C.D. Hersh's Blog, page 150
February 8, 2016
Tell Again Tuesday Defining a series
A blog series where we shamelessly share posts from others that we have enjoyed.
We all hear about series TV, Movies, or Books. Ever wonder what that means? Here is a good explanation.
Defining a series
Sunday, December 20, 2015
The first thing many folks ask after finding out you wrote a book, is, “is it a series? Are there more books?” Now one might think that is a simple question, but it really isn’t. Just what is a series?
Let’s start at the top with the -ology’s – trilogies, etc. These are . . .
For the rest of the blog go to:
February 4, 2016
Friday Feature Belle Ami One More Time is Not Enough
Learns about
One More Time is Not Enough
From author
Belle Ami
Today we get to hear from Belle Ami about, One More Time is Not Enough, which is due to released on March 9th provided things go smoothly with the publishing process. (Keep your fingers crossed). With that administrivia out of the way, we turn the page over to Belle.
First off, hats off, to Catherine and Donald, for allowing me the opportunity to participate in Friday Features.
One More time is Not Enough, is my first book that is being published by Soul Mate Publishing. Although, it is the third book in my The Only One series, it is a stand-alone novel.
THE STORY
Once is Not Enough is a steamy, sexy suspense novel guaranteed to keep you turning pages. Adelia Lindstrom Bremen has a dilemma, she is in love with two men, and she doesn’t know that she is about to become the next target on a serial killer’s blacklist.
This is the story of a woman trying to get her life back on track. A woman who instills passion and desire from the two men who love her. Adelia has everything, she is independently wealthy, she has beautiful twin children, and a career that she loves. Even with all of her blessings her life has become a minefield of lies, disappointments, and tragedy:
Her parents were murdered;
Her marriage ended in a messy divorce and custody battle;
Her children were kidnapped by her ex-sister-in-law and had to be rescued from Cuba;
Her godfather that murdered her parents was killed in the rescue.
Now, she has discovered that her birth father wasn’t the man who raised her, but was her godfather, the man who killed her parents.
With a secret that was carried to their graves her parents and her godfather lied to her. In her life, secrets abound, but none is more surprising than learning that she has a half-sister. A sister that she hopes will be the key to healing her broken heart and rebuilding the family that she sorely misses.
Which of the two men that love her will she choose? Can she forgive her ex-husband, Miles for betraying her? Can she find a way to build a life with her lover David, a recent graduate of the FBI?
When she receives a letter from her godfather, Lucas, a deathbed missive that threatens her life and future, will she listen? She has vowed to amend her parents’ Trust to better reflect their wishes, and that promise has placed her in the cross-hairs of a serial killer. Someone is killing scientists that deny man-made climate change and Adelia is about to find out that putting her life back together and opening herself to love may be the least of her worries.
Can she find her true love and survive being the prey of a serial killer? Can the two men who love her rescue her in time? The clock is ticking.
Excerpt:
The sports car hugged the road as David down-shifted into a hairpin curve on Route 1. Adelia brushed the wind-blown wisps of hair that had escaped her braid from her eyes. She leaned her head against the headrest and absorbed the Indian Summer sunshine. On the radio, Sirius Satellite’s station, The Highway, competed with the engine’s roar. At the FBI Academy David had fallen in love with country music thanks to Preston. A Chris Young song came on the radio and he turned up the volume.
“Listen to the words, I believe this is our song.”
She turned to look at him but his dark aviator sunglasses hid his eyes. With her curiosity piqued, she listened. A sexy baritone voice filled the air.
Tomorrow I’m gonna leave here;
I’m gonna let you go and walk away like every day I said I would;
And tomorrow, I’m gonna listen;
To that voice of reason inside my head telling me that we’re no good;
But tonight I’m gonna give in one last time;
Rock you strong in these arms of mine;
Forget all the regrets that are bound to follow;
We’re like fire and gasoline;
I’m no good for you;
You’re no good for me;
We only bring each other tears of sorrow;
But tonight, I’m gonna love you like there’s no tomorrow;
Adelia switched off the radio and turned away from him as she fought back her tears. “Are you trying to hurt me? I don’t remember you ever being cruel.”
“No, I’m trying to be honest with you. We both know this magical escape is an illusion. A week from now I’ll go to Washington and you’ll go back to your kids, and Miles will convince you to remarry him. Just like the song says, “we only bring each other tears of sorrow.”
“You don’t know a thing, David Weiss.” Frustration simmered inside of her. “Can’t you for once just live in the moment?”
“One of us has to try and keep the moment real.”
“I still don’t understand why you joined the FBI? You’ve made it impossible for us to be together. It’s as if you’re doing everything in your power to put obstacles in our way. All that professed love for me, was it all a lie?”
He reached over and took her hand, raising it to his lips, he kissed her knuckles. “I’d take a bullet for you, and you know it.”
“Then show me what you feel, show me you love me.”
“I’m here, aren’t I? Isn’t that enough.”
She turned away from him. “No, it’s not enough. It will never be enough.
Amazon
http://bookshow.me/TheOneAndMore
BIO
Tema Merback, writing as Belle Ami, couldn’t be more excited to be given the opportunity to be published by Soul Mate Publishing: “Dreams do come true”. As a mother and wife, she dedicated herself to her family and loved every minute of it. One day, like Sleeping Beauty, she awoke to find gourmet cooking and being a classical pianist wasn’t enough, she needed to reinvent herself. So, she brushed away the cobwebs and locked herself in a room and spent a year writing a historical novel which, low and behold, was a Finalist for a national book award. Her first author incarnation was born.
When she read Fifty Shades of Grey, her world tilted. Like a laser beam focusing on a target, she had found her passion: Sexy, steamy, romantic suspense. Hence came a second incarnation and a fitting nom de plume, Belle Ami. A quote that Belle considers her mantra is by Wilferd Peterson, “Success is focusing the full power of all you are on what you have a burning desire to achieve.”
She is a Kathryn McBride scholar of Bryn Mawr College in Pennsylvania. She lives in California with her husband, two children, three dogs, and horse.
She is the author of The Only One series, The One (#1), and The One & More (#2). Her third in the series titled One More Time is Not Enough will be published March 2016.
Contact Belle Ami:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/belle.ami.96?fref=ts
Twitter: @BelleAmi5
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/belleami96/
Website: http://belleami.us/
February 2, 2016
Tell Again Tuesday Accounting 101 for Authors – Accounting Software
A blog series where we shamelessly share posts from others that we have enjoyed.
What’s more timely this time of year than information about accounting for taxes? Maybe too late for taxes this year but for the furture.
Accounting 101 for Authors – Accounting Software
January 27, 2016
When deciding up which accounting software for your small business, it’s pretty much going to depend on personal preference. Only you are going to know what you are comfortable with and can understand.
There are two types of accounting programs on the market today. . . .
For the rest of the blog go to:
January 28, 2016
Friday Feature Sloan McBride Time Walker Series
Visit by
Sloan McBride
Author of the
Time Walker Series
Hi, I’m Sloan McBride and would like to thank you for stopping by to hear my ramblings. Believe me, I can talk forever about my stories to the point of people’s eyes rolling back in their head and them passing out on the floor. Luckily, you guys are all sitting down. 
Anyway, I’m a romance author who dabbles in fantasy and suspense, but I’m always deep in the paranormal. Today I thought I’d touch on some of the research I’ve done and how it helped me build the Time Walker World.
I write the Time Walker Series, based “loosely” off of Sumerian Mythology.
My Story: The Goddess Inanna calls for the time walker army to be formed after hearing Ninmah, the Earth-Mother Goddess, tell the tale of how Kur, the creature, killed all in the village where he was being cared for. Kur went on a rampage and killed many across the land before disappearing. The gods didn’t know at the time that he had gone to the Underworld. They only knew Kur was a problem that needed to be dealt with.
Mythology: Inanna is the Sumerian Queen of Heaven, sometimes associated with the planet Venus and sometimes with the Moon. Her symbol is an 8-pointed star. She travels to the Underworld to see her sister, Ereshkigal, the Queen of the Underworld, and dies when sentenced to death by the 7 Anuna.
My Story: The star is the symbol tattooed on the forearm of all time walkers when they agree to serve in the army of warriors and battle Kur and the minions of the Underworld. Ereshkigal was kidnapped by Kur when he went to the Underworld. He keeps her hidden and prisoner for centuries torturing her in the name of love. In his own way he does love her and he wants her to be Queen at his side to rule the Underworld, but she refuses. Her will is strong. The Anuna are fallen gods who tried to overthrow the king and were banished along with all demonkind to the Underworld. The Anuna are masters of strategy and warfare.
I am doing a 4-part blog hop discussing research and the Time Walker World. This is part 1. Please keep an eye out on my website http://www.sloanmcbride.com/ for information of where the other blogs will be held.
Let’s play Guess Who to win Book 1 – “The Fury.” I will give you a clue. Email your answers to sloanmcbride@gmail.com. I will assign each person who gets the answer right a number and will draw the winner with Random.org number generator.
Here’s the clue:
“He’s not much of a talker, but when he swings by, you’ll go on a wild ride. He’s a simple dresser who likes to monkey around.”
BLURB FOR THE FURY:
~~From the Heavens comes a hero who will take your breath away.~~
Reese Whittaker dreams of falling for a man who shares her love of archeology and ancient civilizations. But being attacked by a horde of demons and rescued by a Sumerian God—a well-armed, gorgeous Sumerian God—opens up a world she never knew existed, attracting all kinds of supernatural attention.
Dagan, son of the Air God and a Time Walker, is sworn to protect the human race in general, and one young woman in particular—Reese. He’s not the only one mysteriously attracted to her powerful life force. Underworld leader Kur craves it for the untold power it will give him to strike a blow at the deities of Dilmun.
Dagan is forbidden by law to interact with Reese, but from the moment he sees her, the fury—an intense sexual need for bonding—blinds him to all the rules. Should the pantheon discover he has fallen for a human, the punishment could mean death for him and Reese.
EXCERPT FROM THE FURY:
While Dagan’s superhero act had been impressive, she didn’t know him and this whole scenario had become absurd. When he’d gone into the building, he’d taken the car keys with him, which had nixed Reese’s chance for a fast escape. The temperature and the fact that she saw nothing else around kept her from trying to escape on foot. Pushing severe tiredness aside, she’d opened the glove compartment to search for a weapon of some sort. She found Kleenex, the car registration and a road map, but nothing viable for protection. She needed warmth and a grande-size cup of hot chocolate. Her feet were numb and her hands hurt.
It felt warmer when she entered the place. The antiquated heat register hissed and coughed.
“I’m going to put the car on the backside of the building out of sight. When I leave, lock the door and don’t let anyone else in except me,” Dagan instructed her. He tossed the key on the table.
The numbness had now spread to her entire body. It took great effort to turn and lock the door, certain she wouldn’t let him back in. The phone, she’d decided, but couldn’t keep a coherent thought. Her feet felt like anvils and dragged as she wandered to the double bed in the musty smelling dime-sized room.
A wave of exhaustion went through her. Her legs collapsed and she dropped to the edge of the bed.
She wanted to sleep.
She had to concentrate hard to stay awake so she focused on what looked like a palm tree on the filthy wallpaper. She didn’t know how long she’d sat there until she heard someone calling her name.
“Reese. Reese. Come on, honey, look at me.”
When she tilted her head, she saw Dagan bent over her, a worried expression on his face. How did he get back inside the room? He lifted her up, wrapped his arm around her waist, and pulled off her coat. Next, he sat her down and removed her shoes. He turned her, placed his hands on either side of her face, and using his thumbs, pulled down her lower eyelids to stare into her eyes.
“Dammit.”
Dagan grabbed the bottom of her shirt and lifted it over her head. Gentle fingers caressed her neck, shoulders and arms.
“Your arm was nicked by the melari dart when the galla fell. They are coated with a potent sleeping drug. That’s why you’re so sluggish.”
Sliding his hand under her knees Dagan picked her up and placed her head on a pillow. In a haze, she watched him go into the bathroom, come back to check the lone window then bolt the door.
In murmurs so rhythmic they sounded like song, he repeated a chant several times. His sultry voice made her want to curl herself around his body and purr.
She felt him slide the cover and bedspread over her before climbing into the squeaky bed and spooning up against her spine.
“What are you doing?” she managed through numb lips.
“Your body is like ice. My body heat will warm you and we both need rest. Go to sleep, Reese.”
A thought that she should be outraged and embarrassed came to mind, but passed as she closed her eyes and got lost in the cocoon of warmth and sleep.
When he’d knocked on the door and Reese hadn’t responded, a trickle of fear had clutched his throat. He used his powers to open the door and found her sitting on the bed in a kind of trance. Luckily, only some of the melari had gotten into her system. If more of the drug had been injected into her bloodstream, she would have become comatose. She should be fine in the morning.
It had been a while since he’d lain with a woman. Her even breaths told him she slept. She still had an occasional shiver, but the chill had at last left her body. The soft fragrance of the woman tempted him with a delicate aroma, but this was no fragile female.
Contact: sloanmcbride@gmail.com
Website: http://www.sloanmcbride.com/
Buy Links: Amazon
Print Book: Amazon
Audiobook: Audible
BIO:
Sloan McBride is a multi-published romance author who tends to lean more toward paranormal. Her current fascination is the Time Walkers and she plans to spend many hours and devote numerous books to this army of warriors. Book 2 coming in 2016.
Another series follows the lives of smokejumpers—Men of Fire—if you’ve never heard about them check out “Dangerous Heat.” These heroes are sexy, daredevils, who will steal your heart and leave you breathless.
Her debut novel, “Highland Stone,” is a time travel romance mixing her love of Scottish Highlanders and the idea that a person can travel to another time and place, love and be happy. A sequel to this novel is planned and plotted, and coming.
Sloan has five books crashing around in her head at any given time, making sleep and concentrating on anything else difficult.
She lives in Illinois with her husband of 34 years, her daughter, her son, and Oakley, the princess girly dog. Her life is chaotic most times and she has to fight for writing time, but she manages.
You never know what will come out of her dizzy brain, but you can be sure it will delight readers in one way or another.
January 26, 2016
Wednesday Special Spotlight Text Me Erin Bevan
Shines on
Text Me
Blurb:
When Erika’s ex becomes her boss less than a year after dumping her by text, she gets desperate to find a date to the corporate Valentine’s dance so he doesn’t suspect she still has feelings for him. Though not a fan of texting for the obvious reason, she doesn’t have much choice but to tap the keypad in order to gain the attention of the only viable candidate from the classified ads.
Grayson made the mistake of listening to his brother a year ago and has regretted what he did to Erika ever since. But his brother’s next suggestion just might be his salvation when he takes out an ad for a Valentine’s date…and Erika answers.
Using a pseudo name and keeping contact to text messages only, Grayson’s plans to make Erika fall back in love with him appears to be working…until the date of the dance draws near, and she pushes a meeting—face to face.
Excerpt:
Valentine’s Day.
She sank deeper into the couch. What was she going to do? She couldn’t show up alone to the company dance. Not with the chance of Grayson being there. No way.
“Maybe go to another speed dating session?” She grabbed a tissue off the coffee table and wiped the excess slime from her fingers.
“My hairdresser’s single. You want me to ask him?”
“Your hairdresser’s gay. I don’t think he’d be interested in me.”
“Really?” Megan gave her a funny stare.
“Really.” Erika snorted. “Have you not seen the picture of him and his ex-partner at his station?”
“That was his partner?” Her friend’s mouth gapped open. “I thought it was his brother.”
She shook her head. Her friend was one of the smartest people she knew, but common sense eluded the girl.
Megan popped more hearts in her mouth. “That explains so much now,” she mumbled around the candy. “No wonder my hair always looks good.”
“Yes, it does.” Erika sipped her wine.
Her friend swallowed. “Well, I’m sorry, honey. I don’t know any single guys. If I did, I’d try to date them myself.”
“That’s okay.” She sighed and slumped back onto the sofa.
“Is Grayson single?”
“I don’t know. Why are you asking?” She narrowed her gaze. “You want to date him?”
“No.” Her friend said “no” as if it was the most obvious answer in the world.
“I’m thinking about you. You wouldn’t go back out with Grayson again, would you? Please say no.” Megan’s shoulders sagged.
Go back out with Grayson. She never thought she’d be given another chance. Would she go back out with him after the way he treated her? Of course not. She deserved better, despite how wonderful he had been.
“I don’t think so. He really hurt me. I can’t give him that privilege again.”
“Good for you.” Her roommate perked up and patted her on the back. “Stay strong. You’ll find someone.”
“You’re right. I’m going to have a date for that corporate Valentine’s dance, even if I have to search the classifieds.”
“Surely, it won’t come to that.” Megan held up her glass for a toast.
Erika clinked hers with her friend’s. “Yeah, surely.”
Her roommate sat her glass down on the table and reached for more hearts.
“Here, give me one of those.”
“I love reading the little sayings.” Megan passed her a heart and tossed her dark hair behind her shoulder. “What’s yours say?”
She flipped over the candy to see the phrase. Bright pink letters stared back at her. Oh, you can’t be serious. “‘Text me’. Seriously?”
Megan burst out laughing.
“You would find that funny.” Erika popped the heart in her mouth and obliterated the little saying she had grown to hate so much.
Buy Link: http://www.wildrosepublishing.com/maincatalog_v151/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=195&products_id=6601
Or
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B019G1FOR2/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?qid=1453151723&sr=1-1&pi=SY200_QL40&keywords=text+me&dpPl=1&dpID=51J7uzeJ-1L&ref=plSrch
Erin Bevan
Erin Bevan is a wife and mother of three. An avid reader, one day she decided to try her luck in writing stories of her own, and the idea paid off. She spends her days deep in the heart of Texas, fighting mosquitoes, cleaning dirty faces, and writing when the kids nap. If it’s a really good day, she even finds time to brush her hair.
Links:
https://www.facebook.com/erinbevanwrites/
Twitter @ErinBevan
January 25, 2016
Tell Again Tuesday Becoming Published, Part II by Stacy Hoff
A blog series where we shamelessly share posts from others that we have enjoyed.
We had to share the second part of the story. If you already read it from the lead last week then go get one of Stacy’s books.
Becoming Published, Part II by Stacy Hoff
Posted on December 18, 2015 by Stacy Hoff
When I was a young lawyer (almost twenty years ago) I wrote short fiction stories just for my own entertainment. My pieces were comical because surviving my combative profession always requires a few laughs. The stories were also therapeutic – I had my characters live out problems similar to ones I was having as a “newbie” law associate.
I didn’t have much confidence back then. Not only as an attorney (I was not only female, but I looked young enough to be carded) but as a writer. I was an English major in college, but that hardly meant I was James Joyce incarnate.
With encouragement from my family, I gathered up what little courage I had . . .
For the rest of the blog go to:
https://nightsofpassion.wordpress.com/2015/12/18/becoming-published-part-ii-by-stacy-hoff/
January 21, 2016
Friday Feature Janis Lane Murder in the Neighborhood
A Talk with
Janis Lane
Author of
Murder In The Neighborhood
Just a note about Murder in the Neighborhood before we turn the blog over to Janis. Donald’s five star review of the book was titled “Twist and turns in a small town” and said that while the book starts slowly with a homicide investigation, the rich descriptive tapestry of the small town of Hubbard, in Western New York, in the first weeks of October keeps you interested. The hero, Detective Kevin Fowler, is a splendidly described character and the book picks up momentum with the arrival of the heroine, Miss Beverly Hampton, and continues to pick up speed to the point that you do not want to put it down. You become engaged in the lives of the people of Hubbard, Beverly, Kevin, and whether or not he will be able to solve the murder. The twist and turns of their relationship along with the problems, of what seems an insolvable murder, make this book by Janis Lane one you should read.
Now over to you Janis.
Thanks for hosting me, Catherine and Donald. I always enjoy a visit with you two.
One of the most frequent questions I get asked is who I base my characters on. I try to explain that never do I put a real person in my books. In other words, I work like Dr. Frankenstein. I take parts of people and make another whole person, who is completely fictional.
In MURDER IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD, I confess to using my brother-in-law and his bride more than most. He is a cop and she works closely by his side. I’ve had some wild experiences as a house guest that stuck with me. One sleepy lunch time, I climbed in the back of his patrol car to catch a ride to the grocery store for a loaf of bread. I sat in the back staring sleepily at the cage, listening to the radio barking out unintelligible messages. Suddenly I was pulling G’s while the car hit breathtaking speeds. Next I knew we were sitting in the medium of highway 75 with a terrifying number of cars whizzing by on both sides. I counted at least 5 rotating lights on state patrol cars and thought there might just be something bad happening. Turns out a DB (dead body) had been spotted.
I think to this day, my brother-in-law had forgotten I was in the back seat. A writer won’t forget an experience like that soon. It’s fodder for a fertile imagination.
Settings are another subject. I admit freely I use parts of my village, thinly disguised and altered with another name, Hubbard, NY. It’s fiction, I hasten to remind you. Nevertheless, my friends thumb through searching what they might recognize.
Blurb:
A killer is attacking respectable citizens in picturesque Hubbard, NY, and leaving corpses on their front steps in the middle of the day. Detective Fowler isn’t certain who causes him to lose the most sleep, a certain sexy reporter with bouncing curls and sparkling black eyes, or the elusive psychopath creating panic in his small-town community. Together, the detective and the reporter race to find the monster in their midst and return the town to the desirable place where people come to raise their families in peace and contentment. Can they sort through their differences to find romance even as they search for a determined stalker with murder on his mind? The clock ticks down on a man in a rage with a deadly mission.
EXCERPT:
The seasoned detective supposed it was as good a day as any to die. He had seen bodies frozen in the snow, rotting in the rain and in sun so hot the flesh cooked on the bones before the vultures could find them. This death was almost dignified in contrast. The woman appeared as if she decided to take a rest on her steps and someone came along and taped her face up until she smothered. There seemed to be no struggle; just that claw shape to the hands and the swollen face with the one bulging eye. She was still stiff with rigor mortis, hadn’t been dead so very long.
Closely, Fowler studied the woman staring sightlessly at blue sky filtered through an overhead canopy of trees. Dyed blond hair, roots showing an inch of gray, stood thinly away from her head, which sat, almost neckless, on fat-padded shoulders, her waist merely an indentation before the rounded stomach began. Wide jeans rolled up at the ankles and a pair of scruffy bedroom slippers stuck out at right angles. A red sweat shirt, letters reading, “Gentlemen prefer blondes,” inundated across large mounds of breasts. Sitting to one side, a plastic jack-o-lantern filled with dried grasses grinned grotesquely.
Eddie, the rookie policeman, pushed his hat to the back of his head, then reached for the yellow crime scene tape to encircle the house and small front yard. He glanced enviously at the detective who matched him in height, but outstripped him in breadth of shoulders. Fowler was wearing a light-weight jacket unzipped underneath which peeked a semi-automatic in a shoulder harness.
Detective Kevin Fowler couldn’t claim a handsome face—the broken nose settled that—but his square jaw, the dimple in his chin and the rich chestnut hair which fell in a stubborn hank over his forehead captured the attention of the female officer busily collecting evidence. She tucked a plastic baggie into her work kit, sealed it with tape and wrote with a black marker across the top. As she snapped her plastic gloves off and gazed at Fowler with an intent expression on her face, her partner felt a stab of envy. Damn him anyway, Eddie thought, but without any real malice or heat. Fowler was a hard man to hate.
“Duct tape again. The universal-versatile tool brought to a new use,” Jill, the uniformed policewoman, joked to maintain her center of gravity. She hadn’t been in on many homicides.
“The killer had to be a man. You males are all fascinated to find new uses for that gray tape.” She had drifted close to where Fowler was standing as he gazed down at the body. She pushed at her blonde hair, tucking it around her ears, and Eddie the Cop knew she was attracted to the detective. She used that unconscious gesture to the face and hair that women do when a virile man arrives on the premises. He watched enviously.
“Yeah, a big roll of duct tape can sure come in handy,” Fowler answered absently.
“Photographer been here yet?” he asked. He grunted with satisfaction when the answer was yes and reached over to brush a leaf out of the dead woman’s hair.
“Ambulance on the way?” He took a small notebook out of his pocket and wrote a line or two, glancing over at the corpse.
“He’s a little late, but on the way,” Eddie answered. “Wreck out on the highway with injuries. He’ll be here presently.”
“How about the Medical Examiner’s office? Anybody from there show up yet?”
“Nope. We called it in right away, and they said they’d be here soon. Haven’t heard a word since,” Eddie answered.
“Get some bags on those hands, will you, Jill?” Fowler glanced up at the officer who jerked around to reach for her equipment with an embarrassed look on her face.
“Either of you move the body? Move anything? Touch anything?” They both shook their heads no.
“How about the photographer? He mess around with the evidence?” Jill shook her head vehemently.
“He’s still here. Went over to his car to get another camera, I think.” She pointed to a van parked down the street. “He was very professional, as usual. Took a lot of pictures though. Thought he’d never get finished. You’d think he’s never worked with a corpse before. You want me to get him?” she said as she slipped clear plastic bags over the victim’s hands and fastened them with rubber bands.
She didn’t add that she hadn’t either. This was a first for her partner and her, but they knew the routine. Just that in a small town, nothing much this serious ever happened. They didn’t get many, if any, chances to practice what they had learned at the academy. She’d almost lost her cookies when she first got there, but she had a good handle on her stomach now.
“No. I expect he’ll be back in a minute.” Fowler looked down the block.
It was a near perfect, early October day, the third on a Wednesday; temperatures in the mid 60’s, sun shining with a mild zephyr puffing by now and then. An expectant hush had fallen over one of the residential neighborhoods of the small town located in Western New York. The neighbors had to be peeking out their windows—two black and whites parked in the front yard –but were respectfully remaining inside for now. Fowler thought he understood. Hubbard was, by and large, a town of mannerly citizens and good sidewalks. People walked out safely and often and it was unusual on such a nice day to see the scenery totally devoid of human activity
“Either of you question the neighbors? Who made the call?”
“A neighbor. She had to go. Said she’d be back soon and gave us her name and address. She stayed with the body until we got here. I think she lives a few doors down.” Eddie handed over a scrap of paper with the address which Fowler looked at and stuck in his pocket.
A new black sedan pulled to the curb and three men exited. Eddie breathed a sigh of relief as he recognized the doctor and his assistants. The representatives of the ME’s Office had arrived and would handle the body and the forensic evidence which had been gathered from then on.
Fowler looked the new arrivals over and shook his head. Those doctors got younger every year. This one must be so fresh out of med school his ears still looked moist, even though they had to spend extra years specializing in forensic pathology. Or else he was getting old. Nah. They were graduating babies.
They all turned at the sound of a siren and the flash of red lights that signaled the arrival of the ambulance. It whined to a stop at the curb, scattering dried leaves and sending them whirling red and gold. A couple of neighborhood dogs barked wildly and one howled. The sirens must sound like a freight train moving through to the dog’s ultra sensitive ears, Fowler thought and could see doors opening and a few heads popping out up and down the street.
Buy Link: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1619355701?redirect=true&ref_=s9_simh_gw_g14_i1_r
BIO: Janis Lane lives and writes in picturesque Western NY. She divides her time between her computer, where she writes Cozy Mysteries and Regency Romances, and the plant nursery where she plays with plants, flowers, and bouquets. Look for a new Detective Kevin Fowler release, MURDER ON BLAKE HILL, due out summer ’16.
New Regency by Emma Lane will debut in March: Tutored by a Duke.
emmajlane.com
Face Book: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100000338539637
January 19, 2016
Wednesday Special Spotlight A Lady’s Vanishing Choices Wareeze Woodson
Focuses on
A Lady’s Vanishing Choices
Excerpt from A Lady’s Vanishing Choices
The clatter of a thud and scrape against the ground reached Bethany’s ears. What on earth? Alert now, she strained to listen. Again the thud and scrape echoed in a steady rhythm. She recognized the noise of a shovel being plied. Such a sound deep in the forest instantly announced something unusual, even sinister and dangerous. The hairs on back of her neck stood on end and she froze in place. She was alone, vulnerable. Discovery of her presence could herald a ruined reputation perhaps even sending her into actual peril. She shivered. Why had she allowed vexation and self-pity to drive her to act on such a reckless impulse?
Holding her breath, she inched forward ever so quietly and crouched behind a screen of bushes. Alarm curled down her spine, but the urge to discover the source of the sound pushed her forward. Peeking through the foliage, she viewed a small clearing with a mound of freshly turned dirt piled in the center. A man flung another scoop full onto the heap and continued to dig. What could possibly be his purpose? The odor of moist soil reached Bethany, reminding her of her situation, alone and deep in the woods. She recalled the old adage about curiosity and the cat. She caught her breath. The cat died. Nevertheless, she couldn’t drag herself away.
A Lady’s Vanishing Choices–blurb
Vexed with her aunt, Bethany takes the gig without permission. She pulls up to master her temper and wanders into the woods. From her sheltered position, she watches a man bury a long bundle large enough to hold a corpse. She thinks she has escaped undetected, but danger follows her. In her reckless handling of the ribbons, she nearly runs Lord Royce Rivton off the lane.
Lord Rivton is in search of a spy and must investigate her family, his closest neighbor. Both at cross purposes, the sparks fly and when he rescues her, he places her in a compromising position. They marry as expected, but their road is not smooth. She is still in mortal danger. He must find and capture the killer/spy while trying to save his wife. A tattered string weaves together this tale of murder, abduction and espionage.
Buy link on Amazon: http://amzn.com/B017BO4ZQC
Wareeze’s web page: http://www.wareezewoodson.com/
January 18, 2016
Tell Again Tuesday Becoming Published, Part I by Stacy Hoff
A blog series where we shamelessly share posts from others that we have enjoyed.
Have you ever been down this road? We emphasize with Stacy.
Becoming Published, Part I by Stacy Hoff
Posted on December 11, 2015 by Stacy Hoff
I’m looking back on my road to publication. The (newly released) print edition of my second book, LAWFULLY YOURS, has made me nostalgic. And grateful. It’s been a very long emotional journey. How long? About twenty years!
LAWFULLY YOURS is the very first story I ever wrote. Yes, even before my first published book (DESIRE IN THE EVERGLADES) was a thought in my wacky, quirky, crazy little head. LAWFULLY YOURS did not start out as a story, though.
I had written little vignettes based on my own life as a young female lawyer. The scenarios I wrote were made up for . . .
For the rest of the blog go to:
https://nightsofpassion.wordpress.com/2015/12/11/becoming-published-part-i-by-stacy-hoff/
January 14, 2016
Friday Feature D.R. Grady The Dragon Chronicles Book 2: Shifting
Welcomes
D.R. Grady
Author of
The Dragon Chronicles Book 2: Shifting
D.R. Grady has stopped by to share her new book, The Dragon Chronicles Book 2: Shifting, and an interesting thought about shifting. Her heroine has a unique problem in she shifting world and D.R. points out how we can relate to the characters problem. Take it away D.R.
Thank you.
Many of us have encountered that heart-dropping situation where we attend a function, stand with a group of like-minded people, and realize we don’t belong. It’s an uncomfortable, sometimes antagonistic place, to be present, yet not accepted. Not fitting in is one of the most uncomfortable social situations to face.
But, what if this terrible dilemma has shaped your entire life? For Dr. Keely Bennett, this is her reality. She is supposedly a part of the Bennett family, but not really, because Keely has never shifted into a wolf. Therefore, she has never felt like a true member of her own family. In her mind, she’s always been lacking.
Her new mate, a wolf, and his pack only exacerbate this difference. Can she overcome her fears and faults to be the woman Hugh Blackwolfe needs? Or will she allow this inability to govern her life?
D.R. that makes for an interesting point of view. Now here is a bit about the book and an excerpt.
Blurb:
Dr. Keely Bennett, a healer at Paranym University, can’t shift.
Her mate, Hugh Blackwolfe doesn’t mind—but his pack sure does. Hugh is the strongest alpha on the east coast and the pack’s single females challenge Keely, forcing her to find a shifter willing to meet and win this challenge for her, so that she and Hugh can mate.
Keely’s dragon best friend, Lindy, with her controller and mate, Alex, also struggle with shifting. They must learn the nuances of how Lindy shifts, and soon.
After several random attacks, and with an unknown enemy gunning for all of them, time may be running out. As if Keely doesn’t already feel unworthy, the dragon appears to be calling everyone but her to her team of allies.
Excerpt:
A vehicle careened into the compound. It scattered wolves as it barreled into the circle, and with a screeching of brakes that nearly burst his eardrums, halted right in front of him.
The crazy driver spilled from the vehicle and the fresh scent of his mate soothed the fire. Keely.
He took a deeper breath, pulling her inside so it didn’t hurt as bad.
Cool fingers brushed over his face. Keely’s scent washed over him, stronger than before. “Hugh, stay with me.” Her voice was like salve to his throbbing ears.
“You need to get your brakes fixed.”
A startled laugh burst from her and still those cool fingers. Something tugged at his shirt. When had he shifted back to his human form?
He stilled and reached out to grasp Keely’s wrist. “You can’t be here.”
“Nonsense. I’m a healer. You’re my mate.” Cool morning air danced over his side where the rabid wolf had slashed him. It felt good.
Until Keely applied something that stung like fire antag poison. He jackknifed, clamping a hand over his fiery side and gaped at her. His heart leaped in his chest. She was fresh and dewy as the morning, her soothing scent surrounding him. Yet the worry in her eyes and the grim lines around her mouth stole from the picture.
“Okay, into the truck with you.” She hunkered to help him gain his feet.
“Um, Keely.” Jason stepped forward. His eyebrows touched over his nose.
“Help me get him into my vehicle.”
The command in her voice sent Jason into motion. He gestured to another man, a beta named Brian. Both men shouldered his weight as Keely yanked open the passenger door. She directed them to fasten Hugh in the passenger seat. Then she turned to his betas.
“Destroy this wolf.” She pointed to the dead brown wolf. “Make certain you cleanse the earth far below and surrounding it.”
Jason nodded. “We will.”
“Keep all the young close. Do not allow them out alone. And none of you should wander off into the woods alone either.” Keely glanced around the circle. “You also need to start arming yourselves. Shoot anything rabid on sight.”
She rounded the front of the vehicle. It took her mere seconds to turn the engine and roar out of the compound.
“Keely,” he stated, but the inferno flashed through him, turning his insides to liquid. Hugh clamped his teeth instead.
“Just stay quiet.”
“What did you do?”
“I applied something to thwart the rabies, at least slow it down. I’ve never used it on a powerful alpha before though.”
“It slows the process?”
“Yes, usually.” Her mouth tightened.
“But?”
“But again, you’re a powerful alpha. I don’t know if it will work on you.”
“You can at least slow it down?” Maybe he could set his affairs and pack in order before he died.
“Yes. This way we can figure out a cure.”
His exclamation strangled as more intense heat melted his internal organs. “Baby, there is no cure for this. I’m dying.”
Her glare further scalded him. “I’m a healer.” Keely’s sniff even stopped some of the flashfire as it spread, igniting everything inside him.
Nausea churned his stomach. “I really wanted to mate with you.” Clammy sweat coated his body.
“If you give up on me, Hugh Blackwolfe . . .” Her jaw hardened.
His lips curled for a moment, before he snarled through the pain. “I love you too.”
If this has your interest you can get the book here
Now for a little bit about the author and where to find her:
D.R. Grady lives with her husband near Hershey, PA. She adores chocolate, laughing, collecting bags, books, and shoes, and writing stories that resonate with others.
