Diane Saxon's Blog, page 4

Another Day, Another Book - And a Free One Too...

Soooo, it's only been two weeks since last I was here and once again the time has flown.Along Came Dani has been accepted by my publisher and I'm expecting the edits to come through any day now. Under the Full Blooded Moon is with the final line editor.In the meantime, I flipped manuscript. I'm quite happily writing Hunter's Quest, but no, If Love Had Wings, the second book in my Montgomery's Sin Series insisted that I pay it some attention.At the rate I have been hurling out the words lately, I hope I'll have this one wrapped up by the end of June. I'm currently at 30,000 words with it and as anybody who knows me will tell you I'm a true panster, but once I have my story in mind, it flows. And this one is flowing.By the way, if you haven't tried my books yet, and you'd like to give them a go, this weekend the first in my Atlantic Divide Series is free.Gun ShyThe subject of his grandmother’s enthusiasm to marry him off, Sheriff Jack T Swan is fighting dirty to save his skin and has sworn off women until further notice. So the very last thing he needs in his life is a beautiful damsel in distress. Despite initial appearances, Jack soon discovers Kate is anything but distressed. In fact, she’s more than capable of skewering him with her kitten heel.Doctor Kate Marsden is handy with a scalpel, but she’s not quite sure how to deal with the local sheriff, who she inadvertently mistakes for a pervert while trying to report a crime.Time and again their paths cross and attraction rages between them, but while Jack is adamant he’s not in the market for a serious relationship, Kate is definitely not interested in a one-night stand. ExcerptShit. They’d sent him a stripper.Jack raked his gaze along the woman’s just-got-out-of-bed hair, followed it down her slender body dressed in a cheap, wrinkled suit to where her messy plait stopped at her hips. God, he hoped she was only a stripper and they hadn’t sent him a prostitute. He almost leaned forward to check out the rest of her shapely legs, but he didn’t want to make her think he was interested in any way. Not in a prostitute or a stripper. Whichever one she was; this was beyond a joke. He thought he’d reached an understanding with his grandmother, but from the look of it, she’d got together with his aunts and had managed to find another one.Perhaps this time they’d made a big mistake.He took his time as he studied the woman, noted with satisfaction the nervous way she licked her lips, but he’d caught the quick flash of awareness when his half-asleep gaze first met hers. It wasn’t ego, but at his age he recognized that look of admiration in a woman’s eyes. Under different circumstances, he may well have returned that interest, but as it was, he needed to get rid of her.It wouldn’t take long.With a roll of amusement, he squinted at the woman across the room. What would be the best way to achieve it without enlisting Bill’s help?Since the incident with the eighteen-year-old Lucy, he’d become a laughing stock. The little hoots of laughter and the sly digs from his deputies weren’t subtle. Couldn’t handle a kid, they snickered. Well he could handle this woman. He studied her a moment longer. She’d not been sent by his grandmother, he’d stake his life on that, but the boys may have clubbed together to send him a kiss-a-gram as a joke. From her willowy slenderness, she had to be a performer. Perhaps he should wait to see if she started to sing.With slow indolence, he trailed his gaze back up her body, deliberately resting his hands back on his stomach so he gave the impression of being relaxed. He wasn’t relaxed. His nerves jumped and twitched. He could call Bill in to get rid of her, but if he did, they’d have even more to laugh about.Damn, but they all thought he was frightened of women. They weren’t far wrong, but it was more that he was frightened of what he’d become for the right woman.There was no right woman. Not for him.He let his gaze continue to cruise over her.Fine boned, her delicate face would have been perfection if not for the tell-tale worn-off makeup, black smudges of tiredness and mascara swiped under her lazily hooded eyes. Her drawn features hinted she’d already put in a full day. She may not have the energy to sing. As long as they didn’t expect him to pay for the pleasure of her shimmying her hips. He wouldn’t put it past them to land him with the bill too. That was if she could bear to push herself away from the door long enough to shimmy. Perhaps a little stagger would be more likely, if he was lucky enough for her to stay upright.He tried not to laugh, but his lips twitched up at the edges, and the thick black flutter of her eyelashes warned that she’d noticed.The way she leaned against the door, she didn’t seem to be in any hurry to start. He’d be willing to give her a moment longer, but from the look of her, there was the distinct prospect she was about to fall asleep. Perhaps she needed an invitation. Or some music.“In your own time, sweet cheeks.”
Where to Find Diane SaxonAuthor Website | Author Blog | Facebook  | Author Twitter | Goodreads Author |Author Amazon Profile Page
About the AuthorDiane Saxon lives in the Shropshire countryside with her tall, dark, handsome husband, two gorgeous daughters, a Dalmatian, one-eyed kitten, ginger cat, four chickens and a new black Labrador puppy called Beau, whose name has been borrowed for her hero in For Heaven's Cakes.
After working for years in a demanding job, on-call and travelling great distances Diane gave it all up when her husband said “follow that dream”.
Having been hidden all too long, her characters have burst forth demanding plot lines of their own and she’s found the more she lets them, the more they’re inclined to run wild.
Previous Books:  
Loving Lydia -Atlantic Divide Book 2Bad Girl Bill – Atlantic Divide Book 3Finding Zoe - Atlantic Divide Book 4Flight of Her LifeFlynn’s Kiss – Disarmed & Dangerous Book 1Barbara’s Redemption – Disarmed & Dangerous Book 2Short Circuit TimeFor Heaven’s CakesBanshee Seduction – Montgomery’s Sin, Book 1


Amazon UK https://www.amazon.co.uk/Gun-Shy-Atlantic-Divide-Book-ebook/dp/B01INWUHRM/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1468932111&sr=8-1&keywords=Gun+Shy+Diane+SaxonAmazon.com https://www.amazon.com/Gun-Shy-Atlantic-Divide-Book-ebook/dp/B01INWUHRM/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1468932248&sr=1-1&keywords=Gun+shy+diane+saxon

VOTING FOR THE RONE AWARDS IS NOW OPEN - AND GUN SHY IS NOMINATED

Today starts the voting for the RONE Awards for which Gun Shy has been nominated. I'm thrilled about this as you can imagine and would love for Gun Shy to get through to the next round. If you'd like to vote, you need to register first at the following site, and then click on Cops, Jocks & Cowboys and vote for Gun Shy. http://www.indtale.com/2017-rone-awards-week-five

Book Updates & Broken Ankle

Who would have known how fast the last two weeks would fly?Here am I, leg still elevated, and yet I've been really busy. The weather has been so beautiful that I've been able to sit outside to write and edit. For someone who is supposedly laid up, I look remarkably healthy, with a bit of a tan going on.Work has moved on too. I've had some brilliant news this week. Because we've managed to get through the edits of Under the Full Blooded Moon in record time - because, hey what else have I got to do for 12 hours a day? I've heard that they've brought the release date forward to 11th July. That's not too long now and I am so excited about this new book. More details next time we meet.I've also submitted my manuscript for Along Came Dani, my Atlantic Divide Series Book 5 and I'm currently working on Book 6.I think I may ask the hospital if I can keep my cast on a little longer ... :)If you'd like a little taste of my paranormal romance, try For Heaven's Cakes Twelve years of living in Ireland smoothed Beau’s rough edges, and hard work as a construction worker made him a wealthy man. The call of his pack is stronger than he can resist though, and he isn’t averse to returning to show his small home town in America what he’s made of himself.What he doesn’t anticipate is meeting the local pharmacist’s daughter - in his wolf form. By day, he renovates the pharmacy, and tries to cajole the lush assistant into having dinner with him. By night he watches Catherine bake her fantastic creations and blossom through her art.Sleeping on her bed each night in his wolf form isn’t exactly ideal, but how does he tell her the wolf she’s come to love, is the man she lusts over?
Excerpt
Mrs. Timmins turned to see what had caught Catherine’s attention. Her pointed chin turned upward to meet the dip of her nose, which nearly fell into her wizened old mouth as it opened and closed.He seemed to have the same effect on all women, no matter what age. He was probably used to it.“Well now, this is precisely what I mean, Catherine.” Mrs. Timmins smacked her lips together. “Hello, young man. Don’t I know you?”“Yes ma’am. Good to see you looking so well Mrs. Timmins. You don’t look a day older than when I last saw you.”The harsh cackle took Catherine by surprise, but Beau smiled at the old lady as he leaned his elbow on the counter. She tried not to stare as his T-shirt pulled tight across his chest, but a small whimper threatened to escape.Mrs. Timmins wiped her dry old lips with the back of her hand. “I remember you. You’re the middle Devlin boy. The one who left to make his fortune.”“Yes ma’am.”“And did you?”“I did.”“Good. I never did believe all those rumors about you being trash.”Catherine almost choked, but Mrs. Timmins hooted with laughter and patted Beau’s arm, pausing a moment to give it a sly stroke.With a regretful sigh, she peered near-sighted into his face. “Are you married?”“No ma’am, are you proposing?”The hawking laughter drew Catherine’s gaze away from the flexed muscles of Beau’s arm to the old lady who seemed to have difficulty breathing. Another side effect of the hunk’s presence. He had the ability to stop a woman’s breath.“Engaged?”“No ma’am.”“Girlfriend?”“Nope.”“Gay?”It wasn’t deliberate, but Catherine simply couldn’t stop uttering. “Definitely not!”Heat washed over her as they both stared at her. Beau’s slow smile made her want to hide under the counter. She’d never had the ability to stop words blurting from her mouth before her brain had the foresight to stop them.She tried a casual shrug, but from the deep laughter lines slashing into his cheeks, her awkward jerk had been just that.“There you go. I just told Catherine how she needed a man to give her a real good…”“Mrs. Timmins!”“…time.”
SmashwordsAmazon ComAmazon UK itunes

RONE Award Nomination

After a difficult week when I slipped while out walking with my lovely dogs, and broke my ankle, I had the terrific news that Gun Shy has been nominated for a RONE Award.



http://amzn.to/2aVZhuJ

http://amzn.to/2aKG9k2

NEW RELEASE - TRY A LITTLE TENDERNESS - CHRISTA MAURICE

Blurb:
Sometimes you have to try a little harder for what you want.
Taylor Elgin was a child star, but keeping her career as an adult is frustrating. Now executives want to cut her part unless she garners more audience appeal. Her producer has a perfect plan. Match her character up with a fan favorite played by hot guy and terrible actor Ryan Asher. It would be easier to just quit…
Ryan had a crush Taylor when he was a kid and is thrilled to be partnered with her now. But does a guy carrying the scars of an abusive childhood deserve America’s Little Girl? And then to learn she never wanted to work with him in the first place? There’s no reason to even try…

Excerpt:
They knew. They all knew. Ryan drove to Taylor’s. He had to clear his stuff out of her place before she got home. He wouldn’t have to see her until next week on set and they’d have to figure out how to work around her disgust for the sake of the show. At least if everybody knew, she wouldn’t be able to blackmail him.He bundled his dirty laundry into a trash bag and tossed his toiletries on top. Then he took one last walk through of the apartment. Her bed where they had made love so often. The amethyst necklace he’d given her on the dresser beside her jewelry box. Her bathroom where she made herself so stunning. And where they had made love a couple of times. The living room. Her color coordinated Christmas tree was still up. The lights were turned on, casting a soft white glow on the room. The first season of Vikings sat beside the DVD player. He grabbed his trash bag and left the apartment.Gale and Devi were in the living room dressed for clubbing when he yanked open the front door.“Whoa, what happened to you?” Gale asked.“She knows. She fucking knows.” Ryan threw the garbage bag of his belongings against the wall. His dirty laundry tumbled across the floor.“Fuck,” Gale said. Devi retreated into the dining room.Mick thundered down the stairs in sweats. “What happened? Did she find out? Shit. Shit!”“How did she find out?”“Mrs. Spencer was at the party.” Ryan couldn’t breathe. His throat clotted with grief. It wasn’t supposed to happen this soon. He should have had a few more days at least.“Mrs. Spencer told her?” Mick demanded. “Fuck. What are we gonna do?”The woman who had been sleeping in Ryan's bed the other day came down the stairs but stopped on the bottom step. She was wearing jeans and a T-shirt with a gym bag over her shoulder.“I don’t even know if I still have a job.” Ryan rubbed his forehead.“Text Marty and ask him,” Gale said. “It’s not like you were an extra. You were a regular cast member.”“Do you really think Marty is going to want Ryan on his show now?” Mick demanded.“He was a regular cast member,” Gale repeated.Ryan pulled out his phone. He texted Marty, “do I still have a job?” he stared at the phone, but no response came.“What happened?” the new roommate asked.“Taylor was talking to Mrs. Spencer and Mrs. Spencer pointed at me and Taylor puked all over her.” Ryan dug his fingers into his hair.“Taylor puked on Mrs. Spencer?” Gale said. “Awesome. Bitch deserved it.”“Jesus. I knew she’d be disgusted, but that’s something else.” Mick shook his head.Ryan closed his eyes. Tears leaked from under his lashes. Everything up in smoke. All day, until Taylor got sick, had been magic. They had sun and sand and waves, and she was so happy. If he had died two hours ago it would have been perfect. His phone rang. Marty.“Aren’t you going to answer it?” Devi asked. She hadn’t come back into the living room, but the new girl had moved to stand beside him.“I don’t want to talk to him.” Marty loved Taylor. She was like a daughter to him. Marty had to be beyond pissed.“Then I’ll answer it.” The new girl held out her hand.Ryan pressed the phone to his chest. “No. I don’t want anybody to talk to him.” His phone stopped ringing. “They know where I live. They’ll come looking for me.” His phone started ringing again.“Whatever it is, I’m sure it’s not that bad,” the new girl said.“Fuck you. What do you know about it?” His phone stopped ringing. “We are all fucked,” Mick said. “Without Space Odyssey, we can afford this place for another month if we don't eat. I've got the one modeling gig coming. Tanya Bauer will pay, don't you think? Gale, you have a couple of cleaning jobs and I've got my PR clients."“Don’t kid yourself,” Gale said. “Do you think anybody is going to want us in their house now? And your PR clients are gone when you can’t keep our own past under wraps.”“I can earn two, three hundred bucks a night. I’ll just take more nights.” The new girl shrugged.Ryan’s phone buzzed with a text. Everyone stared at it.“What does it say?” Devi asked.Ryan read the screen twice. “Yes, you have a job.” The phone buzzed with a second text. “Where are you?”“Okay, you have a job. That’s good.” Mick raked his fingers through his hair.“I have a job where I have to pretend to fall in love with Taylor over the next four months. I have to see her every day and know how disgusted she is by me.” His throat felt like it was tied in knots.
Buy links:
Amazonhttps://www.amazon.com/Little-Tenderness-Hollywood-Nights-Book-ebook/dp/B01MS0PYTU/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&qid=1488307774&sr=8-6&keywords=christa+maurice
Barnes & Noble http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/try-a-little-tenderness-christa-maurice/1125397430?ean=2940154166833
Kobohttps://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/try-a-little-tenderness-8
iTuneshttps://itunes.apple.com/us/book/try-a-little-tenderness/id1211817415?mt=11
GooglePlayhttps://play.google.com/store/books/details/Christa_Maurice_Try_a_Little_Tenderness?id=NKBBDgAAQBAJ
Free series preview available at: https://www.instafreebie.com/free/YloWu


Bio:

Christa Maurice spends a lot of time lost in imagination. When not writing, she loves to travel and has spent several years living overseas. She spent four years living in Abu Dhabi where the temperature was always hot, the sunrise and sunset were pretty stable year ‘round and she could go weeks without speaking to a man who wasn’t selling her groceries. You know that happens to a woman living in what amounts to a harem situation? She spends a lot of time talking about shoes and thinking about men. Which brings us right back to being lost in imagination…
Website: https://christamaurice.com/Email: christabellemaurice@gmail.comFacebook:
https://www.facebook.com/ChristaMauriceWriter?ref=hl
Twitter:
@ChristaMauricehttps://twitter.com/ChristaMaurice
Goodreads:https://www.goodreads.com/author/show... page: http://www.amazon.com/Christa-Maurice/e/B00N82BJFC/ref=sr_tc_2_0?qid=1426607489&sr=1-2-entMailing list: http://eepurl.com/4VZuD Crew
https://www.facebook.com/groups/705305729633725/

Lying in Shadows - Sofia Grey

Blurb

Marianne needs to find who's leaking secrets from her company, before they lose another major contract. What she doesn't need is an affair with her married boss. Even worse, to fall in love with him.
She discovers the security leak is more than a case of commercial espionage: someone is lying in the shadows, playing games with them. Now more than her heart and career are at stake—her life is on the line.


Excerpt

Marcus faced her. Now the night was ending, he felt more awake and alive than he had in a long time. “Yeah. It was good.” He spoke slowly and looked her in the eyes. “Thank you. For all of it.” He was transfixed by a puff of her breath on the freezing night air. Her perfume, sweet and woody at the same time, teased his senses. It suited her perfectly. They were inches apart. He wouldn’t have to move far, to close the distance between them. He gazed at her lips, unable to tear himself away. Everything about Marianne called to him and always had. He’d allowed himself to become friends with her, knowing it was dangerous. Wanting Marianne was wrong. He had to think of Louisa. Marianne ran a hand through her pixie-cut hair and leaned against him. “It’s so pretty here, but it’s freaking cold. What the hell was I thinking?”Wrapping one arm around her shoulders was instinctive. His yearning to kiss her roared back into life, and he tried to ignore it. “It is pretty, but you’re beautiful.”“Sweet talker,” she murmured. She made no move, and Marcus held her closer. Jesus. Marianne filled all his senses. All his needs. One taste—that was all he wanted. One hint of this beautiful, sassy woman. It would have to be enough. He couldn’t offer anything else.He lifted his hand and cupped her cold cheek, brushing a pattern over the soft skin with his thumb. The air felt charged. He gazed into her eyes, waiting for a sign. Waiting for her to tell him to fuck off.She didn’t.Did she want him? He had to know. Need coursed through his veins, and he dropped his head and brushed his lips over hers. His world shrank to the bench in Trafalgar Square. She didn’t retreat, so he moved in again, with another fleeting kiss that grazed her lips. He was crazy to think one taste would be enough. He wanted to gorge on her.  Marianne pulled back, opening a cool space between them. “This is wrong.” Her voice was husky. “We shouldn’t be doing this. You’ll hate me and yourself.”She was right. He was behaving like an ass, but he still didn’t want to stop.It took a superhuman effort, but he disentangled himself from her and stood. He took a step away and turned to face the empty square. His heart raced, as if he’d run a marathon. He tried to get his body under control.“I’m sorry,” he rasped, his mouth as dry as a gravel path. He couldn’t look at her. Didn’t dare to.She huffed a breath behind him. “I can’t be your lover, Marcus, but I can be your friend.”No. He wanted more, and that scared him. He had to fix things with Louisa, not get caught up in a flirtation going nowhere. He should be beating himself up with guilt right now, but he wasn’t. Instead, he felt panic at losing the chance of a stolen afternoon with Marianne. “Are we still going out tomorrow?”



Goodreads link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/34127837-lying-in-shadows
Pinterest page: https://nz.pinterest.com/sofiagrey1/lying-in-shadows-event-horizon-1/
Spotify playlist: Spotify
Tagline: Good people sometimes do bad things

Author links:
www.SofiaGrey.com
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6906923.Sofia_Grey
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Sofia.Grey.Romance.Author
Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/sofiagrey1/
Twitter: @SofiaGreyAuthor   https://twitter.com/SofiaGreyAuthor 
Amazon author profile page: https://www.amazon.com/author/sofiagrey




Author bio:
 Romance author Sofia Grey spends her days managing projects in the corporate world and her nights hanging out with wolf shifters and alpha males. She devours pretty much anything in the fiction line, but she prefers her romances to be hot, and her heroes to have hidden depths. When writing, she enjoys peeling back the layers to expose her characters’ flaws and always makes them work hard for their happy endings.
Music is interwoven so tightly into my writing that I can’t untangle the two. Either I’m listening to a playlist on my iPod, have music seeping from my laptop speakers, or there’s a song playing in my head – sometimes on auto-repeat.
Check out my image collections on Pinterest and my music playlists on Spotify.

SELKIE’S LURE (ORKNEY SELKIES 3) BY ROSANNA LEO

Blurb:
Amy Woods, one of TV’s famed Beast Seekers, has come to Orkney, Scotland, to hunt sirens. One of them killed her sister and she has sworn revenge. Most people think she’s crazy for believing in monsters. She knows the truth. But while patrolling one of Orkney’s cold beaches, she runs into a naked selkie man rather than a siren, and he proves to be an alluring distraction.
Edan Kirk is a selkie, one of an ancient race of seal shape shifters. When he hears of Amy’s intention to hunt sirens, tragic memories overwhelm him. He knows he must get rid of the pesky human. As much as he tries to convince her she’s on a fool’s errand, he can’t resist trying to protect her. After all, he has heard the enticing song of the sirens and he knows its deadly power.
As Amy and Edan engage in a battle of wits and wills, other emotions rush to the fore. Their connection is intense, the sort to come along only once in a lifetime. Edan recognizes her as his mate. However, another woman has set her sights on him as well, one whose powers of seduction are legendary. One whose voice has driven men to madness and devastation. Can Amy accept Edan as her mate, making her home in the world of the supernatural? And can they save each other from a beast that cannot be destroyed?
Excerpt:
After patrolling the shore for the better part of an hour, Edan began to feel the call of his bed. He might possess more stamina than a human man but it had been a long day. Resolved to catch a couple hours of sleep before morning, he swam toward the shore. Relinquishing his pelt, letting it slide from his body, he stood up straight.
A man appeared before him.
No. A woman.
Because she wore fatigues, he was momentarily confused, but there was no mistaking her buxom figure. She was certainly doing her best to look like an army man, right down to her combat boots.
The lass smiled and aimed a camera phone at him. “Hello, sailor. Did you fall off your boat?”
Fuck. What sort of woman walked on the beach at four in the morning? “Something like that.”
Despite the obvious threat posed by her camera, he couldn’t help noticing she was a beauty. Perhaps not in the Hollywood starlet sense, but her imperfections intrigued him. She’d pulled her chestnut hair back into a tight ponytail. There was an asymmetry to her face that gave an edge to delicate features. Her nose was slightly crooked near the tip and one eyebrow arched higher than the other. Her generous mouth was compressed but it looked capable of wide smiles.
And her scent. It hit him hard and made him see stars, like that time his younger brother Calan lobbed a dictionary at his head. She smelled like strawberries, juicy and ripe from the bush. Interesting, considering she was dressed like Rambo.
His gut turned, as if skewered on a rotisserie. As his innards roiled, he couldn’t help wondering what it would be like to wind her ponytail around his fingers, draw her close and...
“Well?” Her eyebrow quirked even higher.
How much had she seen?
He stepped toward her but when she snapped several photos in quick succession, he stopped moving. “It’s not polite to take photos of a man in his birthday suit.”
“Yes, but you’re not quite a man, are you?”
She’d seen everything, then. He’d simply have to persuade her not to trust her senses. He’d talked himself out of worse scrapes. Edan waved his hand in the direction of his crotch. “I’m all man, lass, as you can see.”
She indulged in a quick glance. Her eyes widened in clear wonder, as if she’d never seen anything quite like him before. “Something more, then.” She nodded toward his pelt. “I’ll take that, please.”
“I don’t think so.” He hedged his bets he could convince her to give up whatever mischief she’d planned. How had he missed her on the beach? Too distracted by the thought of Breena, perhaps. “You’ve seen enough to understand I’m a selkie. If you know that, you know I need this pelt. If you’re looking for a lover, you need to be wily and steal the skin. I won’t just hand it over, unless of course you can prove to me you’d be worth a tussle.”
“I’m not looking for a lover and I don’t want to tusslewith you.”
“I’d say that was a shame, you know, if you didn’t look as if you were out to blackmail me.”Two men, also dressed in camouflage, emerged from behind a sand dune. One of them looked as if his sole hobby was frequenting the gym. Although the other man was smaller in stature, he presented more of a threat and it had everything to do with his professional-looking video camera.
“I’d give her the pelt if I were you,” the bigger man said.
“Who the hell are you people?” Edan demanded as he slowly handed the skin over to the woman.
She took it but didn’t lower her phone. “We’re the Beast Seekers. You’re our first selkie. Smile for the cameras.”




Buy Link Information:Selkie’s Lure will be available for purchase on January 16 at Liquid Silver Publishing: http://liquidsilverpublishing.com/Preorders are now available at:Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/ca/en/ebook/selkie-s-lureiTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/selkies-lure/id1190127990?mt=11During release week, it will be available at Amazon, B&N and Google Play.Goodreads link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/33264951-selkie-s-lure-orkney-selkies-3
Author Bio:
Rosanna Leo is a multi-published, erotic romance author. Several of her books about Greek gods, selkies and shape shifters have been named Top Picks at Night Owl Romance and The Romance Reviews.From Toronto, Canada, Rosanna occupies a house in the suburbs with her long-suffering husband, their two hungry sons and a tabby cat named Sweetie. When not writing, she can be found haunting dusty library stacks or planning her next star-crossed love affair.A library employee by day, she is honored to be a member of the league of naughty librarians who also happen to write romance. Rosanna blogs at www.rosannaleoauthor.wordpress.com




Author Links:
Amazon Author Page: http://www.amazon.com/Rosanna-Leo/e/B007X5P4I8Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rleoauthor/Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5826852.Rosanna_LeoPinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/rosannaleo/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rleoauthor1Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/LeoRosanna

And a Merry Christmas to you all...

Twas the night before Christmas Eve ...


Blurb:
Traveling from New York City to Houston to meet her future in-laws and announce her engagement, accident prone Bailey finds herself in a situation beyond her control. All flights are cancelled the night before Christmas Eve, leaving Bailey stranded at the airport with a cowboy from her past. Against all odds, Sebastian manages to rescue Bailey from one disaster after another, but is it too late to rescue her from her future? Faced with a heartrending dilemma, does Bailey turn her back on the man who offers her a life of security, or does she run off to Maui with a cowboy?



Excerpt:
Chapter 1“So, Bailey. We’ve got it straight?” “Yes, Phillip.” “What did I say?” “Huh?” “Do you mean ʻpardon?’ That’s the polite way of querying what a person has said.” “Pardon?” “What did I just tell you?” Her pulse rate increased and she widened her eyes as she heard the impatience in his voice. “Oh. Umm.” She watched his brow crease in irritation, and automatically straightened her spine as she sat opposite him in the fortieth floor offices belonging to Horton & Horton Attorney at Law. “You are going to fly to Houston this afternoon.” She recited. “To meet with your parents…” at his sharp look, she corrected herself. “…the senators.” He gave a short, sharp nod. “I will stay here for another two days to attend to matters that may arise in your absence.” She self-consciously checked for a stray curl and patted her hair above her ear. “I will then catch a flight to Houston to join you and the senators for their Christmas Eve party…soiree.” She quickly amended before he could react. “My parents have made their own arrangements to attend.” She linked her fingers together and resisted the urge to cross her legs. Phillip said it was considered vulgar and cheap, and God forbid anyone thought she was cheap. He seemed to be waiting for her to continue. She closed her eyes briefly, took a deep breath and thought. “Oh, yes. Senator Patricia Horton…” she glanced up at him to see if it was okay to use his mother’s first name in that manner, but as there were no flickers of disapproval, she continued. “…will show me the dinner service she has chosen.” For us to use for the rest of our lives. “And Senator Benjamin Horton will announce our engagement and the date of our forthcoming wedding—once they have agreed on the date with you later today.” Her smile was pure saccharine as she waited for his nod of approval. He snapped his briefcase shut and picked it up, casting a distracted glance at her. “Fine.” He scanned the immaculate office, nodded again. “I’ll see you on Christmas Eve. The senators’ car will meet you at the airport.” She stood and crossed the room to offer him a kiss good-bye. Reaching up on tip-toe, she leaned in to him. He stepped back so she almost overbalanced and he turned his head just enough for her lips to graze his cheek, and then he raised his hand and wiped the spot she had touched. A low wave of disappointment flowed over her. She appreciated his ideas about work etiquette, but really, he was leaving for two days and the next time she would see him would be in a room full of strangers at their engagement party. A nasty little thought curled through her mind as she wondered if he would deign to kiss her in front of everyone there, when he so obviously seemed to find difficulty in the privacy of their own office. “Oh. My mother had this delivered.” Curious she dipped her head as he pulled a small, elegant, jeweler’s box from the inside pocket of his impeccable suit and flicked open the lid. The light reflecting from the huge diamond rock almost took her eye out. Her jaw dropped. “Phillip. It’s…stunning.” She couldn’t form the words she thought would be most appropriate to describe the monstrosity of a ring he offered her. He handed the box to her with the ring inside. “Don’t lose it; it was almost two million dollars. A nine carat diamond. The senator has exquisite taste.” Speechless, she stared at it for a moment, taking time to consider what dinner service the senator, with her exquisite taste, would choose. Not for the first time, a flicker of concern tiptoed secretively through her. Phillip stepped away and opened the door. As though an afterthought struck him, he turned back, and her heart gave a hopeful flutter. “And Bailey, would you do me a favor and wear your glasses rather than your contact lenses? They make you look so much more…” “Attractive?” She provided. “No…umm.” “Intelligent?” “No, no…” “Sophisticated?” “No, Bailey.” His mouth pursed with irritation. “Presentable. They make you look more presentable.” “Oh.” The door snapped shut and she stared at the enormous stone glaring out of the box at her. If anyone asked her what her opinion of vulgar was, she would have said the ring. She took it out of the box, reverently slid it on to her ring finger and held her hand at arm’s length. The ring was too big and as she dropped her hand down to her side the rock spun to the underside of her finger. Perhaps it was safer tucked into her palm anyway. She was likely to get mugged, flashing something like that around in New York City. She gazed around the office, sighed as she noticed the paperwork he had left in a neat pile on his desk for her to clear away. She was supposed to be an associate, not his secretary, but he’d got into the habit of letting her clean up after him. Bailey picked up the envelope with her flight ticket inside and tucked it into her handbag. She needed to leave early to buy Christmas presents for his parents. She thought Phillip and she would have bought them between them, but Phillip said he’d already got them something from him. What the hell would they want for Christmas if they could afford to spend two million bucks on a diamond ring? She already had presents for her own parents. A pretty silk scarf for her mom and a box of Cuban cigars for her daddy, but really what would the senators appreciate from her? At least she was going to see mom and daddy too. They were staying in Houston for the engagement party. She missed them so much it made her heart ache. Bailey needed to pack her case with smart, presentable clothes. She wasn’t sure if she had enough for an entire week: items that were neither work suits, nor were they jeans and sweaters. She locked the office door and hustled along the empty hallway to the elevator, most employees had already left for the Christmas holidays. She pressed the button for the lobby and waited, and then she stepped inside the elevator where the annoying sound of piped Christmas music greeted her. The familiar feeling of nausea hit her as the elevator lurched down and her stomach stayed on the fortieth floor for a moment longer before it decided to join her. The lights flickered, the Christmas music stuttered, the elevator ground to a halt and the doors remained closed. Bailey leaned forward, a heavy feeling of disbelief filled her chest. Please don’t let this happen. Not now, not today. She pressed the button for the door and stared in horror as they slid open to reveal a solid brick wall in front of her. The elevator was stuck between floors.

NEW RELEASE - ONCE & FOREVER, BOOK THREE BY M.S. KAYE

Once & Forever book 3by M.S. Kaye​Who is the mysterious Santa who leaves toys on the convent steps?After a twelve-year separation, Eden is finally reunited with her brother, Thomas, but why hadn’t she reached out to him in all those years? Eden, a nun, is constantly struggling against her dark past of living on the streets, and her attraction to Trace, an ex-convict farm worker. As Eden and Trace confess their pasts to each other and grow closer, will they be able to resist getting too close?​Amazon  |  Kobo  |  iBooks  |  Goodreads
Excerpt book 3:“You know what he did to git sent to prison?” one of the convenience store clerks murmured to the other.Trace could just hear them over the horrible rendition of “Jingle Bells” playin’ through the speakers. He ignored them, like he always did. He tried to come into town late in the evening to avoid people as much as possible, but that also meant it was quiet enough that he could often hear what people murmured about him. Once he’d grabbed some protein bars and a can of beer, he headed up to the counter to pay.The clerk with a buzz-cut told him the total, and Trace handed him some cash.Neither of the clerks made eye contact with him, but they both hovered over the cash register as if he might snatch it and run.Buzz-cut closed the cash drawer right quick and handed Trace’s change back.“Thank you.” Trace stuffed the change in his pocket, took the bag of protein bars in one hand and his beer in the other, and walked out of the store.He headed for the back lot toward the alley. He could get through most of downtown by way of the alley. This late at night it was almost too dark to see where he was goin’, but that was part of what he liked about it.“Bitch,” someone growled. And then the sound of something—or someone—smacking into the brick wall of the back of the convenience store.Trace moved more quickly and turned the corner, and he caught sight of a skinny, young woman punching a man in the face. His head snapped back. But then another man slammed his fist across her jaw. She looked so frail that the punch seemed like shooting a cannon ball at a piece of notebook paper.“Hey!” Trace roared and ran at them. “Git away from her.”

Author Bio:M.S. Kaye has several published books under her black belt. A transplant from Ohio, she resides with her husband Corey in Jacksonville, Florida, where she tries not to melt in the sun. Find suspense and the unusual at www.BooksByMSK.com.


To receive news on upcoming releases, sign up for email updates on her website. Facebook  |  Twitter  |  Google+  |  Goodreads  |  Amazon  |  TSU  |  Pinterest  |  LinkedInOnce, book 1Her first and also her once.Jonathan and Rebecca’s paths cross at exactly the right moment, when each most needs to hear what the other has to say.But Jonathan is three days from entering the priesthood, and Rebecca leaves him to his peace. But he is unable to find peace.Without each other’s comfort and strength, they must each struggle to forge a new path, with only memories of the one day that changed everything.But are they able to forget and let go?​Amazon  |  Kobo  |  iBooks  |  B&N  |  ARe  |  Goodreads Once & Again, book 2​She was once his secret desire… Will she be again?Father Aiden, an ex-marine and new priest, falls in love with Maylynn, but he struggles to stay away from her. He’s successful for many years, though he can’t keep her out of his dreams.Then one day she shows up for a pre-marital counselling session with her fiancé, Davis. Aiden soon realizes Davis isn’t who he says he is, but what does that mean for Maylynn, and for himself?​Amazon  |  B&N  |  iBooks  |  Kobo  |  ARe  |  Goodreads

Shore is Magical - New Release from Annette Mardis

Thanks so much for allowing me a guest spot on this blog. I’m so happy to be featured here.
Have you ever jokingly tossed out an idea … and it turned out to be just what you needed? That’s how Shore is Magical, my latest Gulf Shore novel and my first paranormal, was conceived.I was doing an online chat with other authors when the subject turned to paranormal novels, particularly shape-shifters. Confession: I haven’t read too many of those books, usually preferring reality (or a reasonable facsimile of it) over fantasy. The other authors were discussing the merits of the animals usually favored in shifter novels: tigers and other big cats, bears and wolves, primarily.“How about a dolphin shifter?” I kiddingly suggested in full smart-aleck mode. Dolphins are one of my favorite animals and have been since I was a little girl who listed Flipper at the top of her must-see TV list.Surprisingly—to me anyway—the other chat participants quickly and enthusiastically chorused their approval of dolphin shifters. So I thought, why not?The challenge was fitting a paranormal story into a contemporary romance series that’s firmly rooted in real life. I spent more than thirty years working as a newspaper reporter and editor, pursuing a fair presentation of the facts as both sides saw them. Making things up doesn’t come as easily to me as to other authors.I do a lot of research to ensure that my Gulf Shore novels stay within the realm of possibility. And I volunteer at a marine animal hospital, so I’ve seen firsthand how such operations conduct themselves. So how do I justify a heroine whose very existence defies belief?By making the details of her story as conceivable as possible. And by letting the other characters express their skepticism and at times outright rejection of the idea that a person can assume an animal shape, and then change back.Despite her otherworldly ability and a lifestyle shrouded in secrecy, Marina Seaward, the leading lady of Shore is Magical, is not that different from other women. She squabbles with her sisters and takes family obligations seriously, but chafes at the strings that bind her to their restrictive traditions. Seeking true love, she’s beaten down by a jealous and controlling man but fights to preserve her identity and independence.Marina isn’t looking for a savior or a prince charming. And that’s a good thing, because Kenshin Hamasaki is neither. He’s a good man but a flawed one, and he hasn’t fully recovered from the tragedies that nearly sucked him down a dark hole of despair. Kenshin’s wounded heart and soul urges him to play it safe, but he’s inexplicably drawn to the mysterious stranger who risks everything in an effort to fit into his world in pursuit of her happily ever after.Lurking in the background, however, is a dark presence from Marina’s past, who threatens to end this unlikely pairing before she and Kenshin can fully explore whether they’re destined to be together.  Find out whether Marina and Kenshin’s relationship ends in romance or ruin by snaring your digital copy of Shore is Magical, Gulf Shore book 4, available now from all major e-book retailers and from liquidsilverpublishing.com.


Excerpt
Here’s a snippet from one of my favorite scenes in the book, when Kenshin first encounters Marina in very enticing human form. This scene takes place in the marine animal hospital at Gulf Shore Aquarium, where Kenshin works. He thinks he’s helping to rehabilitate a rescued dolphin, but he gets the surprise of his life one night.
Looking up, Kenshin almost dropped his phone. He stared, eyes wide, mouth open, as a lithe form emerged from the pool, water cascading down her body. Where had she come from and, more importantly, why was she naked? Then he glanced behind her and received his second shock.The rescued dolphin was—gone. Impossible. He gave his cheek a light smack to make sure he hadn’t succumbed to exhaustion and passed out. That was entirely possible, given he hadn’t slept more than two hours at a stretch since leaving Erica’s bed.If this was a dream, it was incredibly realistic. Off the charts sexy, too.The woman sauntering toward him was hotter than an egg yolk on Florida asphalt in August. Her brown hair framed a pair of turquoise eyes that shimmered like the sea. Her rosebud nipples all but begged for his touch, and he imagined himself at home between her long, supple legs, which were as toned as the rest of her. The corners of her lips tipped up as if she’d read his mind. Kenshin’s gaze darted around the rehab unit, looking for backup if he needed it. But Kelsey had gone home early for a change, Flipper probably was loading up on caffeine and carbs, and Sitara was in her office catching up on paperwork.Kenshin’s carnal fantasies dissolved amid concerns about a massive security breach.“Who are you, and why are you here?” he demanded.“You know who I am.” The woman’s voice was as smooth as spiced rum sliding over ice cubes. “You just don’t want to admit it.”“What are you talking about?”“Your friends brought me here from the beach, jostling me around in that canvas thing. What do you call it?”“Are you talking about the sling?”“It felt like they dragged me across a rocky sea bottom. Very bad for the delicate skin.” She pouted and pointed to a chafe mark on her elbow. “Get something softer, for Poseidon’s sake.”“This is...insane. Why aren’t you wearing clothes?”She shrugged. “I didn’t bring any.” Cocking her head, she studied him for a moment before her expression turned playful. “Don’t you like me as I am? I thought the males of your species enjoyed seeing females without garments.”What an odd way to say that guys lust after naked women. “You’re beautiful, and I think you know that, but it’s beside the point.”“Is it?”She’d come close enough for Kenshin to stroke a hand down all that lush, bare flesh, and he almost did so to make sure she was real. Common sense kicked in before he acted on the impulse. Besides being a stranger, she was, well, strange.“Listen, lady, I don’t know what your game is but—”“Game? There is no game. Your people rescued me, and now I’m your responsibility. Isn’t that how this works?”Kenshin glanced around again, convinced that any minute Flipper or someone would leap out and scream, “Gotcha!” This had to be a prank. Stuff like this didn’t happen otherwise, at least not to him. But after that dolphin encounter at the reef, anything seemed possible.Kenshin felt her warm breath on his face. It smelled...fishy? When he wrinkled his nose, she clapped her hand over her mouth. Nowshe was self-conscious? He looked into her eyes, an inviting shade matched only by a secluded tropical lagoon.“What’s your name?”“Marina.”“Marina what?”“Just Marina.”
Buy links Amazon: http://amzn.to/2gP4jiwLiquid Silver: http://bit.ly/2gmfrA2Barnes & Noble: http://bit.ly/2gvDNKrGoogle Play: http://bit.ly/2gMr5rbAll Romance: http://bit.ly/2fqzBfpKobo: ​http://bit.ly/2gQwDku
​iBooks: http://apple.co/2fGx24f



And now a word about the Gulf Shore series My contemporary romance series is set in the fictional west-central Florida beach town of Gulf Shore, where you’ll taste salt on your skin and feel sugary white sand between your toes, the warm sun on your shoulders, and a sea breeze ruffling your hair.
       You’ll meet swoon-worthy alpha males who aren’t embarrassed to cuddle a rescued baby dolphin in their muscular arms, and accomplished women looking for an equal partner who thinks that smart is sexy.
      You’ll get up close and personal with sea life, join the “snipe and gripe” club for girls’ nights out, and fall in love with a talking parrot who acts like a little boy in a bird suit.
      You’ll go behind-the-scenes at the local aquarium and out to the beach to rescue marine animals in distress and to cheer others as they return to the wild. And once you visit Gulf Shore, you just may find yourself wishing you could stay.

Connect with AnnetteWebsite and blog: www.annettemardis.com/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/annette.mardis and https://www.facebook.com/AuthorAnnetteMardisTwitter: @AnnetteMardis48   https://twitter.com/annettemardis48Amazon: http://amzn.to/1QjlzGUGoodreads: www.goodreads.com/author/dashboardPinterest: www.pinterest.com/annettemardis/Smashwords: http://bit.ly/1oFBx3sLinkedIn: http://bit.ly/1WPMaMaGoogle+ https://plus.google.com/+AnnetteMardis/YouTube: http://bit.ly/1Qa2dTjTsu:  www.tsu.co/AnnetteMardisiAuthor:www.iauthor.uk.com/profile/annettemardis48:9290
Author bio

As a girl, Annette dreamed of being an astronaut, but she stank at science and math and became motion sick riding the bus home from school. So she went with her second choice—newspaper journalist—and stuck with it for more than three decades. After years of ignoring well-meaning people who said, “You should write a book,” she finally did. And then she wrote a few more. When she’s not working, Annette usually has her nose in someone else’s novel or her gaze glued to sports on TV. She has three totally spoiled pets, enjoys being the designated sightseer on her husband’s Harley, and volunteers at Clearwater Marine Aquarium, home of diva dolphins Winter and Hope from the Dolphin Tale films.