Friday, September 30, 2016

Forever in her Eyes by Karen Rose Smith

Author Karen Rose Smith stopped by to share the news about her latest book, Forever in Her Eyes, so please scroll down and read all about it! Take it away, Karen!


Excerpt:

In just a few moments she'd find out whether he was the man in her dreams.  If he was...
Melanie's heart thudded so hard, she felt as if it were going to jump out of her chest as Flo Briggs led her through a spacious living room, then down a hall.  There the housekeeper motioned to an open door. 
Melanie stepped inside and came face-to-face with Zachary Morgan.  Her organ donor's husband was sitting at his desk, his oxford shirt sleeves rolled up, deeply involved in his work and seemingly oblivious to her presence.
This is the man, everything inside of her screamed.  She felt almost dizzy with the realization that her dreams had been much more than dreams.
As he stood to greet her, their eyes locked and Melanie's heart lurched.
"Ms. Carlotti?" he asked, his voice deep and rich, striking a chord inside of her.  He extended his hand, and for a moment she was afraid to take it.
Then she did.  His grip was strong, his skin warm, his hand tanned, and she was so relieved when she didn't feel anything strange.  "Yes.  It's good to meet you."
Releasing her fingers, he leaned away and nodded to the black leather chair in front of his desk.  "Tell me why you'd like to decorate my offices."
After she took her seat, he lowered himself into his chair but kept his gaze on hers.  She still couldn't believe she was finally face-to-face with the man she'd been dreaming about for months—a man she'd found so very compelling.  Yet she knew if she told him her real reason for being here, he wouldn't believe her or worse yet, he'd think she was crazy.
Smoothing her hand down the rose skirt of her two-piece dress, she gave a logical explanation for wanting this job.  "The way I understand it, this is a large project—four floors of offices.  I'd enjoy working on a job that size, starting from scratch and choosing everything from wall coverings to furniture."
He glanced down briefly at the papers on his desk.  "You've mostly decorated homes.  Why do you feel you have the qualifications to do this job?"
"I'd expect you'd want your offices to reflect something about you and your business and how you run it.  It's really not so different from decorating a house to match a client's personality as well as likes and dislikes."
"I suppose that's so."  Keeping his gaze steady on hers, he noted, "There's almost a two-year gap in your work history, and you've only finished a couple of minor jobs in the past few months.  Can you tell me the reason for that?"
She could lay it all out on his desk right now—tell him about the fire and her cornea transplants and the keening ache that had brought her to him.  If she did that, he might escort her out of his building, lock the doors and never let her back in.  She'd be left with dreams and no explanations.  "I had some health problems," she explained.  "Now they're resolved and I'm ready to get back into the swing of my career again." 
He seemed to think about that.  "Why here in Northern California rather than back in L.A.?"
"I need a change.  I've heard that Santa Rosa is a particularly lovely place to live.  I have a good reputation that I can take with me anywhere, so I decided to start fresh.  If I get this job."
He arched a brow.  "And if you don't?"
"I might stay in the area for a while and see if there are any other opportunities."
After another long, silent appraisal, he asked, "Do you have a place to stay?"
"Not yet.  I checked into the motel at Cool Ridge last night."  Cool Ridge was about forty-five minutes outside of Santa Rosa and consisted of little more than a main street.  She'd been fortunate to find a room in the one motel there.  A country-music festival was being held at nearby Clear Lake this week and vacancies were hard to find anywhere in the area.
As her gaze held Zachary Morgan's, there seemed to be more than words between them.  Something akin to electricity.  She wondered if he felt it, too.
His brows furrowed as he once again looked down at the papers on his desk, and she suspected he was buying time as he made a first impression of her.  "Your résumé is certainly complete.  I phoned—"
Suddenly a toddler came running into the office.  From Jake's background report, Melanie knew Zack's daughter was eighteen months old.  The little girl made a beeline straight for Zack and held onto his knee, looking up at him with a beatific smile.
Melanie's breath caught at the wave of feelings that washed over her.  Zack's daughter had dark brown eyes and his dark brown hair.
"Da-Dee.  Up," she said gleefully.
Flo Briggs came tearing into the office, breathless.  "I'm so sorry, Zack.  She got away from me.  Right after her nap, she's got more energy than ten of me."
Zack laughed and lifted his daughter onto his lap.  "How's a man supposed to conduct business with a distraction like you around?"  His voice was teasing and warm and altogether loving.
"Da-Dee, Da-Dee," she said, as if that explained absolutely everything.
He shook his head.  "I can't play right now.  Maybe Flo can find a cookie or two for you."
As if telling her dad that was a fine idea, the child wrapped her arms around his neck and gave him a tight squeeze.
He hugged her back, and looking over her tiny shoulder, he said to Melanie, "This is my daughter, Amy.  Since we moved here and I often work out of the penthouse, she takes advantage of any time she can find me."
Amy suddenly let go of her dad's neck and turned to look at Melanie.
Melanie had felt an almost-hum when her gaze had first connected with Zachary Morgan's.  Now as she looked at his daughter, there was that same feeling of connection.  Was it her imagination?  Truth be told, if she hadn't already been dealing with strange things since her operation, she might think she was going crazy.
Her heart told her another story...especially when Amy blinked twice at her, broke into a super-wide smile and scrambled from her dad's lap.  She ran to Melanie and looked up at her with wide brown eyes.
"Hi, there," Melanie said almost reverently, feeling like a mother again.  Joy and sadness and an unfathomable yearning filled her.
Amy held her arms up, never taking her gaze from Melanie's.  Instinctively, she lifted the toddler to her lap.  The little girl touched Melanie's cheek, her soft baby fingers leaving an imprint on Melanie's heart.

Book Blurb

Melanie Carlotti lost everything, including her eyesight. Because of a donor, she regained it again. But with this gift came haunting dreams, a man's face and questions to be answered. Thanks to the help of a psychic, Melanie discovers the identity of her donor. She steps into the life of her donor's husband Zack and toddler Amy, finding clues but not the definitive answer and peace. Until...she realizes she's in love with Zack, not because of his wife's memories that accompanied Melanie's cornea transplant, but because of her own feelings for this widowed single dad. The truth sets Melanie free but can cost her the man she loves. If Zack can believe Melanie's story and trust her, they will both find happily ever after. But if he can't believe...


Forever in Her Eyes Buy Links: 
Amazon   NOOK  iBooks   Smashwords

iTunes Audio Book

More About the Author


An only child, USA Today Bestselling Author Karen Rose Smith delved into books at an early age. She learned about kindred spirits from Anne of Green Gables, solved mysteries with Nancy Drew, and wished she could have been the rider on The Black Stallion. Yet even though she escaped often into story worlds, she had many aunts, uncles and cousins around her on weekends. Her sense of family and relationships began there.  Maybe that's why families are a strong theme in her novels, whether mysteries or romances. Readers often ask her about her past times. She has herb, flower and vegetable gardens that help her relax. In the winter, she cooks rather than gardens. And year round she spends most of her time with her husband, as well as her four rescued cats who are her constant companions. Karen's 97th release will be available in 2017.


Connect with Karen Rose Smith here:

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Friday, September 23, 2016

Alpha Beta Omega: A Shifter Box Set

I invited fellow author, and member of my local Romance Writers of America Chapter, Beth Caudill, to visit and share a boxed set project she is with. 

Alpha Beta Omega is a multi-author boxed set by Lia Davis, K.N. Lee, Marissa Dobson, Beth Caudill, Misha Carver, Xandra James, Laxmi Hariharan, Bethany Shaw, Nicole Morgan, and Lily Marie

From today’s hottest USA Today and Bestselling authors comes a collection of 10 novellas, featuring hot alpha, beta, and omega shifters. If you like tigers, bears, wolves, and more you’ll love this box set. Each story is either a first in a series or a stand-alone novella.

AND it’s only on sale for a limited time so be sure to grab while it’s available. $.99

Available at:
Amazon   iBooks    B&N    Kobo    ARe 

What’s inside:

A Tiger’s Claim by Lia Davis
As the Alpha’s only daughter Shayna Andrews has always been treated like a rare gem, protected like royalty, and she’s suffocating. Her longing to be independent has driven her to sneak out one evening after dinner. After relishing in being able to run free without an escort, she finds herself face-to-face with the enemy, miles from home, and nearly loses her life until a lone wolf comes to her aid. But when he discovers she wears the enemy’s brand, things will go from bad to worse.

Website
Newsletter

The Scarlett Legacy by K.N. Lee
Wizards. Shifters. Sexy mobsters with magic.
The arrival of Avalon Prince brings a century-old feud to a dangerous climax. Scottish Old-World magic, mixed with a dangerous obsession with Evie and a sinister plot for revenge threatens to bring the Scarlett family to its demise. 

Website
Newsletter
Tiger Time by Marissa Dobson
Tabitha Leigh has no idea her mundane life is about to change or that danger stalks her every step. Now as the Queen of the Tigers with a bounty on her head, she must embrace her future and her mate. If she doesn’t, it will mean the end of everything she’s come to know and never realized she needed.

Website
Facebook

Healer’s Fate by Beth Caudill
Corliss Rumdone’s the healer of her werewolf clan, destined to save lives and live in the shadows. He's the alpha's son, destined to mate to cement his status at the top of the pack. What happens when he chooses her instead?

Website
Newsletter

Bearly Smitten (The Alpha’s Bride Book 1) by Misha Carver
When bear shifter Jed Barton’s keynote speaker engagement and his role as pack alpha require him to have a wife, he does what any other tycoon would do – he hires one – the  last thing he wanted to do was fall in love with her.

Website
Newsletter

Reluctant Revenge - Under the Demon’s Skin by Xandra James
Demon-hybrid Nash is hungry for revenge. Promising to protect the daughter of his sworn enemy, he's torn between his duty as an Alpha Enforcer and his desire to avenge his murdered fiancée. Can Nash forgive the past? Or will losing Sienna be the only way to heal his dark heart?

Website
Newsletter

Feral - A Many Lives Story by Laxmi Hariharan
He was her destination. She just didn't know it. When Maya leaves Luke to go in search of her blood family, nothing prepares her for the secrets she uncovers about herself.  An intense, shifter romance, set in a Bombay of the future.

Website
Newsletter

The Beta’s Mate by Bethany Shaw
Nina’s tired of the lies and disappearances. Her marriage is on the verge of dissolving, but fate has other ideas. Now if she could only get in touch with her soon-to-be ex. Logan hates that his wife filed for divorce, even though everyone tells him it’s for the best. He’s the beta of the pack—second in command—and she’s human. When he discovers he’s going to be a father, he’ll do anything to keep Nina and the baby safe. But will she let him back in when she finds out he’s been lying to her for years about turning into a giant wolf?

Website
Facebook

Night Falls by Nicole Morgan
When Paul, the leader of the Racinitine Pack crosses paths with Kinzey, a tenacious reporter, he knows he’s in trouble. Not only can he see the fire in her, but he can feel it as well. When Kinzey gets too close to his secrets, it may change the only way of life his pack has ever known.

Website
Facebook

Wounds to Bear (Heart of The Bear Book One) by Lily Marie
A wounded shifter, and a beautiful, curvy woman. Two hearts, with one goal – to save the children taken by an old enemy. 
Roman Black’s past has finally caught up with him – and he isn’t the only one paying for his mistakes. Dr. Jenna Morgan is running from her own past – and hopes to find her place in the small town of Pine Heart. When a wounded bear shows up at her door, she discovers that the rumors about this small town are true, and that one of those shifters is bleeding all over her front porch. She treats him, and learns that he was shot protecting a group of shifter and human kids – who are now being held by an old enemy bent on revenge.


Friday, September 16, 2016

Visit a Scottish Highland Games soon!

Turning the CABER/Telephone Pole
Modern Day highland games have a short history here in the United States and I have been fortunate enough to attend several over the last thirty-five or so years. I am also proud to be a long-time volunteer at the annual New Hampshire Highland Games, even though my husband and I moved to North Carolina. We still go back each fall to help. It takes hundreds of volunteers to pull off a multi-day event attended by over 40,000 people!

The wearing of kilts, kilt hose, sporrans, billowing ‘ghillie’ or 'Jacobite' shirts, tams, and more (or less, if most men have their way) have become tradition. With a wool kilt made to order and costing upwards of six-hundred dollars, they are worn with pride and ceremony. Luckily for many, kilts made in fabrics other than wool cost less than $200.

Many U.S. states, and Canadian provinces, host highland games and all are family-friendly with programs for children. Scottish dress is never required, nor do you have to be of Scottish descent. Try to attend one to get the flavor and romantic vibes that emanate from every clan tent, dance performance, and rock concert.
If you can, spend a weekend visiting a Scottish games or festival. You will have a great time!


"A dragon by any other name would still breathe sparks." 

Amazon      AmazonCan    

AmazonUK      AmazonAUS     


Friday, September 9, 2016

Angela Quarles, her RITA, and MUST LOVE KILTS

Angela and her RITA with Margie Lawson
Photo courtesy of Margie Lawson
Author Angela Quarles recently returned from the 2016 Romance Writers of America conference in San Diego with some extra luggage...her first RITA award! The RITA is to authors what the Oscar is to actors. It is the quintessential proof that an author's hard work has true meaning. 

Angela stopped by my blog to share a brand new book that follows her award winning book Must Love Chainmail, her second book, which followed Must Love Breeches (I love that title!) 

Here is the Book Blast about her new release
Must Love Kilts.

The Genre: Time Travel Romance
Release Date: July 6, 2016
Length: Novel (80,000 words)
Ebook Price: $4.99
ISBN: 978-0-9905400-6-9
Content advisory: Adult language, explicit sex

Blurb

The Jacobite Rebellion--not the best time to get drunk, hook up with a guy, and lose your sister.

A drunken bet...

When computer game designer Traci Campbell gets too close and personal with a bottle of Glenfiddich while vacationing in Scotland, she whisks her kilt-obsessed sister back to 1689 to prove hot guys in kilts are a myth. Hello, hundred bucks! But all bets are off when she meets Iain, the charming playboy in a to-die-for kilt.

Wrong place, wrong time, wrong name...

Iain MacCowan regularly falls in love at the drop of his kilt. The mysterious red-haired lass with the odd accent is no different. But when his new love is discovered to be a Campbell, the most distrusted name in the Highlands, his dalliance endangers his clan's rebellion against King William.  

It’s all hijinks in the Highlands until your sister disappears...
Traci thinks men are only good for one thing--thank you, Iain!--but when she awakens once again in Ye Olde Scotland and her sister is gone, she must depend on the last person she wants to spend more time with. He wants to win a heart, she wants to keep hers, but can these two realize they're meant for each other before the Jacobite rebellion pulls them apart?

Excerpt from Must Love Chainmail

    That night, Traci lay curled up in the huge, dark-timbered, four-poster bed, hearing every scurrying noise in the rambling stone edifice that Iain’s clan called home. Let’s be real, it was a friggin’ castle. And it was just so damned...quiet. Outside and in. As if the quiet were a heavy weight, so that every whisper of a noise became a giant ripple through that weight, kicking her heart, her nerves.
    Who knew that even a curtain moving in some unseen breeze made a noise? Well, it did. A kind of swish-thurr. And there were curtains on all four sides of her bed. A weird mixture of safety and fear infused her, being enclosed like that. As if she were wrapped in her own cocoon made up of just her bed, its covers, and pillows. But, on the other hand, she couldn’t see what was on the other side of those heavy curtains. What if that scrrritching was a seventeenth-century rat coming to gnaw on her shoes? Or to steal up into her bed and gnaw on her bare toes?
    She pulled her feet deeper under the covers. Man, if it was a rat, she’d friggin’ lose it. She shivered. She’d hated rats ever since she’d been introduced to her creepy cousin’s pet rat Ivan. Ivan the Terrible, she called it, because her cousin had trained it to sneak up on her whenever she was alone and press its disgusting, whiskery nose on her bare feet. Her cousin apparently lived for her shrieks.
    A much louder sound than some would-be rat ricocheted through the room, and she stiffened, her heart pounding. A drawn-out creak followed.
    The door. It was the door opening. Iain. It has to be.
    She’d gone to bed much earlier—on purpose—to avoid the awkward moment when they had to go to sleep separately. But then she’d lain awake for several hours, trying to absorb all that had happened, her mind unable to shut up.
    A soft glow of light bloomed from the direction of the door, muted by the thickness of the bed curtains. A rustle and a thump. A muffled curse. The light bobbed and shifted from the left to the right side but didn’t come closer to the bed.
    It was Iain, right?
    She eased back her covers, careful not to make a noise. She bit her lip and rolled up onto her side, placing her head near the gap in the curtain to her right. She reached forward and edged the fabric back, just a fraction.
    She sucked in a breath but clamped her lips shut.
    Oh. It was Iain all right. He stood, three-quarters of him facing her, highlighted by the orange glow of the lingering peat fire, his candle perched on the mantel. That light, mixed with the moon’s feeble glow from the lone window, cast his form in shifting shadows. But, oh boy. It was enough to see.
    See as he unclasped his kilt where it draped over a strong shoulder. See as the fabric rustled downward to pool in drapes along his back side. See as he grasped his linen shirt and dragged it up by slow degrees, revealing his powerful torso in the dim light. His muscles bunched and flexed as the fabric swished over his head.
    Oh, what a lovely chest. So she had remembered that correctly.
And then... And then his long, strong fingers settled onto the belt holding his sporran and plaid, the light sprinkling of black hairs across his powerful chest narrowing down to a point where his hands had paused. His chin raised, and his eyes lifted to her position, but with her nestled in the dark depths of the bed, he couldn’t possibly see her. All the same, she felt the heat of his stare, and she squirmed.

    The light played across the planes of his strong hands and forearms, allowing her to note the miniscule shifting of muscles signaling his next move. His shapely fingers moved with practiced ease, and he unclasped the belt. The kilt dropped.

Book Links

Amazon    Amazon Print    Nook     Kobo 

iBooks      Google Play    ARe 

More About Angela Quarles

Angela Quarles is a RWA RITA® Winner and USA Today bestselling author of time travel and steampunk romance. Her steampunk, Steam Me Up, Rawley, was named Best Self-Published Romance of 2015 by Library Journal and Must Love Chainmail won the 2016 RITA® Award in the paranormal category, the first indie to win in that category. Angela loves history, folklore, and family history. She decided to take this love of history and her active imagination and write stories of romance and adventure for others to enjoy. When not writing, she's either working at the local indie bookstore or enjoying the usual stuff like gardening, reading, hanging out, eating, drinking, chasing squirrels out of the walls, and creating the occasional knitted scarf. 
Connect with Angela here:

WEBSITE     BLOG     TWITTER

Join her mailing list HERE     
Paranormal Unbound, the group blog I belong to is HERE

Friday, September 2, 2016

A Story is Born by Sherrie Hansen

Author Sherrie Hansen stopped by to share her latest 
BOOK BLAST!
Take it away, Sherrie!


The second I stepped out of the car and looked out over the tree-covered hills and valleys surrounding Loch Carran, Scotland, I knew I’d found the setting of my next book. It wasn’t just the beautiful view and the amazing pine trees, firs and wildflowers that lined the banks of the lake – it was the abandoned ferry station that led to nowhere, and the little strip of houses between the shoreline or Loch Carron and the steep hill behind. It was the soft, smooth, tartan wools woven with such intricate colors at the local woolen mill.

I’ve already started working on Golden Rod, the Wildflowers of Scotland novel that was born along that day in early June. It’s gotten me thinking – what is it about a place that reaches out and grabs a person’s attention and makes them want to spend a lifetime – or at least a book-life – there? I think the thing that first made me fall in love with St. Conan’s Kirk on Loch Awe, the setting of Wild Rose, my first Wildflowers of Scotland novel, was the fact that it was so over grown and tucked off the beaten path that we almost missed it. The quirky, eclectic architecture mirrored Rose Wilson’s personality perfectly; its lofty, stunning, reverent, holy feeling gave rise to Pastor Ian MacCraig.
The rainbow-colored waterfront reflected in the waters of Tobermory Bay, Isle of Mull,
Craigievar
was the first thing that drew me to the setting of Blue 
Belle, but it was the castles – Glengorm, Duart, and Torosay – that made me want to stay. A Spanish galleon that went down in the bay in 1588, fully loaded with gold, that’s supposedly never been recovered, cinched the deal.

There are a million reasons to love Eilean Donan Castle. The backdrop for Shy Violet was born of a lone bagpiper playing in front of the castle, a pirate boat docked offshore, and the absolutely delicious Castle Pâté I had for lunch on the day we visited.

Rabbit Hill Lodge, in my new release, Sweet William, is an actual inn (renamed to protect the innocent) we happened upon on the road from Loch Ness to Dorney. There was just something about the stone fence and the gate, and the pretty little tables all set for dinner that grabbed my attention. It didn’t take long before Lyndsie and William were in the kitchen, living out a real life episode of Chopped.

I thought maybe Sweet William was where my fascination with Scotland would end, but we returned to Scotland in June, and not unsurprisingly, toured two castles whose stories will become a part of my next book, Golden Rod. The first was Fyvie Castle in Aberdeenshire, whose Green Lady is said to haunt its halls to this day.  The second was Craigievar, a castle riddled with legends, including one that says the eldest son will never inherit.

Skye view
There’s also a farm in a valley, deep in the Isle of Skye, that beckons to me, and a seaside village, and a wee boothie surrounded by pastures dotted with sheep. One day, they may become a novel called Mountain Laurel, or Seaside Daisy, or who knows? Sometimes it’s a building, or a story, or even a name that captures my fancy. And a story is born.

Sherrie’s new release is Sweet William available HERE 

He’s a real sweetheart. She’s a wee bit tart. When Minnesota farm boy,
William McKnight, and sassy Scot, Lyndsie Morris, are forced to work
together in the kitchen of Rabbit Hill Lodge, the atmosphere is as charged
as an episode of Chopped. Will someone get cut, or will they find a recipe
that works? Things just start to get spicy when an angry bull butts his
way into the picture, and Lyndsie has to decide if she loves William more
than everyone and everything she holds dear.
Sherrie at Fyvie Castle
More About the Author
Twenty-five years ago, Sherrie Hansen rescued a dilapidated Victorian house from the bulldozer’s grips and turned it into a B&B and tea house, the Blue Belle Inn. Sherrie and her husband, Mark, who is a pastor, divide their time between two different houses, 85 miles apart. Sherrie writes murder mysteries and novels whenever she’s not working at her B&B or trying to be a good pastor’s wife. Her contemporary romantic suspense novels include Night and Day, Love Notes, and Thistle Down, Wild Rose,
Blue Belle, Shy Violet and Sweet William, her Wildflowers of Scotland novels.

You can see what Sherrie's up to at:
https://www.facebook.com/BlueBelleInn

www.BlueBelleInn.com or www.BlueBelleBooks.com
https://twitter.com/SherrieHansen
https://www.pinterest.com/sherriebluebell/
http://www.amazon.com/Sherrie-Hansen/e/B007YXQJ4W/ref=dp_byline_cont_ebooks_1