Nancy Lee Badger Presents Author Pamela Gibson

 

Fellow Soul Mate author, Pamela Gibson, stopped by to share her new May 27th release. I love historical novels and this one, set in California, looks exciting. Take it away, Pamela!

Thank you for hosting me today, Nancy. My book is called Return of the Fox and it’s the second book in my Mission Belles series, set in pre-gold rush California. The book is about redemption—a man’s need to redeem himself in the eyes of his peers and in the heart of the woman he left behind, but still loves. The publisher is Soulmate and it’s an e-book first, free on Kindle Unlimited, with a paper version out in about six months.

Book Blurb:

The year is 1847…

Gabriel de la Vega, disgraced son of a Mexican ranchero, returns to his Alta California home when Americans take power to help his countrymen with the bewildering transition and make amends to the woman he once wronged.

Fiercely independent, Isabella Fuentes swore she’d never forgive Gabriel for abandoning her on the night they were to elope. Now he’s back, playing a dangerous game, pretending to be meek and repentant when she knows the handsome, former outlaw is anything but contrite.

When a series of accidents threaten Isabella’s safety, Gabriel offers an outrageous solution: the protection of a brief civil marriage.  Isabella is tempted. But can she rely on a man who once betrayed her and can she trust her foolish heart to let him go when the danger has passed?

Excerpt from Return of the Fox

“There you are. I wondered if you would be down for dinner.”

Isabella turned at the sound and faced Gabriel, unable to suppress a smile. He wore an old-fashioned shirt that must have belonged to her late husband, the sleeves billowing, the neck loose and open. He resembled a Barbary pirate, off to plunder ships. All he needed was a cutlass and a patch, like the drawings in one of Sorina’s novels.

“You look . . . dashing.” She laughed. She couldn’t help it. He was blushing. Gabriel de la Vega . . . blushing.

“Shall I strike a pose?” He grabbed a silver knife from the sideboard and lunged at an imaginary foe, waving the blade in the air in a corkscrew pattern.

“Are you preparing to do battle with our chicken dinner?”

He set down the knife and put his hand over his heart. “You wound me, querida. You’re making fun of my prowess with a, hmm, dinner knife.”

“On the contrary, I’m sure you will slice the chicken with precision.”

“Right now, I’m hungry enough to eat it with my bare hands.”

They sat down at the same time, their eyes never leaving each other’s. A frisson of heat shot through her core.

Gabriel smiled. “How are you, my dear? Are you feeling any better? Before we left, you were walking around like someone risen from the grave on El Día de Los Muertos.”

His eyes were so kind she had to glance away. To her surprise, the dull ache in her heart was gone, replaced by a different emotion brought on by his reminder of why they were here.

Slow, simmering anger.

“I will find out who did this, Gabriel, and they will pay. They’ve burned my storehouse, taken away my livelihood. I will find a way to remain and care for my people. I will not give in.”

Gabriel poured her a glass of wine and sipped from his own. Assessing her over the rim of the glass, he nodded.

“That’s my girl. You were beginning to worry me.”

“Why?”

He paused, just before taking another sip. “When you first heard the news, you seemed to wither before my eyes. If we’re to solve your problem, I needed you to return from wherever your mind had taken you.”

“I’m back now, and I’m ready to slay dragons.” 

Buy Links

Amazon     Amazon UK     Amazon CAN

More about the Author

Author of eight books on California history and fifteen romance novels, Pamela Gibson is a former City Manager who lives in the Nevada desert. Having spent the last three years messing about in boats, a hobby that included a five-thousand-mile trip in a 32-foot Nordic Tug, she now spends most of her time indoors happily reading, writing, cooking and keeping up with the antics of Ralph, the Rescue Cat. If you want to learn more about her activities go to https://www.pamelagibsonwrites.com and sign up for her quarterly newsletter and occasional blog. Or follow her in these places:

Bookbub    Facebook    Twitter

Website     Goodreads 

Amazon Author Page  

Nancy Lee Badger Presents Author Madelaine Grant

Another author with Soul Mate Publishing has released a book that I am thrilled to share with my readers. Please check out the free excerpt then leave a comment! Take it away, Madelaine Grant!

Thanks for inviting me, Nancy. My second release, The Sweet Touch, a contemporary romance with recipes, is available as an ebook or in print. My first book, a romantic comedy, A Total Mismatch, is also available through Amazon and Soul Mate Publishing, in both ebook and print formats. I’ve been interested in healthy living for most of my life.

In The Sweet Touch the heroine, Kate Bromley, is a nutritionist and triathlon competitor. I feel connected to her story through my own love of the outdoors and keeping fit plus my enjoyment in creating tasty vegetarian dishes.   

Each chapter ends with a healthy vegetarian recipe which I researched and experimented with in my kitchen. Of course I have my favorites – the mock tuna salad and the chocolate pudding are at the top of my list.

Book Blurb
When nutritionist and triathlon competitor Kate Bromley meets single dad and owner of steak restaurants, Dan Brookhouse, at a mall where she’s demonstrating how to make a healthy chocolate pudding, she is determined to keep her distance. After an early disastrous marriage she enjoys her freedom too much. Dan is determined to have Kate demonstrate her desserts to his chefs. 

Besides being immediately attracted to her, he’s a chocoholic. Can Kate keep her hard-won freedom and still have a relationship with Dan? Will Dan’s hyperactive young son be too stressful for Kate to handle?

Excerpt from The Sweet Touch

Dan was pretty sure of himself, she thought uneasily. He was talking about their next encounter while she had no intention of seeing him again, at least in a personal way.

“Dan,” she began hesitantly, “I should probably mention that I don’t date. I wouldn’t mind a platonic friendship, but anything more is not possible. I’m much too busy for any kind of involvement.” She sent him a glance and, when he didn’t reply right away, she added, “This isn’t a recent decision. After my divorce I decided to put all my energy into my own life, finishing my education and building a business. I’ve never allowed myself to swerve from that course. I hope you understand.”

He suddenly started laughing. Shocked at his unexpected response, Kate turned toward him with a puzzled stare.

“What’s so funny?” she demanded.

“You,” he managed to say in a choked voice. “You sound so definite.” He pulled into the parking lot of the Brookhouse restaurant, turned off the ignition and looked at her, his blue eyes twinkling. “I’ll just have to convince you to swerve a little now and then, like our brief time in the greenhouse.” He reached out a hand to run a finger down the side of her flushed face. “That was just an introduction, mind you. I’m sure we’ll find more in common than you could imagine.” His tone was tender as he said this.

BUY LINKS  

Amazon    Amazon Author Page

******

Another book by Madelaine Grant

To read the first chapters of A Total Mismatch 

and The Sweet Touch check out my WEBSITE

To view my artwork,

 search for 

Contemporary Florida Artist 

Madelaine Ginsberg

More About the Author
I’ve been a professional artist for most of my working life, first as a commercial artist, later teaching art to children and adults and then as Assistant Director of Art at the Stamford Museum, in Stamford, Ct. I’ve shown my work in galleries in Ct., N.Y. and Florida and am a member of several professional organizations. At the same time I’ve always wanted to write. My  attempts never came to fruition until I joined Romance Writers of America and my local chapter. Attending chapter meetings I learned the craft of romance writing. My first published work appeared in True Confessions and True Story magazines. I also published two novellas with Extasy Books.  After many attempts I wrote a full-length novel, a contemporary romantic comedy, “A Total Mismatch” and signed a contract with Soul Mate Publishing. The book was released in November, 2017 as an e-book and later in print. My second book for Soul Mate, “The Sweet Touch”, is a contemporary romance released in September 2019 as an e-book and later in print. I am working on a third contemporary romance, “Dream With Me” and am enjoying the process. Connect with me here: Website   Soul Mate Publishing

To read the first chapters of “A Total Mismatch” and “The Sweet Touch” check out my WEBSITE

http://www.madelainegrant.com/

To view my artwork search for Contemporary Florida Artist Madelaine Ginsberg

Nancy Lee Badger Presents Author Jo-Ann Roberts

Jo-Ann Roberts stopped by to say "Hi". She lives near me and I usually see her at our monthly writer meetings in Raleigh, NC. Now I can only see her via meetings held on Zoom, but things should get back to normal soon. Please give her a warm welcome!

Thank you, Nancy, for inviting me to be on your blog today. My first book, Lessie-Brides of New Hope, debuted in October, 2019. It is available as an ebook and in print form from Amazon and Soul Mate Publishing.  Set in Kansas in 1867, it is a sweet, western historical brimming with hope, redemption, and a second chance at love. I’m pleased to announce that Posey-Brides of New Hope Book Two will be released July 22, 2020, and Grace-Brides of New Hope Book Three will follow in Spring, 2021. Though they are part of a series, each can be read as a standalone romance.

Book Blurb 

How can a single unexpected kiss, a forced wedding, and a missing groom lead two strangers to discover how love can heal their wounded hearts?

Having to carve out a life on her own as a midwife, the last person Lessie MacKenzie expected to see on her doorstep was her missing husband…the injured Yankee she was forced to marry, who disappeared the next day, and whose kiss still lingered on her lips.

Eli MacKenzie wanted only one thing after the Civil War…to establish his medical practice in New Hope, Kansas. His dream turned to despair when he discovered someone sold his property. And that someone appeared to be the woman who haunted his every dream the past two years…and now claimed to be his wife!

Brought together by chance and united by their desire to forge a future, will a secret from Lessie’s past threatens to destroy their new found love?

Excerpt from Lessie-Brides of New Hope Book One

Grabbing Abner’s crudely drawn map scrawled onto the back of his now useless deed, Eli wasted no time in getting to the livery. Drew’s dream, now his dream was gone, but he’d gained a wife. A wife who he couldn’t remember marrying. Picking up the reins, he released the brake and made a clucking sound with his tongue

When Eli arrived at the second bend in the road, the homestead in question came into vim,ew. It was the place where he’d glimpsed the smiling woman and child waving at the train. The woman paused at the top step, shielding her eyes with one hand.

There was something strangely familiar about her sturdy frame and the halo of curling tendrils framing her oval face. As he drove closer, Eli was hit full force with the sudden realization. She was the woman who haunted his dreams and sustained his spirit through those terrible days in a Confederate prison. And now, somehow, she was his wife!

He pulled the wagon to a stop in front of the porch. The woman, with one hand resting between her throat and her heart and her other hand inside an apron pocket, stepped away from the house. She stared at him with wide amber-colored eyes as though he was a specter from beyond the grave.

“Mrs. MacKenzie, your husband is home.”

Buy Links

AMAZON    Soul Mate Publishing

More About the Author

Born and raised in western Massachusetts, Jo-Ann Roberts was fascinated by America’s Old West and always felt she was destined to travel on a wagon train following the Oregon Trail. With her love of history and reading, she began reading historical romance during high school and college. Victoria Holt, Jude Deveraux, and Roseanne Bittner were among her favorites. Influenced by her father, she fell in love with John Wayne, James Garner, and her all-time favorite, James Stewart and grew up watching Wagon Train, Bonanza and Rawhide.

A firm believer in HEA with a healthy dose of realism, Jo-Ann strives to give her readers a sweet historical romance while imparting carefully researched historical facts, personalities, and experiences relative to the time period. Her romances take her readers back to a simpler time to escape the stress of modern life by living in a small town where families and friends help one another find love and happiness. When she isn’t creating believable plots and relatable heroes and heroines, Jo-Ann enjoys spending time with her husband, adult children, and grandson. She also enjoys baking, quilting and eating way too much chocolate.

After 38 years in public education in Connecticut and Maryland, she’s now calls North Carolina home. She is a member of  Romance Writers of America, Heart of Carolina RWA, and the 2018 Winner (Historical Category) of NEORWA’s Cleveland Rocks Romance Contest. Her debut romance, Lessie-Brides of New Hope Book One, is a 2020 RONE Award Nominee. Connect with her here:

Website   Pinterest 

Facebook   Goodreads 

Nancy Lee Badger Presents Author Hope Malory

A fellow Soul Mate Publishing author stopped by to share her latest book. Take it away, Hope Malory!

Thank you, Nancy. My newest release, Blue Skies of Summer, is now available as an ebook. This romantic suspense, the third in the Azalea Valley Series, can be read as a standalone. The first and second in the series, Wildfire and Roses and Rhythm in Blue are also available through Amazon and my publisher, Soul Mate Publishing, in both ebook and paperback formats.

Book Blurb:

Coach Blake McLemore loves women. All women. The way they look. The way they smell. The way he feels when he is with them. But he has yet to meet one he wants to commit to much less  spend a lifetime with. Until he meets Krystan.

Krystan Parks breaks free from an abusive marriage. While she and her son escape to a peaceful small town, danger follows them. The last thing she wants is another man in her life. Until she meets Blake.

What are the odds for a matchup between a jaded single mom on the run and the handsome ladies’ man protecting her from a dangerous ex-husband? Will their season end with a strikeout or a homerun?

Excerpt from Blues Skies of Summer

Blake McLemore stared in horror as a stranger bolted into the Yellow Butterfly Café wielding a handgun. A customer screamed. Familiar faces of the regular lunch crowd packed the restaurant. Friends, neighbors, and three of his baseball players. Moments before, conversation, laughter, and sounds of people eating filled the room. Now, everyone fell silent.

“Krystan.” The shout drew Blake’s attention back to the gunman. “I know you’re here.” The man edged along the side wall of the dining area scanning every table with the barrel pointed as he moved. “I’ll start shooting until you come out.” The cashier fainted when he swung the gun in her direction.

Frustrated, Blake was too far away to tackle the guy. Any wrong moves and someone would be injured—or worse.

Mia, the café owner, eased through the kitchen door with her hands up. “Krystan isn’t here.”

“You’re lying. If she doesn’t come out, you’re the first one I’ll shoot.” He yelled louder, “Krystan.”

Blake grew up with Mia, and she never shied away from anything, yet her voice tremored, and fear clouded her eyes.

“I swear she left.”

The man aimed the gun toward her and fired.

A frisson of fear shot through Blake. Seconds passed before he released the breath he held while waiting to discover Mia’s fate. Cold sweat trickled down his back.

Buy Links:  AMAZON

More About the Author 

Hope Malory, author of contemporary romance and romantic suspense novels, grew up in a small Tennessee town. An avid reader, she was often away on an adventure in her mind…a true foreshadowing of things to come. Ms. Malory invents strong-willed characters and puts them in precarious situations.

Today, Hope and her husband live near Nashville and travel as often as they can. Together they still make plenty of time for family including two grandchildren, but you’re just as likely to find them preparing for their next journey. Hope’s love of travel and culture make it into her novels giving them a touch of intrigue and creating beautiful settings for a down home story of love and family. Connect with her here:

WEBSITE     FACEBOOK     TWITTER

BOOKBUB     GOODREADS

Please Vote for my COVER!

They say not to judge a book by its cover but I need you to do just that. If you liked the cover of my book, Heaven-Sent Flame (Warriors in Bronze Book 3), please vote for it for the Cover of the Month contest on AllAuthor.com!

I’m getting closer to clinch the "Cover of the Month" contest on AllAuthor! I’d need as much support from you guys. Please take a short moment to vote for my book cover here:

Click to Vote!

Thanks, Nancy Lee Badger

May Celebrations?

I don't feel much like celebrating, The last two months have been very trying, so I should be hopeful that May will be better. I could learn a thing or two from Luke Skywalker.

When your droid disappears (insert toilet paper), get out of your comfort zone and go find him. 

When bad things happen to your relatives (such as COVID-19), find a friend to commiserate with. like Obi Wan.

Luke found himself in a new world, with good and bad people, but he learns to endure and grow. You can, too, just like my characters in Heaven-sent Flame.

Buy HERE

So, I will try to better myself during this pandemic while networking with friends, family, and readers any way possible. Enjoy the day!

More HOT NEWS from Author Nancy Lee Badger

I learned how to use ZOOM! This means I can network with fellow writers in two of my favorite groups: the Triangle Association of Freelancers and the Heart of Carolina Romance writers.

I use the laptop to travel around the internet a lot, but I have never used the camera in order to see myself or others. I am posting on Facebook, Twitter, and various blogs in order to promote my new book, Heaven-sent Flame, but connecting with other writers is so refreshing. I miss in-person business meetings, but sitting comfortably in my own home is fine. I already signed up for a mini-conference that will take place on-line via ZOOM. 

*find all buy links HERE

Promotion is one job I can do from home during North Carolina's stay-at-home order. A pandemic like the current COVID-19 is a worry and a major inconvenience, but I will adapt. I am adapting, as are other writers.

What will the future bring? Nobody knows. Read a book, stay safe, wash your hands, and let me know if you find toilet paper!