Heatherly Bell's Blog, page 9
September 2, 2016
Cover Reveal! A Christmas novella…Starlight Hill book 7, an exclusive pre-order event
Fallon McQueen needs a date to a wedding…yesterday. The pickings at the speed dating events she’s attended are slim indeed. She needs someone impressive to impress her ex.
And then she meets…Santa Claus.
Jack Cooper was simply trying to do a good deed and now he has a hot but batshit crazy blonde asking him to be her date to a destination wedding.
But if Jack is going to help, they’re going to do it his way.
August 25, 2016
A Steamy Romance Giveaway
I’m joining in with some fabulous contemporary steamy romance authors for a completely #free giveaway.
We’re running this August 26th through September 1st so hurry and don’t miss this end of summer sale!
Click to get your free book from each author:
Anywhere with You">Heatherly Bell
August 23, 2016
Until…on Sale
Hey everyone, Until there Was You is on sale for $0.99 on all platforms, starting on Wednesday August 24th until September 1st. Tell your friends, and anyone who has not yet read Wallace (not Braveheart) and Genevieve’s love story. It’s a brother’s best friend romance that was a lot of fun to write.
Thanks for all the review love on this one, because it’s got even more reviews than Somebody Like You, book two, which came out before this one.
Here’s a little teaser:
“Wallace, I’m so, so sorry.” From behind him, the teeny tiny voice of his tormentor spoke. Deceptively sweet and charming.
“You better be.” He turned and locked eyes with Genevieve.
She was wringing her hands together, and for one minute reminded him of the teenager he’d first met at Joe’s house. The one that used to follow him around like a lost puppy dog. She’d had a raging crush on him back then, of course he knew. But thank goodness that was all in the past. She pretty much hated him now, sort of like a sister might ‘hate’ her big brother.
Although he was pretty sure that a brother wouldn’t notice the perfect shape of Gen’s mouth. The way she bit her lower lip when she was about to beg. Yeah, he liked this Genevieve. And all right, maybe he would go to hell for this one but he let her beg even though Joe had already shanghaied him into staying.
“I won’t change my mind again. I pinky-promise.” She held out her slim pinky.
Fine. He wrapped his own around it. “Let’s give this one more shot.”
Her eyes widened. “You mean you’ll stay? You won’t send someone else?”
He tried not to notice her doe-eyed look. “I’ll do it. I said I would.”
In the next second he had his arms full of Genevieve as she jumped up and grabbed him in a hug. “Thank you! Oh, you won’t regret it. I promise you! I’m going to be the best customer you ever had.”
He resisted pushing her away when she lingered in his arms. Genevieve was gifted with an ability to make a guy feel like a hero by simply opening the door for her. He was not as immune to her charms as he wanted to be. He was flesh and blood, a woman-loving man to the nth degree.
But he wasn’t supposed to want to bang Genevieve.
~ Until there Was You, copyright 2015 Heatherly Bell Books
BUY LINKS BELOW:
August 13, 2016
Now up for pre-order: Skin Deep!
One of the things I love to do the most is help other authors. Kimberly Kincaid is one of those lovely and talented authors that is all about helping others. We met at Nationals this year in San Diego, and she’s just as lovely and sweet in person.
And she has a new release now up for pre-order! I just couldn’t wait to help get the word out about Skin Deep, a firefighter story. And of course you all know how I love a firefighter romance!
Here are the deets:
Where there’s smoke…
For firefighter Kellan Walker, checking his emotions at the door doesn’t
just keep him on the level. It keeps him alive. A gut-wrenching find at the
scene of a blaze threatens to blow his ironclad composure, but when the
detective assigned to the case is the same woman who put his sister’s life
at risk three months ago, all bets for Kellan being calm, cool, or
collected are definitely off.
There’s bound to be fire…
Keeping people safe is Isabella Moreno’s number one priority, no matter how
tough the case. Working without solid leads and with the gorgeous, broody
firefighter who believes she’s responsible for endangering his sister on a
previous case isn’t ideal. But someone is hurting women in the here and
now. Isabella will do whatever it takes to find justice.
As Kellan and Isabella reluctantly team up to catch a criminal, they
realize they have more in common than they’d ever imagined. With every
move, the stakes grow higher and the passion sizzles hotter, but can they
race against the clock and the odds to catch a killer? Or will they lose
their hearts—and their lives?
SKIN DEEP pre-order links:
Amazon: http://amzn.to/2aAStCP
iBooks: http://apple.co/2aetcNR
B&N: http://bit.ly/2a16e1D
Kobo: http://bit.ly/2afWvmt <http://amzn.to/2aAStCP>
<http://amzn.to/2aAStCP>
Excerpt from Skin Deep:
Kellan took a step back on the pavement. He’d done what he’d come here to do. Moreno was safe at her car. The scene around them was secure. He needed to go before he did something stupid.
“I guess I should get out of here. I called in for the first couple hours of my shift tomorrow, but I still have to punch the clock at oh nine-hundred.”
“Oh.” Isabella swiveled a glance over the quiet street. “Did you park nearby?”
Ah, hell. “No, I…walked.”
“You walked?”
Her tone painted the question as a direct descendant of are you crazy? and screw it. He nodded, letting one corner of his mouth drift up into a half-smile.
“I was in the Army. I’m used to humping it places. Anyway, the trip’s not too far.”
At Moreno’s lifted brows, he caved the rest of the way. “Okay, okay. My apartment is six miles from here. But the walking clears my head.”
It would have to do for an explanation, because if she thought the walking part was nuts, he was pretty certain the whole I walk to get my emotions in check otherwise there’s a decent chance I’d fucking self-destruct thing would go over like a two-ton boulder.
“If you say so.” Isabella laughed, the soft, throaty sound hitting him right in the center of his chest. “Six miles is kind of a lot, though, and you’ve already done it once tonight. Do you want a ride?”
Kellan realized in that moment that she’d stepped toward him to regain the space he’d given her; that suddenly, her body was very much within touching distance, and that despite the warning coming from the small corner of his brain still allowing rational thought, the darker, baser rest of him wanted nothing more than to make their earlier kiss a prelude to better things. Hotter things.
Naked things.
“I’m not sure that’s such a good idea,” he said, the roughness in his voice spotlighting the words as a lie.
But the hungry look in her eyes, along with the current of want burning in his veins at the sight of it, was the product of circumstance and nothing more. They’d just snuck into a sex party thrown by a highly dangerous criminal and garnered a lead that would blow Isabella’s case wide open. Of course they were wired. They probably had more adrenaline winging through their bodies than blood right now. But Kellan of all people knew that actually acting on those keyed-up endorphins was dangerous as hell.
Fuck, he wanted her anyway.
Isabella’s catlike smile—this one genuine, sweet and sexy and shared like a naughty secret—ensured he wouldn’t get a blink of sleep tonight, even after the six-mile haul home.
“Not a good idea,” she repeated. “Because?”
He weighed his options. Saw that he had no good ones. And went with the truth.
“Because if you give me a ride back to my apartment, I’ll be tempted to ask you to come upstairs.”
“Ah.” But rather than retreating or clamming up in awkward silence, Moreno tilted her head to bring her mouth mere inches from his. “Is that what you want? For me to come upstairs with you?”
“Yes.” His honesty flew out, hot and unchecked.
Isabella met it with a twist of her lips that made his cock go hard and his pulse rush fast against his throat.
“Get in the car and ask me upstairs, Walker. My answer’s not no.”
August 11, 2016
It’s a tough job but somebody has to do it
So this is happening. The hero and heroine in the third book of the Heroes of Fortune Valley series are getting married…at a walk-in Reno, Nevada chapel. See, they have to get married because…well, you’ll have to read the book to find out. It looks like this, the Chapel of the Bells (isn’t that convenient, hehehehe), only it’s October in Reno. So probably no snow.
One of the best parts of the research involved in being a contemporary romance author is all the virtual traveling I get to do. I need to research these locations! And spend time looking at their sweet pictures so that I can describe every detail (well, not actually but you catch my meaning.)
Next, I got to look for cabins near Reno. I found the most adorable cabin, which (no hyperbole here) sincerely looks like a child’s playhouse from the outside. Inside, it’s larger than you would think, but still: one bedroom, one bathroom. It’s definitely a place you only want to stay in with someone that you reallyreallyreally LIKE. A lot.
Have you ever been to a quicky wedding in Reno? I went to one many years ago. Teenage bride, six months pregnant. Listen, I know that’s a cliche but I didn’t write it. It really happened. And here’s the kicker: twenty-seven years later, they’re still married.
August 9, 2016
Not Monday…but
This is how my day began: I cooked scrambled eggs for my protein fix (I never eat enough). While my two dogs circled me as they will often do when I have food, I sat down pleasantly enough to eat my eggs. Until, that is, balancing my coffee mug in one hand and the plate of eggs in the other proved to be too much.
Said eggs fell to the floor and my two dogs proceeded to “clean” the mess I’d made. I think I got two bites out of the eggs. Then I had to google whether it is safe for dogs to eat eggs.
I think I will spare you the details of how the rest of my day went.
And it’s not even Monday …
August 1, 2016
Happy Monday…?
How’s your Monday? I’m trying …
I got up early this morning, caffeinated, and sat down to work. Today I turned in the first three chapters and synopsis of book three in the Heroes of Fortune Valley series, tentatively titled Baby, It’s You. It’s definitely a goal achieved and met, but there’s no water cooler or co-worker nearby to high-five. Of course, I could go to Facebook and Twitter but I’ve been trying to stay away as that often leads me down the road to discontentment. Plus, I never get any work done.
Writing is definitely a lonely business. That’s why it’s so wonderful to hear from readers from time to time, to know that something is working and resonating out there. If you’re like me, it sometimes just feels like a hell of a lot of noise out in the world. So many people clamoring to be heard. Look at me! This is what I have to say! Look at what I had for lunch today! We forget that we’re all made for connections and that sometimes the social media thing is just not going to cut it. Much as I love it, I do sometimes have to retreat and charge my batteries. In some ways it’s no different than being stuck in a crowded room for hours.
Draining, and at times unproductive.
By the way, book one, Breaking Emily’s Rules, is going to copy edits now. Book two is due 8/15, and already complete. I’m just going over it right now with additional content revisions.
It struck me today that while the stories of these three Air Force pilots are quite different, in some ways they’re similar. They all center around the importance of family and good friends.
July 29, 2016
So You Want to Write a Military Romance …
Today I’m over at Romance University blogging about writing military romance. It was my pleasure to interview four bestselling authors for this article. Go check it out!
And just because it’s Friday…
And …
Trust me, baby
July 25, 2016
Happy Monday!
It’s time to get back to work, right?
Unless, like this guy, you have found a way to avoid it…
July 19, 2016
A week in San Diego, California …
I live in northern California so I’m no stranger to the great weather and beaches. But it’s one thing to drive to the coast on a weekend, it’s another to stay in a hotel room with this kind of view for five whole days. Beautiful, right?
I must say it was a little noisy because: Navy! But I can’t complain, even though I didn’t once see a Navy Seal.
On Wednesday, we had the Readers for Life literacy signing with 400+ of my closest author ‘friends.’ You know, like author Nora Roberts. Geek! I was so nervous I didn’t even want to sit in the chair.
But finally one of my friends wrestled me into my seat to take a photo.
I had plenty of support from my local Silicon Valley RWA chapter mates, who dropped by to say hello…
And buy my book.
I made new friends (Bell is a great author name, right?) That’s Lenora Bell with Avon Books!
And oh…met personal heroes, like author Susan Wiggs, whose Lakeshore Chronicles contemporary romance series inspired me to become a romance writer…
And the 2014 Rita winner for Best First Book (The Sweet Spot), the lovely Laura Drake.
But this guy missed me. Now I’m home, and it’s time to get back to work. I hope you’re having a wonderful summer. My newsletter is going out soon with another giveaway so if you haven’t signed up yet, now might be a good time.
Until next time!
