Kim Iverson Headlee's Blog: Book Musings from the Maze of Twisty Passages, page 39

#SpringFling spotlight on IT Exec's Baby by @AuthorTinaGayle #MFRWauthor

Tina Gayle, author of IT Exec's Baby and other novels previously featured on The Maze, always comes up with great ideas for author-exchange themes -- #EggcerptExchange, #RockingSummerRomance, #FallingintoLove -- and now, #SpringFling!

To kick off #SpringFling 2015 on The Maze, Tina shares some thoughts about...
Why do I like Spring?

I love the nature’s slow rebirth from brown to green.

The sound of the peaceful silence of winter turning to the soft melody of birds singing to the joyous sound of life.

Flowers dancing in the wind, attracting the butterflies and pollenating the future.

The refreshing rains that sparks new buds to form on once bare trees.

All the wonders of spring remind me of the new opportunities out there to be the best I can be.

Have a great spring and a wonderful summer.

Tina

That was lovely, Tina, thank you very much!
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 woman into her books.

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 |


Title: IT Exec's Baby
Series: The Executive Wives' Club, book 2
Synopsis: Brie Sullivan has a new baby girl and there are a million things to do, but Brie doesn’t have the energy to keep up. Why? She’s still grieving for her husband and suffering from baby blues, but she won’t let that stop her. She’s come up with the answer--find a new husband to be the father of her kids.

Jason Clark has been doing everything he can to help Brie. He loves her but can he accept her proposal of marriage knowing she’s not thinking clearly about the future?

Comments from Reviews:
~ “IT Exec’s Baby is almost a love story in reverse. The marriage comes first, then the sex, and finally the love - at least from Brie's point of view. It is tender and poignant at times, and full of strong descriptive passages.”

~ “What I love about series books. Every book gives you more about the characters that you've fallen in love with during the first book.”

~ “IT Exec’s Baby is a riveting story of a woman with numerous problems.”

Excerpt:
With the warmth of the sun beating down on her head and the sound of her children’s laughter ringing in her ears, Brie spread her arms and spun in a circle.

She raised her voice and called to her kids as she walked to the railing of the upper deck. “You better find a good hiding place because ready or not here I come.”

With Isabella down for a nap, Brie drew in a deep breath, enjoying the fresh air and the freedom from being stuck inside the house. The kids had convinced her to play with them outside. She loved the easy game of hide-and-go-seek. Glancing over the rail, she scanned the backyard, searching for Ethan’s and Allison’s young forms.

A giggle sounded from below the deck.

Brie stepped down a few stairs to search the patio below. Still unable to catch a glimpse of her children, she continued down the staircase, listening for sounds that might give her a clue to their whereabouts.

Not seeing either one of them, she hugged the back wall and silently slipped to the corner of the house that had concrete steps, which led to the front yard.

Determined to catch one of her kids heading for home-base, Brie refrained from peeking around the corner. The squeak of a tennis shoe alerted her to someone’s arrival.

Ready to grab them the minute they rounded the corner, Brie stayed out of sight. A shadow fell across the patio, and Allison’s young form raced past.

Jumping out to grab her, Brie touched her daughter’s shoulder.

Allison’s wail of surprise vibrated off the bottom of the deck and pierced through Brie’s brain. Undeterred by the noise, she caught her daughter’s arm and spun her around.

“I got you.”

“No,” Allison screamed again.

Read the 1st chapter at: http://www.tinagayle.net/BirthChpt.htmlPurchase at:Smashwords | BN.com | Kobo | iTunes | Amazon.com |
***
Enter this great giveaway for e-books, note cards,
and an autographed print copy of Morning's Journey !

a Rafflecopter giveaway


For more chances to win, you are invited to...
— Add Kim as a Favorite Author on Amazon.com
— Follow Kim on Twitter
— Add Kim to Google+
— Subscribe to Kim's YouTube channel
— Leave a comment on any page of The Maze, especially if you have done the Amazon, Twitter, and/or YouTube follow
...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!

#MedMonSpring The Highlander's Outlaw Bride by @CMacRaeAuthor #medieval #romance #BYNR

Medieval Monday continues on The Maze with The Highlander's Outlaw Bride by Cathy MacRae!
Synopsis:
Thrust into the role of laird upon his father's unexpected death, Connor MacLaurey returns home to find his cousin has usurped his lands and title. Furthermore, his betrothed--a lass he barely knows and certainly did not agree to marry--is hunted by the sheriff, accused of stealing cattle. His plan is to petition the king for clemency for the foolish chit, break the betrothal, and take his castle back from his treacherous cousin. Marriage is not in his plans.

Brianna Douglas has no desire for marriage. Widowed young, berated daily for failing to give her first husband a child, and sent home in subsequent disgrace, she devotes her life to holding her family's land for her young brother as their sotted father drowns his sorrow in whiskey over her mother's death. Raiders have hit her clan hard, and to save them, she finds herself betrothed to Laird MacLaurey's absent son to seal a pact of protection with the MacLaurey clan.

Forced into a marriage neither wants, it will take a king's edict and sacrifice from both to discover what love means. But can they accept their losses and learn from their mistakes before Brianna marries another?

Excerpt:
Her step quickened and she fled the room to the stairway leading to her chamber. An iron grip on her arm yanked her to a stop and she whirled to face him, his expression black with fury.

“Let go of me!” she hissed angrily.

Conn released her arm, but did not move away. “What do ye think ye are about? Are ye dead set on being hanged?”

“The king pardoned me.”

“Aye, for reiving. Disobedience to the king is treason and will also get ye hanged.”

Brianna eyed him narrowly, unable to quell her toe as it tapped the stone floor impatiently. “I dinnae want to marry.”

“Well, there will be none to wed ye from the gallows.” He loomed over her, his expression darker still. “And I could have refused ye for yer lack of respect.”

“Lack of respect? I said naught that is not on any other’s tongue, m’laird.”

“Ye know naught of me or my past year in France.”

“Enough to know I dinnae want to be shackled to a skirt-chaser like yerself. I dinnae want such disrespect in my marriage, either!”

Conn exhaled a long breath. “Why are ye so against this marriage?”

“Are ye daft? What is there to recommend it?”

“The reivers—“

“Have stripped my clan of their wealth.”

“Yer dowry is of no importance to me. However, I do find myself in need of an heir.”

Furious, Brianna tossed her head. “Ye would do better to find a woman ye know will give ye one. I have no desire to be that woman.”

“Is that so?” The soft tone of his voice did not match the fire she saw in his eyes. She shook off the frisson of longing before it woke the passion his voice ignited in her, and did not flinch as she spoke the lie.

“Aye.”

Buy link: http://www.amzn.com/B00UD9JMBQ

***
Last week: #KASIWC King Arthur's Sister in Washington's Court Next week: Shadows of the Past by Carmen Stefanescu
Enter this great giveaway for e-books, note cards,
and an autographed print copy of Morning's Journey !

a Rafflecopter giveaway

For more chances to win, you are invited to...
— Follow Kim Headlee on Twitter
— Add Kim to Google+
— Subscribe to Kim's YouTube channel
— Leave a comment on this blog, especially if you have done the Twitter and/or YouTube follow
...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!

Angusel learns from the best in RAGING SEA Ch 3/Sc 2 #Arthurverse #MFRWorg #amwriting

Lion graphic overlay
(c) by Kim HeadleeTo become the best, one must learn from the best.

Today we tend to associate that mindset with golf, and perhaps college, if one is lucky enough to have a professor who cares more about his students than his research. But the mentorship process is as old as time and has produced excellent results in the disciplines of philosophy, music, the sciences... and warfare.

Legends abound of heroes being trained one-on-one with a mentor. Sometimes, as in the case of the Irish hero Cú Chulainn, that mentor is a woman.

Few details are given in traditional sources about Lancelot's early training; he is said to have been raised by the Lady of the Lake, and she armed him prior to sending him into the world, so presumably she arranged for his training too. Last week's installment of Raging Sea featured the commencement of that arrangement, and today that training begins.

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: Scene 1-A | Scene 1-B |
Raging Sea Chapter 3, Scene 2©2015 by Kim HeadleeAll rights reserved.

Angusel a Dubh Loch sweated and grunted under the weight of the timber he’d been ordered to carry from the dwindling pile. Ever since the arrival of Centurion Elian and the Caledonach called Gull, coupled with Prioress Niniane’s pronouncement that Angusel’s shoulder and head were healed, the autumn days had become a blur of backbreaking effort: cutting wood and toting water and performing other heavy chores for the nuns each morning and toiling over this cottage in the afternoon, punctuated by brief periods to care for and exercise his warhorse Stonn, eat, and rest. In that order.

The work blessed him with dreamless nights and kept his waking thoughts from dwelling upon… her. Upon how he had failed her, how often she had rejected him, and how, as impossible as it seemed, he might earn her forgiveness.

With the beam teetering on his right shoulder, he trudged past Stonn’s corral and the accompanying whicker to the building site, where Elian sat astride a stool, hammering treenails into the lower portion of the wall. The centurion preferred to leave his new wooden leg off while he performed stationary tasks. It still unnerved Angusel to see the linen-wrapped stump twitch as if the rest of the flesh wasn’t missing. The crutch and leather-capped oaken leg leaned against the table that held an ale skin and bucket of treenails, close enough for Elian to press either walking tool into service as the need arose.

Gull stood perched on a ladder, working on framing the roof. At Angusel’s approach, Gull climbed down to help him with the timber. Hoisting it between them, they ascended separate ladders and wrestled the beam into the notches. When it had settled into place, they drew out their mallets and treenails to secure it to the supports.

Angusel dashed sweat from his eyes and glanced over to find Gull regarding him. Something about the Caledonach seemed familiar. Surely he’d have recalled seeing a man who wore black leather bracers up to the elbow on both forearms even though the elder’s days of waging war had to be long since done.

But he had not asked Gull about his past; he hadn’t dared, for Gull would expect the same of him. That would mean having to admit that he’d been outcast from Caledon and risk being rejected by Gull too. Worse still, he would have to admit why.

He shook off the chilling memories, holstered his mallet, and descended the ladder. Gull also had climbed down. “What next, sir?” Angusel asked Elian, flexing his arms and dreading the answer. He was still rebuilding strength in his shoulder, and the day’s work had left him more fatigued than he’d expected. “Thatching?”

The centurion surveyed the completed roof frame and gave a satisfied-looking nod. “Tomorrow you lay the wattles and thatch.” Elian exchanged a glance with Gull, who strode toward the tent where they had stowed their supplies and weapons. The Caledonach returned carrying two long, wooden practice swords. “Today,” Elian said with a grin as Gull tossed Angusel one of the swords, “we see just how much work is left to finish building you.”

He would have preferred to conduct this test when he felt better rested, but he suppressed his protest.

Only cowards and incompetents fashioned excuses.

While Elian grabbed his crutch and hopped over to perch on a log, the combatants kicked aside pieces of wood and other construction debris near the cottage to clear a larger area. By tacit agreement they met at the center and saluted each other with their swords.

As Angusel adopted an attack posture and began circling his opponent, he felt the familiar heat of battle-frenzy flood his veins, banishing the fatigue. The strike of sword on sword revived memories of his most recent battle, and Gull became the despised foe to be obliterated at any cost.

This foe was far cannier than most. He wielded his weapon with grace and precision, thwarting Angusel’s attack every time. When Angusel quickened the pace, Gull matched it blow for blow and countered with unexpected twists, feints, kicks, and lunges of his own.

Angusel’s frustration mounted. Something shifted inside his mind, and he unleashed the full fury of his assault.

***

Enter this great giveaway for e-books, note cards,
and an autographed print copy of Morning's Journey !

a Rafflecopter giveaway


For more chances to win this month, you are invited to...
— Follow me on Twitter
— Add me to Google+
— Subscribe to my YouTube channel
— Leave a comment on this blog, especially if you have done the Twitter and/or YouTube follow
...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!

Take to the skies with My First Travel Books #kidlit series by Anna Othitis @aothitis

Anna Othitis lived and was raised in the beautiful land and country of Zimbabwe, Africa (home will always be home). She left all of her life long memories, endless charity work and good people behind vowing that she will continue supporting the needy children in her land Zimbabwe, Africa and beyond. After traveling long and short distances from the East coast to the West coast twice she and her family eventually found their sense of belonging and final settling destination in New Jersey, USA.

Her husband George, sons Johnny, Elia and Frankie encouraged her to write her first children's book titled "My First Travel Book", inspired by Frankie (Captain Frankie), who is graduating from his Masters degree in Aeronautical Science and beginning his career as a professional pilot. Anna's favorite saying is "Be Bold Be Brave".

She was inspired to write her children's books with a vision to link up the children Africa and of the world on Angelic Airlines to so many beautiful places of interest and popularity on our wonderful planet Earth with all its beautiful some natural and some man made creations and resources. One of the beautiful natural wonders featured in her books is in her birth land of Zimbabwe "The Mighty Victoria Falls" All of her books educate our children and widen their scope of interest in the amazing surroundings, creations and nature to appreciate and look after our environment for many generations still to come. 

Are you ready to take to the skies? Then welcome to Angelic Airlines! Come join the adventures of Captain Frankie and the Angelic Airlines flying angel as they travel across the world to some of the most popular, entertaining, and educational places in the world. Captain Frankie is waiting for you to book your ticket, safely stow your bags, and open your eyes to the beautiful places created for all of us to visit in My First Travel Book.




 

All three books are top 100 in the Children's ebooks category on Amazon.All three books are educational and entertaining for children of all ages.All three books are available in ebook form as well as paperback.All three books are 5 star children's books.

Amazon US ~ Barnes & NobleGoodreads ~ Bookamillion 

Amazon US ~ Barnes & NobleGoodreads ~ Bookamillion 


Amazon US ~ Barnes & NobleGoodreads ~ Bookamillion 

WebsiteAmazonGoodreadsFacebookTwitterBooksamillionPinterestGoogle+YoutubeAbout Me

MoB Promos
***
Enter this great giveaway for e-books, note cards,and an autographed print copy of Morning's Journey !
a Rafflecopter giveaway
For more chances to win, you are invited to...
— Follow Kim Headlee on Twitter
— Add Kim to Google+
— Subscribe to Kim's YouTube channel
— Leave a comment on this blog, especially if you have done the Twitter and/or YouTube follow
...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!

Writing the Small Town Romance by @JanaRichards_ #follow #amwriting #giveaway

Today on The Maze I welcome back author Jana Richards (@JanaRichards_; please follow her and enter her giveaway below!) to talk about...
Writing the Small Town Romance
I love small town romances. There’s something irresistible about a love story set in a town of quirky characters, unique businesses and even interesting pets.


Into that amazing, quirky little town we drop our hero and heroine. Sometimes they’re both natives of the town.  Perhaps they’ve lived there all their lives, and have harbored secret feelings for each other for years. Or maybe one of them has recently returned home, either permanently or for what they believe will be a short stay. In my small town romance FIRST AND AGAIN, Bridget Grant returns to her small hometown, Paradise, North Dakota, when both her business and her marriage fail, leaving her broke and out of options. Her plan is to work temporarily in her mother’s bar until she gets back on her feet, and then she and her daughter will move back to San Francisco. But when she reconnects with Jack Davison, her first love, she begins to rethink her decision to leave.

In other small town romances, one of the lovers is a newcomer to the town. They are a stranger in a strange land, a fish out of water. That describes Alex Campbell in ONE MORE SECOND CHANCE. Arriving from his hometown of San Diego, Alex ends up in Lobster Cove, a small town on an island in Maine. He accepts a temporary position as a doctor in the town as a way to pay off his medical school debt. He only plans to stay for two years, the length of his contract. When the story opens he has only ten months left. Of course everything changes for Alex when he meets Julia. 

Even though Bridget rekindles her love for Jack, and Alex is head over heels for Julia, love might not be enough. Bridget left Paradise nearly twenty years previously because she wanted more than the small town could offer her. A chef trained at the Culinary Institute of America, Bridget previously worked in some of the great restaurants of San Francisco, and then owned a large catering company with her ex-husband. Despite her recent setbacks, she’s got big dreams. Alex loves the excitement and challenge of a big city emergency room. Professionally, can he be happy in a town as small as Lobster Cove?

In FIRST AND AGAIN, Bridget begins a new catering company with her former high school nemesis, and reopens the restaurant in her mother’s bar and hotel business. In ONE MORE SECOND CHANCE, Alex discovers how challenging family medicine can be. So they both find meaningful work. But is it enough? Small towns are just that – small. They lack many of the amenities that city dwellers take for granted. There has to be something that makes people like Bridget and Alex want to stay, something they can’t get in a big city.

This is where those quirky characters come in. The thing about small towns is that they are communities. Their inhabitants care about each other and support each other when the chips are down. Showing this community caring at work is vital for a successful small town romance. The small town has to show that it is a worthy place for the hero and heroine to live and love.

Have you ever lived in a small town? What was the best thing about it? Would you like to live in a small town?

From today until April 11 at midnight, I’m having a promotion that I call “Over the Hump”. I need help getting over the 2,000 follower mark on Twitter so I can follow more people. So I’m holding a contest and giving away prizes. Check out my blog, Journeys with Jana, for more information, or enter the Rafflecopter contest below. Thank you for reading my post today!

And thank you, Jana, for sharing your advice on The Maze--which is indeed located in a small town in the Appalachian Mountains of Virginia.

About First and AgainPublisher: Carina Press
Genre: Contemporary Romance

Synopsis:
Bridget Grant is back in Paradise. Paradise, North Dakota, that is.

She’s swallowed her pride and moved back to her hometown with her daughter after her divorce and the loss of her catering company. Now she’s trying to navigate the strained relationships she’d left behind – including her first love, Jack Davison.

Jack never forgot Bridget, or the day she left town – and him. When Bridget caters a lunch at Jack’s tourist ranch, old flames reignite. They have more in common than ever – Jack’s also a single parent. Though they both try to keep things casual, Bridget, Jack and their girls are starting to look a lot like a family.

But Bridget’s only planning to stay in Paradise until she’s saved enough to relaunch her business. Jack’s invested too much in his ranch to leave. And with their daughters involved both have a lot more at stake than heartbreak. How can they risk falling in love?

Excerpt:
The sound of an approaching vehicle made her cringe. The driver would likely stop and ask what had happened and whether she was all right. The thought of having to explain her actions made her feel slightly queasy. She prayed for the person to keep on going, to ignore the woman in a pink apron walking alone down a gravel road.

No such luck. 

She heard the vehicle slow to a crawl as it pulled next to her. Righteous anger bubbled in her chest when she glanced over and saw Jack Davison roll down his window.
 
“Going for a walk?” he asked.

“Something like that.”

“Need a ride back to the motel?”

“No thanks. I don’t accept rides from people who laugh at me.”

She kept on walking, her head high. To her dismay Jack continued to follow her slowly with his truck.

“When did I laugh at you? I’ve only seen you once since you got here.”

“Once was enough.”

“You mean the night Tina gave you a hard time?”

Bridget didn’t answer. Perhaps it seemed petty to others, but Tina and Celia had humiliated her, and Jack had laughed at her. She wasn’t likely to get over it quickly.

“I wasn’t laughing at you. I enjoyed seeing Tina get taken down a peg. It doesn’t happen often, and frankly, I was impressed.” He paused a moment. “Are you sure you don’t want a ride?”

She glanced toward Jack and he grinned back, all innocence and boyish charm. Despite herself, she returned his smile. He was a hard man to stay angry with, and she really didn’t want to walk back to the motel and risk having other people pass her on the road.

“Fine. I’ll ride with you.”

He stopped the truck and gestured toward the passenger door of his half-ton. “Hop in.” 

She climbed into the cab, slammed the door shut, then buckled her seat belt. She smoothed the apron over her lap, suddenly feeling stupid and regretting her decision to accept the ride. Jack probably thought she was crazy, or at best, unbalanced. There was no way she could explain the fear that had controlled her life the last two years. 

“I have a punching bag,” he said, his eyes on the road ahead.

“Excuse me?” she said, confused. Had she missed part of this conversation? 

“When I can’t get things or people to do what I want them to do, or when I’m just plain pissed off, I go down into my basement and beat the hell out of Bozo the Clown.”

She stared at his profile. “Bozo the Clown?”

“I have an old Bozo punching bag, you know, one of those toys that’s weighted on the bottom so it keeps popping back up. Bozo takes a licking and keeps coming back for more.”

“Oh, I see,” she said cautiously.

He turned and flashed a dazzling smile. “No, I’m not crazy. At least no crazier than you. Everybody needs some way of getting out their frustrations or they’ll eat you alive. Mine happens to be beating the crap out of Bozo, and I suspect that yours is walking briskly down country roads.”

She relaxed against the seat. “Maybe.” 

“Next time lose the apron. You can’t pretend you’re a serious jogger if you’re wearing a frilly pink apron.”

“No, I suppose not.” She grinned, the weight of embarrassment lifting from her shoulders. Jack’s quirky sense of humor had always intrigued and delighted her. “Next time I feel the urge to take a hike I’ll throw on some jogging pants and tell everyone I’m training for a marathon. That ought to stop the gossiping.” 

“Sorry to disillusion you, but nothing’s likely to do that. Gossip and Paradise go together like peanut butter and jam. Most of the time it’s harmless, but if you’re smart you’ll try not to draw too much attention to yourself.”

“Trust me, that’s the last thing I want to do.” She untied the apron and pulled it over her head. “Doesn’t it ever get to you? The life in the fishbowl? Are you and your wife happy living in Paradise?”

He glanced at her, and she saw a momentary look of surprise in his expression before he turned his attention back to his driving.

“I’m happy enough. The fishbowl thing doesn’t bother me.”

“That’s good.”

“But if you’re going to live in a small town, you’d better get up to date on your gossip. I’ve been single the last ten years.”

The news took her by surprise. Was he single because of divorce or because his wife had died? “Oh, I’m sorry. Celia didn’t tell me.” She wondered why her sister hadn’t filled her in after all this time.

Jack shrugged. “Don’t worry about it.”

He offered no further information and she decided not to ask any more questions. After all, she barely knew him anymore.

Buy Links:
Carina Press | Amazon | Kobo | B & N |

Enter this great giveaway in honor of First and Again
to win a $10 Amazon gift certificate!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

For more chances to win, you are invited to...
— Follow Kim Headlee on Twitter
— Add Kim to Google+
— Subscribe to Kim's YouTube channel
— Leave a comment on this blog, especially if you have done the Twitter and/or YouTube follow
...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!

#MedievalMonday begins with #KASIWC (King Arthur's Sister in Washington's Court) #MMSpring

Thanks to author Ashley York I have been invited to participate in the current round of Medieval Monday, which kicks off today with all participating authors of medieval fiction introducing their books on their own blogs. In honor of the 105th anniversary of Mark Twain's death on 04/21/1910, I have chosen to feature my homage to his work, King Arthur's Sister in Washington's Court by Mark Twain as channeled by Kim Iverson Headlee. Enjoy!


TITLE – King Arthur’s Sister in Washington’s Court (#KASIWC)
AUTHOR – Kim Iverson Headlee
GENRE – Science Fiction/Fantasy Time-Travel RomancePUBLICATION DATE– 1 November 2014 (e-book); 30 November 2015 (audiobook); 30 November 2015 (hardcover)LENGTH (Pages/# Words) – 350 pages/70K wordsPUBLISHER – Lucky Bat BooksCOVER ARTIST – Jennifer DoneskeINTERIOR ARTISTS – Jennifer Doneske and Tom DoneskeFEATURE-LENGTH SCRIPTS – Registered trilogy: adaptation of A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court by Mark Twain, adaptation of KASIWC, and original script The Once and Future Queen; all available upon request.


SYNOPSIS
Morgan le Fay, 6th-century Queen of Gore and the only major character not killed off by Mark Twain in A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court, vows revenge upon the Yankee Hank Morgan. She casts a spell to take her to 1879 Connecticut so she may waylay Sir Boss before he can travel back in time to destroy her world. But the spell misses by 300 miles and 200 years, landing her in the Washington, D.C., of 2079, replete with flying limousines, hovering office buildings, virtual-reality television, and sundry other technological marvels.

Whatever is a time-displaced queen of magic and minions to do? Why, rebuild her kingdom, of course—two kingdoms, in fact: as Campaign Boss for the reelection of American President Malory Beckham Hinton, and as owner of the London Knights world-champion baseball franchise.
Written as though by the old master himself, King Arthur’s Sister in Washington’s Court by Mark Twain as channeled by Kim Iverson Headlee offers laughs, love, and a candid look at American society, popular culture, politics, baseball...and the human heart.
BUY LINKS:Amazon Kindle:
US | UK | CA | AU | BR | DE | ES | FR | IN | IT | JP | MX | NL |

EPUB format for:
Nook | iPad/iPhone | Kobo | Smashwords

SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS:
Bee Zee Books | BookBzz | BooksGoSocial | Booksyeah! |
Book of the Day (3/3/15) | Goodreads |
Character interview of Queen Morgan on Love My Kindle |
Screenplay excerpt featured on the blog of Diana Rubino |
EXCERPT:(from Chapter XIV: Defend the Banner!)

The wench’s smile looked indulgent, if a bit saddened. “Queen Morgan, may I offer an observation?”

“Pray, proceed, Darla, as I seem to have paid for it.”

“This is about a man—the dishy one you’re always coming in here with.”

“Brilliant. Yes, the dishy one. Dishy, and treacherous.” I took a long pull of bitters.

“Lor’ love ye, madame; but all men are treacherous! If you’re lucky, that’s all he is.”

I reflected, through another draught, upon this spot of rough wisdom. Of all the men I had ever known, biblically or not, in this century or any other, the only man I could not label as “treacherous” was Sir Galahad, and we all know what happened to him. For the couple of you who might not be privy to the story: in brief, Sir Galahad drank from the Holy Grail and fell down dead, reportedly because his soul was so pure that Our Lord God bustled him straightaway to heaven. The fact that Sir Galahad had always acted so damned self-righteous that his Grail-hunting companions had wearied of his holier-than-thou ways probably had nothing whatever to do with his demise. I said:

“You need his love… and he needs yours.”
(c)2015 by Jennifer Doneske
“I have treachery aplenty in my life, Darla.” Free agents, not-free agents, other players, managers, coaches… the list seemed endless. “I do not need more from Sandy Carter.”

“But you do need his love.”

I shook my head. “With love like that…”

She was not listening, but had looked toward the line of tall windows fronting the street, across which arched the words “nnI dleiftuO” and, in a revolving pattern of white, blue, and red tube-lights, “NEPO.” I would have taken umbrage at the offense—the server’s, not the fact that the words in the windows appeared backward to my vantage—but I had imbibed too much beer to care.

Darla said, “You need his love… and he needs yours. Look.”
***
Thank you for taking a look at #KASIWC, and stop by next Monday for
The Highlander's Outlaw Bride by Cathy MacRae!
Meanwhile, enter this great giveaway for e-books, note cards,
and an autographed print copy of Morning's Journey !

a Rafflecopter giveaway

For more chances to win, you are invited to...
— Follow Kim Headlee on Twitter
— Add Kim to Google+
— Subscribe to Kim's YouTube channel
— Leave a comment on this blog, especially if you have done the Twitter and/or YouTube follow
...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!

#MedievalMonday begins with #KASIWC (King Arthur's Sister in Washington's Court)

Thanks to author Ashley York I have been invited to participate in the current round of Medieval Monday, which kicks off today with all participating authors of medieval fiction introducing their books on their own blogs. In honor of the 105th anniversary of Mark Twain's death on 04/21/1910, I have chosen to feature my homage to his work, King Arthur's Sister in Washington's Court by Mark Twain as channeled by Kim Iverson Headlee. Enjoy!


TITLE – King Arthur’s Sister in Washington’s Court (#KASIWC)
AUTHOR – Kim Iverson Headlee
GENRE – Science Fiction/Fantasy Time-Travel RomancePUBLICATION DATE– 1 November 2014 (e-book); 30 November 2015 (audiobook); 30 November 2015 (hardcover)LENGTH (Pages/# Words) – 350 pages/70K wordsPUBLISHER – Lucky Bat BooksCOVER ARTIST – Jennifer DoneskeINTERIOR ARTISTS – Jennifer Doneske and Tom DoneskeFEATURE-LENGTH SCRIPTS – Registered trilogy: adaptation of A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court by Mark Twain, adaptation of KASIWC, and original script The Once and Future Queen; all available upon request.


SYNOPSIS
Morgan le Fay, 6th-century Queen of Gore and the only major character not killed off by Mark Twain in A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court, vows revenge upon the Yankee Hank Morgan. She casts a spell to take her to 1879 Connecticut so she may waylay Sir Boss before he can travel back in time to destroy her world. But the spell misses by 300 miles and 200 years, landing her in the Washington, D.C., of 2079, replete with flying limousines, hovering office buildings, virtual-reality television, and sundry other technological marvels.

Whatever is a time-displaced queen of magic and minions to do? Why, rebuild her kingdom, of course—two kingdoms, in fact: as Campaign Boss for the reelection of American President Malory Beckham Hinton, and as owner of the London Knights world-champion baseball franchise.
Written as though by the old master himself, King Arthur’s Sister in Washington’s Court by Mark Twain as channeled by Kim Iverson Headlee offers laughs, love, and a candid look at American society, popular culture, politics, baseball...and the human heart.
BUY LINKS:Amazon Kindle:
US | UK | CA | AU | BR | DE | ES | FR | IN | IT | JP | MX | NL |

EPUB format for:
Nook | iPad/iPhone | Kobo | Smashwords

SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS:
Bee Zee Books | BookBzz | BooksGoSocial | Booksyeah! |
Book of the Day (3/3/15) | Goodreads |
Character interview of Queen Morgan on Love My Kindle |
Screenplay excerpt featured on the blog of Diana Rubino |
EXCERPT:(from Chapter XIV: Defend the Banner!)

The wench’s smile looked indulgent, if a bit saddened. “Queen Morgan, may I offer an observation?”

“Pray, proceed, Darla, as I seem to have paid for it.”

“This is about a man—the dishy one you’re always coming in here with.”

“Brilliant. Yes, the dishy one. Dishy, and treacherous.” I took a long pull of bitters.

“Lor’ love ye, madame; but all men are treacherous! If you’re lucky, that’s all he is.”

I reflected, through another draught, upon this spot of rough wisdom. Of all the men I had ever known, biblically or not, in this century or any other, the only man I could not label as “treacherous” was Sir Galahad, and we all know what happened to him. For the couple of you who might not be privy to the story: in brief, Sir Galahad drank from the Holy Grail and fell down dead, reportedly because his soul was so pure that Our Lord God bustled him straightaway to heaven. The fact that Sir Galahad had always acted so damned self-righteous that his Grail-hunting companions had wearied of his holier-than-thou ways probably had nothing whatever to do with his demise. I said:

“You need his love… and he needs yours.”
(c)2015 by Jennifer Doneske
“I have treachery aplenty in my life, Darla.” Free agents, not-free agents, other players, managers, coaches… the list seemed endless. “I do not need more from Sandy Carter.”

“But you do need his love.”

I shook my head. “With love like that…”

She was not listening, but had looked toward the line of tall windows fronting the street, across which arched the words “nnI dleiftuO” and, in a revolving pattern of white, blue, and red tube-lights, “NEPO.” I would have taken umbrage at the offense—the server’s, not the fact that the words in the windows appeared backward to my vantage—but I had imbibed too much beer to care.

Darla said, “You need his love… and he needs yours. Look.”
***
Thank you for taking a look at #KASIWC, and stop by next Monday for another amazing medieval author's work!
Meanwhile, enter this great giveaway for e-books, note cards,
and an autographed print copy of Morning's Journey !

a Rafflecopter giveaway

For more chances to win, you are invited to...
— Follow Kim Headlee on Twitter
— Add Kim to Google+
— Subscribe to Kim's YouTube channel
— Leave a comment on this blog, especially if you have done the Twitter and/or YouTube follow
...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!

Elian receives new purpose in RAGING SEA Ch 3/Sc 1B #Arthurverse #MFRWAuthor

Dunadd Boar representation
(c)2015 by Kim Headlee It is fitting that this particular #SundaySnippet was published on this particular Sunday, for Easter is a season of hope born of new opportunities that have sprung from the death of an old way of life.

In today's excerpt, the crippled soldier Elian is visited by Prioress Niniane, who presents him with an offer he is all too willing to refuse... until his friend Gull helps him to peer past his fears.

Previous #SundaySnippets 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: Scene 1-A | 
Raging Sea Chapter 3, Scene 1-B©2015 by Kim HeadleeAll rights reserved.
“Centurion.”

He opened his eyes, panic rising. The Dhoo-Glass commander, here? Impossible; he’d overheard talk about her promotion, and that she’d left one of her clansmen to lead the Manx Cohort in her stead.

The tavernkeeper tolerated his presence, but the new prefect viewed all beggars with disdain, regardless of their former station in life. Perhaps the prefect had sent a female subordinate to roust beggars this night. Picti warrior-women had to be common enough, if their two most powerful chieftainesses were any example. He grabbed his crutch and began the arduous process of levering himself to stand on his remaining leg, praying Gull would return in time.

He didn’t see anyone of command rank in the alley, just a trio of enlistees leaning upon each other as they lurched toward the main thoroughfare. Mayhap he’d dreamed the soft, pleasant, female voice. He could use that draught now.

As he concentrated on establishing his balance, he heard the swish of robes and glanced up to see the prioress of Rushen Priory standing before him, a serene expression upon her face in spite of the crude surroundings. She had no escort, though she seemed so ethereal and untouchable that perhaps God’s angels warded her steps.

She extended a hand. “May I assist you, Centurion Elian?”

He grunted. “There’s a title I’ve not heard in more than a year.”

“It’s yours again, by the Pendragon’s command, with full pay and privileges.”

Surprise made him recoil, and he almost fell. She hurried forward to support his right side. Shame scorching his cheeks, he shrugged her arm off and hopped backward to lean against the tavern’s wall. “Look at me, Prioress. Take a good, hard look.” He didn’t bother to bleed the self-loathing from his tone. With the rag-padded crutch wedged under his right armpit, he folded his arms. “How can I be of use to anyone, to say nothing of the Pendragon himself?”

“There is a warrior he wishes you to train.” A smile bent her lips.

He pursed his lips and blew out his disdain. “My training days are done. Arthur knows this. I could no sooner train the sea to lap at my feet—foot.” He glared at his remaining limb with a rueful laugh.

“Ye belittle yourself overmuch, lad.”

Elian shot a glance over his left shoulder to see Gull exiting the tavern. Gull thrust Elian’s flagon toward him. He accepted the offering with a nod of thanks and downed half of it in one pull.

After wiping his mouth with the back of his hand, he asked, “How long have you been standing there?”

“Long enough.” Gull faced the prioress. “Who be this warrior, my lady?”

“He says that in his own tongue, his name means ‘Raging Sea.’”

The phrase meant nothing to Elian, though Gull stroked his gray-streaked black beard.

“Why would the Pendragon send you to deliver this order, Prioress? Why not one of his own men?” Elian asked. “And why appoint me to the task, of all people?” Why me and not someone who isn’t half a man? But he couldn’t bear to voice that question.

“Because I requested it—and you, specifically.” Her hand disappeared into a pocket of her robe, and she withdrew a parchment leaf. “If you doubt your reinstatement, Centurion, here is the Pendragon’s writ.”

Not that the hen-scratching would have meant anything to Elian, though the Scarlet Dragon seal and Arthur’s mark inside appeared real enough. He’d seen both, often, when he’d served as Tanroc’s garrison commander on the other side of Maun. On the other side of his life.

With an angry wave, he thrust the parchment at her. Beggars had no need for such things. She shrugged and tucked it into her pocket.

“This is madness. Warriors need sparring partners.” He slapped his stump. “I would have better success hobbling to the moon.” Her benign expression seemed to deny the truth of his assessment. Exasperation mounting, he turned to his friend. “Explain it to her, Gull.”

“I shall be his legs, Prioress.”

“What? You?” Elian’s eyebrows shot up. He lowered them notch by notch as he voiced each key issue: “You’re not a Bryton. You might have been a warrior once, but you owe no allegiance to the Pendragon or to anyone else, as far as I know. Why should you deign to involve yourself in this matter? What do you gain by it?”

“This warrior named Raging Sea intrigues me,” was the only answer Gull would divulge.

The prioress chewed her lip. “Two men at the priory, I was prepared to accept. Not three.”

“The priory?” Elian asked. “Not the fort?”

She shook her head. “Your student still recovers under my care.”

“Still recovers?” Concern clouded Gull’s face.

“If he wishes to share his story with you, he will.” She drew a slow breath, fingering the small silver cross that lay against her chest. “I must refuse your kind offer to help Centurion Elian. Our guesthouse barely has room for two people.” Her expression turned frank. “And the centurion and his student are well known to me. You, good sir, are not. I intend no offense, but I cannot put my sisters at risk from a stranger.”

“Aye, for sooth. ’Tis a fair wise lady ye are.” He swept her a deep bow. “I call myself Gull, and Elian has the right of it: I was once a warrior and lann-seolta master.” Lann-seolta, Elian recalled, was a Picti term that meant “blade-cunning.” He felt his eyebrows hitch upward as Gull continued. “Now I earn my bed and board wielding mallet and saw. With your permission, Prioress, we shall build our own wee house for to live in whilst we train Ainchis Sal.”

The prioress gave Gull a questioning look, but Elian ignored it. “‘We?’ Who is this ‘we’ you speak of so glibly, man?”

Gull’s laugh was the merriest sound Elian had heard in many a moon. “Gods willing, I might teach yon prickly auld boar a thing or two, as well.” His gaze turned earnest, and he laid his hand against his heart. “If ye be willing to accept me, I shall not disturb you or the other womenfolk. Ye have my word. And if your word yet be nay, my lady, then ye shall hear naught else from me.”

She regarded Gull at length. What she saw in his gaze Elian could only guess. “I believe you, Gull,” she said. Her smile turned enigmatic. “And I believe that Raging Sea will benefit greatly from your teachings as well as Elian’s.”

“Come, auld boar.” Gull grabbed Elian’s arm, stooped to adjust it across his shoulders, and stood to bear the weight of Elian’s legless, useless side. “We have a warrior to train.”

“Again with the ‘we,’” Elian grumbled. He finished the ale without tasting it and tucked the flagon into his belt. But who was he to disobey the Pendragon, no matter how mad the command? “So be it, then. Let us go to this man called Raging Sea and see what sort of warrior we can make of him.”

The prioress led them out of the alley toward a donkey-drawn cart positioned in the intersecting street, but before they had taken a dozen steps, a thought pulled Elian up short. “What did you call him, Gull? Ainchis Sal?” When Gull nodded, Elian asked the prioress, “Do you mean Angusel?”

“You knew him by that name,” said the renowned healer of bodies and souls. “What he calls himself today is a measure of how much he has healed—and of how much healing he has yet to endure.”


***

Enter this great giveaway for e-books, note cards,
and an autographed print copy of Morning's Journey!

a Rafflecopter giveaway


For more chances to win this month, you are invited to...
— Follow me on Twitter
— Add me to Google+
— Subscribe to my YouTube channel
— Leave a comment on this blog, especially if you have done the Twitter and/or YouTube follow
...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!

Yes, I #amwriting at the beach! (The Dawnflier, April 2015) #Arthurverse #MFRWAuthor

Gull on Myrtle Beach
Photo copyright 2014 by Kim HeadleeMarch in the Appalachians decided to go out like a lion, rather than a lamb--I woke up to snow the morning I composed this post, and it didn't get over the freezing mark all day--so I decided to throw in the proverbial towel.

The beach towel, that is.

Our goats, dogs, and cats are being well looked after by my husband, who alas was not able to join me because of all the snow days that had eaten away at his school's spring break. Turns out, this is a great break for all of us. :)

It's not all-play-and-no-work for me, however! This is a writing vacation, and I hope to make great progress on my latest novel, Raging Sea. The sea here on the Grand Strand doesn't exactly rage, but it's a great place to fake it. The latest excerpt of Raging Sea may be viewed here, and that post contains links to all the previous installments.

And please click on the tabs to view my book pages to see the latest in blog tours, reviews, free books, and more!

In other news...

Congratulations to Drue and Judy (already notified), the latest winners in my monthly blog contest!

My upcoming appearances include:
April 10, 10-11 a.m. Reading from King Arthur's Sister in Washington's Court at Eversole Library, Bluefield College, WV.April 11, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Signing and selling books at the Celebration of Appalachia Festival, Bluefield College, WV.April 18, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Signing and selling books at the Artisan Showcase, Oewel Haller House, Wytheville, VA.April 25, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Signing and selling books at the Experience Art in Wytheville event, Wytheville, VA.If you're a blogger, you're connected on Triberr, and you blog about the Arthurian Legends, even if it's only occasionally, take a peek at my new Triberr tribe, the Arthurverse (#Arthurverse)! I've found that Triberr is a great way to boost blog post views, and I'm happy to welcome new members who share my love for the Arthurian legends.

And I'm always on the lookout for more members to join my Street Team! All missions (mainly of the online variety, at present) are optional, but team members earn points toward special prizes such as free e-books, autographed print books, audiobooks, artwork, exclusive sneak peeks, and special mention in my next book! I invite you to join the Facebook group "Kim's All-Stars" and thanks!

Enter this great giveaway for e-books, note cards,
and an autographed print copy of Morning's Journey!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

And it's not too late to enter this giveaway for e-books, note cards,
and an autographed print copy of Dawnflight!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

For more chances to win, you are invited to...
— Follow Kim Headlee on Twitter
— Add Kim to Google+
— Subscribe to Kim's YouTube channel
— Leave a comment on this blog, especially if you have done the Twitter and/or YouTube follow
...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!

#EggcerptExchange Tempered Fire by Pamela Thibodeaux @psthib #BYNR #IARTG

Today's #EggcerptExchange offering: Tempered Fire by Pamela Thibodeaux, book 4 in the Tempered series!

Synopsis:
Amber Harris is a good girl on the brink of womanhood. Stanley Morrison is a young man at the start of his life. For each other, they have always felt the fireworks that two people in love should feel. But the questions about his past, his pride, and Amber's father might be the end of what could be a strong relationship. As the two try to protect their budding romance, some unlikely but powerful forces conspire to keep them apart. Will they survive the wishes of everyone around them with their relationship intact?

Eggcerpt:
Emotion burst to life within her and swarmed through Amber until it overflowed, warm and wet down her cheeks.

Stan tasted her tears and groaned. Loosening his hold he broke the kiss, burying his face against her shoulder. “God,” he mumbled, lifting his head to meet her gaze. “I’m sorry.”

She looked at him wide-eyed and trembling. Anger, desire, and wonder warred in her eyes. She rolled them in an exaggerated gesture. “Now, he apologizes,” she muttered then leveled her gaze on him.

“Why haven’t you kissed me like that before?”

His breath heaved while he struggled for control. “Didn’t think it was proper, still don’t.”

“So that’s what you meant by all lips and teeth and tongue?” she asked, her voice quivering with awe.

He stepped back, touching her cheek with his uninjured hand. “Yes.” His voice was raw, eyes fierce. “But not with anger, never with anger. I’m sorry.”

Grabbing his hand, she pressed a kiss into it. “Show me,” she urged her eyes soft and warm. “Kiss me again, Stanley.”

“No, Amber.” But she was pressing against him, her arms sliding around his neck. Senses dulled by fatigue, resistance clouded by pain, control ravished and weakened by desire, Stanley succumbed with a groan. Hauling her gently but firmly against him, he buried his lips on hers, this time with devastating tenderness.

His mouth embraced hers tasting, teasing, savoring her lips as though he were a starving man biting into his first meal in weeks. His teeth nipped at her lip, tugging a moan from deep within her. Amber clung to him weakly as they slid to the floor.

Purchase Links:
Kindle http://amzn.to/18Zptxm 
Nook http://bit.ly/13HR0xX 
Smashwords: http://bit.ly/1h4vmLr

***
Enter this great giveaway for e-books, note cards,
and an autographed print copy of Dawnflight!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

All this month, you are invited to...
— Follow Kim Headlee on Twitter
— Add Kim to Google+
— Subscribe to Kim's YouTube channel
— Leave a comment on this blog, especially if you have done the Twitter and/or YouTube follow
...and each action this month is good for one chance to win an e-book copy of Dawnflight . Please enter often, and good luck!