Nancy Lee Badger Interviews Barbara White Daille

Today I’m interviewing BARBARA WHITE DAILLE. Her book, The Rancher’s Baby Proposal, is a short contemporary romance and was released on May 1, 2017. Please tell my readers a little bit about your book.

Barbara- Ally, the heroine, has been in love with Reagan Chase forever! But their romance needs a few nudges from her best friend’s matchmaking grandpa, the owner of the Hitching Post Hotel. FYI, the books in all my series stand alone as far as the romance wrapping up in each couple’s book.

Nancy- When did you start writing toward publication?

Barbara- I’ve been “writing” since before kindergarten and writing toward publication since grade school, probably, when I handwrote and submitted poetry and short stories to Highlights for Children. (Unfortunately, they never acquired any of my work.)

Nancy- Did you have several manuscripts finished before you sold? If so, did you send them out yourself?

Barbara- Yes, I had several full-length manuscripts written and submitted (and rejected) before I sold. These were romantic suspense, short contemporary romance, and a not-quite-finished cozy mystery. But my first sales were short stories to romance and mystery magazines, including Woman’s World. And yes, I submitted everything myself.

Nancy- Why have you become a published author?

Barbara- You know, this is one question I can’t help answering the same in every interview, because the response comes from the heart. I want to reach readers, and I hope my books give them as much pleasure as other authors’ stories have brought to me.

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

Barbara- Sure. Write what you love most, because when you sell, your editor will most likely want to see more of the same. Remember, only you can tell your characters’ stories. And don’t ever give up.  

   

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

Barbara- I’m giving this topic a theme.  ;) Vehicles I Have Driven:

1) Bus

2) Fire engine

3) Model T (Note, it was an original, not a replica – but I didn’t drive it until it was an antique!)

Nancy- What’s next for you?

Barbara- My Snowflake Valley series from Entangled Bliss, which began with Snowbound with Mr. Wrong, continues with book two this fall and book three early next year. No firm titles yet, but I’ll be announcing details in my newsletter as I get them!

BOOK BLURB from The Rancher's Baby Proposal

HER SECRET COWBOY CRUSH

Ally Martinez has always been known as a fun and flirty kind of gal.  But deep down she’s never forgotten the cowboy who left town. When her crush Reagan Chase comes home after a five-year absence, Ally knows this is her big chance. The guy I’ve always wanted. Only Reagan has something different in mind…

Still reeling from his last relationship, Reagan needs a babysitter for his month-old son. With Ally’s help, he can get his family’s ranch ready for sale and get out of Cowboy Creek. The problem? Ally is one seriously cute distraction. But Reagan will do whatever it takes to keep his heart safe. Even if it means losing the only place—and the only woman—he can call home.  >

Excerpt: Just a quick setup for this look at the story: Ally is inexperienced and uncomfortable when it comes to being around kids. This is her first time alone with Reagan’s son:

    As she pulled the car up to the ranch house, Ally peeked into her rearview mirror at the car seat Reagan had left for her at Mrs. Browley’s house. Luckily, she had gotten instructions from Tina on the right way to install the seat in the car and then how to fasten the baby safely inside.

    Another mirror suction-cupped to the back window reflected the infant’s image. In the frequent quick peeks she had taken on the drive to the ranch, she hadn’t seen him stir. Now, his eyes were open, blinking in the light, staring up at the mirror.

    “Hey, baby,” she said softly. “So, you’re awake. Listen, the two of us are going to get along great. No tricks, no temper tantrums on your part. And only first-class care on mine. I promise you that. After all, I’ve been trained by the best. There’s nothing like learning your trade from a brand-new mama.”

    She winced. As far as she knew, the baby didn’t have a mama. Had he ever heard the word before? How would he react at hearing it from her?

    But he lay still in his seat, blinking lazily.

    She took a deep breath and let it out again. Now or never. She would rather never, but that hadn’t been the agreement she had made with Reagan.

    She went to the rear passenger door and knelt on the backseat to unhook the safety harness. “This is only your first time out here at the ranch, isn’t it?” Her hands shook just a tiny bit. So did her voice.

    The baby looked up at her. He had slept through the entire ride, as if the bouncing of her car on the frequently uneven road had soothed him. Maybe the wobbly sound of her voice had the same effect. If that was the case, she would let her nerves take over and talk to him all day long.

Nancy- How can my readers buy your book?

Barbara- Readers can go to my author page at the publisher’s website or to any of the locations in the links below.  The book is available in both print and digital formats.

Buy Links….

AMAZON    BARNES & NOBLE    KOBO

BOOKS-A-MILLION    INDIEBOUND    

MORE ABOUT THE AUTHOR 

Barbara White Daille lives with her husband in the sunny Southwest. Though they love the warm winters and the lizards in their front yard, they haven’t gotten used to the scorpions in the bathroom. Barbara also loves writing, reading, and chocolate. Come to think of it, she enjoys writing about those subjects, too! Barbara wrote her first short story at the age of nine, then typed "The End" to her first novel many years later...in the eighth grade. Now she's writing contemporary romance on a daily basis. Sign up for her newsletter to keep up with the latest in her writing life HERE  

You can find more information about Barbara here:

WEBSITE     BLOG     Twitter 

Facebook    Amazon Author Page 

And My Goodreads Giveaway Winners Are...

Amber A., Salem, IN

Stephanie H., Evarts, KY

Charissa R., Arkansas City, KS

Teri G., Benton, AR

Ricarda F., Springfield, NJ



Congratulations! Your Autographed copy of Shimmer: The Beginning is in the mail!

(Didn't win? I will be giving away several copies next week. Those winners MUST BE ON MY NEWSLETTER LIST! To join, click HERE )

What The Lady Wants by Author Nika Rhone

Author Nika Rhone stopped by to share her latest romantic suspense novel. The book is titled What the Lady Wants (Boulder Bodyguards #1) and was released July 14^th. Since I like to pay it forward to other authors, I have invited her to tell you more about it.

BOOK BLURB:   

Thea Fordham has wanted him forever. The years haven’t cooled the heat Brennan Doyle arouses in her, so it’s time for her to make the former Marine open his eyes to everything he’s missing. What will it take to prove she’s not some untouchable porcelain doll, but a red-blooded woman determined to finally get her man?

Doyle’s honor has kept Thea off-limits, but every time he turns around she’s there, wreaking havoc on his senses, making him think about long, sweaty nights and how good she would feel wrapped in his arms. How long could a man be expected to ignore the woman who calls to his every desire?

Doyle holds a secret that could jeopardize not only the first fragile bonds of love, but Thea’s very life. Will he be able to act before it’s too late for them both?

 BOOK EXCERPT:

   Thea scowled, stabbing her fork into her cheesecake as though it were a stand-in for the man in question. “Sometimes I think Charles is marrying Senator Westlake’s connections, and Mellie is just the fully trained political hostess who comes with the deal. Kind of like the toy surprise you get with your burger and fries.”

   “You do realize that you’ve just equated your friend’s marriage to a Happy Meal?”

   “You know, I’ll be satisfied if ‘happy’ figures into things in any way it can.”

   Although he knew Thea’s concern for her friend wasn’t entirely unwarranted, Doyle selfishly didn’t want it to put a damper on the evening, not when he was enjoying himself in Thea’s company for the first time in weeks.

   Deliberately, he picked up his fork and helped himself to a large bite of Thea’s cheesecake. It was difficult to swallow without choking on laughter at the look of affronted chagrin that crossed her face at the sneak attack.

   “Nope.” He made a show of smacking his lips. “Definitely as good as ever.”

   “And why would you think it wasn’t?” Thea watched him lick the fork clean with obvious resentment.

   “Well,” Doyle said, eyeing her plate again, “I figured since you were mutilating it rather than inhaling it like you usually do,” he paused a second while she sucked in an indignant breath, trying to ignore the way her breasts heaved upward against the silk of her dress, “that there must have been something wrong with it.”

   “Well, you thought wrong, mister.” Wary of the covetous looks Doyle was still throwing at it, Thea moved her plate to where he’d have to lean over her to get at it. “Dessert stealing is a very serious offense, you know.”

   Doyle twirled his fork between his fingers, fighting a grin. “Is it, really?”

   “Yes.”

   “I hadn’t realized that.”

   “Ignorance of the dessert laws is not an excuse.”

   “Are you going to read me my rights before you haul me in?”

   Thea’s lips twitched. “I think maybe we can avoid any hauling, since this is your first offense—this is your first offense, isn’t it?”

   With as innocent a look as he could manage, Doyle replied, “Of course.”

   “Of course.” Thea’s echo sounded less than believing. A sudden, speculative light lit her eyes. “You will, of course, be expected to make restitution.”

   “Resti—” Doyle followed her gaze to his own plate, heaped with one of the most decadent slabs of Black Forest cake this side of the Atlantic. “Oh no. You’re not getting my cake. Sorry. Uh-uh. Go ahead and call the sweets police, babe, because I’ll go down fighting before I surrender any of this.” With good reason. The pastry chef was originally from Germany, and made an authentic Schwarzwalder Kirschtorte worth every overpriced penny Rudolfo paid him.

   “Just a bite.” 

BUY LINKS:

The Wild Rose Press     Amazon

Barnes & Noble    Google Play

More About the Author:

Nika Rhone spent her childhood wearing out library cards as she read her way through the extraordinary worlds far beyond her small hometown on Long Island, NY. By her teens, her imagination was taking her places all on its own, forcing her to learn how to type (badly) so she could get all the stories down on paper. After a long love affair with science fiction and fantasy, she finally discovered romance, fell head-over-heels, and now spends her days crafting happily-ever-afters for the characters who still tell their stories faster (and better) than she can type them. Connect with her here:

WEBSITE     TWITTER     PINTEREST

Facebook     Facebook Author Page

WIN MY BOOK in the new Goodreads Giveaway

Goodreads Book Giveaway

Shimmer

by Nancy Lee Badger

Giveaway ends August 13, 2017.

See the giveaway details
at Goodreads.

Enter Giveaway

Nancy Lee Badger Interviews Author Kate Hill

Kate Hill stopped by to share her latest book and intimate details of her writing life. Her book, Fangs and Fists 3: Victor is an erotic paranormal romance and was released on July 28th. Please tell my readers a little bit about your book. 

Kate- In the Fangs and Fists series, demons have taken over Earth and rule from towers based in cities all over the world. For entertainment, the demons have captured werewolves and use them to fight in gladiatorial matches. Victor is a gladiator and the Alpha male of his house. Jolanda is a rare wolf witch who comes to the tower under the pretense of joining the demons, but she really plans to free the captive wolves. To do this, she realizes she needs Victor’s help. Though he’s attracted to her, he doesn’t trust her. She needs to convince him that she’s not a traitor to her kind so that they can find a way to escape the tower.

Nancy- When did you start writing toward publication?

Kate- I started when I was about sixteen, though it took ten years before my first story was accepted for publication. It was a short, erotic vampire story.

Nancy- Do you have any rejection stories to share?

Kate- My first published novel, The Darkness Therein, was rejected several times before it finally found a home. One rejection stuck in my mind. This particular publisher rejected it because my heroine, who was a young college student, acted too much like a young college student. That comment still makes me chuckle.

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

Kate- It’s always rewarding when someone tells me they’ve read one of my stories and enjoyed it. Reading a good story makes me happy, and if something I’ve written makes someone else happy, that’s a wonderful feeling.

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

1) I generally dislike romantic comedy movies.

2) I don’t like coffee.

3) I get motion sickness.

Nancy- What’s next for you?

Kate- Right now I’m working on Fangs and Fists 4: Haylen.

BOOK BLURB  

Werewolf gladiator Victor vows to escape captivity by demons or die trying--which nearly happens when his latest opponent takes him by surprise.

Jolanda is a member of a secret pack of wolf witches who want to free their kin from the dreaded demon tower. Strengthened by the power of her pack, she defeats Victor in the arena and demands that he be given to her as a mate.

Alone, they surrender to their overwhelming lust for each other, but Jolanda needs him for more than sex. She's been sent to rescue the captive wolves and Victor is the Alpha she needs to help her. Together he and Jolanda plan a mass escape from the tower, hoping to strike a blow the demon masters will never forget.

Nancy- How can my readers buy your book?

Kate- Readers can go to the publisher’s home page HERE  

MORE ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Always a fan of romance and the paranormal, Kate Hill started writing over twenty years ago for pleasure. Her first story, a short erotic vampire tale, was accepted for publication in 1996. Since then she has sold over one hundred short stories, novellas and novels. When she's not working on her books, Kate enjoys reading, working out, spending time with her family and pets and running the Compelling Beasts Blog, dedicated to antagonists, antiheroes and paranormal creatures. She also writes under the name Saloni Quinby. Connect with Kate:

WEBSITE 

  BLOG     Twitter     Facebook     

Where THIS Romance Author Went To Learn!

Nancy & Donna Steele @ Rita Awards

I am back from the RWA Annual Conference at the Dolphin and Swan Hotel Complex in Orlando. I attended workshops, panels, and award ceremonies inside the hotel, appreciating the air conditioning. I did dip my toes in one of their beautiful pools, and heard...bagpipe music!!! Amy Atwell (of Author EMS) hosted a poolside party for folks who did not tour the Disney parks. Donna Steele and I stopped by to say hi and listen to the band.

I gave away about a dozen copies of my new book, Shimmer: The Beginning, as well as tiny bags of shimmering silver jelly beans packaged with my book cover. All I can do is pray everyone who reads it will leave a review on Amazon, Goodreads, their blogs, etc. Reviews are like gold to an author.

Never fear! I am giving away 5 autographed copies at Goodreads (ends August 13th... see the sign-up link on the blog) 

A few lucky people, whose names I find on my newsletter list, will also win my book. Not currently on my newsletter list? Sign-up HERE 

A little later this month, I will be giving away a bucket-load of Conference Stash, so watch for that Rafflecopter Giveaway, coming very soon.

Giveaway and Release Day Shimmer: The Beginning

Release Day! 

The Story

On Scotland’s Isle of Skye, Robina uses her gifts to turn algae and muck into crystal clear fairy pools. A dark fairy chases her, while a black winged creature falls from the sky. One wants her body, the other claims her heart.

Duff was dying, and his search for a mate looked doomed to failure. A pretty dragon knocks him off his feet. When she says she had simply transformed her shape in order to meet him, his heart breaks. Human hunters and the dark fairy threaten them, while love erupts between them. How will two very different otherworldly creatures co-exist?

An Excerpt from Shimmer: The Beginning

     Wary of the possible danger that had caused the woodland creatures to run away, Robina opened her otherworldly senses, hoping she’d sense or hear the thoughts of whoever had frightened the others away. Fairies were not immortal. When they had confronted those who detested their species, many died. Enemies were not everywhere, but taking care while out and about on Skye had proved prudent, time and again. Unfortunately, she could not sense other fairies, such as Lon. Until she could figure out what had caused the others to flee, she sat on her rock and willed her wings to dry. She did not have to wait long.

   A creature, riding upon the wind, flew near. His deafening roar stole her breath. It was ancient, huge, and black as night. She feared it harbored an unholy taste for blood.

                

   Duff flapped his mighty wings, flying low below the frothy clouds. He sniffed the air. Something had disturbed the natural order, and he took a moment out of his misery to search it out. If an otherworldly creature dared to travel near his cave in the Black Cuillin Hills, he would make it leave with haste, or devour the intruder. He’d always prided himself on his solitude, and only came out of his cave in order to pursue a female dragon.

   Failed that, didn’t you?

   Both of his ears twitched, but the only sound was the thunder of rushing water, meaning he had reached one of the waterfalls cascading into murky pools. He rarely headed in this direction to find drinking water. The threat of coming face-to-face with human hunters grew if he headed west across the Isle of Skye. What he smelled wasn’t human. It was more flowery, with an overlay of fresh grass. He sniffed again.

   At the sight of the crystal-clear pool, into which the waterfall plunged, he hesitated. How could the murky water have changed? He recognized the area, and the pool’s surface was normally green with algae. Now it shimmered like starlight. He wanted what his own eyes beheld to be true. He was parched, his throat as dry as sand. When his stomach rumbled, it reminded him that he was famished.

His nostrils twitched. Earlier, he’d smelled a stag and a pine marten, but he hadn’t thought to pursue any prey. He wasn’t well, but forgetting to eat wouldn’t help him regain his strength. Since nothing in his life had turned out the way he’d planned, what did this newfound crystal-clean watering hole mean? Was he dreaming? Had he died and gone to the hereafter? The smart thing to do was to head down to the large pool and examine it closer.

   Flapping his wings, pain shot through his limbs. He was lonely, and had expended a lot of energy in the pursuit of a mate. For all his efforts, he’d had no luck. He was exhausted, and heading home, possibly to die in peace, but something drew him to this pool.

Shimmer: The Beginning is a prequel to my Clan of Dragons series. This 100 page novella helps explain how my dragon-shifters came into their special powers, and why these powers led to all three brothers finding the loves of their lives. Find all the ebook & print buy links HERE

WIN My Scottish Prize Package
*Shimmering Bracelet
*Bottle of Wish Dust Necklace
*Silver Jelly beans
*Bookmark
*

I am also Giving Away

3 Autographed Copies of 

Shimmer: The Beginning *

a Rafflecopter giveaway

*You may enter using one or all of these methods (You NEVER have to do them all!)

Terms & Conditions

No purchase necessary.  *Three Autographed copies of Shimmer will only be awarded to readers who receive my newsletters. Due to shipping costs, International winners will receive an ebook from Nancy's backlist. All entrants agree to me adding their names & emails to my Newsletter list, and will be eligible for future GIVEAWAYS. Info will NOT be shared.