Nancy Lee Badger welcomes Author Marianne Rice

Author Marianne Rice stopped by to share intimate details about her writing life, and to share her latest release. At First Blush is a contemporary romance. Take it away, Marianne!

I stumbled across the idea for my Well Paired series while visiting one of my local wineries. Research is a tough job, right? Is there a setting more romantic than a quaint winery nestled in the hills of New England? Coastal Vines, the vineyard in my new release, At First Blush is a fictitious blend of some of my favorite wineries in Maine and New Hampshire. The series focuses on the business owners of the small coastal town of Crystal Cove, Maine, but the winery and the sense of family is at the center of it all. I hope you fall in love with the characters, the families, and the town as much as I have. 

Book Blurb for At First Blush: 

Alexis Le Blanc enjoys her simple life in Crystal Cove, Maine. After taking a chance on romance and getting rejected, she has given up on love. Now she devotes all her time to running her family’s winery, Coastal Vines. She wants to keep it small and traditional, but her parents have other ideas—hence why they hire some big-shot marketing executive from Napa Valley to rev up business.

When Benito Martelli shows up in her family’s tasting room, she’s more than stunned to discover he’s the man who wined and dined her the night before. Alexis is beyond peeved at his deception in trying to get into her good graces for the sake of making money on her winery. At first, she wants nothing to do with him or his big business ideas, but she’s pleasantly surprised when they come to a compromise, and even more surprised when she gives in to the sparks between them.

Unfortunately, things don’t go quite as planned and Alexis is faced with complications she never could have predicted. Promises and secrets unravel, and she must decide if love and wine are as well paired as she hoped.

Excerpt from At First Blush

“You want brutal honesty?”

“That would be nice. For once.”

Ben grabbed the collar of her jacket and jerked her toward him, their faces inches apart. “I want you. In my bed. Underneath me. On top of me. But I also don’t want to hurt you. I’m letting you go because I don’t want to be a selfish bastard. There are things you don’t know…”

“I seem to go for selfish bastards so…” She licked her lips, hoping for one more kiss. Hoping he’d ask her to stay. Hoping he’d let her go.

“You’re too…special.”

“I’m not special.” Alexis lowered her eyes and shook her head. More lies to get her into bed. Only he didn’t want her in his bed. Her mind raced searching for answers, yet she didn’t even know the questions. It was all too much.

The way her heart raced when he was near. The way her legs trembled when his dimple appeared as if just for her. The way her mind went dizzy with longing when his stunning eyes were so intently focused on her.

“See, and then you do that vulnerable thing and I just want to…”

A spark ignited inside. She was not weak. “I’m not vulnerable.” She lifted her gaze to his and studied the intensity in his eyes, the seriousness in his jaw.

“I like that you are, and that you think you aren’t.”

“I think I should go.” She was smart enough and strong enough to walk away before she’d get emotionally attached and have her heart broken.

“I’ll follow you home.”

“When was the last time you drove in the snow?” Ben didn’t reply, his gaze still on her lips. “I didn’t think so. I don’t want to have to haul your ass out of a ditch so stay here. Play on your laptop. Style your hair. Go be sexy. Whatever it is you do at night.”

Alexis frowned when she pulled away from him so easily, and let herself out, driving home in silence and confusion.

Leaving her hot and horny and alone on a cold night, Ben was right about one thing. He was a total selfish bastard.

BUY LINKS:

AMAZON    iBooks

KOBO     B&N

More about the Author

Marianne Rice writes contemporary romantic fiction set in small New England towns. She loves high heels, reading romance, scarfing down dark chocolate, gulping wine, and Chris Hemsworth. Oh, and her husband and three children. You can follow her all over social media, and keep up to tabs with her latest releases on her website: www.mariannerice.com

CONNECT WITH HER:  

Facebook     Instagram     Twitter

Amazon Author Page    Goodreads

Pinterest     Bookbub

Nancy Lee Badger Presents Author Belle Ami

Belle Ami stopped by to share intimate details about her life and her latest books. Take it away!

Thank you, Nancy, for hosting me today on Where Happy Ever After Takes the Road Less Traveled. I’m delighted to share with your readers my series Tip of the Spear. Escape and Vengeance, my fifth and sixth published novels, which abound with thrills, political intrigue, and romance.

I quote The Romance Reviews 5-Star review of Escape “This story is suspenseful, it's smart, it's sexy, it's a page-turner that you will be loathed to put down.”

The 5-Star review for Vengeance from The Romance Reviews continues the praise. “VENGEANCE is an intriguing second book in the series, especially for me. Intriguing because there aren't a lot of books that follow a couple after their HEA, and rarer for me, because I don't think I've ever read one. In this, VENGEANCE was a pleasant surprise, because the intrigue plot was compelling in that I couldn't put the book down, and the romance was satisfying. This book makes you believe in true love.”

I’m currently working on the third book which is titled Ransom where my hero and uber-Mossad spy, Cyrus Hassani, will once again fight the forces of evil with his wife Layla by his side.

Book Blurb from Vengeance

Vengeance is a sexy thriller teeming with romantic suspense. A well-researched tale, scary in its possibility, packed with excitement, it will leave you breathlessly turning pages. Layla Wallace Hassani is living her dream, curating a major art exhibition at the Museum of Modern Art. She has it all, a fabulous career, the perfect marriage and the perfect child. She’s madly in love with her husband Cyrus Hassani, a Mossad agent, and lives in Tel Aviv with their four-year-old daughter Cerise. Her life takes a disastrous turn when she’s kidnapped by Iranian terrorists during the bombing of a restaurant in Manhattan. Chained to a bed at a remote location, Layla is a pawn in a deadly game. She’s the bait to lure Cyrus to his death.

Driven by vengeance and a love that knows no bounds, Cyrus will do anything to rescue his wife and stop the terrorist’s plot to blow up a nuclear facility. Teaming up with the FBI he’s the only man capable of stopping a bombing that would result in the deaths of millions of people. Filled with vengeance, stopping the terrorists is his goal, but saving Layla is his mission.

Layla knows her Superman, Cyrus, is coming to save her. She also knows, unbeknownst to him, that by doing so it will mean the death of their child. Caught in a mousetrap, she struggles to find a way out of her deadly situation and to fend off the sexual advances of the kidnapper terrorist who’s fallen for her.

Layla must make a choice, save her child or sacrifice herself and her marriage. The clock is ticking. 

Excerpt: Chapter 3 from Vengeance

Tel Aviv, Israel

September 12th

5 a.m.

New York time 10 p.m. September 11^th

Cyrus’ cell phone rang, waking him from a dream of making love to his wife. He glanced at the clock—five a.m. Not good.

His throat was glued shut. He squeezed out, “Yes?”

“Cyrus, I’m sorry to call with such devastating news.”

It was Rafi, the director of Mossad’s Americas’ desk. A chill crept up Cyrus’ spine.

“I just got a call from New York. There’s been an attack.” Rafi’s voice came tense and strained…the act of speech seemed to produce immeasurable pain.

Cyrus’ heart pounded as if a regiment of infantry stampeded on his chest. His voice barely above a whisper. “What happened?”

“A bomb exploded in a restaurant…near the Museum of Modern Art. Probably a hundred or more people have been killed. Avi Zaken was there. We assume he’s dead.”

“Oh, my God, they got the consul general. Layla’s going to be devastated. She’s very fond of Avi.”

“About Layla.” Rafi’s voice softened. “Her name is on his calendar. His dinner appointment. I’m so sorry, Cyrus.”

Cyrus’ blood froze, and his heart refused to beat. It took every ounce of his strength to hold it together. He held the phone in a death grip. “How do we know she was in the restaurant? Have you checked with her security detail? Maybe there’s been a mistake.”

“Layla released them earlier in the day—”

“Why would she?” He closed his eyes. “Shit. Shit. Shit, that sounds like Layla.” He fought to steady his voice. “Anything else?”

“The FBI’s tracking down museum security to see who saw her leave. I can’t tell you for certain if she was in the restaurant, but in all likelihood, she was there. God…” Rafi’s voice cracked. “This is such a fucking disaster. I hate to be the bearer of such news.”

“This can’t be right?”

“Cyrus, it’s all over the news. The FBI’s calling it terrorism. We’ve already requested inclusion in the case. The prime minister’s up in arms. He’s adamant this attack will not go unanswered. He’s called for an emergency meeting at the Office, but given the circumstances…if you feel you can’t—”

Cyrus interrupted him. He struggled to control the scream climbing up his throat. I need to keep it together. “No, I’ll be there as soon as I can. What about Aleck, Layla’s father, has anyone notified him? I can’t—I mean—I don’t think I could handle talking to him right now.”

“Dodi’s calling him.”

The prime minister. Good. “I’m on my way.” He hung up and stared at his cell phone, feeling the walls close in around him. Layla. Dead. Layla. Dead. Layla. Dead. The words burned into his brain like a firestorm leaving nothing but ashes. Impossible. No warning. No premonition. Nothing but emptiness. Shouldn’t I have felt something?

“Noooo!” He roared with grief. He howled, keening like a wild beast. Everything of beauty in the world dead or dying.

Layla. Dead. And it was his fault. He should have kept her from going. I’m the target. It’s me they want. Oh, dear God, what have I done? Why didn’t you take me?

There was no way he could live without her. He wanted to kill someone—something—anything that might stop the pain. He thought about the Jericho pistol in his drawer. He wanted to hold the shiny, black, instrument of death to the head of her killers. He wanted to pull the trigger. He wanted to see blood gush, brains splatter—he wanted revenge.

BUY LINKS for VENGEANCE:

  AMAZON      KOBO

SMASHWORDS    BARNES & NOBLE 

 **************************************************

BUY LINKS FOR ESCAPE:

AMAZON     KOBO

SMASHWORDS   BARNES & NOBLE

More About the Author

Tema Merback writing as Belle Ami believes “Dreams do come true”.  As a mother and wife, she dedicated herself to her family and loved every minute of it. One day, like Sleeping Beauty, she awoke to find gourmet cooking and b

eing a classical pianist wasn’t enough, she needed to reinvent herself. So, she brushed away the cobwebs and locked herself in a room and spent a year writing a historical novel which, low and behold, was a Finalist for a national book award. Her first author incarnation was born.

When she read Fifty Shades of Grey, her world tilted. Like a laser beam focusing on a target, she had found her passion: Sexy, steamy, romantic suspense. Hence came a second incarnation and a fitting nom de plume, Belle Ami. A quote that Belle considers her mantra is by Wilferd Peterson, “Success is focusing the full power of all you are on what you have a burning desire to achieve.”

She is a Kathryn McBride scholar of Bryn Mawr College in Pennsylvania. She lives in California with her husband, two children, three dogs, and horse.

She is the author of The Only One series, The One (#1), and The One & More (#2). Her third in the series titled One More Time is Not Enough, was published July 13^th, 2016. She was honored to be included in the RWA LARA Christmas Anthology Holiday Ever After featuring her short story The Christmas Encounter. Her next series entitled The Tip of the Spear begins with Escape, published January 10, 2017. The sequel to Escape, entitled Vengeance was published September 12, 2017, and she’s currently writing the third in the series titled Ransom. Connect with her here:

FACEBOOK    TWITTER     PINTEREST

LINKEDIN     INSTAGRAM     WEBSITE

Author Mia London's Character Interview and Kindle Giveaway!

Mia London stopped by to share intimate details and an interview with a certain sexy character in her new book Undeniable Fate, which was published December 26th. Take it away, Mia!

About this book: This originally appeared in the steamy anthology called Blame It On Fate. As I wrote, I fell in love with these characters and knew this had to be a series. Although Undeniable Fate has an HEA, I knew these characters were not done. I’m thrilled to announce Undeniable Love (book 2) is on pre-order now.

The story is about a man and woman (Brandon and Lily) who happen to meet on a plane ride to Rome, Italy. Later, the hotel in Rome accidentally double-books her room, and Brandon walks in. She was in the middle of something, and it doesn’t take Brandon to realize it. And so it begins.

Interview:

We are so pleased to have with us Brandon Morgan, president and chairman of Laurel Medical, Incorporated.

Press: Welcome. So glad you could take time from your busy schedule to chat with us.

Brandon: Thanks for having me.

Press: First, I’d like to start be asking about Laurel. You recently took over the running the company from your father, yes?

Brandon: Yes, in a way. My father had a heart attack—

Press: I’m sorry to hear that.

Brandon: Thank you. As I was saying he had a heart attack. Prior to that my sisters and I were vice-presidents. My father had us work our way up in the company, learning all we could. Now, I have the title of president, but truly it’s a joint effort with my sisters.

Press: That’s impressive. You must get along well with your sisters to work side-by-side with them every day.

Brandon: [He grins.] We do get along for the most part.

Press: I read that you’ve recently acquired Corticelli Labs, based in Rome, Italy.

Brandon: That’s correct. We saw some great synergy between the two companies, not to mention gaining entree into the European market.

Press: This is the first acquisition for Laurel, yes?

Brandon: That’s correct. So far the team is doing an excellent job of transitioning Corticelli into the Laurel fold. I expect no loss of jobs. Just some reassigning of roles in Italy.

Press: I’m sure they were happy to hear that.

Brandon: [He nods.] There are several trends in healthcare that Laurel and Corticelli are acutely aware of. Whether it’s artificial intelligence, Block Chain, which relates to the flow of health information, an aging population, or disease management. The success of Laurel depends on expansion and growth in ways that address these issues smartly.

Press: Excellent. So let’s shift to your personal life. Tell us what we are most wanting to know. Are you seeing anyone? Miami Monthly named you

 most eligible bachelor last year. Nice compliment.

Brandon: [He smiles.] Thanks. I am seeing someone. It’s not always easy because I work a lot. Running a Fortune 1000 company is not for the faint of heart. Just in the short time we’ve been sitting here, my phone has buzzed four times. I won’t talk too much about my girlfriend to protect her anonymity, but I will say this. She came into my life in an unexpected way. She threw me for a loop. She is kind, understanding, and beautiful- inside and out. I cannot keep my eyes off her. At first, I denied that we could have a relationship, but we do and it’s working. And I feel so tremendously blessed.

Press: Are there wedding bells in the future for you two?

Brandon: That remains to be seen.

Blurb from Undeniable Fate

Was it fate that the hotel in Rome double-booked her room and he, of all people, walked through the door?

Project manager Lily Bennett dreads the trip to Italy for she suspects a pink slip awaits her return. Fate brings her fantasy man alive when Brandon enters her room by mistake. Kiss by kiss, he breaks down her insecurities making the next four days the best (and hottest) of her life. But when she dares to hope for more, he becomes distant. Now, to forget this man she knows so little about, who’s turned her world upside down.

Brandon Morgan is driven, successful, and wealthy. Handed his father’s company at thirty-six, he is not about to let his family, his employees, or Wall Street down. His company’s latest acquisition will prove he can handle anything thrown his way. He just hadn’t planned on the encounter of a lifetime with Lily. He craves for her like a heart needs to beat, but a relationship is absolutely out of the question. 

Buy LInks

AMAZON     AMAZON UK     AMAZON CAN

AMAZON  AUS     KOBO     NOOK     IBOOKS

Meet Mia:

Mia loves to write!     

    

She’s been reading fiction for years and finally decided that the images and scenes floating around in her head needed to make it to paper.

She’s a huge fan of romance, highly optimistic, and wildly faithful to the HEA (happily ever after). She’s inspired by most anything around her. And her biggest obstacle is not having enough time to get it all down on paper (or computer, as the case may be).

Her goal is create a fantasy you will enjoy with characters you could love.

She lives in Texas with her attentive, loving, super-model husband, and her perfectly behaved, brilliant children. Her produce never wilts, there are no weeds in her flowerbeds, and chocolate is her favorite food group.

And then she wakes up. 

*Don't forget to enter this Giveaway brought to you by Mia and a group of wonderful writers!

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Presenting UK Author David Russell & Self's Blossom

Author David Russell is back to share his latest book, released December 16th. Self’s Blossom is a Romantic quest of Self Discovery. David, please tell us more!

Self’s Blossom is a short novella in the erotic romance genre, with Selene, a woman in search of her sexual identity, as the vibrant main character. Selene is intellectual, independent, free spirited and totally trapped in the limitations of her peer group and society. pragmatic best friend Janice describes her as a dreamer, living in the cuckoo land of her imagination. Desperately looking to find herself and get a bit of erotic adventure, Selene goes on holiday to South America. Brought to life by the Sun, sea and holiday atmosphere, Selene's first erotic awakening comes about through the ocean – “the spirit of love beckoning her with a pulsing sinewy body”. After this, Selene searches for a lover and has a brief sexual encounter with an eighteen year old local.

But it is her through her meeting with the American anthropologist Hudson that Selene' erotic nature is awakened and she explores herself on many layers. Hudson is her intellectual rival and mentor, and he introduces Selene to the other side of South America – the primal elemental energy of the carnival, the 10,000 year history of South American civilisation and the breathtaking and often cruel power of its environment and landscape. With Hudson, Selene's holiday adventures suddenly become fraught with danger and intrigue – she is threatened with death by hunters when she plays environmentalist with Hudson and his friends, she is bitten by a deadly snake when she goes exploring with him, Hudson has to save her from a barroom brawl with the locals which suddenly explodes due to a sexual indiscretion. The indigenous population have an entirely different culture and life-rule than Selene knows from her predictable friends in London. Although Hudson is the catalyst for Selena’s awakening, it is fair to say that she challenges him intellectually and opens his world weary eyes for the magic of the moment also.

Their mutual search for something beyond the mundane leads them both to the top of a South American pyramid, where Selena visualises herself as a modern God Queen and Hudson as her God King. They have both gone on a dangerous and fascinating journey down through time and braving a foreign culture and environment. It is therefore significant that Selene does not seek full surrender to her lover in the passion of the moment on the moonlit beach – in fact she slaps his face when he attempts to do so – Instead she wants their love to be fully consummated through the pampered and luxurious Western trappings of the hotel Bridal Suite. “True Seduction was total theatre”, “The true ideal lay in laced artifice” not in ‘ideals of naturalness’. Here, in the luxurious trappings of traditional Western romance and eroticism, the adventure ends and the God Queen and God King sublimate their experience like some modern day High Priest and Priestess and the alchemy is complete.

Knowing that they will be unable to ever rival or surpass this moment of absolute sexual apotheosis, the lovers now part and go their separate ways – Hudson to his job in the US and Selene back to London. But the author leaves us with a sense that more has been accomplished here than just a nice holiday memory for Selene and her lover. Selene can now return to the humdrum of her everyday existence and the emptiness of her London life with the alchemical blossom inside her – the Blossom of the self which has been totally awakened inside her. There is the very real sense that Selene will never be the same again after this.

EBOOK Available at AMAZON  and  AMAZON UK 

More About the Author

b. 1940. Resident in the UK. Writer of poetry, literary criticism, speculative fiction and romance. Main poetry collection Prickling Counterpoints (1998); poems published in online International Times. Main speculative works High Wired On (2002); Rock Bottom (2005). Translation of Spanish epic La Araucana, Amazon 2013. Romances: Self’s Blossom; Explorations; Further Explorations; Therapy Rapture; Darlene, An Ecstatic Rendezvous (all pub Extasy (Devine Destinies). Self-published collection of erotic poetry and artwork, Sensual Rhapsody, 2015. Singer-songwriter/guitarist. Main CD albums Bacteria Shrapnel andKaleidoscope Concentrate. Many tracks on You Tube, under ‘Dave Russell’

www.davidrussell-author.blogspot.co.uk