Kim Iverson Headlee's Blog: Book Musings from the Maze of Twisty Passages, page 26

The Irish Warrior - More Than Just A Hot Irish Hero by @AshleyYork1066 #newrelease

Today on The Maze I welcome back author Ashley York and her thoughts about the ideal hot Irish hero, with a spotlight on her latest release, The Irish Warrior!
In Ashley's words:

When I first envisioned Sean O'Cisoghe, I saw a dark haired Rollo. I'm a big Rollo fan. He's the hottest with his long hair and broad shoulders... although Clive Standen himself isn't bad to look at either. Trying to choose the right words to convey his personality was the challenge.

In any television series, they can easily switch up how they want the character to behave. I think in the beginning of the Viking series, they weren't sure Rollo would have many redeeming qualities. Early on they have him "use" a servant girl to ease his nerves about the upcoming voyage west. Not very redeeming. I'm sure it was the fans reaction to him that had the writers deciding they needed to make him more upstanding...and write him into most scenes :)

So I came up with these top traits and you can tell me if you agree that these are traits Rollo (and Sean) have:

a drop dead gorgeous, solid body with pecs and abs you could bounce a dime off ofdark eyes that could melt any unsuspecting woman's innards - even his brother's wifenot very talkative and when he does say something, he doesn't elaboratean endless supply of arrogance or is that just a way to hide his insecurities?a deeply, thoroughly intense personality that could only ever love one womanThanks, Ashley; I really must start watching The Vikings because Rollo was one of my husband's ancestors! :)
The Irish Warrior Synopsis: 
Outcast and alone, Thomasina MacDonell is hell bent on finding her brother, the only person who can thwart their father's latest scheme to offer her as payment for his gambling debts. Disguised as a lad, she defiantly sets off on foot to locate him—never expecting to find a handsome, Irish warrior riding her beloved horse. The warrior's offer of help and unsolicited advice on how to be manlier sparks an intimate desire to reveal her more feminine side.

Rejected by the love of his life, Sean O'Cisoghe wants simply to return home and heal his broken heart. When a young "lad" steals the horse out from under him, he discerns the spirited woman may be in way over her head against her ruthless father. Finding her brother while keeping her would-be betrothed at bay, Sean must confront the fact that Thomasina has stolen his heart. Will Norman soldiers out for his blood and shifting clan alliances cut short their growing passion?

Buy The Irish Warrior on Amazon
Excerpt:
They ate in silence. The rain kept up with occasional fat drops that worked their way through the thick canopy to plop on them. It wasn’t long before she was being bitten by a variety of irritating bugs.

“Oh, damn.” Thomasina slapped the bug on her arm. Blood oozed across her soaked sleeve.

Sean sat leaning against a fallen log, oblivious, staring into the flames. His long, powerfully built legs stretched out in front of him. He’d retrieved a skin from his sack which he drank from at steady intervals without offering to share. They’d already found a nearby brook with water for drinking so she assumed it must be something stronger.

“Devil spawn.” She slapped another bug dead.

Sean turned his bright eyes on her, his brows low as if thinking through a problem. His long hair hung behind him, pulled back at the crown. Not really blond. More the color of wheat but it looked soft to the touch. He seemed to see right through her.

“Shite!” She slapped at her leg. She must be one tasty morsel according to all these bugs and he sat there totally unbothered.

At least in the cave there had been no flying things to feast on her, just a few bats that kept to their own area. It had also seemed much safer than this place, less exposed. She glanced into the darkness. She couldn’t make out anything beyond the light from the fire.

“Whoreson!” She slapped at her neck and her hand came back bloody. “What to hell!”

Sean raised his eyebrows now clearly contemplating her. As if she spoke a language he didn’t understand. As if he were just noticing her at all.

“Ye have quite a mouth on ye.” He sounded as if he were making an observation. No expression. “Let me ken when ye run out of expletives. I’ll be happy to supply yer youthful brain with words nae child should ken.”

“I’m not a child.”

Sean swept his gaze over her body and she felt the sudden urge to shield herself from his view. When he looked her in the face, he smiled. A knowing smile. A smile that said “I know yer secret”.

“I would not say ye’re a man yet. Would ye, Tommy?”

Thomasina seethed inside at her own prideful outburst.

Idiot!

Of course she was a child. Just a boy. Not a lass of ten and eight only pretending to be a boy.

Sean kept his eyes on her face. He watched but said nothing. The shadows cast from the fire played across the strong planes of his face. She shivered.

“Are ye cold, Tommy?” His voice pitched lower this time. He took a long drink, his eyes never leaving her.

She wrapped her arms across her chest, hugging herself. “Nae.”

He licked his lips as if whatever he drank were delicious.

A fluttering inside demanded… action. She held out her hand to him. “May I have some?”

“’Tis best not to indulge at such a young age.” His tone remained even but that light in his eyes intensified as if he were holding back laughter.

She kept her hand out. “Please,” she coughed again. “Please.”

Satisfied that her voice sounded more appropriate, she tipped her nose into the air. She tried for that I-will-not-back-down expression that boys get.

His white teeth gleamed and he took another swallow. “Are ye certain?”

Her hand did not waver and it suddenly seemed of the utmost importance that she taste whatever he was drinking. She was not much of a drinker. Her father imbibed too often and too much. She preferred not to be like him. This seemed different somehow. The need to win this stranger’s acquiescence pushed her.

“Yea.”

His eyes pierced hers. She felt the jolt down to her toes and she couldn’t explain it. As he moved forward to pass her the skin, his eyes never wavered. They held hers as if in a trance. His warm fingers brushed her palm. Lightning shot up her arm.

“Thank ye.” Her voice sounded breathy.

She glanced at the glistening, pink lips just visible through his heavy beard. His eyes remained on hers. She took a sip. Bitter liquid burned down her throat and she jumped to her feet. Grimacing, she spit it onto the ground.

“Now that is a waste,” he said.

“What to hell is this?”

Sean’s hearty laugh surprised her. He remained sitting but his whole body shuddered with his deep, gut-splitting laughter. She paused to watch him. His eyes were closed. His broad shoulders shook with the sound. The tension in her gut eased a bit turning everything inside pliant.

He opened his eyes, starting as if surprised to see her watching him. He cocked a brow and gave her a sly look. “I did warn ye.”

Thomasina wiped her mouth with the back of her hand and smiled. A heartfelt smile. “Ye did.”

“Ye should have listened to me.”

“Yea.” She raised her eyebrows in expectation. “Have ye had enough fun with me now?”

Too late she realized she’d not disguised her voice. She swallowed hard. She waited.

Buy The Irish Warrior on Amazon
About the Author:
Aside from two years spent in the wilds of the Colorado mountains, Ashley York is a proud life-long New Englander and a hardcore romantic. She has an MA in History which brings with it, through many years of research, a love for primary documents and the smell of musty old libraries. With her author's imagination, she likes to write about people who could have lived alongside those well-known giants from the past.

Connect with her online at:
Website: www.ashleyyorkauthor.com
Email: ashleyyork1066 at G mail dot com
Twitter: @ashleyyork1066
***
Next week on The Maze:
The return of Medieval Monday.
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The Boar of Moray and the Pendragon face off in RAGING SEA Ch 8/Sc 1B #amwriting #Arthurverse

Graphic overlay (c)2015 by Kim Headlee. As a writer of historically accurate fiction, especially when dealing with cultures vastly different than our own, I find it quite the tightrope act to balance that accuracy with creating characters with whom my audience can relate.

Case in point is the ancient Celtic culture, which by all reports was highly segregated along the gender divide, even to the point of living arrangements, and boys and girls being raised and trained separately. Had I portrayed the culture in those terms, I would have run the risk of depicting circumstances that today's reader might have found difficult to understand.

Instead I chose to use the "Brytoni" (British Celtic) culture as a vehicle to represent a society that in general is repressive of women, with certain notable exceptions, as a metaphor for the struggle women endure worldwide to this day.

Today's excerpt shows my two most notable exceptions in action, filtered through the perspective of Accolon, a man born and steeped in the male-centric traditions of his people and yet possessing the potential to rise above that hidebound thinking.

Previous excerpts of Raging Sea  Chapter 7: Sc 1 | Sc 2 | Sc 3 | Sc 4 | Sc 5a | Sc 5b |
Chapter 8: Sc 1a |
Raging Sea Chapter 8, Scene 1B©2015 by Kim HeadleeAll rights reserved.
An hour later, standing beside Urien’s immense chair on the dais of Dunadd’s hall as the Pendragon strode toward them with his mother and sister, Accolon had to force himself to keep his fists relaxed. Urien, to judge by the slow, rhythmic way his fingers were straightening and curling around the boar-headed knobs of his chair’s armrests, was fighting a similar battle—as were the Moray soldiers of Urien’s personal guard, arrayed at strategic points about the hall. The meeting with the Scotti contingent, a few minutes earlier, had progressed smoothly enough, and those men and their wives were being shown their quarters even now, but trust between former enemies was a hard prize to win in spite of what their leaders might wish.

Urien’s decision to permit the presence of his own mother, Lady Wreigdda, and the other Moray noblewomen for this meeting had to be helping to dispel some of the tension; fear-bred hostility was the last thing any man ever wanted to display in front of his woman.

Accolon hoped the women’s silent influence would prove to be enough.

“Chieftain Urien,” said Arthur’s mother with a short but graceful nod. The only reason her utterance didn’t cause all of Clan Moray fits of scandalized gasps was because everyone knew Ygraine was a chieftainess in her own right—and as such, she outranked her son, though he appeared to be burying whatever resentment he must feel regarding that vagary of his life’s circumstances. “We thank you—and your lady mother Wreigdda—for your most gracious invitation to your home.”

Wreigdda, standing foremost among the ladies clustered near the dais, her simple but elegant black gown embroidered with the Boar of Moray in gold thread but her plain widow’s headdress displaying a poignant reminder that she continued to mourn Dumarec, smiled and nodded her pleasure at Ygraine’s recognition.

Urien’s smile did not encompass his eyes. “You are ever well come to the Seat of Moray as a valued ally, Chieftainess Ygraine.” His gaze shifted and softened. “I thank you for this opportunity to strengthen our alliance through marriage to your daughter.”

Rising from the chair, Urien extended his hand, smile broadening. Morghe, her smile tinged with an emotion Accolon couldn’t quite identify and therefore didn’t trust, stepped forward to clasp it.

“And I’ll thank you to remember, Chieftain Urien,” Arthur said in a low, measured, dangerous tone, “whose protection Lady Morghe shall always enjoy, regardless of whom she marries.”

Ygraine shot Arthur a brief, annoyed glance. Morghe grinned.

Urien arched an eyebrow, giving the waist of his wife-to-be a squeeze, and she leaned into his embrace. “Ah, Lord Pendragon. A pleasure, as always.” The Chieftain of Clan Moray made a show of scanning the hall. “But it appears that you have forgotten to bring the woman you should be most concerned about protecting.” Of course Urien knew that Arthur had forgotten no one; the scouting report Accolon had read had been quite clear on that point, even though the chieftain’s orders had necessitated omission of the Scotti contingent should the report have fallen into other hands. Before anyone could react to Urien’s perceived threat, he ambled on with, “Where is Chieftainess Gyanhumara? Have you managed at last to saddle her at your hearth, where she belongs?”

Morghe’s grin widened.

“The Comitissa Britanniam,” Arthur said through clenched teeth, “is where she belongs: in the Add Valley at the base of Dunadd, setting up camp alongside her men.”

Ygraine touched Arthur’s arm, and his posture relaxed a little. “Gyanhumara appreciates your invitation too, Chieftain Urien,” she said. “But she did not wish to overburden your hospitality, what with so many . . . other guests lodged under your roof.”

Accolon didn’t miss Ygraine’s subtle emphasis; doubtless, Urien didn’t either.

“What my mother is too politic to ask, Urien, is why have you invited my former captors to be honored guests at our wedding?”

This time the hall did erupt into exclamations of scandal and shock—though Accolon couldn’t quite suppress the laugh that threatened to explode from the depths of his gut.
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Spotlight: Mr. Blackwell by @AB_Novak #paranormal romance

AUTHOR: AB NovakGENRE: Paranormal Romance
COVER DESIGINER: Rue Volley
PUBLISHING DATE: October 15, 2015


In the deep, bice, swampy waters of Louisiana, novice journalist Vivienne Gray falls head over heels in love with a man she supposed to be interviewing, Jase Blackwell. When Vivienne saves Jase’s life they are pulled into an ancient curse that has plagued the Blackwell family for years. There is a reason behind superstition. It's because it's all true. Not believing does not make it go away.
Unsure whether I was making a mistake or not, I sat back down and, from the moment we restarted the interview, it went pretty well. Jeffery and Julius answered most of my questions, and Father Joe commented here and there. Jase was the only one who didn’t talk or seem interested in the conversation. Everyone else was cooperating, though, so I didn’t mind.
That was until Julius brought up Jase’s snakebite. I learned that in the springtime, just a few months ago, Jase was bitten by a diamondback rattlesnake and had survived on his own, for about a day, in the swamp. The snake bit him in his lower abdomen, and he almost died. When they found him, he was barely breathing and had to be flown to the hospital to receive twenty-two anti-venom shots.
My reporter's brain started spinning fast. Intrigued by his survival story and desperately wanting to know more about this man, I asked if he could show me how, what, where, when, and how he survived. He was hesitant, but in the end, the family made him do it, most likely just to make it up to me. That's why I ended up in a dark corner of the Blackwell hunting cabin, cradling my plate, and waiting for him to say something, anything.
He must have known I’d wanted to clean my plate because he got up, walked over to take it from me, and exited through the only door. I heard him scraping both plates and then running water. He came back with two clean plates.
Not wanting any more silence, I spoke up. “So is this where you were bitten?”
He put the plates away on the shelf above the fireplace then strode back to the table, and sat down in a bit of a huff. He ran his fingers through his auburn hair and rubbed the back of his neck a few times. 
I kicked an invisible piece of dirt on the ground, pretending I wasn’t watching his every move. Another shiver went down my spine. I reached up with one hand to untwist my necklace, thinking once more I shouldn’t have come out here. 
Again, I barely heard him speak. “No, it’s a two-mile hike from here. I’ll show you in the morning. We got a late start today. I’m not taking you out there at night. We’ll leave at first light and get you back in time for your flight.” 
My mouth felt dry. I liked his slow, southern way of speaking. Shaking my head a little and deciding to take a chance, I went to my bag and pulled out my pen and pad. I didn’t really need to take notes because I knew that nothing he said would be forgotten. I sat back down at the table, gave him a reassuring nod, and he began. 
He focused his piercing eyes on the fire across the cabin. “As I said, I hiked about two miles east from here. I was looking for some wood for a bow I was working on. The rattlesnake must have just shed its skin or the rattle was broken off because I didn’t hear or see it until I was right on top of it. Mating season makes the snakes more aggressive. He got me here.” 
Leaning back in the chair, he patted his lower, right abdomen. I was hoping he was going to lift up his shirt, but he didn’t. A girl can dream. Pushing those thoughts out of my head, I pretended to make a note. “You have to stay calm when you get bit like that. You don’t want to get your blood pumping too fast because the venom will spread faster. By the time I made it back here, I was feeling the effects... bad.” His deep voice was extremely attractive. 
He got up effortlessly from where he was sitting at the old wooden table, walked across to the fire, and poked at it with a stick of some sort. Feeling myself shiver, I slowly walked over to where he was by the fireplace and sat down cross-legged, needing the heat. He glanced sideways at me and put down the makeshift poker. He sat, too, resting his weight on his hands behind him and stretching out his long legs. The fire danced in his eyes. They were normally a deep royal blue, but when they mixed with the yellow firelight, they seemed emerald in color. Every hair on my body felt like it was standing on end, ready to ignite. 
“My head was throbbing, my right leg was numb, my back ached, and I was getting sick to my stomach.” He reached up and touched his forehead as if the pain was still there. It wasn’t me making him act this way; he was reliving the horrifying experience. He’d thought he was going to die out here. 
I opened my mouth to speak, to tell him to stop. He didn’t have to tell me any more. I couldn’t stand to hear the pain in his voice anymore. But before I could say anything, he continued. “I crawled to the boat. I don’t know how I was able to start the motor, but I did. I hoped I'd pointed it in the right direction down river. I don’t remember anymore. Dad found me a few hours later. The boat was grounded on the riverbank a few miles up from here.” His eyes became distant as his thoughts engulfed him. 
I never wanted him to feel that way again and changed the subject, quickly. “So since you’ve caught my gift of gab, Jase, why don’t you tell me more about your gift of silence?” I liked the way his name slipped easily off my tongue. I smiled at him, hoping he found the humor in my words. He closed his divine eyes for a moment then he was back from wherever he had gone. I got my first real smile from him, and it took my breath away. 
I watched as his sublime lips parted, and he began to speak. “I find that if you listen, you learn a lot more than when you talk.”
“Ouch,” I said. “You really don’t like me, do you?” I asked, tapping my pen on my notepad, trying not to sound hurt. But I was. 
“You don’t understand what I’m saying, Miss Gray,” he chuckled, sitting up and poking at the fire again. 
Feeling as if he’d just called me brainless, I lashed out. “I see and understand everything, Jase Blackwell. I can comprehend everything you’re saying. You think I’m some young, dumb, blonde girl who has no business being out here. Hate to break it to you, bud, but I think you’re more afraid out here right now than I am.” His eyes never left mine during my rant. I felt my body moving involuntarily closer to him as I watched his eyes light up with amusement. “What’s so funny?” I asked in the meanest tone I could muster. 
What’s with me? One minute I’m captivated by this man, and the next I want to slap him across his bearded face. I sat back with a huff then got up and walked back to my dark corner. I was ready to tell him to just forget it. 
He stared into the fire and spoke quietly. “I’ve learned that when you’re nervous, you don’t know what to do with your gentle hands. You often reach up to make sure your necklace is there. It must be of some importance to you. When you get mad, your eyes narrow, and I can almost see the fire burning inside you. I can tell you’re in good shape because most people don’t hold up well in temperatures like this unless they’re used to it. You don’t mind the dirt and grime that comes with spending a night in the swamp, so I’m guessing you’re not from the city like my dad thought. The big bugs freak you out... a lot. And when your yellow hair blows in the breeze, it reminds me of sunbeams, and when you’re embarrassed, your fair skin turns my favorite shade of red.” 
I stood there, not knowing what to say. If he could see my cheeks in the shadows, he’d probably be happy. Trying to shake off the chill and yearning for the heat of the fire, I emerged from the darkness. “Well, that was honestly the biggest flying monster I’ve ever seen. It was huge. It wouldn’t leave me alone. It kept coming back, and it stung me twice.” I snatched the poker out of his hand and poked at the fire with it, not wanting to talk about me. “It’s your perfume. It’s very sweet. I should’ve warned you before we left the house.” He grinned, sniffing the air with his absolutely perfect nose. 
I stopped fiddling with the fire and glanced at him out the corner of my eye. I wasn’t sure if my face was giving anything away, but I was certainly doing back flips on the inside. “I don’t wear perfume. I’m allergic.” 
His piercing eyes looked like he had just revealed a secret that he wasn’t supposed to, and his lips parted slightly as we once again locked eyes. My skin was on fire again, and the urge to reach for him was back. 
Shaking his head slightly, he stood up, went over to our gear, and started laying out our sleeping bags. I saw him pull out a large, silver knife and place it next to his sleeping bag. Next, he moved his bow and arrows closer to the fireplace. 
My eyes grew wide, and my heart beat rapidly. So consumed was I with trying to figure out Jase Blackwell that I’d forgotten I was miles away from civilization in the middle of a Louisiana swamp with a man I had only known for a few hours. He sensed my sudden edginess. 
He lay down and said, “Don’t worry—you’re safe with me. I’ll never let anything happen to you.” It was as if he was stating a fact he had known all his life. 
And I believed him. I did feel safe and warm when he was near. No man had ever made me feel this way. I should be afraid, but I wasn’t. I should want to be boarding that plane back to Baltimore, but I wasn’t. For some unknown reason, I knew I didn’t want to be anywhere but next to him. He laid a muscular arm over his face to block out the moonlight coming through the front window of the cabin. Or maybe it was just a sign for me to stop talking. 
“Good night, Miss Gray,” he whispered. 
“’Night, Jase,” I said. It was all I could manage. 
With that, I went to my bag and pulled out a hair tie. I braided my long, blonde hair back as I did every night, took my boots off, and slipped into my sleeping bag. For a while, I just lay there in the moonlight, watching Jase’s chest rise and fall and thinking about how satisfying it would be to touch him. I thought about what his beard would feel like if I ran my fingers through it and gave it a tug. I thought he’d like it. I didn’t care if he saw me watching him—I couldn’t help myself. I kept my hands pinned under my head just in case I got the urge to reach out for him. All the emotions that had been running through me simmered as I realized I was lovesick for Jase Blackwell.

AMAZON

A.B. Novak grew up in Northern Maryland. She graduated from college with a degree in Fashion Design. In 2009 she married her college sweetheart, moved to a farm and had two beautiful children. She is an avid horse rider, author and business owner with her husband.
     

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MoB Promosmagicofbookspromo@gmail.com
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The Business of Writing: An Introduction (workshop description) #ASMSG #MFRWOrg

Der Gemeindeschreiber ("The Community Writer")
by Gemälde von Albert Anker, 1874.
Public domain (Wikimedia Commons). Confession time! 

On 06/02/2015, I introduced The Business of Writing weekly feature on The Maze. Why?

To help fellow writers surfing the blogisphere, of course, but also as a means of collecting my thoughts because I had volunteered to present a workshop for folks wishing to dip their literary toes into the Indie Publishing pool.

This coming weekend—either Friday evening or (more likely) sometime Saturday; program details have not yet been released—I will be test-driving my Business of Writing workshop at Rising Star 2015 in Bluefield, WV.

Even more exciting is the prospect of presenting it again at Chessiecon 2015 (Baltimore, MD) at 4:15 p.m. on "Black Friday"—yep, the day after Thanksgiving! If all goes well, I may even be presenting it in 2016 at Marscon, Farpoint, and other events too.

Fans who have seen me on con panels know that my greatest strength as a public speaker is extemporizing. Even when called upon to deliver a lecture, I tend to jot down a list of topics and then speak as the spirit moves me.

Workshops (and this weekend's will be my first foray as a workshop presenter) I know operate a bit differently. Attendees tend to expect a formal presentation and handouts, at the very least, and perhaps more opportunities for interaction than a standard lecture affords. So, yes, my workshop will have a "formal" framework (and handouts!) covering the following topics:
To Incorporate or Not Incorporate, that is the question.ISBNs – what, why, and how many??? Imprints Demystified Book Production: DIY vs. Professional Providers for editing, layout, cover design The Main Event: Createspace vs. IngramSpark Where I plan to differ from "standard" workshop presentation style is to display this list of topics and then ask the audience which topic they would like to see first, second, and so on, being prepared to jump back and forth in my presentation slides. Since I'm only allotted an hour for this workshop at each con, I'm hoping this will allow folks to come away with the most bang for their instructional buck.

I'll let you know how it goes... and better yet, I hope to see you there! :)

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Courting the West #boxset spotlight #western sweet to spicy romance

Name of cover designer: Skhye Moncrief
Official genre of box set: sweet to spicy romance


Courting the West 10 Western Novels Available as a boxed set for a limited time! 
NYT, USA Today and Bestselling authors bring you ten Western romance novels featuring sexy cowboys and sultry heroines. This boxed set is loaded with a variety of sweet to steamy romances designed to entice your senses and warm your heart. 

Amazon US ~ Amazon CA ~ Amazon UK ~ Goodreads

Join the authors of the boxed set COURTING THE WEST to celebrate the availability of this exciting box of 10 sweet to steamy romances, each with sexy cowboys and sultry heroines. [Chat with authors and win prizes.].
Book link = Amazon link for the bookAuthor link = Author Amazon page

PAINTED MONTANA SKY by Debra HollandIn 1894, Lily Maxwell, aspiring painter, travels to Sweetwater Springs, Montana, with her precious cocker spaniel to work on an artistic project that could launch her career. For years, Lily has denied herself happiness because of her equestrian accident that left her with a damaged hip, a limp, and a sense of unworthiness. Her inability to bear children has kept her from giving her heart to anyone. After rancher Tyler Dunn’s wife abandoned him and their son, he wants nothing to do with women. But this new girl in town, with her lovely violet eyes and her wonderful talent, stirs feelings in Tyler. After Tyler rescues Lily’s dog from being swept away by the river, Lily develops a friendship with him, the people on his ranch, and his young son, Oliver. Yet the two of them dare not give in to their feelings for each other. Can these lonely souls find their hearts’ desires under the majestic Montana Sky?

DAISY (Suitors of Seattle Series) by Kirsten Osbourne

Raised with advantage and privilege, Daisy must now find a husband. Because of her overwhelming shyness, she chooses to let her aunt, Harriett Farmer, find her a husband. Aunt Harriett’s suggestions are not what she expected. Setting her up to be a Mail Order Bride, she sends her to Montana to meet Eli King. What she finds is a life vastly different than what she's used to. Can she possibly find love and contentment, or is she doomed to a life of regret?


HIS BROTHER’S WIFE (Willow Creek Series) by Lily Graison
When Grace Kingston accepts a wedding proposal through a mail-order bride agency and travels across country to be married, she has no idea her bridegroom is a fourteen-year-old boy. There’s no way she can accept his offer but with depleted funds, and winter coming on, Grace has little choice but to stay. Things go from bad to worse when she meets Jesse’s older brother, Rafe. The attraction is immediate. He’s surly, rude and downright pig-headed but he makes her pulse race with a single glance. Rafe Samuels thought to teach his brother a lesson by making him take responsibility for his rash behavior but one look at Grace and his plans go up in smoke. She isn’t the dowdy spinster he imagined and having her live in his house and not be able to have her is the worst kind of torment. But putting her out of his mind is impossible. As fall turns to winter, Grace finds that living with the two brothers isn’t as simple a thing as she once thought. Jesse still thinks marriage is in the cards, and Rafe is a devilishly handsome distraction she doesn’t need. She can’t decide if he hates her or wants to kiss her. And how does she avoid breaking Jess’s heart when it becomes clear that the attraction between her and Rafe is mutual?

TAME A WILD WIND (Tame Series) by Cynthia Woolf

Catherine Evans fell in love when she was three years old, head-over-heels, forever kind of love. The very first moment she saw twelve-year-old Duncan McKenzie, she told God and her pony that she was going to marry that boy. He was handsome. He was kind. He was strong and smart and all the good things a boy should be. For thirteen years she loved him with every beat of her heart. And on her sixteenth birthday he walked away from her father's ranch, and from her. He didn't look back over his shoulder. Not even once. And from that day forward, Catherine Evans swore off all men. Her heart turned to stone, her will to iron, and her vow to God changed. She'd run her father's ranch. She'd succeed. She'd survive. And she would never, ever love another man as long as she lived. Duncan McKenzie left the ranch ten years ago, desperate to escape temptation in the form of a budding young lady too innocent to claim for his own. But Catherine's frightened father summons him home. The ranch is under attack and the old man's stubborn daughter refuses to seek help. Duncan left a sweet young girl behind a decade ago. He returns to a defiant siren, a woman whose heart is as wild as the land she would sacrifice her life to protect. When Catherine's father coerces her into marrying Duncan, the fire in her eyes spells trouble, but it's the kind of trouble Duncan has no desire to resist. Marriage is the only way he can protect her. Especially when Duncan's own past comes calling in the form of one extremely dangerous and vengeful outlaw, Catherine's cowardly enemies want the ranch badly enough to kill for it, and his reluctant bride is very much in their way.

SLEIGHT OF HEART by Jacquie Rogers

A Straight-Laced Spinster… Lexie Campbell, more comfortable with neat and tidy numbers than messy emotions, is determined find the sharper who ruined her little sister and make him marry her. When his lookalike brother Burke appears, she greets him with a rifle and forces him to help her. Can she resist his magic charm? A Gambler With Magic Hands… To claim the family fortune, smooth-dealing Burke O’Shaughnessy has to find his brother Patrick, despite being saddled with an angry spinster. But when Lexie shows an astounding talent for counting cards and calculating odds, he figures she might be useful after all. Can he draw the queen of hearts?

A HERO’S HEART by Sylvia McDaniel

Wade Ketchum is searching for his only surviving sibling when he finds a ready-made family. Rachel Cooke is stranded on the Oregon trail with three orphans and a rebellious sister, until gambler Wade Ketchum rescues them. The hardened cowboy is searching to find his long lost brother, is out of cash and has no time for a praying spinster. When Rachel runs out of options, she makes a deal. Wade must pretend to be her husband and help her reach Oregon. But somewhere along the trail, pretending becomes real. Can she help Wade realize that he still has a heart capable of love? 


LAYING CLAIM (Halsey Homecoming Series) by Paty Jager

Jeremy Duncan commits to haul one last load of supplies across the great interior of the Yukon before heading home. But, he has to trade his pack animals for sled dogs and leave Skagway in the middle of a blizzard due to one strong-willed, business-minded beauty. Determined to find her older brother, Clara Bixbee doesn’t care how she gets across the pass, as long as she does, and soon. Hiring handsome pack guide Jeremy Duncan seems to be her best choice. Especially after she saves a young girl being beaten by the local gang leader and needs to escape Skagway fast.

SARAH SUNSHINE (A Montana Romance) by Merry Farmer

She was done with her shameful past… But Sarah Withers’s past isn’t done with her. Though she longs for Roy LaCroix—body, heart, and soul—old wounds and fresh battles threaten to end her second chance at an honest life before it begins. His future is only a heartbeat away… But how can Roy LaCroix stay true to the woman he’s waited so long for when he and Sarah are embroiled in a twenty-year-old feud that threatens to keep the star-crossed lovers apart? Roy must choose: be a man of substance, or to stay true to his heart. Only love can stop history from repeating itself before it’s too late…

CHASING THE DEAD (Bannister Brothers) by Keta Diablo

The Apache kidnapped me to dispel an evil ghost from their village. If I tell them I don't possess the same skills my madre did, they'll cut my throat and feed me to the dogs. Celesta was the best spirit chaser in all of New Mexico before she died. The most I can hope for is that Emmett, my fiancé, will rescue me. Is he capable of such a thing? Poppy must not have thought so because he sent Deacon Bannister to save me. Deacon…the man who walked away days before our wedding a year ago. The man who still melts my bones after one look. We're running for our lives from Uday, the vaporous ghoul tracking us. He lusts after Sacheen, the beautiful maiden banished from the Apache village who travels with us. The warrior killed her father when Sacheen refused to marry him, and then Sacheen's brother killed Uday. The ghost's powers grow stronger every minute on our journey back to El Vaquero...and so does my love for Deacon.

THE MOST UNSUITABLE COURTSHIP (Kincaid Series) by Caroline Clemmons

Storm Kincaid wants justice; Rena Dmitriev wants vengeance. When Storm’s best friend and the friend’s wife are murdered, Storm secures a temporary appointment as Federal Marshal so he can trail and capture the killers. He follows them to twenty one year old Rena’s home, which is in flames when he arrives. She has surived by following her elderly husband’s instuctions while the men murdered the him. Storm intends to take her to the nearest town where she will be safe. She can identify the men who killed the person who had been her husband in name only and like a grandfather to her, and she vows to kill at least one of them. Whether or not Storm allows her to accompany him, she assures him she will go after the murderers. She is the only person alive who can identify the evil foursome whose policy has been to leave no witnesses. Storm agrees to take her with him. She’ll be safer with him to protect her than she would riding alone. As a powerful and passionate love blossoms, they unite to rescue three orphaned children, fight the elements, and encounter the killers. Will their love be enough to protect them?

New York Times and USA Today bestselling author, Debra Holland wears several hats when it comes to writing. As a psychotherapist, she writes nonfiction books. The Essential Guide to Grief and Grieving is her first nonfiction book. More nonfiction books about grieving, boundary setting with difficult people, and relationships, are forthcoming.
Debra also writes fiction--Historial Western Romance, Contemporary Romance, Fantasy Romance, and Science Fiction. Her Montana Sky series, sweet historical Western romances, is published by Amazon Montlake. The Gods' Dream Trilogy (fantasy romance) is available on Kindle.
Debra lives in Southern California and has one dog and two cats. She's a second degree blackbelt and teaches martial arts. She also is a corporate crisis/grief counselor. You can join her newsletter subscription list or learn more about her at www.drdebraholland.com.

★✯★

USA Today bestselling author Kirsten Osbourne knows how to write romance. Each book is an experience that transplants the reader, indulging them in decadence, intense emotion and sweeping love.
Hailing from the state of Wisconsin, she has lived in Texas for over thirty years as a mother, writer, and wife. Married to the love of her life for more than fifteen years, she knows that true love exists and shares that vision with the world.
She writes contemporary and historical romance as well and also ventures into the realm of paranormal romance. She invites you to join her in her world of fantasy, love, and make believe, no matter the location, where there is always a happily ever after at the end.

★✯★

USA TODAY bestselling author Lily Graison writes historical western romances and dabbles in contemporary and paranormal romance. First published in 2005, Lily has written over a dozen romance novels that range from sweet to spicy.
She lives in Hickory, North Carolina with her husband, three high-strung Yorkies and more cats than she can count and is mother of two and grandmother of three. On occasion, she can be found at her sewing machine creating 1800's period clothing or participating in civil war reenactments and area living history events. When not portraying a southern belle, you can find her at a nearby store feeding her obsession for all things resembling office supplies.
★✯★
Cynthia Woolf is the author of fifteen historical western romance books and one short story, and one novella with more books on the way. She was born in Denver, Colorado and raised in the mountains west of Golden. She spent her early years running wild around the mountain side with her friends.
Their closest neighbor was one quarter of a mile away, so her little brother was her playmate and her best friend. That fierce friendship lasted until his death in 2006.
Cynthia is an avid reader. Her mother was a librarian and brought new books home each week. This is where young Cynthia first got the storytelling bug. She wrote her first story at the age of ten. A romance about a little boy she liked at the time.
Cynthia loves writing and reading romance. Her first western romance Tame A Wild Heart, was inspired by the story her mother told her of meeting Cynthia's father on a ranch in Creede, Colorado. Although Tame A Wild Heart takes place in Creede that is the only similarity between the stories. Her father was a cowboy not a bounty hunter and her mother was a nursemaid (called a nanny now) not the ranch owner.
Cynthia credits her wonderfully supportive husband Jim and the great friends she's made at Colorado Romance Writers for saving her sanity and allowing her to explore her creativity.
★✯★
Jacquie Rogers - I'm a former software designer, campaign manager, deli clerk, and cow milker, but always a bookworm. Reading is my passion--westerns, fantasies, historicals of any era, and all with a dash of romance. If an author can make me laugh, I'll buy every book he/she ever wrote.
While I'm a country girl by birth, I currently live in suburbia with my very patient husband (important point: we are the staff of one cat) I don't think you can ever take the country out of a girl's heart. That's probably why my stories often take place in Idaho where I grew up. (Hearts of Owyhee series and some of my short stories, too.) 
On my website at www.JacquieRogers.com you can find lots of Bonus Features for my stories and other fun stuff. Please let me know if you've posted a review and I'll give you a sneak peek into my next book. 
★✯★
Sylvia McDaniel is a best-selling, award-winning author of western historical romance and contemporary romance novels. Known for her sweet, funny, family-oriented romances, Sylvia is the author of The Burnett Brides a historical western series, The Cuvier Widows, a Louisiana historical series, Lipstick and Lead, a western historical series and several short contemporary romances.
Former President of the Dallas Area Romance Authors, a member of the Romance Writers of America®, and a member of Novelists Inc, her novel, A Hero's Heart was a 1996 Golden Heart Finalist. Several other books have placed or won in the San Antonio Romance Authors Contest, LERA Contest, and she was a Golden Network Finalist.
Married for nearly twenty years to her best friend, they have one dachshund that is Queen Supreme Dog in the house and a good-looking, grown son who thinks there's no place like home. She loves gardening, hiking, shopping, knitting and football (Cowboys and Bronco's fan), but not necessarily in that order.
★✯★
Award-winning author Paty Jager and her husband raise alfalfa hay in rural eastern Oregon. On her road to publication she wrote freelance articles for two local newspapers and enjoyed her job with the County Extension service as a 4-H Program Assistant. Raising hay and cattle, riding horses, and battling rattlesnakes, she not only writes the western lifestyle, she lives it.
All her work has Western or Native American elements in them along with hints of humor and engaging characters. Her penchant for research takes her on side trips that eventually turn into yet another story. ​
★✯★
Merry Farmer lives in suburban Philadelphia with her two cats, Butterfly and Torpedo. She has been writing since she was ten years old and realized one day that she didn't have to wait for the teacher to assign a creative writing project to write something. It was the best day of her life. She then went on to earn not one but two degrees in History so that she would always having something to write about. Today she walks along the cutting edge of Indie Publishing, writing Historical Romance and Women's Sci-Fi. She is also passionate about blogging, knitting, and cricket and is working towards becoming an internationally certified cricket scorer.
★✯★
Keta Diablo lives in the Midwest part of the United States on six acres of woodland. When she isn't writing or gardening she loves to commune with nature. She adores animals and has made it her mission in life to help feed hungry children in the USA. Greatly disturbed by the statistic that one in every five children goes to bed hungry, she donates her time and support to local food and animal shelters. 
Keta is a multi-published author in both erotic romance and gay fiction. Her erotica novel Decadent Deceptions was a finalist in the MOLLY contest sponsored by Romance Writers of America and has been nominated for a Red Carpet Award in 2014. Her paranormal novel Where the Rain Is Made has been nominated for a Bookie Award by Authors After Dark. Her historical novel Sky Tinted Water has been nominated for a RONE Award by Ind'Tale Magazine. Keta's books have received numerous Top Pick, Book of the Month, and Recommended Read awards from the top professional review sites.
★✯★
Caroline Clemmons is an Amazon bestselling and award winning author of historical and contemporary western romances. A frequent speaker at conferences and seminars, she has taught workshops on characterization, point of view, and layering a novel. 
Caroline and her husband live in the heart of Texas cowboy country with their menagerie of rescued pets. When she’s not indulging her passion for writing, Caroline enjoys family, reading, travel, antiquing, genealogy, painting, and getting together with friends. Subscribe to her newsletter here to receive a FREE novella. 

Amazon US ~ Amazon CA ~ Amazon UK ~ Goodreads
MoBmagicofbookspromo@gmail.com
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Meet the man destined to become Morgan le Fay's lover in RAGING SEA Ch 8/Sc 1a #amwriting

Graphic overlay (c)2015 by Kim Headlee. In Arthurian legend, Morgan le Fay is notorious for her promiscuity—in spite of the fact that she was married. That her husband King Uriens condoned her practice of keeping lovers may harken to an accepted practice of the day for noblewomen whose married life was, shall I say, somewhat less than emotionally fulfilling.

The fact that Morgan le Fay was never condemned in a formal trial for adultery, as Guinevere was, may also prove that Guinevere's story was rewritten by the descendants of her and Arthur's enemies.

We may never know, of course, which is why I prefer to be a novelist rather than an academic.

Although Morgan le Fay is reputed to have seduced many knights, including Lancelot, her favorite knight for most of her life was Sir Accolon. I have elected to preserve his name as-is in my fiction, though I gave him a more Celtic-sounding surname ("map Anwas"; i.e., son of Anwas). The relationship between Morghe and Accolon received the rockiest of starts in Morning's Journey when he came >< that close to killing her to complete a mission Urien had assigned him.

Today's excerpt shows an entirely different facet of how he feels about her.

Previous excerpts of Raging Sea  Chapter 7: Sc 1 | Sc 2 | Sc 3 | Sc 4 | Sc 5a | Sc 5b |
Raging Sea Chapter 8, Scene 1A©2015 by Kim HeadleeAll rights reserved.
ACCOLON map Anwas tugged at the hem of his bronze-studded battle tunic to dispel the rush of nervousness at the prospect of meeting the Pendragon garbed in anything other than a legion uniform.

It had been nigh unto a year since he had followed his longtime friend and commander to begin a new life as Urien’s chief adviser, a post which now included diplomat, the last bloody thing he’d ever expected. But it had given him ample opportunities to become accustomed to wearing the Clan Moray gold-crossed black cloak, rather than legion scarlet.

He caught himself giving his jerkin another tug, dropped his hand to his sword’s hilt, and chided his foolishness.

A pair of quick glances affirmed that the soldiers flanking him atop Dunadd’s gate tower either had not noticed the lapse or possessed wit enough not to react.

Drawing his cloak tighter to ward off the chilly April breeze that swooped in from the coast all too often at this time of year, heralding spring with a reminder that winter wasn’t quite done with the land, Accolon shifted his gaze to the farm-marbled distance and the approaching band, winding its way alongside the pale blue ribbon that was the River Add.

Neither cold nor distance could stem his reaction to the prospect of whom the Pendragon and his men were escorting to take up permanent residence here.

Tightening his jaw, he used the excuse of leaning against the platform’s rail to mask that reaction, damn her.

After everything Urien had endured because of another woman, Accolon would sooner eviscerate himself than jeopardize this relationship or the fragile peace it promised for everyone—except Accolon.

He stilled the grinding of his teeth.

As the minutes marched by and the band grew larger under his scrutiny, something seemed off. The group’s size was double what Arthur had said it would be. Accolon was about to send one of his men down to the main hall to alert Urien when a flash of white caught his eye. Squinting, he leaned farther forward.

“Sir? Is aught amiss?” asked Lucius, his second-in-command. It hadn’t been easy convincing Lucius to quit the legion, since he remained sympathetic toward the Pendragon, but it had been essential: Lucius had been privy to Urien’s deception during the cavalry games that had been staged for the Pendragon’s nuptials, and he needed to be kept close. Harder still was Accolon’s task to dissuade Urien from staging a convenient accident during the intervening months.

Accolon hated to waste otherwise good officer material.

He gazed at the man, who straightened and swallowed, as did everyone else in the guard contingent. “Were your scouts in error about the size of the Pendragon’s unit?”

“No, sir. Lady Morghe’s escort met up with another band of wedding guests yestermorn,” Lucius said, jutting his chin. “The guests that Chieftain Urien had ordered to be informed about directly.”

“Ah. Of course.” And Urien hadn’t seen fit to mention it to Accolon. No surprise there. The chieftain’s drumbeat was often a solitary one.

Thinking about those other guests revived yet more uncomfortable memories, and Accolon turned back toward the rail. The Scots’ white flag was unmistakable now, and he could see Arthur halfway back in the pack, distinguished by the brush on his helmet’s crest and the scarlet cloak billowing above the white flanks of his stallion.

That the men riding in a box formation surrounding the litters belonging to Lady Morghe, Chieftainess Ygraine, and Prioress Niniane were wearing blue cloaks rather than the standard legion scarlet, however, was a mystery that would have to wait.

“Permit them entry with only a token challenge,” he said to the guard captain, who acknowledged the command with a smart salute.

Upon ordering Lucius to accompany him, Accolon left the guard tower and prepared to welcome the woman slated on the morrow to become the wife of his best friend.

He derived a mote of comfort from the fact that Lucius had felt compelled to tug on his own battle-tunic too.

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Spotlight on Broken Pride by @DD_Chant #postapocalyptic romance

BOOK INFORMATIONTITLE – Broken Pride
SERIES – Broken City  
AUTHOR – D.D. Chant  
GENRE – Post-Apocalyptic Romance/Adventure
PUBLICATION DATE – 09/20/2015  
LENGTH (Pages/# Words) – 115.600 words
PUBLISHER – Self Published  
COVER ARTIST – Kate Lacy  BOOK SYNOPSISIn a future filled with warring factions, one young woman must risk everything to be reunited with the man she loves.
Despised for the name she bears, and trapped behind enemy lines, she knows her life and the lives of those she loves rests on her choosing her allies wisely.
Yet, in a world where greed is rampant and only the strong survive, how can she find the courage to trust again?

BUY & TBR LINKSAMAZON KINDLE US | AMAZON KINDLE CA | 
AMAZON KINDLE UK | GOODREADSEXCERPTSuddenly he knew exactly what the next few minutes would bring.They find the first body slumped against the wall of one of the outer buildings. The young man, little more than a boy, is propped up at an awkward angle, his face frozen into an expression filled with so much fear that it was difficult to look at him.

And then there was more.

More bodies, more blood, more horror than Ryder can take in. He feels sick to his stomach and, for a few moments, he is a teenage boy again picking through the dead carcasses that had littered the Kelly compound.

He shakes his head, trying to bring his focus back to the present.

Bodies litter the streets and hang over thresholds. He blinks the sweat running into his eyes away, trying not to dwell on the death that surrounds him. He couldn’t think about the awfulness, about the fact that most of the dead were so young.

They break into the square, yet by then Ryder had known what they would find. Val swears and when Ryder looks across at him it is to find that his sardonic, ever smug half-brother looks like he is going to be sick.

“What the… how the hell did they do this?” Val splutters, lifting his hand to his head and looking around wildly. “How did the Lewises manage to do this? We were right here for goodness sake! How did we not know this was happening?”

Ryder doesn’t answer him. He had no answers, just the sickness that rolled around his stomach. Beside him Connell turns and vomits on to the ground. Ryder isn’t surprised to see one of the hard-bitten Andak soldiers displaying such weakness. He was pretty close to joining him in heaving out the contents of his own stomach. Out of the corner of his eye he catches sight of a movement and lifts his gun warningly. Ian sits in the dust outside one of the hovels the Brownelys called homes. It takes Ryder a minute to realise that it was Ian’s house, the same one he had seen him standing in the doorway of yesterday.

He moves forward, ready to offer assistance. It wasn’t until he was much closer that he became aware of the fact that Ian clutched a lifeless body in his arms.  AUTHOR BIOHi everyone,
My name is DeeDee and I live in a beautiful part of Devon, England, with my family. I’ve always loved to read, and I’ve never been picky about which genre I read in. I’m just as happy curled up with a regency romance as I am with a dystopian adventure.

When I first wrote Broken City I had no idea that it would turn in to a series, but Deeta’s story begged to be told. So the stand alone Broken City became a trilogy, and now I know there will be a forth book as well.

I also write in other genres, I have a series of contemporary comedic short stores (The Claire series). I also have a historical romance series (The Lady Quill Chronicles), and a dystopian adventure series (The Chronicles of Discord).

I really hope that you enjoy reading my stories as much as I enjoy writing them!
AUTHOR FOLLOW LINKSAMAZON AUTHOR PAGE | WEBSITE / BLOG | FACEBOOK | TWITTER | GOOGLE+ | GOODREADS | SHELFARI | BOOKLIKES OTHER BOOKS IN THE SERIES  Book #1 – Broken City Broken City is #FREE During the Duration of the Tour

BOOK SYNOPSISA girl with no future
A man with no past
A little lost boy
And those who seek to find him....

....Welcome to Deeta's world.

Deeta Richards has never seen the outside world. Before she was born a banking crisis brought civilization to an end and now no one leaves the safety of the compounds unless they need to, but Deeta still dreams of seeing more than the building she was born in.

Tom is in the guard, this group are the only people that the tribal elders allow to leave the compound and Tom knows only too well that Deeta could never survive the harshness that exists outside. Then tragedy strikes and Deeta and her Sister Jan find themselves captured by a hostile tribe. Why does Tom know so much about these people? And why do they know so much about him? As this mystery draws to a climax, they discover that their friend Tom is not quite what he seems...

BUY LINKSAmazon US | Amazon UK | Smashwords | Barnes & Noble | Kobo [image error]  
Book #2 – Broken Truce
BOOK SYNOPSIS

Life isn't turning out the way that Deeta thought it would. With the Lewises defeated and peace between the tribes, she had believed that the dark times were a thing of the past.

But troubles between the tribes continue, and the Andak council have selected Tom as their ambassador and spokesman to the other tribes.

Deeta knows that there is still much resentment against the Andak, and that Tom is in danger every time he leaves the safety of Andak City.

Struggling with her own complicated feelings against the tribe that she is now a part of, Deeta tries to ignore the changing attitudes growing within her.

But when Tom is betrayed and they are thrown into great danger, Deeta finds that reality can't be ignored forever...
BUY LINKS Amazon US Amazon UKThis tour was organized & hosted by

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The Business of Writing: The Author Newsletter #ampromoting #ASMSG

Scholar sharpening a quill pen by Gerrit Dou.
Public domain image via Wikimedia Commons. Years and years ago, when I used to receive authors' newsletters via postal mail, I didn't adopt the tactic because I would have had trouble coming up with something new to report every month.

This was at the close of the millennium when traditional publishing was the norm, with a few small presses struggling to keep their doors open for love of the written word rather than the bottom line. As a traditional-published author, I was tied to my publisher's schedule and whims regarding whether they would reprint my novels, issue them in a different format, or exploit ancillary rights such as audiobook and foreign translations.

Sure, I could have reported news of book signings, lectures, and other personal appearances, but without the Really Big News to announce of another imminent release, I didn't really see the point of wasting all that postage.

With the advent of social media as an inexpensive tool for self promotion, of course, all of that has changed.

Beverly Bateman raises the question of "Do I or Don't I?" publish an author newsletter on Blogging With Beverly: http://beverleybateman.blogspot.com/2015/10/do-i-or-dont-i.html

Beverly's post was inspired by a podcast she had listened to for increasing email signups. The podcaster suggested the publication of weekly newsletters. You can read the comment I left on the article (along with everyone else's comments), but in a nutshell, I cannot envision myself ever sending weekly newsletters -- not due to lack of content because I have a lot more news to report these days with regard to the progress of audiobooks, graphic novels, and new releases -- but because I'd never get any new writing done!

I publish my newsletter The Dawnflier monthly, and thank you kindly for signing up!

If you still need convincing, or if you're convinced you want to start a newsletter but aren't sure where to begin, this article contains many excellent points about content and other considerations: http://www.amarketingexpert.com/how-your-newsletter-can-get-you-more-readers-visibility-and-sales/

One thing that article does not address is the email delivery service. My email server tends to get twitchy and lock me out if it sees me sending huge batches of emails. My original email server for newsletters was hosted by GoDaddy, but I've heard of this happening to Gmail accounts too.

That's why I bit the proverbial bullet a few months ago and started a list via MailChimp, the free version. If I ever get enough subscribers to necessitate paying for pro service, why that'll be a great day! But for now the free version does everything I need. There's a bit of a learning curve to figure out "campaign" (i.e., newsletter) design, but once I got over that hump and discovered the "save as template" option, subsequent newsletter designs have been a snap.

Whether you "Do or Don't" publish a periodic email newsletter is entirely up to you, but I've found that it's an excellent way to connect with members of my readership.

Happy writing--and newsletter-ing! :)

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Spotlight on Another at Bat by @layne_lyssa #contemporary romance

ANOTHER AT BAT
GENRE: Contemporary Romance CONTENT WARNING: Some adult content


Pitcher Jace Richards had it all. Fame, status, money, and the perfect girl but it wasn't enough. Unable to curb his gambling addiction, he lost everything. Now banned from the MLB, he's struggling to get his feet back on the ground. 
Laurel Darbis is the mom to ten-year-old Grey. Her son is her world and she'd do anything for him, including putting up with her cheating ex-husband, Adam. He doesn't make things easy on her but with her friends and family by her side, she has a strong support system to help her deal with his petty drama. 
Grey is about to start baseball with his friends but their coach backs out at the last minute. All of the parents are thrilled when the new coach arrives, everyone except Laurel. 
Can the former bad boy tame his ways for the sake of his players? Will the protective mother let down her guard? Either way, no one will ever expect what happens when the two match up.



“Whatever, Ash. You know the chances of me dating are non-existent, especially a jerk like him.” I nod toward the field where Jace stands on the pitching mound, the kids filling in the other positions around him. We turn our attention back to the hottie in the center of the infield. 
“Wow, what do you have against him?” Ashley glances at me out of the corner of her eyes. “Oh geez, Laurel, don’t tell me you’re one of the groupies that went to spring training and hooked up with him!”
I swat her leg and laugh. “No! You really think I’d keep that kind of secret from you?”
“Ow!” She rubs her leg like I really hurt her. “You’d better not. If you hooked up with him, you had better give me all the details… and I mean all.”
I turn to face her. “Is your sex life that bad that you have to live vicariously through me?”
“Hell no! I’m just saying that if you ever got in bed with a baseball god like Jace Richards then I’d want a play by play. Don’t get me wrong, Kurtis and I have a hot sex life, but his body is nothing like that.” She nods to the field again and we both subconsciously sigh at the sight in front of us. 
“Duly noted, I’ll add that to our friendship pact. If I ever get laid by a baseball god, take notes and tell you.” Giggling, we pinky promise and watch the kids practice. We met in elementary school and some days, we still act like we’re still in fifth grade. 
After a few minutes, Ashley asks again, “So for real, what’s your beef with Jace Richards?”
I shrug. “Everything I’ve read about him says he’s a cheater. He cheated his team, he cheated the system, he cheated on that trainer he was dating…”
“Oh, so you hate him because your ex cheated on you?”
Jace winds up again, whizzing another ball past the batter. “You know what they say, once a cheater, always a cheater.”
Ashley lifts her eyebrow. “Well, haven’t you heard, don’t always believe everything you read?”
I bite the inside of my cheek. Ashley has a point, I don’t know this guy. Maybe the tabloids lied about him, maybe there’s more to his story. I sigh, maybe I should give him the benefit of the doubt. Then again, last time I gave a man the benefit of the doubt, I wound up divorced.


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Lyssa Layne is first, and foremost, the proud momma to her precious daughter, AR. In addition to working full-time and being a mommy to AR, she is also an avid St. Louis Cardinals fan, a runner, blogger, and an infertility survivor.
Having watched one too many medical dramas and being inspired by author Rachelle Ayala, who introduced her to the world of indie writing, Lyssa decided to try her hand at writing a romance story. Her attempt turned into the Burning Lovesick series. You can find Lyssa's own interests throughout her stories although all stories are fictional.


 


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Spotlight on Christmas Pets and Kisses #boxset #sweet romance

Name of cover designer: Belle Media Management
Official genre of box set: sweet romance



SIXTEEN ALL-NEW, NEVER-BEFORE-PUBLISHED SWEET (PG-rated) CHRISTMAS ROMANCES .
Ring in the Christmas cheer with sixteen all-new sweet and heart-warming romances from New York Times, USA Today
bestselling, and award-winning authors. Don’t miss out on this romantic collection of Christmas tails...uh, tales as adorable pets with fins, paws, feathers, and
hooves bring holiday magic with the gift of true love.

Get into the Christmas spirit with CHRISTMAS PETS & KISSES. Limited time offer, so grab your set today! ONLY 99c



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Join the authors of the new boxed set CHRISTMAS PETS AND KISSES to celebrate the availability of this exciting box of 16 all new sweet romances, each with an adorable pet to warm your heart. [Chat with authors and win prizes.]. FACEBOOK PARTY RUNS TILL OCTOBER 7TH.


Golden Christmas - Helen Scott Taylor
Two wounded hearts are brought together at Christmas by a trusty golden Labrador and an adorable golden retriever puppy.

Every Christmas Vicky runs away from her guilt and grief, hiding out on her own so she doesn’t have to celebrate the date she lost her husband and son. She doesn’t want to see anyone or talk to anyone but when she finds a dog’s lost ball she meets Jon, a wounded ex-soldier who is struggling to overcome his own problems. This brave man touches Vicky’s shattered heart and makes her realize she can’t hide from life forever. With his strong arms to support her, can she find the strength to love again?


Two Loves for Christmas - Mona Risk
Joshua Dutton’s lifestyle and tabloids pictures threaten his father’s senatorial campaign. His parents insist on finding him a sweet temporary fiancée to repair the damage.

With only her German shepherd for friend, Emma Cassiero struggles with a heap of problems. Attraction sizzles between her and Josh, but no one mentions the secret deal made by her stepmother and the Senior Duttons. When the truth comes out Emma is devastated. Were Josh’s kisses part of the charade? Has Josh lost her or would he be able to team with her German shepherd to love and protect her?

Dog-Gone Christmas - Melinda Curtis
Widow Marnie Haywood wants Christmas hosting her in-laws to go smoothly. And it would – if her handsome neighbor and his friendly St. Bernard would stop coming over, mooching food, and stealing kisses.







His Christmas Promise - Alicia Street
 A stray dog with a penchant for giving warm and fuzzy love finds refuge with an ex-Army helicopter pilot and helps restore his bedridden grandmother's will to live. It seems like a Christmas miracle until the bachelor war vet discovers the mutt belongs to a little girl who wants him back—and a single mom who makes him rethink his freewheeling ways and maybe even believe in love.





We Wish You A Ferret Christmas - Nikki Lynn Barrett
Widower Lance Rossiter wants nothing to do with the pet ferret who caused his daughter to be hit by a car. Widow Cara McLean is shocked by the ferret her son finds and wants to keep. When Lance and Cara meet, sparks fly and love suddenly seems possible. Can a lost and found ferret bring two fractured families together?




Christmas Lovebirds - Rachelle Ayala
Melisa Hart has a soft spot for her brother Connor’s ex-best buddy, Rob Reed. Unfortunately, Rob slept with Connor’s girlfriend and is no longer welcome with any of the Harts.

Melisa lends her pet lovebird for a Christmas Toy Drive, but a mix up brings her face to face with Rob and his lovebird. Melisa is drawn into a whirlwind romance with Rob and discovers he hasn’t told her the entire story.

With her bird missing and her heart torn, Melisa must shed her fantasies and learn to depend on herself. Meanwhile, Rob is determined to find Melisa’s bird and prove to her that Christmas wishes were meant to come true.

Christmas on Cougar Mountain - Nancy Radke
Hard-working Zoey is dedicated to helping children learn, and has built her business to the neglect of having a family. When she rescues a dog on the freeway, she discovers that the escape artist brings a family with him, including a boy she would like to help, and as love grows, a man she would like to keep. But will Kellen ever trust her to help his son, much less give her his heart?

The Vet's Christmas Pet - J.L. Campbell
The last thing Toni wants for Christmas is more responsibility, but her daughter has other ideas. A near accident not only brings them a dog in need of a home, but puts Toni back in contact with Matthais Laing, a hot-shot footballer from her past, who she'd prefer to stay there.

Matthias can't believe his luck when a lost pooch puts his high-school crush back on his radar. Given an opportunity to grant a wish for Toni's daughter, he can't resist going into Santa mode. Christmas is about to be the merriest one in ages, until Toni discovers the deception surrounding Ridley, her daughter's new pet.


Tails, Time, and St. Nick - Mary Leo
Kris Timemaker has inherited a magical clock. Using the clock's magic for anyone other than St. Nick on Christmas Eve has some grave consequences, but when his daughter's beloved Westie goes missing, and his estranged wife asks for his help, Kris has no choice but to take a chance with time and try to win back his family in the process.






Graced - Jade Kerrion
Connor Bradley doesn’t have time for distractions, not while juggling single parenthood and his clinic on five hours of sleep a night. He most certainly doesn’t have time for Noelle, the high school flirt, who is prettier and more irresistible than he remembers. When Noelle's father’s heart attack derails Connor’s plans for his first Christmas without his wife, Noelle wants to save the day for his adorable children, but can she also find her way into Connor’s guarded heart?




Unexpected Gift - Chantel Rhondeau
Aspiring decorator Cali Johnson moves to New York City—lonely, afraid, and far from home during the holidays. When she finds a lost cat in her apartment building, she strikes up an odd friendship with his owner. Marcus Ritz is a horrible recluse who will only talk to her on the phone and refuses to meet her face to face. As Christmas comes closer and Marcus helps her loneliness fade, Cali finds herself falling for the mysterious man. If only she knew what he was hiding.





Minty's Kiss - P.C. Zick
When Molly’s husband announces he’s leaving to sail around the world with his best friend, she’s left wondering why she isn’t his best friend. She divorces him and takes her ten-year-old daughter, Gracie, and Harold, her seventeen-year-old cat, to the mountain cabin where she spent many happy childhood vacations.

The morning after her arrival, Molly’s childhood crush shows up on her porch. Nick is even more handsome than she remembered, and she feels the flush of her adolescent crush heating up. But first, they must find Harold after he runs out the cabin door and into the woods. When Nick discovers Harold lying dead at the base of the tree where Molly always went to read as a child, they bury him. A broken-hearted Gracie and Molly return to the cabin and discover a gray furry kitty under the porch. Gracie names him Minty Gracie refuses to believe her father won’t come back for them, so she resents Nick spending time with her mother. Minty wins all their hearts and helps bring peace to the mountain cabin just in time for Christmas.

The Christmas Wish - Michele Shriver
Ashley McLaughlin is struggling to move on from her husband's infidelity. Brennan wants to make amends for his transgression. Their young daughter, Hayley, has only one wish for Christmas- for her family to be together again. When Hayley suffers a head injury after a fall from her horse, will it help her get her wish? Or do the wounds from Brennan's betrayal run too deep for Ashley to forgive?





Dante’s Gift - Aubrey Wynne
Seventy years ago, a collie mix brings two hearts together in war torn Italy. Will their story help their grandson find his own Christmas love?










Mavy’s Christmas Miracle - Sharon Coady
Anne Hurd returns to the Pocono's to help her elderly grandfather. Six years earlier Kyle Shafer disappeared from her life. She rescues a kitten, takes her to a vet who turns out to be Kyle. Kyle can’t believe Anne walked back into his life. Will he scare her away, or will she give him another chance? Kyle decides to take a chance and try for the love he gave up on.






The Impossible Rescue - Annamaria Bazzi
Christmas is no joy for Julia who's gambling husband comes around only to ask for money. When a handsome stranger and his cute Pomeranian puppy moves in next door, Julia feels guilty for their mutual attraction.Michael's not the rescuing type, but when he spies Julia's husband haranguing her for holiday cash, anger flares and he is determined to rescue Julia from another miserable Christmas.







NY Times and USA Today bestselling author Helen Scott Taylor lives in South West England near Plymouth in Devon between the windswept expanse of Dartmoor and the rocky Atlantic coast. As well as her wonderful, long-suffering husband, she shares her home with a Westie who digs up the garden searching for voles, and an elderly cat who adores treats.
NY Times and USA Today bestselling author Mona Risk A tireless traveler, Mona lives in Florida and writes contemporary romance, medical romance, and romantic suspense, simmering with emotion and sprinkled with a good dose of humor. Her novels are set in the fascinating places she visited—or in Florida, her paradise on Earth.

Award winning, USA Today bestseller Melinda Curtis writes the Harmony Valley series of sweet and emotional romances for Harlequin Heartwarming, and the sweet romantic comedy Bridesmaid series. Brenda Novak says: “Season of Change has found a place on my keeper shelf”.  Melinda also writes hotter romances as Mel Curtis. Jayne Ann Krentz says of Blue Rules: “Sharp, sassy, modern version of a screwball comedy from Hollywood's Golden Age except a lot hotter.”
USA Today bestselling author Alicia Street is a USA Today bestselling author and a Daphne du Maurier award-winner. She writes both sweet and steamier romances and sometimes collaborates with her husband, Roy. She spent many years as a dancer, choreographer, and teacher and is a compulsive reader of every genre. Alicia grew up with dogs and cats and could not imagine living without furry pals. 
USA Today bestselling author Nikki Lynn Barrett I'm an avid lover of books. I've been writing as far back as I can remember, completing my first "book" by fifth grade in one of those one subject spiral notebooks. I have a passion for music, photography, jewelry and all things creative. I live in Arizona with my husband and son, but dream of being somewhere much colder and stormier. For now, I'll have to live that life through my characters and stick it out with the summer heat.
Bestselling author Rachelle Ayala is a bestselling Asian American author of dramatic romantic suspense and humorous, sexy contemporary romances. Her heroines are feisty and her heroes hot. She writes emotionally challenging stories but believes in the power of love and hope. She has won awards in multicultural and historical romance. 
Nancy Radke grew up on a wheat and cattle ranch in SE Washinton State. She attended a one-room country school through the eighth grade. She learned to ride bareback at age 3 (Really! It was a common practice.) and when she got off or fell off, she would pull her horse's nose to the ground, get on behind its ears, and the horse would lift its head so she could scoot down onto its back. She spent most of her childhood exploring the Blue Mountain trails that bordered the ranchlands. She and a friend once took a trail that turned out to be a two day trip. They always rode with matches and pocket knives, so made camp and returned the next day. These long rides worried her parents, but provided plenty of time to make up stories. Her first novel was set in the Blues, and is entitled APPALOOSA BLUES.

J.L. Campbell is an award-winning, Jamaican author who writes romantic suspense, women's fiction, new and young adult novels. She has written thirteen books, three novellas and two short story collections. Her novels include the Island Adventure Romance series, which currently has four exciting, stand-alone stories and features feisty women and determined men. Campbell is a certified editor, who also writes non-fiction.


USA Today bestselling author Mary Leo grew up in a complicated Italian family on Chicago’s Southside where she developed the art of storytelling. She writes with ironic humor, a bit of whimsy, some serious drama, and a longstanding love affair with the American cowboy.

Jade Kerrion writes her award-winning science fiction, fantasy, and contemporary novels at 3:00 a.m. when her husband and three sons are asleep. She aspires to make her readers as sleep-deprived as she is. Her alphabetical Life Shocks Romances series anchors around unlikely romances you will root for and happy endings you can believe in.  
Bestselling author Chantel Rhondeau once thought a great mystery or fantasy book with strong romantic themes was the highest level of reading bliss. After reading her first romantic suspense novel, she never looked back. Chantel is author of six romantic suspense novels, a Christmas novella, and the new McCallister’s Paradise series with many more in the works. She lives in the western United States, and when she's not writing she loves playing cards with her family, bowling on leagues, and snuggling with her lazy kitties.
P.C. Zick describes herself as "a storyteller no matter what I write." And she writes in a variety of genres, including romance, contemporary fiction, and nonfiction. Her female characters are strong and sexy and her male heroes are easy to love. She's won various awards for her essays, columns, editorials, articles, and fiction. When she’s not at the computer, she’s boating, kayaking, golfing, and just generally enjoying life with her husband—a lost love from her youth who resurfaced six years ago. Talk about a romantic story!
Michele Shriver writes women’s fiction and contemporary romance. Her books feature flawed-but-likeable characters in real-life settings. She’s not afraid to break the rules, but never stops believing in happily ever after. Michele counts among her favorite things a good glass of wine, a hockey game, and a sweet and sexy book boyfriend, not necessarily in that order.
Award-winning author Aubrey Wynne resides in the Midwest with her husband, dogs, horses, mule and barn cats. She is an elementary teacher by trade, champion of children and animals by conscience, and author by night. Obsessions include history, travel, trail riding and all things Christmas. Her debut story, Merry Christmas, Henry, received Best Short Romance in the Preditors & Editors Reader’s Choice of 2013 and her humorous shorts include Pete’s Mighty Purty Privies, also Best Short in P &E 2014 and Top 100 Laugh Out Loud List on Goodreads. Aubrey’s first love is historical romance and the medieval fantasy Rolf’s Quest, will be released in 2016.
Sharon Coady lives in Florida with her husband, three of their daughters and five of their eleven grandchildren. She wrote two books before discovering Romance novels. She has now written a romantic suspense, a romance novella, a sweet Christmas novella and is currently working on three more books. When not working as a nurse for the Veterans Administration or writing she enjoys spending time with her family and riding behind her husband on their Harley.
Although born in the United States, Annamaria Bazzi spent a great deal of her childhood in Sicily, Italy, in a town called Sciacca. Italian was the language spoken at home. Therefore, she had no problems when she found herself growing up in a strange country. Upon returning to the States, she promised herself she would speak without an accent. She attended Wayne State University in Detroit Michigan, where she obtained her Bachelor of Science in Computers with a minor in Spanish. Annamaria spent twenty years programming systems for large corporations, creating innovative solution, and addressing customer problems. During those years, she raised four daughters and one husband. Annamaria lives in Richmond Virginia with her small family where she now dedicates a good part of her day writing,




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MoBmagicofbookspromo@gmail.com

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...and each action this month is good for one chance to win an e-book copy of Morning's Journey . Please enter often, and good luck!