Hope for a better 2021 is the best we can do. Until then, don't forget to check out all my ebooks, available for download today. See them all HERE
Nancy
The season is upon us and I am thankful for so many things, such as the three books I released in 2020: Heaven-sent Flame, and Love, Hamish, and The Earl's Treasure. To celebrate, I thought I would give away a few items. No purchase necessary, of course, but I would love if you would comment with the following:
"What I look forward to in 2021"
1st Prize: $10 Amazon Gift Card along with a Notebook & Pen
Runners up will each get a Notebook & Pan
Ends Christmas Eve!
This plot comes to life in a novella available for FREE. Well, it has strings attached. I am hoping to add readers to my newsletter, so I have posted Love, Hamish on BookFunnel.
They will ask you to join my newsletter, then you will be able to download a version of the book. NOTICE...Even if you currently get my infrequent newsletters, please sign-up again when you ask for the book because I am starting a new list on another mailer site. You can unsubscribe at any time.
The story goes:
What happens when Daisy, a young Scottish seamstress, meets
a Highlander visiting Gretna Green? Action, turmoil, murderous intentions, and
love. The love for the bull, Hamish, surprises her and intrigues Torin, his
owner and protector. In this sweet novella, protecting Torin and Hamish keeps
Daisy on her toes while a less than gentlemanly lord gives them all trouble.
Leave it to the huge yet gentle Hamish to bring Daisy and Torin together.
Forever.
Find out how
to get it FREE!
After Stone is wounded and thrust into an
earldom, and Adele is widowed by an abusive husband, these star-crossed childhood
friends meet at an English country ball, escape a kidnapper searching for a
treasure, and depart for Scotland ahead of those intent on killing anyone in
their way.
PG Excerpt from this Steamy Full-length Novel
“Stone, ’tis not
acceptable,” Adele said.
“What are ye
talking about?”
She turned and
stepped away. “Stone, ye forget yerself. Please do not trifle with me. Yer
kisses be…nice. Lovely, even, but I am not looking for a lover.”
“Why not me?
Adele, my sweet, ye intrigue me one minute, exasperate me the next and then ye
make me yearn to touch ye, smell ye, taste ye.”
“Wouldn’t any
woman suffice? I am sure there are more than a few willing servants about. I
watched them glance yer way, our first night here.”
“Truly?” He
straightened his back, then strutted around the table like a peacock. “Nice to
know I’m appreciated.”
“Is that what ye
want? To be appreciated? Why haven’t ye settled down with a countess and raised
a pack of future earls and lords? What of love?”
“Love? What does
love have to do with anything?”
Adele fisted her hands by her sides, and strode closer to the fire. When he didn’t follow her, she suffered a moment of wistful indecision, as if her body said yes, while her mind said no. Would finding pleasure in Stone’s bed be so wrong? Widowed and possibly barren, what would be the harm? Rupert only gave her pain and restlessness. With fists and belts his punishment of choice, he used them whenever he returned home from his little treasure hunts.
“And now I be keeper of the treasure.” She fingered the velvet pouch between her breasts, confident the gem existed.
“Yer wrong,” Stone whispered. His arm circled her waist and he pulled her into his side. “Yer the treasure. I promise to keep ye safe.”
ON SALE for a limited time
for $2.99 (US)
Find All ebook Buy Links
*available EXCLUSIVELY at Amazon
Holiday sales have started early and the pandemic has made many people turn to on-line shopping. Even the libraries closed (ours is still shuttered) so buying books and waiting for delivery has become an option. Another option is reading ebooks. These can be downloaded to your computer or smart phone. The Kindle app makes reading them quick, easy, and portable.
To start off the holiday season, I have reduced the price of Shimmer: The Beginning to...FREE! Check it out wherever you download ebooks, then consider purchasing the three full-length books in my Clan of Dragons series.
FREE ON AMAZON
Find all buy links HERE
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Another novella available for FREE has strings attached. I am hoping to add readers to my newsletter, so I have posted Love, Hamish on BookFunnel. They will ask you to join my newsletter, then you will be able to download a version of the book. Even if you currently get my infrequent newsletters please ask for the book because I am starting a new list on another mailer site. You can unsubscribe at any time.
Thanks for having me Nancy. Cody to the Rescue is my third picture book. While the story is fiction, Cody and Missy were two of our wonderful pets.
I have just updated my website, and you can hear audio excerpts for each book. So check it out!
Book Blurb
Cody had an important job at the railroad: keeping an eye out for anything unusual on the tracks. It was something he just naturally started doing from the first day Engineer Bob brought him to the railroad after adopting him from the local animal shelter. One morning Cody noticed something on the tracks just before Engineer Bob was ready to start the train to move it to the shop for repairs. What was it? Can he alert Engineer Bob in time?
Excerpt from Cody to the Rescue
Cody scouted the railroad tracks as he did every morning. He made it his job to make sure the tracks were clear. On this bright summer day the wind blew gently through the trees, and Cody had never been happier.
“Hi ho, Cody,” called Engineer Bob, as he climbed aboard the locomotive. “Let’s roll. We need to move this locomotive to the shop for repairs so it will be ready for the train rides this weekend.”
“Woof,” said Cody, his tail wagging.
Cody, a lemon spotted pointer, loved Engineer Bob ever since he adopted Cody from the animal shelter. Cody began to walk toward the locomotive when, out of the corner of his eye, he spotted something farther down the tracks. He decided to investigate.
Buy Links
Barnes
and Noble Book
Depository
About the
Author
Renée has been telling stories to children since she began babying sitting at age 11. Renée became interested in writing for children while working with children in foster care. She has published three chapter books, AJ’s Wish, Pepper’s Misadventure which received honorable mention in the Carteret Writers Contest and Mystery at Camp Piney Woods.
In addition she has published three picture books, Booker and the Stinky Smell, Smokey and Clover the Runaway Goat and Cody to the Rescue. When not writing, she enjoys reading, gardening, traveling and spending time with her husband and pets. They live in North Carolina. Connect with her here:
Which brings me to today. I had an idea, which I gleamed from many other authors, that writing a book to tie in to another book makes sense. So, Love, Hamish is a novella that loosely ties in to The Earl's Treasure. The location, Gretna Green in Scotland, comes up in the larger Regency Historical novel. One character in this book is the sister to another in the bigger story.
I used my years of traveling to and volunteering at Scottish Highland games and festivals to create both stories. Love, Hamish is a sweet historical romance, but be forewarned: The Earl's Treasure is steamy! AND, I took the photo of the Highland bull and made the cover. Art degree at work!
Book Blurb for Love, Hamish
What happens when Daisy, a young Scottish seamstress, meets
a Highlander visiting Gretna Green? Action, turmoil, murderous intentions, and
love. The love for the bull, Hamish, surprises her and intrigues Torin, his
owner and protector. Protecting Torin and Hamish keeps Daisy on her toes while
a less than gentlemanly lord gives them all trouble. Leave it to the huge yet
gentle Hamish to bring Daisy and Torin together. Forever.
Clearing
his throat, he stepped over the threshold. Her workroom was small but bright,
with windows facing the alley to the west. Dust motes danced in the sunlight
streaking in through the open shutters. Night would come soon enough.
He inhaled and
caught the sweetness of…what? A vase filled with autumn-blooming flowers sat on
a shelf also covered with supplies. Balls of yarn and folded yards of lace sat
among sewing needles and a variety of leather laces. When she turned to face
him, he realized crisscrossing leather ties ran down the front of Daisy’s dress.
Untying one simple knot would…
When the ties
reminded him of the stitches running along his left cheek, he fought the urge
to touch the bruised skin. Moira’s salve worked, because he experienced little
pain.
She handed him a
similar strip of leather.
“For yer hair. Tie
it back, so ye doono’ get it stuck in yer wound.”
“How thoughtful.
My thanks,” he said, as he brushed his long hair back and tied it in a queue
with the leather strip. As he did, he noticed bolts of colorful cloth covered
the surfaces of several tables. Partially completed dresses hung in every corner.
A tufted chair and a footstool proclaimed her work station. The chair seemed
comfortable enough. The entire room smelled of wool and flowers.
He stood around
the tiny room and stopped at the open window, where a sudden breeze chilled him.
Or, could his thoughts concerning Lord Gerard be the cause of his unease?
Daisy walked over
and pulled the shutters closed. She tossed a green dress from a small chair
that he hadn’t noticed until now. Sunlight slanted through the shutters,
filling the room with faerie light that softened her face.
“Sit.”
“Aye, lass. Yer
wish is my command.”
Scowling, she
paced back and forth. “I am entangled in a frightening conundrum.”
“A what?”
“A puzzle. A big
problem. I am at a crossroad.”
“If ye trust my
judgement, especially since ye claimed it involved Hamish, please share. Maybe
we can find the solution together.”
“Oh, Torin, I wish
this dinno’ involve ye, but I know what the man said. I overheard Lord Gerard
and his driver talking and the subject was—”
“What, lass?”
“Murder!”
May your day be pleasant and may your pockets always be filled with carrots!
...and so is my temporary job with the Wake County Board of Elections. What a trip the last few months have been! I wanted to do my Civic Duty and help with the voting process, but the ongoing threat of Covid-19 made me pause and regroup.
So, instead of helping at early voting sites across our county, which includes the capital of North Carolina, I decided interacting with thousands of strangers might not be the best way to go. Instead, I offered to help behind the scenes with the 'administration side'. Little did I know I would end up packing a lunch, driving through traffic, and working fulltime for days on end.
I started sorting mail which included requests to register to vote as well as absentee ballots. That second type of request grew into the hundreds of thousands and I soon found myself labeling and mailing out ballots.
Then the fun started.
Plopped in front of a computer in a huge warehouse with others all set at least six feet apart and wearing masks and gloves, we began to receive and 'scan' ballot envelopes. The bar codes made it easy, and the ballots were set aside until opened during Tuesday board meetings. A voter could track the process of their ballot and see on-line that it was received.
I entered many thousands of these absentee ballots and I think I helped in my own small way to get these votes recorded. Whether the outcome of this weird and unusual presidential vote makes you laugh, cheer, or cry, please remember the people who worked many hours behind the scenes over the last three or more months to make it possible.
Nancy Lee Badger
Wake Co BOE Temp #23
p.s. back to my writing. Watch for the release of The Earl's Treasure December 1st
Did I mention winter is around the corner? We set our clocks BACK an hour on Sunday morning in many parts of the world (not you, Hawaii) which will mean I will be getting out of work at my county's Board of Elections in the DARK.
Well, that temporary job will end soon and no matter who is our next president, our lives will be different. This pandemic has made it hard for many and I feel books are one way to get an escape from all the craziness. The Earl's Treasure will be released on December 1st. Below is a sample chapter section. Enjoy!
December
1816
A door slammed, and
Adele grabbed the top of her dressing table to keep from tumbling from the
cushioned stool. Her startled movement caused Violet to almost pull a handful
of her hair from the roots. Closing her eyes, Adele choked back a whimper.
“Be still, my lady. ’Tis only the wind. I fear
winter is making itself known.”
Adele shivered. Not from the gathering cold that
swept over the English countryside and seeped through the manor’s cracked
windows, but from the thought of venturing into the public’s eye tonight.
Light snow had started to fall that morning,
darkening her mood and making her rethink her plans. Breathing slowly and
pulling strength from deep inside, she concentrated on her young maid. Violet,
her dark red hair tucked beneath a white mobcap, hummed a Scottish nursery
tune.
The servant helped her dress for an invitation
she should have ignored. How unfortunate that Violet ran the hairbrush through
Adele’s long curls as if currying a horse. Since trying and failing to sell
enough personal effects to pay wages, she had no cause to complain.
However, a question scratched at her mind. In
lieu of wages, had Violet taken her silver mirror, the one her father had
presented to her as a wedding gift? Would her servants resort to theft without
asking for their wages first?
“There, my lady, yer hair shines like spun
gold.”
Adele huffed in exasperation as the maid tugged
and twirled and pinned her hair upon her head.
“Thank ye, Violet, though my hair is a tad too
dark to call gold. Why can I not wear it in a bun at the nape
of my neck as I normally do?”
“Nay, my lady! Yer a baroness! ’Tis fine for a
simple life at home, here at Maxwell Hall, but not for a ball at the Duke of
Bellmeer’s estate!”
“I suppose ye speak the truth, although I am
concerned the dress will not do me justice.”
“Doono’ fret. Let me help ye into yer lovely
gown.”
Adele had to agree the icy blue fabric’s beauty
thrilled her. “’Tis not even mine.” She’d traded several jars of homemade
blackberry jam with a neighbor for its use tonight. Violet clicked her tongue
and helped Adele to her feet.
The fledgling maid slipped the borrowed gown
over the long curls pinned atop Adele’s head. Adele fluffed the skirt and
smoothed the shoulder-baring bodice, then stood as still as a Lochmaben
Standing Stone.
From the corner of her eye, her image in the
cracked looking-glass atop her dressing table was less than flattering. The
gown itself was pretty, but two or three years out of fashion. She didn’t mind.
The rounded bodice cradled her generous breasts, but felt too loose in other
places.
A deep breath and a less than stellar smile
would keep Violet from fussing over her any longer, but Adele’s senses reeled
as the hour to depart drew near. Panic grew with every labored breath.
Ridiculous!
She had no reason to be afraid. Any excuse for
leaving Maxwell Hall ought to be a cause for celebration, not something to
fear. She had to go. She must thank Fanny Hartwell for inviting her to the
ball. The dowager duchess had spent months trying to coax her to return to
society and would welcome Adele’s presence, tonight.
“Although, staying home would be a lot less
trouble.”
“Did ye say something, my lady?”
Adele snorted.
She seldom talked anymore. Over the last few
years, she’d lived like a recluse and so unlike the lass of her youth. Fanny’s
ball, at her grandson’s nearby great estate, might turn into an opportunity to
end her loneliness. Meeting neighbors and nobles from London was a treat and
she would mingle, dance, and enjoy the company of ladies and well-dressed men.
Liar.
The sudden image of her late husband made her
stomach clench and her palms sweat with fear. Though dead for an entire year,
Rupert and his abuse still haunted her. Squaring her shoulders she swept his
face and pain-giving fists from her mind.
“Violet, ’tis time to find Godfrey.”
“Aye, he’ll drive yer coach to the duke’s
estate. How wonderful a time ye shall have! Dancing to the strains of an
orchestra, smiling and mingling with men and women in their finery?” Violet
twirled as if waltzing with an unseen man of the peerage. Within a heartbeat,
she had pirouetted like a spinning top into the hallway.
Praying Violet continued on her way to find
Godfrey, Adele slipped into a pair of silk shoes. To obtain something so
delicate she’d traded a basket of apples from her small orchard. There were
little enough stores to feed her and the servants through winter, but she
wanted those new slippers.
A curdling scream had her turn toward the open
bedchamber door.
It’s easy to become overwhelmed and/or blocked as
we ruminate about past events or worry about the future. To improve the quality
of our lives, we need to find and implement appropriate anxiety antidotes.
Here are ten anxiety antidotes that work for me:
Do you have an anxiety antidote
to share?
Book Blurb
Angelica Delfino takes a special interest in the lives of her three nieces, whom she affectionately calls the daughters of her heart. Sensing that each woman is harboring a troubling, possibly even toxic secret, Angelica decides to share her secrets—secrets she had planned to take to the grave. Spellbound, the nieces listen as Angelica travels back six decades to reveal an incredulous tale of forbidden love, tragic loss, and reinvention. It is the classic immigrant story upended: an Italian widow’s transformative journey amid the most unlikely of circumstances.
Inspired by Angelica’s example, the younger women share their
“First World” problems and, in the process, set themselves free.
But one heartbreaking secret remains untold...
Excerpt from NO MORE SECRETS
March 1959
On the morning of March 29, I woke up earlier than usual and made
my way to the deck. Scheduled to dock at Halifax at some point in the morning,
I was determined to experience every moment of this auspicious beginning. For
the longest time, there was nothing to see, and I could feel the growing
restlessness of the small crowd that had gathered. Around nine o’clock, I heard
a distant hoot and murmurs of a pilot boat approaching. The sounds became
louder, and within minutes, a boat appeared: Canada’s first greeting.
The boat came alongside, and the captain—in civilian clothes—climbed aboard our vessel. Slowly, the fog began to clear, and the sun peeked through the clouds. But there was still no land in sight.
A black stripe that resembled a thundercloud materialized over the fog. I shivered, not quite ready to experience the grayness of Halifax, a warning I had heard many times from immigrants who had previously undertaken this journey.
A cheer broke through the growing crowd, and someone yelled, “Land ahoy.” The last patch of cloud disappeared, and our new homeland spread out before our eyes. I delighted in this vision of a pristine Halifax, white houses blending in beautifully with the accumulations of white snow. I breathed in a new fragrance, one of a distant forest. As we got closer, I saw men cutting logs. It was a Canadian postcard come to life; years later, I would refer to this tableau as my one and only Norman Rockwell experience.
It is difficult for native-born Canadians to understand the depths of emotion felt by immigrants as they arrived in this country. As soon as I saw that first patch of land, I knew nothing would ever be the same again. I would cherish the memories of my life in Italy—and I would be grateful for the many life lessons I had learned the past year—but I wouldn’t dwell upon them. I was ready for my Canadian adventure.
Book Trailer for NO MORE SECRETS
Buy Links
Amazon (UK) Amazon (Australia)
Author Bio
A member of Crime
Writers of Canada, Sisters in Crime, and Women’s Fiction Writers Association,
Joanne Guidoccio writes cozy mysteries, paranormal romances, and inspirational
literature from her home base of Guelph, Ontario. Connect with her here:
Downloaded ebooks are great, but many people prefer actual books. You know...the paper-filled pages between brightly decorated covers. Well, today I would love to announce the print release by Soul Mate Publishing of
HEAVEN-SENT FLAME
Here's an excerpt to get your attention:
A white Samoyed ran into the barn and jumped up, slamming his paws on Sam’s chest. He kissed and licked Sam’s chin. Sam rubbed his hands through the dog’s thick white fur, and then introduced him to Marigold.
“This is Ivor. He belongs to Kenzie’s grandmother, the woman I told you about. The one who used her powers to enhance my fighting staff.”
“The one who is Fae? Like Gwen and Alex?”
“Gwen, yes. No one is like Alex,” he grumbled. He shouldn’t
still feel animosity toward the Heaven-sent Highlander. The man had vanquished
a demon, fallen in love with his cousin, and would soon be the father of her
child. Alex had rubbed him the wrong way from the first moment they’d met. Sam
had worried he’d take advantage of his troubled cousin but love prevailed.
Love? Ha! That’s a Faerie tale.
Ivor seemed to notice Marigold standing motionless nearby.
He jumped down from Sam and barked at her. She smiled and held out her hand for
the dog to smell. She acted unafraid. Did she sense Ivor’s otherworldly status?
More importantly, would the Hellhound realize Marigold was a Heaven-sent
warrior? One of the good guys? Or, would he attack her?
...and don't forget the 1st two in the series.
