Book Review: HER CHRISTMAS COWBOY by Adele Downs #Romance #Giveaway

“You can’t go wrong with Adele Downs.” ~Will Work for Books

HER CHRISTMAS COWBOY by Adele Downs

A .99 Lunchbox Romance short story from Boroughs Publishing Group.

Tragedy brought them together, but joy met them on the other side.

Available from:

Amazon

SMASHWORDS

ARe

Excerpt:

Clearly, the man had no concept of his effect on her.

When Daisy pulled up to Trey’s house and saw him standing at the base of the steps to greet her in nothing but low slung denims and work boots, she’d found it hard to breathe. Suddenly, Jack Frost and his Pennsylvania winter lost their appeal. Who needed snow when a smokin’ hot cowboy waited for her? Welcomed her? Wanted her?

If she hadn’t come to Houston, she wouldn’t have met the handsome ranch hand who filled her dreams night after night. Trey had become her single compelling reason to work through her personal pain. That and the fact that she’d never give up police work. She’d find a way to succeed, one way or another. It was hard for a cop to be flexible, since theirs was a structured world, but she was trying her best to adapt to her new environment.

#Snarkyreads: A Twitter Review of TO CATCH A WOLF by Lynn Red Chapters 1-3

I bought Lynn Red's Jamesburg shifters trilogy with my own money. I wasn't asked to review it and I didn't ask permission. Twitter posts are sent as I'm reading or soon after I've read and represent my honest, unfiltered reaction to the story.

#snarkyreads #amreading Next up for book review: TO CATCH A WOLF by Lynn Red. Can't find author on Twitter, so can't tag her. #romance #PNR
— Melissa Snark (@MelissaSnark) November 14, 2014

RISKING IT ALL: A Chat with Kyle Morgan by JM Stewart

 Kyle was always the big brother Cecelia Anton never had, but suddenly her goofy best friend has become a sexy man she can’t keep her thoughts—or hands—off of. As their deep connection melts into uncontrollable desire, Ceci is willing to put it all on the line for a shot at true love. Only Kyle is keeping a terrible secret about Ceci’s past that could destroy not only their lifelong friendship but their happily-ever-after…

Buy links:

Penguin

Amazon

Barnes and Noble

iTunes

Kobo

Books-a-million

Hi Kyle. Can you tell us a bit about yourself? Name, age, job, role in the story…

Name rank and serial number. Gotcha. *laughs* My name is Kyle Morgan, I’m a detective for the Puyallup Police Department. I’m thirty, and I’m the hero of this here story. *furrows his brow, trying his best to look intimidating* Go ahead. Make my day.

Ceci: *Rolls her eyes, but the corners of her mouth twitch* You do a terrible impression of Jackson’s Southern accent.

Kyle: *frowns at Ceci* That wasn’t Jackson. That was Clint Eastwood. Dirty Harry? Come on!

Ceci: *presses her lips and holds up her hands in surrender* Oh, my bad. I apologize. You do a terrible impression of Clint Eastwood, then. *giggles*

Kyle: *laughs. Leans over to nibble on Ceci’s neck* Admit it. You love it.

Ceci: *blushes. Turns to reviewer.* Next question, please.

How did you meet Cecelia?

Kyle: *sighs. Pulls himself from Ceci’s neck with reluctance. Winks at her.* We’ll finish that later. *looking to interviewer* I grew up with her. When I was in fourth…no, fifth grade, she moved in next door. I was ten and she was seven. There’s a river that runs behind our properties. I was down there one night after supper tossing stones into the water when she wandered down. Apparently, I scared her, because she looked at me like I was going to eat her. Took me a while to get her to talk to me.

WALKING THROUGH FIRE by CJ Bahr #TWRP #Romance

Simon MacKay, the last Earl of Cleitmuir, was murdered two hundred years ago because of his family’s dangerous legacy.  Alone and cursed he haunts his home in order to protect the lost treasure.  A pastime that leaves him angry and embittered until he meets a  feisty American tourist.  Not only is Laurel sexy and beautiful, she can also see him in his ghostly form.

Antiquities expert, Laurel Saville, leaves Chicago to visit her best friend in the romantic Scottish Highlands.  She is saved from a tragic fall by the ghostly Simon.  Once she realizes she is not crazy, she pledges to help him find his family’s missing artifact.  A pledge hindered by treasure hunter Alex MacKenzie, a descendant of the clan that murdered Simon.

Laurel risks everything, including her life, to help Simon resolve the issues keeping him earth bound.  But will she lose him forever or is there a way Laurel can keep him with her on this earthly plane?

Buy Links:
Amazon
Wild Rose Press

5 Hints for a Successful Connected Set of Stories by Different Authors by Melinda Curtis CHRISTMAS, ACTUALLY #anthology

Have you ever wondered what writers consider when they put together connected stories?  Then today’s your lucky day!

1.    Decide upon a theme.  What connects these stories?  Will your stories be location driven?  Family driven?  Holiday driven?  For example, all stories in Christmas, Actually are set in Christmas Town, Maine.  The three stories feature three siblings.  It’s the holiday season. All stories are sweet (no explicit sex).

2.    Same note or different tune?  Will all the stories be light-hearted or all sexy?  Do the author voices blend together or complement each other?  For example, in Christmas, Actually there are three unique storytelling voices – from a more emotional read to a lighter touch.

3.    Brainstorming community traditions.  Every town, city, or suburb has a set of traditions, myths, and rites of passage.  These traditions will help tie the books together.  For example, in Christmas, Actually there is an annual holiday pageant that involves the entire town.  And if you kiss someone on Christmas Eve under the town square gazebo, there are wedding bells for you in the new year.

4.    A unique set of characters.  It sounds silly, but you should check in with your characters.  Unless one of your themes is cops, you probably don’t want every story to have one.  Nor do you want them to have the same first name.  And if your character shows up in someone else’s story, you don’t want their names to sound the same (Ted, Tad, etc.).

5.    Draft check-in.  If your character shows up in someone else’s story – even as a walk on – you need to review their dialogue and action to make sure it’s consistent with the way you’ve written the character.

 

With a little bit of prep and regular check-ins, you can pave the way to a worry-free, connected set of stories.  If you don’t…trust me.  What can go wrong, will go wrong.  Good luck!

The Christmas Date is the third novella in Christmas, Actually – three holiday stories about three siblings living in Christmas Town, where tradition has it that a kiss on Christmas Eve in the town square gazebo will lead to wedding bells in the new year!

Gina Vernay was in an accident as a child and has a scar down her right cheek.  Since then, Gina has always sat on the sidelines, lacking the self-confidence to shine.  Wanting what many of her friends have – love, a family – Gina signs up for an online dating account.  But her picture doesn’t show her scar.  And she’s always too busy running The Tea Cup in Christmas Town to meet anyone, much less a man to share a kiss under the mistletoe in the town’s gazebo.  But when one persistent on-line suitor arranges to meet her on Christmas Eve, Gina’s life turns upside down.

Excerpt from The Christmas Date:

In the wee hours of Christmas Eve morning, Gina stood at the edge of the town square and traced the deep, jagged scar that ran from her left temple to her jawline with the tip of a gloved finger, as if her touch could erase the past. The small ball of worry, the one that hadn’t let her sleep last night, expanded like bread dough in her chest, pressing against her lungs.

I should have told him.

Snow fell silently, blanketing the square and the balsam firs lining it. The trees, mistletoe gazebo and surrounding quaint old buildings were draped in holiday lights. The town square looked like a snow globe, beautifully pristine and peaceful. The wind swirled around her, stealing her worried breath.

Aegis Rising by S.S. Segran #Giveaway

Over a remote northern forest, a small plane carrying five teenage friends flies into a freak storm. Struck by lightning, the aircraft crashes and the passengers find themselves cast into a life-changing adventure.

In a hidden valley, a mysterious people gaze at the stormy sky as a glowing object with fiery wings disappears behind a mountain ridge. The astonishing sight reignites an ancient prophecy foretelling the arrival of five chosen ones destined to become bearers of light against a dark storm gathering on humanity's horizon.

In a distant city, a secretive organization led by a shadowy figure initiates a sequence of cataclysmic events designed to wreak havoc across the planet, beginning with a remote mining site in northern Canada.

As the three worlds collide, unlikely heroes arise. Armed with powers entrusted to them by the ancient prophecy and the resilience of their life-long bond, the five teens take a stand against a malevolent foe.

Puzzling Through Writing with Sheryl R. Hayes #amwriting #UF

Imposter Syndrome

About a month ago, I posted about my first rejection. I made the comment that now I could call myself a real writer.  I had two friends reply to that post, pointing out that I was already a writer long before I was rejected.  I had fallen prey to something everyone struggles with at one time or another. 

Imposter Syndrome is the belief that your accomplishments are not valid, that you are a fraud that will be discovered at any moment.  Although many people have studied this syndrome, it is not an official diagnosis found in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders.  Some reports state that up to 70% of people feel that they are imposters at some point of their life. Physicist Albert Einstein wrote in a letter to Queen Elisabeth of Belgium, "The exaggerated esteem in which my lifework is held makes me very ill at ease. I feel compelled to think of myself as an involuntary swindler."

Tracy Goodwin supports #AutismTreatment #99cents

All proceeds from Tracy Goodwin's critically acclaimed Historical Romance go to ‪#‎AutismTreatment‬ and now, for a limited time, the Kindle version of Dance with Deception - Scandalous Secrets, Book 1 is on sale for only 0.99 cents! It is also available through Kindle Unlimited for free and available in paperback:

Haunted by his father's sins, Sebastian Montgomery, ninth Duke of Davenport vows never to fall in love or marry until he encounters Gwendolyn MacAlistair and she consumes his thoughts. Sebastian wants her, and as he learned from his father, what a duke wants, a duke takes.

Gwen's father has arranged for her to marry a man she despises, the very man who shattered her fragile family. As she struggles with a desperate choice - honor her dying father's final request or alienate him by choosing her true love - Sebastian is forced to make his own desperate decision: trick Gwen into marriage or lose her forever.

Sebastian and Gwen must confront the consequences of their actions and secrets so scandalous that they threaten to destroy all they hold dear.

In this dangerous dance with deception, who will die for love?

Available on Kindle

Hot Holiday Treats #Thanksgiving #Christmas #Anthology

8 Sexy Holiday Stories to keep you warm on cold winter nights

Cozy up with eight complete novellas full of love, lust, and winter magic by award winners and the ladies of Silken Sheets & Seduction. From cowboys to demons, we’ve got hot holiday treats to warm you up.

Caging the Wolf by Sofia Grey

Jessie has fallen in love with the perfect guy, Levi, but there’s one tiny problem. The blue-eyed hunk only exists in her dreams.

I’m a 40-on-the-outside / 20-on-the-inside girl with a passion for the simple things in life. As long as they include wine, chocolate and rock music, I’m good. When I’m not either herding project managers (at work), cats (at home) or cub scouts (in what passes for spare time…) I’m curled up with my Kindle or my laptop. To me, writing is as addictive as reading and I can’t manage unless I have both.

sofiagrey.com | Sofia’s GoodReads | Sofia’s Facebook Page

Caging the Wolf excerpt

I dreamed of home, and Christmas shopping. I sat on a wooden bench in my local shopping mall, the giant Trafford Centre, and gazed at the opulent decorations strung from the glass ceiling. Busy shoppers hurried past me, the usual crowds, but even though I’d shopped here a thousand times, it now felt alien.

I felt, rather than saw, someone take the space next to me. A glance to my side revealed a young man. He sprawled against the bench seat, one arm insolently thrown across the back, as though we were a couple.

I gave him a proper look. Messy, dark hair fell to his chin, and thick stubble raked his cheeks, making him look as though he’d stumbled here straight from his bed. A black T-shirt hugged his chest, and worn, dark jeans clung to strong thighs. The denim looked soft and much-washed, and I dragged my gaze up from his crotch, to meet twinkling—startling—blue eyes. Where had I seen eyes like that before?

A lazy grin broke out on his face, and my cheeks heated. He couldn’t have missed the way I’d been staring at him. With his dark tan, and perfect white teeth, he looked far too exotic to be sitting in a Manchester shopping mall.

“Hi, Jess.”

The rational part of me questioned how he knew my name. The rest of me wanted to swoon at his voice. Deep, and husky, it reminded me of salted caramel chocolate—velvety, but with a dangerous edge. It also had a lilting accent that was familiar. He was a Kiwi.

“I’m sorry, do I know you?” My polite English upbringing stepped forward, even though I’d never seen him before. I couldn’t forget someone so delicious.

Puzzling Through Writing with Farah Evers #amwriting #Scifi

Hi Farah! Welcome to The Snarkology! It's wonderful having you as my guest in Puzzling Through Writing, which is a guest blog series especially for unpublished or soon to be publishered authors.

My Dark Drive

I started telling stories at the age of 4 or 5. My parents, on many occasions, wished they had earplugs, because it was pretty damn hard to shut me up. I was that baby who talked all day long, until I was out cold. When I wasn’t talking, I was a baby with a book in my hand. Wherever we traveled, I tugged at my mother’s arm to take me into the hotel bookstore and buy me a book. I didn’t need anyone to read to me, nor feed me the bottle. I read in restaurants, lobbies, on the table, under the table, under the bed, and every other nook I could think of, as long as my bottle was in my grip. But the rest of the time, I just frikkin’ talked. I regaled the family with fantastical stories about complex matters that truly puzzled them. One day, a famous Arab journalist who worked with dad called me a surrealist. He told my parents I would grow up to be a writer, like my dad, or an actor. He was right on both accounts.

I wrote my first short story at the age of 12, and weirdly enough, I still remember bits and pieces of it. I remember it was set in Alpha Centauri. I remember that because I was obsessed with my Child Craft Encyclopedia, and my favorites were the science volumes about the cosmos, evolution, and biology. The story revolved around a group of scientists who worked on a special laser based weapon, which they wanted to use against the government’s will. Come to think of it, I should probably rewrite that story.

I don’t know what happened to all my stories, but as I grew up, I was discouraged from pursuing any art form. Where I come from, we constantly lived in survival mode, and art was not something fruitful, in my family’s view. When I entered college, I chose something as close to art as possible, and that was Architecture. You can read more about how architecture fueled my love for Sci-Fi and vice versa.

But what drove me to write? Nothing noble.