Tag Archives: Time Travel

January Featured Books – Bargains / Awesome Reads!!

#AHAgrp

 Looking for something new and fabulous to read? Try these…

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Sacred Ground by PJ Sharon

In book three of the Savage Cinderella Novella Series, kidnap survivor turned rookie cop, Brinn Hathaway, joins her friends, Justin, Cody, and Dani on a quest to search for Justin’s brother–believed dead after having disappeared from his Marine unit in Afghanistan. When he’s reportedly seen at a protest in Wyoming, where Native American land protectors are at odds with a mining company bent on destroying what could be a sacred burial ground, it’s up to Brinn to find out the truth and help stop them.

But life is complicated when Brinn and the two men vying for her affections (Justin and Cody) are forced to face off with the corrupt mine developer and his hired guns–one of whom could very well be the man they’re searching for. Can they take on the powerful industrial complex to save sacred tribal lands from destruction? And can they convince Justin’s brother to turn himself in before he has a chance to run again? What will be the cost to this band of brothers? And who will Brinn choose to be by her side through it all?

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Lady of Steel (Medieval Ladies Book 1) by Mary Gilgannon
One rapturous hour sparks unforgettable passion between Lady Nicola and Fawkes de Cressy. The memory of their time together enables Fawkes to survive the horrors and perils of the Crusades and gives Nicola the hope and strength to endure a brutal marriage.
Fawkes returns to rescue the woman of his dreams and finds Nicola enmeshed in a dark web of castle intrigue. Fawkes is so altered by the hardships and cruelties of war, that Nicola fears to trust him with her secrets or her heart.
Surrounded by enemies, the battle-hardened knight and the aloof, wary woman must rebuild the bond between them. Only if they dare let the soul-stirring magic their bodies share grow into love can they escape the sinister plot that threatens to destroy them both.
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Four White Roses by Judy Ann Davis – ONLY 99 cents thru Jan 31!!!

When widower Rich Redman returns to Pennsylvania with his young daughter to sell his deceased grandmother’s house, he discovers Grandmother Gertie’s final request was for him to find a missing relative and a stash of WWI jewels.

Torrie Larson, single mom, is trying to make her landscape center and flower arranging business succeed while attempting to save the lineage of a rare white rose brought from Austria in the 1900s.

Together, the rich Texas lawyer and poor landscape owner team up to rescue the last rose and fulfill a dead woman’s wishes. But in their search to discover answers to the mysteries surrounding them, will Rich and Torrie also discover love in each other’s arms? Or will a meddling ghost, a pompous banker, and an elusive stray cat get in their way?

CLICK HERE TO BUY

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On the Surface by Margo Hoornstra 

Wrongly convicted ex-con and recent parolee Jenny Reynolds wants to forget her tarnished past and focus on a brighter future. One that begins with a return to the small tourist town where she grew up. The restoration of her family’s once proud Rest Easy Bed and Breakfast is the only thing on her mind. Fleeing an ex who refuses to let her go, what she doesn’t need to complicate her already problematic life is another man.

Enter handsome handyman Brad, a man who seems to care as much about restoring the B and B as she does. A man who soon becomes ready, willing and able to steal her heart. A man, as it turns out, with more than a few secrets of his own. A dropout from law enforcement, the real Brad Collins will use anyone and anything to fulfill a personal vendetta.

When two pasts collide and danger threatens, their budding love for each other may be the first casualty.

CLICK HERE TO BUY

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Legacy of Evil by Sharon Buchbinder

When a wild mustang is shot in Montana, renowned horse whisperer and telepath, Emma Horserider, is called in to calm the herd and find out what happened. Once on scene she is almost killed by a bullet-spewing drone, and calls her black ops brother for back-up.

Emma’s help roars into her life covered in tattoos and riding a Harley. Remote viewer Bronco Winchester takes the assignment because he is ordered to, but he wonders what type of assistance, his boss’s sister needs. That is until he sees Emma, a valiant Warrior Woman proud of her Crow heritage.

Posing as a married couple, Emma and Bronco go undercover to infiltrate and stop a hate group. Both are anxious enough without the now growing attachment they feel for one another. When the lives of many are on the line, they are not sure if they will live or die—let alone have a chance at love.

CLICK HERE TO BUY

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For Money or Love by Margo Hoornstra – ONLY 99 cents!

Mega-millionaire Daniel Winston Montgomery lives to work at his prosperous software company. Scrimping to survive as a child, money means everything to Dan. He’ll do whatever it takes to preserve his wealth and the security it provides his mother and younger siblings. His brilliant top assistant, Lindsey Carr, is essential to his firm’s continued success. He has no problem sharing the fruits of their combined labors with her. Though, truth be told, he needs Lindsey far more than she needs him…

Computer brainiac Lindsey Carr wants more out of life than her prestigious, well-paying job and craves a little excitement. She’s tired of being no more than boring tech support in a well-run software enterprise. Convinced Dan and his company will survive—and thrive—just fine without her, she tenders her resignation. After all, Dan has never required more from her than her superior analytical skills. Well, except for that one time she won’t let herself think about…

Unwilling to let Lindsey go, Dan must fight to keep her in his life. In a clash of priorities, will he choose money…or love?

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Saturday in Serendipity by Margo Hoornstra  

A Three Book Anthology

A twenty year high school reunion changes the lives of former classmates and leads to unexpected futures.

Three Strikes Thursday
Barry Carlson, a pro baseball success, could have any woman he wanted. Except one. Twenty years before, Barry won Amanda Marsh’s love, only to crush her heart. He’s returned to Serendipity, determined to win her back. Recently divorced, Amanda is happy—until Barry slides back into her life. Can they put aside old wounds and new misunderstandings to find a forever love?

Two On Tuesday
Blane Weston’s construction company needs the venture capital Matt Durand has. With his reputation for hostile takeovers, she wants no part of him. Mixing business with pleasure, she’s off to Serendipity to hook up with a former flame. Not used to being denied, Matt follows. How can Blane enjoy a journey to her past when Matt is determined to dictate her future?

One Fateful Friday
His high school reunion in Serendipity over, hospital CEO Jake Holbrook regrets his single state. When a special woman from his past tumbles back into his life—and his bed—he’s determined to keep her there. Family practitioner Bethany Thomas avoids an entanglement with her new boss, but unknowingly betrays him. As the holidays approach, can they overcome a lack of trust to find their Christmas miracle?

 

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REVIEW RATINGS– RISK or REWARD? by Cj Fosdick

Please help me welcome today’s guest with an interesting article on reviews…

REVIEW RATINGS– RISK or REWARD? by Cj Fosdick

Every writer knows that word of mouth and reviews can propel a new book into success. (At least six reviews are recommended for debut day.) So you enlist your best friends, beta readers, critique partners, and family members to review your baby. Pretty safe odds love rolls in for the “newborn!” LOW RISK only to biased honesty.

No time to bask in the lovelight. You create a media kit, blog, tweet, guest post on social media, organize a street team, host a launch party, do book signings, readings, advertise… everything it takes to announce and promote that book in the frenetic search for READERS. Competition is always huge when supply exceeds demand for books. A supply created, in part, by a flood of eBooks and the rise of Indie authors in the last few years. Does Amazon really have millions of books in their online catalog? Add review magazines and online review sites to the mix, and REVIEWERS are also in demand. It’s a Catch 22 when good books need to be discovered but discovery…and sales…often depend on reviews.

When the organic reviews are slow coming in, you DO have options to jumpstart. With no strings attached, paid reviewers will insure an honest review, but it’s a marketing expense that can burn a hole in your pocket. Kirkus and Chanticleer charge hundreds of dollars for a review—with no guarantee to even recommend the book. Still, you do have the option to post…or not if the review burns a hole in your heart. HIGH RISK for the expense.

“Nagging” is another option. A kinder word is “trolling.” If I know someone who has purchased a copy from me, I might ask for a review weeks or months later. Posting on FB, Goodreads, in your newsletters and emails, even on business cards you can gently “nudge” with links directed to your book sites. In the stash of prints I keep on hand to sell, I insert a little card in each book with my site links, along with a friendly review request. Readers who know you will not want to comply if they didn’t like your book, but even readers who loved it may feel unqualified to post a review, or unable to understand the process if they don’t navigate social media. MODERATE RISK to pride/friendship.

Networking with the brotherhood is another option. You’ve been inspired by other writers, followed their blogs, rubbed shoulders with other Indies or authors published in your Press. You share and commiserate with them. Ralph Waldo Emerson once said “the only way to have a friend is to be one.” Can that be twisted into “the sure way to get a review is to write one?” Doesn’t every author swap reviews on occasion, particularly if they value an elevated review count that Amazon is sure to notice! If you swap with a writer in your genre, chances are good you already like their subject. And even if the book does not meet your rating standards, you can always find something nice to say after a short synopsis—minus any spoilers. Only another writer can appreciate the fact that writing a book is an accomplishment in itself. VARIABLE RISK to time consumed…and qualms about trading equal star ratings.

Whoever said “Reward never comes without risk” had to be a writer…or a cliff diver. Same thing, sometimes. (Diving into my newsletter and books is no risk. Promise!)

 

Thank you, Cj. Wonderful information! Readers, Cj would love reviews on The Accidental Stranger…

 

Jessica Brewster is being watched…and things go missing from the remote Wyoming home she shares with her toddler. In a freak accident, she shoots the bearded thief stalking her before she recognizes the mesmerizing green eyes that belong to the only man she ever loved.

Has Mitch bridged time to find her? In a race to save his life and change hers forever, she takes him into her home and heart. But his memory loss and puzzling clues curry doubt and expose mystery and danger. Is he truly her son’s father or an irresistible stranger in her arms?

 

Cj’s Bio:

Born and raised in Packerland, Cj moved west to the medical mecca in Rochester, MN where her writing career bloomed with published award-winning stories and articles to her novel series inspired by Diana Gabaldon’s Outlander. Rescued horses, dogs, cats, children and one patient husband have motivated the heart of Cj’s craft. Though living on a country hilltop haven for decades, she has ventured down on occasion to climb a Jamaican waterfall, float in the Dead Sea, kiss the Blarney Stone and research settings for her next novel.

 

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Interview with Author Cj Fosdick ~ New Release: “The Accidental Stranger”

I am pleased to welcome Cj Fosdick who is sharing an interview and her latest release.


*** Cj’s first book was a Golden Quill Finalist and a Top 10 Finisher for Best Romance Novel in Preditors & Editors.

And…

The Accidental Stranger received an ‘excellence’ rating from InD’Tale Magazine and a fabulous review. Here is an excerpt from the review: (Only 23 out of 89 books in May earned that rating.)
“With fascinating twists and turns, leading up to a wonderful surprising ending the reader is kept well engaged by the deep and interesting characters that make up this unusual story. Well written and skillfully done. “The Accidental Stranger” is a page turner. Well worth reading!” Gwenellen Tarbet of InD’Tale Magazine, May issue

Give-away!!!! A Free eBook of The Accidental Stranger with comment and FB friend at https://www.facebook.com/cjfosdickauthor/

Please tell us about you and your book…

1. Novel Intentions? Who knew when I wrote a short story for a Writer’s Conference that it would lead to a book trilogy? My future publisher from WildRose Press was in the audience when the Laura Awards were distributed at the Women Writing the West Conference in Kansas City in 2013. The competition judge had submitted a page-long letter begging me to turn “The Teacup” into a novel. Seventeen months later, the story, now named “THE ACCIDENTAL WIFE,” was released in print and eBook by WRP, Amazon and several other distributors. Book two in the series, “THE ACCIDENTAL STRANGER” was released in January and book three in the Accidental Series is now a work in progress.
There was no question about the series genre. I was a fanatic reader of historical romance, suspense and family sagas and drew inspiration from the way Diana Gabaldon combined all in her time-travel “Outlander” series. (A heroine placed in a time-travel scenario is automatically conflicted as she is pulled into the emotional force of two worlds to discover the power of love.)

2. Any habits you use when creating a story? Long showers and water aerobics at a health club seem to lubricate the muse as I daydream about “what if “scenarios.

3. What book have you read that you wish you had written? Besides “Outlander” for obvious reasons, I also loved “To Kill A Mockingbird” by Harper Lee.

4. What do you dislike that most people wouldn’t understand? Eggs. I was born hating the sight, taste, texture and smell of fried or scrambled eggs.

5. What’s the main thing you could get rid of in your life that would give you more writing time? The easy answer would be television. More complicated would be the necessity for social media. (I’d love to have a clone or a PA who could put marketing on autopilot for me.)

6. What is the one word you would use to describe yourself? Emotional. What would others use to describe you? Curious or Talented?

7. Favorite book of all time? Like children, hard to choose favorites. Besides the two already mentioned, I loved “Gone With The Wind”—book and movie for history, romance, drama, and characters you loved…and loved to hate.

8. What do you want readers to come away with after reading your book? People in every era face the same conflicts and diversity and are empowered and changed by the forces of love.

9. Actors you would like in the main roles if your book was made into a movie? Aiden Turner (Poldark) and a red haired Jennifer Lawrence.

10. Would you rather have a bad review or no review? No Review would be less emotional.

11. Genre you’ve never written that you would like to tackle? More like an era—WWI or II.

12. Favorite quote? “Well-behaved women seldom make history.” (Same for book heroines.)

13. If you were stranded on a deserted island and you could have 3 objects, what would they be? A motorboat, GPS, and a case of Moscato.

14. What celebrity would you like to be stranded with? Actor Aiden Turner

15. Your most prized material possession? A bracelet of woven tail strands of my 3 favorite horses (now in horse heaven.) I raised and trained wild, domestic and rescue horses and gave summer riding lessons for years.

16. Favorites:
Movie—Last of the Mohicans
Music—Enya (Celtic)
Place you visited—Britain & Ireland
Place you’d like to visit—Scotland
TV show from childhood—Howdy Doody
TV show from adulthood—Survivor
Food—Fish/pizza/chocolate
Sports Team—Duo allegiance: Vikings & Packers
Which do you prefer: Board games/card games or TV? I love all three, but watch too much TV!

Thanks for joining us today, Cj! Ha, I also LOVE Gone with the Wind. And, I watch too much TV. AND, I love the Packers. Look at all we have in common! 😀

BLURB:

Jessica Brewster is being watched…and things go missing from the romote Wyoming home she shares with her toddler. In a freak accident, she shoots the bearded thief stalking her before she recognizes the mesmerizing green eyes that belong to the only man she ever loved.
Has Mitch bridged time to find her? In a race to save his life and change hers forever, she takes him into her home and heart. But his memory loss and puzzling clues curry doubt and expose mystery and danger. Is he truly her son’s father or an irresistible stranger in her arms?

EXCERPT:

I screamed as the gun exploded in my hand and fell to the ground. The bear moving toward Scout dropped, and I raced to scoop up my son before he toppled into the cold stream. Cradling my whimpering child, I ventured closer and could see at once that it was no bear I shot. A man in a bearskin poncho lay on his side. A mass of dark matted hair covered the side of his face that wasn’t blooming with blood, running down his cheek, pooling in his ear and staining his thick beard.
“Is he, is he dead?” I whispered.
Chuck fumbled for a pulse and we all started when he groaned and his eyes fluttered open.
Green! His eyes were green. The fear in them registered with me as he searched our faces. A flash of memories washed over me and my heart began to thump wildly. I set Scout down when my legs crumpled beneath me as I sagged in the snow and my bare fingers reached out to staunch the dripping blood.
So red against the white snow. His eyes, so…green. Every shade in a spectrum of emotion raced through me; joy, frustration…anger. I knew only one man who owned those eyes. Had he come back for me? Did I shoot the only man I ever loved?

BUY LINKS:

http://amazon.com/author/cjfosdick Amazon

http://bit.ly/2hbAuWN B&N Nook

http://catalog.thewildrosepress.com/1256_cj-fosdick WildRose Press

http://apple.co/2iKRozD Apple itunes

http://cjfosdick.com/buy-the-book Website

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Beneath the Lake by Casi McLean #ParanormalRomance

Please help me welcome Amazon Best-Selling Author Casi McLean, one of my fellow AHA Author Friends, who is sharing about her fabulous book!

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USA Amazon Link: http://amzn.to/2jB4JXp

Worldwide Amazon Link: http://smarturl.it/BeneathTheLake

Bio:

Award winning author, Casi McLean, pens novels to stir the soul with romance, suspense, and a sprinkle of magic. Her writing crosses genres from ethereal, captivating shorts with eerie twist endings to believable time slips, mystical plots, and sensual romantic suspense. Beneath The Lake won the 2016 Gayle Wilson Award of Excellence for BEST Romantic Suspense.

Her stories entwine strong, believable heroines with delicious hot heroes to tempt the deepest desires then fans the flames, sweeping readers into their innermost romantic fantasies. Ms. McLean weaves exceptional romantic mystery with suspenseful settings and lovable characters you’ll devour. You’ll see, hear, and feel the magical eeriness of one fateful night. You’ll swear her time travel could happen, be mystified by her other worldly images, and feel heat of romantic suspense, but most of all you’ll want more.

Casi’s Inspiration For Beneath The Lake:

I love to talk about my, Beneath The Lake, and the eerie lake lore that inspired my muse. A town that time forgot––the history and creepy stories attached to a rural area that sleeps beneath Atlanta’s famous man-made lake, Sidney Lanier, fascinated me. Homes, churches and businesses still linger beneath the surface. The moonshiners of the 1940’s added built-in suspense, and the birth of NASCAR. Looper Speedway, a half-mile dirt track where bootleggers competed with their souped-up cars, exposed its cement stands in a recent draught.

There’s a Lady of the Lake who haunts the ghost town too––the spine-chilling lore is the basis for book three in my Beneath The Lake series, Between The Shadows. Some say she lures victims to her watery grave. The truth is, swimmers get trapped among the deadfall of sheered-off trees and town remains. Even expert divers get tangled beneath the murky surface, hence the lake’s unnerving label: Lanier never gives up its dead. The inspiration swirled in my mind, begging for a story to be told. What a perfect setting for my romantic time-slip suspense series.

Why time-slip? Ever since my childhood imagination discovered Madeleine L’Engles, A Wrinkle In Time, the idea of time travel intrigued me. And Lake Lanier, a man-made lake with mesmerizing history, presented a plausible theory. What if the excavation explosions triggered a seismic shift? Given enough energy, could the blasts rip a portal into a different dimension or a crack in time? The possibilities were endless.

The birth of Lacey Montgomery evolved through my young adult love for Jude Deveraux’s A Knight In Shining Armor. The time-slip novel introduced her endearing Montgomery family. I hope my books honor her inspiration. My high school friend, Hilary Johnson, inspired the persona of my heroine, Lacey Montgomery. A lawyer, discouraged with defending criminals, yearned to help honest people in trouble. Some of Hillary’s finer qualities became part of Lacey––the dysfunctional relationships came from my own personal experiences. LOL. Once these elements entwined, Beneath The Lake blossomed with an energy and life of its own.

The sequel, Beyond The Mist, picks up where the first story ends incorporating two minor characters as the new hero and heroine. Beyond The Mist is complete, in editing, and will be published in a few months.

For a Free Gift, and a chance to win my entire short story collection, Destiny: Five Novelettes With a Twist, click here: https://spark.adobe.com/page/pxekfzj8Rx4el/

I hope you enjoy my trailer, blurb, and the opening excerpt below.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TwOqm8DUUfA

Blurb –

A ghost town submerged beneath Atlanta’s famous man-made Lake Lanier reportedly lures victims to a watery grave. But when Lacey Montgomery’s car spins out of control and hurtles into the depths of the icy water, she awakens in the arms of a stranger, in a town she’s never heard of–34 years before she was born.

When the 2012 lawyer tangles with a 1949 hunk, fire and ice swirl into a stream of sweltering desire. Bobby Reynolds is smitten the moment the storm-ravaged woman opens her eyes and, despite adamant protest, Lacey falls in love with a town destined for extinction, and the man who vows to save his legacy.

Threatened by a nefarious stalker, the wrath of bootleggers, and twists of fate, Lacey must find the key to a mysterious portal before time rips the lovers apart, leaving their star-crossed spirits to wander forever through a ghost town buried beneath the lake.

Excerpt:

Lake Lanier, Georgia—June 2011

A final thud hurled him backward, flailing through brush and thickets like a rag doll. Grasping at anything to break momentum, Rob’s hand clung to a branch wedged into the face of the precipice. Spiny splinters sliced his skin. Blood oozed and trickled into his palms, and one by one, his fingers slowly slipped.

A sharp crack echoed through the silence of the ravine as the bough succumbed to his weight. He plummeted into free-fall. Clenching his eyes, he drew in a deep breath, terrified of the pain, the mauling that waited on the jagged rocks below.

When icy water broke his fall, the chill kept him from losing consciousness. He spun, straining to see, but darkness enveloped him. Soggy clothing pulled him deeper—deeper into the murky, fathomless depths. He wrestled to squirm free from the waterlogged jacket dragging him down to a watery grave, watched the coat disappear into black obscurity. Panic gripped his stomach, or was it death that snaked around his chest, squeezing, squeezing, squeezing the air, the life from his body? Lack of oxygen burned his lungs, beckoning surrender, and a shard of rage pierced his gut as reality set in. He lunged upward with one last thrust and burst from the water’s deadly grip, gasping for air. A gurgling howl spewed from the depths of his soul and echoed into silence.

Sunlight shimmered across a smooth, indigo lake, but aside from the slight ripples of his own paddling, nothing but stillness surrounded him. He floated toward the shore, sucking deep breaths into his lungs until the pummeling in his chest subsided. When he reached the water’s edge, he hoisted his body onto the soft red clay and collapsed while the sun’s warmth drained the tension from his body.

No one knew he had survived. The rules had shifted. Now he could reinvent himself, become a stealth predator. His target: Lacey Madison Montgomery.

Contact Links:

Website  Twitter  Facebook  GoodReads  Amazon Author Page  Blog

 

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“10 Moments that Changed My Life” by Mary Morgan – PLUS, Dragon Knight’s Shield

Please welcome today’s guest, Mary Morgan. She’s sharing the moments that changed her life and her latest release, Dragon Knight’s Shield from The Wild Rose Press…

 

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  1. My first airplane ride at 13 years. A fascination with traveling started on that first trip. Afterwards, I viewed airports as gateways to the world.
  2. The birth of my daughter at 16 years. Becoming a teenage mom turned my world upside down. I did not know it at the time, but she would be a powerful force in my life. I am grateful every day for this beautiful soul.
  3. Meeting my future husband on my first job interview. I took a leap of faith by going on this interview. The moment I stepped through those doors, the stars exploded. Yes, I believe in love at first sight. It happened with both of us!
  4. Planting my first garden twenty-two years ago. Gardening gave me such joy and a sense of peace. To this day, I still get excited over the first new tomato or rose.
  5. The birth of my first grandchild. The joy of becoming a grandmother was beyond my expectations. I learned to play in a completely different way than I did with my children.
  6. Taking a position as a bookseller with Borders Books. Previously, I worked for banks, advertising agencies, and in escrow. Yet, this was the most rewarding job ever. In addition, I met so many great people.
  7. My first trip to Scotland, Ireland, and England. I will never forget when my feet touched the ground in these countries. It was a déjà-vu moment. I left a piece of my soul in each of these places. Also, my ideas for the Dragon Knights started on a boulder in the Highlands.
  8. Turning 50! I truly came into my own as a woman. I loved each new decade I entered, but when I turned 50, the world opened up for me. I will be forever learning, but I’m more at ease with life.
  9. Finishing my first book. It was an overwhelming sense of accomplishment.
  10. Getting my first contract with The Wild Rose Press. I knew with each rejection letter I received, the right “fit” for a publisher would come my way. I never gave up.

Love this! What joyful moments.  Thank you so much for sharing with us.

And now, check out Mary’s book…

DragonKnight_sShield_w10248_300

Blurb:

Angus MacKay, leader of the Dragon Knights, failed his brothers and his clan upon the death of his sister. Now he must fight the darkness of despair tempting his soul. Back on Scottish soil, he comes face to face with Deirdre who can wield a sword as mightily as his warriors, and takes her captive. Yet, with each passing day, the fire dragon inside him roars to claim the one woman fate has destined for him. 

Famed mystery writer, Deirdre Flanagan, is unprepared for the next chapter in her life. On a vacation to Scotland, she steps through the mists and enters into a skirmish alongside a Highlander. However, the fight has only begun, and now she must battle Angus as well as evil in order to claim the love of this Dragon Knight.

Will their love be powerful enough to shield them from danger, or burn them to ashes?

Excerpt:

His look was predatory, lustful, inviting, and she took a step backward. Words failed her as she took another step back.

He arched a brow and his smile became seductive. “Do I frighten ye?”

“No!” she lied. Like hell you do! You’re as gorgeous as sin standing there, and I want to rip your clothes from your body.

Pushing off from the wall, he stepped into the room and silently closed the door behind him, his eyes never leaving hers. His hair hung in soft waves past his shoulders, and her fingers itched to twine within them. Her body ached in places so deep—longing for even the slightest touch. 

“Are ye unwell, my lady?”

The burr of his voice so low—so sexy, she could only stare at him until his words resonated in her mind. “No,” she replied softly, feeling the flames of desire heat not only her face, but also her entire body.

This time when he took another step closer, Deirdre didn’t back away. Now he stood so close she could feel the warmth of his breath across her face—a mix of wine and pure male.

She watched mesmerized as he reached for a lock of her hair, twining it around his finger. “So verra soft.”

Deirdre couldn’t breathe, as he let the curl unravel and cupped her face in his hands. “Ye confuse me. Ye torment me in my dreams,” he whispered against her cheek, sending a wave of pleasure down her spine.

Without thought, she groaned and leaned into him—his beard grazing her cheek. She no longer battled her mind for the man. “Kiss me, Angus.”

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MORE ABOUT THE AUTHOR:  Scottish paranormal romance author, Mary Morgan resides in Northern California, with her own knight in shining armor. However, during her travels to Scotland, England, and Ireland, she left a part of her soul in one of these countries and vows to return.
Mary’s passion for books started at an early age along with an overactive imagination. She spent far too much time daydreaming and was told quite often to remove her head from the clouds. It wasn’t until the closure of Borders Books where Mary worked that she found her true calling–writing romance. Now, the worlds she created in her mind are coming to life within her stories.

You can find more information about Mary Morgan here:

WEBSITE  http://www.marymorganauthor.com

BLOG  http://www.marymorganromancewriter.com

Twitter http://twitter.com/m_morganauthor

Facebook http://www.facebook.com/mary.morgan.564

Goodreads  http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/8271002.Mary_Morgan

Amazon Author Page http://www.amazon.com/Mary-Morgan/e/B00KPE3NWI/ref=dp_byline_cont_ebooks_1

Buy Links:

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Dragon-Knights-Shield-Order-Book-ebook/dp/B018MESJ12/

Barnes&Noble Nook: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/dragon-knights-shield-mary-morgan/1123094798?ean=2940157846695

Kobo: https://store.kobobooks.com/en-us/ebook/dragon-knight-s-shield

The Wild Rose Press: http://www.wildrosepublishing.com/maincatalog_v151/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=195&products_id=6584

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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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Filed under Entertainment, New Release

NEW Releases from The Wild Rose Press Fun Facts About the Authors

I am proud to share some of the latest releases from The Wild Rose Press… Please check out the books and follow these authors on Twitter and Facebook, etc.

Enjoy the wonderful stories AND the fun fact tidbits…

 

Angela Hayes with Love’s Battle, Fantasy Romance Novel

If love isn’t worth fighting for, what is?

Fun Fact: Love’s Battle is my first novel. Be sure to look for the follow ups, Faith’s Forever and Hope’s Wish-as soon as I get through writing them!!!!

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****Love’s Battle is being offered at half price at $2.99 through the middle of July****

Click HERE to order from Amazon.

You can catch up with Angela Hayes at www.authorangelahayes.blogspot.com.

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

Gini Rifkin with A Cowboy’s Fate, Historical Western Romance Novella

Former Mountain Man Era re-enactor, now living on a farmlette taking in abandoned animals

Fun Fact:  I travelled the same route my Hero & Heroine take from Denver to Leadville. It was much less fraught with danger in a car, but just as much “fun” when we got there.

A few lines from the story:

“I never claimed to be a gentleman,” he said.

“No, you didn’t. It was an illusion of my own making. A mistake I shall not fall prey to again.”

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Click HERE to order

Find Gina here:

http://ginirifkin.blogspot.com

gini@ginirifkin.com

 

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Filed under Entertainment, For Writers