Kim Iverson Headlee's Blog: Book Musings from the Maze of Twisty Passages, page 30

Have a #RockingSummerRomance with My Best Friend's Ex by @AuthorTinaGayle

My Best Friend's Ex by Tina Gayle is today's Rocking Summer Romance feature on The Maze!

Synopsis:
She loved him first, but her best friend married him. Now, divorced Brooke must choose between her best friend and the man of her dreams.

Brooke Janson has loved Garrett Sawyer since she met him on her first day of high school. Now, he’s free to love her too.  Except, his ex-wife happens to be her best friend.

How can Brooke choose between a friend she’s known since kindergarten and the man her heart wants?

Excerpt:
“Hello, Brooke.”

Ignoring the sudden butterflies in her stomach, she waved a casual hand. “Hi, Garrett. It’s been awhile.”

“I believe it was just before Janet moved out, almost a year.”

“Janet told me about the divorce. I debated whether to call, but, well...I didn’t know what to say.” To cover her awkwardness, Brooke allowed the words to flow from her mouth as if she had vocal diarrhea. “I always considered you, my friend, too. We had such fun together.  I wanted to see if I could do anything for you, but I...”

Embarrassed by her rambling, she stared at the stuff in her cart; lettuce, fruit, protein bars, each one good for her.

Man, I need to pick up a box of cookies.
Forcing back the urge to binge on any tasty treat available, she recalled how his face lit up when he was excited, his deep belly laughter, and his willingness to listen when she had a problem.

Damn it, she didn’t blame him for the breakup. Well, maybe for not listening to her warning. She had told him that her friend had a natural tendency to throw responsibility to the wind. Still, Brooke hadn’t wanted to take sides. Because it was incredibly hard to choose between two people she cared about, one a friend since kindergarten and the other the man of her dreams. Guilt sparked inside her.

Why? Did she still want more than just to be his friend? Was this her chance? 

“Don’t worry, I’m over it now. I bought a house, which requires most of my time. I spent last weekend putting in a new hot-water heater. The old one leaked.” Garrett brushed a hand through his dark, curly hair. The silky strands fell back into place without distracting from the perfect picture he represented.

Sexy, hot, and totally off limits.

Free via Kindle Unlimited

Author bio:
Tina Gayle grew up a dreamer and loved to escape into the world of books.

After years of working in the business world doing a variety of jobs, she decided to try her hand at writing and hope to incorporate the joy of being a mother into her books.

Currently working on a series about four executive wives, she is excited about combining elements of women fiction with the passion of romance. The  first  three books, “Marketing Exec’s Widow”, “IT Exec’s Baby” and now “CFO’s Affair” have all been released. The last one will be out next year.

Married twenty-five years, she and her husband love to travel and play golf.  She can’t wait for Mike to retire so they can do more of both.

Read the first chapter of any of her books by visiting her website.

Find Tina Gayle at:
Home | Blog | Twitter |Goodreads | Facebook | Google+ | LinkedIn |

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Gull lets go in RAGING SEA Ch 6/Sc 4 #amwriting #Arthurverse #ASMSG

Graphic overlay (c)2015 by Kim Headlee. Summer is traditionally my least productive time as a writer—ahead of the Thanksgiving/ Christmas corridor and snow days— because the kids are home, along with their father the high school math teacher, and everyone wants Mom to do something! Not that I mind, really, but my Thanksgiving I celebrate this coming week, when everyone goes back to one school or another. :)

That said, I am pleased to report that I have been pushing through on writing new material for Raging Sea… clear up to the spot in my outline where I must consider a major rewrite because I had decided to switch up who was located where. 

Ah, the joys of writing a series arc!

Posting these excerpts every week has been instrumental in keeping my plow going, and if you derive a mote of enjoyment from reading them, I consider it a win-win.

Today's installment is a scene I added recently because I realized that Gull needed to say goodbye just as much as Angusel needed to hear it from him. As a parent whose youngest child is now in college, I can so relate to how Gull feels: pride, sadness, anxiety, hope. It can be gut-wrenching to let your child spread his wings, but learning to fly solo is of course essential… for the parent as well as the child.

Regarding whether Gull and Angusel meet again in this story, you will just have to stay tuned. (Ain't I a stinker? ;-)

Previous excerpts of Raging Sea  Chapter 1: Scene 1 | Scene 2 | Scene 3 | Scene 4 | Scene 5 |Chapter 2: Scene 1-A | Scene 1-B | Scene 2 |Chapter 3: Sc 1-A | Sc 1-B | Scene 2 | Sc 3-A | Sc 3-B |
Chapter 4: Sc 1-A | Sc 1-B | Sc 2-A | Sc 2-B | Sc 2-C |
Chapter 5: Sc 1-A | Sc 1-B | Sc 1-C | Sc 2 | Sc 3 | Sc 4-A | Sc 4-B |
Chapter 6: Sc 1 | Sc 2 | Sc 3 |
Raging Sea Chapter 6, Scene 4©2015 by Kim HeadleeAll rights reserved.
Gull stood beside Elian on the dock, facing Angusel. Behind the lad, who was dressed in his armor with his sack slung over one shoulder, the Breatanach fleet commander’s vessel was swarming with men adjusting the rigging, stowing the last crates and barrels, manning the oars, and preparing to cast off. Angusel’s sack had a smooth bulge where his helmet lodged. A blindfolded Stonn already had been loaded and secured to the rail amidships, with a crewman stationed nearby to steady him. The fleet commander stood at the stern, conversing with his steersman, though now and again he directed his gaze toward the dock. The rising sun bathed the warship and its occupants in a hopeful glow.

Stonn whinnied, and Angusel tossed a glance over his shoulder.

This was it.

“I’m surprised you’re not coming with me this time,” Angusel said.

Gull grunted. His decision had surprised him a mite too. But it had been the right one to make. The lad needed to take this step himself. He glanced at Elian, resplendent in his spotless legion battle-gear for the first time in the gods alone knew how long, and grinned. “The auld boar needs me more than ye do now.”

“Right,” Elian said, moving his head as if to measure the sun’s position. “And our new recruits need both of us to whip their soft, sorry arses into a force Arthur can use.” He thrust out his sword hand, and he and Angusel grasped forearms. “God’s speed and strength to you, son.”

After giving the centurion’s arm a squeeze, Angusel released it and rendered the legion salute. “And you, sir.”

Pride radiated from the centurion’s countenance as he returned the gesture.

Blinking, Angusel stepped close to Gull and touched the gold lion brooch where it held Gull’s new scarlet cloak in place. Being Elian’s civilian assistant for troop training did not entitle him to wear the legion’s dragon badge—even if he had wanted to—but the Manx Cohort commander had given him an officer’s cloak to signify that his orders carried full authority.

“I’ll keep the wee golden beastie safe for ye, lad.” Gull drew his son into an embrace that had to be far too brief. Angusel returned the embrace with strength that no longer surprised his father. As they parted, he couldn’t resist adding, “Do not forget to keep eyes on your opponent. Always.”

Angusel swiped his cheek with the back of a hand and grinned. “Watch me fight again, Father, and then see if you still need to remind me.”

“Ye can count on it, mo brogach,” Gull replied.

His son gave a final, brave nod to him and Elian, turned with a swirl of his legion officer’s cloak, and mounted the gangplank.

Gull sensed the centurion depart quickly thereafter and knew he must follow soon, but he couldn’t bring himself to leave the dock until after the ship had cast off and his son’s receding form, all but eclipsed by the rail and his warhorse, had become naught more than a sparkling speck against the deep blue sea.

***
Note: Mo brogach is a Caledonaiche endearment meaning "my sturdy lad," derived from Scottish Gaelic. When said to a female, it becomes mo brogag.

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Linda McLaughlin @LyndiLamont in #RockingSummerRomance Super Bundle III

Longtime Maze contributor Linda McLaughlin is one of 11 authors featured in the Always & Forever Romance Super Bundle III!

Order from: Amazon, iBooks, Kobo and Nook.

The follow-up to the USA Today Bestselling Romance Super Bundle II: Second Chances is available!

SKIN (book 1 of Broken but… Mending) by Dale Mayer
A journey of exploration... A journey of healing… A journey of love… Two people are forced by circumstances into a therapy class to help them deal with their problems. They are strangers. Forced to be partners. Naturally opposites.

EVIDENCE OF TRUST by Stacey Joy Netzel
Sparks fly when a headstrong wrangler & an alpha park ranger are thrown together while he’s searching for evidence to stop a poacher killing animals in RMNP. When the monster turns his sights on Brittany, Joel discovers he’ll do whatever it takes to protect her.

CROSS THE LINE by Wendy Ely
Living the ‘no strings’ attached lifestyle has always worked for Leslie until she arrives in Phoenix and meets Chris Matthews. She doesn’t like bad-boys, so why can’t she keep her hands off her new neighbor? Can she let him lead her places she’s never been before?

TREASURE ON MOON LAKE by Amy Gamet
Tori Henderson has never forgotten her teenage crush, Gabe. When her mother gets engaged to Gabe’s father, Tori assumes Gabe will be at the wedding and hatches a plan to get him back. But Gabe also has a half-brother, Jed, with plans of his own to snag Tori himself.

GOLDEN OPPORTUNITY by Donna Marie Rogers
James is furious when his shiftless brother sells half their horse ranch to match a bet. When a golden opportunity falls into Angela’s lap, she takes it and sets out to prove she has what it takes to help James run the ranch—and ends up losing her heart to both.

HEARTS IN MOTION by Edie Ramer
Take two cats, a dog, a determined woman and her teenage sister… Add a businessman trying to do the right thing and a six-year-old girl with a damaged heart… And it’s hard to tell who is rescuing who...

OUT OF CONTROL by Kate Kelly
One night of passion turned into a crazy, unforgettable month—until Serena McGregor walked away from undercover FBI agent Nick DeMarco. Six months later, her elusive scent still haunting him, Nick risks his career to prove Serena is innocent of a million dollar theft.

LOST IN MANHATTAN by Lois Winston
A terrorist’s twisted need for revenge has claimed the lives of Sarah Montgomery’s entire family. One more kill will fulfill a promise made long ago. Can a woman who can’t remember and a man who can’t forget stop the assassin before Sarah becomes the final victim?

ALL FOR A GOOD CAUSE by Barbara Phinney
Comedy, romance and a meddling family: Former beauty queen Janet Jemseg is asked to raise money for charity and ‘marry’ hunky, annoying Devon Kidder? No way! But it’s for a good cause.

LADY ELINOR’S ESCAPE by Linda McLaughlin
Lady Elinor Ashworth longs for adventure, but when she runs away from her abusive aunt, she finds more than she bargained for in Stephen Chaplin, a curious barrister determined to ferret out her secrets. Cinderella meets Mr. Darcy in this sweet Regency romance.

LORD OF DARKNESS by Ava Bradley
The night Victoria Conrad runs away doesn’t turn out at all like she planned. After being accosted by two ruffians, she is rescued by the horribly scarred Earl of Carlisle—only to discover she is his prisoner!

Order from: Amazon, iBooks, Kobo and Nook. 

Author bio:
Linda McLaughlin grew up with a love of books and history, so it's only natural she prefers writing historical romance. She loves transporting her readers into the past where her characters learn that, in the journey of life, love is the sweetest reward. Linda also writes steamy to erotic romance under the name Lyndi Lamont, and is one half of the writing team of Lyn O'Farrell.

You can find her online at http://lindalyndi.com/ 
Blog: http://lindalyndi.com/reading-room-blog/ 
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/LindaMcLaughlinAuthor 
Twitter: @Lyndi Lamont https://twitter.com/LyndiLamont

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The Business of Writing: Labeling Yourself as a #Bestselling Author #ASMSG #IAN1 #IARTG

Breaking News on The Maze!

I interrupt the regularly scheduled article about pen names to bring you the following special report:
Early on 8/10/2015 my YA paranormal historical romance novel Snow in July hit #1 in the category of Kindle Teen & Young Adult Historical Romances! And it got as high as #2 in Teen Historical Romance Books (all formats) and #24 in Teen Paranormal Romance that morning too. What a lovely surprise to wake up to, and I thank everyone who downloaded the book to make it possible!

I am also grateful that I was lucky enough to capture the screen shot when I did, because on the product page for Snow in July , Amazon had already reported that my book was #2 in the aforementioned Kindle category, and even lower ranks for the other two. I almost didn't click through to "see the top 100" to discover the very pleasant surprise that Snow in July had reached #1 during the night.

So my book's "bestseller" status lasted just a few hours, but the lists hadn't yet caught up to the product page. Did I rush forth and change my Twitter profile to add "bestselling author," and crank out a bunch of tweets, pins, and status updates to blare this news before everything synched?

H*ll no.

And if you're fortunate enough to have this happen to one of your books, you shouldn't either.

I'm serious. Because Amazon category bestselling ranks are that fleeting, they are meaningless . Because they are meaningless, those labels in a tweet or other social media post do absolutely nothing to sway me toward buying a book unless prefaced by the phrases "USA Today" or "New York Times"—and it's a rare day when I buy off those lists either.

I cannot count the number of times that I've seen such a tweet, clicked through on the link, and seen the book's Amazon rank numbering in the tens of thousands, sometimes even the hundreds of thousands or millions. Do you know what that does to a "bestselling" (but not today) author's credibility in my eyes?

I'll give you three guesses, and the first two don't count.

Yes, it's an exciting accomplishment that presents a tremendous temptation to claim the Amazon category "bestselling" badge. But I'm here to beg you not to succumb. You're only hurting your marketing efforts if you do.

By the way, at the time of this writing, Snow in July is still ranked in the top ten of the Teen & YA historical romance categories of Kindle as well as all book formats, and it's in the top 40 Teen Paranormal Romance. It may not be "bestselling" today, but it's still a great read if I do say so myself and I would be grateful if you would check it out—or at least view its fabulous book trailer embedded in the sidebar. :)

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Spotlight on Time to Love by Angela Ford @AngelaFord67 #timetravel #romance

Maggie Collins devoted her time to become a Veterinarian. She’d only dated one guy in college—her best friend’s brother. She believed the magic of love to be a myth when he cheated on her and broke her heart. Her best friend Emma wants to take a trip to Bolivia before she gets married. Hesitant at first, the trip begins to give Maggie a different outlook on life.
Her excitement is short-lived when Emma goes missing. Maggie’s search for her friend only finds Amaru, a native who hands her a mirror. His words confuse her. The future is behind you and the past is ahead of you. The water below her begins to ripple. She wakes up in the home of Sir Heth Manning. He is the ultimate of tall, dark and handsome. Maggie can’t remember how she ended up in 1737. She wonders if it matters now that she is falling in love with an eighteenth century English man.
Will she return to the life she knew? Or will the past become her future?

Where the hell am I?

Maggie dug deep in her memory. She could only remember her search for Emma. She gasped. She remembered Emma’s disappearance. Maggie closed her eyes and attempted to force her memory for the lapse between then and now.

“My fair lady is awake?”

Maggie heard his voice. The same one she’d heard earlier.

Did he just call me a fair lady?

She dared to open her eyes, part of her felt like a lost child; scared and alone. She felt a presence close to her. She could smell his scent. It teased her senses. She could no longer resist. She had to look. She opened her eyes slowly. His scent wasn’t the only pleasure she experienced. The ultimate of tall, dark and handsome stood before her. It wasn’t his greener-than-green eyes or long-dark lashes that caught her attention, but the way she felt he delved into her soul with his eyes. She felt a quick pierce to her heart. Never before had a man looked at her that way. His strong jawline curved a clean-shaven face. Her eyes focused on his lips as they parted. A sudden urge to kiss him overcame her sensible way of thinking. But the sudden thought to move only made her head hurt. She flinched and swallowed hard. No man had ever had such an impact on her.

If this is love at first sight, then I’ve been wrong—so wrong.



Amazon US




Angela Ford originates from Nova Scotia…Canada’s Ocean Playground!
Her love of the ocean and sunsets are always in her heart and give her inspiration. Her love for words keeps her turning the page. She is never without a book, whether she’s reading or writing. Now residing in Ontario, Angela works in Finance – numbers by day – words by night. Her dedication to volunteer and involvement with cyber safety seminars gave her an Award of Distinction and sparked the idea for her first book Closure – suspense with a dash of romance that hit the best- selling Action/Adventure and Women’s Fiction. Angela continued this FBI suspense with Forbidden and will deliver the final of the series in 2015. She also writes contemporary romance, sometimes sweet…sometimes spicy and sometimes with a dash of suspense. Unforgettable Kiss delivers a spicy romance with a dash of suspense. Blind Tasting of The Love List series and The Christmas Wreath of the Forever Christmas series are sweet reads. 2015 kicked off with a new Romantic Suspense Surrender.

Between two jobs, being a mom with a home always filled with young adults and rather interesting stories; she is lucky to have one very patient and understanding man. But it is the furry family members who rule the house – a Puggle (Pug/Beagle), a new Chug puppy (Pug/Chihuahua) and two loveable cats. Every possible quiet moment she finds, she treasures and just writes about the moments to come. Angela is an avid reader of romance, a member of the RWA, KOD (Kiss of Death – Suspense Chapter) and Mississauga Writers Group. You can follow her at BTGN www.bookstogonow.com or visit her website/blog Romantic Escapes at http://www.angelafordauthor.com to connect with her on her social network sites. She loves to hear from her readers – they keep her smiling!

LinkedIn - Angela Ford ~ Books to Go Now

Book Trailers & Author Support - Check it out! Tanya Watt's Luv me a Book



Closure ~ Forbidden ~ Unforgettable Kiss ~ Blind Tasting
The Christmas Wreath ~ Surrender ~ Spellbound Cinderella 

Sunset Kisses MoB Promosmagicofbookspromo@gmail.com
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...and each action this month is good for one chance to win an e-book copy of Snow in July . Please enter often, and good luck!

Winners and reviews galore for SNOW IN JULY! #MFRWOrg #BZBooks #ASMSG #IARTG

Winners already have been notified! Please join me to congratulate: $25 Amazon/Barnes & Noble gift card: Sandy S.Set of autographed note cards: Julia BookloverE-Book of choice: Olga NM
The Snow in July Review Tour was a huge success! Read on:Writer Wonderland: 4* Snow in July is "sure to please those who enjoy a historical tale imbued with romance and intrigue.Romance Writer and Lover of Books: 4 Crowns: "I thoroughly enjoyed the romance between Kendra and Alain, and I rooted for their happy ending throughout the book."FictionZeal: 4* "I loved the characters of both Alain and Kendra. They were joyful to watch as each had their own preconceived ideas of the other."Room With Books: 5 Cups of Room With Books Coffee: " Snow in July is a wonderfully written novel that is filled with a very authentic and rich historical voice and characters that pull you into their world and keep you there from the first page to the last."Paranormal Romance and Authors That Rock (PRATR): 4 Fangs: "The interaction between the characters really allows the characters to come alive and be believable."Romorror Fan Girl: 5* Kim Headlee "gives us a story with a plot full of twists and turns, chivalrous acts, the old battle between good and evil, great characters and magic. Highly Recommended."LibriAmoriMiei: 4* Snow in July is "so exciting and addictive that it is impossible to put it down."Archaeolibrarian - I dig good books! 4* Snow in July is "a wonderful read!"Mama Reads, Hazel Reads: 5* "Sword wielding, horse-riding hotness!"The Reading Head: 4.5* "The suspense, danger and adventure, meant that you want to read the book in one sitting, although I’d defy anyone to even try it. "Thank you for visiting today, and if you haven't yet left a review for   Snow in July , I would appreciate it very much!

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The Lady of the Lake greets an old friend in in RAGING SEA Ch6/Sc3 #amwriting #Arthurverse

Graphic overlay (c)2015 by Kim Headlee. One of the staple stories of the Arthurian Legends is the infatuation that Merlin develops for an enchantress most often named Nimue, which ultimately leads to him leaving Arthur to rule on his own. 

In most versions, Nimue is portrayed as the evil seductress who ensnares Merlin to orchestrate a stanza in Arthur's eventual downfall. Since I enjoy turning the legends upon their collective ear, in Morning's Journey I established this May-December romance to be Merlin's idea.

Merlin, whom I portray in The Dragon's Dove Chronicles as both a military general with expertise in siege warfare and a wealthy Christian bishop called Dubricius, ups his game in today's excerpt.

Oh, and lest you wonder whether it's unrealistic to show clergy members courting one another, marriage was indeed permitted in the early Celtic Church.


Previous excerpts of Raging Sea  Chapter 1: Scene 1 | Scene 2 | Scene 3 | Scene 4 | Scene 5 |Chapter 2: Scene 1-A | Scene 1-B | Scene 2 |Chapter 3: Sc 1-A | Sc 1-B | Scene 2 | Sc 3-A | Sc 3-B |
Chapter 4: Sc 1-A | Sc 1-B | Sc 2-A | Sc 2-B | Sc 2-C |
Chapter 5: Sc 1-A | Sc 1-B | Sc 1-C | Sc 2 | Sc 3 | Sc 4-A | Sc 4-B |
Chapter 6: Sc 1 | Sc 2 |
Raging Sea Chapter 6, Scene 3©2015 by Kim HeadleeAll rights reserved.
The chamber served by the outer door to Niniane’s cottage featured a raised central firepit vented through the thatch by a tin chimney. Until Christmas she had slept in this chamber too, and worked in the adjoining chamber. Thanks to Angusel and his mentors, she now enjoyed a separate bedchamber that was accessible through the workroom and heated by its own hearth, leaving the main chamber free for hosting visitors. She invited Bedwyr to sit in one chair while she stirred the firepit’s embers, added a split log from the nearby stack, and settled into the other chair. Upon their arrival, Sister Marcia had brought wine and a platter of roasted venison morsels, cheese, and fresh baked bread, and Niniane bade Bedwyr to refresh himself.

But before she could voice the questions uppermost in her mind, and before he availed himself of the hospitality, he said, “Thank you for your prayers. They are most welcome.”

She was about to give him a more benign response when a disturbing thought occurred: “And . . . necessary?”

“For the vagaries of winds and waves and rocks and rains, always.” He gaze toward the firepit. “For the vagaries of men too. But nothing specific that we’re aware of.” He followed it with a smile that reassured her, but she couldn’t help sensing his implied “yet.”

“I will continue praying for you and your men, of course.” At this rate, she was going to achieve the Apostle Paul’s goal to “pray without ceasing” much sooner than later. Yet she felt honored to do so, especially for Arthur’s best friend and those under his command. “I’m grateful for your visit, Bedwyr, but I do know that troop transport and courier duties stand several ranks beneath the Navarchus Classis Britannia.” She delivered the tease with a gentle smile.

He laughed, poured wine for them both, and saluted her with his goblet. “Believe it or not, I am using that title more often these days. On Arthur’s reports, anyway. Keeps him happy and me away from the barber.” Arthur’s threat to have Bedwyr’s long brown hair cropped in the Roman style Arthur preferred for all his soldiers was a well-known joke throughout the army and fleet. But it left her no closer to any answers.

“So . . . you came all this way to evaluate Angusel for him?”

“He’ll get that report too. He’s right fond of the lad.”

“What of Gyanhumara? Do you think she will ever forgive him?”

“Aye, we’ve talked about it, Gyan and Arthur and I. Publicly, though . . .” Bedwyr stared into his goblet before finally taking a swig. “From what she’s told me of her people’s ways, I’m not sure she ever can.”

And without public forgiveness there could be no restoration of Angusel’s honor, kin, clan, or country, Niniane surmised. “I’ll pray for a happier resolution.” This left only one item on Niniane’s list of possible reasons for Bedwyr’s visit. “If Arthur has sent you to inquire whether I have Seen anything, please give him my regrets.”

She tried to mask the pain of the admission with a brisk tone, but Bedwyr’s gaze turned sympathetic. “I will tell him, but—I’m sorry, Niniane.”

“Don’t be. Please. What I See and do not See is all part of God’s plan.” Her frustration that the Almighty had stopped sharing fragments of His plan with her she dared not mention to Bedwyr. “What will you tell Arthur about Angusel?”

“That I’m glad he’s on our side.” Bedwyr ate a morsel of venison and chased it with another swallow of wine.

She lifted an eyebrow. “Meaning?”

“I saw him practicing with that older Caledonian when I arrived with his and Elian’s recall orders and the invitation to join Gyan’s elite new unit. When she charged me with delivering her message, I thought she was being charitable, but—gods! And Angusel is only, what? Fourteen?”

“Fifteen. His natal day was last week.”

Niniane felt her cheeks heat to recall how Angusel had celebrated the occasion, and she busied herself with her drink to mask the reaction. Her visitation rounds for dispensing medical supplies, wisdom, and prayers included a certain women’s enclave where the vocations were carnal rather than spiritual. While conferring with one of the residents, she’d noticed Angusel leaving the chambers of another woman. His face was flushed from the experience, but he’d seemed subdued, thoughtful. She was thankful she hadn’t let him see her.

Bedwyr was chuckling. “Fourteen, fifteen. Doesn’t matter. At that age, Cai and I didn’t have half Angusel’s swordsmanship talent. Or strength.”

“Did Arthur?”

“He was always besting both of us, so . . . maybe.” Bedwyr looked down to retrieve a small rolled parchment leaf from his pouch. He passed it to her, seal up. The scarlet wax bore the imprint of a cross fashioned of three intertwined strands. “Gyan wasn’t the only one at Caer Lugubalion to charge me with delivering a message to Maun.”

It was all she could do to curb the trembling of her fingertips as she broke Mer—Bishop Dubricius’s seal to read his message. The words seemed harmless enough, an invitation to accompany him at Morghe and Urien’s imminent wedding.

The way the bishop had ended the message, however, rocked the foundation of her heart:

As you ponder your decision regarding whether or not to accept, I commend to your attention the Apostle Paul’s first letter to the believers at Corinth. Without you, my dearest Niniane, I am nothing.

“Niniane? Are you all right?”

Bedwyr’s quiet but urgent tone startled her, and she didn’t realize she had closed her eyes. She looked down to see her right fist clutching her robe over her heart, which was hammering like the hooves of a stampeding herd. Relaxing the fist and drawing a deep breath, she did her best to smile at Arthur’s fleet commander.

“Might you be willing to return to Maun in a fortnight to retrieve a passenger?”

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Spotlight on Distorted Loyalty by @StacySEaton anniversary sale #romanticsuspense

Emergency room Doctor Rachel Wilde and Detective Grant Murphy meet by chance and it takes only one glance and a simple gentle touch to ignite their senses. 
When Grant’s wife is in a tragic accident, Rachel goes above and beyond the call of duty to save her life. It is the moment she faces Grant again that their lives begin to spin out of control and they realize the lives of their loved ones were deeply intertwined. 
The distorted loyalties of the ones they lost will drive a wedge between them and it will take another death, a last will and a look beyond the grave to find the path they must follow.

Distorted Loyalty

Romantic Suspense

PUBLISHED: June 4, 2014

A deep masculine voice reached my ear over my right shoulder and caused a shiver to go down my spine. “I’m not sure I like the idea of your son buying my daughter a present.”
I spun around to view the man who had just spoken so intimately in my ear and had to look up. Holy cow! This guy could be the twin to the actor who played the leader of the wolf pack on that hot vampire cable series; only this guy had short hair.
For a moment, I wasn’t sure if he was being serious or joking with me, but a sexy smile slid over his lusciously-full mouth, and I realized he was very much not upset.
I cocked my head to the side, “And what makes you think it is for your daughter?”
He grinned, “Because I can see the teenaged lust in his eyes.” I laughed at his comment and glanced at Josh and Jazzy. They were standing close, and she was holding bottles up for him to smell. The pure look of pleasure he wore on his features had nothing to do with what he smelled.
“I’m Grant.” He held his hand out for me to shake and I placed my palm into his. His hands were huge and swallowed up my petite mitts.
“I’m Rachel.” His hand spread warmth all the way up my arm.

Amazon Barnes& NobleKobo




Rated 4.5 Stars on AmazonRated 4.25 Stars on Goodreads
“This book shows that not every romance book has to have sex and flowers, but that a love based on emotional strength is more likely to last and be satisfying for a lifetime.”  5 Star Amazon Review by Clare
“Wow! This book is awesome, a real page turner! I was hooked from the first page and just hated to see it end. Some harmless flirting between Grant and Rachel is the catalyst for one shocking surprise after another!” 5 Star Amazon Review by whitfield25
“Stacy Eaton definitely has a way with words. She is truly a master at story telling. Her novels are rich, engaging, powerful, and all truly one of a kind. That is definitely the case with Distorted Loyalty. The characters she writes about are so realistic and written with such depth, one feels that you have known them forever. Such clarity in her character development is a common trait in the author's writing, and is no different in this novel. The reader will fall in love with Rachel, Josh, Grant, and Jazlyn. They will have mixed feelings in regard to Mark and Iliana. The supporting characters are just as well developed and enhance the story line and the main characters. This only enhances the novel and makes it more realistic.” 5 Star Amazon Review by Avid Reader
“This novel makes you ask yourself intriguing questions, is there life after death, Heaven or Hell, can you meet people who have passed before you when you die? There are twists and turns, sometimes shocking events and you can't imagine how this could possibly turn out! Ms. Eaton never lets us down.” 4 Star Amazon Review by Pat F
“An intriguing read that is hard to put down. Alternating viewpoints allow a 360 view of the plot. Engaging from page one with realistic treatment of some difficult subject matter.” 5 Star Amazon Review by Kgoldenh


Stacy has been a full-time police officer since 2000. Her current assignment is as Detective of her small town department. She enjoys crime scene investigation; taking a passion in putting the pieces together to figure out the crime. She is also a business owner where she helps people get the awareness out for the causes they care most about. She currently serves on the Board of Directors for her local Domestic Violence Center. She is a mother of two, a son proudly serving in the United States Navy and a tween daughter who is a black belt in Tae Kwon Do and loves cheerleading. Her husband is also in law enforcement. She loves music and photography. Stacy has published 9 novels to date, with several more coming out in 2015.



           
MoB Promosmagicofbookspromo@gmail.com
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The Business of Writing: Being a Professional Writer #ASMSG #IARTG #MFRWOrg

Author Nikki Tysoe from London, UK
(c)2008 by Alan Moore, Wikimedia Commons. Although the concept of the "lonely writer's garret" still carries a certain romantic flair, once a writer has transitioned into preparing to make money off his or her words, he or she becomes a professional writer. 

But what does that mean, exactly?

Writers being creative beings, this can mean a number of different things in terms of personal appearance, behavior, and habits. For the writer who wishes to be perceived as a professional, these aspects center upon various demonstrations of common courtesy... the exercise of which seems to be eroding in this day and age of Internet anonymity.

Yep, I have my "Mom hat" on again. Feel fortunate that I'm not into taking selfies, or you'd be treated to my "hairy eyeball" look too! :D

Branding.
I can't say it any better than Nikki Woods did in this article published 8/4/15.

Correspondence.
As a professional writer, you should always remain mindful of how you come across to your audience, not only in your books or articles but in everyday correspondence tasks. This applies (but is not limited) to email and "earthmail" interactions with:
Literary agents, editors, cover and interior-layout designers, promotional companies, accountants, and other service personnel, prospective as well as contracted. Booksellers and other event organizers, both before the event as well as giving thanks afterward. In fact, expressing appreciation can be the fastest way to a return invitation.Book bloggers and other reviewers, when asking for reviews as well as optionally expressing thanks for a helpful review; and never engage a reviewer if you are in any way dissatisfied with the review. I already covered that advice in this blog post, but IMO it cannot be emphasized enough. (Insert "hairy eyeball" selfie. Again.)Your fans—and this goes double for anything written online, even in "private" messages. Since any site can be hacked or otherwise monitored, the best policy is to presume that nothing is truly private, and structure your interactions accordingly.Anyone with whom you need to send followup correspondence. Can you think of any sector I have missed? Please leave a comment letting me know which ones! :) Deadlines.
Now there's a loaded word! For journalists, deadlines are usually perceived as just a means of structuring one's workday. For everyone else, especially those of us who write book-length fiction or nonfiction, adhering to content delivery deadlines that are established by another party such as a publisher can be problematical at best. And yet delivering a completed manuscript on time will set you apart from the madding crowd of authors who play fast-and-loose with their time—and with their editor's or publisher's patience.

Public appearances offer a slew of opportunities to present yourself as a professional writer.
Online. I have already covered fan interactions; here I refer to things such as the random tweets, retweets, pictures, videos, and status updates that you choose to share to your sundry social media platforms. As you decide upon your online persona, make sure that it jives with what you write, for that persona will become a part of your author brand. And then tweet/retweet/share accordingly. For example, if you write Christian fiction, I would advise against saying anything in a tweet that you wouldn't say in church! Book vending & signings at bookstores and conferences. Your in-person persona should also jive—or at least not conflict with what you write. On the other hand, if you write about serial killers, I strongly suggest that you do not act like one in public! (Unless it's a PR stunt for your book promotion, but still, I'd think twice about using that tactic. :D) You can get a lot of mileage from being courteous, respectful, and appreciative of customers, non-customers, and event hosts alike, regardless of what type of books you write.Writers' conferences. If you're a member of the Romance Writers of America, I don't need to tell you how to present yourself as a professional in this type of venue. You know already—or you should. Although I haven't attended a RWA National convention since 2011, I can pretty much imagine what 2015's looked like: out of 2,000 attendees, 1,942 were power-suited women (whether publishers, editors, agents, or authors), 55 were similarly attired men, and the remaining three were newbie women authors who didn't receive the dress code memo, showed up in blue jeans, and missed the entire first day of panels shopping for an emergency power suit and accessories. Okay, I jest... but barely.

The dress-code memos will, of course, vary by genre. At a typical World Fantasy Convention you'll see no shortage of suits, but very few of those will be draped over authors, who sport pretty much whatever tickles their fancy, short of character costumes. Although come to think of it, I haven't attended a WFC since the debut of the first edition of Dawnflight in 1999, so you tell me if character costumes are in vogue at these non-fan cons now!
The grocery store. The what? Yes, there is always the possibility that you could be recognized in a chance public encounter, so your appearance and behavior choices matter there too.As I always told my kids as they were growing up, no one will ever fault you for being polite, gracious, appreciative, respectful, and kind. And the people you impress with your professionalism may just remember those choices and become extra supportive of you and your work!

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#RockingSummerRomance spotlight on Bootleg Broadway by @DianaLRubino prohibition

Booze, music, sex, murder, Prohibition... New York... What a time to be alive!

So reads the tagline of BOOTLEG BROADWAY by Diana Rubino, and it looks to be a most intriguing read. I shall let you decide for yourself! 

In this sequel to FROM HERE TO 14TH STREET, Vita and Tom McGlory and their three children are struggling to make ends meet.

It's 1932. Prohibition rages, the Depression ravages, and Billy McGlory comes of age whether he wants to or not. Musical and adventurous, Billy dreams of having his own ritzy supper club and big band. On the eve of his marriage to the pregnant Prudence, the shifty "businessman" Rosario Ingovito offers him all that and more. Fame, fortune, his own Broadway musical…it's all his for the taking, despite Pru's opposition to Rosie's ventures.

Meanwhile, Pru's artistic career gains momentum and their child is born. Can anything go wrong for Billy? Only when he gets in way over his head does he stop to wonder how his business partner really makes his millions, but by then it's far too late…

Diana talks about the birth of Bootleg Broadway:

With FROM HERE TO 14TH STREET set in 1894, I needed to set this a generation later, which happened to be the 1930s—with Prohibition and the Great Depression as the backdrop. This is the first book I ever wrote where I created the characters first, with nothing to do yet. The plot developed the way it did because of who they are. My goal was to get Billy into one mess after another. This era couldn’t have been more suited to Billy’s adventures, a few of which he barely escaped with his life.

Nicknames from real life:
As in FROM HERE TO 14th STREET, a lot of characters have nicknames like Piggy Balls and Dirty Neck Bruiso. I sat around the table with my surviving aunts and uncles who were then in their 80s and 90s, and they rattled off these nicknames from ‘the old days’ in Jersey City like they made them up yesterday. That was a standard Italian neighborhood custom, everybody had a nickname. Some were more descriptive than others. But you didn’t just ‘get’ a nickname. You had to earn it.

Diana's favorite passage from BOOTLEG BROADWAY:

Pru had kept closemouthed all day about what she was giving him, although he badgered and hounded her, but she wouldn’t give in.

As Ma began divvying up the rum cake, the doorbell rang, and Da came back with a long box. “This thing’s heavy. What’s in here, Pru? Billy’s tombstone?”

Billy cut the ribbon with the cake knife and slid the lid off. Wads of tissue paper filled the box. As he removed the last layer of covering and revealed what was inside, they all gasped—a sculpture of a naked man, in all his masculine glory—and fully aroused. He had one hand on his hip and one foot upon a pedestal on which was inscribed in bold letters, “BILLY.”

“Oh, crap.” His face turned red hot.

Diana says:

This was the first book I ever wrote where I created the characters first, with no storyline whatsoever. All I knew was that it was during Prohibition, and I wanted to get the main character, Billy McGlory, into one mess after another.

Here’s a prime example of that, in this excerpt:

Heading south on Madison Avenue, I heard the siren. I glanced into the rearview mirror and saw the unmistakable Greyhound radiator ornament of the Lincoln behind me. Cop car. All the gangsters drove Lincolns, which had a top speed of 80, so the cops had to get Lincolns to keep up with them. I tried to get the hell out of his way—he must've been going to a robbery or a diner or something. I pulled over, and he pulled up next to me. Oh, shit. It was me he was after.

I rolled down the window and asked sweetly, "Yes, sir, what can I do for you, sir?"

"License and registration please."

"Uh—what's wrong, officer? Did I commit a traffic violation?" As the son of the ex-Chief of Police, I should have been real comfortable around cops, but to tell the truth, they scared the hell out of me. The cops my father knew weren't the crooked ones. They were the straightassed ones, just like him, who fought Tammany and made a career out of busting crooks. They didn't have a price, like the rest of them. Hardnosed bastards, some were frustrated politicians and not smart enough to get into law school, so they enforced the laws from behind their badges. Hell, I was all for law and order, but these guys sometimes took it too far. "Your back license plate is missing."

Relief drained me. "Oh, drat. It must've got stolen. You know this city—just crawlin' with thieves."

"License and registration, please," he repeated, in what passed for a more menacing cop voice. Now he assumed his cop stance, pudgy fists on meaty hips, waiting while I dug through the glove compartment, tossing aside all the crumpled up sheet music and junk crammed in there. Oh, that's where my emergency pack of cigarettes was, and that old box of prophylactics! But damned if I couldn't find the registration.

"Uh—I can't find it, but it's my car, honest. I mean, it was a gift to me, but it's been paid for, it's not stolen or anything. I can probably find it in my penthouse. You wanna follow me there? It's only two blocks aw—"

"Step out of the car, please."

Uh-oh. I felt my bowels burning. I had two briefcases bulging with two shitloads of money in the back seat.

He poked his head into the car. "What's in the briefcases?"

"Uh—I dunno. I'm doing an errand for somebody."

"Yeah, I'll bet you dunno. Step aside, please."

"Hey, you got a search warrant?" I demanded.

But demanding a search warrant from a New York City cop was like demanding a shot of Scotch from Satan in the middle of Hell.

I didn't want to look. I turned my head and flattened my palms on the roof of the car, like I was being searched. I heard the clicks as he sprang the latches and his not-so-surprised "mm-hmmm" as he checked out the contents.

"Who you doing this errand for, sonny boy?"

What was with the "sonny boy"? He wasn't much older than me. I knew he just wanted to put me down. Screw that. I've been called a lot worse by much better cops than him. He obviously didn't know who I was. "Uh—I'd better get a lawyer or something."

"You'd better come with me."

"Look, uh—you wanna just take a few bills outta there and forget it?” I asked, real generously. “I mean, uh—we're all in this mess together, ya know—"

"Bribing an officer of the law is a very serious offense, sonny boy. You'll have to come with me. Park your car there, please."

"Here? But there's a hydrant here. I'll get a ticket."

Purchase BOOTLEG BROADWAY:

The Wild Rose Press | Kindle | Amazon Paperback | Nook | iTunes

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