Category Archives: New Release

August 10, 2015 · 11:49 am

Girl Code – New Release – Profits go to Wounded Warriors

From Cait Jarrod…

Hi Everyone!

Writers In Crime gals and me had a great time writing stories of friendship and romance. Below is a snippet from FAITH.

Giveaway below!

Happy Reading!

~Cait

GIRL CODE: An anthology:

girlcode-customdesign-jayAheer2015-complete (17MB)

All proceeds from sales are going to the Wounded Warriors Project.

Introduction by Julie Ann Walker.

Where to buy:

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/ebook/dp/B00X602S8I/
Amazon/uk: http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/1514773457
CreateSpace: https://www.createspace.com/5591052
Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/564340
All Romance eBooks: https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-girlcodeanantholog…
Kobo: https://store.kobobooks.com/en-US/ebook/girl-code-2
Apple iBooks: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/id1024223247
Inktera: http://www.inktera.com/…/2ccbd018-d9b4-4f3f-beba-12d54d3abe…

Other links:
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25181055-girl-code
Pinterest: https://no.pinterest.com/caitjarrod/girl-code/

Girl Code blurb:
Four best friends struggle with decisions that affect their lives, their hearts, and their futures. As sisters, they embrace the Girl Code.
HOPE
Josephine “Joey” Lockhart escapes her past, herself and her home town of Pearl, Ohio to Florida after high school. Years later, she meets a man that refuses to let her hide behind her camera lens and encourages her out of her shell. Will he be the one to push her to feel for the first time?
LIVE
After seven years in drug hell, detoxing Juliette “Juls” Carrington returns to her hometown Pearl to attend her grandmother’s burial. Once more rejected by her family, she has a swim in a pond nearby when a mysterious camper, an ex-drunk, coaxes her to come to his hut in the woods. Together they must fight their inner demons for a chance to love…and live.
FAITH
Selena Bodine escaped into the United States Air Force to leave behind a painful past and the one man who she refused to let herself love. Years later, an urgent call from her father brings her back to Pearl, Ohio and face to face with the man she still loves. But will the secret that Cullen is investigating her threaten their second chance?
PERSISTENCE
Laydi Michaels has been running away from her past and bad memories for years. Finding herself wasn’t an easy task, but she’s managed to finally get to a point to where she wants to be. Only to wake up married to her boss….who fired her the night before. Wrapped in a case that puts her life in danger, and dealing with a grave situation back home in Pearl, Laydi figures out she wasn’t close to finding herself, and now, she’s risked everything.

cullen

FAITH EXCERPT:

She closed her eyes and sucked in the indescribable ache hitting her ribs with a force of a jagged knife. Not only did she walk away from him, she crossed a line with her sisters. What must they think of her? “Thank you for the beer.” She set her bottle on the table and rose.
He moved, blocking her path. “No,” he snapped. “You’re not walking away again.”
She recoiled, gazed into the blue eyes she loved, and couldn’t stop the quiver in her chin. “I’m sorry. I never meant to hurt you.”
He brought her wrist up between them, and set her hand on his chest. “There’s nothing to be sorry for.” His words filled with such affection, such determination, tingles raced over her skin.
“This is messed up,” she whispered, yet didn’t remove her hand. She couldn’t leave his comfort. Curling and uncurling her fingers, she spread her hand further to touch more of him. “I feel things that scare me. Remember things I didn’t know I did.”
He pressed a kiss to her forehead. “We’ll take it slow,” he said and tucked his chin until her gaze settled on his. “Okay?”
She nodded, and he pressed his mouth to hers in a feather-soft caress filled with gentleness and longing. His hand stayed against her lower back and the curve of her butt.
Through her yoga pants, heat radiated from his fingers. She prayed he’d move them lower.
As if he’d read her thoughts, he cupped a butt cheek and squeezed. His lips and tongue moved over hers like a fine-oiled machine, as if they’d kissed a hundred times.
She snuggled into him further, melted into the contour of his body, his hard plains aligning with her perfectly.
But she had to go. She needed time, distance, air. “I can’t.”
A low growl vibrated from him. She placed a kiss on his neck and laid her head against him, absorbing his comfort and warmth.
“The paper I gave you,” she said slowly, unsure exactly how she would proceed in bringing up what she’d done and the reason for it.
“The sketch?” He lifted a brow, confusion and something else she couldn’t name stretching across his features, and placed a hand on his pocket.
Her heart leapt so hard, she feared it would jump out of her chest, which made the raw emotions she faced harder.
“It may look like lines, a drawing, but it’s more. It reveals what I want most from life.” The pain of sharing something so deep, so personal with someone was difficult, yet with him, it felt right. “Research it. At the time, I couldn’t give any more,” she whispered next to his ear and kissed his cheek. Forcing a smile, she moved past him, down the steps, and headed home.

Author bios and contacts:

Cait Jarrod

“I write what I love to read – Romantic Suspense/Mystery- I love writing and creating the meet-cue (the point where the hero and heroine meet) to the blossoming of the romance. Add a suspenseful plot or a good mystery to the equation and the perfect book is born to curl up to and lose yourself in, taking you away from reality, troubles.”

As a child, I entertained myself for hours playing pretend, but not with dolls and such. I created stories and pictured them in my mind, sometimes even acted them out, my well preserved secret until now. I spent years after leaving school trying to figure out my niche. Not being a literary enthusiast, I never thought my childhood pastime would lead in this direction.

In life, one door closes and another opens, so I’m told. This was true for me. I lost my mother, my best friend, to cancer. After a year without her, I picked up her favorite hobby…reading. After one book, a romantic suspense, I was hooked. In the past, I’d fall asleep after a few minutes of reading. Now, books rank up there with a good red wine. It didn’t take long for my childhood muse to come back in adult version urging me to put the scenes in my head on paper.

I hope I have provided you with the escape similar to the ones I conjured in childhood and rediscovered as an adult, and I hope you enjoy reading my books as much as I have loved creating them.

Cait’s debut novel, Kidnapped Hearts won awards in the categories of Best Happily Ever After and Best Suspense. Cait lives in Virginia with her husband and three daughters.

Cait’s Classy Chicks Street Team: https://www.facebook.com/groups/629181983825796/
Cait’s Newsletter: https://confirmsubscription.com/h/i/76093C2B11569E7C
Find Cait at: Website  Facebook  Twitter  Pinterest  Goodreads  Google+ email: cait.jarrod@aol.com

D.C. Stone
“I write romantic suspense because I can connect with it, and love the thrill of kicking ass and being sexy while you’re at it.”

D.C. Stone is an e-book author and full-time fraud investigator when she isn’t diving into the world of Fiction. After serving eight years of service with the United States Air Force, she went on to transition into the world of Financial Crimes and became a lead investigator for many years. When she isn’t trying to solve a new puzzle in the world of fraud, she is engulfed with coffee, her laptop, and all those crazy characters in her head. She is a member of the Romance Writers of America, New Jersey Romance Writers, Kiss of Death, and the Liberty State Fiction Writers. Come stop by on Facebook, Twitter or her website and say hello!

Find DC at: Website  Facebook  Twitter  Goodreads

Jessica Jayne
“My writing interests vary much like my reading interests. Though I mainly write romance type novels with a spicy twist, I have lived what some might call a suspenseful life. As a survivor of stalking and sexual assault, I learned the ins and outs of the legal system pretty quickly. It helped to precipitate my interest in getting my law degree… that and the fact that I grew up around attorneys. So adding suspense to my writing is no big surprise to me or anyone that knows me.”

I am a born and raised small town Ohio girl, who moved to the Sunshine State after graduating from college. I graduated with a bachelor’s degree in English because I could not imagine doing anything else but reading and writing. It is such a pleasure to be able to share all the stories in my head!

In the journey of life, I got my law degree (and license) and also became a wife and a mother of three children. So, life is always an adventure.

I love to read and write… obviously! I’m a huge sports fan, especially college football and the Ohio State Buckeyes! Go Steelers! Go Rays! Go Lightning! I LOVE to travel… LOVE, LOVE, LOVE to travel. And I love sharing my love to travel with my children. Did I say I love to travel? I love to drink coffee in the morning and tea at night! I love a good glass of wine, especially if it comes from a bottle made by the FOOLS wine club… yep, I’m a founding member of that crazy group! 🙂 I love hanging out with my family and my friends! Music makes me happy. I’m a mix between country girl and city chic. But I love nothing more than putting on my jean shorts, tank top, cowboy boots and hat and watching Tim McGraw or Eric Church belt it out! I’m a sucker for a cowboy hat! 🙂

Favorite quote: “If nothing ever changed, there would be no butterflies.”

Find Jessica at: Website  Facebook  Twitter  Goodreads  Pinterest

Lea Bronsen
“I love how well-chosen words can make your heart beat a little faster.”

Lea Bronsen likes her reads fast, hot, and edgy, and strives to give her own stories the same intensity. After venturing into dirty inner-city crime drama with her debut novel Wild Hearted, she divides her writing time between psychological thriller, romantic suspense, and erotic contemporary romance.

She is signed with Evernight Publishing, Decadent Publishing, and Insatiable Press.

Find Lea at: Website  Facebook  Twitter  Goodreads  Amazon  Email

Check out this awesome trailer!

Girl Code Print Copy Giveaway:
a Rafflecopter giveaway

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August 9, 2015 · 12:16 pm

NEW Release from The Wild Rose Press: Hiding by Katherine McDermott – PLUS, a Fun Fact…

Welcome today’s spotlight author, Katherine McDermott with her new release, a romantic suspense novel…HIDING.

LOVE the cover!

Hiding_w9495_750

Blurb:

Teresa Worthington escapes her abusive boyfriend, Alex, and flees to Paris to pursue a dream career in art. Alone and wary of men, she gradually makes friends and explores her new home. She is distraught to learn that Alex is still stalking her but is determined to create the life she has always wanted.
Handsome, compassionate, and brave, Serge Gervais, a young Frenchman, slowly wins her trust. He shows her the sights of France and promises to protect her from Alex. Teresa finds herself falling in love for the first time until the unspeakable happens. Alex tracks her down and forces her into the catacombs beneath the city. Will Serge find Teresa in time to prevent Alex’s vengeance?

A fun tidbit about the book from Katherine…

The heroine Teresa Worthington is a mural artist, a hobby that I also pursue. I had the greatest
time creating the Beach Room at my house for my grandkids. It has the ocean, a palm tree, sand
castle, seagulls, and leaping dolphins. The bedspread on the small bed is even a beach towel.

Katherine’s Favorite Line:

Alex illuminated the crypt with his light, and Teresa tried to interpret what she saw: uneven walls, a doorway surrounded by orbs, a floor littered with dried reeds. No, they weren’t reeds, they were bones. And the orbs were skulls! The Catacombs!

Find Hiding here:

Amazon

Barnes and Noble

Find Katherine here:

www.Facebook.com/KatherineMcDermott.Author

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July 18, 2015 · 9:53 am

Jennifer Lowery’s Birthday – A FREE Gift for YOU!

From today’s guest, Jennifer Lowery:

Hello and welcome! I’m so glad you’re all here! It’s my birthday weekend-oh, no, not sharing the number, lol—but, I will share my birthday gifts with you! For 3 days only, July 17-19, you can download Murphy’s Law for FREE from Amazon!!! Woot!

Happy Reading,

Jennifer

(Click on the cover to be taken to Amazon, where you can download the book for free!)

JenniferLowery_MurphysLaw200

Murphy’s Law

Romantic Suspense 

He lost his family. She gave them back to him.

Blurb:

Home is the last place Jon Murphy can go. After being held captive in Azbakastan, he returns to the States only to find he can’t face his mom and sisters with what he did while he was a prisoner, so he retreats to the mountains.

Widow Sara Sheldon has made a lifetime of mistakes and is now running scared from her husband’s powerful family, who are determined to take her daughter away from her. When her little girl goes missing in the Rockies, Sara enlists the only help she can find: a gruff recluse with tracking skills to admire and a body to covet.

A storm strands Sara and her daughter at Murphy’s cabin, leaving her no choice but to hope her in-laws don’t catch up while she plans where to run next. Murphy resents the invasion of his privacy, but can’t seem to keep his mind–or his hands–off Sara. How can she stand to look at him, with all his scars? He’s not nearly as honorable as she might think…only enough to make sure she’s safe, and then he’ll go back to being alone, the way he should be.

Content Warning: Sexual content    

**Murphy’s Law: Previously published by Lyrical Press in 2013**

***Murphy’s Law was a 2006 Golden Heart Finalist***

Murphy'sLawMemefromD'Ann

Excerpt:

Copyright © 2014, Jennifer Lowery 

Murphy sat at the kitchen table, half in the shadows created by the soft light glowing above the stove. A bottle of amber liquid sat on the table in front of him, an empty glass in his hand. His hair was tousled from sleep and to Sara’s dismay, he was naked to the waist. Her gaze landed on his muscled shoulders and trailed across his tanned chest. So much for getting him out of her mind. Now she had the real thing to dream about. Looking at the dark hairs that veed down his chest and disappeared behind the table, she decided he had been right. He was a dangerous man.

She tore her eyes away from temptation and looked at the granite lines of his face. Beneath the hardness of his expression, something haunting lingered. Drawn, she circled the table until she stood at the opposite end.

Murphy met her eyes with coldness that should have sent her running for the safety of her room, but she remained standing in place. He wanted to chase her away. This time she wasn’t running.

“Mind if I join you?” she asked on her way to the cupboard to grab a glass and return to stand over Murphy’s shoulder. She reached for the bottle. The muscles in his shoulders flexed when she leaned over him.

Murphy’s hand snaked out and wrapped around hers, preventing her from pouring a drink.

“I mind,” he growled.

“Well, get over it. I need a drink.”

Scowling, he let go of her hand and allowed her to pour a glass for herself. She refilled his glass next and set the bottle on the table. Then she moved to the chair beside him and sat before lifting her glass in a silent toast.

“Cheers.” She brought the glass to her lips. His eyes on her as she drained the glass made her fight the urge to cough as the fiery liquid burned its way down her throat. Seconds later she felt the familiar warming sensation as it numbed her insides. Her eyes filled with tears. She blinked them away as she reached for the bottle.

Murphy held it away from her. “What are you doing?”

“Having a drink. I’m not in the mood for warm milk tonight.”

His eyes darkened and narrowed. “You don’t strike me as the drinking type.”

She wasn’t, but tonight it sounded good. Maybe it would soothe away her problems and make her forget how screwed-up her life was. Talking about Kent earlier had brought back painful memories. She didn’t want to feel that misery anymore tonight.

“Maybe you don’t know my type,” she said.

Murphy studied her closely for a moment before rubbing a weary hand over his face. “Go back to bed, Sara. Sleep it off.”

“I don’t want to sleep it off. I’m tired of thinking about it.”

Maybe it was the whisky, or the sight of Murphy’s naked chest, or the part of her that had been dormant for six years coming back to life. More than anything she wanted to discover it with Murphy, her strong, scarred hero.

She rose to her feet. Murphy watched warily as she stepped in front of him and positioned herself between him and the table. He leaned back in his chair and sent her a thunderous look.

“You and I are alike in many ways, Murphy,” she said softly. “We both have lost pieces of ourselves we can’t ever get back and it has forced us into a life of loneliness and solitude. I don’t know about you, but I’m tired of being alone.”

Murphy pinned her with a hard glare. “I’m not what you want. Go back to your room before I do something we’ll both regret in the morning.”

His harshly spoken words sent little electrical shocks through her body.

“I’m tired of people telling me what I want,” she said.

JenniferLoweryAuthorpic

Author Bio:

NY Times & USA Today bestselling author, Jennifer Lowery grew up reading romance novels in the back of her math book and on the bus to school, and never wanted to be anything but a writer.  Her summers were spent sitting at the kitchen table with her sisters spinning tales of romance and intrigue and always with a tall glass of ice tea at their side.

Today, Jennifer is living that dream and she couldn’t be happier to share her passion with her readers.  She loves everything there is about romance.  Her stories feature alpha heroes who meet their match with strong, independent heroines.  She believes that happily ever after is only the beginning of her stories. And the road to that happy ending is paved with action, adventure, and romance. As her characters find out when they face danger, overcome fears, and are forced to look deep within themselves to discover love.

Jennifer lives in Michigan with her husband and two children.  When she isn’t writing she enjoys reading and spending time with her family.

This is what people are saying about Murphy’s Law:

I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys Cindy Gerard, Tara Janzen, or Cherry Adair series. Each of these writers have the same flavor with a secret ingredient in their stories as does Jennifer Lowery. Great story!
– hmhibbit, Open Book Society on Murphy’s Law

Connect with Jennifer:

Author Website   Facebook   Twitter   Romance Recipes

Jennifer’s Newsletter   Jennifer’s Street Team

Buy Murphy’s Law:

Amazon 

Other Books by Jennifer Lowery:

SEAL Team Alpha Series:

A SEAL’s Song

A SEAL for Christmas

A SEAL’s Duty

Wolff Securities Series:

Maximum Risk 

ATCOM Series:

The Maze 

Sawyer Sisters Trilogy

Hard To Handle

Onyx Group Series:

Hard Core

Other:

Murphy’s Law

Taking Chances (short story)

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July 15, 2015 · 6:40 am

Flight of Destiny by Francis H. Powell

Please help me welcome my guest, Francis H. Powell:

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Flight of destiny is a collection of short stories about misfortune. They are characterized by unexpected final twists, that come at the end of each tale. They are dark and surreal tales, set around the world, at different time periods. They show a world in which anything can happen. It is hard to determine reality and what is going on a disturbed mind. People’s conceptions about morality are turned upside down. A good person can be transformed by an unexpected event into a bad person and then back again to their former state. The high and mighty often deliver flawed arguments, those considered wicked make good representations of themselves. Revenge is often a subject explored.  

Buy links:

http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B00WSWYVNK

http://www.prlog.org/12443660

And now, Francis is going to share a little about himself…

Where did you get the idea for Flight of Destiny? 

The title flight of Destiny, seemed to go really well, with the theme running through my short stories, which often revolve around fate and misfortune.

Are there any tricks or habits you use when creating a story?

For me, it is fundamental that the first sentence in each story, starts dramatically and grabs the reader’s attention, for example my story Bugeyes begins with… Bug-eyes was due a life of toil. Seed begins with Captain Spender’s wife was ovulating.  Cast from Hell begins with There it was: I was to be banished from hell. The ends have to have a dramatic twist, with events leading up to this.

What’s your favorite book of all time and why? What’s your favorite childhood book?

A book that has stayed with me since childhood is Kiss Kiss by Roald Dahl, it’s a book of short stories and has been a great influence on my book Flight of Destiny.

What do you want readers to come away with after they read Flight of Destiny?

I hope they will have been entertained, hooked on the stories right up to the last sentence.

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

Perhaps a historical novel.

If you were stranded on a deserted island and you could have 3 (inanimate) objects, what would they be?

A computer with wifi connection…(sorry that’s a bit sad)

A piano (I could spend my time teaching myself to play)

An enormous sketch book so I could draw and paint…

Your favorite…

Movie One flew over the cuckoo’s nest

Music Bitter sweet symphony by the Verve

Place you’ve visited Cornwall

Place you’d like to visit Bali

TV show from childhood  Doctor Who

TV show from adulthood Mad Men

Food Thai

Sports team Chelsea FC

 

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BIO

What better way to put all my angst into short stories. Born in a commuter belt city called Reading, like many a middle or upper class child of such times I was shunted off to an all-male boarding school aged eight, away from my parents for up to twelve weeks at a time, until I was 17.  While at my first Art college, I met a writer called Rupert Thomson, who was in the process of writing his first book “Dreams of leaving”. His personality and wit resonated, long losing contact with him.  Later I lived in Austria, in 1999 I moved to Paris.  During my time in Paris I met Alan Clark, who had a literary magazine called Rat Mort (dead rat). I began contributing and got hooked on writing short stories.  My book Flight of Destiny is a result of this obsession.  I also write poetry.

Product Details

  • Paperback: 360 pages
  • Publisher: Savant Books & Publications LLC; 1 edition (April 7, 2015)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0988664097
  • ISBN-13: 978-0988664098
  • Product Dimensions: 6 x 0.8 x 9 inches

 

 

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June 17, 2015 · 5:00 am

No Brakes: On the Wing – New Release and Book Giveaway!

I am very pleased to introduce Ellen Ann Callahan and her brand new release, No Brakes: On the Wing. I had the pleasure of editing this story, and it’s fantastic. An engaging novel with unique characters. You won’t want to miss this one.

*** Ellen is giving away a print copy of her book to one lucky commenter (U.S. Residents only). Winner will be draw on June 19th.

coverimage 

Blurb:

Lucy Prestipino has only minutes to deliver a lawsuit to the Baltimore City courthouse. She’s a twenty-one-year-old bicycle messenger on a mission—saving a crying lawyer from missing the statute of limitations. She’s promised to file the lawsuit before the court closes, no matter what. 

No matter what propels Lucy into a horrific crash with handsome and charismatic Romero Sanchez.  She becomes romantically entangled with Sanchez until Rick McCormick, the chief of the new gang unit of the Baltimore City State’s Attorney’s Office, warns her of the depth of Sanchez’s criminality. Her relationship with Sanchez violently disintegrates. A brutal murder draws her into a ruthless vendetta between Sanchez and McCormick. She’s convinced the police are on the wrong track and launches her own murder investigation. The long-kept secrets Lucy unearths during her hunt for a killer force her to confront choices that may destroy her.

Excerpt:

Lucy passed the morning browsing inside Surveillance Spyware, the largest spy-equipment retail store in the world, according to the ad she saw in the Los Angeles Times. She wanted to buy a tiny, covert camera so she could secretly record her conversations with Romero.

The store was massive. There were nanny cams in coffee pots and clocks, recording devices tucked into everyday household items—air fresheners, computer flash drives, and tissue boxes. She considered buying the baseball hat with the pinhole-sized recorder implanted above the rim. No, Romero’s not dumb. He’ll have me searched.

The personal protection department was by far the largest. Stun grenades and pepper blasters. Taser guns disguised as pens, key chains, and lipstick cases. Three aisles over, Lucy found her heart’s desire: a Flashbang bra holster. The holster attached to a women’s bra, between the breasts, concealing the gun. Even under a T-shirt.

Lucy debated buying it. Wearing the holster in LA was out. Romero would find it in a second. Besides, she’d left her gun in Baltimore. She decided to buy the holster anyway—sometimes a woman needs to spoil herself.

“With practice, you can draw your gun in under three seconds,” the saleswoman said.

“I’ll take it.”

*************************

And now, let’s get to know the author…this is her first ever blog interview, so make her feel welcome!

Where did you get the idea for No Brakes: On the Wing?

Three years ago, I retired from the practice of law to become a writer. My book was inspired by a client who consulted with me over a terrible dilemma. My story takes the dilemma to an extreme.

Why did you choose this genre?

I need to give credit to my father.  While I was a growing up, my father liked action movies (he called them “shoot ‘em ups”). My mother didn’t care for them, so my father took me to all the shoot ‘em up movies.   I spent my formative years watching Clint Eastwood, Steve McQueen, Charles Bronson and Gene Hackman movies.  I loved the car chases and the fights.  I later developed an interest in crime fiction novels.

One of the first things I learned from my writing classes was “write what you know.” Crime fiction is what I know, so that’s what I decided to write.  I have a chase scene in my book, but it’s on a bicycle and not in a car. Of course, there are fight scenes and a “shoot ‘em up.”

What’s the most difficult thing about writing a book?

For me, it was making the basic decisions about how to tell the story.  Each decision triggers a story path that leads to another and another. Sometimes, after writing many pages, I decided I didn’t like the path the book was taking and changed the decision that triggered the path. For example, what should be the occupation of the protagonist, Lucy Prestipino?  She started out as a reporter.  After I wrote fifty pages, the story just wasn’t working. It was boring. Once Lucy became a bicycle messenger, the story speeded up. I went through the same decision-making process with every scene.    

What was the most difficult thing about this book in particular?

I found it challenging to write the romance scenes. My parents were old-school Irish-Catholic and I was raised in that tradition. Sexuality was not discussed. PDA’s consisted of little kiss-pecks. I knew my book needed romance, but the idea of writing it was very intimidating.  I took a romance-oriented writing class and studied romance novels like they were textbooks. Reading Fifty Shades of Grey helped (a lot!). Once I found my comfort zone, the writing flowed. A male reader described my book as “saucy.” I never imagined I could ever write anything saucy.   I had a blast adding sauce to No Brakes: On the Wing.

How did you develop the protagonist, Lucy Prestipino?

I like books about female protagonists who prevail over obstacles through resourcefulness and intelligence.  Since I was writing a page-turner, Lucy needed to be a risk-taker.  She seemed to develop her quirky personality all on her own. She’s savvy, but naïve; strong, but vulnerable; attractive, but a hot mess.  The bundle of contradictions made her fun to write.   

What’s your favorite scene in No Brakes: On the Wing?

I loved writing the courtroom confrontation between Lucy and the prosecutor. It’s also the favorite scene of lawyers who’ve read my book. Any trial lawyer who claims she/he has never had a similar courtroom experience is fibbing.  It happens to all of us, no matter how prepared we are for court.  

What surprised you the most while writing the book?

I was surprised how the characters took on lives of their own. I’d heard other writers talk about the phenomenon, but I didn’t understand it until I wrote my book. Lucy, Rick, and Romero became very real to me. Whenever I typed a false word, the character would shout inside my head, “I wouldn’t say that! I wouldn’t do that!” It was a little spooky.

Are any of the characters based on real people?

Most of them are, in one way or another. Every character has the personality, appearance, or traits of someone I know.   Most of the vignettes in the book are based on true stories. The bichon frise is modeled on my dog, Davy.  The character of Dr. John Michaels is based on my brother of blessed memory, John Michael. He owned a dog named “The Old Gentleman.”

Are any characters based on you?

I share a lot of traits with one of the characters, but I won’t say which one. It’s not Lucy’s mother.  

What do you want readers to come away with after they read No Brakes: On the Wing?

My goal was to write an entertaining story about an important issue, with elements of humor and romance. If readers come away feeling the book was well-worth their time and money, I’d be happy. That’s my personal standard for spending my time and money on something—whether it’s a seminar, meal, movie or book.  I want to come away feeling, “Yeah, that was well-worth it.”

What is one word you would use to describe yourself?

Persistent.  It took me longer to write No Brakes: On the Wing than to go to law school, study for the bar, and pass it! I wrote every day, knowing that one day it would be finished. The next book will go much faster.  

Are there any tricks or habits you use when creating a story?

I write a lot of random scenes in my head while walking Davy. After the walk, I write them down.    

Your favorite…

Movie: Witness. It has everything I love in a movie—conflict, romance, a compelling story, even a shoot ‘em up.  Harrison Ford is a bonus.

Music: Anything that makes me want to dance. My current favorite song is “Shut Up and Dance” by Walk the Moon. 

Place you’ve visited: The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland, Ohio. It’s the only museum where I’ve spent eight hours straight—twice!  

Place you’d like to visit:  I’d love to go on road trip across the United States.

TV show from childhood: The Fugitive.

TV show from adulthood: HBO’s The Wire. My guilty pleasure is Say Yes to the Dress.

Food:  Chesapeake Bay soft-shelled crabs. Yummy!  

Sports team:  This is a tough one. I grew up in the Washington, DC area. My favorite teams are the Baltimore Orioles and the Washington Nationals. I dream that one day they’ll oppose each other in the World Series, but I don’t know who I’d root for.  Talk about a dilemma.

Recreation: I like going to rock concerts, especially those featuring bands of my youth. Strangely, I’ve noticed the audience keeps getting grayer.

CallahanE.photograph (1)

Author Bio:

Ellen Ann Callahan is an author and freelance writer. Her articles and essays have appeared in Maryland Life Magazine, The Washington Post, Washington Family Magazine, and Chicken Soup for the Breast Cancer Survivor’s Soul. She was an adoption attorney until she retired to pursue the writing life. She lives with her husband in Deep Creek, Maryland.

Buy links:

PAPERBACK:

Amazon: http://tinyurl.com/kcaytbr

Barnes & Noble: http://tinyurl.com/p34alhe

eBOOK FORMAT:

Kindle: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00X6FSMRE
Nook: (Nook): http://tinyurl.com/kcp7fp6
Apple iBook: http://tinyurl.com/oodjsxz

Contact links:

Follow Ellen on Twitter at https://www.twitter.com/ECallahanAuthor

Like Ellen on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/EllenAnnCallahan

Visit Ellen at http://www.ellenanncallahan.com

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June 8, 2015 · 6:55 am

Why is Writing so Hard? Jane Leopold Quinn – New Erotic Romance – ANCIENT TIES

I’d like to welcome Jane Leopold Quinn and her new release, ANCIENT TIES – An Erotic Time Travel Romance – http://amzn.com/B00WFTJYPG

Thanks so much for hosting Ancient Ties and me today, Alicia.

My pleasure! 

WRITING IS HARD! 

Why is writing fiction so hard?

Why is writing romance so hard?

Why is writing erotic romance so hard? 

I don’t know except maybe anything that’s creative should be hard. I don’t want to live in a garret. I don’t want to be a “starving artist.” But I’d like to have somewhat less angst about my writing. Even after several years, I still feel unsure about a finished project. While I’m working on it, I’m constantly revising, changing sentence structure, varying the first word of the sentences, putting in commas, taking them out. 

I write erotic romance and have from the minute I first put pen to paper because that’s how I wrote in the beginning. Others write hotter, others write more PG so I’m kind of in the middle. Then the question becomes is it hot enough for the hot lovers? Do readers consider the love scenes ordinary which isn’t my intention at all? I can spend hours on one or two paragraphs in love scenes to get the wording, movements, and most importantly the emotion right. Even after years, it doesn’t get any easier. 

Critics say it’s putting “slot A into slot B”. It’s not! At least it’s not if you write it properly. The slots are the least important component. They’re important, but the road to the slots is what’s lastingly memorable. The road is what makes the reader forget her living room, her bus or train ride, what she’s eating for lunch, because the scene she’s living through her reading is so powerful. Words matter, phrases matter. Putting them together so they flow and make the reader close her eyes and sigh in pleasure is what matters. 

And I’ll admit that sometimes I get tired of writing a hot love scene. That’s a bit discouraging. I consider myself a writer of good, hot love scenes but sometimes you just have to change your focus to a good murder or shoot out or just a simple walk down the street with your characters so they can get to know each other better through conversation. 

I guess writing is hard because we’re constantly challenging ourselves to be better, to go the extra mile to give a scene even more of a lasting impression on the reader. I know I’ve done a good job when the scene turns me on. I also know I’ve done a good job if I make myself cry because I’ve written an effective scene for my character. Thirty years of being a secretary and I don’t need to look at the keyboard most of the time. So when I’m deep into a scene, I close my eyes, sway in my desk chair, and type. 

More than a dozen books – novels, novellas, short stories – later and I’m here to talk about my latest release, Ancient Ties, an erotic time travel to 2nd Century Roman Britain. This book was first published in 2005, then with a different publisher in 2008, and now I’ve self published it. I’m very proud of the cover. I bought the top picture from http://romancenovelcovers.com. The two lower photos are ones I took on my trips to England and show scenes from the book.

JLP

 

Blurb:

Nursing a broken heart, Janney Forrester flies to England for a much needed vacation. She gets one—and much more. A drive through the countryside and the sight of a mysterious heavy gold bracelet found nestled against ruined walls draw her across the crumbling stone threshold of an ancient villa where she beholds a Roman room in perfect historical detail. To add to the unreality, there’s the most gorgeous, masculine man she’s ever seen, her every sensual fantasy personified. Confusion by what’s happening to her vies with attraction when Janney is thrust two thousand years into the past. 

Roman soldier Marek Benin Verus considers the woman suddenly appearing before him as a gift from the gods. Zeus knows he needs one! Battle fatigued and emotionally scarred after fifteen years in the army, he’s on a leave of absence and has all the time in the world to devote to seducing this beautiful woman into his bed. He doesn’t plan on the powerful and dangerous emotions she inspires in him. 

Marek’s hard, muscular body is too luscious to resist. Janney decides to risk the comfort of her safe life and carpe diem—seize the day. Marek seizes her body and takes her to the edge—and over—to an ecstasy she never knew existed. Can a new world for her, timeless desire, and a loving exploration of each other’s bodies forge a passion that survives centuries of separation? 

Excerpt – PG:

Setting the scene:  Janney visits the baths in ancient Aquae Sulis,

the same baths she saw in her own time just a few days before… 

Raising her gaze to the temple’s pediment, the Gorgon’s wildly flowing mane of hair and mustache, his wide surprised and sad eyes were familiar. “He’s the most well-known symbol of the baths. Anyone who’s ever visited them recognizes this carving. Don’t you think it’s amazing it lasted two thousand years?”

“Yes, it is.” Augusta said thoughtfully. “That’s the way I feel when I see the ancient stones near Marek’s villa.”

“Stones? What kind?”

“Tall, in a circle. Some sort of Druid religious site.”

“Stonehenge? Marek has a villa near Stonehenge?” She had to see it. Her heart thumped excitedly. A sexual-like ecstasy heated her from the inside out.

Stonehenge.

She forced her mind back to where she was right now. The baths.

One miracle at a time.

“Augusta,” she tried to keep her voice steady. “I saw a lot of this.” She closed her eyes. “There were enough fragments to piece together to get the idea of what it must have looked like.” She sought the other woman’s gaze. She could handle all these new experiences but needed to know someone else knew who she really was and where she came from.

“Janney, let’s go inside and bathe. I’m sure you’ll be delighted to see the baths as they were originally intended. And we’ll meet my husband and Marek,” Augusta added in encouragement.

She nodded, then stopped, her gaze following Augusta’s retreating back. She sucked in a quick breath, heat roiling in places he’d touched last night. Was he in there now? Naked?

Whew! Now that would be a sight.

“Janney,” Augusta called. “Come on.”

People jostled her to pass on either side. All this was so strange and yet not. She’d read about the baths and had studied their layout. Now, incredibly here was her chance to see them as the Roman’s saw them.

The history was incredible. But every time she told herself it was the history that fascinated her, the truth slammed into her. He fascinated her.

Augusta had to come back and tug her along. “Let’s go. I’m looking forward to a massage. I imagine you are too.”

“I’m coming.” She closed her eyes a moment and took a deep breath. Whatever was going on here, Augusta was her lifeline. Just follow her, do what she does, learn how to live here in the second century. You don’t have any other choice at the moment.

Strolling past the sacred spring, she could only gawk at the statues surrounding the pool like eerie specters rising from the swirling mist of the hot water. “I don’t have anything to offer the gods.”

“You know about this?”

She laughed aloud shocking the people crowding around her. “I’m sorry,” she giggled, delighted that she struck Augusta speechless. “Yes, I do. We know a lot about your time, this time.”

JLP2

Sensual fantasies were locked in my mind for years until a friend said, “Why don’t you write them down?” Why not, indeed? One spiral notebook, a pen and the unleashing of my imagination later, and here I am with more than a dozen books published. The craft of writing erotic romance has become my passion and my niche in life. I love every part of the creative process—developing characters, designing the plot, even drawing the layout of physical spaces from my stories. My careers have been varied—third grade school teacher, bookkeeper, secretary—none of which gave me a bit of inspiration. But now I’m lucky enough to write romance full time—the best job in the universe! And I’m fortunate enough to have found my own happily ever after husband.

Jane Leopold Quinn

My Romance:  Love With a Scorching Sensuality

http://janeleopoldquinn.BlogSpot.com

https://twitter.com/jelquinnauthor

Amazon Author Page http://amzn.to/1DfiXkP

 

I have several more blog posts scheduled to celebrate the re-release of Ancient Ties and to continue the conversation. Please feel free to go to any posts. There are several different topics:

May 28, Sabrina York –  http://thedecadentdivas.blogspot.com/2015/04/ancient-ties-erotic-time-travel-romance.html

May 28, my blog –

http://janeleopoldquinn.blogspot.com/p/ancient-ties-erotic-time-travel-romance.html  ~~~

http://janeleopoldquinn.blogspot.com/p/the-tower-of-london-1999-jane-leopold.html

June 3, Anna Markland – http://www.annamarkland.com/

June 4, Kryssie Fortune – http://kryssiefortune.wordpress.com

June 5, Tina Donahue – http://www.tinadonahue.com/

June 10, Romance Lives Forever – http://romancelivesforever.blogspot.com

June 12, Delilah Devlin – http://www.delilahdevlin.com/blog/

June 19, Jessie Clever – http://jessieclever.com/blog/

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May 27, 2015 · 7:48 am

“My Life as a Sperm” by Darrah Whitaker – Interview and GIVEAWAY!!!

I met Darrah Whitaker in April when myself and two of my editor friends, Cindy Davis and Barbara Wilson, presented workshops at the Las Vegas Writer’s Conference. It was a fantastic conference, an awesome group of people, and Darrah did a spectacular job as coordinator. He was also lots of fun! But you know what is even more fun? His book! It’s called My Life as a Sperm. How could I NOT want to read it? I am not very far into the book, but I’m hooked. It’s engaging and very, very funny. I don’t often laugh out loud while reading, but I have while reading his book. Here’s a peek at some of the funny snippets: 

From a scene where the protagonist, Buddy Price, goes to see a wealthy TV evangelist at his compound/church.  

A waterfall added a melodic refrain as it cascaded over rocks into a shallow pool. Unseen birds chirped. I might have converted then and there, but I caught sight of speakers hidden behind the bushes.

AND

He sat at his desk. “How about I give you the real story. Truth is always better than fiction.”

I nodded, although I bet Oliver stone would likely disagree with that assessment. 

Haha, love it! Can’t wait to read more! There are also some funny scenes with his not-so-bright assistant, Stacey.

*** Darrah is offering a free copy of My Life as a Sperm to one lucky winner. Two ways to enter: 

  1. Follow his blog here: http://wdarrahwhitaker.com/blog/ 
  2. Comment on this blog below. 

(You can will gain an entry for each if you do both)  Winner will be announced Saturday. Please be sure to provide your email with your comment.

Also, please like his Facebook page: 

https://www.facebook.com/wdarrahwhitaker

Now, it’s Darrah’s turn to tell you about his book.  🙂

BookCover

Blurb

BUDDY PRICE, a Hollywood agent, dies in a car crash and finds himself in Heaven. There, he discovers God’s had enough with people and will pull the plug if we can’t learn to get along – a ‘love thy neighbor or else’ sort of message. An unlikely hero as there ever was, Buddy convinces God to let him fix things and gets a second chance. From the first few lines of the book, we know that he’s probably the last person we’d want to depend on to save the world, but God’s got his plan. Our fate rests in Buddy’s hands… or, who knows, maybe he’s just crazy and needs lithium or something. 

Excerpt

On top of Hedgins’ glass desktop, skinny, white legs belonging to CFO Manor wishboned like a V for victory (or vagina, I suppose) toward the ceiling while Reverend Hedgins, with pants around the ankles, pounded away at her lady bits. Hedgins didn’t see me, his backside conveniently pointed in my direction, and, if their position had been reversed, he still wouldn’t have noticed since his head was kicked up as if looking for an attaboy from on high. CFO Manor let loose with a couple of ‘Thank you, Jesuses’ before she caught sight of me standing in the office doorway.

Interview:

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

This thing called “making a living”. It really cramps my style.

What do you want readers to come away with after they read My Life as a Sperm?

A greater sense of self-awareness. Maybe that’s all that matters. Everything else that follows should then fall into place. Oh, and also an overwhelming desire to seek out and purchase the sequel.

What actors would you like in the main roles if your book were made into a movie? 

Brad Pitt, George Clooney, Tom Hanks, but mostly because I would like to just hang out after a hard day of shooting and share a few beers.

What is your favorite quote?

“I’m a toaster” – Alan Arkin from the movie “Simon”

If you were stranded on a deserted island and you could have 3 (inanimate) objects, what would they be? 

A good book, a flashlight, and a time machine (for obvious reasons).

Your most prized material possession? Why?

I thought long and hard on this one and finally realized I don’t really have a most prized material possession. I tried to imagine a fire where I lost everything and what I would miss most. Honestly, there was nothing. However, that doesn’t mean I don’t have a prized possession. It just so happens that those possessions are digital in nature. From the software systems I’ve developed over the past twenty years to the books and stories I’ve written and the photographs I’ve saved of loved ones and past experiences. Funny, huh? Maybe I’m simply a creature of these times.

Your favorite…

Movie – Blade Runner, hands down.

Music – 70’s R & B

Place you’ve visited – actually, it’s not the place, but the journey. Caribbean cruise!

Place you’d like to visit – I want to say the Moon, but given the current state of NASA, I’ll settle for Antarctica.

TV show from childhood – Gilligan’s Island (I had a huge crush on Mary Ann)

TV show from adulthood – X-Files (I had a huge crush on Agent Scully)

Food – Lasagna and ice cream, not necessarily in that order.

Sports team – War Eagle!

Which do you prefer: Board games/card games or television?  The way I see it, it’s not as important what you’re doing, but who you’re doing it with.

Thank you, Darrah. I enjoyed getting to know you better.  I also loved Gilligan’s Island, and I agree, Mary Ann was hot! 🙂

For those who have read My Life as a Sperm,  what was your favorite part?

Buy Links

Paperback    http://www.amzn.com/0986268100

Kindle            http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00PVL6430

Contact Info                 

Email: darrah@wdarrahwhitaker.com

Website: www.wdarrahwhitaker.com

Buddy Price Website:  www.buddyprice-agent.com

FB-PIC3

Bio

Darrah Whitaker is a graduate of the University of Virginia with a B.A. in Foreign Affairs and holds two Master degrees (MA-Film/MBA) from the University of Texas. He has written five screenplays, one which was produced and another optioned. His short stories have been published in the Writers Bloc III, IV, and V anthologies. He is a member of the International Thriller Writers as well as the Henderson Writers Group in Las Vegas, Nevada serving as Conference Coordinator on their Board of Directors. His first novel, My Life as a Sperm, takes on notions of God and destiny in a most unusual way. He lives in Las Vegas where, despite the myriad temptations, he still finds time to write.

 

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May 21, 2015 · 3:00 am

Ten Tantalizing Tales of Blood-Pumping Romance and Heart-Thumping Danger! For ONLY 99 cents!

*** NEW RELEASE! ***

Ready for some major thrills and chills mixed with toe-curling romance? The PASSION & DANGER BOXED SET is now live! Get 10 award-winning, best-selling, FULL-LENGTH NOVELS with over 4,000 4- to 5-star Amazon reviews–all for only .99 cents!!!

LIMITED RUN–Get Your Copy Now!

If you only have one dollar to spend on books this summer, this is it!

(Click on cover to be taken to the Amazon Buy Link – More buy links at end of post)

 

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About the books… 

Deadly Offerings by Alexa Grace

Passion_andDanger_AlexaGrace

Anne Mason thinks she’ll be safe living in the Midwest building a wind farm. She may be dead wrong. Someone is dumping bodies in her corn field and telling Anne they are gifts—for her!  Michael Brandt, the new County Prosecutor is the last person Anne can trust, but he may offer her only chance of survival from a psychopathic killer. But will she survive the passion that rages between them?

Stolen in Paradise by Toby Neal

Passion_andDanger_TobyNeal_B&W

One betta fish, two dead biologists, three trysts, four suspects and thirty-five pairs of shoes add up to complicated days in paradise for Special Agent Marcella Scott.

Marcella gets into deep sand investigating the death of a prominent scientist washed up on a Waikiki beach with a bullet hole between the eyes. She also has a secret vice, more dangerous than expensive shoes—and it leads her into arms that are too close for comfort.

Revenge by Dana Delamar

Passion_andDanger_Revenge_DeniedAnythingIWant_2

Mafia don Enrico Lucchesi struggles to preserve a fragile truce with the Andretti family. But when Kate Andretti flees from her abusive husband, Enrico won’t leave her in jeopardy. Can he save her without reigniting the bloody feud between the families?

Deadly Obsession by Kristine Cayne

Passion_andDanger_KristineCayne

Nic Lamoureux’s perfect movie star life is shattered by a stalker who threatens any woman close to him. When he meets photographer Lauren James, the attraction is instant–and mutual. She’s exactly the sort of woman he craves, but the stalker makes deadly clear Lauren is the competition. And the competition must be eliminated.

The Dream Jumper’s Promise by Kim Hornsby

Passion_andDanger_KimHornsby

Tina Green’s missing husband is presumed dead on Maui and now she’s being haunted by strange dreams. When former boyfriend, Jamey Dunn, turns up at her Lahaina dive shop and offers help, she can’t believe his preposterous claim to enter dreams. As they piece together clues to her husband’s disappearance, secrets and lies rise to the ugly surface.

Soul Seducer by Alicia Dean – Sizzling Paranormal Thriller Romance

Passion_andDanger_AliciaDean

She spent her entire life fighting death. Now she’s falling in love with him…

When her loved ones are threatened, Nurse Audra Grayson will risk her life…even her soul to save them. But can she risk her heart to a Grim Reaper?

Love on the Ropes by Pat White

Passion_andDanger_PatWhite (1)

An undercover assignment as pro wrestler Jack the Stripper exposes more than Jason McBain’s six-pack abs. Will the DEA agent lose his heart to the woman who becomes his prime suspect in a drug smuggling ring?

The Good Daughter by Diana Layne

Passion_andDanger_DianaLayne_2 (1)

Most good daughters would say they owe their fathers everything. Marisa Peruzzo, Mafia princess, would.

She owed him for killing her fiancé.

She owed him for destroying her mother.

She owed him for chaining her to the ‘family business’.

And she owed him for taking away her lifelong friend.

Payback’s a bitch.

Someday Somebody by Lori Leger

Passion_andDanger_LoriLeger (1)

Two men want her, only one wants her dead.

Carrie has her hands full with three teens, a new career in road design, and a budding relationship with a sexy land surveyor named Sam. When a series of harmless phone calls take a terrifying turn, Carrie’s small town life gets dangerous.

An Eye for Danger by Christine Fairchild

Passion_andDanger_ChristineFairchild

One’s lying to protect her, the other’s lying to betray her.

When Jules Larson, a war photographer with PTSD, stumbles onto a murder scene, she finds herself trapped between a dangerously seductive detective, Stone McCarthy, and his nemesis, Sam Wainwright, the sexy undercover cop who’ll capture her heart at any cost. As their sole witness, Jules is targeted by a secret organization of corrupt cops. But which man can she trust to save her life?

 

To purchase:

Kindle US: http://amzn.to/1I5s0qm

Kindle UK: http://amzn.to/1GCek90

Kindle CA: http://amzn.to/1ErLIgU

Kindle AU: http://bit.ly/1cnX36M

Nook US: http://bit.ly/1aHA59y

Nook UK: http://bit.ly/1FDalsF

Kobo: http://bit.ly/1DAp2dT

iBooks: http://apple.co/1DWcvn4

Smashwords: http://bit.ly/1GQCsVH

Check out the fabulous trailer here: 

 

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May 11, 2015 · 11:03 am

Support Wounded Warriors AND Get Four Suspense Stories in ONE Book!

Coming July 2015!

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Special Introduction by Julie Ann Walker

All proceeds go to Wounded Warriors 

PRE-ORDER>>>

Click Here

GIRL CODE TRAILER:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0qF5HnFUKvE&feature=youtu.be

Writers In Crime website:

http://writersincrime.weebly.com/

Writers in Crime Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/writersincrime?fref=ts

HOPE by Jessica Jayne-Josephine “Joey” Lockhart escapes her past, herself and her home town of Pearl, Ohio to Florida after high school. Years later, she meets a man that refuses to let her hide behind her camera lens and encourages her out of her shell. Will he be the one to push her to feel for the first time?

LIVE by Lea Bronsen-After seven years in drug hell, detoxing Juliette “Juls” Carrington returns to her hometown Pearl to attend her grandmother’s burial. Once more rejected by her family, she has a swim in a pond nearby when a mysterious camper, an ex-drunk, coaxes her to come to his hut in the woods. Together they must fight their inner demons for a chance to love…and live.

FAITH by Cait Jarrod-Selena Bodine escaped into the United States Air Force to leave behind a painful past and the one man who she refused to let herself love. Years later, an urgent call from her father brings her back to Pearl, Ohio and face to face with the man she still loves. But will the secret that Cullen is investigating her threaten their second chance?

PERSISTENCE by DC Stone-Laydi Michaels has been running away from her past and bad memories for years. Finding herself wasn’t an easy task, but she’s managed to finally get to a point to where she wants to be. Only to wake up married to her boss….who fired her the night before. Wrapped in a case that puts her life in danger, and dealing with a grave situation back home in Pearl, Laydi figures out she wasn’t close to finding herself, and now, she’s risked everything.

CONTACT INFO 

CAIT JARROD

Cait’s Classy Chicks Street Team: https://www.facebook.com/groups/629181983825796/

Cait’s newsletter: http://caitjarrod.com/contact-cait-andor-signup-for-news-from-cait-newsletter/

Webpage: caitjarrod.com

Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Cait-Jarrod-Author/500705936640529?ref=hl

Twitter: https://twitter.com/CaitJarrod

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6966274.Cait_Jarrod

Google+: https://plus.google.com/u/0/+CaitJarrod/posts/p/pub

Email: cait.jarrod@gmail.com

Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/caitjarrod/

Author bio:

From writing ‘every girl’s dream heroes’ to ‘strong, down-to-earth heroines,’ Cait Jarrod twists ‘cliff hanging plots’ and ‘clever, unpredictable sub-plots’. She loves diving into a good book as much as she loves writing one. Mother of three gorgeous daughters, she’s married to her best friend, hangs out with a great group of women—the WWC, and loves a good glass of wine.

DC STONE

Website: www.authordcstone.com

Facebook Page: www.facebook.com/authordcstone

Facebook Profile: www.facebook.com/dc.stone.92

Twitter: https:// twitter.com/DCStoneauthor

Email: authordcstone@gmail.com

Author bio:

DC Stone has over sixteen years of investigative experience, including working as a criminal investigator in the United States military and a private investigator. Currently, she works as an internal affairs investigator by day and a romantic suspense author by night. She has her Master’s degree in Criminal Justice and is dubbed, “The Investigative Whisper.” Commonly called upon to act as an expert witness, she also trains with local, state, and federal law enforcement officers. She provides numerous workshops that help authors gain insight into “digging” into a character’s mind to better understand motives, create suspense, and help maintain conflict.

When she isn’t trying to solve a new puzzle in the world of fraud, she is engulfed with coffee, her laptop, and all those crazy characters in her head. She is a member of the Romance Writers of America, Hudson Valley Romance Writers, Rom Vets, RWA Kiss of Death, and the Liberty State Fiction Writers. She served as the 2014 Vice President and Conference Chair for NJRW. Find her on Facebook, Twitter, or her at www.authordcstone.com.

JESSICA JAYNE

Website: http://jessicajayneauthor.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Author-Jessica-Jayne/388268367912903?fref=ts

Twitter: https://twitter.com/JessicaJayne13 

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6545547.Jessica_Jayne

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

Author bio:

“My writing interests very much like my reading interests. Though I mainly write romance type novels with a spicy twist, I have lived what some might call a suspenseful life. As a survivor of stalking and sexual assault, I learned the ins and outs of the legal system pretty quickly. It helped to precipitate my interest in getting my law degree… that and the fact that I grew up around attorneys. So adding suspense to my writing is no big surprise to me or anyone that knows me.”

I am a born and raised small town Ohio girl, who moved to the Sunshine State after graduating from college. I graduated with a bachelor’s degree in English because I could not imagine doing anything else but reading and writing. It is such a pleasure to be able to share all the stories in my head!

LEA BRONSEN

Email: leabronsen@yahoo.com

Blog/website: http://leabronsen.com/

Facebook profile: https://www.facebook.com/wildhearted.author

Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/LeaBronsen

Twitter: https://twitter.com/LeaBronsen

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6966248.Lea_Bronsen

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Lea-Bronsen/e/B00BTFT8KS/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_2?qid=1411971446&sr=1-2

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

Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/LeaBronsen

Google+: https://plus.google.com/107003196851143670834/posts

CreateSpace: https://www.createspace.com/4125675

Author bio:

Lea Bronsen likes her reads fast, hot, and edgy, and strives to give her own stories the same intensity. After venturing into dirty inner-city crime drama with her debut novel Wild Hearted, she divides her writing time between psychological thriller, romantic suspense, and erotic contemporary romance.

 

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April 21, 2015 · 5:00 am

New Releases from J.M. Mauer ~ Emerging from Darkness Series Books 1 and 2 – PLUS, an Awesome Giveaway!

J.M. is giving away THREE signed copies of SEEKING LOVE. To enter, sign up for her newsletter through her website and drop her a quick ‘hello.’ http://jmmaurer.com 

Now available:

Seeking Love (Emerging From Darkness Book 1) ~  J.M. Maurer

J mauer SLAmazon

Blurb: 

Every day, Jessica Winters does what she does best—bury herself in patient care within the walls of the neuro intensive care unit, keeping herself busy to escape the dark sadness that controls her life. But the day she sees Matthew Moi, the intriguing man seated at her new patient’s bedside, her shattered heart begins to frantically beat once again.  

As Matthew pins his mesmerizing gaze upon her, trying to distract her with his humorous and playful banter, she does her best to ignore him. Somehow he already knows a great deal about her, breaking down Jessica’s barriers and awakening her soul, drawing her out of the darkness and into his arms.  

When her painful past resurfaces, revealing truths that threaten her future, Jessica struggles through her issues and fights to stay on a healing path . . . seeking love. 

Excerpt: 

   One thing I knew: I wasn’t that woman anymore. I wouldn’t be her anymore. 

   My heart was racing at the thought of being separated from Matthew by only the door, and I watched as it opened, knowing he stood mere feet away. I drew in a deep breath to calm my frantic nerves and steady my racing heart. It was the moment my eyes would see him again, and the same moment I knew all involuntary muscle movements would cease. 

As Matthew stepped in and around the door, his alluring eyes captured me. The feeling was nothing new. I’d been imprisoned by his gaze before. And locked in it again, I watched as he drifted to me, the indisputable chemistry between us palpable and absolute. His mesmerizing eyes had hypnotized my burning soul, completely bewitching me. 

   “Hello, Jessica,” he murmured, pointing to an open area of the bed. “Mind if I sit?” 

   I gave a slight shake of my head, having difficulty forming the simple word “no,” and watched as he made himself comfortable facing me. His crisp charcoal-colored trousers bunched as he scooted on the bed. My sight roamed along his classic plum-colored dress shirt and stopped searching once I focused on his face. 

Buy Links: 

Amazon US: bit.ly/SeekingLove

Amazon UK: bit.ly/SeekingLoveUK

Amazon CA: bit.ly/SeekingLoveCA

iBooks: bit.ly/SeekingLoveiBks

Barnes & Noble: bit.ly/SeekingLoveBN

Kobo: bit.ly/SLKobo

Smashwords: bit.ly/SeekingLoveSW

ARe: bit.ly/SeekingLoveARe

Coming May 2, 2015:

Seeking Redemption (Emerging From Darkness Book 2) ~ J.M. Maurer

J mauer SR+Amazon

Blurb: 

After surviving a bitter divorce and emerging from a darkness that became all too familiar, Jessica finds herself on top of the world, her soulful awakening allowing her to feel again, trust again, and even love again. Her painful past, however, is relentless, both physically and emotionally, bombarding her daily and not allowing her to overcome the lingering demons that ultimately control her life. 

As Matthew lovingly guides her toward a healthy future, his own secrets become known, threatening to destroy the trusting relationship that had quickly grown between them. But despite what life throws her way, Jessica pledges to put the past in the past, accepting that events are often out of her control. She fights for a future with the man who drew her out of the darkness, steering her onto a healing path . . . seeking redemption.  

Excerpt: 

    Grandma O flipped the light switch to what she called my office and stood just inside the door, her soft features and gentle smile inviting me in. I shivered, poised one step away, with a strange yet familiar emotion rushing through me—an awareness that the instant I entered, my life would be forever changed. Again.

Was this Matthew’s plan all along? They all seemed in on it, the thought making me feel railroaded and agitated, yet oddly aroused and enchanted too. Unsure how to deal with such conflicting emotions, I moved forward, looking to Grandma O for answers as I walked through.

    The office was spacious, slightly smaller than Matthew’s, with a mahogany desk in the far corner and in front of an expansive bank of floor-to-ceiling windows. I ran my fingertips along the colorful wall of psychology books and periodicals as I walked along, passing a leather couch on my way to the desk, my desk, and paused in front of an empty nook within the bookcase.

    It struck me as odd, the cold wooden surface needing something to spruce it up, make it mine. I had to think about that, my anxiety making it difficult to ponder the issue, my restlessness preventing me from staying in one place.

  I moved to the windows and stared out the tiny cracks between the blinds, the world outside just as complicated as the one I had chosen to live in.

     “We all read your master’s thesis,” Grandma O said, her voice pulling me out of my thoughts. “It’s obvious you have a natural gift for research and writing.”

    I turned and looked at her, questioning how they’d gotten their hands on a copy.

    Sedation in the ICU: Patient Accounts of Their Dreams, Their Pain, Their Fears; I hadn’t published it. As it was, after countless hours revisiting old charts and conducting hundreds of interviews, I’d never been more nervous or scared the instant it was pulled from my tight grip to be placed into the hands of someone who would actually read it. There was no way I’d ever publish it, opening myself up to a world filled with critics.

    “If you’re wondering, Dr. Moi is a personal friend of Professor Marienetti. The sexual fantasies accounted for and described within your research were fascinating, probably more so than Dr. Marienetti could digest. We’re baffled as to why you chose not to publish. The results, Jess, are far reaching, from ICUs to dentists’ offices. You have a special gift; embrace it.”

    She walked toward me and leaned her back against the wall, her gaze drinking in the room.

    “This office has been vacant, just waiting for you. You could do great things here.” She patted my arm, her grandmotherly smile telling me it would all be okay. “I’m next door if you need anything.”

    Embrace it, I thought, watching as she walked out the door. I’d heard that advice before—from Matthew. I sighed and looked down upon the desk, the one I knew would take me a while to start calling my own.

    My desk, my office, my couch, it all sounded quite foreign. I wasn’t sure if I liked it or not. 

Buy Links: 

Amazon US:  bit.ly/amznSkR

Amazon UK: bit.ly/SkRamznUK

Amazon CA:  bit.ly/SkRamznCA

Barnes & Noble: bit.ly/SkReBN

iBooks: bit.ly/SkRiBks

Kobo: bit.ly/SkRKobo

Smashwords: bit.ly/SkRSW

J mauer authorpic

About the Author: 

J.M. Maurer lives with her family in Chicago. She makes it a point to never work on a full moon and cringes when a coworker uses the “Q” word—never, ever say, “It’s a quiet day today,” at her day job.

Known for being overly superstitious, she can usually be found scraping at the remnants of a Nutella container, screaming at a hockey game, or putting pen to paper, allowing the “real” crazy voices in her head to come alive. And after all this, it’s no wonder she’s an incurable romantic and loves escaping the rat race of life to immerse herself inside the world of a really good romance book . . . because, after all, what’s better than a happily-ever-after?

Find J.M. Maurer Here:

Website: http://jmmaurer.com

Blog: http://jmmaurer.com/blog.html

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

Twitter: https://twitter.com/JMMaurer1

Goodreads: bit.ly/GoodreadsJMMaurer

tsu: http://www.tsu.co/JMicheleMaurer

Amazon Author Page: bit.ly/AmznJMMaurer

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