Sunday, May 28, 2017

Remember our Troops!

Memorial Day is a day of remembrance for those who have died while serving in the various branches of the military of the United States of America. 

"Every citizen should be a soldier. This was the case with the Greeks and Romans, and must be that of every free state."--Thomas Jefferson

We no longer have a military draft, but thousands of our men and women volunteer to serve their country, to keep its citizens safe.

Former President Lyndon Johnson declared it a national holiday in May 1966, and this year the USA celebrates it on Monday, May 29th. It is not as happy a holiday as Veteran's Day, where we celebrate our citizens who have served in our military. Memorial Day is a day to remember those who have given the ultimate sacrifice.

This weekend often includes trips to the beach, hikes through the mountains, gatherings with friends or families, and barbecues. Please take a moment to remember those we have lost. Here are a few who my family salute.
Joseph Abner Bean died in
Libby Prison during the Civil War

Lt. David Lee Johnson: Died in WW2
Sgt. Richard Ayers: Died in WW2
Pvt. Gerald Ayers: died in WW2
as well as...
Our distant cousin who died in Vietnam












Thank you,
Nancy Lee Badger

p.s. my contemporary military novella 
UNWRAPPING CHRIS 


is available FREE at these locations:

Amazon      iBooks      Kobo
                                 


Friday, May 26, 2017

Author Marianne Rice releases WOUNDED LOVE

Marianne Rice stopped by to share her latest release with me readers. WOUNDED LOVE is a Rocky Harbor Novel #3 by Limitless Publishing 

Ten years ago, Ellie Fairfield left Rocky Harbor brokenhearted and pregnant…

Trying to take care of her son the best she can, the single mother returns to the town close to her heart to run a local inn. Ellie knows it will be tough moving back to Rocky Harbor, and that old memories will haunt her. But the last thing she expects to find on her doorstep is the man who abandoned her when she needed him the most.

Angry at the war, the world, and himself, Colton Riley’s homecoming isn’t a pleasant one…

Being medically discharged from the Marines is one of many disappointments Colton has suffered over the years. A decade ago, he lost a chunk of his heart when the love of his life betrayed him. A year ago he lost his leg. Now, half the man he once was, Colton tries to put back the pieces of his life by accepting a construction project at the local inn, but he didn’t count on finding Ellie standing on the front porch.


The more time they spend together, the more they realize the love they shared years ago hasn’t died…

Even though Ellie is still hurt and angry, she knows her heart belongs to Colton. It’s not easy letting go of the past, especially with the secret she’s hiding from everyone. But when an illness puts her little boy’s life in danger, she has no choice but to tell Colton the truth—a truth that threatens to destroy their love once and for all.

With a past spun together in a web of lies, will Colton and Ellie be able to mend their wounded love?  

PURCHASE LINKS:   Kindle      Paperback 

MEET THE AUTHOR: Marianne Rice writes contemporary romances set in small New England towns. Her heroes are big and strong, yet value family and humor, while her heroines are smart, sexy, sometimes a little bit sassy, and are often battling a strong internal conflict. Together, they deal with real life issues and always, always, find everlasting love. When she’s not writing, Marianne spends her time buying shoes, eating chocolate, chauffeuring her herd of children to their varying sporting events, and when there’s time, cuddling with her husband, a drink in one hand, a romance book in the other. Connect with her here:

Facebook     Twitter 



Friday, May 19, 2017

Nancy Lee Badger Interviews Author Ashlyn Mathews

Today I’m interviewing author Ashlyn Mathews. Her  book, STAY was released on April 25. Authors appreciate help getting out the word, so please leave a comment and share via Facebook, Twitter, etc. Ashlyn, please tell my readers a little bit about your book.

Ashlyn- STAY is a short contemporary romance about a woman who loses pieces of her memories after an assault and the mysterious man who intrigues her with his familiar eyes and sizzling words.

Nancy- Is this the only genre you write in?

Ashlyn- STAY is a contemporary romance. I also write steamy paranormal romances, too.

Nancy- Steamy? Yum! When did you start writing toward publication?

Ashlyn- My writing journey began in 2010 after I took my kids to see the Disney movie, Tangled. For some reason, that movie inspired me to find my muse.

Nancy- I love that movie! Did you have several manuscripts finished before you sold? If so, did you send them out yourself?

Ashlyn- I had one manuscript done by 2011 and sold the book to a publisher later that year.

Nancy- Why have you become a published author?

Ashlyn- I became a published author because I can’t quiet the voices in my head, lol. After being a voracious reader of romance since I was a teenager (yes, I snuck out of the house and holed myself at the local library for hours), I decided I wanted to write and share my angsty stories of second chance love and fated love. Those are my two favorite romance tropes to read and write about.

Nancy- What is your writing routine like?

Ashlyn- I work full time and am going to school full time for my Bachelor’s degree, so any chance I get, I sit my butt down and write. After I’m done, I send the document to my Kindle and read and edit. I’m constantly editing.

Nancy- editing is the key. After the book is ready, what sort of promo do you do? Do you have help?

Ashlyn- I don’t do much promo unless I have a new book out. I don’t have help but I do use the book services out there that helps authors promote new releases or a book priced at a bargain.

Nancy- Having achieved your goal to be a published author, what is the most rewarding thing?

Ashlyn- My most rewarding thing is to finish a book and sharing the stories with readers.

Nancy- Will you share some encouraging words for authors still struggling for that first contract?

Ashlyn- I say to keep writing and to listen to the muse in their heads. I let a story settle for a while and come back to it later when I’m frustrated. Eventually as I write, the message of the story comes to me. It can be a lonely and frustrating process but well worth it. And of course, take the time to enjoy life. It will show in your writing process.

Nancy- Please Share three fun facts about you that most people don’t know.

I love roses and won a couple of ribbons for best show at my employers’ flower contest.
2) I was quite the athlete in school-softball, tennis, basketball and track.
3) I listen to music all day long, whether I’m at work, in the car or cooking.

Nancy- What’s next for you?

Ashlyn- I have a paranormal romance releasing in 10 days. And I’m currently working on another contemporary romance about second chance love titled, Love, Actually, Red Meets Blue.

BOOK BLURB from STAY
My heart matters. I don't want a broken heart. The whole of me is already broken.

After losing pieces of my memory in a brutal assault, I know better than to get involved with the new guy in the building. Brooks Hunter is dangerously sexy with his piercing gaze and ripped body beneath his well-fitted suit.

He can have any woman, yet he wants me. I don't deny our instant spark, but I can't understand his attraction. I'm plain and skinny, wear ugly owl glasses and my monotone black hair is piled high on top of my head.

"Invite me in. Otherwise, I can't stay."

He says we know one another. I swear I've never met him. A woman can't forget his type of sexy--mouthwatering and panty-melting hot. But his eyes are familiar, and I can't shake the suspicion he had something to do with my assault.

When he reveals the unbelievable truth behind the story of how we're connected, he rocks the very foundation of my safe world. Will I demand he takes a much-deserved hike? Or will I ask him... to stay?

Buy Links…. 

AMAZON    NOOK

MORE ABOUT THE AUTHOR
A writer of angsty and dark romances, Ashlyn Mathews likes to incorporate various weapons into her stories and gives her characters out-of-this-world names just because she can. She lives in the Pacific Northwest with her husband and four boys. Connect with Ashlyn Mathews here:




Monday, May 15, 2017

Writing at the Beach!

Angry waves
I had an opportunity to join my sister on a trip to the beach. While she attended workshops on a totally different subject, I was able to sit and edit manuscripts. 

The weather was cloudy and drizzling, but it calmed down enough Saturday night so I could walk out onto the Kitty Hawk Pier. The pier was heavily damaged during last October's visit by Hurricane Mathew, and that stung, as it is used by dozens
Kitty Hawk Pier
of brides for their weddings. In fact, a wedding had just occurred, and the festivities went on into the night. (I peeked at the party inside the building!)


The lobby of the Hilton Garden Inn in Kill Devil Hills (same area on the Outer Banks of North Carolina with Kitty Hawk and Nags
Head) and I enjoyed coffee while watching people until returning to the room to update my manuscripts in my computer before enjoying meals at fabulous local restaurants like Captain George's, the Dunes, and Tortuga Lie.

We woke to blue skies and warm weather on Sunday, but after a short stop at Duck Donuts for a sweet breakfast, headed home to Raleigh. 

A writer spends many months polishing their craft, editing their stories, and typing, typing, typing! A new series is in the works, due to be released in quick succession this summer, so stay tuned via my blog or my Amazon Author Page. Thanks!



Friday, May 5, 2017

Nancy Lee Badger presents Author Alexandra Christian


Author Alexandra Christian stopped by to share her latest book, which was released April 13, 2017.  

BLURB:
Librarian at one of Earth's last paper libraries, Phoebe Addison is about to have a romantic and interplanetary adventure wilder than anything she's ever read.


OUT OF THE STACKS

Librarian Phoebe Addison has lived her entire life within a seventy-five mile radius of her small Louisiana town, but when she receives a strange medallion from her adventurous, off-world sister, reality tilts toward the bizarre. Everything Phoe thought she knew is…well, wrong. Dead wrong. But bone-numbing fear has no place in this brave new world—nor by the side of the dangerous, exquisite man who saves her life.

…AND INTO THE FIRE

Following the tragic slaughter of his family, operative Macijah “Cage” St. John understands evil in a way no man ever should. He traded happiness for a magnificent and terrible power, and fate isn’t done with him yet. He wasn’t looking for comfort. He didn’t need tenderness. But today he’ll play hero to a damsel in distress, and his quest will deliver him to the uncanny Martian colony of New London—and his heart to the demure Phoebe Addison. The bookish beauty’s hidden talents and deep abiding love just might save Cage from himself

Excerpt from Phoenix Rising: NAKED

Caught in the Rain

There is no situation that can’t be made worse with the addition of heavy rain. Phoebe stumbled down the path behind St. John, her sensible pumps sinking into the squishy ground with every step. His long-legged strides weren’t particularly fast, but she was practically running to catch up. She was also trying to pull a bulky suitcase behind her without much luck. Finally she ran over a large rock, tipping the case over and taking her with it. She sat down hard on the wet ground, the standing water in the grass splashing up and peppering her with a spray of muddy freckles. “Damnit!” she cried, wanting to throw herself down and have a kicking and screaming tantrum. Instead she took off one of her shoes and threw it as hard as she could. It whizzed past St. John’s ear, and he finally turned.
“Problem?” he asked, strolling back toward where she sat in the grass.
“Can you slow down a minute, please?” Her tone was teetering on annoyance. Couldn’t he see that she was having trouble? So much for the politeness of the British.
He stared down at her, his arms crossed over his chest. “Actually, no. We need to get as far away from that crash site as soon as possible and you to that spaceport so I can be on my way.”  He looked over the assortment of items that had fallen out of the case as it tipped over. “Got any trainers in there?”
Phoebe looked up at him like he had suddenly lapsed into Chinese. “What?”
“Trainers. Shoes. Like shoes you wear for running.”
“Oh. Not really, no.”
“Jeans? A jumper?”
“No. I didn’t think I’d be trekking through the forest,” she replied, taking his offered hand and letting him pull her upright. She limped over to where she had thrown her shoe, searching the grass.
“Is there anything in there that’s helpful or important?”
“Well of course,” she replied. “My clothes and toothbrush… anti-bac hand lotion…” She continued listing off all of the things as she pulled her discarded shoe back on. Heaving a sigh, he grabbed the suitcase and slung it as hard as he could over the ravine.
“What are you doing?” She could feel the pressure of angry tears behind her eyes as she watched all of her worldly possessions take a header down the bank, spilling her delicates over the dirty ground. How dare he have such disregard for her personal property! Not to mention that the items in that suitcase were her security blankets. There might not be anything of value or anything “helpful,” but there were things she needed! A picture of her family, her allergy medicine… her copy of Gone With the Wind. Phoebe started to run after the case, but St. John held her back. She beat her fists against his arms and chest. “Let me go! That’s my stuff! I need it!”
“Your stuff is slowing us down. Look, I said I would help you, but I’m not a bellhop or a hero! If you’re going with me, you play by my rules.”  He looked up into the sky and let her go. “Come on… it’s nearly dawn.”
She watched him go, starting to reconsider her pleas for his help and then realizing that she had little choice but to follow him. They were now so far off the beaten path that she’d never find her way out. Steeling her jaw and giving a last glance back to where he’d thrown her suitcase, she started walking. Despite his growling, he did slow the pace a little so that she could keep up.
As they walked on and on, the trees rose up around them in an ominous canopy that nearly obliterated the early morning light of dawn. She could hear the stream that ran along beside them at the bottom of the ravine. It was hard to believe in their world that places such as this still even existed. It was almost desolate, but beautiful. Watching him as they walked, she slowly realized that St. John seemed almost as distressed as she felt. By now they’d been walking for hours, and in that time he’d become increasingly irritable. After several attempts at conversation, Phoebe had just given up and walked beside him silently. But his mood was starting to make her worry even more than she had been already.
“So… you don’t really seem like the normal space traveler,” he said, surprising her by breaking the silence. St. John shifted the backpack from one shoulder to the other. “What’s taking you to New London?”
“What? Oh… yes. My sister,” she replied. “I’m going to visit her.”
“Interesting,” he replied blandly.
Her heart pounded in her chest. She didn’t fully trust St. John and wasn’t sure that she should reveal her true intentions. Anyone could be working for Machine. Maybe he had been sent to keep an eye on her. Phoe was a fan of James Bond, so she had spent many an hour watching spy movies. He could be some kind of operative that was just waiting for an opportunity to steal the medallion and leave her broken body in the woods. And of course there was the werewolf thing. “Not really. I mean… it’s just a visit.”
“Well considering that no one really lives on the space colony unless they’re either filthy rich or a scientist of some sort. Judging by your clothes, you don’t appear to be particularly wealthy. So that leaves scientist.”
“She’s an archaeologist,” Phoebe answered. “She works for the Interplanetary Union, looking for natural resources and such. I’m a librarian.”
“I didn’t know those existed anymore. Libraries, I mean.”
“In small towns mostly, I suppose. I mean, I used to work for a digital archive in New Orleans, but I… I didn’t really like it there.” She bit down on her lip, wishing she could take it back. Her brain whirred, already constructing the story that she would tell him when he asked why she’d left New Orleans. Everyone asked why.
To her surprise, St. John just nodded, glancing toward the lightening sky again.
“What about you?”
“What about me?” he parroted.
“Well… what do you do?”
“I… I’m not really sure how to describe what I do. I’m a problem solver, I guess.”  Given the things Phoe saw in his backpack, his problem solving skills must involve heavy artillery. 


BUY LINKS:

Boroughs Publishing     Amazon      B&N 
Kobo     Smashwords      Print 

AUTHOR BIO
Alexandra Christian is an author of mostly romance with a speculative slant. Her love of Stephen King and sweet tea has flavored her fiction with a Southern Gothic sensibility that reeks of Spanish moss and deep fried eccentricity. As one-half of the writing team at Little Red Hen Romance, she’s committed to bringing exciting stories and sapiosexual love monkeys to intelligent readers everywhere. Lexx also likes to keep her fingers in lots of different pies having written everything from sci-fi and horror to Sherlock Holmes adventures. Her alter-ego, A.C. Thompson, is also the editor of the highly successful Improbable Adventures of Sherlock Holmes series of anthologies. 

A self-proclaimed “Southern Belle from Hell,” Lexx is a native South Carolinian who lives with an epileptic wiener dog and her husband, author Tally Johnson. Her long-term aspirations are to one day be a best-selling authoress and part-time pinup girl. She’s a member of Romance Writers of America and Broad Universe—an organization that supports female authors of speculative fiction. Publisher: Boroughs Publishing Group

Connect with her here:
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