Please help me welcome today’s guest, Linda Griffith…
Is the romance Molly seeks in the gold country or did she leave it behind?
When her fiancé died, Eileen said, “Then I’m free,” words that her younger sister Molly didn’t understand and never forgot. In 1850s Ohio, a girl doesn’t have that many options, and marrying Andrew MacLeith may be the best she can hope for. He promises to cherish her, but they have to live with his parents, and he can’t even protect her from his mother’s sharp tongue. After a quarrel, Molly impulsively joins his gambler brother Hugh on a journey to the Pike’s Peak gold region. Perhaps the romance and freedom she longs for lie elsewhere. Or were they right under her nose all along?
Excerpt:
“When I get to Pike’s Peak,” he assured me, “I’ll send back more money than this to Ma and Pa and anybody I owe money to. But not to Andrew. He wouldn’t know how to spend it. You would, though, wouldn’t you, Molly?” he teased.
“Yes,” I said wistfully. My prospects were even more dismal than before. If he ran off to Kansas, he wouldn’t return for a long time, if he ever did. I was on the verge of tears again.
“Hey now, cheer up. Aren’t you glad of my good fortune?”
“Yes,” I said, although I wasn’t. I was envious.
“Do you mean to say it’s serious between you and Andrew?” he asked, frowning.
“I hate living here,” I burst out, as I had to Andrew. Complaining to his brother was wrong, but I was too unhappy to contain myself.
Hugh was briefly taken aback before he said, with his usual charming insouciance, “Come to Pike’s Peak with me, then.”
I didn’t think he meant it, and I was only half serious when I said, “I wish I could.” Decamping to Kansas would be an adventure and an escape, and it would teach Andrew a thing or two.
“Why can’t you?” he asked, making it sound almost logical “If you don’t like it here, what’s keeping you? Pike’s Peak is the future, the new Eldorado. Don’t you want a piece of it?”
“I couldn’t dig for gold,” I said. “And I don’t have any money.”
“I do,” he said. He fanned out his winnings. “Come on, Molly. It will be fun.”
Linda Griffin knew she wanted to be a “book maker” as soon as she learned to read and wrote her first story at six. Her passion for the printed word also led her to a career with the San Diego Public Library. She retired to spend more time on her writing and has had work published in numerous literary journals. Cherry Creek is her eleventh book published by The Wild Rose Press. In addition to the three R’s—reading, writing, and research—she enjoys travel, movies, and Scrabble.
Please help me welcome my good friend, Maxine Douglas, with an interview and new release…
Please tell us a little about yourself, where are you from? Where do you live now? Family? Pets?
Although now I consider myself an Okie (Oklahoma), I was born and raised in Wisconsin, the dairy capital of the world. LOL Yes, I know those in California will argue that point with me and that’s okay with me. I got married for the first time in my 40s to my best and long-time friend, Randy, whom I lost in 2018 to cancer. Will there be a second chapter? Only God and time will tell. I am a proud mother, grandmother, and great grandmother. I had dogs, cats, and horses throughout my life. I am blessed to have Simon, my rescue kitty, who keeps me company 24/7. I have friends, many I consider family, that I cherish in both Oklahoma and Wisconsin. I am a full-time caretaker to my son’s significant other while he’s at work, so writing these days is limited to nights and weekends.
Where did you get the idea for Winds of Change?
This is the second in the Men of the Double K series, which is an off shoot of the third book in the Brides of the Chisholm Trail Series, The Cattleman’s Bride. When I finished that book the other Kennedy men (Beau, Cordell, and Johnny) said they had stories to tell. So like any author who listens to the voices in their head, I wrote the blurbs and story ideas for Men of the Double K. Winds of Change is Cordell’s story.
Why did you choose this genre (is it something you’ve written in before)?
I wrote contemporary and time-travel when I was first published. A couple of friends of mine finally asked me to do a box set with them after they realized that I would be willing to write a western. I grew up with Zorro as my hero and watch so many TV westerns that writing one seemed natural to me.
What is the most difficult thing about writing a book?
Because I am a caretaker, finding the time to write is an issue. But where there’s a will there’s a way, and I generally find a way at some point.
Are there any tricks, habits or superstitions you have when creating a story?
I tend to “watch” TV while writing. It has carried over from never studying without the radio on. I also start a chapter writing by hand and then type it onto the computer, which then I usually end up adding a few things while I’m typing. I also print out what I’ve typed and edit what I’ve written before moving on to the next point of view (POV) or chapter.
What was your first job?
Like many my age (I’m a 50’s baby) my first job was babysitting. I then got a job at Prange’s in the junior department as a sales clerk. It was the 70s and Rod Stewart’s “Maggie May” was a big hit; I grew to hate the song because it was constantly played in that department.
What’s the main thing that you could get rid of in your life that would give you more writing time?
As horrible as it may sound, being a caregiver but for reasons other than for myself. The disease my son’s significant other has (Huntington’s) is a death sentence, hereditary, and there’s no cure only medication to lessen some of the symptoms. It is hard not only on her, but also the entire family watching her disappearing mentally and physically over these past few years with more to come before all is said and done.
Would you rather have a bad review or no review?
All reviews good or bad. I think a writer can learn from the bad ones, even if some of them are spiteful. I don’t always look at them, but when I do I appreciate the time the reader took to leave one. Thank you for that 😊
What is your favorite quote?
“There is no such thing as great writing—there is only great rewriting” by Hemingway. He had great insight into a writer’s soul. One of my favorite movies is Midnight in Paris, there are great Hemingway quotes in that movie.
Your most prized material possession? Why?
Family and friends because without them where would I be?
What do you want your tombstone to say?
Besides the usual information, it says “A Love As True As Ours.”
What do your friends and family think of your writing?
LOL … Even though they support me and buy my books, my brothers and son have said they don’t want to know what is going on in my head when I write my stories. My friends are completely supportive.
Your favorite…
Movie: Too many to choose from, but to name a few: Midnight in Paris, The Holiday, Book Club, Queen Bees, Gone with the Wind, White Christmas.
Music: Rock n Roll and Country
Place you’ve visited: Antietam and Harper’s Ferry for research. Las Vegas for fun. Galveston to relax.
Place you’d like to visit: Scotland, England, Paris, Denmark
TV show from childhood: Zorro, The Virginian
TV show from adulthood: Again too many to choose from, but here are a few: The Tudors, The Voice, Murders Only in the Building, When Calls the Heart, Outlander, The White Queen
Sports team: Wisconsin Badgers / Green Bay Packers
Thanks, Maxine…great interview! I have known you for years but learned a few new things about you.
Readers, check out Maxine’s upcoming novel, now available for pre-order…
Can a grieving heart learn to live again with the unwanted help of family?
When Cordell Kennedy’s young wife dies, his life falls apart and he leans on family members to care for his daughter and maintain his focus on running the Double K Ranch. After a year of juggling fatherhood and work, he believes the time has finally come for him to hire a woman to care for his daughter and his home.
Mollie Sheffield lived most of her childhood in a New York City orphanage until the age of fourteen when the Fitzgerald family secured her services to act as a companion to their invalid daughter. When her charge passes, the Fitzgeralds allow her some time to find another position.
Cordell and Mollie have been thrown together by the Kennedy clan. Can Mollie fulfill her desire to become a mother and wife when she falls in love with a man who doesn’t believe he can share his heart again? And can Cord see past his pain to find the love in Mollie’s heart?
Excerpt:
Texas, 1889
Cord drove the buggy down the rutted lane to his brother’s ranch house. Secured safely next to him, Beth had chattered the five miles. Whatever she was talking about made her happy because she laughed and giggled the entire way.
“I don’t know what you are gabbing about, little girl, but I’m so glad you are happy,” Cord commented, smiling over at her. “You know where you are, don’t you, Beth? You get to see all your cousins today and play as much as you want.”
Beth looked up at him, her blue eyes sparkling like diamonds. “Cousins.” She giggled and smiled then turned her attention back to the ranch standing at the end of the road. The old family homestead where Cord and his brothers grew up. Now it belonged to Cyrus and his family, which was fine with Cordell. He much rather preferred a place of his own now that he had Beth to care for.
“Let’s see if we can find you a nanny, shall we, Beth? Do you think your aunts will help us find one for you?” Cord asked, not really expecting Beth to either fully understand or answer. “Maybe having someone for me to talk to would be nice as well. Not that I don’t love talking to you because I do, but a little adult conversation other than our family would be nice, don’t you think?”
Cord laughed, shaking his head. “I think your pa has lost his mind.”
Why is Cyrus’s buckboard wagon out front? Cord wondered, pulling around and stopping next to the well-kept wagon. Whose trunk is that? It looks too new to belong to the family.
“Uncle Cordell!” His younger nephews Adam and David greeted them as they ran from the back of the house. “Johnny and Pa are in the back watching the beef cook. Ma and Aunt Jessica are in the kitchen with Miss Sheffield.”
“Who is Miss Sheffield?” Cord jumped down, patting each of his nephews on the head as he walked around to Beth who was squirming, wanting to get down to play.
“A lady that came back with Ma and Pa from town,” David replied, reaching for the bag as Adam tied off the horse and buggy to the hitching rail.
“Must be an old friend of your ma’s then,” Cord muttered, suspicion seeping through him. Why wouldn’t they have mentioned an old friend coming to stay? Especially since that friend was a woman.
Beau walked out from the house with Colin on his shoulders. “Remember what I said earlier today. Be careful what you wish for, brother,” he said as Cord walked past him and into the front room where he put Beth down to play with her cousins.
“Boys, can you keep an eye on Beth for me? I need to talk to your ma and Aunt Jessica,” Cord said, following the sound of cheerful female voices to the kitchen once he was satisfied that Adam, being the eldest of the two boys, would keep an eye on his daughter.
“I’m so glad you came, Mollie,” Jessica was saying.
Humph, that must be the Miss Sheffield the boys said was here. I don’t ever remember that name being mentioned, but then again, I’m not in on their secrets.
“I must say, I was surprised to learn it was your parents who told you about me,” responded an unfamiliar female voice with an accent not unlike Jessica’s, just more pronounced. The lyrical softness was all female, unfamiliar female that sent Cord’s mind spinning.
“We are happy that you came,” Suzanne responded. “You’ve met most of the family, except for Cordell and Elizabeth.”
“The family that I’ll be working for?”
What the heck? Cord stood in the doorway, picking his mouth up from the floor. Gathering his wits, because there was no way he was going to raise a ruckus during a family dinner, he walked into the kitchen.
“This is where all the important people are,” Cord said, glaring at both of his sisters-in-law before glancing over at the beautiful woman sitting at the table. Her dark hair was up with curly strands escaping here and there. There was a smattering of freckles across her cheeks. Her eyes sparkled somewhere between green and brown. Cord couldn’t take his eyes off her lips, full and deep pink.
Maxine Douglas first began writing in the early 1970s while in high school. She took every creative writing course offered at the time and focused her energy for many years after that on poetry. It wasn’t until a dear friend’s sister revealed she was about to become a published author that jumpstarted Maxine into getting the ball rolling; she finished her first manuscript in a month’s time.
Maxine and her late husband moved to Oklahoma in 2010 from Wisconsin. Since then, Maxine rekindled her childhood love of westerns. She now writes both American Historical, Contemporary Romance, and on occasion YA Cozy Mystery. She has a son, two granddaughters, a great-granddaughter, and a grey tabby named Simon, as well as three adult stepchildren. Although Maxine misses her family, she has many friends now considered Oklahoma family.
One of the things Maxine has learned over the years is that you can never stop dreaming and reaching for the stars. Sooner or later, you touch one and it’ll bring you more happiness than you can ever imagine. Maxine feels lucky, and blessed, that over the years she’s been able to reach out and touch the stars–and she’s still reaching.
Maxine loves to hear from her readers. So, come on by and say “Hello”; she would love to hear from you.
Trial and error, time and a good reason are all you need to perfect your baking. Research for Shortbread Cookie Princess, the first book in my Highland Falls series was my reason to perfect my haphazard baking skills. Baking research was tasty as well as the most rewarding of all my fact-finding adventures.
Trial and error means that sometimes your recipe will fail. I watch a lot of baking shows and see professional bakers make amateur mistakes that often have me talking to the TV. They should know that cake is not cool enough to frost. Of course, time is often not on the bakers’ side in a competition. I once gave myself a time limit to bake a batch of cookies and failed miserably.
Tip-don’t rush the process you’ll have a better chance of succeeding.
My cakes are most often semi-home sponges that I make ahead of time and put in the freezer. I make everything from log rolls to multi-layers with a simple recipe I found while doing my research.
RECIPE
Tip-Always preheat before starting Preheat oven to 350
Tip – Have all your ingredients ready to go – butter needs to be softened and eggs may need to be at room temperature. Sometimes I’m all set to go and realize I don’t have enough sugar or eggs. My husband’s a good sport about going to the supermarket for anything I forgot, but he’s not always available. I also prepare my pans by spraying with a non-stick spray then cover the bottom with parchment paper. Ingredients
1 BOX ANY FLAVOR CAKE MIX All commercial brands work for this recipe, but my favorites are Duncan Hines yellow, white or devil’s food. These companies have been making these mixes for decades and have it down pat. However, this recipe doesn’t follow the list of added ingredients on the box. Instead, I add the following.
6 eggs beat on high until lemon color (if using a yellow cake mix)
add 1/2 cup of water
1/4 cup oil I like the hint of olive oil in chocolate cakes
For yellow and white I use canola oil
Add cake mix
The recipe states-bake for 15-20 min until the center springs back. Depending on your oven, the type of pan and altitude, baking time is definitely a trial and error moment.
Hope you enjoy the recipe. Thanks for taking time to read the blog.
Zelda
Leave a comment for a chance to win an amazon gift card. Winners will be picked randomly from the mixing bowl.
A Whisk is a Baker’s Paint Brush
Modern day meeting of Cinderella and a handsome Highlander
Excerpt:
“Who knows how many scraps of plaid have been preserved in mothballs and hidden away in family attics?”
His low voice held an edge of seduction. Sophia stepped closer. The underlying sensuality of his tone captivated her. In all the times she had dusted over the fabric, she never got close enough to inhale the faint scent of mothballs. She wrinkled her nose.
“You’re very lucky to have it.” Ian ran an index finger over a thin red line woven vertically down the plaid. “Highland dyers and weavers were highly skilled. It’s evident in pieces like this. Run your fingers along this line. Do you feel the thickness? The fabric was mended many times, perhaps torn by a sword or knife thrust.”
“Or it could have been caught on a rock.” Sophia reached out and touched the coarse wool.
“It’s possible.” Ian laughed. “If we settle for the simple explanations, we might never learn the history of the people who owned these valuable pieces. He placed a hand over her fingers, guiding her touch along the uneven weave. “This can likely date back before the British banned the wearing of kilts.”
Please tell us a little about yourself, where are you from? Where do you live now? Family? Pets?
Thirty years ago I moved from NY to S. Florida. My children are grown. I live with my husband and a very active two-year old Lab mix.
Any questions you’d like to answer that are specific to the book you’re promoting
The idea for Shortbread Cookie Princess came to me when I was watching a show on ancestry. What if someone doesn’t want to know about their past?
What is the most difficult thing about writing a book? Organizing my time is usually the most difficult for me when I start a book. Once the story takes shape I schedule writing time.
What was the most difficult thing about this one in particular? Doing research was difficult when writing Shortbread Cookie Princess. Ancestry research is very interesting. I spend too much time reading people’s experiences. Also, I had a craving for shortbread all the time.
Are there any tricks, habits or superstitions you have when creating a story? I’m usually busy in the morning so I set a schedule to write by 2pm. I’m not a prolific writer and I set a goal to write a minimum of 1-2 new pages a day.
Do you collect anything? I collect yarn for crocheting projects and odds and ends for a shabby-chic dollhouse I’m working on.
What do you want readers to come away with after they read [your book]? I want readers to come away with a good feeling.
What is your favorite quote? “Perfection comes in little moments.” John Dutton on Yellowstone
What is the toughest criticism given to you as an author? For years I worked as an ER nurse and developed a tough skin. I take criticism and turn it into something constructive. What has been the best compliment? A reader told me that while reading one of my books she felt like she was talking to my characters over a cup of tea. I loved hearing how she was drawn into their lives.
Are your characters based off real people or did they all come entirely from your imagination? My characters are a combination of real people and my imagination.
What character in your book are you least likely to get along with? In Shortbread Cookie Princess, Sophia has an evil stepmother. I would never be her friend. I don’t like mean, unkind people. I try to avoid them in real life but villains are necessary to a story. I give them some redeeming quality.
I am delighted to feature my sweet friend and talented author, Pamela S Thibodeaux on today’s blog. By the way…her book is available for pre-order AND it’s on sale for only 99 cents!!
Please tell us a little about yourself, where are you from? Where do you live now? Family? Pets? I am a mother of four (two by blood and two by marriage) and grandmother of three hailing from SW Louisiana. No pets at the time but my daughter and son have enough to make up for me not having any LOL!
Where did you get the idea for KYLEIGH’S COWBOY? In a first-chapter scene Kyleigh’s daughter has encouraged her to get out and socialize more then remarks about her maybe one day future husband …. “Who knows, he might be a tall, dark, handsome cowboy like dad always fantasized of being.” Hence the title.
Why did you choose this genre (is it something you’ve written in before)? Back in 1989 I committed my writing to God and said I didn’t want to write “just another romance” but something to glorify Him. I then revised my stories to include the characters’ faith, even though I had no idea there were major differences in Christian romances from traditional at the time. It’s been a tough lesson as I still don’t write traditional Christian but “Inspirational with an Edge!” ™ and it’s all I write.
Was there anything unusual, any anecdote about this book, the characters, title, process, etc, you’d like to share?
Kyleigh’s Cowboy started out as a short story for a popular women’s magazine but was rejected because the editor and readership did not like cowboys. Talk about a shock! Who doesn’t like cowboys, right? LOL!
What is the most difficult thing about writing a book? Getting into a set routine and applying the butt in chair principle.
What was the most difficult thing about this one in particular?
For some reason I felt this story (which began at less than 800 words) should be a minimum of 25K. Why this particular number still baffles me but for a while I struggled to get the word count up. I was going through a challenging period in my life at the time but once things settled down for me, adding scenes was easy. Even in the editing stages I’ve added or rounded out a few scenes in hopes of delivering a satisfying read.
What book have you read that you wish you had written? Redeeming Love by Francine Rivers.
What’s your favorite book of all time and why? My favorite book of all time is actually the Born In trilogy by Nora Roberts. I really can’t explain why except those characters stay with me and I reread their stories often.
What’s your favorite childhood book? Again, this is a series not just one book: Walter Farley’s Black Stallion series
What actors would you like in the main roles if your book were made into a movie? Amber Marshall and Graham Wardle from the TV series Heartland. I believe these two would make excellent Kyleigh and Lance in a few years!
What genre have you never written that you’d like to write? Sometimes I think I’d like to write a traditional romance with steamy, passionate love scenes. I started one years ago but haven’t sat down to finish it. (See answer above about butt in chair principle 😊)
What is your favorite quote? “Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness, that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? ~Marianne Williamson from A Return to Love
Who is your favorite author and what is it that really strikes you about their work? Nora Roberts is hands-down my favorite author of all time. I just LOVE the way her characters grow throughout the books and her powers of description are beyond anything else I’ve read.
What is the toughest criticism given to you as an author? I had one reader/reviewer trash me and even question my faith because of my characters’ flaws and the way those were portrayed in the story. She didn’t bother to mention the growth or lessons learned from the instances she bemoaned. What has been the best compliment?ANY time I’m told one of my stories touched someone’s heart or changed their life or mind about a certain perception they’ve held it makes all the other stuff about writing/publishing worthwhile.
Your favorite…
Movie: I’m not good at having only one answer to your questions LOL! My favorite movies of all time are Pretty Woman and A Few Good Men
Music: Anything I can dance to which leaves out heavy metal and rap.
Place you’ve visited: Bandera, TX will always be my home away from home but my favorite places I’ve visited to date areChurchill Downs Home of the Kentucky Derby and Boonsboro MD – Nora Roberts’s hometown and her businesses Inn Boonsboro & Turn the Page Bookstore.
Place you’d like to visit: Ireland
TV show from adulthood: Heartland
Food: Bread in its every form: white, wheat, whole grain, pastries, cookies, cakes, pies (you get my drift LOL!)
Sports team: New Orleans Saints
Which do you prefer: Board games/card games or television? I prefer card and board games over television.
Thank you for the fun interview. I enjoyed getting to know more about you. Now…tell us about your book!
She’s attempting to start a new life. He’s roamed for more than a decade. Can they let go of the past and grab hold of the future?
Seven years after the death of her husband, Kyleigh Winters turned their old vacation home into a brand new guest ranch. Not willing to join the ranks of lonely women trolling the bars or online in search of a man, Kyleigh is sure if God wishes her to have another husband, He’ll send the perfect someone in His own time. But will she be open to the possibility of new love when He does?
Searching for a place that calls to his soul, Lance Stevens has been a roaming cowboy for ten years since retiring from the Marines. He finds that sanctuary the moment he drives through the Silver Star’s gate and meeting the lovely owner speaks to more than his soul. Will he open to the healing power of love?
Get Pamela Thibodeaux’s second chance romance novella today and see how love and faith conquers all.
Excerpt:
Lance sat on his horse atop the highest hill the ranch boasted. Christmas was less than a week away and they were free of scheduled guests until then, but they never knew when someone would pop in and want to stay. Seth and Elaina had painted her bedroom and he’d refinished the dresser, hiding the ugly scars left by flames with fresh color. He’d trimmed it out with an intricate geometric pattern stenciled in various shades that picked up the muted hues of her new bedspread and curtains. The work his son was capable of surprised and pleased Lance.
If only he could relate that to the boy.
Kyleigh had lavished praise on Seth, saying she wished he’d been involved in the renovations they’d endured before opening the ranch to the public. She then promised to find more woodwork for him to do for as long as he chose to remain in her employ. The three of them had been thick as thieves ever since.
And that was a problem.
He hadn’t had a moment alone with Kyleigh in days. Time to remedy that. Lance whirled his horse around, picked his way down the trail and into the corral. He unsaddled and groomed the animal. After giving Champ an extra helping of oats, he turned the big chestnut loose to roam with the herd, and then ambled to the bunkhouse to shower and dress. Convincing Kyleigh to have dinner with him in town might be easier if he smelled less like a cowboy and more like a gentleman. He cornered her in the office as she tallied up the day’s books and prepared a deposit. “Just the lady I wanted to see.”
She glanced up, smiled, and his heart stuttered in his chest. “You clean up nice.”
Lance chuckled. “Got a hot date.”
Her eyebrow arched in question. “Is that a fact?”
He stepped closer, cupped her cheek in his hand. “That’s a fact, ma’am. What’re you hungry for?”
“What makes you think I don’t already have plans for this evening?”
The flush on her cheeks, light in her eyes, and softly curved lips assured Lance she didn’t, but he played along for the simple joy the teasing brought. “Cancel them. Nothing is as important as dinner tonight. With me. Just the two of us…wine, food, dancing. No ranch, no kids, no responsibilities.”
“A bit demanding, aren’t you?”
He took her hands, pulled her to her feet. “That, my lady, was a request. This is a demand,” he murmured, then captured her mouth in a hot, hungry gesture. By the time he let her catch her breath again, she was plastered against him, her fingers fisted in his shirtfront.
Award-winning author, Pamela S. Thibodeaux is the Co-Founder and a lifetime member of Bayou Writers Group in Lake Charles, Louisiana. Multi-published in romantic fiction as well as creative non-fiction, her writing has been tagged as, “Inspirational with an Edge!” ™ and reviewed as “steamier and grittier than the typical Christian novel without decreasing the message.” Sign up to receive Pam’s newsletter and get a FREE short story! http://bit.ly/psthibnewsletter
Please help me welcome today’s guest, Jill Piscitello…
Book blurb:
Hair stylist Scarlett Kerrigan lost her job and her apartment. To alleviate a touch of self-pity, she succumbs to her stepmom’s pressure to attend a wedding in the New Hampshire White Mountains. Unfortunately, she runs into the vacation fling who promised the moon but disappeared without an explanation. Months have passed, but she is not ready to forgive and forget.
After a chaotic year, executive Wes Harley settles into his family’s event venue, The Timeless Manor. His carefully structured world is shaken to its core when Scarlett arrives for the Victorian Christmas wedding weekend. The feelings he never quite erased flood to the surface.
When secrets are revealed, will a magical chateau and a sprinkle of tinsel be enough to charm Scarlett?
Jill Piscitello is a teacher, author, and an avid fan of multiple literary genres. Although she divides her reading hours among several books at a time, a lighthearted story offering an escape from the real world can always be found on her nightstand.
A native of New England, Jill lives with her family and three well-loved cats. When not planning lessons or reading and writing, she can be found spending time with her family, trying out new restaurants, traveling, and going on light hikes.
Welcome to my weekly feature where authors share about the hobbies, careers, or passions of their characters.
I’m pleased to introduce today’s guest, Maria Imbalzano…
Baking May Not Be My Forte, But I Love It!I’ve always hated to cook, but I love to bake. The reason is simple: I have a sweet-tooth and licking the bowl, beaters, spoon or spatula is far superior than tasting some sauce or chicken and veggie concoction.Every year during the holidays, my mom, daughters and I bake Christmas cookies. When my mom was in charge, they all came out perfectly. We made butter balls, chocolate walnut, chocolate chip and kiefle (a square of thin pastry dough stuffed with a nut mixture, lekvar or apricot jam). While my mom, who is now 94, still supervises, she doesn’t jump in and help. Unfortunately, my cookies never come out as good as hers did, and after a few years I gave up on the kiefle. My dough was never thin enough and I didn’t have the patience to keep rolling it out after it stuck to the rolling pin or cutting board.The problem with my baking in general is that I’m a little casual with quantities. My mother, daughters and husband have all commented on my methods of measuring water, flour, sugar etc. and my response to anything that doesn’t come out quite right is “oh well.”My heroine, Bella, in “Red Velvet Crinkles and Christmas Sprinkles” has a little bit of me in her. She’s a lawyer who lost her job in Manhattan and returns home to Princeton over the holidays to regroup. She learns that her parents’ gift shop in town is failing and she comes up with the idea to turn it into a cookie cottage.Her parents bristle at the idea at first, but realize they may not have a business if they don’t change. In an effort to bolster the new cookie cottage during the holidays, Bella suggests that her father video her and her mom baking—with Bella making all kinds of mistakes. These videos will be posted on TikTok in an effort to reach a broader audience.In order to write this scene, I researched common mistakes in baking – most of which I make. Who knew there was a proper technique for measuring flour? Apparently, you spoon it into the measuring cup instead of dipping the measuring cup into the flour bag, because no one wants excess flour causing a crumbly cookie. And too much sugar makes cookies brittle. You wouldn’t want others to break their teeth on over-sweetened treats. Not thoroughly creaming the butter and sugar results in flat, dense cookies instead of the more appealing light and fluffy ones. Not chilling the dough when called for means the batter will spread quickly and aggressively once in the oven. Presumably no one wants an aggressive cookie.And the mortal sin of baking—using liquid measuring cups to measure dry ingredients. Or vice versa. So much to learn. Perhaps Bella and I will take heed. Perhaps not.But one thing is for sure. “Red Velvet Crinkles and Christmas Sprinkles” is a heartwarming holiday romance that will squeeze your heart and make you smile. And it might even make you head to the kitchen to make Christmas cookies.
Maria’s cookies in Santa Plate
Find the recipe here:https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/231745/red-velvet-crinkle-cookies/ Blurb:Competitive, work-obsessed Bella Simonetti has just been fired from her high-paying job at a Manhattan law firm. At an all-time low, she returns home and helps her parents at their small-town gift shop, but the business is failing and may not make it past the Christmas holidays.Successful landscape architect Dean Jackson is like a son to Bella’s parents. But he’s a persistent annoyance to her—he seems to have forgotten his unforgivable blunder thirteen years earlier.When Bella transforms her parents’ gift shop into a cookie cottage, Dean’s generosity and magnetic smile are hard to resist, and those feelings of unrequited adolescent love come rushing back. But can Bella let go of the past and accept Dean for the man he is today?Excerpt:“I agree with Dean. Barb’s Gift Cottage has been in Princeton for thirty years. You don’t decide one day to revamp the entire business. Get rid of the old, make way for the new. It doesn’t make any sense to me.”Bella bit her tongue before responding, reminding herself to stay cool. “Okay. I’m open to anything. Let’s talk about your ideas to stay afloat.” She sat, poised with her pad in front of her, pen in hand.Silence.She looked directly at her dad first, eyebrow arched. “I’m listening.” Then she scanned over to Dean.Her gaze moved up to his eyes—sea green in the harsh kitchen light but beautiful just the same.His gaze locked with hers and held her hostage— an unwilling prisoner to his warden. All ire morphed into a swirling eddy of primal lust, and she felt herself disappearing into his aura. She needed to save herself as well as her ego. Fighting the pull, she surfaced, blinking to clear her eyes, inhaling to bring her back to the present.She disconnected and glanced at her parents. Had they noticed she’d been missing?The smallest smile quirked Dean’s lips—surely acknowledging her lapse into Dean-land. She reached for the annoyance she’d let slip from her grasp and pulled it back into her arsenal.Buy links:
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B09FYVGDWR
Barnes and Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/red-velvet-crinkles-and-christmas-sprinkles-maria-imbalzano/1140147130?ean=2940162321644
Apple
https://books.apple.com/us/book/red-velvet-crinkles-and-christmas-sprinkles/id1585527197About Maria:
Maria Imbalzano is a retired matrimonial lawyer who now writes full time. Instead of drafting motions, legal memoranda, and briefs, although fascinating, she now spends her days creating memorable characters and taking them on their emotional journeys through her contemporary romance novels.
Her novel, “Unchained Memories,” won the Wisconsin Romance Writers Write Touch Readers’ Award and the ACRA Readers’ Choice Heart of Excellence Award. “Sworn to Forget,” the first of the four-book Sworn Sisters Series was a finalist for the illustrious RONE award as well as the Book Buyers Best Award. Two of her novellas, “The Blueberry Swirl Waltz” and “A Song For Another Day” won first place awards in their categories in the NEST (National Excellence in Story Telling) contest. Both of these novellas were also finalists for the Beverley Award.
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Please help me welcome today’s guest, Wendy Rich Stetson…
Good morning, Wendy, thank you for joining me. Please tell us a little about yourself, where are you from? Where do you live now? Family? Pets?
I’m a city girl with a hometown heart. I grew up in Central Pennsylvania, the setting of my Hearts of the Ridge series, but I’ve lived in New York City for over 25 years. Although I’m a wee bit scared of heights, I live on the 16th floor of a high-rise in Upper Manhattan with my husband, teenage daughter, and very naughty Maine Coon kitty.
Where did you get the idea for Hometown?
I guess you could say Oprah made me do it! Just out of acting school and twiddling my thumbs while I waited for the phone to ring, I saw an episode of The Oprah Winfrey Show featuring romance writers. “I could do that,” I thought, every bit as naïve as I was to think a starring role on Broadway would land on my doorstep, wrapped in shiny paper and tied up with a satin bow. Still, inspired by those Oprah writers with the often-heard advice to “write what I knew” I came up with a simple premise: what would happen if a girl moved back to her hometown in Pennsylvania and fell in love with an Amish guy. Twenty years and endless edits later, Hometown is now in the hands of readers.
Do you have another occupation, other than writer? If so, what is it and do you like it?
I’m a professional actress, audiobook narrator, and theater teaching artist. I’ve played saucy maids, longsuffering spinsters, and quirky leading ladies on and off-Broadway and at regional theaters around the country. I’ve worn no makeup onscreen with some of Hollywood’s most gorgeous stars, and Rick Sordelet (Broadway’s premier fight director) once told me I drove a cop car as well as any stunt woman. I love what I do, and I’m so excited about the reopening of theaters around the country.
Do you collect anything?
Like many redheads, I’m a huge fan of the Anne of Green Gables series by L.M. Montgomery. I collect early editions of her books and display them in my office for inspiration.
What was your first job?
As an actor, I’ve had a lot of odd jobs to make ends meet. When I moved to New York, one of my first jobs was helping legendary children’s book author R.L. Stine answer his fan mail just as the Goosebumps series was taking the world by storm. It was extremely important to Mr. Stine that all the fans who took time to write to him got letters in response. Though I write in a completely different genre, he remains a big inspiration.
What do you want readers to come away with after they read Hometown?
Through Tessa’s journey in Hometown, the reader grapples with how two people from vastly different backgrounds can create a life together. Each book in my Hearts of the Ridge Series is a love story between an Amish and a non-Amish character and explores what happens when differing cultures mingle, clash, and ultimately merge. Themes of forgiveness, self-acceptance, and the healing power of love run through all three stories. When she turns that final page, I want my reader to feel all those things…and that along with Tessa, she’s finally come home.
What actors would you like in the main roles if your book were made into a movie?
Oh, this one’s easy! Debra Messing would play Tessa Meadows, Patrick Dempsey would play Dr. Richard Bruce, and Sam Heughan would play Jonas Rishel. Dream team!
What genre have you never written that you’d like to write?
I’m dying to write a middle grade ghost story with just the right amount of creep factor. I’ve just started playing with some ideas, and I’m super excited to give it a whirl.
What is your favorite quote?
I love the JRR Tolkein quote, “Even the smallest person can change the course of the future.” It just fills me with hope. And he and I share the same birthday.
Are your characters based off real people or did they all come entirely from your imagination?
As a tall, curly-haired redhead, I see some of myself in Tessa, but she is braver and ultimately more generous than I am. Her best friend Jenn is definitely inspired by my spunky college roommate of the same name. All the rest of the characters are entirely made up.
What do your friends and family think of your writing?
I was so lucky that my parents were incredibly supportive of all my artistic endeavors. They always told me to do what I loved and to do my very best. These days, my daughter is my biggest fan.
Wonderful interview, Wendy. You’ve led a very interesting life. Thanks again for joining me!
When Tessa’s big-city plans take the A Train to disaster, she lands in her sleepy hometown, smack in the middle of the most unlikely love triangle ever to hit Pennsylvania’s Amish Country.
Hot-shot Dr. Richard Bruce is bound to Green Ridge by loyalty that runs deep. Deeper still is Jonas Rishel’s tie to the land and his family’s Amish community. Behind the wheel of a 1979 camper van, Tessa idles at a fork in the road. Will she cruise the superhighway to the future? Or take a slow trot to the past and a mysterious society she never dreamed she’d glimpse from the inside?
Excerpt:
The girl entwined her fingers in her skirt and tugged the fabric tight. “Your hair is the same color as my cat, and she’s the best cat in the world.” In a heartbeat, she fled and buried her face in the man’s lap.
“My goodness. What a compliment. Thank you.” She fumbled with the clasp of her wallet, discovering only then she smooshed her thumb deep into the whoopie pie.
The elfin child giggled and bounced on bare toes.
Standing, the man swept her into his arms and smiled down at Tessa. “Rebecca has not seen many women with ginger hair.”
Ginger hair. For years, she was tormented by boneheaded boys shouting, “Carrot Top” and “Flame.” No one ever called her mane ginger. Beneath his candid gaze, her curls heated like embers, warming her from top to toe. Who was this man?
The girl wriggled, knocking askew his straw hat.
He tossed her under one arm like a sack of flour and righted it, loosening a tawny curl that escaped the wide brim and fell over one brow. His gaze passed over Tessa’s face.
Her unruly hair and short shorts tweaked at her consciousness. What did the Amish call outsiders? English? She was definitely dressed like an English woman. And not one from a Jane Austen novel.
He deposited the giggling girl right-side up on the floor and approached the table. “I’ve rarely seen hair that color myself. Like a copper penny.”
She stared at the mangled whoopie pie and blushed even deeper. For a brief moment, she felt his gaze trail down her body like a caress. Or did she?
Wendy Rich Stetson is a New York City girl who still considers the Central Pennsylvania countryside to be her home. She grew up road tripping in a 1979 VW camper van, and she keeps a running list of favorite roadside attractions from coast to coast. Now an author of sweet, small-town romance, Wendy is no stranger to storytelling. She’s a Broadway and television actress, an audiobook narrator, and a mom who likes nothing more than collaborating on children’s books with her teenage artist daughter. Wendy lives in Upper Manhattan with her family of three and rambunctious Maine Coon kitty. Follow Wendy’s journey at www.wendyrichstetson.com
I’m pleased to share my re-release of Cupid’s Beau through The Wild Rose Press – Just in time for Valentine’s Day!
#WRPbks
#AHAgrp
#ShortStory
#BookWorm
#Valentine’s Day
Fun Fact:
I love to create fictional locations for my stories, and I always try to attach some kind of meaning to them. For Cupid’s Beau, I set it in Wisconsin because I wanted it to be a wintry setting and because my favorite NFL team is the Packers. For the name of the town I chose Castleville. It’s a play on Castle Rock, from Stephen King novels, and a town I lived in as a child for a brief, idyllic time, Cassville, Missouri. (Technically, we didn’t really ‘live’ in Cassville. We lived in some odd Bermuda triangle type location that was a mash up of Exeter, Washburn and Cassville, but we attended Cassville schools, so that’s what I went with 😊)
Blurb:
Ivy Pierce is a Cupid who prides herself on doing her job well. Except when it comes to a certain human male, Grant Crawford. Each time she’s supposed to shoot her arrow into his heart, her stomach hurts, her chest hurts, and she feels….sad. Cupids are never sad.
Humans who are not looking for love only get three chances to find it. And after Ivy sabotages Grant’s last chance, her boss, Aphrodite, sends her to earth to right her wrong. She has until Valentine’s Day to help him find his soul mate.
But the more she’s around him, the more she wants him for herself, even though she knows that can never be. A Cupid and a human? Unheard of.
As V-Day draws closer, can she sacrifice her own happiness to help the man she loves find his?
Excerpt:
He helped Gretchen into her coat and walked her to her car. She hesitated before climbing inside the door he held open. Did she expect a goodnight kiss? Snow had started, and he wanted to get back in, so he leaned forward. She lifted her lips, and he gave them a quick kiss. “Goodnight, Gretchen. I had a nice time.”
Her expression showed disappointment, but she didn’t voice it. She slid in the driver’s seat. He closed the door and watched while she backed out of the parking spot and headed down the road.
Before going in, he glanced down the street. A woman was outside a small cottage half a block away. Was that Ivy? What was she doing outside, in the dark, with a blizzard brewing?
None of his business. He turned toward the restaurant, but didn’t go in. What if something was wrong? If she was hurt? How would he feel if he didn’t at least go check on her? Cursing under his breath, he whirled and stalked down the sidewalk to her house.
“Ivy? What are you doing out here?”
She turned to him, her eyes wide. She wore a white coat with a fur hood framing her face. “Grant! Hi. Isn’t it beautiful?”
He blew into his hands and rubbed them briskly together. “It’s freezing. Are you out of your mind?”
She closed her eyes and stuck out her tongue, trapping a snowflake and swallowing. She looked at him. “You try it. It’s wonderful.”
He nearly groaned with irritation. “I don’t have time—”
She took his hand, her soft, gloveless skin warm on his. “Just try it.”
Letting out a heavy sigh, he groaned again. The sooner he acquiesced, the sooner he could leave. He stuck out his tongue. Icy snowflakes drifted into his mouth. Nope. He still didn’t get it.
She squealed. “Wasn’t it great?”
Her green eyes sparkled, the pink in her cheeks making her look…heart stoppingly lovely.
He hadn’t seen anyone show such pure joy in…well, ever. Especially in something so insignificant. He looked up into the sky. Snow drifted down from the blanket of blackness. The Heavens dumping an icy wonderland on Earth. Nature was amazing. While he didn’t exactly share Ivy’s enthusiasm, maybe it wasn’t so insignificant after all.
In 2010, I and three of my writer friends—Amanda McCabe, Kathy L Wheeler, and Krysta Scott—began meeting each Friday evening for Martinis and various other libations at the Martini Lounge in Edmond, Oklahoma. In time, we came to dub our gatherings the ‘Martini Club.’ During one of these get-togethers, an idea was tossed around to write stories centered around a Martini Lounge-like establishment. The idea blossomed from there, and the ‘Martini Club 4’ series was born.
Each of the four authors wrote our own, stand-alone novella, but the girls from each are friends, and they interact in one another’s stories. This first series is set in the 1920s, and the follow-up novellas are set in the 1940s.
I and my BAFF’s (Best Author Friends Forever) had a blast brainstorming and creating the MC4 Vintage Historical Romances over drinks and during a few out of town retreats (over drinks, as well :)). Sadly, Kathy and Amanda have moved out of state and the Martini Lounge was converted into an Italian restaurant, so, like the Roaring Twenties, our Martini Lounge gatherings are bygone days. (Although, never fear, Krysta and I have a few other friends who now meet for drinks on as many Friday nights as possible, though COVID has certainly put a damper on that. We still call our get-togethers MC (Martini Club) 🙂
Step back into the days of prohibition, gangsters, and speakeasies with the Martini Club 4 Series.
**** FREE for a limited time!! – Ruined, Reckless, and Rebellious are free and Runaway is only 99 cents!!
(See below for info about the 1940s novellas)
About the Books:
Jessica: An aristocratic reporter with a penchant for trouble, she encounters sexy, mysterious Frank Markov, owner of an elegant new speakeasy and a man with secrets she’s dying to uncover. ~ Rebellious by Amanda McCabe
Eliza: She fled England in pursuit of a better life, but her illusions are shattered when she falls prey to a scoundrel who draws her into a life of prostitution. When she meets Vince Taggart, a former boxer in search of his missing friend, she finds hope and the promise of love. ~ Ruined by Alicia Dean
Margaret: Her impulsive nature lands her face-to-face with gangsters and bootleggers. Even more disarming is her undeniable attraction to the enigmatic Harry Dempsey. ~ Reckless by Kathy L Wheeler
Charlotte: Her dreams of owning her own bakery crumble when blackmail and murder land at her feet. Is the dashing detective her ruin or her salvation? ~ Runaway by Krysta Scott
Blurb: Can an aristocratic lady melt the cold heart of a Russian gangster?
Lady Jessica Hatton fled her high-society London debutante life for one of investigative journalism in New York—only to be relegated to the fashion pages. Searching for a juicy story leads her to Club 501, the city’s most glamorous speakeasy—and its handsome, mysterious owner, Frank Markov. But his past of war and revolution puts their hearts—and their lives—in danger…
Excerpt: “Do you smell that, Meggie?” Jessica Hatton cried as she leaned into the cold, salt spray wind, her t-strap shoes perched on the lowest rung of the ship’s railing. She’d lost her hat, and the short strands of her hair blew into her eyes, but she didn’t care. England was far behind them. They had escaped.
“It smells like freedom!” she shouted, and threw up her arms. It felt like she could fly all the way to America.
“I only smell old fish,” Meggie said. “Now come down from there, Jess. If you tumble into the drink, it will all be over before it even starts.”
Jessica laughed and shook her head, but she did climb down. She spun around to see Meggie stretched out on one of the deck chairs, the glossy mink collar of her coat drawn close around her.
The sky was grey and dismal-looking, the water not as glassy-smooth as when they slid past Ireland yesterday and headed out to open sea. Several of the passengers had retreated to their cabins, but Jessica couldn’t stand staying inside. Not when there was so much to be seen.
“It smells like fish and freedom,” Jessica insisted. “But we can go in now. Maybe Charlotte and Eliza will want to play some cards or mah-jong.”
“Finally,” Meggie grumbled as she swung her feet down to the damp deck. But her smile was broad. Jessica knew Meggie was loving it all just as much as she was.
Blurb: She vowed she’d be no man’s doxy, but fate had other plans…
After the Earl of Goodwin attempts to force himself on her, housemaid Eliza Gilbert flees England for New York, hoping to build a better life. But the land of opportunity proves as harsh as the London docks, and she finds herself in a situation more dreadful than the one she escaped.
Former boxer, Vince “The Fist” Taggart dreams of marrying, having a family, and living a quiet, peaceful life. But when a girl he’s known since childhood disappears, he heads to New York in search of her and meets Eliza, a woman with a less than honorable reputation. Inexplicably captivated, Vince can’t force himself to stay away, especially when he learns Eliza is the key to finding his missing friend.
Excerpt: Eliza lifted her gaze, then looked away when she met his eyes. They were just too…striking, too blue. “I’m afraid you’ll have to speak to Oscar. He handles all my transactions.” She could never have a normal outing with a man. A lump of regret rose in her throat. She turned and started up the stairs.
Vince caught up to her in a few steps and grabbed her arm, taking the bag from her at the same time. “That was a lousy thing to say.”
She opened her mouth to accuse him of going around Oscar so he didn’t have to pay. But that was ridiculous. He hadn’t taken what he’d paid for the first time. She lifted a hand and rubbed her forehead. His attention confused her. What was his angle? He didn’t want sex. Did he think she was hiding something about Cynthia and if he spent time with her he could draw it out? “What do you want from me?”
Singer Margaret (Meggie) Montley needs money…fast. Her friend is in a dire situation with nowhere to turn. While Meggie is on the brink of stardom, it’s not soon enough to save her friend.
Harry Dempsey is out to avenge the deaths of his father and brother at the hands of a ruthless gangster. But trouble spirals out of control when Meggie Montley shows up the night he meets his nemesis to settle the score. Saving the impetuous woman from a crime lord might be easier than saving her from her own reckless behavior.
Excerpt: Meggie launched herself from her hiding place and threw her arms about Harry’s neck. Locked in his muscular embrace, she rested her chin on his shoulder. His arms tightened around her. “Oh, Harry. I came as fast as I could. Just as we’d planned.” The words, she’d intended to carry, came out breathless.
“Fast, huh?” The whisper was against her ear where no one else could hear, raised goose prickles over her entire body. “Guess I’ll have to do something about that.” He lifted his head. “What are you doing with my girl, Joe?”
Joey’s hands flew into the air, indicating his surrender. “Sorry, Dempsey. Had no idea she was anyone’s quiff—”
Meggie’s cheeks burned, and she stiffened at the insult. Harry’s one arm gripped her closer. The other shot up, jerking her body like a rag doll. She couldn’t see Harry’s face with her own now buried in his neck, but she felt the corded muscles contract.
(99 cents)
Blurb: Can she prove her innocence before more than her dreams are destroyed?
After escaping an arranged marriage, Lady Charlotte Leighton lands on a new shore, determined to realize her dream of opening her own bakery. But her plans are shattered when her former fiancé follows her to New York. Now, she finds herself in a fight for her freedom.
Haunted by a string of failures, Detective Felix Noble is determined to solve his latest case. But his efforts to find a murderer are jeopardized by a forbidden attraction to his number one suspect. While he’s certain Charlotte Leighton is keeping secrets, instinct tells him she’s not the murderess he first believed.
Excerpt: Long thin fingers curled around a glass and lifted it from the tray. Charli followed the direction of the drink. Derrick Chaunce, or as the local duffs referred to him, “Slick”, grinned, exposing yellowed teeth.
“You … You…” Her throat closed. The rest of her diatribe wouldn’t budge.
He winked. His thin hair slicked back in the latest fashion exaggerated the gaunt cheekbones and sunken eyes, tinging him with an unhealthy, dilapidated look. He gulped the whiskey. A bit of the amber liquid escaped through the gap in his teeth and down his chin. Her stomach lurched.
“Thank you, sweet cakes. Put it on my tab.” He skulked off.
Charli whirled around. How did the bounder get past Tiny? Ira fumed about customers who ran up a high tab without reconciling at the end of the night. Now she would have to explain yet another charge added to Slick’s mounting debt. She sighed and rolled her eyes to the heavens. The customer was always right. Even when they were wrong.
I’m pleased to share these four sweet, holiday stories from The Wild Rose Press…
Joy Frost Burton lives a busy, successful life, finding comfort in the lovely home she shares with her three little boys. A widow, she isn’t looking for love again, in spite of her three younger sisters’ rather pushy encouragement.
Mysterious fate has other ideas and throws charming Sean Summers into Joy’s world again and again. Soon, however, ghosts from the past and a challenging family crisis create difficult complications.
Does Joy dare risk loss and sorrow a second time by following her wounded heart’s new rhythm?
Excerpt
As I arrived at the doorway, I took a quick look back and BAM—ran smack into a man coming in. An indelicate “Oomph” escaped my lips as we both reached out to steady ourselves. His hand covered mine on the door frame. Warm—very warm.
He kept it there, and I didn’t struggle to free myself at first. I was turned sideways and couldn’t see his face, but my senses—all of them—responded to his closeness.
Finally, I breathed again and pulled my hand out from under his, mumbling a weak, “Oh, so sorry.”
“No, I didn’t see you there. It was my fault.” He had a deep voice with a little rumble in it. I looked up and saw a ruggedly handsome face and dark blue eyes. He looked vaguely familiar, but I forced my eyes away too fast to think about that.
“Excuse me.” I tried to scoot past him, brushing my shoulder against his chest as we both turned to maneuver through the small open space. Unfortunately, we’d moved in the same direction, and then we bumped knees. I was mortified.
“Oh, sorry again,” I yelped. At that point I noticed his enticing aroma—a mixture of cool autumn air and spicy leather. Definitely masculine.
I couldn’t see his face now; mine was practically smashed into his neck. But I didn’t mind lingering in his scent. I may or may not have murmured, “Mmmm…”
TV Reporter Noelle Frost enjoys life now that she’s free of her abusive ex-husband. She and her young daughter are doing quite well without a man in their lives. Then she meets a giant of a man, six-foot-ten Zave Trayce, a basketball legend. Her trust in men is damaged. Zave seems like the ultimate player on and off the court. She will have to decide if she’s brave enough to risk her heart in the game of love.
Excerpt:
A shot of energy warmed my cheeks. This was undoubtedly the most incredible physical being I had ever seen, and he was looking at me. I continued to stare back, not knowing what to say, but certainly enjoying the moment, until that annoying college student interrupted my view by handing me my hot chocolate.
“Here you go, miss. That will be four dollars and twenty-five cents, please.”
“My treat.” Gorgeous Man’s low voice had come from those lips that turned up at the corners, hip still against the counter, his eyes dancing with amusement.
“Oh no, you don’t need to pay for mine.” I pulled myself together, proud for uttering a complete and coherent sentence.
“I’m happy to do it, Ms. Frost.” He pushed his at least six-foot-ten frame away from the counter and winked at me, sending warm honey gliding through my body. Oh, my goodness. He actually winked at me, and it wasn’t cheesy. It was absolutely hot. Then a light flashed in my mind. He knew my name.
I took a step back. “Umm…have we met?” Although intrigued, since my divorce I was over cautious where men were concerned.
“CBS 4 Denver, TV reporter Noelle Frost. Everyone in Colorado must know who you are by now.”
He had an adorable lopsided grin. I could get used to that. I relaxed a little. I had only worked for the station for a few months, and it still surprised me when strangers recognized me.
Holly Frost has suffered from unrequited-love since she turned down Elam Holmes in high school. Years later they are still doing the “friend zone” dance. They’ve seen each other through heartbreaking loss and shared everything–except the truth. Can they break down the walls they’ve built to find love beyond friendship?
Excerpt:
I had to be dreaming, but I was wide awake. Elam pulled on me some more, and the warmth of his hand made my arms and legs tingle. I floated up on the couch.
He sat beside me and touched my arm. “Holly, you feel cold.” He lay down and pulled my back against his chest, his arms wrapped around me.
Minutes crawled by while I struggled to breathe normally.
“I can feel your heartbeat through your back,” he whispered.
“I’m a little—”
His breath had warmed the back of my neck. “Are you warmer now?”
A shiver rippled over my skin from my toes to my head. “Almost,” I managed.
“Almost isn’t good enough.” He leaned up on one elbow, looking down at me and stroking the side of my face with his fingertips. “You are incredibly beautiful, Holly. No wonder Marco went after you.”
I rolled over on my back and looked up into his eyes. “There is no…”
He leaned down and skimmed his lips over mine in a friendly kiss. “I am so happy you came this weekend.”
I tilted my chin and gently kissed him back. Elam, Elam, Elam…“So am I.” I wanted more. I yearned for more. I shivered again.
Elam cleared his throat, moved over and stood up. “It is cold in here.” He grabbed my pillow and the blanket off the floor and spread it over me. “I’m not sure L.A. warmed you up as much as you’d hoped.”
“Maybe nothing is as much as I’d hoped.
Chrissy Frost’s self-identity has changed from “happy-go-lucky” to “broken” after losing her parents in a tragic accident the day after Christmas nearly four years ago. Every aspect of the holiday season, especially snow, has a devastating effect on her.
A work assignment where she is able to change others’ lives for better, in addition to meeting handsome, caring, caramel-delicious Decker, might spark a flame of hope in her wounded heart.
Yet there are so many bumps in the road, Chrissy’s not sure she can handle the risk of getting burned.
Excerpt
Gathering up all my ammo, I ran straight into him, shoving snow into his chest and face. He fell backward, and I came down on top of him. I tried to prop myself up, but he pulled me back into his embrace. I shivered, but he rubbed my back, warming me instantly. My heart thudded at a rapid pace, and every nerve in my body tingled. He loosened his grip enough for me to look at him.
You might think you’re playing fair, but this is not fair.
In one smooth motion, he lifted me off and sat up, pulling me with him. His arm remained around my waist, our faces inches apart. Those eyes that were always watching out for me locked with mine.
“I missed you on Wednesday.” Before I had a chance to respond, his warm lips were on mine. I didn’t resist. I let my arms slide around his neck. I’d never felt so safe in my life. What was happening? He was taken.
When the lusciously long, but not long enough, kiss ended, I collected my wits, which were strewn all around the kennel.
“Decker? But what about—”
“I’ve wanted to do that since the first day I met you.” The words vibrated against my willing lips, shaking the earth, or at least my heart.
Never mind the snow or Bre…what’s-her name.
I went in for more delicious kisses from the gorgeous man holding me.
About Maria:
Maria Imbalzano is a retired matrimonial lawyer who now writes full time. Instead of drafting motions, legal memoranda, and briefs, although fascinating, she now spends her days creating memorable characters and taking them on their emotional journeys through her contemporary romance novels.
Her novel, “Unchained Memories,” won the Wisconsin Romance Writers Write Touch Readers’ Award and the ACRA Readers’ Choice Heart of Excellence Award. “Sworn to Forget,” the first of the four-book Sworn Sisters Series was a finalist for the illustrious RONE award as well as the Book Buyers Best Award. Two of her novellas, “The Blueberry Swirl Waltz” and “A Song For Another Day” won first place awards in their categories in the NEST (National Excellence in Story Telling) contest. Both of these novellas were also finalists for the Beverley Award.
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Author Alicia Dean 