Nancy Lee Badger Presents Author Susan Hanniford Crowley

I invited a fellow Soul Mate Publishing author to stop by and share her latest book. Take it away, Susan!

Thank you, Nancy Lee, for having me over on your blog. Writing Vampire Princess of New York was a huge adventure for me.

Noblesse is the daughter of Vampire King of New York Maximillion Vander Meer. You would think she’d be a woman, er.. vampiress that has everything. Well, it’s just not true. Whenever her father is away, she’s in charge of the vampires of New York as well as VMeer Industries, a worldwide conglomerate of corporations he started. Highly educated, Noblesse is very talented business-wise but also very clever and sweet when it comes to those she loves or protects. 

In the nearly 200 years, that Noblesse has been a vampire, she has not found a true love. She is also haunted by the fact that she never found her human mother who disappeared during the French Revolution.

Here’s an Excerpt!

Noblesse stayed within Donovan’s arms and reveled in his warmth. When she was sure he had fallen asleep again, she examined the wound Mina sewed. The King’s Elixir had nullified the poison, but the seam looked angry and red. Noblesse moved to lick that awful wound. The instant her tongue touched Donovan’s skin, he moaned in his sleep. She smiled. The man really didn’t like being licked. Still she continued licking the ragged edge until it looked less irritated.

Mina would take the stitches out in the morning. Noblesse figured he’d be healed by then. The guilt over his injury gnawed at her. If he wasn’t in her bedroom, he wouldn’t have gotten hurt. Donovan was her best friend, and she loved him.

Satisfied that he was rapidly on the mend, she moved back into place under his arm.

Thank you, Sha, he said to her mind.

You are supposed to be asleep.

How could I sleep through that? Normally I hate being licked. But you made it different, even enjoyable.

His baritone chuckle made her laugh. Then he pulled her close to him and kissed her. His kiss dissolved into slumber.

The next morning, Donovan sat up and pulled out his IV. The Arnhem Knights seated on chairs by the door, immediately stood up.

“You can’t do that.”

“Why?”

“Only the doctor can.”

Noblesse, still wearing the kaftan dress she fell asleep in, hurried around to the IV side. Searching for bandages, she found them and wrapped them tightly to stop his bleeding.

Next he reached for his clothes on the nearby chair. He pulled on his jeans and zipped just as Mina walked through the door.

“Donovan, what are you doing?”

“I’m better, Doc.” He pulled on his shirt and socks and shoes. “I’m going out to eat, and Noblesse is going with me.” He grabbed her hand and left the room.

“Really, Donovan, I must stop by my room and change clothes.”

“Okay.”

When they approached the door to her apartment, it was guarded by Arnhem Knights. “No one is allowed in.”

Noblesse stared at them. “Well, I’m an Arnhem Knight too. Step aside.”

Hatcher stood in her way. “Noblesse, I’m sorry, but Dr. Lucente says he’s still testing the place.”

“Hatcher, they shouldn’t have you pulling double duty.”

“I don’t mind. I promised Max I’d keep an eye on you.”

Leaning past Hatcher, she knocked on the door. Syd opened it a smidge. “Noblesse, I’m not done.”

“I need my purse, please.”

He closed the door and a moment later handed it out to her through the small opening.

“Thank—.” The door shut before she managed to get out the second word.

“What’s the plan, Noble?” Donovan zipped his leather jacket halfway up.

“First we’re going to go eat, and then I’ll stop by my office. I always keep spare clothes there.”

Donovan took her hand and they headed for the lobby. Curtis, the doorman, stood in their way.

“David said not to let anyone in or out.”

Noblesse frowned.

“What’s the problem, Curtis?” David walked up to them.

“Pardon me, sir, but your sister and Donovan Dupre want to leave.”

David was accompanied by several of the Arnhem Knights. “Noblesse and Donovan, we are still investigating what happened. You are to ease yourselves out without letting anyone in. Got it?”

*

Want to find out what’s 

going to happen next?

Buy Links

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At a Groton Library booksigning

More About Susan:

All my books are listed on my WEBSITE and check out my 

Amazon  Author Page  

My Blog is Nights ofPassion  .I am on Facebook  Twitter and 

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Nancy Lee Badger Presents Author K.C. Bateman

K. C. Bateman, a fellow Romance Writers of America member, stopped by to share her newest book, which you can pre-order now! Take it away!

The Devil To Pay is a Renaissance Italy-set Historical Romance featuring a ruthless mercenary skilled in the art of conquest, an heiress who refuses to be tamed, and a devilishly sexy bargain . . . 

Release date 28 Aug 2018. It is available for $1.99 pre-order until release.

Not part of a series.

Book Blurb

Italy, 1492.

Cara di Montessori has a price upon her head. Her traitorous uncle has murdered her father and seized her home. Her only hope of survival, and of regaining her birthright, is an alliance with her childhood nemesis, the infamous mercenary Il Diavolo. The most irritating—and seductive—man Cara’s ever met.

Battle hardened and world-weary, Alessandro del Sarto has earned the sobriquet Il Diavolo. He needs a politically expedient marriage to secure the lasting peace he craves, but the simpering ladies of court hold little interest. More than anything, he longs for a challenge.

Headstrong beauty Cara has always been Il Diavolo’s only weakness, the one woman he’s never been able to forget. When she appears at his door begging for help, the two strike a devil’s bargain. In return for his assistance, for two weeks Cara must entertain his guests, relieve his boredom—and warm his bed. 

Cara has no intention of succumbing to del Sarto’s studied seduction, but the passion that simmers between them is more potent than her paper twists of gunpowder. Surrounded by danger and intrigue, she must choose between what she’s always thought of as her destiny, and what could be the greatest prize of all—her heart’s desire.

Excerpt from The Devil To Pay 

Chapter 1.

Central Italy, June 1492.

Cara di Montessori was sick of people trying to kill her.  

As a child she’d trailed her father through some of the most godforsaken places in Christendom, so it had been a rare week that hadn’t included a scimitar-wielding Saracen or bloodthirsty Moor trying to send her to the afterlife. But familiarity with the experience did not make it any more enjoyable. And besides, those instances had been impersonal, only to be expected of campaigning, whereas this attempt was personal in the extreme. ‘Uncle’ Lorenzo did not want her alive to dispute his seizure of Castelleon.

His men were proving annoyingly persistent. He must have offered a ransom to keep them on her tail, and though Cara doubted her life was worth a great deal, everyone had their price. In truth, she was staking her life on that very premise, about to make a pact with the Devil himself.

If she could reach him.

Alessandro del Sarto, ‘Il Diavolo,’ was the last person in Italy she would have chosen to ask for help, but engaging his dubious talents was her only hope of staying alive and regaining her home. He was condottiero. A killer for hire.

Cara wrinkled her nose in distaste. Mercenary described both del Sarto’s profession and his nature. Il Diavolo sold himself to the highest bidder. He didn’t care which side won or lost, or whether the cause was worth fighting for, only whether the victor could pay his exorbitant fees. Every monarch in Europe wanted him. And now she needed him, too.

‘Better to dance with the devil you know,’ Father used to say. Well, she hadn’t seen this particular devil in six long years, not since she was sixteen. He’d knocked her on her backside, then kissed her until she’d seen stars. She’d threatened to kill him in return. He’d haunted her dreams ever since.

Cara shivered. She hated being cold. At least if she ended up in hell for bartering her soul she’d be warm. She nudged her exhausted horse forward and wished—for perhaps the hundredth time—that she’d stolen a mount with a better saddle. The urge to slump over the animal’s scrawny neck was so strong. She hadn’t eaten for two days, hadn’t dared stop for more than an hour at most. Every jolt of the animal’s hooves reopened the wound at her ribs and brought a fresh wave of dizziness and pain. Perchance the quick slash of an assassin’s blade would be preferable to dying slowly of blood loss?

No. She would reach Il Diavolo. She had hundreds of things she wanted to do before leaving this world, and she’d hardly managed to achieve any of them. Quite apart from avenging her father’s death and regaining her home, she planned on dying a wrinkled old crone in a nice warm bed, surrounded by a huge and loving family. A young, heroic death was all very well in principle, but it looked extremely unappealing now it was a distinct possibility.

Whirling lights crowded her vision like fireflies and Cara shook her head. The stumbling horse crested a rise, and she let out a breathless prayer of thanks. There it was, outlined against the deepening twilight; Torre di San Rocco, the fortified city strongold of Italy’s most infamous son.

Cara kicked the horse into an exhausted trot. She would reach Il Diavolo, or die trying.

Buy Links:

Amazon     Barnes & Noble 

Ibooks      Kobo     Goodreads 

More About the Author

Kate Bateman, writing as K. C. Bateman, is the #1 Amazon bestselling author of Regency and Renaissance historical romances, including To Steal a Heart, A Raven’s Heart and A Counterfeit Heart. Her books feature feisty, intelligent heroines, (badasses in bodices!) wickedly inappropriate banter, and heroes you want to both strangle and kiss. When not writing, Kate leads a double life as a fine art appraiser and on-screen antiques expert for several TV shows in the UK. She currently lives in Illinois with a number-loving husband and three inexhaustible children, and regularly returns to her native England ‘for research.’ Connect with her here:

Website     Amazon Author Page 

Goodreads     FacebookAuthor Page 

Twitter: @katebateman     Pinterest

Also by K. C. Bateman...

Nancy Lee Badger Welcomes Author KD DuBois

Author KD DuBois stopped by to share her newest release with my readers. She is a fellow author with soul Mate Publishing. Tell us all about the book!

A meteorologist confronts a tornado god and discovers her future. My Book,  Daughter of the South Wind is a fantasy-romance influenced by Greek mythology. It was released August 1, 2018.

Back Cover Blurb: As if grad school wasn’t hard enough, Dawn Wynham battles her bossy sister’s interference with her private life and resists divulging one secret—her very realistic dreams about tornados and the man who morphs out of them, Nino. After chasing twisters for her meteorology degree, why not indulge in a little sexy fantasy to enhance the adrenaline highs?

Nino’s visits tantalize Dawn, his mythological viewpoints mysterious yet familiar. When make-believe blends into real-life, she must choose between the practicality of her mind and the yearnings of her heart or else lose everything she holds dear.

The most desirable path holds the greatest danger. Dawn knows what feels right in the depths of her soul—and hopes her decision doesn’t cast Nino away from her forever.

Excerpt:

As I spun back to the tornado, my dress coiled around me. Fear coursed through my veins, mirroring the emotions of the two who felt like parents. The face and funnel dissipated. A lean, muscular man emerged from its core. He ran to me.

The view narrowed to a small circle, my periphery non-existent. Life-force energy drained from my body in a rush. I crumpled.

Strong arms caught me. An almost complete golden disk of fire hung over the man’s shoulder. His black hair tickled my exposed skin. With great effort, I focused on his eyes. Different tones of gray swirled similar to the tornado which brought him to me.

I calmed. My soul knew he would keep me safe.

“Tira, I love you.” His rich baritone words carried over the thrashing gale.

Unable to fill with air, my lungs convulsed, causing my response of, “I love you, too, Nino,” to garble in an unrecognizable voice.

My sight pinpointed. Hot gusts mixed with a yellow-tinted cloud to surround us in comfort like a parental hug. The sun crested a distant hilltop.

A drop of water splashed on my cheek, a cool contrast to the heat of an invading force in my core. I concentrated again on those mesmerizing graphite eyes. Tears flowed from them.

“Tira, I promise you . . .” His voice faded as a power greater than my own tightened its grip and squeezed my essence into submission. Darkness overtook me while he uttered, “I will find a way to break the curse and bring you back.”

The world went black, silent. Balmy breezes converted to cold stillness. The struggle within to keep control of my soul ceased, and my tumult of emotions became nothing, empty in defeat. As if I didn’t exist at all.

Available on Amazon Kindle e-books 

and Kindle Unlimited HERE

More About the Author

KD DuBois writes fantasy mixed with a touch of romance. Her current book delves into mythology, giving obscure gods and goddesses their own stories. It’s the first of a series in a world she created called The Immortal Dimension.

Twenty-nine years in a military uniform took KD to many unique places around the country and the globe. But a few choice assignments in year-round mild climates spoiled any inclinations to retire where even a hint of snow might fall. Instead of settling down in her home state of Kansas, she planted roots in the perpetual sunshine of south-central Texas.

With the opportunity to start a second career in front of her, KD took a class and got inspired to bring the ideas in her head to life. Now she spends her time typing away and takes an occasional break to ride her bike to enjoy the sunshine. 

Connect with her here:

WEBSITE     FACEBOOK     TWITTER

Nancy Lee Badger Presents Author Diane Burton

Author Diane Burton hosted me and my latest book release on her blog last month, so I invited her here to share her new book with my readers. Take it away, Diane!

Christmas in August!

Thank you, Nancy, for inviting me to your blog. With temperatures well into triple digits in the U.S.’s southwest, I thought reading about snow and the holidays might help readers cool down. Sort of like the Hallmark Channel that runs Christmas in July specials. Feel good stories. Romances with happy endings.

I live close to Lake Michigan where we get lots of snow. Over 30 feet (not inches, feet) of snow fell our first winter here. It’s so beautiful when the white stuff covers brown lawns and decorates the evergreens. Because I love this area, I set a series of cozy mysteries in a fictitious town (Far Haven) that’s similar to resort towns along Lake Michigan. The Alex O’Hara Novels, feature a female private investigator. Romance Rekindled (a Far Haven Tale) is a spin-off from that series.

Blurb:

Abby Ten Eyck likes her life the way it is. She runs a successful business, has a well-adjusted teenage daughter, and has managed to keep men at bay since her divorce fifteen years ago. Just before Christmas, she’s hit with change. Her mother decides to sell the family home. Then she’s arrested, with an unknown man. Could this new man in her mother’s life create more upheaval? Or could his handsome son be just what Abby needs to revive her dormant feelings?

Sam Watson embraces transition from frenetic Wall Street to a small Michigan resort town. His health is worth moving close to his dad who seems over the moon in love. But it’s the daughter of his father’s girlfriend who fascinates him. Abby Ten Eyck reminds him of his driven self. He must help her slow down before she burns out. Like he did.

Excerpt:

Abby stooped to retie the boot laces—although Sam couldn’t figure out why since they were going inside. As she rose, she let loose a round, white ball. Smack into his chest.

For a moment, Sam stood still near the snow-covered lawn, a patch of white decorating his leather jacket. “You know this means war.”

With an evil laugh, he grabbed a handful of snow and packed it well. As he threw it, she dodged. His aim wasn’t far off. The snowball clipped her shoulder.

“Bring it on.” She fired another ball and got his ear, before dodging to the left to avoid his next throw.

They flung a barrage of snowballs at each other. After her last throw that narrowly missed a vulnerable part of his anatomy, he lunged for her and brought her down on the lawn. Her fall was well cushioned by the snow.

“You will pay for that last one,” he said in a falsetto. “I plan to have children someday.”

Lying on the snow-covered lawn, she looked lovely, kissable . . . until she dumped a handful of cold stuff down the back of his neck.

“Someday? You’d better hurry. Someday is about to pass you up. Ooh,” she shrieked as his handful of snow went down the V-neck of her holiday sweater.

With strength that surprised him, she managed to roll him over then sat astride him. “Did you say war? You ain’t seen nothing yet, mister.” With a girlish giggle, she rubbed a handful of snow in his face.

“What are you two doing?” Abby’s mother stood on the front porch, hands on her hips. “Get up before someone sees you acting like children. What will the neighbors say?”

Abby scrambled to her feet then reached down to help him up. “Oh my yes.” She pursed her lips. “What will the neighbors say?”

When he clasped her hand, he noticed the twinkle in her eyes. “Can’t have that.” He scooped her up in a fireman carry and headed for the backyard.

Check out these BUY LINKS:

Amazon     Amazon UK     iBooks

Smashwords     Kobo     Nook

I hope that snowball fight cools our readers off. Again, thanks for inviting me to your blog today. As a special treat, Romance Rekindled (A Far Haven Tale) is on sale for 99 cents through the weekend.

About the Author:

Diane Burton combines her love of mystery, adventure, science fiction and romance into writing romantic fiction. Besides writing science fiction romance, she writes romantic suspense, and cozy mysteries. Diane and her husband live in West Michigan. They have two children and five grandchildren.

For more info and excerpts from her books, visit Diane’s WEBSITE

Connect with Diane Burton online:

BLOG     TWITTER     FACEBOOK

GOODREADS     PINTEREST

AMAZON AUTHOR PAGE

Sign up for Diane’s new release alert HERE

DRY SPELL a Contemporary Romance by Mia London and Susan Sheehey

Title: Dry Spell

Genre: Contemporary Romance  

Release Date:  August 1^st

About Dry Spell: 

She believes in success. He believes in a carefree lifestyle.

Driven and work-obsessed, Samantha Callahan’s specialty is conquering a man’s world. With her next promotion within grasp, the one thing she lacks may be the very thing that gives her the edge she needs. A well-deserved vacation with her best friends may be overdue, but nothing will stand in the way of her success. Not even the gorgeous, unambitious surfer boy next door.

Beach hottie Chase Bradshaw ditched corporate America to follow his dreams of the stress-free salt life. When Sam walks onto his beach, he can practically see the uptight personality oozing from her pores. The woman desperately needs something other than work to keep her up at night. He’s just the man to coax the vixen out of her.

Lucky for her, Chase just happens to surf as well as he sizzles in the bedroom.

Teaser Excerpt:

   Zac’s hands cupped her jaw and caressed her neck as the hunger in his kiss grew. She swung her arms around his torso and let herself be consumed by him. By his passion. His desperation. Her heart thundered. He tunneled his hands between their bodies, breaking the kiss only long enough to whip her top over her head. Without ceremony, he unclasped her bra and sent it flying. He stepped back, out of reach, taking her in. His eyes darkened with lust. Sam basked in his approval. 

   “Take down your hair, Samantha.” The words held a tone of request. She knew everything she did was her choice. She unwound the hair tie holding her braid in place, then. Then finger-combed some of the braid loose. “More. All of it down.” She briefly pinched her brows together, then lifted her arms, and weaving her fingers at her scalp, briskly ruffled her hair loose.

“Perfect. Hold it right there.” Sam swallowed. She stood before him, naked from the waist up, with her hands at the top of her head. His right hand caressed her blonde locks, pulling them forward. Repeating that several times, he watched them fall over her breasts. The back of his hand smoothed over her breast to her nipple. She inhaled. With both hands, he toyed with her nipples, seemingly fascinated by their response . . . peaked and as hard as diamonds. Then he leaned forward and captured one in his mouth. She gasped. His warm mouth felt divine, sucking and lapping at her. He stepped back again to savor her. His voice turned rough with desire. “Samantha, you are a goddess.”

Order Your Copy Today!

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iTunes | B&N | Kobo  

Working together to create Sweet Escape:

Let me tell you how it all started. J

Susan and I were traveling to a book signing 3 hours away for our homes. I was driving, and she’d just closed the lid to her laptop and said, “What a satisfying sound. Who would ever own a tablet when you couldn’t slam the lid shut?”

I agreed, and asked, “But is she slamming the lid because she’d mad or she’s happy? Like she just did something great and her boss was going to be proud.”

And there was the catalyst for the entire series.

As with any writer’s mind, once the creativity flows it’s hard to turn off. We talked, plotted, came up with characters, and plotted some more on the return trip. At one point, I turned to Susan and said, “You know. This needs to be a series.”

We met, texted, chatted and brainstormed. One person would write and the other would in turn edit that section. We flip-flopped like that through the entire 3-book series. We each had areas of expertise that definitely complimented each other, and created a well-rounded series—steamy, entertaining, funny. It was such a fun and rewarding experience! We hope you enjoy reading it as much as we enjoyed writing it.

About Mia:

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Amazon | Bookbub

About Susan:

Website | Facebook | Twitter | BookBub | Newsletter

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