Friday, March 31, 2017

Meet Ronnie Allen, Author, Healer, and MUCH More!

I was very happy when Ronnie agreed to guest here. She's a New York City native, born and bred in Brooklyn, where she was a teacher in the New York City Department of Education for 33 years including the obtaining of a New York State license as School Psychologist. Her various roles included classroom teacher, staff developer, crisis intervention specialist, and mentor for teachers who were struggling. Always an advocate for the child, Allen carries this through as a theme in her novel Gemini, with the reader seeing the horrors of child abuse through the eyes of three characters.

In the early 1990s she began a journey into holistic healing and alternative therapies and completed her PhD in Parapsychic Sciences in 2001.

Along the way, she picked up many certifications. She is a Board Certified Holistic Health Practitioner as well as a crystal therapist, Reiki practitioner, metaphysician, dream analyst, and Tarot Master Instructor. She has taught workshops in New York City and in Central Florida where she now lives.

Combining a love of the crime genre and her psychology background, with her alternative therapies experiences, writing psychological thrillers is the perfect venue for her.

The Sign Behind the Crime Series
Gemini


His life is exactly the way he wants it to be—until he meets her…
Both psychic and clairvoyant, Dr. John Trenton is a forensic psychiatrist who has a wife he worships and a position as a department head at a hospital for the criminally insane in Manhattan. His patients—young adult men, who are some of the most psychotic and psychopathic criminals in NYC—enable him to live his life on the edge, just the way he likes it. Then he meets a woman who changes everything.
She is two days from accomplishing the revenge she lives for—until she meets him…
Stripper by night, school psychologist by day, Gemini obsessed Barbara Montgomery, makes a critical mistake and is committed for seventy-two hours of observation, where she risks it all in an unnerving escape. Furious with Dr. Trenton for interfering in her life, she is now determined to kill his wife and unborn child, along with everyone else who has ever caused her pain—real or imagined.
As the killing spree continues, John is forced to use all his ESP, as well as his knowledge and expertise, to interpret this psychopath’s Gemini obsession and unravel her dark and murderous past. But can he track her down and bring her to justice—before she destroys his world completely?

Aries




Lying. Deception. Cover-ups. Anger. Revenge. Death. That’s what happens when an Aries-obsessed killer combines black magick rituals, knives…and murder.
Samantha Wright, a rookie NYPD detective, gets her first case, a big one, by stumbling over the body while jogging in the park. Sam has a lot to prove, both to herself and to her new precinct, on this serial murder case involving fashion icons in NYC. Together with a rough around the edges BJJ fighter, forensic psychiatrist, Frank Khaos, Sam chases down leads through the five boroughs of NYC. As the bodies pile up, sparks fly and Sam and Frank, polar opposites, go from their dislike for each other to setting the sheets on fire. But their main suspect is hooked up to an IV in a hospital bed, so how has she pulled off five murders in seven days? And can Sam and Frank stop her before even more innocent lives are lost?


AN INTERVIEW WITH RONNIE



You, the Author

Tell us more about yourself! Readers love to know about the authors, and this would give you the chance to make them feel close to you!

What kind of books do you love to read? Why?
I love thrillers, psychological and domestic. For me I get high on the action and when an author writes multi layered plots, which are the norm for this genre, I can become very involved in the experience.

What is your stress buster?
I Love love love love shopping, so my stress buster would be watching the home shopping channels, and yes ordering, much to the dismay of my husband. It's also my guilty pleasure, as it is for the rookie detective in Aries. She and I are definitely the fashionistas.

Describe yourself in one word.
Undeterred

If a fairy grants you one wish and one wish only, what would it be? Why?
Wow! Only one? I have so many wishes that I'd like granted, but I'll focus on a career one. I'm looking toward the universe and taking action to be guided to TV producers to take Aries and Gemini to a TV episodic.

How would readers find out more about you?
Http://www.ronnieallennovel.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/ronnieanovelist
Twitter & Instagram @ronnieanovelist

Your writing

How did you feel when you receive your first contract? What did you do? Any celebratory dinner, dance, event, etc to commemorate the occasion?
Omg! It was amazing. I remember it as if it was yesterday. May 14, 2014 at 9:06 PM, I received an email from my publisher Black Opal Books saying they wanted to publish Gemini. I let out such a scream that my neighbors down the block probably heard me. My husband was watching a game on TV in the den and I ran in screaming and jumping up-and-down he thought I was having a nervous break down. I couldn't stop the excitement for hours. I responded with a resounding yes, and I received the contract via email two weeks later. I printed out the contract went through it with a fine tooth comb, and I was familiar with contracts and what should be included within them from discussion with other writers. This one was easily understood. I sent it back the next day. Gemini was released on June 6, 2015.

What is your advice to aspiring writers?
My main advice is to learn your craft, the parameters of your genre, what is the excepted in the industry, learn the industry trends, become familiar with how to look for publishers and which ones to avoid, and basically to do your homework before you submit to a publisher. Another bit of advice is to not give up in your quest for a traditional publisher, and self publish because you do not want to do the work. Self publishing should be a choice you make because you want to do it no matter what, not as an easy way out or to get your work out there. No matter which route you take, make sure your manuscript is edited, formatted, story structured to the best it can be. Notice I said the best it could be, not to the best of your ability because with the former you may have to hire professionals to get your manuscript to where it is in publishable shape. Also, never pay to be published. Run from Vanity Presses.  

Among those that you’ve written, which is your favorite book and why?
I love both my books Gemini and Aries, but Aries is my favorite because I like the sassy intelligence of one of the main characters, detective Samantha Wright, and the other main character, Dr. Frank Khaos, is a drop-dead sexy hunk, as well as the most compassionate, caring man who is giving back to society for his privileged life after his adoption at 10 in spite of the personal traumas he is going through.

Which of your heroes/heroines is most similar to you? Why?
Great question for me. Everyone asks writers if they're in their own novels. For me, it's a resounding yes. For example, Dr. John Trenton is psychic and clairvoyant and practices alternative therapies with his clients. These are the same therapies that I practice and then I teach my clients. Even the killer Barbara Montgomery is a master in Tarot which I am. The reader will learn about Tarot, crystals, contacting their spirit guides. Barbara also has the same day job I had, minus being the stripper and murderer.
In Aries, the rookie detective, Samantha Wright is first coming to terms with her abilities and she works with crystals and spiritual cleansing as well as her spirit guide. She taught for ten years before entering the NYPD. She smart, sassy, and what's on her mind is in her mouth, very much like me when necessary.

Some writers edit excessively as they write; others wait until a novel is finished to do the bulk of editing.  How about you?
I plot a lot before I type but I'm finding the more I am writing, now into the fourth novel, I'm leaning towards being a panster rather than a plotter. The novel is taking me in the direction I want to go, and expanding it where plot twists that I did not expect to happen did. These are making the novel, Libra, flow beautifully. I do edit as I go. I'll print out 12 chapters, and go through it to make sure I mark all of my set ups that I need to pay off in the later part of the novel. This helps me avoid plot holes. I will work on sentence structure and grammar minimally at this point because as I go through other edits I will go deeper possibly into description and a lot of my sentences may change.

How much research was involved in writing your book?  How did you go about it?
Research is very important in my genre. Crime scenes, forensics, medical information, locations, all have to be portrayed realistically. I google all the time, print out relevant information, and keep everything in labeled folders. This is necessary, and I referred to the same folders for future novels. It also may be necessary to send proof to your publisher's editor who might question a fact. I had to do that for one fact in Gemini in discussing the difference between a psych patient and a forensic patient, the latter being in a hospital for the criminally insane unable to stand trial.

How much time do you spend promoting your books?
I spend a lot of time promoting my books. In fact I find it more stressful after publication then the entire process of writing and finding a publisher.

Have you had any careers before becoming a writer?
I've had many careers. I was a teacher in the New York City Board of Education for 33 years. From the late 70s to mid 90s I was in screenwriting and film and I had a script consulting practice, The Script Tutor of Brooklyn. In the mid-90's I began a journey in holistic healing, became certified in many areas and obtained my PhD in Parapsychic Sciences in 2001.

Do you have or belong to a writing organization?  Which one?
I belong to RWA, ITW, and MWA.

Thursday, March 30, 2017

My Redesigned Website is Up, Running, and Live...and More!

I had my website redesigned with up-to-the-minute graphics--and A NECESSARY END, about Booth's insane plot to murder President Lincoln with a paranormal twist, has been republished with Creativia, with a new cover.

Stop in and say hi!



Wednesday, March 29, 2017

Meet Award-Winning Author Alina K. Field and Read About THE MARQUESS AND THE MIDWIFE for our #eggcerptexchange

About Alina

Award winning author Alina K. Field earned a Bachelor of Arts Degree in English and German literature, but her true passion is the much happier world of romance fiction. Though her roots are in the Midwestern U.S., after six very, very, very cold years in Chicago, she moved to Southern California and hasn’t looked back. She shares a midcentury home with her husband, her spunky, blonde, rescued terrier, and the blue-eyed cat who conned his way in for dinner one day and decided the food was too good to leave.

She is the author of the 2014 Book Buyer’s Best winner, Rosalyn’s Ring, a 2015 RONE Award finalist, Bella’s Band, and a 2016 National Reader’s Choice Award finalist, Liliana’s Letter, as well as her latest release, The Marquess and the Midwife. She is hard at work on her next series of Regency romances, but loves to hear from readers!

About THE MARQUESS AND THE MIDWIFE

Finding the woman he lost turned out to be easy. Winning her is another matter.
Once upon a time, the younger brother of a marquess fell in love with his sister's companion. He was sent off to war, and she was just sent off, and they both landed in very different worlds. 

Now Virgil Radcliffe has returned from his self-imposed exile on the Continent to take up his late brother's title and discover the whereabouts of the only woman he's ever loved. 

Abandoned by her lover and dismissed by her employer, Ameline Dawes has found a respectable identity as a Waterloo widow, a new life as a midwife, and a safe, secure home for her twin girls. Called to London at Christmas to attend her benefactress's lying-in, she finds herself confronted by an unexpected house guest--a man determined to woo her anew and win her again.  
But, is loving the new Marquess of Wallingford a mistake Ameline cannot afford to repeat?  
Excerpt
Ye gods, but her ladyship needed more maids, and a couple more footmen with both arms and both legs, at least for this type of fetching and carrying.
Ameline chided herself for being insensitive and balanced the steaming bucket. She set down the lamp momentarily to gather her skirts, along with the lamp handle.
A pair of men’s boots moved into view and the lamp bobbled. Fine boots they were.
She sighed, gritting her teeth. Lord Hackwell’s visits had unnerved his lady, and Ameline had counseled him to leave.
Very well, she’d thrown him out, once almost literally. He would wonder what she was doing below stairs. He might send for the accoucheur he was mumbling about, and his lady would not like it.
“I’ve just popped down to the kitchen for a word with Alton, my lord,” she said. “All is going well, except he’s a bit short on staff.”
“We have noticed that.”
The skin on her back rippled and she shivered. This wasn’t Hackwell—it was him.
Panic flared in her and her hands and ankles began to tingle. He carried no light. She let her own lantern dip lower and stepped to one side. What was he doing on the servants’ staircase in the middle of the night?
If he saw her, he would remember her, but he would not want to, unless he would think to befriend her again. Heat flamed in her.
She took in a breath. “Let me pass, Lord Hackwell,” she said.
“Let me carry that bucket for you.”
“No.” She forced in another breath, willing herself to speak calmly. “That is, no thank you. I shall send a servant for you when it is time.”
Footsteps scurried on the stairs. “Mrs. Dawes?” Jenny called, breathless.
Her heart raced again. She’d tarried too long in the kitchen. “I’ll be right—”
Heat touched her hand as the bucket came out. The lantern, too, lifted higher, and she looked up into the face of Lord Virgil Radcliffe, now the latest Lord Wallenford.
Mrs. Dawes?” His eyes widened and then narrowed, and his lips curved down.
Anger spiked in her. “Lord Wallenford.”
He moved down to the step below her, putting them at eye level, and crowded her against the hand rail.
“Give me the bucket, sir. I can manage quite well without your help.” Quite, quite well.
“Can you, indeed?” he drawled, sounding just like his brother the day he’d sacked her.
Blast him. Blast the Wallenfords. Blast the Hackwells. “Alton has a bottle set out. Best go and fetch it.”
His lips quirked.
She gritted her teeth. “Give me the blasted bucket, Virgil.” 

Purchase THE MARQUESS AND THE MIDWIFE

Contact Alina









Friday, March 24, 2017

Meet Kathleen Rowland and Read About Her Romantic Suspense UNHOLY ALLIANCE for our #EggcerptExchange

My author friend Kathleen has a new title on March 29, UNHOLY ALLIANCE, which you can purchase at the preorder discount of 99 cents on Amazon and Smashwords. Meet Kathleen and read on!

About Kathleen

Book Buyers Best finalist Kathleen Rowland is devoted to giving her readers fast-paced, high-stakes suspense with a sizzling love story sure to melt their hearts.  Writing a romantic suspense Irish American series for Tirgearr Publishing, Deadly Alliance is followed by Unholy Alliance with a release date of March 29, 2017.  Keep an icy drink handy while reading these hot stories.

Other books are sweet new adult such as Lily’s Pad and the Intervenus Series: A Brand New Address and Betrayal at Crater’s Edge

Kathleen used to write computer programs but now writes novels.   She grew up in Iowa where she caught lightning bugs, ran barefoot, and raced her sailboat on Lake Okoboji.  Now she wears flip-flops and sails with her husband, Gerry, on Newport Harbor but wishes there were lightning bugs in California.

Kathleen exists happily with her witty CPA husband, Gerry, in their 70’s poolside retreat in Southern California where she adores time spent with visiting grandchildren, dogs, one bunny, and noisy neighbors.  While proud of their five children who’ve flown the coop, she appreciates the luxury of time to write.  If you’d enjoy news, sign up for Kathleen’s newsletter. 

Connect with Kathleen 


About UNHOLY ALLIANCE




A decade ago, Tori Rourke and her cousin, Vivienne, ran from the Irish mob after witnessing a brutal murder. Tori was framed by the mob, and while she served time in prison, she worried that the killer, Seamus McGinn, had kidnapped her missing cousin.

Attorney Grady D. Fletcher, defender of the wrongly condemned, appeals Tori’s case and wins her release. Now, going by Victoria Morningstar, she runs a food truck from a seedy waterfront neighborhood, hoping to find her cousin's kidnapper.

When Grady agrees to defend a new client, Samuel Peterson, who’s been accused of beating to death the wife of a noted professor, the evidence mounts. The professor is missing, as well as his laptop that contains data dangerous to national security.

And Seamus McGinn is back, and rumors of a massive annihilation is about to begin. As they race to assist the FBI, the bonds between Grady and Tori are about to be tested. It becomes clear Grady and Tori are falling fast for each other, but what to do about it is a different story. He’s a divorced dad who wants more time with his kid. She brings danger to his front door.

Grady has questions of his own; Is Vivienne at the center of the mob’s operation? How much will it cost Tori before she learns the truth? All Grady knows is the biggest danger is the one standing right behind you.

Excerpt—

“Don’t let the anxiety of freedom consume you.”  Attorney Grady Donahue Fletcher clenched his teeth and rehearsed what he’d say to his client, Victoria Morningstar. He’d won her appeal and drove to pick her up at Gladstone Penitentiary. “At least you won’t be placed in solitary.” That was worse.
Six months earlier Grady had phoned a reporter at the Los Angeles Globe. "Drew Barker. Grady Fletcher here.”
“Ah, the lawyer. Calling about a tip?”
“I am. Here's something you can investigate. Tori Morningstar, did she murder Irene Brennan?"
"I wrote that story many years back," the journalist had said. “I assume you have new discoveries.”
"Fraud, illegal testimony. Do you want the story first?" A second passed. "Otherwise, I'll call the Orange County Guardian."
"Okay, okay. We want it."
Three days later Grady had a hand in writing the first article in Drew Barker’s column. "The public labeled Tori Morningstar as an undesirable. Not black and poor, but disfavored, accused, incarcerated, and wrongly condemned. Her cellphone has been recovered. Her call to 911 identified her voice and substantiated screams of the victim in the background. Could she have beaten someone while speaking to dispatch at the same time?"
The reporter had written the second article. "People who get their ideas about criminal lawyers from TV probably would be disappointed in Grady Fletcher. He lacks flash but stands up straight, his posture neither ramrod nor slouched. He doesn't smoke, doesn't wear thousand dollar suits. His voice is soft and low, one of his assets. He speaks truth with a voice inviting confidences."
As nice as that was, Grady’s stomach cramped over pressure and strain from Drew Barker’s final article with the headline, Tori Morningstar, Released Today. Picked up by the online service, Newser, KTLA, and CBS Los Angeles, they planned to broadcast his arrival to escort his client from Gladstone.
Tori’s decade-long prison sentence ended today but with a sobering fear over tomorrow.
When was a July morning this hot? Grady balanced her release papers on his lap as he rolled up one sleeve then the other while gripping the damp steering wheel. Sweat blossomed on his throbbing forehead, wrapped like a python’s grip. He adjusted the dial for the AC and embraced the challenge of helping another client get back on track. Embrace and conquer. Or at least sound like it.








Wednesday, March 22, 2017

A MERSEY KILLING by Brian L. Porter--Creepier Than His Jack the Ripper Books!



I had two reasons for snatching up this murder mystery: I’m a rock ‘n roller who grew up with all the “Mersey Beat” bands, and as a Jack the Ripper buff I’ve devoured all of Brian Porter’s Jack novels. After devouring this one as eagerly, I’m glad I did. I have to say, in its own way, it’s creepier than the Jack books, mainly because this murder took place in my lifetime, and I’ve been to Liverpool, my husband’s home town. So I’m not so far removed from the setting as I am from 1888 Whitechapel. I don’t want to give the plot away, but I’m hoping what I do divulge will be enough to convince readers other than Brian’s many die-hard fans to pick this up and expect to be creeped out for several hours.

In 1999, Liverpool Detectives Sergeant Clarissa, (Izzie) Drake, Detective Inspector Andy Ross and Detective Constable Derek McLennan are observing a skeleton found in the mud at a dockside. The skull is bashed in and the kneecaps are shot off. Flash back to 1962 when Brendan Kane and some friends form a rock band to rival the others zooming up the charts. Despite their efforts, they’re not causing The Beatles to lose any sleep. Brendan wants to go to the USA and try to get discovered there. He convinces his girlfriend Marie to go with him. Do they ever get there?
The story flashes back and forth between those early 60’s days and 1999, with the detectives’ efforts to identify the victim. Their efforts are rewarded twofold—they identify the victim AND the killer, who’s still alive 3 decades later. Then more murders suddenly take place—and that’s all I’m going to say.

As a mystery fan, I always try to figure out whodunit, not letting the red herrings throw me too far off the track. But Brian Porter delivered a twist that has me eagerly awaiting the next book in the series—and I’m counting on a series! 

Purchase A MERSEY KILLING

Contact Brian

Amazon Author Page

As Harry Porter

Tuesday, March 21, 2017

Meet Trevann Rogers and Read About Her LGBT "Living After Midnight" Series--Caution: Adult Content

About Trevann


Trevann writes urban fantasy and LGBT paranormal romances. Her books include HOUSE OF THE RISING SON and its prequel novella, AFTER MIDNIGHT. Trevann's stories incorporate an unquenchable addiction to music and her love for vampires, Weres, incubi and rock stars. Like these elusive creatures, Trevann learned long ago that sometimes being yourself means Living After Midnight.

 After Midnight

Prequel to House of the Rising Son
Living After Midnight Series




Improbable love. Impossible life. Immeasurable danger.

Jewell’s stepfather thinks she’s worthless. She agrees. When she looks in the mirror she sees an overweight, overemotional, overeating mess who can’t keep her fangs to herself.

Ria hails from a family of old world vamps who'd be happy to share their wealth with her, if only she’d fall in line. Fat chance, especially since being in that line includes not being gay.

Being in love is easy for Ria and Jewell—the young vampires belong together like vodka and tomato juice. Adding Cheyenne, a talented and sexy incubus, to their union is the hot sauce in their Bloody Mary. The only problem? Vampires and incubi are mortal enemies.

Despite the odds Ria, Jewell and Cheyenne find their way to happiness. But Jewell is hiding a huge secret, one that defies the laws of procreation: She’s going to have a baby.

While she tries to figure out how to break the unbelievable news to her lovers, a horror from Jewell’s past slithers into her present, forcing choices no one should have to make.

Will it be love or death? Happiness or safety? She has until dawn to decide...and it's already After Midnight.
~~
Excerpt:

The choice between staying in on a Saturday night to clean and going to see Cheyenne at his first real gig hadn’t been a complicated decision. He was a world-class rocker who could play the guitar like a fiend and had a voice that made you feel…everything. Or made you horny. And fuck if she didn’t love him. Damn incubus.

She reached across him and caressed Jewell’s side. Jewell’s eyes opened and she stared expressionless at the ceiling, hyper-alert to danger. It always took a few moments after resurrecting for her to remember where she was and who was with her, but since moving into their new home it seemed to take even longer.

Ria sighed. She’d do anything if it would help Jewell feel safe enough to die each dawn and awaken peacefully. “All is well, Babydoll. It’s just me. Time to rise and twinkle with the stars.”

“Already?” Jewell scrunched her eyes and blinked as if trying to focus them.

Cheyenne lay his head on the soft swell of Jewell’s belly. “Didn’t we just go to bed?”

Ria kissed his back and licked a slow trail down his spine. “Hours ago. Did we tucker out the poor little sex demon?”

“Not hardly, dead girl.”

She grabbed a fistful of his hair and turned him to face her. “That’s undead girl, thank you.” She bit his lower lip and let it drag between her teeth. “Show us what you’ve got left.”
~~
You can find After Midnight here on Amazon.

You can find Trevann online at:

Website

Facebook





Friday, March 17, 2017

Meet Melanie Robertson-King and Read About THE SECRET OF HILLCREST HOUSE for our #eggcerptexchange

Melanie's books are very much like mine - Where fact and fiction meet...

A native of eastern Ontario, during her pre-school years, Melanie lived in a winterized cottage on the shore of the St Lawrence River.

Growing up as an only child, Melanie was an avid reader, and remains so to this day. It was through this love of the written word that she knew that one day she would become a writer. When she wasn’t talking about her dream of becoming an author, she wrote stories and began honing her skills at an early age.

The Secret of Hillcrest House is her fourth book.



Connect with Melanie



About THE SECRET OF HILLCREST HOUSE



Sometimes there’s more to a house than bricks and mortar.

Hillcrest House is one such place. Perched on a cliff in the picturesque town of Angel Falls, there is more to this Victorian mansion than meets the eye. When referring to the house, the locals use the word haunted on a regular basis. Strange visions appear in the windows, especially the second-floor ones over the side porch. Even stranger events take place within its four walls.
Rumour has it, the original owners, Asher and Maggie Hargrave, never left their beloved home. They claim the couple and their family are responsible for driving people away. Over the years, Hillcrest House has changed hands numerous times. No one stays long. Renovations begin then stop and the house is once more abandoned. The latest in this long line of owners is Jessica Maitland.
Will Jessica be the next one to succumb or will she unravel The Secret of Hillcrest House?
Melanie Robertson-King's latest novel serves up a delightful blend of the supernatural and spicy romance, Lynn L. Clark, author of The Home Child, and Fire Whisperer & Circle of Souls: Two Novellas of the Supernatural, & The Accusers

Intrigue, dark buried secrets, hot romance and a neat twist in the tale make this riveting reading, Sheryl Browne, MA Creative Writing, Choc Lit Author

A fun read that keeps you guessing right up to the surprise ending, Dayna Leigh Cheser, Author of Janelle's Time, Moria's Time, Adelle's Time, & Logan's Time

Purchase THE SECRET OF HILLCREST HOUSE


Wednesday, March 15, 2017

Meet Sha Renee, Veteran and Author of Military Romance Novels "where duty, honor and passion unite"--and Read About FORBIDDEN KISSES





Creating stories on the pages where duty, honor and passion unite.

Sha Renée is a native New Yorker who joined the US Navy right after high school. She now lives in New Jersey where she creates stories on the pages where duty, honor and passion unite. A true nature lover, Sha enjoys spending time outdoors with a camera in her hands. She’s a fan of auto racing, military air shows and The X Games and dreams of someday riding her own motorcycle.
Sha loves watching bulldozers and diggers work, and believes every day should begin with a strong cup of coffee and end with a glass of chilled wine.

About FORBIDDEN KISSES

Series: Anchored Hearts

What do you do when the person you love is off limits?



Military regulations prohibit personal relationships between senior officers and their juniors.
Violation of these rules is a serious offense. Unfortunately, for Layla and Ethan, they don’t discover each other’s military status until after they’ve already fallen for each other. With the threat of disciplinary action and their careers at risk, the lovers are faced with an impossible decision.
Layla is an enlisted member of the US Navy. On a weekend trip, she meets and grows close to the perfect guy. Her world is turned upside down when she later discovers he’s a Navy lieutenant, which means a personal relationship with him is forbidden. Is Layla strong enough to walk away from the only man to hold her heart?
She’s everything Lieutenant Ethan Parker wants, and during his darkest moment, Layla was everything he needed. Learning that a relationship with her is off-limits catapults the decorated officer into a place darker than the one she helped pull him from. Ethan is forced to choose between the profession that means everything to him and the woman he’s waited his entire life for.
Can military regulations separate lovers destined to be together?


EXCERPT

For the next forty-five minutes, my coworkers spoke, but I hadn’t a clue what any of them said. My mind was busy replaying the events of the day I first met Ethan. Piercing blue eyes. Beautiful dimples. Coffee. Bathroom. Flirting. Not once had he said anything about the Navy. He had mentioned his new position, but never revealed that he was third in command at an aviation training facility... Had he?

At the conclusion of the staff meeting, everyone emptied the room, but I remained seated, waiting for a chance to confront Lieutenant Parker. I pulled my cell from my pocket, pretending I had a reason to linger. The message notification on my phone startled me.

Ethan: My office. Now.
Me: Are you kidding? I can’t just walk into your office.
Ethan: We need to talk. Wait a few minutes, and then knock on my door.

He stood and left the room without a glance in my direction. The sight of Ethan in uniform made my heart flutter a little.

Memories of nights I’d spent wrapped in his arms flooded my consciousness. How could neither of us know the other’s military status? How could neither of us think to ask?

The door to his office was ajar. Should I just go in? Should I knock? I figured I’d better follow standard procedure just in case anyone saw me. I knocked on the door and spoke immediately after. 

“Request permission to enter, Sir.”

“Granted.” He rose from his desk, walked past me, and shut the door.

Tension radiated through every muscle in my body. We stood for a beat, staring at each other. He had to be thinking the same thing I was: What! The! F---!

“Layla, what the hell is going on?”

Was he accusing me? Did he think I somehow planned this shit? “You tell me. You never said you’re in the Navy. That you’re an officer. That you work here. Do you know what this means?”

“Of course, I know what this means. I thought you were a student.”

“I am. I was.”

“You didn’t say you’re also an instructor.” He started to pace.

“It didn’t come up. I had other things on my mind.”

“Like what?” Those vivid, blue eyes held my gaze as he stood mere inches away.

He was too smart to be that clueless. “Like you.”

His expression softened.

“You didn’t tell me you were the new Director of Training at one of the Navy’s best training facilities.”

“We can discuss everything later at the hotel.”

“What are you? Crazy? We can’t meet at the hotel. We can’t talk. We can’t text. We can’t anything.”

“We need to figure out what we’re going to do.”

There’s nothing we can do. This is it for us. I finally meet the perfect guy... and I can’t have him.”

A knock at the door startled us and we quickly backed away from each other. My heart beat wildly as the Commanding Officer swung the door open and came right toward us.


PURCHASE FORBIDDEN KISSES


CONNECT WITH SHA



Monday, March 13, 2017

Meet My Guest Pamela Thibodeaux and Check out the Tempered Series Set in Bandera, TX, for our #eggcerptexchange

I always enjoy hosting Pam here. She’s an award-winning author, the Co-Founder and a lifetime member of Bayou Writers Group in Lake Charles, Louisiana. Multi-published in romantic fiction as well as creative non-fiction, her writing has been tagged as, “Inspirational with an Edge!” ™ and reviewed as “steamier and grittier than the typical Christian novel without decreasing the message.” 

Five Facts about the Tempered Series 

Bandera, Texas is known as the “Cowboy Capital of the World.”

People from all over the world travel to Bandera and stay at dude/guest ranches to experience Texas.

Bandera is Spanish for “banner” or “flag”

St. Stanislaus Catholic Church in Bandera is the 2nd oldest Polish church in the United States.

Although I visited Bandera as a child with my grandparents, I did not return to that area until 2001 for a book signing. However, since 2010, I have lived and worked at the Silver Spur guest ranch in Bandera, Texas for months at a time.




About the Tempered Series Bundle

Now all 4 titles in the Tempered Series are combined into a single book along with a bonus short story and a sneak peek into #5 in the series Tempered Truth (coming sometime in the near future)! 

Contains: Tempered Hearts, Tempered Dreams, Tempered Fire, Tempered Joy, & Lori's Redemption

Start at the beginning and follow these beloved characters throughout the years as love crosses the lines of age and strengthens the bonds of friendship.

Available at Amazon, B&N and Smashwords

Excerpts:

Tempered Hearts:

For the first time, Craig noticed how tired she looked and felt a tug of remorse. “I’ll tend him for you,” he offered. “Maria will show you to your room.”

She shook her head. “That’s okay, he won’t let you.”
“Nonsense,” he argued, stepping off the porch and heading toward the trailer. “Never met a horse I couldn’t handle.”
Tamera rolled her eyes. “Arrogant jerk,” she muttered under her breath, then blushed when the Senior Craig Harris chuckled. “Wait,” she called, as Craig reached for the door. “Please, just let me get him,” she insisted, grabbing his hand. Craig grinned at her obvious concern, a smug, lazy smile that made her stomach knot with tension.
“You afraid for me, little one?” he inquired in a soft, husky tone.
 Tamera looked into his teasing eyes and ground her teeth in frustration. He was as conceited as he was arrogant! “I couldn’t care less if you got your skull kicked in. Probably do you some good,” she bit out, pushing him away from the trailer. “My only concern is that he’ll hurt himself while doing you the favor.”

Available at Amazon, B&N & Smashwords
Also in Print: Amazon, B&N, CreateSpace

Tempered Dreams

“I’m Katrina. I’ll be your...” her voice trailed off as she gazed into the sparkling eyes of Dr. Scott Hensley.
Scott grinned, surprised and pleased to have finally run into her. He’d often wondered and prayed that he would. “You’ll be my what?”
   His eyes shone with mischief, his voice lowered to a husky tone. Trina flushed. Everything about his presence made her nerves hum. “Waitress,” she managed on a suddenly dry throat.
“How’ve you been?”
She smiled. “Okay, busy. May I get you something?”
“Bourbon and water. Alternate that with a coke. Oh, in case I forget,” he stopped her hasty retreat with a wink. “Two’s my limit.” Katrina laughed. The silky, tinkling sound made Scott think of wind chimes.
“You don’t seem like the type to forget anything,” she remarked.
Know it, Sweetheart, he thought as she walked away, the subtle sway of hips crowding his mind.

Available at Amazon, B&N & Smashwords
Also in Print: Amazon, B&N & CreateSpace

Tempered Fire

Craig paused at the barn entrance. “I wonder what he wants,” he muttered. It hadn’t set well with him that the boy didn’t introduce himself the day he brought Amber home from school, nor had he made a point to do so since. And it irritated him royally that Amber walked around singing some long-forgotten Carpenter’s song about a guy with ‘gold dust in his hair and golden starlight in his eyes of blue.’ She used to hate that song, always said it was corny.
He hated it now.
“He probably wants the same thing you wanted at his age,” Tamera teased, seeing his eyes darken and jaw harden.
“That’s not funny, Temper. When I was his age I had a truckload of responsibility on my shoulders. I didn’t have time to court a girl without the thought of meeting her parents.”
“Court?” Tamera laughed, rolling her eyes. “Is that what you call it?” she shook her head. “I swear, sometimes I think you were born in the wrong century.”

Available at Amazon, B&N & Smashwords
Also in Print: Amazon, B&N & CreateSpace

Tempered Joy

Ace clapped his hands together and blew on his fingertips for warmth. “One more time,” he implored his father. “One more time then we’ll call it quits.”
Craig nodded. “Okay Ace. That old bull is getting tired, so is this one.”
Ace grinned. “Old my foot, you love it and you know it. Makes you think of your younger days.”
Craig grunted. “My younger days were not spent chasing bulls.”
Ace laughed. “No? Chasing what then?”
“Never you mind,” his father replied with a grin while the ranch hands penned the bull in the chute.

Available at Amazon, B&N & Smashwords
Also in Print: Amazon, B&N & CreateSpace 

Lori’s Redemption:

Rafe Judson made his way to the arena with a smile on his lips, a song in his heart, and the same old limp in his stride. An ex-bull-rider, he still loved everything about the rodeo…the scents—the hay, the horseflesh, the sweat—the excitement, the crowds. As a minister, he didn’t enjoy the accidents or the deaths. He could do without a lot of the language, too.
Remember where you came from old boy.
The thought brought with it a quick stab of conviction.
I remember, Lord.
Wasn’t so long ago he'd cussed and caroused along with the other cowboys. But all that changed with the accident that ended his career as a champion rodeo rider, but opened a whole new world to him, a world filled with faith and optimism.
Far cry from the cynical, bitter cowboy he once was.

Available at Amazon, B&N & Smashwords

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