C.D. Hersh's Blog, page 150
April 5, 2016
Wednesday Special Spotlight Wild Man’s Curse
Highlights
Wild Man’s Curse
(Wilds of the Bayou #1)
By
Susannah Sandlin
The bones said death was comin’, and the bones never lied.
While on an early morning patrol in the swamps of Whiskey Bayou, Louisiana wildlife agent Gentry Broussard spots a man leaving the home of voodoo priestess Eva Savoie—a man who bears a startling resemblance to his brother, whom Gentry thought he had killed during a drug raid three years earlier. Shaken, the agent enters Eva’s cabin and makes a bloody discovery: the old woman has been brutally murdered.
With no jurisdiction over the case, he’s forced to leave the investigation to the local sheriff, until Eva’s beautiful heir, Celestine, receives a series of gruesome threats. As Gentry’s involvement deepens and more victims turn up, can he untangle the secrets behind Eva’s murder and protect Celestine from the same fate? Or will an old family curse finally have its way?
From award-winning author Susannah Sandlin comes the first book in the Wilds of the Bayou series.
Excerpt:
The twenty-mile drive south from Houma led Ceelie toward a blackening sky, with cloud-to-ground lightning already streaking in the distance.
A prickly sensation crossed her shoulder blades when she finally pulled into the long drive leading to the cabin. Nothing appeared out of place at the back of the house, so her unsettled feeling could probably be blamed on the weather. The sky had turned an ugly charcoal gray; even ordinary thunderstorms could be fierce here at the bottom of the world.
She gathered her bags and papers, pushed the truck door shut with her hip and made it to the protective overhang of the wraparound porch in time to escape the first raindrops. They fell in big, fat plops, slowly at first and, within seconds, so hard that visibility dropped to two feet, max.
A faint odor of cigarette smoke hung in the thick, humid air. Intent on looking for any signs of movement in the swamp or the sign of a smoker in a boat, Ceelie rounded the corner of the porch to the front of the house and didn’t stop until something wispy brushed past her nose and cheek.
She froze a breathless second before backing up. A human skull hung from a frayed rope tied onto a hook in the porch ceiling, the dirty, worn strands of fiber woven through the eye sockets. It hung low enough for her to look the thing right in the eyes, if it had eyes. About half of its yellow teeth had been broken off. It swung toward her, propelled by the wind from the storm.
A tingle of adrenaline raced up her back and across her scalp. She did a slow one-eighty, looking for anything else out of place, and dropped her bags with a clatter when her gaze came to rest on the front door.
GO HOME, BITCH.
The words had been scrawled in red. Paint or blood, Ceelie wasn’t sure. Through the heavy curtain of rain, she scanned the bayou again. Her breath hitched at…something. A dark shadow moved through the water close to the opposite bank.
Ceelie had no intention of hanging around to see if it was an alligator or a murderer. She kicked the probate papers and groceries out of the way, grabbed her purse and the plastic bag containing the knife, and raced back to the truck, digging the keys out of her pocket along the way. Once inside, she jammed down the door locks and backed out into the highway, barely missing a tanker truck racing northbound from one of the refineries.
She had to squint to see through the rain that blew in heavy sheets against the windows. People. She needed to find people, which meant going north toward Montegut. She stopped at the first public place she reached—a convenience store and gas station.
Through the Jiffy Stop’s front windows, she could see people moving around the aisles, doing business as usual, talking, laughing. A couple of kids chased each other back and forth under the awning that stretched across the front of the store, holding their arms out into the rain and squealing when they got splashed. Around her, a few other folks sat in their cars, probably waiting for the rain to slacken.
Ceelie’s heart rate slowed, although it was still far beyond normal, a trot instead of a full-on gallop. When she pulled her phone from her purse, her hands shook so badly that she dropped it on the floorboard. A card from her wallet landed beside it: Gentry Broussard’s business card.
“Call me anytime,” the wildlife agent had said.
She didn’t give herself a chance to rationalize her fear or talk herself out of asking for help.
“Broussard.” Gentry’s deep voice stroked her panic like a reassuring hand, calming her with his casual greeting. When she didn’t answer immediately, his tone grew more clipped. “Is someone there?”
“Yes. I mean, no. Yes. It’s Ceelie Savoie.” God, her voice sounded like that of a frog and now that she had him on the line, she didn’t know where to start. “Somebody was at the cabin.”
Lame. So lame.
“First, are you in immediate danger?”
Ceelie looked around her. “No, I don’t think so.”
His voice was solid, warm, and dead calm. Her trembling slowed and the tension in her shoulders eased. “Okay, tell me what happened, Ceelie. Someone showed up at the cabin? You’re not there now, are you?”
“No, not there now.” She took a deep breath. “Somebody was at the cabin. He hung a skull, wrote on the door in blood. Maybe paint. There was cigarette smoke.” God, she was making no sense. She took another deep breath. For a woman who prided herself on her independence, she was coming across like a helpless victim. That thought was enough to help center her.
“Where are you now?” Over the phone, she heard a crunch of gravel, then the slam of a heavy door and an engine roaring to life. “I’ll come to you.”
She looked up at the sign on the front of the convenience store. “I’m at the Jiffy Stop on Highway 55 about a mile north of the cabin.”
“I’m on my way from Montegut. Sit tight.” He paused and it sounded like he took a curve fast. “Don’t go back to that cabin until I get there.”
It didn’t occur to her until she’d ended the call that she probably should’ve called the sheriff’s office rather than a game warden. But her heart knew what it knew, and it instinctively trusted Gentry Broussard. She’d have a long talk with her heart later, because those kinds of instincts could easily get her in a different kind of trouble.
Unfortunately, her heart now also admitted that whoever had tried to scare her away from the cabin would try again. Whatever had happened that led to her Tante Eva’s murder, it wasn’t over.
On sale in digital, print, and audio:
Author website
April 3, 2016
Tell Again Tuesday Accounting 101 for Authors
A blog series where we shamelessly share posts from others that we have enjoyed.
Accounting 101 for Authors – Federal Taxes
Any author earning royalties or freelance writing income and paying expenses as a business should file their taxes as such—a business.
Whether it’s as a Sole proprietorship or a Limited Liability Company, the benefits from filing as such could be quite rewarding when it comes to getting a refund.
Why? . . .
For the rest of the blog go to:
http://longvalleypress.com/2016/03/02/accounting-101-for-authors-federal-taxes/
March 31, 2016
Friday Features When Love Conquers Time Boxed set
Looks at
When Love Conquers Time
What do you get when four authors decide to publish their books in one large boxed set? My honest answer is headaches, tons of back-and-forth emails across the country, job distribution discussions (someone please make the cover! Who can do the formatting? Promotion? Really?) Authors are creative souls and typically ‘A’ personalities. Successfully working together with strangers is a gift. This is the first Boxed set released by these authors as a group, and we found each other due to our love of romance and time travel.
Nancy Lee Badger has banded together with three other talented authors to create a recently released Boxed set. The collection, When Love Conquers Time, contains over 1,000 pages of time travel romances set from the 14th century to the late 20th century. Kilted Highlanders, shape-shifters, vampires, pirates, dragons, soldiers, and more will give readers hours of adventurous reading. Here are the Book blurbs of the individual full-length stories:
SEA PANTHER by Dawn Marie Hamilton
Can love mend a fractured soul? After evading arrest for Jacobite activities, Scottish nobleman Robert MacLachlan turns privateer. A Caribbean Voodoo priestess curses him to an eternal existence as a vampire shifter torn between the dual natures of a Florida panther and an immortal blood-thirsting man. For centuries, he seeks to reverse the black magic whilst maintaining his honor. Cruising the twenty-first century Atlantic, he becomes shorthanded to sail his 90-foot yacht, Sea Panther. The last thing he wants is a female crewmember and the call of her blood. Although she swore never to sail again after her father died in a sailing accident, Kimberly Scot answers the captain’s crew wanted ad to escape a hit man. She’s lost everything, her fiancé, her job, and most of her money, along with money belonging to her ex-clients. A taste of Kimberly’s blood convinces Robert she is the one woman who can claim the panther’s heart. To break the curse, they travel back in time to where it all began—Jamaica 1715.
MORAG’S TEARS (Celtic Storm Series Book 5) by Ria Cantrell
Step back in time to the beautiful Highlands of Scotland in the 14th century. Come and sit with us by the warm peat fire as Morag, the much loved character from Ria Cantrell’s bestselling Celtic Storm series tells the story of her life. From a child, gifted in the ancient ways, to a beautiful young woman in love, Morag weaves her rich tapestry of tales. She is a mystical seer, healer, manipulator of time and chatelaine to the clan MacCollum. You will feel as if you are walking alongside her on her life’s journey. Share her tears of joy as well as a few sad ones, as she recounts the triumphs and tribulations of a long life filled with love in its many guises.
MY RELUCTANT HIGHLANDER by Nancy Lee Badger
Skye Gunn could not prevent her husband’s death, and will risk everything to defeat the sorcerer she blames. When he attacks her nephew, she is taken, instead. She escapes by plunging into the North Sea, and a spell takes her back to the future, to Jake. The woman who haunted his dreams since she blackmailed him into traveling back in time falls from the sky, beaten and bloody. He must trust her as they return to ancient Scotland. To survive, he and Skye must dare to love in the time they have.
REFLECTIONS OF LOVE by Paul A. Crust
As a result of a head injury suffered in the Gulf War, antiques dealer, Jason Hobbs is the victim of total amnesia. After investing a great deal of time and money trying to unlock his past, he has resigned himself to the fact that he may never fully know his own true identity. Life goes on and in the course of his business Jason acquires an old dresser with an oval mirror among a shipment of antique pieces from England. That same evening, strange images start to appear, reflected in the old mirror, and the mournful sound of a woman weeping can be heard, echoing through the night air. As he searches for answers to the mysterious events which began the day the dresser came into his possession, the past and present collide, bringing events from World War 1 crashing to his doorstep. A shocking revelation will rock his world, changing his perception of who he really is.
When Love Conquers Time, a four-author boxed set, is available at AMAZON for only $.99 (Free for Kindle Unlimited subscribers)
Also available for Amazon UK and Amazon CA Readers
Learn more about the authors:
Morag’s Tears by Ria Cantrell: Facebook Twitter
Sea Panther by Dawn Marie Hamilton: Facebook Twitter
My Reluctant Highlander by Nancy Lee Badger: Website Facebook
Reflections of Love by Paul A. Crust: Facebook
March 29, 2016
Wednesday Special Spotlight D.R. Grady The Dragon Chronicles
Highlights
The Dragon Chronicles Book 3: Healing
Blurb:
Healers Ewain Douglass and Marissa Mays work and live in close confines. Too bad they set sparks off each other. They struggle to remain civil and professional, until the enemy targets Marissa.
Meanwhile, the dragon and her controller are still learning all can about their abilities. The dragon has called her allies together to face a war for their very lives. Ewain and Marissa don’t have time to declare war on each other.
Excerpt:
Ewain soared ahead of her, banked with ease, turned and zoomed straight at her. Hopefully a flying elf didn’t cause her a sudden heart attack.
As he hoped, Marissa screamed and hit the brakes. She wrestled the car to the side of the road and shoved it into neutral. Her hand was plastered over her chest as though she tried to calm her racing heart. Breathing too hard, but she did yank up the emergency brake. He landed right beside her door and drew in his wings.
Using his most compelling pitch, he convinced her to unlock the vehicle. Opening the driver’s door, he unhooked her seatbelt and nudged her into the passenger seat. “I’ll drive.”
“Are you crazy?” she whispered, hand still pressed against her heart.
“There is some speculation.” He adjusted the seat and mirrors. Then watching traffic, he neatly turned the car around and started for Paranym.
“What are you doing?” Her scratchy voice wavered.
“I’m taking you back to Paranym.” He kept his tone calm and steady as he shifted through the higher gears.
The residual scent of her fear circulated through the car. He adjusted the vents.
“You do know I could have hit you, right?” Voice acerbic, Marissa stared straight ahead. Her hand shook. It still clasped against her chest, although not as firmly.
“I made certain you wouldn’t.” He accelerated as the road opened. “What were you running from?”
She made a rude noise in the back of her throat, and turned away from him to gaze out the passenger side window.
“Not going to tell me?”
“No.” Her voice was firm.
“You’re not in trouble, are you?”
Marissa didn’t answer at first and his stomach muscles tightened. “You are in trouble?”
A jerky shake of her head was his only answer.
He sighed. “Marissa, you can tell me.”
“No, I can’t.” Her voice was taut but also resigned.
“I am a healer.”
Silence as the trees whizzed by on either side. “I can’t tell you.”
“Why not?”
Again, she shook her head. The paroxysmal movement caused a bit of fear of his own to spurt. For some unknown, crazy reason, her fright twisted his heart. Her fear scent, although faint, curled his fists as he was denied the option to pound something to a pulp. Preferably, whoever caused Marissa’s terror.
“How far would you have gone if I hadn’t stopped you?”
“I don’t know.”
“Where were you going?”
“I don’t know.”
So she ran like a scared rabbit. “You didn’t even have a destination in mind?”
“No, I just got in my car and drove.”
“I don’t understand.”
“Neither do I.” Now her voice was an odd mixture of frightened and sad.
What was she afraid of?
“You do know that by running like you did, you could have been in further danger, right?”
“What?” She did turn toward him this time, but with all the activity around them, he couldn’t take his eyes off the road.
“You’re safest at Paranym. Nothing is going to harm you if you remain there.”
She nodded but didn’t say anything. She did bite her lip. Hard enough she winced.
Did I finally strike a nerve?
“Lindy protected you?” The random question from him caused one of her eyebrows to take wing.
“Yes, while we were helping at the Tri-City Pack.”
“Oh yeah. Still, I’d like her dragon to try protecting you again.”
“Okay.” Marissa was responding, but he didn’t think she was even listening to the conversation. Without moving physically, she slipped further and further away from him.
It was so like his last nightmare, his stomach muscles clenched tighter.
Hopefully when they reached the school, Lindy would know what to do.
Or the dragon, or Keely.
He certainly had no idea.
Buy link: http://amznly.com/2jq
BIO:
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.
Website: www.drgradybooks.com
Twitter: @drgradybooks https://twitter.com/drgradybooks
Amazon Author page: http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B007HR0ULS
Facebook Page: D.R. Grady https://www.facebook.com/drgradybooks
Google+: D.R. Gradybooks https://plus.google.com/u/0/114138197846185543554/posts
March 28, 2016
Tell Again Tuesday Google Doodles
A blog series where we shamelessly share posts from others that we have enjoyed.
This is the site that you can find all the various Google doodles. Don’t know what those are then you really need to check out the link.
For the rest of the blog go to:
https://www.google.com/doodles
March 24, 2016
Friday Features Son of the Moonless Night
News
IT’S IN PRINT
Finally
SON OF THE MOONLESS NIGHT
The wait is over. The third book in our Turning Stone Chronicles series,
Son Of The Moonless Night,
is now available in paperback.
Seems like it takes forever these days from the time your book is first out there to read as an eBook to it finally coming out where you can hold it in your hand. For those who want to hold the book in your hand, Son Of The Moonless Night is available on Amazon as are all of the other books in the series.
Blurb:
Thrust back into the world of paranormal huntress, Deputy Coroner Katrina Romanovski must unravel a string of murders she believes are vampire attacks. When she discovers the shape shifter she’s in love with is the murderer, she must reconcile her feelings for him, examine her life of violence against paranormals, and justify deceiving him in order to bring him to justice.
A little sample of the story:
“Did I get it?”
“What?”
“The bear.”
“Yeah. You got it.” She slid her arm under his shoulder. “Let’s get you out of here-just in case it still has some life left in it.” No way would she tell him what she had seen. Moving between him and the shape shifter, she blocked his view and helped him to his feet. “Can you walk?”
“I think so. My car’s just at the end of the alley. If you’ll get me to it, I can manage from there.”
“No way. You’re bleeding too much. I’ll take you to the hospital.”
“No hospital. A hospital means cops and reports.” The words shot out of him. “I have a friend who’s a doctor. He’ll take care of me.”
Great. A criminal. Just what I need. On the other hand, she didn’t want to explain a dead shifter. Urging her charge forward, she replied, “Okay, but I’ll drive you there. Don’t want you passing out and killing someone.” She stopped herself before she added the word else. No need to let him know a dead man, not a bear, lay in the alley.
“Which one is your car?” she asked as they neared the alley opening.
As he handed her the keys a nearby car’s lights flashed. “That one. What about yours?”
“In my apartment’s garage. I was out for a quick walk and some dinner.”
“Sorry I interrupted.”
“That’s okay. I’ll order pizza when I get home.” She opened the passenger door and helped him in. “I’m afraid you’re going to bleed all over your car.”
“Better mine than yours,” he said with a wan smile. “There’s a newspaper in the back seat. Give it to me, and I’ll use it to pack the wounds.”
Opening the rear door, she retrieved the paper and handed it to him. For someone who had just been mauled by a bear he was way too calm. Was killing second nature to him?
He stripped out a few sheets, tore the slashed shirt open, grimacing as he held the paper against the bleeding lacerations.
“We really need to get you to the hospital.”
“No. Promise you won’t take me there.” He looked at her, his blue eyes pleading in his whitening face.
Amazon buy links:
The Promised One (The Turning Stone Chronicles Book 1):
eBook: http://amzn.com/B00DUMODKI
paperback: http://amzn.com/1619353504
Blood Brothers (The Turning Stone Chronicles Book 2):
eBook: http://amzn.com/B00OVNFC8W
paperback: http://amzn.com/1619358271
Son of the Moonless Night (The Turning Stone Chronicles Book 3):
eBook: http://amzn.com/B00XK3E172
paperback: http://amzn.com/1682910709
March 21, 2016
Tell Again Tuesday 2016 – New Year, new format
A blog series where we shamelessly share posts from others that we have enjoyed.
2016 – New Year, new format
January, February, March Edition by Catherine E. McLean
In order to have a real relationship with our creativity, we must take the time and care to cultivate it. –Julia Cameron
Do you believe a writer is born not made?
Do you believe that something as intrinsic as storytelling cannot be taught?
Do you believe that there is something mysterious about the creative process?
Well, I’m a realist. I believe that the true definition of a writer is . . .
For the rest of the blog go to:
http://writerscheatsheets.blogspot.com/2016/01/january-2016-new-year-new-format.html
March 17, 2016
Friday Features Emma Janis Lane Tutored by a Duke
Is
Emma Janis Lane
Author of
Tutored by Duke
Thanks for letting me visit, Catherine and Donald. I always enjoy hanging out around this lovely web site. When I conceived the story of Elisabeth and the duke, I imagined how funny it would be for an ingenue demanding a male childhood friend teach her how to kiss. She assumed it was a simple technique while her poor male friend would rather kiss his puppy than his friend. From there it was but a chuckle more to imagine an eavesdropper at the other end of the room–the duke! The more serious question asked and finally answered in the story was ‘Could trust broken ever be regained?’ Here then is Elisabeth and her incognito duke in a Regency romantic romp. Hope you have as much fun reading as I did writing about these characters. Emma Janis Lane.
Blurb:
The handsome but incognito Richard Hawlester, Duke of Roderick, weary of toad-eating house guests, engages in a serious flirtation with young Elisabeth Barrows, who is primed for an exciting adventure. Mistaking the fat squire for the duke, she holds her secret relationship with a man known only as Richard, Nobel Rescuer, close to a tender heart while discovering love for the first time.
Elisabeth’s trust seems irrevocably lost when the duke’s actual identity is revealed. Realizing his mistake, Roderick begins an earnest, dangerous, and often hilarious campaign to convince her of his love. Elisabeth ponders whether true love can overcome the loss of trust between two people, even as danger presents in the guise of a vile, undesirable suitor, while a wicked assassin makes an attempt on the life of the duke. Trust broken can never be regained, or can it?
The handsome but incognito Richard Hawlester, Duke of Roderick, weary of toad-eating house guests, engages in a serious flirtation with young Elisabeth Barrows, who is primed for an exciting adventure. Mistaking the fat squire for the duke, she holds her secret relationship with a man known only as Richard, Nobel Rescuer, close to a tender heart while discovering love for the first time.
Elisabeth’s trust seems irrevocably lost when the duke’s actual identity is revealed. Realizing his mistake, Roderick begins an earnest, dangerous, and often hilarious campaign to convince her of his love. Elisabeth ponders whether true love can overcome the loss of trust between two people, even as danger presents in the guise of a vile, undesirable suitor, while a wicked assassin makes an attempt on the life of the duke. Trust broken can never be regained, or can it?
Excerpt:
What does one wear to a secret assignation?” she wondered, smoothing her gown. When her maid entered the room, Elisabeth dismissed her with the same excuse of a headache. She actually made ready to put her head on her pillow until the maid left. She laughed quietly to herself and felt somewhat guilty. It was almost impossible to stay still with her heart thumping hard in her chest. After waiting for what seemed to be hours but was in reality mere minutes, she sat up and smoothed her hair, despairing of the wisps of curls that always escaped her efforts to tame them.
The guests were gathered in the front parlor, but she peeked carefully out the door just in case. She would make her way by the back stairs, which she hoped would lead her to the garden. Quickly she descended and stepped, as she suspected, directly into the beginnings of the garden. Statues of various gods loomed whitely in the twilight. The tinkle of running water alerted her of the nearness of a small frog pond. She knew her way from there and walked confidently forward. She almost screamed when an arm reached out and encircled her waist.
“Shhh…little one. It is only I, Richard, your Noble Rescuer.” He laughed softly and rubbed his face gently in her hair as he held her close. She twisted around to look up into his eyes but could not read his thoughts in the dim light. He released her and caught her hand, pulling her gently with him around the hedge and back to that private floral bower, borrowed once more from their host.
At his urging, she settled on a white garden bench which nestled against a flowering vine. Heady night fragrances enveloped her as she looked up into the handsome face of her friend. He gazed back at her but then paced a step or two back.
“I have things to say, sweetness. Please do not be upset when I use words I know are improper. Let us be two different people for tonight. What say you?” He stepped closer, but still did not join her on the bench.
Elisabeth waited for what she knew not. She was content to be this close to one for whom she had such feelings. She nodded. Why did she trust him so implicitly? She only knew she did. Perhaps it was because she enjoyed an enchanted night in a magic room with a handsome man who called her pet names. This was not real life, but she could not give up the thought that magic existed, especially for those who were in love.
Surrounding her was a fairy garden which glowed with moonlight under the watchful eyes of stone guardians. Perhaps they came to life when the sunlight faded?
She inhaled sharply and clasped her hands together in her lap when he settled himself on the bench, their shoulders touching. His unique scent wrapped around her, causing her head to spin with excitement. As he turned toward her, he reached out with his arm, first touching her shoulder with his hand, and then folding around it. She did not stop herself from leaning toward him, although briefly she did try. The prickling of her conscience was like a buzzing, annoying gnat she could easily dismiss. Elisabeth was mesmerized by an intoxicating spell she never wanted to end. Richard leaned closer pulling her gently forward.
“Richard?” she whispered tentatively, not certain whether she wanted him to move away or come closer.
Bio:
The author writes Regency Romances as Emma Lane and Cozy Mysteries as Janis Lane. When not writing, she enjoys nature and works part time in her son’s nursery with cut flowers.
Buy Links:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01BIEOM3M
http://www.wildrosepublishing.com/maincatalog_v151/
http://www.soulmatepublishing.com/murder-in-the-neighborhood/
March 15, 2016
Wednesday Special Spotlight Desire in the Arctic by Stacy Hoff
Covers
Desire in the Arctic
By
Stacy Hoff
Book blurb
Ana Davis has been given the promotion of the century—from secretary to television producer. But the new job is not without its problems.
The network will do anything for ratings. In the executive’s scramble to come out on top, they reveal Ana’s newest show—one she’s forced to star in herself. She’ll have to survive in the Arctic Circle for twelve days. If she wins, she’ll get the prize money she desperately needs. But the stakes are high, she could lose her very life. Good thing she’s been paired with expert survivalist William “Redd” Redding, a mysterious, solitary and very sexy man. Too bad she thinks he doesn’t even want to talk to her.
William “Redd” Redding is a former Special Ops Marine in need of cash to help a cause near and dear to his heart. What he’s not in need of, however, is Ana Davis—his clueless but captivating partner. It’s up to Redd to ensure the two of them survive in the most dangerous, hostile environment of all. But worse than snowstorms, predators, and a scarcity of food is an even greater danger—Ana. Resisting her, when he wants her more than anything, is his hardest challenge yet. How does he go about protecting her when his ultimate goal is to protect his heart?
Buy link for Desire in the Arctic: http://www.amzn.com/B01AMUVJKW
Excerpt
“I’m not into surprises, Ana,” Redd said gruffly. “Not when our lives are on the line. Do you have any survival skills or don’t you? I’ve got to know exactly what I’m dealing with.”
“I-I’m sorry,” Ana stuttered, although she wasn’t sure what she was apologizing for. Her slow response, or for not being somebody better?
“Just level with me, okay?” he said again, gentler this time. “I won’t be mad. Panicked, maybe. But not mad. At least not mad at you.” He managed to give her a small smile. She wished to God it was sincere.
“All right, I’ll level. But I hope you won’t be too upset. I don’t have any survival skills at all.”
“None at all,” he repeated tonelessly.
“Well, no. I grew up in Brooklyn. The show wants me to say I’m from Manhattan but you said you want me to be honest.”
“Have you at least gone camping before?”
“Yes!”
“Great.” He exhaled hard, his expression showing relief. “How often do you go?”
“I’ve only been once, actually. But that still counts, right?”
“That depends,” he said, looking as if he had a sudden, severe headache.
“I went during summer camp, right after seventh grade. My whole bunk slept outside. It was fun. The counselors even let us roast a whole bag of marshmallows.”
She could have sworn she heard him swallow. It was almost as if he was choking on one of those marshmallows.
“Any hiking experience?” he asked weakly.
Be engaging, Ana. Don’t look so scared. Crack a joke or something. She managed a playful smile. “Close. I’ve told people to take a hike.”
He bit down on his lip. It looked like he was in pain. “Fishing?”
“No. The closest I’ve gotten to fishing is picking up jars of herring from the supermarket.” Taking one look at his ashen expression, she added, “I’m a fast learner though. If you teach me how to do these things, I’ll catch on quick. I even managed to learn a whole lot about wilderness survival before I came up here.”
“I think I need a beer,” he said, abruptly changing the topic.
“I can get you one, if you want.” Ana felt her face go hot.
When he stepped away, she put a hand on his shoulder, stopping him. “Look, I’m sorry I’m not what you wanted in a partner,” she said quietly. “I kinda got forced into this. With no notice for me to prepare.”
He swallowed again, seemingly making a determined effort to soften his countenance. “I’m sure you’ll do fine. Just do what I tell you, and we’ll get through this ordeal as best as we can.” His face was so scrunched up now he could have been a shar-pei puppy. “How’d they force you?”
“I’m their newest producer. I don’t have much track record yet, so . . .”
“That explains it.”
Amazon buy link http://amzn.com/B01AMUVJKW
AUTHOR BIO
Stacy Hoff is a contemporary romance author, as well as an attorney. She has practiced law for two decades, primarily handling contracts. Romance novels have always been her secret passion. She writes her romantic stories until the wee hours of the night. Stacy lives in New England with her husband and two boys.
WEBSITE & SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS FOR STACY HOFF:
Facebook: www.facebook.com/authorStacyHoff
Twitter: www.twitter.com/authorStacyHoff
Web: http://www.stacyhoff.com/
Pintrest: https://www.pinterest.com/authorstacyhoff/
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March 14, 2016
Tell Again Tuesday The Harvey Girls
A blog series where we shamelessly share posts from others that we have enjoyed.
A bit of American history I bet you’ve not heard before.
The Harvey Girls
February 19, 2016 by Becky Lower
If you’re a fan of American historical romances, you’ve read your share of stories about women headed west on wagon trains. However, most women on the wagon trains were married, at least when they pulled out of St. Joseph. Single women were discouraged from joining the trains, since they didn’t have the manpower needed to keep track of the animals, hunt for food, and protect themselves from marauding Indians. It wasn’t until the advent of rail transportation that women began . . .
For the rest of the blog go to:
https://historyimagined.wordpress.com/2016/02/19/the-harvey-girls/
