May I introduce: Sandy Wolters "When One Door Closes"

 

When One Door Closes

by Sandy Wolters

 

Sandy Wolters is one of the most generous FB and twitter "sharer" around. But she's also a prolific writer with four other novels to date. Her last novel, Soul Mates, won first place in the Paranormal Romance Guild’s Reviewer Choice Awards for Paranormal Romance-Novella.

 

1 – You write about strong women. Why is it so important to you?

My mother was raised when women were supposed to be compliant and submissive.  While this worked for her in her day, surprisingly enough, she wanted more for me.  She wanted me to have the tools needed to make it through life and stand up for myself and those I love.  I know this must have been very difficult for her, to break away from the past that was so engrained in her all those years ago, but she was always there for me, always telling me that I could do anything, no matter what society told me.

My husband and I had two daughters.  We wanted to make sure they had the strength and the belief in themselves that no matter what obstacles they face, they can make a difference in whatever they pursue and whatever is important to them.  In order to do this, weakness is not part of the equation.  They must have an inner strength and not let others that believe differently push them around.  They need to have the fortitude to stick to their guns and not bow to anyone.  Only they can go after what they want, no one else will do it for them.

My oldest daughter, Shandelle, is such a beautiful woman.  She has been forced to face difficult health challenges, but her strength is finding humor in everything and passing on the warmth of her spirit as she goes along her life's path.  She's fought long and hard to get where she is and there is no way that would have been possible without the inner strength she exudes and shares with others.

My youngest daughter, Pilar, is living and working in a man's world.  She currently works for Arizona Game and Fish.  She hunts, fishes, camps in a tent and is a marksman with any firearm including a bow.  While she is incredibly beautiful and charming, these traits get her nowhere when it comes to her career.  She can stand with any man and best most of them.

In other words, woman are no longer considered doormats in real life.  I, as a reader, do not like to read about weak women, and certainly as an author, I don't give those characteristic to my leading ladies.  I've taught my girls to question everything, no matter how intimidating the person they are facing is and don't give in to anything until it feels right for them.

2 – Some of your books have a ghostly paranormal twist. What is it that draws you to it?

We've all lost people we love and many of us have had experiences with them after their deaths.  Some of those experiences are unobtrusive, possibly a message from the other side to let us know they are still with us and to encourage us to move on.  Some experiences in my books are more in your face to get a point across.  This is the type of ghostly encounters in my books.  There is nothing meant to be scary about these scenes.  They are meant to be sweet, touching scenes that hopefully people can read and walk away feeling they've just been witness to something really special.

I never force these paranormal events in my books.  When they feel right, I add them.  I've also had characters that have been sensitive like having visions of things to come.  I enjoy adding these elements because many people can relate to them in one way or another.

 

3 - Another Door Opens, the second book in this series, will be released soon. Tell us a bit about it.

Another Door Opens will be Clay and Nancy's story.  I'm really excited about this because you couldn't have two more different characters than these coming together and finding love with each other.    

Clay, known worldwide as Silk, the very sexy rock star, has enjoyed the perks of being the most sought after male singer/musician in the spotlight.  Women flock to him and he doesn't like to disappoint them.  He's used to being given whatever he wants, whenever he wants it, that is of course until he meets Nancy.

There were two stand out characters in Book 1 of the Rock Star series, When One Door Closes, that people are constantly remarking on or asking me about - Barney Fife, the sweet Neapolitan Mastiff and Martha, the motherly figure with an attitude.  Both of these characters will continue on in Another Door Opens, and bring the reader more laughter with their antics.      

 

Blurb:

Her marriage a disaster, Lilly closes the door to her personal life. Can meeting Bruce open a door to a new life or will her fear shut her off from love?
All Lilly has ever wanted to do is sing, but being an internationally famous superstar has turned her life into a living nightmare. Closing the door on her destructive marriage, she runs to her best friend's rural home in northern Arizona, hoping to stay out of the public's eye and sort out her life.
Bruce Silk, a Flagstaff police officer, doesn't approve of his brother's rakish rock star lifestyle but still keeps an eye on his remote home when he's out on tour. More than once he's had to arrest groupies who invaded the property to steal some small memento from the famous Clay Silk. So why does he feel sucker-punched when he slaps the cuffs on this latest trespasser?

When One Door Closes is the first book in the “Rock Star Series.” Another Door Opens, the second book, will be released in mid-2014. Both books are stand-alone novels.

 

Author:

I’ve been an avid reader for years. To my husband’s dismay, I have bookshelves full of books, rooms full of books, boxes full of books. My cars have books in them. I just can’t seem to get rid of them after I read them. You just never know when you will want to read it again, right? When my husband bought me a Kindle, it cut down on our need for storage, but it opened me up to books that I might never have experienced otherwise.

The biggest transition in my relationship with books occurred, however, when I, much to my surprise, became an author. I had started having dreams about people I didn’t know. I started looking forward to my dreams every night. Then I realized that I was daydreaming about these people as well. I'd just be sitting there, and these people and their antics would pop into my mind. Finally, I gave in and began writing their story down, something I had never dreamed of doing.
After I wrote my first book Maggie Mae, I had do idea what to do with it. After trying the traditional route for a little while, my husband pushed me in the direction of ebooks, and I’ve never looked back.

My books invariably feature strong women. My husband, Michael, and I have raised two strong daughters, Pilar and Shandelle, and they inspire the characters in my stories. As a matter of fact, Pilar was the main character in my book A Brother’s Love, and Shandelle is the main character in my new release Soul Mates. Justice for Emily was the most difficult book I’ve written, and that was because Emily was the victim of a sadistic, cruel, and abusive husband, who just happened to be the Chief of Police. One of my readers described this books as a “good mystery laced with sex, violence, ghosts and spirits.” The only thing her summary left out was the strength of the two women in this story: Emily and Rachael.

I’ve had fun with all the books I’ve written. I think the fact that I insert real events into my books, things that have actually happened in my family’s lives, is like having a private joke. Knowing that Michael Rogers in Maggie Mae is based on my husband tickles my fancy. I am a very lucky woman!

Although I write romance novels, they always contain a paranormal twist. My novel, Soul Mates, has the added element of time travel accomplished through the magical arts. I imagine my future writings will always contain romance with strong women and men of character, influenced by events that reach beyond what we consider normal, and perhaps seasoned with a little touch of whimsy. 

Website:  http://sandywolters.weebly.com/
Blog - Sandy's Spotlight:  http://sandywolters.weebly.com/sandys-spotlight.html
FB:  https://www.facebook.com/sandy.wolters.5
Twitter:  https://twitter.com/SandyWolters
Goodreads:  https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4772120.Sandy_Wolters

 

Purchase Links:

Amazon Geo URL: http://a-fwd.com/asin=B00I6S8KA0
B&N:  http://ow.ly/tFMSh
iTunes:  https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/when-one-door-closes/id816019707?mt=11
ARE:  https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-whenonedoorcloses-1411500-149.html
Smashwords:  https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/404832

 

Excerpt:

 Chapter One

Out of habit, Bruce glanced through the glass next to his brother's front entryway to check the alarm status. Seeing the green light signaling that the alarm had been disconnected, his body drew taut with tension. He pulled his Glock out and quietly checked the door. Locked. Slipping the key into the lock, he gently turned it and opened the door to an unknown danger. He moved silently through the house, clearing each room as he calmly and methodically moved forward, looking for the intruder he knew was there.

He had never cared for the opulence Clayton's home displayed, nor the way his brother lived, but he'd be damned if he'd allow anyone to take anything that belonged to his brother while he was out playing the rock star celebrity role.

Bruce crept into the living room where a fire was crackling in the fireplace. Obviously someone felt at home in his brother’s house. Bruce’s training as a police officer had taught him to slow down, to take everything in, to feel his surroundings. Something was different, he thought to himself. His eyebrows knitted together, he tilted his head to the side, trying to decipher what he was feeling. The air was thick with something he couldn't identify in words. The surroundings were familiar, but everything felt different. Wrong. Turning slowly in a circle, he scrutinized everything in the room, searching for an answer to what was so off about the feel of this home that he had been inside hundreds of times, but nothing tangible had been disturbed in the house.

As his gaze slowed, his gut clenched as he recognized the feeling that flowed over him. It was an overwhelming sense of sadness. It was the imperceptible, the thick veil of anguish, that was gnawing at him.

His breaths came quickly. Trying to wash this paralyzing sensation from himself with his free hand, he clutched his chest. His heart rate had sped up. Waves of sorrow were washing over him. His eyes closed, and he shivered involuntarily. Something was undeniably awry in this house. He just hoped it didn't get him killed.

While trying to steady his nerves, he heard it. Going completely still, he listened. Somewhere in the distance, a cell phone rang. He crept forward, trying to follow the incessant ringing, before finally realizing it was coming from outside on the back deck.

"Gotcha," he whispered as he moved toward the oversized double doors leading to the back deck. The cell phone started ringing again. What an idiot! He smirked at the stupidity of a burglar who couldn't turn his damn cell phone off for the amount of time it took to pull off a B&E. Then again, the idiot must be planning for a prolonged stay since he took the time to light a fire in the fireplace. Bruce was looking forward to educating this bastard.

As the back deck came into view through the large double doors, his suspicions were confirmed when he saw a roaring fire in the pit. To the right of the pit, a young woman sat at the table, staring out into space, her hand clutching a bottle of whiskey and tears rolling down her cheeks as if she'd lost everyone and everything important to her. The cell phone sat in front of her, its ringing falling on deaf ears.

Her beauty was staggering—long, luxurious, blonde hair, the allure of her face so moving that poets had been writing about such a face for centuries. Her eyes were hidden by the shadows of the night, but he could see the tension in her face, which was covered with tears. Even camouflaged from head to toe with the afghan his mother had made and given to Clay all those years ago, he could see an air of elegance surrounding her as if she were some kind of royalty. He watched her for quite some time, trying to decipher exactly what kind of a threat she might be.

Finally, with no answer to his question, he slipped out between the doors and moved stealthily toward her. The air around her was thick with pain, and it washed over him afresh. The man in him, the protector, his heart and body, wanted to run to her and wrap her in a warm, loving embrace all the while the cop in him, his mind, was yelling at him to put her in handcuffs and whisk her away to jail.

Silence. The damned phone finally stopped ringing. He snapped out of his reverie long enough to mentally kick himself. His anger rose, and a frown crossed his face. "A damn groupie," he whispered. That thought dispelled his fantasy and woke him up to the reality, stirring his anger even more.

Pointing his gun at her, he ordered, "Let me see your hands."

Nothing. She didn't even flinch. Her mind was somewhere far off, too great a distance to hear him.

He moved closer. "Hey," he yelled, "let me see your hands, or I'm going to have to take you down and cuff you on the ground."

Her body jerked when he yelled, and the bottle of Southern Comfort she'd been holding fell off the table. Wincing, she stayed perfectly still, except for holding her hands in the air, too afraid to look at the man yelling at her.

"Keep your hands in the air. Stand up and move away from the table," he ordered.

She stood quickly, her hair bouncing around her shoulders, catching the light of the fire. Bruce fought to ignore the impact that such a simple act was having on him. Finding comfort in protocol, he holstered his gun and moved toward her with his cuffs. He pulled her right arm behind her and then her left as he restrained her.

Still feeling a little jittery from what felt like an emotional assault on him by this woman, he did what he did best. He struck out with his caustic words, fully intending to make her feel the fool instead of himself. "Don't you groupies have a network or something? Can't you just spread the word that Silk's house is out of bounds? I just don't understand you women."

He swung her around. "I mean, look at you! You're beautiful. Why are you wasting your time with a man who doesn't give a shit about women? Don't you know his reputation?" He angrily swiped his hand through his hair. "Good Lord! He'd swallow you up and spit you out without so much as a blink. You should have a little more respect for yourself than that."

Watching this man who had just handcuffed her giving her a motivational speech made her smile before sending her into hysterical laughter. Being a cop, Bruce knew that people reacted differently to stressful situations, but her laughter startled him nonetheless. Was she one of those certifiably crazy groupies? Instinctively, his hand moved to his holstered gun. The movement set her to cackling so hard, she couldn't stand up straight and was having a difficult time catching her breath. When she did, it degenerated into snorting.

He took a step back, his anger growing steadily. "What the hell is so funny?" Still bent over, she held her hands up behind her back so he could see them and then held up one finger to indicate she'd need a minute as she convulsed with laughter yet again.

Putting his hands on his waist, he grew more and more agitated as he stood there, placing his weight on his left foot while angrily tapping his right. Who the hell does this woman think she is? His irritation escalated.

She stood up with a broad smile on her face, and it was obvious she genuinely felt better. The sorrow he had seen on her face earlier was still there, but a sparkle of playfulness had emerged.

Lilly watched the cop’s face for the familiar reaction. She couldn't believe it. This cop didn’t recognize her. For the first time in a very long time, she was just another woman. Incredible! Her smile grew brighter, the warmth of her very being radiating out from her, as she immersed in this newfound freedom. Before Bruce knew what he was doing, he smiled back. Dammit, he thought as he transformed his smile into a scowl again.

 "I'm sorry. There's been some sort of a mistake, officer. Ding … I mean Silk invited me to stay here."

Bruce waved his hand at her, clearly dismissing her as a liar. "He would have told me. I watch after the place for him when he's gone."

Her smile never faded, completely unnerving him. "Well, he actually gave me the key two years ago along with an open invitation to visit whenever I wanted." She turned her back to him and awkwardly held her cuffed hand out to him in greeting. She cocked her head and declared, "Hi, I'm Lilly. It's nice to meet you."

Knowing that Clay, or Silk as his hundreds of thousands of fans knew him, had never invited even one of his numerous lovers to what he referred to as "his real home," Bruce returned her gesture with a skeptical stare.

When it was clear this angry police officer was not going to shake her cuffed hand, she turned and nodded to her phone on the table. "There's my phone. Call him. He'll vouch for me."

He reached into his pocket and pulled his own phone out.

"Excuse me, officer, but you should probably use my phone. He's not going to recognize your number and probably won't answer it. He'll answer if you use my phone, no matter what he's doing. We're close friends."

His face lit up with a mischievous smile like he was getting ready to tell her a funny story. I should probably tell her my brother always answers my calls, but I'll just keep that to myself for now. He chuckled.

Lilly couldn't have looked away from him if she had wanted to. There was something so masculine about him. The man exuded an inner strength and--what is it? she thought to herself, and then it hit her—a cockiness about him, that drew her to him like a moth to flame. As much as she wanted to examine what was so attractive about his personality, she was having difficulty looking past the uniform. There is just nothing sexier than a great big man in uniform. She grinned. 

Wishing she would stop smiling at him, he held her gaze as he picked her phone up. Going through the contact list, he looked back at her, smirking from ear to ear. "Hmm. I'm not seeing him listed in your contacts."

She gave him a questioning look and then giggled knowingly. "Oh, I'm sorry. He's listed as Dingo."

His eyebrows shot up in surprise. Dingo? He turned his attention back to the phone, looked at the number listed under the name Dingo and realized that it, in fact, was his brother's private cell phone number. He pressed the send button and stood there, staring at this handcuffed, regal vision in front of him.

He heard Clay answer the phone and say in the background, "Don't worry. I'm going to get to that spot, sweetheart. This is an important call, and I have to take it. I'll be right back."

He closed his eyes and shook his head at the thought of his brother answering a call from this woman while having sex with another. The thought that she must be pretty important to Clay irritated the hell out of him. The next words Bruce heard lifted his anger level to an all new high. "How is my luscious baby girl doing?" Then in a voice so sincere that Bruce couldn't believe it was actually coming from his brother, Clay declared, "Damn, I've missed you so much, Lilly. Please tell me you're calling to say you'll join me for the rest of the band's tour."

It took a moment before Bruce could string a sentence of words together that didn't solely contain swear words unbefitting a cop in charge of the situation. Dammit, she must be really important to him, he thought. Why did that make him feel so bad, he wondered as he finally found his tongue.

"Just hold on a damn minute, Clay." Putting the cell phone down on the table, he pulled his key out of his pocket and walked over to Lilly. She twirled around so he could reach the handcuffs. He quickly uncuffed her.

She turned back to him while rubbing her wrists. "I'll go in and make some hot chocolate for us while you finish your call." Reaching the double doors into the house, she turned back. "Please tell Ding ... Clayton that I'm fine and not to worry about me." With that, she went inside the house.

Bruce stood there and watched her go, his hands clenching into fists, not understanding why the thought of this woman as his brother's girlfriend was so upsetting. He turned his attention back to the phone in time to hear Clay screaming profanities directed at him. He picked the phone up and yelled back. "You should probably tell me when you invite guests to your home so I don't end up taking them to jail."

"My God! Lilly's at my house? Is she all right? Is she hurt?" Clay cried out into the phone.

Once again, Clay surprised him with the depth of concern in his voice. "Clay, she's fine." Hesitating, he added, "Something's happened because when I found her, she was crying and …" Without thinking, he put his hand on his chest and rubbed it, trying to scrub away the pain he had not only seen, but felt emanating from her.

"And?" Clay screamed, impatient for a response.

Bruce shrugged his shoulders. "I don't know. She's sad. Really sad," he whispered.

After a slight hesitation, Clay said, "I'm coming. I'm going to cancel a few stops on my tour, and I'll take a flight out as soon as possible."

Shocked by his brother's uncharacteristic solicitude, Bruce interrupted him. "What? You're going to cancel your tour? For a woman? What the hell is going on? Who is she, and what is she to you?"

Bruce could hear the surprise in Clay's voice. "Umm, dude, you're kidding, right?"

Sighing in frustration, Bruce said, "I'm feeling a little out of the loop, Clay. Will you please tell me what is going on?"

"Jeez, Bruce, do you ever pick up a newspaper, a magazine, turn the TV on, listen to the radio? The person you met tonight is Lilly. Lilly Cabrera." Pausing, Clay shrugged as he spoke. "You probably won't know her last name. No one does, but Lilly is famous, dude. She’s an international superstar. Where the hell have you been living the last three or four years?

"She's also very special to me. She's gotten me through some pretty rough times in my life, and I'm going to be there for her when she needs someone." Pausing, he added, "That time is now, Bruce. You can't let anyone know she's there. She'll never get any peace."

Over the phone, Bruce could hear Clay slamming doors and unzipping what sounded like a suitcase. "I'm on my way there. Don't leave her alone. If she's there, it's bad. She's going to need someone with her. I'm worried about her. Take care of her, Bruce, until I get there." Without any further conversation, the phone went dead.

Bruce looked at the now dead phone he held in his hand with absolute astonishment. "Stay with her?" he asked out loud. "You've got to be kidding!"

 

 

May I introduce: V.L. Locey "Pink Pucks & Power Plays"

Pink Pucks & Power Plays

by V.L. Locey

What can I say ... it's just great to have V.L. Locey as my guest today.
I've known V.L. now for over a year as part of the Tuesday Tales group of authors, who write a story each week to a prompt. "Pink Pucks & Power Plays" was one of those stories, and I loved it. It was a no-brainer to ask V.L. to be my guest today!

1 – My first question, and I’ve been wanting to ask for a long time, what’s the background to your blog-name thoughtsfromayodelinggoatherder? 

That`s a good question. From the time my daughter was around eight my family and I raised dairy goats. Sadly, we just recently sold our herd due of a number of reasons. A few weeks after our goats had new homes, I had to decide if I would change the name of my blog, which had been up and running for several years. I decided to simply use a new banner, but keep the Thoughts From A Yodeling Goatherder blog name, as it was well known to my readers, and reflected the love I will always have for the goats that we owned for so many years. 

 

2 – I’d say you’re one of the most versatile writer I’ve met so far. You write Greek mythology, Sports Romance or Gay Romance. Where do you get all your ideas from? How involved is the research?

My Muses drink Red Bull with black coffee chasers. It`s crazy scary at times. As with most authors I know, the ideas just appear. Take yesterday for example. I`m driving home from grocery shopping, sipping on a container of chocolate milk, when this image of a man with dark wings who loves chocolate milk as much or more than I do, appears before me. It was so strong that when I got home I sat down and wrote out a Word page of information about this fallen angel who obviously wishes to have his story told. Like I needed his voice in my head? There are already about a dozen characters vying for attention as it is!

As for the research, that varies. If I`m doing Greek mythos, I tend to spend much more time involved in double and triple checking my facts with what is known or considered the proper telling. Since every Greek poet tells his tale in a slightly different way, I tend to rely on Edith Hamilton for the bulk of my Greek research.
The hockey books also require some research, but since I`m a fan of the game, it`s not as detail-oriented as the Greek mythology research is. Most of the hockey research centers around certain aspects of the business side of professional sports, as well as the need to investigate defensive or offensive plays .
The gay romance is written no differently than my het romances are. Love is love. I suppose some writers might mind spending hours buried in dusty old tomes devoted to Greek gods the ultimate punishment, but not me! I can lose myself in research if it`s about something I enjoy. Hockey and the Greek pantheon fill that bill!

 

3 – Tell us a bit about your current project.

Right now I`m working on a M/M romantic-comedy I`m hoping to sub for an anthology call. It`s about two comic geeks (Yes, I am one of those as well. You should see my shrine to the Avengers atop my entertainment center) that end up falling in love then facing down an evil villain at a comic con. The working title is The Romantically Daring Adventures of Darren and Connor.

Blurb:

Viviana Land just can`t seem to say no to her younger sister. Somehow, the curvaceous society page reporter gets lassoed into serving as her niece`s Busy Bee scout leader. One overheated engine later, Viviana and her girls find themselves in the Green Hills Ice Rink. Enter Alain Lessard, the charmingly handsome defenseman for the Philadelphia Wildcats, who is donating his summer to coaching the youth league.

When our intrepid reporter is given the opportunity to write the break-out story of her career, Viviana leaps at the chance. Thinking it would be easy to flirt and tease some juicy tidbits out of Alain, Viviana soon finds herself falling for the sensual, younger, kind-hearted man. Will she put aside her virtual pen for a chance to stay at her new paramour`s side? Or will Viviana finally get away from those mundane bakery opening articles by using the man she may possibly be in love with?

 

 

Author:

V.L. Locey loves worn jeans, belly laughs, anything romantic, Greek mythology, New York Rangers hockey,  comic books and coffee. (Not necessarily in that order.) She shares her life with her husband, her daughter, one dog, two cats, a steer named after a famous N.H.L. goalie, and a flock of assorted domestic fowl.

V.L. is a self-published and conventionally published author. She is a proud Torquere Press and Secret Cravings Publishing author. When not writing romantic tales, she can be found enjoying her day with her menagerie in the rolling hills of Pennsylvania with a cup of fresh java in hand, writing, or cheering on her beloved New York Rangers. She can also be found online on Facebook, Twitter, and GoodReads.

 

Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/pages/VL-Locey/124405447678452?ref=hl

Goodreads:https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5807700.V_L_Locey

Twitter:https://twitter.com/vllocey

Blog:http://thoughtsfromayodelinggoatherder.blogspot.com/ 

 

Purchase Links:

Secret Cravings Publishing:http://store.secretcravingspublishing.com/index.php?main_page=book_info&cPath=4&products_id=814

Amazon:http://www.amazon.com/Pink-Pucks-Power-Plays-Locey-ebook/dp/B00I33V7G2/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1392553179&sr=8-2&keywords=V.L.+Locey

All Romance eBooks:https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-pinkpucksandpowerplays-1405701-149.html

B&N:http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/pink-pucks-and-power-plays-vl-locey/1118329541?ean=2940148355793

 

 

Excerpt:

 “Tell me about your house growing up. Was it a small town?” I offered him another spoonful of ice cream. He smiled and accepted after losing the far-away look he had been wearing. Alain launched into a long explanation about his hometown and I, like the miserable snoop that I am, committed every name and anecdote to memory for later dictation to my tablet. After he talked at length and the float was consumed, I stood up and walked to the railing, stepping over sleeping dogs. I leaned my shoulder against the post.

“You seem distracted tonight,” Alain said, stepping up behind me to wrap me in his embrace. His chest was strong and solid against my back. My hands rested on his forearms.

“I should probably check my dress and go home. I have to be up early tomorrow for some insipid luncheon that the mayor`s wife is throwing.”

“I did not know you were friends with the mayor`s wife,” he said casually, his chin resting on top of my head. I went rigid in his arms.

“I don`t really know her,” I hurried to say, forcing myself to relax, “It`s just some luncheon where she plans to announce which charity she`ll work with for the upcoming year. My boss is hoping she`ll name the same charity our law office donates to.”

“Ah, that would be good. What is the charity you give to? Perhaps I donate to them as well.”

“Oh, well it`s a small local charity named for the town the mayor`s mother was born in,” I said, thankful only the fireflies could see my lying face. I turned in his arms. He smiled down at me, dropping his head to capture my mouth gently.

“What is the name of this town?” he asked between kisses that were growing longer and hotter.

“Petticoat Junction,” I whispered my fingers now in those dark curls of his.

“That sounds like a funny town. Stay the night, Viviana.” He held me as tight as he could, his lips moved gently over mine. “Stay with me here.”

I stayed.

May I introduce: Whitney KE "What happens in Ireland"

"What happens in Ireland"

by

Whitney K.E

There’s nothing better in life when you find someone who shares the same interest as you. Or completely and utterly loves the same things as you do!

And …

I’ve found someone. Not just someone, but someone who loves Ireland. But not just loves Ireland, but like myself, has written a book that is set in Ireland. How’s that!
So I’m really pleased to have Whitney K.E with me today. Whitney’s debut novel “What happens in Ireland” (published by Secret Cravings Publishing) is just one stand-out book of 2013!

IB: Welcome to my blog, Whitney. I suppose the obvious question is, how did you get to fall in love with Ireland?
WKE: How did I fall in love? I’m really not sure how exactly. But I think it was from day one of my trip there back in 2013. I was walking the streets of Dublin, it was 3 degrees (wonderful in comparison to the 40 degree days we had been experiencing in Australia) and I just felt an odd sense of security there. I loved the shops, the people, the weather… Ireland was all and more than I had imagined it to be. As I made my way around it, I fell deeper still.

IB:  Did you see the Leprechaun in the main streets?
WKE: I didn’t! And no pot of gold! I feel like I was cheated hehe.

IB: You didn’t? He was right there J Anyway, what inspired you to write a story set in Ireland?
WKE: I don’t know exactly. I think maybe I’d watched P.S. I love you. I’ve always been a U2 and Corrs fan. Then suddenly, I wanted to go to Ireland. I booked my trip and whilst I waited, I daydreamed and wrote. It just took hold of me!


IB: I love the Corrs! Tell us more about your travel through Ireland. What was the favourite place?
WKE: I loved it all to be honest. Dublin had me at first sight. So fresh and wonderful. I loved Killkenny. A quiet town, lots of character. And of course Killarney, where my stories are set. And Galway was a blast! Made so great friends there.

IB: Tell us a bit about your first book.
WKE: What Happens in Ireland is a light and humorous romance about how trust can sometimes be a hard thing to earn. The first in a series of three, What Happens in Ireland is a love story where an Irishman fights hard to win the heart of an Aussie shrew.

IB: The sequel was released only recently. Tell us about that one as well.
WKE: The same unique and quirky characters from What Happens in Ireland come together again to celebrate the wedding of Kate and Jack in the fresh and humorous sequel, Deceive Me in Ireland.

Like Kate Barrow, her cousin Cara discovers that resisting the charms of an Irishman isn’t as easy as it seems. William O'Reilly is as silver-tongued as his brother, Jack and determined to make the woman realize his worth. And her own.

IB: Would you share a bit of your book?
WKE: Absolutely!


“
Slipping the dress up over her hips, Cara pulled the straps over her shoulders. Reaching around her back, she pulled the zipper up as far as she could manage. A knock sounded on the door and she froze, her wide-eyed reflection in the mirror before her staring back.
“Cara?”
Cara released the breath she’d been holding. It was Jane. “Yeah?”
“The others are here. So you better hurry up or we’ll leave without you.”
Cara gritted her teeth. Shit.
Spinning around, she grabbed the black heels she’d left on the foot of the bed. Sitting down, she slipped them on. “I’ll only be a minute,” she yelled back.
“You better. Because if you’re not, Kate said I’m to send William in to help you.”
Cara’s cheeks warmed and she paused in the middle of doing up the second heel. “All right, all right. I’ll be out in a second.”
“Right-o.”
Cara paused and listened to Jane’s retreat down the hallway.
Bloody. Scheming. Cousin.
Strapping up her shoe, she stood and marched over to the floor-length mirror. Smoothing her hands down her sides, the red satin silken beneath her palms, she assessed her appearance. She looked…nervous. And she was. She was always nervous when it came to meeting new people. But, tonight was different, wasn’t it? She sighed, her hand balling into fists. William was out there. And the second he saw her, she’d feel his hot gaze run over her.
Will he comment on how I look? Will he—
She stopped herself. She shouldn’t care about what William thought. He was a liar. And she didn’t care for them. She was big on first imptheressions and he had given her a fake one!
Picking up the clutch purse that rested on top of the dresser beside the door, she cast a sideways glance at the mirror one last time. She scolded herself almost instantly.
Stop fussing, Cara.
Stepping to the side, she turned the knob and pulled the door open. Her eyes on her purse, she stepped out into the hallway, pulling the door shut behind her. She jumped when a deep voice addressed her from the shadows.
“Evenin’.”
Looking up, Cara stopped breathing. Dear God.
William stood a few feet down the hallway with a gorgeous half-grin on his lips. Her skin prickled, a tingling sensation that started at the base of her neck and slowly drifted down her body. Her grip on her purse loosened as goosebumps broke out over her flesh.
I wish he would stop looking at me like that. It makes it so much harder to breathe.
“Yer lookin’ rather lovely,” he murmured, his voice a tad huskier.
Cara spoke before considering the consequences. “You’re looking rather handsome yourself.”
His wicked smile widened and she felt butterflies take flight in the pit of her stomach. There really was no point denying it. William did look very attractive tonight. He wore a pair of black slacks and a white shirt that was open at the neck. He carried a suit jacket in hand and Cara could only imagine how much it would accentuate the breadth of his shoulders. His hair was messy, giving him the rakish look that he always wore well. He’d shaved and his smooth jaw beckoned her touch. Cursing the temptation, Cara slipped her hands behind her back, banishing the thought from her mind.
William looked nothing like the man she’d met on the plane a few days ago and she was glad they were parting ways tonight. Had he been given the chance to ask her for a dance tonight, she might not have possessed the will to refuse.
“I see ye didn’t need me to come get ye after all,” he said, a touch of amusement in his voice. Waving his arm before him, he invited her to continue down the hallway.
Finding her legs—shaky though they were—Cara slipped past him. William fell into step behind her, the warmth of his body teasing her back. Feeling self-conscious, Cara pulled her hair over her shoulder, shielding her hot cheeks.
“Jane said I had five minutes.” She fought to keep the tremor out of her voice, but it wasn’t easy. Her whole body seemed to shake, her nerves consuming her.
God damn it. She didn’t need this.
“Ye did. I was just fetchin’ me jacket.”
Cara nodded, not trusting herself to say anything.
When William suddenly caught her hand in his, she stopped dead. He stepped closer to her and she felt his free hand brush the lingering strands of her hair off her neck. Cara shivered as pleasure ripped through her, too startled to move an inch. His hot breath grazed the back of her neck and the warmth between her thighs intensified. She imagined his lips touching the skin between her shoulder blades, his hands sliding down her body, over her hips… Her eyes fluttered shut and her knees grew weak.
His calloused finger tapped against the flesh between her shoulder blades. “Would ye like some help with this, Cara?” he whispered.
The muscles in her shoulders tightened and her eyes flew open.
Why does this always happen to me?
She’d forgotten to pull up the rest of her zipper. And of course, William had been the one to point it out to her. Not bothering to answer his question, she reached over her shoulder to fix it. But Will’s hand caught hers. Her entire body tensed.
His hand had closed around her wrist and she feared he might feel the rapid drumming of her pulse under his hand. His hold was firm, but it wasn’t cruel. In fact, she wanted to melt against him, not pull away in fear.
“My, my, lass, ye remind me of yer cousin sometimes. If yer too stubborn to accept my help, then in future, I’m not goin’ to ask. I’m just goin’ to do.” He guided her hand back to her side then raised his own to drag his fingertips up the exposed length of her spine. A shiver rippled through her and Cara locked her knees to prevent herself from giving in to the need to fall against him.
“I don’t need your help, William.” Her voice was cold and firm, a contradiction to the fire that burned through her body. She burned as if she suffered from a fever, one that was making her delirious.
In one fluid motion William zipped up her dress and Cara released the breath she’d been holding, relieved that his fingers had barely touched her.
“I know,” he said, moving to stand beside her. “But that doesn’t mean ye can’t accept my help.” He inclined his head down the hall, his emerald eyes sparkling. “Ready?”

”

Review: Susan Mallery "Chasing Perfect"

Publisher: Harlequin

ISBN: 9780373774524

My rating: 3/5



Welcome to Fool's Gold, California, a charming community in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada. There's lots to do and plenty of people to meet, especially women. Because there's just one tiny problem in Fool's Gold: the men don't seem to stick around. Maybe it's the lure of big-city life, or maybe it's plain old bad luck, but regardless of the reason, the problem has to be fixed, fast. And Charity Jones may be just the city planner to do it.
Charity's nomadic childhood has left her itching to settle down, and she immediately falls in love with all the storybook town has to offer - everything, that is, except its sexiest and most famous resident, former world-class cyclist Josh Golden. With her long list of romantic disasters, she's not about to take a chance on another bad boy, even if everyone else thinks he's perfect just the way he is. But maybe that's just what he needs a someone who knows the value of his flaws. Someone who knows that he's just chasing perfect.

My thoughts


This is a tricky task to put down my thoughts about this book.

I really liked the book and it was a toss between a higher rating or "just 3". Although, it's not all about rating, right. It was a good read and Susan Mallery is a good writer.

But, yes, there were a few "issues" I had. Foremost, I couldn't warm up to Charity. The constant doubt about Josh's reasons to go back to racing. It was near annoying - oh, I know about "conflict" in a story, but this seemed like overkill IMHO.

The other thing I couldn't figure out (what did I miss?) was the reason why Charity was so distant about men. Her mother's relationships with men was often mentioned, but her own experiences were mentioned, but then left hanging.

I really liked Josh on the other hand. He was sexy, charming, coping with an interesting past and nice. Like REALLY nice!

Oh - the money mystery wasn't really a mystery at all. The story could've easily done without it.

So if you're looking for a light read not expecting much, this one is for you!

May I introduce: Darry Fraser "Anything for Love"

 

Anything For Love

by Darry Fraser

Please help me make Darry Fraser welcome here on my blog. They say don't judge the book by its cover, but I did... and I can't wait to read the story - the blurb sounds great as well!

1 - What gave you the idea for the story?

Anything For Love came about because of something that happened while I was working in an industry which hosted travelers into very isolated places. One of those isolated places was an island very much resembling Australis Island which I created for my stories.

 At one point an unfortunate travelling couple happened to be placed with another couple in what they’d been sold as their own private space for three days. Needless to say the agents who made the booking were a little red-faced and things were quickly sorted.

I began to think about two single people who might have been thrust into the same situation, how it might reasonably have come about and what might reasonably be expected to happen!

 The story was called ‘An Isolated Incident’ for a very long time; it was changed last minute to its current title.

 

2 – You’ve had some publishing success with short stories. What made you start writing novels?

It never occurred to me when I was younger that I was doing anything other than writing, spinning a tale, telling a story so I have always had short stories and novel-size stories on the go at the same time.

For me short stories are easy to write – not without heart and soul, but easy. You have to make every word count, because if you are on a word count limit, your story has to be seamless yet succinct. I don’t know if I’ve mastered it, but I love it. Inspiration for the shorties is very intense and so is the writing.

My short stories seem to have a bit of the ‘romagic’ in them – to borrow a very good description from another writer on the RWA list – they have romance, magic and a child-like wonder to them. It’s a very different muse who sits with me when I write short stories.

My longer stories seem to want the longer tale told, with no magic other than the real magic, either romance or romantic suspense. My other ‘longer-story’ muse constantly prods from the background. Often, I never know if the stories will be a novella, a novel or a supersize-novel, but character and content always dictates in the end.

These longer stories take precedence, but when I need a break I often find a good little short story is waiting to be written.

3 – Tell us a bit about your current project.

There are a number of projects on the go - I’m editing my next novel out in May. It’s using a storyline we’ve heard of before, but again, it was something on the edge of a truth which happened where I was living at the time, so my thoughts – and my keyboard – took off.

And a new novel is in the wings, about half way through as I write this. It too has its roots in truth, something I have in my family history, and only a couple of generations back. I hope I’m giving it a different perspective than the norm. The characters are taking me to places I didn’t even think of, so I have to get it right.

 

Blurb:

Tilla Cormack loves her job, and she’s the boss of her own company so what’s not to love? But lately she and her staff have been run ragged by one of her biggest clients who turns out to be the meanest, crankiest individual on the corporate planet.
And just who does he think he is? Enter Keith Taylor ... or is it Kent Taylor?

One magic, long awaited holiday; one case of a double booking; two cases of expensive wine and the sparks fly for Ms Cormack and Mr Taylor in the wilderness on isolated Australis Island.

Author:

I like to read forensic thrillers and historical dramas and autobiographies, mysteries and so on - and romance, but I LOVE to write about relationships, and use lots of dialogue,and to build characters who are more real than fantasy and create - I hope - great stories within the boundaries of the genre.

I love feel-good stories, and they're not necessarily Happily Ever After... but for now that's what I'm into - I hope you enjoy it as well. 

https://www.facebook.com/darryfraser0210 

 

Purchase Links:

http://www.amazon.com/Anything-For-Love-Darry-Fraser-ebook/dp/B00IFDD9PC

 

Excerpt:

 Her dream was a loud one. There was stumbling and cursing, unlike any of her dreams before, but she was reluctant to come awake ... too tired.  She tossed and moaned her protest, but when she heard the crash of a dozen bottles of wine she bolted upright, wide awake, heart hammering and her throat suddenly constricted.

She clutched the bed-clothes to her chin, gulped in great breaths of air. Tried to shake herself fully awake.

The cursing and snarling continued, the bottles crashing and clanging on the slate floor.

Terror struck her very soul.

There was a drunk in her little haven.

Oh no, oh no ...

She couldn’t see a thing—it was pitch outside, no moon. She leapt out of the bed dragging the sheet with her and groping in the dark for her clothes. Where were her clothes—? Oh God—in the bathroom ... how’d she possibly defend herself ... ?

Another curse and then another. “What the bloody hell—?”

Stopped her frantic panic, covered her mouth with one hand. She knew that voice. It was unmistakable. Tilla shook herself. It couldn’t be. She must still be asleep … It just couldn’t be. Her heart pounded.

“Who the bloody hell put that there?” the gravelly voice boomed.

She tried to distil the solid block of fear which weighed on her chest like a sack of potatoes.

There was no mistaking that voice. No mistaking it at all.

Review: Lily Malone "Fairway to Heaven"

Publisher: Lily Malone

ISBN: n/a.

My rating: 4/5

Fairway to Heaven
It’s golf, but not as we know it.

When Jennifer Gates drives to Sea Breeze Golf Club to kick off date-night with her boyfriend, the last thing she expects is to find Golf-Pro Jack giving one of his lady students a private—and very personal—lesson in bunker-play.
Lucky for Jenn, her best friend gives her the keys to the Culhane family’s beach shack on the white-pepper shores of Western Australia’s Geographe Bay. Jenn hopes a weekend on the coast with her young son will give her the space she needs to rebuild her confidence after Jack’s betrayal.
But she’s not the only person seeking sanctuary by the sea. Brayden Culhane is there too, and Jenn can’t look at Brayden without remembering the tequila-flavoured kiss they shared on the shack steps years ago.
As long-buried feelings are rekindled, and a friendship is renewed, Jenn knows it is more than lazy summer days bringing her mojo back. Romantic sunsets, ice-cold beers and the odd round of golf can only go so far, because this time, trusting Brayden with her heart won’t be enough. Jenn has to learn to trust her body, too. (goodreads.com)


My thoughts

"I always thought a yellow rose about to open was the most beautiful thing in the world.

Then I found you."

My second book by Lily Malone and I loved it just as much. This one was different - in a few ways. First, I had read the initial 3,000 words script and was intrigued how Lily would turn it into a full novel. Second, it's written in first person, present tense.

Jennifer Gates catches her partner (and father of her son Sebastian) Jack in flagranti with another woman. She moves out and takes time out at her best friend Emmy's parent's beach house. Only to find Emmy's brother Brayden there.

Initially a bit slow for me, once Jennifer's "new life" started I wasn't able to put the book down. I loved the way she grew over the few weeks, how the relationship with Brayden developed and her "ups and downs" as a mother. It was beautifully written! I laughed

Why wasn't Brayden's issue resolved, though? Or may I hope for a sequel?

Fully recommend this one!

May I introduce: Lindsay Downs "The Masked Lady and The Murder"

 

The Masked Lady and The Murder

by Lindsay Downs

What a great day to welcome my very good friend Lindsay as a guest today. I've known Lindsay for a few years now and he's been such a great support through good and bad times, I'm really glad and can give back a little by introducing you all to his new book.

PS - He's also introduced me to a wonderful group of authors writing to a prompt each week and one of my (nowadays) favourite song - Rascal Flatts "Unstoppable"!


1 - You've changed from writing crime to historical romance. Tell us why?

I really haven’t changed from “writing crime” to historical romance. All I’ve done is move the time frame from the 21^st century to England in the 1800’s. My books would be considered regency suspense with romantic element. This way my readers get the best of both worlds. I came to writing regency more to prove to myself I could do it. As it turned out I love this particular genre over contemporary suspense. Don’t forget, except for modern day techno crime, it really hasn’t changed much over the years-murder, treason, kidnapping, smuggling to name a few.

2 - What kind of research have you done (or are you doing) to write historical stories?

Before starting my first regency I took a workshop on the subject  where I obtained the basic information and where to find more. I then spent a lot of time researching the period: clothes, titles, how people were address, food and the general social structure of regency England. As I’m writing a book, depending on the story, I will do additional research to bring reality into the book.

3 - Tell us about your current project.

My current main project is a new series, Markson Regency Mystery, which features Lord Robert and Lady Kristina Markson. It’s not that they go finding crimes as much as the problem is dumped in their laps.

The first book in the series, The Masked Lady and The Murder is used to introduce them to the readers.

 

Blurb:

When Lord Robert Markson, Viscount of Hampshire, is force to return to England to find out who murdered his father and older brother he’s in for a surprise.
It comes in the guise of Lady Kristina Rosewood, daughter to the Earl and Countess of Crossington. To many she’s quartz but to him a multifaceted diamond.
While recovering from an attempt on his life which thrust them closer together they work through emotions for each other while sorting through letters sent to his mother years ago. Slowly, they’re able to discover the one man who could have set the murders in motion. The only problem, he’s been dead for years so who could it be and more importantly why now.
Once all the evidence is compiled the answer is something neither could believe as the threat comes from within the late viscount’s house.

 

 Author:

What does it take to be a bestselling author? Determination, skill, talent, luck or taking a risk with a venture into a totally new genre. For me it was a little of some and a lot of the others.

In 2008 when I got two books published I thought it was due to skill; little did I know it was more luck than anything. Over the next three years I wrote, submitted, got rejected. I then did what I tell everyone who asks; I wrote some more. I didn’t give up.

More on a dare than anything I tried my hand at a regency, one of the most difficult genres because of the rules, which I might add I broke almost every one. Within two days of its release the book was on a best seller list and stayed there for two months.

Turns out it is all of the aforementioned.

After two failed marriages, one from divorce while with the other died unexpectedly I decided upon retirement to move. That opportunity came in September 2012 when I migrated to Texas.

For me, as a multipublished author, it was one of the best things I’ve done to date. Now, every day I can write, creating stories to take my readers to places they can only dream about.

I’m also a member of the Published Authors Network (PAN) by the Romance Writers of America (RWA).

 

Facebook- http://www.facebook.com/lindsay.downs.7

Facebook Pages- https://www.facebook.com/pages/Lindsay-Downs-Author/325132754200597?ref=hl

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Regency-by-Lindsay-Downs/421654731286944

Twitter- @ldowns2966

LinkedIn- http://www.linkedin.com/home

Goodreads- http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/3210224-lindsay

Lindsay Downs-Romance Author- http://lindsaydowns-romanceauthor.weebly.com/

 

Purchase Links:

http://www.amazon.com/Masked-Murder-Markson-Regency-Mystery-ebook/dp/B00I9S4FZG/ref=la_B007NQAIIS_1_15?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1391729486&sr=1-15

 

Excerpt:

 As she contemplated an answer, he decided it was better to charge ahead. Stepping up, he set his right hand on the small of her back only to feel a tingle course up his arm before settling in his stomach. Unsure, but knowing he needed to continue on to enjoy the feel of her in his arms, he grasped her right hand and stepped them back as one.

“M' lord, maybe you didn’t hear me earlier," Kristina said, trying to escape his gentle but firm hold. "I can’t dance.”

“That, my dear lady, is because you’ve never partnered with me. Now relax and let the music fill your mind,” he answered back, whispering the words into her ear.

Robert shifted his head so he would be able to see her expression. She looked panicked at first, but after a few steps she wore a broad, relaxed grin.

“What’s happening to me? By now I’ve trod on the gentleman’s feet several time,” she said, breathing heavily.

What is it with this woman? He thought, gazing down upon her upturned face. All she’s done since we’ve met is confuse me. Now with her breast rubbing against me, I’m at a total loss.

“M’ lady, you’re dancing and causing me no harm,” he said, sweeping her gracefully into a turn lest they tumble down the steps that led to the lawn.

He watched as she scrunched her brow. He suspected trying to marshal her thoughts. Robert was beginning to wonder if she might be as confused as he.

“But why? That, I can’t understand.”

“Robert, Kristina if I might interrupt your dance, I believe I’ve an explanation,” Donna said, settling a hand on his arm.

He brought them to a stop, then bowed to both ladies and escorted them to a nearby stone bench. Once they were settled, he leaned against the banister and waited. “Well?” he finally asked when his sister wasn’t forthcoming.

“Believe it or not, it’s very simple. Kristina, when you’re with Robert, you’re relaxed. If you hadn’t noticed, when you speak to him your stammer is gone, and while dancing you’re comfortable in his arms.”

Robert saw she was going to say something to Donna and intervened. “No, look at me when you’re talking, even if it’s to my sister.” He looked to her. “I’m sorry, but that might be the only way.”

Looking surprised, she did as he asked, keeping her focus on him. “Lady Kersey, I don’t understand. No, wait. I’ve not stammered, so what you say must be true. And with the dancing it’s the same, m’ lady?”

“Yes. Now might I suggest we return to the ball as I’m sure my dear husband must have tired of the chit he’d chased after and is now searching me out.” Donna stood, then started for the doors they’d exited through a short while ago.