuff. I want my life to be easy and run smoothly, but we rarely get what we want.
When things get tough, it feels awful. I won’t dress that up for you. However, the way we respond to that will affect just how bad we feel. The more we resist it, try and deny it, the more we suffer.
Our choices are both born of our attitude and shape that attitude. It’s down to us. Down to you. Only you can change you. Nobody can do that for you.
All of the Monday Musings so far lead to this point. They each show you tools with which to catch the smaller stuff and change it for the better. Sadly, it’s usually when the big stuff hits that we realise we need to do something, but by then, it’s much, much more difficult. You have to do the work on the small stuff, the easier stuff, first. That approach doesn’t feel quite so overwhelming.
What are those tools?
Live in the moment (no dwelling in the past or what-iffing the future)
Don’t have a position to defend (be a nobody)
Let it go (this too will change)
Look in the mirror (your thoughts/stories/judgements are showing you who you are right now)
Use silence (quiet reflection is essential to seeing yourself and the situation)
Don’t just do something (use your tools and sit with it [reflect on it])
No strings (whatever you’ve done, for good or ill, is done. Move on)
Find the jewel in the mud
Point eight is what today’s musing is all about. You can either wallow in the mud, or you can find the jewel in the mud. The Zen monks I lived and trained with used to have a saying: ‘Great Suffering—Great Enlightenment.’ It is through trials and tribulations that we grow the most. We learn more from our mistakes than our successes.
Are you a glass-half-full or a glass-half-empty personality? Remember, don’t judge it, just see it. Once you’re aware of your baseline, you can work with it. We all start from different places, and your journey is unique to you.
Look at what you’re telling yourself about the awful situation you find yourself in. Allow the emotions. You don’t need to try and squash them. You do need to keep one eye on the bigger picture though. Your thoughts and feelings are only a tiny part of the whole experience that is you.
Here’s where you have the choice. Here’s where you can choose to heap on the suffering or make the best of it. I know which one I prefer.
In the wise words of Zen:
‘The Lotus flower grows and blossoms in the mud.’
If you’ve missed my previous Monday Musings, you can find the links below:
^
by
July 13, 2016
The Dragon in the Garden
Hey folks! Best beware: here Dragons be there! Put on your Fantasy Caps because, today, we bring you author Erika Gardner and her Fantasy Fiction Novel, The Dragon in the Garden! Erika will be awarding from Amazon her book to six winners, one per day of the blog tour, to randomly drawn winners via rafflecopter during the tour. For her other tour stops and for more chances to win, please click on the banner above, which will take you to her tour page over at Goddess Fish Promotions
There is magic beneath the mundane and in The Dragon in the Garden, Siobhan Orsini witnesses it all. No lie can fool her, no glamour or illusion can cloud her Sight. She sees through them all and wishes she could close her eyes. Returning to face her past, Siobhan inherits her grandparents’ house in California’s wine country. She encounters a talking dragon, a hot fallen angel, a demon lord, a Valkyrie, and, oh yes, her ex-boyfriend. And that is just in the first twenty-four hours.
It’s time to find out why she has this power.
Siobhan seeks out the Oracle and learns that only her Sight can help mankind navigate the travails of an ancient war. Our world is the prize in a battle between the dragons, who would defend us, and Lucifer’s fallen angels, who seek to take the Earth for themselves. Using her gift, she will have to make a choice that will decide humanity’s future.
Excerpt:
The bright-green dragon lay curled at the foot of the apricot tree, partially covered by vines. My mother called the color jade green—the same shade as my eyes. As a child she talked to all the statues, but I only spoke to the dragon. I named her Daisy. Sitting down next to her now, the tears welled up at last, spilling over my cheeks. I wrapped my arms around my legs, making myself into a little ball of five-year-old misery.
“Child, why are you sad?” said a woman’s voice.
“Who said that?” I asked, wiping my cheek.
“I did.”
“Where are you?” I stood and peered at the plants and statues around me.
“Right here.”
“Are not,” I retorted.
A soft laugh filled the air and the woman spoke again. “Perhaps you are right. Easy enough to fix, I suppose.”
The breeze picked up. The space beneath the apricot tree shimmered. Ripples warped the air like the heat over the barbecue when my father cooked. The sweet notes of wind chimes filled the yard. Grandma and Grandpa didn’t have any wind chimes. I whirled around to find the noise.
Under the branches appeared an enormous green dragon’s head.
A Day in the Author’s Life:
The topic is simple… a day in an author’s life…
Hmm. Or maybe not so simple at all. Actually it’s darn hard. I hate to let anyone down.
I could talk about the near Zen experience of seeing fresh words proliferating a new page. Maybe I might mention the joy of following my lifelong dream of being an actual, real live, professional writer. The reader could be interested in my day dreams, the sword fights being choreographed in my head as I run errands, or the villains haunting my nights as I fall asleep. I could tell about the tears I shed at the gym as I realize (incongruously on the stair stepper) that I must kill off a character I truly like. Then I shudder with fear at the certainty that my critique group is going to murder me when I do.
All this does happen, but mostly a typical day in my life as a writer is pretty much like everyone else’s. I pay bills, clean house, get my oil changed. I spend time online on social media and blogs because I have a marketing department of ONE and that’s moi. (That said moi is not trained in marketing is not relative. We authors learn on the job.) If I am really lucky then I carve out some time to actually… write.
I think people would be shocked at how little space there is in my life for the actual writing, that creative process I so desperately crave. I love my family to bits but I am fairly certain that they do not realize, let alone understand, how essential writing is to me. It’s regenerating, life giving, and it’s simply what I was born to do. Usually I get the most work done around the edges of the rest of my life. It blossoms late at night, in carpool lines, when the kids are at school, or in dentists’ waiting rooms.
Mind you, I’m not complaining. Even a bit of bliss is still bliss. I’ll take it. Hopefully, if enough of you read my work then I will be able to carve out more of this awesomeness and keep going!
Thanks for letting me stop by. Oh, and welcome to my head.
About the Author:
Erika is a sixth generation San Franciscan of Irish descent. She attended the University of California at Davis and completed degrees in Medieval History and Biological Sciences. A lifelong lover of books and a scribbler of many tales from a young age (her first story was completed at age five) she turned to writing full-time in 2011.
On a personal level she loves spicy food, twilight, dark chocolate (with sea salt-yum!) and nickel slots at Vegas. Erika lives for time with friends, a nice glass of red wine, “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” & “Doctor Who” and good conversation. Her favorite things to do are running, cooking, reading, needlework, gardening… and of course, writing. Erika’s music of choice is heavy metal. To pick her out in a lineup you should know that she is very short, fairly loud, and has dark eyebrows. The rest, as her hero Anne McCaffrey once said in her bio, “is subject to change without notice”.
Erika resides in Northern California with her incredibly hot husband, their three amazing kids, and their chocolate Labrador named Selkie. To reach Erika regarding her books, wine recommendations, or to debate which Iron Maiden album is the best (clearly, it’s Brave New World), you can find her online at www.erikagardner.com.
All Around The Web:
My Website- www.erikagardner.com
My Critique Group’s Blog- https://bbbgals.wordpress.com/
Twitter- @Erika_Gardner
Pinterest- https://www.pinterest.com/egardnerauthor/
Facebook- https://www.facebook.com/Erika-Gardner-Writer-and-Storyteller-423796817705288/
Good Reads- https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/14899131.Erika_Gardner
NOTE: THE BOOK WILL BE $0.99 DURING THE TOUR!
Buy Links:
Amazon- http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01AOWGL4C/
Apple- https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/the-dragon-in-the-garden/id1076426217?mt=11
Barnes & Noble- http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-dragon-in-the-garden-erika-gardner/1123278539
Kobo- https://store.kobobooks.com/en-us/ebook/the-dragon-in-the-garden
Smashwords- https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/608239
by
July 12, 2016
Cryptogram Chaos
Hello and welcome to Harmony’s place today. Sit back and relax and enjoy a sneak peek from author Linda Covella’s Middle Grade Adventure novel, Cryptogram Chaos.
Linda will be awarding a $25 Amazon or Barnes and Noble GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. For her other tour stops, please click on the banner above. Be sure to visit as many as you can for more chances to win!
What if you were 8, or 11, or 14, and you could race cars at 150 mph, bungee jump, fly, eat all the ice cream and candy you wanted, or become powerful avatars such as Robobug, Kulshedra the dragon, and Altai, the gryphon avatar?
All this and more is possible in the ultimate virtual reality game The Cryptogram Connection created by 14-year-old computer whiz Cody Reynolds and his two classmates, Nicole Nash and Kerry McCorkle. To advance to different levels in the game, players must solve cryptograms, or secret codes. (Readers also get to solve the cryptograms.)
They create their game to be used with the latest VR technology developed by local game manufacturer NuVision Games–a headset with biosensors that transmit signals to the brain, fooling it into tasting, hearing, feeling, seeing, and smelling what was programmed into the game. The games are as close to reality as reality itself.
The game becomes every kids’ virtual dream, and Cody, Nicole, and Kerry, besides becoming national celebrities, make more money than they ever imagined. But The Cryptogram Connection turns into “cryptogram chaos” when an evil presence inhabits Zazar, the laser avatar and the most powerful, and takes control of the game. It’s up to the three partners to enter the game and fight Zazar to save the gamers from virtual—and real—disaster.
Excerpt:
I stood in front of a racetrack. One car roared around the track: Nicole was already at it. Empty cars waited at the start line, and I picked a flame-red car with a glassy shine, long in front and hugging the ground. I sank into the leather bucket seat and closed my eyes. Yes! My brother let me drive his Mustang around the parking lot a few times. But this. This was too awesome.
I stepped on the clutch and turned the key. The engine rumbled to life. I gripped the steering wheel with my left hand and closed my right one over the stick shift knob. The engine’s power vibrated against my palms.
I eased up the clutch and pressed down on the gas. The car rolled forward. My shoulders tensed as I peered through the windshield. I pushed the gas pedal to the floor. The car jerked then blasted onto the track, slamming me back against the seat. The car wavered down the straightaway. Come on, man. Get it under control. Tightening my grip on the steering wheel, I shifted into second, then third gear.
Okay. Time to go for it.
I shoved the stick shift into fourth gear. The tires screeched as I banked around the curved track. Back on the straightaway, I gave it more gas and shifted into fifth gear. I floored it, and the car shot down the track. My scalp prickled as I glanced at the speedometer. 80—100—120—One hundred and fifty miles per hour!
About the Author:
Linda Covella’s varied background and education have led her down many paths, but one thing she never strayed from is her love of writing.
In writing for kids and teens, she hopes to bring to them the feelings books gave her when she was a child: the worlds they opened, the things they taught, the feelings they expressed.
Linda is a member of the Society for Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI).
She lives in Santa Cruz, CA with her husband, Charlie, and dog, Ginger.
Connect with Linda:
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/lindacovellaauthor
Twitter: https://twitter.com/lindacovella @lindacovella
LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/lindacovella
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/3659665-linda-covella
Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/lindacovella
https://plus.google.com/+LindaCovella
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCAIgjZOCLdQFhMZXMHPCY_w
Books available here: http://www.amazon.com/Linda-Covella/e/B00MBR9II0/
Amazon buy link: http://www.amazon.com/Cryptogram-Chaos-Virtual-Reality-Adventure-ebook/dp/B01DEEQHQ4/
My review can be found on Goodreads and Amazon.
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July 11, 2016
Ride ‘Em
Hello everyone! It gives me pleasure today to host author Delphine Dryden and her Erotic Romance novel, Ride ‘Em. Delphine will be awarding a digital copy of Ride ‘Em to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. For more tour stops, and more chances to win, please click on the banner above, which will take you to Goddess Fish Promotions’ Ride ‘Em tour page
Saddle Up
Mindy has come to Logan’s dude ranch to convince him to sign away his land’s mineral rights to her stepfather. She doesn’t want to beg, but she will if she has to, like she does Friday nights when she submits to her master’s desire . . .
Buckle Down
Logan doesn’t like to be jerked around, in business or pleasure. And when he learns what Mindy is up to, he’s ready to teach her a lesson. In fact, he’d like to tie her up, strip her down, and give her a spanking she’ll never forget . . .
Ride Hard
With passion riding high, Logan and Mindy indulge in carnal play that leaves them both wanting more. And with their jobs on the line, they realize that their erotic fantasies might be their ticket to success . . .
Excerpt:
Mindy fumbled for her phone, turning off the annoying nasal voice of the GPS app before tossing the device back into the passenger seat. She didn’t know why she’d used it anyway. She didn’t need any navigation assistance for this trip. This was territory she’d conquered long ago, and left behind for better things. She hadn’t been back in a dozen years, not since that summer after she graduated, but nothing had changed much. The familiarity was disconcerting. When she’d passed the City Limits sign, she’d had to swallow back a pang of something suspiciously like homesickness.
I can do this.
She turned when she reached Bolero, barely skimming the edge of town before heading back out of it. Instead of driving toward her childhood home, she veered deeper into the countryside, toward the future she was determined to make for herself.
About the Author:
Delphine Dryden majored in English at the University of Texas at Austin. She has written contemporary and erotic romance for Carina Press and Harlequin, and mainstream steampunk romance for Berkley Publishing. Her writing has earned an Award of Excellence and Reviewers’ Choice Award from RT Book Reviews, an EPIC Award, an IPPY Gold Medal, and a Colorado Romance Writers’ Award of Excellence. She was the also the inaugural winner of the Science in My Fiction contest.
http://www.delphinedryden.com/
Buy the book:
https://www.amazon.com/s/?field-keywords=9781601836755
https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/ride-em/id1088651882?mt=11
https://play.google.com/store/search?q=9781601836755&c=books
https://store.kobobooks.com/en-us/ebook/ride-em-5
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/ride-em-delphine-dryden/1122783830?ean=9781601836755
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July 10, 2016
Monday Musings Part Seven: No Strings
No Strings
Today, I’d like to take a closer look at giving. At first glance, it seems simple enough. Right? Erm … not quite. Have you ever given a gift to someone—a loved one, perhaps—and felt disappointed at their less than thrilled response? Or, even worse, discovered a while later that they re-gifted it? It doesn’t have to be a gift; it can be help you’ve offered or given and can take many forms.
They key is in your attachment to the offering. If you’ve kept hold of it, you haven’t given it, not truly. You’re still holding on. Also, if the person didn’t ask for it, then what right do you have to be hurt or upset if they don’t greet you with gratitude?
Once we’ve given something, whether that be a gift, our time, or assistance, we need to let go of it. We need to sever all ties. We need to cut the strings. Only then can it be properly given. What the recipient does, isn’t any of our business. Just like Monday Musing Part Four, on judging, it affects them far more than it affects us.
Anytime we’re tempted to give help or a gift, we need to take a look at what’s driving us. As paradoxical as this sounds, the wrong kind of giving can be selfish. Sometimes, the seemingly generous act is more about us, the giver, than the recipient.
Are we giving because we want to give, or because the person actually wants something from us? To flip this on its head a moment, to let someone help you can be an act of generosity. When I first became disabled, I resisted help, being fiercely independent. It took time, and a little pointing out from my Zen teacher, for me to realise that always rejecting that help was a selfish response. People wanted to assist and make things easier for me, and who was I to stop them from expressing that generosity? So, to accept a gift is also to be generous.
To summarise: When we give, we have to let go. The recipient’s response is none of our business and doesn’t affect our offering. The only thing that can affect that offering is our response. Our motives. Intention is an ever-present, ever-important facet of life. It underpins our every action. It affects the way we feel about something.
Remember, when a person accepts something from us, they’ve given us an opportunity to be generous. To show love or caring. From that perspective …
In the wise words of Zen:
‘The giver should be thankful.’
If you’ve missed my previous Monday Musings, you can find the links below:
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