Friday, March 24, 2017

Another Time by Donna Steele

Donna Steele stopped by to share her latest book release. Another Time is a story I have read front to back without stopping…it is that good! The characters, Dusty and Dee, don't know each other, but they're all they have to hold onto in this strange time. And what will their presence here mean for the future?

Blurb from Another Time
When Dusty Williams goes into a strange bar to contemplate the ruination of his career, the last thing he expects to find is a compelling woman. He’s not even in the mood to get laid. He just wants to escape from all humanity.

Dee Stevens can’t believe she’s in a bar at all. She’s just lost two patients due to drunk driving. Whatever could have drawn her into a strange bar tonight of all times?

When the two meet, and they feel that odd vibration that seems to pull them together, they have no idea what’s ahead, or behind, them and what it can mean for mankind.

Excerpt –
Dusty nodded to a sign on one of the buildings reading “Mercantile,” and she rolled her eyes. The door opened easily so Dee followed him inside.
“Morning.” They heard the voice from the rear of the shop in response to the tinkling bell over the door.
“Now, yes sir. You’re out early this morning. How can I help . . .” The man came into sight, wiping his hands on a well-worn, white apron. He studied them both and retreated a step.
“Sorry to bother you.” Dusty took the lead. “We had an accident about a mile back that way.”
“Accident?”
“Our car hit—”
“Car?”
Dusty gave Dee a quick ‘help me’ look.
“Could you tell us where we are? We’ve gotten lost somehow,” she said quickly.
The storeowner’s eyes traveled up and down her body, taking in the jeans and t-shirt. The look on his face bordered on scandalized. “You’re not from around here.”
“No, sir. Could you—”
“You’re in Braddock Crossing.”
The name meant nothing to Dusty. From her expression, the same held true for Dee.
Dee opened her mouth to ask another question when a scream came from the rear of the store. The storeowner raced to the back with Dusty and Dee only a half-step behind.
A young woman held her hand out, staring in horror at the blood dripping from a deep cut.
“Daphne!” The older man raced to the young woman but Dee moved faster, seeing a patient in need of her help. She had already rounded the counter, snatching up a clean, folded cloth. She pressed it firmly against the cut.
“Get my bag.” She tossed the words at Dusty, not bothering to look up. “You’re going to be okay,” she assured the young woman. “Let me examine your hand.”
“W-who are you?” The girl tried to shrink away but Dee had hold of her wrist.
“Let go of my girl!” The owner tried to grab Dee’s arm, but Dusty stopped him.
“She’s a doctor. Let her check the girl out.”
“A doctor? She’s a woman, and a strange one at that.”
Dusty held the man’s shoulder and inspected him closely. The man stared at Dee’s jeans and his daughter’s bloody hand with the same fascinated horror. Dusty eyed Daphne warily; the girl cowered behind the counter, weeping as Dee examined her wound.
She wore a long dark skirt and a high collared, long-sleeved white blouse. Pretty, until the blood ruined the fabric.
The shop owner’s shirt appeared to be linen and sported a high, banded collar. His large apron covered his trousers.
Had they found an Amish village? No, there wasn’t one this close to D.C. that Dusty could recall. The clothing worn by the other men on the street also looked like something out of an old photograph.
He stepped between the women and this strange man. “My name is Dustin. This is Doctor Stevens. She’s not going to hurt Daphne. What’s your name?”
At the authoritative tone of voice Dusty used, the man quit struggling to reach Daphne. “I’m Caleb Douglas. This is my store and Daphne’s my daughter.”
“Nice to meet you, Caleb. Let’s give Doctor Stevens space to check Daphne out.”
“Is she a midwife?”
“No, she’s a doctor.”
“Is she one of those suffragettes I’ve been hearin’ about? Wanting the vote and all that nonsense? What upstanding school would admit a woman for their doctorin’ program?”
Dusty gaped at Dee and she met his eyes for an instant of shock, before she returned her full attention to Daphne. Dee murmured soothing sounds to the girl, who did seem to be calming some.
“We’ve been on the road for a couple of days. Do you know the date?”
“The date? Today’s September second.”
Not what Dusty needed, though it was the date of his flight. “Do you have a calendar? I need to—”
“I’ve got an Almanac. What’s she doing to Daphne?”
“I think she’s getting the bleeding stopped. Would you mind if I checked your Almanac?”
Obviously torn, even Caleb could see Daphne was calmer. He reached behind the counter and took out a worn, soft-bound book, handing it to Dusty, not taking his eyes from the pair of women. A good thing, because Dusty knew his own eyes had gone wide.
1891.

Buy link - AMAZON  


Donna writes science fiction, paranormal and small town romances about women coming into their strength and having the courage to find and accept love.

Now that she has retired from going into an office every day, she created an office at home and writes full time. Talk about living the dream!

She was the girl at the party who was yearning for the quiet corner and a book to read (go Rory Gilmore!), and has been writing in her head since she learned to read. Getting those stories down on paper (or in her laptop) has been more fun than she ever imagined it could be.

The possibilities of science fiction have always drawn her and she's read them all, there just needed to be a little more romance in them. She finally got up the courage to write them herself and is delighted to be able to share these stories with you.


She is a member of Romance Writers of America, the Fantasy, Futuristic & Paranormal Chapter of RWA and the Heart of Carolina Romance Writers.

Social Networking links –  Author's page andblog     Facebook 

Twitter     Goodreads    Amazon    Instagram 

                                                                                                                             

Friday, March 17, 2017

Nancy Lee Badger Presents Author Shirley Penick

I invited Shirley Penick to stop by and share intimate details about her life and her new book. Designs on Her was released on March 13th. Take it away, Shirley!

I wanted to write a series about a fictional town in the Lake Chelan area in eastern Washington state. I planned to visit the area so I would have a bit more in-depth knowledge of the area. I had the reservations booked well in advance and when it came time to visit, there were terrible forest fires in the area. They weren’t bad enough to keep me away, but as I took the ferry uplake from Chelan to Stehekin past the area I planned for my town to be, I watched the helicopters come down to the lake and fill up with water. They were huge helicopters but as they flew into the smoke they became tiny dots in the cloud of smoke, which really put the fire into perspective.

I knew I had to write a story about the fires, the ferry had a poster about all the fires they had experienced over the last 30 plus years. So, I realized this was not a once in a while occurrence but was fairly frequent, so ignoring the fires was not an option. I had already planned on having a semi-reclusive jewelry designer living up on the mountain, so what better way for her to meet the man of her dreams than to have him come force her evacuation. And the story was born! I have many more stories planned for the area and my fictional town, maybe a dozen total.

Book Blurb: Designs on Her
Kristen is happy designing her jewelry on her mountain, away from all the hustle of humanity. It’s just her and her faithful dog. Until a forest fire forces her to evacuate. Coming down the mountain casts her into the town problems and sucks her into all the chaos of opening an art gallery.

Police officer Nolan is tasked with the evacuation of the few residents on the mountain. Getting this crazy but beautiful jewelry designer out of harm’s way is not the easiest thing he’s ever done. He manages to get her to safety and then he gets caught in her gallery plans. His life may never be the same.

Nolan turned his back on his talent when his sister was murdered. Caught back up in the art world, he’s torn between creating and the curse his art seems to have on those he loves.

Excerpt
     Nolan just couldn’t resist driving by Kristen’s new place. It was like looking at a car wreck—he just had to see whatever he could see. He had been going by every day while on patrol. Did this street need patrolling this often? Hell no, it was a quiet street. It did have some businesses on it, but nothing crazy. Except for his favorite crazy woman—who was currently attempting to carry a huge box into her home. She would pick it up and walk three steps and then put it back down. Couldn’t the woman ask for help, ever?
     Nolan parked his patrol car in front of her house, called in that he’d be out of touch for a few minutes, and went over to where she’d moved the box another three steps.
     “Um, do you want some help?”
     She jumped. “Oh, you scared me. I was channeling my strength.”
     “Wouldn’t it be easier to ask for some help?”
     “I tried that, Mister Smarty Pants, and everyone was busy. They had a problem down at the amusement park with the carousel and everyone is over there fixing it. One of the animals came loose, or a foot fell off, or something. Anyway, Chris and Terry and Greg are all over there fixing it. Kyle is showing a house. Mary Ann is at the school this morning, doing her monthly volunteer thing. And I really didn’t think I should ask my pregnant sister.” Her voice got shriller with each word.
     Nolan held up his hands in surrender. “Sorry, sorry, I jumped to a false conclusion. Please forgive me. And here, let me give you a hand.”
     “Gladly. This damn thing is heavier than it looked when I ordered it.”
     “And it’s bulky which makes the heaviness even worse.”
     “Thanks, Einstein. I had no idea.” Kristen snarked.
     “Woah, you’re having a bit of a bad day aren’t you.”
     “Again, another brilliant observation. And if you say one word about PMS, I will punch you right in the nose.”
     “That wouldn’t be a wise move. In case you haven’t noticed, I have my uniform on and that would be assaulting an officer.”
     Kristen glared daggers at him and marched into the building. Damn, now he’d really done it. “Kristen wait, I’m sorry. How can I help? Come on, I really am sorry, give the poor stupid man a break, please. Pretty please, with sugar on top.”


Buy Link:   AMAZON


Tell us more About you!
I am a former techy turned writer. I am writing a small town contemporary romance series based in a fictional town on Lake Chelan in eastern Washington. I have lived in Colorado, Hawaii and currently Washington. I’m a member of RWA (Romance Writers of America) and the local chapters GSRWA (Greater Seattle RWA) and Eastside RWA.

I am a mother of two grown children and the grandmother of two adorable grand-daughters. I started reading at a young age with the Nancy Drew mysteries and have continued to be an avid reader. I primarily read romance in most of the genres.

My favorite past-time is playing with my grand-daughters. I have been a carnation grower’s worker, a trap club puller, a pizza hut waitress, a software engineer, an international trainer and a business program manager. And for something really unusual I once had a raccoon as a pet. Connect with me here:

Website      Twitter      Facebook 
Goodreads     Pinterest       Instagram 


Monday, March 13, 2017

Release Day! SMOLDER

I will make this short and sweet...March 13th is my lucky day. Any day an author releases a new book is a great day, but I enjoy the idea of releasing my 13th paranormal romance on the 13th of March (did I also mention I was born on a Friday-the-13th?)

Please take a moment to check out Smolder, BK#3 in my Clan of Dragons series. It is available in ebook and print.

A big shout out to my editor Kathy Rothenberger. Without her great editing and suggestions, my story would be full of errors (if you find one, let me know, because I tend to tweak things)

A big thanks to my cover model, Sgt. Eric Badger, US Army, Ret. Without his awesome tattoo, I would have had to photoshop everything. I enjoy making covers, and made good on my threat to use him. Thanks, son!

Interested in buying a copy?


Book #1
Book #2
in Print

Friday, March 10, 2017

Don't miss WRITE NOW 2017

In the Raleigh, North Carolina area next month? Want to Write for a magazine, or ready to write that book? Thinking of doing a newspaper column, or write articles for company newsletters or blogs? Then check out this writer's conference!


Announcing our 10th ANNUAL Freelance Writing Conference
It promises to be our best event yet!
Keynote Address: Slush Pile Confidential
by Sarah Smith, Executive Editor at REDBOOK

    



Sarah will also present: From Good to Great: Developing Article Ideas that Sell
Special Guest Author Donna Gephart will present: Creating Quirky Characters From the Outside In   as well as sharing closing remarks.
Sarah and Donna will be joined by other fantastic presenters:
Christina Wood tells us about Feature Writing: Going Beyond the 5 W’s
Corbie Hill gives us tips on How to Talk to Anyone About Anything
Margaret Bauer shares Small Markets, Big Prestige: Selling to Literary Journals
Jenni Hart: More Than Magazines: Alternative Money-Making Opps For Non-fiction Writers
Jennifer D elamere shares Research Tips for Fiction Writers
Susan & Clay Griffith present World-Building for Fiction Writers
Don’t miss the Editor Roundtable featuring the editors of Redbook, Walter Magazine, Midtown Magazine and the NC Literary Review!
Please note that Write Now! 2017 will be held at The McKimmon Conference & Training Center, 1101 Gorman St., Raleigh, NC 27606
TAF has worked extremely hard to keep the cost affordable for all writers.
Advanced Registration is $89; $75 for students with valid ID, seniors 65+ and retired/active military with ID  Walk-ins Welcome $109 at the door.
Registration includes all conference activities, morning coffee, a catered box lunch, and all beverages. We also will be giving away some EXCITING DOOR PRIZES!
To learn more, or to register via PayPal, please visit http://tafnc.com/WriteNow.html

We look forward to seeing you there! Have a question or wish to pay by check? Contact Conference Director Donald Vaughan at dvaughan@mindspring.com or by phone at 919-873-9833.

I plan to be there, attending the workshops, 
and will give away a copy of my newest book
as a door prize, along with other fabulous 
prizes offered by other writers.

Pre-order now: Amazon

Friday, March 3, 2017

Excerpt from SMOLDER


My proof copies recently arrived and hubby and I have been reading through them, catching and correcting a few typos, and hoping that they are ready for release day on March 13th. The ebook of SMOLDER, the third book in my Clan of Dragons series, is available for pre-order at Amazon. A big Thank You to those of you who have pre-ordered it!

To those of you not familiar with my series,
here is an excerpt from SMOLDER:

    Fiona straightened her server’s attire, as well as her cap, and made her way into the tavern. The dining hall had emptied, somewhat, but Dougal leaned against the counter and glared at her. Had he been waiting for her all this time? When he marched in her direction, with one hand on the pommel of his sheathed sword, she swallowed.
    He was magnificent, with his long hair in an unruly tumble over his shoulders, and his dark blue eyes glaring at her. His wide shoulders moved in a fluid motion, as if bone, flesh, and muscles worked in harmony. Even his knees were muscular, and she wished he was still naked. He was the most beautiful creature she had ever beheld. As he walked closer, he didn’t say a word, but glowered at her.
    “I need to find your brother, Evan.” Before she could explain, he cupped her chin, and pressed his lips to hers. His hand circled her waist, and he drew her body close. Surrounded by his heat, and the scents of human musk and smoldering cinders, Fiona melted beneath his kiss. When he lifted his mouth mere inches away, she sighed, while he sniffed her.
    “You taste delicious, lass, like apples and spice. I wish to explore every inch of your lovely form, but why be you looking for Evan? I can give you anything you desire, if you only ask.”
    What she desired was to find her friend Cliona, after she gave Evan the good news, but her bones were as shifting as the sands, and she took a moment to formulate a sentence.
    “Sir, I need to find Evan. I have news. He might wish to tell you that your niece or nephew will soon enter the world, but we should leave that up to him, aye?”
    Dougal released her, and stepped back. “What? When? Who said?”
    “Vika has asked me to bring her husband to her. She be in great pain. Can you point me in his direction?”
    “I feared the babe would come too soon. If not for this silly celebration, Vika would be safe in her cave, in her own bed, not surrounded by strangers.” He turned away.
    In her cave?
    As he exited the tavern, she followed, quickening her stride to keep up with his long legs and determined pace. She could only assume he could fly faster, but she doubted he’d reveal himself to the villagers by sprouting wings. They rounded the fire pit, and circled the crowd. Most of the humans sounded gay and happy, or in their cups.
    Cliona had warned her about humans and their spirits. Ale flowed freely in the tavern, but whisky was the true demon. She couldn’t imagine Dougal inebriated, but why had he kissed her so blatantly? What else might he do, if she did not keep her distance?
    A shiver ran along her spine, as she hurried after him. He paused at a vendor’s cart, and the man pointed down the lane. He took off, nearly at a run, and Fiona gasped. She settled a hand on her middle and followed until he entered the blacksmith shop.
    She stopped just outside the door, bent over at the waist, and tried to breathe. When two brown leather boots appeared, she straightened. The human in front of her was Dougal’s twin except for the coppery hair and amber eyes. When they flashed like molten flames, she swallowed. 
    Another dragon.
 
Buy Links:
Amazon    Amazon UK     
Soon available in print: 
ISBN 978-1543171433