Friday, June 26, 2020

Nancy Lee Badger Presents Author Ray Smith


Ray Smith contacted me all the way from the West Coast about his book and I was intrigued from the title alone! I enjoy sharing the work of other romance authors, so please take it away, Ray!

Thank you, Nancy, for offering a space on your excellent blog for my love story.  The Magnolia That Bloomed Unseen was published in eBook and more recently (January 2020) in print by Upon the Sea Books. They are available on Amazon.  I describe the novel below:

Book Blurb

“You’ve seen the woman in the photo. The woman screaming . . .”

So begins the story of Molly Valle, who at forty-eight thinks she knows all that life has to offer a single, middle-aged woman—namely, men’s dismissal and disrespect. But when handsome activist John Pressman arrives in her Mississippi hometown, he challenges her self-doubt along with nearly everything else in her world. Soon, Molly discovers a strength and beauty she never knew she had—and a love so powerful, it can overcome the most tragic of consequences.

The Magnolia That Bloomed Unseen is a love story, an adventure novel, and a self-realization journey. It reignites the truth that many women—and men—have unconsciously extinguished: you are special and worthy of love, and it’s never too late to make your dreams come true.

Excerpt from The Magnolia That Bloomed Unseen

So, so unfair, she had thought, how short that magical moment was, not even a quarter of the average woman’s lifespan. Her twentyish—or, worse, her teenage—self had been so naïve. To have assumed the spotlight would always be there, forever, like in a fairy tale. At thirty-five, she thought she had finally figured out what it meant to be a woman, and it was a return to the invisibility of prepubescent girlhood while remaining in a grown body and with a grown body’s responsibilities. Such was a woman’s life and fate.
Now, at forty-eight years of age, Molly realized her thirty-five-year-old self had been wrong. Staggeringly wrong. No, the spotlight had always been there—was indeed shining on her as she drove—and it would always be there. Her teenage and twentyish selves had been right, but they hadn’t understood how they’d been right.
The spotlight hadn’t dimmed as Molly aged but had changed its glow instead. It had grown more intense with each new experience, had become more personalized and distinguished. It was no longer the bland whitish light of youth, a light dictated by a ceaselessly shallow society and therefore able to be seen by everyone in such a society. No, hers at present was a spotlight with highly individualized rays that could no longer be seen by most men simply because most men’s eyes weren’t good enough to see them.
As she drove, she surprised herself with a sudden laugh. How blind, infinitely blind, she had been to think that men’s inability to see her forty-eight-year-old self was a regret or, worse, a failing on her own part. No, what it really was was a blessing, for that inability had separated the wheat from the chaff.

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More About the Author
Ray Smith lives in Los Angeles and is working on another book. Connect with him here:    WEBSITE

Friday, June 19, 2020

Nancy Lee Badger Presents Author Hope Malory

Hope Malory is back to share a brand new book with my readers. She is also a Soul Mate Publishing author, so please give her another warm welcome (and read the book!) 

Thank you, Nancy.

Released this week, Catching a Curveball is now available as an ebook. Four delightful women I met on a cruise were the inspiration for the characters Michelle (the heroine) and her sisters and best friend . A fun book to write, this contemporary romance filled with humor, heartbreak, and powerful chemistry is the fourth in the Azalea Valley Series and can be read as a standalone. The first three in the series, Wildfire and Roses, Rhythm in Blue, and Blue Skies of Summer are also available through Amazon and my publisher, Soul Mate Publishing. 

Blurb

Benjamin McLemore, a major league pitcher with a magazine cover worthy face and body, agrees to accompany his girlfriend, a professional model, on a Caribbean cruise, but she cancels at the last minute leaving him onboard.

To celebrate her 25th birthday, Azalea Valley's stunning air-traffic controller, Michelle Barlowe, books the same cruise with her sisters and best friend. Broken-hearted from a personal tragedy, she hopes for a relaxing vacation to help her heal. 

Neither is looking for a relationship, but when Benjamin and Michelle meet on deck, their chemistry is instant and undeniable. The shadow of his girlfriend, however, thwarts their passion despite their powerful attraction and forces them to part ways.

The two meet again in the cozy world of Azalea Valley after Benjamin returns during his off-season for a family wedding. Their love blossoms and this time cannot be denied. That is, until a cruel twist of fate steals Benjamin's future, and Michelle learns a shocking secret that tears them apart. 

Can they navigate the storm, or will they crash on the rocks?

Excerpt from Catching a Curveball

Relaxed after the massage and lunch, Michelle dawdled while getting ready for the drink with Benjamin. After conferring with her cabin mates, she chose the new cobalt blue bikini she’d bought for the cruise and slipped on shorts and a halter top purchased on her last trip to Charleston. The idea of seeing him again caused her internal temperature to rise—a feeling she had not experienced in a long time.

Slinging her hands to release the nervous energy, she proceeded to the Lido deck. Benjamin sat at a patio table in the pool area near the entrance. Oh, my. The white linen shirt, a stark contrast against his tan, thick dark hair a woman could run her fingers through, and those deep brown eyes . . . She studied his profile. A strong jaw. When she stepped beside him, he stood. His male scent alone left her lightheaded. Mmm, those full lips. Perfect for kissing. Too bad she would never find out. “Hi.”

“Hello again.” A gentleman, he pulled the chair out for her to sit.

A crew member came to their table. “Would you like anything to drink?”

Benjamin motioned for her to order.

She lifted her sunglasses. “What is the drink of the day?”

“Sex on the Beach.”

“Oh, I had Sex on the Beach yesterday.”

The attendant suppressed a smile. Benjamin didn’t. Instead, he let out a rich deep laugh. “Good for you.”

She felt the heat in her face. “I mean . . . Never mind. You know what I meant.” What was wrong with her? Get it together. What the heck? Since she didn’t plan to fall in love again, a Caribbean fling might be what she needed. “On second thought, sex on the beach sounds perfect."

Buy Links




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 at these sites: 

WEBSITE     FACEBOOOK     TWITTER

 BOOKBUB    GOODREADS

 

Friday, June 12, 2020

Nancy Lee Badger Presents Author Betty Bolte

Author Betty Bolte is my guest this week with another fascinating historical novel. Please welcome her and take a moment to leave a comment below. Take it away, Betty!

Thanks, Nancy. Becoming Lady Washington (Mystic Owl Publishing) is an historical fiction novel about the life of Martha Washington, from courtship by her first husband, Daniel Custis, through her marriage to George Washington and the ensuing war and presidential years. I spent years researching her life and the society in which she grew up and matured into America’s very first First Lady. This book released on June 2, 2020, her 289th birthday.

Book Blurb
Martha “Patsy” Custis manages an immense eighteenth-century plantation in the Virginia colony. But as a young widow she’s hard pressed to balance her business and to care for her two young children. Her experience and education have sustained her thus far but when her life veers in an unexpected direction, she realizes she has so much more to learn. When Colonel George Washington takes an interest in her, she’s convinced he’ll be a loving husband and father for her children.

But when trouble in the form of British oppression, taxes, and royal arrogance leads to revolt and revolution, George must choose between duty to country and Martha. Compelled to take matters into her own hands, Martha must decide whether to remain where she belongs or go with her husband… no matter what the dangerous future may hold.

Excerpt from Becoming Lady Washington
“George, you mentioned your home, Mount Vernon. Tell us more about it.” I sipped hot and sweet tea, the pleasant warmth spreading down my throat to my stomach.
“Ah, the true love of George’s life. Am I right?” Burwell tapped the table as he peered at George.
“My home is very dear to me, I will admit.” George laid his knife on his plate, lifted his fork to stab a bite of fish. He shifted his gaze to smile at me. “Mount Vernon was named for my brother’s commander when he served in Cartagena, but my father built the original small house which has been replaced over the years. It sits on a lovely hill along the Potomac River, which is part of the boundary between Virginia and Maryland. Just a few miles downriver from Alexandria.”
I’d heard of the property from Daniel but did not know much about it, since we had never had opportunity or need to travel in that direction. I tried to picture the place from George’s description. “How large a plantation is it?”
“Several thousand acres with a smallish mansion-house.” He slipped the bite into his mouth and washed it down with a sip of tea. “I’m in the process of expanding the house, and plan to also expand the acreage after I am released from my duties with the militia this fall.”
“You’re resigning your command?” I was surprised. He had spoken last night of the adventures and respect he enjoyed as colonel of the Virginia militia. “What will you do?”
“It is time to settle down to being a plantation master. I am tired of public service and desire only to find a genteel wife to grace my home, have my children, and provide companionship while I put my plans into place.”

BUY LINKS:

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More About the Author
Award-winning author Betty Bolté is known for authentic and accurately researched historical fiction with heart and supernatural romance novels. A lifetime reader and writer, she’s worked as a secretary, freelance word processor, technical writer/editor, and author. She’s been published in essays, newspaper articles/columns, magazine articles, and nonfiction books but now enjoys crafting entertaining and informative fiction, especially stories that bring American history to life. She earned a Master’s Degree in English in 2008, emphasizing the study of literature and storytelling, and has judged numerous writing contests for both fiction and nonfiction. She lives in northern Alabama with her loving husband of more than 30 years. Her cat, Calliope, serves as her muse and writing partner, and her dog, Zola, makes sure she goes outside frequently. Get to know her HERE:

WEBSITE    BLOG     FACEBOOK

BOOKBUB     GOODREADS     PINTEREST





Friday, June 5, 2020

Nancy Lee Badger Presents Author Barbara Britton



Summer is right around the corner and I thought this book would be a good way to welcome it. Take it away, Barbara Britton!

Thank you for having me back on the blog, Nancy. I’m excited to share about Until June. Even though I am published in Biblical Fiction, this will be my first Historical book baby to launch. I heard the story nugget for Until June while on an Alaskan cruise excursion over a decade ago. My family visited a lodge near a glacier outside of Juneau and I heard how a veteran and a caregiver lived in the lodge and were cut off from society for months when the Taku River froze. A man and a woman alone in a lodge? That is how the spark of a story began.
Pelican Book Group will release my caregiver story on June 11th.

Book Blurb for Until June:
When seventeen-year-old seamstress, Josephine Nimetz, agrees to take care of a WWI amputee in a remote Alaskan lodge to escape the influenza of 1918, there’s enough friction to melt the Mendenhall Glacier. Her position is only until June, and it pays well enough to overlook the hardship of managing a rustic home and a shell-shocked veteran, Geoff Chambers.
Geoff makes it clear that he isn’t too fond of the “runt” sent to take care of his needs, nor of her painful mistakes. Dealing with a depressed and addicted amputee, pushes Josephine to the brink of leaving, if not for the money her salary brings.
But Josephine is a perfectionist, determined to get Geoff back on his feet—figuratively. Although, sending a rich, handsome veteran back into society may cost Josephine the man she has grown to love.

Excerpt from Until June
Geoff’s head whipped to the side. His lips puckered. A scowl wrinkled his face.
“I can’t go on patrol. Not tonight.”
She shivered as if thunder had rattled the wall behind her. Geoff acted as if someone else was in the room.
“Tell him, Jo.” Geoff’s gaze turned to her. “No sentry duty.”
No one was there to tell.
“Do it.”
Should she talk to the air? She didn’t sign up for this—the physical care yes—but the mental? How could she heal someone whose nightmares grew flesh?
“I told you.” Geoff held onto every vowel.
Was he talking to her or the man? Wait. No one else existed.
Flinging off the afghan, she balled it up in front of her chest. She could do this. Boss a ghost.
Staring at the closet doors, she cleared her throat and said in her calmest voice, “Please leave. Geoff Chambers is unable to assist you.”
There. Done. Then, why was she still looking at the invisible intruder?
Geoff settled into his covers.
She turned to leave, but then she heard a real voice.
“I need more morphine.”
And that was the scariest voice of all.

You can purchase Until June on:


Barb’s Bio:
Barbara M. Britton lives in Southeast Wisconsin and loves the snow—when it accumulates under three inches. She is published in Biblical fiction and enjoys bringing little-known Bible characters to light in her stories. Look for Barb to venture into sweet Historical fiction with “Until June.” Barb is a member of the American Christian Fiction Writers, the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators, Romance Writers of America and Wisconsin Romance Writers of America. Barb has a nutrition degree from Baylor University but loves to dip healthy strawberries in chocolate. Find out more about Barb’s books on her website www.barbarambritton.com. Connect with Barb on Twitter, Facebook, and Goodreads