E.G. Manetti's Blog, page 34

Indie Spotlight on Romance: Historical

*reposted from Some Like Hot group's Indie Spotlight thread.

Continuing my series on InD'Tale 2017 Rone Finalists in the run up to the InD'Scribe October conference where winners will be announced, this post features the last in the historical romance category Victorian through 20th Century.

In an interesting twist, I can no longer claim to have no ties to InD'Tale. As it happens, an upcoming edition (probably December) will feature me and The Twelve Systems Chronicles. Not due to my support -- via another channel -- the publisher read and liked the novels. *Happy Dance*

Still true - I like the ezine and usually agree with the reviewers. Of course, Transgressions: The Apprentice, Volume 3 is a 2017 Finalist, so we know they have it together.

The Renegade Wife

Betrayal by his cousin and the woman he loved may have made Rand Wheatly crave solitude, but his heart isn’t as hard as he likes to pretend. When he discovers that the squatters in his house include sick and injured children, he lets them stay.

Meggy Campeau is harboring a secret, but she’ll do whatever it takes to keep her children safe. It doesn’t take long for Rand to see why Meggy is on the run; it takes longer for him to trust. Now she’s gone again. And time is running out for him to save them all.





US$3.99 or KU Links
Amazon:https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01...

Surrender the Wind

When fate throws a Confederate soldier and a Yankee heiress together, they’ll uncover a fierce love worth fighting for…even if it means crossing enemy lines.

When Confederate General John Daniel Rourke is severely wounded at the Battle of the Wilderness, he’s captured and sent to a prison camp. On his way there, Union soldiers mistake him for dead and toss him from the train into the New York countryside, where he lands at the feet of Catherine Fitzgerald, a schoolmistress.

Rourke wakes to find the mysterious and strong-spirited beauty nursing him back to health. He’s intrigued but unaware of her true identity as the heiress to the Union’s ammunitions manufacturer, and their fiery battle of wits and wills commences.

Yet when outside forces begin to envelop them in a larger conspiracy, their own war begins. Torn between family loyalties and manipulated by a powerful leader from the Irish underworld, Catherine and Rourke will have to fight on both sides of the secession line to win the most significant battle of all: the fight for their love.

US$4.99 Purchase links
Amazon:https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01...
Nook:https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/surr...
Kobo:https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/surr...
Apple:https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/surr...

Solitary Horseman

Hatred is Easy. Love Takes Courage.
He’s known her his whole life, but he never really knew her until she revived in him emotions he thought had died on the Civil War battle fields.

The Civil War is over, but the battles continue.
Callum Latimer returned from the war to a life he didn’t want and with inner battle scars he can’t heal.
Banner Payne clutched desperately to the remaining shreds of the life she’d known, but she is losing her grip.
Brought together by bad luck and cruel twists of fate, Callum and Banner forge a partnership they hope will keep them afloat even as neighboring Texas ranchers go under and their land is snapped up by opportunists.
Fate smiles on them and Callum and Banner find the missing pieces of themselves in each other.
Healing begins as their hearts are awakened. Now they must remain strong in their determination to forge a more peaceful existence and not be poisoned by the bitterness of a country still divided.

US$2.99 or KU link
Amazon:https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01...

A Splendid Boy

In the summer of 1914, Daniel Beresford’s innocent love affair with the merchant’s daughter is discovered, forcing him to make an impossible decision to save his family from financial ruin. When news of the First World War reaches Middle Tickle, Daniel, who is torn between his love for Emma Tavenor and his responsibility to his family, enlists in the Newfoundland Regiment and departs for training.

When Emma learns her father is to blame for Daniel’s unexplained departure, she follows him to England, hoping they’ll be reunited. Yet on the voyage, she discovers the regiment has been called up and is already engaged in battle. She realizes her only hope of finding Daniel is to join the Voluntary Aid Detachment and make her way to the Western Front.

In 1916, on the eve of the Battle of the Somme, Emma and Daniel are reunited for a single, impassioned night near Beaumont-Hamel. Can the love they share survive the barriers of class and the horrors of battle? Or are their lives fated to join what would later be called a lost generation?

US$9.49 Purchase Links
Amazon:https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01...
Kobo:https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/a-sp...

His Tempting Bride

Miriam Long has been running for her whole life—running from her sinful past, running from her shameful mistakes, and running from the guilt of chickening out of her one chance to start over. But now, several hard months after refusing to get off the train and marry the man who sent for her as a mail-order bride, Miriam finds herself in Haskell, Wyoming once more. Only this time, more lives than just hers are at stake.

Cody Montrose is instantly smitten with the fun and flirty woman he meets by chance at Haskell’s train station…until he learns that the object of his temptation is the very bride who stood him up. Anger battles with desire as the two of them struggle with the disaster that should have been their union months ago.

US$2.99 Purchase Links
Amazon:https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01...
Nook:https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/his-...
Kobo:https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/his-...
Apple:https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/his-...

Making The Cartel Perma Free!

I need a little help from my GR friends and followers. Unlike Apple, Nook, and Kobo, -- Amazon won't let me price my book below 99c. To make that happen, they have to receive multiple notices of a 'lower price'.

It's not hard, just go to the book page on amazon and paste a link to one of the other sites. On the US site, the place to do it is at the bottom of product details (see image below).

FREEBIE LINKS:

I-books: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/the-...
Nook: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-c...
Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/the-...

AMAZON LINKS:

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00AGNFHJA
Amazon UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00AGNFHJA
Amazon FR: https://www.amazon.fr/dp/B00AGNFHJA
Amazon DE: http://www.amazon.de/dp/B00AGNFHJA
Amazon ES: http://www.amazon.es/dp/B00AGNFHJA
Amazon IT: http://www.amazon.it/dp/B00AGNFHJA
Amazon NL: http://www.amazon.nl/dp/B00AGNFHJA
Amazon AU: http://www.amazon.com.au/dp/B00AGNFHJA
Amazon CA: http://www.amazon.ca/dp/B00AGNFHJA



Thank you all. I'd love to get the freebie going on Amazon before December.

It's Nail-biting time, again.

Yesterday I submitted Serengeti Valor: The Apprentice, Volume 5 for round 1 of development editing certain that it would a matter of few minor plot-holes and inconsistences and then a smooth glide to January 2018 release. This morning I'm certain its dreck and will need a major rewrite. And... there goes another nail.

I'll know in a week. In the meantime, here is a little snippet. It has not been copy-edited, so all typos and grammar mistakes are my own.

*****
Warmed by the shower, Lilian’s muscle aches have diminished. Prone on the bed, pillows wedged under her torso, Lilian enjoys the pleasant cooling of the Master Medic’s lotion. It occurs to Lilian that should Katleen wish a life as a shrine healer, she has begun her training tending to Lilian’s ills over the past two years.

“You did not answer me,” Katleen accuses.

“Answer what?” Lilian replies, confused. They have said little since Katleen followed her to the chamber.

“You said our survival,” Katleen enunciates. “Not your survival.”

“Semantics, sweetling.” Lilian huffs what she hopes is a dismissive laugh.

“Do not,” Katleen’s gentle fingers stop on Lilian’s waist. “I am not a child. There is a huge hole in the music of your voice and it is surrounded with purple and metallic gray.”

“What say you?” Lilian’s fingers convulse on the sheet. She has known for over a year that her sister has her own version of insight, able to discern truth from falsehood in the tone of a person’s voice. As Katleen describes it, she hears music and sees color. Truth is melodious and bright. Falsehood is discordant and dark. Holes are new.

“You do not lie,” Katleen explains, her fingers applying lotion. “But you are excellent at not speaking. It is blankness in the music – a skipped beat or phrase. When you are angry, your voice is glittery gray like ice or blade. It is purple when you are distressed. Whatever you will not speak, it makes you angry and sad. It is all in that line between our and your.”

“Mulan’s mercy,” Lilian sighs in frustration. “Can my thoughts and secrets not be my own?”

“You could have run.” Katleen’s voice fills with revelation. “If not for Maman and me, you could have fallen into a Crevasse. Disappeared, and reemerged with a new identity. Free of all of this.”

Five Warriors take it. Lilian has no desire for this conversation, but lying is pointless and withholding will no longer serve in light of this latest development in Katleen’s odd perception. “They were already coming for me before Gariten was indicted. Once I knew he was taken, I had but two, mayhap three periods when I could have run.”

“It would have been enough,” Katleen retorts, her fingers moving over Lilian’s buttocks. “You are clever enough and Dean Joseph would have helped.”

“I would not risk implicating the dean,” Lilian denies. With shake of her head she adds, “It matters naught. I could not leave you. Maman would have fallen deeper into madness and you would not have lived to see majority. What value would there have been in my life?”

“But you might yet die!” Katleen laments. “And you have suffered so much.”

“I pay the price for the life I would have,” Lilian contradicts, rolling from the pillows. “When my bond is proved, I will have a life of legitimate commerce serving Serengeti.”Pushing to her feet, she reaches for Katleen’s shoulders. “I will have my family, my honor, and my future.”

Tightening her gripe, Lilian locks her gaze with Katleen’s. “Only this path offers all that. I far prefer it to a life in the shadows as a gray commerce raider. Or worse.”

“Worse?” Katleen stumbles.

“I am Gariten’s get,” Lilian swallows against the taste of the words. “It is a short step from gray to black. The only way to avoid it is to never to get on that path.”

Grabbing the hands on her shoulders, Katleen whispers, “But you were tempted. That is the hole and the darkness.”

“Yes, I was tempted,” Lilian presses her lips together and closes her eyes. “It pleases me not.”

Leaning into Lilian, Katleen’s hands slide around Lilian’s waist. “I am sorry. Sorry that you are hurt, not that you saved us.”

Resting her chin on the red-gold curls, Lilian murmurs, “It will be well. Monsignor will not let me fall.”

Indie Spotlight on Romance: Suspense/Thriller

*reposted from Some Like Hot group's Indie Spotlight thread.

Continuing my series on InD'Tale 2017 Rone Finalists in the run up to the InD'Scribe October conference where winners will be announced, this post features Suspense/Thriller.

In an interesting twist, I can no longer claim to have no ties to InD'Tale. As it happens, an upcoming edition (probably December) will feature me and The Twelve Systems Chronicles. Not due to my support -- via another channel -- the publisher read and liked the novels. *Happy Dance*

Still true - I like the ezine and usually agree with the reviewers. Of course, Transgressions: The Apprentice, Volume 3 is a 2017 Finalist, so we know they have it together.

Fan Girl

Action, deceit, and romance fills the pages of this romantic thriller that entails every author's worst nightmare....

Kat Wilson, AKA NYT Bestselling Author Lita Banks, is going to a book convention that will change her life forever.

She is enjoying her new found popularity, but nothing is as it seems and the price of fame could be her life.

Fan Girl contains graphic violence, sex, language and adult situations. It is recommended for mature audiences.


US$2.99 or KU Link
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01...

The Power of Love and Murder

For thirteen years, Penny Sparks has managed to hide from the political powers who murdered her family. When she unwittingly exposes her true identity, not only is she marked for death, but the people closest to her risk meeting the same fate.

Jake Winters is out of rehab and coming to grips with his demons. When he meets his sister’s roommate, Jake believes Penny might be that someone who can help him find life after rock star status…until her secrets blow up his world.

With a government agent turned hit man closing in on her, Penny and Jake race to expose the presidential contender behind the murders of her family. Even if they win the race with death, the murder that stands between them could end their hope for a new life.
US$4.99 Purchase links
Amazon:https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01...
Nook:https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-...
Kobo:https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/the-...
Apple:https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/the-...

Beneath the Surface

He was the last man she wanted to turn to for help. But when freelance journalist Quinn Summers uncovers a shocking secret with the potential to rock Washington, DC, she reluctantly finds herself on his doorstep. Someone intends to silence her forever, and Asher Tate may be all that’s standing between her and a vicious killer.

Overbearing, arrogant, and insanely hot, the ex-marine Special Forces officer turned mercenary for hire is no bodyguard—especially when it comes to the stubborn woman who sets his blood on fire as quickly as his temper. Quinn Summers is a powder keg of trouble just waiting for a match, and he isn’t surprised that the feisty beauty has made some dangerous enemies.

To survive, she’s going to have to play by his rules—and that means stepping into Asher’s world, where he controls the playing field. But in his fight to save Quinn’s life, he just might end up losing his heart.…
US$3.99 or KU Purchase link
Amazon:https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01...

Revelation

When Harden Campbell wakes cold and beaten in a dirt-floor cell, he finds only three other things in the room with him: the mutilated body of his good friend, an ancient typewriter, and a stack of blank paper, the top sheet of which has a single, typed sentence.

"Tell me a story."

He knows the message is from Coyote, his brilliant, megalomaniacal roommate whose lust for power and reverence has recently revealed him for the true sociopath he is. Now, as the founder of a new religion with disturbing roots Revelation Coyote s most evil side has emerged. From the moment Harden sees that stack of paper, he knows his one chance of escape is through his own words, and only his ability to successfully recount the dark story of what happened over the past year at Wyland University will determine whether he lives to see the woman he loves once again or is silenced forever.

This will be the most difficult story Harden has ever written, and each word must be chosen with the utmost care. Because Coyote will be reading each and every one of them.
US$9.99-11.99 Purchase Links
Amazon:https://www.amazon.com/Revelation-Car...
Nook:https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/reve...
Kobo:https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/reve...
Apple:https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/reve...

Slave Queen

Special Agent Omar Zagouri’s latest case is his most dangerous—and his most personal yet. The discovery of secret sixteenth-century letters unveils a plot between the sultan Suleyman and his chief wife, Roxelane, to change the course of the Ottoman Empire. A descendent of Roxelane, Zagouri learns he has an enemy whose revenge has been centuries in the making.

Targeted by an antiquities collector who’s also descended from a chief rival for the ancient throne, Zagouri soon uncovers a modern-day conspiracy that threatens the lives of his family and the security of a nation.

To expose the plot, Zagouri must team up with Naim, the son of his nemesis, who heads an international black-market operation that may have ties to the killings. From ancient Constantinople to the present-day Middle East, Zagouri is on a collision course with history. Time is running out to solve a royal mystery and stop a ruthless killer—one who has Zagouri’s name on his hit list.
US$3.99 or KU Link
Amazon:https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01...

Escape Velocity

When does the Con become the Artist?

Georgia Griffin has just arrived in Silicon Valley from Piney, Arkansas on very bald tires, having firmly rejected her beloved father’s life as a con artist. Her father is in jail and a certain minister is hugging her mother for Jesus while eyeing Georgia’s little sister, Katie-Ann. Georgia desperately needs to keep her new job as paralegal for Lumina Software so she can provide a California haven for her sister before it’s too late.

While she’s still living in her car, Georgia realizes that incompetence and self-dealing have a death grip on her new company. She decides to adapt her extensive con artist training—just once—to clean up the company. But success is seductive. Soon Georgia is an avid paralegal by day and a masterful con artist by night, using increasingly bold gambits designed to salvage Lumina Software. Then she steps into the shadow of a real crime and must decide: Will she risk her job, the roof over her sister’s head, and perhaps her very soul?
US$7.99 Purchase Links
Amazon:https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01...
Nook:https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/esca...
Kobo:https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/esca...
Apple:https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/esca...

Forever in Darkness

An innocent woman is dragged through hell as corruption sparked by her ex-boyfriend’s indiscretions results in her abduction. Murder, lies and betrayal redefine the laws of redemption, even for heroes. As war rages on in the streets of darkness, will perfect strangers become more?
The Ricochet gang is respected for their non-violent nature, and for their generous work with troubled youth and the homeless. But when a dirty cop brutally kills one of Ricochet’s young members, a bloody war ensues between Ricochet, the bad cops and their delusional soldier cohort. Despite the chaos, love blooms amidst a hellish battle as lives are lost on both sides.
Taken captive by dangerous men, Shiloh finds escape from an even more dangerously crazed G.I. who won’t let her go. In the arms of Rebar, she feels safe for the first time in her life. Ricochet fights hard for justice. Yet, evil stands its ground and refuses to bow. When all else fails, sorrow bridges the gap between the living and the dead. A supernatural twist shows that anything is possible with love. Heroes emerge in feathers and fur when an unexpected turn of events summons a Shadow Eagle from the Bridge of Sighs, and a dog named Crosshairs leaps into action.
US$4.99 Purchase Links
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Forever-Darkne...

Indie Spotlight on Romance: Steamy Contemporary

*reposted from Some Like Hot group's Indie Spotlight thread.

Continuing my series on InD'Tale 2017 Rone Finalists in the run up to the InD'Scribe October conference where winners will be announced, this post features Contemporary: Steamy.

In an interesting twist, I can no longer claim to have no ties to InD'Tale. As it happens, an upcoming edition (probably December) will feature me and The Twelve Systems Chronicles. Not due to my support -- via another channel -- the publisher read and liked the novels. *Happy Dance*

Still true - I like the ezine and usually agree with the reviewers. Of course, Transgressions: The Apprentice, Volume 3 is a 2017 Finalist, so we know they have it together.

Spoons

There’s an extreme heat wave at River’s Sigh B & B, but things have never been colder between Noelle Archer and her husband Cade.

Dragged there for a reunion with Cade’s screwed up family, Noelle is confused, resentful—and considering divorce.

Noelle never would’ve predicted she’d be trapped in a loveless marriage, but Cade’s more distant and aloof than ever, plus she’s sure he had an affair. What other choice does she have? Husbands who cheat don’t become faithful, and wives who put up with it become bitter and lonely. She won’t have that for herself, and she won’t model that for her children.

Cade has always clung tightly to Noelle, his beloved daughters, and their life together. He’s not good at expressing himself, but he’s been confident, even cocky, that if he’s strong enough, works hard enough, provides well enough, Noelle will know how he feels. But now one moment of stupidity that wasn’t what it appeared has wrecked everything. He wants her to believe in him the way his parents and brothers never have, with no explanations necessary—but maybe that’s unfair.

He’ll swallow his pride. He’ll find the words. He’ll do anything to fix their relationship.
US$3.99 Purchase Links
Amazon:https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01...
Nook:https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/spoo...
Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/spoo...
Apple:https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/spoo...

One Safe Place

American, Naomi Paverman, finds clues to her heritage when her grandmother passes. Realizing her existence is based on many lies, she yearns for connection and one safe place to call home. She rents a cottage in an English village to search for her biological father. What she discovers is resistance to questions, but she befriends an attractive and interesting local man…could he be related?

Oliver York is stirred to uncover family history he’s long ignored. Five years earlier, he inherited York Manor in Oldcastle. Oliver maintains an element of privacy to protect himself and his invalid sister from gossip. His interest in Naomi, and the secrets she reveals, causes him to come out of seclusion. Secrets threaten to expose admired citizens.

As their romance blossoms, someone attempts to run Naomi out of town. Is history repeating itself?
US$2.99 Purchase Links
Amazon:https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01...
Nook:https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/one-...
Apple:https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/one-...

Luke's Redemption

Chased by her criminal kingpin father, Katya Dalca runs to New Orleans and straight into the arms of Luke Hunter. Sucked into the carnal world of the French Quarter, she succumbs to Luke’s potent sexuality. He not only steals her breath, he steals her heart and the only leverage she has against her father. She is left with no choice except to pick up the pieces and rebuild her life alone.

Undercover DEA agent Luke Hunter thought his newest assignment—recover a stolen flash drive to gain the trust of the Russian mob—was like any other. But his target brings him to his knees, and after one taste of her intoxicating beauty, he's in too deep. Doing his job means walking away, leaving his heart behind with nothing but a promise to reunite. It's a promise he can't keep.

When Katya's past reaches out and her world unravels, her only hope is the one man she is most vulnerable to—Luke.
US$2.99 Purchase links
Amazon:https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01...
Nook:https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/luke...
Kobo:https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/luke...

Home with My Heart: A Southland Romance the Prequel

The year is 1984. The hair is big and the stakes are bigger. Dixie Johnson has three daughters, two jobs, and one bookie who won't let her rest until her deceased husband's debts are paid. Widower Dan Baker has a vision for expanding his business, but with three sons, too little time, and a one-night-stand with the woman he intends to hire, it may never happen. Dan quickly realizes Dixie is essential to more than his bottom line and life takes them on a journey that can only lead to one place. Home. This contemporary romance contains Southern Gothic elements. Home With My Heart is the prequel to Play With My Heart and tells the love story that made the Southland series possible.
US$2.99 Purchase Links
Amazon:https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01...
Nook:https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/home...
Apple:https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/home...

Twila's Tempest

Drake Addison, retired Marine, understands the dangers of the sea, but there’s a storm coming, and she’s all of five foot three.

A dark horse among the Treasure Coast’s elite, Drake’s passion and wealth tempt him. His first love is building yachts. Meeting Twila, he sees she has a passion as well—caring for the elderly, including his parents, but she’s trapped.

Like unearthing a gold doubloon, with one kiss from Twila, he craves a thousand. He makes an excuse to remain in Port St. Lucie and teach Twila about the sea. His mistake: misjudging the heart of one woman, the soul of another, and the ferocity of the one headed their way.
Sometimes, a little knowledge is dangerous, but for Twila—it’s deadly.
US$3.99 Purchase Links
Amazon:https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01...

Teach Your Heart

Some lessons are harder to learn than others…

Doctor O-for-Awesome Owen Bennett is all about fixing broken things. Then the arrival of his orphaned nieces and nephew for twelve weeks causes his workaholic life to plummet into chaos. Hiring the beautiful but unpredictable Gracie Cooper as a live-in nanny might just get him out of a tight spot…or it could seduce him into a reckless affair.

After four years flitting around Europe, waitress/dog-walker/au-pair Gracie Cooper has returned home to New Zealand. Her plans to hang out with her big brother change when Owen offers a perfect solution to her crippling university debt. In spite of her sexy-stick-in-the-mud boss, she’ll spend fun days playing in Bounty Bay’s sand and surf with three cute kids. At summer’s end she’ll follow the sun overseas again.

Gracie and Owen’s opposites-attract connection is so unexpected and powerful that their foundations are rocked. But some things aren’t easy to fix. Some past hurts can’t be run from forever. And the lessons they teach each other risk breaking their hearts.
US$3.99 Purchase Links
Amazon:https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01...
Nook:https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/teac...
Kobo:https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/teac...
Apple:https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/teac...

Challenged

One devastating lie set the course for Sophie Lancaster’s life. Can one earth-shattering phone call change it?

Jackson Cooper certainly hopes it won’t—at least not permanently. For the past twenty-one years, Sophie has avoided coming home and now has the nerve to show her face, purely for the reading of her grandfather’s will—that thought alone is enough to have Jackson grinding his teeth in molar-cracking frustration.

But Grandpa Ray’s final request, a life-changing challenge to save the family’s resort, pairs Jackson with this woman who makes his blood boil—in more ways than one.

With Jackson’s vow to honor his dear friend and Sophie’s promise to prove her worthiness to a grandfather she barely remembers, they set off on a yearlong adventure.

Just as the sizzle of attraction between them heats up, the challenge becomes a dangerous and deadly game when outside forces threaten their resort, their budding relationship, and their very lives.
US$2.99 Purchase Links
Amazon:https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01...
Nook:https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/chal...
Kobo:https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/chal...

Indie Spotlight on Romance: Cops, Jocks, and Cowboys

*reposted from Some Like Hot group's Indie Spotlight thread.

Taking break from historical romance (I will be back with Victorian through 20th Century at some point) My continuing my series on InD'Tale 2017 Rone Finalists, this post features Cop, Jocks, and Cowboys.

Same general disclaimer as before; I am not paid by InD'Tale in anyway - I like the ezine and usually agree with the reviewers. Of course, Transgressions: The Apprentice, Volume 3 is a 2017 Finalist, so we know they have it together.

Diamond in the Rough

A new Contemporary Western Romance, with a romantic suspense twist, from the author of Denim & Diamonds. Gina Montgomery has been a single mom so long, she's forgotten she's a woman -- until a romantic hero straight out of her dreams strolls into her life, awakening desire and lust. He surprises her at every turn. When she freaks out about a spider, he calmly carries it outside. When her dishwasher breaks, he fixes it. She won't let just any man into her life -- as a single mom, she just can't risk it -- but Aidan is different and she feels a thrill of excitement every time she's around him. Aidan Brackston is a working cowboy running from his wealthy family, who has never let a woman get close, until he finds himself picturing a life with Gina and her little boy in the small town of Wilder. There's something about Gina, something that makes him want to take care of her, to love her, to make her laugh. She's not like the plastic girls from his previous life Gina is real. Just as their passion ignites, cattle rustlers strike too close for comfort. A life hangs in the balance. Aidan and Gina must work together . . . can they get to them in time?
US$2.99 or KU link
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01...

Return to Ruby's Ranch

Ruby Lattrell inherited Ruby's Ranch after the death of her grandmother. Before she can begin to live her own life, she has to answer the questions that have haunted her for the two decades since her father dragged her away from the only true home she had ever known. What really happened to her beloved mother? And what drove her poor Granny Rube insane?

When Ruby returns to the ranch, her chance at true happiness comes in the form of a handsome cowboy named Billy McCallister—who has loved her since they were kids. Will the truth about her mother come between them? In the end, Ruby finds all of her answers with the shocking death of someone dear, and a surreal family reunion that will give the reader unrelenting hope for happy endings.
US$3.99 or KU Purchase Link
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01...

Igniting Andrew

Andrew Taylor is used to putting out fires, but is not used to the sparks igniting between him and Christina Goldstone. He's delivered the girl's baby just weeks ago in an emergency situation, and has grown very fond of the child she's named after him. But Andrew isn't ready to settle down, even if it means giving up his inheritance. Plus, he would never even consider marrying Christina since his younger brother, Nate, has just married Christina's mother.

Christina is a twenty-year-old widow with a three week old baby and a new business. She's moved to the little town of Sweet Water to start her life over, but no one told her it was going to be so hard. As she tries to juggle the responsibilities of being a single mother and owning a flower shop, she's constantly watching the sexy firefighter, Andrew Taylor, across the town square as he trains his brothers to be volunteer firefighters for the small town. He's great with her baby, but when it comes to her, it's a different story. He's sworn to be an eternal bachelor, but has no qualms in telling her how to live her life or raise her baby.
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Changes of the Heart

Buying the 1920s farmhouse south of Phoenix, where the rumors of John Dillinger’s gang hid out in the 30s, is supposed to be Grace Evanheart’s way of escaping an old romance. When she finds an ancient diary with a map under the bedroom’s floorboard, the rumors solidify into fact. She doesn’t know who to trust with the news; Micah Stevens, the handsome deputy and the great grandson of the original landowners with whom she’s attracted, or Jerry, the young historian who seems too intent on learning about her new home.

Micah seems convinced their paths cross exactly at the right time and in the right place for them to fall in love. Now he just has to convince Grace of the same thing before suspicions of his real motive have her running again.
US 99c Purchase Links
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Beauty and the Bull Rider

When Beauty Wants A Baby
Championship bull breeder and former Texas beauty queen Delaney McCall was having a heck of a time finding a daddy for the baby she craved. A failed marriage left her with no desire for another husband, but finding the right stud to satisfy her needs presents a bigger problem that she could have imagined.
And The Bull Rider Wants Beauty
After hanging up his spurs, bull rider Zac McDaniel wants nothing more than to fulfill Delaney’s dream of having a family. After all, his best friend’s ex has been his fantasy for years. Zac, however, has no desire to be seen as just a means to an end. When Zac insists on doing things the “old fashioned” way, their passion explodes like a bull out of the chute.
Some Bucking Is Bound To Happen
While insisting it’s all just a passing fancy, the more Delaney sees the softer side of the rough and tumble cowboy, the harder it is to keep her emotions corraled. Zac, meanwhile, is more determined than ever to prove he’s what she really needs, and will do whatever it takes to tear down the mile high fence around her heart…
US 99c purchase links
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Border Affair

Camila Villarreal has had a crush on Rusty Douglas since she was twelve years old. And no matter what she does she can’t stop caring for him.
Rusty, a self-made millionaire and a partner in her family’s ranch, is recovering from a messy divorce and facing a mid-life crisis. He’s not eager to become involved in a serious relationship.
Despite Rusty’s doubts, their mutual attraction blazes into a sizzling affair. But when Camila is kidnapped, Rusty is desperate to rescue her. Will he get her back unharmed? And if he does, can their affair develop into a lasting relationship?
US$2.99 or KU Link
Amazon:https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01...

Cookie Therapy

To escape notoriety from her role in the school shooting she barely survived, Elizabeth Lambert moves from Houston to Hoffman Grove, Illinois. Plagued by panic attacks and nightmares, she’s determined to embrace her second chance at life, knowing that death could take her in an instant. A one-night stand with a local handsome firefighter should remind her that she’s alive, but like a good cookie, once is not enough to satisfy her craving. Will he reject her when he learns about the blood on her hands?

Firefighter and paramedic Matt Billings fights his attraction to the alluring new bookshop manager. She dangles a one-night stand under his nose, but the last time he gave in to such an offer he ended up with a child. He is determined to be a better man than his philandering father. Can he convince Elizabeth that her past is not as terrifying as suddenly being a parent, and a relationship is worth more than just a checkbox on her bucket list?
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Indie Spotlight on Romance: Historical

*reposted from Some Like Hot group's Indie Spotlight thread.

Continuing my series on InD'Tale 2017 Rone Finalists, this post features historical romances. This is such a popular and broad sub-genre that InD'Tale divided the finalists into three categories; Ancient through 16th Century, 17th Century through Regency, and Victorian through 20th Century.

17th Century through Regency

Same general disclaimer as before; I am not paid by InD'Tale in anyway - I like the ezine and usually agree with the reviewers. Of course, Transgressions: The Apprentice, Volume 3 is a 2017 Finalist, so we know they have it together.

A Midsummer's Kiss

Sometimes love happens at the most unexpected times and in the most unexpected places. Sometimes it quietly sneaks up on you, and sometimes it knocks you over on a London street, just as it happens to Lord Graelem Dayne when Laurel Farthingale's horse runs him over and breaks his leg. Graelem has until Midsummer's Day, a mere thirty days away to find a wife or lose a large inheritance, so when a remorseful Laurel begs his forgiveness and promises to do anything, anything for him, he takes her up on that promise and insists that she marry him.

Laurel Farthingale has no intention of becoming Graelem Dayne’s biddable bride and is furious that he's tricked her into a betrothal. She plans to marry another, her long-time friend and childhood infatuation who is now in London to propose to her, for she's a Farthingale and everyone knows that Farthingales only marry for love. But as she comes to know Graelem, she realizes that he may very well be the man she's destined to love.
US$3.99 Purchase links
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01...
Nook:https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/a-mi...
Kobo:https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/a-mi...
Apple:https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/a-mi...

To Catch A Fallen Spy

Lady Elaine Prescott, the most timid member of the Brethren, has spent much of her time in the shadows, forever blending into the background. From her unconventional perspective, she studies people and their behavior, gleaning information most overlook, and she is content in her quiet little world. When her unusual habit puts her in the right place at the wrong moment, she witnesses a violent crime, and her life is threatened. To her dismay, Elaine finds herself in an unwelcomed spotlight and in need of a knight.

Sir Ross Logan is a master spy and the mysterious head of the covert Counterintelligence Corps. In dark spaces he lurks, scrutinizing those he is charged to defend, and it is an easy and uncomplicated existence for a man of many secrets. In the midst of a murder investigation, he is tasked with guarding a noblewoman, the gentle lady he has furtively admired for years. Young and unspoiled, she is everything he is not, and he vows to protect her.
$2.99 or KU link
Amazon:https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01...

Love's New Beginning

Loss took everything, love gave him even more.

It's 1800 Philadelphia, and the city cowers before a mysterious killer—Yellow Fever. Daniel Armitage and his family are respected members of Philadelphia society. But their status cannot save Daniel’s loved ones. His entire family succumbs to the horrifying disease. His mother’s startling deathbed confession, shakes Daniel to his soul. Another man is really his father. His search for his real father takes him to Kentucky—the edge of the frontier.

Seeking a father with a different last name, he is now considered an illegitimate bastard and is scorned by everyone, even himself. Except for the people who matter the most—his true father Daniel "Bear" MacKay and Ann Byrd. Captivated by her beauty and fierce independence, Daniel seeks to court Ann but her father won't allow her near a man born out of wedlock. The humiliation of illegitimacy subjects Daniel to social and legal discrimination. And ruthless, back-stabbing Charles Snyder is obsessed with having Ann for himself. Snyder terrorizes Daniel’s new family and the entire town. Bear’s act of unequivocal love grants Daniel a chance for happiness. But only Ann’s courage can save it.
US$2.99 or KU links
Amazon:https://www.amazon.com/LOVES-NEW-BEGI...

The Star in the Meadow

Marco Mondragón and his wife Paloma are living hectic but happy lives at the Double Cross, on the edge of Comanchería. Five years after the death of Comanche leader Cuerno Verde, cautious diplomacy between the tribe and the colonists is underway to end Comanche raids into New Mexico.

The Seven Year Audit of 1784 arrives and with it comes auditor Fernando Ygnacio. After years of incarceration for a crime he did not commit, Señor Ygnacio is a broken man. Although his daughter Catalina is bitter about his mistreatment by his superiors, her storytelling abilities captivate the household.

Unknown to him, Marco has peculiar enemies plotting his downfall. When Paloma and Catalina set out on a visit to Marco’s sister, the women are kidnapped.
US$6.95 Purchase Links
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Duty Before Desire

Consummate rake Lord Sheridan Zouche is no stranger to scandal. But when his family banishes him as a bad influence until he vows to marry, he inexplicably chooses the one woman he cannot seduce: an Englishwoman born and raised in India, who has been sent home against her will to find a husband.

Arcadia Parks wants nothing more than to return to the peaceful hills of Hyderabad, far from the contrivances and strange moral strictures of the ton. But her aunt is insisting she wed, so she can’t turn down Sheri’s unexpected proposal of convenience. They’ll marry for one year—and consummate the union just once to make it official—after which time he’ll help her return to India.
US$4.99 Purchase Links
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Scattered Seeds

In 18th century Ireland, drought forces Edward and Henry McConnell to assume false names and escape to the New World with the one valuable thing they still own–their ancestor’s gold torc.

Edward must leave love behind. Henry finds it in the foul belly of The Charming Hannah , only to lose it when an elusive trader purchases his sweetheart’s indenture.

With nothing but their broken hearts, a lame ox, and a torc they cannot sell without invoking a centuries-old curse, they head for the backcountry, where all hope rests upon getting their seed in the ground. Under constant threat of Indian attack, they endure crushing toil and hardship. By summer, they have wheat for their reward, and unexpected news of Henry’s lost love. They emerge from the wilderness and follow her trail to Philadelphia, unaware her cruel new master awaits them there, his heart set on obtaining the priceless torc they protect.
US$2.99 or KU Link
Amazon:https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01...

The Fearless Highlander

Heir to the most notorious clan in the Highlands, Hugh MacIain hides his identity while imprisoned in the bowels of Fort William’s hell. Aye, this braw warrior has endured horrors that should have seen him dead, though now it appears it’s the bloody flux that will send him to Satan’s fire.

Optimistic, competent, and captivating, Charlotte Hill takes pity on a fevered prisoner sprawled atop a cot in the fort’s surgery. When finally the Highlander opens his eyes, he seizes her heart with a pained stare. Truly, this is no commoner—but in 1692, a warrior loyal to the Jacobite cause and the daughter of a government colonel may as well be worlds apart.

After his escape, Hugh snatches a chance to woo the lass, until disaster strikes. While war and lust for vengeance force Charlotte further from Hugh’s arms, the couple’s romance seems aimlessly adrift on the open sea.
US$3.99 Purchase links
Amazon:https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01...
Nook:https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-...
Kobo:https://www.kobo.com/us/en/search?Que...

Indie Spotlight on Romance: Urban Fantasy

* Reposted from Some Like it Hot group's Indie Spotlight

Urban Fantasy is a subgenre of Fantasy that takes place in the modern day, in recognizable urban settings. Except - magic is real. There may or may not be paranormal creatures like werewolves and vampires. From a romance perspective, they are more likely to be 'slow burn', the relationship building over a longer story or several books.

In a refreshing and unique addition to the genre, fellow hottie and author Rachel Chanticleer's Crescent City Arcana series features a 2,000 year old gladiator. Super-hot, of course. This is a romance blog.

It is also a slow-burn. The sexual tension between the main characters is steaming hot, but no adult content for those who prefer it. Although, the author hints that future volumes may not be so restrained.

The first volume, is a free short that introduces Lucius and Beth.

The newly released full length novel is a first rate UF read.

A lethal stranger hunted Bethany Hayes down and nearly killed her. But without uttering a single word, he spared her life and vanished, turning her world upside down. Left with newfound abilities and visions of her attacker, Beth tried to make the most of this second chance.

Lucius Sempronius Asper learned to kill in the amphitheaters of ancient Rome. Enslaved and bound by the dark magic of a powerful witch, he spent centuries eradicating innocent witches at her command. Though made immortal by her enchantment, he was as good as dead inside.

All Lucius knew, what he thought he’d become, changed with Bethany. His one impulsive act of salvation linked them in ways they never could have imagined.

Freebie Links
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Barnes & Noble:https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-...

Indie Spotlight on Romance: Historical

*reposted from Some Like Hot group's Indie Spotlight thread.

Continuing my series on InD'Tale 2017 Rone Finalists, this post features historical romances. This is such a popular and broad sub-genre that InD'tale divided the finalists into three categories; Ancient through 16th Century, 17th Century through Regency, and Victorian through 20th Century.

Going in chronological order, Ancient through 16th Century.

Same a general disclaimer as before; I am not paid by InD'Tale in anyway - I like the ezine and usually agree with the reviewers. Of course, Transgressions: The Apprentice, Volume 3 is a 2017 Finalist, so we know they have it together.

Ian's Rose

They should never have stolen his wife.
Ian Mackintosh and his bride, Rose, return to McLaren Lands to rebuild all that was destroyed by the previous laird. Believing bad times and evil men are behind them, they've let their guard down. Ian's world is turned upside down one cold winter's night when Rose is kidnapped.
Desperate, he is willing to make a deal with the devil himself in order to ensure her safe return. And he may have done just that when he agrees to work with the brother of the man responsible for tearing his world apart.


Freebie Links
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01...
Nook: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/ians...
Apple:https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/ians...

Rory

Lady Alexandria MacKenzie is one of Abbot Matthew's network of rebels, fighting for Scottish independence. When her father dies, leaving their clan without a laird, she asks the abbot for aid in finding a husband. He sends her a selection of three noblemen from which to choose. Accompanying them is secret agent and reputed rake, Rory MacVie, who must assist Alexandria with a perilous mission for Scotland. But the abbot makes one point very clear--Rory is not a potential suitor.




US$2.99 or KU Purchase link
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01...

Highland Archer

Valent made an oath to protect the McLeod clan, however, after years of mistreatments at the Laird’s hands, he questions his obligation to uphold his promise.

When a rival clan attacks and Ariana McLeod's world is turned upside down. That she's fallen in love with the handsome archer, Valent, is a complication and a blessing at once.






US$3.99 or KU Purchase link
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01...

Prisoner of the Highlander

Annabella Beaufort, cousin to the Queen Consort of Scotland, visits court in Edinburgh upon the queen’s urging. She has little interest in this wild and rugged land and is pleasantly surprised to find Linlithgow Palace and King James’ court quite refined. An attack on Edinburgh Castle by a savage Highlander results in her capture. This flaxen haired giant is like nothing she’s encountered before, but her fear of him quickly turns to lust and she prays he will not also claim her heart.

Son of the great Alexander MacDonald, beloved Lord of the Isles, Angus MacDonald refuses to bend to King James’ tyrannical rule. After his father is imprisoned, he becomes acting chief. Unlike his father and his schemes, Angus will attack and bring this king to his knees. His attempt to release his father is thwarted and instead he abducts the Queen’s cousin. His desire for her is intense and immediate, despite her flawed Sassenach ways. But he must keep her at arm’s length regardless of the raging passion she evokes in him. She is his pawn—his prisoner—and he must always remember that.
US$4.99 Purchase links
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Apple: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/pris...?
Nook:https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/pris...
Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/pris...

King's Knight

HE SEIZED LIFE BY THE THROAT

Dubbed the Black Wolf for his raven hair, his fierceness in battle and his way with women, Sir Alexander of Talisand attacked life as he did the king’s enemies. But acclaim on the battlefield and his lusty escapades did not satisfy. King William Rufus would bind him to Normandy through marriage to one of its noblewomen, but the only woman Alexander wanted was a commoner he had saved from a terrible fate.

SHE KEPT MEN AT BAY WITH HER BOW

The shame of being the child of a Norman’s rape dogged Merewyn’s steps from her youth. Determined never to be a victim of a man’s lust like her mother, in Wales she donned the garb of an archer and developed extraordinary skill with a bow. Despite her fair beauty, men now keep their distance. No longer in need of protection from other men, can Merewyn protect herself from Alexander when he holds her heart yet can never be hers?
US$3.99 or KU Link
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01...

Rebel Warrior

When your destiny lies far from where you began …

Scotland 1072

The Norman Conqueror robbed Steinar of Talisand of his noble father and his lands, forcing him to flee to Scotland while still recovering from a devastating wound. At the royal court, Steinar becomes scribe to the unlettered King of Scots while secretly regaining his skill with a sword.

The first time Steinar glimpses the flame-haired maiden, Catrìona of the Vale of Leven, he is drawn to her spirited beauty. She does not fit among the ladies who serve the devout queen. Not pious, not obedient and not given to stitchery, the firebrand flies a falcon! Though Catrìona captures Steinar’s attention, he is only a scribe and she is promised to another.

Catrìona has come to Malcolm’s court wounded in spirit from the vicious attack on her home by Northmen who slayed her parents and her people. But that is not all she will suffer. The man she thought to wed will soon betray her.
US$3.99 or KU Link
Amazon:https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01...

Her Highland Rogue

Errol MacRae’s days of gallivanting across the Highlands are nearing an end. His father’s health has taken a turn for the worse, and rumors are swirling that the crown intends to transfer ancient lands into the hands of the MacKenzies, the clan the MacRaes are sworn to defend. Errol expects to lead his men into battle soon. So he isn’t pleased when his father instead sends him to retrieve a beautiful flame-haired lass who has fled into the mountains.

Orphaned as a young girl, Aileana vividly remembers how the MacRaes rescued her and welcomed her into their clan. For ten years, she has served them loyally—until the night she’s nearly despoiled by one of the laird’s captains. Aileana risks her life and her reputation to seek refuge in the snowcapped peaks of the Five Sisters, the one place that has always felt like home. But after the strong-armed, strong-willed Errol tracks her down in a blizzard, she finds herself tempted to risk something even more dangerous: her heart.
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Fire Fight Friday: Serengeti Valor Teaser

I recently posted on Facebook that I'm writing a full-on battle sequence for Serengeti Valor: The Apprentice, Volume 5. One dedicated reader asked for a teaser.

Karin - this is for you.

Disclaimer: My copy editor has not seen this. All typos are mine.

***

Racing to Douglas’ call, they discover a dozen well-armed associates and militia advancing on them. More fire-rifle bursts and three of the attackers fall, shot from behind. Lilian has a brief glimpse of Mr. Stefan before he disappears around the stairwell pursued by four of their foes. Another six boil out the stairwell to take the place of the fallen. Douglas recesses the door and drops to his knees next to Irina and begins to fire. Lilian and Seigneur Tristan step up and fire over their heads into the onrushing forces. Four fall before the leaders get too close and Douglas closes the door. The ten remaining attackers take up position and begin to fire steadily at the doors. As robust as they are, repeated fire will eventually shatter the doors.

Fireburst sounds from the risers and two more die from Simon’s and Tabitha’s firerifles. One more of the enemy falls before the remaining seven divide. Four turn to return fire while three cover the door keeping the defenders inside and continue to fire their way through the barrier.

A cry from Vicenza and Lilian runs to the next entrance, Emalia trailing her. The attack on Douglas and Irina is a feint. The main force is attacking here. At least two score of heavily armed associates and militia are advancing. With those that attacked on the other side, there are at least fifty. More than three times the fifteen they had suspected.

Vicenza recesses the doors and drops to his knees next to Rebecca. As they fire, Lilian and Tristan step up join their fire, using the doorframe for shelter from the return volleys. A fifth rifle sounds by Lilian's knees, Emalia has squeezed in between Rebecca and Vicenza. Vicenza curses, hauling Emalia out of her exposed position and into the shelter of the doorway.

With only three defending rifles, the attackers increase their advance. When they are within ten paces, Rebecca recesses the doors. They have downed five, and a sixth crawls to the shelter of the riser.

I often post snippets and thoughts on Facebook that don't warrant a blog entry. So, if you want the latest:

Author Page: http://www.facebook.com/egmanetti/
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