Mimi Barbour's Blog: Believe!, page 7
September 7, 2016
Meet my good friend & wonderful author, Uvi Poznansky with her new release - "Dancing with Air" #mgtab
Interview with
Uvi Poznansky
Author of
At the end of summer, it is time to turn a leaf, and I hope that for you, that will be a leaf from my new WWII Romance book, . Let me sweep you away in time, to the other side of the ocean. Through the eyes of Lenny, an American Marine, and the love of his life, Natasha, experience what life was like in England during the months leading up to D-Day. Every love story suggests some hurdles that stand in the way of love, but in times of war, these hurdles are particularly high, testing the power of passion to the utmost degree.
What genre do you enjoy the most?
I love writing historical fiction, because it is one of the most difficult genres of all, demanding a complete immersion in the era and studying every detail--in clothing, gadgets, hairstyle, manners and of course, the timeline of events--in order to make the story not only believable but utterly authentic. And even though I pride myself on writing with a sensual slant, aiming to put you in the skin of the characters, I have never before focused on the genre that would allow me to develop that lyricism to the fullest: namely, Romance.
But lately, the characters I have written in a previous book, , demanded that I take them back a generation, to WWII, to the beginning of their love story. This is how came about, telling the story of how Lenny first met Natasha, a young concert pianist, and how they fell in love. My new novel, , takes their love story takes a new turn, and throws in a bit of suspense.
Back page blurb:
Serving on the European front, Lenny writes bogus reports, designed to fall into the hands of Nazi Intelligence. To fool the enemy, these reports are disguised as love letters to another woman. This task must remain confidential, even at the risk of Natasha becoming suspicious of him.
Once she arrives in London, Lenny takes her for a ride on his Harley throughout England, from the White Cliffs of Dover to a village near an underground ammunition depot in Staffordshire. When he is wounded in a horrific explosion, Natasha brings him back to safety, only to discover the other woman’s letter to him. He wonders, will she trust him again, even though as a soldier, he must keep his mission a secret? Will their love survive the test of war?
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An integral part of this story is the music. For each chapter, I composed lyrics that not only bring back a familiar note from that era, but also reflect the particular mood of the character at that moment.
Please share an excerpt from Dancing with Air with us.
The mood was altered, not only for me but also for my sweetheart. After hanging up the receiver we stumbled into silence.
After a while I offered to escort her to Mrs. Babcock’s home, but Natasha refused. She kissed me goodbye, a bit hurriedly, and said that a long walk, by herself, would do her good.
I watched her walking away from me, her figure shrinking into the distance under the London Plane trees. Stiff-textured leaves were swirling in the evening breeze. One of them, lobed like the palm of a hand, landed on my shoulder as if to say, don’t take it to heart. This had been a long day. Things were bound to look brighter, come next morning.
Yes, I said to myself. Natasha must have been exhausted now, and so was I. What’s more, her Ma was an expert in taking control of the conversation, which was why it took the wind out of both of us But tomorrow, she would come back for me, really she would.
I took a stroll in the opposite direction, then stood a long time by the fountain, watching other couples coming by, walking hand-in-hand.
A street performer tried, several times, to gather some of them into an audience, all in vain. No one paid attention to him. Perhaps it was too late. The sky was getting darker. Time to go home.
He stopped by my side, perhaps sensing my sadness, and sang, in the softest voice,
When we kissed goodbye in Mayfair
Forever I’ll recall
Chill trembling in the air
Summer turning to fall
When you left—I may be wrong�
But it was too hard to bear
A nightingale stopped in the middle of a song
Silence lingering over Berkeley square.
Author Links:
ŷ author page
Buy links for Still Life with Memories:
Vol I My Own Voice
Vol II The White Piano
Vol III The Music of Us
Vol IV Dancing with Air
Vol I+II Apart from Love
September 5, 2016
“A Loving Good-bye� to my most favorite fan � 102-year-old, Mr. Norris Smith.
Some of you might remember my . It was about my 100-year-old fan, Norris Smith. From the first day his daughter wrote to me about her father’s enjoyment of my writing, his belief in my talent thrilled me. I mean � any author who learns she has such a special reader would feel the same as I did� ecstatic - over the moon!! She’d asked me to write him a small note for his birthday—that it would please him. Instead, I surprised him by dedicating Special Agent Francesca to him and sent him a paperback copy. As you can see by the photo he sent me as a thank you, he was extremely pleased. I thought about my old friend often over the next few years and said prayers for his health and well-being. Many times, as I wrote the next three books in the Undercover FBI series, I imagined Norris’s enjoyment and it lightened my heart knowing I could bring him this kind of entertainment. It’s like I could visualize my reader (Norris) and I tried very hard to create the stories as he would like them � real barn burners! I received a message from his daughter a short while ago that saddened me to tears. I've never met the man and yet I feel as if I know him personally. I've rewritten this tribute more than once and decided he wouldn't expect perfection - just true emotion. And that Isincerely feel. She wrote: He was one of your biggest fans and I want to thank you for all the pleasure you gave him from reading your books. Norris had passed. Iam saddened beyond belief. Until� I was writing my new book Special Agent Booker today and I felt his presence the same way I always had. Who says angels can’t read??
September 3, 2016
Chapter One � 2016 Love Christmas Collection � So This is Christmas � by Denise Devine #mgtab
Chapter 1
Monday, December 10th
Winter in Minnesota didn’t rate high on my list of seasons, but I couldn’t imagine spending Christmas anywhere else. The pristine snow, the crisp, fresh air and the rainbow-colored lights decorating snow-covered roofs reminded me of a Hallmark movie. I loved shopping at the Mall of America for gifts and watching the Holidazzle electric light parade in downtown Minneapolis, but my favorite event always happened on the second weekend in December. That’s when I met up with my best friends for three days of good wine, more food than we could ever eat and lots and lots of laughter. We’d grown up in the same northeast Minneapolis neighborhood—Ellie, Jeanette, Ginny, Sarah and me—and through the years, were inseparable until our careers took us in different directions. Now that we’d hit our mid-thirties, it had become more difficult than ever to schedule a “girls only� weekend, but we’d made it a priority.
We always spent the weekend at Ellie Stone’s family cabin in Breezy Point, Minnesota. Frankly, I didn’t know why they called it a cabin. The multi-level monstrosity had six bedrooms, four baths, a den, two kitchens and two living rooms. In the lower kitchen, the Stone family cooked all their meals. The upper kitchen, the one with the beautiful view of Gull Lake, they used to stock all their booze.
I decided to drive up to Breezy Point a few days early this year. Ellie’s family had always considered me “one of the bunch� and had no problem with my coming up ahead of time. I needed to take a break from my photography business, something I hadn’t allowed myself to do for a long time. Lately, though, I’d begun to question the price of success. I had a thriving business, but the toll it placed on my life was slowly burning me out. The thought of spending four days alone in that big house with nothing to do but sip wine in front of a crackling fire would be good for me; it would also force me to give some serious thought to the dismal state of my love life.
I arrived at the house around noon. Driving up the snow-covered alley, I pulled into the back and parked in the driveway in front of the tuck-under garage. Thankfully, someone had cleared away the snow and shoveled the sidewalks. I slid out of the car and drew in a deep breath of fresh air, taking a much-needed stretch from the two-hour drive from Minneapolis. Even though the sun shone brightly in a clear blue sky, the temperature hovered around twenty degrees. Anxious to get out of the cold, I grabbed my bag and the tote containing my four-week-old kitten and bounded up the cement stairway. The Stone family always hid a spare key under the planter next to the back door. I let myself in through the screen porch to the lower level kitchen and living room.
The tote with my sleeping kitten fit on the seat of the rocking chair. The rest of my gear landed on the sofa in front of the fireplace before I dumped my coat and made my way to the bathroom. I turned on the water in the tub and stripped down to my undergarments. A nice hot bath sounded like the perfect way to kick off my vacation.
Suddenly, a loud thumping noise echoed from inside a room across the hallway. My heart slammed into overdrive as a frightening thought raced through my head.
Is there someone else in this house?
No time to get dressed—I grabbed the fuzzy robe hanging on the back of the door and wrapped it around myself then peeked through a narrow crack in the opening. I didn’t see anyone in the living room but finding the immediate area empty didn’t bolster my courage. I needed to call 9-1-1 and my phone lay tucked in my purse across the room.
Now what do I do? No way can I lock myself in here and hope the intruder just goes away.
My brilliant, lightning fast mind said, “Get the phone. Run. Now.�
Slowly, I opened the door and crept out, hoping the rushing water from the bathtub faucet made enough noise to mask my footsteps. I scurried over to my purse and snatched the phone then made a beeline back to the bathroom. Got the door open and almost made it inside when a large hand gripped my shoulder.
“A-h-h-h-h-h!� The shrill scream shot out of me so fast I hardly knew I’d opened my mouth. My body shuddered and the phone went flying as the strong hand pivoted me, bringing me face to face with my aggressor.
My breath caught in my throat as the fear gripping me transformed into jaw-clenching anger.
“Christopher Stone! You scared me half to death! What are you doing sneaking around the house?�
I hadn’t spoken to him since twelfth grade, but the gap in time did nothing to cool my foaming-at-the-mouth resentment of the kid who’d spent the entirety of his youth teasing me.
Ellie’s twin brother stood before me wearing nothing but a pair of skin-tight jeans, barely zipped with the top snap gaping open. I’d seen him wearing less at the beach, but even his favorite chino shorts had never looked this good on him. Before I knew it, my gaze quickly traveled from his slim waist to the width of his broad shoulders and smooth, muscular chest. Embarrassed by my obvious curiosity, I looked away. This body did not match the scrawny kid I used to wrangle with growing up. When did all this happen? I mean, I knew most ball players worked out to gain strength and boost their power to hit a baseball for a living. I’d watched Chris on television and on the big screen at the ballpark, but I never imagined him looking this good up close�
He didn’t seem to care about his half-naked appearance as he yawned and ran a hand through his tousled dark hair. “I wasn’t sneaking around,� he said in a smooth, deep voice. “I was sleeping. You woke me up.�
I glared at him to mask the sudden flutter in my stomach. “Are you—are you alone?�
“W-h-a-a-a…of course, I’m alone.�
I stared boldly into his deep blue eyes. “What are you doing here?�
He shrugged. “What I always do when I need to get away from the crowds—I crash. What are you doing here?�
“This weekend is our annual Christmas get-together,� I said matter-of-factly and raised one brow to let him know he’d better crash somewhere else.
He frowned. “Aren’t you a little early? It’s only Monday.�
“No, I volunteered to do the housecleaning and put up the decorations so the place would look great when the girls arrive,� I said lying through my teeth. He didn’t need to know my real plans.
“Okay, great.� He sounded amused as he leaned over and picked up my phone. “I thought for a minute there you were trying to get rid of me.�
My patience wore thin. “Look, Chris, you’re going to be in the way. Don’t you have to get back to the cities to get ready for a hot date with your girlfriend or something?� Whoever she is this week�
He didn’t rise to the bait, but I noticed a muscle twitch in his cheek, as though the whole “date� situation didn’t set well with him. It didn’t surprise me considering the high-profile women he chased—Hollywood starlets, models and pop singers—Queen Bee Central. He changed girlfriends with the same frequency most men took their shirts to the laundry. Okay, that might be an exaggeration, but just the same�
“Tell you what, I’ll stay in my room while you vacuum and do whatever it is you need to do.� His eyes flashed when I shook my head. “What’s your problem?�
“It’s not what, it’s who.� I took my phone from his hand. “I’m not in the mood to spend the next four days dodging a guy who likes to play practical jokes on me. You know, like throwing water balloons, unscrewing the top off the salt and pepper shakers, flipping my glass of soda upside down on the table, hiding a whoopee cushion under a blanket on my chair,� and his crowning achievement, “putting a live snake down my shirt?�
He burst out laughing. “Are you still mad about that? I did those things when we were kids.�
The fact that he still thought them funny still made me mad and I didn’t trust him one bit. “Yes,� I said in my snippiest voice, “and I’m soooo not in the mood for any of your antics this week.�
“I’ll be good.� He held up both hands. “I won’t cause an ounce of trouble. I promise.� His gaze suddenly dropped to the front of my body and his eyes widened. “Uh, but I can’t say the same for you.�
I looked down and found my robe gaping open, my pink with black polka dot Victoria’s Secret undies in full view. “A-h-h-h-h-h!� My scream this time had more to do with frustration than fright. I jerked my robe shut and stormed into the bathroom, determined not to give my childhood nemesis the satisfaction of seeing my face turn crimson like he had so often in the past.
His triumphant laughter propelled me all the way.
Love, Christmas
Christmas 2016!!
Pre-order October 1st.
Release date October 18th
only
99 cents...
...What a deal!!!
September 1, 2016
Love, Christmas - cover Reveal... plus free sampler!! #mgtab
LOVE, CHRISTMASHoliday stories that will be a song in your heart! Genre: Sweet to Mildly Spicy Contemporary Romance You’ll love this heartwarming collection of 20 all-new Christmas stories from NY Times, USA Today, and national best-selling authors. Every title in the set is from a Christmas song suggested by a reader. Here’s just a sample of the wonderful variety in these pages: In LAST CHRISTMAS, after a year of heartache, a young woman confronts the man who ran out on her the December before. Can SILVER BELLS bring two stubborn souls together and give a little girl the Christmas gift she wants most? HOLLY JOLLY CHRISTMAS showcases a young couple confronting the dilemma of an unwanted pregnancy. In FROSTY THE SNOWMAN, the collection turns from angst to humor when two strangers and a cute but mischievous Samoyed puppy are stranded by a freak snow storm in the Alaskan bush. And then there’s the shopkeeper in WHITE CHRISTMAS who’s hit by a car and goes into a coma—or is she really at Santa’s workshop? All these and the rest of the collection will launch you into the Christmas spirit.
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We Need a Little Christmas - Leanne Banks
Leanne Banks is a national #1 best-selling author with over fifty romance novels to her credit. Leanne was born and raised in the wonderful town of Roanoke, Virginia. Growing up in "the star city of the south" had a huge impact on her outlook and her writing. Her B.S. in Psychology only qualifies her to treat fictional characters and she began writing when her two children were very young. Leanne believes in the transforming power of love, so writing romance novels comes naturally to her. Her muse is a 4.5 lb Pomeranian who is happy to snooze beside Leanne while Leanne creates. Leanne loves travel and trips to the beach, but what's most important to her is family. Leanne's home on the web is . To get the most up-to-date scoop on Leanne, visit her on facebook.
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Frosty the Snowman - Mimi Barbour
New York Times, USA Today, Best-selling author - Mimi's been heard to say: "I'm an author who loves to write uplifting stories about romance. Add in some time travel, or maybe an angel, or even a little romantic suspense and it makes the story more fascinating because of the incredible possibilities."
Mimi is an Amazon best-selling author who's sold over 500,000 copies of her books world-wide. Her five romance series: The Vicarage Bench/ time travel at its best, Angels with Attitudes / angels love romance, Vegas / fast-paced plotting, Elvis / make a song a book and her newest, Undercover FBI / with sizzling conflicts and lots of humor.
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Last Christmas - Joan Reeves
Joan Reeves is a NY Times and USA Today bestselling author of Contemporary Romance. Available as ebooks and audiobooks, her romance novels all have the same underlying theme: “It’s never too late to live happily ever after.� Joan lives her happily ever after with her Hero, her husband, in the Lone Star State. Sign up for Joan's for readers.
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Holly Jolly Christmas - Mona Risk
A tireless traveler, New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Mona Risk writes contemporary romance, medical romance, and romantic suspense novels, all simmering with emotion. Sprinkled with a good dose of humor, her stories are set in the fascinating places she visits� or in Florida, her paradise on earth.
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Do You Hear What I Hear? - Patricia Rosemoor
New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Patricia Rosemoor writes “dangerous love.� She has had 98 novels with 8 publishers and more than 7 million books in print. Patricia has won a Golden Heart from Romance Writers of America and two Reviewers Choice and two Career Achievement Awards from Romantic Times BOOKreviews, and in her other life, she taught Popular Fiction and Suspense-Thriller Writing at Columbia College Chicago.
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White Christmas - Rebecca York
NY Times & USA Today best-seller, Rebecca York, is the author of over 150 books. She has written paranormal romantic thrillers for Berkley and romantic thrillers for Harlequin Intrigue. Her new romantic-suspense series, Decorah Security, is set at a detective agency where agents have paranormal powers or work paranormal cases. She also writes an Off-World series where each story is a science fiction romance taking place on a distant planet in the far future.
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So This is Christmas - Denise Devine
Denise Devine has had a passion for books since the second grade when she discovered Little House on the Prairie by Laura Ingalls Wilder. She wrote her first book, a mystery, at age thirteen and has been writing ever since. She's been a member of Romance Writers of America (RWA) since 1991 and has won or placed in numerous writing contests. In 2008, her contemporary inspirational romance, This Time Forever, was a finalist in RWA’s Golden Heart contest for unpublished writers.
Denise lives on six wooded acres in East Bethel, Minnesota with her husband, Steve and her three problem (feline) children, Mocha, Lambchop and Tigger. She loves to read, write, study and travel.
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Grown Up Christmas List - Donna Fasano
USA TODAY BESTSELLING AUTHOR DONNA FASANO is a three-time winner of the HOLT Medallion, a CataRomance Reviewers Choice Award winner for Best Single Title, a Desert Rose Golden Quill Award finalist, a Golden Heart finalist, and a two-time winner of Best Romance of the Year given by BigAl's Books & Pals Review Blog. Her books have sold 4 million copies worldwide and have been published in two dozen languages. Her novels have made the Kindle Top 100 Paid List numerous times, climbing as high as #1.
Donna has a website, and can be found on Facebook, Twitter, and other social media sites. Contact information can be found inside Donna Fasano's books. She loves to interact with readers.
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Blue Christmas - Traci Hall
With an impressive bibliography in an array of genres, USA Today bestselling author Traci Hall has garnered a notable fan base. She pens stories guaranteed to touch the heart while transporting the reader to another time and place. Her belief in happily ever after shines through, whether it's a romantic glimpse into history or a love affair for today.
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Santa Baby - Taylor Lee
USA Today Best Selling author Taylor Lee writes Suspenseful Mystery Thrillers � with a heavy dose of Sexy to Sizzling HOT Romance.
In the four years that she has been writing, Taylor has written more than forty books. Her eight, series track her Special Operatives, Covert Agents, Cops, Firefighters and other iconic heroes and heroines, through the harrowing situations that make up their lives. From human trafficking rings to corrupt politicians, Taylor investigates the underbelly of society and the criminals who flourish there.
Taylor says: “From the residue in my personal blender of mixed races, cultures and world views, my characters emerge. It comforts me to know that while evil slinks in the shadows, the “good guys and gals� of the world sniff it out � and snuff it out.
My characters are arrogant alpha males and the feisty women who bring them to their knees � and vice versa� They fight hard, love hard and don’t mince words. They are dangerous men and women in dangerous times. Love, passion and ridding the world of evil? What’s not to like?
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Trailer for Love Christmas
Let it Snow - Stephanie Queen
A romantic at heart and a writer by nature, Stephanie Queen has the enthusiastic soul of a cheerleader. So of course she loves creating stories where the good guys always win. Although she's lost count of all the jobs she had before she settled on being a Novelist, her favorite was selling cookies as a Keebler Elf. She is a graduate of UConn (go Huskies!) and Harvard U and lives in New Hampshire with her family, her cat, Kitty, and her (real or imagined?) chauffeur, Myren.
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Merry, Did You Know? - Jennifer St. Giles
USA Today Bestselling author, Jennifer St. Giles, aka Jennifer Saints, J.L. Saint is a Golden Heart, three-time Maggie, two-time National Reader's Choice, Marlene, RT Reviewer's Choice and Daphne du Maurier award-winning author. Jennifer writes in multiple genres, including: romance, paranormal, contemporary, historical and military and paranormal crime. She is a nurse in a surgery center and the Vice-President of a charitable foundation which helps women and children's causes. Jenni believes fervently in following your dreams and never giving up.
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O Christmas Tree - Alicia Street
Alicia Street is a USA Today Bestselling Author and Daphne du Maurier award-winner. She writes both sweet romance and sexy romance and sometimes collaborates with her husband, Roy. Her years as a professional dancer, choreographer and teacher provide the inspiration behind her Dance 'n' Luv contemporary romance series. A compulsive reader of every genre, Alicia loves watching old black-and-white movies and inventing new recipes for soup.
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Sleigh Ride - Katy Walters
I began with a publisher but loved the freedom of Amazon and so I am an independent author living on the South Coast of the UK. Previously, I enjoyed a career as a research psychologist and psychotherapist, As the children grew and flew the nest, I decided to write about my experiences to help others, but as I began writing, my pen spelt out a different course and I was soon writing novels. These are historical romance suspense, with an underlying theme that I hoped inspire those who long to overcome their inhibiting fear, and reach their goals. From the reviews and private emails from readers, this has worked and I am so glad. It makes my writing even more worthwhile. I am now on the twentieth book and love it.
I get a lot of my inspiration for plots whilst walking with my dog Lily along beaches and in the nearby woods. She features in all my books under pseudonyms and is portrayed as her own wonderful zany self.
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Deck the Hearts - Rachelle Ayala
Rachelle Ayala is a bestselling author of contemporary romance and romantic suspense. Her foremost goal is to take readers on a shared emotional journey with her characters as they grow and become more true to themselves. Rachelle believes in the power of love to overcome obstacles and feels that everyone should find love as often as possible, especially if it's within the pages of a book. Her book, Knowing Vera, won the 2015 Angie Ovation Award, and A Father for Christmas garnered a 2015 Readers' Favorite Gold Award.
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Silver Bells -Jacquie Biggar
JACQUIE BIGGAR is a bestselling author of Romantic Suspense who loves to write about tough, alpha males who know what they want, that is until they're gob-smacked by heroines who are strong, contemporary women willing to show them what they really need is love. She is the author of the popular Wounded Hearts series and has just started a new series in paranormal suspense, Mended Souls.
She has been blessed with a long, happy marriage and enjoys writing romance novels that end with happily-ever-afters.
Jacquie lives in paradise along the west coast of Canada with her family and loves reading, writing, and flower gardening. She swears she can't function without coffee, preferably at the beach with her sweetheart. :)
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Hark the Herald Angel Falls - Michele Hauf
Michele has been writing romance, action-adventure and fantasy stories for over twenty-five years. Her first published novel was DARK RAPTURE.
France, musketeers, vampires and faeries populate her stories. And if she followed the adage ‘write what you know�, all her stories would have snow in them. Fortunately, she steps beyond her comfort zone and writes about countries she has never visited and of creatures she has never seen.
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Little Drummer Boy - Dani Haviland
Dani Haviland, an Alaskan recently relocated to Oregon, loves writing, gardening and photography. She’s ‘stuck in the 80’s� - the 1780’s,that is - where many of her colorful characters struggle and/or survive, love and/or argue, but always persevere.
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I’ll Be Home For Christmas - Nancy Radke
Author Nancy Radke, started out writing full-length, modern romance and suspense stories, then switched to novella length for her western series, The Traherns, and now writes both, usually two or three books at the same time. She has published ten Sisters of Spirit books, thirteen Trahern books, and one book of a new Brothers of Spirit series. Born on a wheat and cattle ranch, which included riding, shooting, and milking cows, she has lived in Alaska, Hawaii, and Washington state. When she went through the Peace Corps outward-bound program, she learned to rappel off mountainsides and survival swim in the Atlantic Ocean. Her books are G-rated, no sex, no swearing.
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Santa Claus is Coming to Town - Cynthia Cooke
First published in 2003, Cynthia Cooke is an award-winning author who has published 18 novels in 12 different countries with Harlequin, Entangled, and Amazon Kindle Worlds. She has a deep affection for romance stories and playing in the ocean. On her best days you can find her on the beach with her notebook, a novel in hand, and her dog, Angel, by her side.
Embrace the Seduction and prepare to get a little naughty and have a fun!
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Interested in having a sneak peek into the box set Get the first chapter of each book at either of these three sites for FREE.
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August 30, 2016
A friend & awesome writer - Caleb Pirtle III - "Friay Nights Don't Last Forever" #mgtab
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**You know how sometimes you’re lucky enough to stumble across that person who is kind and helpful, making life as a lowly author not so isolated and hard? For me, Caleb Pirtle did just that � made me glad I had taken on this writing challenge so I could meet up with folks like him. He’s a prince of a man and has supported me and my career multiple times. Therefore, any way I can help get the word out to the world about his wonderfully, entertaining books is something I want to do.
I have read Caleb’s work and it’s damn good. So if you need a book to keep you intensely captivated, this will be it. I just got my copy.
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Friday Nights Don’t Last Forever has seen the light of day.It’s now resting on Amazon and other eRetailers virtual shelves just waiting for readers.
From Caleb:
"First, I would like to thank Y & R Publishing for producing such a great-looking book.
I want to thank Juta Medina for designing a stunning cover that captures the emotion of the story.
And I am forever indebted to those who have taken the time to read the novel and write a review.
The reviews keep coming, and it’s an humbling experience to realize the reviews are better written than the novel.
Thanks to you all."
Review by Billy Ray Chitwood:
If ever a book was meant for big screen theaters, it’s Caleb Pirtle’s, Friday Nights Don’t Last Forever. This gifted and prolific author has a style and delivery that keeps you reading, metaphors and all.
The reel begins beside a big water tower, with some of the Avalon footballers climbing up that structure hundreds of feet to paint on the holding tank the words, Alabama State Champs. The ace quarterback is the only player who cannot make the climb. It becomes a subtle and substantially symbolic part of the book.
In Avalon, Alabama � small town America � eighteen year old quarterback, Casey Clinton has brought his high school team to the State Finals. He has also brought reputedly the ‘best passing arm� in the country. Trailing by four points with thirteen seconds to go in the game, the rain coming down and the field a quagmire of soggy grass and mud, all Casey has to do is hit his soft-handed wide receiver, Lucas Calhoun, on a square-out from the opponents ten yard line…money in the bank, everybody on the coaching staff and on the sidelines believe.
Casey runs around in the backfield avoiding tacklers, gets to his spot, sets his right foot to hit his wily and superstar wide receiver who is open in the end zone. Casey’s right foot sinks into the mud, and the ball wobbles out in the general direction of Calhoun who is desperately trying to catch up to the wind-driven football. Lucas doesn’t make the misdirected football�
Game Over! Humiliation and regret begins. A new world opens up for Casey Clinton, most of it negative, suffering the frowns of his fans and ‘friends�, feeling the contradictory emotions that come with this ‘passage� in his life.
Friday Nights Don’t Last Forever has all the reader wants � moral ambivalence, love, romance, sex, murder, the shifty and life-changing tactics of College football recruiters, offering their gifts � cars, young hostesses who are happy to accommodate their school’s next super stars. The characters are well drawn and portrayed, showing Mr. Pirtle’s brilliance as a wordsmith.
Review by Patricia La Vigne:
Friday Nights Don’t Last Forever by Caleb Pirtle III is a roller-coaster ride through Casey Clinton’s life from the time he slips in the mud during a crucial Friday night high school football game. That slip cost his wide receiver, Lucas Calhoun, a fumble which lost the game to the rival team, and the State Championship.
From that moment, the author takes his reader into the heads of each character in the story as those characters evolve throughout the story, how their lives are affected by events and experiences. The language might be construed as “typical� for the rough exterior layers of older teen boys and the coaches who want to spell out the situations in terms understood best by those boys.
In spite of losing the state championship, Casey’s reputation as a star athlete spread beyond his small hometown of Avalon, Alabama. Coaches from universities across the South vied for his signature on the dotted line that would catapult him to a college football team.
At the helm, stood Frank Hatchett—one might call him an old “war horse� of coaches� from the University of Alabama. Frank had the reputation of being a veteran recruiter for the University of Alabama who wines and dines prospective players from around the country. He’s also of the opinion he should rule over other coaches when it comes down to his choices.
He is intent on recruitingCasey, whose throwing arm has led his team to many victories through the years.
But what happens when Frank arranges to meet Casey and his family for a media interview, and while walking toward the family, Frank has to ask his assistant what the kid’s name is again? We learn a side of Frank that is more political than genuine interest in the boy he says should play for the Crimson Tide team of Alabama.
When Casey is confounded by the growing number of recruiting coaches from universities throughout the South, he seeks advice on what to do, where to go, and how to avoid the constant clatter of telephone calls. He gets little satisfaction from his parents because he sees a side of himself they don’t.
We get a deeper picture of the emotions Casey goes through, especially with his friends from school. A girl he loves who taunts and teases him; the boys who challenge his fear of heights when they try to goad him into climbing the local water tower; the sexual turmoil he suffers when he is rebuffed by the head cheerleader; the seduction by a minister’s young wife, and when he is discovered on New Year’s Day in a Dallas hotel with a murdered girl, not knowing if he committed the murder.
From the depths of despair, can Casey rise from the ashes of his life like the proverbial Phoenix ? Is this his rite of passage into becoming a responsible adult?
Caleb Pirtle writes the powerful story of what can be considered a “behind the scenes� look into the life of an eighteen year old who has it all—talent, fame, glory, a golden future—but at what price?
Review by Roger Summers:
Casey Clinton is a magician. He knows football. But Caleb Pirtle out-magicians the magician.
Caleb knows how football works � especially how football works Casey Clinton. Maneuvers him, snookers him, leads him, seduces him, confounds him, guides and misguides him.
It is always first down and ten, with the red zone ever within attainable reach the way Caleb zip-zip-zips his story along, captivating and then keeping the reader spiraling in his words as only Caleb can.
A football coach once said that there is not much to know about football except that a football is a prolate spheroid. Anything else, the coach insisted, is pure conjecture. Not so. Football is as complex as it seems to be simple.
Caleb knows football’s complexities, its intricacies, and, yes, its addiction for players and fans alike and knows how to tell the tale of them in his special, inimitable fashion that will keep readers up late into the night � Friday or any other night � until the very last word of this compelling novel is absorbed.
Along the way the reader comes to understand what is amiss and what is restorative about this night of nights in the razzle-dazzle of football.
And then the book will be closed � slowly, slowly closed � followed by long moments of time out to reflect upon all you have come to know and understand between the first word and the last.
Review by David L. Atkinson:
Although the subject matter was foreign to me, the character development and complexity I found fascinating.
Caleb Pirtle has the skill to put the character out there with the mission of drawing in the reader and does so with great skill.
The emotions that the players on the football team experience are tangible and never dull in this treatment of the game and its multi-faceted nature. An excellent read.
Caleb Pirtle III began his career writing about history and travel. He learned quickly, however, that what happens is never as important as those who make it happen. Many of those people have made their way into his novels.
Pirtle is the author of more than 65 published books, including the new noir suspense thrillers, "Golgotha Connection," "Secrets of the Dead," "Conspiracy of Lies," and "Night Side of Dark. His other novels, include "Deadline," and "Little Lies." He has written such award winners as "XIT: The American Cowboy," "Callaway Gardens: the Unending Season," "The Grandest Day," "Echoes from Forgotten Streets," and "Spirit of a Winner." His nonfiction works include Gamble in the Devil's Chalk and No Experience Required.
He earned a journalism degree from The University of Texas and became the first student at the university to win the national William Randolph Hearst Award for feature writing. As a reporter for the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Pirtle received both the Texas Headliner's and Associated Press Awards.He served as travel editor for Southern Living Magazine, and his travel writing was given the National Discover America Award three times. For more than two decades, Pirtle was editorial director for a custom publishing company in Dallas.
He has written three teleplays for network television, including "Gambler 5: Playing for Keeps," a mini-series for CBS and "The Texas Rangers" for John Milius and TNT. Because of the success of the CBS mini-series, Pirtle was asked to write two novels, "Jokers Are Wild" and "Dead Man's Hand" for Berkeley. His blogs appear regularly on .
Visit his website:
Follow him on @ventgalleries @CalebPirtleFollow him on
August 28, 2016
Bookstore sales versus sales on Twitter! #mgtab #eNovAaw
Okay, hang in with me here� When I think of twitter, I think of a large bookstore like B&N with thousands and thousands of books everywhere and customers wandering, searching - hoping for something to catch their eye - maybe a cover that works or a poster to promote a new release that’s interesting. If you’re a mediocre author with a big publisher, don’t expect your book to be the one facing outwards - so let’s hope your spine is fabulous. Sometimes the shopper stops and picks up the book, checks the back and if she/he likes what they see, they buy it. So far, so good� Now, think of the twitter stream as a virtual bookstore with hundreds, sometimes thousands of tweets, depending on the number of followers you have, showing full book covers in the stream. Sometimes, an image catches one’s eye. Other times a phrase might do the trick. Or even an author’s name might grab attention and the person clicks on the tweet. In most cases, the tweet will take them to either a blog page with more information about the author or even better still, it might take them to a buy button. Now those of you who don’t believe that Twitter sells books, think again. No matter how many physical bookstores your work ends up in, you can have just as much exposure if you’re active on twitter. This is how: Personally, as Mimi Barbour, I have 18,000 twitter followers. And the Authors� Billboard has 3,000. That means there is a potential for 21,000 people to see my promotional tweets that always have my covers. And many times with a teaser that not only highlights the cover but shows a tagline to draw one’s interest. Now, we all know that every follower will not see this image, but� neither does every buyer see your book when they wander the bookstore isles, right? Okay � so, every time I release a tweet, not only does it go to my own streams, I automatically get a minimum of 10 � 25 retweets for most of them because I belong to along with quite a few of the ladies in our Authors Billboard group of 30. We set up our own hashtag #mgtab and whenever a tweet goes out using that hashtag, it gets automatically retweeted. So let’s say each tweet gets an average of 20 retweets and those people all have an average of 2,000 followers (and that’s lowballing it) we now have the reach of another 40,000 people potentially being able to see those images. I also have other twitter followers that don’t belong to the group and they often retweet for me as I do for them. I mustn’t forget about Triberr. Every time I release a blog post, the title becomes a tweet and gets shared by many in the vast number of tribes I belong to. This tends to bring a lot of people to my blog and guess where my book covers are with buy buttons close by?? Also, I recently joined a Twitter group of about 25 people and in order to belong, you had to have a minimum of 10,000 followers. (Most have a whole lot more � one lady has 65,000 :-))) She’s my favorite LOL!! Every day, we post the links to two tweets on a special Facebook page where we all retweet each other’s tweets. So that makes�(pencil nib in mouth, lips turning black, gnawing � hummm let’s see now� spit out broken pencil and reach for smart phone calculator) I think it’s around, give or take, close to a minimum of - 500,000 chances of more eyeballs seeing my work. To reiterate - we all know that the streams go by very quickly on twitter � especially those with more followers. But when you think of how many books are in a bookstore, think about the number of people who actually see every single book. It isn’t possible, right? So just because you get a traditional contract and your book appears in bookstores all over the country, there’s no guarantee that you might sell more than a few each day at each place � if you’re lucky. Then those beautiful books get pulled after a few months (maybe only weeks) to make room for the next bunch of product. But guess what � you can send out the same tweets over and over for as long as you want and no one will put an end to that form of exposure. Week after week, month after month, year after year. Just sayin�
If you follow me,I'llfollow youback :-)
Chapter One excerpt � Love Christmas Collection � Do You Hear What I Hear by Patricia Rosemoor #mgtab
a Detective ShelleyCaldwell“Hot Christmas� Novella
The song “Do You Hear What I Hear?� was written as a plea for peace during the Cuban Missile Crisis in the middle of the Cold War. Now Christmas is just around the corner, and Shelley and Jake are in acold war of their own�
Chapter One
Four days before Christmas
Sleet hit Chicago like an icy whip early this afternoon, the Christmas gift that just kept giving. I love snowy Christmases, but getting pelted in the face with icy needles was sheer misery, reminding me of my current relationship with my live-in love, Jake DeAtley.Putting him out of mind so that I could concentrate on the job, I carefully negotiated the ice-laden pavement and took a quick look at the Uniforms in charge of crowd control, the EMT guy at the body and the gathering spectator herd outside the yellow tape taking their damn selfies with the dead guy behind them.“Nice one for the holidays.� Detective Mike Norelli shook his grizzled head. “Great last minute Christmas cards.� He glanced back at me. “C’mon, Caldwell, let’s get this over with. I actually got a hot date tonight.”“Right,� I muttered, wondering what kind of a woman would go for the sarcastic cop. “I should rush to the scene and kill myself, too.”Norelli snorted as he ducked under the Crime Scene tape. “That’s what you get for wearing killer boots.”I wasn’t a fashionista like my twin sister Silke, but I had my moments. These knee length suede boots with high heels I’d seen in Westbrook’s windows had done me in. Or would do me in, I thought as I slid toward the dead man in the middle of the street. I regained control just in time to prevent myself from tripping over him.“There’s the reason he’s dead,� Norelli groused, pointing to the tree on his other side. “Too into the Christmas spirit to get out of the way of traffic.”“Nobody’s ever accused you of having too much spirit.”But some kind of spirit was making my hackles rise.ǰǷ…mdzܰԾԲ…d貹.A faint whisper in my mind froze me where I stood. This psychic thing had started between Silke and me when we were little kids and had grown into our being able to talk to each other without actually speaking. Now Jake and I could read each other’s minds, as well. Too bad I couldn’t changehiswhen it came to Christmas. Whatever was going on here at the scene hit me in the gut. I took a good look through the gathered crowd but saw no one in tears or appearing distraught. Still, I couldn’t shake the feeling that someone was on the edge, no matter how much I wanted to believe otherwise. I recognized woo-woo the instant it hit me.“So did someone really run him down on purpose?� I asked the EMT, who was kneeling by the body.“Don’t know for sure.� He got to his feet. He pointed to a small knot of teenagers behind him. “Those girls witnessed it. At least one of them picked up footage on her phone.”“I’ll go talk to them,� Norelli grunted.He left me staring down at the poor middle-aged dead guy spread out next to a gorgeous pine tree unlike any I’d ever seen before. There was something magical about it, because just looking at it warmed me inside. I steeled myself against showing any emotion, though, because there was nothing positive about his death. I didn’t want anyone to think I didn’t have the proper respect. Poor guy probably had been bringing the Christmas tree home for his wife and kids. Oh, Lord, I hoped I wasn’t the one who’d have to share the bad news with his family. Worst part of the job.“The county medical examiner’s van is on his way to take him to the morgue,� the EMT told me. “Ah, crud, I forgot to call Streets and Sanitation to remove the tree.”They would not only remove the beautiful Christmas tree, they would destroy it, run it through their grinder to make mulch. Something kept me from wanting that to happen, at least not while it was still alive. The van to take the body away was already pulling up to the crime scene.“Don’t worry about it,� I said. “You take care of the victim. I’ll take care of the tree.”And then I would have to deal with Jake when I brought it home.***“I thought we agreed on no Christmas tree,� Jake said the moment he laid eyes on it.He wore nothing but an angry expression, the black diamond in his right ear and a towel low around his hips. I swallowed hard and tried not to admire what I couldn’t have. Not an early riser unless a little something erotic was involved—and there had been none of that in my reality since I’d insisted on decorating my half of the apartment for the holiday—he’d been dead asleep when I’d left for work that morning. Not literally dead, despite the vampire blood he’d inherited from his mother.Sarge and Cadet were already circling the tree, no doubt wondering how long it would be before they could climb it.“No!� I said a little too harshly. Sarge fell back on his haunches, his expression hurt and disbelieving, and scaredy cat Cadet ran behind the couch.“I’m waiting for your supposed explanation.”“I caught another woo-woo case. Really bad vibes.”Jake rolled his eyes. “That’s your explanation for bringing home a Christmas tree against your sworn promise?”“I’m telling you, there was something weird going on. I felt it right away.� Of course that’s not why I’d saved the tree from the chipper. “All right, then if you don’t believe me, don’t think of it as a Christmas tree. Think of it as a beautiful mountain pine that didn’t deserve to be destroyed while it was still alive. It’s just here temporarily to make the apartment smell nice.”“Right. Justify it all, why don’t you?”“I didn’t do this to hurt you, Jake. I won’t even decorate it. I promise.”His dark gaze cut through the room, half of which was already decorated with boughs of holly and strings of lights and candles everywhere. I’d set out bowls of ornaments, most of which I’d bought one at a time, each with special meaning for me. Plus there were those from Silke’s and my childhood. “Santa� (Dad) had always brought a few for each of us along with our other presents.“By the way,� Jake added, “that ‘not a Christmas tree� is on my side of the room.”The barren side.Grunting, I tried lifting the tree to appease him, but I swore it had gotten heavier every time I moved it. Or maybe I just needed the meal I’d never gotten around to eating. “I suppose you wouldn’t consider helping me.”In answer, he crossed his arms over his bared chest and raised one dark eyebrow.My heart fluttering despite the tension between us, I did the best I could, dragging it, inching it along, finally leaning it against the wall next to the couch. At least I didn’t have to go down to the storage area and find the stand. I’d brought it up with the rest of my decorations, also with no help from Jake. How the heck was I supposed to lift such a heavy tree into the stand myself?Jake and I stared at each other for a moment, and I swore I read regret in his expression before he turned away.“I’ll be in the shower,� he growled as he made for the bathroom.Normally, that would have included an invitation to join him.What exactly did he regret? For disappointing me? Or because he couldn’t shake the memories of a horrific childhood when none of his Christmases had been anything to celebrate?The mother who’d loved him as best she could had been pregnant with Jake when she’d been turned by a vampire against her will. Amazing that he’d turned out pretty normal other than having tremendous speed, strength and hearing. And an appetite for very rare, very bloody beef—couldn’t forget that one. From what he’d told me, he’d been as normal a kid as was possible, but his mother’s uncontrollable urge to feed on human blood came even before his needs at times. Definitely before Christmas. So after he’d spent holiday after holiday alone, no one to take him to Christmas services at midnight, no one to read him a Christmas story or to sing a Christmas carol with him, he’d given up celebrating, both religious and secular.But now that we had found each other, had fallen in love, had bought a condo and moved in together, I’d convinced myself he would be open to something with such meaning for me. Until our Dad had died on the job, he’d made every Christmas special for Silke and me. I honored his memory every holiday. I’d told Jake that. I’d hoped that he would at least try to celebrate with me.I’d been wrong.And too stubborn to let it go.So I’d come up with a compromise. “My half� of every room in our new condo would be decorated as I wanted. Same with “his half.� I’d thought that maybe, just maybe, he would loosen up a bit. Instead, while he’d agreed I could hang my lights and set out my candles and ornaments on my side, the biting part of the bargain was that there was to be no Christmas tree. I had reluctantly agreed.Now this.Saddened, I ran a hand along a branch of pine needles and it struck me again even harder.ǰǷ…mdzܰԾԲ…d貹.I stood there for a moment staring at the branches, trying to discern exactly what was going on. The depth of feeling didn’t let up until I let go. And then I realized I hadn’t gotten the woo-woo from someone in the crowd earlier.
I’d gotten it from the tree itself.~*~*~*~New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Patricia Rosemoor has had 98 novels with 8 publishers and more than 7 million books in print. All but two of her Patricia Rosemoor novels are romantic suspense or romantic thrillers. She also writes a less pulse-pounding combination of romance and suspense with a dash of humor with a partner as Lynn Patrick.Patricia has won a Golden Heart from Romance Writers of America and two Reviewers Choice and two Career Achievement Awards from Romantic Times BOOKreviews, and in her other life, she taught Popular Fiction and Suspense-Thriller Writing at Columbia College Chicago.
View website
~*~*~*~
Love, ChristmasBox Collection
Coming Soon
Oct 2016
August 21, 2016
Follow up � Realistic expectations for a content editor� #mgtab
Blog post from Aug 12th.
As promised, I’m here to give you the final verdict in my content edit that I had done for my newest book. I finished the work earlier today and I’m still gritting my teeth.
Did you read my first post? If not, see the link above. Then you’ll know that this editor totally had me reeling from her caustic comments, her dissing of my characters and basically just not getting the whole context of my story.
As I continued following her edits and reading her continuous sideline blurbs, it finally dawned on me that the poor girl had no idea where my characters were coming from and what they were all about, nor did she get the story.
You know thoselight-bulbmoments one gets when stupidity is replaced with a tiny sprinkling ofintelligence. It happened to me and I literally smacked my forehead in self-recrimination. How could I have been so remiss?
Because I had been so miffed about being rejected from the publisher I’d set my heart on, I’d turned for sympathy to another author I hold in high esteem. When she told me she’d been so happy with her content edit from this particular editor, I jumped on her suggestion that I write to this person and see if she would have time for my work.
Hint number one � if she was that great, how come she had an empty schedule and could take my work immediately.
Mistake number two � my friend is a very successful writer of Urban Fantasy which is a far cry from Romantic Suspense.
And the worst error of all � my colleague told me this editor was also a writer and I never took the time to see what she wrote and whether or not, I even liked her style or her voice.
Now that I’d finally surfaced from my self-pitying daze, I did the homework I should have done before hiring her. I would have saved myself this grief. I looked her up on Amazon and it turns out, she’s a YA author with a few books written and no sales to speak of.
By this time, my leg is sore from trying to kick my own ass.
What was I thinking? Of course the poor girl didn’t appreciate my story. It’s so far from what she loves and writes that I’m surprised she accepted my work in the first place.
When I delved into the first few chapters of her work, I dozed off. By the time I’m at that point in my books, I’ve already killed someone off, had the two main characters meet and sparks ignite and if a conflict hadn’t already exploded, it wouldn’t be long.
So, what I’m trying to say here in my own Mimi way is this. I deserved to have this experience. I’d never have hired her if I’d have done my homework in the first place. I shared this with you because I hoped you’d learn from my mistakes.
In the end, all was not lost. She helped me see weak writing when she didn’t understand why I’d set things in motion the way I had. I fixed those spots, made them better� stronger. She pointed out places where she wanted more romance and I worked harder to develop those scenes. And, because she reallylaboredover my book—I’m talking every line—I owe her a huge thank you for trying so very hard to do the best she could.
In the end, she was the professional.
But� next time I won’t get caught with my pants down :-)
~*~*~
***As a special for my recent newsletter subscribers,
I've just put the Vegas Series on sale for half price
starting Monday Aug 22, 2016***
Free on Unlimited
August 20, 2016
Romance Giveaway - Win up to 14 novels! #mgtab
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Author: Jackie Weger Description: Betrayed and jilted, Jennifer Dewitt finds solace in a new job and new city. Men and marriage are not on her radar. Adrien Merrill's divorce leaves him bitter and jaded. In Cajun custom, pride rules. Yet Adrien aches for a woman to fill his days with laughter, his nights with passion, and his house with children. He sets his sights on Jennifer and runs right into stubborn, mouthy and independent. He soon discovers the line between pride and love is as whisper thin as a fine silk thread.· Amazon Link:· My Twitter Link:· My Facebook Page:· My Amazon Author Page:· My Bookbub Page:
· Author: PC Zick Description: Leah Bryant’s life satisfies all her needs. Her engagement to Jacob Davis, minister of the Sunshine Church, gives her the security she requires after living on the streets during her teenage years. She runs a food kitchen out of the church for homeless vets who are living on the banks of Deer River. All is perfect until the day her future mother-in-law Geraldine tells her the church is shutting down the kitchen, and Dean�"Jacob’s brother�"rides his Harley into her heart. Leah’s world begins to crumble as she falls into Dean’s muscular and tattooed arms and discovers the passion she's never known.· Amazon Link:· Twitter Link:· My Facebook Page:· My Amazon Author Page:· My Bookbub Page:
· Author: Ellie Campbell Description: What can rock your world faster than winning or losing a king’s ransom overnight? Just as a huge financial scandal throws New Yorker, Olivia Wheeler, from wealth and success to bankruptcy and shame, struggling impoverished single-mother Rosie Dixon wins an unexpected million pounds. Good luck? Bad luck? Who can tell? Both women have more in common than they realize. While Olivia struggles to survive her humiliations, fleeing broke and homeless to London, shy unassuming Rosie discovers sudden riches arrive with their own mega-load of problems. Can workaholic career-obsessed Olivia find a passion for something earthier and warmer than power and prestige? And can Rosie sift through envy and greed to discover true friends, true family and even true love? Two strangers who’ve never me...Amazon Link:My Twitter Link:My Facebook Page:My Amazon Author Page:My Bookbub Page:
· Author: Victoria Pinder Description: Gerard Collins is running in the election for Massachusetts U.S. Senator. He put his name on the ballot to help his FBI agent brother crack a crime family. But the masquerade gets more complicated when his Campaign Manager insists that he’s going to need a political wife. Movie star Nicole Burns aka Nicole Wyland makes millions staring in romantic comedies, yet she’s never been in love. She left Cape Cod to escape her family and sought to pretend to be anyone else other than Nicole Burns. She goes back home to figure out who she is. When Nicole goes home, she goes to see Gerard and apologize for her family’s past with him. She intends to be his neighbor, but sparks fly. She rediscovers joy in her life when she helps him with his campaign. So many things stand in the way of romance,...· Amazon Link:· My Twitter Link:· My Facebook Page:· My Amazon Author Page:· My Bookbub Page:
· Author: Mimi Barbour Description: What’s a girl going to do when two months before the deal's deadline with her bossy Papá in Chile, Angelino Serrano faces an unforeseen earthquake, a sassy teenage runaway and a charge of theft? Top that with her meeting the most dangerous complication of all, a handsome Search & Rescue hero with cat-green eyes full of pure temptation and a tendency to screw up whenever he’s near her. After her rescuing him time and again, she’s ready for romance, only he’s skittish and proves to be her biggest challenge. Search & Rescue worker, Dr. Joe Davidson, has never had a victim save him before and the fact that this South American beauty comes through for him multiple times is a large burr in his backside. This Angel is no plaything like his other conquests but he’ll never be caught in the marr...Amazon Link:My Twitter Link:My Facebook Page:My Amazon Author Page:My Bookbub Page:
· Author: Mary D. Brooks Description: It's 1942 in German Occupied Greece during World War II, two women, one Greek, the other German must work together to help Jews escape. They have to put aside their mutual antipathy to accomplish their clandestine operation. They know that one wrong move will put an end to their lives. Fourteen year old Zoe Lambros' faith in God is shattered after her mother's death at the hands of the German Commander. She determines to defy the enemy in every way she can--including a festering urge to kill the German Commander's daughter, Eva Muller. Eva Muller has a tortured past, and a secret, if revealed, will lead to certain death at the hands of her father. Despite knowing the risk, Eva is working with the village priest to help the Jews escape. With her activities closely observed, Eva needs...· Amazon Link:· My Twitter Link:My Facebook Page:· My Amazon Author Page:· My Bookbub Page:
· Author: Amy Vansant Description: A New Adult/College/Adult Sexy Romantic Comedy! Emily never expected to find love in a dart bar, but the moment she spots tall, sexy Sebastian, she’s determined to catch his eye. Ex-girlfriends, perpetually shirtless rich boys, frantic best-friends and a mysterious orange handbag converge to stop her. No one said stalking was easy, but if romance was left to the boys, the human race would die out while they logged fantasy football points and punched each other in the balls. Everyone knows that. Emily’s not stalking Sebastian...she’s saving the world.Amazon Link:My Twitter Link:My Facebook Page:My Amazon Author Page:My Bookbub Page:
· Author: Monica Corwin Description: Scarlet needs a new job, but Horseman of the Apocalypse doesn’t sound good on a resume. Three years ago she followed her companions to Earth in an effort to live human lives. But the moment she left her husband Tyr she knew life wouldn’t be worth living. Lonely and longing for her husband, Scarlet is on a path of destruction that could endanger all the riders. Tyr, god of justice, hunts his wife across the realms. From Hell to the Golden Throne, he travels until he finds her working as a phone operator. Scarlet is no longer the woman he fell in love with, and he is determined to bring that woman back to him if it takes the rest of eternity. Even though the Horsemen live on Earth, they are still responsible for guarding four seals that can unleash the Apocalypse. When a prophecy is...· Amazon Link:· My Twitter Link:· My Facebook Page:· My Amazon Author Page:· My Bookbub Page:
· Author: Demelza Carlton Description: A hot Aussie rock star looking for love. Why did he have to pick HER hotel? A maid at the exclusive Romance Island Resort, Audra knows how to handle rock stars, billionaires and celebrities. She keeps their secrets, cleans up their mess and makes sure their holiday is a memorable one. There's just one rule: no relationships with guests. And Audra never breaks the rules. Jay Felix is rock royalty and he knows it. When one of his bandmates threatens to break up the band, he goes into hiding at the Romance Island Resort. Looking for a distraction, he sets his sights on the unattainable Audra. But what's a rock star to do when the girl he wants is the one woman he can't have? Welcome to paradise, where the romance is as hot as the weather and the tides aren't all that's surging beneath...Amazon Link:My Twitter Link:My Facebook Page:My Amazon Author Page:My Bookbub Page:
· Author: Effrosyni Moschoudi Description: When Sofia falls in love, a mourning spirit begins to haunt her... CORFU, 1987 On a long holiday with her grandparents, Sofia Aspioti meets Danny Markson, a charming flirt who makes her laugh. Although she tries to keep him at arm's length, worried that village gossip will get back to her strict family, she falls desperately in love. That's when strange dreams about Brighton's West Pier and a woman dressed in black begin to haunt her. Who is this grieving woman? And how is her lament related to Sofia's feelings for Danny? BRIGHTON, 1937 Dreaming of wealth and happiness, Laura Mayfield arrives in Brighton to pursue a new life. She falls for Christian Searle, a happy-go-lucky stagehand at the West Pier theatre, but when she's offered a chance to perform there, her love for him is pu...· Amazon Link:· My Twitter Link:· My Facebook Page:· My Amazon Author Page:· My Bookbub Page:
· Author: PJ Fiala Description: Formerly Titled: Dog Days of Summer Iraq veteran and motorcycle shop owner Jeremiah “Dog� Sheppard is looking forward to the annual Veterans Ride benefit for local vets, but this year he might be rewarded with more than the usual satisfaction of doing a good deed. When he asks the stunning single mother of one of his employees to help with the charity event, he finds himself facing a greater challenge than expected. Joci James is happy to use her graphic design and marketing savvy to help a good cause but charity might not be her only motivator. She cannot deny a mutual attraction but her bruised heart is closed for business, even to her son’s good-looking boss. Fortunately, the tenacious Jeremiah never gives up without a fight.Amazon Link:My Twitter Link:My Facebook Page:My Amazon Author Page:My Bookbub Page:
· Author: Patrice Wilton Description: First came A HEAVENLY CHRISTMAS and now we have the riveting sequel, SOMEONE TO LOVE. This book is light on suspense and heavy on romance, and a perfect read anytime of the year! Allison Cornwall was forced to leave her hometown in Connecticut and live life on the run from an ex-boyfriend turned stalker. She changed her name and hunkered down in Heaven, PA. The small, idyllic town was a safe haven where no one could find her. And yet, after a year and a half of peace, he did. Police Chief Ian Brown is determined to keep crime out of Heaven. When Ally fears for her life, he's there to protect. Recently divorced, he's not looking for love, but this innocent young woman touches his heart. Can they put their pasts behind them and open themselves to the miracle of Christmas—learning once agai...· Amazon Link:
· Author: Stephany Tullis Description: When a small town well-respected political operative is forced by her disgruntled mother to move into the family home to care for her ill father, her dreams become nightmares and her nightmares reality. Harassed by her mother and overwhelmed by her father’s non-stop caretaker schedule, Angelica Mason’s daydreams become as unnerving as her bewitching nightmares. Does she imagine that her boss fires her? Did she quit her job and tell her boss to ‘stuff it�? Does the love of her life back-stab her? Does an enchanting Prince Charming appear on her doorstop with a pair of platinum-lined glass slippers; perfect size 8? Is she hallucinating that he rescues her? Or is the enchanter the hazel eyed FedEx man who demands her signature for a mysterious package? Just what can a...Amazon Link:My Twitter Link:My Facebook Page:My Amazon Author Page:My Bookbub Page:
· Author: Traci Description: In his wildest dreams Armand Vargas never imagines Zamira Caballero walking through the doors of his new dance studio. After a year of shared passion in Argentina, she’d chosen her ex-dancing partner instead of marriage and so Armand had returned broken-hearted to the states, leaving Zamira in the arms of another man.· Amazon Link:· My Twitter Link:· My Facebook Page:· My Amazon Author Page:· My Bookbub Page:
Author: Jackie Weger Description: Betrayed and jilted, Jennifer Dewitt finds solace in a new job and new city. Men and marriage are not on her radar. Adrien Merrill's divorce leaves him bitter and jaded. In Cajun custom, pride rules. Yet Adrien aches for a woman to fill his days with laughter, his nights with passion, and his house with children. He sets his sights on Jennifer and runs right into stubborn, mouthy and independent. He soon discovers the line between pride and love is as whisper thin as a fine silk thread.· Amazon Link:· My Twitter Link:· My Facebook Page:· My Amazon Author Page:· My Bookbub Page:
· Author: PC Zick Description: Leah Bryant’s life satisfies all her needs. Her engagement to Jacob Davis, minister of the Sunshine Church, gives her the security she requires after living on the streets during her teenage years. She runs a food kitchen out of the church for homeless vets who are living on the banks of Deer River. All is perfect until the day her future mother-in-law Geraldine tells her the church is shutting down the kitchen, and Dean�"Jacob’s brother�"rides his Harley into her heart. Leah’s world begins to crumble as she falls into Dean’s muscular and tattooed arms and discovers the passion she's never known.· Amazon Link:· Twitter Link:· My Facebook Page:· My Amazon Author Page:· My Bookbub Page:
· Author: Ellie Campbell Description: What can rock your world faster than winning or losing a king’s ransom overnight? Just as a huge financial scandal throws New Yorker, Olivia Wheeler, from wealth and success to bankruptcy and shame, struggling impoverished single-mother Rosie Dixon wins an unexpected million pounds. Good luck? Bad luck? Who can tell? Both women have more in common than they realize. While Olivia struggles to survive her humiliations, fleeing broke and homeless to London, shy unassuming Rosie discovers sudden riches arrive with their own mega-load of problems. Can workaholic career-obsessed Olivia find a passion for something earthier and warmer than power and prestige? And can Rosie sift through envy and greed to discover true friends, true family and even true love? Two strangers who’ve never me...Amazon Link:My Twitter Link:My Facebook Page:My Amazon Author Page:My Bookbub Page:
· Author: Victoria Pinder Description: Gerard Collins is running in the election for Massachusetts U.S. Senator. He put his name on the ballot to help his FBI agent brother crack a crime family. But the masquerade gets more complicated when his Campaign Manager insists that he’s going to need a political wife. Movie star Nicole Burns aka Nicole Wyland makes millions staring in romantic comedies, yet she’s never been in love. She left Cape Cod to escape her family and sought to pretend to be anyone else other than Nicole Burns. She goes back home to figure out who she is. When Nicole goes home, she goes to see Gerard and apologize for her family’s past with him. She intends to be his neighbor, but sparks fly. She rediscovers joy in her life when she helps him with his campaign. So many things stand in the way of romance,...· Amazon Link:· My Twitter Link:· My Facebook Page:· My Amazon Author Page:· My Bookbub Page:
· Author: Mimi Barbour Description: What’s a girl going to do when two months before the deal's deadline with her bossy Papá in Chile, Angelino Serrano faces an unforeseen earthquake, a sassy teenage runaway and a charge of theft? Top that with her meeting the most dangerous complication of all, a handsome Search & Rescue hero with cat-green eyes full of pure temptation and a tendency to screw up whenever he’s near her. After her rescuing him time and again, she’s ready for romance, only he’s skittish and proves to be her biggest challenge. Search & Rescue worker, Dr. Joe Davidson, has never had a victim save him before and the fact that this South American beauty comes through for him multiple times is a large burr in his backside. This Angel is no plaything like his other conquests but he’ll never be caught in the marr...Amazon Link:My Twitter Link:My Facebook Page:My Amazon Author Page:My Bookbub Page:
· Author: Mary D. Brooks Description: It's 1942 in German Occupied Greece during World War II, two women, one Greek, the other German must work together to help Jews escape. They have to put aside their mutual antipathy to accomplish their clandestine operation. They know that one wrong move will put an end to their lives. Fourteen year old Zoe Lambros' faith in God is shattered after her mother's death at the hands of the German Commander. She determines to defy the enemy in every way she can--including a festering urge to kill the German Commander's daughter, Eva Muller. Eva Muller has a tortured past, and a secret, if revealed, will lead to certain death at the hands of her father. Despite knowing the risk, Eva is working with the village priest to help the Jews escape. With her activities closely observed, Eva needs...· Amazon Link:· My Twitter Link:My Facebook Page:· My Amazon Author Page:· My Bookbub Page:
· Author: Amy Vansant Description: A New Adult/College/Adult Sexy Romantic Comedy! Emily never expected to find love in a dart bar, but the moment she spots tall, sexy Sebastian, she’s determined to catch his eye. Ex-girlfriends, perpetually shirtless rich boys, frantic best-friends and a mysterious orange handbag converge to stop her. No one said stalking was easy, but if romance was left to the boys, the human race would die out while they logged fantasy football points and punched each other in the balls. Everyone knows that. Emily’s not stalking Sebastian...she’s saving the world.Amazon Link:My Twitter Link:My Facebook Page:My Amazon Author Page:My Bookbub Page:
· Author: Monica Corwin Description: Scarlet needs a new job, but Horseman of the Apocalypse doesn’t sound good on a resume. Three years ago she followed her companions to Earth in an effort to live human lives. But the moment she left her husband Tyr she knew life wouldn’t be worth living. Lonely and longing for her husband, Scarlet is on a path of destruction that could endanger all the riders. Tyr, god of justice, hunts his wife across the realms. From Hell to the Golden Throne, he travels until he finds her working as a phone operator. Scarlet is no longer the woman he fell in love with, and he is determined to bring that woman back to him if it takes the rest of eternity. Even though the Horsemen live on Earth, they are still responsible for guarding four seals that can unleash the Apocalypse. When a prophecy is...· Amazon Link:· My Twitter Link:· My Facebook Page:· My Amazon Author Page:· My Bookbub Page:
· Author: Demelza Carlton Description: A hot Aussie rock star looking for love. Why did he have to pick HER hotel? A maid at the exclusive Romance Island Resort, Audra knows how to handle rock stars, billionaires and celebrities. She keeps their secrets, cleans up their mess and makes sure their holiday is a memorable one. There's just one rule: no relationships with guests. And Audra never breaks the rules. Jay Felix is rock royalty and he knows it. When one of his bandmates threatens to break up the band, he goes into hiding at the Romance Island Resort. Looking for a distraction, he sets his sights on the unattainable Audra. But what's a rock star to do when the girl he wants is the one woman he can't have? Welcome to paradise, where the romance is as hot as the weather and the tides aren't all that's surging beneath...Amazon Link:My Twitter Link:My Facebook Page:My Amazon Author Page:My Bookbub Page:
· Author: Effrosyni Moschoudi Description: When Sofia falls in love, a mourning spirit begins to haunt her... CORFU, 1987 On a long holiday with her grandparents, Sofia Aspioti meets Danny Markson, a charming flirt who makes her laugh. Although she tries to keep him at arm's length, worried that village gossip will get back to her strict family, she falls desperately in love. That's when strange dreams about Brighton's West Pier and a woman dressed in black begin to haunt her. Who is this grieving woman? And how is her lament related to Sofia's feelings for Danny? BRIGHTON, 1937 Dreaming of wealth and happiness, Laura Mayfield arrives in Brighton to pursue a new life. She falls for Christian Searle, a happy-go-lucky stagehand at the West Pier theatre, but when she's offered a chance to perform there, her love for him is pu...· Amazon Link:· My Twitter Link:· My Facebook Page:· My Amazon Author Page:· My Bookbub Page:
· Author: PJ Fiala Description: Formerly Titled: Dog Days of Summer Iraq veteran and motorcycle shop owner Jeremiah “Dog� Sheppard is looking forward to the annual Veterans Ride benefit for local vets, but this year he might be rewarded with more than the usual satisfaction of doing a good deed. When he asks the stunning single mother of one of his employees to help with the charity event, he finds himself facing a greater challenge than expected. Joci James is happy to use her graphic design and marketing savvy to help a good cause but charity might not be her only motivator. She cannot deny a mutual attraction but her bruised heart is closed for business, even to her son’s good-looking boss. Fortunately, the tenacious Jeremiah never gives up without a fight.Amazon Link:My Twitter Link:My Facebook Page:My Amazon Author Page:My Bookbub Page:
· Author: Patrice Wilton Description: First came A HEAVENLY CHRISTMAS and now we have the riveting sequel, SOMEONE TO LOVE. This book is light on suspense and heavy on romance, and a perfect read anytime of the year! Allison Cornwall was forced to leave her hometown in Connecticut and live life on the run from an ex-boyfriend turned stalker. She changed her name and hunkered down in Heaven, PA. The small, idyllic town was a safe haven where no one could find her. And yet, after a year and a half of peace, he did. Police Chief Ian Brown is determined to keep crime out of Heaven. When Ally fears for her life, he's there to protect. Recently divorced, he's not looking for love, but this innocent young woman touches his heart. Can they put their pasts behind them and open themselves to the miracle of Christmas—learning once agai...· Amazon Link:
· Author: Stephany Tullis Description: When a small town well-respected political operative is forced by her disgruntled mother to move into the family home to care for her ill father, her dreams become nightmares and her nightmares reality. Harassed by her mother and overwhelmed by her father’s non-stop caretaker schedule, Angelica Mason’s daydreams become as unnerving as her bewitching nightmares. Does she imagine that her boss fires her? Did she quit her job and tell her boss to ‘stuff it�? Does the love of her life back-stab her? Does an enchanting Prince Charming appear on her doorstop with a pair of platinum-lined glass slippers; perfect size 8? Is she hallucinating that he rescues her? Or is the enchanter the hazel eyed FedEx man who demands her signature for a mysterious package? Just what can a...Amazon Link:My Twitter Link:My Facebook Page:My Amazon Author Page:My Bookbub Page:
· Author: Traci Description: In his wildest dreams Armand Vargas never imagines Zamira Caballero walking through the doors of his new dance studio. After a year of shared passion in Argentina, she’d chosen her ex-dancing partner instead of marriage and so Armand had returned broken-hearted to the states, leaving Zamira in the arms of another man.· Amazon Link:· My Twitter Link:· My Facebook Page:· My Amazon Author Page:· My Bookbub Page:
August 19, 2016
Chapter One excerpt � 2016 Love, Christmas Collection � Little Drummer Boy � by Dani Haviland #mgtab
Little Drummer Boy
By Dani Haviland
Chapter One
Snap!Scout cringed as the branch broke under his foot, its disintegration echoing in the narrow walls of the ravine. If his father had been with him, maybe he’d have cuffed his ears, or even worse, subjected him to that angry White Man scowl.But his father wasn’t here.Again.He’d make do by himself as he had in the past. He huffed as realization hit. His life had been so much simpler without a father. When had their roles been reversed? He shrugged a shoulder and a faint smile crept in. Ever since he’d met him, three years ago. The smile grew and he allowed a small chuckle to escape. Yes, his first ten years of life had been so much easier, living with just his mother and grandmother in their Cherokee village. Finding his ‘real� father was almost an accident, but whether Sky Walker—the man the White Men called Ian Kincaid—was a nuisance or not, he was still kin. And he’d watch out for him.When he was around.And not on another vengeance quest.But no matter what, he needed to find food and a way to make money, but not in that order.He clutched his rumbling stomach. “Quiet, or we’ll never get that rabbit.”The sand-colored critter sniffed the air, then hopped through the knee-high grass, making his own trail, his white cotton tail taunting a silent farewell. Dinner almost got away, but the youthful hunter’s bolo toss was quick and accurate.“No matter how dire the circumstances, there always seems to be enough rabbits to feed a traveler.�
***
“I canna stay with ye any longer,� he said as he kicked dirt over the dying embers of his campfire. “If I do, I’ll wind up as mean and ornery as ye. I can hunt and fish to feed myself, and trap and sell furs to save a few coins. Ye see, I have a wife now. Even if she’s young and stayin� with her parents until she finishes school, Jenny is still my wife. Ye see, we married the Indian way, claimin� each other as husband and wife two years past. I want to buy us a piece of land and a few starter critters, build a house, plant a garden and maybe some fruit trees. I don’t want to be like ye. I want to be settled, have a family that lives in a house, with glass windows maybe—not out in the wind and rain, watchin� out fer snakes and bears and all those enemies ye’re always makin�.”Scout—the youth called Wee Ian by his father—tugged at the strap securing his bundle of blanket, pan, and corn meal, and then stood up again, searching the horizon for signs of his father. Or anyone else.
“Weel, that’s what I’d say to ye if ye were here, but yer gone again.� He shook his head in disgust. “What did someone say or do to make ye angry this time…�
Love, Christmas Box Collection
Coming Oct 2016
DANI HAVILANDDani Haviland, formerly of Connecticut, Arizona, and Alaska, recently semi-retired from selling tractor parts, tools, and roses. She moved to a more temperate climate in western Oregon to pursue her passions: writing, gardening, and photography.
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Mimi ...more
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Mimi ...more
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