Category Archives: Author Blog Post

September 7, 2016 · 7:34 am

Linda Nightingale ~ New Release: A Vampyre Rhapsody

Please help me welcome Linda Nightingale with her latest release…

Morgan D’Arcy: A Vampyre Rhapsody
By Linda Nightingale
From The Wild Rose Press
Cover Artist: Debbie Taylor
Editor: Callie Lynn Wolfe
Digital Price: $3.99
Print Price: $13.99

Book Trailer:

YouTube Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wlbRLTFQUHE&feature=youtu.be

A titled lord, concert pianist, and … vampire, Morgan D’Arcy has everything he wants…except what he most desires…the woman of his dreams—the search is on.

Blurb:

The greatest enemy of a vampire is boredom. Four centuries of existence have taught Lord Morgan Gabriel D’Arcy to fear nothing and no one. Humans and their weapons have little chance against his preternatural speed and arcane powers. Vampires are viral mutations of human DNA. Still, the Vampyre code requires secrecy, and he has learned to hide his nature from the world. The lure of mortality, of a life in the sun, puts Morgan again and again at the mercy of calculating human women though they fail to consider his charm and determination into the equation. However, even grooming a future bride from infancy proves to be fraught with heartbreak. And second chances are not always what they seem unless… you are Morgan. Immortality and beauty, aren’t they grand?

“…Morgan…is a tour de force of egotism, wit, sensuality, and talent…” ~Author Toni V. Sweeney

“Morgan D’Arcy is a class act and the most arresting vampire I’ve ever encountered in literature or films.” ~ Historical and Paranormal Romance Author Beth Trissel

Excerpt:

Snow built castles on the windowsills. Wispy flakes swirled in the night air. I stood at the mullioned window with my back to the Chief Councilor of the ruling body of the Vampyre. The pure white silence of a snowy night echoed in the room. A fire crackled in the fireplace, but cold seeped through the stone walls.

At midnight, Lucien St. Albans had arrived with shocking news.

Royal Oak wasn’t on the beaten path. The castle perched on a hill above a small village on the Devon coast. From my bedroom window, I could see the ocean. Lucien had driven his new motorcar hard to tell me that there was no such thing as forever. He was pale and drawn, worried. I’d never seen the Chief Councilor rattled. Lucien St. Alban’s self control was legendary. The emotion in his black eyes was fear, and a shudder chased over me.

“I drove straight from an emergency meeting of Les Elus,” he announced without preamble. “We are all in jeopardy.”

In a small principality between France and Spain, an epidemic of anthrax ravaged the countryside. Not only human villagers died in Andorra. Two vampires had perished.

Grief for Daphne and guilt for her suicide had wearied my spirit. “Why send me? I’m not a scientist.”

“Dear God, Morgan, I wouldn’t send you into danger.” Behind me, Lucien’s reflection appeared in the window. He rested his hands on my shoulders. “One of our scientists plans to travel to Andorra immediately and investigate. He believes the bacteria secretes an endotoxin that is a reverse mutagen. When infected, the disease progresses at a phenomenal rate. The victim reverts to mortal, and the body disintegrates to ash.”

A thrill pierced my lethargy. Dead vampires presented an intriguing mystery. Members of our select society should not perish to a disease fatal to humans, or very few others of the Grim Reaper’s tricks. It was time for me to stop lurking in Death’s shadow. My grief for Daphne was useless to her corpse. She was quite simply and forever gone. Reverse mutagen. The mere idea sent a shiver of excitement over me. If the Vampyre Effect could be undone, then the possibility of returning to human existed.

Buy Link: Morgan D’Arcy: A Vampyre Rhapsody

About Linda:

Born in South Carolina, Linda has lived in England, Canada, Miami, Ft. Lauderdale, Atlanta and Houston. She’s seen a lot of this country from the windshield of a truck pulling a horse trailer, having bred, trained and showed Andalusian horses for many years.

Linda has won several writing awards, including the Georgia Romance Writers Magnolia Award. She is the mother of two wonderful sons, a retired legal assistant, member of the Houston Symphony League, and enjoys events with her car club. Among her favorite things are her two marvelous sons, a snazzy black convertible, and her parlor grand piano. She loves to dress up and host formal dinner parties.

Twitter: https://twitter.com/LNightingale – @Lnightingale

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LindaNightingaleAuthor

Web Site: http://www.lindanightingale.com – Visit and look around. There’s a free continuing vampire story.

Blog: https://lindanightingale.wordpress.com/ – Lots of interesting guests & prizes

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4839311.Linda_Nightingale

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/lbnightingale1/

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Linda-Nightingale/e/B005OSOJ0U

Other Reads by Linda Nightingale:

Gemini Rising – Controversial Dark Fantasy with deep psychological undertones

11 Comments

Filed under Author Blog Post, New Release, Uncategorized

Tagged as aristocracy, Ebooks, Gothic, Kindle, paranormal, pianist, print books, Romance, short story collections, the wild rose press, TWRP, vampire books, vampires

September 1, 2016 · 8:33 am

Author Interview: Diane Burton + New Release: Mission to New Earth

Please help me welcome a dear author friend, and her latest release, a novella I had the pleasure of reading pre-release. Although I’m not a sci-fi fan, I always enjoy Diane’s stories. She presents the world in a more real, relatable way than I would have expected. And, her books are imaginative and intriguing. Mission to New Earth poses an interesting questions. Without further ado, take it away, Diane…

Alicia, thanks so much for helping me celebrate the release of my new science fiction romance novella MISSION TO NEW EARTH. And thanks for your input on this book prior to publication. You are a great editor!

Aw shucks, Diane…thank you!! I’m thrilled to have been a part of the story’s journey. Please tell us a little about yourself, where are you from? Where do you live now? Family? Pets?

I’m from a Detroit suburb. Now I live on the west side of Michigan, near Lake Michigan. I’ve been married for 42 years and have two great kids who are married with three kiddies total. The grandkids are the best part of getting old(er). LOL No pets right now. But when I need a dog fix, I visit my kids who each have two dogs.

Where did you get the idea for MISSION TO NEW EARTH?

I’ve been a fan of NASA since its inception. Lately, I’ve been intrigued with the Mars Mission, a private enterprise sending explorers to Mars by 2020. The thing that intrigues me most is the one-way trip concept. Why would anyone leave everything and everyone behind to go on a dangerous mission? I’ve written science fiction romance before, so this was not a new genre for me.

What do you love that most people don’t like and wouldn’t understand why you do?

I love science fiction. Now I know many people do, but my extended family (not Hubs or my kids) and many of my friends don’t, nor do they like reading or watching (movies or TV shows) anything sci-fi. My favorite channel is the SyFy channel. I don’t like creepy aliens, though. I still haven’t watched Alien or any of its sequels. I know, shame on me.

Do you collect anything?

Nutcrackers. My mother-in-law got me started back in the 1980s. The collection has gotten so large, I begged my family not to give me anymore and Hubs can only select one a year. I usually breakdown and buy one if I really like it. At Christmas, you’ll find nutcrackers on every top surface. My granddaughter has danced in The Nutcracker for two years, so I’m giving her a start on her own collection.

What’s your favorite childhood book?

Anne of Green Gables. I understand a new movie version is coming out soon. I’m looking forward to see it.

What do you want readers to come away with after they read MISSION TO NEW EARTH?

That they’ve been entertained and feel good about the book, especially the ending.

Have you written any other books that are not published?

Too many to count. LOL We’ll call them “practice” pieces. I’m relooking at a couple of them to see if they are publish-worthy.

Who is the most famous person you have ever met?

Nora Roberts. What a gracious lady. She was my mother’s favorite author. I took Mom to one of Nora’s booksignings. After waiting in a long line, we finally got to the table. Mom gushed that she’d been reading her books since Irish Thoroughbred (Nora’s first book). She clasped Mom’s hand and said, “Thank you so much.” She really made my mother’s day.

How did you come up with the title?

Funny that you should ask. This was probably the hardest title I’ve ever come up with. It changed so many times until I wrote a blog post for Paranormal Romantics, which I titled “Mission to New Earth.” The old lightbulb went off. That was a perfect title for the book.

Your most prized material possession? Why?

That is hard. Since family is so important to me, family photos (and videos) is number one. I have two other possessions that rank right up there. A proclamation by President James Buchanan appointing my 3^rd great grandfather a consul from The Netherlands to the state of Iowa, signed in 1857 The other possession is a vase that belonged to my grandmother that originally came from her mother. Family history means a lot to me. It’s a connection to past generations. My heritage.

In MISSION TO NEW EARTH, my main character, Sara, has no family. Her parents died in a car accident and she was an only child. A couple of distant cousins, but that’s it. So her decision to go on a dangerous one-way trip to a new planet wasn’t that hard. I just can’t even imagine being alone in the world.

Your favorite…

Movie: Star Wars: A New Hope because it started my love of science fiction.

Music: Golden Oldies

Place you’ve visited: Rocky Mountain National Park

Place you’d like to visit: Alaska

TV show from childhood: Mickey Mouse Club

TV show from adulthood: NCIS

Food: pizza

Sports team: Detroit Tigers

Which do you prefer: Board games/card games or television? Tough decision. Card/board games with family and friends. TV, if I’m alone.

My question for readers (part of my giveaway): Would you leave everything behind to go to a new planet?

Blurb:

Earth’s overpopulation and dwindling resources force the United Earth Space Agency to expedite exploration of new planets for a possible new home. When new crises ensue—a giant tsunami and the threat of nuclear winter—the timeline changes. Eight years of training crammed into four. Sara Grenard and her team prepare for launch, but are they ready for the one-way trip? Will the Goldilocks planet prove just right for Earth’s inhabitants? Before time runs out.

Excerpt:

As we followed, Marsh strode across the corridor to the left. The only private place down there was a lavatory. Not my favorite destination for a team meeting. But beggars couldn’t be choosers, as my mom used to say.

“We screwed up again,” Marsh announced as soon as the five of us joined him. His voice echoed off the hard surfaces. “In RT, it could kill us.”

“You and your damn RT,” Tom spat out. “Why can’t you just say real time like a normal person?”

Marsh shot him a look, one I’d hate directed at me.

Military background evident, he stood in the middle of the area near the showers, his feet wide apart, hands clasped behind his back. The others were more casual. Bill held up a white-tiled wall across from the showers. Ana and Gloria sat on a fake wood bench. Meanwhile, I crossed my arms and leaned against a sink. I tried to look casual even though my nerves were strung tight. We had to be ready for the launch. Earth was dependent on us.

All of my team, except Tom and Marsh, wore hang-dog expressions. At forty, Tom was the oldest on the team and a damn fine pilot. His red face and mutinous expression as he confronted Marsh belied his usually even-keeled manner.

“You’re exaggerating, Rayburn.” That was more than angry. Tom was defiant. “You always exaggerate. Worst case scenario? Is that all you think about?”

I’d never seen Tom so worked up. Gloria walked over to him and rubbed his shoulder. Usually in stressful times, her gentle caress calmed him down. Not now.

When he shrugged off her hand, I caught the hurt in her eyes.

“C’mon, Bill. Back me up on this.”

Bill held out his hands in a don’t-get-me-involved gesture. He was our engineer, both formal and practical. He could fix anything from wonky engines to food replicators.

Tom turned to me. “Sara?”

I knew that was coming. I tried to let my team work things out by themselves. Soon we’d be living in close confines, not just on the ship but on our Goldilocks planet. If we couldn’t live in harmony during training, we would be in deep trouble once we reached our final destination. We’d be in even worse trouble if we couldn’t work out our differences here. Marsh was right to pick the only place that wasn’t monitored. We absolutely didn’t want the directors to think we weren’t a well-functioning team.

They could pull us and put in the Shadow Team. Our replacements.

“Okay, guys, what did I miss?” With a forced grin, I raised my right hand. “I swear I wasn’t dreaming about a day at the beach during the sim.”

MISSION TO NEW EARTH is available at:

Amazon – https://amzn.com/B01JXZR0AK

Kobo: https://store.kobobooks.com/en-us/ebook/mission-to-new-earth-a-novella

iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/nz/book/mission-to-new-earth-a-novella/id1148678942?mt=11

Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/661493

Giveaway

Diane is giving away a $10 Amazon Gift Card to a lucky commenter. See the Rafflecopter for more opportunities.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Or use this link:

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/share-code/MTZjZjFkYWY5YmMyMDI2ZWIzOTI4OTdiM2Q1MmRkOjE5/?

About the Author:

Diane Burton combines her love of mystery, adventure, science fiction and romance into writing romantic fiction. Besides the science fiction romance Switched and Outer Rim series, she is the author of One Red Shoe, a romantic suspense, and the Alex O’Hara PI mystery series. She is also a contributor to two anthologies: Portals, Volume 2 and How I Met My Husband. Diane and her husband live in West Michigan. They have two children and three grandchildren.

For more info and excerpts from her books, visit Diane’s website: http://www.dianeburton.com

Blog: http://dianeburton.blogspot.com/

Twitter: http://twitter.com/dmburton72

Facebook: http://facebook.com/dianeburtonauthor

Goodreads: Diane Burton Author https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/2902110.Diane_Burton

Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/dmburton72/

Amazon author page: http://amzn.com/e/B00683MH5E

23 Comments

Filed under Author Blog Post, New Release

Tagged as cryosleep, Diane Burton, future Earth, Goldilocks planet, Mission to New Earth, one-way trip, science fiction romance, SFR

August 29, 2016 · 7:25 am

New Release: Seeking Hope by J.M. Maurer

Please help me welcome author J.M. Maurer with her new release, Seeking Hope…

Hello! Many thanks for having me, Alicia. I’m thrilled to be here. For those of you who don’t know me, I’m J.M. Maurer, author of the Emerging From Darkness trilogy, Jessica and Matthew’s story that embraces a theme of never giving up.

I recently spent the weekend in Wisconsin with my family. They’d told me I’d been working too much and needed a “guys’ day out.” Since I’m a girl, I laughed at first, and then realized they were speaking the truth. So, at least for Sunday, I donned my favorite Cubs t-shirt and watched numerous types of very fast cars drive a curvy four-mile road circuit. The engines were loud. Very. Very loud. I liked it, and admittedly picked out my favorite cars based solely on their fancy paint job.

But then there was the one car that seemed doomed from the moment the green flag dropped. Even to my untrained ears, that car’s engine didn’t sound as thunderous as the rest. It was clearly slower. And as I watched it plugging and chugging away, getting lapped by numerous cars, I was reminded of life and subsequently entertained the thought of how easy it could have been for them to bring in the car, pack up the big rig, and call it quits for the day. But they didn’t.

I wondered what kept them going. What changes they’d made to the car. What kind of data they were collecting with each lap. What they’d ultimately learn.

Much like that race team, we all have journeys we look forward to, journeys we learn from, and journeys we work to leave in the past. Jessica Winters believed for a long time that she would never again be “Okay.” She found herself by serving others, though, and learned to smile again when a warm light shined in her direction, brightening up her darkened world.

That light came in the form of Dr. Matthew Moi, a psychiatrist/sex therapist who had secretly been in love with Jessica for years. Now, no longer a prisoner under the blanket of depression, Jessica learns to live again and even love again. But much like real life, things aren’t always that easy. And although she doesn’t know it, someone is out to get her. Can Matthew keep her safe? Will they give up?

Question: Have you every wanted to give up? Or did you find your inner strength and fight like Jess and the race team did?

Blurb:

I’d been given promises in the past, all of which were broken.

Inevitably, they broke me.

I wouldn’t let those broken promises stop me from believing in new ones, though.

I couldn’t.

Matthew Moi was different.

His dimpled smile and witty sexual banter has held me spellbound since day one.

Falling in love with him came easy.

Marrying him—a dream come true.

Now, he wants something I’m not sure I’ll ever be ready for.

As I struggle, he faithfully remains at my side.

Through it all, his protective nature shields me from an evil I didn’t see coming.

Together, we have it all—love, passion, trust.

Apart, the possibilities are endless, even death.

Follow Jessica and Matthew’s captivating and steamy love story from the beginning—start the trilogy today!

Excerpt:

For the first time in a long time, I had an itch to do something ridiculous—two things, in fact. One was the reason I was sitting in the back of a musty old van. The other might just be the solution to my Holly problem.

At least I hoped so, because while my mind should have been racing with thoughts of my upcoming wedding, it wasn’t. Instead, I was thinking of my best friend. Problem was, no matter how I launched my plan to help Holly move beyond her commitment issue with Burdick, it wasn’t going to go over well. And the more I thought about her, the more I dreaded the growing possibility of a headache. I’d just gotten over a nasty headache and was now attempting to shake off the likelihood of another when the van rolled to a stop and the driver’s voice muttered in the distance.

“We’re here.”

Okay, Jess. You’ve got your plan and it’s a good one.

I was about to remind myself to stick to said plan when the driver hopped out and moved to my side of the van, his open door ushering in a blast of autumn air that chilled my skin. I shivered and scooted to the edge of my seat, waiting for what was to come next. The shrill of metal sliding over metal pierced my ears as the door slid open, and rough skin wrapped a secure hold on my wrist. This was it.

“End of the line.” His gruff tone registered somewhere between the brief time it took him to pull me out and when his tall, burly features came into full view. He snickered as I pulled the hem of my pullover down and worked to smooth it out. Judging by the way his eyes scanned up my body, I presumed his outburst had everything to do with my appearance. After all, this was the first time I’d pieced together an outfit for such an outdoorsy occasion. Eventually, he calmed and took my hand, turning it palm up. “You don’t want to forget this.”

Instinctively, my fingers clasped a tight grip around the cold steel as I stood, staring down at the black metal, hoping I’d do it right. I’d never held a gun before. They all made me nervous. Fact was, with a gun in the wrong hands, things could quickly turn ugly.

I knew all about ugly.

Drawing my attention his way, the driver stretched a tattooed arm, pointed a finger, and then offered his last words of advice. “Never give up.”

Book Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DsWjZv9ZGQ8

Buy links:

Amazon US: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01HQU6B22

Amazon UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Seeking-Hope-Emerging-Darkness-Book-ebook/dp/B01HQU6B22?ie=UTF8&*Version*=1&*entries*=0

Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/seeking-hope-jm-maurer/1123600085?ean=2940152945317

Kobo: https://store.kobobooks.com/en-ca/ebook/seeking-hope-1

iBooks: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/seeking-hope/id1120300183?mt=11

GooglePlay: https://play.google.com/store/books/details?id=VeuODAAAQBAJ&sticky_source_country=US

All Romance: https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-seekinghopeemergingfromdarknessbook3-2052848-149.html

Bio:

J.M. Maurer started working as a registered nurse in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit where she cared for critically ill children, transported them from outlying hospitals, and even picked up overtime hours treating patients of all ages while inside a hyperbaric chamber. Holding a Bachelor’s degree in nursing, she loves to write about strong characters and their struggles in life.

When not writing, you can find her spending time with family and friends, exploring the outdoors, or attempting most any sport. She resides in Chicago with her husband and son.

Social Media Links:

Website: http://jmmaurer.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JMMaurerAuthor

Twitter: https://twitter.com/JMMaurer1

Goodreads: bit.ly/GoodreadsJMMaurer

Amazon Author Page: bit.ly/AmznJMMaurer

16 Comments

Filed under Author Blog Post, New Release

Tagged as Contemporary Romance, Emerging From Darkness Trilogy, Love Sex & Marriage, Sexy doctor

August 24, 2016 · 11:11 am

A New Release: The Rancher and the Shepherdess by Caroline Clemmons

Please help me welcome today’s guest, Caroline Clemmons, author of THE RANCHER AND THE SHEPHERDESS. She’s written books for Kindle Worlds, something I would love to do again soon. Maybe she’ll inspire me. 😉 So happy to have you, Caroline!

Thanks to Alicia for hosting me today.

You probably realize authors love, love, love to talk about their books. I’m no exception. ☺THE RANCHER AND THE SHEPHERDESS is linked to my earlier book AMANDA’S RANCHER. Both are part of Debra Holland’s Montana Sky Kindle World. What this means is that—except for my characters—the other characters and the locale are from Debra’s Montana Sky series. Since I love that series, writing in Debra’s world was an honor for me. In keeping with Debra’s series, these are sweet romances in which the bedroom door is closed.

In this book, Gormalith (pronounced Gormley) McGowan is an Irish immigrant who’s lived in America two years since marrying the man her father chose. Now she’s escaping a desperate situation after the accidental death of her brutish husband. Her late husband’s mother and bullying brother believe she should remain in New York and marry the brother. If not, they vow to make Gormlaith pay by accusing her of killing him. After two years with her drunkard, gambling, and wife-beating husband, she has no intention of remaining in that family. She escapes by immediately leaving for Montana to become a mail-order bride.

Unfortunately for Gormlaith, while she’s on her way to Montana, the man who wrote for a bride dies. She arrives in Sweetwater Springs with no money, no place to live, and no groom. What a situation. The Sweetwater Spring’s sheriff comes to her assistance and convinces bachelor rancher Garrett McDonald to marry Gormlaith. Once Garrett sees the beautiful woman and hears her lilting brogue, he’s convinced.

In AMANDA’S RANCHER, Garrett was foreman on the Kincaid ranch. Now he’s bought his own place from a large family moving to California. Luckily for him, they left some of their furniture in the six-bedroom log home. He’d planned to write for a mail-order bride in the spring from the same agency Preston Kincaid used so he takes little convincing to wed now.

Confession time: I made a terrible mistake with the names. Both have GM as initials. That’s something I usually strive to avoid and hope no one is confused. My beta readers have given excellent feedback and I hope other readers will feel the same way.

Here’s an excerpt from the morning after Gormlaith and Garrett arrive at his ranch when she’s prepared breakfast while he cared for the animals:

Gormlaith was beside herself with worry. Though she was certain the stove was a wonder, she hadn’t learned to regulate the beast. After she set the food on the table she wanted to break out in tears. She’d so wanted to impress her husband.

He came in and hung his coat and hat on pegs by the back door. “I’m hungry as a bear coming out of hibernation.”

She wrung her hands. “Sit down and let me explain.”

He took his chair and stared at the food. “Well, this looks different.”

She poured his coffee and set the coffeepot on the table. “I had a little trouble figuring out this fancy stove. I’ll learn to use it, but… today didn’t turn out as I’d expected.”

He picked up a biscuit and dropped it onto his plate with a thud. He met her gaze and raised his eyebrows. “I thought you said you were good with bread.”

“I am… I was in New York… and in Ireland. In those places, the stove was tiny and hardly compares to this one. I thought this big one would be easier and I’m sure the beast will be once I get used to the thing, but there’s more to regulate and figure out.”

“Sit down and we’ll eat what we can.” He took a piece of bacon so crisp it broke when he tried to pick it up. “I do like my bacon crisp, but this is overdone even for me and likely to break a tooth. How are the eggs?”

She twisted her napkin. “They turned out a bit better than the rest. And we have potatoes fried with onion. There are a lot of potatoes in the cellar and quite a few onions also. I remember you bought more potatoes so I thought you must like them.”

“I do. I guess any Irishwoman knows how to cook potatoes.” He picked up his fork and dug into his food—except the biscuits.

Throughout breakfast, she kept glancing at him but he didn’t speak. She picked at the meal on her plate. After he’d eaten his fill and had a second cup of coffee, he pushed away from the table.

He rose and put his hand on her shoulder. “Save all those biscuits and put them in a basket by the door.” He kissed her on the head. “We can use them for ammunition if we’re ever attacked.”

He donned his coat, clamped his hat on his head. She picked up a biscuit and threw it him. The missile hit him on the thigh.

He used his hands as a shield, but he was laughing. “Ow, ow, mercy, please. If that had hit my head I’d have a concussion.”

She threw another at him but he sped out the door, his rumbling laughter drifting her way. Ammunition indeed. She’d show him. She’d learn to deal with this beast of a stove and cook the best food he’d ever eaten.

The purchase link is: https://amzn.com/B01J4R6364

Author Bio:

Caroline Clemmons is an Amazon bestselling and award winning author of historical and contemporary western romances. A frequent speaker at conferences and seminars, she has taught workshops on characterization, point of view, and layering a novel.

Caroline and her husband live in the heart of Texas cowboy country with their menagerie of rescued pets. When she’s not indulging her passion for writing, Caroline enjoys time with family, reading, travel, antiquing, genealogy, and getting together with friends. Find her on her blog, website, Facebook, Twitter, Goodreads, Google+, and Pinterest. Subscribe to her newsletter here to receive a FREE novella of HAPPY IS THE BRIDE.

11 Comments

Filed under Author Blog Post, New Release

Tagged as Amazon Bestselling Author, Award Winning Author, Caroline Clemmons, Debra Holland’s Kindle World, Kindle Worlds, Montana 1887, Montana Sky series, western historical romance

August 22, 2016 · 12:35 pm

Author Interview with Marilyn Baron & New Release: Stumble Stones: A Novel

Please help me welcome an author friend, Marilyn Baron, with an interview and her new release: Stumble Stones: A Novel

Where did you get the idea for Stumble Stones: A Novel? The idea for the book was sparked when my former next door neighbor who moved to Stuttgart, Germany, e-mailed me and told me about some stumble stones that were placed in front of his house. Stumble Stones is a real project. German artist Gunter Demnig has placed five thousand of these brass plaques—known as Stolpersteine or “stumble stones,” cobblestone-sized Holocaust memorial stones—in Berlin and some fifty thousand of them in eighteen countries in Europe. Every letter on every plaque is hand carved by the artist or one of his apprentices. Every plaque contains a name, the year of birth, the date the victim was deported, and the place and date of death. They are located in the last known home of the person or persons who lived in a house before they were taken. Sometimes the stones are placed where the victim worked or studied. There is often a ceremony including music, poetry and flowers at the placement. No one I’ve talked to about stumble stones has heard of this unique Holocaust memorial project, but once they find out about it, they are fascinated. In my book, the hero witnesses a stumble stones ceremony in front of his house and finds a cache of diamonds from WWII during a remodeling project and sets out to find out who they belonged to.
Why did you choose this genre (is it something you’ve written in before)? I’ve written romantic suspense before and it’s one of my favorite genres to write. This story is set in contemporary Europe and WW II Europe. It involves Nazis, art theft and the Holocaust. Those themes almost ensured it had to be a mystery/thriller.
Was there anything unusual, any anecdote about this book, the characters, title, process, etc., you’d like to share? Yes, most chapters in the heroine’s point of view start out with a soap opera script. The heroine is obsessed with Polly Winthrop, the character she writes for As the Planet Spins and her life often mirrors that of her alter ego.
What is the most difficult thing about writing a book? Finishing it.
What was the most difficult thing about this one in particular? Judging the right balance between dark and light—the darkness of the Holocaust women’s stories and the comedic elements of a contemporary romance between the rabbi’s daughter and a German-American hedge fund manager in Berlin, who cross the great religious divide and cultural prejudice to be together. I want readers to contemplate the horror of the Holocaust and at the same time be satisfied because of the hopeful ending.
Are there any tricks or habits you use when creating a story? I have to come up with a title and the names of the characters before I start a book. Sometimes, listening to the music of the period where the book is set is helpful to get in the mood to write.
What book have you read that you wish you would have written? The Outlander series.
Do you have another occupation, other than writer? If so, what is it and how do you like it? I’m a public relations consultant and I write and edit newsletters, annual reports, brochures, ads, etc. I really enjoy what I do because I love to write.
What do you love that most people don’t like and wouldn’t understand why you do? I love to watch soap operas. My grandmother got me hooked and now I watch (or record to watch later) two shows: The Young and the Restless and The Bold and the Beautiful. That’s where I learned to write dialogue and why I made my heroine in Stumble Stones a soap opera writer.
What’s your favorite book of all time and why? That’s a difficult question because there are so many great books and I’m an avid reader. But one of my favorites is The Book Thief by Marcus Zusak because it’s written from the POV of death and the voice was amazing. My favorite childhood book is Little House on the Prairie by Laura Ingalls Wilder because that book inspired me to become a writer.
If you could change something about one of your books that’s already released, what would it be? I would make Stumble Stones: A Novel longer.
What genre have you never written that you’d like to write? I’ve written in a variety of genres, including women’s fiction, romantic thrillers/suspense/mystery, historical and paranormal. So about the only one left is Young Adult.

** GIVEAWAY: Readers should leave a comment for a chance to win a copy of Marilyn’s romantic suspense Landlocked and a Stumble Stones logo notebook. The question they have to answer from Stumble Stones is “What is the name of the Berlin suburb where Alexander lives?”

Teaser/Blurb

Teaser: Stumble Stones is multilayered, dark and humorous Romancing the Stone-style suspense novel about a cache of priceless diamonds hidden in World War II that sparks a hasty wedding on the high seas and a dangerous chase through Europe that holds the key to an unsolved mystery and a promise of lost love.

Hallelujah Weiss, a writer for the steamy sudser As the Planet Spins, gets a second chance at love when she flees to Italy to get over her recent divorce, courtesy of her cheating ex-husband’s credit card. A woman scorned, Hallelujah has sworn off men and is determined to reinvent herself. The new Hallelujah is eager to live life on the edge, more like Polly Winthrop, a character she writes and idolizes.

Lonely Berlin hedge fund manager Alexander Stone, a number cruncher who puts his faith in numerical data, still believes in destiny, despite the fact his fiancée just dumped him. Always a man with a plan, Alexander did not plan on Hallelujah.

After a chance encounter on a flight to Rome, the unlikely pair faces danger when they team up to return to their rightful owner a stash of WW II vintage jewels.

Excerpt

Life was better in Business Class, especially when your cheating ex-husband was paying for it. Hallelujah couldn’t wait until Lloyd got the bill—for the airline ticket, the set of top-of-the-line TUMI luggage, the fashionable, Italian-worthy wardrobe, a two-week stay at a first-class hotel in Florence, an expensive day of pampering at the hotel spa, dinner in the city’s finest restaurant, and front row seats to the Il Volo concert. It’s not like Lloyd Evans couldn’t afford it. It would hardly make a dent in the bastard’s bank account.

Her short-term plan was to spend as much of Lloyd’s money as she could before his skanky secretary/fiancée Olivia Brewster got her greedy little hands on it. Polly would be proud of me.

But she wasn’t Polly. Polly lived life on the wild side, and she had a vindictive streak. Hallie Evans was practical. She believed in playing it safe and paying her own way. But she deserved this final fling. She had scraped together the last of her savings, and she would use those funds when Lloyd’s credit card was tapped out. Then she would go back to the single life and the single paycheck and try not to dwell on how much her ex had hurt and humiliated her. But right now, Polly was in the pilot’s seat. And, from now on, Hallie was determined to live life on the edge, just like Polly.

Settling into her roomy Magnifica seat, she signaled the Alitalia flight attendant for another amaretto sour before the plane took off. Getting properly sloshed mid-air was a strategic and recent addendum to the plan. Oh, and part of her plan was to swear off men.

Bio Marilyn Baron

Marilyn Baron writes in a variety of genres, from humorous coming-of-middle age women’s fiction to historical romantic thrillers and romantic suspense to paranormal/fantasy. Stumble Stones will be her 11^th novel published with The Wild Rose Press. She’s also published five short stories with TWB Press and self-published three books, including a musical about Alzheimer’s called Memory Lane. AmazonEncore republished her book Sixth Sense on September 15, 2015. She’s received writing awards in Single Title, Suspense Romance, Novel With Strong Romantic Elements and Paranormal//Fantasy Romance. She is a Georgia Romance Writers (GRW) Maggie Award winner, a PAN member of Romance Writers of America and GRW and winner of the GRW 2009 Chapter Service Award. A public relations consultant in Atlanta, Marilyn graduated with a BS in Journalism and a minor in Creative Writing from the University of Florida. She worked in Public Relations for AT&T in Atlanta for 13 years before starting her own PR firm. She serves on the 2015 and 2016 Roswell Reads Steering Committee. She was selected as a featured author in the 2015 Atlanta Authors Series. She presented on two panels at the AJC-Decatur Book Festival (the largest independent book festival in the country) on September 6, 2015. She was a 2016 Nominee for the 52^nd Georgia Author of the Year Awards (books published in 2015) in two categories—Detective/Mystery for Landlocked and Romance for The Widows’ Gallery. She’s a member of two book clubs. Read more about Marilyn at www.marilynbaron.com.

Contact links

Website www.marilynbaron.com

Twitter https://twitter.com/MarilynBaron

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/pages/Marilyn-Baron/286807714666748

Goodreads https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4722647.Marilyn_Baron

Amazon Author Page http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=dp_byline_sr_ebooks_1?ie=UTF8&text=Marilyn+Baron&search-alias=digital-text&field-author=Marilyn+Baron&sort=relevancerank

Buy Links:

Amazon Pre-Order E Book

https://www.amazon.com/Stumble-Stones-Novel-Marilyn-Baron-ebook/dp/B01HLSSXSY/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1467292613&sr=1-1&keywords=stumble+stones+baron+kindle#navbar

Stumble Stones E Book The Wild Rose Press

http://catalog.thewildrosepress.com/all-titles/4473-stumble-stones-a-novel.html

Stumble Stones Paperback The Wild Rose Press

http://catalog.thewildrosepress.com/paperback-books/4433-stumble-stones-a-novel-paperback.html?search_query=Stumble+Stones+Paperback&results=1

Barnes & Noble Nook

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/stumble-stones-marilyn-baron/1124055735?ean=2940158118838

All Romance ® eBooks

https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-stumblestonesanovel-2069711-153.html

Kobo

https://store.kobobooks.com/en-us/ebook/stumble-stones-a-novel

17 Comments

Filed under Author Blog Post, New Release

Tagged as action adventure, Marilyn Baron, Romantic Comedy, romantic suspense, Suspense/Mystery/Thriller, The Holocaust, the wild rose press

August 17, 2016 · 8:06 am

Interview with Author Elizabeth Rose ~ New Release: Touch of Gold

Please help me welcome today’s guest, Elizabeth Rose with an interview and her new release, Touch of Gold.

First off, I’d like to thank Alicia for inviting me to be her guest today. My name is Elizabeth Rose, and I have been married to the same wonderful man for the last thirty years, and have two grown sons who are just as wonderful. I grew up and still live in the suburbs of Chicago, although I am more of a country girl at heart. I’ve spent a good part of my younger years visiting my grandparents on a lake in Michigan, and have used instances from my own life as inspiration to write my 12 book Tarnished Saints Series.

My Tarnished Saints Series is about 12 brothers who are sons of a preacher but far from saints. Matter of fact, they are nothing but trouble. It takes place in a small town and on a lake in Michigan. I invite readers to start reading this series, and right now if you sign up for my mailing list, you can get the Tarnished Saints Christmas Prequel free. Just use this link: http://bit.ly/freetarnishedsaints . While this is a contemporary series, I also write medieval, western, and paranormal, which brings me to my new release, Touch of Gold. This is book 4 in my Tangled Tales Series and also the twisted, tangled, romantic retelling of the fairy tale, Rumpelstiltskin.

My hero, Kin de Bar (Rumpelstiltskin) is one of the cursed de Bar siblings and everything he touches turns to gold. This happens to come in handy since he is escorting Olivia de Mil to the baron’s castle and because of the girl’s father’s boastful lies, he thinks she can spin wool into gold. Other books in this series so far are: Lady and the Wolf (Red Riding Hood), Just a Kiss (Frog Prince) and Beast Lord (Beauty and the Beast.) Touch of Gold will be followed by the rest of the siblings’ stories which include; Rapunzel, Cinderella and the Snow Queen.

I grew up loving fairy tales, and I’m from the days when Rocky and Bullwinkle had their Fractured Fairy Tales, if any of you are old enough to remember that. I also love watching the TV series, Once Upon a Time. I also love anything paranormal, so rewriting the fairy tales which often had horrific endings, and making them happily ever after as well as romantic was a fun challenge.

Are there any tricks/habits you have when creating a story?

Yes! Since I also have a degree in art, I love making my own covers. I create the cover of the book before I write it, and include things in the cover in the story as well. For example, in my medieval book, Lady of the Mist from my Legacy of the Blade Series, my heroine is a pirate. On the cover you’ll see a woman with a sword wearing an ornate necklace. She’s also in front of a ship and there is a sea hawk in the air. In the story, that is her ship and hawk, and the necklace she is wearing is a big part of the plot. As long as I’m creating my own covers, you’ll always know exactly what the hero and heroine look like.

What’s your favorite childhood book?

It was a book called The Wednesday Witch. It had a witch that rode a vacuum cleaner. This sparked my interest of paranormal things and characters.

What do you want readers to come away with when they read your book?

If it is a medieval, I like them to feel they are learning something about history that they didn’t know before. For example, my Barons of the Cinque Ports Series tells about a part of history that no one seems to know about. There truly were barons of the Cinque Ports – the five major trade ports of England. If it’s one of my contemporary books – I want my readers to fall in love with the heroes and get involved in their lives. And if it’s a paranormal book, I hope my readers can open their minds and delve into the world of supernatural events. A lot of my books also have underlying morals weaved into them.

If you could be a character in any of your books, who would you be?

I couldn’t be just one character. It’s too hard to choose. If I were in one of my Greek Myth Series, I could be a goddess. Or if I were in one of my Elemental Series, I could wield the power of controlling fire, water, air and earth, like my heroines do. Of course, I’ve always wanted to be able to ride a horse and wield a sword and live in a castle, so any of my medieval books would do as well. I’d like to trade off from day to day.

Have you written any other books that are not published?

Here is a story I have to tell. It is all related to the question. My first book was published by a traditional publisher back in 2000. Then four more followed. But alas, I had young children and many bills and ended up going back to work after awhile. I had maybe fifteen books written that weren’t sold to publishers – not for lack of trying. (I stopped counting the rejection letters after 100.) So I worked and had no time to write. Then about 3 ½ years ago, I lost my job. Another writer friend of mine suggested I self-publish my books on amazon. (Lord knows I had enough of them stored in the closet.) So I did just that. I published all my backstock and then went on to write new books and am now an amazon all-star and bestselling author of historical romance and in the top 100 in this category on amazon. I have one book – a contemporary western – from the past not published. And that’s only because when I changed over from my old computer, it got lost somewhere and I have yet to find it on disks and places I stored them from so long ago. When I do find it, I’ll publish it as well and add to the 54 books I have published at this time.

Are your characters based off real people or did they all come entirely from your imagination?

A little of both. If my family and relatives ever actually read my books, they’ll be surprised to find characteristics of themselves in my Tarnished Saints Series. Actually, the old couple that own the bed and breakfast in Doubting Thomas – book one of the series, are a lot like my parents! Hee hee. And the house is really the house they live on now at the lake. (For the record, I convinced both my parents to read this book and they did. Not that they saw any similarities to themselves, of course.)

What do your friends and family think of your writing?

This is interesting. Of course since I have boys in their twenties, they are horrified to think of mom writing love scenes and as far as I know they don’t read my books – nor do I want them to. My parents are very religious, so I was the one horrified when my first book came out because I knew they would read it – descriptive love scenes and all. But I’ve always been the rebel of the family and tease them and tell them that is what they get for making me sit out in the hall in gradeschool while the other kids were having sex education. In reality, my mother started reading and enjoying my books after her best friend (my biggest 80-year-old fan) started telling her how wonderful they were. And the biggest surprise is that my mother’s favorite books of mine are the paranormal ones. Huh? Who would have thought she’d really like shapeshifting, vampires and sirens. You never know!

Is there a message in your novel that you want the readers to grasp?

Like I said, I like to weave in morals and lessons subliminally in some of my stories. For example, The Dragon and the DreamWalker has a good vs evil storyline with a huge moral at the end that you’ll just have to read for yourself. Touch of Gold is another one with a moral. This moral being that too much of a good thing can often turn terrible if you’re not careful.

My Favorite:

Movie: Lady Hawke

Music: Jazz or Acoustic Guitar

Place You’ve Visited: Machu Picchu, Peru

Place You’d Like to Visit: Castles of Scotland and England

TV Show From Childhood: I hate to admit it but, I liked the sitcoms like Brady Bunch, Monkees, Green Acres, Happy Days (anything you can find on METV now.) And Hardy Boys and Nancy Drew. And later on, soap operas like General Hospital.

TV Show From Adulthood: Ok, I still like sitcoms, but I really love reality TV like Amazing Race, Survivor, Master Chef, Big Brother – you name it. I enjoy Once Upon a Time, Lucifer, and Reign and Vikings, but when they start killing off all the major characters, I’m thinking about not watching them anymore. I like happy endings.

Food: Pizza and Coca Cola. Okay, I like junkfood – hotdogs, burgers, chips. And salads too!

Sports Team: None. I am not into sports, sorry.

Board Games or TV? Both. I grew up playing Life, Monopoly, Clue, Masterpiece, etc. I don’t play them anymore really so I guess TV is the answer, but I still like both.

CONTEST: I have recently started putting my books into audiobook form. My tenth audiobook, The Baron’s Bounty will be available next month. So as a prize, I will choose three winners to win an audiobook copy of any of my books that are in audiobook form now. Just leave a comment telling me which of my audiobooks you’d like to experience. The books in audiobook form the winners can choose from are: The Baron’s Quest, (Barons of the Cinque Ports Series), Daughters of the Dagger Prequel, Ruby, Sapphire, Amber, Amethyst, (Daughters of the Dagger Series), Onyx, Aidan or Ian (MadMan MacKeefe Series.) If you’d like to know more, please visit my website at http://elizabethrosenovels.com where you can see all my books and read excerpts of any of them.

Thanks again to Alicia for having me as her guest, and I hope you’ll all pick up a copy of my new book, Touch of Gold which comes out on August 17^th. It’s only 99 cents, but the price will go up to $2.99 shortly after release, so you’d better hurry. Amazon buy link:

https://www.amazon.com/Touch-Gold-Rumpelstiltskin-Tangled-Tales-ebook/dp/B01IPY75K0/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1471438374&sr=8-1&keywords=touch+of+gold+elizabeth+rose

My pleasure, Elizabeth! I enjoyed your interview. and, wow, what a story about your journey into self-publishing. Congratulations on your success. I also love old sitcoms on METV, but I’m not a fan of reality shows, I must say. 🙂 Thank you for the awesome contest!!

18 Comments

Filed under Author Blog Post, New Release

Tagged as 99 Cents, fairytales, new release, paranormal romance

August 11, 2016 · 7:42 am

Author Interview with Charlotte O’Shay – NEW RELEASE: The Marriage Ultimatum

Please help me welcome author Charlotte O’Shay…

Thank you for joining me today, Charlotte. Please tell us a little about yourself, where are you from? Where do you live now? Family? Pets?

Hi Alicia. So happy to be on your blog.

I’m a born and raised New York City kid. I grew up in the Chelsea section of Manhattan, the middle child and now the eldest female in a large family. From a very early age I dreamed up stories about the people I encountered and always had my nose in a book, usually romance. I also love detective stories, non-fiction and history.

I met my husband (who after many years of marriage is still my best friend and love of my life) at my first legal job, became a lawyer and a mother of four in ten action packed years. During those years we lived in the suburbs of the city. Recently, we moved back to Manhattan and I have fulfilled a lifelong dream of writing romance.

We have a very sweet, adopted cockapoo who has a way of getting treats from everyone in our family as well as everyone in our building.

The Marriage Ultimatum is the first of three loosely tied together tales of women and men who are either born in or travel to New York City to make their mark in the world. My hero Vlad and heroine Sabrina view the city as the place to transform their dreams into reality. At the moment they least expect, they meet and begin the journey to happily ever after.

For me, choosing New York City as the setting, with all of its energy and chaos, makes the city a character of each story. I chose a contemporary setting because it’s what I most like to read. The most difficult thing to me about writing this book or any book is the discipline of staying with it when life’s little and large interruptions happen. Sometimes it’s easy to get side tracked.

The hero and heroine in The Marriage Ultimatum came to me full force and I just started writing. Sabrina and Vlad are two New York strivers with every reason to distrust each other but who are instantly attracted to each other.

Are there any tricks, habits or superstitions you have when creating a story? Sit down and write. If the words won’t come, take a walk and then force yourself to write even if it’s stream of conscious.

What book have you read that you wish you had written? I’m a fan of so many books I couldn’t possibly choose one. The books that stay with you, that you don’t want to end, where the characters are so real you could reach out and touch them——those are the ones that I wish I had written. What’s helpful about having all of those favorites for me is that they have helped me find my unique voice, my place in the large world of writers.

Do you collect anything? I collect signs, large or small, of many materials, whether wood or framed or ceramic that have some saying or blessing to do with HOME.

What do you want readers to come away with after they read The Marriage Ultimatum? First and foremost, I would hope that my book is a page turner, that my reader had a good escape from her or his usual life by coming into the world of my story. I would want them to realize that instant attraction doesn’t happen all the time but it is very real. I want them to see that when you peel beneath the layers of anyone, we all want the same thing: love and home.

Would you rather have a bad review or no review? No review or a review that is thoughtful but might have some constructive criticism. Personally, when I really don’t like a book, I don’t review it.

What genre have you never written that you’d like to write? Historical early American colonial period. I’m a total history nerd and that’s my favorite time period.

Are your characters based off real people or did they all come entirely from your imagination? The character of Sabrina was informed in part by some women I met as a lawyer. Women who are struggling to hold families together and feel beaten down and fearful of the system. From that point on every other character and the conflicts are all dreamed up by me.

How much of the book is realistic? Even with a contemporary romance I believe a larger than life aspect in the characters and the conflicts is essential for the escape into the story. Fantastic things happening in the lives of real but also flawed characters. It’s a tall order when you think of it and I’m still finding my way and trying to get it right.

How did your interest in writing originate? I’ve always written, notes, compositions, short stories. Always. It took me a while to want to share my writing with anyone else. I have also always wanted to paint. I dream in very vivid color.

Your favorite…

Movie The Terminator (the original)

Place you’ve visited: Italy and Ireland

Place you’d like to visit: Wyoming

TV show from adulthood Game of Thrones, VEEP

Sports team: Baseball (Yankees) and softball

Which do you prefer board games, card games or television?: I like cards and charades and anything interactive with people as opposed to a phone or a board.

Giveaway:

I welcome readers to come take a look at and sign up to my WordPress website charlotteoshayauthor.com for news about my upcoming release entitled A Model Engagement.

I will gift a signed paperback of the Marriage Ultimatum to one person, chosen at random, who has signed up to my blog.

Thank you SO much for an interesting interview, Charlotte, and for the giveaway offer. You DID pack a lot into ten years. 🙂 Sounds like a great life. And, thanks for the writing advice. I believe it’s the most important thing a writer can learn to practice. Now, please tell us about your book…

Blurb:

Dead-end job? Dreary apartment? Disastrous love life? Check, check, and check. Toddler who makes it all worthwhile? Absolutely. Juggling work, college, and the care of young Alex was never Sabrina’s plan. But Sabrina’s dreams are bigger than any curve ball life can throw at her. Her top priority is keeping her small family together, no matter what the cost. Vladimir Grigory doesn’t believe in dreams. He earned his position at the top of New York’s corporate ladder with his own sweat. His empire is his baby, and he’ll destroy anyone who threatens it. Even the sexy employee who challenges him on every level. When the New York tabloids and the world call him the baby daddy of Sabrina’s son, Vlad believes Sabrina is part of a plot to expose the secrets of his past. He threatens to destroy her future. But since Sabrina has secrets of her own, she has no choice but to agree to Vlad’s marriage ultimatum.

Excerpt:

Once again, she passed through the gauntlet that was the VGI executive floor and kept her head up, gaze focused straight ahead. The whispers buzzed feverishly around the woman in the train wreck of an outfit as she strode down the corridor—this time with a toddler in a stroller.

“Ms. Boyd,” his assistant stepped in front of her, guarding the domain of the boss like a rabid pit bull, “you can’t—”

Sabrina looked her straight in the eye. That was what you did to make a dog back down. Or was that what made a dog attack? She couldn’t remember, and she didn’t care.

“I’m not leaving, so you might as well move before I shout this place down.”

There was steel in Sabrina’s tone, and her voice was pitched loud enough for the hapless woman to know that she couldn’t care less who heard.

The assistant stepped aside. “Now this should be interesting,” she muttered.

She shoved the door open and pushed the stroller inside as if she did it every day of the week, then nudged the door shut with her elbow. “It’s not gonna be that easy to get rid of me.”

“I get the feeling nothing is easy with you,” he said.

Buy the book here:

amazon.com/author/charlotteoshayauthor.com

The Wild Rose Press: http://catalog.thewildrosepress.com/all-titles/4358-the-marriage-ultimatum.html

ISBN(s) 978-1-5092-0814-2 Paperback

978-1-5092-0815-9 Digital

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Marriage-Ultimatum-City-Dreams-ebook/dp/B01FCBBAMI

ASIN: B01FCBBAMI

https://www.amazon.com/Marriage-Ultimatum-City-Dreams-ebook/dp/B01FCBBAMI

Kobo: ISBN: 10:1509208151

ISBN: 13: 9781509208159

https://store.kobobooks.com/en-us/ebook/the-marriage-ultimatum-4

Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-marriage-ultimatum-charlotte-oshay/1123790857/

ISBN-13: 2940158185540

Find Charlotte here:

Website: (wordpress) http://charlotteoshayauthor.com

Facebook: Charlotte O’Shay http://facebook.com/charlotteoshayauthor

Twitter: @charlotte_oshay http://twitter.com/charlotte_oshay

Instagram: charlotte_oshay_author

30 Comments

Filed under Author Blog Post, New Release

Tagged as Author Interview, Contemporary Romance, marriage of convenience, single mother, the wild rose press

August 4, 2016 · 7:17 am

Sadie Michelson from Adrienne Wolfe’s Devil in Texas Shares 10 Memorable Moments

Please help me welcome Adrienne Wolfe with a bit of a twist on the ’10 Moments that Changed My Life’ – Her heroine from Devil in Texas is sharing HER moments…

From Diva to Detective:

10 Memorable Moments in My Wild Western Life

By Sadie Michelson, Pinkerton Agent

As reported to Adrienne deWolfe, Agency Scribe

Scribe’s Note: Sadie Michelson is deep undercover, sending this transmission from her latest top-secret location. Per Agent Michelson’s instructions, I have faithfully transcribed her 10 most memorable moments – in the event that she fails to survive. Be forewarned: this transcript will self-destruct in 7 minutes . . .

My childhood was what you might call . . . eventful. It made me an orphan. But believe me, I’m not complaining. My twin sister wound up as a little, freckle-faced ghost with red hair. At least, I think the chubby-cheeked cherub, who watches over me at night, is Maisy. (Can 5-year-old ghosts sprout wings?) I’m not an expert on ancestral spooks, like my Pinkerton compatriot, Wilma LeBeau, the Cajun Mambo. To ward off evil spirits, Wilma makes me wear a gris-gris in her house. She kind of freaks me out . . .
Around the age of 21, I wrote my first bawdy song, Pansy Primrose, while I was headlining at Dodge City’s infamous Long Branch Saloon. The ballad is about a virtuous lass, who . . . uh . . . loses her underwear. Pansy’s tale (tail?) received lots of whoops and hollers from the roostered cowboys when it debuted. They like to bellow the refrain while I sang: “Purdy Pansy Primrose, now that she’s full-grown, will jump a randy cowboy like a dog jumps on a bone . . . ”
About four years later, the notorious gunslinger, William Cassidy (aka “Lucifire”) blazed back into my life. My wily ex-lover wanted to hook up again. Little did I know, the scalawag was being chased by Texas Rangers! I should have told Cass to turn around and ride back to Hades; instead, I did something stupid. I fell in love. A girl like me knows better than to mix business with pleasure, but there’s just something about Cass … Anyway, I set out to lure the law from his trail, and the hothead thought I betrayed him! He left me choking on his dust! That’s the thanks I got, for risking my neck . . .
By the way, Cass isn’t the only one with bragging rights around guns. My daddy left me his Henry Repeater. Around about midnight, when things were just heating up in Dodge, a mob of masked Ku Klux Klansmen tried to lynch Cass’s Cherokee friend. I never much liked that half-breed (he convinced Cass that I ratted him out to the Rangers.) However, I have even bigger reasons to hate the Klan. I threw back my shutter and opened fire on the pigs. That’s right: I was the one who got that shootout going to save the half-breed’s life! Too bad Wyatt Earp had to show up with his tin-star and spoil all my fun . . .
Around about ‘79, I got wind that Daddy was owed back wages. So I stormed into Allan Pinkerton’s Chicago office and demanded that he fork over my rightful inheritance. Who would have thought that the world’s most famous detective would see something greater in me than a cowtown whore? Pinkerton offered to hire me on the spot! (That moment was a real rip-snorter, let me tell you!) But since I was already a crack shot, and I had no compunction against decking randy cowboys, I figured, what the heck? I was half-trained to be a detective anyway . . .
Then came the reality check. Ugh. Was God just bored the day he gave me brandy-colored eyes? Try disguising those when you’re slinking through a sodbuster convention, praying you won’t get recognized! Once, I did get caught. I was pawing through a scumbag’s underwear drawer for evidence. “That’s right!” I wanted to shout, “I’m the waiter, who served you turtle soup last night!” Fortunately, my Irish temper doesn’t always get the best of me. And I discovered that railroad spectacles can be tinted blue . . .
Speaking of losing my temper: I tend to throw things. Cass has gotten really good at dodging perfume bottles. Once, when I was on a strict no-dessert diet (so I could fit into my stage costume) the rotter brought me a strawberry shortcake. Needless to say, I pitched a diva fit and threw the shortcake at his head! Undaunted, the rascal coaxed me into a novel way to enjoy cake. We spent the next 90 minutes scraping whipping cream off the wall and smearing it all over each other’s private parts. BEST BIRTHDAY EVER!
At last count, my elusive lover has racked up six nicknames (including “The Rebel Rutter”) for his Wanted posters. I only have one alias worth mentioning, but I’m pretty proud of it: The Devil’s Daughter. I bet you’re wondering how I earned such an enviable title. I’d dish the details, but then the Propriety Police would censor Alicia’s blog, and Alicia would rat me out to Wilma, and Wilma would put a Voodoo curse on me . . . So suffice it to say, Cass gave me the name after spending 10 hours in my bed. The Rebel Rutter couldn’t sit astride his saddle for a week! (::snicker::)
A couple of months ago, while working undercover in Galveston, I had to jump out of a burning brothel. That feat definitely ranks among my most memorable moments. Cass had just blown my cover. Or at least, that’s what I thought, because a container of Greek Fire crashed through my window. I escaped – barely – by disguising myself as a tramp and fleeing for the docks. I let Cass go on thinking I was dead. It served him right!
It’s really hard to end with just 10 memorable moments. I have a whole Pinkerton caseload worth reporting! How many Victorian ladies do you know, who’ve ended the career of a corrupt state senator? Or outwitted a criminal mastermind, who uses music to turn innocents into killers? But to tell the truth, an even bigger mystery is looming on my horizon. I’m worried that it might be personal. I started getting suspicious when I caught Cass and Wilma, whispering behind my back. Then my boss started changing the subject whenever I walked into the room. I hate to sound paranoid, but my instincts never fail me. I need to find out what my allies are covering up, and I need to find out fast. Otherwise, I might not make it out of this border town alive …

(End of Pinkerton Transmission)

Sadie and Cass star in:

Devil in Texas

By Adrienne deWolfe

Book 1, Lady Law & The Gunslinger

Book Description

Pinkerton Agent Sadie Michelson poses as a casino singer to investigate a Texas Senator. Before she can cozy up to her quarry, she must get past his bodyguard, William Cassidy, her long-lost lover.

An outlaw seeking redemption, Cass was lured to Texas by the promise of a Ranger badge. But he hasn’t forgotten the sassy siren, who toyed with his heart. When Sadie proposes a truce, Cass suspects she’s hiding something.

With assassins dogging their heels, Cass and Sadie uncover a murder conspiracy in the senate. To stay alive, they must do the one thing they’re dead set against: trust each other.

Purchase on Amazon or wherever ebooks are sold. Also available in paperback.

Amazon link: http://amzn.to/2aKZW6j

About Adrienne deWolfe

Adrienne deWolfe is the #1 bestselling author of action-packed Historical Romance novels, where feisty Heroines buck the conventions and true Heroes must be wickedly funny. Currently, she is working on the third book in her Lady Law & The Gunslinger Series. For more information about her sassy ladies and sizzling rogues, visit http://LadyLawandtheGunslinger.com

Join Adrienne’s Romance Club: http://wildtexasnights.com/join-my-romance-club/

Follow Adrienne’s blog: http://WildTexasNights.com/blog/

Follow Adrienne on Twitter: http://Twitter.com/AdriennedeWolfe

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Filed under Author Blog Post, New Release

Tagged as Adrienne deWolfe, Cowboys, Devil in Texas, Historical Romance, humor, Lady Law & The Gunslinger, Pinkerton Detective Agency, romantic suspense, Sleuth, Texas, Texas Rangers, Victorian romance, Western Romance

August 3, 2016 · 8:28 am

Author Josie Rivera on Romany Culture ~ New Release: Seeking Patience Plus a Giveaway!

Please help me welcome today’s guest, Josie Riviera…

Exploring the fascinating culture of the Romany. (Gypsies)

“Gadje Gadjensa, Rom Romensa.”

This is a Romany (Gypsy) saying that means “Gadje with Gadje, Rom with Rom.”

So what is a gadje? A gadje in the Romany language means “not one of us.” Many Rom prefer to not allow outsiders (us) into their lives. It’s no coincidence that in my hours, days, and months of researching the Romany for Seeking Patience, little information was available. Odd, because the Rom have lived in many places throughout the world for centuries. They’re a widely-traveled people. Yet there is little written history regarding their origins, although recent evidence points to an emigration from India 1500 years ago.

I believe the reason there is little information available is because the Rom simply prefer it that way. They are a proud people who keep to themselves. And they are nomads, forever on the move, traveling by horse and wagon in caravans.

It is no secret that the Rom have suffered persecution, prejudice, exclusion, and discrimination for centuries. The “Gypsy” stereotype includes a criminal, fortune-teller, blacksmith, thief, and musician, a dark-complexioned, shadowy figure. But why do so many of us harbor this unfair prejudice? Perhaps because of the Rom’s nomadic existence, lack of a solid religious belief, and exotic clothes and lifestyle. Their dialect is distinct and related to Sanskrit. Their tradition is oral, for they didn’t have the luxury of building libraries.

One belief shared by all Rom is cleanliness. Mahrime means unclean or polluted. To avoid mahrime, clothes covering the top half of their body are washed separately from clothes on the bottom. Certain parts of the female body are considered unclean, and doctors are sometimes avoided because they deal with illness. And, a Rom can become polluted by being too close to a gadje.

Seeking Patience explores prejudices and how the English viewed the Romany (Gypsies,) in Regency England,

Do you think men or women are more likely to be prejudiced?

Leave your comment below for a chance to win a free copy of Seeking Patience. Winner will be announced by Thursday, August 2nd. In the meantime, subscribe to my newsletter on my website and receive a FREE, HISTORICAL ROMANCE EBOOK NOVELLA!
josieriviera.wordpress.com
https://josieriviera.wordpress.com/

From Alicia: Thank you so much, Josie! I learned a lot of interesting facts. Sounds like your book will be rich with Romany elements. Also, thank you for the giveaway! Now, check out Josie’s release:

Buy links for SEEKING PATIENCE:

Amazon

https://amzn.com/B01H42QM5I

Itunes/Apple

https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/id1125089890

Nook

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/seeking-patience-josie-riviera/1115240264;jsessionid=0F911C520B3A98646A5007DFD11DE200.prodny_store01-atgap10?ean=2940152793109

Kobo

https://store.kobobooks.com/en-us/ebook/seeking-patience-1
Blurb:

Do people prove their worth by strength, or by character?

Half-Romany, half-English lord, he lives a perilous Gypsy life … until a sweet English rose saves his life, and perhaps his soul. Widowed by a cruel husband, she’s given up all hope of love. Brought together in peril, they dare to reach for a brighter future together.

Luca Boldor, Romany leader, lives a nomad’s life in Regency England with his Gypsy caravan. Believing his noble father abandoned him at birth, he refuses to acknowledge his English blood, or live a settled life. But when a vicious attack by a rival leaves him bleeding on an English lady’s doorstep, he has no choice but to accept her help. Her gentle faith stirs his heart in a way he has long denied.

Lady Patience Blakwell, widowed countess, lives in near poverty. Her husband’s heir uses threats to keep her from demanding her rightful inheritance. With a few faithful servants, she exists quietly in the country, only her faith keeping her strong … until the day a bold, handsome Gypsy collapses in her hall. He’s unlike any man she’s ever known, and she’ll confront any subterfuge to keep him safe.

But when a secret from Lady Patience’s past emerges, Luca must face his own past, or lose her and all hope of love. Will this strong man humble himself to open his heart for his lady?

Travel back to Regency England for this sweet, inspirational romance—get your copy of Seeking Patience today!

Author bio and links:

Best-selling author Josie Riviera writes Historical, Inspirational, and Sweet Romances. She lives in the Charlotte, NC, area with her wonderfully supportive husband.They share their empty nest with an adorable Shih Tzu who constantly needs grooming and an old house forever needing renovations.

“Like” her Author Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/Josie.Riviera

https://www.facebook.com/Josie.Riviera/

Connect with her on Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100010936808977

Sign up for her blog and subscribe to her newsletter on her website to receive a FREE EBOOK: josieriviera.wordpress.com
https://josieriviera.wordpress.com/

Follow her on twitter: @josieriviera
https://twitter.com/Josieriviera

Instagram: josie_riviera

https://www.instagram.com/josie_riviera/

pinterest https://www.pinterest.com/josieriviera/

23 Comments

Filed under Author Blog Post, New Release

Tagged as giveaway, Gypsy, historical, Josie Riviera, Romany, sweet and clean romance

August 1, 2016 · 1:02 pm

Author Interview with Sylvia Hubbard – New Release: Tanner’s Devil

Please help me welcome the lovely Sylvia Hubbard with an interesting interview and her latest release!

Where did you get the idea for your new novel, Tanner’s Devil?

I was researching another novel and came across street doctors and loved that I could put a woman in the place of a “profession” little knew about, but with a past. I loved the tainted unperfect woman kind of story that was not looking for love but found the most perfect man for her. Combining her past, with this story line, I created Tanner’s Devil.

Why did you choose this genre?

I’ve always loved the romance suspense genre since I was in my twenties. When I was young, I fell in love with romance the moment I stole a Johanna Lindsay book from the library (which I later replaced when I was in my thirties because I didn’t want to go to hell). Yet, I didn’t want just a straight romance. Growing up in Detroit, I never saw a straight romance in real life and because of what I know being an urban girl, going romance suspense was the only way to go.

Was there anything unusual, any anecdote about this book you’d like to share?

Love is never perfect, but it’s the imperfect people who try to fall in love make love perfect.

What was the most difficult thing about writing this book?

Making Devlin face his past as well. He’d been put on a pedestal by everyone and as his life is falling apart, he comes to realize maybe everything he’s meant to believe even about himself is not true. He needs Tanner’s voice as much as he needs her love to see the truth.

What do you love that most people don’t like and wouldn’t understand why you do?

I hand write my stories before I type them. I’ve used electrical pens to keep track of my writing because I kept losing pieces of paper. I also must have it loud and not quiet, like some writers. Due to the fact that I am a single mom and I needed the noise the kids made to make sure they weren’t hurt, now that they are grown, I continue to need a lot of noise outside of my head in order to hear the quiet voice of storytelling in my head.

What’s the main thing that you could get rid of in your life that would give you more writing time?

Facebook. I think you could agree.

What do you want readers to come away with after they read your book?

Imperfect people need love too.

What genre have you never written that you’d like to write?

I’ve love to write sci-fi and hope to do a three part book on YA Sci-Fi with a religious twist called The Trinity soon. I want to incorporate faith, fallacy and fiction for those who have forgotten about mercy.

Fantastic interview…yes, I agree about Facebook. And, I also love Romantic Suspense!! 🙂

Check out Sylvia’s great cover and intriguing book…

What does an ex-prostitute, duke and pimp have to do with each other in 21^st Century Detroit?

Excerpt:

“Take off your clothes.”

Would that mean this cornbread fed giant take off his? And if he did would he look just as magnificent without his clothes as he did with clothes?

Using this opportunity to move away from him and catch her own breath, she walked over to the bed to place the cell phone and condoms there. He hadn’t followed her and Tanner looked down at the candle to gather her own thoughts together. He’s just some weird perv john probably from the boondocks Michigan trying to get a taste of city life before he goes back to Pinkie, Michigan.

That had been a running joke when she had been out in the life doing this all the time. Pinkie, Michigan was actually nowhere, but it was a terminology used occasionally to say that since Michigan was shaped by a glove this was where this john was from – where no one black in their right mind would be, so they came down here to Detroit to taste life by requesting a black girl to their room.

Concentrating on the candlelight, she pushed off the peach summer dress along with her underwear over her boots and kicked them off.

She started to unzip her boots, but he barked, “Leave’em.”

His hands came behind her and firmly gripped her waist. “Lay on the bed on your stomach,” he ordered.

She did as she was told and forced her rapidly beating heart to relax.

Author Bio:

Detroit Author & Founder of Motown Writers Network, Sylvia Hubbard has published over 37 books on suspense romance and one book on Internet Marketing for Writers.

As a happily divorced mother of three, Ms Hubbard has received numerous awards and recognitions for her work such as the Spirit of Detroit from Detroit City Council and State of Michigan Governor’s Certificate of Tribute Emerging Minority Business Leader Award. She’s spoken all over the United States and Canada about independent publishing, social media, 21^st Guide to Marketing Online & Offline for writers and authors, How Readers can make money promoting their favorite authors and even how to be a single mom.

Recognized as an avid blogger by HoneyTech Blogs, Ms. Hubbard runs over five blogs including How To Love A Black and has had five #1 Best Sellers on Amazon. Her current work is Tanner’s Devil and she has six books coming up in 2016, including four live stories on her website. http://sylviahubbard.com

Related websites:

www.SylviaHubbard.com

www.MotownWriters.com

www.HowToEBook.org

Social Media:

www.facebook.com/sylviahubbard

www.twitter.com/sylviahubbard1

www.instagram.com/sylviahubbard1

www.youtube.com/sylviahubbard1

www.periscope.tv/sylviahubbard1

www.snapchat.com/sylviahubbard

Get Your Copy of Tanner’s Devil at the following bookstore:

SMASHWORDS (ebook)| AMAZON (Paperback & Kindle) | B&N/Nook| Kobo Reader| iTunes Apple Bookstore

Also Available in Paperback wherever books are sold

Excerpt |Video

25 Comments

Filed under Author Blog Post, New Release

Tagged as Award Winning Author, etc. #romancesuspense #SummerReads #Interracial #urban, romantic suspense, the wild rose press

Category Archives: Author Blog Post

Linda Nightingale ~ New Release: A Vampyre Rhapsody

Author Interview: Diane Burton + New Release: Mission to New Earth

Giveaway

New Release: Seeking Hope by J.M. Maurer

Please help me welcome author J.M. Maurer with her new release, Seeking Hope…

A New Release: The Rancher and the Shepherdess by Caroline Clemmons

Please help me welcome today’s guest, Caroline Clemmons, author of THE RANCHER AND THE SHEPHERDESS. She’s written books for Kindle Worlds, something I would love to do again soon. Maybe she’ll inspire me. 😉 So happy to have you, Caroline!

Author Interview with Marilyn Baron & New Release: Stumble Stones: A Novel

Please help me welcome an author friend, Marilyn Baron, with an interview and her new release: Stumble Stones: A Novel

** GIVEAWAY: Readers should leave a comment for a chance to win a copy of Marilyn’s romantic suspense Landlocked and a Stumble Stones logo notebook. The question they have to answer from Stumble Stones is “What is the name of the Berlin suburb where Alexander lives?”

Interview with Author Elizabeth Rose ~ New Release: Touch of Gold

Please help me welcome today’s guest, Elizabeth Rose with an interview and her new release, Touch of Gold.

Author Interview with Charlotte O’Shay – NEW RELEASE: The Marriage Ultimatum

Please help me welcome author Charlotte O’Shay…

Sadie Michelson from Adrienne Wolfe’s Devil in Texas Shares 10 Memorable Moments

Please help me welcome Adrienne Wolfe with a bit of a twist on the ’10 Moments that Changed My Life’ – Her heroine from Devil in Texas is sharing HER moments…

Author Josie Rivera on Romany Culture ~ New Release: Seeking Patience Plus a Giveaway!

Please help me welcome today’s guest, Josie Riviera…

Author Interview with Sylvia Hubbard – New Release: Tanner’s Devil

Please help me welcome the lovely Sylvia Hubbard with an interesting interview and her latest release!

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Category Archives: Author Blog Post

***Giveaway***

Please help me welcome author J.M. Maurer with her new release, Seeking Hope…

Please help me welcome today’s guest, Caroline Clemmons, author of THE RANCHER AND THE SHEPHERDESS. She’s written books for Kindle Worlds, something I would love to do again soon. Maybe she’ll inspire me. 😉 So happy to have you, Caroline!

Please help me welcome an author friend, Marilyn Baron, with an interview and her new release: Stumble Stones: A Novel

** GIVEAWAY: Readers should leave a comment for a chance to win a copy of Marilyn’s romantic suspense Landlocked and a Stumble Stones logo notebook. The question they have to answer from Stumble Stones is “What is the name of the Berlin suburb where Alexander lives?”

Please help me welcome today’s guest, Elizabeth Rose with an interview and her new release, Touch of Gold.

Please help me welcome author Charlotte O’Shay…

Please help me welcome Adrienne Wolfe with a bit of a twist on the ’10 Moments that Changed My Life’ – Her heroine from Devil in Texas is sharing HER moments…

Please help me welcome today’s guest, Josie Riviera…

Please help me welcome the lovely Sylvia Hubbard with an interesting interview and her latest release!

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